Hong Kong: Security chief headed to Mainland Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung will leave Hong Kong tomorrow for a four-day visit to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Joining him will be the heads of Police, the Immigration Department, the Customs & Excise Department, the Correctional Services Department, the Fire Services Department and the Government Flying Service. While in Beijing, Mr Tang will call on the CPC Central Committee's Commission for Political & Legal Affairs, the State Council's Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Ministry of Justice, and the General Administration of Customs. He will depart for Guangzhou on the evening of April 26 and call on the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department and the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau the next day. The security chief will return to Hong Kong on April 27. During his absence, Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk will be Acting Secretary. This story has been published on: 2023-04-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Enjoying peony flowers while wearing Hanfu outfits becomes new fashion in Luoyang, C China's Henan People's Daily Online) 16:55, April 21, 2023 The ongoing 40th Luoyang Peony Cultural Festival in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province has ignited people's passion for Hanfu culture. Hanfu is the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group. In recent days, Hanfu lovers from across the country have been gathering in Luoyang, wearing Hanfu costumes in the styles of different Chinese dynasties. At sunset, Luoyi ancient city in Luoyang is filled with tourists wearing Hanfu outfits and holding lanterns, creating a lively atmosphere that reminds one of a bustling street market in ancient times. In recent years, Luoyang has made efforts to carry forward and drive the innovative development of its traditional culture. It has introduced Hanfu culture to major events such as the peony cultural festival, inviting tourists from home and abroad to experience the cultural charm of the city. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Hongyu) Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/scientists-discover-junkie-worms-crave-in-similar-way-to-humans-1109773523.html Scientists Discover Junkie Worms Crave in Similar Way to Humans Scientists Discover Junkie Worms Crave in Similar Way to Humans The research, however strange it may seem, has important implications for human health as the worms' reaction replicates that of humans. Worms may now be used for drug testing and thats what it is all about. 2023-04-23T12:00+0000 2023-04-23T12:00+0000 2023-04-23T12:00+0000 beyond politics science & tech scientific research cannabis worms /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105020/45/1050204502_0:100:1920:1180_1920x0_80_0_0_34d7c94278662ef7a9e036ae782985e7.jpg Worms (C. elegans type) become eager to eat high-calorie food after consuming cannabis, replicating the same behavioral pattern observed in humans, research published in the peer-reviewed journal Current Biology has revealed.Cannabinoids do their job by interacting with so-called receptors the proteins in the brain and nervous system. Some cannabinoids are naturally present in the body thats why these receptors exist - and they play an important role, including appetite regulation and even reproduction.For the sake of science, researchers bathed worms in anandamide a biological fluid that is considered to be a bodily-produced cannabinoid. After that, scientists observed the feeding of these worms and were able to document a stronger preference for high-calorie food. Shawn Lockery, co-author of the study and a professor of biology and neuroscience at the University of Oregon, told British media: this increase in existing preference is analogous to eating more of the foods you would crave anyway. Its like choosing pizza versus oatmeal.However, the research was carried out not only to satiate scientists curiosity about the behavior of drugged worms. The paper alleges that this similarity between humans and worms can be used for medical purposes the tiny mindless creatures will become a part of human drug testing.As Lockery stated, the fact that the human cannabinoid receptor gene is functional in C. elegans food-choice experiments sets the stage for rapid and inexpensive screening for drugs that target a wide variety of proteins involved in cannabinoid signaling and metabolism, with profound implications for human health. https://sputnikglobe.com/20221124/rodent-munchies-rats-blamed-for-missing-cannabis-in-indian-police-warehouse-1104662876.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International scientific research, humans, worms, cannabis, junk food https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/something-wicked-texas-police-investigate-tongue-removing-cow-cull-1109775647.html Something Wicked: Texas Police Investigate Tongue-Removing Cow Cull Something Wicked: Texas Police Investigate Tongue-Removing Cow Cull Texas police investigates strange case of cow mutilation the creatures were killed and had their tongues cut out. 2023-04-23T12:02+0000 2023-04-23T12:02+0000 2023-04-23T12:02+0000 beyond politics death strange weird cow texas us /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107101/91/1071019157_0:100:1920:1180_1920x0_80_0_0_3744c59e0a8f6e7289bb5f64d322d328.jpg Texas police are looking for suspects in the strange deaths of cattle in which their tongues are removed with surgical accuracy. There is no blood spilled or any signs of struggle. The bodies of the cattle have been found along a local highway in Madison, Brazos, and Robertson counties.In Madison county, forensic experts reported straight clean cuts that were made with apparent precision on a six-year-old longhorn-cross cow. What makes things even more creepy is that the body decayed for weeks - untouched by Texas' usual scavengers.Similar cases were observed in Brazos and Robertson counties where a number of dead cows with tongues completely removed were found. Two cows also had their anuses and external genitalia cut off and removed.Police claim to be absolutely clueless about the causes of the cattle mutilation. However, this is not the first case of strange livestock death in US.In 1975, media reported that farmers were stumbling upon killed cattle with tongues and sex organs removed in 11 states. Back then, the gruesome and unexplained discoveries inspired a bunch of conspiracy theories about satanic cults using cattle organs as donations to demons and UFOs, even though it's not quite clear why aliens would need mutilated cows. The investigation was eventually closed as police were not able to find any evidence. https://sputnikglobe.com/20191019/second-world-war-doll-blinks-and-moves-mouth-at-night-1077093182.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20160711/wales-ufo-alien-home-1042789346.html texas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International strange crime, weird crime, crime, cattle https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/sy-hersh-west-knows-ukraine-weapons-end-up-on-black-market-1109774596.html Sy Hersh: West Knows Ukraine Weapons End Up on Black Market Sy Hersh: West Knows Ukraine Weapons End Up on Black Market Western countries weapon supplies to Ukraine show no sign of abating, with Russia warning that such deliveries will add to prolonging the conflict. 2023-04-23T10:08+0000 2023-04-23T10:08+0000 2023-04-23T10:51+0000 russia ukraine us weapons black market supplies special operation military /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/17/1109774004_0:159:3078:1890_1920x0_80_0_0_e8db6f48e409982446de9456cae7c880.jpg The West knows the weapons they deliver to Ukraine are being sold on the black market, something mainstream media has tried to hush up, US investigative journalist Seymour Sy Hersh has told Russian media.He said that he had not written about the topic but he obviously heard about it.Hersh added that very early, Poland, Romania, [and] other countries on the border were being flooded with weapons we'd been shipping for the war to Ukraine," where the Russian special military operation is underway.According to the journalist, the weapons included hand missile guns designed to down a warplane flying at a considerable height.He spoke after Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told reporters that Moscow has serious concerns that part of US military supplies to Ukraine will end up on the black market.He was echoed by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu who said that part of the weapons supplied by the West to Ukraine are already spreading across the Middle East region.Denis Pushilin, acting head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which became part of Russia last year, likewise told Sputnik that foreign weapons being supplied to Ukraine, including the Javelin anti-tank systems, are now being sold on the black market. He added that this kind of weaponry is being moved in large quantities to African countries, too.The US and its allies ramped up their arms supplies to Kiev shortly after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly warned that the Wests military assistance to Kiev would prolong 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/20230413/us-to-keep-giving-military-aid-to-ukraine-going-forward--white-house-1109467639.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg russian special military operation in ukraine, western countries' arms supplies to kiev, seymour hersh's interview with russian media https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/thousands-of-swedes-protest-nato-accession-1109772350.html Thousands of Swedes Protest NATO Accession Thousands of Swedes Protest NATO Accession Sweden submitted a bid for NATO membership alongside Finland in May 2022. On March 31, Finland's application was ratified by all 30 members of the alliance, while Sweden's bid is still pending approval by Hungary and Turkiye. 2023-04-23T09:27+0000 2023-04-23T09:27+0000 2023-04-23T12:59+0000 world sweden nato political protest russia-nato showdown /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105089/90/1050899014_0:188:2200:1426_1920x0_80_0_0_43a7361ad0f959a968680dd5f872ce69.jpg Thousands of people gathered in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Saturday to protest against the country's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as against the Aurora-2023 military drills hosted by the Nordic state. As per the police estimates, between 2,000 and 2,500 people attended the rally. Holding banners such as "No to NATO", the demonstration marched through the city. Protesters dubbed NATO a war machine of the United States and expressed concern that the alliance will drag Sweden into numerous conflicts. The protest was supported by local civil organizations, including the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society and several pacifist networks promoting the idea of nuclear disarmament. Nukes were another topic of protest Swedes expressed concern that Nordic countries will lose their nuclear-free status should Stockholm join NATO. In this case, the territory may become a target should a full-scale nuclear war break out.Another concern was taxes protesters argued that should Sweden join NATO, taxes will rise and the funds will go to financing the US war machine instead of education and social care.Traditionally, Swedish citizens have been negative towards joining NATO or any other military bloc. However, in the wake of hostilities in Ukraine, the Swedish government decided to access the North Atlantic Alliance. On March, 22, the Swedish parliament, the Riksdagen, supported the idea of joining NATO. sweden Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nato, sweden, anti-nato protests, nuclear-free zone https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/uk-spy-kills-own-child-after-returning-from-undercover-mission-in-jihadi-camp---reports-1109775030.html UK Spy Kills Own Child After Returning From Undercover Mission in Jihadi Camp - Reports UK Spy Kills Own Child After Returning From Undercover Mission in Jihadi Camp - Reports UK MI6 intelligence serviceman killed his son after returning from jihadist camp in Pakistan. He was suffering from extreme stress and allegedly developed a PTSR. 2023-04-23T10:05+0000 2023-04-23T10:05+0000 2023-04-23T10:05+0000 world uk mi-6 intelligence /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105933/18/1059331898_0:64:1280:784_1920x0_80_0_0_0ff32540c7f04f893df84e31b3e04610.jpg MI6 sent the man to the village of Waziristan in Pakistan with a mission to go undercover in a base of the Taliban and al-Qaeda (terrorist group banned in Russia) fighters, according to the report. During the mission, the spy posed as a jihadi fighter and had to wash dismembered bodies of Taliban soldiers before burying them, while also witnessing an entire family accused of spying for the US being beheaded, the newspaper added. After returning to the UK, the man was in "extreme stress," had violent outbursts and suffered flashbacks, news outlet reported. Eventually, he murdered his own child after some time since going back home, according to the leaked documents. The report said that the individual got the highest score on an emotional instability test he had undergone before going on the mission and was still sent there. The man also told experts that he had been sexually abused as a child and had a criminal record, the newspaper added. After the murder, the man was arrested and transferred to a secure psychiatric facility. The trial was recently held in secret and the person's name and location have been kept anonymous, according to the newspaper. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/uk-intelligence-to-create-new-ai-equipped-open-source-department-1108961674.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International uk, mi6, uk spy kills son, uk spy, undercover mission jihadists, jihadist camps in pakistan https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/ukraine-disassembling-many-fighter-jets-provided-by-slovakia-poland-1109780446.html Ukraine Disassembling Many Fighter Jets Provided by Slovakia, Poland Ukraine Disassembling Many Fighter Jets Provided by Slovakia, Poland A large part of the MiG-29 fighter jets that Poland and Slovakia recently handed over to Ukraine are not in flyable condition and can be of use only if disassembled for spare parts, a British weekly newspaper reported on Sunday. 2023-04-23T16:46+0000 2023-04-23T16:46+0000 2023-04-26T12:42+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukraine poland military aid slovakia mig-29 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107635/45/1076354570_0:51:2200:1289_1920x0_80_0_0_6d83467b48e26a691346450545374f0d.jpg The report noted that Poland and Slovakia had transferred about eight MiG-29s in recent weeks. Western countries have been supplying military aid to Ukraine since the start of the conflict with Russia in February 2022. The aid evolved from lighter artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023. Ukraine has now asked for fighter jets, a request that has so far been met with reluctance in the United States and most EU countries.Earlier in April, Ukrainian Air Force Command spokesman Yuriy Ignat said that Ukraine would like to get F-16 fighters as the supply of other Western aircraft could take more time. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230414/polish-and-slovak-mig-29s-wont-turn-tide-in-ukraine-1109538682.html ukraine poland slovakia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukraine, ukrainian crisis, conflict in ukraine, russian special military operation, war in ukraine, military aid for ukraine, ukraine fighter jets, mig-29 Russia Expects UN to Respond to US' Non-Issuance of Visas to Russian Journalists - Mission Russia expects the United Nations leadership and specialized international mechanisms to take the necessary steps in connection with the United States' non-issuance of visas to the Russian journalists who were to accompany Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the UN Security Council session in New York, the Russian Permanent Mission to the UN said on Sunday. "We count on the UN leadership and specialized international mechanisms to pay due attention to this egregious situation and take all necessary steps against the violator," the statement read. The mission slammed Washington's decision to deny US visas to Russian journalists, pointing out that "Russian media representatives complied with all relevant terms and requirements, including a valid UN accreditation." "We consider this step as another manifestation of neglect of the international law by the United States. When denying access to UN events for Russian journalists, the US authorities once again demonstrate their true attitude to freedom of speech and availability of information," the mission added. Ontario-sired competitors of ages three and four were the main attraction on Saturday night (April 22) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. A quartet of Ontario Sired Spring Series finals for three-year-olds (non-winners of $30,000 in 2022) were contested along with the second leg of the Ontario Graduate for four-year-old pacers. Rain rolled in following the second race of the 13-race card to change the track from "fast" to "good." Ontario Sired Spring Series Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace Final Standout sophomore No Control overcame Post 10 in Saturdays $48,100 final to sweep the Spring Series. Tyler Jones once again steered the Tan Micallef-trained No Control to victory, sending the overwhelming favourite forward for the gate-to-wire score. The gelded son of Control The Moment scooted through fractions of :26.1, :55.3 and 1:23.3 before securing the win of two lengths in 1:52.2. Gandolf The Black grabbed second, while Bar Down Jim overcame interference in the first turn to finish third. No Control burst onto the Woodbine scene in December, dominantly winning two of his first three starts. The Micallef trainee recently returned to sweep the Spring Series and improve to five-for-six lifetime with $60,470 earned for owners Micallef, Keira Liberte and Ian Clarke. A $2 win ticket on No Control returned $2.40. No Control is eligible to the Pepsi North America Cup. Ontario Sired Spring Series Three-Year-Old Filly Trot Final HP Extra Ice sat back early before mowing down her rivals for a 1:56.3 score. The Ben Baillargeon-trained HP Extra Ice got away sixth with driver James MacDonald in the field of seven. The duo got at the half, eventually coming off the final turn wide from fifth and surging by for her third win. Muscling Vegas finished a length and a half back in second, while Southwind Chardnay was third. The purse for the contest was $43,900. A daughter of Alarm Detector, HP Extra Ice made three qualifying appearances at age two, but never made an official start. The Baillargeon trainee returned March 16 to win her career debut and posted a win and third in the preliminary legs. Shes now three-for-five overall with $41,610 earned. Claude Hamel bred HP Extra Ice and shares ownership with trainer Baillargeon and Santo & Nunzio Vena. HP Extra Ice paid $4.70 to win. Ontario Sired Spring Series Three-Year-Old Filly Pace Final Race-favourite Elises Delight proved she was much the best to win her $49,300 final in 1:54.3. The Jeff Gillis-trained Elises Delight fired from Post 8 for driver James MacDonald to post a :27.4 opener. The favourite gave way briefly to outside starter Dewitt This Moment before circling back to command at a :57 half. Elises Delight rolled down to three-quarters in 1:25.3 before kicking clear in the lane to win in the rain by 2-1/2 lengths. Tesla Power was second, while Chedda Chedda was third. A daughter of Bettors Delight, Elises Delight notched a win and second in the preliminary legs. The Gillis trainee is now four-for-eight this season with $59,470 earned. Gillis shares ownership with Ellen Ott. Elises Delight paid $4.70 to win. Ontario Sired Spring Series Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot Final Bruce Richardson trainee Like Chaos got a perfect steer from driver Trevor Henry to capture his $45,400 Spring Series final in 1:57.2. Like Chaos got away fourth and would pick up the live cover of favourite Devils Arch on the final turn to sit second-over swinging for home. The Richardson trainee powered by the publics top choice to score the victory by 2-1/2 lengths. Devils Arch settled for second, while Lava Field was third. A gelded son of Lookslikeachpndale, Like Chaos has enjoyed a nice run of success at age three after going winless in eight starts as a rookie. The Richardson student scored a win and third in the preliminary legs and now is four-for-eight this season with $60,000 earned. Like Chaos is owned by Richardson and Joseph Coffey. He paid $11.40 go win. Ontario Graduate Series Four-Year-Old Pacers Second Preliminary Cold Creek Queso improved to two-for-two with a coast-to-coast score in Saturdays $25,000 Ontario Graduate Series second leg. The Murray Brethour-trained Cold Creek Queso wowed in his season debut with an explosive final-turn move and :25 final quarter to win last week. The tactics switched on Saturday to a front-end mission with the same result of another victory. Driver Sylvain Filion sent Cold Creek Queso forward to win an early sprint and grab command. The duo posted splits of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:24.2 before kicking home in :27 for a 2-1/2 length victory. Ron tracked the leader throughout and finished second. Camara Moment was third, while Dreamfair Arnie B rallied for fourth. A gelded son of Betterthancheddar, Cold Creek Queso is now a nine-time winner and surpassed $300,000 in career earnings with Saturdays victory for owners Cold Creek Standardbred. The Ontario Graduate Series continues next weekend with leg three. The four Graduate finals will be contested on Saturday, May 6. Live harness racing resumes Monday evening (April 24) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Post time is 7 p.m. (EDT). To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park. (Woodbine) After getting foiled the last few weeks, Saulsbrook Victor returned to the winners circle following the $42,000 Free For All Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday night (April 22) off a coast-to-coast 1:50.4 win over a track rated good. Driver Austin Sorrie sent Saulsbrook Victor from post six to take the lead to a :27 first quarter with Wheels On Fire sitting second. The field sat single file by a :56 half and continued mostly in line to three-quarters in 1:24 before Saulsbrook Victor accelerated in the sprint for home. Sauslbrook Victor kept a 2-1/2-length advantage on Wheels On Fire in the lane to take the overnight feature with Momas Son Byrne finishing third and Points North closing for fourth. Ronald MacDonald trains Saulsbrook Victor, a five-year-old gelding by Source Of Pride, for owners Brett MacDonald and Brent MacLennan. The pacer won his 16th race from 57 starts and has now earned $337,405. He paid $7.50 to win. To view Saturdays harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results Woodbine Mohawk Park. Joseph Joe Watson proudly mentioned a lifetime career of 33 years working in law enforcement as the primary qualifier in his bid for Culpeper County Sheriff. The Right Experience: thats what were looking at, he said of his campaign slogan during an interview on April 13. For Culpeper, bring them into the modern policing. Only thing that brought me out of retirement is I care about this county, and I want to do good for this county and the county deserves it. Watson worked 25 years for Alexandria Police Department and from 2008-12 for the Culpeper County Sheriffs Office under former Sheriff Jim Branch. He then founded SpecOps Solutions consulting agency for first responders. Got the best resume in the county, probably the best resume in Northern Virginia. If we get the message out about the experience and the platform of what we want to do, I think Culpeper will respond, he said. The 65-year-old Richardsville resident described himself as very conservative and has applied to run as the Culpeper Republican Committee nominee in the November election. State ballots do not designate local office candidates by party. Watson said he thought he missed the deadline to apply for the local party nomination. He was originally going to run as an independent. I personally believe the sheriff shouldnt be that political of an animal, not that Im not very conservative, I probably would have tried for the GOP nod made the hard decision to go independent. The more we thought about it, Branch ran as an independent, he probably had a point because youre everybodys sheriff, right? So thats where were going to be right now, Watson said. He said in a follow-up email he did not think he would isolate any local voters running as a Republican. This is his first run for elected office, a process he described as very interesting. Watson said he helped improved the CCSO during his four years there. He described changes, reforms and updates that needed to be made. Is this really how you want to run a law enforcement office? Watson said. It works if the chief executive that gets elected runs it like a professional law enforcement office. Thats my intention, thats what I want to do. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, to a military family, he grew up in Prince Georges County around the Washington Beltway after his dad, in the Air Force, got stationed at Andrews Air Force Base. Watson graduated from Potomac High School and got into law enforcement when he was 19-years-old as a U.S. Marines military police officer from 1977 to 1981. He said his brother-in-law recruited him to work for the City of Alexandria, where he did municipal policing for 25 years on the other side of the Potomac. Watson mentioned highlights of his career there, including being on the special operations team that provided security in 2006 for the Zacarias Moussaoui trial after Sept. 11. He said he saw a lot of diversity and changes working in Alexandria. He was also pretty proud of being part of the force responsible for cleaning up King Street, now a destination spot in Northern Virginia, Watson stated. They still had bars and massage parlors, now its cleaned up from the waterfront all the way to the Masonic temple. Its a mecca for shopping and dining. At Alexandria PD, sergeants got assigned to community associations around the city, something Watson said he would start at the CCSO, if elected. People will get assigned to communities, he said, and well listen to what theyre saying. A father of two and grandfather of two, Watson has lived in Culpeper since 2003 when he found a pretty piece of property just above the confluence of rivers in the far eastern reaches of the county. His first association with CCSO was in 2008 when Branch, then chief deputy, hired his consulting company to do SWAT training for the agency, Watson said. His home-based firm also offers other types of law enforcement and emergency training, as well as private investigations and concealed carry classes. Watson said he has worked around the country offering his expertise and learning best practices from numerous police departments. When Branch was elected sheriff, he recruited Watson to the office as a captain, he said. The candidate said they won a local award for saving the county substantially on car maintenance. Watson said he was also instrumental in creating an off-site forensics lab for regional use while at the sheriffs office as well as an agreement for a special operations team with town police. When I came here the first time, we were about 20 years behind what some of the big cities and counties were doing, like Fairfax, he said. We worked really hard for four years to bridge that gap and bring it up to where it needed to be. Then, unfortunately, we lost by 800 votes for the reelection. Sheriff Scott Jenkins won his first election in 2012 and has been in office since. Watson stated he was let go with the change in administration. After the sheriffs office, in addition to his consulting business, Watson worked as a security program manager for a private company and as a contractor for the nuclear detection office, his resume shows. His long list of training class credentials include counter-terrorism, firearms instructor, sniper, defense tactics, purchasing and procurement, Hazmat technician, advanced radiation nuclear and response to suicide/homicide bomber. According to his resume, Watson completed classes at Northern Virginia Community College, Marine Corps Institute, Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy and U.S. Army Military Police School at Fort McClellan, Alabama. The candidate weighed in on current policing topics in the recent sit-down, including body cameras, which the CCSO currently does not have. Im a believer I think its something you want to go look for grant money to implement, its an expensive program, Watson said. Asked about the Culpeper County Jail managed by the CCSO, he said it is the biggest liability to the county and the agency, due to persistent overcrowding and housing of overflow inmates in jails around Virginia. Watson said as the Branch term ended, they were looking to expand and build a new regional jail and also have federal beds as a cost revenue component. We will have to do that, he said. We were the first ones to get the Culpeper County Jail certified and we got four straight, 100% inspections. It was a mess when we got there. We got it cleaned up. Well make sure that continues and we will have to find a solution to the crowding we also have to look at finding mental health beds. That will help with the crowding. Asked about the ongoing proposal to use the vacant state juvenile facility next to Coffeewood Correctional as the new county jail, Watson said he was open to looking at it, but wasnt sure the facility was up to par. As for the 287(g) federal immigration program present in the local jail, and Culpeper County being the only locality in Virginia to have the program, Watson said, Im a believer and that he would keep the program if elected. Through the program, local jailers work with ICE to detain undocumented immigrants wanted for crimes by the federal immigration enforcement agency. I think it can be a good program, sometimes there is a need for it firm believer in tool boxes the more tools we have to keep this county safe, the better we are going to be able to do so, Watson said. I dont think so, Watson said when asked if 287(g) impacts community relations between CCSO and the Hispanic community. Folks that are here and are assimilating, they want the protection as much as any other citizen. There are rules and regulations on how to get sent to ICE. For the one person scared we might abuse it, theres the other person we catch thats a known criminal felon. The candidate said he would reach out, if elected sheriff, to the Hispanic community by hosting town halls and keeping open lines of communication, using a consultant. Watson said he wasnt sure about the new Culpeper County Drug Court put in place a year ago and would need to speak with the commonwealths attorneys office about it for more information. It will be dependent on what type of drug crimes, first time experimentation, yeah, probably a candidate for drug court, but if you got a guy out there slinging fentanyl and opioids, Watson said, no, calling substance use a mental health issue. Watson said he was not a huge fan of embedding civilian mental health professionals with police on the front lines like they do at the Culpeper Police Department. He said he worried one of them would get hurt, for example, during an extremely dangerous domestic call. Can a police uniform trigger people in mental crisis, therefore making a mental health professional in plain clothes more effective? Watson answered, The officers can deescalate it and the training needs to go to the officers instead of putting those mental health workers in harms way. Yes, (a uniform can be a trigger), but we can teach them to deescalate, and how to deal with that person thats in crisis. Having mental health professionals available immediately after that call at the sheriffs office or in the jail is huge, he added. Thats where you need the mental health experts. Not right there on the front lines because it can go south real quick, Watson said. Asked if he knew of any mental health workers getting killed, he said, not yet. Watson also discussed the importance of paying attention to and providing outreach and services for officer mental health. Its huge, getting worse with lack of support from communities, he said, adding he had seen a reduction in people screaming for defunding and a little more respect returning got to take care of the officer as well. None of us are islands, none of us are made of steel, reach out, talk to us. If sheriff, Watson said he would make counseling available after every major call, provide quarterly training and make sure deputies know they have the ability to reach out without reprisal and get the help that they need. These young men and women see things most human beings dont get to see and it adds up, it adds up quick, he said. Watson said the top issue in Culpeper County is the drugs. The drug overdoseswe got to keep our people alive. Fentanyl and opioids taking the nation over its probably as bad here as anywhere else in the country because of the trafficking, Watson said, adding he would reach out to federal partners on the issue, if elected, as well as the local state police gang and drug task force of which CCSO is a member agency. The candidate reiterated his experience in stating he is the best candidate for sheriff. We know these elections here in Culpeper turn into popularity contests, Watson said. I got until early voting starts in September to try to get the citizens of Culpeper to understand it probably shouldnt all be about a popularity contest. We have to have the resume. The candidate said theyve already started knocking on doors and meeting with community groups, asked about name recognition. Theyre going to know me. Were going to be putting a lot of shoe leather on the streets. I did 40 houses three days ago, knocking on doors and well probably do some more, Watson said. Were going to be vising a lot of people. Theyre going to know mea lot of people still remember me from my first time at the sheriffs office. A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: ___ Posts misrepresent rioter's actions in Jan. 6 Capitol attack CLAIM: Footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol shows that Jacob Chansley, who participated in the riot sporting face paint, no shirt and a fur hat with horns, was "led through the Capitol by police the entire time he was in the building." THE FACTS: Court documents and video footage from the attack on the Capitol make clear that Chansley, who is widely known as the "QAnon Shaman" and is one of the most recognizable Jan. 6 rioters, entered the Capitol without permission, was repeatedly asked to leave the building and was not accompanied at all times. After Fox News host Tucker Carlson broadcast previously unseen Jan. 6 security footage on his Monday night primetime show, social media users began sharing segments from his program that misrepresented Chansley's involvement in the riot. "BREAKING: Never before seen video of January 6 shows Jacob Chansley, the QAnon Shaman, being led through the Capitol by police the entire time that he was in the building," reads a tweet that includes a clip from Carlson's show. But the footage leaves out important context about Chansley's time in the Capitol that day. A statement prepared by the Department of Justice, which was signed by Chansley and his attorney, provides a timeline of the rioter's movement in the Capitol. For example, the statement explains that Chansley entered the Capitol through a broken door as part of a crowd that "was not lawfully authorized to enter or remain in the building" and that he was one of the first 30 rioters inside. It goes on to note that although officers asked Chansley and others multiple times to leave the Capitol, he did not comply and actively riled up his fellow rioters. The statement describes Chansley's interactions with officers, but also points out that he "entered the Gallery of the Senate alone." Chansley pleaded guilty in September 2021 to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding. He was sentenced in November 2021 to 41 months in prison. Asked about claims that protesters were led through the building, a Capitol Police spokesperson pointed The Associated Press to an HBO documentary about the riot, "Four Hours at the Capitol," in which an officer describes his encounter with Chansley, including how he asked the rioter and others to leave the Senate wing. Footage from the interaction appears in the documentary. "Any chance I can get you guys to leave the Senate wing?" the officer says as Chansley sits in the presiding officer's chair on the Senate Dais. A video of Chansley walking into the Capitol through the broken door is publicly available on the website of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger lambasted Carlson's segment on the Jan. 6 footage in an internal memo Tuesday. "Last night an opinion program aired commentary that was filled with offensive and misleading conclusions about the January 6 attack," Manger wrote. "One false allegation is that our officers helped the rioters and acted as 'tour guides.' This is outrageous and false." Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report. ___ No, the military hasn't recorded a 500% increase in HIV cases CLAIM: The U.S. military has recorded a 500% increase in new HIV infections since COVID-19 vaccines were introduced. THE FACTS: The U.S. military has not recorded any such increase, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Defense. Conservative commentators are baselessly claiming that rates of HIV in the military have skyrocketed since COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out to sow suspicion about the shot. "The Armed Forces of the United States recorded a five hundred percent (500%) increase in AIDS after administering the COVID-19 Vaccine to US Troops. The COVID-19 Vaccine is implicated," wrote Hal Turner, a right-wing radio host, on his website last week. Turner gave no evidence for his claims. He did not respond to a request for comment. But figures from the Defense Department and the Congressional Research Service show that the 500% figure is massively exaggerated. Further, medical experts have repeatedly emphasized that COVID-19 vaccination has not been linked to developing HIV, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which is caused by HIV. Nor does a condition called "VAIDS" vaccine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome exist. A total of 1,581 service members, including those in the National Guard and Reserves have been diagnosed with HIV infections since 2017, said Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman, a spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Three-hundred and seventeen service members were diagnosed with HIV in 2017; 280 in 2018; 314 in 2019; 237 in 2020; 309 in 2021; and 124 in 2022. These rates are consistent with figures that were cited in a 2019 Congressional Research Service report. That report cited estimates from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center showing that approximately 350 service members are diagnosed with HIV annually. COVID-19 vaccinations first became available to the public in December 2020. In 2021, 72 more cases of HIV were diagnosed compared to 2020, constituting a 30% increase but nowhere near the 500% claimed. And in 2022, when the vaccine rollout was well underway, 185 fewer new HIV cases were diagnosed, marking a 60% drop from 2021. Though Turner did not give the source of his data, it matches claims spread about other illnesses purportedly linked to COVID-19 vaccination among military members that have been shared in the past. In those cases, the numbers stemmed from what the bloggers and social media users said was "leaked" data from Defense Medical Epidemiology Database, or DMED, an internal database that documents medical experiences of service members throughout their careers. It is only accessible by military medical providers, epidemiologists, medical researchers and clinical support staff. However, Schwegman told the AP that the claims citing this database were flawed due to an error in the data for the years 2016 to 2020. The Defense Health Agency's Armed Forces Surveillance Division reviewed the data in the system, comparing it to the source data, and found that the total number of medical diagnoses from 2016 to 2020 that were accessible in DMED "represented only a small fraction of actual medical diagnoses for those years," said Schwegman. In contrast, the total number of medical diagnoses for the year 2021 were accurate, which temporarily made it appear that there was a disproportionate increase in medical conditions between the 2016 to 2020 figures and those reported in 2021. She said that the Armed Forces Surveillance Division has since corrected the data corruption. Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in New York contributed this report. ___ Hospital COVID payments tied to patient treatment, not deaths CLAIM: U.S. hospitals are earning a $48,000 government subsidy for every patient that dies from COVID-19 in their care. THE FACTS: Hospital industry officials and public health experts confirm the federal government provides hospitals with enhanced payments for treating COVID-19 patients, but the payments are only currently applicable to those on Medicare and aren't contingent on a patient's death. Social media users are claiming American hospitals have a financial incentive to let people with coronavirus die under their watch. But hospitals have never been compensated by the federal government based on a patient dying of COVID-19 in one of their facilities, say industry officials and public health experts. During the pandemic, hospitals have received additional money for treating COVID-19 patients as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES, the 2020 law meant to address the economic fallout of the pandemic. But those increased payments don't apply to every COVID-19 patient treated in a hospital, just the ones under Medicare, which is the federal healthcare program serving people 65 and over. Colin Milligan, a spokesperson for the American Hospital Association, confirmed that hospitals are currently eligible to receive a 20% increase in Medicare payments for caring for COVID-19 patients. "These patients are often very costly and time and labor-intensive for hospitals to treat," he explained in an email Wednesday. And despite what the social media posts claim, the enhanced COVID-19 payments aren't based on whether the patient lives or dies, experts said. In general, Medicare payments are based on the severity of the patient's condition and the types of treatments provided, said Juliette Cubanski, deputy director of Medicare policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The average cost of a COVID-19 hospitalization for a Medicare patient is about $24,000, she said, citing claims data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. But the reimbursement for more severely ill patients such as those placed on a ventilator for multiple days is roughly $40,000, according to KFF's analysis. Social media posts citing a $48,000 subsidy for COVID-19 deaths appear to be taking that $40,000 average cost for treating the sickest COVID-19 patients and factoring in the special 20% reimbursement rate increase. But Cubanski argued that's not a fair assessment of the potential payout to hospitals. "My understanding of the estimates from CMS is that they already include the 20% payment increase in the stated amount," she wrote in an email. "So the payment for an extreme case would be $40k including the 20% increase, not $40k plus 20%." Spokespersons for CMS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the agency, didn't respond to emails seeking comment this week. But President Joe Biden has announced the federal government's declaration of a public health emergency for COVID-19 will end on May 11. That means the enhanced Medicare payments along with other measures the federal government enacted to weather the pandemic will soon be a thing of the past. Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report. ___ Florida blogger bill falsely tied to DeSantis CLAIM: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants bloggers to register with the state or face fines. THE FACTS: A bill filed in the Florida Senate that DeSantis says he does not support would require bloggers to register with the state and submit periodic reports if they are paid for posts about elected officials. Social media users have erroneously claimed in recent days that DeSantis is in favor of the bill, which was filed last week and introduced to the Senate on Tuesday. But it was Republican Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur who filed the bill and DeSantis has not publicly supported the legislation since it was filed. DeSantis clarified his position on Tuesday at a press conference following his State of the State address. "I see these people filing bills and then there's articles with my face on the article saying that oh, they're going to have to bloggers are going to have to register for the state," he said. "And then it's like, attributing it to me. And I'm like, ok, that's not anything that I've ever supported, I don't support." Brodeur's bill would require bloggers to register with the state of Florida if they are paid for posts about its governor, lieutenant governor, cabinet members or legislative officials. They would also have to file periodic reports with the state disclosing information such as who paid them and how much. Failure to file a report would result in fines of $25 a day, up to $2,500. The legislation states that it would not apply to content "on the website of a newspaper or other similar publication." Bryan Griffin, the governor's press secretary, confirmed to the AP in an email that DeSantis "does not support the bill." However, Griffin also explained that "the governor will ALWAYS consider every bill on its merits in final form if and when a bill passes the legislature and reaches his desk" before making a decision. The AP previously reported that DeSantis' office was not aware of the blogger registration legislation until it was filed. First amendment groups have argued that the proposal violates press freedoms. Melissa Goldin ___ DES MOINES, Iowa Teri Patrick bristles at the idea she wants to ban books about LGBTQ issues in Iowa schools, arguing her only goal is ridding schools of sexually explicit material. Sara Hayden Parris says that whatever you want to call it, it's wrong for some parents to think a book shouldn't be readily available to any child if it isn't right for their own child. The viewpoints of the two mothers from suburban Des Moines underscore a divide over LGBTQ content in books as Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds pushes an especially sweeping crackdown on content in Iowa school libraries. The bill she's backing could result in the removal of books from school libraries in all of the state's 327 districts if they're successfully challenged in any one of them. School boards and legislatures nationwide also are facing questions about books and considering making it easier to limit access. "We're seeing these challenges arise in almost every state of the union," said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. "It's a national phenomenon." Longstanding disagreements about content in school libraries often focus this year on books with LGBTQ themes as policymakers nationwide also consider limiting or banning gender-affirming care and drag shows, allowing the deadnaming of transgender students or adults in the workplace, and other measures targeting LGBTQ people. Keep scrolling for a list of 25 LGBTQ books that changed the literary landscape The trend troubles Kris Maul, a transgender man who is raising a 12-year-old with his lesbian partner in the Des Moines area and wants school library books to reflect all kinds of families and children. Maul argued that those seeking to remove books take passages out of context and unfairly focus on books about LGBTQ or racial justice issues. LGBTQ people are more visible than even five years ago, Maul said, and he believes that has led to a backlash from some who hope limiting discussion will return American society to an era that didn't acknowledge people with different sexualities. "People are scared because they don't think LGBTQ people should exist," Maul said. "They don't want their own children to be LGBTQ, and they feel if they can limit access to these books and materials, then their children won't be that way, which is simply not true and is heartbreaking and disgusting." In Louisiana, activists fear a push by Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry to investigate sexually explicit materials in public libraries and recently proposed legislation that could restrict children and teens' access to those books is being used to target and censor LGBTQ content. Landry, who is running for governor, launched a statewide tip line in November to field complaints about librarians, teachers, and school and library personnel. Landry released a report in February that listed nine books his office considers "sexually explicit" or inappropriate for children. Seven have LGBTQ storylines. In Florida, some schools have covered or removed books under a new law that requires an evaluation of reading materials and for districts to publish a searchable list of books where individuals can then challenge specific titles. The reviews have drawn widespread attention, with images of empty bookshelves ricocheting across social media, and are often accompanied by criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican expected to run for president. The state's training materials direct the reviews to target sexually explicit materials but also say that schools should "err on the side of caution" when selecting reading materials and that principals are responsible for compliance. DeSantis said the state has not instructed schools to empty libraries or cover books. He said 175 books have been removed from 23 school districts, with 87% of the books identified as pornographic, violent or inappropriate for their grade level. The Iowa legislation comes amid efforts there to keep a closer eye on public school curriculums and make taxpayer money available to parents for private school tuition. Reynolds, the governor, has made such proposals the core of her legislative agenda, telling a conservative parents group that their work was essential to guarding against "indoctrination" by public school educators. Under a bill backed by Reynolds, the titles and authors of all books available to students in classrooms and libraries would be posted online, and officials would need to specify how parents could request a book's removal and how decisions to retain books could be appealed. When any district removes a book, the state Education Department would add it to a "removal list," and all of Iowa's 326 other districts would have to deny access to the book unless parents gave approval. At a hearing on Reynolds' bill, Republican lawmakers, who hold huge majorities in both legislative chambers, said they might change the proposal but were committed to seeing it approved. The bill has passed a Senate committee and is awaiting a floor vote. "The parents are the governing authority in how their child is educated, period," said Sen. Amy Sinclair. "Parents are responsible for their child's upbringing, period." Patrick, a mother of two, expressed befuddlement about why anyone would want to make sexually explicit books available to children. "I have to believe that there are books that cater to the LGBTQ community that don't have to have such graphic sexual content in them," said Patrick, a member of a local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative group that has gained national influence for its efforts to influence school curriculum and classroom learning. "There are very few books that have ever been banned and what we're saying is, in a public school setting, with taxpayer-funding money, should these books really be available to kids?" Hayden Parris, a mom of two from a suburb only a few miles away, understands the argument but thinks it misses the point. "A kindergartner is not wandering into the young adults section and picking out a book that is called like, "This Book is Gay," said Hayden Parris, who is leading a parents group opposed to Iowa's proposed law. "They're not picking those books, and the fact that they can pick one out of several thousand books is not a reason to keep it away from everyone." Sam Helmick, president of the Iowa Library Association, said communities should decide what's in their libraries and that it's important for children to have access to books that address their lives and questions. Helmick didn't have that ability as a child, and students shouldn't return to that time, she said. "Can we acknowledge that this will have a chilling effect?" Helmick asked. "And when you tell me that books about myself as an asexual, nonbinary person who didn't have those books in libraries when I was a kid to pick up and flip through, but now publishing has caught up with me and I can see representation of me those will be behind the desk and that's not supposed to make me feel less welcome, less seen and less represented in my library?" 25 LGBTQ+ books that changed the literary landscape 25 LGBTQ+ books that changed the literary landscape 1890: 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde 1928: 'Orlando' by Virginia Woolf 1928: 'The Well of Loneliness' by Radclyffe Hall 1936: 'Nightwood' by Djuna Barnes 1948: 'The City and the Pillar' by Gore Vidal 1952: 'The Price of Salt' by Patricia Highsmith 1956: 'Giovanni's Room' by James Baldwin 1962: 'A Single Man' by Christopher Isherwood 1971: 'Maurice' by E.M. Forster 1978: 'Tales of the City' by Armistead Maupin 1982: 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker 1982: 'Zami: A New Spelling of My Name' by Audre Lorde 1985: 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit' by Jeanette Winterson 1991: 'The Gilda Stories' by Jewelle Gomez 1993: 'Stone Butch Blues' by Leslie Feinberg 2001: 'Edinburgh' by Alexander Chee 2002: 'Middlesex' by Jeffrey Eugenides 2006: 'Fun Home' by Alison Bechdel 2007: 'Call Me by Your Name' by Andre Aciman 2017: 'Less' by Andrew Sean Greer 2017: 'Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl' by Andrea Lawlor 2017: 'Freshwater' by Akwaeke Emezi 2019: 'We Both Laughed in Pleasure: The Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan' edited by Ellis Martin and Zach Ozma 2021: 'Detransition, Baby' by Torrey Peters WASHINGTON (AP) The government's response to the failure of two large banks has already involved hundreds of billions of dollars. So will ordinary Americans end up paying for it, one way or another? And what will the price tag be? It could be months before the answers are fully known. The Biden administration said it will guarantee uninsured deposits at both banks. The Federal Reserve announced a new lending program for all banks that need to borrow money to pay for withdrawals. On Thursday, the Fed provided the first glimpse of the scale of the response: It said banks had borrowed about $300 billion in emergency funding in the past week, with nearly half that amount going to holding companies for the two failed banks to pay depositors. The Fed did not say how many other banks borrowed money and added that it expects the loans to be repaid. The goal is to prevent a broadening panic in which customers rush to pull out so much money that even healthy banks buckle. That scenario would unsettle the entire financial system and risk derailing the economy. Taxpayers will probably bear no direct cost for the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. But other banks may have to help defray the cost of covering uninsured deposits. Over time, those banks could pass higher costs on to customers, forcing everyone to pay more for services. Here are some questions and answers about the cost of the bank collapses: HOW IS THE RESPONSE BEING PAID FOR? Most of the cost of guaranteeing all deposits at both banks will likely be covered by the proceeds the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. receives from winding down the two banks either by selling them to other financial institutions or by auctioning off their assets. Any costs beyond that would be paid for out of the FDIC's deposit insurance fund, which is typically used in the event of a bank failure to reimburse depositors for up to $250,000 per account. The fund is maintained with fees paid by participating banks. Both Silicon Valley and Signature banks had a strikingly high share of deposits above that amount: 94% of Silicon Valley's deposits were uninsured, as were 90% of deposits at Signature. The average figure for large banks is about half that level. If necessary, the insurance fund will be replenished by a "special assessment" on banks, the FDIC, Fed and Treasury said in a joint statement. Though the cost of that assessment could ultimately be borne by bank customers, it's not clear how much money would be involved. Kathryn Judge, a law professor at Columbia University, said a bigger cost to consumers and the economy could stem from potentially major changes to the financial system that result from this episode. If all customer deposits were considered guaranteed by the government, formally or informally, then regulations would need to be strengthened to prevent bank failures or lessen their costs when they do happen. Banks might have to pay permanently higher fees to the FDIC. "It's going to require us to revisit the entire bank regulatory framework," Judge said. "That's far more significant than the modest costs that other banks will pay." WILL TAXPAYERS BE ON THE HOOK? President Joe Biden has insisted that no taxpayer money will be used to resolve the crisis. The White House is desperate to avoid any perception that average Americans are "bailing out" the two banks in a way similar to the highly unpopular bailouts of the biggest financial firms during the 2008 financial crisis. "No losses associated with the resolution of Silicon Valley Bank will be borne by the taxpayer," read the joint statement from the Treasury, Fed and FDIC. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen defended that view Thursday under tough questioning from GOP lawmakers. The Fed's lending program to help banks pay depositors is backed by $25 billion of taxpayer funds that would cover any losses on the loans. But the Fed says it's unlikely that the money will be needed because the loans will be backed by Treasury bonds and other safe securities as collateral. Even if taxpayers aren't directly on the hook, some economists say the banks' customers still stand to benefit from government support. "Saying that the taxpayer won't pay anything ignores the fact that providing insurance to somebody who didn't pay for insurance is a gift," said Anil Kashyap, an economics professor at the University of Chicago. "And that's kind of what happened." SO IS THIS A BAILOUT? Biden and other Democrats in Washington deny that their actions amount to a bailout of any kind. "It's not a bailout as happened in 2008," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said this week while proposing legislation to toughen bank regulation. "It is, in effect, protection of depositors and a preventive measure to stop a run on other banks all around the country." Biden has stressed that the banks' managers will be fired and their investors will not be protected. Both banks will cease to exist. In the 2008 crisis, some financial institutions that received government financial aid, like the insurer AIG, were rescued from near-certain bankruptcy. Yet many economists say the depositors at Silicon Valley Bank, which included wealthy venture capitalists and tech startups, are still receiving government help. "Why is it sensible capitalism for somebody to take a risk, and then be protected from that risk when that risk actually happens?" asked Raghuram Rajan, a finance professor at the University of Chicago and former head of India's central bank. "It's probably good for the short term in the sense that you don't have a widespread panic. ... But it is problematic for the system long term." Many Republicans on Capitol Hill argue that smaller community banks and their customers will shoulder some of the cost. Banks in rural Oklahoma "are about to pay a special fee to be able to bail out millionaires in San Francisco," Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, said on the Senate floor. ___ 8 charts tracking the US economy WASHINGTON (AP) It's a major international mystery with global consequences: Who was behind the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year in the Baltic Sea? The answer has broad implications for European energy security but could also threaten Western unity over backing Ukraine in defending itself from Russia's invasion. Or, it might shatter Russian and Chinese attempts to fix the blame on a hypocritical West. Yet, nearly six months after the sabotage on the Russia-to-Germany pipelines, there is no accepted explanation. And a series of unconfirmed reports variously accusing Russia, the United States and Ukraine are filling an information vacuum as investigations into the blasts continue. A look at the pipelines and what's known about the explosions. WHAT ARE THE NORD STREAM PIPELINES? The pipelines, known as Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, are majority-owned by Russia's state-run energy giant Gazprom and used to transport natural gas from Russia to Europe under the Baltic to their termini in Germany. Nord Stream 1 was completed and came online in 2011. Nord Stream 2 was not finished until the fall of 2021 but never became operational due to the launch of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. WHY ARE THEY CONTROVERSIAL? Both pipelines bypass existing routes that go through Ukraine, meaning not only that Ukraine loses income from transit fees but is unable to directly use the gas they carry. Of perhaps greater concern to the West, the pipelines were seen as a move by Russia to gain further, if not almost complete, control over Europe's energy supplies. Many in the West fear that Russia will use energy as a political weapon against European countries as it has done in the past with former Soviet states. Despite those concerns and over the objections of the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, the German government under former Chancellor Angela Merkel moved ahead with the construction of the Nord Stream 2 project. The Biden administration waived sanctions against German entities involved in Nord Stream 2 after securing a pledge from Germany that it would allow backflows of gas into Ukraine and would act to shut the pipeline down should Russia try to use it to force political concessions. After Russia's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine, Germany withdrew permission for Nord Stream 2, which had not yet come online. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PIPELINES? First, Gazprom halted gas flows through Nord Stream 1 on Sept. 2, 2022, citing issues related to European sanctions imposed against Russia over the war in Ukraine. Three weeks later, both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were hit by explosions that rendered them inoperable and caused significant leaks of gas that was idle in the pipelines. Some have said the blasts caused the worst release of methane in history, although the full extent of the environmental damage remains unclear. The depth of the pipeline and the complexity of using underwater explosives lent credence to the idea that only a state actor with the expertise to handle such an operation could be responsible. But no one claimed responsibility. In the immediate aftermath of the explosions, U.S. officials suggested Russia may have been to blame while Russia accused the United States and Britain of being behind them. Investigations by European nations, including Denmark, through whose waters the pipeline travels, and Germany have yet to yield conclusive results. WHAT THEORIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED? After months of few developments in the probes, American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, known for past exposes of U.S. government malfeasance, self-published a lengthy report in February alleging that President Joe Biden had ordered the sabotage, which Hersh said was carried out by the CIA with Norwegian assistance. That report, based on a single, unidentified source, has been flatly denied by the White House, the CIA and the State Department, and no other news organization has been able to corroborate it. Russia, followed by China, however, leaped on Hersh's reporting, saying it was grounds for a new and impartial investigation conducted by the United Nations. On Tuesday, though, The New York Times, The Washington Post and German media published stories citing U.S. and other officials as saying there was evidence Ukraine, or at least Ukrainians, may have been responsible. The Ukrainian government has denied involvement. Germany's Die Zeit newspaper and German public broadcasters ARD and SWR reported that investigators believed that five men and a woman used a yacht hired by a Ukrainian-owned company in Poland to carry out the attack. German federal prosecutors confirmed that a boat was searched in January but have not confirmed the reported findings. WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THOSE FOUND RESPONSIBLE? The implications of a determination that Ukraine was behind the explosions are not entirely clear. It's unlikely it would result in an immediate loss of Western support for Ukraine in the war with Russia, but it might dampen enthusiasm for future assistance if it was found that Ukraine or its agents carried out such an operation in European waters. A determination that the United States or a proxy was responsible would give Russia and China additional leverage to go after the U.S. and its allies as hypocrites in their demands for the rule of the law, sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected. A finding that Russia was behind the explosions would lend weight to Western claims that Moscow is in flagrant breach of international law and willing to use energy as a weapon against Europe. There is no indication of when the European investigations will be complete and it seems improbable, given the animosity and mistrust surrounding the Ukraine conflict, that its findings will be universally accepted. ___ Photos: In Ukraine, searing images capture a year of war You may have seen the letters MD following a doctors name, but have you seen DO? If a doctor went to an allopathic medical school, theyll have an MD after their name, meaning they have a doctor of medicine degree. But if they went to an osteopathic medical school, theyll have DO after their name, meaning they have a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree. Both MDs and DOs are fully trained, licensed doctors who can treat your illnesses and injuries, but there are a few subtle differences between the two in how they treat conditions. There are two DOs within the Iredell Physician Network Dr. Anthony Elkins of Iredell Primary Care and Dr. Charles DeBerardinis of Statesville Cardiovascular Clinic. April 17-23 is National Osteopathic Medicine Week, a national observance dedicated to spotlighting the osteopathic medical profession and raising awareness about the unique approach DOs bring to healthcare. In celebration of National Osteopathic Medicine Week, Anthony Elkins, DO, answers a few questions about osteopathic medicine and why he chose to become a DO. How are DOs and MDs alike? DOs and MDs are the only two types of fully licensed physicians in the United States. Both attend four years of medical school and then continue training in residency where the physician focuses on their specialty. Both DOs and MDs take comparable licensing exams and, in most states, are licensed and regulated by the same medical board. DOs and MDs can both see patients, prescribe medications, perform surgeries, and care for illnesses and injuries. What is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)? DOs have a slightly different philosophy of patient care than our MD colleagues. DOs are specially trained to look at the person as a whole, with all body systems being interrelated and disease in one affecting the others. We tend to focus our attention on the patient rather than the disease. A patients background, job, habits, family, culture, and overall lifestyle impacts their health and may require a personalized approach to best treat them. DOs believe the body has the inherent capability to heal itself. We emphasize health, wellness, and prevention. The main distinction of osteopathic medicine is the focus on the musculoskeletal system. The root osteo refers to bone. DOs receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system and learn a technique called osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). OMT is a hands-on technique that involves moving and manipulating muscles, bones, joints, connective tissue, nerves, and blood vessels to treat the disease and promote health. Because all body systems are inter-related, treating the musculoskeletal system can correct not only musculoskeletal ailments but other disease processes as well. Can you provide an example of how MDs and DOs may use different treatments? Lets use asthma as an example of how MDs and DOs may treat their patients differently. A patient having an asthma attack would traditionally be treated with medications such as steroids, inhalers, and bronchodilators. In addition to treating the patient with medications, a DO may utilize OMT. During an asthma attack, the lungs arent working optimally. So, a DO might perform manipulative techniques on the ribs, diaphragm, thoracic spine, and lymphatic system to promote the return of normal breathing mechanics. How do you use osteopathic medicine at Iredell Primary Care? At my family practice, Iredell Primary Care, about half of my patients are seen for routine conditions such as physicals, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and illnesses such as respiratory infections. But, because I specialize in musculoskeletal medicine, the other half of my patients have sports-related complications such as knee injuries, concussions, or arthritis. I utilize traditional treatments in addition to OMT to provide an extra level of care for my musculoskeletal patients. OMT is often used to treat back or neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle sprains, as well as non-musculoskeletal conditions such as headaches, asthma, COPD, and even COVID-19. Why did you decide to become a DO? I was inspired to become a DO by my own family doctor, himself a DO. I was his patient for 25 years. For most of those years, I did not know the distinction between an MD and DO I just knew that he was a good doctor who cared for my entire family and me. When I was old enough to know the difference, I knew this was the type of doctor I wanted to become. More about Elkins: Elkins is a physician who is board certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment. He is a past president of both the North Carolina Osteopathic Medical Association and the North Carolina Society of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. Elkins is also an assistant professor of family medicine at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Virginia and Carolina campuses. Elkins practices at Iredell Primary Care, located at 114 Gateway Boulevard, Suite B, in Mooresville. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Anthony Elkins, call the practice at 980-435-0406. Editor's Note This is third of in series of three columns about Mitchum's experiences at GTMO. Advance materials about Guantanamo stated that chances for travel off base were limited. In reality however, during my tour (SY 1968-69), there <&underline>were ample opportunities to ride U.S. Navy ships (via Space-A) to various Caribbean ports. Heres how Space-A (Space Available) worked: On Monday morning, a notice in the base POD (Plan of the Day) would list ships traveling to ports in Jamaica and/or Haiti the coming weekend, as well as the number of Space-A passengers they could accommodate. Jamaicas most frequent ports of call were Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Ocho Rios, and Kingston; for Haiti, it was Port au Prince. Anyone desiring travel (military and civilian) signed up at a designated office. Later in the week youd learn if you were manifested. This piece was begun some time ago, but surprisingly, I recently found a letter Id sent to my parents dated Sept. 23, 1968; it describes my first Space-A cruise in more detail: I just returned this morning from a week-end visit to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Around 15-20 teachers went on the cruise which included around 200 civilians and dependents. We sailed aboard the USS Puget Sound a two-year-old destroyer tender in complete AC comfort. We left GTMO Friday afternoon around 6 PM and arrived in Montego Bay at 8 AM Saturday. Tho we could have stayed on board ship (as for sleeping, eating) most of us checked into a hotel. Several of us stayed in the Casa Montego, one of Montegos finest. We paid $18 apiece for Saturday night, but this included two large delicious mealsSaturday night we were going downtown Montego Bay when we noticed a fire. Our cabbie took us to see it a few shops, bars, etc., were burning. We later learned that much of the fire-fighting was done by sailors from the USS Puget Sound! This incident helped our servicemen-abroad imageits about all the cab drivers could talk about on Sunday. We left Montego Bay around 5 PM yesterday and arrived this morning around 7:15. Once on board, passengers were directed to their sleeping quarters. Both berthing and dining facilities were segregated by rank civilians had a military equivalency and were bunked accordingly. Teachers, but not all civilians, were accorded officer status. Before the ship got underway, most of us returned topside to watch the dock, the base, and the bay gradually fade in the distance. Wed then go below for dinner. Officers dined in the wardroom. During this era, officers were still served by Filipino mess stewards another vestige of the militarys time-honored tradition of RHIP (Rank Hath Its Privilege). In 1971, a policy change allowed the 400 or so Filipino nationals who annually entered the U.S. Navy, to apply for jobs other than steward. There was fierce competition for those 400 slots, since their military service would expedite gaining U.S. citizenship. In 2022 about 45,000 immigrants (non-U.S. citizens) were serving in the U.S. military. As to U.S. military immigrant veterans, in recent decades, Filipinos were second only to Mexicans in numbers. While there was no charge for berthing, non-military paid modest fees for meals, e.g., $1.75 for dinner, $1.15 for breakfast, $1.50 for lunch (approximate costs). After dinner, and especially on clear nights, most of us headed topside to enjoy the cool ocean breeze and the peaceful panorama of sea and sky. If luck prevailed, wed test our skill identifying constellations, and perhaps get a glimpse of the moon rising in the eastern sky. When seas were calm, youd notice the gentle rocking after crawling into your bunk. The rule of thumb: the bigger the ship, the smoother the ride, and vice-versa. During the year, I rode a variety of ships; smaller ones included U.S. Navy destroyers, or Coast Guard cutters. The larger ones included tenders, meaning repair/supply vessels, or the occasional aircraft carrier. Tenders were designated according to the vessels they serviced, i.e., submarine tenders, destroyer tenders. Males, generally had more opportunities for travel, since berthing facilities for females were seldom available on the smaller ships. After a restful nights sleep, we arose Saturday around 0700 hrs. (7 a.m.). Following a trip to the head for morning ablutions, it was on to the wardroom for a hearty breakfast. Arrival at our port o call was generally mid-morning. Smaller ships pulled directly up to the dock, while the larger ones would drop anchor off-shore. In this case, shuttle-boats were deployed to ferry people to and from shore. As noted previously, you could remain on board, but most of us were anxious for a hotel room ashore. Part of playing tourist, was strolling the white sandy beach and swimming in the clear, turquoise Caribbean. Dinner afforded some new taste sensations that became life-long favorites: jerk chicken with dirty rice and red beans, washed down with a cold Red Stripe beer. Perhaps it was the planters punch (made with dark Jamaican rum), that later prompted my futile attempts with the limbo pole at the Yellow Bird Club. Nevertheless, in response to the animated shouts of: How low can you go???? My feeble answer was, Not very! After a few falls, I nursed my drink, cheered the more adroit dancers, and tapped my foot to the throbbing beat of the reggae sound. Sundays leisurely brunch included a variety of fresh-picked fruits, pastries, and rich, dark Blue Mountain coffee. Like several acquired tastes, once I acquired the taste, Id become too frugal to allow myself the luxury, on a regular basis. (Note: Currently 100 percent Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee sells for around $65+/lb. most of which is exported to Japan). Following our relaxing meal, wed have another 4-5 hours of playing tourist, before returning to the ship. Departure was generally around 1700 hrs. (5 p.m.). Arriving back in GTMO around 0700 hrs. Monday, allowed the happy, but often weary travelers time to get to work. The best deal, of course, was going Space-A on a 3-day weekend, providing an extra day in port. During my year at GTMO, Id return to Jamaica this time to Ocho Rios and make several trips to Port au Prince, Haiti. Traveling, courtesy of Uncle Sams fleet, gave a new meaning to gray-line tours. Fortunately, Id also catch two Space A flights one to Jacksonville, Fla. for Christmas break, and another to San Juan, Puerto Rico for spring break but those are tales for another time. Smyth Countys chief deputy Johnny Joannou was among 247 law enforcement officers to become part of the about 1% to complete in the FBIs National Academy last month. Known internationally for its academic excellence, the 10-week program offers instruction in advanced communication, leadership and fitness training. An exceptionally difficult program to get into, Joannou said he was grateful to get to attend. It was an honor and privilege to get to go. I just thank God for the opportunity and thank God that I was able to get through the program, Joannou said, noting the strenuous fitness element of the course. Joannou joined Sheriff Chip Shuler as the only two officers in Smyth County Sheriffs Offices history to attend the course, which launched in 1935. According to a release from the National Academy, to be accepted into the course, participants must have proven records as professionals within their agency. Most have an average of 21 years in law enforcement experience and typically serve or go on to serve in executive-level positions. The 285th session of the National Academy, participants were comprised of members of law enforcement agencies from 28 countries, four military organizations and five federal civilian organizations. Joannou said the networking the course affords to its participants can prove invaluable. Most of all, I met new friends, people that you can reach out to across the country and just talk about issues that youve got, Joannou said. A lot of times people in other places across the U.S. experience stuff before we see it out here. So, it kind of helps you get a grasp on what theyre doing to try to prevent it, it gives you a lot better indication of what you need to do maybe before you start facing the same type of things. Partnering with an international participant as part of the program, Joannou said that experience gave him additional insights on how law enforcement in other countries operate. I really enjoyed that, he said, adding, I learned a whole lot about police work in other countries and problems that theyre facing and, you know, a lot of them are the very same problems that we have here in the United States. Over the course of the program, Joannou learned new skills gained knowledge in areas ranging from investigations and federal law to leadership and administrative, as well as how to apply those skills locally. It gives you an idea of things that weve not seen yet in this area and allows you to understand the correct way to approach it, he said. National Academy instruction is provided by FBI Academy instructors, special agents and other staff with advanced knowledge and training, many of whom are recognized internationally in their fields. Theyre top in the nation, the ones in that teach these courses, Shuler said. They can get the best of the best. Joannou said he applied for the course wanting to enhance his skills so he can excel in his work. In law enforcement, Shuler said, theres always room for growth and professional development. The worst thing anybody can do in our jobs is to think that you know everything, because you dont, he said. I learn something every day. Police work is forever evolvingprobably faster now than I can ever recall. Leadership, the sheriff said, is not something he takes lightly. Whether youre leading five men, or like the NYPD, 30,000, you have a responsibility to make sure that they do what theyre supposed to do and that you provide the service to the public that they desire. So, we dont take leadership lightly, he said. Its a huge responsibility and I think anything you can do to make yourself better at it, you better do it. The physical fitness leg of the program also left Joannou feeling like a new man. At the end of the course, participants undertook a 6-mile obstacle course built by US Marines dubbed The Yellow Brick Road as their final fitness challenge. Prior to going into the academy, lets just say I couldnt have completed it at the pace I completed it at the end, Joannou joked. Participants who complete the obstacle course are awarded a yellow brick of their own to commemorate the achievement. At the March 16 ceremony, National Academy graduates heard from FBI Director Christopher Wray who congratulated officers. This week, Shuler expressed pride in his chief deputy for taking on and excelling in the top-level program. While it was difficult to let his second-in-command go for 10 weeks, Shuler said, I knew from my experience there that he would come back with a much clearer vision. Every weekday morning and afternoon during the academic year, the streets near Longviews schools fill with cars, crossing students, bright yellow buses and safety guards. The district watches and takes notes: Whats working here, and what needs improving? While the schools have different ways of managing traffic, the enforcement of certain safety measures comes from a partnership among school leaders, police and the city to help manage how people can get their kids to school safely and conveniently. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News. Well just view whats going on, take notes and see where are the conflict points, said Rick Parrish, the Longview School Districts director of facilities and communication. Were just trying to determine, number one, are there problems, and number two, are there better ways to do it? Methods of traffic control Several Longview schools do not have large enough parking lots for the amount of traffic, Parrish said, which has prompted both district and city officials to find creative ways to make traffic flow safely and quickly. They all have parking lots, but that doesnt mean theyre necessarily the safest place for pick-ups and drop-offs, Parrish said. This means using lots of signs, installing crosswalks, lowering the speed limits and communicating with families about the best way they can drop off their students. Northlake Elementary School is an example of one of these schools. Signs pepper the nearby lawns reminding drivers to get in and out as fast as possible. Flashing lights and a speedometer help control the pace. They also started using numbered car tags to ensure the child enters the right car at the end of the school day. It was really quite a lot of work, but its so much better now, Principal Cora Lazo said. State grants help with the costs of traffic solutions, Longview Public Works Director Ken Hash said. Washington State Department of Transportations Safe Routes to School program sends money for projects within 2 miles of an elementary, middle or high school. Since its inception in 2005, the program has paid $145 million to cover 278 projects at school districts across the state. Data from the city puts the cost for installing flashing street lights since 2019 between $86,000 and $144,000 for each set. Hash said the city will conduct speed studies by request but has never done one specifically for the streets surrounding the schools. The city cannot prohibit parking on school grounds directly, but it can suggest the district or schools do so. We try to look at it both ways how do they run their operations and how do we run ours, and how can we work together? Hash said. What were working with today Parrish said the district has looked into expanding parking lots at some schools, but the cost and sheer breadth of construction proved more work than it was worth. The district in 2019 looked into passing a $119 million facilities bond to replace Mint Valley and Northlake elementary schools and pay for safety improvements, according to a Daily News report at the time, but the measure failed to get enough votes. So there are thoughts and discussions about those things, but as you can imagine, theyre extremely expensive and are things that need to be dealt with from the school district side, Parrish said. Were making the absolute best decisions with what were working with today. Lazo, Northlakes principal, said enforcement of these traffic rules can be difficult. Mornings and afternoons are hectic as drivers fill the road, make U-turns and exit their cars with children. Part of what makes the system work is communication about upcoming traffic projects or changes, she said. We try to educate parents and let them know construction does happen, and it has to happen for a certain reason, Lazo said. Finding other methods of getting to school is an important part of increasing traffic safety. The school has a walking school bus idea, where parents and students gather near a stop and walk their children to school together instead of relying on a vehicle. Northlake also funnels buses to a separate area, so theres no additional congestion on the main road. There are a lot of different goals, but one of them is separating the modes of transportation, Hash said. Buses end up maybe by the curb, cars in parking lots. You have a specific route for walkers and bicyclists. Hash said when it comes to general traffic safety, the city takes a passive versus active approach. An example of an active solution is installing a crosswalk or speed bump. A passive approach is not so obvious, he said, like utilizing research that shows drivers will go slower if there is a lot of tree cover on the street. I joke that were engineers and psychologists, Hash said, because we try to do those passive ways first of getting people to slow down and be safer. Bridge repair Its not often well be in favor of closing down a bridge, but this is our chance. Last week, work crews headed to the Lewis and Clark Bridge to inspect it for a repair job scheduled for this summer. While there, they discovered a fracture in one of the bridges floor beams. The Washington State Department of Transportation leaped into action, closing the bridge down for emergency work. The maintenance team dropped everything to repair the bridge. It took 12 straight hours, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., to place the six steel plates that are currently stabilizing the floor beam. Best of all, while the closure was estimated to take between 24 and 48 hours, work crews got the patch in place in just 12. We know theres more work to be done in the future, but if it all goes this well, were ready to be impressed. Hospice Buyout Were sorry to see Community Home Health & Hospice being forced to close the doors of its Longview facility to patients. The nonprofit has been active for around 40 years, providing difficult care to local residents during a painful time of their lives. There is little fault to find in this case. Hospice was being financially crushed from too many directions at once: It was bleeding money, and something had to give. A for-profit company called Eden Health is taking over Hospices in-home care programs, and we hope some similar arrangement can be made for its Longview facility. The need isnt going anywhere. DeRosier Highway dedication As memorial markers go, this is a good one. The Washington State Legislature voted to dedicate a part of state Route 411 to Deputy Justin DeRosier, who was killed in the line of duty in 2019. Having a Justin DeRosier Memorial Highway to connect communities within Cowlitz County, a place DeRosier not only lived but served and protected, is a wonderful way to memorialize him. Hopefully, it gives people who will take the road an opportunity to reflect on the risks that police take every day in the course of their jobs. Kudos to the six sponsors of the bill, including Reps. Ed Orcutt, Jim Walsh and Joel McEntire and to the entire Washington State Senate, which passed the bill 48-0. You made the right choice on this one. Cracking down on cryptocurrency mining Cryptocurrency miners go where the money is. More specifically, they go where they can buy a lot of electricity for a small amount of actual currency, then feed that electricity into racks of servers that constantly perform the calculations to generate new cryptocurrency. This strange trade-off consumes a great deal of power for computers and their cooling systems, so enterprising miners have been known to descend on places as unlikely as Venezuela and Iceland because the economics were attractive there. Due to cool weather, readily available hydroelectric power, and the occasional tax break, the Pacific Northwest is also an appealing site for large data centers. Facebooks largest server farm is in Prineville, Oregon. Clark County-based Advanced Electric Inc. had its eye on a Mint Farm site for one of these mining operations, but the proposal now appears dead, and the Longview Planning Commission instructed staff to write a policy that would largely ban the opening of new mines. This comes as a relief. Crypto mines might be hungry for power, but they provide almost no jobs. The machines gulp down electricity 24 hours a day, needing only an occasional check-in from a tech worker. Nor can local governments tax the value of the bitcoins and other mysterious digital goods created there. Ordinarily, we often find ourselves in favor of making sites available to new businesses, but this one comes with a sinister edge. Wed hate to see power prices go up for homeowners, or local property taxes rise, because a high-tech scheme consumed so much and gave so little back. Can the Longview Planning Commission do something about NFTs next? 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." 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: An "artificial muscle" made, in part, from material designed for biodegradable grocery bags. Credit: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Say "hello" to the robots of the future: They're soft and flexible enough to bounce off walls or squeeze into tight spaces. And when you're done with them, you can toss these machines into a compost bin to decompose. That's the vision of a team of engineers, including CU Boulder graduate student Ellen Rumley. In a paper published last month in the journal Science Advances, the researchers described their designs for a new kind of robotic actuators, or "artificial muscles." The group's actuators, which work by shifting fluid around in squishy sacs, can power robotic arms and legs with life-like movements. They also dissolve naturally in soil over a period of a few months, making them much more sustainable than previous models. "You could dispose of them in an industrial compost bin," said Rumley, co-first author of the new study and researcher in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder. "We hope the project will inspire other engineers to develop robotics with sustainability in mind." Think Baymax, the pillowy robot from the film Big Hero 6, mixed with a biodegradable grocery bag. The project emerged from a long-running effort led by Christoph Keplinger, formerly an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at CU Boulder and now director at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2018, he and his colleagues debuted a line of artificial muscles they call Hydraulically Amplified Self-Healing ELectrostatic (HASEL) actuators. Like human muscles, these actuators can bend robotic arms like a bicep or squeeze claws and grippers. But what they couldn't do, until now, was disappear in a landfill. In the new study, the team developed a series of soft robotic actuators entirely made of sustainable ingredients. The muscles are about as versatile as traditional HASEL actuators and, in some cases, can flex for 100,000 cycles or more without breaking. "It was particularly exciting that we ended up with a materials system that is fully biodegradable and can still match key performance metrics of actuators made from non-biodegradable materials," said Keplinger, co-founder of Artimus Robotics, a Boulder-based company that develops and sells HASEL actuators. "The sustainability of the new materials system now opens up very interesting avenues for applications that require components designed for single- or short-term use, for example, in the area of food handling or medical applications." Artificial muscles for robots Rumley's own search for a different kind of robot goes back years. As a high school student in Anchorage, Alaska, Rumley belonged to a robotics club where she learned to design robots for FIRST Tech Challenge competitions. She could never get over the inelegance of hard robots made from metal and plastic. "I had felt like the rigidity of the robots was a big limiting factor of their physical capabilities," said Rumley, who started her graduate studies in Boulder before moving to Germany in 2020 to work as a visiting researcher in Keplinger's lab. "That was especially jarring when you saw a person walking next to a robot." Soft robots, however, could potentially solve those issues by combining advances in engineering with the squishiness and flexibility of biological organisms. HASEL actuators are made up of transformer oil inside plastic pouches, which are partially covered by a thin layer of an electrical conductor. If you apply electricity across the conductors, the pouch will "zip together," Rumley said, squeezing the fluid from one end to the other. As a result, the pouches change shape and can apply force to devices like a robotic limb. Keplinger helped found Artimus Robotics to commercialize the actuators in 2018 alongside Tim Morrissey, Eric Acome, Shane Mitchell and Nick Kellaris with support from Venture Partners at CU Boulder. Kellaris, who earned his doctorate from CU Boulder in materials science and engineering in 2020, was also a co-author of the new paper. In the new study, Rumley and her colleagues set out to identify sustainable components that could replace every bit of those early designs. "We were in search of the perfect combination of compatible materials that would make for a high-performance biodegradable muscle," she said. As part of a systematic and extensive materials science effort, Rumley and her colleagues tested various biodegradable candidates for replacing the plastic pouches in their actuators. One good option, a biodegradable polyester blend, is commonly used in shopping bags and even came stamped with images of carrots. The team's final designs for artificial muscles can lift nearly as well as ordinary HASEL actuators and will degrade in a composting facility in about 6 months. Robots of the future Rumley, a 2020 recipient of the U.S. National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship, will earn her doctorate degree from CU Boulder but will spend the rest of her time as a student in Europe. There, she's learned to speak a little German and enjoys international life, though she sometimes pines for the wide-open landscapes of Colorado and Alaska. "I miss wading into a river and catching a salmon," she said. "This isn't big in Germany." But the engineer says it's worth it to be part of a team of researchers helping to usher in a new era of robotics. Keplinger, for example, has imagined that HASEL actuators could one day power Iron Man-like "exosuits" that could help people who are paralyzed to walk. "The applications are really exciting, especially for devices that can assist folks who are physically impaired," Rumley said. "I am motivated to develop technology capable of empowering underserved populations." More information: Ellen H. Rumley et al, Biodegradable electrohydraulic actuators for sustainable soft robots, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf5551 Journal information: Science Advances President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration Saturday for 13 Texas counties, including three in the Brazos Valley, freeing federal relief for areas damaged in last winters 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. Saturdays disaster declaration included Burleson, Leon and Robertson counties, along with Travis County, home to the state capital, and nearby counties of Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Hays, Lee, Milam and Williamson. Henderson County southeast of Dallas and Kendall County south of Fredericksburg 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 Saturdays order. Left out of Bidens 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. Armstrong World Industries (NYSE:AWI Get Rating) had its target price trimmed by Bank of America from $90.00 to $87.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the construction companys stock. AWI has been the subject of several other research reports. Zelman & Associates downgraded shares of Armstrong World Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 21st. Credit Suisse Group reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Armstrong World Industries in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Loop Capital downgraded shares of Armstrong World Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price objective for the company from $98.00 to $75.00 in a report on Thursday, January 5th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Armstrong World Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $83.50. Get Armstrong World Industries alerts: Armstrong World Industries Stock Down 0.6 % AWI opened at $72.01 on Wednesday. Armstrong World Industries has a twelve month low of $66.06 and a twelve month high of $94.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $73.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $74.53. The company has a market cap of $3.27 billion, a PE ratio of 16.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.11. Armstrong World Industries Announces Dividend Armstrong World Industries ( NYSE:AWI Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The construction company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.11 by ($0.03). Armstrong World Industries had a return on equity of 41.59% and a net margin of 16.45%. The company had revenue of $304.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $298.81 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.09 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Armstrong World Industries will post 4.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.254 per share. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.41%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 3rd. Armstrong World Industriess dividend payout ratio is currently 23.34%. Insider Buying and Selling at Armstrong World Industries In other Armstrong World Industries news, SVP Mark A. Hershey sold 6,835 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total value of $547,756.90. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 38,218 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,062,790.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.80% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Armstrong World Industries A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wesbanco Bank Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Armstrong World Industries in the first quarter valued at approximately $627,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Armstrong World Industries in the first quarter valued at approximately $5,431,000. Xponance Inc. increased its position in Armstrong World Industries by 4.5% during the first quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 4,317 shares of the construction companys stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Armstrong World Industries during the first quarter worth approximately $349,000. Finally, Salvus Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Armstrong World Industries by 1.2% during the first quarter. Salvus Wealth Management LLC now owns 25,593 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,823,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Armstrong World Industries Company Profile (Get Rating) Armstrong World Industries, Inc engages in the design, manufacture, and trade of commercial and residential ceiling, wall, and suspension system solutions. It operates through the following segments: Mineral Fiber, Architectural Specialties, and Unallocated Corporate. The Mineral Fiber segment produces suspended mineral fiber and soft fiber ceiling systems for use in commercial and residential settings. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Armstrong World Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Armstrong World Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (NYSEARCA:IWN Get Rating) by 3.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,999 shares of the companys stock after selling 489 shares during the quarter. iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF comprises 0.5% of Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest position. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF were worth $1,664,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Private Advisor Group LLC grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 28,368 shares of the companys stock worth $576,296,000 after buying an additional 1,350 shares during the period. American Trust grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF by 115.8% in the 3rd quarter. American Trust now owns 3,850 shares of the companys stock valued at $496,000 after purchasing an additional 2,066 shares during the period. Brooklyn FI LLC grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF by 164.6% in the 3rd quarter. Brooklyn FI LLC now owns 84,794 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,933,000 after purchasing an additional 52,746 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 128,482 shares of the companys stock valued at $20,027,000 after purchasing an additional 2,764 shares during the period. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF by 7.9% in the 4th quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 18,750 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,600,000 after purchasing an additional 1,376 shares during the period. Get iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF alerts: iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF Stock Down 0.1 % Shares of IWN traded down $0.17 on Friday, hitting $135.17. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,373,089 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,420,934. The firms fifty day moving average price is $140.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $142.41. iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has a fifty-two week low of $128.24 and a fifty-two week high of $160.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.40 and a beta of 1.15. iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF Company Profile iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF, formerly Ishares Trust Russel 2000 (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 2000 Value Index Fund, is an exchange traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Value Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 2000 Index issuers with relatively lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (NYSEARCA:IWN Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Channing Global Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Globant S.A. (NYSE:GLOB Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 6,140 shares of the information technology services providers stock, valued at approximately $1,033,000. Globant accounts for about 1.2% of Channing Global Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Globant by 1,068.8% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 187 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Globant during the 1st quarter worth $72,000. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in Globant by 1,729.4% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 311 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank grew its stake in Globant by 60.0% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 416 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $78,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC grew its stake in Globant by 18.7% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 458 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $86,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.01% of the companys stock. Get Globant alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades GLOB has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Globant in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Globant from $207.00 to $192.00 in a research note on Friday, February 17th. HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Globant in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. They issued a buy rating and a $240.00 target price on the stock. Piper Sandler reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $204.00 target price on shares of Globant in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC began coverage on shares of Globant in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. They issued a buy rating and a $205.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $227.60. Globant Price Performance Shares of Globant stock opened at $154.84 on Friday. Globant S.A. has a fifty-two week low of $144.50 and a fifty-two week high of $240.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $159.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $168.43. The company has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a PE ratio of 44.49 and a beta of 1.42. Globant (NYSE:GLOB Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The information technology services provider reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.14 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $490.72 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $489.67 million. Globant had a return on equity of 12.09% and a net margin of 8.36%. Analysts expect that Globant S.A. will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Globant Profile (Get Rating) Globant SA engages in the provision of information technology services. It includes application development, testing, infrastructure management, and application maintenance. The company was founded by Martin Migoya, Martin Gonzalo Umaran, Guibert Andres Englebienne, and Nestor Augusto Nocetti in 2003 and is headquartered in Luxembourg. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GLOB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Globant S.A. (NYSE:GLOB Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Globant Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Globant and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Intertek Group plc (LON:ITRK Get Rating) has received a consensus recommendation of Hold from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 4,340 ($53.71). ITRK has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Shore Capital reissued a hold rating on shares of Intertek Group in a research report on Monday, March 20th. Societe Generale assumed coverage on shares of Intertek Group in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an underperform rating and set a GBX 3,700 ($45.79) target price on shares of Intertek Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Get Intertek Group alerts: Intertek Group Price Performance ITRK opened at GBX 4,120 ($50.98) on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of GBX 4,145.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 4,074.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 104.83. Intertek Group has a 52-week low of GBX 3,485 ($43.13) and a 52-week high of GBX 5,220 ($64.60). The company has a market cap of 6.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,314.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.61. Intertek Group Increases Dividend Insider Buying and Selling at Intertek Group The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 25th will be given a GBX 71.60 ($0.89) dividend. This is a boost from Intertek Groups previous dividend of $34.20. This represents a yield of 1.64%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 25th. Intertek Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5,955.06%. In related news, insider Andrew Martin acquired 450 shares of Intertek Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 4,082 ($50.51) per share, with a total value of 18,369 ($22,731.10). 0.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders. About Intertek Group (Get Rating) Intertek Group plc provides quality assurance solutions to various industries in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Products, Trade, and Resources. The Products segment offers assurance, testing, inspection, and certification services (ATIC), including laboratory safety, quality and performance testing, second-party supplier auditing, sustainability analysis, products assurance, vendor compliance, process performance analysis, facility plant and equipment verification, and third party certification. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Intertek Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Intertek Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oakworth Capital Inc. cut its holdings in Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C Get Rating) by 18.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,291 shares of the companys stock after selling 525 shares during the quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc.s holdings in Citigroup were worth $104,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Arlington Partners LLC bought a new position in Citigroup in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Citigroup during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. EWG Elevate Inc. bought a new position in shares of Citigroup during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 96.6% during the 3rd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 814 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the period. Finally, Annapolis Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 59.0% during the 3rd quarter. Annapolis Financial Services LLC now owns 935 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 347 shares during the period. 70.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Citigroup alerts: Citigroup Trading Down 0.7 % Shares of NYSE:C traded down $0.37 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $49.03. 14,377,315 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 16,627,920. Citigroup Inc. has a 1 year low of $40.01 and a 1 year high of $54.56. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $48.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $47.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $95.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.94. Citigroup Dividend Announcement Citigroup ( NYSE:C Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The company reported $2.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.53. The firm had revenue of $21.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.07 billion. Citigroup had a return on equity of 7.84% and a net margin of 12.96%. Citigroups quarterly revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.02 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Citigroup Inc. will post 5.96 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.16%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. Citigroups payout ratio is presently 28.45%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have recently weighed in on C. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Citigroup from $62.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on Citigroup from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on Citigroup from $53.00 to $45.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on Citigroup from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Citigroup from $55.00 to $51.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $54.74. Insider Activity at Citigroup In other news, insider Michael Whitaker sold 12,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.63, for a total transaction of $645,375.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 239,429 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,361,719.27. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Citigroup news, insider Michael Whitaker sold 12,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.63, for a total value of $645,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 239,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,361,719.27. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Sara Wechter sold 2,950 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.77, for a total transaction of $149,771.50. Following the sale, the insider now owns 82,779 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,202,689.83. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 39,353 shares of company stock valued at $2,001,830 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock. Citigroup Company Profile (Get Rating) Citigroup, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of financial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Global Consumer Banking, Institutional Clients Group, and Corporate and Other. The Global Consumer Banking segment provides traditional banking services to retail customers through retail banking, including commercial banking, and Citi-branded cards and Citi retail services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Citigroup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Citigroup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH began coverage on shares of OGE Energy (NYSE:OGE Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. The brokerage issued a neutral rating and a $37.00 price target on the utilities providers stock. A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on OGE. Guggenheim cut OGE Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the stock from $39.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. TheStreet cut OGE Energy from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Bank of America cut OGE Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $41.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Mizuho dropped their price target on OGE Energy from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on OGE Energy in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $38.75. Get OGE Energy alerts: OGE Energy Trading Up 0.6 % NYSE:OGE opened at $37.62 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The businesss 50 day moving average is $36.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.85. OGE Energy has a 52 week low of $33.28 and a 52 week high of $42.91. The company has a market cap of $7.53 billion, a PE ratio of 11.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.73. OGE Energy Increases Dividend OGE Energy ( NYSE:OGE Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The utilities provider reported $0.25 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 company had revenue of $711.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.27 EPS. OGE Energys quarterly revenue was up 22.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that OGE Energy will post 2.03 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.4141 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $1.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.40%. This is an increase from OGE Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. OGE Energys payout ratio is presently 50.15%. Insider Buying and Selling at OGE Energy In other news, Director David E. Rainbolt acquired 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $36.65 per share, with a total value of $183,250.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 15,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $549,750. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director David E. Rainbolt acquired 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $36.65 per share, with a total value of $183,250.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 15,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $549,750. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director David L. Hauser acquired 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $35.09 per share, for a total transaction of $35,090.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $105,270. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired 6,100 shares of company stock valued at $221,925 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 12.90% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On OGE Energy Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Private Trust Co. NA acquired a new position in shares of OGE Energy in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Spire Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 189.9% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 777 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of OGE Energy in the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp grew its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 45.0% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 919 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of OGE Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $42,000. 67.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for OGE Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OGE Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Poplar Forest Capital LLC raised its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Get Rating) by 35.9% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 370,770 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 98,016 shares during the period. Philip Morris International makes up approximately 4.5% of Poplar Forest Capital LLCs holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Poplar Forest Capital LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $37,526,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cannell & Co. grew its position in Philip Morris International by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Cannell & Co. now owns 39,963 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,045,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth $525,000. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP grew its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 1,072.0% during the 4th quarter. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP now owns 586 shares of the companys stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 536 shares in the last quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 12.9% during the 4th quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,919 shares of the companys stock worth $397,000 after buying an additional 449 shares in the last quarter. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 95,074 shares of the companys stock worth $9,622,000 after buying an additional 1,119 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.85% of the companys stock. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets PM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $114.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price target for the stock from $95.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their price target for the stock from $109.00 to $116.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Philip Morris International from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $86.00 to $118.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $111.18. Insider Activity Philip Morris International Stock Performance In other news, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 80,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.35, for a total value of $8,028,000.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,007,048 shares of the companys stock, valued at $101,057,266.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . In related news, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 20,308 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.30, for a total transaction of $2,036,892.40. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 22,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,248,525.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 80,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.35, for a total value of $8,028,000.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 1,007,048 shares in the company, valued at $101,057,266.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders have sold 117,064 shares of company stock valued at $11,738,763. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Philip Morris International stock opened at $97.77 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $98.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $97.49. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $82.85 and a one year high of $109.81. The stock has a market cap of $151.75 billion, a PE ratio of 17.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.68. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.04. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 128.55% and a net margin of 10.80%. The company had revenue of $8.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.03 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.56 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.18 EPS for the current fiscal year. Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd were issued a $1.27 dividend. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.20%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 90.88%. Philip Morris International Company Profile (Get Rating) Philip Morris International, Inc is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. Its products include cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: European Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, and Americas. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Apollo MedFlight has moved its operations to CHI Health St. Francis in Grand Island. The company moved its 24-hour emergency and non-emergency air medical transport service from Columbus to Grand Island on April 10. Apollo MedFlight is headquartered in Amarillo, Texas. It works with hospitals and communities across the United States to enhance critical care transport. The company also partners with CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney to provide one of the states longest running medical flight program, AirCare. As medical hubs for the state, the service area for St. Francis and Good Samaritan is geographically vast, said Ed Hannon, St. Francis president He said with the addition of a second helicopter in central Nebraska, we can help even more of our patients receive the timely, live-saving care they need. St. Francis will provide working and sleeping space for the flight crew located near the hospitals rooftop landing pad. At CHI Health Medical Plaza, two blocks east of St. Francis on West Faidley, a secondary landing pad is available for temporary relocation of Apollos aircraft. Hannon said this arrangement allows for additional air medical services to unload on the hospitals roof. Apollo MedFlight will also keep a hangar at Grand Island Regional Airport. We are excited to again partner with the CHI Health family, this time at St. Francis, said Steve Kahle, Apollo MedFlights regional business development director. He said CHI is a leading example of providing quality care to rural communities and patients. He said MedFlights role is to continue to elevate the already high standards they have established over many years while doubling access to care-especially when seconds count. In rural states, such as Nebraska, air medical transport services are important. Nationwide, more than 200 rural hospitals are at risk of closure because they arent making enough money to cover the rising cost of providing care, along with staffing difficulties as rural populations continue to decline. Medical air transport services, such as Apollo MedFlight, provide essential emergency medical care to patients who may be located far from the nearest hospital or medical facility. Many rural areas in Nebraska have limited access to medical facilities or specialists, making it challenging to provide immediate medical care to those in need. Air medical transport services provide an efficient way to transport patients in emergencies, reducing response times and increasing the chances of survival. They can also transport patients for specialized care or to larger medical centers that are better equipped to handle complex medical conditions. Like AirCare, Apollo MedFlight helicopter at St. Francis will transfer to and from all medical facilities including those outside the CHI Health system. The process for medical personnel to request a transport is the same for the two helicopters. Unlike AirCare, however, Apollo MedFlight will employ the helicopters medical crew based at St. Francis while AirCares medical crew will remain employees of Good Samaritan. Kahle said they refer to its central Nebraska presence as two crews, one team. Our Apollo and AirCare crews work seamlessly together, backing each other in partnership with St. Francis, Good Samaritan, and other hospitals we serve, he said. Kahle said that while the new aircraft at St. Francis may look different from AirCare, our unwavering commitment to our community remains the same. said Kahle. Apollo MedFlight, based at CHI Health St. Francis, features a E135 helicopter. The helicopter is equipped much like an ICU/CCU with state-of-the-art medical technology that would be found in a hospital. The Apollo Nebraska helicopter is Night Vision Goggle Certified, has on-board ultrasound, and is equipped with both Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) to safely fly when weather conditions deteriorate. Apollo is one of only 175 organizations accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems or CAMTS (www.camts.org/standards). The accreditation is based on the quality of patient care, safety standards, quality improvement activities, education, equipment, staffing, communications and management. Apollo operates bases in Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Louisiana, and several locations in Nebraska. If your community is closer to Grand Island, dial Apollo toll free at 1-833-263-3247. If you are closer to Kearney, continue to dial AirCare at 1-800-474-7911. Either number will connect you to the closest helicopter to your facility. Sandra has a heart for young children and a lifetime of experience in working with them, the school noted in a press release, and went on to add (she) has been an integral part of our family at First Presbyterian Preschool for the last 17 years. Her contributions and love will always be valued and remembered. Her hard work, commitment, and dedication are worthy of admiration. Sandra Duncan will be greatly missed. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. The first flight on a new route from Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, to Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, took off on Friday. It is the fourth direct passenger route launched between Xi'an and Central Asia this year, following routes to Almaty, Bishkek and Tashkent. Starting from April 21, the new route is planned to run four times a week. Outbound flights will depart from Xi'an on Mondays and Fridays, while return flights will depart from Astana on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Produced by Xinhua Global Service CARBONDALE A treadwheel crane will be working and on display at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, on the south side of the Engineering Building near the Campus Lake boathouse. Students and program leaders will be on hand to demonstrate the machine and talk about its function and purpose, as well as the ancient practices program. Building the machine is a project by students in SIUs ancient practices program, which grew out of a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2019. The program focuses on broadening the perspective of students pursuing objective disciplines such as science, engineering, technology and mathematics by demonstrating the relevance of the humanities to their own interests. The program leads to a minor in ancient practices. Ancient builders used cranes such as the one on display to move materials for construction of large buildings and monuments, such as temples, amphitheaters and palaces, said Ken Anderson, one of the programs leaders and director of the Advanced Energy Institute at SIU. Workers also used such machines for building fortifications and everyday structures such as storage facilities. They were also used for loading and unloading ships in ports, and anything else that required lifting heavy loads further than individuals could lift, Anderson said. For more information, contact Mont Allen or Ken Anderson at ancientpractices@siu.edu. CHICAGO As lawyers on both sides of the ComEd Four case gear up for Mondays closing arguments, the difference between conviction and acquittal depends on the jury determining whether the utilitys efforts to woo then-House Speaker Michael Madigan were legitimate lobbying or illegal bribes. In the pantheon of Illinois public corruption cases, prosecutors have famously used the federal bribery statute to convict an ever-growing list of governors, aldermen and state legislators caught on the take. The outcome in this trial, however, is far from certain. Madigan, who turned 81 last week, did not become the longest-serving speaker in American history by openly and recklessly breaking the law. His acolytes spent decades swearing sometimes rather loudly on telephone calls, inside saloons and in Capitol hallways that the speaker, who also led the state Democratic Party, was extraordinarily careful to stay within ethical and legal boundaries. Even though Madigan is not on trial, lawyers for the ComEd Four defendants have tried fervently over the past six weeks to cast doubt in the minds of jurors by challenging the bedrock allegation built into the case that Madigan could be bought. The stark contradiction to Madigans carefully cultivated reputation as a political untouchable was seized upon by the defense as testimony came to a close last week, when attorney Patrick Cotter all but declared the governments allegations were preposterous. In all your years of experience, did you ever think for one minute that Mike Madigan would risk his speakership and his power to get a few more people some jobs at ComEd? Cotter asked defendant John Hooker, the longtime ComEd lobbyist who was testifying in his own defense. Its a crazy idea, isnt it? Its a bad idea, Hooker agreed. Prosecutors, however, have alleged its not crazy at all. In fact, the indictment alleged getting jobs for people was a key way Madigan managed to hold on to power for so long. When the old political machine that depended on blue collar patronage jobs such as meter readers broke down, Madigan simply evolved, prosecutors say, creating a new system that set up an ever-growing list of former political allies with lucrative lobbying and consulting gigs. That modern-day patronage system was laid bare in the six weeks of testimony, reflecting not only Madigans vaunted political operation but also the machinations of Illinois politics on a much larger scale, including the cozy relationships between lobbyists, politicians and clout-heavy public utilities that depend on action in Springfield, where Madigan controlled the fate of virtually every piece of legislation. To prove their case, prosecutors have tried to show that the ComEd Four defendants corrupted that process by providing a stream of benefits to Madigan and his cronies in exchange for what they hoped would be the speakers favorable treatment of their ambitious legislative agenda in Springfield. Defense attorneys have argued repeatedly and will surely again Monday that none of the jobs and other benefits allegedly bestowed upon Madigan can be directly tied to anything the speaker did for ComEd in the General Assembly. In deliberating the case, jurors will have to sift through a mountain of evidence, including dozens of wiretapped phone calls and secretly recorded videos, hundreds of emails and internal documents, and the live testimony of some 50 witnesses, including current and former state legislators, ComEd executives, and Madigan insiders such as former political staffer Will Cousineau and legendary 13th Ward precinct captain Ed Moody. Also key to their decision will be the testimony of two of the four defendants, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and Hooker, who spent years as ComEds top internal lobbyist. One person, however, has been a sort of elephant in the courtroom: Madigan himself. While Madigan and McClain were indicted in March 2022 on separate racketeering charges related to the ComEd scheme and other alleged corrupt acts, the ComEd Four jury knows nothing about that case, which is scheduled for trial next April. The indictment came a year after Madigan lost his speakership in 2021, when his own Democratic caucus refused to back him as the burgeoning ComEd scandal became a political albatross. He then gave up his House seat. Along with hearing the speakers voice on numerous wiretapped phone calls, Madigans image has also shown up in a variety of ways, including a less-than-flattering drivers license photo, a bizarre, ComEd-created cartoon of him with a crown on his head, and a decades-old photo of him with Moody and his twin brother, Fred. Whether Madigans physical absence at the defense table will play at all into the jurys deliberations remains to be seen, but it has meant that the jurors heard the speaker accused of a lengthy list of questionable acts without him being there to defend himself. Charged in the ComEd Four case are Michael McClain, 75, a Madigan confidant and longtime ComEd lobbyist; Pramaggiore, 64, a lawyer and onetime rising star in Chicagos corporate world; Jay Doherty, 69, a longtime ComEd contract lobbyist and ex-president of the City Club of Chicago; and Hooker, 74, who over a 44-year career worked his way from the utilitys mailroom to become its point man in Springfield. The indictment alleged the four conspired to funnel $1.3 million in payments to ghost subcontractors, largely through Dohertys company, who were actually Madigans cronies as part of an elaborate scheme to get the speaker to look favorably at the companys legislative agenda. In addition to paying the subcontractors, the utility also hired a clouted law firm run by political operative Victor Reyes, distributed numerous college internships within Madigans 13th Ward fiefdom, and blatantly backed former McPier chief Juan Ochoa, the friend of a Madigan ally, for a seat on the utilitys board of directors, the indictment alleged. In return, prosecutors say, Madigan used his influence over the General Assembly to help ComEd score a series of huge legislative victories that not only rescued the company from financial instability but led to record-breaking, billion-dollar profits. Among them was the 2011 smart grid bill that set a built-in formula for the rates ComEd could charge customers, avoiding battles with the Illinois Commerce Commission, according to the charges. ComEd also leaned on Madigans office to help pass the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which kept the formula rate in place and also rescued two nuclear plants run by an affiliated company, Exelon Generation. Closing arguments are set to begin around 9:30 a.m. Monday in U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenwebers 17th floor courtroom. At jury instruction conference Thursday, Leinenweber gave prosecutors three hours total to argue their case, including remarks in rebuttal that are the last arguments the jury hears before starting deliberations. Each of the four defendants will have an hour and a half, though they can trade time with each other, the judge said. Under the governing case law, prosecutors do not have to show a specific quid pro quo existed between Madigan and the four defendants, only that there was a corrupt intent to provide the stream of benefits to Madigan in order to win his influence over legislative acts. After testimony wrapped last week, lawyers for the defendants argued strenuously for instructions to be provided to the jury that would require a more specific nexus between the ComEd legislation and Madigans actions. But Leinenweber stuck largely to his previous rulings that the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals requires only that the defendants passed gratuities or rewards to the speak in the hope they would influence Madigan in some official capacity. The difference between the regular lobbying and corrupt lobbying is not only the intent to influence, as focused on by defendants, but the action which intends to provide something of value, either given or offered, in order to influence the official, the judge wrote in a ruling last year. Leinenweber on Thursday acknowledged that the issue of when a gratuity or reward for a public official becomes a bribe is in flux in the federal courts nationwide. But for this trial, the prevailing law is what the appellate court in Chicago has held, he said. I know there is substantial dispute among the circuits, but not the 7th Circuit, Leinenweber said. We are living in the 7th. ...Eventually its going to probably get to the Supreme Court, and either youre right or youre wrong. Well, except for at the same time, somebodys life is waiting for that, said attorney Gabrielle Sansonetti, who represents Doherty. So its important. Winning a public corruption trial at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse has long been an uphill battle for defense attorneys, and the ComEd Four case is no different. In cross examination and through testimony of their own witnesses, the defense has attempted to show that passing major utility legislation was never as simple as reaching out to Madigan and asking him to snap his fingers, no matter how powerful he may have been. In fact, it often took years of wrangling to pass such landmark bills, with Madigans office pushing back on specifics that ultimately cost the utility millions of dollars and insisting on sunset provisions that forced ComEd to come back to the legislature every few years. While the jury heard hours and hours of testimony about ComEds efforts in the legislature, there were several key aspects of the bribery probe that were kept out of the courtroom. For one, Leinenweber barred any mention that ComEd already admitted in court that it showered Madigan with favors in hopes of winning his support for their legislative goals. As part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorneys office, the company agreed to pay a record $200 million fine and cooperate with the investigation in exchange for prosecutors dropping a bribery charge in three years. Another win for the defense came when the judge disallowed specifics about Pramaggiores multimillion-dollar compensation package at ComEd, including the actual size of her bonus that came soon after her prominent legislative victory in 2016. Hookers defense team, led by attorney Michael Monico, kept out any mention that Hooker headed a group that went to court to halt attempts to diminish the power of Madigan and other political leaders over how legislative district boundaries are redrawn once a decade. The matter may have given prosecutors a chance to explore a closer relationship between Hooker and Madigan, but the judge ruled that redistricting litigation was too far afield of the ComEd Four charges and barred the issue from being brought up in the trial. Leinenweber also kept out one potentially damaging recording a wiretapped call where Madigan allegedly told McClain that their friends whod been showered with do-nothing ComEd contracts had made out like bandits. The most crucial evidence presented by prosecutors came from the defendants own mouths, through some 100 recorded wiretapped conversations and secretly recorded meetings played for jurors, including many in which the defendants talk with startling candor about their mutual interest in keeping Madigan happy. The testimony also featured an only-in- Illinois cast of characters who allegedly benefited from Madigans political machine. The jury heard from a sitting legislator, state Rep. Bob Rita, D- Blue Island, who testified memorably last month that Madigan ruled his fellow Democrats through fear and intimidation. Legendary 13th Ward precinct captain Edward Moody, meanwhile, testified for prosecutors that the speaker got him a $45,000-a-year contract with McClain but made it clear the deal would disappear if he stopped working on campaigns. And Ochoa, a onetime nemesis of Madigan, told the jury he used his clout with then- U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez to win the speakers recommendation for a coveted spot on ComEds board. Despite the speakers reputation as a careful tactician who rarely talked business over the phone, one recording of Madigan from May 2018 provided jurors with a behind-the-scenes conversation in which he gently flexed his political muscle to get what he wanted. Madigan told McClain to go forward with Ochoa despite substantial pushback from a top ComEd official, including concerns about Ochoas financial matters. If the only complaint about him is that he suffers from bankruptcy twice, so did Harry Truman, Madigan quipped. Shortly after that conversation, McClain called Pramaggiore to tell her Madigan would appreciate it if you would keep pressing. OK, got it, Pramaggiore replied. I will keep pressing. ComEd executive Fidel Marquez, who secretly worked with federal authorities to wire up on defendants, testified about recorded meetings he had with the defendants where they discussed how to let incoming ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez know about the subcontractor arrangement with Doherty. In a video-recorded meeting from early 2019, Doherty gave Marquez a blunt explanation of what the Madigan-backed subcontractors actually did for the utility. Well, not much, to answer the question, Doherty said. They keep their mouth shut, and you know. But do they do anything for me on a day-to-day basis? No. In her testimony, Pramaggiore demonstrated that, no matter how practiced at public speaking or schooled in college theater classes, there is danger when a defendant takes the witness stand even when one hires former U.S. Attorney Scott Lassar. Pramaggiore tripped trying to put a positive spin on her responses to a barrage of pointed questions from Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker, who pressed Pramaggiore to explain whether she remembered a call in which she was recorded talking to Marquez about subcontracts. No, and I think I shared that with you when I came in for the interview, Pramaggiore said, a comment that gave prosecutors an opening to reveal more to the jury. In the end, jurors heard she had agreed to be interviewed by investigators with her attorneys present in September 2019 but the interview ended abruptly once the feds revealed they had recordings of her conversations. More than once, McClain was referred to on the witness stand as a double agent. And an FBI wiretap on McClains phone revealed his basic philosophy that loyalty to Madigan outranked his loyalty to ComEd and other companies that paid him. It was advice he gave to Cousineau, a former political director on Madigans House staff who later became a contract lobbyist for ComEd. As long as we remember who our real client is, McClain said, referring to Madigan, its not easy, but it mollifies it. But it may be one of McClains calls with Hooker about ComEd money going to Madigan allies that will be reviewed closely as jurors search for their verdict. We had to hire these guys because Mike Madigan came to us, McClain said. Thats how simple it is. So if you want to make a federal court suit over it, OK. But thats how simple it is. Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term Jesse White.JPG JB Piitzker 13 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 12 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 11 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 10 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 9 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 7 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 5 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 3 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 2 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 1 010923.JPG Juliana Stratton 1 010923.JPG Stratton 2 010923.JPG Alex Giannoulias 1 010923.JPG Alex Giannoulias 2 010923.JPG Michael Frerichs 010923.JPG 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball Tiffany Mathis 1 011023.JPG dance gov 7 010923.JPG dance gov 13 010923.JPG dance gov 12 010923.JPG dance gov 11 010923.JPG dance gov 10 010923.JPG dance gov 9 010923.JPG dance gov 8 010923.JPG COLUMBIA South Carolina high school seniors were honored at the 7th annual South Carolina STEM Signing Day on Tuesday, April 18. Four students from The T&D Region were among the honorees: Jaliese Fludd of Calhoun County High School. Quentin Johnson of Denmark-Olar High School. Curtis Mack from Bethune-Bowman Middle/High School, who will be attending Claflin University in the fall with a major in cybersecurity. Trinity Winningham from Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, who will be attending Tuskegee University in the fall to major in aerospace engineering. Similar to college signing days for athletes, the students were recognized for their intent to pursue a two- or four-year degree in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field after graduating from high school. Created in 2017 in South Carolina, STEM Signing Day has expanded to 14 states and has honored more than 2,000 high school seniors, celebrating the next generation of STEM talent. Over 600 South Carolinians have participated in SC STEM Signing Day in the last seven years. Students across the state applied to be a part of STEM Signing Day through Tallo, an online platform that connects talent with opportunities and is available to all South Carolina students through the SC Future Makers initiative. The 2023 SC STEM Signing Day ceremony was held at the University of South Carolina Alumni Center and honorees were recognized by the SC House of Representatives, SC Senate, and Gov. Henry McMaster at the Statehousee. Business executives from BMW Manufacturing Co., Boeing, Ingevity, the Nucor Corporation, the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, and SC Future Makers hosted this years SC STEM Signing Day event. Were proud to once again honor and recognize some of South Carolinas best and brightest talent, said Sara Hazzard, president and CEO of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance. Individuals who pursue advanced STEM education are the leaders who will drive advancements in technology and create innovative solutions that enhance our quality of life. The future is full of possibilities and opportunities for the students honored at this years SC STEM Signing Day, and were excited to see what theyll become. At Boeing, we are committed to providing pathways to students so they can develop their skills, fulfill their dreams and help build the future, said Lindsay Leonard, Boeings senior director of government operations. It is clear that these students are the future of innovation in South Carolina, and we are proud to be a part of their recognition. M. Hemby II, coordinator of career and technical education for the Orangeburg County School District, said, "We are proud of our students for pursuing STEM education and committing to their future goals. STEM education is critical to the success of our students and our community, and we are excited to support these students as they embark on their STEM journey." St. Matthews resident Daphnne Blacks life changed in August 2019. Blacks lived a very active life working as a loader for the United Parcel Service. Getting around and lifting heavy items was a daily part of her job, but in the summer of 2019, Blacks got into a vehicle accident that left her without movement in her legs. Losing her mobility, Blacks could no longer work with UPS and had to look for another job. Her motivation to find employment led her to the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department in January 2020. Determined to get on her feet, Blacks began her transition journey back to work while receiving physical therapy services at The Works Physical Therapy Inc. Blacks was given a vocational assessment to determine job placement and it was determined that a receptionist or information clerk would be best suited for her. As Blacks continued her physical therapy at The Works in Bamberg, she was welcomed into the business as a new employee of the Orangeburg office. Blacks was given a four-week job tryout to learn the office procedures and then was hired in February 2022 as a receptionist. For her can-do attitude dependability and motivation, Blacks was honored as the 2023 Employee of the Year April 19 during the 15th annual Greater Orangeburg Area Mayors Committee on Employment for People with Disabilities breakfast awards ceremony at Cornerstone Church in Orangeburg. The event was sponsored by the Orangeburg Morning Rotary Club. Blacks appreciates the recognition. "It makes me feel good because I worked hard to get this far to where I am," she said. "I love my job. I absolutely love it." Blacks said though it was a challenging time after the accident, she kept moving forward. "What kept me going was my children, me, number one," she said. "I wanted my independence back. I didn't want to be a burden on anyone so that is what kept me going." Blacks was honored, along with businesses, for their employment of people with disabilities, a practice that Orangeburg County Disabilities and Special Needs Board officials say enriches their lives and gives them a chance to be their best. Dr. Eddie Glenn Bryant, co-chair of the Greater Orangeburg Area Mayors' Committee, along with Dr. Shirley Madison, said the awards breakfast is an event she looks forward to each year. "We work very hard over the year each year to work with companies and businesses throughout the community to educate them and we work really hard with our consumers to get them into preparation to go work into those businesses and industries," she said. "This is very special." Freddie Boan, area supervisor of Orangeburg, Bamberg, Calhoun County Vocational Rehabilitation, said, 'We are all one traffic light, one accident away from our life changing in a way that will present challenges to us forever.' "Daphnne Blacks is us," he said. "As a community we need to embrace that." Boan offered a challenge to employers to make their place of employment welcoming to those with disabilities and special needs. "Take a little time and show a little love," Boan said. "As employers, I think ... our job is to look at removing the barriers to give individuals with disabilities a chance. Inclusivity works and disability is part of inclusivity." "This is a celebration," Program Director for the Orangeburg County Department of Special Needs Board Jimmie Boland said, noting it is about honoring businesses and government that have helped individuals have a better opportunity for success. "In this day and time for people to reach out and help somebody secure a job and for that person to want that job and then continue in that job is very important." "Often people will look the other way and not look at what the person can achieve," Boland said. Orangeburg-Morning Rotary President Dr. Kalu Kalu thanked employers for their help in employing people with disabilities. "You don't have to be in the health care business to be able to help those who are in need," Kalu said. "The Rotary Club appreciates everything that you do. Whatever you do, do it with your heart, not for self recognition because we are all disciples of Christ doing the work of the Lord." Among those employers recognized at the ceremony were: 2023 Small Employer of the Year -- The Maude Schiffley Chapter of the SPCA doing business as Orangeburg SPCA. The The Small Employer has 25 and fewer employees. "I love working with the Vocational Rehab facility," Orangeburg SPCA Director Alicia "Ali" Ramirez said upon receiving the award, adding that providing persons with disabilities jobs is a pleasure. "It is good for them and the dogs and the cats, though they usually prefer the dogs." Ramirez said the SPCA employs one to two individuals from Vocational Rehabilitation every two to three months. "Their support has been essential in determining the paths forward for a number of consumers, namely those that have a love for animals and are physically able to care and tend to them," according to the nomination form for the Ruf Road business award, noting the Orangeburg SPCA has provided training as well as helped to identify needs and areas of improvement by helping individuals develop the skills to increase their employability. "It seems that the Orangeburg SPCA is not only on the business of nurturing animals, but also nurturing and influencing individuals in need of an opportunity to demonstrate that they are capable of obtaining and maintaining gainful employment." 2023 Medium Employer of the Year -- Columbia Road Piggly Wiggly in Orangeburg. The Medium Employer has between 26 and 250 employees. The store was recognized for providing opportunities for SCVR individuals in trial work experiences, work-based learning experiences, job tryout and direct placements. The store provides persons with disabilities jobs in stocking, bagging, cart attendants and cleaners. The store was also recognized for seeking out persons with disabilities to fill their employment needs. The store currently has a number of persons with disabilities on their staff. The store also provides transportation to those with disabilities and also provides a flexible work schedule. "It is an honor to accept this award that we can continue to help the community to grow with the youth because without the youth we will not be able to continue what we are able to do as a county as a whole or the city as a whole," Piggly Wiggly Co-operator Cheray Stillinger said. "We always want to give the person with the disability a chance to prove themselves." "What I have experienced are the ones with the disability give their heart and soul to it vs. when you have the average person," she said. "They work hard but the disabled person puts more pride in their job. They do a phenomenal job." 2023 Large Employer of the Year -- Orangeburg County. The large employer has over 251 employees. The county was recognized for its provision of employment to about 80 individuals who work beside county employees providing custodial and janitorial services. Administrative Assistant with Orangeburg County Building and Grounds Cindi Williams said employing individuals with disabilities is "very important." "It gives opportunities," she said, noting those persons with disabilities and special needs who work in the county are inspirational. "They are always always in such a great mood they make our day," Williams said. "Sometimes I can be in a bad mood and they can come in and start talking. It is very uplifting for them to be with us." About 12 years ago a partnership was developed that gave Orangeburg County Disabilities and Special Needs Board access to work opportunities. "What started as an opportunity for maybe eight to 10, employment work opportunities quickly grew to 15 and then to around 25," the nomination said. "In a short time, the number doubled to 50 and almost doubled again to around 80. This has not stopped, more employment work opportunities are showing up." "The current numbers could push from 90 and hopefully pushing toward 100 employment work opportunities," the nomination narrative continued. Mayor's Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities The Mayor's Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities is a vision that began with a 2006 meeting between Orangeburg Mayor Paul Miller, retired university professor Dr. Eddie Glenn Bryant and Shirley Madison, coordinator of the Orientation and Mobility Program at South Carolina State University. The equitable access to employment opportunities for qualified persons having physical, mental, sensory or cognitive disabilities is the goal of the nonprofit committee, which seeks to encourage employers in the area to hire people with disabilities. The mayor's committee falls under the (South Carolina) Governor's Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities, which falls under the President's Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities. The governor's committee works cooperatively with a network of existing mayor's committees throughout the state. Individuals wanting to officially appear on the agenda for Calhoun County Council regularly scheduled Monday meetings are asked to contact the clerk to council by noon on Wednesday before the meeting. "We are trying to get the agenda stuff right," Calhoun County Council Chairman James Haigler said Monday. Haigler said prior to the Monday meetings, he and council Vice Chairman Ken Westbury meet Thursday morning to set the agenda, meaning information on anyone wanting to make an official appearance on the agenda needs to be submitted before this time. The deadline for notification to appear on the agenda previously was noon on Thursdays. Individuals wanting to officially appear on the agenda should contact clerk to court Shayla Jenkins at 803-874-2435. The Wednesday noon deadline is only for individuals wanting to officially make an appearance on the agenda. Individuals who want to speak at a meeting, but do not want to formally be on the agenda, can still do so by filling in a sign-up sheet in council chambers on the day of the meeting but prior to the meeting. Calhoun County Council typically meets the second and fourth Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers at 102 Courthouse Drive in St. Matthews. In other matters, council unanimously passed second reading to amend the composition, responsibilities and duties of the governing boards for the Calhoun County Rural Fire District and the Sandy Run Fire District and to provide that these fire districts be operated as an administrative division of the county. A public hearing will be held at the next meeting before third and final reading. The ordinance combines the Sandy Run Fire District and the Rural Fire District boards into the County Fire District Commission. The existing fire service areas and all departments and locations are unchanged. The ordinance also updates and clarifies the duties and responsibilities of the existing fire coordinator position and provides for the future addition of other paid personnel as needed The change is designed to ensure the county and volunteer departments will continue to be able to handle demand and growth. The existing board members, operations and volunteers will remain in place, according to county officials. County administration said the change would enable the county's existing financing and procurement departments to better track the funds and expenditures of departments, plus the commission being able to standardize equipment and gear, with hopes of reducing costs and increasing opportunities for grants for equipment, gear and trucks. The ordinance does not affect either the existing fire fee in the rural district area or the millage in the Sandy Run area. The county will be working in the next year to determine the best way to fund the operations moving forward whether that is a fee or millage, according to county officials. Council was proceeding with the reading process in recent months but halted the process when Sandy Run Fire Commission officials requested more time to review the ordinance and its impact on the commission. In other business: Council unanimously approved a resolution recognizing April as "Fair Housing Month" and that the county makes it a priority to ensure all citizens are 'afforded the opportunity to attain a decent, safe and sound living environment' and that the county rejects discrimination in the sale and rental and provision of housing services. Calhoun County resident Jacob Hair expressed concerns about council's meeting policy prohibiting attendees at meetings to applaud or to show their appreciation. "My question to council ... is something on the ordinance or something on the books that prohibits the taxpayer from coming to the meeting and clap," Hair said, noting that he saw a recent article in a newspaper showing state legislators clapping on the floor of the South Carolina Statehouse. "I just want to know how we will handle this going forward." Holly Hill resident Spencer Griffin has pride and respect in his town. His stepfather, who was owner of the old Holly Hill Lumber Company, would often donate lumber to employees of the company to help build their own homes. This respect for the Town of Holly Hill is something Griffin has carried on and is hoping others will do the same. One way he keeps Holly Hill attractive is by picking up litter and not littering. Now he wants others to do the same. "It is the same stuff over and over again," Griffin said. "It is is kind of disheartening." The 54-year old walks daily in the downtown area and picks up trash three or four times a day. He has been picking up trash since moving back to Holly Hill, starting with greater frequency about a year ago. There are loser lottery tickets, empty cigarette boxes, liquor bottles and beer cans. Griffin said he will fill trash bags and even lawn and leaf bags with trash. "The thing that is really frustrating is when people throw out trash at a gas station near a trash can, when the trash can is right in front of them," he said. "The trash can is not full." "It is mind blowing," Griffin continued. "Why wouldn't you put it in the can when the can is right in front of you?" Griffin's cleanup efforts are noteworthy as once again the world's focus is on the environment as it celebrates Earth Day April 22. Griffin says he would like a movement to start where people pick up trash all the time. "Earth Day is done every day of the year," he said, noting picking up trash should be a daily occurrence. "If every day, one person picks up a piece of trash and puts it in a can, we would be living in one super clean planet," Griffin said. "Make it organic where you lay the seed and everybody does it and it takes root and it spreads." Litter control efforts Orangeburg County Councilwoman Janie Cooper-Smith, who has been on the forefront of combating litter, said the problem in the county is chronic and seems to be getting worse, even as those volunteers to pick up trash are increasing. "The more volunteers we get, the more litter bugs we get," Cooper-Smith said, noting that she sees it in her area such as Cook Road, Kings Road, Belleville Road. She said she gets calls from outside District 5 from areas such as Kennerly Road. "We are talking about Earth Day, but we are going to be covered with litter if we don't stop trashing our land," Cooper-Smith said, noting the litter is impacting flora, fauna as well as themselves and other people. Cooper-Smith believes the solution to the litter problem starts with elementary school education. She says a course should be provided in elementary school that teaches students about litter. "The mindset will have to be changed," Cooper-Smith said, noting that if young children are taught about not littering, it would hopefully be passed down to future generations. "If you don't want trash in our car, I don't want it in my yard either." Cooper-Smith said recently she saw a mattress thrown out on road. "You have those who care and those who don't give a hoot," she said. Cooper-Smith said litter also negatively impacts tourism as well as economic development. Visitors and employers do not want to visit or live in place that is filled with litter as litter is often associated with crime. She also said litter is not just for those coming from the outside. "People who live here resent what they see," she said. In Orangeburg County, anti-litter efforts have become regular occurrences. No one disputes they are needed. Orangeburg County Code Enforcement has teamed up with local and state agencies in a number of litter-cleanup campaigns. County Code Enforcement Supervisor Marie Canty says Orangeburg County works with Keep Orangeburg County Beautiful and Palmetto Pride to host two major cleanups a year, one for the whole month of April and the other in the fall, usually in October. In 2022, the the code enforcement department cleared 211,230 pounds of litter and debris. The county has two full-time litter techs that pick up illegal dumpsites and litter on county roads. The county also has a litter machine that helps pick up loads of trash in a quicker fashion. "The state of the litter in Orangeburg County has gotten better over the years," Canty said. "However, we still have a long way to go to get citizens to understand the effects of litter being thrown on our highways. In 2022 we issued 141 litter citations. So far in 2023, about 26 have been issued. City of Orangeburg In the City of Orangeburg, PalmettoPride and the Orangeburg County Soil and Water Conservation District came together to help install the Watergoat trash-collecting system at Orangeburgs Sunnyside Canal, which deposits water into the Edisto. PalmettoPride provided a grant for the project. The Watergoat device stretches vertically across the Sunnyside Canal. A net stretches down to the bottom of the canal, creating a barrier that inhibits trash from reaching other bodies of water. The trash-collection device stops litter, limbs and other debris before it reaches the Edisto River. The City of Orangeburg is responsible for maintaining the Watergoat. Pilot program Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangebug, said the state has created a new program providing money to the South Carolina Department of Transportation to be used for awarding contracts for private litter pickup. District 7 and Orangeburg County were chosen as the pilot county for the project. "The DOT funding to privatize litter pickup was our effort to create jobs while improving the look of the communities," Cobb-Hunter said. "The litter problem is as bad as ever, but thanks to state efforts and Orangeburg County, the problem is being addressed and slowly but surely there appears to be some improvement," Cobb-Hunter said. "Of course there has not been enough improvement and much work is still left to do." Cobb-Hunter said there have been good measures taken. "The idea behind the Take Palmetto Pride in Where you Live law passed several years ago was to take a comprehensive approach to litter by reducing the tendency for people and programs to work collaboratively as opposed to working in silos," Cobb-Hunter said. "That has changed a little bit but not close to what the legislation envisioned." "In my opinion not littering is important as a matter of pride in your community and in some cases a matter of public health," she said. "I strongly agree with the adage that only trashy people litter and am concerned about the impact litter may have on our ability to attract and retain businesses and industry." Conservation district The OCWCD also works with landowners and land users to help them better care for the soil and water as well as partnering with a number of environmental agencies. This year the Conservation District is working with several schools and SI Group to celebrate Earth Day. The theme is helping the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control spread the message of "Dont Waste Food SC." The focus is on keeping food waste out of the landfill. SCDHEC estimates that close to 25% of the waste going to the landfill is food waste. "We are taking the message of 'How to Compost' to the schools and the community," the conservation district said in a press release. "SC DHEC has guidelines for schools and homes to help them compost food correctly." "There are foods that should not be composted," the release said. "These are animal-related products: bones, meat scraps, dairy products and oils. These make unwanted smells and attract animals to the site. Eggshells are the exception to the rule." The conservation district notes composting entails greens -- vegetable peels, leaves, eggshells. It also consists of browns such as fallen leaves, some pine needles, grass clippings. The art of composting includes a 3-brown-to-1-green ratio or one handful of green and three handfuls of brown. "The best way to build the pile is to put the brown in first, make a pocket and add the green and cover," the release states. "This keeps the flies away from the pile. Water needs to be added to dampen the pile (Not Soggy!)." "Turning the pile once a week is recommended, but not required," the release continues. "Sun helps to add heat to aid in the composting process." Horse, cow, chicken, rabbit and hamster manure and droppings may be added, but one should not add human, cat or dog droppings, according to the OCSWCD. The pile should have contact with the soil or soil should be added to the the pile as a starter to help in the decomposition process. Litter fines, regulations The litter fines in the county for less than 15 pounds in weight or 27 cubic feet in volume are between $100 and no more than $200, plus court fees or jail for not more than 30 days for each offense, or both. The litter fines exceeding 15 pounds in weight or 27 cubic feet in volume, but not exceeding 500 pounds or 100 cubic feet, are between $200 nor more than $500, plus court fees or jail for not more than 90 days, or both. The litter fines exceeding 500 pounds in weight or 100 cubic feet in volume are between $500 and not more than $1,000 plus court fees or jail for not more than 180 days, or both. Last spring, Orangeburg County Council approved tougher solid-waste measures to help improve the litter problem. These include: Individuals driving with uncovered trash loads can be fined $25. Under the ordinance, vehicles must be covered except for those carrying heavy material that cannot blow off with wind movement. If trash is thrown from a vehicle, the owner of the vehicle will be held responsible if the driver cannot be identified. Any contractor or private individual who engages in a building project must discard trash and debris into a dumpster during the duration of the building project and properly transport and empty the container to a landfill before the trash and debris are visible to a person walking by the dumpster. Any contractor or builder must transport and discard trash and debris within three business days of the completion of the project. South Carolina State Universitys Miller F. Whittaker Library has planned several activities April 24-28 in celebration of National Library Week. The weeks theme is There's More to the Story. All events are open to the campus community and the public. Some events require registration. Amnesty Week Throughout the celebration, the library will offer Amnesty Week, allowing students, faculty, staff and the community to return overdue books without paying fines. Fines will be waived. For more information, call 803-516-4508. Opening session Monday, April 24 11 a.m., Bulldog Lounge, Kirkland W. Green Student Center To register: scsu.libwizard.com/id/6068d3af2374daa9b0f0548c7de9e6ca Keynote speaker Harriet Hodges-Nelson will discuss and share stories in the form of rhymes with children of diverse ethnicities from her new book, Voices of the Children. Hodges-Nelson is a retired registered nurse and U.S. Airforce captain. A Brooklyn, New York, native, she holds a bachelors degree in psychology and sociology. She has passion for writing short stories and putting them to rhyme. When her parents began providing foster care to therapeutic children, she desired to learn more about human behavior. Upon retiring from full-time employment, she had the opportunity to spend more time with and understand the many therapeutic foster children that have crossed her path. Mental Health Awareness Panel Tuesday, April 25 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Barbara A. Vaughan Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building To register: scsu.libwizard.com/id/a8dad67c9c90b865626945f42c85f435. Panelists will discuss various mental health issues that affect our everyday lives. Panelists will be Dr. Debbie C. Gideon, psychology instructor, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College; DaQuana Mack, licensed social worker and adjunct professor, SC State.; and Dr. Natashia Smith, executive director, Orangeburg County Mental Health. For more information, call 803-535-8614. Library Information Literacy workshops Wednesday, April 26 11 a.m. 12 p.m. and 2-3 p.m., Miller F. Whittaker Library The presenters will discuss and demonstrate select databases, navigating the librarys website, online catalog and related resources and services provided by the Miller F. Whittaker Library. 11-11:15 a.m. and 2-2:15 p.m., Navigating the Miller F. Whittaker Library Website. SMART Classroom, 1st Floor. Presenter: Avery L. Daniels. Learn the tricks and trade of effectively navigating around the librarys new website. 11-11:30 a.m. and 2-2:30 p.m. Searching Credo Reference. Conference Room 4, 2nd Floor. Presenter: Dr. Ruth A. Hodges. Use concept mapping and other Credo Reference research tools to clarify your topic and focus the research paper. 11:15-11:30 a.m. and 2:15-2:30 p.m. Searching Online Catalog. SMART Classroom, 1st Floor. Presenter: Cathi Mack. Effectively search the librarys new online catalog, find e-books and full-text journal articles and submit requests for interlibrary borrowing when documents are not found in the library. 11:30-11:45 p.m. and 2:30-2:45 p.m. Searching Alexander Street Academic Video Online (A SAVON) Database. SMART Classroom, 1st Floor. Presenter: Ashley L. Till. Effectively search and find videos on your topic. 11:45 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2:45-3 p.m. Dissertation Abstract. SMART Classroom, 1st Floor. Presenter: Doris Johnson Felder. Effectively search and find full-text dissertations on your topic. For additional information, call Doris Johnson Felder at 803-378-5213. Book discussions and signing Thursday, April 27, 2023 10:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m., Barbara A. Vaughan Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. To register: scsu.libwizard.com/id/29ff77fac5f614734227a4153e7b7740 Authors will discuss their books, articles, or related publications. Individuals will be able to purchase a signed copy of the authors book following the presentations. 44 Days of Being Humble. Author: Jekela S. Burgess. Everything Lemonade. Author: Mrs. Alicia Collins "The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past" (1830-1960). Author: Dr. Walter B. Curry Jr. The Virtual Prison. Author: Whenda Penelope James. Contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the 21st Century. Authors: Dr. LaToya N. Johnson and Dr. Frank C. Martin Innovative Poultry Products, a manufacturer of poultry farming equipment, announced plans April 5 to expand its operations in Bamberg County. The companys $2.86 million investment will create 30 new jobs over the next five years. We at Innovative Poultry Products are looking forward to bringing this new plant online here in Bamberg County. It is a special opportunity to be able to build a state-of-the-art agricultural manufacturing facility in one of the most rural areas of South Carolina, Innovative Poultry Products President Chad Brubaker said in a release. We look forward to continuing to serve our country's farming communities from our own local community, he said. Founded in 2015, Innovative Poultry Products provides tools to help poultry farmers work more efficiently. Innovative Poultry Products plans to build a new facility, including offices, to manufacture machines for the poultry industry. The new facility, located with its existing operations at 2192 Juniper Creek Road in Olar, will allow the company to produce poultry equipment in-house that previously has been outsourced. The expansion is expected to be complete by February 2024. South Carolina has a large portfolio of leading manufacturing companies, and we are proud that we have added Innovative Poultry Products to that roster. We congratulate Innovative Poultry Products on their investment that will continue the growth of our dynamic manufacturing industry, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said. S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said, This expansion shows that South Carolina offers a great business environment for agribusinesses to prosper and grow. Were proud of the way Innovative Poultry Products serves farmers in South Carolina and beyond and look forward to supporting them. (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. by Tafara Mugwara HARARE, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is taking China's development dividends beyond the Asian country to the world, ushering in a new era of connectivity for African economies, a Zimbabwean ruling party official has said. For the past 5,000 years, Africa, Asia, and Europe among others have been advancing human civilization, and the BRI has helped further expand the links between those continents, Christopher Mutsvangwa, secretary for Information and Publicity for the ruling party Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) told Xinhua. The BRI has consolidated relations between African countries and China, in particular deepening infrastructure cooperation, said Gideon Chitanga, associate researcher at the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. According to the African Development Bank, Africa's infrastructure investment gap is estimated at more than 100 billion U.S. dollars per year, affecting the living conditions of Africans and the continent's global competitiveness. Infrastructure is very important to facilitate freight trade in the African continent because the current constraints in air, road, and railway transport have limited intra-African trade, Chitanga told Xinhua. Indirectly, the initiative also advanced the movement of goods and people between African countries and transformed multilateral relations of African countries by emphasizing the core values of respect for sovereignty and independence from other countries, Chitanga added. In contrast, the Western-dominated worldview based any relations with African countries on such conditions as the promotion of foreign political value systems, and norms and practices which undermine the sovereignty and independence of other countries and subject them to unilateral hegemonic influences, said Chitanga. In Zimbabwe, China has become a major actor in bridging the southern African country's infrastructure gap. The Chinese company Sinohydro in 2018 completed a power boost project at Kariba South Hydro Power Station where it installed two generators with a capacity of 150 megawatts each. Sinohydro is also refurbishing the country's largest power station -- the Hwange Thermal Power Station. The project is part of Zimbabwe's efforts to find sustainable solutions to its power challenges that are severely curtailing industrial growth and the economy at large. In addition, China Jiangsu International in August 2018 began upgrading the country's biggest airport -- Harare Robert Mugabe International Airport -- under a loan facility from the China EximBank. It has brought funding committed to Zimbabwe's biggest airport since 2016, after the completion of the Victoria Falls International Airport expansion, which increased its capacity to 1.5 million from 500,000 passengers a year. China also funded and constructed the spacious, six-story parliament building in west Harare, as well as handed over a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical warehouse to the Zimbabwean government in last November. Across the country, China is involved in the construction of local dams and waterworks. In March 2022, a Casper preacher hears that Wyoming Food for Thought has bought an old school in north Casper. The nonprofit will be moving out of its current building, a former church on Saint John Street. This Casper preacher, Adrian White, wants out of his current building on North Grant Street, just a couple blocks away. He goes down to Food for Thoughts old space at the church: The office manager there says that Food for Thought is renting from a church in the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination. He needs to contact a woman named Jessika. The building had been given to her to use. She gives him Jessikas contact information. Jessika, too, is unsatisfied with her building, the one White is interested in. Shes a member of The Table a progressive spiritual community in Casper that emphasizes inclusivity and accessibility and leader of the Red Clay Abbey, a day retreat space that shes planning. She has found that the building on Saint John Street is simply too big, the necessary renovations too extensive for her and her team. She had no vision for it. From there, the paths of memory diverge a bit: White says he Facebook messaged Jessika (who prefers to use just her first name). She remembers getting an email and then calling White right away. Yet, in separate interviews, they both tell the Star-Tribune the same thing: And he said he had a Jessika said. Wild hair, White recalled. He made his pitch, and she was enthusiastic. Oh, I like it, she said. So they decided to swap buildings, and in the process, breathed some new life into one of Caspers oldest communities. *** Sandwiched between the North Platte River and Interstate 25, north Casper is a working-class neighborhood. Even with the presence of several bastions of community Wyoming Food for Thought, St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store, the Iris House, Black Sunday Tattoo, Little Shop of Burgers, to name a few the neighborhood doesnt have things like grocery stores, like the east and west sides of Casper do. Among some in the city, the neighborhood has a reputation for being rougher and more run-down than other parts of Casper, but others say that characterization isnt accurate. North Caspers reputation never phased White, who is originally from Flint, Michigan. After his grandfather died, he moved to Rawlins in 2010 to get a job at the Wyoming State Penitentiary. He met his wife in Rawlins in 2011. In 2013, they moved back to Michigan, but she couldnt find a job there, so she returned to Casper by herself in 2014. By 2016, White had joined her. He got a job as a police officer in Casper, often patrolling in the very neighborhood he now preaches in. That was also the year he converted to Christianity truly an experience that he described as hearing the voice of God during a church service one day. After receiving that message, which he describes as a replay of his life back to him, he leapt up before the preacher was finished with the altar call and ran up to the front. His call to be a preacher was a similar experience, a vision he says he received from God one day at the building they had previously. At the time, he was a janitor at another church and was scheduled to preach that day. When he got out of church, he explained to his wife what had happened. She said, Yeah, right. Were not pastor material. So he called his family in Michigan all church people, he said. And I said, Do you realize that Im sitting in this church service and God said Im supposed to be a pastor? And my mother said, Well, what is your background? I said, Well, I asked you about that. Im just trying to explain myself to you. She said Well, tell me this: What was your sermon topic today? The topic was Yes, Lord. So what did you say God told you to do? she asked him. He and his wife, Brooke, started Tree of Life Church in September 2017. Whites grandfather was a pastor, too; White referred to him as his everything in life, a man who sacrificed himself for his ministry. The building at North Grant Street looks deceivingly small from the outside. Like Russian nesting dolls, there are more levels and floors inside of it than you can imagine. White renovated it to fit his congregation and their needs. But that spark when he heard of the church just a couple blocks away he couldnt ignore it. And when a woman showed him around that building on Saint John Street, he says he received another vision. I stood there, and God said, Thats going to be there. Thats going to be there. Thats going to be there. Thats going to and Im talking to this lady here. And I hear nothing that shes telling me, he said. I can just visualize this building. Transforming. A significant enough moment as it is, but then White realized something else, if he mentally flipped the sanctuary around: I just kind of stood there and said, Oh my gosh, this is granddaddys church. The carbon copy of the last church his grandfather built, he said. He took pictures to show his wife. The before was, well, definitely a before. According to White, it was dirty, full of junk and missing windows. Not the kind of place you would want to worship in. Yet he knew his vision, knew what he had seen and knew that it was something divine. He and Jessika got to work switching things over to each other. The process took months, but nobody ever said no, White said. They officially swapped buildings in December. Then came the grunt work part of the project. White and his wife maxed out credit cards and spent their savings to transform the building. It needed new carpet, new paint, new windows. They rewired it for sound, added a sound booth praise and worship makes up a big part of Tree of Lifes services and hung new lights. Theres still more to do. White wants to install a ramp to allow for wheelchair access and finish up renovations to the basement and exterior, expenditures that he is planning a spaghetti dinner and silent auction at River of Life Church to raise money for. But his congregation his brothers and sisters, as he refers to them in services is meeting there. Praising and singing and preaching and fellowshipping there. The symbolism of it all is not lost on White: here he is, in a neighborhood often regarded as shoddy by the rest of the city, in a building that was practically crumbling before renovations, a Black pastor in a church that James Reeb, a pastor and activist who was murdered during the Civil Rights Movement, used to frequent when he lived in Casper. How dare you, white man, stand up and say Black people supposed to have rights? White asked rhetorically of the people who killed Reeb. But he thought it was unfair. And they killed him. So here you are, some 60 years later, my wife and I are an interracial couple, and we have brought back a building that they said died. *** For Jessika a Buddhist nun whose Dharma name is Ani Wa Jessika, which roughly means auntie (the ani) and wisdom awaken (the wa), as she explained it walking into her current building (Whites former space) was like coming home. When he proposed this, and I came to this space, and I looked around, and I thought, This seems way more manageable, she said. When the Star-Tribune toured that space with Jessika, it was empty down to appliances and a stainless steel kitchen prep table in the basement kitchen. She planned to revamp the space the week of April 16. It just needed minor restoration work, she said, and thats doable for her and her team. What Jessika is planning to give home to is called the Red Clay Abbey. As an intern with The Table, a spiritual community in Casper working to reclaim the Jesus narrative, Jessika explained, she was able to learn more about her own spirituality and if she wanted to continue the kind of work that The Table is doing. (The Table is under the umbrella of a project called the 1,001 New Worshiping Communities, which is an initiative under the Presbyterian Church (USA) working to start new spiritual communities. Jessikas residency was a part of the 1,001 New Worshiping Communities.) During her second year as a resident, she said, she was asked if she would like to start her own community, similar to The Table. But she just didnt feel led, and she had no ideas. It was conversations post-COVID-19, she recalled, that propelled her to create a third space for a world that was burnt out, hurting and spending a lot of time in their homes. What people were wanting, what people were needing, was a third space to gather outside of their home. I mean, especially after COVID, the home space is not always our sanctuary, she said. Third space is a sociological term that refers to a place that is neither the home nor the workplace, but still somewhere that people can go to freely and gather. Think of a park or a coffee shop. People were desiring a space they could retreat to during the day, where they could do their spiritual practices and (have) quiet, maybe where they could have a lunchtime meal without rushing, where they could hold community gatherings. What can people go to the abbey to do? Almost anything, really. Practicing yoga, lighting candles, sharing meals, meditating, spending time with others, reading. Thats the freedom of a third space. The abbey will still be intertwined with The Table, though The Table is under the 1,001 New Worshiping Communities umbrella and the abbey is not. Eventually, The Table and the abbey will join together to form the Center for Compassion and Restoration, which will be entirely separate from the PCUSA. For now, though, Jessika and her team are going to focus on getting the sanctuary space ready. The building also has an apartment-like segment and a basement area they would like to convert into a cafe, but that can come later. Their first projects will be ripping out the carpet, taking out the stage, painting a mural and getting a few furnishings into the space. For Jessika and Adrian, north Casper, as rough as it may seem from the outside, offers a specialness for spiritual outreach. Im excited to be in this neighborhood with him. And I know theres a lot of work that we can do together because this is a really special neighborhood. You know, I raised my kids in this neighborhood. I spent a lot of time in this neighborhood as a kid myself, she told the Star-Tribune. And I think that it used to get a really bad reputation. I dont think it has that anymore. But it also just is needs to be recognized for a gem in our community because theres so many wonderful spaces in this community. She hopes the first gatherings can happen in the space sooner than this, but said that by June 1 the space will be completely ready to roll. Its so unorthodox, she added. A Pentecostal preacher contacts a Buddhist nun. What will eventually be the abbey is, for now, quiet, still, mostly empty sound will come soon. What is now the Tree of Life Church overflows with the sound of singing on Sunday mornings, so loud you can hear it before you walk in. Over the streets that separate them, an invisible thread stretches, tying both spaces together forever. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Tribal colleges and universities around the U.S. will be able to tap nearly $15 million in grant funding to boost clean energy development as part of the federal governments latest investment in creating more reliable and sustainable electricity generation for Native American communities. The U.S. Department of Energy announced the new funding opportunity last week. It comes on the heels of another $50 million round of grants for deploying clean energy technology across Indian Country, where many communities have long been without basic services such as running water, electricity and broadband internet. We know that there is a huge need for energy reliability but also for energy access in Indian Country, said Wahleah Johns, director of the agencys Office of Indian Energy. Johns, who is from the Navajo Nation, described it as an energy crisis in which families and tribal governments often have to be creative when finding ways to operate on the fringes of major grids that supply Phoenix, Las Vegas and other cities with power. That means developing micro-grids or installing solar panels so residents can power refrigerators or charge up cellphones and laptops, she said. With the latest grants, officials at the Office of Indian Energy said the idea is to use tribal colleges and universities as a conduit to build systems that can cut down on campus electricity costs while training Native American students who can support a renewable energy economy in tribal communities. The Blackfeet Community College in Montana already has found success with construction of a smart building that houses math and science classes and the installation of solar panels on campus buildings. The way I tend to see it is that we have a living lab here, said Melissa Little Plume Weatherwax, director of institutional development at the college. Tribes are looking to deploy commercially, and that workforce is going to grow. So we need to be ready as the ones who need to train them. I think were on the right track. Thelma Wall was a student when she helped to install solar panels on campus. Now she works as a tribal design associate with a large nonprofit, having worked on projects in New Mexico, Colorado and South Dakota. Weatherwax said the training program also is translating to other parts of Montanas rural economy as more farmers use solar to operate systems that provide water for livestock. Johns said tribes have been leading the way when it comes to renewable energy development, and its been out of necessity given the lack of infrastructure in rural areas. Many small projects have led to commercial-scale projects, with the next step being tribal ownership of the power that is produced, she said. Between 2010 and 2022, the Office of Indian Energy has invested more $120 million in over 210 tribal energy projects across the U.S. This years funding marks a significant boost, Johns said, adding that her office serves as a hub for tribes to access new money or connect with other agencies as they navigate the challenges of development and deployment. Tommy Jones, a deployment specialist with the office, pointed to the Moapa Band of Paiutes in Nevada, who have already developed several hundred megawatts of solar power and are looking to develop more. The glimmer of the panels in the desert outside of Las Vegas looked like a mirage to officials with the Office of Indian Energy during a recent visit. Along the dirt roads crossing the facility were speed limit signs warning about the possible presence of desert tortoises. Theres a lot of important factors related to sacred sites and cultural resources that folks, rightly so, are concerned about protecting, particularly when youre talking about a really large-scale solar project, Jones said. And so having the community buy-in is critical to land use planning, making sure that whats important, the vision of energy fits with the community. Johns said that has been a consideration for the Moapa Band of Paiutes as well as for the Navajo Nation, which signed an agreement with the federal government in December that calls for charting out that tribes transition to renewable energy as more coal-fired power plants and coal mines in the Southwest are shuttered. The infrastructure needed to address the energy crisis for Native American communities stretches into the billions of dollars, with access being just one part of the equation, Johns said. She also pointed to mounting pressures from climate change and the need to be culturally sensitive to developing projects in Indian Country. On our end, we are all about trying to come up with a long-term strategy that will support the energy resilience of tribes and their planning process, and thats going to take a huge investment, she said. States with the biggest Native American populations States with the biggest Native American populations #51. New Hampshire #50. District of Columbia #49. Vermont #48. Rhode Island #47. West Virginia #46. Delaware #45. Hawaii #44. Kentucky #43. Connecticut #42. Maine #41. Iowa #40. Wyoming #39. Mississippi #38. Arkansas #37. Massachusetts #36. Indiana #35. New Jersey #34. Nebraska #33. South Carolina #32. Maryland #31. Tennessee #30. Idaho #29. Alabama #28. Virginia #27. Ohio #26. Kansas #25. Missouri #24. Pennsylvania #23. Louisiana #22. Illinois #21. Utah #20. North Dakota #19. Georgia #18. Nevada #17. Oregon #16. Wisconsin #15. Minnesota #14. Colorado #13. Michigan #12. Florida #11. Montana #10. New York #9. South Dakota #8. Washington #7. Alaska #6. North Carolina #5. Texas #4. New Mexico #3. Oklahoma #2. California #1. Arizona States with the biggest Native American populations #51. Vermont #50. District of Columbia #49. New Hampshire #48. West Virginia #47. Rhode Island #46. Delaware #45. Maine #44. Hawaii #43. Wyoming #42. Kentucky #41. Connecticut #40. Iowa #39. Mississippi #38. Massachusetts #37. Arkansas #36. Tennessee #35. Indiana #34. South Carolina #33. Ohio #32. Kansas #31. Missouri #30. Pennsylvania #29. Nebraska #28. Louisiana #27. Idaho #26. Alabama #25. Maryland #24. Utah #23. New Jersey #22. North Dakota #21. Virginia #20. Wisconsin #19. Nevada #18. Minnesota #17. Michigan #16. Georgia #15. Oregon #14. Colorado #13. Florida #12. Montana #11. South Dakota #10. Illinois #9. Alaska #8. Washington #7. North Carolina #6. New York #5. New Mexico #4. Texas #3. Arizona #2. Oklahoma #1. California If youve ever been caught in a current, you know swimming against it isnt the answer. You can plow headlong into the rushing waters, but it will only leave you tired and in danger of drowning. But by simply swimming with the stream, you can make your way to shore and safety. The same holds true when its an economic current. It is well established by now that Wyomings coal industry is on the decline due in large part to falling demand and increased competition from natural gas and renewables. Theres simply fewer customers out there for coal, which means no amount of regulatory changes will fix the problem. Consider that last month, Rocky Mountain Power, the largest utility operating in Wyoming, published its latest long-term plan for the state. It showed that by decades end, only two of its 11 coal-burning units here will still be operating. And it expects to ditch coal seven years earlier than previously planned at Jim Bridger, the largest coal-fired power plant in the West. Many of our politicians seem to believe we can legislate or litigate our way out of this problem by forcing the market to accept our coal. But those attempts have proved to be like swimming upstream wasting precious energy with little result. Rather than fighting the market, there are solutions that can help our coal communities transition to a more sustainable future. One involves taking advantage of the infrastructure that has already been created to serve coal mines and repurposing it to encourage emerging industries and new ventures to set up shop in coal communities. A new report found that reusing coal assets power lines, machines and buildings, for example could save hundreds of millions of dollars for industries looking to establish themselves at the sites of former mines. It would also have the benefit of reusing existing lands while avoiding disruption to migration corridors, Rusty Bell, director of the Campbell County Office of Economic Transition, noted in a recent column for the Star-Tribune. Its natural for many to recoil at the idea as a betrayal of Wyomings coal industry. But in reality, making use of these resources will actually help these coal communities thrive long into the future. That infrastructure could attract businesses that will provide jobs for the sons and daughters of our coal miners. Were seeing hints of the concept in action. The advanced nuclear reactor planned for Kemmerer will use much of the existing infrastructure of the Naughton Power Plant. That will mean more good paying jobs for a community that would have lost them once the coal plant was retired. In the Powder River Basin, meanwhile, the Gillette College Tech Center is now housing the Office of Economic Transition, which is working, as the Gillette News Record reported, to grow existing businesses while creating an environment for new ones. The fact that people in the heart of coal country are looking to the future is laudable and serves as an example for the rest of us. Wyomings history is full of examples of ranchers changing gears and planting a different crop when the market changed. We should use that history as a guide as we now navigate a difficult season for coal country. Fighting the current wont get us anywhere. To swim, we need to embrace change. 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. Passion, the exhibition which celebrates the life of late artist Glenn Roopchand, is being held at Arnims Art Galleria Limited, 27 Tragarete Road, Port of Spain, until May 12. Roopchand died last year. He was a 30-year veteran and apprentice of artist Carlisle Chang. The anonymous bomb threat that led to the evacuation of over 55 schools in Trinidad and nine TOGETHER AGAIN: Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, second from right, Agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein, left, and Energy Minister Stuart Young celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with ten-year-old Omar Muhammed at the San Fernando Jama Masjid, Mucurapo Street, yesterday. Photo: TREVOR WATSON Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan passes a book to a student at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students wait to receive books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) This photo taken on April 19, 2023 shows an inside view of Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan passes a book to a student at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) This photo taken on April 19, 2023 shows the exterior view of Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan cheers students up at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan explains a Chinese poem on spring rain to students at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan passes a book to a student at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) 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. My first response when I read the article on the ruling of the court in the matter of Brent Arizonas three biggest electric utilities including Tucson Electric Power Co. have pledged a combined $1 million to help secure grant funding for communities that could be impacted by the retirement of coal-fired power plants. TEP teamed up with Arizona Public Service and the Salt River Project to create the Utilities Grant Program, which will support tribal, state and local governments as well as nonprofit groups and other stakeholders in applying for grants from federal, state and other sources. The individual grants of up to $25,000 can help communities hire grant writers or commission economic impact studies, for example, to bolster community efforts to compete for federal, state and other grant opportunities. Applications may be filed on behalf of impacted communities within 50 miles of a coal-fired power plant owned by APS, SRP or TEP, including the now-closed Navajo Generating Station and other plants partially shutdown or planned for closure in the coming years, such as SRPs Coronado Generating Station, APS Cholla Power Plant and TEP's Springerville Generating Station. Tribal, state and local governments, public schools, economic development groups and nonprofit groups may be eligible to apply. More details about submission eligibility and requirements are available at at www.tep.com/coal-community-transition. The first grant application cycle closes May 15. Additional grant cycles will be scheduled later this year, TEP said. A 15-year-old boy shot his mother to death and then turned the gun on himself, Tucson police said Sunday in a news release. The bodies of Brittany Sutherland, 37, and her teen son, Miguel Ubri, were found Friday morning inside a house in the 10,000 block of East King Manor, near South Houghton and East Escalante roads, the release said. Police went to the house just after 10 a.m. after a 911 call about people inside being unresponsive, police said. Detectives say Ubri shot and killed his mother, then fatally shot himself. No motive for the shooting has been released, though police say the case still is being investigated Adan, a third-grader at Lineweaver Elementary School, reads aloud from a Magic School Bus book in Ms. Cummins first-grade classroom. Usually, he enjoys fictional stories about monsters and aliens, or just anything slimy. Sitting beside him is Pima County Superior Court Judge Joan Wagener, hunched over in a short red chair, a far cry from her typical seat on the bench. She smiles as she listens to Adans enthusiastic reading of the Magic School Buss exploits in outer space. For almost 25 years, Wagener has been a volunteer reader with Lawyers for Literacy, a program supported by the Pima County Bar Foundation that pairs legal professionals with elementary school students to bolster their reading development. Lawyers, paralegals, judges and other legal professionals are all welcome to volunteer as reading partners with students as part of the program. Over the course of a school year, from October to May, the volunteer readers develop close friendships with the young students they meet with to read every week. As the year progresses, so do the students reading skills, and the volunteers witness their growth firsthand. Every Monday at 5:30 p.m., the legal professionals meet up with their reading buddies, often in a school library, for one hour of uninterrupted reading time. The students read books from their book bags to their mentors. The books were selected by the students and their teachers at the beginning of the year. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Hansen is another longtime volunteer with the program. She described her experience as intrinsically joyful, offering a much-needed injection of fun into her stressful work week. Whats particularly fun about reading with a child is that the teachers and the kids pick out the books, Hansen said. So its not about the lawyer, its about the kid. Its about the reading. Confidence, social skills also improve Before the pandemic brought an abrupt halt to the program in 2020, the program operated at seven elementary schools across Tucson, including Manzo, Fruchthendler and Lineweaver. After a two-year hiatus, the program was revived at Lineweaver Elementary during the fall of 2022. At Lineweaver, first-grade teacher Lily Cummins acts as the school intermediary for the program. Cummins said she has held this role for six or seven years, coordinating with volunteers from Lawyers for Literacy to pair them with Lineweaver students. She has seen firsthand how the program has helped improve students reading skills over the course of a school year, she said. Additionally, as the students develop relationships with their mentors, she has seen noticeable advancements in their confidence and social skills. For parents and teachers, I think we are interested in somebody besides us talking to kids about reading and social skills and manners, and its always good for somebody else to bring those things up, Cummins said. Its a requirement that a certified staff member is around, but really, its just music to my ears. The Pima County Bar Association began supporting Lawyers for Literacy in 1991 with the goal of helping lawyers and other legal professionals volunteer in a way that leaves a tangible impact. The kids are happy The volunteers say theyre astounded by the progress their reading buddies make, and they relish the relationships they develop with their student partners. By the end of the year, both the student and the volunteer have made a new friend. Quite frankly, I think sometimes its harder to tell who enjoys getting there more, the students or the reading buddies, Hansen said. To quantify the success of the program, Hansen said the best way is to look at the kids themselves. From my perspective, the answer is smiles, Hansen said. You go into the room and the kids are happy. Theyre talking to people who, when they started reading, were complete strangers. The volunteers hope the program will return to more elementary schools throughout Tucson. It sounds like its just reading, but its so much more, Wagener said. A contestant participates in a Chinese proficiency competition in Cork, Ireland, April 22, 2023. The 16th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students in Ireland was held here on Saturday, drawing dozens of contestants from all over the country. (Confucius Institute at University College Cork/Handout via Xinhua) People watch a Chinese proficiency competition in Cork, Ireland, April 22, 2023. The 16th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students in Ireland was held here on Saturday, drawing dozens of contestants from all over the country. (Confucius Institute at University College Cork/Handout via Xinhua) 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. The Border Patrols Tucson Sector is spearheading a video campaign to dissuade teens and young adults from getting recruited into the smuggling of humans. The social media campaign shows the real stories of young people officials say were lured by transnational organizations into picking up undocumented migrants near the border and taking them to cities such as Tucson or Phoenix. The focus of the campaign is to get young people to realize that its not a quick payday with no consequence, says Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin. It can literally change the trajectory of their lives once they become involved with the legal system, he said. Theres a lot at stake. The young adults and teens are anonymous in the videos. One young man starts telling his story by talking about how he loves to drive and meet new people. Then he saw an ad for an easy way to make $2,000 or $3,000. He started picking up migrants near the border, eventually got pulled over and is facing felony charges. Criminal organizations use social media platforms like Snapchat and TikTok to reach teens with messages that have a style aimed at youths, Modlin says. The use of these emojis and even the font and the way the text is written, it is written for a young audience, he said. Theres no question its going to connect with much younger people. The border officials video campaign is created in partnership with the Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats, a multi-agency enforcement arm in Arizona that includes the Border Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Arizona Department of Public Safety; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Marshalls Service; the U.S. Attorneys Office; Homeland Security Investigations and the Pinal County Sheriffs Office. Theres been an increase in criminal organizations recruiting teens and young adults through social media platforms. What they wont tell you is you could spend the rest of your life in jail, you could die or you could kill someone else who had nothing to do with your decision, said Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Jeff Glover in one of the videos. Two or three years ago, teens werent getting involved in human smuggling along the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, Modlin says, but now he estimates they make up about 20% of the drivers. They often dont understand what theyre getting into, officials say. The young people are often inexperienced drivers, who could be as young as 15. The recruiters tell them not to stop for police but to drive aggressively and recklessly if the police are behind them, Modlin says. The passengers in the vehicles are often not wearing seatbelts or are in the trunk, as in an incident in February, where a 43-year-old Mexican citizen who had crossed the border undocumented died after being in the trunk of a Toyota Corolla that hit a semi-truck after it fled from law enforcement. From April 2022 through December, the U.S. Attorneys Office filed 855 cases against individuals accused of smuggling undocumented migrants in Arizona, including 13 cases brought against juveniles. So far, in 2023, there have been at least 220 cases of human smuggling charges filed in federal courts in Tucson and Phoenix. The Tucson Sector has more prosecutions for human smuggling than any other Border Patrol sector, Modlin says. It has more than the second and third highest combined. Also, a state law against human smuggling was approved in September, and in the last four months of 2022, there were about 130 cases filed in Cochise County under the new charge, Modlin says. While there are many factors to consider, officials will try to determine if the video campaign is having any positive effect in the coming months. If its one less citizen getting hit at 110 miles an hour in an intersection, its a success, Modlin said. If we can prevent one kid from the trajectory from going to college to now being incarcerated, thats also a win. 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. PHOENIX State lawmakers are poised to enact a measure designed to regulate how national and international social media platforms operate in Arizona. Politicians would get special treatment. Senate Bill 1106 would put into state law that once people become candidates for any public office, they cannot have their posting rights taken away pretty much no matter what they say, truthful or otherwise. Only violations of the federal Communications Decency Act would result in loss of privileges. Social media sites that take down a candidates posting could find themselves facing civil fines of up to $250,000 a day. It basically speaks to freedom of speech, said Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, acknowledging that it would give anyone who declares as a candidate immunity against having posts removed that would not exist for any other Arizonan. She told the House Committee on Transportation and Technology that special status is justified. This legislation seeks to reinforce the First Amendment, especially for political speech, which, I ... from personal experience, can tell you, is a higher bar than even regular speech, Rogers said. The measure already approved by the state Senate and awaiting only a final House vote has gotten this far over the objection of NetChoice, which describes itself as a right-of-center trade association for social medial platforms. Its lobbyist Amy Bos chided Republican lawmakers for seeking to tell private firms the internet companies what they have to post, even if it violates the terms of service that users agree to when signing up. The act compels online businesses to host content they otherwise removed, or restrict even highly objectionable content that is not appropriate for all viewers, Bos said. And it gives special treatment to certain speakers like political candidates, even ones who spread unlawful, violent or hateful content. In effect, a monopoly But Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, said he isnt necessarily buying the idea that social media sites are truly private businesses that should be permitted to unilaterally decide what to allow to be posted and what to remove. He suggested that a more apt comparison would be to see these firms as utilities that can be regulated. At what point does a business become, in effect, a monopoly subject to the attention of the state for additional regulation? Gress asked. He questioned Bos about whether she is concerned that a company like Twitter, with about 450 million users, can remove the voice of elected officials, basically disappearing them, not unlike what China does to real people. She countered that telling Twitter and other companies they have no right to remove any content posted by a candidate is concerning as well. So its kind of a balancing act there. Bos emphasized that the legislation would not give the right to post anything to all Arizonans. It gives special treatment to certain speakers like political candidates, even ones who spread unlawful, violent or hateful content, she said. Gress, however, suggested they should get special treatment because its necessary that constituents get to hear from and interact with their elected officials. Bos countered there are a lot of ways beyond social media for candidates to reach constituents, including newsletters and town halls. She also questioned the legality of the proposal, saying a federal appeals court struck down a nearly identical law from Florida. Enforcement issue The merits and legal questions aside, theres also the question of how Arizona would enforce the measure if it is enacted. Rep. Leezah Sun, D-Phoenix, noted that the social media companies are not based in Arizona. That appears to limit the ability of the state to do anything if an out-of-state operation decides that it will no longer allow posts from an Arizona politician, she said. Rogers brushed aside the concern. We as a state need to take our plenary power back, she responded, saying it is the role of lawmakers to protect the rights of Arizonans. So we as a state, according to my bill, have the right to free speech as candidates, Rogers said. And if youre going to come into our state and do business on the internet with social media and you violate what these tenets in this legislation are, youre going to hear from us as a state. Sun remained unconvinced, citing the Interstate Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the power to regulate commerce ... among the several states. She said sites like YouTube and Twitter remain firmly within federal control. Not so, insisted Rogers. As it pertains to Arizona, we can say yes or no to them asserting a clampdown on our speech in our state, she said. If they want to do business with us in our state and they suppress free speech of a candidate in our state, that will not be legal. The Twitter files Driving the issue is the perception by some that social media sites have a liberal bent, resulting in the censorship of conservative voices, sometimes at the behest of government officials. Rep. Neal Carter, R-San Tan Valley, told of a constituent whom he said was banned from Nextdoor, an app that creates localized networks for people to exchange ideas and to buy and sell items. The reason, Carter said, was the posting of a verse from the Book of Jeremiah that is cited by abortion foes: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Thats reprehensible, said Rogers. Rep. Justin Heap, R-Mesa, had his own example, citing the Twitter files. These were documents released by Elon Musk after he bought the company. Some reporters who reviewed the files said they showed circumstances under which Twitter had removed posts or lowered their visibility, often at the request of government officials and Democrats. They also shed some light on the decision by Twitter to suspend the account of then-President Donald Trump in the days after the Jan. 6, 2001 riot at the Capitol amid concerns there was the risk of further incitement of violence. Do you acknowledge that the material thats come out from the Twitter files and various things have indicated that the government is dictating to the social media platforms what they should ban, what they should remove? Heap asked Bos. Dont you find that dangerous? I think what has come out with the Twitter files is very concerning, she responded. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: The Prop 412 election seeks approval for a new, 25-year franchise agreement that permits TEP to use poles, wires, and other infrastructure along Tucsons roadways and imposes a confusing, new Community Resilience Fee on TEPs customers in Tucson. The Citys Voter Information Guide includes the whole, long, complicated franchise agreement and nothing to explain it! No main points in normal English and Spanish. No pros and cons from other citizens. So, I followed the money and heres what I found. Prop 12s Community Resilience Fee will increase every Tucson residential customers electricity bill by about $1/month for 25 years. That adds up to about $5 million/year, with no commitment to offset the fee for low-income households. Meanwhile, TEP has two other rate hikes already in the works. The Arizona Corporation Commission is now considering TEPs request for a $16/month rate increase for the average household. ACC staff have also recommended adding another $5.60-$12.00/month to reimburse TEP for unexpected fuel and power costs (gas prices are up 300% since 2019). Why pile on a resilience fee? Good question! For the first 10 years, only 10% of the fee will fund City projects that would actually boost resilience Tucsons ability to withstand the excessive heat, drought and threats to public health caused by climate change. 90% of the new fee about $45 million over the first 10 years will pay for installing a few of TEPs new transmission line underground along Campbell Avenue. Installing the line above ground would involve no extra cost to us. Expensive undergrounding contributes nothing to community resilience. How about all the clean energy and reliability in Prop 412s publicity? TEPs new transmission line will, in fact, improve reliability and deliver more solar and wind energy for Central Tucson. But thats the function of the line itself. Undergrounding adds zero clean energy and reliability. Why would we pay this fee? Tucsons City Code provides for undergrounding transmission lines in scenic and gateway corridors to protect sight lines and property values in selected neighborhoods and our overall image. But TEP does not pay for undergrounding because it is unnecessary and it privileges some neighborhoods over others, while all ratepayers foot the bill. TEP defers to Arizona statute 48-620 that calls for property owners near utility lines to form an improvement district and pay for undergrounding themselves. Meanwhile, the University of Arizona and nearby neighbors dont want undergrounding enough to pay $45 million for it. Apparently, neither do Mayor and Council. Whos left? Us! Enter the franchise agreement and a new way to get every TEP customer in Tucson to pay for undergrounding the new Campbell line and, potentially, other lines over 25 years. Fortunately, franchise agreements require public approval and we can vote no. Theres no undergrounding emergency Undergrounding is unnecessary. Its optional, an aesthetic choice with consequences. UA and nearby neighbors will be the beneficiaries of $45 million. Voters will decide if this choice is equitable for all Tucsonans. No tourists, conventions, or new businesses will avoid Tucson if TEP installs 14-20 higher-than-normal utility poles along Campbell. But they will steer clear when our summers get too long and too hot. In 1970, Tucson had 39 days that topped 100 degrees. In 2020, there were 108. While that year exceeded predictions, so have the heat, drought, and wildfires were already experiencing. I followed the money and am voting no on Prop 412. Lets send the City and TEP back to the drawing board for a better agreement. If it includes a Resilience Fee, most or all of it should boost resilience and clean energy! Any new fee should be offset for low-income residents. Then, Tucsonans can vote yes and know exactly what were paying for. No rush. We have about three years before the current agreement expires. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: Proposition 412 is just the latest positive step in Tucson Electric Powers efforts to provide cleaner and more reliable energy to our community. After recent expansions of our wind and solar power systems, more than 25% of our communitys power now comes from carbon-free renewable resources. And thats just a start: were working to achieve 70% clean energy and an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035. Prop 412 would only add to these achievements, providing new resources to support the City of Tucsons Climate Action and Adaptation Plan while facilitating the development of a critical new transmission line. It also would ensure that we can continue building and maintaining our local energy grid on the citys public rights-of-way for another 25 years. Thats why a broad coalition of community leaders supports Prop 412, including Mayor Regina Romero, four members of the Tucson City Council, our local police and firefighter associations, state legislators, neighborhood leaders and business groups, including the Tucson Metro Chamber, Southern Arizona Leadership Council and Sun Corridor. They understand, as some do not, that franchise agreements cannot be used to regulate utility operations or the energy mix we provide to our community. That said, the fact that we found a way to support climate action in an otherwise simple land-use agreement just shows how were making the fight for a cleaner future part of everything we do. Prop 412 emerged from long conversations with city leaders about the best way to serve growing electric needs in the heart of the city. Most of the new funding raised during the first 10 years of the agreement would fund underground construction of a higher-voltage line that has faced resistance from area residents. When our mayor and council suggested that we use remaining funds to support climate action, we were more than happy to agree. For an average impact of less than $1 per month, then, Prop 412 will allow us to modernize our grid while making funds available for projects that can expand clean energy, support greater use of electric vehicles and develop heat mitigation resources. Those efforts would benefit from the momentum TEP has created through our own initiatives. Were currently updating the integrated resource plan that will guide our future investments in a cleaner energy portfolio. That plan is being developed in consultation with our community, including local government representatives, business leaders, environmental advocates and energy experts. Were also evaluating responses to our most recent request for new energy resources, a process that will produce significant new investments in cleaner energy technology. We expect to invest nearly $1 billion over the next five years, and hundreds of millions more by the end of the decade, in wind, solar and energy storage systems to support our transition to cleaner energy resources. Were taking these steps because TEP is committed to providing reliable, affordable service with a cleaner, less carbon-intensive energy portfolio. Our progress will provide clear benefits for our customers, our investors and our planet, ensuring that our community is aligned with global efforts to combat climate change. Prop 412 would complement these efforts with new investments in climate resiliency while supporting electric reliability by facilitating grid upgrades and prompt responses to any outages. Our facilities are built to last decades or more, which is why franchises typically extend for 25 years. TEP has had franchise agreements in place with the City of Tucson for nearly a century. Proposition 412 would extend this productive relationship while allowing us to make new progress toward our shared goals. Its an important step in our larger journey toward a cleaner energy future. Fans of Tucson's annual Agave Heritage Festival might see it as four days to revel in all things agave including tequila. Its creator Todd Hanley sees it as an opportunity to take a deep dive in the region's cultural and agricultural history. "I see the festival as a unique and important festival around the bigger discussion of our agriculture and economy of Southern Arizona," he said early this month as he worked out the final details of this year's 15th annual event, taking place next weekend, April 27-30. "I see it as a calling card for who we are and how our region can adapt." Hanley didn't think that deeply when he first proposed the festival 15 years ago as a one-day event that featured agave distillers from Tucson and the region. But the format changed as he and the participants of the festival became more educated on the role agave has played in our society and cross-border relationships. The festival became not only about food and drinks and the cultural aspects of agave, but the importance it plays in how we exist in the region we share with Mexico, learning how to work with our arid environment, not against it, he said. Hanley's little one-day festival, presented by Hotel Congress where he is the longtime CEO, has become the largest agave event in the country. Register for more free articles. Log in Sign up "It's the largest and by far most ecologically- and educationally-based festival," said Hanley, who is co-owner of Hotel Congress' sister restaurant, Maynards Market & Kitchen at 400 N. Toole Ave. "Education, ecology and culture are the roots of the culture." The 2023 Agave Heritage Festival features dozens of distinctive events including tastings, five special dinners and the signature MezCrawl on Thursday, April 27, where participants sample chef-prepared bites and agave spirits and cocktails as they stroll through nearly a dozen downtown restaurants and watering holes including Blue Front, Good Oak Bar, HighWire, Hotel Congress, The Hub, La Chingada, The Citizen Hotel, The Monica, The Neighborhood Cocktails & Cantina and the Red Light Lounge at The Downtown Clifton Hotel. On Friday, April 28, several downtown restaurants and hotels will host guided mezcal tastings ($35 and $40) led by industry-leading distillers. Hotel Congress will host the popular Agave Fiesta on Saturday, April 29, featuring more than 50 artisanal and ancestral mezcals and an agave cocktail showcase. The price of admission ($65) includes four agave spirit tastes, a pair of beer samples, three cocktail samples and food from Hotel Congress's Cup Cafe. The festival wraps up Sunday, April 30, with the new "Spirit of Sonora: Consumer Expo" at the Historic Train Depot Plaza, 400 N. Toole Ave., a collaboration with the state of Sonora, Mexico. The bi-national showcase and expo brings together agave enthusiasts, scientists, academics and industry experts to network, collaborate and create economic development opportunities for artisanal Bacanora and Sotol producers, according to a festival news release. Vendors will be on hand to showcase diverse and unique products created from agave and talk about the past and future of the industry. For a full schedule of events, tickets and more information, visit Agave Heritage Festival's website. When author David Grann prepared to set out on the literary voyage that would culminate in his new book, The Wager, he thought he would be able to spend his days safely moored among archival materials such as ships logs, diaries and newspapers. However, there came a point when Grann knew that, in order to write as truthfully as possible about the events he was chronicling, a trip to the Gulf of Pain was a necessity. Anyone who knows me knows I am not an adventurer by any stretch of the imagination, Grann said during a recent conversation. But I realized that it was essential for me, if I was going to be able to describe what these men experienced and endured, to go to this place myself. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, recounts the harrowing story of the 1740 voyage of The Wager, a merchant ship refitted into a man-o-war as part of what was to be a secret mission to capture a Spanish galleon laden with some of the treasure that was helping to fund Spains war against England. Almost every element of the plan goes wrong, and The Wager ended up shipwrecked off the southern coast of what is now Chile. That disaster was only the beginning of the ordeal, as survivors of the wreck descend into rebellion and violence, as military discipline and class barriers crumble under the strain of survival. Two years after departing England, a group of survivors from The Wager pilot their ramshackle raft to the coast of Brazil, where they are found and proclaimed as heroes for their ordeal. But six months later, a smaller group of equally ravaged men land in Chile, proclaiming themselves as the true survivors of The Wager and accusing the other group of mutiny and other crimes. Grann, whose previous books include Killers of the Flower Moon, the best-selling book about the murders of Osage Nation members in 1920s Oklahoma that was adapted into a soon-to-be released film by Martin Scorsese, will be in Tulsa on Wednesday to talk about The Wager and his other work at an event presented by Magic City Books. The story of The Wager and its crew, which culminated in the survivors facing court-martial and death by hanging, captured the publics imagination at the time, with accounts of the voyage influencing writers and philosophers as diverse as Voltaire and Rousseau, Herman Melville and Patrick OBrien. But its one of those stories that sort of faded from the collective memory, Grann said. I certainly had never heard about it. But I was doing some research into mutinies, and I came across the diary of John Byron, who was a 16-year-old midshipman on The Wager. It was written in that kind of stilted prose of the day, and it was printed during the time when the letter s was printed as an f, which made reading it a bit of a challenge, he said. But I kept coming across these arresting descriptions of incredible things starting with how scurvy and typhus started to decimate the crew, describing being hit by a tidal wave, going on murder and cannibalism. At the same time, Grann began to find resonances between the experiences of the survivors of The Wager disaster and modern times. Once they finally made it back to England, they had to face a court-martial because of the conflicting accusations of mutiny, Grann said. So everyone started publishing their own accounts of the events, trying to sway the court of public opinion by casting themselves as the hero of the story. It really became a war over the truth, he said. I would be doing research on the book, immersing myself in the 18th century, then watch the news on TV that night, and it would be the same themes: allegations of fake news, fights over what history should be told, efforts to cover up or erase scandalous truths. And I realized this story, while being very much a story of adventure, was also an eerie parable for these very turbulent times in which we live. Grann said that was one reason for his decision to structure the book around three principal players: Byron, the future nobleman who continued to harbor some romantic notions of the sea life in spite of the hardships and depredations he experienced; John Bulkeley, the God-fearing gunner of The Wager who led the mutiny; and David Cheap, a first lieutenant who through happenstance found himself in command of The Wager. I wanted to show how we all try to shape our story to emerge as the hero, he said. The famous Joan Didion line about We tell ourselves stories in order to live was a very real thing for these men. Quite literally, if they did not tell a convincing story, they were going to hang. By offering these three viewpoints, Grann said, he is able to show how each man shaded the narrative they ultimately told. One account might say its author was forced to proceed to extremities a somewhat flowery phrase that in another persons account meant the first author shot a fellow sailor in the head. It also allows him to let the reader see how these warring perspectives are a way of getting close to the truth of what really happened to the crew of The Wager and allowing the reader to make the final interpretation. Grann uncovered what he called a treasure trove of first-hand accounts in the course of his research that proved invaluable. But it still did not give him a real sense of the physical and mental hardships The Wagers crew endured trying to navigate around the southernmost tip of South America during the harsh winter months. I got in touch with a Chilean captain who agreed to take me, and he sent a picture of his boat, which looked nice and big and solid, Grann said. Of course, when I got to Chile, the boat was this small, top-heavy craft. The captain knew the territory well, so we didnt have any real problems. It was just that the sea was so rough and the boat so small that you literally could not stand up, because youd get tossed around. So I ended up sitting there, with a Dramamine patch behind my ear, listening to an audio book of Moby-Dick, which probably wasnt the ideal choice for this trip, he said, laughing. And when we got to Wager Island, I could see first-hand what a cold, wet, harsh place it was. Theres no animal life and little edible vegetation, so you could understand why they ended up in a real-life Lord of the Flies situation, and why one British captain called it The place where the soul of man dies. Helping Cherokee women succeed as entrepreneurs is the goal of a new program on tap for the fall. A partnership between the Cherokee Nation, University of Tulsa and StitchCrew, the Native American Women Entrepreneurship Accelerator, described as the first of its kind in the region, is an eight-week program that will conclude with an opportunity for participants to pitch their business proposal to potential investors and partners. For each Cherokee woman selected to participate in the pilot project, the tribe will provide a $10,000 grant to help develop their pitch, materials and business concepts and reimburse personal expenses related to the program. Native American women often face a unique set of challenges within the business community, including systematic disparities, harmful and inaccurate stereotypes, discrimination and lack of resources, said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. I believe the Cherokee Nation has an obligation to support Native American women in pursuing their ambitions of creating, refining and growing businesses of their own. Officials are still working to finalize details for the pilot program. The hope is, after beginning with Cherokee women, to expand in the future to include other Native women, they said. Applications will open in July, with the program set to run from September through November. Kathy Taylor, dean of TUs Collins College of Business, said: According to a report from the National Womens Business Council, Native American women entrepreneurs have the lowest rates of business entrepreneurship among all racial and ethnic groups. We stand here ready to change that statistic. TUs Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and JOLT@TUBusiness will provide education, mentorship and networking to the fledgling entrepreneurs. Officials say they hope the program can inspire Native American girls and women everywhere to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Program partner StitchCrew has worked with the NBA, Google and other businesses to implement programs that democratize access to capital, resources and networks for traditionally overlooked entrepreneurs. More information, including how to apply, will be available soon at stitchcrew.com. CAIRO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A staff member of the Egyptian embassy in Sudan's capital Khartoum was injured by a gunshot in the country's recent military clashes, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. The incident "underscores the need to exercise utmost caution" to preserve the safety of Egyptian citizens and diplomats in Sudan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said. He noted that the number of Egyptian citizens in Sudan exceeds 10,000, which requires a tight, safe and orderly planning process to ensure their safe evacuation from the conflict-ridden country. Since the beginning of the fighting, Egypt's flag carrier EgyptAir has suspended its flights to and from Sudan's Khartoum International Airport. Military clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15 following days of tension. Until Friday, over 400 people were killed and about 3,500 others wounded in the clashes in Sudan, according to the country's health ministry. No. No. No. Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony filed a 180-page dissent last week after the other two commissioners, Todd Hiett and Kim David, voted to accept $6 billion in fuel costs claimed by the states three largest investor-owned utilities from the 2021 February deep cold spell. A long-time critic of the utilities and often other commissioners Anthony maintains that the fuel costs should not be accepted until price-fixing claims against natural gas suppliers and the utilities own fuel-purchasing policies are thoroughly investigated. The stench of these rotten deals is so pervasive, people on the outside are beginning to pinch their noses and look toward the Jim Thorpe Building (Corporation Commissioner headquarters) with wrinkled brows wondering what the hell is going on at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Anthony wrote. Not only are these public injustices rotting from a putrid core of greed, public corruption and regulatory capture, but so are the various layers of whitewash that have been repeatedly and sloppily applied by their proponents and apologists over the last two years. Under state law, utilities are allowed to recover reasonable fuel cost increases through surcharges to customers. Doing so in this case would have resulted in astronomical bills, so the Legislature and governor agreed to an arrangement whereby the state revenue issued bonds amortizing the charges over 15 to 20 years. Accepting the fuel cost submissions from PSO, OG&E and ONG is part of that process. Change of venue: Creek County expects to bring online a family treatment court in a few months, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services said. Tulsa and Okmulgee counties already have such courts, as do Oklahoma, Kay, and Custer and Washita counties combined. Canadian County pays for a similar program with its own funds. The special courts are intended to reunite families in which parents substance abuse has resulted in children being taken into state care. The courts facilitate reunification through treatment and supervision. According to the Department of Mental Health, the programs success rate is double that of more traditional methods. Off script: The dispute between Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready and CVS pharmacies and its prescription benefit manager Caremark seems to be getting hotter. Mulready and the Republican floor leaders of the House and Senate have called a Monday morning press conference to discuss what they call misinformation being distributed by CVS Caremark to Oklahoma consumers. The dispute centers on recent Oklahoma laws that prevent prescription benefit managers such as Caremark from directing patients to specific pharmacies and mail-order services. CVS/Caremark has responded by telling some patients it can no longer fill 90-day prescriptions. Prescription benefit managers say the law will cause higher costs to consumers. Proponents disagree and argue that it is necessary to protect consumers and independent pharmacies. Honored, not censured: State Rep. Mauree Turner, D-Oklahoma City, who was censured by her Republican colleagues earlier this year, was named recipient of the Angie Debo Civil Libertarian Award by the ACLU of Oklahoma. Turner was stripped of committee assignments after a person took refuge in Turners office during the ruckus following the Houses vote to essentially ban gender-affirming treatments. House leadership accused Turner of harboring the person, which Turner denies. Turner has not been charged with a crime. Debo, who died in 1988, is considered one of Oklahomas foremost historians, particularly for exposing the corruption surrounding Indian allotments in the early 1900s. Her And Still the Waters Run was so controversial when completed in the late 1930s that the University of Oklahoma Press backed out of its publishing contract and handed the book off to the Princeton University Press. Wild turkey: The 35th Lieutenant Governors Turkey Hunt began Wednesday and continues through this week. Although the potting of wild fowl is involved, the Turkey Hunts primary purpose is business recruiting and connecting prospects with Oklahoma communities. Featured this year are Alva, Ardmore, Duncan, Elk City, Hugo, Okemah and Woodward. Sales pitch: Democrats looking for a way to convince rural voters that the Republican Party isnt really their friend juxtaposed recent unsuccessful attempts to land a big employer in northeastern Oklahoma with Biden administration programs that have brought millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements to outlying areas of the state. While (Gov. Kevin) Stitt is busy posing for photos and pushing school voucher schemes that hurt rural Oklahomans, Democrats are working to help our rural counties, said state Democratic Party Chairwoman Alicia Andrews. The roads and bridges funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help move goods through Oklahoma better while connecting people within their communities. In his two elections, Stitt has overwhelmingly carried rural Oklahoma, winning some counties with as much as 90% of the vote. Meetings and events: Champagne and Censorship is the theme of a fundraiser for the Heart of the Party, Tulsa County Federation of Democratic Women, at 2 p.m. Sunday at Agora Event Center, 1402 S. Peoria Ave. Featured speakers will include former state Rep. Lee Denney, now board chairwoman of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries; Tulsa City-County Library Reconsideration Committee Director Amanda Oyama; and ACLU of Oklahoma Executive Director Tamya Cox Toure. Tickets are $50 per person and can be obtained through ActBlue or with cash or check at the door. Second District Congressman Josh Brecheen announced upcoming in-person town hall meetings: May 2: 8 a.m., Krebs Town Hall, 85 S. Main St., Krebs; 10 a.m., VFW Post 8798, 121182 Oklahoma 9, Eufaula; noon, Fort Gibson American Legion Post 20, 201 S.E. Railroad St.; 2 p.m., Wagoner Community Building, 102 N. Jefferson St., Wagoner. May 5: 9:30 a.m., Washington County Fairgrounds, 1109 N. Delaware St., Dewey; 2 p.m., Chelsea Civic Center, 618 Pine St., Chelsea; 4 p.m., Oologah Town Hall, 225 W. Alta Ave., Oologah. Campaigns and elections: Republican Shelley Gwartney of Broken Arrow announced that shes exploring a 2024 run for state Senate District 33, which includes south Broken Arrow and Tulsa County. Republican incumbent Nathan Dahm is term-limited. The Oklahoma Democratic Party sent out a fundraising appeal tied to the recording of McCurtain County officials discussing lynching and murder. Bottom lines: State Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa, was elected chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus. House Democrats elected Rep. Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, their leader through 2026. Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World It shouldnt take a subpoena to get the Republican state superintendent to answer questions from a Republican supermajority-controlled Legislature, but thats where Ryan Walters is headed. Walters may be the first agency leader in state history to refuse an appearance before an Oklahoma House committee at the Houses request. He is avoiding answering questions about operational concerns regarding the State Department of Education. Consequences could be the Legislatures seeking a subpoena to make him appear. The House ought to use that power if needed. Forget the sideshow of Walters morality crusade over what he deems porn and demonization of leftist liberals. Its a tired distraction. Public school districts depend on the Education Department for everything from funding to teacher certifications. The department is largely a pass-through for funding from the Legislature and federal sources, and knowledgeable staff must be in place to ensure effective distribution. The agency makes the annual legislative budget request, paving the way to the per-pupil allocation and salaries for teachers and staff. Its other responsibilities include setting curriculum standards, overseeing the annual school report card and approving teacher certifications. In addition, local district officials often call on Education Department policy experts for guidance. The department also implements legislative rules, and Attorney General Gentner Drummond recently issued a formal opinion stating that Walters had overstepped his authority by implementing rules before the Legislature asked for them. Lawmakers are hearing about problems with federal contracts not being approved in a timely manner, agency staff at low levels and other shortcomings in critical areas. Failure could result in students not receiving services. The way Walters governs his agency is significant, considering his mismanagement of $8 million in pandemic funds when he was Gov. Kevin Stitts secretary of education. He does not have a good track record for financial accountability and governance. The Education Departments budget is the largest of any state agency at $3.5 billion. Its reasonable for lawmakers to seek answers to questions stemming from their constituents concerns. House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education Chairman Mark McBride, R-Moore, who has been critical of Walters, invited the state superintendent to appear before the panel last month. That was prompted by Walters allegations of rampant porn in schools without providing specifics. Walters did not accept the invitation but instead sent every legislator images he described as pornography, again with no specifics about what schools he alleged had books containing those images. His spokesman Matt Langston responded to questions about Walters appearing before the committee by attacking McBride. Its time for Walters to stop campaigning and live up to his promise of being transparent and accountable. His practice of making selfie in-car videos that denigrate teachers and people who are different from him needs to end. Walters ought to appear before the committee, focus on agency governance and start representing all children. Public schools are responsible for educating more than 90% of Oklahomas children, so the stakes are high. If Walters wants to get any of his reforms enacted, he needs to start working with lawmakers instead of against them. An increase in the number of flights to Nha Trang City is expected to bring more tourists to this popular beach destination in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam for the upcoming holiday, but hotel bookings in the city remain lower than expected. A representative of Cam Ranh International Airport, located in the provinces Cam Ranh City, said on Friday that many carriers recently revised up the number of flights to Nha Trang scheduled for the upcoming holiday. Workers in Vietnam are entitled to the five-day holiday lasting from April 29 to May 3 to celebrate Hung Kings' Commemoration Day (April 29), Reunification Day (April 30), and International Workers Day (May 1). Between April 27 and May 3, the Cam Ranh airport will receive 454 domestic flights, up 24 percent versus the same period in 2022 and around 176 international ones, rising some five percent year on year. Besides, a Saigon Railways JSC representative said the local railway sector will operate 10 more trains on the Saigon-Nha Trang and Nha Trang-Da Nang routes to serve the travel demand during the holiday. The increase of flight and train numbers would carry a large volume of visitors to Khanh Hoa during the holiday, said Tran Minh Duc, deputy director of Long Phu Travel JSC and vice-chairman of the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Tourism Association. However, he noted that the province will mostly serve solo travelers or small groups of tourists this holiday, as it received a modest number of large group bookings. Duc added that his companys tours sold to large groups was equal to 60 percent of the pre-pandemic level. The company also reported a decline in the number of visitors from northern Vietnam due to high airfares. Affluent holidaymakers are inclined to spend their time at resorts rather than traveling in group tours. Also, given the economic downturn, a number of employers has cut back on expenses and arranged fewer group tours for their employees. Tourists will opt for short tours and nearby destinations for saving costs, Duc said. Nha Trang City, a beach destination in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam, is forecast to see a rising number of small groups of tourists during the upcoming holiday in late April 2023. Photo: Minh Chien / Tuoi Tre Vu Trong Thuc, sales director at the Champa Island Resort in Nha Trang, said reservations for the period between April 29 and May 1 at the resort have just reached over 40 percent. Due to low bookings, the resort could not offer as many discounts as it did before. Instead, it will not impose holiday surcharges on guests, while offering them more services, including tours to the Cham Oasis craft village. The province will see fewer visitors from faraway localities due to high airfares for domestic flights. Tourism businesses are waiting for the arrival of last-minute visitors, Thuc said. However, it could be impossible for the resort to have its rooms fully occupied this holiday, as the current bookings stay lower than 50 percent, he added. At some beach resorts in Cam Lam District, they received more bookings than those operating in Nha Trang, but the reservations are still lower than thought. An Alma Resort representative said its reservations exceeded 90 percent, but bookings this year remained slowly. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An increase in the number of flights to Nha Trang City is expected to bring more tourists to this popular beach destination in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam for the upcoming holiday, but hotel bookings in the city remain lower than expected. A representative of Cam Ranh International Airport, located in the provinces Cam Ranh City, said on Friday that many carriers recently revised up the number of flights to Nha Trang scheduled for the upcoming holiday. Workers in Vietnam are entitled to the five-day holiday lasting from April 29 to May 3 to celebrate Hung Kings' Commemoration Day (April 29), Reunification Day (April 30), and International Workers Day (May 1). Between April 27 and May 3, the Cam Ranh airport will receive 454 domestic flights, up 24 percent versus the same period in 2022 and around 176 international ones, rising some five percent year on year. Besides, a Saigon Railways JSC representative said the local railway sector will operate 10 more trains on the Saigon-Nha Trang and Nha Trang-Da Nang routes to serve the travel demand during the holiday. The increase of flight and train numbers would carry a large volume of visitors to Khanh Hoa during the holiday, said Tran Minh Duc, deputy director of Long Phu Travel JSC and vice-chairman of the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Tourism Association. However, he noted that the province will mostly serve solo travelers or small groups of tourists this holiday, as it received a modest number of large group bookings. Duc added that his companys tours sold to large groups was equal to 60 percent of the pre-pandemic level. The company also reported a decline in the number of visitors from northern Vietnam due to high airfares. Affluent holidaymakers are inclined to spend their time at resorts rather than traveling in group tours. Also, given the economic downturn, a number of employers has cut back on expenses and arranged fewer group tours for their employees. Tourists will opt for short tours and nearby destinations for saving costs, Duc said. Nha Trang City, a beach destination in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam, is forecast to see a rising number of small groups of tourists during the upcoming holiday in late April 2023. Photo: Minh Chien / Tuoi Tre Vu Trong Thuc, sales director at the Champa Island Resort in Nha Trang, said reservations for the period between April 29 and May 1 at the resort have just reached over 40 percent. Due to low bookings, the resort could not offer as many discounts as it did before. Instead, it will not impose holiday surcharges on guests, while offering them more services, including tours to the Cham Oasis craft village. The province will see fewer visitors from faraway localities due to high airfares for domestic flights. Tourism businesses are waiting for the arrival of last-minute visitors, Thuc said. However, it could be impossible for the resort to have its rooms fully occupied this holiday, as the current bookings stay lower than 50 percent, he added. At some beach resorts in Cam Lam District, they received more bookings than those operating in Nha Trang, but the reservations are still lower than thought. An Alma Resort representative said its reservations exceeded 90 percent, but bookings this year remained slowly. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam will offer the most preferential possible incentives to foreign-invested enterprises if the global minimum tax is applied to ensure the benefits of investors and the countrys economic growth, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at a meeting with foreign-invested companies in Hanoi on Saturday. The government chief said Vietnam always attaches importance to the compliance with international law and proactively fulfilling international commitments, including a commitment on the global minimum corporate tax, initiated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The government has required reviewing and enhancing the attraction of foreign investment, PM Chinh noted, adding that Vietnam will offer non-tariff support that does not go against international regulations and commitments and ensure the benefits of relevant parties and fairness among enterprises. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh promises to create favorable conditions for investors to do business in an effective and sustainable manner in Vietnam. Photo: Vietnam Government Portal The support may be related to land, science, and technology study costs, administrative reforms, social housing, human resource training, and infrastructure development. Vietnam will also review and improve its regulations and build a road map to apply the global minimum tax based on lessons from other countries experience and the reality in Vietnam. The government has also proposed the lawmaking National Assembly improve visa policies. Regulations on fire safety, medicines, medical equipment, and energy are being reviewed and amended as well. The prime minister also required intensifying the analysis and assessment of the global market and the forecast of important issues to work out appropriate response plans. Chairman of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Phan Van Mai (L) shakes hands with a Japanese investor. Photo: N.Binh / Tuoi Tre Earlier at the meeting, chairman of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Phan Van Mai said Vietnams preferential tax policies on foreign investment attraction have yet to make breakthroughs while the Southeast Asian country will levy the global minimum tax from next year. The southern metropolis attracted US$4.33 billion in foreign investment with the capital registered for the hi-tech sector accounting for some 65 percent. However, its infrastructure and services have yet to meet the demands of investors and it is facing a shortage of industrial land to lure large projects. The city is focusing on developing traffic infrastructure, logistics, green energy, and international education systems. Chairman Mai suggested the prime minister quickly direct the removal of obstacles to immigration, import-export, and work permit application. Meanwhile, Hanoi is accelerating and improving the quality of planning to remove foreign investors obstacles in land, said vice-chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen. The capital city will quickly complete a draft revised Capital Law and make a list of projects for investment attraction. Hanoi is completing procedures to establish four to five industrial parks in the city to attract investors in hi-tech, Quyen informed. As of April 20, Vietnam had hosted more than 37,000 valid foreign direct investment (FDI) projects worth nearly $445.9 billion. FDI disbursement had exceeded $279.8 billion, equivalent to nearly 62.8 percent of the total investment. So far this year, the total FDI inflows in Vietnam reached nearly $8.88 billion, of which about $5.85 billion has been disbursed, news site Vietnamplus cited the Ministry of Planning and Investment as saying. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam will offer the most preferential possible incentives to foreign-invested enterprises if the global minimum tax is applied to ensure the benefits of investors and the countrys economic growth, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at a meeting with foreign-invested companies in Hanoi on Saturday. The government chief said Vietnam always attaches importance to the compliance with international law and proactively fulfilling international commitments, including a commitment on the global minimum corporate tax, initiated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The government has required reviewing and enhancing the attraction of foreign investment, PM Chinh noted, adding that Vietnam will offer non-tariff support that does not go against international regulations and commitments and ensure the benefits of relevant parties and fairness among enterprises. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh promises to create favorable conditions for investors to do business in an effective and sustainable manner in Vietnam. Photo: Vietnam Government Portal The support may be related to land, science, and technology study costs, administrative reforms, social housing, human resource training, and infrastructure development. Vietnam will also review and improve its regulations and build a road map to apply the global minimum tax based on lessons from other countries experience and the reality in Vietnam. The government has also proposed the lawmaking National Assembly improve visa policies. Regulations on fire safety, medicines, medical equipment, and energy are being reviewed and amended as well. The prime minister also required intensifying the analysis and assessment of the global market and the forecast of important issues to work out appropriate response plans. Chairman of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Phan Van Mai (L) shakes hands with a Japanese investor. Photo: N.Binh / Tuoi Tre Earlier at the meeting, chairman of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Phan Van Mai said Vietnams preferential tax policies on foreign investment attraction have yet to make breakthroughs while the Southeast Asian country will levy the global minimum tax from next year. The southern metropolis attracted US$4.33 billion in foreign investment with the capital registered for the hi-tech sector accounting for some 65 percent. However, its infrastructure and services have yet to meet the demands of investors and it is facing a shortage of industrial land to lure large projects. The city is focusing on developing traffic infrastructure, logistics, green energy, and international education systems. Chairman Mai suggested the prime minister quickly direct the removal of obstacles to immigration, import-export, and work permit application. Meanwhile, Hanoi is accelerating and improving the quality of planning to remove foreign investors obstacles in land, said vice-chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen. The capital city will quickly complete a draft revised Capital Law and make a list of projects for investment attraction. Hanoi is completing procedures to establish four to five industrial parks in the city to attract investors in hi-tech, Quyen informed. As of April 20, Vietnam had hosted more than 37,000 valid foreign direct investment (FDI) projects worth nearly $445.9 billion. FDI disbursement had exceeded $279.8 billion, equivalent to nearly 62.8 percent of the total investment. So far this year, the total FDI inflows in Vietnam reached nearly $8.88 billion, of which about $5.85 billion has been disbursed, news site Vietnamplus cited the Ministry of Planning and Investment as saying. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! CHICAGO - Wendy Nelson watched her mother slowly die of Alzheimer's disease, unable to move or swallow at the end. "All her pleasures of life were gone," Nelson said. Grief-stricken, terrified of facing the same death, Nelson ordered 23andMe(ME.O) DNA test kits for Christmas 2020 for herself and three adult daughters. A Boston-based biotech executive who is now 52, Nelson hoped the kits would provide reassurance. They delivered the worst possible result. Nelson has two copies of the APOE4 gene variant that increases the risk of Alzheimer's, which means her risk of developing the disease is eight to 12 times higher than people with the most common version of APOE. "It totally backfired," she said. Millions of Americans are expected to test for Alzheimer's in the coming years some like Nelson, with at-home test kits, others at labs, as new drugs for people with early Alzheimer's from partners Eisai Co Ltd (4523.T) and Biogen Inc (BIIB.O) and Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N) usher in sweeping change in approaches to treatment of the disease. Testing for the APOE4 gene variant among Americans being treated for Alzheimer's has more than doubled from a year ago, an exclusive analysis of medical records for Reuters by health data firm Truveta found. The increase was driven by the new treatments that promise to slow the progression of the disease, but also carry risks, especially for people like Nelson carrying two copies of APOE4. Yet few support services are available to help people deal with the implications of APOE4 testing, according to interviews with more than a dozen neurologists and genetic counselors. Alzheimer's patients and caregivers face a shortage of genetic counselors to explain the tests and help them navigate the psychological, medical, financial and legal consequences. Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi, which arrived on the market in January, costs $26,500 a year and is not covered by Medicare outside of clinical trials. Medicare has said it will expand coverage if the drug is granted full U.S. approval, expected this summer. "When you learn that information, you're potentially learning information about your siblings, about your children," said Emily Largent, a bioethicist and health policy expert at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. "People describe feeling existential dread." As a scientist, Nelson understood intellectually what her APOE4 results meant, but they created emotional havoc for her family. She had inherited one copy of APOE4 from her mother and the other from her father, who was showing no symptoms of Alzheimer's at the time. When her father's memory began to fail a year later, one of her two sisters doubted it could be Alzheimer's, Nelson said. Nelson knew he had to have the disease, because of her genetic test results. The tests also showed that each of Nelson's three adult daughters had one copy of APOE4, which triples or quadruples the risk of developing the disease - confronting them with their own Alzheimer's risks along with their mother's. Nelson's daughter, Lindsey, 22, and a fourth year nursing student at New York University, said she was traumatized when, even before testing, Nelson talked about exploring assisted suicide rather than suffer her mothers fate. "I would yell at her, cover my ears and run away," Lindsey said. "There are many complicated emotions involved." Nelson's eldest daughter, Lexi, 24, who works in data analytics, turned to research showing that lifestyle changes such as weight lifting can improve cognitive function. "I've tried really hard to improve my sleep, Im exercising a lot," she said. Her youngest, Pam, 20, a sophomore biology major at UCLA, said she takes comfort in knowing that her mother's result is not a diagnosis. "It's just a risk factor, and there are many other factors that influence what will happen." Leqembi is not suitable for Nelson, who is not symptomatic. Even if she were eligible, she said she is not a fan because of the risk of brain swelling, which is higher for people with two copies of APOE4. Nelson is pinning her hopes on an experimental pill from Alzheon Inc, which is being tested in people with early Alzheimer's who have two copies of APOE4. She is working her way through a bucket list of trips. In February, she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for a cancer charity, and she would like to visit Patagonia, the Greek Islands, South Africa, possibly Antarctica. If treatment fails, she said she has her "exit plan": legal euthanasia through a clinic in Switzerland. "I do not want to live the way my mom had to live her last five years of life. She was miserable," she said. Wendy Nelson does a puzzle at her home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Wendy Nelson's mother died from Alzheimer's disease, her father suffers from it, and genetic tests show that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Wendy Nelson looks at an album of family photographs with her father Richard, who has Alzheimer's disease, at his home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Wendy Nelson's mother and Richard's Webber's wife Pamela, who is on the cover of the photo album, died from Alzheimer's disease, and genetic tests show that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters The testing revolution Until recently, most doctors tended not to order genetic tests to determine Alzheimer's risk, because there were no effective treatments to slow or prevent the disease. That changed with Leqembi, which was shown to reduce the rate of cognitive decline by 27% in patients with mild Alzheimer's. Eli Lilly's donanemab is in clinical trials with results expected by June. Both drugs remove the buildup in the brain of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's, and are viewed as a first step towards even more effective treatments. Both can cause swelling and microbleeds in the brain. US regulators recommend genetic testing before starting treatment with Leqembi. "With this drug, it behooves us to check," said Dr. Sarah Kremen, a neurologist at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. In the four months ahead of U.S. approval of Leqembi in January, APOE4 testing among people over 55 who visited a doctor within the last 30 days increased 125%. From September 2022 to January 2023, the rate averaged 1.4 tests per 100,000 patients, compared with 0.6 tests per 100,000 patients in the same period a year earlier, the analysis by Seattle-based Truveta found. The analysis was based on a review of medical records from 7.9 million adults at 28 major U.S. hospital systems. It does not include at-home consumer tests. The National Institutes of Health estimates up to 25% of people in the United States have one copy of APOE4 and up to 5% have two copies. Yet there is a shortage of genetic counselors to help families deal with the implications of having two copies of APOE4. A 2018 study in the European Journal of Human Genetics found the U.S. had just one trained genetic counselor per 82,000 people. The United Kingdom had 1 per 193,500. Banner Alzheimer's Institute in Phoenix, which is testing Lilly's donanemab, is researching an interactive online platform to deliver APOE results to volunteers being screened for enrollment in the trial. "We needed a scalable way to warn people about the potential benefits and risks of genetic disclosure," said Dr. Eric Reiman, Banner's director. While the U.S. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) bans discrimination in employment and health insurance, it does not cover long-term care and disability and life insurance. Some members of families with increased genetic risk of Alzheimer's say it might be better not to know at all. Dovie Bryant, 77, who is taking part in the Lilly trial, lost her mother to Alzheimer's in 2012. When she shared with her five siblings that she had one copy of the APOE4 variant, none wanted to find out their own status. Her brother Jim Painter, 71, said he feared testing could make it harder to pass a health screening to move into a retirement community that offers increasing levels of care as a person ages. "That might be a red flag," Painter said. Wendy Nelson prepares a calzone to take to her father, who has Alzheimer's disease and lives in his own home, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. After the death of her mother from Alzheimer's disease, Wendy Nelson took a genetic test and found she carries two APOE4 gene variants, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Lexi Nelson looks on as her grandfather Richard, who has Alzheimer's disease, talks to her mother Wendy at his home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Lexi Nelson's grandmother, Wendy Nelson's mother and Richard Webber's wife Pamela died from Alzheimer's disease, and genetic tests show that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Framed family photographs show Wendy Nelson with her sisters and their parents, as well as her three children, in the foyer of her home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Wendy Nelson's mother died from Alzheimer's disease, her father suffers from it, and genetic tests show that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Wendy Nelson holds her cat Piper, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Nelson's mother died from Alzheimer's disease, her father suffers from it, and genetic tests through 23andMe shows that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Wendy Nelson shows Reuters the results of a genetic test she took through 23andMe, which revealed that she carries two APOE4 gene variants, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, at her home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Wendy Nelson's mother died from Alzheimer's disease, her father suffers from it, and genetic tests also show that her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant. Photo: Reuters Wendy Nelson, whose mother died from Alzheimer's disease and father suffers from it, becomes emotional when talking about the potential of also getting the disease and how that would affect how she would want the end of her life to play out, during an interview with Reuters at her home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. A genetic test through 23andMe shows that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Wendy Nelson stands at Uhuru Peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest point on the continent of Africa, during a climb to raise funding for cancer research, a bucket list trip she took after a genetic test showed that she carries two copies of the APOE4 gene variant that significantly increases her risk for Alzheimer's disease, in Tanzania, February 17, 2023. Photo: Reuters CHICAGO - Wendy Nelson watched her mother slowly die of Alzheimer's disease, unable to move or swallow at the end. "All her pleasures of life were gone," Nelson said. Grief-stricken, terrified of facing the same death, Nelson ordered 23andMe(ME.O) DNA test kits for Christmas 2020 for herself and three adult daughters. A Boston-based biotech executive who is now 52, Nelson hoped the kits would provide reassurance. They delivered the worst possible result. Nelson has two copies of the APOE4 gene variant that increases the risk of Alzheimer's, which means her risk of developing the disease is eight to 12 times higher than people with the most common version of APOE. "It totally backfired," she said. Millions of Americans are expected to test for Alzheimer's in the coming years some like Nelson, with at-home test kits, others at labs, as new drugs for people with early Alzheimer's from partners Eisai Co Ltd (4523.T) and Biogen Inc (BIIB.O) and Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N) usher in sweeping change in approaches to treatment of the disease. Testing for the APOE4 gene variant among Americans being treated for Alzheimer's has more than doubled from a year ago, an exclusive analysis of medical records for Reuters by health data firm Truveta found. The increase was driven by the new treatments that promise to slow the progression of the disease, but also carry risks, especially for people like Nelson carrying two copies of APOE4. Yet few support services are available to help people deal with the implications of APOE4 testing, according to interviews with more than a dozen neurologists and genetic counselors. Alzheimer's patients and caregivers face a shortage of genetic counselors to explain the tests and help them navigate the psychological, medical, financial and legal consequences. Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi, which arrived on the market in January, costs $26,500 a year and is not covered by Medicare outside of clinical trials. Medicare has said it will expand coverage if the drug is granted full U.S. approval, expected this summer. "When you learn that information, you're potentially learning information about your siblings, about your children," said Emily Largent, a bioethicist and health policy expert at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. "People describe feeling existential dread." As a scientist, Nelson understood intellectually what her APOE4 results meant, but they created emotional havoc for her family. She had inherited one copy of APOE4 from her mother and the other from her father, who was showing no symptoms of Alzheimer's at the time. When her father's memory began to fail a year later, one of her two sisters doubted it could be Alzheimer's, Nelson said. Nelson knew he had to have the disease, because of her genetic test results. The tests also showed that each of Nelson's three adult daughters had one copy of APOE4, which triples or quadruples the risk of developing the disease - confronting them with their own Alzheimer's risks along with their mother's. Nelson's daughter, Lindsey, 22, and a fourth year nursing student at New York University, said she was traumatized when, even before testing, Nelson talked about exploring assisted suicide rather than suffer her mothers fate. "I would yell at her, cover my ears and run away," Lindsey said. "There are many complicated emotions involved." Nelson's eldest daughter, Lexi, 24, who works in data analytics, turned to research showing that lifestyle changes such as weight lifting can improve cognitive function. "I've tried really hard to improve my sleep, Im exercising a lot," she said. Her youngest, Pam, 20, a sophomore biology major at UCLA, said she takes comfort in knowing that her mother's result is not a diagnosis. "It's just a risk factor, and there are many other factors that influence what will happen." Leqembi is not suitable for Nelson, who is not symptomatic. Even if she were eligible, she said she is not a fan because of the risk of brain swelling, which is higher for people with two copies of APOE4. Nelson is pinning her hopes on an experimental pill from Alzheon Inc, which is being tested in people with early Alzheimer's who have two copies of APOE4. She is working her way through a bucket list of trips. In February, she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for a cancer charity, and she would like to visit Patagonia, the Greek Islands, South Africa, possibly Antarctica. If treatment fails, she said she has her "exit plan": legal euthanasia through a clinic in Switzerland. "I do not want to live the way my mom had to live her last five years of life. She was miserable," she said. Wendy Nelson does a puzzle at her home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Wendy Nelson's mother died from Alzheimer's disease, her father suffers from it, and genetic tests show that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Wendy Nelson looks at an album of family photographs with her father Richard, who has Alzheimer's disease, at his home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Wendy Nelson's mother and Richard's Webber's wife Pamela, who is on the cover of the photo album, died from Alzheimer's disease, and genetic tests show that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters The testing revolution Until recently, most doctors tended not to order genetic tests to determine Alzheimer's risk, because there were no effective treatments to slow or prevent the disease. That changed with Leqembi, which was shown to reduce the rate of cognitive decline by 27% in patients with mild Alzheimer's. Eli Lilly's donanemab is in clinical trials with results expected by June. Both drugs remove the buildup in the brain of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's, and are viewed as a first step towards even more effective treatments. Both can cause swelling and microbleeds in the brain. US regulators recommend genetic testing before starting treatment with Leqembi. "With this drug, it behooves us to check," said Dr. Sarah Kremen, a neurologist at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. In the four months ahead of U.S. approval of Leqembi in January, APOE4 testing among people over 55 who visited a doctor within the last 30 days increased 125%. From September 2022 to January 2023, the rate averaged 1.4 tests per 100,000 patients, compared with 0.6 tests per 100,000 patients in the same period a year earlier, the analysis by Seattle-based Truveta found. The analysis was based on a review of medical records from 7.9 million adults at 28 major U.S. hospital systems. It does not include at-home consumer tests. The National Institutes of Health estimates up to 25% of people in the United States have one copy of APOE4 and up to 5% have two copies. Yet there is a shortage of genetic counselors to help families deal with the implications of having two copies of APOE4. A 2018 study in the European Journal of Human Genetics found the U.S. had just one trained genetic counselor per 82,000 people. The United Kingdom had 1 per 193,500. Banner Alzheimer's Institute in Phoenix, which is testing Lilly's donanemab, is researching an interactive online platform to deliver APOE results to volunteers being screened for enrollment in the trial. "We needed a scalable way to warn people about the potential benefits and risks of genetic disclosure," said Dr. Eric Reiman, Banner's director. While the U.S. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) bans discrimination in employment and health insurance, it does not cover long-term care and disability and life insurance. Some members of families with increased genetic risk of Alzheimer's say it might be better not to know at all. Dovie Bryant, 77, who is taking part in the Lilly trial, lost her mother to Alzheimer's in 2012. When she shared with her five siblings that she had one copy of the APOE4 variant, none wanted to find out their own status. Her brother Jim Painter, 71, said he feared testing could make it harder to pass a health screening to move into a retirement community that offers increasing levels of care as a person ages. "That might be a red flag," Painter said. Wendy Nelson prepares a calzone to take to her father, who has Alzheimer's disease and lives in his own home, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. After the death of her mother from Alzheimer's disease, Wendy Nelson took a genetic test and found she carries two APOE4 gene variants, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Lexi Nelson looks on as her grandfather Richard, who has Alzheimer's disease, talks to her mother Wendy at his home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Lexi Nelson's grandmother, Wendy Nelson's mother and Richard Webber's wife Pamela died from Alzheimer's disease, and genetic tests show that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Framed family photographs show Wendy Nelson with her sisters and their parents, as well as her three children, in the foyer of her home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Wendy Nelson's mother died from Alzheimer's disease, her father suffers from it, and genetic tests show that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Wendy Nelson holds her cat Piper, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Nelson's mother died from Alzheimer's disease, her father suffers from it, and genetic tests through 23andMe shows that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters Wendy Nelson shows Reuters the results of a genetic test she took through 23andMe, which revealed that she carries two APOE4 gene variants, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, at her home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. Wendy Nelson's mother died from Alzheimer's disease, her father suffers from it, and genetic tests also show that her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant. Photo: Reuters Wendy Nelson, whose mother died from Alzheimer's disease and father suffers from it, becomes emotional when talking about the potential of also getting the disease and how that would affect how she would want the end of her life to play out, during an interview with Reuters at her home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S., March 21, 2023. A genetic test through 23andMe shows that Wendy carries two APOE4 gene variants, and her three daughters each carry one APOE4 gene variant, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Photo: Reuters BANGKOK - 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. A man holds up an umbrella as temperatures hit a record 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.7 Fahrenheit) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 21, 2023. Photo: Reuters Motorbike riders are seen through heat haze as temperatures hit a record 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.7 Fahrenheit) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 21, 2023. Photo: Reuters People sit in the shade as temperatures hit a record 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.7 Fahrenheit) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 21, 2023. Photo: Reuters BANGKOK - 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. A man holds up an umbrella as temperatures hit a record 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.7 Fahrenheit) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 21, 2023. Photo: Reuters Motorbike riders are seen through heat haze as temperatures hit a record 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.7 Fahrenheit) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 21, 2023. Photo: Reuters Read what is in the news today in Vietnam: Society -- Authorities in Vietnam's Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have rejected a project to develop two seven-story basement parking garages beneath Cu Hill in Da Lat, a well-known tourist city in the province, Le Quang Trung, director of the provincial Department of Construction, said on Saturday. -- A truck carrying acacia wood overturned in central Quang Ngai Province on Saturday evening, injuring six people, including two pregnant women and three children. -- A woman was seriously injured after she was hit by an uprooted tree in Buon Ma Thuot City of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on Saturday afternoon. -- A car suspected of carrying banned goods plowed ahead, killing a police officer and two residents after being signaled to stop by traffic police officers in southern Long An Province on Friday. Business -- Vietnam will offer the most preferential possible incentives to foreign-invested enterprises if the global minimum tax is applied to ensure the benefits of investors and Vietnams economic growth, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at a meeting with foreign-invested companies in Hanoi on Saturday. Lifestyle -- Vietnamese fashion designer Phuong Ho on Saturday evening introduced a 200-kilogram ao dai (Vietnamese traditional costume) whose back flap is 178 meters long with an aim to set a Guinness Vietnam Record for the longest ao dai in Vietnam. -- Officials and residents in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday planted nearly 600 flowering trees and hung 300 moss-rose pots along a five-kilometer railway section passing through the district. World News -- Two people died and 12 others were injured in a fire at a restaurant in the Spanish capital Madrid, Reuters cited local emergency services on Saturday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the news today in Vietnam: Society -- Authorities in Vietnam's Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have rejected a project to develop two seven-story basement parking garages beneath Cu Hill in Da Lat, a well-known tourist city in the province, Le Quang Trung, director of the provincial Department of Construction, said on Saturday. -- A truck carrying acacia wood overturned in central Quang Ngai Province on Saturday evening, injuring six people, including two pregnant women and three children. -- A woman was seriously injured after she was hit by an uprooted tree in Buon Ma Thuot City of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on Saturday afternoon. -- A car suspected of carrying banned goods plowed ahead, killing a police officer and two residents after being signaled to stop by traffic police officers in southern Long An Province on Friday. Business -- Vietnam will offer the most preferential possible incentives to foreign-invested enterprises if the global minimum tax is applied to ensure the benefits of investors and Vietnams economic growth, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at a meeting with foreign-invested companies in Hanoi on Saturday. Lifestyle -- Vietnamese fashion designer Phuong Ho on Saturday evening introduced a 200-kilogram ao dai (Vietnamese traditional costume) whose back flap is 178 meters long with an aim to set a Guinness Vietnam Record for the longest ao dai in Vietnam. -- Officials and residents in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday planted nearly 600 flowering trees and hung 300 moss-rose pots along a five-kilometer railway section passing through the district. World News -- Two people died and 12 others were injured in a fire at a restaurant in the Spanish capital Madrid, Reuters cited local emergency services on Saturday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese fashion designer Phuong Ho on Saturday evening introduced a 200-kilogram ao dai (Vietnamese traditional costume) whose back flap is 178 meters long with an aim to set a Guinness Vietnam Record for the longest ao dai in Vietnam. The Peoples Committee of Viet Tri City under Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam and Phuonglly Media Co. Ltd. jointly held a fashion performance to set three Guinness Vietnam Records in the framework of the Hung Kings Temple Festival and the Culture and Tourism Week of Ancestral Land 2023, which kicked off on Thursday and will last until next Saturday. The three records are the longest ao dai in Vietnam; the longest catwalk, at over 500 meters; and the highest number of people wearing ao dai at a cultural and artistic event, at nearly 4,000 people. These records will help promote Phu Thos tourism to local and foreign investors. The 178-meter-long back flap is made from 30 pieces of brocade. Photo: Supplied by fashion designer Phuong Ho Phuong Ho said the 178-meter-long Non Song Gam Voc (Beautiful Homeland) ao dai was made from brocade. It was completed within nearly two months. The flap, made from 30 pieces of brocade, features cultural and historic characteristics and landscapes of Vietnam and 3D images of lotus leaves. It is a great challenge for me and my team to complete the ao dai, Phuong Ho said, adding that its back flap had to be divided into pieces for transport by air from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Tho. Phuong Ho later hired sewing machines and employees to sew and iron the flap. The ao dai was brought to the Vang Bridge in Phu Tho for performance by six young men, the designer added. The Non Song Gam Voc ao dai is part of a namesake collection. Miss Sea Island Vietnam 2022 Dinh Nhu Phuong dons ao dai at a performance in Phu Tho, northern Vietnam on April 22, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre Fashion designer Phuong Ho (in green ao dai) and models introduce the Non Song Gam Voc collection. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese fashion designer Phuong Ho on Saturday evening introduced a 200-kilogram ao dai (Vietnamese traditional costume) whose back flap is 178 meters long with an aim to set a Guinness Vietnam Record for the longest ao dai in Vietnam. The Peoples Committee of Viet Tri City under Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam and Phuonglly Media Co. Ltd. jointly held a fashion performance to set three Guinness Vietnam Records in the framework of the Hung Kings Temple Festival and the Culture and Tourism Week of Ancestral Land 2023, which kicked off on Thursday and will last until next Saturday. The three records are the longest ao dai in Vietnam; the longest catwalk, at over 500 meters; and the highest number of people wearing ao dai at a cultural and artistic event, at nearly 4,000 people. These records will help promote Phu Thos tourism to local and foreign investors. The 178-meter-long back flap is made from 30 pieces of brocade. Photo: Supplied by fashion designer Phuong Ho Phuong Ho said the 178-meter-long Non Song Gam Voc (Beautiful Homeland) ao dai was made from brocade. It was completed within nearly two months. The flap, made from 30 pieces of brocade, features cultural and historic characteristics and landscapes of Vietnam and 3D images of lotus leaves. It is a great challenge for me and my team to complete the ao dai, Phuong Ho said, adding that its back flap had to be divided into pieces for transport by air from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Tho. Phuong Ho later hired sewing machines and employees to sew and iron the flap. The ao dai was brought to the Vang Bridge in Phu Tho for performance by six young men, the designer added. The Non Song Gam Voc ao dai is part of a namesake collection. Miss Sea Island Vietnam 2022 Dinh Nhu Phuong dons ao dai at a performance in Phu Tho, northern Vietnam on April 22, 2023. Photo: Tuoi Tre Fashion designer Phuong Ho (in green ao dai) and models introduce the Non Song Gam Voc collection. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The century-old building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City were photographed in close-up featuring the beauty of its interior and reflecting its history, development, architectural highlights, and artistic design. The 114-year-old City Hall, located at 86 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1, is scheduled to open its doors to visitors for the first time during the upcoming public holiday celebrating Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers Day (May 1). Workers in Vietnam are allowed to take five days off, from April 29 to May 3, to observe the occasions. The office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City was built in 1898 and completed in 1909. Photo: Archived The office building, one of the citys classic architectural structures, was built in 1898 and completed in 1909. In November 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism recognized it as a national architectural relic site, which was designed by a French architect. During the French colonial time, the building was called Dinh Xa Tay. Before 1975, the year when Vietnam was reunified, it was named Saigon City Hall, where city government officials worked and held meetings. Since April 30, 1975, the building has become the workplace of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee and the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Council. The building faces Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street and overlooks the Saigon River. The main gate of the building comprising five small domed steel gates is situated in the middle of the building. Besides, the facade of the building has a side gate for cars. The facade and the interior of the building have been well preserved with intact architectural values, flag banners, window frames, decorative poles, and elegantly carved walls. The building features both spacious meeting rooms and small rooms that are used as a workplace or for meetings of fewer than 20 attendees. Behind the building is a line of official houses, creating the beauty of ancient architecture. Notably, the statues of women with bare breasts placed near the staircase in the main hall represent youthfulness and strength. Below are the eye-popping photos of the office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. The office building of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee and Peoples Council. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre The office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City welcomed the first group of tourists on April 22, 2023. A photo shows tourists taking a look at a relief painting while climbing the staircase leading to the first floor of the building. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre The main gate of the office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City is formed by five small domed gates. The main gate is photographed from the inside of the building. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre The main gate of the office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City is formed by five small domed gates. The main gate is pictured from the outside of the building. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre A corner of the first floor of the office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre A photo shows the corridor of the building overlooking Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street at night. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The corridor of the first floor overlooks Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The national architectural relic shimmers at night. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The main staircase on the ground floor. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The roof flagpole of the office building of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Part of the elegantly carved frontal wall of the office building of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The century-old building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City were photographed in close-up featuring the beauty of its interior and reflecting its history, development, architectural highlights, and artistic design. The 114-year-old City Hall, located at 86 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1, is scheduled to open its doors to visitors for the first time during the upcoming public holiday celebrating Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers Day (May 1). Workers in Vietnam are allowed to take five days off, from April 29 to May 3, to observe the occasions. The office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City was built in 1898 and completed in 1909. Photo: Archived The office building, one of the citys classic architectural structures, was built in 1898 and completed in 1909. In November 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism recognized it as a national architectural relic site, which was designed by a French architect. During the French colonial time, the building was called Dinh Xa Tay. Before 1975, the year when Vietnam was reunified, it was named Saigon City Hall, where city government officials worked and held meetings. Since April 30, 1975, the building has become the workplace of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee and the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Council. The building faces Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street and overlooks the Saigon River. The main gate of the building comprising five small domed steel gates is situated in the middle of the building. Besides, the facade of the building has a side gate for cars. The facade and the interior of the building have been well preserved with intact architectural values, flag banners, window frames, decorative poles, and elegantly carved walls. The building features both spacious meeting rooms and small rooms that are used as a workplace or for meetings of fewer than 20 attendees. Behind the building is a line of official houses, creating the beauty of ancient architecture. Notably, the statues of women with bare breasts placed near the staircase in the main hall represent youthfulness and strength. Below are the eye-popping photos of the office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. The office building of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee and Peoples Council. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre The office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City welcomed the first group of tourists on April 22, 2023. A photo shows tourists taking a look at a relief painting while climbing the staircase leading to the first floor of the building. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre The main gate of the office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City is formed by five small domed gates. The main gate is photographed from the inside of the building. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre The main gate of the office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City is formed by five small domed gates. The main gate is pictured from the outside of the building. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre A corner of the first floor of the office building of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre A photo shows the corridor of the building overlooking Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street at night. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The corridor of the first floor overlooks Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The national architectural relic shimmers at night. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The main staircase on the ground floor. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre The roof flagpole of the office building of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Part of the elegantly carved frontal wall of the office building of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Xi stresses solid efforts to write a new chapter in reform and opening up Xinhua) 08:06, April 23, 2023 BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chairman of the Central Military Commission and director of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, delivered an important speech while presiding over the first meeting of the commission under the 20th CPC Central Committee on Friday afternoon. Xi stressed that this year is the first year for the implementation of 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. To achieve the goals and targets on the new journey of the new era, we need to harness comprehensively deepening reform as the key source of momentum in our endeavor to advance Chinese modernization and the key focus of our efforts to secure overall stability, cope with changes, and open up new vistas. Steering toward the right direction, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and with solid efforts, we will write a new chapter in China's reform and opening up on the new journey. Li Qiang, Wang Huning and Cai Qi, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy directors of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, attended the meeting. Seven documents were examined and approved at the meeting. They were Opinions on Reinforcing the Principal Role of Enterprises in Innovation, Opinions on Strengthening and Improving the Management of the State-Owned Sector to Support Chinese Modernization, Opinions on Promoting the Development of Private Economy, Work Regulations for the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, Work Regulations for the Specialized Groups of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, Detailed Regulations for the Office of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, and Work Plan for the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform in 2023. It was pointed out at the meeting that strengthening the principal role of enterprises in innovation is a major move taken to deepen the reform of scientific and technological system, and to realize higher level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology. It is important to apply systems thinking, focus on "for whom we should innovate, who should innovate, what and how we should innovate." Institution building should be the pivot to make holistic arrangements for decision-making on technological innovation, R&D investment, organizing scientific research, and the industrial application of scientific and technological advances. Systematic arrangements should be made for the distribution of such key resources for innovation as policies, fund, projects, platforms and professional personnel. Innovations in terms of science and technology, industries, and institutions and mechanisms should be promoted in a coordinated way, so as to promote the establishment of an innovation system with enterprises playing a principal role and closer collaboration between industries, universities, and research institutes. Meeting the major needs of the country's strategic and industrial development should be the focus in order to beef up support for enterprises in innovation, actively encourage and effectively guide private enterprises to participate in major national innovations, and promote enterprises to play their role in making innovations in core technologies in key fields and achieving breakthroughs in major original technologies. It was stressed at the meeting that the missions the state-owned economy shoulders and its functions as well as its role on the new journey of the new era should be the pivot for strengthening and improving the management of this sector. Strategic importance must be attached to forging a new development pattern, advancing high-quality development, promoting common prosperity and safeguarding national security when efforts are made to optimize the sector's safety responsibilities, quality, structure, property and management of enterprises. Efforts should be made to deepen reform of state-owned enterprises, and focus on addressing inadequacies, strengthening weak areas, consolidating fundamentals and giving full play to strengths, so as to build a management system of the state-owned sector that has top-level coordination, clear rights and responsibilities, efficient operation and powerful supervision. It was noted at the meeting that supporting the development of the private sector is a long-term principle of the CPC Central Committee. To support the growth and expansion of the private sector, work must be done to improve the environment for its development, remove the institutional obstacles that prevent private enterprises from fairly participating in market competition, and guide them to accurately identify their role in the process of high-quality development, so that private enterprises will be able to constantly improve the quality of their development by reforming themselves, complying with law and regulations and upgrading themselves. We should fully consider the characteristics of the private economy, improve the way policies are implemented and coordinated to provide private enterprises with precise and direct access to preferential policies and thereby effectively solve the practical difficulties of enterprises. We should put into practice the building of a cordial and clean relationship between government and business to guide and promote the healthy growth of personages in the private sector. It was emphasized at the meeting that since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have deepened the reform in an all-round way with great political courage, adhered to our goals as guide, highlighted problem-oriented approach, dared to break into uncharted waters, tackle tough issues, wade through dangerous rapids and face new issues and challenges, resolutely eliminated the drawbacks of various institutional mechanisms, and opened up a new situation with unprecedented strength. In the first 10 years of the new era, the reform we have promoted is comprehensive, in-depth and fundamental, and the achievements we have made are historic, revolutionary and pioneering. There is no country or political party in the whole world that has the political courage and historical responsibility to carry out such a bold and inward-looking self-reform. There is either no country or political party that can promote reform in such a wide range of areas, at such a large scale, with such a powerful strength and in such a short period of time. This is a distinctive feature and significant advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. To continue comprehensively deepening reform on the new journey, we must uphold and strengthen Party leadership, find the right path, clarify goals and tasks, and implement to the letter each task with scientific planning and the courage to innovate. We must overcome difficulties in major reform tasks, coordinate the overall situation while grasping the key points, plan and promote reform with a focus on the major issues of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. We must also make good use of the favorable conditions created by institutional reform, and strive to break through some difficulties in removing institutional obstacles in all areas and adjusting the distribution of interests. We should strengthen investigation into and research on reform, make more visits to regions and departments where issues and problems accumulate, go down to the grassroots and keep close contact with the people, so as to learn about and analyze real problems. In-depth study should be conducted on specific problems, while taking into consideration all aspects of work. We should use our brain and make more efforts as far as the scheme of things and overall situation are concerned. It is necessary to intensify reform and focus on implementation, to foster a more targeted and effective mechanism, under which higher and lower level institutions are well coordinated, vertical and horizontal management soundly integrated. Greater efforts should be made in supervision over reform to make sure that reform measures are implemented to the letter. All departments must be motivated and the incentive mechanisms on reform and innovation must be perfected. Advanced experience on reform should be shared and promoted, public opinions should be well guided and timely responses should be made to concerns of all parties. Members of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform were present, and so were leading officials in charge of relevant central Party and government departments. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Du Mingming) WINDHOEK, April 23 (Xinhua) -- To arouse readers' interest in indigenous language books in Namibia is a pursuit for local author Wilbard Lazarus. "Our stories and experiences are unique and deserve to be shared with the world," Lazarus told Xinhua on Sunday as the world observes World Book and Copyright Day under the theme of "Indigenous Languages." His book "Luhwango lwaAmatoye", which was published in 2022, explored traditional beliefs, myths, history, and cultural practices. Lazarus wrote the book in a local language, spoken by about 48 percent of households in Namibia, to inspire confidence in linguistic diversity and national pride, against the backdrop of the shortage of published literature in local languages. "Our languages and cultural practices are a significant part of our identity, and thus strive to keep them alive," he said, adding that his aim is to create a deeper understanding of local culture and promote cultural preservation. Lazarus wrote the book in 2017 after completing secondary school, and it got published last May due to a lack of funds. "Another challenge is finding publishers willing to take on my work. Marketing and distribution can be difficult, especially for indigenous language books," he said. "I want to write more books to promote cultural preservation. I also hope to mentor and support other local authors passionate about writing," said Lazarus, noting that he wants to groom talent and spur reading habits in Namibia. Writing has been a spiritual journey for Lazarus. "Writing and publishing a book has been a fulfilling experience for me, and it has also allowed me to connect with other like-minded individuals passionate about preserving culture," he said. Lazarus is one of the Namibian authors to promote local literature in the southern African nation. Otto Kapuka has written three English books since 2017 centered on personal development to motivate locals to reach their full potential. "I'm busy with my 4th English book, which I envision publishing this year," said Kapuka, who also has the idea to have all his four books translated into indigenous languages. Accused was a 2010 British anthology series conceived by acclaimed writer Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, Redfern Now, The Street) in which names such as Christopher Eccleston, Benjamin Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Andy Serkis, Sean Bean portrayed individuals on trial -with the audience left to conclude if their characters were guilty or not. Now a US is put into the hands of formidable producer Howard Gordon (24, Homeland) who has assembled a similarly impressive cast. Commercial TV doesnt offer up much in the way of anthology drama, which is a shame because the audience can really witness some acting chops. The genre tends to attract names who are drawn to material that allows them less commitment than a series. Its the attribute that stands out for me most with Accused. Michael Chiklis (The Shield, The Commish, Fantastic Four) stars in the opening episode Scotts Story as a neurosurgeon who becomes concerned that his teenage son Devin (Oakes Fegley) is so rebellious and reclusive that he could be violent. Is Devin really bad? Well, he is dropping rocks from the freeway so theres not much grey area there. When Scott discovers a journal detailing Devins plans for his local school, alarm bells ring. But how to address this crisis when his son wont talk to him or follow parental rules? Wife (Jill Hennessy), who appears combative and protective, is equally horrified by Scotts discovery. Part of the plotting of Accuseds storytelling is not to initially outline quite how the defendant came to be charged, or indeed what they are charged with. The bulk of the episode is in flashback, dramatising how the Accused arrived at their circumstance in other words, its not really a courtroom drama. In Scotts Story there is empathy for a father torn betwen protecting his son and protecting the community, and in trying to avert a tragedy. That Scott ends up on trial is a red flag that not everything went to plan, but I will avoid further spoiling. Chiklis is the reason to watch this first episode, always underplaying his characters with considerable gravitas. This is despite some fairly ludicrous scenes loaded for American audiences. Episode two is more even in which deaf actress Lauren Ridloff plays a surrogate for a hearing couple (Megan Boone / Aaron Ashmore), but is distraught when she learns of their plans when the baby is also found to be deaf. The premise is also a better example of a moral dilemma for the lead character, which helps lean into the division of guilt or innocence for the audience. This episode is directed by Marlee Maitlin meaning the material is handled with considerable care. Further episodes will feature Whitney Cummings, Jack Davenport, Margo Martindale, Rhea Perlman, Abigail Breslin, Wendell Pierce and Aussie Aisha Dee, amongst others. Directors will include Billy Porter, Michael Chiklis, Jonathan Mostow, Tazbah Rose Chavez and Aussie Michael Offer. Accused may not have quite the same subtlety as that which we view from British television, but there are still treats to be found. Accused screens 9pm Tuesdays on Seven. 21 bodies found in investigation of cult whose followers starved themselves to death to 'meet Jesus' Kenya police officers stand guard as the bodies of suspected members of a Christian cult named as Good News International Church are exhumed in Shakahola forest in Kenya, April 22, 2023. Stringer/Reuters A church leader in Kenya is accused of encouraging followers to starve themselves to "meet Jesus." Twenty-one bodies, including children, have been exhumed in the Shakahola forest. Leader Paul Mackenzie Nthenge was arrested amid investigations into the deaths of followers. Kenyan authorities have exhumed 21 bodies as part of an investigation into a cult whose followers are believed to have starved themselves to death. At least three dead children were among those found in graves in Shakahola forest in the coastal town of Malindi, Agence France-Presse reported. A police source told AFP that 21 bodies have been found as of Friday, and said more were expected to be found. "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 said. The group's leader Paul Mackenzie Nthenge was arrested on April 15 amid investigations into the death of four followers who died of starvation. The pastor, who is the leader of the Good News International Church, is believed to have told followers to starve themselves in order to die and "meet Jesus," AFP reported. State broadcaster KBC has described Nthenge as a "cult leader." He claims that he closed the church in 2019 and that the allegations against him are false, per The Standard. A day before Nthenge's arrest, police raided the Shakahola forest to rescue 15 members of the church who were in the process of starving themselves, the Kenyan paper The Standard reported. Four died before reaching the hospital, and the remaining emaciated survivors were taken to hospital in critical condition. ''The ignorant citizens are starving to death in pretext to meet Jesus after being brainwashed by a suspect, one Paul Makenzie Nthenge, a pastor of Good News International Church'," the police report said, according to The Standard. Fifty-eight graves have so far been found in the forest, the BBC reported, with one grave containing the bodies of three children and parents from the same family. Pathologists will conduct tests on the exhumed bodies to determine if they died of starvation, The Standard reported. Read the original article on Insider Ashley Smith managing director of GaraDry (Image: GaraDry) A university graduate is celebrating after his company, which he started in a shed with 1,000 of inheritance, has scooped a prestigious international business award from King Charles III. His Majesty the King approved the Prime Ministers recommendation that Lancashire-based GaraDry should receive the Kings Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category this year. Ashley Smith, 43, who founded the company in 2009, has received an invitation from His Majesty the King to visit Buckingham Palace later this year to celebrate his companys achievement. Ashley said: Im delighted and humbled for our company to receive this accolade. It means the world to our team and receiving this acknowledgement from the King only encourages us even further to grow our business and continue designing innovative products manufactured in Great Britain. The fact I started the business with a 1,000 inheritance from my uncle proves that a large amount of funding is not always needed to start a business and to be successful. Drive and determination are often equally, if not more important. I hope this encourages other entrepreneurs to aim high even if they might only have limited resources to start with. I started the business from my mothers home and used the shed and garage as my stockroom and my bedroom as my office. Im thankful to my mum for supporting me during that early phase. Were all truly humbled by this award and hope it can inspire other people to pursue their business dreams. Based in Ormskirk, GaraDry designs, manufactures, and sells the worlds largest range of threshold seals for residential garage doors and commercial doors. The 43-year-old, who has a degree in Industrial Design from the University of Central Lancashire, launched his first online business in 2005 selling garage door spare parts which still trades today. GaraDry opened a subsidiary in the USA in 2017 to handle strong interest from Americans in the products and launched a fulfilment centre in Tennessee to ship transatlantic orders quickly. Story continues A warehouse was also set up in Germany in 2022 to fulfil all EU orders and smooth the challenges of Brexit. Staff loyalty and family values are key to the growth of the business. Christopher Davies, the companys first member of staff is now the general manager and has been with the company for 13 years. Ashleys wife, Helen joined the company in 2011 and is currently the company secretary. The newly renamed Kings Award for Enterprise celebrates outstanding achievements by UK businesses and is internationally recognised. The 2023 awardees were officially announced on Friday, marking Queen Elizabeth IIs birthday. Rishi Sunak has hailed the brave efforts of the UKs armed forces after they swooped into Sudan to help British diplomats and their families to escape fighting. The Prime Minister said the British military had undertaken a difficult operation to evacuate UK officials from Sudan following fears embassy staff could be targeted. Hundreds have died in a bloody conflict between the Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Mr Sunak tweeted: UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the US, France & other allies. They have evacuated British Embassy staff & their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats. Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP (@BWallaceMP) April 23, 2023 I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation. It comes after a UK Government source had announced on Saturday that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence would be delivering a diplomatic evacuation plan as soon as feasible. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace revealed the operation to remove British Embassy staff from Sudan involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF). This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the United States; France and other allies, Mr Wallace said in a written statement. They have evacuated British Embassy staff and their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats against diplomats. The operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade; the Royal Marines and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners. Story continues The Sudanese army had on Saturday said Britain was one of a number of nations, including the US and China, that it would be assisting to help remove its officials from the dangerous conditions in the country. Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan had been complicated by the fact most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven perilous. The UK Government has stated that a more large-scale evacuation could prove a challenge, with Britain lacking the military footprint it had in Afghanistan which saw thousands airlifted out of Kabul during Operation Pitting in 2021. Mr Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would continue to act as a broker for a peace deal in Sudan. Mr Cleverly said a temporary lull in the nine days of fighting had given Britains armed forces a window of opportunity to strike. He defended prioritising an evacuation for what is thought to have been a small number of diplomats, arguing it would allow the UK Government to strengthen efforts to assist British nationals trapped in Sudan. The Foreign Secretary told broadcasters: The diplomats that were working in the British Embassy in Khartoum have been unable to discharge their functions because of the violence in that city. So, to fulfil our duty to protect them as their employer, we are relocating them to other embassies in the region. In order to continue to protect British nationals, we will of course be enhancing our teams in the region. This is following the pattern we have seen of our international friends and colleagues. Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, on Saturday (AP) We will continue on our diplomatic effort to bring this conflict to a swift conclusion because until that happens, we are severely limited in our ability to provide assistance to British nationals. The Prime Minister said his administration was pursuing every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining there. I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones, Mr Sunak added. Before the evacuation was announced, Labours shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth had said it was a legitimate question as to why the UK Government had not acted like others in removing staff and citizens from the country. He also called for Parliament to be updated this week on the state of play in Sudan. The US had at the time of Mr Ashworths interview with Sky News already announced a successful airlift mission to assist about 70 embassy staff into Ethiopia. France, Greece, the Netherlands and Italy are putting aircraft in place to carry out similar operations. In a joint statement, Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow defence secretary John Healey said Britains armed forces acted with bravery and professionalism. The pair called on ministers to set out their plans for providing assistance to Britons still in Sudan. They said: Many British nationals remain stuck in Sudan and we are deeply concerned about their welfare. We need to know about Government plans to help them and the steps the UK is taking to support an immediate ceasefire. LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday the country's armed forces evacuated diplomatic staff and their family members from Sudan. Sunak paid tribute to what he called a "complex and rapid" evacuation after he said there had been a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. But British nationals living in Sudan were not rescued. "I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation," Sunak said on Twitter. "We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country." Britain's defence minister, Ben Wallace, said British troops undertook the rescue operation alongside the United States, France, and other unnamed allies. The eruption of fighting in Sudan eight days ago between the army and Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group has killed hundreds of civilians and trapped many thousands in their homes. Wallace said more than 1,200 military personnel were involved in organising and carrying out the rescue operation. The foreign minister James Cleverly said a top priority remained the safety of British nationals. He advised British citizens in the country to shelter indoors and to tell the foreign ministry where they are staying. A British citizen named as William told Sky News he had not heard anything from the foreign ministry and wanted to know that a plane had been prepared to take them out. He said it was not feasible for British citizens to get past the checkpoints in the country and drive hundreds of miles to reach the Sudan border. (Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Alex Richardson) MANILA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines has awarded 63 offshore wind contracts with a total potential capacity of 49.928 gigawatts, which is enough to supply the country's future electricity demand, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Sunday. Launched last year, the Philippines Offshore Wind Roadmap showcases the country's potential offshore wind resources, estimated at 178 gigawatts. Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos signed an executive order on Wednesday to accelerate the development of the country's offshore wind resources to meet the country's target of 35 percent and 50 percent renewable energy contribution to the energy generation mix by 2030 and 2040, respectively. The DOE said the move will hasten the rollout of offshore wind projects in the country by mandating a policy and administrative framework for the optimal development of offshore wind resources. "With heightened investor interest in energy projects, especially in renewable energy, it is crucial to have a clear framework that would speed up offshore wind development and approvals of necessary permits," Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said. Lotilla added that the DOE will work with the concerned government agencies, local government units, and the transmission concessionaire to implement Marcos' directive. HCM CITY The Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association and Tap Chi Van Nghe Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh (HCM City Literature & Arts ) magazine have launched a poetry contest for professional and amateur authors. The 2023 Poetry Writing Contest to celebrate National Reunification Day on April 30 and May Day seeks works by Vietnamese writers of all ages in the country and overseas with themes about life, love and people. Traditional culture and lifestyle, and natural heritage values are also featured. Women and children living in remote areas are encouraged to submit works. It aims to find and support new and talented writers, and bring writers and publishers together to offer new, quality works to readers. Famous poets Ho Thi Ca and Tran Huu Dung are invited to be part of the jury. A staff of well-known authors will guide the contests participants, if they want, before they submit their work. One first prize of VN15 million (US$600), two second and three third prizes worth a total of VN70 million (US$3,000) in cash will be presented. Our contest will give Vietnamese writers from around the world a chance to introduce their works and develop their careers, said author Bui Anh Tan, deputy-in-chief of Tap Chi Van Nghe Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh, head of the contests organising board. Tans magazine has discovered and supported many writers, particularly amateur and young poets, to become popular among readers. Participants in the 2023 Poetry Writing Contest must submit their work to the organising board at 81 Tran Quoc Thao Street, District 1 in HCM City or via email tapchivannghetphcm@gmail.com. Entries should be sent by January 29, 2024. The best works will be published in Tap Chi Van Nghe Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh Van Nghe every month before the prize presentation ceremony scheduled in April, 2024. VNS HA NOI National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue on Saturday visited Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city of Cuba and the most important base of the Cuban revolution, as part of his official visit to Cuba. In the city, the Vietnamese NA leader received Secretary of the Party Committee of Santiago de Cuba province Jose Ramon Monteagudo Ruiz and the provinces Governor Beatriz Jhonson Urrutia. During the meeting, Hue highlighted that his visit to Cuba takes place when Viet Nam and Cuba are celebrating several major anniversaries, including the 50th year since Cuban leader Fidel Castro Ruz visited the liberated southern Viet Nam and Quang Tri Province, which demonstrates that Viet Nam always bears in mind the special solidarity and support that Cuba gave Viet Nam during the hardest time. He shared the outcomes of his visit with leaders of Santiago de Cuba, and affirmed that the Vietnamese parliament and government will create the most favourable conditions possible for localities of the two countries to learn from each other and share experience in fields that they have strength in and need to develop, such as health care, education, tourism, service, food production and renewable energy. Warmly welcoming Chairman Hue and the Vietnamese NA delegation to the province, local officials said their visit has brought warm feelings and exemplary faith despite any changes in the world situation. They introduced local history, culture, potential and strengths to the Vietnamese guests, and voiced their hope that more Vietnamese firms will come to Santiago de Cuba to explore investment and business opportunities. VNS As we celebrate Earth Day worldwide, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam, Ramla Khalidi, shares a few reflections and recommendations regarding womens roles in climate action and policies. Viet Nam is committed to pursuing gender equality and climate action as the country's highest agenda and is an active member of all international agreements to promote these interconnected goals. Without making substantive progress in gender goals and rigorously mainstreaming gender-sensitive climate actions at all fronts, Viet Nam will not be able to achieve its climate ambitions, meaning that many women and girls will be left behind with an unjust future. How is gender equality practically translated into climate policies and practices in Viet Nam? Our recent report, "Mainstreaming Gender into the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process," explored this question in five key sectors: natural resources and the environment, agriculture, health, planning and investment, and transport. The report examines climate and gender governance structures, investigates the factors that drive gender inequalities and womens vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, and analyses the status of mainstreaming gender into sectoral policies. Results show that several gaps exist in practice. Firstly, womens political participation in climate decision-making remains lower than mens. There are no women directors of provincial quotas in Departments of Natural Resources and Environment (DONREs) or Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARDs) in any of the 63 provinces and centrally managed cities of Viet Nam. Viet Nam sets a target of 35 per cent women leaders in elected bodies and 30 per cent women leaders of enterprises and cooperatives by 2030 to accelerate gender progress and break the gender glass ceiling for womens leadership. According to an upcoming UNDP report there are inadequate incentives and momentum to advance such changes in state institutions. We need to work closer with the Ministry of Labours Invalid and Social Affairs (MOLISA) SA, Viet Nam Womens Union, and women-led CSOs to ensure gender-sensitive policies and a nuanced understanding of the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change within the most vulnerable subsectors. It is time for Viet Nam to elevate gender-sensitive measures in such subsectors climate action plans. It is key not only to build the resilience of societies and ecosystems against climate extremes, but also to boost womens leadership in a meaningful transition toward a net-zero and resilient future by 2050. Secondly, the limited data availability poses considerable challenges for policymakers since it might prevent them from grasping women's specific vulnerabilities and exposure. When developing a new infrastructure project, such as a hospital, or a road, its still rare to conduct gender analysis and gendered risk and vulnerability assessments, meaning that womens specific needs are not systematically considered. To tackle this, Viet Nam could strengthen its setting of gender indicators and targets in key climate-vulnerable sectors and rigorously monitor them. Quantified gender-disaggregated finance for climate actions is essential in such a monitoring system. Technical guidelines for implementing infrastructure projects (as they represent a considerable share of climate expenditures) are also needed. Thirdly, climate finance, with gender equality as a key objective explicitly addressing womens needs, remains scarce; hence there is a need to build the capacity of grassroots womens organisations and increase their access to climate finance. Here, we believe that allocating dedicated finance and policy incentive schemes to support womens innovation and action on climate change will enable local communities to transform faster toward resilient and sustainable paths. Womens Unions at local levels and NGOs are helping women daily to strengthen their resilience to climate impacts via training and financial and educational opportunities. In the second episode of the podcast, an ethnic Cham farmer Chau Thi Xeo shared how she created her Chau-Re General Agricultural Service Cooperative and enrolled 37 households who are now cultivating asparagus in sandy soil, bolstering incomes and livelihoods. As Viet Nam is embarking on the Just Energy Transition Partnership, the country has the opportunity to demonstrate what a just transition would mean in practice in the regions where coal will be phased out in favour of renewable energy in the next few years. UNDP commits to establishing a process to protect the most affected and marginalised communities (including women, women-led households, and young girls) and to trigger support for economic empowerment and reskilling opportunities through such a transition process. Gender inequality is not a womens problem; rather, it is a social concern where all members of society should collectively address bias and cultural norms and create equal opportunities for everyone to embrace their full potential and life choices. In the words of Loan, one of the forest keepers, women can achieve anything. Here in the forest, it makes no difference if you are a man or a woman. Inclusive climate action holds the potential to not only empower women and promote gender equality, but also to contribute more efficiently to the sustainable management of natural resources. UNDP is committed to working with all partners in Viet Nam to enable inclusive climate action, where all members of society are able to contribute meaningfully to preserving and nurturing healthy ecosystems upon which resilient societies can thrive today and in the future. UNDP Chef Pham Thi Anh Tuyet is a culinary 'ambassador' dedicated to bringing Vietnamese cuisine to the world. She cooked for 21 heads of state at APEC summit in 2017 in a Nang. Phuong Thao talks with her about Vietnamese food and Michelin's plans for Ha Noi and HCM City to be added as destinations in the Michelin Guide, a collection of the world's most prestigious culinary addresses. Inner Sanctum: Where do you think Vietnamese cuisine is on the world culinary map? Vietnamese cuisine has many opportunities, but we do not know how to seize them to promote and build a brand. Many countries in the world have done very well in the marketing of their food. For example, South Korea has kimchi, a vegetable dish, but they have raised it to a brand name. As for Vietnamese cuisine, there is no clear promotion and development strategy. We have pho and spring rolls that are also renowned, but not so prominent that they are remembered everywhere. Inner Sanctum: Many people believe that traditional Vietnamese dishes are hard to internationalize. What do you think? The first time I brought Vietnamese food to the world, I didn't need to change anything, and just brought the traditional flavours of Viet Nam. Viet Nam has a rich culture to have those dishes. Experienced chefs have the cooking know-how for even simple dishes to achieve greatness. When I made the menu for APEC leaders, people also asked me why I didn't put high-quality luxury ingredients in, such as lobster. But I thought that the heads of state had often tasted delicacies before, so they would prefer simple Vietnamese dishes. That's the chef's talent. Haute cuisine actually starts with ordinary dishes. Inner Sanctum: The Michelin Guide has officially come to Viet Nam. Do you think Vietnamese cuisine can get a Michelin star? I think Vietnamese cuisine deserved a Michelin star a long time ago, but it hasn't had the chance yet. Many restaurants in Viet Nam have great traditional dishes, keeping the soul of the dish, with a taste that is very light, gentle but impressive. This is the pinnacle of our cuisine. The appearance of the Michelin Guide in Viet Nam, is a great opportunity for Vietnamese cuisine to be upgraded to a worthy position. Inner Sanctum: Michelin often focuses on haute cuisine with many criteria. Is Viet Nam prepared to pass the Michelin test? I attended the recent ceremony to announce the Michelin Guide coming to Viet Nam. The first criterion to get a Michelin star is the quality of the cuisine, then other criteria such as the decoration and service. You don't have to sit on gilded tables and chairs to get a Michelin star. It must be harmonious. Inner Sanctum: Sun Group, currently selected as a destination partner of Michelin, has done a lot to promote Vietnamese cuisine. How do you evaluate the participation of such businesses in promoting Vietnamese food today? I have had many opportunities to guide and advise on cuisine for tourism products in many large corporations, and I think that it is businesses that have created the opportunity to promote Vietnamese cuisine most effectively to foreign guests. Normally, artisans like us, we only have a few opportunities to introduce dishes to international guests in a year. Thus, it takes a long time to spread the essence of Vietnamese cuisine to the world. But an event organised by a business, through just one meal, can promote Vietnamese cuisine to more than 30 countries. Inner Sanctum: Currently, many tourism businesses focus on improving quality and putting Vietnamese dishes into luxury hotels. What does this mean for Vietnamese cuisine? Many businesses are interested in the sophistication of cuisine. The leaders of Sun Group continually try to raise Vietnamese cuisine to a new level, but the dishes must be truly traditional. In hotels, foreign guests choose to eat at the buffet the most, so the idea of creating a Vietnamese Kitchen Corner by Sun Group is an excellent opportunity to bring Vietnamese cuisine to more international guests. Inner Sanctum: Do you expect the Michelin Guide visiting Viet Nam to signal a leap forward for Vietnamese cuisine? I hope the Michelin Guide event in Viet Nam will create a new turning point for Vietnamese cuisine. I think Vietnamese cuisine getting a Michelin star is not difficult. Obviously, fine dining is one of the most effective factors attracting tourists to return. VNS by MY DUYEN A twin-pilgrimage to pray for good luck and sample local culinary specialties leads to a discovery - Sau Hiep BBQ Restaurant in An Giang Province and its specialty - nem nuong or charcoal-grilled pork balls. It had been two decades since Id last visited the Chau oc Town in An Giang. It was high time to seek the blessings of good luck again from the Temple of Ba Chua Xu (the Lady of the Realm) But there was another motivating factor as we took the six-hour drive from HCM City to the border province: the sampling of culinary specialties. Good food enriches every undertaking, including the seeking of spiritual succour. Let me say it at the outset: my twins and I were especially impressed with some BBQ fare and snakehead fish noodle soup, cooked in typical Chau oc style, that we had at a local restaurant. It was only fitting that our culinary discovery was prompted by a local - the driver of a xe ap loi (a rickshaw pulled by a bicycle), a typical popular means of transport in the Mekong Delta. He not only took us to the temple, about 5.5km from the Chau oc central market, but also convinced my family to eat at Sau Hiep BBQ. After guiding us to the restaurant, the kind man said he would wait for us until we finished our meal. He wanted our feedback on his strong recommendation. Its not very far from the market, it is on the way to the temple and you should not miss it, he emphasised, adding for good measure: Many visitors crazy about its food return to Sau Hiep every time they visit Chau oc. We found some collaboration of his recommendation as we approached the restaurant. It was crowded with diners and enticing, savoury smell rose from the kitchen. The Sau Hiep Restaurant is simply built. A metal roof with stainless steel tables and plastic chairs indicate the focus on utility and easy maintenance rather than ambience aesthetics. It clearly lets its food do the talking. My family being partial to BBQ dishes, the smell from meat being grilled on charcoal only whetted our appetite. It looked as though charcoal-grilled pork balls was the restaurants signature dish. So I lost no time ordering grilled pork for me and my twins, at VN50,000 (US$2) per serving. Diners have a choice of having the dish with fresh rice angel hair or wet rice crepes. My kids went for the angel hair, the combination being similar to what we have at restaurants in HCM City. Always on the lookout for new, local flavours, I chose to have the grilled meat with wet rice crepes, fresh aromatic herbs, pickles and a special house-made fish sauce. It was the first time I was trying this combination. It was a winner. The perfectly marinated and grilled pork blended well with the wet rice crepes. Topped with coarsely ground peanuts and spring onion oil sauce, the balls were served with pineapple, green banana, heart and mint leaves, and pickles. The balance achieved by this combination of ingredients sat easy on the tongue while the special fish sauce further upped the flavour. My kids put my thoughts into words. The balls are so yummy, mom. They are the best weve ever had. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, they say, and the kids did not hold back in demonstrating this. They wolfed down their two portions of grilled pork with rice angel-hair at impressive pace and turned their attention to my portion, demanding that I share it with them. Next we treated ourselves to another must-try barbecue in Chau oc style - skewed beef with onion at VN50,000 per serving. This dish is also accompanied by local fresh herbs and a sour-sweet fish sauce dip. Though the sauce was a bit too sweet for me, the beef was irresistibly tasty when wrapped with fresh herbs and pickles. We were not done. We just had to try the deep-fried spring rolls at VN10,000 each. Just the sight of the golden brown rolls whetted our appetite afresh. They were delicious, too - crispy outside and soft and tender inside. A diehard wrap-and-roll fan, I wrapped the fried spring rolls with herbs and green salads. Dipped in the restaurants special fish sauce, it hit all the right palette spots. Sau Hiep has no sweets on its menu, so we ended our meal without a dessert despite Chau oc being famous for banh bo thot not (steamed cake with palm sugar and coconut milk) and jelly soup with coconut milk and palm sugar both heavily favoured by the kids. However, our thoughts were not on dessert as we finished our BBQ feast. We were already thinking about returning to this awesome eatery and trying more local dishes. Having such a hugely satisfying meal after a visit to the famous pagoda was like an answer to our prayers. VNS Sau Hiep Charcoal-Grilled Pork Restaurant Address: 398 Nguyen Van Thoai Street, Chau oc Town, An Giang Province Phone: (0296) 0763561461 Hours: 11am 10:30pm Comment: Authentic southern Vietnamese cuisine. Price: from VN40,000/dish This beautiful New Orleans style home in historic Castle Heights shows quality in every detail! Built by a prominent Waco citizen in 1939 it is even more lovely today than it was when it was built! Current sellers are only the 2nd people to own this home. The spreading oak trees, and large beautifully landscaped double lot provide the perfect setting for playing, entertaining, relaxing and enjoying life to it's fullest! The outside of this home sets it apart from all others, but when you enter the lovely foyer, the full beauty of the home starts to truly unfold. At one end of the foyer is an expansive formal living area with a light filled sunroom at the far end. At the other end of the foyer is a large formal dining room that has plenty of space for celebrations around the table. Off the dining room is an open, well designed kitchen that offers a large island and plenty of workspace for a dedicated cook. The kitchen is open to a great table space for informal dining and then steps down into a grand den that was added for the comfort and flexibility of the home. Fireplaces in the formal living area as well as in the family room add warmth and hospitality to those areas. Both fireplaces have a gas jet and can be wood burning but are currently set up with gas logs. Enjoy sitting at the informal dining table in the bay window of the kitchen as a favorite spot to watch the neighborhood activites while enjoying the comforts of home. Also on the main floor is a private room perfect for an office or library space. There are 5 bedrooms and 3 & 1/2 bathrooms in the home. One bedroom and bathroom is attached to the garage with a separate entrance from the outside and an entrance from the garage making this a very private guest room, retreat or flex space. There are too many other amenities in this beautiful home to list them all, but following are a few. In addition to the two car garage attached to the home, there is a one car porte cachere at the end of the driveway. This space also includes a huge store room that is large enough to hold all the holiday and party decorations you could possibly desire. The driveway has an electric iron gate for full privacy. In the upstairs master suite, open the French doors to step out onto the upstairs balcony for a treetop experience. The exquisite partially covered New Orleans style brick patio in back extends out to a fountain and large open tree shaded brick patio area. Two extra pull-in parking spaces are just off the driveway in front for off the street guest parking. There is a basement to the home that has a sump pump and houses the mechanicals. Truly a one of a kind home in Waco! View More CANBERRA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Australian state of South Australia (SA) has announced a ban on a popular type of fishing net to protect platypuses and turtles. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) recently said SA will become the fifth state or territory to ban the use of opera house nets for recreational and commercial fishers from July 1. Used to catch yabbies -- a common freshwater crustacean -- the funnel-shaped nets are harmful to non-target species. Gavin Begg, the executive director of PIRSA, said the move to ban the nets would protect air-breathing animals such as native water rats, freshwater turtles and the iconic platypus. Anglers have widely welcomed the decision to ban the controversial nets but have expressed concerns about how existing nets will be disposed of. Asher Dezsery, executive officer of RecFish SA, said the industry was hoping for a plan from the government to phase out the nets sustainably. In 2022, BCF -- one of Australia's largest retailers of outdoor clothing and equipment -- announced it would withdraw opera house nets from sale after platypus deaths. Saturday marked the official opening of the Waco Suspension Bridge, unveiling the $12.4 million project the city undertook in 2020 to give the 153-year-old structure new cables, a new deck and a much-needed facelift. The festivities featured multiple speakers, a ribbon cutting and a cattle drive across the bridge, symbolic of its origin as a connection from the Old West to the new. Parks and Recreation Director Jonathan Cook welcomed the crowd gathered near the bronze statues. Cook said from weddings to family reunions or just a walk with loved ones across the bridge, the bridge is a piece of downtown that brings people together. When I think of the Waco Suspension Bridge, to me it is all about bringing our community together, and this has been something this bridge has done for our community for over 150 years, Cook said. Cook said the community has been without the bridge for more than two years, but the project has been in the works for much longer than that. He thanked past and current city management and mayors for paving the way. Without their vision to make Waco a great place to live, none of this wouldve been possible, he said. Mayor Dillon Meek spoke next, thanking council members Andrea Barefield, Alice Rodriguez, Josh Borderud and Jim Holmes, who were in attendance, as well as Vicki Mercer from Congressman Pete Sessions office, Rep. Doc Anderson and County Commissioner Will Jones. Meek also thanked Clifton and Betsy Robinson, the philanthropists who installed the bronze cattle statues near the Suspension Bridge and much of the public art around Waco. Meek said he loves the bridges history, serving as a symbol of how the community came together to solve the problem of crossing the Brazos River. Its a real story of strategy and community coming together to solve problems, which I think is so emblematic of what Waco is about, Meek said. When thinking about the symbolism of bridges, Meek said a few words came to mind: connection, progress, overcoming obstacles, innovation, transition and beauty. As Waco became a commercial hub during the 1800s, the Suspension Bridge represented its perseverance in overcoming obstacles, such as the river, and became a marvel of modern engineering, serving as the longest single-span suspension bridge west of the Mississippi River when it opened, Meek said. Our city is characterized by a thriving and inclusive economy, a community that is deeply committed to providing equal opportunities for all in a bold and pragmatic approach to achieving ambitious goals, he said. This is a new era, and it is a testament to our resilience, innovation and forward thinking of all of our citizens. Assistant Parks Director Tom Balk, who has overseen the project since the bridges needs were identified first in 2016, said there were many steps taken to get to the final unveiling Saturday, and throughout the process nothing could be guaranteed. We knew how much we love this bridge and how much it means to our community, but in 2015 we didnt really know what all the bridge needed, Balk said. We just knew that there had been this long-standing tradition of generational care for this structure. Balk said the city of Waco team and the team from lead engineering firm Patrick Sparks were empowered to take on the project, expecting in the beginning to need new wood decking. However, the crew found the bridges cables from 1914 only had about 10 years of use left. He said as a registered historic national landmark, there were regulations that had to be followed to preserve the bridges status, exercising Sparks expertise in historic structures. I was astounded We were empowered to do what was necessary to see this bridge through the next 100 years, Balk said. Very technical, but the long and short of it is we needed a new cabling and anchoring system. We were able to successfully anchor this entire structure to bedrock for the first time in over 100 years without compromising any of the brickwork. The bridge also got a new decking system and a paint job as part of the overhaul. Pam Thomason from Historic Waco shared some of the bridges history, beginning in 1866 when more than 50 Wacoans formed the Waco Bridge Company in an effort to build the Suspension Bridge near downtown. There were only 1,500 people that lived in Waco when they started this plan for this bridge, and they did an amazing job of preparing for this bridge to be a part of the Chisholm Trail and to be the gateway for our city, Thomason said. The bridge started as a toll bridge, she said, meant to eventually pay for itself. Thomason presented a photo of the bridges first toll keeper, Philipp Beasley, whose great granddaughter Barbara Jean Merritt was in attendance. Its cables came from the same company in New York that provided the Brooklyn Bridges cables, and it was built by engineer Thomas Griffith, who built the first bridge over the span of the Mississippi River, Thomason said. She said the bridge was built using bricks made from the sand of the Brazos River. McLennan County bought the bridge for $75,000, and then sold it to the city of Waco for $1, making it free to cross. Thomason said when the bridge was sold there was a large celebration similar to Saturdays excitement in which Waco pioneer Kate Ross became the first person to cross the free bridge. After the ceremony, Mayor Meek cut the red ribbon, signifying the official reopening of the bridge. Guests lined the Washington Avenue bridge and Suspension Bridge to watch 20 Longhorn cattle cross the bridge. 10 things you need to know about the Waco Suspension Bridge 1. Opened in 1870, it's the granddaddy of Texas bridges. 2. The project was staggeringly ambitious. 3. It was designed by the best. 4. Griffith used Roebling-made cable as well as Roeblings innovative suspension system. 5. Not all brag is fact. 6. The Waco Bridge Co. was not to be trifled with. 7. It helped make Waco Waco. 8. The tolls didn't last. 9. The bridge nearly got torn down in 1913. 10. It carried traffic for a century. Watch now: Waco Suspension Bridge - 150-year-old icon renovated 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. Best public elementary schools in Iowa Best public elementary schools in Iowa The Capital Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is hosting an Open House at Culpeper Regional Airport in Culpeper, Virginia on Saturday April 29th, 2023. The public will have the opportunity to take warbird rides, view one-of-a-kind aircraft on static display, see a helicopter demonstration flight, visit the aviation museum, enjoy a ride on a Ural motorcycle with sidecar, climb inside a B-26 machine gun turret, and purchase aviation-themed items at the PX. Warbird rides will be available in a Fairchild UC-61 Forwarder (a 1930s era, art-deco styled warbird which carries three passengers), a Boeing PT-17 Stearman open cockpit bi-plane, and a TBM Avenger torpedo bomber, the largest and heaviest single-engine bomber of WWII. Rides can be purchased at www.capitalwingwarbirdrides.org and any flights not booked in advance will be available on site during the event. Visitors to the Capital Wing Open House will see two unique aircraft which are only rarely seen in flight: a Japanese Fuji LM-1 (one of only 4 flying in the world today) and a French Alouette II, the worlds first gas turbine-powered helicopter. The Alouette helicopter will make a demonstration flight at 12 Noon and it is LOUD! For those who want a unique coffee table decoration, the Capital Wing will be selling quite a few authentic, vintage aircraft instruments: altimeters, turn and bank indicators, rpm gauges, etc. These are not reproductions, but actual devices removed from warbird and civilian aircraft instrument panels. Visitors can wander through the CAF Capital Wings large hangar and see the Vultee BT-13 Valiant under restoration to flying condition and also view artifacts in the museum. Outside, WWII reenactors in full gear will have an encampment set up. The public is encouraged to bring children and grandchildren they can climb inside the Martin B-26 machine-gun turret, ride in the Ural motorcycle sidecar, or go home with an airplane model from the PX. The Capital Wings mission is to Keep Em Flying to honor the many thousand Americans who built, serviced, and flew our warbirds when the nation most needed them. The Capital Wing is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, staffed entirely with volunteers. For more information, please contact CapitalWingRides@gmail.com. What did communist revolution instigator Vladimir Lenin communicate in 1917? Can you believe how the left idolizes what Lenin had to say? What did Lenin say? We must hatehatred is the basis of communism. Children must be taught to hate their parents if they are not communists. Hate is indeed a major characteristic of the left. It is probably the main motivation for most of them. How much hate do we see in the current gun violence? And how are gun-free zones working out? Another Lenin quote: A lie told often enough becomes the truth. Most decent people think lying is wrong, but not leftists. Anything to advance the cause is morally acceptable. And American leftists certainly follow this adage of Lenin, hoping the American people will eventually accept their lies as truth. Sadly too many do. How about this Lenin quote? Give me four years to teach the children and the seeds I have sown will never be uprooted. This is frightening but is one of the reasons the left is trying to groom children now. Indoctrinate them, as early as possible, with leftist propaganda. Its right out of Lenins playbook. How are we doing at thanking Governor Reynolds and the current state Legislature for their opposition to Marxism/Leninism? Dave Smith, Waterloo We woke up last Sunday to another mass shooting, this time at a Sweet 16 party in Alabama. This on the heels of mass shootings in Kentucky and at a school in Tennessee. So what do we read on the front page? Republicans in Des Moines want to make it easier for currently ineligible people to possess and carry guns, such as people who are addicted to alcohol or those where there is a probable cause to believe theyre a danger to themselves or others. Our tone-deaf representatives are apparently not hearing the outpouring of grief and rage across the country in response to 31 mass shootings in the first 17 days of April, and 160 so far this year. 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. A 17-year-old was arrested after calls came from the 1200 block of Downing Court just before 9 p.m. Saturday of people hearing gunshots. No one was injured, but Waterloo Police were on scene for about four hours attempting to get people to come out of the house. Once everyone was out, they executed a search warrant and recovered multiple guns. CEDAR FALLS Ebonee T. Johnson, Ph.D., an emerging scholar in the field of youth mental health, is the keynote presenter at the 2023 Carlton-Mellichamp Lecture in Education at the University of Northern Iowa on Wednesday. Johnson will present Utilizing Community-Engaged Research to Build Capacity in Stakeholders to Address Youth Mental Health. She is an assistant professor in the department of community and behavioral health and a research-affiliated faculty member in the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health at the University of Iowa. Her research utilizes community engagement to develop and implement psychosocial interventions. She currently serves as the program director or principal investigator on six grants, including the Iowa School Mental Health Initiative to build stakeholder capacity to address school mental health. A reception from 3:30 to 4 p.m. in the College of Educations second floor atrium precedes the keynote lecture, slated for 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Schindler Education Center Budke Auditorium. The event is free and open to the UNI students, faculty and staff and interested area professionals. Registration is encouraged online at coe.uni.edu/carlton-mellichamp-lecture-education. This is the fourth in a series created in 2018. The series is supported by a donation to the UNI Foundation by Suzanne Carlton and Duncan Mellichamp. It allows the College of Education to stimulate the dissemination, public scrutiny and implementation of ideas with the potential to bring about significant improvement in professional practice and educator preparation. The top 10 cartoons about top secret leaks WATERLOO Initial discussions about updating Waterloo Community Schools director districts will be held Monday by the Board of Education. The board will meet at 5 p.m. at the Education Service Center, 1516 Washington St. After every census, boards analyze their need to redraw boundaries of the geographical areas individual members represent to ensure a roughly equal number of residents in each. Four members of the Waterloo Schools board are elected to represent director districts. The other three board members are elected at-large by all voters. If the number of people in each director district deviates by more than 10%, the board has until May 15 to adopt a resolution redrawing the boundaries so that population among the districts is as nearly equal as practicable. After the new 2020 census figures, the current boundaries have a deviation of 13.9%, requiring them to be redrawn. Two rezoning proposals from Mapping Strategies of Des Moines will be discussed at the meeting. The item is for information only and the board will vote to adopt a resolution at its May 8 meeting. The new boundaries will be used for the next school board election in November. The board will also have a public hearing on the 2023-24 budget, which is expected to be certified and adopted later in the night. A budget with maximum expenditures of $208.1 million and a property tax rate of $13.36 per $1,000 of taxable value is recommended for approval. That is the same tax rate that the district currently has. Total tax askings would decrease from $38.9 million to $38 million, or about 2.35%. The total budget would decrease about 7.2% from $224.2 million to $208.1 million. May 1 is the last day for the district to certify its budget to the county auditor and the Department of Education. Photos: Waterloo West boys and girls soccer vs. Cedar Falls, April 20 SOC West vs. CF 3 SOC West vs. CF 8 SOC West vs. CF 9 SOC West vs. CF 11 SOC West vs. CF 1 SOC West vs. CF 5 SOC West vs. CF 2 SOC West vs. CF 7 SOC West vs. CF 4 SOC West vs. CF 6 SOC West vs. CF 10 WATERLOO -- Hope City Church will host a free event with food, fellowship and a presentation from Evangelist David Ursin, founder of Making Jesus Known Evangelistic Ministries, at 10 a.m. on April 29 at Hope City Church. Ursin has preached to approximately 500,000 people in 20 different countries including Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. During this time he has led 25 crusades, resulting in over 100,000 salvations. (CNN) -- Meghan, the wife of the UK's Prince Harry, has hit out at the British media following reports that she sent a letter to her father-in-law, now King Charles, expressing concern over "unconscious bias" within the royal family. A spokesperson for Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said she is "going about her life in the present, not thinking about correspondences from two years ago related to conversations from four years ago." "Any suggestion otherwise (regarding the letter) is false and frankly ridiculous," Meghan's spokesperson said. "We encourage tabloid media and various royal correspondents to stop the exhausting circus that they alone are creating." The comment follows reports in the British media that claimed Meghan had sent a letter to now King Charles, following her interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. According to British media reports, the Duchess of Sussex expressed concern to her father-in-law in the letter about "unconscious bias" inside the royal family. During a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan claimed that a member of the royal family speculated on the color of the skin of her unborn son -- wondering how dark the child would be. The episode was further documented in Harry's tell-all autobiography as well as the couple's Netflix documentary series, which saw Harry accusing members of his family of "unconscious bias" -- that blinded them to struggles he and Meghan experienced in the years and months leading up to their dramatic departure from the Royal Family. "I said the difference here is the race element," Harry had said, also slamming racist undertones in tabloid coverage of Meghan, who is biracial. "These are the skeletons in the closet that frequently make an unwelcome appearance in daily life in this family -- sometimes, you know, you're part of the problem rather than part of the solution and there is a huge level of unconscious bias," Harry said. "The thing with unconscious bias -- it is actually no one's fault. But once it has been pointed out, or identified within yourself, you then need to make it right." The claims about the correspondence between Charles and Meghan comes weeks before the king's coronation, which Prince Harry will attend but Meghan will miss and instead stay home in the United States with their children. King Charles and Queen Camilla will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, which will see three days of public celebrations across the country. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Meghan living 'life in the present,' amid reports of post-Oprah letter to King Charles." WATERLOO -- Dr. Ian Parney, neurosurgeon, and Dr. Claudia Chou, palliative care specialist will present an educational event May 16 at Sunnyside Country Club in Waterloo, sponsored by the Gray Warriors. The physicians, both from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., will discuss "Brain Tumors: Surgery, Viruses, the Immune System and Palliative Care." Health care professionals and interested public may attend. Nurses and radiological technologists will receive CE credit. The event includes dinner. Pre-registration is required More information can be found at graywarriors.org. Gray Warriors is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization providing grants to those in need while undergoing treatment for brain cancer/tumors. It was founded in memory of Chris J. Toneff and Colleen K. Toneff. For the past three years, Terry Aberhart watched drones zip across the skies over his farm in Canadas Saskatchewan province, testing a technology that could be the future of weeding. Fitted with an artificial intelligence system, the drones are designed by startup Precision AI to spot, identify and kill weeds without drenching the entire crop in chemicals. Im on the list for one of the first machines when they become available, says Aberhart, a sustainable farming enthusiast. The current technology is designed for maximum coverage and to hit everything in the field. For decades, big-acre crops like corn and wheat have been treated by spraying tractors that would move across vast farmlands, unleashing waterfalls of herbicide from long arms stretched above the crops, all to zap weeds that are often tiny and scattered about. That conventional spray-it-all approach results in colossal financial waste. Aberhart spent nearly $1 million about $745,000 in U.S. currency on herbicides in 2022 alone to protect wheat, canola and pulses growing on a slice of prairie larger than Manhattan. Even if we could save 50% on average, its a huge saving, he says. The problem of combating weeds in a sustainable way is more urgent today than ever. Scientists say global warming supercharges the growth of certain weeds that compete for nutrients with crops, threatening food security. However, every drop of herbicide farmers spray comes with an environmental cost, polluting soil, contaminating drinking water and contributing to a catastrophic loss of biodiversity. A 2020 study found prolonged exposure to weed killers poses a threat to water fleas, a species vital to the aquatic ecosystem. Pressure is mounting on global food producers to rethink intensive farming practices; leaders from 195 nations signed a landmark United Nations-backed agreement last year, pledging to protect and restore at least 30% of the Earths land and water by 2030. Precision AI is among a handful of companies turning to advanced technology to address these problems. Founded in 2017 by serial tech entrepreneur Daniel McCann, the company uses images of 15,000 plant species to train computer algorithms to distinguish staple crops think corn, wheat and soybeans from unwanted weeds. The drones camera can see anything bigger than half a sesame seed and its AI identifies weeds with 96% accuracy, spraying the intended target alone. Precision AI says its approach can reduce herbicide use by as much as 90% compared to traditional methods. The startup was one of a dozen winners of BloombergNEFs 2023 Pioneers award, which aims to spotlight early-stage climate tech innovators with game-changing potential. Precisions drones are capable of carrying five US gallons of liquid and covering roughly 80 acres an hour. As the drone flies 4 to 6 feet above ground, its AI system makes real-time decisions and applies herbicides only where needed. We cant continue to do things the way weve always done them, McCann says. We have to grow food smarter. Advancements in AI, worsening labor shortages and growing consumer demand for ethically and ecologically produced food accelerated innovation. There are a lot of new developments and efforts towards using automated robotic solutions in agriculture, says Manoj Karkee, a professor specializing in agricultural engineering at Washington State University. Were closer than ever to starting utilizing these technologies. Precision farming a term that covers everything from AI-enabled weeding machines to smart sensor-controlled irrigation systems is expected to grow from an $8.5 billion business last year to $15.6 billion by 2030, according to consultancy Markets and Markets. To get a slice of that action, Israeli startup Greeneye Technology helps upgrade mainstream sprayers to smarter ones that can identify and target individual weeds. Bosch BASF Smart Farming, a joint venture between two of Europes largest conglomerates, came up with a similar solution. Unlike conventional spraying tractors and high-tech ground robots that trample anything in their way and compact the soil, drones minimize collateral damage. That could allow farmers to produce more on the same land good news for a world where at least 50% more food is needed by 2050 to sustain a growing population, according to a 2019 study. Precision AIs drone is operated with supervision from a human pilot for now, but McCann says his company is poised to introduce a fully autonomous spraying drone as long as regulators grant permission. Investors poured more than $20 million of venture funding into the company. Precision AI is also among eight startups selected this year by major farm machinery maker Deere & Company to team up on the exploration of future agricultural technology. There are regulatory hurdles. In the US, where Precision AI plans to make its commercial debut next year, lawmakers gave the green light for agricultural spray drones used by licensed operators but with a long checklist. Mark Siemens, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, says agricultural drone makers still need to prove their technology. Aberhart says it will require a big shift in mindset and mentality for the farming community to switch over from the blanket spraying practice that has dominated the industry for decades. The first converts face a big risk: If weed management fails, it can ruin a season. Participation is down 40% in this agricultural program that protects wildlife, water, and soil Participation is down 40% in this agricultural program that protects wildlife, water, and soil There is less land in the Conservation Reserve Program than there used to be Most counties have seen declines in participation over the past 10 years Grassland establishment and habitat expansion are among the most common programs New changes from the USDA seek to improve participation YORK HAVEN, Pa. A Pennsylvania grand jury in recent months accused nine men with connections to the Jehovah's Witnesses of child sexual abuse in what some consider the nation's most comprehensive investigation yet into abuse within the faith. The sets of charges filed in October and February have fueled speculation the jury may make public more about what it has uncovered from a four-year investigation. A similar grand jury investigation into child sexual abuse by Catholic priests culminated in a lengthy 2018 report that concluded hundreds of priests had abused children in Pennsylvania over seven decades and church officials had covered it up, and more recently a similar report was issued in Maryland. But documents made public so far include nothing about what critics have long maintained has been a systemic cover-up and mishandling of child molestation within the Jehovah's Witnesses. Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry, at a news conference in February announcing charges, said some of the defendants "even used their faith communities to prey upon the victims." Asked whether her office was looking into the Jehovah's Witnesses as an organization, Henry replied it was an ongoing investigation. Critics say church elders have treated child sexual abuse as a sin rather than a crime, carefully documenting cases in internal files but not reporting allegations to authorities and sometimes letting the accused remain active in their congregations with access to children from unsuspecting families. Critics also say the church has often required a second witness for complaints, a standard that can be impossible to meet in cases of molestation. Church spokesman Jarrod Lopes said otherwise that the church does recognize abuse as a crime and that members have the right to report sexual assault to authorities. He said the second-witness rule applies only to internal church discipline and that elders comply with reporting laws, even when there is not a second witness. Dozens of people have testified before the secret grand jury in Harrisburg or provided information to the attorney general's office, and some report that investigators have exhibited keen interest in how the church has responded to molestation allegations. "They were very interested in not only individual cases but in systemic concerns regarding the reporting of child abuse," said Mark O'Donnell of Parkville, Maryland, a former church member who said he appeared twice before the grand jury. Martin Haugh of York Haven, Pennsylvania, a former elder who left the church in 2016, said he has spoken for hours to investigators, both inside and outside of the grand jury proceedings, about the structure of the denomination and how it handles cases of child abuse. Haugh said to his knowledge, this is the first time an investigation of Jehovah's Witnesses has been done on this scale in any U.S. state. Haugh said he's been in regular contact with investigators from Henry's office, most recently in March. Attorney Matt Haverstick confirmed recently that his law firm is representing Jehovah's Witnesses congregations around Pennsylvania on unspecified matters that are "very active right now." "I would say if the only place you're looking for records of child sexual abuse is with one organization, then of course all the prosecutions that come are going to be about that one organization," Haverstick said. "There's nothing unique or particular about this faith that makes it prone to any kind of misconduct," he said. The international Christian denomination, founded in the Pittsburgh area more than a century ago and headquartered in New York state, claims 8.7 million members worldwide, including 1.2 million in the United States. Members will not bear arms, salute a national flag or participate in secular politics. Believers are known for their evangelistic efforts, including knocking on doors and distributing literature in public spaces. In the Pennsylvania cases, court records state all nine defendants have ties to the Jehovah's Witnesses faith, although in some cases it's unclear how that might relate to the criminal allegations. Defense lawyer Dan Kiss of Altoona, Pennsylvania, said his client, Robert Ostrander, 57, of Windsor, New York, knew nothing about the investigation before he was charged in October with indecent assault, corruption of minors and other offenses. Kiss said Ostrander denies all the allegations. "Honestly, this appears to be some sort of attack on their religion," Kiss said. "You have all these Jehovah's Witnesses getting charged with some sort of inappropriate behavior. I'm hoping that this is not the attorney general's office piling on due to their religious beliefs." In response, Brett Hambright, a spokesperson for the state attorney general's office, said the charging documents "articulate incidents where defendants used their positions of authority within Jehovah's Witnesses congregations to build trust with children who they later abused." Current Pennsylvania law mandates that clergy and other spiritual leaders report suspicions of child abuse that arise in the course of their work. But the law also provides for exceptions when spiritual leaders learn about abuse through confidential communications, such as confession to a Catholic priest. CLIVE Rollie Roberts, a farmer from western Iowa, said he still respects former President Donald Trump. But Roberts is open to considering a different Republican candidate for president. Iowa Republicans shopping season is underway, roughly 10 months out from their big decision in the 2024 caucuses. Nine official or potential candidates were on display Saturday night in Iowa at the first multiple-candidate event of the cycle: the Christian conservative Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual fundraiser at the Horizon Events Center in this Des Moines suburb. Roberts was among the roughly 900 people who attended the event. His top two candidates at this early point of the cycle: Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Roberts said he also respects Trumps vice president, Mike Pence, but he considers Trump and DeSantis his top tier. DeSantis declined the invitation to speak at Saturdays event. Trump appeared virtually. Pence attended and spoke at the event. I still respect Donald Trump and what he did for our country. I wish he was a younger man. Gov. DeSantis might be that man. I dont know, said Roberts, who lives in Harrison County. The full roster of official or potential presidential candidates who spoke at Saturdays event also included: Will Hurd, Asa Hutchinson, Larry Elder, Perry Johnson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott and Tulsi Gabbard. Beth Roberts, Rollies wife, has even more candidate shopping to do: She said she has no favorites in the Republican primary thus far. Rollie Roberts said his top issues for the presidential election are China, Russia and wokeness in the U.S. military. Im primarily concerned about who would be the best for our country, get us out of this mess, he said. Wokeness was a top target of attendees and speakers at Saturday nights event. The term has become shorthand for policies conservatives oppose, for example the discussion of gender identity in schools. Pence, the first speaker at Saturdays event, referred to the policy of the Linn-Mar School District on gender identity, which has come under fire from conservatives. The Linn-Mar policies, adopted last year and in place at many other school districts, spell out inclusive practices for transgender students, including giving them access to restrooms, locker rooms or changing areas that correspond with their gender identity. Republican state lawmakers have been advancing legislation that would ban transgender students in K-12 schools from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity, and would prohibit the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation before seventh grade. The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition held two similar events in 2015, the last competitive cycle for Republicans one in the spring and one in the fall. Doug Smalley, a former state legislator from Clive, said he had a broader response to the question of which candidates he is considering at this stage of the GOP presidential primary. All of them are so much better than any of the possibilities on the other side that Im equally for any one of them, he said. National Democrats, in advance of the event, attempted to tie all the candidates to Trump by describing them as MAGA Republicans, and accused the candidates of supporting exceedingly extreme positions. This cattle call is just the latest gathering of MAGA Republicans whove spent their entire careers pushing for an extreme agenda from banning abortion to gutting Social Security to wanting to rip away affordable health care access from millions of Americans, Democratic National Committee spokesperson Rhyan Lake said in a statement. Each and every 2024 Republican has doubled down on their exceedingly extreme positions that are out of step with hard working Americans and can count on being held accountable by voters. Steve Scheffler, president of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, urged those in attendance to help protect religious liberty. Todays society is crazy vs. normal, Scheffler said. (President Joe) Biden and his leftist, radical, socialist Democrats in my view are doing everything they can to destroy America. And we dare not allow this man to be re-elected in 2024. Gov. Kim Reynolds did not attend the event but recorded brief remarks that were played for the crowd. She highlighted some of the legislation passed so far this legislative session by Republicans, including state funding for private school financial assistance, a ban on gender-affirming health services for Iowans under 18, and a reorganization of the executive branch of state government. Republican Party of Iowa chairman Jeff Kaufmann and Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird appeared on stage and posed questions to the candidates. The best ways to be money smart this week Financial saving tips for locals who want extra spending money this summer. WATERLOO -- The Waterloo Historic Preservation Commission is sponsoring a student art contest for Waterloo middle school, high school and college students. Original creations highlighting any Waterloo historical building or site at least 50 years old are eligible for entry. Artwork can consist of drawings, photographs, poems, paintings, building blocks or other constructions. Submissions may be no larger than 9 by 12 inches and include a brief description of the building/site, its historical significance, the students name, school, phone number and parents or guardians contact information. Artwork is being accepted until June 1 and will be displayed at the Waterloo Public Library, 415 Commercial St. Awards will be presented at all levels: first, $100; second, $50; and third, $25. All participants will receive ribbons. The commission is sponsoring the contest in conjunction with Historic Preservation Month in May. For more information contact Terry Stevens at danceterryh2oloo@aol.com or Sue Price at sueprice49@yahoo.com. NEW YORK 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. "I'm 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 Trump's history with women under a microscope as he runs to return to the White House. "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 Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign. "The No. 1 thing I hear in focus groups of Republican voters is that they're 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 to accuse him of sexual assault and harassment. He denied all the claims. Other lawsuits over them were dropped or dismissed, but Carroll's 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 Trump's 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 support among fellow Republicans, painting the various probes as a politically motivated "witch hunt" and a broad attempt to "interfere" with the 2024 election. It's unclear whether the voters he seeks to reach will sympathize with his portrayal of Carroll's lawsuit as a pile-on, see it as a growing distraction or ignore it altogether. 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 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 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 asserted that she invented the story to sell her book. "It's a false accusation. Never happened, never would happen," he said during a caustic 5-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 Carroll's 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 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 in his indictment. The wealth and monetary strength of the US and the EU has been funded via way of means of debt. That is a fact. The boom and imaginary GDP profits are illusory and created in element via way of means of huge spending and printing. The specific with China and Russia is that they do it with financial savings and real surplus income, that each nation create every 12 months out of producing and generating things. With very little debt, each of these nations have strong direction to grow and bloom, whilst the empire of debt will implode That my friend is monetary law 101 WtR Join Together Northern Nevada (JTNN) along with local law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration and community partners hosted the semiannual Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday across northern Nevada. The Prescription Drug Round Up was created to encourage residents to remove old medications from their homes to eliminate the potential for abuse or dependence by those who have access to unlocked medicine cabinets such as young children and teenagers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 128 people die each day from overdoses involving prescription and illicit opioids. Drop-off locations include: Reno: Smiths 175 Lemmon Drive Smiths 750 S. Meadows Pkwy Raleys 1630 Robb Drive Raleys 18144 Wedge Pkwy Elks Lodge 597 Kumle Ln Sparks: Smiths 1255 Baring Blvd Elks Lodge 517 S. Rock Blvd Spanish Springs RSIC Smoke Shop 7655 Pyramid Hwy Cold Springs: Cold Springs Community Center 3355 White Lake Pkwy For more information, call 775-324-7557, or click on the image below - 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. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 23) The wearing of face masks is still "strictly enforced" in all train systems in the country amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Sunday. In a statement, the DOTr said face mask use remains compulsory inside all trains of the Light Rail Transit (LRT), the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), and the Philippine National Railways (PNR). It is also mandatory in every LRT and MRT station, while optional in PNR stations due to their open-air spaces. "Our medical professionals in the railways sector stressed that the risk of COVID-19 transmission remains present in our trains as they are enclosed spaces, DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette Aquino said. Aquino urged commuters to remain vigilant, and encouraged them to get vaccinated and boosted against the virus. As explained by medical professionals, these booster shots are designed to help maintain the level of protection against the virus, especially as new variants emerge, Aquino said. The Department of Health (DOH) said last week that the positivity rate, or the percentage of tested people with positive COVID-19 results, is on the rise at 7.6% nationwide, or an average of 371 new infections daily, Despite this, the DOH maintained it will not recommend the return of mandatory face mask use. Health officials have also released guidelines on the second COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for adults. Clean Hydrogen Technologies Corporation Hydrogen Investment Perth, April 21, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - As advised to ASX on 24 May 2022 BPH Energy Ltd ( ASX:BPH ) advised that, subject to shareholder approval, it intended to pursue an investment in a hydrogen technology company, Clean Hydrogen Technologies Corporation (Clean Hydrogen or Vendor). Shareholder approval for this investment was obtained on 21 June 2022. Term Sheet The Company and its 36.1% (direct interest) investee company Advent Energy Limited (together, the Purchaser) entered into a binding term sheet (Term Sheet) with Clean Hydrogen pursuant to which the Purchasers agreed to subscribe for fully paid shares in Clean Hydrogen (Subscription Shares), representing a total of 10% of the total issued share capital of Clean Hydrogen after the issue of the Subscription Shares (Subscription Shares Tranche 1), subsequent to which 8% of the Subscription Shares Tranche 1 were issued to BPH and the remaining 2% issued to Advent. As advised to ASX on 21 December 2022, the Purchaser had a right of first refusal (ROFR) to subscribe for additional Subscription Shares representing an additional 10% (Subscription Shares Tranche 2) to the Purchaser and on the same terms and conditions as the Subscription Shares Tranche 1 (Right) where (i) the Vendor does not seek a Series A investment in its equity securities comprising a minimum investment of US$3,000,000 by 30 April 2023, where such investment values the Vendor in excess of US$20,000,000 (such investment, a "Qualified Financing"), and (ii) the Vendor determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, that it requires at least a further US$1,000,000 investment for continued development and operations. Subject to the above, should the Purchaser exercise the ROFR, it must do so within 1 month of the Vendors request for the Additional Funding. As of today's date Clean Hydrogen has not sought a Series A Investment in its equity securities comprising a minimum investment of US$3,000,000, and has made a request for additional funding from the Company The consideration payable under the ROFR is an aggregate of US$1,000,000, comprising of $US800,000 by BPH and US$200,000 by Advent (Additional Cash Consideration) subsequent to which BPH shall hold a total 16% interest in Clean Hydrogen and Advent shall hold a total 4% interest in Clean Hydrogen (based on the assumption that Clean Hydrogen has not issued any additional Clean Hydrogen Shares prior to the Right being exercised). About BPH Energy Limited BPH Energy Limited (ASX:BPH) is an Australian Securities Exchange listed company developing biomedical research and technologies within Australian Universities and Hospital Institutes. The company provides early stage funding, project management and commercialisation strategies for a direct collaboration, a spin out company or to secure a license. BPH provides funding for commercial strategies for proof of concept, research and product development, whilst the institutional partner provides infrastructure and the core scientific expertise. BPH currently partners with several academic institutions including The Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research and Swinburne University of Technology (SUT). Much has been written about constructing a nuclear waste storage facility in southeastern New Mexico. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has already granted Holtec an initial license for construction and for a similar facility in west Texas. The mayor of Carlsbad, speaking also for Hobbs, has written a letter supporting this. This facility would be halfway between Carlsbad and Hobbs. Nuclear Watch NM and the Los Alamos Study Group oppose the facility. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and our congressional delegation have all spoken against it. Senate Bill 53, signed into law this session, bans such facilities in the state. I wish to comment on the technical and safety aspects of nuclear waste spent fuel storage. Holtec would place spent fuel elements at reactors in casks, which would be transported to New Mexico. While I support this if built and operated correctly, Ill try to avoid addressing opposing arguments like Not In My Back Yard and concern over things nuclear. Questions regarding radiation leaks, accidents, cask safety, transfer of spent fuel to casks, and transportation to New Mexico are very valid concerns. The casks are large, thick-walled cylindrical containers. Dry cask storage has been extensively studied and implemented in at least 18 countries including Canada, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and the USA. As of 2009, 22% of U.S. spent fuel was in dry cask storage. Nuclear fuel fissions in a reactor for about three years. At a refueling shutdown, its moved to a large cooling pond. Initially its highly radioactive and thermally hot; water cools the fuel and shields personnel from radiation. While there are isotopes with very long half-lives, most of the radiation decays during the five to 10 years in the pond. As early as the 1970s nuclear plants began to run out of pond space and adopted cask storage as an interim solution. The legally mandated national storage facility doesnt exist. Although we spent over $15 billion studying and preparing Yucca Mountain, Nevada, to be such, it was declared unusable in 2015. Ive worked with Sandia and Oak Ridge national laboratories developing and installing a system allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency to remotely monitor the spent fuel canning and storage process at Argentinas CANDU reactor at Embalse. This included working on top of the silos where the containers are stored. A silo is roughly 30 feet tall and 20 feet in diameter. Nuclear garbage is whats to be stored here. We cant make our household and industrial garbage disappear by ignoring, talking or writing about it. If youve read about, seen or smelled places like New York City or Naples, Italy, during a garbage collector strike, you know it must be dealt with. While nuclear garbage doesnt smell, it has other dangerous characteristics. We must deal with it and stop talking and kicking the can down the road. Having spent my career in nuclear energy, safeguards and nonproliferation, Im well aware of the fear and concern in many countries of using nuclear reactors to produce electricity. I believe its both safe and necessary if the world is to reduce use of fossil fuels and deal with climate change. The record of Holtec International and its CEO Krishna Singh deserve scrutiny in light of Holtecs efforts to site a spent nuclear fuel facility in Lea County. Holtecs nuclear safety record is tarnished by numerous violations. Many arise from the companys repeated failure to obtain approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) prior to design changes. Work was halted in 2018 at San Onofre nuclear plant in California when a loose piece of bolt was discovered in a storage canister Holtec manufactured. It had altered the design without permission midway through the fabrication process. Singh termed it much ado about nothing. The NRC disagreed, issuing two safety significant violations to Holtec. Holtec management also fail to recognize risks regarding fuel transfer. Holtec personnel working at the San Onofre plant as contractors for Southern California Edison in 2018 did not recognize for almost an hour that a 50-plus-ton canister lowering into an 18-foot concrete silo within the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation similar to that planned for Lea County had gotten hung up on a metal flange. This constituted a near-miss event. The NRC issued two violations because of Holtecs management failure, imposing a $116,000 civil penalty on Edison, the licensee. Holtecs safety violations also involve security. In 2021, the NRC identified three security-related violations at Holtecs Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in New Jersey, which yielded a $150,000 civil penalty for Holtec. In 2022, the NRC issued a $50,000 civil penalty to Holtec for security-related violations, again at Oyster Creek, this time related to its armorers deliberate falsification of records and failure to perform mandatory firearms maintenance. Singh also has a record of providing false information to governmental authorities. In a 2014 application to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) for $260 million in tax breaks, Singh gave a false sworn statement, failing to disclose Holtecs debarment for 60 days as a contractor by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 2010 for (funneling money) to a TVA manager. Holtec agreed to pay a $2 million administrative fee related to the debarment. Singh also falsely stated that Ohio and South Carolina had offered robust incentives to persuade Holtec to relocate to their states. In reality, Ohio had just stripped Holtec of tax credits for failing to create promised jobs in Orrville. When NJEDA placed a hold on the $260 million in tax breaks in response to Singhs false sworn statement and began a criminal investigation, Holtec sued. New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard has called out patently false claims by Singh to the NRC and New Mexicans about its control of the proposed nuclear site. For example, despite Singhs claims, Holtec does not control the subsurface mineral rights to the site. The Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance, which plans to sell land to Holtec, only owns the surface estate. Singh also has a history of racist comments and disrespect for local workers. In 2018, Singh complained he was having trouble retaining employees from Camden because the impoverished city lacked a culture of work. They dont show up to work, Singh said of Camden workers. They cant stand getting up in the morning and coming to work every single day. They havent done it, and they didnt see their parents do it. Of course, some of them get into drugs. Singhs comments led to protests and press conferences. In response, Singh issued a written apology which a Camden business recruiter characterized as tone-deaf. As of 2020, Holtec had hired only 28 Camden residents as workers in return for the $260 million tax breaks. New Mexicos own Keith Sanchez will take the stage at Fusion on Saturday, April 29. Best known as part of Stoic Frame, and The MoonThieves, Sanchez is releasing The Kicking Dust Album, a solo project. The album is a part of the City of Albuquerque Urban Enhancement Trust Fund Resiliency Residency. During his residency, Sanchez wrote, produced and recorded new music at Albuquerques Rio Grande Studios. He describes the sound as Americana with New Mexico roots. The style represents new sonic territory for Sanchez, with exploration into the traditions of country blues. Fans of Stoic Frame will recognize a rewrite of an early track, Railroad Diesel. The remainder of the album is all new material written in the past year. Sanchez has been playing music in the New Mexico deserts for four decades. His artistic career began with punk Latino-rock band Stoic Frame, one that took him traveling throughout the U.S. and Latin America, and onto the rock and Espanol charts. He is currently creating music with the Albuquerque band The MoonThieves, a groove-inspiring rock-and-roll (and some Espanol) band. His new project has him back in the studio writing and recording a solo album. He is bringing back some revamped music from his Stoic days and adding a country rock vibe to newly-penned material, while still staying true to his Nuevo Mexicano roots. Sanchez can also be found in the classroom, as a high school teacher at Robert F. Kennedy Charter High School in the South Valley. He also mentors young musicians in the community program, The New Mexico Academy of Rock and Blues, a creative space for youth that he co-created with his wife in 2012. Keith is also a Ph.D. student in the Chicana/o Studies program at the University of New Mexico. (CNN) -- Some 10,000 people from all over the world gathered last week in Poland for the annual March of the Living, a 2-mile walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau, where Nazis murdered over a million civilians -- mostly Jews -- during World War II. One of the most famous marchers was Meek Mill, a 35-year-old African American rapper from Philadelphia without any prior connection to the atrocities that happened there. But at a time of rising antisemitism in the US, his presence spoke volumes, and that was the point. "I always stand on anything that condemns racism, but now that I had an education, I'll definitely spread the word to people in my culture about what I've seen and what I felt at that concentration camp today," Mill told CNN during the march. Mill is a friend of New England Patriots owner and philanthropist Robert Kraft, whose Foundation to Combat Antisemitism is in the midst of a $25 million national campaign, #StandUpToJewishHate. The effort, identified by a blue square emoji, includes paid television ads that share stories of antisemitic incidents in the US, which are on an alarming rise. Data from the Anti-Defamation League traces a spike in recent incidents against Jews to repeated, hateful comments by rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, who is unapologetic about his pro-Hitler, anti-Jewish language. "We are two different artists. We represent two different things," Mill said. Mill said he "wasn't educated to even know right from wrong" when Ye was making his remarks. "But I know a lot of the things he was saying was wrong because it sounded like hate," Mill said. "Now that I'm educated to a small degree, because I'm at the beginning point, just, you know, spreading the word for humanity. Pushing the cause." An enduring friendship Kraft got to know Mill during the rap artist's 12-year legal fight stemming from an arrest on gun and drug charges when he was 19 years old. The two were introduced by a mutual friend, according to a Kraft spokesperson, and Meek would occasionally reach out to the Patriots owner for some friendly advice. When Meek was incarcerated, Kraft visited him in prison, and the two stayed in touch and have remained friends. Mill's case helped spur activism among many high-profile figures, including Kraft, on the issue of criminal justice. "It's important for me to learn humanity's history," Mill said. "But I think it's also important for me to support Robert, all my Jewish friends, everyone that always supported me. Robert supported me at a very high level. When I was going through what I was going through, he learned my lifestyle. He learned my cultures, where I come from, my background." Mill said he went to Auschwitz to "see this for myself and learn about it for myself," describing what he saw there as "terror, pain, something you can't really explain." "He's a man who's very caring, and it's very important to him to build bridges between people of the Jewish faith and people of color in America," Kraft said of Mill. "He's a sensitive man who has gone through some difficult situations where he wasn't treated fairly. And I think for him to understand the culture of our people, what we've gone through and how many of the experiences are similar -- where people, for no good reason, just stand up and hate," added Kraft. Mill not only toured Auschwitz and took part in the March of the Living, but he also participated in events around the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in Poland. The popular artist has nearly 25 million Instagram followers and said he now intends to use his megaphone to make sure his fans understand that all hate -- whether racism against Blacks or antisemitism -- is rooted in the same ignorance and cannot be tolerated. "Through my music, I always use my platforms. I come from the ghettos of America -- from the streets. That's what I started talking about because that was my lifestyle," Mill said. "But through education and learning more and seeing more, I think I would be able to deliver some things that will touch on moments like this and be able to express and tell a story about what I witnessed and what I've seen." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Rapper Meek Mill vows to 'spread the word' against antisemitism after Auschwitz visit." Cynthia J. Sylvesters book The Half-White Album is a collection of her short stories, flash fiction and poetry. The writing is lively, thoughtful and inventive. Sylvester, an Albuquerque resident, stirred in other ingredients that spice up the book quotes attributed to writers, artists and musicians, and song titles that double as titles for each of the written elements in the books 10 sections. Also, each section begins with short, untitled comments from members of a fictional band called The Covers. To better understanding this literary stew, heres how the sixth section, Live at the House Made of Evening Light, is served: First is a paragraph-long reflection by Jeannie, lead vocalist of The Covers. It reads in part, One evening, preshow, me and (percussionist) One Foot were chillin like villains. By the pool with our shades and our Jack. Thats followed by the section heading and a page with sentence-long quotes from the late conceptual artist David Rothenberg and the late art critic Dave Hickey. Then comes Sylvesters flash fiction story Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? in which the spiritual, natural and human worlds merge: She took deep breaths of it as a breeze wrapped the scent of Russian Olive blossoms around her like a fine French perfume. Next up is the paragraph-long flash fiction piece Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Two short stories follow Diamonds and Rust/Sylvias Mother A Medley and Piney Wood Hills. The story Diamonds and Rust/Sylvias Mother opens with an easy, funny, yet tender observation that takes the reader inside a college classroom: They met in Navajo Language 121 around 1982. Grace was studying medicine and Sylvia was studying Grace. Their meeting develops into a romance interrupted by Sylvias homesickness and leave-taking. The story moves forward 14 years when Grace is trying to reunite with the still-remembered Sylvia. The short stories are the meat of the book, most of them focused on mother-daughter and other woman-to-woman relationships. The stories relate in a certain way. There are different mothers and daughters in the stories but you feel at times theres a bit of a through-line as well, Sylvester said in a phone interview. The Navajo Nation is the setting for a number of stories. She said it was important to her to start the book back in the Dinetah (the Navajo homeland). Its a place where I never lived but where my mother is from. Sylvester is half-Dine and half-Anglo and is an enrolled member of the Dine. She was born in Albuquerque and raised in Corrales. Asked about conflating story and song, Sylvester explained, To me, music and storytelling are so powerful. Theyre a traditional way of healing. The essence of the book for me is that it is a healing ceremony. UNM Press organized a Spotify playlist to publicize The Half-White Album, which can be found at spoti.fi/3zSeSrx. The playlist compromises of the more than 30 songs that are titled in the book. Sylvester said the book has been on a slow trajectory to this moment but I have always been working on my craft as a writer, improving what I know about it. She cited former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo as her greatest literary influence. I love how she is able to create such imagery, history, feeling and moment in short, compressed verse or poetry. Her book Secrets from the Center of the World It moves me every time I pick it up, Sylvester said. Sylvesters debut collection is the second release in UNM Press Lynn and Lynda Miller Southwest Fiction Series. We believe The Half-White Albums structure and ways of telling exemplify what were trying to achieve in the series. Sylvesters book is a powerful reading experience, the series editors said. Sylvester received a bachelors degree from the University of New Mexico in physical therapy and took creative writing workshops and poetry classes as an undergraduate. She has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Warren Wilson College. As we enter the second year of full funding for the Opportunity Scholarship, the University of New Mexico Board of Regents decision to keep tuition flat this year is pivotal to the programs continued success and sustainability. I am grateful that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham approved $146 million for the Opportunity Scholarship, a figure that includes all currently eligible students plus anticipated enrollment growth at current tuition rates. The scholarship will benefit tens of thousands of students this year, over 10,000 of whom will be enrolled at UNMs main campus. As the school with the greatest number of Opportunity and Lottery Scholarship recipients in the state, UNMs tuition rates significantly impact the overall budget for scholarship programs. To the same degree, the University of New Mexico stands to gain from the benefits that tuition-free college brings. Last fall, the university had its third-largest freshman class ever, a jump of 14%. College enrollment grew in every sector and region thanks to the Opportunity Scholarship. New Mexico has made progress in recent years toward breaking down barriers and working together as a system. In a state with 15 independent colleges and universities each with their own boards of regents and trustees, collaboration is often challenging. Regents and trustees face balancing the financial priorities of their schools with the financial realities of the students they serve. Since the beginning of Gov. Lujan Grishams administration, the state has stepped up to balance the scales with increased funding for colleges and universities so that gaps dont have to be filled by student tuition dollars or the state scholarship programs that pay for them. This years budget more than doubles last years investment in higher education, with nearly $800 million in operational funding going to public colleges and universities. Another $203.5 million is for research and public service projects. Funding for 80% of pay increases of college employees is included, as is $2.5 million for student services and $1 million for student food initiatives. Our department awarded $1 million last year to expand student mental health services at 14 college and university campuses, including $150,000 to three programs at UNM. An additional $153 million will go toward capital projects and $55 million for the Technology Enhancement Fund to provide matching funds to state research universities like the University of New Mexico. After years of enrollment declines and a past reductions in funding for higher education, I recognize that our colleges and universities are facing tough financial decisions. However, I am confident that if we continue these investments while keeping tuition flat, we can improve outcomes for New Mexicans while boosting our bottom line. More students enrolling and graduating can lead to more revenue for higher education. While I support the need for New Mexicos colleges and universities to cater to their own communities and missions, there are times we must work together for the greater benefit. The long-term sustainability of New Mexicos scholarship programs and our place as a leader in college access hinges upon decisions being made today at every public college and university. I commend the University of New Mexicos Board of Regents for keeping students in mind by not raising tuition and urge all higher education leaders to carefully consider the wide-reaching impact of their decisions when it comes to tuition and fees. Current and future students are counting on it. The New Mexico Family Guardianship Conservatorship Coalition is extremely pleased Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has taken swift and decisive action regarding the recent incidents of abuse of developmentally disabled adults under the states DD Waiver. The governor stated in her March 20 press release if you are in a position of caring for a developmentally disabled adult and you abuse that responsibility, take note, because we are coming for you. We are using every tool at our disposal to protect these vulnerable individuals and to make sure that incidents of abuse, neglect and exploitation do not happen ever again in our state. We implore Lujan Grisham to take action to investigate and address predatory guardians, conservators, guardian ad litems, attorneys and judges who violate an individuals human, civil and financial rights. Incidents of neglect and exploitation are occurring in court-appointed guardianships with elderly and disabled individuals. These populations are already susceptible to exploitation because of their vulnerability and the subsequent isolation after a court-ordered guardianship is put in place. All New Mexicans deserve to be protected from abusive perpetrators. The Department of Health rewrote its Rules and Regulations Policy to include boarding homes to be licensed and monitored by this agency; however, we found out through an IPRA request only three boarding homes in the entire state have been licensed by DOH. What happens to those individuals who are living in unlicensed boarding homes? Who is protecting these individuals who may live in horrific conditions such as bed-bug infestations, lack of nourishing food or being physically or sexually assaulted? In some cases the guardian uses their power to keep families and friends away from the protected person. The nursing home rules state they welcome and encourage visits, but a bad guardian can make the situation very difficult. How are elderly individuals being treated in nursing homes? Do they have any type of activity to stimulate their body and brain? Do they have the opportunity to socialize with other residents, family and friends? Or are they being drugged so they are easier to manage and compliant with staff? These are horrible incidents to discuss, however, they are happening daily to too many vulnerable New Mexicans. Everyone will experience getting older; its a fact of life. Mental illness is not a character flaw; its a disease. Developmentally disabled people exist. All people deserve to be treated with respect, empathy and a sense of protection. Families are critical partners in the lives of the most vulnerable, however, the guardianship system rarely allows families to be involved. Its time for all three branches of government the executive in Gov. Lujan Grisham, the legislative in the N.M. Legislature and the judiciary in our courts to work together to ensure all vulnerable New Mexicans retain their human and civil rights along with their financial status. Accountability and oversight could provide preventative measures by all state agencies involved with guardianships. The state of New Mexico could also begin by exposing current guardianship practices that disregard the individuals documented wishes; promote isolation from families, friends and their established communities; and squander resources when the individual and family members are at their most vulnerable. The N.M. Family Guardianship Conservatorship Coalition is willing to work with Gov. Lujan Grisham and any state agency on this important issue to ensure all vulnerable New Mexicans receive the needed services and protection from corrupt and exploitative predators. In the words of Ghandi a nations greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members. Another day, another preventable tragedy. That could be the motto of New Mexicos Children, Youth & Families Department that even the states chief executive concedes is dysfunctional after years of agency failures to properly protect the states most vulnerable children, through multiple administrations. Las Cruces Democrat Sen. Joseph Cervantes recently summed up the exasperation lawmakers are feeling. Were telling CYFD to get off their ass, said Cervantes, an attorney and chair of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. I dont have a nice way to say this any more. Im beyond frustrated. But the inertia cant all be dumped on CYFDs doorstep. Lawmakers had the chance to enact meaningful CYFD reforms in the past legislative session, but many of them willing or not joined forces with the governor to block them. Sen. Crystal Diamond, R-Elephant Butte, says the governor bullied certain legislators to reject viable, bipartisan solutions. The record sure appears to bear her out. More than 30 bills were filed during the 60-day session dealing with New Mexicos child welfare system. Many made it through committees with overwhelming, even unanimous, votes. Yet little was ultimately achieved. Senate Bill 107, which gives CYFD up to three days instead of two to file petitions in cases where the agency has taken custody of a child, made it to the governors desk, but thats hardly a game-changer. House Bill 10 would have greatly expanded information CYFD could disclose about child abuse and neglect cases, helping ensure accountability. Its supporters included CYFD, usually stubbornly resistant to legislative overhauls, and child advocacy groups. When a child who is alleged to have been neglected or abused dies, the public asks how could this have happened, and, unfortunately, almost always there have been no public answers, said Rep. Marian Matthews, D-Albuquerque, who sponsored HB 10 and other meaningful legislation to overhaul CYFD. HB 10 would have required CYFD to create an easily accessible website portal disclosing reports and basic information such as the number of children in CYFD custody, foster care or living with relatives and the average time in each; the number of abuse and neglect complaints and the number that lead to investigations; the number of children removed from homes and the reason for removals; the number of children who ran away; and the number of child fatalities or near fatalities in CYFD custody or in the home of a parent, custodian or guardian. But it somehow died in the House Judiciary Committee chaired by Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Albuquerque, after sailing through a prior House committee unanimously. Then there was Senate Bill 373 and House Bill 11, both of which would have created a new child advocacy office within the state Attorney Generals Office to investigate reports of abuse by state agencies, school boards and other public bodies and evaluate CYFD policies. But after protests from the governor, SB 373 also died in Chandlers Judiciary Committee after passing the Senate by a 30-8 vote. HB 11 passed the House by a 56-9 vote but died on the Senate calendar. Was the fix in from the start? Sure seems like it. SB 150 was another bipartisan measure that mysteriously died. It would have required CYFD to conduct a family assessment when a newborn suffers from drug withdrawals. It passed the Senate 37-0, then died in you guessed it Chandlers House Judiciary Committee. HB 434 would have shifted many responsibilities for overseeing safe-care plans for newborns to the Department of Health. It passed two House committees before it died on the House calendar. Perhaps the most meaningful reform measure was SB 426, which would have established a new child welfare office in the AGs Office with real authority to protect children in state custody. Attorney General Raul Torrez wrote in a Feb. 11 guest column in the Journal the top priority of a new Civil Rights Division would be protecting the right of every child in this state to adequate health care, education and, above all, safety. Empowering the office of the states top prosecutor to initiate investigations and hold every branch of government accountable for securing the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens made sense to many lawmakers. SB 426 passed the Senate by a 23-15 vote and the House by a 51-13 vote, but the governor pocket-vetoed the bill without explanation. So even the states top cop, a career state and federal prosecutor, was rebuffed by the governor when it came to standing up for our states at-risk children. Torrez said despite the setback he intends to use the power of the AGs Office to safeguard the basic rights of every citizen in this state. We wish him luck, as to date the governors February shakeup of CYFD has created an office of innovation within CYFD, an advisory council, and job openings for a Cabinet secretary and three deputy secretaries. CYFD Secretary Barbara Vigil, who has led the agency since October 2021, earlier this month announced her resignation effective May 1. She cited unrelenting factors that adversely impact children. Vigils wording, and the timing, are telling. The former state Supreme Court justice resigned one day after the latest front-page CYFD scandal in which three children were returned to a drug-infested home twice after a 7-month-old relative with methamphetamine in his system suffocated in the home. CYFDs troubles have spanned too many years and too many administrations for the public to believe it can be fixed by one person, even a governor. It will take a village of new caseworkers, support staff and administrators, and myriad policy and statute reforms to turn around an agency with such a difficult mission and a checkered history of protecting our most vulnerable children. The governors reluctance to demand transparency and accountability and to share her CYFD oversight powers with anyone, even the states top cop, has become a serious flaw in her administration. CYFD needs to be all about safeguarding our most vulnerable children, not one politicians executive power. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. The U.S. Forest Service will sign the Santa Fe Mountains Project decision very soon and start thinning and burning May 5. Santa Fe County commissioners unanimously requested in Resolution 2022-50 that the Forest Service do an environmental impact statement (EIS) before beginning the Santa Fe Mountains Project. The Forest Service refused. None of our city, state or federal elected officials will speak up for New Mexicans or the forest. They are the only ones who can stop this deforestation, and we have not heard a peep from them about it. Vote them out. On their watch, the Forest Service will cut 18,000 acres and burn 48,000 acres between Tesuque and Glorieta in the Santa Fe Mountains Project. The Forest Service is coming in like an invading army and says it can do what they want, no matter how opposed the public is. And the public is opposed, as you will see from the figures below. These figures are from before the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fires; more people are opposed now because of those devastating, intentional burns. OnceAForest.org has a petition requesting our elected officials insist the Forest Service do an environmental impact statement before it starts the project; 1,400 people signed it. About 5,000 people wrote scoping comments for the project. Thirteen of them were in favor of the project, the rest of the 5,000 opposed the project as proposed and wanted an EIS done before more cutting and burning. Now, for some reason, the Forest Service says the 5,000 comments dont count. It has again ignored the publics desire for an EIS. Its meetings are just presentations of the cut-and-burn mentality. Officials do not listen to us or answer our questions, especially about climate change and fires getting out of control. This project is far larger than any project that has been done on the east side of the Santa Fe National Forest and will burn 75 square miles. The burn area is less than 1 mile from Tesuque and 2.5 miles from Santa Fe; embers fly 5 miles and more. (What is the) plan in case the fires get out of control on the east side of Santa Fe? The firefighters union president said on KRQE news Santa Fe County is down many recruits and so the station is often closed. And, he said, We have some key areas that were worried about the eastern side of Santa Fe County, theres really no great way to fight a fire out there with all the houses and lack of fire hydrants. Wow. That is really scary. There is little evidence fuel reduction prevents wildfires. The current peer-reviewed forest ecologists agree climate change is more of a factor for wildfires than fuel loads. The forests treated least with cutting and burning burn the least. The dense old forests hold moisture, slow wind and shade against the heat of the sun, and are therefore less fire prone. The community is obviously saying less cutting and burning and more environmental safeguards. (Meanwhile) the Forest Service says (in the Aug. 8, 2022 Santa Fe New Mexican) it plans to increase tree thinning by 135%, triple the amount of managed burns, and use less environmental safeguards (no EIS). This past legislative session, the Legislature robustly approved Senate Bill 84 and Senate Bill 187, two effective and fiscally responsible criminal reform policies that are the fruit of a decade of legislative inquiry and debate. The governor vetoed both. That they will not become law is everyones loss. Heres why: SB 187 would have removed felony drug possession for personal use from the habitual offender sentencing statute, which adds mandatory prison time to a sentence based on prior cases. If enacted, someone convicted for possessing small amounts of drugs would have still faced up to 18 months in prison but not enhancements of up to eight additional years. Unlike the 18-month sentence, which the court can suspend for probation instead, courts must impose the enhancements as prison time in almost every case. The habitual offender statute punishes repeat felons more harshly because they didnt learn their lesson. In possession cases, though, the punishment far outweighs any benefit to public safety. Meanwhile, drug offenses are one of the top three reasons people are in our state prisons, largely because of the mandatory enhancements. The current law is bad policy. In her veto message, the governor suggests the threat of mandatory prison time is a useful tool for prosecutors to force people into treatment. But that is not how criminal law or substance use treatment should work. Treating addiction as a health issue is a more successful model for community health and safety. Studies show punitive criminal responses are not effective tools to deter drug use or mitigate the harm it can cause. In a similar vein, SB 84 sought to address non-criminal violations of probation and parole, like testing positive for drugs or alcohol, or missing appointments with a supervising officer. SB 84 would have limited the incarceration sanctions for first, second, and third technical violations of probation and parole, without changing the sanctions for serious violations, like committing a new crime or behavior that threatens others. Some New Mexico districts already employ this practice. The bill would have expanded the program statewide. Complying with supervised release is extremely challenging, especially after spending time in prison and for people struggling with addiction. Punishing every stumble with incarceration is ineffective and wasteful. Studies have found community-based sanctions for violating conditions of release are as, or more, effective than incarceration. Meanwhile, lengthy prison terms actually increase recidivism rates. SB 84 balanced rehabilitation with public safety and accountability. While the governors SB 84 veto message touts her administrations recent progress in supervision strategies, those modest advances are not enough, and nothing prevents the next administration from undoing that progress. Moreover, a model of treatment not incarceration requires both providing treatment and reducing incarceration. SB 84 and SB 187 would have saved millions of prison dollars that could be reinvested in restoring our communities. These vetoes are a blow to New Mexicans begging for a better path forward. We must do better. River lovers of all ages came together to collect beer cans, clumps of tangled fishing line and more all along the Pecos River on Saturday morning often with anglers set up nearby. Nearly 100 volunteers joined workers with New Mexico State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, state Game and Fish, plus San Miguel County, the Village of Pecos and other agencies for the annual Dia del Rio y Camino (river and road) Litter Clean-up at the Pecos River. The event, organized by the Upper Pecos Watershed Association, included groups from Pecos, New Mexico to Pecos, Texas. Volunteers in Sumner Lake, Carlsbad and other communities helped clean up areas along the river for 300 miles. The Earth Day event was held annually before the pandemic, but this was the first time it included other communities along the river. Afterward, a celebration was held at the Pecos Benedictine Monastery to celebrate the river, Earth Day and the rivers designation as an Outstanding National Resource Water by the state Environment Department. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Native American activists and environmentalists are pushing the U.S. Interior Department to move ahead with its promise to include tribal perspectives when making management decisions that could affect culturally significant areas beyond the boundaries of Chaco Culture National Historical Park. A coalition of more than 20 groups and individuals sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Wednesday saying oil and gas development in northwestern New Mexico remains a threat and that they want the agency to halt leasing until cumulative effects on cultural resources and the environment can be addressed. The letter includes recommendations that supporters say would ensure lasting protections for an expansive area around the national park. One includes the creation of a tribal advisory committee and an environmental justice advisory committee with authority to inform resource development on federal lands. Haaland, who is from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico and is the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency, traveled to New Mexico in 2021 to announce the Honoring Chaco initiative. Since then, there have been interviews, planning sessions and meetings with historic preservation experts and others. Now, the groups want to know when the next phase will begin and when changes will start to be made. In order to continue to build trust and confidence that this initiative indeed represents a new direction for cultural landscape management in the region, the Department of the Interior must show that it is willing to refrain from taking interim actions that would irreparably harm the landscape and prejudice the selection of lands and resources for protection, the letter reads. The groups suggest that pausing development is within the agencys authority and would be in line with the Biden administrations policy mandates. The Interior Department affirmed on Thursday its commitment to the Chaco initiative, saying leaders with the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have been working with tribal preservation officers and tribal groups. The agency released a report in November detailing the work so far, saying the idea was to establish a new tribally led approach to best identify ways to protect the culture of tribes and pueblos throughout the region and consider strategies for securing a sustainable economic future for residents and workers. The debate over closing off a 10-mile (16-kilometer) radius around the park has pitted the Navajo Nation against other tribes in the region. Some Navajos have called for a smaller area to be protected as a way to preserve the royalties and other revenues that some families depend on. If approved by the Interior Department, the withdrawal would affect only federal land, but critics have argued that the checkerboard nature of landholdings in the region would limit interest in Navajo-controlled lands and those parcels owned by individual Navajo allottees. Federal officials have billed the Chaco initiative as a novel effort that could provide a roadmap and lessons learned for future collaborations with tribes. Still, some of the activists who have been pushing for Chaco protections say they feel like momentum has stalled, and theyve invited federal officials to visit the region again. Pueblo preservation experts also are working on finishing a first-of-its-kind ethnographic study of the region that they hope will be used as part of the initiative and in future decision making. This story was first published by Searchlight New Mexico. Archbishop John C. Wester can still remember the Cuban missile crisis, arguably the closest America came to a nuclear war. The year was 1962 and he was 12. One day while walking home from school in Daly City, California, he thought he saw Russian planes in the sky above him, preparing to drop bombs. He was so frightened he ran all the way home. Admittedly, it wasnt until 2017, when he visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that he began to think deeply about the threat of nuclear weapons again. Two years earlier, hed taken the reins of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, which encompasses parishes in 19 counties and serves some 90,000 families. Trips to New Mexico museums, including one with replicas of Fat Man and Little Boy on display, brought it all home the regions role in building the worlds first atomic bomb. Then came the realization that the Santa Fe Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi was less than a block away from 109 East Palace Avenue, a nondescript office where Manhattan Project staffers gathered before getting shuttled to the secret city of Los Alamos. All these connections were such that it was providential divinely providential to write the letter, he said. That letter, his pastoral letter to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, stands as a 52-page spiritual manifesto in support of nuclear disarmament written from the epicenter of this countrys nuclear weapons complex. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe has a special role to play in advocating for nuclear disarmament given the presence of the Los Alamos and Sandia nuclear weapons laboratories and the nations largest repository of nuclear weapons at the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, he wrote. At the same time, we need to encourage life-affirming jobs for New Mexicans in cleanup, nonproliferation programs, and addressing climate change. The timing of the letter is key: Los Alamos National Laboratory is mandated to produce 30 plutonium pits per year for nuclear warheads as close to 2030 as possible, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration. Its a colossal expansion of LANLs mission that critics believe will only ratchet up tensions between the United States, Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. To the Archbishop, this could be a replay of 1962, only worse. Were currently in an arms race that is arguably much more dangerous than the first one, he said. Searchlight New Mexico recently spoke with the Archbishop about his high-profile stance and his plans for peace in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and the world. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Id like to start by talking about the pastoral letter. One sentence in it really stood out for me: We must provide New Mexicans with employment and economic opportunities that do not require morally problematic nuclear weapons jobs. Can you talk about what you mean by morally problematic? Pope Francis declared in 2019 that even the mere possession of nuclear weapons is immoral. So that really moved the moral needle. The 1983 Challenge of Peace: Gods Promise and our Response a pastoral letter put out by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops did allow for deterrence: If youre keeping nuclear weapons for deterrence, that would be morally acceptable. But Pope Francis took that off the table when he said theyre morally unacceptable. We all have our different terms, but in essence, its immoral, its unethical to have (nuclear weapons), because of their tremendous destructive capability. The 13,000 or so we have now in the world could destroy civilization many, many, many times over. So I think that blows the just war theory out of the water, because theres no way you can avoid killing civilians. Theres no way that you could have a reasonable hope for a peaceful solution in the end. In New Mexico, LANL and Sandia are among the top employers. Given that some, if not many, parishioners work at those labs, is it difficult for you to be critical of their mission? Well, theres a narrative out there that LANL and Sandia are really good for New Mexico because of all the billions of dollars they bring. But the point is, that narrative is not true. Very few people benefit from that money. Theres no question that Los Alamos County does very well, and the people living there do well, and the people who have jobs there do well. But in terms of that money trickling down to greater New Mexico, its just not true. Yes, we have a lot of our parishioners who work at the labs as scientists and as engineers and physicists, maintenance, security. Im keenly aware that this is an issue thats real for people locally. Thats why Im anxious to know how the labs can do more in the nonmilitary realm than theyre doing now. Im comforted by the fact that there would be jobs to be had in disarmament. There are a host of other jobs the labs could perform in the health and technology field, as well. Murphys Law being what it is, were pushing our luck way beyond where we should. And so people in New Mexico, and indeed the whole human race, would benefit from getting rid of nuclear weapons. Is there something in particular about nuclear weapons that defies religious doctrine? Nuclear weapons, in my opinion, give human beings divine attributes, which we have no business having. To my mind, nuclear weapons are blasphemous. Lets get a little bit of background about pastoral letters. What exactly are they and what prompted this one? The pastoral letter in the Catholic church goes all the way back to St. Paul and St. Timothy and St. Peter and St. James and the whole body of the New Testament. So this pastoral letter that I wrote is really in the 2,000-year tradition of a bishop writing to the people of his diocese about things of importance. Since nuclear weapons were created and manufactured and deployed from Los Alamos and the Manhattan Project, thats one connection for me. And then I went to Japan, to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I was very moved by what I saw in the museums and the displays. I was very touched thinking of the children seeing a bright light. And so I started to make that connection. We speak of the light of Christ as piercing the darkness of sin and war and ignorance. And I thought that (the atomic bomb) was the light of a much different nature that was not bringing enlightenment, but rather bringing death and destruction. I got some advisers, and we decided to write a pastoral letter on the necessity of never letting this happen again. And of course, for that to happen, we have to be about peacemaking and about eventual verifiable multilateral disarmament. Im imagining that people in Northern New Mexico ground zero of the weapons complex, so to speak might feel defensive if they hear criticism of LANL or Sandia. Do you think parishioners are open to having these conversations about disarmament? Thats our hope and dream. Were rebuilding the archdiocese after a bankruptcy and hoping the Catholic social teaching would be a major component of that rebuild and that the parishes will have peace and justice commissions. And that we will have conversations on the parish level about peacebuilding. Im having talks with people who worked at LANL because I want their take on this, because theyre people who basically built atomic bombs. Their opinions are important to hear. What kind of pushback do you get? Mainly people say that were naive. You know, Youre not in the real world that we have to have our nuclear bombs to protect us from Russia and China, etcetera. But our response to that is, Well, who really is naive? Weve got the bombs that can destroy the world, and as long as we have them, were gonna continue to push our luck. How would you respond to critics who would argue that the church doesnt have any high ground to make pronouncements on moral issues, given the history of sexual abuse by clergy and colonization in New Mexico and around the world? The horrendous sins of a few do not mean the entire church is at fault. What the church stands for and who the church is has integrity. Mistakes have been made, and serious sins have been committed, and the church has taken responsibility and expressed its sorrow for them. Do you think weve normalized nuclear weapons? In Northern New Mexico, a person can go about his or her life living next to a weapons factory without considering how surreal that is. Right. Every time I fly over the (Albuquerque) Sunport, Im flying over thousands of nuclear warheads in different stages of readiness. It kind of reminds you that were playing with fire and we dont realize it. Searchlight New Mexico is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to investigative reporting in New Mexico. Read other Searchlight stories at searchlightnm.org. Albuquerque police have launched an internal review of the agencys handling of the case of a 7-month-old baby who died of suffocation nearly a year ago with methamphetamine in his system. Questions have surfaced about the timing of the recent arrest of the childs mother; why three other children who tested positive for methamphetamine exposure were left in the home last year; and the communication between the state Children, Youth and Families Department and the Albuquerque Police Department after the death. The reason were conducting a review of the case is to determine all the facts, said APD spokeswoman Rebecca Atkins in an email to the Journal last week. The department is reviewing the entire case to determine if policies were followed. That review will also scrutinize whether policies need to be changed as a result of this case. The childs mother, Victoria Romero, 39, was indicted Thursday on a charge of first-degree child abuse resulting in death, four counts of child abuse without great bodily harm, and two counts of tampering with evidence. She is set to be arraigned May 5. After her arrest April 7, Romero was released pending trial and is barred from having any contact with her children or other witnesses in the case as a condition of release. She is also required to complete outpatient treatment. Romero was arrested after APD conducted a welfare check at the home March 16 and began reexamining the cause of the boys death last June, an APD spokeswoman told the Journal last week. Last June 17, the childs siblings found him face down and unresponsive after falling between a window sill and the bed where his mother was asleep. Three children at the Wyoming NE apartment tested positive for methamphetamines six days later, police reported. It took another five months for the state Office of the Medical Investigator to complete an autopsy in which the 7-month-olds manner of death was ruled accidental. Asphyxia was the cause, due to an unsafe sleeping environment, and methamphetamine toxicity was listed as a significant condition contributing to the childs death, police reported. Subsequently the case was closed, Atkins said in an email to the Journal. Only after Romeros grandson, now 2, arrived at an Albuquerque day care twice in one week in March smelling of marijuana did APD begin looking into the babys death again, reports indicate. According to a criminal complaint by the APD detective assigned to that case in March, a CYFD investigator mentioned that the youngest child passed away in 2022 but to his knowledge was not drug related. The detective then checked with a CYFD supervisor who related that to their knowledge the death was ruled accidental by the OMI. In recent weeks, APDs Crimes Against Childrens Unit investigated further, and upon looking at the totality of the evidence in this case, and the case from June 2022, detectives moved forward to work with the District Attorneys Office on possible charges, Atkins stated. Romeros indictment alleges she was co-sleeping while under the influence of drugs and exposing the infant to methamphetamines which resulted in his death. Other counts charge her with exposing a 3 year old and a 4 year old to drugs, then more recently shaving their heads to prevent hair follicle tests that could show they were exposed to drugs. The four counts involving the children testing positive for drugs date back as far as March 2022. One of those children was the grandson who tested positive on March 24 for exposure to methamphetamine, amphetamine and cannabinoids/THC. Over the past decade, news reports show at least a dozen women in New Mexico have been charged with child abuse after law enforcement authorities found their children tested positive for illegal drugs, typically methamphetamines. Asked why Romero wasnt charged in the death of her child or the drug exposures of her children last year, Atkins reiterated that the review was ongoing. We will provide more details at a later date once the review has been completed, she said. But a police report shows the detective who handled the investigation into the babys death last year didnt know at the time he received the autopsy results that Romero tested positive for methamphetamine and ecstasy the day her child died. CYFD ordered the test, according to a police report. After the baby died last June, all signs indicated the child died from suffocation in the bed, Atkins told the Journal. CYFD was contacted and a safety plan was put in place. CYFD officials have declined to answer questions about the case, citing a state confidentiality law. But a CYFD safety plan, which can extend three weeks or longer, outlines immediate action steps the family and their network will take to help keep their child safe, said CYFD spokesman Rob Johnson in an email. Asked about CYFDs policy or practice when children in a home test positive for exposure to illegal drugs, Johnson said in an email, Every family, circumstance and situation must be individually assessed for safety, risk and protective capacity. Romeros attorney Jonathan Schildgen, who is with the Law Office of the Public Defender, said through a spokeswoman Friday, Victoria is innocent of these charges, and we look forward to trial. Celebrity The comic famed for his alter ego Dame Edna Everage has passed away in a hospital while receiving treatment for complications following a hip replacement surgery. Apr 23, 2023 AceShowbiz - Barry Humphries' family states he was "himself until the very end." The late Dame Edna Everage comic passed away aged 89 at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, April 22 afternoon after complications following hip surgery, and relatives including his wife Elizabeth Spender who were by his side said he held on to his famed wit until he passed away. "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," they said in a statement. "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." Four-times married Barry's four children including his sons Oscar and Rupert, and his daughters Emily - from whom he was estranged for 20 years decades before the pair recently reconciled - and Tessa are understood to have travelled from London to be by their father's bedside in his native Australia. He had been released from hospital days before his death, but was recently readmitted as his health worsened. Along with his four wives and children, Barry is survived by 10 grandchildren. His first wife was Melbourne actress Brenda Wright, whom he married when he was aged 21. He admitted he was not an easy man to be married to and said the marriage was "quite frankly - and it's a cruel thing to say - to escape from my parents". Born John Barry Humphries in Kew, Melbourne, in 1934, Barry threw himself into acting and dressing up to escape what he felt was a boring childhood. Just before he left Australia, he married New Zealand dancer Rosalind Tong, with whom he had his two daughters. Shortly after he moved to London in 1959, he befriended the Sixties most famous comics including Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. But he fell into drinking despite theatre and film successes, and in 1970 returned to Australia, where, aged 36, his parents admitted him to a hospital in Melbourne after a near-death experience due to alcohol when he was found unconscious in a gutter. He said about his drinking, "If you're dependent on alcohol it's not only degrading but you only head in one direction - downwards. I moved on to whisky, which was like drinking petrol, and I was fond of Fernet Branca, a hangover drink that tasted ghastly so it was both a punishment and a cure." In 1979, he married artist Diane Millstead, with whom he had his two sons. He married his fourth wife Lizzie - daughter of the poet Stephen Spender - in 1990. They lived in a mansion flat in north London but had been more recently spending time in Australia. He said his fourth marriage lasted as he had become "a bit smarter" about relationships. Barry also admitted, "The truth is I'm not a very easy person to be married to." He said his characters including Dame Edna - globally famed for her "Hello, possums" greeting - and booze-fuelled Australian attache Sir Les Patterson allowed him to say things about "political correctness" he felt he never could. His health woes started when he tripped on a rug while reaching for a book in February and underwent surgery at St Vincent's the following month. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The 'Drake and Josh' actor was quick to fire back after one of his Twitter followers branded him a 'paedo,' almost two years following child endangerment charges. Apr 23, 2023 AceShowbiz - Drake Bell has told his Internet trolls they will "kill" him. The "Drake and Josh" actor, 36, lashes out after he is still being branded a "paedo," nearly two years after he pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges relating to a girl who met him online and attended one of his concerts in Ohio. "Do a second of research. This is what I have to live with every day they are literally going to kill me. Bloods on their hands," he responded when a Twitter follower tweeted, "Let's not forget he's a paedo" this week. Prosecutors found the Nickelodeon actor once sent "inappropriate social media messages" to a 15-year-old girl he had met online. Drake, sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service for the offence, later said his actions were "reckless and irresponsible" but stressed there were "no sexual images" sent and "nothing physical" done between him and the minor. He added in Twitter over the ongoing trolling about the incident, "It truly blows my mind how mean people are on here to people clearly dealing with mental health issues. It's unreal how cruel you all can be." Drake was recently reported missing and "endangered" on April 13 after he allegedly threatened suicide leading up to his disappearance. He was found "safe" and "unharmed" after being reported missing by Daytona Beach Police, who said on Facebook the "Drake and Josh" star was also "endangered." They later said, "We can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr Bell is safe." The Orange County Sheriff's Office added Drake, whose first TV appearance was aged five on "Home Improvement", had been found in their jurisdiction "unharmed" at around 11.30 AM, and that deputies "took action" to ensure alum received a "mental health evaluation." Authorities added Drake had last been seen just before 9pm on Wednesday near Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, a day after he had enjoyed a day at SeaWorld, Orlando, with his son, who he has with his estranged wife, Janet Von Schmeling. A police statement posted to Facebook had said, "MISSING Officers are looking for Jared Bell, DOB 06/27/1986. He should be travelling in a 2022 grey BMW and his last known location is potentially the area of Mainland High School on 4/12/2023 just before 9p.m. He is considered missing and endangered." When fans asked if it was a hoax, police clarified, "For those asking, this is a legitimate post from the Daytona Beach Police Department." Drake was seen in December sucking from balloons in his car while in a parking lot, while on a two-year probation at the time, stemming from two criminal charges he pleaded guilty to in 2021 for child endangerment and a disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Prosecutors claimed the actor had met a girl who attended one of his concerts in Cleveland in 2017 and sent her "inappropriate social media messages." He was also charged with driving under the influence in 2015. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The 'Beastly' actor and his model wife are heading to divorceville as the runway beauty confirms they have been separated after two years of marriage and one child. Apr 23, 2023 AceShowbiz - Alex Pettyfer and Toni Garrn have parted ways. The former couple - who share 21-month-old daughter Luca together - have announced the "very difficult decision" to go their separate ways after two years of marriage. "Alex and I have made the very difficult decision to divorce. We will continue our relationship as friends and co-parents to our angel Luca. Please respect our privacy during this sensitive time. Thank you," Toni announced on her Instagram story. The 30-year-old model began dating the "Magic Mike" actor in 2018 and they got engaged on Christmas Eve the following year before tying the knot in Germany in October 2020. At the time, the pair shared the news of their wedding on Instagram, with the 33-year-old actor captioning a photo of their wedding rings, "Mr + Mrs Pettyfer." Toni shared a similar photo on her own account and wrote, "Now you really get to call me wifey." In June 2022, Alex and Toni exchanged vows again in front of family and friends in Paros, Greece. Toni shared a short clip of the happy couple dressed in their wedding attire while standing on a rock next to the sea, and she wrote on Instagram, "Yesterday felt like the most beautiful dream. Collecting all pictures.. stay tuned." Toni wore a backless white custom Elie Saab wedding dress for her big day while the "Stormbreaker" star dressed in a cream suit for the occasion. The couple had announced they were expecting a baby in March 2021 during a photoshoot for Vogue Germany. In a video for the publication in which she showed off her baby bump, Toni revealed, "I guess what it means for me is my life is definitely changing forever. What was my very first reaction when I found out that I was pregnant? I think the first word that came to me was 'finally!' I was very, very, very excited." You can share this post! Facebook Celebrity The 'Young and the Restless' actor he has had bladder and urination problems, but they worsened during his recovery from a recent knee-replacement surgery. Apr 23, 2023 AceShowbiz - Eric Braeden just revealed that he has been diagnosed with cancer. After getting candid about his health issue in a social media post, "The Young and the Restless" star found himself being showered with love and support by fans. Taking to Facebook, the 82-year-old shared a video of himself opening up about his health scare. He said he has had bladder and urination problems, but they worsened during his recovery from a recent knee-replacement surgery. "I hate to be this personal but I think this may be good for some older guys who may or may not listen to this," Eric said. He then note that he came to the point where he was frequently urinating, about every half hour or so. A urologist later suggested Eric undergo a UroLift, which relieves pressure on the urethra. However, before undergoing that procedure, he said the urination problem "became so bad I couldn't pee." The actor further lamented, "And that my friends I can tell you is one of the most painful experiences I've had." Eric later went to Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles where he was diagnosed with cancer. As a result, he has been instructed to undergo immunotherapy once a week for six weeks. The German-born actor, who just had his second of six immunotherapy, additionally told his fans, "I've learned now to listen to my body more, and not go all out." He then added "So if you've seen me a little under the weather, yeah, I have been, but I will lick this. This bastard aint going to get me, I'm going to get it." After sharing his story, fans were quick to show support for Eric in the comment section. "Sending you love at this time. Will keep you in my thoughts and heart. You are strong. Stay positive! Big Hug!" one person commented. Another penned, "Saying prayers for you. You are a tough cookie. You've got this!" A third, meanwhile, replied, "I'm sending my thoughts and prayers to you Eric. You're a fighter and you will prevail. Love to you." You can share this post! Cover Images Celebrity A rep for the 'Suits' alum slams 'royal correspondents' for fabricating 'ridiculous' rumor and calls an end to the 'exhausting circus that they alone are creating.' Apr 24, 2023 AceShowbiz - Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, insists she is "living in the present" and has debunked suggestions she isn't attending King Charles' coronation because of a letter she wrote to him two years ago. During a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the former "Suits" actress and her husband Prince Harry alleged that a member of his family had speculated on the colour of their then-unborn baby Archie's skin and, it was claimed a few days later, the duchess wrote to her father-in-law to name the person and bring his attention to the "unconscious bias" in the British royal family. And according to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, one of the reasons Meghan isn't joining her husband at the coronation next month is because she believed his reply to her letter to be unsatisfactory, but her spokesperson has now hit back at the speculation. Her representative said in a statement, "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. 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." Meanwhile, Harry - who has children Prince Archie, three, and Princess Lilibet, 22 months, with Meghan - spoke about the "unconscious bias" in his family earlier this year while promoting his memoir "Spare". When ITV interviewer Tom Bradby said to him, "In the Oprah interview you accused members of your family of racism," Harry replied by saying "no I didn't." He went on to add, "There was - there was concern about his skin colour." Asked if he would describe that as racist, Harry, 38, said, "I wouldn't, not having lived within that family. The difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different." You can share this post! Instagram Movie The 'Perry Mason' actor reveals James Bond movie bosses were not impressed by his suggestions to give the iconic British Secret Service agent a 'limp' or an 'eye patch.' Apr 24, 2023 AceShowbiz - Matthew Rhys lost the chance to play James Bond after he suggested the suave spy had "a limp" or an "eye patch." The 48-year-old actor was offered to meet the Broccoli family, who produce the franchise, after Pierce Brosnan had left the franchise but Daniel Craig hadn't been cast, and things went badly wrong when the "Perry Mason" star was asked what he would do with the character. "I do remember a time just before Daniel [Craig] got it. [I went to the Broccolis' office by Hyde Park], this incredible office, looks over the park. Very intimidating. We were just told to wear a dark suit and read 'Casino Royale'. [It was] terrifying," he recalled to The Times magazine when asked if he had ever been approached about the iconic movie series. Matthew told how the producers were sitting behind a table "with Hyde Park behind them," which he described as a "power move" because he had to take a seat facing them all. He continued, "Right, totally. 'Ah, Mr Bond, come in.' " "And they said, 'What would you do differently with Bond?' And I just remember going, 'Ah.' I was so not anticipating that question. And then I was like, is it a trick question? Are they waiting for people to go, 'I wouldn't do anything. He's perfect?' " "[I didn't want to say] 'Oh, it's been a bit one-note for a few decades, hasn't it? I think we can drop the misogynistic jokes.' [So I joked] I'd give him a limp. I said, 'Limp?' Nothing. 'Eye patch?' Nothing." He was then ushered out and the job went to Daniel, who starred in five Bond films until 2021's "No Time to Die". You can share this post! Amritpal Singh, first address the gathering in Gurudwara in Moga and then surrendered before Punjab police in Moga. Confirming the arrest, Punjab Police asked people to maintain peace and not spread false news. In the meantime, police tweeted Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, dont share any fake news, always verify and share. Special aircraft carrying Amritpal Singh has landed at Assams Dibrugarh airport. He will be taken to Dibrugarh jail where eight of his associates, including main aide Papalpreet Singh, are already being held under the National Security Act, which allows detention up to a year without any charge. He was on the run since March 18 after the Punjab police launched a crackdown following the storming of the Ajnala police station by his supporters to secure the release of an arrested associate. Recently, his wife was stopped at the Amritsar airport by immigration officials while she was trying to board a flight to London. Amritpal Singh married UK-based Kirandeep Kaur in February this year. Those who try to disturb peace and harmony will face action as per law, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Sunday, hours after radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested.Mann also thanked the people of Punjab for maintaining peace in the state during an over 30-day-long hunt for Amritpal. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj lauded the work done by the Punjab police and said that everything will be further done legally. This is a great achievement for the Punjab police and the government. Punjab is a sensitive state and the entire operation against Amritpal was done keeping in view that the situation should not worsen. The people in the state do not want violence but peace and harmony, he said. National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning, said Punjabs Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill after Waris Punjab De chiefs arrest. When Francesca Alonso was hired as a teacher in 2018, she never imagined that she would leave the profession a few short years later. Alonso worked in the DeKalb County school district as a special education teacher for pre-K students. From the beginning, she said she received little support from administrators, needed to supplement her own curriculum and had only one paraprofessional to aid her in the classroom despite being promised three. Additionally, Alonso recounted, her students became more physically violent as time went on. Overwhelmed by the demands, Alonso left teaching in the summer of 2022. She isnt alone teachers across Georgia have been resigning from the profession for many of the same reasons. Read more: Teacher shortages across Alabama, US are real, but data is complex. While there is no statewide data on teacher shortages, a number of districts have said they are lacking teachers, according to news reports. The state is attempting to solve the problem by boosting the pay for K-12 educators. Gov. Brian Kemp included a $2,000 a year pay increase in his budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Its the second straight year Kemp, with support from the state legislature, has increased teacher pay. Kemp, a Republican, said in his 2023 State of the State address that because of this raise, the average teacher salary in Georgia will now be over $7,000 higher than the average in the Southeast. Teachers like Alonso say its a good first step but there are other core issues with the education system that arent being addressed. Alonsos complaints are echoed by teachers across the state, according to a yearly survey by Georgias largest teacher advocacy group, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. PAGE found that out of 5,600 educators, 29% of those surveyed indicated that they would not remain in the profession for another five years, citing burnout, salary, student behavior, and school leadership as reasons for departure. PAGE Director of Legislative Services Margaret Ciccarelli said the pay raise could help alleviate the teacher shortage but agrees it isnt a silver bullet. Working conditions are important, Ciccarelli said. That kind of burnout component is another thing thats driving attrition. Kym Barrett is a kindergarten teacher in DeKalb County, and she has experienced many of the same problems in the field as Alonso. In Barretts experience, the increasing workload is another reason people are walking away from the profession. Barrett said that more and more responsibility is being put on teachers shoulders without any time to understand or prepare for their new duties. Barrett agrees with Alonso that while paying people more is never a bad idea, there needs to be a systemic change in the way the profession operates. In order for teachers to do all that is being asked of them, we would need to have more support, Barrett said. As the state budget awaits Kemps signature, Alonso said that she supports the raises for teachers included in the proposal because she believes that salary increases are an important part of combating the shortage. In her personal experience, however, a pay raise wouldnt have kept her from leaving. If I had support from my principal, all of my administration, then I probably wouldve stayed, said Alonso. On April 21, Gov. Kay Ivey forced a top state official to resign. Ivey said Barbara Coopers Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education was distributing teacher training materials that included so-called woke concepts. Cooper became the secretary of the department in 2020 after leading the states nationally acclaimed First Class Pre-K program. Ivey complained about the fourth edition of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Developmentally Appropriate Practice Book. The book is not used in classrooms and is not a curriculum. It is supposed to help preschool teachers provide high-quality care to children and understand how different children learn and grow. Developmentally appropriate practice, according to NAEYC, are educational methods that build on a childs individual strengths and are culturally, linguistically and ability appropriate. In recent years, the organization has increased its focus on equity and inclusion and talked about how different cultures and families view play, individuality and social contexts. In a statement, Ivey spokeswoman Gina Maiola said the governor 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. 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. Read more Ed Lab: Alabama adds 32 new teachers after waiver of Praxis requirements. Read more: Alabama Black History Month programming is affected by CRT rule, educators say. In a 2021 video published on a YouTube channel, apparently operated by a state department, Cooper asked for support for her position on the governing board. My lifes work aligns with NAEYCs vision, she said. This is an awesome time to lead. The pandemic has taught us that America cannot operate or work without childcare, and it is well documented that children thrive in high-quality, equitable learning environments. NAEYC told AL.com on Friday that the teacher training resource has been in use across the country for nearly 40 years. 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. The book is available at the University of Alabama Gorgas Library, Amazon and other e-publishers. Bed Bath & Beyond one of the original big box retailers has filed for bankruptcy protection, following years of dismal sales and losses and numerous failed turnaround plans. The beleaguered home goods chain made the filing Sunday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey and said that its store and websites will remain open for now. It listed estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion and $10 billion. The move comes after the company failed to secure funds to stay afloat. In a statement, the company based in Union, New Jersey, said it voluntarily made the filing to implement an orderly wind down of its businesses while conducting a limited marketing process to solicit interest in one or more sales of some or all of its assets. The firm said its 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 Buy Buy Baby stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers as it begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its retail locations. The company said it also intends to uphold commitments to customers, employees and partners. The retailer said it secured a commitment of roughly $240 million in financing from Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. to allow it to keep operating during the bankruptcy process. The filing comes as the companys shares have tumbled even more as speculation of an impending bankruptcy filing increased. Its financial performance has also deteriorated. In late March, it noted that preliminary results showed anywhere from a 40% to 50% decline in sales at stores opened at least a year for the quarter ended Feb. 25. The company also said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing in late March that it planned to sell $300 million worth of shares to avoid bankruptcy filing. The home goods retailer had been issuing several warnings about a potential bankruptcy filing since earlier this year. In late January, it noted in a government filing it was in default of its loans and didnt have the funds to repay what it owes. The company had said the default is forcing the company to look at various alternatives including restructuring its debt in bankruptcy court. Bed Bath & Beyond warned on Jan. 5 that it was considering various options including filing for bankruptcy and said that there was substantial doubt that it could stay in business. Bed Bath & Beyonds recently appointed president and CEO Sue Gove blamed the poor holiday performance on inventory constraints and reduced credit limits that resulted in shortages of merchandise on store shelves. Typically, struggling retailers file for bankruptcy protection after the holiday shopping season because they have a cash cushion coming from the two-month sales period. So far this year, party supplies chain Party City and Davids Bridal have been among the retailers that have filed for Chapter 11. Still, turning around Bed Bath & Beyond has been difficult amid increasing competition from discounters. The filing also comes as the economy is weakening, and shoppers are tightening their purse strings. The home goods retailer had been trying to turn around its business and slash costs after previous managements new strategies worsened a sales slump. The company announced in August it would close about 150 of its namesake stores and slash its workforce by 20%. It also lined up more than $500 million of new financing. Founded in 1971, Bed Bath & Beyond had for years enjoyed its status as a big box retailer that offered a vast selection of sheets, towels and gadgets unmatched by department store rivals. It was among the first to introduce shoppers to many of todays household items like the air fryer or single-serve coffee maker, and its 15% to 20% coupons were ubiquitous. But for the last decade or so, Bed Bath & Beyond struggled with weak sales, largely because of its messy assortments and lagging online strategy that made it hard to compete with the likes of Target and Walmart, both of which have spruced up their home departments with higher quality sheets and beddings. Shares were hovering close to 30 cents in the past few days. A year ago, shares were trading at around $17. Back in February, the retailer released a list of stores around the country that it planned to close, including in Alabama. Some closures have already occurred, per CNN and Best Buy & Beyond documents: Mothers of homicide victims joined prosecutors and law enforcement Sunday to push for solutions as Birmingham struggles with high rates of violence. The event, organized by Voices of Black Mothers United, happened at Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and included information about resources for victims of violent crime. It also featured a panel discussion about potential solutions, which included an an increased focus on the family and changes to the judicial system to hold more suspects in jail prior to trial. Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr spoke at the event. He said he spent part of the weekend speaking with prosecutors who are handling a recent mass shooting. I cried because there are so many young people who look like us continuing to kill each other, Carr said. I wonder why we cant find that to be a problem. Sheree Kennon, the founder of What About Us, a support group for parents who have lost children to gun violence, lamented the lack of public officials at the event. We are losing too many young Black children, Kennon said. I cant stop it by myself. Where is our city council? Where is our mayor? Fixing this problem is going to take more than my voice. Last year, Birmingham experienced 144 homicides, the highest number in recent history. Already this year, the city has had 39 homicides, according to a representative from the police department. The recent mass shooting in Dadeville killed four people and injured another 32 after gunfire erupted at a teenagers birthday party. Six people between the ages of 15 and 20 have been arrested. But most victims of gun violence dont die in mass shootings that grab national headlines. Jessica Barnes, a member of Voices for Black Mothers United Alabama, said her son died in 2018 at a gas station, just minutes after he walked out of her house. Some participants said that change needs to start in the home, with parents who are more involved with children. Others said the solutions need to include the entire community, including officials and police. Carr agreed with one mother who said too many accused murderers get out on bond before trial. Each and every homicide, we are going to go to court, and we are asking that the person stay in jail, he said. Alabama residents recently voted in Aniahs Law, which allows defendants for some crimes to be held without bail before trial. Jeffrey Moore, mental health services coordinator for Jefferson County Public Schools, said his work has brought him into contact with children in crisis. He some parents often dont know how to comfort kids who have lost friends to violence. I see a lot of pain, Moore said. After the media goes away, Im dealing with those kids every day. The kids come to school just so they can have my team and they can cry all day. Read more: Experts share how to talk to children after shootings, traumatic events. Read more: Gun violence is now leading cause of death among Alabama children. Parents need to better understand mental health and how to help children who are struggling, he said. Carr said too many young people have adopted a cavalier attitude about having and using guns. The real issue is how are we dealing with the mindset of these young people, Carr said. Whats the deal with guns? Why do so many young people have guns? Too many will say: Dead guys dont get out of graves but guys with guns get out of jail. Updated at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, April 24 to remove a reference to Dadeville, Ala. Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed was among African American mayors to meet with President Joe Biden Friday in the Oval Office. Today I had the chance to thank folks on the frontlines of some of our toughest challenges: Mayors, Biden said in a tweet. Our work to build a better America is far from over and we wont be able to do it without the support of leaders (the association). The city leaders were in Washington, D.C. for the African American Mayors Association conference. The organization was founded in 2014 to amplify, advocate, and agitate for equitable policies and resources that our communities deserve, President Shawyn Patterson-Howard, the mayor of Mount Vernon, NY, said on the organizations website. The association provides resources and tools for mayors dealing with issues like COVID-19. We will prioritize public safety, address the affordability crisis, improve healthcare access, and build and reinforce 21st century cities through investments in transportation and infrastructure and lets not forget environmental justice, Patterson-Howard says on the website. Reed is first vice president of the association and is expected to be its next president. The Alabama Supreme Court is considering a question on when Alabama sheriffs can be immune from lawsuits. The case involves the family of a woman who was murdered by her husband after local sheriffs released him from jail despite a judges order to keep him behind bars. In the months and days before Ricky McKee killed both his wife and himself, law enforcement in Blount County downplayed the seriousness of the situation, according to a federal lawsuit filed by the wifes estate. On November 24, 2021, Sheriff Mark Moon and Sergeant Anthony Economes released McKee from the Blount County Jail, despite a judges no-bond order preventing his release, according to the complaint. The next day, McKee murdered his wife and shot himself. Instead of protecting Susie, the defendant Sheriff and Deputies repeatedly ignored her reports of abuse and did not take them seriously. They did not even open an investigation into Rickys escalating abuse, the lawsuit states. The suit argues that law enforcement relied on gender stereotypes in responding to McKees reports of her husbands abuse, minimizing the situation and ignoring her complaints, in violation of the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. Both attorneys for King and for the defendants declined requests to comment for the story. In their response filed in the lawsuit, attorneys for the defendants dispute the claim that law enforcement officers failed to take steps to protect Susie McKee or that they discriminated against her based on her gender. The also deny that law enforcement acted in violation of the law. Defendants deny that they released Ricky in violation of a court order to hold him with no bond, making Susie more vulnerable to Ricky, then Ricky murdered Susie. The case, brought against the sheriff, two deputies and a sergeant by the administrator of Susie McKees estate, Brandi King, was filed in federal court in Alabamas Northern District in November of 2021. Last month federal judge Annemarie Carney Axon granted a motion to send a legal question about sheriffs immunity to the state supreme court for clarification whether sheriffs are entitled to state immunity as individuals in cases including damages. The sheriff, deputies and sergeant in the case claimed that they had immunity from suit and asked the court to dismiss the case. Judge Axon ruled to dismiss the case against the deputies but not against the sheriff and the sergeant because of an exception under state law that denies immunity from employees who act fraudulently or in violation of the law. Attorneys for the sheriff and the sergeant then requested the state court review whether the two would be considered immune from the suit because of how state law protects constitutional officers. One group of state employees, called state agents, which includes most state workers, like DHR staff, and law enforcement officers other than sheriffs, have whats called state agent immunity. State agents are not immune from lawsuits when they act fraudulently or make decisions outside of the scope of their authority or the law. A second category of state employees, like the governor or county sheriffs, are known as constitutional officers, and have heightened immunity from lawsuits for damages. Whether sheriffs have full immunity protections, even when they act outside of the law has emerged as a key question in the case and one that will now be weighed by the state supreme court. During their 31 years together, Ricky Rae McKee physically and emotionally abused his wife, Delilah Sue McKee, called Susie, according to the complaint. Two months before her death, he tried to kick their daughter out of the house and he became violent, kicking and hitting a door. He then took his wifes name off their joint checking and savings accounts, according to the complaint, and disconnected her phone. McKee and her sister reached out to Deputy Joshua Southwell at the sheriffs department and told him that McKee was becoming abusive and that he had been abusive in the past, according to the complaint. He (the deputy) promised to look after Susie, but did not investigate her reports of abuse, the complaint states. Sheriffs deputies were called to the McKees house multiple times in September of 2021, including when McKee tried to have his adult son arrested for trespassing and when his daughter called the department because her father was taking furniture and electronics from the house. Ricky McKee had the water turned off at the house and filed for divorce. On October 4, Susie McKee filed for a protective order against her husband, testifying he had stalked her, restrained her, and sexually and physically abused her, according to the complaint. The judge entered the protection order and set a hearing. On October 18, Ricky McKee applied to the sheriffs department to renew his pistol permit, but the sheriff denied it without court approval. The next month, McKee followed his wife to a bar, violating the restraining order by photographing her. A few days later, he stole her car while she was inside the bar. He made her ride with him to get her car, and then parked his car in front of hers, blocking her into her driveway, according to the complaint. By November, McKee had broken into his wifes house with a rifle and a pistol, assaulted Susie and threatened to kill her. Deputy Michael Hicks was called to the house, where he took McKees rifle and gave Susie McKees her exs pistol to protect herself against him in the future. The complaint alleges that the sheriffs department could have further investigated McKees prior crimes to charge him for stalking and kidnapping his wife. Instead, it released McKee with a $2,500 bond for domestic violence, despite a judges no-bond order. Susie McKee heard from a friend who checked the department website that her husband had been released from jail and went to stay in a hotel, fearing for her life. The next day, she learned that her daughter had gone to her house. Fearing for her daughter, she drove home. Her husband came to the house, forced open a door to the house, kicked open the door to Susie McKees room and shot her to death. He went in search of his daughter, who hid in a closet, before shooting himself to death. Antarctica is stunning not only in its immeasurable geographic scale and unprecedented wildlife but the litany of big picture stories raising global awareness about climate change. Just this past week a groundbreaking article appeared in the prestigious journal Nature where scientists reported that major ocean currents in Antarctica are beginning to slow and warm because of increased Antarctic meltwater. Deep Antarctic currents are a key component of the Great Ocean Conveyer Belt that transports cold, abyssal Antarctic water into both the southern and northern hemispheres. Remarkably, changes in our climate in the United States are influenced by Antarctic currents that travel from the Southern Ocean up in to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. Currents from the Southern Ocean influence our atmospheric pressure, humidity, air temperatures and wind patterns. The potential impacts of a slowing and warming Antarctic current could be dramatic, even impeding the flow of the Gulf Stream and rendering Arctic conditions to northern Europe. The warming of the deep Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) has additional big picture impacts. Studies funded by the National Science Foundation have discovered that predatory king crabs, formerly held at bay by the icy cold temperature are now moving up the Antarctic Slope from deeper water. If king crabs reach the shelf waters of Antarctica, their impact on prey populations such as clams, snails and other shelled invertebrates could be catastrophic. Antarctic marine invertebrates that live on the shelf have never had to confront crushing predators. Accordingly, they are weakly shelled and vulnerable to being crushed and eaten. The rewriting of the seafloor ecology of the Antarctic shelf due to a pending king crab invasion would be yet another big picture impact an outcome of climate change that could very well result in significant loss of biodiversity. Another big picture implication of the anthropogenic warming of the ACC is its capacity to accelerate the melting of Antarcticas sea-ice, ice shelves, and glaciers. One famous case in point is the Thwaites Glacier located in western Antarctica adjacent to the Amundsen Sea. Scientists were surprised to discover that this glacier is retreating at an unprecedented rate, the result largely of warming ocean currents passing under the tongue of the glacier. Measurements indicate that the Thwaites Glacier retreated 14 kilometers over just a two-decade period (1992-2011). Scientists are concerned because the Thwaites Glacier is a figurative cork that slows the flow of the two to three-mile-thick western ice sheet into the sea. It is possible that the loss of the Thwaites Glacier could result in the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, an event that would herald dramatic increases in global sea level rise. While sea-ice losses and gains vary across different regions of Antarctica, scientists now predict that within a few decades the sea-ice along the rapidly warming WAP will disappear. One of the three brushtail penguin species that lives on the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) that will surely suffer is the sea-ice dependent Adelie penguin. Colonies of Adelie penguins on islands near the U.S. Palmer Station on the central WAP declined by 90% since the mid-1970s. According to penguin expert Dr. Bill Fraser, the Adelie penguins near Palmer Station are suffering from increases in humidity from warming temperatures that result in unseasonal, late snowfall events that bury and kill the eggs of the Adelie penguins. Additionally, the Adelies are losing the sea-ice along the WAP which serves as a platform to toboggan on their feathered bellies to reach the ice edge facilitate feeding on shrimp-like krill. Antarctica has an abundance of game-changing, big picture, global, climate change stories to share. Fortunately, these wake-up stories are not all predicated on bad news. For example, there is the recent discovery of 1.5 million Adelie penguins on the Danger Islands, located just east of the tip of the WAP where temperatures are still low. Might these islands remain a repository for Adelie penguins should humanity slow down its pace of warming the earth? We can only hope, or we can spring to action to address climate change with the wondrous technology already in hand. I encourage everyone to choose the latter this Earth Day. Dr. James McClintock is Endowed University Professor of Polar and Marine Biology at UAB, and author of Lost Antarctica (MacMillan). American forces carried out a precarious evacuation of U.S. embassy personnel in Sudan, President Joe Biden said late Saturday, calling for the end to unconscionable violence there as two rival leaders battled for power in the African country. Biden thanked the U.S. troops who carried out the mission to extract American staffers in Sudan. With the last American embassy worker out, Washington shuttered the U.S. mission in Khartoum indefinitely. The U.S. said it had no current plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of an estimated 16,000 other Americans remaining in Sudan, calling the situation too dangerous. Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist those remaining Americans in Sudan to the extent possible. The roughly 70 American staffers were airlifted from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the mission. U.S. troops carried out the operation as fighting between two armed Sudanese commanders which has killed more than 400, put the nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its bordersmoved into 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. Biden also thanked Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia for their help with the mission. 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. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, Biden said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. The State Department has suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might resume functioning. The widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our Embassy personnel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. The fighting erupted April 15 between two factions whose leaders are vying for control over the country. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. An estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist those remaining Americans in Sudan to the extent possible. 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. Fighting in Sudan between forces loyal to two top generals has put that nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its borders. The fighting, which began as Sudan attempted to transition to democracy, already has left millions trapped in urban areas, sheltering from gunfire, explosions and looters. Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said Saturday 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 rival Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, in a Twitter posting said it cooperated with U.S. forces. The U.S. evacuation planning got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that U.S. troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. 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. Embassy evacuations conducted by the U.S. military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transportation if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, staffers used commercial transport to leave. However, in several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. U.S. troops accompanied personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. Boogaloo boys, Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are often referred to as alt-right militias who appear at demonstrations wearing military fatigues, Kevlar vests or polo shirts. But that attire is not singled out in Alabama legislation that aims to increase criminal penalties against gang members. Tattoos and certain street clothing, however, are listed as an identifying feature of a gang member. Those features could lead to stepped-up penalties for people participating in crimes benefiting a gang, according to the legislation. The differences are sparking a racially charged statehouse debate pitting Alabamas mostly Black Democratic Caucus against the mostly white Republican supermajority. The State House showdown boils down to the definition of a gang and gang members as specified in legislation that would enhance criminal penalties against people who commit crimes and who are identified as a member of a gang. There isnt a bill more important than this one to me, said State Senator Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham. This is taking a whole race of people and throwing them into another category. Emotions were high on Wednesday while the legislation was debated in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The issue prompted one Democratic lawmaker to urge his Republican colleagues to scrap the word gang and replace it with criminal enterprise, which the Alabama Attorney Generals Office the agency pushing for the legislation says it would not object to doing. Lets also look at using language to include terrorist groups, the mafia, and hate groups, said Senator Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro. Not just gangs. Profiling or protection? The two bills SB143 and HB191 advanced out of the House and Senate Judiciary committees within the past two weeks. The committees approved the bills despite anguished opposition from Black lawmakers who say the definitions of a gang member is akin to legal profiling. Both bills also add enhanced penalties for using or possessing a gun when committing a crime while promoting gang activity. They also would charge juveniles over 16 as an adult if they are participating in any gang-related crime. Supporters say the legislation is merely using a definition of a gang that has been established in Alabama since 1998. The identifiers for a gang member, they say, are used by the federal government and mirrors other states. State Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa (front row) and State Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Birmingham (back row) during an April 19, 2023, meeting of the Alabama Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Its not something new nor originated here, said State Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Birmingham, sponsor of HB191. Its something we are learning from what others are doing to try and address the violent crime and dealing with individuals affiliated with gangs. The legislation has the backing of over 160 law enforcement officials in Alabama and its introduction comes at a time when violent crime, specifically shootings, continue to plague the states cities. Alabama has no law on the books aimed at combatting or deterring gang activity and gang violence, according to an April 11 letter signed by the law enforcement officials. The legislation would elevate any felony committed to promote the interest of a gang automatically to its next highest level. The same would apply to the use of firearms intended to promote gang activity. The legislation states that gun-related gunplay will result in no less than 5 years and up to 30 years of imprisonment. Far too many Alabamians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods because of gang violence, Marshall said in a statement to AL.com. Thats why this legislation has received broad bipartisan support from police chiefs and sheriffs statewide. Racial undertones Defining who could be a gang member is based on whats already defined through federal and state laws dating back to the 1994 federal crime bill that led to stricter punishments for gang members. Alabama is one of 43 states including Washington, D.C., which have some sort of definition for gangs that closely follows federal language, according to the National Gang Center. The federal definition labels a gang as an association of three or more individuals who collectively adopt some sort of group symbol or identity (examples include sign language, colors, names), and engage in criminal activity. Under HB191 and SB143, a gang member is defined as someone who meet one or more of the following: admits to membership in a gang, identified as a gang member by a parent or guardian, or is identified as gang member by an informant. Seven identifying criteria are then included within language of both bills. At least three or more of the following must be met to be identified as a gang member: Adopts the style of dress of a gang. Adopts the use of a hand sign identified as used by a gang. Has a tattoo identified as used by a gang. Is identified as a gang member by physical evidence. Has been observed in the company of one or more known gang members four or more times. Has authored communication indicating responsibility for the commission of any crime by a gang. Matthew Valasik, an associate professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Alabama, said there are definitely racial undertones with the gang definitions utilized in Alabama and elsewhere. He also said there are class undertones as well. At LSU, there was an individual who died from a hazing and five to six guys were charged, said Valasik, a former professor at Louisiana State University and co-author of the 2020 book, Alt-Right Gangs: A Hazy Shade of White. They were all young white guys, Valasik said. If we pick that incident up and move it a few blocks off campus in another neighborhood, I can guarantee you that the prosecutors would have charged them with a gang enhancement. Unintended consequences Sen. Bobby Singleton speaks about a ban on nearly all abortions during a debate in the senate chamber in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Ala., on Tuesday, May 14, 2019. (Mickey Welsh/The Montgomery Advertiser via AP)AP Democratic lawmakers argue the legislation is filled with potential unintended consequences that single out Blacks. People use the word gang so frivolously that we dont know who is in a gang or not, Singleton said. He said he fears the legislation could lead to innocent people labeled as a gang, such as those affiliated with a fraternity. Im in a fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, and I wear letters and all my brothers wear letters, said Singleton. I throw up a sign. I have a tattoo on my shoulder. Im definitely not in a gang. He added, There are many of us out there like that. If I stand on a corner with fraternity brothers, and one of the brothers goes off and does a commission of a crime, does that mean (Im) associated with a gang because he was wearing the same Omega shirt at the time? Senator Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, argued the definitions were subjective. Are we throwing the Masons, Eastern Stars, and all of the fraternities in there and going out to the college campuses I guess you could round them all up, she said. Thats a gang. Singleton urged Republicans to remove the word gang and replace it with criminal enterprise. By doing so, he said, the legislation could also apply to groups that are not often associated with urban Black gangs like hate groups and the mafia. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall at a Turning Point USA event on Monday, April 10, 2023, at the Marx Library on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Marshalls office said its not interested in fighting over the terminology and would welcome to replacing the term with criminal enterprise. Valasik, who has argued for alt-white groups to be labeled as a street gang, said changing the name will take a little bit of the racial component out of it. Its one of those things that at the end of the day, it comes down to the application of the law, he said. Republicans during the two committee meetings did not hint that they would do so, though they said they were interested in addressing concerns from Democratic lawmakers before the bills made it to either the full House or Senate for debate. Thats the problem with this bill, Smitherman said to his GOP colleagues. You all never have been Black. Combating violent crime Alabama State Senator William Barfoot, R-Pike Road, on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at the State House in Montgomery, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). The legislations supporters say the Democrats are overstating concerns. They say the only time someone would face enhanced penalties for gang membership under the legislation is if they are first convicted with an underlying violent crime. Secondarily, there has to be proof beyond a reasonable doubt that person was in a gang, or they were benefitting a criminal enterprise, said State Senator Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, sponsor of SB143. Said Treadaway, Some folks arent happy with the term gang, or as its defined in there. But you have to understand that you have to commit a violent crime (first) and then the judge has to be convinced, during the prosecution of the case, that you are affiliated with a gang. He added, If youre not committing these crimes, or hanging with gangs with criminal records, you dont have anything to worry about. Treadaway said the legislation is needed at a time when cities are facing what he says is a surge in violent crime. Some recent reporting suggests violent crime might be declining. In Mobile, where street gang activity was blamed for a deadly New Years Eve shooting, an annual report released last week shows an overall 10% drop in violent crime from 2021 to 2022. Homicides went down 19%, and robberies were down 25%. Birmingham was a different story in 2022, according to data compiled by AL.com. The Magic Citys 2022 was the deadliest on record in 89 years, with 142 homicides, and an alarming per capita homicide rate of 72.9 slayings per 100,000 people. Related content: Violent crime is going up, said Treadaway, a retired assistant police chief with the Birmingham Police Department. And the violators are getting younger and younger, and we are losing lives. I wished the discussion would move to just how many folks are shot, murdered, and killed. Ive been on the scenes of so many murders, too many to count, during my career in the city of Birmingham. A worker was shot to death Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, at the Elyton Meat Market on Center Street and Third Avenue. (Carol Robinson) Birmingham is showing signs of improvement. Through the first quarter of the year, violent crime has dropped by double digits. Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond told AL.com earlier this month that neighborhood street gangs beefing with each other is one of the concerns for the city as it continues to combat violent crime. What we are trying to do is save lives, Treadaway said. Derryn Moten, chairman of the history and political sciences department at Alabama State University, said he fears the approach might do more to increase the number of youths going to prison. I think true gangs are organized and their members are affiliated, said Moten. I fear that the possible loose definitions of gangs will result in further criminalization of Black and brown youth allowing some lawmakers to punish them more harshly. But after months of investigation, law enforcement officials now suspect that the 50-foot yacht, the Andromeda, was probably not the only vessel used in the audacious attack. They also say the boat may have been a decoy, put to sea to distract from the true perpetrators, who remain at large, according to officials with knowledge of an investigation led by Germanys attorney general. ...Experts noted that while it was theoretically possible to place the explosives on the pipeline by hand, even skilled divers would be challenged submerging more than 200 feet to the seabed and slowly rising to the surface to allow time for their bodies to decompress. More on the sailboat as "decoy" - and 'evidence' which seems planted and overly obvious: The German investigation has determined that traces of "military-grade" explosives found on a table inside the boats cabin match the batch of explosives used on the pipeline. Several officials doubted that skilled saboteurs would leave such glaring evidence of their guilt behind. They wonder if the explosive traces collected months after the rented boat was returned to its owners were meant to falsely lead investigators to the Andromeda as the vessel used in the attack. "The question is whether the story with the sailboat is something to distract or only part of the picture," said one person with knowledge of the investigation. Polish and Ukrainian state connections? In late March, Bill Maher remarked that we have all kinds of days for religious believers and asked why we dont have an Atheists Day. Maher suggests that religious believers could use that day to ask Why (do I believe)? because the belief in God is belief in ghosts. As usual, Mahers questions are not serious but are part of his act. But theologians and philosophers have come up with powerful reasons to believe in God. One is St. Anselms ontological argument that purports to deduce Gods existence from the mere concept of God (roughly, the argument that the possibility of God implies the actual existence of God). Thomas Aquinas (13th-century Catholic philosopher/theologian), holds that there are five ways to prove the existence of God: 1.) the argument from motion, 2.) the argument from causation (the first cause argument), 3.) the argument from contingency, 4.) the argument from supreme perfection, and 5.) the argument from final causes (also called the teleological argument or the argument from design). As objections are raised against one these arguments philosophers have continually come up with a new formulation that escapes that objection, resulting in a plethora of formulations of all of these arguments. Whether the Ontological Argument and Aquinas five ways work or not is extremely difficult to say. However, many of the great philosophers believe that one or more of them does work. Norman Malcolm (1911-1990), one of Cornell Universitys most famous professors in its entire history,, believes that a modal version of the ontological argument (based on the logic of necessity and possibility) works. Charles Hartshorne (1897-2000), who still hold the record for earning all three degrees, B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in four years at Harvard, also argued that a version of the ontological argument is sound. Alexander Pruss (1973-present), who holds PhDs in both mathematics and philosophy, asserts that a new version of the cosmological argument works. Ludwig Wittgenstein, for his part, appears to believe in God on non-rational Kierkegaardian existential grounds. Wittgenstein also states that Life can educate one to believe in God or force this concept on one (in order to make sense of the universe). The reason it is so difficult to feel certain that one has even grasped these arguments is that all of them take one to the very limits of human understanding. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), in his Critique of Pure Reason, divides arguments for Gods existence into three types, the ontological argument, the cosmological argument, and the argument from design, which he calls the physio-theological argument. Kant argues that since human knowledge is always conditioned by the human condition, and since the questions about Gods existence concern purported knowledge of the unconditioned, none of the arguments for Gods existence work. One must, he says, deny knowledge [of God] to make room for faith. The common view is that since Kant denies knowledge of the unconditioned, and since knowledge of God would be knowledge of the unconditioned, he denies that any possible proof of Gods existence can succeed. In fact, what Kant actually says about the argument from design is that since it is most commensurate with common human reason and because any attempt to detract from [its] authority would be hopeless he [Kant] has no objection against the rationality of this procedure and must recommend and encourage it. In brief, although he holds that the argument from design may not rise to the level of an absolutely certain proof, it would be irrational not to believe it and it acts as a rational support to faith! The point of this brief survey of some of the high points in the history of rational theology is that the question of Gods existence is a serious business, not a matter for eternal undergraduates who pretend to know things they are not equipped to know. The greatest minds in human history have taken different stances on this question but a fair number of them have concluded that some of these proofs do work. Since Maher has no expertise in philosophy or theology, he commits the straw man fallacy, i.e., he distorts the religious believers views into something silly and then attacks the silly view. Maher lectures us only to believe in what is visible. Does that mean one should not believe in numbers, classes, abstract universals (like humanity), theoretical entities like electrons, and subjective thoughts and feelings? Maher also finds it telling that some religious people believe in ghosts (presumably, the Holy Ghost). In fact, the etymology of the word ghost, in the Biblical use, tracing to from Proto-West Germanic gaistaz, means "soul, spirit, life. This has nothing to do with the meaning of word ghost in the ordinary sense of the manifested spirit of a dead person. This is why Hegels 1807 Phanomenologie des Geistes is translated into English as Phenomenology of Spirit, not as Phenomenology of Ghosts. It is because ghost in the Biblical sense means life or spirit that Aquinas states that God is life itself (Summa Theologica, Que. 3, Art 3). Thus, Mahers argument against belief in God based on the meaning of the word ghost is a fallacy of semantic equivocation (i.e., he substitutes the vulgar meaning of the word ghost for the actual Biblical meaning). Maher also thereby commits a fallacy of ad hominem abuse (roughly, name-calling) in his effort to demean people who believe differently from himself. It is now possible to answer Mahers two questions, 1.) Why do believers not stop and ask why they believe, and 2.) Why there is no Atheists Day to glorify non-believers like himself. The answer to his first question is that that for several thousand years, people have asked precisely that question and provide quite sophisticated answers to it, although Bill displays no knowledge of them whatsoever. The answer to the second question, why there is no Atheists Day, is that we generally commemorate special days for people who believe in something, e.g., Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, Jews, Christians, etc., not for people who dont believe in anything (or in very much). We do not normally have a Sophists Day for people, who dont believe in truth or reason or a Nihilists Day for people who believe in nothing. This is partly because not believing in something is easy. One doesnt have to defend anything. One doesnt even have to think or research at all. One can sit on the sidelines and make money by making childish quips about people who do believe in something. Image: E.J. Pace In his well-known history of Western civilization, Edward Gibbon (17371794) offered an interesting "what if" scenario concerning the pivotal Battle of Tours (732 A.D.). Then and there, a massive Muslim army which had terrorized, slaughtered, and enslaved every Christian in its path was finally halted and defeated by the Franks in the middle of France. Had the Muslims actually won, Gibbon predicted that [p]erhaps the interpretation of the Koran would now be taught in the schools of Oxford, and her pulpits might demonstrate to a circumcised people [meaning Brits would now be Muslim] the sanctity and truth of the revelation of Muhammad. Today, of course, not only is the "revelation of Muhammad" being taught and honored at Oxford, but Christianity is increasingly being canceled for its sake. Most recently, [a] decision by an Oxford university college not to celebrate St George's Day with a formal dinner has been branded 'barking mad.' Magdalen College has decided against continuing an annual pre-pandemic banquet celebrating the English saint that drew together Oxford students, dons and fellows. Instead, the only occasion the college will observe on the day is Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic festival marking the end of Ramadan. The college will hold a formal dinner marking Eid on April 23, honouring a request made by its Muslim students. An email from college vice president Professor Nick Stargardt ... outlines plans for a 'festive dinner' celebrating the occasion. The invitation, sent to hundreds of students and their lecturers, adds the meal will 'follow Muslim customs.' Cooks will prepare a halal meat dish with no alcohol served to diners. Oxford had for years celebrated Saint George's Day. Once the pandemic arrived in 2020, however, the day was ("temporarily") suspended, and now, following that "reset," Islam has taken its place. This move, incidentally, is meant to appease Islam in more ways than one. Although the patron saint of England for some seven centuries, Saint George has increasingly been a cause of concern because he "offends" Muslims. For example, according to a 2013 report, [a] town [in England] has voted not to fly the flag of St George in case it offends Muslims. Radstock in Somerset has a population of 5,620, 16 of them Muslim [meaning 0. 3% of the population is Muslim.] ... But a Labour councillor said the red and white cross could upset people because of its links to the Crusades. Even the Church of England distances itself from Saint George, whom it characterizes as "too warlike and offensive to Muslims." How did things come to such a pass? Once loved and venerated by England, the dragon-slaying saint is now canceled. And once feared and abhorred, the things of Islam including now a "sacrificial" dinner are being honored in his place. To be sure, this was always Islam's intention; century after century, Muslims waged jihad after jihad to conquer all of Europe. Although England was unlike Spain, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans never conquered, it too experienced its share of Muslim raids, including for slaves. Indeed, from 1627 to 1633, Lundy, an island just off the west coast of Britain, was actually occupied by Muslim pirates from North Africa, who pillaged England at will. Back then, when Islam was a formidable force, Englishmen not a few inspired by George and other saints fought tooth and nail to repulse the terrorists and safeguard their homeland's faith and heritage. Today, however, when Islam is weak and easily confined, the United Kingdom finds itself bending over backwards to take in and cater to more and more Muslim migrants many of whom, rather than show gratitude, display Islam's traditional contempt for and prey on "infidels." Islam, as the saying goes, won without firing a single shot. And that is because there are no more Defenders of the West at least not in positions that matter. Returning to the Battle of Tours, another historian (Godefroid Kurth, d. 1916), described it as "one of the great events in the history of the world, as upon its issue depended whether Christian Civilization should continue or Islam prevail throughout Europe." At one point during the heat of battle, the Frankish leader, Charles "the Hammer," was surrounded by jihadists, but "he fought as fiercely as the hungry wolf falls upon the stag. By the grace of Our Lord, he wrought a great slaughter upon the enemies of Christian faith," wrote a chronicler. "Then was he first called 'Martel,' for as a hammer of iron, of steel, and of every other metal, even so he dashed and smote in the battle all his enemies." Not only are such men who sacrificed everything to preserve their heritage largely gone from the Western landscape, but now, even the symbolic Defenders of Christendom's storied past, such as Saint George, have been targeted for termination. In short, Muslims finally prevailed in the West, not by force of arms, but because Christians lost including themselves. Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum. Image: Acabashi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped). Whether you have children or remember your high school days, you remember that Advanced Placement (AP) classes attracted the strivers in any schools, the ones who wanted to take an ostensibly college-level class in a given subject, whether to have a more interesting class, to gain college credits or (nowadays) to get extra grade points. These are the kids who pay attention, and who will soon be voting, so it matters tremendously that many of todays AP U.S. History books defame Donald Trump, a treatment they do not give any other president, including Bill Clinton. Greg Price took the time to review five of the most commonly used AP U.S. History textbooks that cover all the way through the presidency. It was an eye-opening experience and a very disturbing one. Without exception, they repeat as true defamatory claims about Trump, including the disproven Russia collusion hoax, and Clarence Thomas, as well as giving the leftist version of Trayvon Martins and Michael Browns deaths. One even implies that Trump supporters murdered Brian Sicknick on January 6. Some generally disparage conservatives. Image: Classroom by standret. Here's Prices summary of the books but I urge you to read beyond the summary. Price backs up his claims with screen grabs from the books: Nearly all of the textbooks claim Russian meddling was responsible for the 2016 election of Donald Trump, despite that narrative being debunked through multiple studies and news reports. A New York University Center for Social Media and Politics study found that Russian Twitter accounts had no measurable impact on the 2016 election. Facebooks internal investigation also found that 56% of the $100K worth of Facebook ads purchased by Russians in 2016 were viewed on the platform after the election was over. They also leave out all the details of how the Trump/Russia media narrative unraveled. None of them mention the phony Steele Dossier, how the FBI abused FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) to spy on Trump, the illegal unmasking of Michael Flynn, how officials like John Brennan, James Clapper, and Rep. Adam Schiff lied to the public about Russian collusion, or the role Hillary Clintons campaign played in feeding false Trump/Russia stories to the press. Many of the books also cover in depth the unproven sexual misconduct allegations against President Trump and Justice Clarence Thomas while altogether leaving out any mentions of the many similar allegations against President Bill Clinton. In addition, they all repeat debunked narratives about the Trayvon Martin shooting, and cover the Michael Brown shooting without acknowledging that the Obama Justice Department found the hands up dont shoot narrative was a complete fabrication. One textbook covers Officer Brian Sicknicks death without clarifying that he died of natural causes from a stroke. The only one that covers the coronavirus pandemic claims that wet markets were the most likely origin of the virus while leaving out the lab leak theory. One textbook says that Donald Trumps message in 2016 appealed successfully to nostalgia for a time when people of color and women knew their place, that Donald Trump tweeting about how LeBron James and Maxine Waters lack in intelligence is racist, and that Trumps election was responsible for hurricanes. Another attributes Trumps victory in 2016 to angry white men. One book contains the Trump Charlottesville very fine people on both sides hoax and another flat out falsely claims Trump never condemned Charlottesville at all. Again, please look at Prices entire essay. You need to know how deep the rot goes in American education. Whether false or biased, this is what is being pumped into the best and brightest students, the ones with brains like sponges, across America. Its happening at woke and conservative schools, and at schools both public and private. These future college students and voters are being plied with anti-conservative misinformation from teachers they trustand its likely that their parents trust these teachers too. If you have students in high school, I urge you to find out which books they are reading and to lodge your protest with the schools. You can't have a Republican Party if you don't have a coherent and cohesive agenda. What do Republicans stand for? We can't answer that question and get all Republicans to agree, judging by the way they vote with Democrats sometimes. But with Democrats, you ask them what they stand for and they will all agree: Climate change mandates, avoidance of fossil fuels, trans rights, gay rights, drag rights, abortion, "social justice", pedophilia, free stuff, socialized medicine, anti-capitalism, dissolution of the Constitution, gun confiscation, the abolition of private property, defunding police, liberality in prosecuting criminals, legalizing all recreational drugs, DEI, SEL, ESG, CRT. Democrats are all in for lewdness, looseness, and loudness. The Left have a concrete agenda and it does not involve freedom, liberty, and self-sufficiency. It does not involve being left alone and leaving others alone to pursue happiness except when it is they doing the pursuing of said happiness. Republicans are not allowed to pursue happiness if Democrats have anything to do with it. Progressivism will seep into every conservative crack, like laundry scum. They are not content doing their own thing. They want to do ours as well. Republicans are notoriously squishy. People like Linsey Graham, who waxes hot and cold when it comes to being a conservative, are the ones hurting our brand, such as it is. Romney & Co. (the RINOs), have given conservatism not just a bad name, but another name: Cowards. You will rarely see a Democrat break ranks or speak out against his party, but you can put money on a dozen Republicans breaking ranks. We must rid ourselves of these Quislings, who, for the comfortable conscience of capitulation, are only too willing to virtue-signal until their raised hands get fatigued. Surrender to the alleged superior tolerance and progressiveness seems to be what allows RINOs to sleep at night, while keeping the rest of us awake, wondering what fresh new surrender lurks behind the comity of the faceless surrender-monkeys among us. We do need a new Party, but we cannot win with a separate party, a third party. What must happen is that the true conservatives in the GOP must wrest control of it from the squishes. Launch a massive, persistent and consistent but simple multi-point agenda that everyone, in both parties can understand and get on board with. If we are ever to win another election, given the massive cheating that is going on, we have to change some Democrat minds as well as the GOP squishes who refuse to vote because they're sick of the GOP. Many Democrats are sick of the wokeness and want their party back from the Squad, from the Jew-haters, from the sexually-perverse and from the cultural F-bomb that has lain its toxic fallout over the Democrat Party. I suggest we give it to them, slightly modified. Here is a proposed agenda for a new GOP. Add your own: The elimination of any and all race-based programs, curricula, or political philosophy in American business and education. This includes DIE, CRT, ESG, and SEL. Energy independence with nuclear power as a real goal. The reduction of taxes across the board. Fire all the heads of all Agencies, including the FBI, SEC, FCC, CIA, EPA, and IRS, who show bias of any kind. Free the Jan. 6 prisoners and lock up the real criminals who are turning blue cities into bloody prisons. Go back to paper ballots. The removal of all Chinese police stations, property-gobbling, and other sinister buyups by Chinese nationals. Removal of all sex-based curricula, drag queenery, and anti-white segregation in public schools and colleges. Then defund these colleges if they will not let conservatives speak. A hands-off approach to Churches and synagogues. This is hallowed ground. That's enough for now. Just nine simple ideas. But so far, we have heard only one attempted "Contract with America" from Republicans and that was months ago. No follow up, nada, zip, zero, zilch. So far, we have had Congressional hearings which seem to go nowhere, good only for a day's TV coverage. The Left won't answer questions honestly and they lie. What good is actually coming of this? The GOP has no consistency, and no real agreement within the Party. This must change or we should just surrender. Sometimes, it already seems as though we have. YouTube screengrab Last week, the mainstream media gleefully reported the arrest of a low-ranking, 21-year-old Air National Guardsman from Massachusetts named Jack Teixeira, who apparently, on an internet chat site, divulged state secrets in violation of the Espionage Act and embarrassed the Biden administration. A small army of combat-fatigued FBI agents, wearing combat helmets and camos, armed with AR-15s and looking like 82nd Airborne Division wannabes parachuting beyond the lines at Normandy on D-Day, arrested the unarmed 21-year-old Teixeira, at home, alone. Teixeira has no known record of violence, isnt a bombmaker or a nightclub shooter, and wasnt indicted on a violent crime. But they came with enough firepower to storm the beachhead at Iwo Jima, displaying a look-at-me swagger, like when they arrested poor old Roger Stone. The FBIs made-for-TV heavy-handedness aside, per the indictment, the kid arrested was only 19 years old when Bidens foolish military decision-makers entrusted him with a TOP SECRET clearance. As the media droned on over all the damage from Teixeiras actions, the first question we should ask is how the heck does Biden Pentagon justify giving a TOP SECRET clearance to a 19-year-old kid, who in most states, cant legally drink a beer? To be clear, and to understand the significance of this classification, the U.S. military and federal government recognize three basic levels of security clearances: (1) Confidential; (2) Secret, and (3) Top Secret. While sometimes lower-ranked, younger service members might need or warrant lower-level clearances like Confidential and possibly even Secret, consider the criteria and consequencess for awarding the highly-sensitive Top Secret clearance. Top Secret clearance holders have access to confidential materials for which unauthorized disclosure could cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security. Perhaps such foolishness like giving a Top Secret clearance to a teenager, where even inadvertent disclosure could cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security is as much an indictment of the Biden administrations lax combat readiness policies, and distracted obsession with having a woke military, as much as the kids actions are on the kid. Lets get this straight. Bidens Pentagon gives a TS clearance to a kid, who can legally drink chocolate milk but not beer, and then gets all worked up when he spills the beans for something he should never have been entrusted with from the beginning? Sen. Lindsey Graham was so upset about all this - a 19-year-old with a TS clearance, that he called for people to be fired." Sen. Graham is on the mark here. What is the Pentagon thinking? Governmental foolishness abounds in all this: the Pentagon, the FBIs unnecessary combat patrol made-for-TV display sensationalism, and the kid himself. All foolish. Except for Tucker Carlson, the mainstream media's reaction, from CNN to MSNBC, the New York Times, and Washington Post, focused on shooting the messenger but ignoring the message. But the message cannot be ignored. Among the information spilled are revelations of the Biden administration spying on friends and foes alike. But bigger questions surround this case, hot-potato questions the media wont touch, with the hottest being this: Do the Teixeira revelations expose a violation of the War Powers Act by Biden? But most disturbing, are claims of United States Special Forces inside the red-hot Ukrainian war zone, months after Biden boasted there will be no boots on the ground, a boast perhaps as credible as his blathering that if you take the vax, you wont get COVID. If United States Special Forces advisors are on the ground, in the midst of a kinetic war, supporting Ukraine's military against Russia, not only do Americans have a right to know, as major wars have been ignited by the slightest of hair triggers, but a larger question must now be examined: Has Joe Biden violated the War Powers Act? Section Two of the War Powers Act of 1973 requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of the commission of United States forces into hostilities, or placing forces in a position where hostilities are imminent. Specifically, the president must notify Congress if America forced are placed: (1) into hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances; (2) into the territory, airspace, or waters of a foreign nation, while equipped for combat, except for deployments which relate solely to supply, replacement, repair, or training of such forces; And therein lies the question. If Biden ordered Special Forces on the ground, in Ukraine, working alongside active-duty Ukrainian forces engaged in battle, has he in effect placed American troops in a situation where those American forces are or will be imminently involved with hostilities? Or what if they are only assigned to the embassy, say for security? U.S. Special Forces guarding the U.S. Embassy? Really? Some claim that Special Forces have been dispatched to provide security to the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. But the notion of Green Berets dispatched to protect a U.S. Embassy, on a long-term basis, is not credible. The United States Marine Corps, not U.S. Special Forces, has handled American embassy security for years. Marines have a school in Quantico to provide special training for embassy security. Could Green Berets protect the embassy if they wanted to? Sure. But thats not their principal mission. Thats the Marine Corps mission. After the Teixeira revelations, the U.S. government appears to have fessed up, at least to the embassy part. Per ABC News, reporting on April 12, A small U.S. military special operations team has been based at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv since early in the war in Ukraine that began in February 2022." On April 18, the National Security publication Task & Purpose chimed in. The troops at the embassy provide security for American diplomats on the ground and to make sure the weapons sent by the United States to Ukraine go where they are intended to, a U.S. official told Task & Purpose. In other words, the Special Operators are really there to funnel U.S. Weapons to Ukrainian troops fighting the Russians. The security ruse is bait-and-switch window dressing to hide behind Bidens real reason for the Special Operators' presence in the embassy, active participation in the war, by directing the flow of weapons to Ukrainian combatants. Put another way, Biden seems to be using the U.S. Embassy as an epicenter for weapons running, to make sure the weapons sent by the United States to Ukraine go where they are intended to. Thats Bidens real reason for U.S. Special Forces in the embassy, to be part of the Ukrainian armys supply line. Remember how Obama/Hillary/Biden used the American Special Missions Compound in Benghazi for covert gun running from Libya to Syria? Remember Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Ty Woods? It seems like Democrats never learn from their foolish foreign policy mistakes. 50 U.S.C. 1543 (a)(1) of the War Powers Act does not just require Congressional notification within 48 hours if U.S. troops are directly committed into combat, but into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances. The key here, is the phrase imminent involvement. Even if U.S. Special Forces are not out in the field, but are instead inside the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, directing weapons to Ukrainian forces actively engaged in combat against the Russians, they are involved in imminent hostilities by placing American weapons into the hands of live-fire combatants - like an ammunition bearer feeding bullets to a machine gunner on the battlefield. Not only is this a gross misuse of a United States embassy by Biden, as an embassy is supposed to be a diplomatic center and not an epicenter of active military operations under cover of providing security, this also triggers a direct reporting obligation by Biden to Congress under the War Powers Act. Congress must examine this issue. If Biden has violated the War Powers Act, he must be held accountable. Either way, he must be held accountable for his real reason for inserting American troops on the ground and/or misusing an American embassy in a hot war against the nation with the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. It's time for Congress to consider the messengers message, and get to the bottom of the claim about American Special Forces in Ukraine, either on the ground, and/or in the embassy, playing Russian roulette in a foreign war where one foolish slip-up could get millions of Americans killed. Don Brown, a former U.S. Navy JAG officer, is the author of the book Travesty of Justice: The Shocking Prosecution of Lieutenant Clint Lorance and CALL SIGN EXTORTION 17: The Shootdown of SEAL Team Six, and the author of 15 books on the United States Military, including three national bestsellers. He is one of four former JAG officers serving on the Lorance legal team. Lorance was pardoned by President Trump in November 2019. Brown is also a former military prosecutor, and a former Special Assistant United States Attorney. He can be reached at donbrownbooks@gmail.com and on Twitter @donbrownbooks. Equal justice under law is engraved above the front entrance of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. It is our American legal systems ideal. Different people may understand it somewhat differently, but a simple, clear understanding is that it means genuine and unbiased justice. The synonym fair best defines its practice and outcome. That leads us to consider how fair some laws are in the way they treat all people. However, there is a problem today with the word equity, which formerly conveyed equality. Today equity has been appropriated to mean entitlement to some as opposed to equality for all. Take, for example, the current term, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, better known as DEI and prominent today in many academic institutions. That usage of equity hardly relates to equality, as it excludes whites and particularly white males. The most prominent laws missing the mark of Equal justice under law are hate crime laws. They are intended to heighten the consequences for crimes that have as a motive the victims race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, and gender/identity. However, this does not protect all Americans equally because the emotion of hate is subjective. Jurors who are personally unacquainted with defendants must judge their motives. Unfortunately, we are quite poor at judging others motives, much less judging our own. When it comes to race, for instance, its easy to believe racial hatred is common to some races while dismissing racial hatred as common to others. The result is that the law is applied unequally, with racial minorities acquitted of hate crimes, even when its manifest, and non-minority races accused of hate crimes, even when hates absence is equally obvious. The same trait is involved in crimes based on the other specified hate crime categories. Image: Hate crime? by stockking. In St. Louis, Missouri, where I live, violence and murder are common. In 2012, black teenagers murdered an elderly Vietnamese (i.e., Asian) man. In that same period, a black suspect murdered a convenience store clerk from Myanmar (again, Asian). Neither crime was classified as a hate crime. However, if white people had murdered Asians or blacks, its likely they would have been charged with a hate crime. We remember Jussie Smolletts hoax attempt, which saw him claim that a white person attacked him for being both black and homosexual. Fortunately, police discovered the hoax. Indeed, police discover lots of racial hoaxes. Muslim mosques and Jewish synagogues attacked are immediately considered hate crimes based on religion. Recently, a transexual person attacked a Christian school, murdering six people. Werent bias and hate possibly involved? No law enforcement agency or mainstream media outlet admits this possibility. Had there been six transexual victims, it would have been called a hate crime. Matthew Shepard, a homosexual murdered in Wyoming, is still considered a hate crime victim despite overwhelming evidence that a male lover killed him in a drug-related crime. These are just a few of the many instances in which the determination about whether hate motivated a crime is determined by preferred victim categories. Equal justice under law is tragically abused in one way or the other. Isnt it time to recognize that hate crime laws contribute more inequality under the law than equality? The Bible reminds us how to achieve impartiality, and it is not through hate crime laws. The fifth book of the Jewish Torah and Christian Old Testament, Devarim in Hebrew and Romanized Deuteronomy in English, recapitulates the Ten Commandments. In Chapter 16, Moses wrote: You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not distort justice, you shall not show partiality; and you shall not accept a bribe, because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue. Hate crime laws distort justice by showing partiality. Outside of a prosecutor trying to augment his case by proving that the defendant had (in his own mind) a good reason to kill, judging motives is iffy and subjective. Deeds, however, can be objectively and equally judged. People who are murdered, regardless of why, are equally dead. People suffering lifelong harm are equal to all other victims. The remaining loved ones are equally aggrieved and robbed of their precious ones. Judgments and sentences should be equal for equal crimes. Its time to repeal hate crime laws to restore true justice and Equal justice under law to all. Its an American ideal worth reestablishing and saving. Update: I've been reliably informed that there have been "female" crash test dummies for decades. That makes this whole DeLauro and Buttigieg stand on "principles" completely ridiculous. Update to the update: In the back of my mind, I knew we have used differently-sized crash test dummies, but I still felt strongly that there was something more at issue here. Having slept on it overnight so that my subconscious had a stab at the question, I started to wonder if, while the existing dummies are different in size, they have the same tensile resilience. That is, a 5'10" woman will still be more fragile, especially around the neck, than a 5'10" man. So simply scaling dummies down in size isn't necessarily the answer. I must admit that I feel uncomfortable in my own skin when I find myself agreeing with both Pete Buttigieg and Rep. Rosa DeLauro on any topic at all, but the reality is that theyre right about the need for female crash test dummies. As conservatives have argued all along, there are significant sex differences between men and women, and those differences affect their bodies resilience in the face of high-impact car accidents. Last week, Rep. DeLauro, a hard-leftist from Connecticut, gave a statement on the floor praising Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg for planning to spend around $20 million on female crash test dummies: During the House Appropriations Committee hearing on the Department of Transportation budget, DeLauro used her time to praise Transportation Secretary Pete Butigiegs initiatives to rectify the gender inequity among crash victims. DeLauro singled out the use of female dummies for roadway crash testing as one of these Buttigieg initiatives she supports. You also plan to make important investments to address the roadway safety crisis, including the critical funding that would accelerate the development and this is an area that Ive written to you about of the use of female dummies in crash testing, she said. This will start to fight the gender inequity among vehicle safety and crash victims. Conservatives rightly laughed at Democrats for this hypocrisy. The political party that insists that, just by wishing, men and women can magically change their biological sex, a change that is then so real all of society must acknowledge and bow before it, was suddenly conceding that there are, in fact, immutable biological differences between men and women. Image: Crash test dummy by brgfx. However, along with pointing and laughing, conservatives went in the other direction and said that it was a ridiculous waste of money to create specifically female crash test dummies. And thats where I find myself parting ways with conservatives and saying that Buttigieg and DeLauro have a point. Male and female differences arent just about reproductive organs and facial hair. They are about fundamental musculoskeletal differences. A woman can be as tall as a man or weigh as much as a man (making child crash test dummies useless), but that doesnt change the fact that she will, on average, have less bone density and, importantly, less muscle density. In addition to the fact that women are simply smaller boned than men, making their bones more fragile, as they age, women suffer significantly more from osteoporosis than men do. Once they head into menopause, which can start in some womens 30s, womens bones slowly start turning into cottage cheese. In addition, all women lose bone density immediately after pregnancy, with some women failing to restore that lost density over time. All of those factors make women more vulnerable to high-impact events. There is something that helps protect bones, and thats muscles. Once again, though, men have the advantage. I learned this in martial arts when we were routinely taught to be very careful practicing chokeholds on women. Men have stronger muscles protecting the neck than women, making them less vulnerable to a chokehold or an impact. Indeed, thats true all over the body, something that could still be acknowledged in 2011: Men are, in general, more muscular than women. Women are just over half as strong as men in their upper bodies, and about two-thirds as strong in their lower bodies. Women also tend to be shorter than men. This difference became very obvious in the early days of airbags. The average woman moves her seat closer to the steering wheel than the average man, her head is lower and therefore closer to the steering wheel, and her neck has less musculature to protect it. Airbags were tested on generic crash test dummies, which are modeled on men. The unanticipated outcome was that women, shorter and closer to the steering wheel, could be decapitated when an airbag deployed. Crash test dummies should reflect the average of the four types of people who travel in American cars: Babies and children in the back, and women and men in the front (both as drivers and passengers). To do any less is just one more denial of biological reality, making us just as bad as the woke left. Since when does a client state tell its sponsor state whom to elect? Seems we have that right now with Ukraine telling us what kind of president we need to elect in 2024. According to Newsweek: A top Ukrainian diplomat has said Kyiv is hoping for "reasonable" candidates in the 2024 United States presidential election, adding that Ukrainian leaders believe American bipartisan support is strong enough that the race will not undermine vital financial and military support for the war-torn nation. Ambassador Vadym PrystaikoKyiv's envoy to the United Kingdom who previously served as Ukraine's foreign ministertold Newsweek in an interview at the nation's embassy in London that Kyiv's priority is to avoid the politicization of its defensive fight against Moscow. "If we can avoid this, it would be great," Prystaiko said. "If we can have somebody pro-Ukrainian, it would be perfect. I wouldn't expect us to have a pro-Ukrainian president; that's the way we want to describe them each and every time, as would any nation. No, I would expect them just to be reasonable." The subtext is that any candidate who isn't onboard for a full blank check to Ukraine, whatever it costs and however long it takes to expel invading Russia, is somehow "unreasonable." And what exactly is he going to do if we don't elect this sort of candidate? Americans tend to react very badly when foreigners tell them how to vote, which John Kerry learned the hard way, when British voters began sending letters to Ohio voters to vote for Kerry. Obviously, he doesn't know this, but it should be common sense. He used Ron DeSantis's unfortunate walkback of his arguments about not supporting, and then supporting, Ukraine, as his proof. DeSantis was, you see, reasonable. Trump was the one who bothered him: Prystaiko, though, told Newsweek that Ukraine is confident of deep and bipartisan backing. "It suggests only that they are coming up to the moment when they have to say everything and anything against what the Democrats are saying," he said of DeSantis' recent remarks. "He is saying something that will resonate with voters because the other side of the political spectrum is saying the opposite." "You always have to be radically opposed if you want to be seen, if you want to stand out from the crowd," Prystaiko added. "He changed his position realizing, and his team realizing, that he went too far." Trump's statements are more troubling. The former president has repeatedly echoed Kremlin talking points, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity in March: "The key is the war has to stop now because Ukraine is being obliterated." Trump also said he would have prevented Putin's invasion, though on terms entirely unacceptable to Kyiv. "At worst, I could've made a deal to take over something, there are certain areas that are Russian-speaking areas, frankly, but you could've worked a deal," the former president said. Prystaikowho was serving as Ukraine's foreign minister while Trump was in officesaid he agreed that the former president's rhetoric is more worrying: "I still believe that so much can be done." So that's "unreasonable"? Seems he forgot that President Trump sent Ukraine lethal aid during his presidency in striking contrast to the Obama-Biden administration before it, in the run-up to the invasion. Ukraine failed to arm up in the interim and got caught by surprise when Russia invaded. Even as he was sure of bipartisan backing, he also suggested that a 'reasonable' president would probably have to be Democrat. He grasped that supporting the Ukraine war, no matter how badly it bogged down the U.S., left it without ammo for its own defense needs, and left it powerless against a rising China, was a Democrat issue, and hastened to insist that it really wasn't. Ukraine will not choose sides, Prystaiko said. "If Ukraine wants to play a particular political partyand I believe that many nations try it in the U.S.my only advice as the former minister of foreign affairs is don't. Just don't," he said. "First of all, it's much more complicated than anybody can imagine. It's too complicated to play any games. Second, give yourselves a chance to actually believe in the democratic process. What is wrong with that? Let them elect their own leaders...They naturally have their own interests and foreign interests. And this interest, generally, works in our favor." "The picture some have in their minds that Ukraine is somehow aligned with Democrats is wrong," he said. The constant visits of prominent American lawmakers from both parties, Prystaiko said, signifies that disputes on Ukraine do not represent "a core problem," but rather "their internal debate." Such visits are highly important, he added. Those visits conducted for partisan purposes are "highly important"? Really? Why does he say that? He also had an extremely skewed view of what's going on in the states, in claiming that there was bipartisan support for the war in Ukraine, -- and then listed all the reasons why there wasn't, citing the fact that most of the billions in aid was going to consultant contracts. Maybe that's a problem for a lot of us in the states on the Republican side? He also surreally argued that the impeachment of President Trump, and Ukraine's failure to come to his defense over that phone call, was something he was sure Trump wouldn't hold a grudge against Ukraine on. Get a load of this: Prystaiko said he does not think that Trump will retain any ill will towards Kyiv. "Ukraine has nothing to do with that," he said of the first impeachment of the former president. "Nobody could prove, reasonably, that actually he was pressuring Zelensky," he added. "Everybody was attributing it to pressure on a particular issue," the diplomat said, referring to the supposed investigation into Biden. But, he added, the focus of the call was actually about "something else which I'm not going to reveal, for our own Ukrainian reasons." Really? Why shouldn't he reveal the truth and let the chips fall where they may? The whole specter of that impeachment was based on false claims and slimey bureaucrats and phony whistleblowers. Had that effort succeeded, and it might have, Ukraine would have carried on in its merry way? It sounds like Trump might have been onto something with their corrupt involvement of Joe and Hunter Biden in Ukrainian oligarch affairs. Perhaps there was more to it than just deep state malice towards Trump, given that Ukraine failed to step up with the truth of the matter. We'd like to know what they were hiding. But rest assured, Trump won't care that they passively tried to let Democrats have their way, basically interfering with American leadership by default. And all this, after assuring us that Trump was "unreasonable"? He didn't seem to grasp that Trump acts in the U.S. interest and whether it's in the U.S. interest to get bogged down in an unwinnable war without negotiating some kind of deal with the Russians, and yes, Ukraine can't have it all, not when they depend almost entirely on us for their war effort. The guy who writes the checks, writes the terms, as human affairs go, but like an ungrateful welfare recipient, he's still telling us what to do. Unlimited funding. Total victory. NATO membership. And full autonomy for Ukraine to act like a medieval fiefdom complete with a corrupt overclass instead of a contributing western democracy. It's amazing chutzpah, in more ways than one, and cripes, this guy is a diplomat. It echoes the amazing rudeness of another of Ukraine's top diplomats, the jerk who insulted Elon Musk who bailed out their internet system in record time after the Russians blew it out, and then got called a Russian agent for merely suggesting a negotiated solution to get the war over with. Remember him? WASHINGTON American tech billionaire Elon Musk drew the public ire of Ukraines top officials Monday after the Tesla CEO tweeted what he claimed was the most likely outcome of Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine. F--- off is my very diplomatic reply to you, Ukraines outgoing ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, wrote in response to Musks tweet. The only outcome is that now no Ukrainian will EVER buy your fing tesla crap. So good luck to you. This is amazing stuff. First they insult Musk, now they insult American voters. Who are these bounders and why are we giving them money? If they want help, maybe it's time for another government in Ukraine. We know that Obama and Biden have meddled in Ukraine this way. Apparently, it's all these characters know of democracy now, because they are feeling high and mighty with all that American money -- and acting just like them, throwing it back to the states. Image: Immanuelle, CDJP1, Bacon Noodles & Physeters, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0 Ministers must explain what they are doing to evacuate Britons from Sudan as fighting continues in the African country, Labour has urged. A UK Government source said Sudan will be evacuated of British embassy staff as soon as feasible due to safety fears following increasing attacks on diplomatic missions. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden declined to be drawn on the detail of what the Government is doing as he toured the broadcast studios on Sunday. Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth said there is a legitimate question as to why the UK Government is not acting like others in removing staff and citizens from the country, and suggested Parliament should be updated this week. Sudan is currently into a second week of bloody internal fighting between the army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Mr Dowden, asked whether the UK was preparing to evacuate Sudan of British nationals, told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: The situation in respect of Sudan is clearly a rapidly moving and complex situation. Our priority is to support British nationals. Now, the Ministry of Defence is acting in support of the Foreign Office but clearly you wouldnt expect me to comment for security reasons on the current situation in terms of movement on the ground. Pressed on whether there are plans to evacuate Sudan of UK citizens, Mr Dowden added: This is a very different situation, for example, to the situation that you saw in Afghanistan for a number of reasons. First of all, this situation has arisen very rapidly and, secondly, we just dont have the kind of scale of resources on the ground that were there in Afghanistan. Clearly, we need to make sure that we support our British nationals. At the moment, the advice to British nationals is to make sure they stay indoors, that they stay safe and get in contact with the Foreign Office. For Labour, Mr Ashworth said people are deeply, deeply troubled and alarmed about what is happening in Sudan. He told the same programme: As to the question around evacuations and so on, it does seem a legitimate question as to why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting. I hope we can have a clarification from the Foreign Office, perhaps in Parliament in the coming days, on that front. Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, acknowledged it would be probably the most complex evacuation she could think of in her lifetime given there was no UK military on the ground. Ms Kearns noted the United States had used a helicopter base on their embassy to start their evacuation and highlighted some of the difficulties. She also told Times Radio: We do need to be getting British nationals out. There is looting, there is sexual assault going on, there is violence on a daily basis. This is not a safe situation. I have a constituent whose loved ones are living in Sudan who want to get out, who have a UK visa. This is very complex, but we do need to evacuate British nationals. The Home Secretary has described her plans to stand in the way of European judges being able to block the deportations of those arriving via small boats as a crucial power. Suella Braverman on Friday laid amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill designed to make it more difficult for domestic and international courts to have a say in how the UK Government controls the countrys borders. With the controversial legislation due to return to Parliament next week, she urged MPs to bring the Bill into force as soon as possible so we can stop the boats. Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, the Cabinet minister said that for Britain to be truly sovereign it needed to be able to decide who enters our territory and on what terms. One of the changes the Home Secretary wants to make to the Bill, which is aimed at preventing migrants from crossing the English Channel on small boats and crushing the human trafficking trade, is that ministers would be able to decide whether or not to accept a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The move is being seen as a concession to right-leaning Conservative backbenchers who had lobbied the Government to ramp-up the legislation so as to sideline ECHR interventions. The would-be rebels have reportedly agreed to drop the threat of pushing through their own amendments following the publication of the fresh proposals from the Home Office. Some had been calling for the UK to exit the European Convention on Human Rights to prevent judges on the continent from making orders to prevent deportations. Strasbourg judges were able to use what is called a Rule 39 order to block the inaugural deportation flight taking asylum seekers to Rwanda last year. Mrs Braverman said: Our Bill will now give ministers a broad discretion whether to comply with interim measures in individual cases. This is a crucial power. At the same time, we are continuing to engage in constructive dialogue with Strasbourg on possible reforms to their process around interim measures. Suella Braverman has implored MPs to push through the Illegal Migration Bill as soon as possible to prevent further small boat crossings (Gareth Fuller/PA) Other potential changes to be considered by MPs include moves to restrict UK courts from hearing a legal challenge to deportation from someone deemed to have arrived unlawfully unless that person is at risk of serious and irreversible harm, such as death or persecution. Only people who are aged under 18, are medically unfit to fly, or face real risk of serious and irreversible harm in the country we are removing them to will be able to delay their removal, said Mrs Braverman. Any other legal claims will be heard remotely, after removal, in a safe country such as Rwanda. And modern slavery laws, which have increasingly become a target for abuse by those seeking to avoid removal, will be tightened. Mrs Braverman highlighted a concession made to liberal Tories following lobbying efforts led by Tim Loughton MP, which could include creating extra safe and legal routes for asylum seekers. She said: We have confirmed that we will publish a report on existing and any proposed additional safe and legal routes within six months of the Bill becoming law, thereby ensuring we give protection to those most in need. Website launched for education campaign on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Xinhua) 08:28, April 23, 2023 BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- An official website has been launched for the education campaign to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, together with an official account for the campaign on social media platform WeChat. Focusing on the guiding principle and plan of the Communist Party of China Central Committee to launch the Party-wide campaign, the official website and account offer publicity and interpretation of the important events attended and important remarks delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping. They also showcase the progress and results of the campaign, and promptly reflect useful experience and paragons during the campaign. The official website, http://ztjy.people.cn, features over 10 sections including relevant information release, progress and status, and learning services. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Du Mingming) Dominic Raabs successor has suggested that the system for dealing with bullying complaints against ministers needs to be made fairer following the former deputy prime ministers exit. Mr Raab quit the Cabinet on Friday after an investigation by Adam Tolley KC found he acted in an intimidating and aggressive way with officials in behaviour that could have amounted to bullying. The former justice secretary has since hit out at activist civil servants who he claimed had tried to block changes he was pushing forward while in office. He used an interview with The Sun On Sunday to claim he was the victim of a co-ordinated and politicised attack, with civil servants allegedly storing up complaints over almost five years before submitting them. Oliver Dowden, who succeeded Mr Raab as Deputy Prime Minister, said that, while he had not been through the same experience as his predecessor, he recognised the need for reviewing the relationship between ministers and their officials. Downing Street has already pledged to learn the lessons from the way bullying claims are handled in government. Mr Dowden told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: In the end, senior civil servants and senior ministers are united in the goal of serving the British people. I do think that out of the report there is a need to look at our processes around that. That is why we will be looking at it to see whether we can make it simpler, fairer and less complex. Mr Dowden said he had experienced frustrations when dealing with the Civil Service in the past but put that down to both sides wanting to secure the best results for the country. He said the overall impact of the Tolley report must not be that standards slip over fears that ministers will be accused of bullying. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said the process for handling complaints needs to be made fairer and simpler (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Raab, in lively interviews following his departure, said he had been contacted by ministers who are anxious that they might now be classed as bullies due to the low threshold applied by Mr Tolley. But his successor said he is not concerned that those who have worked with him would think of him as a bully. Describing the need to work constructively with officials, Mr Dowden said: Civil servants can deliver but I do not want to see any diminution in the ability of ministers to expect high standards of their officials because, in the end, we are serving the British people and we must continue to do that. It comes after a Tory peer who is leading a Government review into how the Civil Service operates called for a more robust culture in Whitehall. Writing in The Observer, Lord Maude said that, without adjustments, there will be more cases like Mr Raabs in which frustrations boil over. He suggested ministers could be given more say in the appointments of civil servants. We need a much more robust culture, with less groupthink, more rugged disagreement, and the confidence to both offer challenge and to accept it, the former Cabinet Office minister said. Lord Maude is carrying out a review into how the Civil Service operates (Danny Lawson/PA) That includes accepting candid feedback. Today there is no external accountability for the quality of advice, other than to ministers. There could be value in regular external audits by qualified outsiders, with published results. Mr Raabs vow to step down if bullying accusations were upheld meant it was correct that he went, according to Mr Dowden. I know Dom is a man of his word and he resigned, and, as the Prime Minister said, I think that was the right thing to have done, he told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme. He said it was a hypothetical question to ask whether Mr Raab would still be in post if he had not made the pledge. According to a report in The Sunday Times, Rishi Sunak had been inquiring about how he might be able to allow Mr Raab to keep his position. But his commitment to resigning if bullying accusations were upheld was seen as too great a hurdle. Mr Dowden said it is for the Prime Minister to decide if Mr Raab could make a return to the Cabinet in future. Before then, the Esher and Walton MP faces a fight for his future with his majority of less than 3,000 votes being targeted by the Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey predicted his candidate will defeat Mr Raab at the next election. He is calling for Mr Raab to resign in the wake of his exit from the front bench in order to contest a by-election. If hes not prepared to do that to enable his constituents in Esher and Walton to have the MP they deserve, I think the Government should withdraw the whip from him, otherwise theyre sending a message that bullying is somehow OK in the Conservative Party, he told Sky News. The Irish government has confirmed it is sending a team to evacuate its citizens from Sudan. It comes as hundreds of people have died in a conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Following a cabinet meeting on Sunday, the government approved the deployment of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team (ECAT) mission to assist with the process of evacuating Irish citizens and their dependents from the crisis. Statement on situation in Sudan. pic.twitter.com/rPKBHR0bsW Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) April 23, 2023 Up to 12 defence forces personnel would be deployed initially to Djibouti as part of the ECAT mission. They were due to arrive in Djibouti on Sunday. The Irish government indicated that the duration of the mission would be dependent on the progress that could be made, the security situation on the ground and decisions on extraction by partners. They said they were in contact with Irish citizens who had registered with the embassy and every effort was being made to assist them. Irish premier Leo Varadkar said an estimated 150 Irish nationals were in Sudan. The situation in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has got worse in the last few days, and violence is being reported across the city, he said. The Irish defence forces personnel and department of foreign affairs officers being deployed will make every effort to provide advice and assistance to the 150 or so Irish nationals in Sudan. The situation on the ground in Sudan remains extremely volatile and I wish the ECAT and defence forces team every success in this mission. Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin said the decision was a continuation of the substantial, intensive work that the department of foreign affairs has been engaged in since this recent outbreak of violence in Sudan. Above all, our primary aim is to offer our citizens every assistance through what has been an extremely difficult and challenging time, he said. Earlier, Irish national Cathy McLoughlin, who is in Khartoum with her family, said they had had a terrible few days since last Saturday when fighting broke out. We were actually downtown near the presidential palace and we lay on the floor for five days and five nights and we did not know if we could come out of it, she told public broadcaster RTE. Irish premier Leo Varadkar said the situation in the Sudanese capital Khartoum had got worse in the last few days (Marwan Ali/AP) Eventually, on the fifth day, we left our location and walked for miles and endured many difficulties and scary moments on the way, and now were staying at a friends house but its not safe, there are still bombs going off, and we need to be evacuated soon. A spokesperson for the department of foreign affairs said citizens should follow the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya on Twitter (@IrlEmbKenya) for updated advice. If urgent, the embassys out-of-hours consular assistance phone line can be contacted at +254 716 353 999, and the department of foreign affairs can be contacted at +353 1 408 2000, they added. US filmmaker James Gunn said Guardians Of The Galaxy has been all encompassing for more than a decade of his life, and described finishing the trilogy as a big relief. The third and final instalment in the Marvel franchise will see the return of Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Vin Diesel and is set for UK release on May 3. In a press conference at Le Bristol hotel in Paris on Sunday, film director Gunn said: Over the past 11 years of my life, I think I have probably spent 60% of my time thinking about the Guardians Of The Galaxy. Paris welcomed the Guardians for the European Gala at Disneyland Paris Experience Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in theaters May 5. Get tickets now: https://t.co/eRzaW2H4R5 #GotGVol3 pic.twitter.com/hGMVTPG5iM Guardians of the Galaxy (@Guardians) April 22, 2023 So this has taken up my entire life. There is a weird situation where I just have to adjust everything about my world to be about something other than the Guardians, which is difficult. But its frankly a big relief also, to feel like weve finished this trilogy, and we finished it in a way that were really proud of, where all the characters get the dignity they deserve. Gunn said the character Rocket Raccoons story is the heart of this trilogy for me, and the film has brutal elements to it in order to tell the story properly. Director James Gunn with a raccoon inspired by Rocket from Guardians Of The Galaxy (Ian West/PA) It was really important to me, the reason why I chose to come back and do this movie, is because I felt a deep need to finish Rockets story, thats what brought me to do it, he said. Gunn revealed he had taken inspiration from each actor to develop the personality traits of the characters throughout the trilogy. The 56-year-old said: I think its an interesting thing when you work with people for so long, on such long shoots, you become friends with them outside of that process and you get to know them on a molecular level. So it makes the movies naturally in some ways more interesting, because I know how funny Karen is and so Nebula all of a sudden has a humorous streak that she didnt have in the first movie. I know that Zoe has this way to be so focused on one thing and just be there and so it makes much more of a tougher, crazier, meaner character in this movie, because I know what shes able to do and how cool she is. Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill in Guardians Of The Galaxy (Ian West/PA) Pratt, who plays Star-Lord Peter Quill in the franchise, said that the most enjoyable aspect of the character is the relationships he has formed with everyone on set. He said: Getting to know each of these people, seeing their children being born, attending their weddings, being a part of their lives in a real way. Thats an extraordinary thing that we get to do and kind of rare I think because theres not a lot of jobs that put you into the pressure cooker situation to create strong relationships between people. Its a crucible in which youre going to forge very tight bonds with people. The Hollywood actor, 43, later praised Gunn as a director who is always prepared, works tirelessly and doesnt shut his mind off. He said: For these films in particular, hes a student of the comic book films and the canon of comic books that have existed in Marvel and in DC and outside of that. I stayed at his house while I was working on a film recently, and hes got a library of comic books, all of the indexes are well worn. He reads this stuff, he lives and breathes this stuff. Pratt also described him as incredibly articulate, empathetic and a misfit who wants to tell the story and the heart of the misfit. A member of Eurovision-winning band Kalush Orchestra says he is grateful for UK support at this years song contest and is looking forward to a spectacle with Ukrainian flavour. Tymofii Muzychuk, a piper who forms part of the seven-piece Ukrainian group, said he believed something incredible would happen when Liverpool stages the competition next month. The UK took over hosting duties on behalf of Ukraine while it remains under Russian invasion. Tymofii Muzychuk, who forms part of the seven-piece Ukrainian band, said he believed something incredible would happen at the contest next month (Ian West/PA) Kalush Orchestra is confirmed to be performing at the grand final on May 13, alongside British star Sam Ryder who came second at the 2022 event. Asked about the UK becoming host in support of Ukraine, Muzychuk said: We are grateful to Great Britain for this support, and we are also grateful that they are hosting this years competition. We believe that something incredible awaits us in Liverpool, of course, with a Ukrainian flavour. Muzychuk added that he and Kalush Orchestra were rooting for this years Ukrainian entrant, electronic duo Tvorchi, and praised their song Heart Of Steel. Kalush Orchestra has released a new song, Ushme Uturbe, which Muzychuk says was intended to distract people from the moment. We didnt try to place any specific meaning into the song itself, he said. We want people to listen to our new song, to be distracted from the moment, from any thoughts and just catch this vibe. Every moment is important, now more than ever. The crowd watching Kalush Orchestra, Eurovision winners from Ukraine, performing their first UK gig (Yui Mok/PA) The new track was written and recorded in Austin, Texas, where the band performed at the SXSW festival in March. They hung Ukrainian coats of arms around Austin as a symbol of gratitude to the city for its acceptance. We dont want the world to forget what is happening in Ukraine now, and to continue to support us in all aspects, said Muzychuk. The fact that we left the Ukrainian coat of arms around the city is a sign that we left a piece of Ukraine, far away, in the US. And that we are grateful to the city for accepting us. Chris Patten, the final governor of Hong Kong, and former Labour minister Catherine Ashton have been appointed by the King to the Order of the Garter. Charles has announced that Lord Patten of Barnes, a former Conservative MP and who served as governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to the handover to China in 1997, has been appointed to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. Former Labour minister and European Union diplomat Baroness Ashton of Upholland was appointed to be a Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. The announcements for the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in the country are made on St Georges Day (April 23) the patron saint of the order. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to appoint the Right Honourable the Baroness Ashton of Upholland GCMG to be a Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Right Honourable the Lord Patten of Barnes CH to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. The appointment is in the Kings gift and is in the same category as the Order of the Thistle, the Order of Merit and the Royal Victorian Order, the statement added. According to the royal website, The Order includes The King, who is Sovereign of the Garter, several senior members of the royal family and 24 knights chosen in recognition of their work. It states: Knights of the Garter are chosen personally by the Sovereign to honour those who have held public office, who have contributed in a particular way to national life or who have served the Sovereign personally. These have included Marshal of the RAF, Lord Stirrup, and former prime ministers Sir John Major and Sir Winston Churchill. Baroness Ashton served as parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice between 1999 and 2007. She also served as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council as well as diplomatic roles including British European commissioner and commissioner for trade in the European Commission, vice-president of the European Commission and as the EUs first high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy. She contributed towards negotiating a peace settlement between Serbia and Kosovo, and bringing about the Iran nuclear agreement. Baroness Ashton was appointed a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to international diplomacy, has served as the Orders King of Arms and is currently Chancellor of the Order. Lord Patten of Barnes was first elected as an MP in 1979 and served across government for more than two decades, including as secretary of state for the environment and chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, as well as Conservative Party chairman. He also led the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland and served as European commissioner for external relations from 1999 to 2004, and was chairman of the BBC Trust between 2011 and 2014. Scottish Labour has condemned a festering culture of secrecy within the SNP after a 33,000 salary boost for a former Westminster leader was not made public. Angus Robertson received the salary enhancement after the SNPs landslide victory in Scotland during the 2015 general election, when it won 56 out of 59 seats and became the third-largest party. The now Scottish Government Constitution Secretary led his party in the House of Commons for a decade until 2017. It is customary in Westminster for the Leader of the Opposition currently Sir Keir Starmer to receive the top-up. According to the Times, the SNPs group executive at Westminster decided to boost Mr Robertsons salary using the same model. Mr Robertson, who was not present at the meeting, had his salary boosted by 33,207 the equivalent of a junior minister at the time. But the Times reported that senior figures in the SNP including party heavyweights in Edinburgh were not informed of the wage increase. It was funded using short money taxpayer funding which is made available to all opposition parties based on the number of seats and votes they have. Now Scottish Labours deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, has urged the SNP to explain why the salary top-up was never registered. It comes as the SNP faces questions over how more than 600,000 in party donations earmarked for independence campaigning was spent. Both former chief executive Peter Murrell who is married to former first minister Nicola Sturgeon and former treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested and questioned before being released without charge while the investigation continues. Ms Baillie said: This is another example of the culture of secrecy and cover-up that has been allowed to fester at the heart of the SNP. It is unbelievable that the SNP and Angus Robertson both failed to declare that Mr Robertsons wages were topped up with public money. There must be urgent clarification about why this payment was never registered and why senior figures in the SNP went to such extreme lengths to keep it a secret not just from the public but from other figures in their party. Scotland deserves better than the arrogant and sleaze-ridden SNP. An SNP spokeswoman said: Employment issues relating to the Westminster SNP leader, chief whip and group staff are a matter decided by the group executive. Senior leadership remuneration followed the SNP becoming the third party at Westminster and was pegged below comparative UK Government and opposition positions. A man has died after an out of control dog was shot dead by police in the East Midlands. Officers were called to reports that a man had been seriously injured at a house in Derby on Saturday morning. Derbyshire Police later said: We are now able to confirm that the man injured during the incident in Cameron Road, Derby, died at the scene. 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 His family have been made aware and our thoughts are with them at this time. The man arrested in connection with the incident remains in police custody and a scene remains in place at a house in Cameron Road. There will be an increased police presence in the area as inquiries continue and officers are keen to speak to anyone who may have information. On Saturday, the force said a dog at the address that was presenting a risk to officers and the public was shot and killed by firearms officers and there was no ongoing risk to the public. Anyone who can help with the inquiry is asked to contact the force with reference 215-220423. The Duchess of Sussex has denied reports about not attending the Kings coronation because of a letter she sent expressing concern over unconscious bias in the royal family. According to the Daily Telegraph, the letter was sent to Charles, who was then Prince of Wales, following Harry and Meghans appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2021. In the interview, Meghan claimed a member of the royal family had speculated about how dark their unborn sons skin would be. The newspapers source claimed the exchange is part of the reason why Meghan is not attending the coronation on May 6, saying she feels she did not receive a satisfactory response to her concerns. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) A spokesperson for Meghan said: 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. 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. The paper had reported Meghans letter was sent in response to a letter from Charles, in which he expressed his sadness over the split within the family. The letters are also said to make clear the identity of the senior royal who made the comment, with both Meghan and Charles acknowledging the remark was not made maliciously, according to the paper. The claims in March 2021 plunged the monarchy into crisis as the Windsors faced allegations of racism. Since the Oprah Winfrey interview, Harry has denied the couple accused members of the royal family of being racist. Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman has said she has no reason to doubt the inspection before the death of headteacher Ruth Perry. Ms Perry, who was headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life in January while waiting for an Ofsted report which downgraded her school to the lowest possible rating, her family said. Pressure has been mounting on the schools watchdog in England following the incident, but its chief inspector has defended the system used to give rankings. Ms Spielman told the BBCs Laura Kuenssberg On Sunday programme: I think the findings were secure and I think the inspection team worked with the professionalism and sensitivity that I would expect from our inspectors. From what Ive seen, I dont have any reason to doubt the inspection. Inspection is a sensitive process. We are there looking for children, looking for whether education is right for children, looking at whether protecting childrens welfare is happening the way it should. Sometimes that can mean we have very difficult, very sensitive conversations in an inspection. Our inspectors are trained, prepared, theyve all worked in schools themselves, they really understand what it feels like at the receiving end. She acknowledged that a culture of fear exists around school inspections, but said the vast majority of schools have a positive and affirming experience. An inspection report, published on Ofsteds website in March, found Ms Perrys school to be good in every category apart from leadership and management, where it was judged to be inadequate. Ms Spielman has refused to drop one-word assessments, which have been criticised for being too simplistic, saying they are easier for parents to understand. Headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life in January while awaiting the results of an Ofsted inspection, her family said (Andrew Matthews/PA) Its really important for people to understand that we do look at safeguarding as well as all the aspects of quality of education, she said. We look at behaviour, we look at personal development, we look at leadership and management, but there are times when failures in safeguarding can be sufficiently serious, and that alone can bring an overall judgment. We actually make a number of judgments in an inspection we make four key judgments plus a judgment of the effectiveness of safeguarding, yes, they are synthesised into an overall judgment, thats partly to help parents. We know that parents like the clarity and simplicity of the model. Its also because the wider system of school accountability that government operates does use those overall judgments. So, its not for us to say were going to fundamentally change the grading system, that would have to be a bigger government decision. Ms Perrys sister, Professor Julia Waters, has previously said the grading was sensationalist and deeply harmful. Presenter Laura Kuenssberg suggested to Ms Spielman that the family had raised concerns about her lack of communication with them since the incident. She replied: Of course wed be more than happy to speak to them. We havent wanted to intrude on their grief. We havent had any approach, but we havent ignored anything and would happily speak to them. Its a delicate balance when you have a grieving family whether to intrude on that or not. Id be absolutely open to doing that. National Education Union joint general secretary Mary Bousted, asked on the programme if the way schools are being inspected is correct, said: No, its not working at all. The problem is the crisis has now come to the fore, but its been a problem which has been growing over decades. The problem is that Ofsted doesnt inspect schools fairly and that Ofsted doesnt know whether it raises qualities in schools at all. It has no research to back up the claims it makes about getting schools to be better at teaching and learning. The problem that teachers and leaders have is that theyve got no idea which inspection team will turn up at their school, one which will do a decent inspection or one which will be aggressive and demeaning. New powers that the Home Secretary wants added to the Illegal Migration Bill will not give ministers carte blanche to overrule European court orders, the Deputy Prime Minister has said. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she needs the crucial power of being able to stop European judges from intervening in the deportation of would-be asylum seekers who have arrived in Britain via unauthorised routes. It comes as the Home Office confirmed a further 497 people crossed the English Channel on Saturday April 22 in 11 boats. This brings the total so far this year to 5,546. Oliver Dowden, the newly-appointed deputy to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said it was right for the leader of the Home Office to have discretional powers when considering interventions from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). However, he said the ability for Britain to block Strasbourg judges rulings would not apply to all its verdicts. Mrs Braverman has laid an amendment to the Illegal Migration Bill legislation aimed at preventing migrants from crossing the English Channel on small boats and crushing the human trafficking trade to allow ministers broad discretion to decide whether or not to accept a human rights ruling from Strasbourg. It comes after the ECHR was able to use what is called a Rule 39 order to block the inaugural deportation flight taking asylum seekers to Rwanda last year. Mr Dowden told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme the amendments added to the legislation would give the Home Secretary the ability to consider the timeliness of interventions from the ECHR, particularly when it came to last-minute applications. The senior Conservative MP said: The Home Secretary will be given a discretion and ability to look at the circumstances of that order (Section or Rule 39) from the European Court of Human Rights and will, for example, cover factors such as the timeliness of the imposition of the order so, for example, if it is done at last minute and also the transparency of it. Pressed on whether the amendments would allow the Home Office to ignore Strasbourg rulings, Mr Dowden added: There will be a Section 39 discretion. Now, Im not saying that will give the Home Secretary carte blanche to overrule rulings. What I would say is that we are engaging very closely with the European court, we are making very good progress. I think it is right that the Home Secretary should have a discretion, so, for example, we dont have this situation where at the very last minute an order is imposed. Those are the kind of factors the Home Secretary will be able to consider. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden faced questions about the Home Secretarys changes to the Illegal Migration Bill (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The move has angered liberal-minded Tories, with Justice Select Committee chairman Sir Bob Neill announcing he was not able to support the Bill as it stands. MPs are due to debate the controversial legislation on Wednesday as it comes back for its report stage and third reading this week. Sir Bob told Times Radio: I cant support the clauses as they are drafted. First of all, I dont think its right for us to be saying that we will ignore rules of the European Court of Human Rights, even the interim measures. The senior Conservative said the way Rule 39 measures operate isnt satisfactory and that judicial dialogue was the way forward. Id rather do the sensible reform, rather than get into a confrontation, he added. Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth said a future Labour administration would always follow the law when asked whether his party thought it acceptable for European courts to overrule decisions made in the UK. In a dual offensive by ministers, the amendments package is part of an attempt to keep both hardline Tory backbenchers and the more liberal section of MP on-side. While the changes look to dampen a right-wing rebellion by making it harder for both domestic and international courts to intervene in deportations, ministers have also agreed to look at introducing more safe and legal routes into the country. Senior Tory Sir Bob Neill said he could not vote for the ECHR Rule 39 amendment (PA) The UK currently has processes in place for asylum seekers from countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine and Hong Kong to come to Britain, but human rights campaigners have urged ministers to create more routes so as to prevent desperate people from taking to dinghies to cross the Channel. Mr Dowden said it was only after getting control of our borders that the UK would have more capacity to be able to extend our kindness and generosity as a nation. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said Parliament would be given a say in the routes and cap on numbers coming in. Writing in The Sunday Express, the Home Office minister said Parliament would, as part of proposed amendments, debate the future of safe routes into the UK that are available for asylum seekers. He said: As we tackle the scourge of illegal migration from safe countries in this firm manner, we are increasing our already generous provisions for those directly in conflict zones by establishing an additional safe and legal route to the UK through the Bill. For the first time this will be informed by a consultation with local councils on their capacity to support additional people, and will be debated by your MPs in Parliament, so that we restore honesty and accountability to such an important question. Rishi Sunak has hailed the brave efforts of the UKs armed forces after they swooped into Sudan to help British diplomats and their families to escape fighting. The Prime Minister said the British military had undertaken a difficult operation to evacuate UK officials from Sudan following fears embassy staff could be targeted. Hundreds have died in a bloody conflict between the Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Mr Sunak tweeted: UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 23, 2023 I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation. It comes after a UK Government source had announced on Saturday that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence would be delivering a diplomatic evacuation plan as soon as feasible. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace revealed the operation to remove British Embassy staff from Sudan involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF). This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the United States; France and other allies, Mr Wallace said in a written statement. They have evacuated British Embassy staff and their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats against diplomats. The operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade; the Royal Marines and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners. The Sudanese army had on Saturday said Britain was one of a number of nations, including the US and China, that it would be assisting to help remove its officials from the dangerous conditions in the country. Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan had been complicated by the fact most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven perilous. The UK Government has stated that a more large-scale evacuation could prove a challenge, with Britain lacking the military footprint it had in Afghanistan which saw thousands airlifted out of Kabul during Operation Pitting in 2021. Mr Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would continue to act as a broker for a peace deal in Sudan. Mr Cleverly said a temporary lull in the nine days of fighting had given Britains armed forces a window of opportunity to strike. He defended prioritising an evacuation for what is thought to have been a small number of diplomats, arguing it would allow the UK Government to strengthen efforts to assist British nationals trapped in Sudan. This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the US, France & other allies. They have evacuated British Embassy staff & their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats. Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP (@BWallaceMP) April 23, 2023 The Foreign Secretary told broadcasters: The diplomats that were working in the British Embassy in Khartoum have been unable to discharge their functions because of the violence in that city. So, to fulfil our duty to protect them as their employer, we are relocating them to other embassies in the region. In order to continue to protect British nationals, we will of course be enhancing our teams in the region. This is following the pattern we have seen of our international friends and colleagues. We will continue on our diplomatic effort to bring this conflict to a swift conclusion because until that happens, we are severely limited in our ability to provide assistance to British nationals. The Prime Minister said his administration was pursuing every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining there. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would continue to act as a broker for a peace deal in Sudan (Yui Mok/PA) I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones, Mr Sunak added. Before the evacuation was announced, Labours shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth had said it was a legitimate question as to why the UK Government had not acted like others in removing staff and citizens from the country. He also called for Parliament to be updated this week on the state of play in Sudan. The US had at the time of Mr Ashworths interview with Sky News already announced a successful airlift mission to assist about 70 embassy staff into Ethiopia. France, Greece, the Netherlands and Italy are putting aircraft in place to carry out similar operations. In a joint statement, Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow defence secretary John Healey said Britains armed forces acted with bravery and professionalism. The pair called on ministers to set out their plans for providing assistance to Britons still in Sudan. They said: Many British nationals remain stuck in Sudan and we are deeply concerned about their welfare. We need to know about Government plans to help them and the steps the UK is taking to support an immediate ceasefire. 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. I completely disagree with this perspective. It is both ill-informed and misleading. https://t.co/lVnRCExoPW Liz Smith (@mspliz) April 20, 2023 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. Unelected Tory peer, Lord David Frost, wasn't voted for by a single person. He is in the House of Lords for life, and was even made a government minister. And yet, he wants to reverse devolution voted for by over 1.77 million people in Scotland. pic.twitter.com/nCEhoI36K4 The SNP (@theSNP) April 21, 2023 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. Sudan 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. 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. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired a Sudan Cobra meeting on Saturday (Jordan Pettitt/PA) 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 Conservative peer who is leading a Government review into how the Civil Service operates has called for a more robust culture in Whitehall. Lord Francis Maude said the system needs to be less mealy-mouthed about politicisation' in the wake of Dominic Raabs resignation and his claims that Civil Service activists had been working against him. Mr Raab resigned as deputy prime minister and justice secretary on Friday 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. Writing in The Observer, Lord Maude said that, without adjustments, there will be more cases like Mr Raabs in which frustrations boil over. He suggested ministers could be given more say in the appointments of civil servants. We need a much more robust culture, with less groupthink, more rugged disagreement, and the confidence to both offer challenge and to accept it, the former Cabinet Office minister said. That includes accepting candid feedback. Today there is no external accountability for the quality of advice, other than to ministers. There could be value in regular external audits by qualified outsiders, with published results. Lord Francis Maude is leading a Government review into the Civil Service (Danny Lawson/PA) Lord Maude pointed to other governments with similar civil service systems which have had more success with balancing impartiality and continuity, as well as ministers need for officials to be responsive. In France, permanent civil servants often have overt political affiliations, and it causes few problems. In Australia, permanent civil servants in ministers private offices are released from the obligations of political impartiality, and can take part in party political activity, he said. We dont need to go that far, but the key, as always, is transparency and pragmatism. Without a much closer alignment between accountability and authority, we will see tensions build and relationships fracture, Lord Maude added. Our system can be made to work but it needs change difficult and sustained change. And it needs to start soon. Former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab said he was targeted by activist civil servants (Jordan Pettitt/PA) It came as Mr Raab continued to hit out at the activist civil servants he said he was targeted by, claiming he was the victim of a co-ordinated and politicised attack. Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, he said the complaints had been timed, and agreed with the reporters summary that his accusers had smelt blood. If you look at the timing of these complaints stored up over four-and-a-half years, all submitted on the same day and one submitted four weeks later, he told the newspaper. It looks like it was co-ordinated and concerted and therefore politicised attack rather than a genuine raising of concerns through proper process in the proper way. Earlier, Lord McDonald, who was permanent secretary at the Foreign Office for five years, said there was no Civil Service agenda and Mr Raabs behaviour had been the issue. After announcing his decision to quit, the former deputy prime minister 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. I saw no evidence of a small group of activists trying to undermine a minister. The issue is a ministers behaviour. Dominic Raab resigned on Friday after an investigation into bullying accusations found he acted in an intimidating and aggressive way (James Manning/PA) 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 that 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. Unionist leaders have urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to delay a government Bill to allow an inquest to take place into the murder of an Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier. Corporal James Elliott, 37, was abducted and murdered by the Provisional IRA in 1972. While Northern Irelands Attorney General Brenda King has ordered a fresh inquest into his death, concern has been expressed that the Governments legacy Bill will prevent it taking place. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, which is progressing through Parliament, proposes immunity for people accused of crimes during the Troubles as long as they co-operate with a new truth recovery body and will stop future court processes. The Bill has been opposed by victims group, most of the political parties and the Irish government. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (centre), UUP leader Doug Beattie (left) and TUV leader Jim Allister (Brian Lawless/PA) DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, UUP leader Doug Beattie and TUV leader Jim Allister have written to the Prime Minister asking him to ensure the inquest can take place. In the letter, the unionist leaders say the inquest will provide Mr Elliotts family with some closure, an acknowledgement of his service and the truth about the circumstances of his death. They point out that no one has been convicted of his murder, and that the Governments legacy Bill could close the door on the inquest. If this were to happen, it would be a shocking and deeply disappointing development. It would be an intolerable denial of justice and a grave insult to the memory of a brave soldier and his loved ones. We would appeal to you personally, Prime Minister, and your Government, to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that this inquest takes place, and that justice prevails even in Northern Ireland. You will be aware that we oppose the Legacy Bill because it will be a legislative barrier to any future terrorist-related cases from taking place. Many innocent victims of terrorism and veterans who worked to prevent anarchy in Northern Ireland view this Bill as a gross betrayal. We would point out that while your government has notionally brought the Legacy Bill forward to protect soldiers from inquests, this is an example of where the Bill will deny the family of a murdered soldier, who died in the service of this country, their right to an inquest. In the case of Corporal Elliott, you have the opportunity to show some compassion and understanding. We earnestly hope you avail of this opportunity. Victims group the Ulster Human Rights Watch backed the letter. Advocacy manager Axel Schmidt said: The Elliott family firmly supports this initiative and we hope the Government listens and acts. It is understood that Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris will respond to the unionist leaders letter. A UK Government spokesperson said: The UK Government is determined to deliver better outcomes for those most affected by the Troubles, while helping society to look forward. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Bill will establish an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to conduct reviews into Troubles-related deaths and serious injury, with the primary objective of providing information to families, and victims and survivors. It will have all the necessary powers to conduct criminal investigations as part of any review and will be able to make findings in a manner similar to an inquest. The Government tabled a number of amendments during committee stage in the House of Lords that seek to address a number of key issues and we will continue to engage constructively with all interested parties. DES MOINES, Iowa More than a half-dozen Republicans who are or may be running for president took their pitches to religious conservatives at an Iowa cattle call on Saturday thats long been one of the premier stops on the GOP primary calendar. Before a 1,000-person crowd at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalitions spring kickoff, a bevy of midtier candidates seeking to break out of the pack mingled with attendees, many of whom were influential activists across the state. They called for new restrictions on abortion rights and gender-affirming care, and for expanding school choice programs and shutting down the Department of Education. The battle against radical gender ideology is a battle for religious freedom, former Vice President Mike Pence told the crowd. And its a battle that we must fight. Former President Donald Trump at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023, in Clive, Iowa. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) The event was headlined by Donald Trump, who addressed the crowd via a prerecorded video. Absent were Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was addressing the Utah Republican Partys convention, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley two contenders who often poll second and among the top five, respectively, behind the former president among GOP primary voters. Their absence offered more space for candidates and prospective candidates like Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and multibillionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Attendees also heard from presidential candidates Larry Elder, a conservative media personality and failed California gubernatorial candidate, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Perry Johnson, a businessman who failed to win the GOPs gubernatorial nomination in Michigan last year. Former Reps. Will Hurd of Texas and Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who left the Democratic Party in October, gave the appearance they, too, may be interested in a presidential bid, merely by appearing at the Iowa showcase. The constituency at the Faith and Freedom event is key for Republicans. More than 9 in 10 Iowa Republicans identify as Christian, according to Pew Research Center data. In 2020, 3 in 4 white evangelicals backed Trump, a slight dip from 2016, exit polling shows. If theres a crowd receptive to an anti-abortion message, it would be the voters gathered here. Candidates at the Saturday forum expressed their anti-abortion bona fides but did not get into the weeds for what specific policies they would enact in office. Most important of all, we appointed three justices to the Supreme Court of the United States that sent Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history where it belongs, Pence said. You did that Iowa. And youve given America a new beginning for life. The person who spoke most extensively on abortion was Trump, who has in recent months sought to distance himself from the stringent restrictions being advanced at the state level, though the overturning of Roe v. Wade was only made possible by his three Supreme Court appointments. The anti-abortion rights group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America last week blasted Trump for saying abortion should be decided at the state level. Touting the justices he nominated to the high court, Trump also promoted his historic action to protect the unborn and called himself the most pro-life president in American history. I will stand proudly in defense of innocent life, just as I did for four very powerful, strong years, he said. Because every child born and unborn is a sacred gift from God. Speaking with reporters, Pence said there was room between the former president he served and himself over how abortion should be handled. Of Trump saying abortion rights should be determined at the state level, Pence said, I dont agree with the former president who says this is a states only issue and expressed support for a federal 15-week ban. Weve been given a new beginning for life in this country, he said. Much to the chagrin of some Republicans, abortion has been a hot topic in the party since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion last year, and the 2022 midterms that were in large part defined by the issue. The Republican Party is now seeking to balance the desires of its anti-abortion base with the electoral realities in the general voting pool, where abortion access remains much more popular. Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023, in Clive, Iowa. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) Voters and candidates at the event said they remained steadfast supporters of anti-abortion policies but acknowledged some of the challenges they face in broadly trying to enact the agenda. Iowan Ruth Neubert of Oskaloosa told NBC News she believes some of our Republican friends have gone too far. I am with three granddaughters and one daughter, she said. I definitely have an opinion that if something would happen, incest or rape, absolutely that avenue should be available. Ramaswamy, meanwhile, told NBC News that Republicans need to expand on an agenda that also promotes pro-adoption policies, boosts child care and has greater accountability for men. My view is that more Americans are pro life than will admit it even to themselves, he said. Ahead of the event, Democratic National Committee spokesperson Rhyan Lake condemned the gathering as a roundup of MAGA Republicans whove spent their entire careers pushing for an extreme agenda. Each and every 2024 Republican has doubled down on their exceedingly extreme positions that are out of step with hardworking Americans and can count on being held accountable by voters, Lake added. Some attendees and speakers made note of the high-profile contenders who passed on attending the spring kickoff, which in 2016 drew Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and a host of other Republican presidential aspirants. (Trump, who had yet to declare at that stage of the election cycle, was not present.) Johnson, a long-shot candidate who has not registered in polling, took a moment at the end of his allotted time to say he thought DeSantis is making a huge mistake by not coming here. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who served as a moderator on Saturday, told NBC News before the event that she did not think much of the absences, attributing them to scheduling issues. But she said the gathering offers candidates a chance to connect with many key activists across the state at once. There are some great leaders in that crowd, community activists, volunteers, people who put their blood sweat and tears behind a candidate, she said. And so winning the support of those key activists from around the state I think is very important to a successful caucus campaign. Voters and activists who attended said afterward they were particularly intrigued by Scott and Ramaswamy, who most said they had not heard from before. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks during the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Clive, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall / AP) Lynn Proudfoot, a GOP activist from Des Moines, said he was disappointed DeSantis was not at the event but said he is still undecided on whom to back in Februarys first-in-the-nation caucus. He said he was impressed by Ramaswamy and said the candidates broadly hit on every appealing note for religious voters. I cant say Im much closer to a decision than I ever was, he said. Going to have to just continue to let it play out. I dont think that anybody really was a downer. But while some remained undecided, others said it would be difficult to vote against Trump in a primary. I have so many people telling me that they dont like Trump and theyd never vote for him because they dont like him, Mike Vanderpool, a member of the Warren County Republican Central Committee, said. I was in business my whole life and probably my best employees I never did like. I get that. I mean, youve got to swallow hard sometimes to get what you want. When this guy was president, there was never a day of the week that I didnt feel like that guy got up in the morning and worked for me, he continued, adding, and if he runs, Im going to have trouble. I just think we need some younger blood going maybe a little different direction. Its a tough call. By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) - A 45-foot tall Disneyland dragon burst into flames after catching fire late on Saturday during a show in Anaheim, California, causing those in attendance to flee, local media and officials said, adding no injuries or deaths were reported. "The dragon's head started to glow, and I see fire and kind of smoke coming out," Elaine Gilmer, who was at the event, told ABC News. Videos from the incident showed the dragon fully engulfed in flames, leading to cast members being evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island, where the show was staged. The Anaheim Fire Department said no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was being probed. ABC News cited videos of the incident showing guests watching and recording the show's unplanned conclusion while a loudspeaker informed them that the "performance cannot continue due to unforeseen circumstances." The response to the incident went relatively smoothly, according to ABC News. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh, editing by Christina Fincher) In the midst of a Midwestern chill in a state that prides itself on its first-in-the-nation status, 2024 Republican White House hopefuls descended on Iowa to court an influential group of faith-based caucus goers. The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalitions spring kick-off is offering candidates a chance to earn support in a potentially growing GOP field in a state where a majority of adults are Christian, with a significant portion evangelical, and will kick off the start of the Republican presidential primary next year. "Well, I think they need to be authentic. I don't think any of them are looking for, 'You have to pass my litmus test and going to this kind of church or this kind of church,' but they're looking for somebody that will take those principles, you know, whether it's a live issue or religious liberty, they will defend those principles," said Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition President Steve Scheffler. Many of the declared and potential candidates talked about their own faith as they courted voters in Iowa. "My faith. I was raised in a church family," said former Vice President Mike Pence. "Theres almost nowhere in America that feels like more like home than Iowa." SEE MORE: 2024 campaign intensifies; field could be smallest in 30 years Pence addressed Republican women on Saturday, a day after the Supreme Court ruled on abortion medication. "I have some role to play in our national life in the future. I'll continue to support efforts on a state-by-state basis to restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law," Pence said. "But I'll certainly also support efforts to create a threshold of support for the unborn." Pence mostly focused on criticizing the Biden administration and standing by the former administrations policy record, as he and others consider a run. Like U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who spent time touring an Iowa farm. "The simple answer is, as I continue on the Faith of America tour, as I continue to tour farms and businesses, and churches, it gives me an opportunity to understand whether or not what I'm focused on, which is an optimistic, positive message anchored in conservatism," said Scott. But candidates still face the task of offering an alternative to former President Donald Trump, who leads in many polls. "I have had the privilege of living the American dream. I believe that America can do for anyone what she has done for me," said Scott. "I think we have to celebrate who we are. We have to celebrate, not actually cancel. One of the things I hope that you'll hear tonight is that we are the land of opportunity, not the land of oppression." The Democratic National Committee commented ahead of Saturdays event, saying that Republicans have an extreme agenda that is out of touch with Americans. Abdul hoped to teach art at high schools in Pierce County, but a denied visa is forcing the Afghan artist to try to find safety with his family in another country. Upon taking control of Afghanistans government again in August 2021, the Taliban quickly issued edicts banning music and art of living things. That means Abdul cannot teach girls or women, or publicly display and sell art in Afghanistan that shows people or animals. As a result, he cannot provide for his family through his art and was forced to close his art gallery and school. I can no longer have a painting exhibition, nor teach painting to girls and women, Abdul previously told the Gateway via WhatsApp from Afghanistan. My paintings are not sold in Afghanistan, and the Taliban do not value my art. I wish to be able to have painting galleries in America show my art and express my feelings easily and teach American people to paint. I love painting and teaching and I hope the good people of America will help me achieve my dreams. Abdul, 35, has been painting since he was 15 years old. He asked that the Gateway only publish his first name, out of concern for his safety and the safety of his family. After receiving threats from the Taliban and their attempts to find Abdul, he took his wife and three young children and went into hiding. Afghanistan Artist, Abdul, standing in his art studio. Theyve been in hiding, staying with friends in Afghanistan since October 2021. Abdul and his wife had a fourth child in December 2022. Shortly after going into hiding, Abdul contacted an old friend, Timothy Ham, for financial support and help to flee Afghanistan to America. Ham first met Abdul in 2008 when Ham attended an award ceremony at Abduls art school. At the time Ham worked as the Western Regional Manager on the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Afghanistan Small & Medium Enterprise Development project in Afghanistan. Abdul was an instructor and co-owner of the art school with his father. After learning of Abduls current status, Ham was determined to help find a way to bring Abdul to the United States. Abdul has a unique gift as an artist with the ability to paint not only what he sees, but also what he feels. Each painting has a story. I am grateful for the two years I spent in Afghanistan and saddened by the pain Afghans have had to endure from decades of war and conflict. I did not know exactly how I would help Abdul and his family but at least I could try, Ham previously told the Gateway. In an effort to raise funds to come to America, Abdul shipped Ham 56 original oil paintings to distribute for donations to help pay for Abduls application for a work visa to the U.S. Abdul painted a portrait of Gig Harbor. One of these paintings was a portrait of the Gig Harbor waterfront, painted from a photo that Ham sent Abdul. That painting was given to a Gig Harbor couple, Mike and Pat Harle, for their donations to support Abduls journey. The original painting remains in the Harles home. They allowed it to be digitally scanned and framed by Tammy and Craig Radford with the American Art Company of Tacoma. That copy was donated to the city of Gig Harbor on March 29. City officials are deciding where they want to put it. Tim Ham, left, and Mayor of Gig Harbor Tracie Markley, right, pose for a portrait with Afghan artist Abduls painting of Gig Harbor that he created while living in hiding with his family from the Taliban in Afghanistan, in Gig Harbor on March 29, 2023. Funds from all the paintings were set to help with any future living expenses, visa costs and travel. In June of 2022, Abdul and his attorneys applied for an O-1 Artist Visa from the U.S. as an artist of extraordinary abilities. The visa was preliminarily granted to Abdul in July 2022 and a final visa interview was the last step. In August 2022 Abdul and his family traveled to the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan for this final interview. The consular officers denied the family access to the U.S. because they felt Abdul could not assure he would return after his one-year teaching contract was completed, said Abduls attorney, Sanjay Sethi from the Law Offices of Sethi & Mazaheri, LLC in New Jersey. The job Abdul had lined up involved working in art classrooms in Tacoma, primarily at the School of the Arts, alongside certified teachers as a teaching assistant. The visa denial stated that he had not demonstrated that he had ties that would compel him to return to his home country. Abdul had hoped to work on a documentary film in another country after teaching for a year in the U.S., but that opportunity wasnt confirmed in time for the visa interview. Abdul and his family were forced to return to Afghanistan. After exploring several other options for a second visa interview, Abdul and his attorneys decided to submit an application for a humanitarian visa for Germany for the family, which the attorneys have seen work for other Afghan artists. In the first five months after the U.S. withdrew all U.S. forces from Afghanistan, Sethis office had 3,000 immediate inquiries for assistance from artists. German humanitarian visa regime is much more accommodating, Sethi told the Gateway. They have a humanitarian visa regime that actually can bring people in much quicker and also directly. Sethis office has resettled about 3-4 times as many artists to Europe than to the United States, Sethi said. If the system in Germany functions as it should, Abduls attorneys are hopeful Abdul and his family will be approved in the near future. Abdul is grateful to the city of Gig Harbor and to Tacoma. I hope to visit this region one day and show my children your love and appreciation for an Afghan artist by displaying this print, Abdul said in a WhatsApp message. I am glad that many of my paintings are now in the homes of people in America, including Mike and Pat Harle. The German government has not informed Abdul of its decision yet. What was waiting for Abdul in Tacoma A position with Elements of Education was waiting for Abdul, if he made it to Tacoma. Elements of Education is a nonprofit founded over 20 years ago in Tacoma. The organization created the School of the Arts, the Science and Math Institute, and the School of Industrial Design, Engineering and Art. Elements of Education agreed to make Abdul an employee, if funds for a salary were raised, Jon Ketler, co-director of Elements of Education previously told the Gateway. Individuals made donations on their own without expectations of prints or paintings. Donations to Elements of Education were for his first-year base wages and could only be used once 100% of his wages of $44,500 had been deposited. Since Abdul and his family cannot come to the U.S., Ham asked Elements of Education to return all donations to donors. Ham informed the donors of the reasons for this and suggested that they could also provide donations to a GoFundMe account established to support the family, and for visa fees and travel to a German embassy. Donations can be made at gofundme.com/f/rescuing-an-afghan-artist-and-family. Ham just wants Abdul to be able to leave Afghanistan. If he and his family are allowed to leave Afghanistan to a country where he can once again paint what he wants to express, I will be very happy for him and his family, Ham told the Gateway. We were all disappointed that he was not allowed to come to the U.S. but, should the family get to a country that would allow him to travel, at least from there he will hopefully be able to come to the U.S. to visit and exhibit his own works. At least if he were safe in another country, I could go there to visit with him and his family. A group takes in the view of Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes Estates. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Thanks to a remarkable new ruling from a California appeals court, it looks like the days of the infamous Lunada Bay Boys surf clique may be coming to an end. But first a little background: For decades, this group of Palos Verdes Estates surfers young and old has terrorized outsiders in a largely successful quest to privatize a public beach that is considered by many to offer the most epic winter waves in California. The tight-knit, multigenerational cabal has physically obstructed access to the steep trail leading down to the surf, thrown rocks, run surfers over in the water, cut leashes, stolen wallets and wetsuits, punctured or deflated tires, and waxed slurs onto car windows. Their obstruction is legendary; Lunada Bay is often described as the most localized surf break in the world. According to the city's annual budget document, the population is 71.9% white, 22.9% Asian, 7.8% Latino and 0.4% Black. Weve protected this beach for years, one of the locals told my former colleague Tony Perry in 1995. So we can have driftwood on the beach rather than Kentucky Fried Chicken boxes. If this place was ever opened up the rocks would be marked with graffiti, and the beach wouldnt be safe at night. There have been occasional organized forays by outsiders at Lunada Bay. In 2014, a Hawaiian-born surfer, Chris Taloa, invited surfers to join him for a peaceful paddle out on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He testified that he was kicked underwater and one local who paddled out in blackface and an Afro wig told him, You dont pay enough taxes to be here. He held a similar event three years later, but he is still angry about being denied access to such an epic break. Until recently, the Bay Boys seemed almost immune from repercussions, as local police and city officials gave little more than lip service to the sacred principle enshrined in the California Coastal Act: Our beaches and waves belong to everyone, not just the entitled white few. In 2016, two fed-up attorneys with a passion for surfing joined forces to use the Coastal Act to take on the well-orchestrated antics of the surf thugs and the city that, in their view, tacitly encouraged the intimidation because it keeps outsiders away from the isolated community. Attorneys Vic Otten and Kurt Franklin sued Palos Verdes Estates and the handful of locals they say have been responsible for the persecution of others who try to surf at Lunada Bay. (Robin Abcarian / Los Angeles Times) Attorneys Vic Otten and Kurt Franklin sued Palos Verdes Estates and the handful of locals they say have been responsible for the persecution. They represented two nonlocal surfers who had been exposed to hostility, threats and sexual harassment by the Bay Boys. I met with the attorneys a week ago, on the rim of Lunada Bay. The sun was out, the surf was flat and as we stood chatting, a few people with dogs played on the beach below us. The attorneys showered me with legal documents. One of their challenges, they said, was to prove that the Bay Boys were an organized group that had developed a systematic approach to keeping away outsiders, or kooks. Thanks to a stroke of luck, the evidence they needed was forthcoming. In 2017, alleged Bay Boy Michael Rae Papayans, then 28, was sentenced to jail for attacking and seriously injuring a 50-year-old man in a Dodger Stadium parking lot. Police had confiscated his phone, which found its way to Otten and Franklin, which led to other phones. We got the hard drives of their phones, Otten said. They didnt realize that just because you delete something doesnt mean its gone. Around the time in 2016 that Otten and Franklin had filed their first Lunada Bay lawsuit in federal court, the city removed a decades-old rock fort, complete with a fire pit and shaded cabana that the Bay Boys had built (illegally) as their personal perch and clubhouse on the north side of the horseshoe-shaped bay. But that, and some sporadic, increased police patrols, is about as much as the city seemed willing to do to counter the mayhem. By 2020, after many twists and turns, the lawsuit ended up in state court, where a judge dismissed the city as a defendant, declaring that the Coastal Act was not applicable to the situation. Meanwhile, the surfer defendants agreed to settle, either by paying (or having their insurance companies pay) thousands of dollars or agreeing to stay away from Lunada Bay for a year, or both. A surfer at Lunada Bay in 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) One of those defendants, Brant Blakeman, agreed to pay $90,000 and stay away for a year. Blakemans banishment ended March 31. I was curious about whether he planned to leave nonlocals alone from now on, but he did not return my phone call. In February, Californias 2nd District Court of Appeal overruled the lower court. It said that the harassment meted out by the Lunada Bay locals could constitute a violation of the Coastal Act, and that the city, which owns the landward portion of the beach, might be liable for failing to stop it. The plaintiffs, wrote appellate Justice Laurence Rubin as he reinstated the lawsuit against Palos Verdes Estates, sufficiently alleged an actionable conspiracy in which the city has participated. Otten and Franklin are elated. So are California Coastal Commission officials. You couldnt ask for a better ruling, Otten told me. Its monumental, added Franklin. What I find to be so important about this case is that it addresses behavior, not just physical development, Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge said Thursday. In other words, throwing rocks or cutting a surfer off in the water, just like a gate across a trail, could be considered an illegal impediment to public beach and ocean access. If the city, whose officials have in the past characterized the aggressive Lunada Bay localism as urban legend, is found to have violated the Coastal Act, it could face huge penalties, up to $15,000 a day. This would put a serious burden on the city of 13,200 people. Besides property taxes, Palos Verdes Estates generates little in the way of tax revenue, as there are few businesses within its borders. Thats the downside of not wanting anybody there, Franklin said. Palos Verdes Estates Mayor Jim Roos said by email, The city remains committed to protecting the publics access to our beautiful coastlines. We are hopeful for a resolution that recognizes that commitment. It's fair to ask, exactly what commitment is he talking about? Franklin and Otten told me they had offered to drop the lawsuit against the city years ago. The main thing they, and the Coastal Commission, wanted, they said, was for Palos Verdes Estates to put up signs indicating that Lunada Bay is public and open to all. Theyd also like the city to install a park bench at the top of the cliff, maybe a stationary telescope for whale watching, a permanent water bowl for dogs, and a safer approach down the cliff to the water, perhaps using railroad ties as steps. The city refused. Meanwhile, Taloa, who played a local surfer in the movie Blue Crush, told me hes looking forward to the day the lawsuit is put to rest. He cant wait to get back out to the break at Lunada Bay, and to invite once-excluded surfers to join him. As soon as its done, he told me, we are going to turn that place into Waikiki. @robinkabcarian This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. DoorDash driver kidnapped and assaulted by man while attempting delivery at a hotel Police in Tampa, Florida arrested a man accused of kidnapping and sexually battering a DoorDash driver while the woman attempted to make a delivery at a Residence Inn hotel. Joseph Killins, 38, faces charges of armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, armed sexual battery, and aggravated battery with a weapon, police said Saturday, April 22. He is being held at the Orient Road Jail. The terrifying attack happened around 11 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 when the woman, a Hispanic female in her early 20s, tried to drop off food at the hotel located on W. Boy Scout Blvd. While walking up to the hotel to make the delivery, the victim was approached by a black male armed with a gun, who forced her back into her car, a police news release said. The Residence Inn in Tampa, Fla. (Google Maps) At the time, the woman had AirPods in and was on the phone with her girlfriend. Realizing that a robbery was occurring, the victims family called police and officers were sent to the hotel. Authorities said the suspect forced the victim to drive about seven miles away to the Belara Lakes Apartments, where the assault occurred. The victims family had been tracking her phone and arrived at the apartment complex. They were able to rescue her from the car, police said. The suspect opened fire striking a family member of the victims girlfriend before fleeing the scene. The victim and the person shot were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the news release. DoorDash said it was appalled by this heinous and abhorrent crime and are assisting Tampa police in the investigation. No one should ever have to endure something as horrific as this and were here to support the Dasher in any way we can, a company spokesperson said. A day after the alleged kidnapping, police said Killins allegedly attacked another woman in the Belara Lakes Apartments. Authorities said he threw the woman, a Hispanic female in her early 40s, to the ground, punched her and then stole her backpack. Killins was charged with robbery. Authorities had released a composite image of the suspect based on information they received from the kidnapped victims family and asked anyone with information to contact police. Crimestoppers of Tampa Bay had urged anyone with information to contact them and said the tipster could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $5,000. The police department said items related to the kidnapping were found by detectives investigating the robbery. The investigation led officers to the Tampa Inn, where the suspect was arrested late Friday night. Killins allegedly disclosed details to detectives that were specific to the crimes that occurred on April 18, the police department said. Interim Police Chief Lee Bercaw said he hopes the arrest brings some closure to the victims. This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Cinderella Castle stands at the Magic Kingdom, at Walt Disney World, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Monday, April 3, 2023. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A former Walt Disney World employee is facing a charge that he surreptitiously took a video up the skirt of a female customer, allegedly telling investigators he had done it more than 500 times over the past six years. Jorge Diaz Vega, 26, worked at the Star Wars gift shop inside Disney World's Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida until his recent arrest on one count of video voyeurism, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. According to court records filed by Orange County Sheriff's detectives, Vega was spotted by a witness shooting a video up an 18-year-old woman's skirt. She later told security officers she was not aware of Vega's actions. Detectives said that Vega volunteered during questioning that he takes the videos as a guilty pleasure" and showed them multiple examples on his cellphone. He was arrested March 31 and released on $2,500 bail. Court records do not show if Vega has an attorney and a current phone number could not be located. Disney World said Sunday that Vega doesn't currently work for the company. The sheriff's office deferred until Monday commenting on whether investigators are pursuing more charges against Vega. Both the sheriff's office and Disney declined to say whether they are working to identify the other women who Vega allegedly took videos of. After the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to maintain access the abortion pill mifepristone, physicians will be able to keep prescribing the drug as a lower court case on its FDA approval moves through the judicial process. The appeal seeks to roll back a long-set Food and Drug Administration approval for the pill. Government lawyers have argued that the FDA followed all of the proper laws and steps in its decision-making process when the drug was approved over 20 years ago, in 2000. The drug's approval still has the backing of the Biden administration. After the Supreme Court's decision, President Joe Biden said, "I continue to stand by FDAs evidence-based approval of mifepristone." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer added that the fight is far from over. We have to keep doing everything we can to protect a woman's right to choose and protect their right to get this medication, which has always been allowed in the past, said Sen. Schumer. The next formal step in the lower court case will be in Louisiana, where the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments on the merits of the case next month. Those arguments will take place at a courthouse in New Orleans on May 17 at 1 p.m. A three-judge panel will hear the case; after oral arguments, theyll issue a written decision. Both sides would then be given the option to appeal, and its quite possible the case could end up back at the Supreme Court. SEE MORE: Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill mifepristone The Biden administration had asked the high court justices to preserve the status quo availability of mifepristone as the government works through its appeal case in the 5th circuit. The lower court case will examine various scientific evidence to determine if the original FDA approval was sound. Some of those studies considered by a judge in the case have been called into question, as some appeared not to be peer reviewed. In a statement, the Alliance Defending Freedom the conservative legal group representing abortion opponents who filed that lawsuit said the case continues to move quickly and that the FDA must answer after failing to study how dangerous the chemical abortion drug regimen is. Mifepristone, also known as RU-486 or Mifeprex, was approved in the United States over two decades ago and is used in conjunction with the drug misoprostol to block the effects of the hormone necessary to maintain a pregnancy. Misoprostol would make the uterus contract to expel the pregnancy. Attorneys may argue to a judge about mifepristone's multiple off-label uses as well. For example, the drug has shown very promising results in treating polycystic ovarian syndrome, according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine. SEE MORE: Jonathan Adler on what the Supreme Court's abortion decision means This current legal battle comes less than a year after the High Court reversed Roe v. Wade, and now abortion is banned in about a dozen states. Reproductive rights proponents worry about the risk these battles pose to the public. "I hope that you recognize that things have changed. There was a moment not very long ago when our conversation was about public policy. This is no longer a conversation just about public policy. This is a conversation about logistics and operations and how we keep people safe and how we make sure that people have access to reproductive health care," said Sue Dunlap, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. Over the years, the FDA expanded access to mifepristone, allowing it to be prescribed and sent in the mail. Women who have wanted a less invasive way to end pregnancies in the first 10 weeks of gestation have used the drug along with misoprostol to accomplish that. It's unclear if various steps over the years to give more access to the drug like making it available through the mail, or an FDA approval in 2016 which expanded the window of access from seven weeks' gestation to ten weeks' would be denied as the appeal moves through federal court. There is also a lawsuit filed by the generic maker of the drug, GenBioPro, which aims to try and block the FDA from removing its version of the drug from the market. A general view of Bakhmut, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, April 21, 2023. (Iryna Rybakova via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv's long-awaited spring counteroffensive. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with stable supply lines to their positions. Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country's south. Responding to Ukrainian media reports proclaiming that the establishment of such positions indicated the counteroffensive had begun, Natalia Humeniuk, the spokeswoman for Ukraines Operational Command South, called for patience. While neither confirming nor denying the ISW report, she said only that details of military operations in the Dnieper delta couldn't be disclosed for operational and security reasons. Speaking on Ukrainian television, Humeniuk added that it was very difficult work when its necessary to overcome an obstacle such as the Dnieper, when the front line passes through a wide and powerful river. The Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region, one of four parts of Ukraine that Russia said it was illegally annexing in September, denied on Sunday that Ukrainian forces have established a foothold on the east bank of the Dnieper. In a Telegram update, Vladimir Saldo said that Russian forces are in full control of the area, and speculated that the images referenced by the ISW may have depicted Ukrainian sabotage units that managed to take a selfie across the Dnieper before being forced back. After more than a year since the Russian invasion, recent fighting has become a war of attrition, with neither side able to gain momentum. But Ukraine has recently received sophisticated weapons from its Western allies, and new troops freshly trained in the West, giving rise to growing anticipation of a counteroffensive. The fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense. On Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed Moscow's forces had captured two more neighborhoods in the western part of Bakhmut, without providing further details or clarifying what areas were still in Ukrainian hands. In the south, the Dnieper has for months marked the contact line in the Kherson region, where its namesake capital is regularly pummeled by shelling from Russian forces stationed across the river. In addition to having established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, across the Dnieper delta from Kherson, ISW said that Ukrainian troops were also approaching the nearby village of Dachi, citing data from Russian military bloggers. In Telegram posts on Thursday and Saturday, ISW said the bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had maintained these positions for weeks and established stable supply lines to them, indicating a lack of Russian control over the area. The Associated Press confirmed the posts from the bloggers, but it wasn't immediately possible to independently verify the data they shared. Russia is also expected to launch more intensive attacks in the spring, but ISW reported that top Russian defense figures are showing signs that they may be pushing for a consolidation of existing gains in Ukraine, rather than costly new operations, as Moscow struggles with both material and manpower. The think tank cited comments from financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut. On Saturday, Prigozhin's press service posted comments he made on its official Telegram channel in which he argued that Russian forces need to anchor (themselves) in such a way that it is only possible to tear them out with (the) opponent's claws. The interview was published shortly after Western leaders meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany pledged to train more Ukrainian personnel and keep up their military support for Kyiv. As Moscow seeks to bolster its troop numbers, the U.K. Ministry of Defense noted Sunday in an intelligence briefing that Russian authorities had mounted a large-scale military recruitment campaign using social media, billboards and state television. It said Russian officials are almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent, while assessing that this latest effort would likely fail to meet the defense ministry's stated goal of recruiting 400,000 new volunteers. In attacks overnight, local authorities in eastern Ukraine reported that Russian forces had launched at least five S-300 missiles at Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city and the surrounding region. The missiles damaged an industrial facility and private homes but caused no casualties, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the Kharkiv regional governor. In Kherson, one civilian was killed and two were wounded as Russian troops used artillery, drones and warplanes to launch a total of 54 strikes on the province, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram on Sunday morning. Russian forces on Saturday and overnight also dropped five guided aerial bombs over the Kherson region, Ukraines Operational Command South said in a Facebook post Sunday. According to the post, the bombs were launched from drones and aircraft and damaged multiple residential buildings, but caused no casualties. Also in the Kherson region, two women, ages 85 and 57, were hospitalized after being wounded in a Russian artillery attack that damaged a local school and about 25 residential buildings in the village of Kizomys, Prokudin said in a Telegram post. In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Russian shelling wounded a 56-year-old man in Stepnohirsk, a town on the banks of the Dnieper river, local Gov. Yurii Malashko wrote on Telegram. ___ Joanna Kozlowska reported from London. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region made the comments on Telegram, not to RIA. Democrats in South Carolina will soon decide their next leader, hoping to turn around election losses year after year amid an ever-evolving finger-pointing game of whos to blame. A big task is at hand for the eventual new leader, who will oversee the high-profile lead-off Democratic presidential primary early next year and work to ensure the South Carolina contest stays first in the nominating order. Trav Robertson, the current party chair since 2017, announced in February his plans to step down as chairman, sparking what has turned into a contentious leadership campaign that includes sniping on social media and an endorsement from South Carolinas most powerful Democrat, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. Vying for the job are three candidates: activist Catherine Fleming Bruce, former party executive director Christale Spain and chair of the partys Black caucus, Brandon Upson. The latter two are seen as the most likely to succeed Robertson, who is a candidate himself in the race for the partys first vice chair. Spain, carrying high-profile backers, is widely considered the frontrunner. All three say they want the party to evolve and avoid the losses theyve experienced in statewide and legislative elections, which includes losing five House and Senate seats in 2020 and eight House seats in 2022. However, they all differ on the strategy to solve the partys problems. Spain said the party needs to better reach out to young voters and people of color. Upson wants to work with labor unions to contribute to the party. Bruce, a longtime activist, wants to first protect current officeholders in elections. Clyburn, who represents a majority-minority district that covers part of the state capital and much of the rural center of the state, blamed Democrats losses not on leadership but on redistricting, a process controlled by the Republican-dominated Legislature. We have the same problem that Democrats have got in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana (and) Arkansas, Clyburn said in an interview with The State. Redistricting has killed us, and nobody who chairs the party can reverse that. Robertson, who declined to comment about seeking first vice chair, has instead taken the blame, while others question whether the Democratic lawmakers who lost in recent elections did the necessary voter outreach to win. Clyburn, who endorsed Spain for chair, said he had no role in influencing who jumped into the race. I dont ever tell anybody to run for anything. I dont tell them not to run, Clyburn said. Winning the chairs race will, like any election, come down to math. Whoever gets the majority of the 1,600 state delegates from all 46 South Carolina counties at the April 29 convention wins. Those delegates will participate in a standing vote, meaning every delegate will know how the others vote. And, as the whip count goes on, candidates are raising money and trotting out endorsements. But will the infighting that has plagued the party over the past few years stop after April 29? If we alienate large groups of folks in any of the camps, were not going to make it, said Bruce, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate last year and has promoted 14 endorsements in her bid, all from former county party chairs. We dont have enough people to be leaving folks on the side of the road. Catherine Fleming Bruce, a candidate for S.C. Democratic Party chair, speaks to the South Carolina College Democrats on Sunday April 16, 2023. Upson: Messaging, status quo a problem for Dems In an interview, Upson says two factors cause problems for Democrats statewide: Bad messaging with an unwillingness to talk about central Democratic issues, such as gun restrictions and organized labor, and running the same type of candidate. Weve been doing what Einstein calls insanity, the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, because the same people have handpicked our partys leadership for 20 years, Upson said. And weve been, if you noticed, on a 20-year decline year over year. Upson is running on a slate with Mary Geren of Anderson County, Melina Rodelo of Oconee County and Erica Sampson of Charleston County, all who are vying for vice chair positions. To court delegates before April 29, Upson has traveled the state hoping to sway them with a new vision for the party. He says hes helped candidates win in 22 out of 40 races in the past 13 years, including flipping 14 Republican-held offices. And he wants them to consider dedicating state party money to recruit Democrats in high school and college, find more Black female candidates to support and rebuild the grassroots infrastructure. Ultimately, rebuilding year-round outreach requires money, and Upson said he wants to reach out to labor unions in the state to push them contribute $1 million each to the party over 10 years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates less than 3% of South Carolina workers are represented by labor unions. Now we can be sustained, Upson said. We can have a full-time staff year round, and the money that we raise thereafter can be focused on strengthening our counting parties, programs and doing the blocking and tackling thats necessary. Upson said he has raised a lot of money for his campaign but plans to release fundraising numbers after the race. Meanwhile, critics have questioned Upson abilities to lead a party into the future and his loyalty after he worked to elect a Republican candidate running for a Charleston County Council seat. Upson worked for Charleston County Council member Joe Boykin in 2018 and 2021, according to the S.C. Ethics Commission. Boykin unsuccessfully ran as a Republican in 2018 for Charleston County Council, then defeated Anna Johnson, a Black Democrat, in 2022. Upson was paid $3,300 in 2018 as Boykins campaign consultant and $1,500 in 2021 to put together Boykins website. Because Anna Johnson had not been effective in her job for a number of years. Thats why they came and asked me to help in 2018, Upson said. Democrats asked me to do that. I didnt go there to say, Oh, Im going to help this Republican. That isnt sitting well with Clyburn. I dont think well of anybody that would hire themselves out to a Republican against a Black woman, Clyburn said. Johnson this week sent a letter to delegates about Upsons work, saying it led Democrats to lose a majority on Charleston County Council. It certainly should disqualify him from being our state party chair, Johnson said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The State. Upson said Democrats can trust him, saying its because of my 13 years of service and sacrifice to this party, and Ive been the one in the trenches. Brandon Upson State Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a Democrat representing Orangeburg County for more than 31 years, has endorsed Upson. Cobb-Hunter, who is not a delegate, said she wants the party to better reach out to rural, white and young voters. I dont think (Spain and Bruce) have the capacity to do what needs to be done. Im interested in somebody who has a vision and who has won and has organized, Cobb-Hunter said. Not somebody who has talked about it, but somebody who has actually done it. Cobb-Hunter defended Upsons past work, and questioned how Upsons critics can take issue with his part work but not with State House Democrats who didnt support Black female judicial candidates, and in one case supported a former Republican lawmaker. Its been the same group of people calling the shots for the last 20 to 30 years. At what point do we allow different voices to be decision makers? Cobb-Hunter asked. Bill Kimler, chair of the Greenwood County Democratic Party, also is backing Upson. Brandon has got an undeniable charisma, Kimler said. Hes a salesman, but I think thats what you need at the top level to sell on those who would donate to the party, to sell those on the messaging, to sell people to run for office in their local or statewide races. Spain: Party needs to strengthen ground game Spain heads into the April 29 race with the backing of some of the states most high-profile Democrats: Clyburn, past party chair and Democratic National Committee member Carol Fowler, current chair Robertson and Jim Hodges, the last Democrat to hold the governors office. But Spain, who in 2022 worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as the senior adviser of Black engagement, said the powerful backing from party Democrats doesnt simply mean the party should stay as is. Moving forward, the focus she said needs to be on the party growing its base with younger voters and people of color. She estimates it would cost $6 million to $7 million over two years to allow the party to staff up and allow county parties to operate and mobilize. She wants year-round voter engagement and for candidates and the party to be talking about issues that matter to voters. We need to do research to find out whats top of mind for our voters so we know what to talk about, like whats going to be the mobilizing issue in 2024, said Spain, who also notes in 2022 she led a communications and national organizing program that won 12 out of 13 competitive U.S. House races, three of which were in North Carolina. Spain said she wants to start a finance committee to reach out to large donors to contribute to the party, while also revitalizing a sustainable donor program for small monthly contributions. She also touted Georgias strong door-knocking program as a voter outreach strategy to mimic, and said the party must take advantage of its first primary position to leverage additional support. There are some other things that I want to try, since we do have this tremendous opportunity with being first in the nation, Spain said. And Im definitely going to leverage that, because that is about bringing folks into our state who are major players and who have goals of being here for the long haul if its not 2024, but 2028. With the backing of several county party chairs, and especially Clyburn, Spain rejects that she was somehow handpicked. My time in public service has been about serving this party and engaging voters, said Spain, who would be the partys first Black female chair if she wins. People get offended by that, because Im a top contender in this race and Ive worked my behind to be that, thats on them. I got off the sideline on my own to volunteer, not because somebody asked me to. Christale Spain, a candidate for S.C. Democratic Party chair speaks to the South Carolina College Democrats on Sunday, April 16, 2023. Clyburns campaign committee contributed $10,000 to Spain, who worked for Clyburn for two years, to run for party chair, according to Federal Elections Commission records. The best way to tell what a person will do is to look at what he or she has done, Clyburn said. I look at Christale, I see someone who worked in this party doing what you call the grunt work, who never tried to get out in front of anybody, who is as supportive of candidates as you would want them to be, supportive of staffers as you would want anybody to be, (and) who has worked at the state level and the national level. Richland County Democratic Party Chairwoman Deyaska Sweatman, whose endorsed Spain with chairs of Charleston, Greenville and Horry counties, said the race for party chair is deeper for Spain that what some have said. Its deeper than a party affiliation for her. Its about community, Sweatman said. Amanda McDougald Scott, Greenville Countys chairwoman, said Spain has the best ability to raise money, the ability to learn new skills and has integrity. Christale is the only one who has all of those qualifications, McDougald Scott said. Still, some party leaders have yet to decide who theyre backing with a week to go. Weve got three people bringing different experiences to the race, said Aiken County Democratic Party Chairman Harold Crawford, who will bring 60 delegates to the convention. And I think what we need across the board is a really good marriage between tried and true methods and new methods, signaling there needs to be a combination of grassroots efforts with advancing technology. Antjuan Seawright, a South Carolina-based Democratic strategist, said Democrats have the perfect opportunity to move the party forward and put it in a position to keep and leverage its No. 1 primary status in the years ahead. But it takes a reality check, he said. Republicans have a history of falling in line, and Democrats have a history of falling in love, said Seawright, who backs Spain. I think we have to restructure to their model of falling in line instead of falling in love. A newly issued autopsy shows that a Native American girls death after collapsing at Diamond Ranch Academy, a Utah boarding school, was the result of a serious infection that usually needs to be treated with antibiotics. Taylor Goodridge, 17, died on Dec. 20, and the state concluded in a subsequent investigation that the boarding school for troubled teens had failed to seek necessary medical care for her when she vomited on multiple days. An autopsy report completed this month by the Utah Medical Examiners office concluded that Taylor died of peritonitis, an infection of the abdomen tissue, which led to sepsis, a life-threatening condition that arises from a bodys response to infection. The infection spread to her vital organs, causing them to fail, the autopsy found. Peritonitis is a serious illness that must be treated quickly with antibiotics and sometimes surgery. Symptoms of peritonitis include fatigue, nausea, vomiting and a swollen stomach, all of which Taylor complained of in the weeks leading up to her death, according to former staff members at Diamond Ranch Academy. The autopsy report followed a Utah Department of Health and Human Services investigation report, obtained through an open records request, that found Taylor showed signs of illness as far back as October, and her symptoms had intensified in the days leading up to her death. Diamond Ranch Academy, however, did not attempt to take her to a hospital until the day she died, the report said. In the 12-day period prior to the clients death, program documentation recorded that the client vomited at least 14 times, the departments investigation report stated. Nine days prior to the clients death, documentation recorded the client vomited at least 7 times in an 11-hour time frame. The reports angered Taylors parents, Dean Goodridge and AmberLynn Wigtion. We are devastated to learn that Taylors death was entirely preventable had Diamond Ranch Academy cared, Goodridge and Wigtion said in a statement. Image: Taylor Goodridge. (Courtesy the Goodridge family) Bill Frazier, a lawyer for the school, said he could not comment on the autopsy because neither he nor the school had seen it. He previously said Taylors death was a tragic circumstance but the school was unable to comment further because of education and medical privacy laws. Frazier added that the school disagreed with many aspects of the former staff members accounts. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services placed Diamond Ranch Academys license on probation and suspended its ability to enroll children after Taylors death. But in March, before the autopsy had been finalized, the state lifted the enrollment restrictions. The agency said it made the decision after multiple unannounced site visits from December to February and an appeal by the school. DHHS inspections showed DRA had made the changes needed to become compliant and showed no evidence to prevent the facility from taking on new clients, the department said in a statement. Until the end of July, Diamond Ranch Academy will be subject to additional inspections by the department, and the school remains at risk of losing its license if it violates state rules. The department said records from its appeal hearing are confidential and declined to release them in response to an open records request. A spokesperson for the department added that it is still determining whether the autopsy is considered additional information related to Diamond Ranch Academys license. Taylors parents said in their statement that they were dumbfounded that the state has not held Diamond Ranch Academy accountable for Taylors death, settling with Diamond Ranch Academy without any input from our family. According to its website, Diamond Ranch Academy maintains its accreditation from the Joint Commission, a national nonprofit organization that sets standards for medical and behavioral health care facilities. The Joint Commission did not respond to questions about Diamond Ranch Academy beyond outlining its typical process for handling reports of incidents, which can include a review and removal of accreditation. Taylors parents are suing Diamond Ranch Academy in federal court over her death to make sure this does not happen to other innocent teens and their families, they said. Diamond Ranch Academy has asked for the case to be dismissed on procedural grounds. A judge has not ruled on that yet, and the case is pending. This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com 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. 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. The U.S. military on Saturday evacuated embassy staff and their families from Sudan amid escalating conflict in the country. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that operations at the U.S. embassy in the city of Khartoum would be paused and that U.S. personnel had been cleared from the area. Suspending operations at one of our embassies is always a difficult decision, but the safety of our personnel is my first responsibility, Blinken said. The widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our Embassy personnel. President Biden noted that he issued the orders to remove the personnel and that his team was notifying him on a continual basis of the safety efforts for Americans in the war-torn nation. He urged an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the battling Sudanese army and paramilitary group wreaking havoc. The tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, he said. The State Department shared Friday that at least one American had been killed in Sudan since the fighting broke out, NBC News reported. The identity of the individual was not known. The situation marks the third time in three years that the U.S. military has moved out the staff of an American embassy as violence overtakes a foreign capital. In 2021, the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan suspended activity amid the turmoil due to the Talibans takeover. In 2022, U.S. embassy staff in Kyiv, Ukraine relocated to Lviv in western Ukraine before transferring to Poland. (The embassy reopened in its Kyiv location in 2022.) Last week, the Pentagon started deploying more troops to the African nation of Djibouti in anticipation of a potential evacuation of embassy employees in Sudan, according to the New York Times. An estimated 19,000 American citizens were believed to be in the country, the publication noted. More from National Review In this photo provided by Maheen S , 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. (Maheen S via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy in warring Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital, Khartoum, with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported. With the last U.S. employee of the embassy out, Washington shuttered the U.S. mission in Khartoum indefinitely. Left behind were thousands of private American citizens remaining in the east African country. U.S. officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation mission. Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders entered their ninth day Sunday, forcing continued closing of the main international airport and leaving roads out of the country in control of armed men. Fighting has killed more than 400 people. In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan to the extent possible. He also called for the end to unconscionable violence there. About 100 U.S. troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation. They airlifted all of roughly 70 remaining American employees from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. Ethiopia also provided overflight and refueling support, said Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Biden said Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia also assisted with the evacuation. 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. U.S. Africa Command and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley were in contact with both warring factions before and during the operation to ensure that U.S. forces would have safe passage to conduct the evacuation. However, John Bass, a U.S. undersecretary of state, denied claims by one faction, Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Security Forces, that it assisted in the U.S. evacuation. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation," Bass said. Biden had ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, Biden said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. Sudan's fighting broke out April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nations transition to democracy. The ongoing power struggle now between the armed forces chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has millions of Sudanese cowering inside their homes, hiding from explosions, gunfire and looting. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. An estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is rough because not all Americans register with embassy or say when they depart. 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 for American employees of the embassy got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that U.S. troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. 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. Embassy evacuations conducted by the U.S. military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transportation if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, staffers used commercial transport to leave. However, in several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. U.S. troops accompanied personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. The great Indian census conducted every ten years since 1881 appears to have been shelved for all practical purposes. The UNFPAs estimates of Indias population is just that -- only an estimate. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File) It took a United Nations agency to inform us and the world at large that India would become the most populous country in the world by the middle of this year. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in its 2023 State of World Population Report, declared that by the middle of 2023 Indias population would touch an estimated 1.4286 billion, against Chinas 1.4257 billion -- a difference of 2.9 million. Normally, one would expect such a key statistic to come from the Indian government. But in todays India, statistics are deemed to have become damned lies or simply do not exist. The great Indian census conducted every ten years since 1881 appears to have been shelved for all practical purposes. No one in India is asking why we have no census, which is the most basic statistical exercise undertaken by all nations. Without accurate demographics, no reliable economic projections can be made. The UNFPAs estimates of Indias population is just that -- only an estimate. No one knows for sure how many Indians there actually are. The Covid-19 pandemic prevented the census operations from starting in 2020, and since then the government has effectively scuttled the stalled exercise. Bloomberg columnist Mihir Sharma writes that Indias current government has a somewhat difficult relationship with data. Various surveys and calculations, from the national income accounts to household consumption patterns and jobs data, have been cancelled or reviewed over the past seven years. This census was set to be even more politically explosive. In famously diverse India, the census provides the last word on the relative sizes of various groups. And those numbers dont just determine their voting power in democratic India, but also the distribution of welfare and public services. The Indian census not only counts the number of every Indian citizen but also other key demographics such as literacy, employment, lifespan, religious persuasion and much more. It provides critical data for analysts and policy makers; this data is the bedrock on which all economic estimates rest. In its absence, economic analysis and policy making in India can only flail in the darkness. The UNFPA report underscores the need to have accurate data on the state of our population, not just the raw headcounts but how our citizens are actually doing. Andrea Wojnar, UNFPAs India representative, correctly pointed out that population numbers should not trigger anxiety or create alarm. Instead, they should be seen as a symbol of progress, development, and aspirations if individual rights and choices are being upheld. But there is the inevitable big if. Indias huge population, especially its youth, could constitute a demographic dividend or a liability, depending on the quality of its people. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, reacting to the UNFPA report, was not off the mark in asserting that population dividends depended not only on quantity but also on quality. A populations capabilities in terms of skills, talents and innovation are the key to the future. Does Indias huge population possess these abilities? The indicators are not very rosy. We might have a large population but its quality is highly questionable. Take one key metric: labour participation rates, which measures the percentage of the population actually engaged in productive work. Indias rates happen to be among the lowest in the world. According to World Bank data (2021), the labour participation rate for India was a pathetic 48.5 per cent, compared to Bangladeshs 58.2 per cent, Pakistans 52.7 per cent, Chinas 67.1 per cent, the United States 61.2 per cent and Russias 62.2 per cent. India only bettered a few countries like Iran (41.9 per cent). Worse, very few women in India work: just about one in four, which is one of the lowest in the world. This years Economic Survey claimed that male labour force participation rates had increased to 57.5 per cent in 2020-21 while female participation had climbed to 25.1 per cent. But there is no telling whether these figures are authentic, and even if they are, they point to continued low levels of participation. No country in the world can progress if so few of its people actually work, especially its women. Overall employment figures also remain low despite the governments claims to the contrary. The 2023 Economic Survey claimed labour markets have recovered beyond pre-Covid levels, in both urban and rural areas, with unemployment rates falling from 5.8 per cent in 2018-19 to 4.2 per cent in 2020-21, but added that there has been a decline in the shares of regular wage workers, casual labour, industrial labour, and labour employed in trade, hotel and restaurants. If the government is to be believed, the rise in employment is due to the increase in agriculture employment! The sad fact is that no country in the world has developed through agriculture; it is industry, particularly the cutting edge, hi-tech sectors that are capable of propelling an economy into a global frontrunner. Industry needs skilled workers, effective managers and educated researchers and innovators. Literacy figures are one indicator of how well the population is doing knowledge-wise. In India, literacy has been rising but is still low on the world scale: 74 per cent in 2018 compared to Bangladeshs 75 per cent, Chinas 97 per cent, Irans 89 per cent, Russias 100 per cent, Pakistans 58 per cent, and Sri Lankas 92 per cent (World Bank data 2019-2020). In other words, we also have the largest population of illiterates in the world a staggering 371 million who cannot read or write a sentence in any language, leave alone acquire knowledge of any kind. The other mind-boggling part of the UNFPA report is the estimate that nearly half of Indias population is below the age of 25 years -- that is 714 million young people looking for proper education, jobs, housing and so on. Who are all these millions? Understanding their realities, starting from their demographics, would be the first step in shaping policies and a conducive environment for their future. The UNFPAs India head declared that India is at a unique historical opportunity, witnessing a great demographic transition as youthful nation As the country with the largest youth cohort -- its 254 million youth (15-24 years) -- can be a source of innovation, new thinking and lasting solutions. India is indeed at an exciting crossroads in history: however, whether it will reap a demographic dividend or disaster is an open question. What is not is the need for a population census at the earliest. Not facing the facts, no matter how politically inconvenient, cannot be an option. During the Regina Caeli Francis stressed the importance of examining ones conscience. He urged the faithful to pray for his upcoming trip to Hungary in the heart of Europe where the "icy winds of war" are blowing and for the "urgent humanitarian questions" posed by migration. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis spoke to the crowd gathered in St Peter's Square for the Marian prayer of the Regina Caeli, which the Church proposes during the Easter season. In his address, the pontiff once again suggested the faithful devote a moment, every evening, to the examination of their conscience. Taking his cue from the Gospel story about the disciples of Emmaus, Francis invited us to hold our gaze on Jesus who helped the former understand what happened with his death and the proclamation of the Resurrection brought by women. Indeed, the pope said, for us to it is important to reread our history together with Jesus: the story of our life, of a certain period, of our days, with its disappointments and hopes. Besides, we too, like those disciples, faced with what happens to us, can find ourselves lost in the face of these events, alone and uncertain, with many questions and worries, disappointments, many things. Todays Gospel invites us to tell Jesus everything, sincerely, without being afraid of disturbing him: he listens; without fear of saying the wrong thing, without shame at our struggle to understand. The Lord is happy whenever we open ourselves to him; only in this way can he take us by the hand, accompany us and make our hearts burn again. Thus, examining ones conscience every day is valuable. Before Christs love, even that which seems wearisome and unsuccessful can appear under another light: a difficult cross to embrace, the decision to forgive an offence, a missed opportunity for redress, the toil of work, the sincerity that comes at a price, and the trials of family life can appear to us in a new light, the light of the Crucified and Risen, who knows how to turn every fall into a step forward. May Mary, wise Virgin, help us to recognize Jesus who walks with us and to reread- the word: re-read every day of our life in front of him. Addressing the faithful at the end of the Marian prayer, Francis mentioned the martyr priests of the Paris Commune, killed in 1871 and proclaimed blessed yesterday in Paris. Pastors inspired by apostolic zeal, they were united in their witness to the faith to the point of martyrdom. Speaking about Earth Day celebrated yesterday, he expressed hope that the commitment to care for creation may always be united with effective solidarity with the poorest. He then urged the faithful to pray for our brothers and sisters in Sudan, for an end to the violence as soon as possible and for a return to the path of dialogue. Lastly, the pontiff entrusted to the faithful the three-day apostolic journey that will take him next Friday to Hungary. It will be an opportunity to embrace once again a Church and a people so dear to me. It will also be a journey to the centre of Europe, over which the icy winds of war continue to blow, while the displacement of so many people puts urgent humanitarian questions on the agenda. To this end, I ask you all to accompany me on this journey with your prayers. I'm fine, as I'm very fortunate to own my home I own, but I'm feeling the pinch on my mortgage with other inflation costs I rent and it's expensive, but it could be worse I'm seriously considering leaving the valley if something doesn't give Vote View Results Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Photo: Mecum Photo: Mecum Both events were filled with high-profile cars, trucks, and whatnot, many of them selling for big money. And weve all been bombarded this past week with stories from the two locations, centered on the successes registered there. But there were instances when, despite offering things no other vehicles were offering, some cars were left with no new garage to call home, and with no human to call their new owners.Such is the case of the 1963 Ford Galaxie of the 500XL variety we are here to look at now. Its not your usual Galaxie, but one thats unique in more ways than one, and in a perfect world it would probably be someones cherished treasure. That someone, it seems, didnt make it to Houston, so the Ford is at the time of writing still up for grabs.The Galaxie is a name that pops up sporadically in the news. It does this because, from time to time, one appears in modified form, or with something special about it. Compared to other machines from its age, though, its not that spectacular as to warrant constant coverage. Ford gave birth to the Galaxie in 1958, and that spelled doom for the model almost instantly. Named so as a sort of nod to humanitys first race to reach outer space, it was pushed to the sidelines of the automotive industry by the true stars of the decade that followed, the muscle cars. It fought a bit, managing to stay in production for a number of years, but then, in 1974, it conceded the loss in the United States, and was taken out of production (it kept kicking and screaming in Brazil until 1983, though).The example we have here is not your average Galaxie, but it is described by Mecum as a special early introduction prototype. What it means is that this thing is one of the first 500XLs in this configuration (well get to that in a moment) made for that model year, rolling off the assembly lines in Los Angeles in February 1963, three months before its breed was officially introduced in the Galaxie lineup.The car is finished in one of Americas favorite car colors, Wimbledon White , with a matching convertible top. When the top is down, as it is in the photos attached to this text, it reveals a beautiful blue interior that almost instantly brings to mind images of the many blue X-Men characters we grew up with.We mentioned earlier this is a special configuration Galaxie, and heres why: were talking about an R-Code machine, the kind that received a 427ci under the hood. Rocking an aluminum intake manifold and dual Holley 4-barrel carburetors, the unit was capable of developing over 400 hp.The entire troop is sent to the wheels (in this case were talking about 15-inch steel pieces wrapped in whitewall tires and showing spinner-style covers) in controlled bursts by means of a 4-speed manual transmission, which has been rebuilt to factory specs. A dual exhaust system handles the breathing aspects of the engines functioning.The white body and blue entrails of the Galaxie help hide features not seen on any other model of the family. In fact, as per the cars seller, this is the only Galaxie R-Code known to exist with power driver's seat, power steering, carpeted inner trunk quarter panels, stainless rocker panel and stainless rear quarter trim. Add to that the existence of an item rare for this kind of car, an AM/FM radio, and people should have stormed the Houston location where the auction was held for a chance to own it.We dont know exactly how many people bid for it, or how fierce the battle between bidders was, but the reality remains that now, a week after the fact, the car is still listed by Mecum with one of their The Bid Goes On stamps.Its unclear how much the current owner of the car expects to fetch for it, and its almost impossible to make an estimate, given the things several unique features. Just to give an idea though of how much people usually pay for these things, you should know that valuation house Hagerty places a car such as this, only in Concours-condition, at just $46,100.So there you have it, this relatively low-mileage (the odometer shows about 21,500 miles/34,600 km) Galaxie is still up for grabs . We only hope the ones who will eventually get their hands on it wont take it down a custom car path, but keep as many bits as possible of this piece of American motoring history in their current form. SUV Photo: Stellantis kW Photo: Stellantis Photo: Stellantis The new Rampage uses the SUSW platform, now called only Small Wide 4x4. It is probably one of the last new products to have these underpinnings and not the STLA Small. A possible new generation of this unibody pickup truck may even receive an upgrade and get the STLA Medium, but that will take at least six years to happen.Although it may seem that the new Ram is closely related to the Fiat Toro that also uses that platform, the Rampage is more related to the Jeep Commander made in Goiana, Brazil. Autos Segredos broke the news about the new pickup truck in March 2021 and revealed its name on April 1 but swore it was not a prank. According to the Brazilian website, the Rampage will get the brake system and electronic and safety architectures from the. The suspension is basically the same one used by the Toro, apart from different springs and dampers due to its higher weight.Just like the Renegade and the Commander, the SUSW platform and the suspension are all that the Fiat pickup truck and the Rampage have in common. The new Ram will be a larger vehicle than the Toro . Its length will be above 5 meters (196.9 inches), with a width similar to that of the Commander: 1.85 m (73.8 in). The Rampage will also be quite tall, with a height of around 1.80 m (70.9 in).All engines for the new unibody pickup truck will be turbocharged. The main one will be a 2-liter turbodiesel that also equips the Toro and the Commander, delivering 168 hp (125). The main difference will be related to torque. While the Multijet turbodiesel produces 280 pound-feet (380 Nm), Stellantis should increase that in the Rampage to more than 288 lb-ft (390 Nm). The new Ram will have a 9-speed automatic transmission and power on all four wheels.The second engine option will be a 2-liter GME. It will first burn only gasoline and deliver the same torque (more than 288 lb-ft or 390 Nm). However, the gasoline derivative will have much more power, around 260 hp (191 kW). Eventually, this engine will also burn ethanol, which is pretty common in Brazil. This is probably why the 2-liter Multijet will be replaced by a 2.4-liter turbodiesel in 2024. That's a bit too early, especially considering the pickup truck will initially reach the market only with the 2-liter option. As usual, early adopters always pay a high price to be the first ones driving anything. God bless their vanity.Still, according to Autos Segredos, the Ram Rampage will have three trim options: Big Horn, Laramie, and Rebel, in that order. The new unibody pickup truck will be the first Ram produced in Brazil also by the Goiana plant. Curiously, Dodge also made the Durango in that country, but it was a short-lived vehicle there with its thirsty engines and the high fuel prices that are still common there. The Rampage will use the same seats as the Toro, a dashboard that will be very similar to that on the Commander, and a massive vertical infotainment screen.While that may only be attractive for American customers with a low price tag, they are out of the equation due to the Chicken Tax. Pickup trucks are only competitive in the US if they are made locally: imported units would pay an absurd tax that would make them much more expensive. The SUSW platform is not present in any American factory, only in Italy, Brazil, and China. It would make no sense to invest in producing it there now, especially if such investments are for a single vehicle. That said, Americans will only get to see the new Rampage when traveling abroad or when Mexicans cross the border driving them. Canadians may also receive some export units.If there is anyone to blame for that, it is the US legislation. Stellantis , Ford, and General Motors will not complain. The Chicken Tax has ensured they are practically alone in one of the largest car markets in the world to sell as many trucks as they can manufacture. Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Hyundai are trying to get a piece of that pie, but it has proven to be a difficult task. Ironically, what protects American carmakers also prevents them from making more money. 50. 1978 Magnum Photo: Dodge 49. 1949 Wayfarer Photo: Dodge 48. 1987 Shelby Charger GLH-S Photo: Dodge 47. 1984 Shelby Omni GLH-S Photo: Dodge 46. 1956 D-500 45. 1978 Aspen Super Coupe Photo: Dodge 44. 1970 Ram Van Photo: Dodge 43. 1990 Dakota Photo: Dodge 42. 1965 Monaco Photo: Dodge 41. 1971 Dart Demon Photo: Dodge The company is also famous for its long-running line of D-series trucks (which eventually led to the creation of the Ram division) and is credited with having kickstarted the minivan craze with the Caravan in the 1980s. It also gave us the 426-cubic-inch HEMI , one of the greatest V8 engines of all time. At the same time, its modern Dodge Challenger spawned the most powerful factory muscle car in history.But these are only a handful of outstanding products that came from Dodge's assembly line. To celebrate one of Detroit's most significant automakers, we made a list of the 50 best Dodge models of all time. Here are numbers 50 to 41.The "Magnum" badge is famous for adorning a station wagon built from 2005 to 2008, but Dodge started using it in 1978 on a midsize two-door coupe. Introduced as a replacement for the more iconic Charger, the first-generation Magnum was the last Mopar to use the long-running Chrysler B platform.Much like the fourth-gen Charger that preceded it, the Magnum was sold with a couple of LA-block V8 engines and a big-block mill of the B variety. The latter, displacing 400 cubic inches (6.6 liters), was dropped at the end of 1978, leaving the Magnum with 318- and 360-cubic-inch (5.2- and 5.9-liter) options. The latter delivered 195 horsepower in the range-topping XE GT version in 1979.While short-lived, the late-1970s Magnum was crucial in keeping the legendary Richard Petty in a Mopar on the NASCAR scene. Reasonably aerodynamic and powerful, the Magnum had a promising start in 1978, but the lack of factory development support for the 360 V8 and the car's handling issues at high speeds eventually prompted Petty to switch to GM cars. Nevertheless, he scored seven top-five finishes in his 17 races with the Magnum.The oldest automobile in my Top 50, the Wayfarer, was Dodge's entry-level full-size two-door from 1949 to 1952, slotted below the Meadowbrook and the Coronet. Discontinued without a direct replacement, it stands out as the first true roadster built by the Big Three since the 1930s.The Wayfarer was quite popular, with more than 200,000 units sold over four model years, but the Roadster version moved only 9,325 examples, making it a hard-to-find body style nowadays.Offered with notable design updates in 1950 and 1951, the Wayfarer was only available with a 230-cubic-inch (3.8-liter) inline-six. Rated at 103 horsepower and 190 pound-feet (258 Nm) of torque, it pushed the heavy two-door from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in more than 20 seconds.Discontinued in 1978 after four generations and 12 years on the market, the Dodge Charger returned to showrooms in late 1981. However, Dodge used the nameplate for a subcompact car this time. Available with a selection of inline-four engines (including mills sourced from Peugeot and Volkswagen), the fifth-gen Charger was a notable departure from its high-performance origins.In 1983, however, Carroll Shelby made a deal with Dodge to create a high-performance version of the car. Called the Shelby Charger, it delivered 107 horsepower thanks to a higher compression ratio and a few other upgrades. Carroll took things up a notch in 1987 when he purchased the last 1,000 Chargers built and developed the GLH-S.Fitted with a sporty body kit and a beefed-up, turbocharged 2.2-liter inline-four, the Charger GLH-S became the ultimate incarnation of its generation and hit the road with 175 horsepower on tap. With a 0-to-60 mph sprint of 7.3 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 14.7 clicks, it's an unsung hero of the 1980s.The Charger wasn't the only subcompact that Dodge offered in the 1980s. The company introduced the Omni hatchback in 1977. Based on a car developed by Chrysler Europe, it shared underpinnings with the Charger that arrived in 1981.The Omni also got Shelby's GLH treatment in 1984, with the package including a "high-output" four-cylinder rated at 110 horsepower. An optional 146-horsepower unit joined the lineup in 1985. Shelby purchased the final 500 cars one year later and introduced the Omni GLH-S Powered by the same unit as its Charger counterpart, the Omni version was actually quicker to 60 mph, needing less than seven seconds to hit the benchmark. And impressively enough, it was faster in the quarter-mile than some V8-powered Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs, and Pontiac Firebirds.A lesser-known high-performance Mopar, the D-500 was produced in 1956 only as a range-topping version of the company's full-size car. It was offered on the Coronet two-door sedan and the hardtop and convertible versions of the Royal Lancer Produced for NASCAR homologation, the D-500 was fitted with the "Red Ram" V8, a 315-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) HEMI mill topped by dual Carter four-barrel carburetors. The engine generated 260 horsepower in the standard guise or 285 horses when ordered with the D-500-1 options.The most powerful Dodge of the era, the D-500, is often regarded as the forerunner of the Charger Daytona . Unfortunately, not many of these cars are still around to talk about the year when Dodge won 11 stock car races and set several speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats.Launched in 1976 as a replacement for the Dodge Dart, the Aspen is a rather mundane Malaise-era compact for design and performance. But the limited-edition Super Coupe from 1978 stands out as a unique, NASCAR-inspired offering.Created to honor NASCAR legend Richard Petty, the Super Coupe sported bolt-on flared fenders, louvered quarter and rear windows, metal tie-downs for the windshield, an adjustable rear spoiler, and large "43" decals on the doors. In short, it looked very much like a race car.Additional goodies included a heavy-duty suspension, a rear sway bar, and three-color stripes. But while it looked mean, the Super Coupe wasn't more potent than the range-topping Aspen fitted with the 360-cubic-inch (5.9-liter) V8 engine. Output came in at 175 horsepower and 260 pound-feet (353 Nm) of torque.Dodge joined the van market in 1964 with the A100, but it wasn't until 1970 that the company developed an iconic design. The first product to wear the "Ram" badge that morphed into a stand-alone truck brand, the Ram Van (also known as the B-series), arrived just in time to give the Chevy G-series and the Ford Econoline a run for their money.The hauler soldiered on for a whopping 33 years, getting significant redesigns in 1979 and 1998. And just like its Detroit rivals, it was an integral part of the custom van craze that occurred during the mid-to-late 1970s and early 1980s. Dodge actually took things up a notch and offered a factory customization bundle called the Street Van package.These vans were intensely advertised alongside the Li'l Red Express and Warlock pickup trucks that hit showrooms in the late 1970s. The Ram was the last van designed by Dodge, with its successors, the Sprinter and the ProMaster, being rebadged versions of Mercedes-Benz and Fiat haulers, respectively.Introduced in 1986, the Dakota arrived a bit late to the sub-full-size truck party. Specifically, while Chevrolet had launched the S-10 in 1981, Ford jumped on the bandwagon in 1982. But the Dakota wasn't a regular compact hauler.Its size actually placed it above the Ranger and S-10 (but below the full-size Dodge Ram, so Chrysler used the nameplate to kickstart a then-new niche. More importantly, it was the first non-full-size truck available with an optional V8.A 5.2-liter mill of the LA variety, the engine was first offered in the Shelby Dakota in 1989, but it found its way into the regular Dakota in 1990. The same year, Dodge introduced a Club Cab two-door model with an extended cab that accommodated up to six people. The nameplate soldiered on until 2011, when it was discontinued without a direct replacement.Initially intended to compete with the Pontiac Grand Prix in the personal luxury car market, the Monaco became Dodge's full-size car when it arrived for the 1965 model year. But unlike the 880 model that it replaced, the Monaco came with extra premium features that turned it into a competitor for the Ford LTD and the Chevrolet Caprice, which put it into Oldsmobile and Mercury territory.The early Monaco was quite menacing to look at, especially in two-door hardtop trim. And it also had the power to back its aggressive looks, starting with a four-barrel 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8 rated at 315 horsepower. Dodge also offered a 413-cubic-inch (6.8-liter) mill good for 340 horsepower and a 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) powerplant that came with 365 horsepower on tap. A 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Magnum V8 introduced in 1967 gave the Monaco 375 horses to play with.While it never reached muscle car status, the Monaco is arguably one of the most important full-size cars built by Dodge. The nameplate also developed some notoriety after a 1974 squad car was featured in "The Blues Brothers" movie Originally a full-size car, the Dart became an intermediate in 1962 and downsized into compact duty in 1963. But that didn't stop Dodge from moving the nameplate into muscle car territory toward the late 1960s. While the mighty 426 HEMI was only offered in a limited-edition, factory-built dragster, the Dart got both the 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) LA and 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) RB mills on the options list.The Demon arrived in 1971 as Dodge's take on the Plymouth Valiant Scamp. Essentially a Swinger with a Valiant front clip, the Demon was supposed to hit showrooms as the Beaver, but Dodge changed the name when the marketing department learned that "beaver" was CB slang for a part of the female anatomy.While nowhere near as spectacular as the modern Demon, the Dart Demon was quite potent for the era thanks to a 340-cubic-inch V8 rated at 275 horsepower. The optional hood scoops and blacked-out hood made it popular with the muscle car crowd. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Photo: Wind River Tiny Homes Photo: Wind River Tiny Homes Photo: Wind River Tiny Homes Tiny living offers countless advantages over traditional housing solutions, with the possibility to downsize and live intentionally among the most significant. A tiny house has a reduced footprint and reduced monthly costs and promises a debt- or mortgage-free life. Tiny living also means more freedom of movement, which, in turn, means you can work from home, wherever you happen to take your home and combine work with extensive travels.The Ocoee tiny might not enable much traveling since it's a certified park model , but it can still relocate if you need to. Park model tiny homes are tiny homes whose dimensions exceed those you can tow without special permits in most countries. They're still towable, but within certain limits or with extra permissions, which imply added costs, more bureaucracy, and an overall bigger effort to move around.What the Ocoee lacks in movability, it makes up for with extra spaciousness. The tiny is designed as a family-friendly unit , with sleeping accommodation for as many as four people, all the creature comforts of a home, and plenty of space to move around. You won't find here the cramped, overcrowded sensation you get in most tinies, but a larger, airier space basked in natural light.Wind River Tiny Homes boasts of being the "first tiny house builder" of custom mobile housing "of the utmost quality" in the state of Tennessee, and it certainly has the reputation to show for it. Their lineup includes a range of variations on the concept of downsizing so that each potential customer finds the perfect tiny for their needs and budget. The Ocoee is for the entire family.The house sits on a triple-axle DOT-approved trailer and is 30 feet (9.1 meters) in total length, 10 feet (3 meters) wide, and 14 feet (4.2 meters) high. It features a double-loft configuration, offering a total living area of 457 square feet (42.5 square meters) across all spaces and the possibility to customize each of them to your liking. It's not only more versatile in styling than a regular tiny house but also considerably larger.Access to both lofts is done by means of storage-integrating staircases, a rather space-consuming solution that has the benefit of extra storage. You can do without a lot of things when you have a family, but storage is not among them and Ocoee acknowledges this fact.The ground floor holds the living room, with the kitchen and the bathroom on each end, under the two lofts. Each of these rooms is very spacious and quite elegant, even in the standard model, offering the possibility of becoming even more elegant if your budget allows it. You can even add a full-size bathtub in the bathroom instead of a standing shower, a feature that remains a rarity among tiny houses on account of their compact dimensions.Neither bedroom loft has standing height, but they have instead a lowered platform on which you can stand and change clothes without bumping your head. Downsizing also means compromising on lots of things, if you didn't know already.The living room can be further customized to include a home office, or you can keep it as-is, with just the storage-integrating couch framed on both sides by the large picture window for a more minimalist styling.Speaking of style, the Ocoee has plenty of it, and it's all thanks to the premium finishes and a beautiful design. You get hardwood floors with beautiful wood cabinetry, painted shiplap or smooth panel walls, and large double-glazed fiberglass windows and doors. On paper, it might not sound like Ocoee is a noteworthy tiny house , but in photos, it reveals itself as a colorful, cozy, and uncluttered space that's only waiting for its forever family to hit the road with.The standard model is provided with RV-style hookups for water and electricity, a propane tankless on-demand water heater, mini-split for AC and heating, kitchen appliances, and a gravity flushing toilet or an optional composting one. The model is fully insulated and has a high level of airtightness, so it's rated for all-season use. Since it's designed as a family home , it wouldn't make sense to be otherwise.Described as "ideal for those who want to maximize capacity and function with a smaller footprint," the Ocoee starts at $118,200, which positions it as a premium-level model . Downsizing might have all those advantages mentioned above, but affordability is still not among them. Unless you choose to downsize with a DIY (do it yourself) type of mobile home, tiny or not. In doing so, Azerbaijans State Border Service cited continuing military supplies from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, a claim repeatedly denied in both Yerevan and Stepanakert. The Armenian side has, for its part, accused Azerbaijan of seeking a pretext for isolating Karabakh Armenians. De facto ethnic Armenian authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have also accused Baku of violating the terms of the Moscow-brokered 2020 ceasefire agreement under which the road passing through a five-kilometer-wide area known as the Lachin corridor should be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. In a statement disseminated by the regions Information Center on Sunday the ethnic Armenian authorities of the region stressed that Nagorno-Karabakh considers the closure of the bridge over the Hakari river by Azerbaijan to be a criminal step aimed at strengthening the blockade of Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh ed.] and ethnic cleansing. According to the Information Center, Nagorno-Karabakhs leader has called an emergency meeting of the regions Security Council to discuss the latest developments and relevant actions of the authorities. Bakus decision to set up a border checkpoint at the beginning of the road from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh comes a day after a report by Azerbaijans Ministry of Defense about an incident in which three Azerbaijani servicemen were reportedly injured when their vehicle was blown up on a mine allegedly supplied from Armenia. In another statement the ministry claimed that Russian peacekeepers controlling the area again helped Armenians transport military cargoes from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh via the Lachin road. The Armenian side has denied both accusations. The only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia has effectively been blockaded by Azerbaijan since December when a group of Azerbaijanis calling themselves environmental activists blocked traffic at a junction near the Azerbaijani-controlled Karabakh city of Shushi (Susa). Azerbaijan has denied blockading the mostly Armenian-populated region, citing the fact that vehicles of Russian peacekeepers as well as representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross have not been prevented from carrying humanitarian supplies to the region and transporting people needing medical care to Armenia. In setting up the border checkpoint at the Lachin road Azerbaijans State Border Service also said that it followed a similar unilateral step by Armenia made on April 22. Authorities in Yerevan have not yet commented on the development. Meanwhile, in a statement issued today Azerbaijans Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged that necessary conditions will be created for the transparent and orderly passage of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan from this checkpoint to Armenia and Azerbaijan in both directions. It stressed that the control mechanism will be carried out in cooperation with the Russian peacekeeping force. Speaking in parliament earlier this week, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stressed that Armenia recognizes Azerbaijans territorial integrity and is ready to sign a relevant peace treaty with Baku. The peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will become realistic if the two countries recognize clearly, without ambiguities and pitfalls, each others territorial integrity and undertake not to ever submit territorial claims to each other, Pashinian said on April 18. I now want to reaffirm that Armenia fully recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and we expect Azerbaijan to do the same by recognizing the entire territory of the Armenian [Soviet Socialist Republic] as the [modern-day] Republic of Armenia, he added. Armenian opposition leaders portrayed the statement as further proof of their claims that Pashinian is helping Baku regain full control over Nagorno-Karabakh. Political leaders in Nagorno-Karabakh also denounced the Armenian prime ministers remarks, saying that they are consistent with the position of official Baku. In a statement issued on Sunday Armenias Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the roadblock that Azerbaijan said was set up at the border with Armenia near the Hakari river bridge grossly violated the terms of the Moscow-brokered 2020 ceasefire under which Russian peacekeepers are to control a five-kilometer-wide corridor between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. It is really a flagrant violation of one of the fundamental provisions of the November 9, 2020 trilateral statement that is aimed at the consistent implementation of Azerbaijans policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and the complete annihilation of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian ministry said. The trilateral statement signed by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020 put an end to a six-week Armenian-Azerbaijani war over Nagorno-Karabakh in which nearly 7,000 soldiers were killed on both sides. The war in which Azerbaijan regained all of the Armenian-controlled areas outside Nagorno-Karabakh as well as chunks of territory inside the Soviet-era autonomous oblast proper was followed by international efforts to broker a peace deal between Yerevan and Baku. In its statement today Armenias Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the installation by Azerbaijan of a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor as well as previous similar actions combined with continuous Armeniophobic and threatening rhetoric are aimed at scuttling the negotiations on a document for the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We call on the Russian Federation to finally fulfil its obligation under provision 6 of the trilateral statement by eliminating the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor and ensuring the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the entire security zone of the corridor, the Armenian ministry underscored. In substantiating its decision to set up the checkpoint, Azerbaijans State Border Service cited the need to curb further military supplies from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, a claim repeatedly denied in both Yerevan and Stepanakert. On April 22, Azerbaijans Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian peacekeepers controlling the area again helped Armenians transport military cargoes from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh via the Lachin road. It also reported an incident in which three Azerbaijani soldiers were injured when their vehicle was blown up on a mine allegedly supplied from Armenia. Azerbaijans State Border Service also said that the opening of its checkpoint followed a similar unilateral step by Armenia made on April 22. Authorities in Yerevan have not yet commented on this. Meanwhile, in a statement issued today Azerbaijans Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged that necessary conditions will be created for a transparent and orderly passage of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan through the checkpoint in both directions. It stressed that the control mechanism will be carried out in cooperation with the Russian peacekeeping force. According to a local leader in Armenias southern Syunik region that borders on the Lachin corridor, as of Sunday afternoon negotiations were underway between Russian peacekeepers and Azerbaijans representatives regarding the checkpoint. Meanwhile, a United States Department of State representative said on April 23 that Washington is deeply concerned that Azerbaijans establishment of a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor undermines efforts to establish confidence in the peace process. We reiterate that there should be free and open movement of people and commerce on the Lachin corridor and call on the parties to resume peace talks and refrain from provocations and hostile actions along the border, said Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson, in a press statement. Armenias Ministry of Defense said on April 23 that one of its soldiers was killed by an Azerbaijani sniper near the border. Azerbaijan denied the allegation and said its soldiers had come under fire in the border area. The only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia has effectively been blockaded by Azerbaijan since December when a group of Azerbaijanis calling themselves environmental activists blocked traffic at a junction near the Azerbaijani-controlled Karabakh city of Shushi (Susa). Azerbaijan has denied blockading the mostly Armenian-populated region, citing the fact that vehicles of Russian peacekeepers as well as representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross have not been prevented from carrying humanitarian supplies to the region and transporting people needing medical care to Armenia. Speaking in parliament earlier this week, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stressed that Armenia recognizes Azerbaijans territorial integrity and is ready to sign a relevant peace treaty with Baku. The peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will become realistic if the two countries recognize clearly, without ambiguities and pitfalls, each others territorial integrity and undertake not to ever submit territorial claims to each other, Pashinian said on April 18. I now want to reaffirm that Armenia fully recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and we expect Azerbaijan to do the same by recognizing the entire territory of the Armenian [Soviet Socialist Republic] as the [modern-day] Republic of Armenia, he added. Pashinians remarks drew criticism from Armenian opposition figures as well as political leaders in Nagorno-Karabakh, who claimed that they were consistent with the position of official Baku. 23 April 2023 16:13 (UTC+04:00) In the near future, the Israeli defense company will supply two satellites to Azerbaijan with a total cost of $120 million, Azernews reports, citing the Israeli Foreign Ministry office. Recall, the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport reported that the first Earth observation satellite in Azerbaijan, Azersky, had completed its mission. According to the department, the exchange of information with the satellite has been stopped. Azercosmos OJSC and the manufacturer of the satellite tried to restore contact with it, but failed to do so, the ministry said. It is reported that a possible reason for the termination of data exchange with the satellite could be its collision with small-sized space debris or a meteorite. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2023 10:44 (UTC+04:00) On April 22, 2023, with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the 6th International Azerbaijani-German-Turkish Medical Congress and the 8th Baku International Medical Training Days, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, started their work in Astara district. At the event, the chairman of the organizing committee of the VI Azerbaijan-German-Turkish Medical Congress and the VIII Baku International Medical Training Days, chairman of the board of the Azerbaijan Heart and Health Association, deputy, head of the Scientific Training Center of the Medical Service Department of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan Rashad Mahmudov, Astara District Head of the Executive Power Gazanfar Aghayev, Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abrorjon Alicanov, Deputy Executive Director of TABIB Anar Israfilov, Director of the Aziz Aliyev Institute for the Improvement of Physicians Nazim Gasimov, author of the idea of the Congress, Chairman of the Society of Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Azerbaijan Gurbankhan Muslimov, MPs Ilham Mammadov , Mushfiq Mammadli, Germany, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Philippines, Singapore and more than 60 foreign speakers, moderators, as well as officials of European and Asian societies of endoscopic and laparoscopic surgeons, in medical institutions operating in the regions working medical staff and other guests participated. Congress participants first visited the monument of the national leader Heydar Aliyev erected in Astara, laid flowers and paid tribute to his dear memory. Later, the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was played, and a documentary film dedicated to the eternal leader Heydar Aliyev was watched. The national leader was commemorated with a minute of silence. Gazanfar Agayev, the head of the Astara District Executive Judiciary, who delivered the opening speech, spoke about the essence and importance of holding the international conference in Astara. G. Agayev said that National Leader Heydar Aliyev has done invaluable work in the direction of the development of health care in the regions. He noted that the reforms carried out in order to ensure access to medical services for citizens in our country are the main part of the historical succession mission. Then the deputy chairman of the Health Committee of the Milli Majlis, the head of the Scientific and Experimental Training Center of the Medical Service Department of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Rashad Mahmudov spoke about the services of Heydar Aliyev, the savior of our people, the founder of modern Azerbaijan, in the establishment of our statehood. The deputy said that Heydar Aliyev, who returned to power at the insistence of the people, gave new life to the health care of the country, like other areas that were forgotten in a short time. Rashad Mahmudov noted that putting the health of the people at the forefront like other fateful issues, the process of training qualified national personnel, as well as the development of the country's healthcare system against the background of modern challenges was one of the main directions of Heydar Aliyev's policy. R. Mahmudov said that the historic decision to send a large group of young people to pursue higher medical education abroad under the direct leadership of the national leader was an invaluable example of service calculated to prevent the shortage of personnel that the country's healthcare may face in the future. R. Mahmudov emphasized that the health care strategy, its development, the state's concern for this field, and its priority direction, which were established by the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, were flawlessly continued by President Ilham Aliyev, a worthy follower of Heydar Aliyev's political school. In addition, Rashad Mahmudov pointed out that successful work has been done in the direction of improving the quality of medical services, increasing citizen satisfaction, shaping the material and technical base in a more appropriate manner to modern standards, and improving the social well-being of doctors. Deputy Executive Director of TABIB Anar Israfilov said that holding the conference is of great historical importance. He noted that the national leader Heydar Aliyev's role in the implementation of radical reforms covering the country's healthcare sphere and his exceptional services are remembered with great gratitude by medical workers. A. Israfilov stressed that the work he did in the direction of the integration of the health care system throughout the country, the reconstruction and fundamental reconstruction of the medical centers in a manner that meets the standards of that time, and the documents signed in the direction of protecting the health of the population, are of historical importance. Noting that the political course of Heydar Aliyev was successfully continued by the head of the country, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, as well as in all areas, the deputy executive director expressed his confidence that our health care is experiencing a renaissance period with the sensitive care of the head of the country Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva. Azerbaijani Minister of Health Teymur Musayev and Minister of Health of Uzbekistan Inoyatov Amrillo Shodievich addressed the conference participants. Later, the Chairman of the Society of Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Azerbaijan, Gurbankhan Muslimov, was awarded a medal by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan for his services in the development of Uzbekistan's healthcare. The commemorative gift dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, specially established for the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, was presented to Rashad Mahmudov by the Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abrorjon Alikanov. MPs Ilham Mammadov, Mushfiq Mammadli, chairman of the Society of Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Azerbaijan Gurbankhan Muslumov, director of the Aziz Aliyev Doctor Training Institute Nazim Gasimov, corresponding member of ANAS Sudeyf Imamverdiyev, Prof. Stefan Post talked about the essence of the Congress and the rich experience that the participants will get. The event continued with plenary sessions and a cultural program. It should be noted that the congress, which started on April 22, 2023, will continue its work on April 23, 2023 with training and master classes in the Central Hospitals of the Southern region, Astara, Lerik and Masalli Districts. Within the framework of training and master classes, training will be held in 12 specialties, and the endoscopic operation, which will be performed for the first time in the region, will be broadcast live to the plenary meeting hall and will be interactively discussed. The event will continue on April 24-25 in Baku. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2023 17:22 (UTC+04:00) The Grand Mosque in Italy symbolizes the countrys well-integrated Muslim community, which constitutes some 4% of the Italian population. The mosque, which has served the Muslim community since 1995, can host some 10,000 worshippers and is among the biggest in Europe. Speaking to Anadolu, Nader Akkad, the Syrian-Italian imam of the mosque, stressed the mosque especially attracts tens of thousands of worshippers for Eid prayers. In reference to the situation of the Muslim community in the country, he said: The Muslim community is very well integrated into the places they live and to the social texture. Its a community of 2.8 million, half of whom already have citizenship. The Muslim community is proud of living in this country and among great Italian people, he said. Against this background, Akkad added, they want to contribute to the prosperity and welfare of Italy and the Italian nation. He further said the architect of the mosque was Paolo Portoghesi, a Catholic Italian. This tells something about our relations with other Italian citizens, Akkad said. He said the mosque has a Turkish hall decorated with Turkish-style mihrab and calligraphy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 23 April 2023 20:37 (UTC+04:00) By News Centre Russia will increase its pipeline gas supplies to China by almost 50% this year, according to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Russias oil, gas and coal supplies to China increased last year, Novak told news channel Rossiya-1 in an interview aired on Sunday. Last years gas supplies were at 15 billion cubic meters. In 2023, we expect 22 billion cubic meters, an almost 50% increase, he said, adding that the volume should reach full capacity in the next two years. Russian energy giant Gazprom is aiming to increase supplies to Asian markets, particularly China, as gas exports to Europe have dropped sharply due to sanctions over the Ukraine war. Last year, Gazprom supplied 10.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China via the Power of Siberia 1 pipeline, which has an annual capacity of 38 billion cubic meters. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. ONLINE RESOURCES Realtor.com: Among various property details are flood risk assessments, by property, and specific information about flood insurance rates and options Msc.fema.gov: Though one of the most exhaustive mapping portals, this site offers easy access to individual properties' risk factors and can be used to scroll larger areas Reducefloodrisk.org: Created with FEMA's help, this website provides a list of options for reducing flood risk for specific types of properties, sortable by cost, complexity and maintenance requirements Floodsmart.gov: This federal government site links to insurance information, preparation advice and flood maps Ready.gov: Another federal site, this one focuses squarely on helping people prepare for the worst, floods included Fema.gov: This is the big clearinghouse for everything emergency-related, constantly updated on details like locations of Red Cross shelters Floodmitigationcertification.org: This site shows products meeting rigorous standards and performance tests https://gis.bam.water.ca.gov/bam: This legislatively mandated website maintained by the California Department of Water Resources contains what the agency has determined are the best available maps of 100- and 200-year floodplains for the Central Valley watershed Long article lots of information. By Klaus Steger, Ph.D. for The Epoch Times When you are infected naturally by a virus or have received a conventional vaccine, your immune system identifies virus-specific antigens from active or inactivated virus particles, respectively. Furthermore, modified RNA-based vaccines are not vaccines but gene-based injections that force healthy cells to produce a viral protein. In this article, we will look at the uses and dangers of modRNA. In fact, RNA-based vaccine technology utilizes modified RNA (modRNA), not mRNA. This applies to the COVID-19 vaccines and all vaccines currently in the research and development stages. Because mRNA is so fragile that the human immune system will destroy it within a few minutes, mRNA cannot be effective on its own. Therefore, the current technology was made possible only after stabilizing mRNA; the result is modified RNA. Today, many more of us have heard of mRNA, as both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA, as the active ingredient. At least, thats what weve been told. A few years ago, the term mRNA was primarily confined to scientific circles and research papers. Then, the use of messenger RNA seemed promising: It would teach cells to create a protein that would initiate an immune response against a specific pathogen. The two main types of immune cells, T and B cells, behave differently. T cells identify infected cells and initiate apoptosis (the cell-killing process), while B cells produce antibodies that bind to the virus and thus prevent infection of other cells. There are various proteinscalled antigenson the surface of each virus. Your immune system can memorize more than one of them. When the virus mutates and some proteins change, your immune system can still recognize and kill them. This is referred to as cross-immunity. Particularly in the case of respiratory disease, most pathogens are already prevented by the first natural barrier, the mucous membrane. This barrier, however, is bypassed when an intramuscular injection (such as the COVID-19 shot) is administered. Injections of modRNA Result in the Genetic Manipulation of Healthy Cells T and B cells behave differently depending on whether the host is infected naturally, with a conventional vaccine, or with an RNA-based injection. (Courtesy of Klaus Steger) To protect against destruction by the immune system, modified RNA (modRNA) is packaged in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which, due to their small size and synthetic optimization, can easily overcome biological barriers and even reach vital cells in the heart and brain. According to the concept of RNA-based injections, the antigen (here, the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2) is synthesized by our cells and presented at the cell surfaces, where it serves as a target for the generation of neutralizing antibodies. However, this mechanism is highly problematic. On the one hand, in addition to the desired neutralizing antibodies, non-neutralizing antibodies may be generated, resulting in antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). This process allows endocytosis of virus-antibody-complexes into the hosts immune cells (i.e., macrophages), causing a weakening of the immune system. Put simply, non-neutralizing antibodies represent devils in disguise, making a persons body more susceptible to illness related to follow-up and booster injections. On the other hand, the viral spike protein, produced by the bodys cells and presented at the cell surfaces, acts as a label, which transforms the recipient cell from friend to foe and causes the immune system to initiate the destruction of that cell by apoptosis. Furthermore, since COVID-19 RNA-based shots deliver only the genetic information for the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, based on the Wuhan sequence, protection will be inferior to natural infection, which is known to establish cross-immunity. It does so by generating additional antibodies against another protein in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the nucleocapsid protein. Given the virus variantsAlpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and so onthe original Wuhan sequence no longer exists. That means that antibodies produced by our immune system (based on an old virus sequence) are ineffective against the sequences of the new variants. This is yet another reason that RNA-based vaccine technology is and will always be inferior to natural infection and conventional vaccines, as viruses mutate far more rapidly than the pharmaceutical industry can produce new, adapted vaccines. The Dangers of Redundant Proteins Proteins represent our bodys building material and our metabolisms central molecules. For a functional metabolism, only essential proteins must be present in a distinct cell at a specific time. Proteins that are not required must be absent, as they will disrupt or even block the smooth running of the cell metabolism. Proteins, or mRNAs in healthy cells, can be compared to orchestra musicians: Harmony depends on various players pausing, not on every musician playing without stopping. Likewise, the absence of a specific protein/mRNA plays an essential role in metabolism. As modRNAs are developed for longevity and maximal efficiency and (via lipid nanoparticles acting as natural exosomes) have access to all cells, they contradict the nature of mRNAs, which are cell-specific and short-lived. In our orchestra analogy, it would be like giving one musician a bass drum and instructing him to bang it from start to end, completely ignoring the piece of music being played. The COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Is Made With modRNA Messenger RNA carries the genetic information for the blueprint of one specific protein. The human body has different mechanisms to prevent mRNA from being translated and to support the degradation of mRNA that is no longer needed. TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) The family of an Arizona property manager who was fatally shot during an attempted eviction in Tucson last year has filed a $50 million claim against Pima County and others. An attorney representing Angela Foxs family alleges in the claim that county Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay had cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and alcohol in her system at the time of the fatal shooting and also was under investigation by the county for felony fraud, the Arizona Republic reported Sunday. Fox, 28, was a property manager for a management company that included Lind Commons Apartments in Tucson. She went with Martinez-Garibay to evict tenant Gavin Lee Stansell on Aug. 25 last year. An eviction complaint filed 10 days earlier by a landlord in Pima County Consolidated Justice Court indicated Stansell had previously threatened and intimidated neighbors with a gun in July. Tucson police said the 24-year-old Stansell fatally shot Fox, Martinez-Garibay and a neighbor at the apartment complex before killing himself. The claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, said Martinez-Garibay knew that Stansell possessed a firearm but still had Fox accompany her to serve the eviction. Martinez-Garibay, 43, was hired in March 2022 when her predecessor reportedly quit over frustration about serving eviction notices. Attorneys for Foxs family said in the claim that Martinez-Garibay was unfit for the job because she had not received the mandatory constable training. The claim also said that after Martinez-Garibay was hired, it was discovered she had falsified signatures on her nomination petition to run for constable and wasnt a resident of the countys Precinct 8 as candidates were required. Constables are elected peace officers who serve civil or criminal papers for Pima Justice Court and several county agencies. They can also serve papers from courts outside the region. The state Attorney Generals Office and the Arizona Constable Ethics, Standards and Training Board are also named in the claim. A call to Pima County officials seeking comment wasnt immediately returned Sunday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Q1: Are there any issues you think affect your district more than other districts in the city? How should they be addressed? Q2: How will you work with the council to not only meet your specific constituents needs, but the needs of the entire city? Q3: How would you describe your governing philosophy and how do you think it will best serve Port Arthur? Q4: What in your previous experience best lends itself to council-management government? Tiffany L. Hamilton Age: 43 Occupation: Owner, TL Hamilton Enterprises, LLC Highest level of education pursued or completed: Masters degree in International Business, American InterContinental University (online program at Schaumburg, Illinois campus) Volunteer work, endorsements or previously held elected office (up to three): Co-founder of Port Arthur-based program called The Box (housed first responders and provided them equipment, also helped residents needing supplies, during post-Hurricane Harvey recovery); assists unhoused people and supports domestic violence victims Endorsed by Jefferson County Commissioner Michael Senegal, Port Arthur firefighters union, Unite Port Arthur Port Arthur City Council District 2 (2014 to 2017) A1: Water infrastructure is a problem throughout our city, with some pipes being 100-plus years old. During the last hurricane, there was a lot of flooding in District 2, that I would definitely want us to address. (It should be addressed) by having greater communications with the community on the plan of action thats been set forth and how the funds have already been allocated for our underground water infrastructure and how they will be dispersed throughout the city. A2: One, by being a good listener and snowing a willingness to collaborate because were all just one vote. Even though my responsibility will be to represent District 2, I still need the support of the other council members to pass something that I would need for District 2. When we vote, we vote on whats going to affect the community as a whole. A3: The first thing that comes to mind is inclusion because of how diverse our community is. (Id) make sure that we govern with humility, strategy, action and be fair and inclusive to our diverse community. That approach will best serve Port Arthur by helping us to be more efficient in our communication between government and the citizens, and I think that it would empower citizens to be more engaged. A4: Studying people. Human development is extremely important, no matter what type of business it is. We all have to learn to work effectively with people. Because we come from all different walks of life, it is important to learn how other people think. Its imperative that we humble ourselves enough and not think that our way is the only way. Learning how to navigate through difficult conversations is one of the greatest benefits I believe Ill be able to offer. Armando Ruiz Age: 29 Occupation: Owner of A Ruiz Financial Agency; former owner of El Noticiero newspaper in Port Arthur Highest level of education pursued or completed: Associates degree in general studies at Lamar State College Port Arthur Volunteer work, endorsements or previously held elected office (up to three): Member of Port Arthur Hispanic Business Association Port Arthur Rotary Club (2019 to 2021, giving out food boxes to unhoused people) Port Arthur Beautification Commission (2019) A1: District 2 is one of the districts that usually floods whenever theres a small rain. So, that district has a lot of flooding happen. Drainage and also security is what Ive been gathering these past couple months, and streets. Those are three major issues. The city has to work with the Draining District 7. They have to find a way where they manage and build bigger ponds so that those areas in Port Arthur do not flood anymore. (There) has to be a lot better communication between the city and Drainage District 7. A2: I am only running for that specific district, but my job is to work with all councilmen. That way, we can come together as all five, six, seven of us and come up with a plan where it doesnt only benefit one district, but the entire city. My job is just to be able to work well with them and how I can be of service to them, so that way they can also be of service to me just being a team player. A3: (A motto) Service above Self thats one of my philosophies in running for City Council -- seeing how can I be of service to the community. I got involved in politics when I owned a Spanish newspaper. There was not a source where the Hispanic community could gather Spanish local news. After filling the void and that need, I decided to just get in politics, seeing how I can be of service in the community, seeing how I can add value and make change happen. A4: Its just mainly being a guide (for) the people just being out there in the mud, figuring out what problem that people want fixed, and then just me trying to be a voice for those people. I owned that newspaper, so I have some business management (experience). Q1: Are there any issues you think affect your district more than other districts in the city? How should they be addressed? Q2: How will you work with the council to not only meet your specific constituents needs, but the needs of the entire city? Q3: How would you describe your governing philosophy and how do you think it will best serve Port Arthur? Q4: What in your previous experience best lends itself to council-management government? Willie "Bae" Lewis, Jr. Age: 79 Occupation: Retired process analyzer technician for Valero Corporation Education: Industrial electronic certification and radio and television technology certification from Port Arthur State College Volunteer work or previously elected office (up to three): Over 30 years of city government experience A1: District I is the largest landmass on council, the rest of them are smaller but population-wise they are same. The problems that have not been solved, that's what I'm going to deal with on my platform. My platform is to prevent westside flooding on 17th, 18th and 19th Street. Now the way to do that, I will have to do a direct drilling from West 19th Street to East 19th Street, so the water will automatically drain, it's called directional drilling. Solve that flooding problem on West 19. I support pay raises for the city employees, street reconstruction projects. These are my projects, street reconstruction, street maintenance and sealcoating every three years to keep the marsh out on the streets. My number two would close avenues without houses and close open ditches. A2: If each council member solved their problems in that district, that would be the entire city. Not only will I solve problems in District I, I will also solve problems city wide. I will initiate those things. A3: I just told you how I'm going to best serve Port Arthur. My platform is how I can best serve. My previous statements are how I am going to best serve Port Arthur. Not only will not work my platform, I'm going to work the projects that are going to benefit my district and also the complete city of Port Arthur. I'm also going to be working on procurement agreements within industrial contracts. Pleasure Island development, we don't have enough recreation here. I'm going to do a water park on a beach on in Pleasure Island funded through the GLO. A4: I've got 30 years of experience in city government, that's what I am bringing to the table. My opponent has zero experience. Another thing I'm bringing to the table, the city's budget is around $200 million, this past budget -- 90 to 95% of that budget is from property tax, a lot of property tax. That's how the city is run from property tax and the other use tax and permits and things like that. My opponent owns no property, pays no property tax. How can a person that owns no property and pay no property tax be allowed to manage a $200 million budget and decide how that's going to be spent. Tierrany S. Decuir Age: 31 Occupation: 8th grade teacher at Lincoln Middle School Education: Masters in public administration from Texas Southern University Volunteer work or previously elected office (up to three): PA Reloaded pop-up shop co-founder A1: I think overall the whole city is being affected by many issues, but I think particularly in District I, some of the issues are the infrastructure and then we have revitalization because the district I'm in is where downtown is located. When I say infrastructure, I'm talking about our streets and drainage. Then overall for the city, the issues are infrastructure again and community engagement and transparency. When I say transparency, I'm talking about transparency from city council to the citizens of Port Arthur and then budget transparency overall. A2: If elected, I plan to try to build a great rapport with City Council and just move Port Arthur forward. They already have plans in place for our streets, our drainage and our infrastructure, different things like that -- just working to help improve things that are already in motion to push things forward. A3: My governing philosophy is very simple, it's for the people. Like that's the simplest way I can put it. I feel like you have to get out there and you have to talk to people. You can't truly represent a citizen if you don't know what the people need. I plan to have quarterly meetings with my district, just an open door meeting, I'll have it in a hall and people can just come in. We'll have it on Sunday, and you can tell me what's going on, what they need, just representation. When I do go to City Council meetings and I bring things back to the City Council, then I'll be able to really truly represent the seat. I'll know what my citizens need. I feel like right now the lack we have is that citizens don't feel truly represented. A4: I serve on a board for major business and it's taught me a lot. I've been on the board for two years now. I'm the youngest and the only Black, African American woman on the board. So it has taught me a lot. I have a master's degree in public administration. This taught me about budgets, about improvement plans, about a governing a city. So, that degree was very, very helpful. It's a degree mostly used for qualifications when somebody wants to be a city manager, run for city council or work in a city government of something of this sort. So, I think I'm well prepared, plus just living in the city of Port Arthur, seeing how things work and being active in my community. Groesbeck, Texas-based Limestone Medical Center was placed on lockdown Feb. 16 amid a standoff involving an armed man in the hospital's parking lot, CBS affiliate KWTX reported. The standoff ended Feb. 17 when the man was taken into custody peacefully. The 20-bed critical access hospital was placed on lockdown around 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 after authorities found the suspect, armed with a handgun, sitting in a vehicle in the hospital's parking lot. The hospital remained open for emergencies, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety. The suspect was on trial Feb. 16 and left the courthouse amid jury deliberations, according to the report. He was found guilty of continuous sexual assault of a child. The man peacefully surrendered and was taken into custody the morning of Feb. 17. "Our clinics are open, our hospital operations are open. Outpatient services if you would come through the front entrance of the hospital. All except our MRIs," Larry Price, CEO of Limestone Medical Center, told NBC affiliate KCEN-TV. Editor's note: This article was updated Feb. 17 at 10:30 a.m. CT to reflect new information. Durham, N.C.-based Duke Regional Hospital's chief nursing officer, chief financial officer and chief operating officer have been asked to step down from their roles after an assessment of the hospital's performance over the past year, according to an internal letter sent to staff obtained by local news outlets. The health system's CEO Craig Albanese, MD, announced the changes in a letter to staff, NBC affiliate WRAL and CBS affiliate WNCN reported April 20. Vicky Orto, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer; Jonathan Hoy, CFO; and Mitch Babb, BSN, RN, COO, were each asked to step down "after a thorough assessment of Duke Regional Hospital's performance over the past year," Dr. Albanese wrote in part to staff on April 20. "I have determined the need for transformation, which requires making several leadership changes in order to best position our hospital to fulfill its mission of caring for our patients and community for the long term," he wrote, adding the executives will be stepping down from their roles immediately. According to WNCN, Dr. Albanese's letter goes on to announce the appointment of Kristin Merritt, MSN, RN, as the new CNO, and that Leigh Bleecker, CFO of Duke Raleigh (N.C.) Hospital, has been asked to expand her role to also serve as CFO of Duke Regional. In an email to Becker's April 21, a spokesperson for the hospital shared some of the above statements that Dr. Albanese told staff but did not confirm who is replacing the three executives stepping down. "In today's fast-changing healthcare landscape, nationally and locally, we must continue to transform and act with urgency to meet the needs of our patients and our organization. That means advancing how we deliver care, share best practices and expertise, break down silos, and promote innovation and systemness to improve the performance of our health system," Dr. Albanese told staff, according to the spokesperson. Mark Cuban launched his online drug business, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co., in January 2022 with the plan to "f up" the industry. He hasn't done that yet, he told Becker's in early April. In fall 2021, Mr. Cuban told one publication he wants to "f up the drug industry in every way possible," and a few months later told another news outlet he wants to "just f up the pharmaceutical industry so bad that they bleed." To do this, though, "we need to get a lot bigger," Mr. Cuban said. He said this will come through a few different avenues, including on-the-ground sales with affiliate pharmacies which started in mid-April with 36 locations across four states; adding more brand-name drugs, in addition to one from IBSA Pharma and three from Johnson & Johnson; and potentially offering specialty drugs. Cost Plus Drugs will not partner with big pharmacy chains because "they don't like us," he tweeted April 18. "Our product is trust, and transparency supports that trust," he said. "People, hopefully, want to get everything from us. And that's where we want to be." Here are four answers Mr. Cuban gave Becker's. Question: IBSA is your first branded drug, and then Janssen brought three more. So, with 1,100-plus generics you're selling and four branded drugs, what is your ideal ratio for generics and Mark Cuban: We want them all. Q: All? MC: All. I don't know that we get into controlled substances yet. It'll depend on our relationship with the pharmacies and what we can do there. Obviously, some of the specialty drugs and higher-end therapies, you can't just sell from a drugstore or sell via mail order. So, there's going to be limits on what we can sell for the near future. But, we're not putting any specific limits on ourselves. Q: What happens when a drug manufacturer sets the price that's high for a specialty drug, and they won't sell it for cheaper? What do you do in that case? MC: We just can't sell it. ... There's not a whole lot of leverage that we have yet, but if we continue to scale and get bigger in terms of lives covered, then hopefully, it'll get to the point where they'll be missing out on sales if they don't. We have a long way to go; we're not anywhere near that. As of early April, Cost Plus Drugs recorded 2.25 million accounts. Q: So you're saying you have to build leverage? MC: I mean, leverage probably isn't the right word. We've only been doing this for 13 months you can't pat yourself on the back. We've had successes in terms of patients and the money they've saved, but we haven't really accomplished anything yet. Read about other recent moves from Mark Cuban here. Dr. Khurram Nasir, Division Chief of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, joins the podcast to discuss his background, top 3 biggest issues in cardiology today, how heart care will evolve over the next 18 months, and today's nerves and excitements. Summary Dr. Khurram Nasir Discusses Top Issues in Cardiology and the Future of Heart Care Dr. Khurram Nasir, Division Chief of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, recently spoke about his background, top three biggest issues in cardiology today, how heart care will evolve over the next 18 months, and today's nerves and excitements on a podcast. Identifying and Assessing Risk One of the biggest issues in cardiology today is the need for better identification and assessment of risk. Dr. Nasir states that risk assessment is often overlooked in clinical practice, which leads to preventable adverse outcomes. He stresses the importance of implementing standardized approaches for accurate risk assessment. Health Disparities According to Dr. Nasir, there are significant health disparities in cardiology that need to be addressed. He says that these disparities are often a product of social determinants of health such as access to care, social support, and education. Dr. Nasir believes that addressing these disparities requires a multi-pronged approach, including policy changes and community engagement. Financial Toxicity The third issue in cardiology that Dr. Nasir discusses is financial toxicity. He highlights the financial burden that healthcare costs can have on patients and their families. Dr. Nasir believes that healthcare providers need to be more proactive in addressing this issue by providing cost-effective care and being transparent about the costs of medical treatments. Future of Heart Care Dr. Nasir predicts that heart care will continue to evolve over the next 18 months with an emphasis on value-based care and population health management. He believes that precision medicine will be a key part of this transition, where medical treatments will be tailored to individual patients based on their genetic makeup and other factors. The Promise of Big Data Dr. Nasir also expressed his excitement about the promise of big data in transforming the medical enterprise. He highlights the comprehensive data platform created by Houston Methodist over the last year, which harmonizes data from 1.3 million individuals. This platform is expected to accelerate the transformation in medicine from disease care to healthcare. Adopting Big Data However, Dr. Nasir also expressed his nervousness about our ability to quickly and effectively adopt big data. He stresses the need for healthcare providers to be adequately trained in data analytics and to address data privacy concerns among patients. Note: This is an AI generated transcript, not edited by a staff writer and is solely intended for educational purposes. If you have any questions/concerns, reach out to podcasts@beckershealthcare.com This episode aired on 04/09/2023 and can be listened here. Subscribe to Beckers Healthcare Podcast here. The funeral details of late mountain climber Noel Hanna have been announced by his wife, Lynne. Mr Hanna (56) died while descending from Annapurna in Nepal on Wednesday. Mrs Hanna said in a Facebook post that his funeral would take place on Saturday, April 29. A cremation service is to be held at 2pm in Belfasts Roselawn Cemetery and Crematorium. Mrs Hannah asked that only close family and friends attend the service as numbers are to be restricted. Afterwards, a gathering and celebration of Noels life will be held at Stormont Hotel in Belfast at 3.30pm. Mrs Hanna said everyone was welcome to attend the gathering. One of Irelands best known climbers, Mr Hanna, from Dromara, had scaled Mount Everest 10 times. In 2018, he became the first person from the island of Ireland to successfully summit and descend K2. He was one of the few climbers who was in the midst of climbing Everest when the devastating 2005 earthquake hit Nepal. He soon abandoned his climb in order to get to safety during the quake, which killed over 8,000 people and injured over 20,000 in the country. Climbing also became a way to raise money for causes close to his heart, with the Northern Ireland Duke of Edinburgh Award society paying tribute having previously awarded Noel and Lynne a gold award for their work with the charity. An SDLP candidate in the upcoming council elections is the latest to experience intimidation after he was shouted at, followed and had election posters stolen. Oisin Edwards is standing in the Lagan River DEA in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. He said: This photo was taken Thursday night in Waringstown for #LE23 and believe it or not it is no longer up. After being shouted at while putting it up, it along with three others have been stolen. "These despicable actions will not deter me from standing up for the local community. A gentleman approached and came up to me and said that is one party we wont be voting for round here. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Edwards added: He then turned from the direction he was walking to follow to see where else my posters were being put up It made me feel very unwelcome in the area but it wont deter me from standing up for the people. The Lagan River and Waringstown areas would be predominantly unionist but Mr Edwards said he is offering the area an option for change and to represent all in the area regardless of belief. The 21-year-old is standing for the first time. He explained: I have also been interested in politics growing up but I got actively into politics in 2020 when I left school because I was fed up with green and orange tribal politics. I wanted to help bring about real progressive change for all regardless of belief or background and I believe the SDLP is the party to bring about this change. I also got into politics because I want to make Northern Ireland a place where young people like myself want to stay and build futures. Read more Zero tolerance for the thugs and bullies who intimidate council candidates His party colleague Seamas de Faoite who is standing for election to Belfast City Council said he has just given a statement to the PSNI about threats against his SDLP team and I, alongside the further theft of campaign material. "Ive worked across every party line in City Hall to deliver for Lisnasharragh. Thugs in the shadows arent going to deter me or my team now, he added. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Writing in todays Sunday Life, Suzanne Breen said politics in Northern Ireland isnt for the faint-hearted, and anyone entering the electoral arena must be prepared for the rough and tumble of debate. Sharing various examples, she said intimidation should not be normalised: Its far easier for candidates to stick to certain areas, but those ambitious for change stretch themselves. In this council election, campaign, there should be no no-go zones. "The thugs and bully boys cannot be allowed to win. Meghan Markle has denied reports claiming that her decision not to attend Charless coronation was influenced by correspondence between herself and the then-Prince of Wales. On Friday (21 April), it was reported that the Duchess of Sussex had written to Charles about unconscious bias within the royal family. The letter was allegedly sent in the aftermath of Harry and Meghans appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Showin March 2021, per a report by the Daily Telegraph. During the interview with Winfrey, Meghan claimed a senior member of the royal family had speculated about the skin colour of their son, Archie, while she was pregnant. A source reportedly told the publication that Meghan did not feel the concerns she highlighted to Charles, including the way in which bullying allegations against her were handled by the palace, received a satisfactory response. Responding to the reports, the Sussexes have issued a statement that was shared via royal commentator Omid Scobies Twitter account. 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, their statement read. Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. We encourage tabloid media and various royal commentators to stop the exhausting circus that they alone are creating. Read more President Michael D Higgins will make history at the coronation of King Charles III after a century of snubs According to reports, Charles expressed his sadness over the rift between the royal family in a letter to Meghan at the time. He also said he was disappointed that Harry and Meghan had made such damning allegations during the interview with Winfrey. The letters reportedly identifed the senior member who made the comment about Archies skin colour. Both Meghan and Charles acknowledged that their comment wasnt made maliciously, it was reported, and that the duchess clarified she never intended to accuse them of racism. Instead, she said she was raising concerns about unconscious bias. Prince Harry also spoke about unconscious bias during an interview with ITVs Tom Bradby while promoting his memoir Spare, which was released in January this year. While speaking to Bradby, the duke denied accusing the royals of racism during the bombshell interview with Winfrey. Harry added that the British press said that and he wouldnt describe the comment about Archies skin colour as racist having lived in that family. Going back to the difference between what my understanding is because of my own experience, the difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different, Harry told Bradby. After months of speculation over whether Harry and Meghan would attend the Kings coronation next month, Buckingham Palace announced on 12 April that the Duke of Sussex would fly to the UK for the ceremony. Meghan and the couples children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will remain at their residence in California, the palace said. At the time, Harry and Meghans biographer Scobie tweeted that Archies fourth birthday, which coincides with the coronation on 6 May, played a factor in the couples decision. Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh, who has revived calls for secession of Indias northern Punjab state bordering a hostile Pakistan, has been arrested by Indian police after going on the run last month (Prabhjot Gill/AP) Prabhjot Gill Indian police have arrested a separatist leader who has revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland and the secession of Indias northern Punjab state, which has a history of violent insurgency. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since last month after capturing national attention in February, when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, a town in Punjab state, with wooden batons, swords and guns to demand the release of a jailed aide. Punjab state police tweeted on Sunday that Singh had been arrested in Moga, a town in the state. A Sikh religious leader, Jasbir Singh Rodde, said Singh surrendered to police after offering morning prayers at a Sikh shrine in Moga. Police then arrested him and took him away, he said. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Police officer Sukhchain Singh Gill said police had surrounded the local village on intelligence that Singh was in the shrine. Relentless pressure built by the police over the past 35 days left Singh with no choice, Mr Gill told reporters. He said the police did not enter the shrine, implying that Singh was taken into custody after he left. He declined to confirm that Singh surrendered to police as claimed by his supporters. The officer said Singh was flown to Dibrugarh in Indias north-east, where he will be detained until he is taken to court to face charges. Punjab suffered a bloody insurgency in the 1980s that led to the killing of Indias then-prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards at her official residence in New Delhi. Her killing triggered bloody rioting by her Hindu supporters against Sikhs in northern India. Sikhs are a religious minority in India and say they are discriminated against by the majority Hindus. More than 3,000 people were killed by extremists during the 1980s insurgency in the prosperous farming state. The insurgency was crushed by Indian forces by 1990. Punjab borders India-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of supporting, training and arming insurgents, a charge Islamabad denies. Supporters of the Waris Punjab De organisation shout slogans about their chief and separatist leader Amritpal Singh and other arrested activists in Amritsar in March (Prabhjot Gill/AP) Prabhjot Gill Police declared Singh, a 30-year-old preacher, a fugitive and accused him and his aides of creating discord in the state. They accused them of spreading disharmony among people, attempted murder, attacking police personnel and obstructing public servants lawful discharge of duty. Authorities have deployed thousands of paramilitary soldiers in the state and arrested nearly 100 of Singhs supporters. His wife was prevented from leaving India last week. Very little was known about Singh until he arrived in Punjab state in 2022 and began leading marches calling for the protection of rights for Sikhs, who account for about 1.7% of Indias population. Singh claims to draw inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh militant leader accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency for Khalistan in the 1980s. Bhindranwale and his supporters were killed in 1984 when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. Singh has styled himself after Bhindranwale, with a long, flowing beard. He also dresses like Bhindranwale. Singh also heads Waris Punjab De, or Punjabs Heirs, an organisation that was part of a massive campaign to mobilise farmers against controversial agriculture reforms being pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. The legislation triggered a year of protests that began in 2020, as farmers most of them Sikhs from Punjab state camped on the outskirts of New Delhi through a harsh winter and devastating coronavirus surge. The protests ended after Mr Modis government withdrew the legislation in November 2021. Sikh separatist leader and head of Waris Punjab De Amritpal Singh, centre, stands outside a house with his supporters in the village Jallupur Khera, near Amritsar (Prabhjot Gill/AP) Prabhjot Gill Waris Punjab De was founded by Deep Sidhu, an Indian actor who died in 2022 in a road accident. Singhs speeches have become increasingly popular among supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. Officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. Even though the movement has waned over the years, it still has some support in Punjab and beyond including in countries like Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, which are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora. Last month, supporters of the movement pulled down the Indian flag at the countrys high commission in London and smashed the buildings windows in a show of anger against the move to arrest Singh. Indias Foreign Ministry denounced the incident and summoned the UKs deputy high commissioner in New Delhi to protest at what it called the breach of security at the embassy in London. The supporters of the Khalistan movement also vandalized the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the United States. FX shortlists Charly Close for new series on the Troubles The busker often sings on the streets of Belfast A busking prodigy who overcame bullying at school has been scouted by a major American TV network for an upcoming drama set during the Troubles. Performing arts student Charly Close (17) caught the eye of producers at FX after appearing in a youth theatre production at Belfasts Grand Opera House. Having impressed on stage in The Pirates of Penzance, she was shortlisted for a role in Say Nothing, a new TV series documenting the murder of Jean McConville in 1972. The Shankill teenager, who along with mum Charlene is also a carer for her brother, missed out on the main cast but is still being considered for a part. I would absolutely love to be able to perform in the series because its about the history of Belfast, the talented youngster told Sunday Life. To be honest, whenever I did my audition, I didnt feel too confident about it because acting wouldnt be my strongest point in performing arts, but the team loved it. They said they would keep me in mind for any characters that come into the show, which was amazing. Charly Close, AKA Charly-Girl Mum Charlene added: The feedback was great, even though she wasnt cast as one of the family. They said she was phenomenal and would be considered for other characters, so were hopeful about that. FX kind of scouted her after The Pirates of Penzance summer youth production last year. It was the first time shed performed there, and when FX came looking for talented youngsters, her name was put forward. We got an email and she went and did a video audition in my bedroom, which we sent off to them. About six weeks later, we were told shed been shortlisted. She didnt get the part, but FX said they would keep her in the database and might cast her in a different role down the line. Charly is currently a first-year performing arts student at South East Regional College (SERC) in Bangor. The busker often sings on the streets of Belfast The teen said she was relishing the chance to learn and dreams of one day performing in the West End. She continued: Im loving being a student at SERC in Bangor at the moment. Im getting the chance to improve my skills it was definitely the right path for me to take in terms of my education. Currently, were rehearsing for our show, The Addams Family musical, which were performing at the college later this month. Its really exciting. In future, my dream is to perform in the West End. Ive wanted that from such a young age. It would be surreal to achieve that goal. My dream role is Jenna in Waitress. I would just love to be able to perform and sing her part. It would be amazing to be able to do that in a big theatre with an audience. Charly with her mum Charlene Charly made history at her former school, Belfast Model School for Girls in north Belfast, when she became the first pupil to achieve a musical Grade 8 for her singing at just 16 years old. Her achievements have been made all the more remarkable against a backdrop of bullying in school, caring for her autistic brother and the death of her beloved grandmother. Charlene said: We lost my mummy the day lockdown hit. She was in the hospice and we had to rebuild our lives after that. She was such a huge part of our family... so weve been dealing with that as a family over the last few years. Charly also helps me to care for her wee brother, who has special needs. Its only me and her, but she helps me out every day. We literally live through everything together. She would get her lip and nose busted every so often. Its tough for her, but what can you do? We had psychiatrists out in January to try to help with his anger and frustration. Charly as Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz Charly really is my right arm. Shes a lot more mature than her years and shes been through so much. She was getting bullied in school not long ago just for being different and pursuing her performing arts career. She was surrounded by six girls one day, bullying her about Who does she think she is? and stuff like that. I was ready to pull her out of school over it. It has taken me a long time to build her confidence back up after that. It affected her really badly. She couldnt get public transport at one point it was ridiculous. Then she started calling people names back and acting out and it just wasnt her. It was getting too much, but it was a turning point in the end because after that she just excelled in every way. She was never a rebel, but it was just affecting her so badly. She was just lashing out, but we got it sorted eventually. Charly Close Alongside her academic achievements, Charly is a busy gigging musician, performing for charitable causes, in care homes and even as a warm-up act for Clubland at last years Woodvale Festival in west Belfast. Charlene believes her daughter was made for the West End and will achieve her dream one day. She said: Honest to God, she captivates you when she sings. I know all parents are biased, but she really does. Ive had people crying in front of me because theyre so touched by her music. Her talent is really something special. She belongs on stage, absolutely. In fact, shes already been in a few productions at SERC, including Matilda, Legally Blonde and The Wizard of Oz, so thats definitely where she wants to go. Shes only in first year, but shes absolutely loving it and learning from the older students. She gets the train down to Bangor every day no matter what. Brave mum circumnavigating island solo on a paddleboard A Co Antrim mum has been making waves on a mammoth solo challenge to circumnavigate the Irish coastline on a paddleboard. Yoga instructor Jennifer Greenlees battled strong currents and navigated busy shipping lanes to become the first person to paddleboard around Northern Ireland last year. Now shes on a new adventure to mark her 50th birthday, which she celebrated in February. While she is alone in the water for most of her challenge, husband Richard and six-year-old son Jack, following by car, are never far behind. When I started this, I had no intention of paddling the whole way around [the island]. I wasnt even sure it would be possible, said Jennifer. When I finished my last challenge from Bangor to Dublin, I felt I was on a roll and wanted to continue. I convinced my husband, Richard, who I share my birthday with, that paddling down the east coast would be fun. Richard and Jack follow me. They enjoy the scenery and exploring new places while I love being in the sea. Crossing the big shipping lanes in Dublin Bay was nerve-racking. Those big ships come flying by. You dont want to be in their way. Jennifer in Belfast Lough So far this year she has paddled from Killiney in south Dublin to Bray, then onto Wicklow and further south to Arklow, covering around 16 to 20 miles a day. A somewhat unusual sight standing alone on a 12-foot board in the open sea with just a paddle and her arms to propel her, Jennifer had to take precautions against emergency coastguard callouts by concerned members of the public. She said: I was away [from home] for 17 years. I lived in America for 12 of those. When I came home in 2012, paddleboarding was still new. When I went out, people would stop, stare and point at me. Husband Richard and son Jack follow close behind Jennifer in a car Alexandra Barfoot One day I went out training to paddle from Portrush to Portstewart. I stopped at the Strand in Portstewart and had a sandwich. When I went to paddle back, it was starting to get dark. I saw all these people on top of the cliff in fluorescent jackets, and I remember thinking, I didnt realise fluorescent had come back into fashion. Then I got to see people on the beach with binoculars and realised they were looking at me. I was two miles out from the coast, and because I had sat down on my board people thought I was in trouble. Now I call the coastguard any time I go out so that they know I am there. They ask a lot of questions about my estimated time of arrival and make sure they have my phone number and my husbands phone number. Jennifer with son Jack Jennifer meticulously researches the weather and currents before every leg of her challenge, and for notoriously choppy stretches of water she will be accompanied by a rescue boat. She said: There will be lots of scary moments, no matter how well I prepare. On my first long-distance paddle, I had a rescue boat and headed off thinking I was totally fine because it was with me, not knowing it had run into trouble behind me and I was on my own. You always have to be on alert. Jennifer paddles into Belfast marina Jennifer, who plans to tackle the more demanding west coast this summer, hopes to raise 5,000 for the RNLI. She said: I love being out in the sea and I love paddleboarding. I know I have taken it to an extreme level by paddling around Ireland, but the views and the things I have seen along the way have been amazing. To donate, search for Jennifers full name on justgiving.com Ruthless Omagh bomb mastermind Colm Murphy linked to more than 100 murders One of the last pictures of Colm Murphy Dissident warlord Colm Murphy was the man who pinpointed Omagh as the target for the bombing that would become the single worst atrocity in Northern Irelands troubled history. Dissident chiefs planned to exploit peace talks The new IRA met with Gerry Hutch at the height of his gangs feud with the Kinahan cartel on the pretence of brokering a peace deal. Ask Allison: We havent had a sex life since having kids and my husband wants us to go to counselling As NI relationship charitys risque post blows up online, boss says we need to open up more about intimacy issues Sex talk is still taboo in our socially conservative society, a charity boss has said A charity spiced things up on the worlds most popular online business platform by starting a conversation about sex. Relate NI was not prepared for such an enthusiastic and animated response when it posed the question, What would you ask a sex guru? on LinkedIn. From the downright cheeky to some simply having a laugh, people responding to the post welcomed the chance to tackle issues in their sex lives. The question, which drew hundreds of responses and shares, led to a series of follow-up videos, answering some of the most popular questions posed. Relate NI's Anandi Mahadeo and Kellie O'Dowd The aim was to promote the charitys sex therapist service and the people behind it. Relate NIs Stephen Maginn said the response had taken the organisation by surprise. He added: It was one of our biggest responses ever to a post, along with one we had recently talking about intimacy in your 60s and 70s and why having a healthy sex life continues to be so important to wellbeing in later years. It was interesting to see the comments. We feel there is still a stigma around talking about sex and intimacy, and it was good to see it broken down. People might see the need to go to a sex therapist as a bit extreme, but we wanted to give it a lighter touch and encourage people to seek support with any issues. Among the most common themes raised as a result of the post were women asking if men really cared about changes to bodies after childbirth, while others were curious about the effects of pornography on a relationship. Anandi Mahadeo, one of the charitys sex therapists, tackled those issues and others in the series of follow-up online videos. Anandi Mahadeo of Relate NI Mr Maginn said sex therapy could be an important tool in resolving relationship problems. He added: The question asking if men really care about the changes to a womans body after childbirth is the first which Anandi videoed. The answer is that men dont. If you are naked with a man, just to be at that point shows it doesnt matter to them. Mens bodies (also) change as they get older. This led to Anandi talking about what good intimacy looks like and how it is not all based on looks. Sometimes people will find when they do have sessions with our sex therapists that sex isnt necessarily the underlying issue like they thought it was. We have been going 75 years now, and weve done a lot of work in the past few years to break down the stigma around talking about sex and intimacy. We tend to be a socially conservative society in Northern Ireland, and we just want people to be aware that the help and support is there for them. We have a sex therapy Q&A video on our website, and we ask people to give us a call and talk about their options. We can offer face-to-face counselling, over the phone or via Zoom. For details about the service, visit www.relateni.org This is the alleged fraudster accused of swindling her boss out of 23,000 by tampering with National Lottery software. Kirsten Alexandra Stevenson (32) is charged with fraud by false representation, theft, and fraud by abuse of position between August 14, 2022, and January 23 this year. Speaking to Sunday Life at her home yesterday, she said: Im just trying to get on with my life. He [the alleged victim] and I are not allowed to speak to each other at the moment. The case against Stevenson, of Gallows Street in Dromore, was heard at Banbridge Magistrates Court, sitting in Newry, on Friday. During Fridays hearing, a police constable told the court she could connect the defendant to the charges. According to the particulars of count one, Stevenson defrauded the victim by exaggerating National Lottery winnings layouts with the intent to make a gain for herself or to cause a loss to the complainant. There was some confusion in the courthouse on Friday as to whether or not Stevenson, who was absent, was required to attend the hearing. Defence counsel Justin Byrne said she had attended Belfast court by mistake, while a prosecution lawyer said the case would proceed on indictment to the Crown Court regardless. No pleas were formally entered. District Judge Trevor Browne adjourned the case for a month. Shutterstock.com A common fear of humans is what happens to them after they die. Numerous religions teach the concept that bad people will be sent to hell after they perish. Mainstream Christianity has different ideas about what hell is and what its like. Some see it as a place of fire and brimstone where sinners are burned and tortured forever. Dante Alighieri, the writer of The Divine Comedy, wrote it with the notion that sinners are tortured in ways that symbolize justice for their sins. Recently, many Christian churches have taught about a less cruel hell, described as eternal separation from God. The accepted understanding among Christians is that nonbelievers and evil people will live in some state of torment forever. So who was the first person to go to hell, and what was their experience like? What is hell? These ideas about what takes place when we die arent taught in the Bible. It doesnt mention that unbelievers are eternally tortured in a place of dark seclusion from God or fiery torture. These concepts contradict one of the Bibles plainest declarations about the result of sin in human life. At the end of a chapter illustrating the effects of sin versus the results of righteousness in Romans 6:23, the apostle Paul says the wages of sin is death, but we can find Gods gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Paul clearly states that the wages, or results, of sin in a humans life is eternal death. This concept contradicts the teachings that sins wages are eternal life in hell. Pauls words match Revelation 20:14, where the incorrigibly wickeds fate is called the second death in the lake of fire. The Bibles description of the lake of fire differs from hells standard conception. Its a place that will kill and utterly destroy the wicked, as detailed in Matthew 10:28. In Malachi 4:1, the prophet Malachi prophesied that all who do evil would fall, and the day when they will burn up is coming. In the New Testament, three Greek words are translated as hell: Hades, Gehenna and tartaroo. Hades describes the place of the dead, the pit, or the grave. According to The Holman Bible Dictionary, Hades is the Greek parallel for the Hebrew word Sheol, referring to the place of the dead. Acts 2:27 and Psalm 16:10 use Hades and Sheol to illustrate where Christs body was when He was dead for three nights and days. Gehenna is the valley of Himmom, a valley near Jerusalem where children served as a sacrifice by fire in connection to pagan rites. Dead bodies and garbage were eventually burned and disposed of in this valley. Gehenna signifies the lake of fire depicted in Revelation 19:20, the voracious fire that will destroy the unrepentant. Tartaroo only appears once in the Bible in 2 Peter 2:3, referencing a restraint condition for demons until their judgment. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man is meant to show the contrast between our lives on earth versus the afterlife. In life, the rich man lived a luxurious life, eating every day and wearing the finest clothes. On the other hand, Lazarus lived a very simple life. He had sores on his feet, and all he could eat was the scraps from the rich mans table. Even in death, their lives were very different. The rich man was buried, anointed in oil, wrapped and put in a tomb. Meanwhile, Lazarus body was likely dumped in Gehenna. This is the point where the story gets interesting. In death, Lazarus body was carried to Abrahams side while the rich mans body was taken to Hades, as detailed in Luke 6:23. Now, their roles are reversed. Lazarus lives in the lap of luxury while the rich man suffers in torment. Even though hes still called the rich man, he has nothing. At some point, the rich man asks for mercy but not to be saved from his circumstances. Instead, he asks for Lazarus to be sent to Hades so he can dip his finger in water and cool the rich mans tongue. This request may sound strange, but it indicates that the rich man wanted Lazarus to serve him. Who was the first person to go to hell? We could assume that the rich man was the first person to go to hell, but the Bible doesnt explicitly say that. However, the Bible does describe who will go to hell. The Bible mentions hell 167 times, often called the Abyss or everlasting punishment. Jesus discussed heaven and hell as if they were real places. The story of Lazarus and the rich man was an actual event that showed the reality of two differing eternal destinations. Heaven is the residence of God, where Jesus went to prepare a place for believers who love Him. On the other hand, hell was made for the devil and his demons. However, because every human is a sinner, all those past the age of accountability have already been condemned to hell. Everyone deserves hell as the punishment for rebelling against God. In John 3:3, Jesus clearly states that no one can see Gods kingdom unless theyre born again. He also says hell is an eternal punishment for people who dont obey Him in Matthew 25:46. In 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, we read that God will punish those who dont know Him and dont follow Jesus gospel. They will be penalized with eternal destruction and exiled from the Lords presence and glory. In Matthew 3:12, John the Baptist said Jesus would gather His wheat in the barn and burn the chaff with fire. John 3:18 illustrates who will go to heaven and who will go to hell in the simplest terms. It says that those who believe in Him wont be condemned, but those who dont are already condemned because they dont believe. Therefore, those who dont believe in Jesus name will go to hell. However, believing goes beyond mentally recognizing the truth. It requires an allegiance transfer. We must forsake our sins, stop worshipping ourselves and start to worship God in our soul, heart, strength and mind. You are the owner of this article. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Kurt Johns has faced more than his fair share of health challenges. His daughter Katie battled cancer in 2012. Johns himself has dealt with poor health for most of his life. Recently, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the University of Michigan. His daily symptoms are jaundice, fatigue, nausea, fever, cramping, internal inflammation/swelling and swollen joints. Four years ago, additional symptoms surfaced that prompted doctors to refer Johns to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He was diagnosed with a rare liver disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a disease of the bile ducts causing blockages and inflammation. In December, Johns received the news that he needed a liver transplant. Additional trips to the Mayo Clinic will be necessary for testing, matching with a donor, transplant information and care, and transplant surgery and checkups. The hospital told the Johns family they will need to live in Minnesota for three months for post-operation care. Kurt's wife Andrea said the diagnosis impacts Kurt on a daily basis. He has many other side effects that go along with these diseases, Andrea said. Swelling, joint pain, muscle fatigue, memory loss, nausea, lack of appetite and all kinds of (other) side effects. Literally working is very hard for him right now. He's on intermediate leave because some days he just can't get out of bed. On other days, you would never know anything's wrong. Those days are very far (apart) and few now. He definitely has way more sick days than good days. Andrea's sister Holly Badour set up a GiveSendGo page to raise money to help the family with medical expenses. The fund has raised more than $7,000, with over 50 donors, toward a $150,000 goal. The donations are appreciated, Andrea said. Mayo Clinic told the family to expect a $500,000 hospital bill. The family has been on alert for a donor notification and has bags and supplies already packed to get Kurt to the hospital if the call arrives. A nonprofit organization called Wings of Mercy is helping them with the flights to and from Mayo Clinic. We were able to find a (local) pilot that is willing to fly us as long as the weather is permitting, Andrea said. He has a small plane, so we're still a little bit limited, but at least we have that knowledge that we have something right now, to back us up and get us there. "We have less than 10 hours from the time we get the call to the time he needs to be in the hospital prepping for the surgery. According to Mayo Clinic, the popularity of living-organ donation has increased dramatically in recent years as an alternative to deceased-organ donation, due to the growing need for organs for transplantation and the shortage of available deceased-donor organs. More than 5,700 living-organ donations are reported each year in the United States. The resilience that Andrea has seen in her husband is no surprise to her. We were faced with my daughter (Katie) battling cancer at age 5. He was the rock that held our family together; he was a very optimistic glass-half-full kind of guy," she said. "We took each challenge one step (at a time), and I think he continues to do that now. I think he's getting more comfortable allowing people to help, she said. I think just having that fire in him to want to be a role model and a mentor for his kids to see it doesn't matter what life puts in your way, you don't let that stuff stop you. He wants to be teaching them hard work and ethics. Andrea Johns is fighting her own health issues, including a tumor in her thyroid and a bulging disc, both of which could result in surgery, all while trying to support her husband and their children. Dealing with the stress of Kurts illnesses has been the biggest challenge, according to Andrea. Time is of the essence, Andrea said. Pretty much, life has been put on hold until we find out when that call comes. Sometimes, I'm aware that I just need quiet time to cry by myself. Other times, I need to be surrounded by friends and family. "It is definitely a lot of emotions, but we just take one day at a time. Andrea said the strength of her children in how they support their father has been inspiring to her, and helping one another through the hard days is what keeps them going. One of the Johns daughters suffers from anxiety, and using technology to keep in touch with Kurt has helped the family stay positive. Another big helper is the familys dog, which Kurt gifted to Andrea as a comfort companion. Andrea said her family is thankful to have such a supportive community. Whether it's a comment, a prayer, a card, a donation or even spreading the word, anything helps and we are grateful," Johns said. "Once Kurt is healthy, I would like to in turn do the same thing and help others. When I say it takes a village, I think that's wholeheartedly true. Tonight's rundown: Talking Points Memo: Joe Biden continues to decline with the world watching and remains out of the press reach Presidential Historian Larry Cook weighs in on how Bidens relationship with the press compares to past presidents US Special Forces have been confirmed to be in Ukraine OReilly describes Democrats hosting the DNC in Chicago as Crazy Arrogant The trial of Fox News gets underway 58% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck even as inflation begins to cool off Smart Life: Utilizing Kelly Blue Book when searching for a new car This Day in History: FDR dies in office Final Thought: what to do when someone is disrespectful to you In Case You Missed It: Read Bill's latest column, "Reason to Believe" Join 'Team Normal!' Order your gear now at BillOReilly.com! Pre-order Bills next bestseller Killing the Witches NOW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices A newly-released court filing raises grave questions about the relationship between Alec Station, a CIA unit set up to track Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and his associates, and two 9/11 hijackers leading up to the attacks, which was subject to a coverup at the highest levels of the FBI. Obtained by SpyTalk, the filing is a 21-page declaration by Don Canestraro, a lead investigator for the Office of Military Commissions, the legal body overseeing the cases of 9/11 defendants. It summarizes classified government discovery disclosures, and private interviews he conducted with anonymous high-ranking CIA and FBI officials. Many agents who spoke to Canestraro headed up Operation Encore, the Bureaus aborted, long-running probe into Saudi government connections to the 9/11 attack. Despite conducting multiple lengthy interviews with a range of witnesses, producing hundreds of pages of evidence, formally investigating several Saudi officials, and launching a grand jury to probe a Riyadh-run US-based support network for the hijackers, Encore was abruptly terminated in 2016. This was purportedly due to a byzantine intra-FBI bust-up over investigative methods. When originally released in 2021 on the Offices public court docket, every part of the document was redacted except an unclassified marking. Given its explosive contents, it is not difficult to see why: as Canestraros investigation concluded, at least two 9/11 hijackers had been recruited either knowingly or unknowingly into a joint CIA-Saudi intelligence operation which may have gone awry. A 50/50 chance of Saudi involvement In 1996, Alec Station was created under the watch of the CIA. The initiative was supposed to comprise a joint investigative effort with the FBI. However, FBI operatives assigned to the unit soon found they were prohibited from passing any information to the Bureaus head office without the CIAs authorization, and faced harsh penalties for doing so. Efforts to share information with the FBIs equivalent unit the I-49 squad based in New York were repeatedly blocked. In late 1999, with the system blinking red about an imminent large-scale Al Qaeda terror attack inside the US, the CIA and NSA were closely monitoring an operational cadre within an Al Qaeda cell that included the Saudi nationals Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. The pair would purportedly go on to hijack American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11. Al-Hazmi and al-Midhar had attended an Al Qaeda summit that took place between January 5th and 8th 2000, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting was secretly photographed and videotaped by local authorities at Alec Stations request although, apparently, no audio was captured. En route, Mihdhar transited through Dubai, where CIA operatives broke into his hotel room and photocopied his passport. It showed that he possessed a multi-entry visa to the US. A contemporaneous internal CIA cable stated this information was immediately passed to the FBI for further investigation. In reality, Alec Station not only failed to inform the Bureau of Mihdhars US visa, but also expressly forbade two FBI agents assigned to the unit from doing so. [I said] weve got to tell the Bureau about this. These guys clearly are badweve got to tell the FBI. And then [the CIA] said to me, no, its not the FBIs case, not the FBIs jurisdiction, Mark Rossini, one of the FBI agents in question, has alleged. If we had picked up the phone and called the Bureau, I wouldve been violating the law. Iwouldve been removed from the building that day. I wouldve had my clearances suspended, and I would be gone. On January 15th, Hazmi and Mihdhar entered the US through Los Angeles International Airport, just weeks after the foiled Millennium plot. Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi government ghost employee immediately met them at an airport restaurant. After a brief conversation, Bayoumi helped them find an apartment near his own in San Diego, co-signed their lease, set them up bank accounts, and gifted $1,500 towards their rent. The three would have multiple contacts moving forward. In interviews with Operation Encore investigators years later, Bayoumi alleged his run-in with the two would-be hijackers was mere happenstance. His extraordinary practical and financial support was, he claimed, simply charitable, motivated by sympathy for the pair, who could barely speak English and were unfamiliar with Western culture. The Bureau disagreed, concluding Bayoumi was a Saudi spy, who handled a number of Al Qaeda operatives in the US. They also considered there to be a 50/50 chance he and by extension Riyadh had detailed advance knowledge of the 9/11 attacks. That remarkable finding wasnt known publicly until two decades later, when a tranche of Operation Encore documents were declassified upon the Biden administrations orders, and it was completely ignored by the mainstream media. Don Canestraros declaration now reveals FBI investigators went even further in their assessments. A Bureau special agent, dubbed CS-3 in the document, stated Bayoumis contact with the hijackers and support thereafter was done at the behest of the CIA through the Saudi intelligence service. Alec Stations explicit purpose was to recruit Al-Hazmi and Al-Mihdhar via a liaison relationship, with the assistance of Riyadhs General Intelligence Directorate. A most unusual CIA unit Alec Stations formal remit was to track bin Laden, collect intelligence on him, run operations against him, disrupt his finances, and warn policymakers about his activities and intentions. These activities would naturally entail enlisting informants within Al Qaeda. Nonetheless, as several high level sources told Canestraro, it was extremely unusual for such an entity to be involved in gathering intelligence and recruiting assets. The US-based unit was run by CIA analysts, who do not typically manage human assets. Legally, that work is the exclusive preserve of case officers trained in covert operations and based overseas. CS-10, a CIA case officer within Alec Station, concurred with the proposition that Hazmi and Mihdhar enjoyed a relationship with the CIA through Bayoumi, and was baffled that the unit was tasked with attempting to penetrate Al Qaeda in the first place. They felt it would be nearly impossibleto develop informants inside the group, given the virtual station was based in a Langley basement, several thousand miles from the countries where Al Qaeda was suspected of operating. CS-10 further testified that they observed other unusual activities at Alec Station. Analysts within the unit would direct operations to case officers in the field by sending the officers cables instructing them to do a specific tasking, which was a violation of CIA procedures. Analysts normally lacked the authority to direct a case officer to do anything. CS-11, a CIA operations specialist posted to Alec Station sometime prior to the 9/11 attacks said they likewise observed activity that appeared to be outside normal CIA procedures. Analysts within the unit mostly stuck to themselves and did not interact frequently with others. When communicating with one another through internal cables, they also used operational pseudonyms, which CS-11 described as peculiar, as they were not working undercover, and their employment with the CIA was not classified information. The units unusual operational culture may explain some of the stranger decisions made during this period vis a vis Al Qaeda informants. In early 1998, while on a CIA mission to penetrate Londons Islamist scene, a joint FBI-CIA informant named Aukai Collins received a stunning offer: bin Laden himself wanted him to go to Afghanistan so they could meet. Collins relayed the request to his superiors. While the FBI was in favor of infiltrating Al Qaedas base, his CIA handler nixed the idea, saying, there was no way the US would approve an American operative going undercover into Bin Ladens camps. Similarly, in June 2001, CIA and FBI analysts from Alec Station met with senior Bureau officials, including representatives of its own Al Qaeda unit. The CIA shared three photos of individuals who attended the Kuala Lumpur meeting 18 months earlier, including Hazmi and Mihdhar. However, as an FBI counter-terror officer codenamed CS-15 recalled, the dates of the photos and key details about the figures they depicted were not revealed. Instead, the analysts simply asked if the FBI knew the identities of the individuals in the photos. Another FBI official present, CS-12, offers an even more damning account. The Alec Station analysts not only failed to offer biographical information, but falsely implied one of the individuals might be Fahd Al-Quso, a suspect in the bombing of the USS Cole. Whats more, they outright refused to answer any questions related to the photographs. Nonetheless, it was confirmed that no system was in place to alert the FBI if any of the three entered the US a standard investigative technique for terror suspects. Given Hazmi and Mihdhar appeared to be simultaneously working for Alec Station in some capacity, the June 2001 meeting may well have been a dangle. No intelligence value could be extracted from inquiring whether the Bureau knew who their assets were, apart from ascertaining if the FBIs counter-terror team was aware of their identities, physical appearances, and presence in the US. Quite some coverup Another of Canestraros sources, a former FBI agent who went by CS-23, testified that after 9/11, FBI headquarters and its San Diego field office quickly learned of Bayoumis affiliation with Saudi intelligence and subsequently the existence of the CIAs operation to recruit Hazmi and Mihdhar. However, senior FBI officials suppressed investigations into these matters. CS-23 alleged, furthermore, that Bureau agents testifying before the Joint Inquiry into 9/11 were instructed not to reveal the full extent of Saudi involvement with Al-Qaeda. The US intelligence community would have had every reason to shield Riyadh from scrutiny and consequences for its role in the 9/11 attacks, as it was then one of its closest allies. But the FBIs eager complicity in Alec Stations coverup may have been motivated by self-interest, as one of its own was intimately involved in the units effort to recruit Hazmi and Mihdhar, and conceal their presence in the US from relevant authorities. CS-12, who attended the June 2001 meeting with Alec Station, told Canestraro that they continued to press FBI Headquarters for further information regarding the subjects in the photographs over that summer. On August 23rd, they stumbled upon an electronic communication from FBI headquarters, which identified Hazmi and Mihdhar, and noted they were in the US. CS-12 then contacted the FBI analyst within Alec Station who authored the communication. The conversation quickly became heated, with the analyst ordering them to delete the memo immediately as they were not authorized to view it. While unnamed in the declaration, the FBI analyst in question was Dina Corsi. The next day, on a conference call between CS-12, Corsi, and the FBIs bin Laden unit chief, officials at FBI headquarters explicitly told CS-12 to stand down and cease looking for Mihdhar, as the Bureau intended to open an intelligence gathering investigation on him. The next day, CS-12 emailed Corsi, stating bluntly someone is going to die unless Mihdhar was pursued criminally. It was surely no coincidence that two days later, on August 26th, Alec Station finally informed the FBI that Hazmi and Mihdhar were in the US. By then, the pair had entered the final phase of preparations for the impending attacks. If a criminal probe had been opened, they could have been stopped in their tracks. Instead, as foreshadowed by the officials in contact with CS-12, an intelligence investigation was launched which hindered any search efforts. In the days immediately after the 9/11 attacks, CS-12 and other New York-based FBI agents participated in another conference call with Bureau headquarters. During the conversation, they learned Hazmi and Mihdhar were named on Flight 77s manifest. One analyst on the line ran the pairs names through commercial databases, quickly finding them and their home address listed in San Diegos local phone directory. It turned out they had been living with an FBI informant. CS-12 soon contacted Corsi regarding information on the hijackers. She responded by providing a photograph from the same surveillance operation that produced the three pictures presented at the June 2001 meeting between Alec Station and FBI agents; they depicted Walid bin Attash, a lead suspect in Al Qaedas 1998 East Africa US Embassy bombings and its attack on the USS Cole. Corsi was unable to explain why the photo was not shown to FBI agents earlier. If it had been, CS-12 claims they would have immediately linked Hazmi and Mihdhar to bin Attash, which would have shifted from an intelligence based investigation into a criminal investigation. The FBIs New York field office could have then devoted its full resources to finding the hijackers before the fateful day of September 11, 2001. Alec Station operatives fail upwards Alec Stations tireless efforts to protect its Al Qaeda assets raises the obvious question of whether Hazmi and Mihdhar, and possibly other hijackers, were in effect working for the CIA on the day of 9/11. The real motives behind the CIAs stonewalling may never be known. But it appears abundantly clear that Alec Station did not want the FBI to know about or interfere in its secret intelligence operation. If the units recruitment of Hazmi and Mihdhar was purely dedicated to information gathering, rather than operational direction, it is incomprehensible that the FBI had not been apprised of it, and was instead actively misdirected. Several FBI sources consulted by Canestraro speculated that the CIAs desperation to penetrate Al Qaeda prompted it to grant Alec Station the power to recruit assets, and pressured it to do so. But if this were truly the case, then why did Langley refuse the opportunity to send Aukai Collins a proven deep cover asset who had infiltrated several Islamist gangs to penetrate bin Ladens network in Afghanistan? One alternative explanation is that Alec Station, a powerful rogue CIA team answerable and accountable to no one, sought to infiltrate the terror group for its own sinister purposes, without the authorization and oversight usually required by Langley in such circumstances. Given that Collins was a joint asset shared with the FBI, he could not be trusted to participate in such a sensitive black operation. No member of Alec Station has been punished in any way for the supposed intelligence failures that allowed 9/11 to go ahead. In fact, they have been rewarded. Richard Blee, the units chief at the time of the attacks, and his successor Alfreda Frances Bikowsky, both joined the CIAs operations division, and became highly influential figures in the so-called war on terror. Corsi, for her part, was promoted at the FBI, eventually rising to the rank of Deputy Assistant Director for Intelligence. In a perverse twist, the Senate Intelligence Committees report on the CIAs torture program found that Bikowsky had been a key player in the agencys black site machinations, and one of their chief public apologists. It is increasingly clear that the program was specifically concerned with eliciting false testimony from suspects in order to justify and expand the US war on terror. The publics understanding of the 9/11 attacks is heavily informed by testimonies delivered by CIA torture victims under the most extreme duress imaginable. And Bikowsky, a veteran of the Alec Station that ran cover for at least two would-be 9/11 hijackers, had been in charge of interrogating the alleged perpetrators of the attacks. The veteran FBI deep cover agent Aukai Collins concluded his memoir with a chilling reflection which was only reinforced by Don Canestraros bombshell declaration: I was very mistrustful about the fact that bin Ladens name was mentioned literally hours after the attack I became very skeptical about anything anybody said about what happened, or who did it. I thought back to when I was still working for them and we had the opportunity to enter Bin Ladens camp. Something just hadnt smelled rightTo this day Im unsure who was behind September 11, nor can I even guess Someday the truth will reveal itself, and I have a feeling that people wont like what they hear. by Paul Cudenec Tear gas was this week used against people in rural France protesting against the arrival of authoritarian president Emmanuel Macron. As I witnessed for myself, the town of Ganges, in the Herault department, was divided into two for the day in a military-style police occupation. Combined with the states draconian use of anti-terrorist laws to ban the banging of saucepans, the overall impression is frankly alarming. Were going straight there, into repression and dictatorship, warned trade unionist Gerard, one of a thousand-strong crowd that turned out on Thursday April 20. Macrons visit to the local middle school, ironically named after anarchist revolutionary Louise Michel, was the second stop in a national tour in which he is supposed to be making peace with the French public after months of huge protests against his pension reforms, which he ended up forcing through parliament without a vote. But, with hundreds of tooled-up gendarmes ensuring nobody but the invited few got anywhere near him, Macrons visit to Ganges, like the previous days trip to Alsace, hardly spoke of a desire for dialogue. He listens more to Capital than to the people, remarked Matthieu Guy, secretary-general of the CGT union in Ganges. One protester, Gilbert, a Gilet Jaune, said the Macron regime was the worst he had seen in many decades of campaigning. Its a kind of dictatorship which pretends to be in favour of human rights. Brutal policing methods initially deployed in poor urban areas had then been used against the Gilets Jaunes and now against the current protest movement, he remarked. Gilbert said protest was increasingly criminalised, with people losing their eyes through being targeted by police grenades, receiving ridiculously heavy fines or spending years in prison on trumped-up charges. He pointed to a recent case in the north of France, where a woman had been arrested in her own home for saying on Facebook that Macron was une ordure (lowlife). She is threatened with a 12-thousand euro fine. Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin has even been using the term intellectual terrorism to smear opposition to the regime. Gilbert said the contempt for democracy shown by Macron and his cronies had reached a point where trade unionists and others now found themselves in the same situation as the Gilets Jaunes, fighting a system which denied even their basic right to dissent. Its a form of 21st century totalitarianism, based on surveillance and mass repression. All was quiet when I turned up in Ganges the night before Macrons arrival, with the only obvious sign of the impending visit being the taped-off parking spaces near the Louise Michel school. In the Cafe du Siecle, in the village centre, conversation seemed to be revolving more around a forthcoming Flamenco festival. However, the man at the take-away pizza shop was far from happy at the prospect of Macrons visit and was quite rude about the presidents character. And I thought he was someone who might get something done, when he first stood, he added. How could you have thought that? countered his friend. He worked for the international bankers. While I sat on a bench enjoying my pizza, a young lad on a motorcycle pulled up in front of me. Excuse me! he called. Is it true that Macrons coming here tomorrow? He seemed shocked when I confirmed the rumour of the visit. Well, hes not going to forget it in a hurry! he called, as revved off into the dusk. Glancing through the local paper, I saw that the president had originally intended to visit the town of Lunel, in the neighbouring Gard department, but that, according to a member of his team, he had been put off the idea by a fear of protests. Ganges was considered the soft option, then. Police vans and personnel were already patrolling the streets of the little town before 7am on Thursday and protesters were gathering at the Cafe du Siecle for coffee and croissants. Reports came in of motorists being stopped and searched on approach roads and when a minibus of CGT members turned up, singing and waving flags, they explained that the police had not allowed them to bring their saucepans with them. It transpired that a decree had been issued by the Prefect of the Herault department, banning anything that could make a noise, such as saucepans, under anti-terrorism laws! At 7.10am six gendarmes turned up on the pavement opposite the cafe and began what was to prove to be an all-day presence. I learned that police had been visible in Ganges all week, working out how to block all possible ways of reaching the school. Sure enough, I found that not only were the roads leading in that direction sealed off, but even a tiny alleyway was fiercely guarded by half a dozen gendarmes. By 7.45am there were already 30 or 40 protesters outside the town hall, more than two hours ahead of the advertised 10am meet-up. At 9am, the atmosphere was really building up. A group of protesters had gathered in the road outside the Cafe du Siecle, accompanied by black balloons, a coffin representing the death of democracy and an accordionist. Meanwhile, hundreds were now assembled over at the town hall. At 9.25am there was a general move towards one of the side streets blocked by the police and at 10am protesters from another road reported the first tear gas of the day, following a bid to reach to the school. To the sound of chants calling for the president to resign (Macron demission!), the song On est la! (once the hymn of the Gilets Jaunes and now that of an even broader resistance movement), the banging of dustbins and, yes, even terrorist-style saucepans, the protesters tried their best to go and meet the head of state. But the cops, donning their riot gear, were not having it and the stand-off continued until 11am, when the focus switched to the road outside the cafe, another means of approaching the school. Police strengthened their resources, fired off some more tear gas (not a pleasant experience) and by 12.30pm the main interest in the stalemate was the traditional French sport of throwing eggs at the police vans windscreens. In all this time, of course, nobody had made even a distant sighting of Macron, who was safely protected from the public in the sealed-off militarised side of town. At 1pm, a wildcat protest set off to the bypass to try to intercept the president on his way out of town. This main road was left gridlocked for hours and it was not until 4pm that the riot police managed to force the last protesters from a roundabout. The traffic chaos was just one of many reasons why Macrons visit was not a big hit with the people of Ganges. But then the event was not really about their town anyway, but simply part of Macrons 100-day PR initiative aimed at dispelling the deep disquiet over the pension law and the undemocratic way it was imposed. Matthieu of the Ganges CGT said the president clearly wanted to turn the page on the pensions issue. But they were not going to let him get away with it, which is why they had organised a welcome committee for him. This reform is completely unjustified and unjust, said Isabelle in the demo outside the town hall. Fellow protester Guilaine stressed that people were still really angry. Its not the fact that hes passed the law thats going to stop us! Gerard explained that the reform was not even necessary, with workers already having to notch up 43 years of contributions in order to claim the full state pension. The deficit of which the government complained was caused by its policy of letting big companies off paying pension contributions for their workers, in exchange for them taking on jobless people in official schemes. Furthermore, he said, if women were paid the same wages as men, the additional contributions would plug the so-called gap. Myriam, a delegate of the FSU civil servants union, told me that Macrons presidential approach was not normal: He doesnt listen and there is no social dialogue. She said trade unions had presented an alternative plan to the president back in November and it would be entirely possible to fix the retirement age at 60, rather than 64. We need another vision of society, for the young and for the old. [Audio version] In February 2021, Moderna scientists published results from the Phase 2 trial of the companys mRNA Covid jab in the journal Vaccine. Moderna had started the P201 trial with 600 healthy volunteers on May 29, 2020, mostly to examine if the shots were safe. The company had good news on that front. In the Highlights section at the top of the paper, Modernas scientists reported: No serious adverse effects were observed. That statement was untrue. (YOU KEEP SUBSCRIBING, ILL KEEP INVESTIGATING. DEAL?) Oddly, later in the paper, Modernas scientists contradicted what they had said in the Highlights section. They noted the company had received a single report of a serious side effect in a jab recipient, a case of pneumonia that lasted almost a month. That statement was also untrue. Two months before the Vaccine paper, Moderna had reported not one but three cases of serious side effects in P201 trial subjects who received mRNA to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA downplayed the side effect reports, including the pneumonia case, saying it did not believe they were related to the shot. But serious side effects in the jab recipients continued after the companys initial disclosures to the FDA. By the time Modernas scientists finished revising the Vaccine paper in early February, the company may have received up to four more reports of serious side effects. In all, during the placebo-controlled phase of the trial, which ended in early 2021, seven of the 400 healthy volunteers who received a two-shot regimen of Modernas vaccine suffered serious side effects. (Two hundred of those volunteers received the 100-microgram dose that became the approved version, while another 200 received a lower 50-microgram dose.) The problems included a heart attack and two miscarriages. In comparison, the 200 people who received a placebo shot without any mRNA had no serious side effects. Seven vs. zero. And after the placebo-controlled phase of the trial ended, more side effects piled up when trial subjects received a booster. Those problems included a third miscarriage. By the time Moderna stopped collecting safety data from the trial in mid-2021, 14 out of 550 people who received jabs in the trial had suffered serious side effects. (The number of subjects who received mRNA in the P201 trial rose in early 2021 when Moderna broke the trial blind and offered placebo recipients the shot. 158 of them took it.) The company never updated the Vaccine paper with any of these reports. On December 30, 2022 the federal clinicaltrials.gov Website quietly posted final safety data from P201, including all the serious adverse event reports. (THE REAL DATA FROM THE PLACEBO-CONTROLLED PHASE OF THE P201 TRIAL, REVEALED IN LATE DECEMBER 2022, ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER IT WAS COLLECTED) SOURCE (WHAT MODERNA SAID ABOUT THE P201 TRIAL IN THE VACCINE PAPER:) SOURCE Why Moderna did not disclose accurate side effect data in the Vaccine paper is not clear, especially considering that the FDA had already mentioned some of the reports, albeit in an appendix on the final page of a 54-page report. The company may simply not have wanted to admit them in February 2021, as complaints of side effects flooded into the federal VAERS database, raising concerns the jabs were not as safe as regulators and the companies had claimed. Moderna declined to respond to or even acknowledge a detailed list of questions sent repeatedly to its press office for this story. (THE FDAS DISCLOSURE, SHOWING THAT MODERNA KNEW OF AT LEAST THREE SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS IN DECEMBER 2020, TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE PAPER IN VACCINE WAS PUBLISHED. NOTE ALSO THAT MODERNA TOLD THE FDA THE PNEUMONIA CASE OCCURRED 25 DAYS AFTER VACCINATION - INSIDE THE 28-DAY WINDOW FOR ADVERSE EVENTS THE COMPANY HAD SET AS A PRIMARY TRIAL ENDPOINT. IN THE VACCINE PAPER IT REPORTED THE CASE OCCURRED 33 DAYS AFTER VACCINATION, OUTSIDE THE WINDOW.) SOURCE Beyond calling Modernas honesty into question, the P201 data raise a broader and arguably even more troubling issue. Because it started in May 2020, two months before the big pivotal trials, the P201 trial had a placebo-controlled arm for longer than any other mRNA Covid jab trial. Regulators and public health experts had always believed that if the shots had side effects, they would be evident quickly. Moncef Slaoui, the head of Operation Warp Speed, the government program that helped develop the jabs, told federal officials that 99 percent of side effects from vaccines became visible within 60 days. But the gap in serious side effects between placebo and vaccine recipients widened for as long as the P201 trial progressed, belying Slaouis assumption. The P201 results raise the question of what might have happened if regulators had forced Moderna and Pfizer to continue collecting placebo-controlled safety their much larger pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for even two or three more months in early 2021. Instead, almost immediately after regulators okayed the use of the mRNA Covid shots in December 2020, Pfizer and Moderna offered placebo recipients in P201 and the big trials the chance to take the active vaccine. Most did. As a result, we do not have and will never have long-term safety data comparing people who received the jabs with those who received a placebo. The P201 safety dataset is the longest publicly available. It is not comforting. The miscarriage reports are striking, given the small number of women of childbearing age - almost certainly no more than 150, and possibly closer to 100 - in the trial. Worse, in its final report on side effects, Moderna disclosed a third miscarriage in 2021 in a P201 trial subject after she received a booster shot. (Moderna began testing boosters on the P201 trialists in January 2021, at a time when the public was being told that Covid boosters would probably not be needed for years, if ever.) In all, in its final report, Moderna counted a total of 11 people who suffered serious side effects among about 350 people who received the jabs plus a single booster shot. In addition, two placebo recipients suffered serious side effects after the trial was unblinded and they took the jab. Finally, in the trials final phase, Moderna gave 60 people a second booster; one of those 60 developed stage four cancer. In all, 14 people who received jabs in the trial suffered serious side effects. These trialists were a generally healthy group - healthier than the Phase 3 trialists, or average Americans. For example, Moderna excluded people with diabetes from P201, and few people in the trial were obese. Aside from miscarriages, the other serious side effects are mainly cardiovascular, with six total. Despite the relative health of the participants, they include heart rhythm disorders, the heart attack, pericarditis, and a pulmonary embolism. Throughout the trial Moderna downplayed the significance of the side effects to regulators, claiming they were unrelated to the jabs. In a December 2021 report on the side effects that followed the booster shot, Australian regulators reported that all were considered by the investigator [the Moderna-paid scientists who conducted the trial] to be not related to mRNA-1273. And Moderna would never lie. U.S. Senators Kyrsten Sinema, an independent of Arizona, and Cynthia Lummis, Republican of Wyoming, have introduced Senate Bill 884, also known as the Improving Digital Identity Act of 2023. The bill was introduced March 21 and ordered to proceed out of committee on March 29 without amendments and with a favorable recommendation. The bills text states: The lack of an easy, affordable, reliable, and secure way for organizations, businesses, and government agencies to identify whether an individual is who they claim to be online creates an attack vector that is widely exploited by adversaries in cyberspace and precludes many high-value transactions from being available online. Incidents of identity theft and identity fraud continue to rise in the United States, where more than 293,000,000 people were impacted by data breaches in 2021. The bill calls for the formation of a public-private partnership to bring this digital ID system into being. The public and private sectors should collaborate to deliver solutions that promote confidence, privacy, choice, equity, accessibility, and innovation. The private sector drives much of the innovation around digital identity in the United States and has an important role to play in delivering digital identity solutions. The bill references the bipartisan Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, which has called for the federal government to create an interagency task force directed to find secure, user-friendly, privacy-centric ways in which agencies can serve as 1 authoritative source to validate identity attributes in the broader identity market. This action would enable Government agencies and the private sector to drive significant risk out of new account openings and other high-risk, high-value online services, and it would help all citizens more easily and securely engage in transactions online. The above section of the bill is extremely vague and left wide open for bureaucrats and technocrats to require a digital ID to perform any function considered high-risk, high-value online services, up to and including logging onto the internet. Globalists with ties to the United Nations and World Economic Forum have for several years advocated a digital ID requirement as a way of removing so-called disinformation from the internet. Once everyone has a digital ID, it becomes easy to restrict everyday human movement and activity based on ones social credit score, like in China, which Klaus Schwab has stated is the model for many other nations. If your score dips below a certain point, you are now a high risk individual, and your digital ID would simply be flagged. The government, working in collusion with Big Tech in their ongoing public-private partnership, simply block you from logging onto the internet. You can no longer have a bank account, get a drivers license, receive healthcare, obtain a passport, or any of those other high risk privileges. We have already seen how the government worked hand in glove with Big Tech and corporate America to silence dissidents on vaccines, vaccine passports, masking and lockdowns during the pandemic. In Canada, the government worked with banks to freeze the bank accounts of protesting truckers. The whole Covid experience was a dry run for the coming beast system where you wont be able to buy or sell without showing proof of submission to the system. Digital IDs, in tandem with the coming digital money, will be weaponized into a global enforcement system the likes of which the world has never seen. These intrusive, invasive attempts to digitize humanity and reduce us to a QR code always come with the same sweet-sounding selling points. It will make our lives easier, more convenient, more safe and secure. We will even have more privacy Senator Sinema assures us! Sinema, its important to note, was present at the 2022 Bilderberg meeting and at the 2023 World Economic Forum meeting at Davos. Shes quickly becoming one of the darlings of the global technocracy movement, said Patrick Wood, editor in chief of Technocracy.news and a resident of Arizona. She is emerging as one of the most dangerous women in America, Wood told me. The head of the proposed new task force charged with creating the digital ID, according to Senate Bill 884, would be appointed by the president. The Senate bill states that the task force will establish and coordinate a government-wide effort to develop secure methods [] to improve access and enhance security between physical and digital identity credentials, particularly by promoting the development of digital versions of existing physical identity credentials, including drivers licenses, e-Passports, social security credentials, and birth certificates. This is right in line with globalist World Economic Forum kingpin Klaus Schwabs pronouncement in his book, COVID-19: The Great Reset, that the human existence is evolving to the point where there will be a fusion of our physical, digital and biological identities. And our politicians, both liberal and conservative, will be on board with this. Its the innovative thing to do and, after all, theyre just trying to protect us, right? When first introduced in 2022, Senator Sinema said, Were supporting innovation and enhancing privacy by improving digital verification to combat identity theft, fraud, and cybercrime. It sounds so good! Senator Lummis added: Technology has the potential to dramatically improve the security and privacy of identity credentials, and enable easier access to the financial system. It doesnt make sense that Americans have to constantly overshare sensitive identity information with government agencies and businesses, which are honeypots all too often targeted by hackers and identity thieves. Im proud to work with my friend and colleague Sen. Sinema to introduce the Improving Digital Identity Act of 2022 to work toward digital identity standards that protect our privacy and give Americans more control over their identity. Other senators have also called for the creation of a national digital ID system. Winepress News reported that Congressman Barry Loudermilk, a conservative Georgia Republican, said in 2021 while pushing for similar legislation: COVID-19 changed a lot of the way Americans live, work, and provide for our families, and we have become even more reliant on digital commerce platforms. But with more Americans adapting to a new normal in the way we go about purchasing life necessities, this also means more Americans personally identifiable information [PII] is at risk of being stolen. If this bill passes, you can bet Biden will sign it. Such a bill would require, no matter how gradually, the systems obedient subjects to show their digital papers in order to perform ever more functions in society until they end up as digitally marked slaves to their elitist masters. They will have handed over ownership of their very identity to the beast system. Never comply. Never submit. Stay awake. Stay free. LeoHohmann.com is a 100 percent independent source of news and analysis. If you appreciate my reporting, please consider supporting my work with a donation of any size, which may be sent c/o Leo Hohmann, P.O. Box 291, Newnan, GA 30264, or via credit card below. China's development initiatives welcomed 08:41, April 23, 2023 By MINLU ZHANG at the United Nations ( China Daily An exhibition on the Global Development Initiative is held at the UN's headquarters in New York on Wednesday. LIAO PAN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE Envoy says Beijing will continue its role as an engine in global economy The success of the Global Development Initiative, or GDI, proposed by China for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, drew praise from the United Nations. The GDI is a global public good provided by China, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, on Wednesday. Based on China's own development experience, the initiative is aimed at promoting common development and building a shared future. "I hope more like-minded friends and partners will join the Group of Friends of the GDI and participate in the policy exchanges and practical cooperation under the GDI framework. Let's work together to turn the vision of the 2030 Agenda into reality," Zhang said in his opening remarks at a briefing of the Group of Friends of the GDI. The briefing was held at the UN's headquarters in New York, and it was co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of China to the UN and the UN in China. "China will continue to play its role as an engine of the world economy. China will continue to share its development experience with other countries. China will continue to provide more public goods to the international community," Zhang said. "We believe China's new progress in its modernization will provide new development opportunities for other countries and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humankind." During the keynote speech, Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said China is promoting a Chinese path to modernization and is committed to high-quality development and high-level opening-up. It is accumulating valuable experience for the realization of SDGs, and providing feasible and replicable action plans. He said China will continue to practice the concept of a community with a shared future for humankind, build a global development partnership, and promote common development. All parties present at the briefing agreed that global economic recovery is sluggish, and multiple crises have been intertwined. Thus, the practical significance and long-term impact of the GDI have become increasingly prominent. Timely proposal Chimed Khurelbaatar, Mongolia's deputy prime minister and minister of economy and development, said the GDI is a "timely, pragmatic and efficient initiative that will play an important role in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for all countries". Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said that with regard to current global geopolitical tensions and the weakening role of the UN, the GDI emphasizes being people-centered and focuses on key areas such as poverty reduction, food security and technological innovation, which is "very significant". The UN's permanent representatives from Singapore, Cuba, Zimbabwe and other countries said with the initiative putting development issues at the top of the UN agenda, it will become an "accelerator" for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and a "catalyst" for multilateralism. Other permanent representatives of Pakistan, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and other countries to the UN said that in less than two years after the GDI was proposed, the 32 implementation measures announced by China have already been steadily advancing and have achieved positive results. The Group of Friends of the GDI should work together to create more cooperation results, they said. Ministerial officials from Guinea, Cuba, Tajikistan, Honduras, Dominica, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and other countries, and permanent representatives or deputy permanent representatives of more than 80 members of the Group of the Friends of the GDI also joined the meeting. Representatives from nearly 20 UN agencies, including the UN Development Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization, joined the meeting. In total, more than 200 representatives attended the high-level meeting. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Du Mingming) The Government is considering the temporary scrapping of development fees and subsidising the building of affordable rental apartments in a bid to alleviate the housing crisis, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon has said. On Tuesday, ministers are set to consider a package of measures aimed at reducing the cost of construction and increasing the pace at which derelict properties are renovated for new housing. Last week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggested Ireland is short of 250,000 homes, which is contributing to inflated house prices and rents. Mr Heydon acknowledged a huge crisis. Housing For All is delivering, but it is a huge crisis, it is a huge challenge for us to face, there is no doubt, we look at every opportunity where we can put in extra resources, where we can deal with some of the constraints that are there which are different than a few years ago but still very significant, and irrespective of who will be in government they will have to deal those constraints, he told RTEs The Week In Politics. Advertisement What we will see coming to Cabinet this week is improved finance around incentivising people with vacant and derelict buildings, we have significant numbers of apartment blocks that have planning permission but havent been built, are in limbo, theyre going to need a subsidy to be subsidised for a short limited period of time to get them built. Were seeing really significant investment and then the temporary scrapping of development levies that will make building more affordable. Appearing on the same programme, Sinn Fein TD Rose Conway Walsh described what had been detailed as clearly panic measures and called for the reinstatement of the eviction ban. The (housing) Minister (Darragh OBrien) now realises that lifting the eviction ban and the impact of that has been absolutely severe, and we see the outworkings of it, and we found out this week that they had all the figures in terms of the eviction notices that were in the system, the 9,000 eviction notices, and this is a panic measure, she said. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. We havent seen the full details yet, and obviously we will evaluate it, but again we would call on the Government to reinstatement the eviction ban to give time so people have somewhere to go. Advertisement The Government still havent answered the question of where will people go. People have been evicted in my constituency this week and they have nowhere to go. People Before Profit TD Brid Smith said her party has proposed the rent reduction bill, which would reduce rents to 25 per cent of peoples income, which she described as a rational thing to do. Ireland One in five Irish judges rate standard of IT equip... Read More Even if you subsidise developers to the tune that the latest plan, which is one plan in a series of plans, you are still looking at rents being way too high and subject to the precarious way the market behaves. We want to see serious and decent proposals put forward. For most people listening to the Government making another set of announcements, its the definition of insanity, throwing more and more funding at developers to promote the building of apartment blocks, to promote the building of housing and not getting the results, the housing crisis getting worse and worse despite the litany of attempts to encourage developers, instead of building public housing on public land with a public housing company. The Government has confirmed it is sending a team to evacuate Irish citizens from Sudan. It comes as hundreds of people have died in a conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Following a cabinet meeting on Sunday, the Government approved the deployment of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team (ECAT) mission to assist with the process of evacuating Irish citizens and their dependents from the crisis. Statement on situation in Sudan. pic.twitter.com/rPKBHR0bsW Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) April 23, 2023 Up to 12 Defence Forces personnel would be deployed initially to Djibouti as part of the ECAT mission. They were due to arrive in Djibouti on Sunday. The Government indicated that the duration of the mission would be dependent on the progress that could be made, the security situation on the ground and decisions on extraction by partners. Advertisement They said they were in contact with Irish citizens who had registered with the embassy and every effort was being made to assist them. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said an estimated 150 Irish nationals were in Sudan. The situation in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has got worse in the last few days, and violence is being reported across the city, he said. The Irish defence forces personnel and department of foreign affairs officers being deployed will make every effort to provide advice and assistance to the 150 or so Irish nationals in Sudan. The situation on the ground in Sudan remains extremely volatile and I wish the ECAT and defence forces team every success in this mission. Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin said the decision was a continuation of the substantial, intensive work that the department of foreign affairs has been engaged in since this recent outbreak of violence in Sudan. Above all, our primary aim is to offer our citizens every assistance through what has been an extremely difficult and challenging time, he said. Earlier, Irish national Cathy McLoughlin, who is in Khartoum with her family, said they had had a terrible few days since last Saturday when fighting broke out. Advertisement We were actually downtown near the presidential palace, and we lay on the floor for five days and five nights and we did not know if we could come out of it, she told RTE. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the situation in the Sudanese capital Khartoum had got worse in the last few days Photo: Marwan Ali/AP. Ireland Government sending team to evacuate Irish citizens... Read More Eventually, on the fifth day, we left our location and walked for miles and endured many difficulties and scary moments on the way, and now were staying at a friends house but its not safe, there are still bombs going off, and we need to be evacuated soon. A spokesperson for the department of foreign affairs said citizens should follow the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya on Twitter (@IrlEmbKenya) for updated advice. If urgent, the embassys out-of-hours consular assistance phone line can be contacted at +254 716 353 999, and the department of foreign affairs can be contacted at +353 1 408 2000, they added. 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. Last week Brod, and the Presidents other dog Misneach, appeared reluctant to greet US president Joe Biden during his historic visit to Ireland. Brod in the grounds of Aras an Uachtarain, Dublin. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA. In a statement, the Presidents office said he and his wife Sabina are sad to confirm Brod has passed away at the age of 11. They said Brod was 11 years and two months at Aras an Uachtarain, having arrived as an eight-week-old puppy. Ireland Young man killed in Sligo single-vehicle collision Read More 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. Advertisement The spokesperson said Brod will be missed by the President, Sabina and all at the Aras, particularly 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. More than 70 per cent of doctors in Ireland have experienced burn-out since the Covid-19 pandemic, a new survey shows. Burnout is a psychological syndrome which includes emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. An Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) survey of members was carried out between December 2020 and January 2021, of which 1,082 doctors responded to the survey, with 43 per cent of respondents from General Practice, 35 per centof respondents were Non Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs), 13 per cent were consultants, 5 per cent were public health, 1 per cent were from community medicine and 3 per cent uncategorised as other. Of those who took part, 56 per cent female, 47 per cent male, and 87 per cent were working full-time with an even spread across all age ranges. While 74 per cent of respondents reported their overall health as good, 90 per cent reported having experienced some form of mental health condition related to or made worse by work and 79 per cent reported their mental health was made worse by the pandemic. Advertisement Three in five doctors were dissatisfied with their work-life balance, and 85 per cent believed the pandemic had a negative influence on their work-life balance. Burnout was determined in the survey using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OBI). 70.5 per centof respondents were determined to be at a high rate of burnout, which was highest amongst NCHDs at 77.9 per cent and public health doctors at 79.6 per cent. The co-authors of the study, Burnout in Doctors Practising in Ireland Post Covid-19, published in this months Irish Medical Journal said: The main concerns of doctors following the pandemic were staffing shortages, backlog of waiting patients and the impact on personal health and wellbeing. Workload was found to have a large impact on burnout for doctors in the study with a broad range of respondents, 21 per cent of consultants to 65 per cent of public medicine doctors, indicating that their working week has been extended by 9+ hours. Ireland Michael D Higgins' dog Brod dies, aged 11 Read More The pandemic has had a profound effect on healthcare systems globally, including on the mental wellbeing of the workforce which can manifest as burnout. Burnout has been evident in Ireland since pre-pandemic and rates of burnout vary greatly. The study authors added: While data looking at rates of burnout in Ireland since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic remain limited, studies available show a worrying trend of increasing burnout amongst doctors. In addition, staff noted feeling increased demands of workload and staff shortages in all studies post pandemic. Covid-19 has affected the mental well-being of the health workforce globally with many healthcare workers experiencing burnout, with one global study showing burnout ranging from 12 per cent to 45.6 per cent, while another review showed overall rates of burnout ranging from 14.7 per cent to 90.4 per cent. The authors state that burnout is not a medical condition but an occupational phenomenon and requires a coordinated, effective organisational strategy to deal with the issues causing it. The Department of Foreign Affairs is putting plans in place to evacuate Irish citizens from Sudan. The Defence Forces are being deployed to Sudan to evacuate Irish citizens with the Government approving the decision to send up to 12 Defence Forces personnel, initially to Djibouti, as part of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team. Over 400 people have died as fighting between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary group enters a second week. The Department of Foreign Affairs says it's in contact with over 150 Irish citizens in the country. Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin says he's "deeply concerned", and is seeking assistance from international partners to evacuate Irish citizens. This comes days after Irish diplomat for Sudan Aidan O'Hara, who is the current EU ambassador, was attacked in his home in Sudan. Advertisement Ireland More than 70% of doctors have experienced burn-out... Read More Senior EU diplomat Josep Borrell tweeted on Monday evening that the EU Ambassador had been assaulted in his own residency, adding the incident constitutes a gross violation of the Vienna Convention. Independent TD and former Army Ranger, Cathal Berry says decades of under-resourcing have left us dependant on the kindness of strangers. "We've got great people in the Air Corps, but unfortunately due to decades of under resourcing, we've got a very small aircraft. We need to move down towards Africa in a larger aircraft. "For the likes of Germany, France and UK, it would be a necessity as well. That's the state of play, we are very much dependent of the kindness of strangers." Diane Abbott has had the Labour whip suspended after comments she made suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller people are not subject to racism all their lives. Ms Abbott, who served as Jeremy Corbyns shadow home secretary, wrote in a letter in The Observer that although white people with points of difference suffer prejudice, they have not suffered the same racism as black people. Following a backlash, including from a Tory Cabinet minister, she apologised for any anguish caused, suggesting errors arose in her initial draft letter to the newspaper. However, Labour confirmed that the whip has been suspended from her pending an investigation into the letter. My statement pic.twitter.com/Wu2h4nNOvN Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) April 23, 2023 A party spokesman said: The Labour Party completely condemns these comments, which are deeply offensive and wrong. Advertisement The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation. Ms Abbott said on Twitter: I am writing regarding my letter that was recently published in The Observer. I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my written remarks and disassociate myself from them. The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused. Racism takes many forms and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others. Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them. The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP had been responding to a comment which suggested that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from racism in the UK. She wrote: It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships. Advertisement Once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful anti-semitism. @Keir_Starmer are you actually going to do anything? pic.twitter.com/nO1FoOj5Lc Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) April 23, 2023 Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said on Twitter: Once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful antisemitism. @Keir_Starmer are you actually going to do anything? Labour Against Antisemitism said Ms Abbotts comments are simply unacceptable and had called on Sir Keir to remove the whip from her. World Governments race to rescue diplomats and citizens... Read More Spokeswoman Fiona Sharpe said: To reduce the racism faced by Jews to mere prejudice when in living memory six million Jews were systematically slaughtered in Europe for their race is grossly offensive. In the UK today one in five of all Jews have suffered a racist attack, with more than one in three Gypsy, Roma and Traveller reporting the same. Ms Abbott is either woefully misinformed or deliberately bigoted. Neither should be tolerated. The US military airlifted embassy officials out of Sudan on Sunday and international governments raced to evacuate their diplomatic staff and citizens trapped in the capital as rival generals battled for control of Africas third-largest country for a ninth consecutive day. Fighting raged in Omdurman, the city across the Nile from Sudans capital Khartoum, residents reported. The violence took place despite a truce that had been declared to coincide with the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. We did not see such a truce, said Amin al-Tayed from his home near state television headquarters in Omdurman. He said heavy gunfire and thundering explosions had rocked the city. The battles did not stop, he said. Fighting continued despite a truce that had been declared to coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr (Marwan Ali/AP) Thick black smoke filled the sky over Khartoums airport. The paramilitary group battling the Sudanese armed forces claimed the military had carried out airstrikes on the upmarket neighbourhood of Kafouri, north of Khartoum. Advertisement US special forces evacuated some 70 US embassy staff from Khartoum to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia early on Sunday, after a week of fighting hindered rescue efforts. Although American officials said it was still too dangerous to carry out a government-co-ordinated mass evacuation of private citizens, other countries were scrambling to evacuate their citizens and diplomats. France, Greece and other European countries said on Sunday they were organising evacuations for embassy employees and nationals, along with some citizens of allied countries. French foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said France was undertaking the operation with the help of European partners. The Greek foreign minister said the country had dispatched aircraft and special forces to its ally, Egypt, in preparation for an evacuation of 120 Greek and Cypriot nationals from Khartoum. Most had sought shelter at a Greek Orthodox cathedral in the capital in recent days, Nikos Dendias said. The Netherlands had sent two air force Hercules C-130 planes and an Airbus A330 to Jordan ahead of a possible rescue mission. We deeply sympathise with the Dutch in Sudan and will make every effort to evacuate people where and when possible, defence minister Kajsa Ollongren said. The fighting has targeted and paralysed the countrys main international airport (Maheen S/AP) Italy had dispatched military jets to the Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the evacuation of 140 Italian nationals in Sudan, many of whom had already taken refuge in the embassy. Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said the departments crisis unit was in touch with stranded citizens. Advertisement The European Unions foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted he had spoken with the rival commanders, urging an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians and ensure the safe evacuation of EU citizens. The fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has targeted and paralysed the countrys main international airport, reducing a number of civilian aircraft to ruins and destroying at least one runway. Other airports across the country have also been knocked out of operation. Overland travel across areas contested by the warring parties has proven dangerous. Khartoum is some some 520 miles (840km) from Port Sudan on the Red Sea. But some countries have pressed ahead with the journey. Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that the kingdom had successfully evacuated 157 people, including 91 Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries. Saudi state TV released footage of a large convoy of Saudis and other foreign nationals traveling by car and bus from Khartoum to Port Sudan, where a navy ship then ferried the evacuees across the Red Sea to the Saudi port of Jeddah. In Sundays fighting, a senior military official said army and police repelled an RSF attack on Kober Prison in Khartoum where Sudans longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, and former officials in his movement have been imprisoned since his removal in 2019. Advertisement The official said a number of prisoners fled but that Mr al-Bashir and other high-profile inmates were still held in a highly secure area. The official said a few prisoners had been killed or wounded. US president Joe Biden ordered the evacuation of the US embassy in Khartoum on a recommendation from his national security team (Susan Walsh/AP) The RSF claimed later on Sunday that the military had removed Mr al-Bashir and other prisoners from the facility. The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudans hopes for a democratic transition. More than 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and more than 3,700 have been wounded in the fighting. Hospitals say they are struggling to cope. Many dead and wounded have been stranded by the fighting, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate which monitors casualties, suggesting the death toll is probably far higher than what is publicly known. The fighting has left millions of Sudanese stranded at home hiding from explosions, gunfire and looting without adequate electricity, food or water. The fighting has left millions of Sudanese stranded at home (Maheen S via AP) On Sunday, the country experienced a near-total collapse of internet connection, according to NetBlocks.org, an internet-monitoring service. Thousands of Sudanese have fled the combat in Khartoum for the suburbs. Ireland Plans in place to evacuate Irish citizens from Sud... Read More The current explosion of violence came after the two generals 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. Advertisement The rival generals rose to power in the tumultuous aftermath of popular uprisings that led to the removal of Mr al-Bashir in 2019. Two years later, they joined forces to seize power in a coup that ousted the civilian leaders and opened a troubled new chapter in the countrys history. Indian police have arrested a separatist leader who has revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland and the secession of Indias northern Punjab state, which has a history of violent insurgency. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since last month after capturing national attention in February, when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, a town in Punjab state, with wooden batons, swords and guns to demand the release of a jailed aide. Punjab state police tweeted on Sunday that Singh had been arrested in Moga, a town in the state. A Sikh religious leader, Jasbir Singh Rodde, said Singh surrendered to police after offering morning prayers at a Sikh shrine in Moga. Police then arrested him and took him away, he said. #AmritpalSingh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share. Advertisement Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 23, 2023 Police officer Sukhchain Singh Gill said police had surrounded the local village on intelligence that Singh was in the shrine. Relentless pressure built by the police over the past 35 days left Singh with no choice, Mr Gill told reporters. He said the police did not enter the shrine, implying that Singh was taken into custody after he left. He declined to confirm that Singh surrendered to police as claimed by his supporters. The officer said Singh was flown to Dibrugarh in Indias north-east, where he will be detained until he is taken to court to face charges. Punjab suffered a bloody insurgency in the 1980s that led to the killing of Indias then-prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards at her official residence in New Delhi. Her killing triggered bloody rioting by her Hindu supporters against Sikhs in northern India. Sikhs are a religious minority in India and say they are discriminated against by the majority Hindus. More than 3,000 people were killed by extremists during the 1980s insurgency in the prosperous farming state. The insurgency was crushed by Indian forces by 1990. Punjab borders India-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of supporting, training and arming insurgents, a charge Islamabad denies. Advertisement Supporters of the Waris Punjab De organisation shout slogans about their chief and separatist leader Amritpal Singh and other arrested activists in Amritsar in March (Prabhjot Gill/AP) Police declared Singh, a 30-year-old preacher, a fugitive and accused him and his aides of creating discord in the state. They accused them of spreading disharmony among people, attempted murder, attacking police personnel and obstructing public servants lawful discharge of duty. Authorities have deployed thousands of paramilitary soldiers in the state and arrested nearly 100 of Singhs supporters. His wife was prevented from leaving India last week. Very little was known about Singh until he arrived in Punjab state in 2022 and began leading marches calling for the protection of rights for Sikhs, who account for about 1.7% of Indias population. Singh claims to draw inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh militant leader accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency for Khalistan in the 1980s. Bhindranwale and his supporters were killed in 1984 when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. Singh has styled himself after Bhindranwale, with a long, flowing beard. He also dresses like Bhindranwale. Singh also heads Waris Punjab De, or Punjabs Heirs, an organisation that was part of a massive campaign to mobilise farmers against controversial agriculture reforms being pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. Advertisement The legislation triggered a year of protests that began in 2020, as farmers most of them Sikhs from Punjab state camped on the outskirts of New Delhi through a harsh winter and devastating coronavirus surge. The protests ended after Mr Modis government withdrew the legislation in November 2021. Sikh separatist leader and head of Waris Punjab De Amritpal Singh, centre, stands outside a house with his supporters in the village Jallupur Khera, near Amritsar (Prabhjot Gill/AP) Waris Punjab De was founded by Deep Sidhu, an Indian actor who died in 2022 in a road accident. Singhs speeches have become increasingly popular among supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. Officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. Even though the movement has waned over the years, it still has some support in Punjab and beyond including in countries like Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, which are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora. World US embassy staff evacuated from Sudan by special f... Read More Last month, supporters of the movement pulled down the Indian flag at the countrys high commission in London and smashed the buildings windows in a show of anger against the move to arrest Singh. Indias Foreign Ministry denounced the incident and summoned the UKs deputy high commissioner in New Delhi to protest at what it called the breach of security at the embassy in London. The supporters of the Khalistan movement also vandalized the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the United States. Three people were killed when a train hit their car at a crossing in northern Germany early on Sunday. Police said the regional train crashed into the car at full speed near Neustadt am Ruebenberge, outside the city of Hanover, German news agency dpa reported. The cars 22-year-old driver was killed along with two women, aged 21 and 22, who were with him in the vehicle, There were 38 passengers and four railway employees on board the train, and one person was slightly injured. The car apparently drove on to a crossing although the barriers, which did not cover the whole width of the road, were closed. Advertisement They had managed to produce four children, which had earned Edna first prize in a Lovely Mother contest, despite her abiding dictum Ive decided to put my family last. Itll be best for them in the end. The Dame lived her life so publicly that there is little that one does not know. Her passion for sharing was irresistible. Yet the disappearance in Wagga Wagga of her first child, Lois, at the claws of a wild koala was not shared until the 1990s. Years later, Edna learnt Lois had not, in fact, been mauled by a marsupial; to Edna, her fate was much worse: she had survived and become a Roman Catholic nun. The parentage of her artistic son (he would grow up to become her couturier), Kenny, was apparently the result of a date-rape by Frank Sinatra at Sydneys Boulevard Hotel. Ednas potential came to Humphries when he attended a performance of a Passion Play at Moonee Ponds Holy Trinity Hall in 1955. He saw Edna as a mauve-haired Mary Magdalene opening the scene at the House of Simon the Leper with the words, Christ your feet look awful. Let me give them a bit of TLC. Michael Parkinson and Dame Edna Everage. She proceeded to massage Jesus feet with Vicks VapoRub then remove it with her wisteria locks. Humphries left at interval, despite the pleas of Ednas bridesmaid, Madge Allsop, Are you staying for the Crucifixion? He left with the impression that Edna would be hilarious even if she only read from the telephone directory. She could be Eliza Doolittle to his Henry Higgins. And the rest is his/her story. While, physically, Edna bore a more than striking resemblance to Humphries maternal aunt, she was inspired by the Humphries garrulous daily help, Shores. Edna explained her early approach, I felt I had something to tell the audience, though I didnt know what it was. So I told them about themselves. I described my own home and people listened and they said, We know that house, we know that lava lamp, we know that picture on the wall, the Chinese girl with the tinted green face. And slowly they began to feel that where they lived was not such a boring place, after all, because I had enshrined it in a work of art. America did not get Edna at first. An appearance off Broadway in the late 1970s was savaged. Humphries vowed that Edna would return to Broadway but not until the critic died. She had to wait 25 years. And so, in 2000, she triumphed with The Royal Tour and won a Tony. A defining moment was, after she had singled out a woman in the audience she nicknamed her Sunglasses - and repeatedly targeted her throughout the show before calling her onto the stage. The woman rose and slowly made her way up - with a white cane. The horrified audience gasped; until Edna broke the silence with Thank God she didnt bring her guide dog. She triumphed too on television with appearances as Claire Otoms, a client, later secretary, on Ally McBeal. Dame Edna Everage made us laugh for decades. Credit: James Brickwood Meanwhile, her home country had claimed her. In 1972, she appeared as Aunt Edna with her nephew in The Adventures of Barry McKenzie. In the last moments of its sequel, Barry McKenzie Holds His Own, she was dubbed a dame by Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam. Considering he had abolished imperial honours on gaining office, this was a signal gesture. EG Whitlam had let Dame Edna Everage upon the world. She never looked back. Throughout the 1980s her fame grew. Television appearances, notably ITVs An Audience with . Dame Edna Everage, presented a winning formula. Edna insulted the grandest celebrities before a live audience. Sean Connery and Charlton Heston were particular favourites. She said to Jane Seymour, Jane, youve been successfully married three times. Whats the secret of your success? The Dame Edna Experience, Dame Ednas Neighbourhood Watch, Edna Time, and The Dame Edna Treatment followed, with twists, but the same blistering energy. Her plain, ever-silent bridesmaid, Madge, became her foil, forever expressionless, unmoved, a constant presence onstage. This double act endured almost until Madges death at the age of 100. Edna barely missed a beat when, in 1988, Norm died, felled by the prostate and a testicular murmur that had long plagued him. Not one to mourn, the widow Edna founded Friends of the Prostate. She was, of course, absent at his death and by the time she reached his bedside, there was but a dent on his pillow. He had donated all his organs and been globally recycled. Sir Les Patterson (Barry Humphries) Credit: Penny Bradfield Dame Edna would never be seen on-stage (or off) with another of Barrys stable, the red-faced, yellow-toothed, crimpeline-suited, grossly-endowed cultural ambassador, Sir Les Patterson. The Dame found him revolting. His introduction for her on one show, Laaaaze un Genelmen, give her the clap; give her the clap she so richly deserves, did nothing to endear him to her. She also avoided Sandy Stone, the suburban tragic. Perhaps he reminded her of the life she escaped and the man her Norm may have become? She was, of course, a regular Pantomime Dame, but she also played a vivacious Mrs Crummles in the 2002 television production of Nicholas Nickleby. Of course, on stage, Barry Humphries had been a creditable undertaker, Mr Sowerberry; and a celebrated Fagin but there must have been dozens of Dickensian roles Edna could have brought to life. Her Mrs Jellyby would have been a tour de force. Loading One imagines the Dame would have had trouble keeping staff but as she constantly told her fans, they all adore me. She did however, once report difficulty with her two Hispanic maids who joined during a lengthy time in the United States. She could not understand, she said, why Immaculata and Contracepcion fought hammer and tongs. And an Edna-dig in 2003 in Vanity Fair at the plight of so many Hispanics in the United States, brought howls of protest, one from the actress Salma Hayek. Edna put it down to professional jealousy. She said she had been offered the role of Frida Kahlo first but turned it down. I said, Im not playing the role of a woman with a moustache and a mono-brow, and Im not having same-sex relations on the screen ..Im not a racist. I love all races, particularly white people. You know, I even like Roman Catholics. For a woman whose strength lay in the vocal rather than the literary, the Dame also proved a popular author. Apart from My Gorgeous Life (which was a tremendous hit in Germany as Mein schrilles Leben), she produced Dame Ednas Coffee Table Book: A Guide To Gracious Living and the Finer Things in Life (1976) and Dame Ednas Bedside Companion (1999). Her last book, Dame Ednas Ednapaedia (2016) summed up her beloved country in 101 objects from Aeroplane Jelly to Zinc Cream. Dame Edna Everage, launching her new national tour at The Langham Sydney, 2019. Credit: James Brickwood In June 2013 during her Eat Pray Laugh tour, she announced her retirement but, characteristically, added, I couldnt ever relinquish what I do, but its certainly farewell to touring. Ill do one-offs on television and that kind of stuff. Ill continue to work till I drop. And so she did for a few years. Citing her manager, Barrys perfidy (a leech) she returned home in September 2019, with her third farewell tour, My Gorgeous Life. She shared her good fortune: My son has a husband; my daughter has a wife, distancing herself from some ill-judged remarks by Humphries that gender reassignment was a fashion. She also revealed that she had a new boyfriend, Thomas Markle, the unhappy, reclusive, estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex. And, of course, she remained in close contact with the Palace. They needed her, Possums, still. The Dame is survived by three children, Bruce, Valmai and Kenny, all of whom she claimed were a disappointment to her. Bruces marriage to a Roman Catholic was the greatest blow. Dame Edna Everage enjoys a bubble bath in Sydney in 1981. Credit: Robert Pearce Edna had a particularly troubled relationship with Valmai, an angry young woman who looked like an escapee from the cast of Prisoner. In fact at one point she was described as being in Shoplifters Rehab, which must have proved beneficial as she replaced the beloved Madge on stage as Ednas foil and slave. Loading Kenny Everage was probably his mothers favourite, were there room for anyone but herself. He was a successful dress designer, practising homeopath and influencer and regularly dressed his mother. For decades she was bemused by his companion Clifford Smail and bewildered by his confession one day that he had been locked in the wardrobe for too long and wanted to get out. Not for Edna the fade-away-fast facility, Twilight Lodge, the maximum security nursing home to which she condemned her mother. Of all the actors Ive worked with, he was really the most easy to get along with, Beresford says. His relationship with the crew, the people working [in the theatre], the other actors, was incredibly relaxed. He learnt all their names and never forgot them. A lot of actors in films sort of put themselves in a little cocoon, but he never did that. He was always very outgoing, always saying to me, What happened to so and so, how are they going now, should we get in touch? He was really, really interested in people. The tributes to Humphries began pouring in soon after his family released a statement saying he had died in St Vincents Hospital, Sydney, on Saturday. They came from those, like Beresford, who had known him well, those such as Rob Brydon, Richard E. Grant and Ricky Gervais who had grown up admiring his work and come to know him as a peer and a friend, and those who had only known him from afar. They came from politicians on both sides of politics, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declaring him a great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-a-kind, and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton proclaiming him Australias greatest cultural comedian. King Charles a long-time friend and admirer who was famously left in hysterics when Humphries as Dame Edna Everage infiltrated the royal box during the 2013 Royal Variety Performance was said by a palace representative to be saddened by the news of his death. His majesty is writing privately to Mr Humphries family as we speak, a spokeswoman said. A bunch of gladioli on Everage Street, Moonee Ponds. Credit: Darrian Traynor The tributes came in forms little and large. There were the social media posts, almost universal in their celebration of the Melbourne-born comics genius. They came in the shape of a bunch of red gladioli favoured flower of Edna Everage, Humphries most famous creation tied to a pole in Moonee Ponds, the great dames putative home suburb. And they came in the guise of an offer of a state funeral from the Victorian government, which the Humphries family is understood to be considering. However, they did not come from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, which, while acknowledging his contribution, announced it would not stage any tribute despite the crucial role Humphries had played in establishing it. The festival did suggest that individual comedians were free to mark Humphries passing as they saw fit. That decision was presumably rooted in the rift that developed between Humphries and some in the local comedy scene over trans-critical comments he made some years ago. That led to the Barry, the festivals top prize, being renamed in 2019 after a campaign in which comedian Hannah Gadsby played a significant role. Though he delighted audiences in Australia, Britain, the US and elsewhere throughout a career that stretched from the early 1950s and would have continued had he not suffered the health complications that arose from a broken hip this year, Humphries also had a knack for offending people both deliberately and otherwise. He was known to speak disparagingly about Australias Asian population, railed against the modernisation of our cities, and frequently painted a picture of a civilisation on the brink of collapse through democratisation. Dame Edna Everage, the housewife superstar from Moonee Ponds, was Humphries most famous, loved and enduring creation. Credit: Alamy In 2013, he told this reporter he was planning to read more Dickens because hes our greatest writer. But he added: When you go into a modern bookshop you have to spell his name to the girl with the green fingernails behind the counter. If you can find a bookshop. In 2003, he provoked a storm of outrage when he told readers of the Vanity Fair advice column Ask Edna not to bother learning Spanish unless they wanted to converse with their domestic help. Humphries was denounced as racist, though there were plenty who defended him as merely satirising the racism of a petit bourgeois social climber. Loading The line between Humphries and his creations could undoubtedly be blurry, and he liked that. He once said he enjoyed playing the dipsomaniac Sir Les Paterson more than any other character because it releases my inner vulgarity. It liberates my repressed ribaldry. For Beresford, the idea that Humphries was a racist, closet or otherwise, is simply ludicrous. He was anything but racist. He was no fonder of the left-wing dictators than he was of the right-wing dictators either. He was, I always thought, politically very rational. Nor, despite the way it sometimes appeared, was he scornful of the country that had raised him, and whose shores he, like so many others of his generation, could not wait to flee. He was sometimes laughing with us, he was sometimes laughing at us, says Beresford. He wasnt pretending it was a perfect society, and there were a lot of things to laugh at. He could make so many jokes about this country because he understood it so well. He absolutely adored Australia. The Reserve Bank should not use interest rates to target the housing market or address fears about the high debts held by Australians, panel members who reviewed the institution have said, arguing it could cause broader damage to the economy. The panel members, whose report into the Reserve Bank has paved the way for the largest overhaul of the bank in a generation, said any changes to the way the RBA used interest rates to rein in inflation could be reviewed by a future investigation. RBA reviewers Carolyn Wilkins (left), Renee Fry-McKibbin and Gordon de Brouwer say the bank shouldnt use interest rates to target house prices or debt levels. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has committed to the reviews 51 recommendations, released last week, that include the creation of a separate monetary policy committee that will set interest rates, fewer RBA board meetings and the use of press conferences by the banks governor to explain decisions. The review panel, made up of international monetary policy expert Carolyn Wilkins, who sits on the Bank of Englands financial policy committee; Renee Fry-McKibbin, the interim director of the Crawford School at the Australian National University; and Gordon de Brouwer, the secretary for public sector reform; examined the Reserves decision-making during recent economic events. Read the full story here. A former sergeant major who served in Iraq has blasted the support network offered by some government-backed service charities in a private hearing of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Tim Cuming, who came close to taking his own life on two occasions, hit out in a session at the hearing in Brisbane on Thursday that the Herald and The Age have been told about. Tim Cuming in Bowen Hills, Brisbane. Credit: Glenn Campbell Cuming said that a lot of organisations didnt want a royal commission because of fears of being exposed. They are getting found out. All these organisations are having a torch shone at them. I was telling the royal commission about the inactivity of the big organisations and they were nodding their heads. It was like there was nothing they havent heard in the last 17 months. Police have arrested a 26-year-old man over the alleged murder of Taha Sabbagh, who was fatally shot by at least two assailants outside a gym in Sydneys south-west in front of a 12-year-old boy in March. Homicide detectives made the arrest at Sydney Airports international terminal about 3.30pm on Sunday before the man was due to board a flight. A 26-year-old man was arrested at Sydney Airport on Sunday afternoon over the shooting of Taha Sabbagh in Sydneys south-west. Credit: NSW Police He was taken to Surry Hills police station and charged with murder. Police will allege the man, from Fairfield East, was involved in the planning and co-ordination of the attack on Sabbagh. The arrest follows investigations by Strike Force Pemak, which was set up to investigate the shooting. The fatal attack on the 40-year-old father shattered a six-month lull in a spate of gangland shootings across Sydney. Youll always have governments who are trying to circumvent their human rights and their legal obligations, and if youre talking about the race to the bottom, yes Australia led it when it comes to refugee protection, she said. The government has an opportunity to take responsibility for the damage that our previous policies have done in the world and the very dangerous precedent they set and actually speak out. Asylum seekers face an uncertain future on Nauru in 2019. Credit: Saba Vasefi Because when it comes to human rights, its not just about governments ensuring that rights are protected at home, its also ensuring that they are speaking when human rights are violated elsewhere. Thats the whole purpose of a responsible international community, and Australia could play a role. Britain, which cannot turn boats back in the English Channel because there are no international waters between it and France, wants to deport to Rwanda its unwanted migrants who arrive by boat. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has adopted the Stop the boats slogan coined by former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks from his Stop the boats lectern. Credit: Getty Images Hassan said the British proposal, currently blocked by the European Court of Human Rights, was as extreme as what Australia did when the Coalition introduced policies that forced the detention of asylum seekers in camps initially onshore, and later on Christmas Island and Nauru, and in Papua New Guinea. In terms of its absolute disregard to its refugee protection obligations, yes, the UK is definitely moving in a direction that is on par and as low as Australia back in the day, she said. The Coalitions hardline policies were initially opposed, but are now supported and implemented by, Labor. In one of its first acts in office, the Albanese government turned back an asylum-seeker boat, meaning Labor is unlikely to urge the UK to abandon its version of Australias Pacific Solution. Loading Amnesty International says about 150 refugees and people seeking asylum are still languishing on Nauru and PNG and some have been there more than a decade. Hassan said the UK policy was just as extreme and that it was telling if the current Australian government could not encourage its ally to adhere to its international human rights obligations. If this is the case, then I think that we should be asking the current government, why not? Hassan said. And if this is a government that is committed to human rights, we should ask them why they arent. Loading There needs to be an acknowledgement of the damage that was done. But she said even without Australias encouragement Britain should walk away from its ridiculous proposal and try to salvage its reputation. And actually show the world how refugee protection can actually be done the right way and also push back against perpetuating divisive narratives in society in the othering of some of the most vulnerable people in the world, she said. A British government source said: We are in no way diminishing human rights, but this government is clear we must stop the boats. If migrants travel to this country illegally, they will not be allowed to jump the queue. London: The publishers of a German magazine that ran an interview with Michael Schumacher generated by artificial intelligence have sacked the editor and apologised to the Formula One greats family. Seven-times world champion Schumacher, now 54, has not been seen in public since he suffered a serious brain injury in a skiing accident on a family holiday in the French Alps in December 2013. Michael Schumacher won the last of his seven world titles for Ferrari in 2004. Credit: AP His family said this week that they were planning legal action against weekly magazine Die Aktuelle, owned by the Essen-based Funke media group. Funke apologised in a statement on their website www.funkemedien.de. Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Saturday tweeted "Demographics is destiny" in a reply to a tweet with a list of countries ranked according to their population. India was ranked at top of that list. According to a recent United Nations report, India is set to overtake China to become the worlds most populous country by the middle of 2023. India's population is projected to be at 1.42 billion or 1,428,600,000 against China's 1,425,700,000. So, India now has 2,900,000 more people than China. Demographics is destiny Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 22, 2023 This is the first time since 1950, that a country has replaced China. The UN started these estimates in 1950. Musk who has been a vocal supporter of high birth rates to combat the challenge of the aging population had earlier tweeted about how low birth rates are a bigger risk to civilization than global warming. Over the past few weeks, there have been speculations about Musk eyeing the Indian market for Tesla. Recently, Musk followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter. This triggered speculations across the microblogging site about whether Tesla is coming to India anytime soon. In May 2022, Musk said that Tesla was considering opening a factory in India. However, he clarified that it would only be possible if Tesla could sell and service cars in India. Musk said in a tweet that Tesla would not build a factory in any location where it was not permitted to sell and maintain its vehicles. Previously, Musk on several occasions sought tax breaks on the import of electric vehicles and first selling vehicles manufactured outside India. The Centre however has stuck with its stance that rules already allow bringing partially-built vehicles and assembling them locally at a lower tariff. GST (goods and services tax) collections in March 2023 crossed the Rs 1.4-trillion (about $21.5 billion) benchmark for 12 successive months. Overall, demand conditions have remained conducive to sustaining growth momentum as deduced from robust tractor and auto sales, high UPI transactions and double-digit credit growth, Sitharaman said earlier this month at the The finance ministry had posted a few tweets about Sitharamans speech, but Business Standard has reviewed a copy of her full speech at the Fund-Bank meeting held during 10-16 April. The National Statistical Office (NSO) will release the March quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data on May 31. At this stage, Im not having any proposal before me for regulating financial influencers. Social and financial influencers are all out there. If there are three-four people giving us good advice, there are seven others out of 10 who are probably driven by some other considerations, she said at an event organised by Thinkers Forum in Bengaluru,. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that her ministry does not have any proposal before it to regulate financial influencers, but warned people to tread with caution while seeking their advice. There are also apps, which are coming out and reaching out to people, saying we can do this, we can do that; your money will fetch you this much. Many of these are ponzi, she added. Sitharaman also said that the finance ministry is working with the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) against the ponzi apps. She said the Centre is clamping down on them like never before, so that citizens are safe from such financial scams. In February, MeitY issued orders to block around 138 betting and 94 Chinese loan apps for alleged involvement in money laundering and posing a threat to the financial security of the nation. She advised users not to flock for such offers without doing due diligence. You save it, you protect it, she added. Also Read Is it time to regulate financial influencers? What are 'influencers', and how do companies use them for marketing? Govt issues guidelines to hold influencers responsible; safeguard consumers MeitY unblocks VLC Media Player, month after getting legal notice Story in numbers: PMLA registrations up four-fold, higher than a decade ago Navy, DRDO conduct maiden flight trial of interceptor ballistic missile Shrinking engineering exports to UAE, China led to overall dip in FY23 UK Parliament panel criticises lack of information on FTA talks with India IMF likely to have erred on India's growth forecast, says RBI paper Discoms to submit report on electricity subsidy to Centre every quarter Speaking on crypto currency, Sitharaman said, No one country individually can effectively control it. This is because technology doesn't have any borders, it can just pass through. So, the very character of it being technology-driven requires all countries to be on board, or else it will not be effective. The RBI, in its regulatory framework released in August 2022, mandated that loan disbursal should only be carried out by entities regulated by it or those permitted under the law. Speaking on the recent controversy surrounding the entry of Amul into Karnataka, she stated that the accusations of bringing in Amul to kill Nandini were brazen. The finance minister said that the Indian rupee has withstood the test of time by being steady. She added that it is the trust and strength of the rupee that is aiding in its internationalisation. Sitharaman said that inflation in India is today largely imported because of the price of fuel and fertiliser. This, strictly speaking, is tweaked, twisted, and made an emotional issue because it is election time. Amul entered Karnataka when there was a Congress government here, she added. During Covid, many developed economies printed and distributed money. This formula resulted in double-digit inflation in their economies, something which wasn't seen in 30-40 years. Initially, interest rates were 'low for long' and now inflation rates are 'high for long' in countries which printed money and distributed it during Covid. Their economy is in a state of flux and in a recessionary phase, which will have spillovers worldwide, she added. The pressures on inflation in India are largely because of the imported hikes in prices. Covid wasn't even completely over when the war in Europe began and it had global repercussions. Fuel prices went up and food insecurity was seen in many countries, she said. Sitharaman emphasised that changes brought in the income tax regime are aimed to widen the tax base and encourage people to pay taxes. We have brought in a parallel and simplified income tax regime with lower tax rates and less exemptions. In what is proving to be another attempt at public-private partnership (PPP) foundering, the Ministry of Railways may have to end up building a crucial Rs 12,000-crore stretch of a dedicated freight corridor from its own pocket, drawing the curtains on the hunt for a suitor, multiple senior officials have told Business Standard. A proposal was moved to the Railway Board to construct the 371-km stretch between Sonnagar and New Andal through a railway organisation itself, a senior executive of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (DFCC) said. The 538-km stretch between Sonnagar, Bihar, and Dankuni, West Bengal, was envisaged as the railways high watermark in monetising operations, allowing private players to benefit from the traffic on the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC). But after several years of failed deliberations, the ministry is inclined to taking up 75 per cent of the project in engineering procurement and construction (EPC) mode, a senior government official confirmed. The hybrid design build finance operate transfer (DBFOT) was a project-specific model designed for this stretch. The plan was to bring in a private player to build and maintain the infrastructure to isolate the concessionaire from freight traffic volatility, the provision of availability charge was made, said a senior railway official who was among the architects of that PPP model. The private player was to be paid a fixed amount for making the corridor available for around 20 hours, irrespective of how many trains used the route each day, with variation clauses in place. He added several private parties had shown an interest. We were hoping to look for a private player under this revised framework. However, after months, the hybrid DBFOT is yet to be approved by the Union Cabinet. It is a crucial stretch with multiple nodes stretching out to essential commodities like coal and steel. Internally, we want to ensure its completion quickly and the PPP plan may go against that, a senior railway ministry official said, adding, due approvals, including from the Cabinet, would be required before proceeding with the plan. The project cost is close to Rs 12,000 crore now and we await approval to begin work on our own as in the rest of the corridors, the executive quoted above said. The ministry passed on this papers queries to the DFCC, which did not respond till print time. The project was conceptualised years ago, but saw scarce progress. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced PPP ambitions of the Centre for the EDFC in her 2021-22 Budget speech, but the project lay still. The ministry had earlier struggled to monetise its assets owing to its reluctance to surrender operational control to private partners, which made the latter apprehensive about their functional autonomy during the concession period. In this case, it ended up breaking the corridor into two bits of roughly 270 km each. The Sonnagar-Gomoh section was then extended till Andal in West Bengal. In its 101st meeting, the PPP Appraisal Committee, chaired by the finance ministry, had told the railways its proposal for private participation in the 261-km Sonnagar-Gomoh stretch was more like an EPC contract with annuity payments than a PPP model. Later, in December 2021, it had granted in-principle approval to the revised hybrid DBFOT model for the section, albeit asking the railways to address minor concerns. Notwithstanding Dankuni-Sonnagar, the EDFC is expected to be completed by June 1, while the Western DFC is slated to take slightly longer due to contractor issues and land acquisition delays. MISSING THE PPP TRAIN 2019: Railways launched an ambitious proposal to redevelop marquee stations like New Delhi and Mumbai CSMT in public-private partnership (PPP) mode Status: Despite significant private interest, the plan ran into obstacles. In 2022, Cabinet approved a revised plan scrapping PPP for major stations. Financial bids opened 2020: Railways initiated a plan to run private trains, inviting industry to participate in Rs 30K-crore tender Status: Plan reportedly scrapped after concerns over viability 2021: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reignited the plan to bring private investment into eastern freight corridor through PPP Status: Railways found partial success in finding private investors after several revisions to their PPP model. Latest model awaits Cabinet approval; talks on executing the project in EPC mode 2021: Railways gets 1/4th share in Centre's Rs 6-trn National Monetisation Pipeline Status: Monetisation targets missed in previous two fiscal years India has put two C-130J military transport aircraft on standby in Jeddah while an Indian Navy ship reached a key port in the region as part of the government's plans to evacuate stranded Indians from violence-hit Sudan. Giving out the details, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said contingency plans for the evacuation of Indians have been put in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation. It said the security situation in Sudan continues to be "volatile" with reports of fierce fighting coming from various locations in the country's capital Khartoum. The MEA said India is making all-out efforts to ensure the safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan. "We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan," it said. "We are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated," the MEA said. Apart from the Sudanese authorities, the MEA and the Indian embassy in Sudan are also in regular touch with the UN, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and the US among others. Also Read India supports peace process and capacity building in South Sudan Relatives of Indians stranded in Sudan appeal evacuation from govt Working on contingency plans, possible evacuation in Sudan: Arindam Bagchi Army vs paramilitary: A common person's guide to the crisis in Sudan Khartoum violence: Indian embassy in Sudan advises Indians to not move out India will become third largest economy in world by 2030: VP Dhankhar TN CM Stalin to visit Japan, Singapore, and UK to attract investments Tea planters suffering from shortage, crop loss, falling prices in Tripura Youth programme, meeting church leaders on PM's calendar for Kerala visit Rajeev Bindal appointed Himachal BJP president, replacing Suresh Kashyap "As part of our preparations and in order to move swiftly, the Government of India is pursuing multiple options," the MEA said. "Two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan," it said. "Contingency plans are in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum," the MEA said. It said the Sudanese airspace currently remained closed for all foreign aircraft and overland movement also has risks and logistical challenges. PTI MPB. The AAP government is committed to ensure peace and security in Punjab for which it will even take "tough decisions", party's national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday. His remarks came after Punjab Police arrested Amritpal Singh in Moga's Rode village early Sunday, ending an over a month-long manhunt against the radical preacher who styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The 29-year-old preacher was taken into custody at 6.45 am as he came out -- in the traditional attire that included a sheathed sword -- of the gurdwara in Rode, Bhindranwale's native village and also the place where he himself took over last year as the chief of Waris Punjab De'. We are committed to the peace and security in Punjab. We are also ready to take tough decisions for this, Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi after the radical preacher was apprehended. He appreciated Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for accomplishing the mission with maturity and courage, and also thanked the people of the state for maintaining peace and supporting the government. CM@BhagwantMann Sahib accomplished this mission with maturity and courage. Punjab Police achieved success without any bloodshed and firing, Kejriwal said in his tweet, adding, Many thanks to the public for maintaining peace and supporting the Punjab government during this period." The preacher had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. Punjab Police had invoked the stringent NSA against him. Also Read Scared of Kejriwal's growing popularity: AAP leader Atishi attacks Centre Punjab not afraid of taking measures to curb criminal activities: Kejriwal Will answer all questions, says Kejriwal as he appears before CBI Aim of BJP-led Centre is to defame Kejriwal, AAP leaders: Sanjay Singh One month on, no sight of radical preacher Amritpal except in CCTV footage MeT issues 'Yellow' warning for thunderstorm in Assam, neighbouring states Jal Jeevan Mission facing hurdles in Meghalaya due to drying up of water Was in regular touch with officials: Punjab CM Mann on Amritpal arrest India needs to nurture knowledge of Vedas, says RSS chief Bhagwat Internet ban in Bharatpur as Mali community continue protest for 12% quota Several cases have been lodged against the Khalistan sympathiser and his associates for allegedly spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and obstructing the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Chairperson of New Delhi-based Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) Trilochan Mohapatra on Sunday called upon agricultural scientists to jealously promote nutritional literacy in the country by mainstreaming the bio-fortified crops. He stressed the need for an enlarged food basked that would address malnutrition, adequate seed production and price advantate to farmers Mohapatra, a former head of the Directorate of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and former Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), was delivering the first K Ramiah Foundation Day lecture here at the National Rice Research Institute (NRRI) on Sunday. He said the global food system is currently being challenged by three 'Cs': Climate change, Covid and Conflicts. Speaking at length on nutrition security through various food crops to address the malnutrition menace, the senior rice scientist, in his talk, spelt out the priorities for farm scientists, farmers, policymakers and media personnel and said a sustainable food system encompasses social, economic and environmental considerations. "Unfortunately, we do not often bother about the sustainable food system globally," he said. Dwelling upon the Global Hunger Index (GHI), Mohapatra said undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality are the four key indicators of the GHI. He said that the 2022 GHI score for the World was 18.2 and was considered moderate, down slightly from the 2014 score of 19.1, adding that most unhealthy children are from Asia and Africa. Also Read Is it time for India to abandon GMO crop fears? Over 260 districts in 27 states distributing fortified rice: Govt Fortified rice available via PDS, to cover whole India by Mar 24: Food Secy Remunerative cash crops to be introduced as per land use: Agri min Chander Punjab agri minister Dhaliwal urges farm body KMSC to withdraw protest call NCP wants Thakur, Irani to step in to resolve issues raised by wrestlers BRS to hold constituency-level meetings in Telangana on April 25 Family feels relieved on seeing Amritpal, says will fight legal battle Delhi records maximum temperature of 31.3 degrees Celsius, says IMD BJP speak about Basavanna, but don't follow his teachings: Rahul Gandhi NRRI also signed two MoUs with entrepreneurs on the occasion. Similarly, two new in-house publications were released on the day. Farmers, scientists and retired employees were also felicitated for their significant contributions to the institute. Shortly after 'Waris Punjab De' Chief Amritpal Singh was arrested, Delhi Education Minister Atishi on Sunday said that it is a result of over one month of tireless efforts of Punjab Police and the state government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Amritpal was arrested from Moga's Gurudwara today from where he will be shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh. "I want to congratulate Punjab Police and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. This is the result of one month of tireless efforts of the Punjab Police and the Mann government for the last 1 month, the Punjab Police was after Amritpal and his supporters, and raids were conducted in every part of the country and at places linked to him," said Atishi while talking to ANI. She said that the arrest of Amritpal has shown to the whole country that Bhagwant Mann's Aam Aadmi Party government has lived up to the promise it had made to the people of Punjab to maintain law and order. "To date, we have seen in the country that people like him (Amritpal) disappear permanently, they go absconding. You see the efforts of the Punjab Police that they did not leave any laxity during the one month. I want to appeal to the people of Punjab to maintain peace," she said. Thanking the central government for its cooperation, she said that whenever the Punjab police needed any cooperation the centre was always been in support. Also Read Just a few people funded by Pakistan: CM Bhagwant Mann on Ajnala clashes Punjab govt won't hesitate in taking tough decisions: Kejriwal on Amritpal NSA warrants against 'Waris Punjab De' chief executed today: Punjab IGP Scared of Kejriwal's growing popularity: AAP leader Atishi attacks Centre Atishi education minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj new health minister in Delhi Detailed report of caste based census to be put in public domain: Bihar CM Ashok Gehlot's silence on Rahul's caste census demand raises eyebrows PM Modi lauds installation of 254 4G mobile towers in Arunachal Pradesh PM Modi to dedicate nation's first water metro during Kerala visit MoRTH plans to raise Rs 35,000 cr through asset monetisation in FY23 "There has been full cooperation of the central government in this whole matter. Whenever the Punjab Police needed any cooperation, the entire system of the Central Government and the Central Paramilitary Forces remained in support. For this, we also thank the Central Government," said Atishi. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj lauded the work done by the Punjab police and said that everything will be further done legally. "This is a great achievement for the Punjab police and the government. Punjab is a sensitive state and the entire operation against Amritpal was done keeping in view that the situation should not worsen. The people in the state do not want violence but peace and harmony," he said. National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning, said Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill after 'Waris Punjab De' chief's arrest. "NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morning...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode," said Sukhchain Singh Gill. Amritpal was 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. Wanted fugitive Amritpal Singh has been arrested from Punjab's Moga district, the Punjab Police informed in a tweet on Sunday. Amritpal has been on the run since March 18. In February, Amritpal and his supporters barged into the Ajnala police station near Amritsar, extracting an assurance that an arrested man would be released. Since then Singh, who claims to be a follower of the Khalistani separatist and terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, has been labelled as a pro-Khalistan and the Punjab police launched a crackdown following the storming of the Ajnala police station. Confirming the arrest, Punjab Police asked people to maintain peace and not spread fake news. "Amritpal Singh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by Punjab Police. Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share," police tweeted. #AmritpalSingh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share. Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 23, 2023 The killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh while in the custody of the police was shameful and it was doubtful if people would ever get answers on the incident, former Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said here on Sunday. Atiq and Ashraf were killed in Prayagraj late night on April 15 by three men posing as journalists when police personnel were taking them to a hospital for a health check-up. They had been arrested for the February 24 murder of Umesh Pal, the key witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal. "What was the emergency that both of them had to be taken handcuffed for a medical check up so late at night, that too on foot? How did the media know about the hospital visit? If the three accused did not know each other, how come they reached there at the same time? There are questions that are being raised," Sibal said. Talking to media at the Indore Press Club, Sibal said, "It is doubtful the public will ever get answers to these questions. The most shameful thing is some people are gloating and celebrating this killing as if they have no need for the law." He also said the three youth accused of shooting dead Atiq and Ashraf hailed from poor families and are not educated much, which showed that those not getting education or employment could act in this manner. Slamming the Narendra Modi government, Sibal said institutions like the Parliament and Election Commission as well as universities have been "captured" by the ruling dispensation. Also Read Atiq Ahmad, brother shot dead in Prayagraj by assailants, 3 arrested Atiq's aide Abdul Kavi surrenders before Lucknow court over murder case Killing of Atiq Ahmad as heinous as Umesh Pal murder case: Mayawati Killing of Atiq Ahmad as heinous as Umesh Pal murder, says Mayawati Death by 'encounter': The rise of 'penal populism' Eye on CSR-I: Listed govt firms contributed Rs 2,900 crore to PM CARES BJP 2019 report card: 50% arithmetic and 100% chemistry, shows data Per capita income gap between Karnataka's richest, poorest districts widens Investors must take advantage of biz-friendly environment in J&K: LG Sinha Study claims childhood trauma can lead to develop type 2 diabetes later He said the Enforcement Directorate was being used against the opposition but the probe agency was not touching a single Bharatiya Janata Party leader. Sibal, in reply to a query, said he may not be in the Congress anymore but he still considered himself a Congressman as he can never leave the ideology of the party, though he ruled out the possibility of a return to its fold. "I had made a statement a year ago that I will not join any party, and not the BJP even at the time of my death," he claimed. The Centre has planned to make Chennai the hub for cruise tourism on the East Coast, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said here on Sunday. For the first time in the history of Chennai Port, a continuous cruise service was operated from June to September 2022, he said. Sonowal was here to review the performance of the Chennai Port Trust and its subsidiary Kamarajar Port Ltd along with senior officials including the chairperson of the Ports, Sunil Paliwal. "We are going to make Chennai Port a hub of cruise tourism in the East Coast." Sonowal told reporters. Chennai Port and Cordelia Cruises signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2022 to boost cruise tourism, he recalled. Sonowal said 87,000 passengers from 37 cruise tourism operators visited Chennai Port in the past few years. Later, responding to a query, Paliwal said container ferry services between Chennai and Puducherry had commenced in a small way with containers being the main cargo. Also Read Govt has pipeline of 44 port projects worth Rs 22,900 cr till 2025: Sonowal India's major ports handled highest ever cargo at 795 million tonne in FY23 Adani Ports ends FY23 with 9% growth, largest port cargo volume ever Centre to set up floating jetty on northern bank of Brahmaputra: Sonowal China's Huawei Technologies looks to ports, factories to rebuild sales Patnaik inaugurates several projects as Odisha celebrates 'Akshay Tritiya' Third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting to be held in Srinagar on May 22-24 Farooq Abdullah's remarks on Poonch terror attack unacceptable: BJP NSDC displays transformative skill development at G20 exhibition in Odisha Bar Council passes resolution opposing same-sex marriage legalisation On On launching passenger ferry services between Chennai Port and Puducherry, he said, "This will be a tourist ferry as travelling from Chennai to Puducherry is much faster by road. But a tourist ferry between the two cities will be more of a pleasure. Already we are talking to a few companies. Sonowal, referring to the Chennai-Maduravoyal elevated corridor project, said it was expected to be awarded in June 2023. The project has been revived by the union government for alleviating traffic congestion at Chennai Port. The National Highways Authority of India, Chennai Port, Government of Tamil Nadu and the Indian Navy were working in close coordination for making the project into a reality, he said. Earlier in the day, Sonowal reviewed the functioning of the National Institute of Siddha and Central Council for Research in Siddha and inaugurated a Siddha herbal plant and millets expo in the city. With the second phase of the caste based census underway in Bihar, the people of the state are starting to analyse its positives and negatives. The 'intellectual community' believes that it has some loopholes like the sub-castes in the Extremely Backward Class (EBC), Other Backward Castes (OBC), Dalit and Muslim communities will be counted but there is no provision to count sub-castes in upper castes. It has created suspicions in the minds of the people about the intentions of the state government, or this loophole being used for political purposes. Ashok Kumar, a Patna based private teacher, told IANS: "The state government is well aware that MLAs, MLCs and MPs of upper castes cannot advocate for their castes in Bihar. They believe that if they talk in the interest of upper caste people, their vote banks of lower castes may slip away from them and they might lose the election." "Two to three upper caste MLAs and MPs are in the RJD, BJP, JD-U, Congress, HAM and others but they are not vocal about the interests of their castes. On the other hand, Dalit and minority leaders talk in the interest of their castes. This is the reason why the state government is counting castes and sub-castes of EBC, OBC and the minorities but not in the upper castes. The leaders at the panchayat or block level may talk for the interest of their castes but in the rank of MLA, MLC and MP they cannot dare to do that. They are looking at their personal and party interests," Kumar said. "I am connected to the Bhumihar Ekta Manch Whatsapp group where a number of BJP leaders are also present. The BJP has decided to celebrate Babu Veer Kunwar Singh birth anniversary on April 23 which is okay but I have pointed out to celebrate Parsuram Jayanti as well on 22 but no one reacted to it," Kumar said. Also Read ED questions Lalu Prasad's daughter Chanda Yadav in land-for-jobs case No more Deputy CM, new faces likely from RJD, Congress: Nitish Kumar Yet another jumla: Sibal slams Shah over no riots under BJP rule remark RJD MLA's remark against Bihar CM unacceptable, says Tejashwi Yadav Bihar by-polls: BJP's Kusum Devi wins Gopalganj with over 2000 votes Ashok Gehlot's silence on Rahul's caste census demand raises eyebrows PM Modi lauds installation of 254 4G mobile towers in Arunachal Pradesh PM Modi to dedicate nation's first water metro during Kerala visit MoRTH plans to raise Rs 35,000 cr through asset monetisation in FY23 Govt likely to announce retail trade policy, accident insurance scheme soon No one knows the actual numbers of castes but there is a general perception in Bihar that the numbers of EBC, OBC and minority communities are much higher than upper castes like Bhumihar, Brahmins, Rajput and Kayasth. The BJP has traditional voters belonging to the upper castes while Nitish Kumar is an undisputed leader of the Lav-Kush community and Lalu Prasad Yadav is a leader of Muslim-Yadav and other lower castes. Jitan Ram Manjhi is a leader of Mahadalits and Chirag Paswan is a leader of the Dalit community. However, the caste based census has lots of positives as well. Dr Vijay Kishore, a Patna based economist said: "After the completion of caste based census, we would earmark the backwardness of a particular caste and community. Following that, the state and central governments are running many welfare programmes in the interest of EBC, OBC and minority communities. There is no political interest involved which I also believe will benefit the common people on the social, financial and political fronts." The first phase of the caste based census was completed in March this year where every house had a unique house code. The second phase kicked off from April 15 and will end in one month. In the second phase, Bihar government employees will go to every house and ask 17 questions printed on one sheet. The same will also be uploaded digitally as well so that anyone can access it from the internet. The employees will ask the name of the family head, his/her father's name, age, sex, marital status, religion, caste, sub-caste (In case of EBC, OBC, minority) followed by code, educational qualification, profession, residential status (Staying in own house or rent), temporary migration status, owning computer, laptop, motor vehicles, agriculture land, residential land and income from all sources. Patna district magistrate and nodal officer of the caste based census in the district Dr Chandrashekher Singh said: "It is taking half an hour to collect the information on one family in physical and digital modes. We are also contacting people who are living abroad. We are asking their profession, tenure, castes, financial status with country code through video calling. Everything is going in a smooth manner." Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said: "The report will be tabled in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad followed by it being sent to the Centre. The detailed report of the caste based census will be put in the public domain as well. It will not only give the caste status of a particular person but also its financial status. It will help to make policies followed by the development of the people and eventually the state." "It is the responsibility of the Centre to conduct a census in the country. I am surprised that it has not happened in the last 12 to 13 years. The past governments were organising it every 10 years." --IANS ajk/bg Former Punjab chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal continues to be in intensive care at a private hospital with doctors closely monitoring his health condition. The 95-year-old Badal was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Mohali a week ago after he complained of uneasiness while breathing. In a medical bulletin issued on Sunday evening, the private hospital said, "Parkash Singh Badal continues to be under close observation in the medical ICU (Intensive Care Unit)." In a bulletin on the veteran leader's condition on Saturday, the hospital had said, "In view of the criticality of Parkash Singh Badal's health, he continues to be closely monitored in the medical ICU." Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have enquired about his health and prayed for his speedy recovery. The five-time former chief minister was hospitalised last June following complaints related to gastritis and bronchial asthma. In February 2022, he was taken to a private hospital in Mohali for a post-Covid health examination during which he underwent cardiac and pulmonary check-ups. He tested positive for COVID-19 in January last year and was admitted to a hospital in Ludhiana. Also Read Hospitals across India hold mock drills to verify Covid readiness Punjab's ex-FM Manpreet Singh Badal joins BJP soon after quitting Congress SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal in ICU, being closely monitored: Hospital Faridkot court grants anticipatory bail to ex-Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal Sukhbir Badal writes to PM, seeks repeal of repressive laws like NSA, UAPA Atiq murder shameful, doubt if people will get answers on incident: Sibal Eye on CSR-I: Listed govt firms contributed Rs 2,900 crore to PM CARES BJP 2019 report card: 50% arithmetic and 100% chemistry, shows data Per capita income gap between Karnataka's richest, poorest districts widens Investors must take advantage of biz-friendly environment in J&K: LG Sinha Transition has been the watchword in the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2021, the year it asked then chief minister and Lingayat leader B S Yediyurappa to make way for Basavaraj Bommai.Indeed, the advancing age of many veterans in the state, the only one in the south that it has administered by itself, has been a source of anxiety for some time.The next big step in the transition was to be the elections to the 224 seats in the Assembly, scheduled to be held on May 10. Towards this end, the party, which seeks to retain power, decided to replace many incumbent members of the Assembly, also to counter some of the ill will the Bommai-led government had garnered because of allegations of corruption.However, the partys decision to replace 25 out of its 120 MLAs has caused uproar in the state, with some like former chief minister and six-time BJP MLA Jagadish Shettar deciding to switch allegiances he will contest as the Congress candidate from the Hubli-Dharwad (Central) seat.The partys decision on candidates has come as a jolt not just to those who missed out who, with the exception of Yediyurappa, were not informed of the change before it was announced but also to leaders in the local unit of the party.A senior leader in the state unit said the local arm was surprised less by the exclusions than by the protests that followed, especially since the names were decided by the central leadership of the party, a fact, he said, that should have ensured acceptance.A minister in the Bommai Cabinet told Business Standard the party had spoken about laying down the rule in terms of not fielding legislators tainted by allegations of corruption and who had turned 75, and favouring leaders who had risen up the ranks. But it had been forced to compromise on all these counts, which, he said, sparked the rebellion.For instance, the party chose to placate Yediyurappa by choosing his son to fight in the seat he vacated in his stead. Similar was the case of Arvind Limbavali, whose wife was picked instead of him. In two other seats, where the incumbent MLAs had passed away, the party chose their family members. But no such consideration was shown to Shettar and others. On the 75-year rule, the minister said, G H Thippareddy had been picked in the Chitradurga seat, though he was set to turn 76 this year.Meanwhile, though the party said it would reward people who had worked their way up the organisation, it decided to stick with those who had switched from the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) in 2019 and helped the BJP return to power.The first leader quoted above said this was perhaps most damaging in the northern Belagavi district, where the party had decided against fielding former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi and chose the sitting MLA, who had shifted from the Congress. But, said the leader, elsewhere the party had made the transition from a position of strength. For instance, in Udupi, a coastal district, where the party had won all five seats in 2018, it decided to replace four incumbents it picked Yashpal Suvarna, who was at the centre of a controversy after some students were stopped from wearing the hijab in classrooms.What did not feature in these calculations was the possibility of rebellion, the minister quoted above explained. He said it did not help that in some cases the state and national-level leaders were at odds, for instance on the decision to drop Shettar, whose name the local unit had recommended.In many cases, those who lost out on tickets, including Shettar, have directed their ire at B L Santhosh, BJP national general secretary (organisation).The minister said it had become difficult to placate local leaders and party workers. Perhaps the party could have held discussions with those it sought to retire before the lists were announced, he said.But, the BJP is hopeful it can win back some of the disgruntled leaders because party- hopping before an election is not a new phenomenon. All three parties the BJP, Congress, and Janata Dal (Secular) witness switches. But it is not often that senior leaders like Shettar do so.A start was made on Friday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Eshwarappa in a bid to placate him.The two leaders who spoke to Business Standard said the situation would improve once Modi started touring the state. It is now all about managing the booth level, the minister said. The Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission (HPPERC) waived 50 per cent of the fine imposed against four private universities, the commission has revealed responding to an RTI application. The four universities were earlier punished with the fines for irregularities, malpractices, and not following the norms laid down by the HPPERC. In a complaint to the state Chief Minister, social activist Ajay Kumar alleged that imposing the fine was just a "publicity stunt," as the regulatory body had no intention to see through the reprimand, and rolled back its own order silently without informing anyone. Kumar said that the HPPERC Chairman had released a press statement about imposition of the fine and also uploaded the orders on the website of the commission. But when it came to the waiver, the commission implemented it without informing the complainant and also failed to upload the waiver decision on the commission website, he said. According to the information, the commission had imposed a fine of Rs 11 lakh on IEC University on June 10, 2021, Rs 3 lakh on Indus International University on December 4, 2021, Rs 2.5 lakh penalty on Arni University on September 15, 2021, and Rs 3.5 lakh on Sri Sai University on April 7, 2021 and August 11, 2021. Also Read Himachal polls: Counting of votes to begin at 8 am; BJP eyes new record Ranji Trophy: Bad light costs TN yet again; Sai rues conceding late runs Fine of nearly Rs 34 lakh imposed on NCFSC group of institution: Officials J P Nadda begins whirlwind tour of Himachal for pro-incumbency votes Bollywood actor, director Satish Kaushik passes away at the age of 66 Zilingo co-founder files $100 mn lawsuit against investor Mahesh Murthy Security beefed up in Dibrugarh as Amritpal Singh to be shifted to prison MP govt puts complete ban on plastic in Bhopal's Van Vihar National Park India jumps 6 places on World Bank's Logistic Performance Index, ranks 38 Amritpal's arrest result of month-long effort of Punjab Police, govt: AAP According to the commission, fines imposed against all four universities were halved due to COVID 19 pandemic, low student intake, and overall financial condition of the private universities. A fine was imposed on the IEC University for running external self-paced learning courses. Indus International University was penalised for giving fake experience certificates and degrees to its employees, which is not allowed as per UGC guidelines, and usurping SC/ST scholarship of their employees. Arni University was fined on account of delay in giving salaries to 23 of its employees, while Sri Sai University was punished for not refunding the security amount. When contacted, HPPERC Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Atul Kaushik said half of the total fine was waived on the plea of the universities in which they submitted that their financial condition was not good due to low student intake caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. Fees of some students were also waived by a few universities, he said, however, the claim could not be supported by the commission with any paperwork, according to the RTI. Mobile internet service remained suspended in parts of Bharatpur as members of the Mali community continued to block the Jaipur-Agra National Highway here for the third consecutive day demanding a separate 12 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. On Sunday, a large number of demonstrators started gathering at the protest site and demanded the release of their leader Murari Lal Saini, who along with six other people was detained ahead of the agitation, police said. President of Phule Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti CP Saini said if the state government fails to fulfil their demands, they will block the Jaipur-Delhi highway. We can also do a 'Chakka Jam' in the entire state, he said. Mali community comes under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also belongs to the same community. On Friday, the protesters blocked the key Jaipur-Agra National Highway in Bharatpur and pelted stones at police personnel who retaliated by firing tear gas shells to control the mob. Also Read Jyotirao Phule Jayanti: Lesser known facts about this social activist Bypolls: Voting underway in Mainpuri, 6 assembly constituencies in 5 states Puja stuck amid politics of 2 parties, says Delhi Chhath Puja Samiti Prez Jaipur to get India's 2nd largest cricket stadium named after Anil Agarwal As Rajasthan prepares for elections, caste-based groups want representation Was in regular touch with officials: Punjab CM Mann on Amritpal arrest Nothing has been done so far to resolve our issues: Wrestler Bajrang Punia Amul-Nandini was made emotional issue due to polls, says FM Sitharaman FinMin working with MeitY, RBI to clamp down on ponzi apps: FM Sitharaman President Droupadi Murmu to visit Haryana's Karnal, Hisar on Monday Bharatpur Divisional Commissioner Sanwarmal Verma said, "The situation is under control. We are closely monitoring the situation. Talks are being held with the community representatives." He said mobile internet service has been further extended till midnight in Vair, Nadbai and Bhusawar, which is likely to be extended further. The police have put up barricades on the national highway in Ballabgarh, Halaina, Vair, Aronda, and Ramaspur villages. The community is demanding a 12 per cent reservation, the formation of a separate Luv Kush Welfare Board and hostel facilities for the children of the community among others. The Congress-led state government had recently formed the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Welfare Board and declared the social reformer's birthday as a state holiday on April 19. The community carried out a similar protest in June 2022, which was pacified after assurances. Underscoring the important role of private sector in the growth of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday asked potential investors to take advantage of the business-friendly environment developed for the industries in the union territory. The LG said that two lakh MSME units have been registered in J&K since 2020 and 38,000 micro and small enterprises are run by women. "J&K is emerging as a vibrant, fastest growing and most attractive investment destination. Today, the world is recognizing the all-round transformation taking place in Jammu Kashmir. "Renowned companies from across the country and abroad are looking forward to investing here. I welcome Industry leaders to be part of this journey, Sinha said addressing the 'north zone MSME conclave & investors meet' organised by Laghu Udyog Bharati here. He said that industrial development in J&K aims to create a more inclusive, creative and sustainable society. "The UT will play an important role as the new engine of India's growth in the future. New Industrial Scheme focuses on enabling the environment to create jobs and increase productivity," he added. Also Read Those supporting terror ecosystem will face action: J&K L-G Manoj Sinha No change in reservation status of Gujjars, Bakerwals, say J-K LG Sinha LG Sinha invites leaders from UAE to become partner in J-K's development Govt has firm resolve to address complaints in time-bound manner: L-G Sinha G20 Summit: Chair of Women-20 India Purecha calls on J-K LG Manoj Sinha Eye on CSR-I: Listed govt firms contributed Rs 2,900 crore to PM CARES BJP 2019 report card: 50% arithmetic and 100% chemistry, shows data Per capita income gap between Karnataka's richest, poorest districts widens Study claims childhood trauma can lead to develop type 2 diabetes later Delhi logs 948 fresh Covid-19 cases, two deaths, positivity rate of 25.69% Since the launch of Udyam Registration portal in 2020, two lakh MSME units have been registered in J&K, he said. "As many as 38,000 micro and small enterprises are run by women. In the last financial year, 18,000 women-owned enterprises were provided assistance of more than Rs 500 crore under the credit guarantee scheme", the Lt Governor said. Speaking on the effective measures taken in order to promote MSMEs, the Lt Governor said, 25 per cent procurements from MSMEs have been made mandatory for the government departments and public sector undertakings and local filters have also been made operational on GeM platform. On the progress registered to boost the MSME sector, the Lt Governor said, under PMEGP, an unprecedented 21,640 manufacturing and service units were established in 2021-22. "As many as 42 industrial estates will be set up in Jammu Kashmir in the next few years and out of these 34 industrial estates will be focused on MSMEs", noted the Lt Governor. LG said that all 20 districts are being developed as export hubs and emphasis has been laid on the promotion of products which will boost MSMEs' growth, he added. "There is immense potential for MSMEs in the field of Integrated Processing Facility, Mega Food Park and Cold Chain Logistics. The Holistic Agriculture & Allied Sector Development Plan worth Rs 5,013 crore will boost the growth of MSMEs in J&K UT," observed the Lt Governor. The Lt Governor highlighted the efforts for reforms and strengthening of the industrial ecosystem. "After 5th August 2019, fear-free, corruption-free administration has become an integral part of our work culture. A record 1.88 crore tourists visited Jammu Kashmir last year", he said. LG further said that the first foreign direct investment in J&K has also taken shape with the groundbreaking ceremony of Emaar Mall at Srinagar. IT towers are also coming up in Jammu and Srinagar, he further said. "Today, Jammu and Kashmir offers vast resources with better incentives, better return on Investment, land for setting up industries & business ventures, skilled labor, technical support, improved connectivity, national & international air cargo facility, raw material, cheapest electricity, lowest crime rate, single window clearance and ease of Doing business", observed the Lt Governor. The work done for industrial development of J&K is clearly visible. In the last two years, Jammu Kashmir has received 5,372 investment proposals worth Rs 70,000 crore, he said. Proposals worth Rs 24,000 crore from more than 1,800 companies have been approved, he added. Implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in many parts of Meghalaya is facing hurdles due to drying up of water sources in the northeastern state, PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak said on Sunday. Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide potable water at every doorstep in the country by 2024. I have received reports that there are Jal Jeevan Mission projects that are already completed by the department but because of drying up of the water sources, there is no water at intake points, the minister told PTI. Protection and potential retention of water catchment areas, projects for improving water conservation, and construction of check dams for maintaining water table levels are some of the measures which can help tackle the problem, the minister said. Temperatures have risen by about six degrees Celsius in most areas in the plains while there has been a deviation of about three to four degrees Celsius in the higher altitudes affecting normal life. Marak said the State government has taken steps to improve water conservation through projects funded by the Asian Development Bank. Also Read Meghalaya assembly polls: A look at key contests between candidates Meghalaya polls: Around 19,000 personnel, polling staff deployed on duty Meghalaya polls: Songs, music to motivate voters for Feb 27 election Meghalaya launches shared school bus system, prime tourism vehicles schemes NPP chief Conrad Sangma likely to take oath as Meghalaya CM on Tuesday Was in regular touch with officials: Punjab CM Mann on Amritpal arrest India needs to nurture knowledge of Vedas, says RSS chief Bhagwat Internet ban in Bharatpur as Mali community continue protest for 12% quota Nothing has been done so far to resolve our issues: Wrestler Bajrang Punia Amul-Nandini was made emotional issue due to polls, says FM Sitharaman We are trying to construct check dams and reservoirs so that we can maintain the water table levels, he stated. The minister also said the problem of water shortage has surfaced across the state due to breakdowns and shutdowns of supply lines. The department, he said, is trying to solve the issues at the earliest. The minister expressed optimism that the water crisis will lessen with the onset of monsoon. Urging citizens to take up rainwater harvesting individually, the minister said People constructing a house should invest in a rainwater harvesting unit. This will be very beneficial for the family and I appeal to each one to try to be part of the solution. A senior PHE official told PTI, Meghalaya has been able to provide tap water connections to over 2.82 lakh households (44.45 per cent) as of January 2023, compared to 4,550 households (0.72 per cent earlier). Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma informed the Assembly in the last budget session that the Central government has assured the state of allocating Rs 3,700 crore in 2023-24 for the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Meghalaya. Kerala police on Sunday arrested a man who allegedly sent 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. Kochi resident Xavier, who runs a business in the city, was arrested by police for allegedly writing the threatening letter in the name of another person. "We have arrested the man after probing the matter in a scientific manner. This was part of a personal vendetta. He wanted the person mentioned in the letter to be arrested," City Police Commissioner K Sethu Raman told PTI. The letter in Malayalam, written in the name of Kochi resident N J Johny, was received at the office of BJP state president K Surendran who in turn handed it over to the police last week. The news of the letter came out on Saturday after a report by ADGP (Intelligence) was telecast in the media. After the news was out, Surendran met the media and said he had handed over the threatening 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 a suicide bomber," the intelligence report read. Also Read PM Modi invites people to share inputs for 2022's last Mann Ki Baat Scribe booked for cheating with claim to publish PM's Mann Ki Baat speeches India has become 5th largest economy in 2022: PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat PM Narendra Modi to address 95th edition of 'Mann Ki Baat' today PM Modi remembers 'Lata Didi', Ustad Bismillah Khan during 'Mann Ki Baat' Nearly 50,000 km of national highways added in 9 years, shows govt data Amritpal Singh reaches Assam's Dibrugarh airport, to be taken to jail Vivo expects X90 'Made in India' series to spur premium segment growth Regulating crypto without global consensus will not be effective: FM Haryana CM to increase monthly pension for state-based field journalists Johny had yesterday met the media and claimed that he was innocent. "Police have questioned me. I have given them all the details. They cross-checked the handwriting and everything," he said. His family told the police said they suspected another person from the locality, who had some issues with them over some matter related to a church. Police said Xavier had some personal disagreements with Johny and wrote the letter to trap him. Meanwhile, Commissioner Sethu Raman said 2,060 police personnel had been deployed in Kochi city as part of the security arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit. He also said that around 20,000 participants are expect to take part in the PM's road show. Congress will get 150 seats in Karnataka (out of total 224), while 40 per cent BJP government will get only 40 seats, said Rahul Gandhi in his road show. BJP government in Karnataka is the most corrupt in the country, he further added. Amritpal Singh, fugitive preacher who has been on the run since March 18, today surrendered before Punjab police in Moga, reports NDTV citing sources. He has been detained by the police. Amritpal Singh, who the government describes as a Khalistani-Pakistan agent, has been active in Punjab for the past few years and is often seen escorted by armed supporters. He claims to be a follower of the Khalistani separatist and terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and is known as "Bhindranwale 2.0" among his supporters. Amritpal Singh is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam, according to Punjab Police sources. ...Read More The Met department on Sunday warned of thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds in Assam and its neighbouring areas over the next two days. As per the forecast released by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), a cyclonic circulation is lying over east Assam and neighbourhood between 1.5 km and 2.1 km above mean sea level. Issuing a yellow' category warning for two days, it said thunderstorm with lightning accompanied by gusty wind reaching speed up to 30-40 kmph is very likely to occur at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on Sunday. The IMD uses four colour codes - green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action) - for weather warning. Thunderstorm with lightning is also very likely at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, while isolated places of Meghalaya are very likely to receive heavy rains during the same period. The RMC has also warned of thunderstorm with lightning to occur very likely at isolated places over all seven North Eastern states. Also Read Dark clouds, gloomy weather in Delhi; thunderstorms with hail predicted Unseasonal rain in Mumbai; IMD says highest precipitation so far in April Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms lash parts of Delhi-NCR; traffic woes likely Mississippi tornadoes kill 23 people, destroy buildings overnight IMD predicts light to moderate rain within next 3 hours in parts of Chennai Jal Jeevan Mission facing hurdles in Meghalaya due to drying up of water Was in regular touch with officials: Punjab CM Mann on Amritpal arrest India needs to nurture knowledge of Vedas, says RSS chief Bhagwat Internet ban in Bharatpur as Mali community continue protest for 12% quota Nothing has been done so far to resolve our issues: Wrestler Bajrang Punia Meanwhile, Tinsukia deputy commissioner Swapneel Paul said two persons were killed in a hailstorm that lashed the district on Saturday night. "We have arranged for the ex-gratia cheques of Rs 4 lakh each to be paid to the families of the two victims by today itself," he said. He said assessment of damages of houses and other property was being done, and rehabilitation grant will be provided once it is completed. Paul said major damage has been caused to the Rupai-Tinsukia grid line, where nine towers have been severely damaged. "Special expertise is needed to restore this as it's the main grid line. Two teams from Guwahati are coming. It is difficult to give a timeframe for when the restoration will be completed," he added. He said 60-70 per cent electricity poles and wires in Tinsukia town have also been damaged and work to restore power in the town by tonight is going on in full swing. The main roads that were blocked by uprooted trees on Saturday night were cleared by morning by five teams deployed for the purpose and traffic movement has not been hindered, the DC added. "We have activated two helpline phone numbers. Traffic movement has not been affected and medical teams are also in place. I urge people not to panic and contact us for any assistance," Paul said. Amid the ongoing debate over whether 'same-sex' marriages should be legitimised or not in a multi-cultural country like India, the Madhya Pradesh government has submitted its views before the Centre. The Union Law Ministry, on April 18, sought response from state governments over the issue, to which BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government has submitted its response. Madhya Pradesh Advocate General Prashant Singh talking to IANS on Friday said, "We have filed our interventions with the Centre." In it's letter to the states, the Union Law Ministry said: "It may be noted that the subject of marrige pertains to Entry 5 in the concurrent list of the Constitution of India. Moreover, any decision on this matter requires an assessment of the ramifications on existing social customs, practices, values, norms, mores, State Rules and such like that may be prevalent in different sections of the society. It is important that a composit and cohesive view is presented before the Court incorporating the views of all state governments for effective adjudication." The Advocate General, however, did not say much about state's views on this heated subject maintaing the secrecy, but it is most likely that the Madhya Pradesh government led by the BJP will stand with its central leadership, which is vehemently against the idea of same-sex marriage. "There is no question about going against the Centre's decision. Madhya Pradesh would maintain what the Centre has already submitted before the Supreme Court," said Rajneesh Agrawal, a senior functionary in the state BJP unit. Meanwhile, as the Supreme Court hearing a series of petitions in the land mark case filed by 18 LGBTQ+ couples including three who are raising children together, seeking marriage equality in the country and even refused to accept Centre's appeal on some ground, a perception is taking shape within the state BJP unit that Chief Justice (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud has been "deliberately interfering in legislative jurisdiction". Also Read Cong seeks to bolster hold on key MP region; BJP launches counter campaign BJP CEC meeting today to finalise candidates for Karnataka Assembly polls Having attained national party status, AAP to go full throttle for 2024 Justice DY Chandrachud takes oath as the 50th Chief Justice of India Legal crisis erupts in Bengal over slander campaign against HC judge India's crude steel output grows 4% to over 125 MT in FY23: SteelMint 354 infra projects show cost overruns of Rs 4.55 trn, 821 projects delayed Here's a list of do's and don'ts to protect, treat yourself from heatwave NRRI submits proposals to CVRC for identification of 10 new rice varieties GST officers use data analytics to identify missing link in supply chain Around half a dozen of leaders in Madhya Pradesh BJP shared their views with IANS; they all believe that the CJI has "widely differing views" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "He (CJI) is trying to change the law of nature about male and female," a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity. Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said that conceptually it won't be easy to accept it as different people have their different opinion on this subject, but, "I would be happy if it (same-sex marriage) would be legitimised... As a human being we can't object it. Because it's thier life." The Supreme Court on Thursday said it could follow the example of a landmark verdict of the UK top court and constructively interpret the Special Marriage Act to give same-sex couples the rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples as members of the LGBTQIA+ community were already living in stable, marriage-like relationships since 2018 after the decriminalisation of homosexuality. If the Supreme Court rules in favour of same-sex marriage, this could be the first significant step towards the protection of LGBTQ+ rights since the court's landmark decision in 2018 to read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. --IANS pd/sha Transformative initiatives in skill development, higher education and international employment opportunities are the focus of the National Skill Development Corporation's stall at the "Future of Work" exhibition here ahead of the third G20 Education Working Group meeting. The design of the stall, themed "Future of Us", has been conceptualised to cater to target audiences from diverse backgrounds and age groups, presenting the benefits of the National Skill Development Corporation's (NSDC) initiatives through a human narrative. "India's youth need to be prepared for the future of work as technologies disrupt the labour market. Mobile technology, global connectivity and the Internet offer us a chance to consider global needs. It is essential that we work together to make this opportunity a reality for India's youth," NSDC CEO Ved Mani Tiwari said. "The 'Future of Us' stall at the G20 'Future of Work' exhibition aims to showcase the significant strides the NSDC has made in preparing India's workforce through skilling, re-skilling, up-skilling and multi-skilling. "With its comprehensive course offerings, innovative digital platforms and international employment support, NSDC is empowering India's talent to succeed in the rapidly evolving job market," he added. Among the initiatives highlighted at the exhibition are NSDC Academy, Skill India Digital and NSDC International. Also Read Crisis in multilateralism affecting developing nations most: PM at G20 meet Urban Company ties up with NSDC to train and certify new employees G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting: Guests welcomed with dance performance G20 foreign ministers' meeting today: Schedule, agenda, other details here Odisha writes to Centre seeking release of pending food subsidy to state Third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting to be held in Srinagar on May 22-24 Farooq Abdullah's remarks on Poonch terror attack unacceptable: BJP Bar Council passes resolution opposing same-sex marriage legalisation DGCA orders probe as official dies by helicopter rotor blades in Kedarnath Medical colleges in Himachal to get world-class facilities: CM Sukhu While NSDC Academy is a comprehensive platform that offers a wide range of courses, end-to-end placement preparation, mentoring by industry experts and easy student loans, Skill India Digital is a citizen-centric platform that serves as the country's primary source for skilling, employment, education and entrepreneurship. "NSDC International, dedicated to making India the skill capital of the world, offers specialised training programmes, job placement assistance, visa support, passport assistance, funding support and post-placement support for individuals seeking international employment opportunities," Tiwari said. The Rajasthan government is planning to develop 23 old airstrips on a public-private partnership mode where chartered and smaller flights can land, Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh said here on Sunday. Addressing the G20 Tourism Expo in Jaipur, he also exhorted all participants to go back as "ambassadors of Rajasthan tourism". "Under the guidance and leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, we are planning to put out 23 old airstrips on a PPT (public-private partnership mode) where chartered flights linkage can be provided directly," Singh said. Singh also holds the portfolio of civil aviation in the state cabinet. Citing an example of Kishangarh airport, he said that after the operationalisation of flights to this airport, a lot of crowd has got diverted from the main airport. So, people going to Ajmer or those going for 'ziyarat' are going through Kishangarh airport, the minister said. Also Read Suzuki Motorcycle ties up with Standard Chartered to give funds to dealers PM Modi extends birthday greetings to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla 80% MLAs are with Sachin Pilot: Rajasthan minister Rajendra Singh Gudha India should target $350 bn exports through e-commerce by 2030: GTRI Looking into financial disclosures of Byju's: ICAI head Debashis Mitra MeT issues 'Yellow' warning for thunderstorm in Assam, neighbouring states Jal Jeevan Mission facing hurdles in Meghalaya due to drying up of water AAP govt committed to peace in Punjab: Kejriwal after Amritpal's arrest Was in regular touch with officials: Punjab CM Mann on Amritpal arrest India needs to nurture knowledge of Vedas, says RSS chief Bhagwat When asked about the status of this plan, he said that it was "in the pipeline and, soon, it will be done". "We plan to give these airstrips on a PPP mode, so investment will be from the private sector. And, we (state) will take a certain percentage of the landing and taking off charges. So, it will enhance connectivity," Singh told PTI. Asked if these 23 airstrips have been identified, he said that they are all existing ones, including those from the colonial era or those made by former rulers. In response to another inquiry, he said, the arrangement should be such that chartered flights and smaller flights can land at these airstrips. The G20 Tourism Expo is being held here by the Ministry of Tourism in association with the Rajasthan tourism department and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). In his address, the tourism minister, also said that "tourism" does not belong to any party whether Congress or the BJP and urged that whenever any fund is to come from the Centre to the state, it should be speedily released. Singh said that the new Rajasthan rural tourism scheme, approved a few months ago, has many elements which "a lot of states want to copy". The Rajasthan Cabinet in November approved the Rajasthan Rural Tourism Scheme, 2022, to boost rural tourism and generate employment. This scheme will create employment opportunities in the villages and protect the handicrafts industry by establishing rural guest houses, agricultural tourism units, camping sites and caravan parks. At the same time, the scheme will acquaint domestic and foreign tourists with Rajasthan's rural culture. "This rural tourism policy will generate a lot of employment, put focus on our folklore, rural landscape, wildlife, cultural and heritage sites there, and religious sites, beyond the oft-talked about sites," Singh said. The event was also attended by delegates from G20 member countries like -- Italy, Turkiye, Australia, and Germany. The Ambassador of South Korea to India, Chang Jae-bok, was also present on the occasion. G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant was also scheduled to attend the event, but could not make it, a senior official said. The G20 Tourism Expo is being organised simultaneously with the 12th edition of the Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB). GITB, one of the biggest events of inbound tourism in India, is co-organized by the Ministry of Tourism along with the Department of Tourism, the government of Rajasthan and FICCI. It will take place on Sunday evening. Being held after a gap of three years, GITB will witness over 11,000 B2B meetings of 283 tour operators from 56 countries, including over 150 from G20 countries, with the representatives of tourism boards from 11 states namely Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, apart from Rajasthan along with more than 290 Indian exhibitors, organisers said. The third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held in Srinagar from May 22 to 24, a move which will help in boosting tourist footfalls in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh said on Sunday. Addressing a G20 Tourism Expo held at a luxury heritage hotel in Jaipur, he said that under India's G20 presidency, the tourism sector is providing an "unparalleled opportunity" to highlight the country's tourism offerings and share its success stories on the global stage. Of the over 200 events to be held across the country during the presidency, more than 100 have taken place already, the Union tourism secretary said. "Two Tourism Working Group (TWG) meetings of the G20 have already taken place in Bhuj and Siliguri, and now the third will take place in Srinagar on May 22-24," he said. "A team from the Tourism Ministry and the G20 secretariat is currently in J-K to assess the preparedness that will be needed to host the event in May," he told PTI on the sidelines of the expo. This will be the first major international event to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Also Read G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting: Guests welcomed with dance performance G20 foreign ministers' meeting today: Schedule, agenda, other details here Crisis in multilateralism affecting developing nations most: PM at G20 meet G20 meet will help India maximise its potential in tourism sector: Minister LIVE: Blinken asks for 'contact' with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Farooq Abdullah's remarks on Poonch terror attack unacceptable: BJP Bar Council passes resolution opposing same-sex marriage legalisation DGCA orders probe as official dies by helicopter rotor blades in Kedarnath Medical colleges in Himachal to get world-class facilities: CM Sukhu India will become third largest economy in world by 2030: VP Dhankhar About 100 international delegates and 50-100 Indian members will take part in the meeting. "In Srinagar, delegates will be taken on shikara ride in Dal Lake, and they will also be treated to cultural programmes at Sher-e-Kashmir Convention Centre. Later, they will go to Gulmarg where they will take gondola ride," Singh said. In Gulmarg, there will be a technical session on promotion of film tourism, he added. Representatives of various states, film industry, producers and others will be there and those from states will share their film tourism policies, the secretary said. Earlier in his address, Singh said that during India's G20 presidency, the Ministry of Tourism has planned to organise a number of events engaging not only government-level stakeholders but also the travel, tourism and hospitality sector. The whole world is experiencing a recovery in the tourism sector after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent study by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the prediction is that the global tourism economy will grow at 5.2 per cent while the overall economy will grow at 2.5 per cent till 2030, he said. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, India has received 6.2 million foreign tourists in 2022, with a growth rate of 307.9 per cent, as compared to 1.52 million in 2021, he said. During its G20 presidency, India has focussed on several key priority areas, including sustainable development, digitalisation, and the promotion of inclusive growth, the secretary said. "We are hopeful that a G20 tourism ministers' conference, due later this year, would focus on sustainable tourism to support environment and create opportunities for local businesses," he said. India plans to promote green tourism, open up to 50 new tourism destinations, and launch a publicity campaign in overseas markets during its presidency of the G20 this year, the top official said. Tourism can be used as a vehicle for promoting awareness about archaeological sites, which can lead to better understanding of cultural heritage of a destination and promotion of economic and social development of local communities, he said. The government is keen to attract global investment into the Indian tourism and hospitality sector along with investments in tourism infrastructure, technology, skill development, startups and more and actively working towards this, the secretary said. Rajasthan Tourism Secretary Gayatri Rathore, in her address at the expo, spoke of the recovery made by the sector and how G20 has given the much-needed impetus. On the heritage tourism front, she said, about 75 per cent of the heritage hotels in India are located in Rajasthan, and many of these properties have been restored and reused attracting tourists. Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist Associations came in support of Dalai Lama alleging China is behind the "ill-spreading" of the video against Dalai Lama to tarnish his image. The Tibetan spiritual leader has apologised following the controversy over his viral video. After the Dalai Lama's video of purportedly kissing a boy went viral, a group of Tibetan leaders and activists from across the globe, expressed their solidarity and support for him. The Himalayan Buddhist Association has also decided to file a defamation suit against those who have spread the video. The Tibetan Buddhist has also sought support from PM Narendra Modi and other world leaders. The legislator of Lahaul-Spiti and President of one of the Buddhist associations said that he has also sought an investigation from the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and the government of India. "I feel that whatever incident has happened, it was misled by the media, I ask the Himachal Pradesh government to form an SIT. We have already made it final to file defamation. For this we shall also take permission from the private office of the His Holiness, we also want the religious opinion and blessing from the His Holiness before moving the defamation suit in the court of law for justice," said Ravi Thakur, a Buddhist leader and Congress MLA. The Buddhist Associations of Tibetan in exile in the Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh are also alleging China's hand behind this attempt to defame the Dalai lama, he said. "We shall write a letter from our Buddhist community to the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh and the prime minister of India to investigate the matter. We will ask all Buddhist communities across the globe to collect support for our Buddhist Teacher. We definitely suspect China is behind this. China is doing this because they want to capture Tibet fully," Thakur added. Also Read US introduces legislation for resolving issues between China and Dalai Lama Row over video: Dalai Lama apologises for 'hurt his words may have caused' Incursions along Indo-Tibet border are by China, says Tibetan Sikyong The Dalai Lama's pursuit of united Tibet Dalai Lama speaks on compassion, wisdom at Global Buddhist Summit 2023 Amritpal Singh surrenders before Punjab police in Moga, detained: Reports Two Punjabs: Contrasting fate of Sikhs on either side of Indo-Pak border LIVE: Amritpal Singh surrenders before Punjab police in Moga, detained Jaishankar calls on Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, discusses cricket, more Himachal reports 103 new Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths; active tally at 1,719 The Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti Buddh Sewa Sangh Shimla, Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti Students Welfare Association Shimla, Indo Tibet Friendship Society Shimla, Bhurat Tibet Samanvya Sangh Shimla Regional Tibetan Women Association and Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Shimla would like to release press statement collectively regarding the recent viral video on His Holiness the 14 Dalai Lama and its misinterpretation. View of the recent viral video that has become an internet sensation where His 14 Dalai Lama is seen kissing a child has grossly been spread. The video was completely tailored and edited to defame His Holiness Dalai Lama, claimed the Buddhist associations in the Press Conference. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will be visiting Japan, Singapore, and the UK on a week-long tour after May 20, to attract investments as a prelude to the Global Investors Summit planned the state on January 10-11 next year. Stalin had earlier visited the middle eastern countries for attracting investments. According to information, the Chief Minister will be meeting entrepreneurs and government officials in his one-week tour of the three countries. The Tamil Nadu government will be making an official announcement after the next cabinet meeting scheduled for May 2. --IANS aal/vd Also Read Tamil Nadu CM's son Udhayanidhi Stalin sworn in as minister in cabinet TN districts start survey on guest workers in state after CM seeks info Oscars 2023: CM Stalin felicitates elephant whisperers Bomman and Bellie Vaiko urges Stalin to fulfil demands of Tamil Nadu's unorganised workers Singapore arrivals two-thirds pre-Covid level as Indian visitors surge 350% Tea planters suffering from shortage, crop loss, falling prices in Tripura Youth programme, meeting church leaders on PM's calendar for Kerala visit Rajeev Bindal appointed Himachal BJP president, replacing Suresh Kashyap DCW seeks FIR details on sexual harassment allegation against WFI president Rajasthan govt plans to develop 23 old airstrips on PPP mode: Tourism Min Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Saturday tweeted "Demographics is destiny" in a reply to a tweet with a list of countries ranked according to their population. India was ranked at top of that list. According to a recent United Nations report, India is set to overtake China to become the worlds most populous country by the middle of 2023. Read more... Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Kerala on Monday for a two-day visit during which he will be attending several programmes, including the flagging off of the Vande Bharat Express train here, a meeting with senior priests of the Christian community and a youth event. The BJP in Kerala is aiming to use the PM's visit as a springboard for its outreach campaign aimed at bringing youth and minorities into its fold. On Monday, after a road show in the port city of Kochi, the PM would be attending a youth programme -- Yuvam 2023 -- there, which the BJP hopes would be a game changer in Kerala politics. However, the most politically significant event would be the Prime Minister's meeting with the church leaders in the evening at Kochi. The meeting comes in the wake of the saffron party's outreach campaign -- Sneha Yatra -- as part of which leaders of the BJP in Kerala visited Christian and Muslim leaders and the homes of people of these minority communities on the festive occasions of Easter and Eid, respectively. According to the BJP, the outreach campaign has received a favourable response as several members from the Christian community joined the party recently and more were allegedly flocking to join it even before the PM's visit. Also Read 'Atonement for past deeds' of Sangh Parivar: Kerala CM on PM's church visit Muraleedharan terms move to remove Kerala Guv as 'constitutionally invalid' Intend to limit buffer zones within forests; may launch survey: Kerala govt Japan's economy minister resigns over ties to Unification Church Google Pixel Watch may get Gmail and Calendar apps to enhance experience Rajeev Bindal appointed Himachal BJP president, replacing Suresh Kashyap DCW seeks FIR details on sexual harassment allegation against WFI president Rajasthan govt plans to develop 23 old airstrips on PPP mode: Tourism Min MeT issues 'Yellow' warning for thunderstorm in Assam, neighbouring states Jal Jeevan Mission facing hurdles in Meghalaya due to drying up of water Once the PM arrives, the numbers will increase, BJP state president K Surendran has said. BJP's outreach campaign recently received a shot in the arm when a senior Bishop -- Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany -- of the influential Syro-Malabar Catholic Church said that if the Centre promised to increase the rate of rubber procurement to Rs 300 per kilogram, the party's dearth of an MP from the southern state would be addressed. Subsequently, the visits to Christian priests by BJP leaders increased in number. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said that it was not the first time that church leaders were meeting the PM. While speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, he said that after Modi became PM in 2015, many church leaders had met him in Kochi when he arrived in the state to go to Thrissur. Muraleedharan said he believed the church leaders were meeting the PM because of the "love and respect they had for Modi" and they had not said it had anything to do with votes. "It is the Congress which is saying it is for votes. Congress is only concerned with votes and not welfare of the people, so they only see votes in everything," he contended. He also lashed out at the ruling Left government in Kerala for its "silence" and alleged "lack of action" against concerned officials for the leak of an intelligence report regarding the security measures in place for the PM's visit. "That was a serious breach of security, but the state government has been silent on the issue for the last 24 hours. It indicates that the Home Department is functioning without anyone at the helm," Muraleedharan said. He said that if the state government was serious about preventing such lapses in future, it would have taken action against the official concerned in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Commissioner K Sethu Raman said 2,060 police personnel had been deployed in Kochi city as part of the security arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit. He also said that around 20,000 participants were expected to take part in the PM's road show. Similar stringent security arrangements have been put in place in Thiruvananthapuram also, police said. On Tuesday, the PM would be flagging off the much-awaited Vande Bharat Express train from Thiruvananthapuram, with the BJP giving the event a lot of publicity. The BJP in Kerala has drawn parallels between Vande Bharat and the state government's allegedly shelved SilverLine project and have claimed that while the Pinarayi Vijayan government tried to bring development by evicting thousands of people, the Modi government was doing it without causing difficulty to anyone. Singapore-based startup Zilingo's former CEO, Ankiti Bose, who was sacked over alleged financial irregularities last year, has filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Mahesh Murthy, angel investor and co-founder of Seedfund, the media reported. According to leading startup news portal Inc42, the lawsuit has been filed in the Bombay High Court on April 20 over an article authored by Murthy in a top business magazine. Murthy didn't name Bose in the article but wrote several descriptive pointers. The article mentioned "one lady" who "ran a popular fashion portal and took Sequoia's money". "She got her firm to pay her lawyer someRs 70 crore as fees and -- it is rumoured -- got a lot of that amount directly back to herself as her cut," Murthy alleged in his article.. Bose was quoted as saying that the $100 million lawsuit was filed taking into account her balance of equity in Zilingo and "the losses that statements like this can affect future endeavours." The lawsuit is currently in the pre-admission stage, according to reports. Also Read 74-year-old official 'History of INA' remains shrouded in mystery: TMC MP Once booming, Indian start-ups set for more pain as funding crunch worsens Netaji will be remembered for his fierce resistance to colonial rule: PM US venture capitalists hope Budget 2023 supports growth, startup ecosystem CV Ananda Bose to take oath as new governor of West Bengal on Wednesday Security beefed up in Dibrugarh as Amritpal Singh to be shifted to prison MP govt puts complete ban on plastic in Bhopal's Van Vihar National Park India jumps 6 places on World Bank's Logistic Performance Index, ranks 38 Amritpal's arrest result of month-long effort of Punjab Police, govt: AAP Detailed report of caste based census to be put in public domain: Bihar CM In March last year, Zilingo suspended 30-year-old CEO Bose over complaints about alleged financial irregularities. Following an investigation led by an independent forensics firm, the startup decided to terminate Bose's employment. In April last year, she brought to the board's attention certain harassment-related issues pertaining to past time periods, which did not include any harassment complaints against investors or their nominees. A top consulting firm was then appointed to look into the claims of harassment brought to the Board's notice by Ankiti. According to Zilingo, the investigation concluded that the company took appropriate action and followed due process to address these complaints that were brought to their notice, "contrary to media reports that have suggested that the suspension and investigations into Bose were aimed at suppressing the said harassment claims". The startup had raised more than $300 million from top investors, including Temasek Holdings Pte and Sequoia Capital India. --IANS na/svn/ India is not only doing complex surgeries but is also setting new standards of care. More and more patie A team of doctors, led by Dr Kaushal Kant Mishra, director, orthopaedics and joint replacement, Fortis Escorts, Okhla, New Delhi, performed a hip-ball replacement surgery in 15 minutes and 35 seconds the shortest duration for such a surgery known so far globally. It is three minutes less than the previous world record also set by Dr Mishra and his team. The new space policy that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) came out with last week is focusing on encouraging and prom According to industry experts, the new policy is a continuation of reforms in June, 2020, in the space sector towards enabling private players to provide end-to-end services. Interestingly, around 107 out of the total 140 start-ups that marked their presence in the sector since 2012 came after the June 2020 reforms only, indicates data shared by the Indian Space Association (ISpA). The sequential margin gains in the O2C business were on account of recovery in chemical margins and cheaper US ethane prices which declined 36 per cent, according to Morgan Stanley Research. Led by the energy vertical, the countrys largest listed firm by value, Reliance Industries (RIL), beat Streets estimates for the second consecutive quarter. Even as the operating performance of the retail segment was somewhat below estimates and the telecommunications (telecom) business (Reliance Jio) was broadly in line, it was the 20 per cent sequential growth in the oil-to-chemicals (O2C) space that helped the company offset the miss in the consumer business. The energy vertical accounted for over half of its consolidated operating profit and about three-quarters of the bottom line. Spreads are down across products, with diesel being the worst hit. Antique Stock Broking, however, believes this is short-term in nature and should reverse as the demand-supply balance over the next two years continues to support a refining supercycle. The Singapore gross refining margins improved sequentially to $8.2 per barrel in the October-December quarter, led by the opening up of the Chinese economy and rising mobility levels. There are, however, near-term worries as the Singapore benchmark is down sharply over the past fortnight from $6 per barrel to $2.5 a barrel due to multiple demand-supply triggers. Analysts of Dolat Capital, led by Himanshu Shah, say Jios 2022-23 (FY23) fourth-quarter financials were marginally better, led by stable network costs and higher ARPU at Rs 179. In the telecom business, the average revenue per user (ARPU) was flat and subscriber additions inched up 1.6 per cent sequentially. Also Read This Chris Wood owned stock hit a 52-week low. What's worrying the Street? Infosys Q3 growth may be muted on higher furloughs; PAT may rise 9-15% YoY Infosys strong TCV, deal wins in Q3 lend comfort amid macro risks: Analysts Sensex snaps 4-day losing run, gains 160 pts; PSU bank index leaps 4% Recap FY23: Five key events that shaped equity markets this fiscal year Wipro board of directors to consider proposal to buyback of equity shares Global IPO market shows signs of life even as recession fears persist Big tech earnings to offer reality check to investors over AI hype Capital goods stocks could surge on order visibility, pick-up in exports Finance, auto stocks ARE FPIs' favourites in first two weeks of FY24 The retail business performance was assisted by a 41 per cent surge in footfall to a record 219 million and an 18.7 per cent increase in store count. Even as operating profit was up 33 per cent year-on-year (YoY) and margins gained 60 basis points, profit was up 2 per cent on a sequential basis, while margins were flat. The brokerage highlights steep capital expenditure, muted free cash flows, and high debt as key challenges for Jio from a short- to medium-term perspective. The Street will keep an eye out on the adoption of 5G with the company aggressively improving its coverage and this translating into a higher ARPU. The increasing adoption of broadband services and attractive pricing should lead to the expansion of the customer base and increased per-user revenue. The brokerage has retained a buy rating on the stock and expects the next leg of growth to be driven by the companys new energy segment. The company has dropped the plan to merge the new energy/renewable energy with itself and will continue to run the business through its subsidiary Reliance New Energy. Regardless of higher growth, net profit was subdued at 13 per cent YoY and flat sequentially, given rising debt levels and interest costs that were up 2.5 per cent over the year-ago quarter, points out Nuvama Research. It has, however, indicated that it will maintain its net debt-to-operating profit ratio below 1. FY23 net debt-to-operating profit was at 0.7x. Brokerages will also track the debt trajectory as consolidated gross debt has increased 18 per cent YoY to Rs 3.14 trillion, while net debt is up more than 3x to Rs 1.1 trillion over the same period, given the investments in retail, digital, and O2C segments. Except for recent gains over the past month, the stock has been underperforming the benchmarks for most of last year. Over the past year, RIL has been down 16 per cent; the S&P BSE Sensex up 3 per cent and the Nifty50 gained 1.3 per cent. While the listing of the consumer business will be a significant trigger for the stock, investors are also awaiting announcements related to the demerger of Jio Financial Services. It could well be we need to tinker with tax rates but that should be the least of our priorities if we want to fix income inequality. In a parliamentary question on December 21, the Last week, Bloomberg reported India was preparing to overhaul its direct tax laws to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi reduce widening income inequality. Already, in the recent Budget, the government decided to tax debt funds at the normal income-tax rate. When the article appeared, there was consternation among a few, leading the government to backtrack immediately. But the genie was out of the bottle. The government had prepared us. It is now a matter of time before long that capital gains tax rates will be rationalised. But will taxing the rich reduce inequality when the rich are getting richer not due to tax advantages but due to mind-boggling corruption, opaque rules, regulatory failures, weak institutions, and gaming the system at all levels? On the flip side, banks, unlike NBFCs, have to offer credit to the priority sector, and priorit The merger of the HDFC twins looks set to go ahead after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) clarified some ambiguities, and offered a degree of relief to the merged entity, calming investors. The merger is now said to be scheduled for July this year. HDFC Bank is the largest private-sector bank in India, and it is one of the most highly valued ones. Its parent, HDFC, is the pre-eminent mortgage financier. The group subsidiaries include a listed and highly valued life insurance arm, a listed asset management company, an unlisted brokerage, and an unlisted general insurance firm, besides other subsidiaries. The financial logic for the merger arises from the fact that borrowing costs for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) such as HDFC are significantly higher than those for banks. The merged entity would be a bank, enabling it to lower the cost of funding. Microsoft has released a new build of Windows 11 to Insiders in the Beta channel, adding "live caption" support for five more languages. "Languages support has been expanded to include Danish, English (Ireland), French (Canada), Korean, Portuguese (Portugal)," Microsoft said in a blogpost. The tech giant also fixed several bugs and issues with the update. In the new build, it fixed an issue where the touch keyboard didn't correctly recognise a hardware keyboard available in some cases, as well an issue that was causing live captions to crash on the first launch due to an issue impacting registry data retrieval. It also fixed the issue causing live captions' Add a language menu icon and label to overlap. Moreover, the company has also added features to the enhanced speech recognition language files to improve performance and provide out-of-language filtering meant to limit incorrect captions for speech not in the caption language. Also Read Microsoft adds more languages to Windows 11's live captions feature Microsoft rolls out Windows 11 update with snipping tool, screen recorder Microsoft adds Bing AI to Windows Taskbar, introduces Phone Link for iPhone Microsoft introduces its new 'Canary Channel' for Windows Insiders Microsoft's new feature to let users set default apps in Windows 11 Musk's Twitter reinstates legacy blue tick on high-profile accounts Twitter asks companies to pay for check marks, spend monthly to advertise Rahul to Kohli: Celebs see red after Twitter accounts lose blue tick Apple's upcoming 15-inch MacBook Air may offer 2 M2 chip variants Amazon adds feature to boost dialogue: What it is, how it will help users Meanwhile, Microsoft has introduced a new feature called "Gallery" in File Explorer for users to access their photo collection easily in Windows 11. "We are introducing Gallery, a new feature in File Explorer designed to make it easy to access your photo collection. The set of content shown in Gallery is the same as what you'll see in the All Photos view in the Photos app," Microsoft said in a blogpost. --IANS shs/vd According to the report, Google has no plans to revive the project in the near future. Google has stopped the construction of its proposed 80-acre campus in San Jose, California, after the first demolition phase, CNBC reported. Google's parent company Alphabet's revenue and profits were below expectations due to the volatile economic climate that negatively affected its advertising business in the last quarter of 2020. Google secured approval to build an 80-acre campus in California's San Jose which was to include office space, housing units, and public parks. The campus was to have 7.3 million square feet of office space. Google will be announcing its financial results for the latest quarter next week. According to the report the project has been halted with no further communication on when work will be resumed. Also Read Google Bard: What we know so far about generative AI chatbot in the works Google's move to make app makers use its new billing system faces backlash AIIMS Delhi mandates face masks to staffers amid surge in Covid cases Why does Google find itself in CCI's crosshairs? NCLAT declines stay on CCI's Rs 936 cr Google penalty, asks firm to pay 10% Taiwanese trade, investment firms exiting China amid mounting tensions Twitter Blue tick reappears for some influential users without subscription ChatGPT no match for humans when it comes to accounting, finds study People think climate change is becoming more real, is here and now Software firm F5 to lay off 623 employees amid macroeconomic uncertainty According to experts, most tech companies overspent as the demand for online services peaked during the pandemic and failed to foresee and prepare for the slowdown. Recently, Alphabet implemented major cost-cutting measures, including laying off 12,000 employees representing nearly 6 per cent of its workforce, to reckon with slowing sales growth after headcount swelled before and during the Covid pandemic. 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. Also Read India supports peace process and capacity building in South Sudan Khartoum violence: Indian embassy in Sudan advises Indians to not move out EAM S Jaishankar holds talks with Portuguese counterpart Joao Cravinho Army vs paramilitary: A common person's guide to the crisis in Sudan India in continuous touch with Indians in Sudan, says S Jaishankar Russia announces "tit-for-tat" expulsion of more than 20 German diplomats Mike Pence touts Trump role overturning Roe to Iowa evangelicals Biden plans to stringent limits on GHG emissions on coal, gas power plants LIVE: Amritpal Singh surrenders before Punjab police in Moga, detained Need to do home work before visiting India, says Nepal PM Prachanda "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. Thousands of protesters flocked to Tel Aviv and cities across Israel to express their opposition to the government's plan to overhaul the country's judicial system, Al Jazeera reported. Crowds of Israeli protestors held banners in Tel Aviv at Saturday's protest, the latest in a series of weekly actions since the start of the year. Plans by Netanyahu's government to reform the Judicial System 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. "In order for your sacred courts to protect the rights of all people, they must remain independent from politics," she added. Protests last month brought Israeli cities to a standstill and threatened to shut down the economy, compelling Netanyahu to delay the judicial reform plan in hopes of finding a compromise. Also Read Israel's designated PM Netanyahu says he has successfully formed new govt Thousands of Israelis rally against Netanyahu government in Tel Aviv As tension peaks, Israeli warplanes and artillery strike targets in Syria India-Israel natural allies, share deep resonance of arts-culture: Herzog Jewish Americans fear collision with emerging far-right Israeli government US troops evacuating 70 diplomats from Sudan amid fierce fighting Indians safely evacuated from Sudan, Jaishankar's call to Saudi counterpart Russia announces "tit-for-tat" expulsion of more than 20 German diplomats Mike Pence touts Trump role overturning Roe to Iowa evangelicals Biden plans to stringent limits on GHG emissions on coal, gas power plants However, protesters have been undeterred. Crowds of Israelis have flooded the streets in the weeks after Netanyahu backed down, demanding that the overhaul be scrapped altogether. The plan would give Netanyahu and his partners in Israel's most hardline coalition in its history the final say in appointing the nation's judges. It would also give Parliament the authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the court's ability to review laws. 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. Netanyahu agreed in late March to call a timeout on advancing legislation that would give the government almost complete control over almost all judicial appointments to the Supreme Court and other courts, along with other parts of the judicial package. The month-long suspension was announced after weeks of intensifying protests had brought the country practically to a standstill. However, leaders of the protest movement have threatened to deploy new forms of non-violent civil disobedience if lawmakers move to swiftly advance the legislation, highlighting rampant doubts around talks to reach a compromise on the sweeping reforms. One of the major forms of non-violent civil disobedience used so far has been to block major highways and junctions around the country, causing severe traffic jams and leading to confrontations with the police who have used water cannons and stun grenades to disperse protestors. Protesters have continued to express heavy distrust toward the negotiations between Yesh Atid and National Unity on one side and the ruling coalition on the other, under the auspices of President Isaac Herzog. They allege the talks are a ruse to quell the protest movement and advance the legislation quietly. Opponents worry that the judicial appointments bill, which had advanced to its last two Knesset votes before the freeze was announced, could go before the Knesset plenum for final approval at a moment's notice once the Knesset returns from its Passover recess at the end of the month. They say it will drastically weaken Israel's democratic character, remove a key element of its checks and balances and leave minorities unprotected. Proponents of the government's overhaul plans say reforms are needed to rein in politically motivated judicial activism. US troops are carrying out a precarious evacuation of American embassy staffers in the African nation of Sudan, shuttering the US embassy there as fighting rages for a ninth day, according to a senior Biden administration official. Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier on 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. US forces were airliftng them from a landing zone at the embassy to an unspecified location. The State Department has suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might resume functioning. Also Read Khartoum violence: Indian embassy in Sudan advises Indians to not move out US reopening visa, consular services in Cuba post-2017 health issues India supports peace process and capacity building in South Sudan American communities being torn apart by gun violence, says Prez Biden Nothing like this has happened since Civil War: Biden on US Capitol attack Indians safely evacuated from Sudan, Jaishankar's call to Saudi counterpart Russia announces "tit-for-tat" expulsion of more than 20 German diplomats Mike Pence touts Trump role overturning Roe to Iowa evangelicals Biden plans to stringent limits on GHG emissions on coal, gas power plants LIVE: Amritpal Singh surrenders before Punjab police in Moga, detained Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe ICAI CA 2023: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is set to conduct the CA Foundation 2023 exams between June 24 and June 30, and to help students prepare for the same, the first series of mock tests will begin tomorrow, April 24. Candidates appearing in the June CA Foundation exams can register for the mock tests at icai.org. The mock tests for the ICAI Foundation exam June 2023 will be held in physical and virtual modes, with the physical mode requiring students to contact their respective regional councils and branches. The mock tests will continue till April 27, covering all four subjects of the CA Foundation exam. Question papers for each subject will be uploaded on the BoS Knowledge Portal on icai.org, as per schedule, and students are advised to download and attempt the mock tests within the stipulated time limit. The mock tests will allow students to assess their performances and improve their preparation for the CA Foundation 2023 exams. In its most recent budget, the Delhi government announced plans to establish 12 new Schools of Applied Learning (SoAL) beginning with the 2023-24 academic year. The budget's all-time high allocation to the education department, at Rs 16,575 crore, is the highest sum among all other sectors. Schools of Applied Learning (SoAL) with Accreditation from DBSE SoALs will be accredited with the Delhi Board of School Education (DBSE) and would range in age from nursery to XII. From class IX onward, students will have access to skill-based courses like fashion studies, financial management, and mechatronics. The topics of robotics, control systems, electromechanical systems, microeconomic management, marketing and sales, financial management, use of technology in fashion, and the history of clothes would all be covered while taking these courses. Currently, 548 government schools in Delhi provide vocational courses in disciplines including data science, food technology, information technology, and many others. The Delhi government will construct these 12 schools as part of a pilot programme, and they will later convert the current schools to SoAL. Integration of Skill-Based Education with Traditional Education Indu Dalal, a lecturer at the Department of Education, said, "The Delhi government has decided to set up SoALs in the recent budget with an aim to strengthen the skill sets among the students so that they are able to survive in the competitive and quickly changing job market even while studying academics. The purpose of adding the fashion studies, financial management, and mechatronics skill topics is to integrate skill-based education with traditional education in line with NEP 2020 objectives. Teachers would ensure that students comprehend the relevance of the abilities they learn while studying these subjects in addition to this, which would deter a culture of rote learning among students. On-the-Job Training and Internships in Industries Fashion Studies, Financial Management, and Mechatronics will be provided in classes IX and X, whereas just Mechatronics will be taught in classes XI and XII. Students that receive this kind of skill development will be prepared for modern occupations. These three skill subjects will be taught to the students who enrol in SoALs by the current faculty for vocational subjects. "As part of pursuing these skill courses, students will be taken for on-the-job training and internships in industries dedicated to retail, web application, and so on," Dalal explains. Under the condition of anonymity, a source in the Delhi government states, "The government has decided to establish schools of applied learning to merge the skill education with the mainstream education. The purpose of teaching financial management is to instil in students the value of being financially responsible. The Central Institutions Common Entrance Test (CUET) is a national-level test that allows students to get admission to various undergraduate courses at India's central institutions. The exam covers a variety of topics, but history calls for students to have a thorough understanding of Indian history and culture. Students must comprehend a variety of topics from Harappan Archaeology to our constitution, in order to pass the CUET History exam. However, because history is a memory-based discipline, revisions are required from time to time. As a result, it is advised that you start your preparation early and provide enough time for the revision procedure. Here are some crucial suggestions and tips to keep in mind as you get ready for the CUET History exam. Understanding the Exam Format Visit the official website to understand the exam format and complete the application form prior to studying. There will be one exam for the History topic, with 50 questions total, of which 40 must be answered. Study Content that is Appropriate Since there are so many books and resources accessible, picking the best history prep books can be difficult. However, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has stated that NCERT textbooks, including History, are sufficient for domain-subject preparations. Thus, it is crucial to practise MCQ-style questions. You can choose from the following books to gain a deeper understanding of concepts and to solve sample papers: Disha Experts' History, Art, and Culture NCERT PLUS Objective MCQs The History of CUET 2022 by Team Drishti Oswaal Editorial Board's Sample Question Paper for CUET UG 10 Important Topics The CUET History syllabus consists of 15 units, and the NTA website's CUET syllabus PDF lists the subtopics for each unit. The following are the key areas you should concentrate on during your preparation: Ancient History for CUET Numerous questions about the Harappa Civilization could be on your CUET exam paper. This makes it crucial to cover Brics, Beads, and Bones in detail. Study the chapter on Kings, Farmers, and Towns next. Investigate kinship, caste, and class in the third chapter's section on ancient history. Be ready for Thinkers, Beliefs, and Buildings as well. Mediaeval History for CUET Gain a firm grasp on the Kings and Chronicles in mediaeval history. Learn about the region and time frame. Although most boards do not cover the topic of travellers' eyes in their curriculum, it is nonetheless necessary to learn about it because the NTA has incorporated it into the History curriculum. In this chapter, you can be asked questions about Hampi and Vijayanagar. Additionally learning about Peasants, Zamindars, and the State would be beneficial. Modern History for CUET Modern History would also be a major source of inquiries, so it's critical to master the following modules: Countryside and Colonialism The Raj and the rebels Gandhi's involvement in the Nationalist Movement The Constitution's Framework Strategy for CUET 2023 Since questions can be asked from any part of your NCERT textbooks, read every line, comprehend the concepts, memorise them, and keep going over them. Additionally, make thorough notes for the revision process. Handwritten notes will help you with your planning and will allow you to revise the chapters quickly and effectively. To build confidence and improve time management, it is also crucial to practise MCQ-style questions and make sure you complete at least 15 mock exams before the exam. photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD photo by CFD Previous Next The Chattanooga Fire Department held its first-ever Citizens Fire Academy. The program offered an interactive, hands-on experience designed to give participants a better understanding of the CFD and the services the department offers. It also provided an inside look at fire department operations to educate the class on emergency response. Ernest Dale Jones, 64, of Flintstone, GA, went to his heavenly home on April 22, 2023, after a long illness. Born in Los Angeles, CA to the late Cecil and Betty Jones on February 13, 1959, Dale lived most of his life on the family farm in Chattanooga Valley. A long-time entrepreneur, Dale's first job was in the family service station business working alongside his parents and sister. He also owned a Snap-On tool dealership, which led to lifelong friendships and several sales awards, and then spent the last 21 years of his working career as a long-haul truck driver, finally as an owner-operator. With a quick smile, he made friends everywhere he went and was always willing to lend a helping hand. His hobbies included auto repair/restoration, hunting, shooting, wood and metal working, and Mexican food. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Karla and Jack E Mullinax Il, also of Flintstone; his special cousin, Gwenda Jones, and her husband, John Bredstrand, of Vancouver, WA; nephew, Jack A. Mullinax, and his wife, Carly, of Burke, VA; stepmother, Sherry Jones, of Chattanooga, aunt Nancy Jones of Tucson, AZ; step-siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews. The family greatly appreciates the love and support from Chattanooga Valley Church of the Nazarene, where Dale also attended. A graveside service will be held at Tennessee-Georgia Memorial Park on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 1 p.m. with Dr. Hunter Cummings and Rev. Roger Hutcheson officiating. Condolences may be shared at lane-southcrestchapel.com Arrangements are by the South Crest Chapel of Lane Funeral Home, Rossville. The victory of our present Guardian of Gig City (TK) over the Pride of River City (KW) in the latest municipal election has been attributed by many good taxpayers to the professionally produced television ad demonstrating his touch with the common man (woman, etc.) by laboriously filling in pot holes with tar and his trusty beach shovel that seemed to tactfully suggest that said public service had been ignored by the prior administration. With a continuing updated report on the modern up-to-date website at Chattanooga.gov the present occupant of the political penthouse at 11th and Lindsay Streets, he has faithfully maintained his campaign to eradicate the tire and axle breaking roadways that he inherited. The 2022 Pothole and Paving Paving Year End Wrap Up is a video proudly proclaiming that at the end of the year over 40,000 crevices (95 percent of the total) had been plugged, a Pothole Patrol had been established ruled by a tar and shovel czar and our mayor predicted that the problem will be completely solved in 2023. Although the potential opponent for the present mayor announced their candidacy shortly after she had a minor legal problem because of a broken front passenger headlight, she has been relatively quiet recently (not completely). However, another serious mayoral aspirant may be establishing residence in the former Dynamo of Dixie who has also demonstrated their heavyweight political talents and may be able to match our present leader shovel for shovel. The exodus of good citizens (and fugitives) from the homelands of Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi and conservative Governor Gavis Newsom is part of an influx to our moderate rate of growth in our community that may continue. On April 12, 2023 the former Republican governor of the Eastward Ho The Wagons, state (California) demonstrated his talents by solving a problem of a giant pothole in his low rent community of Brentwood that was recorded on video, but the event was not acknowledged as a political preliminary event that may have been a coming out test for a potential move to our city. The star of the epic film, Conan the Barbarian, cut through any bureaucratic tape in solving the issue as a private citizen. The movie star proudly exclaimed that the giant abyss (pothole) was screwing up cars and bicycles for weeks so I went out and fixed it. You have to do it yourself! Accompanied by his trusty aide and rock star companion Rod Stewart, who had also claimed potential major damage to his rental Ferrari auto, Conan eliminated the problem. However, one small issue developed that may show some vulnerability and help the blind trusted motorsport owner overcome the Californian's attractive appeal as a movie star. The diligent digging by the deep hole duo was not a pothole but was a service utility trench dug by the dedicated municipal employees in the Land of Fruits and Nuts! that was once an agricultural area (like Ooltewah). With only 35 months left to campaign before March 2026 there is still time to achieve a 100 percent pothole success rate and announce it on our new 311 minor expense website created by local designers. Can Crest Road and Shallowford Road be next? (One question that unidentified sources have raised is whether Fortwood Place has any potholes?) * * * You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com Ever since Matt Casey left Chicago Fire, fans have been wondering what his future holds. Casey, who is portrayed by actor Jesse Spencer, made the move to Portland, Oregon to take on a new job as a captain, and his absence left some unanswered questions. One of the best parts of Caseys life was his relationship with Sylvie Brett, and when he returned to Chicago Fire for one episode, the character hinted that something could happen. However, Caseys return should put a definitive end to his romance with Brett. Fans have hoped for a reunion even after Caseys exit According to USA Today, Casey has some unfinished business in love, and that was apparent during his appearance in the April 5 episode. There was some visible heat between himself and ex-flame paramedic Brett, and her jaw practically dropped when Casey returned to Chicago. According to Spencer That was a really rough call by Casey, just appearing. But things were happening really quickly. TV Insider reports that fans have been on the edge of their seats wondering if Caseys brief return could mean that he and Brett are going to give their relationship another chance. According to showrunner Andrea Newman Theres always the looming question of, was Casey the love of her life? And will that make it impossible to find that level of love again? Caseys brief return suggested a reunion could happen Spencer spoke about the tension between the former couple in the episode, saying that Even though theyve broken up, he still has a lot of love for the girl. I still wonder if thats the real reason he came back: for her. The actor made sure to add that Shes in a relationship, and hell stand down. But he wants her to know hes still there. Hes like the ghost of Christmas past. It was earlier this season that the former couple ended their relationship in a heart-wrenching telephone conversation, and Brett moved on to a relationship with Dylan, portrayed by actor Christopher Allen. Even so, when Casey suddenly returned, much to Bretts surprise, there were some obvious moments between the two, such as eye contact during a meeting and a pretty intense hug. One Chicago Center reports that when the couple broke up, they said that it was because they just couldnt keep up with carrying on a long-distance relationship. It was obvious that there was still something between them, and according to Screenrant, its pretty uncertain how Caseys love life is going in Oregon. At the time of their split, it was obvious to fans that the two were still in love, and it was up in the air as to what could possibly happen. Caseys return should put a definitive end to his romance with Brett Although Casey and Brett were one of the most important couples on the show, his return should put a definitive end to the relationship. According to NBC, having them get back together doesnt seem like the most sensible thing to do. Although fans were rooting for the couple, who, of course crossed paths during the reunion, Brett seems happy with her new relationship. She actually said of the new romance Whatever happens, wherever this goes, Im game. So, why should the return close the door on the relationship between Casey and Brett? It seems that it would be much better suited to give the two an ending rather than leave the door open. This way Brett has the chance to explore her new relationship and see where things go with Dylan, and Casey can go back to Oregon with a clearer picture in his mind of how he wants to move on and find a new love as well. Cynthia Powell and John Lennon met when they were in art college. They fell in love and were married for six years. Two years prior to the end of their marriage, John met artist Yoko Ono, who began pursuing him passionately. John and Cynthias marriage ended after Cynthia found John at home with Yoko. That night, the scorned wife slept with one of Johns best friends, Yannis Alexis Mardas (aka Magic Alex). Or did she? It depends who you ask. Cynthia and John Lennon | NCJ-Topix/NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images Cynthia Lennon discovered John with Yoko after a trip with Magic Alex Cynthia Lennon went on a two-week trip to Greece with Magic Alex (who earned his nickname thanks to his electronics wizardry) and Jenny Boyd, whose sister Pattie was then married to George Harrison. When the three of them arrived at John and Cynthias home at Kenwood, it appeared as though no one was home. The lights were on, the doors were unlocked, but the home was eerily quiet. Cynthia began to search for signs of life when she heard what sounded like a muffled laugh coming from the kitchen. There, she found John and Yoko in bathrobes (Yoko in Cynthias). In shock, all Cynthia could muster was what she originally had intended to ask John upon arriving home from her trip: We were all thinking of going out for dinner tonight, she said, as reported in The Love You Make by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines. We had breakfast in Greece and lunch in Rome, and we thought it would be lovely to all have dinner in London. Are you coming? John simply replied with a No thanks. THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO. Its just the story of us getting married, going to Paris, going to Amsterdam, all that. It was very romantic. Gibraltar was like a little sunny dream. I couldnt find a white suit I had sort-of off-white corduroy trousers and a white jacket. Yoko pic.twitter.com/q3Em7R1Ffr John Lennon (@johnlennon) April 14, 2023 Cynthias emotional night with Magic Alex that either did or didnt end in sex After Johns curt reply, Cynthia fled the home after quickly packing a few mementos. She hopped into a taxi with Jenny and Alex, who told her she could stay with them (they were roommates at the time) while she figured out what to do next. That night, she and Magic Alex stayed up drinking wine at a candlelit table at his and Jennys apartment, according to TLYM. Cynthia had never been close with Alex but, on this night, she was in need of a shoulder to cry on. So she talked to him about John and their marriage. At some time around dawn, Cynthia and Alex reportedly headed to his bedroom. Symbolically, it was a way of ending her relationship with John forever, reads TLYM. Cynthia says that Alex practiced black magic and that he hypnotized her into doing it; probably she was just drunk. However, other accounts of the evening suggest that Cynthia and Alex never did sleep together. After Cynthia got sick from too much wine, she went to sleep in the apartments spare room. There, Alex tried to seduce her but she pushed him away. Cynthia Lennon | Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images Related Why John Lennon Never Wanted a Beatles Reunion More on Magic Alex Magic Alex was a Greek electronics engineer who worked closely with The Beatles for years. When Alex came to London in 1965, he acted as a television repairman to pay the bills. Lennon discovered him via his Kinetic Light Sculptures at the Indica Gallery. The beatle was particularly impressed with his Nothing Box, which was a small plastic box that contained random blinking lights. Lennon gave Alex the nickname Magic Alex and brought him into the group. Eventually, he became one of the first employees of Apple Corps and was even given his own laboratory called Apple Electronics for him to work on his inventions. Kody Brown and Robyn Brown have some big decisions to make. After the most recent explosive season of Sister Wives, Kody was left with just one wife. Short three incomes, fans of the series have questioned how Kody and Robyn are making their finances work. As rumors of imminent financial ruin swirl, Brown family followers theorize a move is in Kody and Robyns future. Will the couple return to Utah? A refusal to move ended one of Kody Browns marriages Sister Wives fans watched Kody Browns marriage to his third wife, Christine Brown, implode over two seasons. There are many reasons that the couples marriage ended. A lack of intimacy, Kodys preference for his fourth and now only wife, Robyn Brown, and his poor treatment of the six children he shares with Christine were the final straws. Still, most fans pinpoint Kodys refusal to move back to Utah as Christine wanted as the beginning of the couples end. Christine Brown| YouTube/TLC In season 15, Christine told Kody she wanted to return to Utah. She noted that Flagstaff, Arizona, wasnt working out for the family. She insisted that since polygamy was decriminalized, it was safe for the family to return to Utah, where they lived at the start of Sister Wives. Kody initially agreed but quickly back peddled at the first sign of pushback. The rejection left Christine feeling alone and angry. A meltdown ensued. Over the next two seasons, she untangled her life from his and moved on without him. Christine now lives in Utah and is planning her life with another man. The mother of six recently became engaged and purchased a new home with David Woolley, the love interest she introduced on Instagram in February. Kody was never against the idea of going back to Utah Kody Brown was run out of Utah years ago, according to Gwendlyn Brown. Still, he hasnt ever been against returning. Initially, when Christine Brown floated the idea of returning to Utah in 2020 before she ultimately split from her polygamist husband, Kody was on board. He only shot down the idea when Robyn Brown and Janelle Brown insisted they had no desire to leave Flagstaff. Kody wasnt vehemently against Christine returning to Utah after their marriage ended. He did, however, object to her desire to move to Salt Lake City instead of St. George, Utah. So will Kody and Robyn move back to Utah? Now that Kody is a monogamist with just one wife to consider, it would be easy to move back to Utah. At least, it would seem that way. Will he make a move, though? According to a couple of his children, he wouldnt get the final say even if he wanted to. Both Paedon Brown and Gwendlyn Brown have revealed that Robyn Brown spearheaded the familys move to Arizona in the first place. The move, which allowed Robyn to follow her eldest son to college, only benefited Robyn and her children. Breanna Brown and Robyn Brown | TLC/YouTube If the past is any indication, if Robyn is not interested in returning to Utah, Kody wont push the family to return to their roots. Still, the now-monogamist couple will have to make some decisions about their living situation sooner rather than later. The duos bill on their undeveloped Coyote Pass land will be due soon, and theyve lost three large incomes that helped float their lifestyle. Whether they will stick it out in Arizona or head to a cheaper cost-of-living area is anyones guess. What we do know is that it is far cheaper to live in Utah, especially in the St. George area than in Flagstaff, Arizona. Kody Brown and Robyn Brown, Sister Wives | TLC If a move is in their future, we assume it will be documented on Sister Wives at some point. So far, three moves have been filmed for the show. Whats one more? TLC has yet to announce the fate of Sister Wives, but if the show gets at least two more seasons, expect to see more U-Hauls. Foreign capital spurs new vitality in China's auto industry cradle Xinhua) 08:51, April 23, 2023 CHANGCHUN, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Robot couriers shuttle inside a German production workshop in northeast China's Jilin Province, where only a few workers operate a bustling production line churning out e-mobility products. Jiang Huaisheng, general manager of Vitesco Automotive Changchun Co., Ltd. based in Jilin's capital of Changchun, said as one of the important production bases of German powertrain company Vitesco Technologies, the workshop is operating at full capacity to catch up with rising orders. Since 2020, the German parent company has invested more than 500 million yuan (72.5 million U.S. dollars) in the workshop in Jilin, where its R&D team has increased to 330 people, said Jiang. He said the company is striving to scale up the workshop and build new production lines for NEV products. Home to China's state-owned FAW Group founded in 1953, the city of Changchun is regarded as the cradle of China's auto industry and has continued to eye the auto industry as its economic pillar. Boosted by continuous growth in the auto industry, investment in Jilin Province has maintained a growth rate of more than 20 percent for four consecutive years. In 2022, Jilin's total foreign trade hit a record high of nearly 156 billion yuan. In the first two months of this year, Jilin's exports sustained a strong growth momentum of 18.3 percent year on year. Foreign auto giants such as German luxury carmaker Audi AG have kept plowing money into this auto industrial center. Cooperating with China's leading automaker FAW Group Co., Ltd., the Audi FAW NEV project, with an investment of over 30 billion yuan, broke ground on June 28, 2022 in Changchun. This is Audi's first production base for purely electric vehicles in China and is expected to start operation at the end of 2024, with a planned annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. In 2023, Jilin is expected to see a total of 167 upgrading projects in the automobile industry. Once all in production, the projects will have an estimated annual output value exceeding 120 billion yuan. The provincial government has kept optimizing the business environment to give foreign investors easier access to the local market. "We strive to make it as easy for foreign-invested enterprises to do business in Jilin as it is to do online shopping," said Wang Shuying, deputy director of the provincial market supervision department, adding that the province is taking the lead in China in realizing whole-process online operation in approving foreign-invested projects. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Du Mingming) 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. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Pixabay/fernando zhiminaicela The Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated a life-saving technology that monitors newborn babies at a hospital in Santa Cruz, Laguna. The church reportedly aims to provide humanitarian work to people around the world. Equipment Turn Over On Monday, Mar. 27, neonatal equipment was provided to the Laguna Provincial Hospital, which is now known as the Laguna Medical Center (LMC) by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Several healthcare officers, service evangelists, and Church officials were present for the ceremony of handing over the facility, which the Provincial Governor, Ramil L. Hernandez, also attended. The donation was made to address the shortage of medical equipment and assist local physicians in protecting the health of newborn newborns in the province. According to Church News, the apparatus can monitor infants, lessen the likelihood of difficulties and long-term health issues, and improve the chances of survival for babies born prematurely or severely ill. The chief of staff at Laguna Medical Center, Judy A. Rondilla, showed her appreciation for the donation that will assist families of babies in critical condition who do not have access to a significant number of financial resources. As per Francia Sobrevinas, who is in charge of children at the medical center, the new technology is like an answer to prayer. It was apparently in her petition as a parent and physician that this machinery be made available because she knows the experience of a mother who tries to pray to save her kid in the neonatal department. Moreover, Oliver B. Gomez, the President of the Santa Cruz Stake, expressed gratitude to Laguna Medical Center for allowing the church to serve the local community. Sister Patricia Hayne and Elder Brendan Hayne, serving as service missionaries, pointed out that the donation is a part of the global effort that Church members are making to assist with the church's humanitarian purposes. Also Read:Gov. Glenn Youngkin Donates $43,750 Salary to Good News Jail & Prison Ministry to Bring Gospel to Inmates Humanitarian Projects of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Last year, the church donated over one billion dollars globally to support those in need, surpassing its financial goal for 2021 by more than $100 million amid increased scrutiny of the Utah-based faith's finances. This price tag encompassed assistance for both members and nonmembers equally. It involved offering assistance from places of employment and food-processing facilities, giving assistance through donations to charities, and accepting donated commodities. Furthermore, the governing First Presidency noted in an extensive report published on Wednesday, Mar. 22, titled "Caring for Those in Need," that the Christian community was fortunate to have the resources and global connections to fulfill the responsibility of giving such care. The publishing of the yearly report comes in the aftermath of articles that grabbed headlines about the church's wealth, as well as increased demand from members and observers alike for those in the authority of the religion to be more honest about the financial status of the faith, as well as more giving in its humanitarian offerings. According to Patrick Mason, who directs the Mormon cultural and historical program at Utah State University, the donations made by the church in 2022 represent an "impressive amount of money" and demonstrate that the faith is growing even more active and thriving in the field of charitable endeavors. However, Mason stated that it should not surprise that the church had increased its spending in 2021 when it spent $906 million on international charity. "There's a lot of growing expectations, especially with revelations about the church's wealth that it spend that wealth on behalf of the public good and for good causes," Manson asserted. Related Article:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Donates $8.7M to Red Cross, Upholds Status as Top Blood Drive Supporter Pixibay/ Stempow The historic St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome is set to host an Orthodox Divine Liturgy, to be officiated by Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II on April 24, 2023. This will be the first time a Coptic Orthodox patriarch has held such a service in this basilica, one of the most prominent churches in the world. Orthodox Divine Service According to the Catholic News Agency, the Coptic Orthodox Church has been separate from the Roman Catholic Church since the 5th century. However, recent years have seen increasing efforts toward ecumenical dialogue and understanding between the two churches. This upcoming liturgy is a significant step forward in that direction. The service is expected to draw many Catholic and Orthodox faithful and dignitaries from both churches. As mentioned, the event is being hailed as a symbol of unity between the two churches and a celebration of the longstanding Christian presence in Rome. It is also seen as a reflection of the strong relationship between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. In a statement, the Coptic Orthodox Church expressed gratitude to the Vatican for hosting the liturgy and for its efforts to foster greater understanding and cooperation between the two churches. The statement also emphasized the importance of dialogue and collaboration between Christians of different traditions in promoting peace and justice worldwide. The event is expected to be a historic moment in the ongoing journey towards greater Christian unity and a testament to the power of dialogue and mutual respect in fostering greater understanding between different faiths. In addition to the liturgy, there will also be a meeting between Patriarch Tawadros II and Pope Francis. Also Read: Fountain of Life Center Recovery from Fire, Parishioners to Hold Easter Sunday Mass as Scheduled Meeting of Pope Francis and Coptic Orthodox Leader In 2017, the SSPX reported that Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, met with Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II in Cairo on April 28, 2017. It was reportedly essential to improve relations between the Catholic and Coptic Orthodox Churches and was widely celebrated by both communities. During the meeting, Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros II emphasized their shared baptism and desired greater unity between their churches. The two leaders also discussed various issues affecting Christians in Egypt and worldwide, including the ongoing persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Africa. On the other hand, the meeting between Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros II was considered particularly significant given the history of tensions between the Catholic and Coptic Orthodox Churches. The two churches have been divided for centuries, with theological differences and historical events contributing to the split. As per the Jerusalem Post report, in a historic moment for Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, Bishop Tawadros was named the new pope on November 4, 2012. The decision was made by a blindfolded child who picked one of three names out of a glass bowl, as is the custom for selecting the Coptic pope. The selection of Tawadros as the 118th pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church came after the death of Pope Shenouda III, who had led the church for more than four decades. Tawadros was chosen from a pool of five candidates and was widely seen as a popular choice to lead the church into the future. Related Article: Greek Orthodox Church Resumes Liturgy Service 2 Decades After Twin Tower Attacks Pixabay/wendy CORNIQUET During Bishop Stephen Chow's fifth and last day in Beijing, he invited Joseph Li, the Archbishop of Beijing, to attend their church in Hong Kong. This offer aims to 'strengthen the ties between China and the Vatican.' Invitation of Bishop Stephen Chow According to The Washington Post, Bishop Stephen Chow stated that Joseph Li, the leader of the Catholic church on the mainland sponsored by the Communist Party, appeared to be "quite positive" about the invitation. However, the bishop did not provide any hint as to when Li may come to visit. As mentioned, Bishop Chow announced on the final day of a five-day journey to Beijing, which was the first visit to the Chinese capital by a bishop from Hong Kong in almost three decades. Chow's journey came after a year of tense ties, during which Beijing selected two church officials on its own and Hong Kong detained a cardinal. Chow's visit came as a result of these events. The outstanding senior research associate at the Divinity School of Chung Chi College, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Lo Lung-Kwong said that the diocese of the country "is affiliated with the Vatican, so implicitly, it can be said that this strengthens Vatican-Sino ties." Since the Vatican is affiliated with Hong Kong's diocese, "it can be said that this strengthens Vatican-Sino ties," Lo said. Moreover, South China Morning Post Publishers reported that the local parishioners greeted Chow upon visiting the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as Xizhimen Church. He expressed his gratitude for the chance to travel to the nation's capital and his hope that this would not be his final trip to the country. The congregation reportedly urged the bishop to travel to various dioceses because China is such a large country, and different dioceses in China have distinct cultures and climates. In addition, when asked if he had spoken about China-Vatican ties with authorities in Beijing, he responded, "This is a matter between states, but [our exchanges] are inter-dioceses." Bishop Chow previously stated that the goal of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong is to serve as a "bridge church" that promotes interactions between the city and the mainland was highlighted by his visit. It was organized following Li extended invitation to him last year. Furthermore, on Friday, Apr. 28, the bishop will return to Hong Kong. He will travel with Vicar General Father Peter Choy Wai-man and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing. Also Read:CCP Police Brutally Attacks Chinese Pastor Who Only Wanted To Visit Fellow Christians Relationship Between Vatican and China In 1951, after an ascension to power of the Communist Party in China and the subsequent deportation of foreign priests, diplomatic connections between Beijing and the Vatican were terminated, ABC News reported. Following the rupture in connections, Catholics in China have been split into two groups: those who are members of an official, state-sanctioned church and those who are members of a secret church loyal to the pope. Although the Vatican acknowledges the validity of members of both groups as Catholics, it asserts that it alone has the authority to select bishops. In 2018, the two parties announced that they had come to a secret agreement establishing the status of numerous bishops chosen by the Chinese government and setting the door for future appointments. Professor Kung Lap-yan, who teaches in the divinity school at Chinese University, stated that the exchange of visits provides a stronger foundation for the high-level ties developed due to the agreement. "When (a relationship) is fragile, then it must need some building works in the lower level," he noted. Related Article:Bishop Stephen Chow of Hong Kong's Top Catholic Cleric Visits Beijing on April to be A Bridge Between Two Sides Pixabay/SEspider Sean Feucht, the controversial MAGA preacher, called for a new period of Christian nationalism in the United States during a recent guest address at Sheridan.Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Feucht urged the crowd to accept the notion that America should be governed by biblical law to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ while speaking alongside Jackson Lahmeyer, the founder of Pastors for Trump. MAGA Preacher Advocates for Christian Nationalism at Tulsa Church Event According to Rolling Stone, in his speech, Feucht stressed the need for Christians to be ready for Jesus' second coming and noted that promoting Christian nationalism was crucial in that preparation. He understood the difficulty surrounding the phrase "Christian nationalist," but seemed to embrace the moniker in service of his broader mission: "It's all part of The King coming back, that's what we're practicing for." Sheridan.Church, a congregation under the leadership of Lahmeyer, who also created Pastors for Trump, a group of evangelicals committed to aiding the former president's reelection campaign, served as the event's host. The event brought to light the MAGA movement's persistent impact in some religious communities and the confluence of its supporters' political and religious goals. According to the report shared in Yahoo! News, at the Tulsa event, Feucht engaged in an imagined conversation with critics from the secular world, imitating their voices as he asked them whether they wanted The Kingdom to be the government and whether they wanted God to come and take over the government. He gave a hearty "Yes!" in his voice to his own questions, demonstrating his steadfast support for Christian nationalism. Feucht presented an extreme theology that differed significantly from mainstream Christian beliefs and claimed that supporting Christian nationalism is necessary for followers of Jesus. He then asserted that believers should be the ones writing laws and that God should be in control of everything, proudly admitting to these beliefs with the phrase, "Guilty as charged." Also Read: Activists in North Idaho Combat Christian Nationalism Across Religious and Secular Divides Christian Nationalism Tour: Amplifying Faith and Politics Across America Christian nationalism is a belief that Christianity defines America's identity and that the government should actively maintain this. According to Christianity Today, advocates argue that America must remain a "Christian nation" to preserve its identity and freedom. Though not advocating for theocracy or rejecting the First Amendment, they seek a privileged position for Christianity in the public sphere. The term "Christian nationalism" is relatively new and not typically used by its proponents. Still, it accurately reflects the views of American nationalists who see the country's identity as inseparable from Christianity. With assistance from the far-right political group Turning Point USA, headed by Charlie Kirk, MAGA preacher Sean Feucht's fifty-state "Kingdom to the Capitol" worship tour seeks to amplify Christian nationalism throughout the U.S. The ambitious tour, which began in Washington, D.C., was organized by TPUSAFaith, a Turning Point USA initiative, in collaboration with Feucht's Let Us Worship project and promoted the goal to "restore America's biblical values." last month with a prayer session held in the Capitol rotunda. Rep. Lauren Boebert, known for endorsing divisive political and religious personalities, reportedly organized the event. Related Article: Over 50% of Republicans Embrace Christian Nationalism, New Survey Reveals Pexels/Ron Lach A man was found naked in the baptismal fountain at One Life Church in Mesa on Sunday, which led to a peculiar situation. At about 2:42 p.m., police were called to the site. After hearing about the strange behavior was reported. Court records state that when the cops arrived, they discovered Jeremiah Sykes, age 20, in the fountain. Witnesses claimed that he refused to comply despite numerous demands for Sykes to go. Sykes picked up a blanket and stayed on the church grounds instead of leaving. Naked Man Arrested for Indecent Exposure Sykes also had an outstanding warrant, which was found out when Sykes was confronted by law enforcement. He was arrested without delay. According to AZ Central, Sykes initially claimed to have left the fountain when questioned but then admitted to trying to baptize himself. Witness accounts, however, refuted his story. The event shocked the neighborhood and sparked concerns about the security protocols in place at religious organizations. As part of routine booking procedures, Sykes was requested to remove his socks. Sykes is accused of hitting one of the officers with his right sock. Sykes allegedly punched the officer in the head when he came up to him to take him to jail. According to the court filings, Sykes punched the initial arresting officer in the face as they tried to intervene. Concerns have been expressed concerning the safety of law enforcement officers throughout the booking procedure in light of the violent outburst. Sykes also has a history of acting violently. In the article share in Yahoo! News, according to the record, Sykes has a history of "assaultive behavior to domestic partners and law enforcement" in addition to prior convictions for criminal trespassing and criminal damage. Sykes now faces several charges following his arrest and the subsequent assault on cops during the booking process. Among them are two counts of severe assault, criminal trespassing, resisting arrest, and one offense of indecent exposure. Also Read: Pro-Abortion Protesters, Almost Naked, Disrupt Catholic Mass In Michigan Understanding Indecent Exposure: What It Is, Its Forms, and Legal Consequences Exposing one's genitalia in public while potentially offending others and breaching the law is known as Indecent exposure. According to Helping Survivors, it is viewed as a sex crime and is sometimes combined with charges like public indecency, vulgar behavior, and lewd or obscene activities. Despite being occasionally dismissed as "flashing," indecent exposure" is a severe crime that could have legal repercussions. Public nudity, masturbation, intercourse in public, and public urination are all considered forms of indecent exposure. Most states consider exposure a crime even if no one can see it. Instead, the knowledge and intent of the criminal to expose themselves in public are frequently sufficient for a conviction. Due to the potential for jail time and violating personal rights, indecent exposure should be taken seriously. Indecent exposure is a severe crime, illegal under US federal regulations according to Title 25 Section 11.408. Perpetrators can be prosecuted regardless of their intentions. Penalties may vary depending on factors like child presence or repeat offenses. State laws differ, with some including women's breasts in their indecent exposure laws, often providing breastfeeding exceptions. Related Article: Lawsuit Alleges Minister and Spiritual Counselor Suggested Naked Therapy Session With Woman Pexels/MART PRODUCTION In recent years, the world has been facing many shutdowns and natural calamities that have been devastating to all humanity. Back in 2020, we faced a global shutdown due to the spread of a very contagious and life-threatening virus, Covid-19. Stacie Grhan, from British Columbia in Canada, was struck with fear. She thought that humanity was about to experience the end of the world. In an interview with Religion News Service, Grahn discussed how the pandemic and the subsequent vaccination program led her to wonder if they were the mark of the beast and a sign of the impending rapture. The Rapture: A 19th-Century Concept with Ongoing Influence The belief in the rapture concept started in the early 19th century and is often connected with evangelical and fundamentalist circles. According to the article published in the Washington Post, this concept gained a lot of attention in the late 20th century through the efforts of the famous media. These include Hal Lindsay's 1970 bestseller "The Late Great Planet Earth" and the 1972 suspense film "A Thief in the Night," this idea gained traction in the late 20th century. The "Left Behind" series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins furthered this belief in the 1990s. Stacie Grahn's story shows that the concept of the rapture is still essential in some people's lives. The grandmother of Grahn played a very significant role in introducing the concept to her. Through multiple exposures to end-times ministries and pastors such as J.D. Farag, Grahn has become well educated and acquainted with the apocalyptic beliefs at an early age. The persistent influence of rapture-based thinking on her family's plans and expectations was highlighted by her grandmother's repeated warnings that "the Lord might be coming back." Nikki G., 46, opposite to Grahn, joined the International House of Prayer in 2010, a group devoted to the end-times doctrine. She gave up materialism and concentrated on survival skills because of the group's enthusiasm and end-of-the-world beliefs. But even after leaving the group, Nikki continued to suffer from nightmares, flashbacks, and insomnia due to her preparations for the rapture. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people can experience anxiety, fear, and disrupted life plans due to teachings emphasizing the rapture's immediacy, torment for those left behind, and the need for God's approval. Therapist Mark Gregory Karris, the author of a book on healing religious trauma, highlights that research on rapture-related trauma is limited. This may cause some people to believe that planning for the future is pointless or unfaithful. Also Read: About Half of American Christians Believe That End Times Are Happening How Finding Community Can Help Christians Cope with Religious Trauma Christians who have concerns about their faith could feel anxious and afraid because it can be disapproved of to express them. According to the story shared last year on CNN, after sharing her worries in a Facebook forum, Ajoy, a Christian who questioned rapture doctrine, discovered that many other people had experienced what she had. Religious trauma can be exacerbated by suffering in solitude and the possibility of losing one's group. Connecting with people who have gone through similar things can be a source of encouragement and may inspire reframing or denying the faith. The number of Americans who identify as Christians has been declining, and others are abandoning their religion because they feel unwelcome or are sick of a culture that encourages rejection and disgrace. The TikTok users who follow Ajoy are appreciative of her work, which provides a secure forum for discussing upsetting religious recollections. Ajoy encourages those doubting their faith not to be afraid because love should not involve being afraid of getting the answers. Understanding and Coping with Rapture Anxiety Rapture anxiety, a form of religious trauma, has become a growing concern among evangelicals, particularly those raised with a heavy emphasis on rapture theology. According to the article in Christianity, stemming from the belief in the rapture, this anxiety is often centered on the fear of being "left behind" and can persist into adulthood. Rapture theology was popularized through books, conferences, and teaching ministries, with fictional accounts like the Left Behind series targeting children and teens. Many who experienced this anxiety during their formative years now question the impact of their faith on their mental and emotional health. To address rapture anxiety, it is crucial to understand the biblical teachings on the rapture and seek support from mental health professionals, spiritual leaders, or supportive communities. Two important facts should be remembered if you suffer from rapture anxiety: Christian theology does not emphasize the rapture, and there is a substantial dispute on its timing. Since it is not a fundamental principle, several denominations must adhere to it. Without sacrificing your Christian beliefs, it is possible to reject the rapture doctrine. Second, since life in paradise will be incomparably more significant than on earth, Christians should not fear death. Your wounds and traumas will be converted into something extraordinary in Jesus and become everything you were created to be. Accept that Jesus will offer joy and calm throughout your trip and make everything new. Related Article: Actor Neal McDonough on His New End Times Film and the Power of Trusting in God Over 50 bodies exhumed after cult leader ordered followers to starve to death to reach Heaven faster Update: 11 a.m. ET April 24: Over 50 bodies have been discovered in mass graves on land owned by a pastor in Kenya who was arrested this month for encouraging followers to fast to their deaths. Kenya Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome told Reuters for a report published Monday that the death toll included 50 bodies found in mass graves and eight others who were found alive but later died. At least 29 survivors have been rescued. Original: Twenty-one deceased, including children, have been exhumed from a forest outside Kenyas coastal town of Malindi. All were members of a cult whose leader allegedly ordered them to fast so they could meet Jesus, according to police who warn that others might be found dead. The bodies were recovered from the Shakahola forest as part of a probe into the cult, known as Good News International Church, whose pastor and leader, Makenzie Nthenge, had allegedly instructed his followers to abstain from eating if they wanted to meet Jesus, AFP reported Saturday. Last month, after two children starved to death in their parents custody, Nthenge turned himself over to the police and was charged. He was initially released on bail of $700 (100,000 Kenyan shillings) but was arrested again on April 15 after the discovery of four more bodies. Police sources say more bodies are expected to be found, as they have not even scratched the surface of the case, according to Barrons. Eleven other followers, ranging in age from 17 to 49, were taken to the hospital after being rescued on April 14. Three of these individuals are reportedly in critical condition. The police raided the Shakahola forest after receiving information about ignorant citizens starving to death under the pretext of meeting Jesus after being brainwashed by Nthenge, a controversial televangelist who had been under investigation for preaching a doctrine that encourages followers to starve themselves to death to reach Heaven faster. Six of Nthenges associates have also been arrested in connection with the case. Nthenge is due to appear in court for an initial hearing on Monday, with the fill case scheduled for May 2. Despite being in custody, Nthenge has reportedly gone on a hunger strike, claiming he is praying and fasting. In a similar incident last July, police in Nigeria rescued at least 77 people, including 23 children, who pastors had ordered to stay in a church basement and wait for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Pastors of the Whole Bible Believer Church in Valentino Area of Ondo town in the southwestern state of Ondo encouraged church members "to stay behind" and wait for the rapture or to be taken to Heaven at the Second Coming of Christ. "Preliminary investigation revealed that Pastor Josiah Peter Asumosa, an assistant pastor in the church, was the one who told the members that Rapture will take place in April, but later said it had been changed to September 2022 and told the young members to obey only their parents in the Lord," the BBC quoted police press officer Funmilayo Odunlami as saying at the time. Christian known for evangelizing Muslims, leading many to Christ, stabbed to death in Uganda NAIROBI, Kenya Muslim extremists this month killed a Christian who was effective in leading Muslims to Christ in eastern Uganda, sources said. Engineer Herbert of Sironko District was stabbed to death in the Namakwekwe area of northern Mbale town on the night of April 8 while on his way home from work in the town where he had established a business that supported his evangelization of Muslims, area Christians said. He was 42. Herbert was very effective in evangelistic activities, an area pastor told Morning Star News. He worked and helped many evangelists in reaching Muslim communities in Nkoma, Nakaloke, Busajabwankuba, Nauyo, Kabwangasi and many parts of Mbale city and outside the city. His acts of supporting and helping preachers were seen in Muslim circles as misleading many Muslims who left Islam and joined Christianity, especially young men and women. The pastor and an area Christian, also unnamed for security reasons, found Herberts body at 9 a.m. local time on April 9. The pastor and I were able to recognize the man, said the Christian, who had come across Muslims attacking Herbert the previous night. He was lying in a pool of blood with deep cuts on his head, back and hands. The Christian had left Mbale town the night of April 8 but returned for fuel when he saw a group of Muslims in Namakwekwe cell, in the northern division of Mbale, he said. I switched on the full lights of my car and saw about five men beside the roadside dressed in Islamic capes and tunic clothes hitting a man who made a loud alarm asking for help, but I feared for my life as one of the attackers was shouting to him about damaging the Islamic religion, he said. He sped away, terrified, and upon reaching Mbale informed police, he said. Police requested me to take them to the site where the incident took place the following morning, he told Morning Star News, adding that he was initially reluctant out of fear of Muslims harming him as a Christian eyewitness to the crime, but that police gave him assurances. Later I agreed and decided to inform one of the pastors in Mbale town. The pastor, who accompanied him to the site of the crime the next morning, said Herbert had helped him and other church leaders. I was personally helped by the late Herbert, and indeed he had been a wonderful, gifted evangelist, as well as offering financial support toward the expansion of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, he said tearfully. As the Body of Christ, we have lost a devoted servant of Christ. Police took the body for postmortem and have begun investigating. The assault was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented. Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12% of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country. Less than half of born-again Christians believe Jesus lived sinless life on Earth: study Millions of Christians no longer attending church since pandemic Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, fewer born-again Christians now say that Jesus lived a sinless life during his time on Earth, and church attendance has dropped by some 15 million people weekly, a new study from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows. The findings came from The American Worldview Inventory 2023, an annual tracking study of the worldview of U.S. adults involving 2,000 people from across the country and conducted under the supervision of George Barna, director of research at the Cultural Research Center. While born-again Christians make up about one-third of all U.S. adults and are considered the backbone of local church activity because of their higher level of commitment to the Christian faith, the study shows that between 2020 and 2023, the share of those who say they believe Jesus did not commit sins during his lifetime on Earth fell from 58% to 44%. Jesus being sinless is central to the hope Christians have in Him as Savior explains the apologetics website Got Questions because, If Jesus were not sinless, there would be no sacrifice for sin. The apostle Peter stated it clearly: He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. (1 Peter 2:22) Indeed, as Jesus Christ is God, He has no capacity to sin, the Christian website explains. This shift in belief among born-again Christians was among six that showed a significant decline in the past three years that Barna characterized as indefensible. Fewer than half of born-again Christians also now believe they have a unique, God-given calling or purpose. The share of those who held that belief fell from 88% to a staggering 46% during the pandemic. A downward trend was also observed among those who say the Bible is unambiguous in its teaching about abortion. That belief fell from 58% to 44%. Those who say human life is sacred fell from 60% to 48%, and the number of born-again Christians who say God is the basis of all truth fell from 69% to 63% over the period. The share of born-again believers who say they are deeply committed to practicing their religious faith fell from 85% to 50%, while the share of those who say they read or study the Bible at least once a week fell from 60% to 55%. When it comes to the general population of U.S. adults, Barna said the share of the population that claims to hold a biblical worldview fell from 6% to 4% in the last three years, while less than half now claim to be deeply committed to practicing their religious faith. That measure fell from 60% to 48%. Barna also found that only 33% of adults now say they attend church service during a typical week which shows a decline representing the loss of about 15 million churchgoing adults each week. The veteran researcher said the findings on the drastic shift in Christian belief over such a short period of time are highly unusual because religious beliefs and behaviors have typically been a hallmark of consistency. Most religious beliefs change over the course of generations, not a few years, Barna said. However, we know that major life crises have the capacity to introduce substantial change quickly in the foundations of peoples faith. And the impact of COVID-19 has been significant. The pandemic was certainly a life crisis for our nation, so even though this magnitude of spiritual shift was not expected, it is feasible given the physical and psychological effects of COVID along with the economic, relational, and lifestyle effects of the governments drastic policies, Barna explained. As he warned in the 2022 Worldview Inventory, Barna noted that a significant driver behind the decline in Christians holding on to a biblical worldview is syncretism, an ideology described as the worldview that merges otherwise incompatible philosophies of life into a made-to-order worldview that incorporates enough biblical elements to be minimally Christian in nature. Although some of the belief and behavior shifts seem to conflict with each other, this is precisely what happens when the prevailing worldview of the nation is Syncretism, Barna said. Syncretism does not rely upon logic or consistency. Over time, many people struggle with the conflicts inherent in their syncretistic belief system, and the strange jumble of behaviors that emerge from those beliefs, he added. But for the foreseeable future, it is likely most people will ignore their incompatible philosophies and make do the best they can. They are seeking comfort and security more than spiritual and intellectual consistency. 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. UMC conference approves disaffiliation of 264 Tennessee churches The United Methodist Church continues to experience the impact of its ongoing schism over homosexuality, with the Holston Conference in Tennessee approving the departure of 264 churches from the denomination on Saturday. This comes after the loss of over 1,800 congregations last year. A special session of the Holston Annual Conference was held at Central United Methodist Church in downtown Knoxville, as 945 members and guests representing both remaining and departing churches gathered to worship and process requests for disaffiliation. The conference concluded with the launch of a visioning and prayer campaign for the future of the Holston Conference, which will now comprise 578 churches in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and North Georgia, the conference said in a statement. Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, resident bishop, acknowledged the significance of the day, stating that the disaffiliating churches and withdrawing pastors have played important roles in the lives of those continuing in the UMC. She emphasized that the conference vote would not change the impact these pastors and churches have had on the denomination. Over the past several years, the UMC has been embroiled in a divisive debate over whether to change its official stance labeling homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching, which includes a ban on the blessing of same-sex unions and prohibiting noncelibate homosexuals from becoming clergy. A church law, paragraph 2553, set to expire at the end of 2023, allows U.S. congregations to exit with [their] property if they meet specific financial and procedural requirements. With these latest disaffiliations, 2,095 U.S. congregations have withdrawn from the UMC since 2019, representing roughly 7% of United Methodist churches in the U.S., according to the denominations news outlet, which also said the Holston Conference will see its membership drop from 148,580 to 117,378, with 21% of members departing the denomination. Frustrations over the debate led many conservatives to conclude that it would be better to form their own Methodist denomination or become nondenominational. Last year, the Global Methodist Church officially launched as a theologically conservative alternative to the mainline Protestant UMC. While most of the departing congregations have opted to join the GMC, some have become nondenominational. After the requests for disaffiliation were approved Saturday, attendees read a paragraph together: We feel loss in this separation. Yet we feel hope for our different paths forward. We will miss each others contributions to the church family. While we know we will all continue to add to Gods Church Universal. We trust that in the power of the Holy Spirit, God will continue to do good work through us in the communities we serve. We ask Gods blessing on each other and on the whole family of God. The Rev. Kim Goddard, dean of the cabinet under Wallace-Padgett, spoke about the future of the Holston Conference, emphasizing the potential for a fresh start and renewed faithfulness for the 578 remaining churches. Bishop Wallace-Padgett expressed confidence in the future of the Holston Conference, stating that it's strong and robust. She affirmed that the focus remains on making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. In some cases, church votes to leave the UMC have been rejected by regional bodies. In December, the First United Methodist Church of Jonesboro, Arkansas, filed a lawsuit against the Arkansas Conference after the conference voted to reject the church's disaffiliation and suspended its pastor. First UMC was among three congregations that had their disaffiliation voters rejected by the conference in November, although it approved the disaffiliation requests of 35 other congregations. Last July, over 100 churches filed a lawsuit against the UMC Florida Annual Conference, claiming that it requires departing congregations to pay a "sum of money" to retain control of their church properties. Postcard from Cuba There is something about Cuba. I found myself in the capital of Havana four years after my last and only visit to the island, which has been under communist rule since the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s. The difference between then and now was very noticeable. Back in 2019, I wrote that parts of Cuba were not visibly poorer than other places in the Caribbean and Latin America if you disregard the political lens that frames how most Americans see the country. Anyone who has ever gone beyond the gates of a luxury beach resort in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic or Mexico has undoubtedly seen locals living in tin shacks. Even the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands can be really poor. Havana and Old Havana (Habana Vieja), as the old town is unoriginally called, were completely different this time. While the main tourist drag of Calle Obispo was mostly clean, the side streets leading to and from adjoining neighborhoods and districts were filthy. The putrid smell of trash was everywhere. Several locals, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the countrys widespread fuel shortage has resulted in trash trucks not coming for days or even weeks at a time. Combined with entire blocks of dilapidated buildings, much of Havana looked, smelled and felt like a third-world slum. Even areas that were otherwise mostly clean had the kind of litter that I never saw back in 2019. Locals were regularly seen drinking a plastic bottle of Coke or water only to then drop it nonchalantly in the gutter of a street. The crews of street sweepers that ventured out early every morning had a seemingly impossible job, not least because the single broom they carried was far from sufficient. And yet, Havana was an incredibly beautiful place to discover. The cityscape is a whole panoply of architecture from some of the oldest buildings in the Americas Cubas capital celebrated its 500th anniversary at the end of 2019 to the faded pre-revolutionary grandeur of Paseo del Prado, a tree-lined promenade inspired by the parks and promenades of Paris, Vienna and other European capital cities. Among the must-visit sights are the Belle Epoque-era Great Theater (Gran Teatro); St. Christophers Cathedral (Catedral de San Cristobal) with its Spanish colonial baroque architecture; the Minor Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Basilica Menor of San Francisco de Asis), which faces a popular plaza also dedicated to the namesake of the Franciscans; and several museums, including the National Museum of Fine Arts (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes) and City Museum of Havana (Museo de la Ciudad). I skipped the cliche driving tour in one of the stereotypical vintage American cars as I prefer exploring by foot. Walkers should head to the Malecon, the esplanade and road paralleling the seawall, and look for the U.S. Embassy. This has to be one of more interesting diplomatic-cum-listening posts. If you go Americans cant visit Cuba for tourism, although this comes with a big asterisk as the U.S. government has 12 categories of permissible visits. Three of the exemptions cover religious activities, educational activities and support for the Cuban people, which is unquestionably the broadest category. In reality, a trip to Cuba is no different from anywhere else, provided all the right boxes are checked and you dont do anything stupid like smuggle contraband. Cash is king. Literally and figuratively, as U.S. credit cards dont work in Cuba. Cubas worsening economic crisis has made dollars or euros preferred to the worthless Cuban pesos. When eating at a restaurant, spend your dollars or euros in a paladar, as privately owned eateries are called. Not only are you supporting Cubas nascent private sector, but the menu is generally better than any of the restaurants inside hotels. Consider booking accommodation through Airbnb or another short-term rental platform as many hotels are on the U.S. governments sanctions list. Delta and American fly nonstop several times per day from Miami. United and JetBlue also have nonstop flights from other airports. The required Cuban visa can be bought at the airport before checking in with the airline for $100. A taxi to and from Havanas Jose Marti International Airport should cost $30 each way. Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post. 3 counter-cultural approaches to pastoring Gen Z Our hope narratives were written in the 90s. They need to be re-crafted. For those of us in pastoral ministry, I think we share a collective sense of responsibility to prepare Generation Z for a new world. We dont know everything about how this new world will operate. We just know it will be different and complex. This moment in history is marked by a mixture of cross-current, wild and unpredictable cultural events converging. Like streams into a river. AI. Crypto. Gender identity. Social upheaval. Political division. Racial tension. Financial stress. I think we get why younger generations dont necessarily wake up each morning with optimism surging through their veins. And yet, history shows us that moments of dynamic human progress and innovation often happen in the midst of chaos and challenge. This is why the story we tell about hope and resilience needs to look different. We need a new narrative, a new set of markers to help us chart a course for new generations to find faith in challenging times. We must prepare them not for a world that has come and gone, but for the world they are inheriting. Ive been around church my entire life. Before I was a senior pastor, I was raised as a pastors kid. In my church upbringing, we were good at talking about favor and goodness and breakthrough, but our culture has a very uncomfortable relationship with the shadows of life. Heres a narrative that is not working for Gen Z: Put your hope in God and your life will be blessed in a way that looks like a postcard-perfect life, a Hallmark version of life. The script goes something like this if I could just remove every problem around me, my job, my family, my health, my emotions, then I would be happy. But then, mud gets thrown on our beautiful postcard life; we dont know what to do with it. So, how do we pastor and lead Gen Z through uncertainty, anxiety and upheaval? Consider these three practices: 1. Debunk outcome-based hope Outcome-based hope is the fantasy of a life without troubles. We need to decouple hope from the outcome. Lets sketch a new and biblical picture of hope a hope made for moments when circumstances dont improve. A hope so incandescent it can illuminate the darkest nights. Faith doesnt guarantee the short-term outcome, but it makes space in the narrative of our lives for God to do surprising and wonderful things beyond what we can even understand in the moment. This new narrative of hope shows up when cancer attacks, divorce divides or the stress of the daily grind feels like too much. Hope lives in trauma, adversity and valleys of discouragement. Lets teach new generations that it is not about having hope for things. It is about who we have hope in. 2. The link between challenge and growth How we handle the challenges of life will define us more than anything else. Why? Because pain grows us. Hardship and hope together can do something for us that a problem-free life never could. It is the imperfections of life, not the absence of them, that when harnessed provide the resistance and friction needed to supercharge our growth and propel us forward. Some of my worst moments were what pushed me toward empathy, kindness, humility and a reliance on the grace of God. Whatever I thought my mistakes would steal from me, they have given me much more in return. But with hope, our storyline always curves toward a redemptive purpose. 3. Teach them the bicycle Lets show younger generations that life is more like a bicycle. Think of it this way: Every time you get on a bicycle and ride, both wheels are in motion. The connection is this: instead of there being seasons where there is only good in our lives and other seasons where there is only bad, we tend to have a mixture of both. We travel on both wheels at all times. Even on the most dramatically good days, we have hardships. And on the worst of days, there is some good. There is the wheel of human experience that involves hurt, pain and hardship. But there is also the divine wheel that involves hope, peace and joy. Any journey involves both wheels constantly in motion. We need to teach Gen Z not to delay their sense of joy and optimism until the problems in their lives vanish. Stay on the bicycle! From my 20 years of pastoring, I have discovered something remarkable to help new generations understand the world they are currently in. That is, not only should we have room for hardship but hope can take our hardest moments and turn them into something that brings about our greatest growth. I define this as a good catastrophe, a concept I address further in my latest book, Good Catastrophe: The Tide Turning Power of Hope, to bring encouragement and hope to the next generation in a new and real way. (Photo : Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) Several high profile tech moguls have signed an open letter calling for a pause in the development of artificial intelligence, warning against its potential consequences. Artificial intelligence is rapidly rising in popularity in the technology industry Several major tech companies are now warning against its potential dangers Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak are among the high-profile individuals who have called for a pause of AI development With the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology and other related advancements, tech moguls are warning against widespread AI's potential dangers. The warning comes after a wave of consumer enthusiasm prompted the development and launch of OpenAI's famous ChatGPT. Additionally, this trend has caused some major tech companies to pull resources to advance their AI technology and launch new AI-powered products. Tech Moguls Warn of AI Threat However, only some people are optimistic about artificial intelligence's potential impacts on society and the technology industry. Several high-profile tech figures have, last month, chipped in with an open letter that called for a pause on the development of advanced AI. These individuals include SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Steve Wozniak, as per Business Insider. The letter noted various concerns among tech moguls regarding the potential consequences of further advancements in technology that are more powerful than OpenAI's GPT-4, including risks to democracy. In some tech companies, including Google and OpenAI itself, senior figures have already started to push back against the aspects of the letter. They highlighted issues with some of its technical points and practicality. For some time now, Tesla CEO Musk has been wary of artificial intelligence, saying in 2018 that AI is even more dangerous to the world than nuclear warheads. During a conference, he said it "scares the hell out of me." OpenAI said that its latest GPT AI technology model is much more powerful than the version before that was used as a base for ChatGPT, which is a bot capable of generating walls of text from even the shortest of prompts, according to Science Alert. Read Also: Twitter Removes China, Russia 'State-Affiliated' Labels: How About NPR? Potential Consequences of Artificial Intelligence The open letter of tech moguls noted that AI systems equipped with human-competitive intelligence are considered a threat to society and humanity. It added that these systems should only be developed after there is a confidence that their potential effects will be positive and that their risks are manageable. Musk's warning comes despite being an initial investor in OpenAI and spending several years on its board. Furthermore, his electric vehicle manufacturing company, Tesla, develops AI systems that drive its cars, among other applications. Another signatory of the open letter is Canadian AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio who warned that "society is not ready" for such a powerful tool and its potential misuse. His remarks came during a virtual conference in Montreal. In a recent interview, Kevin Baragona, a co-founder of DeepAI, said that artificial intelligence is similar to nuclear weapons software. His remarks referenced the 1940s when the atomic bomb was created. The tech mogul added that many people have debated whether or not they should continue with such developments, said Firstpost. Related Article: Insider Lays Off 10% of Staff: Is ChatGPT Experiment to Blame? @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Journalist Visits 7 Churches Of Revelation, Explores Importance Of Visiting Biblical Cities And Sites link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 13:00 13:00 What's it like to visit some of the cities and locations described in the Bible? Christian Post reporter Leonardo Blair went to Turkey in December and, along with other journalists, visited the seven churches of Revelation, exploring cities like Izmir, Manisa, and Denizli. As he prepares for a second trip to explore some of the places the Apostle Paul visited during his missionary journeys, listen to Blair explain the profound experience, how it helped bring biblical truth alive in a new way for him and more. FOLLOW BILLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: - Follow Billy on Twitter - Follow Billy on Instagram - Follow Billy on Facebook What's it like to visit some of the cities and locations described in the Bible? Christian Post reporter Leonardo Blair went to Turkey in December and, along with other journalists, visited the seven churches of Revelation, exploring cities like Izmir, Manisa, and Denizli. As he prepares for a second trip to explore some of the places the Apostle Paul visited during his missionary journeys, listen to Blair explain the profound experience, how it helped bring biblical truth alive in a new way for him and more. British public don't want a secular coronation, poll finds A new poll commissioned by Bible Society has found little appetite for a secular or multi-faith coronation among members of the British public. In the poll of 3,000 people across England and Wales, just 15% agreed that state royal events should be wholly secular. Support for a multi-faith state royal event was similarly low at 16%. Asked whether it should be wholly Christian, nearly a third agreed (31%). Only a fifth (21%) disagreed and nearly half (48%) said they didn't know. Support for the presence of Christianity at the late Queen's funeral was even higher, with over three quarters of respondents (79%) saying it was appropriate because of her personal Christian faith, while a majority (72%) agreed that it was appropriate for a British royal event. Over half (55%) were happy that the funeral events were wholly Christian. Only 12% found it alienating. Over a third (37%) were supportive of the Bible being part of a state royal event, compared to just 14% who disagreed. The poll was carried out by YouGov on behalf of Bible Society and the findings are published in the charity's new report, Mourning Elizabeth: Christianity and the Bible in the funeral of the Queen. Commenting on the findings, the report's co-author, Dr Rhiannon McAleer said: "The latest census revealed that less than half the population of England and Wales now identify as Christian, but this doesn't translate to a desire to see Christianity banished from the public sphere." The results have been published just weeks before the coronation of King Charles III where he will take his oath using a special edition of the King James Bible in Westminster Abbey. Other findings in the survey revealed strong support for the Queen (68%) and Britain remaining a monarchy (62%), compared to only 27% who want a republic - although support for the monarchy falls considerably among 18 to 24 year olds at 43%. Over a quarter of those surveyed (29%) said they heard parts of the Bible they had never heard before during the Queen's funeral, rising to 40% among 18 to 24 year olds. A third said they had found the passages moving, although a quarter said they were boring and the same proportion of young people and people of other faiths said the Bible was hard to understand. Dr McAleer said, "Even many people who might not practise Christian faith themselves appear to recognise it as part of the social fabric expressed by the institution of monarchy. Many are also receptive to the Bible, which was quoted extensively during the funeral events. "Far from people finding the presence of Christianity alienating at royal events, it is widely regarded as appropriate." She added: "These are indications that Christianity is still regarded as a significant factor in public life, and isn't to be dismissed as irrelevant or outdated. There are also challenges for the Church, though, in engaging those who did feel that the Bible readings and rituals didn't speak to them." COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) A bird strike sparked an engine fire on a plane shortly after it took off Sunday from an Ohio airport, and the airliner returned safely with no injuries reported, authorities said. American Airlines flight 1958 had departed from John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus around 7:45 a.m. and was headed to Phoenix. The fire was detected a short time later and the Boeing 737 returned to the airport, where firefighters quickly doused the flames. Richard Clark/Getty Images AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Six mutilated cows were found dead on different properties along a Texas highway spanning three counties, authorities announced this week. While investigating the death of a 6-year-old cow, five other similar occurrences were reported along the area near College Station spanning Madison, Brazos and Robertson counties, Madison County Sheriff's officials said Wednesday in a Facebook post. Similar mutilations have been reported around the U.S. and efforts to coordinate between agencies were underway, the sheriff's office said. On Sen. John Fetterman's first day back at the U.S. Capitol after a mental health crisis and a long hospital stay, his staff debated a fashion quandary: Could the Pennsylvania Democrat wear a hoodie and a suit at the same time? He'd done the four-hour car ride from Braddock, Pa., to Washington in navy gym shorts, sneakers and a hooded Carhartt sweatshirt - the familiar uniform of the comfort-craving Fetterman, whose anti-fashion bolstered his everyman image during his successful run for office last year. On the campaign trail, he put on a jacket and tie only occasionally, often at the urging of advisers who insisted he at least attempt looking senatorial to the undecided voter. When he came to Washington in January, however, he surprised staff by insisting on suits for his public engagements. They didn't know it was a sign of the depths of Fetterman's depression - that the politician who had built his populist brand on not caring what others thought of his appearance was afraid of being judged. Now, with his depression in remission, Fetterman was eager to ditch his suit - except that on the Senate floor, you need to wear a tie. Adam Jentleson, his chief of staff, suggested a compromise: a shirt and tie under the hoodie, then throw a jacket over the hoodie. When Fetterman emerged in his casual-business-formal turducken, another senior staffer rejected the bulky look. Fetterman agreed. He eventually opted for just the suit and a new pair of black suede high-top sneakers. The question of what the senator should wear was part of a larger challenge, which is reintroducing Sen. John Fetterman to Washington - on his own terms. "In a very strong way, that was the first day I was in my job," Fetterman said in a brief interview with The Washington Post. The senator felt nervous when his Chevy Tahoe pulled up to the throng of reporters and curious tourists awaiting his arrival outside the Capitol. As he walked in, he turned to the crowd, put his hands over his heart, then threw them up in a big double wave. "Good to be back, thank you!" he shouted. Fetterman walked through the Capitol to a set of windowless rooms in the basement of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, a temporary workspace for new senators awaiting renovations on their regular offices. Staffers seated nearby answered constituent phone calls about Fetterman's health. "He's doing really well," one said flatly into the receiver. "According to his CBS interview, his depression is in remission." He walked in to a standing ovation. Many of the people working for Fetterman had never interacted with their boss. Before seeking inpatient treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in February, Fetterman had limited his circle to a small group of trusted aides. Now, Fetterman was excited to get to know everyone. He thanked his staff for "keeping the fires burning" in his absence. On the desk in his personal office, Fetterman found a handwritten note of well-wishes from the alternative rock band R.E.M., along with a gift: a hoodie. Fetterman hadn't wanted his stroke to define his Senate career after it almost derailed his campaign. He feels differently about the ways in which his mental health crisis might shape his work. "Depression has become kind of like a policy [priority]," he told The Post. "If even one person can get help as a result, then that's what I want to do." He was already a star when he arrived to town in January to take the crucial seat he won for the Democrats. But Fetterman was then still grappling with the aftereffects of the stroke he suffered last May, and his depression was advancing. In the weeks between his victory and his swearing-in, his aides struggled to get the senator-elect to engage with his new job. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who had campaigned with the "big, bubbly" Fetterman, found his demeanor "kind of shocking" when his new colleague arrived in January: "It was clear he was not the guy I had met," Murphy said this week. Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D), the other senator from Pennsylvania, recalled Fetterman looking somber at the Senate Democrats' day-long retreat on Feb. 8. At the time, Casey had attributed his colleague's mood to the iPad that Fetterman was relying on to transcribe conversations since the stroke had left him with symptoms of an auditory processing disorder, where he would sometimes miss words that people were saying. (Use of closed-captioning to help overcome such symptoms is common for people recovering from strokes. Last fall, Fetterman's doctor wrote a letter saying he could "work full duty in public office.") "I didn't know he was also struggling with depression," Casey said in an interview, looking back on that early February retreat. "Right then, he was probably at a low point." Fetterman was admitted to George Washington University Hospital later that day and underwent evaluation for signs of another stroke. When one was ruled out, his aides grew concerned that the senator seemed emotionless. A week later, he went to Walter Reed and stayed for 44 days. In the hospital, he learned that, in addition to auditory processing difficulties, he suffered from hearing loss and needed hearing aids. Fetterman started having brief phone calls without the aid of text transcription. He took long daily walks and lost more weight. Rebecca Katz, his close friend and political strategist, brought him a stack of news clippings on one trip to Walter Reed: personal accounts from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Phelps, and Bruce Springsteen, all describing their personal bouts of depression and mental health. Their frankness encouraged Fetterman to speak candidly about his own suffering. "'I didn't know I could be better - I didn't know other people were dealing with this, too,'" Katz recalled him saying. Fetterman's staff could tell his depression was receding when he started teasing again. A frequent target of his jokes: Jentleson, his chief of staff, who visited Fetterman daily at Walter Reed. "Of course you drive a Subaru!" Fetterman mocked one day as his longhaired top aide drove away. ("He thinks I'm a big hippie nerd," Jentleson said.) Back at work, his first stop after his own office was Casey's, where Fetterman dropped off beer and cake for the staff, a small gift to thank them for their support during Fetterman's absence. "I love this man!" Fetterman howled as he folded Casey into a half-hug. As the two walked together to the Senate floor for his first votes, a reporter asked Casey how it felt to be back after a two-week recess. "I'm happy to be back - I'm happy to have John back," he replied. Later in the week, Fetterman spoke at a news conference introducing a bill to crack down on congressional stock trading. He led his first Senate subcommittee hearing on SNAP benefits, speaking clearly, if sometimes haltingly and with the occasional malapropism. Republican attacks on his speech used to terrify him: "He always used to say, 'How bad was that?' after something minor," Jentleson says. With his depression under control, the attacks no longer bothered the senator. "They ran clips when his speech was halting," Jentleson says. "He went back to not caring." He bantered with interest groups that swung through his office, like a dairy farmer concerned about the rise of nondairy milk. "I really wanna go hard about that oat-milk-kinda-bill-type stuff," Fetterman told her. "I'm not anti-oat-milk. It's just an oat beverage." He relaxed into encounters with constituents, offering hugs and handshakes as he posed for photos. "You're wearing a suit, too!" he teased a young boy advocating for Down syndrome research. "I feel like I was two different people," Fetterman told The Post, referring to his experiences before and after treatment. "I'm somebody who's delighted to have my picture [taken], or just have conversations, or be involved - I wasn't part of that at all before." Fetterman reserved most of his spontaneous interactions for his colleagues. He mimed freeing a group of Democratic senators trapped in a stuck Capitol subway when he passed them on his walk to vote on Tuesday morning. "You were great on MSNBC!" he said to Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) when they crossed paths a few minutes later. His medical absence denied him the usual bonding rituals with fellow senators, but Fetterman has a small circle of colleagues with whom he has become friendly: Casey - whom Fetterman describes as his "mentor" - and Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, both of Minnesota. He's closest with Sen. Peter Welch (Vt.), the only other Democratic freshman senator, and Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (Ala.), a newcomer on the Republican side. Britt joked that they bonded because her husband, a former offensive lineman for the New England Patriots, shared John's high-altitude eye line. "John displayed real courage in seeking help," Britt said. "Good to see you, brother!" said Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who wrapped him in a quick hug and handshake outside the Senate floor on Wednesday afternoon. "I don't know him yet, but I really, really like him," Booker said of their brief interaction. Back in his office later that day, an aide handed Fetterman a packet of information about his Thursday schedule - "a book for tomorrow," she said. Fetterman, who was on his way out the door and wasn't using his iPad transcription, seemed to accidentally hear "Booker" and told his scheduler he would like to find time for the senator and him to hang out in the coming weeks. She politely corrected him and made a promise to find time on the calendar. All week, Fetterman had emerged from his personal office in the early evening to needle his staff for working late: "It's Miller time!" he'd say. So, on Wednesday evening, Fetterman's staffers squeezed themselves into the conference room for a happy hour. When Fetterman walked in, everyone yelled, "Surprise - it's Miller time!" Fetterman gave a small smirk. A staffer handed him a beer, and he popped it open. "Actually, I'd trade this in for a seltzer," he said. "I love seltzers." His staff protested; the senator finished his beer, anyway. Fetterman stood in the corner of the room near the doorway and surveyed the room. After a couple of minutes, he said: "This should happen more often." His week ended on Thursday with a series of afternoon votes. Fetterman was running late after getting fitted for hearing aids at Walter Reed and didn't have time to change out of the hoodie and shorts he was wearing into a suit before going back to the floor. That's when Fetterman figured out a hack that some of his more tenured colleagues already knew: If he walked up toward the doors of the Senate and signaled his vote, he could remain off the floor and wouldn't have to change into his suit. The junior senator from Pennsylvania could do his job, and stay comfortable - even though he got there late. I grew up in Paris, but I've never eaten better than living in Houston. My adopted city has almost every food I could possibly want, but if there's one thing I miss about France, it's most certainly the croissants. Over the two and a half years I've lived in Houston, I've periodically tried various bakeries in search of a worthy version, taking recommendations and notes as I went. In honor of Bastille Day this yearthe "French July 4th" on the 14th, or le quatorze juilletI made a final push to revisit some spots, eating no less than six croissants in two days last weekend, and compile my thoughts. When I moved here in February 2020, I remember being surprised at hearing French being spoken walking around Montrose. I learned there's actually a sizable population here due to a few French energy companies having offices in Houston. I wondered how satisfied these transplants were with the food, particularly the pastries, as the general French attitude has always been "anything that is not French or of France is inherently bad." (As a citoyenne francaise, I can say this about my compatriotes.) My quest to find a goodor even passablecroissant was not easy. I ate probably one of the worst croissants at Flo Paris on Westheimer. I drove past Beltway 8 to try a bakery I heard was owned by an actual French woman, only to find out it had recently changed hands and the quality had deteriorated. But it wasn't all bad, and I'm finally prepared to lay out my research and crown my favorite. Emma Balter First, let me tell you what I believe makes a good croissant. There's the butter: It has to be obscenely plentiful to keep the croissant moist, as well as evenly distributed to all corners of the pastry, from the fleshy middle to the lightly crunchy ends. A croissant must have excellent flaking potentialif your lap is not full of flakes when you bite into one, it's a sign that it wasn't properly baked. The dough lamination is the toughest part; a croissant has to have good, well-defined layers. Then there's something very important I am going to call "dislocation" (sorry), which is when you pull one of the croissant's arms from its core. Doing so must create a clear socket, and in the process the separated end must detach some of the pastry's fluffy insides. Finally, and I don't say this often about many foods, but Americans, I am begging you: Your croissants do not need to be that big. Making them that way is just setting you up for croissant failure. (I can say this because I am also an American citizen.) Emma Balter So here goes. One of my most recent stops was at Cafe Louie, a new, much-buzzed-about restaurant in the East End that has quickly risen to breakfast fame in Houston. The first time I visited, at about 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday, I stood in line for 45 minutes to order at the counter. Internally groaning at how un-Houston this was, I saw that I was slowly inching closer and closer to a display of seemingly overbaked croissants. This visual assessment proved correct when I finally got my hands on one, but I could tell Cafe Louie's croissant had possessed potential before spending a couple minutes too long in the oven. I returned on another day, this time around 9:30 a.m. as I have no patience for lines anymore, and was immediately served a croissant, a seat at a table and even a decent parking spot. The pastry was baked far better, had a really good flake and very defined layers. The butter distribution was a little uneven, though, making it just right in the middle but too dry at the ends. Emma Balter A newcomer to the Urban Harvest Farmers Market, I Love Croissants piqued my interest. On another Saturday where I failed to roll out of bed early enough, I arrived at the market to find the stand's plain croissants sold out. They have plenty of stuffed versions, but tasting only the classic is my control method. I finally returned last weekend, promptly at 8:30 a.m., and scored one. While it was way too big and didn't have quite enough flake, it boasted good dislocation and layers, and excellent butter ratio. Emma Balter Another spot I made a point to revisit was Koffeteria, a bakery in East Downtown. I absolutely love pastry chef Vanarin Kuch's whimsical creations and have long been a fan and supporter of his baked goods, but I must admit I was somewhat disappointed in the bakery's plain croissant. It certainly had good layers and some flake, and the salted egg wash is a great touch, but there was simply not enough butter to keep the croissant from being a little too dry, and the flesh tasted yeasty. I also returned to Common Bond's original Montrose location recently. I have had many of the pastries at what is undoubtedly the most popular bakery in Houston, now with several On-the-Go locations across the city, but I had never tasted the butter croissant. The treats in the display case were odd shapes. The cashier jokingly commented to the women ahead of me, who had ordered the same thing, that their croissant looked like a turtle, as its center ring had come undone while baking. Mine had a misshapen claw. It was an appropriate size and had good dislocation, but it was too dry and didn't give off much flake. Emma Balter Not a lot of things will make me go to downtown Houston, but a few people had recommended Mademoiselle Louise to me, so I dutifully traveled there to check it out. I was thrilled to hear the two owners speak French to each other behind the counter. I peered in the display case and saw an extremely promising croissant, probably the prettiest I had ever seen, of perfect French size and defined, delicate layers finishing in a flourish at both ends. For a moment, I thought I had found my top croissant, but when I bit into it, while all other elements were perfect, the pastry was too tough. Emma Balter This journey made me feel like the Boucles d'Or of croissants (yep, that's the French translation of the classic Goldilocks children's books). I made more trips and ate more croissants than I'm going to discuss here, but I can't leave you without revealing the one that was just right. Many Houstonians recommended Magnol French Baking, a bakery in a very odd corner of east Spring Branch right where I-610 meets U.S. 290. I visited when I first started my croissant pursuit and again when I ended it this past weekend. During both bookend trips, I overheard a French family eating there, which is always a good sign. Magnol is a venture by pastry chef Otto Sanchez, an El Salvador native who moved to Houston in 1992, and had stints at various fine-dining establishments here as well as in Las Vegas, California and Dubai. Magnol's croissant is ever so slightly too large, but I cannot fault its impeccable flake, its spot-on dislocation, its shimmering egg wash, its moist butteriness, and its delicate, lightly crisp exterior that gives in to tender flesh with one bite. After two and a half years of searching for a better croissant in Houston, I've learned that this one simply cannot be beat. I wondered what the French would think, that Houston's best croissant can be found in a desolate industrial area next to freight train tracks and a Mattress Outlet, made by a Salvadoreno whose pastry training was not in France. But that's Houston, and they would never get it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ready to feel like a kid in a candy store? It's easy to get your sweet fix at one of these irresistible candy stores in Houston. Whether you have a hankering for retro candy, authentic Mexican treats or a quintessential delectable chocolate bar, we know where to find the goods. Keep reading for nine of the best candy stores in Houston to visit for a sweet experience and a sugar rush. Just don't tell your dentist, okay? If you're craving the good stuff, ArayaArtisan Chocolate's flagship store in Uptown Park is a must-visit (a second store and lab is also located in Katy). Araya specializes in sweets made from premium Venezuelan chocolate. Natural fruit purees, cream, nuts, liquor, honey and agave are added instead of sugarthis means fewer calories and more nutrients. In addition to chocolate, Araya also sells French macarons in 10 flavors imported from France. With a store that views chocolate as a "refined, delicate, yet approachable and cordial experience" you're bound to fall in love at first bite. Find them: 1141 Uptown Park Blvd., Suite 00, Houston, TX 77056; 713-960-0850 1575 W. Grand Parkway S., Suite 1000, Katy, TX 77494; 281-395-1050 Cacao & Cardamom Chocolatier Cacao & Cardamom Chocolatier offers exquisite chocolates in unique flavors, including garam masala pistachio, strawberry Szechuan, cardamom rose, chai spice, mango caramel, chipotle passion fruit, lychee basil and guava tamarind. Annie Rupani is the chocolatier behind Cacao & Cardamom, and the inclusion of cardamom in the store's name is a nod to her South Asian heritage. Rupani once said the smell of cardamom was always in her house growing up. Cacao & Cardamom chocolates are made in-house using ethically sourced ingredients. Offerings include their signature selection, classic comforts, truffles and vegan and gluten-free chocolates. Find it: Cacao & Cardamom Chocolatier, 5000 Westheimer Road, Suite 602, Houston, TX 77056; 281-501-3567 Barret L. via Yelp Chocolat Zeina Chocolate, crepes and waffles await you at Chocolat Zeina, which also serves coffee, ice cream, milkshakes, puddings and dip plates like their Zeina Chocolate Dip Plate consisting of a milk chocolate dip with your choice of six fruit items, a marshmallow and a brownie. Of course, for chocoholics the shop also offers chocolates as well as marzipan, dried fruits, Turkish delights and handcrafted sweets paying homage to its backstorya family business that began in Syria in 1892 and has continued for four generations. Find it: Chocolat Zeina, 6100 Westheimer Road, Suite 136, Houston, TX 77057; 713-808-9322 Las Delicias Mexicanas So nice, they launched it thrice! Be sure to check out Las Delicias Mexicanas, which has three locations in Houston and Pasadena. You'll be delightfully overwhelmed by a variety of authentic Mexican candies and treats. From Vasi-Ricos watermelon with chile pops to the original Pulparindo Chamoy, most of the candy is sold in bulk, and everything is made in Mexico. Las Delicias Mexicanas also sells pinatas, cookies, specialty items from local vendors and festive items for birthday parties. Find them: 1777 Airline Drive, Houston, TX 77009; 713-426-6700 2636 Spencer Highway, Suite 100, Pasadena, TX 77504; 832-933-6985 2404 Gessner Road, Suite C, Houston, TX 77080; 281-898-8448 Mostly Chocolate & Catering via Yelp Mostly Chocolate & Catering When you need a birthday present or a holiday gift (or let's face ita pick-me-up for yourself), family-owned Mostly Chocolate & Catering is known for its handcrafted artisanal chocolates, namely bonbon and truffle flavors like s'mores, vegan hazelnut quinoa and key lime pie. In addition to other sweet treats like chocolate-covered Fritos, triple chocolate popcorn and their signature chocolate chunk cookies, Mostly Chocolate & Catering also offers a hands-on BYOB bonbon workshop led by award-winning head chocolatier and chef Dany Kamkhagi. During a workshop, you can handcraft, paint and devour more than 30 bonbons. Find it: Mostly Chocolate & Catering, 1050 N. Post Oak Road, Suite 220, Houston, TX 77055; 713-784-5994 Roni B. via Yelp Rocket Fizz Rocket Fizz soda pop and candy shop has everything from old-school nostalgic candy and taffy to super specific treats like mango chile Nerds, Tabasco-flavored chocolate bars and Dr. Pepper-flavored cotton candy, as well as international candies and unique soda flavors like Buffalo wings. The retro vibe of this store makes for a worthwhile visit and a sweet stroll down memory lane. Find it: Rocket Fizz, 7620 Katy Freeway, Suite 315, Houston, TX 77024; 832-301-3483 Sweet Taste of Texas As a homage to the Lone Star State, at Sweet Taste of Texas you will find glazed pecans, pralines, fudge and Southern-style candies. The shop also has a plethora of gift items like "Clearly Texas"a cowboy boot mug or jar filled with glazed pecans and topped off with a red bandana. Like all the other stores on our list, you can get Texas hospitality, which here comes in the form of Texas-shaped gift baskets filled with a jar of glazed pecans with a bandana cover, chocolate pecan fudge, chocolate-covered pecans and fancy Texas turtles. Find it: Sweet Taste of Texas, 10681 Haddington Drive, Suite 160, Houston, TX 77043; 713-464-5848 Viet Ho International Foods Sometimes you don't have to look very far to find the best treats. In fact, sometimes they're right in front of you at the grocery store. Although Viet Ho International Foods isn't a shop exclusively dedicated to sweets like the others on our list, it's a must-know when shopping for colorful Vietnamese dried fruits and candied fruits called mut tet. Find it: Viet Ho International Foods, 8300 W. Sam Houston Parkway S., Suite 100, Houston, TX 77072; 832-448-8828 Courtesy of Vicki Salemi, Special to Chron Winfield's Chocolate Bar When you visit Winfield's Chocolate Bar in Rice Village or River Oaks, you'll be surrounded by decadence. Their colorful truffles are available in flavors to please every palate, whether you opt for dark chocolate, matcha, golden whiskey or peanut butter and jelly, to name just a few. Beyond their chocolate, don't miss out on other wow-worthy desserts on the menu. The Uncle Darryl, an 8-inch-high chocolate cake with chocolate chips and toffee, ice cream flavors such as Caramel Tornado, specialty desserts like their "I Love to be Bayou" (junkyard cookie, junkyard ice cream, caramel drizzles and chocolate sauce), specialty coffee and wine (at the West Alabama location) are all indulgences you'll be happy about. Find them: 2411 W. Alabama St., Houston, TX 77098; 832-810-0471 2521 University Blvd., Houston, TX 77005; 713-520-8888 2621 Augusta Drive, Houston, TX 77057 (coming soon) This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at kristina.moy@hearst.com. Kim Potter, who was convicted in December 2021 of fatally shooting Daunte Wright, an unarmed 20-year-old Black man, is set to be released from prison Monday after serving 16 months of her two-year sentence. The 50-year-old former police union president and Brooklyn Center, Minn., officer will serve the rest of her time on parole. Wright's family and attorneys criticized the sentencing at the time for being too lenient after Potter received four fewer years than the shortest amount of time recommended by the state. But the judge called the shooting a "tragic mistake" - Potter claimed that she meant to use her Taser, rather than her gun - and departed from guidelines. Potter's time on parole will end in December. "Our criminal investigative analysts are working closely with law enforcement to monitor the situation to ensure Kim Potter, like all incarcerated persons, is safe as she leaves our facility," said Andy Skoogman, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Corrections. He added in a statement that he was not disclosing the time of Potter's release from Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee for security reasons and that they would adjust her release time if there is a "credible threat." With Potter about to be released, Katie Wright, Daunte Wright's mother, said the only sense of peace the family has is knowing Potter will not be a police officer again. "We're disappointed, frustrated and angry," Katie Wright told The Washington Post. "The fact that she's able to hold her kids and hear their voices and be able to spend the rest of her life with them, and she took the rest of our life away from us, is really disappointing from our justice system." Earl Gray, Potter's attorney, said he had no comment when reached by phone Saturday afternoon. Potter, who is White, shot Wright during a traffic stop in suburban Minneapolis in April 2021 in an area where tensions were already high during the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin. Potter claimed that she mistook her gun for a Taser when she fired at Wright to try to stop him from driving away. Video of the shooting prompted outrage when it was released soon after the incident, and protesters who had gathered in Brooklyn Center were met with an aggressive, heavily criticized response from law enforcement. "I'll Tase you!" Potter said in body-camera footage from the April 11 traffic stop. "Taser! Taser! Taser!" "I grabbed the wrong gun," Potter later says, using an expletive. "I killed a boy." Police had initially pulled over Wright for having expired tags and an air freshener dangling in his rearview mirror, which is illegal in Minnesota. They discovered an outstanding arrest warrant for a misdemeanor weapons possession charge when they ran Wright's identification and moved to arrest him. Wright tried to get away from an officer trying to handcuff him before he was shot by Potter. In the footage of the incident, Wright's car is seen pulling away after he was shot, only to crash moments later. Two days later, Potter and Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon resigned. A mostly White jury convicted Potter of first- and second-degree manslaughter, capping a year of racially charged trials in the national spotlight, including the conviction of three men in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wis. The recommended sentencing for Potter's conviction had been between over six years and roughly 81/2 years. Hennepin County Judge Regina M. Chu sentenced Potter to two years, which Wright's family said at the time felt like a betrayal. "Kim Potter murdered my son. He died April 11," Katie Wright said on the day of Potter's sentencing. "Today, the justice system murdered him all over again." Minnesota guidelines allow those with felony sentences in the state to be eligible for release after serving two-thirds of their mandatory sentence. At the sentencing, Chu said the case was one of the saddest "I've had in my 20 years on the bench." The judge acknowledged her decision would be a disappointment to some and insisted that it was not meant to diminish what happened to Wright, whose family had pleaded for Chu to give Potter the highest penalty possible. "It was one of the first times I saw the sitting judge showing more sympathy for the perpetrator than the victim," said Johnathon McClellan, an attorney who leads the Minnesota Justice Coalition and is close to the Wright family, on Saturday. "The family has to go through living their life without their son, all because Kim Potter made a choice that day. And that choice was to take the life of Daunte Wright." Last June, the Minneapolis suburb agreed to pay $3.5 million in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the Wright family. The Wrights said they hoped the suit will change the way police officers are taught to handle traffic stops. Katie Wright said she feels Potter is only getting released Monday, rather than years from now, because she was a police officer. On the cusp of Potter's release, Katie Wright said she is trying to make sure people don't forget her son. "He was the center of our life," she said. "He was funny, he was caring, he was thoughtful and had a smile that would brighten up the world. I'm going to make sure he continues to shine, even in death." - - - The Washington Post's Andrea Salcedo and Kim Bellware contributed to this report. - - - Correction: A previous version of this article said Stephen Hammond was a descendant of Charles Syphax. Hammond is a descendant of the Syphax family but not a direct descendant of Charles Syphax. The article has been corrected. - - - One hundred and sixty years after the last men, women and children enslaved on Robert E. Lee's plantation were set free, their families returned from across the country to reunite with each other and their history. But this would not be an ordinary reunion. On Saturday, descendants of the enslaved gathered on the grounds of Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, for a ceremony to honor their ancestors. And they were joined there by descendants of those prominent Americans who had once enslaved their ancestors. Sitting side by side on white folding chairs behind the stately Greek Revival-style mansion, more than 100 descendants of all of the families listened to songs, read the names of their ancestors and heard about plans for a patchwork quilt that would include each of their handprints. Washington Post photo by Michael S. Williamson. They also made a demand. They called on the country to change the name of the site which is maintained by the National Park Service. It should simply be known as Arlington House National Historic Site, they said, and drop the name of Lee altogether. They want the focus shifted away from an enslaver and instead on the many people who built, farmed, cooked, cleaned and cared for the property. Their lives, they said, had a value that was overlooked and could easily have been forgotten. "Black history is American history," Stephen Hammond, one of the principal organizers of the weekend and a descendant of the Syphax family, whose members were enslaved at the property, said in an interview. "Robert E. Lee has a history here, but a lot of other people have a history here too." At the behest of the descendants, Rep. Don. Beyer (D-Va.) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced legislation in Congress last year that would remove "Robert E. Lee Memorial" from the official name of Arlington House. They are reintroducing it this year. It didn't receive the necessary votes to get out of a House committee last year, but Beyer is optimistic it will pass this year. "The last thing we need to do is have memorials to people who were traitors to their country," Beyer, whose district includes Arlington Cemetery and the Lee memorial, told the descendants on Saturday. Tracy Lee Crittenberger, 64, the great-great-granddaughter of Robert E. Lee, who commanded the Confederate Army during the Civil War, admitted Beyer's words "stung a little." "But I totally understand what he's saying," she said. "You can't shy away from that, you can't sugarcoat it." Crittenberger said she fully supports removing her great-great-grandfather's name from the site. "It's important that everyone knows this is a place where so many people lived," she said. "It's not just the Robert E. Lee museum. It has to be inclusive." The reunion, long in the planning, was an opportunity to "touch people and inspire people and celebrate our shared past together," said Hammond, who is a family historian and occasionally gives tours of the property. Many participants said that the nation is still vexed by race, still struggling mightily to find its way forward. But if there was tension or trepidation in bringing the descendants of all of these families together, it didn't show. The mood instead was one of restoration and hope that in a time of rancor and divide, this gathering could inspire further reconciliation. "To get all of the families to participate is remarkable," said Carol Gleed Weaver, 76, who came from Phoenix for the event and whose ancestors were enslaved on the property. She met many of the other descendants for the first time this weekend but already felt a connection. "You see the camaraderie that has built up. They're accepting of us and we're accepting of them. We hope the rest of the country can come together as we have." Sarah Kowalski, of Philadelphia, said she was "incredibly moved" to take part in the gathering. Kowalski, who brought her young daughter with her to the event, is a descendant of Robert E. Lee's uncle. "I could really feel the presence of our ancestors on both sides and it just feels inspiring being here with these descendants," she said. "Especially as we think about the future." The plantation was started in 1803 by George Washington Parke Custis, the stepgrandson of George Washington. Lee married Custis's daughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, in 1831, at the home and the couple lived there until just after the Civil War began. All of the families taking part in the event, including the Branhams, Custises, Grays, Henrys, Lees, Parks and Syphaxes, wore light blue T-shirts emblazoned with "Ask me about my family." It was a choice, they said, to emphasize that they want to share this history and their unique story. Ataro Parks-Lewis lives in Woodbridge, not far from Arlington House. He is a descendant of James Parks, who was born into slavery on the property. After he was freed during the Civil War, Parks continued to work there and went on to work for Arlington National Cemetery for 61 years. He is the only person born on the property who was later interred at the cemetery. But for Parks-Lewis, 40, Saturday's event was the first time he had visited Arlington House. "Now I feel much more of a connection," he said, as descendants of all of the families gathered for a photo. "It feels like family. I'll absolutely bring my family here so they can learn their history. I plan to come here quite often." "Magical" is how Tamara Moore, 72, of Arlington, a great-granddaughter of James Parks, described the dinner held the night before with descendants from all of the families. "We ate together and we talked and we laughed," Moore said. "We realized we had individual stories, but all of our stories are connected as we forge a new path." As the ceremony drew to a close, Hammond asked the descendants and guests to form a circle on the lawn set between two cabins that once served as living quarters for enslaved people. They held hands and sang along as Arlington's Mt. Zion Baptist Church led into "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the anthem that has long been the galvanizing song of America's Black civil rights movements. - - - Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on 'til victory is won. - - - There were hugs after. And many wiped away tears. They then returned to their seats as representatives from each family signed a joint commitment letter from the descendants and the Park Service stating their intention to have Arlington House more fully reflect the lives of all of the people who once called it home. By the time Air Force One returned from Ireland in the pre-dawn hours of April 15, President Biden's plans to announce his reelection campaign were already in motion. A videographer soon met him in Rehoboth Beach, Del., where Biden spent the weekend, after arriving in Dover at 2:26 a.m. with his sister, Valerie, and his son, Hunter. The president shot parts of the launch video over the next two days before returning to the White House on Sunday night, according to people familiar with events, who like others in this story spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Once Biden returned to the White House, he and first lady Jill Biden met with senior aides to finalize the details of the reelection launch, and after the Bidens signed off on the plans, the officials ramped up their final preparations. Top fundraising officials at the Democratic National Committee scrambled to make dozens of phone calls, frequently ending up in voice mails, inviting top donors for a hastily arranged summit with the president to plan events. Other staffers were dispatched to build a campaign website that could receive the first donations of what some in the party believe could amount to a $2 billion effort, counting the spending of outside groups. Months of speculation about when and how Biden would announce his widely anticipated reelection were about to come to an end. And it would happen just as Biden wanted it: a close circle of longtime advisers sitting with the president to make the final calls, a short runway to the launch, and a timetable he controlled - on the four-year anniversary of his 2020 campaign announcement. Biden had been in no hurry to announce, happy to stay above the fray while Republicans battled it out. But suddenly the reasons to delay were outweighed by the reasons to push ahead. "If he is really running, then there is no reason to wait, because you do have to get these things done," said David Axelrod, who was a senior adviser to President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign. "It didn't impinge on Obama at all that we had a campaign. The only reasons not to announce would be you are not sure you wanted to announce." Democrats say the announcement will change little in the short term for Biden, who is scheduled to visit Japan and Australia next month and will face a budgetary and debt ceiling standoff with House Republicans shortly after he returns. But those involved in the reelection effort are eager to begin building a campaign, drafting a new community of small-dollar online donors and organizers, and standing up an operation that can begin to attack potential Republican nominees as they enter the field. Unlike Obama, who came out of the 2010 midterms having suffered a dispiriting wipeout, Biden heads a party relatively optimistic about its chances at this point in the cycle. He faces no major challenge for his party's nomination, and White House aides believe his legislative successes will pay greater returns as the year progresses - voters, they argue, will start to see more infrastructure projects, feel the impact of cheaper prescription drugs and reap the benefits of manufacturing incentives. But there is also a starker subtext to the brewing campaign. Biden, 80, is seen by many Democrats as having saved the country from Donald Trump, but also as an aging figure with an uncertain future. Meanwhile, Trump is pushing for a potential third Republican nomination, as his legal problems escalate and GOP voters try to decide whether his appeal is worth the chaos and unpredictability that tend to follow in his wake. Against that backdrop, Democratic voters express tepid support for Biden as their nominee. A February Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 16 percent of those who lean Democratic were enthusiastic about Biden's reelection in 2024, compared to 57 percent who said they would be satisfied but not enthusiastic. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 58 percent said they would prefer someone other than Biden as their nominee. But the overriding concern for many Democrats is ensuring that Trump does not return to the White House, and some still see Biden as their best bet. "I'm very optimistic that Joe Biden will be reelected," said Dick Harpootlian, a South Carolina-based lawyer and a longtime Biden donor whose wife is the U.S. ambassador to Slovenia. "I understand there are constituencies that want a younger nominee, but there's no one I've seen that can galvanize not only the base but also swing voters like him." Harpootlian said Biden is particularly suited to defeat Trump again if there's a rematch from 2020. "Is he old?" he said. "Yeah, he's old. But he's only four years older than Trump, so less distinction there. He is vibrant, and he's gotten a huge number of things accomplished." Two political activists with no elected experience - Marianne Williamson, who ran against Biden in 2020, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the son of former senator Robert F. Kennedy (D-N.Y.) - have announced that they will challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination. But the DNC has said it will support Biden's reelection, and it has no plans to sponsor primary debates. Biden's announcement video, which is expected to run between 90 seconds and two minutes, is slated to be released Tuesday morning, on the four-year anniversary of his 2020 campaign launch. The president is then scheduled to speak at the North America's Building Trades Unions' U.S. Legislative Conference - another echo of his 2020 presidential launch. Back then, Biden announced his presidential campaign with a video and then held his first rally at a Teamsters union ballroom in Pittsburgh. In the days leading up to the launch, staff have focused on finalizing the logistical elements that the campaign will require in its early days, including work related to ActBlue, the Democratic platform campaigns use to raise money, and NGP VAN, the voter database used by the Democratic Party. Biden, meanwhile, is spending the weekend at Camp David, where he is expected to sign off on additional campaign-related decisions. Two people involved in the reelection effort said they expect Julie Chavez Rodriguez, currently the director of the White House office of intergovernmental affairs, to manage the campaign, although people with knowledge of the discussions cautioned on Saturday that there had been no final decision yet. Biden aides also have not announced the location for campaign headquarters, though there is growing confidence that the president will settle on his hometown of Wilmington, a little more than an hour away from Washington by Amtrak. The president has long telegraphed his plans to run for reelection, but that has not tamped down skepticism from some lawmakers, activists and diplomats who doubted that the 80-year-old would run again. Biden is already the oldest president in history, and if he wins a second term, he would be 86 at the end of it; the second-oldest, Ronald Reagan, was 77 when he left office. (Trump is 76.) Just before leaving for Ireland this month, Biden told NBC of his intention to run again. "I'm planning on running, Al," he said to Al Roker. "But we're not prepared to announce it yet." Days later, as he concluded his trip overseas, where the president had time with his family and was greeted by cheering crowds, Biden hinted that preparations had advanced. "I've already made that calculus," he told reporters just before boarding Air Force One, when asked about his decision. "We'll announce it relatively soon. But the trip here just reinforced my sense of optimism about what can be done." The White House and the DNC declined to comment for this article. As of Saturday, plans were still being finalized for the donor summit that is now scheduled for the end of the week. Officials invited roughly 50 to 100 of the party's top fundraisers and bundlers to a Friday night event with the president, with the goal of energizing contributors and rallying support. But donors were still waiting to find out the nature of the event with the president and where it would take place. They were also told Biden's aides may host a briefing on Saturday, though that has not been confirmed. Biden is scheduled to speak at the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner in Washington on Saturday night. Biden's approach has diverted strikingly from the path that his former governing partner, Barack Obama, took in the run-up to his own reelection. Unlike Biden, Obama was comfortable not being intimately involved in the construction of his campaign, and he preferred a long period of formal preparation. By the summer of 2010, before the midterm elections that year, Obama had secretly selected Jim Messina as his campaign manager-in-waiting. By January of 2011, Messina, Axelrod and others in Obama's political operation had departed for Chicago, where they began to assemble a campaign largely independent of the president, save occasional phone calls and Saturday fly-in meetings at the White House. Biden, by contrast, has a long pattern of delaying campaign launches and wavering in his decisions. He repeatedly pushed back a campaign announcement in 2018 and 2019, prompting people in his orbit to publicly voice concerns that he was giving Democratic rivals an advantage by allowing them to scoop up talented staff while he delayed. He considered presidential campaigns in 1980 and 1984 before passing on the opportunities, and he openly agonized over a presidential run in 1988 before joining the field. He also spent months considering a campaign in 2016, before deciding to pass. Unlike Obama, Biden prefers in-person meetings to phone calls and has signaled to his staff that he wants his top advisers to stay close. Rather than a single hierarchical structure, Biden has long preferred multiple layers of advisers - a council of longtime aides who form his inner circle and a broader group of semiautonomous campaign leaders who operate somewhat separately. That could make for a complicated, somewhat overlapping arrangement as Biden simultaneously heads the White House and a campaign. Jen O'Malley Dillon, his 2020 campaign manager and now a deputy chief of staff, has signaled that she is staying in the White House, as has Anita Dunn, another top adviser working to set up the campaign. Senior adviser Mike Donilon has said he is open to leaving the White House or staying, depending on what Biden wants. Also involved in campaign preparations are Jeff Zients, the White House chief of staff; Ron Klain, the former chief of staff; and senior advisers Steve Ricchetti and Bruce Reed. Six dead cows were discovered in Texas with their tongues cut out and their mouths slit with surgical perfection, leaving the police puzzled. These cows are found dead and mutilated beside a state highway in east-central Texas. Also Read: Texas Dairy Farm Explosion Kills 18,000 Cows Shocking Discovery In a press statement from the Madison County Sheriff's Office, featured by CNN, a 6-year-old longhorn-cross cow was located lifeless and mutilated on the side of the road by local ranchers on Wednesday, April 19. A "straight, clean cut, with apparent precision" was performed to take the hide from one side of the cow's mouth, and the tongue was removed "with no blood spill," as explained by the sheriff's office. While inquiring into the death of the longhorn cross, investigators discovered five more cows in identical conditions. Each cow came from a separate herd and pasture and was discovered in a different spot along the state highway in Brazos and Robertson counties, authorities said. The external genitalia and anus were taken off of two cows using a circular incision. Similarly to the cuttings around the jaw lines of each cow, the sheriff's office noticed that this circular cut was performed with the same accuracy. There were no footprints or wheel tracks near any of the cows, and there was no evidence of a struggle or blood splash, officials said. "It was noted there were no signs of struggle, and the grass around the cow was undisturbed. No footprints or tire tracks were noted in the area." The sheriff's office has issued a plea for information on the mysterious deaths of six cows. Investigators are asking anybody with information about this shocking case to call them at 936-348-2755. Since there have been several cases like this in the US, the sheriff's office says it is sharing information with other departments. Similar Nightmares Recent incidents of animal mutilation reminiscent of those in the 1970s, according to The New York Times, caused widespread panic among ranchers. In 1975, it was reported that in at least 11 states, including California, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, farmers had discovered dead animals missing their genital organs and tongues. Nearly 200 cows, a buffalo, a horse, and a goat were all discovered with missing body parts at the time. The New York Times said that some people believed that satanic cultists were responsible for the murders because they wanted to utilize the organs in sacrifices. In contrast, others thought that UFOs were responsible for the mutilations. One official reportedly speculated that a helicopter may have been involved in the 1970s mystery since no footprints were ever discovered. Authorities urged the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate the killings, but the case was closed after months of fruitless searching. Recently in 2019, at least five bulls were discovered mutilated with their tongues gone in eastern Oregon. The police were at a loss to explain the phenomenon. Also Read: Canadian Bear Drank 69 Cans of Soda, But Avoided Diet Cola After Breaking into a Car @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As King Charles III prepares for his coronation, the heir to the throne has substantial American blood for the first time in history - with a connection to the Revolution. Prince William is one-sixteenth American through his mother, the late Princess Diana, records show, and his lineage traces back to Benajah Strong, who was battling English troops when the first shots were fired in 1775. That means May 6, when William will play a central role at Westminster Abbey, taking an oath of fealty to his father, will mark a family's unlikely turn from fighting the monarchy to preparing to assume control of it. "This speaks to the bond between Great Britain and America, as the American Revolution was more like the American Civil War in the 1860s, with many on both sides knowing each other," said Joseph Stoltz, the library director at the Society of the Cincinnati, a hereditary group dedicated to the Revolutionary War. The first Strong ancestor immigrated from England to New England in 1635, and Benajah Strong, William's sixth-great-grandfather, was born in 1740 in Coventry, Conn. He signed on as a private in the Connecticut militia. Since the Boston Tea Party of 1773, New England had been under the surveillance of British regulars, dispatched to quell uprisings and root out rebels who had been recruiting men and forming militias. In April 1775, British troops moved from Boston toward Lexington and Concord, to seize the colonists' military supplies and arrest revolutionaries like Samuel Adams and John Hancock. But the rebels mounted a formidable defense at both sites, aided by the "rapid-reaction force" of minutemen like Strong, who helped spread the word of a British expedition and save valuable assets, Stoltz said. Strong was known as a "Lexington Responder," said John Holmy, Coventry's municipal historian, who said he was unaware of Coventry's connection to the Prince of Wales. Those opening skirmishes signaled this would not be the easy victory King George III had anticipated. The American War of Independence was underway. "It is ironic that William's ancestor kicked off the fight against Crown forces," Stoltz said. Another William relative, Strong's Yale-educated nephew Nathan Hale, had been working as a teacher in New London, Conn., when the war started. Like his uncle, Hale joined the Connecticut militia and quickly rose through the ranks. By the summer of 1776, Hale had been recruited to Knowlton's Rangers, the first known U.S. Army intelligence unit, under the leadership of Col. Thomas Knowlton, according to Anne Marie Charland, an administrator at the Nathan Hale Homestead, which oversees the Hale family property in Coventry. At the time, the British were inching closer to a Manhattan invasion, and Gen. George Washington was desperate to infiltrate their ranks to determine their next moves. Hale was the first to raise his hand. In September 1776, he went to British-occupied Long Island to spy, with the cover of an unemployed Dutch schoolteacher. Some historians believe his fatal mistake was carrying his Yale diploma with him. Later that month, when the Great Fire of New York ravaged the city, British troops rounded up hundreds of patriots for interrogation, and Hale was stopped in nearby Queens. The British general William Howe grilled Hale at his military headquarters. On Sept. 22, 1776, two months after the Declaration of Independence, Hale was hanged at the age of 21, becoming the first spy for America to be executed, Charland said. His body was left hanging for days, as a gruesome reminder to those who dared defy the crown, but his possibly apocryphal final words - "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" - lived on. "He knew he might get hanged. He was a true believer," Stoltz said. Many monuments have been erected in Hale's honor, including one in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall Collection. Hale's body was never recovered, but in Coventry, an obelisk stands in the Nathan Hale Cemetery where members of his family are buried. In its shadow is the nondescript, weatherworn grave of his Uncle Benajah, a stark contrast to the grand resting place at Windsor Castle that awaits his royal descendant. Strong's tombstone calls him "food for worms." Strong's son, Joseph Strong, became a leading physician in Philadelphia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, receiving a patent for his invention of a substance that can control bleeding during surgery. Eventually, William's American ancestors ended up in Chillicothe, Ohio, where his great-great-great grandfather Frank Work became the ultimate American success story, according to Pat Medert, the archivist and historian at the Ross County Historical Society, which has tracked the royal family's connection to its area. Work, born in 1819 and raised by a single mother as the youngest of five children, showed a rebellious streak from a young age - scandalizing Chillicothe by riding a horse, quite unroyally, nude through the streets. He ran away from the Midwest at 15, established a prosperous dry goods business in New York and by 1874 had bought a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, Medert said. Work soon entered the orbit of the 19th-century business titan Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the two men bonded over their love of all things equine. Work became so wealthy that in addition to his considerable real estate, he built a luxurious stable in Manhattan that was worth $100,000 at the time. When he died in 1911, he was a multimillionaire many times over. His daughter and namesake, William's great-great-grandmother Frances, kept it up, achieving the Gilded Age honor of inclusion on Mrs. Astor's "Four Hundred," a list of New York's most promising socialites. Presciently, Frances came to be known as "Princess Fannie," for her regality and charm. She married James Boothby Burke Roche in 1880, a decision that outraged her father, who, correctly, believed Roche was just another British aristocrat who was after an American heiress's money. "I am American to my backbone," Frank Work was reported to have said. "Therefore, I have only contempt for these helpless, hopeless, lifeless men that cross the ocean to carry off the very flower of our womanhood." Yet in 1961, across that ocean, Fannie Work's great-granddaughter Diana Frances Spencer would be born on the royal family's Sandringham estate. And, through her marriage to Charles, an American family with patriot roots would find its blood mingled with the British crown. Ajax9/Getty Images/iStockphoto AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Nine teenagers were shot in an east Texas residence early Sunday at a prom after-party attended by hundreds, local officials said in a statement. Just after midnight, deputies responded to shots fired at a private home in Jasper County where the party was held and found nine victims with gunshot wounds, according to a statement by the Jasper County Sheriff's Office. The injuries are expected to be non-life threatening, according to Jasper County officials. With each passing day at the Capitol, the staff of Woori Juntos, a community group serving Houstons Korean community, were seeing the prospects dim for legislation they hoped would improve language access to crucial state health services for tens of thousands of Texans who speak little to no English. It was enough of a challenge finding lawmakers to carry the bills that would require the states health commission to translate benefit application forms and other important documents into key languages beyond English and Spanish. With time slipping away, they were growing nervous that the measures hadnt yet been heard by legislative committees, a crucial step if they are to reach the full House and Senate chambers for a vote. As the legislative session entered its final stretch, the Woori Juntos team had been forced to adopt two traits often demanded of Texans asking for change from their government perseverance and patience. They kept showing up in Capitol offices, hallways and hearing rooms, believing the efforts could turn the odds in their favor. This is a bipartisan issue that should not be political, said Steven Wu, Woori Juntos organizing and policy manager. This is just about increasing access to enrollment so that people have a shot of improving their health outcomes. Thats it. Its very simple. The odds are always long for legislation that isnt among each sessions high-profile priority bills. During the last regular legislative session in 2021, for instance, nearly 7,000 bills were filed but fewer than half were even considered in a public committee hearing. Roughly 700 foundered after those hearings, never receiving the committee vote needed to move on to the full House or Senate. Of those that were voted out of committee, only 1,030 eventually passed. Hyunja Norman, executive director of Woori Juntos, pauses to go over a game plan with her group before a lawmaker meeting at the state Capitol in early March. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune The groups urgency to improve access to the state safety net had built up over the last two years as it fell to Woori Juntos to shepherd Korean Texans, mostly low-income older residents who speak very little English, across the language gap keeping them from accessing the state health programs they needed to cover health care costs and even groceries. In a year with a historic $32.7 billion budget surplus, they were pitching their proposal as a small investment in those Texans. They overcame a first major hurdle back in early March when they convinced Democratic lawmakers in both the House and Senate to file legislation that would create a language access plan for the health commission. Since then, its small policy team had been working to build support for their cause among lawmakers, regularly dropping in on lawmakers offices to detail their work back in Spring Branch, where the community group helps mostly Korean-speaking Texans navigate the states limited options in applying for state-run programs like Medicaid and food stamps. The state provides Texans who speak limited English with some language assistance, translating applications for state health and social services programs into Spanish. In theory, the state health commissions contract with a language line service should provide support in more than 150 other languages. But the state benefits helpline first requires callers to get through an automated system with limited language options before they can request an interpreter. As lawmakers worked through hundreds of other legislative proposals, Woori Juntos dutifully fulfilled requests for data and information on how the policy proposal would benefit constituents in different districts. Their clients are among the nearly 60,000 Texans who speak Korean at home, at least half of them with limited English proficiency. But they make up just a slice of the hundreds of thousands of Texans who speak languages other than English or Spanish at home. Were providing as much information as we can in the meantime, Wu said back in March. Were waiting for them to get to [our] bill. Their efforts had been rewarded with the endorsement of the half a dozen lawmakers who signed on to Rep. Penny Morales Shaws House Bill 5166 and three senators who joined Sen. Jose Menendez as co-authors on Senate Bill 2080. This week, they were waiting to hear back from a few more who signaled they might also be adding their names. From the start, Woori Juntos has conceded it could take multiple sessions to make it through the legislative relay, but theyve remained hopeful for a public hearing not only because it would help advance their legislative efforts but because of the significance it could hold for the people they serve. Taking those actions, speaking their voice, trying to gain as much support, giving them an opportunity to see this is real work that were doing and then seeing how far it goes its empowerment for our community members, said Nicole Ma, the groups organizing and policy associate. And I think thats whats really important. Thinking ahead to that possibility, Woori Juntos gathered community members in mid-March for two educational and training sessions on the Legislature and how to engage with legislators. Through headsets for interpretation and slides on the state budget and how a bill becomes a law translated into Korean, the staff brought the legislative process into the first-floor event space of the Korean Community Center that houses Woori Juntos offices. Gathered at round foldout tables, the mostly older community members learned about testifying before a committee and how to best make their case. Be clear and concise. Offer personal stories that capture the potential impact of a proposal. Avoid repeating what others have already said. Isabel Longoria, the director of Annies List Texas Training and Engagement Fund and a former Capitol staffer, listens to Myung Kim (left), a Woori Juntos community member, as she practices telling her personal story during a training on how to engage with lawmakers. Credit: Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune Attendees at a Woori Juntos advocacy training in Houston receive a translated packet and an audio device for Korean interpretation. Credit: Contributor Hyunja Norman, executive director of Woori Juntos and a longtime language access advocate, cheers as community members practice for meeting with legislators. Credit: Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune They were given time to work on sample remarks they might offer during a public hearing or during meetings with lawmakers. When they reconvened to practice, a few participants stood at the front of the room and proudly offered their testimony. They told stories of being unable to advocate for themselves because of their limited English proficiency and the challenges they and their neighbors faced in accessing government systems that didnt account for them. They spoke about their desire to be regarded as equals in society. One participant spoke of getting by with little English while running a laundromat, but hitting a wall when it came time for parent-teacher conferences without interpretation help. Another spoke about the challenges of requesting emergency services with limited English. Practicing for a meeting with her representative, Terry Yun brought forth her experiences as Woori Juntos service coordinator and how its fallen to her to fill the language gap left by the government. I see how hard it is for immigrants to receive correct information and access city, county, state or even federal benefits, Yun said, reading from notes. My ask to my representative, Lacey Hull, is I want my fellow immigrants to have the liberty to make decisions for themselves by having state information accessible in Korean and many other languages. Will you support this language justice cause to help tens of thousands of non-English-speaking immigrants? While waiting to learn if their language access bill would be heard, the groups members put their training into practice last week at a hearing on a House bill that would create a state border enforcement unit of officers and civilians. With a 4 a.m. wake-up call in Houston, the group made its way to the Capitol to join the droves of Texans wanting to speak against the measure, which would empower officers and civilians to deter and repel and arrest migrants if they were seen illegally crossing the border, then return them to Mexico. The proposal might have seemed far removed from their lives in Houston, Wu said, but the Woori Juntos contingent that came to testify wanted to advocate for the rights of immigrants and echo other opponents of the measure who worry about increased policing in border communities. The nearly 300 people signed up to testify were left waiting until 10 p.m. that night to begin testifying in front of the House committee considering the legislation. But the Woori Juntos folks stuck it out, with the last of them not getting their turn until around 1:30 a.m. As they work to increase participation in the legislative process among non-English-speaking Texans, the hearing also offered Woori Juntos a look into how the Capitol manages interpretation services. In the lead-up to the hearing, Wu had requested that a Korean interpreter be assigned to support their community members who wanted to testify in their native language. It was important to them, Wu explained, to confront lawmakers with their reality in hopes of telegraphing what it feels like to navigate the world in a second language. To our knowledge, this was the first time ever that Korean was spoken in the Capitol in a public hearing, he said. Despite the potential milestone, the hearing served as an example of the sort of language injustices Woori Juntos is attempting to combat through its work. Su Chong Yun, a member of the Woori Juntos community, listens during a training on how to engage with lawmakers. Credit: Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune Public testimony was limited to two minutes per person, as is typical for hearings with a large number of people signed up to testify. Those testifying in a language other than English were granted three minutes, but that included time for the translation of their remarks. This meant non-English speakers were left with just a minute and half for their testimony. After returning to Houston following the hearing and then driving back to Austin for this weeks Capitol work, Woori Juntos policy team was drained. The uncertainty of whether their community would have an opportunity to make themselves heard began to weigh on them more heavily. Other legislation was moving. Debates on the House and Senate floors were becoming more drawn out. The halls of the Capitol were growing more and more crowded. The clock for bills to wind their way through it all was ticking. Then, a Tuesday morning meeting with Morales Shaw offered them a jolt of energy. The Houston Democrat had been informed by the chair of the House committee to which their bill had been referred that it would get a hearing. The representative warned them that it wasnt a sure thing until the bill was officially scheduled on the committees agenda. But it was enough for them to push forward. This gives us a lot of hope and resolve for the next two to three weeks, Wu said. Soon after, they got word that their bill would be heard in committee the following week. By then, theyd be less than two weeks away from a key deadline for House bills to be voted out of committee. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/21/woori-juntos-language-legislation/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. Jake Berry had been knocking on doors for three hours in Frisco, Tex., in 2017 when he a made a house call that would change his life. Just days into his new roofing job, Berry was hoping to drum up business after a hailstorm caused widespread roofing damage in the area. A homeowner opened the door with a gun tucked into his waistband and told Berry: "No soliciting." Berry retreated, according to court records and Berry's recollections, but the homeowner followed, telling Berry he didn't want him there. Then he drew the gun and fired twice at close range. "The first bullet went through my leg and I didn't feel it," said Berry, now 50. He felt the second shot. "It ripped through my abdomen and ripped out the lower part of my pancreas. It felt like someone stepped back and hit my stomach with a sledgehammer as hard as you possibly could." Berry's experience is an outlier among those who work in door-to-door sales, as well as jobs like process serving or political outreach, where door-knocking at a stranger's home is essential. But a string of recent incidents across the country has prompted fresh fears about American gun culture and notions of self-defense, especially at strangers' doors. In the past week, a 16-year-old boy in Kansas City, Mo., was shot after going to the wrong address to pick up his brother, a 20-year-old woman in New York state was shot after pulling into the wrong driveway, and an 18-year-old high school cheerleader in Texas was shot after getting into the wrong car. In each incident, someone came to the home or vehicle of a stranger by mistake. In at least two, the alleged shooters said they were afraid or alarmed by the unknown person's presence: a 16-year-old Black boy knocking on the wrong door, and a 20-year-old White woman in a car with friends who pulled into the wrong driveway while lost. The characteristics of these recent shooting incidents are still relatively rare and not representative of gun violence more broadly in the United States, according to Tara D. Warner, a sociologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who studies the intersections of fear and protective gun ownership as well as gun use behaviors. At the same time, she said the shootings "still map on to some general anxiety, hostility, distrust and negativity toward others - and a real sense of needing to protect ourselves and our space." For some people in lines of work that require them to visit a stranger's home unannounced, vigilance is just part of job. Hal Humphries, a 53-year-old Nashville-based private investigator who trains PIs and process servers, said it's not uncommon for someone to pull a handgun or shotgun on him at the door - though he notes his most frightening encounter was not with a gun but an ice pick. Humphries estimated that fewer than a third of his services, usually divorce papers, get dicey. But he acknowledged subtle shifts in society that he occasionally thinks about on the job. "I think people doing [PI and process serving for] 20 to 25 years may be thinking about the work differently now," he said, citing the adoption of body-worn cameras among process servers as evidence. Humphries doesn't carry a gun himself, in part because he doesn't want to be in a situation where he has to shoot someone. There's "no way" adding another weapon to a tense situation will make things better, he said. "There is a narrative out there having to do with self-protection that says shoot first, questions later," he said. "And I think that's a terrible narrative." The shootings and broader anxiety in the parts of the country have weighed on Rachel Berlowe Binder, a 26-year-old Washington-based political campaign professional. As she looks toward the 2024 elections and teaches new teams and volunteer groups, the recent shootings have her thinking about what it means to ask people to knock on a stranger's door. She said she knew of people who had faced tense situations while knocking on doors. "But the rise in gun violence and the shootings of strangers accidentally in the wrong place definitely has me and my friends worried about asking people to do this - or doing it ourselves," she added. Trespassing laws, which vary by state, can offer some guidance on what protections - or lack thereof - a person has on a stranger's property. To Berlowe Binder, they're of little comfort. For instance, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that certain kinds of solicitations, like religious or political groups, cannot be banned under First Amendment grounds. "But it doesn't really help to say, 'Well, the Supreme Court says we're not a solicitor,' if there's a gun in your face," she said. More than half of Americans surveyed in a 2022 Gallup Poll said they worry "a great deal" about crime and violence in the United States - the highest concern since 2016, when it reached the same level but significantly less than the peak of 62 percent in 2001. But what exactly drives people's fears about crime is complicated, said Warner, the University of Alabama sociologist. It can range from personal experiences with crime to "abstract threats" - like cultural changes or distrust of the government - that are harder to unpack. Abstract threats, she said, are why gun purchases surge around major political or cultural events like the coronavirus pandemic or the murder of George Floyd. Racial bias is another undeniable key factor that feeds into people's perceptions of fear, according to sociologist Barry Glassner, who wrote the 2010 book "The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things." People of color overwhelmingly face the bias of being perceived as more frightening in general, especially to White people, he said. "Generations now have been taught to fear strangers broadly but not equally," Glassner said. Law enforcement acknowledged "a racial component" in last week's shooting in Kansas City, where 84-year-old Andrew D. Lester, who is White, is charged with shooting 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who is Black, after the teen went to Lester's address by mistake. Lester told police that he was "scared to death" of Yarl due to his size, inaccurately describing the 140-pound teen as 6 feet tall - several inches more than his 5-foot-8 stature. Glassner cited the influence of local TV and cable news as well as politicians who push fear-based narratives around crime as likely drivers of intensifying concerns about strangers. "We know that as a rule, older people watch a lot of TV news and that the more they watch, the more fearful they are and the more they're afraid to go out," he said. For younger generations, Glassner said their fear comes from being raised in a state of hyper-vigilance with "stranger danger" warnings and school lockdown drills. Meanwhile, the gun industry has capitalized on America's climate of fear and exploited it to sell more firearms and advance gun-friendly legislation like "stand your ground" laws, according to Ari Freilich, who directs state policy for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "That doesn't mean you can shoot whomever you want when they're at your door, but even if you have safe alternatives like running out the back door, you're not legally required to do so," Freilich said. Self-defense laws known as "stand your ground" statutes and "castle doctrine" exist in the legal framework in a large majority of states: At least 28 states and Puerto Rico allow that a person who is lawfully present in a place has no duty to retreat from an attacker, while at least 10 states have language stating that a person may stand their ground, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. The vague language of "stand your ground" can lead to bad outcomes, like in the cases of Trayvon Martin or Ahmaud Arbery, Freilich said. "It sends the unmistakable message to people that you should shoot first and ask questions later, even if the law doesn't actually allow you to shoot human beings for no reason." Berry, the Texas roofer who was shot in 2017, remains in ongoing civil litigation with the homeowner, who struck a plea bargain after his criminal conviction was vacated by the court due to ineffective counsel. He takes no stance on whether broader gun access is good or bad; in Texas at least, it's normal to see guns everywhere. But he predicts shootings will rise, especially in incidents like road rage. "If you're buying a gun, what are you buying it for? If you want to be trained, that's good in case you ever need one. But when you're buying a gun to scare everybody, . . . pull it out on everybody, I don't like that. And I think that's what a lot people are doing because they're scared and p---ed off at everything," he said. Astros vs Phillies: How to get tickets and free swag this weekend Here's how to score the best deals on tickets, plus all the free promotions you won't want to miss. HELSINKI (AP) The three Baltic states have strongly condemned comments by Chinas envoy to France, who appeared to suggest in a recent French television interview that former Soviet republics aren't sovereign nations. The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in separate announcements late Saturday deemed statements by Lu Shaye, Chinas ambassador to France, as unacceptable. In a recent interview with the French news channel LCI, he was asked if he thought that the Crimean Peninsula belongs to Ukraine. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world denounced as illegal. That depends ... on how one perceives this problem, the envoy told the broadcaster. Theres the history. Crimea was at the beginning Russian, no? It was (Soviet leader Nikita) Khrushchev who gave Crimea to Ukraine in the era of the Soviet Union. When the channel's presenter noted that according to international law, Crimea is part of Ukraine, the Chinese ambassador drew a parallel to the former Soviet republics including the three Baltic nations that broke free after the USSR collapsed in 1991. With regards to international law, even these ex-Soviet Union countries, they do not, they do not have the status how to say it? thats effective in international law, because there is no international agreement to solidify their status as a sovereign country," he said. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis tweeted that If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States dont trust China to broker peace in Ukraine, heres a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries borders have no legal basis. His Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, said Chinese ambassador's comments were false and a misinterpretation of history, while Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevics said that the statements were completely unacceptable." Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius would each summon Chinas ambassador or representative for an explanation of the envoys comments, the three Baltic countries said. European Union and NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania regained their independence in 1991 amid the fall of the Soviet Union after nearly five decades of Moscows rule. In a separate statement, Frances Foreign Ministry expressed concern about the ambassadors comments about ex-Soviet states and said: Its for China to say whether these comments reflect its position, which we hope is not the case. The French ministry said these countries gained independence after decades of oppression and that in the specific case of Ukraine, the entirety of the international community, including China, recognized its borders, including Crimea, when it declared independence in 1991. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday criticized the Chinese ambassador's unacceptable remarks on former Soviet republics' sovereignty. The EU can only suppose these declarations do not represent Chinas official policy, he tweeted. President Vladimir Putin of Russia, which is Chinas ally, has said several times that he doesnt recognize the sovereignty of Ukraine. The Kremlin also has made clear that it perceives the independence of the Baltic states and their active role in NATO and the EU as threats to Russias security. ___ John Leicester contributed to this report from Paris. BANGKOK (AP) A top election official in Myanmar was fatally shot in his car in Yangon, the countrys commercial capital, in the latest attack attributed to militants opposed to military rule. Sai Kyaw Thu, deputy director-general of the military-appointed Union Election Commission, was shot multiple times on Saturday, according to the militarys information office, media reports and a statement of responsibility from an urban guerrilla group. The information office on Sunday said the attack was carried out by the Peoples Defense Force, the loosely organized armed wing of the pro-democracy National Unity Government, an underground group that opposes the military-installed government that was established when the army seized power two years ago. Many opposition forces including local Peoples Defense Force groups operate autonomously from the National Unity Government but the military labels them all as terrorists. A resistance group calling itself For The Yangon said it carried out the attack on Sai Kyaw Thu, a former lieutenant colonel. It declared Mission: Accomplished in a Facebook post on Saturday evening that was illustrated with three photos of their target. Sai Kyaw Thu is believed to be the most senior official of the Election Commission to be shot since the army seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Resistance groups earlier this year attempted to disrupt preparations for a new election the military had promised by attacking personnel conducting a population survey that could be used to assemble voter rolls and other low-level election workers. Plans for the polls, whose date was never set, were set back indefinitely in February when the military government announced it was extending a state of emergency due to security problems. Urban guerrillas have carried out many targeted killings, acts of arson and small bombings. Victims included officials and members of the military and their cronies, as well as people believed to be informers or military collaborators. In November 2021, a former navy officer who was the chief finance officer of Myanmars military-linked Mytel telecommunications company was fatally shot on a Yangon street. Than Than Swe, then a deputy governor of Myanmars Central Bank, was shot at her home in Yangon in April 2022. She survived and was promoted to the bank governor. Most recently, a veteran corporate lawyer accused of helping military leaders was shot dead in Yangon by self-proclaimed urban guerrillas in March. After its takeover, the army clamped down harshly on opponents in the cities, arresting thousands and using deadly force even against nonviolent demonstrators. The repression, which has now accounted for more than 3,400 civilian deaths, triggered widespread armed resistance. The military dismissed the members of the previous election commission which had ratified the victory of Suu Kyis party in a November 2020 general election and appointed new ones. It also detained several members of the old commission, and according to reports in independent Myanmar media, pressured them to say there had been election fraud. The new military-appointed commission declared the 2020 election results invalid and prosecuted Suu Kyi and 15 other senior political figures for alleged fraud. In the statement, For The Yangon claimed Sai Kyaw Thu had been a plaintiff in the election fraud case against Suu Kyi. She and ousted President Win Myint and the former minister of the presidents office, Min Thu, received three-year sentences in September last year in that case. A member of guerrilla group said in a text message on Sunday that Sai Kyaw Thu was assassinated for being the deputy director-general of the illegal election commission of the military council, which disrespected the votes of the people in 2020 general election and abused the people unjustly, and also for being the one who falsely prosecuted President Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi as an accessory of the military council." The one who insults the public will be punished by the people, said the member of group, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he fears arrest by the authorities. According to reports in Myanmars independent media, Sai Kyaw Thu was cross-examined as a prosecution witness in the trials against Suu Kyi last year. KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) The number of tourists flocking to Jamaicas sun-drenched beaches soared nearly 100% in the first three months of the year, causing long queues and hours-long waits for arriving passengers at the island's main airport. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett told The Associated Press that the problem stemmed from a shortage of airport staff to process the unexpected volume of people flying into Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay since the end of the pandemic. Bartlett told Parliament later that day that there were 1.18 million arrivals from January through March 94% more than the same period of 2022 and a record high for Jamaicas tourism high season. The recovery has been stronger than anticipated and everybody all over the world is having difficulty with their airports because (many) of the workers have not come back, Bartlett said. He said authorities plan to spend more on technology as they strive to do away with paperwork at the airport, including ending a requirement for visitors to fill out a form upon arrival. Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the problems at Sangster underscore the need to push through the $70 million modernization and expansion project that already was underway. The work is scheduled to be completed by 2025, and Honess said the improvements at the Caribbeans largest and busiest airport "will make Jamaica more attractive and make Jamaica more competitive with other countries in the region, which have also invested heavily in improving their infrastructure. As part of the project, the runway is being lengthened at a cost of $34 million, work that is expected to be finished in June. We are excited about the prospects of Sangster being able to accommodate these mega airlines that will be flying to Jamaica and the Caribbean, Bartlett said during the AP interview last week. He said the Tourism Ministrys growth plan aims to have the island draw 5 million visitors annually by 2025. That would be a 35% increase from Jamaica's peak of 3.7 million tourists in 2022. Bartlett said Asian and Middle Eastern countries are among new markets being targeted and the airport must be able to accommodate the larger aircraft that would be used on such long-haul flights. In 2019, before the pandemic, the airport processed 4.7 million passengers, including citizens and visitors. The number of tourists to Jamaica peaked at 3.7 million in 2022, 70% of whom used the Sangster gateway. Sangster is managed by MBJ Airports Ltd., a consortium 74.5% owned by a subsidiary of the Mexican airports operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico and the rest by Vantage Airport Group of Canada. The consortium, which has a 30-year concession that began in 2003, said it spent $287 million to improve the airport in the first 18 years of the deal. Among the improvements, the airport operator has expanded the immigration hall and departure lounge. The check-in area was recently outfitted with 60 self-service kiosks, with plans to install more, to reduce passenger processing and waiting times. 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 ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albany NY 826 PM EDT Sat Apr 22 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Ulster, northwestern Dutchess, southwestern Columbia and southeastern Greene Counties through 900 PM EDT... At 826 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Saugerties South, or over Saugerties, moving north at 30 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph, nickel size hail, and heavy rain. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Heavy rains could cause flooding. Locations impacted include... Hudson, Catskill, Saugerties, Claverack, Livingston, Clermont, Red Hook, Athens, Philmont, Lorenz Park, Claverack-Red Mills, Lake Katrine, Saugerties South, Veteran, Germantown, Taghkanic, Tivoli, Centerville, Kerleys Corners and Quarryville. This includes Interstate 87 between exits 20 and 21. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 4193 7383 4197 7402 4228 7402 4226 7358 TIME...MOT...LOC 0026Z 197DEG 27KT 4204 7392 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH The National Weather Service in Upton NY has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Western Passaic County in northeastern New Jersey... Central Orange County in southeastern New York... * Until 915 PM EDT. * At 826 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over West Milford, moving north 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... Middletown, West Milford, Ringwood, Warwick, Goshen, Howells, Bloomingdale, Chester, Montgomery, Greenwood Lake, Florida, Upper Greenwood Lake, Scotchtown, Mechanicstown and Washingtonville. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather A DoorDash driver in Florida was abducted and raped by a man who then opened fire on her family when they tried to rescue her. On Friday, April 21, police in Tampa, Florida, announced the arrest of a man they say kidnapped and sexually assaulted a DoorDash driver who had been making deliveries. Abducted and Sexually Assaulted According to a press statement issued by the Tampa Police Department on Saturday, April 22, 38-year-old Joseph Killins has been charged with armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, armed sexual violence, and aggravated battery with a weapon. At approximately 11:00 PM local time on Tuesday, April 18, a woman in her early 20s was attacked as she got out of her vehicle to make a delivery at a Residence Inn hotel. As per a CBS News article, a police report indicates that the suspect threatened her with a pistol before ordering her back into her vehicle and directing her to drive to the Belara Lakes Apartments, where he sexually attacked her. Also Read: Gun Violence 2023: US Sets Record Pace of One Mass Killing Per Week on Average Saved by Family and Authorities The victim was on the phone with her partner, who heard the abduction and assault, prompting the girlfriend to call the police. The victim was wearing her AirPods at the time. The victim's loved ones alerted the authorities, who used her phone to eventually locate her. When they got to the apartment complex, the family members rushed to help the victim after she had been locked in her vehicle, but the suspect opened fire on them. According to authorities, a lady in her 20s who is related to the victim's girlfriend was shot and injured. After then, the suspect ran away. Both victims were brought to the hospital, but their injuries were not considered life-threatening, authorities added. Killins was located and arrested Friday night at the Tampa Inn by detectives investigating both cases. Insider said the suspect was being detained in Tampa at the Orient Road Jail. "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," Interim Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. In addition to the assault on the DoorDash driver, police have disclosed details of a separate robbery that took place at the Belara Lakes complex the morning following the attack on the driver. A lady in her 40s was attacked and had her bag taken. Yet Another Violent Incident Sadly, another driver who was simply at work recently fell victim to an attack. Officials in Baltimore have reported that a Lyft driver was carjacked and attacked on a Saturday morning last week, April 15, in the city's southern neighborhoods. Reportedly, a gang of three males and three women attacked a Lyft driver, who was driving a brand-new blue Toyota Corolla, injured him, stole his phone, and drove off in his vehicle. Also Read: Lyft Driver Assaulted and Carjacked By 3 Men, 3 Women in Baltimore @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 163 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 353 AM CDT SUN APR 23 2023 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 163 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE ATASCOSA BANDERA BEXAR BLANCO CALDWELL COMAL DIMMIT EDWARDS FRIO GILLESPIE GUADALUPE HAYS KENDALL KERR KINNEY LA SALLE MCMULLEN MAVERICK MEDINA REAL UVALDE VAL VERDE WILSON ZAVALA ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 AM CDT FOR NORTHEASTERN KINNEY AND WEST CENTRAL UVALDE COUNTIES... At 355 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles southeast of Alamo Village, or 10 miles east of Brackettville, moving southeast at 15 mph. HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of northeastern Kinney and west central Uvalde Counties, including the following locations... Turkey Mountain. 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 Austin San Antonio. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 248 AM CDT Sun Apr 23 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 AM CDT FOR NORTHEASTERN KINNEY COUNTY... At 248 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles north of Alamo Village, or 17 miles north of Brackettville, moving east at 25 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 remain over mainly rural areas of northeastern Kinney County, including the following locations... Kickapoo Cavern State Park. 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 Austin San Antonio. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northwestern Kinney County in south central Texas... Southeastern Val Verde County in south central Texas... * Until 345 AM CDT. * At 301 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Cienegas Terrace to 10 miles south of Laughlin AFB, moving north 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. * Severe thunderstorms will be near... Cienegas Terrace around 310 AM CDT. Del Rio and Val Verde Park around 315 AM CDT. Lake View, Diablo East and Laughlin AFB around 320 AM CDT. Amanda and Black Brush Point around 325 AM CDT. Long Point around 330 AM CDT. Other locations impacted by these severe thunderstorms include Devils Shores, San Pedro Canyon, 277 North Campground, Rough Canyon Recreation Area, Escondido Estates, 277 South Boat Ramp, Lake Ridge Ranch and Devils River State Nat Area Big Satan. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 AM CDT THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected. * WHERE...A portion of south central Texas, including the following county, Val Verde. * WHEN...Until 615 AM CDT. * IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Water over roadways. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 303 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the advisory area. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain have fallen. - Additional rainfall amounts up to 2 inches are expected over the area. This additional rain will result in minor flooding. - Some locations that will experience flooding include... Lake View, Box Canyon, Amistad Acres, Governors Landing, Amistad Village, Diablo East, Black Brush Point, Long Point, Seminole Canyon State Park, Salem Point, Spur 406 Campground, Rock Quarry Campground, Rough Canyon Recreation Area, San Pedro Canyon, 277 North Campground, 277 South Boat Ramp, Lake Ridge Ranch and Pecos River Boat Ramp. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Maverick County in south central Texas... * Until 700 AM CDT. * At 611 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Chula Vista, or 7 miles southeast of Eagle Pass, moving southeast at 15 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... El Indio around 650 AM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Eidson Road and Las Quintas Fronterizas. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail, damaging winds, and continuous cloud to ground lightning are occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northwestern Webb County in south central Texas... * Until 900 AM CDT. * At 758 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles southwest of Gilson Groves, or 25 miles south of Carrizo Springs, moving southeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Las Tiendas, Chupadera Ranch Airport and La Esperanza Ranch Airport. This includes the following highways... Interstate 35 near mile marker 35. US Highway 83 between mile markers 668 and 686. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern La Salle County in south central Texas... McMullen County in south central Texas... Live Oak County in south central Texas... West central Bee County in south central Texas... * Until 900 AM CDT. * At 805 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Whitsett to 6 miles southwest of Calliham to 10 miles southeast of Fowlerton, moving southeast 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... George West, Three Rivers, Tilden, Choke Canyon, Loma Alta, Cross, Fowlerton, River Creek Acres, Calliham, Karon, Oakville, Crowther, Simmons, Ray Point, Whitsett and Clegg. This includes the following highways... Interstate 37 between mile markers 53 and 81. US Highway 281 between mile markers 618 and 642. US Highway 59 between mile markers 712 and 740. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Dimmit County through 845 AM CDT... At 805 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8 miles northeast of Chupadera Ranch Airport, or 20 miles south of Carrizo Springs, moving southeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southwestern Dimmit County. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 200 PM CDT for south central Texas. LAT...LON 2823 10008 2836 9994 2820 9971 2820 10005 TIME...MOT...LOC 1305Z 312DEG 23KT 2825 9996 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Jackson County through 830 AM CDT... At 805 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Fordtran, or 16 miles north of Victoria, moving east at 30 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail. Locations impacted include... Morales. LAT...LON 2913 9684 2915 9666 2897 9669 2898 9681 2898 9682 2900 9682 2902 9683 2903 9684 2906 9694 TIME...MOT...LOC 1305Z 274DEG 25KT 2906 9695 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, April 24, 2023 _____ FLOOD WARNING BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Flood Warning National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX Issued by National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 1206 PM CDT Sun Apr 23 2023 ...The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi TX has issued a Flood Warning for the following rivers in Texas... Rio Grande At Laredo affecting Webb County. For the Rio Grande...including Columbia Bridge, Laredo...Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/crp. The next statement will be issued late tonight at 315 AM CDT. ...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON TO LATE TOMORROW MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Rio Grande At Laredo. * WHEN...From this afternoon to late tomorrow morning. * IMPACTS...At 8.0 feet, or 2.4 meters, minor lowland flooding occurs. Flow reaches the lower sections of the customs parking lot in Laredo. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 11:00 AM CDT Sunday the stage was 8.5 feet. - Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 11:00 AM CDT Sunday was 8.5 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise to a crest of 8.6 feet this afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage late this afternoon. - Flood stage is 8.0 feet. - Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of 8.4 feet on 05/03/2019. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood Below are the latest river stages and stage forecasts: Fld Observed Forecasts (1 pm) Location Stg Stg Day/Time Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Rio Grande Laredo 8.0 8.5 Sun 11 am 6.0 5.7 5.6 5.5 MSG ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1230 PM CDT FOR KENEDY...JIM HOGG...NORTHEASTERN HIDALGO...NORTHEASTERN STARR... BROOKS...NORTHWESTERN WILLACY AND NORTHEASTERN ZAPATA COUNTIES... At 1206 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 30 miles southeast of Malaquite Beach to 9 miles west of Norias to near Guerra, moving southeast at 55 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Locations impacted include... Falfurrias, Armstrong, Agua Nueva, Encino, Rachal, Sarita, Puerto Rico, Randado, La Gloria and La Reforma. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern McCulloch County in west central Texas... Northern Mason County in west central Texas... Southwestern San Saba County in west central Texas... * Until 900 PM CDT. * At 806 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Camp Air, moving east 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... Camp Air and Grit around 815 PM CDT. Katemcy around 820 PM CDT. Mason around 830 PM CDT. Fredonia around 835 PM CDT. Art around 845 PM CDT. Pontotoc around 855 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Highway 29 And Ranch Road 1222, Koockville and Erna. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Llano County through 900 PM CDT... At 807 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Pontotoc, or 20 miles northeast of Mason, moving southeast at 15 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Valley Spring and Field Creek. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT for south central Texas. LAT...LON 3078 9884 3086 9897 3092 9896 3092 9872 TIME...MOT...LOC 0107Z 310DEG 13KT 3093 9896 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN MCCULLOCH...NORTHERN MASON AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN SABA COUNTIES... At 811 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over The Intersection Of Highway 29 And Ranch Road 1222, or near Grit, moving southeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Two inch hail and 70 mph wind gusts. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. This severe storm will be near... Camp Air around 815 PM CDT. Grit and Katemcy around 820 PM CDT. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather The grieving family of a deceased Florida man has sued Celebrity Cruises for $1 million, accusing the company is responsible for the rapid decay of their loved one's corpse because it was kept in a cooler rather than the ship's mortuary. An Unsettling, Unpleasant Discovery In the complaint, as reported by The New York Post, Marilyn Jones' husband of 55 years, Robert Lewis Jones, died of a heart attack while traveling through the Caribbean on the Celebrity Equinox in August 2022. She was assured by cruise employees that his corpse would be kept secure in the ship's mortuary. The ship landed in Fort Lauderdale six days later, and the distraught wife did not find the body in the ship's morgue. Marilyn discovered that her husband, aged 78, had been held in a walk-in cooler, the kind normally used to store cold drinks. Apparently, the husband's corpse was moved from the ship's morgue to a cooler on a separate floor. The funeral staff discovered Robert Lewis' remains in a cooler with beverages outside and at a temperature too low to prevent decomposition. The corpse was found inside a bloodstained bag on a pallet on the cooler's floor. As a result, it was "immediately clear" that the corpse was in "advanced stages of decomposition and was never stored in a temperature appropriate to stop decomposition from occurring." Robert Lewis' green, bloated body prevented his loved ones from having an open-coffin burial, which was a family custom to them. See Also: Carnival Cruise Ship: FBI Opens Investigation on Suspicious Death of Woman Travelling to South Carolina What Could Have Happened After her husband died on the trip, the staff reportedly gave the widow two choices. Both of which were detailed in a file made last week in federal court in Florida. According to AP News, the lawsuit claims that the crew informed Marilyn the corpse could be removed when the ship stopped in Puerto Rico or stored in the ship's mortuary until the ship returned to Fort Lauderdale six days later. Marilyn placed the corpse in the ship's mortuary since she would have had to pay for a transfer from Puerto Rico to Florida. The family believes that an open-casket ceremony might have taken place in Puerto Rico if they had been notified by Celebrity Cruises that the morgue there was temporarily closed. In the petition, Marilyn Jones, her two daughters, and her three grandkids stated their desire to go to trial before a jury. Fatalities on Cruises Because passenger fatalities are possible at any time on a cruise, most ships carry a morgue and body bags just in case. At least 37 people have died on ships operated by Celebrity Cruises since 2001, the complaint claims. That is just a fraction of the annual cruise ship fatality toll. According to 2020 research published in the International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 623 people died while vacationing on cruise ships between the years 2000 and 2019. See Also: Virginia Teacher Shot by 6-Year-Old Student Files $40 Million Lawsuit @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Hansen Ovind, left, shakes hands with Korea's Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Cho Seung-hwan at Government Complex Sejong, April 19. Given that both Korea and Norway are located next to large sea areas respectively, the two officials discussed enhancing collaboration in marine-related fields, such as fisheries, maritime affairs and marine sciences. Courtesy of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Zurin Villanueva, one of the lead actresses in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, has a request for people coming to see the show, which begins a three-week run at the Connor Palace in Playhouse Square on April 25. Dont feel any type of way about making noise, she said. We love all the noise. Nominated for 12 Tony Awards in 2020, the show promises a good time. How could it not? The stage production features 21 songs by Turner, one of only three women to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Review: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical might be the best time youll have at Playhouse Square this year It means so much to me to play her, Villanueva said. I have so much respect for her and what she built and what she did with her music, dancing with these short skirts on and getting down just like the guys did. It was so iconic and I really want to make sure I uphold that. Though it borrows the format of the typical jukebox musical, Tina aims to go deeper than a cursory summary set to the superstars greatest hits. Credit that to Turner herself, who worked closely with playwright Katori Hall on the book. She wanted to make sure that it was real, Villanueva said. The result is a story of perseverance and resilience rooted in pain and abuse. It begins with a young Anna Mae Bullock singing in church in Nutbush, Tennessee. Abandoned by her mother at age 11, she meets Ike Turner at a St. Louis nightclub at 16 years old and joins his band two years later. A name change and marriage bring success and fame but at a cost. Their pairing is dynamic and electric. Ike, though, is abusive and controlling. Zurin Villanueva performing as Tina Turner and Garrett Turner as Ike Turner in the North American touring production of "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" (Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade) She had absolutely nothing when she left except maybe some jewelry that she could hawk, Villanueva said. He had paid for everything her entire adult life. So, she had to be an adult for the first time at 40 years old. That was something I didnt know. I was like, Wow. Indeed, the actress said the musical covers more ground than Whats Love Got to Do with It, the 1993 film that gave many fans their first glimpse into Turners struggles behind the music. We have a lot of the details of what it took for her to land back on her feet, which is so neat and so wonderful, Villanueva said. Shes an incredibly strong person, emotionally and spiritually. And what happens out of that is really magnificent. Im so glad that story is being told. As a performer, Tina Turner has no equal. The voice, the dance moves, the boundless energy. Her live shows were a unique and unforgettable experience. Portraying the Queen of Rock and Roll on stage is so physically demanding that it requires two actresses to play her. Villanueva splits the role on tour with Naomi Rodgers. Each actress does four shows a week. Teamwork makes the dream work, said Villanueva, whose off days include plenty of vocal rest, meditation and massages. This is a huge, huge mountain and we cannot do it alone. So, every night youll find one of them performing the heck out of R&B, rock and pop classics like Proud Mary, River Deep Mountain High and Private Dancer. My favorite number is Higher. Its like a nonstop train of her life and then its just like, lets get higher, lets get better, Villanueva said. People need to come to the show because they need to be rejuvenated and be reminded that nothing is over until you say its over. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is playing at Playhouse Squares Connor Palace, 1615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, from April 25 to May 14. Tickets, $25-$129, are available online at playhousesquare.org or by calling (216) 241-6000. Guest columnist Katy Downing is planetarium and program coordinator at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Northeast Ohio will be treated to not one, but two solar eclipse events over the next year: a partial solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023, and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. What is a solar eclipse? Well, the moon orbits Earth approximately every 27 days. A solar eclipse is the cosmic coincidence when the moon passes exactly between the Earth and the sun, thereby casting a shadow onto Earth and blocking our view of the sun. For the partial annular eclipse this October, we will see about 33 percent of the sun covered by the moon. In April 2024, the path of totality will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. In Northeast Ohio, we will see the moon completely cover the sun, revealing the suns outer atmosphere -- otherwise known as the solar corona. You will notice the sky become quite dark, and other stars and planets will be visible during the daytime. Animals will behave as if it were dusk. Deer will be active, birds will head toward the trees for shelter and nighttime insects will begin to make noise. The experience of totality will be all around you, so make sure to take it all in. Here are a few ways to view the partial and total solar eclipses: Eclipse glasses Eye protection is extremely important when viewing a partial or total solar eclipse. To safely observe an eclipse, you must wear eclipse glasses or number 14 welders glasses. Do not look at the sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses. The concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury. A common myth: You do not need to wear eclipse glasses all day. You only need to wear them when you are looking directly at the sun. Pinhole projectors Another way to view an eclipse is to use a pinhole projector, which has a small opening (for example, a hole punched into an index card) and projects an image of the sun onto a nearby surface. With the sun at your back, you can then safely view the projected image. Colander Take your kitchen colander outdoors and observe its shadows on the ground. The circular holes of your colander will project crescent shapes onto the ground during the partial phases of a solar eclipse. As one of two public-access planetariums in Cuyahoga County, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center will offer educational programs in preparation for the partial and total eclipses. Stay tuned for more information at www.lensc.org/planetarium. The center is open 7 days a week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is located at 28728 Wolf Road in Bay Village. Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Ann Norman at anorman@cleveland.com. Essays must include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting todays topics are also welcome. Even if the Ohio General Assemblys districts are ever drawn fairly, theres another key component that a responsible legislature must demonstrate: Transparency whos doing what, to whom, and why. Thats where the two-chamber shell game comes into play. Accountabilitys not easy when the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate pass the buck back and forth to hide which lobby (or state agency) is benefiting from amendments jammed into bills through procedural hocus-pocus. Take the pending state operating budget, House Bill 33, now in an Ohio House committee. As introduced, the budget was 4,311 pages long. Then, last week, a rewritten (or substitute) bill surfaced, and hey, presto the bill now has 5,364 pages. That is, the measure is 24% longer, and of course, all those extra words are about good government. True, no thanks to a state law that closes certain legislative files to taxpayers, reporters will uncover some of the budgets dicier sections. But after the House substitute comes the House-passed budget. Then come the Senate substitute and Senate-passed versions. Icing the cake will be a conference committee budget the one Gov. Mike DeWine will sign written, supposedly, by three senators and three representatives -- but, in reality, by two GOP leaders, House Speaker Jason Stephens, of Lawrence Countys Kitts Hill, and Senate President Matt Huffman, of Lima. The effect of these inter-chamber handoffs is to hide how something got into the budget or got kept out. One root of that problem is having two legislative chambers. The General Assembly, like the legislatures of 48 other states, is composed of a Senate and a second house, called the House of Representatives or the House of Delegates or the Assembly. Originally, state senates, like the U.S. Senate, were often apportioned by geography, regardless of population, while states lower houses were apportioned (officially) by population. But as recently noted, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the 1960s that both chambers of states legislatures should be determined by population. That means theres one Ohio House member for every 119,000 Ohioans, and one Ohio Senate member for every 356,000 Ohioans although rare indeed are the Ohioans who can name their legislator (let alone both). But you can be sure Statehouse lobbyists can. In theory, having two chambers, both based on population, slows legislation so it can get a thorough look-see two pairs of eyes looking out for a given swath of Ohio are better than one pair of eyes, supposedly. In fact, what a bicameral legislature can do better is hide who did what to whom, and why. And in the worst cases, two-chamber legislatures amount to tollgates for legislation: Someone donates to somebody, or traffic doesnt move. Only one state, Nebraska, has opted for a one-chamber (unicameral) legislature, but Ohio civic groups and reformers in the 1930s and 1940s gave serious thought to, and sometimes called for, a unicameral Ohio General Assembly. The idea didnt go anywhere, because new ideas generally dont in Ohio unless the occasional millionaire has a brainstorm and Statehouse pals. True, maybe its better for Ohioans to have one House member and state senator look out for them at the Statehouse. But is that whats actually happening? After all, 51 of 99) Ohio House members and 19 (of 33) state senators voted to bail out FirstEnergy Corp. Would those legislators have voted to bail you out? Voting against the voters: As expected, the GOP-run Senate voted last week to place on Ohios ballot a plan to make it harder for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution. The goal? To roadblock voter-petitioned amendments that could guarantee Ohio womens access to bortion and end General Assembly gerrymandering. These anti-voter Greater Cleveland Republicans voted yes to crimping Ohioans power to amend the state constitution: Sens. Jerry Cirino, of Kirtland; Matt Dolan, of Chagrin Falls; Nathan Manning, of North Ridgeville; Sandra OBrien, of Rome, whose district includes Trumbull County; Kristina Roegner, of Hudson; Mark Romanchuk, of Ontario, whose district includes Medina County; Michael Rulli, of Salem, whose district includes Mahoning County; and Kirk Schuring, of Canton. The anti-voter scheme is now in the Ohio Houses hands. Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens. To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-408-9474 Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. President Yoon Suk Yeol attends an interview with Reuters at the Presidential Office in Seoul, April 18. Reuters-Yonhap China on Sunday said it had lodged a complaint with Seoul over Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's "erroneous" remarks about Taiwan, as a diplomatic spat simmers between the Asian neighbours. Beijing and Seoul have traded barbs over a Reuters interview with Yoon this month, in which he called tensions between China and Taiwan a "global issue" similar to North Korea and blamed recent heightened tensions on "attempts to change the status quo by force". China claims self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control one day, with Beijing insisting that its dealings with Taipei are purely internal matters. The Chinese foreign ministry said Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong had been ordered on Thursday to make a "solemn representation" to the South Korean ambassador over Yoon's comments. Sun told the ambassador Yoon's remarks were "totally unacceptable" and expressed "strong dissatisfaction," the ministry said. China's statement comes ahead of Yoon's state visit to key ally the United States, which Beijing has blamed for arming Taiwan and encouraging pro-independence politicians. The Taiwan question is a matter "belonging to the Chinese themselves and no force can be allowed to interfere," Sun said, urging Seoul to "adhere to the One-China Principle and be careful in words and actions relating to the Taiwan issue". China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin had previously criticised Yoon's remarks, calling it a "universally known fact" that the Taiwan issue was not comparable to tensions on the Korean Peninsula. This prompted South Korea's foreign ministry on Thursday to berate China for its "serious diplomatic discourtesy". Tensions have escalated in the Taiwan Strait in recent years, with China launching military exercises earlier this month after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen visited the United States. (AFP) President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 63rd anniversary of the April 19, 1960, pro-democracy uprising by students at the April 19th National Cemetery in Seoul, April 19. Yonhap President Yoon Suk Yeol plans to award Korea's highest military order to three Korean War veterans from the U.S. during his state visit next week, the presidential office here said Sunday. Yoon is set to depart for Washington on Monday for a six-day state visit marking the 70th anniversary of the two countries' alliance. During the visit, Yoon plans to hold a luncheon event with 300 key figures from Korea and the U.S., and award the Taegeuk Order of Military Merit to three American servicemen who fought for Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, the presidential office said in a press release. It will mark the first time a Korean president bestows a military order outside of the country. The three awardees are retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett, retired Navy Capt. Elmer Royce Williams and Baldomero Lopez, a late first lieutenant who served in the Marine Corps. A nephew will attend the awarding ceremony on behalf of the late Lopez. Puckett led the Eighth Army Ranger Company through the battle for Hill 205 on November 25, 1950, while Williams is known for his solo dogfight with seven Soviet pilots in November 1952. Lopez heroically smothered a hand grenade with his own body during the Incheon Landing on Sept. 15, 1950, and saved his subordinates' lives. Yoon plans to commemorate the sacrifices of Korean War veterans and underline the meaning of the Korea-U.S. alliance during the luncheon. A grandson of Gen. James Alward Van Fleet, commander of the U.S. 8th Army from 1951-53, and the eldest daughter of Gen. Paik Sun-yup, commander of the Korean Army's 1st Division and a Korean War hero, will also join the event as invited guests. (Yonhap) Vicente Clavel, the head of the Cervantes publishing business in Barcelona, Spain, came up with the idea for World Book Day in 1922. The initial event was held on October 7, 1926, on Cervantes' birthday, but it was eventually moved to April 23, 1930, his day of passing. It is the age of eBooks and online reading, yet nothing compares to the charm of cosying up in a corner with a book in your hand in an old-fashioned way. Reading is a passion for countless people around the world and hence it is no surprise that a day has been dedicated to books. Every year on April 23, festivities are held around the world to acknowledge the importance of books as a link between the past and the present, a bridge across generations, and a window into other cultures. History and significance Vicente Clavel, the head of the Cervantes publishing business in Barcelona, Spain, came up with the idea for World Book Day in 1922. Clavel wanted to increase book sales while paying homage to the famous novelist Miguel de Cervantes. The initial event was held on October 7, 1926, on Cervantes' birthday, but it was eventually moved to April 23, 1930, his day of passing. In Catalonia, where it is celebrated as Sant Jordi's Day or The Day of Books and Roses, this custom is still prevalent. The date holds a lot of significance for the world of 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. Every year henceforth, since 1995, April 23 is celebrated worldwide as World Book and Copyright Day. 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. 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. 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 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 23) Former government officials who served with ex-Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario remembered his patriotism and kindness on the first day of his wake on Sunday. 1-Sambayan, the coalition where del Rosario served as convenor, sponsored the mass held at the Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati. Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas presided over the mass. Family, friends, and colleagues gathered to pay tribute to the man whom they said deeply loved his country. "Secretary del Rosario was the man responsible for initiating the arbitration at The Hague against China, where we won... This is the victory that benefits present and future generations of Filipinos and we owe a debt of gratitude to Secretary del Rosario," said retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said the win at The Hague was de Rosario's "finest hour, his greatest legacy as a public servant" and thanked the former ambassador for his friendship. "Thank you for the gift of friendship. Thank you for the gift of patriotism. I know Mark Twain would be clapping now for him because to use his words, he was supportive of his country all the time and the government when it deserves it," she said. Other former officials who attended the wake include former senators Franklin Drilon and Bam Aquino, former Commission on Audit commissioner Heidi Mendoza, former presidential peace adviser Ging Deles, and former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales. United States Ambassador MaryKay Carlson, and Ballsy Cruz, the sister of former president Noynoy Aquino, were also present to pay their last respects. Del Rosario's wake is open to the public until Monday and his funeral is scheduled on Tuesday. Del Rosario died while en route to California on April 18. He was 83. In a statement Saturday, his family said the former diplomat died of a heart attack. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 23) Filipinos are among the 157 people evacuated from Sudan amid the clashes between Sudanese forces and paramilitary groups, according to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. READ: Sudans warring factions announce ceasefire, but fighting continues The agency said the evacuation was carried out by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces with the support of the branches of the armed forces. 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 Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday night. The Kingdom worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals in preparation for their departure to their countries, it added. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the Philippine government was preparing to evacuate the remaining Filipinos in Sudan despite the lack of functioning airports and secure land routes in the country since the fighting broke out on April 15. Latest data from the Philippine Embassy in Cairo showed that there are approximately 400 Filipinos in Sudan. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said 86 Filipinos in the battle-scarred country had requested for repatriation. The DFA also reported that one Filipino was hurt in the Sudan conflict and had since recovered. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 23) Globe Telecom sent out emergency alerts on Sunday to remind Filipinos to register their SIM cards but users found the move causing unnecessary panic. Two alerts, which were tagged as "extreme," rang out with a 10-minute interval, urging Globe users to register their SIMs before the April 26 deadline. Twitter user Dino responded to CNN Philippines' tweet, saying he had received the alerts since Saturday but clarified that he had been receiving them as early as April 19, after reviewing his copies of screenshots. In a message, he said he was in a queue when the alert came on Sunday, and the woman behind him panicked upon hearing the alert sounds coming from the phones of at least 15 people. "I think everyones aware naman na may deadline ang [that there's a deadline for the] SIM registration and theres other way naman to inform and remind their users about the deadline," Dino said. "Emergency alerts are for emergency use lang din sana." "It will cause panic lang eh. Imagine youre sleeping since its Sunday, it's rest day for most of us, tapos marinig mo 'yung sound ng emergency alert, ang unang papasok sa isip mo lumindol or may bagyo right? since nakaka-receive lang tayo ng emergency alerts kapag may emergency," the Twitter user added. [Translation: And then you'll hear the sound of the emergency alert, the first thing you'll think of is an earthquake or storm right? since we only receive emergency alerts if there is an emergency.] Dino was not the only one who shared these sentiments online. "I don't get it though, why don't they just send this alert to all unregistered numbers ONLY? It [would] make more sense," a user replied to CNN Philippines' tweet. Forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun also asked on Twitter: "Is this the proper use of telecom emergency alerts?" "Everyone who's not okay with this misuse of our emergency alert system should make it known to our National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and National Telecommunications Commission. How many Filipino users were affected by this? They effectively bypassed government regulations," a netizen commented on Fortun's tweet. While the move received criticisms, some thought the deadline warranted an "emergency" label. "Well, it is an emergency of some sort. Some people could lose access to their GCash and the funds contained in it. Tapos sino ang kakalampagin kapag nangyari yan, di ba si Globe lang din? Mas mabuti na di sila nagkulang sa pag-remind," a Facebook user replied to CNN Philippines' post. [Translation: Who would they blame once that happens, it probably would be Globe? So, it would be better for them to keep reminding people.] Republic Act 10369 or the "The Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act" provides a way for the government "notify and inform its constituents of the impending disasters to prevent injuries, destruction and loss of lives and property." An emergency alert is usually issued by the NDRRMC to warn residents about storms and rainfall advisories. It is also used for possible tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic activity, among other calamities. Sen. Grace Poe, who sponsored the SIM Registration Act, urged Filipinos to give the law "one final push," reiterating that "systems are in place to secure our information and protect our data." "The government and telcos should go all out to encourage our countrymen to register," Poe said in a statement on Sunday. "This should be matched with a fortified infrastructure to handle the gush of transactions from those who will sign up their SIM." Poe has yet to respond to CNN Philippines' request for comment on Globe's usage of the emergency alert. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is set to meet telcos and other stakeholders on April 24 to discuss SIM registration matters, especially if an extension will be considered. READ: DICT to meet with telcos, stakeholders on April 24 to discuss status, issue in SIM registration So far, around 78 million of some 100 million active users have registered their SIMs. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 23) Filipino businessman and Lopez clan patriarch Oscar Moreno Lopez died on Saturday. He was 93. The First Philippine Holdings, a company under Lopez Holdings Corporation, confirmed his death on Sunday morning in a Facebook post. Lopez headed the Lopez Group of Companies for over 20 years. The company has interests in energy, real estate, manufacturing, construction, and energy services. He led First Gen Corporation, Energy Development Corporation, First Balfour, First Philippine Industrial Park, Inc., First Philippine Electric Corporation, and Rockwell Land. ABS-CBN is also owned by the Lopez family. Lopez stepped down as head of the Lopez Holdings in October 2020. He also resigned as chairman and chief executive of the First Philippine Holdings in 2019 and was succeeded by his son Federico Lopez. In 2022, the businessman ranked 45 in the countrys Top 50 richest with a net worth of $245 million. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 23) Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief PGen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. is retiring on Monday after 38 years of service, but he admits he still has no idea who will succeed him. Ang ire-recommend ko nga is yung mas mahigpit pa sa akin, he told reporters on April 17. Dahil nagle-level up tayo. Ako ata ang isang CPNP na walang asim at aray. Yun ang nasa record. [Translation: I will recommend someone who is tougher than me because we are currently leveling up. I think Im the only chief PNP who has no asim at aray. Thats whats on the record.] READ: Azurin urges Marcos to pick the next PNP chief, claims syndicates operating within govt Azurin hopes successor can continue probe into drug-linked cops The next PNP chief will face big challenges as the agency is currently mired in controversies. Some PNP officials have been implicated in the seizure of almost a metric ton of shabu found in the property of Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo in Tondo, Manila in October of last year. The Special Investigation Task Group 990 found 49 members of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group to be criminally and administratively liable. Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos also called on third level officials to file their courtesy resignation as part of the agencys effort to cleanse its own ranks. Section 25 of Republic Act 6975 states that the president will choose the next PNP chief upon recommendation of the (National Police) Commission from among the most senior and qualified officers in the service. Provided, however, that in no case shall any officer who has retired or is retirable within six (6) months from his compulsory retirement age be appointed as Chief of the PNP, the law further said. Ang usual candidates po diyan ay ang mga susunod po na miyembro ng command group dahil sila ang most senior officers, PNP spokesperson PCol. Jean Fajardo previously said. However, alam naman natin na merong records na may na-a-appoint outside the PNP Command Group. [Translation: The usual candidates are the incoming members of the command group because they are the most senior officers. However, we know that some people outside the PNP Command Group had been appointed to the post.] Among the possible contenders for PNP chief are the three top officers of the command group: Deputy Chief for Administration Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia Deputy Chief for Operations Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo Lt. Gen. Michael John Dubria, chief of the directorial staff. The other contenders are the following: Directorate for Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management Chief Maj. Gen. Eliseo Cruz Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. National Capital Region Police Office head Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo In a message, former PNP chief and now Health Undersecretary Camilo Cascolan said the next person who will take the helm of the police force should have a good reputation in service. Service reputation, accountability and responsibility. He should lead, mentor and discipline. Look after the morale and welfare of his people. Push for the best for his people (not his), Cascolan told CNN Philippines. For former PNP Chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde, the next top cop must have a strong leadership. Someone who can really lead, decisive but fair. Basing his decisions always from facts! He should focus on serving the people and improving the discipline within the PNP while looking after their welfare, Albayalde said. What is important at this time of great tribulation being experienced by the organization is to be led by one professional police officer who has not been tainted by, nor benefitted (including the members of his/her family) from any connections with the illegal drugs, said former PNP Chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos. Time should be on his/her side to pursue the battle to the end, Carlos added. Victims of home rental scams hold up a protest message outside the Incheon District Court in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, on April 21, calling for remedies. Yonhap The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the government will push to legislate a special law to support victims of home rental scams, a party official said Sunday. The party and the government plan to propose the legislation bill this week, Rep. Park Dae-chul, the PPP's chief policymaker, said following a consultative meeting with government officials. In recent months, three cash-strapped tenants have taken their own lives in the city of Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, in the wake of a massive home rental scam, sending the government scrambling to find remedies. Under the scam, the mastermind, surnamed Nam, rented highly collateralized homes to victims for deposits worth tens of millions of won. The homes ended up being put up for auction, as Nam failed to repay debts to financial institutions, leading to victims facing eviction without getting their deposits back. (CNN) There's an adorable new monk seal pup on Hawaii's Kaimana Beach and authorities are taking every step to make sure mother and baby are both unbothered by humans. Authorities have erected a "temporary fence" around the beach to protect the mother and pup, according to a Facebook post from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. The fence is intended to "promote public safety and seal protection during the nursing period," the department said. "People are encouraged to use other areas for beach and ocean recreation." The department added the pup will most likely stay with its mother while it is nursing for the next five to seven weeks. They noted mother seals in particular can be "very protective of their pups" and have seriously injured swimmers in the past, making it "unsafe to swim" in the Kaimana Beach area, the department added in a news conference about the birth. There will be a 24/7 law enforcement presence on the beach to protect the seals, said Jason Redulla, chief of the division of conservation and resources enforcement, during the news conference. "It's better for you at this point to find another beach to recreate at," Redulla noted. Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered seal species in the world, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There are estimated to be just around 1,570 seals left in the wild. The species is threatened by habitat loss, entanglement in fishing gear, diseases, and occasional intentional killings from humans. As an adult, the adorable newborn will be as long as six to seven feet and weigh up to 600 pounds, NOAA said. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Hawaiian officials block beach to protect adorable endangered monk seal pup" (CNN) -- Evacuations of foreign nationals caught in Sudan's deadly fighting are gathering pace, even as on the ground many Sudanese are stuck in deteriorating conditions. US special forces helped bring almost 100 people -- mostly US embassy staff, as well as a small number of diplomatic professionals from other countries -- to safety on Saturday, US officials said. The evacuations have been complicated by ongoing clashes. The two sides at the center of more than a week of fighting -- Sudan's army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RFS) -- blamed each other after a French evacuation convoy came under fire trying to leave Sudan. A French national was injured. One staff member of the Egyptian embassy in Sudan was also shot and injured during an evacuation operation, Cairo's foreign ministry said. Egypt has told its citizens outside of Khartoum to prepare for withdrawal, while urging those in the capital to stay put. The United Kingdom said it had managed to pull its diplomatic staff out of the country, as several other European nations were scrambling to do the same. The flurry of operations came on the ninth day of clashes in Khartoum. Sudan's military leader, Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, and commander of the RSF, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, seized control of the country in a military coup in 2021 and were due to hand over power to a civilian government but turned on each other instead. More than 420 people have been killed and 3,700 injured in the fighting, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The humanitarian situation on the ground is deteriorating without access to medical services, and with many left stranded without food or water. With the main international airport still shuttered, many Sudanese civilians are either trapped in their homes or scrambling to find exit routes out of the country via its land borders -- a complex and dangerous feat amid limited internet access. A series of ceasefires, including the latest called for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr, have been broken. Residents in parts of Khartoum told CNN early on Sunday morning that there were no signs that the cessation of hostilities was being adhered to, as they awoke to aerial attacks, heavy artillery, explosions and gunfire. They relayed that clashes were raging around the military headquarters and presidential palace in the city center. 'No power or water for five days' Despite the flare in fighting and steep risks, foreign governments continue to announce rescue missions and plans to pull their citizens out. The United Kingdom completed a "complex and rapid" evacuation of British diplomats and their families amid "threats to embassy staff," Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday. France's foreign ministry said a "rapid evacuation operation" of diplomatic personnel and French citizens from Sudan was being coordinated with its European and allied partner nations. The Dutch foreign ministry said its evacuation plans were in progress, and that it had relayed an assembly point to 152 Dutch citizens in Sudan. Belgium's foreign minister said that the country was working with France and the Netherlands on "multiple operations" to evacuate Belgian citizens. Sweden's parliament, the Riksdag, has given the go-ahead for up to 400 soldiers to help carry out an evacuation from Sudan of Swedish and foreign citizens. Evacuation for Norwegian government staff posted in Sudan is also underway, the foreign ministry in Oslo told CNN on Sunday. Meanwhile, Spain was working "intensely" to get a landing slot for planes to safely evacuate Spanish citizens from Sudan, a government source told CNN Sunday. Egypt urged their national citizens outside Khartoum "to go to the nearest point to them in preparation for their evacuation by the competent Egyptian authorities," according to a statement from the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs, reported by state-media Middle East News Agency (MENA). The moves come after Saudi Arabia's ministry of foreign affairs said Saturday that it had evacuated 91 of its own citizens and around 66 nationals from 12 other countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Canada, India, Burkina Faso and the United Arab Emirates. Iraqi diplomats were also withdrawn from Khartoum in a special operation and "moved to a safe place" in Sudan, a spokesperson for the Iraqi foreign affairs ministry told CNN. Turkey delayed its evacuation efforts Sunday, warning citizens not to gather at designated assembly points that it planned to use due to "violent explosions" that have taken place nearby. US citizens in Sudan were advised they could join evacuation convoys organized by the United Arab Emirates and Turkey early on Sunday morning, provided they brought their own vehicles, according to a State Department consular affairs email seen by CNN. The message made clear that Americans would be joining the convoys at their own risk. There are an estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan -- most of whom are dual nationals. CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment. While foreign governments rush to withdraw their citizens and staff, millions of Sudanese citizens have been left to fend for themselves -- stranded for days in their homes and uncertain of how to make their way out to safety. Isma'il Kushkush, a Sudanese-American journalist based in Khartoum, was trapped with dozens of other residents in a building in downtown Khartoum near the presidential palace for days. He said he was in a group of 29 people, including children and foreign nationals. "No power or water for five days. Using little water remaining in water tank. Running out of food rations. Unable to leave the building which is located two blocks from the presidential palace. Epicenter of the fighting since the conflict began," he said in a string of text messages to CNN. The group was later safely evacuated. In neighborhood WhatsApp group chats and on social media, others were deliberating over where to get water, to charge phones, find medics and find safe passages out of Khartoum free of fighting. Nisrin Elamin, a professor at the University of Toronto who was back in Sudan visiting family with her three-year-old daughter when the violence erupted, posted on Twitter on Saturday asking if anyone had advice of getting to Egypt by public transportation that avoided crossing the whole city. Furious over the fighting, Sudanese civilians protested over the weekend. In Bahri, hundreds took to the streets late on Saturday, using their lights from their phones while walking, eyewitnesses told CNN. Residents planned to show their discontent by displaying white flags in their homes on Sunday. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Foreign evacuations gather pace but Sudanese are left fending for themselves." (CNN) Two men are battling for control in Sudan, but stuck in the middle are the country's people. Hundreds have died, tens of thousands have fled. Residents have been stranded at home and in shelters without food or water, and petrol has become an increasingly important commodity. Since the fighting began last Saturday, CNN has been regularly in touch with Iman Abu Garjah, a British-Sudanese doctor who became stuck while visiting family to celebrate Ramadan. We got this update from her on Friday. Her words have been edited for clarity. Iman's story "I'm tired. I'm just really, really tired. Exhausted is the right word for it; burnt out. There's just so much adrenaline. "We were happy about the 24-hour ceasefire [earlier in the week], which was extended, not because there actually was a ceasefire, but there was spacing out between the attacks. "[On Thursday] we all just felt really tired, we were still fasting in the midst of all of this, and everybody's sentiment was Ramadan just has to come to an end. "I prepared supper, made some sunny side up eggs, trying to make something nice out of a can of tuna. I tried to moisten some stale bread. "Very late at night, we heard, I don't know what they were, missiles maybe? "My dad has quite limited mobility because he's sick. He's been lying sleeping on this sofa bed. We just had to just push him from the living room where he has been sleeping to a safer area where there was a wall covering rather than just windows. "My cousin is also with us. My daughter was absolutely mortified and just inconsolable. My 96-year-old grandmother was in a room behind the place we were sheltering in. She could hear the shelling, she can feel the shaking, the sound coming into the house but I downplayed it for her. My mother was there as well. My sister. "We also have with us domestic helpers. There's one from Kenya. She's not Muslim so I started reading the Lord's Prayer with her. I thought maybe it will bring her some solace and reassurance to know that she's not alone. "We also have a couple of Ethiopian house helpers, and they were very scared. I kept thinking to myself, these poor people, they flee their countries to come to a place like Sudan, far from their families, to make money to send to them or to go to a safer place and this is what happens to them. It just seems so so unfair. "I think there were two or three very very loud thuds that were very close to the house. We just started reading [the] Quran, praying that we were going to be safe trying to calm the children. I wish I was an octopus so [I] have more hands, hands and arms to put around people just to hug them. "[Friday] has been a blur. I didn't hear any of the Eid call to prayers, which is one of the things that usually fills me with a lot of joy. It's one of the main reasons I came from the UK because I just wanted to have a nice fast with family and here it is. All the Eid clothes are in the bag. The nail polish, the hair stuff. I didn't even put my mascara on. So it's a really sad day. "A lot of people are fleeing. There are a lot of people offering places on buses to go to Egypt. Ours is a logistical nightmare. It's a big family and each person or each group of people or household has different requirements. Moving [my grandmother] is not going to be like moving my eight-year-old nephew. "My brother's daughter has certain health needs, she needs access to certain medications. My mother, my father, my grandmother and my sister, they also would all feel very poorly, or maybe not even survive if they don't have their medications. "We try to be positive. We try to play games, we try to watch movies, but our attention span has just completely gone. No one can sit and watch a movie. "I focus on the good stuff: we have oil, we have electricity, we have running water because the water tank is working. We have cars in the driveway but no petrol for them. "I'm avoiding the news. Statements by both parties seem to have the same author: I am your saviour and victor. I know they are both untruthful, manipulative, blood thirsty men with no regard for the dignity nor lives of the people they are paid to serve and protect. This story was first published on CNN.com, "'I'm tired. I'm just really, really tired.' One woman describes living through Sudan's crisis." Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Good start of Chinese economy in 2023 boosts confidence of world 09:05, April 23, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily New energy heavy-duty trucks are assembled in a workshop of Hanma Technology, a publicly traded Chinese manufacturer of trucks and truck-based special vehicles in Ma'anshan, east China's Anhui province, April 20. (People's Daily Online/Wang Wensheng) China's GDP grew 4.5 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2023, according to statistics released by the country's National Bureau of Statistics on April 18. The sound performance was said to be a solid start of the Chinese economy in 2023 by international community, and the world is confident about China's long-term economic resilience and vitality. It is believed that China will continue injecting strong impetus into global recovery. This performance was a hard-won result achieved in an external environment that was volatile and grave. Since this year, as the country has achieved a smooth transition in COVID-19 response and front-loaded the policies to stabilize growth, employment and commodity price, it has accumulated more positive factors. Multiple international organizations and investment institutions had lifted their forecast on China's economic growth this year. After the Q1 performance was released, global media outlets, seeing the energy and vitality of the Chinese economy, described it with "recovery," "rebound," and "prosperity." The encouraging momentum of rebound of the Chinese economy has laid a solid foundation for the country to achieve its annual targets. Both Citigroup and Societe Generale have raised their forecast on China's annual growth since the release of the country's Q1 performance. This once again indicated the recent remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass that global growth is expected to be weak this year, but China will be an exception to the slowdown. Consumption, one of the three major driving forces of China's economic growth, played a prominent role in the country's economic development in the first quarter and demonstrated the dynamic internal impetus of the Chinese economy. Tourists visit a night market in Luoyang, central China's Henan province, April 9. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Yixi) China's retail sales of consumer goods went up 5.8 percent year on year in the first quarter of this year, and the retail sales of services maintained double-digit growth in the same period. Final consumption contributed 66.6 percent to the economic growth, much higher than the whole-year figure in 2022. The third China International Consumer Products Expo was held recently in south China's Hainan province. Over 1,000 products under 300 global brands made their debut at the event. It fully proved that to explore the huge potential of the Chinese consumption market is a consensus of global enterprises. China is witnessing continuous expansion of consumption scenarios, improved consumption expectation, growing market sales and obviously rebounding service consumption. An Associated Press report said that China's economic growth is accelerating with consumption boost. A foreign scholar noted that China's bright economic prospects come from more flexible and higher-quality development. Since this year, China has actively given play to the key role of investment to drive high-quality development. It expanded investment in key areas and livelihood sectors, and witnessed sound growth in manufacturing investment. In particular, the investment in high-tech manufacturing jumped 15.2 percent. China's commitment to high-quality development is mirrored by the country's growing solar and wind power generating capacity as well as the soaring sales of new energy vehicles, said chief executive officer Shakeel Ahmad Ramay of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development in Pakistan. Senior executives of multinational corporations have paid frequent visits to China this year, with many enterprises announcing to expand their investment in China. In the first two months, China's foreign direct investment, in actual use, reached $40 billion, and the figure is keeping growing. An employee manages inventory in a distribution center of a grocery chain in Xiangyang, central China's Hubei province, April 4. (People's Daily Online/Xie Yong) It has become a broad consensus that advancing with China is advancing with opportunities, and investing in China is investing in the future. The encouraging momentum of rebound of the Chinese economy has provided more opportunities for the rest of the world. In the first quarter, China's foreign trade of goods went up 4.8 percent year on year. In particular, trade with countries along the Belt and Road surged 16.8 percent, while that with other participating countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership rose 7.3 percent. In the same period, China's outbound shipments of solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles surged 66.9 percent on a yearly basis. Cross-border e-commerce and other new businesses also saw rapid growth. This well explains the supportive role played by new drivers in the foreign trade sector. In its latest annual trade statistics and outlook report, the WTO lifted its forecast for global trade growth in 2023 to 1.7 percent from the previous estimate of 1.0 percent, saying China is a "key factor" of this increase and the release of the demand for consumption will promote global trade growth. A Bloomberg report noted that the growth in China's exports boosted economic prospects and suggested that global growth may be better than expected. The good start of the Chinese economy this year once again proved that fundamentals of China's economic growth remain unchanged, and China's advantages of its large-scale market and complete industrial system remain unchanged. China has the confidence and ability to sail the giant ship of the Chinese economy steadily ahead against all winds and waves, and make even greater contributions to the global economy. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming) Members of liberal labor groups stage a rally on a street in Jongno district, central Seoul, Sunday, to protest the government's possible decision to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine to support its war against Russia. In a recent interview, President Yoon Suk Yeol said his administration might consider offering lethal aid to Kyiv in the case of "large-scale" attacks on civilians or because of a massacre, marking a significant shift from Korea's current approach of refraining from offering deadly weapons to the war-torn nation. Yonhap This was no place to explain the reasonable grounds for the inclusion of reasonable restrictions that have held the ground since then, except that the courts continue to wrestle with the contours of reasonableness. One may look at the Kashmir 4G and MediaOne judgments to get an idea of what it takes to balance security concerns of the state and individual rights of the citizen. These are matters that SRCC youngsters deserved to discuss vigorously, something underscored by their packed house presence and active response to the speakers. Instead they were left with some silly one-upmanship jokes and scripted attack on the Congress. We were left wondering if we had done any service to ourselves or to the young generation that lined up to hear us When it came to respond to the anti-establishment (of the past) the time keeper signalled a schedule guillotine. The event had started late and there was another event to follow. As a result we were left wondering if we had done any service to ourselves or to the young generation that lined up to hear us. Then our predicament might be the one spoken of by the American hero, General George S Patton: Then there's one thing you men will be able to say when this war is over and you get back home. Thirty years from now when you're sitting by your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks, 'What did you do in the great World War Two?' You won't have to cough and say, 'Well, your granddaddy shovelled shit in Louisiana.' No sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say 'Son, your granddaddy rode with the great Third Army and a son-of-a-goddamned-bitch named George Patton! The SRCC audience will be able to tell if we left a little mark or just came and left. --- *Senior Congress leader, former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Source: Facebook timeline The underlying issues that were sought to be uncovered or incidentally surfaced are the same that are troubling the country. One line jokes will not do in the national discourse even if they passed muster at the SRCC. On the other hand it might be said that here there is no time constraint but we cannot forget that the clock continue to tick. Here too time will run out.Then our predicament might be the one spoken of by the American hero, General George S Patton:The SRCC audience will be able to tell if we left a little mark or just came and left.--- Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) invited me to join their Business Conclave 2023 event last week. There was a panel discussion proposed on Indian Media and Western Media. Other panelists were Mani Shanker Iyer, Sudheendra Kulkarni, J Sai Deepak and Prof Anand Ranganathan of JNU. What was to be discussion was assumed to be a debate by the last two eminent persons against the three of us.Our spontaneous seating on the stage perhaps encouraged that impression. The moderator Shalini Singh, was indeed moderate and pleasant, and as should be, but is becoming rare, did not take sides.Mani made a brilliant beginning by underscoring the limited landscape that made no mention of media in the West Asia, China, South Asia and Japan. But his remark about our uncalled for sensitivity to Western media in matters like the BBC documentary was taken to be the trigger for a full blooded BJP versus Congress confrontation.I have never seen Mani so puzzled at a public event. If that were not enough fuel, Sudheendra Kulkarni raised the red flag to the raging bull, so to speak, when he compared the freedom of the press in the western world with the timorous attitude of Godi media at home.My own intervention was supportive of the two colleagues but went on to underscore the inability or reluctance of our system to implement prohibition on cross holding and media ownership by business houses. But our opponents obviously found little fodder for their appetite there.The Ranganathan-J Sai Deepak duo then jumped down our throats. Curiously the former, whose confession of being a Stephanian preceded his carefully chosen quips, quickly turned the debate to scoring points about how bad the record of the Congress party had been over the years in banning books.He did not have a teleprompter of the kind PM Modi uses but relied on his mobile phone to read out an exhaustive and, indeed, an exhausting list. But stop, wonders never cease: the cherry on the cake was, the BJP is doing what the Congress did all along! The thunderous applause that he received sporadically did not quite indicate if it was just fun or ideological appreciation.Finally I thought the applause got to the point of saying, thank you, get on with it now. But I might be biased in making the remark that a plague on both your Houses from Romeo and Juliet is an invitation for anarchy in politics.Sai Deepak pretended to be scholarly and demolished the liberal claim of Nehru by alluding to the Constitutional Amendment that introduced reasonable restrictions in Art 19 (1) (a). Did I also sense a cynical disappointment with the Courts of the land? To the Editor: On Thursday, March 30, the Community Food Rescue truck was parked in the Community Action Agency parking lot in Danbury and two catalytic converters were stolen. The theft was done in less than three minutes. The cost to replace the two catalytic converters is over $7,000 with the additional cost of over $1,000 for renting a refrigerated truck. Thankfully, most of the out-of-pocket cost was covered by insurance. The loss to the agencies that received food that day was heartbreaking. Six pallets of produce were supposed to be delivered to Camellas Cupboard in New Milford. It couldnt be delivered to the 600 children that Camellas Cupboard serves without the truck. The value to replace that produce was several thousand dollars. Community Food Rescue also lost pallets from grocery store donations that same day. This donation would have been used to help CFR run their food pantry. In most cases stores dont have space to store unsaleable foods so if it is not picked up on the scheduled day it is disposed. The Community Food Rescue truck is used to collect food donations from area stores that sell groceries and delivers it to churches and food pantries that serve people that are food insecure. CFR's mission is to rescue food, support local agencies, and work to alleviate senior hunger in the Danbury area. It is part of the Community Action Agency of Western Connecticut, which provides social services to low income families. If you would like to donate, you can go online: www.CAAWC.org/Donate and mention food in the comment section or call 203-733-8848. CFR is a 501c3 charity. Andrew Okrongly Tanglewood Court KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv's long-awaited spring counteroffensive. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with stable supply lines to their positions. Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country's south. Responding to Ukrainian media reports proclaiming that the establishment of such positions indicated the counteroffensive had begun, Natalia Humeniuk, the spokeswoman for Ukraines Operational Command South, called for patience. While neither confirming nor denying the ISW report, she said only that details of military operations in the Dnieper delta couldn't be disclosed for operational and security reasons. Speaking on Ukrainian television, Humeniuk added that it was very difficult work when its necessary to overcome an obstacle such as the Dnieper, when the front line passes through a wide and powerful river. The Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region, one of four parts of Ukraine that Russia said it was illegally annexing in September, denied on Sunday that Ukrainian forces have established a foothold on the east bank of the Dnieper. In a Telegram update, Vladimir Saldo said that Russian forces are in full control of the area, and speculated that the images referenced by the ISW may have depicted Ukrainian sabotage units that managed to take a selfie across the Dnieper before being forced back. After more than a year since the Russian invasion, recent fighting has become a war of attrition, with neither side able to gain momentum. But Ukraine has recently received sophisticated weapons from its Western allies, and new troops freshly trained in the West, giving rise to growing anticipation of a counteroffensive. American-made Patriot missiles arrived in Ukraine last week and military spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said Sunday on Ukrainian television that some have already gone into battlefield service. The U.S. agreed in October to send the surface-to-air systems, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles such as those that Russia has used to bombard residential areas and the Ukrainian power grid. The fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense. On Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed Moscow's forces had captured two more neighborhoods in the western part of Bakhmut, without providing further details or clarifying what areas were still in Ukrainian hands. In the south, the Dnieper has for months marked the contact line in the Kherson region, where its namesake capital is regularly pummeled by shelling from Russian forces stationed across the river. In addition to having established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, across the Dnieper delta from Kherson, ISW said that Ukrainian troops were also approaching the nearby village of Dachi, citing data from Russian military bloggers. In Telegram posts on Thursday and Saturday, ISW said the bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had maintained these positions for weeks and established stable supply lines to them, indicating a lack of Russian control over the area. The Associated Press confirmed the posts from the bloggers, but it wasn't immediately possible to independently verify the data they shared. Russia is also expected to launch more intensive attacks in the spring, but ISW reported that top Russian defense figures are showing signs that they may be pushing for a consolidation of existing gains in Ukraine, rather than costly new operations, as Moscow struggles with both material and manpower. The think tank cited comments from financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut. On Saturday, Prigozhin's press service posted comments he made on its official Telegram channel in which he argued that Russian forces need to anchor (themselves) in such a way that it is only possible to tear them out with (the) opponent's claws. The interview was published shortly after Western leaders meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany pledged to train more Ukrainian personnel and keep up their military support for Kyiv. As Moscow seeks to bolster its troop numbers, the U.K. Ministry of Defense noted Sunday in an intelligence briefing that Russian authorities had mounted a large-scale military recruitment campaign using social media, billboards and state television. It said Russian officials are almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent, while assessing that this latest effort would likely fail to meet the defense ministry's stated goal of recruiting 400,000 new volunteers. In attacks overnight, local authorities in eastern Ukraine reported that Russian forces had launched at least five S-300 missiles at Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city and the surrounding region. The missiles damaged an industrial facility and private homes but caused no casualties, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the Kharkiv regional governor. In Kherson, one civilian was killed and two were wounded as Russian troops used artillery, drones and warplanes to launch a total of 54 strikes on the province, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram on Sunday morning. Russian forces on Saturday and overnight also dropped five guided aerial bombs over the Kherson region, Ukraines Operational Command South said in a Facebook post Sunday. According to the post, the bombs were launched from drones and aircraft and damaged multiple residential buildings, but caused no casualties. Also in the Kherson region, two women, ages 85 and 57, were hospitalized after being wounded in a Russian artillery attack that damaged a local school and about 25 residential buildings in the village of Kizomys, Prokudin said in a Telegram post. In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Russian shelling wounded a 56-year-old man in Stepnohirsk, a town on the banks of the Dnieper river, local Gov. Yurii Malashko wrote on Telegram. ___ Joanna Kozlowska reported from London. ___ A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region made the comments on Telegram, not to RIA. WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported. With the final embassy employee out of Khartoum, the United States shuttered its diplomatic mission indefinitely. Remaining behind in the East African nation are thousands of private American citizens. U.S. officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation operation. Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders had forced the closing of the main international airport and left roads out of the country in control of armed fighters. The skirmishes has killed more than 400 people. In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan to the extent possible. He also called for the end to unconscionable violence there. About 100 U.S. troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation. They airlifted all of roughly 70 remaining American employees from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. Ethiopia also provided overflight and refueling support, said Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Biden said Djibouti and Saudi Arabia provided assistance, too. 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. U.S. Africa Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, were in contact with the factions before and during the operation to ensure that U.S. forces would have safe passage to conduct the evacuation. John Bass, an undersecretary of state, denied claims by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Security Forces that it assisted in the U.S. evacuation. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation," Bass said. Biden had ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, Biden said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. Sudan's fighting broke out April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nations transition to democracy. The power struggle between the armed forces chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has millions of Sudanese cowering inside their homes. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. An estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is rough because not all Americans register with embassy or say when they depart. 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 for American employees of the embassy got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that U.S. troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. Embassy evacuations conducted by the U.S. military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transportation if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, staffers used commercial transport to leave. In several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. U.S. troops accompanied personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 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. The housing crisis may be the most significant issue facing Connecticut, but its hardly unique to this state. Its a problem throughout the Northeast and around the country even in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat, recently gave a thoroughly sensible interview on the issue with Slate magazine that hit on many of the major themes of the debate. The change in recent years, he said, is who is being affected. Its not just San Francisco and Honolulu and New York City and a few other places that are experiencing a shortage of housing, he said. Its every place across the country. So, this is a national issue, whether we like it or not. The same could be said of Connecticut. Its not just Stamford and Greenwich, its everywhere in the state. We dont have enough homes, and we need to do something about it. Schatz is promoting federal legislation to help spur the construction of new housing, but admits its only a first step. The plan is based on subsidies, which, as he says, are limited in their effectiveness. There are lots of programs that need federal subsidy, but theres not enough subsidy in the world to solve this problem, he said. We simply need to make it legal to build the thing that we all say we want. Its not the funding. Its the zoning. Why do we care what a senator whose home state is 5,000 miles away has to say on this topic? For one thing, federal legislation could help with what has so far been halting action at the state level. More importantly, Schatz, if Twitter is to be believed, is close with someone who presumably has some sway here Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy. Murphy recently announced his run for a third term in the Senate. The election is 19 months away, but his chance of winning is about as safe a bet as exists in U.S. politics. Does anyone even remember who ran against him last time? The only way Murphy doesnt win this race is if for some reason he isnt in it. That kind of job security should offer some freedom. Murphy is in a position where he can be a leader on important issues without worrying too much about reelection. To his credit, hes done that. Murphys specialty is foreign affairs, but hes among the most active senators in pushing gun safety. He has prioritized mental health, with a recent focus on social media. And hes found time for some of his home states most pressing issues, including housing. Hes held a pair of discussions on the states lack of affordable housing, with more in the works, according to his office. Thats good, to a point. Hes held these sessions in Waterbury and Willimantic, just as the governor held his first event promoting housing reforms in Bridgeport. Thats a problem. Focusing on cities sends a message that this is mostly an urban problem. Theres nothing wrong with promoting more and better housing in our cities. But the most pressing issue is how too much of the state makes it impossible to do just about anything. Its not the cities that have been stuck in amber for the past 50 years. If Murphy is serious about housing, he needs to hold his next session in New Canaan. Why New Canaan? Most recently, that town turned down a plan for apartments, some to be deemed affordable, partly because the proposed building lacked a third staircase. Many advocates want to loosen rules that currently require two staircases in apartment buildings, but New Canaan is going in the opposite direction. Maybe an all-staircase development would win approval? The message is that the town and others like it will simply make up reasons to deny what they dont want, and will continue to do so until theyre forced to change. Still, there is positive momentum. When Gov. Ned Lamont earlier this year said housing is a focus of this years session of the General Assembly, it at least ended one debate. Theres no longer an argument for doing nothing. Lamonts plans are not sufficient. They dont do much of anything to touch the suburbs. And by focusing on subsidies, they go against what everyone from Schatz to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul acknowledges you cant get where you need with incentives alone. But by acknowledging the problem, it advanced the discussion to its next phase what are we going to do about it. Having reached this point, we cant go halfway. There are enough legislators who understand the scope of the issue and arent beholden to suburban do-nothingism to pass meaningful reform, something that makes clear that all towns have to play a part in solutions. That all towns, in other words, need to do their fair share. But they need a push. Time is running out for leadership, for someone in a position of authority to spread the word that reform needs the force of law. It wont come from Lamont, who is too busy with important tasks like killing baby bonds. Maybe our senator has something to say. Hugh Bailey is editorial page editor of the Connecticut Post and New Haven Register. He can be reached at hbailey@hearstmediact.com. Hartfords Terreno may have set a Connecticut restaurant record when it opened, then closed, within just 12 days. To be fair, it wasnt just them. That was in March 2020, when the order came down to close all public spaces, and chef Tyler Andersons new reimagining of the former Porron & Pina Spanish tapas spot and bar seemed to pop from existence, like a soap bubble in the wind. Three years later almost to the day it was another Friday night with nearly a full house. Heres what we saw, what we ate, and what the chef had to say about willing Terreno to life. The idea behind it was you want to create a restaurant that works with the hotel, Anderson says. It started as Porron for two and half years, and Terreno began with a concept a little more approachable to guests than maybe the Spanish food was. The result is what I call Tyler Food; he calls it Cal-Italian-style comfort food thats craveable. The menu really is the greatest hits. Its the chicken I want to have at home, its the gnocchi alla vodka I want to have at home. A lot of chefs laugh, because an alla vodka isnt exactly the most glamorous thing to do, but I think its a fun one with what we do, roasted tomatoes to boost it up ... I really like the salads. Its everything. Number one, we didnt want it to have a lot of rules. Comforting, delicious, but not strict with the menu. Our head chef, Alejandro Leiva, whos worked with me for about 10 years (a right-hand fella, Tyler calls him), was born and raised in Argentina and makes amazing empanadas, so youll see those on the menu. Those empanadas, with short rib and chimichurri aioli, catch our eyes as we game-plan dinner, sipping wine and an outstanding Frequent Flyer cocktail, made with Banhez mezcal, Meletti amaro, lime and 1870 bitters. Sharp, smoky and punchy, the citrus seems just the thing to cut through an appetizer of duck wings. The wings are served sticky-coated with a sweet, tangy saba glaze, under a drizzle of spiced yogurt and crumbled pistachios. The sizable wings come in fours, pungent umami rolling in the mouth with alternating round and spiky Mediterranean flavors. With their crisp skin and familiar form, the wings make for a hearty happy-hour snack, or a mouth-pleasing starter for the table. I ask the chef about the difference between creating the menu for a more thematically focused operation, like the TA-Que food truck outside his Millwrights restaurant in Simsbury, where people go to have barbecue and tacos, or a hotel restaurant, which exists to serve a wide variety of people who are already there. Its sometimes easier for me as a chef to create food more within a box, he explains. At Millwrights, everything is 100 percent seasonal, all using New England techniques, and its fun. The older I get, the more I like to play and just create good food. At Terreno, is there a Double-Double smash burger with grilled onions, cheese and special sauce? Yes. A chopped salad with peppers, olives, parmesan, shallots and mortadella? It shares menu space with a side of potato rosti with black garlic crema. Thats good because you never know from where guests will arrive, or what they crave to settle into a stay in Hartford. Terrenos cioppino is what Tyler calls an East Coast version of a West Coast dish with global appeal. Every fishing culture has their version of a tomato-based broth with shellfish and fish in it France, Portugal, wherever. This is in line with a traditional San Francisco fishermans stew, but were using Connecticut shellfish and fish from New England. Dishes veer toward Italian: meatballs, arancini, rigatoni Bolognese. All the fresh pasta is made in-house, with the dried pasta made by Gargano Pasta & Italian Market, run by Joel and Lani Gargano of the Chester Italian hot spot Grano Arso. Joel Gargano used to work with us at Millwrights, says Anderson. And hes amazing. I cant pass up the ricotta walnut agnolotti. The big, plump agnolotti arrive swimming in a brown butter, sage and parmesan sauce, and, being part of our shared meal, we go for the smaller of two available sizes. Alejandro had a dish exactly like this when he was growing up in Buenos Aires, Anderson explains. Its an Argentinian Italian dish, and a perfect example of us as chefs going to our background and drawing inspiration for our comfort food. The pizzettes are a perfect example. The pizzettes are from me growing up in Southern California where there was a terrible pizza culture growing up. We wouldnt go out for pizza a lot, but my mom would make us French bread pizza. Up here, I found Kevin Masse from Small State Provisions [bakery in West Hartford], who makes some of the most amazing focaccia Ive ever eaten in my life, and I thought it would be fun to make basically fancy French bread pizza, with Italian-influenced toppings and ingredients. Years spent in Connecticut and Georgia have left two deep impressions OK, snobberies in my personal judgment: pizza and barbecue. Mid-range either is a waste of time, money and precious stomach space when you live in one of the best places on Earth to get either. Normally, I would bob and weave around an inch-and-a-half-thick pizza like Ali dodged Dynamite Dokes, and yet ... When our pizzette hits the table, we sigh an unconscious, simultaneous Ooohh. Of the four pizzette options, and we chose one with mortadella, garlic ricotta, mozzarella, pistachio and pesto. A heavy smear of garlic ricotta coats the crusty focaccia, and Anderson is right: the two, just on their own, are divine. I could have happily eaten just this as a side dish. This is seriously special bread. Sliced mortadella comes next, all crispy edges and unctuous meat under blistered chunks of fresh, white mozzarella, crunchy nuts, and sweet, fresh slices of green onion. Fancy French bread pizza in this case isnt code for lack of something better, or a stopgap to keep hungry teenagers from climbing the walls, it was kind of a delight. My companion, through either keen emotional intelligence, or because I was openly staring and tapping on the table, spoke just the words to soothe a fevered mind. Do you want the last piece? Bliss. You want people to feel happy to come here, Anderson said when we speak later. And happier by the time they leave. Mission accomplished. Terreno The Goodwin Hotel, 1 Haynes St., Hartford The food: Terrenos SoCal-raised owner calls it Italian-inspired California comfort food, but theres intentionally something for everyone at The Goodwin hotels in-house restaurant, from steaks and salads to the chefs excellent gnocchi alla vodka. The atmosphere: Terreno sits within the 19th-century facade of The Goodwin, with pale Mediterranean brick inside, an elegant library without, and a few steps from the hotels Pina bar looking out onto Hartfords street life. The Mediterranean look continues through the open, softly lit bar, to circular booths in the rear, rounded for a communal, family vibe, backed by colorful murals. The prices: Starters $6$14; pizzettes $11$14; entrees $17$28 860-904-2101, terrenorestaurant.com, @terrenorestaurant on Instagram Wheelchair accessible By Sean O'Malley President Yoon Suk Yeol made headlines recently for his remarks regarding the situations of Ukraine and Taiwan in an interview with Reuters that led to his upbraiding by the governments of Russia and China as well as the Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) leader, Lee Jae-myung. Distortions of the president's remarks aside, it seemed a fairly deft bit of diplomacy from the world's tenth largest economy, and contrary to some views, does not seem to further damage inter-Korean relations. Government leaders often use media interviews to signal intentions or float the possibility of policy changes to come. This can be dangerous if the leader strays too far from traditional policy. In 2001 for example, former U.S. President George W. Bush stated that the United States would do "whatever it took to help Taiwan defend herself." Many around the world felt the former president had ended U.S. adherence to the One-China policy, a step too far, and the White House had to walk back his remarks. In the case of President Yoon, however, no major policy shift can be noted. He simply seems to have stated some uncomfortable truths; truths that needed voicing to raise South Korea's stature on the global stage. On the war in Ukraine, President Yoon stated that South Korean lethal aid is conditioned on the occurrence of "large-scale attacks on civilians, massacre or serious violations of the laws of war." Even if such conditions are met, he did not guarantee lethal support, instead opting for an admission that it "might be difficult for us [South Korea] to insist only on humanitarian or financial support." This is far from any commitment to intervention in Ukraine. In fact, the International Criminal Court has already issued an arrest warrant for Russia's President Vladimir Putin on suspicion of unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Mass graves attributed to Russian atrocities against civilians and admissions by former Wagner Group soldiers of their participation in numerous instances of mass murder in Ukraine, are all in the public sphere. So far, none of these atrocities rise to the level of South Korean participation in providing lethal military aid to Ukraine. Nonetheless, the Russian response was swift and slightly unhinged with former President Dmitry Medvedev threatening to send Russia's latest weapons to North Korea. The Russian state has repeatedly stated it is not targeting civilians in Ukraine, so unless the Russian state is planning large-scale civilian atrocities, something it claims it is not, then President Yoon can be seen by the Russian state as pledging not to provide lethal aid to Ukraine, as the conditions would never likely be met. Nevertheless, the president's statement sent an important signal to Washington before President Yoon's summit with U.S. President Joe Biden. It signals that South Korea clearly hears the calls for greater participation in Ukraine, and it signals that South Korea will provide support in the most egregious violations of international norms. However, it also clearly implies that Seoul will determine the severity of any violations itself and will not just follow the U.S.' lead. President Yoon's statements on Taiwan are similar. To paraphrase the president: "we together with the international community absolutely oppose" any "attempts to change the status quo by force." This is hardly revelatory and is in line with China's own preference for peaceful unification. The president's further statement that the Taiwan issue "is a global issue" is also simply factual. The world's great powers have an interest in keeping the Taiwan Strait open, so it is not simply a Chinese domestic issue, something the Chinese Communist Party knows well. As for damaging inter-Korean relations, the accusation seems nonsensical. North Korea has staged nearly 80 missile tests since the beginning of 2022, cut off the cross-border hotline, is apparently trying to sell off Kaesong Industrial Complex assets to Chinese investors, and of course blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in 2020. The Kim Jong-un regime has not responded to any outreach of aid by the Yoon administration since it came to office. One could weakly make the case that this will drive Russia to further support the North. It just might, but that hardly garners a change in current relations. Chairman Kim's military-first policy has had numerous successes lately, far too many to make denuclearization or any other grand negotiating schemes workable. He was already using the war in Ukraine to get closer to Russia, and the Russians have shown few qualms in supporting the North. May Russia eventually break U.N. sanctions to further support the North? Perhaps, but North Korea's continuous breakthroughs in military technologies indicate it is doing just fine with or without Russia's largesse. The complaint by DPK leader Lee that "offering military support to a region in conflict is an act that harms the national interest and we should never do it" would seem laughable if not so hypocritically dangerous. South Korea is still at war with North Korea, a country that has not denounced unification by force. To say that the illegal war of aggression via invasion is not in South Korea's national interest seems ignorant or delusional. South Koreans would be the first to call for lethal aid if North Korea invades again, and they would likely cite a global interest in upholding the international norm of territorial integrity. The fact that the leader of the so-called Democratic Party sees the invasion of another democracy by an authoritarian neighbor as of no interest to South Korea is dumbfounding. President Yoon's remarks were undoubtedly a step out from the back row of diplomacy. He was able to signal to the United States that if the need arises due to egregious behavior by Russia that he would consider lethal aid to Ukraine, while at the same time signaling to both Russia and China that South Korea would stay on the sidelines if they maintain the status quo. Far from the major shift in policy that distortions have claimed, this seems a solid bit of diplomacy through the media that signals South Korea will not remain a pushover forever when it comes to these major global issues. Sean O'Malley (seanmo@dongseo.ac.kr) is a professor of international studies at Dongseo University, where he teaches classes on international relations, U.S.-Korea Relations and the European Union. WESTPORT Four people were injured Saturday in a three-vehicle crash on the southbound lanes of Interstate 95, officials said. Emergency crews responded at around 7:40 p.m. to the area of exit 17 for a report of a motor vehicle collision, according to Sgt. Christine Jeltema of the Connecticut State Police. Westport Fire Department Assistant Chief Brian Meadows said the highway was shut down after the crash, and a total of four people involved were taken to the hospital. "The location of the vehicles and debris from the crash required all southbound lanes to be closed," Meadows said. As the firefighters were clearing the scene of the crash to reopen the highway around 8:45 p.m., Meadows said they were notified of a second crash involving three vehicles about a quarter-mile south of the first incident. "Two lanes of travel were temporarily closed to protect the scene as firefighters and (Westport EMS) treated injured occupants," Meadows said. Meadows did not provide any further information on the conditions of the injured people in the second crash. The highway was reopened after emergency crews left the scene about 9:20 p.m. Tory MPs are angry. Its a witch-hunt, one told me. The Civil Service Blob wanted to take out Dom Raab. Theyve been gunning for him for years. And now theyve got their man. Its true. Raab has been taken out through a carefully co-ordinated plot instigated by his own departments officials. The report by independent barrister Adam Tolley is clear. The main complaint that led to the Deputy Prime Ministers downfall was the product of discussions within an informal network of civil servants whose number is uncertain. It added: Only some of those individuals had any direct experience of the DPM [Deputy Prime Minister]; some had never met him at all but were seeking to support their colleagues. As a result, Tolley concluded: The composition and content of the Ministry of Justice Group Complaint make it unsuitable as a basis for any findings about the DPMs conduct. But Raab had to go anyway, undone by a separate allegation by another civil servant from his time at the Foreign Office. And for his allies, this is the heart of the matter. Their man has been stitched up. The Prime Minister has meekly thrown him to the wolves. And Machiavellian Whitehall mandarins have secured another prized ministerial scalp. Well, yes, Sir Humphrey has won again. And hes going to keep winning, just so long as his opponents keep blundering into the traps he keeps setting. At the beginning of his report, Tolley made the following observation about Raab: The DPM is highly intelligent, pays close attention to detail and seeks to make decisions based on evidence. But he omitted one important fact. Over the course of this affair, hes acted like a complete idiot. Everyone in Westminster who has ever met Raab knows what hes like. Hes driven, hes abrasive and he doesnt suffer fools gladly. Which has meant that since the start of his Cabinet career he has built up a significant pool of enemies. And hes played right into their hands. Raab was warned about his conduct twice once by his permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Antonia Romeo, and again by his permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, Sir Philip Barton. He ignored them. Then he became aware of a co-ordinated but unofficial campaign against him by Ministry of Justice staff. By which point the alarm bells needed to start ringing. As one Minister told me: Theres an established pattern now. Weve seen it with Priti Patel, Michael Gove and now Dom. Someone makes an allegation, and demands an inquiry. Then as soon as someone begins investigating, new information gets slipped out to the media. It doesnt actually stand up. But the drumbeat just builds, and the PM is told, If you dont get rid of him, youre weak. Its true. Raab has been taken out through a carefully co-ordinated plot instigated by his own departments officials Yet once again Raab was blind to the dangers. Last month he appeared on Sky Newss Sophy Ridge On Sunday to blithely declare: If an allegation of bullying is upheld, I would resign. It was a reckless commitment, which gave Rishi Sunak no room for manoeuvre. And it left Raab hostage to even the most minor allegation of wrongdoing. Which is what eventually destroyed him. In the event, the vast bulk of the allegations were dismissed. But one misdemeanour was enough to send him to the gallows. Rishi didnt have any choice, one senior Government official observed. The problem was Dom thought this was a legal process, when it was actually a political process. All this information was getting leaked about him and his friends were telling him that he needed to get his side out there. But he wouldnt do it. And after he made the commitment to resign, even if only one allegation was upheld, the PMs hands were tied. It was Raab who bound them. Many people in Government are echoing his complaint that a very small minority of very activist civil servants, with a passive-aggressive culture, who dont like some of the reforms whether its Brexit, whether its parole reform, whether its human-rights reform are effectively trying to block Government. Maybe thats true. And this morning theyre undoubtedly patting themselves on the back for a job well done. The fact is that there is currently a war going on between Ministers and civil servants. And Ministers are being routed. When Dominic Cummings was famously quoted as pledging a hard rain was going to fall on the Civil Service, it was viewed as a long-overdue rallying cry. But in reality it heralded a suicide charge. The Whitehall Blob cannot just be bludgeoned into submission. Its too amorphous. However recalcitrant some of its officials are, they cannot simply be bullied or browbeaten into submitting to ministerial will. They know where too many political bodies are buried. BUT Raab refused to learn that lesson. As one veteran Cabinet Minister explained: If you want to get anything done, you have to be prepared to challenge your department. Before you do that, though, you have to get people on your side. You need to build relationships, especially with your permanent secretary. Then you get them to help drive the reforms with you. They have your back. Raab didnt think he needed anyone to watch his back. He thought he was bulletproof, and could just drive forward, being in the words of Tolley inquisitorial, direct, impatient and fastidious. In the end he drove as far as his own backbenches. It is possible to remould the Whitehall Blob, but it requires guile, not belligerence. And as Sir Keir Starmers appointment of the Cabinet Offices Sue Gray to be his chief of staff reveals, working for the Labour leader is increasingly seen as the smarter career choice Senior civil servants were privately aghast when Tony Blair changed the rules to enable his new chief of staff, Jonathan Powell a political appointee to issue direct orders to No 10 officials. But they acquiesced because Blair had spent the months leading up to his Election victory love-bombing them, and assuring them of his underlying commitment to the Civil Service and its ethos. Blair also had one other advantage a Commons majority of 170 and a guarantee of at least a decade in power. Rishi Sunak and his Ministers do not have that cushion. Which is another reason they have to pick their fights with care. One Minister recently explained to me how one of their officials simply shrugged at a staffing request and replied: Im sorry, were going in another direction. And as Sir Keir Starmers appointment of the Cabinet Offices Sue Gray to be his chief of staff reveals, working for the Labour leader is increasingly seen as the smarter career choice. To be fair, Sunak recognises this. Which is why No 10 insiders say he has made two significant calculations. The first is that to have any chance of winning the next Election he must deliver on his key pledges on the economy, the NHS and small boats. The second is that he cant hope to deliver on those pledges if his Ministers and their civil servants spend the next 15 months at each others throats. Hence the insertion of a key line in his letter accepting Raabs resignation which stated: It is clear that there have been shortcomings in the historic process that have negatively affected everyone involved. This was his attempt to not just draw a line under the Raab affair, but to call a truce over the ongoing Whitehall power struggle. Dominic Raab fought the Blob. And the Blob won. Sunak does not intend to make the same mistake. King's sense of duty will compete with inner turmoil, says astrologer Part one of a six-part Windsors horoscope for the Mail's new Royals site King Charles III will face huge inner turmoil as the reality of his new life and the pressures of the crown weigh upon him, says a leading astrologer. Warning of turbulent times ahead, Patrick Arundell tells The Mail's new Royals section that Charles is driven by generosity, duty and principle. But that these will come into major conflict with his desire for comfort, routine and privacy as the King attempts to hold the Commonwealth and United Kingdom together and embarks on the mammoth task of reforming the Monarchy. In the first instalment of an exclusive six-part Windsor horoscope series for The Mail's new Royals section, Patrick detects mighty contra-energies in the new King. The result, he says, could be an even shorter reign than many expect - perhaps with William stepping in to replace him. The Kings sense of duty will compete with his inner turmoil, he predicts. Leading astrologer Patrick Arundell has suggested that King Charles could abdicate the throne as early as next summer as the pressures of the crown weigh down on him The astrologer has suggested the abdication could happen as early as the summer of 2024, with Charles making way for his son Prince William Family strains could take their toll, says Patrick. Charles is at odds with younger brother Prince Andrew after telling the Royal Family to cut down on expenditure and live more carefully King Charles's astrological charts show he is principled, sensitive man who will face many challenges and some turbulence in his first twelve months as King Already hit by bereavement Charles must now manage deep commitments, shared resources and legacies, not least to do with the public purse or managing the estate of his late mother. It would be of absolutely no surprise if in the early Summer of 2024, Charles made way for his son William, says Patrick. Charles is currently at loggerheads with his younger brother Prince Andrew after telling the Royal Family to cut down on expenditure and live more carefully. The Mail on Sunday revealed that Charles has already threatened to slash the substantial living allowance that Andrew once received from the Royal Family and suggested his brother quit the 30-bedroom mansion, Royal Lodge, where he lives with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Nearby Frogmore Cottage with just five bedrooms has been proposed as an alternative but one that MailOnline understands Prince Andrew has so far been reluctant to contemplate. The Mail on Sunday also established that the entirety of Queen Elizabeth IIs estate has been passed directly to Charles, monarch to monarch, thereby avoiding death duties but leaving nothing to be passed directly to the King's siblings. The late Queen and Charles during Trooping the Colour in June 2022. The whole of her estate has been passed directly to Charles, avoiding death duties but leaving nothing for siblings In the first instalment of an exclusive ten-part??? Windsor horoscope series for Mail Royal, leading astrologer Patrick Arundell praises the new Kings energy and generosity of spirit Explaining his conclusions, which are based on astrological birth charts, Patrick writes: Uranus, the planet of surprises, rebellion, higher truths and disruption dominates the 10th public House of Charless Chart and faces his Sun on two occasions this year, the 17th of July and on the 8th October 2023, and then again on the 1st May 2024. This, and that his Progressed Midheaven (how he connects to the wider world) is currently in Gemini, will meet his Natal Uranus in a year's time, suggesting this may be a turbulent reign. This is perhaps due in part to the push for Independence by some countries, perhaps more in his desire to reform the Monarchy itself, or at a more personal level. As these energies peak, a need to be free could become profound. A SENSITIVE MAN WITH TURBULENT TIMES TO COME... OUR EXCLUSIVE READING OF KING CHARLES'S STARS By Patrick Arundell - leading astrologer The Coronation of King Charles III on 6th May 2023, is a seminal moment for him personally, for the Country, but also for the Anglican Church as he formally becomes its head. What does King Charles' Natal Birth Chart tell us, and what does his Progressed Chart, explained in the box below, show? And what do these charts suggest for how his Reign may unfold? Charles' deeper astrology shows a need for space (Aquarius) needs to co-exist with another for sense of connection (the 7th House) but Charles is a principled person at heart. Pictured: Charles leaving Westminster after the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth The other conclusion from Charles' Astrology, is how many Fixed influences he has which is to say planets or positions in the signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Pictured: Charles and Camilla at the ceremonial welcome for South Africa's president in 2022 King Charles III's Coronation brings together a 'complex interweave' between outer public and inner private planetary domains. Pictured: Charles at the 2022 State Opening of Parliament Astrology explained: Western Tropical Astrology Western Tropical Astrology is based on the Four Seasons - sometimes known as the Cardinal Quadrants. These start with the First Point of Aries on the Vernal Equinox - around the 20th or 21st of March of each year. This is followed by Cancer from the Summer Solstice, Libra from the Autumnal Equinox and Capricorn from the Winter Solstice. The word Zodiac in Latin is Zodiacus (derived from Greek) and means the "cycle or circle of little animals" starting with the Ram for Aries, Bull for Taurus, and so on. In Western Tropical Astrology the Constellations above are symbolic. This system does not take into account the Precession of the Equinoxes, though there are other astrological techniques that do. What is a Birth Chart or Event Chart? This is the exact moment in time when someone is born or an event takes place. Because the planets are constantly moving, the make-up of a Birth Chart can change very quickly with every passing second and minute. The Birth or Event Chart reflects the positions of all the planets, not just the Sun, but also crucially, the location in each of the 12 Houses that each planet is located in. The combination of all these influences is what gives each of us such unique qualities - even if we are born on the same day or year. What is a Secondary Progressed Chart? A Progressed Chart is the evolution of the Natal or Birth Chart which for every year of our life, moves the Natal Chart forwards one day. So, for example, in King Charles case, who is 75, his Progressed Chart reflects where his Natal Chart had evolved to when he was 75 days old. This is known as the "Day per Year system and it is remarkably accurate. The Secondary Progressed Chart (as it is fully known) is how our inner journey is unfolding, and can see changes in our outlook, approach and interests, though the Natal Birth Chart remains hugely influential around our core potential and responses. The moving planets in the Sky known as Transits can influence Key Natal and Progressed Chart positions but the Progressed Chart can also influence the Natal Chart directly too. Advertisement Why? Well, a need for space (Aquarius) needs to co-exist with another for sense of connection (the 7th House). Charles is a principled person at heart, however. His Ascendant is in the Regal Leo and is very close to his mother's Moon, another piece of family synchronicity. Remarkably, Charles also shares the exact same Jupiter Opposition with Uranus aspect that his father had too. The other take away from Charles's Astrology, is how many Fixed influences he has which is to say planets or positions in the signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. All these Signs prefer the status quo and can find routines comforting and change challenging. King Charles III's Coronation brings together - with quite exquisite astrological timing and in the most extraordinary of ways - a complex interweave between his outer public and inner private planetary domains. At first glance, the outer world shows the timing of this event to be a high point in a long life of service, but also of public scrutiny. Why? Well, the moving Jupiter in the sky, the planet of benevolence, growth, optimism, fortune, spirituality and opportunity, aligns exactly with his Natal or Birth Moon position, in the sturdy and earthy sign of Taurus in the 10th House of ambition, acclaim and recognition. This gorgeous combination is certainly one that is worthy of joyful celebration for the King himself. The Moon is Exalted in Taurus (blessed by extra charm) and is boosted considerably by the fortitude of Jupiter. This creates an energy which will always be a marker of the personality of his reign - a generosity of spirit. In his inner world, however, there is a huge paradox: Charless Progressed Moon has spent the last 29 months in Capricorn - a sign that it is notably weak in. In this Progressed Moon he has also spent time in the 4th House of home, family and emotion, so heightening sensitivities still further. He is also in close alignment with Pluto, the planet of change, so maximising evolution, secrets, power and leverage. Pluto is an influence which is at the very root of the cycle of life. And during those long months, his father and mother have both died, and intense family politics have dominated the news headlines in what must have been, such a painful way. But what makes this all more remarkable, is that these intense inner planetary influences of his Progressed or Evolved Chart, clash in a searing, jarring right angle with the outer, public Chart, based on his Birth. Transiting Pluto squaring the Natal Moon, is one of the most profound planetary influences any person can possibly experience. Very deep psychological energies can be stirred, and this can lead to a rebirth, or to a complex inner conflict. In the case of King Charles this may be between doing one's duty, but also experiencing deep turmoil. King Charles III is also going through another astrological influence which last occurred 29 years ago, Saturn Opposite Saturn. The position of his Natal Uranus in a year's time suggests this may be a turbulent reign, thanks to the push for independence by some countries, his desire to reform the Monarchy itself, or at a more personal level. Pictured at the Opening of Parliament in 2017 The astrologer said Charles might experience 'deep turmoil' as he continues to battle with younger brother Prince Andrew (pictured) over cuts to family living allowances Tremendous psychological pressures can be applied, particularly around the areas that the Moon governs such as the home, emotions and family life. This could be painful but transforming. Pictured: William, Charles and Harry at the Invictus Games in 2014 Who is leading astrologer and analyst Patrick Arundell? Patrick Arundell has been a full time, professional astrologer for nearly three decades. His sharp, incisive analysis and personal consultations bring clarity and insight to a worldwide following. He was 30 million YouTube Views, 111K Subscribers and many personal clients. Please go to here to here to order your Personal Horoscope or to for a one to one consultation with Patrick. Patrick Arundell - a leading astrologer Advertisement The moving Saturn in his 8th House of deep commitments, devotion, shared resources and legacies, suggests there can be some mighty contra energies tugging at his situation, not least to do with the public purse or managing the estate of his late mother. Uranus, the planet of surprises, rebellion, higher truths and disruption, also dominates the 10th public House of his Chart and faces his Sun on two occasions this year, the 17th of July and on the 8th October 2023, and then again on the 1st May 2024. This, and that his Progressed Midheaven (how he connects to the wider world) is currently in Gemini, will meet his Natal Uranus in a year's time, suggesting this may be a turbulent reign, perhaps due in part to the push for Independence by some countries, perhaps more in his desire to reform the Monarchy itself, or at a more personal level. However, as these energies peak, a need to be free could become profound. Therefore, it would be of absolutely no surprise if in the early Summer of 2024, Charles made way for his son William. Why? Well, the angles of his Progressed Chart (his inner Evolutionary Astrology) all return to the Cardinal Points, which are the four cornerstones of Western Tropical astrology. As they do, so his Progressed Ascendant having dutifully battled through the sign of service Virgo, will emerge into Libra, and a need for inner peace and balance can become compelling, angled positively as it will be, ironically, by the moving Pluto located very early in Aquarius. You may recall King Charles has his Natal Sun-Moon Mid-Point in Aquarius, and in June 2023, his Progressed Sun Moon Mid-Point will also return to the point it was when he was born, and a cycle completes, but one that could liberate him to enjoy the interests and speak out on the things that inspire him most of all - activism around community, ecological and environmental issues. Maximize national interest with confident, balanced diplomacy President Yoon Suk Yeol heads to Washington today to hold a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden. Yoon's state visit to America comes at a critical moment politically and economically and as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance. Few Koreans deny that the U.S. was their greatest benefactor over the past 78 years. America liberated Korea from Japan's colonial rule, defended South Korea from North Korea's invasion and helped it grow into the world's 10th-largest economy and sixth-largest military power. Will the amicable relationship continue? And, if so, how? Ex-President Park Chung-hee's U.S. visit in 1961 forged ties that have lasted until now. Likewise, how the Yoon government fares can set the tone for South Korea-U.S. ties in the next few decades. Alternatively, Yoon's successor might have to reshuffle the relationship after he leaves office four years from now. Unfortunately, the latter is a likelier scenario. Yoon and his key diplomatic advisors seem to be living with a 1950s mentally. Back then, America was the world's liberator and sole superpower, while South Korea was an impoverished, newborn country. However, the world has since changed from a unipolar situation to a multipolar one. South Korea seeks to become a hub country and even a member of the G8. New situations require new mindsets and approaches. South Koreans, notably younger generations, want their country treated equally on the global stage. Free from historical prejudices and full of pride due to their country's competitive economy and thriving culture, young Koreans prefer the polite and sophisticated Japanese to arrogant and rustic Chinese, for example. However, that preference is based on confidence and independence, not subservience or blindly following others. However, Korea's right-wing groups, including the Yoon administration, are going in the opposite direction. In Tokyo last month, Yoon gave almost everything to Japan regarding pending historical and economic issues and got nothing in return. The chief executive said that was all done to strengthen the trilateral alliance with the U.S. to deal with the increasingly menacing threats from North Korea. Yoon and his aides did so unilaterally, without creating a consensus with the public or seeking cooperation from their political opponents, before and after the summit. The only hint was an interview with a Japanese newspaper. A similar thing happened just before Yoon's departure to Washington. Meeting with a Western media outlet, Yoon hinted that South Korea could provide weapons to Ukraine if Russia commits acts that the international community cannot condone, like large-scale attacks on civilians. In an ensuing tit-for-tat with Moscow, Seoul did not budge an inch. Yoon's similar "principle-based comment" on China and Taiwan invited a rude response from Beijing. The foreign ministry called in the Chinese ambassador and protested. Whatever the reason, Yoon managed to estrange two superpowers in a single media interview. It's as if Seoul had set its sights on becoming a non-regional NATO member. But key members of NATO, like Germany and France, and even Japan, separate business and politics and maintain close economic ties with China. About 160 Korean businesses are operating in Russia and China is Korea's largest trading partner. In gambling, one can bet everything on one side and hit the jackpot. Will the same strategy work in diplomacy? After overlooking the U.S.' surveillance of Seoul and speaking on behalf of Washington on sensitive international issues, Yoon will reportedly ask little regarding economic matters, like the preferential treatment of Korean electric vehicle and semiconductor makers. We can't help but wonder what's on the minds of Yoon and his aides. Former President Kim Dae-jung, whom Biden reportedly respected for his diplomatic acumen, compared South Korea to a cow that can, and should, walk in the middle of the road and graze the grass on both sides of the hill, rather than an animal confined to a pen and eating only what it is fed. Biden will give Yoon a warm welcome and promise better nuclear protection. However, the U.S. leader should also know that Yoon may end up making many South Koreans become anti-American and anti-Japanese and the two countries will have to start all over again four years from now. Four years after his death, Karl Lagerfeld's will is still one of the most contested of the fashion world. After Karl's death in 2019, tensions arose over who was to inherit his 178 million fortune - with some of his collaborators fighting it out to determine who had been his favourite and would take home the biggest slice of the pie. The issue of Lagerfeld's inheritance has remained up in the air since the designer's death from pancreatic cancer in Paris in 2019, and has now hit a legal standstill. Meanwhile seven names of beneficiaries emerged in French magazine Le Point earlier this month, including Lagerfeld's muse and friend Baptiste Giabiconi, 33, his right hand man and chauffeur Sebastien Jondeau, several of his Chanel collaborators, and his former governess, Francoise Cacote, who has been looking after his cat Choupette since his death. Here FEMAIL takes a look at the seven beneficiaries - and the one cat - who are included in the list, and how their lives have gone on after the death of their friend. KARL'S MAIN HEIRS 1. His muse: Baptiste Giabiconi Set to inherit: 30 per cent of the fortune The muse and protege of the late Karl Lagerfeld, Baptiste Giabiconi, is set to inherit the biggest share of his estate, 30 per cent of Lagerfeld's estimated 178m fortune The muse and protege of Lagerfeld, Baptiste Giabiconi, is set to inherit the biggest share of the estate, 30 per cent of Lagerfeld's estimated 178m fortune, thought to be around 53million. As tensions around the will emerged, Giabiconi allegedly angered the other potential beneficiaries of the will by saying he was the designer's 'favourite heir', but according to the Le Point article, he was right. The 33-year-old model, from Marignane, France, was discovered by the former Chanel and Fendi creative director in 2008 when he was just 18, and the two struck a firm friendship. The two men were so close that they even sparked dating rumours, but Giabiconi has denied that they were ever lovers, calling their bond a 'filial relationship.' With the fashion world preparing to celebrate the late Karl Lagerfeld at the Met Gala in May, his former muse Baptiste Giabiconi will surely be following the event with great interest (pictured) The model, who owes his international career to the designer, said he was stricken by the will. 'This will shook me. I wasn't expecting it, What an incredible man,' he told Le Point. Giabiconi, who is set to become a father for the first time later this year, also gave more details into his privileged bond with the designer. 'I reminded him of who he had been in his youth. I wasn't from the industry, I was natural with him and wasn't a pushover, which he appreciated. We talked night and day,' he said. Giabiconi has focused on his business ventures since the death of his long-time collaborator. At 33, he still models, and is multiplying campaigns for YSL, Mugler and Jean-Paul Gauthier. Baptiste Giabiconi, 33, from Marignane, southern France, was discovered by the former Chanel creative director when he was 18 in 2008 and the two of them struck a friendship spanning more than a decade. Pictured in 2009 He was spotted putting on a stylish display at the Dior Paris Fashion Week show last February when he showed up in a woollen grey ensemble. Back in October, he donned a black cape shirtless as he walked the runway during the 'Le Defile Walk Your Worth' By L'Oreal Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week. Giabiconi is a brand ambassador for L'Oreal, as well as for the jewellery brand APM Monaco, Techno Gym and Viktor&Rolf Fragrances. As well as working with a number of big brands, he has also funded his own entrepreneurial projects with his earnings. He released an album in 2021, titled Oxygen, which was a commercial success in France, topping the SNEP album charts. The model also launched his own marketing agency, Wonderwall agency, which he advertises on Instagram. He also founded his own holiday business, Casa Giabiconi, where he rents four-stars villas to holiday-makers in the South of France. 2. His 'spiritual heir': Sebastien Jondeau Set to inherit: Unknown amount as his 'second favourite beneficiary' Sebastien Jondeau and Karl Lagerfeld, pictured at the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene in 2011 Jondeau was one of Lagerfeld's closest collaborators and he is still a familiar face on the Paris scene (pictured at the Fendi Couture fashion show on January 2022) According to Le Point, Sebastien Jondeau is the second biggest beneficiary from Lagerfeld's will, however, his share of the Kaiser's fortune was not revealed. Jondeau, 47, worked as a bodyguard and chauffeur for the designer for two decades, and has been hailed by French media as Lagerfeld's 'spirit heir.' He cared for the designer in his later years, where he battled pancreatic cancer, and is said to have 'held his hand' at the time of his death. Mr Jondeau released a book in 2021 to celebrate his mentor's life in which he revealed the close friendship the pair shared. He also told of Lagerfeld's health problems, which began in 2015, and were known to very few. Speaking to WWD ahead of the publication of his memoir- titled Ca va, cher Karl?, meaning 'How are you, dear Karl?' - Mr Jondeau insisted: '[Lagerfeld] was the Muhammad Ali of fashion. '[He was] knocked out standing, until the last moment on the phone with Fendi in Milan.' The designer's right-hand man also revealed that Lagerfeld was like a father to him. Jondeau has been keeping a low profile since the death of his long-time collaborator, but has remained a known figure in the fashion world. In December, he was spotted all smiles at the Dior Fall 2023 Menswear show in Giza, Egypt. He was also seen chatting with Hun Kim, who is current Design Director for Karl Lagerfeld, during a cocktail party in honour of the late designer last June. In his personal life, Jondeau welcomed a daughter named Giulia in September 2022 with his partner Chloe Trombello, sharing snaps of the newborn on his social media. He said her birth was 'the beginning of the rest of his life.' According to French Magazine Pure People, it is unknown for how long Chloe and Jondeau have been together, although it seems that the pair were in the early stages of their relationship when their daughter was born. 3. His friend and godson: Brad and Hudson Kroenig Set to inherit: Undisclosed amount Brad Kroenig, right, was believed to be one of Lagerfeld's favourite models. Pictured on the Chanel catwalk in 2016 with his son Hudson Hudson, right, was Lagerfeld's godson and appeared on the catwalk with his dad. Pictured: Hudson with his brother Jameson and Brad at the Daily Front Row's Fashion Media Awards in New York in 2018 The former model Brad Kroenig and his son Hudson, 12, were also named in the will and are expected to receive the same amount as Jondeau's share of the estate. Kroenig, an American model from New Jersey, was thought to be one of the late designer's favourites, and was a staple of Chanel runway shows. He would accompany the designer everywhere, from his shows to parties around the world and on vacations in St Tropez, flying onboard the designer's private jet, as The New York Times recounted in 2015. Much like with Baptiste Giabiconi, it was mistakenly thought that Brad was Lagerfeld's boyfriend. But the former model is in a straight relationship and has two sons with his wife. His son Hudson was Lagerfeld's godson, and appeared alongside Brad at Fashion Week and in advert campaigns. But Brad and his family now enjoy a quiet life away from the spotlight in Florida, where the couple have launched a real estate business. Brad, who went on a break from social media from 2021 to 2022 announced the new business venture, called The Kroenig Group, last year. Meanwhile his son now enjoys a typical teenage life, going on bike rides and hikes and taking his friends on fishing trips. 4. His gatekeeper: Caroline Lebar Set to inherit: Money and furniture Dubbed the designer's 'gatekeeper,' Caroline Lebar is the senior vice president of image and communication at the Karl Lagerfeld brand (pictured in Paris in 2022) The communication specialist, right, pictured with Sebastien Jondeau and Lagerfeld in Paris in 2007 For over 35 years, Caroline Lebar remained such a faithful collaborator to Karl that French media dubbed her his 'gatekeeper.' She is among those listed on the will, and is among a foursome who were also offered their pick from the designer's furniture. Caroline began working with the Kaiser aged 19 in 1985 after taking on an internship at his company and bumping into him in a corridor. She is currently the Senior Vice President of the Maison Karl Lagerfeld's Image and Communication. 'I observed him, I spent my life with him, and I always thought it was cool to see things from his perspective,' she told the Karl Lagerfeld website. 'What really impressed me was how strong he was; he made everything look easy,' she added. 'Karl made the most of every moment he shared with people. Maybe that meant he wouldnt be on time for his next appointment, but he always gave 100 per cent concentration to the person he was with in that moment,' she recalled. Since Lagerfeld's death, she has been remained at the helm of her friend's fashion house's communication. 5. His creative muse: Amanda Harlech Set to inherit: Money and furnitureSet to inherit: Money and furniture British fashion consultant Amanda Harlech became Lagerfeld's creative muse in 1997 and was his collaborator from more nearly 30 years (pictured together in 2010) Harlech and Lagerfeld began working together after she split from Francis Ormsby-Gore, 6th Baron Harlech (pictured in 1998) Amanda Harlech, also known as Baroness Harlech, became one of Lagerfeld's creative muses from 1997, after years of advising John Galliano. She met the Kaiser at a party he was hosting for Fashion Week in the 1990s. Her first impression of the designer was that he was 'an emperor at the height of his powers, possessed of an electrifying force that could scan the potential in everyone he encountered,' she told Vogue earlier this month. She joined Chanel after her divorce from Francis Ormsby-Gore, 6th Baron Harlech and began to help Lagerfeld on his collection. Speaking to The Guardian the year she made the switch from one designer to the other, Harlech described herself as a 'sounding board' for Lagerfeld, and said the designer would bounce ideas off her during her visit from the UK to Paris, where she had a permanent suite at the Ritz in Paris. 'Karl is someone who believes you either swim or you sink. You do not expect him to protect you; you protect yourself,' she said. Reflecting on her long collaboration with the designer, she remembered his 'turbocharged' energy, and his capacity to bring his sketch to life in the most minute detail. She also recounted how 'critical' the designer could be of people's homes and how she would frantically clean her own house before he'd visit her in Shropshire. 6. His Chanel successor: Virginie Viard Set to inherit: Money and furniture When it comes to fashion, Virginie Viard, pictured in 2022, was Lagerfeld's true Chanel heir, and is now the brand's creative director Viard started at Chanel as an intern and quickly climbed the ladder, becoming Lagerfeld's trusted right-hand woman (pictured in 2012) Baptiste Giabiconi and Sebastien may fancy themselves the 'favourite' and 'spiritual son' of Lagerfeld, but as far as fashion is concerned, Virginie Viard is his only one true heir. Viard was his right-hand woman at Chanel when the designer was alive, and has been the fashion house's creative director since his death. As well as figuratively inheriting the brand from his mentor, the designer will also get a share of his estate, and will be allowed to choose some of her favourite picks from his furniture collection. Chanel announced Viard's appointment as their creative director shortly after Lagerfeld's death. At the time, she had been a collaborator of Lagerfeld for 30 years, and was already the director of Chanel's Fashion Creation Studio. The group revealed that her appointment was so that 'the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld can live on.' Lagerfeld himself famously quipped that Viard was 'my right arm and my left arm.' In 2019, Viard, who started at Chanel as an intern before climbing the ladder, told The Telegraph: 'I try to please [Lagerfeld], but I like to surprise him too.' The creative director has been keeping Chanel fresh and relevant in its post Lagerfeld era, and was credited with 'pushing boundaries' by the magazine Fashionista earlier this year for introduce shorts in Chanel's fall fashion week runway. 7. His royal friend: Princess Caroline of Hanover Set to inherit: Money and furniture Caroline, 66, the sister of Prince Albert, 65, has enjoyed a life-long relationship with French design house Chanel and was a dear friend of its late creative director Caroline of Hanover, 66, the sister of Prince Albert, 65, has enjoyed a life-long romance with Chanel and was a dear friend of its late creative director Karl Lagerfeld (pictured in 2013) Caroline's daughter Charlotte Casiraghi, left, has also grown to become a Chanel fan, and is a brand ambassador for the fashion house. Pictured with Karl and her mother in 2015 Princess Caroline of Hanover, 66, the sister of Prince Albert, 65, has enjoyed a life-long relationship with French design house Chanel and was a dear friend of its late creative director. The royal and designer struck a friendship from their very first meeting in Paris in the 1970s. Speaking to the French-speaking magazine Point de Vue after Lagerfeld's death in 2019, the royal spoke of their 45 years of friendship. She revealed how they met at a photoshoot for American Vogue which took place at Lagerfeld's Saint-Sulpice apartment in Paris. 'We ended up there with Chris von Wangenheim, wonderful fashion photographer. I wore Chloe clothes that Karl drew. It was a really happy atmosphere, I was very shy at that age,' she recalled. From then on, Lagerfeld dressed the royal beauty for several occasions, including both royal engagements and more casual outings, and she became a regular front row attendee at his shows throughout the years. In the same interview, Caroline talked of how she became Lagerfeld's number one fan, and how the designer became involved with the Rose Ball, an annual event which is held in Monaco by the princely family to mark the onset of Spring. She described the designer's death as a 'family mourning', which hit her children, Charlotte Casiraghi, Andrea Casiraghi, Pierre Casiraghi and Princess Alexandra of Hanover particularly hard, because they knew Lagerfeld 'from birth.' 'He was home the day before I gave birth to Andrea, he took a picture of me on the stairs. He was there when they were born,' she said. And according to a report by French magazine Le Point, Grace Kelly's eldest daughter has been named as one of the people set to receive an inheritance from the designer, affectionately nicknamed the Kaiser. The magazine reported Caroline is in line to inherit Lagerfeld's furniture from his Parisian apartment, alongside three other friends of the designer. The Kaiser's will reportedly stipulates that Caroline can take her pick out of the designer's impressive collection of furnishings. Charlotte, 36, has followed in the footsteps of her fashionable mother, becoming an ambassador for Chanel in 2020, and she has worked with the fashion house on several projects over the years. Like her mother, Charlotte is a regular attendee at Fashion Week, and she has also appeared in campaigns for the French fashion house. Virginie described Casiraghi as someone who 'embodies the Chanel allure, all while remaining true to her own world.' 8. The cat: Choupette Set to inherit: 1.3 million Four years after the death of her owner, Choupette is still on high demand and has an agent 'because she has a lot of requests' As well as his seven main beneficiaries, Lagerfeld also left 1.3million to his former governess Francoise Francoise Cacote - who has been looking after his beloved cat Choupette. Choupette, 11, was beloved by Lagerfeld and is said to be the most photographed cat in the world, having been snapped more than 200,000 times. Upon his death she was left to Francoise Cacote, who stopped working to devote her time to caring for her. And since Karl's death, the feline has been enjoying a life of luxury with Francoise, jetting off to exotic locations on private planes. The hefty inheritance was to go to Cacote to ensure neither her nor the pampered feline would ever want for anything. But years later Lagerfeld's complex web of assets, funds and debts mean his will has not yet been executed, leaving Choupette to continue her career with a possible appearance at the Met Gala later this year. The cat is believed to have scored an invite to this year's Met Gala, which is celebrating the designer's legacy. It is not known whether Choupette will indeed attend the glitzy event, and who her escort will be. The dress code for the occasion, which will be overseen by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, is simply 'in honour of Karl.' As well as his seven main beneficiaries, Lagerfeld also left 1.3million to his former governess Francoise Francoise Cacote - who has been looking after his beloved cat Choupette (pictured) Choupette's agent, Lucas Berullier, confirmed to the New York Post that the feline had received a formal invite. Berullier added: 'It's an event in honour of the legacy of Karl, and Choupette is obviously a central part of the legacy.' Michelle Baron, who illustrated Where's Karl?: A Fashion-Forward Parody, told the publication: '[I'd imagine] her entering with a big entourage maybe Anna, or Grace Coddington. 'I think the way to show stop would be [entering] by herself, or with the biggest celebrity, maybe Beyonce. 'Or maybe she'll be escorted by Karl's old bodyguard, Sebastien Jondeau.' The theme of The Met Costume Institute's spring exhibition is also in honor of the late designer and is titled Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. The exhibition, which opens to the public on May 5, features more than 150 objects spanning Lagerfeld's six-decade career at Chanel, Chloe, Fendi, and his own label. For viewers tuning into ITV's dramatisation of the 2010 Raoul Moat siege - The Hunt for Raoul Moat - it was very much a case of same uniform, different crime series. On screen in the three-part drama, which reached its crescendo on Tuesday night, were three familiar faces from another ITV police thriller - Line of Duty. Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Adamson, played by Lee Ingleby, was joined on screen by DI Nisha Roberts (Vineeta Rishi) and Neil 'Robbo' Robson (Mark Stobbart). On Twitter, an eagle-eyed Line of Duty fan pointed out that all three actors had also been high-profile characters in Jed Mercurio's six-series drama. Using their Line of Duty characters, he joked: 'Roz Huntley's hubby is back leading the investigation, helped by Rupal, who was part of Huntley's team, and Huntley's number 2 DS Twyler! And the chief refers the case to the PCC....we all know what that means!' The PCC - Police and Crime Commissioner, which holds police accountable, is central to the action in Line of Duty, with AC-12 at the helm of investigations into police corruption. ITV's latest crime offering recounts Moat's seven-day murderous spree in July 2010, which saw him evade the police for days, after murdering Christopher Brown, 29, and seriously injuring his ex-partner Samantha Stobbart and PC David Rathband. The TV crossover doesn't end there...BBC One drama Crossfire, which aired last autumn, also gleaned some of Line of Duty's cast. Keeley Hawes played Jo, while Lee Ingleby was cast as Jason and Anneika Rose appeared as Abhi. In Line of Duty, Hawes played DI Lyndsey Denton, Ingleby was solicitor Nicholas Huntley - married to Thandie Newton's Roz Huntley, a senior investigator, and Anneika Rose was a fan hit in Mercurio's show as PC Farinda Jatri. Here FEMAIL looks at the actors who love a police uniform... All roads lead back to Line of Duty? Actors cast in Jed Mercurio's six series cult police drama, which ended in 2021 have since appeared as officers in other dramas, with fans recognising characters from the show in this week's The Hunt for Raoul Moat on ITV LEE INGLEBY The Hunt for Raoul Moat: DCS Neil Adamson Line of Duty: Lawyer Nicholas Huntley Crossfire: Jason Crime crossover: Actor Lee Ingleby, 47, pictured in his latest role playing the real life former detective chief superintendent Neil Adamson, who led the real-life manhunt to find Raoul Moat in July 2010 But many Line of Duty fans will know him as Nick Huntley, the husband of Roz Huntley (played by Thandie Newton), a senior investigator in the ITV crime series which ran from 2012 til 2021 In the autumn, Ingleby played Jason in Crossover, alongside fellow Line of Duty actors Keeley Hawes and Anneika Rose The common thread that links the three crime dramas together, actor Lee Ingleby, has long been a fan of a police drama. The 47-year-old Burnley-born actor shot to fame as Detective Sergeant John Bacchus in Inspector George Gently, which first aired in 2007. And it seems Ingleby just can't stay away from crime thrillers. Line of Duty fans will still call him Nick, for his role as Nicholas Huntley, husband of Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton), a senior investigator in series 4, regarded by many fans as the best series of Mercurio's show - and featuring the much-talked about 'Balaclava Man'. Ingleby never played a 'bent copper' though, he worked in corporate law. In the autumn, Ingleby starred alongside Keeley Hawes and Anneika Rose, playing Jason in Crossfire. The fictional three-part series, which was written by Louise Doughty, told the story of a tourist whose life gets turned upside down when gunmen open fire. His latest role is amongst his biggest yet, taking the lead in The Hunt for Raoul Moat, playing the real life former detective chief superintendent Neil Adamson, who led the real-life manhunt to find Moat in July 2010. VINEETA RISHI The Hunt for Raoul Moat: DI Nisha Roberts Line of Duty: Forensic Coordinator Rupal Pandit Different show, different uniform: Vineeta Rishi plays Nisha Roberts in The Hunt for Raoul Moat The actress played Forensic Coordinator Rupal Pandit in series four of Line of Duty (pictured) , and then appeared as DC Rakhee Shah in Collateral (2018). It's as a medic, not a police officer that Vineeta Rishi, 48, might be most recognisable to telly lovers; she starred as Jas Khella in BBC One's Doctors. However, she continues to rack up roles in TV police stations; after appearing as DI Meenah Khan in a one-off episode of Waking the Dead in 2011, she's starred in police dramas three more times. She played Forensic Coordinator Rupal Pandit in series four of Line of Duty, and then appeared as DC Rakhee Shah in Collateral (2018). Now, Rishi, who was brought up in the North East, stars as Detective Inspector Nisha Roberts in The Hunt for Raoul Moat, working alongside her former Line of Duty co-star Ingleby once more. MARK STOBBART The Hunt for Raoul Moat: Neil 'Robbo' Robson Line of Duty: DS Neil Twyler Mark Stobbart is back in a police department in the ITV drama on Moat, playing Neil 'Robbo' Robson The Teeside actor, who graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, took on the character of Detective Sergeant Neil Twyler in Line of Duty in 2017 County Durham actor Mark Stobbart dons a police uniform once more in ITV's retelling of the manhunt for Raoul Moat, starring as Neil 'Robbo' Robson. The Teeside actor, who graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, took on the character of Detective Sergeant Neil Twyler in Line of Duty in 2017. He starred in series 4, alongside Ingleby and Rishi, who he's reunited with in the current Moat drama. His character, Twyler, was assigned to Operation Trapdoor, which was headed up by DCI Roz Huntley, played by Thandie Newton. KEELEY HAWES Line of Duty: DI Lyndsey Denton Crossfire: Jo Keeley Hawes was widely praised for playing DI Lyndsey Denton in the first and second series of Line of Duty She appeared with actors Lee Ingleby and Anneika Rose from the show in last year's Crossfire (pictured) One of Britain's favourite actresses, thanks to stellar roles in Tipping the Velvet, Spooks, Ashes to Ashes and It's a Sin, Keeley Hawes is rather partial to a crime thriller. Her role as Detective Inspector Lyndsey Denton in series one and two of Line of Duty helped propel Mercurio's screen-writing to cult status. She played the role from 2014 to 2016, and was widely lauded for her acting, with one TV critic calling it 'the performance of 2014'. Edge-of-your-seat 2022 BBC drama Crossfire saw Hawes, 47, starring alongside Line of Duty actors Lee Ingleby and Anneika Rose, although the actors didn't appear in the same series of the drama, with Ingleby in series four and Rose in series six. ANNEIKA ROSE Line of Duty: PC Farinda Jatri Crossfire: Abhi Rose in the finale of Line of Duty; she was a key figure in the show's crescendo, playing PC Jatri alongside Kelly Macdonald, who starred as DCI Joanne Davidson In 2022's Crossfire, Rose played Abhi, a tourist affected by a gun attack, alongside Keeley Hawes and Lee Ingleby An established theatre actor, Rose has also been in hard-hitting dramas including Taggart, Deadwater Fell, Guilt and Silent Witness. She donned a uniform in the final series of Line of Duty, starring as PC Farida Jatri. Rose, who was born in Glasgow, was involved in some of the finale's most nail-biting moments, playing the love interest of Kelly Macdonald's DCI Joanne Davidson. In Crossfire, Rose starred as Abhi, one of the group of friends on holiday when gunmen strike. It's not the first time Keeley Hawes and Rose have appeared together, they both starred in 2022's The Midwich Cuckoos. The rise of the Boohoo fashion empire is one of the most extraordinary British success stories of recent times. Starting life as a humble market stall in Manchester, the company owned by the Kamani family reached a value of well over 5 billion at its peak. This success was down to the brand's ability to quickly replicate fashion styles, then offer them to consumers at minimal prices, with items like bodycon dresses retailing at as little as 3. While the company has come in for criticism because of the business and sustainability practices involved in producing fashion at this speed and bulk, at low cost, it has remained popular with many. As a result, by 2017 the company had seen extraordinary growth, with stellar profits netting the Kamani family a fortune of more than 1 billion. And the billionaire family behind the brand has become almost as well known as the clothing, thanks to their lavish lifestyles, and appearances at high end events. Among the Kamani's lavish exploits was Umar's 2021 proposal to Nada Adelle (pictured), which included a $21 million ring While father Mahmud is more reserved, the rest of the Kamani family - mother Aisha, and sons Umar, Adam and Samir - often share snaps online of their exciting activities, showcasing their expensive taste. Mahmud Kamani launched Boohoo in 2006, after he started out running a Manchester market stall selling fashion items. The Boohoo group now owns a portfolio of brands including Nasty Gal, Coast, Wallis, Dorothy Perkins, and Debenhams. And youngest son Samir works as the CEO of boohoo and boohooMAN, he was just a teenager when the brand launched. In 2006 the couple's son Umar Kamani started working for the family business as a manager, while attending theatre school. He went on to study international business at Manchester Metropolitan University. In 2012 he and his brother Adam co-funded PrettyLittleThing after witnessing the phenomenal success of Boohoo, and reported a turnover of 374million in 2018. By 2022, the company is forecast to be worth around 2.1billion. The brand opened a flagship store in LA in 2016, and Kylie Jenner attended the launch party. After the reality star wore one of the brand's dresses in 2016, overall sales increased by 400 per cent. The company now enjoys a host of celebrity endorsements including Khloe Kardahsian, Hayley Bieber, Little Mix, Nicole Scherzinger and Paris Hilton, as well as financial success. Adam left in 2017 to pursue a property startup, and Umar announced recently he would be stepping down as CEO of the brand, after selling his 34 per cent stake to Boohoo. Umar Kamani (centre) pictured with his brother Samir (left) and supermodel Naomi Campbell (right) Umar Kamani (pictured with his partner Nada Adelle) enjoys driving luxury cars and owns a fleet of vehicles During his decade as director and CEO, Umar has not only made PLT appeal to the masses but also his celebrity pals, whose popularity has elevated the brand to desirable effect. Love Island viewers now associate the most successful Islanders with securing partnership deals with PLT following Molly-Mae's ongoing relationship with the business. Thanks to the success of their fashion empire, the family have become famous in their own right, with the younger members garnering large followings on social media with fans keen to see what they have been up to. Many enjoy seeing the trappings of the Kamani's wealth, like Umar's fleet of luxury vehicles, including Lamborghinis and Hummers, or Aisha's luxury shopping trips to stores like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Fendi. Among some of their most extravagant exploits, was Umar's 2021 engagement to his model partner Nada Adelle. Once named Britain's eighth most eligible bachelor by society bible Tatler, Umar popped the question in the most lavish of settings - the Monte Carlo Opera House. Youngest brother Samir, who works for the family's fashion empire, shares snaps of his adventures online - including his luxury holidays Tight knit: the Kamaris appears to share a close bond, posting images of themselves with other members of the family (Samir with his mother Aisha) He filled the historic theatre with 10,000 white roses, and dozens of candles while 25 musicians played Beauty and the Beast as Nadia entered. Wearing a $1 diamond encrusted watch, he then popped the question offering his partner her own pricey sparkler, a stunning 21 carat ring worth a cool $2 million. And his birthday last year was no less exciting, with stars including Snoop Dogg, Christina Milian and Chris Brown taking to the stage to perform at the LA bash. Meanwhile youngest brother Samir often shares the luxuries he enjoys with his followers, posting snaps that showcase a life full of parities in Capri, dinners in Dubaiand idyllic trips to the Maldives. Like the rest of his family, Samir is clearly a jetsetter and has also posted photos of lavish trips to Egypt, where he posed in front of the pyramids of Giza. TikTok is also filled with brides hunting thrift stores for dresses to upcycle Stylist Anny Choi says clients are looking for more colorful and custom looks Tradition dictates brides wear something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new. But over the years, soon-to-be newlyweds have been ditching convention and opting for more custom looks or gowns that align more with their personal tastes, largely due to the internet and social media. We've seen budget-conscious brides shop more frugally, like LA bride Kiara Brokenbrough who wore a $47 Shein dress for her special day and Tennessee newlywed Maranda Vandergriff who went viral for her $24 gown from Goodwill. This growing trend also seems to have impacted on the traditional avenues of buying the perfect gown, with news emerging this week that America's largest wedding gown retailer David's Bridal had filed for bankruptcy. New York wedding stylist Anny Choi (pictured with a client) says she's seen more brides opting for more unconventional gowns for their special day The retailer's CEO James Marcum wrote in the Chapter 11 filing: 'An increasing number of brides are opting for less traditional wedding attire, including thrift wedding dresses. 'Thus, the demand for formal wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and related accessories has decreased substantially in the current environment.' The bridal store market in the US is worth $2.1 billion in the United States, according to industry research firm IBISWorld, and it has declined 2.3 per cent per year on average since 2018. The firm also noted that the market size of the industry shrunk faster than the economy overall. New York stylist Anny Choi, 30, said she had seen brides taking more unconventional routes since she started bridal styling back in 2019. 'During the pandemic, a lot of brides had to come up with plan B, there was a rise of less traditional ceremonies and in some instances, wedding dresses were literally locked up inside a department store,' she told DailyMail.com. 'I think this really opened up the idea of what a wedding dress could be, whether it's a colorful RTW (ready-to-wear) piece, "something old" from eBay or even something borrowed from a family member or a rental company.' However she noted there would always be a market for brides who wanted a made-to-order experience. During the pandemic, many brides had to come up with plan B for their wedding dresses and Anny believes this 'really opened up the idea of what a wedding dress could be' This growing trend also seems to have impacted on the traditional avenues of buying the perfect gown, with news emerging this week that David's Bridal had filed for bankruptcy Kiara Brokenbrough, from Los Angeles, wore this $47 Shein dress on her wedding day. Pictured with husband Joel After the couple got engaged in December last year, Kiara started shopping for wedding dresses, but in an effort to 'spend the least amount of money possible,' she bought her gown from Shein 'But with more and more contemporary RTW brands doing bridal capsules, designers sending down bridal worthy looks down the runway season after season, and the rise of vintage vendors sourcing bridal specific pieces, it has really opened up the ways brides are approaching their wedding wardrobes,' Anny said. The stylist says brides are becoming 'very mindful of the storytelling aspect' of their special day and will often want to include sentimental pieces because of increasing 'wedding coverage' and social media. 'I've had clients who want to repurpose a wedding dress that their grandmother wore and every other woman in the family since, a pair of earrings that all of their friends wore at their weddings, to wanting to create something totally anti-bridal (but still fabulous nonetheless) with a ready-to-wear designer,' Anny said. 'When I was living in London I would go to the Portobello Market every weekend to look for pieces for my clients, Alfie's Antique market for one-of-a-kind jewelry, I'm constantly scouring on The Real Real and eBay, there is Manhattan Vintage and the Current Affair.' Anny said brides wanted their wedding day to be more reflective of their own personal style. 'Weddings have been very one note for a very long time and I think modern brides are looking for ways to make their wedding feel more personal and true to them,' she told DailyMail.com. Maranda Vandergriff, a 27-year-old from Tennessee, shared she got married in a vintage dress for just over $24 Although Maranda loved the dress, she knew she had to alter it to have her 'dream' dress, so she sought out help from her mom and grandma who taught her how to sew Maranda wanted to 'honor' her mom by adding the exact small beads that her mom used in her dress; she used the beads from her mom's dress to stitch the edges on the sleeves As for emerging trends, Anny said she had been seeing 'a lot of drop-waist silhouettes' channeling Audrey Hepburn's wedding dress in 1957 film Funny Face 'They want to tell a story through the weekend, they want their personality and style to shine through so when they look back on this day five, 10 years from now it doesn't just look like a Pinterest-perfect wedding but a wedding that represents the couple and a wedding with a bit of soul. 'With social media and online wedding coverage there is a certain pressure too to do something more unique and source and wear one-of-a-kind pieces that you can't just buy off the rack.' As for emerging trends, Anny said she had been seeing 'a lot of drop-waist silhouettes' channeling Audrey Hepburn's wedding dress in 1957 film Funny Face. Brides were also getting more adventurous by opting to wear colors outside of the traditional white. 'A lot of brides [want] to incorporate color whether it's the actual wedding dress or even a pop of color with an accessory,' Anny said. 'I think versatility is also important like a removable cape and sleeves, maybe a layer of the skirt that can come off or a dress that's actually a top and a skirt, for example. 'This is an easy way to have a second look without doing the full outfit change.' Advertisement An American artist has released a series of sensual photographs in a bid to champion sex positivity after 70. Marilyn Minter, who is herself 74, gathered a group of men and women in the height of their golden years at her studio in New York. The seniors stripped down to their lingerie or briefs before she photographed them caressing one another in various erotic poses. The image series, which has been published in full in the book titled Elder Sex, was created with the aim of challenging 'traditional and often stereotyped vision of sex.' An American artist has released a series of sensual photographs in a bid to champion sex positivity after 70 The seniors stripped down to their lingerie or briefs before she photographed them caressing one another in various erotic poses The image series was created with the aim of challenging 'traditional and often stereotyped vision of sex' The sensual project, shot at a studio in New York, has been published in full in the book titled Elder Sex The project consists of colorful close-cropped compositions taken from behind a panel of frozen glass to achieve a steamy, glistening look Marilyn, who has previously worked with the likes of Lady Gaga and Lizzo, set out to create unashamedly sexualized context. The project consists of colorful close-cropped compositions taken from behind a panel of frozen glass to achieve a steamy, glistening look. In a blurb about Elder Sex on JBE books, it states: 'Ultimately, these joyful, empowering and body-positive images remind us that the frontiers of sexuality are unlimited and that we can choose the type of pleasure we want at every stage of our lives.' It also references the book's afterword, provided by New Yorker writer Naomi Fry, which address the feminist implications of the work. It reads: 'The not-young yes, yes, the old! can still get hot and heavy. Fleshy, sensate, nearly abstract in their up-closeness, these people are imagine that sexy.' Discussing the project with CNN, Marilyn said: 'There's so much contempt for elder sex. Even one of the models that I worked with said, "Who wants to see all these?" 'My whole thought process going into it was that we're pioneers. Nobody's ever shot elder people affectionately, and with any kind of elegance. 'And that was my goal to make to make them look very desirable.' Artist Marilyn, who has previously worked with the likes of Lady Gaga and Lizzo, set out to create unashamedly sexualized context The artist, who argued 'there's so much contempt for elder sex,' said she was keen to include all races and all types of sex Marilyn also revealed that she had initially asked her friends to take part in the photoshoot but that they had declined Marilyn ultimately ended up paying actors to feature in front of the camera with the models being up to 89 years old A handful of the sultry images were originally published as part of an article in The New York Times about elder sex in a bid to tackle a perceived taboo The full 45-image series are now being laid bare in the book titled Elder Sex as well as also going on display at New York gallery LGDR She added: 'When you're young and having sex, it's a little more performative than it is when you're 80. 'You're thinking, "This is me. Take it or leave it. I'm just going to enjoy myself. I'm not going to fake anything here."' The artist, who said she was keen to include all races as well as all types of sex, also revealed that she had initially asked her friends to take part in the photoshoot but that they had declined. She ultimately ended up paying actors to feature in front of the camera with the models being up to 89 years old. A handful of the sultry images were originally published as part of an article in The New York Times about elder sex in a bid to tackle a perceived taboo. But the full 45-image series are now being laid bare in the book titled Elder Sex as well as also going on display at New York gallery LGDR. For years, Maureen Kearney struggled to speak about the vicious attack and sexual assault she suffered in her own home by an unknown assailant, because, she says, 'When you think you are going to die, the words are just not there.' In fact, for a long period, she could barely remember it, or recall much of her life before it happened. Her body was protecting her, blocking a trauma that felt too big to process. 'Everything before 17 December 2012 was blank,' she says. 'I was stuck on that date.' Eleven years on, though, not only can she talk about it, her story has been told in a book in France. And now it has been turned into a film, La Syndicaliste, a taut thriller that will be released in the UK in June. Kearney is played by Isabelle Huppert, one of the most famous actresses in France. Watching the attack re-created on film hasn't been easy the first time, Kearney had to walk out of the screening but she's glad it's out there. For years, Maureen Kearney struggled to speak about the vicious attack and sexual assault she suffered in her own home by an unknown assailant 'It was the hardest part of my life but it's in the past,' says Kearney, now 67. 'If it can help one woman, then it's worth it.' It's an incredible story of trauma and survival, but also of corporate corruption, government lies and the terrifying consequences of being a whistleblower. In fact, La Syndicaliste's plot would be deemed too far-fetched were it not true few would believe Kearney's ordeal could happen in a modern Western democracy. Although it took place in Paris, Kearney is Irish. Born and raised in County Mayo, but always drawn to French culture, in the 1970s she won a grant to study at university in Aix-en-Provence, then met and married a Frenchman, Gilles Hugo. They settled in Paris, where Hugo was CEO of a sound production company, and raised two children while Kearney also taught English to employees at the nuclear engineering company Areva. When she noticed that her students were suffering under the company's lay-off scheme, she began advocating on their behalf, eventually rising to become a powerful, outspoken trade unionist within France's nuclear industry. It was in this role, in 2011, that Kearney learned of a top-secret contract involving Areva, the French state-owned utility company Electricite de France (EDF) and China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC). If true, it meant major job losses at Areva as well as the transfer of sensitive nuclear technology from France to China. 'I had extensive networking powers journalists, politicians so I started ringing around, trying to find out what was going on,' says Kearney. MY ATTACKER SAID: THIS IS YOUR SECOND WARNING. THERE WONT BE A THIRD First she was assured by bosses and government ministers that the deal had been halted, but months later someone sent her a copy of the contract with a photo of it being signed. 'I asked for an extraordinary meeting with the CEO at Areva,' she says, 'and at that meeting I was far too direct, I realise that now. He said that there was no contract. I told him he was a liar and that I had proof.' Kearney realised that there might be professional consequences; that she might come under pressure at work. 'It was a stressful time but you certainly never think you're in physical danger.' Around this time, she began receiving anonymous phone calls in one, a message was left to 'mind your own business', which she played to several people. Her adult children were also noticing strange happenings. 'My daughter had said that when she drove to see us, she was followed by another car. We told her not to be ridiculous. It didn't seem real or possible. On the night before I was attacked, there was a car parked outside my son's house for hours. When he went out to see who it was, it drove off really fast.' Her story has been turned into a film, La Syndicaliste, a taut thriller that will be released in the UK in June. Pictured: Isabelle Huppert as Kearney in La Syndicaliste On 17 December 2012, a typical busy Monday morning, Kearney's life crossed into the realms of a horror film. Hugo had left for work and Kearney was brushing her teeth in the downstairs bathroom. 'My mind was elsewhere, I wasn't alert,' she says. 'Why would I be?' Suddenly, a dark cover was pulled over her head and she felt what seemed to be a gun in her back. 'I don't remember my thoughts at all, but I remember my heart,' she says. 'It was beating so fast that I thought it was going to come out through my chest. I could hear the blood in my ears. It was the weirdest feeling.' Kearney was taken to the living room and tied to a chair. Her attacker told her, 'This is your second warning. There won't be a third.' Using a knife, he carved an A on her stomach perhaps for Areva or avertissement, the French word for 'warning'. Kearney had no idea what he was doing. 'I felt nothing after that,' she says. 'I was convinced my intestines were on my lap. I just went elsewhere, I don't know where, but I wasn't there.' When her housekeeper arrived, six hours later, she found Kearney still tied to the chair with the knife inserted handle-first into her vagina. Kearney had passed out at first the housekeeper thought she was dead. From this day forward, for years to come, Kearney's life stopped making sense it was, she says, 'like an attack on reason'. Very early on, she felt that she wasn't believed by police, and within weeks Kearney and Hugo were called into a station and separated on arrival. 'The police then told me that I'd made the whole thing up,' she says. Kearney was told falsely that her husband, friends and colleagues all thought she was lying too. After more than ten hours of interrogation, the police left the room and a man in civilian clothes entered. Now Kearney was threatened again. 'He told me that if I didn't say I'd made it up, a steamroller would flatten my family and we'd never get back up.' Petrified, exhausted, Kearney signed a statement saying that she had imagined the attack. I COULDNT EAT. I COULDNT SLEEP. ANY SOUND I DIDNT RECOGNISE WOULD PANIC ME She was then allowed home and given a week to produce a more detailed, convincing confession. When she couldn't produce one, she was charged with the false reporting of a crime the French equivalent of wasting police time. The case took four years to come to court, and Kearney spent them in a desperate search for safety. 'I lived in dread, terrified all the time. I hadn't been protected. I hadn't been believed. I knew if anything happened again, there was nowhere to go for help.' She never returned to work. When her husband had to leave the house, friends took turns to be with her she wasn't alone for two years. 'I couldn't eat. I was so bad that the doctor gave me a liquid supplement for anorexic people. I couldn't sleep for more than an hour. I'd be awake, listening. Any sound I didn't recognise would panic me. I couldn't stay in that house.' In the autumn of 2013, she and Hugo who had never doubted her moved out of Paris, 400km away to a small town south of the Loire. Kearney couldn't have any dining room chairs in her new home, no chairs that she could feasibly be tied to. She was unable to go to the hairdresser, as staying seated with someone behind her was too terrifying. 'I was in survival mode, living minute to minute, hour by hour, day by day.' The case was heard by a judge at the Criminal Court of Versailles in May 2017. Kearney was still in 'survival mode', and fell apart on the stand, barely able to speak. In a 2010 photo proving that a deal took place, the Areva and China General Nuclear Power Corporation CEOs sit together, as Chinese President Hu Jintao and French President Nicolas Sarkozy look on The police claimed that there had been no DNA at the scene no fingerprints, no witnesses. Kearney was found guilty, given a five-month suspended sentence and a 5,000 fine (then around 4,200). What kept her going? 'I held on to the fact that I knew I was attacked andI couldn't accept that I was not believed,' she says. Finding a military psychiatrist who specialised in post-traumatic stress disorder was a huge step forward. He believed Kearney's account, offered to testify in court on her behalf and helped her understand that her paralysis was a normal response to trauma. 'For the first time, in my sessions with him, I was able to talk about the attack. He got me back,' she says. Supported by her employment union, Kearney appealed her conviction and had plenty of evidence to support her case. Her lawyer discovered that the DNA taken from the scene had never returned from the lab it had been lost. Neighbours had reported a white van outside the house that was never investigated. Most chillingly, an identical attack had been reported six years earlier by the wife of another whistleblower in the French energy industry. She had been raped and a coffin had been engraved on her stomach. It was investigated by the same prosecutor's office and the file had disappeared. It had never reached trial. Kearney's appeal was successful. Her acquittal was the start of her recovery but there are no simple 'happy endings' here, only many unanswered questions. Her attacker has never been identified and Kearney chose not to pursue it. 'I was told an investigation would take years, and it would be the same police, the same court area that had accused me of making it up. There was no way I could go back to that.' The nuclear deal with China went ahead the French and Chinese have built reactors together, 5,000 jobs were lost at Areva, and today the company no longer exists. Kearney still isn't sure what she was uncovering that could have led to her attack. She can only assume she had stumbled towards more than she realised. Slowly, she has built a new life in rural France. For eight years, she taught at a local nursery. 'Being with children was so helpful, as you have to stay in the moment,' she says. She also volunteers at a women's refuge. 'I'm giving something back. I received so much support from my friends and family. For years I was never on my own and I didn't realise how lucky I was. At the refuge, we see women who are really isolated, who don't have support. We're helping them find a secure place.' Her home has dining chairs now they are transparent and light enough to move, even if you're tied to one. Kearney still struggles with the hairdresser, though. 'I haven't been for nearly a year but I keep saying I'm going to make an appointment.' Still, she is happy. 'It takes a long time, a lot of pain and suffering, a lot of therapy and there's no magic pill,' she says. 'But I want women to know that you can get through.' Weddings are a tricky business, particularly when it comes to being a guest. Even though your responsibilities are nothing compared to that of the soon-to-be newlyweds, there are still some rules that one should avoid breaking. For example, earlier this week, Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley caused a social media storm when she appeared to wear white to her daughter's wedding. But the former US ambassador to the UN, 51, hit back at critics, saying her dress was actually gold. Nikki Haley, 51, took to social media to share a snapshot of the big day as she stood alongside husband Michael, son Nalin, daughter Rena, and Rena's new husband Josh But the former US ambassador to the UN, 51, hit back at critics, saying her dress was actually gold It sparked a fierce debate about wedding etiquette, and left people wondering what the dos and don'ts are for a wedding guest. To help you out, FEMAIL has enlisted the help of New York-based etiquette expert Myka Meier to make sure you don't commit any faux pas - from appropriate attire to how much you should be spending on wedding gifts. It's all about the happy couple: Don't draw attention to yourself by wearing anything too bold Myka, who founded Beaumont Etiquette, advises attendees they should stay away from any outfit that will draw the focus away from the people getting married. 'The general rule of thumb for wedding guests is to avoid any attire that can take away from attention on the couple,' she told DailyMail.com. 'The color white is typically reserved for the couple getting married.' Wedding dress designer Madeline Gardner also told The Knot people should also rethink outfits that were cream or ivory, not just white. 'When you're a guest at a wedding, the most important thing to keep in mind is not to upstage or upset the bride,' she said. 'It's safe to stay away from any outfits that are predominantly white, cream or ivory.' Myka advises attendees they should stay away from any outfit that will draw the focus away from the people getting married (stock image) What's the right amount to spend on a wedding gift? You should be forking out between $50 to $100 It's a topic that's hotly debated, but Myka has finally settled this argument once and for all. 'In terms of an appropriate gift amount, it depends on your relationship with the couple,' she explained. 'The average gift amount spend is $50 to $100, however if it is a wedding of a close friend or family member, it can be $150 or more. 'You may want to spend more if it's a couple attending versus one person attending as well.' Think before you post! Always get the OK from the happy couple before sharing wedding photos on social media Myka recommends people to refrain from posting photos or video on social media unless you know the couple will be okay with it or have granted permission for you to do so. 'Posting a photo of the bride before she does may spoil her big reveal or they may just want to keep their day private,' the etiquette expert said. 'I recommend not posting photos until you are given the go ahead. Look for cues on the wedding website or at the event itself - if there is a wedding hashtag being promoted, it's likely you are fine to post away unless told otherwise. Myka recommends people to refrain from posting photos or video on social media unless you know the couple will be okay with it (stock image) 'Some couples or their wedding planners will make an announcement or have signs announcing it's an "unplugged wedding" which means no cameras, videos or social media posting. Always be respectful of the privacy and wishes of the couple.' Another factor people should think about is asking if it's okay for you to post or take photos of other guests before uploading, Myka said. 'Don't post pictures that may be embarrassing to others such as someone dancing without them knowing you captured the footage. Also people may not want to be shown drinking in photos,' she explained. And don't get in the way of the couple's wedding videographer or photographer when you're trying to get your own snaps. Myka added: 'Lastly, no live streaming of the wedding, you never know what will happen or who will see it, and chances are not everyone attending will want to be on your social media channels.' It may seem obvious that if you want a first date to go well you shouldnt talk about your ex. But it seems a surprising number of insensitive souls do just that. The faux pas tops a list of guaranteed passion-killers when potential lovers size each other up. Almost half of single Britons (46 per cent) said a prospective partner had ruined the night and any chance of a second one by bringing up a former flame. Almost as many (39 per cent) had been turned off by bad table manners during a meal, while more than a third (35 per cent) said someone who focused on talking about themselves and their life had proved a big mistake and ruined a promising rendezvous. Almost half of single Britons (46 per cent) said a prospective partner had ruined the night and any chance of a second one by bringing up a former flame, a poll by Sushi Daily has found These terrible trysts are among ten of the worst romantic encounters revealed by researchers. The fast-food firm Sushi Daily asked 2,000 UK adults about the clangers they had experienced to come up with the findings. Romy Miller, its global brand director, said: It may come as no surprise to learn you are on much safer ground discussing the cuisine at the restaurant or pub you are meeting in than talking about former partners or even yourself. She added: Politics can be a minefield as well though bad table manners and being rude to staff seem certain to destroy any chance of a second date. Watching someone being rude or offhand with serving staff was off-putting for 31 per cent of first daters, while being stuck with someone who talked with their mouth full had made 29 per cent pull up the drawbridge on any prospective relationship. More than a quarter (27 per cent) also said those who looked at their mobile phone throughout the date had angered them and made the meeting uncomfortable. More than a quarter (27 per cent) also said those who looked at their mobile phone throughout the date had angered them and made the meeting uncomfortable Some 23 per cent said someone not being able to take a joke was a big turn-off, and the same percentage claimed there was no way back if someone was obviously lying about their age. Casually taking food off the other persons plate was also ranked as a romantic no-no by 14 per cent. A key clanger was discussing politics, with more than one in ten (nine per cent) saying the resulting conversation had become frosty and awkward. A survey last August recorded similar results with a couple of exceptions. Being late for the date was a red flag for 17 per cent in the poll by CasinoGuardian. Prince George's godfather, billionaire aristocrat the Duke of Westminster, has announced his engagement to his girlfriend of two years. Hugh Grosvenor, 32, - who is thought to own more land than the King - proposed to Olivia Henson at his family seat, Eaton Hall in Cheshire. The aristocrat, who inherited his title and estate from his father, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, the sixth Duke of Westminster, upon his death in 2016 released a statement with the happy news, saying: 'The Duke of Westminster and Miss Olivia Henson are delighted to announce they are engaged to be married. 'The couple, who have been together for two years, recently became engaged at the Duke's family home at Eaton Hall in Cheshire. The 7th Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor proposed to his girlfriend of two years Olivia Henson at his family home at Eaton Hall, Cheshire, it was announced on April 23rd (The couple in an official photo released to mark their engagement) 'Members of both their families are absolutely delighted with the news. 'Hugh Grosvenor, The Duke of Westminster, is Grosvenor's Chair as well as Chair of the Westminster Foundation. Miss Henson works for Belazu, a B-Corp certified food company based in London.' The Duke's father Gerald Grosvenor suffered a sudden heart attack while out on a country walk, and died aged 64 in 2016. Hugh suceeded his father, becoming an instant billionaire. As the 7th Duke of Westminster, he inherited a fortune of 9.3billion. He also inherited 300 acres across London's Mayfair and Belgravia two of the most expensive areas in the world as well as estates in Oxford, Scotland and properties around the globe - including the 10,872-acre family estate at Eaton Hall in Cheshire. Once dubbed Britain's most eligible bachelor, Hugh Grosvenor was educated at 6,000-a-term day school Ellesmere College in Shropshire and inherited the Dukedom following the death of his father in 2016 Prince William (R) is greeted by General Timothy Granville-Chapman (2R), Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster (2L) and John Peace (L) as he arrives to attend the official handover of the newly built Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre Grosvenor has ownership of the family seat Eaton Hall (pictured), as well as a property empire that includes 300 acres in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as land in Cheshire, Oxford, Scotland and Spain A close friend of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Westminster is godfather to his eldest son Prince George (Grosvenor pictured in 2018 second from left with then PM Theresa May, far left, Bahrain's Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, second from right, and Prince William, far right) Close friends with the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke is the youngest of Prince George's godparents. He has previously represented the country at Olympic Skeet Shooting competitions both internationally and in the UK. Grosvenor previously dated property and recruitment consultant Harriet Tomlinson, but the couple, who met at 6,000-a-term day school Ellesmere College in Shropshire, split in 2020. The Duke also supports the rehabilitation of wounded or injured members of the Armed Forces and donated 2.5million to the Health Service when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, but said he was so 'humbled' by the work of doctors and nurses he wanted to give another 10million. READ MORE: Princess Mary is set to visit Australia in just two weeks for her first official trip to her home country in ten years Princess Mary of Denmark has arrived on the island of Vanuatu during the first stop on her trip to the Southern Hemisphere - including her native Australia. The Danish royal touched down on the tiny island in the Pacific region to visit crisis responses areas following the area's recent cyclones and earthquakes. The 51-year-old's visit will focus on the impact that climate change has had in the region. Vanuatu has faced ruin after it experienced two cyclones over a two-day period at the beginning of March and was also hit by two earthquakes. The glamourous royal, accompanied by the Danish Minister of Development, Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jorgensen, wore a white long-sleeve blouse, flowing patterned maxi skirt, sapphire-coloured over-sized earrings and sandals. Danish royal, Princess Mary's visit will focus on the impacts that climate change has had in the Pacific region. Pictured: the Danish royal arriving on the island of Vanuatu She also sported two gold necklaces, one with the initial F on it and another one reminiscent of a coin, and wore her hair loose, with natural makeup. The Princess made her way around the island, speaking to different people, including Hon. Ralph Regenvanu Minister of Climate change of Vanuatu, who explained the effect of sea-level rise on those who live in costal communities. According to reports, she will then travel to Lelepa Island to see the extent of the damage first hand. Hon. Ralph Regenvanu Minister of Climate change of Vanuatu explaining the effect of see level rise on coastal communities lives and livelihoods to her royal highness crown Princess Mary of Denmark. pic.twitter.com/6JPRfeEcWB Yemesrach (@Yemesrach16) April 23, 2023 She smiled as she as she shook the hands of the residents of the island, and was welcomed by the island's chief. Her Royal Highness will then move on to her scheduled visit to Fiji, where she will focus on how the destruction and evacuations in the wake of climate change result in increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence, and how the health care system works to protect women and girls in vulnerable situations. Princess Mary will finish her trip in Sydney, Australia - her home country. Danish Crown Princess Mary and Dan Jorgensen, Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy (seen behind the princess) are welcomed by the island's inhabitants together with the island's chief (L) during their visit to Pele Island in Vanuatu Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is currently in Vanuatu. She met with the Minister of Climate Change, Hon Ralph Regenvanu, and Director General of the Ministry. She is scheduled to visit Lelepa Island to see first hand the extent of the damagehttps://t.co/pF7sT0jkuD pic.twitter.com/w8Bc6GjomU MelanesianWomenToday (@MelanesianWomen) April 23, 2023 This event will be truly special, as it is the first time Princess Mary will travel to Australia in an official capacity in a decade. The Hobart-born royal, 51, will be returning to her home country on April 28 to meet with Danish representatives that are involved in Australia's 'green transition' while also visiting several Danish-led projects related to sustainability. Princess Mary's visit Down Under will be brief, however, as she will be in London for King Charles III's coronation on May 6. The last time the Crown Princess was in Australia was last Christmas when she visited her family in Tasmania, but it was not in an official capacity. She went to her hometown with her husband Crown Prince Frederick and their four children, Christian, 17, Isabella, 15, and twins Vincent and Josephine, 11. E Ji-sung, center, with Lee Eun-koo, left, and Casey Lartigue, the co-founders of Freedom Speakers / Courtesy of Casey Lartigue By Casey Lartigue I learned many things in my six years as a student at Harvard University. However, my education about freedom came before that when, as a pre-teen in Missouri City, Texas, I read all three of Frederick Douglass' autobiographies. Douglass was born a slave in 1818. He escaped to freedom at the age of 20 and later became a leading advocate and activist against slavery. His words about the importance of locomotion, individual dignity and education struck a chord in me way back then. His actions in saving people also had me thinking about the freedom of others. I have been engaged in freedom issues my entire professional life, but I didn't "do" freedom until I encountered North Korean refugees. Meeting people who had escaped from modern slavery made me feel that my work had been little more than toasting freedom at cocktail parties. The first logical thing it seemed was to get involved with rescues. North Koreans needed freedom. I guessed that it would not be a good idea for me, an American who is not Korean, to attempt to rescue North Koreans from China. I would probably be captured quickly. I did realize, however, that I could help those North Korean refugees who had escaped to freedom by helping them adjust to life in South Korea and empowering them to tell their stories. In the past 10 years, about 500 North Korean refugees have studied English, public speaking and career development at Freedom Speakers International (FSI), the NGO that I co-founded with South Korean researcher Lee Eun-koo. Several North Korean refugees who have studied with us have published books, given speeches around the world and gained confidence in themselves as humans. Still, in the back of my mind, I thought about rescuing people from slavery to freedom. Lee and I have gotten involved with some rescues of North Koreans, mainly by assisting their relatives who were trying to rescue them from China. Some colleagues who have known about my work have called me an abolitionist, but that still seems more of a dream than a reality. It has not been part of our main mission. Several years ago, I began hearing about a "Superman" who was rescuing North Koreans. I had met many people involved in North Korean human rights, but Superman seemed to be more of a myth than reality. Was there really one man who was responsible for more than 4,000 North Koreans escaping to freedom? The more North Korean refugees I met, the more often I heard about Superman. Perhaps he really was real. Then I met E Ji-sung. He is a best-selling author in South Korea who wanted to do more than write best-selling books. He wanted to make a difference in this world by supporting organizations and people who were helping North Koreans get to freedom. Meeting E has been a turning point in my life. Instead of thinking about being a modern-day Douglass rescuing people, I remembered something Douglass wrote: "The tools to those who can use them." That is, we can make a difference using our skills. E uses his many skills as a writer, polemicist, activist, abolitionist, intellectual, fundraiser, mentor and liberator. Superman uses his skills to rescue people from dangerous situations. It is appropriate that it is E who is telling Superman's story. The day will come when they will be recognized as liberators of North Koreans. I am thrilled to be starting a partnership and working closely with E. After reading an advanced copy of his book "10,000 KM: Days with North Korea's Schindler," I directed our team at FSI to translate it so I could share his book with people around the world. His publisher praised me and asked me to write a recommendation for the book and gave me the honor of adding my name on the book cover and my photo to the official marketing materials. Next week I will be attending the Harvard Crimson's 150-anniversary celebration with E as my special guest. I have shared the translation of his book with Harvard University students, alumni and staff. This may be the start of us "doing" freedom together for North Korean refugees by rescuing them from China and North Korea, helping them adjust to living in freedom and sharing their stories globally. Casey Lartigue is co-founder and co-president of Freedom Speakers International along with Lee Eun-koo and co-author of "Greenlight to Freedom" with Han Song-mi. This excerpt is from his recommendation in E Ji-sung's book "10,000 KM: Days with North Korea's Schindler." Rishi Sunak has announced that he plans to clamp down on antisocial behaviour, with new powers for the police to move on beggars who cause a 'nuisance on the street'. Those obstructing shop doorways or begging at cash machines will be directed to health and social services. Of course this has been met with accusations of callousness, but I think it is much needed. Not only does this kind of behaviour disproportionately affect older, vulnerable people who are often specifically targeted and made to feel threatened and scared, it's actually part of a much bigger problem where people feel that they should give to beggars. We've all been there. Walking along the street, your arms weighed down with shopping, someone comes up to you and asks you for spare change. Or you're stopped on a train by someone pleading for a few pounds so that they can get in a shelter that evening. Shouldn't we hand over a few quid? What harm could it do? As someone who has worked in a service specifically for homeless people, my answer is: it can do a great deal of harm. When I worked in drug services, I was constantly battling with patients who were begging, as they would invariably spend the cash on drugs. Dr Max Pemberton talks about how to tackle homelessness problem in the UK. Stock image used The well-meaning people who gave them money were unknowingly putting our patients' lives at risk and undermining all the work we were trying to do. My advice is simple please do not give to beggars. It does not help and, indeed, the chances are they will use the money for drugs or alcohol. This will make it harder for doctors like me to get these people into treatment. I know what I am saying is controversial but, believe me, giving money to beggars provides a perverse incentive for people to remain on the street and not seek help to get into accommodation. Unfortunately it just perpetuates the problem. The fact is, people are breathtakingly naive about the realities of homelessness and begging. In London, for example, all hostels and night shelters are free at the point of access, which is something to bear in mind if you're asked to help fund the price of a bed for the night in the capital. People find themselves homeless for a multitude of reasons, and they desperately need help and support to be lifted out of the quagmire they find themselves in. Research shows that 70 to 80 per cent of homeless people in London are taking Class A drugs. But there are excellent services desperately working to help these people, and they are constantly thwarted by the public giving money because it provides a steady income stream to fund drug and alcohol addiction. Lots of people seem to think we're still stuck in the 1980s when, in fact, we've made massive improvements, and those who are genuinely desperate and looking to come off the streets soon get picked up by services. Dr Pemberton thinks that giving beggars money can discourage people from seeking the help they need The sad reality is that, on the majority of occasions I have called homeless services with a concern for someone I've encountered on the street, they are already known to services but refuse to come into a shelter because they'd rather beg for cash for drugs. Giving to beggars doesn't solve problems for the homeless; all it does is make the person doing the giving feel better about themselves. Even offering food to a beggar simply means they don't have to engage with a service providing this, which might give them other, more long-term, help. Of course, no one should ever be rude or disrespectful to anyone they meet on the street. We can be polite and courteous yet, at the same time, firm. If we all stopped giving to beggars tomorrow, the practice would stop and many of them would be forced to engage with addiction and mental health services. I understand why people put their hands in their pockets when asked they feel guilty and want to believe they are making a positive difference to someone else's life. But it is not a benign act. I've been to numerous funerals of homeless drug addicts where sometimes I was the only person in attendance except for the priest. I would stand and think about how that person had been killed by other people's kindness; how, in trying to be one of the good guys, they had, in fact, helped someone to die. They had failed to think about the full consequences of their actions. If you really care about the person standing in front of you with their hands outstretched, look them in the eyes and say 'No, sorry', then lobby your MP to improve services for homeless people and donate to a homeless charity instead. I was interested to read about a new treatment for impotence, a gel called Eroxon, launched last week in Boots. Unlike oral medications such as Viagra, which can take up to an hour to work, Eroxon works in under ten minutes. It may not help everyone, but there seems to me no harm in trying it. Ben's fab marriage MOT idea I think we could all learn a lot about marriage from Marina and Ben Fogle. The couple, who wed in 2006, have regular 'marriage MOTs' to iron out any problems before they become major issues. This is hugely sensible. With more than 113,000 divorces granted in England and Wales in 2021, it's clear our attitude towards marriage isn't working. Few people these days seem to realise the amount of work that has to go into a relationship. And while it's easy to say we all just need to be better at communication, that's not so easy to put into practice. People often think that having relationship counselling is the death knell of a marriage a last-ditch attempt to hold on to a partnership that is destined to end. But this isn't true. Certainly, some people come to it because their relationship is irreparably damaged and they need someone objective to help them see this. But marriage guidance used properly can help address issues before they fester. It's a great way to understand what you both value, expect or are able to contribute. The couple, who wed in 2006, have regular 'marriage MOTs' to iron out any problems before they become major issues Thank goodness that firm favourite of this column, Shirley Ballas, looks set to be a judge again on this year's Strictly. She had hinted that she might never return to the show after cruel online trolls left her at an 'all-time low'. The head judge, 62, was subjected to much criticism last year, as trolls slammed her decisions and accused her of ageism and sexism. The problem with social media is that even if only a tiny percentage of people pile in on you, it can feel as if the whole world is against you, when in fact it's just a few hundred people with nothing better to do with their sad little lives. Luckily, Shirley is made of sterner stuff. DR MAX PRESCRIBES... POST-CANCER EXCERCISE It was launched by Sarah Newman, who discovered the benefit of exercise and healthy living during her own recovery Get Me Back is the UK's first online fitness community hub specifically aimed at women recovering from cancer. It was launched by Sarah Newman, who discovered the benefit of exercise and healthy living during her own recovery. Membership, which costs 40 per month, includes access to live classes, workouts, physiotherapy clinics and nutritional advice (getmeback.uk). Sitting on the end of my daughter Lizzie's bed, we talk about her homework, her friends, her plans for the future. The two of us have always been incredibly close and, even though she's 13, she tells me our chats, before she goes to sleep, are still the best part of her day. I'm lucky, she laughs not many teenagers would speak to their mum the way she does to me. She's right, and I am so grateful for our bond. But in many ways it makes the guilt worse, because I am keeping a secret from the girl who is the centre of my world. The man Lizzie has always called Dad my ex-husband Richard is not her biological father. Lizzie was conceived through IVF, using a sperm donor. Richard didn't want anyone to know he had fertility issues, so we kept the circumstances surrounding her conception a secret. At first, I reasoned that this would only be until Lizzie was old enough to understand, and Richard had time to come to terms with using a donor. But our secret quickly grew entrenched and festered, forcing an unbridgeable chasm in our marriage, and ultimately contributing to our divorce when Lizzie was seven. One UK woman describes the guilt she feels about hiding secret from her child. Stock image used Later, it became the elephant in the bedroom in which I kissed my daughter goodnight, a sting in my conscience, felt even more keenly now as changes to fertility laws are about to kick into action. Egg and sperm donors used to be anonymous but, in April 2005, UK law changed to give donor-conceived children the right to find out who their donors are when they turn 18, after it was decided a culture of openness would benefit donor-conceived children. Last month, the first babies born under this law became old enough to make these life-changing enquiries. Advances in science, meanwhile, mean more families like ours are facing the dilemma of what to tell their children about their conception and when. According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the number of children born from donor sperm more than tripled, from under 900 in 2006, to over 2,800 in 2019, when donor conception accounted for one in 170 births. Conversely, I don't have a legal duty to tell Lizzie she was donor-conceived. But I have a moral obligation to let her know the father she adores is not linked to her by blood and should she become suspicious as to her ancestry as an adult, Richard and I will no longer be the only ones who can break this news to her. The facts of her identity, so innocently carried through childhood, might morph into niggling doubts as she grows up. Why are her eyes brown when mine and Richard's are blue? Where does she get her love of science and square jaw from? Why didn't we have more than one child? Advancements in technology mean that if she did decide to investigate, a simple DNA test ordered online could reveal my secret, while an online application to the HFEA could tell Lizzie her donor's name, date of birth and last known address information Richard and I aren't allowed to access ourselves. Having Lizzie find out about her conception from someone other than myself would break my heart. According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the number of children born from donor sperm more than tripled, from under 900 in 2006, to over 2,800 in 2019, when donor conception accounted for one in 170 births. Stock image used Yet every year that passes, it gets more difficult to break the news that would not only blow her world apart, but incur the fury of my ex-husband, who seems to want to pretend our donor doesn't exist. When I met Richard at a party in 2004, I was in my mid-20s, ambitious in my publishing career and in no rush to have children. Richard, a charismatic and charming architect eight years my senior, made it clear, however, that he longed for the fulfilment he thought fatherhood would bring. So after we married in 2007, I took a laid-back approach to contraception. The pill made me tearful, anyway, and we only used condoms sporadically. If it happens, it happens, I thought, too in love to be overly deterred by the prospect of young motherhood. But it didn't, and one afternoon, around six months after we married, Richard came home with a face like thunder. He'd been to see a doctor who had told him he had low sperm motility. He might not be able to have children. I flung my arms around him, knowing how devastated he would be. It was only with hindsight that I wondered why he sought medical advice so soon, without mentioning he was doing so to me. I now think he knew there was a problem before we wed. Further tests confirmed the initial prognosis, and Richard fell into an angry depression. Our sex life suffered, we started bickering, and when Richard asked if we could have fertility treatment with a sperm donor, I agreed primarily , at that point, because I thought a baby might save our marriage. Richard was so fixated on children, I worried denying him the chance would damage him and us irreparably. His outwardly affable personality hid an inability to discuss his emotions, I began to learn, and although he never said so, I could tell he felt emasculated by his fertility issues. 'Let's keep it to ourselves,' he said, which made sense at first. Why would we want to broadcast something so private? Egg and sperm donors used to be anonymous but, in April 2005, UK law changed to give donor-conceived children the right to find out who their donors are when they turn 18. Stock image used Nonetheless, I struggled when his conservative parents would drop hints as to when they could expect a pregnancy announcement at family lunches. 'Your career must be keeping you busy,' they'd say, to my fury, the implication being that it was somehow all my fault. At a fertility clinic near our home in Manchester in 2008, I chose a donor with blonde hair, like mine, and our fair skin. They had a career in science, our doctor told us, and were donating out of altruism. Richard sat through those initial meetings passively, almost as if he were trying to pretend it wasn't happening. There was no such luxury for me, as I embarked on the physically and emotionally gruelling roller-coaster of fertility treatment. Hormones haywire, I eventually confided in a couple of friends and later my parents but Richard never told anyone. When, after three cycles of fertility treatment two rounds of IUI, in which the donor sperm was directly inserted into my womb and, when that didn't work, IVF I found out I was pregnant, the clinic didn't give us any advice other than to tell us Richard would be the legal father, but our child had the right to find out who their donor was aged 18. I remember signing paperwork to that effect, feeling so removed from reality and bludgeoned by hormones, I barely registered its significance. Of course we'd tell our child about our IVF. Why wouldn't we? The birth was traumatic, and as I lay weak after my C-section, my marriage deteriorated. Whether through fear of his secret being discovered, or disappointment that fatherhood wasn't living up to his expectations, I don't know, but Richard, although possessive over our daughter, would tell me I was a rubbish mother. He'd invite his extended family to fawn over Lizzie as I sobbed in our bedroom. When they cooed over how much like her father she looked, Richard said nothing. Sometimes, I think he convinced himself he was genetically related. In those early years, I felt too fragile from my marital problems and the demands of a new baby to tackle the issue of Lizzie's conception. Now, I realise a simple explanation when she was a toddler could have paved the way for an easier discussion later. When Lizzie was five, and Richard had told me I was worthless one too many times, I moved to a friend's house with her, before renting a property nearby for us both. Richard saw her every other weekend. 'Daddy and I love you, but we're not in love with each other,' I told a tearful Lizzie, whenever she asked why we couldn't get back together. With every year that passed, I saw more of myself in my daughter; my pragmatism, my humour, my people-pleasing tendencies. Yet Lizzie, who has fair skin like Richard, also has his charm and ability to talk herself out of trouble enough physical and emotional attributes, in short, to fool herself and others that they are biologically related. As Lizzie grew up, I set boundaries. Richard spoilt our daughter with late nights and endless presents. I became so angry at the emotional abuse he piled on me and the way he undermined my parenting, that we stopped speaking three years ago. Richard and I now remain in our cars when we drop Lizzie at each other's houses. This makes it hard to discuss anything, let alone our donor. Of course, I'm carrying a secret that could damage Richard as much, if not more, than me, and the angrier I've grown, and the more Lizzie has raved about the latest gift her dad has given her, the more I've been tempted to blurt out, 'He's not your real dad.' Yet every time it's been on the tip of my tongue, I've swallowed my words. Not only is this not true under the eyes of the law Richard is Lizzie's legal father to weaponise her conception would be damaging and vindictive, as my current partner of three years, a civil servant, reminds me. A couple of years ago, when Lizzie had long passed the stage of finding out how babies were made, I emailed Richard to say it was time to think about telling her she was donor-conceived. To my anger although not my surprise he didn't reply. He must know I'm right, but also, that I'll struggle to start the conversation. He's counting on my fear to keep the secret. And I am scared that Lizzie will be angry that I've kept it a secret for so long. I also think she'll be intrigued enough to want to meet her donor, which will devastate Richard, who will inevitably accuse me of heaping shame on his family. But this isn't about him it's about our daughter, and she has a right to know. Sometimes, I wish I'd told her as a tiny girl, when she would have accepted my words, unquestioning. At other times, I'm glad I let her grow up with as conventional a childhood as possible. Regardless, I plan to tell her in the next two years, to give her time for the news to sink in before she reaches 18 and can decide whether to contact her donor. I'm sure there are many parents in the same boat who have, like me, rehearsed how they might break this news countless times. I'll sit on her bed, and try and explain why I left it so long. I'll reassure her that her father and I will always love her, and the nature of her conception has no bearing on that. I hope she'll understand. But I worry she'll never see her childhood in the same way again. Names have been changed Interview by Antonia Hoyle PSYCHOLOGIST CATHERINE HALLISSEY SAYS: This issue of when to tell donor-conceived children their origin frequently comes up in my clinic, and as science has advanced to make this situation more common, so too has our thinking of when a donor-conceived child should learn about their conception. Just as we now know adopted children should be told of their adoption as early as possible, research indicates donor-conceived children find it easier to accept their origin when its a part of your familys daily conversation from day one. Of course, this should be done in an age-appropriate way, and elaborated on as the child grows up. You could tell a toddler, We were so excited to have you we went to a doctor to help us, or, if youre in a same sex relationship you have me, your other mum and someone who helped us to get you. Fertility issues are so sensitive that I can completely understand how some parents struggle to tell their child, but keeping it secret risks feelings of betrayal and upset, and the older they get the trickier it becomes to break the news. Telling teens, Id be straightforward. You could ask if theyve heard of IVF, and say, We actually had IVF to get you, we had so much love to give and pregnancy wasnt happening. We got lucky. If youre separated from the childs other parent, ideally you would both agree on how and when to tell your child. If you cant, Id advise seeking professional support. After youve shared the news, accept your childs feelings, whatever they are. Back in January I drove with my existing pet dog, a rescued Spanish hunting hound called Boof, to Lincolnshire to collect her a sister. Since the death in March last year of my old lurcher, Wolfy, star of my best-selling memoir and the four-legged love of my life, Boof had been a solitary dog. I had heard of a dog of the same breed, a podenco, that needed a home and decided it would be ours. Most of my immediate family, including my parents and my stepmother, told me this was a terrible idea. It's true that my boyfriend and I weren't in an ideal position to adopt a second pet: We live in a flat in London. I was working from home, yes, but full-time, and at four years old, Boof's recall was still a work-in-progress. Could I really cope with training another wilful hound before ours was fully reliable? My gut instinct was no, but my heart saw this little girl who, at two years old, had already been given up once and was in great need of a home. And I thought, how hard can it be? We will make it work. By adopting a second dog, I am doing the right thing, animal behaviour experts such as Dr Roger Mugford think. 'The worst punishment for a dog is boredom, isolation and loss of social skills,' he says. Back in January Kate drove with her existing pet dog, a rescued Spanish hunting hound called Boof, to Lincolnshire to collect her a sister When I interviewed him last autumn about his experience training our late Queen's corgis, we fell into conversation about the problem of solitary pets left at home, now that people had returned to offices post-pandemic. There are 13 million dogs in the UK and very many spend a lot of time alone. 'I'm really concerned about an epidemic of loneliness in all these dogs,' Dr Mugford said. 'If you look at studies done in laboratories, the classic way to damage an animal and make it aggressive is to lock it up alone. That certainly applies to mice and humans, and I know it does to dogs.' Dogs enjoy companionship, he said, and this preyed on my mind for months as I watched the little Podenco Andaluz half the size of Boof, who is a leggy Podenco Ibicenco on a rescue website. I admit I put off adopting her for quite a while because I was concerned at the impact on my life, but then I was told that she may have to be sent back to mainland Europe to find a home and I thought: 'Just get in the bloody car and do it.' There are 13 million dogs in the UK and very many spend a lot of time alone. Kate pictured with her dogs and Dr Roger Mugford The day we picked her up, we drove through a beautiful rainbow, down pretty country lanes, and my heart swelled with excitement and, it must be said, trepidation. I called her Leica and posted cute pictures of her and Boof on my Instagram feed carefully curating an idyllic vision of harmonious two-dog ownership. Here they are curled up asleep in a shaft of sunlight; there romping happily in a meadow; here again, gazing peacefully through a window. What sweet, spotless, happy beasts they must be, you think as you scroll, and how lucky to have each other for a companion. Now here's the unedited, unfiltered version. In the past 24 hours, I've been bitten breaking up a dog fight and got a nasty rope burn from a long training lead getting wrapped round my ankle. I've dropped 80 on dog food (which I suppose beats last month, when I dropped 700 in seven days at the vet). I've picked up seven poos and walked around with a pocket full of cooked lamb's heart. I post cute images on my Instagram an idyllic version of harmonious two-dog ownership thats far from the truth One dog's random bolt for a squirrel took me so unawares that I've managed to strain a muscle on my skull called the occipitofrontalis. I first mistook the pain for an aneurysm, and it did cross my mind, as I considered my imminent death, that at least my boyfriend would have to do the evening walk. That's not to mention the dog toys picked up, the dog food put down, ignored, thrown across the floor. The 16 paws I've washed after two muddy walks. The white sheets I've changed because our flat is open-plan and the dogs use our bed as a towel before I can get to them with a real one. Or the fox crap that needs expert removal from a lovely Penelope Chilvers hound collar I had treated my big girl to. When my glamorous friend Elaine came to visit at the weekend and the little one jumped up, the look of disdain I got was something else. It reminded me that I too found dogs that jump up infuriating and unacceptable. Until, that is, I got a dog that jumps up. Kate Spicer discusses how loneliness can affect dog behaviour in the UK. Pictured with her two poooches 'I'm sorry, we are working on that,' I said, watching her brush down her smart Valentino cape. How hard can it be? There's no way of sugar-coating it. Owning two medium to large dogs when you're not a dog trainer and work full time can be exhausting, dispiriting and very messy. What is often missed in our misty-eyed (Wo)man's Best Friend social media homilies is our darling doggies are intensely hard work. Driving home from Lincolnshire, I knew I'd done the right thing, and yet within weeks of getting Leica home, I also knew I needed help. Together, my dogs were almost out of control. Dog behaviourists say they are overwhelmed by screwed up pooches. Britain is awash with problem dogs, which really means we are awash with owners who can't get a grip on their animals. I am far from the worst. But I am one of them. Dog behaviourists say they are overwhelmed by screwed up pooches. Britain is awash with problem dogs Visiting a close relation in the Cotswolds recently, Leica slithered through a crack in the door and into a neighbouring field, where I had a hell of a problem calling her off a small flock of pet sheep Last year's National Dog Survey, carried out by the Dogs Trust, revealed that 23 per cent of dogs owned in the UK were acquired during the pandemic. In 2022 the Dogs Trust alone received a record 51,804 enquiries from owners who wanted to give their pets up. The most common reasons people gave for ditching their dogs? Firstly 'the dog [is] showing unwanted behaviours' and secondly 'the owner [is] unable to cope with the responsibility of owning a dog'. Which is more or less the same thing. I know how tough it is to deal with challenging dog behaviour. Owning my two involves managing their strong prey drives. They are hunting dogs, bred especially to go for rabbits, birds and deer, but in reality prone to chase anything that moves. Visiting a close relation in the Cotswolds recently, Leica slithered through a crack in the door and into a neighbouring field, where I had a hell of a problem calling her off a small flock of pet sheep. She shot up the drive at approximately 25 miles an hour and into the paddock with the sheep, her screaming banshee bark indicating she had found something to hunt and kill. I ran towards her, my exhausted panting peppered with 'Oh God, oh God, oh f***'. I cannot run at 25 miles an hour, so my voice was my only tool. I called and called, and then, in desperation, I used a whistle we had been training her with but I had yet to test outside. When I saw her turn towards me I was so relieved. Now, all I needed was to get her to me. I crouched down and called gentle firm commands to return. She slowed down, trotting back to me. Please God, make her come back. Please God. Then her head snapped right to spot a sheep that had broken away from the rest and she went after it in full chase mode, cornering it by a fence. Barking. I called her, moved towards her and, eventually, in a mixture of me pouncing on her and her actually turning, rather cheerily, to come back to me, got her back. Once she was safely back indoors, I sculled a whopping glass of wine to brave my hostess's silent fury. This was serious and I knew I couldn't let it happen again. I rang Dr Mugford, who told me he could help me instil in Leica a fear of, and even lack of interest in, sheep under a controlled environment. Immediately, I signed up. We went for our first session last week. He put her in a Halti, a sort of dog bridle he invented in the 1980s, which goes over the dog's nose to stop them pulling, giving the owner some ability to steer the dog. Then he attached various other leads to her already fairly elaborate harness we use for dog walking. These leads would be used to pull her back when she started to chase his tame 'attack sheep', as he called them. When, inevitably, she went for them, he also squirted compressed air from an aerosol not at her but near her. Several times we let her walk freely, and then, when she went after them, I called her back and pulled on the big, long lead. After about six of these exposures to sheep on her long lead, she was able to sit next to me and watch the sheep without much reaction. I wouldn't call it a cure because I don't yet know if it was. Kate opens up about the struggles of owning her two dogs. They are hunting dogs, bred especially to go for rabbits, birds and deer, but in reality prone to chase anything that moves The writer says we have a huge responsibility to our dogs: to walk them, stimulate them, play with them and provide them with a safe, quiet place to rest Though it was not enjoyable seeing her trussed up like a turkey, it would be a considerably greater trauma if a farmer shot her. It is not up to anyone except the owners to train dogs properly. We have a huge responsibility to our dogs: to walk them, stimulate them, play with them and provide them with a safe, quiet place to rest. They need owners to have a modicum of understanding of their psychology so they don't turn into canine candidates for the lunatic asylum. I know I am not the perfect dog owner but, my God, at least I try. And yet nothing could prepare me for how controversial my little sheep-training session would prove to be. A few hours after I posted about it on social media, a hullabaloo went up. Dr Mugford has sold ten million Halti headcollars over the years, but other dog behaviourists do not approve among them experts that subscribe to the considerable science behind 'positive reinforcement' techniques. Including two of whom I had consulted about dog behaviour before. One, dog trainer Winkie Spiers, was fiercely against the collar. We spoke and she said: 'These quick fixes are cruel and do not work.' Another, Janine Davenport, a canine behaviour specialist, replied in a more ambivalent way about the Halti. That it could have its place short-term, but that the squirted air technique for stopping her chasing sheep was cruel and could cause long-term problems. The woman I adopted Boof from sent me a scorchingly sarcastic and judgmental message describing the Halti as an instrument of 'torture'. Kate says that owning a dog is a bit like raising children. She says 'there are some very strong camps within the dog behaviour world' There were other comments, but I didn't bother reading them. I just took the post down. Owning a dog is a bit like raising children. There are some very strong camps within the dog behaviour world. At one end you have the 'Tiger Mums' who promote prong collars, choke chains and electric collars (still legal in England but banned in Wales). At the other there are the 'Love Bombers', who say you should only ever use positive reinforcement to train a dog. One told me that short leads and dog-name tags are cruel, the latter because of the tinkling noise they make. All commands, I was told, should be more or less whispered. In the meantime, what about the sheep, what about ground-nesting birds, what about all the creatures other than dogs that share our cities and countryside? What about my neighbour's cat? Attacks on sheep and other livestock have risen exponentially in recent years owing to an increase in pups bought by inexperienced owners who cannot control their dogs. Dog attacks on livestock cost 1.8 million in 2022, up from 1.3 million, according to insurers NFU Mutual Even writing this, Kate admits, she is paranoid at the 'endless tutting and huffing such an admission will provoke' Dog attacks on livestock cost 1.8 million in 2022, up from 1.3 million, according to insurers NFU Mutual. And so I persevere. I really try to do the right thing and live up to the standards my dogs deserve of me. I own ten dog-training text books and I have actually read some of them. I don't always get it right. This morning I did something really naughty. When I went for a walk I thought, just ten minutes, ten minutes to do a few sit-ups and exercises on the jungle gym, just for me. So I let the big one potter about in the bushes killing mice and tied the little one up beside me. Even writing this, I am paranoid at the endless tutting and huffing such an admission will provoke. I watched as Boof chased about with a red setter, and went to chat with a few terriers. I can smell other dog walkers' disapproval now. Two worried-looking women were bent over fretting. Uh oh. As they stopped to try and catch Boof, I called her to me. She saw me but didn't come, so I went running towards them. 'It's OK. She's mine,' I shouted. One smiled; the other looked at me, absolute daggers. My dad is from the old school, where you train your dog to within an inch of its life. Unsurprisingly, he has problems with my two girls. The disapproving silence that builds when he and I walk Boof together and she doesn't come back when I call can be deafening. His perfectly-trained spaniel trots happily beside him and returns instantly to his whistle. I daren't introduce him to the new one until she's a bit more 'reliable'. After tough days, and some days are pretty testing, I say I am going to send them to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, just to register how much I actually could never do that, even as I hose down their muddy tummies after another loony walk. Still, we muddle through. A couple of weeks ago, on a Saturday morning as I was crouched at dog-eye height, tossing balls, whooping approval and fishing for chicken liver in my pockets, a professional dog walker came over to me and said: 'Well done.' 'What for?' I asked, falling back on my bum in the mud. 'At least you're trying,' he said. 'Most of the dogs I walk now have no recall at all. I have owners who never walk their own dogs.' I brushed myself down and got back to my feet. Even if I felt like it, I was not the worst dog owner in the world. We all need an encouraging word occasionally, especially when we are flat on our behinds in the mud. Families share their horrific stories about what medics said behind their backs They are meant to provide us with privacy and comfort when we are at our most vulnerable ill or injured, and often alone, in hospital. But the thin, dreary curtains supposed to shelter patients from their surroundings don't always shield them from cruel barbs or insensitive comments from medics as some patients have heartbreakingly learnt. Sharing their horrifying stories in brutal detail, one MailOnline reader told how their father received a cancer diagnosis after overhearing loud-mouthed nurses refer to him as 'the one with leukaemia'. Another tale revealed how parents were forced to endure staff laughter as they said their final goodbye to their dying child. Some heartless comments were so devastating that one family said their loved one had almost lost the will to live. A family was forced to say goodbye to five-year-old son, Muhammad Ayaan Haroon, as medical staff in the same room at Sheffield Children's Hospital laughed in the background The father said only a thin curtain stood between the laughing doctors and nurses, who had previously treated Ayaan as they watched him take his final breath Muhammad Ayaan Haroon: Staff laughed as my son died Muhammad Ayaan Haroon's grieving parents detailed how hospital staff laughed while their little boy's life support was switched off. Only a thin curtain stood between them and the laughing medics as they watched their son take his final breath. Ayaan had been admitted to Sheffield Children's Hospital on March 5 with trouble breathing. He had a history of respiratory illnesses and a rare genetic condition called Hace 1, which caused developmental delays. He died on March 13. His father Haroon Rashid, a taxi driver and father-of-four, said: 'When the machine was switched off at 2.30am we had a lot of family members there. 'There was laughter coming from staff members. We were so upset. 'There was no one else on the ward apart from staff and one other small child behind the curtain from us.' Mr Rashid, 41, added: 'Surely the staff knew Ayaan's machine was about to be turned off. They continued laughing after my relative asked them to stop. 'A child's life was coming to an end.' Officials at Sheffield Children's Hospital pledged a 'thorough' investigation into the family's claims. Robert Arthur Venson: 'The one with leukaemia Being told 'you have cancer' is one of the most frightening things a person can ever hear. Hearing it spawns a thousand other questions. How far has it spread? Can it be treated? Am I going to die? Such a conversation should always happen in private, with a doctor ready to guide their patient through the questions, offering them both honest and compassionate answers. But for Robert Venson, 75, who was a senior representative for British Telecom, this wasn't the case. Robert Arthur Venson, from Portsmouth, died from leukaemia when he was 75 in 1997 Gail Hugman, 70, from Essex, revealed the very sad account of how her father, Mr Venson, was first told of his diagnosis Reflecting on her father's death in 1997, Gail Hugman, from Essex, revealed the shocking reality of how he found out his diagnosis. The now 70-year-old said: He was waiting to find out what was wrong with him. 'And while he was waiting in bed to hear his diagnosis. He overheard the nurses talking and one said "oh he is the one with leukaemia".' 'Thats how he found out he had acute myeloid leukaemia. 'He got his diagnosis officially from the doctor later on who said he would be dead in three months if they didnt do something. She added that when Mr Venson, of Portsmouth, heard the nurses, he went as 'white as a ghost'. Laura Higginson: 'She is obviously a coke head' Before her death in 2017, Laura Higginson, from Cambridge, spent five years in and out of hospital. She had a condition called Gitelman's syndrome, a kidney function disorder which causes an imbalance of minerals in the body and causes fatigue, muscle weakness and heart palpitations. It meant she needed highly personalised care. Fighting a rare disease is hard enough, but it can be made even more difficult when NHS staff blame your symptoms on being an alleged drug addict. Her family allege she was torn down brick by brick by gossiping nurses and doctors who, they claim, passed horrific judgement on the trainee solicitor as she lay inches away fighting for her life. Laura, a trainee solicitor, had been diagnosed with Gitelman's syndrome in 2012 Her husband Dr Antony Higginson, an expert in computer science, claimed doctors accused his then 25-year-old wife of being a 'coke head' and 'making up' her symptoms. The ex-soldier, from Widnes, told MailOnline: The consultant said "she is making it up, give her some painkillers and get her out of here as soon as we can. Laura heard him dismiss her. 'Another time we were in A&E and one doctor closed the curtain and turned around and said she is obviously a coke head. 'When he came back to us he asked her if she takes any drugs or if she starves herself. And she went I just heard you say that you think I am a coke head". 'She was looking to me like "what is the point in me coming to hospital when everyone thinks I am starving myself and that I am a druggie and that I am making it up". 'It tore her apart brick by brick.' Laura died aged 30 in 2017 from sepsis and multiple organ failure. Margaret Thomson: 'Do Not Resuscitate' Margaret Thomson was just inches away from doctors while they allegedly debated whether they would try to save her if she needed CPR. The 81-year-old, originally from Scotland, was in hospital following a stroke. 'Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' (DNACPR) is a phrase doctors use when they decide not to give a patient CPR when their heart stops. Emma's grandmother Margaret Thomson died aged 81 after she struggled to recover from a stroke in 2019 When deciding if a patient should have a DNACPR notice, they or their family should be involved in the decision. But according to the NHS the decision that can be made by your doctor even if you do not agree. A DNACPR notice is usually given when a doctor feels that resuscitation is unlikely to be successful or may even cause a severe decline in the patient's quality of life. Usually patients who have this notice are receiving end of life care. Margaret's granddaughter Emma Thomson, 33, from Essex, said: 'I feel like with old people they dont really care. They dont get the care that they should do. 'It's almost like they think they are nearly dead soon so they dont really bother. 'That is the experience Ive had with my grandparents for the last four years. 'When my nan was in hospital they would talk about things such as DNR behind the curtain and she would hear the things like that.' Emma also has her own experiences of care in the NHS having worked in admin in a hospital in 2020. Reflecting on her own experiences in the health service she revealed one incident of how a physiotherapist treated a patient appallingly. She said: There was a guy who had a severe brain injury and he was in rehab. He would make really loud noises all day long. 'The physiotherapist was walking past saying shut up, shut up, shut up. 'This member of staff was like this quite often and I had to complain about him. 'It was on the ward and I was walking past so all the patients would have heard him too. Gonorrhoea really can be spread by kissing, leading scientists now claim. For decades, sexual health experts have insisted 'the clap' couldn't spread through snogging, and is instead transmitted through unprotected sex. But researchers say the evidence is now clear enough that the guidance should be changed. Professor Eric Chow, of the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, told MailOnline: 'We think it is possible to catch gonorrhoea via kissing. 'I think the guidelines should be updated.' Gonorrhoea can be spread by kissing, scientists say, as they call for guidance to be changed In January, his team of researchers conducted a review of six studies that looked at whether tongue kissing was a risk factor for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. The review, published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, ruled snogging did raise the risk of becoming infected. However, this was not the case for chlamydia. Meanwhile, a study published in July, by many of the same researchers, determined that kissing could spread gonorrhoea. It analysed the sexual history and STI records of more than 2,000 gay and bisexual men. 'We found oropharyngeal gonorrhoea was associated with exposure to a partner's mouth through kissing,' the study authors wrote in eClinicalMedicine. WHAT IS GONORRHOEA? Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus. This bacteria is usually found in discharge from the penis or vaginal fluid. It is passed through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex, as well as sharing vibrators or sex toys that have been used without a condom. The bacteria can infect the cervix, urethra, rectum, throat or eyes. It can also spread from pregnant women to their unborn babies. As the bacteria cannot survive outside the body for long, gonorrhoea is not spread by kissing, hugging, sharing towels, toilet seats or swimming. Around one in 10 men and half of women experience no symptoms. However, these can include: Thick green or yellow discharge from the genitals Pain when urinating Bleeding between periods in women Treatment is usually a single antibiotic injection and tablet. Gonorrhoea can be prevented by using condoms during sex and not sharing sex toys. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement And in 2019, the same team found gay men were more likely to have gonorrhoea in their throat than their penis and the risk of spreading it was greater for kissing than for oral sex. 'A number of pieces of evidence suggest transmission from the oropharynx [back of the throat] may be more common than previously thought,' Professor Chow and his colleagues wrote in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. '[The bacteria] can be cultured from saliva, suggesting that the exchange of saliva between individuals may potentially transmit gonorrhoea.' It means that, they claim, using saliva as a lubricant during sex could also pose a risk. A spokesperson for the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV told MailOnline: 'New research into the transmission of STIs is important for our understanding of how they spread and, in this instance, how the transmission risk of gonorrhoea may be reduced. 'Gonorrhoea is primarily passed through unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sex. 'Whilst there may be cases where it has passed from mouth to mouth through kissing, this is probably very uncommon. 'This research highlights the importance for individuals to get tested regularly, especially after condomless sex with a new or casual partner. 'It remains essential for everyone to have access to high quality sexual health services to help keep you and your sexual partners safe.' The NHS states gonorrhoea can't be spread through mouth-to-mouth contact. Meanwhile, US CDC advice states there isn't enough evidence to prove it's spread by kissing. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned in March that cases of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) have soared to a record high. Provisional UKHSA data indicated 56,327 cases were logged between January and September 2022, up 21 per cent on the 46,541 recorded in the same period in 2019, which was the previous high. Health bosses said the spike is largely being driven by those aged 15 to 24 'due to more frequent changes in sexual partners'. Gonorrhoea is usually easily treated with a single antibiotic injection. But experts fear the bacteria, like others, is slowly morphing to become resistant to the drugs. Several strains of 'super-gonorrhoea' have already been detected across the world, including in the UK and US. Women who freeze their eggs over the age of 40 are highly unlikely to end up with a baby, a study suggests. Hollywood actress Sienna Miller revealed last year that she had frozen her eggs aged 40 to avoid the 'existential threat' of her ticking biological clock. But a new study suggests the odds of success are tiny for women who freeze their eggs in their forties, despite women in Britain undertaking the fashionable procedure up until the age of 49. A research team led by Imperial College London looked at all 373 women who froze their eggs over a decade at one of the largest private clinics in London, the Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH). Around one in 10 women returned to thaw their eggs and attempted to have a baby through IVF. Hollywood actress Sienna Miller revealed last year that she had frozen her eggs aged 40 to avoid the 'existential threat' of her ticking biological clock The graph, from the London Egg Bank and not affiliated with the new study, shows the number of IVF live births per embryo transfer by age group. It shows that success rates plummet after the age of 40 among those using their own eggs, and fall more gradually among those using donor eggs A new study by a research team led by Imperial College London, suggests the odds of success are tiny for women who freeze their eggs in their forties. This is despite women in Britain undertaking the fashionable procedure up until the age of 49 Among those who were in either their early or late thirties when they froze their eggs, around a third were able to have a baby using the eggs. But zero per cent of women who were aged 40 or older at the time of egg-freezing ended up with a baby when those who froze their eggs between 2008 and 2018 were followed up. Although two women fell pregnant in this period after freezing their eggs over the age of 40, they suffered miscarriages, which are far more common in older women. The study from the London clinic is relatively small because, despite the popularity of egg freezing, few women go back to use their eggs - for reasons such as becoming pregnant naturally or not meeting the right person to start a family. But the new results echo similar research from two UK clinics, published in 2019, which looked at 129 women who froze their eggs over a decade and sought to use them to start a family. Read more: How Covid pandemic led to a boom in young women who freeze their eggs by increasing concerns over ticking body-clock Advertisement This previous study showed just seven per cent of women aged 40 to 42 when they froze their eggs ended up with a baby or ongoing pregnancy. The new study concludes that women who freeze their eggs over the age of 40 are 'unlikely' to succeed when they try to have a baby. Dr Lorraine Kasaven, first author of the study from Imperial College London, said: 'It is important to counsel women aged 40 or above having egg freezing of the realistic expectation of poor outcomes, such as low live birth rates, as this study shows. 'Although this was a small study, from a single centre, only up until 2018, it is important to understand that when women return to use their eggs, this does not guarantee they will have a baby.' If women freeze their eggs when they are younger, the eggs are typically better quality, so are more likely to lead to a pregnancy when women use them for IVF later in life. Egg-freezing is therefore increasingly popular among single women, or those deferring motherhood to focus on their career, despite the eye-watering average cost of 8,000 for freezing and thawing eggs. Miss Miller, who has a 10-year-old daughter, Marlowe with her ex-partner, actor Tom Sturridge, told Elle magazine last year: '[I felt] pressure [about] kids, and should I have more, and why haven't I, and all of that, which is a really loud noise.' After freezing her eggs, she said the 'existential threat has dissipated'. However eggs frozen when women are over 40 tend to be poorer quality. The new study, published in the journal Archives of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, found 9.7 per cent of women at the CRGH clinic in London returned to use the eggs they had frozen - just over three-and-a-half years after freezing them, on average. In the decade between 2008 and 2018, the clinic saw a total of 36 women return to use their eggs. However all 11 IVF cycles attempted by women over 40 were unsuccessful. That compared to a 37.5 per cent success rate for women aged 36 to 39, who had 10 babies from 24 attempts, and a 33 per cent success rate for women 35 and under, who produced two babies from six attempts. Dr Jara Ben Nagi, senior author and a consultant gynaecologist and specialist in reproductive medicine at CRGH, said: 'Egg-freezing is most likely to help women have babies if they do it before the age of 36 as, after that, the chances of having a baby are significantly reduced and the risk of having a miscarriage is also higher.' The most common age at which women freeze their eggs is currently 38. We're often told that a near-death experience is a life-changing event that transforms sufferers' outlook. But new research has found that contrary to popular belief, patients who return from the brink of death remain exactly the same a year later. In what is believed to be one of the first studies of its kind, experts monitored 19 people after they had a near-death experience in an intensive care unit (ICU). They then followed up with them 12 months later. A study published in the journal Critical Care found that 15 per cent of surveyed patients had a near-death experience The researchers - who published their findings in the journal Critical Care - originally looked at 126 patients who had been in the five ICUs at the University of Liege in Belgium for more than a week. The patients were admitted to the ICU for a variety of reasons, including respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, kidney, neurological, and metabolic illnesses. The majority of participants surveyed were admitted for surgical reasons. They found that 15 per cent - 19 people - had a near-death experience. These patients were then studied further. READ MORE Is there life after death? People who have been brought back to life reveal their incredible tales from the other side Lynn Mildner (pictured), 69, has a vivid memory of a 'beautiful white light' and talking with her family members who had passed away Advertisement They were interviewed three to seven days after discharge from the hospital and asked about dissociative experiences, such as forgetting who they were or feeling disconnected from themselves. They were also asked about spiritual, religious, and personal beliefs. At the time patients were initially interviewed, those who had a near-death experience experienced a greater propensity for dissociative symptoms. These included feeling disconnected from oneself, feeling little to no pain, and feeling uncertain about who you are - and increased spiritual and personal well-being. Researchers contacted them again one year later to measure their quality of life. After that period, there was no significant association with quality of life, despite the fact that NDEs (near-death experiences) 'are typically reported as transforming and may be associated with negative emotions,' the researchers wrote. Dr Bruce Greyson, who developed the NDE scale the researchers used in the study, has found that 10 to 20 per cent of people whose hearts have stopped experience an NDE. This is five per cent of the overall population. Greyson has defined NDEs as 'intensely vivid and often life-transforming experiences, often occurring under extreme physiological conditions such as life-threatening trauma, cardiac arrest, or deep anesthesia.' The results in Critical Care differ from previous research done within the last year. A 2022 study conducted by Greyson found that participants had significant differences in quality of life, even 20 years after the initial events. The researchers for the Critical Care findings wrote that more research is still needed to confirm these findings. When the sex and drugs scandal broke, my view was that so much damage had been done the CBI would struggle to survive. Following the latest accusations, high-profile defections and suspended memberships, it looks more than ever like a rickety structure ready to be blown down by the next gust of wind. Large companies of the type that join the CBI act as a pack. Initially reluctant to stick their necks out, it only needed one big player to pull out for the rest to follow. It doesn't feel coincidental that Aviva led the exodus. The FTSE 100 company is run by Amanda Blanc, one of only a handful of women at the top of blue-chip firms. Why would any female chief executive spend tens of thousands of pounds of her shareholders' money on subscriptions to a lobby group where toxic male behaviour appears to flourish? Sign of the times: The CBI looks more than ever like a rickety structure ready to be blown down by the next gust of wind Only a couple of days earlier, Aviva's chairman warned he would not tolerate sexist comments at the annual meeting next month, following misogynistic remarks from shareholders, last time directed at Blanc. Like many other asset managers, the firm is keen on ESG environmental, social and governance investment strategies. The 'S' includes an insistence that the companies it backs embrace diversity and gender equality. Companies also have an eye to their women customers. Unilever's boast that 'female empowerment' is 'at the heart of everything we do' with its best-selling Dove brand is plainly at odds with the culture at the CBI and it has suspended membership. It is hard to see how the CBI can hope to re-invent itself following this tsunami of revolting allegations. Staff will head for the door. No doubt the phone lines to headhunters have already been ringing off the hook. However desperately unfair to the many decent people working there, having the CBI on your CV is no longer an adornment. Even if it does somehow manage to limp on, it would be very difficult for it to recruit women into the sort of environment depicted. The CBI is supposed to be a dignified, statesman-like operation not a hotbed of stalking, sexual aggression and drug taking. US news sites have been publishing earnest articles about what it all says about British business culture. The impression created is not the image of UK commerce anyone would want to project at home or abroad. The move to suspend all its activities until an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in June, when it plans to put forward proposals for a 'refocused CBI', looks like too little, too late. Police investigations into alleged rapes and other offences could still be under way. And there may be more allegations yet to emerge. While these uncertainties remain, members may be reluctant to re-engage. The suggestion by Simon Walker, a former director general of the Institute of Directors (IOD), to merge five leading business bodies including the CBI into one group, is a sensible one. As he points out, there is a precedent: in 2017 lobby group UK Finance was created from six trade associations and has proved quite effective. Business does need a lobby group to represent it on tax, trade, employee relations and the economy, particularly at a time like this when we are heading into an election and striving for post-Brexit growth. The CBI, however, is not fit for purpose and stands little chance of becoming so. President Brian McBride wants members at the EGM to decide on its 'future role and purpose.' The more pertinent question he should ask is this: does the CBI deserve a future? Marshall Group, the firm behind the amplifiers used by stars such as the late Jeff Beck, is more likely to double down on Britain than move away from it, its new boss has said. It was formed last month after the British family-owned business was sold to Swedish maker of Bluetooth speakers Zound Industries in a deal valuing the combined group at 325m. Under the agreement, all Marshall brands were acquired by Zound for an undisclosed amount, made up of cash and shares. Quality: Marshall Group is the firm behind the amplifiers used by stars such as the late Jeff Beck (pictured) Jeremy de Maillard, who will be heading up the enlarged business, told the Daily Mail that he was 'fully committed to the footprint in the UK' despite the company being based in Stockholm. 'We will preserve and probably enhance that presence in the UK even more because it is so important to who we are as a brand,' he said. Marshall employs 200 people in the UK, with many working at its Bletchley factory. The firm was founded by 'The Father of Loud' Jim Marshall in 1962. His children Terry and Victoria, who have been running the firm since he died in 2012, will own 24 per cent of the new group. Surrounded by the pomp and majesty befitting of his status as a king, he was crowned before of a crowd of thousands. But the setting was not the ancient splendour of Westminster Abbey. Rather, fealty was sworn in the village of Yetholm, just north of the Scottish border. And the monarch in question was a very different King Charles - the ruler of Scotland's gypsies. The year was 1898, and the 70-year-old Charles Faa Blythe Rutherford had returned to his home 15 years after the death of his mother, Queen Esther, to re-stablish the gypsy monarchy after it fell away. Gypsies had lived in Yetholm, close to the separate kingdom of England, in relative safety for centuries, governed by an absolutist system of monarchy. Charles Faa Blythe, is pictured here at his coronation in 1898, when he was 73 years old. He died in 1902 and is buried in Yetholm Crowds gathered in Yetholm on the day of Charles II's coronation in May 1898 Wearing a tin crown, Charles II was proclaimed king of Scotland's gypsies by Yetholm's 'Archbishop', who was also the village blacksmith. After a whisky bottle was smashed over his head, a dead hare was bound around the neck of the king, who lived at Yetholm's gypsy 'Palace'. The family tree of Yetholm's monarchy 1746-84: King William I 1784-1847: King William II 1847-1861: King Charles I 1861-83: Queen Esther 1898-1902: King Charles II Advertisement This modest building still stands today, and is now a private home and guesthouse. The story of Yetholm's gypsies has recently been explored by academic Calum Cunningham, a PhD candidate at the University of Sterling. The term gypsy itself is derives from Egypt and stems from the belief that Romany people could trace their ancestry back there. Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Cunningham said: 'They were a very traditional, ancient, system of monarchy and hierarchy. 'That is why when the commune [in Yetholm] was established, they re-established this monarchy as a way of control and of judgement. 'It was almost like an absolutist monarchy. 'The Faa monarch had the absolute say on disputes in Yetholm. It was up to the King or Queen to settle them. 'Strangely as absolutist systems of monarchy fell away in Europe, they remained in Yetholm. The monarch continued to have total authority.' The elderly Charles II's reign was short-lived, and after his death in 1902, no successor was found. That was more than a century ago, but Yetholm's modern residents - the village is split into Kirk Yetholm and Town Yetholm - still delight in its connection to gypsy heritage. The gypsy system of hierarchy stretched back to the early 16th century, when King James V of Scotland granted Charles's ancestor John Faa and his son the authority to govern their 'subjects'. King Charles is seen with his wife outside his 'palace' in Yetholm in the late 1890s. He died in 1902 Charles is seen with some of his subjects on the day of his coronation wearing a crown made from tin Charles is seen in his palace in Yetholm in 1900, two years before he died. He spent just just four years as king. Right: Charles's mother Queen Esther Faa Blythe Another image showing the coronation of Yetholm's King Charles II in May 1898 However, under James VI, gypsies were persecuted under laws that allowed them to be killed if found anywhere in Scotland after 1609. Yetholm's proximity to the border - beyond which English law reigned supreme - meant it was a popular destination for those looking for somewhere from which they could quickly flee if needed. By the 18th-century, the first recognised leader of Scotland's gypsies had emerged, although Patrick Faa never claimed to be a king. With stories of their criminality spreading far and wide, the Faas were feared across the border regions. But their lawlessness eventually caught up with them, and Patrick, his wife Jean and his elderly mother Janet were arrested. After having his ears cut off, the de-facto king was banished and never heard from again. Jean, who then ruled as queen in her husband's absence, was then exiled to England amid unhappiness with her reign. In 1745, the Jacobite Bonnie Prince Charlie - the grandson of England's deposed King James II (James VII in Scotland) - had fought to claim the English crown, but was decisively defeated at the Battle of Culloden. Jean, now in Carlisle, made the mistake of expressing her Jacobite views publicly, and was gruesomely killed by being 'ducked' (drowned) to death. Her replacement as gypsy monarch was King William I, who had at least 24 children by three wives. On his death at the age of 80 in 1784, he was so well-liked that hundreds gathered from both sides of the border to honour him. His wake lasted for three days and nights. A challenge to the authority of the king's successor, William II, saw a bloody civil war break out - but the Faas emerged victorious. William was a gang member and smuggler. But his criminal exploits did nothing to harm his longevity, and he died aged 92 in 1847. Because he had no children and was not married, the crown then passed to his sister Esther's husband, King Charles I, who could count legendary Scottish novelist Walter Scott among his friends. The Daily Mail was one of the many newspapers that covered King Charles II's coronation The Mail's coverage of King Charles's modest kingdom, complete with line drawings On his death aged 86 in 1861, the king could also claim the distinction of having being written about by Charles Dickens, who recounted a friend's visit to Yetholm in a periodical titled 'At the Court of the King of the Gypsies'. When Charles's eldest son David refused to reign as his successor, his daughters Esther and Ellen ended up in a bitter dispute over who should replace their father. Following a public catfight which saw Ellen get 'so weel and fairly lickit', Esther became the new queen. Esther established a new palace - a cottage across the road from her father's - and it was there that she received regular visits from members of the Victorian gentry. But sightseeing interest had dwindled by around 1867 and many of Esther's gypsy subjects moved away. Her death in 1883 was reported around Britain and in America and her funeral procession is believed to have numbered in the thousands. Whilst it seemed like the Faa dynasty ended with Esther's death, Charles then reluctantly took up the crown after spending years travelling. Mr Cunningham says it is unclear why he opted to take up his birth right, but the local economy received a boost from the enormous interest that his coronation attracted. The Daily Mail was one of the many newspapers that covered the event. It reported: 'With much pomp and ceremony, and in the presence of a vast concourse of spectators, a gipsy king was crowned yesterday on Kirk Yetholm Green.' The modest 'palace' building still stands today and is now a private home and guesthouse It added: 'Prince Charlie, as he is familiarly termed, is a fine specimen of manhood, 'It is years since he gave up the roving habits of his tribe and devoted himself to the more prosaic occupation of keeping a lodging-house in the village of Kirk Yetholm, but his admirers proudly proclaim that he is descended from the Royal gipsy houses of Faa, Blythe and Rutherford.' Charles died peacefully in his palace after just four years as monarch, and Scotland's gypsy royal dynasty was lost again - although several people have laid claim to the title. Mr Cunningham said: 'It is a fascinating aspect of Scottish history.' 'Most people would only think of England's King Charles II, not this guy. There were two Scottish Charleses from that perspective. I think it is unique. 'There were no other Scottish monarchies other than the Stuart monarchy and the British monarchy. It is almost bizarre.' President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands at the Japanese Prime Minister's office in Tokyo, March 16. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon By Baek Byung-yeul The government will put Japan back on its official export whitelist from today, which will enable the neighboring country to benefit from simplified export procedures, the trade ministry said, Friday. The move comes more than three years and seven months after Japan was removed from the whitelist in response its unilateral imposition of export restrictions on Korea in August 2019. "With the reinstatement of Japan to the whitelist of strategic goods export destinations, it is expected that procedural convenience will be enhanced by shortening the permit review period for Korean companies to export strategic goods to Japan from 15 days to 5 days and simplifying the number of documents to be submitted from 5 to 3," the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. In 2019, Japan imposed curbs on the exports of three core materials to Korea used in the production of semiconductors and displays in an apparent retaliation against Seoul's top court ruling in October 2018, which ordered Nippon Steel to compensate wartime forced labor victims during World War II. However, the frosty relations between Korea and Japan took a sharp turn for the better in March when President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a summit and agreed to mend ties. Ahead of the whitelist reinstatement of the country, Korea also dropped its World Trade Organization (WTO) complaint against Japan's export curbs in March. While Korea has been speedy in including Japan on its whitelist once again, the reverse case of Japan putting Korea back on its own whitelist is taking longer. The trade ministry explained the apparent delay a systematic difference between the two countries. While Korea can finalize the process with an import and export notification, Japan requires the cabinet to pass the ordinance and the procedure is expected to take around two months. "We have been holding several export control policy dialogues to discuss Japan's decision to re-include Korea on its whitelist," an official from the trade ministry said, adding, "We are hoping for progress and a decision to be made soon." The trade ministry held the 10th export management policy dialogue with Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry via a video conference on April 10, 12 and 13. From April 18 to 20, the two sides held face-to-face negotiations in Korea. In recent meetings, the trade ministry said it explained to its Japanese counterparts the operation of its export control system. The explanation included the procedures for determining strategic items, the examination and approval process for major strategic items and products that require government approval due to their potential of being used as weapons. The Japanese side also explained its measures and the effectiveness of monitoring diverted exports to countries of concern, the ministry added. With the previously stalled government-to-government dialogue now in place, the two sides are continuing to work to restore the trade situation to where it was before 2019. The trade ministry said it will hold additional meetings in Japan on Monday and Tuesday. The Metropolitan Police is paying the full salary costs of 145 officers who have been suspended on suspicion of crimes including rape, fatal shootings and paedophilia. They are made up of 105 PC's and 40 other officers of a higher undisclosed rank - giving the total combined salary cost to the Met of at least 3.4million over the last six years. In the wake of the scandals involving officers like Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick, the UK's largest police force has been keen to show it is looking inwards at its faults. Matters have not been helped this year by Baroness Casey's review into the force's culture, described in her report as institutionally racist and corrupt as well as misogynistic and homophobic - suggesting it cannot be trusted to police itself. And, the sheer scale and depravity of some of the 145 allegations against serving officers within its ranks suggests the Met still has its work cut out. Serial rapist cop David Carrick is serving a life sentence for numerous rapes committed while he was in the police Former police officer Wayne Couzens was given a whole life sentence for the murder of Sarah Everard In data obtained through a Freedom of Information request into the Met's disciplinary backlog, MailOnline found that 29 current officers had been accused of rape. In one of these cases the complainant was a female colleague at the Met. One serving PC has been accused of rape of male under 16, possession of Class A Drug, sexual activity with a child, common assault, child abduction and drug facilitated rape. Met Police's shameful rap sheet The Met Police has suspended 145 officers on full pay. They are made up of 105 PC's and 40 officers of a higher rank. The Met refused to disclose the rank of these officers as in some cases it could lead to their identification. The most serious allegations made against the officers can be broken down as: 29 officers have been accused of rape 27 officers have been accused of sexual assault 11 officers have been accused of sexual offences with children or minors 5 officers have been suspended for offensive or discriminatory comments 1 officer has been suspended on suspicion of causing or allowing the death of a child Advertisement They have been suspended on full pay for 1200 days at of the time of publication meaning if they had passed probation and earned the base PC salary of 37,000 they will have earned just over 100,000 in that period. Four days before the Met supplied MailOnline with their disciplinary records, the force suspended an officer of a rank more senior than PC for allegedly assaulting female officers. Another Met employee who had passed the rank of PC has been paid at least 31,000 in just under a year after they were suspended on suspicion of serious sexual assault/rape. One PC has been suspended for 342 days on suspicion of uploading indecent images of children to the internet. In that time, they have been paid at least 34,668. Multiple officers have been suspended on suspicion of possession of Class a drugs. 11 officers have been suspended on suspicion of sexual offences with minors and children. The offences range from grooming, possession of indecent images of children and rape. The scale of the Met's disciplinary problem is no surprise to new commissioner Sir Mark Rowley who said earlier this month that is was nonsensical he could not sack bad officers. He told BBC Radio London: 'In all cases, I don't have the final say on who's in the Metropolitan Police. I know that sounds mad, I'm the commissioner. 'There are independent legal tribunals who can decide that we have to keep somebody even though we want to sack them, and that's one of the powers that has to be changed. 'If you expect me to sort out the cultural issues in the Met and get rid of the people, then give me the power to do it. 'Can you imagine sitting with the chief executive of a big organisation saying they weren't allowed to sack certain people somebody has to decide for them? It seems nonsensical.' Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has asked for more power to sack bad cops The Met Police has said that they are trying to carry out misconduct hearings in a 'timely manner' When approached by the MailOnline and asked to explain why so many suspected bad cops were on full pay so long after their suspension, the Met said a number of factors can elongate the process. A spokesperson for the Met said: 'Misconduct proceedings can take a considerable period of time to complete. 'Reasons for this can include criminal proceedings, including court trials, taking primacy over misconduct hearings and the ill-health of officers delaying misconduct proceedings. 'We have been clear that we recognise the importance of carrying out and completing misconduct proceedings in a timely manner. 'The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards is taking numerous steps, including the recruitment of additional officers, to ensure that this happens.' Man sitting next to her on plane repeatedly pressed himself against her breasts Emma was travelling from Bolivia to Madrid when she was sexually assaulted A British woman today revealed she was sexually assaulted by a male passenger sitting next to her on a ten-hour Air Europa flight to Madrid before being shouted at by cabin crew for crying. Emma, who is in her 30s, was travelling on a flight from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Madrid, Spain, with her husband on Saturday when a man seated next to her began touching her inappropriately with his arm and pressing up against her breasts. She immediately told a male member of the cabin crew that the passenger had been pressing up against her and wouldn't stop despite her and her husband's insistence - only for the Air Europa employee to 'shrug his shoulders and walk off'. Emma, not her real name, said the man, who she believes to be in his 60s, kept touching her and ignored her demands for space over a horrific two hours in an incident that left her feeling 'revolted and humiliated'. Emma, who has previously been a victim of sexual abuse, told MailOnline how the cabin crew did nothing to help her or stop the abuse, instead shouting at her that she was 'crying like a child'. Emma says she was the one who was forced to move seats and the crew even threatened to ground the plane in Colombia and remove her and her husband from the plane after she told them she was having a panic attack. Emma, who is in her 30s, was travelling on an Air Europa flight (file image) from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Madrid, Spain, with her husband on Saturday when a man seated next to her began touching her inappropriately with his arm and pressing up against her breasts 'I felt disgusted and completely revolted,' Emma says. 'I was so angry that I had to repeat myself so many times that I didn't want this man to touch me. 'When I got home after this experience, I actually felt broken. It takes so much to attempt to live a close to normal live after sexual abuse and I feel like this took me right back to square one. It triggered all the previous trauma,' Emma says. She revealed that she and her husband had been planning to start trying for a baby in the next couple of weeks, but this experience has halted those plans because she feels 'numb'. 'I felt numb and disconnected from my own body and and I told my husband I don't think I can try for a baby now. I need some time because it's really debilitating experiencing trauma like that.' Speaking about her experience on the plane, Emma said that within minutes of sitting down in her seat following a two-week romantic holiday in Bolivia, the male passenger sitting next to her began touching her and pressing his arm against her breasts. 'He was pressing up against me and at first I thought I'd just move my body and try not to use all of my seat, but it was really uncomfortable,' Emma explains. 'I repeatedly asked him not to touch me and to give me space, but he didn't do anything,' she says. Emma called the cabin crew over and told them that he was pressing up against her, but they weren't helpful and told the Briton and the passenger to 'sort it out' amongst themselves. 'The man continued to press up against me and at points I could feel his arm on my ribs right by my breasts,' Emma says. 'It triggered me so much because I have previous experiences of sexual assault.' Emma, who is in her 30s, was travelling on a flight from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Madrid, Spain. File picture of Santa Cruz Emma claims that when she called the cabin crew over, an 'aggressive' female cabin crew member waved her finger at the holidaymaker and told her: 'If you do not stop, you'll be in big trouble'. 'There were four cabin crew members stood in the aisle, two of them were shouting at me. Then they left me and I was crying,' Emma says. 'That man was still pressed against me and I was getting more and more agitated and by then it was quite traumatic that so many people did not understand that I did not want to be touched by this stranger. 'I kept telling him to please stop touching me and he just ignored me.' The cabin crew had initially said Emma could move to the front, but she said she told them it should be the man who was inappropriately touching her who has to move. But after the man repeatedly pressed up against Emma, she walked to the front of the plane with her in search for an empty seat. 'I was crying in my husband's arms. A male cabin crew member started shouting at us - me particularly - saying that I was behaving like a child,' Emma says. 'He grabbed the phone and said I'm going to get the captain to land the plane in Colombia and drop you there if you don't stop. I was belittled and shouted in front of everyone by the cabin crew. They couldn't understand why I was having this traumatic reaction.' After this exchange, Emma says she decided to sit at the front of the plane without her husband. 'I couldn't stop crying,' she says. After an hour or two, Emma started to have a panic attack and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She went to the back of her plane where her husband was able to calm her down and she was given water by the cabin crew. Emma says she spoke to a male cabin crew member and explained her situation and how the man had been pressing his arm against her breasts and ribs. 'He said to me: "Yes but he was touching you with his arm, not his hands. Do you really think that was sexual assault?",' Emma says. 'He told the female flight attendant that I wanted to raise it as a sexual abuse case and she snorted and rolled her eyes.' Emma says that the cabin crew eventually moved the man from his seat after five hours. Emma was considering reporting the incident to police when she landed in Madrid, but she was told by the cabin crew that it would take a while and they would miss their connecting flight to the UK. Emma was considering reporting the incident to police when she landed in Madrid, but she was told by the cabin crew that it would take a while and they would miss their connecting flight to the UK. File image of Madrid She says she did not report it to UK police because she didn't think she would be believed after the cabin crew failed to believe her. Speaking about why she didn't swap seats with her husband, she said: 'Whenever I experience moments like this, unless I feel like I'm in danger, I would rather stand my ground and say no because it would have stayed on my mind if my husband had had to intervene.' She said the experience left her feeling 'absolutely disgusted and revolted'. 'I was also angry that I had to repeat myself so many times that I didn't want to be touched - and the man just refused to listen and the cabin crew sided with him instead,' Emma says. 'It was nightmarish. The cabin crew were justifying his behaviour and they were laughing at me.' 'I was triggered because of my previous experience with sexual abuse. It made me feel like my body doesn't belong to me and that all of these people had a say over how I was supposed to be touched.' Speaking about why she has decided to come forward with her experience, Emma says: 'I don't care about getting my money back. I just want to share what happened because this is a small fight in a really big battle. 'Women live in a society where we sometimes lose our right to own our bodies and experience sexual harassment or abuse on a daily basis.' Air Europa has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING : SOME IMAGES MAY CAUSE DISTRESS FOR SOME READERS GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING : SOME IMAGES MAY CAUSE DISTRESS FOR SOME READERS Advertisement The new leader of ISIS is 'a dead man walking', a former head of Britain's Royal Navy has said after US special forces ramped up its relentless campaign to crush the terror group. The US-led mission in Syria, Iraq and Somalia has seen four top Islamic State chiefs killed since the start of the year, in a move an ex-UK spy said was helping to 'cripple' the terror machine by 'cutting off the many hydra heads' in its chain of command. Among those taken out include commanders responsible for planning deadly attacks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa - as well as a handful of key lieutenants and influential henchmen. Meanwhile, since the collapse of the jihadist group's 'caliphate' in 2019 - where it once controlled huge swathes of Iraq and Syria - three heads of ISIS, including its founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, have been killed. The latest to die was in October. Now Admiral Lord Alan West, who sits on the UK's secretive Intelligence and Security Committee, has insisted ISIS's new boss, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, has a target on his back. 'He is a dead man walking. That's what he is,' he told MailOnline. A map of carnage: The top ISIS leaders killed in surgical strikes by a US-led task group operating across Syria. Since the start of 2023, at least four senior commanders have been killed. And since 2019, the terror group has lost three of its heads, including its brutal founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who blew himself up during a raid carried out by US special forces in 2019 Terrorist aces: Former ISIS leaders Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi (left) and Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi both blew themselves up after being found. Abu al-Hassan lasted just eight months in power, while his predecessor spent more than two years leading the terror group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (right), the brutal founder of ISIS also blew himself up after being found by US special forces in October 2019. He had been in charge of the group for almost a decade and was responsible for atrocities which saw thousands killed. Pictured next to him is Maher al-Agal, who was in charge of expanding ISIS operations. He was killed in a US airstrike in July 2022 The revelation comes as MailOnline today lays bare the devastating toll inflicted on ISIS this year, in missions spearheaded by US Central Command (CENTCOM) across Syria, Iraq and Somalia. The anti-jihadist coalition is led by the America but its operations feature forces from several countries including the UK, France, Canada and Turkey - and its deputy commander is a British Army Brigadier. Since the start of the year, extremist-hunting teams from Operation Inherent Resolve - the codename for the fight against ISIS militants - have launched at least 130 deadly raids against the jihadist group, killing 46 terrorists and capturing 270. It started with a blitz in January, with CENTCOM supporting 43 strike raids across Iraq and Syria, that led to 11 terrorist being killed and a further 227 detained. In February, 48 missions were carried out, which saw coalition troops detain 25 terrorists and kill 22 - including a senior chief in the extremist group. While in March, there were 37 strike operations against ISIS militants in Syria and Iraq, killing nine insurgents and detaining 18 others. April has already seen at least four ISIS terrorists slaughtered by special forces, including two senior figures in the group, also known as Daesh. The latest raid occurred on Monday morning, when US special forces launched an early morning assault in northern Syria, targeting a top ISIS lieutenant. The most recent senior leaders to be killed in ISIS were Abd-al-Hadi Mahmud al-Haji Ali (right) who was killed in a US missile strike on Monday and Khalid 'Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri, who was in charge of setting up attacks in Europe Bilal al-Sudani, left, helped fund terror attacks across the world. He was responsible for the Kabul Airport bombing in 2021. He was killed by US Navy SEALs in January. While senior lieutenant Hamza al-Homsi was killed in February. The raid against him injured four US troops and one military dog during an explosion Admiral Lord Alan West, a former First Sea Lord and security minister in the UK, said the sheer number of top ISIS commanders being killed means its new chief Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi is a 'dead man walking' Abd-al-Hadi Mahmud al-Haji Ali, who was responsible for planning attacks across the Middle East and Europe, was in the process of masterminding a plot to kidnap key officials and hold them for leverage when he was raided. Slaughtered ISIS terror bosses at a glance Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi: TITLE: ISIS Boss (Feb-Oct 2022) DIED: Blew himself up in stand-off with Syrian rebels in Oct 2022 ATROCITIES: '2,058 terror attacks' KILLED OR WOUNDED: 6,881 victims Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi: TITLE: ISIS Boss (Nov 2019 - Feb 2022) DIED: Blew himself and his family up during US special forces raid in Feb 2022 ATROCITIES: '2,700 terror attacks' KILLED OR WOUNDED: 8,000+ victims Maher al-Agal: TITLE: ISIS expansion boss (- July 2022) DIED: US airstrike in July 2022 ATROCITIES: Spreading operations into Africa KILLED OR WOUNDED: 1,412+ victims Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: TITLE: ISIS founder (2010 - Oct 2019) DIED: Blew himself up running away from military dogs in raid by US troops in October 2019 ATROCITIES: '26,500+ terror attacks' KILLED OR WOUNDED: 100,000+ victims Bilal al-Sudan: TITLE: ISIS funding chief ( - Jan 2023) DIED: Killed by US SEALs in Bari, Syria in January ATROCITIES: Kabul airport bombing 2021 KILLED OR WOUNDED: 13 US troops and 170 civilians killed Hamza al-Homsi TITLE: Senior ISIS lieutenant ( - Feb 2023) DIED: killed by US/Syrian team in northeast Syria in February ATROCITIES: Unknown KILLED OR WOUNDED: 4 US troops and 1 military dog Khalid 'Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri TITLE: Europe attack chief ( - April 2023) DIED: Killed by US Hellfire missile strike in Killi, Syria, on April 4 ATROCITIES: Unknown KILLED OR WOUNDED: Unknown Abd-al-Hadi Mahmud al-Haji Ali TITLE: Middle East and Europe attack chief DIED: Killed in missile strike during US raid in Jarabulus, Syria on April 17 ATROCITIES: Was planning kidnapping plot of top officials KILLED OR WOUNDED: Unknown Advertisement Information about the plot was uncovered by intelligence officials, triggering the strike by US special forces, who flew in by helicopter. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based opposition war monitor, reported the US assault took place before dawn in the village of Suwayda, near the town of Jarabulus, not far from the border with Turkey. The group claimed 'violent clashes' erupted between US and ISIS forces, which only ended when American's fired two missiles at a stronghold belonging to the terrorists. The blast killed Ali and two other armed bodyguards, who were part of the Soqour Al-Shamal factions. American officials claimed no civilian or US forces had been injured during the assault. Speaking in the aftermath of the deadly clash, Major General Matthew McFarlane, the commander of Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, praised the mission's success in dealing another blow to ISIS. 'Our commitment to a stable and secure region remains the focus of every Coalition member,' he said. 'Our forces have removed another dangerous terrorist from the battlefield and further degraded ISIS's capabilities.' The operation came just days after the death of another ISIS general responsible for planning attacks in Europe and recruiting the next generation of terror leaders. Warlord Khalid 'Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri was reportedly on his mobile phone when he was blown up by a Hellfire missile launched from a US drone above Killi, in Syria's Idlib province, on April 4. CENTCOM said his death was a critical blow and would 'temporarily disrupt the organization's ability to plot external attacks'. In February, another ISIS leader Hamza al-Hosi was killed in Syria during a helicopter raid carried out by US and Syrian Democratic Forces. Little is known about his precise role within the terror group. The raid came a week after a separate assault by the US and SDF which killed Ibrahim Al Qahtani, another ISIS official who planned to help jihadi prisoners escape from detention centers. While in January two dozen members of SEAL Team 6 killed ISIS leader Bilal al-Sudani during a raid that echoed the one carried out on Osama bin Laden's compound in 2011. Sudani was responsible for the Kabul airport bombing in 2021 that claimed the lives of 13 US troops. Details of the raid against him - approved by President Joe Biden - were first revealed in a report from The New York Times. According to the report, the SEAL Team 6 members rehearsed the assault extensively before heading aboard Army MH-47 Chinook helicopters, which are operated by a team known as the Night Stalkers, to a non-descript US Navy ship that was resting off of the coast of northern Somalia. From there, the squad landed 'some distance' from al-Sudani's cavernous layer in an area known as Puntland in northern Somalia so as not to set of warnings. The group then engaged with the ISIS fighters in the region, killing 10, not including al-Sudani. The firefight lasted for an hour. Following the attack, the commandos recovered a 'trove of material' that included laptops and cell phones that could be linked to future ISIS operations. The al-Qaeda off-shoot al-Shabab has a much larger footprint in Somalia than ISIS. There are thought to be less than 300 members of the Islamic State in the troubled east African country. No civilians were injured or killed in the operation, Pentagon officials said. One American involved in the operation was bitten by a military dog, but was not seriously hurt. The Times's report details that it was only when US intelligence figures learned of al-Sudani's role in the Kabul bombing as well as his activities in fund-raising for ISIS in Europe, Asia and Africa, that he became top of the catch-or-kill list. In reference to the Kabul airport bombing, a US official told the Times: 'Al-Sudani helped to put money in the pockets of the same elements of ISIS-K responsible for Abbey Gate.' That attack was perpetrated by ISIS-K, the group's arm in Afghanistan. Al-Sudani had originally been designated the Treasury Department in 2012 for his role with al-Shabab, another terrorist organization operating in Somalia. He helped foreign fighters travel to an al-Shabab training camp and facilitated financing for violent extremists in Somalia, according to a senior administration official. Following Sudani's death, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: 'This action leaves the United States and its partners safer and more secure, and it reflects our steadfast commitment to protecting Americans from the threat of terrorism at home and abroad.' The al-Qaeda off-shoot al-Shabab has a much larger footprint in Somalia than ISIS. There are thought to be less than 300 members of the Islamic State in the troubled east African country A Taliban fighter stands guard at the site on August 26 2021 where twin suicide bombs killed scores of people including 13 US troops A former Colonel in British military intelligence told MailOnline the US was now making a concerted effort to 'cut off the many Hydra heads that make up ISIS'. Philip Ingram said the latest wave of assaults was helping to keep ISIS's expansion 'suppressed' to a point that 'will eventually lead to its demise'. But he admitted the heads that make up terror group had the ability to grow back 'alarmingly fast'. Former intelligence officer Lt Col Philip Ingram (pictured) says the volume of attacks against ISIS leaders indicated the US was seeking to 'cut off the many Hydra heads' that make up the terror group He warned: 'This tactic won't lead to a total demise and organisations such as ISIS adapt to new challenges and have the ability to rise from the ashes with alarming surprise.' The intelligence expert added: 'I think each of these operations shows that despite what else is happening, in particular in Ukraine, the eyes haven't been taken off the war against terror and that remains a priority for coalition partners.' Major John Moore, a CENTCOM spokesman, told MailOnline: 'We don't want to get ahead of ongoing operations. We remain committed to ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS. 'So far in 2023 US Central Command and partner forces have conducted dozens of operations against ISIS. These operations degraded ISIS and removed a cadre of senior leaders.' The crippling impact of the attacks against ISIS has seen each successive leader's time at the head of the organisation diminish. ISIS's previous leaders, Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi (left), was killed in February 2022 after taking over from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (right) The group's barbaric founder, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, spent nine years in charge before he blew himself up in north-western Syria in 2019. During his tenure, his army of fanatics slaughtered more than 100,000 people, carrying out upwards of 26,000 terror attacks worldwide, data collected by The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center claims. Baghdadi came to prominence in 2014, when the radicalised cleric announced the creation of the 'caliphate' in areas of Iraq and Syria. At its peak, ISIS controlled 34,000 sq miles of land stretching across the two countries. But extremists committed countless atrocities during their brutal five-year reign, before eventually being crushed in May 2019. Before: A satellite view of what is believed to have been Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's compound in northern Syria, where he died in a raid by U.S. special forces After: The compound was destroyed in a U.S. helicopter raid while Baghdadi fled into a tunnel where he detonated an explosive vest and killed himself, according to Donald Trump Five months later, in October, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was tracked down by US special forces to the town of Barisha, in northwestern Syria, about 35 miles west of Aleppo. The ISIS chief detonated a suicide vest after fleeing into a tunnel while being chased by US military dogs, former President Donald Trump claimed at the time. His successor Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi took command in October 2019 - but lasted little more than two years at the helm before he was killed. Before assuming the top role, the Iraqi commander - nicknamed the 'Destroyer' - had presided over the genocide of the Yazidis which saw 5,000 people massacred by ISIS in 2014. He blew himself and his family up during a raid by American commandos on a house in northwest Syria in February 2022. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi set off a bomb that killed himself as well as members of this family, the White House said. A general view shows on February 3, 2022 the scene following an overnight raid by US special operations forces against Abu Ibrahim al-Qurash in Atmeh, in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, which left at least 13 people dead An aerial view of wreckages around the site after an operation carried out by US forces targeting the high-ranking jihadist in northern Syria A Syrian man walks on bloodstained floors, February 3, 2022, at the scene following an overnight raid by US special operations forces against suspected jihadists in Syria A Syrian man takes a picture of a blood soaked kitchen at the scene of a US anti-terror raid in Atmeh, Idlib Thirteen were killed, including six children and four women during the mission, which involved 24 elite special operations commandos backed by attack jets, Reaper drones and helicopter gunships. 'At the beginning of the operation, the terrorist target exploded a bomb that killed him and members of his own family, including women and children,' a senior administration official said. President Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and national security aides monitored a live-feed of the operation from the White House Situation Room. US special forces landed in helicopters and assaulted the house in a rebel-held corner of Syria, near the border with Turkey, clashing for two hours with gunmen, witnesses said in local reports. The raid targeted a large house in Atmeh in the Idlib region of Syria where the ISIS leader was hiding. The two-story house was left with its top floor shattered and blood spattered inside. A journalist on assignment for The Associated Press and several residents noted that they saw body parts scattered near the site. The raid by the US commandos targeted jihadist leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurash in a house in Syria's northern town of Atmeh. The operation, which residents say lasted about two hours, jolted the village near the Turkish border - an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syria's civil war. The target was killed in Atmeh, located mere miles from the town of Barisha where former ISIS leader al-Baghdadi was killed in 2019 President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and members of the President's national security team observe the counterterrorism operation responsible for removing from the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in this photo from the White House Several pictured emerged from the scene show considerable damage to the outside of the house, with blood spattering the walls inside A Syrian youngster stares at the aftermath of a US anti-terror strike in northern Syria American commandos deployed via helicopter under cover of darkness, surrounded the house and ordered women and children to evacuate via loudspeakers, before engaging opposition fighters in combat. The helicopters then deployed their ordnance following the ground assault, with several strikes reducing large sections of the house to rubble - though some of the damage is believed to have come as a result of the target's suicide blast. 'The mission was successful. There were no U.S. casualties,' said Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby in a statement. But local residents and activists said several civilians were killed in the battle, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and first responders from Syrian Civil Defense reporting 13 deaths including several women and children. Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, was announced as the third head of ISIS in March, weeks after his predecessor was died. But he lasted barely eight months in his position before he too was killed. Syrians gather on February 3, 2022 at the scene following an overnight raid by US special forces against suspected jihadists in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib which left at least nine people dead, including three civilians Syrians gather on February 3, 2022 at the scene following an overnight raid by US special forces against suspected jihadists in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib which left at least nine people dead, including three civilians Abu al-Hassan reportedly blew himself up during a stand off in the town of Jasem, in Daraa, on October 15. Local fighters in the town surrounded him and his aides, leaving him nowhere to escape. The reclusive leader was killed in a suicide blast that levelled his compound. The ramping up of attacks against ISIS this year comes after fears were raised by a US general about the group seeking to launch a fresh wave of terror attacks in Europe and Asia. General Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, told Congress that 'at least hundreds of thousands' of American citizens could be vulnerable to an attack by ISIS-K, which has the 'ultimate goal to strike on the American homeland'. ISIS-K - the Islamic State in Khorasan - is an ISIS affiliate based in Afghanistan and a sworn enemy of both the Taliban and the United States. The group has claimed responsibility for the Kabul airport attack during the US evacuation in August 2021 which killed 170 Afghan civilians and 13 US soldiers. It continued launching attacks throughout 2022, including on mosques and schools. 'It is my commander's estimate that they can do an external operation against US or Western interests abroad in under six months with little to no warning,' Kurilla told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Following the death of the Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi in mid-October, ISIS has selected Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi as its new leader 'ISIS-Khorasan grows emboldened, seeking to expand its ranks and inspire enable and direct attacks in the region and beyond - with the ultimate goal to strike on the American homeland,' he added. He was then asked about the likelihood of an attack on US soil. 'It would be harder for them to do that against the American homeland,' he said. 'If you asses six months against Europe or Asia what would you asses would be the timeline against the homeland?' senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas asked him. 'I think it's hard to put a timeline on that,' said Kurilla. 'I think it is a higher probability overseas than it is in the homeland.' Similar assessments have been made by other US officials recently. 'It's a matter of time before they may have the ability and intent to attack the West,' the chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, said during a hearing earlier this year. In January the National Counterterrorism Center Director, Christine Abizaid, described ISIS-K as the 'threat actor I am most concerned about'. 'We see concerning indications of ISIS-Khorasan in Afghanistan and its ambition that might go beyond that immediate territory,' she said. Drones are a key tool in the hunt to find and kill ISIS leaders. Pictured is one of the RAF's Reaper drones used during aerial strikes against the terror group as part of the UK's contribution to the effort to stop the extremists The RAF has carried out more than 10,000 missions against ISIS since 2014, conducting some 2,000 airstrikes using drones (pictured) and jets Major Moore, from CENTCOM, added that while ISIS's 'so-called territorial caliphate of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria was destroyed', the group still posed a danger and had the capability to launch new attacks across the globe. 'This threatens the security and stability of the region and poses risk to the US homeland, and those of our partners and allies,' Maj Moore told MailOnline. 'Our goal is to continue to support and enable our Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces partners, at their request, to put pressure on ISIS. These operations showcase our enduring commitment to the lasting defeat of ISIS.' Operation Shader is the name used for the UK's contribution to the US-led global coalition against Daesh. The mission began in September 2014 over Iraq when the RAF flew its first combat sorties of the operation. Air strikes over Syria were first launched December 2015. In January 2022, the Coalition's combat mission in Iraq formally ended and transitioned to an 'advise, assist, enable' mission, the UK government said, with air strikes still continuing. Since the start of Op Shader, the RAF has carried out more than 10,000 missions, using drones and jets - with some 2,000 missions involving an airstrike. A UK Government spokesperson said: 'The UK remains committed to supporting the Government of Iraq in bolstering its sovereign security capability to counter the threat from Daesh and continues to support the Global Coalition's ongoing 'advise, assist, enable' mission. 'Alongside the Global Coalition, the UK remains committed to ministry-level advisory and education activity in Iraqi security institutions under NATO Mission Iraq, as well as support to long-term bilateral initiatives.' Trouble has flared again at an idyllic beach village allegedly overrun by hundreds of migrant fruit pickers. A drunken beachfront fight has been filmed amid mounting concerns over the 'shanty town' at Little Arrawarra on the NSW Mid North Coast. An elderly couple filmed a pair of berry fruit pickers from Vanuatu fighting on the beach following a drinking session of wine and spirits. A village 30km north of Coffs Harbour, Little Arrawarra is a destination for surfers, caravanners, backpackers and visitors to its absolute waterfront holiday park. A drunken fight breaks out on Arrawarra beach after fruit pickers were observed drinking alcohol. The berry pickers are housed in less than ideal accommodation inside dongas erected at the holiday park It is regarded as a gem hidden among the more populous townships of the area, boasting a laid-back vibe, kangaroos hopping along the beach and pristine surf. But an influx of hundreds of berry pickers over the past few years has left residents concerned their slice of paradise is being destroyed. Locals describe the Vanuatans as 'lovely people', but say they are being housed in squalid quarters with six or more grown men inside a cramped shanty house with dangerously 'shoddy' electrics. They say the workers drink outdoors and sometimes become violent. The fight filmed on the beach at Easter was one of many observed in recent years around the town, which has a permanent population of just 50 to 100 people. A plastic storage tub serves as a makeshift housing for electrical wires on top of an outdoor metal roof of a donga structure with a power point is mounted to the end Last week, the Coffs Harbour City Council inspected the Arrawarra Holiday Park part of which has been turned into berry picker accommodation and told Daily Mail Australia it has an ongoing investigation into the park's zoning. An electrical contractor made an inspection of the park last weekend and his report with photos submitted to the Council claims there are unprotected electrical cables on metals roofs, live cables visible on the ground and unapproved electrical installations. These include a plastic storage tub serving as a makeshift housing for electrical wires on top of an outdoor metal roof of a donga structure with a power point mounted to the end. Some angry locals claim their coastal paradise is being turned into a 'shanty town' but the provider of the worker accommodation blasted the criticism as 'lies and fabrication'. Nathan Folkes accused locals of being prejudiced against Pacific Islanders, who make up the bulk of the fruit pickers. Beds inside the 'shanty' housing where up to eight adult men sleep between long days berry picking at Corindi up the road from Arrawarra on the NSW Mid North Coast An electrician inspected and photographed the set-up at the Arrawarra Holiday Park and found electrical cables on metal roofs and on the ground were potentially unsafe In recent weeks, fruit pickers from Vanuatu began arriving and hundreds amore are expected over the coming weeks to harvest crops during the winter berry season. Daily Mail Australia has been told that up to 400 pickers are bussed daily from around 4.45am the 17km up to Corindi, where Costa Berries has a 360-hectare farm. Last year there were daily 37 trips in and out of pickers on mini-buses from the town to and from Corindi. The influx has sparked numerous complaints about noisy early morning buses, mountains of rubbish and aggressive drunken behaviour by the workers towards women. Photographs show the area strewn with empty bottles and the picker accommodation such as dongas and shipping containers allegedly encroaching on their land and public areas. Shipping containers, rubbish and noisy buses moved into the holiday park that was once a haven for backpackers and surfers and now accommodates hundreds of fruit pickers Rubbish in the creek at Little Arrawarra which gets a pounding during picking season when hundreds of workers fly in Photographs from previous picking years show bottles, cans and food wrappers discarded in sand dunes, creeks and around what is normally an orderly holiday park. Some locals also say they fear losing beach access from their properties as the holiday park with backpacker accommodation turned fruit picker town is on private land with no public access unless a person gains a permit. Operator Nathan Folkes told Daily Mail Australia he allowed permits on conditions and denied threatening anyone with closing off access. Described as a 'shanty town' by some residents the holiday park is about to admit hundreds of seasonal berry pickers from Vanuatu Little Arrawarra is a secret paradise on the NSW Mid North Coast that has had an infiltration of fruit pickers for the last few years, creating rubbish and pollution Mr Folkes described the current controversy as 'a mud slinging match' and suggested some locals with expensive real estate were prejudiced against Pacific Islanders. Described on his @thebeacharrawarra Instagram page as 'the epic absolute beachfront location' and 'our perfect little hidden gem by the sea', Little Arrawarra's supposed ruin was just 'lies and fabrication' Mr Folkes said. 'It's been a really brutal witch hunt, those photos ... are all old,' he said and described the fruit pickers as 'beautiful people'. 'These are human beings, they work really hard, they are wonderful people. They are building a future for their families and countries and our nation depends on them to support the farm.' The operator of a business called Mojo Surf, Mr Folkes said one woman in Little Arrawarra in particular had 'zero empathy' and only 'worried about her property prices'. A local photographed this bin (left) over the Easter weekend, overflowing with empty beer bottles and rubbish, and the beach (right) and other areas are littered with bottles and cans each year the pickers have come Another resident who has lived in Little Arrawarra for more than a decade, defended Mr Folkes and said there had been a lot of jumping up and down, but thats not representative of this place Its rundown, its rough around the edges, but its a work in progress, she said. (Nathan Folkes) should be given a chance to follow his dream of building an eco beach resort. Mr Folkes said he had decided to build accommodation for fruit pickers when Covid meant his backpacker and surf school business dwindled. 'The berry pickers appreciate the beauty of the location, it makes them feel at home coming from the islands. 'It would be great to see some more support from government and other stakeholders for the Pacific Islanders.' Drone footage filmed last month shows numerous buses parked near Arrawarra Creek and nearby dozens of shipping containers side by side, and dongas to house the pickers. Bottles and cans local say the migrant fruit pickers leave strewn around the beach and creek ' A veteran paparazzi photographer spent years taking snaps of some of the world's hottest celebrities, before being laid low by an unexpected illness and being forced to reinvent his career. James Ambler first picked up a camera as a teenager, as a way of proving whether he or his friend looked cooler while skateboarding. Within years, he would be shooting photos in the mountains of Nepal, and in refugee camps in Thailand. Then, after a period working for London news agencies, he landed in New York City as a paparazzo, at the height of the 2000s celebrity scene. At the top of his game, Ambler, now 43, brushed shoulders with countless stars, travelled the world tracking down hidden film sets, staked out honeymoon resorts, and even befriended Angelina Jolie while he was tailing her entourage in New York. But when he was nearly killed by a blood clot at just 28 years old, he found he could no longer keep up with the frenetic pace of the job. Proposing to his now wife in Central Park proved the inspiration he needed to make a switch, and he started to put his covert talents to work photographing other people's proposals. His services took the city by storm, and over the next ten years, he shot proposals for everyday people all over the world, appearing on Shark Tank and the Today Show in the process. Then, at just 40 years old, Ambler was struck by another health scare when he was suddenly diagnosed with colon cancer. James Ambler first picked up a camera as a teenager, as a way of proving whether he or his friend looked cooler while skateboarding A shot of Angelina Jolie Ambler snapped around the time she gave him a ride home A shot of Prince Harry Snapped by Ambler. He worked for paparazzi agencies in both New York and London Now, after beating it with rounds of chemotherapy, he has turned his focus on spreading awareness of the illness and men's mental health surrounding it. He recently launched a website showcasing his career's work, which he hopes will show people that 'photos can make a difference.' Ambler grew up in Wantage, Oxfordshire, where there was little more to do than skateboard and listen to music. One day he and a friend began debating who 'looked cooler' while skating, so Ambler stole his father's camera and a roll of film and the friends set about shooting each other. From there, the spark was lit, and Ambler began taking a camera with him everywhere he went, honing his craft. 'Any time I went out, I had a camera on me,' he told DailyMail.com. 'I loved the mystery behind it, because it was non-immediate. You'd have to sit and wait to get the film developed.' He took photography classes in school and got the itch to travel while looking at the work of professional photographers. So when he saw an advertisement for a charity trip to Nepal, he raised the funds to participate and spent two weeks hiking the mountains and photographing the beautiful Himalayan country. When he returned to school, his photography teacher told him his work belonged in National Geographic and that he should make a career out of shooting the world. Ambler began pursuing a degree in photography, and joined his ophthalmologist father on a service trip to Thailand, where he was providing cataract surgery for Burmese refugees. Ambler photographed the camps and his father's work, and the results formed his dissertation. In school and in Thailand, Ambler was inspired by the work of Vietnam War photographer Larry Burrows, and decided he too wanted to be a war photographer. He started off working for news agencies in London, but quit by the age of 25, after feeling burned out by the pace of the work, and the difficulty he was having breaking into the war photography circuit. After tending bar for a year, he got back into photography with a gig shooting celebrities in London. During that time he trained his lens on Kate Moss and Jude Law, Gwenyth Paltrow and Coldplay, and he was sent to film sets and movie premieres on a daily basis. 'Back then it was this huge cat-and-mouse game,' Ambler said. 'You were just playing hide and seek for the day.' Matthew and Camila McConaughey walk together in a photo taken by James Ambler Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake in New York City, and Channing Tatum, all shot by Ambler A Rock bank photographer by Ambler. Musicians are one of Ambler's favorite subjects He made important connections in the industry as a result, and was soon offered a job working for a paparazzi agency in New York City. He accepted and jumped a plane to the US. 'That's when the crazy paparazzi started,' he said. 'It was hilarious fun. You literally didn't know what was going to happen in your day. You could be biking through the city and get a call that you had to go to the Bahamas.' Ambler found himself getting whisked away on assignments at a moment's notice, sometimes being called uptown, other times being told to hop on a plane and head to South America and beyond. He recalled one day being sent to Panama on a tip that scenes from an upcoming James Bond film were being shot in the country. He and a partner were sent down with their cameras and a handful of cash, and they set about trying to find the location. 'It was like being in a film set trying to find a film set,' Ambler said, describing how he rented a speedboat to cruise up and down the Panama Canal in search of the shoot. They loitered around hotel lobbies looking for luxury cars that might indicate celebrity presence, bribed local officials for information, and finally tracked down the set and got their shots. Over the years, Ambler snuck into Super Bowl afterparties, made his way onto countless NYC film sets, and often came face to face with the celebrities he was shooting. 'I couldn't give a monkey's a** about these people,' he said. 'I never got star struck.' Sarah Jessica Parker loads up her car in New York City in a photo taken by James Ambler Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger go for a walk together in snap Ambler nabbed in NYC A shot taken by Ambler of Amanda Seyfried walking with Dominic Cooper in New York City That brazen attitude would come to a head during a several-day stakeout of Angelina Jolie in New York City. Ambler had gotten an exclusive tip Jolie was staying at the Waldorf Astoria in Midtown, and after following her entourage around the city by bicycle for several days, got to know her drivers and bodyguards. Before Ambler published his first photos - and alerted the rest of the press where Jolie was - the actress's security detail offered to give him further access to photograph her if he would help them throw the other paparazzi off their trail. When his photos hit the press, Ambler said the paparazzi crowds outside the Waldorf 'went from four people to 44 in a day.' Per his deal with Jolie, Ambler's partner stuck with the main crowd and alerted her team by radio where the photographers were. They would then drive off in the opposite direction. Waiting in the wings, Ambler swooped in on his bike to snap away, clear of the competition. One day, while pulling off such an operation in the West Village, Ambler's bike got a flat tire and, unable to keep up with her car, he was forced to give up the chase. To his surprise, Jolie's car simply pulled up next to him, as the star rolled down the window and asked if he wanted a ride. Ambler gladly consented, hopped in the car, and chatted his way up to the Waldorf Astoria with Jolie and her team. 'It was bizarre being in the car,' he said, recalling the sudden shift in perspective. 'When you're in it it's just like being in a fishbowl, and watching the cars and paps going wild on the outside, I can see how annoying that would be, endlessly.' Jonah Hill and Russel Brand doing an interview. Ambler snagged a shot of them in the studio James Ambler got a shot of Matthew Broderick walking with his son in New York City Model Miranda Kerr posing in a photo snagged by James Ambler in New York City After Anna Nicole Smith died, Ambler's agency was given exclusive photography rights to the funeral. He took pictures inside the ceremony, and joined the procession to the cemetery, where he said mats of faux-grass had been laid down to protect the grounds from all the foot traffic. Ambler was standing at the end of Smith's grave as the casket was lowered down and her friends and family began tossing roses into the ground. As he was taking shots, Ambler stepped too close to the edge of the grave and slipped on one of the turf mats. Pitching suddenly forward, he barely managed to catch himself on the gold ropes lining the grave, and for a moment hung over grave with his camera dangling off his neck over the casket. 'That is not something that happens to normal people but always seems to happen to me' Ambler said. In 2007 Ambler was sent to a resort in Jamaica where Ashlee Simpson was rumored to be on her honeymoon. Ambler and his partner for the assignment pretended to be a couple and rented out a suite overlooking the hotel's pool, but after a few days of getting snaps he began to feel a stitch develop in his chest that became increasingly painful and finally forced him to fly back to New York. Once home, he checked into a hospital, where it was found he had developed a blood clot and was near death. At just 28, Ambler's heart was removed from his body while surgeons cleared out the clot, and he set about resting up. After recovering, Ambler found he was too weak to keep up with the paparazzi pace, and as the recession closed in, he was laid off from the agency. Ambler taking a shot of two people proposing as part of his Paparazzi Proposals business Ambler appeared on Shark Tank to snag funding for his Paparazzi Proposals business Ambler appears on the Today Show with Matt Lauer to discuss the paparazzi business He found a job waiting tables in Chelsea - where he frequently served the likes of Jimmy Fallon and Kate Winslet - while he got back on his feet. Once the worst of the recession had passed and he was back to full health, Ambler considered getting back into the paparazzi business, but decided against it. 'It had gone from six years ago being 20 guys who knew each other and they all had a code of ethics,' he said. 'Then it became 100 random guys mobbing the scene. 'It wasn't photography, it was just provocation and capturing. Enough's enough with that.' Instead, after asking his wife to marry him in Central Park in 2009, Ambler got the idea to offer his services to men hoping to capture every moment of their own proposals. 'I wanted something that was recession proof in photography - death, taxes, and weddings,' Ambler said. So he started the business under the name 'Pap the Question,' which he later changed to 'Paparazzi Proposals' after he learned people thought they were a questionnaire company. Through that business, Ambler singlehandedly sparked the proposal-shooting scene. He would work with men to organize their entire proposal, setting up discreet video cameras at the exact location where they planned to pop the question, while a photographer hid nearby with a telephoto lens to capture every moment. The business was a sensation, and Ambler made the television rounds on the Today Show, The Insider, and even shopped around reality shows based on the concept. He eventually wound up on Shark Tank and landed a deal, but later walked away after deciding he didn't like the terms. Photos of kids in the Bahamas taken by Ambler on one of his many trips around the world Tattoos Ambler got on his hands while he was battling colon cancer at 40 years old Over the years Ambler expanded the business to include a full suite of proposal planning and consulting, before finally selling it in 2021. That same year, when Ambler turned 40, he went in for a colonoscopy and was given the devastating news that he had stage two cancer. He underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy, had 'Hold Fast' tattooed across his fingers, and beat the illness after a grueling period of treatment. But once he made it to the other side, he didn't know what to do with himself. 'Fighting cancer was a lot easier for me than surviving cancer,' he said. He considered starting a coffee shop that doubled as a photography gallery, but later scrapped the idea in a bout of exhaustion. 'At 42, I was just knackered,' he said. Finally, he called his father to ask for advice. As he'd done years earlier, Ambler's father suggested he join for another charity trip to Thailand. Ambler got on a plane and flew across the world, and again photographed the charity and his father among the refugees he was helping. Inspired, he decided to dedicate his craft and his story to spreading the word about colon cancer, and men's mental illness surrounding disease. 'We're sitting on this huge pandemic of men's mental health,' Ambler said. 'The facts are now that colon cancer in males is on the rise about 500 percent - nobody knows why. It's a silent pandemic that is getting guys. 'Photography really helped me,' he said, adding that he plans to begin working with men's cancer awareness movements like Movember, and 'take photos and make a difference. Every time I've gotten close to throwing the cameras away, just a little bit of change reenergizes my belief,' Ambler said. To learn more about James and his work, visit his website. Manhattan restauranteur Keith McNally's assertion that English diners are the 'worst tippers' has left a bad taste this side of the Atlantic. Incensed by what he identified as a unique reluctance to indulge the Big Apple's inflated gratuities, the British-born founder of Balthazar the high-end eatery of recent James Corden omlet-gate fame says he is 'ashamed' of his fellow countrymen. Well as a Brit with penchant for fine dining, I have a huge tip for him: stop berating tourists for failing to subsidize your staff's wages and remember that old adage, 'the customer is always right'. And that means all customers. You see, 71-year-old McNally is quite capable of deference - but it tends to be towards his more elite regulars: the Anna Wintours and the Leonardo DiCaprios whose power patronage seems to have skewed his expectations and perspective. 'Servers were thrilled to hear that X was coming in tonight,' he gushed recently over the latest mystery celeb cash-splasher who'd dined at another of his over-priced restaurants, Morandi also in New York City. 'X is phenomenally generous and usually leaves over a grand for the tip,' added McNally who revealed last year that he uses a VIP rating system to rank his most famous customers (Ms Wintour is 'AAA'). How crass. How un-classy and, let me tell you, entirely contrary to the UK's more discretionary service culture. You see, 71-year-old McNally (left) is quite capable of deference - but it tends to be towards his more elite regulars: the Anna Wintours (right) and the Leonardo DiCaprios whose power patronage seems to have skewed his expectations and perspective. Manhattan restauranteur Keith McNally's assertion that English diners are the 'worst tippers' has left a bad taste this side of the Atlantic. Though it's easy to see how McNally's schtick can thrive where he is. In its recent 'The New Rules of Tipping' article, New York Magazine advocates a kind of tip-happy universe quite alien to British sensibilities. From leaving $1 when you simply collect a take-away coffee, to giving your Uber driver 'at least 20 per cent', it begs the question: why close your wallet at all when there's just so much to throw your money at in America? Furthermore, New York mag madly declares 25 per cent as a now standard tip-rate in restaurants and anything under 20 (once considered generous) as unethical and 'rude' - whether the service you received was worth it or not. And that really goes to the crux of this transatlantic culture clash. Because, far from mechanically following industry-set rules, us Brits prefer to tip on our own terms and be a little more discerning. We like to reward the extra mile, as opposed to overcompensating someone simply doing the job they're paid to do. Yes, Brits now more commonly see a gratuity charge automatically added to bills on meals usually around 10 per cent but servers also know not to expect blind compliance. The UK tourist board, Visit Britain, notably advises people to question any establishment asking for more than this though we don't need encouragement. Many Brits will quibble about a compulsory surcharge not because of an inherent meanness or unwillingness to tip at all, but because we prefer to decide these things for ourselves. While this approach may be anathema Stateside, it really shouldn't come as such a shock to former Londoner McNally. Perhaps he has simply been cooped up in the exorbitant New York restaurant scene - and his $14 million townhouse for so long he's forgotten his roots, because he does seem hopelessly out of touch. According to him, British stinginess is most acute among the 'middle and upper' classes, evidence he suggests of their desire to preserve an antiquated class system and keep others in servitude. Incensed by what he identified as a unique reluctance to indulge the Big Apple's inflated gratuities, the British-born founder of Balthazar the high-end eatery of recent James Corden omlet-gate fame says he is 'ashamed' of his fellow countrymen. But isn't McNally (circled, above) guilty of his own snobbery? Has he considered, for example, that not every guest in his eateries can afford the same money-to-burn flamboyance of his prized A-listers especially in the current financial climate? But isn't McNally guilty of his own snobbery? Has he considered, for example, that not every guest in his eateries can afford the same money-to-burn flamboyance of his prized A-listers especially in the current financial climate? For some, paying $28 for a chicken sandwich is enough without the pressure to add a hefty tip, which can soon become prohibitive. Hospitality is a tough gig no one is saying that exemplary service shouldn't be acknowledged. But are we Brits really so terrible for our more measured ways? In the U.S., it seems an increasingly inflated and automated approach is breeding arrogant entitlement. McNally seems to have forgotten his role in all of this. After all, it's the restauranteurs who take advantage of a loophole in American minimum wage laws. For context, there is now a guaranteed federal rate but at $7.25 per hour, it's barely above poverty level. State minimum wages are higher, but vary from region to region. In New York City, the minimum wage is $15 an hour, but food-service employers are only required to pay $10. Tips cover the rest. And service staff are not complaining. In fact, employee advocacy group 'Restaurant Workers of America' fought attempts to get rid of the system in New York. Why? Because when customers think that servers are desperately relying on their gratuity, waiters make more money. Yet for some reason, McNally and co like to shame their patrons. Why do the consumers bear the brunt of this outrage? Consider the recent example of disgruntled New York waitress Madison Tayt. In New York City, the minimum wage is $15 an hour, but food-service employers are only required to pay $10. Tips cover the rest. And service staff are not complaining. 'Lmao, I f**king hate Europeans sometimes,' Tayt declared in a since deleted Twitter thread. 'This table just left $70 on a $700 check after chilling for HOURS. My manager even asked about their service, and they were OVER THE MOON about their service, so he explained the customary tip is 20 percent and they were like 'ok' and left.' It was a telling tirade. Firstly, the criticism of a group spending the better part of a grand daring to take their time over their meal, rather than chowing down and clearing out quick to make room for the next. Secondly, the fact her manager still felt compelled to force the issue with the party in question - an intervention that could only have soured their expensive experience. The restaurant industry is littered with multi-millionaire owners bemoaning soaring operating costs and making ever more cuts while still personally reaping the rewards with their extravagant lifestyles. A blame game targeting customers who they expect to make up the shortfall can be a useful narrative to divert attention from the inadequate wages they pay their staff. Some may say the recent rise in living costs is a reason for diners to tip struggling employees more. But I'd actually argue the opposite: those supporting the restaurant trade in these trying times should be cut some slack and appreciated for their custom. Meanwhile, those serving should have a fairer basic wage so they're less reliant on the whims of European tourists who can then be left in peace to tip how they like. The result should hopefully serve up a little more dignity all-round. Calls for action over e-bikes after accident A pregnant woman was hospitalised for almost two months after she was mowed down by an e-bike on a busy city street. Sarah Briscoe-Hough, 35, was the victim of a hit-and-run while walking to catch a bus at Wynyard in Sydney's CBD on February 25, 2023. As she went to cross George Street she was struck with such force that her right foot and elbow were shattered. Ms Briscoe-Hough needed multiple surgeries in the seven weeks she was in hospital. To repair the broken bones in her feet and elbows she needed plates, screws and pins inserted. She also needed skin grafts on her foot. Sarah Briscoe-Hough, 35 (pictured), was the victim of an e-bike hit-and-run Ms Briscoe-Hough, 35, needed multiple surgeries in the seven weeks she was in hospital Her baby was unharmed in the accident and she is due to give birth in August. The man responsible, who was riding a Lime e-bike while carrying another man on its handlebars, left the scene before police arrived. Ms Briscoe-Hough, an executive assistant, said the rider yelled for her to 'get out of the way' just before he knocked her down. NSW Police confirmed they are investigating the horror incident. Ms Briscoe-Hough called for legislation to prevent more accidents. 'It's very silly to use it in heavily populated areas like the CBD,' she told 9News. 'They're just using it like a normal bike - it's not a normal bike. I would absolutely hate for this to happen to anybody else.' According to a police statement, the rider did not stop to offer assistance to the injured woman. '[She] was walking along George Street Sydney near the intersection of Hunter Street when she crossed George Street from the eastern footpath to the western footpath,' the police statement said. 'A male riding a Lime hire bicycle with another male sitting on the handlebars struck the woman as she crossed the road. 'The bike rider the allegedly rode off without rendering aid to the woman.' To repair the damaged bones in her feet and elbows she needed plates, screws and pins inserted (X-ray image pictured) In NSW, power-assisted pedal cycles (including e-bikes) are legal but cannot exceed 25 kilometres an hour. Petrol-powered bikes are illegal, as are electric scooters. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Lime e-bikes for comment. A statement on the company's website said the bikes' speed is capped at 18 kilometres an hour. Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact police. From a Melbourne school boy with a passion for theatre to an Australian comedy legend revered across the globe, Barry Humphries' extraordinary rise to stardom is an incredible feat. But his enviable career is arguably eclipsed by an accomplishment many comics wish they could achieve but very few are able to do: enchant the British Royal family. Throughout his 70-year career, Humphries - and his ebullient alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson - met most of the royal family, from the late Queen herself, to the Queen Mother and King Charles. His talent and wit thrilled the royals, who were amused by the aristocratic titles he gave to his much-loved characters. He developed a longtime friendship with King Charles - appearing at the then-Prince's trust concert in 2006 - and was said to be a favourite of Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother. To their delight, the royals were often subjected to his pranks, with Dame Edna and Sir Patterson making key appearances at high-profile family events including the Queen's Jubilee. Dame Edna also famously exchanged fashion tips with Princess Diana, and commentated on two royal weddings, including that of Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson in 1986 and Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. As the world mourns the iconic comedian, Daily Mail Australia reflects on Humphries' close relationship and key moments with members of the royal family. Humphries is pictured being awarded Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in October, 2007 Charming the Queen Over the past few decades, the Queen has been pictured multiple times greeting Humphries at events, with a massive smile across both of their faces as he held her hand. After meeting the Queen in 2007, when he was presented with his Commander of the British Empire medal by Her Majesty, he revealed she was a fan. 'She said that she'd been greatly entertained by a lot of my shows,' he said. 'I've just celebrated my 50 years on the stage, so it's a great honour that my sovereign should bestow this on me, and I'm very, very pleased. 'I like medals, and all that sort of thing.' Despite his close relationship with the royals, Humphries avoided the usual pomp and circumstance when he mingled with family members. Instead of a stiff upper lip, hosting jubilee coverage twice saw him refer to Her Majesty by his famous catch line, 'Possum'. 'Here's the Jubilee Girl, possums,' he said in 2002 while co-hosting the Party at the Palace concert to mark the Queen's 50th Jubilee. Barry recounts putting the phone down on Princess Margaret because he thought the call was a hoax. Pictured: Barry as Dame Edna with the Queen in 1977 Commenting on Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's wedding Dame Edna's colourful jokes extended to all members of the royal family. Back in 1986, she was hosting Channel 9's coverage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's wedding. But Dame Edna's commentary stole the show. 'When Fergie finally arrived at the Abbey, standing in an open carriage, Dame Edna waved a huge bunch of gladdies and screamed at the top of her lungs. 'Fergie saw her, almost fell over laughing, and waved wildly back to Edna. It was a great moment, a great coup for Aussie royalty,' Ray Martin wrote in his memoir. He went on to describe Fergie as 'that pretty little Sarah' while also saying she would like to give 'a few tips about the wedding itself'. Pranking King Charles and Camilla One of Humphries' most famous skits arose at the Royal Variety Performance in London in 2019. Wearing a sparkling red gown, Dame Edna gate crashed King Charles and Camilla's royal box, leaving the couple- and the thousands-strong crowd - in stitches. A security guard came over, tapped her on the shoulder and presented her with a piece of paper, seemingly to advise her she had to leave. However, Dame Edna quipped: 'oh sorry, they have found me a better seat'.' Writing in 2013, Humphries joked: 'In those happier years, they met often, exchanging fashion tips. You can see the envy in Lady Di's body language' King Charles and Humphries' special bond While the royals adored Humphries, the admiration was mutual. In 2008, the Australian said the person he admired the most in the world was then Prince Charles. 'He does a great deal of good work without anyone knowing about it,' he said. King Charles, Humphries claimed, particularly liked his Sir Les character. One performance saw the pair reportedly discussing how much saliva he could produce while in character, which he cheekily told the royal: 'With the gladioli, I can get them into Camilla's lap if she's sitting in the front row of the dress circle.' Charles reportedly asked if he 'had some kind of tube running down his mouth' to which he replied: 'No, I produce it myself.' 'It really is organic. I can expectorate six rows into the stalls.' Meetings with Princess Diana The Princess of Wales was also a major fan of Humphries, with the pair photographed together laughing at several major events in London. In 2013, Humphries recalled one encounter Dame Edna had with the late princess in 1987. 'Princess Diana loved meeting Edna at a line-up at the London Palladium,' he said. 'In those happier years, they met often, exchanging fashion tips. You can see the envy in Lady Di's body language.' The Princess Margaret 'prank call' While he was beloved by most royals, one very memorable incident - involving English poet John Betjeman - landed him out of favour with Princess Margaret. 'I was on stage in Treasure Island with Willie Rushton and Spike Milligan, and after the show we'd all repair to the bar,' Humphries recalled to Weekend Magazine last year. 'One evening the barman shouted out, 'Call for you, Barry. Says she's Princess Margaret.' So I went to the phone and the voice at the other end said, ''Hello, it's Princess Margaret. I have Sir John Betjeman here. We want you to come over now and have some supper with us'. 'I thought it was a hoax so I laughed and put the phone down. Well, it turned out it really had been Princess Margaret, which didn't bode well for our next encounter. I could tell by a certain froideur when I was presented to her in a line-up. It was clear she hadn't been best pleased. Humphries' most famous creation is Dame Edna Everage who began life as Melbourne housewife Mrs Edna Everage in a 1955 skit. The self-proclaimed 'gigastar' is pictured meeting the future Kings Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla at London's Royal Albert Hall in 2010 FRIENDS AND ADMIRERS PAY TRIBUTE TO BARRY HUMPHRIES: * 'A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift.' - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese * 'Australia has lost its finest cultural raconteur, its most brilliant satirist, and its greatest cultural comedian ...' - Opposition Leader Peter Dutton * 'Farewell, Barry Humphries, you comedy genius.' British comedian Ricky Gervais * 'Funny, literate and fiercely intelligent.' - Australian television and stage star Jason Donovan. * 'A God of comedy. What a massive loss.' - Australian comedian Marty Fields. * 'A wondrously intelligent, entertaining, daring, provocative, mischievous comedy genius.' - British television host Piers Morgan Source: Australian Associated Press Advertisement Royals mourn Humphries After the legendary comedian died at 89 on Saturday from complications following hip surgery, members of the royal family have been among those leading the torrent of tributes for their beloved friend. Sarah Ferguson flocked online to share her sadness, remembering Humphries for his 'kindness' and 'brilliance'. 'Thank you dearest Barry for giving my father so much kindness and [from] all my family we will miss your amazing brilliance,' the Duchess tweeted. King Charles was reportedly spoke to Humphries over the phone shortly before he passed away. A royal family spokesperson told News Corp on Sunday King Charles III was 'saddened' by the passing of his longtime friend. The spokesperson said his majesty was writing privately to Mr Humphries family. James Meek, the journalist arrested on charges of child pornography, knew the true age of the 16-year-old girl he was communicating with, according to letters between his lawyers and federal investigators. The letters reveal the teenager informed him that she was underage, yet Meek allegedly continued to send explicit messages to her. The FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force led the investigation and stated in an affidavit filed in February that naked photos of the teen that included her Snapchat username in the corner of the screenshots, were found on one of Meek's phones seized during a raid on his Arlington, Virginia home. Although the filings do not give specific details as to how Meek and the teen first came into contact with one another, the saved Snapchat messages provided a window for investigators as to the nature of the relationship between the two. The Department of Justice wrote in an unsealed letter to Meek's defense attorneys that the girl, who is referred to as IDENTIFIED MINOR 2, told investigators in a recorded interview that she shared her age with Meek when she was 16 years old. A 16-year-old girl told investigators that journalist James Meek, 53, once an Emmy-winning producer, sent explicit messages to her despite her informing him of her age Meek pictured in a photo from his Twitter account- which is no longer active It not known how long the pair had been communicating with one another before she allegedly informed Meek of her age. According to the FBI, the girl claimed that she felt 'pressured' by an account believed to belong to Meek and other men to send sexually explicit photos. Several of Meek's devices allegedly contained images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and multiple chat conversations with users engaged in sexually explicit conversations where the participants expressed enthusiasm for the sexual abuse of children, according to the DOJ. Following the raid, the department obtained a search warrant for Meek's iCloud which contained backups of two of his devices and included a screenshot of one of the explicit discussions, according to the Daily Beast. Authorities also uncovered an Apple laptop that contained 'approximately 90 images and videos of child pornography.' Meek built his reputation at the New York Daily News, where his five-year investigation forced military brass to admit that Army Private First Class David Sharrett II was shot by his own commanding officer Naked and partially naked photos of the teen, included her Snapchat username in the corner of the screenshots, were discovered during a raid of Meek's home. Meek was a 2022 Foley Freedom Awardees Meek is a former investigative producer for ABC News. Meek had been known for his trailblazing journalism, which has exposed shocking military cover-ups, friendly fire deaths, and foiled terror plots. He now stands accused of sharing extremely graphic child abuse fantasies and exchanging images and videos of such abuses with users on the messaging app Kik. The FBI states that they also found numerous amounts of child pornography on a laptop, external hard drive, and multiple iPhones sized during a raid on Meek's home. Shortly after the bust, he abruptly resigned from ABC News. The FBI also uncovered screenshots of a Telegram group chat that appeared to center around child sexual abuse, explicit photos of Meek shared with minors on Snapchat and Instagram, and Instagram messages in which he allegedly impersonated a minor. The unsealed letters between the DOJ and defense attorneys provide the first glimpse into Meek's impending legal battle. If convicted of charges of transporting images of child sexual abuse, the 53-year-old could faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years. Meek, 53, has been keeping a low profile since an FBI raid at his Siena Park apartment in Arlington, Virginia last April The filings do not detail how Meek and the teen came into contact or the extent of their relationship, but saved Snapchat messages between the two were allegedly found Meek's defense attorneys have accused the DOJ of not sharing all of the evidence to which they are entitled and have demanded the feds provide additional details on what tipped them off into investigating Meek. The defense have also requested extensive documents, including copies of everything seized from Meek's home together with all communication between the FBI and police in Virginia. In response, the DOJ say they have provided all the materials they are legally required to provide which in turn has revealed some previously unreported details about the case. The feds stated they did not use undercover tactics while investigating Meek and that they had recorded interviews with 'victims and potential victims in this case.' They also claimed that they did not have to disclose what information led them to look at Meek's private Dropbox account in the first place. Meek's predatory behavior was first exposed when Dropbox alerted authorities to child porn stored in his account in March 2021. The Dropbox is where sexually explicit material involving a minor was allegedly first discovered. Meek's apartment building, where he lived until April 2022 in Arlington, Virginia The unsealed letters reveal that defense attorneys and the DOJ have disagreed about various aspects of the case. Meek's lawyers contend prosecutors lied during a detention hearing when they opposed Meek's pretrial release, alleging that he said his 'life was over' as his home was being raided. His attorneys wrote, 'Mr. Meek never said any such thing.' The feds have denied lying about the comment. The defense and DOJ also disagree on whether the DOJ is required to release information about an investigation into who leaked information about the case to Rolling Stone Magazine and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who claimed in a tweet that 'sources' said Meek was being investigated for having child pornography on a laptop. 'Illegal press leaks by members of the DOJ or FBI call into question the good faith and integrity of the government's investigation and prosecution,' defense attorneys wrote. The feds fired back: 'The government has no materials responsive to any of its discovery obligations in this case to disclose related to this topic.' Elizabeth Chau, 19, was last seen in April 1999 as she walked home in Ealing Levi Bellfield has 'admitted' to a 19-year-old student's murder in a 'written confession' and is set to be quizzed by police again, it has been reported. Bellfield, 54, is known to have killed at least three people including the highly-publicised disappearance and murder of Milly Dowler, 13, French student Amelie Delagrange, 22, and Marsha McDonnell, 19. In April 1999, a 19-year-old student, Elizabeth Chau, left Thames Valley University and was caught on CCTV walking home along the Uxbridge Road near Ealing police station. She was never seen again. Her sister, Bich, has never given up hope of being reunited with her sibling. She said: 'We want Liz to know that we love her and miss her very much.' Now, The Sun reports Bellfield has written a 'signed confession' to killing Ms Chau, 'bundling her in a van' and also detailing 'where she is buried' as well as admitting five other murder attempts. Levi Bellfield has 'admitted' to a 19-year-old student's murder in a 'written confession' and is set to be quizzed by police again, it has been reported In April 1999, a 19-year-old student, Elizabeth Chau, left Thames Valley University and was caught on CCTV walking home along the Uxbridge Road near Ealing police station. She was never seen again He is understood to have handed in the confession to his solicitor Theresa Clark in March this year. Ms Chau's family reportedly declined to comment. Theresa Clark told the publication: 'I have passed it to the police. He is likely to be interviewed under caution.' In his confession, Bellfield is said to have confessed to a 'blitz' of five attempted murders and attacks against the then 17-year-old Jessie Wilson in south west London, Sarah Spurell, 23, in Hastings in 2004, and Sonia Salvatierra, 26, in Twickenham, west London. Scotland Year launched an appeal for information on Elizabeth Chau's disappearance in 2012, 13 years after her disappearance, offering a 15,000 reward. In March this year, 54-year-old Bellfield got engaged to a regular female visitor at HMP Frankfield, where he is serving a whole-life tariff. News of his proposed nuptials with the woman, who is in her 40s, sparked outrage when they were revealed last year, and Dominic Raab has vowed action to stop it happening. The Justice Secretary is set to unveil his new Victim's Bill in the coming weeks, which would ban people serving whole life terms getting hitched behind bars. Her sister, Bich, (pictured left at a press conference with her mother Lam-Pheng on 16 April 1999) has never given up hope of being reunited with her sibling. She said: 'We want Liz to know that we love her and miss her very much' Now, The Sun reports Bellfield has written a 'signed confession' to killing Ms Chau, 'bundling her in a van' and also detailing 'where she is buried' as well as 'admitting five other attempted murders' This has put the Government on a collision course with Bellfield, who is said to be boasting that his fight against them is 'costing me f*** all'. Bellfield, who is serving two whole-life terms for the murder of 13-year-old Milli, well as Marsha McDonnell, 19, and Amelie Delagrange, 22, has demanded prison bosses bend to his request to get married. A letter sent on his behalf by law firm Carringtons claims the delay in approving his marriage request is 'unlawful' and is a breach of the 1983 Marriage Act and the European Convention on Human Rights, The Sun reports. Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 22. The fighting in the capital between the Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces resumed after an internationally brokered cease-fire failed. AP-Yonhap Some foreign nationals began evacuating from a Red Sea port in Sudan on Saturday, even as air strikes again rocked the capital Khartoum after a week of fighting between rival commanders that has killed hundreds of civilians across the nation. 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 honour 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 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. 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. 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 it could not assist convoys from Khartoum to Port Sudan 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. 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. Both sides accused the other of not respecting the truce. Citizens of Saudi Arabia and people from other nationalities are welcomed by Saudi Royal Navy officials as they arrive at Jeddah Sea Port after being evacuated through Saudi Navy Ship from Sudan to escape the conflicts, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, April 22. Reuters-Yonhap 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 reported air strikes near the state broadcaster and battles in areas including near the army headquarters on Saturday. A resident of Bahri 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," 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 fighter jets aiming strikes at paramilitary positions. International medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) appealed for safe passage. "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. Beyond 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. 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. Smoke is seen rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. April 22. Reuters-Yonhap A TV psychologist and former Downing Street adviser whose management tips include drumming with African dancers, getting your fortune told and imagining you are a stir fry has been appointed as the head of one of the Kings charities. Australian-born Kris Murrin, 54, whose television programmes include Honey, Were Killing The Kids and The Woman Who Stops Traffic, has replaced Michael Fawcett as chief executive of The Princes Foundation. Mr Fawcett, the Kings former valet, was forced to quit after The Mail on Sunday revealed he offered to help a wealthy Saudi donor obtain a knighthood and British citizenship. It sparked a cash for honours scandal which is the subject of an ongoing police investigation. Now it is hoped that Ms Murrin, who is believed to have the Kings support, can transform the charitys fortunes. Her previous roles include working for Tony Blair and David Cameron. Australian-born Kris Murrin, 54, whose television programmes include Honey, Were Killing The Kids and The Woman Who Stops Traffic, has replaced Michael Fawcett as chief executive of The Princes Foundation Michael Fawcett, the Kings former valet, was forced to quit after The Mail on Sunday revealed he offered to help a wealthy Saudi donor obtain a knighthood and British citizenship She also ran a company called ?WhatIf! which specialised in releasing the creative potential of staff. The firm helped a food retailer with new ideas by asking staff to take part in role-play games imagining they were ingredients in a stir fry. Dame Sue Bruce, chairwoman of The Princes Foundation, told The Mail on Sunday: The Board of Trustees has been considering the recruitment of a permanent CEO and has appointed Kristina Murrin CBE to the role. 'She will be a welcome addition to the executive team and brings with her a range of considerable experience. The board is indebted to Emily Cherrington for agreeing to step up to this role on a temporary basis. Emily has done an outstanding job and will resume her role as chief operating officer and deputy chief executive. A source close to The Princes Foundation added: Kris is a very experienced CEO with a real awareness that a high-profile charity like The Princes Foundation must do things absolutely by the book, and her time advising a succession of governments will help her do that. The Princes Foundation has been linked to middle men who took money from donors in exchange for dinners with the King, then Prince of Wales. But these revelations were followed by a cash for honours scandal when the MoS revealed that a donor was offered help to obtain a knighthood. A police investigation was launched and two men were questioned under caution under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said last night: The investigation is ongoing. A British charity medic who is being held prisoner by the Taliban is suffering from excruciating kidney stones and needs urgent treatment, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Concerns were growing last night for Kevin Cornwell, 53, who was detained along with an unnamed British hotel manager following a raid at Afghanistans Darya Village Hotel on January 11. The Talibans secret police accused Mr Cornwell of having an illegal firearm. Also being held is danger tourist Miles Routledge, 23, from Birmingham, who was arrested last month. Mr Cornwell missed an NHS appointment to have laser lithotripsy treatment to break up the stones last month. Concerns were growing last night for Kevin Cornwell, 53, who was detained along with an unnamed British hotel manager following a raid at Afghanistans Darya Village Hotel on January 11 Miles Routledge (left) giving the thumbs up while standing next to a member of the Taliban who is holding an automatic rifle The worst-case scenario is that Kevs kidneys fail and he dies in custody, a friend said last night. They dont have the expertise in the country to operate on him. Both kidneys are irreparably damaged so if even one occludes he wont survive. He will require a transplant soon. Mr Cornwells worsening condition came to light when he and the 52-year-old hotel manager were allowed to make surprise six-minute phone calls home on Thursday morning. This was only the second time the men have been allowed to phone relatives since they were arrested. The first calls came hours after The Mail on Sunday revealed their detention earlier this month. Scott Richards, a negotiator from the Presidium Network charity, which is assisting the families of Mr Cornwell and the hotel manager, said: The men were not informed of the call prior, so it came as a surprise to them. Kevin is receiving pain medication, but is struggling with his condition. The content of the call was of a personal nature and we can confirm the men are being treated well. We are thankful to the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) for permitting this call during the holy month of Ramadan. Mr Cornwell had been working in Afghanistan since last year, as a lead operations manager for Iqarus, a British-based health firm which assists United Nations missions. Mr Richards said: We do have concerns regarding the health of Mr Cornwell, as he has kidney issues that could evolve quickly into a more serious condition. We have made the GDI aware of his issues. Our experience with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the GDI has been constructive. We hope this continues. The UK does not have an embassy or any consulates in Afghanistan following the Talibans return to power. The Foreign Office is working to secure consular contact with the detainees. Mr Cornwells family said the Taliban government had granted a licence for the Taurus PT 24/7 Pro handgun which agents had claimed to be illegal. Mr Richards provided a picture of the licence issued by the Ministry of Interior Affairs. The British hotel manager held with Mr Cornwell has not been named at the request of his family. No charges have been brought against the two men and they have not been granted legal representation. Mr Richards previously said the case could be a simple misunderstanding, and urged the Taliban to pardon the men. A Foreign Office spokesman said: We have spoken to the three British nationals. We continue to press for more consular contact and we are supporting the families. Britain's 3.2 billion aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been reduced to acting as a scrap-yard. Essential pieces of equipment are being ripped out of the stricken warship, a move that raises questions over its long-term future. The UK's second carrier has been in dry dock since breaking down off Portsmouth in August 2022. Now Navy top brass have begun stripping the carrier a process known as 'cannibalisation' which will render HMS Prince of Wales inoperable for much longer. Lift chains, which allow fighter jets to be raised from below deck, electrical systems and sections of the ship's gas turbines have been taken out. These parts, without which it cannot function fully, are being fitted to her sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, as replacements for parts that have aged or malfunctioned. HMS Prince of Wales broke down due to issues with her starboard propeller, which is being replaced as part of a 25million refit the cost has risen by 5million in the past month. The Mail on Sunday can report for the first time today that the warship's port propeller also needs to be replaced as it is suffering from the same issues. HMS Prince of Wales launched in 2017 is expected to spend at least a year in dock due to the additional workload. The warship, pictured in early 2022, could remain in dock for a yea According to insiders, the Navy is also spending millions on replacement fuel pumps for both carriers. Last night, a Navy source said: 'It is one disaster after another. To lose both propellers so soon into her lifespan is ridiculous. As she's out of action, inevitably her good parts are being stripped off to support HMS Queen Elizabeth. 'Whatever the bosses need to keep the first carrier afloat and operational, they take from the second. HMS Prince of Wales is being mothballed, unofficially at least.' Both ships cost 6 billion before a single fighter jet was purchased. The decision to build two carriers is being questioned inside the cash-strapped Ministry of Defence. An inquiry into issues suffered by HMS Prince of Wales has uncovered evidence the second carrier was rushed into service, seemingly to serve a political agenda. Last night, the Royal Navy said: 'We remain committed to ensuring HMS Prince of Wales commences her operational programme, as planned, in August 2023. 'It is not unusual for equipment to be transferred between ships to ensure operational availability and to avoid delays.' A British spy sent to a jihadist camp by MI6 after he had been deemed highly emotionally unstable went on to kill his own child, a shocking report has revealed. The unnamed man, who was then in his twenties, was vetted by the intelligence agency prior to his deployment - and the results of the report into him paint a disturbing picture. On emotional instability he was graded 'the highest it is possible to score', according to the leaked report, which has been seen by The Sunday Times. Despite the findings, the man was sent to go undercover as a jihadist soldier in a village in Waziristan, Pakistan, which served as a Taliban and al-Qaeda base. After his return to the UK, the spy went on to kill his own child, who sustained multiple injuries. He was arrested and later found guilty of murder. A British spy sent to a jihadist camp by MI6 after he had been deemed highly emotionally unstable went on to kill his own child, a shocking report has revealed. File image shows the Secret Intelligence Service building According to the leaked document, the spy had more in common with a psychotic person than most members of the public do. He also reported having previously suffered a mental breakdown as a young man and having been sexually abused as a child. The Times additionally reports that the document reveals the man's wife stayed in a refuge for domestic abuse victims while he was previously an employee at MI5. While at MI6, during his time in Waziristan, he washed and buried dead soldiers and reportedly held the head of a decapitated child. After suffering from extreme stress, flashbacks and violent outbursts upon his return - all of which is said to have been recorded by his employer - the man went on to kill his own child. It is believed he was sent to a psychiatric unit after his arrest and that the jury later recognised that he had been having a mental breakdown. The man reportedly admitted to killing his child and was found guilty in a largely secret trial. The spy was sent to go undercover as a jihadist soldier in a village in Waziristan, Pakistan, which served as a Taliban and al-Qaeda base. File image shows a village in North Waziristan However, The Sunday Times report says - in another disturbing twist - that the court has 'lost' all its papers relating to the case, and has not given any reason as to how this happened. The publication also reports that the government has refused to publish its 42,000-word report examining how the child was allowed to die. MI6, meanwhile, has never given an explanation as to why he was hired. The Secret Intelligence Service has been approached for comment. Sir Keir Starmer risks opening himself up to personal attacks including questions about whether he has taken drugs by sanctioning controversial attack adverts on Rishi Sunak, senior Labour figures have warned. Labour has been split over the new strategy, which launched with a Twitter post accusing the Prime Minister of not wanting child sex abusers to go to jail. It was branded gutter politics by critics, with some internal Labour opponents fearing it could lead to the Conservatives launching a more personal campaign against their leader. One possible line of attack could be the question of whether Sir Keir has ever taken illegal drugs. In a 2021 interview, Piers Morgan asked him 14 times whether he had ever taken drugs, only to get the response: We worked hard and played hard. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer visits a medical ward training facility at Middlesbrough College Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a gala dinner at Hillsborough Castle Mr Morgan then pressed Sir Keir to give a yes or no response, saying: Given your clear reluctance to give me a straight, simple answer, am I right in assuming from your response that you have tried drugs but that you didnt actually like them and didnt want to take any more? Sir Keir said: I havent said no. READ MORE: Rishi Sunak pleads with Britons not to turn off emergency phone alerts Advertisement Red Knight, an unauthorised biography of Sir Keir by Lord Ashcroft, quotes an anonymous friend saying the Labour leader was not averse to smoking weed at social occasions when he was a younger man. In contrast, when Mr Sunak was asked during last summers Tory leadership contest whether he had ever taken drugs, he replied with an unequivocal no. We revealed earlier this month that the attack adverts were hatched to neutralise headlines describing Sir Keir Starmer as Sir Softy for his record on crime. It sparked controversy within Labour, with former Home Secretary David Blunkett saying: My party is better than this. But Sir Keir said that he made zero apologies for the strategy. It has already put Sir Keirs track record on crime under renewed scrutiny. In 2020, he campaigned against the deportation of Tajay Thompson back to Jamaica after serving half of a 15-month sentence for drug dealing. After the 26-year-olds flight was grounded by the legal challenge Thompson went on to beat two women. The Prime Minister used the Sir Softy label to attack the Labour leader in the Commons last week, saying he was soft on crime, soft on criminals. Boris Johnson has previously admitted he had smoked quite a few spliffs at university, and said: I think I was once given cocaine but I sneezed and so it did not go up my nose. In fact, I may have been doing icing sugar. In February, Sir Keir said an incoming Labour government would crack down on drug dealing by supporting neighbourhood policing. A Labour spokesman declined to comment last night. It comes after Prince Andrew's ex Sarah Ferguson was not invited to ceremony King Charles and Queen Consort will be crowned at Westminster Abbey May 6 Queen Consort Camilla's ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles is going to be at Westminster Abbey to watch Charles's coronation, a report has revealed. According to The Sunday Times, the Queen's former husband will be 'front and centre' of the congregation to watch his first wife be crowned next to King Charles. He and Camilla, who married in 1973, have two children, food critic Tom Parker Bowles and art curator Laura Lopes. Camilla married Prince Charles in 2005, while Parker Bowles exchanged vows with Rosemary Pitman in 1996. She died in 2010. They separated in the 1980s, finally divorcing in 1995, with a royal biographer once remarking: 'It is said that an English gentleman will always lay down his wife for his country and this was certainly true in the case of Andrew Parker Bowles.' It comes after it was revealed that Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson has not been invited to the grand occasion on Saturday 6 May. Queen Consort Camilla's ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles is going to be at Westminster Abbey to watch Charles's coronation, a report has revealed (pictured on their wedding day, July 4, 1973) According to The Sunday Times , the Queen's former husband will be 'front and centre' of the congregation to watch his first wife be crowned next to King Charles Camilla and Andrew share two children, Tom Parker Bowles, 48, a food writer and Laura Lopes, 45, a gallerist - with Tom's son Freddie, and Laura's twin sons Gus and Louis, all 13, set to be Camilla's pages of honour. The publication reports that they will be carrying the train of her robes during the grand ceremony at the coronation. Friends of Mr Parker Bowles told the paper that he was 'very naughty with women' and a 'bit of a rogue'. Earlier this week, Sarah Ferguson broke her silence on her Coronation snub. The Duchess of York, 63, said that she's not offended while speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, citing her divorce from Prince Andrew. She told presenters 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.' She added that just because she's 'not there on the state occasion', she can still 'be there' in private. 'That's a lovely feeling to be part of, it really is,' she continued, 'and as I said you can't have it both ways. You mustn't sit on the fence. You're either in or out, don't muck around.' She added: 'The great thing about this moment in time is the unity of family, and I think that Charles and Camilla are doing an exceptional job at unifying the family.' Elsewhere Sarah said the 'spotlight needs to come off' Prince Andrew to let him get 'on with his life'. Royal commentator Tom Bower previously told MailOnline that Sarah had excluded herself because of her previous 'conduct'. He added that her presence would 'provoke critical comment, which King Charles doesn't need'. He and Camilla, who married in 1973, have two children, food critic Tom Parker Bowles and art curator Laura Lopes. Camilla married Prince Charles in 2005, while Parker Bowles exchanged vows with Rosemary Pitman in 1996. She died in 2010. (King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla pictured at their civil wedding ceremony on April 9, 2005) Camilla Shand and Major Andrew Parker-Bowles pose with their pageboys and bridesmaids after their wedding at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, 4 July 1973 And expert Richard Fitzwilliams praised the 'extremely wise' decision from the King because she has been an 'embarrassment to the Royal Family for many years'. But the apparent decision has surprised some royal watchers with Meghan's friend Omid Scobie tweeting: 'If true, this feels kinda cruel, no?' Speaking about the absence of Sarah, Mr Bower said she will be left out 'because she is not a member of the Royal Family'. He added that she had excluded herself 'by her past conduct', saying: 'Her presence would provoke critical comment which Charles doesn't need.' In February 1974, Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath called a General Election appealing for a mandate to take a tougher line against militant trade unions, whose endless strike action had brought the country to its knees. He called on voters to ask themselves: Who governs Britain? Nearly 50 years on, that question has become just as relevant arguably more so. With the defenestration of Justice Secretary Dominic Raab after an orchestrated and largely exaggerated slew of bullying claims by civil servants, the relationship between Ministers and Whitehall has hit rock bottom. This was a transparent and carefully choreographed hatchet job, designed by civil servants to bring down a Minister who held himself to a high standard and expected the same of his staff. It was a work ethic and strength of purpose some were clearly unable, or unwilling, to match. In other walks of life, such dedication would be inspiring. To some in Whitehall, it appears to have been seen as a threat. But there is also a deeply troubling political dimension to this. The Civil Service is the engine of government, employed to advise on and implement policies drawn up by elected politicians. Scrupulous impartiality is essential if it is to function properly. In February 1974, Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath called a General Election appealing for a mandate to take a tougher line against militant trade unions, whose endless strike action had brought the country to its knees With the defenestration of Justice Secretary Dominic Raab after an orchestrated and largely exaggerated slew of bullying claims by civil servants, the relationship between Ministers and Whitehall has hit rock bottom Yet its scarcely a secret that much of Whitehall, from the top down, is heavily biased against both Tories and Brexit. The unseemly appointment of Sue Gray the senior mandarin whose Partygate inquiry contributed hugely to Boris Johnsons demise to Sir Keir Starmers top team is only the latest telling defection. Others from Whitehalls top table, among them former Civil Service chief Lord Kerslake, have been advising Labour for years, raising questions about their political neutrality when in post. Mr Raab complained of a cultural resistance from his officials to Conservative plans for post-Brexit reforms such as overhauling the Human Rights Act. Indeed, one of the two substantiated bullying charges concerned his removal of a senior Brexit negotiator he believed was undermining Government policy over arrangements for Gibraltar by engaging in backstairs talks with Spain. What on earth was Mr Raab supposed to do in such a situation? Smile and look the other way? Another ex-head of the Civil Service, Lord ODonnell, took to the airwaves yesterday, adamantly denying the claim that some civil servants have become activists rather than honest brokers. Mr Raab certainly doesnt believe that denial, neither does this newspaper. Led by hard-Left unions, the Civil Service is beginning to act like a branch of the Labour Party. And when the impartiality of the Civil Service cant be relied on, its integrity is holed below the water line and good governance becomes impossible. But its not just Whitehall which threatens to make Britain ungovernable. There is a broader affiliation, mainly but not exclusively of the Left, apparently intent on grinding this country down. From junior doctors prepared to risk lives in pursuit of an absurd 35 per cent pay claim, through rail workers cynically sabotaging economic recovery, to teachers, nurses and other groups of public sector workers, trade unions are in the forefront of this movement. The arrogant prigs of Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil, the police who dance with them instead of locking them up, the barristers who refuse to prosecute them and the judges who treat them leniently are all culpable. The pernicious rise of cancel culture, critical race theory, identity politics, the corrosive wokeness of academia, the bias conscious and unconscious of the BBC and the inability of local councils even to fill potholes have all added to the sense of a nation in drift. Rishi Sunaks failure to stand by his Deputy Prime Minister was a mistake. The PM has to be stronger and face down the cynics and the wreckers, rather than giving in to them. He must take the fight to Labour over the economy, NHS, the small boats and much else. There is time to reverse this tide of declinism before the General Election, but not much. Mr Sunak is lucky his principal opponent is such an obvious dud, but he cant hope to win merely by default. He might take inspiration from Margaret Thatchers memorable words before her 1979 triumph: We want to be elected so we can do better, not because we couldnt possibly do worse. Jones' wife says cruise staff put his body in a drinks cooler and left it for six days A Florida family is suing Celebrity Cruises after they say their loved one was put in a drinks cooler after his death, resulting in his body being badly decomposed after they deboarded the ship. Robert L. Jones died from heart complications while on board the Celebrity Equinox on August 15, 2022. After his death, his wife Marilyn Jones was told the body could be kept in the ship's morgue for six days until they arrived back in Florida. At some point, however, Bob's corpse was moved from the morgue to a drinks cooler on a different floor of the ship, the complaint alleges. Jones - along with her daughters Robin Phillips and Teresa West - allege that cruise staff urged her to keep Bob's body on board, instead of removing it during a stop in Puerto Rico. By the time a funeral services employee went to retrieve the elderly man's body upon arrival in Florida, the corpse - which was found in a body bag on a floor palette - had been so badly decomposed that an open-casket funeral was not possible. Jones, her daughters, and her grandchildren are suing for $1 million. A Florida family is suing Celebrity Cruises after they say their loved one was put in a drinks cooler after his death, resulting in his body being badly decomposed after they deboarded A lawsuit filed by Marilyn Jones, 79, and her daughters alleges that cruise staff urged Jones - who was 78 at the time - to keep the body of Robert L. Jones, 79, (pictured) on board In the lawsuit, filed on April 19 in the Florida Southern District court, the family alleges Celebrity Cruises improperly stored the 79-year-old's body, so much so that his remains were 'so far gone in the decomposition process.' The remains could not be salvaged, the lawsuit states, and the family had to forgo their 'long standing family custom' of open-casket services. Upon his passing, cruise workers told Jones she had the option to either have his body removed from the ship in San Juan or have it stored properly for six days until they arrived in Fort Lauderdale. 'Celebrity employees told Plaintiff Marilyn Jones that if she had her husbands body taken ashore in San Juan, she would be required to stay in San Juan with his body and would have to make arrangements for transport for herself and her husbands body back to the mainland United States,' the complaint alleges. 'Plaintiff Jones was 78 years old at the time and was without any other family members on board the ship,' it goes on to say. Cruise ship representatives told West that there was a '50/50 shot' the coroners office in San Juan would take possession of her fathers body before releasing it to a funeral home for preservation procedures. They also allegedly told the family that they had a working morgue on board that was equipped to deal with situations like these. It was on their recommendation, the complaint states, that Jones decided to keep her husband's body on board where she believed it would be safe. Jones - who had been married to 'Bob' for 55 years - was allegedly told by Celebrity employees that her husband's corpse could be stored in the ship's morgue until they returned home Robert Jones (center) daughter Robin Phillips (left) and granddaughter (right) At some point during the six-day journey back to Florida, Bob's body was moved from the ship's morgue to a drinks cooler that was not adequately equipped to store remains. It wasn't until a funeral services employee in Fort Lauderdale went to retrieve the body from the morgue that they realized it had been moved at all. 'The cooler in which Mr. Jones body was found by the funeral employee had drinks placed outside of the cooler, and was not at a temperature which was sufficient nor proper for storing a dead body to prevent decomposition,' the complaint reads. 'On inspection of Mr. Jones body, it was immediately clear that Mr. Jones body was in advanced stages of decomposition and was never stored in a temperature appropriate to stop decomposition from occurring,' the suit continues. According to the family, the man's body was found severely expanded from gas that had formed from the decomposition. Additionally, Bob's skin had turned green and the intubation tube was still in his mouth and down his throat. There was also blood spatter on the inside of the bag that 'would have only occurred' from the gas building up in the body and being released through the tube. The family believes that the morgue on board the ship was not properly working at the time and that they were never informed of the situation or given a chance to make any decisions. In order to keep dead bodies in proper condition, they must be stored in freezing temperatures to slow the decomposition process. Celebrity - which has experienced dozens of deaths on other cruises - should have known this and had a properly working morgue that could have kept Bob's remains in the correct state, the complaint alleges. Normally, dead bodies should be able to be stored in morgues for weeks or months before major decomposition begins. According to the family, the man's body was found severely expanded from gas that had formed from the decomposition By the time a funeral services employee went to retrieve the elderly man's body upon arrival in Florida, the corpse - which was found in a body bag on a floor palette - had been so badly decomposed that an open-casket funeral was not possible The family says the actions and inactions regarding the elderly man's body show Celebrity's indifference to 'his passing, his dignity, and his family, friends, and communitys loss, and showed an entire want of care for the safety of his remains' Jones and her family members are asking a judge for $1 million, including prejudgment and post judgment interest and costs, as well as demand a trial by jury The family says the actions and inactions regarding the elderly man's body show Celebrity's indifference to 'his passing, his dignity, and his family, friends, and communitys loss, and showed an entire want of care for the safety of his remains.' 'The Celebrity crew in charge of storing Mr. Jones body during the six remaining days of the cruise acted recklessly, willfully, and wantonly, and without care for the Jones familys loved one by failing to ensure that the morgue was properly working for the duration of the near week that the remains were stored under their care,' the suit states. 'As a passenger on its ship, the defendant owed Robert Jones a duty to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances,' the complaint reads. DailyMail.com reached out to Celebrity Cruises for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. It's one of the priciest cafes in the UK, where even jam on toast costs a wallet-busting 8 a portion. But despite the cost-of-living crisis, business is booming at a new London coffee shop set up by high-end fashion label Prada with customers facing weeks-long waiting lists for prime slots. The upmarket pop-up in Harrods department store charges 6.25 for a cup of tea, 6.50 for a cappuccino and 6.95 for a bottle of sparkling mineral water. Among the most popular items on the menu are the individual glazed sponge cakes, emblazoned with a 'Prada Milano' logo and available in lemon, apricot, hazelnut, strawberry and pistachio. The mini-treats or 'monoportions' as the cafe calls them cost 15 and can be devoured in a couple of bites. But as one tweeter pointed out: 'I swear Londoners have an obsession with being fleeced. Prada [is] opening up a cafe in London with 15 cakes when in the Milan one you get 3 gins and some crisps for the same price.' Business is booming at a new London coffee shop set up by high-end fashion label Prada with customers facing weeks-long waiting lists for prime slots. Pictured: Sabrina Miller Among the most popular items on the menu are the individual glazed sponge cakes, emblazoned with a 'Prada Milano' logo and available in lemon, apricot, hazelnut, strawberry and pistachio Caffe Prada has proved a hit with fashionistas and Instagram influencers keen to post content from the photogenic venue Alternatively, sweet-toothed patrons might opt for a box of 12 designer chocolates for 50. One customer who sampled them said they tasted 'just like a Kit-Kat'. Despite the eye-watering prices, Caffe Prada has proved a hit with fashionistas and Instagram influencers keen to post content from the photogenic venue, decked out in the Italian fashion brand's distinctive mint-green colour scheme. The MoS yesterday tried to book a table for a prime lunchtime slot but the next available date was on May 31. The lunchtime menu offers a 38 saffron and parmesan risotto, spaghetti with tomatoes at 29, and beef fillet fror 45. Adding grilled broccoli or a green salad as a side is an extra 8.50. For breakfast, yogurt and granola costs 13, toasted brioche and jams 8, and salmon and eggs 17 and you can add caviar for another 22. Social-media users condemned the prices. One said the cafe was an 'upmarket rip-off'; another asked 'do you have to remortgage to eat there?' and another suggested it 'won't be as good as a Greggs' where a regular tea costs 1. The cafe, which remains open until January next year, says it is offering a 'modern take on Italian tradition', adding that its 'fine patisserie creations expertly pair artisanal techniques and the pursuit of new flavours and aromas with exquisite results'. Sweet-toothed patrons might opt for a box of 12 designer chocolates for 50. One customer who sampled them said they tasted 'just like a Kit-Kat' Social-media users condemned the prices. One said the cafe was an 'upmarket rip-off' King Charles spoke with Barry Humphries shortly before the legendary comedian died at the age of 89. The Melbourne-born comic genius died at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney following complications from hip surgery on Saturday. Humphries is understood to have received a phone call from King Charles while he was being treated. King Charles had also sent him an email with film director Bruce Beresford confirming their interactions after paying his friend a visit in hospital. 'Barry said, 'Well, I always admired him. We always got on well and I really liked his company and enjoyed being with him',' he told The Australian. 'Barry was one of those people, he had great capacity for friendship. He was so interested in people.' The legendary comedian had a longtime friendship with the King - appearing at the then-Prince's trust concert in 2006 - and was also said to have been a favourite of Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother. King Charles spoke with Barry Humphries shortly before the legendary comedian died at the age of 89 The King said he had been left 'saddened' by the death of the 89-year-old Australian comic. 'His Majesty is writing privately to Mr Humphries' family as we speak,' a spokesperson for the Royal Family told Sky News. One of Humphries' best known skits as his most famous character Dame Edna Everage came at the Royal Variety Performance in London in 2019. Wearing a sparkling red gown, Dame Edna gatecrashed the then-Prince Charles and Camilla's royal box, leaving the couple - and the audience - in stitches. After milking the scene for laughs a security guard entered the box, tapped the Dame on the shoulder and presented her with a piece of paper with her actual ticket. Edna now had to leave, but told the crowd: 'Oh sorry, they have found me a better seat.' The royals adored Humphries, and the admiration was mutual. In 2008, the he said the person he admired the most in the world was Prince Charles as 'he does a great deal of good work without anyone knowing about it'. King Charles particularly liked Humphries' Sir Les Patterson character; a former Australian government minister and cultural attache. One performance saw the pair reportedly discussing how much saliva he could produce while in character as Patterson. 'With the gladioli, I can get them into Camilla's lap if she's sitting in the front row of the dress circle,' Humphries cheekily told the royal. Charles asked if he 'had some kind of tube running down his mouth' to help with the saliva, to which he replied: 'No, I produce it myself. 'It really is organic. I can expectorate six rows into the stalls.' The legendary comedian had a longtime friendship with the King - appearing at the then-Prince's trust concert in 2006 - and was also said to have been a favourite of Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother Humphries' heartbroken family, who were by his bedside throughout the week, confirmed the news on Saturday night, saying the legendary icon was 'himself until the very end'. Humphries tripped on a rug while reaching for a book in February and underwent surgery at St Vincent's where he was readmitted this week with family including Spender by his side. '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. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: '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.' Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson said Humphries was 'one of the greatest ever Australians' and a 'comic genius' who used his characters to say the 'otherwise unsayable'. Josep Borrell, high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaks during an interview in Brussels, April 20. EPA-Yonhap EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on European navies to patrol the disputed Taiwan Strait, in an opinion piece in a French weekly published Sunday. Borrell's comments in the Journal Du Dimanche, echo comments he made last week when he stressed how crucial Taiwan is to Europe. Taiwan "concerns us economically, commercially and technologically", Borrell said. "That's why I call on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait to show Europe's commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely crucial area." Two weeks ago, China launched three days of military exercises around Taiwan simulating targeted strikes and a blockade of the island in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. On Tuesday, in a speech opening a debate on China at the European Parliament, he said: "Taiwan is clearly part of our geostrategic perimeter to guarantee peace. "It is not only for a moral reason that an action against Taiwan must necessarily be rejected. It is also because it would be, in economic terms, extremely serious for us, because Taiwan has a strategic role in the production of the most advanced semiconductors," he said. Borrell's comments come after French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month argued that Europe should not be a "follower" of the United States in the event of conflict with China over Taiwan. Macron's comments, coming after a visit to China, sparked criticism from some politicians in both the United States and inside the European Union. China claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control one day. (AFP) The Duchess of Sussex has said the suggestion that she is missing the coronation because of a letter she sent to King Charles over racism and 'unconscious bias' inside the Royal Family is 'frankly ridiculous'. On Friday, it was reported that Meghan Markle wrote to King Charles after her bombshell Oprah interview, and she reportedly named the individual accused of speculating about her unborn son Archie's skin colour. It is understood that it was sent in reply to a letter 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. 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. But Sussex insider Omid Scobie has released a statement from Team Sussex, which said in response to the reports, that it was 'false' and 'frankly ridiculous'. 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) Writing from his Twitter account, Omid Scobie posted the statement from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It read: '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. 'Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. 'We encourage tabloid media and various other royal correspondents to stop exhausting the circus that they alone are creating.' The earlier reports said that Buckingham Palace is also aware of the Sussexes' frustration that initial correspondence about the Coronation made no reference to their children. Harry will 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 contacted the Sussexes for comment but recieved no response, with the couple instead releasing the statement through Scobie. 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 also reported on Friday 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. King Charles is backing British craftsmen by choosing artisan tailors to make his Coronation outfits, The Mail on Sunday has learned. A source close to the Coronation preparations said: The idea is that the King arrives as a pauper and leaves as a crowned King and the clothes enable that transformation. 'Thats why we will notice the King change outfits during the service. The King will arrive at the abbey wearing Royal Navy military trousers made by Master Tailor Malcolm Plews. Considered by many to be the best cutter on Savile Row, Mr Plews has been responsible for the Kings military uniforms for the past 40 years and holds the Royal Warrant.His biography on the Royal Warrant Holders website says his dedication to quality transforms his bespoke suits into more than just something you wear. King Charles is backing British craftsmen by choosing artisan tailors to make his Coronation outfits, The Mail on Sunday has learned The King will arrive at the abbey wearing Royal Navy military trousers made by Master Tailor Malcolm Plews for the Coronation They become an emotion, a feeling of confidence something that keeps clients coming back. A lot of thought has gone into every stitch For the anointing, the King will wear a silk undershirt made by Turnbull & Asser. The collars and cuffs will be hand-embroidered with acorns and oak leaf detail. The garment is understood to have been made in Gloucestershire using English homespun silk. It is thought that Savile Row shoe shop Gaziano & Girling has been responsible for creating special slippers opera pumps for the King to wear on the Coronation day. Made completely by hand, they have been crafted in Northampton using Swiss calf leather. The sole leather comes from a tannery in Devon that uses ancient methods. A source said: At every stage of the preparations the King has requested for traditional techniques and sustainable fabrics to be made. A lot of thought has gone into the planning of every stitch and every detail. The Mail on Sunday previously revealed that the King would wear a gold coat and a supertunica a priestly robe to symbolise the divine nature of Kingship. The owner of Tata Steel has become the latest major company to sever its ties with the Confederation of British Industry in the wake of a second rape allegation. The lobbying group is on the brink of collapse after many of the biggest names in corporate Britain suspended or cancelled their membership when a second woman alleged she was raped while working there. A flood of members quit last Friday, including John Lewis, NatWest and Virgin Media O2. Now Indian conglomerate Tata Group, which also owns Tetley Tea, has confirmed it will leave. It also owns carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, which said on Friday it would quit the CBI, but Tata Group has now confirmed none of its companies will work with the organisation. The owner of Tata Steel has become the latest major company to sever its ties with the Confederation of British Industry in the wake of a second rape allegation Britain's largest steel manufacturer, Tata Steel, has followed in the steps of other business giants John Lewis, NatWest and Virgin Media O2 in rescinding its membership of the CBI The CBI on Friday said it shared the shock and revulsion at the two separate allegations of rape and was deeply sorry. It has ceased activity until June when it will hold a one-off meeting where members will vote on its future and purpose. But there are growing calls for companies to leave before then with critics saying the organisation has run its course. Businessman and former MEP John Longworth, who was previously the head of lobby group the British Chambers of Commerce, told The Mail on Sunday: Its now got to the point where there are so many organisations checking out and the Government has said it doesnt want to engage with it any more, so really its got to the point where it has no purpose anyway. Sky News last night reported that a stop-gap group of companies was being formed to fill the void left by the CBI crisis. It is the latest twist in the probe into 600,000 of possible 'missing' SNP funds Police probing SNP fraud claims are hunting for phone SIM cards, the MoS can reveal. It is the latest twist in the probe into 600,000 of possible 'missing' SNP funds. SIM cards hold a record of texts and calls made, and police believe they would help them build a picture in relation to the 'missing' funds. Officers have already raided the home of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell and his wife, former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon. Detectives were also seen carrying boxes from the SNP's Edinburgh offices. Last week, ex-SNP treasurer Colin Beattie was arrested, and SNP sources say it is 'only a matter of time' before Ms Sturgeon is questioned by police. A senior party source last night said: 'The police are looking for sim cards. They could contain vital evidence especially over any text messages. That is one reason the police are going through everything with a fine-tooth comb.' The astonishing revelation follows another tumultuous week for the Nationalists, after the party's treasurer Mr Beattie, 71, was also arrested and questioned amid the probe. Last week, ex-SNP treasurer Colin Beattie (pictured) was arrested, and SNP sources say it is 'only a matter of time' before Ms Sturgeon is questioned by police Speculation continues to mount as to when Police Scotland will question Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) First Minister Humza Yousaf was forced to step in as the temporary finance boss of his party, and admitted the SNP was still without auditors, despite its former accountants resigning in September last year. As rumours of Scotland's ruling party becoming bankrupt swirl as, without auditors, they will lose their 1 million 'short money' opposition parties receive at Westminster speculation continues to mount as to when Police Scotland will question Ms Sturgeon. A number of SNP sources believe the former First Minister will be arrested 'imminently'. Ms Sturgeon has repeatedly denied the police investigation into the allegations of 'missing' party funds contributed to her shock resignation in February. Claims she jumped before she was pushed have been rubbished by the former SNP leader and her team but the accusations have resurfaced following the dramatic arrest of her husband Mr Murrell and Mr Beattie, both of whom were released without charge. The police probe is focused on how money raised in 2017 and 2019 as part of a 'referendum appeal' has been spent. Concern was first raised when SNP accounts showed there was less than 100,000 in the bank at the end of 2019, despite 600,000 being raised from donations to the referendum appeals, sparking at least 19 complaints. After the police began their investigation, Mr Murrell who was the SNP's chief executive for 24 years then loaned the party 107,620, which he claimed was to assist with 'cashflow'. First Minister Humza Yousaf (pictured) was forced to step in as the temporary finance boss of his party, and admitted the SNP was still without auditors, despite its former accountants resigning in September last year Serious questions were raised about the loan after the party failed to disclose it until 14 months later. Mr Yousaf last week confirmed the SNP had still not repaid Mr Murrell all of his money, with 60,000 still outstanding. Ms Sturgeon has continued to distance herself from the police probe, claiming the loan was Mr Murrell's to make and he was entitled to help the party he supports. Pointedly, she said her husband would do with his own 'resources' what he wanted. Although both Mr Murrell and Mr Beattie were released without charge, police investigations continue. The latest revelations will ramp up pressure on Mr Yousaf over his handling of the SNP financial crisis just as he is set to meet Rishi Sunak for the first time since being sworn in as First Minister at the end of last month. In an apparent bid to improve relations between the UK and Scottish Governments, Mr Yousaf will travel to London for informal talks with the Prime Minister tomorrow. He will then meet the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, as well as the German and Ukrainian ambassadors, officials say. The trip south signals that Mr Yousaf hopes to develop a more cordial working relationship with the Prime Minister despite their opposing views on a number of subjects, not least Scottish separation. But the First Minister is likely to face a frosty welcome from Mr Sunak after pledging within days of his appointment to launch a legal challenge against the UK Government for blocking gender reforms, while also last week blaming Westminster for delaying the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland. The latest sim card development in the SNP police probe will not go unnoticed by the Tory leader who alluded to the issues facing the Nationalists last week. Crossing swords with SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said: 'Mr Speaker, at the moment, him and his party are focused on other matters, but we're just gonna motor on with the job.' Former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam once wrote a gushing reference letter for Barry Humphries saying he was so beloved by Australians many believe he should be placed under an 'export ban'. After the comedy legend's death age 89 on Saturday, the affectionate note penned by Mr Whitlam on January 31, 1973 - just over a month after he became the country's 21st Prime Minister - has resurfaced online. Letter-headed from the Prime Minister's office in Canberra, the paper addressed to 'whom it may concern' described Humphries as of 'excellent character' with 'deep inner resources'. 'Barry Humphries, Esq., is personally known to me as a person of most excellent character in any of the manifold ones in which he chooses to present himself,' Mr Whitlam said. Former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret Whitlam are pictured at a Melbourne Cup lunch in 2001 The 21st Australian Prime Minister wrote a reference letter for Humphries in January 1973 'His solid family background and first-class education have provided him with deep inner resources upon which he has always been able unfailingly to draw.' Mr Whitlam said Humphries had become a cultural icon which was causing strain on his government. 'He has become so much part of the Australian way that my Government is under strong pressure to institutionalise him,' he continued. 'Many Australians believe that, like the kangaroo, he should be placed under export ban.' Humphries was born in Kew, Melbourne, and spent a large portion of his life living in the UK, taking residence in West Hampstead in London. Signing off, Mr Whitlam said Humphries was a 'fine young person who will go a long way' and he would be 'most grateful' for any assistance the readers could give him. While the details of Mr Whitlam and Humphries first meeting remains unclear, the pair shared a deep mutual respect extending over several decades. In fact, the former PM is partly responsible for catapulting the career of Humphries most famous character, Dame Edna Everage. In 1974, Mr Whitlam appeared in the movie 'Barry McKenzie Holds His Own', in which Humphries played the role of Barry's aunt, Edna. The plot centres on Edna being kidnapped after being mistaken for the Queen of England and held hostage in France before she is rescued by her nephew and associates. Once she is saved and touches down in Australia to a cheering crowd, Mr Whitlam bestows Edna with Damehood. Critics have argued the momentous decision by Mr Whitlam to appear in the film and knight Humphries' alter ago played a major role in her becoming a cultural icon. Legendary comedian Barry Humphries died in Sydney on Saturday at the age of 89 after complications following hip surgery Mr Whitlam famously made Humphries' most famous character Edna Everage (pictured) a dame in the 1974 movie Barry McKenzie Holds His Own In Christmas that year, Humphries told Punch Magazine he had met Mr Whitlam and was so impressed he would vote impartially at the next election. More than 20 years on, Humphries continued to express his support for the Labor Leader. In a segment on his 1999 ABC TV series Barry Humphries Flashbacks, the comedian described Gough Whitlam as a 'socialist King Arthur' during a skit detailing the politician's extraordinary rise from a 'lawyer from Cabramatta' to prime minister. 'I'm proud to say that I, Les Patterson, was an integral part of the Whitlam Camelot,' Sir Patterson says. 'If you think of Gough as King Arthur at a round table with old Margaret there as Queen Gen-a.. Gen- a..Gon.. Gono-rrhea... Gonavere.. I was Merl - the think tank, the idea's man. Gough and Margaret Whitlam with Dame Edna, during filming of the movie 'Bazza Holds His Own', 1974 pic.twitter.com/4szwRXeQxG Canberra Insider (@CanberraInsider) February 28, 2020 Sir Patterson said Mr Whitlam was once extremely benevolent when he approached the then-prime minister for financial help to launch a project. 'I came to him and I said one day, and he locked the door, and he said: 'what is it this time Les". 'I said I need money and I need telephone numbers Gough because this is for a special project - it's the disabled black lesbian puppet workshop. 'He looked at me a bit strange when I said that. He said: 'You need big bickeys for that Les?" - I said "Yes". 'And he started to write the cheque and said "who's this really for?" I said "Gough, it's for me... I'm going to piss it up against the wall!" 'He said:" Les, you're an honest man. I'll double it."' Meanwhile, Australian politicians from both sides of parliament are among those leading the torrent of tributes pouring in for Humphries after he died in hospital on Saturday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Humphries spent his life entertaining the public through a 'galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone'. Barry Humphries' character Sir Les Patterson spoke about his encounters with the former PM in his TV series in 1999 'But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry,' Mr Albanese said. ''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 Australia has lost its 'finest cultural raconteur, its most brilliant satirist, and its greatest cultural comedian'. NSW Premier Chris Minns said Humphries and Dame Edna 'set the world's stages and screens alight'. 'The all-time most successful solo theatrical performer, anywhere in the world - Barry was a legend. Defining Aussie creativity and performance for generations. 'Vale Barry Humphries.' A woman branded 'drunk Karen' after she was escorted off a Jetstar plane to the cheers of her fellow passengers is appealing her 'excessive punishment'. Erica Jayne Carlson, 42, gained internet notoriety as footage went viral of her being escorted off the aircraft by five police officers in January while those still seated laughed and mockingly sung 'Na Na, Hey, Hey, Goodbye'. Carlson pleaded guilty to a Commonwealth charge of behaving in an offensive or disorderly manner on an aircraft at Southport Magistrates Court in March. In appealing the recorded conviction Carlson's lawyer said his client had unwittingly become 'the internet's No.1 star'. Lawyer Michael Milligan told the Courier Mail the $1,500 bond and nine-month good behaviour order handed down to her was 'excessive punishment. Footage uploaded to TikTok accompanied with the text 'When there is a drunk Karen on board' captured officers dragging the Erica Carlson from her seat on the Gold Caost in January 'This case has all the features of someone who should have been dealt with, without a conviction,' he said. 'Ms Carlson wants to study and get on with her life and the conviction will impact that.' No appeal date has been set. In March the court was told flight JQ361 from the Gold Coast to Avalon Airport in Victoria was ready to take off on January 8, 2023, when the incident unfolded. Carlson was flying to the southern state to see her two boys, who were staying with their father. A cabin crew member observed Carlson 'fall into her seat' and believed she was intoxicated, legal officer Kate Thomson said. The cabin crew member formed the opinion that Carlson was not fit to fly and asked her to leave the plane, the court heard. Ms Thomson said Carlson repeatedly refused and became argumentative, filming the confrontation as Federal Police officers were called. Footage uploaded to TikTok accompanied with the text 'When there is a drunk Karen on board' captured officers dragging Carlson from her seat during the incident. One person is heard quipping 'five coppers we could have all done it for free' as others laugh and film the encounter on their phones. Another is heard joking: 'Come on mum, get off.' Passengers began singing 'Na Na, Hey, Hey, Goodbye', from the 1969 song Kiss Him Goodbye by US band Steam. Mr McMillan explained the infamous footage began upon federal police entering the plane and did not capture his client's altercation. He said the 'miscommunication' with the flight staff escalated after Carlson became upset that she might not be able to fly again unless she paid for another ticket. Carlson (pictured centre) is swamped by media outside the Southport Magistrates Court last month Mr McMillan also said his client's intoxication level was not taken after she was escorted off the plane despite the cabin crew's initial opinion of her. The court was told Carlson had endured extra-curial punishment after footage of the altercation went viral including with news sites in the UK and US. 'She has already endured an unhappy, unhealthy public spotlight,' Mr McMillan said. 'The only thing she says that didn't make this the worst experience of her life is because she wasn't named at the time.' He said Carlson who had no criminal history risked losing her part-time job in Lennox Head because of the unwarranted publicity. A shocking mugshot photo has emerged showing the extent of the injuries former Comanchero bikie boss Tarek Zahed sustained in a murder attempt 11 months ago. Despite 10 bullet wounds to his head and body, Zahed, 42, miraculously survived the gangland hit inside the BodyFit gym in the Sydney suburb of Auburn in May, 2022. It was reported then that one bullet went straight through his eye in the shooting that claimed the life of his brother Omar, 39. A shocking mugshot photo has emerged showing the extent of the injuries former Comanchero bikie boss Tarek Zahed (pictured) sustained in a murder attempt 11 months ago Four months after he was shot, Zahed (pictured on the ground) was arrested in Sydney's eastern suburbs and charged over a 2014 gangland murder In the mugshot photo, half of Zahed's head and his nose are covered in bandages, but under his glasses his left eye stares at the camera while his right eye is missing. Doctors were stunned at his recovery from the shooting over months in hospital, but there was nothing they could do to save his eye, which was destroyed by the bullet. On August 28 last year, four months after he was shot, Zahed was arrested in Sydney's eastern suburbs and charged over a 2014 gangland murder. This mugshot was taken the day of the arrest, while photos from the scene showed Zahed handcuffed, sitting with his head wrapped in a bandage. Bean bag pellets were reportedly fired through the rear passenger window of a black BMW before Zahed was arrested. He is accused of the gangland murder of Youssef Assoum, 29, at Yagoona in western Sydney in December, 2014. But prosecutors admitted this month they do not have enough evidence for a trial over the Assoum case, the Daily Telegraph reported. They have been given a three-week deadline to beef up their case against Zahed. Zahed resurfaced in public in late August 2022 in a social media photo shared by the president of the Comanchero gang, Allan Meehan (second left) Days before his arrest, Zahed was seen at a dinner with Comanchero president Allan Meehan and other associates, wearing designer clothes and jewellery. Despite having been shot 10 times, Zahed had no visible scars on his face in a photo taken on the night. He was wearing dark sunglasses, though, so his eyes could not be seen. Meehan captioned the photo: 'Welcome back Tarek "hard2kill" Zahed.' The Collinses, a married couple with three young children from Pennsylvania, are self-proclaimed 'pro-natalists' a growing movement that promotes having as many children as possible to combat falling birth rates. Malcolm Collins, 36, and his wife, Simone, 35, have three children: five-month-old daughter Titan Invictus, and sons Octavian, three, and Torsten, two. The couple hope to have seven kids in all. When conceiving Titan Invictus - a name the decided upon because they feared a feminine name would be taken less seriously - the couple went through genetic testing and embryo selection to ensure the child wouldn't be obese or suffer from anxiety when they grew up. It is one of the many reasons the pro-natalist movement is controversial, with many viewing it as a form of eugenics. Indeed, the Collinses have been called 'hipster eugenicists,' a label they denounce. 'We don't think humanity can be perfected, we just want to give our kids the best possible roll of the dice,' Simone told The Telegraph. The couple are promoting 'pro-natalism', the idea of having more children to combat 'fertility collapse' and increase the birth rate Simone and Malcolm Collins a pictured with their three children, daughter Titan Invictus, far left, Octavian, three, center, and Torsten, two, right Malcolm and Simone cofounded the nonprofit initiative Pronatalist.org and made themselves the poster children of the movement, which is largely situated in Silicon Valley. Twitter CEO and Tesla boss Elon Musk is also a champion of pronatalism. Musk has had 10 children with three different women and believes 'civilization is going to crumble' unless everyone starts having more kids. Musk has tweeted several times in recent years about the threat of a declining population. 'If the alarming collapse in birth rate continues, civilization will indeed die with a whimper in adult diapers,' he tweeted in January. The wealthy husband-and-wife entrepreneurs argue that the elite of Silicon Valley are interested in pronatalism because they are the ones paying attention to the data surrounding birth rates and they don't mind being 'cancelled.' 'I don't think it's appealing to just Silicon Valley people,' Malcolm told the Daily Telegraph. 'It's more like, anyone who is familiar with modern science and familiar with the statistics is aware that this is an issue, and they are focused on it. 'The reason why you see Silicon Valley people disproportionately being drawn to this is they're obsessed with data enough, and wealthy enough, to be looking at things and who also have enough wealth and power that they're not afraid of being cancelled.' In recent months, the couple have been featured in the media after they publicly told how they had been using genetic testing and selection to optimize the mental health traits of their unborn children. If the couple's own procreation plans come to fruition, they would in effect be creating a bloodline of Collinses that will surpass the current global population in 11 generations. Twitter CEO Elon Musk has had 10 children with three different women, and believes 'civilization is going to crumble' unless everyone starts having more kids Pronatalists also believe that having more children is beneficial for society and the economy, as it leads to a larger workforce and greater economic growth. The movement encompasses various initiatives, including government policies that provide financial incentives for families to have more children, cultural campaigns that promote the idea that parenthood is the most important role for women, and religious or ideological beliefs that emphasize the importance of procreation. The movement, however, is often criticized for ignoring the potential negative consequences of overpopulation, such as environmental degradation and resource depletion. The concern about birth rates in the developed world also runs a thin line between the racist and antisemitic 'great replacement theory,' which posits that white Americans and Europeans are being 'replaced' by non-white immigrants. The Collinses are aware that a lot of the theory behind pro-natalism is often linked to neo-Nazi principles, but the pair insist that it's not about spreading any one race of people but simply to create more humans on Earth regardless of race, religion or background. But the pro-natalist movement is controversial with many viewing it as a form of eugenics and linked to racist and misogynistic ideologies, although the couple disagree with this The couple see declining global birth rate as a great risk to the future and have made themselves the poster children of the pro-natalist movement, which advocates for policies to increase birth rates in the developed world The couple in effect will be creating a bloodline of Collinses that will surpass the current global population in 11 generations 'People often compare our group to Handmaid's Tale-like thinking,' says Malcolm, 'and I'm like: excuse me, do you know what happens if we, the voluntary movement, fails? Cultures will eventually find a way to fix this; how horrifying those mechanisms are depends on whether or not our group finds an ethical way. 'If this was an animal species it would be called endangered,' Malcolm explains. 'We would be freaking out that they are about to go extinct. 'We are on the Titanic right now. The Titanic is going to hit the iceberg. There is no way around it at this point. Our goal is not to prevent the Titanic from hitting the iceberg; it's to ready the life rafts.' 'When I look into the eyes of our children and I see all the potential they have and I think about a world in which they didn't exist because we thought it was inconvenient? I'm like, I can't. I can't not try to have more kids', adds Simone. Hungary's far-right prime minister Viktor Orban has devoted a significant amount of resources to pro-natalist policies, some of which are positive, but many of which limit access to reproductive rights The Collins' ideology may still be controversial in the US, but some countries are actively pushing ahead with pro-natalist policies. Hungary's far-right prime minister Viktor Orban has devoted a significant number of resources to pro-natalist policies, some of which are positive, but many of which limit access to reproductive rights. Hungary has recently tightened abortion rules, and there are concerns about limiting access to emergency contraception. Orban has openly admitted to the racist ideology behind his pro-natalism, stating that he wants Hungarian children, not migrants. Two men have been rushed to hospital, with one suffering stab wounds to his back, following an alleged fight between a group of people. Emergency crews were called to Russell Street, in Brisbane's West End, after reports of an altercation between a group of people and the occupants of a vehicle about 2am on Sunday. Upon arrival, police found one man with serious stab wounds to his back. Two men have been rushed to hospital, with one suffering stab wounds to his back, following an alleged fight between a group of people Emergency crews were called to Russell Street, in Brisbane's West End, after reports of an altercation between a group of people and the occupants of a vehicle about 2am on Sunday He was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital for treatment. A second man sustained an injury to his head and to his arm. He was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital for further treatment. Police have since established a crime scene at Russell St and investigations are ongoing into what caused the fight. Anyone with CCTV or other vision of the area at the time which may assist is asked to contact police. A Qantas flight has been forced to return to Melbourne and land after fumes that had an 'electrical' smell were detected in the cockpit. The Boeing 737 which had just taken off for Perth landed without incident shortly after 10.30am. A spokesperson for Tullamarine airport told the Herald Sun a 'precautionary emergency response' was made ready for the landing but the plane taxied normally once down. 'Emergency services are in the process of standing down,' the spokesperson said A Qantas spokeswoman said QF769 returned to Melbourne shortly after take off, due to the crew reporting fumes in the flight deck. 'Following standard procedure, the captain declared a priority landing and returned to Melbourne,' the Qantas spokeswoman said. A Qantas 737 has been forced to land at Melbourne airport after reports of fumes in the cockpit 'The aircraft landed normally and safely and passengers have disembarked the aircraft. 'Engineers are inspecting the aircraft and the passengers will be transferred to an alternative aircraft.' A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesman said crews responded to reports of smoke in an plane's cockpit but were not required to act. The incident was declared safe shortly before 11am. Qantas said the passengers had been transferred to a flight that left for Perth at 3:10pm The original place was being inspected by Qantas engineers. Children held by their parents start their "Baby-cry Sumo" match, resumed for the first time in four years due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, at the Sensoji temple in Tokyo, April 22. AFP-Yonhap 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. Children held by their parents start their "Baby-cry Sumo" match, resumed for the first time in four years due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, at the Sensoji temple in Tokyo, April 22. AFP-Yonhap 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. (AFP) The US military evacuated American diplomats and their families from Sudan, the country's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said early Sunday as fighting between rival commanders that has killed hundreds of civilians continued. The operation, involving six aircraft, was carried out in coordination with the RSF, it said. Separately, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters the U.S. military had successfully evacuated US embassy personnel. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House has said it has no plans to evacuate the thousands of American civilians currently believed to be trapped in Sudan. On Saturday night, Biden called the ongoing conflict 'unconscionable' while thanking US troops who helped rescue diplomats. He added: 'This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable, and it must stop. 'The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan.' At least one US national is so-far reported to have been killed by the conflict there. Other foreign nationals began evacuating from a Red Sea port in Sudan on Saturday. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement: 'Today, at the direction of the President, the U.S. military conducted a successful operation to safely evacuate U.S. government personnel out of Sudan.' The US military evacuated American diplomats and their families from Sudan, the country's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said early Sunday as fighting between rival commanders that has killed hundreds of civilians continued 'This action, led by U.S. Africa Command and conducted in close coordination with the U.S. State Department, demonstrates the Department of Defense's support for our nation's diplomatic personnel,' he added. 'I'm proud of our extraordinary service members who executed and supported this operation with outstanding precision and professionalism. We also thank our allies and partners, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of this operation.' The bloody onslaught of urban warfare has trapped large numbers in the Sudanese capital, disabling the airport and rendering some roads impassable. 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 for fleeing civilians and the supply of badly needed aid. 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, 400 miles from Khartoum. Jordan will use the same route for its nationals. 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. 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 it could not assist convoys from Khartoum to Port Sudan and travel would be at individuals' own risk. Separately, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters the U.S. military had successfully evacuated US embassy personnel. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment Smoke is seen rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan The army, under Abdel Fattah 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. 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. Both sides 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. 'They (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.' Another resident, Muhammad Siddiq, from Bahri's Shambat district, said: 'We went through hours of terror today, when there were clashes and gunfire between the army and RSF inside the neighbourhood, and bullets everywhere.' TV feeds showed a huge cloud of black smoke rising from Khartoum airport. Sudanese army soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, sit atop a tank in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, on April 20 A view of the area as a fire broke out after a house was hit in the Lamab district during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) appealed for safe passage. '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 more than two-thirds of hospitals in conflict areas were out of service, with 32 forcibly evacuated by soldiers or caught in crossfire. 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. 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. There has been no sign yet 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. NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell has ordered a review after Michael Dowd, who was known as 'the city's most corrupt ex-cop', brazenly walked into headquarters in lower Manhattan and snapped photos of himself for social media. Dowd, who was jailed for crimes in the late 80s and 90s, strolled into One Police Plaza and took a photo of himself in the second-floor Shield Room and joked about getting his 'exit photo.' 'At @1policeplaza finally getting my exit photo,' Dowd wrote, '#NYPD #thesevenfive.' Dowd's illegal activities were explored in the 2014 documentary The Seven Five which exposed how he and his partner shook down drug dealers and sold their narcotics while working in Brooklyn's 75th precinct. Dowd's life as a cop is a story of lawlessness in the garb of uniform, of cops and robbers with Dowd and his 'crew' of brother cops, in particular his one-time partner, Kenny Eurell. Former NYPD cop, Michael Dowd, who spent 12 years in prison for corruption, visited police HQ in Manhattan and shared several pictures of himself on social media Dowd joked about getting his exit photo and used the hashtags #NYPD and #thesevenfive - a reference to the NYPD police precinct where he once worked Across eight of the ten and a half years during which Dowd was an NYPD cop he lived a life of escalating crime and excess. He shook down dealers, he took protection money from drug lords, he planned and took part in armed robberies, he stole from crime scenes money and drugs and ultimately he trafficked and dealt drugs himself. Dowd's crimes eventually led to his arrest and imprisonment for 12 years. Despite his past criminal activities, incredibly Dowd was allowed into the department's visitors center entrance without any issue later posting photos of his visit on social media. Dowd, now 62, defended his actions, stating that he was joking and poking fun at himself. 'I'm a funny guy,' Dowd told The New York Post. 'I have a sense of humor. I was poking fun at myself. Had I done the right thing I would have been able to honorably take a pension.' Dowd's illegal activities were exposed in 1992 yet despite his criminal history, Dowd was allowed into the department's visitors center entrance without any issue The disgraced ex-cop, now 62, spent 12 years in prison for shaking down drug dealers, pilfering their wares, and then selling the narcotics while working in Brooklyn's 75 Precinct in the late '80s and early '90s Some of those commenting questioned why a former corrupt cop was allowed access to the building, and called for an investigation into the matter. 'The only worthy exit photo is the one that was on the cover of Newsday 30 something years ago with you and the rest of your crew being led out of a precinct in shackles,' wrote one user. 'Since when do we let perps into 1PP?' questioned another. 'I'm surprised with this administration they let you in the building,' added another user. Dowd had been in the building with a retired cop who was there to obtain a new ID card. Dowd noted that officers at the department's visitors center entrance did not question Dowd about letting him inside the building. The commissioner's review will look at the process by which retirees' guests are granted access. A retired police officer who worked in the department at the same time as Dowd said the post 'made my stomach turn.' Across eight of the ten and a half years during which Dowd was an NYPD cop he lived a life of escalating crime and excess An officer carries out a stop in East New York in the 1980s. Crime was rampant and the temptation to become corrupt was too much for Dowd and other officers 'It's a bad look for the police department,' a retired cop said. 'One of the most corrupt cops you've had taking pictures and making jokes. They should investigate who let him in there.' Dowd has since moved on from his past and claims to be working on a TV series and a reality show. He argued that he has served his time and paid his debt to society, and asked people to let go of the past. 'Everybody falls short of the glory of perfection and I have people calling me a perp?' he asked. 'I did my time. I paid my debt to society.' Dowd was finally caught in May 1992 when the truth came spilling out. The outrage over his behavior was intensified by the fact that it wasn't the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau that finally put a stop to him, but Suffolk County Police who caught him in their own undercover drug sting. Dowd's case and the systemic failure that saw the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau fail to substantiate 16 complaints made against him over the years before it exploded into a very public scandal. In September 1993, Dowd testified before the Mollen Commission set up to investigate police corruption in the wake of his case. Asked by the commission if he had considered himself a cop or a drug trafficker he paused, deep in thought, before answering 'both'. Former Officer Michael Dowd, 62, is known as 'NYPD's most corrupt cop' after he spent 12 years behind bars for leading a ring of extorting, drug-pushing, money-laundering police in Brooklyn's 75th Precinct Crack had flooded New York and in its wake was ready cash. Dowd and the other members of 'his crew' saw easy pickings The epidemic of crime in the 75th Precinct made it the second deadliest in New York, behind a bronx precinct, and saw its officers in constant danger Dowd only became a police officer by chance. The third of seven children born to a firefighter father and stay at home mother he was a good student who was advised to consider becoming 'a doctor, a lawyer or an accountant'. But he took the police test as well as the firefighter test and, he said, 'the police test came back first. Simple as that.' The path was set. Dowd graduated from the Police Academy in 1982 and was immediately assigned to the 75th Precinct one of the deadliest in the country. Nothing in the academy had prepared Dowd for the reality of the streets. He said: 'The first time somebody calls you "Officer" you're looking round to find the officer. 'You learn the walk of someone who has a gun. You learn the eye drift of someone who's on drugsIt's a process.' And part of that process was, according to Dowd, making the decision between 'vouchering something you find' - recording and registering cash and possessions found in the course of an arrest - and just taking it. The thrill of getting away with it was what kept him coming back for more. The next time an opportunity presented itself to him was, he recalled, a shooting in a drug house. He was the first to arrive on the scene. Michael Dowd was a young cop when his life began to go wrong. After taking cash from crime scenes for some time, Dowd eventually brokered a deal between the cops and a drug baron, Adam Diaz He said: 'I show up and I can't get in the building because the guy's head is blocking the door. I'm literally walking over his body to get in. Inside you can see his partner they were young kids wiping the blood of his best friend off his hands. 'So as it turns out there's money and drugs there a lot. I see a separate stash of about $800. This guy's not paying attention. So I take it. 'It was weird. I just put it in my pocket. Then the investigators show up. There's about five pounds of reefer, $500 of cash. The sergeant goes, 'Is that it?' And he looks at me and I felt like he knew. So I took the $800 out of my pocket and I gave it back. Covering East New York, the 75th precinct became a ground zero for the lawlessness which came to characterize 1980s New York, before the zero-tolerance policing tactics which cleaned up the city 'I was still at that point of feeling uncomfortable about taking anything.' Later that night Dowd saw the sergeant at a local bar and approached him. He said: 'I said to him, "Sarge, when I handed you that money today I took it out of my pocket. What do you think?" He said, "I don't give a f*** what you do before I get there..and if I happen to get there and you've already got something, I didn't see it." 'Bingo! A light went on. Like people do this, you ain't the only one. It was like I had permission now.' From then on, he said: 'I made sure I was first on a crime scene.' He took bags of money from drug houses, guns and cocaine. At the time a kilo of cocaine was worth $34,000. When he found a stash his first thought was, 'Pay dirt.' Read the scathing claims his scorned wife made about hi The fallout from the split between comedy superstar Barry Humphries and his third wife - even by the standards of messy divorces of the rich and famous - was particularly bitter and shocking. Humphries, who died aged 89 on the weekend surrounded by his family at St Vincents Hospital in Sydney, left his third wife Diane Millstead to take up with his fourth, Lizzie Spender. Their marriage survived the 33 years until his death and he described their union as 'very lucky'. Ms Millstead's description might not have been so generous, given the acrimony that attended the end of their own relationship. In February 1989 while accusing Humphries of not just adultery, but plagiarism and theft, Ms Millstead said: 'I am an angry woman and I have no intention of taking it lying down. 'He's an A-grade card-carrying narcissist who has chased skirts for most of his life, she told a London tabloid, 'Barry's got a really big ego, just look at his trousers.' 'I was married to a champion mattress tester. Diane Millstead said bitterly after their separation that Barry had 'a big ego just look at his trousers' and that she had been married to 'a champion mattress tester' Diane Millstead and Barry Humphries (above with sons Oscar and Rupert ) were married for about a decade but the relationship ended in a very bitter split and divorce 'He's so surrounded by sycophants it's entirely possible he's totally out of touch with reality. 'But his greatest love affair is with himself.' The looming divorce battle would centre on their harbourside mansion, paintings, and objets d'art. At the time of the split, Millstead had turned 40 and was living in a $2 million Sydney harbourside mansion - now worth about $50m - complaining that she 'owned nothing'. She was desperately trying to forge her own comic career, insisting 'I am very funny' and blamed one of Humphries biggest flops, a movie she co-wrote just before their split, on the fact it was 'before its time'. Humphries married Australian surrealist painter Diane Millstead, then in her early 30s, in June 1979 at London's Marylebone Registry Office, but it would end in divorce and with Millstead accusing Humphries of plagiarism Millstead, a former surrealist painter, had met Humphries a decade earlier and they had married in 1979, their son Oscar being born in 1981 and Rupert in 1982. She would later claim that during their marriage, she was responsible for much of Humphries' theatre and comic shows, saying 'I contributed enormously to our marriage. 'I wrote material, I edited Barry's work, I designed Edna's frocks and bought her clothes. And I wrote countless jokes.' In 1986, Millstead and Humphries began writing a film, Les Patterson Saves the World, with Humphries to play Sir Les and Dame Edna Everage in a plot which has the two characters fighting a global bio-terror attack. Three days before the film was due to premiere in Sydney, in April 1987, Humphries and Millstead renewed their vows, at St Marks Anglican Church , Darling Point. They posed happily outside with their sons, Rupert, four, and Oscar, six, and Humphries' elder daughter from his second marriage, Tessa. Fourth time lucky: After three failed marriages, Barry Humphries has had a long and successful union with fourth wife Lizzie Spender since marrying in 1990 Sir Les Patterson Saves The World, backed by the Crocodile Dundee producers and directed by George Miller, was shown to a 1000-strong crowd. The reviews were swift and savage. Critics slaughtered Les Paterson Saves the World and the public stayed away in droves. One reviewer called it 'lumberingly gross', another said it was the 'unlikable, unfunny capers of an Australian cultural dinosaur, with lots of limo jokes about freckles, foreigners and fa**ots'. Others said Les Patterson 'could not save himself let alone the world' and that it was 'dead and flat' and 'beneath Humphries dignity and his intelligence'. In October, 1987 a strange personal advertisement appeared in the Spectator magazine. It said, 'Diane Millstead wishes it to be known that she was the co-writer of Barry Humphries last stage show at the Threatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London in 1983 (An Evening's Intercourse with Barry Humphries) and is the co-writer of Barry Humphries' imminent stage show, Back With a Vengeance, at the Strand Theatre.' Barry Humphries left his marriage with Diane Millstead (above with their sons in 1984) about four years after this photo was taken, running off with Lizzie Spender, his fourth wife Millstead told the Sydney Morning Herald her personal life with Humphries continued 'to prosper' but that their professional life was over, saying 'at one time in my life I didn't expect recognition. Now I do'. Sporting a new Cartier ring, a gift from Humphries for her 39th birthday, Millstead told a journalist in London, 'he has become the perfect husband from the moment I met him I wanted him.' If that was a ceasefire, it didn't last. Stories would emerge that in June 1988, Humphries decamped from the marriage, after meeting Lizzie Spender and 'running off with her'. Millstead would soon bitterly be accusing him of adultery and in February 1989, told the Sunday Mirror in London that its a shabby way to treat a wife and two children. ''Perhaps Barry really thinks he is above it all, that he's a superstar and he can do what he likes. 'There have been rumours that Barry Humphries suffers from walkabout willy syndrome. Thats when its got a mind of its own and when it takes off, all you can do is follow it around.' Diane Millstead (above with her sons Oscar and Rupert) told a London tabloid after the split with Humphries 'I am a very angry woman. I am not going to take this lying down' Millstead quipped that she had gone to Los Angeles for plastic surgery and she asked the surgeon to take all the sorrow out of my face. In May, 1989, Millstead gave an interview to the Sydney columnist, Dorian Wild, turning up for lunch with him to talk about her new career as a comedian rather than her looming bitter, acrimonious and financially fraught divorce. Millstead wore smelly sardines in her ears for the interview to repulse 'married men' and was 'chewing anchovy tablets, wearing hessian underwear and eschewing alcohol'. She refused to mention Barry Humphries by name. Its part of my radical celibacy,' she told Wild. 'The idea is to appear totally repugnant, Youre a married man and I cant take any chances. Desperate to establish herself as a comic, she said, 'I know I can be very funny. 'I spent 13 years writing comedy scripts with another person, someone I used to live with for shows that were performed in the West End. The newly married couple ham it up for the cameras with Humphries dressed as Dame Edna Everage holding Millstead in his arms, but it would all turn to tears within a decade Diane Millstead refused to refer to Barry Humphries by name in one interview, snapping at the reporter who tried to bring up the subject and saying she was very funny and had written his jokes But now I want to write for myself. Theres no mileage in giving jokes and huge slabs of material to other people and Ive suddenly realised its plagiarism if youre not paid for it. But thats the past.' Regarding the mauling her first film, the Les Patterson debacle, received, she said: I thought the Les Patterson film was very funny. 'But It was before its time. With my next film Ill make sure the man who plays the leading male does at least have some sex appeal, clearly referring to Barry Humphries, who played the title role. She snapped when asked about Humphries. I dont want to give this sort of interview,' she told him. 'My past and anybody associated with it is irrelevant to my life at the present time. I want to go forward. Of her children she said, the first thing is they adore me they love me' and claimed the healing process from her split was done. The film Les Patterson Saves the World starring Barry Humphries as Les Patterson (above) and him as Dame Edna Everage was a critical and commercial flop with reviewers calling it crude and unfunny 'Im over any loss or grief. I know I just have to be alone and get on with my life. BARRY HUMPHRIES COMPLICATED FAMILY LIFE First wife: Brenda Wright Married: 26 October, 1955 Divorced: 1958 Second wife: Rosalind Tong Married: April, 1959 Two children: Tessa Humphries, born 1963. Emily Humphries, born 1965. Divorced: 1971 Third wife: Dianne Millstead Married: 17 June 1979 Split: 1988 Two children: Oscar Valentine, born 1981, Rupert Humphries, born 1982 Fourth wife: Lizzie Spender Married: 25 June 1990 Advertisement She said she wasnt looking for love. 'there is no room at the moment in my life for that kind of love. It is very low on my priorities. Besides, love is very elusive when you look for it. Barry Humphries married his first wife, Brenda Wright, when he was 21, in October, 1955, the marriage lasting less than two years. He married his second wife, dancer Rosalind Tong in April 1959, and together they moved to England where she would become the mother of his two daughters. During their 12 year marriage, Rosalind endured the brunt of Humphries' alcoholism, which he later admitted would probably have killed him lhad he not found the will to give it up. Rosalind gave birth to their first child, daughter Tessa in 1963, followed by Emily in 1965. Rosalind and Barry divorced in 1971. Humphries then took a break from married life. In the late 1970s, Humphries met Ms Millstead, then in her early 30s. They fell madly in love, marrying in June, 1979 at London's Marylebone Registry Office. After Humphries left the marriage to live with Lizzie Spender, he married for his fourth and final time in 1990. Humphries second wife Rosalind Tong (above with the comic and their daughters Emily, left, and Tessa, would endure the brunt of his alcoholism which ended in a near death experience when he was 36. Their marriage ended the next year Barry Humphries had a public falling out with his son Oscar (above the two together) in 2018 when the young art dealer declared online he had been cut out of his father's inheritance. He announced he was dropping his famous surname in favour of being called Oscar Valentine Humphries once frankly admitted he was not a great husband in his first three marriages because 'I didn't know what to do'. He had a very public falling out with one of his sons, Oscar, who briefly dropped his father's surname and angrily claimed to have been cut out of his inheritance, but the two later had a rapprochement. It was also reported this week that he had only recently 'patched things up' with his daughter Emily - who he had been estranged with for 20 years - before his death. Humphries is survived by wife Lizzie Spender, his four children Tessa, Emily, Oscar and Rupert, and 10 grandchildren. He once described himself as an 'on and off' father. He died last Saturday after suffering complications from hip surgery. In a statement, the family said: 'He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit.' They added that 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.' Allen claims only 10 to 15 percent of California's gold has been located so far Historian Ed Allen said searchers recovered gold after a flood in April in Coloma Recent storms in California have triggered a 'Gold Rush 2.0' in some areas Recent wildfires and rain have caused a 'Gold Rush 2.0' in California's Central Valley where some have located pieces of gold that were unearthed by the natural events. According to historian Ed Allen of the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park in Coloma, only about 10 to 15 percent of California's gold has been discovered. Now, nearly 175 years after the first gold rush, groups of eager amateur miners are headed back to 'Gold Country' - an area on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada - in search of the remaining 85 percent. In an interview with the New York Times, Albert Fausel showed off the gold he located in a creek in Placerville after just 20 minutes of searching. 'Woooo-hoo-hoooo!' the man said of his find - a piece of gold just big enough to pinch between your fingers that is worth around $100. The hunt is on for anyone looking for nuggets of the pricey metal. In 1850, a nugget of gold went for $20 an ounce. Today, an ounce will fetch you around $1,900. Recent wildfires and rain have caused a 'Gold Rush 2.0' in California's Central Valley where some have located pieces of gold that were unearthed by the natural events The hunt is on for anyone looking for nuggets of the pricey metal. In 1850, a nugget of gold went for $20 an ounce. Today, an ounce will fetch you around $1,900 'We just had a flood here last month and that brought down gold,' Allen said in a February interview with KCRA. 'People are still looking for gold. He claims he is 'always looking' for gold, even at the age of 75. The second rush of gold seekers was caused by the rain and the melt that comes after California experienced historic rain and snow, which is now beginning to melt. The situation is also helped by the wildfires from the past several years, which have helped to loosen the area's soil. 'I've found quite a few nuggets,' said Nick Prebalick, who spoke with KCRA. 'This is the good stuff, and the best stuff will be in this box at the end of the day,' Prebalick's family was leasing a 500-yard claim along Wood's Creek in Jamestown to search for gold. 'It's pretty easy to get hooked,' Prebalick said. 'This is like the best office ever.' Now, nearly 175 years after the first gold rush, groups of eager amateur miners are headed back to 'Gold Country' - an area on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada - in search of the remaining 85 percent Unidentified gold miners pan for gold, 1890, El Dorado County, California 'We just had a flood here last month and that brought down gold,' Ed Allen, historian at the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park in Coloma, said in a February interview with KCRA The second rush of gold seekers was caused by the rain and the melt that comes after California experienced historic rain and snow, which is now beginning to melt The situation is also helped by the wildfires from the past several years, which have helped to loosen the area's soil Those who have had continued success during the search are now reluctant to give up information on where they got lucky. 'Somewhere north of Los Angeles, south of Seattle and west of Denver,' said Jim Eakin, describing where found the piece of gold he claims was large enough to let him purchase a brand-new Ford F-150. Eakin, speaking with The New York Times while wearing a chunk of gold around his neck, said he tries to stay on top of gold in the area any way he can. 'Anytime you can stand next to a river, and you hear the boulders tumbling, you know the gold is moving, too,' Eakin said. 'It's going to be a magnificent year,' said Tony Watley, president of the Gold Country Treasure Seekers club. 'Everywhere we are seeing new erosion,' Watley told The Times. The Gold Country Treasure Seekers club has seen a major boost in gold over the past several months, according to members. 'There was $50,000 of gold up at that table,' said Mark Dayton, a member of the club who found $750 worth of gold in April. The Gold Country Treasure Seekers club has seen a major boost in gold over the past several months, according to members 'I've found quite a few nuggets,' said Nick Prebalick, who spoke with KCRA California state law doesn't allow miners to use big machinery when searching for gold so the 'new 49ers' are left to search with their hands or old-fashioned equipment, the same as their predecessors 'We've had more gold in the last two meetings than I've seen in the last two years,' Dayton said. Dayton, along with other gold seekers, say the best is yet to come as the river levels continue to recede. California state law doesn't allow miners to use big machinery when searching for gold so the 'new 49ers' are left to search with their hands, or the same equipment used by their predecessors. 'The more earth you move the more gold you'll probably get,' Marshall Gold Discovery State Park employee James Holman said. 'If you don't move any earth, you don't get any gold.' A group of men were photographed performing the Hitler salute as they celebrated the Nazi dictator's birthday at a family pub. Thomas Sewell, the leader of the National Socialist Network, was one of those at the event held at the Bavarian a German-themed outlet - in Knox City Shopping Centre at Wantirna, in Melbourne, on Thursday. Photos shared in encrypted messaging services showed the men raising their hands in a Nazi salute as one held a picture of Hitler and another held two balloons shaped in the letter H, meaning Heil Hitler. A group of men were photographed performing the Hitler salute as they celebrated the Nazi dictator's birthday at a pub in Melbourne Thomas Sewell, the leader of the National Socialist Network, was one of those at the event held at the Bavarian a German-themed outlet - in Knox City Shopping Centre at Wantirna, in Melbourne, on Thursday Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission Dr Dvir Abramovich described it as a 'sad and dark day for our democracy.' 'Something is very wrong in Victoria, and we should be all alarmed by this brazen and stomach-churning outrage that will forever be a stain on our state,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Sewell, who last year was found guilty of assaulting a Channel 9 security guard, reportedly described the night as 'great and eventful' in a Telegram message. 'Despite not breaking any laws and not disturbing a soul, we were set upon by a dozen scum from Victoria Police who were terribly upset we were celebrating this holy day instead of the government approved gay or paedophile holidays,' the message read. 'Being confronted by systemic violence while our families and babies were present we were forced to eat our Hitler cake while being escorted from the shopping centre under threat of political violence. 'They persecute us because they know we are rising and the world will learn the truth about Hitler and look to us for leadership,' Sewell wrote. Victoria Police confirmed that officers 'attended a licensed premise in Wantirna South on Thursday. 'It is understood a group of people performed a Nazi salute at a venue on Burwood Highway and were asked to leave about 8.45pm. 'Police moved the group on, and no offences were identified,' a police spokesperson said. Another member of the group Jimeone Roberts also reportedly sent a Telegram message of a man performing the Nazi salute in front of a group of Victoria Police officers. Thomas Sewell (pictured left) visited Nine Network's building in Melbourne on March 1, 2021, with a cameraman and demanded to speak to someone from A Current Affair 'Victoria Police decided to gatecrash and harass a celebration of Adolf Hitler's Birthday utilising Public Order Response and dozens of treasonous anti-White pigs,' the message read. 'Despite total compliance, the scum continued to attempt to instigate violence against wholesome family men simply enjoying a night out,' it continued. Though doing a Heil Hitler salute is not illegal in Victoria, it will be as soon as legislation to ban it passes through the state parliament. This process is underway after neo-Nazis hijacked a 'Let Women Speak' rally in front of Victoria's parliament last month. Neo-Nazi Ethan Hendren was seen at that rally and he also captured in photos taken at the event on Thursday. Dr Abramovich, who is Australia's leading anti-hate advocate, said the actions of Sewell and his cohort amounted to a 'singular evil'. 'This beyond despicable display of Hitler worshipping and depravity belongs in Nazi Germany of the 1930s, not in a local restaurant where parents and children gather.' He said the Nazi salutes are a 'terrifying horror' for Holocaust survivors, particularly given when it happened. 'In the very week that the Jewish community across the country commemorated and mourned the systematic extermination of six million Jews at the hands of the Third Reich and its collaborators, these hardcore white supremacists celebrated the birthday of the very monster responsible for the gassing of mothers and babies and the shooting of families in open fields,' he said. Dr Abramovich urged Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to crack down on neo-Nazis. 'This is a timely wake-up call that we as a society need to keep a close watch on the resurgence of this dangerous movement if we want to prevent any further shooting rampages as we witnessed in New Zealand and other parts of the world. 'This is a fight we have to win,' he said. Outside court, Sewell (pictured) was defiant, again giving a Nazi salute as he emerged Controversial former Liberal candidate Katherine Deves has pulled out of the race to fill a Senate vacancy after a brutal interview questioned her credentials. Ms Deves announced on Sunday she is pulling out of the race to fill the NSW Senate spot left open by the death of former general Jim Molan Ms Deves said she would be focusing her time on her legal advocacy in the high-profile Tickle v Giggle case instead and that it 'wasn't the right time' to get back into politics. 'This week (there was) a lot of soul searching, a few sleepless nights (but) ultimately it came down to a question of priorities as to whether I nominated for the Senate and I just decided at this time it just wasn't the right time for me,' she told Sky News. 'There's a strong field of candidates here all bringing something different to the table. 'It's going to be very hard fought and I have full faith that the Liberal Party selectors will choose the right person to carry on Jim Molan's legacy.' Her announcement comes days after Ms Deves copped a harsh line of questioning from Sky News host Sheree Markson on Monday. Former Liberal candidate Katherine Deves (right) faced a grilling from Sky New host Sharee Markson Despite her failure to regain the blue-ribbon seat, Ms Deves threw her hat in the ring to replace the late senator Jim Molan (pictured left with daughter Erin Molan) Ms Deves had announced she would throw her hat in the ring to replace Sen. Molan who died in January. She was defeated as the Liberal candidate for Tony Abbott's old seat of Warringah at last year's federal election, beaten by independent Zali Steggall after a campaign that was derailed by debate about her views on the transgender issue. Her bid took a turn for the worse early when old tweets opposing transgender participation in women's sport were unearthed. 'You have offended transgender children and their parents, you've had to apologise to the Jewish community, you even had to visit the Sydney Holocaust Museum after making Nazi comparisons,' Markson asked her at the start of the week. 'What on Earth makes you think you would be the best person to replace the highly respected and much-loved Senator Jim Molan?' Ms Deves likened herself to General Molan and said she was ready to follow in his footsteps. 'He had a very distinguished career in the military, I have read his book,' she said. 'With respect to what I think I could bring to the table, well I am a strong conservative woman I can demonstrate, to the people that I would represent that I would go in there fighting. 'And I do align myself with some of the values that Jim had, particularly around issues of, you know, defending our freedom of speech, defending our great nation, standing up for aspirational Australian families, and standing up for common sense.' Ms Deves said attending the Sydney Holocaust Museum was an 'incredibly moving and memorable experience', but was told by Markson she only had to go because she posted an offensive tweet. Her comments were actually a part of a panel discussion, not a tweet, in 2021 where she likened opposition to transgender activism to those who resisted Nazi Germany's occupation of France during World War II. Ms Deves said told Markson she was 'discussing the rise of fascist regimes' and how their 'deeply authoritarian and socialist ideologies are infiltrating our societies'. Deves stood for the seat of Warringah at the last election and was trounced after her transphobic tweets emerged calling transgender children 'mutilated', among other controversial statements 'I'm not excusing it, but I have learned that it was absolutely the wrong thing to do and I showed contrition and I apologised,' she said. Tweets also emerged during the last federal campaign where Ms Deves called transgender children 'mutilated'. Ms Deves was a prominent promoter of UK 'women's rights' activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, better known by her social media name of Posey Parker, who toured Australia in March. Ms Keen-Minshull's rallies were marred by noisier often louder groups of counter protesters and in Melbourne her event outside Victoria's Parliament was joined by a neo-Nazi group who the original rally organisers said were not invited. The legal case Ms Deves is working on as an advocate is a Federal Court action mounted by transgender activist Roxanne Tickle who demanding to be allowed on the women-only app Giggle for Girls developed by entrepreneur Sally 'Sall' Grover. Senator Jim Molan died in January aged 72 after an extended battle with cancer. With the withdrawal of Ms Deves the two leading candidates to take the NSW vacancy are Liberal state party president Maria Kovacic and former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance. In keeping with standard practice, the Liberal Party can nominate a successor which is then rubber-stamped by the governor. Harvard University officials have announced they are renaming the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences after GOP megadonor Kenneth Griffin who recently donated $300 million. Griffin, 54, and Harvard are now facing criticism over the move as Griffin's Citadel LLC and Citadel Securities held some $200 million in gun and ammunition investments. The gift has sparked criticism from those on the right and the left, as well as opinion pieces from outlets like The Hill and The New York Times, condemning the rename. 'By accepting Griffin's money and name, the storied school has aligned itself with the mass killing industry,' wrote Jonathan Lowy for The Hill. 'Thanks to the lobby that Griffin supports, background checks aren't needed to buy guns in the U.S., including assault weapons: the weapons of choice for mass shooters. Nor, it seems, are they needed to buy universities,' Lowy wrote. Griffin, a hedge fund manager and 1989 Harvard alum, had previously donated $200 million to the 'oldest institution of higher education.' Harvard University officials have announced they are renaming the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences after GOP megadonor Kenneth Griffin donated $300 million Griffin and Harvard University (pictured) are now facing criticism over the move as Griffin's companies - as of December - held some $200 million in gun and ammunition investments It's Griffin's investment holdings in gun manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger - which make and sell assault weapons - that has the public up in arms. 'A Ruger assault pistol was used to kill 10 people at a Boulder, Colorado supermarket in 2021. Smith & Wesson AR-15 assault rifles were used in mass shootings that killed 17 children and teachers at a high school in Parkland, Fla., seven parade-goers in Highland Park, Ill., 16 in a social center in San Bernardino, Calif., and worshippers at a synagogue in Poway, Calif., to name a few,' wrote Lowy, a fellow Harvard alum. Lowy criticizes the school even taking the unrestricted $300 million gift, which comes just as GSAS is celebrating its 150th anniversary. According to the Harvard Crimson, the rename of the school is just the third in the university's nearly 400-year history. 'For the past 150 years, GSAS has nurtured and expanded the ambitions of students who have changed the world through their vast and varied scholarly pursuits. Now, the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences will do the same,' Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow and President-elect Claudine Gay wrote in a statement. A press release from the school states that the donation will support 'long-term excellence in teaching and research.' 'Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences is committed to advancing ideas that will shape humanity's future, while providing important insight into our past,' Griffin said. 'I am excited to support the impactful work of this great institution,' he continued. Griffin's name is also on Harvard's undergraduate financial aid office following a $150 million donation in 2014. Griffin and Harvard University (pictured) are now facing criticism over the move as Griffin's companies - as of December - held some $200 million in gun and ammunition investments Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow thanked Griffin for his donation in a statement The financier made his money after he founded investment firm Citadel LLC in 1990. Today, the company manages some $57 billion in assets. In 2022, the GOP megadonor made major headlines after announcing he was moving the business from Democrat-run Chicago to Miami, Florida. Griffin did not mention the city's spiraling crime rates, but top execs said at the time it likely played a major role in the decision to move the company. Lowy, in his piece for The Hill, specifically called out Griffin's moving of Citadel from Chicago to Miami, pointing out the lower crime rates in the Florida city. 'Such are the enterprises from which Mr. Griffin profited. He did take at least one action to prevent gun violence: moving his own headquarters from Chicago to Miami in search of safer streets,' Lowy wrote. In his piece for The New York Times, Ross Douthat said the gift has been judged by those on both sides of the aisle. According to Douthat, those of the left believe Harvard is hypocritical for taking a massive donation from a man who has connections to gun manufacturers whose products have resulted in so many deaths. On the right, however, Griffin having coughed up so much money to a 'woke' institution like Harvard speaks volumes about his priorities, the writer claims. 'At best, you could describe Griffin as a sucker, a more extreme version of the many right-leaning donors who gripe about wokeness at their alma maters but keep on writing checks out of a misplaced sense of loyalty,' Douthat wrote. In 2022, the GOP megadonor made major headlines after announcing he was moving the business from Democrat-run Chicago to Miami, Florida. According to the Harvard Crimson, the rename of the school is just the third in the university's nearly 400-year history The Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is not the first time a controversial figure's name has been attached to a prestigious building on the college's campus. A 2022 piece by The Harvard Gazette found that multiple buildings are adorned with the names of prominent slave owners of the past. At least two undergraduate housing units on the university's campus - Winthrop and Mather - are named after slave owners. A report on slavery's impact on the school also found that Harvard had enslaved people working on campus for some 150 years. The discoveries made in the report triggered Harvard officials to announce a controversial $100 million reparation fund. 'Still today, early Harvard benefactors who accumulated their wealth through slavery are memorialized throughout campus in statues, buildings, student houses, and endowed professorshipsand indeed in other educational, civic, and cultural organizations across Massachusetts,' the report said. TV's Judge Rinder is could be lined up as the Tories candidate for London Mayor in a bid to topple Labour's Sadiq Khan in next year's election. Conservatives are hoping the criminal barrister and television personality who shot to fame on ITV's reality courtroom series Judge Rinder will inject the 'star power' needed to topple Mr Khan. Mr Khan is currently serving his second term as London Mayor, but has caused outrage among Londeners in his latest move to extended the ULEZ zone. Rolling out on August 29, the expansion will mean thousands of owners older and more polluting vehicles will have to pay a 12.50 daily charge to travel around the capital. According to the Sun, Robert Rinder, who also regularly hosts Good Morning Britain and has his own show on Talk Radio, has been discussed as a possible candidate for the election on May 2 next year. Robert Rinder's name has come up in party meetings as a possible candidate for the election on May 2 next year Mr Khan is currently serving his second term as London Mayor, but has caused outrage among Londeners in his latest move to extended the ULEZ zone Mr Khan say 4,000 people a year died from air pollution-related illnesses. Pictured is a stock image of the smog over London in 2015 The Conservatives previously had Boris Johnson in the senior job for eight years but, since Mr Khan, 52, won the 2016 election, they have struggled to get a foot in the door. A source told the Sun, 'There are a few contenders sniffing around the mayoralty, but some in the party want some star power - some star dust - to boost our chances'. It comes after Mr Khan defended his much-hated Ulez expansion plan by saying it will give men high sperm counts. Mr Khan said a new study by Imperial College London showed air pollution can damage testicles and stunt lung growth, as well as increase the risk of miscarriages and dementia. ' From evidence of lowering sperm count to impacting foetal development, air quality can even have a major impact pre-birth. Taking action must be an absolute priority', he said. But he has been slammed over the claims, with critics saying they will have 'little to no impact' on reducing air pollution in the capital. He has insisted the Ulez project will save lives as 4,000 Londoners die from air pollution each year. But ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson rubbished the plan, saying the charge has nothing to do with improving air quality. Its all about Khans catastrophic mismanagement of TfL finances. It comes after demonstrators rallied at Trafalgar Square on April 15 wearing high-visibility jackets with 'Free our Streets' placards and mock registration plates reading 'No to ULEZ'. Mr Rinder shot to fame on ITV's Judge Rinder, and now regularly hosts Good Morning Britain London Mayor Sadiq Khan has defended his Ulez expansion plan following a study by experts at Imperial College London, who claimed air pollution can stunt lung growth and lower sperm count among a host of other negative side effects The Ulez, which is aimed at reducing air pollution by charging drivers of older vehicles, covers the area inside the North and South Circular roads. But Mr Khan intends to expand it across all of Greater London on August 29 of this year Mr Khan introduced the scheme last summer when it was welcomed by green groups, clean air campaigners and some businesses but opposed by Conservatives and some of the public who claim outer boroughs don't want it. But his plans to expand the Ulez to the rest of the capital have been met by staunch resistance. Over the weekend protesters marched on London, armed with plaques and setting off smoke grenades Protesters could also be seen with placards that read 'Get Khan Out' and 'Take Back Democracy'. In total, five Conservative-led councils - Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey - have launched legal action over the plans. It follows a High Court judgment, which permitted four London councils to proceed with a legal challenge against the expansion plans. Last week, the court ruled that two of the allegations raised have enough evidence to proceed to trial. These are that there was a failure to follow statutory procedures, and a failure to consider the potential for inclusion of non-Londoners in a new scrappage scheme. The trial is set to be heard in July. A motorcyclist has died after he crashed during a drag race meeting in Victoria. The rider was participating in the 'Test n Tune' event at Heathcote Park Raceway near Bendigo on Sunday, the International Hot Rod Association Australia (IHRA) confirmed. The 48 year-old Melbourne man is understood to have died from injuries sustained in the crash. In a statement about 1.30pm on Sunday the IHRA 'offered its deepest condolences to the family' and said the remainder of the race meet would be cancelled and the facility closed to the public. Victorian Police confirmed a man from Boronia, in Melbourne's east, died at the raceway, on Knowsley-Barnadown Road in Knowsley, about midday. Heathcote Park Raceway (pictured) was closed for Sunday afternoon after the crash Heathcote Park Raceway owner Lance Warren said the racing community was in shock. 'As a drag racing family we are extremely saddened by what has happened, and ask that everyone be respectful and understanding with our decision to cancel todays Test & Tune,' he said. 'The welfare of the racer's family is our priority, and we give our most sincere condolences to them during this time.' On social media the drag racing community was struggling to process news of the as-yet unnamed man's death. 'Spoke to this bloke 30 mins prior to this tragic event. RIP mate. Condolences to the family,' said one rider. 'Ride In Peace buddy,' said another man. Worksafe and police are investigating and a report will be prepared for the Coroner. A Conservative peer has called for a 'much more robust culture' in Whitehall in the wake of Dominic Raab's resignation as Deputy Prime Minister over bullying. Lord Francis Maude, a former Cabinet Office minister, claimed 'there will be more cases' like Mr Raab's without a shake-up of the civil service. Mr Raab also quit as Justice Secretary on Friday after a months-long probe found he was intimidating and aggressive towards officials. But senior Tories have expressed concern about 'snowflakery' among civil servants in the wake of the Cabinet minister's depature. It has also emerged that Rishi Sunak's senior aides wanted to try and save Mr Raab's job amid fears his exit could lead to complaints against other Cabinet ministers. Dominic Raab quit as Deputy PM and Justice Secretary on Friday after a months-long probe found he was intimidating and aggressive towards officials Lord Francis Maude, a former Cabinet Office minister, claimed 'there will be more cases' like Mr Raab's without a shake-up of the civil service Rishi Sunak's senior aides reportedly wanted to try and save Mr Raab's job amid fears his exit could lead to complaints against other Cabinet ministers Following his resignation, Mr Raab hit out at 'activist' anti-Brexit civil servants and their 'passive aggressive' culture as he warned of a 'chilling effect' on Whitehall after being forced out by bullying claims. He claimed there could be further 'spurious complaints' from officials against ministers after the investigation into his behaviour had 'set the threshold for bullying so low'. Lord Maude, who is leading a Government review into how the Civil Sevice operates, warned that 'without material adjustment' of Whitehall's set-up 'there will be more cases like Raab's when frustrations boil over'. In an article for the Observer, he wrote: 'We need a much more robust culture, with less groupthink, more rugged disagreement, and the confidence to both offer challenge and to accept it. 'That includes accepting candid feedback. Today there is no external accountability for the quality of advice, other than to ministers. 'There could be value in regular external audits, conducted by qualified outsiders, with published results. This would reward officials who get it right, and provide a stimulus to the rest.' Lord Maude also suggested that ministers should be given greater powers to appoint their own officials, as he pointed to how countries such as France and Australia allow civil servants to have 'overt political affiliations'. 'We also need to be more robust and less mealy mouthed about "politicisation" ,' he added. 'Again, other systems deal with this better. In France, permanent civil servants often have overt political affiliations, and it causes few problems. 'In Australia, permanent civil servants in ministers private offices are released from the obligations of political impartiality, and can take part in party political activity. 'We dont need to go that far, but the key, as always, is transparency and pragmatism.' In the wake of Mr Raab's exit, former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned that working in Whitehall is not a 'teddy bear's picnic' and said officials should realise they are in a 'tough and robust working environment'. 'I think you need to have people with a bit of backbone working in Government and this snowflakery is damaging for democracy,' he told GB News. The Sunday Times reported No10 aides had discussed attempting to save Mr Raab's job as they feared, if it was accepted the Deputy PM had bullied staff, there would be complaints against other Cabinet ministers. The newspaper said at least three members of the Cabinet are on alert that they could be next to face a bullying row. A source said: 'People were laying out options and testing them, working out where they would lead.' A helicopter drops water to stop fire on Crimean Bridge connecting Russian mainland and Crimean peninsula over the Kerch Strait, in Kerch, Oct. 8, 2022. AP-Yonhap France, Ukraine and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania expressed dismay after China's ambassador in Paris questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet countries like Ukraine. Asked about his position on whether Crimea is part of Ukraine or not, Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye said in an interview aired on French television on Friday that historically it was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. "These ex-USSR countries don't have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status," Shaye added. France responded on Sunday by stating its "full solidarity" with all the allied countries affected, which it said had acquired their independence "after decades of oppression." "On Ukraine specifically, it was internationally recognized within borders including Crimea in 1991 by the entire international community, including China," a foreign ministry spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that China will have to clarify whether these comments reflect its position or not. The three Baltic states and Ukraine, all formerly part of the Soviet Union, reacted along the same lines as France. "It is strange to hear an absurd version of the 'history of Crimea' from a representative of a country that is scrupulous about its thousand-year history," Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior Ukrainian presidential aide, wrote on Twitter. "If you want to be a major political player, do not parrot the propaganda of Russian outsiders." China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. (Reuters) A police force with a 17million hole in its finances has evoked fury after it emerged it is asking the public to volunteer to help catch perpetrators of rape, child abuse and serious domestic violence. Sussex Police is appealing for people to volunteer to trawl through CCTV footage to assist officers with various crimes and missing persons investigations. It comes amid fierce scrutiny over the effectiveness of policing in the UK and low conviction statistics for sexual offences. In the description for the roles, the force says the successful applicants will 'be allocated CCTV to view which involves supporting the investigation of serious sexual offences, child abuse and high-risk domestic violence matters.' But the recruitment drive has been met with fierce criticism from victims of such crimes, including a woman who was sexually assaulted at the age of 16 by a former Sussex Police detective. Sussex Police is seeking volunteers to trawl through CCTV footage to assist in the apprehension of dangerous criminals such as rapists and child sexual abusers The woman was assaulted by disgraced former detective inspector Dominic O'Brien while he was already on bail over another sex offence in 2019. He had previously been caught sending online messages about wanting to rape an 11-year-old girl - a crime for which he was later given a six-month suspended sentence. In 2006, O'Brien was suspended from Sussex Police over sexual messages he sent to the 14-year-old daughter of a murder victim whose case he'd been investigating. He resigned from the force before a disciplinary hearing. The victim of the 2019 attack believes the reliance on volunteers to catch serious criminals is 'disgusting' and 'an insult' to survivors and victims. She told the Mirror: 'It's disgusting that Sussex Police is handing over such serious cases to people who haven't been properly trained for this extremely sensitive work. 'It's a disgrace, an insult to the victims and survivors of these crimes. It also opens up the possibility of conviction rates of sex predators to drop further as human error will be more likely in volunteers working a couple of hours a week. 'The Government should fund this properly.' Sussex Police are facing a 17million funding gap for the 2023/2024 year, it was revealed in December. The role, being advertised by Sussex Police for John Street Police Station in Brighton and for Littlehampton Police Station will see a volunteer spend around four hours per shift trawling through CCTV - although the exact length of time required will 'depend on the caseload'. The force estimates the volunteers will be needed up to four times a month. As well as assisting in cases of sexual and domestic violence offences, the advert states the successful candidates will also 'be allocated CCTV to view which involves offences such as assaults, theft, burglaries, criminal damage to property and missing person enquiries.' They will also undertake some administrative work. Sussex Police said that 'clear instruction will be given' as to what information the force requires. Volunteers will require confidence using technology and 'good observational skills. They must 'be a team player but able to work on your own initiative - as well as 'fully understand the need for confidentiality and accuracy.' All applicants will be subject to a National Police Vet Level 2, which will assess their eligibility for the role. A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder over the shooting of a father-of three and celebrity chauffer outside a Sydney gym. Taha Sabbagh, 40, was shot dead outside the Elite Fight Force gym on Carlingford Street, in Sefton, western Sydney, on March 2. Mr Sabbagh had been dropping his 12-year-old son off at the MMA training gym in his black Mercedes SUV at about 6.30am when at least two alleged gunmen opened fire. Detectives on Sunday arrested the man about 3.30pm as he was preparing to board a plane out of the country at Sydney International Airport. He was taken to Surrey Hills police station and on Sunday night was charged with Mr Sabbagh's murder. Taha Sabbagh, 40, was shot dead outside the Elite Fight Force gym on Carlingford Street, in Sefton, western Sydney Detectives on Sunday arrested a man (pictured) as he prepared to board a flight out of Australia at Sydney International Airport The man has been refused bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Monday. Police will allege in court the Fairfield East man was involved in the planning and coordination of the murder of Mr Sabbagh. Mr Sabbagh's uncle Nasser Sabbagh previously told Daily Mail Australia the luxury car driver wrapped his arms around his son to protect him as he was shot. 'Why do people kill other people? He's a good man. Quiet man. No criminal record,' he said. Another relative said he wanted Mr Sabbagh to be remembered as a 'father, brother, uncle, and cousin'. A witness claimed they heard at least six gunshots and the sound of a car screeching away. A Mazda 3 was later found burnt out at nearby Birrong Train Station. The witness, who works in an office nearby, said they rushed to the scene and found the 12-year-boy yelling for someone to help his father who was slumped over the steering wheel. Paramedics, who arrived 'within minutes', desperately tried to revive Mr Sabbagh, who was a regular at the MMA gym, but he died at the scene. Mr Sabbagh had parked his black Mercedes SUV outside the Elite Fight Force gym (pictured) in Sefton when alleged gunmen opened fire Police on the scene on March 2 after the alleged shooting outside the Sefton gym Mr Sabbagh was a top driver for several luxury chauffeur services around Sydney, regularly ferrying high-level clients to meetings and parties, and cashed-up couples to weddings. He once drove social media star Hasbulla and shared photos of MMA stars Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, and YouTuber Logan Paul. 'He's been with us since the start, almost four years now,' the owner of one of the companies said. 'He's one of the best guys I know, always happy, always smiling. 'He was our best, always opening the door, bringing an umbrella when it was raining - an all-round nice guy. It's a tragedy.' Mr Sabbagh was a top driver for several luxury chauffeur services around Sydney, regularly ferrying high-level clients to meetings and parties (pictured with social media star Hasbulla) Taha Sabbagh, 40, with his children next to his black Mercedes NSW Police Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said the shooting was believed to be a 'targeted attack' but whether he was 'the intended target' would be investigated. 'He was not well known to police,' he said. 'He was associated with some people who are well known to police and have strong criminal activity connected to them.' Hundreds of mourners turned out for Mr Sabbagh's funeral in western Sydney on March 4 Brits trapped in Sudan have accused the government of 'abandoning' them as they prepare a 'surgical' evacuation of diplomatic officials from the country. Oliver Dowden said on Sunday morning that the situation was 'complex' and rapidly moving but Labour's Jon Ashworth questioned 'why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting'. Last night, the UK began drawing up plans for a military airlift of a dozen British diplomats as well as their families from the embassy in the capital, Khartoum. There are a supposed 25 diplomats in total connected to the embassy - many of whom are sheltering in their homes since the beginning of the conflict. There are still several hundred other Britons living in the country, however, and ministers and Whitehall officials have stated that a wider evacuation has not been possible at this stage. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden leaves BBC Broadcasting House. He said the situation was 'rapidly moving' Trapped civilians from the UK said it had taken five days for the embassy to contact them with a telephone number they could use to register with the foreign office. A teacher told the Times that several people had been unable to dial through and were forced to ask family in the UK to call the number on their behalf. 'The first five days were ridiculous, and farcical actually. I couldn't believe they would continue to not do anything,' William said. British ambassador to Sudan, Giles Lever and his deputy were abroad when the violence began and have not been able to return. Irritated senior figures in Whitehall have likened the situation to the chaos of the Afghanistan evacuation in August 2021. A source said: 'It's Kabul all over again.' William said the capacity of the embassy to help was 'tiny'. 'There is someone who we have direct contact with, but there is scarcity of anybody above her in the embassy,' he added. A drone view shows smoke rising over buildings a week after fighting began in North Khartoum, as seen from Omdurman, Sudan, April 22, 2023 Smoke is seen rise from buildings yesterday during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan The US military evacuated American diplomats and their families from Sudan, the country's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said early Sunday as fighting between rival commanders that has killed hundreds of civilians continued People carry water during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum A source inside the foreign office retaliated to the criticism, arguing that Lever's presence in London had been essential. Fighting broke out last weekend, with army units loyal to Sudan's military ruler, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, pitted against Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is deputy head of the ruling council. More than 400 people have been killed, including a United Nations worker and an American citizen. A number of westerners have also had their homes and compounds ransacked. The Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said the situation was 'rapidly moving' as he highlighted the differences between the likely British response in the African nation compared to the Afghanistan evacuation in 2021. Asked on Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme whether the UK was preparing to evacuate Sudan of British nationals, Oliver Dowden said: 'The situation in respect of Sudan is clearly a rapidly moving and complex situation. 'Our priority is to support British nationals. Now, the Ministry of Defence is acting in support of the Foreign Office but clearly you wouldn't expect me to comment for security reasons on the current situation in terms of movement on the ground.' Pressed on whether there are plans to evacuate Sudan of UK citizens, Mr Dowden added: 'This is a very different situation, for example, to the situation that you saw in Afghanistan for a number of reasons. 'First of all, this situation has arisen very rapidly and, secondly, we just don't have the kind of scale of resources on the ground that were there in Afghanistan. Smoke billows over residential buildings in eastern Khartoum on April 22, 2023, during ongoing battles between the forces of two rival generals An aerial view shows a mosque, as conflict between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army continues, in Omdurman, Sudan April 21, 2023 'Clearly, we need to make sure that we support our British nationals. At the moment, the advice to British nationals is to make sure they stay indoors, that they stay safe and get in contact with the Foreign Office.' Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth said people are 'deeply, deeply troubled and alarmed' about what is happening in Sudan. He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: 'As to the question around evacuations and so on, it does seem a legitimate question as to why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting. 'I hope we can have a clarification from the Foreign Office, perhaps in Parliament in the coming days, on that front.' Across the Atlantic, US troops swooped in on helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan's battle-torn capital, President Joe Biden said Sunday, as other nations sought to help their citizens flee deadly fighting between rival generals. France on Sunday also launched evacuation operations from the northeast African nation, where ongoing fighting has entered its second week. Read more: Americans evacuated from Sudan embassy as airport closes and roads are blocked off amid fighting that has killed hundreds of civilians and put African nation at risk of collapse Advertisement Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group - which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets - have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. Biden, who said the US military 'conducted an operation' to extract US government personnel, condemned the violence, saying 'it's unconscionable and it must stop'. Just over 100 US special operations troops took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw three Chinook helicopters fly from Djibouti, staying on the ground in Khartoum for less than an hour. France's foreign ministry said Sunday a 'rapid evacuation operation' had begun, and that European citizens and those from 'allied partner countries' would also be assisted, without giving further details. Fighting continued Sunday with the crackle of automatic gunfire echoing across Khartoum and Sudanese military aircraft roaring overhead, witnesses said. Frightened residents, many low on water, food and other essentials, have huddled inside their homes in the chaos-torn city where buildings have been gutted, lampposts are lying on the ground, and smoke has been rising from shops set on fire. 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. 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. There has been no sign yet 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. A British backpacker has taken aim at the Australia's regional work requirement for visa holders, saying she had been pushed to her wits' end by the lack of support. Becky Clements posted on TikTok this week saying she is fed up with how regional visa workers are treated. 'I've been told I've hit the jackpot with my farm work, and being able to work in a cafe and a restaurant for my regional work in Australia,' Ms Clements said in her TikTok. 'I don't know how people are working on farms or doing this.' British backpacker Becky Clements (pictured) said she's been shocked with the lack of support and poor working conditions she has encountered during her regional work stint in Australia Ms Clements said she's been shocked by the lack of support, and has documented in many of her TikTok videos the conditions she's lived in while being in Australia. One video even showed the communal kitchen was left dirty, with spilt milk all over the floor. 'We are being worked to the ground here and living in not very good conditions,' Ms Clements said in the video. 'Why is this happening? 'Honestly I'm considering not staying another year.' Her social media revealed she's made the difficult decision to pack in her regional stint and move to the Gold Coast in the hopes of finding accommodation. Many international backpackers turn to regional work as part of their visa requirements (pictured, stock image) Many backpackers turn to regional work as part of their visa requirements, with Aussie farmers relying heavily on seasonal workers to help pick their crops. An adult casual worker picking fruit or vegetables on an hourly rate should earn at least $26.73 an hour, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman. It comes as the Albanese government continues to be put under pressure from the states and territories to improve migration numbers. Some suggestions being floated ahead of the May budget include setting migration targets, overhauling eligibility rules for foreign workers and creating new visa classes to help secure better employment outcomes. Suella Braverman has hailed a 'crucial power' that will allow ministers to ignore European judges' last-minute efforts to block migrant deportation flights to Rwanda. The Home Secretary urged Parliament to pass legislation 'as soon as possible' to toughen Britain's asylum system in the face of the small boats crisis in the Channel. The Government's Illegal Migration Bill is due to return to the House of Commons on Wednesday when MPs will be asked to consider a series of amendments. These include a number tabled by Mrs Braverman herself, after she and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak bowed to pressure from Tory backbenchers to beef up the Bill. One change being proposed by the Government is for ministers to be able to decide whether or not to accept a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Suella Braverman hailed a 'crucial power' that will allow ministers to ignore European judges' last-minute efforts to block migrant deportation flights to Rwanda The Home Secretary revealed amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill aimed to give ministers 'discretion' over interim rulings from the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights The Government is pursuing the Illegal Migration Bill as a key part of its efforts to stop the Channel migrant crisis It comes after the Strasbourg-based court suspended the first scheduled deportation flight to Rwanda last June, under a proposed new migration scheme, with a late-night ruling. In an article for the Telegraph, Mrs Braverman revealed amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill aimed to give ministers 'discretion' over interim measures from the ECHR. 'Last year we saw the European court in Strasbourg issue Rule 39 interim measures, which blocked a removal flight to Rwanda,' the Home Secretary wrote. 'Our Bill will now give ministers a broad discretion whether to comply with interim measures in individual cases. This is a crucial power. 'At the same time, we are continuing to engage in constructive dialogue with Strasbourg on possible reforms to their process around interim measures.' The Government have pointed to the new Rwanda migration scheme - which will see those who enter Britain illegally given a one-way ticket to Africa to have their asylum claims processed - and the Illegal Migration Bill as key parts of their efforts to stop the Channel migrant crisis. Mrs Braverman urged Parliament 'to bring this Bill into force as soon as possible so we can stop the boats' and demanded Labour also support the legislation rather than 'seek to water it down and block our measures'. New Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, who replaced Dominic Raab in the role on Friday, said this morning that ministers will be handed 'discretion' over so-called Rule 39 orders from the ECHR by allowing them to consider the 'timeliness' of rulings. But he stressed that Mrs Braverman and other ministers would not be given 'carte blanche' to disobey orders from the European court if the Bill is passed. 'The Home Secretary will be given a discretion and ability to look at the circumstances of that orderfrom the ECHR and will, for example, cover factors such as the timeliness of the imposition of the order so, for example, if it is done at last minute and also the transparency of it,' he told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show. Pressed on whether the Government's proposed amendments to the Bill would allow the Home Office to ignore Strasbourg rulings, Mr Dowden added: 'There will be a Section 39 discretion. 'Now, I'm not saying that will give the Home Secretary carte blanche to overrule rulings. 'What I would say is that we are engaging very closely with the European court, we are making very good progress. 'I think it is right that the Home Secretary should have a discretion, so, for example, we don't have this situation where at the very last minute an order is imposed. 'Those are the kind of factors the Home Secretary will be able to consider.' Labour's Jonathan Ashworth said his party didn't think the Illegal Migration Bill would 'fix the problem' of trafficking gangs who smuggle people across the Channel. Asked if Labour believes it is acceptable for European courts to overrule decisions made in the UK, Mr Ashworth said: 'We should always follow the law. We should not be acting outside of the law. 'The point is that scheme (Rwanda) is not working, quite self-evidently because the Home Secretary has sent more journalists to Rwanda (than migrants). 'We should use the resources that have been ploughed into that scheme to invest in a specialist crime agency to really go after these criminal people-trafficking gangs.' Australians have been warned that stocks of 398 medications, including 'essential' drugs, are running dangerously low. Dr Nick Coatsworth, Australia's former deputy chief medical officer, says Australia's supply of essential medications is balanced 'on a knife's edge' in the wake of Covid and that the nation's pharmaceutical industry needs to be overhauled. Worryingly, 45 treatments in the Therapeutic Goods Administration's ever-growing list of medicines in shortage are now regarded as 'critical', including some that are needed to save lives. Warfarin, which is used to lower the risk of a life-threatening stroke from blood clotting, is one of the critical shortages. So are several antibiotics including Amoxicillin syrup, used by thousands of parents to treat sick children and one of the world's most important drugs, Penicillin V, which is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Dr Nick Coatsworth, Australia's former deputy chief medical officer, says Australia's supply of essential medications is balanced 'on a knife's edge' Australians have been warned stocks of 398 medications, including 'essential' drugs, are running low 'What we learned from the Covid-19 pandemic is we are balanced on a knife edge in terms of medication supply,' Dr Coatsworth told Weekend Today. 'We don't have the manufacturing capacity in Australia and that needs to change. 'There's some good news on the front of mRNA vaccines and other vaccines which will be produced onshore but we're talking about basic medicines.' Making the shortage even worse is that those living in regional areas will be disproportionately effected. 'From my own perspective as an infectious disease physician, often you see antibiotics on short supply including Amoxicillin syrup which is used by so many parents,' Dr Coatsworth explained. 'Sertraline was short last year, that's a very common antidepressant drug and one that's particularly worrying is Warfarin which is a very commonly used anticoagulant for people who want to prevent themselves from having a stroke.' He is calling on the Federal government and pharmaceutical industry to pull together and find a solution. It comes as Author Jamila Rizvi, who takes an undisclosed medicine that she relies on 'to be alive' tweeted that she was unable to fill a prescription for an essential medication despite visiting three different chemists in one day in Canberra. Author Jamila Rizvi is one of thousands of Australians who is struggling to find the life-saving medicine she needs at her chemist Ms Rizvi said that when her medications begin to run out it feels as though she's playing 'Russian roulette'. 'It definitely takes a toll emotionally, there's a real game of going to pharmacist after pharmacist, and hoping that someone's going to have it in stock or making a whole bunch of phone calls. 'I've had a good handful of medicines that have been out of stock for a period, luckily none of the ones that keep me alive. 'But it's been really stressful, you put it out of your head for a bit then you remember you've got 10 days left of 12 days left of a medicine and it does feel like you're playing Russian roulette.' Vladimir Putin has reportedly fired a top admiral because of his refusal to send his sailors to fight in the war against Ukraine. Admiral Sergei Avakyants, 66, was suddenly stripped of the role of commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet last week during war games involving nuclear bombers ordered by the Kremlin. Avakyants has been seeking to protect his men from deployment - to prevent them from being cannon fodder - according to Volya and Brief Telegram. The admiral had repeatedly resisted or subverted orders to send his men to fight in Ukraine. When forced to do so he allegedly dispatched his most ill-disciplined and unreliable men to the war zone. Admiral Sergei Avakyants, 66, was suddenly stripped of the role of commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet last week Avakyants has been seeking to protect his men from deployment 'He told Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov [Commander-in-Chief of the Navy] in plain language that he would not let the fleet be ruined - his sailors, trained officers, well-coordinated crews, would not be torn apart,' said a source in the general staff of the Russian armed forces. He was especially angered at the losses sustained by his elite marines who were forced to go to Ukraine. Footage in February shows the 155th brigade being defeated at Vuhledar. 'Thirty-one armoured vehicles of the 155th Separate Guards Marine Brigade from the Russian Pacific Fleet were destroyed during an assault on Vuhledar,' reported Moscow Calling military channel at the time. Earlier 155th brigade marines wrote a letter complaining at the meat grinder tactics of Putin's commanders in Ukraine which saw '300 men killed, wounded and missing' in four days of heavy fighting in Pavlivka. The admiral had repeatedly resisted or subverted orders to send his men to fight in Ukraine L to R - Vladimir Putin, Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu, Commander of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Sergei Avakyants pictured in 2016 in the Far East of Russia The admiral's 'discontent grew' as the scale of the losses became worse, it was claimed. Recently, Avakyants defied the Kremlin's orders and said he would send no more troops while he was in charge of the Pacific Fleet. He objected to the demand for Ukraine-bound 'infantry formations from among the sailors of warships, submarines and auxiliary vessels', said the report. For this insubordination, he was fired and sent on holiday - he will later be shifted to a backroom diplomatic role in Moscow. Officials gave varying reasons last week for the dismissal of one of Russia's most respected commanders who had been in charge of the Pacific Fleet for more than a decade. Leaks suggested it was due to 'unsatisfactory state of the preparation of the fleet' and 'numerous mistakes of the command.' The admiral's 'discontent grew' as the scale of the losses became worse, it was claimed L to R - Vladimir Putin, Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu, Commander of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Sergei Avakyants pictured in 2016 in the Far East of Russia Another version of the story was that he had reached the compulsory age of retirement yet it was announced he would take on a role in charge of military training and patriotic education. 'The commander of the Pacific Fleet Sergei Avakyants has reached the retirement age [65 years] and was sent to a well-deserved rest with honours,' said a source in the defence ministry. Avakyants is already 66, and age is not usually a barrier in Russia: defence minister Sergei Shoigu is 67, and commander-in-chief Vladimir Putin is 70, while the head of the FSB secret service Alexander Bortnikov is 71. Another version of the story was that he had reached the compulsory age of retirement The true story appears to be Avakyants' refusal to send his Pacific Fleet forces to face yet more death in Ukraine. An emotive video highlights the graves in Vladivostok of countless marines under his command who were killed after being sent to Ukraine. Volya said that Avakyants' successor Admiral Viktor Liina was promoted after fulfilling his quota of troops for the war when he was in charge of the Baltic Fleet. 'Liina simply sent as many people as he was designated,' said a military source. Avakyants 'tried with all [his] might to get out of these instructions. 'Liina, on the contrary, did as ordered. 'In December, for this he received the admiral's epaulettes, which he had long dreamed of.' His switch to the Pacific Fleet was announced last week. Veteran MP Diane Abbott was this morning stripped of the Labour whip amid a backlash at her 'shameful' suggestion that Jewish people don't suffer racism. The former shadow home secretary has been suspended as a Labour MP by the party's chief whip, Alan Campbell, while an investigation is carried out. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had faced called calls to take action against Ms Abbott following her comments in a Sunday newspaper. The 69-year-old, who has been an MP for more than 35 years, suggested that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience 'prejudice' but 'are not all their lives subject to racism'. Amid the fury at her comments, Cabinet minister Grant Shapps accused Ms Abbott, a close ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, of 'spouting hateful anti-Semitism'. She later issued a statement to 'wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them' as she blamed drafting 'errors'. But Labour pushed ahead with action against the ex-shadow minister. A spokesperson said: 'The Labour Party completely condemns these comments which are deeply offensive and wrong. 'The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation. Diane Abbott, who has now been stripped of the Labour whip, sparked a furious backlash with her suggestion Jewish people don't suffer 'racism' The veteran MP made the controversial comments in a letter to the Observer newspaper as she responded to a recent comment article Ms Abbott this morning issued a public apology to 'wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them' The 69-year-old is a close ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was last month blocked from standing as an official party candidate at the next general election The row was sparked by Ms Abbott's letter to the Observer newspaper, in which she responded to a recent comment article that stated Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from racism. 'They undoubtedly experience prejudice,' Ms Abbott wrote. 'This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable. 'It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. 'But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. 'In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships.' In response to Ms Abbott's comments, Energy Secretary Grant Shapps posted on Twitter: 'Once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful anti-Semitism.' Immigration minister Robert Jenrick tweeted: 'Minimising anti-Jewish racism as mere 'prejudice' is ignorant, offensive and shameful.' Oliver Cooper, the chair of Watford Conservative Association, called for Sir Keir to strip Ms Abbott of the Labour whip. He tweeted: 'Diane Abbott today says that it isn't possible to be racist towards Jewish people, and that thousands of years of discrimination and genocide is just like a little teasing for being a redhead. 'Truly revolting. Starmer must remove the Labour whip immediately.' London mayor Sadiq Khan branded Ms Abbott's comments 'unacceptable', telling GB News: 'To diminish the racism and the anti-Semitism Jewish people face, both today and over yesterday, beggars belief.' The Jewish Labour Movement issued a statement in support of the party's action to withdraw the whip from Ms Abbott. 'Diane Abbott is one of the most respected people in the Labour Party as an activist who overcame racism and prejudice to become Britain's first black woman MP,' they said. 'We should be unified in our struggle against racism, not divided against one another. 'A hierarchy of racism only divides communities and assists the racists. We must not allow this. 'We take seriously our responsibility to unite with friends and partners across the Labour movement to fight racism together.' A senior Labour activist told MailOnline: 'Shame that Diane decides that testing boundaries with Keir is more important than building solidarity between black people and other minorities. She should know better. 'People are furious - this tendentious hierarchy of racism narrative only helps the racists in the end.' Government ministers Grant Shapps and Robert Jenrick joined the widespread criticism of Ms Abbott's comments Amid the backlash against her comments, Ms Abbott issued a public apology this morning. In a statement posted on her Twitter account, she wrote: 'I am writing regarding my letter that was recently published in the Observer. 'I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them. 'The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused. 'Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others. 'Once again, I would likely (sic) to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them.' Ms Abbott, who has been MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, served as shadow home secretary under Mr Corbyn's leadership of Labour. In October 2020, the Equality and Human Rights Commission found the party had acted unlawfully in its treatment of Jewish members during Mr Corbyn's leadership. Mr Corbyn, who lost the Labour whip following his response to the damning EHRC report, was last month blocked from standing as an official Labour candidate at the next general election. A spokesman for the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism described Ms Abbott's comments as 'outrageous' and said her suspension from the party was overdue. They said: 'She and her allies on the far-Left of the party could never accept how bad anti-Semitism had become because they do not even acknowledge that it is a form of racism. We already made complaints against her, which the Party has never investigated. Her suspension now is past time, and must be the first step towards her expulsion from the party.' Jewish Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge commended the party's move to swiftly suspend Ms Abbott. She said: 'Diane Abbott's letter was deeply offensive and deeply depressing. 'Keir Starmer's response is right. No excuses. No delays. The comments will be investigated and she has been immediately suspended.' Fiona Sharpe, of Labour Against Anti-Semitism, said: 'Ms Abbott is either woefully misinformed or deliberately bigoted. Neither should be tolerated.' Ms Abbott, who has represented Hackney North and Stoke Newington in north London since 1987, remains a Labour member, but is suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party. She will sit in the Commons as an independent. She is a long-time ally of Mr Corbyn, who was kicked out of the party after a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in 2020 criticised Labour's effectiveness at dealing with anti-Semitism under his leadership. Mr Corbyn said the scale of anti-Semitism in Labour had been 'dramatically overstated' by opponents, and rejected some of the EHRC's findings. He has been banned from representing Labour at the next general election. 'Troublesome passengers' were taken into custody and will be deported to UK An easyJet pilot was forced to make a priority landing after a about a dozen 'troublesome passengers' became 'disruptive' during a flight, it has emerged. The disruption occurred yesterday onboard flight EZY19WZ which was travelling from Liverpool to Tenerife, Spain. Following a priority landing, officers boarded the aircraft and took the problem-causing into custody for questioning. The individuals will be deported back to the UK on the next available flight. The incident comes amid a hot button debate about tourism in the Canary Islands after Lanzarote's president claimed the island was being saturated by British tourists and that it instead wanted to accommodate more 'higher quality' travellers from mainland Europe. An easyJet pilot was forced to make a priority landing after a about a dozen 'troublesome passengers' became 'disruptive' during a flight (stock photo) The disruption occurred yesterday onboard flight EZY19WZ which was travelling from Liverpool to Tenerife, Spain There was a disruption on board flight EZY19WZ yesterday, prompting crews to request police presence and a priority landing as the plane neared the holiday island. Spanish Air Traffic controllers confirmed the incident on social media, saying that as a result of the brawl, the flight's landing approach was made as short as possible. Officers boarded the plane upon landing - and before anyone could disembark - so they could take the unruly passengers into custody, The Canarian Weekly reported. So where CAN we go on holiday?: Click here to read more about new anti-tourism measures Advertisement Police on the island could not be reached early this morning for comment, although normal procedure involves the identification of passengers deemed to have breached air safety so they can be sent fines. Air traffic control, in its post yesterday, said: 'All our support to crews and officials in airports, who more often than is desirable, have to deal with these situations.' An easyJet spokesperson told MailOnline that yesterday's flight was met by police due to a group of passengers behaving 'disruptively onboard'. 'EasyJet's cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. 'Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard. 'The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet's priority.' The incident comes as tourism authorities across Europe are issuing a string of rulings seemingly aimed at freezing out tourists - and in particular, Britons. Tourist chiefs in Amsterdam warned British men to 'stay away' as part of a major new operation to clean up the city and rid it of rowdy and hedonistic behaviour. Lanzarote President Dolores Corujo last month claimed the island was being saturated by British tourists and instead wanted to accommodate more 'higher-quality' travellers from mainland Europe. Ms Corujo claimed the island would pursue 'a diversification strategy to reduce dependence on the British market.' Similarly, local authorities in the Canary Islands have airlines and passengers to follow safety rules and regulations as there has seemingly become an uptick in worrisome incidents on planes. The brawl comes amid debate about tourism in the Canary Islands. Pictured: Tenerife Earlier this week it emerged a drunk passenger had forced a pilot on a flight from Glasgow to Tenerife to make an emergency landing in Portugal. Jet2 said they were banning the 55-year-old Brit for life, accusing him of being aggressive, illicitly consuming alcohol, intimidating other customers and urinating inside the cabin. Holidaymakers were delayed overnight while the plane was deep-cleaned before their onward flight to Tenerife the following day. An easyJet plane with 100 people on board, heading from London Gatwick to Agadir in Morocco, had to make an unscheduled landing in Faro on the Algarve on Friday after the pilot fell ill. A top Ukrainian ballet dancer has been killed in a mortar attack after he quit the stage and signed up to fight against the Russian invasion. Rostyslav Yanchyshen, 31, died during a 'combat mission', ballet company Odesa Opera confirmed over the weekend. The soloist joined Ukraine's territorial defence in the first days of the war after having danced with the company for ten years. His death was described as an 'unspeakable loss' by the country's Culture Ministry. Ukrainian ballet dancer Rostyslav Yanchyshen, 31, was killed in a mortar attack after he quit the stage and signed up to fight against the Russian invasion Soloist Rostyslav Yanchyshen (pictured) joined Ukraine's territorial defence in the first days of the war after having danced with the Odesa Opera ballet company for ten years 'The artist's ballet shoes were replaced by army boots, and the music of his favourite performances was replaced by the sounds of mortar fire,' the company said of his death. Mr Yanchyshen is pictured with a fellow dancer Mr Yanchyshen volunteered to 'heroically defend Ukraine' within days of Putin's full-scale invasion of the nation. The ballet dancer, who is understood to have 'loved Ukraine more than anything', served as a machine gunner, local media reported. 'The artist's ballet shoes were replaced by army boots, and the music of his favourite performances was replaced by the sounds of mortar fire,' said Odesa Opera. Harry Sevoyan, head of Odesa Opera, hailed Mr Yanchyshen as 'a bright, talented, decent, intelligent man'. 'He was one of the first to go to defend his homeland, not by a summons, not by order, but by his own decision.' One of Mr Yanchyshen's most striking roles was that of a soldier dying in the ballet Trymai. 'As fate would have it, this role turned out to be prophetic for the artist.' The ballet dancer, who is understood to have 'loved Ukraine more than anything', reportedly served as a machine gunner in Ukraine's territorial defence. Pictured: Rostyslav Yanchyshen Harry Sevoyan, head of Odesa Opera, hailed Mr Yanchyshen as 'a bright, talented, decent, intelligent man'. Mr Yanchyshen is pictured during a ballet performance 'Rostyslav died from a mortar attack, a month before his 32nd birthday. This is an unspeakable loss,' the Culture Ministry said. Mr Yanchyshen is pictured during a ballet performance His theatre's director Yevhen Lavrenchuk said: 'An eternal smile, a bright look this is how your colleagues will remember you' Mr Yanchyshen is pictured with a fellow dancer The Culture Ministry said: 'From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he wanted to defend his country from the invader, but the dancer was not accepted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, so he volunteered and joined the territorial defence. 'At the front, he served as a machine gunner. 'Rostyslav died from a mortar attack, a month before his 32nd birthday. This is an unspeakable loss.' His theatre's director Yevhen Lavrenchuk said: 'Terrible news. The war has killed Rostyslav Yanchyshen, a soloist with the Odesa Opera Ballet. 'An eternal smile, a bright look this is how your colleagues will remember you' A Massachusetts teacher and her 18-month-old daughter are among thousands of Americans trapped in war-torn Sudan. Trillian Clifford, of Ashland, and her daughter, Alma, have been hiding from the sound of machine guns outside their apartment in the capital of Khartoum, where Trillian teaches the children of U.S. Embassy officials at the Khartoum International American School. Her family back home is now calling for the US to take action and get Clifford and her daughter out of the third largest African nation as government officials evacuated nearly 100 embassy officials over the weekend. But the White House has said it has no plans to evacuate the estimated 16,000 US citizens stuck in Sudan, even as it issued a travel advisory warning of 'armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism and kidnapping.' One American has already been killed in the conflict, and the World Health Organization estimates that 413 people have been killed and 3,551 have been injured since the civil war broke out earlier this month. Trillian Clifford, of Ashland, and her daughter, Alma, are among the estimated 16,000 Americans trapped in war-torn Sudan Smoke is seen rising in the capital city of Khartoum last week as fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces Clifford and her daughter are now sheltering in place in the Soba region of Khartoum, where they were moved to an apartment lower to the ground after air strikes occurred less than one kilometer from her home. She told WBUR they are now in a 'relatively safe location, although I would have to add, as a caveat, that it feels like nowhere in the city is particularly safe. 'We are hearing a lot of gunshots and explosions,' Clifford said in an emailed voice memo to the radio station. 'There's definitely aircraft flying over continuously throughout the day.' Clifford added that she is 'taking the orders from the Embassy and from our employers as well very seriously to stay low to the ground, stay as far away from windows as possible and to stay hidden, because this is a very, very dangerous situation to be involved in.' The mother-of-one is now trying to wean her baby off of breast milk, her sister-in-law Rebecca Winter, told the Boston Globe, noting that 'there has been no humanitarian aid due to the ongoing fighting.' 'It went from everything was completely normal eight days ago to all of a sudden war started overnight,' Winter explained to WBUR. 'She was told by the U.S. Embassy... for many days that because the fighting is so intense and even the Sudanese people had never seen fighting in the capital this intense that they had no idea if or when they would be able to get her supplies, like food and water.' Winter is now calling on US government officials to safely evacuate her family, who continue to suffer from a loss of electricity as temperatures reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Over the weekend, the State Department reaffirmed its 'do not travel' advisory. 'The situation is violent, volatile and extremely unpredictable, particularly in the capital city Khartoum,' it added. Clifford, left, works at the Khartoum International American School, where she teaches the children of US embassy officials Clifford said she and her daughter are now in a 'relatively safe location' But on Friday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said US citizens must 'make their own arrangements to stay safe in the difficult circumstances. 'Americans should have no expectation of a US government-coordinated evacuation at this time,' he said. 'And we expect that that's going to remain the case.' The US Embassy also issued an alert Saturday cautioning that 'due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safee to undertake a US government-coordinated evacuation of private US citizens. 'If evacuation of private US citizens becomes necessary, this announcement will be made public by Travel Alert and Travel Advisory,' it said. President Joe Biden has since said in a statement that he is receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist Americans stuck in Sudan 'to the extent possible' and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US government would 'continue to assist Americans' and 'continue to coordinate with allies.' 'We will continue to assist Americans in Sudan in planning for their own safety and provide regular updates to US citizens in the area,' he said in a statement. 'We will also continue to coordinate with our allies and partners as well as our local partners on efforts to ensure the safety of their personnel.' In the meantime, Christopher Maier, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity warfare, shared a path forward for Americans who may want to leave. 'In the coming days, we will continue to work with the State Department to help American citizens who may want to leave Sudan,' he said. 'One of those ways is to potentially make the overland routes out of Sudan potentially more viable. So, the Department of Defense is at present considering actions that may include use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe routes and detect threats.' President Joe Biden said in a statement that he is monitoring the situation in Sudan A grab taken from an AFPTV video shows a convoy leaving Khartoum towards Port Sudan, on Sunday, as people flee the battle-torn Sudanese capital Saudi citizens and staff of Saudi Airline pose for a group photo as they arrive at Jeddah Sea Port after being evacuated through Saudi Navy Ship from Sudan to escape the conflicts Meanwhile, the US government successfully evacuated nearly 100 US Embassy personnel and their families from the war-torn country. '[Yesterday], at 9am Eastern, a contingent of US forces lifted off from Djibouti and landed in Ethiopia,' Army Lt. General Douglas A Sims II, the Joint Staff's director of operations, said. He added that it was part of the United States' efforts to close the embassy in Khartoum. US Africa Command and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley also said they were in contact with both waring factions before and during the operation to ensure that US forces would have safe passage to conduct the evacuation. But John Bass, a US undersecretary of state, denied claims by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Security Forces that it assisted in the American evacuation. And in his statement over the weekend, Biden thanked embassy staff and the US military who extracted the Americans. 'I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan,' he said. 'I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety.' The president added that the embassy has been temporarily closed but 'our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending.' Fighting broke out in the country on April 15 between the RSF and Sudan's armed forces following disagreements over how to transition the country to civilian rule The situation is quickly becoming a humanitarian crisis, with the World Health Organization estimating that 413 people have been killed and 3,551 have been injured since the civil war broke out earlier this month Fighting broke out in the country on April 15 between the RSF and Sudan's armed forces following disagreements over how to transition the country to civilian rule. Both factions previously teamed up to overthrow the government in October 2021, and in December, both generals signed a framework promising to transition away from military rule. But their alliance broke down over disagreements about how to transition to civilian rule, how the RSF should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process. Calls for ceasefires have since been ignored, and the situation is quickly turning into a humanitarian crisis. On Saturday, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the RSF, said 'we all need to sit as Sudanese and find the right way out to return hope and life,' but Sudan's army leader, Mohamed Hamdal Dagalo, said he would not negotiate with the group. There are fears a violent turf war is about to erupt after the Hells Angels bikie gang set up a new chapter in a waterfront suburb that fierce rivals the Comanchero claim as their territory. Brighton-Le-Sands, in the Bayside area just 20 minutes out of Sydney's CBD and known for it's bustling strip of cafes, restaurants and bars which line Botany Bay, has long been the southeast base of the Comanchero. But their stronghold is being challenged by the Hells Angels' new Bayside chapter, with the gang muscling in on the area while several of the Comanchero's alleged senior bikies are currently behind bars. 'They (the Hells Angels) have pretty much come in and set up in Brighton-Le-Sands and said to the Comos: 'What are you gonna do about it?',' an underworld source told the Daily Telegraph. Brighton-Le-Sands has 'always been' a Comanchero area, with several challenges to the territory by rival gangs over the last two decades (pictured, stock image) There are concerns a turf war is brewing with rival gang Hells Angels new 'Bayside' chapter established in March 2023 (pictured, stock image) 'With a lot of the big leaders of the Comos behind bars they've seen their chance to move in.' 'Brighton-Le-Sands has always been a Como area the whole reason for the (Sydney) Airport brawl in the first place was that there was tensions because the Hells Angels were trying to muscle in there back in the day. 'It's a ballsy move, who knows what will happen now.' The rival group have not been secretive about their relocation into Brighton-Le-Sands, with a post on the Hells Angels official website detailing a new chapter coined 'Bayside' which was established in March. The Comanchero's hold in southeast Sydney was once so strong a banner was hung between Brighton-Le-Sands and Cronulla that read 'Welcome (to the) Comanchero Shire' (pictured, Brighton Le Sands beach) Police intelligence has echoed the talk of the underworld, with a source suggesting the Hells Angels are 'generally on an expansion program' (pictured, Brighton-Le-Sands Beach) Anthony Zervas (pictured) was killed in the 2009 Sydney airport brawl between the two gangs Police intelligence has echoed the talk of the underworld, with suggestions that the Hells Angels were using the Comanchero internal issues to push them in certain parts of Sydney. 'The Hells Angels are generally on an expansion program and openly recruiting, it pretty much lines up with what they've been doing elsewhere,' a source said. This follows multiple challenges to the Comanchero's hold on the beachfront suburb over the last two decades. Tensions between the two groups boiled over in March 2009, when members of the Comancheros happened to be on the same flight as then-Hells Angels president Derek Wainohu. In an all-out brawl in a Sydney Airport domestic terminal, hostilities escalated when Anthony Zervas, the brother of a Hells Angels gang member, was knifed in the chest and bludgeoned to death with a 17kg steel bollard. Bikie boss Mick Hawi was the only bikie convicted of Mr Zervas's murder, while 10 other Comancheros and two Hells Angels members either pleaded or were found guilty of other charges. Hawi was released in 2016 before being fatally shot in the face by a masked gunman in front of Fitness First Rockdale two years later. A fatal brawl broke out in Sydney's domestic terminal when members of the Comancheros happened to be on the same flight as then-Hells Angels president Derek Wainohu (pictured, the terminal following the fight) Bikie boss Mick Hawi was the only bikie convicted of Mr Zervas's murder during the 2009 brawl (pictured, the terminal following the fight) Other senior Comanchero figures such as Tarek Zahed, Mick Murray and Mark Buddle are all currently behind bars on remand awaiting trial over separate matters. With them out of action, and with other alleged senior bikies living overseas, underworld sources said there was seen to be a void at the top of the club in terms of both leadership and experience. The Comanchero's title as most the powerful criminal entity in Australia was at one point so strong in southeast Sydney a banner was hung between Brighton-Le-Sands and Cronulla that read 'Welcome (to the) Comanchero Shire'. The Hells Angels remain the world's largest bikie gang with almost 4000 members across an estimated 475 chapters in more than 60 countries. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival did not offer a formal tribute to legendary comedian Barry Humphries on the final night of shows, after he died on Saturday aged 89. The renowned entertainer in 1987 helped establish the festival which has grown to be one of the world's largest comedy events. But Humphries had fallen out with organisers following uproar over comments he made five years ago that were seen to be 'anti-trans' - with comedians like Hannah Gadsby speaking out against Humphries on Twitter at the time. Organisers said there was no plans for an official tribute on the closing day of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival which ran from March 29 to April 23. It added individual comedians - there were 316 performances scheduled for the day - were free to pay tribute in their own way. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival on Sunday however, did post a heartfelt message to social media. Comedian Peter Cook and Barry Humphries visit Dudley Moore backstage at the Sydney Town Hall in 1971, the year Humphries gave up alcohol. Peter Cook once said that Humphries was the only man he had seen so drunk that he fell up a flight of stairs Humphries had many outrageous characters but the most iconic was Dame Edna Everage (pictured). The Melbourne International Comedy Festival renamed the Barry Award in 2019 after 'cancel culture' backlash over some of Humphries' comments 'Having started his career in Melbourne, Barry's early support, along with (English comedian) Peter Cook, helped kick off and raise the profile of the Festival nationally and internationally. 'With Festival founder John Pinder, Barry was part of a creative generation who celebrated and developed a global platform for Australian comedy.' 'He will be remembered by legions of fans around the world for his wit, inimitable characters and biting satire. 'Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Vale Barry.' The talented comedian was a Melbourne raised law school dropout who found international fame with his outrageous characters including the camp Dame Edna Everage and the politically incorrect Sir Les Patterson. Humphries, 89, died peacefully in Sydney on Saturday surrounded by close family including wife Lizzie Spender who he married in 1990 and children Tessa, Emily, Oscar and Rupert, and 10 grandchildren. He had three previous marriages before he seemingly settled down with Ms Spender and largely blamed his mother for the tumultuous relationships. 'She was impossible to read and I was never quite certain if I was loved. I've been searching for love and security ever since, which I've only fairly recently found for the first time with (fourth wife) Lizzie.' he once said, Humphries with his wife Lizzie Spender whom he married in 1990 after three previous tumultuous marriages (pictured at the Reinvented and Reimagined Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London relaunch party on June 11, 2019 in London with Liam Neeson in the back) The Melbourne International Comedy Festival came to a close on Sunday with organisers choosing not to include a formal tribute to Humphries While the Pinder Prize is still featured at the festival, Humphries' name was removed from the 'Barry Award' for the Most Outstanding Show in 2019. It followed comments he made about transgender people including that it was a 'fashion' fad and that gender re-assignment surgery was 'self-mutilation'. Gadsby, who won the Barry Award in 2017 for her show 'Nanette' and fellow comedian Zoe Coombs Marr, who won the Barry the previous year both called for the award to be renamed. Gadsby tweeted that Humphries was an 'irrelevant... d*** biscuit' and 'loves those who hold power, hates vulnerable minorities and has completely lost the ability to read the room'. Festival director Susan Provan said in 2019 the comments were 'appalling' and she wanted the award to 'to celebrate the breadth of the artists that participate in the festival'. 'We can call our awards whatever we like,' Provan told 3AW. Comedian Hannah Gadsby, 45, (pictured) slammed Barry Humphries as 'irrelevant and inhumane' in a resurfaced Tweet In a resurfaced Tweet from 2018, Gadsby labelled Humphries as 'irrelevant and inhumane' as she criticised his comedy act. Following news of Humphries' death on Saturday, media insider Peter Ford reposted the Tweet and hit back at Gadsby English entertainer Miriam Margoyles, who knew Humphries for six decades, said on Sunday he was 'deeply hurt' after being 'cancelled' when the award was rebranded. 'He was acerbic, and he was often quite nasty, but he was a genius, and you have to accept it,' she told the ABC. English transgender comedian Jordan Gray was up for this year's Most Outstanding Show but lost out to Gillian Cosgriff's show Actually, Good. At a media call at 1920's-built venue The Famous Spiegeltent on Sunday morning, festival director Susan Provan said Humphries made an 'extraordinary contribution to Australian comedy'. 'He particularly made a very positive contribution to the Melbourne Comedy Festival, particularly in our early days and was here to help us celebrate our 30th birthday. He made an amazing contribution for which he will always be celebrated'. Asked by reporters if Humphries comments on transgender people had tarnished his reputation Provan said 'nothing can ever detract from his great contribution as an artist. He was remarkable. That will always be with us'. A teen who died at a notorious Utah boarding school last year suffered from an 'easily treated' infection that would have been cured with a simple antibiotic, her autopsy has revealed. What's more, managers at the live-in rehabilitation center refused Taylor Goodridge's cries for medical attention, her parents' attorneys have claimed - citing the recently released report. In a statement Friday, they said the yet-to-be released report - the latest development in a state probe into the girl's death - shows the girl vomited several times in the days before her death at Diamond Ranch, a facility for trouble teens. Allegedly complaining for weeks - vomiting violently while begging staffers for help, her lawyers say - the girl eventually collapsed before quickly succumbing to the then-unknown illness on December 20. Her family promptly filed suit against the school, which was subsequently put on probation by the state. The girl's parents previously aired the belief their daughter died of sepsis, something her autopsy now confirms. Taylor Goodridge, 17, died on December 20 after collapsing inside the Diamond Ranch Academy in Hurricane, Utah Diamond Ranch Academy - an 108-bed teen treatment rehabilitation program in Hurricane - is currently being sued by the girl's parents over her death. It describes itself on its website as a 'world-class residential treatment center and therapeutic boarding school for teenagers' Attorney Alan W. Mortensen wrote in a press release: '[Taylor] vomited several times for over a week before she died.' Citing the newly released state records shared with the family, the attorney further revealed: '[Diamond Ranch] staff was begging [Diamond Ranch] management to take her to the hospital for days before she died.' The statement went on to lay bare the girl's cause of death - weeks after a February report from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services found that she had been showing signs of illness as far back as October, but was never hospitalized. According to Mortensen, the state has determined that Goodridge developed symptoms as early as December 9. In his statement, Mortensen, said the infection is 'easily treated with antibiotics', citing state medical officials - but when Goodridge 'begged for help multiple times,' the lawyer said, her pleas drew 'punishment.' The first symptoms of peritonitis are typically vomiting and a swollen stomach - both of which were exhibited by the teenager before she died. The claims coincide with other accounts offered by graduates of the program - which has a dubious reputation and an entire Facebook group devoted to it. The group, called 'I Survived Diamond Ranch Academy' has more than 1,000 members and was created in 2011, and serves as a place where now-grown youths sent to the institution can bond over their shared experiences. The school is one of several of its kind in the Bee Hive State due to state laws that allow corporal punishment and other strict enforcement policies. The school, currently headed by Reeve Knighton, has already been put on probation by the state. Managers at his live-in rehabilitation center allegedly refused Goodridge's cries for medical attention Goodridge 'begged for help multiple times,' the lawyer said, but her pleas drew 'punishment' Lawyers for the family stated documents produced by the state in their ongoing investigation into the school show Goodridge vomited at least 14 times, including seven times in an 11-hour span - but was still never brought to a hospital Mortensen stated documents produced by the state in their ongoing investigation into the school show Goodridge vomited at least 14 times, including seven times in an 11-hour span. He also claimed that Diamond Ranch canceled phone calls home to Goodridges parents, Dean Goodridge and Amberlynn Wigtion, during the weeks she was sick. Despite the constant vomiting, Goodridges pleas for help were 'completely disregarded,' the filing states. The state's Medical Examiner allegedly discerned that Goodridge's condition then developed into sepsis, which spread to all of her vital organs and caused her 'complete organ failure,' Mortensen said. The school - which last month unsuccessfully tried to quash the probation period it's been put on since December - previously claimed the girl died of a heart attack. 'We are devastated to learn that Taylors death was entirely preventable had Diamond Ranch Academy cared,' Dean Goodridge and Amber Lynn Wigtion said in a shared statement provided by their attorney Friday of the new development. Dad Dean previously said that when Taylor entered the facility at the start of the school year, she was in 'very good health.' 'Here is that this young teenager is sent down to Utah from the state of Washington to try and help her get her life back in order,' said Mortensen. 'And before they know it, she's died from what we believe will ultimately prove out to be sepsis. And with no explanation,' the lawyer said. In addition to Taylor complaining about the pain, the teenage girl also begged staff for help in the weeks leading up to her death, her father's suit says. Even after Taylor had collapsed in her own vomit and had an abdomen that was 'extremely distended so that it was noticeable to others,' staff continued to ignore her. Dean has said he hopes the case and alleged treatment his daughter underwent may reflect similar experiences by other students who 'are often ignored or told that they are faking their illnesses.' Mortensen also says school officials told the teen's family she had been taken to the hospital after a heart attack and later died from the incident. Her family believes she died of sepsis from an untreated abdomen issue. The suit claims the father felt comfortable sending his daughter to the school after reading the assurances promised by the school. 'We recognize how difficult a decision it was to intervene on your child's behalf,' a Diamond Ranch Academy Parent Manual reads, according to the suit. 'We also recognize how difficult it is to place the care of your child in the hands of another. Please take comfort in knowing that we take our responsibility very seriously,' the manual continues. The academy also promises parents it will 'treat every student as if they were our own daughter or son.' It's unclear exactly what Taylor what being treated for. Ricky Dias, who is not a licensed mental health, opened the facility in 1999 to rehabilitate troubled teens The school is one of several of its kind in the Bee Hive State due to state laws that allow corporal punishment and other strict enforcement policies The state's Medical Examiner allegedly discerned that Goodridge's condition then developed into sepsis, which spread to all of her vital organs and caused her 'complete organ failure,' lawyers said Friday Dean Goodridge alongside Goodridge (bottom right) and two of Taylor's siblings In a Facebook post made on Christmas Eve days after his daughter's death, Dean shared the news with his friends, at the time promising to get to the bottom of the situation Everything Taylor did, her younger siblings wanted to do too, according to mom Amber Wigtion - seen here flanked by her children before Taylor's death In a Facebook post made on Christmas Eve days after his daughter's death, Dean shared the news with his friends, at the time promising to get to the bottom of the situation. 'This is the hardest thing I will ever write, Dean wrote. 'We don't know what happened we will find out what happened,' the grieving father said. Dean, who lives in Washington state, said the young girl 'meant the world to her family,' including her siblings who loved her dearly. Amber Wigtion, Taylor's mother, recently spoke with ABC 4 Utah and sobbed while discussing how Taylor's death has impacted her and her family. Wigtion appeared in front of a background reading 'shut down Diamond Ranch Academy' while speaking with the local news outlet. 'They [her siblings] are taking it kind of hard too, especially my nine-year-old, she really looked up to her big sister,' Wigtion said. The mother said Taylor had a profound influence on her siblings and that everything she did, her siblings wanted to do too. In a statement, Diamond Ranch Academy said: 'We are cooperating fully and transparently with the State of Utah as they investigate this tragedy. 'The safety of the students is our number one priority and we are continually striving to provide the best care possible to our students and families. It is the policy of Diamond Ranch Academy to not publicly comment on pending litigation.' The facility, which shares glowing testimonials on its website, costs upwards of $7,000 a month according to one outlet. More than 300 people killed after week of fighting between rival forces The Prime Minister confirmed on Sunday UK diplomats have been extracted Read more: How US-led mission has taken out jihadi chiefs since start of 2023 British diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan, the Prime Minister confirmed on Sunday. Threats had been made against embassy staff and their families, prompting a 'rapid and complex' extraction. ADVERTISEMENT The military airlift of a dozen British diplomats as well as their families from the embassy in the capital, Khartoum, had been in the works since Saturday night and involved more than 1,200 military personnel. The evacuation comes after Brits trapped in Sudan accused the government of 'abandoning' them during a bloody conflict between the Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Oliver Dowden said on Sunday morning that the situation was 'complex' and rapidly moving but Labour's Jon Ashworth questioned 'why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting'. There are still several hundred other Britons living in the country, however, and ministers and Whitehall officials have stated that a wider evacuation has not been possible at this stage. A building damaged during fights between rival factions in Sudan. British diplomats have been extracted from the country The Prime Minister paid tribute to the bravery of those behind the 'difficult' military operation to get British diplomats out of Sudan, where internal fighting is going on. Rishi Sunak tweeted: 'UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. 'I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation. 'We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country. 'I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones.' ADVERTISEMENT The Prime Minister paid tribute to the bravery of those behind the 'difficult' military operation to get British diplomats out of Sudan (a convoy in Khartoum in Sudan on April 23) British diplomats have been evacuated by military personnel from the capital of Sudan following violence A drone view shows smoke rising over buildings a week after fighting began in North Khartoum, as seen from Omdurman, Sudan, April 22, 2023 Smoke is seen rise from buildings yesterday during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan The US military evacuated American diplomats and their families from Sudan, the country's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said early Sunday as fighting between rival commanders that has killed hundreds of civilians continued Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a tweet: 'Due to escalating threats against foreign diplomats, the UK has evacuated embassy staff from Sudan. 'Our top priority remains the safety of British nationals. 'We are working around the clock to broker international support to end the bloodshed in Sudan.' Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said the operation to remove British Embassy staff from Sudan involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF). 'This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the United States; France and other allies,' Mr Wallace said in a written statement. 'They have evacuated British Embassy staff and their dependents from Khartoum due to the escalating threats against diplomats. 'The operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade; the Royal Marines and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners.' The Sudanese army had on Saturday said Britain was one of a number of nations, including the US and China, that it would be assisting to help remove its officials from the dangerous conditions in the country. Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan had been complicated by the fact most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven perilous. The UK Government has stated that a more large-scale evacuation could prove a challenge, with Britain lacking the military footprint it had in Afghanistan which saw thousands airlifted out of Kabul during Operation Pitting in 2021. Mr Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would continue to act as a broker for a peace deal in Sudan. ADVERTISEMENT 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. Trapped civilians from the UK said it had taken five days for the embassy to contact them with a telephone number they could use to register with the foreign office. A teacher told the Times that several people had been unable to dial through and were forced to ask family in the UK to call the number on their behalf. 'The first five days were ridiculous, and farcical actually. I couldn't believe they would continue to not do anything,' William said. People carry water during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden leaves BBC Broadcasting House on Sunday morning. He said the situation was 'rapidly moving' British ambassador to Sudan, Giles Lever and his deputy were abroad when the violence began and have not been able to return. Irritated senior figures in Whitehall have likened the situation to the chaos of the Afghanistan evacuation in August 2021. A source said: 'It's Kabul all over again.' William said the capacity of the embassy to help was 'tiny'. 'There is someone who we have direct contact with, but there is scarcity of anybody above her in the embassy,' he added. A source inside the foreign office retaliated to the criticism, arguing that Lever's presence in London had been essential. Fighting broke out last weekend, with army units loyal to Sudan's military ruler, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, pitted against Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is deputy head of the ruling council. ADVERTISEMENT More than 400 people have been killed, including a United Nations worker and an American citizen. A number of westerners have also had their homes and compounds ransacked. The Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said the situation was 'rapidly moving' as he highlighted the differences between the likely British response in the African nation compared to the Afghanistan evacuation in 2021. Asked on Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme whether the UK was preparing to evacuate Sudan of British nationals, Oliver Dowden said: 'The situation in respect of Sudan is clearly a rapidly moving and complex situation. 'Our priority is to support British nationals. Now, the Ministry of Defence is acting in support of the Foreign Office but clearly you wouldn't expect me to comment for security reasons on the current situation in terms of movement on the ground.' Pressed on whether there are plans to evacuate Sudan of UK citizens, Mr Dowden added: 'This is a very different situation, for example, to the situation that you saw in Afghanistan for a number of reasons. 'First of all, this situation has arisen very rapidly and, secondly, we just don't have the kind of scale of resources on the ground that were there in Afghanistan. Smoke billows over residential buildings in eastern Khartoum on April 22, 2023, during ongoing battles between the forces of two rival generals An aerial view shows a mosque, as conflict between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army continues, in Omdurman, Sudan April 21, 2023 'Clearly, we need to make sure that we support our British nationals. At the moment, the advice to British nationals is to make sure they stay indoors, that they stay safe and get in contact with the Foreign Office.' Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth said people are 'deeply, deeply troubled and alarmed' about what is happening in Sudan. ADVERTISEMENT He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: 'As to the question around evacuations and so on, it does seem a legitimate question as to why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting. 'I hope we can have a clarification from the Foreign Office, perhaps in Parliament in the coming days, on that front.' Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, acknowledged it would be 'probably the most complex evacuation' she could think of in her lifetime given there was no UK military on the ground. Ms Kearns noted the United States had used a helicopter base on their embassy to start their evacuation and highlighted some of the difficulties. She also told Times Radio: 'We do need to be getting British nationals out. There is looting, there is sexual assault going on, there is violence on a daily basis. This is not a safe situation. 'I have a constituent whose loved ones are living in Sudan who want to get out, who have a UK visa. This is very complex, but we do need to evacuate British nationals.' Across the Atlantic, US troops swooped in on helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan's battle-torn capital, President Joe Biden said Sunday, as other nations sought to help their citizens flee deadly fighting between rival generals. France on Sunday also launched evacuation operations from the northeast African nation, where ongoing fighting has entered its second week. Read more: Americans evacuated from Sudan embassy as airport closes and roads are blocked off amid fighting that has killed hundreds of civilians and put African nation at risk of collapse ADVERTISEMENT Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group - which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets - have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. ADVERTISEMENT Biden, who said the US military 'conducted an operation' to extract US government personnel, condemned the violence, saying 'it's unconscionable and it must stop'. Just over 100 US special operations troops took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw three Chinook helicopters fly from Djibouti, staying on the ground in Khartoum for less than an hour. France's foreign ministry said Sunday a 'rapid evacuation operation' had begun, and that European citizens and those from 'allied partner countries' would also be assisted, without giving further details. Fighting continued Sunday with the crackle of automatic gunfire echoing across Khartoum and Sudanese military aircraft roaring overhead, witnesses said. Frightened residents, many low on water, food and other essentials, have huddled inside their homes in the chaos-torn city where buildings have been gutted, lampposts are lying on the ground, and smoke has been rising from shops set on fire. 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. 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. ADVERTISEMENT There has been no sign yet 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. British diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan, the Prime Minister confirmed on Sunday. Threats had been made against embassy staff and their families, prompting a 'rapid and complex' extraction. The military airlift of a dozen British diplomats as well as their families from the embassy in the capital, Khartoum, had been in the works since Saturday night and involved more than 1,200 military personnel. The evacuation comes after Brits trapped in Sudan accused the government of 'abandoning' them during a bloody conflict between the Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Oliver Dowden said on Sunday morning that the situation was 'complex' and rapidly moving but Labour's Jon Ashworth questioned 'why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting'. There are still several hundred other Britons living in the country, however, and ministers and Whitehall officials have stated that a wider evacuation has not been possible at this stage. The Prime Minister confirmed the evacuation of British diplomat staff in a statement on Sunday A building damaged during fights between rival factions in Sudan. British diplomats have been extracted from the country The Prime Minister paid tribute to the bravery of those behind the 'difficult' military operation to get British diplomats out of Sudan, where internal fighting is going on. Rishi Sunak tweeted: 'UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. 'I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation. 'We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country. 'I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones.' The Prime Minister paid tribute to the bravery of those behind the 'difficult' military operation to get British diplomats out of Sudan (a convoy in Khartoum in Sudan on April 23) British diplomats have been evacuated by military personnel from the capital of Sudan following violence A drone view shows smoke rising over buildings a week after fighting began in North Khartoum, as seen from Omdurman, Sudan, April 22, 2023 Smoke is seen rise from buildings yesterday during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan The US military evacuated American diplomats and their families from Sudan, the country's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said early Sunday as fighting between rival commanders that has killed hundreds of civilians continued Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a tweet: 'Due to escalating threats against foreign diplomats, the UK has evacuated embassy staff from Sudan. 'Our top priority remains the safety of British nationals. 'We are working around the clock to broker international support to end the bloodshed in Sudan.' Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said the operation to remove British Embassy staff from Sudan involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF). 'This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the United States; France and other allies,' Mr Wallace said in a written statement. 'They have evacuated British Embassy staff and their dependents from Khartoum due to the escalating threats against diplomats. 'The operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade; the Royal Marines and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners.' The Sudanese army had on Saturday said Britain was one of a number of nations, including the US and China, that it would be assisting to help remove its officials from the dangerous conditions in the country. Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan had been complicated by the fact most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven perilous. The UK Government has stated that a more large-scale evacuation could prove a challenge, with Britain lacking the military footprint it had in Afghanistan which saw thousands airlifted out of Kabul during Operation Pitting in 2021. Mr Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would continue to act as a broker for a peace deal in Sudan. 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. Trapped civilians from the UK said it had taken five days for the embassy to contact them with a telephone number they could use to register with the foreign office. A teacher told the Times that several people had been unable to dial through and were forced to ask family in the UK to call the number on their behalf. 'The first five days were ridiculous, and farcical actually. I couldn't believe they would continue to not do anything,' William said. People carry water during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden leaves BBC Broadcasting House on Sunday morning. He said the situation was 'rapidly moving' British ambassador to Sudan, Giles Lever and his deputy were abroad when the violence began and have not been able to return. Irritated senior figures in Whitehall have likened the situation to the chaos of the Afghanistan evacuation in August 2021. A source said: 'It's Kabul all over again.' William said the capacity of the embassy to help was 'tiny'. 'There is someone who we have direct contact with, but there is scarcity of anybody above her in the embassy,' he added. A source inside the foreign office retaliated to the criticism, arguing that Lever's presence in London had been essential. Fighting broke out last weekend, with army units loyal to Sudan's military ruler, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, pitted against Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is deputy head of the ruling council. More than 400 people have been killed, including a United Nations worker and an American citizen. A number of westerners have also had their homes and compounds ransacked. The Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said the situation was 'rapidly moving' as he highlighted the differences between the likely British response in the African nation compared to the Afghanistan evacuation in 2021. Asked on Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme whether the UK was preparing to evacuate Sudan of British nationals, Oliver Dowden said: 'The situation in respect of Sudan is clearly a rapidly moving and complex situation. 'Our priority is to support British nationals. Now, the Ministry of Defence is acting in support of the Foreign Office but clearly you wouldn't expect me to comment for security reasons on the current situation in terms of movement on the ground.' Pressed on whether there are plans to evacuate Sudan of UK citizens, Mr Dowden added: 'This is a very different situation, for example, to the situation that you saw in Afghanistan for a number of reasons. 'First of all, this situation has arisen very rapidly and, secondly, we just don't have the kind of scale of resources on the ground that were there in Afghanistan. Smoke billows over residential buildings in eastern Khartoum on April 22, 2023, during ongoing battles between the forces of two rival generals An aerial view shows a mosque, as conflict between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army continues, in Omdurman, Sudan April 21, 2023 'Clearly, we need to make sure that we support our British nationals. At the moment, the advice to British nationals is to make sure they stay indoors, that they stay safe and get in contact with the Foreign Office.' Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth said people are 'deeply, deeply troubled and alarmed' about what is happening in Sudan. He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: 'As to the question around evacuations and so on, it does seem a legitimate question as to why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting. 'I hope we can have a clarification from the Foreign Office, perhaps in Parliament in the coming days, on that front.' Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, acknowledged it would be 'probably the most complex evacuation' she could think of in her lifetime given there was no UK military on the ground. Ms Kearns noted the United States had used a helicopter base on their embassy to start their evacuation and highlighted some of the difficulties. She also told Times Radio: 'We do need to be getting British nationals out. There is looting, there is sexual assault going on, there is violence on a daily basis. This is not a safe situation. 'I have a constituent whose loved ones are living in Sudan who want to get out, who have a UK visa. This is very complex, but we do need to evacuate British nationals.' Across the Atlantic, US troops swooped in on helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan's battle-torn capital, President Joe Biden said Sunday, as other nations sought to help their citizens flee deadly fighting between rival generals. France on Sunday also launched evacuation operations from the northeast African nation, where ongoing fighting has entered its second week. Read more: Americans evacuated from Sudan embassy as airport closes and roads are blocked off amid fighting that has killed hundreds of civilians and put African nation at risk of collapse Advertisement Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group - which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets - have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. Biden, who said the US military 'conducted an operation' to extract US government personnel, condemned the violence, saying 'it's unconscionable and it must stop'. Just over 100 US special operations troops took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw three Chinook helicopters fly from Djibouti, staying on the ground in Khartoum for less than an hour. France's foreign ministry said Sunday a 'rapid evacuation operation' had begun, and that European citizens and those from 'allied partner countries' would also be assisted, without giving further details. Fighting continued Sunday with the crackle of automatic gunfire echoing across Khartoum and Sudanese military aircraft roaring overhead, witnesses said. Frightened residents, many low on water, food and other essentials, have huddled inside their homes in the chaos-torn city where buildings have been gutted, lampposts are lying on the ground, and smoke has been rising from shops set on fire. 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. 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. There has been no sign yet 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. Donald Trump can't seem to get his base on board with his attack lines on Ron DeSantis especially in both politicians' home state of Florida. While Trump has made mocking his opponent's and political rivals a signature of his campaign style, his jokes about DeSantis landed flat with attendees at a local GOP dinner Friday in Lee County. Usually, when Trump keeps his attacks to Democrats or less popular Republicans, he gets big laughs and claps but Florida Republicans aren't having it when the butt of the joke is their beloved governor. 'In Florida, I got 1.2 million more votes than your successful governor's campaign,' Trump said during the Lincoln Reagan dinner on Friday. 'You know that. We got 1.2 million.' Donald Trump's attacks on Ron DeSantis are not landing with Republicans. During a speech at a Lee County GOP event, the former president received scattered chuckles, at best, when mocking the Florida governor He then employed his voice mocking DeSantis and playing out the governor asking him for help during the 2018 gubernatorial race in the Sunshine State. 'Sir I'd love to have your support, sir. I'd love to have your support. I'm down at about three. I'd love to have your support,'' Trump reenacted before giving his imaginary reply: 'All right, let's think about it.'' He then dropped the performance and said: 'Then there was like, a rocket ship after I gave it.' 'Otherwise, right now, you'd have a lawyer someplace looking for business,' he claimed of DeSantis. Following Trump's attack on DeSantis, there were a few awkward chuckles in the otherwise still room, which prompted him to add: 'If that.' DeSantis earned his JD from Harvard Law School in 2005 after receiving hi undergraduate degree from Yale. He served as a JAG officer in the Navy, overlapping a few years with his time as a U.S. Representative for Florida before running for governor. It was true that DeSantis was down against his 2018 GOP primary opponent Adam Putnam in the polls, but received a boost in 2017 when Trump issued his endorsement of the eventual victor. He went on to defeat Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum by a very slim margin. DeSantis' 2022 reelection victory was a landslide against Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist. The governor earned the largest margin of victory in a Florida gubernatorial election since 1982 even flipping Miami-Dade County red after it voted blue since 2022. DeSantis has steered clear of directly responding to the attacks, but has taken a few veiled swipes at Trump's leadership style Attendees at DeSantis's victory rally chanted 'two more years' rather than the common 'four more years' to show support for a 2024 presidential run. DeSantis has remained relatively neutral on the issue of Trump. The most poignant attack was a veiled swipe, at best, when DeSantis said that 'leaders take the bull by the horns and make the decisions for themselves.' 'They don't subcontract out their leadership to health bureaucrats like Dr. Fauci,' DeSantis said during remarks over the weekend. He was referencing Trump's employment of Dr. Anthony Fauci to take over the White House response to the coronavirus pandemic, which many Republicans feel was botched from the start. DeSantis has not yet announced he is running for president, but has taken all of the usual steps toward a bid for the White House, including touring the country and making stops in key primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Trump has credited DeSantis' rise on the political stage to his endorsement in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial race and says any run against him in 2024 would be 'disloyal' Trump has quickly ramped up his attacks on DeSantis after saying earlier this year during a visit to early primary contest state of South Carolina that it would be 'disloyal' for him to make a bid against the man who helped him win the Florida State House. Many of the former president's attacks against DeSantis have not earned the usual reaction he is used to getting when he goes after his opponents. During a rally in Waco, Texas last month, Trump attacked DeSantis at length, but got a noticeably understated reaction from the usually hyped-up MAGA crowd. Trump's impersonations have always been a big hit at his rallies and are a staple of his campaign speeches. He said in Waco that DeSantis came to him with 'tears in his eyes' begging for an endorsement, but the lack of reaction was much more notable than any raucous laughter at his mocking of Democrats like Hillary Clinton and one-time DeSantis challenger Andrew Gillum. On his social media, Trump has called the Florida governor 'DeSanctimonious' and pointed to unsubstantiated claims that he had inappropriate relationships with underage students when he was a teacher in Georgia. The plane landed safely back at the airport just 40 minutes later It caused flames to shoot from the engine and create 'wonky, pulsing noises' American Airlines flight 1958 took off from John Glenn Columbus International Airport on Sunday but was struck by a bird Video posted online showed the terrifying moment a Boeing 737 shooting flames into the sky before it returned to an Ohio airport just 40 minutes after it took off. The American Airlines flight 1958 to Phoenix, Arizona took off from John Glenn Columbus International Airport at 7:43am, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights nationally, but landed back at the airport at 8:22am. Witnesses on the scene said it was struck by a flock of geese as it took off, causing flames to shoot from the engine and create 'wonky, pulsing noises.' One person in Columbus, Ohio even said it sounded 'as if the engines were about to give up.' Fortunately, the plane made it back to the ground safely - and no injuries were reported. The plane has been identified as a Boeing 737-800, but is not a 737 Max, which has killed over 340 people around the world following two horrific and well-publicized crashes caused by an onboard computer system. American Airlines flight 1958 returned to a Columbus, Ohio airport less than 20 minutes after it took off after a bird struck its engine, causing it to burn Emergency crews rushed to the runway after the plane re-landed at the airport safely The flight to Phoenix, Arizona was struck by a bird as it took off from Columbus, Ohio The flight was set to land at Phoenix, Arizona but had to make the quick U-turn shortly after it took off. Videos and photos posted online show flames coming out of its engine, and the plane making a low rumbling noise as it passed through Ohio. An unnamed passenger onboard the doomed flight has since told WBNS that the pilot said geese got into the engine, causing the fire. Witnesses shared online that they heard 'wonky, pulsing noises' from the aircraft and the engine sounded like it was 'about to give up' All of the passengers were taken to another plane, which was scheduled to take back off to Phoenix at around 10am. The Federal Aviation Administration is leading an investigation into the fire. In the meantime, the airport says it is 'open and operational,' as emergency crews remain on the scene. A separate incident last Thursday saw an American Airlines Airbus A321 suffer a fire on its right wing as it prepared to take off from Charlotte-Douglas Airport in North Carolina. The plane returned to the gate, and no injuries were reported American Airlines A321 experiences an engine fire moments before takeoff from Charlotte Douglas Airport. The crew successfully extinguished the fire and all passengers disembarked safely. cuhhlayre pic.twitter.com/YIjCWU9JZM Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) April 22, 2023 The incident came three days after another engine fire aboard an Airbus A321 plane as it was about to take off from Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina. Disturbing video shows flames shooting out of the right-hand side wing, which were visible from the slats of the plane. Worried passengers could be heard crying out, while a flight attendant came over the intercom to tell them to stay calm, and that they'd sort out the issue as quickly as possible. The plane, which was due to fly to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport returned to its gate without taking off, and the flames were extinguished. All passengers were taken off, and no-one was injured, Simple Flying reported. The incident is being treated as a mechanical failure, and no further details of what caused it have been shared. The SNP were mocked today after their deputy leader declared they are Scotland's 'most transparent party' despite the police probe into their finances. Keith Brown made the claim even as he acknowledged 'internal challenges' amid the continuing investigation into how more than 600,000 of donations were spent. The inquiry has seen the arrest of the party's former chief executive Peter Murrell, the husband of ex-leader Nicola Sturgeon, and former treasurer Colin Beattie. The SNP are also facing a fresh row over their finances after it emerged the party's former Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, was 'secretly' paid a salary top-up. It has been revealed Mr Robertson received 33,000 in extra wages while leading the party in the House of Commons between 2015 and 2017. Deputy leader Keith Brown declared the SNP are Scotland's 'most transparent party' despite the police probe into their finances The SNP are also facing a fresh row after it emerged the party's former Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, was 'secretly' paid a salary top-up SNP deputy admits he didn't know party's auditors had quit SNP deputy leader Keith Brown today admitted he didn't know until recently that the party's auditors Johnston and Carmichael had resigned. First Minister Humza Yousaf only learned of the revelation after he replaced Nicola Sturgeon in the top job last month despite the auditors stepping aside around October. In an interview with Sky News, Mr Brown said he only became aware 'shortly' after the news became public. But he said it was standard practice that Mr Yousaf would not have known prior to taking the party's top role as he was not on the SNP's national executive committee where these issues were discussed. The SNP are searching for new accountants in time for the submission of audits to the Electoral Commission in July. Advertisement In an interview with BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show this morning, Mr Brown refused to comment on the ongoing police investigation. He admitted to 'internal challenges' but pointed to a 'governance and transparency review' ordered by new SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf. 'We are one of the most transparent parties in the UK,' the SNP deputy leader said. 'We are the most transparent, most successful party - more than any other party - in Scotland. We have to increase that transparency. 'It is my ambition and I know that it's Humza's to make sure that we are the most transparent party in Scotland and that we set the standard for transparency and shame other parties.' Mr Brown appeared to base his claim on the fact the SNP revealed its membership figures in March amid the bitter leadership contest to elect Ms Sturgeon's replacement. The party admitted it had dropped 30,000 members than it had initially stated in a furious row that led to Mr Murrell's resignation as SNP chief executive. 'You will have a very good idea of the SNP membership do you know what the membership numbers are for the Scottish Tories or the Labour Party in Scotland?,' Mr Brown said. Scottish Tory chairman Chris Hoy branded Mr Brown's remarks 'bizarre' and claimed the SNP is 'addicted to secrecy'. 'Keith Brown must be living in a parallel universe to claim that the SNP are one of the "most transparent" political parties in the UK,' he said. 'If the shocking events of the last few weeks have proved anything, its that the SNPs addiction to secrecy goes even deeper than anyone thought. 'The SNP is in meltdown and Keith Browns attempt to dismiss the arrests of his party colleagues as merely "internal challenges" is simply laughable.' Meanwhile, the SNP were facing a fresh row after The Times reported Mr Robertson was paid an additional 33,207 while he was the SNP's Westminister leader. According to the newspaper, the wages of Mr Robertson - who is now the Scottish Government's Constitution Secretary - and the then chief whip Mike Weir were topped up after the 2015 general election. But it was claimed neither the rest of the SNP group at Westminster nor senior party figures in Edinburgh were told about the payments. A source said: 'There might have been a case for extra payment for additional responsibilities but that should have been transparent to the wider MP group, not just the cosy cartel that gained the extra money.' The SNP are said to have used short money - taxpayers' cash given to opposition parties - to finance the salary top-ups, which were based on the extra money given to the Labour leader, as head of the official opposition, and Labour whips. An SNP spokesman said: 'Employment issues relating to the Westminster SNP leader, chief whip and group staff are a matter decided by the group executive. 'Senior leadership remuneration followed the SNP becoming the third party at Westminster and was pegged below comparative UK Government and Opposition positions.' This is the terrifying moment a 45-foot tall animatronic dragon caught fire on Disneyland's Tom Sawyer island in California and caused families to flee the park. The popular attraction exploded and erupted into a fireball during the theme park's 'Fantasmic!' show at Walt Disney World Resort on Saturday night. Cast members were forced to flee the scene after the head of Maleficent Dragon's became engulfed in flames in the middle of the performance. They quickly evacuated around 1,000 people from the site around Frontierland as the thick black smoke plume spread across the theme park. The Anaheim Fire Department responded to the incident and no one was hurt. A 45-foot tall animatronic dragon caught fire on Disneyland's Tom Sawyer island in California and caused families to flee the park The popular attraction exploded and erupted into a fireball during the theme park's 'Fantasmic!' show at Walt Disney World Resort on Saturday night The 'Fantasmic!' show dragon pictured before it was destroyed in the fire on Saturday Footage shows the dragon's fire breath engulfed its head before it later spread to the rest of its body. The cast members were quick to react as the animatronic monster erupted into a fireball and the flames began to spread and drop below. Firefighters arrived shortly to extinguish the flames and authorities confirmed there were no injuries. Videos shared on social media show parkgoers fleeing from the scene as staff cordoned off the attraction. As the fire rapidly grew, a public announcement was played to say the show could no longer continue. It said: 'Due to unforeseen circumstances, this performance of 'Fantasmic!' cannot continue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.' Staff quickly evacuated around 1,000 people from the site around Frontierland as the thick black smoke plume spread across the theme park The Anaheim Fire Department responded to the incident and no one was hurt In a statement, Disneyland said: 'During the final showing of Fantasmic at Disneyland park on Saturday evening, the dragon caught fire. 'Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded and the fire was extinguished. All cast members were evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island. 'Due to smoke and wind, attractions near the island were safely cleared of any guests, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.' The area around Frontierland was cordoned off but the rest of the park was open to visitors. It is not known exactly what caused the fire and Disney officials will continue to investigate the extent of the damage. The 'Fantasmic!' show is a 27-minute performance which provides 'enhanced special effects, state-of-the-art projections and superb pyrotechnics'. Mickey Mouse conducts scenes from Disney classics including Aladdin, Maleficent and The Lion King. Most of it takes place in the mist of the Rivers of America and the audience watches from the banks on New Orleans Square and Frontierland. The nighttime show started in 1992 and is based on Mark Twain's book 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.' Poem lover keeps spending spare time to pursue passion for poetry Xinhua) 09:07, April 23, 2023 Zhu Yanjun looks through a book in the library of Jingning County, northwest China's Gansu Province, on April 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Fang Xin) Zhu Yanjun, 50, is the runner-up of the 2023 Chinese Poetry Competition. After graduating from junior high school in 1992, he stopped his schooling and left his hometown, a village in Jingning County of northwest China's Gansu Province, and began to work as a migrant worker. Over the past 30 years, although he was always busy working during the day, he kept on spending his spare time to pursue his passion for poetry. This year, he finally appeared in the Chinese Poetry Competition and won the second place, stunning the audience with his talent. Zhu's obsession with poetry runs through every aspect of his life. Whenever he goes to a city for work, he first visits bookstores. On rainy days when the construction site where he works halts work temporarily, he usually rushes to the bookstore early in the morning and spends the whole day reading books. In order to make use of his time to read poetry, he always carries some notes of copying poems in his pocket. In March of this year, Zhu Yanjun returned to his hometown and got a chance to work as a staff member at the cultural center of Jingning County. This job gives him more time to delve into the stories behind the poems and more opportunities to share his study experience with others. Zhu wishes to inspire more people around him to explore the beauty of reading. Zhu Yanjun shares poetry reading experience with students at Chengguan Primary School in Jingning County, northwest China's Gansu Province, on April 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) Zhu Yanjun (L) gives an interview for the upcoming World Book Day in a studio of China Education Television in Beijing, capital of China, April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) Zhu Yanjun (L) gives an interview for the upcoming World Book Day in a studio of China Education Television in Beijing, capital of China, April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) Zhu Yanjun (L) gives an interview for the upcoming World Book Day in a studio of China Education Television in Beijing, capital of China, April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) Zhu Yanjun shows the runner-up medal he won at the 2023 Chinese Poetry Competition at home in Jingning County, northwest China's Gansu Province, on April 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Fang Xin) Zhu Yanjun transcribes poems in a hotel in Beijing, capital of China, on April 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) Zhu Yanjun sorts out his notes of poems at home in Jingning County, northwest China's Gansu Province, on April 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) Zhu Yanjun shares poetry reading experience with students at Chengguan Primary School in Jingning County, northwest China's Gansu Province, on April 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) Zhu Yanjun shares poetry reading experience with students at Chengguan Primary School in Jingning County, northwest China's Gansu Province, on April 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Fang Xin) Zhu Yanjun shows his notes for reciting poems in Beijing, capital of China, on April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) Zhu Yanjun and his colleague set up equipment for a World Book Day activity in Jingning County, northwest China's Gansu Province, on April 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Fang Xin) Zhu Yanjun buys pastries, as gifts for the colleagues in his hometown, at a store of a traditional Chinese bakery brand in Beijing, capital of China, April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) Zhu Yanjun reads books at Beijing Books Building after taking part in a TV program interview in Beijing, capital of China, April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Du Mingming) Twenty-four people have been charged after animal rights protesters stormed the Ayr Racecourse track in an attempt to stop the Scottish Grand National. The Animal Rising activists climbed under and over fences and infiltrated the track at around 3.20pm ahead of the 200,000 race on Saturday. But Police Scotland has now confirmed the activists have been arrested and charged in connection with a 'breach of the peace'. It comes after activists from the same group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, delayed the start of Aintree's Grand National last week. The 24 activists have been released and are due to appear at Ayr Sheriff Court on June 5. Twenty-four people have been charged after animal rights protesters stormed the Ayr Racecourse track in an attempt to stop the Scottish Grand National Animal Rising posted on social media yesterday before the event: 'Twenty-five 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. '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.' But the disruption didn't delay the event and the 18-horse race and was won by racehorse Kitty's Light. The Animal Rising activists climbed under and over fences and infiltrated the track at around 3.20pm ahead of the 200,000 race on Saturday The 24 activists have been released and are due to appear at Ayr Sheriff Court on June 5 Aye Racecourse managing director David Brown said: '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. '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 Kitty's Light, after he finished second last year. I think for me, this is Scotland's showpiece race and it all ran to time.' It will be regulated as business Sex work is set to be decriminalised and regulated in Queensland with a major shake-up promising to bring the industry 'out of the dark' and make it safer for those in the profession. Attorney-general Shannon Fentiman confirmed the government would use findings from a Queensland Law Reform Commission report as a springboard to overhaul current laws. Until the new law is passed only two forms of sex work are legal in the Sunshine State services provided at a licensed brothel, and when a person is working alone from a premises, providing in-house or outcall services, or both. All other forms are illegal including escort agencies, unlicensed brothels, massage parlours, street workers who solicit in public and those who work in small groups. The illegal forms of sex work currently make up the majority of services. Attorney-general Shannon Fentiman confirmed the government would use findings from a Queensland Law Reform Commission report as a springboard to overhaul current laws Sex work is set to be decriminalised and regulated in Queensland after a major change that will bring it 'out of the dark' and make it much safer for its workers 'Current laws stigmatise sex workers, it increases their vulnerability to exploitation and violence,' Ms Fentiman told 7 News. 'We need to bring sex work out to off the dark and properly regulate the industry particularly for the safety of workers.' The Queensland Government committed to decriminalising the sex work industry in April 2022 with the commission's completed review findings setting the stage for a regulatory framework. That framework will have a major focus on the safety of sex workers. Advocates in favour of decriminalisation claim that existing regulations made sex work less safe, by prohibiting women operating in pairs or employing someone to screen and book clients and provide security on jobs. The Queensland Government committed to decriminalising the sex work industry in April 2022 and the commission's completed review findings set the stage for a regulatory framework The Queensland government is expected to consult with local government before finalising the new laws. The commission is understood to have made 47 recommendations most of which have not yet been released publicly. One proposed laws will allow individual sex workers to operate out of their homes, as long as they had obtained received council planning approval. The change would allow sex workers to essentially operate like any other home business. Republicans are balking on restrictive abortion stances as the 2024 campaign season ramps up and polls show most swing voters are not in favor of women having less access to abortion procedures and medicines. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said Sunday morning that the 'next generation of Republicans' are against abortion restrictions. He advised anyone considering a 2024 presidential run himself included to stop talking about abortion. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace also warned her colleagues to 'read the room' when it comes to these particular women's healthcare issues. 'I want us to find some middle ground,' Mace told ABC's This Week host Martha Raddatz on Sunday morning. 'As a Republican, a constitutional conservative who's pro-life, I saw what happened after Roe v. Wade because I represent a very purple district And I saw the sentiment change dramatically.' New Hampshire Gov. and potential 2024 candidate Chris Sununu said Sunday that the Supreme Court shouldn't have overturned Roe v. Wade as he told his GOP colleagues to back off talking about abortion Rep. Nancy Mace also warned her fellow Republicans that if they don't find 'middle ground' on abortion, they will 'lose huge' in 2024 WATCH: The Supreme Court shouldn't have broken "50 years of precedent" when it overturned Roe, says @GovChrisSununu (R-N.H.). "That sends a lot of insecurity through the system in terms of our messaging as Republicans. Let's get back to what we do best: Limited government." pic.twitter.com/DZelG4pPi2 Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 23, 2023 'As Republicans, we need to read the room on this issue because the vast majority of folks are not in the extremes,' she added. 'That is the wrong message heading into '24.' Meanwhile, Gov. Sununu said during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press program Sunday morning that his party needs to change priorities. 'Every time Republicans start talking about abortion, we're losing we are,' the Republican New Hampshire governor said. 'Because it is a state's issue, that's effectively what Dobbs has allowed to happen. When it is a state issue the voters have direct accountability.' Sununu said in January that he is considering a White House bid in 2024 but noted he does not have a timeline in mind for when he will make a decision. Abortion is at the top of many voters' minds after a Supreme Court ruling last year overturned the 50-year precedent set by the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The anger from pro-abortion activists was only furthered earlier this month when a Texas judge put a stay on one of the country's most popular abortion pills, mifepristone, which has been in use since the FDA's approval in 2000. 'I don't think 50 years of precedent should have been broken with Roe v. Wade,' Sununu said on Sunday. 'I mean, this mifepristone stuff 20 years of precedent and one judge that no one even knows the name of is going to try and ban all that. That sends a lot of insecurity through the system in terms of our messaging as Republicans.' 'Let's get back to what we do best: Limited government, local control, a little bit of that Live Free or Die thing we have here in New Hampshire,' he advised his Republican colleagues. 'That is a record to actually cross the finish line and have winners here in November.' Comes after a Texas judge ruled earlier this month to put a stay on the country's most popular abortion pill less than a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and handed abortion regulation back to the states As Republicans, we need to read the room on this issue because the vast majority of folks are not in the extremesThat is the wrong message heading into 24. Rep. Nancy Mace warns GOP will lose huge if they dont find middle ground on abortion. https://t.co/85eY3ZKJdI pic.twitter.com/n4kX3NR1qb This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 23, 2023 Mace also said during her ABC interview Sunday morning that the Supreme Court made the 'right decision' to preserve access to the abortion pill for now despite the Texas judge's ruling earlier this month. She also warned that Republicans will 'lose huge' in 2024 if they don't find 'middle ground' when it comes to abortion. 'The vast majority of people want some sort of gestational limits not at nine months, but somewhere in the middle they want exceptions for rape and incests, they want women to have access to birth control,' Mace listed. 'These are all very common sense positions that we can take and still be pro-life.' Mace's South Carolina colleague in the Senate, Lindsey Graham, is taking a different approach by sticking to his attack on Democrats trying to push wide-ranging access to abortion, including up to the point of birth. 'It's a human rights issue,' Graham told CNN's State of the Union host Dana Bash when asked if abortion should be up to the states. 'Does it really matter where you're conceived?' 'At 15 weeks, you have a developed heart and lungs,' the GOP senator insisted. 'And to dismember a child at 15 weeks is a painful experience. It's barbaric. It's out of line with the rest of the civilized world.' 'Only North Korea and China allow abortion demand up to the moment of birth, except the Democratic Party,' he claimed. 'What the Democratic Party proposes on abortion is barbaric. Abortion up to the moment of birth, taxpayer-funded.' 'I welcome this debate,' Graham added. 'I think the Republican Party will be in good standing to oppose late-term abortion, like most of the civilized world.' Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar pushed back on this, telling CNN in her own interview Sunday morning that it is not her stance to support abortion to the point of birth. 'I think Senator Graham knows where the American people are on this,' the Minnesota senator added. 'They are with Democratic leaders. And the people of this country believe that the women of this country should be able to make their own decisions about their health care, and not politicians.' Texas authorities have been left with more questions than answers after finding six cows dead along a rural highway with their tongues cut out. Ranchers in Madison County, about 100 miles southwest of Waco, first discovered a 6-year-old longhorn cross cow lying on her side, dead and mutilated last week, the local sheriff's office announced on Wednesday. The cow's tongue was removed 'with no blood spill' and a 'straight, clean cut with apparent precision' had been made to remove the hide from around the cow's mouth on one side. While investigating the suspicious death, authorities found out that five other cows were also left in a similarly brutal condition on the side of Old San Antonio Road including two that had their anuses and 'external genitalia' removed. Each of the cows were from a different pasture and herd, and were found in different locations along the state highway in nearby Brazos and Robertson counties. Six cows were found dead and mutilated with their tongues cut out along a Texas highway. A beef cow is pictured on a Texas ranch here Madison County authorities noted that Each of the cows were from a different pasture and herd, and were found in different locations along the state highway in nearby Brazos and Robertson counties When looking into the first reported death, Madison County investigators noted that the meat under the removed skin untouched. 'Ranchers also reported that no predators or bids would scavenge the remains of the cow, leaving it to decay untouched for several weeks,' Madison County Sheriff's deputies said of the discovery. They then made the same discovery at the resting places of the other five cows including four adult cows and one yearling. On two of the cows, authorities also found that a circular cut had been. made to remove the anus and external genitalia. 'This circular cut was made with the same precision as the cuts noted around the jawlines of each cow,' deputies wrote in a Facebook post. They further noted that the grass around the carcasses were undisturbed, and there were no footprints or tire tracks in any of the locations. And investigators found no sign of struggle or blood spills at the scenes. Sheriff's officials are now coordinating with other law enforcement agencies, noting that there have been 'multiple similar incidents' across the United States, and are asking anyone with information to call (936) 348 - 2755. This is the devastating moment two new Utah homes worth a combined $2million fell down the bottom of a cliff after they were built on unstable ground. The properties in the Hidden Canyon Estates - one worth $1.1m and the other valued at $875,000 - slid down the hillside on Saturday which left the owners in shock. Carole Kamradt, a sex therapist, broke down in tears after seeing the ruins of her home which she bought with her husband Eric less than a year before they were forced to leave. Draper Fire Department said there were no injuries and the homes affected were previously evacuated in October. The properties were built by Edge Homes and they have come under fire for building them on 'sliding soil'. The properties in the Hidden Canyon Estates slid down the hillside on Saturday which left the owners in shock Two new Utah homes worth a combined $2million fell down the bottom of a cliff after they were built on unstable ground Carole Kamradt, a sex therapist, broke down in tears after seeing the ruins of her home which she bought with her husband Eric less than a year before they were forced to leave A video posted on social media shows the entire top floor of one house slide backwards, breaking off and falling on to the popular Ann's Trail below which is now closed to the public. Carole and her husband have been left devastated and said they lost more than just their home as their scrapbooks and photo albums lie in the wreckage along the hillside. The pair moved in the Hidden Canyon Estates development in Draper in December 2021 and noticed damage just two months in. Cracks formed in their garage, the walls around their doors and windows and their basement and they were forced to leave less than a year later. The couple had not been allowed back inside since November before their home collapsed and slid down the cliff. 'I visualized a lot of things for our lives in this home and they were all wonderful and beautiful. And looking at this now, it's a nightmare,' Carole told Utah radio station KSL. 'But there are worse things that could've happened, and so that's what I have to concentrate on.' 'A lot of grief and remorse of the things lost. And hope now that it's over, we can move forward and find another dream.' While Eric described the collapse on Saturday as 'mind-blowing' and added: 'Sort of at a loss. What do you do?' Draper fire Chief Clint Smith said the surrounding area was being examined for sliding risk and said the two houses which slid were already in an area of concern A notice revoking certificates of occupancy was issued to the two homes located at 2463 and 2477 E. Springtime Road and were declared unfit to live in due to dangerous conditions. Draper fire Chief Clint Smith said the surrounding area was being examined for sliding risk and said the two houses which slid were already in an area of concern. 'The conditions were related to earth shifting that resulted in sliding and breaks in the homes' foundations,' officials said in a statement on Saturday. 'Engineers, building officials and public safety personnel are on site and have determined that two additional homes, one on each side of the previously evacuated homes, need to be evacuated. The residents of these homes have been notified and are evacuating. 'With the snowpack melting and creating changes in conditions, other homes in the neighborhood will be evaluated for safety concern.' Carole and her husband moved in the Hidden Canyon Estates development in Draper in December 2021 and noticed damage just two months in She has been left devastated and said they lost more than just their home as their scrapbooks and photo albums lie in the wreckage along the hillside Edge Homes said early report indicated that heavily saturated soils and subsurface earth movement contributed to the collapse of the homes. 'Edge has been working closely with Draper City and professional engineers to monitor these homes since they were evacuated, but due to record snowfall and winter conditions, efforts to stabilize and repair the homes were put on hold until after the spring runoff,' a statement from the developer said. The homes are unsalvageable and it said it bought back one of the homes for an 'acceptable price' while it continues to work with the owners of the second home to find a solution. It added: 'From the outset of the concerns with these two homes, Edge has remained fully committed to fairly compensating the homeowners for the inconvenience and disruption they have experienced. 'We stand by our products and take care of our buyers even when problems arise from circumstances outside of our control.' Donald Trump is ahead of Ron DeSantis by 15 percentage points, according to NBC News' first national 2024 primary poll. The double-digit primary election lead, however, is overshadowed by the poll results showing that only 6 percent of Americans want to see a rematch of 2020 between Trump and President Joe Biden. The president is reportedly prepared to soft-launch his 2024 reelection campaign on Tuesday. Trump, in the NBC News poll, earned 46 percent support of Republican primary voters compared to DeSantis' 31 percent. The Florida governor has not yet announced a White House bid but is largely seen as the only potential candidate that could give Trump a good fight. DeSantis was coming closer in the polls to Trump even beating him in a few but the recent indictment against the former president in the Stormy Daniels hush-money payment case has boosted his stance with Republicans. A new poll shows Donald Trump double-digits ahead of Ron DeSantis NBC News' first national poll for the 2024 presidential primary shows Trump ahead with 46% of the vote, compared to second place DeSantis with 31% Seventy percent of GOP respondents told NBC's polling that they feel it's more important now to rally around Trump's 2024 bid following the charges. Some of Trump's 2024 rivals have suggested that the charges and arraignment was a way for Democrats to ensure his candidacy in 2024 because they believe that he will lose a general election against Biden. No other candidates, announced or otherwise, were able to earn double-digit support among the just 292 Republican voters polled. Former Vice President Mike Pence came in third with just 6 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, Nikki Haley, former South Carolina Gov. and once Trump's Ambassador to the United Nations, tied for fourth with Sen. Tim Scott, who has not announced, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has announced. All of the three politicians earned 3 percent support. Longshot candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a multi-millionaire who earned his fortune in the biotech and asset management field, came in last with 2 percent. Despite the polling lead over DeSantis, it is obvious that attack lines against the governor are not a winning strategy for the former president. While Trump has made mocking his opponent's and political rivals a signature of his campaign style, his jokes about DeSantis landed flat with attendees at a local GOP dinner Friday in Lee County. Usually, when Trump keeps his attacks to Democrats or less popular Republicans, he gets big laughs and claps but Florida Republicans aren't having it when the butt of the joke is their beloved governor. 'In Florida, I got 1.2 million more votes than your successful governor's campaign,' Trump said during the Lincoln Reagan dinner on Friday. 'You know that. We got 1.2 million.' The same poll shows that just a measly 6% of Americans want to see a rematch between Trump and Joe Biden in 2024 He then employed his voice mocking DeSantis and playing out the governor asking him for help during the 2018 gubernatorial race in the Sunshine State. ''Sir I'd love to have your support, sir. I'd love to have your support. I'm down at about three. I'd love to have your support.' Trump dropped the performance and said: 'Then there was like, a rocket ship after I gave it. Otherwise, right now, you'd have a lawyer someplace looking for business.' Following Trump's attack on DeSantis, there were a few awkward chuckles in the otherwise still room, which prompted him to add: 'If that.' DeSantis hasn't announced a bid yet, but is taking all the traditional steps toward a run including traversing the country to key states for a presidential candidate. Of those polled, 70 percent do not think Biden should run for reelection, while 60 percent say Trump should not be making a third bid for the White House. The Washington Post reported that when Biden returned from his trip to Ireland, he met a videographer in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to record a campaign launch video, which is planned to be released this week. A heritage group is up in arms over a plan for a drive-thru branch of Greggs on the outskirts of Winchester. The group, which has launched an official objection to Winchester City Council, has argued the popular bakery store could lead to more traffic. Some locals in the historic Hampshire city appear more relaxed about the prospect, with one joking: 'If it's a matter of choosing between saving the environment and a Greggs sausage roll? I choose the sausage roll every time.' The upmarket city - once the capital of England - is renowned for its rich history, its world-famous cathedral, and prestigious Winchester College. It already has two branches of Greggs, including one on the picturesque pedestrianised High Street. The City of Winchester Trust launched an official objection to Winchester City Council over traffic concerns around the proposed site (pictured) Under the plans, a 167 square metre Greggs will be built in the Winnall area of the city in the Homebase car park (pictured) close to the M3 The proposed new shop would be built in a Homebase car park close to the M3 motorway. The City of Winchester Trust, which is charged with protecting the city's 'rich heritage and its essential character', has said it has said the current application is not clear on how an increase in traffic around the proposed drive-thru benefits the city. Under the plans, a 167 square metre Greggs will be built in the Winnall area of the city, close to a large branch of Tesco and several other major retailers. Sitting 36 customers outside, the official estimate is that the drive-in would generate 25 new trips a day in peak hours. If approved, it would be open from 5:30am to 11pm, seven days a week, and the car park currently on-site would require decreasing from 196 spaces to 152. The City of Winchester Trust launched an official objection to Winchester City Council. It said: 'It is unclear from the application how the reduction in car parking relates to Winchester City Council's current parking standards and how the generation of additional car-borne trips relates to the Winchester Movement and Access Strategy. 'We therefore object on the grounds of lack of clarity.' Sitting 36 customers outside, the official estimate is that the drive-in - which would be in the Homebase car park - would generate 25 new trips a day in peak hours Winchester already has two branches of Greggs, including one on the picturesque pedestrianised High Street/ pictured: File image James Excell, who works down the road from the site, also expressed his concerns about the traffic implications of the new Greggs. He said: 'The local road infrastructure is not adequate for the traffic at present, let alone adding a drive-thru establishment into it. 'The connecting roundabout from the A34 and M3 will create a deeper build-up of traffic outside of normal business hours and will hinder and delay HGV movements in and out of our site. 'The traffic build-up is a concern regarding our fire department, and whether they will be able to deploy safely and get through the heavily congested areas this will add to. 'The location of the site is on a short road leading off the roundabout. This will create queues leading back to Winchester town. 'At peak times and even at 12:00 today, the traffic was queuing back to the nursery on the edge of town, two miles down the road.' Some locals have also voiced concerns, including Gav Ford who said: 'I think it would cause chaos if they were to build a Greggs drive through and restaurant. 'It's a nightmare now trying to get out of that little side road leaving Homebase. It would be nice though. I'm a big fan of Greggs and McDonald's.' One added: 'Objections seem silly as they allowed a completely unnecessary Costa drive-thru in the Halford car park, especially as there is already a Costa in Tesco.' Another said: 'Some really lame excuses for objections. Anyone would think the car fest show is coming to the Homebase car park every day.' A female DoorDash driver was kidnapped and raped last week by a man who started shooting her family members when they tried to rescue her, Florida police have said. Joseph Killins, 38, was arrested on Saturday in connection with the rape and kidnapping on April 18 at an apartment complex in Tampa. Authorities have said Killins held the DoorDash driver in her 20s at gunpoint as he demanded cash, and when she did not have the money, he forced her into a car and made her drive to an apartment at the Belara Lake Apartment complex where he raped her. While she was at the apartment complex, Tampa police said, the victim's family checked her cellphone location and rushed to help only to be fired at by Killins. It is unclear why they decided to track the driver. One of the shots hit a family member of the victim's girlfriend, a woman in her 20s. It unclear what her condition is. Joseph Killins, 38, was arrested on Saturday in connection with the rape and kidnapping on April 18 at an apartment complex in Tampa The next day, police said, he threw a woman to the ground at the apartment complex, punched her in the face and stole her backpack The following day, police said, they received a report that a man at the apartment complex matching the description of the suspect wanted in the kidnapping and rape threw a woman in her early 40s to the ground, punched her in the face and stole her backpack. Surveillance footage showed Killins at the scene, and authorities said he was last seen running toward the Haven Waters Edge Apartment complex. Detectives on the two cases worked together, and eventually located Killins at the Tampa Inn hotel on Friday night and brought him into custody. They then found that he had items connecting him to the 'heinous' kidnapping and rape, and he later 'disclosed details that were specific to the crimes that occurred on April 18' when questioned by police. He is now facing charges of armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, armed sexual battery and aggravated battery with a weapon, as well as a charge of robbery in the April 19 incident. '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,' Interim Chief Lee Bercaw said 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.' A DoorDash spokesperson also said in a statement: 'We are appalled by this heinous and abhorrent crime. No one should ever have to endure something as horrific as this, and we're here to support the Dasher in any way we can. 'We're grateful to Tampa Police for their hard work to hold the perpetrator accountable, and we strongly hope justice is served.' A retired lecturer bled to death following an eight-hour ambulance delay partly caused by a faulty triage system - and would have survived had he been treated within six hours, a coroner has said. Kenneth Adams, 70, suffered a cut to his head after falling in the middle of the night at his sheltered accommodation flat in Bridport, Dorset, in October 2021. Dorset Coroner Brendan Allen has now published a Prevention of Future Deaths Report in which he stated that had Mr Adams received treatment within six hours of calling 999, he would not have died. Mr Allen said the ambulance service dispatch system could not detect the potential severity of the bleed. South Western Ambulance Service has now apologised to the family for 'not providing a timely response' to Mr Adams, who died at hospital the same day. Mr Adams' younger brother Paul Adams, a business consultant, described his brother's death as a 'callous waste of a life'. Kenneth Adams (pictured with his mother), 70, bled to death following an eight-hour ambulance delay partly caused by a faulty triage system - and would have survived had he been treated within six hours, a coroner has said Mr Adams, who had lived in Bridport for a year, died in Dorset County Hospital (pictured) in Dorchester, Dorset on October 19, 2021 'The sheltered housing association, the emergency careline and the ambulance service appeared to have done nothing to help Ken for eight hours whilst he slowly bled to death from a relatively minor injury,' he told the BBC. 'When a neighbour found Ken collapsed on the floor and raised the alarm, three ambulances came within a few minutes, but it was too late. 'Trusted organisations, upon whom people rely in dire need, seemed merely to follow procedures and tick boxes rather than use their own judgement when the situation calls for it.' He said that he was glad the coroner had reached the same conclusion he had in that the ambulance delay 'proved fatal'. His brother Kenneth, who was a mammal ecologist at several South African universities, called 999 as he could not stop the bleeding, but because he was not displaying other symptoms he was placed as a category three call, with a target response time of two hours. However, the ambulance did not arrive during this window due to increased demand elsewhere. He also contacted a careline for his housing complex flat in Bridport in a desperate bid to raise the alarm but they did not get back to him until four hours after the fall. After he told them he was feeling 'sick and wobbly', thee careline contacted the ambulance service to inform them of his deteriorating condition. The medical cause of death was hypoxic brain damage, cardiac arrest and profuse bleeding from the wound. Pictured: Mr Adams (left) and his family A coroner ruled that the dispatch system could not detect the potential severity of the bleed. Pictured: Mr Adams with his family Tragically, a faulty triage system 'algorithm' meant the severity of his condition was not logged. After there was still no sign of an ambulance seven hours on from his fall, Mr Adams spoke to the careline again - by which point he was slurring his speech and possibly going into shock. They alerted the ambulance service but a crew did not arrive until 11.56am, almost eight hours after he reported his fall at 4.06am on October 19, 2021. Mr Adams, who had lived in Bridport for a year, died in Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, Dorset, later on the same day. Coroner Mr Allen said that Mr Adams, who lived alone at Vernons Court sheltered housing complex, suffered an accidental fall from a standing height which caused a laceration to his scalp. The medical cause of death was hypoxic brain damage, cardiac arrest and profuse bleeding from the wound. Mr Adams suffered an accidental fall from a standing height which caused a laceration to his scalp. Pictured: Mr Adams with his mother (centre) In the report, he states: 'The conclusion of the Inquest recorded that Kenneth Michael Adams died as a consequence of an accident to which a failure to provide emergency medical assistance in a timely manner more than minimally contributed. 'A failure of the Medical Priority Dispatch System to acknowledge and assess persistent bleeding from a scalp injury against a background of anti-platelet medication also possibly contributed to his death.' He adds: 'If Mr Adams had received treatment by 10.25am, he would have survived the injury he had sustained. 'The first ambulance resource arrived at Mr Adams' property at 11.56am, by which time a neighbour had found Mr Adams when Mr Adams had called for his help. 'Mr Adams was conveyed to Dorset County Hospital, where despite treatment he died on October 19, 2021.' The coroner has called for improvements to the ambulance service dispatch system, created by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). He said it should have logged that Mr Adams was on antiplatelet medication, which makes it difficult to stop bleeding until a wound is closed. The IAED which is behind the 999 call centre's Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) said the coroner's report makes 'false inference' that its system failed to identify the seriousness of Mr Adams' injury. It said the system was 'not designed to predict emergency call outcomes for patients left clinically unattended indefinitely' and that patients left waiting for an ambulance should 'be further evaluated by an appropriate resource such as a nursing triage program with referral capabilities.' An ambulance service crew did not arrive until 11.56am, almost eight hours after he reported his fall at 4.06am on October 19, 2021. Pictured: Dorset County Hospital where Mr Adams died The organisation added that the extended ambulance response times in the UK was not a function of MPDS triage but 'rather a consequence of inadequate resources, local response assignments to MPDS codes, and the subsequent pressure placed on ambulance trusts...to make unrealistic decisions about potential patient outcomes many hours in advance of face-to-face clinical attendance.' They said that a review of the case is underway. South Western Ambulance Service said demand was 25 per cent higher than normal when the call out was made due to the ending of lockdown restrictions. A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: 'We are sorry that we were unable to provide a timely response to Mr Adams and we would again like to offer our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. 'Our ambulance clinicians strive every day to give their best to patients, but our performance in 2021 had not returned to pre-pandemic levels, after a prolonged period of increased activity levels. 'Health and social care services remains under enormous pressure. We are working with our partners in the NHS and social care, to do all we can to improve the service that patients receive.' Mr Allen's report has been sent to the IAED. There could be upwards of 12 Biden family members who benefitted from influence peddling by the president and his son, according to the top Republican on the Oversight Committee. Chairman James Comer said that there won't be anyone 'left for a Christmas picture' because the 'entire Biden family' is entrapped in the financial enrichment scheme. There are nine known family members involved in the shady business deals, according to Comer, but he now says there could be at least three more. While most names have not yet been revealed, Comer previously said that suspicious activity reports (SARs) reviewed by Republicans on the panel have found that President Biden's brother Jim Biden and his son Beau's widow Hallie Biden benefited from foreign business deals. Democrats continue to denounce these 'findings,' and say that the claims pushed by Comer and Oversight Republicans are merely allegations without any ties to true wrongdoing so far. Oversight Committee Chairman said there could be upwards of 12 Biden family members involved in foreign influence peddling business deals Comer said that Preisdent Biden's brother Jim and his son Beau's widow Hallie are among those who benefitted. Pictured: Joe and Hunter Biden stand with the president's sister Valerie Biden Owens as a plaque dedicated to his late son was unveiled at the Mayo Roscommon Hospice in County Mayo, Ireland on April 14, 2023 'How many family members were involved?' Fox News Sunday Morning Futures host Maria Bartiromo asked Comer on Sunday. 'Well, right now, we have nine. But I believe, in the end, that number will be at least 12,' he alleged. 'I mean, this was the Biden family influence peddling scheme,' the chairman from Kentucky continued. 'And when people say, well, they were involved in ventures around the world, I haven't found a legitimate business on the Biden end.' Hunter Biden's lawyers have meetings this week with the Department of Justice, but it is unclear what steps might be taken against the president's son. Comer says that the DOJ is in a 'pickle' over 'what do you do with this many family members of the president?' 'I mean, there's not going to be anybody left for a Christmas picture if the DOJ did their job and went in there and indicted everyone that has any type of fingerprints involved in this influence peddling scheme,' Comer claimed. 'I mean, it's the entire family.' Oversight members have been combing through SARs following a subpoena of the Treasury Department to look into business dealings of the president and his family members mainly his son Hunter Biden. 'There are six specific decisions that Joe Biden made either as vice president or president that are very concerning to us,' Comer told Fox. He said these decisions and moves are likely related to payments made to LLCs from legitimate businesses as a way to launder money to Biden's family members. 'I found legitimate businesses that were paying the LLCs that were then turning around and laundering the money back to the Bidens,' Comer detailed. 'But I haven't found any legitimate business dealings on the Biden end.' 'It looks like, if there wasn't legitimate business dealing in any of these LLCs, it was influence peddling. And if you want to get technical, and if you want to get to a legal term, that's called being a foreign agent. They weren't registered as a foreign agent.' 'This is bad. There are more laws that appear to me that have been broken than just tax evasion. And there are a lot more Bidens involved than just the president's son and his brother.' Comer alleged that President Joe Biden's brother James 'Jim' Biden was among those who benefitted or were involved in foreign influence peddling Republicans subpoenaed bank records and released documents purporting to show that Hallie Biden (right) received a cut of $3 million in cash from China. Beau Biden's widow was identified last week as the third member of the first family wrapped up in Rep. James Comer's investigation into allegations they used their names to profit on business deals Oversight Committee Republicans reviewed documents last week suggesting that six more members of Biden's family benefitted from business deals related to the president's influence peddling after previously noting three were involved. The panel now under GOP leadership continues to comb through the financial records of the Biden family and interview those involved in alleged foreign business deals. There are six specific decisions that Joe Biden made either as vice president or president that are very concerning to us that we believe could potentially lead back to payments that were made to these LLCs that were then laundered down to the Biden family members. 'We've now identified 6 additional members of Joe Biden's family who may have benefited from shady deals. This brings our total to 9,' Comer revealed on Monday. Democrats on the committee are again denouncing the moves by the opposing party, claiming that they are only conducting these investigations to gain 'political dirt' on the Bidens. 'After years of pursuing political dirt against the Biden family, today's statement by Chairman Comer once again proves that he has failed to uncover evidence of any wrongdoing by President Biden,' a spokesperson for Oversight Democrats told DailyMail.com in a statement. Oversight members went to the Treasury Department to review more suspicious activity reports involving Biden and his family amid allegations that Hunter Biden used his father's influence to engage in foreign business deals. The family members that Comer has already claimed benefitted are President Biden's brother Jim and Beau Biden's widow Hallie, who dated her late husband's brother Hunter in the years following his death from brain cancer. Rep. Nancy Mace posted a selfie-style video to her Instagram story saying that the amount of money in question is 'astronomical' and the number of Biden family members involved is 'wild'. She also noted that money transferring hands included with the Bidens included to 'prostitution rings' Rep. Mace said in a selfie video posted to her Instagram last week that the transactions she reviewed involved claims of money going to 'prostitution rings,' likely in reference to Hunter Biden paying money to an escort service to transport prostitutes across state lines. 'Just left the Treasury to review over 100 suspicious activity reports on the Biden family and I have to tell you, there are more Bidens involved than we knew previously,' Mace said in the video while walking out of the Treasury Department onto the streets of Washington, D.C. 'And every time you unturn, overturn or look under a stone, there's so much more you have to investigate.' 'It's wild the number of family members involved, and it's even the amount of money that we're talking about in these suspicious activity reports is astronomical,' the South Carolina lawmaker added. 'And the accusations there, and the source of the funding or where the money's going the shell companies, prostitution rings, etc. it's insanity even to me that it's not been investigated in the way that it should be.' Comer revealed Monday that after the Oversight panel reviewed more records on Monday, it was made clear that the reach of foreign influence peddling benefitted more than just a few members of the president's family. 'We will provide more details soon,' Comer said. A spokesperson for the Kentucky lawmaker told DailyMail.com that the panel is not yet providing the names of additional family members who may have benefitted from the deals outside of Jim and Hallie Biden. Democrats are furious, claiming that Comer and Republicans on the panel are drawing their own conclusions and mischaracterizing SARs as evidence in their probes. 'Committee Republicans continue to mischaracterize Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) as evidence of misconduct or criminality, instead of calling them what they are: unsubstantiated tips that rarely result in any follow-up by law enforcement,' Democrats on the panel said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'Let's be honest about what this isit's another opportunity for Committee Republicans to rush to Fox News to mislead the public about what has been happening behind closed doors to justify their fishing expedition.' Comer accused Hallie Biden who was married to President Biden's late son Beau of influence peddling by receiving a $35,000 payment linked to a Chinese firm. Republicans released last week additional information identifying Hallie as the third members of the first family wrapped up in Comer's investigation. The new total is at nine. The reports last week also claimed that Hallie received a cut of the $3 million from China sent to an associate of Hunter Biden, whom she dated from 2016-2019 after her husband Beau died of brain cancer. The White House released a blistering statement accusing Republicans of orchestrating an 'attack' on Hallie as they accused the family of using their Biden name to profit off business deals around the world. In a memo seen by DailyMail.com, Republicans claim that Hallie received $35,000 in two transfers in March from Biden family associate John 'Rob' Walker, after he received a $3 million wire from the Chinese State Energy HK Limited, a firm affiliated with CEFC China Energy. ZANU PF Makoni West constituency aspiring candidate, Moses Ruwona, on Friday said his arrest over fraud charges was politically motivated to bar him from running in the forthcoming elections. Ruwona thumped Makoni West incumbent legislator, Jenfan Muswere, who is also the Information Communication and Technology minister in the Zanu PF primaries. The results were, however, overturned with the Zanu PF politburo claiming that Ruwona had a questionable history in the ruling party. He was later arrested on fraud charges involving US$500 000. Ruwona was released on Friday on $30 000 bail after spending two weeks in remand prison. In an interview on Friday, Ruwona said the charges levelled against him were political. I think the arrest is politically motivated when you look at the circumstances surrounding the arrest, Ruwona said. My position is simple and has never changed; l will forever support Zanu PF after the politburo or Zanu PF leadership made a decision after the primaries. l know that decision could have been made without having information from my side, but l respect that decision. Muswere was among a number of Zanu PF heavyweights and President Emmerson Mnangagwas allies who were defeated in the primaries that were marred by reports of rigging and violence. The primaries were conducted by the shadowy Friends Association of Zimbabwe that has links to the Central Intelligence Organisation and the military. The primaries have left the party divided amid fears of a protest vote against Mnangagwa in the upcoming elections as losing candidates felt that the elections were not run well. Sources said Mnangagwa was in a fix on how to unite the party following the chaotic primaries. However, Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said the ruling party was united. We have formed one solid team and we want each one of us to get united and we are targeting the big one, the next upcoming elections, Mutsvangwa said. Standard Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is pushing a theory that far-right lawmakers are running the Republican Party in the House by having Speaker Kevin McCarthy 'do their bidding.' The progressive New York lawmakers told President Joe Biden's former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on her MSNBC show Sunday morning that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is actually pulling McCarthy's strings behind the scenes. Although she did not provide any examples, Ocasio-Cortez said that whenever Rep. Taylor Greene is irked, she admits publicly that she has control. Both Ocasio-Cortez and Taylor Greene are some of the most controversial and extreme figures on either side of the political spectrum and are both often referred to by their initials AOC and MTG respectively. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told Jen Psaki on Sunday morning that she doesn't believe that Kevin McCarthy is running the House Republicans Rather, AOC said, 'racist, heinous, extremist' members of the party, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (left), are pulling McCarthy's strings .@jrpsaki on Kevin McCarthy: Do you think hes actually running his caucus?@AOC: Hes not. I think youve got Marjorie Taylor Greene running the caucusEvery time something irks her, she communicates that McCarthy is doing her bidding. pic.twitter.com/yUWb8UG33V Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) April 23, 2023 'Do you think he's actually running his caucus, or do you think someone else is?' Psaki asked AOC in a sit-down interview. 'He's not,' she stated. 'I think you've got Marjorie Taylor Greene running the caucus,' AOC added. 'And she makes very common, public statements to that effect. Every time something irks her, she communicates that McCarthy is doing her bidding. I think that this is something that is quite clear.' AOC explained that McCarthy is forced to juggle the more extreme and more establishment branches of his party while also trying to maintain a majority as the 2024 election season quickly approaches. 'I think that Speaker McCarthy is stuck between having to please the most racist and heinous elements of this party with having to maintain a majority,' the congresswoman said. 'And he is choosing to side with the extremists.' McCarthy had a hard time earning his place as House Speaker when the GOP took control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections. It took 15 separate votes for McCarthy to win the speakership as far-righters held the position hostage in exchange for them holding the power to remove him with just one person forcing a recall vote. He also had to agree to ensure that the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus has proportional representation on committees compared to other groups within the conference. Pictures also showed the colossal crater and wrecked launch pad left in the rocket's wake Shocking videos posted online show Elon Musk's Starship rocket spraying debris all over the southern Texas coast as it powered off the launchpad. The massive 395-foot rocket powered into the air from sunny Boca Chica, Texas Thursday morning, but burst into flames just four minutes after takeoff. The explosion sent debris flying at thousands of miles an hour, damaging a car parked miles away and sending a dust cloud over the Gulf of Mexico on an otherwise sunny day. Footage from thousands of feet away shows the dust cloud slowly engulfing the area, sending debris flying and sending palm trees swaying in the heavy winds before it ultimately starts to dissipate. Pictures also showed the colossal crater and wrecked launch pad left in the rocket's wake. The Federal Aviation Administration has now grounded all of SpaceX's Starship rockets as it investigates the failed launch. Black smoke filled the otherwise blue sky in Boca Chica, Texas when SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded on Thursday Footage showed the dust cloud slowly engulfing the area, spraying debris and sending palm trees swaying in the wind before it ultimately starts to dissipate Pictures also showed the colossal crater and wrecked launch pad left in the rocket's wake VR Cam caught some spectacular footage as #SuperHeavy rocked #SpaceX #Starbase this morning. I am floored at the amount of debris that was ejected. Waiting on Rover 2 damage assessment. Congratulations @elonmusk on pulling this historical launch! pic.twitter.com/6WKEXFqCGN LabPadre (@LabPadre) April 20, 2023 The explosion on Thursday occurred when the rocket failed to separate over the Gulf of Mexico, prompting SpaceX bosses to destroy it. Its mission was supposed to see the craft blast 150 miles high into the atmosphere before cruising for an hour and crashing into the Pacific Ocean. The rocket took off with promise when Starship ignited its 33 Raptor engines and lifted off the launch pad at 1,242 miles per hour. It reached a height of around 25 miles above the Earth when it was supposed to separate so that the booster would fall back to Earth and into the Gulf of Mexico, But the separation failed, sending the rocket into a spin and within seconds, the rocket detonated over the ocean. The FAA is now investigating the crash to ensure 'any system, process or procedure does not affect public safety' as is its standard procedure, officials said. Yet SpaceX CEO Musk had warned that such an outcome might happen during the test flight on Thursday, suggesting that the main goal of the launch was to clear the launch pad which the Starship successfully completed. And during the company's live stream of the launch on Thursday, SpaceX Principal Integration Engineer John Insprucker reminded the crowd that 'this was a development test.' 'It's a first test flight of Starship,' he said. 'And the goal is to gather the data and as we said, clear the pad and get ready to go again. 'So you never know exactly what's going to happen. But as we promised, excitement is guaranteed. And Starship gave us a rather spectacular end to what was truly an incredible test as far.' Other videos posted online showed the large dust cloud expanding over the Gulf of Mexico Close up on the vast debris field created by the starship/superheavy launch. It's a crop from the video shot from starbase #SpaceX #StarshipLaunch pic.twitter.com/KYaloIFE7n MechDesign.xyz (@MechDesignxyz) April 20, 2023 READ MORE: Why did SpaceX's Starship blow up The historic test flight for Elon Musk's $3billion Starship program is now over, after a dramatic explosion during its ascent. Advertisement In fact, the company is considering the launch a success despite what they categorized as 'a rapid unscheduled disassembly.' 'We cleared the tower, which was our only hope,' said Kate Tice, a SpaceX quality systems engineer, during the live-streamed event. 'With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's test will help us improve Starships reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary,' SpaceX tweeted. Musk also tweeted: 'Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship! Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months.' The rocket is designed to be bigger and more powerful than others of its kind, and is capable of lifting more than 100 metric tons into orbit. It generates 17 million pounds of thrust, more than twice that of the Saturn V rockets used to send Apollo astronauts to the Moon. The idea is that the Starship would be capable of bringing humans to Mars in the first step of Musk's grander vision of making the human race a 'multi-planetary species.' He would eventually like to start a human colony on Mars and build cities on the Red Planet. If those efforts prove successful, Musk plans to use the rockets to bring people to destinations in the 'greater Solar System', including gas giants such as Jupiter or one of its possibly-habitable moons in the case of an apocalypse. Under SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's plans Starship would be capable of bringing humans to Mars The rocket successfully lifted off in its test run on Thursday but failed to separate Starship is both bigger and more powerful than SLS and capable of lifting a payload of more than 100 metric tons into orbit. It generates 17 million pounds of thrust, more than twice that of the Saturn V rockets used to send Apollo astronauts to the Moon But the explosion has left some elected officials questioning whether there is a need for more commercial spaceflight regulation. House Transportation Aviation Subcommittee Chair Garrett Graves, a Republican from Louisiana, has said he does not want to do 'anything that impedes the progress of innovation for commercial space. 'But obviously, you've got to balance that with safety,' he told Politico. 'And so we're going to continue working with the National Transportation Safety Board.' Tammy Duckworth, the chair of the Senate Commerce Aviation Subcommittee, meanwhile, said lawmakers need to clarify which agency will be in charge of regulating the space tourism industry. 'We need to decide who's going to regulate that type of travel,' she said. 'Is it going to be the FAA or is it going to be NASA?' She noted, however, that 'NASA is not a regulating agency the way FAA is coming up with the rules and policies of how we conduct both commercial passenger and commercial freight travel. 'We need to sit down and rally have a reckoning as to who's going to be in charge of this an agency that has lots of experience, or a space agency that has no experience with logistical moving things around the way the FAA does,' Duckworth said. 'So we'll have to see.' British soldiers accompanied the group on the 18-mile journey to the airfield Two dozen UK diplomats escaped from the capital of Khartoum earlier today British special forces have successfully carried out a high-risk mission to rescue UK diplomats and their families who were trapped in Sudan amid a fierce conflict raging in the country. Late last night, a team of elite British operatives from the Royal Marines, SAS and Royal Air Force flew into Khartoum aboard an American military aircraft. Once they landed, they got hold of several local vehicles and drove into the city. They sought out around two dozen British diplomats and their families who were holed up an area of Khartoum located in between two warring factions vying for control of the capital. The location, near the epicentre of the conflict, proved challenging for the troops to reach and it was feared more soldiers and aircraft would be required for backup if the fighting was too intense. A team of elite British soldiers flew into Khartoum and evacuated around two dozen diplomats from the city Despite this, the team managed to drive the group of around 30 people - including children - to an airfield 18 miles outside of the city, passing through multiple checkpoints. Once there, they boarded two Royal Air Force transport planes which had arrived from a British military base in Cyprus and took them to safety in the early hours of this morning. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today hailed the brave efforts of the UK's armed forces , saying the British military had undertaken a 'difficult' operation. He tweeted: 'UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. 'I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation.' Mr Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would continue to act as a broker for a peace deal in Sudan. Mr Cleverly said a 'temporary lull' in the nine days of fighting had given Britain's armed forces a window of opportunity to strike. He defended prioritising an evacuation for what is thought to have been a small number of diplomats, arguing it would allow the UK Government to strengthen efforts to assist British nationals trapped in Sudan. Smoke is seen rise from buildings yesterday during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan The Foreign Secretary told broadcasters: 'The diplomats that were working in the British Embassy in Khartoum have been unable to discharge their functions because of the violence in that city. WESTERN NATIONS RUSH TO EXTRACT DIPLOMATS FROM WAR-TORN SUDAN Sudan's sudden slide into conflict between the army and a paramilitary group called Rapid Support Forces (RSF) stranded thousands of foreigners, including diplomats and aid workers - leading to rescue operations. More than 100 people were evacuated from Sudan on the first French flight out of the war-hit country after a 'complicated' rescue operation, French officials said on Sunday. According to a Djibouti airport source, 106 people landed in Djibouti by late afternoon, while a French official said another flight was on the way. 'A plane has landed and another is in the air', each plane allowing the evacuation of 'a hundred people', the French military said. The foreign ministry in Athens said France had helped it evacuated some of its citizens, including two wounded. 'They're tired, tense, but very relieved to have arrived safe and sound,' he said. US special forces yesterday evacuated all of its government personnel and their dependents, along with a few diplomats from other countries, using helicopters that flew from a base in Djibouti and refuelled in Ethiopia. They were not fired on during the evacuation. A German military aircraft carrying 101 people has left Sudan this evening as part of evacuation efforts in the conflict-torn country, the army said. 'The first Airbus A400M of the (German army) is on its way back to Jordan with 101 evacuees,' the army wrote on Twitter, adding that a total of three A400Ms had reached Sudan to pick up people to be evacuated. Italy said its 140 nationals would be taken out of Sudan on Sunday night along with around 60 people from Switzerland, Vatican City and other European countries. Advertisement 'So, to fulfil our duty to protect them as their employer, we are relocating them to other embassies in the region. 'In order to continue to protect British nationals, we will of course be enhancing our teams in the region. 'This is following the pattern we have seen of our international friends and colleagues. 'We will continue on our diplomatic effort to bring this conflict to a swift conclusion because until that happens, we are severely limited in our ability to provide assistance to British nationals.' The covert mission comes as violence took over the country's capital last week. Army units loyal to Sudan's military ruler, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, are fiercely pitted against Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is deputy head of the ruling council. More than 400 people have been killed, including a United Nations worker and an American citizen. A number of westerners have also had their homes and compounds ransacked. Frightened residents, many low on water, food and other essentials, are said to have huddled inside their homes in the chaos-torn city where buildings have been gutted and set on fire. Despite the rescue operation, fears remain for other British nationals trapped in Khartoum. Yesterday, other Britons in Sudan accused the UK government of 'abandoning' them as preparations were being made for the evacuation of diplomatic officials. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden insisted the situation was 'complex' and rapidly moving but Labour's Jon Ashworth questioned 'why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting'. After landing in Khartoum last night, the British soldiers drove to the UK embassy, which is situated in an area of the city ravaged by fighting. During the day yesterday, around two dozen British diplomats and their family members had gathered together and awaited the troops' arrival, according to Sky News. The group, which is estimated to consist of 30 adults and children, was then carefully extracted from the area and taken on the 18-mile journey to the airfield. In the event of any fighting or violence, UK defence planners had organised back-up troops and aircraft who, if in need, would move through the checkpoints with force and reach the diplomats. If this were to happen, the soldiers already with the diplomats would attempt to protect them until further support arrived. However, there was little disruption to the journey, allowing the soldiers to drive the group to the airfield, where an aircraft was waiting for takeoff at around 9am UK time. Pictured is an aerial view of black smoke rising above the Khartoum International Airport A drone view shows smoke rising over buildings a week after fighting began in North Khartoum, as seen from Omdurman, Sudan, April 22, 2023 The Prime Minister confirmed the evacuation of British diplomat staff in a statement on Sunday People carry water during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum Defence Secretary Ben Wallace revealed today the operation to remove British Embassy staff from Sudan involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF). Read more: Americans evacuated from Sudan embassy as airport closes and roads are blocked off amid fighting that has killed hundreds of civilians and put African nation at risk of collapse Advertisement 'This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the United States; France and other allies,' Mr Wallace said in a written statement. 'They have evacuated British Embassy staff and their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats against diplomats. 'The operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade; the Royal Marines and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners.' The Sudanese army had on Saturday said Britain was one of a number of nations, including the US and China, that it would be assisting to help remove its officials from the dangerous conditions in the country. Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan had been complicated by the fact most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven perilous. The UK Government has stated that a more large-scale evacuation could prove a challenge, with Britain lacking the military footprint it had in Afghanistan which saw thousands airlifted out of Kabul during Operation Pitting in 2021. Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum on April 19 People pictured fleeing their neighbourhoods amid fighting between the army and paramilitaries in Khartoum on April 19 A destroyed military vehicle is seen in southern in Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, April 20 The Prime Minister said his administration was pursuing 'every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan' and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining there. 'I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones,' Mr Sunak added. Before the evacuation was announced, Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth had said it was a 'legitimate question' as to why the UK Government had not acted like others in removing staff and citizens from the country. He also called for Parliament to be updated this week on the state of play in Sudan. The US had at the time of Mr Ashworth's interview with Sky News already announced a successful airlift mission to assist about 70 embassy staff into Ethiopia. France, Greece, the Netherlands and Italy are putting aircraft in place to carry out similar operations. In a joint statement, Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow defence secretary John Healey said Britain's armed forces 'acted with bravery and professionalism'. The pair called on ministers to set out their plans for providing assistance to Britons still in Sudan. They said: 'Many British nationals remain stuck in Sudan and we are deeply concerned about their welfare. 'We need to know about Government plans to help them and the steps the UK is taking to support an immediate ceasefire.' Thrillseekers at Blackpool Pleasure Beach had to take a terrifying walk down the rollercoaster after it stopped mid-ride for a second time in two weeks. Visitors to the seaside resort reported the Big One, formerly known as the Pepsi Max Big One, stopped suddenly just after 3pm this afternoon. Those on the rollercoaster, which peaks at 235ft, were seen having to be led down a huge flight of steps to safely get off the ride. A spokesperson for Blackpool Pleasure Beach said: 'The Big One rollercoaster stopped today (Sunday 23rd April) just before 3pm just over halfway up the lift hill. 'There was a minor technical problem and the safety system on the ride worked exactly as it should and immediately stopped the train on the lift as a precaution. Visitors to the seaside resort reported the Big One, formerly known as the Pepsi Max Big One, stopped suddenly just after 3pm this afternoon Those on the rollercoaster, which peaks at 235ft, were seen having to be led down a huge flight of steps to safely get off the ride 'Trained staff walked all riders safely down a set of stairs to the ground within 30 minutes.' Cammy, who asked to just be referred to by his first name, had just finished visiting the theme park when he noticed the ride had been stopped. 'It was only just after 3pm that we saw it had stuck,' he told the Manchester Evening News. 'It was one carriage on the tracks and we could see people walking down off the ride 'We've already been to the Pleasure Beach, thankfully. My partner and her little sister went on the Big One earlier in the day.' Earlier this month, the iconic ride ground to a halt on the lift hill during bad weather. At the time, on April 11, staff asked passengers on the ride to walk all the way back down to the ground while being guided, with the ride having to remain closed for the rest of the day. A spokesperson for Blackpool Pleasure Beach said at the time: 'At 2.50pm on Tuesday 11th April, Blackpool Pleasure Beach stopped the Big One train on the ride's lift hill due to sudden changes in weather conditions. 'Guests on the ride were reassured and escorted from the ride by Blackpool Pleasure Beach staff. A bystander took a picture of the Big One (pictured) when it stopped just seconds before it reached the summit of its first terrifying drop on April 11 'Due to high gusts of wind the Big One rollercoaster closed for the remainder of the day.' The event occurred one day before Storm Noa, which caused chaos in Britain with 96mph winds that saw a woman being injured by flying scaffolding, pilots struggling to land at Heathrow and huge waves smashing into UK coasts. The Big One, which has a maximum speed of 85mph and lasts three minutes, opened to the public in 1994. Adrenaline junkies have been stranded at the highest point of the Big One before, like in 2021, when the ride broke down and staff had to guide nervous visitors to safety. A pair of teenage Chicago boys are facing misdemeanor charges after they stole a car and then crashed in to a family at an intersection, killing their six-month-old son. The boys, aged 14 and 17, each face a single count of criminal trespassing over the incident, but police said those charges could be upgraded pending a further investigation into the crash. Police say the two boys were speeding down West Washington Road in a stolen Hyundai sedan when they tore through an intersection and collided with a pickup truck at about 5pm on April 16. In the pickup was the infant Cristian Uvidia and his family. The baby was killed in the wreck, while her mother and two older sisters remain hospitalized from their injuries. The tragedy was just the latest example of criminal chaos which has consumed Chicago in recent years under the watch of District Attorney Kim Foxx, whose office has dismissed thousands of violent felony cases since she was sworn in in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. Six-month-old Cristian Uvidia was killed when a stolen car collided with his family's truck The stolen Hyundai moments before it slams into the Uvidia's pickup truck in Chicago Cristian's family recalled the boy as being happy and full of life. 'He always had this big smile on his face, he loved to sing and dance,' cousin Analisse Rivera told WGN9. 'It's been a rough few days, it's felt like ten years,' she said. 'This is like truly all of our worst nightmares.' After the collision, neighbors rushed outside to pull Cristian out of the car and attempt CPR. 'Unfortunately, he was brain dead, and then the next day he passed,' Rivera said. 'They stole a car, and they stole our entire lives in that one instant. I don't know what the price of the car was, but I'm sure it wasn't equivalent to the life of a child.' 'Heaven has the most beautiful angel right now, and we know we'll see him again one day,' she said. There were two others riding in the car with the 14 and 17 year old boys. Their identity is unknown, and it remains unclear if they will face any charges. Pieces of the cars and chunks of wood from a tree where the cars landed during the collision The tree that one of the cars slammed into after the violent fatal collision in Chicago 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. The office of Chicago District Attorney Kim Foxx has dropped thousands of felony charges 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. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham hit out at CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday, accusing her of 'covering for' the Democrats in a discussion about abortion rights. The Senator from South Carolina joined Bash on State of the Union Sunday for a wide-ranging interview in which they discussed the ongoing judicial fight over the abortion drug mifepristone. At one point during the conversation, Graham accused the Democrats of supporting 'barbaric' taxpayer-funded abortion up until the moment of birth prompting Bash to note that Roe v. Wade only permitted abortion up to the moment of viability. That is when Graham accused Bash and other mainstream media of 'covering for these guys,' saying that 'nobody in your business will talk' about proposals to allow for abortion up until the moment of birth. Sen. Lindsey Graham hit out at CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday, accusing her of 'covering for' the Democrats Bash had corrected the South Carolina Republican that Roe v Wade only allowed for abortion up until the moment of viability, but Graham said Democrats were trying to push for abortion up until the moment of birth "I've heard you say both on [abortion] ... So, who's right here?" CNN's Dana Bash presses Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) about his stance on whether restricting abortions is a state or federal government issue. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/Cp1h1YcMBP CNN (@CNN) April 23, 2023 The fiery exchange came when Bash asked Graham if he agrees with Donald Trump that abortion should be a state's issue or Mike Pence, who wants abortion banned nationwide. But instead of answering the question, Graham went on a tirade against Democrats, accusing the party of supporting abortion up until the moment of birth and saying that he believes Republicans are in good standing on the issue lading up to the 2024 presidential election. His outburst prompted Bash to interject that 'just for the record, Roe went up to viability.' She then tried to steer the conversation back to her original question, but Graham cut her off, saying: 'No! No! No! Quit covering for these guys! No! No! No! You're media, you keep covering for these guys! 'They introduced legislation that allowed abortion on demand with taxpayer-funded [abortion] up to the moment of birth,' he said. 'That was their position in Washington! That's the law they want to pass and nobody in your business will talk about it.' Responding to the allegations of favoring one side, Bash replied: 'Senator, I'm not covering for anybody. You know that, and when I have Democrats on, I've asked many all of them about their position on where they believe this issue should be. 'My question to you, sir, is about President Trump, who you've endorsed to b president again. Is he right in saying that this should be a state's issue?' At that point, the pro-life senator said he thinks 'anybody running for president who has a snowball's chance in Hell in the 2024 primaries is going to be with me, the American people and all of Europe, saying late-term abortions should be off the table. 'I am confident over time that's where our nominee will be,' he said, still dodging the question. 'I am confident no Democrat will answer the question "Where do you draw the line?" They never get challenged. 'I welcome this debate,' he concluded. The discussion came just days after the Supreme Court voted to allow women to continue to access the abortion pill mifepristone The drug was approved by the FDA over 20 years ago and is used in more than half of all abortions in the United States The exchange came just days after the Supreme Court voted 7 - 2 to allow women to continue to access the abortion pill mifepristone, which was approved by the FDA over 20 years ago and is used in more than half of all abortions in the United States. In the aftermath, President Joe Biden vowed to keep fighting for women's rights - describing the pro-life cases as 'politically-driven attacks on women's health'. '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,' he said. 'I continue to stand by FDA's evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and my Administration will continue to defend FDA's independent, expert authority to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs.' Prince Harry will be seated ten rows behind other senior royals at his father's coronation before he makes a hasty exit, according to one royal insider. Former butler Paul Burrell says the Duke of Sussex may have little time to speak to the King or his brother, the Prince of Wales, during his visit next month. He added there is 'no chance' of a reconciliation between the duke and the rest of his family following the fallout from his bombshell memoir Spare earlier this year, The Sun reports. Although his position at the Westminster Abbey ceremony may give the impression of a snub, being far back in the audience will also help him if he wishes to make a quick exit, the ex-royal aide revealed. Mr Burrell told GB News' Dan Wootton: 'He doesn't want to spend much time around them [his family]. Former butler Paul Burrell says the Duke of Sussex (pictured with his wife Meghan after the death of the late Queen in 2022) may have little time to speak to the King and Queen during his coronation visit next month It comes after it emerged Meghan Markle wrote to King Charles about unconscious bias in the Royal family after her bombshell Oprah interview. Pictured: the Duchess of Sussex with King Charles in March 2019 at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey 'There is no chance of a reconciliation any time soon, I'm afraid - I think he will get a very icy reception from the Windsors.' Mr Burrell believes the Duke of Sussex 'is not going to hang around', with some sources speculating he could be in and out of the UK within 24 hours in a flyby trip. Mr Burrell said: 'He is coming to put his foot in the door and he is coming because his father wants him to be there.' Despite this, Mr Burrell, who was a close attendant of Princess Diana, said the King 'will be delighted' both of his sons will be present at his crowning. The Duchess of Sussex has said the suggestion that she is missing the coronation because of a letter she sent to King Charles over racism and 'unconscious bias' inside the Royal Family is 'frankly ridiculous'. On Friday, it was reported that Meghan wrote to King Charles after her bombshell Oprah interview, and she reportedly named the individual accused of speculating about her unborn son Archie's skin colour. It is understood that it was sent in reply to a letter 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. 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. But Sussex insider Omid Scobie has released a statement from the Duchess of Sussex which said, in response to the reports, that it they were 'false' and 'frankly ridiculous'. It is understood that the letter was sent in reply to 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) Writing on Twitter, Mr Scobie posted: '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. 'Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. 'We encourage tabloid media and various other royal correspondents to stop exhausting the circus that they alone are creating.' The earlier reports said that Buckingham Palace is also aware of the Sussexes' frustration that initial correspondence about the coronation made no reference to their children. Harry will 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 with Charles was warm in tone, it had not eased the tension between the two sides. Relations continued to sour after the Sussexes' six-part Netflix docu-series and the publication of the Harry's tell-all 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 but received no response, with the couple instead releasing the statement through Mr Scobie. 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 May 2018) Buckingham Palace is also aware of the Sussexes' frustration that initial correspondence about the Coronation made no reference to their children. Pictured at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth day service in 2019 '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 also reported on Friday 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.' Channel migrants will have the right to claim legal aid to fund human rights challenges against deportation under measures introduced by Suella Braverman. The Home Secretary has set out changes to the immigration Bill making clear that 'irregular' migrants will be entitled to legal aid if they claim their life will be at risk in their home nation, or they will face 'torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment'. The change has been tabled in addition to a series of other moves demanded by up to 60 rebel Conservative backbenchers urging tougher action to deter Channel migrants. But the legal aid provisions appear to be aimed at pacifying Tories from the liberal wing of the party who had raised concerns. Ministers have also agreed to look at introducing more 'safe and legal routes' into the UK. However, last night one campaigner said the legal aid measures made 'little sense'. Channel migrants will have the right to claim legal aid to fund human rights challenges against deportation under measures introduced by Suella Braverman The Home Secretary (pictured) has set out changes to the immigration Bill making clear that 'irregular' migrants will be entitled to legal aid if they claim their life will be at risk in their home nation, or they will face 'torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment' Alp Mehmet, of Migration Watch UK which lobbies for tougher border controls, said: 'It makes little sense if the Home Secretary wants to reduce the spiralling cost of the asylum system and stem the flow of illegal boat crossings... She should think again.' Saturday saw the highest number of arrivals by small boat across the Channel this year. Home Office figures, released yesterday, showed 497 migrants reached Dover on Saturday, just over the high of 492 seen on April 5. It means 5,546 small boat migrants have crossed from northern France since the beginning of January. Mrs Braverman said on Friday that 'myself and the Prime Minister are absolutely committed to stopping the boats once and for all'. She added: '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.' But one senior Tory said yesterday he would be unable to vote for the Bill as it is. Sir Bob Neill, chairman of the justice select committee, told Times Radio: 'I don't think it's right for us to be saying that we will ignore rules of the European Court of Human Rights, even the interim measures.' Sir Bob added that ministers should seek 'sensible reform' by negotiating with Strasbourg judges 'rather than get into a confrontation'. The change has been tabled in addition to a series of other moves demanded by up to 60 rebel Conservative backbenchers urging tougher action to deter Channel migrants The Bill is before the Commons this week before being sent to the Lords, where tough criticism is expected. The Mail reported last week how peers' opposition will probably focus on plans to give the Home Secretary powers to ignore interim injunctions issued by the European Court of Human Rights and British courts. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said the Bill would grant limited scope to disregard the courts. 'I think it is right that the Home Secretary should have a discretion, so, for example, we don't have this situation where at the very last minute an order is imposed,' he told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday. A Strasbourg judge issued a late-night Rule 39 decision dubbed a 'pyjama injunction' by Tory rebels last June, blocking the Home Office's inaugural returns flight to Rwanda. A fine jeweller whose earrings are beloved by the Princess of Wales has warned that her customers are now heading to Milan and Paris instead of London. Kiki McDonough's gemstones have been worn by both Princess Diana and Kate. But she said she was 'losing money to Europe' thanks to the lack of tax-free shopping. Her self-named flagship store just off Sloane Square in central London sees visits from many tourists. But Ms McDonough said: 'A lot of them [Americans] are really good clients but they're going to other places.' Kiki McDonough (pictured) said she was 'losing money to Europe' thanks to the lack of tax-free shopping Kiki McDonough's gemstones have been worn by both Princess Diana and the Princess of Wales (pictured) A 'huge amount' are instead going to Paris, Milan or Madrid, which have made it easier for them to get tax refunds. She fears her business will miss out on what could be a major post-pandemic boom for other countries as holidaymakers resume long-haul travel. At Christmas, a popular time for the jewellery business, several loyal customers said 'we won't see you this year, we're going to Paris', she explained. With the Coronation fast approaching, as well as the summer holiday period, Ms McDonough is worried that businesses like hers will miss out on what could be a lucrative season. 'We are looking forward to the summer but I would be a lot happier if we had many more tourists,' she said. She warned that 'a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money', from theatres to train operators to independent cafes. Ms McDonough's international customers from Asia or the US usually visit her shop during a two- or three-week trip to the UK. They won't only visit London and its attractions but will also travel elsewhere in the UK, including Liverpool, the Cotswolds and Edinburgh. So there is a 'trickle-down effect' to the rest of the country from tourists choosing to visit London, she added. In practical terms, a sales boost from having VAT-free shopping would mean the luxury business could hire at least a couple more staff members. A 'huge amount' are instead going to Paris, Milan (pictured) or Madrid, which have made it easier for them to get tax refunds Many tourists visiting the UK for the Coronation will be deterred from splashing out due to a lack of VAT-free shopping, the boss of luxury leather goods brand Ettinger has warned. Robert Ettinger said: 'If people are coming for the Coronation, then they will come to London. 'But there's a chance they won't buy as much when they're here.' He said some customers seemed 'annoyed' when they realised their purchases would cost them hundreds more pounds than on their last trip. Nine teenagers were shot early on Sunday at an after-prom party in Jasper, Texas, prompting what will be an increased police presence at the town's high school. None of the gunshot wounds were life-threatening, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that offered few other details about the shooting at a home in Jasper, a town of about 7,200 people some 135 miles northeast of Houston. The victims were taken to two hospitals, the sheriff's office said, without reporting on the number of shooters. Deputies believe about 250 teenagers were at the party. Eight of the victims were taken to Jasper Memorial Hospital by personal vehicles, and some were transferred to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont for further treatment, the sheriff's office said. In this photo provided by KJAS, Jasper, Texas, crime scene tape cordons off the scene of a shooting, Sunday, April 23, 2023, in Jasper, Texas Officials said gunfire at a huge prom after-party at the home injured multiple teenagers, and a second shooting in a nearby city is being investigated for a possible connection A group of nine teenagers was shot at an after-prom party in Jasper, Texas, early on Sunday; there will now be an increased police presence at the high school Jasper County Sheriff Mitchel Newman and Chief Deputy Scott Duncan are pictured at a Sunday press conference 'This investigation is ongoing and people of interest are being questioned,' the statement said. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 19, KBMT-KJAC television news reported. Jasper High School held its prom, a right of passage for American secondary schools, at a church meeting hall on Saturday night, the news station reported. The superintendent of the Jasper Independent School District, John Seybold, pledged full cooperation with any law-enforcement investigation 'to bring these perpetrators to justice.' 'We first want to say our prayers are with those injured early Sunday morning in the shooting that took place north of town. There will be a much larger law enforcement presence this week to ensure student safety, as well as counselors on hand for any students who need their assistance,' Seybold said in the statement as reported by local media. Just one week ago, four people were shot dead and 32 wounded at an Alabama 'Sweet 16' birthday party in the small town of Dadeville. Investigators on Thursday charged a sixth person with reckless murder in connection with that shooting. A makeshift memorial is created at the scene of the fatal shooting at a dance studio in Dadeville, Alabama on Wednesday Candles with the names of the four young people killed in a shooting and teddy bears dressed in graduation caps sit outside the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio on Wednesday Investigators said in court documents filed Thursday that they believe five of those charged were present at the party on April 15 and 'discharged firearms into the crowd,' resulting in the deaths of four people. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Thursday night announced the arrest of a 15-year-old juvenile from Tuskegee, Alabama, the sixth person charged in the case, but court records were not released because of the person's age. All six face reckless murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting, the state agency said. The Sweet 16 birthday, at a dance studio just off the town square, was in full swing when gunfire erupted. Investigators have not discussed a motive or what they believe led to the shooting. The shooting killed four young people, ranging in age from 17 to 23, and shocked the small east Alabama city of Dadeville. Besides the four slain, 32 others were injured, four of them critically. Firearms have become the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens, surpassing motor vehicle accidents, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year. Subscribers of funeral policies will now pay premiums amounting to US$6 000, or the equivalent in local currency, before their policies are deemed fully paid-up, according to new regulations from the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC). This brings to an end all forms of perpetual premium payments by funeral policyholders. It also means most premium funeral policy pay-outs will not exceed the US$6 000 ceiling. The insurance and pensions sector regulators new directive on funeral assurance products, which comes into effect on July 1, follows complaints by policyholders over the design of local funeral policy products and practices of funeral assurers. Some of the practices include, but are not limited to, the design and sale of products and services (for example, funeral policies that do not mature), unjustified delays in settling valid claims, high penalties for policy terminations and misleading marketing claims. And with funeral insurance accounting for around 80 percent of all insurance policies in Zimbabwe, non-maturing funeral policies were one of the most common complaints from policyholders. Each funeral policy covering a single life shall be limited to a maximum sum assured not exceeding an amount of US$6 000 or the Zimbabwe dollar equivalent using the prevailing interbank exchange rate, reads part of the directive. The regulator has also directed all underwriters providing funeral assurance products to comply with Section 60 (1) (a) and (b) of the Insurance Act (Chapter 24:07), with regard to grace periods allowed before a policy lapses. There have been complaints that some funeral assurers were arbitrarily terminating policies as soon as a policyholder defaults on payments. In terms of Section 60 of the Insurance Act, grace periods for funeral policies range from six months (for policies in duration of force of five years or over and less than seven years) to 60 months (for policies in duration of force of 25 years or over). The new directive compels funeral underwriters to pay out a full sum assured in instances where an individual has multiple policies. IPEC, however, said funeral cover provided under group life assurance schemes is not interpreted as multiple funeral assurance policies. Where a policyholder has continuously paid premiums for an existing secondary policy and met all the terms and conditions of the policy, he/she is entitled to a cash in lieu of service that is equivalent to the sum assured of the policy, adds the directive. IPEC has also moved to limit the period of all annually renewable policies. Going forward, all annually renewable policies will have a limit of three years after which they become long-term policies with a maturity date and shall have a term not exceeding 25 years from the date of conversion from an annually renewable policy to a long-term policy, reads part of the directive. The policy shall mature at the end of the premium paying term. Said IPEC Commissioner Dr Grace Muradzikwa: The funeral directive is also issued in order to improve the governance structures and systems for funeral business underwriters for the protection of funeral policyholders. The directive is in line with the Treating Customers Fairly Framework, which came into effect on June 1, 2021. Zimbabwe Association of Funeral Assurers (ZAFA) president Mr Arthur Makasi said the sector will comply with the directive, despite some of the associations submissions not being taken into account by IPEC. Mr Mukasi said the guideline on lapsing of funeral policies is already being implemented by the industry as per Section 60 of the Insurance Act. Unsatisfactory service was the major issue among all the funeral assurance-related complaints received by IPEC last year, accounting for 80 percent of all funeral assurance complaints for the year. The balance of the complaints related to issues of delays in settlement. Sunday Mail A prominent surfer has undergone surgery overnight after he was attacked by a shark while surfing at a popular beach in Western Australia. Well-known competitive surfer Max Marsden was surfing with a friend at Lucy's Beach, about 20km south of Geraldton, on Sunday morning at about 7.35am when he was attacked. The shark, believed to be a 1.5 metre Bronze Whaler latched onto the arm of the surfer. Marsden's friend, who was standing on the shoreline, helped him out of the water and performed first aid. Emergency services then helped transfer Mr Marsden from the remote beach through rough terrain to a waiting ambulance. Well-known competitive surfer Max Marsden (right) was surfing with a friend at a popular surf spot in Western Australia when he was attacked by a 1.5metre shark Mr Marsden was rushed to hospital in a stable condition and underwent surgery on Sunday afternoon for non-life-threatening injuries to his arm. Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn praised Marsden's friend for assisting Marsden and performing first aid. 'He was duly stabilised by his friend immediately on the shore, which is just fantastic to hear,' Van Styn said. 'First aid is a critical skill everyone should learn, particularly when you're going surfing in remote places.' Mr Marsden arrived at hospital in 'good spirits' and has since been released to recover at home from his surgery. Lucy's Beach is popular with fishers and surfers due to its craggy rocks, platforms, reefs and 'narrow surf zone'. The beach is also known for its dangerous rips and is not a favoured swim spot for beach goers. The shark, believed to be a 1.5 metre Bronze Whaler (pictured), latched onto the arm of Mr Marsden Mr Marsden was surfing with a friend at Lucy's Beach (pictured), about 20km south of Geraldton, on Sunday morning when he was attacked Local authorities have closed the beach and it is unknown at this stage when it will be re-opened. Bronze whaler shark attacks are rare, with the last reported incident involving the species happening more than two years ago in Perth. Jackson Bartlett, 10, was spearfishing with his dad at Five Finger Reef in June 2021 when he was bitten on the leg by a two-metre bronze whaler shark. The 10-year-old was airlifted to the Children's Hospital in Perth where surgeons worked on his leg. However bosses at Swale Borough Council and the Environment Agency say he is 'contaminating' the cliff Advertisement A defiant pensioner is desperately fighting on two fronts - to save his home from collapsing off a crumbling cliff and against the council he says are threatening him with court action. At the ripe of age of 69, Edd Cane should be putting his feet up, and enjoying his retirement, but instead he has ploughed 18,000 of his pension into hiring a digger to secure the cliffs near his home in the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent. Despite his DIY coastal defences, he now claims to face legal action from the very council he has pleaded with to help save the homes in his coastal community from sliding into oblivion. In May 2020, Mother-of-five Emma Tullett's family bungalow in Surf Crescent, Eastchurch - aptly called Cliffhanger - toppled over the cliff in what the council insists was a 'slip' caused by natural erosion - but what furious locals claim is a 'sinkhole' brought on by a decade of sewage running down the cliffs from nearby caravan sites. Since that fateful day, the remaining homeowners sharing the same doomed postcode say the possibility of their homes meeting a similar fate has left them living on their nerves - with some keeping a bag packed for the day their nightmare becomes a reality. After pleading with Swale Borough Council and environmental agencies to help strengthen their shoreline, those living closest to the cliff edge have watched the edge creep closer and closer to their front doors at a rate of around one foot per year. Yet, while existing homeowners say they have had little to no help from the council, 171 new properties are being built some two miles down the road under plans for 650 new homes on the island - with the rate of development leading some residents question whether the island might 'sink'. The isolated coastal community of Surf Crescent on the Isle of Sheppey are fighting the sea and their local council Unwilling to let his family home be reclaimed by the sea pensioner Edd Cane has ploughed his 18,000 pension into securing the cliffs himself In May 2020 a house collapsed overnight and was sent tumbling down the cliff face due to 'coastal erosion' However the locals who have stayed behind at the doomed postcode are adamant that the collapse was caused by years of sewage slips Less than a mile away from the cliffside community 211 new houses have been built which has angered locals And with more on the way in the form of a 171 house development at nearby Shurland Park, furious residents have demanded to know why more isn't being done to save their homes The situation is made bleaker for locals by their proximity to two new housing developments providing hundreds of homes Fed up with being ignored and left to their own devices, Edd Cane, who lives with his wife Lynnette in the home behind Cliffhanger, has used his 18,000 pension to secure the cliff himself. The plucky pensioner, who has lived in his home Four Winds for more than 15 years, says the cliffside fell away to the point where the 40ft drop to the shore was around ten feet from his back door. After the council refused to act on the fast-approaching reality that his home would be next to fall victim, Mr Cane decided to reach into his own pocket and pay private contractors to shore up the coast with rocks and clay. He said: 'The council say they are going to take me to court for it, but I said, 'Do it - take me to court'. 'I am just trying to save my house as best I can. 'Around a year after the sinkhole - it wasn't a 'slip' - the erosion came back to around ten feet from my house. 'The council say it was a 'slip' because if it was coastal cliff erosion they don't touch it. 'We went to the council and said, 'Are you going to do anything about this?', but they said it was 'natural' and that it was a cliff of scientific interest. 'Natural England came down here and I told them what I was going to do, and they didn't have a problem with it. 'The Environment Agency said I was 'contaminating' it with mixed loads, but it costs around 800 to get the material separated. 'I have already put an 18,000 pension into this. There is no help whatsoever. 'The only help I have had from the council is that, when it becomes necessary to get rid of my house, I've been told I'm allowed to knock it down - but at my own expense.' Mr Cane says he had to pay private contractors to shore up the shoreline with rocks and clay The work is laborious, expensive and fraught with difficulties but has been warmly received by his neighbours Due to his deposits of rocks and clay, Mr Cane claims the Environment Agency has accused him of contaminating the cliff He has even claimed that Swale Borough Council have told him they will take him to court if he doesn't stop his work Mr Cane added that he had been told by property experts that his house was now 'worthless' because of its perilous position on the cliff edge. 'Who would buy this house off me?', he asked. 'I like the area and the view, and I don't want to move. 'But when people say, 'Don't buy a place on the cliff' I say, 'I didn't'. When we first moved in it was around 50 or 60 yards away. 'It isn't fair not paying for sea defences but to build new homes on the island. 'They are building and building and building so much that it's a wonder the island doesn't sink. 'We feel like we have been forgotten here. 'I don't know what the council are after... Are they after these houses going? 'Because this would make for an impressive bay, here.' Mr Cane isn't the only resident who is concerned. Steve Staples, who lives two houses along from Mr Cane, says his wife Dawn is so paranoid since Cliffhanger fell into the sea that she has kept an 'emergency bag' packed ever since, with an escape route mapped out in case their home began to fall. Mr Staples, a 71-year-old builder and father-of-five who has lived in his Eastchurch home for 22 years, said: 'I think it's disgusting that the council aren't doing anything. 'They have washed their hands of it; they are just waiting for our houses to go and then they will build whatever they want. 'There was a sewage leak under here for 11 years from the caravan sites, but the council did nothing about it. 'The 2020 cliff fall was not erosion. It definitely wasn't. It was a sinkhole caused by the sewage. 'A lot of this could be saved if the groynes were put back in. 'Why have the council paid for groynes down in Sheerness and not here? 'I think it's totally disgusting that they're building all these new houses when there's no infrastructure.' Furious Steve Staples, who lives two houses along from Mr Cane, has said that the council has 'washed their hands' of the community He claims his wife Dawn is so paranoid since Cliffhanger fell into the sea that she has kept an 'emergency bag' packed, with an escape route mapped out in case their home began to fall Due to the unstable cliffs on which they are perched, every home in the area is essentially worthless Mr Staples has equally been told his property is now worthless due to the danger the cliff poses, adding: 'The house isn't worth anything. Who's going to buy it? 'They have been trying to sell the house next door since the resident died last year, but they can't sell it. 'Before all of this, our house was valued at 250,000, but now no one's interested. 'The council would let us all fall into the sea, then sell the land off. 'Apparently a builder already has plans to build houses here. 'My wife's got an emergency bag packed which she's had since the cliff went down in 2020 because she's so worried about it happening again. 'We've also got an escape route where we'd leave through. 'She nearly had a breakdown over it. The wife's living on her nerves, really.' Mr Staples added he thinks what his neighbour Mr Cane is doing is 'fantastic', and labelled him a 'hero'. He added that without the fortification work Mr Cane's doing, he wouldn't expect his home to have lasted more than 'two more years' before falling off the edge and into the sea. 'The council have just forgotten about us,' Mr Staples added. 'The only services we get are our bins get emptied once a week. 'But I will stay here until it goes. They would have to drag me out of here screaming. 'When they said it was going down in 2020, the police advised us to get out. I told them I wasn't going. 'We all feel abandoned.' Michael Jones says the cliffs have decreased the value of his home but as it is so nice in the area he wouldn't move With little help forthcoming the residents have tried to buy as much time as they can before the inevitable Michael Jones similarly praised his neighbour's efforts in fortifying the cliff edge. The 66-year-old who lives with his two dogs Panda and Harry a little further back from the receding cliff edge, said: 'The council and the environmental officials are not doing anything. 'It's not in their interest. At Hemsby on the Norfolk Coast they had rocks put down within a week, but here they don't want to know. 'Everyone was scared and worried when the house fell in 2020. 'Apparently it was more of a sinkhole, but as far as the council are concerned it was cliff erosion. 'The house was gone - it just disappeared. I didn't even hear anything. 'The value of my property has probably decreased with this. 'In 2007 I paid 145,000, and I would probably get 200,000 for it today. 'But no one wants to move; it's such a nice area.' Despite little help being offered to residents in desperation on the island, new housing estates have been under construction for years now. The 221-home Kingsborough Manor development in Eastchurch - just a five-minute drive from where Cliffhanger fell - was finished last year. The prestigious new estate, which had been in the works since 1997, saw its final property sold at the end of last year - for between 600,000 and 660,000. Kingsborough Manor is made up of 211 properties and is located a stones throw from the crumbling cliffs Residents living in the idyllic suburb are unaware of the struggles their coastal neighbours are battling every day Another estate called Shurland Park in nearby Minster is currently under construction, and will offer more new homes in the near future. One man living on the Kingsborough Manor estate said that though he's sympathetic to those living by the cliff edge, he doubts Swale Borough Council have anywhere near the amount of money necessary to build the appropriate sea defences. The man, who had lived on the Isle of Sheppey since he was a boy and gave his name as Andy, said: 'I feel sorry for the people, but they have bought the wrong properties. 'Sea defences cost millions and a local council does not have that kind of money. 'Me, personally, I wouldn't buy a house right by a cliff edge. 'Who's going to buy any of those houses down there now? 'The possibility is now a fact. 'No one wants to see someone's house fall into the sea, but we have to ask why they bought a house on a cliff edge and if they were insured?'. A Swale Borough Council spokesman said: 'Following the cliff slip, we engaged regularly with those affected. Since the emergency process stopped, the council have continued to discuss housing options with the affected residents. Residents of properties most at risk have been offered alternative accommodation but to date most have not taken up this offer. 'The area falls within a Natural England designated SSSI and as such permitted works within the area are limited and must be approved by the relevant authorities. Unfortunately, the site has been involved illegal dumping of potentially dangerous waste and a range of agencies are involved in trying to resolve the situation. 'The cliff slip experienced at Eastchurch followed the cyclic behaviour of rotational cliff failures which can be witnessed along the unprotected North Sheppey coastline, and are a characteristic of London Clay cliffs.' An Environment Agency spokesperson said: 'We recognise the impact the erosion incident has had on householders at Eastchurch and sympathise with those affected. 'Contractors working on behalf of the Surf Crescent residents registered permit exemptions with the Environment Agency that enable waste materials to be used in certain circumstances. 'We inspected the site twice in late 2020 and found waste had been placed there outside our agreement. We asked for the work to stop and withdrew the permission. 'Since 2020 waste material has continued to be deposited at the site. We are gathering evidence as part of an investigation into reports of waste dumped illegally and keep all our potential enforcement options under review.' You press the illuminated flush button stowed behind the toilet seat and it begins. A gargling noise builds from somewhere below, bouncing around the walls of the coffin-sized airline loo, growing in volume like the toilet itself is about to take-off. When it hits its peak, a flap opens and away it goes. Gone, but for some people, not forgotten. @flywithgarrett Ever curious where it goes when youre on the airplane? original sound - Flywithgarrett The burning question: What happens to your waste when you flush the loo on a plane mid-flight? Now, TikTok pilot @flywithgarrrett (pictured) has revealed the answer He gave the answer to the mystery of the plane loo (pictured) in a video seen a whopping 4.4million times over TikTok Now, an airline pilot has solved the mystery that has been puzzling airline passengers for decades. What happens when you flush the loo at 30,000 feet in the air? It cannot simply get dumped out mid-flight to splatter on the ground below, surely? Some people believe so. In a video seen a whopping 4.4million times, TikTok pilot @flywithgarrrett told his 506,000 followers: 'When you're on an aeroplane and you gotta go, where does it go?' He continued: 'Did you know that whenever you flush the toilet on the aircraft, it actually doesn't dump out into the population down below? 'It goes through plumbing to the rear of the aircraft and the seal compartments where the ground crew at the destination will remove all that waste. 'On a 747 - on a long haul flight - toilets can be flushed over a thousand times, creating over 320 gallons of waste. That's a lot.' The aerial expert's revelation left some social media users reeling. One honest viewer admitted: 'Since I was a kid I used to think when over a sea the pilot flush it out. Omg.' Another added: 'Thank you for clearing that up. Hopefully now we can let the matter drop.' 'I thought they dumped it in the ocean,' said a third. However, other people were genuinely astounded that anyone could believe their business would fly out of the plane after every flush. The waste goes through to the rear of the plane where it is sealed away in a special container that can only be opened by ground crew from the outside of the jet after it lands Jet toilets can be flushed over a thousand times, creating over 320 gallons of waste, Garrett said in his TikTok video (pictured) One TikTok user commented: 'Wait ppl actually think it dumps out below?' Another added: 'Actually people that believe that it would get expelled from the aircraft to the population below? And if so, do these people vote?' 'It's still perplexes me that people think it just dumps out of the plane,' said a third. 'Who even thought it drops below straight?' said another. According to Gizmondo: 'Pressing the flush button opens a valve in the bottom of the bowl, exposing the contents to a pneumatic vacuum. 'That vac sucks the load down the plane's sewer line into a 200-gallon holding tank.' Lavatories in jets have a sort of Teflon non-stick coating to help in pulling the waste down into the storage tanks. But there have been occasions when toilet waste has leaked from jets mid-flight. In January 2018, officials in Indian were forced to admit that an icy ball which fell on a village in the northern state of Haryana was frozen human waste which leaked from a jet overhead. The 10-12kg chunk of brown-white ice fell on Fazilpur Badli village with a 'big thud', startling residents. Vivek Kalia, a senior official from the Gurgaon district, claimed villagers thought it was an 'extra-terrestrial' object. Mr Kalia told the BBC that a sample of the projectile had been sent for chemical analysis, but 'we suspect strongly' that it is frozen airline excrement. 'It was a very heavy icy ball of ice which dropped from the skies early on Saturday morning. There was big thud and people of the village came running out of their homes to find out what had happened,' he told the BBC. 'Some villagers thought it was an extra-terrestrial object. Others thought it was some celestial rock and I've heard that they took samples home,' he said. The Times of India newspaper reported that people 'sneaked a few pieces into their clothes', and stored them in refrigerators at home. India previously said it would start fining airlines that empty their planes toilet tanks in mid-air in 2016, following earlier reports of human waste being dropped on peoples homes. The countrys National Green Tribunal, an environmental court, introduced a 50,000 rupee (600) charge on any airline that fails to store the waste onboard so it can be properly disposed of. Dailymail.com rounds up the top services that will ensure you NEVER overpay But experts say customers can cut costs by tracking flight prices Flight prices have soared - even as delays reach a ten-year high Airline ticket prices have shot up more than 30 percent in the last year - leaving many households wondering how they will afford a summer vacation. This is despite the fact that service standards are plummeting - Dailymail.com revealed earlier this week that delays have reached a ten-year high. But there is some good news: there are a host of simple online hacks that can help you slash costs. Last month travel blogger Sam Jarman went viral on TikTok after revealing customers should never buy flights directly from an airline but instead use price tracking service Google Flights. It's just one of scores of websites and apps designed to help travelers scout out the best deals - with some even offering a refund if your fare drops after you've paid. Here, Dailymail.com rounds up the best online hacks to help you find the cheapest flights... The cost of international travel has shot up more than 200 percent in the last year, according to data from the American Automobile Association Google Flights Google Flights claims to search out the best fares and ranks them. It also offers customers insight into what kind of deal they're getting. For example, it will tell a user if prices for the flight they're searching are higher than usual. You can then ask Google to alert you when prices for your trip start to fall. A representative for the travel blog Going revealed on TikTok that she managed to slash $141 off the price of her trip by using this tool. She told the blog's followers that she was initially quoted $350 but eventually bagged it for $209 after being alerted to a cheaper deal by Google. Earlier this month, Google Flights also announced its Price Guarantee program that monitors fares from purchase to take-off. It will then refund the difference between the price you paid and the lowest fare offered in that period. Those who use the Price Guarantee must have a Google Pay account and user refunds are capped at $500 annually. Hopper Hopper is a travel booking app which offers a 'price freeze' feature meaning users can research an airfare fee and book later. The price then remains frozen for a set period of time - even if the fares have risen by the time the customer actually pays. It offers a similar feature on hotel and car reservations. However, customers must pay a small freeze fee, which depends on the ticket price and length of the hold. For example, when Dailymail.com searched for a flight from New York to Chicago in May, Hopper quoted a freeze fee of $41. It will cover the difference of any increase up to a cap of $300 per ticket. Expedia Expedia offers a Price Drop Protection feature on its app. Like Google Flights' program, Expedia will monitor the price of a journey after you have booked. If the fare falls before you take off, Expedia will then refund the difference. But the travel agency charges a non-refundable fee to benefit from the service - which varies depending on the ticket cost. There is no cap on refunds. Airline programs Major firms including American and United Airlines offer services which allow customers to freeze their fares for an agreed period of time. For example, United has a FareLock program which lets users hold the price of a flight for up to 14 days. However, the firm charges a fee up to $20 for the service, which again varies depending on the price of the ticket and the length of the hold. Meanwhile, American Airlines will hold a price for 24 hours for free. However, freezes beyond this time period incur a charge. A three-day hold costs $7.99 while seven days is $11.99. Websites that track price glitches Passengers can also use websites, like Secret Flying, which track fare errors and alert users This week dozens of customers snapped up $10,000 flights for just $300 after a currency exchange blunder on Japanese airline All Nippon Airways. Such price glitches are so common dozens of travel sites, blogs and forums are devoted to highlighting them. It also helps to follow these sites on social media so bargain deals come up on your newsfeed. Examples of useful websites include: Going.com, secretflying.com, airfarewatchdog.com and Kiwi.com. Travelers also share deals they've found on a discussion forum called 'Mileage Run Discussion' on flyertalk.com. James is originally from Chiswick, west London, while Ella is from California Influencer Ella Rose McFadin and James have been dating for two years Americans speak English, but sometimes for Britons, it can seem as though theyre speaking a foreign language and vice versa. To highlight this, American influencer Ella Rose McFadin and her English partner James made a fascinating TikTok video demonstrating the different words they use to describe the same thing. Ella, 25, is from the Californian city of Newport Beach, while James, 31, is originally from Chiswick in west London. The couple, who have been dating for two years, live together in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Striking a chord with Ella's 121,000 TikTok followers, their video went viral, earning more than a million views and racking up nearly 90,000 likes. In the clip, she says: Since James and I have been dating I've kept [note] on my phone of the things we say differently as an American and an English lad. American influencer Ella Rose McFadin and her English partner James made a fascinating TikTok video demonstrating the different words they use to describe the same thing The couple, who met in New York on a dating app, then go on to break down the words and turns of phrase that they say differently for instance, while Ella says the trunk of a car, James says the boot of a car. When Ella says the word 'sidewalk', James responds with the word 'pavement', prompting Ella to reply: 'That's so weird!' Parking lot versus car park, gas versus petrol and vacuum versus Hoover are other examples that the couple points out though James notes that Britons also use the word vacuum. Elsewhere in the video, Ella says to James: I would say Im going to take a shower, you would say Im going to have a shower. Taking to the comment section, TikTok user Ashleigh wrote: 'As a Brit in America, this is my life. And user Lia Sioumkas said: 'My boyfriend is also from England and Im Canadian. Every day, we discover things we say differently but Ive also adapted to his way of speaking too.' The couple, who have been dating for two years, live together in Williamsburg, Brooklyn AMERICAN VERSUS BRITISH WHAT AMERICAN ELLA SAYS Trunk Sidewalk Arugula [an edible plant] Eggplant Cilantro 'Her name is' Parking lot Elevator Gondola Zucchini Vacuum Tank top Suspenders To 'take' a shower Gas Sneakers Green onion Band-aid 'On' accident Costume Swimsuit Sunscreen WHAT ENGLISHMAN JAMES SAYS Boot Pavement Rocket Aubergine Coriander 'She is called' Car park Lift Bubble Courgette Hoover Vest Braces To 'have' a shower Petrol Creps Spring onion Plaster 'By' accident Fancy dress Swimming costume Sun cream Advertisement Speaking to MailOnline Travel, Ella shared a few more phrases that differ between the pair she says sunscreen while James says sun cream, she says 'on accident' while he says 'by accident', and she says band-aid while he says plaster. The content creator, who has 190,000 Instagram followers, also shared her thoughts on Britain, as she travels there a few times a year with James. She says: I loved the UK. London and New York feel similar to me in many ways but the free health care and school systems seem much better over there. I want to raise my kids over there so they have the cute little accents. Ella notes that James, who works in the food and drinks industry, moved to the U.S for the job opportunities and loves the weather [there] compared to the UK. She adds: However, it is much more expensive here for basic needs (like toilet paper and juice). To see more videos from Ella, visit her TikTok account and her Instagram account. Jordan Banjo and his wife Naomi Courts have welcomed their third child. The Diversity dancer, 29 took to Instagram with a sweet post to share the joyous news on Sunday morning. Announcing his son's name, Jordan gushed: 'Atreus Funso Banjo 20.04.2023 8lb 8oz. Im so proud of you @naomibanjo, my angel, my wife and the most incredible mum to our children, thank you for our 3 beautiful children, a gift I can never repay, I love you.' The couple already share son Cassius Ashley, four, and daughter Mayowa 'Mimi' Angel, three, after marrying in August last year. Happy news: Jordan Banjo and his wife Naomi Courts have welcomed their third child. The Diversity dancer, 29 took to Instagram with a sweet post to share the joyous news on Sunday Family: The couple already share son Cassius Ashley, four, and daughter Mayowa 'Mimi' Angel, three, after marrying in August last year Dad: Announcing his son's name, Jordan gushed: 'Atreus Funso Banjo 20.04.2023 8lb 8oz. Im so proud of you @naomibanjo, my angel, my wife and the most incredible mum' Jordan proudly shared a black and white photo of Naomi cradling little Atreus after the birth before the couple both posted a sweet video. The video showed Naomi showing off her bump before they headed to hospital for her caesarean birth. The couple's two older children were then seen excitedly seen meeting their baby brother in the adorable footage captioned 'Hello world.' The couple's pregnancy announcement came shortly after Jordan revealed that he had undergone a vasectomy by posting a light-hearted video of himself hobbling back to his car after the procedure. Naomi recently revealed her worry over potentially having to have another C-section when she gave birth. She took to her Instagram to discuss her worries after a trip to the hospital - and said her last surgery, where she welcomed Mimi via C-section, 'triggered a lot of trauma'. In her post she told how she felt 'vulnerable and exposed' after the procedure with her last child - and ended up getting very ill with sepsis due to 'shocking after care' at the hospital. She penned: 'Sorry guys I was in the hospital most of yesterday having my scan and a long appointment regarding my birth. 'Tbh I feel drained and it's left me so unsure of what to do now considering all the risks. I didn't have a great time with my c section with Mimi and it's really freaked me out so was hoping to avoid and have another V birth but now I'm not so sure. 'Do I have any specialists on here in VBAC's? VBAC Doulas? Private midwives etc? I don't have a personal midwife at this hospital like I had with the other 2 so I feel so lost and I don't know who to talk to. 'But I'm really doubting myself and the thought of another C-section is giving me really bad anxiety.' New member of the family: Jordan proudly shared a black and white photo of Naomi cradling little Atreus after the birth before the couple both posted a sweet video Almost time: The video showed Naomi showing off her bump before they headed into the operating theatre for her caesarean birth Siblings: The couple's two older children were then seen excitedly seen meeting their baby brother in the adorable footage captioned 'Hello world' The couple announced they were expecting their third child together in October, two months after they tied the knot. Taking to Instagram, the Diversity dancer shared an adorable shot with Naomi outside their home as their children Cassius and Mimi cradled her baby bump. He captioned the shot: 'TRICK OR TREAT! Were expecting 2 (more) tiny little feet! baby number 3 due April 2023.' The dancer also shared a sweet selfie of the pair holding their sonogram picture as he penned: 'The Banjo Family is growing even more Baby number 3 on the way.' The pair were immediately flooded with messages from their celebrity pals, with the likes of Oti Mabuse, Helen Flanagan and Danielle Armstrong passing on their congratulations. It comes after the couple tied the knot in August, a year later than planned due to the pandemic. Jordan announced his engagement to mother-of-two Naomi in January 2020 when he proposed during a trip to the Maldives after almost five years together. Speaking to The Sun he said: 'Nay loves the idea of Mimi being a little flower girl and Cas being a page boy. 'It will be really nice to have them at the wedding because not everyone has children at the wedding, they normally come after. I'm super excited. 'Everyone in Diversity had kids after they got married, we did that the other way round.' Happiness: he couple tied the knot in August, a year later than planned due to the pandemic The 1999 sci-fi action film The Matrix produced many culturally significant moments. From the 'bullet time' slow-motion scenes to the woman in the red dress and the protagonists' signature trench coats, the steampunk blockbuster, directed by the Wachowskis, is without question one of the most iconic movies of all time. And one of the more noteworthy sequences from The Matrix featured a character known as Spoon Boy, played by the Australian child actor Rowan Witt. Fans will remember Spoon Boy, sitting crossed-legged in monk robes, capturing the attention of Neo (Keanu Reeves) by seemingly 'bending' spoons with his mind in the waiting room of the Oracle, a clairvoyant played in the first two films by Gloria Foster. 'Do not try to bend the spoon. That's impossible,' Spoon Boy tells Neo, who is transfixed by his superhuman ability. 'Instead only try to realise the truth. There is no spoon. Then you'll see it's not the spoon that bends. Only yourself.' The 1999 sci-fi action film The Matrix produced many culturally significant moments - and one of the more noteworthy sequences from The Matrix featured a character known as Spoon Boy While child actor Rowan Witt (pictured in Sydney in August 2019) may not have reached the same career heights as some of his co-stars on The Matrix, he is still a working actor to this day These lines, often quoted by fans of the franchise, are significant in the film's universe: Neo is taught that what he sees in the virtual reality world of the Matrix is an expectation, so if he can change his expectation, then he will change his reality. The spoon scene has a cult following among right-wing communities who see it as a complement to the more famous scene where Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) gives Neo the choice between a red or blue pill. Neo must choose between potentially unsettling or life-changing truth by taking the red pill, or remaining in the contented experience of ordinary reality with the blue pill. Some right-wingers see the world in these terms: they believe they have 'escaped the Matrix' by being 'red-pilled' and can see the truth, while the rest of society is being deceived. Fans will remember Spoon Boy (Rowan Witt), sitting crossed-legged in monk robes, capturing the attention of Neo (Keanu Reeves) by 'bending' spoons with his mind in the waiting room of the Oracle. 'Do not try to bend the spoon. That's impossible,' he says. 'Instead only try to realise the truth. There is no spoon. Then you'll see it's not the spoon that bends. Only yourself' From the 'bullet time' slow-motion scenes to the woman in the red dress and the protagonists' trench coats (pictured: Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves), the steampunk blockbuster, directed by the Wachowskis, is without question one of the most iconic movies of all time While Rowan may not have reached the same career heights as some of his co-stars from The Matrix, he is still a working actor to this day. The 34-year-old is a successful stage actor and just finished a run in the Australian production of Hamilton, playing the role of King George III. He has consistently landed roles over the years, and is notable for being the only Australian actor to screen test for the lead in Harry Potter, which later went to Daniel Radcliffe. Rowan is a fixture of Australian stage and screen, having appeared at the Sydney Opera House and Lincoln Center productions of the musical South Pacific. He was also in the Australian cast of The Book of Mormon as Elder McKinley, for which he received a Sydney Theatre Award in 2018 and a Helpmann nomination. As for his latest project, he now stars in the Stan Original series Totally Completely Fine, a black comedy that was filmed in Sydney last year. Watch the Stan Original Series, Totally Completely Fine available now only on Stan. Rowan is a fixture of Australian stage and screen, having appeared at the Sydney Opera House and Lincoln Center productions of the musical South Pacific. (He is seen here with Zoe Gertz at the opening night of Mary Poppins at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on May 26, 2022) As for his latest project, he now stars in the Stan Original series Totally Completely Fine, a black comedy that was filmed in Sydney last year and stars Thomasin McKenzie (pictured) Rowan said earlier this month he had an 'incredible' time shooting The Matrix, adding the directors made sure he was clued-up on the film's complicated virtual universe. 'The Wachowskis [directors Lana and Lily] were so detailed about how they wanted the film to be made and they were really insistent I was across the entire world they were creating,' he told the ABC. He was even on set watching scenes unfold that did not involve his minor character. He has consistently landed roles since The Matrix, and is notable for being the only Australian actor to screen test for the lead in Harry Potter, which later went to Daniel Radcliffe (pictured) 'They got me on set quite a lot. Weeks before [my role] and I had a little canvas chair I could sit on and they gave me headphones. I could watch them filming it,' he said. Rowan revealed he had 'quite long hair' at the time, but his head was shaved before filming the spoon scene with Keanu. 'They eventually cut it shorter and shorter until the day of filming where they shaved it all off and made me a bit of a bowling ball,' he said. '[The filmmakers] were nothing but positive. [Acting] something I have loved since an early age. It's a really magical experience,' Rowan concluded. Paul Burrell, 64, is said to be heartbroken after a crew member lost his wedding ring while he was filming the first ever I'm A Celebrity All Star series. The former royal Butler was reportedly advised to take off the gold band, estimated to be worth 10,000, before taking part in a Bushtucker trial. Paul, who worked beside and was a confidante of Diana, Princess of Wales, for ten years until her death in 1997, wept with joy as he married his 'soulmate' Graham Cooper in 2017. The couple opted for gold wedding bands, but Paul's went missing with the ITV crew unable to locate where it was after the trial came to an end. A source told The Sun: 'It was thought the ring had been put in the production office for safe keeping but was nowhere to be seen. Sentimentla: Paul Burrell, 64, is said to be heartbroken after a crew member lost his wedding ring while he was filming the I'm A Celebrity All Star series (pictured with husband Graham) Sad times: The former royal Butler was reportedly advised to take off the gold band, estimated to be worth 10,000, before taking part in a Bushtucker trial 'The production runner who lost the ring was crying. 'He felt horrendous and went home as he couldn't focus and felt he had let Paul down.' ITV declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Paul's representatives have been contacted for comment. Paul was previously married to Maria Cosgrove, the mother of his two grown-up sons, but the pair announced their divorce in 2016 after living separately for years. Speaking after his same-sex ceremony with Graham, Paul said: 'Everything about the day has been perfect, made even more wonderful by the fact that my two sons were here to share in the occasion. 'There's no more hiding my unbridled happiness now. Life is about being true to who you are and, for the first time ever, I'm able to stand proudly beside my husband and say 'This is who I am'.' Paul revealed earlier this year that his appearance on I'm A Celebrity South Africa, led to his diagnosis of prostate cancer. Close friends: Paul worked beside and was a confidante of Diana, Princess of Wales, for ten years until her tragic death (pictured in 1997) Brave guy: The former royal butler was diagnosed with prostate cancer last summer and only found out after taking part in some routine health checks prior to entering the show Star royalty: Paul is part of a line up of eight famous faces including Shaun Ryder (pictured middle) and Janice Dickinson (pictured right) who have all taken part in the challenge show Talking about how he found out on the Lorraine show, Paul told how routine health tests which were taken prior to completing the show and his GP was concerned with the results. After landing back to the UK from Kruger National Park in north-eastern South Africa, he underwent an MRI scan and had a biopsy and it was then he was told he would be battling the disease. Paul was the runner-up of the fourth series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2004. I'm A Celebrity get Me Out of Here! All Stars, starts on Monday on ITV at 9pm. Nadia Bartel has broken her silence for the first time after a video of her 'snorting white powder' and breaking Melbourne's strict lockdown went viral in September 2021. In the video, the former WAG was filmed by business partner Ellie Pearson snorting white powder off a $1.50 Kmart plate at an illegal gathering at a friends house. Nadia, 37, told Stellar magazine on Sunday, she is hurt her actions 'disappointed people whose opinion means the world to me'. 'I made a big mistake. And I accept that. I just feel there's a real, ongoing pursuit for it still. And that's what feels very hurtful,' she said. The Henne creator said she initially wanted to share her story and 'speak her truth' but realised people will always have their own opinions. Nadia Bartel, 37, (pictured) has broken her silence after she was infamously busted snorting white powder off a $1.50 Kmart plate, saying 'I made a big mistake' 'I just want my actions to speak louder than any words,' she added. 'The social media reaction was very negative towards me and it hurt a lot. What hurt more was the feeling that I'd let people down who I love and whose opinion means the world to me.' Nadia also explained on Instagram how her interview has given her a 'sense of peace and an opportunity to now move on'. 'I own my mistakes and will continue to focus on what's real around me and in time, my actions will speak louder than any words,' she said. Back in September 2021, Nadia's business partner Ellie filmed her breaking lockdown rules and snorting white powder at an illegal gathering. Ellie accidentally uploaded the footage on her Instagram page, with Nadia breaking her silence with a public apology one day later. In the viral video, the former WAG was filmed by her business partner Ellie Pearson breaking lockdown and snorting white powder at an illegal gathering at a friends house 'Hi everyone, I have let you all down by my actions. I take full responsibility and I am committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure I make better choices in future,' Nadia wrote in a post. 'To my family and friends, my business partners and the public health workers trying to keep us all safe, I am embarrassed and remorseful. 'I am truly and deeply sorry. I hope I can earn your forgiveness and, in time, your trust.' At the time private and public gatherings were not permitted in Melbourne, where Bartel lives, under Victoria's Covid restrictions. Nadia told Stellar magazine on Sunday, she is hurt her actions 'disappointed people who I love and whose opinion means the world to me' Nadia's apology - which included an appeal for forgiveness from health workers - appeared to confirm the gathering was held on Thursday, September 2. A later report claimed the video first found its way online due to Ellie having a cracked phone screen. It's alleged she was attempting to send the video to her sister; however, because her phone screen was damaged, she hit the wrong buttons. As a result, the clip was posted to both Instagram and Facebook, and was online for about 10 minutes before being deleted, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. But it was quickly copied by others and shared around. Nadia and three other women were each fined $5,452 after damning footage of the party was posted on Instagram. Nadia wasn't charged with drug offences, because police couldn't prove what she was snorting. The influencer is a mother of two and the ex-wife of retired AFL star Jimmy Bartel, a Brownlow Medallist who spent his career with the Geelong Cats. The couple split in 2019 after five years of marriage. He quietly split from his glamorous second wife Victoria Fisher last year, and now it seems conservationist Damian Aspinall is keen to fill the hole in his heart. I can reveal that Damian, 62, whose father John founded the Crown London Aspinalls gambling club and the Howletts private zoo in Kent, has joined Raya the posh dating app used by celebrities such as model Cara Delevingne and pop superstar Harry Styles. Victoria is 26 years his junior and it seems Damian is still keen to find someone who keeps him feeling young, as his search preferences reveal he is open to dating women half his age. On his dating profile, which features photos of him alongside tigers and lions, Damian refers to his remarkable achievement in rewilding more than 600 animals. To make sure any prospective girlfriend fits his luxurious lifestyle, Damian has listed the posh London hangouts of Scotts and private members club 5 Hertford Street as some of his favourites. Yet he makes it clear that personality comes first, as he says: Love funny and interesting people and especially positive people. I can reveal that Damian, 62, whose father John founded the Crown London Aspinalls gambling club and the Howletts private zoo in Kent, has joined Raya the posh dating app used by celebrities such as model Cara Delevingne and pop superstar Harry Styles. Damian is pictured here in 2003 with Donna Air Damian split with his wife Victoria, pictured here with Saba the Cheetah, after six years It seems he is not in the least bit concerned about finding a match, as he has linked the song I Aint Worried by American pop band OneRepublic to his profile. Damian has previously dated songwriter Kirsty Bertarelli and shares a daughter with actress and presenter Donna Air. His first marriage to Louise Sebag-Montefiore lasted 15 years and the couple had two children. Damian and Victoria broke up late last year after six years, and Damian cemented the split with the modern-day mark of the end: unfollowing her on Instagram. Shes already the Queen of Hollywood, so it seems fitting that Angelina Jolie can boast her own iconic Royal possession. Jolie, 47 made an honorary grand dame by the late Queen for her humanitarian work has been gifted a box, modelled on the one used by monarchs to receive important government papers, by her friend Baroness Arminka Helic, pictured behind Angelina. My source says the box is embossed with the cipher of the Order of St Michael and St George and Angelina was over the moon to receive it. Angelina Jolie, 47 made an honorary grand dame by the late Queen for her humanitarian work has been gifted a box, modelled on the one used by monarchs to receive important government papers, by her friend Baroness Arminka Helic, pictured behind Angelina Millie's novel surprise Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown keeps the surprises coming thick and fast. Fresh from announcing her engagement to actor Jake Bongiovi, son of rocker Jon Bon Jovi, 19-year-old Millie left with Jake has written a novel based on her family history. Called Nineteen Steps and being published by HarperCollins, it is set in London during the Second World War and promises star-crossed lovers and tangled secrets. Sadly it isnt out until September, so well have to wait to find out just what Millies ancestors got up to. Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown keeps the surprises coming thick and fast. Fresh from announcing her engagement to actor Jake Bongiovi, son of rocker Jon Bon Jovi, 19-year-old Millie left with Jake has written a novel based on her family history Gizzi dips into posh nuggets Bottomless brunches are all the rage, with customers often drinking copious amounts of mimosas or prosecco. So does aristo TV chef Gizzi Erskine really think guests will be happy with her offer of limitless chicken nuggets? Gizzi, or the Honourable Griselda Maxwell Erskine, to give her her full name, is hosting a one-day-only NugGiz In The Neighbourhood event at Islingtons Neighbourhood restaurant. If you fancy guzzling as many as you can in under an hour, accompanied by Gizzis range of dips, dont forget your wallet admission is 20. Lady Violet Manners, the socialite daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, is helping singles tired of dating apps find love the old-fashioned way by creating a meeting spot in a pub. Her salon, called The Souls, will convene in a Chelsea hostelry to rally against the digitalised dating scene. She says: Filtering people on arbitrary traits like education, profession and political views removes all unpredictability and excitement. Violet adds: Egos are checked on the door. Lets hope she gets in Lady Violet Manners, the socialite daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, is helping singles tired of dating apps find love the old-fashioned way by creating a meeting spot in a pub Her salon, called The Souls, will convene in a Chelsea hostelry to rally against the digitalised dating scene Lord Sugar might have to revive his legendary sales patter as he struggles to sell his super-yacht, Lady A. The 180ft vessel, with six en suite guestrooms and various lounges, has been listed on the new to market section in SuperYacht Times for 10 million. Why is a sales push required? He tried to sell the boat, named after wife Ann, in 2018 for 12.2million. Sloanes are back on the beer Society bible Tatler may be keen to kill off the image of the Sloane Ranger, but heres the Marquess of Lorne proving you cant keep a good Sloane down. Young Archie Lorne, 19, appears in what looks like a bizarre drinking game in a promotional video for a new members club he has helped to create called The Chelsea Life Jacket. Worryingly, the video is captioned cocaine and caviar. Lets hope the cigar-smoking, hard-drinking group is merely a parody of the old Sloanes though this lot seem to prefer beer to bubbly! Society bible Tatler may be keen to kill off the image of the Sloane Ranger, but heres the Marquess of Lorne, centre, proving you cant keep a good Sloane down Jane's play date for Charles The King has the small matter of a Coronation to plan but that hasnt stopped the Duchess of Northumberland, Jane Percy, asking Charles to save a spot in his diary so he can open her childrens play village. The park, called Lilidorei, at her ancestral seat Alnwick Castle, cost 17 million to build over a decade. The Duchess, 64, pictured on one of its eight-storey slides, is feeling confident about the venture, which features turrets, towers and goblin houses. She tells me: I do not doubt that this will be phenomenally successful. She adds: I hope Charles can open Lilidorei, but I dont know his commitments are huge. Quite! The King has the small matter of a Coronation to plan but that hasnt stopped the Duchess of Northumberland, Jane Percy, asking Charles to save a spot in his diary so he can open her childrens play village Most parents will take the odd afternoon off to watch their child in a production, but Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas has taken such support to new levels. Shirley, 62, reveals that she watched son Mark, 36, play Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on Broadway 43 times. I trust he got full marks, Shirley? I'm not saying Grand Tour presenter Richard Hammond is a scaredy cat, but he wants me to tell his wife Mindy that hes accidentally bought himself a limited-edition Norton motorbike! I bumped into Richard, 53, at the Salon Prive luxury car event in Chelsea last week, where he made the bizarre request. Perhaps he is understandably nervous about upsetting his wife, given that he was seriously hurt in a car crash during his Top Gear days. As dutiful as ever, I am passing on the news but please, Mindy, dont shoot the messenger! Barry Humphries was planning his big showbiz comeback just weeks before his death on Saturday. Humphries died aged 89 at St Vincents Hospital in Sydney where he was being treated for complications stemming from hip surgery earlier this year. According to his longtime friend Bill Muirhead, a former advertising executive and Agent General for South Australia, Humphries was hoping to bring his alter-ego Sir Les Patterson out of retirement. Created by Humphries in the 70s, Sir Les Patterson was a sleazy, offensive politician from Sydney. He resembled the exact opposite of the comedian's other beloved character, Dame Edna Everage, who was a refined, well-mannered woman from Melbourne. Barry Humphries, 89, (pictured) was planning his big showbiz comeback just weeks before his death on Saturday, his longtime friend Bill Muirhead said Speaking to The Advertiser on Saturday night, Muirhead recalled how he'd returned to Australia from the UK a few months ago and realised that Humphries' health was not at its best. 'I called him when I got back to Australia, and we discussed his extended hospitalisation, and he jokingly said, 'I'm not in showroom condition,'' Muirhead recalled. 'He mentioned that Les was going to make a comeback and that everything but racism was fair game... We spoke last Monday, and I was helping him locate a song about the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels [a term of endearment Australian WW2 troops gave to the local Papua New Guinea villagers] written during World War II for a show.' Muirhead, a former advertising executive and Agent General for South Australia, said Humphries was hoping to bring his alter-ego Sir Les Patterson out of retirement. (Pictured as Sir Les Patterson in November 1994) 'He questioned whether it was racist, but after consulting with the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, they assured us it was not,' Muirhead added. Excited about this finding, Humphries was eager to incorporate it into a new show. Tragically, his show would never come to fruition. Humphries died surrounded by his immediate family, including his wife of 30 years Lizzie Spender, his children Tessa, Emily, Oscar and Rupert, and 10 grandchildren. Created by Humphries in the 70s, Sir Les Patterson was a sleazy, offensive politician from Sydney. He resembled the exact opposite of the comedian's other beloved character, Dame Edna Everage, who was a refined, well-mannered woman from Melbourne. (Pictured as Dame Edna in 2019) Humphries, who has lived in London for decades, came back to Sydney in December for Christmas. He subsequently suffered a fall that led to his hip replacement surgery. '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. Humphries spent more than 70 years on the stage and was 'an entertainer to his core' who loved his audiences and never took them for granted. But he was also a painter, author, poet and collector of art. '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,' his family said. 'The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on.' Helen Flanagan was seen suspended hundreds of feet in the air as she took on a terrifying bushtucker trial on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! All Stars. In scenes set to air on the upcoming series, the actress, 32, is forced to jump between huge inflatable balls above the South African outback. She is seen wearing a helmet and clipped into a safety harness as she faces her fears in the ultimate test. Helen then bounces across the make shift bridge to collect stars for camp alongside fellow contestants Phil Tufnell and Fatima Whitbread. Speaking about the challenge, a source told The Sun: 'Helen has made no secret of the fact she is not good with heights and her fellow campmates had to really persuade her to give it a go.' Oh no! Helen Flanagan, 32, was seen suspended hundreds of feet in the air as she took on a terrifying Bushtucker Trial on I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! All Stars Scary: In scenes set to air on the upcoming series, the actress is forced to jump between huge inflatable balls above the South African outback The series will start on Monday 24 April and air for three weeks on weekdays, with the final week clashing with the Eurovision semi-finals on Tuesday May 9 and Thursday 11. Helen is not the only star set to take on a scary trial as Carol Vorderman was seen facing a bungy jump in the show's trailer. In clip, the presenter, 62, is seen clad in safety gear and standing on the edge of a plank and she prepares to jump. Before entering the jungle for the second time, Carol admitted that her worst challenge was 'walking the plank' during her stint in 2016, so it could prove very challenging. Carol and Helen will be joined by the late Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell, 64, Diversity dancer Jordan Banjo, 30, Happy Mondays star Shaun Ryder, 60 and Amir Khan, 36. Myleene Klass is rumoured to also be appearing in the show, which was filmed last year, as one of the late arrivals. It comes after Helen admitted that she'd 'rather give birth' than to relive one of the bushtucker trials from her recent I'm A Celebrity stint. The former Coronation Street star, who originally entered the Australian jungle in 2012, admitted it's 'hell in there' and 'really hard' on Friday's Loose Women. Detailing her jungle experience, she told the panel: 'You have to be a certain kind of person, it is hell in there, it's horrendous.' Preparing: She is seen wearing a helmet and clipped into a safety harness as she faces her fears in the ultimate test Terrifying: Helen then bounces across the make shift bridge to collect stars for camp alongside fellow contestants Phil Tufnell (pictured) and Fatima Whitbread Brave: Paul looked scared as he braced himself for the task Trial: The series will start on Monday 24 April and air for three weeks on weekdays (Paul pictured) Opening up about the trials and the conditions of the camp, she went on: 'The trials are very, very difficult. You feel dirty, you can't have a shower. 'I feel as well that sometimes it's intense being filmed 24/7. 'I did one trial and I did think, "I'd rather give birth right now!" I'm naturally a wimp, I'm scared of heights, spiders, snakes.' The actress' time in the jungle meant that she was away from her three children whom she shares with ex-fiance Scott Sinclair, but credits him and their mothers for taking care of the kids. I'm A Celebrity starts on Monday on ITV at 9pm. Emily Ratajkowski was spotted out and about with her son, Sylvester, in New York City on Saturday. The 31-year-old model put on a casual display in an oversized baby blue button-up thrown over a gray camisole and khaki pants as she stepped out with her two-year-old son in the busy city. The Gone Girl actress sported a pair of oval-shaped sunglasses to shield her eyes from the sun and a minimal makeup look to showcase her natural beauty. As she walked, the brunette beauty pushed Sylvester who she shares with her ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in a tricycle stroller. Recently, the My Body author broke her silence over the viral images of her sharing a kiss with Harry Styles just six months after her gal pal Olivia Wilde had broken up with him. Mother-son duo: Emily Ratajkowski, 31, was spotted out and about with her two-year-old son, Sylvester, in New York City on Saturday For the casual outing, the High Low with EmRata podcast host carried a simple black shoulder purse with a chunky gold chain for a strap. She accessorized with a pair of classic, chunky gold hoop earrings. Ratajkowski kept her brunette tresses in a straight and casual hairstyle with her curtain bangs framing her facial features. She appeared to be sporting light makeup to show off her radiant skin and only donned a simple nude lipstick. Her son was also dressed casually in a button-up with color blocking stripes as well as a pair of denim jeans and checkered sneakers. Just earlier, she opened up about breaking girl code by hooking up with her friend's ex-boyfriend to Vogue Spain. 'I didn't expect this to happen,' she said about being spotted making out with Harry Styles in Tokyo last month. 'But I think, in general, there's a reason certain celebrities live in LA, hire security, don't go to public restaurants.' 'The interest there is in that particular area is very strange. Not that I'm surprised, but it's a tiny slice of my life,' she said about her dating life. Casual outing: The model put on a casual display in an oversized baby blue button-up thrown over a gray camisole and khaki pants as she stepped out with her son in the busy city Sly's parents: Ratajkowski shares her son Sylvester with her ex-husband film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard; the exes seen in 2020 She also alluded to her strained friendship with Wilde now when simply stating 'that's how it is' and it's 'just an unfortunate issue.' Ratajkowski had also said that she felt 'bad for Olivia [Wilde]' for also experiencing 'slut shaming'. Now, she told the publication that her 'life is focused' on her son and her work. 'But I guess these issues don't inspire the same flashy headlines,' she said. 'The invasion of private aspects is very hard for me.' Noel Gallagher cheered on Manchester City as he watched his home team beat Sheffield United at Wembley in Saturday's 3-0 knockout victory. The Oasis star, 55, was elated with the result as he was seen grinning from ear-to-ear while looking on from the stands. Donning a signature khaki jacket with a grey hoody layered underneath, Noel completed his casual look with a pair of jeans. During one tense moment during the match, the Northern musician was pictured holding his face in his hands. Noel had a lot to celebrate as Manchester City became the first team in 57 years to reach an FA Cup final without conceding. Beaming: Noel Gallagher, 55, cheered on Manchester City as he watched his home team beat Sheffield United at Wembley in Saturday's 3-0 knockout victory Invested: Donning a signature khaki jacket with a grey hoody layered underneath, Noel completed his casual look with a pair of jeans Well done: Noel had a lot to celebrate as Manchester City became the first team in 57 years to reach an FA Cup final without conceding It comes after Noel cracked a cheeky joke about the type of women he wants to meet on tour during an appearance on Radio 2 on Thursday. The Oasis star announced he had split from his wife Sara MacDonald in January after 12 years of marriage. And this week, newly-single Noel made a lighthearted quip about meeting 'perky nannas' on tour while co-hosting The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. He appeared on the radio show to unveil his new single Council Skies when host Zoe Ball presented him with his favourite Australian sweet, a Perky Nana. But Zoe, 52, admitted she was confused about how to pronounce the name of the banana-flavoured chewy treat, saying: 'I thought this was called a perky nanna.' According to The Sun, Noel comedically replied: 'A perky nanna? I'm hoping to meet a few of those on tour if I'm being honest.' Noel is gearing up to release his new album Council Skies on June 2 and revealed he has already sent the music to his beloved mother Peggy for her seal of approval. He shared: 'People are saying it's my best record. Well, my mum is. Can we put that on the ad?' All smiles: The Oasis star was elated with the result as he was seen grinning from ear-to-ear while looking on from the stands Watching on: During one tense moment during the match, the Northern musician was pictured holding his face in his hands Result: Noel had a lot to celebrate as Manchester City became the first team in 57 years to reach an FA Cup final without conceding His new single Dead To The World reportedly alludes to his split from his ex-wife Sara with emotional lyrics about 'letting go' and love 'not being enough'. Noel and Sara's split was revealed back in mid January and he is said to have moved out of their 8million South Downs mansion in Hampshire. The exes are parents to two sons, Donovan, 15, and Sonny, 12. He is also a father to his daughter Anais, 22, from his previous relationship with ex-wife Meg Mathews. It has prompted fans to wonder if the Oasis brothers will heal their feud and reform after Liam previously claimed Sara was the one stopping them reunite. Soap opera legend, Eric Braeden, shared a health update in a Facebook video uploaded on Friday where he revealed that he has been diagnosed with cancer. The Young And The Restless actor, 82, said in the 13-minute clip that he is currently undergoing six weeks of a treatment known as immunotherapy in order to treat high-grade cancer cells near his bladder. He discovered he had cancer when he was recovering from knee surgery, and 'began to have problems with my prostate.' 'I hate to be this personal but I think this may be good for some older guys who may or may not listen to this,' the Titanic actor explained to his fans and followers. Eric, who was born in Germany, explained that he had been experiencing frequent urination, and had gotten to a point where it was occurring, 'every half hour.' Health update: Soap opera legend, Eric Braeden, 82, shared a health update in a Facebook video uploaded on Friday where he revealed that he has been diagnosed with cancer; seen in March in Los Angeles Opening up: During the 13-minute clip, the Titanic star stated that he is currently undergoing six weeks of a treatment known as immunotherapy in order to treat high-grade cancer cells near his bladder He paid a visit to a urologist who suggested that he have a procedure known as a UroLift, with the goal to relieve pressure on the urethra. However, in the meantime, Braeden revealed that the problem had 'became so bad I couldn't pee.' He then admitted, 'And that my friends, I can tell you, is one of the most painful experiences I've had.' With the issue still affecting his day-to-day life, the actor made the decision to stop by Cedars-Sinai Hospital which is located in Los Angeles, where he was able to speak to another urologist. After relieving the pressure on his bladder during the first visit, Eric returned a few days later, where the doctor had an examination which then revealed that he had cancer. 'Needless to say, I was taken aback, but I was determined to deal with it,' the star, who portrays Victor Newman on The Young And The Restless, stated. Eric recalled that he did have the UroLift procedure, with the doctor also removing the cancer during the surgery. A week later, he returned to the doctor's office where a biopsy report had come in, revealing that he had high-grade cancer cells near the bladder that still needed to be treated. Eric is known for appearing on the hit CBS soap opera called, The Young And The Restless, since 1980 and has starred in a whopping total of 43 seasons Diagnosis: After getting a second opinion from a doctor at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, an examination showed that Eric had cancer Eric was informed by the doctor that he would need to undergo a treatment known as immunotherapy once a week for the span of six weeks. According to the American Cancer Society, immunotherapy, 'is treatment that uses a person's own immune system to fight cancer,' and, 'can boost or change how the immune system works so it can find and attack cancer cells.' Braeden explained that he was told he would most likely experience weakness and also 'flu-like symptoms' after each round of treatment. 'I didn't have a really bad reaction the first day. It was okay,' he revealed, and stated that he had most recently gotten the second week of treatment done and reassured his fans that he was doing 'okay.' 'So that's where I am right now. I'm a little under the weather, but not really much,' he positively stated. The star added that he has been trying to keep up with a normal, daily routine and continuing to work out, but doesn't go 'all out.' 'I've learned now to listen to my body more and not go all out. I'm gonna get it. And I'll be in top form again soon.' While undergoing the immunotherapy treatments, Eric is still able to continue working on set, and became emotional while opening up about his passion for acting and embracing the support from his fans. 'I still am happy to be able to go work. It distracts me. I love acting. I love knowing that I entertain people,' Eric stated, and then emotionally paused while turning his head slightly away from the camera as he fought back tears. 'I love your support. It means a lot. So whenever you have someone in the family who goes through this, support them. It can work out,' he motivationally added. 'I also know someone close to me who has had cancer, with chemo, which is tougher, much tougher. They have survived it. So nowadays, there's so much advance in cancer treatment. You can survive it.' The Emmy winner took a moment to pause and before bidding his followers farewell, he blew a quick kiss towards the camera. Eric is known for appearing on the hit CBS soap opera called, The Young And The Restless, since 1980. Positive outlook: He stated, 'I've learned now to listen to my body more and not go all out. I'm gonna get it. And I'll be in top form again soon' Grateful: 'I love your support. It means a lot. So whenever you have someone in the family who goes through this, support them. It can work out,' he motivationally added; seen with co-stars Melody Thomas Scott and Amelia Heinle in The Young And The Restless Longtime: He has starred in a whopping total of 43 seasons and almost 4,000 episodes of The Young And The Restless; seen with co-star Raya Meddine Blockbuster: He has also taken on other roles throughout the course of his career, such as portraying John Jacob Astor in the Oscar-winning film, Titanic (pictured) Veteran: The star, who released a memoir back in 2017, has also played smaller roles in projects such as The Bold And The Beautiful, The Nanny, and also Murder, She Wrote; seen in 2012 He has starred in a whopping total of 43 seasons and almost 4,000 episodes. He has also taken on other roles throughout the course of his career, such as portraying John Jacob Astor in the Oscar-winning film, Titanic. The star, who released a memoir back in 2017, has also played smaller roles in projects such as The Bold And The Beautiful, The Nanny, and also Murder, She Wrote. Braeden tied the knot with his college sweetheart, Dale Russell Gudegast, in 1966, and the two share one son, filmmaker Christian Gudegast, 54. Lincoln Younes has sparked romance rumours with his Last King of The Cross co-star Courtney Clarke after they were spotted spending time together in Sydney. The former Home and Away star, 31, enjoyed lunch with Courtney, 24, in Double Bay last Sunday. Lincoln and Courtney were seen laughing and chatting as they joined a friend at the establishment. After enjoying their meal at the restaurant, the duo held hands as they walked along the path. Lincoln looked stylish in a white T-shirt, black jeans and a denim jacket as he walked alongside his co-star. Lincoln Younes, 31, (left) sparked romance rumours as he held hands with his Last King of The Cross co-star Courtney Clarke, 24, (right) after enjoying lunch together in Sydney last Sunday Meanwhile, Courtney flaunted her figure in tiny white shorts and a beige singlet for the outing. The actress completed her ensemble with a pair of sneakers and wrapped a green jacket around her waist. Lincoln and Courtney both star in the new Paramount+ biopic, Last King of The Cross. The 10-part series tells the story of brothers John and Sam Ibrahim, who are prominent figures in the Kings Cross nightclub district. Lincoln and Courtney were seen laughing and chatting as they joined a friend at the Double Bay establishment last week After enjoying their meal at the restaurant, the duo held hands as they walked along the path Lincoln looked stylish in a white T-shirt, black jeans and a denim jacket for the outing Lincoln plays the lead role of John Ibrahim in the series. In January, the actor, told Stellar magazine, he researched the nightclub owner and even visited his home to learn more about him before filming the series. 'I'm not doing an imitation of him,' he said of the biopic. Meanwhile, Courtney flaunted her figure in tiny white shorts and a beige singlet The actress completed her ensemble with a pair of sneakers and wrapped a green jacket around her waist 'There's an essence I wanted to capture, the loneliness of being an immigrant, of being successful, of paving a path that hadn't been done before,' he added. Lincoln explained he was invited to Ibrahim's home for research so he could properly embody the role. 'You can learn a lot about a person just by being in their space. He's charismatic, he's open, he respects that I know what I'm doing. And that's all I need,' he added. Lincoln and Courtney both star in the new Paramount+ biopic, Last King of The Cross The Melbourne International Comedy Festival shared a tribute to Barry Humphries following his death on Saturday. Humphries was instrumental in the establishment of the popular comedy festival, but fell out of favour with its owners several years ago after criticised transgenderism. 'We are saddened to hear of the passing of comic legend Barry Humphries,' the comedy festival wrote on Instagram, opting to turn off comments so that fans couldn't respond. 'Having started his career in Melbourne, Barry's early support, along with Peter Cook, helped kick off and raise the profile of the Festival nationally and internationally. With Festival founder John Pinder, Barry was part of a creative generation who celebrated and developed a global platform for Australian comedy.' 'He will be remembered by legions of fans around the world for his wit, inimitable characters and biting satire. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Vale Barry.' The Melbourne Comedy Festival has shared tribute to Barry Humphries after dumping award named after him from comedy festival over his 'transphobic comments' Back in 2019, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival dumped Humphries' name from an award following 'transphobic comments' he made the year prior. They'd had the Barry Award, awarded to the most outstanding show, since 2000 but renamed the gong the 'Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award'. It came after Humphries claimed being a 'transgender is a fashion' in 2018. 'How many different kinds of lavatory can you have? And it's pretty evil when it's preached to children by crazy teachers,' Humphries told The Spectator magazine. The comedy festival shared photos of Humphries to social media and wrote: 'We are saddened to hear of the passing of comic legend Barry Humphries' In 2016 Humphries, who is best known for his drag character Dame Edna Everage, referred to gender re-assignment surgery as 'self mutilation'. He also criticised Caitlyn Jenner as a 'publicity-seeking ratbag" for wanting to steal the limelight' from the other women in her family. Humphries died surrounded by his immediate family, including his wife of 30 years Lizzie Spender, his children Tessa, Emily, Oscar and Rupert, and 10 grandchildren. Humphries, who has lived in London for decades, came back to Sydney in December for Christmas. Humphries died aged 89 at St Vincents Hospital in Sydney where he was being treated for complications stemming from hip surgery earlier this year He subsequently suffered a fall that led to his hip replacement surgery. '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. Humphries spent more than 70 years on the stage and was 'an entertainer to his core' who loved his audiences and never took them for granted. But he was also a painter, author, poet and collector of art. '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,' his family said. 'The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on.' American actress Mischa Barton has revealed that she underwent a dramatic hair transformation before jetting off to Australia to film Amazon Freevee's revival of Neighbours. The O.C Star, 37, who was previously a brunette, debuted a head of bright blonde hair in an Instagram selfie on Thursday. 'What a crazy transformation. Australia here I come,' she captioned the post. The post featured two contrasting photos of the actress the first flaunting her brunette hair, and the second showcasing her freshly-dyed blonde locks. Fans of the star couldn't believe their eyes, flooding the comments with praise and admiration for Mischa's bold new look. Watch Mischa Barton in the iconic series, The O.C. available now only on Stan. American actress Mischa Barton, 37, has revealed that she underwent a dramatic hair transformation before jetting off to Australia to film Amazon Freevee's revival of Neighbours. On Thursday she posted Instagram photo of herself as a brunette (left) and an image of her newly-bleached locks (right) 'So pretty!' wrote actress Melinda Clarke, who also appeared on The O.C. 'Next stop Ramsay St, Melbourne!' wrote another. 'It looks amazing on you. Have fun in Australia,' commented a third. 'ICONIC AS ALWAYS iconic for Marissa and just being yourself!' commented another. 'What a crazy transformation. Australia here I come,' she captioned the post With her dramatic hair transformation turning heads, fans can't wait to see how her character will shake things up in the long-running series. 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. Mischa's role as Reece in the Amazon reboot will shake up Ramsay Street as her character's identity 'is not what it seems' '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. '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.' Barton began her career as a child actress in Hollywood films like The Sixth Sense and Notting Hill, which were both released in 1999. 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. (Barton pictured in 2003) 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. Carol Vorderman and Janice Dickinson will engage in an 'explosive bust-up' due to a 'personality clash' on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! All Stars, it has been reported. Viewers can look forward to dramatic and entertaining scenes between the TV presenter, 62, and former model, 68. The show was pre-recorded in South Africa's Kruger National Park last year, with the first episode due to air on Monday. And now hints of an on-going feud between Carol and Janice have been further fuelled by reports of a disagreement over the monarchy. Carol will allegedly defend the monarchy, while Janice is opposed to the institution. Feud: Carol Vorderman (pictured) and Janice Dickinson will reportedly engage in an 'explosive bust-up' on I'm A Celebrity... All Stars Row: Former supermodel Janice (pictured), 68, will disagree with Carol, 62, over the monarchy An insider told The Mirror: 'It was a really explosive bust-up... Janice was effing and blinding. 'Janice can be quite abrasive and things got very heated. 'She said Carols views were old-fashioned and dated while Carol hit back that Janice was crass and obnoxious. She and Carol are both strong women with strong opinions. It was a personality clash that was bound to explode.' Other cast-mates such as Helen Flanagan and ex-royal butler Paul Burrell will leap to Carol's defence. ITV declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. It has already been revealed that Janice, who originally competed in 2007, was forced to leave the camp after a nasty fall when she fell over a cable in the camp in the dark. Speaking about her experience on the show, the supermodel said: 'there were 'ups and downs and lots of tears.' She explained: 'Everything went on our show, believe me. There were ups, there were downs. There was lots of laughter and lots of tears. It was a great soap opera.' Meanwhile Carol, though she said she had made firm friends with most of the cast in an interview with ITV's Lorraine last week, said 'we'll not talk about her so much' when quizzed about Janice. Ouch: Janice Dickinson has hinted that a nasty fall was the reason for her early I'm A Celebrity departure after she was taken to hospital Celebs: The All Stars season will see Shaun Ryder, Helen Flanagan, Phil Tufnell, Jordan Banjo, Carol Vorderman, Paul Burrell, Amir Khan, Janice Dickinson and Fatima Whitbread return to The Jungle on April 24 Carol has been seen facing a bungy jump in the show's trailer. In the clip, the presenter was clad in safety gear and standing on the edge of a plank and she prepares to jump. Before entering the jungle for the second time, Carol admitted that her worst challenge was 'walking the plank' during her stint in 2016, so it could prove very challenging. Carol and Janice will be joined by the late Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell, 64, Diversity dancer Jordan Banjo, 30, Helen Flanagan, 32, Happy Mondays star Shaun Ryder, 60 and Amir Khan, 36. Myleene Klass is rumoured to also be appearing in the show, which was filmed last year, as one of the late arrivals. The series will start on Monday 24 April and air for three weeks on weekdays, with the final week clashing with the Eurovision semi-finals on Tuesday May 9 and Thursday 11. The 'All Stars' line up, hosted by Ant and Dec, will see previous contestants compete to become the first legend. In other sneak peaks of the upcoming series, Helen Flanagan was seen suspended hundreds of feet in the air as she took on a terrifying bushtucker trial. Oh no! Helen Flanagan, 32, was seen suspended hundreds of feet in the air as she took on a terrifying Bushtucker Trial on I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! All Stars In scenes set to air on the upcoming series, the actress, 32, is forced to jump between huge inflatable balls above the South African outback. She is seen wearing a helmet and clipped into a safety harness as she faces her fears in the ultimate test. Helen then bounces across the make shift bridge to collect stars for camp alongside fellow contestants Phil Tufnell and Fatima Whitbread. Speaking about the challenge, a source told The Sun: 'Helen has made no secret of the fact she is not good with heights and her fellow campmates had to really persuade her to give it a go.' I'm A Celebrity starts on Monday on ITV at 9pm. Bob Irwin has reminisced about his late son Steve Irwin's love for crocodiles. In the early days of their conservation work, the father and son duo were granted permission to trap and relocate crocs to their Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, which eventually became Australia Zoo. 'Steve fell in love with them the same as I did because they're the closest animals to the dinosaurs they haven't changed much,' Bob told news.com.au this weekend. 'Not only was it was it exciting, but it was quite a pleasure to be out there in the river trying to trap these animals that were very smart in the way they survive in the wild.' Bob went on to say that Steve had a natural knack for catching the fearsome reptiles without doing them harm. Bob Irwin has reminisced about his late son Steve Irwin's love for crocodiles. Pictured together In the early days of their conservation work, the father and son duo were granted permission to trap and relocate crocs to their Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, which eventually became Australia Zoo 'Steve was really, really good at it. On lots of occasions, I'd leave him in a river system on his own to set the traps and catch some crocodiles' he said. 'We improved our method as we went along. We got better and better... we wanted to make our method as humane as we could for the crocodile.' Steve, known to millions around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter', died on September 4, 2006, at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef. In recent years, Bob's relationship with Australia Zoo and his grandchildren, Robert and Bindi Irwin, has become strained. Last year, it was said that Bob was upset he had not yet met his great-granddaughter, who is the first child of his estranged granddaughter Bindi. 'Steve fell in love with them the same as I did because they're the closest animals to the dinosaurs they haven't changed much,' Bob told news.com.au this weekend In recent years, Bob's relationship with Australia Zoo and his grandchildren, Robert and Bindi Irwin, has become strained. Last year, it was said that Bob was upset he had not yet met his great-granddaughter, who is the first child of his estranged granddaughter. Bindi is pictured with her husband Chandler Powell and daughter Grace Bindi, 24, welcomed her daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell in March 2021, and she has not yet met her 84-year-old grandad, Woman's Day claimed in a report. 'He still talks about Steve (Irwin) and the kids, but it's with sadness. I'm sure he's devastated not to know his great-grandchild,' an alleged insider told the magazine. The report goes on to claim that all photos of Bob have been stripped from the Irwin family home at Australia Zoo. There's 'hardly any proof Bob ever existed' the insider alleges. There are pictures of Lyn, Steve and the kids everywhere, but you'd be hard pressed to find anything about Bob'. It comes after an Irwin family friend has said Bob Snr is 'deeply upset' by Bindi's claims he's 'ignored' her since she was a child - leading those close to him to fear the rift may have tragic consequences. Amanda French, who co-authored Bob's 2016 autobiography The Last Crocodile Hunter, said that family members have tried to shield Bob from 'the full extent' of what Bindi has said about him. Roberta Williams and her daughter Dhakota Williams are heading for the stage. The duo have announced a live show where they will delve into their life with infamous underworld figure Carl Williams - Robert's late husband and Dhakota's father. The show, titled My Life Our Life, is described on the Eventbrite website as 'Roberta and Dhakota Williams talking about Life Before Carl, with Carl, and Now.' In a post to Instagram Stories this weekend, Roberta gave her fans details of when they can catch the act. 'It is now confirmed our first live show will be in Melbourne on Saturday 27th May. Ticket purchase link is in my bio,' she wrote. Roberta Williams and her daughter Dhakota Williams are heading for the stage. The duo have announced a live show where they will delve into their life with infamous underworld figure Carl Williams - Robert's late husband and Dhakota's father. Pictured together Dhakota was nine-years-old when her father, drug kingpin Carl, was bludgeoned to death at Barwon Prison by fellow inmate Matthew Charles Johnson in 2010 The hitman, whose life was made famous by TV series Underbelly, had been jailed for 35 years in 2007 for ordering the murders of three rivals, and more time for conspiring to kill a fourth. Pictured with Roberta and Dhakota 'Limited seats. Seating will go in order of purchase, so get in early so you get the best seats. We look forward to seeing you there.' Dhakota was nine-years-old when her father, drug kingpin Carl, was bludgeoned to death at Barwon Prison by fellow inmate Matthew Charles Johnson in 2010. The hitman, whose life was made famous by the TV series Underbelly, had been jailed for 35 years in 2007 for ordering the murders of three rivals, and more time for conspiring to kill a fourth. Carl wrote several long letters to his wife and others from jail in the months before he was murdered, that have since been made into the book Life Sentence. The couple married in 2001 and were still husband and wife at the time of his death. The show, titled My Life Our Life, is described on the Eventbrite website as 'Roberta and Dhakota Williams talking about Life Before Carl, with Carl, and Now.' In a post to Instagram Stories this weekend, Roberta gave her fans details of when they can catch the act Carl wrote several long letters to his wife and others from jail in the months before he was murdered, that have since been made into the book Life Sentence. The couple married in 2001 Gangland widow Roberta recently said she and her daughter signed up for OnlyFans because their reputation 'makes it hard for them to get normal jobs'. 'I can't get a normal job like anyone else,' Roberta, 53, told The Daily Telegraph. 'My dream job would be to work as an air hostess, but I could never do that given my history. So I have no choice but to take matters into my own hands.' 'Other people have profited off of my image, so why should I not be in control so that I can earn enough money to buy a forever home for my children? [That] is my main game here,' she added. The show will debut in Melbourne on Saturday the 27th of May. Carl is pictured with his daughter Dhakota as a child Gangland widow Roberta recently said she and her daughter signed up for OnlyFans because their reputation 'makes it hard for them to get normal jobs' Dhakota said she had been 'thinking about joining [OnlyFans] for a long time' and 'put a lot of thought into it' before taking the plunge. 'Mum gave me the courage to do it,' she continued. 'There is no shame in owning your femininity. I am proud of who I am and where I come from. It doesn't hurt to show off your body. And importantly, I am in control over what I share.' Roberta is charging $30 a month on OnlyFans, which is about double the rate of most Married At First Sight stars, while Dhakota is charging even more. Rylan Clark has credited Eurovision for helping him get over his divorce. The 34-year-old presenter had to pull out of covering the annual competition for the BBC in 2021 because he was so devastated by his split from Dan Neal. Rylan suffered a mental health breakdown following his marital split that year from now ex-husband Dan, who he was with for five years. Following the breakdown of his marriage the telly favourite took five months away from the spotlight due to his deteriorating health. But he said flying out to Italy for last year's musical extravaganza was exactly what he needed to feel back to himself again. Healing: Rylan Clark, 34, has credited his role in Eurovision with helping him get over his divorce Split: The TV presenter and Dan Neal got divorced in 2021, which caused Rylan to have a mental health breakdown He told the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: 'Last year I needed to get away from the UK and the Eurovision bubble was perfect for that. 'It was what I needed on a personal level. Being there was a full circle moment for me. It was like, 'I'm back, I'm ready to go'. 'That's why Eurovision is so important to me. If you cut me open, it's there.' But while Rylan enjoyed flirting with the locals in Italy, he has vowed to behave himself this year. He said he won't be able to go 'sl**ing about' because there's more chance of him being recognised in Liverpool, where Eurovision will take place next month. The 'Supermarket Sweep' presenter understands why so many people are passionate about Eurovision because of the way it draws people together for a few hours of 'escapism'. In January Rylan revealed that he was finally 'feeling brilliant' again after his marital split and is now ready to find 'the one'. The presenter said that he's 'feeling really good' after leaving the situation that 'wasn't right' in the past, stating: 'The clouds parted when I realised I hadn't lost what I thought I had'. Here we go! Rylan and Scott Mills were announced as Radio 2's hosts for Eurovision Song Contest final on Wednesday morning - while Paddy O'Connell will host semi-finals Busy: Rylan will be providing TV commentary for the Semi Finals and hosting on BBC Two for the final Happy: The presenter, 34, said that he's 'feeling really good' and leaving the situation that 'wasn't right' in the past, stating: 'The clouds parted when I realised I hadn't lost what I thought I had' He said: 'I am now brilliant. I'm really good. The clouds started to part when I realised that I hadn't lost something I thought I had. 'I turned a situation that I thought was awful into an opportunity. I was 34 and I realised that when something is not right, it's not right. It wasn't right. 'That was when things started to change. Majorly over the past year I have tried to merge my work and professional life and personal life more.' Speaking further about his hopes for his romantic future he said: 'I'd like to be with someone. I would like to share, I am quite a sharer. 'I like giving and looking after people. For the past year and a half I have not been doing that and for the first time I had to be on his own. 'I'm 34 and I'd never lived on my own in my life.' Rylan will commentate at the semi-finals for BBC One, which will broadcast on 9 and 11 May. On Wednesday morning Rylan and Scott Mills were also announced as Radio 2's hosts for Eurovision Song Contest final - in a busy week for the two presenters. The UK is hosting the 2023 event on behalf of the 2022 winners, Ukraine and the final will be on May 13. Mae Muller is the UK's entry. Rylan said: 'Eurovision is my favourite time of the year, I cannot wait! And I'm so excited and absolutely buzzing to be hosting the Eurovision Grand Final on Radio 2, the biggest and best music event in the world, with my partner-in-crime Scott Mills. 'We can't wait to bring listeners closer to the action than ever before, with all the fun, excitement and backstage gossip from what promises to be an unforgettable night.' Last Wednesday Rylan shared a statement on Instagram revealing he was leaving Strictly It Takes Two, which he co-hosted with Janette Manrara. Steve Vizard has paid tribute to his friend Barry Humphries after the legendary comedian's death at age 89. Appearing on The Sunday Project, the Full Frontal star said that there will never be another performer like Humphries. 'To answer your question, will we ever see anyone like him again? Seven decades of provoking and needling and skewing and puncturing pomposity? No, we won't,' the 67-year-old said. 'Barry was a one-off. He started, as we all know, in the 1940s, the 1950s. He invented Edna Everage and this huge number of characters,' he went on. 'And they were all sharp, they were all relevant to the time. Then he kept going. The '60s, the '70s. 'He modified [his characters] Sir Les Patterson, Barry McKenzie. Edna moved into a damehood. So he went for seven decades'. Steve Vizard (pictured) has paid tribute to his friend Barry Humphries after the legendary comedian's death at age 89. Appearing on The Sunday Project, the Full Frontal star said that there will never be another performer like Humphries 'To answer your question, will we ever see anyone like him again? Seven decades of provoking and needling and skewing and puncturing pomposity? No, we won't,' the 67-year-old said. 'Barry was a one-off' Humphries is pictured Steve classified Humphries as an 'artist' who always intended to provoke audiences and critique Australian culture. 'He saw his role as a Dadaist artist, an artist who kind of wants to provoke, create mayhem, become a trickster. Create chaos. He saw that as his role from the outset,' Steve explained. Humphries, who died at 89 on Saturday from complications following hip surgery, kept an eclectic circle of friends from Peter Cook, Salvador Dali and The Beatles. Steve classified Humphries as an 'artist' who always intended to provoke audiences and critique Australian culture The comedian passed away at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital surrounded by his immediate family, including his wife of 30 years Lizzie Spender. For weeks the comic had brushed aside concerns about the seriousness of his condition, but on Saturday before midday a spokesperson confirmed he had died. Humphries tripped on a rug while reaching for a book in February and underwent surgery at St Vincent's where he was readmitted this week. '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. Dame Edna Everage remains Humphries' most identifiable invention, who became internationally recognisable over the decades. The beloved character began life as a Melbourne housewife in the 1950s and was known for lilac permed hair, outlandish cat-eye glasses and garish gowns. John Travolta's iconic white suit he wore in hit film Saturday Night Fever has sold at auction for a massive $260,000 (209,000). The actor, 69, famously wore the three piece suit with flared trousers as he took to the dance floor in the classic 1977 movie. His character, Tony Manero, teamed up with Stephanie Mangano to dance to the Bee Gees' 'More Than a Woman' for a disco dance competition. Contrary to popular belief, the actor was not wearing the suit when he broke out into his now legendary solo dance to 'Night Fever' in the same film. He wore it though for most of the promotional images for the movie, including posters and the cover of the video and the soundtrack LP. 'It is one of only two known to exist that was used during production': John Travolta's iconic white suit he wore in hit film Saturday Night Fever has sold on Sunday for a massive $260,000 The actor, 69, famously wore the three piece suit with flared trousers as he took to the dance floor in the classic 1977 movie playing character, Tony Manero Both the suit and his dance moves have been replicated by millions of people around the world over the past 46 years at everything from fancy dress parties to nightclub theme nights. The suit that has now sold was one of three bought from the men's fashion store, Leading Male, in Brooklyn, New York, by the film's costume director. Two of them were worn on set by Travolta and both had the store's label embroidered on the inside of the jacket removed so it wouldn't be seen on screen. The third suit was used for the promotional photography. The suit was given as a birthday present by Don Williams, the then president of Paramount Pictures, to close friend Brian Wasserman in 1981. Mr Wasserman sold it to American lawyer Brad Teplitsky last year and he arranged to visit Travolta who confirmed it was the same one he wore 45 years before. It was sold by Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles. It had been given a pre-sale estimate of $186,000 but ended up selling for way over that amount. A spokesman for Julien's said: 'This suit is considered to be one of the most iconic costumes in cinema history. Iconic: John was not wearing the suit when he broke out into his now legendary solo dance to 'Night Fever' but he did wear it for most of the promotional images for the movie Amazing: It was sold by Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles. It had been given a pre-sale estimate of 150,000 but ended up selling for way over that amount 'It is one of only two known to exist that was used during production. It has never been exhibited or sold at auction before. 'It has become emblematic of not only the film but of the whole disco era.' The single-breasted suit jacket, waistcoat and trousers are made from 100 per cent polyester. In keeping with the fashion at the time, it has exaggerated jacket lapels and flared trousers. In the film when Tony takes a subway ride he flips up the lapels and collar. Former Britain's Got Talent star Hollie Steel has revealed she has had therapy and carries a lot of 'trauma' with her since appearing on the show 14 years ago when she was aged just 10. The performer, now 24, said one moment in particular still haunts her from her time in the competition. She claims was given no support after having a panic attack on the show during a performance of Edelweiss during the semi-finals. Hollie went on to reach the finals but in the end lost out on the winning spot to dance group, Diversity. But after the incident in the semi finals she worried she had ruined her chances and began crying on stage. Tough: Former Britain's Got Talent star Hollie Steel has revealed she has had therapy and carries a lot of 'trauma' with her since appearing on the show 14 years ago when she was aged just 10 Difficult: The performer, now 24, said one moment in particular still haunts her from her time in the competition. Despite the difficult moment she was put through to the finals after judge Simon Cowell allow her to start again. He later called her the 'bravest girl in the world'. She has now told The Sun of the moment: 'I know I have a lot of trauma, even from 14 years ago. When I get on stage, sometimes I go back to that moment when I'm on TV and I'm about to have a panic attack. 'I've done a lot of therapy and counselling where I'm just like, 'You need to breathe, you need to relax. You're enjoying this. You're fine'. 'I really had to delve deep to accept the panic attacks for what they are and just keep going through it all.' ITV has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. Hollie's experience on the show sparked a national debate over whether children should be allowed to audition for talent shows. Now 24, Hollie has gone to release three albums and starred in West End shows like Grease, where she appeared as pink-haired character Frenchy. Back in 2009 the judges voted the little girl through, praising her courage after she returned to the stage for a second performance. Tears: She claims was given no support after having a panic attack on the show during a performance of Edelweiss during the semi-finals Opinions: Hollie's experience on the show sparked a national debate over whether children should be allowed to audition for talent shows She had initially fled the stage in a flood of tears during her performance of Edelweiss after nerves got the better of her. Amanda Holden said at the time when deciding whether to send her or Welsh waiter Greg Pritchard through to the final: 'It wasn't just that she came back on stage, it was that her performance was better.' Cowell made the vote unanimous to send the schoolgirl through to the final. Earlier in the show, the little girl broke down halfway through her song and was visibly shaking. She fled from the stage to her mother, who was sat near the judges. Sobbing Hollie begged the judges to allow her to start again, and made her way back on stage with her mother. Producers initially refused to let her sing again because of time constraints, prompting the child to break down again. Simon intervened: 'I don't care how we do it but we will find the timesomewhere (on the show) to let you audition again.' Later Ant confirmed she would be singing again, to cheers from the audience. For her second performance later in the show, the composed little girl made it through to the end of the song without faltering, finishing on a remarkably high note. The ten-year-old grew tearful again after her performance, but was given encouraging comments by the judges. Ant said: 'That was worth waiting for, for that note at the end.' Simon said: 'Hollie you are officially now the bravest girl in the world. Good for you. It's not easy. You're ten, on the stage on your own. Sweet: Back in 2009 the judges voted the little girl through, praising her courage after she returned to the stage for a second performance 'Not only did you sing it well the second time, you performed it and you nailed the last note.' Piers said: 'You can smile now. It's all over. That was one of the gutsiest things I've ever seen in my life. I couldn't have done that. You should be very proud of yourself. 'I will be amazed if you're not in the final. Amanda said: 'Hollie I knew you could do it. You're such a little professional. 'The most beautiful, innocent pure voice.' Derren Brown latest one-man show, Showman, will have its television premiere on Channel 4, after earning rave reviews from critics and audiences. Known for stunning fans with his illusions, Derren, 52, earned the 'best responses of his career' when he took the show to theatres around the UK last year. He said: 'Channel 4 have consistently allowed me the creative freedom to push boundaries and innovate as far as possible, so it's a real joy to bring what I feel is my best show to date to Channel 4 audiences. The show centres on themes of how life's difficulties bring us together, and living life attentively. Ahead of the premiere MailOnline takes a look at the world famous illusionist.... Exciting: Derren Brown latest one-man show, Showman, will have its television premiere on Channel 4, after earning rave reviews from critics and audiences Ahead of the show MailOnline takes a look at the world famous illusionist.... Who is Derren Brown? Derren is a mentallist, illusionist and hypnotist who first found fame in 2002 with his TV debut Derren Brown: Mind Control. Born in 1971 and an only child until the age of nine, Brown grew up in south London and attended the fee-paying Whitgift School in Croydon. Since his first show he has gone on to film 14 specials for Channel 4 as well as numerous series and headline world wide tours. During his performances he often reads minds or controls people after putting them into a catatonic state. Over the past two decades he has hypnotised people to rob a security van and to assassinate Stephen Fry and made front page news for predicting the National Lottery results in 2009. One of his most controversial shows was 2003's Russian Roulette where he and members of the public played the dangerous game with a loaded handgun live on air. What qualifications does Derren Brown have as a mentalist? Showman:Derren is a mentallist, illusionist and hypnotist who first found fame in 2002 with his TV debut Derren Brown: Mind Control Shock horror: One of his most controversial shows was 2003's Russian Roulette where he and members of the public played the dangerous game with a loaded handgun live on air Derren told New Scientist in 2015 that he acquired his 'psychological skills' after working as a hypnotist. He doesn't claim to possess any supernatural powers and his acts are often designed to expose underhand methods used by faith healers and mediums. The star is believed to achieve his illusions via traditional magic/conjuring techniques, body language reading and cognitive psychology, cold reading. Derren also told the publication back in 2015 that when it comes to hypnotism, he could often spot a suggestible type of person and chooses that person to be his participant. Also believing that the presence of a television camera also increases suggestibility. Derren Brown: Showman is on Channel 4 Sunday April 23 at 9pm Castaway viewers praised the 'utterly brilliant' and 'brave' Ruby Wax following the first episode of her new show on Sunday. The Channel 5 series sees the 70-year-old comedian stranded and living alone for ten days on a desert island in the depths of Madagascar. Before heading off to the tropical location viewers saw Ruby meeting pal Joanna Lumley, 76, who offered advice after she made a similar show in 1994 - famously turning her bra into shoes to cope with the island's treacherous terrain. After reaching her new home Ruby left viewers 'in awe' as she wielded a machete to cut down trees to build herself a shelter. The actress, who has been open about her mental health battle, emotionally confessed to the camera she was 'out of her depth' before declaring in later scenes 'mental health people are survivors because we know what it's like to be alone'. Stranded: Ruby Wax: Castaway viewers praised the 'utterly brilliant' and 'brave' star following the first episode on Sunday Hard work: The Channel 5 show sees the 70-year-old comedian stranded and living alone for ten days on a desert island in the depths of Madagascar Racing to Twitter one fan gushed: 'Castaway with Ruby, what a champion to never giving up and showing strength not resilience. Helping others as she helps herself'. And: 'Im in awe of you! Not only an advocacy for womens mental health but wow that is one hell of an adventure xx'. With a third writing: 'Just watched @Rubywax #castaway wow I dont even know what to say.thank you for your honesty, braveness (is that even a proper word) Im in awe'. A fourth agreed: 'Watching #castaway WOW what an amazing woman! Im in such awe and admiration!!'. While others declared her 'utterly brilliant' and 'amazing'. Comedian Emma Kennedy said: '10 seconds in and Ruby Wax Castaway is already incredible'. And another viewer praised the show's concept writing: 'We are losing our natural senses of living in the world we live in, it's a shame we are losing touch with nature, and we wonder why mental health issues are increasing'. Back in January Ruby sparked concern amongst fans after sharing a video from her hospital bed as she trained for life on the island. A little help: Before heading off to the tropical location viewers saw Ruby (right) meeting pal Joanna Lumley (left) 76, who offered advice after she made a similar show in 1994 Wow: After reaching her new home Ruby left viewers 'in awe' as she wielded a machete to cut down trees to build herself a shelter Incredible: The actress, who has been open about her mental health battle, emotionally confessed the camera she was 'out of her depth' Throwback: During her own time on a desert island Joanna famous famously wore her bra as shoes to cope with the island's difficult terrain (pictured in 1994) The trip has appeared to take a turn as she ended up showing footage of herself in hospital instead of exploring island life. Speaking directly to fans in the video, Ruby said: 'Hi my name is Ruby Wax and this is the cover of my new book. 'I think it says it all. No comment from me. It's coming out May 11 and you can preorder it by the link on my bio. It's my new baby.' She captioned the post: I'm thrilled to share with you all the cover of my new book, 'I'm Not As Well As I Thought I Was' - which I think says it all. 'This could be my most honest and raw book to date which feels good, but also a little scary. Inspiring: She later declared 'mental health people are survivors because we know what it's like to be alone'. In awe: Racing to Twitter one fan gushed: 'Castaway with Ruby, what a champion to never giving up and showing strength not resilience. Helping others as she helps herself' 'I do hope it might provide some reassurance and guidance for anyone else struggling with their own mental health. It's coming out May 11th and you can pre-order it now via the link in my bio. Ruby x'. Amongst several hashtags in the post, Ruby wrote: '#DepressionSupport', '#DepressionRecovery' and #PsychiatricHospital. Fans were quick to send Ruby their well wishes with many concerned at seeing her in hospital with a monitor attached to her heart. Concern: Back in January Ruby sparked concern amongst fans after sharing a video from her hospital bed as she trained for life on the island One wrote: 'Wtf. hope u ok In hospital bed Ruby ..... cyber hug of soothing vibes coming your way.' Another added: 'Can't wait to read it.... But are you ok Hun?As we can see you are in hospital.... X' A third said: ' I hope you're going to be OK my ex wife has been in hospital for nearly two weeks now.' Last year, Ruby bared her soul by admitting to fans she is suffering from her first big bout of depression in 12 years, and saying she has 'dead eyes'. The comedian, 69, who has battled with her mental health over the years and quit TV 25 years ago as a result of depression, admitted she is 'frazzled' and 'didn't spot the signs' as she told fans that battle with the illness that made thoughts 'so agonising it's hard to stay alive.' Ruby Wax: Castaway continues on Channel 5 Sunday April 30 Matthew Perry says that nasty remarks he made about Keanu Reeves in his memoir released last autumn, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing will be omitted from future copies. The 53-year-old Friends actor raised eyebrows last year and issued an apology after he asked why Reeves 'still walks among us' when peers such as River Phoenix and Chris Farley had died prematurely. The Williamstown, Massachusetts native appeared Saturday at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USCs Bovard Auditorium, where he said on a panel that 'any future versions of the book will not have his name in it.' Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC smash hit, lamented on the mistake at the event, where he promoted the book. 'I said a stupid thing ... it was a mean thing to do, Perry said, adding that he has 'apologized publicly to' the John Wick actor. The latest: Matthew Perry, 53, says that nasty remarks he made about Keanu Reeves in his memoir released last autumn, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing will be omitted from future copies. Pictured at the LA Times Festival of Books at USC Perry said that he made the decision to omit the comments about Reeves, in part, because the actor is a neighbor of his. 'I pulled his name because I live on the same street,' Perry said, adding he has not personally told Reeves he is sorry for the comments, but would if he has the opportunity to. 'If I run into the guy, I'll apologize - It was just stupid,' he said. In the book released this past November, Perry referenced Reeves when speaking about the October 31, 1993 death of Phoenix, who Reeves appeared opposite in 1991's My Own Private Idaho. Perry wrote: 'River was a beautiful man inside and out - too beautiful for this world, it turned out. 'It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down. Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?' Perry referred to Reeves a second time when reflecting on Chris Farley's fatal overdose in December of 1997. He said: 'I punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston's dressing room wall when I found out. Keanu Reeves walks among us. Perry raised eyebrows last year and issued an apology after he asked why Reeves 'still walks among us' when peers such as River Phoenix and Chris Farley had died prematurely. Reeves was pictured earlier this month in LA The Williamstown, Massachusetts native appeared Saturday at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USCs Bovard Auditorium, where he said on a panel that 'any future versions of the book will not have his name in it' Amid a backlash, Perry issued an apology about the references to Reeves in his book. He said in a statement: 'I'm actually a big fan of Keanu. I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead.' A source close to Reeves told Us Weekly that the A-lister 'thought the comments came out of left field,' adding, 'It's kind of backfired on Matthew anyway, which is why he had to apologize.' Although Reeves has called Phoenix one of his 'closet friends of that era,' according to the Irish Times, Perry also had a strong connection with the rising star after the future TV mainstay made his feature film debut opposite him in 1988's A Night In The Life Of Jimmy Reardon. In his memoir, Perry describes how their time filming the movie in Chicago helped establish a strong bond, while also tagging another presumed jab at Reeves. 'River was a beautiful man inside and out and too beautiful for this world, it turned out. It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down,' he writes. Phoenix famously died of a combined drug overdose from heroin and cocaine outside the Viper Room in West Hollywood, and Perry writes that he 'heard the screaming from my apartment; went back to bed; woke up to the news.' He added that he broke down in sobs after learning his friend had died. Perry's jabs and Reeves weren't limited to their mutual connection to Phoenix, though. Although Reeves has called Phoenix one of his 'closet friends of that era,' Perry also had a strong connection to him after he made his feature film debut opposite Phoenix in 1988's A Night In The Life Of Jimmy Reardon; Phoenix and Reeves in My Own Private Idaho He also blasted the John Wick star in another aside while discussing his late friend Chris Farley, who died in 1997 at age 33 of a drug overdose from combining a stimulant (cocaine) with a depressant (morphine), a similar concoction to the speedball that killed Phoenix. Perry and Farley had starred together in the critically reviled Christopher Guestdirected comedy Almost Heroes, which was released in the year following Farley's death. 'I punched a hole through Jennifer Anistons dressing room wall when I found out [about Farley's death],' he writes, adding, 'Keanu Reeves walks among us.' Aside from his grievances about other actors, Perry delved into his extensive history with drug addiction in his memoir and in recent interviews, which may have made the deaths of Phoenix, Ledger and Farley particularly painful. While speaking to People earlier this month, he revealed that his colon ruptured as a result of his opioid addiction when he was 49. Doctors gave him only a two percent chance of survival, and the medical emergency left him in a coma for two weeks, followed by months more in the hospital. He required 14 surgeries to help repair all of the abdominal damage, and he admitted to having gone to rehab 15 times over the years in hopes of kicking his drug addiction. Amid emergence of increasing Chinese footprint in the recovery of drones along the Indo-Pak frontier as also significant use of Chinese weapons by Pakistani terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, involvement of Beijing in the Islamabad-fuelled proxy war in India is expanding in a major way. From pumping up small arms and ammunition of such caliber into Jammu and Kashmir terror arc through the Pakistani government channels, China is now supplying sophisticated weapons including armour piercing rounds and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones with improved payloads that are being frequently used by the Pakistani ISI-military complex for gunrunning activities, illicit drugs trade and backing its terror cohorts along its frontiers with India. Preliminary probe findings suggest Chinese armoured piercing rounds were used in the attack on an army truck in Poonch leading to fatalities of five soldiers last week. Counter-terrorism experts and geopolitical analysts said the Pakistani politico-military combine has successfully convinced Beijing that the state-sponsored terror groups like the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Tayabba (LeT) are the best bet to secure the Chinese investments in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in Pakistan. They said that the time is ripe to break the China-Pakistan nexus to disrupt the possibility of further sophistication and scale of weapons supplies from Beijing to Islamabad like shoulder-fired Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs) which could adversely alter the security situation in the Jammu and Kashmir and potentially escalate the current adversarial relations of New Delhi with Islamabad into a full-fledged war. The Pakistani security establishment has acquired the capability of fooling the big powers like the United States and China for maintaining its nuisance value as well as extracting financial and defence technological hardware, they said, adding a whole of government approach led by the top political leadership is required to put across counter narratives to swing Beijing from such Pakistani machinations against India. The frequent deployment of Chinese drones by Pakistan has blunted Indias edge in deployment of surveillance equipment and sensors along the border for real-time detection of human movements. In addition, monitoring drone movement is a challenging task as India has a long border with Pakistan. From recovery of just five Chinese origin weapons in 2018 to 30 such equipment being recovered in 2022 is a clear pointer to the emerging trend in the Valley. Likewise, the number of drone detections have jumped from 103 in 2021 (after the Galwan attack) to 207 in 2022. The payload capacity of the drones have also improved from just five kg to 80 kg during the period. The discernible shift from supply of small arms like pistols and ammunition of Chinese origin to rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), launchers and AK series assault rifles of Chinese make post the June 2020 Galwan Valley attack is likely to further mature to provisions of SAMs and anti-armour equipment to target tanks and helicopters, posing a plausible threat of completely changing the terror dynamics in Jammu and Kashmir. Both Pakistan and China have been on record protesting the abrogation of Article 370 that altered the special status of the erstwhile State permanently. A variety of high-grade drone components as also other dual tech equipment are manufactured in units at CPEC for which the Chinese companies have trained thousands of local Pakistani people, especially from Quetta and Peshawar. This makes the supply and assembly of drones a handy tool for the Pakistani military to upgrade its terror tactic against India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. In what could further hit the fragile security situation in the region, emergence of an illicit drone market in Pakistan cannot be ruled out. Counter-terrorism and geopolitical analyst Dr Rituraj Mate said, Without losing further time, India should adopt an aggressive policy to reverse the Pakistani designs and convince the visiting Chinese ministers during the run up to the G-20 and SCO meeting here on the futility of such moves. New Delhi should shift from acting only after a full-blown crisis and take a concerted bid to remedy the situation and mitigate the threat from the covert Chinese supplies of arms and ammunition to Jammu and Kashmir via the Pakistani establishment. Emerging counter-terrorism expert from Jammu and Kashmir, Kishmish Sapru told The Pioneer, Chinese support to terrorism in India is multi-faceted from diplomatic, financial, logistical and moral support to material supplies. Apart from the covert supplies of arms, ammunition and drones, Beijing has also overtly blocked Indias bids several times to sanction Pakistani terror groups like JeM and LeT, and their leaders like Maulana Masood Azhar and Abdul Rahman Makki among others. Besides the Chinese equipment supplies and diplomatic support to Pakistan by blocking Indian efforts and practically backing Pak-sponsored terror groups and individual terrorists, Beijing has also been providing intelligence inputs and communication facilitation to aid the Pakistani proxy war in India. Containment measures should be initiated by New Delhi in right earnest, said another analyst Anjali Singh. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Deutsche Lufthansa (OTCMKTS:DLAKY Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports. DLAKY has been the topic of several other reports. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Deutsche Lufthansa in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. They issued an underweight rating on the stock. UBS Group raised shares of Deutsche Lufthansa from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Deutsche Lufthansa from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Deutsche Lufthansa in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. They set an overweight rating for the company. Finally, HSBC raised shares of Deutsche Lufthansa from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $7.80. Get Deutsche Lufthansa alerts: Deutsche Lufthansa Stock Performance OTCMKTS DLAKY opened at $10.66 on Wednesday. Deutsche Lufthansa has a twelve month low of $5.40 and a twelve month high of $11.67. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $9.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.89. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Deutsche Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa ( OTCMKTS:DLAKY Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Friday, March 3rd. The transportation company reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $9.06 billion for the quarter. Deutsche Lufthansa had a net margin of 2.19% and a return on equity of 9.46%. On average, research analysts forecast that Deutsche Lufthansa will post 1.43 EPS for the current fiscal year. An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Deutsche Lufthansa stock. Yousif Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Deutsche Lufthansa AG (OTCMKTS:DLAKY Get Rating) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 19,989 shares of the transportation companys stock, valued at approximately $115,000. Deutsche Lufthansa Company Profile (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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Lufthansa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Lufthansa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI Get Rating) (TSE:CNR) Raymond James increased their Q1 2023 EPS estimates for Canadian National Railway in a research note issued on Wednesday, April 19th. Raymond James analyst S. Hansen now forecasts that the transportation company will post earnings per share of $1.30 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $1.20. The consensus estimate for Canadian National Railways current full-year earnings is $5.77 per share. Raymond James also issued estimates for Canadian National Railways FY2024 earnings at $6.44 EPS. Get Canadian National Railway alerts: Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Canadian National Railway in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$185.00 to C$180.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. CIBC lowered their price objective on Canadian National Railway from C$181.00 to C$175.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Canadian National Railway from $120.00 to $115.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Canadian National Railway from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $142.12. Canadian National Railway Stock Performance CNI stock opened at $123.03 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $81.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.55, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $117.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $119.17. Canadian National Railway has a 1-year low of $103.79 and a 1-year high of $129.89. Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI Get Rating) (TSE:CNR) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 24th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.33 billion. Canadian National Railway had a net margin of 29.87% and a return on equity of 23.30%. Institutional Trading of Canadian National Railway A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Canadian National Railway by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 556,550 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $60,100,000 after purchasing an additional 10,084 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 11,770 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $748,000 after buying an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 180.5% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 5,977,754 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $709,550,000 after buying an additional 3,846,281 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 2,555 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hendershot Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hendershot Investments Inc. now owns 83,289 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $8,994,000 after buying an additional 834 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.96% of the companys stock. Canadian National Railway Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were given a $0.5906 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.92%. This is a boost from Canadian National Railways previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. Canadian National Railways payout ratio is currently 40.11%. Canadian National Railway Company Profile (Get Rating) Canadian National Railway Co engages in rail and related transportation business. Its services include rail, intermodal, trucking, supply chain services, business development and maps and network. Its offers their services in automotive, coal, fertilizer, food and beverages, forest products, dimensional loads, grain, metals and minerals and petroleum and chemicals industries. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Curtiss-Wright Co. (NYSE:CW Get Rating) Research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q4 2023 earnings per share estimates for shares of Curtiss-Wright in a report released on Wednesday, April 19th. Zacks Research analyst A. Dutta now anticipates that the aerospace company will post earnings per share of $3.25 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $3.24. The consensus estimate for Curtiss-Wrights current full-year earnings is $8.76 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Curtiss-Wrights Q1 2024 earnings at $1.94 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $2.38 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $2.17 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $9.85 EPS. Get Curtiss-Wright alerts: Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on CW. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Curtiss-Wright from $183.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Curtiss-Wright from $196.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Curtiss-Wright from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Curtiss-Wright has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $186.80. Curtiss-Wright Stock Performance CW stock opened at $174.73 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $6.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.96 and a beta of 1.24. Curtiss-Wright has a 1 year low of $124.37 and a 1 year high of $182.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $173.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $169.12. Curtiss-Wright (NYSE:CW Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The aerospace company reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.02 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $758.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $752.23 million. Curtiss-Wright had a return on equity of 16.56% and a net margin of 11.51%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.40 earnings per share. Curtiss-Wright Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.43%. Curtiss-Wrights dividend payout ratio is presently 9.99%. Insider Buying and Selling at Curtiss-Wright In other Curtiss-Wright news, CEO Lynn M. Bamford sold 2,223 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.42, for a total transaction of $376,620.66. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 17,356 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,940,453.52. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Lynn M. Bamford sold 2,223 shares of Curtiss-Wright stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.42, for a total value of $376,620.66. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 17,356 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,940,453.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Lynn M. Bamford sold 1,337 shares of Curtiss-Wright stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.10, for a total value of $228,760.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 18,998 shares in the company, valued at $3,250,557.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 8,586 shares of company stock valued at $1,459,205 over the last ninety days. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Congress Asset Management Co. MA grew its position in Curtiss-Wright by 0.6% in the first quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 18,214 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $3,210,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its position in shares of Curtiss-Wright by 3.8% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 19,809 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $3,491,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. boosted its position in shares of Curtiss-Wright by 0.6% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 45,720 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $8,058,000 after buying an additional 289 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Curtiss-Wright by 0.5% during the first quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 60,370 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $10,641,000 after buying an additional 303 shares during the period. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Curtiss-Wright during the first quarter valued at approximately $114,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.95% of the companys stock. Curtiss-Wright Company Profile (Get Rating) Curtiss-Wright Corp. is a global integrated business that provides engineered products, solutions, and services mainly to the aerospace and defense markets, as well as critical technologies in demanding commercial power, process, and industrial markets. It operates through the following three segments: Aerospace & Industrial, Defense Electronics, and Naval & Power. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Curtiss-Wright Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Curtiss-Wright and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP Get Rating) Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2023 EPS estimates for shares of Union Pacific in a report issued on Wednesday, April 19th. Zacks Research analyst M. Basu now expects that the railroad operator will post earnings of $2.57 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $2.68. The consensus estimate for Union Pacifics current full-year earnings is $11.41 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Union Pacifics Q2 2023 earnings at $2.86 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $3.11 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $3.08 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $3.13 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $2.88 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $11.84 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $3.22 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $12.87 EPS. Get Union Pacific alerts: Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on UNP. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $235.00 to $225.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $222.00 to $216.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Friday. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $222.00 to $218.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $241.00 to $247.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Wolfe Research reduced their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $221.00 to $220.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $215.37. Union Pacific Trading Down 1.9 % NYSE:UNP opened at $198.85 on Friday. Union Pacific has a one year low of $183.69 and a one year high of $242.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.50, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $198.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $203.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.72, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.11. Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The railroad operator reported $2.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.57 by $0.10. Union Pacific had a net margin of 27.91% and a return on equity of 57.75%. The firm had revenue of $6.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.57 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Union Pacific Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.62%. Union Pacifics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.35%. Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific In other news, EVP Elizabeth F. Whited sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $213.00, for a total value of $532,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 39,080 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,324,040. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Union Pacific Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Congress Asset Management Co. MA raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.0% in the first quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 52,758 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $10,618,000 after acquiring an additional 518 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 3.8% in the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 7,876 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $1,585,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the period. West Michigan Advisors LLC increased its stake in Union Pacific by 27.0% in the 1st quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 9,936 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $2,000,000 after buying an additional 2,110 shares during the period. Atlas Brown Inc. increased its stake in Union Pacific by 21.2% in the 1st quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. now owns 5,224 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $1,051,000 after buying an additional 915 shares during the period. Finally, Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Union Pacific in the 1st quarter worth about $208,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.27% of the companys stock. About Union Pacific (Get Rating) Union Pacific Corp. engages in the provision of railroad and freight transportation services. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Omaha, NE. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Union Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Union Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR Get Rating) has been assigned an average recommendation of Hold from the fifteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $137.58. A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Cullen/Frost Bankers in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating for the company. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Cullen/Frost Bankers from $136.00 to $114.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Cullen/Frost Bankers from $168.00 to $127.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Cullen/Frost Bankers from $155.00 to $123.00 in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Wedbush decreased their price target on Cullen/Frost Bankers from $150.00 to $140.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 27th. Get Cullen/Frost Bankers alerts: Cullen/Frost Bankers Stock Down 1.9 % Shares of NYSE:CFR opened at $103.64 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $114.41 and a 200-day moving average of $130.41. The company has a market capitalization of $6.67 billion, a PE ratio of 11.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.61. Cullen/Frost Bankers has a 52-week low of $95.75 and a 52-week high of $160.60. Cullen/Frost Bankers Announces Dividend Cullen/Frost Bankers ( NYSE:CFR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The bank reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.75 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $529.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $501.12 million. Cullen/Frost Bankers had a net margin of 30.80% and a return on equity of 18.55%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.54 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Cullen/Frost Bankers will post 9.75 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 Tuesday, February 28th were given a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.36%. Cullen/Frost Bankerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.46%. Insider Transactions at Cullen/Frost Bankers In other news, insider Paul Bracher sold 5,848 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.97, for a total transaction of $765,912.56. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 92,834 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,158,468.98. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Paul Bracher sold 5,848 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.97, for a total value of $765,912.56. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 92,834 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,158,468.98. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Phillip D. Green purchased 9,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $106.59 per share, for a total transaction of $1,012,605.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 114,729 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,228,964.11. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have purchased 16,700 shares of company stock valued at $1,789,751 in the last 90 days. 2.89% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cullen/Frost Bankers Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,252,456 shares of the banks stock valued at $826,700,000 after buying an additional 234,639 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,412,497 shares of the banks stock valued at $715,641,000 after buying an additional 368,866 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 11.0% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,224,699 shares of the banks stock valued at $558,590,000 after buying an additional 419,766 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 39.1% in the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 2,408,656 shares of the banks stock valued at $333,382,000 after buying an additional 676,467 shares during the last quarter. Finally, King Luther Capital Management Corp increased its stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 2,218,346 shares of the banks stock valued at $293,310,000 after buying an additional 12,734 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.93% of the companys stock. About Cullen/Frost Bankers (Get Rating) Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc is a financial holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial and consumer banking services. It operates through the Banking and Frost Wealth Advisors segments. The Banking segment operates commercial and consumer banking services. The Frost Wealth Advisors segment includes fee-based services within private trust, retirement services, and financial management services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Cullen/Frost Bankers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cullen/Frost Bankers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of Greenhill & Co., Inc. (NYSE:GHL Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning. Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Greenhill & Co., Inc. from $6.50 to $7.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. JMP Securities restated a market outperform rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Greenhill & Co., Inc. in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Greenhill & Co., Inc. from $9.50 to $8.50 and set a sell rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Greenhill & Co., Inc. has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $11.38. Get Greenhill & Co. Inc. alerts: Greenhill & Co., Inc. Trading Up 7.8 % Shares of GHL opened at $7.75 on Wednesday. Greenhill & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $5.64 and a 52-week high of $14.53. The businesss fifty day moving average is $9.54 and its 200-day moving average is $9.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33, a quick ratio of 2.50 and a current ratio of 2.50. The firm has a market cap of $141.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -110.71 and a beta of 1.21. Greenhill & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement Greenhill & Co., Inc. ( NYSE:GHL Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $95.82 million for the quarter. Greenhill & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 4.87% and a net margin of 1.27%. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 8th were given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 7th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.16%. Greenhill & Co., Inc.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -571.43%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greenhill & Co., Inc. A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GHL. Capital Management Corp VA grew its position in shares of Greenhill & Co., Inc. by 32.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Management Corp VA now owns 2,604,424 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $15,470,000 after buying an additional 636,926 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Greenhill & Co., Inc. by 334.7% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 452,252 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,170,000 after purchasing an additional 348,214 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Greenhill & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,954,000. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of Greenhill & Co., Inc. by 494.2% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 179,939 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,069,000 after purchasing an additional 149,656 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Greenhill & Co., Inc. by 17.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 719,587 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,275,000 after purchasing an additional 107,540 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.14% of the companys stock. About Greenhill & Co., Inc. (Get Rating) Greenhill & Co, Inc is an independent investment bank, which engages in the provision of financial and strategic advice. It specializes in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, financings, and capital raising. The company was founded by Robert F. Greenhill in 1996 and is headquartered in New York, NY. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Greenhill & Co. Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Greenhill & Co. Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of KB Home (NYSE:KBH Get Rating) have earned a consensus rating of Hold from the sixteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $39.96. A number of research firms recently weighed in on KBH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of KB Home from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $32.50 to $42.50 in a report on Friday, March 24th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of KB Home from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of KB Home from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of KB Home from $42.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of KB Home from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Get KB Home alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On KB Home Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ergoteles LLC grew its stake in shares of KB Home by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 52,063 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,349,000 after purchasing an additional 2,865 shares during the last quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of KB Home in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of KB Home by 4.3% in the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 81,571 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,114,000 after buying an additional 3,338 shares during the period. Seven Eight Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of KB Home in the third quarter worth about $670,000. Finally, Macquarie Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of KB Home by 0.5% in the third quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 4,002,669 shares of the construction companys stock worth $103,794,000 after buying an additional 21,677 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.29% of the companys stock. KB Home Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:KBH opened at $41.69 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.61. KB Home has a 1-year low of $24.78 and a 1-year high of $42.61. The companys fifty day moving average is $37.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.90. KB Home (NYSE:KBH Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 22nd. The construction company reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.40. The company had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.30 billion. KB Home had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 22.86%. The firms revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.47 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that KB Home will post 5.14 EPS for the current fiscal year. KB Home Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 4th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.44%. KB Homes dividend payout ratio is currently 6.59%. KB Home declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, March 22nd that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to buy up to 15.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the companys board of directors believes its stock is undervalued. KB Home Company Profile (Get Rating) KB Home engages in selling and building a variety of new homes. It builds various types of homes, including attached and detached single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums. The firm operates through the following segments: West Coast, Southwest, Central, and Southeast. It offer homes in development communities, at urban in-fill locations and as part of mixed-use projects. See Also Receive News & Ratings for KB Home Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KB Home and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Union home minister Amit Shah alleged that BRS had made a map of India in which it showed Kashmir as being independent. You insulted India by calling it azad Kashmir to please the Majlis and people of Telangana have been seeking an explanation on this, (Photo: Deepak Deshpande) Chevella: Asserting that the BJP would form government in Telangana in the December 2023 Assembly elections, Union home minister Amit Shah declared on Sunday that the BJP government would abolish the four per cent quota given to Muslims in education and employment, contending that there is no provision in the Constitution to provide reservations on the basis of religion. Addressing a massive gathering at the Vijaya Sankalpa Sabha in Chevella, Shah said that Muslim reservation in government jobs and education was unconstitutional and that only the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) populations were entitled to reservations. "We will form government in Telangana and end Muslim reservation," Shah declared, while stating that the BRS government had been implementing reservation for the minorities even in the two-bedroom scheme. Further, claiming that the BRS had created a map of India showing Kashmir as being independent, Shah stated, "You insulted India by calling it Azad Kashmir to please the Majlis and people of Telangana have been seeking an explanation on this." The BJP's senior leader predicted that Goddess Maha Lakshmi sitting on a lotus would bring prosperity to Telangana, effectively ending the Majlis-driven KCR government. "KCR has shamelessly carried out Owaisi's agenda. He is scared of the Majlis, but not the BJP. The Telangana government will work for the people of Telangana, not the Owaisis," Shah remarked. Shah mocked the TRS for changing its name to the BRS and asserted that the countdown for the K. Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government in Telangana has already begun, exuding confidence that the party will lose in Telangana. "Forget playing a crucial role in national politics, the party is going to lose in Telangana," he stated. "KCR has been flying the dream of becoming Prime Minister. Forget becoming the PM, first retain your Chief Ministership. The Prime Minister's post is not vacant. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would return to power with absolute majority," he remarked. Shah questioned Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao's silence on the TS Public Service Commission paper leak and challenged him to order an investigation by a Supreme Court judge. "KCR has no moral basis for remaining in his chair even for a minute given that he has ruined the futures of lakhs of unemployed young people and played with their lives. After failing to fulfil its election promise of massive recruitment in the government sector in the previous eight years, KCR and his government tried to fill vacancies in a hurry and could not ensure fair examinations," he noted. Regarding the arrest of state BJP president Bandi Sanjay, Shah asserted that Chandrashekar Rao could not keep the party leader in jail even for 24 hours as the court had granted him bail. He said that the BJP administration, when it is formed, would arrest every single person involved for the paper leaking, wherever they may be hiding. "BJP activists are not afraid of jail and would continue to expose the injustice meted out to youth," he said. "BJP activists are not afraid of going to jail and will continue to expose the injustice meted out to youth," he added, adding that when the BJP government is formed, it will arrest everyone guilty for the TSPSC paper leakage, no matter where they are hiding. Shah accused the Chandrashekar Rao family, claiming they had used the government as an ATM and were robbing 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh arrested by Punjab Police from Moga district of Punjab (PTI) Chandigarh: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested in Punjab's Moga district on Sunday, more than a month after the state police launched a crackdown against him following the storming of the Ajnala police station by his supporters to secure the release of an arrested associate. A senior police official told PTI that Amritpal Singh has been arrested by the Punjab Police and would be sent to Assam's Dibrugarh jail. He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh, the officer said. The 29-year-old Khalistani sympathiser is understood to have been arrested from Rode village in Moga. Slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale hailed from Rode village and Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De' outfit at an event held in this village. In a tweet, Punjab Police said Amritpal Singh has been arrested in Moga and urged citizens to maintain peace and harmony. Don't share any fake news, always verify and share, it said in the tweet. A few pictures of the radical preacher while being taken into custody surfaced on social media and in these, he could be seen a wearing traditional white robe. In a video circulated online, Amritpal Singh is purportedly addressing a gathering at a gurudwara, and says he is surrendering. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. The Punjab Police had invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the Khalistan sympathizer. Several cases have been lodged against the radical preacher and his associates for allegedly spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and obstructing the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. In February, Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of one of his aides. His wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped at the Amritsar airport by immigration officials on Thursday while she was trying to board a flight to London. Amritpal Singh tied the knot with UK-based Kaur in February this year. Amritpal Singh had earlier escaped the police dragnet twice -- first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. Papalpreet, who is considered to be Amritpal's mentor and who has allegedly been in contact with Pakistan's ISI, has been arrested. While on the run, two videos and one audio clip of Amritpal Singh had surfaced on social media. In one of his two videos, which surfaced on March 30, Amritpal Singh had asserted that he was not a fugitive and would soon appear. The pro-Khalistan preacher had claimed that he was not like those who flee the country. The Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had asked the preacher to surrender before the police and cooperate with the investigation. Recently, Punjab Police had pasted posters of Amritpal Singh at railway stations in Batala and Amritsar, announcing that an appropriate reward will be given to anyone who provides credible information about his whereabouts. On April 15, police managed to nab Amritpal Singh's close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib. According to them, Joga Singh was in direct contact with Amritpal and had even arranged a shelter and vehicles for him in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit. It was Joga Singh who brought Amritpal and his aide Papalpreet back to Punjab on March 28. Nine of Amritpal's aides -- Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla -- have been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged under the stringent National Security Act. Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De', the organisation founded by actor and activist Deep Sidhu. The state archaeological authorities normally take up excavation works from February to June, during the summer every year. (Photo: DC) HYDERABAD: The archaeological department in Andhra Pradesh is awaiting a nod from Delhi for the excavation of megalithic burial sites at the Polavaram project area and two Buddhist sites at Jagathipadu in Srikakulam district and Gudavada in Vizianagaram district. Permission from the Archaeological Society of India is a pre-requisite to start the excavations. The state archaeological authorities normally take up excavation works from February to June, during the summer every year. However, the outbreak of Coronavirus has had an adverse impact in recent years. With no major threat of Coronavirus this year, the state authorities have sent proposals for excavations at an estimated cost of Rs 30 lakh at the Polavaram project site. They have also proposed excavations at a cost of Rs 10 lakh each at two Buddhist sites with a total budget of Rs 50 lakh from AP. Once the ASI approval comes for the three works, the state government will release the necessary funds. In the earlier excavations of megalithic burials at Rudramakota and Rayanipeta of the Polavaram project-affected areas, the authorities found antiquities including tools, ornaments, beads, etc depicting ancient cultures and traditions. Some of them were secured in archaeological museums in Rajamahendravaram and Eluru. As the resettlement and rehabilitation works of the Polavaram project-affected people are still in progress, the authorities are unable to collect nearly 370 idols found in agency mandals. There is stiff resistance from the local villagers. Relocation of two ancient temples the Koundinya Muktheswara Swamy shrine at Kukkunuru and Veereswara Swamy temple at VR Puram -- are also pending for the same reason. Meanwhile, the AP High Court issued a stay order on the relocation of the two temples and also for securing the idols as local villagers moved court complaining about a resultant delay in the implementation of the R and R package. The state survey authorities are making efforts to get the stay order vacated and go ahead with the relocation of the temples apart from securing the idols. Moreover, there is less progress on the proposed setting up of the Polavaram Dam Site Museum as works of the project are still in progress. On the other hand, the authorities are hopeful they would be able to have major findings of artefacts at the two Buddhist sites once the excavation works begin. Union Home Minister Amit Shah. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: The BJP will win with an absolute majority and retain power in Karnataka, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Sunday. He claimed that the BJP will win 15-20 seats over the halfway mark in the Karnataka Assembly polls. Shahs remarks come at a time when a series of senior BJP leaders, including prominent Lingayat leaders like Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi, quit the party after being denied tickets to contest in the upcoming elections. The home minister was speaking at an event in Bengaluru. Accusing the Congress of sheltering the banned outfit PFI and dividing the society, Shah also cautioned Kannadigas that any vote for the JD(S) will mean voting for the Congress and reminded people of the power sharing between the two parties. Shah praised Lingayat strongman and former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa for his "consistent hard work for the party" and batted for a "double engine government," which he said is the only way Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led governments schemes can reach the common man. Lingayat is a numerically dominant caste in the election-bound state and is considered a strong vote bank of the ruling BJP. "Purna bahumat se jeetenge...," replied Shah to a question on his prediction for the coming electoral battle in the southern state, rejecting reports of a hung Assembly. On the exodus of some senior BJP leaders after they were denied a ticket, Shah said the BJP believes in change and most of those who quit the party earlier did not win elections after joining other parties and the "trend will continue even this time". Asserting there is "no difference between the Congress and JD(S)," Shah said, "Once the elections are over, the JD(S), along with all its MLAs, will sit together with the Congress to gain governance. People should understand that their votes will be wasted if they vote separately for the Congress and JD(S)." Accusing the Congress of illegally allotting quotas to Muslims in the state, Shah said the Indian Constitution does not allow reservations on the basis of religion and therefore, the BJP government in the state ended the practice. "The BJP government in the state ended special favours aimed at political gains and brought the Constitution into order," Shah said. On the allegation hurled by the opponents of the "40 per cent commission," Shah said, "FIRs and complaints were lodged, but such accusations were never proved. These were efforts by the Congress to shift the corruption blame at us... Chunav aane dijiye doodh ka doodh, pani ka pani ho jayega." US retailer Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy Sunday, according to a court filing and company statement, after a prolonged struggle to stay afloat. The home goods chain filed voluntary petitions for relief under chapter 11 at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, a court filing showed. The company said in a statement it had taken the action "to implement an orderly wind down of its businesses while conducting a limited marketing process to solicit interest in one or more sales of some or all of its assets." Bed Bath & Beyond shares dove in January as it warned of "substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern," a sign that was widely interpreted to mean it could file for bankruptcy. The company said at the time that it expected a loss of $386 million in the just-finished quarter. "Thank you to all of our loyal customers," a banner on the company's website read Sunday. "We have made the difficult decision to begin winding down our operations." CEO Sue Gove said the company "will continue working diligently to maximize value for the benefit of all stakeholders." "We deeply appreciate our associates, customers, partners, and the communities we serve, and we remain steadfastly determined to serve them throughout this process." The company said that its "360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 buybuy BABY stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers as the Company begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its retail locations." Singapore-based startup Zilingo's former CEO, Ankiti Bose, who was sacked over alleged financial irregularities last year, has filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Mahesh Murthy, angel investor and co-founder of Seedfund, the media reported. According to leading startup news portal Inc42, the lawsuit has been filed in the Bombay High Court on April 20 over an article authored by Murthy in a top business magazine. Murthy didn't name Bose in the article but wrote several descriptive pointers. The article mentioned "one lady" who "ran a popular fashion portal and took Sequoia's money". Also read | Who is Ankiti Bose, the suspended Zilingo CEO who founded the company at 23? "She got her firm to pay her lawyer someRs 70 crore as fees and -- it is rumoured -- got a lot of that amount directly back to herself as her cut," Murthy alleged in his article. Bose was quoted as saying that the $100 million lawsuit was filed taking into account her balance of equity in Zilingo and "the losses that statements like this can affect future endeavours." The lawsuit is currently in the pre-admission stage, according to reports. In March last year, Zilingo suspended 30-year-old CEO Bose over complaints about alleged financial irregularities. Following an investigation led by an independent forensics firm, the startup decided to terminate Bose's employment. In April last year, she brought to the board's attention certain harassment-related issues pertaining to past time periods, which did not include any harassment complaints against investors or their nominees. A top consulting firm was then appointed to look into the claims of harassment brought to the Board's notice by Ankiti. According to Zilingo, the investigation concluded that the company took appropriate action and followed due process to address these complaints that were brought to their notice, "contrary to media reports that have suggested that the suspension and investigations into Bose were aimed at suppressing the said harassment claims". The startup had raised more than $300 million from top investors, including Temasek Holdings Pte and Sequoia Capital India. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday argued in favour of healthy competition in the dairy sector while describing the Amul-Nandini issue as tweaked and twisted. Sitharaman, who represents Karnataka in Rajya Sabha, was speaking at an interaction programme organised by Thinkers Forum, Karnataka. This is tweaked, twisted and made an emotional issue because it is election time, Sitharaman said on the Amul-Nandini issue in Karnataka. Instead of building a healthy competition and a positive narrative, to twist it...our farmers and women needn't be brought into a political issue, she said. Sitharaman said Amul entered the Karnataka market when Congress leader Siddaramaiah was the chief minister, without naming him. Read | Explained: What is the Amul vs 'pride of Karnataka' Nandini row? To suddenly say Amul is being brought to kill Nandini is brazen. Amul entered Karnataka when there was a Congress government here. I'm not sure I should name the CM at that time. The same respected former CM is now questioning Amul's entry. It was in his time Amul entered North Karnataka for marketing in those areas, Sitharaman said. Sitharaman said the Nandini brand in Karnataka is widely recognised. Even now, as Ive come, I had Nandini milk, curd and pedha. Of course, when Im in Delhi, Ill buy Amul, she said. I represent Karnataka. In Delhi, if Nandini isnt available in the nearest outlet, Im mentally not a sanyasi to say I wont drink milk if Nandini isnt available. Ill still buy Amul and thats not being against Karnataka, she argued. Strengthening Nandini and dairy farmers in Karnataka has never been under question, Sitharaman said. It has and will continue to happen. And Nandini goes places - Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh just like others are also available in Karnataka. Good competition, Id say, she said. Sitharaman credited the B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government for providing an incentive of Rs 2 per litre to milk farmers for the first time. Even the union government is providing many facilities to farmers and other animal husbandry stakeholders, she pointed out. 'No to freebies' Sitharaman reiterated her stand against introducing freebies in a veiled attack on Congress. "Promises given by some...most of you can do a back-of-the-envelope calculation. It'll be a third of the state's budget. Give people everything they need for a basic, decent living. They'll be the best judge on where they want to put their money," she said. Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on Sunday announced that it will formally launch its election campaign in Punjab on Monday though there is no clarity on the date of the polls in the politically crucial province. Tehreek-e-Insaf will officially launch its election campaign tomorrow. They (Pakistan Democratic Movement) may not be ready but we are ready, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar tweeted. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is a coalition of political parties headed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) currently ruling the country. Also Read | Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan's Instagram head abducted in Lahore Interestingly, PTIs announcement of launching the election campaign comes despite uncertainty surrounding the elections in Punjab, the most populous province which also sends nearly 150 lawmakers to the National Assembly. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is waiting for funds from the federal government to conduct the elections. The Defence Ministry has informed the ECP that the Pakistan Army will not be available for providing security. Parliament and the judiciary have also locked horns over the holding of elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces as the cash-strapped government has refused to authorise the funds to meet the expenditures amidst the economic crisis facing the country. The Supreme Court has directed the federal government to release Rs 21 billion in funds for the ECP by April 10 and provide security for the elections. However, the government has refused to release funds for the polls as the Parliament rejected the proposal. The defence ministry had also filed a petition in the Supreme Court calling it to take back its order of holding polls on May 14. The case is being heard in the Supreme Court and during the proceedings Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial remarked that the three-member bench will not take back its order for holding polls on May 14. Former prime minister Khan has been pushing for snap elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provinces where his PTI ruled till recently. The PTI dissolved the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies on January 14 and 18, respectively, in a bid to force the ruling PDM coalition in Islamabad to hold early general elections in the country. The PTI finalised a list of 297 candidates recently after PTI Chairman Khan interviewed all party candidates in person to uphold merit in awarding party tickets, media reports said. But the allotment of tickets has not gone well within the party as many high-profile leaders were snubbed, the reports said. Meanwhile, Geo News reported, citing sources, that Khan was planning to include the party's Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Umar in the review committee to address objections. The current term of the National Assembly will complete its five-year term in August this year. According to the Constitution, elections shall be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the lower house. This means that the election must be held by mid-October. The last general election was held in July 2018. A patrol vessel of the Indian Navy has reached the main seaport of Sudan, as New Delhi has set in motion a plan to repatriate the citizens of India from the conflict zones of the Northeastern African nation, although the volatile situation on the ground has made any evacuation operation challenging and risky. The Indian Air Force has also stationed two transport aircraft at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Read | Explained: Who are the Hakka Pakki tribe stranded in Sudan? New Delhi, however, is continuously assessing the situation on the ground in Khartoum and other areas of Sudan, where fierce fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo continued despite the three-day Eid-ul-Fitr ceasefire. Contingency plans are in place, but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi. (The) Sudanese airspace currently remains closed for all foreign aircraft. Overland movement also has risks and logistical challenges. The Indian Navy has sent its patrol vessel, INS Sumedha, to Port Sudan, about 813 kilometres away from Khartoum, the capital of the Northeastern African nation. The main seaport of Sudan is about 173 nautical miles away from Jeddah Islamic Port of Saudi Arabia. Two C-130J transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. The government stated in New Delhi that it was making all out efforts to ensure safety and security of (the) Indians stranded in Sudan. We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan, Bagchi, the MEA spokesperson, said. We are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated. The MEA and Embassy of India in Khartoum were in regular touch with the authorities in Sudan as well as with the United Nations, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and the United States. Our embassy is in regular touch with the stranded Indians in Sudan and is advising them on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unnecessary risk. It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement, said Bagchi. Though the SAF and the RSF had agreed for a ceasefire on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr, fierce fighting continued on the streets of Khartoum and other areas of Sudan. The US sent in military helicopters and soldiers to evacuate American diplomats and other officials from its embassy in Khartoum in a quick operation on Saturday. President Joe Biden on Sunday thanked Saudi Arabia, Djibouti and Ethiopia for helping the US carry out the operations. The United Kingdom also stated on Sunday that it had evacuated its diplomats from Sudan. Germany, Canada, Italy, Turkey, Japan, Belgium and the Netherlands said that they were also organising evacuation of diplomats and other citizens. Saudi Arabia evacuated 91 of its citizens from Sudan, along with 66 nationals of other countries, including three Indians. A convoy of cars with French diplomats posted in the capital of Sudan onboard had made an attempt to leave Khartoum on Sunday, but returned to the embassy after being fired upon. In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, BJP president J P Nadda on Sunday replaced the party's Delhi unit general secretary (organisation) Siddharthan, who held the post for nearly eight years, with his Himachal Pradesh counterpart, Pawan Rana. Orders issued by Nadda swapped the posts of Rana, the Himachal Pradesh BJP general secretary (organisation), and Siddharthan in a shake-up. Rana will now hold the post of Delhi BJP general secretary (organisation) while Siddharthan will replace him in Himachal Pradesh. Also Read | Rajeev Bindal appointed Himachal BJP president, replaces Suresh Kumar Kashyap Under Siddharthan, who took charge as the Delhi BJP general secretary (organisation) in 2015, the party suffered back-to-back reverses at the hands of its main rival AAP in the 2020 Assembly polls and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections held in December 2022. Rana, who will now supervise the party's organisational matters in Delhi, was appointed at the helm of its Himachal Pradesh unit last year, after the BJP suffered a defeat in the Assembly polls in the hill state at the hands of the Congress. Delhi BJP leaders hoped that under Rana, the party will be able to improve its performance in the national capital. "The real test of Rana will be in 2025, when the Assembly polls are due. We just hope he will work in tandem with the state leadership and avoid imposing himself on it," said a top functionary of the Delhi BJP on the condition of anonymity. The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently led by Virendra Sachdeva, a Punjabi born and brought up in the city, following the party's experiment to revive its fortunes pitted against the AAP by first appointing a Purvanchali and then a trader community leader as its state presidents. Under the two previous presidents of its Delhi unit, Manoj Tiwari and Adesh Gupta from the Purvanchali and Baniya communities respectively, the BJP had come up with mixed results in elections. The BJP has been out of power in Delhi for three decades now. It suffered massive losses at the hands of the AAP in the 2015 and 2020 Assembly polls in Delhi, although it swept the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019, winning all seven parliamentary seats in the national capital. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated his party BJD's headquarters here on Sunday on the auspicious occasion of 'Akshaya Tritiya'. The new party office is named after the BJDs poll symbol 'Sankha' (conch cell). Patnaik expressed his happiness to dedicate the 'Sankha Bhawan' to party workers. Also Read | Odisha BJP writes to Amit Shah, seeks NIA probe into Sambalpur violence "A new era had begun in Odisha in 1997 with the birth of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which was formed to work with the principles of legendary leader late Biju Patnaik. The BJD, which was set up as a regional party to serve the people of Odisha, has now been transformed into a social organisation," Patnaik said. 'Shankh Bhavan' will be a place for all those who love Odisha and are interested to work for the development of the state, he said, adding that this will promote rich cultural heritage. "Sankha Bhawan dedicated today will be an inspirational space for not just the physical, social, economic, cultural and political growth of Odisha, but also the spiritual growth rooted in the principles of Jagannath Sanskruti and culture," he said. Located in the unit-6 area in the state capital, the three-storey building will be devoted to the development of art, literature, and culture of Odisha, the BJD chief said. It will work for promoting the glorious culture of Lord Jagannath across the world, and will continue to spread the message of 'Vasudheb Kutumbakam', he said. "Lets all join hands to carry forward the tradition of dedicated service to people, the tradition of development and dedicate ourselves to keep the glory of our motherland shining," Patnaik said. Also Read | Internet services restored, curfew relaxed in violence-hit Odisha's Sambalpur Portraits of many legendary leaders from Odisha, such as Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das, Utkalgaurab Madhusudan Das, poet Sarala Das, Veer Surendra Sai, Baxi Jagbandhu, Bhim Bhoi, poet Samrat Upendra Bhanj, Maharaja Krishnachandra Gajapati, Shaheed Laxman Naik, Pandit Raghunath Murmu, and Birsa Munda, were placed in the conference rooms of the new BJD headquarters. The new office building of the ruling party has 30 rooms, and Patnaik, as the president of the party, would operate from the third floor. It has an air-conditioned conference hall on the first floor with a capacity of 2000 people, besides a 250-seat auditorium, a canteen and a room for press conferences. Uttar Pradesh is scaling up beer production by 15 to 20 per cent to meet the increased demand amid the intense summer heat. In the last fiscal year, more than 60 crore units of 500-ml beer cans were consumed in the state and officials are confident of a spurge in demand this season. The sixth brewing unit that has come up in Sonbhadra, has launched the homebred product in the market earlier this month and it will compete with existing brands. The state's first brewery was established in 1959, while the fifth came up in August 2015. Various domestic and international beer companies have introduced 162 different products (330-ml pint, 500-ml can and 650-ml bottle). Also Read | With wider choice, beer sales in Karnataka on a high Of these, 15 are imported while 96 brands being marketed in the state are bottled and manufactured in breweries in other states. The remaining 51 brands are from six breweries in Uttar Pradesh. Senior excise officials said that the sale of beer will pick up between May and July. "Last year, several beer brands were not available in the market till mid-May, so we got in touch with the five breweries in the state to see if they could scale up production. Out of five, four wanted to increase their daily capacity," said a senior excise official. After the Sonbhadra unit, another brewery in the state is slated to get operational in a few months in Barabanki. Sharing the timeline of the brewing units, officials of the department said the first unit in the state came up in Ghaziabad in 1959. The second one in Meerut was established in 1976. Another brewery in Ghaziabad came up in June 2003. Aligarh and Unnao became beer producers in October 2011 and August 2015, respectively. Around 30 people have been detained for questioning so far as security forces conducted a massive search operation to track down the terrorists who ambushed an Army truck in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch killing five personnel last week, officials said on Sunday. Necessary action is being taken against the terrorists responsible for the deadly attack, the Army's Northern Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi said during an interaction with the personnel who survived the ambush in the dense forest area of Bhata Dhurian on Thursday. A stretch of the Jammu-Poonch national highway which was closed following the ambush was reopened for vehicular traffic on Sunday. In Pics | Poonch Terror Attack: Army releases pictures of martyrs In a tweet on its official handle, the Army's Northern Command shared Lt Gen Dwivedi's visit to the Command Hospital in Udhampur and interaction with the survivor. #LtGenUpendraDwivedi #ArmyCdrNC interacted with the survivor of the 20 Apr 23 #Poonch incident at Command Hospital #Udhampur and assured that necessary action is underway pic.twitter.com/AwzuaCLKMV NORTHERN COMMAND - INDIAN ARMY (@NorthernComd_IA) April 23, 2023 Dwivedi interacted with the survivor...and assured that necessary action is underway, it tweeted along with two pictures of the soldier. Five soldiers were killed and one was injured after the terrorists attacked the lone Army truck, which was carrying eatables for iftar to a nearby village. The Army's northern commander visited the attack site on Saturday. 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. Also Read | Poonch attack: Terrorists used steel bullets, stole soldiers' weapons Dwivedi reviewed the security in the border area and the ongoing combing operation to track down the terrorists. The Northern Command said in a tweet that he was briefed on the actions undertaken so far and exhorted the troops to be steadfast in their resolve. While the search operation was underway amid a high alert in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, vehicular movement on the Jammu-Poonch highway resumed Sunday morning after remaining suspended since Thursday evening, officials said. They said traffic was earlier diverted to other routes to secure the highway which connects the twin border districts with Jammu. Some of the people who passed through the scene of the attack said a traffic signboard put up by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) bore three bullet marks and the road stretch was strewn with vegetables and fruits. The officials said around 30 people have been detained for questioning so far. "Among those rounded up are two couples from Degwar in Poonch -- Iqbal and his wife Mudifa and Salam Din and his wife Rashida," an official source said, adding further investigation was underway. The slain soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations. Sources earlier said the attack was suspected to have been carried out by a group of three to four terrorists. The attackers possibly spent more than a year in Rajouri and Poonch and had adequate knowledge of the terrain, they added. The Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF) is said to be active in the area and its "commander", Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi, hails from the region. Currently, three-four terrorist groups are active in the region of Rajouri and Poonch, the sources said. The terrorists who ambushed the Army truck used steel core bullets, capable of piercing an armoured shield, and decamped with the soldiers' weapons, officials said on Sunday. They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the truck from the front before the other terrorists sprayed bullets and lobbed grenades on it. Experts from various agencies, including the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), have visited the site of the attack over the past two days and have managed to get a clear picture of the deadly ambush which was laid by the terrorists, the officials said. Meanwhile, members of the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities on Sunday visited an Army unit in the Akhnoor sector here to express their solidarity with the forces. Mohd Akram, who was leading the 113-member-strong community delegation, appealed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to provide free hand to the Army in tackling the threat of cross-border terrorism. "We moved from Banihal tehsil in Ramban district to Akhnoor some 25 years back when militancy was at its peak and it was the Army which provided relief to us and ensured that we did not face any problem. We strongly condemn the attack on the troops and our community stands with our soldiers, Akram told reporters. He said the terrorists are working at the behest of Pakistan to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir and should be dealt with sternly. We request the defence minister to provide a free hand to the Army to tackle with terrorism, he said. A defence spokesman thanked the community for its concern and said the Gujjars and Bakkarwals are one of the most victimised communities of Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir since the early 90s. The community has suffered at length, frequently at the cost of precious lives and property at the hands of terrorists supported from across the border. These valiant nomadic people have supported the Indian Army in counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations with great courage and conviction, the spokesman said. Family members of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who was arrested from Punjab's Moga district on Sunday morning, said they felt relieved on seeing him after more than a month and would fight their legal battle. We came to know through the media at 7:15 am that he has been arrested, Amritpal's uncle Sukhchain Singh said in Amritsar. Today, the family is feeling worry-free. We have seen him (Amritpal), he said. Replying to a question, Amritpal's uncle said the family will go to Assam's Dibrugarh and meet him. We will fight our legal battle, he further said. "Police said that Amritpal was arrested while Jasbir Singh Rode, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said he surrendered. It will be clear in a day or two," Sukhchain Singh said. Also Read: Why Amritpal Singh was shifted to Assam jail The Punjab Police arrested Amritpal Singh in Moga's Rode village early Sunday, ending an over a month-long manhunt against the radical preacher who styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The preacher was taken into custody at 6.45 am as he came out of the gurdwara in Rode, Bhindranwale's native village and also the place where he himself took over last year as the chief of Waris Punjab De. He was later flown by a special flight from Bathinda air force station to Dibrugarh in Assam and lodged in a high-security prison. Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh said they were proud of him, and claimed that his son surrendered before the police. We were happy to see his face after 36 days, the father said. Asked if there were apprehensions that Amritpal had shorn his hair, Tarsem Singh said, We were sure that it would not happen. Amritpal's mother Balwinder Kaur said that they were proud that he has surrendered. We are proud that he surrendered at the place where his turban-tying ceremony was held, said Kaur. We are happy that our son surrendered while being in full 'Sikhi sarup' (not having shorn his hair), she said, adding that Amritpal even shared a video in which he said he would surrender. Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested in Punjab's Moga district on Sunday, more than a month after the state police launched a crackdown against him following the storming of the Ajnala police station by his supporters to secure the release of an arrested associate. A senior police official told PTI that Amritpal Singh has been arrested by the Punjab Police and would be sent to Assam's Dibrugarh jail. He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh, the officer said. The 29-year-old Khalistani sympathiser is understood to have been arrested from Rode village in Moga. Slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale hailed from Rode village and Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De' outfit at an event held in this village. In a tweet, Punjab Police said Amritpal Singh has been arrested in Moga and urged citizens to maintain peace and harmony. "Don't share any fake news, always verify and share," it said in the tweet. A few pictures of the radical preacher while being taken into custody surfaced on social media and in these, he could be seen wearing a traditional white robe. He was learnt to have been taken to Bathinda from where he will be flown to Assam. In a video that surfaced on social media, Amritpal Singh purportedly addressed a gathering at a gurdwara in Rode village in Moga, and says he was "surrendering". It is the birth place of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. This is the place where my 'dastar bandi' (turban tying) ceremony was held. We are standing at life's critical juncture. During the past one month whatever took place, you have seen that all, he said in the video. A month back, 'excesses' were unleashed by the government against Sikhs. Had it been only the question of (my) arrest, then perhaps there were many ways of arrest and with which, I would have cooperated, he could be heard saying in the video. In the court of Almighty, I am not guilty but I could be guilty in the worldly court, he said. After one month, I decided that we fought on this land, we will fight on this land and will never leave this land, he stated. He further said he will face false cases, which have been registered against him by police, in the courts. On the same place (Rode where he was anointed), I decided to surrender and this arrest is not an end, it is the beginning, he said. In the video, Amritpal Singh is heard saying that the bunch of lies created against him will be demolished by the Almighty. Jasbir Singh Rode, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, claimed Amritpal surrendered and that he was present when he did so. He told reporters in Moga that Amritpal addressed a gathering and later came out of the gurdwara to surrender. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. The Punjab Police had invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the Khalistan sympathizer. Several cases have been lodged against the radical preacher and his associates for allegedly spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and obstructing the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. In February, Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of one of his aides. His wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped at the Amritsar airport by immigration officials on Thursday while she was trying to board a flight to London. Amritpal Singh tied the knot with UK-based Kaur in February this year. Amritpal Singh had earlier escaped the police dragnet twice -- first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. Papalpreet, who is considered to be Amritpal's mentor and who has allegedly been in contact with Pakistan's ISI, has been arrested. While on the run, two videos and one audio clip of Amritpal Singh had surfaced on social media. In one of his two videos, which surfaced on March 30, Amritpal Singh had asserted that he was not a fugitive and would soon appear. The pro-Khalistan preacher had claimed that he was not like those who flee the country. The Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had asked the preacher to surrender before the police and cooperate with the investigation. Recently, Punjab Police had pasted posters of Amritpal Singh at railway stations in Batala and Amritsar, announcing that an appropriate reward will be given to anyone who provides credible information about his whereabouts. On April 15, police managed to nab Amritpal Singh's close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib. According to them, Joga Singh was in direct contact with Amritpal and had even arranged a shelter and vehicles for him in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit. It was Joga Singh who brought Amritpal and his aide Papalpreet back to Punjab on March 28. Nine of Amritpal's aides -- Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla -- have been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged under the stringent National Security Act. Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De', the organisation founded by actor and activist Deep Sidhu. A Kochi resident was held by the police on Sunday in connection with a letter raising a suicide bomb attack threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Kerala visit on April 24 and 25. The letter was received by BJP state president K Surendran at the party state office in Thiruvananthapuram last week. Xavier of Kathrikadavu in Kochi was held after a scientific examination of handwriting confirmed that he had written the threatening letter. He had mentioned the name of another Kochi resident, Johnny, in the letter with the intention of causing trouble to the latter, owing to some personal issues. Meanwhile, the police launched a probe to find how a communication of ADGP (Intelligence) to the police officials regarding security arrangements for the Prime Minister was leaked out. Action is likely to be taken against those concerned as central agencies have also taken serious note of leakage of the confidential communication. The state police took the threat seriously as it was Modi's first visit to Kerala after banning Popular Front of India. Home minister Amit Shah has announced that upon coming to power in Telangana, the BJP will end the Muslim reservations in the state. Shah made the statement on Sunday while addressing the party's rally named Vijaya Sankalpa Sabha at Chevella, near Hyderabad, after arriving here from the election campaign in neighboring Karnataka. Going to assembly polls, the Basavaraj Bommai led BJP government in Karnataka had recently scrapped the four percent backward caste reservation for Muslims in the state, while transferring the same to enhance the quota for Vokkaliga, Lingayat etc communities. Also Read: Bommai govt scraps 4% Muslim quota, distributes it among Vokkaligas, Lingayats Endorsing the move, Shah, in Bengaluru on Saturday, slammed religion-based reservations calling them as in violation of the constitution. After the Karnataka elections in May, the BJP leadership is expected to focus on the Telangana assembly polls to be held later this year. We will end the unconstitutional Muslim reservation in Telangana, offering the right to SC, ST and OBCs, said Shah, while expressing confidence that the BJP will assume power with full majority after the polls due in December. Muslims categorized as backward avail four percent reservation in Telangana. In his speech, Shah repeatedly accused the K Chandrasekhar Rao government of implementing the AIMIM agenda at the behest of its chief Asaduddin Owaisi. How can the car (reference to the BRS poll symbol) go in the right direction when the steering is in the hands of Majilis-Owaisi? Shah asked the gathering. Shah said that the counting has begun for the end of KCR's corrupt rule. KCR is dreaming of becoming the PM but the seat will be occupied again by Narendra Modi in 2024, Shah said while asking the CM to focus on retaining his seat in Telangana this year. We will not stop our fight till you are dethroned. Alleging that the BRS government is obstructing the centre's welfare schemes from reaching the poor in Telangana, Shah said that KCR cannot keep Modi away from the public. Backing the state BJP demand, the Home Minister said that the TSPSC recruitment exam paper leak scam should be probed by a sitting high court judge. The Chevella meet was held as part of the BJP's Parliament Pravas Yojana. Before commencing his speech, Shah garlanded a statue of Saint Basaveshwara kept on the stage. Even Pakistan would tell whose Shiv Sena it is, Uddhav Thackeray said on Sunday accusing the Election Commission of suffering from a cataract for allowing the partys name and bow-and-arrow symbol to Eknath Shindes group. Shiv Sena konachi (whose Shiv Sena)?., Thackeray, the former Chief Minister, who now heads the Shiv Sena (UBT), asked his supporters while addressing a mammoth rally at Pachora in Jalgaon in North Maharashtra. Also Read | BJP pursuing gaumutradhari-Hindutva': Uddhav If you ask Shiv Sena konachi.even Pakistan would tell but the Election Commission is unable to see as it is suffering from cataractin fact the Maharashtra of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is seeing it, he said. According to him, the party would not be affected by the 40 traitors leaving the saffron party. The traitors who were elected by people have left but the people who elected them are with me, he said and asked people to use their anger through the ballot box and teach the gaddar a lesson. your stolen throne will burn, Thackeray said in a strong message to Minde, a term that Thackeray uses often against Shinde, the Chief Minister, who with the help of BJP had toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government nearly 10 months ago. You come with the photo of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modicome with the stolen name Shiv Sena and stolen dhanushya baan (bow and arrow) symbol.let there be polls anytimeI will come as Uddhav Balasaheb ThackerayI will come with mashaal (torch)your stolen throne will burn, he said. Thackeray lashed out at the BJP for trying to finish off political opponents. They want only BJP to remain as a political party and finish off other partiesthey are targeting political opponents with central agencies like CBI and ED, he said and cited the examples of Congress and NCP leaders. He also said that the BJP has accused him of leaving Hindutva by joining hands with Congress and NCP and forming the Maha Vikas Aghadi. But tell me a single instance in the last three years where I compromised with Hindutva.I will step down from the dais, he said. Hours after Uddhav Thackeray said that even Pakistan would tell whose Shiv Sena it is, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took a dig at him saying that it was unfortunate that the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief is invoking the neighbouring country. Shiv Sena konachi (whose Shiv Sena)?If you ask Shiv Sena konachi.even Pakistan would tell but the Election Commission is unable to see as it is suffering from cataractin fact the Maharashtra of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is seeing it, Thackeray said on Sunday while addressing a mammoth rally in Pachora in Jalgaon district. Thackeray had also accused the Election Commission of suffering from cataract for not having been able to realise which is the real Shiv Sena. Also Read: Shinde-led govt will collapse in 15-20 days, its 'death warrant' issued, claims Sanjay Raut However, reacting to it, Shinde, who is now the Shiv Sena chief leader, took a dig at his predecessor. Somebody spoke in Jalgaon that even Pakistan will know whom the real Shiv Sena belongs to. This is unfortunate and tragic that Pakistan's certificate is needed to decide whom the Shiv Sena belongs to, Shinde said at a function in the Thane district. In February 2023, Election Commission legitimised Shindes faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotted the bow and arrow symbol following the June 2022 split in the Balasaheb Thackeray-founded saffron party. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has challenged the Election Commissions order in the Supreme Court. Shinde had toppled the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government with the help of BJP. Cwm LLC increased its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Get Rating) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,075 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the quarter. Cwm LLCs holdings in Ingersoll Rand were worth $474,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 81.3% in the third quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 638 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 286 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 87.0% in the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 705 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 328 shares during the period. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Ingersoll Rand in the third quarter worth about $30,000. CI Investments Inc. raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 103.1% in the third quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 971 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 493 shares during the period. Finally, Clear Street Markets LLC raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 56.9% in the third quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 1,334 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 484 shares during the period. 99.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Insider Activity at Ingersoll Rand In related news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $1,500,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 102,856 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,171,360. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.75% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Ingersoll Rand Trading Down 0.0 % Several brokerages have commented on IR. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $52.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Ingersoll Rand from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Ingersoll Rand in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $58.80. Shares of Ingersoll Rand stock opened at $55.34 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $56.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $53.99. The firm has a market cap of $22.41 billion, a PE ratio of 37.39 and a beta of 1.42. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 1 year low of $39.28 and a 1 year high of $60.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 2.37 and a quick ratio of 1.76. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The industrial products company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.54 billion. Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 9.99% and a net margin of 10.22%. The firms revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.64 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Ingersoll Rand Inc. will post 2.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Ingersoll Rand Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 1st were paid a $0.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $0.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.14%. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio is presently 5.41%. About Ingersoll Rand (Get Rating) Ingersoll Rand, Inc provides a broad range of mission critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle and medical technologies, providing services and solutions to increase industrial productivity and efficiency. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Technologies and Services, Precision and Science Technologies, High Pressure Solutions, and Specialty Vehicle Technologies. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Keybank National Association OH reduced its stake in Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA Get Rating) by 13.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,825 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,332 shares during the quarter. Keybank National Association OHs holdings in Coterra Energy were worth $217,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Adirondack Trust Co. acquired a new stake in Coterra Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Accurate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Coterra Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Coterra Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Accel Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Coterra Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Achmea Investment Management B.V. acquired a new stake in Coterra Energy during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.72% of the companys stock. Get Coterra Energy alerts: Coterra Energy Price Performance Coterra Energy stock opened at $25.46 on Friday. Coterra Energy Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.25 and a 52-week high of $36.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.98, a PEG ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $24.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Coterra Energy Cuts Dividend Coterra Energy ( NYSE:CTRA Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.04. Coterra Energy had a net margin of 44.91% and a return on equity of 31.29%. The business had revenue of $2.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.15 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Coterra Energy Inc. will post 2.48 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 16th were issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.96%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 15th. Coterra Energys payout ratio is 15.66%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have commented on the stock. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of Coterra Energy from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Coterra Energy from $38.00 to $35.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Coterra Energy from $28.00 to $26.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 27th. Bank of America raised shares of Coterra Energy from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the company from $30.00 to $29.00 in a report on Friday, January 6th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Coterra Energy from a sell rating to a neutral rating and lifted their target price for the company from $22.00 to $25.00 in a report on Wednesday. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $30.18. Insider Activity In other news, VP Michael D. Deshazer sold 20,824 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.10, for a total transaction of $501,858.40. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 77,406 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,865,484.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the companys stock. Coterra Energy Profile (Get Rating) Coterra Energy Inc is a diversified energy company, which engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties. Its portfolio includes projects in the Permian Basin, the Marcellus Shale, and the Anadarko Basin. The company was renamed to Coterra Energy Inc on October 1, 2021 in connection with the merger involving Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CTRA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Coterra Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coterra Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. An amazing local charity is raising a cuppa to cancer patients attending the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital. The Friends of the Cancer Centre tea and coffee dock is providing patients and their loved ones attending the hospitals Sperrin Suite with complimentary refreshments. Each week, up to 600 patients and their loved ones from across the North West attend the Sperrin Suite for cancer treatment. Many patients have travelled long distances to attend the North West Cancer Centre for what can be a long day as they receive treatment and attend other appointments. In addition to providing more than 11,000 in financial support to patients in the North West in the last year, helping patients with travel expenses, fuel costs and other household bills, Friends of the Cancer Centre hopes the free refreshments will go some way in helping alleviate some of the financial pressures that can often come with a cancer diagnosis. Commenting on how important a cup of tea can be to patients, Colleen Shaw, Chief Executive of Friends of the Cancer Centre, said: As a charity, our work is extensive and includes supporting vital research and funding 49 additional staff across cancer services in Northern Ireland, including new radiotherapy and nursing posts in the North West Cancer Centre. We also believe small things can make a big difference to patients, which is why a really important part of our work focuses on small and thoughtful touches which can make a patients time at hospital a little easier and more comfortable. Central to this part of our work is providing free tea and coffee for patients and we are really delighted to have a tea and coffee dock at the North West Cancer Centre. A cup of tea can be very welcome for patients and their loved ones attending the hospital for treatment. It can be a warm welcome for those travelling a long distance and a comforting distraction at what can be a worrying time. This is the third tea and coffee dock opened by the charity, with two others in the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre in Belfast which provide over 50,000 cups of tea every year. Friends of the Cancer Centre is dedicated to making a real and meaningful difference to cancer patients and their families across the North. The aim of the charity is to enhance the quality of patient care and support through its life-changing and life-saving work which includes funding additional nurses, supporting local research and providing practical support, such as financial grants, which help families through a difficult time. Friends of the Cancer Centre relies on the generosity of the local community and all money donated stays in Northern Ireland, directly benefiting patients and their families. Lesley Mitchell, Western Trust Interim Assistant Director (Nursing), Cancer and Diagnostics at the North West Cancer Centre, Altnagelvin Hospital said: We are delighted to have the support of Friends of the Cancer Centre and we can already see the positive impact the tea and coffee dock is having on our patients and the time they spend at the hospital. As a team, we understand that coming to the hospital is a very worrying and anxious time and we endeavour to find ways to make patients and their loved ones as comfortable as we can. Being able to offer a cup of tea is a small but really important part of our wider patient care and we would like to thank Friends of the Cancer Centre for funding the project. If any Derry News readers would like to support Friends of the Cancer Centre by making a donation, taking part in one of the charitys events, or organising your own event, you can get in touch with the team by calling 028 9069 9393 or email info@friendsofthe cancercentre.com. Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI) is encouraging people from Derry who have an innovative idea to solve a particular social problem to apply for a place on its two support programmes valued at 500,000. Earlier this week, SEI launched its national campaign for applications, encouraging people to apply for its two support programmes; the Ideas Academy aimed at those with an early-stage idea to solve a social problem and the Impact Programme which provides high-potential social entrepreneurs bespoke support to grow their impact and embedded best practice. SEI seeks out people with unique insight and scalable ideas to social problems. Through a mixture of funding, mentorship, training and a community of changemakers, SEI helps organisations to grow and deepen their impact. Since its foundation in 2004, SEI has supported more than 550 social entrepreneurs around the island of Ireland who have directly impacted the lives of millions of people. SEI does not discriminate in organisational or funding structure and encourages anyone with an idea to accelerate social change in Ireland to apply. The Ideas Academy has up to 30 places for people with innovative early-stage ideas to solve social problems. The three-month programme will be delivered online in 2023 and will provide participants with the support and direction they need as they take the first steps from idea to action, sparking a new generation of social entrepreneurs. Participants will be supported to clearly articulate, refine and progress their solution, to build skills and accelerate learning in core areas of importance to social entrepreneurs, and to move from idea to action. Participants also have the opportunity to pitch for seed funding at the end of the programme to pilot their idea. Recent alumni of the Ideas Academy include The Together Academy, FASD Ireland, Speire Nua and Education for Sustainability. There are five places available on Social Entrepreneurs Irelands prestigious Impact Programme, aimed at high-potential social entrepreneurs who are looking to bring their organisation to the next level. Awardees will join the nine-month accelerator programme, where they will receive mentorship, bespoke training, and consultancy in leadership development, fundraising, governance, strategic planning, and communications. They will also each receive 20,000 in unrestricted funding to grow their impact and will access to pro-bono support from SEIs partner organisations. Recent alumni of the programme include AsIAm, Grow Remote, The Two Norries, and Jiminy Eco Toys. Commenting on the national call for applications, CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, Tim Griffiths said: Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, and our dynamic community of supporters, are determined to provide support and help accelerate the pace of social change in Ireland. "We believe that there are people from Derry who have solutions to social problems, and would encourage anyone with an idea, or who is taking action to make their communities better, to apply to one of our programmes. DCC plc, the international sales, marketing and support services group, is the flagship supporter of Social Entrepreneurs Irelands national call for applications. Commenting, the Chief Executive of DCC plc, Donal Murphy said: Over the past twelve years, the team at DCC plc have personally and professionally seen the incredible power and community that Social Entrepreneurs Ireland has had by harnessing the transformative impact that social entrepreneurship has to solve Irelands social problems. On Thursday, 4th May 2023 Social Entrepreneurs Ireland will host an online information session for potential applicants that will outline the supports available through the two programmes. Participants will hear from alumni of the Ideas Academy and Impact Programme, and will have the opportunity to join a live Q&A session with SEI Programme Managers. More details can be found on socialentrepreneurs.ie or the Eventbrite page. Applications for the Ideas Academy are open until midnight on Tuesday, 16th May and applications for the Impact Programme close at midnight on Tuesday, May 30th. Interested candidates can apply or find out more at socialentrepreneurs.ie. MAIN PICTURE: Pictured are Tim Griffiths, CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland; Donal Murphy, Chief Executive of DCC plc; Therese Coveney, co-founder of The Together Academy; students of The Together Academy; Scott and Tristan Casson-Rennie, co-founders of FASD Ireland; Liz Gleeson, founder of Shapes of Grief; Lucy Alexia Dube, founder of Alexia Press Hub. Government announces deployment of Emergency Civil Assistance Team Press release The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD and Tanaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin TD, have announced that the Government has approved the deployment of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team (ECAT) mission. The mission will involve Defence Forces personnel, in support of Department of Foreign Affairs officials, to assist with the process of evacuating Irish citizens and their dependents from the crisis in Sudan. The government remains deeply concerned by the situation in Sudan and the Irish Embassy in Nairobi and the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin are in ongoing contact with over 150 Irish citizens in Sudan. The Department has also been working actively with our international partners to arrange for the evacuation of Irish citizens. Such evacuation operations are highly sensitive given the volatile security situation on the ground. The government has decided that up to 12 Defence Forces personnel will be deployed initially to Djibouti as part of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team (ECAT) mission led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Defence. The ECAT mission will provide consular and other assistance to Irish citizens and their dependents being evacuated from Sudan. The Taoiseach said: The situation in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has got worse in the last few days, and violence is being reported across the city. The Irish Defence Forces personnel and Department of Foreign Affairs officers being deployed will make every effort to provide advice and assistance to the 150 or so Irish nationals in Sudan. The situation on the ground in Sudan remains extremely volatile and I wish the ECAT and Defence Forces team every success in this mission. The Tanaiste said: Todays decision by Government is a continuation of the substantial, intensive work that the Department of Foreign Affairs has been engaged in since this recent outbreak of violence in Sudan. Above all, our primary aim is to offer our citizens every assistance through what has been an extremely difficult and challenging time. Officials of the Department will arrive in Djibouti today. The duration of the mission will be dependent on the progress that can be made, the security situation on the ground and decisions on extraction by partners. We are currently in contact with Irish citizens who have registered with our Embassy. Every effort is being made to assist them. Citizens should follow the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya on Twitter (@IrlEmbKenya) for updated advice. If urgent, the Embassy's out of hours consular assistance phone line can be contacted at +254 716 353 999, and the Department of Foreign Affairs can be contacted at +353 1 408 2000. ENDS PRESS OFFICE 23 April 2023 Previous Item | Next Item Honor has launched the MagicBook X14 and MagicBook X16 laptops in India. Both are refreshed with 12th-gen Intel core processors, 16:10 displays, LPDDR4x RAM and SSD storage. Here are the complete specs of the 2023 MagicBook X14 and X16. Honor MagicBook X14 and X16 specs 1. Both Honor MagicBook X14 and X16 are powered by 12th gen Intel Core i5-12450H process that has got 8 cores and 12 threads. These boast 30 percent improved performance. You get up to 16GB LPDDR4X RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD storage. The storage can be further extended up to 1TB. 2. Inside the laptops also pack a 60Whr battery that supports a 65W USB-C fast charger. 3. The Honor laptops come with 1x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI for connectivity. 4. The key difference between the MagicBook X14 and X16 comes in their displays. The X14 has got a 14-inch FHD IPS screen while the X16 has got a 16-inch FHD IPS display. They both come equipped with 100% SRGB coverage, 300 nits of brightness, anti-glare and a TuV Rheinland-certified anti-flicker as well as anti-blue-light properties. There is a 720P webcam above both displays. 5. The MagicBook laptops also feature a fingerprint reader (embedded within the power button), a full-size backlit keyboard (with a numpad, only on the X16), and Windows 11 Home 64-bit software. Honor MagicBook X14 and X16 price and availability Honor MagicBook X14 and X16 are retailing through Amazon India. The MagicBook X14 is priced at 48,990 for the 8+512GB model and 51,990 for the 16+512GB variant. The base variant of X16, meanwhile, is retailing for 50,990 (8+512GB) and its higher-end model costs 53,990 for the 16GB + 512GB SKU. There is a limited period launch offer of Rs. 2500 instant discount with purchases made using HDFC cards. For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page. Google Pixel Fold is expected to debut at Google I/O 2023. And as it happens with most Google devices, almost everything about the Pixel foldable phone has leaked in full glory. The Pixel Fold leak comes from Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech. Here, we will see its supposed price and 5 expected specifications. Google Pixel Fold specs (Expected) 1. The Pixel Fold could weigh 283g, and measure 5.5 inches in height, 3.1 inches in width, and 0.5 inches in thickness. There could be two colour variants of the Pixel Fold Chalk and Obsidian. 2. The Google foldable could have a 7.6-inch main OLED display with 2208x1840-pixels resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Its cover screen could stretch 5.8 inches diagonally and be OLED in nature, sport FHD+ resolution, and 120Hz refresh rate. The inner screen could have an ultra-thin glass (UTG) protected by a plastic overlay. 3. The rear camera setup on the Pixel Fold could consist of a 48MP primary shooter, accompanied by a 10.8MP 5x optical telephoto zoom lens, and a 10.8MP 121.1-degree ultrawide snapper. The inner camera houses an 8MP sensor while the outer screen camera has a 9.5MP sensor. 4. Google could power its first foldable phone with its in-house Tensor G2 chipset. This could come coupled with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256/512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Google Pixel Fold price (Expected) The leak suggests the Pixel Fold could come at a starting price of $1,799 (~1,47,535.99) for the 256GB variant and $1,919 (~1,57,377.19)for the 512GB model. As part of an introductory offer, the early buyers who pre-book the device could be getting a free Google Pixel Watch. For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page. Dundalk music duo Negro Impacto are calling on Louth's support for the Irish Music Month bursary award The duo comprises vocalist Chi-Chi and producer StrangeLove. The pair joined forces during lockdown, and are fast becoming one of the most exciting, genre-defying acts in the country. After a busy few months, they capped off the year with a new EP featuring reworked versions of their songs. Theyve since clocked up impressive live performances, and an appearance on All Citys This Way Vol. 1 compilation with even more big things to come. Music fans from Louth can now vote for their local act among the 25 regional finalists, in Wildcard Music Award, with a prize of 2,500 for the winner. Tickets for the highly anticipated live finale of A New Local Hero 2023, featuring some of the hottest young talents in Ireland, are on sale now. Following a phenomenal talent search, featuring a genre-blending selection of acts from right across the country, Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) say they are thrilled to present the six national finalists for A New Local Hero. Out of the hugely talented 25 regional finalists, Brad Heidi (Galway Bay FM), Darian June (Red FM), Negro Impacto (LMFM), Temi (FM104), Paddy Keyes (Ocean FM) and Eva Campbell (SPIN 1038) have been chosen to perform at the live finale showcase event at The Academy, in Dublin, on April 25. However, there are still huge opportunities for the 19 artists who didn't make the final six: this year's edition of A New Local Hero also includes a special new element with all 25 regional finalists still in with a chance to be crowned the winner of the Wild Card Award voted by the public. The Wild Card winner will be awarded a 2,500 bursary. Music fans from Louth can cast their vote at irishmusicmonth.ie As one of the central features of Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for Irish musicians and bands with all 25 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions as part of the talent search. Every participating radio station selected four finalists each giving them the chance to play live on air, and paying them for their performance, thanks to the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, under its Sound & Vision scheme. From there, the station's four finalists were whittled down to one 'Local Hero' from each a major honour in itself, which will serve as a huge milestone in the career of the selected 25 artists. MENTORING SESSIONS All of that has led us here, to the national stage of the journey. From the 25 artists selected locally, an industry judging panel has chosen six acts to go forward to play at the special showcase event in Dublin. It has been really exciting, hearing the cream of the new artists who are coming through all over Ireland, Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said. I know that the judges were faced with some enormously difficult calls. But there was also a very strong unanimity in relation to the six that have now been shortlisted, that these are very special acts, with the potential to really flourish in the long run. There can be only one artist selected as A New Local Hero 2023, but it is very clear, from the music that we have been hearing, that we are on the right track here in Ireland at the moment, producing artists of real calibre across all genres. Long may it continue." The A New Local Hero campaign will ultimately see over 100,000 paid directly to Irish artists and one worthy overall winner selected, who will get to record a single at the prestigious Camden Recording Studios in Dublin, and release the single on the famed Irish independent record label Rubyworks. As already noted, this year's edition will also include a special new element with all 25 regional finalists still in with a chance to be crowned the Wild Card winner, voted by the public. The Wild Card winner will be awarded a 2,500 bursary. You can cast your vote at irishmusicmonth.ie All twenty-five A New Local Hero finalists will also be invited to take part in a special series of mentoring sessions and photoshoots on the day of the finale. Irish Music Month is a partnership between Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland. It is supported by the newly established Coimisiun na Mean, which has incorporated the role of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, under the Sound & Vision scheme, and by MCD Productions, IMRO, RAAP, Rubyworks and Camden Recording Studios. The judges for A New Local Hero were Cian Boylan (Camden Recording Studios), Ruth-Anne Cunningham (artist and songwriter), Keith Johnson (IMRO), Roisin O'Reilly (artist and songwriter/ RAAP), Lucy O'Toole (Hot Press) and Roger Quail (Rubyworks). The full list of radio stations participating in Irish Music Month is: 98FM, Clare FM, Classic Hits, Cork's 96FM, Cork's RedFM, East Coast FM, FM104, Galway Bay FM, Highland Radio, iRadio, KCLR, KFM, Live95, LMFM, Midlands 103, Midwest Radio, Ocean FM, Radio Kerry, Radio Nova, Shannonside/Northern Sound, South East Radio, SPIN 1038, SPIN South West, Tipp FM, WLR FM Tickets for the A New Local Hero live event at the Academy on Tuesday, 25 April are now available at https://www.ticketmaster. ie/a-new-local-hero-tickets/ artist/5366306 Turkish troops kill 21 "terrorists" in Syria, Iraq: defense minister Xinhua) 09:19, April 23, 2023 ANKARA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 21 "terrorists" were killed by Turkish troops over the past four days in northern Syria and Iraq, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday. Three of the "terrorists" were killed in Iraq's Zap region, semi-official Anadolu Agency quoted Akar as saying during an event in the Turkish central province of Kayseri. Calling the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) a "tool in the hands of imperialists" to hinder Turkiye's development, Akar said that the Turkish government is determined to eliminate the PKK. The fight against "terrorists" will not end until the security of Turkiye's borders and the nation is ensured, he said. The PKK has been involved in armed clashes with Turkish forces for more than three decades and is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) IRELANDS largest single-source Cumann Na mBan collection might have been lost to history forever were it not for the dedication of curator Dan Breen and his colleagues at the Cork Public Museum. The team is urging anyone with information on historical artefacts in their possession to contact them for guidance. Over the years they have braved attics all over Cork and one trip resulted in the discovery of one of their most treasured exhibition pieces. An archive containing letters, minute books and photographs once owned by sisters and leading Cumann na mBan members May and Lil Conlon has become a leading attraction at the museum. The idea behind the collection is to shed light on the role women played in the events leading up to Irish independence. Cumann na mBan image at Collins Barracks in 1923. Housed in a mid-19th century building within Fitzgerald Park in the Mardyke area of the city, the museums exhibits focus mainly on Cork history and archaeology. Acquired from a family member of the Conlon sisters in 2007, Dan recalled how he-with the help of a student-braved dust and pigeon excrement to make the discovery. "It all started in 2007. I was only here a couple of years at that stage. We received a call from a member of the public saying they were selling a house in Sundays Well." He believed his aunts may have been involved in the Cumann na mBan and was wondering if someone from the museum could have a look through their attic. Dan spent hours sifting through the clutter until eventually striking gold. I knew early on that we couldnt take everything, he said. The place was rammed full of material but we had to be very specific in what we were taking from the war of independence and the Civil period. It became very obvious very quickly that we had stumbled on treasure. "That might not have been gold or jewels. However, these were very precious documents that we were able to rescue. "The documents in their entirety make up about 15 drawers and several other boxes. There was a lot of personal stuff that the family accumulated as well including drivers licenses, old clothes, old telephones and electricity bills. We didnt focus on that stuff because the predominant focus was on the War of Independence and Civil War. Cumann na mBan image on the Cork Court House steps, which included the Conlon sisters May and Lil Conlon. Mr Breen admits he never heard of the Conlons prior to the remarkable discovery. Like most people in this job I didnt know who they were. I had never heard of the Conlons prior to that collection. If we hadnt found that collection I still wouldnt know about the Conlons today. This selection has opened up a massive window into their lives and the role they played. The Cumann na mBan played a very important role in fundraising and supporting the Irish volunteers and prisoners. They also ran events to raise funds for widows and to get weapons and ammunition. One of the things to have come out of the decade of centenary was the role of women. Book "The very first book written on Cumann na mBan was penned by Lil Conlon many years later in the 50s. "She used all those documents we found to write that book. We even found a transcript of the handwritten copy and later purchased the printed edition at an auction. Mr Breen opened up about the contents of the collection. Its an absolute variety of different material. The sisters were obviously very republican. They were nationalists so there were postcards relating to the 1916 rising and various other memorial leaflets. Part of the sisters story hones in on the extreme lengths Lil and May adopted to raise awareness of the cause. Everything that was being written about political and military situations- including leaflets pamphlets and booklets- that would have been available to the public at the time is in the collection. "Lil ended up in prison for a leaflet she put together saying that the police were killing children in Cork. She was arrested and put into prison for several months. "In any war there is propaganda and this was a piece to really push home the message that the British were evil. Fascinating letters exchanged between the sisters during Lils prison stay take pride of place in the museum. Lil was arrested and thrown into a womens prison very close to where she was living in Sundays Well. We have all the letters between her and her sister. There must be 40 letters in the museum altogether. He shed light on how the collection is offering people a broader understanding of local history. The collection has proved invaluable because there was a very bitter split in the Cumann na mBan after the treaty. The vast majority of Cumann na mBan members in Cork were pro-treaty. Conlon War of Independence collection, Pro Treaty leaflets found in a attic in Sunday's Well. They were the only ones in the country to go pro-treaty. May Conlon played an instrumental role in the leadership of that pro-treaty movement. She was communicating with the anti-treaty side led by Mary McSweeney-Terrence McSweeneys sister. "The collection gives us a very rare insight into what was happening at a local level in relation to not only the Cumann na mBan members in Cork, but also their interactions with Dublin. "If we hadnt got the collection or it had been dumped the public at large would have been denied the opportunity to understand that kind of period better. Check the attic He advised people to check their attics for similar artefacts. This is a reminder to people at home that if you find stuff in the attic and youre not fully sure what it is, you can contact the museum or your local library because theyll be able to point you in the right direction. "There is very important stuff hiding in peoples attics that they probably dont know they have. CONCERNS have been raised about Cork bus users who are not internet-savvy as ticket agents are no longer available at the citys bus station. It comes after Independent councillor Ken OFlynn was informed that a senior citizen without internet access who was unable to use her free travel pass at the bus station was told she would have to ask a member of the public to book her ticket online. Since the start of the pandemic, there is no ticket information desk staffed by a member of Bus Eireann, said Mr OFlynn. There is no physical person that you can talk to, he said. One lady aged in her 60s who uses the free travel pass was left without a seat after waiting for her bus, as the other passengers who booked tickets online had already taken all the seats. She said she went down, and other people were after booking their tickets online. She went to wait for her bus. There was no space available for her on the bus when she got on the bus, said Mr OFlynn. She did speak to a driver or a bus conductor, who told her that someone would book a ticket for her online. He didnt offer to do it. Mr OFlynn said the lady was told to ask a passing member of the public to book her ticket online. There is no one there to direct you. She felt like a second-class passenger as a free travel user. Mr OFlynn said Bus Eireann has to treat all of its passengers equally, whether free travel-pass users or paying customers. BUS EIREANN 'SORRY' A spokesperson said they are sorry to hear of the poor service experienced by the customer involved. Choosing to book a seat in advance on Expressway services is not mandatory, but it is recommended for passengers who want to travel at particularly busy times, such as Friday afternoons or bank holidays and for those travelling to the airport, said the spokesperson. If a passenger chooses not to book in advance, they are welcome on any Expressway service on a first-come, first-served basis. Free travel-pass users travelling from Parnell Place bus station have the option to book a ticket either online or on one of the four in-station ticket-vending machines. There are no longer any ticket agents based at the station, but staff on the ground are available to assist customers when using the ticket-vending machines, which guarantees a seat for a particular service for a fee of 2 per leg of the journey. For passengers who book their seat on Expressway services in advance, Bus Eireann has posted a short, step-by-step video on Youtube. Search Bus Eireann Expressway, and Calling all Expressway Free Travel Pass Holders. Bus Eireann customer-care agents can explain to customers how to make an online booking, seven days a week (7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 6pm on weekends and public holidays) at 0818 836 611. APRIL marks Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month, offering an opportunity to learn more about the condition and how it might affect people in their day-to-day lives. IBS causes a problem with the way your gut, or bowel, works, explains Dr Bryony Henderson, lead GP at digital health service Livi. Dr Bryony Henderson, lead GP at the digital healthcare provider, Livi. Its a common condition that affects women more than men, and its usually a lifelong problem. "The symptoms for this can be very similar to types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is why its important to speak to a doctor and get checked out. IBS affects approximately 20,000 people in Ireland. Females, especially younger females are twice as likely to be affected as males. Thats a big number, and although people experience IBS symptoms to various degrees, it can have the potential to impact your work life. According to Henderson, these are the most common IBS symptoms: Stomach pain or cramps which may get worse after eating Bloating and gas (flatulence) Diarrhoea Constipation Tiredness Mucus in your poo Backache Needing to pee more than usual And if someone is experiencing a lot of pressure at work, things might get even worse. Dr Philip Hendy. According to NHS gastroenterologist Dr Philip Hendy, who runs The Better Gut initiative: Stress, including workplace stress, often worsens IBS. In my gastroenterology clinics, I often hear patients say it is work pressures that cause their symptoms to deteriorate. Henderson adds: IBS symptoms tend to come and go, and can generally be well-managed. Many people have long periods with no symptoms and only use medication when their symptoms flare up. If you are concerned, speak to a doctor who will be able to make an individual assessment, recommend a treatment or refer you to a specialist if needed. So how might it affect someone at work? Embarrassment Possibly the most common thing I hear about the effects of IBS when working in an office, is the embarrassment that goes with frequent trips to the WC and having to leave important meetings to rush to the toilet, says Hendy. This goes hand in hand with a sense of shame and worry that these toilet trips may be viewed as a form of work avoidance. When people feel anxious and ashamed, this can exacerbate their symptoms even more, creating a vicious cycle of worsening stress and ill health, that seeps into all areas of life. There is still some stigma around IBS, which might make it more difficult to talk about. Henderson suggests some people could experience potential embarrassment with needing to discuss personal issues with managers. Anxiety Henderson mentions anxiety around having an attack whilst at work, particularly if the toilet facilities are not as private as one would like. It might be tricky when certain food or drink triggers your symptoms, but its out of your control when youre at work, networking or at other professional functions where food or drink is provided, she adds. Affecting performance As one of the symptoms of IBS is tiredness, Henderson says this could lead to a lack of energy, affecting performance at work, or affecting arriving times. Laura Geigaite, medical doctor at Glow Bar London, agrees, saying: IBS can affect your productivity, as the symptoms can make you feel distracted and uncomfortable at work. Low mood Geigaite suggests the condition could contribute to low self-worth: There is a stigma toward IBS. This can harm your self-image and sense of worth in the workplace. Henderson adds: Pain, discomfort and bloating can trigger low mood, and could potentially affect relationships with colleagues, as the symptoms are hidden. The metaverse is arriving in bits and pieces, with no broad consensus on what it really is and how it will work. Retailers see the metaverse as essential to serving customers, and its early adopters are creating it as a natural progression from mobile, social media, and the internet. But how will retailers shift the intricacies of selling physical goods to a virtual world? That is only one leading question about the shape, form, and substance to be available in the metaverse. As businesses begin exploring how they might navigate its unchartered waters, more questions are emerging. Within this context, metaverse technology has yet to solidify how users behave in virtual retail spaces. Constructors are still playing with how to detect who is visiting virtual stores, where and when they visit, how and for how long they interact with products, and why they engage with specific content. All this information is crucial to retailers. To know what works in the metaverse, retailers need to follow the customer journey closely and use customer insights to help guide the design and product placement in their virtual stores. Still a Mystery to Many Mark Zuckerberg, head of the rebranded Meta company behind Facebook and early metaverse development, in October 2021 described it as a successor to the mobile internet with technology built around people. Today, the metaverse seems more science fiction than reality. The new technology has already incurred nearly $18 billion in total losses. With most of the population unable to effectively explain what it is or how it works, the original picture of the metaverse future may be doomed. Generally, metaverse adoption was a goal for many organizations this year, with 71% saying a shift to the metaverse is likely to have a positive business impact, according to Marcel Hollerbach, chief innovation officer at product-to-consumer platform firm Productsup. That said, we have seen the most successful metaverse launches within certain industries gaming, tech, and e-commerce. Companies in these spaces have a reputation for being innovators, so being the first ones to plunge into the virtual arena makes sense, Hollerbach told the E-Commerce Times. Visibly Missing Players Business adoption of the metaverse so far has not been widespread. Nor has interest blossomed universally, noted Adam Riggs, founder and CEO of Frameable. The company builds software for remote-first digital experiences for team collaboration and social connection. Right now, based on what is available currently or in the near future, virtual reality or VR is not a serious, inclusive, or sustainable way to enhance a remote or hybrid teams performance. The exceptions to this are specialized training applications. But for general office applications, VR is not a viable path to better results, Riggs told the E-Commerce Times regarding a key component in metaverse technology. Specifically, video game companies like Roblox and Epic Games were the first to adopt the metaverse. It was a natural implementation given the target audience and developer ecosystem already available, observed Hollerbach. While the adoption of the metaverse in more traditional business settings is still unknown, the initial iterations are starting to shed light on where its value lies for consumers, he added. Meanwhile, tech companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple have been working to offer the foundational technology needed to build metaverse experiences. For e-commerce, many brands are experimenting with different use cases, like Adidas Into the Metaverse campaign. Consumer Consumption Coalescing The metaverse is a new technology that people are still adjusting to and need to discover more closely. Like any disruptive technology, it involves a growth curve, Hollerbach noted. He predicted that behavior and expectations from younger generations will ultimately set the direction for the metaverse. We will likely see several different phases of virtual worlds before the metaverse takes its full form. The metaverse will look much different to Generation Alpha (those born from 2010 to 2024) than the virtual world we have seen over the last year. He reasoned that members of this younger generation already place real-world value in metaverse purchases. Hollerbach is optimistic about the metaverses potential. While adoption has not gone mainstream yet, it has seen much momentum since Meta rebranded. There is still significant growth potential for the technology, and it is a worthy exploratory investment for businesses looking to personalize consumer engagement, he said. Founding Vision a Slow Starter or Inherently Flawed? Riggs sees Zuckerbergs vision as more than just suffering from birth and growing pains. It needs a different direction to succeed, he contends. A $1,500 virtual reality headset that only provides a two-hour charge and causes many issues in terms of accessibility and access is certainly not the answer, he reasoned. These headsets require a high upfront hardware investment plus a high level of internet bandwidth, which many employees may not have access to, he countered. Long-form use has also caused discomfort to many individuals, producing nausea and migraines for many users. According to the Vision Council of America, approximately 75% of adults use some sort of vision correction, creating yet another added challenge for the majority of users, Riggs observed. While the Metaverse may be useful for specific use cases, unfortunately, there are very few VR applications in the marketplace that meet the diverse needs for remote and hybrid work, he said. VR Not Your Fathers Internet Using the metaverse requires a different behavioral set than traditional internet activity. The typical user has integrated internet use into casual everyday activities. We pick up our phones and scroll through the news or message each other while waiting in line without giving a second thought to how the interaction happens, noted Riggs. Current metaverse apps, on the other hand, require the purchase of a headset that you have to charge for hours and put on to interact within the specific app with others. He said it lacks the inherent spontaneity and inclusivity we are accustomed to with our usual internet usage. Virtual Office Spaces Riggs company may have such a product in mind to give metaverse adoption a more affordable solution. Few VR applications exist in the marketplace that adequately meet the diverse needs for inspiring persistent virtual spaces for professionals. Frameable is one of a tiny handful of companies taking this on as a core challenge, and we do it with your existing hardware, not new VR hardware, he explained. Its virtual office product Frameable Spaces lets users create customizable online workspaces that allow them to connect and collaborate just as they would in the physical office. DHAKA A decade after the garment industry's worst ever disaster, Ecotextile News pays tribute to the victims and survivors of Rana Plaza with a 13-page special supplement in the latest issue of our magazine and a commemorative podcast episode of Ecotextile Talks. Download our special supplement HERE and listen to our podcast episode Perspectives on Rana Plaza HERE. An official total of 1,132 people were killed and at least 2,500 injured when the eight-story commercial building, containing several garment factories, collapsed due to structural faults on 24th April 2013. Our special section asks what if anything has changed since that day through a series of interviews in Dhaka with industry stakeholders, unions and the victims and survivors of Rana Plaza whose voices are not often heard. In a poignant meeting with orphans and survivors on the site of the disaster, our correspondent Lavinia Muth an experienced factory auditor heard how many people caught up in the disaster still felt abandoned by the government, the garment industry, and by the retailers and brands which still source from the country. The garment buyers have done an un-justice to us. We didnt get proper justice, relief or compensation as we still cannot work, a group of disaster victims told us at the Rana Plaza memorial, not far from the building location. Our coverage also includes an interview with Professor Rashedur Chowdhury, from the University of Essex, who grew up in Bangladesh and has conducted more than 400 interviews with those impacted by the disaster. He suggest that, if avoiding vast compensation pay-outs was the goal of companies sourcing from Bangladesh, this has been frequently achieved. Many brands were eager to become signatories of safety agreements in the wake of the tragedy to cool down the outcry about compensation, he claims. Other stakeholders however report some progress on issues such as building safety and unionisation over the last 10 years in the Bangladesh garment industry. Khadiza Akter, of the Awaj Foundation and vice president of Sommolito Garments Sramik Federation, who started her career as a child worker in the garment sector when she was 11 years old, told us: Before Rana Plaza there were hardly any unions, and factory owners were not aware of building safety issues. "Since then, we have seen safety increase in every factory and buildings are checked for problems. Right after the incident, however, there was still an unwritten direction from the government not to allow union registration. Several other Bangladesh unions claimed there was still a significant imbalance in power between workers, factory owners, and the brands heavily skewed in favour of the owners and buyers. This goes some way to explaining the subsequent growth in garment worker unionisation and militancy over the past decade in an industry where the average salary is still only around US$100 per month for 11 hour shifts. The gargantuan artificial construct enveloping your local star is going to be rather difficult to miss, even from a few light years away. And given the literally astronomical costs of resources needed to construct such a device the still-theoretical-for-humans Dyson Sphere having one in your solar system will also serve as a stark warning of your technological capacity to ETs that comes sniffing around. Or at least that's how 20th century astronomers like Nikolai Kardashev and Carl Sagan envisioned our potential Sol-spanning distant future going. Turns out, a whole lot of how we predict intelligences from outside our planet will behave is heavily influenced by humanity's own cultural and historical biases. In The Possibility of Life, science journalist Jaime Green examines humanity's intriguing history of looking to the stars and finding ourselves reflected in them. Harper Collins Publishing Excerpted from The Possibility of Life by Jaime Green, Copyright 2023 by Jaime Green. Published by Hanover Square Press. On a Scale of One to Three The way we imagine human progress technology, advancement seems inextricable from human culture. Superiority is marked by fast ships, colonial spread, or the acquisition of knowledge that fuels mastery of the physical world. Even in Star Trek, the post-poverty, post-conflict Earth is rarely the setting. Instead we spend our time on a ship speeding faster than light, sometimes solving philosophical quandaries, but often enough defeating foes. The future is bigger, faster, stronger and in space. Subscribe to the Engadget Deals Newsletter Great deals on consumer electronics delivered straight to your inbox, curated by Engadgets editorial team. See latest Subscribe Please enter a valid email address Please select a newsletter By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy. Astronomer Nikolai Kardashev led the USSRs first SETI initiatives in the early 1960s, and he believed that the galaxy might be home to civilizations billions of years more advanced than ours. Imagining these civilizations was part of the project of searching for them. So in 1964, Kardashev came up with a system for classifying a civilizations level of technological advancement. The Kardashev scale, as its called, is pretty simple: a Type I civilization makes use of all the energy available on or from its planet. A Type II civilization uses all the energy from its star. A Type III civilization harnesses the energy of its entire galaxy. Whats less simple is how a civilization gets to any of those milestones. These leaps, in case its not clear, are massive. On Earth were currently grappling with how dangerous it is to try to use all the energy sources on our planet, especially those that burn. (So were not even a Type I civilization, more like a Type Three-quarters.) A careful journey toward Type I would involve taking advantage of all the sunlight falling on a planet from its star, but thats just one billionth or so of a stars total energy output. A Type II civilization would be harnessing all of it. Its not just that a Type II civilization would have to be massive enough to make use of all that energy, theyd also have to figure out how to capture it. The most common imagining for this is called a Dyson sphere, a massive shell or swarm of satellites surrounding the star to capture and convert all its energy. If you wanted enough material to build such a thing, youd essentially have to disassemble a planet, and not just a small one more like Jupiter. And then a Type III civilization would be doing that, too, but for all the stars in its galaxy (and maybe doing some fancy stuff to suck energy off the black hole at the galaxys core). On the one hand, these imaginings are about as close to culturally agnostic as we can get: they require no alien personalities, no sociology, just the consumption of progressively more power, to be put to use however the aliens might like. But the Kardashev scale still rests on assumptions that are baked into so many of our visions of advanced aliens (and Earths own future as well). This view conflates advancement not only with technology but with growth, with always needing more power and more space, just the churning and churning of engines. Astrophysicist Adam Frank identifies the Kardashev scale as a product of the midcentury techno-utopian vision of the future. At the point when Kardashev was writing, humanity hadnt yet been forced to face the sensitive feedback systems our energy consumption triggers. Planets, stars, and galaxies, Frank writes, would all simply be brought to heel. Even in the Western scientific tradition, alternatives to Kardashevs scale have been offered. Aerospace engineer Robert Zubrin proposed one scale that measures planetary mastery and another that measured colonizing spread. Carl Sagan offered one that accounts for the information available to a civilization. Cosmologist John D. Barrow proposed microscopic manipulation, going from Type Iminus, where people can manipulate objects of their own scale, down through the parts of living things, molecules, atoms, atomic nuclei, subatomic particles, to the very fabric of space and time. Frank proposed looking not at energy consumption but transformation, noting that a sophisticated civilization does more than bring a planet to heel, it must learn to find balance between resource use and long-term survival. Of these again, all white American or European men only Sagan offers a measure of advancement that isnt necessarily acquisitive. Even the manipulation of atoms, which may seem so small and delicate, requires massive amounts of energy in the form of particle accelerators, not to mention that this kind of tinkering has also unleashed humanitys greatest destructive force. But Sagans super-advanced civilization could be nothing more than a massive, massive library, filled with scholars and philosophers, expanding and exploring mentally but with no dominion over their planet or star. (Yet, one has to ask: What is powering those libraries? The internet is ephemeral, but it is not free.) Implicit in any vision of vast progress is not just longevity but continuity. The assumption of the ever upward-sloping line is bold to say the least. In the novella A Man of the People, Ursula K. Le Guin writes of one world, Hain, where civilization has existed for three million years. But just as the last few thousand years on Earth have seen empires rise and fall, and cultures collapse and displace one another, so it is on Hain at larger scale. Le Guin writes, There had beenbillions of lives lived in millions of countriesinfinite wars and times of peace, incessant discoveries and forgettingsan endless repetition of unceasing novelty. To hope for more than that is perhaps more optimistic than to imagine we might domesticate a star. Perhaps its also shortsighted, extrapolating out eons of future from just the last few centuries of life on two continents, rather than a wider view of many millennia on our whole world. All of these scales of progress are built on human assumptions, specifically the colonizing, dominating, fossil-fuel-burning history of Europe and the United States. But scientists dont see much use in thinking about the super-advanced alien philosophers and artists and dolphins, brilliant as they might be, because it would be basically impossible for us to find them. The scientific quest for advanced aliens is about trying to imagine not just who might be out there but how we might find them. Which is how we end up at Dyson spheres. Dyson spheres are named for Freeman Dyson, the physicist, mathematician, and general polymath. While most SETI scientists in the early 1960s were looking for extraterrestrial beacons, Dyson thought one ought to be looking at the uncooperative society. Not obstinate, just not actively trying to help us. The idea of searching for radio signals was a fine idea, he said in a 1981 interview, but it only works if you have some cooperation at the other end. So I was always thinking about what to do if you were looking just for evidence of intelligent activities without anything in the nature of a message. And you might as well start with the easiest technology to detect the biggest or brightest. So the massive spheres Dyson popularized in his 1960 paper were the result of him asking What is the largest feasible technology? In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Relics, the Enterprise finds itself caught in a massive gravitational field, even though there are no stars nearby. The source, on the view screen, is a matte, dark gray sphere. Riker says its diameter is almost as wide as the Earths orbit. Picard asks, with hushed wonder, Mr. Data, could this be a Dyson sphere? Data replies, The object does fit the parameters of Dysons theory. Commander Riker isnt familiar with the concept, but Picard doesnt give him any trouble for that. Its a very old theory, Number One. Im not surprised that you havent heard of it. He tells him that a twentieth century physicist, Freeman Dyson, had proposed that a massive, hollow sphere built around a star could capture all the stars radiating energy for use. A population living on the interior surface would have virtually inexhaustible sources of power. Riker asks, with some skepticism, if Picard thinks there are people living in the sphere. Possibly a great number of people, Commander, Data says. The interior surface area of a sphere this size is the equivalent of more than two hundred and fifty million Class M [Earthlike] planets. In Dysons thinking, the goal wasnt living space but energy how would a civilization reach Type II? And Dysons writing was clearly speculative. In the paper, he wrote, I do not argue that this is what will happen in our system; I only say that this is what may have happened in other systems. Decades later, astrophysicist Jason Wright took up the search. One of the great benefits to this approach, Wright told me, is that nature doesnt make Dyson spheres. Wright is a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State, where he is director of the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center. But while the best known version of SETI is listening for radio signals (more on that in the next chapter), Wright focuses on looking for technosignatures evidence of technology out among the stars. Technosignatures allow you to find those uncooperative aliens Dyson thought would make the best targets. We dont even need to find the aliens, in this case, just proof they once existed. That could be a stargate, or a distant planet covered in elemental silicon (geologically unlikely, but technologically great for solar panels), or it could be a Dyson sphere. Wrights first big search for Dyson spheres was called Glimpsing Heat from Alien Technologies, or G-HAT. Or, even better, G (because thats a G with a little hat on it). The premise was simple: Dyson spheres dont just absorb energy, they transform it, inevitably radiating some waste as heat which we can see as infrared radiation. So, from 2012 to 2015, Wright and his team looked at about a million galaxies, searching for a Type II civilization on its way to Type III, having ensconced enough of a galaxys stars in Dyson spheres that the galaxy might glow unusually bright in infrared. (They surveyed galaxies rather than individual stars because, as Wright writes, A technological species that could build a Dyson sphere could also presumably spread to nearby star systems, so its fair to think a galaxy with one Dyson sphere may have several, and several would be easier to find than just one. Might as well start there.) None were found, but you know that because you wouldve surely heard about it if Wrights search had succeeded. Wright prides himself on the agnosticism of this approach. He doesnt need aliens to be looking for us or to have any certain sociological impulses. They just need technology. Technology uses energy, he told me. Thats kind of what makes it technology. Just like life uses energy. That view makes demolishing a Jupiter-sized planet to build a star-encompassing megastructure seem almost comically simple, but Wright doesnt even see the existence of a Dyson sphere as requiring massive coordination or forethought on the aliens part. It is truly, in his view, a low-intensity ask. He compared it to Manhattan, a fair example of a human megastructure, a massive, interconnected, artificial system. It was planned to some degree, but no one was ever like, Hey, lets build a huge city here. Its just every generation made it a little bigger. He thinks a Dyson sphere or swarm could accumulate in a similar manner. If the energy is out there to take and its just gonna fly away to space anyway, then why wouldnt someone take it? Wright knows the objections: that this imagines a capitalist orientation, a drive to dominate nature that is by no means universal, not even among human societies. But for his research to work, this drive doesnt need to be universal among the stars. It just has to have happened sometimes, enough for us to see the results. As he put it, Theres nothing that drives all life on Earth to be large. In fact, most life is small. But some life is large. And if an alien were to come to Earth, they wouldnt need to see all the small life to know the planet was inhabited. A single elephant would do the trick. Some hypothetical alien technosignatures might be less definitive. In 2017, astronomers detected a roughly quarter-mile-long rocky object slingshotting through the solar system. They realized that this object, called Oumuamua, came from outside the system because of its speed and the path it took. It was the first interstellar object ever detected in our system. While hopes or fears that it was an alien probe were not realized, it was a reminder that alien technology could be found closer to home, lurking around our own sun. We dont know that theres not technology here because weve never really checked, Wright said. I mean, I guess if they had cities on Mars, we would noticeif they were on the surface, anyway. But, he pointed out, much of the Earths surface doesnt have active, visible technology. The same could go for the solar system beyond Earth, too. There could be alien probes or debris, like Oumuamua but constructed, moving so fast or so dark that we dont see them. Maybe theres an alien base on the dwarf planet Ceres, or buried under the surface of Mars. The lunar monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Wright reminded me, was buried just under the surface of the moon. All those ancient interstellar gates sci-fi is fond of have to be found before they can be used. Dont forget, until 2015, our best image of Pluto was a blurry blob. So much of what we know about even our own solar system is inference and assumption. Skeptics love to ask Okay, so where is everyone? But we dont know for sure that they arent or havent been here. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Marina Alderete Gavito wasnt planning to run for the District 7 seat at least not yet. She had her sights set on a 2025 campaign, thinking that former Councilwoman Ana Sandoval would have termed out of the position rather than leaving early. But when she heard rumors that Sandoval might be preparing to step down, Gavito started thinking about if she could manage the role now. In this world, you dont always get to choose your timing, Gavito said. So the first thing I did was just to check in with my family if this is the right time for us. And it was. Though the timing may have been a surprise, the fact that Gavito is running is not. Her family does, after all, have a history in local politics. Gavitos father is former District 7 Councilman Joe Alderete, who is a one-time City Council ally of Mayor Henry Cisneros in the 1980s and is now an Alamo Colleges trustee. Her mother is Chris Alderete, a former chairwoman of Port San Antonios board of directors. She was one of several candidates quick to jump at the chance to fill Sandovals District 7 seat after she departed in January. On ExpressNews.com: Mario Bravo had humbling lesson in his first term, but hes confident in re-election bid May 6 is Election Day, and early voting runs from Monday through May 2. Gavito and Dan Rossiter have the most community leadership experience of any of the candidates in District 7. Rossiter was a founding member of the citys Housing Commissions Renters Solutions Subcommittee, which helps create policies regarding fair rental practices. He served on multiple local boards and commissions, including the 2022-27 Streets Bond Committee, where he played a role in advising the council on how to spend half a billion dollars to improve city roads. Gavito served as vice president of the Woodlawn Lake Neighborhood Association and vice chair of the VIA board of trustees. She also has been on the Bexar County Child Welfare Board and University of Texas at San Antonio College of Engineering Advisory Board. They are joined on the ballot by two others who have been active through the campaign season Sandragrace Martinez and Jacob Chapa. Candidate Andrew AJ Luck, a U.S. Navy veteran, has been quiet leading up to the election. Martinez, a licensed professional counselor, took Jay Kleberg into a runoff last year for the Democratic nomination for Texas land commissioner despite a tight budget. Chapa, a legal assistant, is wrapping up a political science degree at UTSA. He plans to graduate in May. No matter who wins the race, constituents will get someone a bit less progressive than Sandoval, who often sided with the more left-leaning council members. Gavito, Rossiter, Martinez and Chapa all oppose Proposition A, a controversial charter amendment on the ballot. It would decriminalize abortion and marijuana, expand cite-and-release and ban some policing techniques. It also would create a citywide justice director. Focused on results Rossiter, 32, thought for years about running. In fact, when Sandoval first left office in January, Rossiter had an interest in serving as the interim council member until a new person was elected, but the City Council said it would only consider temporary applicants who were not also running for office. During his four years as president of the Thunderbird Hills Neighborhood Association, Rossiter secured 10 acres for parkland. He served on the Brooks Development Authoritys board of directors for two years before leaving that role to run for office. It was a role that District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda appointed him to. On ExpressNews.com: Jalen McKee-Rodriguez looks to make history by keeping District 2 seat Rossiter is a computer scientist who oversaw transportation projects at Southwest Research Institute before leaving his job in February to focus on his campaign. Rossiter still owns his real estate investment and rental management company, which he would continue to run if elected. Unsurprisingly, given his professional background, roads are at the top of his priority list. District 7 has some of the most underinvested in roads, including the most dangerous road in the entire city with Culebra Road, he said. The district deserves someone with a decade of experience getting roads working for the communities that rely on them. Rossiter wants to eliminate waste in the budget to spend money more efficiently, improve public safety through ongoing investment in the San Antonio Police Department and already has outlined policy recommendations to protect people from animal violence and to consolidate city-utility operations. A long line of support The District 7 seat is now held by interim Councilwoman Rosie Castro, a civil rights activist and mother to twin brothers Julian Castro, a former mayor, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro. Though Castro isnt endorsing any District 7 candidate, she said she has heard the most support for Gavito and that there are many who believe Gavito will be able to win without a runoff. Castros insight seems to be borne out through a long list of hefty endorsements and major campaign contributions. Former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer and numerous members of City Council are backing Gavito. Organizations, including the San Antonio Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 624, San Antonio Police Officers Association, Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio and the Valero Corporation PAC, also are lining up behind Gavito. On ExpressNews.com: Your guide to the city of San Antonios May 6 election Gavito, 41, is a strategic adviser at SA Digital Connects, a nonprofit that works closely with Bexar County and the city to expand internet access to low-income neighborhoods. Before her campaign, Gavito served as the organizations executive director. Before SA Digital Connects, she was the innovation business development director for San Antonio insurance and financial services giant USAA. She has close ties to San Antonios burgeoning tech community. She has worked at Rackspace and served as the founding executive director at Tech Bloc. Infrastructure, public safety and greater accountability at City Hall are important to Gavito. She wants to improve the offices communication with constituents, fix drainage issues, build new greenways and parks, and guide sustainable development. Gavito raised nearly $60,000, loaned herself about $2,000 and spent $25,000. She has almost $40,000 cash on hand as of the end of the reporting period. Rossiter is her closest competitor, with $4,000 raised during the filing period. He loaned himself $20,000, spent about $12,000 and had close to $12,000 cash on hand as of March 27. Martinez reported that she didnt have any cash on hand and hadnt raised any money during the most recent reporting period. She loaned her campaign about $2,200. Similarly, Chapa has no cash on hand, but he did raise $1,500 in February and March. Luck has not filed a report. A different lens Now a counselor, Martinez has experience as a child protective service investigator and a parole officer. Martinez, 49, has served on the Bexar County Sheriffs Office Advisory Board, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and the Bexar County Child Welfare Board. Last summer, Martinez oversaw a roadside memorial that cropped up after dozens of migrants were found dead in a tractor-trailer on Quintana Road. Though she initially supported Proposition A, Martinez now opposes it, saying it is causing too much division. On ExpressNews.com: Attorney Marc Whyte is in a good position to win the open District 10 council seat. And he knows it. Martinez said her background in mental health helps her to look at things from a systemic point of view and would help as the council tries to find solutions for issues like homelessness, drug addiction, domestic violence and more. As a mental health clinician, I have to look at things from a different lens because, for the past decade, thats all Ive done, Martinez said. There has been some tension between Martinez and the Gavito campaign. Martinez posted a video of herself arguing with Gavitos father, Joe Alderete, after she says she saw him remove one of her campaign signs. Gavito said it was all a misunderstanding her father got permission from a property owner to put out a sign for the Gavito campaign while Martinez had permission from business owners on the site. OnExpressNews.com: 52 years in the making: Rosie Castro takes the reins as temporary District 7 council member A young voice At 21, Chapa is the youngest and most conservative candidate actively campaigning for the District 7 seat. As a legal assistant at a debt collection law firm, Chapa said he is heavily involved in accounting work for the practice. Chapa aspires to be a lawyer. If elected, Chapa wants to focus on lowering the citys crime rate. He especially wants to address sex trafficking and domestic violence. He wants to address these problems from both an enforcement and rehabilitation side. And Chapa sees his youth as an asset if he were on the dais. Im completely open to taking input and methods and listening to the community and allowing them to direct me instead of me being selfish and trying to direct myself, Chapa said. On ExpressNews.com: Mayor Nirenberg has $320K to fend off opponents, but a local business owner is putting up a fight Sandoval left City Council at the end of January after 5 years of service for a new job at University Health, citing a need to spend more time with family and to earn more money. Despite leaving the dais, San Antonio likely hasnt seen the last of Sandoval, who was sometimes talked about as a potential future mayor. When she left, Sandoval told reporters that future running for office again is not off the table. An officer who served as Police Chief William McManus personal driver had a sexual encounter with a girlfriend in his pickup while parked near police headquarters but even though the officer admitted to the act, McManus rejected a recommendation for disciplinary action, records show. Key card records and security video collected by police internal affairs investigators showed that officer Robert Gonzales Jr. drove into a city-owned parking lot at Santa Rosa and Cesar E. Chavez in May 2021 and allowed his then-girlfriend into the lot, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Gonzales, then 45, was in uniform and scheduled to work overtime that day in connection with an event at the Alamodome, the sources said. After reviewing the evidence against him, Gonzales admitted to the sexual encounter, the sources said. At the time, the officer was married but was separated from his wife. The parking lot is adjacent to San Antonio Police Department headquarters, and access typically is restricted to people visiting the building. The case against Gonzales went before the citys Advisory Action Board, a panel of seven sworn officers and seven civilians that reviews allegations of officer misconduct and makes recommendations to the chief. After examining video and text messages and interviewing the woman, the boards officers voted unanimously to sustain an allegation that Gonzales violated an SAPD policy that bars officers from engaging in sexual relations while on duty, in uniform or representing the department in any way. In a separate vote on what discipline to mete out, the officers voted 5-1 to recommend a 30-day suspension. The civilian members, by a split vote, did not sustain the allegation against Gonzales and thus did not recommend any disciplinary action. KAYLEE GREENLEE BEAL 2022 McManus, who has wide latitude in deciding on punishment, overruled the sworn officers on the board and declared the allegation inconclusive, meaning it could not be proven or disproven, internal records show. McManus upheld a separate allegation against Gonzales that the officer, while on duty, drove a city vehicle at speeds up to 120 mph on a local highway sometime between March and August 2021. READ MORE: SAPDs plan for curbing violent crime Gonzales had taken a picture of his speedometer with his phone and admitted to investigators that he had been speeding, even though he wasnt responding to a call or performing any duties that would require driving so fast. On the speeding allegation, the boards officers voted 4-2 to recommend a five-day suspension; the civilian members voted 2-1 for a 10-day suspension. McManus set aside both recommendations, ordering Gonzales to receive written counseling instead. 'Morale issues' McManus has imposed much tougher discipline in similar cases in the past. His decision to spare Gonzales was met with criticism by some in the department including a former high-level commander. Deputy Chief Gus Guzman, who retired in October after 30 years with the department, criticized McManus in an exit questionnaire, contending that the chief played favorites and protected officers close to him. REALTED: Car thefts jump in S.A. even as overall crime rate drops The chief, with the influence of others that lack experience has corrupted the discipline process by using it as a weapon and sometimes ruling against the (advisory boards) recommendations when the respondent is one of his staff members, Guzman wrote. This has resulted in serious trust, accountability and morale issues, which have led to lack of innovation, creativity, teamwork, communication, motivation, satisfaction and commitment by officers department wide, Guzman wrote. Leadership needs to recognize that it has systematically created an unfair caste system where rules dont apply to all equally and access to resources is limited based on who you are or what unit you are assigned to. Guzman, contacted by the Express-News, said he stood by his statement in the exit questionnaire. He declined to comment further. 'Facts and fairness' McManus, through a spokeswoman, declined to be interviewed about Gonzales, saying local and state laws prohibit him from discussing personnel matters unless they result in formal disciplinary action against officers. But in a statement, the chief rejected the notion that he plays favorites. While I appreciate the feedback from former employees, it is important to note that my decisions are based on facts and fairness, not favoritism, McManus said. As chief, I make administrative decisions with input. I understand that not everyone will agree with every decision made, but I prioritize the safety and well-being of the community and our officers. After the two incidents, Gonzales who had been with the department for 20 years and was McManus' personal driver for three years was transferred from the chiefs office to overnight patrol at SAPDs Central Substation, where he remains today. Gonzales did not respond to a phone call seeking comment. His ex-girlfriend declined to comment. No booty on duty Section 3.36 of SAPDs general manual lays down the rules of the road on sexual behavior: Officers cannot engage in sex while on duty, in uniform, working off-duty or using their position with the San Antonio Police Department in any capacity. Infractions of the policy are classified as sexual misconduct. It doesnt matter whether the sexual relations are consensual. The policy was tightened in 2015 after officer Jackie Neal was convicted of raping a woman in the back of his patrol SUV. The victim sued, seeking $10 million from the city for violation of her civil rights, and the city eventually settled the case for $500,000. Neal was sentenced to 14 months in prison. POLICE REFORM: What San Antonios Prop A ballot measure would do Immediately after the settlement, McManus amended the general manual to establish a zero-tolerance policy on sexual misconduct. Among the changes: The manual made clear that officers were prohibited from sexual contact with those they supervise, train or mentor. Next, at the urging of then-City Manager Sheryl Sculley, the internal affairs unit searched department files to identify officers with at least one substantiated allegation of sexual misconduct so that the officers could be given additional training and, if necessary, treatment, sources said. Internal affairs identified 32 such officers a list that became known throughout the department as the Dirty 30. Most of the officers on the list had been accused of serious misconduct, such as sexual assault. Some were suspended indefinitely but remained on the force after meeting with the chief and agreeing to accept lesser punishments. In other cases, the allegations didnt result in disciplinary action. Officers from the Dirty 30 list who remained on the force met with SAPDs staff psychologist and received specialized training on sexual misconduct and proper workplace behavior. During annual trainings at the police academy, SAPD officers were drilled on the policy changes. Admonitions such as no booty on duty became commonplace. From patrol to chiefs detail Gonzales graduated from Jay High School on the West Side. He joined the police department as a cadet in December 2000 and graduated from the academy in June 2001. Initially, Gonzales was assigned to SAPDs Prue Substation on the Northwest Side, where he worked the overnight shift. His next stop was the West Substation on Culebra. Later, he was a member of the downtown Bike Patrol unit. Next, he moved to the chiefs executive detail as McManus' personal driver. Gonzales ferried the chief to and from meetings, public engagements and crime scenes and provided protection for McManus. In this SAPD Instagram post, Gonzales is shown in the lower lefthand corner, with a white kitten on his shoulder. The internal affairs investigation into Gonzales conduct began after he and his then-girlfriend broke up. The pair had dated for about a year and a half, the sources said. In summer 2021, the woman contacted internal affairs and provided text messages with details about their relationship. She described the encounter in the parking lot near police headquarters, telling investigators she performed oral sex on Gonzales. The woman said she and Gonzales had sex on three other occasions when he was working an off-duty security job at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. She claimed Gonzales twice consumed alcohol while working at the Tobin. That would have been a violation of department policy, which bars officers from drinking when in uniform. Officers who work off-duty jobs wear their SAPD uniforms. Gonzales denied the allegations related to the Tobin. The text messages the woman provided backed up her account of meeting with him there, but investigators could not obtain video footage from the Tobins management, one of the sources said. 'Good conduct and behavior' After completing their investigation, internal affairs investigators filed seven allegations against Gonzales. Four accused him of violating the departments prohibition against sexual misconduct under Section 3.36 of the general manual. Two of the allegations accused him of violating the ban on drinking when in uniform. The seventh allegation stemmed from the speeding incident and accused Gonzales of flouting a policy that requires officers, whether on or off duty, to be governed by the ordinary and reasonable rules of good conduct and behavior. The case went to the Advisory Action Board. The panel, now known as the Complaint and Administrative Review Board, was created under terms of the citys collective bargaining agreement with the San Antonio Police Officers Association. The seven sworn members are a deputy chief, a captain, a lieutenant, a sergeant, a detective and two officers. They are appointed by the chief and serve six-month terms. The City Council appoints 14 civilian members who serve on a rotating basis seven at a time over the course of two years. The sworn and civilian members vote separately on whether to sustain allegations against officers and what if any discipline to recommend. In September 2021, board members viewed the evidence against Gonzales and were briefed on the case by an internal affairs investigator. The ex-girlfriend appeared before the panel to answer questions and testified in detail about her relationship with Gonzales, the sources said. Both the sworn and civilian members decided that the two alleged violations of the departments alcoholic beverage policy and the three alleged instances of sexual misconduct at the Tobin Center were inconclusive or unfounded, meaning Gonzales would face no disciplinary action. The board members, both sworn and civilian, sustained the allegation of speeding, but McManus rejected their recommendation that Gonzales be suspended and ordered written counseling instead. Regarding the allegation of sex in the parking lot, the civilian members of the board did not sustain the allegation. The officers did and recommended a 30-day suspension. According to people close to the investigation, McManus reasoning in deeming the allegation inconclusive, even though Gonzales had admitted to the act, was that Gonzales took his uniform shirt off during the encounter. That was seen as creating ambiguity about whether the officer technically was in uniform at the time, the sources said. Faced no discipline Gonzales conduct and McManus decision to rule out disciplinary action became an issue this year during an arbitration hearing in an unrelated police disciplinary case. A lawyer representing the officer in that matter asked McManus about his handling of the allegations against Gonzales. Testifying under oath at the Feb. 15 hearing, McManus acknowledged in response to questions that Gonzales had sex while on duty and that he had overruled the boards recommendation for a 30-day suspension. But they found that he had sex on duty, correct? an attorney asked, referring to Gonzales. They did, McManus responded, according to a transcript of the proceeding obtained by the San Antonio Express-News. And he admitted that in his interrogatories, did he not? the attorney asked. He did. So you changed the charge to inconclusive, correct? Correct, McManus said. And he faced no discipline for that, correct? the attorney asked. Correct, McManus said. Similar cases, different results McManus has suspended or dismissed officers for conduct similar to what Gonzales is alleged to have done. Officer Christopher Martinez was suspended indefinitely which is tantamount to a firing after he was accused in 2009 of engaging in sexual activity while in uniform in a patrol car at Brooks City Base, which at the time was owned by the federal government. When caught in the act, Martinez tried to use his position as a police officer to coerce a security guard to release him and the woman, officials said at the time. Martinez unsuccessfully appealed his firing to an independent arbitrator. McManus initially proposed an indefinite suspension for Sgt. Sam Esparza in 2011 after he admitted to driving a woman to an after-hours party. On the way, he stopped under a bridge at Guadalupe and Interstate 35, where he and the woman had sex, officials said. McManus reduced the penalty to a 30-day suspension after meeting with the officer. In April 2016, McManus indefinitely suspended two officers who were accused of engaging in sexual relations while on duty. According to department records, Officers Rebecca Martinez and Eman Fondren disabled the GPS units on their vehicles twice to conceal on-duty trysts one in a Home Depot parking lot, the other in a private home. Investigators obtained text messages of the two talking about the rendezvous, though the officers said the texts expressed their fantasies about having sex on duty and that they did not actually do so. Martinez, a four-year SAPD veteran, and Fondren, who had been with the department 2 half years, both appealed their firings. An independent arbitrator upheld the chiefs decision. If you got caught up trying to figure out which Twitter accounts still had checkmarks, which accounts were real and which werent and what the difference was between blue, gray and gold checkmarks, and now you need to catch up on the local headlines, youve come to the right place. Click the headlines to check on the weeks most popular stories. SpaceXs much anticipated Starship launch on Thursday ended in an explosion as the worlds largest rocket burst into flames over the Gulf of Mexico. View the video of the launch, read more about why some South Texas residents arent counting on SpaceX to make them rich and check out how it got to where it is today. The U.S. government is sending Mexico about $26 million, much of it from the sale of real estate seized in San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley. The money is restitution for a massive fraud perpetrated by the former treasurer of a Mexican state. Read more about the investigation into Javier Villarreal Hernandez and what else the U.S. seized in its investigation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Tony Gutierrez, STF / Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Show More Show Less Fort Hood briefly became Fort Cavazos but then came the discovery that the contractors replacing the sign had used the wrong typeface and the lettering was taken down. Read about when the new signage in the correct typeface is set to go up, as well as the history behind the Army posts name change. Armed marshals will soon stand guard at San Marcos Consolidated Independent School Districts eight elementary schools one of many districts increasing security since the May 24, 2022, massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Find out more about the $500,000 per year program, how it will work and why the district chose marshals over other suggested security solutions. The owner of Moses Roses Hideout rejected the citys final $5.3 million offer for his property. Vince Cantu says hell seek a court order to fight the citys efforts to take the property using eminent domain. Click to find out why Cantu is willing to go to court and to get a recap of the legal back-and-forth between him and the city of San Antonio. Uvalde has hired a new senior commander to help run its police department, which has been battered by recriminations over how officers responded to last year's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in which 21 people died. Homer Delgado is leaving his job as police chief in Dilley to become Uvalde's assistant chief effective May 8, city officials said. Delgado played a role in the confused aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting, when hundreds of police officers converged on Uvalde from towns and cities across Texas to support the local department. Some of those officers interfered with news-gathering by ordering journalists off public sidewalks and positioning public safety vehicles to prevent photographers from taking pictures of funeral processions. At the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr., Delgado stepped in to oversee the out-of-town officers while still serving as Dilley's chief last June. In an interview with the Express-News at the time, Delgado said he regretted that journalists had been hassled and that he had instructed the officers to respect the First Amendment. Were not there to interfere with the media, he said. The out-of-town officers went back to their own departments within a few weeks. On Express-News.com: Robb Elementary students begged for rescue while police waited The Uvalde Police Department was among two dozen local, state and federal agencies that responded to Robb Elementary School on the morning of May 24, 2022, after a teenage gunman opened fire inside the school with a semiautomatic, military-style rifle. A crowd of law enforcement officers that eventually numbered nearly 400 waited in a hallway or outside the school for more than an hour while the gunman was holed up with his victims in two interconnected classrooms. During that time, children called 911 from the classrooms, begging to be rescued. The siege ended when members of a Border Patrol tactical unit stormed the classrooms and killed the shooter. By then, 19 children and two teachers had died. The on-scene incident commander was Pedro "Pete" Arredondo, then chief of Uvalde school district's police force. He was harshly criticized and ultimately fired for treating the incident as a "barricaded subject" situation rather than as an "active shooter" scenario, which called for immediate action to confront the shooter and save lives. Huckabee Architects The Uvalde Police Department was not spared criticism over its performance. Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez was out of town that day, and Lt. Mariano Pargas was acting chief. City officials moved to terminate Pargas after CNN aired audio from the scene that showed Pargas knew some children were still alive in the classrooms and did not take action. Pargas retired in November before he could be fired. Delgado "brings 26 years of diverse experience including prisoner transportation, patrol, criminal investigations, hostage negotiations, tactical response, prosecutorial investigations and police administration," Uvalde City Manager Vince DiPiazza said in a news release announcing Delgado's hiring. Before becoming police chief in Dilley in 2022, Delgado worked as a patrol officer in Ingleside, in various roles for the San Patricio County Sheriffs Office, as an investigator for the Medina County Attorneys Office and as a lieutenant for the Terrell Hills Police Department. Delgado graduated from San Antonio's Jefferson High School and studied criminal justice and police science at San Antonio College from 1992 to 1994. In Dilley, located about 60 miles southeast of Uvalde, Delgado "has done an excellent job of building strong, transparent relationships between the citizens ... and the police department," DiPiazza said. Huckabee Architects "His policing philosophy is to balance a foundation of traditional policing concepts with innovative and progressive methods designed to evolve with our communitys future needs," DiPiazza said. Delgado announced his resignation as Dilley's chief in an open letter to residents on Friday. The University of Texas at Austin is launching a pilot program to help low- and middle- income students pay for on-campus housing costs, part of a larger strategy to help students overcome the ballooning cost of attending college beyond tuition and fees. The program targets students who qualify for UT-Austins Texas Advance Commitment, which provides free or reduced tuition to students whose families make under $125,000 per year. The university is setting aside $5.8 million to cover the cost of the housing pilot, and depending on family income, about 3,500 students will receive $900 or $1,800 to subsidize the cost of on-campus housing in the next school year. UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell said the university has made progress in reducing the cost of tuition, even eliminating it for some students, and now is trying to help them overcome the more acute financial barrier of rising housing costs. But the programs stipend wont come close to covering the cost of the universitys on-campus housing rates, which range from $12,729 to $21,294 for the 2022-23 academic year, according to the universitys website. These costs include meal plans. Many colleges across the country have experienced increased demand for on-campus housing as some students yearn for a full college experience after the COVID-19 pandemic and others seek a more affordable option amid skyrocketing housing and rent costs. But in some cases, such as at UT-Austin, the cost of housing is higher than tuition. According to the university, the average cost of tuition for a first-year student is $11,758 while average cost of on-campus room and board is $13,058. In Austin, rising housing costs have forced many low-income students to seek out cheaper housing in areas farther from campus. That prompted UT-Austin to purchase a private building on campus and turn it into a 778-bed residence hall. The university also is building a 784-bed residence hall for graduate students. UT-Austin officials say they hope the new program will encourage students, particularly low-income and first-generation students, to live on campus. Students who live on university grounds have better access to services, which makes it more likely for them to graduate. The university said it typically sets housing rates at or below the local market average and expects them to increase next year, but less so than in recent years. Combined with the new program, UT-Austin said it expects eligible students will pay less for on-campus housing this upcoming school year. Other Texas universities offer housing scholarships but on a smaller scale than UT-Austins plan. In Lubbock, Texas Tech University offers multiple housing scholarships to students, adding up to $500,000 per year. Texas State University offers a few small scholarships to students that cover less than $1,000 in housing each year. Disclosure: Texas Tech University and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of the Texas Tribune. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. In todays fast-paced economy, states must embrace innovative solutions to remain competitive. The expiration of Texas previous economic development program, which allowed school districts to incentivize businesses by granting school district property tax limitations for up to 10 years, makes it impossible for Texas to keep its reputation as a pro-business economic powerhouse. Now Texas has an opportunity to pass new legislation to enable communities to attract top businesses to expand or relocate here, preserving its status as the best place in the country to live and work. With only a few weeks remaining in the 88th legislative session, lawmakers must act swiftly to grant districts a valuable bargaining chip or risk losing out on economic revenue. Despite the positive effects of our previous incentive program, theres a false narrative that it took away money from schools. The truth is that billions of dollars have been invested into our local communities and schools as a result of these programs. When school districts have the ability to grant property tax limitations, they attract new companies to the area, increasing economic development and job opportunities. This boosts tax revenue, allowing schools to fund extracurricular programs, build nicer facilities and attract more high-quality teachers. In turn, improved schools help the community appeal to more businesses as it becomes a more attractive place to live and work. This collaboration between school districts, companies and cities leads to sustainable and prosperous communities. That is why our coalition of more than 700 school districts across the state urges lawmakers to consider the benefits of incentive programs and work with school districts to create a successful future for Texas. House Bill 5, introduced by state Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, will ensure a successful economic development program benefits local communities, taxpayers, school districts, businesses and the Texas economy. Public schools and their school boards need the authority to negotiate incentive terms with potential partners and make final decisions on prospective projects. After all, school districts are primarily funded by local taxes, so any economic development projects and tax limitations will directly impact their funding. A successful program, like the one proposed in H.B. 5, will also allow local communities to choose which companies they want to attract. Local governments know their communities needs and priorities best. Finally, transparency built into the program will allow taxpayers insight into how state incentive dollars are used, the number of jobs created and the full economic impact on their communities. Thanks to targeted efforts, Texas now hosts some of the worlds most famous global brands, including Tesla, Caterpillar and Hewlett-Packard. However, we must implement a new incentive program to continue that momentum. To ensure Texas remains a top state for new jobs, economic development, exports and Fortune 500 headquarters, we must maintain a business friendly environment that attracts and retains companies. By continuing to invest in high-demand industries and providing this critical economic development incentive, we can bolster our position as a leader in the global marketplace while improving public schools and fostering economic growth in our state. House Bill 5 is our chance to create a transparent, equitable and beneficial economic development program for all parties involved. We urge lawmakers to approve this legislation to ensure we have an economic development program that benefits businesses, school districts, cities and the Texas economy. H.D. Chambers is executive director of Texas School Alliance, which is one of seven organizations collectively representing more than 700 school districts and advocating for economic development. So, lets see, we are going to take tax money (state) and give it to parents to send their kids to a private school, at $8,000 a pop. The majority of private schools are religious (church). This means the state is using tax money, calling it a voucher, and giving to a church. That violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides for separation of church and state. Why is there legislation like this being proposed? Mark Kuhlmann Perry is not reassuring Re: Perry: School vouchers are like nuclear power scary but safe, Metro, April 13: Former Gov. Rick Perry comparing vouchers to nuclear power would be funny if it were not so ignorant. Can he please explain to me how taking money out of my local public school system and giving it to parents who decide to home-school their child, or send that child to a private religious school, has any potential benefit for anyone, most of all my entire community? How do we determine that the money is used only for home-school materials? How do we measure the childs learning? How do we achieve transparency regarding the amount and type of religious instruction the child receives? We must not abandon public schools, which provide every child, rich or poor, with a foundation. If our schools are failing, its because they have been underfunded for decades. They need more support, not less. Perry telling us not to worry is far from reassuring. Susan Hull Respect different opinions Re: Tenure, free thought are being threatened in Texas, Another View, April 5: Since Texas is an employment at-will state, an employer can fire an employee at any time for any lawful reason or no reason under most circumstances. Why are Texas educational institutions any different? To achieve tenure, a record of published research, grant funding, teaching excellence or other criteria must be achieved within a limited period of time. This shows faculty members are able to research and to publish without tenure. The author states that tenure preserves the right to free speech and inquiry. Instead, we are seeing the absence of free speech and inquiry at our universities. Students routinely heckle and disparage any who dont hold their views rather than respecting differences in opinion. We saw this in March at Stanford Law School where an associate dean joined the disruptive students berating a conservative jurist. Also last month, protesters at the University of Illinois at Chicago targeted two conservative speakers. Martha Confray Educate on birth control Why are so many progressives actively pro-choice and ignore the opportunity to educate their sisters about actual birth control? Abortion, except for rape and incest, is unnecessary if folks would take preparedness into account before having unprotected sex. Are they afraid of condoms, birth-control pills, diaphragms and the morning-after pill? Slogans such as my body, my rights ring hollow if they dont care enough about their bodies to protect themselves in the first place. John Hession Potential pardon Left up to Tucker Carlson Re: Planned pardon goes beyond usual, Front Page, April 11: What a fantastic way to save tax dollars. No need for prosecutors, jury trials or judges. Just leave the entire process in Fox News host Tucker Carlsons hands. It seems as though thats what our esteemed governor has done. Sydney Rubenstein Plenty examples in Texas While U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, struggles to find any meaningful issues that he can label as weaponization of the federal government, I would invite him to Texas where hell find a plethora of examples to witness weaponization at its finest. From book bans, restrictive voting proposals, usurping school boards, bounties on doctors and librarians, gender-affirming restrictions, frivolous lawsuits and a governor who plans to pardon a convicted murderer simply because Fox News host Tucker Carlson thought he should. This is just a sampling. The Republican party previously known for its focus on limited government, now wants to limit anything that is counter to its ultra-conservative agenda. Ed Bakunas Capitol visit Grounds of democracy I was fortunate to tour the U.S. Capitol this past week thanks to U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, who is not even my representative. Thank you, Mr. Castro for responding to my request. As I gazed upon the magnificent edifice I was about to enter I wondered how anyone, especially an American citizen, could defile and deface it. Our seat of democracy was established to come together and compromise. E pluribus unum, we were reminded in the introductory video that, out of many, one. Our country is so diverse in people, religions, terrains, traditions and politics. But, at the core, we can, and should, find the common ground we can agree upon. It is not easy, but necessary for democracy to prevail. Nancy Powlas The Commissioner of Political Practices office. (Commissioner of Political Practices) A local elections group in Great Falls filed an ethics complaint against newly elected Cascade County Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant and other county officials alleging electioneering and more than 20 untrained volunteers working in the Elections Office. A newly formed group called the Election Protection Committee said it filed the complaint earlier this week with the Commissioner of Political Practices. The complaint comes as the Great Falls Public Library Board threatened legal action against Merchant if the Elections Office cant competently conduct the upcoming mill levy election. The voters of Great Falls have the greatest interest in clear, timely, and certain information regarding the election, and in its successful operation, the letter from attorney Raph Graybill read. Failure to conduct the library election or failure to adhere to your full responsibilities to conduct it fairly and in accordance with Montana law will likely severely damage the Great Falls Public Library and may result in legal action against you. The upcoming mill levy election June 6 will determine if the library can get the extra funds it needs in order to prevent staffing and service shortages. Merchant did not respond to an emailed request for comment in time for publication. These complaints and concerns come after Merchant, who took office in January after narrowly defeating 16-year incumbent Rina Moore, previously said in emails to impacted districts that she would be unable to send out ballots for the upcoming then all mail-in ballot elections. Merchant gave a presentation in March about how she would be conducting the upcoming elections, which besides the June 6 levy election, include school board and special district elections, as a hybrid poll and absentee ballot election. Brian Patrick with Great Falls Public Schools said after the meeting Merchant had not answered all their questions, especially as it concerned cost. Patrick said the reason for changing the election seemed to be around the cost of using a third party for mail sorting, but that since the elections office was doing it in-house, he believed an all-mail election should be doable. The district had tried to request going back to an all mail-in ballot election, but Patrick said the deadline to change how the election was conducted had passed. Patrick later forwarded an estimate relayed from Merchant to the district that had the election costing $41,000, within the schools budget. Absentee ballots for the Great Falls Public School District election and special district elections were mailed out April 17, but some voters say they received duplicate ballots or could not fit their ballot in the return envelope. The letter from the library board, first reported by the Electric, requests the elections office give a detailed summary of plans for the upcoming election including an official election calendar, whether the election would include a poll election, and the offices policies for the security of the ballot counting process, among other requests. Cascade County Attorney Josh Racki said Merchant is actively working on a response to the letter and plans to provide answers within the seven days requested. Commissioner of Political Practices Chris Gallus was not available by phone Friday to confirm the office received the complaint from the Election Protection Committee. The complaint, which was made against Cascade County Commission Chair Rae Grulkowski, Merchant, and Cascade County Election Specialist Devereaux Biddick, said the elections office was involved in distributing anti-library levy stickers within the office during business hours. Electioneering is not permitted within 100 feet of an entrance to a polling location, according to the Montana Code Annotated. People can submit their ballots at the Election Office through May 1. The complaint listed this action as a violation under employer rules for elections staff. On April 17, the day absentee ballots went out for the school election, the complaint said Merchant and her office constructed a barrier of mobile shelving units to obstruct the view of elections observers. The complaint said she threatened calling law enforcement against people taking photos, as well as allowed her staff to taunt and harass elections observers, and the press; (and) allowed her staff to chant and sing religious songs. The complaint also said Merchant and Grulkowski were enlisting the help of volunteers that self-identified as election deniers and the volunteers had no oversight by the county. Racki said the county has a record of the names of that volunteers working to fill ballots. The complaint said volunteers had also been vocally against the library levy at a meeting earlier this year and a number of them had signed a petition in 2022 against the county using mail ballots; advocated to eliminate electronic vote tabulation machines; wanted to implement ballot turn-in on election day only; and advocated to purge voter rolls by requiring all qualified county residents to re-register. Merchant is a businesswoman who is known to be associated with election-deniers in Cascade County. The post Cascade County elections group files COPP ethics complaint, Library lawyers up appeared first on Daily Montanan. A vigil is held for victims of a mass shooting in Dadeville, Alabama on April 16, 2023. Law enforcement says mass shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party in Dadeville left four people dead and 28 people injured on Saturday night. (Jemma Stephenson/Alabama Reflector) After decades of steady improvement, the death rate of Americas children and teens shot up between 2019 and 2021 and COVID-19 wasnt the reason. Gun-related deaths represented the largest share of the increase by far. According to an analysis of the most recent death certificate data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the mortality rate among children ages 1 to 19 rose by 11% between 2019 and 2020, and by an additional 8% between 2020 and 2021. It marks the first time in recent memory that child death rates have risen substantially, Dr. Steven Woolf, a professor of population health and health equity at Virginia Commonwealth University and lead author of the study, said in an interview with Stateline. And its the biggest increase in U.S. child mortality in more than 50 years, according to the study. Weve made tremendous progress in treating childhood diseases and preventing a wide range of childhood accidents, Woolf said. But all of those improvements, and all of that progress and all of those medical advances are now being offset by four things: homicide, suicide, drug overdoses and car crashes. That really tells us how many children are dying from these preventable causes these are manmade pathogens, not biological. According to the Pew Research Center, which also analyzed the CDC death data, the number of children and teens under 18 who died from guns spiked by 50% between 2019 and 2021. (The Pew Charitable Trusts funds the research center and Stateline.) A Statelineanalysis of provisional CDC mortality data for 2022 shows that child and teen mortality rates stayed roughly the same as in 2021, indicating the steep rise could signal a longer-term trend. Both the American Medical Association and Pew Research Center reports highlight a crisis that worries parents. A poll published this month by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that 25% of parents of children under 18 said they worry every day (12%) or almost every day (13%) about themselves or someone they love becoming a victim of gun violence. Although most of the increased deaths during the pandemic years were among older children ages 10 to 19, deaths among younger children ages 1 to 9 also jumped by more than 8%. Infants were the only group that did not experience a higher mortality rate, according to the American Medical Association analysis. Woolf noted in the Stateline interview that national trends are a composite of trends in the 50 states, and that prior to the pandemic, state policies such as seat belt and helmet requirements and gun safety laws already had created stark differences in the rate of preventable child deaths. Because state policies and access to mental health and medical care play a major role in preventing child deaths, Woolf said, the likelihood that a child will reach adulthood varies widely depending on where they live. Montana had the highest child death rate in 2021 at 28 per 100,000 children, followed by Mississippi, Louisiana, Wyoming, Alabama, Missouri, New Mexico, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Georgia. Massachusetts had the lowest child mortality rate at two per 100,000, followed by New Jersey, New York, Maine, Delaware, Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Utah and California, according to a Stateline analysis of CDC death certificate data. Mental Health Crisis While the number of lives lost to COVID-19 among middle-aged and older Americans was massive, the virus was responsible for only 2% of all childhood deaths during the pandemic years. But the pandemic may have exacerbated the climb in child death rates in other ways. Loneliness resulting from school closures and quarantines, as well as the grief of losing parents and other loved ones and the economic losses caused by the pandemic, had a profound effect on childrens mental health, experts say. The shutdown of most health care and mental health services during the pandemic also may have affected child mortality, Woolf said. The biggest increases in deaths among children 1 to 19 during that time were from homicide and suicide, with gun-related deaths making up the largest share, according to Woolf. A rise in deaths from opioid overdoses and car crashes also contributed to the sharp rise in overall child mortality rates. Of the total number of child and teen deaths by guns during the period, 60% were homicides, 32% were by suicide, 5% were accidents and 3% were undetermined or involved law enforcement, according to the Pew Research Center. This increase in all-cause pediatric mortality has ominous implications, Woolf and his co-authors wrote. A nation that begins losing its most cherished population its children faces a crisis like no other. Other Causes Dr. Frederick Rivara, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Washington, and co-author of the American Medical Association analysis, said, No one knows for sure whats responsible for the increase in teen deaths from car crashes, but many speculate that the increased use of mobile phones has contributed. Young people are particularly prone to use phones while driving, and being on your phone increases the risk of motor vehicle crashes even with hands-off (settings on the phone), he said. To lower the risk of a crash, Rivara suggested, parents of teen drivers can install cameras in their cars or apps on their teens cell phones to monitor their childs driving. In addition, some services will turn off all phone activity once the car reaches driving speed, he said. In addition to cell phones, the problem of drunk driving is still with us, Rivara said. But he noted that research indicates that marijuana use probably is not a big contributor to motor vehicle crashes. While using cell phones may be the reason for more teen motor vehicle accidents, many experts speculate that the social media apps on those phones are a root cause for the current child mental health crisis. Suicide rates in children ages 10-19 started rising in 2007 just as social media began to gain traction and by 2019, had increased by 70%, according to the American Medical Association study. The CDC reported that emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts among girls ages 12 to 17 jumped 51% during February and March 2021; among boys the same age, the increase was 3.7%. In addition to social media and other pressures on young people, Rivara said, a shortage of mental health services likely contributes to the rise in child suicides. We have a mental health system that doesnt really work very well, he said. Its hard to get kids in to see someone, particularly kids that only have Medicaid. And hospitals only have a limited number of beds dedicated to psychiatric patients. The increase in child drug overdose deaths may also be tied to the nations shortage of mental health services. Primarily due to counterfeit pills containing the deadly opioid fentanyl, overdose deaths among 10- to 19-year-olds more than doubled from mid-2019 to mid-2021, according to the CDC. In approximately 41% of those deaths, the CDC reported evidence of mental health conditions. When compared with positive longevity trends elsewhere in the world, a recent New York Times opinion piece pointed out that 1 in 25 American 5-year-olds wont survive until age 40. That death rate is about four times as high as in other wealthy nations. The post Gun deaths drive historic spike in child mortality rates appeared first on Daily Montanan. The Montana State Capitol on March 21, 2023. (Photo by Nicole Girten/Daily Montanan) The House voted to reject Senate amendments that weakened two bills sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, R- Box Elder, on the floor on Friday. The first bill aims to put the language from the Indian Child Welfare Act into Montana code, but the Senate amendment added a sunset date of two years. The second bill aimed to strengthen requirements for Indian Education for All, but the amendment changed bill language from requiring lessons to encouraging. Windy Boy requested amendments from the Senate for both bills to be rejected. I think that just kind of waters it down and deletes the whole intent of the original bill, Windy Boy said of the Indian Education for All amendments on the floor. A conference committee was assigned for each bill so representatives from each chamber can meet and hash out differences they have on the bill language and reach a settlement. HB317 Senate amendments to House Bill 317, known as MICWA or the Montana Indian Child Welfare Act, were discussed on the floor first. Windy Boy said he had reservations about some of the stricken language in MICWA, including language around protecting the best interest of Indian children. The U.S. Supreme Court has Haaland v. Brackeen under its consideration and could decide the fate of the federal ICWA, which has been described by proponents as the gold standard for child custody proceedings and practices. Amendments also included one from Sen. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings, that would place a sunset on the bill after two years, in part due to the uncertainty surrounding the federal courts upcoming decision. The House voted 69-31 to not include the Senate amendments. The Senate had a heated debate over MICWA last week, with Sen. Daniel Emrich, R-Great Falls, asking Sen. Jason Small, R-Busby, who carried the bill in the Senate and is a member of the American Indian Caucus, if the word Indian was struck from the bill if he would support it. Small responded that he would, as the Senate passed a bill unanimously that essentially did just that. Lenz has a bill moving through the legislature, Senate Bill 328, also known as ICWA for All that applies concepts of ICWA for all children in the state. It recently was concurred by the House and will advance to Gov. Greg Gianfortes desk. Proponents for MICWA, including the ACLU of Montana, say that both bills can and should co-exist. HB338 House Bill 338, Windy Boys Indian Education for All bill, was also discussed. It tighten up language in existing statute to require, instead of encourage, all students receive instruction in American Indian studies. The Senate amendment would have changed it back. HB338 would also require detailed reports and accounting about how the funds, about $3.5 million, are being used and what programs are being implemented, or risk losing the funding. Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, spoke in favor of Windy Boys motion to reject the Senate amendments. To the extent that we have a constitutional obligation, and we are funding this, [Indian Education for All] should be mandatory, Bedey said. The House voted 75-25 to reject the Senate amendments to HB 338. The post House rejects Senate amendments to MICWA, Indian Education for All appeared first on Daily Montanan. A display of just some of the vaping products confiscated from students at Skyview High in Billings. Officials said there were more products that were taken, but they were introduced as evidence in a court after ticketing students for minor in possession (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). As the federal government tightens regulations around tobacco and nicotine products, classifying them as illegal to sell to those less than the age of 21, Montana seems to be going in the opposite direction. Different states reacted and approached the change to age 21 differently. Montana may not be doing enforcement checks, especially on retailers that sell vaping products, the vast majority of which contain nicotine. Some lawmakers have even asserted because the state hasnt official changed its own laws to 21 that its still legal to sell to 18- to 20-year-olds. The Daily Montanan on several occasions requested data from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services on the compliance checks, but did not receive a response. Some Montana lawmakers, like Rep. Ron Marshall, R-Hamilton, who is also a vape shop owner, has pushed to decouple vaping products from tobacco rules, claiming that not all vaping devices contain nicotine, the addictive component found in cigarette tobacco and vaping products. House Bill 293, carried by Marshall, would have decoupled vaping products. The measure narrowly squeaked through the House on a 49-to-48 vote with many Republicans joining Democrats in opposing the measure. HB 293 died on April 4 in a Senate committee when it was tabled again by a narrow vote, 5-to-4, likely ending the bills chances during the 2023 session. However, opponents to the legislation say that Montana is dragging its feet at enforcement, allowing stores and retailers to sell to residents under the age of 21. Because of that, they say accessibility to vaping and nicotine is easier than it should be for most school-age youth. Even more importantly, though, they say that talk about distancing vaping and nicotine from tobacco products also gives a dangerous and false sense that the products are less harmful or addictive than tobacco. We dont have to change state law, we just have to enforce it, said Megan Boelter, Western Regional Director of the Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation. Montana leaders would also not comment on enforcement efforts or how theyre enforcing the rule change from 18- to 21-year-olds. From smoking to vaping Kristin Page-Nei, the American Cancer Societys Government Relations Director for Montana and Wyoming, said that history is repeating itself. Several decades ago, anti-tobacco organizations shifted marketing and education campaigns from just focusing on getting youth to stop smoking to messaging younger children who have never tried about staying away from it completely. With more education, fewer kids took up the habit. We know its very tough to quit and we disincentivized youth from starting, Page-Nei said. The new education approach worked, and the drop in youth smoking was noticeable to tobacco companies, which looked to market their products differently, and were aided by technology. That led to the creation of vaping products that lost some of tobaccos harmful side effects, like tar from smoke, but upped the amount of nicotine that could be ingested. And health experts warned: Vaping could still damage lungs. A rapid increase on taxes helped some kick the cigarette habit, as funding increased for smoking cessation programs, often funded through settlements with large tobacco companies. However, Page-Nei said that even as these efforts were ongoing, electronic cigarettes were increasing popularity, distribution and decreasing in price. State policy contributing to the problem Leaders said that state policy continues to undercut some of the benefits of education. For example, vaping became more socially normalized because it was seen as less dangerous than smoking and not prohibited by the Clean Indoor Air Act, giving the impression that it may be safer. However, Page-Nei told the Daily Montana that 90% of long-term tobacco users start before the age of 18, and that 12- to 15 year-olds who begin to vape are at higher risk. She said that age group is usually where coping mechanisms and anti-stress techniques begin, aligning perfectly with the marketing of vaping products. Many young kids take up the habit to deal with stress, and the tension of the COVID-19 pandemic has only seemed to increase the pressure. Amanda Cahill, a public health educator at the University of Montana, said that few, if any, of the smoking products on the shelves of gas stations or vape shops dont contain nicotine thats their allure. People think because they call it juice or aerosol that it doesnt contain nicotine, she said. But it is just using propylene glycol and exhaling. Page-Nei said instead of viewing the industry as tobacco-based, instead it should be considered a nicotine industry with synthetic nicotine being smoother and more palatable than tobacco. Cahill is concerned that one disposal vaping stick or pen has as much nicotine as a pack of 20 cigarettes, so its more concentrated and therefore more addictive without any of the harshness of tobacco smoke. Some of the teens say that theyre using them to stay awake when the reality is theyre signing up for a lifetime of addiction, she said. Effects still unknown Cigarette commercials from the 1950s and earlier often touted the benefits of smoking it was suggested as a cure-all for colds, even asthma and breathing problems before long-term research started to show the devastating problems associated with tobacco, including lung cancer, emphysema and cancers of the digestive track. The health educators, though, worry that the full effects of vaping wont be conclusive or well understood for years, if not decades in a pattern that could follow a similar historical trajectory to cigarettes where cancer, emphysema and other long-term health problems showed up decades after a smoker began the habit. Furthermore, Boelter said the effects of considerably more nicotine, more often by young adults and children, is not well understood. Theyre doing it to cope, so theres a concern there about a mental health crisis, Boelter said. Policy recommendations Anti-vaping and anti-tobacco organizations said that during this legislative session, theyve been put in a defensive position rather than educating leaders about the dangers. In addition to trying to decouple vaping products from being regulated like tobacco, the lawmakers also considered measures like repealing the Montana Clean Indoors Air Act, which prohibits smoking in all public places, including bars and restaurants. Instead, they said that two of the ways to combat the problem include more robust enforcement checks to make sure products are not being sold to anyone under 21, and increasing the tax on vaping products. In Montana, we need to tax, Page-Nei said. We know kids are price sensitive. She also said that schools also need to stress to parents that vaping isnt safe, and also increase funding for cessation. They point out that Montana is the target of more than $30 million in tobacco marketing, so the states response in countermarketing should be that robust. For example, many of the vaping products are clip-on, or have pictures of cartoon figures. Some look like hand sanitizers that youd find for lockers or backpacks. Others have charging capabilities that make them look a lot like USB thumbdrives, Cahill said. I dont know many 40-year-olds who want a Hello Kitty vape holder, Boelter said. We have an opportunity to roll these measures back and help an entire generation. But in Montana, were taking a step backwards. The post Montana tried loosening vaping restrictions, but may not be checking youth access to products appeared first on Daily Montanan. In 2022, Vietnam became the tenth-largest supplier of apparel to France, with imports increasing by 33.05 per cent to $793.468 million from $596.644 million in 2021. Vietnam's apparel accounted for 2.89 per cent of France's total import value of $27.440 billion in 2022. Trade data shows that there has been volatility in the trade between France and Vietnam in previous years. French imports from Vietnam increased by 18.81 per cent to $656.480 million in 2018 compared to $552.545 million in 2017, but growth slowed to just 2.11 per cent in 2019, reaching $670.353 million. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, French imports inched up by 1.76 per cent to $682.168 million, according to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro. French imports of apparel from Vietnam decreased by 12.54 per cent to $596.644 million in 2021 but increased significantly by 32.99 per cent to $793.468 million in 2022. Vietnam was the tenth-largest apparel supplier to France in 2022, with imports increasing by 33.05 per cent to $793.468 million. The trade between France and Vietnam has shown volatility in previous years. Although Vietnam is a major global supplier of garment exports, its contribution to France's total apparel imports is limited at 2.89 per cent. Although Vietnam is a major global supplier of garment exports, its contribution of only 2.89 per cent to France's total apparel imports suggests limited penetration in the Western market. Tunisia, Turkiye, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Bangladesh, Italy, and China were all larger apparel suppliers to France than Vietnam, according to TexPro. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) It's been four weeks since Bigg Boss Malayalam season 5 started. Many developments have taken place inside the house in recent weeks. Along with fights and arguments, two wild card entries and two evictions have already taken place inside the house. The show started with eighteen contestants and is now going ahead with seventeen contestants. Although a few contestants are not well-known to the general family audience, many have already captured the audience's attention. At the same time, unlike the previous seasons, most of the contestants have come to compete after understanding and learning from the previous seasons. We can see those who are trying to work out the same tricks that others have pulled off in years past, and there are also those contestants who break such tricks by other contestants. The love track is one such strategy that has been followed since the first season of Bigg Boss Malayalam. Except for Pearle Maaney and Srinish Aravind's romance In the first season, all the other love tracks were flops. But it has helped many survive in the Bigg Boss house. That is why there are contestants who did not get eliminated in the first few days. Viewers are suggesting that Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 5 is also witnessing such a love track. The audience suggests that something is brewing between Sagar Surya and Cerena Ann Johnson. The audience has confirmed this from the conversations they had with their friends and each other. Even last day, Sagar Surya told Cerena that she has a very good character, and he can't see anything negative in her. Meanwhile, Sagar's father's reaction to romance inside the Bigg Boss house is gaining attention. After Sagar entered Bigg Boss, his father Surendran said this in an interview given to the Mazhavil Kerala channel. It was while talking about Sagar's romance and marriage that his father talked about the possibility of the actor having a romance in the Bigg Boss house. His father said that there is very little chance of him having a crush there. There is no possibility of him going any other way. It is said at home that he is of marriageable age. But he has no thoughts about it now. In our place, the minimum age limit to get married is 35 years. There is no telling where the situation will lead. Sagar's father said, "I believe that there will be no such thing." Who is Ishita Gupta? Netizens have been discussing things related to the model ever since she accused Priyanka Choudhary of 'copying her style and design'. While the Bigg Boss 16 star has maintained a dignified silence over the allegations, Ishita has been sharing posts about the actress on social media. Netizens expressed their displeasure over the way Ishita Gupta 'mocked' Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, stating that she 'unfairly accused' the Udaariyaan star. While miss Gupta accused Priyanka of 'imitating' a look from her fashion line, the Twitter users claimed that the two designs were never the same. WHAT ISHITA GUPTA SAID ABOUT PRIYANKA CHOUDHARY? Ishita set several tongues wagging when she called Priyanka Choudhary a 'copycat clone', stating that the latter wanted to 'gain likes' on social media by recreating her look for a photoshoot. She posted demeaning remarks against the Udaariyaan actress by releasing a statement on her official Instagram handle. She shared a screenshot, informing her followers that she has blocked Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Choudhary on Instagram. WHO IS ISHITA GUPTA? INSTAGRAM PROFILE AND OTHER DETAILS Ishita Gupta is a model-designer, who reportedly owns the fashion line ISIVIS. As per a report in Zoom Digital, she shot for a New York magazine cover shoot. In her statement, she also alleged that Priyanka not only 'copied her designs' but also her appearance for the photoshoot. Ishita, who is quite active on Instagram, has over 700k followers on the photo-and-video sharing platform. NETIZENS SLAM ISHITA GUPTA Fans are apparently miffed with Ishita as they believe that she 'claimed to move one' but she never did. One user tweeted, "She is doing purposely for sure..All of the sudden she is after priyanka regarding her dresses and other things..Donno y so she is doing it (sic)." WHAT'S NEXT FOR PRIYANKA CHOUDHARY? Talking about Priyanka Choudhary, the Bigg Boss 16 second runner-up was recently seen in Kuch Itne Haseen. Her sizzling chemistry with Ankit Gupta in the music video grabbed several eyeballs. The duo shot to fame after playing the respective roles of Fateh and Tejo in Udaariyaan. After leaving Udaariyaan, the two stars participated in Bigg Boss 16. Although they couldn't win Salman Khan's reality show, they earned a significant fan following after their stint in the BB 16 house. Priyanka Chahar Choudhary is in talks with different production house for their upcoming projects. She is yet to officially confirmed her next project. Anupamaa is one of the most loved shows on Indian television and there are no second thoughts about it. It has not just won hearts with the storyline but has also been ruling the TRP charts for months. For the uninitiated, Anupamaa comes with an interesting cast of Sudhanshu Pandey, Rupali Ganguly and Gaurav Khanna in the lead and it currently witnessing an interesting track which has got the audience hooked. So far we have seen how Anuj (played by Gaurav Khanna) and Anupama (played by Rupali Ganguly) parted ways over an argument regarding Choti Anu. While the fans have been hopeful about their reunion, Barkha (played by Ashlesha Savant) and Maya (played by Chavi Pandey) have been plotting against them and have been adding on to Anupama and Anuj's differences. On the other hand, the recent episodes also dropped hints about Anupama and Anuj's (popularly known as MaAn) reunion as Ankush Kapadia had called them Kapadia mansion regarding some paperwork. Ever since then, there have been reports about how Anuj and Anupama will react after coming face to face, about them resolving their differences and more. But much to everyone's expectations, Anuj and Anupama's story is set to witness a major twist as they will have a new villain in their story. According to a report published in Telly Chakkar, Ankush will be seen turning against Anuj and Anupama over the property. This will happen after Barkha will try convincing Ankush not to call Anuj and Anupama back to the Kapadia mansion. That's when he reveals his real intentions and said he will be asking Anuj and Anupama to sign the papers which claim that they will not be continuing doing business in the Kapadia empire. Well, will Ankush's nasty plans getting unveiled, Anuj and Anupama's story is certainly in for a big twist. On the other hand, the media reports also suggested that the power couple will be coming together for their first anniversary. Reportedly, Choti Anu will be the reason behind MaAn coming together for their anniversary. Chalaki Chanti Hospitalized Photo Credit: Gallery Chalaki Chanti, Tollywood's comedian who rose to popularity with Natural Star Nani's 'Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu' movie, is reportedly rushed to a hospital. He suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and was admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad. According to the information and several other news portals, Chalaki Chanti, who was once a popular contestant in Jabardasth comedy show on ETV and Bigg Boss Telugu 6 reality show, complained of chest congestion on April 23. The actor, therefore, was kept in Intensive Care Unit for observation. Although there is no official confirmation of the same as yet from his family members or his colleagues, Chalaki Chanti's fans are concerned about his health. Shamna Kasim (Poorna) and Ravi Babu Photo Credit: Internet Actor-Director Ravi Babu, who carved a niche for himself in the Telugu film industry has come up with another suspense thriller titled 'Asalu.' The movie recently hit the OTT platform, ETV WIN to a positive response. Speaking about his association with Shamna Kasim, who is known as Poorna in Tollywood, Answering a question on why he keeps casting Poorna frequently, Ravi Babu said, "I have a love affair with Poorna. But before you jump to conclusions, let me tell you, it is a love affair every director has with his actor." How I met Poorna is, when casting for Avunu, I went to all actresses in Tollywood. They listened to the script but rejected to star. Finally, Poorna agreed to do the film. We started like that and you really have to work with her. She is a director's delight. Director expects his actors to deliver the shot with 100 percent but this girl adds 200-300 percent value. She delivers with so much concentration that we don't understand why we cannot ask for another take. That is the reason why I always approach her first." We asked her for a role in the 'Washing Machine' movie but she said sorry. We respect that. She rejected three to four films with her. I also worked with Yami Gautam and Bhumika as well. But Poorna's acting range is so much. She is a classical dancer and that's why probably she delivers like that." Meanwhile, Shamna Kasim welcomed her first child, a baby boy on April 4 with Dubai-based businessman husband Shanid Asif Ali. The duo tied the knot in October 2022, in Dubai. Prabhas Meets Baahubali Makers Photo Credit: Gallery Pan-India star Prabhas, who is currently awaiting the release of his much-anticipated mythological fantasy drama 'Adipurush,' under the direction of Om Raut, has hit the headlines, again. Reportedly, the busy actor met up with the producers of his great franchise film Baahubali, under the direction of SS Rajamouli, recently. Producers Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni of Arka Media Works bankrolled the first and second part of the epic Tollywood film that made Prabhas a global star. Prabhas' meeting with them sparked rumours about possible sequel to the franchise, which was a humongous success. The rumours are rife as the producers duo accompanied SS Rajamouli and family during their recent Oscars trip to the USA. Earlier, SS Rajamouli said there is a scope for a sequel of Baahubali. The world is there and the characters are larger than life. But we are not looking to start immediately, because of a couple of commitments. Definitely at some point we might make it, if everything is in place, according to producer Prasad Devineni (As quoted by Pinkvilla). Now that Prabhas has chock-a-block schedules and is iving out of a suitcase, we might assume that the sequel will come into picture later on. Meanwhile, Prabhas is shooting for Prashanth Neel's Salaar, Maruthi's Raja Deluxe, and Nag Ashwin's Project K. April 23, 2023 Technicolor Creative Studios: 2022 Universal Registration Document Available Technicolor Creative Studios informs that its 2022 Universal Registration Document (Document d'enregistrementuniversel) in English version has been filed with the French Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) on April 21, 2023. It has been prepared in European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) and includes the annual financial report, the corporate governance report of the Board of Directors, the disclosure on extra-financial performance, the statutory auditors' reports and details of their fees. The Universal Registration Document in English version is available on the Group's web site www.technicolorcreative.com). A French version of the Universal Registration Document (free translation of the English version filed with the AMF) will also be available on the company's website at the above address. The Company recalls, for all practical purposes, that it shared financial figures and assumptions with some of its shareholders and lenders who are participating in and/or supporting transactions planned in the context of its financial restructuring; that the figures given for 2023 to 2025 (communicated on March 10, 2023 and included in the Universal Registration Document) were established in the context of the discussions on the refinancing, and should in no case constitute a guidance, nor forecasts of any kind. *** ABOUT TECHNICOLOR CREATIVE STUDIOS Technicolor Creative Studios shares are admitted to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (TCHCS) Technicolor Creative Studios is a creative technology company providing world-class production expertise driven by one purpose: The realization of ambitious and extraordinary ideas. Home to a network of award-winning studios, MPC, The Mill, Mikros Animation and Technicolor Games, we inspire creative companies across the world to produce their most iconic work. Our global teams of artists and technologists partner with the creative community across film, television, animation, gaming, brand experience and advertising to bring the universal art of storytelling to audiences everywhere. www.technicolorcreative.com Attachment AT THE recent gala opening of the Sabyasachi store in Mumbai, attended by the most stylish people in the city, one man stood quietly in a corner winning admiring glances from the other few hundred guests. He wore an ivory angrakha, embroidered in white embroidery, and a diaphanous gold dhoti. In the au courant fashion designers maximal, superbly layered space, this man fit right in. Perhaps it isnt a coincidence that Manish Saksena heads Aditya Birla Groups social enterprise Aadyam. Saksenas two-year-old venture is among the finest young labels in handloom today, showing an excellent and elegant curation of saris and dupattas, as well as home furnishings, at their two stores in Khan Market, Delhi, and Palladium, Mumbai. Aadyam launched rather hurriedly in October 2020, in Delhis Khan Market, fresh with the wounds of a frightening global pandemic. We had been working at the back-end for six years though, and that was a big task Saksena, 50, tells me. Aadyam began to work with three weaving clusters in India: Pochampalli, Benares and Bhuj. We had to understand the entire spectrum of the handloom ecosystem, and start from scratch. There were weavers, master weavers, traders, and we valued every part of it. For example, if there were no traders, the handloom artisans would have left the trade a long time ago, he opines. Aadyam is a facilitator, but also a co-creator and a provider of infrastructure to these three clusters. We also free them from the job of looking for work. We ensure their looms are being used 365 days of the year. This is a partnership, not just a transactional relationship, he smiles. The social enterprises work is truly commendable. Working alongside some truly talented craftsmen, Saksena has been able to design alongside them to create products that can fit anywhere in the world. Indian is not necessarily ethnic, he explains. Our Bhujodi cushion covers and rugs are hugely admired in Spain and France, they look wonderful in Mediterranean homes, while the brocades of Benares fit better in US homes. But they are all contemporary, modern products, made by hand. Not something you would find at craft exhibitions, he explains. Our saris and dupattas, on the other hand, are largely for the domestic buyer. These are heirloom pieces, not trendy new-age saris. The customer for both is often the same, he smiles. Saksenas tales from the villages are encouraging: One Benaresi weaver Sunil Kumar moved from working on two looms to 12. He brought his extended family into the business as well, and went from becoming a weaver to an entrepreneur. Two mashru-weaving brothers in Bhuj have an inspiring story. One is handicapped and the other cannot speak. But both work together and have created a rather self-sufficient content life. They are happy, they work in their space and their control. Aadyams revival of the Bhujodi is quite exciting. Bhuj is not known for embroideries. Its weave is a coarser yarn and most saris from here are a thick cotton. But weve also gone into silks and fine counts of cotton. We also have a mashru coming out of Gujarat, where the under layer is cotton and the top layer is silk, he says. Bhujs extra weft technique called the Tangalia sees little raised dots on the fabric. These are not embroidered, but a tiny thread is rolled on to the pattern even as the warp and weft interlace. Tangalia was used for thick skirts and odhnis, locally used by villagers themselves. Sometimes some textiles like the Benaresis enjoyed royal patronage, but Gujarat crafts have come from the villages. I find Bhujodi works wonderfully for home furnishings, he says. Few people in fashion can boast of a repertoire like Saksena. Drawn to fashion and textiles, he enrolled in NIFT New Delhi. He worked at Amazon, Lifestyle, Madura (ABFRLs previous avatar, also runs Louis Phillipe and other mass brands), Arvind Mills and Tommy Hilfiger. He also did a course in London College of Fashion, and brought back all those wonderful retail, business and British ideas to India. These brands have put products, processes and guarantees in place and command a price for that. I have to bring the best of their practices into the handloom space, he explains. Aadyam products must look modern and beautiful, the stores have to be experiential they cannot look like they have been picked up from various villages. He especially loves that Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla takes such a keen interest in Aadyam. He spends an hour at the stores, hes really such a textile connoisseur and lover of fine things. To have his support is encouraging for me, Saksena says. Saksenas tasteful wardrobe is always a conversation starter. I think Im born in the wrong era. I mean I do have my comfort wear, but when I am dressing up, I like to borrow from the royalty moodboard, he smiles. I can cut up saris and dupattas to make kurtas. Lately Ive started collecting dhotis from every region, so I have a double ikat dhoti, a ponduru khadi dhoti from telangana thats a mix of khadi and jamdani, and a kerala kasavu dhoti. I have a wardrobe full of stoles or dupattas too. And then of course, a series of white shirts, he laughs. Namrata Zakaria is a seasoned writer and editor, and a chronicler of social and cultural trends. Her first book, on late fashion designer Wendell Rodricks Moda Goa museum, is due to be published shortly. Zakaria is especially known for her insiders take on fashion, luxury and social entrepreneurship in India. Her writing is appreciated for shaping opinions, busting myths, making reputations and sometimes breaking the odd career. Zakaria is also involved in putting together philanthropic efforts in the field of economic and environmental sustainability. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He was on the run since 18 March, hoodwinking police and changing avatars. After an epic manhunt which lasted 37 days, across 10 cities, Waris Punjab De leader and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh surrendered at a gurudwara in Rode village in Punjabs Moga. He was arrested by the Punjab Police and is reportedly being shifted to Assams Dibrugarh. The police had launched a massive crackdown against the 29-year-old radical preacher after his supporters stormed the Anjala police station in February, demanding the release of one of the members of Waris Punjab De. What followed was a challenging chase, where he gave the police a slip twice on 18 March in Jalandhar by switching vehicles and on 28 March again in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. Over the past month, eight of his aides including Papalpreet Singh have been arrested under the National Security Act. They are in jail in Dibrugarh, where Amritpal will join them. After the arrest, Punjab Police asked people to maintain peace and not spread fake news. Amritpal has massive support in the state. But then how did the rise to infamy? What do we know about the preacher and his outfit? #AmritpalSingh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Dont share any fake news, always verify and share. Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 23, 2023 Who is Amritpal Singh? Amritpal Singh is the follower of pro-Khalistan militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a leading figure of the separatist movement in the early 1980s, who was killed by the Indian Army in Operation Blue Star. Now Amritpal is dubbed Bhindranwale 2.0 in Punjab. The government describes him as a Khalistani-Pakistan agent. Amritpal was born in Jallupur Khera village in Punjabs Amritsar district, studied until Class 10 and then enrolled at a polytechnic in Kapurthala. He dropped out from there and later left for Dubai to join his familys transport business in 2012. He is married to a UK-based non-resident Indian, Kirandeep Kaur, who was stopped from travelling to the United Kingdom earlier this week. Amritpal has been vocal about issues related to Sikhs on social media for at least the last five years, according to a report in The Quint. Before he returned to India last August, he spent one-and-a-half months in Georgia, The Indian Express reported citing a senior officer with the Union governments security establishment. His return coincided with the farmers protest against the Centres controversial farm laws. In September 2022, Singh was made the head of a faction of Waris Punjab De, which claims to be a social organisation founded by the late Punjabi actor and activist Deep Sidhu. Also read: Does Pakistans ISI have a role in Khalistan propagator Amritpal Singhs rise in Punjab? What do we know about Waris Punjab De? Waris Punjab De, which translates to heirs of Punjab, was founded by the late actor and activist Deep Sidhu, who actively participated in the farmers protest. He died in a road accident last February. Sidhu founded the group in September 2021 ahead of the Punjab polls. At the time, he called it a social platform, which had nothing to do with the elections. We are not supporting any political party. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian, it is for all those who will fight with us for the rights of Punjab, The Indian Express quoted Sidhu as saying. However, Sidhu eventually supported the radical pro-Khalistan party SAD (Amritsar) of Simranjit Singh Mann and campaigned for them ahead of the Punjab elections. Sidhu became popular in Punjab and when he died he was cremated in his hometown Ludhiana as pro-Khalistani slogans were raised. How did Amritpal become the head of Waris Punjab De? On September 2022, Amritpal took over as the head of the outfit. He dressed as Bhindranwale and a dastarbandi (turban-tying ceremony) was held at Rode in Moga district, the ancestral village of Bhindranwale. Thousands of pro-Khalistani supporters attended it. But Sindhus family claims not to know Singh or how he took over the group. Deep Sidhus brother Mandeep Singh Sidhu, a Ludhiana-based advocate, told The Indian Express: We never met him before. Deep too never met him. He was in touch with Deep over the phone for some time but later Deep blocked him. We do not know how he declared himself as head of my brothers organisation. He is misusing our name to propagate anti-social activities. He somehow got access to my brothers social media accounts and started posting on them. Amritpal is talking about creating unrest in Punjab. He is befooling people using my brothers and Khalistans name. My brother was not a separatist, Mandeep added. But Sindhus uncle Harjit Singh had a different story to tell. We do not know why Sidhus brother and family are not supporting it. Amritpals mission is to encourage youths to become Amritdhari Sikhs (baptised) and shun drugs, he was quoted as saying by the newspaper. Since taking over Waris Punjab De, Amritpal gained notoriety. Also read: Changed vehicles, knocked down bikes: How Amritpal Singh evaded arrest from Punjab Police What are the crimes of Amritpal Singh? According to sources in the home ministry, the preacher was planning to launch a statewide procession to baptise the youth in Punjab to carry out suicide attacks. He was using de-addiction centres to stockpile weapons illegally sourced from Pakistan through its spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence, reports NDTV. He has been accused of promoting gun culture and trying to create communal tension in Punjab. He called on Sikh youth to fight for freedom. We all are still slaves We have to fight for freedom Our waters are being looted, and our Guru is being disrespected The youth of Punjab should be ready to give up their lives for panth, the Khalistan sympathiser was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. Amritpal reportedly issued a threat to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying he will meet the same fate as former prime minister Indira Gandhi. In February, his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and stormed a police station in Ajnala on the outskirts of Amritsar city, demanding that Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan, an accused in a case involving kidnapping, be released. It was since then that Punjab Police started looking for Amritpal and his aides. It was in Rode village that he took over the outfit and it was here that Amritpal surrendered after he addressed a gathering at a gurudwara. The Punjab Police received inputs about the preachers whereabouts after which they surrounded the gurudwara from all sides. He had no choice but to give in, say officials. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Wellbeing at work is being taken more seriously by many businesses these days. After all, recent research has shown that more than a quarter of Generation Z workers those born between 1997 and 2012 seek out workplace benefits that help them cope with stress. This includes nap pods, meditation rooms and massage chairs. The focus on sleep is important. Analysis in 2018 by research organisation RAND Corporation suggests up to three per cent of a countrys GDP could be lost due to lack of sleep. On an organisational level, some companies are aware of the benefits of a good nights sleep. Nikes headquarters in Portland, Oregon, reportedly has rooms employees can use to nap. Other firms have installed lighting systems to regulate the sleep hormone melatonin, so employees find it easier to switch off when they finish work in the evening. But the concept of sleeping on the job by building naps into the working day remains anathema to most companies even if it boosts mental wellbeing or helps attract top talent. Sleep science has progressed greatly in recent years, with lab experiments confirming what many already suspected: insufficient sleep can cause issues with cognitive function and mental health. Indeed, a study I conducted with academics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania used actigraphs (devices that measure sleeping patterns in patients with sleep disorders) to monitor the sleep of a group of around 450 adults in Chennai, India. We found they were only sleeping 5.5 hours per night, and the shut-eye they did get was of poor quality. Despite spending eight hours in bed, their sleep was extremely interrupted, on a level comparable to those with disorders such as sleep apnoea or insomnia. Over three weeks, we offered a series of interventions to different groups of workers to see how that would affect their cognition, productivity, decision making and wellbeing when working in an office-based data entry role with flexible hours. In this environment, we were able to monitor hours worked, measure productivity and labour supply, and survey participants psychological and physical wellbeing. Some members of the trial group were offered nighttime sleep treatments, including items to improve their environment such as sleep masks, fans or mattresses. They also received advice on the benefits of good quality sleep, the recommended hours of sleep, and strategies to improve sleep. Others were offered financial incentives, and were promised payment when extra sleep was tracked on the actigraphs. A nights sleep versus a nap These night sleep interventions increased sleeping time by an average of 27 minutes. But the extra shut-eye did not improve workers cognition, productivity, decision making or wellbeing. It also led to a slight reduction in labour supply as people came into the office later because they were asleep for longer. Another group of participants were offered the option to take a 30-minute nap in the afternoon in a comfortable and quiet environment. This group saw notable improvements across the outcomes we were looking at, including psychological wellbeing, cognition, and an average 2.3 per cent bump in productivity over the course of the day. This could be because these naps were timed to coincide with a normal mid-afternoon dip in energy. Also, the environment we created for the naps supported higher quality sleep than the study participants were used to at home, where they had reported interruptions such as traffic noise or mosquitoes. As part of the experiment, we also randomly varied the pay rate across periods participants earned four times more than others at some points. This meant we could compare our results to an increase in wages. Doing this increased productivity by 14 per cent, and our results suggested that taking a midday nap boosted productivity as much as a 50 per cent wage hike. Limitations of sleep research Sleep research tends to focus on nighttime sleep and how it affects people in developed economies. It has also almost exclusively taken place in sleep labs, rather than looking at peoples real experiences at home. More research in this area would be really beneficial both for workers in low income economies and for employers in the developed world. Indeed, another more recent article I worked on encourages others to use field experiments to generate more evidence on sleep. This could include exploring the impacts of different interventions such as adjusting the physical sleep environment, or of social policies like changing work times. Individual companies could also carry out informal experiments into the value of naps. Identify two groups of employees and allow one set to take a nap and compare results over time to see if its worthwhile for the business. Introducing a small number of soundproof sleep spaces or nap pods could also have a positive impact on employees productivity or wellbeing at a relatively low cost. Educating employees on the value of high-quality sleep and encouraging them to carve out time in their daily schedules particularly now many people are working at home sometimes could also pay off in productivity improvements. It may seem counter intuitive to reduce somebodys working time during the day, particularly when budgets are squeezed and the cost of living is rising. But the long-term benefits to wellbeing could boost employee retention and goodwill towards the companies that do allow employees to sleep on the job. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. New Delhi: A day after National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah asked security agencies not to harass innocents during their operation against the perpetrators of a recent terror attack in Poonch, the BJP on Sunday said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers remarks are unacceptable as those could hamper the probe. The saffron party also said people should also understand the ill motives of the NC leadership, which is trying to create a wedge between communities by misusing such critical situations. Abdullah accused investigation agencies of harassing common people in the name of the Poonch terror attack probe. He should not mislead people and rather ask them to join the probe to punish the culprits as soon as possible, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kavinder Gupta said here. Five Army personnel were killed and one was seriously injured after their vehicle was attacked by terrorists in Poonch on Thursday. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations. They (security agencies) have started operations 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 said on Saturday. On Friday, the NC president had said the top security officials in Jammu and Kashmir should look into the lapses that led to the killing of the soldiers. The area (where the attack took place) is closer to the border. There must be a security issue which they need to check. There has been a mistake somewhere, they should look into it, he had said. Gupta said the NC leadership should ponder for a while that central agencies are probing the case of a terror attack in which five Army bravehearts have given the supreme sacrifice. The unfounded statements given by Abdullah in context of the Poonch attack are unacceptable as these could hamper the investigation and have the potential to alienate people from the mainstream, he said. The former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister also said people should understand the ill motives of the NC leadership, which is trying to create a wedge between communities by misusing such critical situations. Those who have any knowledge about the terror strike in Poonch should come forward and become part of the probe as five countrymen have lost their precious lives while performing their duties, he said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Chandigarh: The 44 Squadron, the only IL-76 unit in the Indian Air Force- (IAF), which is responsible for supporting the heavy airlift operations of the Indian armed forces, is commemorating its diamond jubilee this year in Chandigarh. A host of events have been planned to commemorate the occasion. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the diamond jubilee, which was originally scheduled for 2021, had to be delayed. On April 6, 1961, the 44 Squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was established and the AN-12 military transport aircraft was commissioned into the unit. It kept the AN-12 running until 1985. It transported the IL-76 strategic cargo aircraft to India from the former Soviet Union in March 1985; the aircraft was formally accepted into the IAF in June 1985. The aeroplane is still in use right now. The 44 Squadron, which goes by the moniker The Harbinger of Strategic Airlift in the IAF, has taken part in all significant military and humanitarian operations undertaken by the Indian military. The 44 Squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) also goes by the epithet Mighty Jets. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Belthangady (Karnataka): Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief DK Shivakumar said that the BJP is now a divided house as fed-up leaders have been defecting to its party ahead of keenly watched Karnataka polls. No matter what BJP does, we will come to power. I have advised the party workers to bring Congress to power. Even some people from BJP are fed up with BJP. Now the BJP is a divided house, Shivakumar told reporters. In the past few weeks, a few BJP leaders have left the party to join Congress over the denial of tickets. The most phenomenal exit has been of Jagadish Shettar, the former chief minister of the state and a six-time BJP MLA. Shettar was denied a ticket from the Hubbali-Dharwad Central Assembly constituency. Shettar, a prominent Lingayat leader later joined Congress and is set to contest from his home turf. Similarly, former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi also quit BJP to join hands with Congress and will now contest from the Athani constituency. Yesterday, Chief Minister Basavraj Bommais office was 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. 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. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Bengaluru: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has announced its support to Congress in the upcoming Karnataka polls. Despite fielding seven candidates of its own, the CPI said in a statement that it will support Congress in the rest of the constituencies in the interest of safeguarding the democratic and constitutional values. The statement read, The BP state government has proved to be a corrupt and morally reprehensible administration interested only in sowing the seeds of communal disharmony while ignoring the real issues of unprecedented price rise, unemployment, lack of education and health facilities. Therefore, it is our duty to defeat the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections. It is also important to avoid the possibility of a hung assembly under the conditions of which the money and muscle power through the IT and ED departments will be deployed for horse trading once again by the BJP. In the interests of safeguarding democratic and constitutional values, the CPI has resolved the following, it added. The constituencies where the CPI has fielded its candidates include Mudigere, Aland, Jewargi, Kudlagi, KGF, Sim and Madikeri. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Kerala starting Monday. He will lay the foundation stone for the countrys first Digital Science Park, a Rs-1,500-crore project, on Tuesday. The third-generation Science Park (they are located in bustling city centres) will come up close to the Digital University of Kerala at Technopark Phase IV Technocity, a government release said. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, various ministers of the Left government and Congresss Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor would be attending the event, the release said. The Digital Science Park project had been conceived as a multidisciplinary cluster-based interactive-innovation zone focused on digital technologies and is expected to be completed in two years, it said. In the 2022-23 budget, the state government had announced the establishment of a Digital Science Park in an area of 10 lakh square feet in two blocks, the release added. The park will initially have two buildings with a total area of 2,00,000 square feet. The first one in 1,50,000 square feet will have five floors, housing the Centre of Excellence (CoE) including research labs and digital incubator, while the second building will house the administrative as well as Digital Experience centre. The Digital Science Park will start its operations from a 10,000 square feet space in Kabani located at Technopark Phase IV within the next couple of months, it added. Out of the total project outlay of over Rs 1,500 crore, Rs 200 crore has already been allotted by the state government and the remaining amount will be generated from other sources including industry partners, the release said. Initially, Digital Science Park will facilitate industry and business units as well as technology startups from the domains of Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, electronics, smart hardware, sustainable and smart materials. UK-based semiconductor and software design company ARM has signed an agreement with Digital University Kerala on academic, research and startup-related activities as part of this centre. Similarly, the centre for AI will focus on both the hardware and software aspects of responsible AI, where the leading multinational technology company NVIDIA is expected to join as a partner, the release said. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moga (Punjab): Ending a month-long manhunt, the Punjab Police has arrested radical preacher and Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh from Moga. The arrest comes a day after Home Minister Amit Shah was asked about the Waris Punjab De chiefs arrest. It may happen sometime. Earlier he used to roam freely, but now he cannot carry on with his activities, Shah said. The Punjab Police has urged citizens to maintain peace in the state following Singhs arrest. According to a report by Times of India, Singh had reached his village of Rode last night where he even spoke to some people and held prayers today morning. Hours before his arrest, Amritpal Singh was caught on video addressing devotees at a Gurudwara in Rodewal. Singh Sahib Giani Jasbir Singh Rode told ANI, Amritpal Singh came to the Rodewal Gurudwara on Saturday night. He himself informed the police about his presence and that he will surrender this morning at 7 am. #WATCH | Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill narrates the sequence leading upto to the arrest of Waris Punjab Des #AmritpalSingh Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar pic.twitter.com/0KZzO7LwKx ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 Earlier this week, two more aides of Amritpal Singh were arrested from Punjabs Mohali in a joint operation carried out by Punjab and Delhi Police. Singh will be flown to Dibrugarh in Assam as a case under the National Security Act (NSA) has been imposed on him. On April 15, Punjab Police arrested his close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in the Fatehgarh Sahib district. Another close aid of the pro khalistani leader, Papalpreet Singh was arrested on April 10, in an operation conducted by Punjab Police and its counter-intelligence unit. Amritpal Singh has been on the run since March 18 following the launch of a manhunt for him by the Punjab Police. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpals supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Dibrugarh: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who was arrested on Sunday, was flown in a special flight from Punjab to Assam and lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail here, officials said. A heavily-guarded convoy reached the prison with Singh, who arrived at the Dibrugarh airport around 2:20 pm from Bathinda, a senior official told PTI. He has been kept in a special cell under tight security. A team from Punjab Police is present in the jail along with personnel of Assam Police, he said. The Assam Police has not yet made any official statement on the development. A multi-tier security arrangement has been made at the Central Jail, the official said. The jail compound has been surrounded by Assam Polices elite Black Cat Commandos, CRPF and other security personnel, he said. Dibrugarh Central Jail was constructed in 1859-60 by the British on 15.54 acres of land. It is one of the oldest and well-fortified prisons, officials said. Altogether, nine of Singhs associates are also lodged in the jail. Security in and around the jail premises has been beefed up since March 19, when four members of the Waris Punjab De (WPD) were brought here in the first batch. Earlier in the day, Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police from Rode village in the northern state, after remaining absconding for more than a month. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Punjab Police Inspector General Sukhchain Singh Gill said Amritpal Singh would be taken to Dibrugarh under the National Security Act (NSA). A few pictures of Amritpal Singh, while being taken into custody, surfaced on social media and in these, he could be seen a wearing traditional white robe. In a video circulated online, he is purportedly addressing a gathering at a gurudwara, and says he is surrendering. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and members of his outfit Waris Punjab De. The Punjab Police had invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the Khalistan sympathiser. Several cases have been lodged against Amritpal Singh and his associates for allegedly spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and obstructing the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Sabarkantha: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said India needs to nurture the knowledge of the Vedas and the ancient language of Sanskrit to become a vishwa guru. The Indian culture was not orthodox but changed with time and was not one that told us what to eat and what not to eat, Bhagwat noted at the Ved Sanskrit Gyan Gaurav Samarambh event organised by Shree Bhagwan Yagyavalkya Vedtatvagyan Yogashram Trust in Mudeti village here. He said India was created on the values of the Vedas, which have been followed by generation after generation. Therefore, todays India has to grow but not to become a superpower like America, China and Russia that wield power. We have to become a country which can offer answers to the problems plaguing the world today. We have to become a country which can show the world the path of peace, love and prosperity through right conduct, Bhagwat said. India is a country that believes in propagating dharma, uniting everyone and becoming a vishwa guru, he said, adding victory means dharma vijay. That is why it is necessary to nurture the knowledge of the Vedas or Ved vigyan and culture (sanskriti). All this knowledge is in Sanskrit. Therefore, it is necessary to have the influence of Sanskrit. If we know to speak our mother tongues well, then we can learn 40 per cent of Sanskrit, he claimed. Bhagwat also said experts believe many concepts of science as well as mathematics are easy to learn if one has the knowledge of Sanskrit and music. Hailing Indias stand in the war between Ukraine and Russia, the RSS chief said both nations want India on their side, but India maintains that both of you are friends and, therefore, we will not take sides now. This is not the era of war, hence, stop it, India has maintained, Bhagwat asserted. The India of today has the strength to say this to the worlds superpowers, something it lacked in the past, he said. Sri Lanka was once a friend of China and Pakistan and kept India at a distance, but the island nation turned towards India when it was in trouble (economic downturn). Because the country (India) which believes in Dharma does not take advantage of anyone. We take advantage of each other for mutual existence, but it is an exchange of love and not a bargain, Bhagwat said. Whenever anyone needs what belongs to us, the country will offer it because this is what our forefathers have directed us to do as a duty, Bhagwat added. For a country to perform its duty, it will need a culture that is based on the unity of the world. Our culture, our dharma is not orthodox. It is something that changes with time. Our culture will not tell us what to eat and not to eat. But it will tell us not to consume food that spoils our health, Bhagwat said. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Bhubaneshwar: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said skills and competencies will drive the future rather than degrees as old jobs have started vanishing due to disruptive innovation and technology. Pradhan addressed a conference here ahead of the third G20 Education Working Group meeting later this week. Skills and competencies will drive the future rather than degrees. There will be a constant competition between God gifted human intelligence and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Pradhan said in the keynote address at the conference themed Deep Tech with a Focus on Advanced Technology in Future of Work. Old jobs are vanishing due to disruptive innovation and technology. New jobs are emerging but our workforce needs continuous skilling, reskilling and upskilling. Hence, we must think of new approaches to prepare youth for future jobs, he added. On China, the production centre of the globe at present, Pradhan said material is not going to influence the future of the civilisation. Human nature is going to influence the human future. The minister said that the 21st century will be knowledge-based and technology-driven. Guided by its civilisational ethos and as a natural hub of talent, captive market and resources, India is going to play a leading role in fulfilling the global aspirations of the 21st century, he asserted. Internet, mobility and global connectivity provides us with an opportunity to think about global requirements. We have to come together to convert this opportunity for Indias youth as well as for those belonging to the Global South, he said. During the conference, industry, academia, startup ecosystem and other stakeholders will brainstorm on reimagining the skilling ecosystem, creating future-ready global citizens, and making India a global hub of skilled manpower. Foundation literacy and numeracy, tech-enabled learning, future of work and research collaboration are among the priority areas for deliberations during the third G20 Education Working Group meeting scheduled from April 27 to 29. During the meeting, there would be official-level deliberations on the four identified priority areas foundational literacy and numeracy, tech-enabled learning, future of work and research collaboration. A conference on deep tech and transforming logistics for coastal economies, a workshop on future of work and skill architecture, a seminar on building capacities for lifelong learning and an exhibition on future of work are part of the precursor events which will be held ahead of the meet. The first meeting of the G20 Education Working Group was held in Chennai earlier this year, followed by a second meet in Amritsar last month. There would be three supplementary meetings of the education group before arriving at a consensus in June this year. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Colonial rulers have been exposed for their cruel exploitation of numerous countries, peoples and cultures worldwide. This includes the harsh oppression the British wrought on India, extending to famines that killed millions, as well as the devastation of Indias economy, traditional education system and profound dharmic culture. Yet apart from their military domination and pride of conquest, colonial administrations also tried to project a progressive side to their agenda, as if they were motivated by humanitarian concerns, liberalism and compassion, sharing the advanced civilization of Europe to replace the backward oppressive cultures that existed in the lands they invaded. The British portrayed themselves as the saviours of India, bringing modern education, medicine and technology, superior European art, philosophy and religion for the benefit of all. The British claimed to be civilising India, as if India was a poor, superstitious and uneducated country that never had any real civilisation of its own. They conveniently forgot the praise given to India since Greece and Rome long before the idea of Europe existed, along with Indias great spirituality, art, architecture, medicine, science and mathematics going back to the dawn of history. These what we can call as liberal colonialists saw themselves helping the countries under their rule like concerned social workers rather than foreign armies of exploitation, though they called upon the armies when needed to promote their agendas. Yet whether it was a destructive army, a condescending missionary or arrogant liberal administrator, the goal was the same, encouraging the people to abandon their culture as inferior to that of the West. This required getting Indians to view their own profound civilization as primitive, and instead aligning with the British to reform their own people and make them more progressive in the eyes of the West in short, to make them into good citizens of the glorious British empire, who would guide India into a new age of development and advancement. These liberal British colonialists created a new group of British Indians to become the new ruling class that they would promote under the guise of progress and democracy. Leftist colonialism Over time there arose yet another group of self-styled progressives following another set of political, economic and cultural agendas to remake India and change its identity. These were products of the socialist left from Europe, which was opposed to the colonial right, and viewed it as oppressive. Yet though claiming to be anti-imperialists, they also sought to impose their Eurocentric views and political ideologies, similarly alienating the colonies from their own cultures and traditions. They looked upon traditional cultures as the enemy along with the colonial forces, as just different types of oppressors. The Communists were the most opposed to traditional cultures and aimed to destroy Indias civilization just as did the old colonial armies, using force as necessary. The Marxists worked to undermine native and non-western cultures, remaking them into good Communists instead. This meant honouring a superior European culture and politics, viewing traditional spiritual cultures as politically backward, unjust and needing to be conquered and overthrown. Marxism proved to be the worst form of colonialism and often the most violent and genocidal. We can see this in countries like China where Communists came to power. They promoted cultural revolution that destroyed temples, works of art and traditional Chinese culture overall, and supported Maoist-led genocides. The Pol Pot led genocide in Cambodia was another instance where millions perished in the name of the Communist upliftment of the country. They created the Maoist Naxalites, the largest terrorist group in modern India. Nehruvian liberal neocolonialism Under conjoined British education and Marxist views, a new elite arose in India, who followed British Fabian Socialism along with Marxist sympathies. The Congress Party under Jawaharlal Nehrus control came to power after Indias independence at political, economic, media and educational levels, making themselves into the new ruling class. This Nehruvian colonialist elite looked down on traditional India, particularly its temples and festivals, with arrogance and contempt much like the British did. If one examines history textbooks that Indias Nehruvian Marxists like Romila Thapar or Irfan Habib developed, the views expressed were imitations of the European Marxist deconstructionist thought, which viewed India as a country with a dubious identity, a questionable history and rampant inequality direly in need of leftist political salvation to terminate Indias oppressive traditional culture and bring in the benefits of socialism and Communism to everyone. Yet their patrons did little to improve the economy or culture wherever they came to power in India but instead amassed wealth and power for themselves, creating their own dynasties. India under their influence developed a new leftist media strongly connected to the leftist/liberal media of the West, which denigrated Indias national culture and politics as regressive, right wing or fascist. Related secular missionaries appeared in a flood of NGOs coming into India, aiming to help India under the pretext of social reform, removing local and traditional cultures, much as the colonial administrators tried to do. Nehruvian education following such leftist agendas aimed to alienate the youth from their own traditions, and make them dislike and reject their own cultural background and historical identity. This Nehruvian neocolonialism kept India economically backward and culturally divided. The new India and its cultural revival Fortunately, India today after 75 years of independence is again awakening to its own civilisational power and depth, no longer in the shadow of European politics and its ongoing wars. This is a change as important as Indias political independence in 1947. Essential to it has been the political defeat of the Congress Party and its leftist-Marxist allies, discrediting the Nehru dynasty and its years of social control. India has been casting off the old Nehruvian/Marxist elite and exposing their hypocrisy and prejudices, including how they have amassed power and wealth for themselves. Not surprisingly, the leftist media in Europe and North America is trying to save this old leftist elite in India, labelling resurgent India as right wing and regressive regardless of how much it improves the economy and education in the country. This extends to old colonial voices like the BBC. India is throwing off the colonialism and anti-India prejudices of both the imperialist right and the Marxist left of Europe, including their Nehruvian representatives. Yet this cultural, intellectual and political battle for dominance in India is still raging, though the tide has turned. To deal with the old leftist forces requires discernment and determination, not compromise, apologetics or defensiveness. For this we must remember that leaders of Indias Independence movement were critical of western civilisation and honoured their own dharmic traditions instead, including questioning Communism and Marxism, which Sri Aurobindo notably portrayed as a great threat to India and the world. India must remember not just the evils of colonialism but also the dangers of liberal neo-colonialism, particularly its Nehruvian forms. Major changes in Indias education policies are essential in this awakening, reviving Indias civilisational ethos with depth and dignity, as well as creative and spiritual inspiration. This is what we see in the new India rising under Narendra Modi, which is rooted in Indias dharmic traditions rather than Europes socialist and Marxist views, which were just a more subversive form of colonialism. What then is the place of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Party today and the other leftist political and social forces? Rahul represents the last phase of this Nehruvian neo-colonialism, as a shadow of the colonial past. He is still looking to the West to save India not for democracy but for his own dynasty. Nehruvian neo-colonialism is not the voice of India or the way for Indias economic and cultural development. For that one must look long before Nehru, the British or the Mughals to the great gurus and yogis that have arisen in India over many thousand years sharing a dharmic civilization with the world. Indias cultural revival can be of great benefit to all humanity, which is why Indias dharmic traditions have spread worldwide in recent decades. The writer is the director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies and the author of more than 30 books on yoga and Vedic traditions. The views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In my last column I argued that the demand of the times was to evolve an integrated grand strategy to secure Indias interests over the next twenty-five years. Such a vision and action plan for India: 2047 would necessarily be a bold departure from the past, when we shied away from a geostrategic role whose ambit was greater than the Indian subcontinent. It is not that India has not had a history of post-Independence strategic thinking. In fact, one of our primary goals has been to safeguard our borders and maintain peace within our vast and diverse country. This, indeed, has occupied much of our energies. Arguably, even in the best of times, we cannot take for granted that we have secured these twin objectives. How can we forget or ignore that we have two hostile neighbours, with whom we share a boundary that exceeds 6,500 km, perhaps the longest antagonistic border anywhere in the world? I am not even seriously considering the huge coastline of over 7,500 km. But, speaking of the latter, can we afford to forget that the 26/11 terrorists came to India via the sea route, traversing the Arabian sea, to land in Mumbai to kill close to 170 people? In addition to 14,000 kms to monitor, we have significant internal threats, whether from Communist or Islamist insurgency movements, which are against the very idea of India. All these taken together pose a formidable challenge to the fundamental priorities of our grand strategy, namely relatively secure borders and peace within the country. It is in this light that we must examine the deadly and dastardly rocket ambush on our armoured truck in Poonch, which incinerated five of our brave jawans from the Rashtriya Rifles. Yes, this was most likely a rocket-propelled grenade attack, accompanied by firing by assault rifles. The latter was obvious. How do we know this? Because the charred vehicle, which was still burning when passersby approached it, was pock marked with bullet fire from automatic weapons. But few reported that the army truck was likely to have been attacked by a shoulder mounted rocket launcher, a deadly weapon against armoured vehicles. It was sadly ironic that the attack was on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr; the army truck, and the jawans, were carrying fruits to be distributed on the festive occasion. After the attack unfolded on April 20, some news channels reported that there had been intelligence reports at least three days earlier warning of such attacks. Especially because some of the G20 meetings were scheduled to be held in Srinagar. Cross-border terrorists and their handlers in the Pakistani army and intelligence would want to send a message to the world that Kashmir, a disputed territory, was unsafe for any international event. Given how obvious such a game plan was, why were we unable to prevent the strike? No matter how effective the post-op counter will be, the sheer amount of time, energy, money, and manpower expended in neutralising the culprits is likely to be far greater than whatever preventive measures we might have undertaken. Had we used actionable intelligence effectively, that is. In the history of our never-ending war with Pakistan this, unfortunately, has been the pattern. They are the ones who usually make the first, usually bold and unexpected, strike. We are forced to react, often against difficult if not overwhelming odds. That we have usually succeeded in worsting our arch enemy despite the initial setback is nearly miraculous. It shows that a determined and united Indian state can be a formidable adversary. This has been illustrated again and again, from our retaliatory capacities from the initial Pakistani invasion of Kashmir in 1948 right up to our regaining the Kargil heights in 1999. In the process, one of Indias greatest strategic triumphs was the dismemberment of Pakistan in the 1972 war in which we played a critical role in the creation of Bangladesh. The Pakistan establishment has neither forgotten nor forgiven us. Given a chance, they will pay us back in the same coin, whether in Kashmir or Punjab. Their nefarious intentions have been demonstrated again and again; no need to wait for further demonstrations. It is, of course, another matter that when it comes to extracting a price for Pakistans misdeeds and mistakes, India has been possibly the most generous and charitable of adversaries. Some would say foolish to the point of being self-destructive. Starting with Mahatma Gandhis fast to return Pakistans share of the undivided treasury amounting to a substantial Rs 55 crore in 1947. Following that pattern, we seem to have squandered most, if not all, of our hard-won advantages against Pakistan. For instance, we should have captured Lahore in the 1965 war. We were a mere 25 km away from the greatest of Pakistani cities, less than an hour away by surface transport. We had actually captured over 500 sq km of territory leading to the outskirts of the city when we unilaterally halted our advance at the BRB canal. Imagine the impact of Indian tanks rolling into the capital of West Punjab! It would have put an end to the idea of Pakistan. Or, jumping to the aftermath of the liberation of Bangladesh, why didnt we use the 90,000 prisoners of war against the aggressor? Not only did we hand them over peacefully, but fed them better than our own men! With the Shimla accord of 1972, India squandered most of its strategic gains, with Mrs Indira Gandhi showing unusual and conciliatory generosity to her Pakistani counterpart Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. All in the interests of lasting peace. The same mistake was repeated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee after Kargil in his doomed Agra peace summit with General Parvez Musharraf. Even his BJP successor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ten years later, tried personal friendship and proactive peace diplomacy in his unexpected stopover meeting with Nawaz Sharif in 2015. What India failed to understand is that conflict with India is the very raison detre for Pakistans existence, the one thing that kept its army in charge of the state. No matter how friendly the incumbent government, Pakistans track two assault on India will continue. Once again, we will notice that Pakistan foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto, will come to India to attend a G20 meeting in Goa, just after his army-backed so-called extra-state rogue elements have killed our soldiers in Poonch. Clearly, for Indias grand strategy to succeed it must be proactive, not reactive whether against Pakistan or even China. Our enemies must realise that we can hit them hard where it hurts, not merely react or rectify the situation after we have struck. In this regard, consider the colossal failures of the Indian state in the past, from the Chinese invasion of 1962 to its incursions in Arunachal Pradesh as recently as December 9, 2022. Pakistan has already bled us by a thousand cuts, some of which I have underscored above. Now the time has come to show that we can retaliate. Uri and Balakot were examples the messaging has to be clear, regardless of the actual amount of damage we can exact on our enemies. In this case five of our men have been ambushed and murdered, while one is alive, but injured. That too in our own territory. For Indias grand strategy to work, it is obvious that we must have a counter-offence in place. Are we in a position to carry out a retaliatory attack in which we can take out ten of their soldiers in Pakistan-occupied Poonch? That too with weapons deadlier than a handheld rocket launcher and assault rifles? Hasnt the time come to do whatever it takes, even create our own proxy warriors, that operate on the other side of the border? We must inflict deadly damage upon our enemies so that they think ten times before daring to injure us again. Perhaps, such an action plan is already in place. If so, isnt it time for the nation to know? The writer is an author, columnist, and professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Kathmandu: Nepal witnessed around 60 per cent voter turnout in its three constituencies of Tanhun-1, Chitawan-2 and Bara-2 where by-polls were held on Sunday. Journalist-turned-politician Ravi Lamichhane is contesting the election from Chitawan-2, while prominent economist Swornim Wagley and former Deputy Police Chief Ramesh Kharel are contesting from Tanhun-1 and Bara-2 constituencies respectively. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in Tanahun-1 was 53 per cent. The constituency was vacant after Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel, who was the elected lawmaker from the constituency, became the President in March. In Chitwan-2, the voter turnout was 63 per cent. Lamichhane, who had lost his Parliament Member and Deputy Prime Ministers post due to the citizenship certificate controversy, is contesting from this constituency. Bara-2 saw the highest voter turnout among all the constituencies at 64 per cent. The constituency was vacant as the elected lawmaker Ram Saya Yadav became the Vice-President last month. Nepals Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya said the by-polls in all the three constituencies were held in a peaceful manner. On Thursday, authorities sealed Nepals border points with India for 72 hours due to the by-election. The by-elections in the three constituencies have become a prestige issue for both the ruling alliance and the fourth-largest party Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP), which has not yet withdrawn its support to the Prachanda-led coalition government, though its ministers had already quit the government. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moscow: Azerbaijan on Sunday informed that it has set up a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor the only land link between Armenia and the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. The checkpoint is the first set up by Azerbaijan since the latest war ended in 2020, AFP reported. The two ex-Soviet Caucasus nations have fought two wars over Azerbaijans Armenian-majority region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The units of the Azerbaijani Border Service established a border checkpoint on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, at the entrance of the Lachin-Khankendi road, the state border service said, adding it was a response to a similar move by Armenia. Baku and Yerevan went to war in 2020 and in the 1990s over Nagorno-Karabakh. Under the ceasefire that ended the 2020 conflict, Azerbaijan is required to guarantee safe passage on the Lachin corridor, which is patrolled by Russian peacekeepers. Azerbaijan, however, said it set up the checkpoint at 12:00 pm (0800 GMT) on Sunday to prevent the illegal transportation of manpower, weapons, mines. The foreign ministry accused Yerevan of using the corridor for the rotation of army staff, the transfer of weapons and ammunition, entrance of terrorists, as well as illicit trafficking of natural resources and cultural property. It said on Saturday it recorded military convoys entering Azerbaijans territory and the construction of military infrastructure at the point closest to the territory of Azerbaijan. The checkpoint was built in light of these threats and provocations and shall be implemented in interaction with the Russian peacekeeping force. Tensions had been brewing around the Lachin corridor since last year. In December, Azerbaijani activists blocked the Lachin corridor to protest what they claim was illegal mining. Yerevan accused Baku of staging the demonstrations and creating a humanitarian crisis in the mountainous enclave. Armenia has also accused Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February last year, of failing to prevent the blockade. (With inputs from AFP) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Beijing: China has lodged a formal complaint against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over his erroneous remarks about Taiwan. Relations between Beijing and Seoul have gone bitter ever since Yeol said in a Reuters interview that tensions between China and Taiwan are a global issue similar to North Korea and blamed the heightened tensions on attempts to change the status quo by force. Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong was ordered on Thursday to make a solemn representation to the South Korean ambassador over Yoons comments, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has informed. Sun told the ambassador that Yoons remarks were totally unacceptable and expressed strong dissatisfaction, the ministry said. Chinas complaint Yoon comes ahead of his visit to key ally US, which has always condemned Chinas territorial claims over Taiwan. The Taiwan question is a matter belonging to the Chinese themselves and no force can be allowed to interfere, Sun said, urging Seoul to adhere to the One-China Principle and be careful in words and actions relating to the Taiwan issue. Dismissing the comparison between the Taiwan issue and tensions on the Korean Peninsula, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin criticised Yoons remarks. This prompted South Koreas foreign ministry on Thursday to berate China for its serious diplomatic discourtesy. Tensions have escalated in the Taiwan Strait in recent years, with China launching military exercises earlier this month after Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen visited the United States. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Beijing: In a worrying development for its neighbouring countries, China might now employ artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in training the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) to use its heavy weapons including artillery against Taiwan. China reportedly took this step after studying artillery gunnery drills of both Russia and Ukraine during the ongoing war in eastern Europe. The South China Morning Post reported this month that a Beijing-based science team had tested human-size targets from a distance of 16 kilometres using AI-powered laser-guided artillery rounds on multiple occasions. They noted that the accuracy achieved during the tests exceeded expectations, with photos demonstrating centre hits on bullseye targets. According to the SCMP, the poor precision of current guided artillery rounds is a result of the enormous volume of real-time data that must be processed using conventional mathematical models. As guided artillery rounds microchips must be as simple as possible to resist the intense stress and heat of being shot from a cannon, it was also stated that a significant portion of this vital raw data is lost. The SCMP points out that AI has the capacity to process data more quickly than conventional mathematical models and can avoid complex trajectory calculations utilising data gathered from tests or actual firing scenarios. The science team allegedly divided up jobs involving complex trajectory corrections during flight across a variety of AI models, increasing accuracy. The source also mentioned that guided artillery rounds with sluggish microchips might perform all essential computations using all available data with AI. The SCMP says that in a Taiwan scenario, AI-powered guided artillery may destroy targets in metropolitan areas more effectively than conventional weapons and more affordably than missiles. Additionally, it claims that such accuracy would lessen the need for reconstruction and reduce collateral damage and casualties among civilians. With those improvements, China might be trying to prevent Russias artillery errors in Ukraine in the event of a Taiwan contingency. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Paris: France evacuated around 100 people from Sudan on its first flight out of the war-hit country after a complicated rescue operation, officials said on Sunday. The first rescue flight to Djibouti carried citizens from Britain, France, Germany, and Switzerland as well as African nations such as Ethiopia and Morocco, AFP quoted an official from the foreign ministry as saying. Theyre tired, tense, but very relieved to have arrived safe and sound, he said. The evacuees had to cross the frontline of fighting around the capital Khartoum to board the planes, with the French embassy helping negotiate a ceasefire with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that is battling the army. I must stress the complicated nature of this operation, the official said. A second flight of another 100 people is expected to leave on Sunday evening, with another 100 people on board. Asked about unconfirmed reports that a French national had been injured on Sunday when the rescue convoy was fired upon, a defence ministry official declined to comment. With the operation ongoing, we do not want to comment on this type of rumour, an official from the defence ministry said, speaking during the same briefing with reporters. They gave details of the long planning process and negotiations leading up to Sundays operations. Locating French and other foreign nationals has been difficult because of the lack of phone network coverage and electricity. An evacuation mission by road was considered, but then discarded due to security concerns as well as the difficulties in supplying it with food and fuel. Once the airborne option was chosen, President Emmanuel Macron called his Ethiopian counterpart to request permission for the flights to use Ethiopian air space on their way to Djibouti. We had difficulties with some countries which had closed their air space, the foreign ministry official said. A doctor was on board the French plane to assist evacuees, many of whom were understandably psychologically affected by their ordeal in Khartoum where food and fuel are in short supply, the official added. France is expected to send other rescue flights on Monday morning. (With inputs from AFP) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tokyo: Members of the Group of Seven Nations have demanded the full implementation and expansion of the crucial Black Sea grain deal which is used to export Ukrainian products. The deal, which allows Ukraine to export more than 27 million tonnes of grain from several of its Black Sea ports, was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last year in July. Russia has strongly signalled that it will halt the exports beyond May 18 because a list of demands to facilitate its own grain and fertilizer exports has not been met. The groups agriculture ministers said that they recognised the importance. In a meeting in Japans Miyazaki, they said, We strongly support the extension, full implementation and expansion of (the Black Sea Grain Initiative) BSGI. We condemn Russias attempts to use food as a means of destabilisation and as a tool of geopolitical coercion and reiterate our commitment to acting in solidarity and supporting those most affected by Russias weaponisation of food, the communique said. The group added that they will stand ready to support recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including by providing expertise in the de-mining of agricultural land and reconstruction of agricultural infrastructure, the document said. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tel Aviv: Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied against the controversial judicial reforms on Saturday ahead of the countrys 75th Independence Day. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paused the judicial overhaul last month in the wake of growing discontent among citizens. The latest protests against them come as Israelis are set to mark both Israeli independence day and Israeli memorial day, which commemorates those killed in Israels wars and in terror attacks. My father was killed on Yom Kippur War, 53-year-old photographer Miri Pinchuk told Reuters. He gave his life for this country, because he was raised up also with the belief that its going to be a democracy. Netanyahus proposals would give the government control over the appointment of Supreme Court judges and the parliament will have the power to overrule many decisions of the court. They have caused one of the biggest domestic crises in Israels recent history. The proposals were introduced after the government accused a number of judges of increasingly usurping the role of parliament. The government justified the proposals by saying that they would bring a balance between the judiciary and elected politicians. Critics say it will remove vital checks and balances underpinning a democratic state and hand unchecked power to the government. A poll released by Israels public broadcaster on Friday found the plans are deeply unpopular, with 53 per cent saying they believe the plans will harm the country. Additionally, 60 per cent of Israelis said the government does not represent them and 48 per cent believe the situation in the country will continue to get worse. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Georgetown (Guyana): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India and Guyanas partnership holds new possibilities during an address at India-Guyana Business Round Table. The minister also highlighted the new focus areas brought up by both countries earlier. Underlined that the new focus areas agreed to by President Ali and PM Modi-energy, health and pharma, development partnership & capacity building, agriculture, innovation, technology and defence and infrastructure will be the drivers of our ties, Jaishankar tweeted. He added, My presence here is intended to take forward the momentum created by the visits of President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo recently. Strong economics will complement shared values in taking our partnership to a new level. The Round Table meeting also saw the attendance of delegations from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Jaishankar said. CII is a premier business association, which partners with Indian Industry, government and civil society to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India. Jaishankar arrived in Guyana on Friday for a three-day visit. The EAM was received by Guyanas Foreign Minister Hugh Todd in the Guyanese capital of Georgetown. The EAM is expected to go to Panama next where he will call on the top leadership and would be hosted by Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney Mencomo. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moscow: Authorities in Russia are advising citizens to avoid travelling to Canada citing numerous cases of discrimination against Russians including physical violence. Russias foreign ministry claimed that Canada is one of the biggest allies of Ukraine in the war and has imposed a number of sanctions on Russian officials. Due to the numerous instances of discrimination against Russian citizens in Canada, including physical violence, we recommend you refrain from traveling to this country for the purposes of tourism, education, and in the context of business relations, the Russian foreign ministry said in an advisory. If you are already in Canada, we urge you to be vigilant, especially in public places. The advisory, dated April 20, was posted on the ministrys main Telegram channel on Saturday. The Canadian foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment. Shortly after the war started last year, Canada advised citizens to avoid all travel to Russia. Russia last week imposed sanctions on 333 Canadian officials and public figures, including prominent Olympians, in what it said was a tit-for-tat response to Canadian restrictions on Moscow and support for Ukraine. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moscow: Russia will not forgive the United States for denying US visas to Russian journalists meant to accompany him on a visit to UN headquarters, said the countrys foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday. We wont forget, we will not forgive this said Lavrov. He is expected to chair several UN Security Council meetings in New York. In April, Russia took up the presidency of the UN Security Council despite the Ukraine offensive, which Kyiv said was a slap in the face. Lavrov denounced a stupid failure of the United States to give visas to Russian journalists. A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, freest and fairest, chickened out, Lavrov said, adding that this showed the worth of their solemn assurances on freedom of speech. Since the beginning of the offensive, Moscow has strongly tightened conditions to obtain the accreditations needed to get journalist visas in Russia. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned of more retaliatory steps. We will find formats to respond to this so that the Americans remember for a long time that such things must not be done, Ryabkov was cited as saying by state-run news agencies. RIA Novosti also cited a diplomatic source saying that, following the incident, American journalists will experience all the discomfort and inconvenience. Last month US journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on claims of espionage. The US journalist, his publication and officials strongly denied the allegations. Gershkovich, who has also worked for AFP, is the first foreign journalist arrested on spying allegations since the collapse of the Soviet Union. (With inputs from AFP) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Vatican City: As the bloody outbreak of fighting entered the second week in Sudan, Pope Francis on Sunday called for dialogue between warring military factions in the country. Unfortunately the situation remains grave in Sudan. That is why I am renewing my call for the violence to stop as quickly as possible and for dialogue to resume, the pontiff said during traditional Sunday prayers in Saint Peters Square in Rome. He added, I invite everyone to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters. France, Italy, Turkey and the United States are all evacuating citizens from Sudan, AFP reported. Violence Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. The fighting between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhans forces and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo began on April 15 over a dispute on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army, AFP reported. The move was a key condition of a deal aimed at restoring Sudans democratic transition after the military toppled former leader Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 following mass citizen protests. The two men had joined forces to oust a civilian government installed after Bashirs downfall, before turning on each other. (With inputs from AFP) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Khartoum: Sudans paramilitary force, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has said that the US military has evacuated embassy officials and their families from the war-torn country. Fighting between Sudans military and paramilitary forces has entered a second week. The conflict has left more than 300 dead and several injured. The US military carried out the evacuation operation, which involved the deployment of six aircraft, in coordination with RSF. A person familiar with the developments told Reuters the US military had successfully evacuated embassy personnel. The Pentagon, however, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, other foreign nationals were rescued from a port in the Red Sea on Saturday. The bloody onslaught of urban warfare has trapped large numbers in the Sudanese capital, disabling the airport and rendering some roads impassable. The United Nations and foreign states have urged rival military leaders to honour declared ceasefires that have mostly been ignored and to open a safe passage for fleeing civilians and the supply of badly needed aid. Owing to the closure of airports, several foreign nationals, including embassy officials, aid workers and students, have been unable to get out of the third-largest African nation. 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. Western countries are expected to send planes for their citizens from Djibouti, though the Sudanese army has said airports in Khartoum and Darfurs biggest city Nyala are problematic and it was not clear when that might be possible. 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 US Embassy warned Americans that it could not assist convoys from Khartoum to Port Sudan and travel would be at individuals own risk. The conflict between the Sudanese army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF broke out on 15 April and neither of the sides has been able to observe ceasefires agreed upon almost daily since hostilities broke. On Saturday, the fighting breached 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 not respecting the truce. I dont have a problem with the ceasefire, Hemedti told Al Arabiya TV late on Saturday. They (the army) did not respect it. If they respect it, so will we. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. An Orlando woman was killed and five people were injured Friday night in a six-vehicle crash on Interstate 95, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The wreck happened just after 10 p.m. in the southbound lanes near mile marker 267 in Volusia County, FHP said. According to a crash report, a Hyundai Elantra in the outside lane of the interstate moved into the next lane, hitting an Hyundai SUV. The Elentra was pushed into the path of a Toyota Corolla, which it collided with. The Corolla subsequently was hit by a Volvo semi-truck and a Toyota SUV. The driver of the Elantra, a 28-year-old from Orlando, was taken to Halifax Medical Center; the passenger, a 25-year-old Orlando woman, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two woman from Jacksonville in the Hyundai SUV were taken to Advent Health Hospital with minor injuries, the crash report said. The driver of the Corolla suffered minor injuries and was treated at Halifax Medical Center. The three other drivers and one single passenger were not injured, but stayed on the scene, FHP said. The crash remains under investigation. ccann@orlandosentinel.com Feature: Small home, big relief: Turks build portable homes for quake victims 09:25, April 23, 2023 By Zeynep Cermen ( Xinhua Two volunteers install shelves in a portable house designed to aid earthquake victims in Istanbul, Turkiye, April 13, 2023. The house is small but fully functional. A bathroom, a kitchen, and sleeping space are squeezed into 15 square meters to make the entire unit easy to transport, according to the builders. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua) ISTANBUL, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Yildiz Tasdelen, a 65-year-old Turkish retiree, is among a batch of Istanbulites who have volunteered for the past two months in a suburb for building portable houses to shelter earthquake victims. Varnishing the exterior of a tiny house at an expo center-converted construction site, Tasdelen said he came every day to help out with the work. "I can say there is nothing I haven't done except for building the roofs," Tasdelen told Xinhua. "I've done many tasks, including interior painting, sanding, and cementing the ground." On the fourth day of the disaster that had wreaked havoc in southern Turkiye in early February, a group of interior architects in Istanbul launched the project to provide ready-to-use houses for earthquake victims. Immediately, hundreds of people and local businesses answered to the volunteering call on social media. Tuyap fair convention and congress center provided ample space for building the houses until they were ready to be transported in bulk to quake-hit regions, where they would be put into use for resettlement. Many manufacturers supplied the necessary raw materials. The house is small but fully functional. A bathroom, a kitchen, and sleeping space are squeezed into 15 square meters to make the entire unit easy to transport, according to the builders. At its peak, some 500 people had worked around the clock in shifts on the construction site. "It is an incredible experience," Hamide Goksan, co-founder of the project, recalled. "We knew there would be a massive demand for four-season insulated houses and shelters ... Tents and containers would go. After all, they were temporary solutions. We had to be thinking about something long-term," he said, pointing to the prefab houses. Soon with local authorities' permission, the group installed the tiny houses on a 2.42-hectare area in Hatay, creating an "organic village" in the worst-hit province. They planned to install a total of 100 homes in the first phase. "There are so much more to be built. The entire city vanished," she said, speaking of the severity of damage in the south. Rahsan Kiris and her husband, Ayhan Kiris, were among the volunteers for construction since the beginning of the project. "The first few days, we dealt with cleaning. We then realized that we could do anything," Rahsan told Xinhua. "Install kitchen cabinets, tile the ceiling, and nail the shelves," she counted. "We do our best to make our people there have a good life," said Kiris. A volunteer applies varnish to a portable house designed to aid earthquake victims in Istanbul, Turkiye, April 13, 2023. The house is small but fully functional. A bathroom, a kitchen, and sleeping space are squeezed into 15 square meters to make the entire unit easy to transport, according to the builders. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua) A volunteer prepares building materials for houses designed to aid earthquake victims in Istanbul, Turkiye, April 13, 2023. The house is small but fully functional. A bathroom, a kitchen, and sleeping space are squeezed into 15 square meters to make the entire unit easy to transport, according to the builders. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua) Hamide Goksan, co-founder of the Tiny House Project, speaks during an interview in Istanbul, Turkiye, April 13, 2023. The house is small but fully functional. A bathroom, a kitchen, and sleeping space are squeezed into 15 square meters to make the entire unit easy to transport, according to the builders. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua) Finished portable houses designed to aid earthquake victims are pictured in Istanbul, Turkiye, April 13, 2023. The house is small but fully functional. A bathroom, a kitchen, and sleeping space are squeezed into 15 square meters to make the entire unit easy to transport, according to the builders. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) The United States-Mexico border crisis continues to be amongst the most urgent crises in America, rapidly spilling criminal activities across the border and into our states. The latest piece of legislation proposed to Congress brings forth a solution that will crack down on border security and illegal crossings. The continuous upheaval at the border increases the activity of human smuggling, drug trafficking, and cartels. As of now, human trafficking is a $13 billion criminal industry, with criminal cartels earning as much as $14 million every day for trafficking families, women, and children into the United States. The Mexican drug cartels have killed more Americans than any terrorist group in history and the death toll is rising every day. Fentanyl, a drug that has climbed through the ranks of Americas drug war, had been originally smuggled in by Mexican cartels Sinaloa and Jalisco. In consequence, it has become the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 18-45. Alis Cadena is a freshman at Stetson University majoring in political science with a minor in business law. With leaders such as Gov. Ron DeSantis and Mississippis Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith beginning to propose various means of mitigation towards the border crisis, it would seem like solutions are already underway. However, this is not the case: $46.6 billion in military expenditure has been given towards the war in Ukraine against Russia. Hyde-Smiths cosponsored bills and DeSantis legislative proposals toward border security barely make an impact compared to the billions of dollars Ukraine is receiving from Americas purse. The vital focal point of security is the one solution for the United States border crisis which has been going towards war efforts occurring in Ukraine. The issue lies in American humanitarian efforts continuously going outside our own nation, and pivoting U.S. attention to Ukraine instead of the cataclysmic repercussions going on here. The Secure Americas Borders First Act (HR 199) was introduced by Rep. Matthew Rosendale (R-Montana) on Jan. 9. The bill aims to prohibit the obligation or expenditure of military or security assistance to Ukraine until operational control of the United States-Mexico border is achieved. Doing so does not mean assistance towards Ukraine will end completely rather, it rotates the focus back on America until they have the border crisis under control and stagnant. Dont forget: Ukraine has the military support and assistance from powerhouse countries such as Germany, Poland, and France receiving stockpiles of arms, vehicles and money. Just as there is a war going on in Ukraine, there is a war occurring here in America. Human trafficking and drug overdoses have reached unparalleled heights month after month, and its Americas duty to prioritize our citizens above all else. If were weak here, how can we help someone else? Putting America first is vital in order to have an obligation to assist our allied nations. The Secure Americas Borders First Act benefits all Americans and should not be a bill that is opposed by Republicans or Democrats. When people are dying in America, it should not be about political parties anymore. Its about the American citizens people who are truly dealing with the consequences of the border crisis. All states that border Mexico all have different partisan beliefs, yet all have to deal with the same issue of border security. America has funded money towards another continent but has yet to fully assist tax-paying states that are struggling with security risk at the U.S.-Mexico border. In February, the U.S. Border Patrol Chiefs testified that the border crisis is setting records for the arrests of illegal border crossers, migrant deaths, and narcotics seized. While some may argue that the long-term relationship with Ukraine outweighs the border-crisis agenda, testimonies from Border Patrol officials demonstrate the need to fix the security at the border immediately. The United States border crisis will continue to get worse and worse unless America fixes all military aid and expenditure back towards its own nation which is exactly what the Secure Americas Borders First Act aims to achieve. Alis Cadena is a freshman at Stetson University majoring in political science with a minor in business law. 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. Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the grim allegations that over 149 million barrels of crude oil are missing, as documented in the 2019 audited reports by the Auditor General of the Federation and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).SERAP also urged him to ensure the effective prosecution of anyone suspected to be responsible for the plundering of the countrys oil wealth and the full recovery of any proceeds of crime.According to the 2019 audited report by the Auditor General, over 107 million barrels of crude oil were lifted as domestic crude without any document or tracing. NEITI also reported missing 42.25 million barrels of crude oil in 2019. In the letter dated 22 April 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these very serious allegations.SERAP said, Quote The recommended steps can be taken between now and the end of your term of office to set the tone for the next administration. The letter, read in part: SERAP notes that you have repeatedly promised to combat corruption. As you go into the final weeks of your term of office, the missing crude oil allegations present yet another opportunity to demonstrate your commitment and to uphold your oath of office both as President and Minister of Petroleum Resources. As the President and substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources, you and your government should prioritise getting to the bottom of these allegations and use the remainder of your term of office to ensure justice and accountability for these serious crimes against the Nigerian people. Investigating the allegations and naming and shaming and prosecuting those suspected to be responsible for the missing crude oil would serve the public interest and end the impunity of perpetrators. We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest. The allegations by both the Auditor-General and NEITI are different from a whistleblowers claims that 48 million barrels of Bonny Light crude oil allegedly sold in China in 2015 are missing or unaccounted for. The reports by the Auditor-General and NEITI suggest a grave violation of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and the countrys anticorruption laws and international obligations, as well as the public trust. These damning revelations also suggest your government is failing to prevent and combat the plundering of Nigerias wealth and natural resources, name and bring suspected perpetrators to account and recover any proceeds of crime. Poor and socio-economically vulnerable Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the stealing of the countrys oil wealth apparently by both state and non-state actors. The countrys oil wealth ought to be used solely for the benefit of the Nigerian people, and for the sake of the present and future generations. These allegations can promptly be investigated and suspected perpetrators named and shamed. Taking these steps would advance the right of Nigerians to restitution, compensation and guarantee of non-repetition and improve public confidence in the fight against corruption, and related crimes, especially in the oil sector. According to the 2019 audited report by the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), some 107,239,436.00 barrels of crude oil were lifted as domestic crude without any document or tracing. To date, there is no information on the sale of Un-Utilized Crude oil by Refineries for 2019 and no information on crude oil allocations from 30th May to 31st December 2019. The Auditor-General is concerned that the missing crude oil may have been diverted. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) also reported missing 42.25 million barrels of crude oil in 2019. Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on your government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity. Section 16(2) further provides that, the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good. The UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party obligate your government to effectively prevent and investigate the plundering of the countrys wealth and natural resources and hold public officials and non-state actors to account for any violations. Specifically, article 26 of the UN Convention requires your government to ensure effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions including criminal and non-criminal sanctions, in cases of grand corruption. Article 26 complements the more general requirement of article 30, paragraph 1, that sanctions must take into account the gravity of the corruption allegations. The proposed panel should be headed by a retired justice of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal, and its members should include people with proven professional records and of the highest integrity that can act impartially, independently and transparently. Some Nigerian children and women have been rescued from human traffickers by security operatives, Reconnaissance Company in the Libyan town of Umm Al Aranib on Friday. The security operatives raided the smugglers den and nabbed about 30 illegal migrants of which an unspecified number of Nigerian women and children were included.This was disclosed by Migrant Rescue Watch via Twitter on Saturday.Migrant Rescue Watch, however, said the victims have been handed over to the headquarters of the Reconnaissance Company of the 676th Infantry Battalion for basic humanitarian assistance.The tweet read, Quote Patrol of Reconnaissance Company of the 676th Infantry Battalion in response to information received raided a smugglers den in Umm Al Aranib area and apprehended 30 undocumented #migrants incl. women and children of Nigerian nationality. The group was transferred to units HQ in Umm Al Aranib for provision of basic humanitarian assistance prior to hand over to DCIM authorities. bohlah at 23-04-2023 07:11 PM (1 week ago) (m) Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 400-level Marine Engineering student at the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa state, Kelvin Ogenedoro. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 400-level Marine Engineering student at the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa state, Kelvin Ogenedoro. Ogenedoro was arrested for dealing in 600 grams of skunk. He was nabbed at the universitys gate in a follow-up operation following the interception of the consignment in a commercial bus along Tombia-Amassoma road. In Adamawa state, a notorious drug dealer, Sunday Ishaku Emzor (aka Lalas) who was convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2010 for drug offenses, was also rearrested on Thursday 20th April for drug dealing. He was arrested at Hayin Gada, Imburu Numan LGA where he went to supply 1.650kg of cannabis to an undercover operative. His Yellow Press Cub motorcycle used for supplying illicit drugs and cash of N78,120 suspected to proceed of the illegal business were recovered from him at the point of arrest. On the same day in Kaduna, operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a truck conveying 110 bags and 200 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 1.223 tons (1,223kg) in Zaria while the truck driver, Adekunle Olanrewaju, 32, and his assistant, Tunde Jamiu, 20, were arrested. Ogenedoro was arrested for dealing in 600 grams of skunk.He was nabbed at the universitys gate in a follow-up operation following the interception of the consignment in a commercial bus along Tombia-Amassoma road.In Adamawa state, a notorious drug dealer, Sunday Ishaku Emzor (aka Lalas) who was convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2010 for drug offenses, was also rearrested on Thursday 20th April for drug dealing.He was arrested at Hayin Gada, Imburu Numan LGA where he went to supply 1.650kg of cannabis to an undercover operative. His Yellow Press Cub motorcycle used for supplying illicit drugs and cash of N78,120 suspected to proceed of the illegal business were recovered from him at the point of arrest.On the same day in Kaduna, operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a truck conveying 110 bags and 200 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 1.223 tons (1,223kg) in Zaria while the truck driver, Adekunle Olanrewaju, 32, and his assistant, Tunde Jamiu, 20, were arrested. Drug dealer Lucky In Edo State, a 42-year-old cripple, Lucky Aigberenmolen trading in illicit drugs in his wheelchair was arrested in a raid of drug joints in parts of the state. While Lucky was nabbed at Ekpoma, Esan West LGA with 1.3kg of Cannabis Sativa and 10 liters of Monkey Tail, another suspect, Mary David,46, was arrested at Ugbegun, Esan Central LGA with four litres of Monkey Tail and Osagiede Stephanie, 19, at Ekpoma, with various quantities of Colorado, Methamphetamine, and Molly. A 50kg cannabis stored in a bush ready for distribution was also recovered in Irrua area of the state. While two suspects: Adeshina Olalekan and Christopher Joel, were arrested at Lektop hotel, Igbeba, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, with 39 litres of Skuchies, as well as various quantities of tramadol, and rophynol, operatives in Imo State intercepted a female suspect, Ijeoma Anyiam Loreza, 40, at Orogwe, Owerri North with 70 blocks of Cannabis Sativa weighing 30kg. In Edo State, a 42-year-old cripple, Lucky Aigberenmolen trading in illicit drugs in his wheelchair was arrested in a raid of drug joints in parts of the state. While Lucky was nabbed at Ekpoma, Esan West LGA with 1.3kg of Cannabis Sativa and 10 liters of Monkey Tail, another suspect, Mary David,46, was arrested at Ugbegun, Esan Central LGA with four litres of Monkey Tail and Osagiede Stephanie, 19, at Ekpoma, with various quantities of Colorado, Methamphetamine, and Molly. A 50kg cannabis stored in a bush ready for distribution was also recovered in Irrua area of the state.While two suspects: Adeshina Olalekan and Christopher Joel, were arrested at Lektop hotel, Igbeba, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, with 39 litres of Skuchies, as well as various quantities of tramadol, and rophynol, operatives in Imo State intercepted a female suspect, Ijeoma Anyiam Loreza, 40, at Orogwe, Owerri North with 70 blocks of Cannabis Sativa weighing 30kg. Mattew Obateru A notorious drug dealer in Okitipupa area of Ondo state, Mathew Obateru, 42, has also been taken into custody after different quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Colorado and Loud were recovered from him. In Taraba, a suspect, Mohammed Usman was arrested on Monday 17th April in connection with the seizure of 10,009 pills of tramadol. Reacting to the successes recorded, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended his officers. He charged them to continue to raise the bar of professionalism in the daily discharge of their responsibilities. A notorious drug dealer in Okitipupa area of Ondo state, Mathew Obateru, 42, has also been taken into custody after different quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Colorado and Loud were recovered from him.In Taraba, a suspect, Mohammed Usman was arrested on Monday 17th April in connection with the seizure of 10,009 pills of tramadol.Reacting to the successes recorded, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended his officers.He charged them to continue to raise the bar of professionalism in the daily discharge of their responsibilities. 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 23-04-2023 07:11 PM (1 week ago) | Addicted Hero It takes a village to raise a child, and our village is struggling. Why? Simply put, childhood poverty. The number of children living in poverty in Orange County is staggering, with more than 58,000 children impacted. That number represents a poverty rate of 19%, higher than the overall Florida rate of 18.2%. Growing up in an under-resourced community too often paves the way for long-lasting consequences. Children living in poverty are three times more likely to experience abuse, seven times more likely to experience neglect and five times more likely to drop out of school. Sadly, challenges seem to be even more concentrated among minority populations; according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, though Black children represent just 14% of the general population, they make up 23% of the population of children in foster care. The majority of entries into foster care stem from neglect, which are often fixable family issues challenges that, when addressed on the front end, can significantly reduce the number of families that come into contact with the child welfare system. At Childrens Home Society of Florida (CHS), we are dedicated to keeping more families safe, strong, and together and out of foster care by partnering with families before crises occur. Children growing up in under-resourced communities often experience multiple barriers to education, which hinder their academic success from kindergarten through adulthood. Students who come from low-income families are at a higher risk of academic underachievement than their more affluent peers. On a large scale, there are two significant factors that can affect a childs success: Limited access to quality early childhood education: 90% of brain development occurs by age 5, and that includes the executive-level functioning required for critical and strategic thinking later in life. Early childhood education provides children with a foundation for learning, socialization, and emotional development that sets the stage for success. Children who receive quality adult interaction and early learning in their first years are 50% less likely to need special education, 70% less likely to be arrested for a violent crime, and 50% less likely to become teen parents. Children in poverty are five times more likely to drop out: The stresses and daily challenges that accompany childhood poverty can negatively impact children. Children may need to work to support the household, or they may assume the role of a primary caregiver for siblings or aging parents, all of which can lead to difficulties in school and poor academic performance increasing the likelihood of dropping out. And if they do drop out, they are 63 times more likely to be incarcerated. Currently, high school dropouts account for 80% of the prison population. But there is hope. With the right support and resources, children living in under-resourced communities can overcome their obstacles and find success. CHS, in partnership with Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) and the University of Central Florida, developed the Community Partnership Schools model to address some of the most pressing challenges affecting students ability to learn and succeed. Through this initiative, were helping to disrupt cycles of childhood poverty through education by convening nearly 50 key partners, including school districts, health care centers, universities and others, to address critical issues impacting success in the classroom and beyond. By addressing challenges such as access to health and dental care, counseling, nutrition, and more, CPS lifts heavy burdens from students and teachers. The result? Improved academic performance and soaring graduation rates on average, high schools that have adopted this model have experienced a 30% increase in graduation rates. But planning for success begins long before high school. The Florida Chamber Foundation has developed The Florida Gap Map, an interactive tool that helps visualize the intersection of third-grade reading scores for every public school in Florida with childhood poverty rates and community health metrics, down to the ZIP code. We know significant gaps exist in the space of access and opportunities for our most vulnerable populations and believe Floridas global competitiveness depends on a high-quality education system. We encourage community and business leaders to get involved with CHS and The Florida Chamber Foundation so we can work together to cut childhood poverty in half by 2030 and continue advancing the mission to secure Floridas future. Andry Sweet serves as president and CEO of the Childrens Home Society of Florida. Jarvis Wheeler is the senior director for Community Partnership School Strategies with CHS. Floridians can also learn more about fighting childhood poverty by registering for The Florida Equality of Opportunity Initiatives webinar happening April 28. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a media question in connection with Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden publishing materials on Russia's intelligence activities 21 April 2023 18:17 765-21-04-2023 Question: The other day, the media in Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden published a number of materials on Russia's intelligence activities and revealed the names of the Russian embassy employees who allegedly work for the intelligence agencies. How does the Foreign Ministry assess these kinds of "revelations" by reporters? How will these revelations impact bilateral relations with these countries? Maria Zakharova: Indeed, on April 19 television companies in Denmark (DR), Norway (NRK), Finland (YLE) and Sweden (SVT) aired the first story from the Scandinavian journalists' The Shadow War pseudo-project. In fact, these are coordinated fake claims about "subversive activities" in the countries of Northern Europe that Russia has been allegedly carrying out for many years now. In addition, a series of articles appeared in the print media of all the above countries claiming to be a "journalistic investigation." In violation of the provisions of international law on the inviolability of private life, photo and video materials and the personal information of Russian foreign missions' former and current employees were made public. Importantly, no evidence of the Russian diplomats' allegedly illegal activities has been provided. More episodes of similar "productions" are to come. Clearly, the governments are behind this provocation, since these broadcasters are closely connected with the state and are financed by the state, as are the special services of these countries and their overseas sponsors. In the absence of any compelling arguments, they are smearing any activity related to Russia and the professional activities of Russian diplomats. Another surge in spy mania in the Nordic countries and their policy of demonising Russia is leading to irreparable damage to relations with our country. Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden have joined the countries that are hostile to Russia and are willing to go to any length in order to serve the hegemonic plans of the United States and their other senior allies. We will continue to provide stern responses to such provocations. We will respond and show the role of these countries' missions in Russia in violation of obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The facts abound. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Top legislature to deliberate Counter-Espionage Law amendment with focus on fighting cyber spying Global Times By Zhang Han Published: Apr 22, 2023 10:03 PM China's top legislature is set to review the draft of a Counter-Espionage Law Amendment in a Monday-Wednesday session to improve regulation on cyber espionage activities amid the nation's push for overall national security. The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) will deliberate on the draft, Zang Tiewei, spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPCSC, said at a Friday press briefing. Major adjustments in this third draft of the amendment included improving the regulations on cyber espionage. In light of the characteristics of information networks, the draft amendment clarifies that cyber attacks, intrusions, interference, control, and destruction by espionage organizations and their agents against state organs, secret-related units, or key information infrastructure, are classified as espionage. A second move aims to balance empowerment with restrictions on power, increasing relief procedures. The draft amendment stipulates that if a network security risk or information involving espionage has been eliminated after taking relevant measures, the related authorities should make timely decisions to resume information transmission and services. Zang noted that the Counter-Espionage Law is the first important law to implement the concept of overall national security in our country. It is also a special law for regulating and guaranteeing the counter-espionage struggle, and has played an important role in maintaining national security. The current situation of the counter-espionage struggle is severe, in which traditional and non-traditional security threats are intertwined, according to Zang. The subjects of espionage and intelligence activities are more complex, the fields are wider, the targets are more diverse, and the methods are more covert, Zang said. The current Counter-Espionage Law was promulgated in 2014 and it is time to make amendments in accordance with new realties to tackle increasingly frequent cyberattacks on different targets, Fang Xingdong, founder of Beijing-based technology think tank ChinaLabs, told the Global Times on Saturday. The damage done by cyberattacks has grown from "small troubles" to "national affairs." In the digital age, cyberattacks could lead to power outages, supply cuts to meat and oil as daily food necessities, and broadcast interruptions, having an incalculable impact on people's lives, enterprise production and social stability, according to analysts. In one case in 2022, the email system of a university in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province - well-known for its aviation, aerospace and navigation studies - was found to have been attacked by the US' National Security Agency (NSA). Ahead of April 15, 2023, the 8th National Security Education Day, a series of typical cases were revealed including one involving the use of "internet identity" for criminal activities. A civil servant in Xinjiang region met a netizen through a mobile dating app and became a tool for an overseas spy agency to collect sensitive local information. In addition to the Counter-Espionage Law, the draft Qinghai-Xizang Plateau Ecological Conservation Law will go through a third review at the NPCSC session starting Monday, with items asking for better monitoring and scientific research on the plateau and special protection for glaciers and tundra. The draft Barrier-Free Environments Development Law will also be reviewed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Announces Mass Expulsion Of German Diplomats In Tit-For-Tat Move By RFE/RL's Russian Service April 22, 2023 The Russian Foreign Ministry says it is expelling a number of German diplomats in what it calls a "mirror" action to a previously unannounced move by Berlin as relations between the two counties continue to deteriorate. The Russian ministry on April 22 said that "as a reaction to Berlin's hostile actions, 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." Germany had not previously announced an expulsion, but an official with the German Foreign Ministry on April 22 said the two sides had been in contact in recent weeks about embassy and consular representations. "Today's departure of Russian Embassy staff is related to this," the official said, although the German ministry did not specify how many Russian diplomats were leaving. The official said the arrival of a Russian government airplane in Berlin with special diplomatic clearance was related to the issue. Russian planes are a rare sight in Europe after the EU closed airports and airspace to Russian airlines following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said more than 20 German diplomats would be expelled from Russia. State news agency RIA Novosti reported that an equal number of Russian diplomats were being expelled from Berlin. German newspaper Bild reported that 34 of Germany's 90 personnel in Russia were being expelled. In March, German publication Focus reported that Berlin was considering expelling more than 30 Russian diplomats from the country. According to reports, German security agencies have concluded that Russian representatives can use their diplomatic immunity to recruit informants for the purpose of sabotage or spreading disinformation. In April 2022, Germany declared 40 Russian diplomats persona non grata. In response, Russia expelled 40 German diplomats. Berlin has long attempted to avoid damaging ties with Moscow, based largely on the NATO member's need for Russian energy supplies. But Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has damaged the relationship, with Germany seeking to ease its dependence on Russian oil and gas deliveries. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-germany- diplomatic-expulsions/32375060.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Berlin Claims Germany Expels Russian Diplomats to Reduce Presence of Intelligence Officers Sputnik News 20230422 BERLIN (Sputnik) - The German government decided to expel Russian diplomats in order to reduce the number of Russian intelligence officers in the country, a German broadcaster reported on Saturday, citing the German Foreign Ministry. Earlier in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Berlin decided to initiate a new massive expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in the country. Moscow said that it would respond with corresponding measures. "Today's departure of the Russian embassy staff is connected precisely with this," a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said, as quoted by the broadcaster. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik that more than 20 German diplomats were expelled from Russia. According to Sputnik data, the number of Russian diplomats expelled from Berlin is also over 20 people. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fact number one: Two weeks ago, South Florida got 26 inches of rain in seven hours, piling onto 31 inches from the previous three days. This caused unprecedented flooding in our streets, buildings, and homes. Fact number two: Severe flooding releases toxic chemicals from our roads into our water and air. We can be exposed to viruses, parasites, bacteria, and now if the fertilizer industry prevails a radioactive waste known as phosphogypsum. Cindy Lerner is a former Florida state legislator and former mayor of Pinecrest. Florida lawmakers just passed a bill that clears the way for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to use phosphogypsum a high-risk, carcinogenic pollutant that releases toxins in road construction. Phosphogypsum is not necessary for building roads, and decades of science prove that it poses substantial risk to peoples health, workers safety, and the environment. Yet, House Bill 1191 and Senate Bill 1258 appears to be on its way to becoming state law unless we, the residents of Florida, can stop it. As the Center for Biological Diversity wrote about HB 1191 and SB 1258, An expert consultant for the Environmental Protection Agency found numerous scenarios that would expose the public particularly road-construction workers to a cancer risk the agency considers to be unacceptably dangerous. Although the EPA has long prohibited the use of phosphogypsum in roads, for the last several years, the fertilizer industry has pushed lawmakers to allow it. At Florida Clinicians for Climate Action and Catalyst Miami, we witness first-hand how the impacts of climate change harm residents across the state, especially those with limited income or preexisting health conditions. The truth is, while frontline communities experience the first and worst impacts of climate change, nature is not stopping for any of us. Inarguably, the frequency of intense rains and flooding will only increase as our dependence on fossil fuels keeps accelerating climate change. The World Health Organization reported that areas are more vulnerable to chemical release during flooding if the land has little capacity for absorbing rain. This vulnerability increases if structures lack adequate planning and building regulations. Two statements that describe Florida to a tee and, even more so, communities that lack resilient urban infrastructure. Why, then, would our state Legislature want to codify the use of phosphogypsum in our road construction, fast-track a study on the suitability of the product as a construction material, and deregulate phosphogypsum as a solid waste? The same polluting corporations that have caused mass fish kills and dumped fertilizer into our pristine wetlands stand to profit from this bill, while the health and safety of Florida residents will suffer. What could you do to stop this detrimental bill from becoming state law? Contact your state lawmakers at catalystmiami.org/radioactive and tell them to vote no on HB 1191 and SB 1258 (it helps if you say the bill name and/or number). Encourage your friends and family to do the same. Every two years, we elect the members of our state House and Senate: the very lawmakers who make these life-altering decisions on our behalf. Double-check your registration and remember to vote with public health, climate resilience, and worker safety in mind. Cindy Lerner is a former Florida state legislator and former mayor of Pinecrest. She wrote this in conjunction with Catalyst Miami and Florida Clinicians for Climate Action. Catalyst Miamis mission is to build power with frontline communities throughout Miami-Dade County to collectively advance justice and achieve shared prosperity. Florida Clinicians for Climate Action engages Florida health professionals to learn about the health harms of climate change and advocate for equitable solutions that protect the community and support a sustainable future. Sudan: Pause in fighting needed to deliver medical supplies ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross News release 21 April 2023 Sudan Geneva (ICRC) -- A statement from Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross: "For the last week the world has watched in horror at the appalling scenes of violence and bloodshed in Sudan. When battles rage in residential areas, it is civilians who pay the highest price. "I am deeply concerned by the level of civilian suffering in Khartoum and other parts of the country. Residents are calling my colleagues in Sudan every day to plead for help to escape the violence. Families have been torn apart and people are running out of food and water after being trapped indoors with no respite. The warring parties must do everything possible to keep civilians out of harm's way. "The suffering is made worse by the fact that the ICRC has been unable to get aid to the people who need it most, as the parties have not given us the necessary security guarantees. This cannot go on. We implore the parties to grant the ICRC immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to assist Sudanese civilians in need. This is not optional - it is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law. "Last week, we delivered medical supplies for people wounded in fighting to hospitals in Al Fasher and Zalingei, in the western region of Darfur. But more must be done - and right away. Volunteers from the Sudanese Red Crescent Society provide first aid in clinics and hospitals in Khartoum, Merowe and Darfur, but they need supplies. Our urgent priority is to get medical assistance to more hospitals and to work to make repairs to their water and power infrastructure. We are ready to deliver more supplies as soon as there is a pause in the fighting." "Over the next few days, families across the world will gather to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. It should be a time of joy and celebration. No one wants to see the bloodshed continue or for the violence to turn into a far greater protracted crisis. What people need right now is a meaningful pause in hostilities to allow humanitarian aid to be brought in and for people to get to safer areas." Notes to editors: The ICRC has been present in Sudan since 1978 helping people affected by the conflict in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. The ICRC's work today, in close with cooperation the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, includes supporting hospitals and health facilities with equipment and supplies, working with local water authorities on improving people's access to clean water and supporting the authorities in providing rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Call from Norway's Foreign Minster for a ceasefire in Sudan Government of Norway News story | Date: 22/04/2023 'I am deeply disappointed by the failure of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Response Forces (RSF) to respect the ceasefire', said Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt. 'They have caused loss of hundreds of innocent lives, enormous suffering and massive destruction', said Huitfeldt. 'It is long overdue that they implement a ceasefire.' 'I urge the international community to put strong pressure on the parties in Sudan', said Huitfeldt. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines, China Discuss Strengthening Ties and Maintaining Momentum Of Cooperation Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs 22 April 2023, Manila -- The Philippines and China committed to strengthen ties and maintain the momentum of cooperation during the bilateral meeting between Philippine Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang held today. "Together, let us endeavor to elevate our bilateral relations to even greater heights under the administration of President Marcos, who shares the commitment with President Xi," Secretary Manalo said. The Philippines' top diplomat added, "Our leaders have agreed that our differences in the West Philippine Sea are not the sum total of our relations. 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." The meeting was the first between two officials and built upon the inaugural and historic state visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to China, which laid the guideposts for ushering in comprehensive Philippines-China relations. It was under the Administration of President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. that diplomatic relations were established in 1975. During the meeting, both officials acknowledged the progress in the implementation of the state visit outcomes from the President's state visit in January 2023. "The tripling of our total bilateral trade within the past decade is a positive development. The Philippines looks forward to the early realization of the USD 22.8 billion business and investment pledges made during the state visit of President Marcos to Beijing," stated the Foreign Affairs chief. The high-level officials also highlighted infrastructure cooperation as a key sector for Philippines-China economic and development engagement, especially with the Philippines' Build Better More program dovetailing with China's Belt and Road Initiative, and looked forward to the early completion of ongoing infrastructure cooperation projects. Aside from bilateral cooperation, the two foreign ministers also exchanged views on strategic and regional issues. 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. He also emphasized that the Philippines pursues an independent foreign policy, which seeks to ensure stability and prosperity in the region. The visit of Foreign Minister Qin Gang came on the heels of the 23rd Foreign Ministry Consultations and 7th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea that were convened back-to-back in Manila last month. END NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Opening Remarks by Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo at the Bilateral Meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs 22 April 2023, Manila, Philippines I am very pleased to welcome you, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Manila in our first face-to-face meeting to continue the momentum of strengthening the relationship between our two countries. We meet coming from a strong beginning for this year, with the successful State Visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to China, and I continue to believe that this year bodes well for Philippines-China relations. We have started to implement the consensus of our Presidents by immediately following the visit of the President with the back-to-back meetings of the 23rd Foreign Ministry Consultations and 7th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea just a month ago. We note China's readiness to host the 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism in China later this year. Already, there have been significant developments since those last meetings, demonstrating not only the vibrancy but the depth and breadth of our relations. There is, of course, much work that needs to be done, especially as we look forward to prepare and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Philippines-China diplomatic relations in 2025. Together, let us endeavor to elevate our bilateral relations to even greater heights under the administration of President Marcos, who shared the commitment with President Xi "to do everything possible to ensure that the Philippines and China will continue the positive trajectory of our relations which has been elevated to that of Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation since 2018." Our leaders have agreed that our differences in the West Philippine Sea are not the sum total of our relations. 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 whose livelihood and general wellbeing are undermined by incidents and actions in the West Philippine Sea. China has remained the Philippines' top trading partner over the past few years, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. I intend to work closely with Your Excellency in further strengthening these economic ties, starting with the further diversification of our economic relations and closing of the trade gap between our two economies. I was pleased to learn that the investment pledges worth USD22.8 billion made during the state visit are slowly being realized. Our cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure development, energy, and science and technology are important elements of our bilateral economic ties. The revival of tourism, resumption of flights, and the exchanges of students, teachers, and workers will further strengthen our people-to-people linkages. These would all support the Philippines' 8-point economic agenda to improve the lives of Filipinos, and likewise benefit our friends from China. I hope that today's meeting would give us an opportunity to follow through on the plans and gains made from our countries' recent high level interactions and make some headway in addressing common issues and challenges. Once again, welcome, Mr. Minister. Thank you. END NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign nationals being evacuated from Sudan as clashes rage Iran Press TV Saturday, 22 April 2023 5:47 PM The Sudanese army says it will facilitate the evacuation of diplomats and nationals of the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and China on board military transport planes from the capital, Khartoum, as heavy fighting between the forces of rival generals entered a second week. In a statement on Saturday, the army announced that General Fattah al-Burhan agreed to facilitate and secure the foreign nationals' evacuation "in the coming hours." Previous plans to evacuate foreign nationals have not been implemented due to safety issues, as Khartoum's international airport has been closed since the fighting erupted last weekend between the troops loyal to Burhan and the leader of a rival paramilitary faction the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan Daglo. More than 400 people have been killed and thousands wounded since last week. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired a Cobra meeting - an emergency response committee - on Saturday morning about the situation in Sudan. His government said it was "doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum." Citing a British citizen in Khartoum, the BBC said she felt "completely abandoned" by the UK government. She said she had not been provided "much information at all" about possible plans to be evacuated. "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." In the meantime, the European Union (EU) said it was planning for a possible evacuation of its citizens from Khartoum when security allows. "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 said. "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 official added. Some 1,500 EU nationals are currently trapped in Khartoum; including nationals from France, Germany, and Italy. In the latest development, Saudi Arabia announced the first evacuation of its citizens and other nationals on Saturday. "The first evacuation vessel from Sudan has arrived, carrying 50 (Saudi) citizens and a number of nationals from friendly countries," the state-run Al-Ekhbariya television said. Al-Burhan also confirmed that diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been evacuated from Port Sudan and airlifted back to the kingdom. He said Jordan's diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. Daglo said in a statement he had "discussed the current crisis" with Guterres, and was "focused on the humanitarian truce, safe passages, and protecting humanitarian workers". The evacuation has gotten underway as heavy gunfire, loud explosions, and fighter jets roared in many parts of the capital since Saturday morning, according to witnesses. A temporary truce saw fighting momentarily stop on the first day of Eid al-Fitr which marked the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Friday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, Philippines promise to resolve maritime issues amid tensions Iran Press TV Saturday, 22 April 2023 12:49 PM The foreign ministers of China and the Philippines have held talks in Manila, where the two sides pledged to work together to resolve their maritime differences in the South China Sea. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang held a meeting with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo on Saturday, and was scheduled to meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as well. "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," said the Chinese minister. Manalo, for his part, said he hoped the meeting will provide an opportunity to make "some headway in addressing common issues and challenges." Overlapping claims in the South China Sea have been a sticking point in the relations between the two counties. China claims sovereignty over virtually all of the South China Sea, which is also claimed in part by Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The waters see the passage of about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne goods annually and are 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. Manila has filed some 200 diplomatic protests against China since last year. Most of the complaints refer to China's activities in contested waters. The latest meeting between the foreign ministers comes amid Manila's deepening military cooperation with the United States. The two sides signed an agreement in early February, according to which, Manila granted US forces expanded access to key military bases in the Southeast Asian country. Under the agreement, the US will have access to Philippine military bases, likely including two on the northern island of Luzon. Washington's access to those bases, according to military experts, could provide US forces a strategic position from which to mount operations in the event of a conflict over Chinese Taipei or in the South China Sea. China has repeatedly warned that a deepening security alliance between Washington and Manila should not harm its security and territorial interests and interfere in territorial disputes in the South China Sea. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Turkiye to Evacuate Citizens From Sudan on Sunday Sputnik News 20230422 ISTANBUL (Sputnik) -Turkiye intends to evacuate its citizens from Sudan on Sunday, the Turkish embassy in Khartoum said on Saturday. "A decision was made to evacuate our citizens from the conflict zone by land via a third country on Sunday," the embassy said on Twitter. The embassy indicated three gathering points for those wishing to evacuate and advised them to take comfortable clothes and shoes for a trip lasting about 22-24 hours. In addition, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held a telephone conversation with his Sudanese counterpart, during which he discussed the evacuation issue. Last Saturday, violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group broke out, with the epicenter located in Sudan's 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, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday in connection with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. On Thursday, the Sudanese Health Ministry said that the death toll in the armed clashes in Sudan exceeded 600. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people were killed and 3,551 others injured. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sweden Considering Sending Troops to Sudan to Evacuate Citizens Sputnik News 20230422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Swedish government plans to send a military detachment to Sudan to evacuate its citizens, including employees of the Swedish embassy, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said on Saturday. Swedish media reported that a corresponding decision of the Swedish parliament was required to send the country's military to Sudan. Parliament is expected to consider this issue on Sunday. "This decision would mean that the Riksdag [parliament] would allow the government to send military forces in accordance with international law to support and carry out the operation to evacuate Swedish and foreign citizens from Sudan. Of course, this would be done in close cooperation with international organizations and other countries," Jonson said at a press conference. There are currently about a hundred Swedes in Sudan, the Aftonbladet newspaper reported. Last Saturday, violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group broke out, with the epicenter located in Sudan's 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, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday in connection with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. On Thursday, the Sudanese Health Ministry said that the death toll in the armed clashes in Sudan exceeded 600. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people were killed and 3,551 others injured. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan Extends Closure of Country's Airspace Until April 30 Sputnik News 20230422 CAIRO (Sputnik) - The Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority has extended the closure of the country's airspace until April 30, the Khartoum International Airport said on Saturday. "The Civil Aviation Authority has issued a notice to pilots extending the closure of Sudanese airspace to all air traffic until April 30," the airport said in a statement. The armed forces of Sudan will respond to any violation of the country's airspace, the statement added. Last Saturday, violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group broke out, with the epicenter located in Sudan's 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, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday in connection with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. On Thursday, the Sudanese Health Ministry said that the death toll in the armed clashes in Sudan exceeded 600. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people were killed and 3,551 others injured. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kudos to award-winning Umatilla principal Our small northern Lake County town of Umatilla bills itself as The Gateway to the Forest. Umatilla High School principal Brent Fraziers achievement as Florida Principal of the Year (Lake County educator named Floridas top principal, April 21) now assures that our young people have a Gateway to the Future. Janet Pauley Umatilla Travel that spends taxpayer money must not be secret I may not be the woke person so many speak of in such a deriding manner (for example, my own Rep. Carolina Amesty dismissed woke people when discussing Reedy Creek during an event at Disney), but I am certainly awake. My eyes are wide open to see that Gov. Ron DeSantis, behind these two legislative bills HB 1495 and SB 1616 (Stop this state-sponsored secrecy in its tracks, April 19), is trying to take away my freedom to hold my elected governing officials accountable to my taxpaying dollars for all their travel on official business. We must not stand for this government overreach that destroys transparency in public policy-making and activity and grabs away accountability with public funds. Johan Bergh Ocoee School problem is bigger than selling candy Wow, parental grievances these days are out of sight (Seminole parents turn sour over candy sold at middle school, April 18). Blaming a school district because your middle school-aged kid took his own Christmas money to school to buy candy for him and his friends, but you didnt know about it, sounds like a you problem. And while I agree that childhood obesity is a legitimate issue, you know what else is a problem? PTSAs having to sell candy in the first place to help their schools make ends meet. My suggestion for the Karels would be to write a letter or call the state legislators who represent them to convince them and their supermajority Republican brethren to use some of that historic $21.8 billion surplus for the schools. Maybe then PTSAs can stop selling the one thing that makes them any money candy, and then schools can afford computers, graduation tassels, scholarships, books, supplies, etc. Just a thought. Rebecca Newman Oviedo DeSantis is dystopian and disengaged What is going on with our governor? With his upcoming presumed launch for the White House, Ron DeSantis thinks he has figured out what the American public wants from his leadership. As fellow Floridians, my wife and I have fallen victim to an avalanche of decrees and orders that the governor has decided are in the best interest of the citizens of Florida. The Legislature, which acts like a bunch of puppets, has rubber-stamped every one of these changes that affect our lives. Whether we agree or not with any of these decisions, we now live in a state that has essentially banned abortions; taken us back to the days of the Wild West where people are allowed to carry around guns without permits; eliminated important literature from our schools that gives insight into our countrys history; tried to crush the states largest employer for supporting their gay workforce the list goes on and on at an exhausting pace. Apparently, DeSantis is determined to take us back to the dark ages. But the final insult has to be that DeSantis has decided to shut down free speech. My wife and I have tried to reach the governors office to express our serious concerns only to find that there is no one at the other end of the phone. Is this really what the country wants? We dont think so. Christopher Finney Celebration Denmark Withdraws Military From Syria, Iraq to Combat Threats Near Country's Borders Sputnik News 20230422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Denmark has decided to withdraw all its military specialists, who participated in countering Daesh* in Iraq and Syria, to combat threats in close proximity to the country's borders, the Danish Defense Ministry said on Saturday. "Now we are withdrawing the unit to Denmark, partly because the number of the Islamic State [in Syria and Iraq] has been so reduced that there is no equal need for our contribution, and partly because we need to restore combat power for countering the threats that we see in our immediate vicinity," the ministry said in a statement. The Danish military specialists have been on the territory of these countries since 2016, the statement noted, adding that the servicemen worked in the field of air defense. * Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Serbia Closely Monitoring Ukraine Conflict to Modernize National Army Sputnik News 20230422 BELGRADE (Sputnik) - The command of the Serbian armed forces and the Serbian government are closely monitoring the course of the conflict in Ukraine and are modernizing Serbia's army, taking into account the conditions of modern hostilities, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday. 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. "We are closely monitoring [the Ukraine conflict], our military intelligence agency and the General Staff inform me daily about the events in Ukraine and about the methods and means which are being used during the conflict ... We have significantly strengthened the units with the help of armored personnel carriers, modernized tanks," Vucic told reporters. 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. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mali Military Helicopter Crashes in Capital By Annie Risemberg April 23, 2023 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 22 April 2023 - Day 423 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that 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. On 18 April 2023, Russian state media announced the cancellation of this year's Immortal Regiment 'Great Patriotic War' remembrance marches on 'safety' grounds. In reality, the authorities were highly likely concerned that participants would highlight the scope of recent Russian losses. This follows Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin publicly questioning whether there are actually any 'Nazis' in Ukraine, going against Russia's justification for the war. The authorities have continued attempts to unify the Russian public around polarising myths about the 1940s. 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, FSB's predecessor agency, the NKVD, was responsible. Russia's State Duma officially condemned Joseph Stalin for ordering the killings in 2010. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day, Russian forces 3 rockets, 24 air strikes and fired about 20 shelling from jet-fire systems. There are casualties and wounded among the civilians, destroyed and damaged private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructures. The probability of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains quite high. The Russian forces' main efforts are focusing on the offensive actions in the Bakhmutsky, Avdiiv and Maryinsky directions. About 40 Russian attacks were repelled. The fiercest battles continue for Bakhmut and Maryinka. In Volyn and Poliskomu directions, the operational environment remains without much changes. Designated units of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus continue to perform their tasks in the border regions with Ukraine. In the siverskomu and slobozanskomu directions, within a day, an aviation strike on the settlement of orlikivka of chernihiv region; carried out shelling of settlements ulanove, bruski, stukalivka, wolfine, korenivka, junakivka of sumy region, and timofiivka in kharkiv region. Novomlinsk, Zapadne, Mas tivka, Sinkivka, Kislivka and Brestove Kharkiv region suffered in the Kupyan direction of artillery fire. In the Limanskomu direction of this day, the Russian forces' offensive actions did not spend. Artillery shelling suffered makiii vka, nevske, bilogorivka lugansk region and dibrova, verhnokamanske, spirne donetsk region. In the Bakhmutskomu direction, Russia continues to lead offensive actions. Heavy battles continue for the city of Bakhmut. Near the settlements of Grigorivka, Hromove and Ivanivske, Russian forces led unsuccessful offensive actions. Russian forces shelling suffered Rozdolivka, Vas kivka, Orihovo-Vasilivka, Novomarkove, Grigorivka, Bogdanivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivka, Times Yar, Alexander-Shultine, White Mountain, Diliivka, Iron, Northern, South and New York of Donetsk region. In the Avdiiiv direction, Russia was leading offensive actions in the area of Novokalynovogo Donetsk region, he had no success. They fired on, in particular, Novokalinove, Stepove, Avdiivka, Tonenke, Pervomaisk and Nevelsk of Donetsk region. In the Marian direction during the day, Ukrainian defenders have repelled numerous Russian attacks in the area of the settlement of Maryinka Donetsk region. At the same time, Krasnogorivka, Georgiyevka, Maryinka, Novomykhaylivka of Donetsk region were subjected to Russian shelling. In the Shakhtar direction during the current day, Russian forces did not conduct offensive actions. He shellinged the settlements of Bogoyavlenka, Vugledar, Novomayorsk of Donetsk region. In Zaporizhzhya and Kherson directions, Russia continues to defend himself. At the same time, during the day he shelled over 30 settlements. Among them are Vremivka, Green Field of Donetsk region; Gulyajpole, Railway, Gulyajpilske, Bilogiria, Mala Tokmachka, Novoandriivka and Kamianske of Zaporizhzhia region; Sablukivka, Berislav, Kozatske, Tokarivka, Inhulets, Engineerne, Antonivka, Belozerka, Berehove, Kizomis of Kherson region and the city of Kherson. Russian occupants continue to intensify the counterintelligence regime in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Yes, in Enerhodar of Zaporizhzhia region, the number of patrols has increased, at checkpoints began to more meticulously check personal documents and inspect vehicles. Russian occupiers restricted visits to forest areas. Citizens of Ukraine, who have been noticed in these locations, the employees of the FSB RF take control, check their personal data. At the same time, representatives of Russian intelligence agencies in the city organized a hidden observation of Ukrainian citizens who refused to obtain 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 of the controlled Government of Ukraine to the temporarily occupied territories of the region and how these funds are converted into cash. At the same time, due to a critical shortage of skilled workers at the Zaporizhzhya NPP willing to work for the occupiers, Russia has increased psychological and physical pressure on Ukrainian NPP workers. Using intimidation, threats, blackmail and torture, Russia continues to force the latter to obtain Russian citizenship and sign employment contracts with the Russian state-owned corporation "Rosat". The Defense Forces aviation carried out 8 strikes in the areas of the occupiers' personnel and military equipment in a day, while missile forces and artillery units struck 3 live force focus areas and 1 Russian ammunition warehouse. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that fighting continues along the highway west of Khromovo, and attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to counterattack the positions of Russian units are reported. Detachments of PMC "Wagner" continue fighting in the city of Bakhmut, freeing quarters in the west of the village. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on 6 sorties and the implementation of 62 fire missions in the Bakhmut direction per day. Attacks were made on the positions of Ukrainian troops in the areas of Bogdanovka and Nikolaevka. In Kyiv-controlled Chasovoy Yar and Konstantinovka, riots broke out among the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yevgeny Prigozhin said. According to the businessman, the fighters of the Ukrainian troops "drop their weapons, get up and leave." He urged Kyiv to let the military live and "not to kill tens of thousands of Ukrainians with their own hands." The situation in other directions DPR During the day, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk, Yasinovataya, Vladimirovka and Horlivka. As a result of shelling in Donetsk, residential buildings were damaged, and a direct hit of a shell on a school building was recorded. Russian forces attacked the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Ugledar and Vremyevka, the Russian Defense Ministry said. At Pavlovka, the actions of the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG) were stopped. In the area of Konstantinovka, a warehouse of missile and artillery weapons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed. There is a positional offensive of the Allied forces east of Novokalinovo in the Avdeevsky direction. To the south of Avdiivka, fighting continues northwest of Vodyanoye, the retreat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 2 strongholds is reported. LC In the areas of Novoselovsky, Rozovka, Nevsky, Chervonopopovka, strikes were made on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the areas of Stelmakhovka and Chervona Dibrova, the activities of 3 enemy DRGs were suppressed. Ukrainian troops opened fire on Alchevsk, firing 4 rockets from the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. As a result of the attack, the boiler house was destroyed, the glazing of 7 one-story houses was damaged, and the gas pipeline was damaged. Kherson region The Ukrainian army fired artillery at Novaya Kakhovka. One of the shells hit a residential building, the press service of the local administration said. As a result of the attack, a civilian was injured and a gas pipeline was damaged. In the Kherson direction, more than 25 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 cars and a D-20 howitzer were destroyed during the day. Zaporozhye region On the territory of the locomotive depot in Melitopol, there was an explosion arranged by Ukrainian saboteurs. This was announced by the Acting Head of the Zaporozhye region Yevhen Balitsky. Statements by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about the shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant serve to exacerbate the situation around the plant. This was stated by adviser to the general director of Rosenergoatom Renat Karchaa. According to him, UAF attacks are recorded along the coastline, and they have never stopped. However, neither the station itself nor the perimeter adjacent to it is currently being attacked. On the territory of the Zaporizhia region, there have been more frequent cases of Ukrainian servicemen going over to the side of Russia. This is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to a statement by Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the regional administration. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guantanamo: Detaining authorities must adapt to the needs of a rapidly ageing population ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross News release 21 April 2023 United States of America Washington, D.C. (ICRC) -- A statement by Patrick Hamilton, the International Committee of the Red Cross' head of delegation for the United States and Canada, following a visit to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay last month: The last time I visited Guantanamo Bay was 20 years ago in 2003, as a Pashtu interpreter early in my career with the ICRC. Returning to Guantanamo recently during one of ICRC's regular visits, 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. More than 20 years later, their situation remains unresolved. Their physical and mental health needs are growing and becoming increasingly challenging. While the current authorities are offering some temporary solutions, there is a need for a more comprehensive approach if the US is to continue holding detainees over the years to come. 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. Another aspect of a comprehensive approach would be to improve the quality of contact with families, most notably in terms of frequency and length of calls, while bearing in mind the total absence of in-person visits. Clearly, the sooner the US can overcome the political and administrative deadlock to responsibly transfer out those detainees deemed eligible, and determine the fate of all other detainees, the better it can shape whatever plans are required. We're calling on the US administration and Congress to work together to find adequate and sustainable solutions to address these issues. Action should be taken as a matter of priority. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudanese hackers knock offline websites of major Israeli airport, electric company Iran Press TV Saturday, 22 April 2023 6:46 PM A massive cyber attack by a group of Sudanese hackers has knocked offline the websites of a major airport port as well as the largest supplier of electrical power in the Israeli-occupied territories, amid rising cyber operations targeting the Israeli regime's companies and facilities. The Hebrew-language media outlets reported that a hacker group calling itself Anonymous Sudan took down the websites of Ben Gurion International Airport and Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) on Saturday. The reports added that the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, during which websites are targeted by overwhelming their servers with too many requests to connect, made the websites unavailable for a while, before they were brought back into service. "We have not forgotten our Eid gift for Israel. There will be a major [cyber] attack, and it will bring down a large part of infrastructure in Israel. We will attack at any moment," the group wrote on its Telegram channel. Earlier this week, an Indonesian hacker group carried out a massive cyber attack against a number of Israeli websites, including those of the ministries of foreign affairs, education and health. The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported that the group, calling itself VulzSecTeam, announced on April 17 that it had managed to break into the websites of the Israeli education, health and foreign ministries, as well as Israel police and bus and train companies in recent days, and took them down. The developments come only a few days after pro-Palestinian hackers knocked offline the websites of dozens of prominent Israeli companies and institutions in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people on the occasion of International Quds Day and to condemn heinous crimes committed by the Israeli regime against the oppressed nation. According to a report published by the Hebrew-language Israel Hayom newspaper, the hackers brought down at least 60 Israeli websites within 48 hours, and the cyber attacks, which took place on an unprecedented scale, caused widespread disruption across the occupied territories. The report added that apart from Israeli banks, which came under cyber attacks on Quds Day, the websites of international ride-hailing service Yango and the private College of Law and Business in Ramat Gan were among those affected. Information technology specialists and experts emphasize that the methods used for the hacking were significantly more advanced than those employed in previous years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guantanamo Detainees Display Symptoms of Accelerated Ageing By VOA News April 22, 2023 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA Navy releases anniversary celebration video, underscores resolution to shatter Taiwan secessionist forces Global Times By Guo Yuandan and Fan Anqi Published: Apr 22, 2023 11:12 PM Updated: Apr 22, 2023 11:24 PM One day ahead of its 74th founding anniversary, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy released a celebration video on Saturday, revealing a large amount of information that experts said highlighted the country's resolution to shatter secessionist forces on the island of Taiwan and safeguard national sovereignty. The six-minute video is titled Action Jiaolong, which means "sea dragon" in Chinese. This is the third consecutive year that the PLA Navy has released a special celebration video on the occasion of its anniversary. This year's video contains a number of surprises. Firstly, China's homemade aircraft carriers, Type 075 amphibious assault ships, Type 055 10,000 ton-class large destroyers, and other representative hardware including early warning aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, and satellite communication appeared in the video. Normally, it is rare for all these "three giants" to appear on the same occasion. According to experts, it indicates that the PLA Navy has established a maritime combat force consisting of five major aspects - submarines, surface vessels, naval aviation, marine corps and coastal defense forces - as well as a variety of specialized service units. "Based on characteristics of joint warfare in the information technology age, the PLA Navy has been promoting the construction of a maritime force system focusing on new domains such as aircraft carrier formations, nuclear submarines and amphibious operation formations. The joining of these new forces has comprehensively improved maritime deterrence and combat capabilities," Senior Captain Tang Li, an associate research fellow at the PLA Naval Research Academy, told the Global Times. Another highlight of the video is that on the deck of China's second aircraft carrier the Shandong, 21 J-15 fighter jets are lined up neatly, a feat that took less than four years to achieve after Shandong was commissioned in December 2019. In the first half of April, Shandong is reported to be conducting intensive drills beyond the first island chain, reaching near Guam on the second island chain after completing Taiwan island encirclement drills. One of the main sources of the combat capability of aircraft carriers comes from their carrier-based aircraft, and that of the Shandong has always been of great interest to the world. "Through the images in this film, we can see that the Shandong is almost fully loaded with carrier-based aircraft to conduct combat drills, indicating that it has formed initial combat capability to complete various missions," Tang said. Another highlight comes at the end of the video, when the commander issues the command, "Attention all marine corps, immediate combat mission, target West Pacific waters," and "Fire strike complete, prepare to land." This imaginative ending has given people the inevitable association that the marine corps is simulating island landing operations in West Pacific waters, where the island of Taiwan is located. As the separatist forces on the island of Taiwan are relying on the US to seek "independence," the PLA Navy will stand by to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity against any secessionist actions by the DPP and against any interference and provocation by external forces. It is believed that the Jiaolong Commandos, the "point of the sword" and the toughest unit in the marine corps, will be the first combat forces in any landing operation, and the video also showed them carrying out infiltration missions behind enemy lines. To celebrate the PLA Navy's anniversary, Qingdao port in East China's Shandong Province has reopened to the public with a display of the country's most advanced combat ships. The new Type 052D destroyer, the Kaifeng, is being shown to the public for the first time. It was commissioned in April 2021, and as a main combat ship of the PLA Navy, it is mainly tasked with air defense, anti-submarine and marine attack missions. With a strong integrated combat capability at sea, the Kaifeng is an important force in safeguarding China's maritime rights and interests. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, Philippines vow to deepen ties, resolve differences amid Qin Gang's visit Global Times Cementing common interests helps withstand US sowing discord By GT staff reporters Published: Apr 22, 2023 11:51 PM China and the Philippines have more shared interests than differences and their disputes on the South China Sea do not form the totality of relations between the two countries - this consensus was reaffirmed and calibrated during Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang's ongoing visit to the Philippines, said analysts, calling for vigilance against the US' increasing interference. On the second day of Qin's first official visit in his current post to the country, he met with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and said that China was ready to work with the Philippines to implement a consensus between the two countries' leaders and properly resolve differences. Enrique Manalo said that the Philippines' differences with China in the South China Sea were not the totality of relations between the two countries and "these differences should not prevent us from seeking ways of managing them effectively," Reuters reported. Qin also met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday. Qin noted during the meeting that the two sides should firmly grasp the correct direction of bilateral relations, deepen communication, enhance mutual trust, overcome difficulties, eliminate interference, create favorable conditions for advancing cooperation, and ensure that China-Philippines relations continue to develop along the healthy and stable track. The visit by Qin, one of China's highest-ranking diplomats, showcased China's sincerity in dealing with the disputes and highlighted the great importance it has attached to relations with the Philippines. The focus of China-Philippines relations is still on cooperation despite some countries' attempts to sow discord, Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. The three-day visit starting Friday is Qin's first to the Southeast Asian country as China's foreign minister, and has the aim of implementing the consensus reached by the top leaders during Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr's state visit to China in January, said analysts. Calibrating ties Qin's visit is a timely calibration of China-Philippines relations given recent noise. The remarks by Qin and the Philippines' officials showed that the two sides have also reaffirmed the consensus of not letting interference from the US disrupt China-Philippines relations and not making the Philippines a pawn for the US to contain China, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times. The visit will also help to dispel misunderstanding as Qin's visit takes place while the US beefs up efforts to pull the Philippines into its small clique to contain China, and as the US stepped up efforts to bolster its military deployment in the Philippines and strengthen cooperation in the security field. For example, the US and the Philippines are holding their largest-ever military exercises from April 11 to April 28. Moreover, the US has gained access to four new military bases in the Philippines, bringing the total number to nine, with several bases close to China's island of Taiwan. Developing military and security cooperation with other countries is the Philippines' own affairs, and China has no intention of interfering with it. However, the US is seeking to increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific region by turning the Philippines into a pawn for its strategy, which will have a negative spillover effect on China and regional countries and destabilize the region, said observers. Xu noted that worries over the Philippines' tilting toward the US have increased in the country, with many disagreeing with the idea of following the US in provoking China on its core interests, especially on the island of Taiwan, as these moves would push the Philippines to the dangerous frontline of fierce China-US competition, said Xu. "The Philippine President Marcos Jr. is also aware of the necessity to keep balanced and delicate relations with both China and the US," said the expert, noting the Philippine government's recent explanation of the limits to US use of its military bases. In response to China's concerns over US access to nine military bases in the Philippines near the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea's waters, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo told Senate members during a hearing that the Philippines will not allow the US and its military forces to stockpile weapons that could be used to defend Taiwan on bases it has access to under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) signed in 2014, the South China Morning Post reported on April 19. However, it should also be vigilant over the hyping of anti-China sentiment whipped up by some pro-US forces in the Philippines' politics and military, and anti-China forces in the US, especially by using disputes on the South China Sea, Chen warned, noting it is also a test for Philippine politicians to maintain clear-mind amid rising US pressure. The US' attempt to incite confrontations in the Asia-Pacific region either by hyping the South China Sea issues or the Taiwan question or building small cliques under the pretence of cooperation will not succeed, as regional countries do not want to descend into becoming US pawns, said analysts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No limits to development of Tehran-Abu Dhabi relations, Top Iranian diplomat says Iran Press TV Saturday, 22 April 2023 10:12 AM Highlighting the close interactions between officials from Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the Islamic Republic sees no limits to the promotion of relations with the neighboring Persian Gulf country in various fields. Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a telephone conversation with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday. He said Tehran-Abu Dhabi ties are progressing, noting that "Active meetings and consultations are underway between officials from the two countries." "Iran considers no limits for the development of cooperation" with the UAE, Amir-Abdollahian pointed out. The Emirati foreign minister, for his part, underscored the importance of promotion of bilateral ties in pursuit of common interests, stressing that there exist ample opportunities for joint cooperation between the two neighboring countries. Al Nahyan then hailed the increase in the level of cooperation among regional countries in recent weeks, including the reconciliation between Tehran and Riyadh and new developments in Syria. The two foreign ministers also extended their best wishes to one another on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and exchanged viewpoints on bilateral, regional and international matters. Moreover, the two top diplomats invited each other to visit their respective countries. Earlier this month, Iran appointed Reza Ameri as its new envoy to the United Arab Emirates, ending a seven-year absence of an ambassador in the country. The UAE downgraded its relations with the Islamic Republic in 2016 after Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran. However, Iran and Saudi Arabia recently agreed to restore their diplomatic relations after a seven-year break, with the reopening of their embassies and consulates expected soon, according to a China-mediated agreement. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address KEY WEST Nearly 1,400 migrants from Cuba and Haiti took to the sea in rickety vessels and landed in the Florida Keys in January, overwhelming the local police. We experienced chaos, a lack of a plan and a federal problem which became a local problem, said the Monroe County sheriff, Rick Ramsay. Gov. Ron DeSantis stepped in, deploying air reconnaissance planes, assembling dozens of law enforcement agents and commissioning a cruise ship to house what the administration hoped would become a local army of state employees to help handle the migrant surge. But there was a problem: The $1 million cruise ship contract was signed before anyone realized that the vessel had nowhere to dock. The ship was among the largest in a series of some $20 million in emergency purchases authorized by DeSantis including drones, night vision goggles, airplane leases, aviation radios and other gear to respond to the immigration influx. Almost as soon as the governor declared the state of emergency, though, the landings slowed drastically, after President Joe Biden created a much safer option of applying to enter the United States from migrants home countries. DeSantis has sought to make immigration one of the focal points of his attacks on Biden as he explores the possibility of a presidential campaign in 2024. He has also backed aggressive new legislation that, if passed, would allow the state to crack down on immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally, along with those who aid or employ them. As the negative impacts of Bidens lawless immigration policies continue unabated, the burden of the Biden administrations failure falls on local law enforcement, DeSantis said in January. We will step in to support our communities. But the hasty state emergency program, including the ill-fated cruise ship contract, highlights the problems that can develop when state officials intervene to help manage the borders, a role traditionally reserved for the federal government. The Florida Division of Emergency Management acknowledged that it was forced to terminate the ship contract, but blamed the Biden administration for failing to authorize the use of U.S. Navy waterways that would have allowed the state to access an available dock. State officials refused to say whether the state would still be obligated to pay for the ship, though several shipping experts said it would have been highly unusual for the cruise company not to collect such a large payment upfront. The crush of people who arrived in January and during several months of 2022 was the latest in a long history. For decades, Cuban and Haitian migrants, desperate to escape poverty and human rights abuses, have boarded unseaworthy vessels and landed in the Florida Keys. In 1980, more than 100,000 Cubans arrived there as part of the Mariel boatlift. In August, the numbers of Cubans and Haitians apprehended at sea once again began to soar. By January, 5,200 migrants had landed, with another 8,400 turned back at sea. Since the start of the fiscal year in October, 18 migrants have died during the risky ocean voyages. Haitian migrants would sometimes come ashore in groups of several hundred and then take off running, said Ramsay, who said he sometimes had to call in his deputies to chase migrants who had hopped into peoples yards and become combative. Wed call the Border Patrol, Ramsay said, and they were so overwhelmed they would say: Were so busy. Were overwhelmed. We dont have anybody. We cant make it there. We cant make it there until tomorrow.' He added that federal agencies had since increased their staffing in the Keys. What was I supposed to do? Leave 40 people down on the side of the road in the hot sun, no food, no water, no shelter, no diapers, for a day? On Jan. 6, DeSantis declared the state of emergency, a move that allowed the state to intervene without seeking bids on contracts or exercising other typical budget controls. The federal government was already acting in other ways to stem the arrivals. The day before DeSantis emergency order, Biden announced a new measure that would allow people from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua to apply from their own countries to legally travel to the United States. Then in mid-January, the Biden administration announced that people who had entered the United States illegally by sea would not qualify for parole to remain in the country legally, a major setback for Cuban migrants in particular, as they generally received it in the past. In late January, the state Division of Emergency Management signed a contract for the cruise ship to house the expected influx of state workers, records show. It was the winter high season, and hotels were mostly full and very expensive. According to Florida records, the state signed a $1 million contract for the Ocean Navigator, a 286-foot-long ship with 101 state rooms owned by American Queen Voyages. For $30,000 a day, it would house and feed 100 state workers who would work for 30 days out of Key West. The problem, it now appears, was that state officials signed the contract before securing a place to dock the ship. The city of Key West had recently passed an ordinance limiting the number of cruise ships in the city. The lease at the main tourism pier at Mallory Square limits cruise ships to 10 nights a year, because ships parked there block the sunset for an important nightly tourist attraction. The assistant city manager of Key West, Todd Stoughton, huddled with Floridas emergency management leaders to find a solution but said he could not imagine ruining the vacations of people who had saved up to see Key Wests iconic sunset. There was another wrinkle: The Ocean Navigator is a foreign-flagged vessel, registered in the Bahamas, with crew members from all over the world. Concerns were raised about the possibility of foreign crew members jumping ship. The Coast Guard had a problem with this plan, big time, Stoughton said. Everyone wanted to know how they were going to secure that crew so they did not get off that ship. It would wind up being the opposite of what they were trying to achieve. The assembled officials ran through an assortment of ideas for where to put the ship. They considered anchoring it at a distance, or docking it in Miami and having the state employees commute 165 miles each way to Key West. Every plan ran into logistical problems: water was too shallow, the environment too sensitive, the distance too far. The U.S. Coast Guard refused to allow the use of its Key West pier because the Coast Guards role as the commercial vessels regulating authority could create a conflict of interest, said Lt. Cmdr. John W. Beal, a spokesperson. The city of Key West had another pier the state could have borrowed, but, to use it, the foreign-flagged ship would need to pass through 300 feet of waterway that belonged to the Navy, and the Department of Defense refused because specialized training takes place nearby, Alecia Collins, a spokeswoman for the Florida emergency management division, said in a statement. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Illegal Abortions In Iran Rising 'Significantly' In Wake Of Restrictions By Golnaz Esfandiari, Mohammad Zarghami April 22, 2023 In an attempt to boost Iran's flagging population growth, the government approved a controversial law in 2021 that further tightened restrictions on medical abortions and banned the free distribution of contraceptives. Now, officials have expressed alarm about the number of illegal abortions being carried out in the country, suggesting government restrictions have pushed more women to terminate unwanted pregnancies outside the public health-care system. Women who seek an abortion in Iran often rely on the black market to obtain abortion pills that can be counterfeit or expired and ineffective. They also use underground abortion services by doctors and midwives that sometimes operate in unhygienic conditions. Government officials have said that each year between 300,000 to 600,000 abortions, most of them illegal, are performed in the country. A midwife in Tehran, who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Farda on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said illegal abortions appear to have increased "significantly." The midwife says health workers now estimate that there could be as many as 1 million abortions each year. "We used to provide people with free contraceptives that would help prevent unwanted pregnancies," the midwife said, adding that poorer Iranians were the most affected. "Now, women from poorer [backgrounds] are forced to seek unsafe abortions by using pills they buy on the black market that could lead to health complications and put their lives at risk." The midwife warns that the authorities appear to be determined to boost the country's birthrate "at any cost," a move that "will only lead to an increase in unsafe abortions." 'Disastrous' Figures Soleiman Heidari, a Health Ministry official, said on April 18 that up to 80 percent of abortions in Iran were performed illegally. He did not say if the number of illegal abortions was increasing but added that some estimates, if accurate, were "disastrous." Earlier in the week, Iran's ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi said the number of abortions in the country was "worrying," without giving figures. He also called for "violators" to be punished. Officials have said that medical staff found guilty of carrying out illegal abortions will face a ban on practicing medicine. Tehran Governor Mohsen Mansuri last year called for the authorities to crack down on centers that help women terminate their unwanted pregnancies. Health Ministry spokesman Pedram Pakayin said on April 19 that the ministry was taking steps to deal with "intentional abortions," including collecting abortion pills from the market. Dropping Birthrate Mansoureh Shojaee, a prominent women's rights activist and researcher, told RFE/RL that the law restricting medical abortions was a violation of women's right to maintain autonomy over their bodies. "The issue of bodily rights and autonomy has been highlighted by the protest movement," she said, referring to the nationwide antiestablishment demonstrations that erupted after the September death of a young woman soon after she was arrested for violating the hijab law. The main slogan of the protesters was "Women, life, and freedom." "These rights include the hijab but also issues dealing with fertility, including the right to prevent pregnancy," Shojaee said. "Women should be able to decide if they want to become pregnant, if they want children, and the number of children they want." Shojaee adds that the state's restrictions on medical abortions and contraceptives have put the life of Iranian women at risk. Previously, abortions could be legally performed during the first four months of pregnancy if three doctors agreed that a pregnancy threatened a woman's life, or the fetus had severe physical or mental disabilities that could produce extreme hardship for the mother. But under the "rejuvenation of the population and support of the family" law passed in November 2021, abortion cases are now be decided by a panel that includes a judge and two medical professionals. Rights groups and health experts warn that the law restricts women's access to medical abortions, leads to unwanted pregnancies and the birth of children with congenital defects, and increases the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. In recent years, a growing number of Iranian women have chosen to have fewer or no children -- mainly due to economic woes, changing gender norms, the growth of girls' education, and family planning programs. That trend has seen Iran's population growth rate drop from more than 4 percent in the 1980s to 1.29 percent in 2020, according to the World Bank, a development that has alarmed Iran's clerical establishment. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-illegal-abortions- rising/32374822.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's New Hijab Surveillance System Met with Internal Defiance, Derision By Michael Lipin April 23, 2023 Iran's new domestic surveillance program for enforcing its mandatory hijab law is having a shaky start, with many women appearing to ignore it, lawyers sharply criticizing it and activists observed to be plotting to subvert it. Iranian state media said the program went into effect April 15. A week earlier, Iran's national police chief, Ahmad Reza Radan, said it would employ advanced surveillance capabilities, including street cameras, to identify women violating the law requiring them to wear a hijab to cover their hair in public in accordance with an Islamist dress code reviled by secular Iranians. A video posted Monday on the state-run Tasnim news site used animation to show how part of the program works. It said women caught on camera not wearing a hijab inside vehicles would receive text message warnings from police and could see their vehicles impounded if they ignore those warnings. It was not immediately clear how many new cameras were installed for the surveillance program and where. Iran had been using street cameras to record traffic violations. Many women in Iran appear undaunted by the increased surveillance. Over the past week, VOA Persian has observed a series of what it deems to be credible social media videos showing women in different parts of the country walking unveiled in public in defiance of the hijab law. In one video received by VOA Persian TV host Masih Alinejad and posted to her Telegram channel on Friday, an unveiled woman can be seen walking along a street at night and raising her arms in defiant gestures as she and other women around her chant "Radan, get lost," a reference to the Iranian police chief, and "death to the dictator," a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Alinejad said the sender of the video told her it was filmed in the Jolfa neighborhood of the central city of Isfahan. VOA cannot independently verify the locations and dates of the observed social media videos because it is barred from reporting inside Iran. Iran's Kayhan newspaper, which is run by a Khamenei aide, dismissed the videos of unveiled women broadcast by Western-based Persian news channels. In an April 16 commentary, it called those videos fake without citing evidence. Several prominent lawyers in Iran criticized the new hijab surveillance program as ill-advised and illegitimate in comments to state-approved news sites. Tehran-based lawyer Ali Mojtahedzadeh told the Didban Iran (Iran Watch) site in an April 15 article that he believes the program will violate people's privacy. "Photography is [acceptable] for traffic violations, but it is a strange and expensive technique for identifying people without a veil. I consider this to be against the law and against reason and logic," Mojtahedzadeh said. In a commentary published April 17 by the Khabar Online site, Iranian law professor Nemat Ahmadi expressed doubt that the surveillance cameras will produce the desired result. Ahmadi said Iran should learn from nationwide antigovernment protests that erupted in September and not lay the groundwork for more actions that would inflame the public and try to distract people's attention from economic problems. This week's VOA Flashpoint Iran podcast examined the technology behind Iran's surveillance program in an interview with Yasmin Green, CEO of Google subsidiary Jigsaw, which develops technology to address threats to open societies. The following transcript of Green's April 17 interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. VOA: Is the initial defiance of the camera surveillance by Iranian women a sign that this system will not work, or is it too early to say? Yasmin Green, Jigsaw CEO: So Iran's use of cameras and CCTV to spy on people in public spaces, read license plates and identify people who are driving cars and not wearing hijabs has been in place for a while. What has recently been announced is almost a scaling up of the enforcement, as opposed to any new technology, as far as I can tell. It is documented that the Iranians have purchased technology from China to be able to do facial recognition. It is not clear that they are using that technology in this deployment that just started. But I anticipate that we will see more sophisticated facial recognition systems deployed, because the investments have been made. VOA: We have heard that Iranian authorities may impose financial penalties on women photographed without a hijab and summon them to court. But there is no clear explanation of the penalties. How do you think Iranian women are going to respond? Green: My expectation is that if people do not respond to warnings, and those warnings are not an effective deterrent, then the penalties will become more severe, whether they are financial penalties or prison and other types of physical violence that the Iranian government is capable of. Clearly, there is a recognition by the government that during the last six months of protests, the bloodiness of it has not advanced their reputation. So they are looking to move from the more brutal public morality police to a more private and scalable morality tech enforcement. They have done a lot of public relations inside the country, with the police chief speaking about the deployment and how it is going to be very accurate. They are hoping that will work. They also are talking to businesses and attempting to rally their supporters in the country to inform on people who are not observing the hijab law, as a way to complement the technology angle. VOA: What kind of high-tech tools can Iranian women use to protect themselves from this kind of surveillance and fight back against it? Green: There are conversations happening inside the country about how the system could be subverted. Because technology systems are vulnerable to getting things wrong a in particular, by making assertions that something is happening when it is not a the language used in the field to describe this vulnerability is false positives. One subversive idea considers if this system could be flooded with false positives, making it think that it has seen women without a hijab when that has not been the case. So, you could maybe break the system if, for example, a lot of men wearing wigs or men with long hair went out [to be spotted by the cameras]. Also, because authorities are asking individuals on the ground to inform them [about unveiled women], anybody could use that reporting mechanism and inform on somebody who was wearing a hijab. So these systems are vulnerable. Once facial recognition systems are in place, they become scarier and harder to circumvent, because you actually have an audit trail for the image of a person whom you could interrogate. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan orders military to shoot down North Korean satellite if necessary Iran Press TV Saturday, 22 April 2023 10:32 AM Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada has ordered the military to prepare to shoot down a North Korean satellite should it fall within Japan's territory after Pyongyang said this week it was ready to launch its first military spy satellite. "There is a possibility of ordering destructive measures against ballistic missiles and others," Hamada told the country's Self-Defense Forces (SDF), according to a statement from the country's defense mnistry. The SDF has been put on alert for any debris from the rocket falling into Japanese territory. The Japanese military will deploy ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles and Aegis-equipped destroyer warships carrying sea-based Standard Missile-3 interceptor projectiles, the statement read. The decision came after North Korea's state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday that the country's leader Kim Jong-un had ordered officials to prepare to launch the country's first military observation satellite. No country has ever attempted to shoot down a North Korean rocket or ballistic missile. A week ago, Pyongyang said it had successfully tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, calling it as a breakthrough for the country's nuclear counterattack capabilities. Previously in March, Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader's sister, warned that any move by the US or others to shoot down one of its "strategic weapons" over international waters would be regarded as "a clear declaration of war." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japanese Forces to Increase Readiness Over N. Korea's Possible Satellite Launch Sputnik News 20230422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - 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, a Japanese news agency reported on Saturday, citing government sources. 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. "We will make preparations to be able to respond to any circumstance that could cause damage to Japan," government sources told the Japanese 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. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Ogre' battalion uses brutality to instill terror in Myanmar Sources say the unit takes heads as trophies to strike fear into the hearts of the junta's enemies. By RFA Burmese 2023.04.22 Eds Note: Some readers may find the content of this article disturbing. They lop off people's 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 Myanmar's 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." Myanmar's military has faced stiff resistance from ordinary men and women who have taken up arms to form People's Defense Force bands to fight junta troops since the military's coup two years ago. The Ogres' atrocities are meant to terrorize their foes, who often have little combat training and aren't usually well-armed. It's all part of psychological warfare that was developed by the country's 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 junta's 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 don't want to be the one beheaded when the junta's 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 township's Fire Brigade, and his fighters captive. Footage taken by a drone operated by the Civilian's 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 Yine's 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 Myinmu's 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 township's Tar Tai village. Among the column's 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 didn't 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. Those captured in Mee Laung Kyaung Ywar Thit were added to prisoners from Sagaing's 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 group's bases. "We didn't 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 junta's 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 junta's information team. Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, told RFA that the tactics of the Ogre column represent the "next level" in the junta's 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 junta's 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. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bombing of Civilians in Myanmar Leaves Village Reeling By Ingyin Naing April 22, 2023 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 TArk 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia to expel German diplomats in tit-for-tat move Iran Press TV Saturday, 22 April 2023 1:36 PM Russia has slammed a decision by Germany to expel Russian diplomats from the country en masse, saying it has decided to respond in kind to the move. The Russian Foreign Ministry made the announcement on Saturday, saying it officially notified German Ambassador to Moscow Geza Andreas von Geyr of the decision on April 5. "The German authorities have decided 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 range of Russian-German relations," the ministry said, without revealing the number of diplomats involved. "As a response to Berlin's hostile actions, the Russian side has decided to mirror the decision and expel German diplomats from Russia, as well as to significantly limit the maximum number of employees of German diplomatic missions in our country," it added. Maria Zakharova, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told RIA Novosti news agency that Moscow was expelling more than 20 German diplomats. Relations between Moscow and Berlin have frayed since Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in late February 2022. Western countries have imposed unprecedented economic sanctions against Moscow while supplying many consignments of heavy weaponry to Kiev. Germany, along with the US, has been among the biggest suppliers of weapons for Ukraine. Last month, the German parliament's budget committee approved spending about eight billion Euros ($8.7 billion) to buy weapons and equipment for Ukraine between 2024 and 2032 amid Russia's repeated warnings that Western military assistance will only prolong the war. The two countries are also at odds over Europe's energy crisis. Germany has previously accused Russia of wielding energy as a weapon amid tensions over the war in Ukraine. Russia denies the accusations and blames the West for gas shortages in Europe. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Underground Network Helping Russians Escape The Draft By Sandro Gvindadze April 22, 2023 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 Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-georgia- evading-draft/32375122.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow Expels German Diplomats in Tit-for-Tat Move Sputnik News 20230422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Germany has decided to initiate a new massive expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in the country, with Moscow taking responsive measures, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. "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. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address France Seeks to Calm Diplomatic Storm Over Macron's China-Taiwan Comments By Henry Ridgwell April 22, 2023 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 China's help in ending Russia's 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 Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. President Xi Jinping again refrained from criticizing Moscow during Macron's visit. Nevertheless, Macron later wrote on Twitter: "Long live the friendship between China and France!'" From Beijing to Guangzhou, I have met students who are learning our language, enthusiastic and dynamic young people, entrepreneurs keen to innovate, and artists inspired by France. There is so much for us to do together. Long live the friendship between China and France! pic.twitter.com/Y3DEz8mAtb a Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 7, 2023 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 Leyen's 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 Macron's 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]." We need to find out if @EmmanuelMacron speaks for Europe After his 6 hour meeting in China he told reporters that Europe should create distance with the U.S. & should not get involved in supporting America over China when it comes to Taiwanhttps://t.co/xoFmUGkumH pic.twitter.com/Ps718bXSyn a Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) April 9, 2023 Timing questioned Macron's 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 a all of us, together, behind the Americans a 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 Macron's 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 a 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 Macron's pledge for European strategic autonomy or more independence is just a pledge for more French power in Europe. It's 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 Britain's 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 a to start to arm Russiaa 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." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kurdish Politician Promises to Work on Disarming PKK if Erdogan Loses By Mahmut Bozarslan, Ezel Sahinkaya April 22, 2023 A prominent Kurdish leader has added a new wrinkle to Turkey's tense election campaign from his prison cell, suggesting the defeat of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could open the door to a resolution of the nation's decades-old struggle against a Kurdish militant group. Selahattin Demirtas, the former co-leader of Turkey's 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 Turkey's 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 don't 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 Turkey's 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 month's 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 VOA's Turkish Service. Yildiz Yazicioglu contributed from Ankara. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kyiv Says Dozens Of Russian Strikes Repelled As Allies Discuss Beefing Up Ukraine's Air Defenses By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 22, 2023 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. 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 Synehubov, 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 Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-air-defense- allies/32374920.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Top Official Calls on Allies to Cross 'Red Lines' in Weapons Supply Issue Sputnik News 20230422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - 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. "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. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Spain to Send Ukraine 6 Leopard 2A4 Tanks in Near Future Sputnik News 20230422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told German media group on Saturday that Madrid would transfer six Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine in the coming days. Albares added that the remaining four tanks would be sent to Ukraine later. "We will support Ukraine for as long as it needs," Albares noted. 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. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Aviation Destroys Ukrainian Depot of Rocket, Artillery Weapons Sputnik News 20230422 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - 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. "Aircraft operating in the interests of the southern group of troops in the Alexandr-Kalinin direction struck at the enemy's missile and artillery weapons depot in the area of aaaathe Sergeevka village. As a result, up to 600 MLRS rockets were destroyed," the spokesperson said. 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 people's republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine. On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and 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. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The task is to remove any opportunity for Russia to circumvent sanctions - address of Ukraine's President President of Ukraine 22 April 2023 - 21:21 Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! Three new decisions on sanctions against those who invest in and support Russian aggression entered into force today. Firstly, this is another package of sanctions against the Russian defense industry enterprises that maintain the terrorist army. This time, 322 companies were added to the sanctions lists - manufacturers of weapons, components, etc. The other two sanctions lists include individuals and legal entities that help circumvent sanctions against Russia, keep the property of war criminals, and are involved in the destruction of freedom both on the territory of Russia itself and on our land. Our sanctions packages are being worked out in detail, in particular, regarding their synchronization with partners. It is one of the key common tasks of all of us - absolutely everyone who seeks a faster end to the war, a faster victory for us. The task is to remove any opportunity for Russia to circumvent sanctions. Every Russian scheme that makes it possible to bypass sanctions makes this war longer, adds opportunities for the aggressor. Accordingly, the tougher the sanctions regime against Russia, the more restrictions against the terrorist state and all related persons, against the entire Russian war economy, the faster the end of the aggression will be. And I thank everyone in the world who understands this. It is important that global restrictive work on the Russian nuclear industry has begun. This industry not only generates funds for the aggressor's budget, but also helps to make dependent other states, on the territory of which allegedly "energy" nuclear projects are being implemented. Any energy is a weapon for the Kremlin. For them, nuclear energy is also a weapon. And this, by the way, is exactly what is happening at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia uses precisely as a weapon to blackmail the world. To use a disaster as blackmail. And it is good that the UK, the United States, France, Japan, and Canada have created an alliance that should remove the nuclear industry of the terrorist state from the global market. Separately, I would like to thank the United States and Canada for the new defense support packages for our soldiers. Thank you, friends! The Netherlands - thank you for strengthening air defense and for the joint decision with Denmark on tanks. I'm thankful to Germany. We have new steps that will bring more peace to our skies and... there may be new steps that would bring more peace to our land. We await these decisions. I'm thankful to Estonia, Finland for the new defense packages. I'm thankful to Slovakia for the aircraft. I'm thankful to Switzerland for the new sanctions against Russian terrorists. We are preparing the next week in relations with partners to be no less fruitful than this one. Each such result for Ukraine is the saved lives of our people. It is the ability of our soldiers to protect the lives, repel Russian assaults and prepare active Ukrainian actions. I thank all our soldiers who are now in battle! Especially those who are currently in the toughest places of the frontline - Maryinka and Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, Lyman direction. That's where it's most intense. Thank you to the soldiers of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the border guards... Separately, today I would like to mention the Defense Intelligence unit of Tymur fighting in Bakhmut. Thank you, guys, for your courage and efficiency! Glory to all our soldiers! Glory to all our heroes of different times who fought for our independence! Ukraine will always be free! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Latest in Ukraine: Zelenskyy Announces New Sanctions Against Russian Military, Its Enablers By VOA News April 22, 2023 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 Russia's 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 World's Billionaires list, the wealth of Russia's 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 hour's 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 Kremlin's decision was made in response to Germany's 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 Russia's 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 Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Before the invasion, Germany was Russia's biggest oil and gas importer. Russia's 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 government's 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 Russia's 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEW YORK, April 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) between April 26, 2018 and March 13, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important May 19, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action commenced by the Firm. SO WHAT: If you purchased Rite Aid 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 Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 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 19, 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 firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) until at least June 2019, Rite Aid filled at least hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, including for potentially lethal opioids such as oxycodone and fentanyl; (2) Rite Aid pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags that indicated that the prescriptions were unlawful; (3) Rite Aid ignored evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, and intentionally deleted internal notes about suspicious prescribers written by concerned pharmacists; (4) by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, Rite Aid violated the Controlled Substances Act and, where Rite Aid sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs, also violated the False Claims Act; (5) as a result, it was at risk of prosecution by federal authorities such as the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and (6) as a result, Defendants statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 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 investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com Mohammed ben Sulayem, the leader of global motorsport, has given his crucial backing to the radical reform of Formula 1's race weekend schedule. How the FIA president feels about the revolutionary proposals was unknown until he told Daily Mail on Saturday night: "The sprint is good for the sport." Article continues under ad With his implied blessing, it is now almost certain that a new format will be created this week, with the support of the teams. If approved, the schedule will run over six weekends this year, starting with Baku in late April. Austria, Belgium, Qatar, America (Austin) and Brazil will then be the other sprint venues. The sprint format According to F1 chief Stefano Domenicali's proposals, the six already designated 'sprint race' weekends will look as follows: Friday: one practice session, followed by qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix. Saturday will be 'Sprint Saturday'. This day starts with qualifying to determine the starting order for the sprint race, which takes place that afternoon over one-third of the Grand Prix distance. Sunday will remain as it is now with the Grand Prix itself. Eid-ul-Fitr Douglas Anane-Frimpong Apr - 22 - 2023 , 09:10 The Eid-ul-Fitr (festival breaking fast) is one of the two major festivals on the Islamic calendar which is celebrated by Muslims around the world. It marks the end of a 30-day fast (Ramadan), prayer and devotion. Eid ul-Fitr, the first of the two, is also considered as feast of the lesser Eid. It may sound odd that the word lesser is used for such a widely celebrated festival, however, the reason is that the 'Greater Eid, Eid-ul-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, is considered the most significant and, therefore, the greater of the two Islamic festivals. Background The practice of dawn to sunset fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims believe that it was during the month of Ramadan that the Holy Qur'an (text) was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is said that Prophet Muhammad and his companions celebrated the first Eid-ul-Fitr in 624 CE after their victory in the battle of Badr, a turning point in Prophet Muhammad's struggles with his opponents among the Quraish in Mecca, the early days of Islam. Celebration The celebration comes on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month on the Islamic calendar after 29 or 30 days of dawn to sunset fasting, prayer and devotion. It begins at sunset on the night of the first sighting of the crescent (moon). Since the date of Eid depends on the sighting of the moon, there might be variations in the exact date that it is celebrated around the world. Being a very significant day, it is recommended that Muslims wear new clothes, preferably white apparels on the day and eat something sweet such as date while singing praises to God on their way to the mosque to observe the Eid prayer. Eid celebration is also about showing gratitude to Allah by offering alms (Zakat-ul-Fitr) to the poor and also feasting with friends and families. In Ghana, Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with much fervour and merrymaking. The day usually begins with communal prayer sessions at a local mosque across the regions as well as a national prayer session at the Black Star Square in Accra led by the National Chief Imam and attended by the President or his Vice. This is followed by a number of activities such as parties, street jams and carnivals, as well as motorbike and horse ridding in most communities till late hours of the day. NDC opens nomination in 14 frozen constituencies Samuel Duodu Politics Apr - 22 - 2023 , 15:47 The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has opened nominations in 14 out of the 27 constituencies the party put on hold when the party began the exercise in February this year. The acting Director of Elections of the NDC, Daniel Amartey Mensah, who made this known to the Daily Graphic, said nominations opened on Thursday, April 20, 2023 in the 14 affected constituencies and would close on Monday, April 24, 2023. He said vetting of aspirants would take place on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 followed by appeals after the vetting process. Constituencies Mr Amartey said out of the 14 constituencies where nominations have been opened, 10 are in the Ashanti Region and two each in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions. The constituencies are Ayawaso Central and Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region, Afram Plains South and Ayensuano in the Eastern Region, Offinso North, Ahafo Ano North, Sekyere Afram Plains, Ahafo Ano South, Bosome Freho, Asante Akim Central, Manso Adubia, Manhyia South, Subin and Fomena all in the Ashanti Region. Reasons A letter from the party to the regional chairmen of the 14 affected constituencies where nominations have been opened, instructed them to put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that the primaries are held on May 13, 2023 as planned. Consequently, opening of nominations and other consequential activities should be fast-tracked to meet the May 13, 2023 deadline, the letter said. The opening of nominations in the 14 constituencies were after a series of engagements and background work on them and it was resolved that the challenges previously bedeviling many of the constituencies have been largely dealt with. The party assured that it was working assiduously to ensure that all remaining constituencies are also dealt with in the second half of the year. Recall The NDC began the final leg of its internal elections to elect a presidential and parliamentary candidates for the 2024 general election with the opening of nominations from Wednesday, February 22, which ended on Friday, February 24. However, the party announced that nominations in 27 constituencies with regards to the parliamentary primaries had been paused to allow for further engagements with key stakeholders to ensure that primaries in those areas would lead to outcomes that would impact on the partys performance in those constituencies. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is about ten months away now, which means the development of the components that will go inside it should be nearing completion to allow enough time for testing and manufacturing. And according to the latest report from South Korea the next bar flagship might bring new battery tech, borrowed from the EV industry. Korean publication The Elec claims Samsungs SDI division, which is in charge of battery R&D is looking to carry over stacked batteries to the smartphone business. Rather than a change to the chemistry content of the battery this refers to how the cells are arranged, but the effect is still a higher energy density, allowing for higher capacity to fit within the same volume. Audis Q8 e-tron used a similar tech to fit a 114kWh battery inside, while Chinese battery maker CATL has an even larger 140kWh stacked battery. Obviously, smartphone batteries operate under a vastly different environment compared to EVs power packs, but the report claims we should expect a 10% improvement in density. This doesnt necessarily mean the Galaxy S24 Ultra will pack a 5,500mAh battery compared to the 5,000mAh of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung could well use the improved pack to fit the same capacity within a smaller cell, freeing space for other components or enabling a more compact phone. The assembled batteries are usually one of the first component to leak as a smartphone moves through its development phases so well likely be hearing more about this soon. Previously, we heard the Galaxy S24 may come with a new camera setup and a massive GPU boost. Source | Via Welcome to your week's recap. Xiaomi held a big event at which it announced two tablets - the Xiaomi Pad 6 and Pad 6 Pro, the Xiaomi Band 8, a Sound Move speaker, an 86-inch Mini LED smart EV, but above all was the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra brings four 50MP cameras - a primary with a 1-inch sensor and a variable f/1.9-4.0 aperture, a 75mm zoom camera, a 120mm zoom camera, and an ultrawide shooter. The Ultra has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, a 5,000mAh battery with 90W wired, and 50W wireless charging. Xiaomi will release the 13 Ultra to the Chinese market in April, and then to markets around the world in the following months. The iPhone 15 Pro will get a titanium frame, curved glass, and a new Action button on the side. The Pro models will also reportedly get a new dark red colorway. As for the vanilla and Plus iPhone 15, they'll reportedly get a new cyan and green blend and will get frosted rear glass panels, like the current Pro models. The Samsung Galaxy A24 is official, even though Samsung never really held an announcement. The phone went live on Samsung Vietnam's website. It features a 6.5-inch 90Hz Super AMOLED display, a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, and a 5,000mAh battery with 25W charging. There's a 50MP main camera, as well as a 5MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro. We still don't know the price of the Galaxy A24. The Google Pixel Fold is expected to be announced on May 10. It will cost "upward of $1,700", which lines up with the previously leaked price of $1,799. To sweeten that, Google will reportedly offer a free Pixel Watch to Pixel Fold buyers, in addition to a trade-in option. According to "internal documents and images", the Pixel Fold has "the most durable hinge on a foldable". It will also be marketed as water-resistant, although it's unclear what standard it will adhere to. The outer screen will be 5.8", while the inner one opens up to 7.6". While on the topic of Google - the Pixel 7a will also be announced on May 10. It will cost $499 and will be available immediately. You can check out the full list of hot stories below. Xiaomi Pad 6 and Pad 6 Pro announced The pair bring new chipsets, improved displays and a Xiaomi 13-inspired design. More Google Pixel Fold details leak, including free Pixel Watch offer The search giant's first foldable smartphone is expected to be fully unveiled on May 10. Samsung Galaxy A24 goes official Pricing and availability are not yet provided. Poco F5 Pro surfaces on Geekbench, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 confirmed The Poco F5 Pro is believed to be the Redmi K60 for the global market. Watch the Xiaomi 13 Ultra debut live here The mightiest flagship cameraphone is coming today at 19:00 GMT +8. Samsung Exynos 2400 to bring a massive increase in GPU performance The new graphics unit will have 12 compute units instead of the 3CU on the Exynos 2200. Wiko Hi Enjoy 60 5G officially unveiled The phone is a rebranded Huawei Enjoy 60 with 5G. OnePlus Pad price in India revealed through Flipkart The retailer jumped the gun and showed us the pricing earlier than expected. Xiaomi 13 Ultra already receives its first update This will be waiting for buyers to install once they have set up the phone. On April 7 and 8, the third annual College of Natural and Applied Sciences STEM Conference was held at the University of Guam, where attendees were met with a day of learning, fun and opportunity. Here, teens were greeted with the chance to interact with a diverse group of like-minded participants, ranging from high schoolers to faculty members, and engaged in countless scientific discussions and networking openings. Origins Created by a group of passionate STEM students at the University of Guams College of Natural and Applied Sciences, the conference is a student-organized and -led event that began online. After 2 years of gathering virtually, this year marks the first STEM conference to be held in person. According to Gabriella Prelosky, the conferences Committee Chair, the event began three years ago for a variety of reasons, most notably to provide students/faculty [an] accessible platform for presenting research, allow students to develop scientific communication skills, [and] provide a space to engage in scientific discussion. We hope that attendees are able to see the amazing work from our poster presenters, network within the conference, and learn from the various live session panelists weve invited this year, Prelosky stated. While complications regarding dates, venue availability, and finances arose, the event was held nonetheless with the desire for participants to gain a bigger appreciation for STEM and find something worthwhile. Prelosky makes the conferences objective clear and its audience even clearer. Our target demographic is anyone who has interest [in] or is pursuing STEM, an inclusive feature that many teens found alluring. From a teen presenter During the student poster presentations, Saint Johns senior Edward Ju displayed his research on developing an error-correcting magic trick using finite field. Through error-correcting codes, which can detect and correct errors, Ju was able to devise a [magic] trick that can involve a lie made by the audience. Hoping to extend this concept of error-correcting to fields like biology and chemistry, Ju found the conference a nice way to get an interest in STEM. Throughout the gathering, he saw a lot of wonderful projects and many other live sessions, which he found interesting. As a presenter, he stated, I was able to gain more experience in giving a presentation and how it is like to attend the conference and engage in conversation with the audience. Despite the other components of the conference, which include an opening bendison (blessing), exhibition hall, and abstract presentations, Jus favorite part of the event was eating lunch with his friends and listening to other live sessions. From teen attendees A junior at the Academy of Our Lady of Guam, Shannah Solamillos was partially motivated to attend the CNAS STEM conference to attain extra credit for a chemistry class. But, more importantly, she saw the opportunity as a development in her plan to achieve an undergraduate degree related to STEM at UOG. This years conference was Solamillos first, and she entered it looking forward to the experiments and research presented. Solamillos learned a lot from the event, including but not limited to careers in STEM, how fun STEM can be, and how researchers conduct their work. Events like this one are important because they help individuals extend their connections and knowledge in their fields of choice, stated Iris Calaunan, a junior at John F. Kennedy High School. Also a newcomer to the event, Calaunan looked most forward to making new opportunities and meeting new people. While she doesnt plan to pursue STEM in the future, she attended the conference because she saw it as a chance to have fun, learn and further her interests. I got to figure out which subjects Im most interested in and which ones I had less interest in, stated Calaunan. Solomillos said, Events like these give people an idea of what its like to pursue a career in STEM [and] may persuade people to obtain a degree in it. All in all, teen participants found the conference an enlightening, educational and engaging experience. Attorney General Douglas Moylan, who wants to unblock Guams 1990 anti-abortion law, is appealing a federal court ruling which denied his request. The Office of the Attorney General on Thursday filed a notice in the U.S. District Court of Guam, stating Moylan will appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Moylan is appealing Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewoods March 24 order, which rejected his request to lift a federal court injunction that has blocked the anti-abortion law for decades. At issue is Public Law 20-134, which was an effort to criminalize abortions in Guam. The law never was enforced because of the permanent injunction issued by the federal court, but Moylan has been trying to lift the injunction because of last years U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, which had protected womens reproductive rights for decades. States and territories now can decide whether abortion should be legal. Moylan argued that the permanent injunction was based on Roe v. Wade, which no longer is law. The governor and the Guam Memorial Hospital administrator, who are the plaintiffs in the 1990 federal case, argued that sections of Public Law 20-134 violate the First Amendments guarantee of freedom of speech, and last years U.S. Supreme Court ruling does not change that. The governor also argued that Public Law 20-134 was repealed because of later actions by Guam lawmakers, so the question of lifting the permanent injunction is moot. Tydingco-Gatewood rejected Moylans request to lift the injunction, stating he failed to address some of the arguments raised by the governor and the hospital administrator. According to the judge, the attorney general needed to prove that changed circumstances warranted lifting the injunction, but there was a lack of response to some of his opponents arguments. It is reasonable to presume that defendant AG takes no position on their arguments or is not contesting them, the judge stated in her order. As of Friday, Moylans appeal had not been filed with the Ninth Circuit. Letting families build an extra, apartment-like structure beside their homes could open up a number of doors for residents that are facing housing woes, according to testimony heard at the Guam Legislature this week. Bill 51 would allow for the small structures, dubbed accessory dwelling units, to be built on lots that are zoned only for a single-family home. The units are meant to allow aging family members to live out their days in peace. But with soaring housing costs, it could open up a number of doors for residents, according to realtors and those who showed to testify. This bill is gonna give me an opportunity to support my daughter with special needs, said resident John Santos. Santos said hes looking to add another house or an extension to his property, which could be used as an incentive for caregivers that are very hard to find. Affordable housing is almost nonexistent at this time, said realtor Libby Pier, with rentals below $700 nearly impossible to find, and monthly mortgage payments between $2,500 and $3,000 a month. Allowing families to build accessory units and rent them out could help them deal with mortgage costs, she said. While the bill would allow rentals, it requires homeowners to get a variance from the Guam Land Use Commission, which can take up to a year, Pier said. Renting already requires a business license, she added, so why not just have it be a business license issued, and let them be able to rent to whomever they choose? Realtor Liz Duenas agreed that the bill had merit, but said it needed guardrails to prevent it from becoming just another way to make money by creating duplexes. Accessory units should be limited to just one per lot, and specific size restrictions should be put in place, Duenas said. Otherwise, it could present a chance for homeowners to circumvent zoning laws to create rental propertiesan issue that was already rampant and unenforced in the northern end of the island. Business owner Bistra Mendiola said that young people should also be considered in the measure, as they were also impacted by the high cost of living. You have graduates, you have college students, we have UOG students that want to be separated, you know, they want to start going on that independent path, but they just cant. Sen. Chris Duenas, who introduced the measure, agreed that it could be used to assist more than just the elderly. He said he was willing to work with the Guam Association of Realtors to iron out some of the kinks in the bill before it moved forward. Theres a lot of need in our community, the need is overwhelming. And so lets specify what this unit would be, Duenas said. If its going to be a rental, its going to be a rental, and lets just be clear and make it known and make it known that it will comply with all standards. Dave Lotz is a vocal advocate for protecting Guams unique heritage, a knowledgeable and long-time hiking enthusiast and environmental advocate, and critic of inept government. He has been a resident of Guam since 1970 and retired from the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation, Andersen AFB Environmental Flight and the National Park Service. Haiti - Politic : The former PM Evans Paul banned from entering Dominican territory, victim of reprisals ? Former Haitian Prime Minister Evans Paul (December 2014 - February 2016 under Martelly) on a radio station of the capital, described this week as arbitrary the decision of the Dominican Republic to include him on the list of 39 persons prohibited from entering the Dominican territory https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39320-haiti-flash-39-haitians-banned-from-entering-the-dominican-republic-list.html , persons who constitute in the opinion of the competent authorities "any threat against the national security and the interests of the Dominican Republic." Evans Paul suggested that this could be "reprisal" following the measures adopted under his government in September 2015, where he banned the entry into Haiti, by road, of 23 products of Dominican origin https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-15156-haiti-notice-import-ban-by-road-of-certain-products-from-dr.html to facilitate the necessary quality control and protect the population on the health plan for food products but especially to collect customs taxes... "I don't mind not being able to go to the Dominican Republic. I don't usually leave Haiti. I have no personal interest in a foreign country. I have no activity abroad. I have no assets there. It's not a personal issue, but I wonder what really motivated such a decision," said Evans Paul. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39320-haiti-flash-39-haitians-banned-from-entering-the-dominican-republic-list.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-15156-haiti-notice-import-ban-by-road-of-certain-products-from-dr.html S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : The Task Force on Haiti, requests immediate support for Haiti After its mission in Haiti, the Task Force on Haiti of the Organization of American States (OAS) composed of fourteen member states (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, United States , Guatemala, Jamaica, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay) who met with the Haitian Executive presented to the OAS Permanent Council "a detailed report on security and humanitarian aid" in Haiti. The report explains that Haiti is going through a serious crisis at all levels. Heavily armed gangs control much of the territory of the Haitian capital, committing all kinds of crimes, in addition to the resurgence of cholera. A crisis that has caused a significant increase in Haitian migration, including through dangerous sea routes to neighboring Caribbean countries and to the United States and underscores that much of the humanitarian aid sent so far by the international community is meant to alleviate insecurity in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, so resources reach other areas only marginally. The report believes that OAS member states and permanent observer states "should be encouraged" to "integrate, innovate, complement, and coordinate their efforts with other actors to provide timely assistance and support" to the Haitian people. Anthony Phillips-Spencer, Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago to the OAS and Chair of the Working Group for Haiti, stressed that the main objective of the report is "to provide information to States on areas that have need assistance" and "immediate support" such as security and democracy. On this last point, Phillips-Spencer stressed the need to send humanitarian and electoral assistance in order to organize "free and fair" elections. According to the OAS, entities such as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) have already agreed to collaborate with the Task Force in the coming months. Let's recall that the Haitian Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, had requested in October 2022 the intervention of a specialized armed force, to fight gangs, still without result so far despite many efforts https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37831-haiti-flash-towards-a-foreign-armed-intervention-in-haiti-to-eliminate-gangs.html , the United States and Canada refusing until now to take the lead this possible armed coalition... The American Frank O. Mora, Permanent Ambassador to the OAS and also Vice-Chairman of the Working Group, declared that "the need for this assistance is urgent" and welcomes the appeal launched by the group of working with international partners to "contribute financial, human, material or technical support to help Haiti deal with its worsening security crisis." Read also about a possible armed intervention in Haiti : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38584-haiti-politic-military-intervention-the-vagueness-remains.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38576-haiti-politic-on-the-sidelines-of-the-3-amigos-summit-canada-and-the-usa-will-discuss-intervention-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38429-haiti-flash-the-security-council-remains-divided-on-an-international-armed-intervention-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38373-haiti-flash-an-intervention-force-in-haiti-around-january-10-2023.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38367-haiti-flash-trudeau-does-not-rule-out-an-intervention-in-haiti-but-with-countries-of-the-south.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38364-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38329-haiti-un-security-council-sanctions-soon-in-force-military-intervention-still-under-discussion.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-38323-icihaiti-politic-diplomatic-mission-of-canada-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38313-haiti-caricom-cuba-the-president-of-cuba-advocates-a-peaceful-solution-to-the-crisis-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38256-haiti-politic-the-united-states-wants-a-multinational-armed-force-in-haiti-but.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37946-haiti-crisis-prime-minister-trudeau-met-with-caricom-heads-of-government.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-37904-icihaiti-insecurity-the-bahamas-could-join-a-multinational-rapid-intervention-force.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37903-haiti-flash-the-un-security-council-decides-today-on-the-aid-to-be-provided-to-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37863-haiti-usa-jo-biden-examines-haiti-s-request-for-armed-intervention.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37859-haiti-armed-foreign-intervention-the-minister-of-planning-ricard-pierre-justifies-his-decision-audio.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37847-haiti-politic-the-senate-asks-the-pm-to-postpone-the-intervention-of-a-foreign-armed-force-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37843-haiti-security-rain-of-reactions-to-the-decision-of-an-international-armed-intervention-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37831-haiti-flash-towards-a-foreign-armed-intervention-in-haiti-to-eliminate-gangs.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37691-haiti-politic-caricom-calls-to-address-the-situation-urgently.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37459-haiti-politic-special-meeting-on-haiti-of-the-caricom-many-words-but-nothing-concrete.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37134-haiti-politic-caricom-will-send-a-delegation-to-haiti.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-35063-icihaiti-politic-caricom-discussion-on-the-situation-in-haiti.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Kenya ready to send police officers to Haiti On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Alfred Mutua, the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya, Alfred Mutua, announced that during a meeting with Melanie Joly, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, after having reviewed the situation in Haiti, that the Kenya would join a multinational force and that it was ready to send police to help Haitian police deal with the gangs that terrorize the population and to stabilize the country. All bank transactions monitored Friday, April 21, 2023, Jean Baden Dubois, Governor of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) informed that by the end of this fiscal year, the BRH will be completely connected with the banks in order to be able to carry out the traceability of all financial transactions. This will be made possible via the Central Financial Intelligence Unit (UCREF) thanks to a monitoring software equipped with artificial intelligence of international standard which will be able to follow the progress of all the transactions of the financial system in Haiti... Judo : Sabiana Anestor on the podium Thursday April 20 in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic during the 2nd qualifying tournament for the Central American and Caribbean Games which will take place from June 23 to July 8, 2023, our judoka Sabiana Anestor in the -57kg category, won a medal bronze. Haiti finished 9th out of 16 participating countries with this medal. 4.4 million trees planted Saturday April 22, 2023, as part of the celebration of Earth Day (April 22), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID-Haiti) supported communities in the northern region of Haiti by planting 4.4 million trees. In addition, 24,000 hectares of land are now under improved management practices. These projects are helping to increase the livelihoods and improve the resilience of over 43,000 people in these communities, while improving land productivity and water conservation. Haiti at the Cities Summit of the Americas "We are pleased to see Haiti participate in the 'Cities Summit of the Americas' (April 24-30, 2013) Next week, Haitian civil society and business leaders, youth and other underrepresented groups will meet with other regional leaders in Denver, Colorado to strengthen cooperation in the Americas," said the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. Health : Donation of 130 motorcycles to the DDS du Sud, Nippes and GrandAnse UNICEF has handed over 130 motorcycles to the Departmental Health Directorates (DDS) of the South, Nippes and Grand'Anse. These motorcycles, funded by the German Government, will allow vaccination staff to reach children in remote and inaccessible areas. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39293-haiti-unicef-donation-of-30-motorcycles-to-the-educational-community-police-edupol.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39229-icihaiti-education-donation-of-150-motorcycles-and-4-vehicles-from-unicef.html HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Subscribe to our daily NewsLetter Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password or receive our NewsLetter. Stay logged in Lost password Contact Published on 2023/04/23 | Source New behind the scenes images added for the Korean drama "Duty After School" (2023). Advertisement Directed by Seong Yong-il Written by Yoon Soo-I Network: TVING With Shin Hyun-soo, Lee Soon-won, Lim Se-mi, Kwon Eun-bin, Kim Ki-hae, Kim Min-chul,... 10 episodes - Fri 16:00 Part 1 - 6 episodes: 2023/03/31 Part 2 - 4 episodes: 2023/04/21 When mysterious alien spheres start invading the world, high school students are called upon to join the world's first war against extraterrestrial forces. Synopsis Unidentified extraterritorial spheres take over the world. The Department of Defense, in a desperate bid to recruit more soldiers, offers college admission incentives to get 18-year-olds to sign up as part of the reserved forces. A High school's class of 2022 seniors sign up to become soldiers, and they soon become frontline fighters in the war. Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2023/03/31 - 2023/04/21 China, Egypt to jointly write more splendid chapter of human civilization 10:29, April 23, 2023 By Shen Xiaoxiao, Han Xiaoming ( People's Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with ten Arab friends who received the Award for Outstanding Contribution to China-Arab Friendship and poses for a picture with them in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 20, 2016. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) In the home of Egyptian translator Mohsen Fergani, a Chinese knot and paper cutting hung on a wall of the living room are quite conspicuous. By the side of them, a certificate of the Award for Outstanding Contribution to China-Arab Friendship Fergani has received is also impressive. The award was issued to Fergani by Chinese President Xi Jinping when the latter was paying a visit to Egypt in January 2016. Xi met with Fergani and nine other friendly personages, and shook hands and posed for pictures with them after conferring on them the awards. "I was very honored that President Xi conferred the award on me in person. It was the proudest time of my life," Fergani recalled the moment, which still excites him today. The sixth UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, also former foreign minister of Egypt, received the award together with Fergani. The former UN head was in his nineties when receiving the honor. Xi came to him, bended over and shook hand with him, extending greetings to the old friend of the Chinese people. "This scene made me feel deeper how President Xi cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Arab states," Fergani told People's Daily. On the second day, Xi delivered an important speech titled "Work Together for a Bright Future of China-Arab Relations" at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. "Yesterday, I met with ten old Arab friends who received the Award for Outstanding Contribution to China-Arab Friendship. It is the hard work of generations of friendly people from both sides that has enabled the seedlings of China-Arab friendship to grow into luxuriant and evergreen trees," said the Chinese President in the speech. Xi's mentioning of the ten award receivers touched Fergani and also reminded the latter of his responsibility in promoting the friendship between Arab states and China. Egyptian translator Mohsen Fergani. (Photo provided by Mohsen Fergani) Fergani has long been committed to the studies of Chinese literature and Chinese translation. He has published multiple translated Chinese ancient classics. His study well reflects his passion and seriousness for translation - various types of books are often placed on his desk and the books piled up on the floor are as high as a meter. Besides, there are short sentences in both Chinese and Arabic neatly written by him on the door to and walls in the study, such as "both authenticity and simplicity are important for translation." He has translated a series of Chinese works into Arabic, including ancient classics such as The Analects of Confucius, The Book of Songs, Tao Te Ching and The Strategies of the Warring States, as well as some contemporary literature works. Fergani received the Special Book Award of China in 2013, becoming the first Arabian winning the honor. When receiving an interview with People's Daily, the Egyptian translator cited Xi's remarks at the opening ceremony of the eighth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum that the Chinese and the Arab civilizations, sharing a long history of mutually-reinforcing exchanges, have all the more reason to draw wisdom and strength from each other in this day and age. He said Xi's remarks inspire him to make greater contributions to translating Chinese literature works and promoting cultural exchanges between Arab states and China. "Chinese literature works are valuable marks left by the Chinese culture over the long course of history. I aspire to better introduce China to Arabian readers and show them the splendid Chinese culture," Fergani told People's Daily. A promotional activity for a Chinese language course is held in a school in Egypt, Oct. 3, 2022. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt) In March 2014, Xi noted in a speech at the UNESCO headquarters that civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning. Such exchanges and mutual learning form an important drive for human progress and global peace and development. Fergani said this impressed him very much. He believes the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by Xi carries rich connotation, values people-to-people bond and has built a very important platform for cultural communication. "The ancient Silk Road was once a channel of commerce and civilization exchanges between the East and the West. Today, the BRI is once again facilitating mutual learning and exchanges between different cultures and ideas. Arab states are actively looking eastward to draw wisdom from the Chinese civilization," Fergani said. China-Arab states relations are constantly being elevated to new heights today. Fergani told People's Daily that there has been a "Mandarin fever" in Arab states, and more than 10 universities in Egypt have set up a Chinese language department or offered Chinese courses. Since Oct. 1, 2022, the teaching of Chinese language has been included in Egypt's national education system, becoming an optional foreign language course for middle school students. This creates more opportunities for young Egyptians to know more about China. "The 'Mandarin fever' has significantly promoted Chinese culture in Egypt and forged a closer people-to-people bond between the two nations, forming a synergy in building a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era," Fergani said. He told People's Daily that apart from keeping translating Chinese literature works, he will focus more on the training of translators so as to build a bigger translation foundation among young Arabians. "Under the strategic guidance of the heads of state, the strategic partnership between China and Arab states will achieve long-term and stable development. It is hoped that the two sides can further strengthen communication on literature and art, and jointly write a more splendid chapter of human civilization," Fergani noted. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming) We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here China is dominating the global race for future power, with the country establishing a significant lead in high-impact research across the majority of critical and emerging technology domains, according to a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). The report, called the Critical Technology Tracker, examines 44 critical technologies spanning defence, space, robotics, energy, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, advanced materials and key quantum technology areas. China's global lead extends to 37 of the 44 technologies tracked, with the country excelling in defence and space-related technologies. Notably, China's strides in nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles reportedly took US intelligence by surprise in August 2021. ASPI's Critical Technology Tracker shows that, for some technologies, all of the world's top 10 leading research institutions are based in China, collectively generating nine times more high-impact research papers than the second-ranked country, most often the US. The US comes second in the majority of the 44 technologies examined in the Critical Technology Tracker, with a large gap between China and the US, as the leading two countries, and everyone else. The data then indicates a small, second-tier group of countries led by India and the UK. Other countries that regularly appear in this group include South Korea, Germany, Australia, Italy, and less often, Japan. Australia is in the top five for nine technologies, followed closely by Italy (seven technologies), Iran (six), Japan (four) and Canada (four). Russia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, France, Malaysia and the Netherlands are in the top five for one or two technologies. A number of other countries, including Spain and Turkey, regularly make the top 10 countries but arent in the top five. One surprising finding of the report is that Iran has surpassed countries like Japan, Canada, France and Russia to secure its place in the top five in six critical technologies. In the long term, China's leading research position means that it has set itself up to excel not just in current technological development in almost all sectors but in future technologies that don't yet exist. The report notes that, unchecked, this could shift not just technological development and control but global power and influence to an authoritarian state where the development, testing and application of emerging, critical and military technologies isn't open and transparent and where it can't be scrutinised by independent civil society and media. In the more immediate term, China's lead, coupled with successful strategies for translating research breakthroughs to commercial systems and products that are fed into an efficient manufacturing base, could allow China to gain a stranglehold on the global supply of certain critical technologies. The report notes that such risks are exacerbated because of the willingness of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to use coercive techniques outside of the global rules-based order to punish governments and businesses, including withholding the supply of critical technologies. The report's authors highlight the gap in understanding of the critical technology ecosystem, including its current trajectory. They urge the filling of this gap to avoid a future in which one or two countries dominate new and emerging industries, as happened with 5G technologies. It is important to ensure that countries have ongoing access to trusted and secure critical technology supply chains, they say. Here is a list of the top countries and universities according to the ASPI's Critical Technology Tracker report: Top Countries: China: leads in 37 out of 44 technologies United States: comes second in the majority of the 44 technologies United Kingdom: appears in the top five countries in 29 of the 44 technologies India: appears in the top five countries in 29 of the 44 technologies South Korea: appears in the top five countries in 20 technologies Germany: appears in the top five countries in 17 technologies Australia: appears in the top five for nine technologies Italy: appears in the top five for seven technologies Iran: appears in the top five for six technologies Japan: appears in the top five for four technologies Canada: appears in the top five for four technologies Russia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, France, Malaysia, and the Netherlands: appear in the top five for one or two technologies Top Universities: Chinese Academy of Sciences: ranks in the top five in 27 of the 44 technologies ranks in the top five in 27 of the 44 technologies Delft University of Technology (Netherlands): has supremacy in a number of quantum technologies has supremacy in a number of quantum technologies University of California system (US): well represented in some areas, including in the AI category well represented in some areas, including in the AI category Indian Institute of Technology: a high performer in a range of technologies a high performer in a range of technologies Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore): a leading institution in several critical technologies a leading institution in several critical technologies University of Science and Technology China: excels in energy and environment technologies, advanced materials, and in a range of quantum, defence, and AI technologies including advanced data analytics, machine learning, quantum sensors, advanced robotics, and small satellites excels in energy and environment technologies, advanced materials, and in a range of quantum, defence, and AI technologies including advanced data analytics, machine learning, quantum sensors, advanced robotics, and small satellites Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US): one of several national labs that appear in the top five for certain technologies one of several national labs that appear in the top five for certain technologies Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and IBM: all well represented in some areas, including in the AI category As for Finland, the country doesnt even make it to the list. Finland and China are both investing heavily in research and development in critical technologies. While Finland's public R&D expenditure was 2.84% of its GDP in 2020, China's was 2.4%, according to the World Bank and OECD, respectively. However, due to its larger economy, China's total R&D expenditure is significantly higher than Finland's. In 2020, China spent $608.4 billion on R&D, while Finland spent $8.6 billion. While Finland is overshadowed by a long list of countries, when compared to China; in the field of advanced materials and manufacturing, China outshines Finland with 17% of total publications compared to Finland's 1%. In contrast, Finland has a higher quality of publications in the top 10%, with China leading with 20%. China's strength in specific technologies like coatings, continuous flow chemical synthesis, and critical minerals extraction and processing is noteworthy. When it comes to artificial intelligence, computing, and communications, China has a higher percentage of total publications, with 31% compared to Finland's 0%. In biotechnology, gene technologies, and vaccines, China leads with 20% compared to Finland's 1%. However, Finland has produced high-quality publications with 1% of its publications featured in the top 10%. In contrast, China has 26% and 52% of its publications in biological manufacturing and synthetic biology, respectively. China also has higher percentages of total publications in energy and environment, quantum, sensing, timing and navigation, and transportation, robotics, and space, with Finland falling below the threshold. Despite Finland's small research output in certain categories, it has produced high-quality publications in others. This report uses research publication data from the WoS Core Collection database to compare the performance of all countries in critical technologies across six categories. However, the project only includes publicly available data, and classified research by governments and private companies that isn't published is not captured. Although China maintains its own bibliometric databases, researchers based in China's prestigious universities prefer to publish in international journals. The study uses citation metrics to surface groundbreaking research and assigns credit for each paper equally between authors named on each individual paper. The top 10% most highly cited papers are considered as the top tier of high-quality publications. HT The article about Europes most powerful nuclear reactor, Olkiluoto 3, starting operations in Finland was covered by Euronews Green on April 17. The article sheds light on the implications of the new reactor on climate goals and energy security. Finlands new nuclear reactor: What does it mean for climate goals and energy security? It highlights that the nuclear reactor which took 14 years longer than planned, is providing a serious boost to Finlands electricity self-sufficiency. The article provides details of the reactor which has 1,600 megawatt capacity and was initially connected to the Finnish national power grid in March 2022. It emphasizes that the reactor will help Finland to achieve its carbon neutrality targets as well as increase energy security at a time when European countries have cut oil and gas from Russia. The production of Olkiluoto 3 stabilizes the price of electricity and plays an important role in the Finnish green transition, operator Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) president and CEO Jarmo Tanhua said in a statement. The article also looks into the reasons behind the delay in operations of the new reactor which was plagued by several technological problems that led to lawsuits. Olkiluoto 3 costs around 11 billion euros, almost three times what was initially estimated. With this, Finland now has five nuclear reactors in two power plants located on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Original story was published by Euronews Green on 17.04.2023 and can be found here. How Finland managed to virtually end homelessness An opinion piece reflecting on Finlands effective management of homeless people was published in Toronto Star on April 20. The article focuses on the plight of homeless people in Toronto and draws comparison with Finland on the issue. The article argues that while Toronto is resorting to jamming more beds into already-cramped shelters, Finland has used more effective way to virtually end homelessness. It turns out that, given a place to live, Finlands homeless were better able to deal with addictions and other problems, not to mention handling job applications, the article reads. It adds that more than a decade after the launch of the Housing First policy, 80 percent of Finlands homeless are doing well. Although they are still living in the housing provided to them but they are now paying the rent on their own. The article also emphasizes that unlike European countries which still promotes social housing, Canada has almost completely exited the field which has now dropped to just 4 per cent of total households roughly the same level as the devoutly pro-market U.S. The author, Linda McQuaig, is a journalist, activist and a freelance contributing columnist for The Star. Original story was published by Toronto Star on 20.04.2023 and can be found here. How Finland can provide a model for prosperity in Glasgow Finlands innovations towards economic prosperity of its people was covered in an opinion piece by The Herald on April 16. The article draws parallel between Finland and United Kingdom and ponders how the measures taken by Helsinki to turn the entire city of into a testbed for new products and services can be implemented in Glasgow. The article begins with mentioning Finlands top rank in the World Happiness Report and provides reasons for this such as high level of social cohesion, Scandinavian emphasis on equity and benefits from an excellent transport and digital infrastructure apart from economic prosperity. It highly elaborates on Helsinkis efforts to promote innovation through testbed projects. Each year, the team at Testbed Helsinki facilitates about 50 projects, some of which are the result of procurement calls and others are proposed by companies, both local and international. A surprising number of these companies are based in the citys incubator units, which provide new businesses with up to three years of accommodation and wraparound support; notably, Helsinkis incubators are about to undergo a dramatic expansion, the article reads. These projects cover a wide variety of subjects including health and wellbeing, educational technology, the built environment, smart mobility and digitalization. The author David Duncan is Chief Operating Officer and author Uzma Khan is Vice Principal for Economic Development & Innovation at the University of Glasgow. Original story was published by The Herald on 16.04.2023 and can be found here. Skis and service rifles: Finland ground forces prepare with Nato Finlands new procurement of over 8,000 pairs of ski equipment and upgrade in service rifles after joining North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was covered in an article by Army Technology on April 18. The article provides analysis on these new developments within Finlands ground forces. The ski equipment will be supplied to the northern troop via the NATO Supply and Procurement Agency (NSPA). The Jaeger Brigade and Kainuu Brigade are set to receive the new ski equipment in the winter season of 2023-2024. The US has started shifting some equipment and battalions in the Baltics up north already, and Finland may be thinking about the permanent stationing of allied personnel and kit in the country, James Marques, defence and aerospace analyst at GobalData told Army Technology. The purchase amounts to nearly 3million in a package for skis and bindings, which are expected to enhance the combatants capacity to advance, particularly in deep snow. Apart from this, the article also talks about Finland trailling new AR automatic rifles and personal protective equipment to update its older AK4 and AK5 service rifles. The rifles set for delivery will contribute to military readiness and with a firearm training programme of the Finnish Defence Forces, designed for training voluntary reserve members and other participants engaging in voluntary national defence training. Original story was published by Army Technology on 18.04.2023 and can be found here. US military equipment in transit through Estonia, bound for Finland The story about United States Army equipment being transported through Estonia ahead of a planned exercise with Finland was published by ERR news on April 17. The article highlights that the equipment is equal to almost to an entire armored combined arms battalion with support elements. "The rapid movement of a Combined Arms Battalion, including Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, demonstrates the U.S. Government's commitment to our NATO Allies and the U.S. military's capabilities as a combat credible force, Lt Col. Jay Ireland, commander of the U.S. Army's 1-8 Cavalry Battalion said in a press release. 1-8 Cavalry Battalion is currently based in Pabrade, Lithuania, and has its home base in Texas, according to the article. Exercise Arrow 23 will also involve 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. Army and equipment will be sent via Latvia and Estonia, onward by ferry through the Port of Tallinn, to Helsinki. Original story was published by ERR news on 17.04.2023 and can be found here. Frazer chiefs incentivized to reduce food loss The article about top brass at food and drinks company Fazer Group to be incentivized to reduce food loss was published in Just Food on April 20. The article looks into the issue of food loss produce that is wasted in the processing phase and not forwarded to retail or consumers to eat. In a statement, Fazer said cutting down on food loss is one of the most efficient ways to reduce the food systems impact on the climate and the environment. Frazer aims to reduce food loss by 50% by 2030. It managed an 8% reduction in 2022 compared to its 2020 baseline. One of the main causes of waste occurs when food is considered the wrong weight or appearance to sell. One of the bigger causes of food loss at Fazer is products that for one reason or another, do not meet our high-quality standards. They may be the wrong weight or look wrong in some way, Frazer spokesperson told Just Food. Original story was published by Just Food on 20.04.2023 and can be found here. HT Serepta Arrington, 100, looks back on her service during World War II Serepta Hamilton Arrington is shown, left, with her younger brother, Thomas Hamilton, and twin sister Susan in photos taken during their military service in World War II. Serepta Arrington found herself at a crossroads in 1944. The Henderson County native was 21 years old at the time and had struggled through years of poverty during the Great Depression. She often missed school when the need to just survive outpaced the need for an education. When she did go to school, Arrington, who was a Hamilton before she married, sometimes relied on the generosity of teachers to give her a place to live while she attended classes. So, by 1944, Arrington was still a junior in high school despite her age. She knew she was technically an adult now, and she needed to decide what to do next. Then one day, a U.S. Army recruitment poster urging women to join the war effort caught her eye. I saw a sign that said, Women wanted for sick and hurt men, Arrington said. I saw the sign, and I went and joined. I didnt have no place else to go. Arringtons twin sister, Susan, also realized the military might be a good opportunity. But she decided to stay and finish high school before she joined Arrington in the Womens Army Corps, the womens branch of the United States Army during World War II. The sisters ended up serving together, performing clerical duties at an Army medical facility in Mississippi. They were both promoted to the rank of staff sergeant by the time the war ended. Airplane engines roared overhead Now 100 years old, Arrington is mostly deaf. She manages to read lips when speakers address her slowly and loudly. Her daughter, Gleanus Gilliam, said her mother and her Aunt Susan both suffered hearing loss during their time in the military. They were trained at an Army base where male soldiers were being taught to identify both allied and enemy aircraft. The constant roaring of airplane engines led to their hearing impairment, Gilliam said. Arrington lives with help in her home in Henderson County, though a recent bout with pneumonia landed her in a local rehabilitation center until she regained her strength. Her sister lives in Tennessee. After she joined the WACs in January of 1944, Arrington underwent training in Ohio and Georgia before she was assigned to Camp Shelby in Mississippi. Her twin sister managed to join her at the Army camp when she completed training. Located on 134,000 acres near Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Camp Shelby today serves as a military training facility as it did in the 1930s and 1940s. During the war, the camp also hosted WAC units and included a convalescent hospital and a prisoner of war camp. The POW camp initially housed some German prisoners captured from field marshal Erwin Rommels Afrika Korps. Arrington and her sister were assigned to the medical facility with Arrington working as a clerk in an office that handled EKGs and metabolism information and her sister performing similar duties in the orthopedic area of the facility. They often saw the German POWs who also worked around the camp. They would say Good morning, Susie and good morning, Susies sister, Arrington said, adding with a chuckle that the Germans seemed to have trouble pronouncing her name. She said she enjoyed her time in Mississippi working with her twin sister. They even attended church services in the hospital. I had a place to stay and eat and help the men, the hurt men, Arrington said. A colonel from New York came down and ran the hospital and I worked in the office with him. She described the colonel as a nice man who decided to promote both Arrington and her sister before they were discharged from the military. He promoted me from private first class to staff sergeant. Susie came by and he said, Ill do that for you too, Arrington recalled. Two of 19 children Arrington and her sister were members of a family with 17 siblings. As they struggled through the Depression, their father at one point took the twins and some of the other younger children out of school. The children and their father traveled on foot to Georgia where they spent the next three years picking cotton just to survive. When the family came back to Henderson County, Arrington and her sister returned to their studies with the help of teachers who took them in. The twin girls were not the only members of the family to serve during wartime. At least nine of their brothers also joined the military, with some serving during World War I and others serving during World War II. A cousin died in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Arrington earned the American Theater Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal by the time she arrived at Fort Bragg for her discharge from the Army in May of 1946. She returned home to Henderson County shortly after being discharged and reconnected with Glen Arrington, a boy she knew from school. Glen had also served in the Army, in Africa and Italy during the war. So, when the two former soldiers decided to marry, they chose Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 1947, for their wedding day. Glen passed away in 1995. I still take her out on their anniversary, Gilliam said. The twins celebrated their 100th birthdays together in Newport, Tenn., in December. A few years ago, Gilliam took her mother to visit the bases where she served and was trained during WWII. Although Arrington seldom reflects on the war years saying thats over with shes proud that she acted when she read that war poster 79 years ago. I felt like I was there for a reason and I did a good job, she said. AN artist from Henley has painted a collection of items dating back to the Second World War. Bill Mundy, of Wargrave Road, has called his watercolour The Peoples War. The 85-year-old, who is known for his award-winning miniature portraits, spent years collecting the items of wartime memorabilia, including a portrait of a smiling Winston Churchill. Bill said: You nearly always see pictures of him with a grumpy face so I looked for one of him smiling as I wanted him to dominate the picture. There are more than 70 items in the picture, all depicting the Home Front in England during the war. There are ration books and other interesting things that people who were here during the war will recognise. I already had a few items like ration books, gas masks and an old tin of dried eggs. I also had badges and things soldiers would wear on their uniforms. In the top left corner of the painting is a book called The Peoples War written by academic and historian Angus Calder and illustrated by Bill, which was published in 1970. It describes what life was like for Britons during the conflict. There is also a diary that he borrowed from a friend, whose father had written an entry on each day while he served in the war. This is open on two pages from December 1940. Also featured is a Spitfire as it brought back vivid memories for Bill. He said: I was a small boy in Wokingham during the war when we would see dogfights above us with Spitfires. During the war, we went by train to Reading and came across a crashed Spitfire and we climbed on board that. In 2018, Bill spent half an hour in the cockpit of a Spitfire as it followed a circuit of about 250 miles above the Kentish countryside from Biggin Hill Airport, which was a principal fighter base during the Battle of Britain. He was briefly allowed to control the plane, during which time he waggled the wings from side to side using the joystick, and the pilot performed a 360 degree victory roll. Bill said: I hope to do that again. It took him about eight weeks to complete the painting, working about seven hours a day. It is a Trompe loeil, an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. It is 2ft 6in wide, which means most of the items are almost actual size. Bill, a former advertising agency director, said: I like the technique to make things look exactly how they are the super-realism. You have to get the exact shade and shape right. He hopes to sell the painting at an exhibition in a top London gallery, something he has done with other pieces. Last month, Bill received two awards from the Miniature Art Society in Florida for some of his most recent portraits. He won excellence in all entries for the five paintings he submitted. He also won a new award in memory of a Royal Navy admiral for which he had to paint a sailing ship and he decided to depict a ship travelling from Europe to America in the 16th century. Bill, who has been painting since he was five years old, said: Its nice to keep winning and to know that Im still up there being recognised as Im getting on a bit. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Karnatakas Congress incharge Randeep Surjewala announced that the Communist Party of India (CPI) has extended their full support to the Congress party in the state, ahead of Karnataka assembly elections. He also said that the CPI is contesting in seven assembly seats and that it will be a friendly contest between both the parties. CPI will give full support to Congress in Karnataka polls: Randeep Surjewala Also Read - Kumaraswamy admitted in hospital at Bengaluru, cancels his schedule Speaking at a press meet, Surjewala said, The CPI has agreed to support the Congress party in Karnataka, without any conditions and demands. They are contesting for seven seats in the state and there will be a friendly fight between them and our candidates in these seven seats. In 215 seats, CPI has announced its support to the Congress candidates. The CPI wants to wholeheartedly help Congress in defeating the BJP. The Congress has already announced the candidates from 223 constituencies out of 224. In Melukote, the Congress has extended support to Darshan Puttannaiah, who is contesting on a Sarvodaya Karnataka Party (SKP), which is an ally to the Congress. Melukote, which is a Vokkaliga heartland in Mandya district is expected to see a tough battle between the SKP and JD(S) parties. The election in Karnataka will be held on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. All the political parties have already announced their candidates for the assembly polls, and they also filed nominations from their respective constituencies. The BJP and the Congress have even released their star campaigners list who will be Karnataka, ahead of the polls. The polling date for Karnataka elections is around the corner and all political parties are gearing up their campaigning strategies in the poll bound state. The Congress and the BJP have already roped in star campaigners and scheduled their visits to the state in next weeks. Meanwhile, all the candidates for the assembly elections have filed their nominations. The Election Commission meanwhile found that a total of 3,044 nominations were in order, during the scrutiny. The last day for the withdrawal of candidature is April 24. The elections in Karnataka will be held on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Eyeing to retain the Shimla Municipal Corporation, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its poll manifesto has promised 40,000 liters of free water for the towns residents, to implement one corporation-one tax system and, waive off 50% garbage bills. Former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur with ex-BJP state chief Suresh Kashyap and other BJP leaders releasing the Shimla MC manifesto in Shimla on Sunday. (Deepak Sansta/HT) The elections for the Shimla Municipal Corporation are slated for May 2 while the results will be declared on May 4. The elections are a direct contest between the Congress and the BJP. Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, state party president Suresh Kashyap and general secretary Trilok Jamwal released the manifesto. Thakur said poor dwellers who have built shanties over two biswas of land will get the ownership rights and will be provided the house on the same land. If voted to power, the BJP-ruled MC will remove dangerous trees in a time-bound manner. Our government had given ease to lakhs of people by removing the condition of mandatory NOC for installation of electricity meters and on the same analogy, the condition of NOC for water meters will also be removed, said Thakur. The BJP also promised to eliminate disparities in fee for the licence of shops, implement one shop one unit and one licence system. To get rid of multiple taxes, the BJP announced to implement one corporation-one tax system. To launch a public movement against drug abuse, the BJP promised to open one gym in each ward to promote healthy lifestyle. To curb crime, maintain law and order and keep round-the-clock vigil, the party announced to install CCTV cameras throughout the town. Task force to deal with monkey menace, stray dogs To deal with the increasing problem of monkey menace and stray dogs, the BJP announced to form a task force, which will take concrete measures to eradicate the problem. Thakur said the civic body will also involve NGOs and other social organisations for the cause. It further promised to build night shelters and labour hostels for daily wage workers, labourers and those who are self-employed. Marriage palaces will be constructed in Shimla town, in which all kinds of facilities will be available, said Thakur, while also promising to promote use of solar power and install solar panels on as many roofs as possible on subsidy. The BJP also promised to speed-up the work of the vegetable market, grain market, to be built at Dadrni Ka Bagicha. The saffron party further promised to improve the drainage system. The MC will form a committee of senior citizens and intellectuals under the chairmanship of the mayor, who will have the right to act on their suggestions and the government will be bound to supply funds for development works on the given suggestions, said Thakur. We will make concerted efforts to implement the Centres 1,546 crore multi-dimensional scheme Parvatmala Yojana which will benefit local citizens and tourists, he said. Thakur said ambulance road will be built connecting every locality and ward and the Shimla MC will also activate all fire extinguishers in the town so that house fire incidents are controlled immediately. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi termed the crackdown on Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh as a mere drama by the state government and Punjab police. Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi addressed five election rallies in favour of party candidate Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary. (HT Photo) For the past one and half months, security forces in Punjab are cordoning off the village after village to arrest Amritpal. On Sunday, Amritpal surrendered before the police. Punjab government created the whole drama of arresting him from Rode village but the reality is completely different, Channi alleged while addressing a gathering in Alawalpur village in the Adampur assembly segment. Channi addressed five election rallies in favour of party candidate Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary. He added that the government has been trying to create an atmosphere of fear among the general public by imposing Section 144 or by shutting down internet services. The government had issues with Amritpal, but they harassed his wife for no reason. Punjab police would have failed to track him if he hadnt surrendered after 36 days, Channi added. Deal with Amritpal as per law: SAD The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday said that following the peaceful manner in which Amritpal Singh has handed himself over to the police, the AAP government should proceed against him as per law and put an end to the prosecution and harassment of innocent Sikhs. In a statement here, SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said: Now that Amritpal Singh had submitted to the majesty of the law, it was incumbent upon the AAP government to explain why it had created a fear psychosis on this issue. The actions of the AAP government till now have only served to defame the Sikh community besides resulting in a flight of capital from the state and a sense of insecurity amongst Punjabis. Communal tensions have also been deliberately inflamed. FM Cheema praises Punjab police Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the people of Punjab are peace-loving people who want development only. After a 36-day long operation today, Punjab Police arrested him. Amritpal tried to pull a similar stunt as the Ajnala incident in which he used Guru Granth Sahil Palki as a shield, but once again, Punjab Police worked efficiently, Cheema said. He reiterated the governments commitment to maintaining peace and law and order in the state. People of Punjab trusted and supported the government throughout this operation, the result of which no unfortunate incident had happened during the Amritpal operation, Cheema said. AMRITSAR : Police arrested gangster Nitin Nahar, a close associate of notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and his two associates following a tip-off from the Maqboolpura area of Amritsar on Sunday. Police arrested gangster Nitin Nahar, a close associate of notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and his two associates following a tip-off from the Maqboolpura area of Amritsar on Sunday. Police have also recovered a .32 bore pistol and 9 live rounds from their possession. The two associates have been identified as Rashim Arora, alias Rishu, of Nehru Colony in Amritsar and Jaskaran Singh, alias Karan, of Jahangir village in Tarn Taran district, the police said. Nahar, who is facing 11 criminal cases, including that of murder, attempt to murder and assault, had escaped from the police custody in December 2022 when he was being produced in a local court. A special team under the supervision of additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP-city 3) Abhimanyu Rana and assistant commissioner of police (ACP-detective) Gurinderpal Singh Nagra was formed by commissioner Naunihal Singh to nab him. During investigation, the team found that Nahar was in contact with gangster Gurpreet Singh, alias Krishan, who is lodged in Goindwal Central Jail. Nahars one of the two arrested accomplices, Risham Arora, is facing two criminal cases. ADCP Rana said all the accused were booked under various Sections of the Arms Act in a fresh case registered at the Maqboolpura police station. The stage is set for the fourth edition of the International Gita Mahotsav (IGM) in Australia from April 28 to 30. An official spokesperson said that the mahotsav has been previously held in Mauritius, England and Canada and now the mahotsav is being held in Australia. The stage is set for the fourth edition of the International Gita Mahotsav (IGM) in Australia from April 28 to 30. An official spokesperson said that the mahotsav has been previously held in Mauritius, England and Canada and now the mahotsav is being held in Australia. (HT File Photo) He said that the Gita Mahotsav is a grand celebration of the timeless wisdom of Bhagavad Gita. The event brings together people from all walks of life to celebrate the spiritual message of Lord Krishna given in Bhagavad Gita. He informed that the event is set to take place in Sydney in 2023, and it promises to be a spectacular display of art, culture, and spirituality. The mahotsav is being hosted in Australia this year jointly by the Association of Haryanvis in Australia and the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) in collaboration with other organisations, including Sewa Australia, Hindu Council of Australia, ISKCON, BAPS, HOTA, and many other organisations. He said that ahead of the three-day celebration, competitions, including painting, Gita recital, essay writing and colouring were organised yesterday at a large scale. The event convener and Chair of the association of Haryanvis in Australia, Sewa Singh mentioned that the participation certificates and awards to the winners shall be handed over on the occasion of International Gita Seminar to be held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney on April 30. To maintain law and order situation in the city following the arrest of radical leader and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, the police beefed up security and carried out flag marches in different areas of the city on Sunday. Police and Rapid Action Forces during flag march in Ludhiana on Sunday. (HT Photo) Over 300 police personnel, including companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), held flag marches. The police also held special checkpoints at various entry and exit points of the city to avoid any untoward incident. Additional deputy commissioners (ADCPs) of respective zones of the city police commissionerate along with assistant commissioners of police (ACPs) and respective station house officers led the flag march in their jurisdictions. Deputy Commissioner of Police Varinder Singh Brar said that over 300 police personnel including two companies of RAF participated in the flag marches conducted in the city. Besides, the special checkpoints, security checks were also conducted in different areas in order to maintain law and order situation. He said that the situation remained peaceful in the city. Police had arrested Amritpal Singh on Sunday from a Gurdwara in Rode village of Moga district. The total wheat yield in Punjab is expected to cross 160 lakh tonnes in the current rabi season. The state agriculture department has pegged production based on crop-cutting experiments. A farmer works in a wheat field during harvesting season, in Amritsar on Wednesday. (PTI) It is less than the earlier production estimates of a bumper crop when the yield was predicted to cross 175 lakh tonnes before the rainfall, high-velocity winds and hailstorm that began on March 25 and continued till April 5. The yield is expected to fall by 15 lakh tonnes, a loss of 8%. Last year wheat crop suffered a yield loss of 15% due to a sudden rise in temperatures in March when the crop was at the maturing stage. The state food and civil supplies department, conducting the procurement of wheat, has also set a target of a total wheat purchase of 115-120 lakh tonnes. Originally, the food department made arrangements for procuring 132 lakh tonnes of wheat. Despite the vagaries of weather leading to flattening of the crop in over 40% of the total area, the crop has recovered, and yield is reasonably good this time with an average yield of 4,724 kilograms per hectare, said Gurvinder Singh, director agriculture. This season wheat was cultivated over 34.9 lakh tonnes. A complete report of all the 2,000 crop-cutting experiments is expected in the upcoming week to give a clear picture of the wheat yield, he said. VTS system delays lifting The vehicle tracking system (VTS), which the state food and civil supplies department is installing to track the movement of wheat from the mandis to storage points or the railheads is leading to a delay in the lifting of the purchased crop from the mandis. The slow pace of lifting has led to a glut of freshly harvested crop in the mandis. Out of 73.07 lakh tonnes of crop purchased in the mandis, only 23.72 lakh tonnes have been lifted to date. This has left around two-thirds of the purchased crop in the mandis. Districts Tarn Taran and Amritsar lead the figures with 96% and 92% of the purchased crop waiting to be lifted, respectively. Ferozepur follows the two districts with 84% of the purchased crop waiting to be cleared from the mandis. On Sunday, 6.87 lakh tonnes of crop arrived in the mandis of the state, taking the total arrivals to date to 75.32 lakh tonnes. According to officials of the state agriculture department, so far the harvest has been completed in over 60% of the cultivated area. A minimum support price of 2,125 is being offered to the farmers despite a value cut imposed by the Centre. The state government has decided to own the value cut imposed and the farmers are being made the full payment. 61 cases of stubble burning in Punjab Since the start of the wheat harvest, 61 cases of stubble burning have been reported in the state. Eight cases each have been reported in Bathinda and Gurdaspur, six in Patiala, five in Sangrur and four each in Amritsar, Faridkot and Jalandhar. Fatehgarh Sahib, Moga, Ropar, Mohali and Malerkotla districts have reported no cases of crop residue burning in the current harvest season. The state remote sensing centre, Ludhiana, records the burning cases on behalf of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). The cases are expected to rise as the harvest is heading towards the conclusion, said an officer in the PPCB on the condition of anonymity. According to a trend, the cases of stubble burning are much higher in paddy harvest than in the wheat-cutting season. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has urged the people of Haryana, especially khap leaders, not to support people who are damaging the image of the country and raising questions over democracy. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at Saint Shiromani Dhanna Bhagat temple, in village Dhanori, Haryana, on Sunday. We cannot become puppets of such people who will make any comment and social media will spread it further. This should not happen in our society, he said addressing a gathering at a programme organised to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dhanna Bhagat at Dhanori village of Kaithal. The Vice-Presidents statement came a day after several khap panchayats and farmer leaders from Haryana reached Delhi and extended support to the former Jammu and Kashmir governor, Satya Pal Malik Even if somebody gets misled and some people come in his support, it is the responsibility of society to stop people from becoming puppets in their hands, he added. Without naming the former governor, who belongs to the Jat community, he said, I appeal to the people of Haryana that if anyone tries to defame the country, they should not support such people and ideas, even if they are coming from us. Besides India, there is no such country in the world which has a three-tier election process, panchayat, state and Centre. Our democracy is vibrant, and we have to frustrate such forces which say that our democracy is weak, he added. He said, Today, if we would not think about the changing India and will not contribute to its progress, we will be disrespecting all those great men who have kept our culture alive in the world. Without naming political party he targeted previous governments for ignoring the contribution of great personalities, saying, Earlier, there was a misconception about the great heroes, who contributed to the freedom struggle. I would appeal to all of you that there is a need in society to take forward the ideals of these great men and implement them in society He also urged people to check drug menace. In a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been disqualified from the Lok Sabha membership, he said that no one is above the law, as everyone comes under the law of the land. People used to ask about the date for the construction of Ram Temple. Now the Ram Temple is being constructed as per the culture of India, he added. He said that India has now become the 5th biggest economy of the world and soon it will become the 3rd largest economy thus defeating the countries which had ruled India for over 200 years. Jind medical college to be named after Dhanna Bhagat In his address, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that a medical college being built at Haibatpur in Jind would be named after Dhanna Bhagat. He also announced to build a women college in Dhanori village and supply drinking water to the village through the Bhakra Canal. He said that the life history of Dhanna Bhagat will be mentioned in textbooks so that the youth can take inspiration from teachings and messages. The CM said that a statue of Bhagat would be installed at Dhanori village. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The national capital this week recorded a steady rise in the number of fresh Covid cases while the positivity rate dipped progressively as compared to Monday, when it was the highest in over 15 months. Saturday (April 22) saw nearly 500 more fresh infections than Monday (April 17). Delhi logged more than 7,000 fresh covid cases this week. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO) Delhi on Sunday (April 23) reported 948 new Covid cases and two fatalities with a case positivity rate of 25.69, news agency PTI reported citing the Health department data. With the new fatalities, the death toll rose to 26,597 in the national capital. The total case tally now stands at 20,33,372. Here's a table summarising Delhi's Covid data this week: Day New Covid cases Fatalities Positivity rate Monday 1017 4 32.25% Tuesday 1537 - 26.54% Wednesday 1767 6 28.63% Thursday 1603 3 26.75% Friday - - - Saturday 1515 6 26.46% The number of deaths remained more or less the same throughout the week. The health department did not release the data on Friday and the number of fatalities on Tuesday is not available. From 932 cases on March 30 to 4,976 on April 17, active coronavirus cases in Delhi had registered a jump of more than 430% in nearly three weeks. Delhi reported more than 13,200 cases of Covid-19 in the first half of this month. The Centre on Friday asked eight states, including Delhi, 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. Underlining that Covid is still not over, Rajesh Bhushan, secretary, union health and family welfare ministry, in a letter to UP, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Haryana and Delhi, urged them to remain cautious against laxity at any level that may nullify the gains made in pandemic management so far. (With agency inputs) A new modus operandi, using cloned barcodes and consignment numbers to pack parcels containing Phensedyl and get the drug delivered to smugglers living in villages along the Indo-Bangla border, has been detected by the Border Security Force (BSF), officials said. BSF personnel intercepted a postman on April 20 while he was on the way to deliver a parcel that contained 38 bottles of Phensedyl. (Representative Image) This was being done to hoodwink security agencies, who patrol the villages in bordering areas, but usually dont check parcels being delivered by postmen to villagers. This is a new modus operandi which has been detected. This has been going on over the past 7 8 months, we have learnt. A postman, who used to clone the barcodes and consignment numbers, was apprehended. He was handed over to the local police said a top official of the BSFs south Bengal Frontier. Acting on a tip off, BSF personnel intercepted a postman Talat Mahmood on April 20 around 12 noon, while he was on his way to Hakimpur in North 24 Parganas district to deliver a parcel. He was carrying a large and heavy parcel with barcodes and consignment numbers. On searching it was found that the parcel contained 38 bottles of Phensedyl, said the official. Phensedyl is in high demand in Bangladesh where it is used as an alternative to alcohol. The new modus operandi According to senior BSF and police officials, the cough syrup is legally manufactured in Himachal Pradeshs Solan district, from where agents along the Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal procure them through dealers and distributors based in Varanasi and Lucknow. With BSF patrolling the bordering villagers, getting the consignments of phensedyl delivered at the doorsteps of smugglers is a risky job. Here came Mahmood, a postman of Duttapukur post office, said an official. Mahmood, before delivering any parcel to a villager living close to the international border, used to take snapshots of the barcode and consignment numbers on the parcel. He would then come back and make clones of the barcodes and consignment numbers. These were used on parcels containing Phensedyl. This made the parcels look like original and helped to hoodwink the security agencies. He used to change the senders and recipients address. Mahmood, being a postman, it was easier for him to pass through security agencies without any hassle. More so because the parcel looked like an original one with cloned barcodes and consignment tracking numbers. Had the smuggler tried to do this, chances of getting caught would have been more. Hence the smugglers used his expertise to get the parcel delivered at the doorstep close to the porous international border. Once they had the parcel delivered they would smuggle it to Bangladesh later, said the official. A lucrative business Alcohol is forbidden for Muslims but Bangladeshi Muslims use Phensedyl as an alternative to alcohol. They can legally drink it only if they have a doctors prescription recommending it for health purposes. This makes the smuggling all the more lucrative. A cost of one bottle of Phensedyl, which sells for around 180 200 in India, instantly shoots up to 300 500 as soon as it crosses the border. By the time the consignment reaches Dhaka, the cost of one bottle could even go up to even 1,800 2,000, said a senior police officer of North 24 Parganas, a bordering district. Preliminary interrogation of Mahmood revealed that he used to deliver around 35 50 bottles in each consignment and at least four to five consignments every month. He used to deliver the bottles keeping a hefty margin. For every bottle he used to keep a margin of at least 200. Per month he would make at least 40,000, said a BSF official. Out of the 4096.7-km-long Indo-Bangla border, West Bengal shares a 2,216-km stretch with Bangladesh. The India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal is the longest and one of the most porous international borders in any state with rampant smuggling, trafficking, and other illegal activities. With cattle smuggling going down, the smuggling of drugs such as Phensedyl and Yaba tablets have shot up over the past few years, said a senior BSF official. Sometimes the smugglers also take the help of innovative ways. On August 9, BSF found a raft made out of stems of banana plant and well camouflaged with water-hyacinths floating down the river. When it was recovered the men found that a huge air-tight can was tied to it and it was loaded with bottles of Phensedyl. In south Bengal, the border is over 900-km-long out of which nearly 60% is riverine. Where the border is fenced the smugglers just throw the items over the fence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday accused the Nitish Kumar government of Bihar of being anti-Dalit and pro-crime. She said it had weakened the law to release life term convict Anand Mohan, accused in the killing of Dalit IAS officer G Krishnaiah in 1994. The anti-Dalit and pro-crime work of the Nitish government regarding the murder case of the then DM of Gopalganj, Krishnaiah had triggered a lot of anger in the Dalit society across the country, Mayawati said. (Pic for representation) In a series of tweets on Sunday, Mayawati alleged that Nitish government of Bihar has made plans to release mafia Anand Mohan, who is jailed in Krishnaiahs murder case, by changing the rules. This decision of the Bihar government shows the real face of Nitish Kumar and the Bihar governments anti-Dalit attitude. The anti-Dalit and pro-crime work of the Nitish government regarding the murder case of the then DM of Gopalganj, Krishnaiah had triggered a lot of anger in the Dalit society across the country. Even if there was some compulsion, the Bihar government must reconsider it, she said. To note, in 1994, DM of Gopalganj in Bihar G Krishnaiah was lynched to death by a mob led by Anand Mohan in Muzaffarpur during the funeral of criminal Chotan Shukla, who was killed in a police encounter. Later, the court awarded life term to Anand Mohan. G Krishnaiah, a Dalit from Andhra Pradesh, was an IAS officer of 1985 batch and was just 37 years of age when he was killed by the mob. He was serving as DM of Gopalganj, the home district of the then chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. The Nitish Kumar government had dropped some crucial words from a provision in the Bihar Jail Manual, 2012, a move that is expected to facilitate the release of former MP Anand Mohan Singh, 69. In an order of April 10 last, the Bihar government dropped murder of a public servant on duty as one of the cases in which an accused would not be eligible for premature release. As per Rule 481(i)(a) of the jail manual: Every convicted prisoner, whether male or female, undergoing sentence of life imprisonment and covered by the provisions of Section 433A CrPC, shall be eligible to be considered for premature release from prison immediately after serving out the sentence of 14 years of actual imprisonment, i.e., without the remissions. In Maharashtras political circles, they say that the post of deputy chief minister is jinxed. Its a strange coincidence, but the fact is that no politician who occupied the office of deputy CM ever became chief minister later. This is now being talked about now because of speculations over senior NCP leader Ajit Pawars next political move. 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_000118B) (PTI) From Ramrao Adik (Congress) to Gopinath Munde (BJP) to Chhagan Bhujbal, R R Patil, Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil and Ajit Pawar (all NCP), none of the deputy chief ministers has been able to climb one more step to occupy the top office. Patil was popular and seen as CM material while Munde and Bhujbal were both strong and ambitious OBC leaders. But after the Shiv Sena-BJP lost power in 1999, Mundes career trajectory moved to the Centre. He died in an accident before the 2014 assembly elections. Bhujbals political career suffered a serious setback following allegations of his involvement in scams and his jail term. He managed to bounce back and even became a minister in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government but as of now, the chief ministership seems to be a distant dream for him. Ajit Pawar has been deputy CM for four different terms from 2010. He has nursed the ambition to be CM for a long time and has now made it public. On Friday, he said in Pune that he could take up the top job even now. His close aides insist that the BJP could give him the post if Eknath Shinde has to go after the Supreme Court verdict on the split in the Shiv Sena. On the other hand, Ajit has given a clear signal to the party leadership that he will have the first claim on the chief ministership if the party has access to power in any political alignment. As such, the question being asked: Can Ajit break the jinx and become CM unlike all the deputy CMs before him? Meanwhile, there is another politician who is also waiting to stake his claim if the opportunity comes: Ajits friend and current deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Among the lot, he is the only one who was CM earlier. So, can one of the two friends make it to the top? Who will it be? And will they have to wait till the next assembly election? BJPs Maratha dilemma The BJPs search for a Maratha face in Maharashtra continues. The partys strategists feel the need for a Maratha politician who can turn the Maratha votes their way. This was one of the reasons the party top brass took the surprising decision to make Eknath Shinde chief minister when he was prepared to be the deputy of Devendra Fadnavis after splitting the Shiv Sena. Ten months later, as Shindes fate is uncertain in the face of the imminent SC verdict and his ability to garner votes for the ruling alliance seems to be in question, the party is again looking at options. The Supreme Courts rejection of a petition seeking review of its earlier decision to set aside Maratha reservation has now made the BJPs task of wooing Marathas a bit complex. The party already has a whole set of Maratha leaders imported from the Congress and NCP besides its own Raosaheb Danve, Vinod Tawde and Ashish Shelar. Some people in the party think Ajit could be a good choice as a Maratha face, given his aggressive nature and influence over young Marathas, especially in western and central Maharashtra. However, the top brass is wary of the reaction from the Maratha community as well as the most influential Maratha leader in the state, Sharad Pawar, if there is a split in the NCP. In the 2019 polls, the narrative that the BJP was out to finish Pawar backfired in western Maharashtra and cost the party a few seats. Party insiders say this is the reason why their leaders are treading cautiously with Ajit. They would prefer the NCP joining the NDA as an ally rather than an Eknath Shinde-type coup. As it is, they are figuring out whether the split in the Sena has helped them or damaged their prospects electorally. Certificate of integrity Facing the heat over the death of 14 people at the recent Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony, CM Eknath Shinde on Thursday announced a one-member panel of additional chief secretary (revenue) Nitin Kareer to conduct a probe into the incident. Opposition leaders were not happy with the nature of the probe and wanted a judicial inquiry, but they also pointed out that they did not doubt Kareer. He is an honest officer but its a government inquiry in which an officer cannot investigate the drawbacks of his seniors, said NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Kareer, a 1988-batch IAS officer, is known for his efficient handling of the administration. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai: The domestic help who allegedly murdered her 69-year-old employer with the help of her boyfriend and his son met the victim in Bandra more than two decades ago in 1997. The elderly woman, identified as Marie Selin Wilfred Dcosta, gave shelter to Shabnam Shaikh, 42, as the latter was suffering from polio. HT Image On Thursday, Shabnam, along with her boyfriend, Mohammad Umer Shaikh, 71 and his son Shehzad Umer Shaikh, 21, had allegedly killed DCosta in her residence in Orlem, Malad West, to rob her. The woman a resident of New Life Co-operative Housing Society was found dead with her head submerged in a bucket filled with water. Dcosta had met Shabnam in 1997 and had taken her in as she had a defect in her leg due to polio. During the Covid-19 induced lockdown, Shabnam had stopped working for Dcosta. However, after the lockdown was lifted, Dcosta did not want Shabnam to be unemployed and had decided to call her back as the family trusted her. Dcostas two daughters Jessica and Tanya were also returning to Kuwait, said Ravi Adane, senior police inspector of Malad Police Station. Shabnam used to cook for the family, wash clothes, clean the house and give massages to the victim. As per the police, Jessica and Tanya felt that an act of charity by their mother proved to be fatal for her. On Saturday, Shabnam, Mohammad and Shehzad were arrested and were remanded to police custody till April 26 by the Borivali magistrate court. Upon interrogation, the trio handed over the entire stolen booty to the police which they had robbed from the house of the victim after killing her. The three had robbed two mobile phones, two watches and a gold chain costing 50,000. Mohammed is a history-sheeter and has been involved in several other robbery cases, said Adane. After the murder was reported to the police, the first thing we did was check the CCTV footage and found that Shabnam, a resident of Malwani, had come to the house for work along with Shehzad on Thursday. Upon checking further, we saw the duo had let a third person, Mohammed, enter DCostas house. He was wearing a mask and a cap, he said, adding the trio wanted to rob the house as the victims daughters in Kuwait send them money regularly. The accused thought that they would get good money, however, they were unable to break the cupboard locks, the police said. They are now investigating whether anybody else was also involved in the murder. DCostas grandson, Neil Raybole, was staying with her while his mother stayed in Mira Road with his father. On Thursday, Raybole went to the office. He needed an OTP that had come on her grandmothers mobile phone and was trying to contact her. However, she was not answering the calls, said a police officer from Malad Police Station. He then called her neighbour, Rojinold Carvalho, who knocked several times on her door, but nobody opened it. Then, the neighbour opened the door with a duplicate key. The officer added that Rojinold found DCosta in the bathroom with her head submerged in the water bucket and immediately informed Neil about it. He then called a local doctor who visited the house and on checking, declared her dead. France24, April 4, 2023 In the latest example of public punishments carried out by the Taliban, two men were forced to wear a chador, a full-length hijab traditionally worn by women as a form of public "humiliation". But other punishments meted out by the Taliban have been far more violent, including flagellations and public executions. While Afghan activists have documented dozens of public punishments since October 2022, video evidence of them is scarce only two videos document these brutal tactics. The footage shows two men standing in a Kabul square, standing on a platform high enough for any passerby to notice them. The men were accused of petty theft and a Taliban court decided to humiliate them as a punishment by dressing them up as women, in what the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security considers the worst country in the world to be a woman They want to say these men are weak and spineless Huda Khamoosh, an Afghan women's rights activist who was forced to flee her country in 2021 after the Taliban regained control, explains: In the eyes of the Taliban, women are a symbol of weakness, inadequacy and powerlessness. Women are only there to bear children and cook for their husbands. Therefore, it is normal that wearing women's clothes is an unspeakable humiliation for a man. They want to say that these men are weak and spineless and do not deserve to be called men: they are women. It is ridiculous that their suicide bombers did exactly the same thing: they wore women's chadors to blend in unnoticed and blow themselves up [Editors note: During attacks between 2001, when the Taliban lost power after the US invasion, and 2021, when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan as a whole]. As far as I remember, this is the first time the Taliban have used this form of "punishment" for criminals, but they have done much worse since August 2021. Women are not allowed to go outside alone, they must always be accompanied by an adult male relative, they are not allowed to study, they are not allowed to work, there are cases of divorced women remarrying their ex-husbands. And on top of that, women are being whipped and tortured in public, as we saw in the 1990s. Some of the most brutal images from the Talibans reign over Afghanistan in the 1990s include videos of stonings and public executions of men and women in stadiums around the country. Videos like these shocked the world and drew attention to the Talibans tactics. When the United States launched an invasion into Afghanistan in 2001, the Taliban lost power and these public punishments ceased for a short while. After a few years, once the Taliban regained control of some territory, public stonings, floggings and executions returned in many rural areas despite the US-backed government in Kabul. Taliban tribunal gives woman 40 lashes for talking to a man on the phone After years of negotiations between the Taliban and US diplomats, the US military withdrew and the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan in August 2021. Since then, the fundamentalist group has started reverting back to their old habits.the Taliban suspended the bodies of four men accused of kidnapping in one of the main squares of Herat in western Afghanistan. According to Afghan Witness, a collective that monitors the Taliban human rights abuse cases, the Taliban carried out at least 36 public punishments in Afghanistan between October 2022 and March 2023. The group has documented public executions and public flagellations ordered by the Taliban courts. The number of victims is estimated at more than 200. On January 17, in Kandahar, the Taliban's historic stronghold in southern Afghanistan, the Taliban whipped nine men for adultery and petty theft. 'The victims are sometimes members of the anti-Taliban resistance [...] and many are just random people accused of petty theft, drug dealing or adultery' Mokhtar Wafayi is an Afghan dissident, who now lives abroad. Hes an expert on the Talibans operations. When the Taliban conquered Afghanistan in 2020, they initially committed random cruel acts like these here and there in the country, but very soon they were stopped by the Taliban chain of command. That isn't to say that they didn't torture or kill people they did but it was behind the scenes and as quietly as possible. During the years of negotiations with the Americans in Doha, they had promised to abide by the human rights charters and laws that the previous Afghan government had signed. But after a year, when they saw that the international community had no intention of recognising them as the valid sovereign leaders of Afghanistan, they reverted to their true nature [Editors note: Despite diplomatic relations between some countries and the Taliban, no country has yet recognised the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan]. Ultimately, all Taliban leaders are extremists, but a section of them, who have been in Doha for years and have been involved in negotiations with Washington, wanted to either limit or at least conceal the Taliban's atrocities as much as possible in order to gain international recognition for their regime. But after months without success, the hawks, the more powerful ones, including Mullah Haibatullah, the leader of the Taliban, have lost patience. On November 14, 2022, Mullah Haibatullah issued a decree stressing that Islamic Sharia law must be applied in Afghanistan, including execution and hudud [the Islamic term for torture or public punishments for a crime], which is when the amount of public torture and executions increased. On December 7, 2022 they publicly executed a man in Farah in the presence of senior Taliban leaders in a stadium. The victims are sometimes members of the anti-Taliban resistance, sometimes rival group members are publicly executed, such as ISIS, and many are just random people accused of petty theft, drug dealing or adultery. Amnesty International issued a public statement in March 2023 calling on the United Nations Human Rights Council to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan: Since they took control of the country in August 2021, the Taliban have violated womens and girls rights to education, work and free movement; decimated the system of protection and support for those fleeing domestic violence; detained women and girls for minor violations of discriminatory rules; and contributed to a surge in the rates of child, early and forced marriage in Afghanistan. The Maharashtra government of the BJP and chief minister Eknath Shindes Shiv Sena is going to collapse in the next 15-20 days, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut predicted on Sunday, with his statement coming at a time when Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a Sena (UBT) ally, has been talking about the NCP staking claim to the chief ministers post. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut.(ANI file) Also Read | NCP ready to stake claim to Maharashtra CM post any time: Ajit Pawar The BJP-Sena government would have collapsed in February itself, but for a delay in the Supreme Courts judgment in the Sena vs Sena issue, said Raut. Death warrant of the Shinde-Fadnavis government has been issued, only the date is to be announced. I already said the Shinde government would collapse in February, but due to the delay in the Supreme Court judgment, the lifeline of this government was increased. It will collapse in the next 15-20 days, the Rajya Sabha MP remarked, according to news agency ANI. Rauts statement comes a day after he said Ajit Pawar was capable of becoming a chief minister. What has Ajit Pawar been up to? A former 4-time deputy CM of the state, Pawars recent moves have left everyone in Maharashtras political circles guessing. Recently, there were rumours that he and a group of MLAs loyal to him would align with the BJP. Though the 63-year-old politician held a press conference and remarked that he would work for the NCP till I am alive, not everybody was convinced. Maha Vikas Aghadi The NCP constitutes one-third of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress being the other two partners in the tripartite alliance. The MVA was formed in November 2019, when a then-united Shiv Sena and its erstwhile ally BJP went their separate ways despite retaining power in the assembly election in October of that year. Subsequently, the MVA was formed, and governed Maharashtra with Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister, and Ajit Pawar as his deputy. Shiv Sena splits.. In June last year, however, the MVA government collapsed, and Sena got split into two factions due to a rebellion led by Eknath Shinde, who then ascended to the CMs chair, with the former CM from the BJP, Devendra Fadnavis, as his deputy. The Election Commission recognises the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena, while the Uddhav faction is called the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai: A man from Kandivali was arrested on Saturday for allegedly killing his 68-year-old neighbour after a fight over a parking row. The accused, identified as Rajesh Dinesh Patil, had beaten and pushed the victim, who later succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. 68-year-old man dies after scuffle over parking issue The victim has been identified as Subhash Borade. As per the police, Borade stayed in a row house named Asha Mahal in Neelkanth Nagar, Kandivali West, along with his wife, Asha Borade, 57 and son, Swapnil Borade, 37. The lower part of their house has been rented out to the Blue Dart courier service. At 2pm Asha noticed that the security guard of the Blue Dart courier service, Ranjan Kumar, was engaged in an argument with Patil over parking his vehicle in front of the gate, said a police officer from Charkop Police Station. Asha immediately told the incident to her husband. Subhash returned home at 3pm and took Kumar to the police station to register an NC against Patil. At 4pm Subhash returned, however, by then Patil had left, added the officer. On Friday, when Patil returned to his house, Sai Kutir, at 6pm, Subhash confronted him about the fight with the security guard. Such fights had taken place earlier as well. Asha told us that Patil was abusive and began fighting with her husband. He manhandled Subhash and pushed him, causing him to fall, said the police officer. Subhash then got up and called the police, but he could not stand properly and fell again and lost consciousness. Swapnil, a doctor at Bhagwati Hospital, saw his father and rushed to him to give him first aid. Subhash was then rushed to the Oscar Hospital, Kandivali, where he died during treatment in the wee hours of Saturday, said the officer. Patil was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code. A few months ago, a similar parking issue led Subhash to file a complaint against Patil. We are investigating the case further, added the officer. Mumbai: Less than a week after a Vakola cop was assaulted by two autorickshaw drivers, another policeman was allegedly assaulted by an accused against whom a complaint was received at Versova police station on Saturday. HT Image Police sub-inspector Gabriel Fernandes, 57, was on patrolling duty on Saturday morning when he received a message from the police station that the accused Lalji Wagh was creating ruckus and manhandling the staff of a film promotion business in Andheris Four Bungalows. When the PSI went there to intervene, the accused got agitated and asked for a warrant before talking to the police and slapped Fernandes. As per the FIR registered by the police, the initial complaint about Wagh having forcefully entered the office of a film promotion company was made by a person named Arpit Garg. After receiving the complaint, our patrolling team had gone on the spot for investigation. When we informed the accused about the complaint and the allegations levelled against him, he threatened me, saying he would get me out of the uniform for threatening him without a warrant, Fernandes said in his statement. The argument got heated up and Wagh slapped the cop thrice. The bystanders intervened and got the accused off the policeman. Fernandes quickly called a backup team to the spot. They detained the accused and took him to the police station. Even on his way to the police station, he misbehaved with several cops who were travelling with him in a van, an official said. Wagh was then booked under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assaulting a public servant), 452 (trespassing), 504 (breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused was produced in a court on Sunday and sent to judicial custody till May 6. A 22-year-old man was killed and four others injured after the Fortuner they were travelling in crashed into a roadside divider in Site IV Industrial Area in Ghaziabad early Saturday morning. Police said the car was being driven by a man identified as Aditya Singh, who died in the crash. (Photo for representation) Police said the passengers in the car were returning from Delhi to a flat in Vaishali when the incident happened around 4.30am Saturday.Police said the car was being driven by a man identified as Aditya Singh, who died in the crash. He allegedly lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into the roadside divider before overturning, police said. Police identified the injured as Anil Singh, Bhavya Singh, Bunny and one other passenger, who is yet to be identified. Police said since the accident took place near a police post, policemen on duty there rushed the injured to the hospital. Singh was declared dead at hospital by doctors, police said. Police said Singh was a student of a Delhi University college and his father is into the real estate business in Barabanki. The deceased is unmarried, police said. Prima facie, it appears that the driver probably fell asleep and lost control of the vehicle. We are investigating the reason for the accident. The car was driven by Singh and had four other passengers, who were his friends and relatives. The front portion of the SUV suffered damages and the air bags were also deployed in the impact of the crash, said Bhaskar Verma, assistant commissioner of police (Sahibabad). The police said that the incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Link Road police station. The four injured persons were taken to hospital for treatment. They are stable. Once they recover, we will get to know the reason behind the accident. Singh was a resident of Barabanki and also had a flat in Vaishali, the ACP added. The police said that they are investigating the matter even though no complaint has been received in the matter. A 28-year-old man was shot dead allegedly by two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle while he was returning home from work near Sector 56 in Noida on Friday night, said police. The incident took place in Sector 56 in Noida on Friday. (Photo for representation) Harish Chander, deputy commissioner of police, Noida, identified the deceased as Rachit Chauhan, a resident of Rajat Vihar society in Noida. Police received information about a man being shot opposite Rajat Vihar society in Sector 56, following which a team from Sector 58 police station rushed to the spot. The man was taken to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival, he said. He added that during investigation, it was found that Chauhan ran a shop in Khoda area of Ghaziabad. He was returning home with a friend and had stopped to have ice cream near Sector 56 when he was shot. As per eyewitnesses, two assailants on a motorcycle tried to snatch Chauhans bag from him but he did not let go. There was a short scuffle between the bikers and Chauhan, following which they shot him and fled the spot with the bag. He was taken to a hospital in an auto by locals, Chander said. Police said Chauhan shut his shop around 11pm and was heading home on his scooter with his friend. Chauhans family members told police that the bag snatched by miscreants contained 5 lakh in cash. The family members have also told us about an old enmity and threat. The man who was accompanying Chauhan is also missing at the moment, Chander said. Rachits wife Shikha said she spoke to her husband around 10pm and he cut the call saying he was a little busy. Later, around 11.15pm, she called her again but he didnt answer. A police officer called me around 12.15am and told me that my husband had met with an accident, said Shikha. The DCP said they have registered a case against unidentified people under Sections 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and have formed four teams to investigate the case. We are scanning the CCTV footage from the scene of crime to gather information on the suspects. All angles are being investigated, Chander said. Allahabad University (AU) will conduct the Post Graduate Admission Test (PGAT)-2023 for admission to post-graduate courses being offered by the central varsity and its constituent colleges for the academic session 2023-24 in the first week of June 2023, informed university officials. The applicants will be able to register through https://aupravesh2023.cbtexam.in/ or by clicking on the link PGAT-2023 available on the university website (www.allduniv.ac.in). (HT FILE) The online registration for PGAT 2023-24 will start from April 25, 2023, and the last date for registration and final submission of application form will be May 16, 2023, informed Prof Jayanta Kumar Pati, Director (Admissions)-2023 of AU. The applicants will be able to register through https://aupravesh2023.cbtexam.in/ or by clicking on the link PGAT-2023 available on the university website (www.allduniv.ac.in). As per the plan, the results of PGAT-2023 can be declared by the last week of June 2023. The counselling for admission for different courses may start from the second week of July 2023, he added. Officials made clear that the pattern and mode of entrance test will be the same as the preceding year. The entrance test for PGAT-I, LLB, MCom and LLM will be conducted in both online and offline modes. The entrance test for PGAT-Il and IPS courses will be conducted in online mode only, Prof Pati explained. PGAT 2023-24 will be conducted for a total of 9467 seats including 4203 seats on the university campus and 5264 available in AUs constituent colleges. The entrance test will be conducted at different centres in various cities including the online and offline (both) modes in Prayagraj, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh besides New Delhi while the test in online mode will only be conducted in Bhopal, Kolkata, Patna and Thiruvananthapuram. PGAT 2023-24 will be conducted for various PG courses including PGAT-1 for 32 courses (along with LLB, MCom and LLM), and PGAT-II for 24 courses including BEd, MEd, MBA (RD) and MBA in addition to the professional courses (MCA, MSc Food Tech, MVoc Media Studies and PGDCA) offered by Institute of Professional Studies (IPS). The University is offering MTech in materials science and technology through the Centre of Materials Science from this year with the course having a capacity of 15 students. The maximum marks for all the courses in PGAT 2023-24 will be 300 consisting of 150 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) only. There will be no negative marking for wrong answers, officials explained. The applicants shall be able to download the admit card one week prior to the entrance test. Without a valid admit card and original ID proof, no candidate will be allowed to enter the test centre in any condition, they made clear. For details, aspirants can visit https://aupravesh 2023.cbtexam.in/ or www.allduniv.ac.in (University of Allahabad website). Debabrata Ghosh, 48, went to open his Xerox shop on March 4 as usual but he was unaware of the fact that misfortune has made its way towards his home. A day after the state assembly polls in Tripura, a group of people allegedly stopped Ghosh from opening his shop and made him stay at home for an indefinite time and also allegedly attacked his house. A house was ransacked during the post-poll violence in Tripuras Pratapgarh (HT Photo) Over a month passed after the incident, his family of five are leading their lives with the hope that everything will be fine again. I have two daughters, a wife and an aged mother. The shop was my only source of income to survive. Both my daughters are studying. You can imagine how difficult it is to educate them along with meeting other required expenses single-handedly. I dont know when I can open my shop, said Debabrata, a resident of Pratapgarhs Surendra Pally in the West district. Also Read: Tripura elections: 21 arrested in 16 cases of post-poll violence In Tripura, incidents of post-poll violence were witnessed in different parts, including Agartala and Jirania in the West district. It was nearly 12:30am on April 9 when Srish Chandra Dey, 76, was preparing to go to bed. His wife Sati Dey and son Samrat Dey were dining when they heard people hurling abuses and calling Srish to come out of the house. They (miscreants) hit the boundary wall and pierced it with rods. They attacked my son. I tried to save him and injured my head for which I took 11 stitches, said Srish, a retired Group D employee. His 61-year-old wife also sustained head injuries. Samrat had a small supply business that was hampered during the violence, Srish said. Janna Debbarma, a resident of Champamura village, over 20 km from the capital Agartala, incurred a huge financial loss after his two rubber plantations were set on fire by unknown miscreants in post-poll violence. After the 2018 poll results, my rubber plantation was burnt, and I filed a complaint at the local police station, but no action was taken. On March 3 night this year, again my rubber plantation was set on fire, but this time I didnt file any complaint, said the 65-year-old. Other people in several districts in the state also experienced the attack on their houses and properties. In the 2023 Tripura polls, at least 21 people were arrested in 16 cases of post-poll violence in five districts. Several incidents of violence were witnessed in different parts of the state, including at Singicherra village in Khowai district, Nutanbazaar and Kakraban in Gomati district, two incidents occurred at Kumarghat in Unakoti district, Agartala and Jirania in West district while nine incidents occurred at Dhanpur, Sonamura, Nalchar, Boxanagar and Bishalgarh in Sepahijala district. Post-poll violence has been a serious concern for the opposition parties, especially the Left Front. Even a seven-member parliamentary team comprising Left and Congress MPs came under attack during their visit to the state in March while taking stock of the violence-hit areas. They have alleged that even after the polls were over and BJP formed its government, there had been attacks on people, their houses, agricultural fields, and rubber plantations. The delegation comprising the opposition parties, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, and the Congress, which were allies in the Tripura Assembly polls, had visited the state to take stock of the situation in the areas where the post-poll violence was witnessed. Also Read: BJP unleashed violence after Tripura results, alleges Opposition team In April, a six-member delegation headed by the former chief minister and CPI(M) Politburo member Manik Sarkar alleged that 2,016 incidents of violence throughout the state had taken place since poll results in 2023. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem, who led an 8-member fact-finding team to Tripura in the post-poll violence-hit areas alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers unleashed unbridled attacks on the people, particularly opposition while celebrating their partys win in 2023 assembly polls. The opposition has alleged BJP of encouraging violence in the state after winning the assembly polls. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Tripura has had the highest number of political violence cases in the northeastern region. Reacting to the allegation of post-poll violence, BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said that the people of Tripura know which party has brought the culture of violence, they want peace and development and that is why they have chosen the BJP again. Bathinda: Punjab Police on Sunday arrested two gangsters out to kill an Uttarakhand businessman on a contract with guns, said officials. Punjab Police on Sunday arrested two gangsters out to kill an Uttarakhand businessman on a contract with guns. They were associated with gangster-turned-terrorist Arsh Dalla and Sukha Duneke, said the police. Dalla was in January this year designated a terrorist by the Union home ministry. The two gangsters have been identified as Shimla Singh of Granghana village in Mansa and Harjeet Singh, alias Gora, of Bhadoliyanwali village in Fatehabad, Haryana, the police said. Police have recovered three pistols a .32 bore, a .315 bore (country-made), and a 12 bore (country-made) with live cartridges and magazines from their possession. Police also found 1.9 lakh from them which they got as part of their contract, director general of police Gaurav Yadav said in a statement. Bathinda counter-intelligence and Bathinda police arrested Shimla Singh at a checkpost in Jassi Pau Wali village. He was on his way to meet a friend when he was arrested, Yadav said. Assistant inspector general of police Simratpal Singh said during questioning, Shimla revealed that Arsh Dalla had hired him to kill a Kashipur-based businessman and asked him to meet his associate Sadhu Singh, who is currently lodged in Haldwani jail, for logistical support. He said Dalla had sent 7 lakh to Shimla in two instalments of 4 lakh and 3 lakh to carry out the killing. Shimla gave 4 lakh to an unidentified person and 3 lakh to Harjeet Singh to arrange for six weapons for the task, he said. At his instance, Punjab Police with the help of their Haryana counterparts arrested Harjeet Singh from his village in Haryana, he said. A case under Sections 25(6), (7)/ 54/59 of the Arms Act and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at the Bathinda Sadar police station. PRAYAGRAJ Uttar Pradesh minister for industrial development, export promotion, NRI and investment promotion, Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, has condemned the recent induction of Raees Chandra Shukla into BJP in strong words. A former Samajwadi Party leader, Shukla was defeated by Nandi in 2022 assembly polls. With this poll win, Nandi had retained his MLA seat from Allahabad South constituency. U.P. deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya welcoming Raees Chandra Shukla into BJP fold in Prayagaraj on Saturday. (HT Photo) On Saturday, Shukla joined the saffron party in presence deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya at an event organised at the central poll office of his partys Sangam city mayoral candidate on Saturday. Miffed with the development, Nandi called Shuklas joining a major conspiracy and a serious issue. Instead of taking the local party MLA into confidence and without giving any prior and formal information, the joining of SP leader Raees Chandra Shukla into party fold during a function was completely insulting and objectionable, said Nandi. He also claimed that Shuklas entry into the BJP is entirely illegal. Apart from disregarding and defying local MLA, the joining of rival camp candidate into BJP fold is a very serious issue as well as a deep conspiracy, he said. Naini maintained that it was against the ethics, principles and democratic values of BJP and without naming anyone, said that there are some people who want to run party as a private limited company. He also alleged that these people are constantly damaging party with their obstinacy and condemned their arbitrary approach. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Brainless is how Nitish Kumar described Bihar BJP president Samrat Chaudhary, responding to the latter's mitti mein mila denge statement against the chief minister-led Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government of the state. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar (File photo/PTI) people who make such remarkshave I ever made such a remark? If someone uses words like these, it means they do not have a brain. Therefore, they say whatever comes to their mind(I) ask them to do whatever they want to, and do it wherever they want to, said Kumar on Sunday, when asked by reporters about Chaudhary's comment. The JD(U) leader continued: These people are fools, let's be absolutely clear about it. We've all been admirers of (former prime minister and late BJP stalwart) Atal Bihari Vajpayeeand then you have such individuals. What did Samrat Chaudhary say? The chief minister's retort came a day after Chaudhary's statement. Speaking at an event at the BJP's office in state capital Patna, Chaudhary, who was appointed to the post in March, said that just like criminals in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh were being reduced to dust, the Nitish regime too would bite the dust in Bihar's next assembly election (due in 2025). The BJP leader used the phrase mitti main mila denge (will reduce to dust) for the Nitish Kumar government. The phrase was made popular by the party's chief minister in Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, known for his tough stance against criminals. Mitti main mila denge, Adityanath thundered on Feb 25, a day after the daylight killing of a murder case witness, and his two police guards, in Prayagraj. BJP vs Nitish Kumar In August last year, Kumar dumped the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) , and joined the RJD, Congress, and others in Mahagathbandhan, doing so five years after moving in the opposite direction. Since then, the saffron party has been trying to corner the Mahagathbandhan government on a host of issues, primarily law and order. In recent days, Nitish has been busy trying to stitch an opposition alliance to take on the BJP in the 2024 general elections, when prime minister Narendra Modi will seek a third straight term. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON AFP, April 19, 2023 The number of Afghans in poverty nearly doubled to 34 million as the nation was racked by the collapse of the US-backed government and the Taliban takeover, the United Nations said Tuesday. Vast foreign subsidies were halted and aid programmes dramatically cut back after the US-backed republic fell in 2021 as many countries refused to deal with the Taliban authorities in Kabul. Those NGOs still providing vital help were dealt a further blow in December last year by a Taliban government order barring Afghan women from working for them. The curb was extended this month to the UNs Afghan women employees and the organisation said it faces an appalling choice" over whether to continue its aid schemes. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released on Tuesday a stark new assessment of 2022 data estimating 34 million Afghans were living below the poverty line. The figure is a staggering increase of 15 million on 2020, the last full year of rule by the Western-backed government that crumbled in a matter of weeks the following summer. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has strongly criticised the Bihar governments move for the premature release of incarcerated leader Anand Mohan Singh. BSP supremo Mayawati (Twitter/@Mayawati) Bihar Peoples Party leader and ex-MP Anand Mohan (69), was convicted in the 1994 murder of Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah. However, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has recently made changes to the prison manual to facilitate Anand Mohans release. Reacting to this on Sunday, Mayawati strongly criticised the state governments move and termed it anti-Dalit. Also Read: RJD plans Ambedkar pe charcha ahead of 2024 LS polls Bihars Nitish governments preparation to change the rule to free Anand Mohan in the case of the merciless murder of a very honest IAS officer from a poor Dalit community of Mahbubnagar, Andra Pradesh (now Telangana) is quite in discussions among a lot of Dalit people across the country for anti-Dalit negative reasons, she wrote on Twitter. She said that the sentiments of Dalit people across the country had been badly hurt. Terming it a pro-crime and anti-Dalit work of Nitish Kumar, Mayawati asked the Bihar government to reconsider its decision. Anand Mohan has been the compulsion of many governments in Bihar, but the anti-Dalit and pro-crime work of the Nitish government regarding the murder case of the then DM Shri Krishnaiah of Gopalganj has created a lot of fury in the Dalit society across the country. Even if there is some compulsion, but Bihar government must reconsider it, Mayawati further wrote. Anand Mohan is currently out on parole to attend the engagement of his eldest son and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Chetan Anand and this is the third time in the last six months that he has been allowed to come out on parole. On April 10, the Bihar government dropped murder of a public servant on duty as one of the cases in which an accused would not be eligible for premature release. The government notified an amendment to the Bihar Prison Manual and deleted the clause which specified that those killing government officials were not entitled to release. Also Read: buddhi nahin hai: Nitish Kumar on Bihar BJP chiefs mitti main mila denge remark As per Rule 481(i)(a) of the jail manual: Every convicted prisoner, whether male or female, undergoing sentence of life imprisonment and covered by the provisions of Section 433A CrPC, shall be eligible to be considered for premature release from prison immediately after serving out the sentence of 14 years of actual imprisonment, i.e., without the remissions. State BSP spokesperson Om Prakash Pandey Munna also criticised the move and slammed the grand alliance government in Bihar. He said the anti-Dalit face of mahagathbandhan and its leaders Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav had been exposed. He added that the BSP would protest the Bihar governments move of releasing Anand Mohan. We will hit the streets and go to every doorstep to extend the fight for justice to slain DM Krishnaiah and his family, said Pandey. PATNA: Reacting to state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Samrat Choudharys remarks that chief minister Nitish Kumar and JD-U would be reduced to ashes in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Kumar on Sunday said leaders of the saffron party have become brainless. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar interacts with the media in Patna on Sunday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo) Kumar also said that his efforts to unite the Opposition have advanced and soon he would meet many other leaders opposed to the BJP to form a larger opposition front ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls. They (BJP) are brainless (Buddhihin) people. Tell him (Samrat Choudhary) to do what he said. I have never used such words in my entire political career. No sensible politicians use such words. I have also worked with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, I have a lot of respect for him, the CM said while interacting with the media after attending a state function to mark Vijay Utsav of Veer Kunwar Singh, the legendary king of Jagdishpur who fought valiantly against the British and played a leading role in 1857 rebellion in Bihar. The state BJP chief at a function in Patna on Saturday had reportedly said Kumar will be turned to dust (mitti mein mila denge) in the next general elections for his betrayal. He had also accused the JD(U) strongman of backstabbing the BJP and joining hands with RJD chief Lalu Prasad to pursue his prime ministerial ambitions. Nitish had snapped ties with the BJP in August 2022 and formed the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance(GA) government with RJD, Congress, and other parties. After joining the GA, Kumar had vowed that he would work relentlessly to unite the opposition parties to defeat the BJP-led NDA government in the 2024 parliamentary polls. Referring to the efforts to form a larger opposition front, Kumar said talks have been held with various leaders and parties to join the proposed alliance and he would meet a few more leaders in the coming days. I am not keen on any post. My only objective is that a larger opposition front is formed so that we can save our country, he said. When asked about his plans to meet West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Kumar said, Whenever I meet her, I will inform you. Once we give shape to the proposed larger opposition front, we will share all details, he said. PATNA: Apparently kicking off his mission to unite Opposition parties, chief minister Nitish Kumar is set to meet Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Monday. SP president Akhilesh Yadav. (PTI) Confirming Kumars scheduled meeting with Yadav, a senior leader of Mahagathbandhan (MGB) in Bihar said that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is likely to accompany Kumar on his visit to Lucknow. From there, the CM will go to Kolkata and meet Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee the next day, said the MGB leader. Talking to media persons, the CM had last week said that he would soon embark on the nationwide campaign to unite the forces opposed to the BJP. You will all know once I went out, said CM on the sidelines of an official event in Patna. Though it was widely believed that Kumar would begin his parleys with regional party leaders to muster their support for a united front against the BJP next month, the CM revised his plans after former Uttarakhand CM and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat called on him in Patna on Wednesday and had a prolonged discussion with him. After the meeting, Rawat had said that there must be political talks once the two leaders met. The MGB leader said that Kumar is also likely to call on his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in the first week of May. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Pune court has convicted 11 persons in connection with the 2018 malware attack on Cosmos Cooperative Bank, headquartered in Pune, in which approximately 94 crore was siphoned off in seven straight hours via thousands of ATM transactions carried out from India and 28 other countries using cloned debit cards of the bank. A Pune court has convicted 11 persons in connection with the 2018 malware attack on Cosmos Cooperative Bank, headquartered in Pune, in which approximately 94 crore was siphoned off in seven straight hours via thousands of ATM transactions (HT FILE PHOTO) The court of judicial magistrate (first class) Akshi Jain convicted the 11 accused and sentenced them to different periods of imprisonment along with fines of varying amounts. Those convicted include: Fahim Mehfooz Sheikh, Fahim Azim Khan, Sheikh Mohammad Abdul Jabbar, Mahesh Sahebrao Rathod, Naresh Lakshminarayan Maharana, Mohammad Syed Iqbal Hussain Jafri alias Ali, Eustace Augustine Vaz, Abdula Afsar Ali Sheikh, Bashir Ahmed Abdul Aziz Shaikh, Salman Mohammad Naeem Baig and Firoz Yasin Shaikh. Of the 11, Fahim Sheikh, Fahim Khan, Sheikh Jabbar, Mahesh Rathod, Naresh Maharana, Mohammad Jafri, and Eustace Vaz have been sentenced to simple imprisonment for four years; a fine of 50,000; simple imprisonment for three days in default of fine; simple imprisonment for three years under the Information Technology (IT) Act along with a fine of 100; and simple imprisonment for three days in default of fine. Whereas Abdula Sheikh and Bashir Shaikh have been sentenced to simple imprisonment for four years and simple imprisonment for three years, respectively, along with fines under the IT Act. Salman Baig and Firoz Shaikh have been sentenced to simple imprisonment for three years under the IT Act along with a fine. One of the accused had died before the pronouncement of the judgment. Judge Akshi Jain passed the order on April 15 and made it available on Saturday. The lawyer of the accused said that the accused have been languishing in jail for many years and their period of incarceration must be taken into account while sentencing. However, the prosecutor stated that taking into account the serious nature of the crime, maximum punishment must be awarded. Heard both sides, taking into account the condition of the accused, I am of the opinion of a lesser sentence for the accused. They have spent considerable time in jail and in the interest of justice, it is not appropriate to repeat the years already spent in prison, the order stated. Additional commissioner of police Ramnath Pokale said, We had strong digital evidence against the accused and it was submitted before the court. The court accepted our evidence which led to the conviction of the 11 arrested accused in the case. On August 14, 2018, Cosmos Cooperative Bank had reported a malware attack on its online banking system stating that unidentified hackers siphoned off 94.42 crore through ATMs and online transfers. The bank revealed details of the attack stating that a multinational hacking ring on August 11 and August 13, 2018, siphoned off the said amount from the pool account. The bank first lost an aggregate of 80.50 crore following multiple ATM swipes in 28 countries whereas in the second attack, the hackers stole 13.92 crore through SWIFT transfers. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government constituted a special investigation team (SIT) headed by the then deputy commissioner (cyber and economic offences wing/EOW) Jyotipriya Singh to probe the cyber heist. The cyber investigation found that the accused had stolen private data related to RuPay debit and Visa cards, and cloned the debit cards. The accused had transferred Rs78 crores outside India using the cloned debit cards and siphoned off cash worth 2.50 crore from different ATMs. The accused had transferred the amount to a foreign bank account, but the police were able to freeze the account with the assistance of the Hong Kong police. At the same time, the accused in India had withdrawn the amount using cloned debit cards, the cyber police release stated. After investigating the case, the police arrested 18 accused from Kolhapur, Ajmer, Indore, and Mumbai. The police filed a chargesheet in court with the help of CCTV footage and technical investigation. The heist case was investigated under the guidance of additional commissioner of police Pradeep Deshpande; deputy commissioner of police (cyber and EOW) Jyotipriya Singh; DCP (crime) Sambhaji Kadam; ACP Shivaji Pawar; police inspector Jairam Paigude; sub-inspector Sagar Panmand; and constables Aslam Attar, Santosh Jadhav among others. PUNE The search was launched in collaboration with Shiv Durga Mitra Mandal Lonavla and Vanya Jiv Rakshak Sanstha. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) An 18-year-old youth from the Lower Parel area of Mumbai, who was on an outing in Lonavla with friends, drowned in the Pavana dam reservoir on Sunday afternoon, said Police officials from Lonavla. The Lonavla rural police identified the youth as Sahil Sawant (18). The victim had recently completed his Class XII exams and had come with a group of 18 friends on a picnic on Friday. According to authorities, the group travelled to Lonavla over the weekend and had reserved a private villa. On Sunday morning, the group checked out and went to the dam. Few of them entered the deep dam waters. While swimming with some of his friends, Sawant disappeared into deep waters. Police officers arrived on the scene and began searching after obtaining primary information. The search was launched in collaboration with Shiv Durga Mitra Mandal Lonavla and Vanya Jiv Rakshak Sanstha. However, till late evening on Sunday, efforts were on to search Sawant with the help of local groups. Police officials said the water stock in the dam is around 50-100 feet deep, which is why they are facing difficulties in the search operation. Even as the Cosmos bank lost 13.92 crore to Hong Kong-based bank, the cyber cell of Pune police managed to recover 5.70 crore Even as the Cosmos bank lost 13.92 crore to Hong Kong-based bank, the cyber cell of Pune police managed to recover 5.70 crore (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE) The other transactions were either local through ATMs or through online transfers, said officials, adding the amount in most cases has been identified and partially recovered. According to the cyber police, the amount from the Hong Kong-based bank was a part of 13.92 crore transaction which was fraudulently transferred by cyber criminals.The amount was frozen after the police alerted Cosmos Bank. In one of the biggest cyberattacks in the country, Shivajinagar headquartered Cosmos Cooperative bank was hit by a malware attack where unidentified hackers siphoned off 94.42 crore from bank accounts on August 11 and August 13, 2018. The hackers transferred the money into accounts in India and abroad in a series of ATM transactions. On August 13, 13.5 crore was transferred by the hackers to a Hong Kong-based Hanseng bank, using the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) facility. Chairman Milind Kale called it an attack on the Indian banking industry from multinational cyber criminals operating from 22 nations. Following the incident, National Payments Council of India (NPCI) has blamed the Cosmos Banks vulnerable IT infrastructure for the theft. Bharat Panchal, head, risk management, NPCI, issued a statement stating that its systems were foolproof and that the cyber fraud took place within the banks digital infrastructure. This has happened due to a malware-based attack on the banks IT system which caused a fraud. Under the attack, maximum transactions have been reported from outside India. At least four people lost their lives and 22 others sustained injuries after a truck collided with a bus near the Swami Narayan temple on the Pune-Bengaluru highway early Sunday morning, police said. The accident occurred near the Swami Narayan temple on the Pune-Bengaluru highway early Sunday morning. (Sourced) The bus belonging to private operator Neeta Travels was coming from Kolhapur to Dombivali near Mumbai when it was hit by the truck that was carrying sugar bags. According to police, the bus was hit by the truck from rear. The incident was reported at 2.15am. The four deceased include two men and two women and the injured are being treated in hospital. We suspect the accident may have happened due to a brake failure of the truck, said Vijay Kumbhar, police inspector. The stretch where the accident occurred is known as an accident prone area with multiple incidents reported from here in the past. During the wee hours on Sunday, there were three accidents reported within three hours. Upon receiving the information, four vehicle tenders, one rescue van from Pune Fire Brigade, and one rescue van from Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority were dispatched to the scene. The fire brigade officials said that firemen broke the glass window of the passenger bus and rescued 18 injured passengers who were stuck inside. The injured were immediately taken to the hospital in seven ambulances for further treatment. The accident caused traffic congestion on the highway for a brief period until the rescue operation was completed. Police said that an investigation is going on and the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) will begin the first round of mock exams tomorrow, April 24, 2023.The dates for the CA Foundation 2023 examinations are June 24 to June 30, 2023. Candidates who want to sit for the ICAI CA June 2023 Foundation examinations can register for mock exams at icai.org. ICAI CA June 2023 Foundation exam mock test begins tomorrow at icai.org The Board of Studies (Academic) is commencing Mock Test Papers Series I from 24th April 2023 for students of CA Foundation course appearing in June 2023 examinations, reads the official notification. The Mock Exam Paper Series -I will be conducted in both physical and virtual modes. Students who are interested in the physical mode may approach the respective branches in their area. Mock Test Schedule April 24 2 PM to 5 PM Paper-1: Principles and Practice of Accounting April 25 Paper-2: Business Laws and Business Correspondence and Reporting April 26 2 PM 4 PM Paper-3: Business Mathematics and Logical Reasoning and Statistics April 27 Paper-4: Business Economics and Business and Commercial For more details, candidates can check the notification below: Kareena Kapoor has given a glimpse of her weekend breakfast being served to her by the actor's younger son Jehangir Ali Khan, also called Jeh. Taking to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, Kareena posted a cropped photo of Jeh sitting on the floor. In the picture, a plate of poha (snacks) was kept on the floor next to a cup of tea and bowls of coriander sauce, and a piece of lemon. (Also Read | Kareena Kapoor shares mom Babita, son Jeh's adorable pic to wish her on birthday) Kareena Kapoor shared a photo of Jeh serving her Sunday breakfast. Jehangir Ali Khan sat near it and served the sauce on the plate. The child wore a striped white and blue T-shirt and grey shorts. Kareena captioned the post, "Sunday breakfast is served by my Jeh baba (red heart emoji) @rujuta.diwekar." Kareena posted a cropped photo of Jeh sitting on the floor. Kareena regularly shares pictures of her children on her Instagram. Recently, the family including Kareena, Jeh, Saif Ali Khan, and Taimur Ali Khan travelled to Kenya for a vacation. Ahead of boarding their jet, Kareena shared a photo as they walked towards the aircraft. She wrote, "Leaving a bit of our hearts in the wildAfrica 2023" Kareena and Saif Ali Khan tied the knot in 2012. They have two sons-- Taimur and Jeh. While the couple welcomed Taimur in 2016, Jeh was born in 2021. Kareena was last seen in Laal Singh Chaddha in 2022 with Aamir Khan. Helmed by Advait Chandan and written by Atul Kulkarni, the film is an adaptation of the 1994 film Forrest Gump. The film also stars Naga Chaitanya and Mona Singh. Fans will see Kareena next in Rhea Kapoor's upcoming film, The Crew. It stars her with Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh, and Tabu. The shoot of the film commenced recently. Helmed by Rajesh Krishnan, the film is a story of three women. It is touted as a laugh-riot, set against the backdrop of the struggling airline industry. She also has filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh's upcoming film, based on the book The Devotion Of Suspect X. Touted to be a thriller, it also stars Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat in key roles. Kareena also has director Hansal Mehta's next untitled film in the pipeline. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Salman Khan and his ex-girlfriend, actor Sangeeta Bijlani attended his sister Arpita Khan and brother-in-law Aayush Sharma's Eid party in Mumbai. Several pictures and videos of the celebrities attending the bash on Saturday night emerged online as they posed for the paparazzi. (Also Read | Salman Khan hugs ex-girlfriend Sangeeta Bijlani, plants sweet kiss on her forehead at birthday party) Salman Khan's ex-girlfriend Sangeeta Bijlani playfully punched and hit him. In a video shared on Instagram on Sunday by a paparazzo account, Salman exited Arpita's home as he spoke to journalist Rajat Sharma. He pointed at Sangeeta Bijlani, who walked behind him, and laughed saying something to Rajat. Sangeeta then made a face and punched Salman on the face as he laughed. Salman, however, kept laughing and talking with Rajat. Sangeeta later also hit him and made a face while talking to Rajat. Reacting to the video, a fan wrote, "Old love." Another person said, "First is first!" "Every day you are growing younger and younger," read a comment. Earlier this month, Salman shared a photo of himself on Instagram. In the picture, he sported a black T-shirt and also showed his signature silver bracelet on the wrist. Sharing the photo of himself smiling, Salman captioned it, "Hey." Reacting to it, Sangeeta wrote, Heyyy." Last year in December, Salman hosted a lavish birthday party and Sangeeta also attended it. In several photos posted on Instagram by paparazzi, Salman kissed Sangeetas forehead. They also shared a hug and later posed for the media stationed outside the party venue. Salman and Sangeeta dated years ago and later parted ways. They met on the sets of a TV advertisement during their initial years in Bollywood. Both fell in love and dated for almost a decade; it was one of Salman's longest relationships. The two had also decided to tie the knot but later called it off, even after their wedding cards were printed. Later, Sangeeta married Mohammad Azharuddin in 1996. They finalised their divorce in 2019. Fans saw Salman recently in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ka Jaan, helmed by Farhad Samji. The film released in theatres on Eid. It also stars Pooja Hegde, Shehnaaz Gill, Palak Tiwari and Venkatesh Daggubati in pivotal roles. The actor will be seen in Tiger 3 opposite Katrina Kaif. The film will release later this year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Actor Kangana Ranaut shared a bunch of pictures on her Instagram as she celebrated Eid. Taking to the social media platform on Saturday, Kangana posted her photos as she gave different poses for the camera inside her house. (Also Read | Samantha Ruth Prabhu turns 35: Kangana Ranaut wishes 'talented hottie') Samantha Ruth Prabhu has reacted to Kangana Ranaut's Eid post. For the occasion, Kangana wore a yellow and royal blue suit, green dupatta and golden juttis. She captioned the post, "Every festival is a potential memory explore it . Live it . Feel it." Reacting to the post, actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu commented, Wow (red heart emoji). A fan wrote, "Class, grace, beauty." Another person said, "Absolutely gorgeous and legendary." A comment read, "Old world charm." "These pics are giving me vibes of Waheeda Rehman ji," said an Instagram user. The two actors often compliment each other on social media platforms. Kangana and Samantha also wish one another on their birthdays. Last year on Kangana's birthday, Samantha shared a picture of Kangana on her Instagram from her Vaishno Devi temple visit. She had written, Wishing the powerhouse of talent, the actress who raises the bar with each of her performances, the ever gorgeous Kangana Ranaut a very happy birthday. Just over a month later on Samantha's birthday, Kangana shared a glamourous picture of the actor on her Instagram Stories. She wrote, Happy birthday @samantharuthprabhuoffl. You gorgeous talented hottie," along with fire and crown emojis. Fans will see Kangana in Chandramukhi 2, helmed by P Vasu, and the sequel to the blockbuster hit Tamil horror comedy film Chandramukhi. In Chandramukhi 2, Kangana will portray the role of a dancer in the king's court, who was known for her beauty and dance skills. Kangana will also be seen in the upcoming period drama film Emergency which also marks her first solo directorial film. Apart from Kangana, the film also stars Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhry, Vishak Nair and Shreyas Talpade in prominent roles. She will also be seen in Tejas in which she will be seen portraying the role of an Indian Air Force pilot. The audience will also see Kangana in Manikarnika Returns: The Legend of Didda, and The Incarnation: Sita in the pipeline. Fans saw Samantha last in Shaakuntalam, based on a popular Indian classic play Abhigyan Shakuntalam by Kalidasa. Shakuntala was the wife of King Dushyant and the mother of Bharata. Dev Mohan was paired opposite Samantha. The film hit the theatres on April 14. She will be next seen in an upcoming romantic film Kushi opposite Vijay Deverakonda. She also has the action thriller web series Citadel alongside Varun Dhawan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The story of the classic Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy will conclude this week with Mani Ratnam's PS-2. The filmmaker has been trying for a long time to bring the novel to the big screen and began his epic historical saga in 2019. The actors from the Tamil film have been promoting the saga since the past few weeks. Jayam Ravi, who plays prince Arunmozhi Varman, got emotional and teary eyed at a recent event in Bangalore with his co-stars. Vikram, Karthi and Trisha Krishnan all hugged and consoled the actor as they talked about the film in front of several excited fans. (Also read: Ponniyin Selvan 2 trailer: Aishwarya Rai reigns supreme once again as Nandini who seeks revenge from Cholas. Watch) The cast of PS-2 was promoting their upcoming Tamil film in Bangalore. In a video shared online on Twitter, Jayam is seen seated in a chair and he addresses the crowd, "I am sorry I am getting emotional. When I am happy, I get emotional. Vikram, who plays his brother Aditha Karikalan, walks over with a tissue to hand over to him and also hugs him. The video is captioned, "After Thanioruvan, he felt so emotional for #PS2 and shed happy tears for the love he is receiving for Arunmozhi Varman Was wholesome to see this video." The actor indicated that the Ponniyin Selvan saga has given him a new life as a star. He has a key role in the film series and his character is presumed dead as his ship sank in the sea in PS-1. The news of his death devastates his father Emperor Sundara Cholan (Prakash Raj) and Aditha (Vikram) believes Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) had a hand in his death and vows to destroy her by declaring war. Later, his other co-stars Karthi and Trisha Krishnan also approach Jayam and pull him into a group hug. The cast got a bit sentimental talking about the film with fans of the Mani Ratnam film. They were also feeling emotional as the film would be releasing soon. Trisha wrote on Twitter, "A moment lasts all of a second but the memory lives on forever PS - I will always love you." PS-1 was released theatrically all over the world on September 30, 2022. It earned over 500 crore to become the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2022. The film also stars Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jayaram, Prabhu, R Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Rahman, R Parthiban and Lal. ott:10 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In 1991, Shakereh Khaleeli, granddaughter of Sir Mirza Ismail, the Diwan of Mysore, Jaipur and Hyderabad- went missing. Three years later, the police discovered her skeleton buried in a wooden casket, at 81, Richmond House, Bangalore, where she lived with her second husband Murli Manohar Mishra, aka Swami Shraddhananda. Shakereh was drugged and thrown in the wooden casket; it was revealed that she was buried alive. This sensational case is re-examined in Dancing On The Grave, the unsettling new four-part docuseries under India Today Originals, now streaming on Prime Video. (Also read: Patrick Graham says Dancing On The Grave is different because it tries to understand Shakereh Namazi, what motivated her) Dancing On The Grave is available on Prime Video. Even if the details of the story and how it spans out are in public domain, Dancing On The Grave is interested in digging into the many sides to this 'rarest of rare' case, that hasn't been heard (and reported) before. Through interviews, archival footage, and recreation of scenes, director Patrick Graham tells the story- richly aided by the editing team of Jahaan Noble and Kartik Bansal- with a certain sense of watchfulness- the first two episodes are fixed particularly through the eyes of the family of Shakereh. How she was so full of life; how she had an unmissable aura in any room she entered; and how, even after having four beautiful daughters with her first husband Akbar Khaleeli, she divorced him and got married to a man much below her social status- the self-proclaimed godman Swami Shraddhananda. As the world building occurs, the sense of curiosity to understand Shakereh never really takes shape. The anecdotes flash in-between, and are interrupted by the shocking recreation(s) of how a drugged Shakereh was shoved into the casket by Shraddhananda. Important details are also provided by the people who were in charge of the case, wherein the police tells that Shraddhananda chose to confess because he was tired of the constant drudgery and harassment with the case for years and wanted it to end. Was he made to succumb? Was he tortured? The exercise in constructing that space takes us to the third episode, where Swami Shraddhananda appears front and centre- like a reminder that he has his own story to tell. From hereon, Dancing on the Grave pivots to a dangerously tricky ground. Here is a man who still continues to deny his crime. His lawyer tells that there are no clear evidence to prove he has murdered Shakereh. In one particularly haunting scene, the camera stays tightly focused on him as he hears Shakereh's only recorded voice. He doesn't refrain from revealing that he had been threatened and tortured by the police to come to a confession. Even though Dancing on the Grave is interested in uncovering the details and perspectives from both ends, the overarching framework feels stretched and predictable. Not because of the details we already know, but for the ones the series chooses to move away from. No context is build around the investigation, apart from some of the initial notes around how it started, and most of all, the series evades details about the court proceedings. It is told that Shakereh had been embroiled into a lot of other legal notices that were labelled by her own family, after she chose to marry Shraddhananda. Why are no questions asked to the family members around that? Apart from Sabah, none of the other daughters are also taken into consideration. More alarmingly, the positioning of certain scenes that are focused on Swami Shraddhananda- the use of a lush background score, the camera slowly moving close to his cell as he looks on, feel increasingly designed to elicit some kind of vitality for this man. For a case that revolves around such a gruesome murder and whose factual evidences- how the wooden box (with wheels) was ordered from before; the marks of Shakereh's nails on the sides- stand firmly against him, this structure feels increasingly forced after a while. Even the servants, who reportedly helped Shraddhananda push the wooden box into the pit, are forgotten. Dancing on the Grave could have benefitted with a much lesser interest in recreating the scenes with Shakereh and Shraddhananda, as well as cutting down on envisioning so much of her exuberance through a fictionalized standpoint. By dramatizing the events, Dancing on the Grave not only loses it steam and focus, but also the inherent faith in its audience. The show has hunger for underlining details, and a curiosity for what lies and grows on the other side of the wall, but steadily gives its way to a certain degree of deliberate action. When the subject itself is so haunting and perplexing, what the show needed was perhaps a little reserve before circling around it. It needed, in the wake of this cruel and terrifyingly unjust world, a little more grace. PUNE: On August 14, 2018, Cosmos Cooperative Bank reported a hack stating that unidentified attackers had siphoned off 94.42 crore through ATMs and online transfers. (HT Photo) A Pune court has convicted 11 people in connection with a 2018 cyberattack on Cosmos Cooperative Bank, from which approximately 94 crore was siphoned off in seven hours through thousands of ATM transactions in India and 28 other countries. The conviction, the order of which was uploaded on Saturday, is the first such for a hacking of such scale. The attackers used a malware to break into what is known as the banks payments switching system and cloned debit cards. Ultimately, the network breach allowed them to fraudulently approve the transactions they made using the cloned cards. The court of judicial magistrate (first class) Akshi Jain convicted the 11 accused and sentenced them to different periods of imprisonment along with fines of varying amounts. The lawyer of the accused said that the accused have been languishing in jail for many years and their period of incarceration must be taken into account while sentencing. However, the prosecutor stated that taking into account the serious nature of the crime, maximum punishment must be awarded. Heard both sides, taking into account the condition of the accused, I am of the opinion of a lesser sentence for the accused. They have spent considerable time in jail and in the interest of justice, it is not appropriate to repeat the years already spent in prison, the order stated. Of the 11, Fahim Sheikh, Fahim Khan, Sheikh Jabbar, Mahesh Rathod, Naresh Maharana, Mohammad Jafri, and Eustace Vaz have been sentenced to simple imprisonment for four years, Abdula Sheikh and Bashir Shaikh have been sentenced to simple imprisonment for four years and simple imprisonment for three years, respectively, and Salman Baig and Firoz Shaikh have been sentenced to simple imprisonment for three years. One of the accused persons had died before the pronouncement of the judgment. Additional commissioner of police Ramnath Pokale said, We had strong digital evidence against the accused and it was submitted before the court. The court accepted our evidence which led to the conviction of the 11 arrested accused in the case. On August 14, 2018, Cosmos Cooperative Bank reported a hack stating that unidentified attackers had siphoned off 94.42 crore through ATMs and online transfers. The bank blamed a multinational hacking ring. An aggregate of 80.50 crore was lost in ATM withdrawals in 28 countries on August 11 and two days later, the hackers stole 13.92 crores through SWIFT transfers, which are used for foreign remittances. After investigating the case, the police arrested 18 accused from Kolhapur, Ajmer, Indore, and Mumbai. The police filed a chargesheet in court with the help of CCTV footage and technical investigation. Responding to former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik's allegations against the Centre for its handling of the situation after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed, Union home minister Amit Shah asked why Malik didn't speak up when he was at the administration, questioning the credibility of his claims. Union home minister Amit Shah.(ANI file) Malik was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir at the time of the Pulwama terror attack. In a recent interview, Malik had alleged that the paramilitary personnel were denied aircraft and made to commute by road despite a terror attack threat. "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 the governorthese 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...," Shah said at India Today Karnataka Roundtable 2023 on Saturday. The Congress had earlier accused the BJP-led Union government of minimum governance and maximum silence" and asked for its response to the allegations made by Malik. Responding to a query on Malik was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation following his allegations, Shah said, Malik has been called by the probe agency for the third time as part of the investigation into an alleged insurance scam. 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, the home minister said. 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. Answering another question about the decision to appoint Malik as Jammu and Kashmir governor, Shah said he had worked in the Bharatiya Janata Party 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. Malik on Friday said that he has been called by the CBI for giving clarification regarding the alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. The 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. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After Amritpal Singh was arrested on Sunday morning over a month after a massive manhunt was launched, union minister Anurag Thakur said that Punjab was slow in taking action against the radical preacher. The situation would have been better had the arrest come sooner, he added. He also asserted that a fugitive cant escape the law for long and called for strict action against terrorists. Union minister Anurag Thakur (L) and fugitive Amritpal Singh. (File) In a statement to media persons, he said, How long can an absconder be on the run? Law is mighty. Stringent action should be taken against those who spread terror and fear. Punjab took a little time, had it been done sooner it would have been even better. Follow Amritpal Singh arrest LIVE updates here Despite claims of Singh surrendering, Punjab Police made it clear that the pro-Khalistani leader was arrested under the National Security Act from Moga's Rhode village in Punjab. He will be shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh jail where eight of his aides are imprisoned. Addressing a press conference, Inspector General of Police (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said the arrest happened under a joint operation by the intelligence wing and the Amritsar Rural Police. Cops also ordered people to maintain peace and not spread fake news. On the run since March 18, almost over three weeks after the Waris Punjab De chiefs supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan, Singh declared a fugitive then. His associates were earlier arrested from various parts of the state. Meanwhile,Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, in his first comments since the arrest, said that the Aam Aadmi Party refrains from vendetta politics. He further said, "...It had been 35 days. Today #AmritpalSingh was arrested. Action will be taken against those who try to disrupt the country's peace and law. We will not disturb any innocent person.." Shortly after Singhs apprehension, Delhi education minister Atishi congratulated the Punjab Police and CM Mann for the results of over one month of tireless efforts. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The arrest of Amritpal Singh marks the culmination of a 35-day long crackdown launched by the Punjab Police on March 18. Apprehended early morning Sunday from Rode village in Moga, the Waris Punjab De chief has been flown to Assam to be lodged in Dibrugarh central jail. Home minister Amit Shah (L), Amritpal Singh, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (File) The radical preacher came on the police radar following the storming of Ajnala Police Station on February 23 by his supporters demanding the release of one of their aides, Lovepreet Toofan. On March 2, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann along with DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav held a meeting with home minister Amit Shah in Delhi to discuss the operation to take Singh into custody. With the conclusion of the G-20 meet in Amritsar on March 17, senior police officials were ordered to launch a state-wide crackdown against Amritpal and his aides. Although the central agencies were reportedly urging the state government to take action against the Sikh preacher becoming increasingly popular, the strongest nudge came after the Ajnala incident. As per reports, the severe crackdown was further accelerated by Singhs warnings issued to Shah and Manns daughter. Singh had earlier threatened that Shah will meet a fate similar to that of former prime minister Indira Gandhi if he tried to stop the Khalistan movement. He also reportedly said that Mann is on the same track as former state CM Beant Singh. While Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh security guards, Beant Singh was killed in a suicide bomb attack by Dilawar Singh. Singh styles himself after Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Khalistan movement icon who was killed when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984. Amid the protests that erupted in Britain, Canada and the US amid the crackdown on Singh, a Patiala-based lawyer alleged in a post that Mann's daughter, Seerat Kaur, received threat calls from pro-Khalistan elements. Mann's ex wife Inderpreet Kaur Grewal, who lives in the US with daughter Seerat, 21, and son Dilshan, 18, confirmed the incident by sharing the post. While the preacher remained on the run for 36 days, authorities continued to pile pressure on him by arresting his key associates. There were concerns that the preacher had links with Pakistan spy agency ISI and was working towards radicalising the Sikh youth, in an effort to revive the call for a separate nation of 'Khalistan'. Several cases have been lodged against him and his associates for allegedly spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and obstructing the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. A day before Singh's arrest, Shah, speaking at India Today's Karnataka Roundtable 2023, lauded the Punjab government for doing a good job in the matter. The Punjab government did good work. The Centre is also cooperating, Shah said on Saturday. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Fugitive Amritpal Singh - who has been on the run for over a month - was arrested from Moga in Punjab on early Sunday morning by a team led by SSP Amritsar Rural Satinder Singh. The arrest was done by combined efforts of the Punjab Police and national intelligence. Police sources told HT that the pro-Khalistani leader is being shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh jail where other members of his outfit are already lodged. Singh was declared a fugitive in March when he was on the run since March 18 - the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. The Punjab Police had also booked the pro-Khalistani leader under the National Security Act (NSA). 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh, who was arrested on early Sunday morning from Rode village in Moga, was brought to Air Force Station in Bathinda by the Punjab Police before being shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh central jail. Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan leader, after being arrested in Punjab. (HT Photo) Nine of Amritpal's aides - Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla - have been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged under the stringent National Security Act. He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh, a police officer said. Slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale hailed from Rode village and Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De' outfit at an event held in this village. Watch: Amritpal Singh arrested after 36-day manhunt; Punjab cops urge 'Maintain Peace' I Watch While the reason behind Amritpal Singhs transit to Assam is still unknown, some reports indicate that the Dibrugarh jail has heavily fortified and was used to hold top militants during the peak of ULFA militancy in Assam. Dibrugarh central jail is considered the most secure prison in the state and one of the oldest prisons in northeast India. It is also said it will be difficult for any prisoner to escape from the jail due to the strict security arrangements. Also, the reason for shifting Amritpal and his aides to Assam instead of being taken to Punjab or Delhi jails could be the presence of other gangsters familiar to the separatist group. According to people familiar with the matter, the Punjab government initially thought of sending Amritpal aides to Delhis Tihar jail, but because the Delhi prison houses many Punjabi gangsters, even some separatists , the government decided to send them to Assam. In 2021, the Jammu and Kashmir administration did something similar by sending people arrested under the Public Safety Act to a jail in Agra. This ensured the arrested men were lodged in a prison from their home states, where there are chances of other inmates, sometimes even jail officials helping them. Over the past month, though, it has been converted to a maximum high-security prison. We now have CRPF personnel guarding the jail round-the-clock. There are also commandos from the Assam Police. 57 CCTV cameras monitor the prisoners inside and the movement of visitors at the jail gates. Our teams fixed non-functional CCTV camera and set up high-mast lights when we were informed that the NSA-prisoners from Punjab would be brought here, said a jail official who asked not to be named. A second jail official said that, unlike other jails, the Dibrugarh jail is not packed to its maximum capacity and jail officials are better equipped to manage the inmates here. The jail has a sanctioned capacity of 680 prisoners, but has fewer than 430 prisoners. (With inputs from Prawesh Lama) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Punjab Police on Sunday made it clear that fugitive pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh was arrested on Sunday morning, and he did not surrender as some claims were being made. 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh.(AFP file) Addressing a press conference, Inspector General of Police (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill the police had created relentless pressure on Amritpal Singh and he had no other option left but to surrender, adding that the pro-radical preacher was arrested from Moga's Rode village at 6:45am. The police had credible information that Amritpal was in Rode. When Amritpal was left with no option, he was arrested Police didnt go inside the Gurudwara following maryada (limitations) of the gurudwara, said the IGP. The IGP said Amritpal was arrested under a joint operation by the intelligence wing and the Amritsar Rural Police. Watch: Amritpal Singh arrested after 36-day manhunt; Punjab cops urge 'Maintain Peace' I Watch On reports of Amritpal offering prayers inside the gurudwara before the police taking him into custody, the IGP the police is not aware of what happened inside the gurudwara. Amritpal has been sent to Dibrugarh jail in Assam after detaining him under NSA, said the police officer said. Slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale hailed from Rode village and Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De' outfit at an event held in this village. (With inputs from Chandigarh bureau) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Fugitive pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh, arrested from Moga on Sunday morning, had been under immense pressure after his wife Kirandeep Kaur, a British national, was placed under surveillance and being tracked by the Punjab Police, India Today reported citing sources in the state government. Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh and his wife Kirandeep Kaur. There were fears that his wife would be arrested and accused of assisting Amritpal Singh in his escape, as he had allegedly routed funds through her and stashed them in the UK, the report added. Kirandeep had a visa that was valid until July, and she wanted to leave India before it expired. Amritpal was unable to flee the country as he wanted to ensure his wife's safety first and avoid her arrest. Watch: Khalistani Leader Amritpal Singh's NRI Wife, Who Is Kirandeep Kaur? Fugitive pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh, arrested from Moga on Sunday morning, had been under immense pressure after his wife Kirandeep Kaur, a British national, was placed under surveillance and being tracked by the Punjab Police, India Today reported citing sources in the state government. There were fears that his wife would be arrested and accused of assisting Amritpal Singh in his escape, as he had allegedly routed funds through her and stashed them in the UK, the report added. Kirandeep had a visa that was valid until July, and she wanted to leave India before it expired. Amritpal was unable to flee the country as he wanted to ensure his wife's safety first and avoid her arrest. The report also claimed that the operation to arrest Amritpal Singh was monitored by chief minister Bhagwant Mann throughout the night, and around 4am, it was confirmed that Amritpal was surrounded with no escape route. On Thursday, Kirandeep was not allowed to board a flight to London at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar. Amritpal is facing charges of disrupting communal harmony, attempt to murder and attacking police, and was also booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). A UK citizen, Kirandeep was stopped by the immigration officials at the airport as a lookout circular (LOC) has been issued against her by the Punjab Police. Kirandeep, who married the radical leader on February 10, had to take Air Indias (AI 169) flight, which was scheduled to depart for London at 1.20pm, said officials. Kirandeep was also questioned by officials of the immigration, customs, intelligence bureau and other central agencies for around three hours, said a senior Punjab Police official. Officials familiar with the development said Kaur was trying to return to London even before the expiry of her 180-day visa. Her parents live in London and it would have been her first visit to the UK after her marriage, said officials. After questioning, she was asked to return to Jallupur Khera Amritpals ancestral village at 2.45pm, said officials. Amritpal Singh arrested in Rode village of Punjab's Moga Amritpal was arrested in Rode village of Punjab's Moga district, more than a month after the state police launched a crackdown against him following the storming of the Ajnala police station by his supporters to secure the release of an arrested associate. The 29-year-old Amritpal was arrested at 6:45am after police personnel surrounded him in Rode village, leaving him with no way to escape, Inspector General of Police, Sukhchain Singh Gill told a news conference in Chandigarh. Slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale hailed from Rode village and Amritpal was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De' outfit at an event held in this village. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hours after radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested in Punjab on Sunday morning, chief minister Bhagwant Mann released a video message, stating that anyone who attempts to disturb Indias peace and harmony will not be spared. Amritpal Singh was arrested after 35 days today I knew last nightwas in regular touch with the authorities and did not sleep Mann said, sharing details of the Waris De Punjab chief's arrest operation. Check live updates of Amritpal's arrest here. In a video message, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the Aam Aadmi Party government will ensure its duty of keeping the people safe.(HT_PRINT) The video message was uploaded on the CMs social media profiles in the afternoon. The CM said he received the information last night and was keeping himself regularly updated. "for the safety of the 3.5 crore Punjabis, even if we have to sacrifice our sleep, it's not a big dealI wanted to ensure no bloodshed happened in the incident. He also lauded the people for ensuring no violence occurred and falling prey to the anti-social elements. Anti-social elements were attempting to disturb law and order .hence a crackdown was launched on March 18, Mann said, referring to the Ajnala violence case in February, in which Waris Punjab De head Amritpal Singh and some 200 people had stormed the Ajnala police station in Punjab to protest the arrest of one of Amritpals associate Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan and clashed with the police. "I told the director general of police to ensure the Guru Granth Sahib is not disrespected in the event, Mann, who also holds the home ministry portfolio, said referring to the mobs use of the holy scripture as a shield to reach the police station. The CM noted that Punjab has led India since the days of independence, highlighting the states contribution to the freedom struggle, green revolution among other achievements and remarked that with Amritpals arrest, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab will ensure its duty of keeping the people safe. AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, reacting to the video, praised the Punjab Police for "achieving success without any bloodshed or firing bullets." A big thank you to the people for maintaining peace and supporting the Punjab government during this time, he tweeted. The Waris De Punjab chief was arrested in Moga district's Rode village this morning and was taken to Dibrugarh jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The launch of the first ever Apple store, debating the essence of marriage in the top court, the arrest of a radical Sikh preacher and some bombshell allegations, a number of significant events happened in India this week, sparking discussions and reactions across the country and around the world. Former J&K gvernor Satyapal Malik and Apple CEO Tim Cook. (L) and (R) While, all the trending news stories do find a mention in our newsletters, especially curated to keep our users up-to-date with latest happenings across any domain, heres our weekly wrap about top five people who made headlines and why. Amritpal Singh: Radical Sikh preacher and chief of separatist organisation Waris De Punjab, Singh was at last tracked down on Sunday after a massive crackdown was launched against him on March 18. He was arrested from Punjab's Moga this morning under the National Security Act (NSA) and has been taken to Assams Dibrugarh jail. He returned from Dubai in 2022 and is facing several charges including spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, and attacking police personnel among others. Jagadish Shettar: Former Karnataka chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader, disgruntled Shetter quit the saffron party on Monday over denial of tickets in the upcoming May 10 assembly election. He joined Congress a day later and will contest the poll from Hubballi Dharwad central constituency. Shetters decision is a blow to BJP since the senior political leader is a face of the Lingayat community in the constituency. Shaista Parveen: Wife of mafia politician Atiq Ahmad, killed last week in Uttar Pradesh in police custody, Parveen is also an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case and is in the most-wanted list of the UP Police, carrying a reward of 50,000 on her head. A cops daughter, Parveen has had four cases registered against her since 2009 -- three cheating and one murder. She joined the Bahujan Samaj Party in January and was expected to contest the upcoming UP civic body poll but the godmother in the gang has been on the run since February 24 the day when the lawyer Umesh Pal was killed. Satyapal Malik: The former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik made headlines for making explosive allegations against the Centre on handling the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. Malik alleged the Centre denied paramilitary personnels request for aircraft and they were made to commute by road despite threat of attack and blamed the Modi government for the mishap. He also said he was asked to remain silent following the incident in which 40 jawans were killed. Tim Cook: Apple CEO Tim Cook paid a visit to India this week to launch the companys first ever stores in the county. Two retail stores in Mumbai and Delhi were inaugurated amid much pomp and show and Cook also met leaders and celebrities, had a taste of Mumbais authentic vada pav with actress Madhuri Dixit and tried his hands at rangoli making. Cook also surprised his fans by paying a sudden visit to the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi to watch the ongoing Indian Premier League. He was accompanied by actor Sonam Kapoor and her husband, businessman Anand Ahuja. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi - who was disqualified as MP after a conviction in a defamation case - vacated his official Tughlaq Lane bungalow on Saturday, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said that while Gandhi's house is gone, his spirit to fight for truth can't be vacated. He also slammed the Centre by calling it a dictatorial government. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (PTI) We are the Congress party. The entire country is our home and India lives in our homes. A dictatorial government is happy to snatch his home under a conspiracy. Rahul Gandhi's official residence has gone but not the urge in his heart to fight for the truth. That urge can never be erased or vacated, Kharge tweeted in Hindi on Saturday night. Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha last month following his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case over the Modi surname remark. He was first allotted the government bungalow after he won from Amethi in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. As he vacated the bungalow and shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhi's residence in Delhi, Rahul said that he was paying the price for speaking the truth. 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. He added, 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. Meanwhile, several Congress leaders also hit out at the ruling government. 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. Amid of rain and snowfall in Kedarnath in past few days, the registration for the holy shrine has been suspended till April 30 in Rishikesh and Haridwar, officials said on Sunday. Char dham yarta 2023: Snow-covered Kedarnath temple. (PTI) Additional Commissioner (Administration) of Garhwal Division and Additional Chief Executive Officer of Chardham yatra Administration Organisation Narendra Singh Kaviriyal while speaking to news agency PTI said, "In view of the bad weather and heavy snowfall, the registration of pilgrims for the Kedarnath yatra has been suspended till April 30 in Rishikesh and Haridwar." He said that the government would review the weather conditions and accordingly would take a decision in the interest of the devotees. The Uttarakhand government on Sunday issued the advisory for the pilgrimage and urged the devotees to be careful and start their yatra according to the weather conditions. Read here: CCTV to be installed at 9 helipads for close monitoring of services to Kedarnath "It may be noted that intermittent rain and snowfall continue in Kedarnath Dham. All the devotees coming to Kedarnath Dham from the country and abroad have been informed by the government to check the weather forecast before going to Kedarnath Dham and have been asked to carry enough warm clothes," news agency ANI reported citing the government officials. Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar while speaking to ANI has said, "There was heavy snowfall in Kedarnath Dham yesterday. Pilgrims are requested to be alert and begin their yatra by looking at the weather". The Char Dham yatra began on Saturday on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri. The portals of the Kedarnath will be opened for devotees on April 25, while Badrinath temple will be opened on April 27. So far, over 16 lakh devotees from India and abroad devotees have registered for the Char Dham pilgrimage, the officials said. Health Secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar had said said that state health department has made full- preparations to welcome the pilgrims to the holy shrines, and appealed the devotees to take due care of their health during the yatra, the report added. "Guidelines and SOPs have been issued for the journey. In this, travellers have been suggested to acclimatize their bodies to the mountain weather during the journey. If you are facing difficulty then rest for some time and only then travel," he said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also issued directions that online and offline registration of pilgrims will continue for keeping track of pilgrim numbers and crowd management. Read here: Uttarakhand govt rolls back decision to cap pilgrim numbers for Char Dham yatra According to the health secretary, this time the government has a special focus on the Kedarnath pilgrimage route. The Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimages in India. It is a tour of four holy shrines - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - nestled high up in the Himalayas. (With inputs from agencies) Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that the greenfield double-decker elevated highway between Chennai port and Maduravoyal in Tamil Nadu would reduce the travel time for vehicles bound for the port by an hour. Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari shared graphical images of the expressway on Twitter.(Twitter/ @nitin_gadkari) Read here: Delhi- Dehradun 2 hrs, Haridwar in a blink with this new expressway: Details While sharing the graphical images of the project in a series of tweets, the minister said, "Under the Bharatmala Pariyojana initiative, a new Greenfield Corridor Project is underway in the state of Tamil Nadu. This involves the development of a Double Tier 4-lane Elevated Corridor from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal". "The completion of this project is expected to alleviate traffic congestion in Chennai by segregating local traffic movement onto one tier of the Elevated highway. Additionally, it will double the handling capacity of the port, reduce waiting times at the port, and decrease travel time for vehicles bound for the port by an hour", he added. "The project is specifically designed to manage the expected increase in port-bound traffic, which is predicted to double by 2040 from current levels. In light of the dynamic leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, our unwavering commitment lies in expediting and optimizing the mobility sector by means of unparalleled infrastructural advancements", Gadkari tweeted. The 20.6-kilometre four-lane double-decker elevated expressway, being built at a cost of 5,800 crore, is likely to be completed by December 2024, the minister had said earlier. In October 2022, Gadkari had said that the project would be developed in four sections which would start from inside the Chennai Port and end after the Maduravoyal interchange. Read here: Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway to have 6 main lanes with 2 service lines: Nitin Gadkari The expressway once completed, would serve as a dedicated freight corridor for Chennai bound port traffic and increase the handling capacity of the city's port by 48% and subsequently reduce the waiting time at the port by six hours, the minister had said. The first level of the double-decker corridor would be for light vehicles between Koyambedu and Chennai port, while the second level would be designed specifically for heavy vehicles between Chennai port and Maduravoyal. The Chinese and Russian defence ministers have confirmed their participation in an upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting to be held in Delhi on April 27-28, officials familiar with the development said on Sunday. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu in Moscow on April 18. (AFP) Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu and Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu are expected to hold bilateral meetings with their Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on April 27, while the main SCO defence ministers meeting will be held a day later, the officials said asking not to be named. India is set to host the SCO foreign ministers meeting in May. These meetings will culminate in the SCO Summit to be held in July - the first time India will host the event since joining the grouping in 2017. SCO includes eight member states --- India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Lis visit to New Delhi for the SCO defence ministers meeting comes at a time when the border row between India and China in eastern Ladakh is set to enter its fourth year in early May. Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies still have more than 60,000 troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre. The Indian and Chinese armies have held 17 rounds of talks so far, but problems at Depsang in Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok sector are still on the negotiating table. Lis visit to India is the first visit by a Chinese defence minister after the June 2020 Galwan clash that derailed bilateral ties. Twenty Indian soldiers killed in the seven-hour deadly conflict near Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley. According to Indias assessment, PLAs casualties were twice as many as Indian Armys though Beijing officially claimed that only four Chinese soldiers were killed. On April 19, Singh had expressed confidence in the Indian Army to handle any contingency along the countrys border with China even as he said talks would continue for peaceful resolution of the lingering row in the Ladakh sector, and disengagement and de-escalation were the best way forward. Shoigu will be visiting India for the first time after the Russia-Ukraine crisis erupted last year. The complications stemming from the wide-ranging sanctions slapped on Russia by the US and its allies on the back of the war in Ukraine have posed new challenges for the India-Russia defence relationship, put Indias military preparedness to the test, and assigned new urgency to reduce dependence on imported military hardware to stay battle-ready. After a team of Assam police left for Karnataka to investigate the harassment charges against Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Srinivas BV, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Sunday said chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has become infamous for his antics to stay in news. Dismissing the allegations against Srinivas as propaganda, Surjewala asked not to pay attention to Sarma as he is trying to outbid Union home minister Amit Shah to his post. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The turncoat CM of Assam who is trying to outbid Amit Shah to his post has now become infamous for his antics to stay in news...We reject this propaganda completely. Sometimes he wants to arrest Pawan Khera, sometimes he wants to arrest Srinivas BV, Surjewala told a press conference. Perhaps it is to save the ignominy that Mr Modi was trying to arrest him once for Saradha Scam and Louis Berger Scam. That is why he defected to BJP. Reject him, don't pay any attention to him, he added. Responding to Surjewala's statement, Sarma said the Assam Police was acting in accordance with the law and that it was unfair to blame him for the "lack of a safe environment within the Congress party for female workers." "Please advise the accused to cooperate with the legal process," he said in a tweet along with a copy of a notice issued to Srinivas asking him to appear before Dispur Police Station before 11am on May 2. A case was registered on Saturday by Dispur Police Station based on the complaint filed by Angkita Dutta, former President of Assam Youth Congress, against Srinivas BV. In her complaint, Angkita alleged Srinivas BV of "harassing" and "discriminating" against her for the past 6 months after she levelled sexual harassment charges against former IYC president Keshav Kumar. The case was registered under sections 509, 294, 341, 352, 354, 354 A (iv) and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and under section 67 of The Information Technology Act. Congress, meanwhile, expelled Dutta from the primary membership of the party for six years for anti-party activities. "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," Tariq Anwar, member-secretary of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the Congress, said in an order. Hitting out at the Congress, BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted: "This is Congress's 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. Malviya also said, "Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon is a hollow slogan." The Congress had come up with the slogan in the run-up to last year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In his last message to his followers before the arrest, Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh said he believed that with the grace of his gurus, one day he would be able to come among his people again and that he wanted the agitation to continue as he goes to the jail. The month-long chase exposed the true face of the state as it did not appear as an attempt to arrest, Amritpal Singh said. "I had no fear of arrest earlier nor do I have it now," Amritpal Singh said. Amritpal Singh's video message just before his arrest on Sunday. (PTI) Amritpal Singh arrest: Follow LIVE updates Amritpal Singh said he was unlikely to run away at a time when his supporters are being persecuted by the state. He has the opportunities to go to other countries, but he 'decided to surrender' -- and at the place where it all started. "My Dastar Bandi (anointment as the chief of Waris Punjab De) was done at this gurdwara built at the birthplace of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. After taking the blessing of the guru, I will give the arrest, he said. Read | Why Amritpal Singh taken to Assam's Dibrugarh jail after arrest The curtains came down in the month-long Amritpal Singh episode on Sunday all of a sudden after he reportedly surrendered at a Gurudwara which police contradicted and said they arrested Amritpal Singh after he was surrounded from all sides and had no way out. Read | Amritpal Singh's parents react. Surrendered like a lion, says mother Amritpal Singh and his video messages Amid this arrest vs surrender debate, these videos are surfacing showing it like a pre-planned operation as in this video Amritpal said he would be surrendering on April 23. Apart from this video, Amritpal Singh was seen addressing his followers at the gurdwara before his arrest. There too, Amritpal announced that he would surrender. In the past one month, when Amritpal's whereabouts remained unknown, he kept issuing video messages to maintain his narrative that he has not absconded Revered as Bhindranwale 2.0 among his followers, Amritpal Singh came on the radar of the police after his warning to Union home minister Amit Shah, and the clash between his followers with the police. A massive crackdown was launched on March 18, but Amritpal gave cops the slip. From Punjab, Amritpal believed to have fled to Haryana and then Delhi and then re-entered Punjab. The arrest of his close aides Papalpreet, Joga Singh brought the cops closer to Amritpal Singh. As the hunt went on, Amritpal's wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped at Amritsar Airport from flying to the UK. When Amritpal Singh remained elusive, it was speculated that the Khalistani leader with ISI link would try to flee the country. The government in Nepal was asked to make sure that Amritpal can't escape to a third country, in case he was hiding there. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday held the 18th round of military talks to ease tensions along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) where the two sides have been locked in a border row for almost three years, officials familiar with the development said on Sunday. A signboard is seen from the Indian side of the Indo-China border at Bumla, in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.(REUTERS) Read more: Chinese, Russian defence ministers to attend SCO meet in Delhi The two sides last held the Corps Commander level talks in December 2022 to discuss outstanding issues along the border. The India-China border row is set to enter its fourth year in early May. Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies still have more than 60,000 troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre. The Indian and Chinese armies have held 18 rounds of talks so far, but problems at Depsang in Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok sector are still on the negotiating table. The talks come ahead of the Chinese defence ministers upcoming visit to India for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting to be held in New Delhi on April 27-28, officials familiar with the development said on Sunday. There was no official statement on the LAC talks till the time this report was filed. Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu and Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu are expected to hold bilateral meetings with their Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on April 27, while the main SCO defence ministers meeting will be held a day later. India is set to host the SCO foreign ministers meeting in May. These meetings will culminate in the SCO Summit to be held in July - the first time India will host the event since joining the grouping in 2017. SCO includes eight member states --- India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. At their last meeting in December 2022, the two sides agreed to maintain security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector of the LAC. The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest, a statement said. That meeting took place just 11 days after several Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured in a clash along LAC at Yangtse, located near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Lis visit to New Delhi for the SCO defence ministers meeting comes at a time when the two sides have been locked in the border row. Lis visit to India is the first visit by a Chinese defence minister after the June 2020 Galwan clash that derailed bilateral ties. Twenty Indian soldiers killed in the seven-hour deadly conflict near Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley. According to Indias assessment, PLAs casualties were twice as many as Indian Army's though Beijing officially claimed that only four Chinese soldiers were killed. Read here: Galwan braves wife set for army entry as lieutenant On April 19, Singh had expressed confidence in the Indian Army to handle any contingency along the countrys border with China even as he said talks would continue for peaceful resolution of the lingering row in the Ladakh sector, and disengagement and de-escalation were the best way forward. The Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday held the 18th round of military talks to ease tensions along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) where the two sides have been locked in a border row for almost three years, officials familiar with the development said on Sunday. The Indian and Chinese armies have held 18 rounds of talks so far. (Waseem Andrabi /HT Photo) The two sides last held the Corps Commander level talks in December 2022 to discuss outstanding issues along the border. The India-China border row is set to enter its fourth year in early May. Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies still have more than 60,000 troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre. The Indian and Chinese armies have held 18 rounds of talks so far, but problems at Depsang in Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok sector are still on the negotiating table. Outstanding issues were discussed but the outcome wasnt known. The talks come ahead of the Chinese defence ministers upcoming visit to India for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting to be held in New Delhi on April 27-28, officials familiar with the development said on Sunday. There was no official statement on the LAC talks till the time this report was filed. Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu and Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu are expected to hold bilateral meetings with their Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on April 27, while the main SCO defence ministers meeting will be held a day later. India is set to host the SCO foreign ministers meeting in May. These meetings will culminate in the SCO Summit to be held in July the first time India will host the event since joining the grouping in 2017. SCO includes eight member states India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. At their last meeting in December 2022, the two sides agreed to maintain security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector of the LAC. The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest, a statement said. That meeting took place just 11 days after several Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured in a clash along LAC at Yangtse, located near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Lis visit to New Delhi for the SCO defence ministers meeting is the first visit by a Chinese defence minister after the June 2020 Galwan clash that derailed bilateral ties. Twenty Indian soldiers killed in the seven-hour deadly conflict near Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley. According to Indias assessment, PLAs casualties were twice as many as Indian Armys though Beijing officially claimed that only four Chinese soldiers were killed. On April 19, Singh had expressed confidence in the Indian Army to handle any contingency along the countrys border with China even as he said talks would continue for peaceful resolution of the lingering row in the Ladakh sector, and disengagement and de-escalation were the best way forward. In March, India announced the setting up of a top panel to fast-track infrastructure projects in areas close to the China border where negotiations are on to end the stalemate. The decision to set up a committee of secretaries to accelerate the projects was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Singh to review the progress of a raft on infrastructure projects along the China border. The projects being executed in forward areas involve several ministries including defence; road transport and highways; environment, forest and climate change; railways and communications, and power and new and renewable energy. The secretaries of these ministries form part of the new committee, which will meet at frequent intervals to monitor the progress of different projects. The army is building infrastructure at a rapid pace in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh with focus on better living experience and improved facilities for soldiers, conservation of modern weapons and equipment deployed there, and supporting faster movement of men and material to deal with any contingency amid the ongoing standoff with PLA. India has inducted thousands of extra troops and modern military weaponry into the Ladakh sector to counter the Chinese military build-up after the standoff began in May 2020, and the changed dynamics along LAC has necessitated the infrastructure push aimed at enhancing efficiency of the armys deployments. The steps taken by the army to support its forward deployments along LAC include building of modular shelters for troops deployed at heights of up to 18,000 feet, habitat for reserve troops in rear locations, storage facilities for tanks, artillery guns and other equipment, underground facilities for ammunition storage, airfields, and new roads, bridges and tunnels in difficult terrain for improved connectivity. The 73rd constitutional amendment, which came into effect on April 24, 1993, accorded panchayats a constitutional status as the third tier of local self-governance in India. While some states such as Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal had already enacted state-level legislations to recognise panchayats as local self-governance institutions, the 73rd and 74th amendments, both of which came into effect in 1993, made this a pan-India phenomenon. It is for this reason that April 24 is observed as National Panchayati Raj Day in India. What is the experience of Indias experiment with Panchayati Raj? Here are some charts that try to answer this question. PREMIUM Despite being the worlds largest democracy, Indias track record in providing equal representation to women continues to disappoint. Asymmetry in representation per panchayat is different from the first and second tiers of legislatures Since local governance is a state subject, different states have adopted different rules for granting the status of panchayats as a local unit. It means population per panchayat ends up varying a great deal across states. To be sure, difference in population per representative unit is also observed at the level of Lok Sabha and state legislatures, with northern states showing a much higher number than southern and other smaller states. However, the asymmetry in representation at the panchayat level is more prominent than the national or state levels. Since local governance is a state subject, different states have adopted different rules for granting the status of panchayats as a local unit. It means population per panchayat ends up varying a great deal across states. To be sure, difference in population per representative unit is also observed at the level of Lok Sabha and state legislatures, with northern states showing a much higher number than southern and other smaller states. However, the asymmetry in representation at the panchayat level is more prominent than the national or state levels. For example, in states like Kerala and West Bengal, the average population per panchayat is above 18,000, while this number is under 3,000 for a state like Uttar Pradesh. In such instances, there is also a qualitative impact of this difference, as in many instances, a panchayat may consist of a cluster of villages, which runs against the intuitive idea of a panchayat being a village-based unit. Panchayati Raj has been far more successful in giving women a fair share of representation Despite being the worlds largest democracy, Indias track record in providing equal representation to women continues to disappoint. Womens reservation bill to address this at the level of Parliament and state legislatures continues to remain in the cold storage even after being passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010. The only place where India has been successful when it comes to ensuring fair democratic representation of women are panchayats. Despite being the worlds largest democracy, Indias track record in providing equal representation to women continues to disappoint. Womens reservation bill to address this at the level of Parliament and state legislatures continues to remain in the cold storage even after being passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010. The only place where India has been successful when it comes to ensuring fair democratic representation of women are panchayats. At the local level, one-third of total seats are reserved for women. Some states have breached this limit and provided 50% reservations to women in elections for the local bodies. In states like Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Kerala, the number of elected women representatives has exceeded the number of their male counterparts. In terms of providing representation to women, local bodies fare far better than state assemblies. This increased representation of women at the local level has various policy outcomes like increased spending on community-based welfare for women and financial independence for women through self-help groups in many places. But states differ when it comes to honouring the spirit of decentralisation Just making representative bodies at the third tier does not ensure that there is devolution of governance in the true sense of the term. The 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments mandate the devolution of 29 subjects to local bodies. However, the number of subjects devolved to the local bodies varies across states. Some states have greater devolution of financial powers to the local bodies and others lag in this respect. One of the most pressing constraints vis-a-vis effective decentralisation of power is the degree of fiscal autonomy given to local governance bodies by various states. The ministry of panchayati raj has created an aggregate devolution index to assess the degree of decentralisation in different states. The devolution index assesses the degree of decentralisation in states on four different aspects of the functioning of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), which include devolution of functions, transfer of functionaries and devolution of finances to PRIs, and the comparative achievement of states in establishing systems of infrastructure, governance and transparency (IGT). Just making representative bodies at the third tier does not ensure that there is devolution of governance in the true sense of the term. The 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments mandate the devolution of 29 subjects to local bodies. However, the number of subjects devolved to the local bodies varies across states. Some states have greater devolution of financial powers to the local bodies and others lag in this respect. One of the most pressing constraints vis-a-vis effective decentralisation of power is the degree of fiscal autonomy given to local governance bodies by various states. The ministry of panchayati raj has created an aggregate devolution index to assess the degree of decentralisation in different states. The devolution index assesses the degree of decentralisation in states on four different aspects of the functioning of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), which include devolution of functions, transfer of functionaries and devolution of finances to PRIs, and the comparative achievement of states in establishing systems of infrastructure, governance and transparency (IGT). The rankings show Kerala and Maharashtra are the best when it comes to following devolution in its true spirit, while Odisha and Assam are ranked the lowest among major states. A complete understanding of decentralisation in India must engage with the question of who is getting elected to office and what hinders the capacity of the local bodies to carry out the tasks entrusted to them. Elected representatives at local bodies work at the intersection of the boundary of state and society, and are the most important players in shaping citizens trust in democratic representation. As a central site for claims of the citizens, it is absolutely critical that we have a better understanding of our tryst with Panchayati Raj in the last three decades. Enjoy unlimited digital access with HT Premium Subscribe Now to continue reading Start 14 Days Free Trial Already Subscribed? Sign In Security and patrolling have been increased at the frontier and sensitive locations in Jammu following Thursdays terror attack in which five soldiers were killed, officials said. On Thursday, terrorists ambushed an army truck in Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district by taking advantage of heavy rain and low visibility. (PTI) In the past two days, top officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) held meetings with the army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), they said, requesting anonymity. BSF director general Sujay Thaosen visited the forward defence locations in Poonch on Saturday and held a review meeting with field officers at the frontier. Thaosen, who is also the director general of CRPF, held another meeting with CRPF commanders in Rajouri and Poonch, and discussed security arrangements in the area. Although the National Investigation Agency(NIA) has taken over the probe over the incident, CRPF personnel are conducting security checks in different parts of the two districts along with local police and the army. The two paramilitary forces have a sizeable presence in the Jammu region because of its proximity to the Pakistan border. While BSF guards the frontiers, many battalions of the CRPF are posted in Jammu for law-and-order arrangements, which include securing the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Both forces have their frontier and sector headquarters in Jammu, each headed by an inspector general. The director general was on a two-day visit to Jammu after the attack on Thursday. There was a review of the overall deployment of BSF in the frontiers and the domination plan in the forward defence locations. A separate meeting was held with the CRPF commanders in Rajouri and Poonch and the Army, a BSF official aware of the details said on condition of anonymity. The chief directed CRPF personnel on the highway to remain vigilant and increase security in sensitive locations, officials said. On Thursday, terrorists ambushed an army truck in Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district by taking advantage of heavy rain and low visibility. The five soldiers killed were attached to the armys Rashtriya Rifles unit and deployed for counterterror operations in the area. An injured soldier was evacuated immediately to the army hospital at Rajouri. An army spokesperson had on Thursday said the army truck caught fire due to a likely use of grenades by the terrorists. NIA officials aware of the probe details had on Friday said after starting the probe that around 5-7 terrorists -- three of them suspected to be foreign terrorists who most likely crossed over from Pakistan hid inside dense forest and carefully chose the spot to carry out the well-planned ambush on the military truck. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on Sunday lashed out at the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and said that she is incompetent in tackling child safety. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo.(File) Read here: Violence erupts in Bengals North Dinajpur over minors rape, murder Kanoongo along with three other representatives of the NCPCR, visited Uttar Dinajpur's Kaliaganj in West Bengal, where a 17-year-old dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped and killed. While speaking to news agency ANI, Kanoongo said, "Behavior of the state government has been same for years, they themselves commit mistakes and then try to hide them and because of this they always interrupt the commission's work." "The chief minister always tries to save the incompetent officers here. I consider Mamata Banerjee incompetent when it comes to children's safety in the state. Due to her negligence incidents happen and children die. And later on, on the basis of the CM's order, these incidents are covered up", he further added. He also alleged that the police were yet to speak to the victim's family and Chief Secretary of the state and the North Dinajpur Collector are not responding despite the organisation informed them about the incident. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were clamped in parts of Kaliaganj on Sunday after clashes broke out between the locals and police over the incident in the district on Saturday. The police have arrested six people so far in connection with their involvement in violence with police and vandalism. Read here: Bengal cop attacked me, alleges national child rights panel chief A 17-year-old girl's body was found in a canal in North Dinajpur district's Kaliaganj on Friday. A case was filed under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on a complaint filed by the girl's mother. Two people have been arrested based on the complaint. (With inputs from agencies) The wife of the Kerala security officer, Albert Augustine, killed during violence in Sudan last week reached out for help via a video message, saying that she and her daughter are stuck in their apartment basement in Khartoum without any food or water. Alberts wife seeks help from government of India. (Twitter) In tears, Saibella Augustine made a desperate plea to the external affairs ministry and embassy officials to save them. She said, most stranded foreign nationals in their apartment have been evacuated and pleaded with authorities to save them before the condition worsened. Also read | IAF aircraft, navy ship positioned for Sudan evacuation, says MEA Her husband, Albert, was killed last Sunday after a stray bullet hit him while he had opened a windowpane in their apartment to talk to his son who is studying in the United Kingdom. His family was with him when the incident took place. We have been hearing about our evacuation for many days, but nothing has happened so far. We are going through a terrible time. Our food and water stocks have been depleted. We desperately need help, she said in her video message. Saudi Arabia had helped evacuate many foreign nationals and the external affairs minister should seek the countrys assistance to evacuate them, said her relatives. Read | Bring back my husband: Woman's appeal to PM Modi amid strife in Sudan We need immediate help otherwise the lives of the two will be in danger, said one of her relatives in Kannur (north Kerala). Saudi Arabia on Saturday said it successfully evacuated 159 people including 91 Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries. Though the MEA had assured Augustines relatives that his family would be brought back safely, and his body sent home, the ongoing violence has made the transfer difficult, the officials had told the relatives two days ago. The fierce fighting between Sudans military and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Force has paralysed many airports of the country, reports from Sudan said. After the fighting aggravated, the Embassy in Sudan issued an advisory to Indians, asking them to take extreme precautions and stop venturing out of their houses. Around 4,000 Indians are believed to be working in the African country. Khalistani separatist leader Amritpal Singh, who was arrested by the Punjab police on Sunday morning at Moga, is being brought to Assam under transit remand, officials aware of the development told HT. Nine associates and family members of Amritpal Singh are already lodged in Assams Dibrugarh jail following their arrests over the past month. (AP) The Waris Punjab De chief is being brought to Dibrugarh town in Assam where he is likely to be lodged in the district jail. Nine associates and family members of Singh are already lodged in the Dibrugarh jail following their arrests over the past month. Officials said security in and around the jail has been beefed up in view of Singhs arrival. Senior police and district officials are taking stock of the preparations. There are no details on whether Singh will be kept separately from his other associates. Since last month Dibrugarh jail has been housing 9 associates of the Waris Punjab De leader. A close aide of Singh, Papalpreet Singh, who was arrested in Punjabs Hoshiyarpur on April 10, was the last one to have been brought here. On March 19, the first batch of four Amritpal Singh aides were brought to Dibrugarh and housed there. Two days later, his uncle Harjeet Singh and two others were also brought here. Later, Singhs gunman Varinder Johal also joined them. On Wednesday, five members of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) had arrived in Dibrugarh to interact with the nine jailed aides of Amritpal Singh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kerala is on high alert after the state BJP office received a threat letter ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state. Kochi police commissioner K Sethu Raman said the police have arrested one person for allegedly sending the letter. He added that the real intent behind the threat letter was the accused's personal enmity with his neighbour. PM Modi is set to visit Kerala on April 24.(HT File Photo) The person who sent the threat letter against the PM was arrested. Xavier, the accused, was arrested yesterday. The reason is personal enmity. He wrote the letter to trap his neighbour. We found him with the help of forensics, said the police commissioner. The top cop asserted that tight security has been arranged ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to the state. A total of 2,060 police personnel were deployed to oversee security arrangements. Tight security has been arranged for the Prime Minister's visit to Kochi. 2060 policemen have been deployed. As part of this, traffic control has also been imposed from 2 pm. 15,000 people are expected at the Prime Minister's roadshow and 20,000 at the Yuvam-23 event. The participants of Yuvam-23 can bring mobile phones only, said Raman was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Modi is scheduled to arrive in Kerala on April 24 to inaugurate the state's first Vande Bharat Express. Talking about his visit, state BJP president K Surendran had earlier said the PM will conduct a roadshow as well as address a public meeting. Over Bommai's folded hand photo with Kharge, fresh Lingayat row in Karnataka Karnataka chief minister BS Bommai met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday at the India Today conclave where the two Karnataka leaders exchanged pleasantries. However, the photo ofread more. The photo of Mallikarjun Kharge and BS Bommai greeting each other at India Today conclave is at the centre of a controversy. Due to her negligence, kids..: NCPCR chief slams Mamata Banerjee over Kaliaganj rape case National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on Sunday lashed out at the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and said that she is incompetent in tacklingread more. UK rescues diplomats from war-torn Sudan after US, other countries British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday the country's armed forces evacuated diplomatic staff and their family members from Sudan. Sunak paid tribute to what he called a "complex and rapid" evacuation afterread more. 'They have Dinesh Karthik whose contract is to face last 8 balls': Vaughan launches scathing attack on RCB Earlier this week, when Chennai Super Kings had escaped with a narrow eight-run win at the Chinnaswamy against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, captain MS Dhoni had admitted that had Faf du Plessis and Glenn read more. Salman Khan thanks fans supporting Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan as it mints 41 crore, shares pic Salman Khan has shared a fresh new picture of himself to thanks his fans for their support towards his latest release. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan released in theatres on Friday and picked up pace at ticket windows on.read more. Things to normalise in our relationships: Therapist shares tips Many of us live with certain beliefs about relationships that restrict us in becoming better versions of ourselves. These beliefs, conditioned by us since childhood and the kind of relationships that we have seen.read more. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Film director Vivek Agnihotri said the gurdwara where Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh was seen addressing before his arrest on Sunday should be held accomplice for giving shelter and platform to an alleged terrorist. "It wasn't an arrest. Amritpal Singh surrendered like a VIP after giving a sermon in a Gurudwara. If the law and fair justice system prevail, the management of Gurudwara must be made accomplice in giving shelter/platform to an alleged terrorist," Vivek Agnihotri tweeted. Read | Could have gone to other countries: Amritpal Singh's last message before arrest Vivek Agnihotri said the 'arrest' of Amritpal Singh did not look like an arrest but 'surrender like a VIP' after sermonising. Read | 'Amritpal Singh didn't surrender, arrested after': Punjab Police on 'operation Moga' Radical Sikh leader Amritpal Singh was taken in custody on Sunday morning from Punjab's Moga ending the month-long hunt for the Waris Punjab De chief. Police said he was arrested from a Gurdwara in Rode village based on intelligence inputs. The village was surrounded by Punjab police from all sides. As he was inside the shrine, the police did not enter to maintain sanctity, police said. "He knew he had no other option as he was surrounded from all sides. He was arrested at around 6.45am," Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill said. Read | On Amritpal's arrest, ex-jathedar's claim: was not forced, police would not Arrest versus surrender After he was taken in the custody, the clash of narratives on whether Amritpal Singh was arrested or surrendered started. While police asserted that he was arrested after cops surrounded the entire village, Sikh leader Jasbir Singh Rode said Amritpal reached Rode village last night and the police were informed that Amritpal will surrender. He also said that police would not have allowed Amritpal to address at the gurdwara if they knew he was there. Police on the other hand said they did not want to disrupt the peace of the place. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In the past four financial years, including two constrained by the pandemic, the Lok Sabha secretariat saved 801 crore from its budgetary allocations through cost-cutting measures such as curbs on physical conferences, use of electric vehicles and reduction of subsidies in the Parliament canteen. The austerity measures, driven by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, have saved 801.46 crore. (ANI) The austerity measures, driven by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, have saved 801.46 crore, or around 25% of the budgetary provision during the first four years of the 17th Lok Sabha that was constituted in May 2019, a Parliament official said on condition of anonymity. This is the highest cost-cutting ever recorded in Parliament, a second official said, also declining to be named. An amount of 258.47 crore was saved during the financial year 2021-22. During the last financial year, 132.60 crore, which is around 17% of the budgetary provision, was saved, according to a note of the Lok Sabha secretariat. Comparing this with previous Lok Sabhas, 7.01 crore was saved during the 12th Lok Sabha. 99.52 crore, 145.07 crore, 94.17 crore and 461 crore were saved from 13th to 16th Lok Sabha. The current Lok Sabha, which will end in May next year, had to restrict outreach programmes and scrap the 2020 Monsoon Session as the Covid-19 pandemic swept across India. All eight sessions of Parliament from 2020 to 2022 were curtailed due to Covid-19 and other issues. Some measures such as online conferences were introduced during the pandemic. For more than three months, lawmakers and officials were unable to attend Parliament due to Covid-related restrictions. Cost savings due to enforcement of efficiency in administrative setup, use of EVs, video conferences in place of physical meetings, less travel expenses, online events by PRIDE or the research and training cell, curtailment of printing work, e-waste management, digital payments, GEM-based procurement and savings in canteen led to huge savings in our budget, the second official said. Birlas efforts to stop use of paper, files and other physical documents started soon after he became speaker in June 2019. Earlier, we used to get 20 rims of paper for printing. Now we are allotted just two rims for a year, said a departmental head, seeking anonymity. Hard copies of bills or Union budgets are no more available; finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman took a step forward to use a tablet to read out her budget speech. Similarly, Indian Tourism Development Corporation replaced Northern Railways in 2021 to run the Parliament canteen. Subsidies were done away with as the new contractor started selling food at market rates. Also, fuel-guzzling SUVs used for ferrying lawmakers in New Delhi were discarded and more electric vehicles were introduced by Birla in a major cost-saving measure. The cost-cutting measures will continue in future to create a greener and more efficient Parliament, a spokesperson of the Lok Sabha said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON South Africa: SA government concerned about violence in Sudan The South African Government has joined the international community in its call for parties involved in the conflict in Sudan to lay down their weapons, return to the negotiating table and unite the people of Sudan. South Africa reiterates its appeal on the parties involved in the conflict to heed international calls for an immediate ceasefire as unarmed civilians, including visitors from many parts of the world, remain stranded and fast running out of supplies, the Presidency said on Friday. The government expressed deep concern about the unfolding situation in Sudan, where violence erupted last week following a breakdown in negotiations on political and security sector reforms. Over a prolonged period, the people of Sudan have endured instability and strife. The deterioration of the situation this week further complicates their yearning for a stable government that is civilian-led. South Africa sends a message of solidarity to the people of Sudan as they mark conclusion of the Holy Month of Ramadan and wishes them well during the Id-Ul-Fitr, the Presidency said. The Presidency said the conflict in Sudan marks a setback in Africas efforts to silence the guns and usher in a sustained period of peace, stability and development. South Africa is currently serving as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC). In this role, the country has been seized with the situation in Sudan, working with other African countries towards peace and stability in Sudan. South Africa supports the role played by the African Union (AU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) IGAD and the East African Community (EAC) in their mediation roles in Sudan. We will engage directly with the leaders of the armed forces in Sudan as part of our endeavours for peace in Sudan, the Presidency said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2023-04-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Xi stresses writing new chapter in reform, opening-up Xinhua) 10:41, April 23, 2023 BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- 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. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) 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. The Kerala police on Sunday arrested a man who allegedly wrote a letter threatening a suicide attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be on a two-day visit to the state starting Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (File Photo) Kochi police commissioner K Sethuraman said the accused P Xavier wrote the letter to implicate his estranged friend and neighbour, and he was arrested after the forensic examination. Commissioner Sethuraman said that they detained Xavier on Saturday night and recorded his arrest on Sunday after a detailed forensic examination of his handwriting. The letter, written in Malayalam in the name and address of one N K Jonny, was received two days ago at the BJP office in Thiruvananthapuram, which they handed over to the police. Also Read: Minister on letter threatening Modis Kerala visit: But the most surprising However, upon interrogation, Jonny denied any role in this and claimed that it must be the work of his neighbour Xavier who holds grudge against him. He wrote the letter to implicate his neighbour. The motive behind the move is personal enmity. We confirmed this with the help of forensic examination, the commissioner said. Meanwhile, police have begun an investigation into the leakage of the security drill during the PM visit after the details of the security drill, sent to selected high-ranking officials, were leaked to the media. The 49-page circular also contained details of intelligence input, deployment of police officers and alternate routes in case of any emergency ahead of the prime ministers visit. Subsequent to banning PFI [Popular Front of India], which has strong cadre strength, poses a serious security threat to the VVIP. Threats from other Muslim fundamentalist organisations, such as the PDP [Peoples Democratic Party] and Welfare Party is to be taken seriously. Other state labourers working in Kerala, especially from Maoist-affected and north-eastern states, are also posing as a threat, said the leaked police communique. The Union home ministry has expressed serious concern over the leak. Union minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan demanded action against officials who allegedly leaked details of the PMs security arrangements. He slammed the Kerala government and chief minister Pinaryi Vijayan, who holds the home portfolio, saying that the CM cannot evade responsibility for such a serious lapse. The report that should be dealt with utmost secrecy is now spreading as a forward message. It is a shame the state government could not even keep confidential matters and the CM cannot evade responsibility for such a serious lapse, he said. PM Modi is scheduled to arrive in Kochi on Monday evening, where he will hold a road show covering 1.8 km from Venduruthy Bridge to Sacred Heart College grounds. He will later address the youth conference Yuvam 23, according to state BJP leaders. In the evening, the PM will meet Christian leaders, including Syro-Malabar church head Cardinal George Alancherry in a hotel, they said. The PM will then arrive at the state capital on Tuesday and flag off the states first Vande Bharat Express from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod the 14th semi-high-speed train in the country. Also Read: PM Modi to dedicate Indias 1st Water Metro on April 25 - All you need to know Later on Tuesday, Modi will virtually inaugurate programmes, including Kochi Water Metro, Science Park, and highway projects and unveil south Indias tallest single-stone Lord Hanuman statue in Thrissur. Built at a cost of 12 crore, the statue was sculpted by master craftsman Subramanya Achary and Kalyan Jewellers bore the cost of gold plating. Police have made strict security arrangements in view of the PMs visit to the state. We will ensure foolproof security and enough police personnel will be deployed to the PMs security, said Thiruvananthapuram police commissioner C H Nagaraju. Meanwhile, to counter the PMs high-voltage trip, the Youth Congress and Democratic Youth Federation of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) youth outfit, have announced youth conclaves in Kochi and other district headquarters. Congress MP Manish Tewari heaped praise on senior party leader Rahul Gandhi after he vacated his official bungalow on Sunday and shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhis residence in the national capital. Tewari said that Rahul Gandhi has conducted himself with exemplary dignity and grace, a trait which, according to him, is lacking in today's political milieu. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi vacates his official bungalow at 12, Tughlaq Lane. @RahulGandhi has conducted himself with exemplary dignity & grace . A trait that is sadly missing in our political milieu today, the Lok Sabha member from Anandpur Sahib said. Tewari was part of the so-called G-23, a now largely defunct group of dissenting senior leaders within Congress critical of the party leadership and its functioning. In August 2020, they wrote a letter to then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, expressing their concerns about the party's state of affairs and calling for an overhaul of the party's leadership and decision-making processes. Tewari, however, later extended his support to Mallikarjun Kharge, instead of his fellow G-23 leader Shashi Tharoor, for the top party post. Rahul Gandhi vacated his official bungalow at 12, Tughlaq Lane almost a month after he was disqualified from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case. The former MP from Keralas Wayanad was first allotted the government bungalow after he won from Amethi in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. 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. 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, Gandhi said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Expressing concern over the leaked details of the security arrangements for the Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Kerala, Union minister V Muraleedharan on Sunday said he found the silence of the state government most surprising after the BJP office received a threatening letter against the top leader's scheduled visit. Muraleedharan, minister of state for external affairs, questioned the alleged lack of action against the sender saying the person responsible should have been identified within 24 hours. BJP leader and minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan. It's surprising that the details of the security arrangements that were proposed to be organised for the PM got leaked into the media and WhatsApp groups of thousands of people. But the most surprising thing is the silence that is maintained by the Kerala govt. Within 24 hrs the person responsible should have been identified, but no action being taken, ANI quoted the minister as saying. 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 sender threatened a suicide attack during Modi's visit to Kochi scheduled for April 24. 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 has been tightened, and central agencies have sought details regarding the threatening letter. The Additional Director General of Police had also issued a security drill letter, which was leaked to the media. The 49-page report gives details of the names of the officials on duty, their roles, and the detailed programme chart of the Prime Minister among other matters. "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. 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. (With ANI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amit Shah reacts to Satyapal Malik's Pulwama claims: 'If this is true' Responding to former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik's allegations against the Centre for its handling of the situation after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed, Union home minister Amit Shah asked why Malik didn't speak up when he was at the administration, questioning the credibility of his claims. Read More Home Minister Amit Shah(HT File Photo) US embassy staff evacuated from war-torn Sudan, says country's RSF Sudan's Rapid Support Forces said Sunday it had "coordinated with" American troops to evacuate Washington's embassy in the country, where fighting between the paramilitary group and the army entered a second week following a brief lull. Read More Aamir Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Katrina Kaif, Salman Khan attend Arpita Khan and Aayush Sharma's Eid party. See pics Salman Khan's sister Arpita Khan and his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma hosted a party on the occasion of Eid in Mumbai. Many celebrities including Aamir Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Katrina Kaif, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Kartik Aaryan, and Shehnaz Gill among others attended the bash. Read More 12 signs of a healthy partner you should look for in a relationship Having a healthy partner is essential for a happy and fulfilling relationship. When both partners are emotionally and mentally healthy, they can work together to build a strong and supportive partnership. Read More Watch: Arshdeep shatters stumps worth 24 lakh twice during insane last-over brilliance to deny MI a comeback win Given how high-scoring IPL 2023 has been where no total, even those above 200, has been safe, hence making the last over of a chase all the more important. Yash Dayal of Gujarat Titans had hit low when he was smashed for five straight sixes in that Rinku Singh onslaught while Sandeep Sharma of Rajasthan Royals had held his nerves against the legendary MS Dhoni to emerge as the hero. Read More SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode on Sunday dismissed reports claiming radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh was forced to surrender and said police would have not allowed Waris Punjab De chief to address a gathering if they knew he was at the gurdwara in Rode village of the Moga district. Narrating the sequence leading up to Amritpal's arrest, Jasbir Singh Rode revealed that he was informed by the police about Amritpal's intention to surrender and arrived at the location prior to his surrender. Fugitive Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh has been arrested after a massive manhunt that lasted more than a month, Indian police said on April 23.(AFP) After paying obeisance and reciting Paath went to gurdwara where he addressed the Sangat (gathering). He explained the reasons for being late in surrender and also thanked people who helped him, including providing him with stays, Rode said. "He (Amritpal) went outside of the gurdwara and surrendered before the police. The reports that Amritpal was arrested or forced to surrender are false. Police would not have allowed him to address a gathering if they knew he was here, he added. Amritpal had been evading arrest since the police crackdown on his organization Waris Punjab De on March 18 after giving a slip to the police in the Jalandhar district. Since then, he has appeared in two videos and an audio clip that was widely circulated on social media. In the most recent video, the Khalistan sympathizer asserted that he was not a fugitive and would soon present himself to the world. In the audio clip, he dismissed the reports claiming he was negotiating his surrender and called upon the Akal Takht for the second time to summon a Sarbat Khalsa congregation to discuss issues related to the Sikh community. Punjab inspector general Sukhchain Singh Gill, however, told a press conference that police executed the arrest warrant under the national security act after creating relentless pressure on Amritpal Singh. Gill said police had credible information that Amritpal was in Rode, based on which they surrounded the village. Amritpal was arrested after concrete operational information. We had located him in Rode village after intelligence inputs and this village was surrounded by Punjab Police teams. As he knew that he was left with no option, he came outside the Gurudwara and we arrested him. He was arrested and hasnt surrendered, he said. Gill said that police didnt go storm the Gurudwara following the sanctity of the place of worship. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hours after 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh was arrested, Congress on Sunday posed six questions to the Centre and the Punjab government on various angles related to the case. Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala questioned about Amritpal's escape and location over the past 36 days. He also asked if the radical preacher had a connection with the Centre or the state government. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala (PTI Photo) The list of questions included: Who helped the anti-India propagandist and supporter of terrorists, Amritpal Singh escape in the first instance? Where was Amrtipal Singh hidden all these days? Who gave him shelter? Where did he stay- are all these forces not anti-India? Who are the accomplices of Amritpal and why NIA, CBI, and Punjab police are not disclosing the details? Which foreign powers in Pakistan or elsewhere are supporting him and why is the government not coming out in the open with it? What action will it take? Who are the co-conspirators of Amritpal operating from inside and outside India? What action will the government take? Does Amritpal have a connection with somebody in the Centre or the state government?" I leave you (reporters) with these 6 questions to ask the Modi government and Amit Shah, Surjewala concluded. Amritpal Singh was arrested from Moga's Rhode village in Punjab on early Sunday morning, the Punjab Police said. Singh has been taken to Assam's Dibrugarh jail where other members of his outfit are already lodged. Meanwhile, the Punjab police made it clear that Singh was arrested, and that he did not surrender. The police had credible information that Amritpal was in Rode. When Amritpal was left with no option, he was arrested Police didnt go inside the Gurudwara following maryada (limitations) of the Gurdwara, Inspector General of Police (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said while addressing the media. Bullets were found at the spot in Bhimber Gali in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch where five soldiers lost their lives in the terror attack on April 20. Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi inspects the Poonch terror attack incident site in which 5 army personnel lost their lives.(ANI) The Rajouri-Poonch Highway from the Surankot side was opened. Earlier on Friday, the Indian Army launched a massive operation to hunt down a group of around six to seven terrorists who are behind this attack. "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," defence sources told ANI. Sources said that this group was involved in the ambush of the Indian Army vehicle yesterday in the Poonch sector where five soldiers were killed. As a follow up the Indian Army has launched multiple operations to nab the terror group. "Multiple special forces teams along with drones and surveillance helicopters have been rushed to the area to help carry out search and destroy ops there," the sources said. The security forces including the Army, Police and Intelligence Agencies are coordinating the operations. As per the sources, the terrorists are suspected to be from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and from Pakistan. The deceased soldiers were identified as havildar Mandeep Singh, lance naik Debashish Baswal, lance naik Kulwant Singh, sepoy Harkrishan Singh and Sepoy Sewak Singh were attached with the army's Rashtriya Rifles unit and were deployed for counterterrorist operations in the area. The incident occurred after an Army vehicle they were travelling in was fired upon by terrorists in the Rajouri sector in Jammu leading to the death of five soldiers, and injuring another. Operations were launched to trace the perpetrators. The Army vehicle was moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in the Poonch district. Pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh, who started his controversial journey 206 days ago from the Rode village of Moga district with a Dastar Bandi ceremony to take over as chief of Waris Punjab De, was back at the same village for the climax of his dramatic 37-day chase by Punjab police. Sikh separatist leader and head of Waris Punjab De, or Punjab's Heirs, Amritpal Singh, canter in yellow turban outside a house with his supporters.(AP) Rode village, which remained a hotbed of radical activities during militancy, holds a strong significance for Sikh radicals as it is the birthplace of slain pro-Khalistan ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Nearly 39 years after Operation Blue Star, in which Bhindranwale was killed, Rode has shot into the limelight for the second time within seven months after Punjab Police arrested Singh from Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sant Khalsa on Sunday. Read | Who is Amritpal Singh? 5 facts about pro-Khalistani leader On September 29, Rode made headlines when Dubai-returned Singh, dressed up like Bhindwanwale, took over as the chief of Waris Punjab De at the same gurdwara. The ceremony was attended by Bhindranwales family, including his nephew Jasbir Singh Rode, and other supporters. Jasbir Singh Rode was present in the village on Sunday, claiming that Singh surrendered and was not arrested. After Singh evaded Punjab police, it was anticipated by intelligence agencies that he might surrender at a gurdwara, which has importance to Sikhs, in an attempt to garner support. Punjab Police had remained on high alert during the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Diwas, the birth anniversary of Khalsa, and Baisakhi, a festival celebrated across Punjab. There was heavy police deployment during this period around the three takhts at Amritsar (Akal Takht, Golden temple complex), Talwandi Sabo (Damdama Sahib) and Anandpur Sahib (Keshgarh Sahib). Singh managed to reach a gurdwara with significance to Sikhs before his arrest amid counterclaims of his surrender. I have no fear of arrest earlier nor now. A number of innocent youngsters have been put in jails, I am not a person who will run away when my supporters are in trouble. Despite having options to go to other countries, I have decided to surrender at the place from where it all started, Singh said in a video message recorded before his arrest. My Dastar Bandi was done at this gurdwara, which is built at the birthplace of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, he said. After taking the blessings of the Guru, I will court arrest. I appeal to the people to do ardas (prayers) and continue the fight. Although with the passage of time, the political sentiment for Khalistan hardly resonates with the Sikhs in present day Punjab, the people of Rode and surrounding villages in Moga district still idolise Bhindranwale. Since the rise of Amritpal Singh, a number of people from the Moga district joined him. The district became the venue of crucial meetings and congregations of Waris Punjab De. Out of the 10 supporters of Singh detained under the National Security Act and lodged in Dibrugarh jail of Assam, four belong to Moga district. Pakistan-based International Sikh Youth Federation chief Lakhbir Singh Rode, who is another nephew of Bhindranwale, also belongs to Rode village. The Indian government has declared him a terrorist. Militant Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, former chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force who allegedly murdered several policemen after his grandfather was slain during extrajudicial killings in 1984, also belonged to Mogas Buddh Singh Wala village. Wanted in several cases of murder, Budhsinghwala was killed in a shootout with police in 1992. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON AMRITSAR: A sense of peace and calm prevailed in Jallupur Khera village, around 40km from Amritsar, the native place of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, on Sunday after his arrest in Moga district, with his family saying it was a relief for them to know about his whereabouts. Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh being brought to Dibrugarh Central Jail following his arrest from Punjab's Moga, in Dibrugarh on Sunday. (PTI) Tarsem Singh, the father of the pro-Khalistan preacher, said he was concerned about his sons Sikh identity amid reports about his changed appearance. We were not as concerned about his life as about his Sikhi Saroop. We were not aware of his whereabouts. So, we feared he may lose his Sikhi Saroop, said Tarsem Singh. Singh said his family was happy to see that Amritpal had not changed his appearance when a video was released, purportedly shot at a gurdwara in Rode village of Moga district before the arrest. Villagers claimed Amritpal surrendered wilfully after addressing the morning congregation at the gurdwara even as police maintained that the preacher had no choice because he was surrounded by cops from all sides. We will go to Dibrugarh jail in Assam to meet him, Amritpals father said. He (Amritpal) was fighting against drugs and carrying out dharm prachar (propagating religious teachings), for which false cases were slapped against him. In such a situation, it was certain for him to surface one day to face such cases. This is part of the battle. Amritpals mother Balwinder Kaur said, I am very proud of my son. He is a warrior, that is why the police couldnt arrest him. My son has offered his arrest voluntarily irrespective of what is being presented by the police. An elderly resident of the Jallupur Khera village defended Amritpal, saying he did not commit any crime. The government is not treating him fairly. He did not commit any crime. He just inspired the youth to quit drugs, said Kulwant Singh, 60. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pro-Khalistan preacher and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, who was shifted to the central jail in Assams Dibrugarh following his arrest in Punjabs Moga district on Sunday, has been kept in a separately located cell from the one where his nine associates were lodged in, prison officials aware of the details said. Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan leader was arrested on Sunday (File Photo)(HT_PRINT) Singh, who has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA), will not be allowed to interact with the nine other accused, who are his aides and relatives, from Punjab who have been lodged in the same jail following their arrests over the past four weeks, said an official from the Dibrugarh central jail, requesting anonymity. Of around 420 inmates in the jail, only 10 prisoners, including Amritpal Singh, are the only ones booked under the NSA, the official said. They are also the only residents of Punjab lodged in this jail. Also read | Amritpals arrest puts spotlight back on Bhindranwales village Outside the central jail, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel continue to guard the gates and were keeping an eye on a possible gathering of protesters. The paramilitary force personnel were brought in last month after the first batch of the NSA detainees were shifted to Dibrugarh from Punjab. The cell is the same where we earlier kept prisoners who were booked under the NSA Act such as the operatives of the banned ULFA [United Liberation Front of Asom an armed separatist outfit]. Cameras are placed in such a way that officials can virtually monitor any person going to the cell where [Amritpal] Singh is lodged, said the jail official. Apart from this, a warden is present round-the-clock in the row of cell, where he is lodged. Read | We are relieved to know about his whereabouts: Amritpals family Earlier, hours after his arrest on Sunday morning from Rode village in Moga district by the Punjab Police, the Waris Punjab De chief was shifted to the northeastern state amid high security. Singh arrived at Mohanbari airport in Dibrugarh and has been shifted to the central jail. Security arrangements in and around the jail had already been beefed up, said Dibrugarh superintendent of police Shwetank Mishra. When the pro-Khalistan preacher was escorted to the Diburgarh jail, the entire route from the airport to the prison was sanitised by the police, Mishra said. A special Indian Air Force (IAF) plane carrying Singh, who was accompanied by Punjab Police officers, from Amritsar reached Mohanbari airport around 2.20 pm. From there, he was taken to Dibrugarh jail under tight security in a convoy of vehicles. Commandos were also part of the polices convoy that transported Singh from the airport to the prison complex, the SP added. Following routine medical check-up, Amritpal Singh was kept in a solitary cell of the jail away from his associates. Till late on Sunday evening, Singh had not made any specific request and kept to himself in the cell, the jail official cited above said. For security reasons, Singh wont be allowed to step out for dinner and will be served dinner in the cell itself, the official added. The radical preacher will not be assigned any work as per the prison manual, which says that prisoners detained under the NSA will not be assigned any work. Prior to Singhs arrival, senior police and district officials took stock of security arrangements in the jail. Additional CCTV cameras were installed in the premises, which will be manned by both state and central police personnel. Since last month Dibrugarh jail has been housing nine associates of the Waris Punjab De chief. A close aide of Singh, Papalpreet Singh, who was arrested in Punjabs Hoshiyarpur on April 10, was the last one to have been brought to the jail. On March 19, the first batch of four prisoners, all aides of Amritpal Singh, were brought to Dibrugarh. Two days later, Singhs uncle Harjeet Singh and two others were brought to the jail. Later, Singhs gunman Varinder Johal was also shifted to the central jail. On Wednesday, five members of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) arrived in Dibrugarh and interacted with the nine jailed aides of Amritpal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Since mid-2022 Britain has been providing continuous intense, five-week, training courses for Ukrainian infantry. Ukraine sends the trainees to Poland where Britain flies them to British training facilities in Britain, and then back to Poland. Currently the Ukrainian ground forces are more than three times the size of Britains 153,000 strong army (including 37,000 reserves). Combat units in the British army include 62 infantry and tank battalions. Sixteen of the 47 infantry battalions are reservists while four of the 15 tank battalions are reservists. Normally Britain has far more training facilities than it needs. That is on purpose to provide training capacity for a wartime mobilization and rapid expansion in the number of combat troops. The 35-day training program worked for highly-motivated Ukrainian troops who know they have an edge when it comes to morale and determination to fight the Russian invaders. Ukraine currently has larger ground forces than Russia and keeps it that way by having their troops undergo more training than their Russian counterparts. This was the case during the August 2022 Ukrainian counteroffensive and will be even more so for the upcoming summer 2023 offensive. The British program has trained 60,000 Ukrainians so far. A new program, which quietly began in early 2023, has doubled the number of Ukrainians flown to Britain every five weeks. Britain obtained additional trainers from several NATO members plus Australia and New Zealand. The new training program has halted most field training for British troops and that will continue until the larger program for Ukrainian troops is no longer needed. Most of the training is for infantry but there are a few for helicopter crews and UAV operators. Most specialist training (for artillerymen, tank crews and air defense systems) takes place in Poland or other nearby NATO countries. For over a year the quality of Russian manpower inside Ukraine has declined, while the Ukrainians sought to train the many volunteers that joined the military once the invasion began. Even with losses from a years fighting, there are still over 500,000 of these volunteers. Most require training before they are up to the standards required for a successful offensive to push the remaining (under 200,000) Russian forces out. Even before the invasion, NATO had been assisting in training Ukrainian forces. This accelerated after 2014 and by the end of 2021 most of the Ukraines 200,000 active-duty troops were adequately trained, or at least better trained than most of the invading Russians. Ukrainian troops suffered heavy losses in the first six months of the war and had to be supplemented by partly-trained reserves and untrained volunteers. There was little formal training for volunteers in the first few months of the war. Weapons were distributed and training was often on-the-job. This became more effective as there were more trained troops. A few of these in a platoon (30-40 soldiers) made a big difference because the trained troops taught the new ones that needed it. Since late 2022 the Ukrainians have been on the defensive, which requires less skill and experience than attacking but does benefit from enthusiasm and steadfastness. Still, casualties were high, especially when the Russians were using a lot of artillery. Trained troops know to quickly disperse and dig in, not just in trenches and foxholes but also with sturdy overhead cover. The reaction of new, untrained and unwilling troops is to panic and fleet. Russian losses during these offensives were very high and gains were small. Part of the NATO support was offered to conduct training outside of Ukraine. This was most commonly done in Poland and Britain. There were language barriers and some of the training outside Ukraine was for new weapons systems. The Ukrainians proved to be quick learners and mastered technical skills in days that conventional military training programs spent weeks on. That urgency and motivation is what still propels Ukrainian volunteers but, for offensive warfare, a lot more skills must be acquired. To do that NATO nations are expanding their training programs and allocating some of those efforts to teach experienced volunteers how to operate basic and advanced military training inside Ukraine. This would involve shorter, more intense training programs that are possible if the trainees are eager to do it and do it well. Even with all this it still takes several weeks to turn an untrained volunteer into a trained soldier with some of the essential skills needed to carry out offensive operations that are not suicidal. In other words, showing the volunteers how to avoid fighting like Russians. Going on the offensive unprepared is not good for maintaining morale and enthusiasm. Two key elements of a successful offensive are competent staff and senior officers to plan and organize the offensive operations, and competent junior officers and senior NCOs in the combat units to carry out the plan effectively. Senior officers and planners Ukraine has, but there is a shortage of NCOs and lower ranking officers needed to lead platoon and company (three or four platoons) units. The infantry has always suffered most of the casualties and the number of casualties those are depends on the quality of training, leadership and support (artillery, intel on the enemy and good communications). The support is there but the major weakness continues to be training levels and shortages of NCOs and combat unit officers. Ukraine has also been quietly devoting a lot of resources to supporting armed underground resistance in Russian occupied territory. Ukraine already had an effective special operations force. These capabilities were demonstrated after 2014 when Ukrainian special operations were responsible for foiling Russian operations in Donbas. Work was already underway to carry out covert and sabotage missions in Russian-occupied territory but that was difficult because Ukraine was not actively trying to take back Crimea and Donbas until after Russia invaded all of Ukraine in 2022. It took about six months to recruit, train and organize attacks on Russian bases, Russian officials and Ukrainian collaborators. This lifts the morale of the Ukrainian troops preparing to go on the offensive. Even with active partisan and special operations forces attacks in occupied territory, the offensive operations will be carried out gradually until more trained units are available. This disappoints many Ukrainians, but less so the closer you get to the front lines. The troops understand but the general population continues to suffer from Russian attacks with missiles and unguided rockets on infrastructure and cities. The Russians do this on purpose because if they can damage civilian morale, it will have an impact on the outcome of battles. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said that those who disturb peace and harmony in the state will face the law as he commended the state police over the arrest of fugitive separatist leader Amritpal Singh. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann said he did not want any bloodshed during the operation and hailed the state police for their utmost restraint (Agencies) In a video message hours after Amritpals arrest, Mann said that his government doesnt practise vendetta politics and will not take action against the innocent. Today Amritpal Singh has been arrested. Those who will try to disturb peace and harmony and break the law of the country will face action as per law. We will not trouble any innocent person, he said. The CM said he did not want any bloodshed during the operation and hailed the state police for their utmost restraint. I did not sleep the whole night and I was in regular touch with senior officials over the phone every 15 minutes, half an hour to get information. I wanted that the entire thing [operation to arrest Amritpal] should be done in a peaceful manner, Mann said. He added that police might have arrested Amritpal on March 18, when the crackdown began, but bullets would have been fired We did not want any bloodshed. AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal welcomed the arrest and said: AAP is committed to maintaining peace and security in Punjab; we wont hesitate in taking tough decisions. The Opposition, however, targeted the state government over the operation, with former CM and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi calling it a drama. For the past month and a half, Punjab Police were cordoning off village after village to arrest Amritpal. On Sunday, Amritpal surrendered before police. Punjab government created the whole drama of arresting him from Rode village but the reality is completely opposite, said Channi. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the AAP government defamed the Sikh community by its handling of the situation. It is incumbent upon on the AAP government to explain why it had created a fear psychosis on this issue. The actions of the AAP government till now have only served to defame the Sikh community, besides communal tensions have also been deliberately inflamed, he said in a statement. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala took on both the state and central government, saying that many questions still remained unanswered. ...Who helped Amritpal escape in the first instance?... Where was Amritpal hiding? Who gave him shelter?... Why arent the Punjab police, CBI, and IB disclosing it, he said. Punjab Police arrested radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh on Sunday morning, ending a 37-day hunt that began after the 30-year-old dramatically escaped a massive police search party. 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh, who was on the run since March 18, addresses devotees in the Rodewala Gurudwara hours before his arrest by the Punjab Police, in Moga on Sunday. (ANI Photo) Singh, whose rise reignited concerns that the separatist Khalistani movement could find new footing, was arrested from Rode village of Moga district, where he was believed to have arrived the previous evening after being on the run for weeks. Police said Singh was left with no choice but to surrender after being surrounded, though other versions of the event appeared to suggest that he may have surfaced at the village, and in particular at a gurdwara, with the objective of giving himself up. Rode is the ancestral village of slain Khalistani ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale. Read | Those who try to disturb peace will face action: Punjab CM Mann Since Amritpal was inside the gurdwara, in keeping with the maryada (sanctity) of the place, police did not go inside and waited for him to come outside to arrest him. He was hardly left with any option as he knew that the entire village was surrounded by heavy police deployment, said Inspector General of Police (IGP headquarters), Sukhchain Singh Gill. Immediately after his arrest, Singh, who was detained under provisions of the National Security Act (NSA), was taken to the Bathinda Air Force Station, from where he was flown to the Dibrugarh jail in Assam, where NSA detainees linked with his Waris Punjab De outfit have been kept. Four videos appeared emerged after Singhs arrest, showing him offering prayers and addressing the morning congregation at the gurdwara before policemen in plain clothes took him away in a vehicle. I would have fled to any other country, but I did not do so and decided to surrender at the place from where I had started this mission of awakening Sikhs and helping addicts shun drugs after my Dastar Bandi (ritual of formally donning a turban) from this village. After taking blessings of the Guru, I will offer my arrest, Singh is seen as saying in one of the videos. The police, however, refuted the claim. The police created relentless pressure on Amritpal in the last 37 days. We have been chasing his each and every movement during this period. He was detained under NSA in a joint operation by the intelligence wing and Amritsar rural police. Surrender theories are false, the IGP said at a press conference. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that he knew about the operation since Saturday evening. I preferred not to sleep throughout the night to ensure that the operation goes smoothly without any bloodshed. I was taking updates of the operation every 15 minutes to half an hour, he said. In a video message in Hindi, the CM said that he would have arrested Amritpal and his aides on March 18 itself using force, but we didnt because we wanted this operation to be smooth and without harm to anyone. Taking a dig at Amritpal, Mann said, A few people tried to misguide the youth in order to get them to take up arms, but that agenda has been defeated by Punjabis, who have seen dark days before. Punjab Police have been on a high alert since Singh escaped on March 18. The crackdown on Waris Punjab De chief was launched about three weeks after his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala near Amritsar to secure the release of an arrested associate. Apart from NSA, Singh and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. With Singhs arrest, the total number of people arrested under NSA reached 10. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested from the ancestral village of Khalistani leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the Moga district, 37 days after Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for the Waris Punjab De chief. Singh had been on the run since a police crackdown on his group on March 18, during which he evaded capture in the Jalandhar district. Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh.(ANI / File) Since then, several of his associates and supporters have been arrested and sent to Assam's Dibrugarh Central Jail. Amritpal Singh has appeared in two videos and an audio clip on social media in the days leading up to his arrest, asserting that he was not a fugitive and urging the Akal Takht to summon a "sarbat khalsa" congregation to discuss issues related to the Sikh community. Singh and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel, and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Here's a timeline of the events leading to Amritpal's arrest: September 29, 2021: Sandeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Deep Sidhu starts Waris Punjab De as a pressure group to fight for the rights of Punjab and protect its culture February 15, 2022: Deep Sidhu, who shot into the national limelight during farm protests, killed in a road accident September 29, 2022: Amritpal Singh appointed 'Waris Punjab De' chief by his supporters months after Deep Sidhu's death February 16, 2023: FIR registered against Amritpal Singh and Lovepreet Singh, alias Toofan, in Ajnala, for allegedly kidnapping, thrashing, and attempting to murder February 17, 2023: Toofan arrested by the Ajnala Police February 23, 2023: Amritpal and his supporters storm Ajnala Police Station and lay siege to pressurise cops to release Toofan. Under pressure, the police agree to release his aide Toofan. February 24, 2023: Toofan released from the judicial custody. Police secretly register an FIR under attempt to murder, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty. February 25, 2023: DGP chairs a meeting of senior officials and discusses possibilities of action against Amritpal and his aides. The plan was also discussed with the chief minister. March 2, 2023: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann along with DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav meets Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. A foolproof plan to act against Waris Punjab De Chief and his aides was given a go-ahead by the home minister. Shah also assures Mann of every possible help from the Centre, including sending Central Armed Forces. March 17, 2023: As the G-20 meeting concludes in Amritsar, senior police officials are directed to implement a state-wide crackdown against Amritpal and his aides. March 18, 2023: Police teams of more than eight districts start chasing a cavalcade of Amritpal from his native district Amritsar to Bathinda. The cavalcade was intercepted at Mehatpur of Jalandhar district and seven aides of Amritpal were apprehended. However, Amritpal manages to give a slip. On the same day, the four of his supporters are airlifted to Dibrugarh Central Jail of Assam, after the Punjab government invokes National Security Act against them. March 19, 2023: The manhunt enters the second day and police arrested 34 more persons. March 20, 2023: Amritpals uncle, identified as Harjit Singh, and his driver surrenders in the wee hours in Shahkot of Jalandhar. Harjit was also booked under NSA and airlifted to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam. March 28, 2023: Amritpal spotted in the Hoshiarpur district along with his friend Pappalpreet Singh but again managed to give the police a slip. April 10, 2023: Pappalpreet arrested from Amritsar district by Punjab Police. April 23, 2023: Amritpal, already booked under NSA, arrested from Rode village in Moga district. He is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh Central Jail of Assam. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday offered obeisance to 12th-century poet and social reformer Basavanna at Kudala Sangama in Bagalkote on his birth anniversary, which is being seen as an effort by the party to boost its Lingayat outreach ahead of the assembly polls in the state. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Sangamanatha Temple and Aikya Linga, in Kudalasangama. (PTI) On the occasion of Basava Jayanti, the Congress leader in his first public meeting after vacating his bungalow in the national capital remembered with gratitude Basavanna for laying the foundation for democracy and rights in the country. Basavanna did not leave the path of truth throughout his life and spoke truth without any fear. It is not easy to speak the truth before society. Despite threats, Basavanna did not deviate from the path of truth and questioned bad practices in the society, so he is respected till today, Gandhi said. Kudala Sangama, situated at the confluence of the Krishna and Malaprabha rivers in Bagalakote district, is a pilgrim centre. It is the site of the Aikya Mantapa, or the holy samadhi of Basaveshwara, popularly known as Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat sect, along with a linga, which is believed to be self-born. On his arrival in Hubballi from Delhi, the former Congress president travelled to Kudala Sangama by helicopter for the visit to Sangamanatha temple and of the Aikya Linga. Accompanied by Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, state Congress campaign committee chief M B Patil and other leaders, Gandhi later participated in the Basava Jayanti celebrations. Seers from several Lingayat mutts were present on the occasion. Today we are paying floral tribute to him (Basavanna). But when he was alive, he would have been attacked. But he didnt step back from the path of truth. This is why we paid floral tribute to him. We dont give floral tribute to those who dont raise questions, speak against the injustice of society, Gandhi said. Gandhis visit is seen as an attempt by the Congress to bolster the Lingayat outreach ahead of the May 10 assembly polls in the state. Lingayats are a dominant community constituting about 17% of the states population, largely seen as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys vote bank. In Hubballi, Gandhi also met former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who recently joined the party after being denied a ticket by the BJP in the elections. Shettar was one of the prominent Lingayat leaders in the BJP alongside former chief minister BS Yediyurappa. Shettars resignation is likely to have ripple effects in his home town of Hubbali-Dharwad, a politically significant region in the state, experts said. The loss another Lingayat heavyweight, Laxman Savadi, to the Congress, could pose a challenge for the ruling BJP. Gandhi also held a massive roadshow in Vijayapura on Sunday, waving at a large, enthusiastic crowd that had lined up on both sides of the route. The Congress leader once again raked up the Adani issue to attack the Narendra Modi government. He called BJP government the most corrupt in the country, which takes a minimum of 40% commission for any work to be done. The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi talk about Basavanna, but dont act according to his ideals. Basavanna said help the downtrodden, not the big industrialists. Ive read his teachings. He has never written that the countrys wealth be given to Adani, Gandhi said. I asked in Parliament about PM Modis relationship with Adani. The countrys huge wealth is going to him. First, they turned off my mike, and then erased my speech from the records. Finally, they removed me from the Lok Sabha. They think truth can only be spoken in Lok Sabha, but it can be said anywhere, he said. Meanwhile, BY Vijayendra, BJPs candidate from Shikaripura constituency in Shivamogga district and son of Yediyurappa, hit out at Gandhi on Sunday for seeking the support of Lingayats only during elections. Asking the Congress leader a series of questions, Vijayendra said unless Gandhis visit is to repent for past misdeeds, his hypocrisy is well known. What is with Congress & its new unfound love & respect for Lingayats during elections? Where was this affection when Veerendra Patil or Nijalingappa were humiliated in past? Did you conveniently forget Anna Basavanna & his teachings while trying to divide Veerashaiva Lingayats? Vijayendra tweeted. Congress under Veerendra Patil had won with a huge majority of 178 seats in 1989 elections. But the arrogance & disdain of Cong leadership towards a hugely popular Lingayat CM cost them dearly & rightfully relegated to negligence in subsequent elections. Congress is fighting for survival & hanging by a thin thread in the state of Karnataka. They seemed to have lost all hope in 2023 & hence desperately trying all dubious methods, he further said in his tweets. The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress have been involved in a war of words over naming a Lingayat chief minister in the state. On Saturday, opposition leader Siddaramaiah accused Bommai, also a Lingayat, as the root of all the corruption in the state. The BJP was quick to respond, and accused Siddaramaiah of insulting the entire Lingayat community. However, Siddaramaiah later clarified that his comment was aimed only at the chief minister. Polling will be held in Karnataka on May 10 to elect a new assembly, the counting of which will be done on May 13. (With inputs from agencies) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said India believes in serving its religious duties and does not want to be an authoritative nation like the US, Russia or China. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat (File Photo) India believes in serving others and this tradition has been followed since the Vedas. Our country is developing to be a righteous nation and governing its religious duties as it paves its way to being a developed nation, he said during his address at the Ved Sanskrit Gyan Gaurav Samaroh on Sunday. He said that the developed nations exercise their power over other countries like when the Soviet was in power, it was overthrown by the US. Now China is positioning itself to overpower the US, whereas, the US and Russia are using Ukraine as a pawn, Bhagwat added. He said that India has always supported other nations in need of help irrespective of its relation with the country. India just wants to help Ukraine. This is our nation, said the RSS chief. Praising Indias foreign policy, Bhagwat said that earlier India could not take its stand in this manner. Citing the example of how India helped Sri Lanka during its economic crisis, Bhagwat said, Sri Lanka used to always side with China or Pakistan and always kept India away from their internal affairs but when it was in danger, only India came to its rescue as we will never take advantage of any countrys situation. He said India is now moving forward with its religious belief and the country fighting for religion will not take advantage of any other country. Issuing cryptic a statement over the advancement of technology, Bhagwat said, Science disregards religion. People fear that tomorrow Artificial Intelligence (AI) will take over the human race and we will become nonexistent. Science even considers humans as biological animals, but not religion. Chennai TN opposition parties demand independent probe into ministers audio clip case. (HT) Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu on Sunday demanded an independent probe into a purported audio clip which they accuse is the voice of the state finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, a day after he said it was a fabrication. A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party will meet Governor R N Ravi, seeking a demand for a forensic audit of the 26-second audio clip, state party president K Annamalai said. The audio clip had a male voice saying chief minister M K Stalins son Udhayanidhi Stalin and son-in-law Sabareesan have amassed 30,000 crore in one year. Three days after the clip was shared on social media, Rajan on Saturday issued a two-page statement and two images as evidence to show that it was fabricated. Publicly available technical analysis of the clip clearly shows that it is not authentic, the state finance minister said. I want to reiterate that whatever I am and whatever I have done in public life is all because of my leader M K Stalin. No malicious attempts to divide us will succeed. How can he declare it himself that it is fabricated? This has to be probed if its true or false, Edappadi Palaniswami, general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and leader of the opposition, told media persons in Madurai on Sunday. We will press for the central government to investigate this. This is the voice of the finance minister saying that there has been a corruption of 30,000 crore. It is not a simple issue, Palaniswami said. We will take this up with the governor. If its true, action has to be taken. The finance minister in his statement had said that he would continue to ignore slander, but if it crosses a threshold, he would be forced to take legal action. Annamalai on Sunday challenged the finance minister to use his voice and produce a similar audio clip. We shall submit both audio samples to a court monitored investigation and let the investigation agency ascertain the genuine nature of both audio clips, the BJP leader said. I will submit my voice samples, and we expect the minister will also do the same. The controversy over the audio clip comes close on the heels of Annamalai releasing the first of a two-part alleged expose named DMK Files on April 14 in which he has accused Stalin, his family members and senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders of corruption. The DMK has sent him a legal notice, seeking 500 crore in damages. Subsequently, leaders whom Annamalai accused have individually sent him legal notices, Udhayanidhi on Wednesday and parliamentary party leader T R Baalu on Thursday. Ahmedabad: The two workers, identified as Gopal Padhar (24) and Bijal Padhar (32), fell unconscious after entering the sewage pipeline. (Representative photo) Two sanitation workers who had gone down a manhole to clean sludge in Dholka town of Ahmedabad district, Gujarat, died due to suffocation, police said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday evening. The two workers, identified as Gopal Padhar (24) and Bijal Padhar (32), fell unconscious after entering the sewage pipeline. They were rushed to a hospital where doctors declared them dead, said an officer at Dholka police station. A first information report was registered at the police station against contractors Ashiq Thakor and Jagdish Thakor under Indian Penal Code section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), as well as under relevant provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the officer said, declining to be named. The Gujarat government recently informed the legislative assembly that 11 sanitation workers died of asphyxiation while cleaning drains in different parts of the state in the past two years. On April 6, three sanitation workers died in Dahej town of Bharuch district in a similar incident. Hiren Banker, spokesperson of the Gujarat Congress pradesh committee, wrote to the National Human Rights Commission on April 23 following the recent deaths. The two sanitation workers were forced to enter a sewer without any protective gear that led to their deaths, according to Banker. Despite the illegality of this practice and the existence of laws to prohibit it, manual scavenging continues to claim lives of countless sanitation workers across the country, he wrote in the letter to the commission. In the last three decades, government statistics data show that Gujarat stood second in death of sanitation workers in the country, Banker said. The NHRC has a vital role to play in this regard and I urge you to take immediate action to address this issue. In Gujarat and in other states, there has been a significant rise in the number of deaths due to manual scavenging in recent years, he said in the letter. It is unacceptable that people are forced to engage in such hazardous and degrading work and that their lives are put at risk every day. Union minister Ashwini Choubey on Saturday condemned slogans glorifying slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and such people should be shot at sight. Choubey's statement was in response to an incident in which a man at a Friday prayer congregation in Patna district raised slogans in support of Atiq and against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Junior environment minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey. (PTI) "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 the report, Choubey said, The incident is regrettable, and it is unfortunate that such statements and slogans are being made in Bihar. Such people should be immediately shot at sight. Atiq Ahmad 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 checkup. Atiq was accused of the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005 and the killing of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the BSP leader's murder, in February this year. Hitting out at the slogans raised against Adityanath and 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." Criticising the Bihar government, the minister added, We need the 'Yogi' model in Bihar in which criminals like terrorism mafia are not spared. "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." (With ANI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Uttar Pradesh minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dharmpal Singh on Sunday claimed the Opposition's involvement in the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad. Singh alleged that Ahmed was going to reveal many secrets after his arrest, which led to his killing. Moments before mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead outside a Prayagraj hospital. Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were killed last week while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj. Atiq was accused of the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005 and the killing of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the BSP leader's murder, in February this year. "The truth is that the opposition is involved in getting Atiq killed. Some serious secrets were about to be revealed, that's why the opposition got him murdered," said Singh, the state animal husbandry and dairy development minister, who arrived here on Friday to attend the BJP workers' conference for the Chandausi civic polls. Three men posing as journalists opened fire at Atiq and Ashraf outside a hospital in Prayagraj while they were speaking to the mediapersons. The shooters were soon taken into police custody and were later identified as Lovelesh Tiwari, Sunny Singh, and Arun Maurya. Earlier on Thursday, a Judicial Committee constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government visited Prayagraj, while the Special Investigation Team recreated the crime scene where Atiq and his brother were shot dead. The police team reached the hotel where Atiq's killers had stayed before the murder for further investigation. The SIT team has detained three friends of Lovelesh Tiwari in Uttar Pradesh's Banda. The police said that the SIT team has also reached Hamirpur and Kasganj to conduct further investigation into the matter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested from Punjab's Moga on Sunday, the police said. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan leader wanted by Punjab Police. (HT File Photo)(HT_PRINT) Sources said Amritpal Singh has been arrested under the National Security Act (NSA). The Punjab Police has already invoked the stringent NSA against the Khalistan sympathiser. The police on March 18 had launched a major crackdown against Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. Amritpal and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, attacking police personnel, and creating obstructions in public servants' lawful discharge of duty. He has, however, appeared in two purported videos and an audio clip released on social media in the past three days. In the latest video, the Khalistan sympathiser asserted he was not a fugitive and would soon appear before the world. In the audio clip, he debunked speculation he was negotiating his surrender and nudged the Akal Takht for the second time to summon a sarbat khalsa congregation to discuss issues related to the Sikh community. The hunt to arrest Amritpal Singh was launched in Hoshiarpur March 28 following inputs the radical preacher and his aides could be there. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Last weeks record breaker of a rainstorm had one more unexpected victim: That eight-story concrete behemoth we call Fort Lauderdale City Hall. Not even the commission has been allowed back inside. A gray bunker of a building that was birthed in the 1960s, City Hall has been closed since the storm hit on April 12. The building sustained such extensive damage, it will likely never reopen, city officials say. That means Fort Lauderdale City Hall is on the hunt for temporary offices until the building can be demolished and a new home built. City Hall is on life support, City Manager Greg Chavarria told commissioners Tuesday during a virtual meeting held on Zoom. The large and lumbering building at 100 North Andrews Ave. in downtown Fort Lauderdale was never in danger of coming down. But floodwaters infiltrated from above and below, leaving the building without power, Chavarria said. Rainwater from the roof drained down into the building. In the basement, floodwaters reached 8 feet, destroying the mechanical and electrical equipment that keep the building running. Each and every air handler was ruined along with the vital network of electrical panels placed throughout the building. Keeping the building operating over the next six months will cost taxpayers a staggering $50 million or $175,000 per day, according to estimates by the citys experts. It takes 150 gallons of diesel per hour to [use generators to] power the building with electricity, Chavarria told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. You can imagine the cost. Fort Lauderdale City Hall, shown on Wednesday, has been closed since a record-breaking storm dumped 26 inches of rain on the city on April 12. What a disaster During Tuesday afternoons commission conference meeting, Chavarria played a short video showing the damage to the building. If kept open, it would require mold mitigation throughout, a costly venture. What a disaster, Mayor Dean Trantalis said as soon as the video ended. Spending millions on a building that city leaders had already planned to replace is out of the question, the mayor said. Wed be better off moving to another building, he added. We clearly cant stay in the building and operate at $175,000 a day. Commissioner John Herbst quickly agreed. He suggested moving to a temporary home at 1515 West Cypress Creek Road, where a mostly unoccupied three-story Kaplan University Learning Center was move-in ready with ample space. We could have access to this within 30 days, Herbst said. Were going to have to demolish City Hall. Lets just condemn the building, knock it down. Then we can move forward with how were going to get a new City Hall built. Trantalis asked staff to research other sites, including those downtown. The entire commission agreed that it makes more sense to knock down the building and move to temporary offices until a new City Hall can be built. Fort Lauderdale City Hall remained closed on Wednesday. A bad rainstorm hit on April 12, flooding the basement and knocking out key mechanical and electrical equipment. Architectural gem Leann Barber, president of Flagler Village Civic Association, was watching the meeting online but, like many, was not able to speak. On Friday, she told the Sun Sentinel the commission was too quick in making its decision to knock down City Hall. If you demolish it youre destroying a lot of value, she said. Its a mid-century architectural gem. Solidly built. All concrete. I think it has its own beauty. It might still be fit for something else. No formal vote on the demolition of City Hall was taken, but one will come later, the mayor said. Barber and other critics complained about the public not getting a chance to comment. Residents will get the chance to give feedback in due time, Trantalis said. Barber suggested the city get estimates on what it would cost to fix City Hall and what it would cost to build a new one. Thats what you would do if it was your house, she said. You wouldnt just bring the bulldozer in. I dont think you should just wave your hands and say, Were going to demolish it. It just seems a little too rushed. Theres no reason to be rushing. But the city no longer has the luxury of time, Herbst says. Fort Lauderdale City Hall, shown on Wednesday, was flooded by last weeks rainstorm. Commissioners now say they want to demolish the building and build a new City Hall. Not another bulky box, please More than five years ago, Fort Lauderdale and Broward County started a serious discussion about building a joint government complex downtown. But the estimated cost ballooned to nearly $1 billion late last year, with Fort Lauderdales portion approaching $400 million. Any chance of a deal blew up last October when Fort Lauderdale commissioners said they were no longer interested. We can build our own City Hall for millions less, they said at the time. Herbst, who spent 16 years as the city auditor before being elected to the commission last November, says the storm only accelerated the timeline for building a new City Hall. He, for one, wont be sad to see the building torn down. Nothing works in it, he said. Weve got mold problems. The air-conditioner system is hit or miss. And the elevators break down on a regular basis. Nobody is sad about leaving City Hall. Its a very unattractive building to look at. The new City Hall should be efficient and cost-effective, Herbst said. What about stunning? Im not an advocate of designing iconic buildings on public dollars, he said. It doesnt have to be ugly, but we dont have to be on the cover of Architectural Digest. The mayor and Commissioner Steve Glassman disagree. Both say they envision an iconic tower that would showcase Fort Lauderdale as a city of the future. I dont want to see another box as our City Hall, Glassman said. I think wed look to do something a bit more bold and more reflective of the time we find ourselves in. Were a grown-up city. Were a different city now than we were in the mid-1960s. And City Hall has to reflect that. Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @Susannah_Bryan Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Saturday hit out at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar over his comment on working with former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. Patole questioned why Pawar took oath as a minister if he was unhappy during Chavan's regime in the state. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole (Photo by Santosh Kumar / Hindustan Times) Ajit Pawar was in the government led by Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan from 2010 to 2014. Why did he take the oath as a minister if he was helpless? Prithviraj Chavan is our leader and it is not expected that Ajit Pawar will say this about him. If he was unhappy in the Congress-NCP government, he should have left that time itself, Patole told the media, reported news agency PTI. On Friday, the NCP leader during an interview with a media group said that he worked happily with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray when he was the CM, but working with Chavan was not by choice but as per the directions of seniors. Also read: Pawar hardens stand against BJP Meanwhile, on Pawar's CM ambition, Patole said,"If Ajit Pawar has a majority of 145 MLAs (out of 288 in Maharashtra Assembly), then he must become the chief minister." Responding to a question of whether he aspires to become the chief minister in the assembly elections next year, Pawar said, Yes, I would 100% like to be (chief minister). He added that his party is ready to stake claim to the Maharashtra CMs post at any point of time instead of waiting for the 2024 general elections. Notably, Ajit Pawar served as the deputy CM from November 2010 to September 2014 when Prithviraj Chavan was chief minister. Later in 2019, Pawar supported the BJP and was sworn in as the deputy chief minister with Devendra Fadnavis being the chief minister. After the Congress, NCP, and then-Shiv Sena came together to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi to rule the state, Ajit Pawar retained the deputy CM position. (With inputs from PTI) Basava Jayanti is a Hindu festival that commemorates the birth anniversary of Basavanna, a renowned 12th-century philosopher, poet, and social reformer. He is widely regarded as the founder of the Lingayat religion and is known for his teachings on social equality, human rights, and the rejection of the caste system. Basava Jayanti is celebrated primarily in the Indian states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, where Basavanna's influence was most significant. The festival is marked by various rituals and festivities, including the reading of Basavanna's vachanas (poems), processions, and special prayers. The celebration is a time to honour Basavanna's contributions to Indian society and to reflect on his teachings on the importance of social justice and equality. Basava Jayanti is celebrated primarily in the Indian states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, where Basavanna's influence was most significant.(Pinterest) Basava Jayanti 2023 date: Basava Jayanti is typically celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Vaisakha, which usually falls in April or May. The exact date of Basava Jayanti varies each year according to the Hindu lunar calendar. The celebration of Basava Jayanti generally takes place on the third day of the Hindu month of Vaisakha. This year, however, Basava Jayanti is being observed on April 23. Significance of Basava Jayanti : Basava Jayanti holds significant cultural and historical importance in India, particularly in the southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The festival honours the life and teachings of Basavanna, a philosopher and social reformer who advocated for social equality, human rights, and the rejection of the caste system. Basavanna's teachings were revolutionary for their time, and his philosophy had a profound impact on Indian society, particularly in the southern regions. Basava Jayanti is a time to reflect on his teachings and to celebrate his contributions to Indian culture and society. The festival is also an occasion to promote social harmony and equality, as well as to strengthen community ties. Basava Jayanti is celebrated with great fervour and is an opportunity for people to come together to honour and remember this great thinker and leader. Basava Jayanti celebration: Basava Jayanti is celebrated with great enthusiasm by people from different cities and villages who come to Lord Basaveshwar temples to offer prayers. It is especially significant for farmers. The Lingayat committees organize various events in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh to celebrate the occasion. People exchange greetings and sweets on this day. Kudalasangama is a popular destination during Basava Jayanti, with numerous cultural and spiritual events taking place over a week-long period. Achintya Anand , 29 These young farmers are working towards a greener future and making farming more efficient with their varied skills (Shutterstock) Produce niche: Exotic vegetables A former chef who mastered his culinary skills in cities such as Adelaide and New York, Anands tryst with vegetables and farms began in 2014 when he started supplying edible flowers and micro-greens to prominent Delhi restaurants. Taking forward his passion to work with fresh and unique produce, he started Krishi Cress, his farming initiative in the Capitals Chhatarpur area. Anand who loves being in the field and getting his hands dirty says I spend days at length at the farm, practising farming as well as overlooking the management side, making sure the farm produces enough to meet the client needs. Anand supplies veggies to hotels, restaurants and directly to consumers in various Indian cities. He can be seen working with pink heart raddish, Japanese black raddish, kale, kailan broccoli, tatsoi or spoon cabbage, lettuce, mushrooms, beets, squash, and more. Bringing his management skills to the table, he tries to ensure that his farmers get a 25% incremental return every year working with him. Within four years of working with us we are able to double the farmers income, he says. Talking sustainability, Anand says, We have tied up with local cow sheds to ensure that any green waste at our farm is available for the cows to eat. Manas Dubashi, 31 Produce niche: Mushrooms After getting his degree from the U.K. and working as a sales and marketing professional for about five years in Gurugram, Dubashi took forward his vision of starting a mushroom farm. In 2018, after taking a training on mushroom cultivation, he started Kalpavriksha, to bring an international variety of mushrooms to India. We grow eight types of mushrooms in our temperature-controlled units. The produce is free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, soil fumigants or chemical fertilisers, says Dubashi who works with button mushrooms, portobello, king oyster mushrooms, shitake, milky mushrooms and more, and is going to launch enoki and shimeji variety soon. Dubashi works with conventional farmers who have been growing just the regular button mushrooms and is training them to grow more exotic varieties such as portobello and milky mushrooms. This way, he is not only upskilling them but also helping them create new channels of livelihood. Dubashi also makes sure his farming practices remain sustainable and for that he grows his mushrooms on sterilised wheat straw that is discarded from wheat farms, After harvesting the produce, he then uses the leftover straw as manure, minimising waste. Aprajita Bansal , 29 Produce niche: Apples Daughter of a farmer but far from her roots, Aprajita was working as an engineer in Noida when the pandemic hit. When she got a few plants to decorate her house and started sharing plant decor related videos on Instagram she ultimately realised of her underlying love for plants and farming and returned to her farms in Himachal Pradesh after 14 years. She has since been farming, growing apples and a host of other fresh produce and bringing in her tech skills to better sell the organic produce from her land. After knowing that my dad was selling his apples for way less than what we as a consumer get in cities, I thought to sell some apples directly to my Instagram audience to avoid the middleman commission. It was a great success and after that I decided to shift back to my orchard (thanks to my wfh policy) to help my parents with farming, she says. Her main motive is to bring back the natural and regenerative ways of farming so that she can improve the soil health and in turn the quality of food. We are doing a lot of things like crop rotation keeping seasonality in mind, planting cover crop to prevent soil erosion and reducing tillage by digging less to not disturb the microbial activity in the soil. We also make our own compost, she shares. Other than apples, Bansal also grows pear, pomegranate, prunes, radish, zucchini, lettuce, arbi, China cabbage, and beans. Satyajit Shivajirao Hange (41) and Ajinkya Shivajirao Hange (36) Produce niche: Legumes, nuts Farmers sons who were sent to a boarding school so that they could build a life away from the farms and grow out of the familys profession, brothers Satyajit Shivajirao Hange and Ajinkya quit their banking jobs and returned to their roots, only to thrive more in the farming world. In 2019, they co-founded Two Brothers Organic Farms in Pune. Bringing their MBA skills to the table, the brothers manage the farms with strategic planning, farmer activations, branding, and marketing. I started this journey back to live my dream of working with nature. I thought as a farmers son it was my duty to continue the tradition of farming and since then its been an unfolding of sorts, says Satyajit who is able to sell his produce in more than 50 countries. On their farm the brothers produce wheat, groundnut, peanut, amla, different varieties of jaggery, variety of indigenous kinds of rice, millets, whole grains, pulses, legumes, and beans. The company aims to tackle the long-standing problem of excessive chemical and pesticide use in farming and offers a variety of products made from natural ingredients. Employing close to 200 farmers, the brothers have also set up farmer institutions to teach local farmers about the benefits of organic farming. Their company also promotes soil biodiversity by resting the soil with cover crops and natural mulching (covering the topsoil with leaves, grass, crop residues etc. to enhance the activity of soil organisms such as earthworms). Abhinandan Karki, 32 Production niche: Green leafy vegetables An engineer by education Karki quit is full-time job in 2016 after working for more than a decade in IT sector to get back to his roots as he came from a farming background. Together with his partner Ajay Naik he founded Letcetra Agritech, an indoor vertical hydroponics farm in Goa, where they grow a host of leafy greens such as lettuce, palak, methi, bhindi, capsicum, and more. Hydroponic is a technique of growing plants using water-based nutrient solution rather than soil. Bringing his IT skills to the table, Karki says he manages and monitors crops to maximise output and minimise wastage. We are building new age urban farming services with modern technology. Our farm automation methods reduce the wastage of crops as well as water by monitoring the setup 24/7 and alerting farmers whenever there is a change in the preset parameters, he explains. Karki already sells his produce all over India and is working to expand farming operations by developing technology that will further aid his eco-ideas. This week Apple CEO Tim Cook was in India to inaugurate India's first Apple retail stores in Mumbai and New Delhi while Twitter CEO Elon Musk began removing legacy blue checks for users not paying monthly fee. Tech weekender: Twitter, Elon Musk, Apple store and much more.(Representative image) Meanwhile, Meta CEO announced WhatsApp's new Keep In Chat feature and Twitter's rival in India, Koo almost fired a third of its employees. Here are the top technology stories from this week. Twitter reinstates blue ticks for accounts with at least 1 million followers? Twitter has restored blue ticks for several accounts, doing so just days after removing these for users who did not pay to keep their verified status despite a deadline given by owner Elon Musk to subscribe to Twitter Blue, the microblogging platform's $8 a month paid subscription service. Read more Indian start-up makes Water from Air: Sustainable climate solution or mere fancy? Half of the world's population could be living in areas with water stress as early as 2025, according to a United Nations report. Read more Telegram users, you can now do all this on the messaging app. Details here Messaging app Telegram has added several new features, with these being the third set of features it has received this year, after one each in February and March. Read more Zuckerberg announces WhatsApp's new Keep In Chat feature Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has announced a new feature on WhatsApp which will allow people in a chat having disappearing messages to save them when they need the most. Read more Twitter begins removing blue checks for users not paying monthly fee Many of Twitter's high-profile users are losing the blue checks that helped verify their identity and distinguish them from impostors on the Elon Musk-owned social media platform. Read more Financial woes force Koo, Twitter's rival in India, to layoff 30% staff Koo, a Twitter Inc. rival in India, has fired almost a third of its employees in recent months as the firm struggles with losses and an inability to raise funds. Read more Apple launches first store in Delhi; CEO Tim Cook greets customers Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Thursday welcomed customers at the company's first store opened in the national capital. Read more HT Interview | With ChatGPT cybercriminals becoming more sophisticated, says data security expert Cyber-attacks are becoming more widespread in India, with a rise in ransomware and email-borne security threats. Read more WhatsApp to release new interface for screen lock view: Report To enhance user experience, WhatsApp always looks for new ways to improve its interface. Now, according to a report, the Meta-owned platform is tweaking its screen lock view. Read more Apple's first India store goes live; CEO Cook opens doors of Mumbai's BKC outlet Twenty-five years after entering India by selling products and services through partners, iconic consumer technology brand Apple on Tuesday launched the country's first retail store in Mumbai. Read more India's first mobile BSL-3 laboratory in action at G20 meet. Watch Indias first mobile BSL-3 laboratory was displayed on Monday at the second G20 Health Working Group Meeting in Goa. The made-in-India mobile clinic RAMBAAN (Rapid Action Mobile BSL3+ Advanced Augmented Network) can be used to reach remote regions to carry out testing. Read more After chaos prevailed on Twitter following the removal and restoration of blue ticks for legacy accounts and certain celebrities, author Stephen King has come up with a suggestion for CEO Elon Musk. The author, who had rejected Musks paid subscription plan, and whose blue tick is apparently being sponsored by Musk, on Saturday tweeted that the money spent on his verification should be donated to charity. Adding that Musk should check out a foundation that provides services in war-stricken Ukraine, he said that Musk could increase the donation amount a bit since the paid blue tick cost only $8. American author Stephen King (L) and Elon Musk. (File) He wrote, "I think Mr. Musk should give my blue check to charity. I recommend the Prytula Foundation, which provides lifesaving services in Ukraine. It's only $8, so perhaps Mr. Musk could add a bit more." Musk clapped back at the American author by announcing his $100 million donation to Ukraine and questioned the formers contribution. He replied on Sunday, I've donated $100M to Ukraine, how much have you donated? After Musks 4/20 deadline to scrap the legacy blue checks arrived, Musk revealed that he is "personally paying" to retain the coveted tick for some well-known personalities - LeBron James, King and actor William Shatner. This came to light after King tweeted that his account was subscribed to Twitter Blue even though he hadnt paid, to which Musk replied, you're welcome namaste. It has now emerged that the Twitter chief has brought back the blue badge for users with over a million followers. The move assumes significance as Indian celebrities and politicians from Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lost verified blue ticks on their Twitter accounts this week The blue ticks have now made a surprising comeback on accounts of these celebrities. Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli who lost the blue tick mark on their Twitter handles, have also got them back. In fact, accounts of some deceased celebrities, like Chadwick Boseman, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson, too have got the blue tick back. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Twitter has restored blue ticks for several accounts, doing so just days after removing these for users who did not pay to keep their verified status despite a deadline given by owner Elon Musk to subscribe to Twitter Blue, the microblogging platform's $8 a month paid subscription service, which adds the blue verification checkmarks to accounts. On April 20, Twitter removed blue ticks for those who had not paid for their verified status. For instance, on Sunday, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted to say the blue tick had been reinstated for his handle, despite not paying for Twitter Blue. Journalist Rana Ayyub, too, said her verified status was back, and she had not subscribed to Twitter Blue. US authors Kara Swisher and Stephen King were among those who had their blue checkmarks restored without paying. It must be noted, however, that each of Abdullah (3.2 million followers), Ayyub (1.5 million), Swisher (1.4 million) and King (7.1 million) is followed by least 1 million people on the website, an indication that among users who did not subscribe to Twitter Blue, the blue tick had been restored only for those with minimum 1 million followers. Meanwhile, there was no word from Musk or Twitter on reinstatement of blue checkmarks for non-subscribers. Elon Musk's deadline Tesla CEO Musk, the world's second-wealthiest person who purchased Twitter in October last year when he was the richest in the world, announced on April 12 that on April 20, the social network will take away the verification badges from people who do not subscribe to Twitter Blue. As warned, the badges were removed at the end of the deadline. Prior to the billionaire's takeover, getting verified on Twitter was free-of-cost. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON TikTok, a popular social media platform, has become a breeding ground for dangerous trends that have caused widespread concern. The latest trend to cause alarm is the Benadryl Challenge, which resulted in the tragic death of a 13-year-old boy from Ohio named Jacob Stevens. This dangerous trend, which involves consuming large quantities of Benadryl to induce hallucinations, first surfaced on TikTok in 2020 and has already claimed the life of one teenager from Oklahoma. The latest trend to cause alarm is the Benadryl Challenge, which resulted in the tragic death of a 13-year-old boy from Ohio named Jacob Stevens.(Facebook/Justin Stevens) What is the Benadryl Challenge and why is it dangerous? The Benadryl Challenge is a dangerous trend that has emerged in recent times. This challenge involves consuming an excessive amount of diphenhydramine, which is an over-the-counter medication commonly used to treat allergies. The participants are compelled to consume 12-14 pills of diphenhydramine, an amount that exceeds the recommended daily dosage by almost twofold and surpasses the recommended dose for a six-hour period by ten times. FDA warns of serious side effects of the Benadryl Challenge This trend has caught the attention of the FDA, which has warned about the severe dangers associated with it. The reports suggest that teenagers have been admitted to hospitals after participating in this challenge. The serious side effects of consuming such an excessive amount of diphenhydramine include heart problems, seizures, coma, and even death. It is crucial to understand the gravity of this trend and the risks involved. The recommended dose of any medication should not be exceeded under any circumstances, and it is always advisable to consult a healthcare professional before taking any medication. Jacob Stevens was attempting the challenge with his friends when he began to have a seizure, which was filmed by his friends. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Jacob never regained consciousness, and his family has been trying to raise awareness about the dangerous trend since then. TikTok bans Benadryl searches but dangerous videos persist In response to the tragic incident, TikTok has banned searches for Benadryl on the app, but other suggestions such as the bena challenge or the benary changle still appear, including videos promoting the dangerous trend. TikTok has offered condolences to the family and emphasized its commitment to removing content that promotes dangerous behaviour. The Benadryl Challenge highlights the need for parents and caregivers to be vigilant and educate their children about the potential risks of engaging in such behaviour. It is also a sobering reminder of the dangers that exist on social media platforms, where anyone can share content that can influence young and impressionable minds. Diphenhydramine, which is sold under the brand name Benadryl, is an antihistamine that is widely used to alleviate allergy symptoms. While it is a safe medication when used properly, the recent challenge that emerged on social media highlights the grave consequences of misusing this drug. It is important to note that Benadryl recommends against giving adult medication to children under the age of 12. Inappropriate use of diphenhydramine can cause significant harm. The recent social media trend that involved taking excessive amounts of the drug, known as the "Benadryl Challenge," led to serious health complications, including seizures, delirium, and in extreme cases, death. The misuse of medication in this manner is a stark reminder that medications should always be used as directed and under the guidance of a healthcare professional. The UK's main opposition Labour party suspended prominent member Diane Abbott as an MP on Sunday, pending an investigation into comments she made that Jewish people were not subject to racism "all their lives". Suspended UK MP Diane Abbott. (Twitter ) Also Read| UK PM Rishi Sunak holds emergency meeting on Sudan crisis Abbott, the first black woman to become an MP in the UK, said in a letter to the Observer newspaper that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all "experience prejudice" similar to that suffered by "white people with points of difference, such as redheads. But they are not all their lives subject to racism". "At the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships," she added. Labour immediately announced that Abbott, who was shadow interior minister under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, had been suspended from its parliamentary party. "The Labour party completely condemns these comments, which are deeply offensive and wrong," said a spokesman. "The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation." Abbott later tweeted that she wanted to "wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks", saying that an initial draft of the letter had been sent in error. "Racism takes many forms and it is completely undeniable that Jewish have suffered its monstrous effects," she said. An Equality and Human Rights Commission investigation into antisemitism in Corbyn's Labour found in 2020 that the party was "responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination". Corbyn's replacement, Keir Starmer, apologised over the issue and confirmed his predecessor would not be allowed to stand as a Labour candidate at the next election. A drunk passenger on board a Delta Airlines Minnesota to Alaska flight, was arrested by the United States airport police after he allegedly compelled himself on a male flight attendant, kissed him on the neck, and also broke a tray bearing the captains meal, New York Post reported. The pilot reported the incident to airport authorities after the plane touched down in Anchorage.(REUTERS) David Alan Burk, 61, was entitled to drinks before the takeoff from Minneapolis as a first-class passenger on the airline. However, the crew member told him he "ran out of time" to serve him red wine. After the plane took off, Burk was served a glass of red wine by the same crew member, who was identified as TC. When he came back to get supper trays from him, Burk reached out to shake TC's hand. Also read | London-bound Air India flight returns to Delhi after passenger hits cabin crew A few minutes later, Burk stood up to use the restroom, paused in the galley next to TC, and told him that he was "so beautiful", before asking for a kiss. The attendant replied, "No, thank you," to which Burk said, "Okay, well on the neck then," and grabbed him, and kissed him on the neck, making him feel uncomfortable. TC never gave verbal consent or implicit consent to Burk to allow him to touch or kiss TC, or to make him think it was okay to do so, the report said. Watch | 'Shut that baby': US mans mid-flight tirade over crying infant The incident prompted the flight attendant to move to the back of the aircraft for the remaining six-hour journey. Another flight attendant later notified him that the passenger had broken a tray that had the captain's food. He later asked for two more glasses of red wine before falling asleep. The pilot reported the incident to airport authorities after the plane touched down in Anchorage. Burk denied breaking the dish, kissing the flight attendant, or being drunk during questioning. He further denied having three glasses of red wine, saying TC had only offered him one and that he had slept for the rest of the journey. The passenger was charged with interfering with flight crew members and making false statements. He has been asked to appear in court on April 27. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A suspect has been arrested over last week's stabbing attack at a gym in the western German city of Duisburg in which four people were seriously wounded, authorities said Sunday. Germany gym attack: German special police forces secure the area after a man seriously injured at least four people with a knife at a fitness studio in Duisburg.(Reuters) Read here: Explained: Why the 155 mm howitzer round is so critical in Russia-Ukraine war The man, a 26-year-old Syrian citizen, was arrested shortly after midnight, police and prosecutors said in a statement. He was to be brought before a judge on Monday to determine whether he can be kept in custody on suspicion of attempted murder and other offenses pending possible charges. Police on Friday had released pictures of a man sought in the attack after obtaining footage from a surveillance camera located near the John Reed Fitness studio where the attack took place late Tuesday. Authorities offered a reward of 2,000 euros ($2,200) for information leading to his arrest. Two men, a Syrian and a German, went to police on Saturday afternoon with information on the suspect, whom they had recognized from the pictures. The suspect was arrested at his apartment in Duisburg, where police found two knives that may have been used in the attack. The man applied successfully for asylum in Germany in 2016 and had no previous police record, police and prosecutors said. They said they are still investigating what the motive might have been. Read here: US to train Ukrainian troops on Abrams tank amid war with Russia Officials have said the attacker appeared to have targeted the most seriously injured victim, a 21-year-old man who is still in a life-threatening condition. The other victims, also men, were two 24-year-olds and a 32-year-old. The principal of Archbishop McCarthy High School was arrested Tuesday on a charge of domestic battery, according to Miramar police. Richard Pierre Jean, 50, was taken into custody at his Miramar home after police received a report of him grabbing a member of his household and throwing them to the ground. It was not clear Tuesday who the purported victim is, or what his relationship to Jean is. The arrest report said that officers responding to the scene found the victim with bruises around his neck and blood in his right ear. The victim told officers that he fled from the house after the attack and that Jean then searched the neighborhood for him by car, the arrest report said. The Archdiocese of Miami has placed Jean on administrative leave from the Catholic school in Southwest Ranches, pending the results of Miramar Police Departments investigation. The spokesman for the diocese was not available for comment. Anti-Kremlin protesters staged a rally in Paris on Sunday, urging the EU to slap sanctions on the socialite wife of the Russian deputy defence minister, who they accuse of bypassing sanctions. Protesters attend a demonstration outside the home of Svetlana Maniovich, the wife of the Russian Deputy Minister of Defence, to call upon French authorities to expel her, with a placard that reads "Bloody money out of France" in Paris, France, Sunday.(REUTERS) Chanting "Sanctions" and holding placards, several dozen activists gathered outside the presumed home of Svetlana Maniovich in Paris's seventh district, one of the French capital's most expensive arrondissements. The protest was organised by associates of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny who say that the wife of Russian Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov must be banned from living in Europe and her assets frozen. One placard at the rally said: "Robs in Russia. Kills in Ukraine. Wife in France". Another read: "Family of a war criminal lives in Paris." "This is a family of a war criminal," Maria Pevchikh, a top Navalny associate, told AFP at the rally. "They should face some sort of punishment and justice for what they are doing." Last December, Navalny's team released an investigation, saying that for years Ivanov's family enjoyed a life of luxury in Europe with vacations in Saint-Tropez, Rolls-Royces and exclusive jewellery. After President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine, Ivanov began overseeing -- and profiting from -- construction projects in Ukraine's Mariupol which fell under Moscow's control after a months-long siege, the anti-Kremlin activists said. After the start of the war, Ivanov's wife moved to France where she continues to enjoy a luxury lifestyle, they said. In a move to bypass sanctions, Ivanov and Maniovich divorced in June, 2022, the investigation said. Before the divorce Maniovich changed her last name to Ivanova, and the deputy defence minister remains her only source of financial support, the activists said. Last October, the EU introduced sanctions against Ivanov, 47, describing him as the defence ministry's top official in charge of construction of military facilities. "He is responsible for the Russian war effort at large," said the EU. The fact that Maniovich could bypass EU sanctions was "outrageous and unfair", said Pevchikh, pointing to "a crazy level of corruption which is now combined with war crimes." For weeks, Navalny's team has lobbied the French authorities but received no answer. "Now is not the time to ignore this," Pevchikh said. We are in the middle of the war. It is "unlikely" that Meghan Markle will return to the UK ever again, a royal expert said after it was confirmed earlier this month that Meghan Markle will stay in the US while Prince Harry will attend King Charles' coronation alone. Meghan Markle: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watches as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse.(AP) Royal expert Camilla Tominey claimed that Meghan Markle is concerned that she would have received a negative reception in the UK and that Meghan may never come to the UK again. The idea of Meghan returning to Britain... will she ever again? Who knows? It seems unlikely because she had made her life in America. She doesn't seem to see any future back with the royals, Camilla Tominey said. That's interesting because most of the damage has been done by Harry. We can hark back to the Oprah interview and Netflix documentary, but the real hurt being caused now is by his memoirs, royal expert continued. Camilla Tominey said, "It was the worst kept secret in Montecito. Lots of their friends have known for weeks this was how they would approach the ceremony. There was a growing sense, not just after the publication of Spare, but also that South Park episode, Meghan was worried about what sort of reception she would recieve in Britain. I think it is different for the so-called prodigal son to return to the royal fold. Everybody knows he is the son of a king, brother of a future king, and the uncle of a future king. Harry's royal status is well-affirmed, and even if people are angry with him, they probably think he has made the right decision to attend the Coronation, the expert commented. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Buckingham Palace is conscious that the Kohinoor diamond and its use in King Charles' coronation ceremony might be very contentious, a royal expert said. Camilla Tominey reflected upon the significance of Queen Consort Camilla choosing to not use the traditional crown which is embedded with the Kohinoor. Earlier, it was confirmed that Queen Mary's Crown has been chosen by King Charles' wife Camilla for the ceremony. The Kohinoor diamond as part of the British Monarchs crown.(HT file) "I think the palace were conscious about the Kohinoor perhaps being controversial and therefore have decided that they don't want there to be a side story about the provenance of these diamonds," Camilla Tominey said. "Basically, [the palace have] decided to do the safe and sensible thing, to not have a separate debate about the jewels in the crown," the expert added. Kohinoor -meaning mountain of light in Persian- came into Queen Victoria's possession from the treasury of Maharaja Ranjit Singh before she was to be crowned empress of India. Camilla's choice of Queen Mary's Crown marks the first instance of an existing crown being used for the coronation. The grand ceremony has also made a series of departures from tradition as it aims to incorporate modern elements into the ceremony. It was reported that some multi-faith elements will be included in the event as House of Lords peers of Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh faiths will carry key pieces of Coronation regalia on the day at the Abbey. "I think the King is wanting it to be as diverse and inclusive as possible and that means it isn't just a service that represents people of faith but also those of none, and those of different faiths. Throughout the course of his time as heir apparent he has done quite a lot on multi-faith. He's visited different places of worship, he's ingratiated himself with different religious communities and so it's not really surprising that he's decided that the Coronation should reflect that," Camilla Tominey said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The 155 mm howitzer round is one of the most requested artillery munitions of the war in Ukraine. Already the U.S. has shipped more than 1.5 million rounds to Ukraine, but Kyiv is still seeking more. Ukrainian service members ride a self-propelled howitzer, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near the front line city of Bakhmut, Ukraine April 7. (REUTERS) A look at why this particular munition is so commonly used, and why it's been so critical to the war in Ukraine. What is the 155 mm? Essentially, the 155 mm round is a very big bullet, made up of four parts: the detonating fuse, projectile, propellant and primer. Each round is about 2 feet (60 centimeters) long, weighs about 100 pounds (45 kilograms), and is 155 mm, or 6.1 inches, in diameter. They are used in howitzer systems, which are towed large guns that are identified by the range of the angle of fire that their barrels can be set to. The 155 mm shells can be configured in many ways: They can be packed with highly explosive material, use precision guided systems, pierce armor or produce high fragmentation. Also Read| US to train Ukrainian troops on Abrams tank amid war with Russia Past variants have included smoke rounds to obscure troop movement and illumination rounds to expose an enemys position. The 155 mm round and the similar Soviet-era 152 mm rounds are so popular because they provide a good balance between range and warhead size, said Ryan Brobst, a research analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. If you have too small a shell, it wont do enough damage and go as far. If you have a larger shell, you cant necessarily fire it as far. This is the most common middle ground, and thats why its so widely used. 155 mm history The French first developed the 155 mm round to respond to World War I's extensive trench warfare, and early versions included gas shells, Keri Pleasant, historian for the Armys Joint Munitions Command, said in a statement to The Associated Press. As World War I continued, the 155 mm gun became the most common artillery piece used by the Allies, Pleasant said, and the U.S. Army later adopted it as its standard field heavy artillery piece. The U.S. military fielded its own version, the M1, for World War II. After the war, the new NATO alliance adopted the 155 mm as its artillery standard. By the Korean War, the round had been modified again, with a cluster munition variant. The round contained 88 submunitions, which were dispersed over a wide area to destroy vehicles, equipment, and personnel, Pleasant said. Its use in Ukraine Howitzer fires can strike targets up to 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometers) away, depending on what type of round and firing system is used, which makes them highly valued by ground forces to take out enemy targets from a protected distance. Adversaries dont have much warning of it coming. And its harder to hide from incoming rounds that are arcing in from the top, which makes it highly lethal, Brobst said. In Ukraine, 155 mm rounds are being fired at a rate of 6,000 to 8,000 a day, said Ukrainian parliamentary member Oleksandra Ustinova, who serves on Ukraines wartime oversight committee. They are eclipsed by the estimated 40,000 Russian variant howitzer rounds fired at them, she told reporters at a recent Washington event sponsored by the German Marshall Fund. The Pentagon previously had said how many rounds it was providing in each of the security assistance packages being sent about every two weeks to keep weapons and ammunition flowing into Ukraine. But it stopped specifying the number of 155 mm rounds shipped in each package in February, citing operational security. However, in its overall count of assistance provided to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022, the Pentagon says it has sent more than 160 155 mm howitzers, more than 1.5 million 155 mm rounds, more than 6,500 precision-guided 155 mm rounds and more than 14,000 155 mm Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) Systems essentially a 155 mm shell packed with four mines that scatter on the ground and can take out a Russian tank if it drives over them. Other countries have also provided howitzers, but Kyiv has continually asked for more. As of last year Ukrainian officials were requesting as many as 1,000 howitzer systems to push Russian forces back. Spring offensive As Ukraine prepares for an intense counteroffensive this spring, it will likely need to fire 7,000 to 9,000 155 mm shells a day, said Yehor Cherniev, a member of Ukraine's parliament who spoke to reporters at the German Marshall Fund event. In recent months, the Biden administration has been using presidential drawdown authority to send ammunition directly from U.S. military stockpiles to Ukraine, instead of having to wait and buy rounds from defense firms, so they can get there in time for the anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. The U.S. has also been training Ukrainian troops in Germany on how to better use the 155 mm rounds in combined arms tactics coordinating strikes with targeting information provided by forward-based troops and other armored systems to maximize damage and reduce the number of rounds needed to take out a target. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not a master genius but is merely the current "alpha" of a deeply corrupt and complex Russian political system, Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK said as per Newsweek. Vladimir Putin has become more frantic as some power groups are vying for influence in Russia, the envoy said. Russia-Ukraine War: Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen. (AFP) "I don't believe that he is a master genius who is sitting, planning where to move his pieces, and pulling the strings," Vadym Prystaiko said, adding, The system is very complicated, it's not simplified. It's a big organism. The Russians have their own interests, their own core groups. There are buddies of Putin, and there are enemies of his. They recognize that the alpha is still there, but he is weakening. Obviously, the weaker he is, the more frantic movements will happen. Either a full collapse or simply the removal of Vladimir Putin would be welcome, the ambassador said, adding, If we push against everything which represents this dictatorial regime, within or outside of Russia, that's fine. We will either push the system strongly enough that they will replace the alpha dog, or the alpha will die for whatever reasonwe will probably never know what it wasand the system will change. We don't care, he said. Whether we will be happy if Putin dies, obviously. Nobody wishes death upon any human being, but we do for this particular guy, he added. On whether Vladimir Putin's replacement would be better for Ukraine, the diplomat said, "What I hate here in the West is that each and every time we discuss something like this, people somehow magically come to the conclusion that the next guy after him will be worse. How do you know that? Why would you bet that somebody can't be reasonable? Or a bit more reasonable than Putin?" SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON France has begun to evacuate its citizens and diplomatic staff from Sudan, where fighting between rival forces has entered its second week, the foreign ministry announced Sunday. Smoke is seen rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. April 22. (REUTERS) The ministry said it had kicked off the "rapid evacuation operation" and that European citizens and those from "allied partner countries" would also be assisted, without giving further details. Pope Francis on Sunday called for dialogue between warring military factions in Sudan as a bloody outbreak of fighting entered a second week. Pope Francis urges dialogue over 'grave' Sudan situation(AP) Read here: Foreign states seek evacuations after US rescues diplomats from war-torn Sudan Unfortunately the situation remains grave in Sudan. "That is why I am renewing my call for the violence to stop as quickly as possible and for dialogue to resume," the pontiff said during traditional Sunday prayers in Saint Peter's Square in Rome. "I invite everyone to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters," he added. France, Italy, Turkey and the United States are all evacuating citizens from Sudan. Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group -- which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets -- have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. The fighting between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's forces and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo began on April 15 over a dispute on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. The move was a key condition of a deal aimed at restoring Sudan's democratic transition after the military toppled former leader Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 following mass citizen protests. Read here: Saudi Arabia announces safe evacuation of Indians from Sudan The two men had joined forces to oust a civilian government installed after Bashir's downfall, before turning on each other. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday the country's armed forces evacuated diplomatic staff and their family members from Sudan. Sudan clashes: Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum, Sudan, near Doha International Hospital. (AP) Read here: Frantic scramble to evacuate citizens from Sudan as conflict rages: Top updates Sunak paid tribute to what he called a "complex and rapid" evacuation after he said there had been a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. But British nationals living in Sudan were not rescued. "I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation," Sunak said on Twitter. We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country. Britain's defence minister, Ben Wallace, said British troops undertook the rescue operation alongside the United States, France, and other unnamed allies. The eruption of fighting in Sudan eight days ago between the army and Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group has killed hundreds of civilians and trapped many thousands in their homes. Wallace said more than 1,200 military personnel were involved in organising and carrying out the rescue operation. The foreign minister James Cleverly said a top priority remained the safety of British nationals. He advised British citizens in the country to shelter indoors and to tell the foreign ministry where they are staying. Read here: Renewing my call for violence to..: Pope Francis on Sudan's grave situation A British citizen named as William told Sky News he had not heard anything from the foreign ministry and wanted to know that a plane had been prepared to take them out. He said it was not feasible for British citizens to get past the checkpoints in the country and drive hundreds of miles to reach the Sudan border. The United States said it had evacuated its embassy staff from Sudan, but planned evacuations by some other countries appeared to face problems on Sunday amid battles between rival military factions that have triggered a humanitarian crisis. Smoke is seen rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. April 22, 2023. REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah(REUTERS) Sudan's warring army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group accused each other of attacking a convoy of French nationals, both saying one French person was wounded. France's Foreign Ministry, which had earlier said it was evacuating diplomatic staff and citizens, did not comment on the reports. Read here: US embassy staff evacuated from war-torn Sudan, says country's RSF The army also accused the RSF of attacking and looting a Qatari convoy heading to Port Sudan. Doha released no immediate statement on any incident. Egypt said a member of its mission in Sudan had been wounded by a gunshot, without giving details. President Joe Biden said the U.S. was temporarily suspending operations at its embassy in Khartoum but remained committed to the Sudanese people, reiterating calls for a ceasefire that have so far gone largely unheeded. "The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan," Biden said in a statement. Live TV feeds showed thick smoke still hanging over the capital, Khartoum, and its sister cities of Bahri and Ombdurman, as gunfire continued to ring out in some areas, a Reuters reporter said. The fighting erupted in Khartoum and other parts of the country on April 15, four years after long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir was toppled during a popular uprising, and has killed more than 400 people. It pits Sudan's army against the RSF, who jointly staged a coup in 2021 but fell out during negotiations over a plan to form a civilian government and integrate the RSF into the armed forces. The army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF, headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, have failed to observe ceasefires agreed almost daily, including a three-day truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which began on Friday. Intense fighting has continued around the army's headquarters in central Khartoum and the airport, which has been closed by the clashes, and over the past two days in Bahri, where the army has used troops on the ground as well as air strikes to try to push back the RSF. The RSF said on Sunday that its forces were targeted by air strikes in Bahri's Kafouri district and that dozens were "killed and injured". "We strongly condemn this treacherous behaviour, which is inconsistent with the declared commitment to the 72-hour truce," the RSF said in a statement. CHINOOKS Sudan's sudden collapse into warfare has 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. 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. Diplomats and foreign nationals have also struggled to find a way out. U.S. officials said special forces using aircraft including MH-47 Chinook helicopters swept into Sudan's battle-stricken capital on Saturday from a U.S. base in Djibouti, spending just one hour on the ground to bring out fewer than 100 people. "We did not take any small-arms fire on the way in and were able to get in and out without issue," said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of operations at the military's Joint Staff. Chris Maier, an assistant secretary of defense, said the U.S. military might use drone or satellite imagery to detect threats to Americans travelling on overland routes out of Sudan, or position naval assets at the Port of Sudan to aid Americans arriving there. Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass said some Americans and other nationals had successfully travelled by land from Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, which he said appeared to be a challenging journey given the lack of fuel, food and predictably available water. Saudi Arabia has already 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. Egypt, which has more than 10,000 citizens in Sudan, urged its nationals outside Khartoum to head to its consulate in Port Sudan, and to a consular office in Wadi Halfa on the border with Egypt, in preparation for their evacuation. It encouraged those in Khartoum to shelter in place and wait for the situation to improve. Read here: Sudan clashes: France starts evacuation of citizens from war-torn African nation Beyond Khartoum, reports of the worst violence have come from Darfur, a western region bordering Chad that suffered a conflict that escalated from 2003 leaving 300,000 people dead and 2.7 million displaced. The US evacuated embassy staff from Sudan's capital Khartoum, President Joe Biden said, as other nations scrambled to help their citizens flee deadly fighting in the country between rival generals. France and Turkey also launched evacuation operations as fighting entered its second week. Sudan Conflict: Smoke is seen rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. (Reuters) The fighting which continued between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group has killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. Here are top updates on the conflict in Sudan: Joe Biden condemned the violence, saying "it's unconscionable and it must stop". An internet outage has reported across Sudan, Al Jazeera reported. Pope Francis called for dialogue between warring factions, saying, Unfortunately the situation remains grave in Sudan, that is why I am renewing my call for the violence to stop as quickly as possible and for dialogue to resume. France's foreign ministry said a "rapid evacuation operation" had begun and European citizens and those from "allied partner countries" would also be assisted in the same. Turkey began rescue operations via road from the southern city of Wad Medani although plans were postponed from one site in Khartoum, AFP reported. More than 150 people from various nations including India were evacuated by Saudi Arabia after naval forces launched a rescue. In Khartoum, power was largely off amid sweltering heat as fighting continued. Heavy fighting broke out on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands Rapid Support Forces (RSF). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Third of four parts. It was after midnight, and her father was asleep. Fifteen-year-old Sophie Reeder slipped out of her Fort Lauderdale home wearing a short black skirt, high-top sneakers, a leopard-print coat and headphones. Her hair was neatly twisted into side buns. She took nothing with her. In her bedroom, she left a stack of cash, a diary and a date mysteriously marked on her calendar. Maybe she thought shed be back to blow out the candle she left burning. That was five and a half years ago. Somebody knows what happened to Sophie Reeder. But not the police. Not her parents. Not the private investigators who tried to find her. Despite powerful evidence that she fell into the hands of a sex trafficker, the Fort Lauderdale Police Departments handling of her case diminished the chance shed ever be found. Sophies case was part of the South Florida Sun Sentinels year-long investigation into child sex trafficking, a vile crime that is relatively easy to get away with in Florida. Sophie wasnt a runaway, or a foster child, or an abused daughter, like many girls who fall under a predators sway. She was a middle-class girl with two parents who loved her parents who had the means to help. Friends and family saw red flags, but no one realized quite what they were seeing. Her case shows that sex trafficking is common, hiding in plain sight. In Sophies cell phone, police found messages she sent a friend, discussing prices charged for commercial sex acts. There are so many cases in our local community, and the average person has no clue, said John Rode, a former South Florida cop who has searched for Sophie for five years. If I ask 10 people, What is human trafficking?, most are going to say its a container on a ship, and theres 50 Haitian people packed into the container like the movies. Most of the cases are just young runaway girls that get mixed up with the wrong person and sooner or later they cant get out or they cant be found. Nicole Twist, whose 15-year-old daughter, Sophie Reeder, disappeared in May 2017, suspects her daughter fell into the hands of predators. Although most of their stories arent told, children are reported missing every day in Florida. Last year, 2,166 kids were reported missing in Florida, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. All but 145 of them were found. These children runaways and other missing kids are among the most vulnerable to sex trafficking, researchers have proven. Their stories are eerily similar: a girl with low self-esteem meets an attentive older man. He may offer gifts, compliments, promises of a better life or even love. But its a trap. And finding them is an overwhelming task for local police. The year Sophie went missing, the Fort Lauderdale Police Departments missing persons unit had just two detectives and an aide to handle nearly 2,500 cases. When her father reported her missing, they didnt look for her, at least not initially. They sent him home, assuring him shed be back within a week. After seven weeks of utter silence from Sophie, police carried out a search warrant at the apartment where a felon was living the man Sophie last called. The police department denied repeated requests from the Sun Sentinel for interviews or the case file, preventing anyone including Sophies family from knowing what theyve done to find her. The department has had five chiefs since Sophie disappeared. The latest chief, Patrick Lynn, declined to discuss the case or to allow those involved with it Det. Jennifer Saint-Jean, Det. Jason Wood and Sgt. Steve Novak to talk to the Sun Sentinel. He believes we have provided you with all of the information that is available at this time related to this active case, spokeswoman Casey Liening wrote in an email. During the Sun Sentinels reporting of this project, though, the police department in May offered its first reward in her case $25,000 for key information five years after she disappeared. And in September, the day after declining the Sun Sentinels most recent request for comment on the case, the department announced the creation of a new Endangered Persons Unit, where missing person cases will benefit from a team of experts in human trafficking, and child exploitation. The department declined to say whether the renewed attention to Sophies case was an impetus for its new unit, whose seven detectives and one sergeant could dramatically improve outcomes in cases like hers. The agency said there are thousands of internal emails about the units creation, and the newspaper would have to pay $16,538.40 to obtain them. Unwanted. Unloved. Lonely If Sophie is alive out there somewhere, shes 20. Her room in her dads home on Citrus Isle in Fort Lauderdale remains that of a girl with one foot still in childhood: Pink walls, a doll collection, a bear in a pink dress on her bedspread, its nose bitten off by Roxy, the family dog. Patrick Reeder has kept the bedroom of his daughter, Sophie, unchanged since she left his house just after midnight on May 20, 2017, and disappeared. But beneath the surface, Sophie was floundering. She was caught between battling, estranged parents. She was attending high school online from home, and was mixing with a dangerous crowd. She was distant and seemed depressed. Im used. Unwanted. Unloved. Lonely, she wrote in her diary. Im like the penny you dropped under the sofa. But you dont care cuz hell its just a penny. Her computer screensaver, now in police hands, poses a question that remains unanswered: Where do all the sad girls go? She felt very misunderstood, said her longtime friend, Alaiza, who asked that her last name not be published. She didnt want to go to regular schools. She didnt want to be around, these, you know, regular people. When you feel like that, you feel alone, feel like nobody gets you. Sophie was in the middle of puberty, figuring herself out, said her aunt, Kirsten Milhorn, a schoolteacher. She was looking for affirmation, for someone to tell her she was amazing, Milhorn said. Her dad could have told her that a million times, she said, but it wouldnt have been enough. She was easy prey. On her bedroom calendar, Sophie had marked one date: May 19, 2017. Nobody knows why she marked it, but it was, in fact, a remarkable day. It was the last time anyone in Sophies family saw her. A week of mixed signals The week leading up to Sophies disappearance was an emotional tempest not unusual for a teenage girl. She was at turns hopeful and happy, then despairing and lost. Sophie Reeder, left, and her mom, Nicole Twist, in a selfie taken on Mothers Day 2017, the last time Twist saw her daughter. Five days later, Sophie vanished. Nicole Twist last saw Sophie on Mothers Day, five days before her only child vanished. Sophie sat across from her at a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. She seemed like a different person super talkative, talking about how beautiful she was, how she could be a model, she was going to go to California and marry Quentin Tarantino, Twist said in an interview with the Sun Sentinel. All this stuff. She was going to change her name. She told me that. When I look back, I just wanna knock myself in the head. The conversation that day may have been just the latest warning sign for Twist. But she didnt know at the time just how dangerous Sophies situation had become. In a Facebook photo from that afternoon, Sophie is smiling in a white dress from the restaurant booth. A week later, that photo of Sophie would become a missing child poster. She spent her last day at home gluing artificial flowers to her computer, wall mirror and bikini. She put a daisy in her father Patrick Reeders hair, and they snapped a photo together their last. Sophie Reeder spent her last day at home gluing artificial flowers around her room. She put a daisy in her father Patrick Reeders hair for this selfie. Her friend Brooklynn Sharpe said Sophie was unusually down that day, saying she felt like a nobody. Around 11:30 p.m., Patrick Reeder saw Sophie pacing inside the house and told her to go to bed. Then he fell asleep, he said. And that was the last time I saw and spoke to Sophie. Gone girl Late night walks werent unusual for Sophie. Reeder allowed his daughter to come and go, family and friends told the Sun Sentinel. Sophies parents were in conflict, court records show, especially about custody and parenting of their daughter. And Sophie, who was in the care of a therapist, was lashing out sometimes violently against her mother. A judge granted Reeder full custody in 2015. Twist said her friends at the time counseled her to accept it. One of her last communications to Reeder was to insist that he get their daughter back in school. Theyve never spoken about her disappearance. Milhorn said her brother is by nature laid back and non-confrontational. He did his best at parenting an emotional teen girl, she said. Its just a hard time, Milhorn said. Pat did everything he could, and you know, theres no manual for kids, especially teenagers in this day and age. When Sophie disappeared, she left a candle burning on her dresser. Her family believes its one of several clues that indicated Sophie was not intending to run away from home. So on Saturday morning, May 20, when Reeder poked his head into his daughters room and found it empty, he wasnt alarmed. He saw the candle burning and thought shed lit it and gone on a morning walk, he said. Two days passed before he reported her missing. Reeder told the Sun Sentinel that he believed shed be back on her own. When she didnt turn up on Monday, the quiet mortgage consultant drove to the police department. He was met with nonchalance. That lady I did the report with on Monday morning, she said, They usually come back within a week, he recalled. I was like, OK, this must be the timeline. I have no detective experience, just what I see on TV, thats it. Police released a missing person poster for 15-year-old Sophie Reeder five days after she disappeared in 2017. On May 25, five days after she vanished, the police put out a missing child poster. There were five sentences, including this: Reeder suffers from undiagnosed depression and anxiety. For Sophies family, the line suggested police saw her as another troubled runaway. Thats the issue, Reeder said. They treated her like a runaway and didnt put the full force of the law in there and get to the bad guys. When police did investigate, they learned that something far more tragic may have happened to Sophie. A search warrant granted two months after her disappearance listed just how grave police came to believe her situation was. They sought to search a convicted felons apartment, not far from Sophies house. It listed the potential crimes being investigated: Kidnapping. Human trafficking. Murder. To Jays place Police determined that when Sophie stepped out of her house while her father slept, she retraced a walk she had already made earlier that night. To Jays place. According to one of the few Fort Lauderdale police documents released to the Sun Sentinel, Sophie often called Leonard Jay Jennings, a 37-year-old felon. At the time, he had 31 felony charges, nine felony convictions, and three imprisonments mostly for theft, drugs, and assaults. Only her father, listed in her phone as Papaaaa, was in the call history of Sophies phone as frequently. Her friend Brooklynn said Sophie knew Jennings from the neighborhood and that Sophie usually went there to buy marijuana. While that might explain Sophies first walk to the Jennings apartment that night, its her second walk there hours later that is the enduring mystery of her case. Brooklynn said she didnt understand it. Sophie left home and first walked in the opposite direction from the Jennings apartment, police established with phone records. A couple hours after leaving, she turned back toward the neighborhood and called him. Her casual saunter was captured by a surveillance camera as she headed westward down Davie Boulevard near the Brightline tracks. A Broward sheriffs cruiser passed by the teenager without stopping. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } She walked to 1725 SW 11th Court, a drab fourplex, where Jennings was staying with his mother and brothers. At 3:07 a.m., she called him again, police records show. Her phone remained at the Jennings address until 9:13 a.m., when it then ceases to transmit any records thereafter, the police report says. Jennings number was the last she ever dialed from that phone. All three Jennings brothers have lengthy felony records and were questioned, police records say. They all denied ever knowing, seeing or communicating with Sophie, according to a police document. These lies directly contradict all of the obtained records and statements from friends regarding [Sophie Reeders] relationship with the Jennings family, Fort Lauderdale police recounted in a July 11, 2017, search warrant application. That search warrant was executed at the Jennings apartment the next day, almost two months after Sophie disappeared. The search was led by Det. Ali Adamson, an expert at the agency in child sex trafficking, according to the search warrant. Police took 25 cell phones, two media players, three tablets, one journal, headphones, a hard drive, two computer towers, ammunition, a wig, a camcorder and three digital cameras. But nothing belonging to Sophie was found there. They waited another year and went back, after the Jennings family had moved. This time, police dusted for fingerprints and used chemicals to check for blood. Investigators took a few items, including a silver butterfly charm. But nothing helped them solve the case. When reached by phone by a reporter on Feb. 22, 2022, Leonard Jennings denied knowing Sophie. They came in and searched the place and took me down to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and asked me a few questions. That was it, Jennings said. I dont know what happened to her. I cant answer you on that, maam. I dont know, he said. If I knew anything, I would have let the police know when they took me in. Maam, Im going to have to call you back. Is that OK? Is it OK if I call you back? He didnt call back. His mother, Ora Jennings, also denied having information about Sophie. She didnt go missing at my apartment, she said in a call with the Sun Sentinel. I never seen her. Pressed about the evidence, she changed her tack: I mind my business and go to church. I dont trying to be in no ones business. A new detail Nearly four years after Sophie vanished, the lead detective on the case, Jennifer Saint-Jean, announced a new detail during an interview on a national television show. If true, it would have been explosive. She said that Jennings had a neighbor, 41-year-old John Mobley, who was surveilled by police and was believed to be involved in human trafficking. We did surveillance on multiple locations in that area and, um, the information that we obtained indicated that there was some sort of operation going on, she told host Callahan Walsh, brother of Adam Walsh, who was kidnapped in 1981 at age 6 from a Hollywood, Fla., mall and murdered. Saint-Jean went on to say that Jennings had called Mobley at 5 a.m., when Sophie was believed to be at the Jennings apartment. That bombshell revelation wasnt exactly true. A police spokeswoman later contradicted Saint-Jean, telling the Sun Sentinel that the call wasnt made that night. Still, police say there was a connection between Jennings and the man police suspected was a trafficker. Police told one of Sophies family members that Jennings called Mobley at 5:17 a.m. on May 23, three days after Sophie disappeared. Court records show that around the time Sophie disappeared in 2017, Mobley lived at 1721 SW 11th Court, in an apartment directly across from Jennings unit. Fort Lauderdale police say Mobley is a suspected trafficker, though he has no trafficking arrests. Despite that, Fort Lauderdale police didnt question Mobley, Saint-Jean said in March 2021 on Walshs program, In Pursuit with John Walsh. We knocked on his door with fliers of Sophie. He used very explicit language and told us to get a search warrant. So there was no cooperation whatsoever, Saint-Jean said on the show. The agency was unable to get a search warrant. No evidence has tied Mobley to the case, the agency told the Sun Sentinel, and he could not be reached by reporters for comment. Another member of the Jennings family, Leonards nephew, Christopher Jennings, may also have been in contact with Sophie, her friend Tionni Mcdaniels told the Sun Sentinel. Nicknamed Goony Goon, he was 28, had a criminal record, and the two talked on the phone and were friendly, Mcdaniels told the Sun Sentinel. His name surfaced when police searched the apartment building, records show. He spent time at the Jennings place, sometimes broadcasting live on Facebook. After her disappearance, Christopher Jennings agonized in Facebook posts about hearing voices. He became homeless, and lived on the streets, he wrote in May 2018. The Sun Sentinel was unable to make contact with him. Fort Lauderdale police declined to say whether Christopher Jennings was questioned in Sophies case. Family members dismissed Fort Lauderdale police shunned and alienated those trying to help find Sophie. Rode, the private investigator whose non-profit Global Childrens Rescue exists for cases like Sophies, said he was threatened with arrest for his efforts to find her. Former Miami-Dade police detective John Rode has been helping Nicole Twist look for her daughter, Sophie Reeder, since just weeks after the teenager disappeared in 2017. Rode suspects Sophie was taken by a child sex trafficker. A former longtime Miami-Dade detective who has given and taken gunfire, Rode volunteered to help Nicole Twist find her daughter, and has worked on her case for free for five years. The week she disappeared, he said he called her phone repeatedly, multiple times a day. It went straight to voicemail. Finally, on a Sunday soon after she vanished, Sophies phone rang. In an adrenaline rush, he contacted the detectives working on Sophies case, but three days went by before they responded, Rode said. By then, Sophies phone was off again. Rode was fuming. Novak told him to butt out, or hed be arrested for interfering, Rode said, in an account the department hasnt refuted. I read you loud and clear! Rode said he retorted. I hope one day your daughter goes missing, and the case is assigned to you and Det. Saint-Jean. Like Rode and Twist, Sophies father and aunt were vexed over what they called lack of urgency by Fort Lauderdale detectives. Milhorn was shut out by police after she took a lead role for the family this year, pressing the agency for answers. In a March 11, 2022, letter to local and federal elected officials, Reeder and Milhorn wrote that FLPD never seemed like they cared whether they found her or not. They relayed an example: A private detective found an Atlanta escorts ad online last fall with a photograph that was a 97 percent match for Sophie. The resemblance was uncanny, they wrote. As Milhorn pressed the agency to look into it, police sent Reeder an email saying theyd only communicate with him and Twist. Twist, Sophies mother, said she has been treated coldly. She said that without any evidence, Novak in 2019 told her that he believed Sophie was dead something he had never told Sophies father. Would police bother looking for a girl theyd written off as dead? She doubted it. He said, Well, we think shes deceased. Thats what he told me. And I started crying, Twist remembered. What they said was, We know based on the people she was hanging out with, they werent good people, and we think shes deceased. I left in a ball of tears. Nicole Twist turned over to police a series of text messages she exchanged with one of her daughters friends, Tionni Mcdaniels, in April of 2021. In the texts, Mcdaniels described Sophie Reeders behavior before she disappeared in 2017. Then, two years later, in 2021, Novak and Saint-Jean went to Twists house to retrieve a series of text messages Twist received from Mcdaniels, Sophies friend. She thought the texts, about Sophies connections to the men at the Jennings apartment might lead to a breakthrough. Saint-Jean asserted in a recent video that the case haunts her and she thinks about it all the time, but at Twists home that day, she didnt greet or even speak to Twist. In fact, Twist said, Saint-Jean didnt even look at her. And despite being promised an update about the potential new evidence, Twist said the officers never brought it up again. Seeking a sugar daddy Although no one knows what happened to Sophie, its clear she had entered the world of commercial sexual exploitation. Observed within the Instagram application on the cell phone was a lengthy conversation between Sophie and her best friend where they were discussing prices related to performing commercial sex acts, a police record says. When police interviewed the friend, an unidentified 15-year-old, she admitted considering joining [Sophie] and working in the commercial sex industry but never followed through with it. Sophies email address was nymphsnuff@gmail.com a suggestive handle. When Sophie was 14, Twist already had her suspicions about her daughters activities. Sophie was living with her for a short time and used Twists iPad. I found that she had visited a sugar daddy website, Twist told the Sun Sentinel. Sugar daddy websites charge men to connect with younger women. The women are ostensibly 18 or older but, like in Sophies case, that isnt always true. Of course, I confronted her about this, Twist said, but she denied it. After Sophie vanished, her father looked on her computer and he, too, found shed been visiting those websites. Her friends Alaiza, Brooklynn and Tionni all said Sophie had told them about her online activity. She has mentioned, like, she wanted a sugar daddy when she was younger, Alaiza remembered, but I always thought that was a joke. This is what happened, Brooklynn said. Sophie was on a website. She was talking about it like the sugar daddy thing and everything like that. And she said she was meeting up with people but I never believed her. I thought she was just saying stuff to seem cool or whatever. Sophie told her one man had paid her $400, Brooklynn recalled. Tionni said she saw her standing on a corner near where she went missing, dressed like a prostitute, in early May 2017 just weeks before she disappeared. Sophies dealings with adult men had already turned ugly. Shed been raped in a hotel room, her friends said. Although her diary doesnt name names or recount specifics about what she was going on in her life, one entry does shed a little light. Sophie wrote: What to do when Im 15: Make 10 new friends. Go to the beach 3 times a week. Get 10 sugar daddies. Twist said she worries when she looks at young girls. In any small group of them, one of them will be sexually exploited. Sophie is not the only one. We worry so much about stuff that is meaningless, Twist said. But we arent protecting our kids. And thats the truth. If you have information on the disappearance of Sophie Reeder, contact Crime Stoppers USA at 1-800-222-TIPS. Tips can be made anonymously. If you have tips, feedback or information for the reporters, email ITeam@sunsentinel.com. More ways to submit confidential tips can be found at SunSentinel.com/tips. Human trafficking help and resources If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also get more information and submit a tip on the NHTRC website. If you believe a child is involved in a trafficking situation, submit a tip through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Childrens CyberTipline or call 1-800-THE-LOST. FBI personnel assigned to NCMEC review information that is provided to the CyberTipline. Parents and caregivers of children who have been victims of sex or labor trafficking can find help and resources through the Department of Justices Office for Victims of Crimes. Sudan's Rapid Support Forces said Sunday it had "coordinated with" American troops to evacuate Washington's embassy in the country, where fighting between the paramilitary group and the army entered a second week following a brief lull. Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum, Sudan, near Doha International Hospital (AP) More than 150 people from various nations had already reached the safety of Saudi Arabia in the first announced evacuation of civilians. Foreign countries have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, even though Sudan's main airport remains closed. "The Rapid Support Forces Command has coordinated with the U.S Forces Mission consisting of 6 aircraft, for evacuating diplomats and their families on Sunday morning," said a tweet by the heavily armed paramilitary group. The RSF pledged "full cooperation with all diplomatic missions, and providing all necessary means of protection, and ensuring their safe return to their countries". The group previously said it was ready to "partially" open "all airports" in Sudan to evacuate foreign citizens. It was not possible to verify which airports the RSF controls. Fighting has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded, while survivors cope with shortages of electricity and food. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry announced the "safe arrival" of 91 of its citizens along with nationals from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada and Burkina Faso. As the kingdom's naval forces transported the civilians, including diplomats and international officials, across the Red Sea from Port Sudan to Jeddah, fighting resumed in Sudan's capital Khartoum after a temporary truce saw gunfire momentarily die down on Friday, the first day of Eid al-Fitr. Eid is normally a major celebration for Sudanese marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This year it is marked by fear, grief and hunger. Earlier on Saturday, Sudan's army said its chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had 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 were planning to airlift their nationals out of Khartoum using military planes. Burhan told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that the army was in control of "all airports, except for Khartoum airport" and one in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. Urban warfare began on April 15 between forces loyal to Burhan and those of his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Daglo commands the RSF, which emerged from the Janjaweed fighters unleashed in Darfur by former strongman Omar al-Bashir, drawing accusations of war crimes. The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle. On Saturday morning, heavy gunfire, loud explosions and fighter jets were heard in many parts of the capital, according to witnesses. The army announced Friday agreement to a three-day ceasefire. Daglo said in a statement he had "discussed the current crisis" with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and was "focused on the humanitarian truce, safe passages, and protecting humanitarian workers". Five humanitarians, including four from UN-linked agencies, have so far been killed. Two 24-hour ceasefires announced earlier in the week were also ignored. In Khartoum, a city of five million people, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes. Many have ventured out only to get urgent food supplies -- stocks of which are dwindling -- or to flee the city. While Khartoum has seen some of the fiercest battles, they have occurred across the country. Late Friday, the army accused the RSF of attacks in the capital's twin city of Omdurman where they released "a large number of inmates" from a prison, accusations the group denies. Battles have raged in Darfur, where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of El Fasher said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children. More plans are being made to evacuate foreigners, with South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries, and the European Union weighing a similar move. Also read: Saudi Arabia announces safe evacuation of Indians from Sudan The German ministers of defence and foreign affairs held a crisis meeting Saturday on a possible evacuation, after three military transport planes had to turn back Wednesday, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. 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. More than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states are now "out of service", and at least four hospitals in North Kordofan state were shelled, the doctors' union said. 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. Broward Schools may soon end its Promise program, an arrest diversion effort that was once touted as a national model but faced a major backlash following the Parkland tragedy. Promise allows students to attend an alternative school to avoid being charged with a misdemeanor for a non-violent offense. Under a district proposal, it would be replaced by a program thats similar but would not involve the school district issuing civil citations. These are non-criminal warnings that law enforcement may refer to when deciding whether to arrest someone for a later crime. The new program would still use the curriculum and counseling services now provided at Promise. In addition to being offered at the current Promise site of Pine Ridge Education Center in Fort Lauderdale, the new program would have additional locations at Lanier-James Education Center in Hallandale Beach and Cypress Run Education Center in Pompano Beach. We would take the best of Promise. What we are losing is giving students civil citations, Jodi Washington, the districts director of equity, diversity and school climate, told the School Board at a workshop Tuesday. Students could still get civil citations, but that would be at the discretion of law enforcement. Washington said district policy requires law enforcement to be consulted for all Promise-eligible offenses: alcohol sales, alcohol use, major disruption on campus, misdemeanor possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia, mutual combat fighting, petty theft, trespassing and vandalism. If approved by the School Board at a June meeting, the change would take effect next school year. The Promise program used to allow students to avoid any kind of sanction from law enforcement. But critics said this enabled children to commit multiple crimes without law enforcement ever knowing. But a change in state law required the school district to report Promise-eligible infractions to a state database. This also resulted in students getting the same civil citations for crimes at school that they would get from police if they committed the offense off-campus. A review found that the school district had issued 76% of all civil citations in 2022. The district issued 1,213 last year, compared to 108 by the Broward Sheriffs Office, 51 by Hollywood police, 39 by Planation police, 30 by Pembroke Pines and fewer than 30 each for 11 other law enforcement agencies in the county. This is a program that was originally designed to be an intervention and not enter children into the system, but because its now a pre-arrest diversion program, the school district is the conduit to the system. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who heads a commission that investigated the Parkland tragedy, said he doesnt understand the districts concerns about giving civil citations and entering the data into a website thats viewed by law enforcement. No one has access to that other than law enforcement. It doesnt create a criminal record. Everything is exempt under public records, said Gualtieri, chair of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Commission. Maybe part of the concern is showing how much is going on on campus. Washington said all incidents will still be reported, but the district doesnt want to be handling a function that it sees as best reserved for law enforcement. The Promise program started in 2013, and the district touted the program as a success in its early years, saying it was changing behaviors and keeping kids out of jail. The program was created after data showed Broward led the state in the number of arrests of Black children, many for minor offenses such as throwing spit balls or mouthing off to a teacher. The program had initial backing from the State Attorneys Office, the Public Defenders Office and the Chief Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit. Some county law enforcement agencies supported while others didnt. I believe there is a place for the Promise Program or a substantially similar program, with the appropriate enforcement and follow-up procedures, in the school district, State Attorney Harold Pryor told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a statement. The program received positive national attention in its early years, and many cited it as a model for discipline reform guidance that the Obama administration sent to school districts in 2014. But the program became a lightning rod in 2018, following the Stoneman Douglas tragedy. After conservative critics tried to link killer Nikolas Cruz to the program, then-Superintendent Robert Runcie repeatedly said for two months the gunman had never participated in the program. That turned out to be false, and the district admitted in May 2018 that Cruz had been assigned to the program for vandalism, but never completed it. Although Gualtieri said in 2018 that Promise had no impact on the shooting, the intense scrutiny did identify a number of problems with the program. A Sun Sentinel investigation in May 2018 found that the program was part of a culture of tolerance that allowed troubled students to get repeated second chances. The district also was inflating the success rate of the program, the investigation found. Our students and teachers deserve safe classrooms and schools, Ryan Petty, the father of a Parkland victim who serves on the safety commission and the state Board of Education, told the Sun Sentinel. The Promise Program has made Broward Schools less safe by failing to address serious disciplinary issues plaguing schools. Its long past time to end the facade. In 2019, the safety commission recommended the program be disbanded, after the school district refused to enter Promise data into a state law enforcement database, despite a state law requiring that for diversion programs. The district didnt want students to build a criminal record and had argued that Promise was an alternative-to-suspension program, not a pre-arrest diversion program. The state later clarified the language and the district started entering the data in 2021. A statewide grand jury report, released in 2022, also criticized the program, suggesting the district was using the program to hide student crimes from law enforcement. Broward Public Defender Gordon Weekes said its deeply disappointing to hear the district discuss ending the Promise program. The Promise program has gotten a lot of negative attention but the premise of the program was to help children be able to get an education, Weekes said. Broward and a number of school districts around the country were expelling and arresting students at a very, very alarming rate, and the Promise program was designed to address that. He said state lawmakers greatly hindered the program by requiring it be treated the same as the civil citation program, saying Promise was designed to correct minor issues without making students part of the juvenile justice system. District officials said theyll continue to work to ensure troubled students get the help they need. Our commitment to students is not going to change whether theres a Promise program or not, district spokesman John Sullivan said. We have no interest in seeing an increase in students arrested on our campuses. Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle It's been six months since Lucky Land theme park has opened its doors, but now, there's a new sign of activity at the popular attraction. A new permit was filed for new construction at Lucky Land, which will start in June to be completed by September. According to the permit filing, the new construction includes a new building and parking lot at the existing China-themed park. It is estimated to cost $112,000. No other details were available about what the building might be. Nearly a year after he was killed by a Houston police officer and with a decision looming as to whether the officer will be indicted, family and friends of Jalen Randle held a series of protests and vigils this weekend across Houston to commemorate the anniversary of the 29-year-old's death. Thursday will mark one year since Randle was shot in the neck by Officer Shane Privette in Pleasantville. Randle, who was wanted for aggravated assault of a family member and for evading arrest, was holding a closed backpack with a gun inside it but was otherwise unarmed. District Attorney Kim Ogg's office said a grand jury was expected to decide "soon" on whether to indict Privette. The police union, which represents Privette, believes the decision could come as soon as Monday. WHO WAS JALEN RANDLE?: When HPD killed Jalen Randle, the east Houston community of Pleasantville lost a son The weekend's events began with a small memorial for Randle at the Fifth Ward Missionary Baptist Church, where his funeral had been held a year prior. Randle's mother, Tiffany Rachal, performed renditions of gospel classics "I Just Want to Praise You" and "How Great Is Our God," her voice growing in strength as the songs continued. "This time last year, it was really rough," Rachal said at the memorial. "I just thank God for looking beyond my faults and solving my needs because I don't know where I would be without him at this point. Losing a child is not easy." The police report on Randle's shooting said officers initiated a traffic stop after Randle climbed into a vehicle, and that the driver of the vehicle fled. Houston police union president Douglas Griffith said the shooting was justified because Privette believed the bag in Randle's hand might be a weapon, and if Randle had complied with officers' demands, he would still be alive. 'Survivor's remorse' E.J. Robertson, the driver of the vehicle in which Randle had been riding, sat alone in the back of the audience during Friday night's memorial. In an interview that night, he said he picked up Randle on the day of the shooting to hang out at his aunt's house, and he was initially unaware he was being followed because some officers were driving unmarked cars. After he realized he was being followed, he said he tried to drive a few hundred feet down the block to stop at his aunt's house, but officers stopped his vehicle with a "PIT maneuver" before he could arrive. Body-worn camera footage shows Privette emerge from his car, command Randle to show his hands and then open fire, all within about two seconds. Robertson remained in the car with guns trained on him. "It was like the shot happened too quick for you to do anything. He didn't even get to take two steps," Robertson said. He said he has struggled with "survivor's remorse" since his friend's death. "I have sleepless nights, there will be times where I want to reach out to Ms. Tiffany or Mr. Warren (Randle, Jalen's father), but to see them, to hear them, to talk to them, I have to deal with something within myself because their child was with me, and he's not here anymore," Robertson said. Griffith said Privette had to make a life or death decision when he pulled the trigger and had reason to believe his life was in danger. "These actions take place in a matter of milliseconds, and he had to make a split-second decision," Griffith said. "The officer has to live with this; he doesn't go out and look for it. The last thing an officer wants to do is hurt anyone." Confrontations arise About 50 people turned out to City Hall on Saturday for a protest and march to police headquarters. It occasionally grew tense whenever protesters would stop in the middle of intersections. Officers supervising the protest would turn on blaring sirens to compel the crowd to keep moving. At one point, a white man leaned out of the window of his pickup truck and yelled at protesters to "get the (expletive) out of the street." Many responded by approaching his truck and shouting through the window he'd just rolled up. A Houston police spokesman said officers using their sirens was a matter of discretion meant to keep people safe by moving them out of intersections. POLICE CHIEF MEETING: Jalen Randles family, friends demand answers about fatal shooting from Chief Finner at town hall When the group returned to City Hall, they found that another protest, led by state Rep. Gene Wu, was underway in the same spot where theirs had begun an hour earlier. Wu, D-Houston, said his protest was against what he said were attacks on civil rights in the Texas Legislature. The Randle protesters interrupted the other group and confronted elected officials including U.S. Rep. and Houston mayoral candidate Sheila Jackson Lee, demanding to know why they weren't present at their demonstration. Rachal, Randle's mother, said she was unaware of the other protest being held Saturday morning. Wu did not return a request for comment. "All we want from anybody and everybody is help because it was wrong, it was an injustice, so help us. That's all we ask of you," a tearful Rachal told Jackson Lee. Jackson Lee responded by promising to listen to the Randle family's concerns, and characterizing their pain as part of a broader struggle for civil rights, though many in the crowd continued to angrily shout at her and other elected officials. "My pledge to you is that if I see injustice about to creep up, we're not going to let that happen. Would you just give us a moment, and I will be in your ear... and while you are dealing with that pain, we have got to be honor bearers on this other pain that other folks are dealing with," Jackson Lee said. The weekend's events ended Sunday with a balloon release at Randle's grave. His family will hold another prayer vigil Thursday, the anniversary of his death, on Josie Street, where he was killed. A Houston fashion entrepreneur has been identified as the victim of a fatal shooting Thursday. Effani Alexander, 32, was shot Thursday evening in a SUV. Alexander had his own clothing brand and a store in Houston named Pimperelli, according to published reports. The store opened a little more than two years ago and it sells clothing, bags and accessories. CRIME: Driver wounded during shooting while baby was in vehicle, Houston police say The pimp in the companys branding stands for positive individuals making progress, according to the company's social media. The Harris County medical examiners office said Alexander died at 9:11 p.m. but a report with information as to cause and manner of death had not been released as of Sunday. Houston police officers responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of the South Loop and Main Street, near NRG Stadium around 9 p.m., Lt. Larry Crowson told On Scene reporters. Officers found Alexander dead inside a white SUV. Witnesses told police the SUV had been waiting at the intersection when another car stopped and a man with a rifle got out and fired several shots into the SUV before the car sped off. Police had been searching for the shooter as of Thursday night. Houston Chronicle A Spring woman accused of stomping and kicking a 9-year-old family members head is out on bond after being arrested last Wednesday, according to court documents. Alexis Jackson, 30, was arrested in the 4800 block of Aquagate Drive by Harris County Precinct 4 Constable deputies after a child welfare check revealed visible injuries to the 9-year-old, the office said in a social media post. Jackson was allegedly seen hurting the child on video, the court documents showed. The child was sent to a hospital for treatment. Regarding "State House backs bill on explicit book ban," (April 21): Book banning is so quaint. In an age with literally exabytes of porn and other explicit sexual interactions accessible to anyone with a modern phone or a computer, with celebrities seemingly vying to be the most naked-looking in public gala events and online posts, restricting a handful of books in public libraries seems so unconstructive. A government solution to stem the tide? I don't think there is one. Governments that try authoritarian approaches more often than not fail, as banning something just drives it underground. Rating systems seem useful but are certainly not foolproof. At least they warn you with what might be found in the media being rated. Today's R rating on a movie was an X rating back in the day when they first started that. Let professionals assess a book or film for all manner of content, classify the book and place it on the shelf according to age appropriateness in that particular local community. It's a leaf blowing in the wind, but really it's about all that can be done. Individual media providers, parents, children and adults will self-select and create a de facto but ever-changing definition of appropriateness without government assistance. Walt Lind, Nassau Bay Rep. Shawn Thierry (D-Houston) said, "You would never sit at your kitchen table and read some of the content to your own children." That's fine. Anyone who doesn't want to read any particular book doesn't have to. The mere existence of a book in a school library does not make it required reading for anyone. If no one checks the book out, the library will take it off the shelves to make room for a more popular selection. While Rep. Thierry can be in charge of what her family reads, she does not have the right to dictate what other families read. Parental rights seem to be a hot topic these days, but no one is admitting that these book bans are taking away parents' rights to choose what their children are allowed to read. If I have a problem with a book, that's something to be handled between my children and me. I would never dream of forcing my views on someone else's child, and those in the Texas House and Senate should do the same. All parents should have rights, not just a select few. Jean Tanner, Houston Fox settlement Regarding Fox, Dominion reach $787M settlement over election claims, (April 18): Rupert Murdoch, the purveyor of scandal sheet newspapers in London and New York City before founding Fox Corp. and the Fox News network, admitted that he knew the 2020 election was fair but looked the other way when his newscasters spread lies about a stolen election. Ethical journalism took a backseat to playing to its audience of pro-Trump, ultra-conservative followers in the Republican Party. Your article belonged on the front page of your newspaper. H. Clay Moore, Dickinson Space X rocket failure Regarding "SpaceX Starship soars, then explodes over Gulf in Texas debut of worlds most powerful rocket," (April 20): Reading Andrea Leinfelder's article about the explosion of the SpaceX rocket, headlined "An explosive success" in print, convinced me that the Houston Chronicle must reevaluate itself to determine what it represents and report this honestly to the public. Is it a trusty journalistic source of information or a sensationalist news rag? When did failure become success? Just think what would have occurred if astronauts had been in that SpaceX rocket! The Chronicle has dipped down in my esteem with this one article. Brandt Mannchen, Houston While the aerospace entities and NASA proclaim a success of the launch, the fact is that the launch vehicle had to be destroyed because it did not separate from the booster. Stage separation is not new stuff; it should be a given unless there is a real lack of expertise and competence in this field. NASA had a related failure during the Shuttle Program. NASA had just changed contractors, and lo and behold, the separation system for a satellite launched from the shuttle payload bay did not work as planned. It seems that the new contractor did not keep the key intellectual infrastructure (i.e., older engineers and workers) and the result was very predictable. James A. Babb, Friendswood 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. The arrival of ChatGPT most of all, its remarkable ability to write computer code to automate well-defined tasks can change all that. Instead of eliminating many white-collar jobs altogether, as people are understandably worried it will do, it has the ability to do something much more powerful: to eliminate whats boring about those jobs, freeing us up to be more stimulated, more creative and more human in our work. In the process it can drastically increase productivity. Most office jobs today are a matter of manipulating data. There are a lot of things A.I. cant do, but its very good at writing code to manipulate data. Office workers all just got their own personal tech consultant. They just need to learn to use it. As a historian, I confess that I was quick to sneer at the idea that ChatGPT could ever do any part of my job. I mean, have you ever asked it to interpret the causes of World War I? It gives you a listicle of contributing factors. And the writing dont get me started on the writing. But then I got the idea to ask ChatGPT to write computer code to analyze data sets, which is laborious work that, as an economic historian, I have to do often. There are things I know how to code, and there are things I wish I knew how to code. ChatGPT could do both, easily. Boring, repetitive tasks that I knew a computer should be able to do, but that I didnt know how to make it do, suddenly became as easy as typing in my request. If a historian can do it, anybody can. ChatGPT might not be able to help someone at a medical supply company figure out why and where a particular batch of medicine was misplaced that might require real ingenuity. But it could take over the tedious business of tracking orders and deliveries on an Excel spreadsheet, creating more time for the clerk to do precisely that kind of more challenging and satisfying problem-solving work. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently conducted an experiment, reported in a working paper, with 444 college-educated professionals who were given a midlevel professional writing task like drafting news releases or delicate emails. Half were provided with ChatGPT and half werent. The participants who were given ChatGPT took less time, wrote better and reported enjoying the task more. Even more important, perhaps, ChatGPT helped low-ability workers, meaning that those with weaker writing skills but perhaps with good ideas could carry out the task effectively. ChatGPT can do that for writing assignments, but it can do it even better for coding tasks. Seemingly impossible undertakings, like making a new dashboard to track heat maps of weekly sales in Excel, will be easy. By breaking down complex analytic problems into small steps, like Ford engineers did for the Model T, employees will be able to make their own assembly lines of data, freeing them to do more creative work. Call it everyday automation. I realize that automating your everyday tasks can be scary. If a macro can generate your daily report in five seconds rather than the five hours it takes you, what is your value? Its tempting to see ourselves, or our employees, as nothing more than those repetitive tasks. We cant imagine a world where those same employees could do more. But if a company can take this momentous step from avoiding to embracing everyday automation, it will have a competitive edge. Companies that promote workers who can automate the tedious parts of their jobs will be more profitable in the long run, because those employees can then do more complicated, more rewarding, more human work. Almost by definition, the work that cannot be automated will be better paid. Until now, youd have to ask the I.T. department to help automate part of your work flow. But with ChatGPT anyone will be able to do it, with just a little training. As with Fords assembly line, the challenge today is no longer technological but organizational. Its true that some shortsighted corporations would be happy to do the same work they do now but with fewer people. But my suspicion is that most successful businesses will realize the long-term potential of encouraging workers to solve harder problems. Changing the way companies are organized is much harder than upgrading software. Despite what you read in the news, most of us dont work at Google or Amazon. We work at the same sorts of companies that existed in 1973, that tried to go paperless but never quite made it. Real change might take a generation or two but hopefully not. Everyday automation, if it happens, will be the undoing of Henry Ford. His assembly-line production paid workers better but was dehumanizing. It implied that the only way we could be more productive and make more money was to become more like machines. Everyday automation says the opposite: that the way to be more productive and earn more money is to use our technology to become more human again. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Houston is many things: a city the size of a state; a haven for foodies; a place that loves cars but hates traffic; a wildly diverse metropolis that prides itself on its try-anything hustle. Lots of people would add that were not a place for nature. Theyre wrong. Biodiversity is one of our strong suits. Houston is at the confluence of 10 ecoregions, including pineywoods, coastal prairie, post oak savannas, Galveston Bay and the Gulf. Out of 33 global metros designated Biodiversity Hotspot Cities, Houston was one of the two selected in the United States. Greater Houston is positively bursting with nature you just have to look for it. Shannon Tompkins And next weekend is a great time to look. From April 28 through May 1, Houstonians will take on more than 400 cities (including Dallas) as part of the City Nature Challenge. Participating is free and fun: Using the iNaturalist app, you snap photos of the living things all around you anything that strides, crawls, wiggles, flies or blooms. The app and a crew of naturalists will help you identify the species. The metropolitan area that records the most species that weekend wins. For three consecutive years, the Houston-Galveston Team has placed first in the nation for number of species observed during the challenge. (Take that, Austin.) During the 2022 City Nature Challenge, the Houston-Galveston Team identified 3,290 species in our area. The total, all-time iNaturalist counts for Harris County come in at a whopping 9,968 species. With each iNaturalist observation, you not only help our local team, but also improve our understanding of whats living here and where we might plant new habitat to support these indigenous species. Using iNaturalist, you can observe species all by yourself, any time you like, while taking a walk or waiting for the bus. To help you get to know the place where you live better, weve created more than 40 local neighborhood, city and county iNaturalist projects to help you explore and record observations of the plants and animals living right in your backyard. Sightings include brown pelicans in the Second Ward, Mexican free-tailed bats in Sunnyside, and an eastern hognose snake in Independence Heights. Tpwd If youd like company and the fun of competition we invite you to Burnett-Bayland Park in Gulfton 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 29. Conservation groups The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Madres Del Parque, Houston Audubon and Latino Outdoors will be hosting a City Nature Challenge/Houston Witness Series event Nature is Life/ La Naturaleza es Vida! However you choose to do it, by looking closely at the life all around you, youll find that natural places lie just outside your door. Youll discover that what might appear to be an ordinary neighborhood is really a mini-ecosystem, full of creatures that survived Ice Ages (like those rascally raccoons), birds that travel hundreds of miles to get to your yard (like the ruby-throated hummingbird), and, sprouting in city sidewalks, medicinal plants once used by the Karankawa and pioneers. Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle With a smartphone or tablet, and a little curiosity, you can discover all the natural beauty our region has to offer, from bayous to bottomlands. Whats that hawk gliding over Montrose? Could that be a coyote calling in Third Ward? Whats that weird-looking lizard in Baytown? Your neighborhood is probably much wilder than youve ever imagined. 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 KEY WEST, Fla. Nearly 1,400 migrants from Cuba and Haiti took to the sea in rickety vessels and landed in the Florida Keys in January, overwhelming the local police. We experienced chaos, a lack of a plan and a federal problem which became a local problem, said the Monroe County sheriff, Rick Ramsay. Gov. Ron DeSantis stepped in, deploying air reconnaissance planes, assembling dozens of law enforcement agents and commissioning a cruise ship to house what the administration hoped would become a local army of state employees to help handle the migrant surge. But there was a problem: The $1 million cruise ship contract was signed before anyone realized that the vessel had nowhere to dock. The ship was among the largest in a series of some $20 million in emergency purchases authorized by DeSantis including drones, night vision goggles, airplane leases, aviation radios and other gear to respond to the immigration influx. Almost as soon as the governor declared the state of emergency, though, the landings slowed drastically, after President Joe Biden created a much safer option of applying to enter the United States from migrants home countries. DeSantis has sought to make immigration one of the focal points of his attacks on Biden as he explores the possibility of a presidential campaign in 2024. He has also backed aggressive new legislation that, if passed, would allow the state to crack down on immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally, along with those who aid or employ them. As the negative impacts of Bidens lawless immigration policies continue unabated, the burden of the Biden administrations failure falls on local law enforcement, DeSantis said in January. We will step in to support our communities. But the hasty state emergency program, including the ill-fated cruise ship contract, highlights the problems that can develop when state officials intervene to help manage the borders, a role traditionally reserved for the federal government. The Florida Division of Emergency Management acknowledged that it was forced to terminate the ship contract, but blamed the Biden administration for failing to authorize the use of U.S. Navy waterways that would have allowed the state to access an available dock. State officials refused to say whether the state would still be obligated to pay for the ship, though several shipping experts said it would have been highly unusual for the cruise company not to collect such a large payment upfront. The crush of people who arrived in January and during several months of 2022 was the latest in a long history. For decades, Cuban and Haitian migrants, desperate to escape poverty and human rights abuses, have boarded unseaworthy vessels and landed in the Florida Keys. In 1980, more than 100,000 Cubans arrived there as part of the Mariel boatlift. In August, the numbers of Cubans and Haitians apprehended at sea once again began to soar. By January, 5,200 migrants had landed, with another 8,400 turned back at sea. Since the start of the fiscal year in October, 18 migrants have died during the risky ocean voyages. Haitian migrants would sometimes come ashore in groups of several hundred and then take off running, said Ramsay, who said he sometimes had to call in his deputies to chase migrants who had hopped into peoples yards and become combative. Wed call the Border Patrol, Ramsay said, and they were so overwhelmed they would say: Were so busy. Were overwhelmed. We dont have anybody. We cant make it there. We cant make it there until tomorrow.' He added that federal agencies had since increased their staffing in the Keys. What was I supposed to do? Leave 40 people down on the side of the road in the hot sun, no food, no water, no shelter, no diapers, for a day? On Jan. 6, DeSantis declared the state of emergency, a move that allowed the state to intervene without seeking bids on contracts or exercising other typical budget controls. The federal government was already acting in other ways to stem the arrivals. The day before DeSantis emergency order, Biden announced a new measure that would allow people from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua to apply from their own countries to legally travel to the United States. Then in mid-January, the Biden administration announced that people who had entered the United States illegally by sea would not qualify for parole to remain in the country legally, a major setback for Cuban migrants in particular, as they generally received it in the past. In late January, the state Division of Emergency Management signed a contract for the cruise ship to house the expected influx of state workers, records show. It was the winter high season, and hotels were mostly full and very expensive. According to Florida records, the state signed a $1 million contract for the Ocean Navigator, a 286-foot-long ship with 101 state rooms owned by American Queen Voyages. For $30,000 a day, it would house and feed 100 state workers who would work for 30 days out of Key West. The problem, it now appears, was that state officials signed the contract before securing a place to dock the ship. The city of Key West had recently passed an ordinance limiting the number of cruise ships in the city. The lease at the main tourism pier at Mallory Square limits cruise ships to 10 nights a year, because ships parked there block the sunset for an important nightly tourist attraction. The assistant city manager of Key West, Todd Stoughton, huddled with Floridas emergency management leaders to find a solution but said he could not imagine ruining the vacations of people who had saved up to see Key Wests iconic sunset. There was another wrinkle: The Ocean Navigator is a foreign-flagged vessel, registered in the Bahamas, with crew members from all over the world. Concerns were raised about the possibility of foreign crew members jumping ship. The Coast Guard had a problem with this plan, big time, Stoughton said. Everyone wanted to know how they were going to secure that crew so they did not get off that ship. It would wind up being the opposite of what they were trying to achieve. The assembled officials ran through an assortment of ideas for where to put the ship. They considered anchoring it at a distance, or docking it in Miami and having the state employees commute 165 miles each way to Key West. Every plan ran into logistical problems: water was too shallow, the environment too sensitive, the distance too far. The U.S. Coast Guard refused to allow the use of its Key West pier because the Coast Guards role as the commercial vessels regulating authority could create a conflict of interest, said Lt. Cmdr. John W. Beal, a spokesperson. The city of Key West had another pier the state could have borrowed, but, to use it, the foreign-flagged ship would need to pass through 300 feet of waterway that belonged to the Navy, and the Department of Defense refused because specialized training takes place nearby, Alecia Collins, a spokeswoman for the Florida emergency management division, said in a statement. The real question you should be asking for your story is why the Department of Defense chooses now and this specific request from the state of Florida, she said, noting that the Navy had allowed other foreign-flagged ships at that location. Lt. Cmdr. James Adams, a Navy spokesperson, acknowledged that during unofficial discussions with the state, the Navy had raised potential, possibly prohibitive problems with accessing Navy waterways. But the state never submitted an official request in writing, as was required by law to move forward, he said, and the discussions were effectively at an end. The cruise ship was en route from the Carolinas to Florida when permission to dock in Key West was denied, so it was rerouted to the Port of Miami, Collins said. Port of Miami records show that it stayed there for two weeks in February, running up $31,000 in port fees while nobody used it. State records show a second contract from March after the docking problems emerged for $645,000, but it was unclear whether the state would pay that additional sum. James Bujeda, the deputy director of the emergency management division who dealt with Key West city officials on the issue, referred questions on payments to Collins, who repeatedly declined to answer. Cindy DAoust, the president of American Queen Voyages, released a statement that said only that the company will not be providing the cruise ship services. The state workers are now being housed at one of two camps quickly erected in the Florida Keys, at a cost to the state of $2 million a month. But the need for their work is now in question. Border Patrol data shows just 328 migrants arrived in Florida in February and 205 in March. Who can take credit for the steep decline is the subject of debate. Immigration experts say the policy moves made by the Biden administration in January were the key factors, and the Department of Homeland Security, in a statement, endorsed that view. The Biden-Harris administrations processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans coupled with enhanced enforcement have significantly reduced irregular migration, which has saved lives and is cutting out the smugglers, the statement said. The agency declined to discuss the sheriffs claims that for months, federal authorities did not have sufficient staffing to respond to the crisis. DeSantis has said that the increased air reconnaissance missions by state agencies deserve credit. Because of our action, we have seen a drop in the number of vessels and people able to make landing in the Florida Keys, and our continued presence serves as a deterrent for illegal immigration, DeSantis said. If the crisis was over, it was not over entirely. This week, the Coast Guard turned back passengers of a boat that was spotted about 12 miles from Cay Sal Bank in the Bahamas. There were 27 Cubans on it. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. The existing smokestack at left will be removed and a new pole, right, will be installed for the antennae. AT&T Plans Temporary Relocation of Antenna During Waste Facility Redevelopment PITTSFIELD, Mass. AT&T must move its wireless facility from a smokestack to a temporary free-standing structure to maintain coverage while the former trash incinerator facility is being redeveloped, The Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday approved a time limit variance for temporary wireless communications facilities, giving the company one year with an option to extend for six months. Casella Waste Systems purchased the waste transfer facility at 500 Hubbard Ave. from Community Eco Power LLC, which filed for bankruptcy in 2021, and will demolish it for redevelopment. The wireless company will need to find a permanent place for its antennas on the new build or on another nearby site to prevent gaps in service. "Without the site, it will open up a 1.4-mile gap on Route 9," attorney Edward Pare explained on behalf of the wireless company. "All of the surrounding areas, all of the surrounding businesses will no longer have AT&T coverage." The applicant has placed a 115-foot monopole tower on a 20-by 20-foot ballast platform on the property that is within the general industrial (IG) zoning district. Because a certificate of occupancy has not been granted, it is not yet functional. "Casella has just started the demolition and we've coordinated with them, they're going to do some of the interior demolition first, probably do the smokestack last, and power everything over to the new facility then we can cut it over and they can take down the smokestack," Pare reported. "So from a timing standpoint, we're probably out weeks or even a month until we get a certificate of occupancy, get it inspected, and then we can electrify it." The pole is considered a temporary facility because it doesnt have a foundation but AT&T has begun discussions with Casella to find a location that is out of the way of the new structure. This will require permitting from the multiple boards including the ZBA. It was pointed out that the wireless service maintains connections to emergency responders, as reports show 80 percent of annual calls received by 911 centers nationwide are from mobile devices. Pare reported that Pittsfield Fire Department uses AT&T services. The existing facility handles 477,000 calls per month, 422 emergency 911 calls over a six-month period, 89,000 unique customer dive connections, and 29.1 terabytes of data per month. well below the maximum permissible levels outlined by the Federal Communications Commission A special permit to convert a one-family dwelling at 22 Harding St. into a two-family dwelling. A variance to allow the construction of an attached garage at 17 Oriole St. that will encroach on the required side and rear yard setbacks. A variance to allow the construction of a single-family dwelling and accessory garage on a lot with deficient width at 45 Bel Air Ave. A special permit and variance to allow the construction of two temporary mobile homes at Camp Winadu on 710 Churchill St. for COVID-19 quarantine. An exception to allow 150 square feet of signage at 999 Dalton Ave. for ConvenientMD Urgent Care. Governor Announces Final Allocation of Volkswagen Settlement Funds BOSTON The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that it will allocate the final $34.3 million of Massachusetts' Volkswagen Settlement funds to support the transition to electric vehicles. A final amendment to the state's VW Settlement Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP) will allocate the funds in three categories: $26.8 million for Regional Transit Authority electric transit buses and chargers, $7.5 million for an electrification-only Volkswagen Solicitation, and $50,000 for administrative costs. The original BMP and its first amendment committed the first $40.7 million of Massachusetts' $75 million share of a national settlement to resolve a vehicle emissions cheating scandal by Volkswagen. "As Attorney General, I took on Volkswagen for flagrantly violating laws that protect public health and the air that we breathe and secured millions for our state to help meet our electric power needs," said Governor Maura Healey. "We're pleased to use these final settlement funds to reach our clean energy goals and support the electrification of our transit fleets." The 2017 Volkswagen court settlement resulted from litigation brought against Volkswagen by federal and state governments for the company's unlawful use of "defeat devices," producing fraudulent emission results for certain vehicles and excess pollution from those vehicles, in violation of federal and state laws. Massachusetts, through the efforts of the Attorney General's Office under then-Attorney General Healey and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), led multi-state litigation against Volkswagen, resulting in settlements with the state that included significant consumer relief and the largest ever state environmental penalty of more than $20 million. "These funds will go a long way toward supporting our Administration's priority of regional equity," said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. "By incentivizing electrification of our Regional Transit Authorities, we are both reducing greenhouse gases and improving public health in every corner of the Commonwealth." This final 2023 BMP amendment issued today commits Massachusetts full $75 million Volkswagen Settlement allocation of: $48.8 million in total to support the purchase of electric transit buses and chargers by Regional Transit Authorities. The final 2023 amendment will provide $26.8 million to the Cape Ann Transit Authority, the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority, and the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority. Previously, the December 2019 amendment allocated $22 million for the purchase of EV buses and chargers by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, the Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority, and the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority. $11.3 million for the purchase and installation of light-duty electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Massachusetts. $7.5 million through the January 2019 Volkswagen Open Solicitation for proposals to implement projects eligible under the Volkswagen Settlement. $7.5 million through the second Volkswagen Open Solicitation for proposals to implement electrification projects eligible under the Settlement; and $50,000 in administrative funds to disburse checks to grantees. "Electrifying our regional transit systems is an issue of environmental justice," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "The benefits will be felt with improved air quality, cutting-edge technologies that save money over the lifetime of the equipment, and a better quality of life for our residents." The Volkswagen Settlement BMP funds projects that: Help the Commonwealth achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets and reduce air pollution in the transportation sector. Promote electrification of the state's transportation network. Drive technological and policy progress in air pollution mitigation and GHG emissions reduction in the transportation network. Serve environmental justice populations; and Promote equitable geographic distribution across the state. "Communities burdened by environmental hazards and impacted by the detrimental effects of poor air quality will be prioritized to receive this funding," said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "Our goal is to put more clean-running electric buses on the street, and support expansion of publicly available electric charging stations at workplaces, schools, and housing complexes." Funds spent under the Volkswagen Settlement so far have been used to replace older diesel vehicles and equipment with cleaner diesel and alternative fuel, including electric models, as well as funding the Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP) that provides grants for electric vehicle charging stations. MassEVIP funds Level 1 and 2 and Direct-Current Fast-Charging stations that are publicly available and Level 1 and 2 stations at workplaces, multi-unit dwellings, and educational campuses. The Another Viewpoint essay by William Cooper, Trump should be prosecuted in Georgia, not New York (April 19), misses the point of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs prosecution. Donald Trump faces federal and state investigations that deal with more personal serious criminal and civil charges than the New York case thats based on his alleged sexual diversions. The New York indictment relating to Trumps alleged effort to keep his claimed dalliance with Stormy Daniels out of the press may be comparatively petty, per se. But the author fails to see the main purpose of the indictment: It is against the wrongful actions of a candidate who tried to destroy our democratic election process by keeping relevant facts about his personal life away from public knowledge so that voters would be kept unaware and it would not affect their votes. Such lack of disclosure and the payment of $130,000 in hush money is a violation of federal campaign finance laws and constitutes wrongful interference with our democratic election process. Georgia still has an issue with Trump pressuring state officials there to find votes for him in 2020. Now, Bragg has obtained an indictment based on Trumps efforts to conceal facts from voters. Trump was properly indicted for actions that interfered with our elections. The indictments legal viability will ultimately be resolved in court. Braggs New York indictment was right,. Daniel Cohen, Boynton Beach Look in the mirror first A quick note to Gov. Ron DeSantis and all disillusioned MAGAs who still insist the gay community is grooming young people into our lifestyle. Grooming takes vulnerable minds, mostly children (in the MAGAs opinion) and subjects them to ideas or subjects previously unfamiliar and declares it detrimental. But bigotry or supremacy of religion or supremacy of sexual orientation, all of which are taught, are the pinnacle of a white, heterosexual, Christian-dominated way of life. Look in the mirror and ask yourself what harm you could be doing to your child and stop blaming the gays. Jay Rinaldi, Wilton Manors Beckoning DeSantis Trumps friend-turned-enemy, Gov. Ron DeSantis, needs to get out of Disneys face, put his white waterproof go-go boots back on, and get down to Fort Lauderdale to at least pretend he cares about the people devastated by the floods. A view of Fort Lauderdales Melrose Park neighborhood. The historic floods occurred 10 days ago, but theres still no sign of Gov. Ron DeSantis. The news article about DeSantiss ongoing snap-and-snarl campaign against Disney further demonstrates how ineffective his tantrums and power grabs are when challenged by people with brains, skill and courage. The more he and his legislative lapdogs bark at Disney over whos in charge, the easier it is to see through Floridas wannabe emperor. The people run the show, Ronnie, not you. Take time off from trying to prove who wears the biggest shoes and help somebody for a change. By the way, your new book makes me feel bad about being white so make sure it doesnt show up in any school libraries and break your law against independent thinking. Mark Korman, Oakland Park Ferreting out fraud Re: Thieves steal homes, leaving victims with a legal nightmare. Theres relief on the way The problem the Sun Sentinel describes (property crimes involving thefts of homes) has been going on for a long time. Years ago when I was an equity lender and owned a title company, I adopted the practice of completing a detailed review, including phone calls, of every document recorded within the prior year. It seemed the only way to ferret out fraud. William C. Sussman, P.A., Miami Salute to a carrier I send thanks, appreciation and awe to newspaper deliverer Jules Pascaline, who faithfully made deliveries throughout the recent rainy weather, maneuvering through flooded neighborhoods. Putting herself at risk, she has faithfully done her job. Audrey Frieman, Pembroke Pines Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. People are always asking me if I know Tyler Durden. Rosebud. You may not have seen the films these opening lines are in, but chances are youve heard them many times before, so ingrained are they in cinematic lore. Below is a list of the films that have the greatest opening lines in cinema history. Click through the gallery to see what we included The greatest opening lines in movie history Show all 73 1 / 73 The greatest opening lines in movie history The greatest opening lines in movie history Amelie (2001) "On September 3, 1973, 6:28pm and 32 seconds, a blue fly of the Calliphorides species, whose wings can flutter 14,670 times per minute landed in Saint-Vincent Street, Montmartre." UGC-Fox Distribution The greatest opening lines in movie history American Beauty (1999) My name is Lester Burnham. This is my neighbourhood; this is my street; this is my life. I am 42-years-old. In less than a year I will be dead. Of course I don't know that yet and, in a way, I am dead already. DreamWorks Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history The Apartment (1960) "On November 1, 1959, the population of New York City was 8,042,783. If you laid all these people end to end, figuring an average height of five feet six and a half inches, they would reach from Times Square to the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan." United Artists The greatest opening lines in movie history The Big Lebowski (1998) Way out west, there was this fella I wanna tell ya about. Goes by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least that was the handle his loving parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. See, this Lebowski, he called himself 'The Dude'. PolyGram Filmed Entertainment The greatest opening lines in movie history Braveheart (1995) "I will tell you of William Wallace. Historians from England will say I am a liar. But, history is written by those who have hung heroes." 20th Century Fox The greatest opening lines in movie history The Breakfast Club (1985) "Saturday March 24, 1984. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois, 60062. Dear Mr Vernon: We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong." Universal Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Bridesmaids (2011) Annie: (while having sex) "So, so glad you called." Universal Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) "It all began on New Year's Day, in my 32nd year of being single. Once again, I found myself on my own and going to my mother's annual turkey curry buffet." Miramax Films The greatest opening lines in movie history Casablanca (1942) "With the coming of the Second World War, many eyes in imprisoned Europe turned hopefully or desperately toward the freedom of the Americas. Lisbon became the great embarkation point. But not everybody could get to Lisbon directly." Warner Bros Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Chinatown (1974) All right, Curly, enough's enough. You can't eat the venetian blinds. I just had 'em installed on Wednesday." Paramount Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Citizen Kane (1941) "Rosebud." RKO Radio Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Conan the Barbarian (1982) "Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of." EMI Films The greatest opening lines in movie history Dirty Dancing (1986) "It was the summer of 1963, when everybody called me Baby and it didn't occur to me to mind." Vestron Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Do the Right Thing (198() "Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up, up you wake, up you wake, up you wake, up you wake!" Universal Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Dr Strangelove (1964) "For more than a year, ominous rumours had been privately circulating among high-level western leaders that the Soviet Union had been at work on what was darkly hinted to be the Ultimate Weapon, a Doomsday Device. Columbia Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Easy A (2010) "The rumours of my promiscuity have been greatly exaggerated." Screen Gems The greatest opening lines in movie history Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) "Random thoughts for Valentine's Day, 2004. Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap." Focus Features The greatest opening lines in movie history Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to violence, the word and the act. While violence cloaks itself in a plethora of disguises, its favourite mantle still remains: sex. RM Films International The greatest opening lines in movie history Field of Dreams (1989) Im 36-years-old, I love my family, I love baseball, and Im about to become a farmer. But, until I heard the voice, Id never done a crazy thing in my whole life." Universal Studios The greatest opening lines in movie history Fight Club (1999) "People are always asking me if I know Tyler Durden." 20th Century Fox The greatest opening lines in movie history The Fly (1986) "What am I working on? Uh, I'm working on something that'll change the world and human life as we know it." 20th Century Fox The greatest opening lines in movie history Forrest Gump (1994) "Hello, my name's Forrest. Forrest Gump. You want a chocolate? I could eat about a million and a half of these. My momma always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get'." Paramount Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) "We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold." Universal Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) "Oh, f***! Fuck!" Rank Film Distributors The greatest opening lines in movie history Full Metal Jacket (1987) "I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on, you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be 'Sir!' Do you maggots understand that?" Columbia-Cannon-Warner The greatest opening lines in movie history The Godfather (1972) "I believe in America. America has made my fortune." Paramount Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Gone Girl (2014) "When I think of my wife, I always think of her head. I picture cracking her lovely skull. Unspooling her brains. Trying to get answers. The primal questions of any marriage: 'What are you thinking?' 'How are you feeling?' 'What have we done to each other?'" 20th Century Fox The greatest opening lines in movie history Goodfellas (1990) "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." Warner Bros The greatest opening lines in movie history The Haunting (1963) "An evil old house, the kind some people call haunted, is like an undiscovered country waiting to be explored." Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The greatest opening lines in movie history High Fidelity (2000) "What came first, the music or the misery? Buena Vista Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history In Bruges (2008) "After I killed them, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off my hands in the bathroom of a Burger King and walked home to await instructions." Universal Studios The greatest opening lines in movie history Inside Man (2006) "My name is Dalton Russell. Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself." Universal Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history It's a Wonderful Life (1946) "I owe everything to George Bailey. Help him, Dear Father." RKO Radio Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history The Jerk (1979) "I am not a bum. Im a jerk. I once had wealth, power, and the love of a beautiful woman. Now. I only have two things: my friends and, uh, my thermos. Universal Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Jerry Maguire (1996) "All right, so this is the world and there are five billion people on it. When I was a kid, there were three. It's hard to keep up." Sony Pictures Releasing The greatest opening lines in movie history Kick-Ass (2010) I always wondered why no one did it before me. I mean, all those comic books, movies, TV shows you think that one eccentric loner wouldve made himself a costume. Universal Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Kill Bill Vol 1 (2003) "Do you find me sadistic?" Miramax The greatest opening lines in movie history Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) "If you must blink, do it now." Focus Features The greatest opening lines in movie history Lawrence of Arabia (1962) "He was the most extraordinary man I ever knew." Columbia Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Lord of War (2005) "There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other eleven?" Lionsgate Films The greatest opening lines in movie history Love Actually (2003) "Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport." Universal Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history A Matter of Life and Death (1946) "This is the universe. Big, isn't it?" Eagle-Lion Films The greatest opening lines in movie history Million Dollar Baby (2004) "Only ever met one man I wouldnt wanna fight. Warner Bros Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history My Dinner with Andre (1981) "The life of a playwright is tough." New Yorker Films The greatest opening lines in movie history My Favourite Year (1982) "1954. You don't get years like that anymore." Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The greatest opening lines in movie history Oliver! (1968) "Please, sir, can I have some more?" Columbia Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Patton (197) "Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country." 20th Century Fox The greatest opening lines in movie history The Piano (1993) "The voice you hear is not my speaking voice, but my mind's voice. I have not spoken since I was six years old. No one knows why, not even me. My father says it is a dark talent and the day I take it into my head to stop breathing will be my last." Entertainment Film Distributors The greatest opening lines in movie history The Prestige (2006) "Are you watching closely?" Warner Bros The greatest opening lines in movie history Pretty Woman (1990) "No matter what they say, it's all about money." Buena Vista Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Raging Bull (1980) "I remember those cheers. They still ring in my ears." United Artists The greatest opening lines in movie history Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) "The Hovitos are near. The poison is still fresh three days. They're following us. If they knew we were here, they would have killed us already." Paramount Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Rebecca (1940) "Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again." United Artists The greatest opening lines in movie history Reservoir Dogs (1992) "Let me tell ya what 'Like a Virgin' is about." Miramax Films The greatest opening lines in movie history Rounders (1998) "Listen, here's the thing if you can't spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker." Miramax Films The greatest opening lines in movie history Seven (1995) Detective Taylor: "Neighbours heard them screaming at each other, like for two hours, it was nothing new. Then they heard the gun go off, both barrels. Crime of passion. William Somerset: "Yeah, just look at all the passion on that wall." New Line Cinema The greatest opening lines in movie history The Seventh Seal (1957) "Who are you?" "I am Death." AB Svensk Filmindustri The greatest opening lines in movie history Sin City (2005) "She shivers in the wind like the last leaf on a dying tree." Miramax The greatest opening lines in movie history Snatch (2000) "My name is Turkish. Funny name for an Englishman, I know. Columbia Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history The Social Network (2010) "Did you know that there are more people with genius IQ's living in China than there are people of any kind living in the United States?" Sony Pictures Releasing The greatest opening lines in movie history The Sound of Music (1965) "The hills are alive with the sound of music." Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation The greatest opening lines in movie history Stand by Me (1986) "I was 12 going on 13 the first time I saw a dead human being." Columbia Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Sunset Boulevard (1950) "Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. It's about five o'clock in the morning that's the homicide squad, complete with detectives and newspaper men. A murder has been reported from one of those great big houses in the 10,000 block. You'll read about it in the late editions, I'm sure." Paramount Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Superman (1978) "In the decade of the 1930s, even the great city of Metropolis was not spared the ravages of the worldwide depression." Columbia-EMI-Warner The greatest opening lines in movie history Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) "Three billion human lives ended on August 29, 1997." TriStar Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history The Tingler (1959) "I am William Castle, the director of the motion picture you are about to see. I feel obligated to warn you that some of the sensations, some of the physical reactions, which the actors on the screen will feel, will also be experienced for the first time in motion picture history by certain members of this audience." Columbia Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) "Maycomb was a tired old town, even in 1932 when I first knew it. Somehow, it was hotter then." Universal Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history Trainspotting (1996) "Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family." PolyGram Filmed Entertainment The greatest opening lines in movie history True Grit (2010) "People do not give it credence that a young girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her fathers blood, but it did happen." Paramount Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history True Romance (1993) "In Jailhouse Rock, Elvis was everything rockabilly's about living fast, dying young and leaving a good-looking corpse." Warner Bros The greatest opening lines in movie history The Truman Show (1998) "We've become bored with watching actors give us phoney emotions. We're tired of pyrotechnics and special effects. While the world he inhabits is, in some respects, counterfeit, there's nothing fake about Truman himself. No scripts, no cue cards. It isn't always Shakespeare, but it's genuine. It's a life." Paramount Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history When Harry Met Sally... (1989) "I was sitting with my friend Arthur Cornrom in a restaurant. It was a cafeteria and this beautiful girl walked in and I turned to Arthur and I said, 'Arthur, you see that girl? I'm going to marry her.' And two weeks later we were married and it's over fifty years later and we are still married." Columbia Pictures The greatest opening lines in movie history The White Ribbon (2009) I don't know if the story that I want to tell you reflects the truth in every detail. Much of it I only know by hearsay, and a lot of it remains obscure to me even today, and I must leave it in darkness. Many of these questions remain without answer. But I believe I must tell of the strange events that occurred in our village, because they may cast a new light on some of the goings-on in this country." X Verleih AG Other galleries you might like: 21 actors who took their roles so seriously it got out of hand 37 best film twists of all time 37 actors who almost died on set The 49 best closing lines in movies Taiwans foreign minister has expressed his concerns regarding the possibility of conflict with China in 2027, stating that the island nation is taking the Chinese military threat seriously. US intelligence believes that Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, has ordered the countrys military to be prepared to annex Taiwan by 2027. We are taking the Chinese military threat very seriously ... I think 2027 is the year that we need to be serious about, Joseph Wu said in an interview with LBC, reported by The Guardian. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Controversial Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh surrendered to the police in the northern Indian state of Punjab on Sunday after being on run from authorities for weeks. Mr Singh and his supporters are facing charges relating to disrupting communal harmony, attempt to murder, and attack on police personnel. He was declared a fugitive after he managed to evade custody for 34 days, twice by changing his appearance and switching vehicles. However, on Saturday, he was arrested from Rode village in Moga town of Punjab, according to Indian media reports, marking an end to a weeks-long manhunt which saw eight of his aides already arrested. Punjab Police confirmed the news of the arrest on Twitter and appealed for peace. In an unverified video message reported by Indian media outlets, he claimed he was surrendering and would contest, what he claimed were false cases against him, in court. Mr Singh is now being shifted to a prison in the eastern state of Assam where his aides are being held under the stringent National Security Act. The 30-year-old self-styled preacher is the leader of an outfit called Waris Punjab De (inheritors of Punjab) and rose to prominence in recent years with his support for the Khalistan movement. Khalistan is a proposed Sikh state that would comprise parts of present-day India and Pakistan. The movement for Khalistan was at its peak in the 1980s, and the demand for a separate state has largely waned in recent years. The crackdown on his organisation began on 18 March after hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station, demanding the release of an arrested aide. Mr Singh and his associates were booked under several criminal cases, with one key associate and mentor, Papalpreet Singh, allegedly having connections with Pakistans intelligence agency. Since being on the run, he has been sighted in CCTV footage and photos with changed appearances at many places. His rise in popularity in recent months riled Indian authorities as Mr Singh appeared to be emulating Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a militant and the leading figure of the Khalistan movement, who was killed after an extensive operation by Indian forces in 1984. The Rode village where Mr Singh was arrested is the native village of Bhindranwale. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A tornado that hit two villages in central Myanmar has left eight people dead and over 100 injured, according to officials. The tornado struck Aung Myin Kone and Tadau villages on Friday evening near capital Naypyitaw, causing widespread damage to the area. Local charity organisations have taken 128 people to hospitals and 232 houses in the two villages were destroyed, Thet Paing Soe, a leading member of the Doh Lewe charity organisation, told the Associated Press. Two Buddhist monasteries and a small clinic were among the structures destroyed. The tornado blew for approximately 40 minutes. Almost all the houses in the villages are quite badly damaged. The restoration will take months, Mr Soe told the news agency. Recommended Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmars military-installed government, visited the disaster area on Saturday and provided aid to residents, state-run MRTV television reported. Photos and videos on social media showed strong gusts of wind moving at an incredibly high speed, tearing through the village with immense force. In one clip, powerful gusts are seen blowing through trees and roofs of houses getting ripped off and sent flying in the direction of the tornados path. Photos of the devastation show houses left in shambles with trees fallen down. According to Kyaw Moe Oo, a director-general at the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, major tornadoes are rare in Myanmar, and smaller tornadoes that occur in the pre-monsoon period rarely cause death or serious damage. 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 almost every year during monsoon season. In 2008, cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 people. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Meghan Markle has denied reports claiming that her decision not to attend Charless coronation was influenced by correspondence between herself and the then-Prince of Wales. On Friday (21 April), it was reported that the Duchess of Sussex had written to Charles about unconscious bias within the royal family. The letter was allegedly sent in the aftermath of Harry and Meghans appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2021, per a report by the Daily Telegraph. During the interview with Winfrey, Meghan claimed a senior member of the royal family had speculated about the skin colour of their son, Archie, while she was pregnant. A source reportedly told the publication that Meghan did not feel the concerns she highlighted to Charles, including the way in which bullying allegations against her were handled by the palace, received a satisfactory response. Responding to the reports, the Sussexes have issued a statement that was shared via royal commentator Omid Scobies Twitter account. 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, their statement read. Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. We encourage tabloid media and various royal commentators to stop the exhausting circus that they alone are creating. According to reports, Charles expressed his sadness over the rift between the royal family in a letter to Meghan at the time. He also said he was disappointed that Harry and Meghan had made such damning allegations during the interview with Winfrey. The letters reportedly identifed the senior member who made the comment about Archies skin colour. Both Meghan and Charles acknowledged that their comment wasnt made maliciously, it was reported, and that the duchess clarified she never intended to accuse them of racism. Instead, she said she was raising concerns about unconscious bias. Prince Harry also spoke about unconscious bias during an interview with ITVs Tom Bradby while promoting his memoir Spare, which was released in January this year. While speaking to Bradby, the duke denied accusing the royals of racism during the bombshell interview with Winfrey. Harry added that the British press said that and he wouldnt describe the comment about Archies skin colour as racist having lived in that family. Going back to the difference between what my understanding is because of my own experience, the difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different, Harry told Bradby. After months of speculation over whether Harry and Meghan would attend the Kings coronation next month, Buckingham Palace announced on 12 April that the Duke of Sussex would fly to the UK for the ceremony. Meghan and the couples children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will remain at their residence in California, the palace said. At the time, Harry and Meghans biographer Scobie tweeted that Archies fourth birthday, which coincides with the coronation on 6 May, played a factor in the couples decision. , hub For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The 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. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A BBC newsreader was forced to contend with the governments 10-second emergency alert test going off early mid-interview. Text messages were sent to millions of 4G and 5G mobile phones at 3pm on Sunday, prompting an alert to appear on the screen and an alarm to sound, in a trial intended to be used to warn people of local and national risks such as flooding or terror attacks. While millions received the alert, many did not, while others were jarred to hear the alarm sound either 10 minutes too late or slightly too early. The latter situation appeared to befall BBC News journalist Richard Preston as he was discussing the test with the chief of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Loretta Hieber Girardet. The presenter who had asked Ms Girardet whether she thought the goverment had done a sufficient job of advertising the test and its purpose gave a wry smile to viewers as he heard the alarm sound and reached down to his side as if to check whether it was emanating from his own device. Ms Girardet appeared to be oblivious to the alarm going off in the studio, as she said over videolink: There really is a very critical reason to invest in this type of technology and I applaud the British governments attempt. And of course the media also plays an important role in sensitising the public and explaining ... But she was cut off by the newsreader, who said: Loretta, let me just interrupt you there. Weve heard the alert going off as youve been speaking. Moment BBC newsreader interrupted by emergency alert live on air As the presenter redirected viewers to live shots now up and down the country of people receiving this alert, those watching were met with shots of largely unperturbed shoppers mulling around Glasgows Buchanan Street as normal. One camera in Bristol did appear to show nearly all of the dozen or so people checking their phones. But another live clip from outside the waterfront Mermaid Quay shopping centre in Cardiff gave scant evidence of people receiving the alert, while the audio feed overlaying the three clips picked up no change in the general hum of background chatter and laughter. It was unclear whether or not the clip would make satisfactory viewing for government ministers, appearing to conform to deputy prime minister Oliver Dowdens calls for Britons to keep calm and carry on while perhaps raising questions over why so many appeared not to notice the alert at all. The Cabinet Office said it would be reviewing the outcome of the UK-wide test, adding that, while the vast majority of compatible phones received the alert, the review would look at why a very small proportion of mobile users on some networks did not receive it. We have effectively completed the test of the UK-wide Emergency Alerts system, the biggest public communications exercise of its kind ever done, a government spokesperson said. We are working with mobile network operators to review the outcome and any lessons learned. Outside of the BBC cameras reach, reactions to the test appeared to be varied, with journalist Elizabeth Day tweeting from a train that there was a polite smattering of applause after it ended because were British and therefore totally insane. However, another person reported different vibes on the train they were on, with one passenger claimed to have shouted f*** the government. It comes after fact-checkers were forced to debunk a number of conspiracy theories about the alert. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Unionist leaders have urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to delay a government Bill to allow an inquest to take place into the murder of an Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier. Corporal James Elliott, 37, was abducted and murdered by the Provisional IRA in 1972. While Northern Irelands Attorney General Brenda King has ordered a fresh inquest into his death, concern has been expressed that the Governments legacy Bill will prevent it taking place. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, which is progressing through Parliament, proposes immunity for people accused of crimes during the Troubles as long as they co-operate with a new truth recovery body and will stop future court processes. The Bill has been opposed by victims group, most of the political parties and the Irish government. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, UUP leader Doug Beattie and TUV leader Jim Allister have written to the Prime Minister asking him to ensure the inquest can take place. In the letter, the unionist leaders say the inquest will provide Mr Elliotts family with some closure, an acknowledgement of his service and the truth about the circumstances of his death. They point out that no one has been convicted of his murder, and that the Governments legacy Bill could close the door on the inquest. If this were to happen, it would be a shocking and deeply disappointing development. It would be an intolerable denial of justice and a grave insult to the memory of a brave soldier and his loved ones. We would appeal to you personally, Prime Minister, and your Government, to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that this inquest takes place, and that justice prevails even in Northern Ireland. You will be aware that we oppose the Legacy Bill because it will be a legislative barrier to any future terrorist-related cases from taking place. The UK Government is determined to deliver better outcomes for those most affected by the Troubles, while helping society to look forward. UK Government spokesperson Many innocent victims of terrorism and veterans who worked to prevent anarchy in Northern Ireland view this Bill as a gross betrayal. We would point out that while your government has notionally brought the Legacy Bill forward to protect soldiers from inquests, this is an example of where the Bill will deny the family of a murdered soldier, who died in the service of this country, their right to an inquest. In the case of Corporal Elliott, you have the opportunity to show some compassion and understanding. We earnestly hope you avail of this opportunity. Victims group the Ulster Human Rights Watch backed the letter. Advocacy manager Axel Schmidt said: The Elliott family firmly supports this initiative and we hope the Government listens and acts. It is understood that Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris will respond to the unionist leaders letter. A UK Government spokesperson said: The UK Government is determined to deliver better outcomes for those most affected by the Troubles, while helping society to look forward. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Bill will establish an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to conduct reviews into Troubles-related deaths and serious injury, with the primary objective of providing information to families, and victims and survivors. It will have all the necessary powers to conduct criminal investigations as part of any review and will be able to make findings in a manner similar to an inquest. The Government tabled a number of amendments during committee stage in the House of Lords that seek to address a number of key issues and we will continue to engage constructively with all interested parties. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Conservative peer who is leading a Government review into how the Civil Service operates has called for a more robust culture in Whitehall. Lord Francis Maude said the system needs to be less mealy-mouthed about politicisation' in the wake of Dominic Raabs resignation and his claims that Civil Service activists had been working against him. Mr Raab resigned as deputy prime minister and justice secretary on Friday 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. Writing in The Observer, Lord Maude said that, without adjustments, there will be more cases like Mr Raabs in which frustrations boil over. He suggested ministers could be given more say in the appointments of civil servants. We need a much more robust culture, with less groupthink, more rugged disagreement, and the confidence to both offer challenge and to accept it, the former Cabinet Office minister said. That includes accepting candid feedback. Today there is no external accountability for the quality of advice, other than to ministers. There could be value in regular external audits by qualified outsiders, with published results. Lord Maude pointed to other governments with similar civil service systems which have had more success with balancing impartiality and continuity, as well as ministers need for officials to be responsive. In France, permanent civil servants often have overt political affiliations, and it causes few problems. In Australia, permanent civil servants in ministers private offices are released from the obligations of political impartiality, and can take part in party political activity, he said. We dont need to go that far, but the key, as always, is transparency and pragmatism. Without a much closer alignment between accountability and authority, we will see tensions build and relationships fracture, Lord Maude added. Our system can be made to work but it needs change difficult and sustained change. And it needs to start soon. It came as Mr Raab continued to hit out at the activist civil servants he said he was targeted by, claiming he was the victim of a co-ordinated and politicised attack. Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, he said the complaints had been timed, and agreed with the reporters summary that his accusers had smelt blood. If you look at the timing of these complaints stored up over four-and-a-half years, all submitted on the same day and one submitted four weeks later, he told the newspaper. It looks like it was co-ordinated and concerted and therefore politicised attack rather than a genuine raising of concerns through proper process in the proper way. Earlier, Lord McDonald, who was permanent secretary at the Foreign Office for five years, said there was no Civil Service agenda and Mr Raabs behaviour had been the issue. After announcing his decision to quit, the former deputy prime minister 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. 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 that 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. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A British spy who was sent by MI6 to a jihadist camp on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan went on to kill his own child, a shock new report has revealed. The unnamed man was sent to infiltrate the camp used by al-Qaeda and the Taliban despite warnings about his emotional instability during the vetting process, according to a report in the Sunday Times. The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) produced a vetting report stating that the agents emotional instability was the highest it is possible to score, in a document leaked to the newspaper. Despite the assessment, the agent in his twenties was sent to go undercover as a jihadist soldier in a village in Waziristan, where he is said to have witnessed beheadings and was forced to wash bodies. The spy is said to have gone on to kill his own child on return to the UK. He was found guilty of murder by a jury at the end of a trial, much of which is believed to have been held in secret. However, it has emerged that the court has lost papers relating to the case, without any reason as to how it happened. The report also states the government has a 42,000-word report examining the build-up to the death of the child which it refuses to publish. The unnamed spy was vetted by the SIS and was said to have had more in common with a psychotic person than an average member of the population in some personality traits. He is believed to have washed and buried the bodies of Taliban fighters and witnessed the beheading of a family accused of being spies. After returning to the UK, MI6 recorded that the man was in a state of extreme stress. The agent was reportedly initially recruited by MI5 and asked to gather intelligence at mosques suspected of promoting jihadism. Moved to M16, a vetting reports author said: On emotional instability he scored as high as it is possible to score. Liam Kotrie of Mary Monson Solicitors, the firm that represented the unnamed spy, said: The security services were not held to account for making what, the evidence suggests, were decisions which entirely disregarded his wellbeing and that of those around him. He was an incredibly vulnerable man and his child was left in the most vulnerable of circumstances; circumstances which could have been safeguarded had more care been taken. He had served his purpose and was no longer the concern of his employers. He was used. A government spokesperson said: It is a longstanding principle that the government does not confirm or deny allegations, assertions or speculation about the activities of UK intelligence agencies. The Independent approached the Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment. The government will consider calls to ban new drivers under the age of 25 from carrying young passengers as part of a graduated driving licence scheme. One in five drivers crash within a year of passing their test, according to road safety charity Brake, whose figures suggest that new drivers carrying passengers of a similar age are four times as likely to die in a crash than those driving alone. As a result, countries including Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and some US states have brought in graduated licensing schemes for those who have only recently passed their test, which can include lower alcohol limits, and restrictions on driving at night or with other passengers under a certain age. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Emmerdale star Dale Meeks has died aged 47, his family has said. The actor played Simon Meredith in the ITV soap Emmerdale from 2003-2006. Mr Meeks also starred in CBBC show Byker Grove and ITV true crime drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat, which aired just last week. The 47-year-olds death was announced by a family member in a post on Facebook. His cause of death has not been revealed. The post read: So unbelievably sad. Brother in Law, mucca, side kick and just the BEST friend a lad could have wished for. RIP Dale Meeks. So much less to laugh about now youre not there to share it with. Thanks everyone for all the beautiful messages and memories you have been sharing. The support of Dales friends has been so incredibly strong over these chaotic, heartbreaking final hours, I can only stand in awe. Tributes have flooded in for the actor, including from Ant and Dec, who starred in Byker Grove alongside Mr Meeks. The duo tweeted: We are so incredibly sorry to hear the very sad news of Dales passing. He was the loveliest of guys, even though he was a Denton Burner, the arch nemesis of the Byker Grovers! A sad loss at such a young age. RIP Dale. Sleep well bonny lad. Daniel Brocklebank and Dale Meeks on Emmerdale (ITV) Fellow actor Stephen Sullivan said: Dale Meeks was an inspiration to me, watching the band when I was younger, watching him perform on stage, seeing him on the telly box and working with him. He was such a talent. He had so much more to give. He was loved and respected more than he knew. The last time I worked with him was an absolute joy. He added: It hasnt sunk in yet and today has been somewhat of a blur. Dale, you will be dearly missed, you had a heart as big as your talent and a sense of humour and laugh bigger than both! Fans also paid tribute to Mr Meeks. One fan wrote: It hasnt sunk in yet and today has been somewhat of a blur. Dale, you will be dearly missed, you had a heart as big as your talent and a sense of humour and laugh bigger than both! Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Another said: Saddened to hear of the Passing of Dale Meeks the Emmerdale and Byker Grove star... sending condolences to his family and friends RIP Dale Meeks. A friend of Mr Meeks wrote: A wonderful human who was always there as a support. Proud to have known and worked with you wonderful soul. Meeks began his acting career by starring in Byker Grove, and most recently played Moats friend Rory Sutcliffe in three-part series The Hunt for Raoul Moat. The 47-year-old also appeared in Casualty and drama series Inspector George Gently. He played a custody sergeant in Tracey Beaker spin-off The Dumping Ground. Outside of TV, Mr Meeks was part of the cast of musical Chicago and had a role in Andrew Lloyd Webbers Love Never Dies. Meeks recently tweeted about his role in The Hunt for Raoul Moat. Sadly watching tonights episode from this equally mysterious and sinister location. Its fantastic to feel the love. Thanks gang. Keep it coming xxx, he said in a Twitter post on Monday. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Home Office is facing an exodus of asylum caseworkers who fear being forced to act illegally under the Illegal Migration Bill, it has been claimed. An official who decides claims told The Independent staff were already angry at the home secretary for accusing them of working too slowly when they are hampered by lost documents, rapidly changing policies and inefficient processes. The annual attrition rate for asylum decision-makers hit 46 per cent last year, forcing the government to introduce a recruitment and retention allowance to maintain staff while scrambling to recruit more. Speaking to The Independent, the caseworker accused the Home Office of: Setting impossible targets for decision-making Pushing caseworkers to refuse as many applications as possible Worsening backlog with ludicrous attempts to bar asylum seekers who passed through France Throwing staff into traumatic interviews with rape and torture victims with inadequate training David*, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said colleagues had raised concerns in meetings and on government message boards that plans to detain and deport asylum seekers without considering their claims would break international law. Theres going to be a big exodus if this bill gets passed, he warned. You cannot enforce a law if you're not willing to play by the law. You cannot strip human rights from people in a country in which we have the Human Rights Act and have signed the Refugee Convention. You cant do this kind of **** and still pretend that you are legal. Being elected doesnt give you the right to break the law. The Home Office has reported an attrition rate of 46% for asylum caseworkers (Getty) Another official with knowledge of the current situation said that asylum decision-makers were leaving because of a priority overload and the introduction of policies that cant be done. The attrition rate is pretty scary, he added. Most civil servants accept the fact the work may be unpalatable but theyll do it as long as its lawful. If that changes there are large numbers saying they dont want to do it. The official said concerns were also mounting inside the Home Office that recruitment efforts for asylum caseworkers and staff from ethnic minorities are being hampered by reputational damage from the Rwanda deal and wider asylum narrative. Conservatives have previously blamed an activist blob of left-wing civil servants for frustrating its asylum policies, but David said his opinions were not politically driven, and that he was pretty right-leaning himself. (Data: Home Office) The Independent has seen internal communications from Home Office leaders telling civil servants they should work to make the Illegal Migration Bill a success, warning: Any new policy is only ever as good as its implementation. The government has also been pushing decision-makers to work faster after Rishi Sunak pledged to clear the pre-June 2022 backlog of cases by the end of this year. They are not trying to solve the backlog, theyre trying to refuse as many people as possible, David said. He condemned the ludicrous policy of attempting to declare asylum claims inadmissible if people passed through safe countries on their journey to the UK. Britain is an island, you have to pass through a different country, he added. If you want to claim asylum, you have to be here. Official figures show that only a handful of thousands of small boat migrants considered for inadmissibility declarations have been deported, and David said the policy was pointless with the Rwanda scheme stalled and no returns agreements with other countries. They take months to decide, but theres nowhere to send them, David said, saying that he deals with cases delayed by inadmissibility attempts all the time. In December, Suella Braverman accused asylum caseworkers of making decisions too slowly, telling a parliamentary committee: Frankly their productivity is too low, the average decision-making rate of a decision-maker per week is one. We need to increase that considerably. Home Secretary Suella Bravermans statements on asylum caseworkers have angered civil servants (PA Wire) David said it was impossible for more than two decisions to be made a week because of the exhaustive process required. He said that when caseworkers receive a claim they must review and read all associated documents, but that material is regularly missing and hard to find because of backlogs meaning he is frequently considering applications made in 2019. You have to contact the person that wrote that note by the phone, email, whatever. David added. You hope that they are online and they're not on annual leave and whatnot ask: What about this document? Where is this? Where is this thing? Following that stage, a series of security and immigration checks are made and substantive interviews must be arranged, which can take up to eight hours each and involve translators. David accuses the Home Office of inadequate training to deal with traumatised people giving accounts of rape, torture, imprisonment, beatings on a regular basis. He said that after conducting his first interview with a female asylum seeker who had been sobbing while giving a graphic account of abuse, managers laughed and told him to get used to it. After interviews, caseworkers must make decisions after balancing the persons account against complex Home Office guidance on safety and human rights issues in the countries they fled. The Independent understands that asylum decision-makers are paid between 25,000 and 27,000 a year, and former Home Office permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam has questioned why the role is at a low civil service grade. Speaking at an event in October, he pointed to countries like Switzerland that position the role as much more senior and adjust pay, training and working conditions accordingly. In the UK we use executive officers [second-lowest civil service grade] as asylum decision-makers, he said. Its a relatively junior position to be making life-changing decisions. The Home Office said it was developing comprehensive plans to tackle the asylum backlog and increase caseworkers productivity by streamlining processes and recruiting more staff. It said decision-makers were provided with appropriate training on how to respond to and consider any underlying factors, such as trauma, and that training addressed their personal wellbeing. A spokesperson added: The government is taking immediate action to clear the asylum backlog by doubling the number of asylum caseworkers to 2,500 and streamlining interviews and paperwork. Our processes are underpinned by a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks, ensuring that claims are properly considered, decisions are sound, and that protection is granted to those who genuinely need it. *name has been changed to protect anonymity Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The next stage of the legal battle over the Rwanda deal will begin today, with the Court of Appeal to reconsider if it is safe to send asylum seekers to the country. Suella Braverman has widened the scope of the agreement since it was ruled lawful by the High Court in December, meaning that it can also be applied to modern slavery victims and other small boat migrants. The Asylum Aid charity will argue that selected people are not being given sufficient opportunity to challenge the decision, or the proper time, information and access to legal advice. Chief executive Kerry Smith said: The High Courts decision that people do not require legal advice, that they should be able to understand the process and make representations within seven days, and that they have no right to make representations on the governments position that Rwanda is safe risks denying all those subjected to this procedure a fair hearing. The lack of safe routes for those fleeing persecution and violence means that, together with the Illegal Migration Bill, the shortcut Rwanda processing policy will ensure that survivors of torture, trafficking and other forms of human cruelty are blocked from the systems that enable them to secure safety. Freedom From Torture, which is intervening in the case, said it cuts to the heart of the UKs role as a place of safety for survivors of torture and persecution. In this exceptionally hostile and fast-paced scheme, there is a grave risk that torture survivors will not be identified and will be expelled from the UK, warned chief executive Sonya Sceats. No matter what the courts decide, this scheme and the refugee ban bill are unacceptable and contrary to the compassion we should be showing to people who need our help. The arguments will be considered at a four-day hearing, starting on Monday, and judges are expected to reserve their decision to a later date. Ministers have said flights to Kigali will not be attempted until the case is decided, and whichever side loses at the Court of Appeal could take it to the Supreme Court. The latest stage of the Rwanda legal challenge coincides with the return of the controversial Illegal Migration Bill to parliament. It aims to allow the UK to detain and deport small boat migrants without considering their asylum claims and, with no other return agreements in place, the Rwanda deal is crucial to its success. Suella Braverman widened the cope of the Rwanda deal after it was considered by the High Court (PA) A slew of amendments, both hardening and softening aspects of the proposed laws, will be considered by MPs on Tuesday before the bill passes to the House of Lords. Analysis conducted by the Refugee Council and Barnardos estimated that if the bill passes as currently drafted, almost 15,000 unaccompanied child asylum seekers would be locked up and banned from remaining in the UK when they turn 18 in the first three years of the law being in place. The charities said most child asylum seekers come from countries with high grant rates for refugee status, like Afghanistan, and are forced to take dangerous journeys because there are very limited options for safe routes to the UK. Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon said: The idea of locking up children separated from their families and then kicking them out of the country when they turn 18 is deeply disturbing to most people in the UK. This is not who we are as a country. Lynn Perry MBE, the chief executive of Barnardos, said the bill has serious implications for the safety and protection of children. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} New powers that the Home Secretary wants added to the Illegal Migration Bill will not give ministers carte blanche to overrule European court orders, the Deputy Prime Minister has said. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she needs the crucial power of being able to stop European judges from intervening in the deportation of would-be asylum seekers who have arrived in Britain via unauthorised routes. It comes as the Home Office confirmed a further 497 people crossed the English Channel on Saturday April 22 in 11 boats. This brings the total so far this year to 5,546. Oliver Dowden, the newly-appointed deputy to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said it was right for the leader of the Home Office to have discretional powers when considering interventions from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). However, he said the ability for Britain to block Strasbourg judges rulings would not apply to all its verdicts. Im not saying that will give the Home Secretary carte blanche to overrule rulings Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden Mrs Braverman has laid an amendment to the Illegal Migration Bill legislation aimed at preventing migrants from crossing the English Channel on small boats and crushing the human trafficking trade to allow ministers broad discretion to decide whether or not to accept a human rights ruling from Strasbourg. It comes after the ECHR was able to use what is called a Rule 39 order to block the inaugural deportation flight taking asylum seekers to Rwanda last year. Mr Dowden told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme the amendments added to the legislation would give the Home Secretary the ability to consider the timeliness of interventions from the ECHR, particularly when it came to last-minute applications. The senior Conservative MP said: The Home Secretary will be given a discretion and ability to look at the circumstances of that order (Section or Rule 39) from the European Court of Human Rights and will, for example, cover factors such as the timeliness of the imposition of the order so, for example, if it is done at last minute and also the transparency of it. Pressed on whether the amendments would allow the Home Office to ignore Strasbourg rulings, Mr Dowden added: There will be a Section 39 discretion. Now, Im not saying that will give the Home Secretary carte blanche to overrule rulings. What I would say is that we are engaging very closely with the European court, we are making very good progress. I think it is right that the Home Secretary should have a discretion, so, for example, we dont have this situation where at the very last minute an order is imposed. Those are the kind of factors the Home Secretary will be able to consider. The move has angered liberal-minded Tories, with Justice Select Committee chairman Sir Bob Neill announcing he was not able to support the Bill as it stands. MPs are due to debate the controversial legislation on Wednesday as it comes back for its report stage and third reading this week. Sir Bob told Times Radio: I cant support the clauses as they are drafted. First of all, I dont think its right for us to be saying that we will ignore rules of the European Court of Human Rights, even the interim measures. The senior Conservative said the way Rule 39 measures operate isnt satisfactory and that judicial dialogue was the way forward. Id rather do the sensible reform, rather than get into a confrontation, he added. Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth said a future Labour administration would always follow the law when asked whether his party thought it acceptable for European courts to overrule decisions made in the UK. In a dual offensive by ministers, the amendments package is part of an attempt to keep both hardline Tory backbenchers and the more liberal section of MP on-side. While the changes look to dampen a right-wing rebellion by making it harder for both domestic and international courts to intervene in deportations, ministers have also agreed to look at introducing more safe and legal routes into the country. The UK currently has processes in place for asylum seekers from countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine and Hong Kong to come to Britain, but human rights campaigners have urged ministers to create more routes so as to prevent desperate people from taking to dinghies to cross the Channel. Mr Dowden said it was only after getting control of our borders that the UK would have more capacity to be able to extend our kindness and generosity as a nation. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said Parliament would be given a say in the routes and cap on numbers coming in. Writing in The Sunday Express, the Home Office minister said Parliament would, as part of proposed amendments, debate the future of safe routes into the UK that are available for asylum seekers. He said: As we tackle the scourge of illegal migration from safe countries in this firm manner, we are increasing our already generous provisions for those directly in conflict zones by establishing an additional safe and legal route to the UK through the Bill. For the first time this will be informed by a consultation with local councils on their capacity to support additional people, and will be debated by your MPs in Parliament, so that we restore honesty and accountability to such an important question. MBABANE What a mess! The High Court of Eswatini, which houses the Supreme Court and Industrial Court, is a sorry sight. It resembles a dumpsite. Court documents with crucial information for references have been kept in an unsecured makeshift storage. In any civilised legal system, the articulated grounds of past judicial decisions are, in many instances, binding precedent for currently litigated matters. They are viewed as persuasive authority. Lawyers who spoke about the issue on condition of anonymity said it was easy to steal a document, leaving them and judicial officers with no persuasive authority or local case studies. They said the clerks, who are mostly engaged on voluntary basis, could be tempted to dispose them off in return for financial favours. A large number of the clerks are not paid any allowance because they are not in the government payment system. Some of them depend on financial contributions from parents, spouses or the attorneys themselves. They are actually nursing hopes that government will employ them someday. temptations We are exposing the clerks to temptations. What should you do if someone comes to you with E2 000 and demands that you destroy a file? I am not saying they do, said a renowned attorney. It has been learnt that some crucial court documents are missing. The judicial system is in shambles, the source said. Lindiwe Mbingo, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, said there was something positive that was being done with regard to electronic court case filing. She then asked that a questionnaire to detail the issue be sent to Nomfundo Dlamini, the Communications Officer, who had not responded at the time this report was compiled yesterday. However, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs has requested for E17 million to undertake a new project styled electronic case management system. manual filing In the current financial year, the E17 million is required for application development and testing of working phototype of IECMS modules. The entire project is expected to cost E41.16 million. Charity Simelane, the Secretary General of the Law Society of Swaziland, said they had seen boxes of court documents along the passages. She said the electronic case management system was obviously a solution to manual filing. Simelane mentioned that this concept of the electronic case management system was introduced to lawyers during their annual general meeting (AGM). The secretary general said the AGM was in full support of it as it would also enable the public to monitor court proceedings from the police stage to the finality of the case. He said they would also know whether their lawyers filed their cases. They will even track how and what led to the postponement of the case, Simelane said. Through the electronic case management system, she said it would be easy to know the number of cases a certain judge has presided over and finalised. On Thursday, the Times SUNDAY news team went to the High Court to check the filing system. This is the computerisation or digitalisation age. inspection During the inspection, the team found that the Judiciary under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs is yet to introduce the computerised filing system. Even then, the hardcopy filing management is apparently collapsing. That is obviously the reason the court documents are found along the corridors. Legal systems across the world derive benefits from computerising their document storage methods. They use imaging, wherein old documents are essentially photographed and stored in a computer system. It is said that the deluge of legal cases, which courts receive on a daily basis, has posed a great challenge to the Judiciary with respect to accurate information management. Consequent of the manual record keeping system, documents are missing or misplaced and files are not properly placed in their appropriate locations. World Bank has been supporting a project called court automation. According to the bank, a critical element affecting a judicial systems performance is court automation. automation It defined court automation as technology that reduces or eliminates human activities associated with the processing of judicial cases. In fact, it must be said that these technologies are by no means limited to basic equipment such as computers. They can encompass a variety of features, including electronic filing, electronic calendaring, an online notification centre and many others. The World Bank states that these features can be distinct or integrated into an electronic case management system (ECMS), which can support different case flow management techniques. The key measurable e-features are as follows: * Filing an initial complaint (e-filing); * Serving the defendant with the initial complaint (e-service); * Paying court fees (e-payment) * Managing cases via ECSM by both judges and lawyers. It is suggested that court automation, when properly implemented, can lead to a significant reduction in the length and cost of judicial proceedings. The South African Judiciary says it is in the process of developing and implementing what it defined as court online. Court online is an advanced cloud-based collaboration solution that is aimed at providing a platform for law firms/litigants to file documents to the courts electronically. This is called e-filing. The Judiciary explains that court online is an end-to-end e-filing, digital case management and evidence management system for the High Courts of South Africa. documentation It provides law practitioners with the opportunity to file documentation electronically online anywhere and anytime without being physically present at court. It also affords law practitioners the ease of managing their court appearance diaries and court evidence instantaneously online. The SA Judiciary says court online aims to: * Minimise the physical movement of people within the court buildings and thus immensely reduce the general office section queues. * Minimise paper court documents from parties to the court. * Leverage the benefits of electronic storage that leads to faster document filing and retrieval, and in the process eradication of misplacement of court files. * Concurrent easy access to view the same court file filed by different parties. Within the courts, it is understood that court online enables electronic documents to be automatically routed to the appropriate registrar clerk for processing. This process is said to be fast, convenient and efficient, as it minimises paper flow to shorten case processing time. It provides an electronic platform for the exchange and sharing of documents. electronic The other benefits of the court online system include the speedy inspection of documents electronically and the ability to request for and receive electronic extracts of documents via the internet. Litigants obtain details of hearing fixtures via short messaging system (SMS) or email using their mobile phones. Within the court room and chambers, judges make use of the court online system to adjudicate disputes electronically. The taxpayer-funded apprenticeships scheme should be overhauled to focus on young people at the start of their careers, instead of millions being spent on courses for senior executives, MPs will warn in the wake of an investigation by The Independent. We revealed last month that the current system is being gamed to help pay for masters courses, with more than 1bn spent to subsidise these studies since 2017, including 100m used to part-fund MBAs for high-flyers. Official figures show that in 2021-22, almost half (47 per cent) of apprenticeships were begun by people aged 25 and over. And the number of under-25s starting an apprenticeship has plummeted by more than 100,000 since 2016. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Boris Johnson is believed to have stayed at the luxury Caribbean home of his distant cousin at the heart of the row over the appointment of BBC chair Richard Sharp. The former Tory PM and his wife Carrie spent Easter holidaying in the Dominican Republic in a villa thought to be owned by his Canadian relative Sam Blyth. It comes as a new book found that Mr Johnson told Downing Street staff that I am the fuhrer and Im the king amid tensions with his then-top adviser Dominic Cummings. The ex-Tory PM stayed at a 4,100-a-night villa owned by his distant cousin, the Mirror reported after he was pictured there with his family by El Nuevo Diario. Mr Johnson declared the use of Gatwick Airports luxury suite at the value 1,584 as he flew out to the Caribbean, the latest register of MPs interests shows. But he has not declared any hospitality provided by Mr Blyth, and did not do so after a previous stay as a guest of his cousin. It is understood he does not believe it is necessary because he is staying with family. A spokesperson for Mr Johnson said: We dont comment on travel. All of Boris Johnsons interests are properly registered and declared. Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said Mr Johnson is utterly shameless, adding: The constant stream of sleaze and scandal surrounding him is hindering public trust in politics. He doesnt deserve to be an MP; the sooner he is out of parliament, the better. Former No 10 adviser Mr Cummings told authors of a new book, Johnson at 10, Anthony Seldon and Raymond Newell, that Mr Johnson said: I am the fuhrer. Im the king who takes the decisions. Boris Johnson with wife Carrie (Getty Images) Michael Gove told the authors that Mr Johnson fell out with Mr Cummings because the PM had grown tired of being treated like a young and inexperienced king. A spokesperson for the former PM told The Times, which serialised the book, said it was the usual malevolent and sexist twaddle from anti-Johnson adversaries. It comes as Ms Sharp given the top BBC job without disclosing to MPs he had facilitated discussions with Mr Blyth over an 800,000 loan guarantee for Mr Johnson comes under renewed pressure. The public appointments commission is investigating whether rules were followed in giving after Mr Sharp failed to share with MPs details of his involvement in initial talks about the offer of help for Mr Johnson. Senior managers at the corporation believe Mr Sharps position as chair is untenable ahead of the commissions report, according to The Sunday Times with sources saying managing the scandal had become his full-time job. A BBC spokesperson said: We dont recognise that assertion, and Richard is a very able chair of the BBC, they said. Despite briefings against Mr Sharp from some managers, The Independent understands the chair also has strong support within the BBC. MPs on the culture committee branded Mr Sharp guilty of significant errors of judgement by failing to declare his role in facilitating talks about the loan at the end of 2020 before he was named BBC chair in February 2021. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Labour MP Diane Abbott has again found herself in hot water after suggesting Jewish people do not face racism. Ms Abbott, who has been subjected to racist attacks herself, has been suspended by Labour over remarks she made in The Observer newspaper. She wrote that Jewish, Irish and traveller communities have experienced prejudice, but added: This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable. It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. Diane Abbott has had the Labour whip suspended after comments she made suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller people are not subject to racism all their lives (Ian West/PA) (PA Archive) She apologised and immediately withdrew the comments following a backlash, saying an initial draft of the latter had been sent by mistake. A left-winger who served as shadow home secretary under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Ms Abbott is no stranger to controversy and has made a number of gaffes over the years. Here we take a look back at some of those incidents. Chairman Mao did more good than harm In 2008 Ms Abbott appeared on This Week alongside the former Conservative MP Michael Portillo. She was asked by the shows host, veteran journalist Andrew Neil, Why is it right to wear a Maoist t-shirt, but obviously wrong, because it is, to wear a Hitler t-shirt? Ms Abbott responded: I suppose that some people would judge that on balance Mao did more good than harm; you cant say that about the Nazis. Chairman Mao with Red Guards (Rex Features) Chairman Mao was the former president of China. In 1958 he launched a programme called The Great Leap Forward - an attempt to introduce a more Chinese form of communism, aimed at mass mobilisation of labour to improve agricultural and industrial production. But it resulted in a massive decline in agricultural output, which, together with poor harvests, led to famine and the deaths of millions of people. Mao was also responsible for the cultural revolution during which most of Chinas cultural heritage was destroyed. West Indian mums will go to the wall for their children During an interview in 2010, Ms Abbott, who represents Hackney North and Stoke Newington in London, said West Indian mums will go to the wall for their children when trying to justify her reason for sending her son to a private school. Mr Neil, who was interviewing Ms Abbott at the time, responded by saying: So black mums love their kids more than white mums, do they? He suggested that Ms Abbotts remark was racist, which she denied. A lifelong socialist, Ms Abbott has criticised the private education system and in 2003 hit out at her colleague, Harriet Harman, for sending her son to a grammar school. In a 2018 article for the Labour List website Ms Abbott wrote that socialism cannot be elitist or sectoral. Racist cabbies In 2012 Ms Abbott sparked outrage among taxi drivers after suggesting they were racists. In a message on Twitter, Ms Abbott wrote: Dubious of black people claiming theyve never experienced racism. Ever tried hailing a taxi I always wonder? Steve McNamara, of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, described the comment as at worst, racist and at best, stupid. We find it amazing that in this day and age someone in Diane Abbotts position can try to resurrect the stereotypes from the 1960s, he said. At worst she is racist and at best she is stupid in making comments like that. Either way, she should go, he added. Car crash LBC interview In 2017 Ms Abbott stumbled through an explanation of her partys plan for an additional 10,000 police officers. During an interview with LBC, the Shadow Home Secretary gave several estimates for how much the new officers would cost, ranging from 300,000 to 80m. Ms Abbott was later forced to listen back to the excruciating interview when she appeared on the BBC. Drinking a mojito on the London Overground In 2019 Ms Abbott was forced to apologise after getting caught drinking alcohol on the London Overground network. A photograph of the then shadow home secretary sipping an M&S canned mojito drink was published on The Suns website Transport for London (TfL) introduced an alcohol ban on all public transport in the capital in 2008. Ms Abbott said she was sincerely sorry for drinking the Marks and Spencer cocktail. A photo of me drinking from a can of M&S mojito on the Overground has been circulated, the Labour frontbencher wrote on Twitter: Im sincerely sorry for drinking on TFL. One Twitter user quipped at the time: Put it in a water bottle next time. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Labour whip has been suspended from Diane Abbott pending an investigation into a letter the MP wrote suggesting Jewish people are not subjected to the same racism as some other minorities. Ms Abbott, the former shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, apologised over the comments and said the letter published in The Observer had been an initial draft sent by mistake. It stated that Jewish, Irish and traveller communities have experienced prejudice, but added: This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable. Ms Abbott had added: It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. Despite Ms Abbotts apology, amid widespread outrage on Sunday morning, Labours chief whip Alan Campbell decided to withdraw the whip while inquiries take place. A Labour spokesperson said: The Labour Party completely condemns these comments, which are deeply offensive and wrong. The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation. Among those expressing their outrage, Tory cabinet minister Grant Shapps said: Once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful antisemitism. Keir Starmer are you actually going to do anything? Ms Abbotts short letter, which is still online, provoked a furious reaction on social media on Sunday morning before the Labour MP issued an apology dissociating herself from her own letter and saying she withdrew her remarks. I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself from them, said the Labour MP. The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse, and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused. Diane Abbott and then-shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer at 2019 rally (PA) Ms Abbot added: Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others. Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them. The Labour left-winger had been responding to a Guardian column by Tomiwa Owolade arguing that that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from racism. Ms Abbott had written: In pre-civil rights America ... Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington added: And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said Ms Abbotts letter was disgraceful and her apology is entirely unconvincing, while the Jewish Labour Movement said it regretfully supports the decision to suspend the whip. Diane Abbott served as shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn (PA) Fellow left-winger Jon Lansman, founder of Momentum, also condemned the remarks. A disgraceful comment by Diane Abbott for which she has rightly been suspended from the Labour Party. Racism is not a competition! he tweeted. Labour Against Antisemitism said Ms Abbotts comments were simply unacceptable as the group also called on Sir Keir to remove the whip. To reduce the racism faced by Jews to mere prejudice when in living memory six million Jews were systematically slaughtered in Europe for their race is grossly offensive, said spokesperson Fiona Sharpe. She added: In the UK today one in five of all Jews have suffered a racist attack, with more than one in three Gypsy, Roma and Traveller reporting the same. Ms Abbott is either woefully misinformed or deliberately bigoted. Neither should be tolerated. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said her suspension must be the first step towards her expulsion from the party. A spokesperson for the campaign said Ms Abbott and her allies on the far left of the party could never accept how bad antisemitism had become because they do not even acknowledge that it is a form of racism. Diane Abbott has had the Labour whip suspended after comments (PA Archive) Jake Wallis Simons, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, also called for Ms Abbott to be permanently expelled. I cant really see what is to investigate, he told Sky News. All the evidence is out there. Shes given her defence already. She needs to be expelled. He added: It seems to me as if you dont just say things like that by mistake. You say them because you think them, and then you seek to tone them down when you realise how offensive they are, belatedly, because of the outrage that you face. Labour MPs told The Independent the investigation should be done quickly saying the facts and apology were clear enough not to delay any punishment. Despite causes for her permanent expulsion, Labour MPs sympathetic to Ms Abbotts return fear she could suspended indefinitely in a bid to undermine her selection as a candidate at the next general election. A close ally of Mr Corbyn, Ms Abbott said it was extraordinary for Sir Keir to have formally blocked him from standing as a Labour candidate at the next election. Mr Corbyn was suspended for his response to the Equality and Human Rights Commissions report into antisemitism in the party, arguing the issue had been overstated by his political opponents. Mr Corbyn has called the decision a shameful attack on party democracy. He also said Sir Keirs claims that the pair were never friends is primary school stuff and lashed out at anti-Rishi Sunak attack ads as bad news all around. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Parliaments anti-sleaze watchdog is facing calls to open a new inquiry into Dominic Raabs behaviour, as a campaign is launched to oust the former deputy MP from his seat in Surrey. A new complaint has been filed with the parliamentary commissioner for standards Daniel Greenberg arguing that Mr Raabs conduct could amount to serious breaches of the code of conduct. The letter, seen by The Independent, calls on the commissioner to examine whether Raab broke the rules which say MPs must treat their staff and all those visiting or working for or with parliament with dignity, courtesy and respect. Mr Raab quit on Friday after the probe into bullying accusations found he acted in an intimidating and aggressive way but has lashed out at activist civil servants and resisted calls to resign his Esher and Walton seat. While Rishi Sunak has faced criticism from Tory MPs for using Mr Raab as cannon fodder, he is said to be open to the idea of bringing the loyal ally back into government after a general election or giving him a peerage. While Mr Greenbergs office will have to decide to open its own inquiry into Mr Raabs behaviour, the complaint opens up the possibility of a new standards probe. An official recall petition that would spark a by-election would have to be signed by 10 per cent of voters in his constituency if he was found to have broken the ministerial code and punished with a suspension of at least 10 days. The complaint comes as the Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to remove Mr Raab in the blue wall seat setting up an online campaign calling for him to be sacked, and sending out fundraising emails and local campaign literature to the printers. Party leader Ed Davey insisted that Mr Raab should quit and face a by-election. If he is not willing to go, the Tories should withdraw the whip, otherwise they are sending a message that bullying is OK, he told Sky News on Sunday. A Lib Dem source added: We are throwing the kitchen sink at this operation. People across Esher and Walton are furious with Dominic Raab and want a by-election now. The former deputy PM jumped before he was pushed by his close ally, the prime minister (PA/EPA) Sir Ed also appeared to leave the door open to entering a coalition with Labour after next general election. He failed to rule out a Labour-Lib Dem coalition with Sir Keir Starmer when repeatedly challenged about the idea on Sky News Sophy Ridge on Sunday. Mr Sunak was accused by Tory MPs of betrayal over the Raab scandal with one complaining to The Sunday Telegraph that the PM definitely doesnt have anyones back. Conservative MPs are just cannon fodder. Independent lawyer Adam Tolley KC concluded that Mr Raab engaged in an abuse or misuse of power that undermines or humiliates while foreign secretary. Mr Sunaks senior advisers discussed how to save Mr Raabs job because they feared complaints against other cabinet ministers, according to The Sunday Times. But Mr Raabs own pledge to resign if claims were upheld are thought to have made it impossible. The PM could give Mr Raab a peerage if he does not bring him back into government in future, according to the newspaper. Ed Davey refused to rule out coalition with Keir Starmers Labour (Getty) The new deputy PM Oliver Dowden refused to say if Mr Raab was a bully, but said he was right to have resigned because of adverse findings. Mr Dowden also said on Sunday that Mr Sunak still has great affection for Mr Raab. Mr Dowden also suggested on Sundays Laura Kuenssberg programme that the former Labour PM Gordon Brown would have been deemed to have bullied staff in todays climate. Pressed on whether the definition of bullying had changed over the years, Mr Dowden said: It was no great secret what happened with Gordon Brown when he was prime minister I dont think that kind of conduct from him would be acceptable in todays climate. Responding, Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth told GB News: I worked very closely with Gordon Brown, and Gordon is a robust personality but hes not a bully. Meanwhile, a Tory peer who is leading a government review into how the civil service operates has called for more politicisation of Whitehall by allowing ministers more power to appoint their own officials. Lord Francis Maude said the system needs to be less mealy-mouthed about politicisation in the wake of the Raab resignation, saying permanent civil servants in France often have over political affiliations without problems. Writing in The Observer, Lord Maude said that there will be more cases like Mr Raabs in which frustrations boil over and suggested ministers could be given more say in the appointments of civil servants. A Tory peer who is leading a government review into how the civil service operates has called for a greater politicisation of Whitehall through allowing ministers more power to appoint their own officials. Francis Maude said the system needs to be less mealy-mouthed about politicisation in the wake of Dominic Raabs resignation and the claims made by Mr Raab that civil service activists had been working against him. It comes as Rishi Sunak was accused by Tory MPs of betrayal over the Raab scandal, with one complaining that the PM definitely doesnt have anyones back. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Detectives investigating the finances of the SNP are said to be searching for sim cards belonging to burner mobile phones a type of phone that is often used to stay anonymous. Police Scotland officers want to examine information obtained from sim cards used in this kind of untraceable phone, according to Scottish newspaper the Sunday Mail. The newspaper said the purchase of luxury pens, designer kitchenware and even a fridge freezer by SNP officials is also being scrutinised as part of the current investigation, which has seen both Nicola Sturgeons husband Peter Murrell and the partys former treasurer Colin Beattie arrested and interviewed by police under caution before being released without charge. The police inquiry, known as Operation Branchform, was launched as officers sought to investigate how more than 660,000 in donations, earmarked for an independence referendum, had been used. A source with knowledge of the investigation told the Sunday Mail: They want to know the numbers connected with these [sim] cards, which could also contain numbers called and text messages. Its not uncommon for people to have unregistered mobile sim cards, which can be bought from any shop. Theres nothing wrong with having a so-called burner phone, but police want a record of these phones in the SNP. Another source said there was an extensive list of items the police are interested in including pens, pots and pans, jewellery and a fridge freezer. Nicola Sturgeons house has been searched as part of the police inquiry (PA) Despite questions remaining about the partys finances, its deputy leader, Keir Brown, on Sunday described the SNP as the most transparent party. We are the most transparent, most successful party ... in Scotland, the senior SNP figure told BBC Scotlands The Sunday Show. We have to increase that transparency, he added. It is my ambition and I know that its Humza [Yousaf]s to make sure that we are the most transparent party in Scotland, and that we set the standard for transparency and shame other parties. Scottish Tory chair Craig Hoy, who appeared on the programme after Mr Brown, called the remarks bizarre and claimed that the SNP was addicted to secrecy. In an earlier interview with Sky News, Mr Brown admitted that he had not been notified until recently that the partys auditors had resigned. SNP leader Humza Yousaf only learned of the resignation of the auditors after he replaced Ms Sturgeon in the top job despite their having stepped aside in around October. Recommended SNP treasurer Colin Beattie quits as party fears Sturgeon could be arrested next Earlier this week, a senior SNP figure told The Independent it was likely Ms Sturgeon would also be interviewed under caution, given that she is one of the three names believed to be on party accounts. Some of the partys MPs and MSPs have also said it is inevitable that Ms Sturgeon will be questioned by police under caution in the weeks ahead. Kenny MacAskill, a former SNP MSP and now the deputy leader of the Alba Party, blamed the authoritarian culture Ms Sturgeon presided over for the shambles within the party. This was all about ensuring that she was a dominant personality she was surrounded by sycophants, he told Times Radio on Sunday. An SNP spokesperson said: We have no comment on a live police investigation. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} British citizens trapped in Sudan have accused the government of abandoning them in a country feared to be on the brink of a prolonged civil war, as diplomats were evacuated by the British military. Rishi Sunak announced on Sunday that UK armed forces had completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families, following a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country, the prime minister said. All diplomatic staff and their families were evacuated, The Independent understands, in an operation involving more than 1,200 personnel from the Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and the 16 Air Assault Brigade, the armys rapid-response paratrooper unit. But there are believed to be hundreds of Britons still stuck in the northeast African nation, where at least 400 people have been killed since violence erupted eight days ago between forces loyal to the two rival generals of Sudans army and the RSF paramilitary force. The endgame is here now. We feel we need to get out, a teacher named William told Sky News on Sunday, as British diplomats followed the lead of those who have already been evacuated to the US and Sudans close ally Saudi Arabia a move that has intensified fears of a drawn-out conflict to come. Multiple British citizens have complained of an absence of contact from the embassy, alleging that it had taken five days for the embassy to contact them with a telephone number they could use to register with the Foreign Office. William told TheSunday Times that several people had been unable to use the number and had to ask family in the UK to call it for them and provide details on their behalf, with others left to rely on updates gleaned from the news and WhatsApp groups with fellow Britons in Sudan. Smoke rose over Khartoum on Saturday as evacuations began (AP) The first five days were ridiculous, and farcical actually. I couldnt believe they would continue to not do anything, William told the paper. Iman Abu Garga, a British citizen visiting Khartoum, told the BBC she had registered herself and her two children as instructed, and since then nothing. We have no idea about timescale or timeframe. We have no idea what its going to look like. Are we going to be airlifted out of Khartoum airport? Are we going to have to go by road? Its just utterly frustrating that there is no human contact whatsoever, she said. William added that the capacity of the embassy to help was tiny, saying: There is someone who we have direct contact with, but there is scarcity of anybody above her in the embassy. Since the violence broke out last Saturday, ambassador Giles Lever and his deputy have been overseas, but a Foreign Office spokesperson told The Independent that senior-level cover was in place at the time violence began, as is standard practice. A source at the department told The Times that Levers presence in London during the crisis had been invaluable. But the report carried quotes from another Whitehall source who described the unfolding situation in Khartoum as Kabul all over again. Sudanese soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, sit atop a tank in Port Sudan (AFP/Getty) Addressing the question of why diplomats had been prioritised for evacuation, foreign secretary James Cleverly said Khartoum embassy staff had been unable to discharge their functions because of the violence in that city. So, both to fulfil our duty to protect them as their employer, we are relocating them to other embassies in the region. In order to continue to protect British nationals, we will of course be enhancing our teams in the region. This is following the pattern we have seen of our international friends and colleagues. But he added: We will continue on our diplomatic effort to bring this conflict to a swift conclusion because until that happens, we are severely limited in our ability to provide assistance to British nationals. The British evacuation came after fewer than 100 of their American counterparts were rescued in three US Chinook helicopters, with more than 150 people mostly citizens of Gulf countries, alongside Canadian, Pakistani and Egyptian nationals were evacuated by sea on Saturday to Jeddah. France, Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Japan have also said they had begun operations to evacuate their citizens, as gunshots rang out across the Sudanese capital. Saudi citizens and staff of Saudi Airline posed for a group photo as they arrive at Jeddah Sea Port after being evacuated (Reuters) However, both warring factions accused each other of attacking a French evacuation convoy on Sunday, claiming that a French national was wounded a claim on which Paris is yet to comment. Announcing the UKs successful evacuation effort, Mr Sunak urged those fighting to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones, as he praised the commitment of Britains diplomats and bravery of those involved in the operation. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: The safety of all British nationals in Sudan continues to be our utmost priority ... the UK government will do all we can to ensure the safe passage of our citizens in what remains a very challenging context. In the meantime, our advice to British nationals is to shelter in place and contact the Foreign Office to register your location and contact details. The fighting broke out in Khartoum, along with its adjoining cities of Omdurman and Bahri, and other parts of the country on 15 April, four years after long-ruling military autocrat Omar al-Bashir was deposed in a coup, and later convicted of corruption. The army and RSF had together carried out another coup in 2021, but fell out during negotiations over plans to form a civilian government and integrate the RSF into the armed forces. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ministers must explain what they are doing to evacuate Britons from Sudan as fighting continues in the African country, Labour has urged. A UK Government source said Sudan will be evacuated of British embassy staff as soon as feasible due to safety fears following increasing attacks on diplomatic missions. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden declined to be drawn on the detail of what the Government is doing as he toured the broadcast studios on Sunday. It does seem a legitimate question as to why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting Labour's Jon Ashworth Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth said there is a legitimate question as to why the UK Government is not acting like others in removing staff and citizens from the country, and suggested Parliament should be updated this week. Sudan is currently into a second week of bloody internal fighting between the army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Mr Dowden, asked whether the UK was preparing to evacuate Sudan of British nationals, told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: The situation in respect of Sudan is clearly a rapidly moving and complex situation. Our priority is to support British nationals. Now, the Ministry of Defence is acting in support of the Foreign Office but clearly you wouldnt expect me to comment for security reasons on the current situation in terms of movement on the ground. Clearly, we need to make sure that we support our British nationals. At the moment, the advice to British nationals is to make sure they stay indoors, that they stay safe and get in contact with the Foreign Office Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden Pressed on whether there are plans to evacuate Sudan of UK citizens, Mr Dowden added: This is a very different situation, for example, to the situation that you saw in Afghanistan for a number of reasons. First of all, this situation has arisen very rapidly and, secondly, we just dont have the kind of scale of resources on the ground that were there in Afghanistan. Clearly, we need to make sure that we support our British nationals. At the moment, the advice to British nationals is to make sure they stay indoors, that they stay safe and get in contact with the Foreign Office. For Labour, Mr Ashworth said people are deeply, deeply troubled and alarmed about what is happening in Sudan. We do need to be getting British nationals out. There is looting, there is sexual assault going on, there is violence on a daily basis. This is not a safe situation Alicia Kearns MP, Commons Foreign Affairs Committee He told the same programme: As to the question around evacuations and so on, it does seem a legitimate question as to why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting. I hope we can have a clarification from the Foreign Office, perhaps in Parliament in the coming days, on that front. Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, acknowledged it would be probably the most complex evacuation she could think of in her lifetime given there was no UK military on the ground. Ms Kearns noted the United States had used a helicopter base on their embassy to start their evacuation and highlighted some of the difficulties. She also told Times Radio: We do need to be getting British nationals out. There is looting, there is sexual assault going on, there is violence on a daily basis. This is not a safe situation. I have a constituent whose loved ones are living in Sudan who want to get out, who have a UK visa. This is very complex, but we do need to evacuate British nationals. Growing asparagus with global appeal Xinhua) 11:01, April 23, 2023 JINAN, April 21 (Xinhua) -- With the onset of the asparagus harvesting season, factories in Caoxian County, east China's Shandong Province, are operating at full capacity to sort and process the crunchy and sweet vegetable. Once processed, the canned asparagus will be shipped to dining tables across the globe to be enjoyed as a delectable side dish to complement meals. Benefiting from the exceptional cultivation conditions, asparagus in Caoxian County has been recognized as a geographical indication product. According to Zhou Changsheng, manager of an asparagus-processing company in the county, asparagus is the leading export product for the company, with an annual export of approximately 11,000 tonnes of canned asparagus. Among these, canned white asparagus is primarily exported to Europe, Southeast Asia, and other regions, with export volume accounting for 80 percent of the national total, Zhou said. Apart from being made into canned food for instant consumption, the asparagus from the county has also been used to create various delicacies. In a trial field of an asparagus plantation, various varieties of asparagus are breaking through the soil. They are given names with poetic charms, such as emerald, moonlight over the lotus pond, and snow white, featuring their distinctive flavors and appearances. There's a wide variety of refined, processed products made from these varied asparagus species, such as tea, juice, and beer, said the person in charge of the R&D department of the plantation, adding that they design the products to cater to the demand of customers at home and abroad. Zhou said his company's R&D spending could account for more than 3 percent of its total budget. So far, Caoxian County has established an industrialization pattern guided by the market that integrates the base, farmers, production, processing, and sales into a one-stop service. "We have been reassured by the free cultivation technique guidance and guaranteed purchase price provided by cooperatives," said Li Haiyang, a local farmer. Li has cooperated with a local company to grow asparagus, and during the picking season, a farmer could earn about 2,600 yuan (around 377 U.S. dollars) a month. Currently, the total planting area of asparagus in Caoxian County has reached 13,333 hectares, with an annual output of 180,000 tonnes of high-quality asparagus. In addition, the county has 24 asparagus processing companies with an annual processing capacity of 190,000 tonnes, which generates an annual export revenue of 200 million U.S. dollars. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) MANZINI The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) was questioned over the arrest of members of parliament (MPs). EBC officials were called to explain the arrest of the MPs, Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi and Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza of Hosea, during a civic and voter education exercise at Moneni Umphakatsi yesterday. The residents requested the commission to explain its silence on the arrests of the MPs and to also give assurance that the next MP would not be arrested. At least three community members wanted to know if the commission was able to protect and defend MPs from victimisation. Mbongeni Nxumalo said what happened to the two MPs was most likely to happen to any MP they were going to elect. He alleged that the two MPs were arrested after raising critical issues in Parliament. elections We cannot sit and watch, we want to participate in the elections, but we have a situation here that needs to be attended by the EBC. Can you at least explain to us what happened to the two MPs, why were they arrested and what guarantee we have that the next MP we will elect will not be arrested. We are worried and afraid to even elect anyone because we might be sending that person to jail like the people of Hosea and Ngwempisi. They thought they were electing their MPs only to find out they were sending them to jail, said Nxumalo. His submission was supported by the residents as more questions were asked around the protection of those who will be elected. Mfanafuthi Khumalo said the matter was very sensitive and the commission should attend to it with urgency. Khumalo said elections were becoming scary and even though he wanted to participate this year, he was not sure if it was safe. Baboshelweni vele labo MP? What is the use of participating in the election process if the MPs will get arrested and EBC will pretend as if nothing happened? asked Khumalo. EBC Officer Tholakele Sihlongonyane said the matter was beyond the jurisdiction of the commission, as it was now in the hands of the courts. She, however, elaborated that the elections were conducted in a free and fair manner. People should not be afraid to participate in the election process, it is a free and fair process and we can only assure people that much. We might not be able to give you responses on the issues you have raised, but the role of EBC is to ensure that the election process is conducted properly. The election procedure is very clear and the commission remains committed to the process, she said. committing It is worth mentioning that, the MPs were charged for allegedly committing crimes under the Suppression of Terrorism Act and murder, among others. They have been on trial for over a year. Sihlongonyane further explained the duties and responsibilities of MPs, indvuna and bucopho. She said MPs were responsible for passing laws as legislators in Parliament and they were further required to play an oversight role to the Executive arm of governance. She added that another role of an MP was to be a conduit for the legislature and the executive to the people. The role of MPs has been misunderstood for the longest period in history and I want to state clearly that the law does not expect an MP to do more than the three roles I have mentioned. An MP cannot construct bridges for you because that is part of the work of the Executive arm of governance, she said. Officers from EBC took the residents through the official stages of the election process and the importance of voting. The residents were taught on why it was important for every voter to be registered and how to vote. information Civic and voter education excercise means providing citizens of a democratic State with basic information about participating in elections. It is provided by the State through EBC, therefore, it is a politically non-partisan exercise. The commission educated the residents on the laws of the election and later opened the floor for questions. One of the residents, Thuthuka Dlamini questioned the rotation of Owen Nxumalo and Thandi Nxumalo as MPs in the area. Making submission during the voter education, Dlamini said EBC should regulate such instances where only two people change seats in Parliament. He requested that the matter be attended by the commission. Mzwandile Nkambule asked the commission to implement the power of recall so that the voters would be able to withdraw their MPs if they fail to deliver. Elections have taught us that the MPs only come when they need our vote and after that, they do not come back to us. They make a number of promises which they fail to deliver and, therefore, it is imperative that as voters we should be able to withdraw them, he said. Sifiso Mkhonta asked the commission to remove all hostilities and advocate for the dialogue to be moved quickly so that political issues could be addressed. He said it was important for the dialogue to be held immediately before the elections to ensure that hostilities were removed. Mathokoza Lukhele challenged the commission to consider doing the civic and voter education excercise constantly in order to be able to address the questions of the people. He said the people needed answers on a number of issues around the elections, therefore, constant engagement was needed. Lukhele said EBC should also assist in ensuring that the MPs come back to the community to respond to their promises. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} All US government personnel were evacuated from Washingtons embassy in Khartoum, as well as a small number of diplomatic personnel from other countries, US officials said on Saturday. The operation evacuated fewer than 100 people, the officials told reporters. We evacuated all of the US personnel and dependents assigned to embassy Khartoum, said under secretary of state for management John Bass. President Joe Biden said earlier that the US military had completed the evacuation of American embassy personnel in Sudan. He called for an end to the unconscionable violence in the war-torn country and thanked the US troops who extracted the trapped American staffers as Washington shuttered its mission in Khartoum indefinitely. The staffers were airlifted to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia, according to two US officials familiar with the mission. US troops carried out the operation as fighting between two armed Sudanese commanders which has killed more than 400, put the nation at risk of collapse, and could have consequences far beyond its borders moved into 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, Mr 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 for their help with the mission. Mr Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier on Saturday from his national security team with no end in sight to the fighting. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, he said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. Many are still trapped in the country. The State Department suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might resume functioning. The widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our embassy personnel, secretary of state Antony Blinken said in a statement. The fighting erupted on 15 April 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. Army chief General 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 rival Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, in a Twitter posting said it cooperated with US forces. 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. The RSF, which has been battling the Sudanese army, said the US rescue mission involved six aircraft. 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. 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. Additional reporting from agencies Close Graphic details released pertaining to JJ Vallows and Tylee Ryans deaths Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Week five of doomsday cult mom Lori Vallows trial is underway in Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, where the mother-of-three is accused of killing her two youngest children and her new husband Chad Daybells first wife. The 49-year-old is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua JJ Vallow, 7, and Mr Daybells wife Tammy, 49. Tylee and JJ were last seen alive in September 2019. In June 2020, their remains were found buried on the Daybell property. Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019. On Friday, jurors heard more details about Tammys sudden death which was first ruled natural causes before her body was exhumed. Disturbing 911 calls were played in court revealing how Tammy was shot at by a masked man just 10 days before her murder. On 9 October 2019, the mother-of-five had returned from the grocery store and was unloading items from her car when the man shot at her. Jurors also heard testimony from Tammys sister Samantha Gwilliam and the 911 call Mr Daybell made to report his wifes sudden death. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Missouri father died in jail after he was arrested for failing to pay child support instalments that he couldnt afford. Ryan Everson, 42, was found unresponsive inside his cell at the Clay County Jail on 23 January after spending 10 days in custody, according to a report by The Kansas City Star. Everson was arrested for allegedly owing $30,272 in back child support for his kids, ages 17, 19 and 20. His family was told that he died as a result of suicide, but they claim jail officials did not provide medical treatment after Everson experienced seizures and was left alone in his cell. Eversons death, the third in the last 21 months at the facility, is now under investigation. Eversons loved ones say that the criminal system put the father-of-three in an impossible situation as his bond was set at $10,000, but he couldnt even afford the $50 child support instalments that a judge had ordered him to pay. Everson, who once worked as a carpenter, had struggled with addiction in the last years of his life, relatives told the Star. At the time of his arrest, he didnt have a job or a car and was sleeping on friends couches and at an abandoned house. But despite his financial shortcomings, his children and ex-wife Shawna Almendarez told the Star that he tried to be as present in their lives as best he could. Ms Almendarez said she was against his arrest and that she had come to terms with the reality that he couldnt pay child support because of his struggles with addiction. The justice system is set up for the privileged, Eversons sister Erin Swart told the outlet. The family believes the countys decisions failed Everson and his children at every step, from issuing a warrant on the underlying child support case to setting a $10,000 bond and keeping him in jail without the treatment he needed. According to court documents reviewed by the Star, prosecutors estimated that Everson owed $30,272 in Alaska and had missed $600 in payments in Missouri. He had moved to Missouri to be closer to his children after his ex-wife moved to the state in 2015. He loved his kids and he wanted to try to be near them, Ms Almendarez told the Star. If anything, he didnt love himself ... but he loved his kids. Everson was taken into custody after he failed to show up in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Prosecutors in Clay County said in several statements to the Star that they issued both a summons and a warrant that Everson did not comply with. His bond was lowered to $5,000 three days before his death, but Eversons family said he still couldnt afford that sum. Everson also reportedly did not have a lawyer during his bond hearing. Our goal is the collection of child support for the children of Clay County, so incarceration is always the last resort as resolution of a child support case, Clay County assistant prosecuting attorney Alexander Higginbotham said in a statement. A wide range of actions, including administrative enforcement, civil contempt filings, and lastly criminal probation, are attempted before noncustodial parents are sentenced to jail or prison on a child support case in Clay County. Jail officials also told the outlet that Everson was not under supervision because he did not appear distressed or at risk of suicide following a medical evaluation when he was booked. His family has since started a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses and any legal services they inquire about while looking for answers. According to the Star, Eversons brother Noel plans to spread his ashes in Hawaii, where he is having a wedding ceremony that Everson promised to attend. The Independent has reached out to the Clay County Jail and the Clay County Prosecutors Office. If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} 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. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has accused Fox News and its hosts of inciting violence in the January 6 Capitol riots as she called for media organisations to be held accountable for dangerous content. The New York congresswoman addressed Fox News $787.5bn settlement with Dominion Voting Systems as she sat down with former White House press secretary Jen Psaki on her MSNBC programme on Sunday morning. She said it would have been better for the country if the case - in which Dominion accused Fox of defamation for airing false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election - was not concluded with a settlement. What would have been best for the country, would have been to demand [and apology] and to not settle until we got that, she said. Ms Ocasio-Cortez also said the case highlights a much larger problem in the media. We have very real issues with what is permissible on air, she said. We saw that with Jan 6 and we saw that in the lead up to Jan 6 and how we navigate questions - not just a freedom of speech but also accountability for incitement of violence. This is the line that we have to really explore through law as well. She went on to call for media organisations to be held accountable for inciting violence with their content. Recommended Lindsey Graham lashes out at CNN host after she corrects his misleading abortion claim I believe that when it comes to broadcast television, like Fox News, these are subject to federal law, federal regulation in terms of whats allowed on air and what isnt, she said. When you look at what Tucker Carlson and some of these other folks on Fox do, it is very, very clearly incitement of violence very clearly incitement of violence. And that is the line that we have to be willing to contend with. Elsewhere in the interview, Ms Ocasio-Cortez declared Marjorie Taylor Greene the real leader of the House Republican caucus as she painted Kevin McCarthy as a puppet. Asked whether she thinks Mr McCarthy is actually running the House Republican caucus, Ms Ocasio-Cortez did not mince her words. Hes not, she said. I think youve got Marjorie Taylor Greene running the caucus. I mean, and she makes very common public statements to that effect. Every time something irks her, she communicates that McCarthy is doing her bidding. And I think that this is something that is quite clear. Ms Ocasio-Cortez went on to say Mr McCarthy brought himself up a creek without a paddle when he opted to back the far-right portion of his caucus over the more moderate side. I think that Speaker McCarthy is stuck between having to please the most racist and heinous elements of his party with having to maintain a majority, and he is choosing to side with the extremists, she said. The interview with Ms Psaki also touched on the legal battle over the widely-used abortion drug mifepristone. While the Supreme Court upheld the FDAs approval of the drug in a ruling on Friday, the case is far from over as it heads back to an appeals court. Asked how bad she thinks the wider battle over abortion rights could get, as Republicans ramp back efforts to ban the procedure at the state level following the overturning of Roe v Wade, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said: I think were in an extremely serious moment. I believe that the Republican party is not starting with Roe, they will not stop at Roe, they will not stop just at womens rights. I believe that what we are seeing is a concerted rollback of civil liberties... Our right to privacy. Our right to bodily autonomy. Our right to marry whomever we wish to marry. All of this is at risk. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declared Marjorie Taylor Greene the real leader of the House Republican caucus as she painted Kevin McCarthy as a puppet. The New York congresswoman sat down with former White House press secretary Jen Psaki on her MSNBC programme on Sunday morning. Asked whether she thinks Mr McCarthy is actually running the House Republican caucus, Ms Ocasio-Cortez did not mince her words. Hes not, she said. I think youve got Marjorie Taylor Greene running the caucus. I mean, and she makes very common public statements to that effect. Every time something irks her, she communicates that McCarthy is doing her bidding. And I think that this is something that is quite clear. Recommended Lindsey Graham lashes out at CNN host after she corrects his misleading abortion claim Ms Ocasio-Cortez went on to say Mr McCarthy brought himself up a creek without a paddle when he opted to back the far-right portion of his caucus over the more moderate side. I think that Speaker McCarthy is stuck between having to please the most racist and heinous elements of his party with having to maintain a majority, and he is choosing to side with the extremists, she said. The interview with Ms Psaki touched on a range of topics, including the legal battle over the widely-used abortion drug mifepristone. While the Supreme Court upheld the FDAs approval of the drug in a ruling on Friday, the case is far from over as it heads back to an appeals court. Asked how bad she thinks the wider battle over abortion rights could get, as Republicans ramp back efforts to ban the procedure at the state level following the overturning of Roe v Wade, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said: I think were in an extremely serious moment. I believe that the Republican party is not starting with Roe, they will not stop at Roe, they will not stop just at womens rights. I believe that what we are seeing is a concerted rollback of civil liberties... Our right to privacy. Our right to bodily autonomy. Our right to marry whomever we wish to marry. All of this is at risk. Ms Ocasio-Cortez also addressed Fox News $787.5bn settlement with Dominion Voting Systems last week and accused network hosts including Tucker Carlson of inciting violence before the January 6 Capitol riot. She said the case - in which Dominion accused Fox of defamation for airing false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election - highlights a much larger problem in the media. We have very real issues with what is permissible on air, she said. We saw that with Jan 6 and we saw that in the lead up to Jan 6 and how we navigate questions - not just a freedom of speech but also accountability for incitement of violence. This is the line that we have to really explore through law as well. She went on to call for media organisations to be held accountable for inciting violence with their content. I believe that when it comes to broadcast television, like Fox News, these are subject to federal law, federal regulation in terms of whats allowed on air and what isnt, she said. When you look at what Tucker Carlson and some of these other folks on Fox do, it is very, very clearly incitement of violence very clearly incitement of violence. And that is the line that we have to be willing to contend with. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Canadian government may step in to provide American women with mifepristone should the abortion drug be banned in the US, an official said. Canadas Families Minister Karina Gould reacted to the legal battle over mifepristone on Thursday, before the US Supreme Court preserved access to the widely used abortion drug while legal challenges against its government approval continue. The decision from the nations high court on 21 April maintained 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. Speaking to CTV the day before the Supreme Court ruling, Ms Gould said that her nations government would work to provide [mifepristone] for American women in the event of a US ban. What concerns me is where you see laws in states where theyre actually criminalising women [who] cross state borders to access reproductive healthcare, Ms Gould said. We need to be very thoughtful about how we do this to make sure that we dont further endanger, you know, American women who are seeking access to reproductive health care and services, as well as health-care providers. She said Canada does not currently have enough supply of mifepristone to provide it across the border, but that the federal government is actively engaged on that matter. Lets hope it doesnt get to that point, she said. The Supreme Court issued its ruling maintaining the FDAs 23-year-old approval the following day - but the issue is far from put to bed as it goes back down to an appeals court next month. 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. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} 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. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Republican congresswoman is warning her party to back off from attempts to restrict access and the right to abortion around the country, calling it a losing issue. Nancy Mace of South Carolina made the comments on ABCs This Week, warning that the GOP would lose huge in 2024 if they did not reverse course. Her comments came two days after the US Supreme Court preserved access to the widely used abortion drug mifepristone while legal challenges against its government approval continue. It also comes as a handful of anti-abortion groups have rallied behind legislation in the US Senate, introduced by her states senator, Lindsey Graham, that would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks into the pregnancy. The party is currently at a crossroads on the issue of abortion, with divided opinions over whether to pursue bans at the state level, through Congress, or not at all. The Graham bill, unveiled last year ahead of the 2022 elections, was widely panned by Republicans including Mr Grahams caucus leader, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell. Mr Grahams bill is far from the only GOP-led effort to restrict abortion in the wake of last years decision by the Supreme Court to toss out Roe v Wade. A number of states including Florida have recently passed or are implementing bans, while other saw defunct bans snap back into place with the fall of Roe. But whether its a winning strategy for Republicans is an entirely different question. In swing states where abortion rights were the centre point of Democratic campaigns due to local conditions like Michigan, where a 1931 law banning abortion snapped back into place, Republicans performed poorly and in many cases lost narrow races to opponents who vowed to protect the practice as a right. As a result, the GOP only narrowly took back the House of Representatives in 2022 and failed to make gains in the Senate, instead dropping one seat to their rivals. Ms Mace often advocates for a moderate stance by her party on various social issues and told The Independent in January that she watched her own district go from mildly pro-choice to vehemently pro-choice in the wake of the Roe ruling. We're not going to win hearts and minds over by being a**holes to women. It's not gonna work that way, she said at the time. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump, stinging from a rebuke by the nations 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 Mr Trump listed were his nominations of three conservative judges to the US 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, Mr 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. Mr 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. Mr Trump didnt 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. Mr 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 Mr Trump noted his relocating the US 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. Mr Trumps former vice president Mike Pence, who appeared in person before the group, used his speech earlier in the evening to celebrate Mr Trumps efforts to restrict abortion and take some bit of credit for himself. Mr 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 Coalitions annual spring fundraiser marks the unofficial start of the states 2024 caucus campaign. The event featured a slate of Republican candidates and potential contenders, including US Sen Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is expected to enter the race. Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, considered a top rival to Mr 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. Its also a shot at making an impression on activists who may be open to an alternative to Mr 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 Mr Trump, Mr Pence told reporters during a stop in Jefferson, Iowa, earlier Saturday that the Supreme Courts ruling does not preclude federal restrictions. Ill certainly support efforts to create a threshold of support for the unborn even at the national level, Mr Pence said, adding he would support the minimum of a 15-week ban. Mr Pences advocacy group has pushed for Congress to pass legislation including a national abortion ban beginning around six weeks. Despite the credit Mr Trump received for his judicial nominations, he was criticized after last years 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. Mr 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 religions 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, Mr Scott shouted at the start of a call-and-response with the audience. He, along with Mr 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, Mr Johnson made reference to the Florida governors absence from the event. I think DeSantis is making a huge mistake for not being here, Mr Johnson said. But to each his own. MBABANE The Swazis First Democratic Front (SFDF) has clarified that former Secretary General (SG) Gift Mandlenkosi Dlamini was not their member anymore. The political party made the clarification after Dlamini went on social media to declare that he was still a member and had not left the party but took an early release from the position of SG. This was after both SFDF and Dlamini, through a media statement, announced that they parted ways. SFDF released another statement to clarify that Dlamini was released as a member not just as SG. Due to the media interest that the statement of the early release of our former Secretary General has attracted, SFDF wishes to clarify and reaffirm that the organisation and Gift Dlamini agreed to part ways. What this means is that Gift ceased to be a member of the organisation through mutual consent and, therefore, does not serve and cannot serve in any structure or structures of the organisation, now and into the future, reads the statement by SFDF. The organisation further clarified that at its formation, Dlamini made it known that he could only serve for a period of six months as he was no longer interested in politics and had other future aspirations he wished to pursue. SFDF further clarified that they agreed on the six-month period because Dlamini was well known to them and his expertise was needed, hence the mutual arrangement and stipulated period. Members of the media and the public at large may wish to note that the clarification statement and SFDF reaffirms that Gift is no longer a member of the organisation. He does not and cannot serve in any capacity whatsoever. reiterated This was communicated effectively to the comrade and what he has now communicated in the public gallery, is gross miscommunication and is devoid of the truth, pertaining to his alleged continuing membership at SFDF, hence the clarification and reaffirmation of the correct position in this statement, they reiterated. Dlamini informed our sister publication, The Times of Eswatini, that he resigned from active politics. He announced his resignation from active politics after he was given an early release by the political party, SFDF. SFDF further explained that they gave Dlamini an early release because they wanted people who were able to commit to the long-term plan of the political party. In alignment with the organisations future plans, we again through mutual consent then deemed it fit to invoke the early release clause. We did this because there was need for certainty in the organisations leaders to achieve sustainability and build institutional memory. We need leaders that will fully commit to the partys long term political agenda and programmes. Gifts commitment into the future was not guaranteed and his involvement as a member in the partys programs of action was futile as he had plans post the (six) months stipulated period, further stated SFDF. Contacted to give clarity in his future plans, Dlamini said the circulating news that he abandoned the struggle was meant to tarnish his legacy. He stated that he was not recruited by any political party to join the struggle. As articulated so well in the media statement, no political party requested me to join the struggle and there is no organisation or individual that can dictate to me to stop being in the struggle. It is true that I have resolved to take a back seat from active politics in terms of holding political office. However, that does not mean I have ceased my participation in the struggle. For one to qualify to be in the struggle does not demand that he or she holds a political office, said Dlamini. He said there were business projects that he was involved with that were directly and indirectly contributing to the struggle. He emphasised that holding a political office was limiting him to political organisation. In my opinion, that is the mistake that was committed by a lot of us post June 2021, we should have maintained the political organisations already formed and focused on the goal of the revolution, before forming whatsoever political organisation. The struggle is not about us, it is not our shine but there is a bigger goal, that of liberating emaSwati, he said. benefitting Dlamini said he was going to launch new social entrepreneurship projects aimed at benefitting the youth. He said the projects were not going to be launched in Eswatini only but other African countries would benefit too. He declined to give details of the projects but stated that he was not going to be completely lost to the struggle but was going to use a different angle of social and economic transformation through ideas, initiatives, and innovations. He joined SFDF from the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO), where he was deputy secretary general (DSG). He left SWALIMO at the height of a controversy involving Mayisela, who was National Chairperson of the movement and Dr Siphetfo Dlamini, who was the SG. The two leaders took a voluntary exit after a resolution to fire them for allegedly conspiring against SWALIMO President Mduduzi Gawuzela Simelane. The two leaders then formed SFDF and Dlamini agreed to join their leadership structure for half a year. He served as SG of the four months old political partys National Executive Committee (NEC) led by former Pam Golding Managing Director Busi Mayisela. forefront Dlamini served for eight years under former Member of Parliament Jan Sithole as SG of the Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA) before joining Simelane, another former MP, as DSG of SWALIMO. Dlamini crossed political party floors three times in his career spanning almost 10 years and has been at the forefront of the 2021 political unrest. He is the only political leader alive in the current dispensation to be credited with the formation policies of two opposing parties in SWALIMO and SFDF. While SWALIMO embraces the national election process, SFDF has openly denounced it and Dlamini has penned both political ideologies as secretary of the two parties. It is worth mentioning that in July 2022, Malaysia passed into law a Bill against party-hopping, which was aimed to discourage switching political parties which they said destabilised the countrys politics. Close Related video: Trump arrives in Aberdeen to visit his Scottish golf resort Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} 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. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The latest high-profile example of state legislative leadership deciding who can be heard during statehouse debates is playing out in Montana where a transgender lawmaker has been silenced by Republican leaders. Rep Zooey Zephyr, who was deliberately referred to using male pronouns by some conservative lawmakers demanding her censure, has said she will not apologize for saying lawmakers would have blood on their hands if they passed a ban on gender-affirming health care. Montana is among a wave of states passing legislation that opponents say could put transgender teens in jeopardy. Montanas House speaker said he won't let Ms Zephyr speak on the chamber floor until she apologises. Here's what you need to know about the situation: Whow is the transgender lawmaker at the centre of this? Last year, Ms 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 US. The 34-year-old is from the left-leaning college town Missoula, where she's been a staffer at the University of Montana. She has spent much of her 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 expressed hope that her presence in the Legislature would help people understand what it means to be a trans adult. Ms Zephyr also wanted to enlist moderate Republicans to push back on what she called extreme and dangerous attacks." Instead, she and fellow members of the Democratic minority have been powerless to stop Republicans from passing bills to ban gender-affirming care for transgender children and another 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. What started this dispute? On Tuesday as the House was debating Republican Gov Greg Gianforte's proposed amendments to a measure banning gender-affirming care, Ms Zephyr spoke up after 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. House Majority Leader Sue Vinton, a Republican, immediately called Ms Zephyrs comments inappropriate and disrespectful. That evening, a group of conservative lawmakers known as the Montana Freedom Caucus demanded her censure and deliberately referred to Ms Zephyr using male pronouns in their letter and a Tweet. Thats known as misgendering using pronouns that dont match a persons gender identity. Ms Zephyr had upset legislative leaders with emotional testimony previously this session. She made a similar blood on your hands comment the first time the House heard the bill and has also given emotional testimony indicating bills that attack LGBTQ+ rights will lead to suicide. In talking about a bill to ban drag queen story hours in February, Ms Zephyr spoke directly to transgender Montanans, saying: I have one request for you: Please stay alive. Ms Zephyr said in a Thursday night statement that she would not apologise for her comments, and she described the harsh effects shes seeing in the trans community from the Legislatures actions. This year I have lost friends to suicide, and I have listened to the heart-wrenching stories of families dealing with suicide attempts, trans youth fleeing the state, and people being attacked on the side of the road, she wrote. Montana Republicans say they want an apology, but what they really want is silence as they take away the rights of trans people." Who is leading the charge to silence her? Conservatives formed the Montana Freedom Caucus in January, and it includes at least 21 of the Legislature's 102 GOP lawmakers. Its ideological leader is US 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 US Rep Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House. The caucus members said Ms Zephyr's comments displayed a hateful rhetoric and called for a commitment to civil discourse. Two days after the caucus' letter, Speaker Matt Reiger refused to allow Ms Zephyr to speak against a bill that would put a binary definition of male and female into state code. Mr Reiger said he silenced Ms Zephyr after discussions with other lawmakers. Democrats objected, but the decision was upheld in a committee and by the full House on party-line votes. So, has she been censured? Formally, no, but practically, yes. A censure in the Montana Legislature is a public reprimand. The House did not go through that process. However, Mr Regier used his authority under House rules to decide questions of order, privilege and recognition. Is this related to the Tennessee lawmakers being expelled? Not directly, but the dispute is emblematic of tensions and harsh rhetoric around culturally divisive issues including firearms, racial justice and rights for the LGBTQ+ community that are dominating 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. This week alone, state legislatures advanced numerous measures aimed at the trans community. Florida's House passed bills on gender-transition treatments, bathroom use and keeping children out of drag shows. North Carolina lawmakers approved a ban on transgender athletes. And North Dakota's governor signed a bill limiting trans health care. Other measures have been stalled or blocked. Kansas's Democratic governor vetoed on Thursday bills restricting bathrooms for transgender people and gender-affirming care for minors, but GOP lawmakers appeared to have the votes to override her. Earlier this month in North Dakota, lawmakers failed to override the Republican governors veto of a bill that would have prohibited public school teachers and employees from acknowledging the pronouns a transgender student uses, unless they received permission from the students parents and an administrator. Whats next? Nobody knows for sure. The next House session is Friday afternoon, and Ms Zephyr is expected to keep trying to speak. Mr Regier is expected to stick to his stance that Ms Zephyr cant speak on the floor until she apologizes. It remains unknown if the conservative group will keep pushing for formal censure. The Montana Legislature is scheduled to end in early May. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} British diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan following threats to embassy staff. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted after that UK armed forces had completed the complex and rapid operation on Sunday. Sudan is currently in the second week of bloody internal fighting between the army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum (Omer Erdem/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) The Prime Minister paid tribute to the bravery of those behind the difficult military operation. UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff, he said. I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation, he continued. We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country. I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones. Sudan is in the second week of fighting between the army and the paramilitary group (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said the operation to remove British Embassy staff from Sudan involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF). This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the United States; France and other allies, Mr Wallace said in a written statement. They have evacuated British Embassy staff and their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats against diplomats. The operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade; the Royal Marines and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners. People fleeing street battles are transported on the back of a truck in the southern part of Khartoum (AFP via Getty Images) Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a tweet: Due to escalating threats against foreign diplomats, the UK has evacuated embassy staff from Sudan. Our top priority remains the safety of British nationals. We are working around the clock to broker international support to end the bloodshed in Sudan. It comes after the UK faced criticism for not explaining what plans were in place to Ministers must explain what they are doing to evacuate Britons from Sudan as fighting continues in the African country. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden declined to be drawn on the detail of what the Government is doing as he toured the broadcast studios earlier on Sunday. Mr Dowden, asked whether the UK was preparing to evacuate Sudan of British nationals, told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: The situation in respect of Sudan is clearly a rapidly moving and complex situation. Our priority is to support British nationals. Now, the Ministry of Defence is acting in support of the Foreign Office but clearly you wouldnt expect me to comment for security reasons on the current situation in terms of movement on the ground. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An American teacher and her 18-month-old daughter are trapped in Sudan as civil war ravages the North African country. Trillian Clifford and her daughter Alma are following orders by the US government to shelter in place and ration their food and water, but Ms Cliffords family in Massachusetts are worried about their safety as there appears to be no end in sight to the fighting. [Their situation] continues to decline every day. The fighting got extremely heavy during the first two days of Eid, Ms Cliffords sister-in-law Rebecca Winter told The Independent on Sunday. Trillian and her baby were moved to a first-floor apartment to get away from the windows on the upper floor because there were air strikes just within one kilometre of her apartment. President Joe Biden ordered American troops to evacuate fewer than 100 embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier Saturday from his national security team, according to the Associated Press. However, The US has yet to announce plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of American civilians. Ms Clifford, who has taught internationally for over a decade, moved to Sudan with her daughter last summer. She had been communicating with her family in the US via text messages up until Sunday morning, when Ms Winter said they lost contact. We have been able to FaceTime occasionally, but the last few days in particular the internet has been very unstable, Ms Winter said. We have lost all contact and its the first time thats happened in the nine days that shes been sheltering in place ... its just an extra layer of frightening. The civil war between Sudans two most powerful generals, who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup, erupted into an unprecedented battle for control of the resource-rich nation of more than 46 million people. The armed forces chief and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group have vowed not to negotiate or cease fire, despite mounting global diplomatic pressure. More than 400 people, including at least one American citizen, have been killed in the fighting, according to the United Nations World Health Organization. Trillian Clifford and her daughter Alma (Rebecca Winter/Facebook) Ms Winter said one of the security guards who works at Ms Cliffords building risked his life during a lull in the fighting to bring food and water to the teachers sheltering in the complex. However, Ms Clifford told her family that she is running low on food and doesnt know when the next drop will be. Ms Clifford has been reverse-weaning her daughter in a desperate bid to keep giving her proper nutrition. In her living room, Ms Clifford has arranged a makeshift shelter under her coffee table where she hides with Alma whenever she hears gunfire. Trill also is prepared to evacuate at any point, so everything is packed up. And she just has a go bag waiting, Ms Winter told The Independent. So they only have a few toys out for Alma to play with and I think that Alma is finally getting over them, so shes been really fussy lately. Trillian Clifford and her daughter Alma are trapped in the middle of the Sudan civil war (Rebecca Winter/Facebook) The State Department suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. President Biden has called for an end to the unconscionable violence but has not announced evacuations for American civilians. Ms Clifford, who has taught in Mumbai and Cairo in the past, is among at least 10 other American teachers in her building who have not been able to flee the country. Smoke is seen rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (Reuters) Weve spoken with the embassy, weve spoken to the Department of Defense, Ms Winter said. She does receive emails from the embassy, so she knows that theyre aware of her location, but theyve continued to say all we can do is tell you to shelter in place and ration your food and water. There are no plans for evacuations for US citizens. Although she is frustrated with the situation, her only option at this time would be to risk her and her daughters life by trying to escape in a convoy, which Ms Winter said US officials have advised against. Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy. No injuries were reported. Its really horrific. She doesnt know what to do anymore, shes exhausted, Ms Winter said of her sister. She says its the most terrifying and the most boring experience of her life because shes terrified out of her mind and has nothing she can do about it. Shes just stuck sitting there. Oliver Dowden has refused to say whether he thinks that Dominic Raab is a 'bully' as the fallout from Mr Raab's resignation continues. Mr Dowden is Mr Raab's replacement as deputy prime minister and he seemed to skirt the question from Sky News's Sophie Ridge on whether he believed the MP for Esher and Walton was a bully. Mr Raab was the subject of an investigation into intimidating behaviour within his various departments. The report concluded that he had been hard to work with. Mr Raab was foreign secretary and justice secretary in recent years whilst also serving as deputy prime minister. Click here to sign up to our newsletter. Trading update suggests the airline, and the wider industry, have put Covid in the rear-view mirror According to a trading update from Luton-based budget airline EasyJet, it is making good its recovery from Covid. It is also further evidence that the wider low-cost aviation sector is starting to move on from what had been a near-death experience for many in the industry. Tourism insight There are just under 1,000 hotels jobs advertised on the website Jobs.ie today. With a nationwide unemployment rate of just 4.3pc, hoteliers are facing an uphill battle to get the staff they need to drive their success. In October 2022, Failte Ireland highlighted 22,000 vacancies in tourism, down from a high of 40,000 after the post-Covid re-opening of the sector. And though this is seen as a positive, some of the decrease may be due to hotels adapting their business models and building-in staff efficiencies to compensate as best they can. The housing crisis left its mark on the hotel sector The days are gone where employers can pay lip service to taking care of employees. Today, HR managers have become people managers, and the term employer branding is increasingly being bandied about. So what, then, is an employer brand? At its most basic, it is a businesss reputation as an employer. It is how employees perceive an employer, and a means by which you market your company to prospective workers. A 2021 survey by Glassdoor found 50pc of people wouldnt work for a firm with a poor employer reputation, while 92pc would consider changing jobs to work for a company with an excellent corporate reputation. When the Great Resignation hit Ireland, four in ten hospitality workers did not return and 27pc entered a new sector. Workers wanted flexibility, shared goals, career opportunities, a chance to develop new skills, a better work-life balance. All these things rapidly became important to employers. The Armada Hotel at Spanish Point The chance to craft a Great Return or Great Rebound will necessitate companies focusing on improving their employer brand and becoming more employee-centric. Employers have been forced to adapt traditional work practices and adopt more employee-focused initiatives in terms of work-life balance, flexibility and development. The housing crisis hammered all parts of Irish society and it certainly left its mark on the hotel sector too. One consequence of rising rents and a lack of available properties is that many hospitality businesses returned to the previous staff house model. They once again provide accommodation for those who would otherwise have found it near impossible to get a place close to their place of employment. Ashford Castle has invested 3m in a state-of-the-art staff block featuring wifi, an outdoor gym, and a barbecue area. The Hotel Europe in Killarney has committed 12m towards their staff lodges, with 4.5m of this already invested in existing facilities. Corks Trigon Hotel Group has introduced paid leave for staff seeking fertility treatment. In Clare, on the Wild Atlantic Way, the Armada Hotel at Spanish Point is paying health insurance for their team, and offering premium rates for those who work past midnight. Mental health ambassadors have been trained up in some hotels to assist employees with the stress and strains they may be experiencing at home or in work while theres also been a huge growth in the popularity of wellness weeks, where employers offer meditation, yoga and mindfulness classes. Donagh Davern Improvements in technology and the ongoing digital transformation of society have allowed the greater use of e-learning tools to enhance training and development opportunities in the sector. Automation will also play a key role in the hotels of the future, with advancements in AI and robotics and a decrease in the number of available workers leading to automation of tasks such as room cleaning and serving tables. Many jobs are at risk of automation, especially those which are deemed boring and repetitive. Development of interesting career paths for employees is also an essential retention strategy, with hotels such as Ashford Castle creating a development plan for each of its employees. In a sector where high pressure and the unpredictable nature of the job have often led to burnout and high levels of staff turnover, the establishment of a supportive work culture points towards a more positive outcome. A focus on employer branding will improve employee attraction and retention in a tight labour market. If the Great Resignation achieved anything, maybe it will be that workplace practices get re-evaluated and a more positive environment created as a result. Donagh Davern lectures in hospitality management at Munster Technological University and is a former hotel general manager Pre-planning under way for project that could see Dole Foods move from Dublin city campus It comes as the OPR is to ask the Government to remove a 'general employment' zoning from a 25-acre portion of the business park. Photo: Depositphotos A pre-planning process has begun on a 50m project by fruit and vegetable giant Dole to move many of its operations to a major new facility site close to Balbriggan next to a junction on the M1 motorway. The proposed new food-processing and distribution campus at the so-far undeveloped eastern side of the M1 Business Park in Courtlough could free up a major site in the markets area of Dublin city and create 400 jobs. The project would see Dole now merged with Total Produce develop an even bigger facility than the 30m Fyffes distribution centre that recently opened at the business park. The entire 73-hectare Courtlough site 13 hectares of which has already been developed straddles both sides of the M1 south of Balbriggan. A 30m Fyffes distribution centre recently opened at the business park The business park is owned by Balmoral, a major property firm that was spun out of Fyffes in 2006. The beginning of the pre-planning process coincides with a controversial move by the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) to ask the Government to remove a general employment zoning from a 25-acre portion of the business park that is earmarked for a separate logistics and warehousing hub. The hub was originally planned for a site opposite the new Fyffes building but planners ruled it was prone to flooding and contained an ecological corridor. Balmoral agreed to move the planned hub to an adjacent site and councillors voted to rezone this site to allow this as part of the new Fingal Development Plan. But in March the OPR wrote to Junior Minister for Local Government Kieran ODonnell about a number of parts of the development plan and he must now decide whether to quash the rezoning proposal. It comes as the OPR is to ask the Government to remove a 'general employment' zoning from a 25-acre portion of the business park. Photo: Depositphotos The OPR claimed there were already 1,170 hectares of land zoned for employment across Fingal, including 64 hectares at the M1 site. It said developing the site would not promote sustainable mobility and transition to a low-carbon society. The lands are removed from any existing or planned high-frequency public transport network and are located 6km outside of Balbriggan, said the OPR. The site earmarked for the Dole facility is on the opposite side of the motorway and is not impacted by the OPRs move. But local sources said the OPR move did not take account of the specific advantages of the M1 site for attracting logistics businesses and creating jobs. Fine Gael Councillor Tom O'Leary "This intervention to effectively sterilise part of this site by the OPR does not take into account the major employment opportunities it presents, said local Fine Gael councillor Tom OLeary. This site is serviced by infrastructure, served by public transport and adjacent to a motorway. It is an ideal location for the type of development envisaged. It would be a fantastic boost to Balbriggan to see more jobs brought by major international firms." Emma by Jane will be in Kildare Village for seven weeks Irish jewellery company Emma by Jane has opened a pop-up shop in Kildare Village which will trade for seven weeks. Founder Jane Asple, a former buyer for Penneys/Primark who set up the company in 2017, said she is forecasting 75pc growth in sales this year and expects to generate 30pc of the years turnover during the seven-week period. The company has invested in laser-engraving equipment to personalise items. Initially this service will only be available at the Kildare Village outlet. Asple uses an Indian supplier and said she identified a gap for high quality but affordable jewellery. She will launch a bridal range and a new range of solid gold and diamond pieces at the pop-up shop. There will be discounts on the pieces in the Kildare Village shop. In the last 12 months, Kildare Village has showcased 12 Irish female-owned brands including Jo Browne, Aoife McNamara, Pestle & Mortar and Sinead Keary. It was the first bricks and mortar location for many of the brands. (Back row) Johann Issartel (MoveAhead) with Aisling Kirwan (Positive Carbon), Aoife Matthews (Sisterly), Sean McLoughlin (ResHub), Katarina Antill (Bonafi) and Conor McGinn (Akara). (Front row) Jamie McGann (MoveAhead) with Mark Kirwan (Positive Carbon), Jennifer O Connell (Sisterly) and Clare Meskill from Teleatherapy, whose companies were showcased at an Enterprise Ireland event in the RDS last week. Photos: Frank McGrath Last week hundreds of Irelands most promising entrepreneurs descended into the main hall of Dublins historic RDS convention centre with many in attendance reflecting on just how far the countrys business community had come in the past 10 years. MBABANE What does construction entail? Kantey & Templer (K&T) (Pty) Ltds contract for the construction of the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility was revoked, amid complaints by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy that it has allegedly lapsed. However, documents seen by the Times SUNDAY reveal that Inyatsi Construction (Pty) Ltd invoiced Kantey & Templer for work evaluated at over E5 million. Invoices marked 12 show that there was work that was done by the giant construction company on the project site. Inyatsi charged K&T a sum of E3.4 million and it is stated in invoice 11 that work for E1.67 million was done. A South African company came to the country to undertake geotechnical studies, which involved soil testing, drilling and other related works. For this task, K&T was charged E600 000. The company also paid E500 000 for site establishment. Acting Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Jabulani Mabuza referred to a press release that was published to set the record straight on the revocation of K&Ts contract. violates The ministry reacted to a Times SUNDAY article titled government violates E900m fuel reserve contract. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy said it entered into a turnkey written agreement with K & T on November 22, 2014 (2014 Agreement), in terms of which K & T undertook to design, finance and construct the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility at Phuzumoya area within a period of two years. This meant that K & T was obliged and expected to complete the project by October 2016, according to the ministry. Four months after the signing of the contract, K & T requested government to provide a guarantee (Government Guarantee) for the project in order to enable the company to unlock the funding. In May 2015, the ministry said government duly prepared and signed the requested guarantee. It said it accordingly furnished the contractor with same. It effectively meant K&T had 17 months after the guarantee had been issued to look for funding and complete the project in October 2016. It is worthwhile to point out that the guarantee was an assurance to pay K & T for the construction of the facility upon completion of the facility, the statement read. agreement The ministry argued that three years after signing of the 2014 agreement passed without construction of the facility as undertaken by K & T in the signed agreement. It alleged that the contractor cited failure to unlock funding as the cause of its failure to perform. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy stated that K & T thereafter claimed that what would enable it to unlock funds was for government to grant it further rights to operate the facility upon completion in the form of an additional agreement commonly known as a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT). Therefore, at the request of K & T, in addition to the Government Guarantee as well as the 2014 turnkey agreement, the ministry said a BOOT agreement was signed with K & T as well as a subsidiary supply agreement with Vitol (VTTI) in April 2017, all in a bid to assist the company to unlock funding. activities Upon signing of the BOOT agreement, it said a detailed project work plan with timelines was submitted by the company to the ministry in April 2017, stipulating when construction works and related activities would be undertaken. According to the detailed project work plan, it said K & T undertook to commence construction of the facility on August 9, 2017. It must be mentioned that the BOOT Agreement had certain condition precedents, according to the ministrys statement. The ministry stated that one of the conditions was that the company had an obligation to commence construction of the facility within six months from the date of the signature, failing which, all the agreements such as the turnkey, supply agreement, guarantee agreement and the BOOT would lapse. From the signing of the BOOT contract on April 5, 2017, the ministry said it continuously monitored closely progress on site, and regrettably there was no commencement of construction of the facility despite the undertaking in the detailed project plan submitted by the company. By the end of six months (which fell on October 5, 2017) the construction works had not begun as stipulated in the work plan thereby causing the contracts to lapse, argued the natural resources and energy ministry. statement It is mentioned in the statement that the company was duly informed of the lapse of the agreements on October 9, 2017 in a meeting and also in writing. It is worth mentioning that several attempts were made by the ministry through letters and meetings to follow up on progress as there was no physical activity on site as per the work plan, read the statement. It claimed it was not aware of any dispute between it and K & T particularly since no notice of such dispute had ever been received by it. Furthermore, the ministry is not aware of any funding letters from prospective funders and in any case such letters are said by the article to be dated May 2019, way after the lapse of the contracts, the ministry argued. Also, it was never an obligation on the part of government to source funds. This was supposed to be done by K & T. Governments concern in the circumstances was to determine if construction commenced within the six months as agreed upon. The ministry then made a declaration that it was proceeding with the project as it was to use other avenues. It is now about four years since the ministry terminated the contract and there is no construction on project site. Article 22.1 of the agreement provides that in the event of any dispute arising out of or relating to this contract or the breach, termination or invalidity thereof, then any party may give written notice to other party to initiate certain processes. The agreement, which served as a contract, can be terminated by either party to initiate certain processes. In terms of Article 22.2, the parties shall first settle the dispute by mediation. Unresolved disputes are referred to the arbitrator in terms of the contract. concern Sources have raised concern that there was neither a mediator nor arbitrator that legitimised the termination of the contract by the ministry on behalf of the Eswatini Government. The parties may agree on the mediation procedure and on the mediator and failing agreement within five days of the notice referred to in Clause 22.1. The mediation shall take place in accordance with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Conciliation Rules and the mediator shall be appointed as agreed to by all parties, partly reads the contract that was terminated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy through a letter. K&T and government had agreed that the appointing authority was to be the Association of Arbitrators (Southern Africa). The number of mediators shall be one, and the number of arbitrators shall be one, partly reads the agreement. The parties agreed that the place of mediation and the arbitration shall be Ezulwini, Eswatini. It has been established that K&T hasnt stopped working on the project behind the scenes. This is regardless of the fact that K&T directors are unable to access the project site at Phuzumoya in Siphofaneni since gates were locked in 2017. Sources said the local company received correspondence dated February 9, 2023 from BMT Portugal LDA in which the European firm expressed an interest in entering into a joint venture with K&T. The proposed joint venture agreement which K&T sought from BMT is for the design, engineering and construction of the strategic oil reserve facility of 90 million litres storage capacity. pledged The foreign company pledged to secure the project funding against the sovereign guarantee of about E900 million issued by the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini. The Times SUNDAY reported about three weeks ago that there is an Act of Parliament to which His Majesty King Mswati III assented on February 26, 2015. It is still in force. It is called the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility Project Guarantee Act, 2014. This law was enacted by the King and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini. It is an Act to authorise the minister of finance to issue a guarantee for the payment of a sum not exceeding E885 972 000 in respect of the Strategic Fuel Oil Reserve Facility Project. Reacting to this law, Mabuza, the acting Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, said Acts for loans were not amended or revoked because they were enacted specifically to address a certain issue. After the issue has been addressed, he said the law could not be said to be in force. He was specifically reacting to the notion that K&T (Pty) Ltd was removed from the project site at Phuzumoya in the eastern part of Eswatini, but the law that recognises it was never amended or revoked. revoke While the Guarantee Act was understandably still in force, Parliament passed the Petroleum Act of 2020. The Petroleum Act did not revoke the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility Project Guarantee Act. The custodian of the Petroleum Act is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, which later established the Eswatini National Petroleum Company (ENPC). It has since emerged that the idea to set up an oil company is contained in an operation and supply agreement for the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility. Government, through Winnie Stewart, the former Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy wrote to K&T in March 2017, stating that the operation would have a shareholding as follows: * Kantey & Templer 30 per cent. * Government (represented by the National Oil Company). * Citizen empowerment 29 per cent. In the Petroleum Act that was later enacted, government is the sole shareholder in the oil company styled ENPC. Section 77 of the Act establishing ENPC provides: the government, through the national oil company may, at its expense or in partnership with the private sector, establish and maintain strategic stocks of petroleum products, in this Act referred to as National Strategic Stocks. strategic All installations and operations for the purposes of establishing and maintaining the national strategic stocks under this section, including, but not limited to the storage, transport and sale or any form of disposition of the stored products shall be subject to the provisions of this Act. On the other hand, it must be said that the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility Project Guarantee Act was published in the gazette. In terms of Section 2 of this Act, under interpretation, contractor means the company engaged for the construction of the project. Agreement, in terms of the Act, means the agreement between the contractor and the Eswatini Government represented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy. The contractor mentioned in the law is Kantey & Templer (Pty) Ltd. The Times SUNDAY has seen the Government Guarantee Agreement. It is between the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland (Eswatini) and Kantey & Templer (Pty) Ltd in respect of the Strategic Fuel Oil Reserve Facility Project. Article 1.2 of the agreement states: And whereas in terms of the Strategic Oil Reserve Guarantee Act No.1 of 2015, the Ministry of Finance is authorised to issue a guarantee in favour of Kantey & Templer Swaziland (Pty) Ltd for purposes of paying a sum not exceeding eight hundred and eighty five million nine hundred and seventy two thousand Emalangeni (E885 972 000.00). irrevocably It further states: And whereas the guarantee hereby irrevocably represents and warrants to K&T that it has reviewed and considered an authentic copy of the agreement concluded between it and K&T in its capacity as guarantor. The agreement, to which Section 2 of the Act refers, was signed by Martin Dlamini, the former Minister of Finance in his capacity as a guarantor. The guarantors witnesses are former PS in the Ministry of Finance, Bheki Bhembe and Sikhumbuzo Hlophe. Witnessing for K&T was the late Mphilo Dlamini and Mondli Nxumalo. The meaning of commissioning in terms of the law means the time when the facility is available for use. To demonstrate full recognition of K&T, the office of the accountant general (AG) authorised the opening of a sinking fund for the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility. A sinking fund is a strategic way to save money for a specific purchase by setting aside a little bit each month. finalised Based on the agreements signed by government and K&T and the Guarantee Act of Parliament, it remains to be seen how this issue would be finalised in terms of the law. An esteemed attorney, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Petroleum Act, at least, should have revoked or amended the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility Project Act. As it stands, the Mbabane-based attorney said the Petroleum Act rightfully establishes the ENPC, while the Guarantee Act allows the contractor to continue with the project. This is a very sensitive matter. I think Parliament or the King was never told the whole truth because it was the 10th Parliament that passed the Guarantee Act while the Petroleum Act was passed by the 11th Parliament. I suspect certain facts of the issue were hidden when the current Parliament passed the Petroleum Act, stated the senior attorney. Another senior attorney spoke on record. Sipho Gumedze, an esteemed constitutional and human rights attorney, said the two laws appeared to him as complementing each other. He said the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility Project Guarantee Act allowed the contractor, K&T, to raise money for the construction of the facility at Phuzumoya, while the Petroleum Act authorised ENPC to operationalise it (facility). Gumedze said ENPC would then be at liberty after the construction of the strategic oil reserve by the contractor to set up regional storages and build filling stations in the rural areas, among other things. overridden Asked what K&T should do because it was kicked out of the project through a letter signed by ex-PS Winnie Stewart, he sounded surprise that an Act signed by the head of State was overridden by a simple correspondence (letter). The attorney wondered where the ex-PS got the mandate to issue a letter that was in contravention of the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility Project Guarantee Act. He said this Act was passed by both Houses of Parliament before it was signed by the King. The King legislates in Parliament, he said. He added: the letter signed by the ex-PS evicting the contractor from the project site is good for nothing when you consider the validity of the Guarantee Act. Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo was asked whether the unrevoked Guarantee Act allowed the contractor to continue with the project. He was informed that the issue was not about government liberty wherein it should pay the guaranteed sum. After lengthy discussions, the attorney general said: the guaranteed sum is conditional upon commissioning of the facility as per Section 4, and you say it was never done. The attorney general, who was in office when the Guarantee Loan Act was passed is Majahenkhaba James Dlamini, the current Supreme Court judge. Whats on your mind? Its the prompt that greets everyone who logs into Facebook. But we may not be seeing it as much soon. The celebrity chef said he left Prostate Cancer UK a gift in his Will because their work can save lives. TV 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. Ken Hom wearing a Men United badge for Prostate Cancer UK (Prostate Cancer UK/PA) 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. Ken Hom has left Prostate Cancer UK a gift in his Will (PA) 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. The then-Prince of Wales talks with Ken Hom (Jeff Spicer/PA) 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 The Duchess of Sussex has denied reports about not attending the Kings coronation because of a letter she sent expressing concern over unconscious bias in the royal family. According to the Daily Telegraph, the letter was sent to Charles, who was then Prince of Wales, following Harry and Meghans appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2021. In the interview, Meghan claimed a member of the royal family had speculated about how dark their unborn sons skin would be. The newspapers source claimed the exchange is part of the reason why Meghan is not attending the coronation on May 6, saying she feels she did not receive a satisfactory response to her concerns. A spokesperson for Meghan said: 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. 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. The paper had reported Meghans letter was sent in response to a letter from Charles, in which he expressed his sadness over the split within the family. The letters are also said to make clear the identity of the senior royal who made the comment, with both Meghan and Charles acknowledging the remark was not made maliciously, according to the paper. The claims in March 2021 plunged the British monarchy into crisis as the Windsors faced allegations of racism. Since the Oprah Winfrey interview, Harry has denied the couple accused members of the royal family of being racist. The film stars and director attended a press conference in central Paris on Sunday. US filmmaker James Gunn said Guardians Of The Galaxy has been all encompassing for more than a decade of his life, and described finishing the trilogy as a big relief. The third and final instalment in the Marvel franchise will see the return of Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Vin Diesel and is set for UK release on May 3. In a press conference at Le Bristol hotel in Paris on Sunday, film director Gunn said: Over the past 11 years of my life, I think I have probably spent 60% of my time thinking about the Guardians Of The Galaxy. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content So this has taken up my entire life. There is a weird situation where I just have to adjust everything about my world to be about something other than the Guardians, which is difficult. But its frankly a big relief also, to feel like weve finished this trilogy, and we finished it in a way that were really proud of, where all the characters get the dignity they deserve. Gunn said the character Rocket Raccoons story is the heart of this trilogy for me, and the film has brutal elements to it in order to tell the story properly. Director James Gunn with a raccoon inspired by Rocket from Guardians Of The Galaxy (Ian West/PA) It was really important to me, the reason why I chose to come back and do this movie, is because I felt a deep need to finish Rockets story, thats what brought me to do it, he said. Gunn revealed he had taken inspiration from each actor to develop the personality traits of the characters throughout the trilogy. The 56-year-old said: I think its an interesting thing when you work with people for so long, on such long shoots, you become friends with them outside of that process and you get to know them on a molecular level. So it makes the movies naturally in some ways more interesting, because I know how funny Karen is and so Nebula all of a sudden has a humorous streak that she didnt have in the first movie. I know that Zoe has this way to be so focused on one thing and just be there and so it makes much more of a tougher, crazier, meaner character in this movie, because I know what shes able to do and how cool she is. Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill in Guardians Of The Galaxy (Ian West/PA) Pratt, who plays Star-Lord Peter Quill in the franchise, said that the most enjoyable aspect of the character is the relationships he has formed with everyone on set. He said: Getting to know each of these people, seeing their children being born, attending their weddings, being a part of their lives in a real way. Thats an extraordinary thing that we get to do and kind of rare I think because theres not a lot of jobs that put you into the pressure cooker situation to create strong relationships between people. Its a crucible in which youre going to forge very tight bonds with people. The Hollywood actor, 43, later praised Gunn as a director who is always prepared, works tirelessly and doesnt shut his mind off. He said: For these films in particular, hes a student of the comic book films and the canon of comic books that have existed in Marvel and in DC and outside of that. I stayed at his house while I was working on a film recently, and hes got a library of comic books, all of the indexes are well worn. He reads this stuff, he lives and breathes this stuff. Pratt also described him as incredibly articulate, empathetic and a misfit who wants to tell the story and the heart of the misfit. Tymofii Muzychuk, who forms part of the seven-piece Ukrainian band, said he believed something incredible would happen at next months concert. A member of Eurovision-winning band Kalush Orchestra says he is grateful for UK support at this years song contest and is looking forward to a spectacle with Ukrainian flavour. Tymofii Muzychuk, a piper who forms part of the seven-piece Ukrainian group, said he believed something incredible would happen when Liverpool stages the competition next month. The UK took over hosting duties on behalf of Ukraine while it remains under Russian invasion. Tymofii Muzychuk, who forms part of the seven-piece Ukrainian band, said he believed something incredible would happen at the contest next month (Ian West/PA) Kalush Orchestra is confirmed to be performing at the grand final on May 13, alongside British star Sam Ryder who came second at the 2022 event. Asked about the UK becoming host in support of Ukraine, Muzychuk said: We are grateful to Great Britain for this support, and we are also grateful that they are hosting this years competition. We believe that something incredible awaits us in Liverpool, of course, with a Ukrainian flavour. Muzychuk added that he and Kalush Orchestra were rooting for this years Ukrainian entrant, electronic duo Tvorchi, and praised their song Heart Of Steel. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Kalush Orchestra has released a new song, Ushme Uturbe, which Muzychuk says was intended to distract people from the moment. We didnt try to place any specific meaning into the song itself, he said. We want people to listen to our new song, to be distracted from the moment, from any thoughts and just catch this vibe. Every moment is important, now more than ever. The crowd watching Kalush Orchestra, Eurovision winners from Ukraine, performing their first UK gig (Yui Mok/PA) The new track was written and recorded in Austin, Texas, where the band performed at the SXSW festival in March. They hung Ukrainian coats of arms around Austin as a symbol of gratitude to the city for its acceptance. We dont want the world to forget what is happening in Ukraine now, and to continue to support us in all aspects, said Muzychuk. The fact that we left the Ukrainian coat of arms around the city is a sign that we left a piece of Ukraine, far away, in the US. And that we are grateful to the city for accepting us. Columba McVeigh was 19 when he was killed and secretly buried in 1975 (Family handout/PA) Columba McVeigh, 19, was living in Dolphins Barn, Dublin, in 1975. The Tyrone teen left his flat on Halloween night to buy some cigarettes and was never seen by his family and friends again. He had been kidnapped by the IRA, before being murdered and secretly buried. The Indo Daily: Columba McVeigh The story of the teenager disappeared by the IRA A seventh search for his body took place at the beginning on April at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan. Despite being disappointed many times the McVeigh family remain hopeful they will bring Columba home and give him a Christian burial. They believe the IRA could tell them more about what they did with his body. Why did the IRA murder Columba, why did they hide his body and what role did MI5 play in his story? In this episode of the Bel Tel recorded earlier this month, presenter Ciaran Dunbar is joined by Columba McVeigh's brother, Oliver to discuss what happened to Columba and how the family feel about the most recent searches for him. Woman who flew to Turkey for cosmetic surgery while claiming free legal aid targeted by CAB Teresa Dinnegan and her partner are among four couples being targeted under Proceeds of Crime Act Teresa Dinnegan Eamon Dillon and Ken Foy Sun 23 Apr 2023 at 20:30 More than one in five members of the Irish judiciary rated the standard of IT equipment used in trials and other courtroom hearings as poor, according to the findings of a new survey on the attitude of judges to technology. The research also shows that a majority of Irish judges are concerned about online hearings, which grew in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, as a substitute for face-to-face hearings in actual courtrooms with regard to issues of fairness and open justice. It revealed that some judges hold strong negative views about the continued use of remote hearings for administering justice, while some also have concerns about being replaced by AI (artificial intelligence) in the future. The results of the research, which are published in the latest edition of the Irish Judicial Studies Journal, show that 22pc of members of the judiciary in the Republic categorised the IT equipment used in courtrooms for playback and video links as well as tele-conferencing as poor, with another 40pc rating it as adequate. According to the research, 55 out of 173 serving judges participated in the survey a response rate of almost one in three. Judges from the District Court accounted for 38pc of the total followed by High Court (29pc), Circuit Court (24pc) and Court of Appeal (9pc). No members of the Supreme Court took part in the research. The survey of members of the Irish judiciary is part of wider global research of around 1,000 judges from countries including Scotland, Canada, Brazil, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Portugal. Judges made varying degrees of criticism about personal internet access in courtrooms and the general availability of Wi-Fi in court buildings with 28pc rating it as poor. The overall picture is one of patchy internet access and Wi-Fi availability, particularly in the lower tiers of the court system, the study observed. While judges expressed concern about the lack of digital case management systems, they were broadly positive about the access and quality of legal databases available to them. The survey also showed that more than half of all respondents indicated that video-conferencing technology was average, poor or very poor. The study claimed such a finding suggested a generally cautious, if not sceptical, view on whether this technology improves the quality of justice. It noted that no judge voiced a preference for remote hearings over in-person proceedings. Remote hearings were described by some judges as inferior, sub-optimal and very unsatisfactory. One judge observed that they represented a failure to administer justice in public in any real way. Another remarked that online hearings had the perception of being something less than a formal court hearing. Other judges said remote hearings were particularly unsuitable for contested issues of fact where it could be very difficult to judge a persons disposition, attitude and mannerisms. The research noted that one judge expressed concern about the digital divide whereby older people had difficulty in using technology. However, several judges also claimed remote hearings were useful or effective for short or procedural hearings that were straightforward and uncontested, for case management and for hearing evidence from expert witnesses as well as commercial law in general. The study said the surveys findings showed there was no appetite for the wholesale replacement of in-person hearings with online proceedings due to fundamental concerns about the appropriateness of their use, even if IT technology in courtrooms improved. Official figures show the use of video conferencing and remote hearings increased over fourfold in the Republic between 2019 and 2021. The study concluded that there was general satisfaction among judges with the technology available in chambers but less so with equipment provided in courtrooms. It added: Judges generally enjoy their work and are happy to embrace change, although they would prefer this was managed with their close consultation. The authors of the report Technological University Dublin law lecturer, Brian Barry and University of Galway associate professor of law, Ronan Kennedy said the results of the survey highlighted issues that deserved further debate including the dissatisfaction with regard to remote hearings. They observed that such dissatisfaction seems to stem from concerns about the limits of the technology and the need to respect fundamental principles. The study said a particularly pressing research question was what type of proceedings were suited for remote hearings without compromising natural justice and fair procedures. Despite the widespread use of remote hearings as a response to public health concerns during the pandemic, however, it noted that the initial reaction from members of the Irish judiciary would indicate the answer might be quite limited in scope. It recommended that the judiciary in the Republic should engage in a thorough assessment of the capabilities of AI tools to perform judicial tasks and to develop a coherent position on where and how they can and cannot be used before these decisions are made elsewhere. The survey also showed that almost seven out of 10 judges expressed concern about the time available for judicial training on technology. The study said the finding about the dissatisfaction by judges about the amount of time available to attend training highlighted how the Government needs to take steps to address the insufficient resourcing of the Irish judiciary, particularly as Ireland has consistently had the lowest number of judges per capita within the EU. On a positive note, nine out of 10 judges said they still enjoyed their work despite any reservations they had about changes in the judiciary. Credible Facebook post claims murdered womans bag was given to officers in Dublin The last known photo of Annie McCarrick, taken on the day she disappeared Gardai are investigating claims that a handbag belonging to Annie McCarrick was handed in to a Dublin garda station around the time the American woman disappeared 30 years ago. The claims emerged after a press conference last month revealed that Ms McCarricks disappearance is now being treated as murder. New Yorker Annie McCarrick (26) was living in Sandymount and working in the nearby suburb of Donnybrook at the time of her disappearance. Detectives believe she had a distinctive large, brown handbag with her when she went missing, and appealed for anyone with information to come forward. A member of the public has submitted messages exchanged on a missing persons Facebook page in 2021, in which a man claimed to have handed in her handbag around the time she went missing in 1993. The man claimed he and his friend found McCarricks handbag behind Kielys pub in Donnybrook. He claimed that cards inside the bag indicated it belonged to McCarrick. He said his friend handed it in to Donnybrook garda station, and were amazed they heard nothing more about it. One message from the man said: We werent cops or detectives. We just handed it in to P Station [police station]. I presume it was dealt with and kept... Cards of Annie were in the bag... Annie McCarrick Since the garda appeal, the recipient of the messages tried to contact the man who wrote them but was unable to trace him. The person then contacted a retired detective inspector, who urged the person to report the social media messages to Irishtown garda station. Gardai are trying to trace the author of the messages and are searching records at Donnybrook garda station. A number of people who saw the social media messages have been asked to make formal statements. One garda source said gardai were obliged to bottom out the information, however he stressed the information was from a secondary rather than a primary source. If the bag was handed in to the public office, it should have been recorded The retired detective inspector, who asked not to be named, said: I felt the information the person was bringing forward was very credible and relevant and warranted further investigation. An Garda Siochana are aware of the information. Was the bag handed in or was it not? If the bag was handed in to the public office, it should have been recorded. The Garda press office said a number of people had come forward since the appeal for information last month. The last known photo of Annie McCarrick, taken on the day she disappeared As this is an ongoing criminal investigation, An Garda Siochana does not comment on specific lines of investigation or remarks made by third parties, their statement said. Witnesses have told gardai that McCarrick originally from Long Island, New York was seen on a bus to Enniskerry and later at Johnny Foxs pub in Glencullen on the day she disappeared, leading to theories she may have vanished in the Dublin mountains. Doubts have been cast on some of those sightings, according to a garda source. The murder investigation, led by Superintendent Eddie Carroll, is concentrating on Sandymount. In the last confirmed sighting of her, she is carrying the large handbag McCarrick, who had studied in Maynooth, returned to Ireland in January 1993 planning to settle here. She shared a flat with two others in St Cathryns Court, Sandymount. She worked at Cafe Java on Leeson Street and at the Courtyard restaurant in Donnybrook. On the morning of Friday, March 26, she went to the Allied Irish Bank, where she is captured on CCTV around 11am, wearing a coat and carrying a large brown handbag. This is the last confirmed sighting of her. Shortly after that, she bought groceries at a supermarket. She had invited friends for dinner on Saturday night. Her flatmates had left to return to their homes in the country on the Friday. She didnt unpack the groceries but left them in the kitchen. There were unconfirmed sightings of her in Sandymount that afternoon, leaving her flat, and boarding a bus to Enniskerry. A security man reported seeing a woman matching her description at Johnny Foxs. When her friends called for dinner the following night, she was not home and hadnt turned up for work that day. She was reported missing on Sunday, March 28. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, said last month that investigators are keeping an open mind on how Annie McCarrick disappeared and how ultimately then she met her death. Anyone with information about Annie McCarrick is asked to either contact the investigation team at Irishtown garda station at 01 6669600, their local garda station, or the Garda Confidential telephone line 1800 666 111. Gsoc investigator is friend of The Monks relative Gardai are assessing whether a member of garda watchdog Gsoc, who claimed he attended a party last Monday with Gerry The Monk Hutch, was compromised by the Hutch Organised Crime Gang. Six days ago, Hutch (60) walked free after the Special Criminal Court found him not guilty of the murder of Kinahan cartel lieutenant David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in February 2016. In a dramatic development on Friday night, it emerged the Gsoc investigator told people he was at the party in north inner-city Dublin attended by Hutch following his acquittal. The man, a former police officer in another jurisdiction, is understood to have become friendly with a female member of Hutchs family. A source told the Sunday Independent An Garda Siochana was informed late on Friday by Gsoc that a member of its staff had resigned over claims that he partied with The Monk. Gardai were informed and we are assessing the matter. The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) is best placed to potentially examine this is further depth, the source said. In fairness to Gsoc, they moved swiftly once this matter was identified and it was reported to gardai. A formal garda investigation has not yet been launched this matter is very much live. However, the circumstances are being fully assessed at this early stage. It is understood the former police officer, previously based in a jurisdiction not in Europe, became friends with a female relative of Hutch due to living near her in the capital. A separate source within An Garda Siochana said the mans lapse of judgment has astonished members of the force, but it is not clear what action, if any, gardai might take. The Gsoc investigator has not on the face of it committed a crime. I havent heard anyone suspecting that it is anything other than extremely poor judgment, the source said. The man, who has quit his job, was hired by Gsoc several years ago following an interview over Zoom. He 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, another source said. The investigator, who had been involved in several major probes into potential garda misconduct, agreed to resign after his bosses learnt of his claim that he had attended the party. Speaking yesterday, Justice Minister Simon Harris said he has asked Gsoc for a report on the 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. The mans attendance at Hutchs 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. Meanwhile, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) is calling for an external investigation to be carried out into Gsoc, describing the decision by the watchdog to launch an investigation into itself as unsatisfactory. In a statement, general secretary Antoinette Cunningham said: 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. Separately, another security source said Hutch is believed to flit between a number of locations in the north inner city. It is understood he has a network of exits through the back of some of these properties for his own protection and security. Sources believe he is planning his departure from Ireland to an overseas location via Northern Ireland in the immediate future. In an interview today with the Sunday Independent, the senior garda officer responsible for policing gangland crime has insisted The Monks crime gang is fully and absolutely under investigation following his acquittal for murder. MBABANE Candidates who will lose in the national general election will now be allowed to lobby for seats in Senate. This is because of a proposed amendment to the Senate Elections Act, which will align with a 2018 ruling of the full bench of the High Court in the case between former Lobamba Member of Parliament (MP) Michael Masilela and the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). Having lost the elections in 2018, Masilela ran to court and successfully sought an order declaring Section 5(3) of the Senate Elections Act of 2013 as inconsistent with Section 97 of the Constitution. Section 97 of the Constitution gives a list of qualities that disqualify a person from being nominated or elected into Senate and nowhere does it mention losing in the recent general election as one of those. The grounds mentioned in Section 97 include being insolvent, under sentence of death or imprisonment of more than six months and not being eligible to be a voter, among other things. Masilela was also successful in having the court further strike down this section of the Act, due to it being inconsistent with the Constitution. unsuccessful This Section 5(3), under the subheading Manner of electing Senators, reads: An unsuccessful candidate in the recent general election shall not be considered for nomination. The Senate Elections (Amendment) Bill of 2023, which is soon expected to be debated by the House of Assembly, seeks to do away with this provision in its entity. Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended by deleting Subsection (3) and by adding a new subsection as follows Following acceptance of nomination, a candidate shall present himself to the police for a clearance certificate, which shall be delivered by the police to the returning officer, reads the Amendment Bill. Masilela had been nominated for the position of MP at Nkhanini Royal Kraal, having satisfied all requirements to stand for the primary elections; however, during the voting he was unsuccessful and came second with 554 votes. The successful candidate obtained 561 votes. nomination After the unsuccessful run in the primary elections, Masilela turned his focus on making himself available for nomination and election into Senate, as he believed he qualified for nomination into Senate because the requirements for such qualification into that office were almost the same as those of an MP. The court heard former MP Masilelas application, challenging the constitutionality of Section 5(3) of the Senate (elections) Act No.7 of 2013 and found that this section of the Act, that Masilela challenged, was indeed unconstitutional. However, a week after this judgment, MPs acted in defiance of this court ruling by conducting the Senate elections with the exception of those who had lost in the recent national general election. Prior to 2013, there was no law that forbade candidates who had lost in the recent general election not to be considered for election or appointment into Senate. As a result, in 2008, His Majesty King Mswati III appointed Anthony Khephu Cindzi as a Senator despite him having lost in the national general election that year. Cindzi, a known staunch traditionalist, lost in the primary elections under Lobamba Constituency, which eventually saw Majahodvwa Khumalo becoming the MP. Earlier, before Cindzis appointment, the newly-elected MPs had conducted the election of 10 senators and a number of the legislators were against the election of those who had lost in the election. crashed The then EBC Chairperson, Chief Gija (now Manzini Regional Administrator), told the Times daily newspaper that it was not true that the people who crashed in the elections were not eligible to be engaged by the Head of State. Such a thing is not provided for in any of the laws of the land. The laws are just quiet regarding election losers, Dlamini said. Cindzis appointment came to the fore when he formed part of the MPs who paid a courtesy call on His Majesty at Lozitha Palace. Also in 2008, election losers Mariah Ntshangase and Mandlenkhosi Dlamini, aka DJ Nice, (now late) seriously lobbied to become senators. The two took the chance presented by the first meeting of the then newly-elected and appointed MPs to launch their bids for seats in Senate. Landing a seat in Senate, through being elected by MPs, is now a costly exercise as it has been widely reported in the media that a candidate should prepare a budget of between E200 000 and E300 000 to amass overwhelming votes from the members of the House of Assembly. appointing As per the Constitution, 10 senators are elected to Senate by members of the House of Assembly to make a total membership of 30 legislators in the upper chamber, with His Majesty the King appointing 20 senators. In 2018, an aspiring senator, who lost in the elections, accused 10 MPs of soliciting and accepting bribes amounting to E200 000 with the promise that they would vote her into Senate. However, after she did not make it, she demanded her money back and threatened to expose all of the MPs if they did not return the money. She even said she was prepared to face the full wrath of the law because she was aware that it is a crime to offer a bribe to anyone the same way it is to accept it. She said she felt let down by the MPs, whom she trusted would deliver her political ambition after accepting money from her in exchange for their votes in the Senate elections. In 2020, former Senate Deputy President Ngomuyayona Gamedze withdrew his candidacy for a vacant Senate seat and alleged that there were corrupt practices in the campaign process that threatened the very existence of the Tinkhundla System of Government. disturbing Gamedze alleged that some MPs wanted ridiculous amounts of money to be given to them in order for one to secure a vote. He alleged that the money demanded by some of the legislators was not less than E10 000. In his withdrawal letter, Gamedze stated that he had unfortunately observed a very disturbing practice that seemed to indicate that the election is open to the highest bidder. I am of the opinion that the election will consequently not be fair, just and in national interest. I, therefore, find myself with no option but to hereby respectfully withdraw my candidacy for the election of a senator, Gamedze wrote. He had been nominated alongside Bongani Matsebula, Jacques Potgieter, Sifiso Mabuza and Jimmy Hlophe. Hlophe emerged the winner, but he died before he could complete his term and he has still not been replaced. One of the first things Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch did after walking free from court last Monday was to get a haircut and shave off his beard. Photo: Mark Condren The acquittal of Gerry The Monk Hutch for the Regency Hotel murder is just the latest in a series of setbacks for gardai. We cant catch a break. We must acknowledge our failures, but we continue to pursue others involved in the Regency attack, a source said. Justice Minister signed off on location of transgender offender after consultation with Irish Prison Service Justice Minister Helen McEntee authorised the Irish Prison Service to house a prisoner with inmates of the opposite sex in March 2021. The Department of Justice has declined to explain the reasoning behind the decision, which is revealed in records released following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. The issue of the housing of transgender prisoners was spoken about by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last month when he was asked about Barbie Kardashian, who is being held in the womens section of Limerick Prison after being convicted of threatening to kill, rape and torture her mother. Mr Varadkar said he did not believe violent transgender women should be housed with women prisoners. It was reported last week that the Irish Prison Service (IPS) is preparing to move Kardashian out of Limerick over staff safety concerns. Transferring Kardashian, who changed from male to female in 2020 in accordance with the 2015 Gender Recognition Act, to a male prison may require Simon Harris, the stand-in Justice Minister, to issue a ministerial authorisation. Documents released under FoI show there have been consultations between the IPS and the most senior officials in the Department of Justice on the issue of transgender prisoners since at least 2020. In November 2020, Martin Smyth, director of operations in the IPS, wrote to Ben Ryan, head of policy in the Department of Justice, to set out the rules on prisoners. Mr Smyth said the 1914 legislation governing the transfer of prisoners was gender neutral so the minister was not restricted to moving a female prisoner from a female prison to another female prison. He said the issue of accommodation was governed by a 2007 Statutory Instrument. He said this also did not require the separation of genders but for obvious reasons of operational considerations and security it was always the case that both genders were separated. Mr Smyth said Rule 52 of the 2007 rules specifically allows for the mixing of females and males in the prison context. It states: Unless otherwise authorised by the minister, male and female prisoners shall be accommodated in separate areas to which prisoners of the opposite gender do not normally have access. Mr Smyths memo was submitted for information and consideration purposes. Mr Ryan responded that it was likely that there would be media attention on the matter shortly so it was important the minister had a submission from the IPS on the issue quite soon. Smyth responded that he was slightly confused by this. He had been asked to respond to a suggestion on an issue that is redacted from his email released under FoI. He believed the department would consider the matter due to the obvious sensitivities involved before any submission to the minister. He had just been informed another part of the department had sought information about the second prisoner discussed. The chain of records ends on February 14 with Ms McEntees approval sought in accordance with Rule 52 (1) of the prison rules. Oonagh Buckley, the secretary general at the department, is recorded agreeing with the recommendation, the full details of which are redacted. Ms McEntee agreed with the Rule 52 recommendation on March 10, 2021. This week the department declined to set out how many such ministerial authorisations under Rule 52 have been granted. It does not comment on the operational handling of individual cases. We can confirm that as set out in section 52 of the Prison Rules, the ministers authorisation, following consideration of any such cases by the IPS and a recommendation made by the IPS, is required in any case where a prisoner is to be accommodated with people of the opposite gender, a spokesperson said. At all times, all decisions taken in relation to the management of prisons by the IPS are guided by the need to ensure the safety, security and human rights of prisoners and staff. While the IPS was said in January to be preparing to issue a new policy on housing trans prisoners shortly, this weekend it said it would not be finalised for months. Id like to see how the Housing Minister would cope in my place Mum working full-time for 30 years facing homelessness for the second time Dubliner received a notice to quit from her landlord less than a week after the eviction ban was lifted Geraldine Kidd is about to be evicted from her home in Adamstown. Photo: Frank McGrath Wayne O'Connor Sun 23 Apr 2023 at 03:30 Conditions at Irelands chief diplomatic outpost in Washington DC became so bad that staff felt they could not hold events or even meet there, according to a confidential report seen by the Sunday Independent. The mission review for the Department of Foreign Affairs said peeling paint, bubbling plaster, flooring and carpeting past its useful life and a range of other issues including security risks had made for a very poor working environment. A review of the chancery building in the US capital also said major concerns had arisen with the mechanical and electrical systems. The confidential report said: The poor working environment identified in the last review [2012] has deteriorated significantly in the interim, with numerous issues, including health and safety, and security concerns, clearly in evidence throughout the building. The Department of Foreign Affairs has since leased another building in Washington, as it makes plans for an improved chancery and residence for the Irish ambassador and her team. The mission review also detailed how the air-conditioning system at the chancery failed for an extended period. Summer in Washington usually brings sweltering conditions. This is a cause for concern as we move into the summer period once again, the report said. It added that conditions were having a significant operational impact on Irelands diplomatic work in the United States, and an interim solution needed to be urgently advanced. Concerns were also raised by staff about how long it was taking to get decisions made on rental accommodation for diplomats. In a few cases, they missed out on suitable properties because they could not get permission in time. The review also explained that the challenges of the Covid pandemic had been profound and the embassy team had traversed a very difficult period. It said remote working had made coordination more difficult and was a particular problem in onboarding newly arrived diplomats in the US capital. Another Foreign Affairs report on the Irish embassy in London said it had been a rocky few years in the particularly high-paced post-Brexit period. It said morale remained good despite the pandemic, and also despite the fact the embassy building itself had been shrouded in plastic-covered scaffolding with little natural light during an extensive renovation project. As across all working environments, there is a degree of rebuilding of the whole-of-mission team spirit needed post-pandemic, it said. There were also challenges around passport inquiries since Brexit, with a significant number of complex queries to be dealt with. The mission review said renovations had had a notable impact on the quality of spaces for staff. However, working conditions in the building still remained far from ideal, and there were issues with heat or the lack thereof for some of the departments employees. There is, however, a marked improvement in the sense of pride across the embassy, which is welcome, the report added. A third review of the Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels (PRB) found it was a high-performing diplomatic mission, which is influential across the system. It said the continuing outworkings of Brexit regrettably still consumed much of the political bandwidth for Ireland at EU level. From a practical perspective, the UKs departure has also meant the loss of a key like-minded ally on many policy files. Conference rooms at the PRB in Brussels were, however, showing signs of wear and tear, having not been renovated in at least 10 years. The review also suggested modest upgrades of facilities in delegation rooms in Brussels and Luxembourg should be examined. A department spokesperson said: Mission reviews, which are generally conducted every 10 years, allow the department to get an overview of the organisational and strategic operations of Irelands network of diplomatic missions. Missions are reviewed on the basis of the objectives defined in the departmental statement of strategy, as well as key public service-wide reform initiatives. A source said if any wrongdoing is established, gardai will investigate it Gerry The Monk Hutch leaves court last week after being acquitted of the murder of David Byrne. Photo: Mark Condren An independent inquiry into links between gardai, the Garda Ombudsman and Gerry The Monk Hutch is currently unlikely, it is understood. Justice Minister Simon Harris is awaiting the outcome of a Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) internal review into claims a now-resigned investigator attended a party celebrating the acquittal of Mr Hutch last week. There are also a number of former gardai in prison or suspended from the force over allegations relating to their links to organised crime. However, government sources said it is unlikely an independent investigation will be launched into either aspect. A source said that if any wrongdoing is established in the case of the Gsoc officer, gardai will investigate the matter. We still dont know the full details of the Gsoc situation, but if a problem is established it will be gardai who investigate the matter, the source said. Garda representative bodies are seeking an urgent meeting with Mr Harris over the Garda Ombudsman office carrying out its own probe The issue is expected to be raised at the annual Garda Representative Association (GRA) conference which starts in Westport, Co Mayo, today. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris will attend the conference tomorrow morning while Mr Harris will attend and address it on Wednesday afternoon. GRA president Brendan OConnor told the Irish Independent that it was highly inappropriate for the Gsoc to carry out an internal investigation into the matter and joined calls for an independent inquiry. He said a criminal investigation should not be ruled out if anything untoward emerges. This raises many fundamental questions about the operation of Gsoc and concerns that the Garda Representative Association have had from its inception, he said. We need to have complete confidence in the oversight mechanisms that are in place. Antoinette Cunningham, general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), said members are very concerned about the situation. We will be writing to the Minister for Justice tomorrow seeking an urgent meeting with him to express our very serious concerns, she said. We know that Gsoc then moved from their statement around a HR matter to an internal investigation around a possible conflict of interest. But I think it takes us back to the question of who oversees Gsoc who watches the watchdog. The experienced investigator with the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission resigned after telling colleagues he had been at a party with Mr Hutch the night he walked out of court after being acquitted of the murder of David Byrne in the Regency hotel in 2016, The officer, who has worked with Gsoc for the past number of years, has been involved in several major investigations into potential garda misconduct. Gsoc is preparing a report for Mr Harris on the matter. Labours justice spokesman Aodhan O Riordain said public confidence in Gsoc has been damaged. I was dumbfounded when I heard it. I cant understand how this could possibly have happened. Gsoc investigate gardai, said Mr O Riordain. We cant have a situation where an investigator within Gsoc finds himself at a social gathering with Gerry Hutch on the very day that hes been acquitted of murder. Its the most high-profile case in the last number of years. Meanwhile, Mr Harris is expected to tell this weeks GRA conference that he plans to strengthen legislation underpinning the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab). This will include legislating to prevent criminals from taking vexatious legal action when they are being investigated by Cab. Central to the new laws will be appointing a receiver who will automatically seize property and assets that are believed to be the proceeds of crime while the legal process is under way. He will also reduce the time it takes for Cab to hold assets until they are formally confiscated from seven years to two years. Red tape and mounting paperwork for state schemes are being blamed for a shortage of pharmacists due to burnout. The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) claims members are leaving the profession because a wholly unnecessary administrative burden detracts from patient care. IPU president Dermot Two-mey said cumbersome form-filling and box-ticking exercises when prescribing medicines to medical card holders and patients availing of other state initiatives limits the time pharmacists have to support sick people. While community pharmacy practice requires diligent attention to detail, much of the required red tape does nothing for patient care, he added. We have an expertise in medications and are a critical part of our countrys healthcare system. More and more patients are seeing pharmacy as the first port of call for care in the community. Unfortunately, health authorities seem content to task this essential frontline profession with endless form-filling and bureaucracy. Mr Twomey criticised the HSE, saying it could do more to allow pharmacists to provide greater patient support. He said the development of a digital prescribing system, cutting administrative work for public drug schemes and introducing a serious shortage protocol would improve how pharmacists work. A serious shortage protocol would allow pharmacists to dispense alternative drugs to patients in cases where supply issues mean commonly used prescription medicines are unavailable. Similar measures were introduced in the UK late last year to help manage supply issues, but pharmacists in Ireland with the same challenges were not able to issue alternative drugs because under law they must be prescribed by a doctor. The IPU said a serious shortage protocol would allow pharmacists to substitute medicines in line with protocols in cases where shortages arise in future. While we jump through hoops, patients are left waiting, Mr Two-mey said. What is required is a clear commitment to reduce red tape, which will empower the sector to deliver the revolution in community care we have been calling for for many years. Allowing the problem to continue will exacerbate the shortage of pharmacists, increase the levels of stress for those working in the sector and damage community care. No one in Granard would talk to us director Ciaran Creagh on telling the tragic tale of Ann Lovett in a new film The death of the 15-year-old schoolgirl and her newborn baby in a grotto in Co Longford shocked Ireland in 1984. A new film revisits the heartbreaking event Zara Devlin stars as Ann Lovett in the new film Andrea Smith Sun 23 Apr 2023 at 03:30 A new national reserve fund that would set aside some of the 65bn in budget surpluses forecast over the next four years will be used to pay for pensions, health and social care, climate action, and housing needs. Finance Minister Michael McGrath will set out details of what amounts to a new sovereign wealth fund within the next fortnight, the Sunday Independent has learnt, with ministers set to briefly discuss the potential of the new fund when the Cabinet meets this week. An earlier pension reserve was emptied under the terms of Irelands EU-IMF bailout It would give future governments a war chest to fund a range of areas, amid widespread acknowledgement that the States unprecedented corporation tax receipts will not be infinite. The Stability Programme Update (SPU), which was published by McGrath and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe last week, is forecasting a surplus of 10bn this year, 16.2bn next year, 18.1bn in 2025 and a further 20.8bn in 2026. While these are estimates predicated on the Government not making any additional tax or spending measures, it is anticipated that some of the surplus will be used to pay down the States 225bn debt pile. Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe Another portion will be directed into the new reserve fund, which is yet to be officially named. The intention is to accumulate a fund that will generate an investment return and give the firepower to meet costs when they arise, said a government source this weekend. A previously established National Pensions Reserve Fund was emptied under the terms of Irelands EU-IMF bailout more than a decade ago. But the intention of setting up the new fund will not only be to meet the future cost of paying pensions, but also to meet a set of wider demographic and climate-related costs. This could include housing, health and social care needs, said government sources this weekend. It will have a wider purpose, a source confirmed. When he unveiled the SPU last Tuesday, McGrath said the reserve fund would also be used to cover additional expenses in public services over the coming years. If we get it wrong, it will come at a high cost to people down the line The amount we put into the fund will be linked to the surplus we generate each year which, certainly for the foreseeable future, will be driven by the excess corporate tax receipts. It will be a fund that will be managed, he said. The Fianna Fail minister repeatedly stressed during media appearances that the Government cannot rely on excess corporate tax receipts into the future, as it is a volatile source of revenue. There is an acute need to be careful because if we get it wrong it will come at a high cost to people down the line. And Im not going to be the minister that signs up for that, he told RTEs Morning Ireland on Wednesday. The expected surpluses in the coming years are likely to ramp up pressure on the Government to announce a series of budget giveaways in advance of the next election. McGrath and Donohoe are likely to face unprecedented demands from a range of government departments in the budget talks that will get underway later in the year. The Finance Minister said it was important to keep issuing government bonds despite Irelands large surplus, and added he would speak to the National Treasury Management Agency about continuing to borrow on financial markets. Even though Ireland has a significant cash pile at this point in time, it is important that we do remain in the market, he said. There may be opportunities, as some forms of debt mature, that this debt is actually paid down. That may also play a role ultimately in what we decide to do with the surpluses that are currently projected. Dhaka, Apr 23 (UNI) The police and the firefighters have recovered 10 half-decomposed bodies from a sunken trawler along the Bay of Bengal coast in Nijirar Tek of Coxs Bazar on Sunday. Six of the bodies were found tied with rope, said Coxs Bazar Sadar police station officer-in-charge (OC) Rafiqul Islam, adding that none is yet to be identified. The OC said all the bodies got distorted and were emitting a strong stench. It seems that the pirates might have looted the fishing trawler, tied the fishermen with rope, placed them in the fish storage, and sunk it in the sea at least 15 days ago The authorities started a drive at 2:00 pm and recovered the 10 bodies until 3:00 pm. Some more bodies might be stuck inside the trawler, added the OC. According to the police and locals, a fishing boat encountered the sunken boat in the deep sea and pulled it to the Najirar Tek channel in Maheshkhali after tying it with rope around 1:30 pm on Sunday. At one stage, they noticed parts of the decaying bodies to float and fled the scene out of panic. As the locals reported the issue to the authorities, the policemen and the firefighters went to the spot and recovered the bodies. A cop associated with the drive said the condition of bodies indicates that it was done by the pirates. The trawler and its fishermen might be from outside the Coxs Bazar district. Gias Uddin, the owner of a trawler in the locality, said this type of trawler usually carries at least 20 fishermen. Some other bodies might be trapped inside the trawler as half of the vessel is still underwater. It is a risky task to go there and conduct rescue works, he added. OC Rafiqul Islam said the bodies will be sent to the Sadar hospital for autopsy upon completion of the rescue drive. They were trying to identify the fishermen. UNI MAZ GNK Eoin OMalley: Ireland needs more builders and somewhere for them to sleep It used to be that excellent references and a clean credit score were enough to secure an apartment. Last week, two young women I know who are looking for a new place to live in Dublin were also asked to send links to their social media accounts to ascertain if they would make suitable tenants. Seven years ago a Sinn Fein TD stood up in the Dail and proposed something which went without remark, but which gives remarkable insight into the partys view of criminality. Despite Robert Watts abrasive carry on in Leinster House, theres no sign of anyone reining him in It is possible that had Robert Watt taken a different path in life, he might have found himself on the other side of Committee Room 3 in Leinster House last Wednesday as a political inquisitor. Stefanie Preissner: However equal we think parenting is, its still mums who must ask permission to go to the bathroom Prepare for complexion compliments with our beauty critics top-choice serums, and promote extra collagen with her recommended ultrasonic device If you want glowy skin, start with exfoliation and remember a serum is your best friend The truth is, if I only had a hundred quid to spend on ALL my skincare, Id blow the budget on a serum. They work by adding a high-density dose of lots of active ingredients to even skin tone, tackle blemishes and reduce wrinkles and all the while make skin appear more hydrated and plump. If you want glowy skin, start with exfoliation and remember a serum is your best friend Pop them on BEFORE your moisturiser because they make such a difference. As I always say, serums are like stitches, they get deep down to repair the skin, while moisturiser is more like a plaster. Augustinus Bader The Retinol Serum, 150 for 15ml, augustinusbader.com is the high-end new kid on the block. The hydrating and lightweight formula is loaded with pure retinol that works to renew cells as well as reduce deep lines, blemishes and pigmentation. If you have sensitive skin or are just a stickler for great ingredients, this one is made without irritants, allergens, or fake fragrance. Augustinus Bader The Retinol Serum, 150 for 15ml, augustinusbader.com Next up is Westman Atelier Skin Activator, 160, westman-atelier.com. This one was actually created with leading skincare scientist Dr Raymond Park, who invented a non-prescription formula to treat and protect the skin barrier. The formula in this serum is hyper-potent and has 12 actives that work to reduce lines and hydrate. The bottle is refillable, so youll be doing an added bit for the environment as well. Westman Atelier Skin Activator, 160, westmanatelier.com I heart Irish brand, Ella & Jo, which had me with its Melt The Day Away Cleansing Balm. Now, its added a super affordable yet really Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum, 40, ellaandjo.ie to its skincare line. Its packed with ingredients to boost collagen and promote hydration. Wear it underneath your make-up and youll notice an instant difference. Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum, 40, ellaandjo.ie If youre a fan of Tech Powered Luxury, the podcast that merges luxury and technology, then listen up. Irish brand Seoulista Beauty has just been revealed as the sponsor for its second season. I think this is the perfect match for a brand that blends cutting-edge tech with natural ingredients. Check out Seoulista Brightening Super Far left, Seoulista Brightening Super Serum, 24, from a selection at seoulistabeauty.com Serum, 24, seoulistabeauty.com which will even the skin tone and brighten your complexion. Speaking of luxurious tech, for a true salon experience without leaving the house, check out this Ultrasono Device by Haumea Skincare, 229.99, haumeaskincare.com. The tone mode uses high-frequency pulsations and negative ions to promote blood circulation and the production of collagen and elastin. So, after cleansing, apply serum to your face and neck, turn on the device and glide it in an upward motion. Now, prepare to glow. Ultrasono Device by Haumea Skincare (5 229.99, haumeaskincare.com Three of the best Concealers 1 NYX Professional Makeup Cant Stop Wont Stop Contour Concealer 11.99, boots.ie Who says you have to spend an absolute fortune for a fab product?! You just need to be in the know! Effective yet lightweight, this long-lasting option is easy to blend and wont leave any shininess. 2 YSL Touche Eclat High Cover 36, Brown Thomas So many people think the original pen which defined the 1990s was a concealer. No, no, no, its a highlighter. This one, though, has high coverage and even includes caffeine to wake up those peepers the morning after a long night. 3 Kosas Revealer Concealer 29, spacenk.com Wanna try a newbie? Not only is this concealer available in a whopping 28 shades, its also a hard worker and does much more than cover up spots. The vegan-friendly formula has caffeine and pink algae along with arnica and pro-vitamin B5 to tackle dark circles. Whatever happened to the Sunday Independents 03 Team? They were as Celtic Tiger as helicopters at the races and second homes in Bulgaria. Now, 20 years on, the 03 Team of writers reflect on the project, recall how it came about, reveal how the ideas were generated and the recount their personal highs and lows... "It felt like a phenomenon at the time." From left: Sonia Harris wears: Dress, 135, clubllondon.ie. Gold crystal earrings, 85, crystalandco.com. Snake earrings, (out of stock), iclothing.com; Siobhan OConnor wears: Dress, 105, clubllondon.ie. Bow heels, 49.95, iclothing.com. Gold crystal earrings, 85, crystalandco.com; Emma Blain wears: Dress, 135, clubllondon.ie. Mules, 29.95, iclothing.com. Photo: David Conachy Emily Hourican Sun 23 Apr 2023 at 03:30 A UK Labour MP has been suspended after saying that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people are not subject to racism all their lives. Diane Abbott, who served as Jeremy Corbyn's shadow home secretary, wrote in a letter in the Observer that although white people "with points of difference" suffer prejudice, they have not suffered the same racism as black people. Following a backlash, including from a Tory Cabinet minister, she apologised for any "anguish" caused, suggesting "errors arose" in her initial draft letter to the newspaper. However, Labour confirmed that the whip has been suspended from her pending an investigation into the letter. A party spokesman said: "The Labour Party completely condemns these comments, which are deeply offensive and wrong. "The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation." Ms Abbott said on Twitter: "I am writing regarding my letter that was recently published in The Observer. "I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my written remarks and disassociate myself from them. "The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused. "Racism takes many forms and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others. "Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them." The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP had been responding to a comment which suggested that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from racism in the UK. She wrote: "It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. "But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. "In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships." Jewish Labour MP Margaret Hodge said Ms Abbott's letter in the Observer was "deeply offensive" and commended the party's move to swiftly suspend her. "Diane Abbott's letter was deeply offensive and deeply depressing," she tweeted. "Keir Starmer's response is right. No excuses. No delays. The comments will be investigated and she has been immediately suspended." Conservative Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said on Twitter: "Once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful antisemitism. "@Keir_Starmer are you actually going to do anything?" Olivia Marks-Woldman, CEO of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: "To say that white people are not subject to racism is factually wrong, a distortion of history and an insult both to the victims and to those who survived horrific persecution. "Antisemitism - anti-Jewish hatred - and anti-Gypsyism are forms of racism, ones that are deeply ingrained even today. "Diane Abbott's apology for her appalling letter is a start, but the letter shows her fundamental lack of understanding of racism, and the different forms it takes. Moreover, to compare different forms of racism is unhelpful and dangerously divisive. "We urge Ms Abbott to put her apology into action, and learn more about the complexities of each form of racism." A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: "Diane Abbott's claim that Jewish people cannot suffer racism is outrageous in itself, but made all the more extraordinary given all that has unfolded in the Labour Party over the past few years. "She and her allies on the far left of the party could never accept how bad antisemitism had become because they do not even acknowledge that it is a form of racism. "We already made complaints against her, which the party has never investigated. Her suspension now is past time, and must be the first step towards her expulsion from the party." Labour Against Antisemitism said Ms Abbott's comments are "simply unacceptable" and had called on Labour leader Keir Starmer to remove the whip from her. Spokeswoman Fiona Sharpe said: "To reduce the racism faced by Jews to mere prejudice when in living memory six million Jews were systematically slaughtered in Europe for their race is grossly offensive. "In the UK today one in five of all Jews have suffered a racist attack, with more than one in three Gypsy, Roma and Traveller reporting the same. "Ms Abbott is either woefully misinformed or deliberately bigoted. Neither should be tolerated." The Jewish Labour Movement welcomed the move to suspend the whip, saying: "Diane Abbott is one of the most respected people in the Labour Party as an activist who overcame racism and prejudice to become Britain's first black woman MP. "We should be unified in our struggle against racism, not divided against one another. "A hierarchy of racism only divides communities and assists the racists. We must not allow this. "We take seriously our responsibility to unite with friends and partners across the Labour movement to fight racism together." Meghan Markle has said she wrote a letter to her father-in-law, Charles, expressing her concerns about unconscious bias in the British royal family. It is understood the correspondence was sent in the wake of the March 2021 TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which the Duchess of Sussex claimed a member of the royal family had speculated about the colour of her unborn sons skin. A source said Meghan feels she has not received a satisfactory response. The claim comes just weeks after Meghan confirmed her decision not to attend Charless coronation on May 6, and is thought to be one of the factors behind her decision. Sources close to Harry and Meghan insist she decided to stay in the US, as it was Archies birthday. It is understood her letter was sent in reply to one from the King. He is believed to be the only senior member of the family to have made contact with Meghan after the interview. Then Prince of Wales, he is understood to have expressed sadness over the chasm that had emerged within the royal family. He is said to be disappointed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex felt the need to make such high-profile and damaging allegations. The letter came after the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs bombshell claims in their Oprah Winfrey appearance. In the interview, Meghan said there had been concerns and conversations about how dark his [Archies] skin might be when hes born. Meghans letter makes clear the identity of the senior member of the family said to have made the comment. It is understood that both the King and the Duchess acknowledged that the individuals remark was not made with malice. The Sussexes disclosure about the alleged incident prompted the late Queen Elizabeth to issue her response: Recollections may vary. Meghan is believed to have thanked the King for his words. Her letter is also said to suggest that she had never intended to specifically accuse the individual involved of being a racist, but was raising concerns about unconscious bias. One royal source suggested that while the exchange was warm in tone, it had not eased the tension between the two sides. Meghan is understood to feel that concerns she has raised which include the way in which bullying complaints against her were handled and the allegation that neglect by the institution led her to feel suicidal have still not been resolved. It was confirmed earlier this month that Prince Harry would attend the coronation on May 6 without his wife or children, as she had opted to keep them at home in California. The desire to put her own family first by staying with Prince Archie on his fourth birthday, which falls on the same day, was said to have been the deciding factor. However, she may also have wanted to protect herself by side-stepping the inevitable criticism her appearance would have provoked. Buckingham Palace is said to be aware of Harry and Meghans frustration that initial email correspondence about the coronation made no reference to their children and their potential involvement in the ceremony. The omission only fuelled their feeling that their branch of the family plays second fiddle to the family first in line to the throne. Royal sources indicated that they had never expected Meghan to fly over for the occasion, aware that her private correspondence with Charles had not been enough to prevent further mud-slinging. The continued souring of relations within the royal family has seen the Sussexes star in a six-part Netflix docu-series and the publication of the Dukes memoir, Spare, in which he squarely took aim at his family. The guardians of Champagne will let no one take the name of the bubbly beverage in vain not even a US beer behemoth. For years, Miller High Life has used the Champagne of Beers slogan, but last week that appropriation became impossible to swallow. At the request of the trade body defending the interests of houses and growers of the north-eastern French sparkling wine, Belgian customs workers crushed more than 2,000 cans of Miller High Life. The Comite Champagne asked for the destruction of a shipment of 2,352 cans on the grounds the century-old motto used by the American brewery infringes the protected designation of origin Champagne. The consignment was intercepted at the Belgian port of Antwerp in early February and was destined for Germany. Molson Coors Beverage Co, which owns the Miller High Life brand, does not 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 organisation said. Frederick Miller, a German immigrant to the US, founded the Miller Brewing Company in the 1850s. Miller High Life, its oldest brand, was first sold 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. It as 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, Molson Coors Beverage Co said. No matter how popular the slogan is in the US, it is incompatible with EU rules which make clear goods infringing a protected designation of origin can be treated as counterfeit. The system of protected geographical designations guarantees the true origin and quality of artisanal food, wine and spirits and protects them from imitation. That market is worth nearly 75bn annually half of it in wines, according to a 2020 study by the EU Commission. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Svetlana Maniovichs family allegedly spent 850,000 on villa rentals in Saint-Tropez and 250,000 on yachts between 2013 and 2018 The socialite ex-wife of a Russian minister whose lavish European shopping sprees provoked outrage has become the latest target of anti-Putin activists. Russian opposition groups plan to protest outside the home of Svetlana Maniovich, who was once married to Russias deputy defence minister and who has enjoyed a lavish lifestyle of holidays, Champagne and luxury clothes, even as Putin wages his bloody war in Ukraine. The activists want Ms Maniovich to be banned from living in or visiting France because of her ex-husbands involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. They also believe her assets should be frozen and she should be kicked out of Europe. Ms Maniovich went on luxury shopping sprees in Geneva, Paris and Belgium, spending more than 100,000 on a diamond ring and 150,000 on a pair of earrings, according to leaked emails obtained by the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), the non-profit organisation established by Alexei Navalny, Russias jailed opposition leader, in 2011. Her family allegedly spent 850,000 on villa rentals in Saint-Tropez and 250,000 on yachts between 2013 and 2018. A party to celebrate her birthday, held in Istanbul in 2018, reportedly cost 178,000. Russian democracy activists are furious that Ms Maniovich is allowed to pursue such a hedonistic lifestyle, and claim her supposed divorce from Timur Ivanov last August is a sham. They claim the divorce was a ruse so she could evade EU sanctions that were imposed on her husband and that the two of them remain a couple. The rally outside her luxury home in the French capital has been planned for today. Anybody in Paris? Were organising an event for everybody whos not OK with war criminals living comfortably in Europe, Maria Pevchikh, head of investigations for FBK, wrote on Twitter. Well gather outside Maniovichs apartment demanding sanctions for this and other Putin-loving criminals. Activists said Ms Maniovich organised personal appointments at high-end jewellery outlets. This is where she gets 150K earrings and 104K rings made for her. As insane as it sounds, she is totally allowed to come to the EU and walk up and down the Champs-Elysees spending the money her husband made by bombing apartment blocks, killing children and beheading soldiers in Ukraine. Every euro she spends at Hermes and Cartier in Paris is a blood-soaked euro. They said Mr Ivanov is involved in rebuilding Mariupol, the city Putin has wiped off the face of the earth and occupied. FBK said the minister has accrued huge wealth through corruption, taking kickbacks from developers in return for giving them construction contracts, including in Mariupol. Ivanov receives kickbacks from whoever he assigns MoD construction contracts to, Ms Pevchikh said. Mr Navalny, Russias most prominent critic of Putin, is serving more than 11 years in prison for alleged fraud and contempt of court. Supporters said last week that he had suffered sudden weight loss and acute stomach pain that made them suspect that he was being slowly poisoned. The Russians bombed their own city of Belgorod Russian troops have seized more territory in Bakhmut, edging towards capturing the city as the wars fiercest battle rages on. Bakhmut has been the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting to date in Ukraine, with Vladimir Putins forces pummelling the city with shelling and artillery for the last seven months. Russias defence ministry yesterday said its troops had captured three more districts in the western part of the city. The airborne troops were restraining the Ukrainian units on the flanks and supported the actions of the assault squads to capture the city, they said. The battle for the eastern salt-mining town has intensified in recent weeks, with Ukraine expected to launch its much-anticipated spring offensive soon. The main parade in Red Square, which Putin will attend, is expected to go ahead There are many red faces in Moscow this week over Russias bombing of one of its own cities. Seventeen apartment buildings were evacuated yesterday in a the city of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border, after an explosive device was found at the site of Russias own-goal. The self-inflicted bombing on Thursday left a large crater and three people injured. Mortar fire outside Bakhmut The Russian defence ministry quickly acknowledged that a weapon accidentally released by one of its own Su-34 bombers caused the explosion, adding that an investigation was underway. Russian authorities did not say if the newly found explosive device had been dropped in Thursdays incident, and if so, was it a remnant of or separate from the bomb that exploded. Belgorod, located about 40km 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. Russian president Vladimir Putin Moscow is also doing some house-cleaning closer to the Kremlin. A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman yesterday said Moscow was expelling more than 20 German diplomats, following the exit of some Russian diplomats from Germany. A German foreign ministry official said Berlin and Moscow had been in contact about their respective representations, with the aim of reducing Russias intelligence presence in Germany. Todays departure of Russian embassy staff is related to this, said the official. The German ministry declined to say how many Russian diplomats had left. Relations between Russia and Germany which used to be the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas have fallen apart since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin worried that participants would highlight the scope of recent Russian losses Commenting on Germanys expulsions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: We strongly condemn these actions by Berlin, which continues to demonstratively destroy the entire array of Russian-German relations. It said its own expulsions were reciprocal, and that it would significantly limit the number of staff at German diplomatic missions. Germanys Bild daily reported that 34 of the 90 German diplomats remaining in Moscow had been told to leave Russia. What used pass for normal political life in Russia has been put on hold by Putins scramble for Ukraine and this is clearly evidenced by the nationwide cancellation of remembrance marches to mark the anniversary of the Great Patriotic War [World War II], over fears they would have turned into protests over Ukraine war casualties. By cancelling Russias traditional immortal regiment parades next month, the Kremlin regime has undermined its own propaganda that Russian soldiers are once again fighting Nazis in Ukraine. The Russian state is struggling to maintain consistency in a core narrative that it uses to justify the war in Ukraine, said Britain's ministry of defence. The Russians bombed their own city of Belgorod Western intelligence services have said that more than 200,000 Russian soldiers and mercenaries have been killed or badly injured since the Kremlin ordered the invasion on February 24, 2022 but in Russia, casualty numbers are ignored or lied about. They added that protecting this lie was the main motivation behind cancelling the immortal regiment parades. In reality, the Kremlin was highly concerned that participants would highlight the scope of recent Russian losses, said. The immortal regiment parades have become the centrepiece of Russias Victory Day celebrations, usually held on May 9, as they actively involve hundreds of thousands of ordinary Russians. Encouraged by the Kremlin, people typically march through city centres carrying portraits of Red Army soldiers who fought in World War II against Nazi Germany as well as photos of soldiers killed fighting in Afghanistan in the 1980s and Chechnya in the 1990s. They often wear old military medals, berets and black and orange ribbons which have come to symbolise support for Russias wars. The Kremlin usually regards this show of mass support as the highlight of its propaganda year and has pushed it. Russian PR agencies have paid people to attend parades and last year Russian officials also insisted on a parade through bombed-out occupied Mariupol. But on Tuesday, the state-linked organisation behind the marches said the parade would be moved online for safety reasons. Several cities in Russia have also cancelled military parades planned for May 9, although the main parade in Red Square, which is attended by Vladimir Putin, is expected to go ahead. Russian forces packing up on other side of river A Ukrainian soldier writes a message on a howitzer shell on the front line in the Donetsk region. Photo: Reuters/Anna Kudriavtseva Ukrainian soldiers have crossed the Dnipro river for the first time since the early days of the invasion and built positions that could be used to launch attacks deeper into Russia-occupied territory, analysts have said. The crossing of the river, which has marked the front line since Russian forces retreated from Kherson city in November, comes days after reports of a partial Russian retreat in the area. Ukraine is expected to launch a counter offensive, which analysts have said may be aimed at pushing 100 miles south of the Dnipro at least as far as Crimea. The US-based Institute for the Study of War said that video and photos have generated the first "reliable geolocated imagery of Ukrainian positions" south of the river. "The extent and intent of these Ukrainian positions remain unclear, as does Ukraine's ability and willingness to maintain sustained positions in this area," it said. Several Russian military bloggers used geolocation techniques to pinpoint Ukrainian military positions around the village of Oleshky, south of the Dnipro. Russian military blogger "Thirteenth", who has more than 100,000 followers, posted a video that he said showed Ukrainian special forces using fast small boats to land on the river bank, where "they have been hanging out for a couple of weeks". Another, "Rybar", which has links to the Russian security services and has more than one million subscribers, posted a lengthy blog on the "foothold" the Ukrainian forces have secured. Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-installed head of occupied Kherson region, denied that Ukrainian soldiers had set up positions on the southern bank. "Our military is in full control," he said. "Although there may be isolated cases of enemy soldiers managing to take a selfie on the bank before being hit by artillery and destroyed." The battle for Kherson region is considered critical for control of Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014 and it would be a major blow to Russian forces if it is confirmed that Ukrainian soldiers have already broken across the river. They had bragged that their tactical withdrawal from Kherson city last year allowed them to use the Dnipro as part of their defence. Russian forces have been digging trenches for the past six months, and satellite images have shown a web stretching across the Kherson region, but more recent reports have said that Russian soldiers have been abandoning their positions. On Tuesday, a Ukrainian military spokesman said they had seen Russian soldiers packing up their kit and sending it home, as they did in November before they retreated from Kherson. Russian occupation authorities have been seen collecting, packing up and shipping belongings to their homeland, says Nataliya Gumenyuk, a spokeswoman for Ukraine forces in the south. But Ukrainian authorities are not expecting an immediate withdrawal, she said, adding that Russian troops have been shoring up their defences and laying mines on the shoreline. The comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin paid his first visit since the war to bases in the Kherson region, in an apparent show of strength. American special forces evacuated some 70 US embassy staff from Khartoum early on Sunday after a week of fighting hindered rescue efforts. Thick black smoke could be seen filling the sky over Khartoum (Marwan Ali/AP) The US military airlifted embassy officials out of Sudan on Sunday and international governments raced to evacuate their diplomatic staff and citizens trapped in the capital as rival generals battled for control of Africas third-largest country for a ninth consecutive day. Fighting raged in Omdurman, the city across the Nile from Sudans capital Khartoum, residents reported. The violence took place despite a truce that had been declared to coincide with the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. We did not see such a truce, said Amin al-Tayed from his home near state television headquarters in Omdurman. He said heavy gunfire and thundering explosions had rocked the city. The battles did not stop, he said. Thick black smoke filled the sky over Khartoums airport. The paramilitary group battling the Sudanese armed forces claimed the military had carried out airstrikes on the upmarket neighbourhood of Kafouri, north of Khartoum. US special forces evacuated some 70 US embassy staff from Khartoum to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia early on Sunday, after a week of fighting hindered rescue efforts. Although American officials said it was still too dangerous to carry out a government-co-ordinated mass evacuation of private citizens, other countries were scrambling to evacuate their citizens and diplomats. France, Greece and other European countries said on Sunday they were organising evacuations for embassy employees and nationals, along with some citizens of allied countries. We deeply sympathise with the Dutch in Sudan and will make every effort to evacuate people where and when possible Netherlands' defence minister Kajsa Ollongren French foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said France was undertaking the operation with the help of European partners. The Greek foreign minister said the country had dispatched aircraft and special forces to its ally, Egypt, in preparation for an evacuation of 120 Greek and Cypriot nationals from Khartoum. Most had sought shelter at a Greek Orthodox cathedral in the capital in recent days, Nikos Dendias said. The Netherlands had sent two air force Hercules C-130 planes and an Airbus A330 to Jordan ahead of a possible rescue mission. We deeply sympathise with the Dutch in Sudan and will make every effort to evacuate people where and when possible, defence minister Kajsa Ollongren said. Italy had dispatched military jets to the Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the evacuation of 140 Italian nationals in Sudan, many of whom had already taken refuge in the embassy. Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said the departments crisis unit was in touch with stranded citizens. The European Unions foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted he had spoken with the rival commanders, urging an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians and ensure the safe evacuation of EU citizens. The fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has targeted and paralysed the countrys main international airport, reducing a number of civilian aircraft to ruins and destroying at least one runway. Other airports across the country have also been knocked out of operation. Overland travel across areas contested by the warring parties has proven dangerous. Khartoum is some some 520 miles (840km) from Port Sudan on the Red Sea. But some countries have pressed ahead with the journey. Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that the kingdom had successfully evacuated 157 people, including 91 Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries. Saudi state TV released footage of a large convoy of Saudis and other foreign nationals traveling by car and bus from Khartoum to Port Sudan, where a navy ship then ferried the evacuees across the Red Sea to the Saudi port of Jeddah. In Sundays fighting, a senior military official said army and police repelled an RSF attack on Kober Prison in Khartoum where Sudans longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, and former officials in his movement have been imprisoned since his removal in 2019. The official said a number of prisoners fled but that Mr al-Bashir and other high-profile inmates were still held in a highly secure area. The official said a few prisoners had been killed or wounded. The RSF claimed later on Sunday that the military had removed Mr al-Bashir and other prisoners from the facility. The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudans hopes for a democratic transition. More than 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and more than 3,700 have been wounded in the fighting. Hospitals say they are struggling to cope. Many dead and wounded have been stranded by the fighting, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate which monitors casualties, suggesting the death toll is probably far higher than what is publicly known. The fighting has left millions of Sudanese stranded at home hiding from explosions, gunfire and looting without adequate electricity, food or water. On Sunday, the country experienced a near-total collapse of internet connection, according to NetBlocks.org, an internet-monitoring service. Thousands of Sudanese have fled the combat in Khartoum for the suburbs. The current explosion of violence came after the two generals 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 removal of Mr al-Bashir in 2019. Two years later, they joined forces to seize power in a coup that ousted the civilian leaders and opened a troubled new chapter in the countrys history. On December 14, 1972, astronaut Gene Cernan was the last person to walk on the moon. As he was leaving the moon he said we shall return. Well, decades later it looks like his statement will come true. After more than 50 years, the Artemis 3 mission will put two astronauts on the moon sometime in 2025. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since last month after capturing national attention when his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala. Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh, who has revived calls for secession of Indias northern Punjab state bordering a hostile Pakistan, has been arrested by Indian police after going on the run last month (Prabhjot Gill/AP) Indian police have arrested a separatist leader who has revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland and the secession of Indias northern Punjab state, which has a history of violent insurgency. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since last month after capturing national attention in February, when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, a town in Punjab state, with wooden batons, swords and guns to demand the release of a jailed aide. Punjab state police tweeted on Sunday that Singh had been arrested in Moga, a town in the state. A Sikh religious leader, Jasbir Singh Rodde, said Singh surrendered to police after offering morning prayers at a Sikh shrine in Moga. Police then arrested him and took him away, he said. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Police officer Sukhchain Singh Gill said police had surrounded the local village on intelligence that Singh was in the shrine. Relentless pressure built by the police over the past 35 days left Singh with no choice, Mr Gill told reporters. He said the police did not enter the shrine, implying that Singh was taken into custody after he left. He declined to confirm that Singh surrendered to police as claimed by his supporters. The officer said Singh was flown to Dibrugarh in Indias north-east, where he will be detained until he is taken to court to face charges. Punjab suffered a bloody insurgency in the 1980s that led to the killing of Indias then-prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards at her official residence in New Delhi. Her killing triggered bloody rioting by her Hindu supporters against Sikhs in northern India. Sikhs are a religious minority in India and say they are discriminated against by the majority Hindus. More than 3,000 people were killed by extremists during the 1980s insurgency in the prosperous farming state. The insurgency was crushed by Indian forces by 1990. Punjab borders India-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of supporting, training and arming insurgents, a charge Islamabad denies. Police declared Singh, a 30-year-old preacher, a fugitive and accused him and his aides of creating discord in the state. They accused them of spreading disharmony among people, attempted murder, attacking police personnel and obstructing public servants lawful discharge of duty. Authorities have deployed thousands of paramilitary soldiers in the state and arrested nearly 100 of Singhs supporters. His wife was prevented from leaving India last week. Very little was known about Singh until he arrived in Punjab state in 2022 and began leading marches calling for the protection of rights for Sikhs, who account for about 1.7% of Indias population. Singh claims to draw inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh militant leader accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency for Khalistan in the 1980s. Bhindranwale and his supporters were killed in 1984 when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. Singh has styled himself after Bhindranwale, with a long, flowing beard. He also dresses like Bhindranwale. Singh also heads Waris Punjab De, or Punjabs Heirs, an organisation that was part of a massive campaign to mobilise farmers against controversial agriculture reforms being pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. The legislation triggered a year of protests that began in 2020, as farmers most of them Sikhs from Punjab state camped on the outskirts of New Delhi through a harsh winter and devastating coronavirus surge. The protests ended after Mr Modis government withdrew the legislation in November 2021. Waris Punjab De was founded by Deep Sidhu, an Indian actor who died in 2022 in a road accident. Singhs speeches have become increasingly popular among supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. Officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. Even though the movement has waned over the years, it still has some support in Punjab and beyond including in countries like Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, which are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora. Last month, supporters of the movement pulled down the Indian flag at the countrys high commission in London and smashed the buildings windows in a show of anger against the move to arrest Singh. Indias Foreign Ministry denounced the incident and summoned the UKs deputy high commissioner in New Delhi to protest at what it called the breach of security at the embassy in London. The supporters of the Khalistan movement also vandalized the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the United States. Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum, Sudan, near Doha International Hospital on Friday (Maheen S/AP) US special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy in warring Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital, Khartoum, with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported. With the last US employee of the embassy out, Washington closed its mission in Khartoum indefinitely. Thousands of private American citizens remaining in the east African country were left behind because US officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation mission. Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders entered their ninth day on Sunday, forcing continued closing of the main international airport and leaving roads out of the country in control of armed men. More than 400 people have been killed in the fighting. In a statement thanking the troops, US President Joe Biden said he is receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan "to the extent possible". He also called for the end to the "unconscionable" violence. About 100 US troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the rescue operation. They airlifted all of roughly 70 remaining American employees from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. Ethiopia also provided overflight and refuelling support, said Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Mr Biden said Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia also assisted with the evacuation. "I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan," he said in a statement. "I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety." US Africa Command and chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Mark Milley were in contact with both warring factions before and during the operation to ensure that US forces would have safe passage to carry out the evacuation. However, John Bass, a US undersecretary of state, denied claims by one faction, Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Security Forces, that it assisted. "They co-operated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation," he said. Mr Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. "This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It's unconscionable and it must stop," he said. "The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan." The fighting broke out on April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier had jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nation's transition to democracy. The ongoing power struggle now between the armed forces chief, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has millions of Sudanese cowering inside their homes, hiding from explosions, gunfire and looting. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. An estimated 16,000 private US citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is vague because not all Americans register with embassy or say when they depart. The embassy issued an alert earlier on Saturday warning that "due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a US government-co-ordinated evacuation of private US citizens". The US evacuation planning for American employees of the embassy got under way in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that US troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. 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 in the port of Jeddah. Embassy evacuations carried out by the US military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transport if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, staff used commercial transport to leave. However, in several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. American troops accompanied personnel from the US Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. More than 400 people have been killed in fighting between two rival Sudanese commanders. US special operations forces have evacuated the American embassy in warring Sudan (Marwan Ali/AP) US special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy in warring Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital, Khartoum, with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported. With the last US employee of the embassy out, Washington closed its mission in Khartoum indefinitely. Thousands of private American citizens remaining in the east African country were left behind because US officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation mission. Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders entered their ninth day on Sunday, forcing continued closing of the main international airport and leaving roads out of the country in control of armed men. More than 400 people have been killed in the fighting. In a statement thanking the troops, US President Joe Biden said he is receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan to the extent possible. He also called for the end to the unconscionable violence. About 100 US troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the rescue operation. They airlifted all of roughly 70 remaining American employees from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. Ethiopia also provided overflight and refuelling support, said Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Mr Biden said Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia also assisted with the evacuation. 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, he said in a statement. I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety. US Africa Command and chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Mark Milley were in contact with both warring factions before and during the operation to ensure that US forces would have safe passage to carry out the evacuation. However, John Bass, a US undersecretary of state, denied claims by one faction, Sudans paramilitary Rapid Security Forces, that it assisted. They co-operated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation, he said. Mr Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, he said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. The fighting broke out on April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier had jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nations transition to democracy. The ongoing power struggle now between the armed forces chief, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has millions of Sudanese cowering inside their homes, hiding from explosions, gunfire and looting. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. An estimated 16,000 private US citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is vague because not all Americans register with embassy or say when they depart. The embassy issued an alert earlier on Saturday warning that due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a US government-co-ordinated evacuation of private US citizens. The US evacuation planning for American employees of the embassy got under way in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that US troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. 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 in the port of Jeddah. Embassy evacuations carried out by the US military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transport if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, staff used commercial transport to leave. However, in several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. American troops accompanied personnel from the US Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. As the world shifts towards a multipolar order, Iran and India have a pivotal role to play in shaping the trade and connectivity patterns across Eurasia, given their historical friendly relations. However, their economic ties have been affected by geopolitical developments, particularly the re-imposition of US sanctions on Iran. Nonetheless, both nations are making efforts to enhance their trade and investment ties, which can have a significant impact on the regional economic landscape. Iran and India have historically maintained friendly and cooperative relations, and as the world moves towards a multipolar order, these two countries are poised to play a crucial role in shaping the new trade and connectivity patterns across Eurasia. However, geopolitical developments in the region, such as the re-imposition of US sanctions on Iran, have had a significant impact on their economic ties. Despite these challenges, both nations are actively exploring ways to boost their trade and investment relations, which could have a significant impact on the economic landscape of the region. Trends in India-Iran bilateral trade In 2021, India exported goods worth US$1.28 billion to Iran, primarily consisting of rice (US$662 million), tea (US$96.8 million), and bananas (US$46.1 million). Iran, on the other hand, exported goods worth US$379 million to India, with the major items being nuts (US$100 million), ammonia (US$58.2 million), and apples and pears (US$48.3 million). Additionally, Iran also exported small quantities of products such as methanol, toluene, pistachios, dates, almonds, crude oil, liquified butane and propane, bitumen and mineral base oil, stone and mineral salts such as marble and clinker cement. Between 1995 and 2021, Irans exports to India have been on a declining trend, with an average annual decrease of 1.08 percent from US$502 million to US$379 million during the period. Indian exports to Iran have also been on a similar declining trend, with a decrease in value from INR 10.57 billion in January 2023 to INR 7.88 billion in February 2023. The decreasing trend in trade between Iran and India has had a negative impact on their bilateral commerce. In FY 2022, India-Iran bilateral trade amounted to US$1.91 billion, registering a drop of around nine percent compared to total trade value of US$2.10 billion in FY 2021. Furthermore, a closer analysis of long-term trade trends reveals an even more significant decline, as bilateral trade between Iran and India had reached US$18 billion before the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, the re-imposition of US sanctions on Iran led to India prioritizing its relationship with the US, causing economic and investment ties with Iran to stagnate. Addressing the decline in Iran-India trade relations: Challenges and opportunities What are the primary obstacles to India-Iran economic cooperation? External factors have had a significant impact on India-Iran relations, resulting in several geopolitical setbacks. India halted the purchase of Iranian oil following the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, and the Chabahar port and railway projects long-term investment agreement faced significant delays. India is apprehensive about the growing strategic partnership between Iran and China, particularly after the signing of a 25-year agreement. Beijings plan to expand its maritime trade network and gain access to shipping routes has created a clash with Indias aspirations. US sanctions on Iran have curtailed Irans ambitions to become a significant energy supplier to India. Since the sanctions were reimposed, Arab products have replaced Iranian goods such as oil and petrochemicals. India is likely to maintain its policy of avoiding sanctions violations due to the fear of economic repercussions. For example, when an Indian company purchased oil from Iran in September 2022, the US imposed sanctions. This will continue to be a major constraint on the expansion of investment ties and economic relations between Iran and India. Indias relations with Irans rivals, Israel and the United States, pose another complication for bilateral ties. Despite efforts by New Delhi and Tehran to separate their relationship from US and Israeli factors, this strategy has not been successful. Israel is critical to India because it is one of Indias largest military suppliers. India also values its ties with the US, which it considers a counterweight to Chinas Indo-Pacific ambitions, despite occasional tensions Exploring solutions for improving Iran-India trade relations amid US sanctions To address the decline in trade, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Indias central bank announced in July 2022 that it will use the rupee payment mechanism to facilitate business transactions with countries, including Iran and Russia, that are under economic sanctions. The RBI has also established a mechanism that allows for instant payment options to facilitate international trade in rupees. Another way to enhance bilateral commercial ties is to lower Indias high tariff on Iranian agricultural goods. This could be achieved through special economic mechanisms like signing preferential trade agreements between New Delhi and Tehran. An alternative could be to establish an agreement similar to the 25-year investment deal signed between China and Iran. India has expressed interest in such an agreement, but concrete steps have not been taken yet. Iranian and Indian officials and experts concur that the most effective means to enhance their relationship is by promoting mutual investment, reducing tariffs, and expanding cooperation in the pharmaceutical and production sectors. They propose cooperation in areas such as the production of herbal medicines, Indian investment in Iranian oil downstream projects, and petrochemicals aimed at the Indian market. Unfortunately, much of this is impeded by the primary geopolitical obstacle of US sanctions on Iran, which were reinstated by Donald Trump in 2018. Aligning India-Iran economic and geopolitical interests through Chabahar Port and INSTC India and Iran are not considered geopolitical rivals, despite occasional challenges in their bilateral relations. In fact, their economic and geopolitical interests align in many areas, particularly in transit, energy, and commerce. As a member state of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), India is critical to Iran not only in terms of trade, investment, and security, but also in Tehrans broader vision of advancing a multipolar world order with its pivot to the East. Iran and India are jointly working on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which is a 7,200-kilometer network of sea, rail, and road routes connecting Mumbai in India to northern Europe through Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia. The Chabahar port in southern Iran plays a crucial role in aligning Indias interests with Irans, as it provides India with access to the markets of Russia, Central Asia, and potentially Europe. Although the cooperation agreement between Iran and India for the management and development of Chabahar port was signed in 2003, it gained momentum in 2016 when a memorandum of understanding was signed, and India committed to investing US$85 million in the ports infrastructure. However, due to various challenges, including the US sanctions, the full operation of Chabahar port could not be completed by the end of 2019. Out of the US$85 million of Indias investment, US$25 million has been allocated, and progress has been slower than anticipated, according to the Iranian side. While India was exempt from US sanctions amid the work in the Iranian port, completing the Chabahar project has been challenging due to various constraints. India has, however, continued to invest in the project and doubled the amount of money allocated to Chabahar port in FY 2022, demonstrating its commitment to the projects success. While US sanctions have presented challenges to the development of Chabahar port, there are other geopolitical factors that could benefit the project. The conflict in Ukraine has pushed Russia to explore alternative trade routes, and the INSTC presents an attractive option. This could inadvertently lead to increased trade between India and Iran and bring Russia and India closer in implementing long-standing Eurasian projects. However, there is still room for improvement in the diversity and quality of Iran-India trade. At present, the majority of trade is centered around fruits and raw resources, and addressing this issue will require overcoming structural hurdles and waiting for a more favorable geopolitical climate, such as the renewal of the JCPOA. Emil Avdaliani is a professor of international relations at the European University in Tbilisi, Georgia, and a scholar of the Silk Road. Also read Wikipedia Commons India's picturesque Arunachal Pradesh is currently celebrating its rich cultural heritage by hosting a wide variety of festivals and fairs which is also attracting a large section of tourists from across the nation. Losar Festival is one of the most popular festivals celebrated in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh by the Monpa tribe, reports ANI. The entire district is lit up with lights as the festival is hosted to mark the new year. The festival is a perfect opportunity for tourists to indulge in local drinks and cuisine. The festival is celebrated from March 3 to March 5, and tourists from all over the country flock to Tawang to be a part of the celebrations, ANI reported. Ziro Festival of Music is a four-day festival celebrated in the beautiful Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh. The festival is all about music celebrations, enthusiasm, and loads of fun. Independent music lovers from all over the country flock to the festival to enjoy fresh music performed by talented artists performing various independent music forms like jazz, indie, and others. The festival came into being when Delhi Band Menwhopause was promoting their band in the Northeast. Due to political unrest, the Itanagar concert was delayed, and they spent some time in the beautiful Ziro Valley. They discussed an idea to do a small festival in Ziro Valley where they will invite their favourite bands, reports the Indian news agency. The Siang River Festival is dedicated to communal harmony and eco-tourism. Activities like elephant races, traditional boat races, river rafting, hot air balloon rides, folk dances, cultural shows, and paragliding take place during the festival, which is celebrated in the month of December every year. " " Much of "Planets of the Apes" was filmed in the desert-like area of Page, Ariz., and in Red Rock Canyon State Park, Calif. Otherworldly indeed. See more movie-making pictures. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images One of the most famous scenes in science fiction cinema comes at the end of the 1968 hit "Planet of the Apes." Astronaut George Taylor, after traveling in space for 2,000 years, apparently has landed on an alien planet ruled by intelligent apes that are determined to exterminate the planet's primitive human population. Taylor manages to free himself and an indigenous female companion from captivity and decides to ride off on horseback to explore the planet's so-called nuclear war-ravaged forbidden zone, despite warnings from ape elder Dr. Zaius that he won't like what he will find. Taylor and his partner struggle to cross a harsh, otherworldly looking landscape, full of deep, startlingly hued canyons, until they finally reach a shoreline. That's where Taylor finds the half-buried Statue of Liberty and realizes that he's not on a distant planet after all, but a future version of Earth. Advertisement A cynical moviegoer might wonder in retrospect why it took Taylor so long to realize that he actually was back on his own planet, since it had a breathable atmosphere, a hospitable climate, and vegetation and animals such as horses that he'd seen before. But the filmmakers managed to make Taylor's cluelessness believable, by putting him in a place that an unwary person easily could mistake for an alien world. Much of the Forbidden Zone, for example, actually was Red Rock Canyon State Park in California, where the towering, red-tinted rock formations look as if they belong on Mars [source: Russo et al.]. And Red Rock is just one of many places on Earth that are so strange-looking that they seem as if they ought to be on some other planet. Here are 10 of the most alien-looking locations right here on Earth. Image tweeted by @zarrar_11PSF Moga/IBNS: Amritpal Singh , a fugitive Khalistani leader who has been on the run since March 18, surrendered before Punjab police in Moga on Sunday. He has been arrested by the police. Confirming the arrest, Punjab Police asked people to maintain peace and not spread fake news. "Amritpal Singh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by Punjab Police. Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share," police tweeted. #AmritpalSingh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share. Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 23, 2023 According to the police, the 29-year-old surrendered at a gurudwara in Rode village in the Moga district. He even delivered a sermon ahead of surrendering to the police. Moga is the birthplace of Khalistani separatist and terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.Amritpal Singh claims to be his follower and is known as "Bhindranwale 2.0" among his supporters. Pictures of the radical preacher while being taken into custody have surfaced on social media. He can be seen a wearing traditional white robe. Amritpal Singh is being shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh, where eight of his aides are already being held under the National Security Act, which allows detention for up to a year without any charge. The radical Sikh preacher made open statements about declaring secession from India and creating Khalistan, while also threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. He also referred to the assassinations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Chief Minister Beant Singh by terrorists to warn the ministers and law enforcers. Since being active in India, Amritpal Singh incited Sikh youths to engage in armed rebellion against democratically elected governments, citing discriminatory treatment as the reason, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of creating Khalistan. Punjab Police had launched a crackdown on Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De' on March 18, a month after his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala. In February, Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of one of his aides. His surrender comes days after his wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped at the Amritsar airport while she was trying to board a flight to London. Image tweeted by @zarrar_11PSF Chandigarh/IBNS: Amritpal Singh , the fugitive Sikh separatist leader who had been on the run for more than a month, was arrested after a massive operation involving surrounding of a village where he was hiding, the Punjab Police said on Sunday. Singh, who had supported calls for the formation of Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland, was wanted for several charges, including attempted murder, obstruction of law enforcement, and creating disharmony. He and his supporters, armed with swords, knives, and guns, had raided a police station in March and clashed with policemen. The police said they had received information that Singh was present in Rode village, near Moga district, and had deployed a large number of personnel to seal off all the routes to the village. According to the police, the 29-year-old surrendered at a gurudwara in Rode village in the Moga district. He even delivered a sermon ahead of surrendering to the police. "Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6:45 am this morning in village Rode," said senior police officer Sukhchain Singh. "We surrounded Amritpal with restraint, and he had no way to escape. We waited and did not enter the gurdwara to maintain its sanctity. We could not have entered in uniform," he said. "Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh under the National Security Act and will be questioned thoroughly," the police officer said. Moga is the birthplace of Khalistani separatist and terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Amritpal Singh claims to be his follower and is known as "Bhindranwale 2.0" among his supporters. Pictures of the radical preacher while being taken into custody have surfaced on social media. He can be seen a wearing traditional white robe. Amritpal Singh was shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh, where eight of his aides are already being held under the National Security Act, which allows detention for up to a year without any charge. The radical Sikh preacher made open statements about declaring secession from India and creating Khalistan, while also threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. He also referred to the assassinations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Chief Minister Beant Singh by terrorists to warn the ministers and law enforcers. Since being active in India, Amritpal Singh incited Sikh youths to engage in armed rebellion against democratically elected governments, citing discriminatory treatment as the reason, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of creating Khalistan. Punjab Police had launched a crackdown on Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De' on March 18, a month after his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala. In February, Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of Amritsar and clashed with police for the release of one of his aides. His surrender comes days after his wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped at the Amritsar airport while she was trying to board a flight to London. wallpaper cave Eluru: In a gruesome incident, a stalker poured boiling oil on the arms and thighs of an engineering student for allegedly rejecting his love. The shocking incident took place at Duggirala village in Pedavegi mandal in Eluru district on Sunday. Police said that the accused, who has been identified as Anudeep, has been harassing her for the last few months. The family members of the victim told the media that the accused Anudeep took the girl from the engineering hostel three days ago to the village. He confimed her in a room and started to torture her. He poured boiling oil on her arms and thighs. He tried to hang her but she escaped from his clutches and reached home. She informed the matter to the parents who admitted into the GGH here. She is recuperating and out of danger, doctors said. The police registered a case and arrested the accused. Meanwhile, Telugu Desam party leader and former MLA Chintamaneni Prabakar visited the victim in hospital. (With UNI inputs) UNHCR/Suzette Fleur Ngontoog New Delhi: The Indian government on Sunday said it is 'making all-out efforts' to ensure the safety and security of Indians stranded in conflict-hit Sudan. The government also said two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah while INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan to carry out the evacuation process. The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement: "We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan." "We are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated," read the statement. "Apart from the Sudanese authorities, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Sudan are also in regular touch with the UN, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and US among others," read the statement. Speaking on the evacuation issue, the MEA said the Government of India is pursuing multiple options. "Two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan," read the statement. "Contingency plans are in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum. Sudanese airspace currently remains closed for all foreign aircraft. Overland movement also has risks and logistical challenges," read the statement. "Our Embassy is in regular touch with the stranded Indians in Sudan and is advising them on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unnecessary risk. It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement," it said. Sudan is witnessing a conflict as conflict broke out between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan's armed forces on Apr 15. The World Health Organization reported that at least 413 people have died, while injury estimates are as high as 3,551, reports Fox News. Sri Lankan Embassy in India website Colombo: Marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations, which falls this year, two photographs of Sri Lankan origin were unveiled at the office of the State Minister of External Affairs and Culture of India at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi on Saturday. 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. These two historical events that occurred in the 3rd century BCE marked the commencement of a Buddhist civilization in Sri Lanka and epitomize the strong and unbreakable civilizational bonds that exist between Sri Lanka and India. "The photographs were ceremonially unveiled by State Minister Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi and Sri Lankas High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda in the presence of the Venerable members of the Maha Sangha from Sri Lanka led by the Most Venerable Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Maha Nayaka Thero who were in New Delhi to attend the Global Buddhist Summit," read a statement issued by the Sri Lankan High Commission in India. Director General of the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka 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 on this occasion. Manatunga gave a brief description of the temple murals depicted in the photographs at the unveiling ceremony. Previously, in October 2021, the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi presented two photographs depicting the same murals, to be installed at the newly inaugurated international airport in Kushinagar. 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. Over the past two-plus decades, significant changes have taken place in international relations and world economy. These are characterized by increased interconnectedness and interdependence of countries in the global processes. Along with this, tensions have significantly increased between the leading players in world politics, primarily between the United States and Russia, and the United States and China. This contest has been influencing the foreign policy of other countries, trajectory of international economic relations. The increasing complexity of international relations requires new approaches from members of the world community and the search for optimal ways to meet challenges at the national, regional and global levels in order to maintain favorable conditions for sustainable development. Sh. M. Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan, has introduced social, economic and political reforms to address the changing global processes in 2016. These are aimed at strengthening independence and creating favorable conditions for sustainable development in Uzbekistan. In a short time, the Strategy of actions on five priority areas of development of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021 was developed and adopted in February 2017, which kept the country from sliding to the periphery of world politics and economy and served as the basis for the implementation of the Development Strategy of the New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026. This Strategy became a logical continuation of the course of creating favorable conditions for sustainable development, which in turn determined the objective need for the current constitutional reform. The need to renew the Constitution was also caused by demographic changes in our republic, an increase in the population, which, according to sociologists, will reach 50 million people by 2040. At the same time, more than half of the population will be young people, who will need to create decent living conditions, including social guarantees, effective governance, as well as a well-developed and stable economy and security. This, in turn, requires the creation of a new legal framework and above all the Constitution. Today, the proposed draft of the Basic Law provides for more than 200 amendments, including the inclusion of 6 new articles. These changes concern almost all spheres of life of our people, who were the main initiators and authors of all the proposed changes. These proposals relate to the social sphere, education, institution of the family, labor relations, rule of law, human rights and freedom of speech, strengthening parliamentary processes, expanding the powers of the executive branch, as well as foreign policy. However, the scope of our article does not allow us to dwell in detail on all of these areas, and therefore I would like to focus on one of them - the sphere of foreign policy. In particular, article 17 of the new version of the Constitution of the Republic focuses on the fact that the Republic of Uzbekistan in its foreign policy follows the principles of peaceful settlement of disputes and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States. Based on this principle, Uzbekistan has consistently made efforts to resolve long-standing border, territorial and water-energy problems with the Central Asian states. Since the end of 2016, a new negotiation process has been launched on the delimitation and demarcation of borders with all Uzbekistan's neighbors. From August 2016 to July 2018, 63 meetings were held between Uzbekistan and its neighboring countries. This includes 17 meetings with Kazakhstan, 27 with Kyrgyz Republic, nine with Tajikistan, nine with Turkmenistan and one with Afghanistan. Uzbekistan's focus on strengthening and enhancing bilateral ties with Kazakhstan led to signing of the agreements on allied relations and on the demarcation of the state border in Tashkent in December 2022. The solution of border problems has significantly increased the trade turnover between the two countries. From 2016 to 2022 the volume of bilateral trade turnover doubled and exceeded $4 billion. The countries intend to reach an annual trade volume of $10 billion over the next five years. Notable progress and agreements were reached with Turkmenistan. In March 2017 the Presidents of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan signed the Agreement on strategic partnership between the countries, which facilitated the resumption of negotiations between the parties on the demarcation of the joint border. The determination of the parties to resolve the remaining issues was reflected in the Declaration on Deepening Strategic Partnership signed in Ashgabat in October 2022. Significant changes have also taken place in Uzbek-Tajik relations. During the visit of Sh.M.Mirziyoyev to Tajikistan in March 2018, about 27 documents on cooperation in various fields were signed, the visa regime was canceled. The Uzbek side expressed readiness to comprehensively consider the possibility of participating in the construction of hydropower structures in the Republic of Tajikistan, including the Rogun hydroelectric power plant (HPP), taking into account compliance with generally recognized international norms and standards for the construction of such facilities. Positive results have also been achieved in Uzbek-Kyrgyz relations. Tensions were also addressed over the construction of the Kambarata hydroelectric power plant. The countries have agreed on cooperation in the field of investments, including the Kambarata HPP project. The trade turnover between the two countries has grown significantly. According to last year's data, the trade turnover between the two countries reached $1.3 billion, and over the past six years it has grown eight times. It is important to mention significant changes that have taken place in Uzbek-Afghan relations. Tashkent firmly believes that the prospects for stable and sustainable development of Central Asian countries has an inseparable connection with the development of the situation in neighboring Afghanistan and its reconstruction. Today, humanitarian assistance is being provided to Afghanistan, which finds itself in a very difficult situation, aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic, deep economic and humanitarian crisis. Particular attention is paid to the problem of water resources in the region, affecting the interests of the countries of Central Asia and Afghanistan. In this regard, Uzbek President Sh.M.Mirziyoyev underlined the need to start a practical dialogue on the construction of a new canal in the Amu Darya basin with the interim Government of neighboring Afghanistan and the international community on the basis of international norms and taking into account the interests of all countries in the region. Another principle reflected in the draft of the renewed Constitution is the principle of sovereign equality of States. Based on this principle, the India-Central Asia Ministerial Dialogue was launched in Samarkand in January 2019. In the following 2020 year the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan took the initiative to intensify cooperation with the countries of South Asia. The International Conference "Central and South Asia: Regional Interconnectedness. Challenges and opportunities" held in Tashkent in July 2021, the real embodiment of this initiative. The conference attracted attention and support in the region and far beyond its borders. The problems and prospects of cooperation and connectivity of the two neighboring regions found their further continuation within the framework of India-Central Asia dialogue at the highest level in January 2022. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, speaking at this summit, invited India to develop cooperation in healthcare, education and information technology. At the same summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that "Central Asia is central to India's vision of an integrated and stable, extended neighborhood". Further development and expansion of cooperation of the Republic of Uzbekistan is not limited only to the framework of Central and South Asia and includes expansion of cooperation with traditional partners in the Asia-Pacific region, USA, Canada and the countries of America, in the Middle East and Africa, traditional partners within the CIS countries. In general, the achievements of the renewed foreign policy of Uzbekistan over the past six years reflect its priorities based on the fundamental principles of peaceful settlement of disputes and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, as well as the sovereign equality of States. This approach emphasizes the peaceful nature of the Republic's foreign policy. Th positive development was facilitated by the initiatives of the head of our state Sh.M.Mirziyoyev aimed at discussing regional and interregional problems by reaching reasonable compromises on all problematic issues and creating comprehensive conditions for sustainable development. (The writer is Deputy Director, Diplomatic Academy at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The opinion expressed in the article is of the writer.) Pixabay (Representational) Under the shadow of a constant cross-strait threat to Taiwan, China can make use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to achieve precision in artillery attacks in future conflict with the former, according to a report in The EurAsian Times. In July last year, a Beijing-based science team reportedly conducted several AI-powered laser-guided artillery rounds tests, the report said, adding that these tests were conducted by a team of researchers led by Professor Wang Jiang from the Beijing Institute of Technology, who noted their findings in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Armamentarii on April 6. Artificial intelligence is evolving quickly. More researchers are applying the technology to trajectory planning problems, said Jiang in the paper. According to the claims made by Jiangs team, their AI-powered laser-guided artillery was able to hit human-sized targets 16 km away, and the precision achieved in the tests was much higher than that of any other artillery systems in the PLAs service, the portal reported. "The photos of these tests show the shells had hit the bulls eye. Traditional artillery shells usually land 100 meters or more away from the target, and guided artillery can make course adjustments during flight. Their accuracy has been limited because of the vast amount of real-time data that must be calculated using traditional mathematical models," it said. According to Jiang, AI offers the potential for faster data-processing speeds than traditional mathematical methods. "So, once an AI-enabled smart shell is launched, it will have to quickly gather and analyze a wide range of environmental data to adjust its course. The number of calculations can increase exponentially with the number of variables," it said. "However, the computer chip inside the shell must be as simple as possible to withstand vast amounts of heat and the shock of artillery fire. While accommodating these requirements, processors often discard important raw data to complete the calculations in time, which impacts their overall accuracy," it said. "But in the case of AI, even a slow computer chip can finish necessary calculations using nearly all available data. According to the researchers, it can bypass some of the more demanding calculations performed as part of traditional mathematical models." China-Taiwan Conflict Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province under its "One China Policy", while Taiwan a territory with its own elected government maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable. The basis of Chinas claim over Taiwan dates back to 1945 when Japan lost its control over the island post-World War II. The 1949 Chinese civil war led to communists taking control and Chiang Kai-shek the one who lost fled to Taiwan. He ruled it for many decades. This is where Chinas claim to Taiwan emanates. The very fact that Chiang Kai-shek came to Taiwan and was not indigenous to the place is Taiwans argument against the claim. Pixabay Lakki Marwat: Locals demonstrated against the police in Shahbazkhel town of Pakistan on Friday over the killing of a villager, media reports said. The police, however, claimed the killer was arrested and taken to the police station. The protesters insisted that a policeman in plainclothes opened fire in the bazaar killing a villager and injuring a cloth merchant, reports Dawn News. The locals were seen shouting slogans against the incident. Cloth merchant Faisal Shadi Khan told police that he and his brother Mohammad Ismail were present inside their shop when policeman Asifullah carrying an AK-47 assault rifle and accompanied by an unidentified armed man showed up, took a piece of cloth and left without payment, reports Dawn News. He said he was manhandled as he asked the policeman for payment. The complainant said both armed men later intercepted him and his brother as the latter were on the way to the police station to lodge a complaint against the former. He added that the two men opened fire injuring his brother and passerby Mohammad Riaz Khan, who later died. The residents later staged a demonstration on the Indus Highway. Officials of the police and administration held talks with protesters and persuaded them to reopen the highway. A police official said constable Asifullah had been taken into custody after the registration of a case against him and the accompanying unidentified man over the firing incident. He said the policemans assault rifle along with magazines, bullets and two hand grenades were also sezied. Image Credit: UNI Washington/IBNS/UNI: The United States is in close contact with Sudan's armed forces and civilian leaders about the possibility to extend the ceasefire, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee said. "The Sudanese people are not giving up, and neither will we," Phee said during a conference call late on Saturday night. "The goal is to bring an end to this fighting and a start to civilian government. "At the direction of the [US] secretary [of State Antony Blinken], we are in close contact with Sudan's military and civilian leaders to see if we can help them identify a path to extend and expand that Eid Al-Fitr ceasefire to reach a sustainable cessation of hostilities," said she Image: White House Instagram page Washington: US President Joe Biden on Sunday announced the temporary suspension of the operation of the American embassy in conflict-torn Sudan. However, Biden ensured his government will continue to provide assistance to the people of the country. " This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians," Biden said in a statement issued by the White House. " Its unconscionable and it must stop. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. We are temporarily suspending operations at the U.S. Embassy in Sudan, but our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future," he said. On April 15, violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the RSF broke out, with the epicenter in Khartoum. Government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday in connection with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. On Thursday, the Sudanese Health Ministry said that the death toll in the armed clashes surpassed 600. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people were killed and 3,551 others were injured. The Sudanese Doctors' Union said on Saturday that the armed clashes killed 256 civilians and injured 1,454 others. Abuja The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA on Saturday assured Nigerians in Sudan of the federal government's efforts to repatriate them back to the country. This was contained in a statement by the Head, Press Unit, NEMA, Manzo Ezekiel in Abuja, Where he stated that NEMA was very much concerned and on top of the situation and is working on all possible options of bringing the stranded Nigerians back home to their loved ones in safe and dignified manner. The statement read: "The attention of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is drawn to the widespread public concern on the situation in Sudan especially in regards to the ongoing conflict and the safety as well as well-being of stranded Nigerian citizens including hundreds of students in various universities of the country. "It has become necessary to inform the public that NEMA is in constant communication with all relevant partners including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and security agencies while seeking for an appropriate window of opportunity to evacuate all stranded Nigerians back home in a safe and dignified manner. "The current emergency situation in Sudan is very complex with fighting between waring factions going on and all airports and land boarders closed. NEMA is working assiduously with all its partners and is constantly compiling updated information on the situation. "A committee has been set up comprising of professional emergency responders, search and rescue experts to constantly evaluate the situation and seek for the safest way to evacuate the Nigerian citizens even if it is through a country neighbouring Sudan. "The Director-General NEMA Mustapha Habib Ahmed has assured that NEMA is very much concerned and on top of the situation and is working on all possible options of bringing the stranded Nigerians back home to their loved ones in a safe and dignified manner." Unusual weather conditions, including high temperatures in February and unexpected rain, wind, and hail in March due to western disturbances, have left wheat farmers concerned about a possible decrease in their crop's yield, output, and quality in important wheat-producing states. Unsplash What are Western disturbances? Western disturbances (WDs) originate in the Mediterranean or Caspian Sea and travel eastward towards India. They are areas of low-pressure that bring sudden showers, snow, and fog in northwest India. Western disturbances bring moisture from the Mediterranean Sea and/or the Atlantic Ocean and can bring winter and pre-monsoon rainfall. They are important for the development of the Rabi crop in the Northern subcontinent. The arrival of WDs is typically associated with a drop in temperature, particularly in northern and western parts of the country. Western disturbances can cause extreme weather Western disturbances, despite commonly being associated with good weather, can also lead to extreme weather events including floods, landslides, dust storms, hailstorms, and cold waves. These events can have serious consequences on human life, infrastructure, and the economy. REUTERS In recent years, the frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events have increased, highlighting the need for better preparedness and management strategies. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) keeps a close watch on these weather systems as they can have a significant impact on the country's agriculture and economy. Farmers depend on WDs for their crops, particularly wheat, mustard, and peas, and a failure of WDs can lead to crop failure and food shortages. How will it impact crops? Untimely rains and winds in India can have a negative impact on wheat crops, especially if they occur during the ripening and harvesting stage. The India Meteorological Department has reported that such weather conditions, including stormy winds between 40-50 kilometers per hour, can be harmful to crop health. Crop flattening and waterlogging in fields have also been observed, which can further damage the ready-to-harvest wheat crop. Unsplash Recent untimely rains in India may lead to a lower wheat production of 102.9 MT in the 2022-23 agriculture year, according to researchers, which is less than the government's estimate of 112 MT. However, the government is optimistic that the production will still reach the estimated figure due to increased acreage and better yield this season, despite the slight loss due to adverse weather conditions, reports The Hindu. Further, India may experience an increase in the prices of wheat and wheat-based products in the domestic market, and a potential foodgrain security issue, if the wheat production falls below the government's estimate, adds the report. Wheat production in India Wheat is the second most important cereal crop in India, mainly grown in the north and north-western regions. It is a rabi crop that requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening. The top wheat producing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Gujarat. India is the second-largest producer of wheat in the world after China, but its share in the global wheat trade is less than 1%. Its top export markets are Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the UAE. India keeps a lot of wheat to provide subsidized food for the poor. Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh surrendered in Punjab's Moga this morning after over a month-long chase. Amritpal Singh His surrender and arrest Amritpal Singh, who the government describes as a Khalistani-Pakistan agent, addressed a gathering at a Gurdwara in Rode village of Moga district before surrender. He was arrested from the Gurdwara, officials said. Moga is the birthplace of Khalistani separatist and terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Amritpal Singh claims to be his follower and is known as "Bhindranwale 2.0" among his supporters. Bhindranwale was a preacher accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency in the 1980s. Bhindranwale was killed in the Indian army's storming of the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion, in 1984. AFP Taken to Assam, Punjab Police urges to maintain peace Singh has been flown to Dibrugarh in Assam where eight of his associates, including main aide Papalpreet Singh, are already being held under the National Security Act, which allows detention up to a year without any charge. Punjab police has urged people to maintain peace and harmony and refrain from sharing any fake news after the arrest of Amritpal. #AmritpalSingh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share. Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 23, 2023 Has been on police radar since March 18 Amritpal Singh was on the run since March 18 after the Punjab police launched a crackdown following the storming of the Ajnala police station by his supporters to secure the release of an arrested associate. He and his supporters have been accused of attempted murder and attacking police officials. Police first attempted to arrest Amritpal Singh on 18 March - thousands of personnel were deployed and traffic blockades were set up across the state to check vehicles. But he escaped in a dramatic car chase which was live-streamed by some of his associates The manhunt for Singh spanned several parts of northern India, including the capital Delhi and the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Nepal had also put him on its surveillance list at India's request. SCREENGRAB In the days that followed, many of his supporters were arrested and sent to a high-security prison in Assam state. Recently, his wife was stopped at the Amritsar airport by immigration officials while she was trying to board a flight to London. Amritpal Singh married UK-based Kirandeep Kaur in February this year. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. 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 Indian 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. indian-flag Booked the man on the basis of a complaint "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. BCCL Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 Section 2 of the Act states, "Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both." If found guilty, the man can be imprisoned for up to three years, or with fine, or with both. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias welcomes the recent thaw in Greek-Turkish relations but reiterates that Athens remains cautious. The Former Governor of Enugu state, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani has asked the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Mr. Peter Obi to withdraw his petition against the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and join him in the task of making a new nation. Senator Nnamani urged Obi and his supporters to welcome Tinubus victory to the Office of the President of the greatest black nation on earth. His Petition is dead on arrival. He does not have the spread or national appeal. His appeal to non electoral matters is to demarket the President elect and besmirch his reputation. READ MORE: Presidency: Igbo Needs Alliance With Yoruba Chimaroke Nnamani Nnamani reiterated, he does not have near spread and national appeal. His petition is ego driven, joke carried too far. His attempt to highlight on non electoral issues is trying to embarrass President elect. Nnamani counseled, Obi needs to come down from his high horse to allow sedate minds to negotiate on behalf of the Igbo and South East for safe landing to include our stake in the national Palavar and Share of the accruals of the commonwealth. According to Nnamani we must join the main stream and participate in the making of a new Nigeria. We are not going any where. We de kampe and ready to bargain for our own share. It is a common knowledge that others are doing the same. Igbo has to confront reality now or be consigned to the backwoods of history. Time to align is now. Itse Sagay, chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), has alleged that Adamawa State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just-concluded election, Aishatu Dahiru (Binani) is power thirsty. According to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the conduct of the lawmaker leading to the final declaration of results in the contentious poll, posed a serious threat to the nations democracy. Recall that Binani had, on Sunday, April 16, made an acceptance speech in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, shortly after the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari, illegally declared her winner before collation of results from the supplementary poll was concluded. Sagay, a renowned scholar, however called for the investigation and prosecution of the REC over what he described as embarrassing and shameful outing, in a chat with Nigerian Lawyer. His words: It was a shameful spectacle. Very depressing; shameful! A major attack on our democracy, embarrassing that a Senator would be involved in that. READ ALSO: Souls Of Ruined Nigerians Will Haunt You Sowore Rubbishes Buharis Apology She is so desperate for power that she is ready to condone vicious breach of our Constitution, and set us back in our democracy. Its a huge disgrace, which spits on the face of this country with shame, that we could have a thing like that in Nigeria. Its a huge shrink, and if people like that are many, if they multiply themselves into a few more, they can overthrow our democracy. When asked to make recommendations on how to go about the prosecution, Sagay said, So, it should be looked at with the most rigorous glassthat is possible, to pick up every bit of thing that went wrong. And every aspect of those who participated in it the police should go after them, and prosecute all of them, because, its most embarrassing, very shameful. And they could have known that there is no way they could have gotten away with it. So, it was madness. But its embarrassing madness of this country. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dissolved its Presidential Campaign Council. The dissolution was disclosed in a statement on Saturday, signed by the councils Director General, Governor Simon Lalong and the Secretary, James Faleke. Recall that the campaign council was inaugurated in October 2022 to campaign for the victory of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, in the build-up to the 2023 presidential election. READ ALSO: APC Govs Raise Alarm Over Alleged Attempt By NASS Aspirants To Offer $1m Per Vote Lalong commended President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting the council during the election period. According to Lalong, the council wont have achieved its result without Buharis support. The Plateau State governor also appreciated all the members of the PCC and supporters of the party for working assiduously for the resounding victory of the president-elect. He said, Since the campaign council began in September 2022, we have witnessed an unprecedented, relentless, and engaging mobilisation of our members nationwide and in the diaspora towards securing the majority popular votes for the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential ticket. The journey has been a worthy one with our hard-won victory. The credit goes to all our members particularly, the leaders and members of the various campaign directorates. However, we have concluded that it is in the best interest of the campaign and its stakeholders for us to dissolve our council with immediate effect. This has become necessary to retune us towards the May 29, 2023, inauguration of the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubus administration. The process of transitioning into a new era of Renewed Hope is underway and all our energies and activities must reflect the principles underlying this process. We hope that you will all continue to stay involved in Nigerias political process and to advocate for issues that you believe in. Our democracy is stronger when we all participate in the political process with patriotism. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your support, dedication, and hard work, the statement said in part. A federal high court in Abuja has held that some sections of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 violate the fundamental human rights of Nigerian citizens. James Omotosho, the presiding judge, delivering judgement in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1076/2020, nullified sections 839, 842, 843, 844, 845, 846, 847, 848 and 851 of CAMA 2020. Information Nigeria reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had signed CAMA into law, August 7, 2020. But an Abuja-based lawyer, Emmanuel Ekpenyong, had instituted a suit challenging the Act. Ekpenyong, in the originating summons dated and filed on August 31, 2020, prayed the court to determine whether the provisions of sections 839, 842, 843, 844, 845, 846, 847, 848 and 851 of the CAMA Act, infringe on the plaintiffs right to thought conscience, and religion as enshrined in section 38 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The sections of the CAMA that were challenged by the plaintiff, did provide that the commission may, by order, suspend the trustees of an association or a religious body and appoint an interim manager or managers, to coordinate its affairs in the event of misconduct or mismanagement in the public interest. The Act gives the commission powers to direct banks to disclose and transfer standing credit in any dormant account of an association, irrespective of secrecy or non-disclosure agreement. It also mandates associations to submit biannual statements of affairs, accounting records, and personal information of trustees to mention but a few. Lawyer Ekpenyong however submitted that the sections violate his right to freedom of association. Meanwhile, in a counter affidavit dated and filed January 20, 2021, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), through its counsel, Olasoji Olowolafe, described the suit as an abuse of judicial process. READ ALSO: CAMA 2020 CAMA 2020 CAN Sues FG Over CAMA 2020 The Commission urged the court to dismiss the suit, adding that the case was not backed by any credible evidence. In CACs preliminary objection, the National Assembly contended that the suit was incompetent because a pre-action notice was not served on them and that the plaintiff had no locus standi. Nonetheless, Omotoshos judgment held that under Article 3 (e) of the Preamble to the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, anyone could bring fundamental human rights matters in his own interest, on behalf of another person or even in the public interest. According to the judge, under the new human rights regime, a court shall not dismiss a human rights action for mere want of locus standi. The judge further held that the sections infringed on conscience and religion, as enshrined in section 38 of the constitution. It also infringed on the freedom of peaceful assembly and association, enshrined under Section 40 of the constitution. Nigeria Prays, an organisation funded by a former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, has given reason for the suspension of a prayer rally meant to usher in governor-elect Alex Otti, in Abia State. Information Nigeria had reported that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State warned Gowon not to hold the prayer except he apologises to South-Easterners for the role he played during the biafra civil war of 1967 to 1970. The prayer rally, billed for Sunday, April 23, at the Masters Vessel Church, Umuahia was expected to attract some dignitaries, top clergymen and women as well as the governor-elect. READ ALSO: Buhari Holds No Grudge Toward Anyone Garba Shehu Chuks Alozie, coordinator of Nigeria Prays in the State, however told Independent at the weekend, the prayer rally was suspended because of the criticisms that trailed the arrangement within and outside the State. The Plateau-born former military officer was the Nigerian leader during the civil war in which over three million people were killed. Alozie, however, insisted that the former head of state, and Nigeria Prays should not be dragged into politics. He said: We will continue to pray and strive for the peace and unity of Nigeria, especially Abia State. Nigerian Entertainer and Mavin Records boss, Don Jazzy has spoken about his altercation with his colleague, Olamide, at the 2015 Headies Awards. Recall that the 2015 Headies sparked a huge feud between Olamide and Don Jazzy. During a podcast with former Big Brother Naija housemate, Doyin, Don Jazzy disclosed that he regretted his actions at the Headies and that what he did was out of character. READ ALSO: I Cant Be Faithful To One Woman Don Jazzy Confesses The Mavin boss further disclosed that he already apologized to the organizers of the events as well as Olamide. There was the Headies incident, it was out of character and I regretted that instantly as soon as I came down from the stage. I have also apologised to Olamide and the event organisers, he said See post below: The targeted base housed Russian troops, believed to be of the Wagner mercenary group. Over 60 were also injured in the attack. Multiple explosions targeted an airport and adjoining military base in central Mali on Saturday, killing at least 9 civilians and injuring over 60 others. The base in the town of Sevare houses Russian troops, which Malian opponents say belong to the Wagner mercenary group. "It is the Russian camp and their planes that have been targeted -- the camp is near the airport," a local elected official told the French AFP news agency. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. But Malian jihadis are known to operate in the area. This is the largest attack on the base this year, the Associated Press news agency said, though not the first. Russian mercenaries in Mali Mali is battling an Islamist insurgency that took root after a 2012 uprising and has since spread to neighboring countries, killing thousands and displacing millions across West Africa's Sahel region. The Wagner Group began supplying hundreds of fighters in 2021 to support the Malian military and has since been accused by human rights groups and local residents of taking part in massacres of civilians -- allegations it has not responded to. Their deployment was a key factor in prompting France, Mali's former colonial power and traditional ally, to pull its military forces out of the country. The Russian government has acknowledged Wagner personnel are in Mali but the Malian government has described them as instructors from the Russian military rather then private security contractors. rmt/wd (AFP, AP, Reuters) Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has disclosed clarification on a property he was said to have acquired in the United States of America (USA). Information Nigeria reports that social media went agog when the Minister appeared before a building in the US. But according to a statement via Twitter on Saturday, Keyamo maintained he did not acquire the house with looted funds but with money made from legal practice. The chief spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress campaign council however said he was only trying to bait the horde of those he called sore losers at the last elections with a video of his vacation in one of my properties abroad amid a light workout. Keyamo said they fell so terribly for the bait, adding that they seem to view everyone from their depraved universe with assumptions everyone will wallow in the same moral squalor as them. On how he acquired the property, Keyamo said he had, on March 6, 2019, written to the relevant government agencies, informing them of the closure of his foreign account(s) and the repatriation of the funds to the country, being some savings I had made as a private legal practitioner and a property investor over decades. According to Keyamo, the foreign funds were lying in his accounts until he was appointed as Minister in 2019. READ ALSO: Anambra Govt. Approves Establishment Of Bureau Of Missing Persons He stated, In 2021, I again wrote to the relevant agencies (by letters dated January 22, 2021), informing them of the movement of those funds out of the country to purchase a property as a better investment decision, instead of the funds lying idly in the account whilst I am in public office. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria furthered that he laughed when he saw the trending issues regarding just one of my properties in the US, and that some people think that he (Keyamo) could not afford such a property after his 30 years of active, high-profile practice of law. Keyamo added that he has been underrated because he had chosen to live a simple and modest life and not given to the ostentatious display of wealth. According to him, the building is about the cheapest of my several properties. He said that his flourishing and manned law chambers and his real estate investments are still far more financially profitable than serving Nigeria. Ours is a labour of love to my country, he said. He boasted that Some of us dont need Government funds or patronage to get by. The Embassy of Nigeria in Khartoum, Sudan has directed Nigerian students in the country to remain indoors while it continues making arrangements for their safe evacuation from the troubled country. The embassy also urged them to disregard the evacuation move called by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Sudan. A statement from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Khartoum, signed by H.Y Garko for Charge D Affairs on Sunday advised the students to disregard the notice circulated by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Sudan, calling on students to converge at the African International University, NANSS office and El-Razi University, for evacuation or to bring $100 or $200 for evacuation. READ ALSO: Sudan War: FG Raises Evacuation Panel For Trapped Nigerian Students It read, The Embassy of Federal Republic of Nigeria Khartoum, wishes to inform all students in Sudan, that they should disregard the notice circulated by the NANS in Sudan, calling students to converge at the three locations namely: African International University, NANSS Office and El-Razi University, for evacuation or to bring $100 or $200 for evacuation. As the Embassy had earlier informed students, you are therefore requested to stay calm and remain indoors while the embassy is working on final approval to commence evacuation. It is still dangerous to embark on a journey toward the borders of Sudan without securing clearance and guarantee from Sudanese authorities. The embassy wishes to reassure the Nigerian students that their safety and wellbeing is of priority concern. There was no death or injury casualty at the building that collapsed at Sango Police Barracks, Sango Ibadan on Saturday. The Southwest zonal Director of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Akiode Akande confirmed this to journalist on Sunday morning. South-West Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Saheed Akiode, disclosed this while giving update on the incident to journalists on Sunday. Mr Akiode said the incident affected a total of 28 flats and over 168 persons were displaced as a result. READ MORE: Another Building Collapses In Ibadan Police Station, Rescue Mission Begins The NEMA South-West Zonal Office received a distress alert at about 6.00pm on Saturday 22nd April, 2023 of a collapsed building at Nigeria Police Barrack block 11, Sango, Ibadan. The Zonal Coordinator swiftly activated the Federal and State Fire Services and other response agencies to the scene of incident. The ZC coordinated the rescue operations and the evacuation of the building as well as the surrounding buildings. No casualty was recorded at the scene,2-storey building collapsed with a total of 28 flats was affected. Over 168 persons displaced. The operation was successful while evacuation activities is still ongoing, he added. A widower, Ariyibi Olaseinde and a divorcee, Akanbi Tunrayo, who were going for Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia, have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, in Lagos. They were arrested for allegedly attempting to export 14.4kg of cocaine concealed in lace and Ankara fabrics. According to a statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, Ariyibi was intercepted on Thursday, April 20, at the screening point of the MMIA Terminal 2 during outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers, travelling from Lagos via Doha to Medina, Saudi Arabia. READ ALSO: NDLEA Intercepts Drug Consignments In Winter Jackets, Body Lotions At Lagos Airport (Video) When his carry-on bag was checked, four sets of white lace material with linings of substance that tested positive to cocaine weighing 11.50kg were discovered. The suspect who claimed to be a widower and an advertising practitioner said his original plan was to ingest the drugs but had to change his mind after failed attempts to swallow bitter cola, which he was using to practice the process. He is expected to be paid N1.8million upon successful delivery of the consignment in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The NDLEA said on Wednesday, April 19, officers at the Terminal 2 of the airport also arrested Mrs. Silifat Akanbi with 2.90kg cocaine during outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers from Lagos via Doha to Jedda, Saudi Arabia. A search of her hand luggage led to the discovery of six sheets of cocaine weighing 2.90kg concealed in Ankara fabrics. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a divorcee and a trader who used to hawk cloths around Awoyaya area of Ajah, Lagos. Based on information in her statement, a follow up operation that lasted through the night into the early hours of Thursday, April 20, was carried out, during which the person who recruited her, Alhaji Adebayo Wasiu, was arrested at No 28, Olateju Street, Mushin, Lagos. Adebayo is the managing director of B&T Travel Agency, Babafemi stated. In the same vein, NDLEA officers attached to courier companies intercepted two drug consignments consisting of ecstasy and skunk going to the United Arab Emirate. While the pills of ecstasy were concealed in a gold colour wedding gown, the skunk was hidden in a micro controller. This is even as a 400-level Marine Engineering student at the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, Kelvin Ogenedoro, has been arrested for dealing in 600grams of skunk. He was nabbed at the universitys gate in a follow up operation following the interception of the consignment in a commercial bus along Tombia-Amassoma Road. In Adamawa State, a notorious drug dealer, Sunday Emzor (aka Lalas) who was convicted and sentenced 15 years in 2010 for drug offences, was on Thursday arrested for drug dealing. He was arrested at Hayin Gada, Imburu Numan LGA where he went to supply 1.650kg cannabis to an undercover operative. His Yellow Press Cub motorcycle used for supplying illicit drugs and a cash of N78,120 suspected to be proceed of the illegal business were recovered from him at the point of arrest, he added. The agency made other arrests in Kaduna and Edo states. While two suspects Adeshina Olalekan and Christopher Joel, were also arrested at Lektop hotel, Igbeba, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, with 39 litres of Skuchies, as well as various quantities of tramadol, and rophynol, the NDLEA in Imo State also intercepted a female suspect, Ijeoma Loreza, 40, at Orogwe, Owerri North with 70 blocks of Cannabis Sativa weighing 30kg. The agency added that a notorious drug dealer in Okitipupa area of Ondo State, Mathew Obateru, 42, was taken into custody after different quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Colorado and Loud were recovered from him. While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Kaduna, Edo, Ogun, Imo, Ondo and Taraba Commands of the agency the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), charged them to continue to raise the bar of professionalism in the daily discharge of their responsibilities. See photos below: The six policemen who were seen in a viral video assaulting two students of Imo State University, IMSU, are now facing an orderly room trial. According to the Police Public Relations Officer of Imo State, ASP Henry Okoye made this known to journalists in Owerri on Friday night. ASP Okoye said the cops have been identified and are now facing disciplinary actions. Upon diligent observation of this viral obscene video, the officers were identified to be a detachment of one of the Commands Tactical teams comprising of six (6) Police Officers led by Inspector SUNDAY AMADI who unfortunately was seen in the video assaulting the suspects with a cutlass with a Cutlass which is not one of Police accoutrement while trying to apprehend them on 20/04/2023 at about 1400hrs. READ MORE: Police Harrass IMSU Students For Refusing Access To Their Phones They have defaulted for Discreditable/Unprofessional Conduct, Improper Dressing, Incivility to and Assaulting the duo suspects namely; Ikechukwu Ajiegbu m and Ugochukwu Ajiegbu m who were allegedly seen in an identified hard drug black-spot situated at Uretta, Owerri, unlawfully in possession of weeds suspected to be Cannabis Sativa and Crystal Meth hard drug. I.e. methamphetamine aka Mpuru Mmiri. While the investigation continues, The Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde PSC(+), who is a disciplinarian and defender of fundamental human right has ordered that prompt Orderly Room Trial should commence against the erring officers and that necessary disciplinary actions be taken if found guilty. Members of the public are advised to remain calm as further development on the orderly room trial and disciplinary actions will be communicated back to them, he stated. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow Nigerians in Sudan die as a result of negligence. The NLC, in a statement issued by its president, Joe Ajaero, on Saturday equally pleaded with the government to explore any avenue that could help bring back to the country Nigerian citizens in Sudan and even make plans to accommodate the business class among them whose businesses have been affected by the ongoing war in that country. According to Ajaero, the NLC was worried that since the war broke out towards the end of last week, reports reaching it on the number of human casualties are horrendous and frightening thus leaves every patriot anxious about the safety of our nationals in that country especially that of our students. It also suggested that the government work out an arrangement with the international community to create a safe haven for all foreign nationals in the country to serve as a buffer to all foreign nationals against the vagaries of the War while peace effort is being made or other safer methods of evacuation are developed. READ ALSO: Sudan Crisis: We Cant Evacuate Stranded Nigerians At This Time Abike Dabiri Our concern is that while our government resorts to the usual lethargy and excuses, the lives of our nationals in Sudan already exposed to serious danger may begin to experience losses or injuries. We urge the federal government through the concerned agencies and Ministries to take urgent step to avoid death and injuries to our citizens in that country, NLC stated. The statement further read, Nigerians must not be allowed to die in Sudan because of negligence. No effort should be spared in ensuring their safety and ultimately evacuation to Nigeria if the War persists and escalates into a full blown war. It remains the duty of the government and we urge the federal government to make this happen unless they want to tell us that these lives are not as important as the lives of the children of those in authority and does not deserve to be protected? As we await a quick and positive action towards evacuating our citizens, we would want measures to be put in place to make their lives comfortable on arrival especially for those who own businesses in the Sudan and have suffered loss of businesses as a result. It does not make sense bringing them home without putting in place proper platforms to take care of their needs here. A 39-year-old vulcanizer, identified as Sunday Orishagbemi, was stabbed to death while trying to settle a quarrel between two men in Zango Daji Quarters in the Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State. It was gathered that the incident happened on Friday April 21, when a friend of the deceased at Ganaja junction, Lokoja, went to urinate close to a building owned by one of the residents of the quarters. READ ALSO: Tricyclist Stoned To Death For Stabbing Passenger To Death Over N50 According to an eyewitness, the owner of the building resisted the action and a quarrel began between them. Concerned about the development, the deceased came in to settle the quarrel between his friend and the man. In the process, the son of the owner of the house was said to have brought out a knife and stabbed Orishagbemi to death. Spokesperson of the State Police Command, SP William Ovye Ayah, who confirmed the incident in an interview with journalists in Lokoja on Saturday, April 22, said the deceased was killed at Okada Park at Zango Daji, adding that the suspect had been arrested by the police for investigation. The PPRO assured that the suspect would be arraigned in court for prosecution as soon as the investigation is concluded in the case. Members of the Cameroonian Association of Greater Philadelphia gathered Saturday, April 1, at Emmanuel Resurrection Episcopal Church for an African food-tasting event to promote plans for a new Cameroonian Cultural Center. From left are Kamgaing Camille, Aime Tchapda, Franck Kengne, Judith Godi, and Eric Ekobeni. Read more Cameroonian music filled the basement at the Emmanuel Resurrection Episcopal Church in Northeast Philadelphia earlier this month. Men, women, and children dressed in traditional clothing gathered to celebrate culture and food at the first of what may become an annual African Food Event. This time, the event featured food from both Cameroonian and Liberian communities, as both groups are members of the church. Women served traditional Cameroonian dishes such as kondre, one of the two national dishes of Cameroon, whichis made with plantains, tomatoes, onions, spices, and goat, chicken, or pork meat. Advertisement The other main national dish was ndole, a spinach stew made of spinach and bitter leaves, flavored with garlic and crayfish, and fortified with shrimp and beef. The Cameroonian Cultural Association of Greater Philadelphia hosted the food tasting as its first public announcement of its goal to build a new Cameroonian Cultural Center in Philadelphia. Our main objective is to help [new Cameroonian immigrants] coming to the Philadelphia region and ease their path into the American culture, said Thomas Famawa, the president of the association. We can provide some resources, connect them with [a] network of Cameroonian leaders of the community who can guide them to success into the American way of life. Once the center is established, it would be the first Cameroonian Cultural Center in the United States, Famawa said. At one time, when the association began discussing plans for a cultural home, they were thinking of buying a house to serve as a gathering place for monthly meetings, said Eric Ekobeni, chair of the Cameroonian Cultural Center project. As time went on, they began to need a permanent meeting space instead of holding their monthly meetings in rented spaces such as church halls or individual homes. So, they decided to dream bigger. It is important for us to teach our children where they came from. Lynda Meli We thought: Why stop at buying a house? Why not build a high-level type of cultural center that will be not just a place where we can meet, but a full-fledged museum where people can come and visit? Where they can go and enjoy a good Cameroonian dish in the restaurant. There are about 2,000 Cameroonians in the Greater Philadelphia area, including the Pennsylvania suburbs, South Jersey, and Delaware, Famawa said. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 33,180 Cameroonian-born people living in the United States. In addition to a museum that will display the Cameroonian culture, organizers said they envisioned a center with a restaurant, a ballroom for parties and weddings, and an area with classrooms for cooking, dancing, and music lessons. While families enjoyed the food, music, and conversation in the Emmanuel Resurrection church basement, a computer screen was showing a virtual architectural active rendering of how the proposed cultural center would be set up. Keeping the next generation grounded As an initial wave of Cameroonian immigrants moved to the region, married, and began having children, the association said they also wanted the cultural center to serve as a cultural home to future generations. We have a second generation here, and some of them have never been back home to Cameroon, Ekobeni said. This will be a good opportunity, without traveling far, for them to have a touch on what their culture looks like. It is important for us to teach our children where they came from, said Lynda Meli, a member of the association and supporter of the cultural center. Meli and her husband have four children. And former association president Raphia Noumbissi said, Your culture is what makes you strong. In Cameroon, there are over 235 different ethnic groups, and each of those groups have their own languages in what Ekobeni called a rich linguistic culture. The two officials languages are English and French. A big dream with a large cost Ekobeni said they estimate that they have to raise $7 million to $10 million for the center from both within the Cameroonian community and outside. Although no location has been decided, the members do have a fundraising plan that will not only tap its own members and perhaps corporate donors, but the cultural association will also be looking toward the Cameroonian diaspora to help. In addition to seeking help from well-known Cameroonians such as 76ers star Joel Embiid, Ekobeni said the group also hopes to launch a campaign to attract support from Black American celebrities who discovered their Cameroonian ancestry through DNA testing. Your culture is what makes you strong. Raphia Noumbissi Among the Black Americans who announced they have roots in the country are Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Taraji P. Henson, Quincy Jones, Anthony Anderson,Chris Rock, Erykah Badu, Blair Underwood, Don Cheadle, and Sheryl Lee Ralph, the association said. The group has also been talking with city and tourism officials about having the cultural center promoted for tourists who visit the city. We want it to be the window onto Cameroonian culture, Ekobeni said. That is the dream. If you dont dream big, you cant reach the sky. Many gather holding signs as Constance Jones, 30, of Mount Airy, Pa., is on the speaker phone, asking the school district to supply resources for students and family members with autism outside of the School District building in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, April 22, 2023. Read more Citing what they say is a serious lack of resources and teacher training for autistic children, a group of parents gathered outside the Philadelphia School District headquarters Saturday to call for a public school to focus on autistic and neurodivergent students. Nearly 3,400 Philadelphia public school children have been diagnosed with autism. In some cases, their needs are so extreme that parents have sued to get them into private schools. But, for folks without the resources to pay a lawyer the cost of private education can be costly. It can cost as much as $60,000 a year, said Constance Jones, an organizer of the protest. Not everyone can afford that. Jones is co-founder of the Philly Autism Education & Program Advocacy Facebook group, created last year after she learned that her 3-year-old autistic son had been hurt by staff member at a publicly funded pre-K. Frustrated by the process and unable to pay the cost of private education, she commented on Facebook why cant we have a public school for autistic kids? READ MORE: Kids with autism being denied an education during the pandemic, Pa. lawsuit says Advertisement The concept resonated with fellow mother and former Philadelphia School District guidance counselor Jessica McMaster. Federal law stipulates that, whenever possible, students should be educated in the least-restrictive environment, ensuring that neurodivergent children are mixed with non-neurodivergent peers. McMasters 12 years of advocacy fighting for her autistic sons access to resources such as properly trained special needs teachers lead her to believe that the same system that was created to protect autistic kids from being institutionalized is harming them now, she said. The Philadelphia School District budget is $4.5 billion, but has been underfunded for decades and often has staffing shortages, particularly in the area of special education staff. So would a school like this be created? Jones and McMaster, who were among the nine parents at Saturdays protest, are working on creating a nonprofit to raise the funds needed. Its not about pointing fingers or taking away inclusion, " said McMaster. Its about having a public option where kids with autism can learn life skills and education, and all resources can be in one place. For Michael Walzer, an autistic adult himself and parent to two children with autism, this feels like a step closer in the right direction. As he held a sign saying build a school for autism and you will change the world, Walzer reminisced on his days as a public school student. READ MORE: Drexel researchers want to better understand barriers for screening and health care that people with autism face We [his brother included] slipped through the cracks and didnt get diagnosed until our 50s, said Walzer. Although he was able to adjust to adult life, his brother didnt. He is incredibly brilliant. I often wonder what could have been if he would have been educated and nurtured in a space free of bullying with people who were properly trained, said Walzer. Its unclear how the project would work, and which politicians would back up the plan. Until then, the district offers autistic support classes at a number of schools around the city, and organizes an autism expo once a year. Inquirer staff writer Kristen A. Graham contributed to this article. Tiffany Reed, a 29-year-old woman who was struck and killed by a food delivery app driver in North Philadelphia in January 2020. Read more Five days after a food delivery vehicle struck and killed 29-year-old Tiffany Reed while she was crossing Broad Street and the driver fled the scene, he got back behind the wheel. On Jan. 17, 2020, Todd Burton completed two DoorDash deliveries, earning $10.25. The next day, he collected $11.50 for another drop-off. After Burton, then 21, was arrested the following month and released on bail, he continued to make deliveries. For more than a year after the hit-and-run that killed the North Philadelphia woman a longtime manager at a nearby Wendys who was engaged to be married the driver who had contracted for food delivery apps Grubhub and DoorDash continued to profit from the gig economy, until he pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in 2021 and was sentenced to prison. Advertisement Following the accident, Burton would complete 977 deliveries for DoorDash, according to an analysis of his pay stubs that were provided to The Inquirer. In a complaint brought by Reeds family in Philadelphias Court of Common Pleas, lawyers allege that major food delivery apps are responsible for large gaps in vetting their drivers histories including Burton, whose gray Ford Fusion was allegedly unregistered and uninsured for periods of his employment before it sped through a red light, striking Reed as she left work and launching her 152 feet down the the road. Ultimately, the death of Tiffany Reed is a sobering reminder that these app-based delivery companies perhaps have been going unchecked for too long, said Simon Haileab, a lawyer for Wapner Newman, the law firm representing the family. And a change is necessary. Burton is also named as a defendant. He said in an email that he had no comment on the litigation, and that he was licensed at the time of the hit-and-run. According to a deposition, Burton said he was on his way home from completing a Grubhub order and wasnt actively delivering food when he lost control of his vehicle and it struck Reed at North Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue about 3:45 a.m. But time sheets obtained by The Inquirer show that between 2:50 and 4 a.m., he completed two deliveries for another app, DoorDash. According to Wapner Newman partner Robert Miller, in later questioning, Burton acknowledged delivering for multiple companies. Burtons driving record raises questions about whether he should have been contracted in the first place. In November 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation suspended his license until January 2020 for failing to respond to a citation. Over the previous year, records show, he was stopped on separate occasions for having a faulty tail light, making a prohibited turn, and lacking a valid inspection certificate. Hed been driving for DoorDash since at least June 2019, according to his time sheet. It shows that over his two-month license suspension, he used the app nearly every day completing 278 total deliveries. Burton said that a friend drove for him while his license was suspended, and that he was eventually taken off the app. He did not specify which app. Miller said a friend driving shows further lack of oversight. DoorDash did not return requests for comment. Grubhub said he is no longer delivering for the company. DoorDash requires newly hired drivers to undergo criminal background checks, according to its website, and like Grubhub requires a valid drivers license, car insurance, and a clean driving record. In this instance, its not clear whether any checks which are conducted by third-party vendors were run on Burton after his arrest. We extend our thoughts to the Reed family in the wake of this shocking, heartbreaking incident and continue to make safety a top priority, a Grubhub spokesperson said in a statement. The complaint comes as the gig economy becomes an increasingly large share of work performed by Americans, and food delivery apps surge in popularity. DoorDash is one of the most widely used services, and says it has more than 34 million monthly active users. A company blog post said there were more than three million Dashers working from April to June of 2021. An industry blog, citing figures from a company report, estimated that DoorDash had 6.8 million drivers that year overall. The San Francisco-based company has been slapped with complaints from lawyers attempting to hold it accountable for the behavior of its drivers, who have been accused of such incidents as slashing a Nevada restaurant owner and an assault on a customer in Queens, N.Y. The Reeds complaint, which alleges wrongful death and negligence, echoes a 2021 suit brought against the company after one of its drivers was charged with striking and killing an elderly Louisiana woman in her yard, allegedly while reading the details of an order on his phone. Parties reached an undisclosed settlement, according to court filings. Such complaints arent limited to food delivery apps, with Amazon targeted with scores of suits for accidents involving its drivers, including one that left a 24-year-old man paralyzed. The strategy of tech giants appears to be denying liability for its drivers, who in Amazons case are technically hired by smaller contractors and are not considered employees of the behemoth they deliver for. In a subpoena obtained by The Inquirer, DoorDash asserts that Burton performed services for customers and merchants using a technology platform maintained by DoorDash, and was a bona fide independent contractor. According to its website, DoorDash partners with the background check provider Checkr to verify its drivers histories, claiming the company offers a continuous check feature that monitors for new criminal offenses after the initial check. Checkr did not respond to a request for comment about whether it conducted a check of Burton, or another check after his arrest. In addition to DoorDash, Checkr also contracts with Uber, Instacart, and Lyft, among other companies, and on its website claims it conducts background checks for 95% of the gig economy. press release A statement from Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross: "For the last week the world has watched in horror at the appalling scenes of violence and bloodshed in Sudan. When battles rage in residential areas, it is civilians who pay the highest price. "I am deeply concerned by the level of civilian suffering in Khartoum and other parts of the country. Residents are calling my colleagues in Sudan every day to plead for help to escape the violence. Families have been torn apart and people are running out of food and water after being trapped indoors with no respite. The warring parties must do everything possible to keep civilians out of harm's way. "The suffering is made worse by the fact that the ICRC has been unable to get aid to the people who need it most, as the parties have not given us the necessary security guarantees. This cannot go on. We implore the parties to grant the ICRC immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to assist Sudanese civilians in need. This is not optional - it is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law. "Last week, we delivered medical supplies for people wounded in fighting to hospitals in Al Fasher and Zalingei, in the western region of Darfur. But more must be done - and right away. Volunteers from the Sudanese Red Crescent Society provide first aid in clinics and hospitals in Khartoum, Merowe and Darfur, but they need supplies. Our urgent priority is to get medical assistance to more hospitals and to work to make repairs to their water and power infrastructure. We are ready to deliver more supplies as soon as there is a pause in the fighting." "Over the next few days, families across the world will gather to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. It should be a time of joy and celebration. No one wants to see the bloodshed continue or for the violence to turn into a far greater protracted crisis. What people need right now is a meaningful pause in hostilities to allow humanitarian aid to be brought in and for people to get to safer areas." The ICRC has been present in Sudan since 1978 helping people affected by the conflict in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. The ICRC's work today, in close with cooperation the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, includes supporting hospitals and health facilities with equipment and supplies, working with local water authorities on improving people's access to clean water and supporting the authorities in providing rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. A Philadelphia man was arrested on charges of attempted murder Saturday after he allegedly attacked a Cheltenham Township police officer and then suffered a bullet wound when the officers gun discharged accidentally, the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office said. Calvin Yim, 27, of the 2400 block of South Sixth Street, also was to be charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest in the incident in the Glenside section of the township, the DAs office said. The office gave the following account: Shortly after 9 a.m. police received a call about a suspicious person walking along Twickenham Road. The investigating officer, who was not identified, got out of his patrol car and approached Yim. Advertisement According to the affidavit of probable cause, the officer said, Whats up, buddy? and Yim responded: Hey, how you doing? When the officer asked Yim to sit down to talk, Yim punched him in the face and elsewhere in the head and tried to grab the officers gun. As they wrestled for control, the gun went off, with a bullet hitting Yim in the shoulder, the DAs office said. The officer was treated at a local hospital for head wounds and released. As a matter of procedure in a police-involved shooting, the DAs office said, it would investigate the circumstances involving the discharge of the weapon. An arraignment for Yim was pending Saturday. Journalists arent supposed to be starstruck by the people they cover. But I have to confess I was slightly awed when I arrived at New York Newsday in the early 1990s with ambitions of creating an urban environmental beat and learned the first person I needed to meet was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a charismatic heir-apparent to the legacy of his father, the slain U.S. senator, and his uncle, the 35th president. I dealt with RFK Jr. as the then-30-something Kennedy was inevitably branded on a number of stories around his legal work for the Hudson Riverkeeper and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and found him an engaging, compassionate warrior for clean water, taking on corporate polluters like Exxon and GE as well as city bureaucrats who dumped raw sewage and failed to protect the upstate New York watershed. Its no wonder that New York magazine hailed him in a 1995 cover story as, The Kennedy Who Matters. Im not sure how much RFK Jr. matters in 2023 even as last week the now-69-year-old Kennedy threw his hat in the ring for the Democratic primaries in a challenge to incumbent President Joe Biden. His environmental victories have been largely forgotten for Kennedys new persona as a voice for the millions of Americans who embrace conspiracy theory and dangerously reject the science around vaccines. RFK Jr. largely avoided vaccine talk in launching his campaign from his familys historic home base in Boston in favor of populist themes, although he insisted it was 2020s essential COVID-19 lockdowns that had systematically wiped out the middle class. Today, its no wonder that the likes of Donald Trump whisperer Steve Bannon embraces Kennedy as a chaos agent within Bidens Democratic Party, or that Fox News Tucker Carlson rushed him on the air. Kennedys 2024 presidential campaign feels like the ultimate embodiment of the famous Karl Marxism that history begins as tragedy and repeats as farce. In 1968, his father whod been his brother John F. Kennedys attorney general, then New York senator also challenged an incumbent Democratic president in Lyndon Johnson and seemed to be forging an unprecedented alliance of Black and Latino voters and working-class whites before he was felled by an assassins bullet. In 2024, we can feel empathy for the trauma experienced by RFK Jr. just 14 when his dad was murdered yet also be saddened and angered that his idea for recreating his dads coalition is not appealing to middle-class hope but to its fears, wrapped in disinformation. Kennedy joins spiritual guru and author Marianne Williamson as one of two primary challengers to the 80-year-old Biden, expected to announce his own reelection bid as early as Tuesday. The similarities are striking. Both are roughly the same age (Williamson is 70) and neither has ever held elected office. Both have the same fatal flaw Williamson has in the past voiced similar troubling views around vaccines, which in 2012 she called Orwellian yet both are also centering the highly relevant critique that America has betrayed the middle class. Advertisement Its not surprising that a handful of polls that have tested early support for Bidens primary challengers shows support in the double digits (RFK Jr. got 14% in a USA Today poll). Democratic voters have a remarkably conflicted relationship with the 46th president not just because of legitimate concerns around his age (hed be 86 at the end of his potential second term) but also because the partys core of younger voters sometimes feels whipsawed by policy shifts on fossil fuels or the border. Yet Biden is all but assured renomination because many voters (myself among them) feel he is by far the best defense against the unthinkable: American fascism under a second Donald Trump presidency. The conventional wisdom, though, is that primary challenges weaken incumbent presidents, perhaps fatally. The Beltway pundits, who like generals are always fighting the last war, are correct in noting that the two other times a Kennedy challenged a Democratic incumbent (RFK Sr. in 1968 and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy in 1980) resulted in a fall GOP victory (Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan). Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush likewise lost the White House in elections where they were challenged within their own party (by Reagan and Pat Buchanan). But most of todays punditry is rooted in the 20th century and has aged even worse than todays crop of candidates. The realities of 21st-century politics are that candidates win elections not by swaying the largely mythological swing voter but by energizing their potential core supporters to show up. Despite their flaws that make them unacceptable alternatives, both Kennedy and Williamson are giving voice to valid concerns held by young, stressed-out voters that Biden needs to hear and that the president might ignore if he were unopposed in the primaries. Im doing this because I think there are some things we need to talk about in this country, and we need to change. Williamson has said in defending her 2024 candidacy. People need health care. People need a way to get educated, to send their kids to college. People need a living wage. We need to save the environment for our grandchildren. Things that, you know, represent, among other things, a healthy middle class which we had in this country in the 1970s. I agree with every word of this, just as I agree with some of Williamsons more specific proposals such as a wealth tax and more universal health care. It says a lot about the warped state of todays politics that a two-time candidate had to go on the thoroughly corrupted right-wing Fox News to voice this left-wing critique. Yet, in a weird way, maybe its good to hear these important views from an ultimately unacceptable vessel in Williamson. Allow me to explain. Heres the reality of Joe Biden in his presidential era, beginning with his successful 2020 campaign. The Delawarean has survived a half-century of brutal U.S. politics and ended up on top because of his gut instincts, which have correctly told him to move left with the Democrats younger base, beginning famously with his embrace of same-sex marriage. Three years ago, his willingness to forge alliances with onetime rivals to his left like Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on issues like student debt and climate convinced reluctant young voters to provide the margin of victory in the five states that flipped from Trump to Biden. And yet Bidens excellent political instincts are increasingly undermined by the boomer-generation advisers he surrounds himself with who seem locked into the same flawed conventional wisdom they watch every night on TV, that their boss can only win reelection by drifting right on a host of critical issues. And yet you dont need to be a rocket scientist, a political scientist or even a vaccine scientist to see this is terrible advice. In the run-up to the 2022 midterms, Biden announced a bold plan to cancel some $500 billion in student debt and signed the most significant climate bill in U.S. history and saw his approval rise and Democratic candidates overperform. In 2023, Biden has signed off on Alaska drilling, overridden D.C.s Black council members on criminal justice, and embraced Trump-y border policies and has seen his approval plummet back near historic lows. READ MORE: A Biden coalition is (barely) saving democracy. POTUS 46 must run again in 24 Simply put, Biden needs to return to his boldly liberal form of late 2020 and 2022 or those long voting lines weve seen on college campuses or in Georgias predominantly Black precincts wont materialize in 2024, clearing the way for Trumps democracy-ending vow of retribution in 2025. Hopefully, these primary challenges from the left will make Biden ignore the wrongheaded strategy of his confidants like Jeff Zients and Susan Rice. Ill be honest: This progressive would love to wake up on Nov. 6, 2024, in a fantasy-based world where Warren or Sanders has been elected 47th president. In the reality-based world, the choices are American autocracy under Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, or a fragile democracy again led by Biden. And the rest of that reality is that we need to be pushing Biden constantly to be the best president he can be. READ MORE: SIGN UP: The Will Bunch Newsletter Tens of thousands of Israelis protest plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system in Tel Aviv April 15. Trudy Rubin, who's covered the region for four decades, writes, "Ive never seen such deep and visceral divisions over whether Israel will remain a democratic state for its Jewish citizens." Read more TEL AVIV, Israel On Israels Holocaust Remembrance Day, last Monday, the lead pilot on an El Al flight to New York made this astonishing announcement on takeoff from Ben Gurion airport: Things like the Holocaust can potentially occur in a dictatorship, and were fighting in Israel to remain a democratic country. Thank you all and have a nice flight. In my four decades of visiting Israel I could never have imagined such a statement by an El Al pilot. I dont recall bereaved families of fallen soldiers demanding (unsuccessfully) that government ministers stay away from annual military memorial ceremonies which take place April 24 and 25. As Israel approaches the 75th anniversary of the states creation on April 25 and 26 (according to the Hebrew calendar) Ive never seen such deep and visceral divisions over whether Israel will remain a democratic state for its Jewish citizens. Until now. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have poured into the streets each week for over three months, in cities across the country, to protest plans for a draconian judicial overhaul by the governing coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This judicial coup, sprung on the public without previous discussion, would essentially destroy the Supreme Courts oversight role and give the ruling coalition full control over choosing judges. In the Israeli system, it would virtually eliminate any checks and balances on the parliamentary majority. It would also pave the way for a ready-to-go raft of legislation limiting civil rights for women, members of the LGBTQ community, and Palestinian citizens of Israel, while enabling gross political corruption. Advertisement This government has already cleared the way for one of Netanyahus key political allies to receive a cabinet post after the Supreme Court disqualified him because of a conviction for corruption. And a newly passed law makes it impossible for Netanyahu to be declared unfit for office, despite ongoing trials for corruption. Its no wonder that the largest banner I saw at the huge protest in Tel Aviv on April 15 proclaimed Crime Minister, a slogan also emblazoned on many black t-shirts. Netanyahus opponents believe the judicial coup is basically meant to save him from jail. The crowd of 150,000 people screamed demokratia (democracy) in unison. They included Israels best and brightest professionals, as well as academics, tech innovators, former generals, military reservists, students, and moms wheeling kids in strollers. Despite the carnival atmosphere, with horns and drums and mass waving of Israeli flags (to underline that the demonstrators are patriots), the Israelis I spoke with were deadly serious on one point: unless the judicial coup is blocked, their democracy may not last. Demonstrators keep returning week after week because they are truly frightened about their immediate political future and the future of their children. The posters carried by a group of bereaved families of fallen soldiers at the Tel Aviv protest reflected the depth of their emotions. One womans sign asked the most poignant of questions: My brother died for a democratic Israel. Did he die in vain? As I soon learned, however, the current internal Israeli debate over democracy is far more existential than the challenge to the courts. Most outsiders dont realize how deep and wide are the rifts in Israeli society, I was told by Ami Ayalon, a former head of the Shin Bet, Israels domestic intelligence service, who is one of a group of former senior generals and intelligence directors that supports the demonstrations. It is not even the legal reforms anymore. We have reached the point where we dont agree on anything, on what is good or bad, allowed or not, on even what is the meaning of Jewish democracy. With his attacks on the courts, Netanyahu has elevated an ongoing debate to center stage: whether or not Israeli society will retain the liberal, secular values of its founders, or descend into its version of religious and ultra-nationalist populism that is now infecting other democracies, including ours. Everything is now on the table, I was told by the prominent Israeli journalist Lily Galili, who studies Israeli society. We spoke in an outdoor cafe over a Tel Aviv lunch that seemed far removed from the crisis but truly wasnt. All the things we hid under the carpet are now in full view, she added. To form his coalition, the prime minister allied with ultra-orthodox Jewish religious parties who believe only in Torah law, and resented the Supreme Court for blocking the exemption of their seminary students from military duty. Netanyahus government has already introduced legislation to make such an exemption permanent. He has also allied with extreme nationalist parties whose leaders Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have been accused or convicted of terrorism, and seek to annex the West Bank. They make racist threats against Palestinians and encourage young settlers to violence. Yet Ben-Gvir has been promised his own private militia. The strains between ultra-orthodox and secular Israelis, and between populists and supporters of liberal democracy are not new. But no government has ever bestowed such power on extremists, who were politically ostracized until the last few years. I discussed this with Boaz Tamir, one of the demonstration coordinators, a well-known Israeli entrepreneur who has helped develop some of the countrys largest business organizations. An app he founded, My Record, is being used by demonstrators to record and share their experiences in the pro-democracy struggle. He also is one of the founders of Men and Women at Arms, an umbrella group that coordinates units of military reservists who march in the demonstrations. Two major issues, he told me, have driven reservists from elite units - who report on a voluntary basis and still play key roles in the military - to support the protests. The first is demographic: elite units such as pilots, cyber warriors and commandos, carry some of the heaviest burdens of defending Israel, while the fast growing ultra-orthodox population shirks its military duty. The religious parties now have more power now but carry less of the burden, Tamir said. The second concern, Tamir said, is that the Netanyahu government is abetting the rise of ultra-nationalist messianism to power. Regular army units wind up protecting settlers on the occupied West Bank, while elite units do the heavy lifting of securing Israelis from Iran and its proxies, such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Tamir said the culture of these elite units is democratic and they say we wont serve a non-democratic government. Nor will coastal innovators who created its start up nation tech boom stick around if the country rejects liberal values. Many will leave if the religious-nationalist coalition remains in power and foreign investment shrinks. Moodys has taken note, downgrading Israels credit ranking. Ayalon also fears that the longer occupation of Palestinian territories continues, the closer Israel gets to the [supremacist] Judaism of Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir, not the Judaism of the founders. People who prefer the racist type of Judaism are now in government, he said. Despite this, organizers of the protests have made a conscious decision to postpone raising the Palestinian issue, and even the question of discrimination against Israels Palestinian citizens, in order to expand support on the center-right from those tiring of Netanyahu. Only a few hundred marchers standing along the demonstration route held signs saying No democracy with occupation. Meantime, the demonstrators wait to see if President Isaac Herzog can negotiate an unlikely compromise on the legal issues between Netanyahu and opposition parties. Some believe the prime ministers dropping poll numbers, and the Moodys ranking, may force him to postpone the legislation. Yet if the talks fail, and the prime minister jams through the so-called reforms, the current Supreme Court will likely rule the laws illegal. This would force Israels army, police, intelligence agencies and civil servants to decide whom to follow the court or the government. For the time being, there is not a civil war, Ayalon said, but no one can say it wont happen. If anyone tells you he knows what will happen, it is nonsense. Anything can happen. Anything. What will Social Security look like when you retire? Many Americans have lost hope that there will be much left to see. According to a Gallup poll, 45% of those surveyed said they worry about the Social Security system a great deal, while 29% said they worry about it a fair amount. Among those not yet retired, 33% were still counting on Social Security to be a major source of retirement income. So what will Social Security realistically look like in the future? Should workers be concerned? Key Takeaways Most individuals have lost hope that Social Security will be a suitable source of income during retirement. Social Security doesn't actually provide enough income for a comfortable retirement, nor is it likely to do so in the future. Without a legislative fix, both Social Security trust funds together are expected to deplete their reserves by 2034. The burden of restoring Social Security to long-term solvency may fall disproportionately on younger and higher-income workers. Start saving for retirement as early as possible by contributing to a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (IRA). The Future of Social Security Social Security may look drastically different in the next few decades, especially since the Social Security Administration's 2023 Trustees Report estimates that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, which pays out Social Security benefits, will be depleted by 2033. At that point, the system will have no cash reserves, while projected receipts will cover 77% of scheduled benefits. This is one year earlier than the previous report, which said the trust fund would be depleted by 2034. Social Security's surplus of more than $2.71 trillion at the end of 2022 is the result of decades of contributions from the huge Baby Boomer generation. As the boomers retire, they are causing benefit outlays to swell, while leaving fewer payroll tax contributors to support each beneficiary. 73% The proportion of the long-term Social Security shortfall that would be addressed by the repeal of the cap on annual income subject to Social Security taxes with no corresponding increase in benefits for high-income taxpayers, according to the Social Security Administration. Changes must be made. Many have been proposed, and the Social Security Administration regularly releases estimates of the effect of the various legislative proposals on the balances of the Social Security trust funds. Polling shows the majority of Americans favor eliminating the income cap on Social Security taxes and means-testing benefits. What Social Security looks like after 2033 will be determined by Congress rather than opinion polls. In the past, lawmakers have opted to increase payroll tax rates and, much less frequently, to raise the age of eligibility for benefits, in order to ensure the program's solvency. The age of eligibility for full benefits was increased from 65 to 67 for those born in 1960 or later under program changes passed by Congress in 1983. Meanwhile, the Social Security tax rate increased from 1% originally to 6.2% in 1990. Who Will Be Affected Most? Social Security benefits keep 16.1 million Americans 65 and older out of poverty. The reduction in benefits that would be required to balance outlays with receipts in the year Social Security is depleted would hit those just above the poverty line hardest, as well as those already living in poverty. The Social Security Administration projects the poverty rate for beneficiaries age 60 and older would leap from 4.5% in 2034 to 7.4% in 2035 as a result of such a cut to benefits. (This data is from 2021 with a later estimate of Social Security being depleted). Of course, all future beneficiaries would face the cuts, while younger and higher-income workers in particular could end up paying higher taxes as part of a solution. Social Security Is Not Enough for Retirement Even if Social Security gets a huge makeover from Congress, workers should not consider the program a sufficient retirement plan. Even now, Social Security barely covers living expenses for recipients. According to the Social Security Administration, Social Security benefit payments to 66 million recipients totaled $1.23 trillion in 2022. This might seem like a lot, but break down those numbers: in 2022, retirees received $1,825 per month, on average, and disabled workers $1,483 per month. Keep in mind what the poverty line is, which is roughly $1,215 a month for a single person in 2023. If you are planning to retire in the next decade, it is important to use the time you have left wisely. Boost your retirement savings as much as possible while paying down debt and keeping spending low. Social Security payments alone will not cover a typical mortgage or living expenses when you are saddled with debt. Secure Retirement, Your Way So what can someone do when retirement is 20, 30, or even 40 years away? The best plan is to start saving now. Take advantage of the time you have and save as much as you can in your 401(k) or individual retirement accounts (IRAs); traditional or Roth. The typical 401(k) plan automatically deducts your pre-tax contribution from gross earnings in each paycheck, reducing taxable income for the year. 401(k) plans also defer taxes on the accumulated gains until the money is withdrawn. Be sure to contribute enough to get your employers full match, even if it is a small percentage. Otherwise, youre passing up free money. Even if your company does not match contributions, 401(k) plans are a good deal. You get a tax break on the contribution, your funds grow on a tax-deferred basis, and you'll be able to deposit much more than you can in an IRA. IRA Contribution Limits The maximum amount that you can contribute annually to any combination of traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs is $6,500 in 2023. Those aged 50 and older can contribute an additional $1,000 as a catch-up contribution in 2023. Meanwhile, the maximum 401(k) contribution is $22,500 for 2023. Those 50 or older can contribute an additional $7,500 in 2023. Roth IRA Income Limits Contributions to Roth IRAs are limited and can be phased out, depending on how much income you earn and your tax filing status. The income phase-out range in 2023 is: $138,000 and $153,000 for single filers $218,000 and $228,000 for married couples filing jointly This means if a married couple earns more than $228,000 in 2023 and files jointly, they can't contribute to a Roth account. Start Early As early as your 20s, you should make every effort to start saving for retirementeven if you feel you cannot afford it or youre not in your dream job. If possible, have retirement savings deducted automatically from your paycheck. This way, you wont miss the money. Another strategy is to learn to live off of 98% of your paycheck and invest the other 2%, then gradually increase the percentage each month while cutting back on spending. Is Social Security Going to End? There are no plans for Social Security to end. Current estimates from the Social Security Administration's 2023 Trustee Report state that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, which pays out Social Security benefits, will be able to pay out 100% of benefits up until 2033, after which it will only be able to pay out 77%. What Would Happen if Social Security Disappeared? If Social Security disappeared without any replacement, it would be economically devastating. Millions of Americans rely on Social Security to support their cost of living in retirement, with millions relying on it as their sole source of income. If Social Security were to disappear, it would result in a severe poverty crisis among the elderly with far-reaching consequences throughout the economy. What Is the Average Social Security Check? As of March 2023, the average Social Security check for retired workers was $1,833.23. The Bottom Line Many people worry about whether Social Security will be available when they retire. Although it's unlikely that Congress will leave the system relying solely on incoming receipts to pay reduced benefits, the solutions could include cost-saving measures such as delaying the age of benefit eligibility or means tests. Everyone who can, should build their own retirement savings and not plan to rely on Social Security benefits as the chief source of retirement income. That's not a good idea now and won't get any better in the future. Have you thought about rolling your traditional IRA from one financial institution to another? Maybe you're looking for higher returns, more investment selections, or better customer service. Below is an overview of IRA rollover rules and tips on how to avoid common rollover mistakes. Key Takeaways If you leave a job or start a new one, you may need to roll over your retirement account to an IRA. Rollovers must be completed within 60 days of receiving funds from the old account, and only one rollover is allowed annually. Direct transfers of retirement account funds to a new qualified account is an efficient transfer method and avoids common rollover mistakes. The 60-Day Rule IRA rules can be tricky and some have even changed over the years, so you need to be careful, otherwise you could pay income tax and penalties," says Dan Stewart, CFA, president of Revere Asset Management Inc., in Dallas, Texas. After you receive the funds from your IRA, you have 60 days to complete the rollover to another IRA. Thats 60 days, not two months," says Marguerita M. Cheng, CFP, CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth, Gaithersburg, MD. If you do not complete the rollover within the time allowed or do not receive a waiver or extension from the Internal Revenue Service the amount will be treated as ordinary income by the IRS. You must include the amount as income on your tax return, and any taxable amounts will be taxed at your current ordinary income tax rate. Plus, if you were not 59 years old when the distribution occurred, you face a 10% penalty on the withdrawal. One-Year Waiting Rule You cannot make a second tax-free rollover of an IRA for one year after you distribute assets from your IRA and roll over any part of that amount. This limit on IRA-to-IRA rollovers does not apply to eligible rollover distributions from an employer plan. Therefore, you can roll over more than one distribution from the same qualified plan, 403(b), or 457(b) account within a year. This one-year limit also does not apply to rollovers from traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs, or Roth conversions. 1:37 Common IRA Rollover Mistakes RMDs Ineligible for Rollover You are allowed to make tax-free rollovers from your IRAs at any age, but you cannot roll over your annual required minimum distribution (RMD) because it would be considered an excess contribution. As of January 2023, with the passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, you are required to take an RMD each year when you reach the age of 73. Subtract the current years RMD amount from your IRA before implementing a rollover. The RMD age will increase to 75 beginning in 2033. Same Property Rule Your rollover from one IRA to another IRA must consist of the same property. This means you cannot take cash distributions from your IRA, purchase other assets with the cash, then roll over those assets into a new or the same IRA. Should this occur, the IRS would consider the cash distribution from the IRA as ordinary income. If an entrepreneur, aged 57, wants to roll over a portion of her IRA from one financial institution to another but uses some of the IRA assets to buy stock. She purchases the shares and moves the remaining cash into a new IRA. Then, she deposits the shares into the same IRA account, hoping to receive tax-deferred treatment. The IRS deems the portion of the distribution used to purchase the stock as a cash distribution taxable as ordinary income. Because she is younger than 59, the IRS would also assess a 10% penalty on the taxable portion of the amount used to purchase the stocks. Transferring Your IRA If you move your IRA from one financial institution to another and do not need to use the funds, you should consider using the transfer method instead of a rollover. A transfer is non-reportable and is allowed at any time during any period. A transfer removes the withdrawal process of the rollover, which ensures the assets go directly to their end account, and investors remove the risk associated with the 60-day rule, says Mark Hebner, founder, and president of Index Fund Advisors, Inc., in Irvine, Calif., and author of The 12-Step Recovery Program for Active Investors. In my opinion, a direct transfer is the most optimal solution to move funds from one IRA to another, says Carlos Dias Jr., founder and managing partner of Dias Wealth LLC in Lake Mary, Fla. What Retirement Plans Can I Rollover Into My Traditional IRA? You can rollover funds from the following accounts to a traditional IRA: A traditional IRA you inherit from your deceased spouse A qualified plan A tax-sheltered annuity plan A government deferred compensation plan (section 457 plan) What Is a Direct Rollover? If you want to avoid the withholding and the associated reporting requirements, a direct rollover, sometimes referred to as a trustee-to-trustee transfer, is a method that should be used to effectuate your rollover from your qualified plan, 403(b) plan, or governmental 457 plan account. Plus, there is no 60-day window to worry about. What If I Forget to Take My Full RMD on My Traditional IRA? Failure to take an RMD from a traditional IRA levies an excise tax of 25% of the shortfall. If the error is corrected promptly, the excise tax is reduced from 25% to 10%. This provision begins in the taxable years after December 31, 2022, under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. The Bottom Line When changing jobs, employees often choose to roll over their IRA accounts to the new employer. Traditional IRAs can also be moved from one financial institution to another for higher returns or more investment options. However, many rules apply to rollovers, including the 60-day rule, RMD requirements, and same property rules. Contributions to Social Security Trust Fund (2022) Source Amount Payroll Tax Contributions $945.9 trillion OASDI Benefit Taxes $47.1 trillion Interest Earnings $63.5 trillion General Fund of the Treasury Reimbursements $0.2 trillion TOTAL $1,056.7 trillion Social Security vs. Private Retirement Accounts Individuals with private retirement savings accounts have more control over how much and when to contribute than they do with paying Social Security taxes. For example, if you work for a company that offers a 401(k) plan, you can decide what percentage of each paycheck (if any) to redirect to that accountalthough government regulations place restrictions on how much you can contribute. The annual limit on 401(k) contributions is $22,500 in 2023. This amount increases to $30,000 if you are 50 or older, thanks to the $7,500 catch-up contribution allowed by the government. You cannot contribute to a Roth IRA if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is $153,000 or higher for singles and $228,000 or higher for married couples filing jointly. Who Decides What to Pay Out and When? With a private retirement account, such as a 401(k) or Roth IRA, you decide when to withdraw money from your account, and how much to take out. With some retirement accounts, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will make you pay penalties if you take out money before you reach a certain age or dont withdraw enough money each year after reaching a certain age. Still, theres much more flexibility here than with Social Security retirement benefits. With Social Security, the government decides how much to give you and when. You can decide when to start receiving benefits, but it can't be until age 62 (where you collect the lowest benefit) and age 70 (where you collect the highest benefit). While you can't change the size of your Social Security check, you are eligible for annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that the Social Security Administration gives beneficiaries each year to maintain their buying power. For 2023, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits increased by 8.7%. Once you start claiming benefits, youll get a check for the same amount every month, based on your lifetime earnings and your age when you started claiming benefits. You cant decide to withdraw more money in months when you have higher expenses and less money in months when you have lower expenses, as you could with an IRA or 401(k). If you find yourself terminally ill at 40, you cant claim retirement benefits early based on what you contributed over the years. Keep in mind that you may qualify for Social Security disability insurance. But you can cash out your private retirement accounts at any time without getting anyones approval, albeit with a penalty in some cases. Brokerage firms won't make you prove that you cant work if you want to take an early withdrawal from your traditional IRA (though the IRS might if you want to avoid penalties by claiming a withdrawal for a medically-related hardship). Can You Opt-Out of Social Security? Few taxpayers can opt-out of paying into the Social Security system. The Amish, Mennonites, and other religious groups that conscientiously object can sometimes claim a religious exemption from paying into the system as long as they also dont receive or even qualify to receive any benefits. If you received any benefits, you may still qualify for a religious exemption if you repay them. People who renounce their U.S. citizenship may be able to opt-out, depending on their circumstances. Some nonresident aliens dont have to pay into the system, depending on which type of visa they have. Foreign government employees based in the United States and college students who are employed by their university are also exempt. What about opting in? Under a public retirement system or a Section 218 agreement, some state and local government employees are covered while not paying into Social Security. These employees arent allowed to opt into the program. With private retirement savings accounts, its totally up to you whether to contribute. Even if your employer automatically enrolls you in its 401(k) plan in an attempt to nudge you into contributing, you can opt-out if you wish. How Are Social Security Funds Managed? The Social Security system is set up as an intergenerational wealth transfer. This means that all contributions go into one collective pot, so the funds arent held in our individual names. The Social Security taxes the government collects from current workers pay for the benefits of current retirees. Depending on when you retire, how much you earned, and your marital status, you may see a better or worse return in terms of getting back more or less than you contributed. The Threat of Depletion Because different generations are different in size, this structure leads to what could be described as timing problems with paying out benefits. Taxes from the immense baby boomer generation comfortably supported the retirement of the relatively small Silent Generation (born between 1925 and 1945, many of those years scarred by the Great Depression and war) and the greatest generation (whose members fought in World War II). With more and more boomers reaching retirementand the fact that Generation X, the next generation, is smallerit is estimated that Social Securitys reserves, also called the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, could be depleted by 2033. According to the 2023 annual report from the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees, the estimated depletion date is 2033. The report also cited that the taxes being paid into Social Security beyond that year will only cover 77% of the scheduled benefits. Millennials make up an even larger generation than the boomers, but its not clear how well their financial contributions will serve to support boomers and Generation X, and how large future generations will be. Is a Social Security Check Socialism? A Social Security check is not completely a socialist program. If it were a pure socialist program, the amount that every individual contributed to it would be the same and the amount of the benefits received (paid out) by each individual would be the same. This is not the case. What Are the Weaknesses of Socialism? Socialism's weaknesses include slow economic growth, inefficient allocation of resources, low competition, lack of innovation due to low competition, few opportunities for entrepreneurship, and a lack of motivation amongst employees. What Programs in the U.S. Are Socialist? Socialist programs and social programs have fine distinctions. Though some of the government programs in the U.S. can be seen as socialist, they are not truly socialist. There are, however, social programs in the U.S., such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. The Bottom Line The U.S. got the idea for a social security system from 19th-century Germany. That very capitalist monarchy launched an old-age social insurance program in 1889 at the behest of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, partly to stave off radical socialist ideas being floated at the time. The original social security was actually an anti-socialist maneuver by a conservative government. Nevertheless, because the American government plays such a dominant role in the U.S. Social Security systemdeciding how much and when employees and employers pay into the system, how much individuals receive in benefits when they get them, and preventing almost everyone from opting outit only seems fair to say that Social Security is, in effect, a form of democratic socialism; however, it may also be considered a form of social insurance or a social safety net. The program requires workers and their employers, along with self-employed individuals, to pay into the system throughout their working years. The government controls the money they contribute and decides when and how much they get back afterand ifthey reach retirement age. Having such a successful and beloved socialist-like program at the heart of such a committed capitalistic society is perhaps the ultimate paradox. Or maybe its just good common sense. Employers should have up-to-date policies as privacy concerns grow for companies who have staff working in remote working spaces, legal and employment experts have warned. The pandemic sparked a wholesale change in where employees work, and the Department of Rural and Community Development now estimates that 24,000 people use remote-working hubs on a daily basis. The Connected Hubs platform, which is a Government initiative that allows users to book desks in remote working hubs, currently has 312 centres and over 11,000 registered users. The average occupancy rate across the network is running at 75% but does not include remote workers who may have made other arrangements. Barry Crushell, principal solicitor at Crushell & Co, said legal concerns around remote working are becoming "a big issue as more people work outside the office. Mr Crushell said: The important thing to remember for an employer is that when their employee is working for them, whether they are in the office, on a client site, or in a cafe, the employer still bears the same level of responsibility, and liability, if there is any data breaches or any confidentiality breaches. Employers also have a legal responsibility to protect the personal data of their employees and their customers, which means the employer may be held liable for any damages. But offering an approved remote working hub could be a good way to minimise the risks of data breaches, he said. It may be tempting for staff to ignore data breaches, but a major way to reduce employer liability from remote workplaces is to provide policies and procedures to identify and report data breaches, according to the employment law expert. Regular reviews Employers should regularly review procedures to ensure poor practices dont creep in, and policies shouldn't sit "gathering dust" and instead be put up for regular review by all employers, Mr Crushell said. Human resources consultancy HR Buddy's chief executive Damien McCarthy said his own company and some of his clients operate out of remote working hubs. He said tailoring workplace policies for shared remote hubs is a very simple exercise, and measures are often the same regardless of where employees are working. One very clear line in a policy for a co-working space could be that any sensitive conversations, or perhaps any conversations whatsoever, would take place in a private meeting room or that when a remote meeting is taking place a headset and earphones are always worn, so the threat of a two-way conversation being overheard is taken away straight away. Irish Management Institute associate faculty member Jennifer Dowling specialises in remote and flexible work as a director of Train Remote, and also runs her own co-working hub in Killarney. Ms Dowling said that remote working hubs are not all standard, and that employers should speak to the hub operator to ensure security concerns are addressed. I think its kind of a buyer beware, to know what you need the hub for," she said. "If youre looking to base your employee in a hub and there is confidentiality or security issues, then you need to speak with the hub and get your employee set up accordingly. Ms Dowling said employees in some hubs may need to use their own Wifi networks. Some hubs, she said, are popping up in community centres and GAA halls, which she said is great to promote business activity in the small towns and villages, but may be potentially not well equipped to deal with some requests. Ms Dowling emphasised that there is a lot of talk" about security risks with remote working, but that a greater risk to remote employees could be from being isolated at work. Remote working hubs could be a way to address such risks, she said. Its worth thinking about space as a resource, and how it facilitates the job being done well," Ms Dowling said, noting that building connections and being stimulated by working with other people is a very important goal for any workplace. In August 2020, when I was on a retreat in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig, one of the writers, Charleen Hurtubise, read the first chapter of her novel in progress. Hauntingly atmospheric, it had the whole room mesmerised. The chapter described an afternoon at a beach in Michigan through the eyes of Joanne, an observant 16-year-old who is watching the uneasy dynamic between a group of teenagers. When, later, she hears that one of them has drowned, she wonders, uneasily, if she had watched it happening. I longed to know how the novel panned out. And with the recent publication of The Polite Act of Drowning, I now know the plot and it doesnt disappoint. It follows Joannes summer and that of her troubled family and neighbours in a small lakeside town. And when the foster child, Lucinda, arrives in town, she and Joanne become instant friends, as they break all the rules together. But Lucinda has a mean streak, and its hard for Joanne to cope, especially when her mums fragility spills over into something worse. Charleen grew up in Michigan, before moving to Ireland 25 years ago. Its not my story, she says, when we meet for a late lunch in the Avoca cafe in Powerscourt, County Wicklow. I started with this girl in the water. And it wasnt until I read the science of drowning and realised its always a quiet event, that the novel took shape, and I brought in the mum. But I know the novels emotional territory. Joanne feels the things I felt when I was younger. I was number six in a family of nine, and I was a little bit lost and was quiet. An observer. And like her, I was not street smart. You know the way Joanne looks at everyone around her and they all seem to have personalities? she says. That is my own perspective. My sisters were so strong. As for the rebellious Lucinda, she came out of nowhere. I had a best friend, and we got into a lot of trouble together, but she was nothing like Lucinda, she says, adding that she really likes Lucinda. Shes in trouble, obviously, but shes taking no prisoners. Charleen came to Ireland for a break after she graduated from university. Then fate intervened in the form of Conor, who is Irish, and apart from a year spent in Hawaii, the couple have lived in Ireland ever since. They have three teenage children, and Charleen teaches full-time. Shes always dabbled in writing, and 10 years ago she began to take it seriously. I wrote a book that got a lot of attention from agents, and got close to being published, but nobody took it on. I was devastated and started to do a few writing courses. These culminated in an MFA in childrens writing at University College Dublin. But it was after this, in early 2017, when Charleen was teaching writing at the university, that her life tipped upside down. My mum was sick, and my dad, she says. I went over to visit for a month, taking my youngest son, and both of them died while I was there in the same week in January. The Polite Act of Drowning by Charleen Hurtubise After a very rackety childhood, one she describes as utter chaos, with a terrible sibling dynamic, Charleen had been happy for years. She missed her sisters and brother, and was always happy to see them, and the once rocky relationship with her mother had resolved. I got on great with Mum. I loved her as an adult. She came over when I graduated from my MFA in Trinity, (in Technology and Learning,) and Id just had my last child. We had such a lovely relationship. She loved my kids, but after her death, being in the house with all my siblings, all of us grieving, that childhood dynamic, and trauma came up again. It was so puzzling. Back in Ireland, Charleen started sinking into depression. I withdrew from friends, and I became hyper vigilant with my kids, she says. I am hyper vigilant, because I know what can go wrong. When Charleen was 16, she was going out with a guy who died in her arms, from an aneurism. I never got over the shock of that she says, and that people can be taken from you. And nobody helped me deal with that. I remember sitting in this room, alone, for weeks. I was looking at my teenage daughter and wondering how could my parents not know how to protect me? They were so holy Catholic, but it's neglect not sitting down with and talking to your children not giving them time. On top of all that, Charleens life felt in flux. She was struggling to learn Irish for her teaching job, and, with nobody taking on her book, felt an utter failure. And when, due to her depression, she felt compelled to cancel her familys planned visit to Michigan, she realised she was in deep trouble. Recovery took time. She was still suffering when lockdown hit. But thanks to anti-depressants, act therapy, and writing, she came through. And during lockdown I took an online course from the Royal School of Drawing in London. This led to an Arts project on Irelands bogland, that has kept her busy in the frustrating years when, struggling to find a publisher, she put the book to one side. Its taking up a lot of time again, she says, mentioning The Peatlands Installation, scheduled to be displayed this summer. But this time Im not doing animations or drawings, just the technical side, and the edits and 3D stuff and talking to these lovely artists who are already working in the bog. All of which begs the question: as a full-time teacher, how does she fit everything else in? Neglect, she says, laughing, then tells me shell give me an example. Last week I had a newspaper article to write, and I had a grant application for the art project which took all of my time. I was up until 4am, and into school the next day. When that happens, I have a chat with family, and tell them Ive all this to do, but Im here. I check in with them, and at the end of it, I put things away and give time to them. We watched a film last night, and Ill give the whole weekend to them. Ill make sure Im available. There are times, over the past few years that Charleen almost gave up on writing. But the writing community never gave up on her. She met other writers through the Irish Writers Centres Borders X programme, and at the Cill Rialaig retreat they sent her on. And those friends, who with her formed a writing and gin club, were instrumental in pairing her with her publisher. Two of them, Michelle Gallen and Olivia Fitzsimons, are launching her book for her. Id arrived with a final copy of the novel the first one Charleen had seen. She flicked through it with great excitement before signing it for me. And when I ask her if she had a writing ambition, she hugs the book and says: This is what I wanted. Its my lifetime ambition. I just hope I get to keep doing it. Theres a lot of drama before the novel ends; with some things resolved but a lot left to ponder. Before I leave, we discuss the various characters, and debate whether theyll end up all right. Theyre all drowning really, she says. Thats the metaphor. The mum finds her way, and might be OK, but has Lucinda the potential? wonders Charleen. Maybe shell be OK, but probably not. Well see. Then, after a pause, she laughs. Well, I guess we wont see, because its fiction, right? Indian exporters' body to explore trade opportunities in Russia Xinhua) 11:01, April 23, 2023 NEW DELHI, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A 50-member business delegation of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) will be on a four-day visit to Russia next week to explore more trade opportunities, FIEO president A. Sakthivel said on Friday. The business delegation would comprise members from the agro and food-processing sectors, Sakthivel told Xinhua over the phone. The visit aims to explore more trade opportunities as the Russian market holds a huge potential, the FIEO chief said. The FIEO intends to take their exports to Russia to 5 billion U.S. dollars this fiscal year from last year's around 3 billion U.S. dollars. It will also sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russian business chambers for a bilateral exchange of information and delegations regularly. According to Sakthivel, the business trip aims to establish tie-ups with Russian companies, including large departmental stores in the agro and processed-food sectors. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Paul Makenzie Nthenge reportedly told his followers to starve themselves in order to meet Jesus. Police were able to rescue several cult members and take them to the hospital for treatment. Police in Kenya have exhumed at least 21 bodies while investigating a cult whose followers are believed to have starved themselves to death. The deceased are thought to have been followers of Christian cult leader Paul Makenzie Nthenge, who reportedly told them to starve themselves in order to "meet Jesus." "In total since [Thursday], we have 21 bodies," a police source told the AFP news agency on Friday. "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. Cult leader arrested Nthenge is the leader of the Good News International Church, which police allege "brainwashed" citizens into starving themselves to death. The cult leader turned himself in to police and was charged last month after two children starved to death while in the custody of their parents, local media reported. He was released on bail of 100,000 Kenyan shillings ($750 or 670). Following a new tip-off, police rescued 15 followers of the cult on April 14. Four of them died before they could be taken to the hospital. Of the 11 who made it to the hospital, three were in critical condition. The tip-off also pointed to the existence of at least 31 more shallow graves in the Shakahola forest outside the coastal town of Malindi. "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. zc/sms (AFP, Reuters) Be careful what you buy your kids or nieces and nephews you could end up setting a lifelong passion, and even career, in motion. A simple jigsaw featuring wild animals may have been pivotal for wildlife documentary maker Eoin Warner, who has just spent three years making a three-part TV series about the wildlife wonders of Irelands Atlantic islands. Irelands Wild Islands sees Eoin sail a 140-year-old Galway hooker from Rathlin Island down past Mayo, Clare, and Kerry, and on to West Cork. And watching this series, youll be right there with him for every slap and sparkle of sinuous waves, for the fascination/horror of seeing little fluffy guillemot chicks, aka jumplings, taking leaps of faith off cliffs, and for the literally breathtaking joy of swimming up close to basking sharks. Bantry-born Eoin, who will be 47 in May, started filming this Crossing the Line Productions series in September 2019. While production was somewhat delayed by covid, it also took so long because they wanted to see everything, from white-tailed eagles on Corks Garinish Island to grey seal bulls fighting for supremacy on Mayos Inishkea islands and humpback whales off the Blasket islands. Eoins love for nature is so evident throughout the series and if the crystal-clear scenes and up-close animal and bird images dont sweep you along on this journey then his quiet excitement about the blonde bombshell on Rathlin or the joy in seeing a playschool of chicks bobbing along really will. Eoin Warner gets amid Basking Sharks off the coast of Clare. Picture: George Karbus FROM POINT TO POINT That blonde bombshell with the striking blue eyes is a gorgeous golden hare and when asked about this phrase, Eoin laughs and admits they didnt use a script: There are no pieces to camera, you just talk and say what occurs to you at the time, I guess for a more intimate feel. Eoin travelled on the red-sailed Galway hooker, the Naomh Sineach, but had a camera crew come and go for filming the various stages of the journey The camera crew often spent weeks at a time getting battered by storms to capture the images. There was a whole team of dedicated professionals who went to extraordinary lengths to capture this wildlife footage. I had learned to sail as a kid but hadnt been sailing since. So I really did fall in love with sailing again in a boat of that age and style, you are forced to slow down and be at the mercy of the wind. And its almost liberating in a way as you have to deal with the wind that you have. Then out by Fastnet we were doing seven knots and pushing the boat to its limit. But it gives you a whole new appreciation for the people who had no choice but to travel by wind and who lived and live on the islands. The series moves from our northernmost island, Inishtrahull, to Tory, Achill, and the Aran Islands, so it seems reasonable to ask if Eoin has a favourite island. He launches into praise for a whole bunch of islands from the amazing Inishkeas to the seabird colonies and red deer of Inishvickillane. He cant resist listing almost every other island he visited on the voyage but its the uninhabited ones he seems most passionate about. There are few wild places left in the world and theyre so beautiful and so wild because were not there. You have a thousand grey seals on the beach on Blaskets and theyre there because were not. That liminal zone where land meets the sea is beautiful to watch and, when people left, nature claims it back. Unsurprisingly, a similar query about which animal encounter on the voyage meant the most to him, has him then listing almost all the creatures they saw. However, the basking shark scenes are pretty spectacular and he is thrilled to have seen them thriving. It seemed like every time I was told there were basking sharks in an area I would arrive and they would be gone. But then he heard about this amazing basking shark courtship behaviour off the Clare coast in September and we arrived and there were hundreds of basking sharks. They were doing these concentric circles and we were freediving. We stayed outside the circle to give them their space. And then I turned around and realised that another circle was coming at us and there was a basking shark coming straight for me and I just had to stay still. It passed directly underneath me and I felt its dorsal fin stroke my chest. It was frightening but so exciting at the same time. And from the largest of our wildlife to the smallest and shyest there is nothing but awe and admiration. A grey seal amid the kelp in Ireland's Wild Islands. Picture: George Karbus BALL OF ENERGY Many of us might categorise stoats somewhere with weasels or even rats and not see much to celebrate in them, but the scenes where a mother stoat literally ripples through a pocket of Achill woodland would win them a few fans. This ball of energy thats always on the move with black, shiny pools of mischief for eyes is shown leaping and bounding along to a perfectly selected musical backdrop by Kila. It isnt all a wow, how lovely documentary though by any means. Footage from the 1950s and 60s of fishermen slaughtering basking sharks in their thousands is so visceral and shocking that you almost want to shout 'stop'. More than 9,000 basking sharks were killed at Keem Bay over 15 years. The violent killings were a 24-hour-a-day operation and it is just horrifying to see men putting their full strength into stabbing a 30-feet long normally serene fish thats thrashing and writhing in agony while trying to survive. Were not done with the slaughter of wildlife here these days either. Eoin notes that while we have the recommendations in the recent Citizens Assembly report on biodiversity and we have wildlife rules and laws, theyre often not policed or properly financed or implemented. He mentions the problems of tangle nets. These are exactly what they sound like large sections of mesh that are sunk with weights and left in the sea to indiscriminately ensnare any creature in the area. While they are intended to catch crayfish which migrate along the sea floor, theres not much to stop seals, rays, or porpoises from getting caught up in them and dying. I was talking to a local fisherman in Schull and he knows of a guy who has tangle nets down. His boat is broken over the last few weeks so he hasnt been out to pick them up so these nets are just fishing, fishing, fishing the whole time and creatures caught are just dying ... rotting. Eoin says hes not opposed to the fishing industry as a whole at all: Im a realist and coastal communities have a right to fish. But were not the only species here, we are part of biodiversity and these creatures have every right to be here too. Thats what frustrates me so much. There is a huge by-catch with these nets and we are still using methods that are completely barbaric, unethical and unsustainable but its just a quick buck, like. Humpback whales off the Blasket islands. Picture: Nick Massett LOVE AND PROTECTION Thats part of what hes trying to do with this Irelands Wild Islands documentary series get people aware of what we have right here in this country and looking after it. People have to farm or fish but you can do it in a nature-friendly way. We have to give space to animals and nature, thats what frustrates me ... when we dont give them their fair share. We have less than 1% national parks in this country and I would love to see every farm in Ireland having a corner for nature. Thats like having thousands of national parks around the country. Eoin, who has two boys, Tristan and Ferdia, aged 12 and 13, is keen to ensure that all children have a chance to grow up with an appreciation and respect for nature. I would hope people fall in love with it and by falling in love with it, protect it. He credits his parents for a large part of this in his own life. His father, who was killed in the Whiddy Island disaster when a French oil tanker exploded in Bantry Bay in January 1979, loved nature and birdwatching. And Eoin has seen old photos of him actually repairing a Galway hooker, so when they were sailing in Cork, going to Garinish Island to film a piece on seagulls, he made sure to get a look at Whiddy too. It was very emotive and lovely, and Dad would have got a great kick out of it, Im sure. Eoins mum passed away in March last year while he was filming this series. She would have loved this, she was my number one fan and loved the docs. And it was his mother who gave him that jigsaw puzzle, mentioned earlier, featuring animals of Africa when he was around eight or nine years old so I always dreamed of going to Africa. Sunset over the Skellig Islands A DREAM REALISED That dream was realised this year, exactly a year to the day after his mother passed away, when Eoin and his family visited Africa for a holiday. The date was a conscious decision to honour her. While there, the Warners discovered more about Lapalala Wilderness School, a conservation charity teaching children about local nature and biodiversity. This school aims to help children discover the true value of the biodiversity of the natural world and to identify and nurture Africas future conservation champions. We have nothing like this in Ireland these formative years, these are when you have to opportunity to create that connection with nature. Eoin notes that while we are so incredibly lucky here, every person you meet in Botswana for example is so proud of the nature they have. And in Ireland we have the opportunity to do more and we are certainly becoming more aware of ecotourism and sustainability all the time. But it works best when its from the ground up as well as from the top down. And you would hope that documentaries like these would influence or inspire people to do things from the ground up, to protect our wildlife. A white-tailed eagle treads water. Picture: Sean Murray Campaigners have criticised the fact that a number of female International Protection Applicants (IPAs) were left homeless, while more than 500 applicants are currently without State accommodation. This is despite a Government pledge that no women or children fleeing to this country would be left without shelter. Four single female IPAs were without State-provided accommodation in the week following the closure of the Citywest transit hub on January 24, according to a document provided under Freedom of Information. Since the closure of Citywest, four single females were not able to avail of accommodation on arrival. "However, IPAS prioritised their accommodation and they were accommodated shortly thereafter. Currently, all female international protection applicants who have sought accommodation have been provided with it by the State, a Department of Integration spokesperson said. As of 19 April, there were 531 IPAs to whom the department has been unable to offer accommodation. Since January 24, a total of 373 people who were previously unaccommodated have subsequently been offered accommodation. Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre, said it was disturbing that women were left homeless. Nasc CEO Fiona Hurley said: Aside from safety risks, we are concerned about the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of those who have fled persecution. "People are being left without a safe place to sleep and then expected to process trauma and isolation, arrange their documents, gather evidence of their claims, maintain contact with the International Protection Office, and attend appointments, she said. Ms Hurley said recent plans to expand accommodation solutions are very welcome but she urged the Government to ensure new developments meet the commitments outlined in the white paper on ending direct provision. These include built-in integration supports for people arriving in Ireland. We also want to see the Government prioritising sustainable, long-term accommodation strategies. In terms of the general population, such strategies of course also need to include strong and consistent investment in social housing and efficient planning permission processes, she said. Doras CEO John Lannon said IPAs are not being provided with information that would help them to access basic supports. We have been doing our best to support protection applicants who are street homeless. Many of them are frightened, with little or no English, he said. They didnt know where to collect their meagre daily expense allowance, which at 38.80 per week is completely inadequate. Mr Lannon said those finding themselves without state-provided accommodation are vulnerable, at risk, and have no local knowledge of where to go to be safe. They are unable to access emergency homeless services. Leaving vulnerable women and men to fend for themselves on the streets, without supports, is unacceptable. "Some have medical needs that are not being met and dont know how to access urgent care or treatment. We appreciate that it is difficult for the Government to source accommodation for international protection applicants, particularly men, but it has legal obligations to meet their basic needs under the Reception Conditions Directive. And it is not doing that, he said. The HSE has said it is satisfied with the work of a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) doctor who pleaded guilty in the UK to running what that countrys educational watchdog described as an unsafe unregistered school. Dr Albert Amaechi Okoye has been registered with the Irish Medical Council since August 2019 and it is understood he regularly works with the Camhs in Waterford. In September 2019 he pleaded guilty, along with two others, at Lincoln Magistrates Court to conducting an unregistered independent school following an extensive investigation of the Freiston Hall facility in Lincolnshire by Ofsted. A statement issued by Ofsted in early October 2019 outlined how local authorities were misled into paying thousands of pounds of public money for children to be educated in an unsafe unregistered school. The statement said: The prosecution, only the third of its kind, was brought following an investigation by Ofsteds unregistered schools taskforce. Six local authorities were misled into paying hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money for children to be educated at Freiston Hall. Local authorities were being charged 1,200 a week for each childs education. Freiston Hall clearly sought to identify itself as a school in its name, on its website and in other documents. Some local authorities told Ofsted that they were assured by the school that it was registered. Freiston Hall was an unregistered school for looking after children with highly complex physical and mental health needs. Children lived on site at the registered childrens home while receiving all their education at the on-site unregistered school. Dr Okoye was issued a warning by the UK General Medical Council in May of last year, with its website indicating that the warning will expire on May 10 of this year. The warning relates to the 2019 plea by Dr Okoye and others at Lincoln Magistrates Court. According to the UK General Medical Council site: On 26 September 2019 you pleaded guilty to the following charge: Between 31/10/2017 and 12/07/18 at Freiston, conducted an unregistered independent educational institution, namely Freiston Hall School. Contrary to section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008. Consequently, you received a conditional discharge for 12 months from the Lincoln Magistrates Court. This conduct does not meet with the standards required of a doctor. It risks bringing the profession into disrepute and it must not be repeated. Whilst this failing is not so serious as to require any restriction on your registration, it is necessary in response to issue this formal warning. Dr Albert Okoye and two others received a conditional discharge and were ordered to pay 1,000 costs and 20 victim surcharge. According to the Irish Medical Council website, Dr Albert Amaechi Okoye has been registered here since August 27, 2019, with a speciality in child and adolescent psychiatry. It is understood the HSE was made aware of the court proceedings at the time and it has no issues with Dr Okoyes work in Ireland. A HSE spokesperson said: We cant discuss details of individual staff. However, we were made aware at time of the issue you have raised and are satisfied that it has no known implications for the quality of clinical service being provided. Sinn Feins TD for Waterford, David Cullinane, who is also the party's health spokesperson, said: While I welcome the HSE's reassurances on the quality of clinical service being provided, it is important that all the facts are established, including or especially regarding the HSE's own processes when it comes to hiring much-needed Camhs staff. Up to 12 members of the Defence Forces will travel to Sudan to assist in the evacuation of over 150 Irish citizens. The decision comes after an incorporeal Cabinet meeting was convened on Sunday as the situation continues to deteriorate in Sudan. The Department of Foreign Affairs is in contact with over 150 Irish citizens and is working with international partners to arrange their evacuation. The Taoiseach has said every effort will be made to provide assistance to the 150 or so Irish nationals in Sudan. The Defence Forces members will be deployed initially to Djibouti as part of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team (ECAT) Department of Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Defence. In a statement, the Department said the government remains deeply concerned by the situation in Sudan and the Irish Embassy in Nairobi and the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin are in ongoing contact with over 150 Irish citizens in Sudan. The Department has also been working actively with our international partners to arrange for the evacuation of Irish citizens. Such evacuation operations are highly sensitive given the volatile security situation on the ground, a spokesperson said. The ECAT mission will provide consular and other assistance to Irish citizens and their dependents being evacuated from Sudan. Mr Varadkar said the situation on the ground in Sudan remains extremely volatile and wished the ECAT team every success in this mission. Todays decision by government is a continuation of the substantial, intensive work that the Department of Foreign Affairs has been engaged in since this recent outbreak of violence in Sudan. Above all, our primary aim is to offer our citizens every assistance through what has been an extremely difficult and challenging time, Tanaiste and Defence Minister Micheal Martin said. Officials of the Department will arrive in Djibouti today and the duration of the mission will be dependent on the progress that can be made, the security situation on the ground and decisions on extraction by partners. The Department is currently in contact with Irish citizens who have registered with the Irish Embassy. Citizens should follow the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya on Twitter (@IrlEmbKenya) for updated advice. If urgent, the Embassy's out of hours consular assistance phone line can be contacted at +254 716 353 999, and the Department of Foreign Affairs can be contacted at +353 1 408 2000. The man who scaled one of the world's most dangerous mountains with Irish climber Noel Hanna has said the Co Down man had no oxygen backup and was suffering from excessive exhaustion before he died. Climber Arjun Vajpai, who found Hanna dead in his tent, has spoken briefly of his last hours with the 56-year-old. He was one of a group climbers who had gone up west Nepals 8,091m-Mt Annapurna with Noel. He said some 18 climbers in total had started expeditions up to what is one of the tallest and most treacherous mountains in the world at around the same time. At 7pm, on April 16, he, Noel and three others Naila Kiani and Shehroze Kashif from Pakistan, and Khoo Swee Chow from Singapore had set off from Camp IV for the summit some 200m above them. On their way they had crossed paths with an Indian climber Anurag Maloo, 34, and his group, who were returning to Camp IV having reached the summit earlier. The following day, at around 7.30am, Noel, Arjun, and the others reached the summit and then returned back to Camp IV. But, he said, they did not all arrive at the same time. Arjun said Noel returned after him at 7pm, made himself some soup and then went to sleep because he was exhausted. Arjun said it was on the morning of Tuesday, April 18, that a sherpa guide at Camp IV first noticed that Hanna had stopped responding to attempts to contact him. He then went to check and found the Irishman. "I found Noel lying in the tent, motionless, Arjun, who has since returned to his home in India, told the Times of India. The previous day, Hanna had returned to the camp around 2-3 hours after me at 7pm and gone to sleep immediately. He was trekking without oxygen backup. We believe he died due to extreme weather conditions and excessive exhaustion. On the same day that Hanna scaled Annapurna, Indian climber Anurag had slipped and fallen 300m into a deep crevice from a 5,800m point on his way down to base camp. Another climber, Baljeet Kaur, 27, also went missing near Camp IV while on her way down from the summit. Both have since been rescued and are recovering after their ordeals. Although still in intensive care in a hospital in Nepal, Anurag is said to be in a much better condition than he was when he was rescued after being trapped for three days. Meanwhile, details of ten-time Everest summiteer Noels funeral have been announced on Facebook by his wife Lynne, the former Clarins CEO who climbed to Everest twice with her husband. Noel Hanna meeting Bill Clinton. Picture: noelhanna.com The former RUC officer who was once a body guard to Bill Clinton when he visited the North in the 1990s will be laid to rest this coming Saturday, April 29. There will be a cremation service at Roselawn Cemetery and Crematorium in Belfast at 2pm for family and close friends only. This will be followed at around 3.30pm with a gathering and celebration of Noels life at Belfasts Stormont Hotel. More than half of the houses sold to first-time buyers under the local authority affordable purchase scheme last year were puchased in Cork. New figures from the Department of Housing show that of the 323 affordable homes provided through the scheme, 173 were in Cork. Cork City Council sold 135 of the affordable homes, while Cork County Council sold the other 38. The scheme, which was launched as part of the governments Housing for All strategy, makes new homes available for purchase at reduced prices. In return, local authorities receive a stake in the new home, equal to the discount provided. Cork City Council says a sales process for a further 135 houses is underway for 2023, while Cork County Council said plans for a further 600 homes are in the pipeline. Paul Sheehan of Cork Simon Communities welcomed the figures, saying the fact that the two local authorities provided half the national supply from the scheme is impressive and that any initiative that prevents people from going into emergency accommodation has to be welcomed". However, Mr Sheehan also pointed to the number of people already in emergency accommodation and the number of notices to quit that have been served recently, saying the figures are small in comparison. Cork has the highest number of people in emergency accommodation after Dublin, with more than 500 people requiring support according to the latest figures. Mr Sheehan said: The local authority affordable purchase scheme would be just one small part of our housing system that ultimately is broken and isnt meeting the needs of our population. Elsewhere, just 39 affordable homes were provided in Dublin, divided between Fingal County Council (23) and South Dublin County Council (16). The remaining 111 properties came from Waterford City & County Council (65), Wicklow County Council (36), and Westmeath County Council. The scheme is targeted at first-time buyers on moderate incomes, with eligibility rules requiring the potential buyers to have not previously bought or built a property to live in. There are, however, exceptions for fresh start applicants who have previously owned a home through a relationship but are no longer together, or for people who have gone through bankruptcy. The maximum stake a local authority can take is 40% and it must be paid back after 40 years, or if the house is sold at a later date. Seven local authorities provided affordable housing through the scheme in 2022, with a further eight looking to provide accommodation in 2023. A further 105 homes are being provided through the cost rental scheme in Cork City through approved housing bodies. These agreements are aimed at people who are above the threshold for social housing but have difficulty affording private rented accommodation. An additional 122 applicants for the first home scheme have been approved in Cork since its launch in July 2022, bringing the total number of affordable homes provided under Housing for All last year to 400. Gardai are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 18-year-old Stephen Cullen, who is missing from his home in Cork City since April 17, 2023. Stephen is described as approximately 5ft 10 in height, of slim build with short red hair and blue eyes. The attendance of a Gsoc investigator at a party in the company of Gerry Hutch on the day that Hutch was acquitted of murder comes under the Gubu label. Gubu was an acronym coined by Conor Cruise OBrien in 1982 following an incident in which a murderer was found in the home of the States attorney general. Grotesque, Unbelievable, Bizarre, and Unprecedented is a description that could be used for the case of the Garda Ombudsman investigator partying with the Monk. The investigator apparently revealed to colleagues that he had been at a party in Dublins inner city last Monday evening when Hutch walked in. If that scenario alone were to be taken at face value, there is an obvious course of action the investigator should have followed. He should have left immediately, and first thing the next morning informed his manger in Gsoc. Instead, he apparently thought it was no big deal, something to file away under guess who I met last night. Then it emerged that he had a relationship, either personal or commercial, through a tenancy, with a female associated with the Hutch family. This is now going full Gubu. A man who investigates the gardai has placed himself in a position where he is consorting with members of a family, some of whom run an organised crime group. The investigator was hired from abroad, reportedly through a Zoom interview, and has been involved in a number of high-profile investigations of Garda corruption or misbehaviour. A Gsoc investigator partying with Gerry Hutch is 'grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre, and unprecedented'. One recent investigation followed the tragic death of Detective Superintendent Colm Fox, senior investigating officer of the Regency Hotel murder, the crime for which the Monk was tried and acquitted. Det Supt Fox, who was highly regarded professionally and well liked, took his own life with his firearm during the trial of Patrick Hutch, nephew of Gerry, in 2018, also for the Regency murder. Patrick Hutch was also acquitted. Gsoc is investigating the circumstances around Det Supt Foxs death. Quite obviously, this is a highly- sensitive case. If the investigator in question was involved in the investigation, major questions arise. Did he have a relationship of any sort with anybody associated with the Hutches while conducting that investigation? Did his relationship with the Hutch associate arise out of the investigation? Either scenario should have alarm bells screaming for Gsoc. Add in the fact that this is taking place against a background in which the gardai have been questioning retired garda superintendent John Murphy, who is serving a prison term for drugs offences, about suspected links to the Hutch group. Once the matter blew up with Gsoc management, a process to suspend the investigator was initiated but he then resigned. His resignation could have serious implications for the investigation that Gsoc is now conducting into the affair, particularly if he does not deign to co-operate with it. The establishment of Gsoc, which began operations in 2007, was the biggest leap forward for Garda accountability in the history of the State. Prior to that, investigations into misbehaviour or corruption were little more than a joke. Since it was set up there has been unrelenting tension between Gsoc and the gardai. Representative bodies for the latter are constantly pushing back against what they consider unfair levels of accountability. Gsoc regularly points out that full co-operation from the force in investigations is often not forthcoming, a worrying state of affairs which has not fully engaged successive governments. Shortcomings in Gsocs powers have been a constant theme that in recent years has finally been given due attention by the Department of Justice. Over the weekend, the Garda representative bodies have been making hay on the back of this Gubu affair. They want an inquiry removed from Gsoc. They want previous investigations reviewed and a complete reassessment of Gsoc recruitment policies. They are basking in high levels of righteous indignation. The call for an independent inquiry is justifiable. Armed gardai outside the Criminal Courts of Justice where Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch was acquitted of murder last week. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins Who will guard the guards is an important issue in any functioning democracy and in this instance it has emerged that those charged with guarding the guards have some questions to answer themselves. The inquiry should be swift and its results made public. For possibly the biggest casualty of this Gubu affair is the accountability of An Garda Siochana. There have been advances in accountability but arguably it still falls short of what is conducted, and expected, in similar democracies to ours. The overseer is constantly the subject of pushback from the gardai and apparent indifference from the body politic. In such an environment, it needs to be cleaner than clean to properly attempt to carry out its function. HOUSE hunters looking to bed down in a town whose star is on the rise should consider heading East, to Castlemartyr, where a star has already been doled out to Terre, the newest Michelin kid on the block, at the 5-star Castlemartyr Resort. Castlemartyr Resort The entrance to the resort, where 8m has been invested in the past year, is literally across the road from the house featured here and the home owners made good use of its magnificent parklands during the recent pandemic. The woman of the house at No 4 Main Street also avails of a gym membership (anyone can join) and she and her son have made good use of the resorts swimming pool. The fact that she wound up living in Castlemartyr was largely down to her mother who spotted that No 4 was for sale during a visit to Ireland from her native Cornwall in the UK. The story of my move to Castlemartyr started off sadly as myself and my husband had split up in 2014. I was a single mother with a young son and I needed to find the cheapest house in Ireland, the owner says. My mother was in Ireland at the time and spotted the listing for No 4. I dismissed it initially, thinking there was no way I would live on Main Street with a young child. However she fell for the house after her mum arranged a visit. I was standing on Main Street thinking this looks tiny, but when we went in, we could see the house goes back forever. I just fell in love with it immediately, the owner says. She moved in with her five-year-old in 2015 and unleashed her creative streak, turning No 4 into a very distinctive home with plenty of colourful flourishes. Wallpaper is my new hobby, I really feel it adds character and I just like to decorate, she says. She saved up to put in a new kitchen which she says transformed the whole house. Its neatly and smartly done, with a snug corner seating area, a porcelain sink and modern units. She tackled the attic too, transforming it from storage area into a hip home office, as she has been working from home for the past two years. A sunroom to the rear of the house, which had also turned into a storage space, was cleared out, given a makeover with some bold wallpaper and returned to use. Beyond the sunroom, steps were installed to make better use of a maintenance-free raised yard, where a concrete floor was painted turquoise blue which looks great in summer, the owner says, adding that its great for dining outside. Having wrung maximum use out of a modest-size house, shes moving on now because her life story has taken another turn. Her partner moved in about a year ago and they have outgrown the house, as they are both working from home. No 4 is one of a number of homes to benefit from recent makeovers on Castlemartyr's Main Street, where you will also find the terrific Village Greengrocer foodhall, a post office, a bank, a couple of nice pubs and cafes and other retail. The village is less than a 10 minute drive from beaches like Garryvoe and Ballywilling, while Midleton town is about a 0 minute drive and Cork City is less than half an hour. Selling No 4 is Judy OBrien of ERA Downey McCarthy and she says Castlemartyr is being rejuvenated by first time buyers buying up probate sales and putting lots of work into them. She says No 4 is deceptive , that theres more to it than meets the eye from kerbside. Ms OBrien is guiding at 190,000. The owner says its perfect for a first time buyer/small family. I hope whoever buys has as much luck as I have had here, she says, adding that East Cork is Best Cork. VERDICT: Colourful, convenient starter home in an up-and-coming village. A German publisher has dismissed one of its magazine editors and apologised to the family of Michael Schumacher for publishing a fake interview with the Formula One great that was generated by artificial intelligence. This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared. It does not in any way correspond to the standards of journalism that we and our readers expect from a publisher like Funke, Funke magazines managing director Bianca Pohlmann said on Saturday. Camille Marquis is the outgoing Advocacy Manager for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Sudan. She was due to leave Sudan, after having been on assignment for 12 months, the day the conflict escalated, forcing her and her colleagues into a bunker. She recounts what's been happening in the capital, Khartoum. On Saturday, when I heard the first gunshots outside at about 8.30am while having breakfast, I was just starting what I thought was my last day in Khartoum. My luggage was ready, my fridge and cupboards emptied, with just a few hours to wait before going to the airport to fly home after one year spent in Sudan. Quickly, we all went down to the safe room of our guesthouse, in the basement. I spent the day there sitting on the floor, along with more than 10 colleagues, jumping at the sound of heavy shooting, of low-flying war planes and subsequent bangs from air strikes. The sound was echoing in the room, walls and small windows were shaking. The sound of silence often ensued a blast, but never lasted for long. That first night, sleeping on the floor surrounded by my colleagues, while I was supposed to be at the airport to fly home, I was thinking of the people stuck inside the airport, where heavy fighting has been taking place. I could have been one of them. Some were wounded and have not been able to leave the airport to be treated. People are running out of food, water, fuel, and are taking great risks to get supplies in shops that are already facing shortages. Camille Marquis is outgoing MSF Advocacy Manager in Sudan I was thinking also of all my Sudanese colleagues and more generally people living in Khartoum who, unlike me, did not have the chance to be sleeping in a bunker, with emergency food stocks and water. It is now the sixth day of fighting in the streets of densely populated Khartoum, with its roughly 10 million inhabitants. People are running out of food, water, fuel, and are taking great risks to get supplies in shops that are already facing shortages. Hearing all the destruction outside, reading about the loss of life, about the wounded and sick people who cannot get to a functioning hospital or clinic, even in the capital city of Khartoum, makes me incredibly sad for Sudan and for its people, stuck amid fighting between armed forces of their own country. People are struggling to get food, water, medication, healthcare... and these are just the first few days. The consequences and aftermath of this fighting on the already-high humanitarian needs will be dramatic. For a year, I have been monitoring humanitarian needs in Sudan and documenting the impact of the lack of response to those needs on the health and nutrition of Sudanese people, especially children. We had just released a briefing note to raise the alarm on the dire needs of people living in West Darfur, calling on humanitarian groups and donors to scale up the response and support Sudan's already collapsing health system. If humanitarian and healthcare workers are unable to continue working safely and if patients are unable to reach a hospital without fear, millions of children and other vulnerable people in Sudan are at risk of severe health consequences. Camille Marquis is outgoing MSF Advocacy Manager in Sudan Among my colleagues currently sheltering in Khartoum, a nurse and a nurse trainer were meant to fly to El Geneina, in West Darfur, to work at the MSF-supported hospital and treat severely malnourished and sick children. MSF's psychologist working in El Geneina's hospital is also stuck in Khartoum. Because of the conflict, they may not be able to go back there anytime soon to do their lifesaving humanitarian work. Teams in West Darfur report an unusually low number of patients in the wards, probably a sign of people fearing to leave their homes and come to the hospital in such an unstable security context. Last year, in El Geneina, the malnutrition peak started in early May, less than 10 days from now. If humanitarian and healthcare workers are unable to continue working safely - to provide healthcare and nutrition support, but also food assistance - and if patients are unable to access assistance and reach a hospital without fear, millions of children and other vulnerable people in Sudan are at risk of severe health consequences. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Conflict Health By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. A third of the population in Sudan was already deemed food insecure before this ongoing conflict. We can only expect the situation to get worse, all over Sudan. MSF continues to provide medical care in Sudan where possible; however, many staff members currently cannot move due to intense fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and across the country. The safety of our staff and patients is our top priority, and we are supporting staff members according to their specific circumstances. We call on all parties to the conflict to guarantee the safety of medical staff, patients, and health facilities, and to allow the safe passage of ambulances, health and humanitarian workers, and people seeking health care. In recent years we had projects in the States of Khartoum, Gedaref, Kassala, Blue Nile, White Nile, North Darfur, East Darfur, West Darfur, South Darfur and Central Darfur, with emergency teams launching activities in other states as needed. United States troops are carrying out an evacuation of American embassy staffers in Sudan as fighting rages for a ninth day, according to a senior Biden administration official. US troops that airlifted embassy staff out of Sudans capital, Khartoum, have safely left Sudanese airspace, a second US official confirmed. Joe Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation on 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. Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum (Maheen S/AP) US forces were flying them from a landing zone at the embassy to an unspecified location. The US State Department has suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might resume functioning. According to the World Health Organisation, fighting has killed more than 400 people since erupting on April 15 between two factions whose leaders are vying for control over the country. The violence has 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 has said it has no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of American citizens trapped in Sudan. An estimated 16,000 private US citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan (Marwan Ali/AP) 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. The embassy issued an alert earlier on Saturday cautioning that 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. The US evacuation planning got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that US troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. Indian police have arrested a separatist leader who has revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland and the secession of Indias northern Punjab state, which has a history of violent insurgency. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since last month after capturing national attention in February, when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, a town in Punjab state, with wooden batons, swords and guns to demand the release of a jailed aide. Punjab state police tweeted on Sunday that Singh had been arrested in Moga, a town in the state. A Sikh religious leader, Jasbir Singh Rodde, said Singh surrendered to police after offering morning prayers at a Sikh shrine in Moga. Police then arrested him and took him away, he said. #AmritpalSingh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share. Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 23, 2023 Police officer Sukhchain Singh Gill said police had surrounded the local village on intelligence that Singh was in the shrine. Relentless pressure built by the police over the past 35 days left Singh with no choice, Mr Gill told reporters. He said the police did not enter the shrine, implying that Singh was taken into custody after he left. He declined to confirm that Singh surrendered to police as claimed by his supporters. The officer said Singh was flown to Dibrugarh in Indias north-east, where he will be detained until he is taken to court to face charges. Punjab suffered a bloody insurgency in the 1980s that led to the killing of Indias then-prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards at her official residence in New Delhi. Her killing triggered bloody rioting by her Hindu supporters against Sikhs in northern India. Sikhs are a religious minority in India and say they are discriminated against by the majority Hindus. More than 3,000 people were killed by extremists during the 1980s insurgency in the prosperous farming state. The insurgency was crushed by Indian forces by 1990. Punjab borders India-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of supporting, training and arming insurgents, a charge Islamabad denies. Supporters of the Waris Punjab De organisation shout slogans about their chief and separatist leader Amritpal Singh and other arrested activists in Amritsar in March (Prabhjot Gill/AP) Police declared Singh, a 30-year-old preacher, a fugitive and accused him and his aides of creating discord in the state. They accused them of spreading disharmony among people, attempted murder, attacking police personnel and obstructing public servants lawful discharge of duty. Authorities have deployed thousands of paramilitary soldiers in the state and arrested nearly 100 of Singhs supporters. His wife was prevented from leaving India last week. Very little was known about Singh until he arrived in Punjab state in 2022 and began leading marches calling for the protection of rights for Sikhs, who account for about 1.7% of Indias population. Singh claims to draw inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh militant leader accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency for Khalistan in the 1980s. Bhindranwale and his supporters were killed in 1984 when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. Singh has styled himself after Bhindranwale, with a long, flowing beard. He also dresses like Bhindranwale. Singh also heads Waris Punjab De, or Punjabs Heirs, an organisation that was part of a massive campaign to mobilise farmers against controversial agriculture reforms being pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. The legislation triggered a year of protests that began in 2020, as farmers most of them Sikhs from Punjab state camped on the outskirts of New Delhi through a harsh winter and devastating coronavirus surge. The protests ended after Mr Modis government withdrew the legislation in November 2021. Sikh separatist leader and head of Waris Punjab De Amritpal Singh, centre, stands outside a house with his supporters in the village Jallupur Khera, near Amritsar (Prabhjot Gill/AP) Waris Punjab De was founded by Deep Sidhu, an Indian actor who died in 2022 in a road accident. Singhs speeches have become increasingly popular among supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. Officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. Even though the movement has waned over the years, it still has some support in Punjab and beyond including in countries like Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, which are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora. Last month, supporters of the movement pulled down the Indian flag at the countrys high commission in London and smashed the buildings windows in a show of anger against the move to arrest Singh. Indias Foreign Ministry denounced the incident and summoned the UKs deputy high commissioner in New Delhi to protest at what it called the breach of security at the embassy in London. The supporters of the Khalistan movement also vandalized the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the United States. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. The Foreign Ministry affirmed that it is in contact around the clock with all the State's relevant bodies, the Sudanese authorities, and the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum to prepare for the return of Egyptian expatriates as soon as favorable conditions become available. The Foreign Ministry also said that it is holding contacts with Egypt's consulates in Port Sudan and Wadi Halfa to discuss the conditions of the Egyptian expatriates in Sudan. In a statement Saturday 22/04/2023, the Foreign Ministry urged Egyptians in Sudan to remain indoors, exercise caution and avoid areas experiencing tension. It also called on all Egyptians to maintain constant contacts with the Egyptian diplomatic and consular representation in Sudan, until instructions for evacuations are received. Activist and investment scheme operator Michael Amushelelo will be appealing against a ruling in which his application to be granted bail following his arrest a month ago was dismissed in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court in Katutura yesterday. Defence lawyer Kadhila Amoomo, who represented Amushelelo during his bail hearing before magistrate Sally Salionga, said yesterday that he will be filing an appeal against the bail ruling today. He estimates that the appeal would be heard in about two months' time, Amoomo added. Salionga turned down Amushelelo's bail application after saying she did not foresee any suitable conditions that could be attached to his release on bail to deter him from committing similar offences. On this issue, she noted that Amushelelo was granted bail with conditions attached in two previous cases, but no change was seen in his conduct while he was free on bail. Amushelelo (32), fellow activist Dimbulukeni Nauyoma and Popular Democratic Movement parliamentarian Inna Hengari were arrested in Windhoek on 21 March, after they had allegedly been involved in a public demonstration about unemployment in Namibia that the police had prohibited from going ahead. They are charged with counts of public violence, incitement to public violence and malicious damage to property. Hengari was released on bail in an amount of N$5 000 on 24 March, after the state withdrew its objections to her being granted bail. After a bail hearing in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court in Katutura, Nauyoma was also granted bail in an amount of N$5 000, on 3 April. In her ruling yesterday, Salionga noted that Amushelelo has been released on bail in three other pending cases, which she said showed he has a propensity to commit similar offences. Amushelelo was granted bail in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court at the end of January, after he had been arrested at a protest at a shop at the harbour town. About two weeks later, he was arrested in Windhoek. That was after a public demonstration by City of Windhoek street cleaners engaged in a strike about working conditions turned disorderly, with protesters emptying rubbish bins onto streets in the city centre. Amushelelo was charged with counts of inciting public violence and inciting or instigating public violence and malicious damage to property, which are both offences under the Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956, following that arrest. After a week in police custody, Amushelelo was granted bail in an amount of N$3 000 in that matter, on condition that he should not be charged with a similar offence in any district of Namibia. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Namibia Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Amushelelo's release on N$3 000 bail at Walvis Bay was on condition that he should not be charged with a similar offence of taking part in an unlawful public gathering or public violence. He is also facing 365 charges - including 348 counts of fraud, alternatively theft by false pretences - in the Windhoek High Court in connection with his role in a multimillion-dollar alleged Ponzi investment scam from September 2018 to October 2019. Amushelelo did not testify in person during his bail hearing before Salionga. In an affidavit submitted to the court, he said he and Nauyoma were escorting a group of protesters to the areas where they are residing when they were arrested by the police. His arrest and prosecution are unlawful, and he had been unfairly targeted by members of the Namibian Police who want to portray him as unruly, Amushelelo said in the statement submitted to the court. The bail hearing started last week. Public prosecutor Tatelo Lusepani represented the state. A checkpoint has been established by Azerbaijan on the land connection between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan established a checkpoint on the only land link between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave on Sunday, which has triggered a strong reaction from its rival Yerevan. This move has escalated tensions between the two ex-Soviet Caucasus nations that engaged in two wars over Azerbaijans Armenian-majority region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The state border service said, The units of the Azerbaijani Border Service established a border checkpoint on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, at the entrance of the Lachin-Khankendi road. Baku and Yerevan previously went to war in 2020 and in the 1990s over Nagorno-Karabakh. Under the Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the 2020 conflict, Azerbaijan is required to guarantee safe passage on the Lachin corridor, which Russian peacekeepers patrol. Azerbaijan noted that it established the checkpoint on Sunday at 12:00 pm (0800 GMT) to prevent the illegal transportation of manpower, weapons, mines. It added that the checkpoint shall be implemented in interaction with the Russian peacekeeping force. Indian police arrested a Sikh separatist named Amritpal Singh after a month-long manhunt, which led to protests and vandalism among the British, Canadian, and American diaspora. Singh became famous in Punjab, calling for a separate Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, which caused deadly violence in India in the 1980s and 1990s. He was arrested at around 6:45 am (0115 GMT) in a Gurdwara (Sikh temple), which was surrounded by authority personnel. Singh, who is 30 years old, styles himself on Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a figurehead of the Khalistan movement, who was killed when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple in Amritsar, a major Sikh site, in 1984. Singh and his supporters, armed with swords, knives and guns, raided a police station in February after one of the preachers aides was arrested for assault and attempted kidnapping. In mid-March, authorities tried to arrest Singh, but he dramatically escaped, reportedly on a motorbike after changing clothes at a Gurdwara. The operation sparked protests by Sikhs outside Indian consulates in Britain, Canada, and the United States. Demonstrators smashed windows in San Francisco, took down an Indian flag at the Indian High Commission in London and reportedly vandalized a Gandhi statue in Ontario. India summoned top US, British and Canadian diplomats to complain and press for improved security at Indian missions in their countries. Punjab was rocked by a violent separatist movement for Khalistan in the 1980s and early 1990s which led to thousands of people dying. Critics accused Indias then-ruling Congress of turning a blind eye to the killings, with some figures from the party allegedly playing an active role in the violence. The separatist movement later lost support. Chinese Ambassador in Paris Raises Concerns over the Sovereign Status of Former Soviet Nations The Chinese Ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, has recently raised concerns about the sovereign status of former Soviet nations. His comments came during an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, in which he discussed Chinas position on international relations. Ambassador Lu expressed concerns about the influence of Western countries on the former Soviet nations and their attempts to interfere in their internal affairs. He argued that these nations should be allowed to maintain their own sovereignty and that the West should respect their independence. The comments have raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles, particularly in light of Chinas own recent actions in Hong Kong and Tibet. Critics have accused the Chinese government of hypocrisy, suggesting that they are not in a position to lecture others about respecting sovereignty. However, Ambassador Lu defended Chinas position, arguing that the situation in Hong Kong and Tibet was different. He said that Hong Kong was a part of China and that their actions there were necessary to maintain stability and security. Similarly, he argued that Tibet was an integral part of China and that the governments actions there were necessary to maintain unity and stability. Despite the controversy, Ambassador Lus comments highlight the importance of sovereignty in international relations. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, it is important for nations to respect each others independence and sovereignty. This includes respecting the territorial integrity of other nations and avoiding interference in their internal affairs. The comments also reflect Chinas growing influence on the world stage. As China continues to rise as a global superpower, it is likely that their views on international relations will become increasingly important. This will require other nations to carefully consider Chinas position on issues such as sovereignty and territorial integrity. Overall, Ambassador Lus comments highlight the complexity of international relations in the 21st century. As nations continue to navigate the challenges of globalization and rising nationalism, it is important for them to carefully consider their actions and respect the sovereignty of other nations. Only by working together can we build a more peaceful and prosperous world for all. Jowhar A group of people gathered at the entrance of the Majicavo slum on Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean that authorities plan to evacuate and demolish. Among the group was Fatima Youssuf, a migrant from the Comoros Islands, who expressed frustration with the authorities who frequently come to demolish their houses. The authorities plan to launch Operation Wuambushu (Take Back) as early as this weekend to remove illegal migrants who have settled in slums on the island. The Soufou family is one of the many families living in the slums, they have already prepared their bags, but they are waiting for a dignified accommodation before they leave. An official involved in the resettlement tells AFP that alternative options have been proposed to each family. More than 2,000 police and administrative officials have been mobilised to set in train the expulsions of those illegally on the island and tear down the makeshift squats housing them. There is also a risk of rebellion from the affected residents. Some locals in Mayotte have expressed joy that the notice has been put in place to remove the illegals from their neighbourhood that they describe as unlivable. editorial Namibia's population is so small that it arguably requires far fewer connections than outlined in the six degrees of separation theory which posits that any person can be connected to any other person through no more than five acquaintances. Public enterprises minister Iipumbu Shiimi was thus spot on when stating: "In a small country like Namibia there is always the possibility for potential conflicts of interest, and I want to underline the word potential. The key is how that potential conflict is managed." Shiimi was responding to The Namibian's reporting on conflict of interest issues raised by the appointment of banker and financial expert Lionel Mathews as interim managing director of controversy-ridden state oil company Namcor. Before the appointment, Mathews was roped into a firm called Fullbright Investments which was chosen as a preferred bidder to partner with Namcor in setting up fuel storage infrastructure around the country valued at about N$1 billion. We could not agree with Shiimi more when he says "the key is how that potential conflict is managed". Therein lies the crunch. Instead of acknowledging and explaining how the conflict of interest between Mathews' private dealings and Namcor will be handled, though, Shiimi and several other parties driving his appointment seem to want to divert attention elsewhere and wish away the issue. Shiimi, in fact, went further. He criticised journalists for their reporting on the issue. He was quoted as urging journalists to "take the high moral ground to defend brave and patriotic Namibians who stick out their necks and put their lives, those of their families and their careers at risk to create a better Namibia for future generations". Shiimi suggested that by pursuing the conflict of interest issue the media was captured by "dark forces that are driven by self-interest". News reports have not questioned the experience, expertise, suitability and integrity of Mathews to run Namcor. However, a conflict of interest is not merely a red herring chased by the media at the behest of so-called "dark forces". Shiimi and others who downplay the issue seem to forget the importance of the need for constant vigilance when it comes to conflicts of interest. It is crucial to transparent and fair governance. Failure to regulate and manage conflicts of interest is what largely led to a select number of families, their friends and political connections getting fishing and mining licences, as well as benefiting from other public resources that have enriched them while the majority of our country's small population struggles to make ends meet. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Namibia By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. It is no secret Mathews has worked closely with the Fullbright team. He now stands to gain more knowledge about Namcor's operations. Will he simply recuse himself while at Namcor and after his stint of six months go back to helping Fullbright make the most of its agreement with the state company? Without such issues being addressed, the public is left to draw conclusions that may unfortunately taint Mathews whose integrity Shiimi is vouching for. It is in everybody's best interest that the potential conflict of interest is handled transparently. Exactly because Namibia is a country with a small population of close-knit connections, measures to address conflicts of interest must be tightened. At state-owned institutions such as Namcor that are embroiled in power struggles, it becomes even more crucial that key governance matters like conflicts of interest not be brushed aside simply because Namibia has a small population. Namibians are watching. Russia has expelled more than 20 German diplomats in a reciprocal move after Berlin said some Russian diplomats had left Germany. Meanwhile, Russias Defence Ministry has claimed that its assault troops have captured three more districts in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the Russian advance. Read our blog to see how the days events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2). This live blog is no longer being updated. For more of our coverage on the war in Ukraine, please click here. 10:08pm: Kharkiv and surrounding districts hit by five missiles, say Ukrainian officials At least five Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and surrounding districts late on Saturday night, causing some damage to civilian buildings, local officials said. Russia has for months been launching drones and missiles against a wide variety of Ukrainian targets in a bid to damage vital infrastructure. Regional governor Oleh Sinegubov, writing on Telegram, said one missile hit a house in the village of Kotliary, just to the south of Kharkiv, while another sparked a major fire in the city itself. 9:09pm: Cyprus says cracking down on Ukraine war sanctions busters Cyprus has cracked down on those named by the United States and Britain for allegedly helping Russian oligarchs bypass sanctions on Moscow because of the Ukraine war, an official said Saturday. Financial Commissioner Pavlos Ioannou told state broadcaster CyBC that the assets of the individuals and entities concerned have been frozen. It was unavoidable for the banks to take the action they did and the government also acted prudently, Ioannou said. Cyprus Greek-language daily Phileleftheros said the islands largest lender, Bank of Cyprus, had also informed 4,000 customers who have a Russian passport and are non-residents of EU countries that their accounts will be closed. The east Mediterranean island is home to a large Russian diaspora. Limassol on the south coast often nicknamed Moscow on the Med has long been a magnet for Russian speakers. 7:14pm: Belarus units complete training on Russian tactical nuclear missile systems 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. 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. 5:24pm: Moscow says it has expelled over 20 German diplomats in reciprocal move Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday that Moscow was expelling more than 20 German diplomats, state media reported, as Berlin said some Russian diplomats had left Germany. A German Foreign Ministry official said Berlin and Moscow had been in contact about their respective representations in the last few weeks with the aim of reducing Russias intelligence presence in Germany. Todays departure of Russian embassy staff is related to this, said the official. The German ministry declined to say how many Russian diplomats had left. Commenting on Germanys expulsions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: We strongly condemn these actions by Berlin, which continues to demonstratively destroy the entire array of Russian-German relations. It said its own expulsions were reciprocal, and that it would significantly limit the maximum number of staff at German diplomatic missions. 3:15pm:Residents in Russias Belgorod return home after bomb scare More than 3,000 people in the Russian city of Belgorod were returning to their homes on Saturday after being evacuated while an explosive was disposed of, the local governor said. Two days earlier a Russian warplane accidentally dropped a bomb on the city, damaging local houses, authorities said. Those evacuated lived in the same area. Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that people had started to return to their homes after a shell was removed from the area. 2:54pm: Six Leopard tanks leave Spain en route to Ukraine Six Leopard 2A4 tanks destined for Ukraine left Spain by ship on Friday and will arrive in days, Spains Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on Saturday. The Leopards and around 20 transport vehicles left from Santander port heading for Ukraine, where they will arrive in five or six days, Robles told journalists. Robles said this month that Spain will send Ukraine 10 Leopard 2A4 tanks. The military is repairing the remaining four. Spain has also trained 40 tank crew members and 15 mechanics. Ukraine has been reliant on outdated Soviet-era tanks and appealed to the West for modern battle tanks, saying they are critical to its ground capabilities. 1:42pm: Over 3,000 civilians to be evacuated after explosive found in Russias Belgorod More than 3,000 people will be evacuated in the Russian city of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, after an explosive was found, the local governor said on Saturday, two days after a Russian warplane accidentally dropped a bomb on the city. Military explosive experts have decided to neutralize 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. On Thursday, a Russian Sukhoi-34 supersonic warplane accidentally fired a weapon into Belgorod, causing an explosion and injuring three people, according to Russian officials. It was not immediately clear if the two incidents were connected. 1:01pm: Russia says it takes three districts in western part of Ukraines Bakhmut Russias Defence Ministry said on Saturday that Russian assault troops had captured three more districts in the western part of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. The Russian military sometimes refers to the Wagner group of fighters as assault troops. Ukrainian and Russian units have been battling for months over the eastern city, much of which lies in ruins. 9:21am: Russian head of Crimea says air defences activated, no damage or casualties The top official in the Russian-annexed Crimea region of Ukraine said on Saturday that air defence systems had been activated but there were no reports of damage or casualties. Air defence forces worked in the sky over Crimea. No damage or casualties. I ask everyone to remain calm and trust only trusted sources of information, the official, Sergei Aksyonov, said on the messaging app Telegram. He did not say what the target of the air defences was or specify the location of the military activity. Key developments of Friday, April 21: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attended a meeting on Friday at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where 50 countries, including the United States, were present to discuss coordinating further support for Ukraine. While there, he said that he was confident that Ukraine is prepared to retake more territory as Kyiv readies a new offensive against invading Russian forces. Poland on Friday allowed the transit of Ukrainian grain and other food through its borders, partially lifting a near week-long ban imposed in response to protests from its farmers. Jowhar with AFP, AP and Reuters US troops have used helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Khartoum, Sudans war-torn capital, as deadly fighting between rival generals continues. President Joe Biden has condemned the violence and called for an immediate ceasefire. France has also launched evacuation operations for its citizens in the country. Over 400 people have been killed in the fighting, with thousands more injured. Other foreign countries are also preparing to evacuate their nationals, with South Korea, Japan, and the European Union all considering moves to evacuate thousands of people. The conflict has left many civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power and water supplies dwindling. The situation is further complicated by a near-total collapse of internet connectivity across the country. DonbassDevushka is a well-known social media account that has been linked to the recent leakage of classified documents on the Ukraine war. The pro-Kremlin mouthpiece claims to be run by a Russian woman in the occupied city of Luhansk, but is actually run by a pro-Russian former US military officer. US-born Sarah Bils, 30, confessed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published last week that she has been overseeing a network of social media accounts called Donbass Devushka, which translates to Donbasgirl. The former Washington DC-based noncommissioned Navy officer pretended to be posting from the Ukrainian city of Luhansk, speaking with a light Russian accent to her hundreds of thousands of followers. But Bils is actually promoting pro-Russia views on the Ukraine war. Bils had a security clearance during her Navy career. She has been building a small disinformation empire on Twitter and Telegram with the help of more than a dozen people since 2021, according to pro-Ukraine group NAFO, which was one of the first to uncover Bils true identity. Donbass Devushka helped to spread classified files allegedly leaked by airman Jack Teixeira. Four of those documents were posted by another administrator on Telegram to its 65,000 followers, according to The Wall Street Journal. Bils is one of 15 administrators all over the world involved in running the Donbass Devushka network. Bils created a number of accounts on Twitter when the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, promoting pro-Kremlin views by claiming that Kyiv was sponsoring Nazi marauders while downplaying the setbacks of Russian forces in Ukraine. However, most of Bils accounts on Twitter have since been shut down. Bils used the platform at times to celebrate the killings of Ukrainian soldiers while defending ultra-violent methods employed by the Wagner mercenary group. Bils YouTube channel has just 3,000 followers. However, Bils posts long interviews with some of the most well-known pro-Russia bloggers and self-proclaimed independent journalists of the English-speaking world, sharing anti-Western sentiments and supporting the viewpoint that the US is waging a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. The English-speaking, pro-Russian disinformation network echoes the rhetoric used by Moscow, including accusations of Nazism levelled against the Ukrainian government and the assertion that Russia is being besieged by a declining West, says Yevgeniy Golovchenko, a University of Copenhagen expert on Russian disinformation and propaganda. Bils joined the US Navy in 2009 and left active service by November 2022 due to medical reasons, which Bils said were linked to post-traumatic stress disorder. While serving in the Navy, Bils ran a small business selling fish food and held podcasts discussing the subject of fish. After February 2022 when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, she built one of the fastest-growing English-speaking pro-Putin communities, according to Pekka Kallioniemi, a member of the NAFO group and researcher at the University of Tampere in Finland. However, she is not the only American who has chosen to serve as a mouthpiece for Moscows interests, according to Jeff Hawn, a Russia specialist and non-resident fellow at the New Lines Institute, a US geopolitical research centre. The vast majority of these English-speaking supporters of Russia come from the United States or Europe, says Hawn, noting that expediency probably plays a part. Bils had set up an online store, which was taken offline last weekend, selling various items proclaiming support for the Russian war effort in Ukraine, including T-shirts and mugs celebrating Putin, pro-Kremlin Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, or Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group boss. English-speaking networks such as Donbass Devushka are not necessarily the result of Russian intelligent services efforts at recruiting propaganda mouthpieces, notes Golovchenko. Nevertheless, these Putinophile influencers are very useful to the Kremlin, says Hawn. The main weakness of Russian propaganda is that it always looks very institutional and linked to the Russian authorities. Reddit Email 80 Shares Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) On Earth Day, 2023, big public events were held by activists across the US (and across the world). But activists you always have with you. I joined in picking up garbage along the road that led to our high school on April 22, 1970, the first earth day. The world has become more polluted every year since, and at that time we did not even know about the threat of global heating, which has now come to be a key part of environmentalism. What do Americans think about climate issues today, 53 years after the first Earth Day? There is actually some good news in the polling. Jonathon Schuldt, Executive Director, Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and Associate Professor of Communications, Cornell University remarks that Americans perception of climate change as a serious, imminent threat increased by 14 percent between 2021 and 2022. And 60% had said that the climate issue would be somewhat or very important to their vote in last years midterms. That factor may help explain why the Democrats did historically well, keeping the Senate and only losing the House by five seats. (Obviously the abortion issue also helped the Dems.) The Pew Research Center did a poll of Americans last year on Earth Day, which it recently updated. The Pew researchers find that a majority, 54%, see climate change as a major threat to this country. And 61% say that it is already affecting their locality. Since a lot of Democrats live in California and other Western states that have been hit by megadrought, wildfires, atmospheric rivers, flooding, and other climate-related disasters in recent years, the partisan divide on this issue may in part also be a regional one. Still, we are backward on this issue compared to other industrialized democracies. Of the French, 81% say climate change is a major threat, and of Germans 73%. In the US, Democrats hair is on fire about this issue, with 78% saying the climate emergency is a major threat. Only about a quarter of Republicans agree. In fact, 59% of Democrats see climate change as the number one most important challenge facing the country, and Democrats generally put it in the top half of 17 issues about which they say they care. Republicans, not so much. Unfortunately, the Pew report of findings doesnt include independents, who are a third of the population, and who seem closer to the Democrats on this subject. There are also differences among ethnic groups. Blacks and Latinos are the most worried about climate change and its impact on them, regardless of political party, according to Yale and Cornell soundings. Article continues after bonus IC video CBS Evening News: Climate crisis takes center stage on Earth Day About 6 in 10 Americans seem to understand that burning coal, oil and gas produces the greenhouse gases that drive the climate emergency. Some 69% of Americans want the country to be carbon neutral by 2050! That is the announced goal of the Biden administration, unlike its predecessor, which withdrew from the 2015 Paris accord and promoted dirty energy like coal, dismissing the climate emergency as a Chinese hoax. Still, there is a strong partisan divide, with 90% of Democrats favoring a quick two-and-a-half decade march to carbon neutrality, while only 44% of Republicans support it. Apparently it is popular with independents, as well, so that the overall proportion of the country committed to this ideal is a supermajority. And the same percentage, about 7 in 10, want the US to make it a priority to develop more green energy instead of investing in fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and fossil gas. Some 2/3s of respondents want the US government to give companies incentives to encourage them to produce wind and solar power. Some 39% of Americans want the government to actively discourage coal, and only 21% want it to encourage this dirty source of energy. Alas, the general public does not seem to understand what is needed to get to the goals of which they approve. Being carbon neutral by 2050 requires that we begin getting rid of fossil fuels right now, ASAP. But only 31% want to deep-six fossil fuels completely. So theres a disconnect between what they say they want and how they think they could get there. Two-thirds say we need a mix of energy sources. Well, maybe in the 2020s. But we need to move rapidly away from coal, oil and gas. Luckily, in the key demographic of 18-29, the very group that television producers so prize as an audience, it is more like half of people who want solely green energy. Since they are the generation that will have to achieve the transition to carbon neutrality, it is just as well that they seem better aware of what it will require. Among Democratic youths, 62% want solely sustainable energy. But even among young Republicans, 22% back a completely green energy grid. Florida Phoenix is a nonprofit news site thats free of advertising and free to readers. We cover state government and politics with a staff of five journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee. We have a mix of in-depth stories, briefs, and social media updates on the latest events, editorial cartoons, and progressive commentary. Reddit Email 32 Shares ( Middle East Monitor ) A conflict raging in Sudan is rattling neighbouring countries and worrying the United States and others for reasons ranging from concern about shared Nile waters and oil pipelines, to the shape of a new government and a new humanitarian crisis in the making. Sudan, which relies heavily on foreign aid, is no stranger to conflict. But, this time, fighting is tearing apart the capital, instead of a remote corner of a nation, which lies in an unstable region bordering the Red Sea, Sahel and Horn of Africa. Five of Sudans seven neighbours Ethiopia, Chad, Central African Republic, Libya and South Sudan have faced political upheaval or conflict themselves in recent years. The fighting that erupted between the Army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 15 April in Khartoum has derailed an internationally backed plan for a transition to civilian rule after the ousting in 2019 of Omar Al Bashir, the Islamist President who had himself seized power in a 1989 coup. The conflict pits General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the head of Sudans ruling Council, who commands the Army, against the irregular RSF forces led by the wealthy, one-time militia leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, who is Burhans deputy in the Council. What is at stake for regional states? Egypt The histories of Egypt, the most populous Arab state with a powerful army, and Sudan are intertwined by politics, trade, culture and shared Nile waters. Cairo has worried about political upheaval to its south since the 2019 uprising that toppled Bashir. Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, who also took office in a military power grab, is close to Burhan. Sudanese are, by far, the largest foreign community in Egypt, numbering an estimated 4 million people, including about 60,000 refugees and asylum seekers. Egypt and Sudan, which both rely on the Nile for fresh water, are concerned about threats to their supplies from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project upstream on the Blue Nile. The two nations have pushed to regulate the Ethiopian dams operation. Any tension in ties between Khartoum and Cairo could disrupt their efforts to secure a deal. Libya Sudanese mercenaries and militia fighters have been active on both sides of the civil conflict that split Libya after 2011. In recent years, many Sudanese fighters have returned to Sudan, contributing to tensions in Sudans western Darfur region, where another conflict raged for years and fighting continued after a deal with some rebel groups in 2020. Sudan has also been a departure point and a transit route for migrants seeking to head to Europe via Libya, where people traffickers have taken advantage of the conflict and political turmoil. Chad Sudans western neighbour, Chad, a poor nation which hosts about 400,000 displaced Sudanese from previous conflicts, has seen about 20,000 more refugees arrive from Sudan since the latest fighting began, according to the United Nations. Chad worries about the crisis spilling across the border to areas where it hosts the refugees, most of whom are from Darfur. During the Darfur conflict, Chad faced cross-border raids from Sudans Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed, which morphed into the RSF. The raiders attacked Darfur refugees and Chadian villagers, seizing livestock and killing those who resisted. Chads government said it disarmed a contingent of 320 paramilitary forces that entered its territory on Monday. Chad also worries that Russias Wagner Group, private military contractors in neighbouring Central African Republic, who are reported to have close ties with RSF, could back Chadian rebels threatening Ndjamenas government. Wagner denies having any activities in Sudan. Gulf Arab States Wealthy oil producers, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have long sought to shape events in Sudan, seeing the transition from Bashirs rule as a way to roll back Islamist influence and stabilise the region. Investors from both countries have deals to invest in a range of projects from agricultural projects, where Sudan holds vast potential based on large irrigated areas, to an airline and strategic ports on its Red Sea coast. South Sudan South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in 2011 after a civil war lasting decades, exports its oil output of 170,000 barrels per day via a pipeline through its northern neighbour. Article continues after bonus IC video CBS News: Sudan violence intensifies as Pentagon readies plan for possible evacuation of U.S. embassy staff Analysts say neither side in Sudans conflict has an interest in disrupting those flows, but South Sudans government said, this week, fighting had already hampered logistics and transport links between the oilfields and Port Sudan. Sudan also hosts 800,000 South Sudanese refugees. Any mass return could put further strains on efforts to supply vital aid to more than 2 million displaced people in South Sudan who have fled their homes inside the country because of civil strife. Ethiopia Skirmishes periodically flare along disputed parts of Sudans border with Ethiopia. Analysts say either side could take advantage of Sudans unrest to press their objectives. When war erupted in Ethiopias northern Tigray region in 2020, tensions surfaced over the fertile but contested Al-Fashqa border and drove more than 50,000 Ethiopian refugees into already impoverished parts of eastern Sudan. Ethiopia will also be watching developments, given tensions over the $4 billion GERD dam, which Sudan says could present a threat to its own Nile dams and its citizens. Eritrea Sudan hosts more than 134,000 refugees and asylum seekers from Eritrea and is the main route for Eritreans fleeing forced conscription by the Asmara governments repressive rule. Many Eritrean refugees in northern Ethiopia fled from their camps during the Tigray war between 2020 and 2022. Eritrean refugees in Sudan could face a similar plight if any conflict beyond Khartoum escalates. What are the concerns of world powers? Russia Moscow, which has long sought warm water ports for its navy, secured a deal with Bashir for Sudan to host a naval base, and Sudans military leaders have said this remains under review. In 2020, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, approved the creation of a Russian naval facility in Sudan capable of mooring nuclear-powered surface vessels. Western diplomats in Khartoum said in 2022 that Russias Wagner Group was involved in illicit gold mining in Sudan and was spreading disinformation. Two years earlier, the United States imposed sanctions on two companies operating in Sudan that it linked to Wagner boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin. In a statement on 19 April, Wagner denied it was operating in Sudan, said its staff had not been there for more than two years and said it had no role in the latest fighting. It said it was responding to foreign media inquiries most of which are provocative. In February 2023, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, met officials in Sudan during an African tour seeking to expand Moscows influence at a time when Western nations have sought to isolate Moscow with sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. The United States and the West The United States, like other Western powers, was happy to be rid of Bashir, who was charged with genocide and war crimes by the International Criminal Court over the Darfur conflict. But critics say Washington was slow to swing behind a transition towards elections. Sudanese hopes for democracy were shattered when Burhan and Hemedti staged a coup in 2021. The latest fighting is expected to derail any swift return to civilian rule with neither of the two opponents in Khartoum showing any readiness for compromise. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment. Via Middle East Monitor Jailed property tycoon, Frank Buyanga's woes continue to mount after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal. Buyanga, who is currently locked up in a South African jail is facing a slew of criminal charges both in Zimbabwe and South Africa. He had approached the Supreme Court in December last year appealing against a High Court ruling reinstating his warrant of arrest. The noting of the appeal meant the arrest warrant which was cancelled by Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga for being defective was to remain cancelled. But the Supreme Court has declined jurisdiction to hear his appeal making an arrest warrant against him active again. "Whereupon, after reading submissions filed of record and hearing counsel, it is ordered that the court declines jurisdiction in this matter," reads a brief judgement by the Supreme Court bench chaired by Justice Susan Mavangira. Buyanga was arrested in South Africa late last year after his ex-girlfriend, Chantelle Muteswa reported him over a slew of charges, including kidnapping their eight-year -old son. The warrant issued against him was initially cancelled by Magistrate Taruvinga who found it was erroneously issued. The National Prosecuting Authority appealed against the Magistrate's ruling at the High Court. However, the High Court set aside the magistrate's ruling blocking Buyanga's freedom. Despite that Buyanga had sought the recusal of the presiding judges of appeal, Pisirayi Kwenda and Benjamin Chikowero from hearing an application for review by the State, which was unhappy with the magistrate's ruling. He had appealed at the Supreme Court after Kwenda refused to step down from hearing the case. The Supreme Court then granted the hearing of Buyanga's appeal but Kwenda went on to reinstate the warrant of arrest well aware that the Supreme Court had allowed the appeal against him to be heard. This prompted the latest Supreme Court appeal which has been declined. In the appeal, the businessman, through his lawyers, Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners said Kwenda erred in failing to entertain the State's appeal that was before him while alleging he made a ruling based on what he had read in the newspapers. "Take notice that the appellant hereby appeals against the whole judgement of the High Court of Zimbabwe handed down at Harare by Kwenda J on the 30th of November 2022 with whom Chikowero concurred.... Further take notice that leave to appeal against the judgment is unnecessarily as the judgement being appealed against was final," reads part of his court application. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Zimbabwe Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. His grounds of appeal were that "the court aquo erred at law and grossly misdirected itself by holding that the learned magistrate Ms Taruvinga had no jurisdiction to cancel a warrant that she issued in terms of section 33 (1) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act when such power was expressly given to her in section 33 (3). "The lower court erred in finding that magistrate Taruvinga had misconstrued the application before her to be a default enquiry by virtue of a heading of transcript of proceedings when the application before the magistrate and her judgement clearly showed that she was fully alive to the fact that what was before her was an application for cancellation of a warrant of arrest." Buyanga said the judge erred in finding that magistrate Taruvinga had no jurisdiction to cancel a warrant she issued. The flamboyant businessman remains locked in South Africa, where all his efforts to secure bail have flopped. Last week a police officer was arrested by the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation Unit as he tried to book out Buyanga from prison. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form If you go What: Disneys Beauty and the Beast When: The show runs through May 6. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Where: Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St. in Downtown Kenosha Tickets: $15 for adults and $13 for students and senior citizens. Note: More than 1,000 tickets were sold before opening night. Advance ticket purchases are recommended. Go to rhodecenter.org or the Lakeside Players Facebook page to purchase advance tickets. About the show: The story based on the 1991 animated Disney film, which itself was based on the 1756 fairy tale of the same name focuses on the relationship between the Beast, a prince who was magically transformed into a monster (and his servants into household objects) as punishment for his arrogance, and Belle, a young woman whom he imprisons in his castle. To break the curse that keeps him in monster form, the Beast must learn to love Belle and earn her love in return before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose or else he will remain a monster forever. Music executive, Michael Collins Ajereh, popularly known as Don Jazzy, has said that he regretted his altercation with his colleague, Olamide, at the 2015 Headies Awards. Recall that the 2015 Headies was widely talked about following an outburst from Olamide after he felt that his signee, Lil Kesh, was cheated out of the Next Rated award category, which was won by Don Jazzy's Reekado Banks at the time. Speaking on the recent episode of Doyin's Corner podcast hosted by former Big Brother Naija housemate, Doyin, Don Jazzy admitted that his action at the 2015 Headies Awards was out of character. He said, "There was the Headies incident [my altercation with Olamide]. That one was also out of character. I regretted that like instantly as soon as I came down from the stage." Jazzy said he had already apologized to the organisers and Olamide. WGTD (91.1 FM) is owned and operated as a public service of Gateway Technical College and is an affiliate of Wisconsin Public Radio. For an updated schedule, go online to wgtd.org. WGTD 91.1-FMs Morning Show airs 8:10 to 9 a.m. weekdays. Guests this week include: Monday, April 24: Dr. John Thibodeau, provost of Gateway Technical College Tuesday, April 25: Monnica Rose, International Director of Toastmasters, International. Wednesday, April 26: Simon Goodman, author of The Orpheus Clock: The search for my familys art treasures stolen by the Nazis. Thursday, April 27: Previewing Carthage Colleges production of the musical Legally Blonde. Friday, April 28: Previewing Carthage Colleges spring opera workshop performance, titled In Memory of Mozart: a Memorial Tribute to a Singular Genius. Well talk with Katiann Nelson, the Carthage student who will be portraying the role of Mozarts widow Constanze. This will mark Miss Nelsons final opera workshop appearance at Carthage. 81 Shares Share Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! In this episode, we speak with George Tewfik, an anesthesiologist, about the importance of recognizing and addressing knowledge gaps in anesthesia residents. George discusses how new residents may arrive with a sense of false confidence that can quickly become a liability, and how educators must earn the trust of their trainees to ensure patient safety. He shares strategies for promoting open communication and collaboration within the team, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing limitations and seeking help when needed. George also discusses how educational institutions and residency programs can better prepare trainees for independent practice by stressing the importance of patient safety and continuing education. George Tewfik is an anesthesiologist. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, Earning trust in anesthesia: How recognizing limitations can improve patient safety. The Podcast by KevinMD is brought to you by the Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience. With so many demands on their time, physicians today report record levels of burnout. Burnout is caused by many factors, one of which is clinical documentation. Studies indicate physicians spend two hours documenting care for every hour spent with patients. At Nuance, we are committed to helping physicians do what you love care for patients and spend less time on clinical documentation. The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, or DAX for short, is an AI-powered, ambient clinical intelligence solution that automatically captures patient encounters securely and accurately at the point of care. Physicians who use DAX have reported a 50 percent decrease in documentation time and a 70 percent reduction in feelings of burnout, and 83 percent of patients say their physician is more personable and conversational. Rediscover the joy of medicine with clinical documentation that writes itself, all within the EHR. VISIT SPONSOR https://nuance.com/daxinaction SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended GET CME FOR THIS EPISODE https://earnc.me/iKJEsv Powered by CMEfy. 23 Shares Share What should we do? I asked my partner. I looked down at our dog, who was limping in pain and whose treatment was just quoted at nearly $1000. Just yesterday, our brakes collapsed, and repairing our car would also be a hefty expense. He sighed, knowing we didnt have the money for either but definitely not both. My partner and I are both resident physicians in San Francisco and here we were on the phone, him at work and me in a vets office, trying to finesse our finances to handle these emergencies. We essentially make about minimum wage, so two financial hits like this in a month when we live paycheck to paycheck was devastating. I dont know, he replied. Ill leave it to you. Resident physicians are recently graduated doctors who are training in their chosen specialty. It is a grueling 3 to 7-year period in our careers where we work 60 to 80+ hours a week treating the overwhelming majority of patients in academic and community health care sites. We do this while earning an average of $64,000 a year. Many of us moved to a new city to start this job, incurring up to $10,000 in moving costs that we often just put on credit cards because we havent been earning an income during medical school. More than half my paycheck goes to rent, and it is all too common for my co-residents and me to forgo basic necessities like groceries or gas to pay our bills. If it werent for our union-afforded meal stipend or housing allowance, I could not afford to live in San Francisco. Looming over my head is the $400,000 in educational debt I accrued to become a doctor, above the $250,000 national average. At the same time, we are making life and death decisions for our patients and struggling to exist and it is soul-crushing. I became a doctor because I love to help people, but its hard to pour from an empty cup. The fact is that all health care workers are struggling. Over half reported burnout, and we have seen a large exodus from the industry since 2020, with even more exits projected in the next few years. The reason why is larger than each of us. The U.S. Surgeon General explains that burnout manifests in individuals, but its fundamentally rooted in systems. We as a society have pushed health workers to their limits, especially in the last few years, while failing to provide adequate support. Resident physicians are particularly struggling, having high rates of burnout and even suicide before the pandemic. The market norms embedded in our corporate health system seek to maximize profits by squeezing as much labor out of workers while minimizing costs like employee compensation, benefits, and protections. And patients suffer because the providers they depend on are stretched thin. Weve been hailed as superheroes as weve carried our communities throughout the pandemic but the truth is were also just human. Senate Bill 525 would provide for a $25 minimum wage for health care workers in California. For salaried, overtime-exempt workers like resident physicians, it would be twice that rate, meaning a yearly salary of $104,000. Yes, $104,000. Its time we envision a better life and question what a true living wage is in todays modern world. In this incredibly rich nation, we should be able to not only etch out an existence but to truly thrive. That means enough to cover our basic needs and being able to establish a sense of stability. It means being able to live without the torment of economic insecurity. And to not miss out on major milestones like starting a family, buying a home, or building a retirement. We worked hard to get where we are and we ask for that work to be acknowledged. It is time for all of us to demand the worth of our dignity as human beings. Securing that dignity is, of course, exponentially harder for those without access to wealth and resources. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine detailed the challenges of diversifying the physician workforce which has been demonstrated to improve patient outcomes since doctors who can relate to their patients can better establish trust and account for unique cultural norms in treatment. As a Black physician, it breaks my heart to think that I am deterring aspiring Black doctors when talking about the struggle of residency. But it would be disingenuous to tell them that I am doing well financially and to pursue a career where I feel taken advantage of. SB 525 would change that by making residency financially feasible and humane. Paying health care workers a wage that reflects their value would open medicine to more than those with generational wealth. It would mean we can encourage the workforce behind us when we need them the most. Our dogs treatment ended up being yet another expense we put on credit without any prospect of paying off while were in training. Fixing the brakes maxed out one of our cards. SB 525 has made me feel hope that I wont encounter hard choices like this. I am overjoyed at the prospect of frontline health care workers compensation finally being matched with the value we bring to this system, though it is frustrating that it has required legislative action. That frustration fueled me to write this piece and will continue to fuel my work toward a more just, equitable, and resourced health care system. We health care workers are dynamic beings with full lives like everyone who comes through our hospital. SB 525 will provide for a real living wage that respects our humanity so we can focus on being the best doctors for our patients. Kelley Butler is a family medicine resident and member, the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU. Despite lithium prices halving in 2023, Battery Materials Review Managing Editor Matt Fernley is optimistic about the metal. On Friday Fernley recorded Kitco Roundtable with mining audiences manager Michael McCrae. This decade lithium went on a stellar run, trading up 10x versus historical levels, but in 2023 the metal took it on the chin. In 2023 Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates that lithium prices have been cut in half. Fernley is sanguine. "It is just a reasonable cyclical downturn," said Fernley, noting that there have been production cuts in Asia that should help the metal. "We're already below the marginal cost of production for a number of assets in China. That's going to continue in April. I believe that lithium prices will pick up over the next couple of months." Other news weighing on the metal is Tesla's price cuts. Growth is still strong, noted Fernley, who expects 25% to 30% year-on-year growth in European EV demand. Lastly, CATL said it is making advances in sodium-ion batteries. Fernley said the technology still needs to scale, and the material has to be sourced in large quantities. Lithium ion will not be substituted by the new technology. "It would be quite difficult for the sodium ion supply chain to ramp up capacity. The problem is getting pure enough sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate to use in your batteries." The Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, has described Chief Otu Ita Otoyo as a passionate promoter of ethical causes, who chose integrity over convenience. Chief Otoyo, is a well-respected chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, who celebrated his 70th birthday anniversary in Uyo, recently. In his goodwill message to Chief Otoyo, the Honourable Minister wrote "Looking back over the years of your strong impact on people and places in the state and country, it is worth celebrating a man who has always chosen principle over fashion and integrity over convenience. You have been our own intellectual, an inimitable writer and a passionate promoter of ethical causes". Recalling some outstanding achievements of the celebrant, Umana noted "During your stewardship as the Akwa Ibom State PDP Chairman, your TOTAL commitment to excellence, fair play and justice earned you the well-deserved nickname TOTAL CHAIR. As a leader in our Party, the APC, you have remained the Sage whose counsel and advocacy is respected by all and sundry". He, therefore, urged the septuagenarian to remain strong in selfless service to humanity, wishing him many more years of good health and celebrations. " As you attain the biblical milestone of threescore and ten today, I urge you to continue in your unstinting service to humanity. You are indeed a true patriot, and a jolly good fellow deserving of the solidarity and fellowship of all good men. On behalf of my wife and children I, therefore, want to wish you the best of celebrations. "We pray for your continuing good health and long life, and look forward to many more birthday celebrations for you in the years to come". A guest post by David Garrett: When I hear some young snowflake(s) whining about feeling unsafe or needing a safe space because someone is saying, or might say, something they don't like, I feel my blood pressure rising. It is ANZAC Day next week, and I thought it was timely to record in one guest post the sacrifices made by those in Bomber Command in WW II including the 1800 New Zealanders who were among the 55,000 young men who gave their lives hitting back at Adolf during the period 1940-44, when bombing was the only offensive weapon the allies had. After the Miracle of Dunkirk in early May 1940, Britain stood alone, largely disarmed most equipment was left on the beaches, including all heavy equipment and in dread of the invasion which most serious historians now think was virtually inevitable if the Battle of Britain was lost. Due to the actions of the few from June to September 1940 the invasion was thwarted. We should remember the contribution to the Battle of our own Air Vice Marshall Keith Park as he then was of whom Sir Charles Portal, Chief of Air Staff, later said if any one man won the battle of Britain he did. Without wishing to take anything away from those brave young men who flew their hurricanes and spitfires against overwhelming German numbers, the Battle of Britain lasted three months, with about 800 pilots lost. Bomber Command's battle lasted nearly five years, and more men were lost in one raid than were killed in the entire Battle of Britain. Once the Battle of Britain morphed into the blitz in September 1940, the only offensive weapon the Allies' had at their disposal was bombers; in the early part of the war the aircraft were totally inadequate two engined Blenheims, and the rather better Wellington the latter built with a geodesic framed fuselage which gave it great strength, and the ability to take considerable punishment and remain in the air. From the beginning, all aircrew in Bomber Command were volunteers volunteers who were expected to complete a thirty mission tour before being posted to a reserve or training squadron for a time. In 1940-42 the chances of an aircrew member completing those thirty missions was about 1:20 even later in the war with much better aircraft and navigation aids at their disposal, those chances never got any better than 1:3. So during those first two years, those brave young men the average age of a bomber crewman was 21 knew that they had very little chance of completing their tour. As Max Hastings has written, the percentage of those who funked it and refused to carry on flying was tiny: about 1.5% over the whole bomber war. It is fair to note that those who did feel unable to continue for whatever reason were treated very harshly, stripped of all rank in front of their peers, and required to do demeaning duties for the rest of the war. They were left their wings which was especially cruel those left flying knew that the guy cleaning the toilets or emptying the rubbish had once been aircrew like themselves. How much a role that treatment played in there being so few who refused to carry on is impossible to know. By 1943 and the arrival of the four engine heavies most notably the Avro Lancaster the chances of surviving a 30 mission tour had improved notably, but as noted earlier, the odds never got better than about 1:3. One's chances of survival were also heavily dependent on one's role on the aircraft. Because attacks most came from the rear, the tail gunner or tail end Charlies as they were known suffered by far the greatest attrition rate. There were some notable outliers. One John Wainright later a novelist survived some 70 missions two and a half tours before deciding he had done his bit and refusing to continue. He virtually dared the RAF to court martial him and try and get a verdict that he lacked moral fibre (LMF) in the terminology of the day. The RAF took the wiser course and transferred Wainright to a training squadron instead. If a bomber was attacked from behind and survived to limp home, often the best way of removing the remains of the tail gunner from his turret was with a hose I wonder how the snowflakes who felt they would be unsafe listening to Don Brash or one of those Canadians who were not allowed to speak here would feel witnessing the remains of their close friend being hosed out of a gun turret? Collapsing on the ground blubbing hysterically in all probability. (And Yes I know past generations have always doubted the ability of the present generation, but I believe the present generation of young men to be uniquely LMF. There has certainly never been this number of snowflakes before). In the numerous individual accounts I have read of men who survived the bomber war one thing stands out almost to a man, they ascribe their survival to good luck rather than any great skill they certainly never claim that they were somehow braver than their fellows who were lost. Many say I have been on borrowed time since XX June 1944, the date being the day they got shot down and survived, or made it home by some miracle. (The Lancaster could get home on only two engines, and for very short periods it could fly on one alone). As the war went on, navigation aids got better and better for the bomber boys, culminating in the Pathfinder squadrons, consisting of elite pilots who could accurately find and mark the target for the aircraft following shortly behind them. But rather like mountaineering in the Himalayas, getting to the target and unloading the bombs was only half the task; they still had to get home, often harassed all the way by night fighters and flak from the ground. There are even dreadfully sad stories of bomber crews being lost as the came in on final approach to land on their bases in England shot down by German night fighters circling the field hiding in the dark, awaiting their return. While the Lancaster was a superb aircraft in many ways accepted by most to be by far the best four engine bomber in WW II it had one major significant defect: it was difficult to get out of if it was on fire or badly damaged. There was the rear door, which required much clambering over obstacles in the dark to reach, and a rather too small escape hatch in the front. Crew often didn't wear their parachutes because they were bulky and inhibited movement so if an aircraft was hit it was often very difficult to first find and strap on the parachute, and then get out of the burning or spinning aircraft to parachute to safety while there was still time. Of all the great many stories I have read about individuals in Bomber Command, the ones that stand out the most are those in which the captain of a crippled bomber the pilot was always the captain, regardless of rank kept his aircraft flying so his fellows would have at least a chance of escape, knowing with virtual certainty that he the pilot would not survive the inevitable crash. I recall one particularly poignant photograph of a pilot looking as if he was asleep in his seat when the aircraft he was piloting crashed into a waterway in Holland, and the water was drained to recover the remains of the aircraft. He was of course not sleeping but drowned at age 21.I simply cannot imagine the snowflakes whining about Don Brash making them feel unsafe getting into one of those bombers night after night knowing especially early in the war that they were unlikely to survive their tour. As I do every ANZAC day I especially remember those 55,000 young men almost 2000 of them New Zealanders who gave their lives so that snowflakes 80 years later were safe from the tyranny that then threatened the world. Saudi Arabia has become the first country to announce evacuations of its stranded citizens from Sudan, a week after intense fighting broke out there between two rival forces, and seen here, smoke in Khartoum, Sudan, near Doha International Hospital on April 21. The Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has dissolved itself. The council which was set up in September last year was headed by the Plateau state Governor, Simon Bako Lalong as director general and Hon. James Faleke as Secretary. "Our great party, APC has dissolved its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) inaugurated last year to prosecute the 2023 presidential election. The dissolution was contained in a statement jointly signed by the DG of the Council, Gov Simon Lalong and the Secretary, Hon James Faleke", Bashir Ahmad, Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital Communications said in a tweet on Sunday morning. Details later.... An 18-year-old has been charged with fatally shooting another driver along a busy Missouri highway in what police called a road-rage incident BellRing Brands (NYSE:BRBR Get Rating) had its price target raised by Needham & Company LLC from $35.00 to $40.00 in a research report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock. Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Truist Financial upgraded BellRing Brands from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $25.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. Barclays lifted their price objective on BellRing Brands from $33.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on BellRing Brands in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $39.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on BellRing Brands from $32.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, Stephens boosted their price target on BellRing Brands from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $37.91. Get BellRing Brands alerts: BellRing Brands Price Performance Shares of NYSE:BRBR opened at $35.84 on Wednesday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $32.22 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.87. BellRing Brands has a 12 month low of $20.20 and a 12 month high of $36.17. Institutional Trading of BellRing Brands BellRing Brands ( NYSE:BRBR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 6th. The company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $362.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $342.98 million. BellRing Brands had a negative return on equity of 36.56% and a net margin of 8.29%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 18.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.25 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that BellRing Brands will post 1.23 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Point72 Middle East FZE acquired a new stake in shares of BellRing Brands during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BellRing Brands during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of BellRing Brands during the 1st quarter worth $31,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its position in BellRing Brands by 1,088.7% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,367 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,252 shares during the period. Finally, Macquarie Group Ltd. boosted its position in BellRing Brands by 70.7% during the 2nd quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 2,900 shares of the companys stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 1,201 shares during the period. 92.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About BellRing Brands (Get Rating) BellRing Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides various nutrition products in the United States and internationally. It offers ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shakes, other RTD beverages, powders, nutrition bars, and other products primarily under the Premier Protein and Dymatize brands. The company sells its products through club, food, drug, mass, eCommerce, specialty, and convenience channels. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for BellRing Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BellRing Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Stifel Nicolaus downgraded shares of Eldorado Gold (NYSE:EGO Get Rating) (TSE:ELD) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Eldorado Gold in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. TD Securities lowered their target price on Eldorado Gold from $11.00 to $10.50 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Eldorado Gold in a research report on Friday, March 10th. They issued an underperform rating and a $8.90 price target on the stock. Finally, National Bank Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Eldorado Gold from C$16.50 to C$17.50 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $12.78. Get Eldorado Gold alerts: Eldorado Gold Trading Down 1.7 % Eldorado Gold stock opened at $10.68 on Thursday. Eldorado Gold has a 1 year low of $5.06 and a 1 year high of $11.58. The firms 50 day moving average price is $9.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $8.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 3.00 and a quick ratio of 2.06. The stock has a market cap of $1.97 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.62, a PEG ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.24. Institutional Trading of Eldorado Gold Eldorado Gold ( NYSE:EGO Get Rating ) (TSE:ELD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.05 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $246.20 million during the quarter. Eldorado Gold had a negative net margin of 39.92% and a positive return on equity of 0.39%. On average, equities analysts predict that Eldorado Gold will post 0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EGO. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 141,562 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,587,000 after buying an additional 2,804 shares during the period. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC raised its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 11.7% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 18,544 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $208,000 after buying an additional 1,944 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. purchased a new stake in Eldorado Gold during the 1st quarter valued at $1,128,000. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 24.5% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 22,921 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $257,000 after buying an additional 4,510 shares during the period. Finally, BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 10,321,583 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $115,706,000 after buying an additional 141,298 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.64% of the companys stock. About Eldorado Gold (Get Rating) Eldorado Gold Corp. engages in the mining, development, and exploration of gold. It operates through the following segment: Turkey, Canada, and Greece. The company was founded by Richard J. Barclay, Marco Antonio Romero, and Gary D. Nordin on April 2, 1992 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Eldorado Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eldorado Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of GeoPark (NYSE:GPRK Get Rating) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday morning. GeoPark Stock Down 1.1 % GPRK stock opened at $11.21 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.20. GeoPark has a fifty-two week low of $10.20 and a fifty-two week high of $18.52. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $11.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.57. The stock has a market cap of $645.92 million, a PE ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 1.50. Get GeoPark alerts: GeoPark Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 22nd were issued a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 21st. This is a boost from GeoParks previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. GeoParks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.79%. Institutional Trading of GeoPark GeoPark Company Profile A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of GPRK. Captrust Financial Advisors acquired a new position in GeoPark during the 3rd quarter valued at about $103,029,000. abrdn plc increased its stake in GeoPark by 18.2% during the 4th quarter. abrdn plc now owns 1,684,917 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $26,032,000 after buying an additional 259,664 shares during the period. INCA Investments LLC increased its stake in GeoPark by 15.0% during the 1st quarter. INCA Investments LLC now owns 1,211,586 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $18,101,000 after buying an additional 157,586 shares during the period. Carmignac Gestion increased its stake in GeoPark by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Carmignac Gestion now owns 678,193 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $10,478,000 after buying an additional 34,261 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in GeoPark by 60.0% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 581,105 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $8,978,000 after buying an additional 217,993 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.73% of the companys stock. (Get Rating) GeoPark Ltd. engages in the exploration, development, and production for oil and gas reserves. It operates through the following geographical segments: Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, and Corporate. The company was founded by Gerald Eugene OShaughnessy and James Franklin Park in 2002 and is headquartered in Bogota, Colombia. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for GeoPark Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GeoPark and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. By Park Sung-ik There is a saying in Korean, "No one is above another and no one is below another." In South Korea, people with money and power tend to ignore people without money and power. South Koreans tend to overuse their power. Seven million department store clerks, telemarketers and nurses work as emotional workers. They live ignored by customers every day. Jesus told us to respect others throughout our lives. In modern Korean society, the rich and powerful tend to ignore and despise those without money. Human beings are to be cherished because they are the temple of God. In Matthew 18:10, Jesus said: "You do not look down on one of these little ones." Because the guardian angel sees the face of God in heaven. Therefore, no one should be treated carelessly. You all have a guardian angel by your side. So don't be ignored. Jesus does not stand on the side of the haves but on the side of the have-nots. Jesus' father was a carpenter. About 2,000 years ago, he chose a poor home where he could only eat two meals a day. When Jesus was born, dirty and smelly shepherds were invited. He expressed his conviction to be with the poor and insignificant. When Jesus was active, he ate, drank and played with the blind, the deaf, the mute, lepers, prostitutes and tax collectors. Jesus was incarnated into this world. He did not hesitate to heal the sick and those possessed by demons. Currently, there are 20 million Christians in South Korea, including 15 million Protestants and 5 million Catholics. But are these Christians really living like Jesus? It seems as if Jesus did not say to love each other, but to torment each other. For example, middle and high school male students have fierce eyes. This is because they are students who did not learn cooperation, understanding, concession and love under extreme stress, but learned only competition, success and being number one. They have poison in their eyes and commit school violence. The founding principle of the Republic of Korea was "Let's live well." People will do anything to make money. That's why South Korea actually makes a lot of money, making it one of the 10 richest countries in the world. So South Koreans came to enjoy good cars, good clothes and good food. However, a reporter from Oxford University said: "South Korea is a country that has achieved miracles, but it is a country that has lost its joy." We now have to pursue high ideals such as values as justice, human rights, freedom and ecosystems. Finland's founding principle is sharing. Their philosophy is to share and eat even one bean. Finland's national income is $60,000. In this country, even colleges are free. The government even pays for books and pocket money. Finns pay a lot of taxes. In South Korea, if universities were offered free of charge with taxes, as in Finland, there would be protests and uproar. South Korea is a country that survived the Korean War thanks to aid such as the supply of flour from the United States. Now, it is South Korea's turn to help underdeveloped countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. It is useless to share later, we must help now. Park Sung-ik (parksi48@naver.com) is a former teacher at Pungmoon Girls' High School. 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. Kampala 'We kept asking for feedback. But nothing happened.' Thousands of fake refugees have been detected in registration records for camps in northern Uganda, a setback for efforts to improve the integrity of the country's refugee response after a much larger fraud scandal made global headlines in 2018. Over 6,000 false identities were discovered last year in records for three settlements, according to a UN letter circulated in late January 2023 to donors and diplomats, and obtained by The New Humanitarian. The fraud was first detected by UN agencies but involved individuals from the Ugandan Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), which oversees refugee affairs. The workers were in charge of registering refugees on databases used by the UN to distribute aid. Fourteen individuals are having their contracts terminated by the OPM and have been forwarded for criminal investigation, according to the letter, co-written by the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP). Frank Walusimbi, an associate communications officer at UNHCR, said the case shows that anti-fraud controls are working better than in 2018. During that episode, Ugandan government officials fabricated 300,000 so-called "ghost refugees" over several years. "The identification of the irregularities by UNHCR and WFP and the quick action of the Office of the Prime Minister, responsible for refugee matters, signals that there has been progress since 2018," Walusimbi told The New Humanitarian. However, the UN letter and interviews with aid, diplomat, and donor sources, highlight enduring vulnerabilities with the refugee registration process and underscore fears that fraud could be more widespread in settlements. While some donors and diplomats commended the government for taking action following the recent discovery, other aid workers said investigations by the OPM were slow to get going, with inquiries not commencing until late 2022. "We kept asking for feedback [from the government], what has been done, what is the progress? But nothing happened," said a senior aid official with direct knowledge of the case. They asked not to be named to preserve working relations with the government. Douglas Asiimwe, acting refugee commissioner at the OPM, did not respond to detailed questions from The New Humanitarian but said the matter had been "handled" and that UN agencies and partners had been briefed on "actions taken and on the way forward". Smaller-scale fraud Uganda is Africa's largest refugee-hosting country, offering protection to more than 1.5 million people, mostly from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The government is in charge of registering refugees, while food and other humanitarian assistance is mostly provided by the UN and NGOs. The country's refugee programme has been widely praised for promoting self-reliance among refugees, and is seen as an example for refugee-hosting efforts. The next Global Refugee Forum - the largest global international gathering on refugees, which is organised every four years - will be hosted in Uganda in December. Still, the 2018 scandal and related mismanagement by UNHCR dented confidence in relief efforts. And key Ugandan and UN officials involved in the case appeared to avoid legal and professional repercussions, a recent investigation by The New Humanitarian found. The 2022 discovery was initially made by WFP officials in the northwestern Rhino settlement, which is mostly home to South Sudanese refugees. A similar fraud was later discovered in two other settlements - Bidi Bidi and Kiryandongo. Two aid officials with knowledge of the fraud in Kiryandongo and Rhino said it involved low-level registration staff employed by the OPM, which has been hit by a smorgasbord of corruption scandals in recent years. The nature of the graft varied in the camps, according to the aid officials. However, a common scheme involved OPM workers taking bribes from refugees to increase the size of their households. The false records - mostly disguised as related to new births, according to the UN letter - entitled the refugees to additional humanitarian assistance, either in cash or through food rations. By contrast, the 2018 fraud involved much higher-level OPM officials who bloated registration lists and diverted large amounts of food aid, which they then sold on markets. Though the recent graft was smaller in scale, it was discovered amid a funding crisis that saw refugee response organisations raise less than half of the $804 million they requested from donors in 2022. Food rations were cut as a result of that gap. A positive story? Many viewed the recent fraud discovery as a good news story, according to aid officials and meeting minutes from Uganda's Refugee Humanitarian Partners Group (RHPG) - a forum for aid agencies and donors - that were shared with The New Humanitarian. For example, two diplomats from donor countries that fund Uganda's refugee response, and who were briefed on the fraud, emphasised how monitoring systems were able to detect the problem. Similarly, a donor official quoted in RHPG meeting minutes from January said the handling of the case demonstrated "how far we have come" - a reference to steps taken since the 2018 scandal and which echoes the view of Walusimbi and UNHCR. During the 2018 episode, UNHCR was accused by other humanitarian agencies and NGOs of failing to act on warning signs that the government's refugee numbers were heavily exaggerated. An internal UN audit published in late 2018 found that UNHCR had failed to leverage its funding to the government to secure access to the refugee registration platform, which was managed by the OPM and contained the falsified figures. UNHCR now has access and control over the registration system and was therefore able to pick up on various anomalies, which several sources said indicates an improvement in control measures. The UN letter states that UNHCR and WFP also raised concerns with the government between April and July 2022, as the fraud was discovered. That contrasts with 2018, when UNHCR was accused by aid workers of not wanting to confront the government. Weak oversight Still, several emergency aid actors who spoke to The New Humanitarian expressed concern about the fraud discovery, as did donor officials quoted in RHPG meeting minutes. According to an aid worker based in Kiryandongo, and interviews with three refugees who live there, fraud may have gone undetected for several years. All described various ways in which registration procedures have been corrupted by low-level OPM officials. The fraud in Rhino, meanwhile, was enabled by weak oversight of OPM registration workers by their OPM supervisors and settlement commanders, according to the UN letter and interviews with humanitarian workers who described it as a worrying weakness in the registration process. The letter states that false identities disguised as new births in existing refugee households were added to databases without appropriate documentation such as birth notification cards or certificates. "The [settlement] commander wasn't doing regular cross-checks of what these [OPM registration officials] were doing," said the senior aid official, referring to the situation in Rhino. "He just had trust in them." The aid official argued that the fraud in Rhino was detected fortuitously. They said a technical glitch in UNHCR's systems prompted a review, which then led to the discovery of large increases in the sizes of certain families. However, Walusimbi said there was no glitch and that irregularities were identified using "routine data quality checks" and safeguarding measures introduced since 2018. Walusimbi said the "area of weakness" identified by the recent fraud "is now being corrected." Still, the vulnerability of the registration system is also underscored by data from a feedback helpline launched in late 2018 by aid agencies so that refugees can request information or make complaints about corruption and other issues in settlements. The data - contained in the RHPG meeting minutes - shows that the most common misconduct complaints made in 2021 and 2022 by refugees were for issues around registration; 250 claims were made in total. Delayed investigation The time taken by the OPM to conduct an inquiry has also triggered mixed reactions. Walusimbi said the OPM commissioned a team in August 2022 to investigate the allegations. He said the inquiry was completed during "the fall", and that a request was made for a police investigation in December. "Unlike in 2018, OPM established a committee to investigate the identified irregularities, and swift action was taken to identify and address the issues as well as institute punitive measures against the perpetrators," said Walusimbi. However, the senior aid official said the gap between April - when the fraud was first detected - and the time the OPM began its investigations on the ground raised eyebrows among humanitarian actors. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Legal Affairs Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The official said some blamed the delay on bureaucracy at the OPM, while others considered it an attempt to avoid accountability. "Many thought nothing was going to happen," said the official. Similar concerns are also expressed in the RHPG meeting minutes. They contain a quote from one diplomat who said, "the timeline of the OPM investigation does raise many questions". Though certain OPM staff are now facing criminal prosecution for their roles in the fraud, research conducted on past anti-corruption trials has often revealed flaws in these processes. As was the case in the aftermath of the 2018 case, trials rarely target fraud ringleaders, and they are often deliberately drawn out by the government in the hope that the international community will lose interest. Endemic corruption Stamping out misconduct by lower-level government workers in refugee camps will require tackling a culture of corruption at the OPM and Uganda in general - on top of technical fixes - aid officials and anti-corruption campaigners said. "OPM, at the national level, is implicated in these local [fraud] processes in various ways," said Marlon Agaba, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU). "You cannot trust OPM to investigate on its own [staff]." The most recent scandal at the OPM emerged in February and concerned the diversion of iron sheets by officials, including government ministers. The sheets were intended for residents of Karamoja, Uganda's poorest region. The senior aid worker said that if ministers are known to be stealing aid, then registration workers in refugee settlements are likely to follow suit. "Of course they look for ways to profit," the official said. Agaba of the ACCU said the OPM isn't the only institution that needs reforming. "We, as a country, lose close to 20% [of the national budget] to corruption," Agaba said. "OPM works in this context." Edited by Philip Kleinfeld. Kristof Titeca, Professor at the Institute of Development Policy at the University of Antwerp Sudan's paramilitary declares 72-hour truce despite continued fighting, UN raises humanitarian concerns Xinhua) 11:04, April 23, 2023 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters on calling for a three-day ceasefire in Sudan at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 20, 2023. Guterres on Thursday called for a three-day ceasefire in Sudan to allow trapped civilians to flee. (Xinhua/Xie E) KHARTOUM, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) declared a 72-hour truce on Friday, despite continuous skirmishes with the Sudanese Army. "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. There was no immediate comment from the army. Before Friday, two declared 24-hour ceasefires had failed to take hold. Amid the ongoing fighting, the United Nations (UN) continued to appeal to the RSF and Sudanese Army to strike a deal. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for a three-day ceasefire in Sudan to allow trapped civilians to flee. "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," he told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York. The UN chief said hundreds of people have been killed and injured in the fighting, and humanitarian operations are virtually impossible. UN agencies on Thursday also expressed concern over the impact of fighting on civilians in Sudan, where the humanitarian situation was already dire. The World Health Organization reported more than 330 people killed during six days of fighting in the capital city of Khartoum and several other states, including Darfur. Another 3,200 people were injured. The UN children's fund (UNICEF) said at least nine children were reportedly killed in the fighting and more than 50 children were injured. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said the perilous security situation across Sudan makes it very difficult to collect and verify information. But UNICEF is certain that while the fighting continues, children will continue to pay the price. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said people have been unable to safely leave their homes to buy food and other essentials for days now. Humanitarian pauses must be ensured to enable the safe passage of civilians so that they can seek medical care and access basic provisions. The humanitarian response in Sudan is severely hampered, said OCHA. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme warns that the fighting in Sudan could plunge millions more into hunger. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF broke out on Saturday, forcing civilians to flee and seek shelter from the hostilities. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) blog Amid protracted conflict in Sudan, the United States should work to lower the temperature amongst external actors, and support Sudanese citizens, who remain steadfast in their aspirations for a civilian-led government. Sudan's suffering deepens by the hour, as self-serving army and militia forces battle for supremacy in a struggle totally divorced from the aims of the 2018-2019 revolution, in which the people of Sudan bravely stood up to one of the world's most brutal authoritarian governments to demand democratic change. Given the rancor on both sides, and what each stands to lose if they do not prevail, it is difficult to imagine a lasting peace between them until one party is convinced it has decisively defeated the other. Certainly the notion of return to the state of play before the fighting broke out on April 15 is absurd. Even before the open warfare in the streets, that process, relied on the good faith and commitment of the very armed actors that had already staged a coup to derail the transition to civilian rule, and now have plunged the country into chaos. It lacked credibility and support domestically despite the puzzling international investment in it. Attempts to return to the same approach would align with the popular definition of insanity. For the United States, the options to mitigate the crisis are limited. Doubtlessly, there are lessons to be learned from the policy failures of the recent past. But for now, in addition to addressing the security of U.S. government personnel and U.S. citizens in the country, the focus will be on trying to alleviate human suffering by pushing for safe humanitarian access and corridors that allow trapped civilians to flee the worst of the fighting. Despite the antagonists' long history of disregard for the laws of war, the United States should condemn their violations, and help to collect evidence for later prosecutions. More broadly, policy should focus on trying to prevent a long period of disintegration in Sudan with destabilizing spillover in the region. Sudan is already in a tough neighborhood, and its descent into civil war will only worsen the prospects for peace among its neighbors. One need only consider the havoc that Libya's dissolution has wrought to get a sense of the worst case scenarios. The intense fighting in Darfur and ethnic cleavages between parties to the conflict in Sudan raises real security questions for Chad, an already fragile state with its own illegitimate, militarized leadership. In addition to the potential for renewed border clashes, a prominent Egyptian role will raise alarm bells in Ethiopia, given Egypt's vociferous objection to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. From South Sudan to the Central African Republic, already bad situations could get even worse. History has shown the United States that our tools to influence recalcitrant Sudanese actors are not as potent as we might like, but that they can have some impact, especially when we act in concert with others. It is rather late in the day to imagine that targeted sanctions can rein in the generals, but surely policymakers can no longer find reasons not to impose costs on the perpetrators of the violence. Yet serious multilateral consensus may be hard to come by. While state collapse in Sudan is not desirable to any of the many external actors with interests at stake, and the United Nations, Arab League, and African Union have all urged the parties to the conflict to stop, both Burhan's Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have external supporters who wish to see their preferred entity succeed. Reports of Libya's Khalifa Haftar resupplying the RSF and of Egyptian military support for General Burhan's military forces could be just the start of the trouble. Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia all have significant ties to the RSF, a transactionally inclined entity that has proven useful to them in the past. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Conflict U.S., Canada and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. But even as U.S. diplomats work to dissuade other powers from throwing more fuel on the fire engulfing Sudan, time and effort should be devoted to elevating the voices and demands of Sudanese civilians who ousted the odious government of Omar al-Bashir and have never stopped trying to reshape their government or calling for justice. They will be working to resist efforts to divide Sudan along ethnic lines, and objecting to deals that mortgage the country's future to deep-pocketed external powers willing to tip the military balance. In the midst of the smoke rising from the streets of Sudan, it's hard to find the direction to a better future in the far distance. These voices can help to point the way. Ahmednagar, April 23: The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) will organise a 3-day march to the office of the Maharashtra Minister of Revenue, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra from April 26 to 28 for allegedly "not resolving the basic issues of the farmers, workers and agricultural labourers," the sabha said in a release. According to the release, "The march will be taken out to the Loni office of the Revenue and Dairy Development Minister of Maharashtra, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. If the demands are not met, an indefinite Mahapadav will be conducted at Loni". The AIKS is being supported by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and other like-minded mass organisations, as per the release. Maharashtra Farmers Protest: Minister Dada Bhuse Says Farmers Reps To Meet CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on March 16. The farmers union complained that in the last two years, excessive and unseasonal rains destroyed the crops in large parts of the state and the state government declared to provide compensation for the loss of crops but no compensation is provided. "Assurances were given again and again for vested forest land, temple land, reward land, waqf land, pasture land and land for housing to peasants and agricultural workers, many of whom are actually tilling that land for several generations. But instead of vesting land in their names, the police and forest department were misused to beat up poor peasants and drive them out of their meagre land and houses. Lands are being forcibly acquired for highways, corridors, ports and airports, with very little compensation", as per the release. Maharashtra: Farmers Spurn CM Eknath Shindes Dole, Start Long March From Nashik to Mumbai. AIKS accused the state government of not addressing the issues of the agriculture sectors and dairy sectors and said, in the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, milk peasants sold their milk for just Rs 17 per litre. After the pandemic when the dairy sector is recovering from its effects, the government has begun moves to import milk and dairy products, thus once again affecting their future. Prices of cotton, soyabean, tur, gram and other crops have collapsed. The farmers organization said that the problems of unorganised workers like Anganwadi, Asha, Mid-day meal scheme, construction workers, and domestic workers, are becoming grim, with no help at all from the governments. (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 23: Central intelligence agencies will interrogate 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh, who was arrested by the Punjab Police on Sunday and later sent to Assam's Dibrugarh jail. The self-styled preacher was evading Punjab Police since March 18. Nine of Amritpal's aides who were arrested earlier were also lodged in Dibrugarh jail. "Amritpal has been kept in a separate cell, distant from his accomplices who are also in same jail after they were arrested during Punjab Police crackdown," a senior official told ANI. The official added that a team of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and other Central Intelligence agencies would reach Dibrugarh jail to question Amritpal. Amritpal Singh Arrested: Waris Punjab De Chief Shifted to Assams Dibrugarh Jail Amid Tight Security (Watch Video). "He will be questioned on his association with his sympathisers and his source of funding. Because intelligence agencies have got a lot of inputs regarding his association with handlers in Pakistan and other countries," the official said. "We have asked Assam Police to beef up security around jail premises and visitors to the jail to be thoroughly frisked and their details to be kept in record. Apart from state police, Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) is also deployed in the periphery of jail premises," he added. Amritpal Singh Arrested: NSA Warrants Against Waris Punjab De Chief Executed Today, Says Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill (Watch Video). A special chartered flight from Bathinda Airport accompanied by a team of Punjab police took off at 8.25 am and reached the Dibrugarh Airport at 2.20 pm. They were received by senior Assam Police officers at the airport and he was immediately taken to Dibrugarh Jail where he was kept in a cell after a medical examination. Earlier on Sunday, Amritpal was arrested from a Gurudwara in the Moga district of Punjab and reportedly also addressed a gathering before his arrest. According to the officials, the arrest was done by combined efforts of the Punjab Police and Central intelligence agencies. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Tinsukia (Assam) [India], April 23 (ANI): Following severe thunderstorm and hailstorm in parts of the district resulting in a trail of devastation, the Tinsukia district administration of Assam has ordered to close all schools and colleges of the district on April 24. An order issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia district said, "In view of severe thunder and hailstorm that occurred in the night of Saturday and Sunday evening resulting in a trail of devastation and considering the severity of the situation and in the interest of the safety and security of the students, all schools and colleges of Tinsukia district will remain closed on April 24." Also Read | Delhi: 10 Held Near Rajghat for Organising 'Horse Cart Race'; Booked for Animal Cruelty (Watch Video). Swapneel Paul, Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia district told ANI that, two persons died in a severe storm in the Doomdooma area of the district. According to the district administration, around 37,200 people in 54 villages have been affected by severe storms and hailstorms. Also Read | Russia Sanctioned: Moscow Reveals 'Food' Item Most Hit by Sanctions. Earlier on Friday, a 7-year-old child died and more than 400 houses were affected in Assam's Karimganj district after a severe storm hit the state. Arpita Dutta Mazumder, Patharkandi Revenue Circle Officer told ANI that as per the initial report as many as 428 families of five Village Panchayats of Patharkandi have been affected by the storm. He said that a 7-year-old child died after a house collapsed due to a storm in the Patharkandi area. Several houses were damaged with roofs being blown off, he added. According to the district administration, the storm uprooted trees and electric poles in the area. (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 23 (ANI): The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Sunday passed a resolution opposing the grant of legal recognition to same-sex marriage in the country. BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said the resolution has been passed by the Bar after holding a meeting with representatives of all State Bar Councils. Also Read | Death Warrant Issued: Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis Led Maharashtra Government Will Collapse in 15 to 20 Days, Says Sanjay Raut. As per documented history, BCI said ever since the inception of human civilization and culture, marriage has been typically accepted and categorized as a union of biological man and woman for the twin purpose of procreation and recreation. In such background, it would be catastrophic to overhaul something as fundamental as the conception of marriage by any Law Court, howsoever well-intentioned it may be. Issues pertaining to social and religious connotations should typically be dealt by Courts through the doctrine of deference, the Bar Council said. Also Read | Most Germans Ready to Make Sacrifices for Planet -- Survey. "The legislature being truly reflective of the will of the people is best suited to deal with such sensitive issues. Every responsible and prudent citizen of the country is worried about the future of his/her children after coming to know about the pendency of this matter before the Supreme Court. More than 99.9 per cent of people of the country are opposed to the idea of same-sex marriage in our country," BCI said. The Council said the vast majority believes that any decision of the Apex Court in the petitioners' favour on this issue will be treated to be against the culture and socio-religious structure of the country. "The Bar is the mouthpiece of the common men and, therefore, this meeting is expressing their anxiety over this highly sensitive issue. The Joint Meeting is of the clear opinion that if the Supreme Court shows any indulgence in this matter, it will result in destabilizing the social structure of our country in the coming days. The Apex Court is requested and expected to appreciate and respect the sentiments and mandate of the mass of the country," BCI said its a statement. The Constitution Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Ravindra Bhat, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice PS Narasimha is dealing with a batch of petitions pertaining to 'marriage equality rights for the LGBTQI+ community'. The Constitution Bench started hearing the petitions on April 18. Various petitions are being dealt with by Supreme Court seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. The Centre has opposed the petitions. One of the petitions earlier raised the absence of a legal framework which allowed members of the LGBTQ+ community to marry any person of their choice. According to the petition, the couple sought to enforce the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ individuals to marry any person of their choice and said that "The exercise of which ought to be insulated from the disdain of legislative and popular majorities". The petitioners, further, asserted their fundamental right to marry each other and prayed for appropriate directions from this Court allowing and enabling them to do so. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Cuttack, Apr 23 (PTI) Chairperson of New Delhi-based Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) Trilochan Mohapatra on Sunday called upon agricultural scientists to jealously promote nutritional literacy in the country by mainstreaming the bio-fortified crops. He stressed the need for an enlarged food basked that would address malnutrition, adequate seed production and price advantate to farmers Also Read | Same-Sex Marriage: Bar Council of India Says Recognition of Gay Marriages To Have Wide Impact on Socio-Cultural, Religious Beliefs. Mohapatra, a former head of the Directorate of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and former Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), was delivering the first K Ramiah Foundation Day lecture here at the National Rice Research Institute (NRRI) on Sunday. He said the global food system is currently being challenged by three 'Cs': Climate change, Covid and Conflicts. Also Read | Archana Verma, Samajawadi Partys Mayoral Candidate From Shahjahanpur, Joins BJP. Speaking at length on nutrition security through various food crops to address the malnutrition menace, the senior rice scientist, in his talk, spelt out the priorities for farm scientists, farmers, policymakers and media personnel and said a sustainable food system encompasses social, economic and environmental considerations. "Unfortunately, we do not often bother about the sustainable food system globally," he said. Dwelling upon the Global Hunger Index (GHI), Mohapatra said undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality are the four key indicators of the GHI. He said that the 2022 GHI score for the World was 18.2 and was considered moderate, down slightly from the 2014 score of 19.1, adding that most unhealthy children are from Asia and Africa. NRRI also signed two MoUs with entrepreneurs on the occasion. Similarly, two new in-house publications were released on the day. Farmers, scientists and retired employees were also felicitated for their significant contributions to the institute. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Visual of the bullets found on the spot of the terror attack (Photo/ANI) Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 23 (ANI): Bullets were found at the spot in Bhimber Gali in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch where five soldiers lost their lives in the terror attack on April 20. The Rajouri-Poonch Highway from the Surankot side was opened. Also Read | Maharashtra: Nourishment Level of Gadchiroli's Tribal Children Improves Using AI-Based Machine (Watch Video). Earlier on Friday, the Indian Army launched a massive operation to hunt down a group of around six to seven terrorists who are behind this attack. "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," defence sources told ANI. Also Read | Amritpal Singh Arrested: NSA Warrants Against 'Waris Punjab De' Chief Executed Today, Says Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill (Watch Video). Sources said that this group was involved in the ambush of the Indian Army vehicle yesterday in the Poonch sector where five soldiers were killed. As a follow up the Indian Army has launched multiple operations to nab the terror group. "Multiple special forces teams along with drones and surveillance helicopters have been rushed to the area to help carry out search and destroy ops there," the sources said. The security forces including the Army, Police and Intelligence Agencies are coordinating the operations. As per the sources, the terrorists are suspected to be from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and from Pakistan. The deceased soldiers were identified as havildar Mandeep Singh, lance naik Debashish Baswal, lance naik Kulwant Singh, sepoy Harkrishan Singh and Sepoy Sewak Singh were attached with the army's Rashtriya Rifles unit and were deployed for counterterrorist operations in the area. The incident occurred after an Army vehicle they were travelling in was fired upon by terrorists in the Rajouri sector in Jammu leading to the death of five soldiers, and injuring another. Operations were launched to trace the perpetrators. The Army vehicle was moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in the Poonch district. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ramanagara (Karnataka) [India], April 23 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, one of the star leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to campaign for the candidate in poll-bound Karnataka. According to party sources, UP CM Yogi is expected to hold a public rally in support of BJP candidate from Kanakpura seat. Also Read | Death Warrant Issued: Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis Led Maharashtra Government Will Collapse in 15 to 20 Days, Says Sanjay Raut. They said that Yogi is likely to hold multiple public rallies in favour of BJP candidates. A date of the same is however not confirmed yet. BJP has fielded Revenue Minister R Ashoka from Kanakpura as well as from Padmanabhanagar assembly seats. Also Read | Most Germans Ready to Make Sacrifices for Planet -- Survey. R Ashoka represents Padmanabhanagar and has won several times from there. He is one of the most influential leaders and is popular among the Vokkaliga community. "Yogi Adityanath is very popular in the Vokkaliga community and his presence will ensure BJP's victory," R Ashoka while confirming CM Yogi's visit to the constituency for election campaigning. "Last time, BJP got only 6,000 votes in the Kanakpura seat but in this election, BJP will win," R Ashoka while speaking to ANI. R Ashoka is campaigning for the Karnataka polls in both constituencies, meeting voters and appealing to them to vote in favour of the BJP. Whereas Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief DK Shivakumar will contest from the Kanakapura constituency against R Ashoka. "There was a lot of fighting within the Congress. Whenever Siddaramaiah contests elections and wants to become the Chief Minister, he makes his opponent leaders lose the elections as he did with DK Shivakumar," he said. "After making derogatory statements about the Lingayat community and the Lingayat, Chief Ministers, most of the candidates of the Congress party would lose the elections. In 2019, Rahul Gandhi had made objectionable comments about the Modi surname and Congress lost the election," he added. Congress leader DK Shivakumar is contesting the poll from the Kanakpura assembly seat. Karnataka will go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will be done on May 13. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Town mayors in parts of KwaZulu-Natal are now taking it upon themselves to feed primary and high school learners after the normal feeding scheme system collapsed. The ANC-led government in the province has changed suppliers for the school nutrition programme. And new suppliers have left over 5,000 learners from poor backgrounds without food since the schools reopened after the Easter break. In some cases, learners have no choice but to leave home without breakfast hoping to get a full meal at school through the school's nutrition programme. As the crisis deepens, mayors of opposition parties are feeding the learners. Pupils in various schools in the province have since last week attended classes on empty stomachs. The food programme saga has become a political hot potato with thousands of learners across the province facing hunger. UMngeni Municipality DA Mayor Chris Pappas has announced that his council will team up with local non-government organisations in order to address the crisis. "We have allocated R70,000 for a short-term intervention to assist our local schools with food. It is heartbreaking that the KZN government continues to play with the lives of black people," said Pappas. "They should be ashamed because there are kids from rural and township schools who went to bed without food." Jozini Local Municipality IFP Mayor Mfananaye Mathe announced that they had allocated R3 million to help with distributing food to the local schools. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Governance Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The intervention will also be expanded to the winter schools to help those kids who will be attending the matric boot camps," said Mathe. The outcry over the appointment of one service provider to serve the entire province started last year and the tender was advertised soon after the election of the KZN's new ANC leadership. ANC Provincial Secretary Bheki Mtolo said the party has been inundated with calls from concerned people over the crisis. "The concerns raised by stakeholders is a genuine desire to be part of efforts to find long-lasting solutions for the benefit of learners and the province," said Mtolo. "We wish to extend our sincere apology to the learners, parents, stakeholders and all the people of KwaZulu-Natal." He said when the feeding programmes were introduced years ago, they were aimed at cushioning learners against hunger sparked by rising fuel and food prices. Mtolo said they note constructive criticisms levelled by leaders of political parties in the legislature and outside the legislature. "Members of all political parties have also weighed in on this matter," he said. Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 23 (ANI): Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai on Saturday seized 60 grams of MDMA comprising 125 tablets and arrested two persons in this regard, officials informed on Saturday. NCB said that drugs are worth Rs 5 lakh in international markets. Also Read | Ajit Pawar Capable of Becoming Maharashtra CM, Says Sanjay Raut. "In an intensified drive against international drug trafficking, NCB-Mumbai has successfully busted a darknet-based syndicate wherein 125 MDMA tablets, commonly known as Ecstasy pills have been seized and two distributors were arrested who were operating from Mumbai. The drugs consignment was sourced from the Netherlands and was procured through the darknet market," the press release said. "Initially, information was received about a Mumbai-based network which was involved in the trafficking of high-valued drugs procured from online platforms. Cautious and low-profiled monitoring of the entities was done which led to the identification of two persons namely N Salvi and S Shukla who were supplying MDMA in Mumbai and adjoining areas. Further during the enhanced vigil, it was noted that the persons were sketching a plan to procure a consignment," it added. Also Read | IAF To Rescue: Indian Air Force Airlifts Elderly Woman in Critical Medical Condition From Ladakh's Zanskar Valley. NCB further stated that these drugs are generally procured from European countries so the special emphasis was given to the scrutiny of parcels which were destined towards Mumbai. "Since MDMA and other high-valued drugs are mainly procured from foreign destinations, particularly the Netherlands and other European countries, special emphasis was given to scrutiny of suspected patterns, transactions and parcels destined towards Mumbai. On April 19, a parcel was identified in Mumbai which when investigated, was found to be containing 125 tablets of MDMA," the agency stated. NCB added, "Preliminary investigation indicated that the two identified persons were the main receiver of the seized parcel. Subsequent follow-up action led to the apprehension of the duo and after a brief session of questioning, they confessed their involvement in the drug trafficking". NCB also pointed out that it is carrying out an investigation into the payment procedure used for the procurement of drugs. "During the investigation, incriminating evidence pertaining to access to the illicit drug market, procurement, and payment transactions were recorded. It would be pertinent to mention that due to anonymity and faded financial trails, the payments of drugs through the darknet are using cryptocurrency," NCB said. The agency added, "Accordingly, other accounts and crypto wallets thus identified are also being investigated. The seizure resulting in the neutralisation of the local drug syndicate was effected at times when there is an emphasis to initiate a special drive to curb drug trafficking with international cartels dealing in drugs using the darknet and cryptocurrency with linkages in several countries as well as various States in India. Various aspects are being investigated to gather further information into the inland as well as offshore-based syndicates". (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Gurugram, April 23: Rajya Sabha MP Kartikeya Sharma on Sunday had a narrow escape after his SUV collided with a truck on Kundli Manesar Palwal road in Bilaspur police station area, police said. Police said the parliamentarian was taken to Medanta hospital where doctors said his condition was fine. Kiren Rijiju Accident: Law Minister Survives Car-Truck Collision Near Banihal in Jammu and Kashmir (Watch Video). The accident took place when Sharma was returning to Gurugram after participating in the Parashuram statue unveiling programme on the birth anniversary of Lord Parshuram in Doodiwala Kishanpura village of district Charkhi Dadri in Haryana. Maharashtra Road Accident: Truck Rams Into Bus on Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway in Pune; Four Killed, 18 Passengers Injured. Inspector Rahul Dev, SHO, Bilaspur police station said a police team reached the spot after getting information about the incident. "We have taken the damaged car in custody. Further probe is on," he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jammu ( Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 23 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Meghwal on Sunday said that separatism is not in the hearts of people living in India. Reacting to the arrest of Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singh, the Union Minister told mediapersons, "I was in Delhi for a Global Buddhist Summit and people were there from Leh and Ladakh. We all want peace. India will lead the process of peace in the whole world. Separatism is not in the hearts of those living in India". Also Read | Amritpal Singh Arrested: Timeline of Waris Punjab De Chiefs Journey From Dubai to Leading Sikh-Separatist Group and Being Jailed. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghawal further mentioned that development and good governance are key elements of Prime Minister's Narendra Modi leadership which will help in bringing peace to Jammu and Kashmir. "Democracy and good governance are the two important elements of Prime Minister's Modi leadership. These elements will help bring peace and prosperity and that will help create employment opportunities in the region. Also Read | Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Websites Get New Look With Soft Launch. Earlier today 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh was arrested by police from Moga district in Punjab. He has been shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam amid tight security. Amritpal Singh was on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. The Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher Amritpal Singh's other associates are also lodged at Dibrugarh jail, officials said.Papalpreet Singh a close aide of the fugitive Khalistan leader was brought to Assam's Dibrugarh Central Jail on April 11 after he was arrested. In the month of March, pro-Khalistan supporters and associates of Amritpal Singh were shifted out of Punjab after Central Intelligence agencies raised concerns over possible jailbreak and repeat of the Ajnala incident. Earlier in the day, the Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill said that National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning. "NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morning...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode," Gill said. He said that the Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher was arrested in a joint operation by Punjab police and the intelligence wing. The radical leader had been declared a "fugitive" while he was on a run earlier in March. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, Apr 23 (PTI) Several people were injured after a clash broke out between members of two communities over a petty issue in Rajasthan's Tonk district on Sunday, police said. They said police personnel in large numbers have been deployed to maintain law and order. Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: PM Narendra Modi's Rally on April 29, BJP Gears Up for Power-Packed Campaign. Both the groups pelted stones at each other and about a dozen people, including three policemen, were injured, police said, adding a few vehicles were also damaged. The incident took place in the Nagauri Mohalla area of Tonk when a group of people objected to speeding motorbikes on a road while children were playing. The issue escalated and people from two communities had a face-off, they said. Also Read | India Conducts First-Ever Census of Water Bodies; Here's Some Revelations. Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Malpura, Mahipal Singh told reporters that the situation is under control. Deputy Superintendent of Police Sushil Mann said people from both sides were injured and are undergoing treatment at a hospital. The matter is under investigation and action will be taken as per law, he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], April 23 (ANI): Terming the Indus Water Treaty as the "purest" treaty in the world, Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat on Saturday slammed Pakistan for violating it by showing "dual precedence". Speaking to ANI, Shekhawat said, "After partition, Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan regarding the distribution of water. It is the purest treaty, out of all the water treaties in the world. Even after three full-fledged wars, India has kept the sanctity of the treaty which shows India's character". Also Read | Ajit Pawar Capable of Becoming Maharashtra CM, Says Sanjay Raut. He slammed Pakistan for showing "dual precedence" and violating the rules of the treaty. "Recently, Pakistan challenged India's rights and demanded a third party to look into the matter. The World Bank also approved it. But, at the same time, Pakistan had also approached the International Court of Justice. This dual precedence is against the treaty," he said. Also Read | IAF To Rescue: Indian Air Force Airlifts Elderly Woman in Critical Medical Condition From Ladakh's Zanskar Valley. The Union Minister added, "India has registered its objection against it at the World Bank. The matter is being discussed, and let's wait for the decision from there for deciding upon the future course of action". On being asked why Pakistan is making such statements while undergoing an economic crisis, Shekhawat said, "For understanding this, we have to listen to the Pakistan minister's remark. It will show why Pakistan is undergoing crisis, and why is it making such statements. India issued notice to Pakistan on January 25 for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of September 1960 after Islamabad's actions adversely impinged the provisions of the treaty, according to sources. The notice was conveyed on January 25 through respective Commissioners for Indus Waters as per Article XII (3) of the IWT. The objective of the notice for modification, according to sources, is to provide Pakistan with an opportunity to enter into intergovernmental negotiations within 90 days to rectify the material breach of the IWT. This process would also update IWT to incorporate the lessons learned over the last 62 years. India has always been a responsible partner in implementing the IWT. Pakistan's actions, however, have encroached on the provisions of IWT and their implementation and forced India to issue an appropriate notice for modification of IWT. In 2015, Pakistan requested the appointment of a Neutral Expert to examine its technical objections to India's Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs). In 2016, Pakistan unilaterally retracted this request and proposed that a Court of Arbitration adjudicate its objections. Pakistan, despite repeated efforts by India to find a mutually agreeable way forward, has refused to discuss the issue during the five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022. The World Bank at Pakistan's continued insistence initiated actions on both the Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes. Such parallel consideration of the same issues is not covered under any provision of IWT. The World Bank in October 2022, made appointments in two separate processes requested by India and Pakistan in relation to the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants. It appointed a chairman of the Court of Arbitration and a neutral expert "in line with its responsibilities" under the Indus Waters Treaty. A World Bank release said that the two countries disagree over whether the technical design features of the two hydroelectric plants contravene the Treaty. Michel Lino was appointed as the Neutral Expert and Sean Murphy was appointed as Chairman of the Court of Arbitration. They will carry out their duties in their individual capacity as subject matter experts and independently of any other appointments they may currently hold, the release said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 23 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday met the family of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the BSP MLA leader's murder, who was killed in February this year. Umesh Pal and his two armed security escorts were shot dead in Prayagraj's Sulem Saray area on February 24. Several rounds were fired and bombs were hurled at Umesh and his gunners. Also Read | Amritpal Singh Arrested: Timeline of Waris Punjab De Chiefs Journey From Dubai to Leading Sikh-Separatist Group and Being Jailed. Talking to the media, Deputy CM Maurya said that every member of Umesh Pal's family is like a member of his own family. There would be no lack of their security. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government is focused on their security and we'll try that this kind of incident is not repeated in the future. "Every member of Umesh Pal's family is like a member of my family. There would be no lack of their security. Our government is focused on their security and we'll try that this kind of incident is not repeated in the future," he said. Also Read | Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Websites Get New Look With Soft Launch. Deputy CM said that he has already discussed this topic with CM Yogi and has decided to strengthen the police department. People must keep faith in the UP police. Maurya said, "I have discussed this topic with CM Yogi. We are trying to strengthen the police department. Believe in Uttar Pradesh's police, they are capable enough to fight against the people who are trying to frighten or give threats." Earlier, Shanti Devi, mother of slain lawyer Umesh Pal thanked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and expressed her full faith in the Uttar Pradesh government, for giving "justice" after the son of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed was shot dead in a police encounter. "This is a tribute to my son. I thank the Chief Minister and the police department which discharged their duties," Shanti Devi told reporters in Prayagraj. Asad was killed on April 13 in an encounter in Jhansi. He was killed along with Ghulam, both of whom were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj. Each of them carried a reward of Rs 5 lakhs on their heads. "Asad, son of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and Ghulam S/o Maksudan, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and carrying a reward of Rupees five lakhs each; killed in an encounter with the UPSTF team led by DySP Navendu and DySP Vimal at Jhansi. Sophisticated foreign-made weapons recovered," UP STF said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dibrugarh, April 23: 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh has been shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam amid tight security. Singh was arrested by police from Moga district in Punjab on Sunday early morning and was taken to Dibrugarh Airport in Assam via flight during the afternoon hours. "From there, he has been shifted to a prison in Dibrugarh," officials said. According to officials, security has been tightened in Assam. Amritpal Singh was on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. The Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher Amritpal Singh's other associates are also lodged at Dibrugarh jail, officials said. Papalpreet Singh a close aide of the fugitive Khalistan leader was brought to Assam's Dibrugarh Central Jail on April 11 after he was arrested. Amritpal Singh Arrested: Waris Punjab De Chief Reaches Assams Dibrugarh, To Be Taken to Central Jail. Waris Punjab De Chief Shifted to Assams Dibrugarh Jail: #WATCH | Assam: Khalistan supporter and 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh who was today arrested by Punjab police, was brought to jail in Dibrugarh. pic.twitter.com/cTGbk6oZjW ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 Earlier in March, pro-Khalistan supporters and associates of Amritpal Singh were shifted out of Punjab after Central Intelligence agencies raised concerns over possible jailbreak and repeat of the Ajnala incident. Earlier in the day, the Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill said that National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning. "NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morning...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode," Gill said. Amritpal Singh Arrested: NSA Warrants Against Waris Punjab De Chief Executed Today, Says Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill (Watch Video). He said that the Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher was arrested in a joint operation by Punjab police and the intelligence wing. "Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh, Assam and further action will be taken as per law and order in the case. A warning has been issued against those elements trying to jeopardise the peace and harmony of the state," he said. "...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and the Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didn't enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA...", the IGP said. The radical leader had been declared a "fugitive" while he was on a run earlier in March. 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. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Poonch/Jammu, April 23: The terrorists who ambushed an Army truck in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch used steel core bullets, capable of piercing an armoured shield, and decamped with the soldiers' weapons, officials said on Sunday, amid intensified efforts to trace and neutralise the perpetrators. They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the truck from the front before the other terrorists sprayed bullets and lobbed grenades on it. Five soldiers were killed and one injured after the terrorists attacked the lone Army truck, which was carrying eatables for iftar to a nearby village, in the dense forest area of Bhata Dhurian late on Thursday afternoon and the vehicle caught fire. Poonch Terror Attack: Top Security Officials Visit Site as Search Operation Intensified, Soldiers Cremated with Full Military Honours. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations. Experts from various agencies, including the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), have visited the site of the attack over the past two days and have managed to get a clear picture of the deadly ambush which was laid by the terrorists, the officials said. They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the vehicle from the front before his associates showered bullets and lobbed grenades on the vehicle from opposite sides, apparently giving the troops no time to retaliate. The terrorists used steel core bullets that can penetrate an armoured shield, they said. Before fleeing, the terrorists stole the soldiers' arms and ammunition, they added. Poonch Terror Attack: Drones, Sniffer Dogs and MI Chopper Used in Massive Manhunt for Terrorists. Though the area where the attack took place is considered terrorism-free for long, the Bhata Dhurian forest area remains a notorious infiltration route for terrorists attempting to sneak into India by crossing the Line of Control (LoC) due to 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 that continued for over three weeks. Thursday's ambush was also a grim reminder of a terrorist attack on the official vehicle of a judicial magistrate over two decades ago. District and Sessions Judge V K Phool, a civilian and two police personnel were killed in the attack which took place on December 5, 2001, in the Dehra Ki Gali forests near the Bhata Dhurian forests. The officials said over 12 people have been detained for questioning in connection with the Poonch attack but no arrests have been made so far. Security forces are using drones and sniffer dogs to conduct a recce of the dense forest but success has eluded them so far, they said. It is believed that the terrorists have managed to create safe hideouts in the dense forest to escape the security dragnet or may have crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, they added. According to the officials, initial reports suggest the involvement of around five terrorists, including some foreign mercenaries, in the attack. After the ambush, the terrorists possibly used grenades as well as sticky bombs that caused the vehicle to erupt into flames. The officials said those who executed the attack are believed to have been in Rajouri and Poonch for more than a year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain, which is quite tough. The area is a hotbed of Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF) as its 'commander' Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi is a resident of the area, they added. At present, three to four terrorist groups are active in the region of Rajouri and Poonch, sources said. Banned terror group People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy wing of Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are reports suggesting that it was the handiwork of banned Lashker-e-Taiba group also. Guyana's Public Works Minister Juan Edghill (second right) and Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr. KJ Srinivasa (second left) after signing the agreement. (Photo: Ministry of Public Works) Georgetown [Guyana], April 23 (ANI): India and Guyana signed an Air Services Agreement (ASA) on Saturday to facilitate easier travel between the two nations, News Room Guyana reported citing the release from the Ministry of Public Works of the country. The agreement was signed between Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, M.P and the High Commissioner of India to Guyana KJ Srinivasa, and in the presence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who is on a 3-day visit to Guyana. Also Read | WhatsApp Feature Update: Meta-Owned Messaging App 'Channels' for Broadcasting Information. The agreement's signing is consistent with the government's objective to establish ties between Guyana and the rest of the world. It will also complement the more than 50 Air Services Agreements Guyana has negotiated with other ICAO governments for the advancement of interstate air travel. Also Read | Punjab: BSF Hands Over Aged Pakistani National Back to Rangers. Along with Jaishankar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana, Hugh Todd; Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Elizabeth Harper; Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Lt. Col. (ret'd) Egbert Field, and other Technical Officials from India and Guyana were also present while the agreement was being signed, reported Guyana's leading broadcast and online news media, News Room Guyana. The Agreement encourages the development of international air services between the two nations and a global airline market. It also addresses important matters Grant of Rights; Designation and Authorization of Airlines; Revocation or Suspension of Operating Authorization, Principles governing the operation of Agreed Services, Application of Laws, User Charges, Customs Duties and Charges, Aviation safety and security, and more, reported News Room Guyana. As the two countries signed the air services agreement, new investment opportunities for Guyanese-owned airlines to have direct market access to international airports in India and vice versa will be now accessible. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], April 23 (ANI): The Pakistan Peoples Party on Sunday announced that it will hold a protest in Sindh on April 25 to demand elections across the country on the same day, Geo News reported. While announcing the protest, PPP Sindh president Nisar Khuhro said that their party will hold demonstrations at all district headquarters of Sindh, as per the Geo News report. Also Read | Pakistan Horror: Two Motorcyclists Shot Dead by Police in Multan for Disobeying Stop Orders. The call for protest comes amid the uncertainty regarding the date of elections as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government has called for elections on the same day across Pakistan while the Pakistan Supreme Court's involvement in the matter is in the shape of orders for snap polls. Nisar Khuhro said that Sindh does not accept the decision to conduct polls. He said, "Sindh doesn't accept the decision to hold polls [to provincial and national assemblies] separately except for the one-day polls," as per the Geo News report. Also Read | Disney Employee Allegedly Shot Videos up Women's Skirts, Faces Charge. Khuhro said that the polls should be held simultaneously under the Election Act. He further said, "Separate elections will be equivalent to dividing the country into two parts," as per the Geo News report. Meanwhile, PPP leader Manzoor Wassan said that he sees many people going to prison or travelling to other nations in May if important decisions were not made in April. He said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan will not become Pakistan's Prime Minister even if the general polls are conducted. Wassan said, "Imran Khan will keep making a mistake after mistake and the elections could not be held even in October." Last week, Pakistan Supreme Court ordered the opposition political parties to immediately reach a consensus on the date of elections and update it," as per the news report. The court's decision comes as the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have said that they would sit with the PTI and try to find a solution on the election date. Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, which is a faction of the ruling coalition has refused to make any compromise as long as PTI is concerned. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar on Sunday announced that the party will launch its election campaign for Punjab polls on Monday, Geo News reported. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Asad Umar stated, "Tehreek-e-Insaf will officially launch its election campaign from tomorrow. They (PDM) may not be ready but we are ready." Earlier this week, the PTI finalised a list of 297 candidates for the elections. PTI's announcement of launching the election campaign comes despite uncertainty over the polls. The PTI finalised the list of candidates after the party's chairman Imran Khan interviewed all party candidates in person to uphold merit in distributing party tickets. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) document Dear President Museveni, You recently made a call for a scientific opinion to establish if homosexuality is natural, or learned - to help you determine whether to sign the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. As scientists - from across Africa and the world - we are answering your call. We cannot say this enough: homosexuality is a normal and natural variation of human sexuality. The science on this subject is crystal clear and we call on you in the strongest possible terms to veto the bill in the name of science. Consider the largest ever scientific study into the genetics of same-sex sexual behaviour. It analysed a huge sample of nearly half a million people. What did it find? Genetics plays a role in homosexuality. And in fact, it does not just come from one gene, but many. As one of the lead researchers on the study said: "I hope that the science can be used to educate people a little bit more about how natural and normal same-sex behaviour is". But he and his co researchers are not alone. You can listen to your very own Uganda National Academy of Sciences. Or perhaps fellow African scientists at the Academy of Science of South Africa. In fact, we cannot think of one major scientific organisation - from the World Health Organisation to the World Health Assembly and beyond - which would argue against the idea homosexuality is not normal and natural. Science does not only tell us that homosexuality is normal and natural, it also tells us that it is not "socially contagious". You cannot catch it, like the common cold. You cannot be indoctrinated into it - exposure to rainbow flags will not make a child gay. Nor is it a western import - despite what you and many of your citizens have heard. Sexual orientation is not limited to any specific region. It is not confined by borders drawn on a map. It needs no passport to travel. Indeed there's clear evidence for same sex relationships in Africa dating back hundreds of years. And science also busts pernicious and hateful myths that homosexuality encourages pedophilia, and that HIV is a 'gay disease'. In fact, laws, like the one you are considering signing, actually make it more difficult to monitor and control sexually transmitted diseases. This law is unscientific. We urge you in the strongest terms to veto the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, in light of the wide scientific consensus that homosexuality is a normal and natural variation of human sexuality. Signees: Professor Glenda Gray, President & CEO of the South African Medical Research Council, South Africa Dean Hamer, Scientist Emeritus, National Institutes of Health USA Professor James McIntyre, Anova Health Institute and University of Cape Town, South Africa Professor Francois Venter, Executive Director: Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa Professor Marc Mendelson, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Head of Division of Infectious Diseases & HIV Medicine, Past-President of the International Society of Infectious Diseases, Past-President of the Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa Professor Bavesh Kana, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Professor Linda-Gail Bekker, Chief Executive Officer, The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, South Africa Professor Volker Sommer, Chair of Evolutionary Anthropology, University College London, United Kingdom Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Uganda Health By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Prof. Eduard Sanders, Specialist scientist on HIV prevention, Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa & Kenyan Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Simon LeVay, former Associate Professor, Harvard University and Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA Professor Charles Roselli, Professor of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, USA Professor Paul Vasey, Professor & Research Chair, Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada Kenneth J. Zucker, Ph.D., University of Toronto, Canada Dr. Lisa M. Diamond, Distinguished Professor of Developmental Psychology, University of Utah, USA Naypyidaw [Myanmar], April 23 (ANI): Deputy chairman of Myanmar's military-appointed election commission was shot and killed by the insurgents on Saturday in the nation's commercial hub Yangon. This is the most recent high-profile murder connected to the country's military rulers, reported Al Jazeera. The Union Election Commission's deputy director, Sai Kyaw Thu, was assassinated on Saturday in the eastern Yangon township of Thingangyun, according to a statement from the army's media team. Also Read | Pakistan Horror: Two Motorcyclists Shot Dead by Police in Multan for Disobeying Stop Orders. He was shot many times in the head, neck, and chest, according to local media. People's Defence Forces (PDF), the country's loosely organised, armed wing of the shadow National Unity Government (NUG), have emerged in opposition to the military, which overthrew the government more than two years ago, causing social unrest and an economic crisis, Al Jazeera reported. Also Read | Disney Employee Allegedly Shot Videos up Women's Skirts, Faces Charge. Politicians who had been democratically elected but were ousted in the military coup founded the NUG. Myanmar's military, which has battled armed ethnic groups for territorial control since soon after independence in 1948, has a long history of brutal attacks on civilians, and now an official has been targeted. Since the coup, pro-democracy forces have united with some armed ethnic groups in a national campaign to oust the military from power, creating the most unified resistance movement the military has faced. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, April 23: Pro-Khalistan preacher and 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh was arrested today by the Punjab police from Moga. Singh was arrested earlier in the day from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale's native village. Bhindranwale was killed by the Indian Army during Operation Blue Star in 1984. After his arrest, the 'Waris Punjab De' chief was shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam as the National Security Act (NSA) has been invoked against him. Singh was absconding after the police began a crackdown on his group on March 18. While several of his associates and supporters were arrested following the Punjab police's crackdown, it was Singh who managed to evade arrest most of the time. However, not much was not known about Amritpal Singh till last September, when he returned to India from Dubai and joined the 'Waris Punjab De' group. Amritpal Singh Arrested From Moga: Know About the Criminal Cases Against Pro-Khalistan Preacher and Waris Punjab De Chief. Here's a timeline of Singh's entry and emergence as Waris De Punjab chief and finally his arrest after weeks of the chase. September 2021: Nearly three years ago, Punjabi actor Sandeep Singh Sidhu, who was popularly known as Deep Sidhu started 'Waris Punjab De', a Sikh group to fight for Punjab and to protect its culture. However, Sidhu who shot to fame during the year-long farmer's protest in Delhi against farm laws allegedly died in a road accident in February 2022. February 2022: Seven months after Deep Sidhu's death, Amritpal Singh was appointed the chief of 'Waris Punjab De' by his supporters. February 2023: Two months ago, Amritpal Singh shot to fame after he led an armed mob and clashed with police in Amritsar. Singh and his supporters were demanding the release of their colleagues who were taken into custody in an alleged kidnapping case. Before this clash with police, an FIR was registered against Amritpal and Lovepreet Singh, alias Toofan at Ajnala, for their alleged involvement in kidnapping, thrashing, and attempt to murder. Amritpal Singh Arrested: Waris Punjab De Chief Kept in Dibrugarh Jails Isolation Cell; To Be Interrogated by RAW, IB. Amritpal Singh Arrested In Punjabs Moga; Khalistani Leader Taken To Dibrugarh Jail In Assam March 2023: The Punjab police come up with a plan to arrest the 'Waris Punjab De' chief. They start a crackdown by arresting his supporters and loyalists. Later, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav met Union home minister Amit Shah to discuss Singh's matter. Soon, a nationwide plan to nab Singh began while a state-wide crackdown started against Amritpal and his aides in Punjab. From March 18 to April 22, Amritpal Singh managed to give the police a slip and continue to stay at large. April 23, 2023: Finally, the cat-and-mouse chase between Singh and the police came to an end after the Waris Punjab De chief was arrested from Moga. Nearly two weeks before Singh's arrest, the Punjab police nabbed Pappalpreet from the Amritsar district. At present, has been lodged at Dibrugarh central jail in Assam amid tight security. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2023 06:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Patna, April 23: A man, who urinated inside Maa Durga temple located at Kalyani Chowk in Bihar's Muzaffarpur city, has been arrested, police said on Sunday. The accused is identified as Moinuddin, a resident of Diwan road of the city. He went inside the temple premises without removing his sleepers and headed towards the idol of Maa Durga. The temple priest spotted him and raised an alarm. However, by that time, he went to another side of the temple and urinated there on Saturday evening. Agitated over the incident, the devotees present inside the temple assaulted the accused. The news of the incident spread like a wildfire across the city and soon SHO of the Town police station and a large number of policemen reached the spot and arrested the accused. MP: Youth Arrested for Performing Obscene Acts in Vishweshwar Mahadev Temple in Indore. "We have arrested the accused under relevant sections of IPC. He is facing the charge of hurting the sentiments of a large community. The accused is injured and we have admitted him to Sadar hospital for treatment," said an official spokesperson of Muzaffarpur police. "We have deployed additional police forces around temple premises and also asked the reserve battalions to be on standby. Intelligence officers are asked to stay alert at their respective zones and inform us at the earliest to take preventive measures," he said. Meat at Temple Row: UP Police Arrest Main Accused Behind Dumping of Meat at Temple on Talgram. Meanwhile, the accused's parents reached the police station and claimed that he is mentally-challenged. They were also carrying some documents to substantiate their claim. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2023 04:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Prosecutors, Hoon Chun, left, assistant head deputy with the district attorneys consumer protection division, and Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher Curtis talk with reporters about the settlement reached Wednesday with Bumble Bee Foods. On one of his early morning shifts, Jose Melena stepped into a 35-foot-long cylinder-shaped oven at the Bumble Bee Foods plant in Santa Fe Springs. The 62-year-old father of six needed to make a quick repair inside the massive industrial pressure cooker, which is used to sterilize thousands of cans of tuna at a time. Not realizing Melena was inside, fellow employees shut the machine door behind him on that day in October 2012 and turned the oven on. Advertisement With temperatures reaching about 270 degrees, Melena was cooked to death. On Wednesday, Melenas gruesome death resulted in the largest known payout for workplace safety violations involving a single victim in a California criminal prosecution. Bumble Bee Foods will pay $6 million for willfully violating worker safety rules, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys office. You dont have warm blood running in your veins if youre not affected by the way this guy died. Its horrific, said Hoon Chun, assistant head deputy district attorney for the offices Consumer Protection Division, who helped prosecute the case. I cannot imagine a worse result of violating safety rules than something like this. Melenas death, he said, will force the company to change the way things are done at the plant. The company will pay $3 million to replace its outdated tuna ovens with new ovens that dont require workers to set foot inside. Bumble Bee will also pay $1.5 million in restitution to Melenas family. The district attorneys Environmental Enforcement Fund will receive $750,000 from Bumble Bee, and the company will pay an additional $750,000 in combined fines, penalties and court costs. I hope it sends a message that safety rules are not a recommendation, they are a legal requirement, Chun said. Im hoping people will ... realize shortcutting safety rules to make a few extra bucks and improve the bottom line is not a tolerable equation. Bumble Bee must implement enhanced safety measures, such as installing video cameras at their ovens, providing training to managers and workers about safety rules and conducting safety audits of equipment. The San Diego-based company was charged with three counts of willfully violating safety rules, causing death a felony. If Bumble Bee complies with the terms of the settlement agreement with the district attorneys office, the company will plead guilty after 18 months to one misdemeanor count. An attorney for the company told a judge during Wednesdays court hearing that the firm had already begun making the necessary improvements to prevent a similar accident. The companys attorneys declined to comment after the hearing. While this resolution will help bring closure with the district attorneys office, we will never forget the unfathomable loss of our colleague Jose Melena, and we are committed to ensuring that employee safety remains a top priority at all our facilities, Bumble Bee Foods said in a statement. In addition to charging the company, prosecutors also filed the same felony charges in April against two of Bumble Bees employees. At the time of Melenas death, Angel Rodriguez was the director of operations and in charge of every aspect of production, including safety. In interviews with Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Rodriguez said he knew that the employees were occasionally entering the ovens, Chun said. Saul Florez was charged because of his responsibilities for safety on the plant floor as the companys safety manager. Florez said he knew employees sometimes entered the ovens and that he didnt conduct the required yearly audit and evaluation of policies and equipment to ensure they were updated and conformed with OSHA rules, Chun said. We viewed him as the more directly responsible person, Chun said. Florez, of Whittier, pleaded guilty on Wednesday. He was sentenced to three years of formal probation, ordered to complete 30 days of community labor and take work-safety classes. Florez must also pay about $19,000 in fines and penalty assessments. In 18 months, if Florez complies with the terms and conditions of the plea agreement, he may be eligible to have the felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor, the district attorneys office said. With his family sitting quietly nearby, Rodriguez, of Riverside, agreed to do 320 hours of community service, to pay $11,400 in fines and penalty assessments and to take work-safety classes. If Rodriguez complies with the conditions, in 18 months he can plead guilty to a misdemeanor at his sentencing, the district attorneys office said. Under the terms of their plea agreements, both men must make public statements admitting guilt for their roles in the victims death. One of Melenas relatives sat stone-faced and silent in the courtroom Wednesday, while the rest of the family remained outside in the hall. They declined to comment. In a statement, the Melena family thanked investigators, prosecutors and others for ensuring that safe work practices are implemented at Bumble Bee. Certainly, nothing will bring back our dad, and our mom will not have her husband back, but much can be done to ensure this terrible accident does not happen again, the statement said. Twitter: @Brittny_mejia and @VeronicaRochaLA Hoy: Lea esta historia en espanol ALSO: Latest forecast suggests Godzilla El Nino may be coming to California Cosby Show actress says Bill Cosby assaulted her in dressing room Drone almost hits medical helicopter carrying patient to Fresno hospital A man who stole alcohol to help pay bills was handed a suspended sentence at Portlaoise District Court. Rostislav Husar, 32, of 48 Carmody Way, Fairgreen, Portlaoise admitted stealing ten bottles of whiskey along with rum and coke from Tesco at Laois Shopping Centre on January 28, 2022. Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant went into Tesco at 3pm and took alcohol valued at 532. The defendant was stopped outside and the property was recovered. He said the defendant had nine previous convictions. Solicitor Philip Meagher said his client was a Czech national who has lived here for 18 years. He said there was a co accused who received a suspended sentence. Mr Meagher said his client was cooperative with gardai and admitted he took the alcohol with a view to selling it. He explained that his client was struggling to meet utility bills at the time. Everything was recovered other than three cans of rum and coke, said Mr Meagher. He said his client was apologetic and had brought 20 to court to make good the loss. Judge Andrew Cody ordered the 20 to be handed over to the court poor box. He said the man cant just steal from Tesco if cant pay his ESB bill. He sentenced him to four months in prison and suspended the sentence for two years. analysis Islamic teachings are full of invocations to Muslims to revere nature, reject over-consumption, and live within planetary boundaries. In recent years, Islamic scholars and environmental experts have gathered together on numerous occasions to discuss the relationship between Islam and the environment. At the recent "Islam and Climate Emergency" conference, organised by the High Atlas Foundation with the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fes, Morocco, for instance, participants shared ideas of how the world's second biggest religion - followed by around 2 billion people worldwide, including around 500 million in Africa - can serve as a model for environmental stewardship in a time of crisis. Islamic teachings have a lot to tell Muslims about our relationship to nature. In fact, the very root of the word Islam, "Silm", means peace, referring not just to peace among humankind but with all living creatures and the wider environment. Ahead of Eid, below is a collection of concepts in Islam that can guide us in our understanding of environmental degradation, climate change, and of Muslims' role in responding to these challenges. Preserving Allah's blessings The principles of Islam encourage humans to live in harmony with nature and to treat the environment with respect and reverence. This is evident in the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith, which contain numerous references to the environment and the responsibility of people to care for it. Both explain that humans were appointed as stewards of Allah's creation and that the obligation of people as caliphs on earth is to maintain and take care of it as part of Amana (trust). Verse 7 of Surah Al-Kahf states: "Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deeds." This verse explains that Allah has created nature to beautify earth and make it a source of pleasure for our eyes and hearts. However, it also emphasises that this creation serves a higher purpose, which is to test humanity to show their good deeds and demonstrate their piety by leaving the environment as Allah created it. The verse expresses the importance of a wise and responsible handling of the environment, lest there be negative consequences for humanity and life on earth. Extravagance and balance In Islam, extravagance are considered one of the major sins and followers are urged to avoid waste. Instead, followers are actively called up to practice moderation and to preserve the blessings Allah has bestowed upon humans by using resources wisely. As Allah almighty says in Surah Al-Baqarah, 60: "Eat and drink from the provision of Allah, and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption." Relatedly, the Islamic notion of Mizan refers to the importance of balance. This concept is often linked to the idea of justice as it implies a state of equilibrium that is fair and just. Allah, we are told, created earth in perfect equilibrium. As stated in the Quran: "He raised the heaven and established the balance so that you would not transgress the balance. Give just weight - do not skimp in the balance. He laid out the earth for all living creatures" (Arrahman, 7-10). These concepts of moderation, preservation, and balance call upon Muslims to respect planetary limits and the symbiotic ecosystems on which all creatures rely to survive. Islamic law Maqasid al-Sharia (the objectives of Islamic law) also relate to the environment. These concepts are the very essence of the religion as they facilitate the functioning of societies and enhance the public good. In Islamic law, the preservation of the five necessities (known as al-daruriyyat al-khams) - is considered a fundamental objective. These are: religion (al-din), life (al-nafs), intellect (al-aql), lineage (al-nasl), and property (al-mal). The maintenance of these goods are all closely related to the environment, which plays a critical role in sustaining human life and supporting human well-being. Many Muslim religious practices, for instance, rely on the availability of natural resources, such as water, air, and food. The preservation of life requires the protection of the Earth's climate and biodiversity. Intellectual development derives inspiration from the natural world, which is also important for mental and cognitive health. The maintenance of lineage requires good reproductive health and family stability, both of which are threatened by climate crises and environmental toxicity. And the preservation of property rests on the preservation and responsible use of natural resources. Do no harm Islam's teaching on humanity's relationship with the climate is further rooted in its fundamental moral principles. Prophet Muhammad, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him, explained the necessity of preserving the environment in several hadiths, albeit indirectly. For example, the hadith "There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm" indicates, in the broader sense, that humans should be responsible for their actions and refrain from causing harm to each other, whether directly or indirectly by disrupting the environment in which they live. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Religion Climate By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Another hadith calls on Muslims to plant trees, stating: "If the Resurrection were established upon one of you while he has in his hand a sapling, then let him plant it." Taking action There are many teachings in Islam that require Muslims to preserve the environment, avoid causing harm to it, and to maintain this great blessing Allah has granted us. Various Quranic verses and hadiths urge us to think about Allah's perfectly balanced creation and to preserve it for future generations. As such, Islam implores its 2 billion followers to take the climate crisis - which is caused by a lack of respect for equilibrium, moderation and reverence - seriously and to take collective action. Hasna Soussan is a Phd student at the Faculty of Sharia, University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah in Fes. She is the coordinator of the Environment and Sustainable Development Club at the Faculty . An accusation of attempted robbery and assault near Portlaoise hospital could be struck out if directions arent obtained from the Director of Public Prosecutions in six weeks. Dean Gray, 35, of No Fixed Abode, Ballymun, Dublin is accused of assault causing harm and attempted robbery on the Dublin Road in Portlaoise on February 16, 2023. He is further charged with trespass on the Dublin Road in Portlaoise on February 17. Defence Solicitor Philip Meagher said while the allegation is quite serious he didnt believe the investigation should have taken so long. There is an allegation of robbery, assault and trespass, explained Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby. Mr Meagher said the incidents are alleged to have occurred over a short window of time. Sgt Kirby said there were multiple locations and a medical report was required in the investigation. I am looking for as long as possible, he told Judge Andrew Cody at Portlaoise District Court. Mr Meagher said his client would agree to a four week remand and he asked that the case be marked peremptory against the State. Sgt Kirby asked for more time and described it as a pretty complex investigation. Judge Andrew Cody adjourned the matter until May 18 and said he would allow one further remand after that date. I am effectively giving six weeks or else there is a strike out, he said. The matter will come before Portlaoise District Court again on May 18. The long wait to knock and rebuild two burnt council homes in Laois has been criticised by a local councillor. It is a year since numbers 13 and 14 Lakeglen in Portlaoise were destroyed by a fire. They are still standing in derelict boarded up ruins in the estate, an "eyesore" to residents and passers by, says Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley. She asked what is the update on a plan to knock and rebuild them, in a motion to the April meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District. That plan is estimated to cost in the region of 700,000, with the new houses to be built at a high standard with disability access. "This is an appalling eyesore. There is a small residents association and they are absolutely bereft with what they are looking at daily. Anybody walking by on the main road can see the roof like it's about to collapse," she said. Laois County Council replied that the rebuilding of the houses is awaiting the finalisation of an insurance fire claim. Once that has been reached, expected before the end of June, then the Department of Housing will fund the balance. "Phase 1, demolition works, can begin immediately. Once complte, rebuilding works can then commence," the area engineer Trevor Hennessy reported. Cllr Dwane Stanley gave detail of what she understands is a delay on the insurance side. "The insurance company hasn't given details of how much it will fund the two houses. Because of that the council can't pass it to the department to seek the shortfall. I've asked for demolition of one or both, and to clear the site, similar to what happened in O'Moore Place where you knocked four houses for work to begin later. "Someone needs to knock heads here. It's not fair to residents one year later with nothing done," she said. "It is my understanding that the insurance company's view is that one house could be salvaged, but the council's view is it should be knocked. This could go on forever and we need these houses," she said. Director of Services Simon Walton agreed with the "unsightliness", clarifying that the insurance company is Irish Public Bodies, which insures all local authorities. "I appreciate that you have tabled a number of motions on this. I note that it is unsatisfactory particularly for the residents group, the unsightliness is in front of them at every juncture. I will talk to Trevor and Angela [housing engineer Trevor Hennessy and Director of Services Angela McEvoy] and I will email you," he said. Cllr Barry Walsh seconded her motion. "Surely there should be a maximum response time to insurance claims," he said. Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald supports the call for action. "If it had been a private houses, what would happen? Could a couple afford to wait 12 months and no clarity? Laois County Council should do everthing it possibly can," she said. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. On the banks of Lough Gill with Hazelwood Forest in the background, the scene for Walk for Water was a far cry from the muddy tracks some have to navigate each day to collect water. But with drums of water on their backs, students from schools in Sligo and Leitrim began one of the most educational walks of their lives. Uisce Eireann and Green-Schools recently teamed up to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people around the world living without access to safe drinking water and hosted Walks for Water across the country, including one in Co Sligo. The annual event, celebrating the value of fresh water in our lives, proved to be an eye opener for students at Sligo Grammar School, St Cecilas School, Cregg, Sligo and Masterson National School in Manorhamilton. Friends Alana Guckian Walton, Dara Kilcommons and Darragh Lawley were full of praise for their Geography teacher Ms Deborah Moore and her lessons on the importance of water, but they too were shocked to learn of the plight of millions of fellow teenagers forced to abandon their education to walk miles to collect water every day. It has made us realise all the ways we are wasting water. Its important that we all work together to raise awareness about water conservation. In school we have produced videos and leaflets to ensure the entire school community and their families know about the importance of protecting such a valuable resource. Flanked by eager children carrying water in recycled cartons, Roisin Duffy, a teacher at Masterson NS was one of those who trekked through the forest. We only realise the importance of water when we dont have it. We all know the inconvenience when there is an outage, and we really should be more mindful of how we use it. This walk is a great reminder to us all of the importance of access to clean water. Uisce Eireanns Business Stakeholder and Communications Co-ordinator for the Northwest region, Marian Duggan, shared some water conserving tips with the students on the walk. Helping the next generation to understand that the importance of conserving water is a key part of our role in delivering water services for Ireland, so we are delighted to be partnering with An Taisce's Green-Schools water theme again this year. The Walk for Water is a creative way for the students to understand that clean water is a precious resource and that we all need to take action to conserve it, she said. Green-Schools officer Robert Nelson proved to be a mine of information, not only on water conservation and sustainability, but also the beautiful surroundings. His knowledge on the trees and animals who call the forest home, and his sharing of biodiversity tips, made the walk all the more enjoyable. Each year we can see the difference the experience makes for the attending students; they go home with a greater awareness of what water scarcity is, how important conservation and sustainable development has become and, of course, with a greater appreciation for the beautiful surrounds of places like Hazelwood Forest. Irish 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. A convoy leaving Khartoum advances on a road in the direction of Port Sudan, on April 23, 2023. ABUBAKARR JALLOH / AFP A number of countries on Sunday, April 23, rushed to evacuate their nationals from battle-torn Sudan where deadly fighting raged into a second week between forces loyal to two rival generals. As gunfire again echoed through Khartoum and fighter jets roared above, foreigners also fled the capital in a long United Nations convoy, while millions of frightened residents hunkered down inside their homes, many running low on water and food. Across the city of five million, army and militia troops have fought ferocious street battles since April 15, leaving behind charred tanks, gutted buildings and shops that have been looted and torched. More than 420 have been killed and thousands wounded, according to UN figures, in fighting that has sparked fears of wider turmoil and a humanitarian disaster in one of the world's poorest nations. Special forces of the United States launched a rescue mission early on Sunday for around 100 embassy staff and their relatives, swooping in with Chinook helicopters to fly them to a military base in Djibouti. US President Joe Biden condemned the violence, saying it is "unconscionable and it must stop." 'Complicated' British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said United Kingdom forces had also "completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff." Germany has evacuated 101 people from Sudan, where fierce fighting between rival generals has entered its second week, the army said on Sunday. An Airbus A400M carrying the evacuees "landed safely in Jordan" at around midnight local time (2100 GMT), the Bundeswehr said on Twitter. Spain's government announced that it had flown out around one hundred people from war-hit Sudan, including 30 Spanish citizens and 70 others from Europe and Latin America. France also said they had begun evacuating their nationals and those from other countries, with a French plane carrying around 100 of multiple nationalities out. French officials described the rescue occupation as 'complicated'. According to a Djibouti airport source, 106 people landed in Djibouti by late afternoon, while a French official said another flight was on the way. Long convoys of UN vehicles and buses were seen leaving Khartoum and heading east to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 850 kilometers away by road. Taking advantage of a recent brief lull in fighting, residents of the battle-stricken capital rushed to organize buses out, mainly north to Egypt, sharing bus drivers' numbers, safe routes to the border and advice on visa restrictions on social media. 'Darkness' The fighting broke out on April 15, between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemetti, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Daglo's RSF emerged from the Janjaweed fighters whom former strongman Omar al-Bashir unleashed in the Darfur region, where they were accused of war crimes including genocide. The military toppled Bashir in April 2019 following mass citizen protests. The two generals seized power in a 2021 coup, but later fell out in a bitter power struggle, most recently centered on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum near Doha International Hospital on Friday, April 21, 2023. AP Multiple truces have been agreed in recent days and ignored. Khartoum's airport, where the blackened hulls of destroyed aircraft lie on runways, is under the control of the RSF. At least one jailbreak has taken place in the capital, according to lawyers. Reports of prisoners also being freed from two other prisons, including the Kober jail where Bashir has been held, could not be independently verified. In Khartoum, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power largely off amid sweltering heat and the internet out for most. "We were living in darkness. First we didn't have water and then we didn't have power," Khartoum resident Awad Ahmad Sherif said. "We ask God for our safety." A Japan Air Self-Defense Force C-130 transport plane takes off for Djibouti in preparation for the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Sudan, at the Komaki Air Base in Aichi prefecture on April 21, 2023. STR / AFP 'Don't leave the Sudanese behind' Pope Francis on Sunday renewed calls "for the violence to stop as quickly as possible and for dialogue to resume." Fighting has broken out elsewhere across Sudan, Africa's third biggest nation. Battles have raged in Darfur, where aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children, in the city of El Fasher. Some hospitals have been shelled in fighting and others ransacked, with more than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighboring states "out of service," the doctors' union said. In a first large evacuation of foreigners, more than 150 reached Saudi Arabia after naval forces launched a rescue across the Red Sea on Saturday, collecting Saudi citizens and nationals from 12 other countries from Port Sudan. Saudi Royal Navy officers assist a child onboard their navy ship as they evacuate Saudi and other nationals are through Saudi Navy Ship from Sudan to escape the conflicts, Port Sudan, Sudan, April 22, 2023. SAUDI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE / VIA REUTERS Turkey began rescue operations at dawn on Sunday via road from the southern city of Wad Madani, but the effort was postponed from one site in Khartoum after explosions near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said. European countries including Italy, the Netherlands and Greece also said they were planning rescue efforts. The scramble by foreigners to escape has heightened fears among Sudanese of what will happen when diplomats who could act as potential mediators have gone. "Pushing for safe passages to evacuate internationals without simultaneously pushing to end the war will be terrible," said researcher Hamid Khalafallah. "International actors will have less impact once they're out of the country," he said, adding in a message to foreign nations: "Do all you can to leave safely but don't leave the Sudanese people behind unprotected." Le Monde with AFP FOR THE FIRST time in four years the best young business brains in the Mid-West have been honoured at an in-person ceremony. Students who obtained a distinction (90-100%) in Junior Cycle Business Studies 2022 were presented with certificates of achievement from the Kemmy Business School (KBS), University of Limerick at an awards night in the University Concert Hall. The teenagers were joined by parents, families, guardians, business studies teachers and school principals at the event held in association with the Business Studies Teachers Association of Ireland. Professor Philip ORegan, former dean, KBS, said they are delighted to recognise this fantastic achievement of our young awardees the regions top Business Studies students in Junior Cycle 2022. I congratulate all on their wonderful achievement and would also like to pay tribute to the commitment and dedication of their teachers in helping the students achieve such excellence, said Prof ORegan. This years guest speaker was Catriona OHalloran, graduate of the BA International Studies, who began by congratulating each award recipient and noted that the last few years with the pandemic have not been easy. You not only overcame any challenges thrown your way, you triumphed and excelled and sit here tonight having achieved the top grades in Business Studies. It is a fantastic achievement that you should be very proud of, said Ms OHalloran, who offered the following advice, In the next few years you are going to experience a lot of changes, you are going to have some big decisions to make but embrace the change and find ways to enjoy it. She said: Follow what you are passionate about, do it with good intentions and you will always find the right path. Chloe Keane, chairperson, Limerick/Clare branch of the BSTAI, thanked the Kemmy Business School for organising the event and thanked the teachers who supported their students behind the scenes, and in front of the class, which led in part to their achievement. This event reinforces the important relationship between KBS and the regions second-level students, schools and business studies teachers. Recent years has seen a significant increase in demand for the schools undergraduate programmes. PLANS are being finalised to mark the 100th anniversary of a US-based pipe band which was formed by a Limerick man who fought in the Irish Civil War. It's just over a quarter of a century since 97-year-old Thomas 'Tommie' Francis Ryan, a local Limerick and Chicago hero, lost his battle to cancer. His relatives and members of Shannon Rovers Pipe Band are currently remembering the native Irish man. Joe Heinrich of the Shannon Rovers Pipe Band is piecing together Tommie's history as part of a project to mark the band's 100th anniversary in a few years. Tommie was born in Castleconnell and lived an eventful life. In addition to fighting for Irish freedom he worked a large number of jobs when he moved across the Atlantic to Chicago . During the Irish Civil War, Tommie spent 14 months locked away in a concentration camp and became known as a local hero when he helped to dig a hole that freed 200 prisoners. Tommie was left behind as a friend got stuck in the tunnel ahead of him and he was captured. He was later handed a one-way ticket to the USA and arrived on May 1, 1923. Upon arriving in Chicago, Tommie got a job as a conductor on the Chicago Surface Lines, the street railway system in the city. In 1926, he founded the Shannon Rovers Pipe Band (originally Shannon Rovers Fife and Drum Corps)which went on to become a cultural fixture in Chicago, playing for parades, politicians and funerals. For the first six years, their fife and drum music was heard at every Irish gathering in the city. The group quickly attracted new members and became one of the most popular marching bands in Illinois and the US Mid-West. They played for democratic presidential nominee, Alfred E Smith in 1928 which was the start of a long tradition of playing for politicians and presidents of the United States including Franklin D Roosevelt, George W Bush and Barack Obama. They also played for actress Maureen OHara and Pope John Paul II. Tommie is remembered by his last surviving son Bobby Ryan, grandson Eddy Ryan, other family members and some of his former fellow band members GARDAI are urging members of the public to be vigilant as a number of scams are currently on the go in Limerick. Making a public appeal, divisional crime prevention officer Sergeant Ber Leetch commented that some criminals have enjoyed some success recently. "I am sorry to say that the criminals have been very lucky in Limerick, they have scammed a lot of money from different people," she said. In one incident which has been highlighted, a lady in her late sixties who lives in Kildimo has almost 2,000 taken from her bank account. "She received a phone call from somebody claiming to be from Amazon Prime. When they informed her that she was entitled to a refund, she gave them her bank details. They took almost 2,000 from her account," said Sgt Leetch. In another incident, a man in his late forties, from Rathkeale, received a text from what he believed was Revenue. "He clicked on a link and was informed that he was entitled to a refund, he filled in his bank details and almost 1,300 was taken from his account," explained the crime prevention officer. In a third incident, a lady in her early sixties from Clareview in the city received a phone call from a person claiming to be from telecommunications company eir. "This male asked her to download an app onto her phone that would allow him to check her modem speed. She downloaded an app called 'Quick Support' but that actually allowed the male to take control of her phone. The male informed her that her modem speed was too slow and that he would reimburse her money. She gave him her post office account details and 140 was taken out," said Sgt Leetch. Gardai say the common theme is that the people were told they were entitled to a refund and the advice is to never give your bank account details to anybody. "Be very suspicious and check out everything before you pay over any money," advised Sgt Leetch. The government has approved the deployment of Defence Forces to assist with evacuating Irish citizens from Sudan. The approval was confirmed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Tanaiste Micheal Martin today (April 23) due to the "extremely volatile" situation in Africa's third largest country. Fighting in Sudan between forces loyal to two top generals has put the African nation at risk of collapse, with international governments including the United States racing to evacuate their diplomatic staff and trapped citizens. The Irish Embassy in Nairobi and the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin are reportedly in ongoing contact with over 150 Irish nationals in Sudan. The Department is also working with international partners to arrange for evacuations. Up to twelve Defence Forces personnel will be deployed initially to Djibouti as part of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team (ECAT) mission to provide consular and other assistance to those being evacuated. The Taoiseach said the situation in Khartoum has "got worse" in the last few days with violence reported across the city. He said, "The Irish Defence Forces personnel and Department of Foreign Affairs officers being deployed will make every effort to provide advice and assistance to the 150 or so Irish nationals in Sudan. "The situation on the ground in Sudan remains extremely volatile and I wish the ECAT and Defence Forces team every success in this mission. The Tanaiste called the mission a continuation of the "substantial, intensive work" of the Department of Foreign Affairs since the outbreak of violence. He said, "[Sic] Our primary aim is to offer our citizens every assistance through what has been an extremely difficult and challenging time. Duration of the mission - which will see Departmet officials arriving in Djibouti today - will be dependent on the progress that can be made, the security situation on the ground and decisions on extraction by partners. Citizens should follow the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya on Twitter (@IrlEmbKenya) for updated advice. If urgent, the Embassy's out of hours consular assistance phone line can be contacted at +254 716 353 999, and the Department of Foreign Affairs can be contacted at +353 1 408 2000. Gunmen went on a pre-dawn shooting spree at a property in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province. A motive for the killings was not immediately clear. Ten members of the same family were killed in a mass shooting at a house in South Africa, police said Friday. Seven women and three men were fatally wounded in the incident at around 4 a.m. local time (0300 GMT), in Imbali, a township south of Pietermaritzburg in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal. "According to initial police reports, unknown gunmen stormed a Pietermaritzburg homestead and ambushed the family," police spokeswoman Lirandzu Themba said in a statement. The motive for the killing was not immediately clear. Murder rate 'totally unacceptable' Provincial spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker told the Newsroom Africa TV channel that a number of cases where people are killed indiscriminately need to be urgently addressed. "And it's not just a policing matter, it's something much bigger than that, where people are just killed, even children (are killed) randomly, which is totally unacceptable," he added. Police Minister Bheki Cele and senior officials from the South African Police Service were due to visit the crime scene later Friday. Mass shootings are relatively common in South Africa, which has one of the world's highest murder rates. Around 20,000 murders are recorded every year out of a population of 60 million. The country also sees large cases of gender-based violence, robberies and violent conflict. In January, eight people were fatally shot at a birthday party in the south coast city of Gqeberha. Last year, 16 died in a mass shooting at a bar in the Johannesburg township of Soweto when a group of armed men, some of them wielding rifles, opened fire on customers. mm/nm (AFP, AP, Reuters) NEW DELHI : The Centre may opt to retain a part of its remaining stake in Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) for an extended period, instead of divesting its entire stake, as the potential investors have expressed their preference for the government to maintain a minority shareholding in the company. Following a recent decision by HZL to buy the zinc assets of parent Vedanta despite opposition from the government nominees on its board, the potential investors expressed their concerns during roadshows, and requested the government to stay on. On 19 January, the HZL board gave its approval to acquire Zinc Internationals assets held by THL Zinc Ventures Ltd (Mauritius), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vedanta, through THL Zinc (Mauritius) in an all-cash deal of $2.98 billion. THL Zinc would have become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hindustan Zinc. After the board approved the deal despite opposition from three government representatives, the mines ministry wrote to the market regulator stating its opposition to the deal. According to the ministry, the HZL boards decision to acquire these assets is a related-party transaction and violates minority shareholder rights. The Union finance ministry, too, is opposed to related-party transactions since funding the acquisition of Vedantas assets through HZLs cash reserves and debt will impact the valuation of the governments stake. Investors asking the government to stay is a comment on the credibility of corporate India. Such actions (by HZL board to approve the acquisition of Vedantas zinc assets) do raise questions and concern investors," said a senior government official, seeking anonymity. Following the opposition from the government, HZL has junked its acquisition plan. Chief executive Arun Misra reportedly said: The proposal to acquire the international assets was not completely off the table and that other financial routes such as share swap were being considered instead of an all-cash transaction." Officials said transaction will not materialize since it required a nod from a majority of minority shareholders. Since government was a minority shareholder for this deal, its assent will be critical for proposal to move ahead. As of date, Vedanta owns 64.9% stake in HZL, while government holds 29.5%. The company unofficially informed us that they will not go ahead with the acquisition plan," said another government official, also seeking anonymity. In an earlier interview with Mint, Misra said a company like HZL cannot limit its size and capacity to where it is today; it must grow much beyond and tap other mineral sources since mineral reserves in India and Southeast AsiaHZLs key marketsmay exhaust. A government official refuted the firms claims. The promoter company owns these assets. There are several ways to get into an alliance with the company and use its resources and an outright purchase of those assets should be the last option." Meanwhile, the government is looking at selling 5-8% equity of its shareholding in the listed entity. At the current market cap of HZL, a 5% stake sale could fetch more than 6,400 crore. The government has set a divestment target of 51,000 crore for FY24. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have allowed 12-hour workdays for factories, increasing an eight-hour cap. Other Indian states may be thinking of following suit. While manufacturers welcome the change, does it work for workers? Mint explains: Whats the thinking behind the move ? India wishes to become a global manufacturing hub like China. That calls for reforming archaic labour laws. States with a substantial manufacturing base now want to retain their edgethey want to attract multinational cos by allowing night shifts for women and additional work hours. However, a 12-hour workday doesnt mean Indian workers will work more over a week. The overall work hours in the week remain capped at 48, which means a four-day week against an earlier five or six," said Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder and executive director of TeamLease Services, a staffing firm. How will it benefit manufacturing? Factories will have two shifts a day, which would mean a cost-efficient working modelshift changes take time and fewer shifts imply savings on time. Fewer breaks could also mean higher productivity. Sanket Jain, partner at Pioneer Legal, which specializes in employment law, said only certain manufacturing plants will successfully make the transition without impacting workers. The electronics and chemical sectors are better regulated; as are large factories. It is not clear how smaller factories will implement the change. Absenteeism (due to longer working hours) is a potential downside. View Full Image Photo: Bloomberg What could be the target talent pool? Migrant workers are the largest talent pool in manufacturing. Typically, factories work for eight hours every day for six days. The migrant workers on contract can look for a second job, because its a four-day week. While their earnings can jump in such a scenario, stretched work hours could lead to labour unrest. Companies will need to reconsider break hours and overtime. What could be the impact on women? While extended hours will be offered to women, recruiters say it may get hard to hire them. Society doesnt change overnight. There is resistance regarding overtime and night shifts," said Aditya Narayan Mishra, CEO of CIEL HR Services, a staffing firm. As it is, female dropouts have increased from both corporate offices and factories, after two years of the covid-19 pandemic. Factories have been making efforts to recruit women from tier 2 and 3 cities but new shift timings could throw a spanner in the works. What can we learn from China? China pioneered long work hours, and overtime became popular across tech, startups and manufacturing companies. Called the 996 work culture, employees were pushed to work from 9am to 9pm for six days a week (72 hours). Many said this created a competitive advantage for China. However, after protests in 2019, the Supreme Peoples Court in August 2021 said the overtime practice was illegal. It also published guidelines on what constituted overtime work. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Devina Sengupta Devina Sengupta reports on the shifts in India Incs workplaces, HR policies and writes about the developments at Indias biggest conglomerates. Her stories over the last decade have been picked up and followed by Indian and international news outlets. She joined Mint in 2022 and previously worked with The Economic Times and DNA-Money. Read more from this author BENGALURU : A harsher funding winter looms over Indian startups, as the week through 22 April witnessed deals worth less than $100 million. The lack of substantial fundraising activity continued, with sub-$100 million weekly investment for the second time in 2023. The deal value fell from $2.2 billion in the second week of April to just $75 million last week, to a seven-week low. Although the Manipal-Temasek deal constituted the bulk of the capital for the week ended 15 April, the remaining transactions contributed around $200 million. Deal volumes, too, reflected a similar trend with a significant decline in deal volumes to just 11 compared to 21 deals in the previous week, according to data collated by VCCircle. View Full Image Graphic: Mint However, activities around mergers and acquisitions (M&A) picked up in terms of volume during the week. While funding activity appeared to be stabilizing in February after a nine-year trough in 2022, it has significantly declined since. In last weeks largest deal, aerospace components manufacturer Aequs Pvt. Ltd secured $27.5 million in an equity round led by mid-market private equity firm Amicus Capital. VCCircle was the first to report in January that the PE firm had emerged as the lead contender to invest in the company. The healthcare sector saw most activity in an otherwise evenly distributed sectoral split, with Emil Pharmaceutical Industries Pvt. Ltd, raising $18.3 million in a round from healthcare-focused PE firm Somerset Indus Capital Partners. Omron Health Care and Sony Innovation Fund, along with The University of Tokyo Edge Capital, Inventus Partners and SG Innovate invested $8.5 million in cardiac-focused healthtech startup Tricog Health as part of its Series B2 round. The healthcare sector has attracted considerable investor interest in the last two years. According to Bain and Cos India Private Equity Report 2023, the sector accounted for approximately 8% of total PE and VC investments in India in 2022, or deals worth $4.3 billion. According to the report, the surge in investor interest in Indias healthcare sector can be attributed to the successful exits of some players last year. The sector saw nearly $3.5 billion in exits, expanding its share into the overall exit market to 16% in 2022. Large exits such as the one by KKR-Max Health and Everstone-Sahyadri were the talk of the town across the PE landscape last year, along with the initial public offerings of Medanta and Rainbow Hospitals. According to the Bain report, investors are looking closely at diagnostics, healthcare providers, pharmaceuticals and single-specialty service providers for stable returns. Early-stage deals continued to dominate, with artificial intelligence-based platform SwitchOn raising $4.2 million in a Series A round led by a Singapore-based fund, along with existing investors Pi Ventures, Axilor Ventures and Chennai Angels. Hyperlocal content production platform Knocksense also secured funding from Nitish Mittersain, the founder of gaming firm Nazara Technologies, as part of a pre-Series A round. The week also saw three transactions with undisclosed deal sizes. Meanwhile, M&A transactions were up three times last week with over nine reported deals, from just three deals in the previous week. Fortis Healthcare Ltd said it had signed definitive agreements with the VPS Group to acquire the Medeor Hospital in Manesar, Haryana, for 225 crore ($27.4 million). Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, which is part of billionaire Azim Premjis Wipro Group also announced the acquisition of Kerala-based ready-to-cook brand Brahmins. The deal size could not be ascertained. Canadian investment firm Fairfax sold a bulk of its stake in wealth management firm 360 One WAM Ltd (formerly IIFL Wealth & Asset Management) to make nearly 210 crore ($26 million). k.amoghavarsha@livemint.com NEW DELHI : India has reported a sharp rise of 10,112 covid cases and 29 deaths on Sunday taking the number of active cases to 67,806. While the daily positivity rate has reached 7.03%, the weekly positivity rate remains at 5.43 %. In the last three years of the pandemic, India has reported to more than 44.9 million cases and 531,329 covid related deaths. The trajectory of covid cases has increased gradually across the country with Karnataka reporting 2,172 active cases while Kerala has 17,439 active cases. Maharashtra has 6,167 active cases, Gujarat with 1,917 cases, Delhi has recorded 6,271 cases, Tamil Nadu has 3,676 active cases; Himachal Pradesh recorded 1,719 cases, Haryana 5,672, Chhattisgarh 3,084, Rajasthan 3,780 and Uttar Pradesh with 4,923 cases so far. Scientists said that the XBB.1.16 variant of covid-19 is responsible for the present surge in infections in the country. However, people in India have developed hybrid immunity (due to vaccination and natural infection), and therefore, the present covid-19 variants will not be able cause hospitalization and severity as it is mild in nature, the scientists said. However, government has suggested people to wear masks in crowded places and complete their vaccination doses if not done yet. Around 4,42,92,854 people recovered from the infection with the current recovery rate touching 98.66%. Meanwhile, the Union health ministry directed the state/UT 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 micro level (district &sub-districts) and maintain focus on 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 five-fold strategy, i.e., Test-Track Treat-Vaccination strategy. Around 1,43,899 tests were conducted in a day taking the total number of tests to 92.54 crore. Under the covid vaccination drive, more than 220.66 crore vaccine doses have been administered to the people across the country so far. In the last 24 hours, around 1,947 vaccine doses were administered. NEW DELHI : Water levels in Indias major reservoirs have slipped below the levels of last year; however, according to Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, there is no cause for alarm since these levels are still higher than the average of last 10 years, ensuring uninterrupted irrigation through the parched months ahead. Some states have asked for extending Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) beyond the targeted 2024, said Shekhawat, responsible for ensuring the flagship missions task to provide tap water connections to all rural householdsseen as significant to ensure a 2024 Lok Sabha election victory for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. In an interview, Shekhawat also spoke of preparatory work to divert excess water under the Indus treaty to irrigate Indias own land, which may require an investment of 6,000-7,000 crore. Edited excerpts : India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted monsoon at 96% of the long-period average (LPA), while Skymet has forecast 94%. What is your reading of this, since there is a 5% year-on-year drop in storage at 146 major reservoirs amid predictions of El Nino compromising the Southwest monsoon? IMDs monsoon forecast is fair. 96% is considered the normal monsoon. As far as water reservoir levels are concerned, it is better than the average of the last 10 years. Even if you look at the last three years average, it is good. The reserve of foodgrains India has and the growing capacity it has to date, and if you look at the last five years data, we are a food-surplus nation. We do not have a challenge. I dont think there is anything concerning at this moment. During summer, two major concern areas are power and water availability. Are we in a comfortable position in terms of water availability? We have been working on Jal Jeevan Mission since 2019 when about 16% of households were getting water, which has now increased to 60%. This indicates 60% of households will surely receive water in summer. By May-end, it will cross 60%. Progress of the mission has improved, and the situation will improve further in the coming days. With the rising costs of steel and plastic pipes, has Jal Jeevan Missions budget been raised? The impact of the price rise cannot be factored in because it depends on state to state, project to project and tender to tender. The price rise was for a short span. Post-covid, costs of cement, metals and plastic pipes increased, which raised concern at that point in time and the speed of providing connections became slow. We have come out of the phase and gained momentum. Since January, we have been providing 84,000 tap water connections daily. This means we are giving a new connection per second. How much capex from Jal Jeevan Missions total allocation has been spent so far? Initially, 3.6 trillion was allocated, of which the Union government was supposed to spend 2.08 trillion. This year, 2.08 trillion will be exhausted. We will then have to go to the Cabinet for further fund allocation. We have the funds for this year. Will the JJM target of 2024 be met? My target is 2024, by when we must complete it, but four-five states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Assam, have requested an extension of the scheme beyond 2024. We are telling them to speed up the pace. Telangana, Goa, Gujarat, and all UTs, barring Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, have met the target, and Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are about to. With reference to the Indus water treaty, how is the government looking to maximize Indias water share? Of the six rivers covered by the Indus water treaty, Pakistan has access to the water of Jhelum, Chenab and Sindhu. Indias only right over these three rivers is that it can build hydropower capacity. We can irrigate 250,000-hectare land from that basin. Inter-basin transfer is not allowed. Therefore, we are unable to use it. I dont understand how they divided the water share when the treaty was signed. Pakistan got 68% water, while Indias water share was 32%. The World Bank came up with the formula to allocate water share based on created irrigated potential area. The Indus Treaty is considered the worlds holiest water agreement. Despite three wars, we always honoured the treaty. The tributary of Ravi River, known as Ujh, is mainstream and has a water flow of 2-3 bcm (billion cubic metres), but its confluence stops downstream of Madhavpur. Madhavpur is our last geographical structure. Despite it being our water, Pakistan is getting it. To get that water, we have made a diversion structure plan. It is at the DPR stage, and the required budget could be 6,000-7,000 crore. What is the update on Indias second-largest dam construction at Yingkiong in Arunachal Pradesh to counter Chinas water diversion for a hydropower project on a tributary of the river Brahmaputra? We are working on it, and the consensus is almost built, and now we are at the pre-feasibility report (PFR) stage. NHPC is constructing a 12,000 MW power project as part of the mega project, but estimating the cost is difficult right now. The dam will cushion a sustainable water flow. Of the total quantum of water flow in the Brahmaputra, 60% of it comes from our basin. There is no issue during the monsoon season, but for the rest of the year, the snowmelt water we get is mostly from China. This makes us dependent on China. With a dam on our side, we will be able to ensure sustainable supply. Second, we will be able to generate hydropower, and third, is flood mitigation. So, if we have the structure, we can prevent floods. The estimated water capacity of the dam is more than 12 bcm. Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide tap water connections to all households. But in view of quality and sanitation concerns, are there any plans to provide drinking-quality water from the tap like in developed economies? There was no organized system for drinking water in India. Laboratories were also not functional. We have changed the situation and built 2,000 laboratories, which are functional and NABL-accredited. We have designed one platform from where all test reports will be generated. But I know women from rural regions will not come to cities to test the water. We have trained 2 million women across the country who will train five women in each gram panchayat, and we are giving field test kits. In FY23, around 1.5 crore samples were tested in places where Jal Jeevan Mission is active. Women in villages have tested about 8 million samples. We are now deploying sensor-based systems. When you are regularly measuring water quality in rural areas, you can easily drink that water. I am more confident about drinking quality water in rural India than in urban India because of the contamination risk from the source of the supply to reach houses in cities. I cannot check how you maintain the hygiene of your water tank in the house. We have developed low-cost sensors, and in the coming days, I believe that every household will have these sensors installed. The problem is people do not trust the system, and that is why we install RO (reverse osmosis) filters. The battle against soaring prices is little more than a year old and central banks need to gird for the next big trial: Serving their nations in a world defined by protracted competition between the US and China. Policymakers will be reluctant cold war warriors they are more comfortable aiming at inflation targets and tinkering with guidance on interest rates than fending off strategic adversaries. Unfortunately, they dont have the luxury of sitting this out. Todays new economic era presents a formidable challenge to monetary authorities grappling with the aftermath of the enormous stimulus pumped into the financial system during the early days of the pandemic. It will require not just setting borrowing costs in response to the birth and death of business cycles, but anticipating long-term ramifications of fractured supply lines and a diminished global labor pool. Central bankers will need to get used to aligning their stances even more closely with other parts of government, especially fiscal players, all the while keeping their cherished independence. Its a daunting task, but not mission impossible. That was the underlying message of an address by European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York last week. We are witnessing a fragmentation of the global economy into competing blocs, with each bloc trying to pull as much of the rest of the world closer to its respective strategic interests and shared values," she said. All this could have far-reaching implications across many domains of policymaking." While this sounds like a statement of the obvious, its not every day that central bankers venture into international politics. They are loath to even do it domestically. Lagardes remarks are a call to arms, and she may be the right person at the right time. Because it oversees a currency union, the ECB is, by its very existence, a transnational body. Lagardes experience as French finance minister during the 2007-2009 global financial crisis and subsequent stewardship of the International Monetary Fund elevate her stature. The sooner central banks start appreciating the shifting terrain Lagarde described, the easier the transition will be. Think about it now, she says. Not when blocs have already become frozen. The good news is there are numerous of examples of central banks surviving after aligning themselves with national interest in times of crisis.Some fine illustrations are in Asia. Branches of government worked closely together and, while claims of an erosion of independence dogged these episodes, it wasnt the end of the world for bankers or politicians. Indonesias adventures in debt monetization during Covid stand out. The direct financing of state budgets by central banks was long considered a no-no. Yet Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo pulled it off, albeit with some fuss and howls about the sacrifice of autonomy. But no bond vigilantes appeared to punish Jakarta. Encouraged by the relatively benign response, the country passed a law in December that enabled the future use of BIs balance sheet should an emergency require it. Its not just something for emerging markets, where institutional guard rails are sometimes wanting. As an academic and Federal Reserve governor, Ben Bernanke repeatedly urged the Bank of Japan and the government to work together to reflate the economy and banish deflation. Emergencies and long-term national interests required aggressive action, he stressed. In a 1999 paper, Bernanke invoked the New Deal of the 1930s and suggested it was time for some Rooseveltian resolve." The idea is not quite a joining of forces, but a greater recognition of how crucial national agencies can better complement each other. Sounds great in theory, but the optics can be unsettling. It took until 2013 for the late Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, riding high after a dramatic return to power, to wrestle the BOJ and Ministry of Finance into a formal understanding. Critics of the accord claimed the banks independence had been eroded. But unless the BOJ went along, Abe was likely to push them even further toward being an arm of the administration. The politics and needs of the moment worked against the BOJ. The idea of different strands of policy complementing rather than competing also hung over the work of a panel reviewing the Reserve Bank of Australia, which released its recommendations on Thursday. To be clear, Lagarde isnt contemplating monetary policy being subsumed into defense ministries or presidential palaces. Insofar as geopolitics leads to a fragmentation of the global economy into competing blocs, this calls for greater policy cohesion," she said. Not compromising independence, but recognizing interdependence between policies and how each can best achieve their objective if aligned behind a strategic goal." Its time for financial diplomacy to come in from the cold. In my decades as a journalist in Washington, London, Tokyo and in Southeast Asia, I have often been amazed at how little foreign policy types incorporate markets and monetary stakes into their thinking. Macro experts have tended to defer the study of statecraft to others. They belong together. The way the Fed has repeatedly embraced its role as central banker to the world through swap lines is a case in point. Though the Fed bristles at the idea it has a foreign policy role, no US foe received a dollar swap line during the pandemic or the Credit Suisse saga. In recent deployments, most if not all recipients have been formal allies or close partners. China has been building its own network of swap lines and acting as a creditor for a swag of developing countries. You think those IOUs are free? Most central banks have at least a degree of independence, but they cant afford to be too pure about it. The autonomy often comes with caveats or has gradations. The ECBs singularity is enshrined in a treaty, but the euro it oversees is itself the culmination of a deeply political project. They live in a political world, tend to derive their mandates from the political class and even the most technocratic decisions have ramifications for hundreds of millions if not billions of people. So lets embrace this emerging world sketched by Lagarde. Politics is already present. India and Russia are in talks to overcome regulatory hurdles faced by traders from both countries, aiming to reduce trade barriers and improve business ties between the two countries, said Alexey Valeryevich Valkov, director of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), often dubbed as Russian Davos said in an interview. Russia has emerged as Indias fifth-biggest trading partner, from 25th rank during FY22, driven by Indias growing appetite for cheaper Russian crude following the Ukraine war. Indias exports, led by engineering goods and drugs, to Russia, also reached pre-war levels to reach $337.58 million in February. During the SPIEF talks, a lot of Indian companies participated, which have huge volume and potential, and they want to explore and enter the Russian market, but they are not aware of the laws and technicalities, and both countries are working to resolve these issues, Valkov said. This time is a unique opportunity to do business in Russia as a lot of US and European companies have either stopped their operation or have left the country. This has created a vacant space which Indian companies can occupy," Valkov said. Flipkart's fashion portal Myntra has on boarded British brand Next onto its platform marking the brand's re-entry into the Indian market. The move is in line with the fashion retailer's plans to bring foreign brands into India. The international brands portfolio on Myntra has been scaling rapidly with an uptick in demand for high-quality and classic wardrobe staples, said Jayanti Ganguly, Business Head, International Brands, Myntra. "We are excited to join forces with NEXT, one of the UK's legacy fashion brands and enable their pursuit in augmenting their reach in India," Ganguly said. Myntra retails over 400 foreign brands in India. It's portfolio of international labels grew over 60% over the last two years, the retailer said in December 2022. As a part of its marketing initiatives for the launch of the brand on Myntra, Next will have extended on app and social media visibility on the Myntra app and its social handles. Next will also have a dedicated online brand store (OBS) helping shoppers discover the brand's fabulous offerings with greater convenience. Next will offer over 500 stock keeping units for men and women. Myntra, part of the FlipKart Group, offers over 6,000 fashion and lifestyle brands in the country such as H&M, Levis, U.S. Polo Assn.,Tommy Hilfiger, MANGO, Forever 21, Marks & Spencer, W, Biba, Nike, Puma etc. There is a host of mutual fund options available in the market to browse and add to your kitty. One such is also ESG funds which potentially offer the diversification, liquidity, and sustainability. The impact of investments in ESG funds revolves around environmental, social, and governance factors. Although ESG funds have been in India for over five decades, investment in this mechanism is still in the early stages with only a few AMCs offering the schemes. But ESG funds have a strong trajectory ahead and gaining popularity. What are ESG funds? According to Tejas Khoday, Co-founder and CEO of FYERS, ESG investing has been around for over 50 years, and it's all about considering the impact of an investment on the environment, society, and governance. It's a fancy way of saying that companies should be more responsible and moral towards the environment and society. He added, this type of investing is becoming more popular, especially among millennials who care about the future. In fact, there's already $37.8 trillion invested in ESG funds, and this number is expected to go up to $53 trillion in the next few years globally. However, in India, Khoday said, "ESG investing is still in its early days, with only a few schemes offered by AMCs. " He pointed out that regulators are trying to create awareness and provide guidelines through different measures. But there are challenges, such as greenwashing, which makes it hard to assess the actual impact of ESG factors on financial performance. Companies need to step up and be more responsible for the sake of the future. Here are some of the popular ESG funds currently available in the market: View Full Image ESG funds have a strong trajectory ahead and gaining popularity. (FYERS cited) Why invest in ESG funds? Khoday said, "investing in ESG funds can provide a way for investors to align their values with their investments, potentially improve financial performance, and manage risk." Technically, ESG funds invest in companies that have a positive impact on society and the environment while avoiding those that engage in activities that are harmful. "This can be particularly appealing for investors who want to make a positive impact through their investments," he added. Further, Khoday said, ESG funds have shown strong financial performance in recent years. Companies that prioritize ESG factors tend to be more innovative and efficient, which can lead to long-term sustainable growth. Additionally, companies that have a strong ESG profile are less likely to face legal and reputational risks that can negatively impact their financial performance and can help investors avoid companies that are at risk of legal or regulatory action, reputational damage, or financial instability. 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. Post the arrest of pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh from Moga, a gurudwara priest narrated the sequence that led to his arrest. Singh Sahib Giani Jasbir Singh Rode told the media that the Waris De Punja chief surrendered on Sunday at 7 AM. In an interview with ANI news agency, the gurdwara cleric said that Amritpal Singh addressed the devotees. "Amritpal Singh came to the Rodewal Gurudwara on Saturday night. He himself informed the police about his presence and that he will surrender this morning at 7 am," Rode of Rodewal gurudwara in Moga said. "Amritpal came in the night at Rodewal Gurudwara and I came to know about his decision to surrender in the morning", the cleric said. "Amritpal said that after doing prayer I will surrender to the police. He also recited Jupji Sahib. He then thanked the people in gurudwara who came for prayers," Jasbir Singh Rode added. #WATCH | Punjab: Singh Sahib Giani Jasbir Singh Rode, at Rodewal Gurdawara in Moga, narrates the sequence leading upto to the arrest of Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh pic.twitter.com/x9eiUlIhvN ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 After months of the hunt, Punjab police on Sunday arrested the fugitive radical leader from Moga district. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since last month after capturing national attention in February when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala with wooden batons, swords, and guns to demand the release of a jailed aide. Police declared Singh, a 30-year-old preacher, a fugitive and accused him and his aides of creating discord in the state. Police accused him and his associates of spreading disharmony among people, attempted murder, attacking police personnel and obstructing public servants lawful discharge of duty. Very little was known about Amritpal Singh until he arrived in Punjab state in 2022 and began leading marches calling for the protection of rights for Sikhs, who account for about 1.7% of Indias population. Singh claims to draw inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh militant leader accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency for Khalistan in the 1980s. Bhindranwale and his supporters were killed in 1984 when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. Singh has styled himself after Bhindranwale, with a long, flowing beard. He also dresses like Bhindranwale. Singh also heads Waris Punjab De, or Punjabs Heirs, an organization that was part of a massive campaign to mobilize farmers against controversial agriculture reforms being pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. The legislation triggered a year of protests that began in 2020. The protests ended after Modis government withdrew the legislation in November 2021. Waris Punjab De was founded by Deep Sidhu, an Indian actor who died in 2022 in a traffic accident. Singh's speeches have become increasingly popular among supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. Officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. Even though the movement has waned over the years, it still has some support in Punjab and beyond including in countries like Canada, the US, and the UK, which are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora. The space industry is one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide. Africa has long been considered a latecomer, but now a new space agency and a space port on the continent are on the horizon. "The chances are great that Africa will soon be able to build its own powerful space industry -- a space industry that really helps people in Africa," stresses South African market analyst Rorisang Moyo. The space industry is Moyo's specialty. And its "an industry with enormous growth potential, especially in Africa," she told DW. Until now, African satellites have had to be launched into space from rocket launch sites outside Africa -- mainly from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, Guyana in South America, or from California in the United States -- because Africa lacks the necessary spaceports and technical capacities. African companies would have to purchase a large portion of the necessary services, which doesn't come cheap. However, this will soon change, according to Moyo, as more and more African governments start investing in space projects. And public and private investors from around the world are following suit. Africa prepares for space industry boom The African space industry was valued at approximately $20 billion (27 billion) in 2021. By 2026, this value is expected to rise to $23 billion. The continent is currently home to over 270 NewSpace companies that are developing space technologies and offering space-based services, including in the fields of telecommunications, defense, security, shipping, aviation, mining, agriculture, environment, development, education, and health. That's according to the website of the NewSpace Africa Conference 2023 . Organized by the African Union (AU), the conference will take place from April 25 to April 28 in the Ivorian metropolis of Abidjan. Moyo, who will lead one of the panels on "Promoting Public-Private Partnerships and International Cooperation," emphasizes above all the importance of the African Space Agency, an African authority that will be based in Cairo. The transnational project of the AU is intended to give the continent a say on the international stage. Due to its geographical features -- particularly its location on the equator -- Africa is particularly suited for the construction of spaceports, from which not only African satellites could be launched into space in the future, explains Moyo. However, the necessary investments would require a unified legal framework in Africa. It is important to regulate relations with investors and partners from other continents in a binding manner. That is precisely what the African Space Agency will do, according to the analyst. Djibouti: Billion-dollar project with Chinese partner Africa is the only continent that has not built a launch site for space rockets. Numerous attempts to establish spaceports on the continent in recent decades have all failed. But this time, they seem to be serious: Construction is about to start in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. A corresponding letter of intent was signed earlier this year between Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh and the Chinese company, Hong Kong Aerospace Technology. For this $1 billion spaceport -- which will be built over a period of five years -- Djibouti is relying on its ideal geographic location: Namely its proximity to the equator and its strategic location at the entrance to the Red Sea, which is one of the world's busiest trade routes. The agreement states that the infrastructure will be jointly managed by China and Djibouti over a 30 year period. "The Djibouti project is an example of the power that can come from a collaboration between a major space-faring nation -- China -- and a nation whose space industry is still in its infancy," says Moyo. "Without a doubt, Djibouti will soon become an important international player in the space industry." Kenya: US rocket transports research satellites into space Kenya is also making waves with an ambitious space project and its own reconnaissance satellite: Taifa-1 -- Swahili for "Nation-1." Kenya's first operational Earth observation satellite was designed and developed by a team of Kenyan researchers. On April 15, 2023, Taifa-1 was launched into orbit by a SpaceX rocket from California. Taifa-1 is expected to provide valuable data in the areas of agriculture and environmental monitoring in Kenya. Both are considered extremely important for the future of the East African country which is currently suffering one of its worst droughts in recent history. Through the multispectral camera images of the satellite, it will be possible to "obtain high-quality Earth observation data that will help predict climate change and crop yields," said the Kenyan space agency on the day of the rocket launch. "With such projects -- and there are more and more of them in Africa -- the people in Africa benefit, we can improve our food security," says Moyo. Kenya sent its first nanosatellites into orbit in 2018. According to Space in Africa -- a Nigerian company that monitors African space programs -- more than 50 African satellites were launched into orbit by 2022, the first one by Egypt in 1998. Angola: Russia helps to expand network coverage "Another country with steady growth in the space industry is Angola -- a country that has long aimed to be self-sufficient in telecommunications," says Moyo. In October 2022, the second Angolan satellite, Angosat-2, a two-ton colossus with extremely high information transmission capacity, was placed into orbit. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Science By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The satellite, which cost $320 million, was built in Russia and launched into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Its signal covers most of the African continent and a large part of Southern Europe. The Angolan government promised to bring the country to the forefront of telecommunications in Africa with the satellite. "With this, Angola has entered a new era. We have taken another step towards establishing a telecommunications infrastructure that deserves this name," said Angolan Telecommunications Minister Mario Oliveira on the occasion of the satellite's inauguration. "The Angolan team has worked hard together with our Russian colleagues. We congratulate Angola and all Angolans on this success." This dynamic isn't just being felt in Angola, Kenya, or Djibouti but everywhere in Africa. In South Africa and Nigeria, for example, there are many young researchers and startups entering the field, says Moyo. African players are increasingly internationally connected and work with American, European, Russian, or Chinese organizations without ideological ties. For decades, Africa has hoped to make its own strides in the space industry. These hopes have not always been fulfilled. But now, Moyo confidently predicts that success is within reach: "The future of space technology belongs to the African continent." This article was originally published in German. Punjab Police arrested fugitive preacher and Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh on Sunday according to sources . He has been arrested by the Punjab Police," a senior police official told news agency PTI. Punjab Police launched the crackdown against Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De' on March 18. Amritpal Singh and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. The crackdown against Amritpal Singh began on March 18 and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De.' He however, escaped the police dragnet twice -- first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. Papalpreet, who is considered to be Amritpal's mentor and who has allegedly been in contact with Pakistan's ISI, has been arrested. Several cases have been lodged against the Khalistan sympathizer and his associates for allegedly spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and obstructing the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Despite being sighted in several CCTV footage and photos with changed appearances at many places, including Patiala, Kurukshetra and Delhi, the radical preacher continued to hoodwink the police. While on the run, two videos and one audio clip of Amritpal surfaced on social media. In one of his two videos, which surfaced on March 30, Amritpal asserted that he was not a fugitive and would soon appear. The pro-Khalistan preacher had claimed that he was not like those who would flee the country. Pro-Khalistan radical fugitive and leader of Waris Punjab De was arrested by the Punjab Police on Sunday from Moga and reportedly transferred to Assam's Dibrugarh jail, where others arrested in the same case has been transferred. Reports have emerged stating that Amritpal was under pressure considering immense pressure after his wife Kirandeep Kaur, a British national, was placed under surveillance and being tracked by the Punjab Police, according to India Today. The report has further stated that Amritpal was under the impression that his newly married wife Kirandeep would be arrested on grounds of assisting escape for a fugitive. It also stated that Amritpal had allegedly routed funds for himself and the organisation Waris Punjab De though Kirandeep's bank accounts and had stashed them in UK. Kaur was stopped from boarding a flight to London at the Sri Guru Ram Dass International Airport here on Thursday. Kirandeep had a visa that was valid until July, and she wanted to leave India before it expired. 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 NRI, in February this year. Punjab Police officials refused to answer questions posed by media persons at the airport. On 10 February, Singh got married to Kaur in a simple ceremony at Jallupur Khera, his native village in Amritsar. The 'Anand Karaj' (marriage as per Sikh rituals) was held with a limited gathering of family members from both sides at a gurudwara in Baba Bakala in Amritsar. Singh had said that a marriage ceremony should be simple and urged people not to indulge in show-off" by splurging money on grand weddings. The preacher said his marriage was an example of reverse migration and announced that he and his wife would live in Punjab. Amritpal Singh Arrest Amritpal is facing charges of disrupting communal harmony, attempt to murder and attacking police, and was also booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). According to India Today citing people familiar with the development in Punjab, chief minister Bhagwant Mann monitored the Amritpal Singh arrest operation throughout the night, and around 4am, it was confirmed that Amritpal was surrounded with no escape route. The 29-year-old Amritpal was arrested at 6:45 am after police personnel surrounded him in Rode village, leaving him with no way to escape, Inspector General of Police, Sukhchain Singh Gill told a news conference here. Slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale hailed from Rode village and Amritpal was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De' outfit at an event held in this village. Gill said Amritpal was traced to village Rode based on operational inputs and was surrounded by cops leaving him with no way to escape. Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said that Nandini is going to defeat Amul very soon amid the row between two reputed dairy co-ops in the poll-bound state. He was speaking at the India Today roundtable. If Amul makes Mysore Pak, Nandini will also make Gujarat's Shrikhand," the chief minister said as quoted by Hindustan Times. He said, Shortly, we are going to overtake Amul because Nandini has got all the products that Amul has. During the Siddharamaiah government in Karnataka, milk production was 64 lakh liters only, while it has increased to 84 lakh liters during my time now." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, state party chief DK Shivakumar and general secretary KC Venugopal have earlier visited Nandini Milk parlor in Bengaluru. He termed the flagship brand of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) as "the state's pride." Opposition parties have been latching on the Amul vs Nandini row in the poll-bound state and the leaders of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) have been making statements that the Amul is not entering the state. Amul had recently announced that it will sell dairy products in Bengaluru following which Opposition Congress and the JD(S) expressed their protest. The opposition Congress and the JD(S) said the BJP wanted to 'kill' Nandini by allowing Amul in Karnataka. They also expressed fears that a scarcity of Nandini products would be created to make way for Amul to take over. The Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government, however, denied the charge saying that there was no threat to Nandini from Amul. The KMF which sells milk under the Nandini brand is one of the cheapest milk in the country. A comparison shows that consumers purchasing one liter of toned milk have to shell out 39 in Bengaluru whereas for Amul sells one liter of toned milk for 52 in Gujarat and 54 in Delhi. A liter of full cream milk costs 66 in Delhi and 64 in Gujarat, while the Nandini brand full cream mil costs 24 for 450 ml and 50 for 900 ml. KMF is able to supply milk at a such low price as it gets subsidies from the government. The Karnataka government has given around 12,00 crore incentives annually according to reports. Karnataka is slated to go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. Violence erupted in West Bengals Uttar Dinajpur district on Saturday after a 17-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Kaliagunj. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly hit out at the ruling Trinamool Congress party in West Bengal. The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari 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. State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar sat on a dharna outside the district police chief's office demanding action against the culprits after meeting the victim's family. The 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. Clashes erupt in North Dinajpur: Clashes broke out between the locals and police after the alleged gang rape and murder of a Dalit girl in North Dinajpur district's Kaliagunj. Police and security personnel were seen on the spot. Tear gas and force were used to disperse an unruly mob. Several shops and e-rickshaws were burnt by the mob which demanded the arrest of the culprits before the situation was brought under control. Locals also put up road blockades using burnt tyres, and pelted stones at policemen. Accused arrested: SP Dinajpur Sana Akhtar said they found the body of the victim. in Kaliyaganj, after which the police swung into action and arrested the two accused. The police have arrested a 20-year-old man. 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. Both accused were sent to 14-day police custody. Victim's Post-mortem report: The victim's post-mortem report given by doctors reveals that death was due to a poisonous substance. "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. NCPCR lashes out at local administration: 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. The child right body 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. National Commission for Women swings into action: The NCW 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. "A detailed action taken must be apprised to the Commission within three days," the women's body added. A total of 12 children were rescued after a fire broke out at Dungarpur Medical College in Rajasthan on Saturday night, said officials, adding that the incident took place at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) ward of the varsity. Speaking to ANI, Dr. Mahendra Damor, medical superintendent of the college said that the fire was doused by three fire tenders, and 12 children were rescued. "A fire broke out at the NICU ward of Dungarpur Medical College. Around twelve children were rescued. The fire was doused by 3 fire tenders," he said. Fire Safety Officer Babulal Chaudhary said that the fire occurred in the newborn war, but the fire team was able to evacuate the children. "We got the information from the hospital about the fire incident in the newborn ward. I went with my team along with three vehicles. There was smoke, but we doused off the fire and safely evacuated the children," the fire department official said. Another fire incident was reported in Rajasthan's Udaipur at a restaurant in the Gulab Bagh area on Saturday night, the officials said as quoted by news agency ANI. #WATCH | Rajasthan: Fire broke out in a restaurant in Udaipur's Gulab Bagh area. Fire tenders reached the spot and brought the fire under control. No casualty or injury reported. pic.twitter.com/q1I6Q4HTvf ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 22, 2023 After the incident, several fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control, they said, adding that no casualties have been reported. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), which is opposing the same-sex marriage petition, has said the "haste" with which the Supreme Court is disposing of the petitions for legal recognition of same-sex marriages is not appropriate. The Hindu body said the apex court 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". "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," Jain said. He said the subject of marriage is governed by different civil codes. "None of the civil codes prevailing in India permits for this (same-sex marriage). Does the Supreme Court want to make a change in these?" he said. The Centre said pleas seeking recognition of same-sex marriage merely represent urban elitist views for the purpose of social acceptance" and cannot be compared with the appropriate legislature which reflects the views and voices of the far wider spectrum and expands across the country. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud is hearing a clutch of pleas seeking legal validation for same-sex marriage. It began hearing the matter on Tuesday and the arguments remained inconclusive so far. The court will resume hearing on the matter on 24 April. On Thursday, the top court said it may be redefining the "evolving notion of marriage" as the next step after decriminalising consensual homosexual relationships, which implicitly recognised that same-sex people could live in a stable marriage-like relationship. The Supreme Court rejected 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 a 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 the same sex could be in a stable relationship," it said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted pleasant weather during April-end in most parts of the country. Giving a sign of relief, IMD in its latest forecast said there won't be searing heatwave conditions that had rattled people this week. The weather forecasting agency said that the month of April is likely to end on a cooler note this year, predicting the arrival of another western disturbance on Sunday. According to the IMD, the eastern disturbance is expected to begin influencing the weather on Sunday and Monday and will keep the mercury below 40 degrees Celsius at least till 28 April in Delhi. The weather agency added that a cyclonic circulation 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. Private forecaster Skymet Weather added another trough extending from northeast Bihar to Odisha via Jharkhand. Weather experts say a trough usually brings cloudy conditions and rain, leading to a drop in temperatures. Respite from heatwave: IMD said several Indian states will not experience heatwaves this week. On Saturday, the heatwave conditions abated from Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. Rainfall in April: 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. A spell of light rain at isolated places in Bihar provided some relief to people from the scorching heat on Saturday. Intermittent rain accompanied by hailstorms lashed several parts of the state in the last 24 hours. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday shared an update on the contingency plan to evacuate Indian nationals stuck in war torn capital of North African country Sudan, Khartoum. The update mentioned that India has put two C-130J military transport aircraft on standby in Jeddah, while an Indian Navy Ship has already reached Port Sudan. The MEA said that the ground situation in Sudan is very volatile with reports of fierce fighting coming from various locations in the country's capital Khartoum. Giving out the details, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said contingency plans for the evacuation of Indians have been put in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation. "Two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan," it said. "Contingency plans are in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum," the MEA said. Contingency plans are in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum," MEA stated on evacuation operation for Indians stuck in Sudan. Efforts underway to ensure safety of Indians in Sudan. MEA, Indian Embassy in Sudan in touch with UN, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt & US; two IAF C-130J positioned on standby in Jeddah while INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan: MEA on Indians stuck in Sudan pic.twitter.com/8ageTGoBK8 ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 On Sunday, Saudi Arabia Foreign ministry announced that more than 150 people, including foreign diplomats and officials, have been rescued from Sudan and have arrived in Jeddah. 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 MEA said India is making all-out efforts to ensure the safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan. "We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan," it said. "We are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated," the MEA said. Apart from the Sudanese authorities, the MEA and the Indian embassy in Sudan are also in regular touch with the UN, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and the US among others. "As part of our preparations and in order to move swiftly, the Government of India is pursuing multiple options," the MEA said. It said the Sudanese airspace currently remained closed for all foreign aircraft and overland movement also has risks and logistical challenges Contact details of MEA control room for Indians in Sudan Phone: 1800 11 8797 (Toll free) 91-11-23012113 91-11-23014104 91-11-23017905 Mobile: 91 9968291988 Email: situationroom@mea.gov.in New Delhi: Mongolias first oil refinery, built and funded with Indian assistance, will be completed by 2025, said the countrys Ambassador Dambajav Ganbold. In an interview, Ganbold said the first stage of Mongol Oil Refinery, built with a $1.2 billion Indian soft loan, will be completed at the end of this year. The development comes with strategic implications as Mongolia is entirely dependent on Russia for its energy imports. The refinery, Ganbold said, would help Mongolia meet 70% of its demand domestically. Mongolia also hopes to attract Indian investment in its mining and metals, with plans to start shipping coking coal to India by 2024. Mongolia also has key rare earth metals, which may be crucial to Indias ambitions to build cutting edge technological capabilities in semiconductors and green mobility. Indian firms have already visited Mongolia to explore these opportunities. In order to facilitate these exchanges, Mongolia and India are expected to establish regular direct flights. Edited excerpts: What is the state of play in the bilateral relationship? India is one of our important third neighbours" in this region. This is one of the important concepts of our foreign policy and it came up originally because we have two big neighbours: Russia and China. So, for Mongolias independence as a state, we need third neighbour contact, which gives us an opportunity to develop and broaden our cooperation not only in the region, but in the international arena. Since the historic visit of Prime Minister Modi in 2015. an agreement between the governments was made to establish the first oil refinery in Mongolia. Now this refinery project is under full swing and consists of four packages. The first package, or EPC 1, is more than 70% complete right now and will be done within this year. The remaining three packages have gone through the tender process and Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited, a Hyderabad- based company, has been selected. The refinery will give us more independence and energy security. Is the metals and mining sector a topic of conversation? Yes. We have had talks about bringing India into the mining sector of Mongolia, because it is quite rich in coking coal, copper, gold, uranium and rare earth elements. We have had substantial talks on bringing Mongolian coking coal to India. Were building a washing station for the coking coal, and as soon as it is done by 2024, we will start exporting Mongolian coking coal to India. Mongolia has huge deposits of rare earth elements. I would like to see the Indian investors build joint ventures in Mongolia since the Indian government announced that it will produce semiconductors domestically and not import them from China. One major Indian company went to Mongolia for meetings and discussions. Are there any other cooperation plans on energy? A lot of issues are under discussion. I personally believe that energy cooperation between Mongolia will be very beneficial. Mongolia is four times the size of France and has a population only 3.4 million. This gives us a lot of open empty land. It also has more than 270 days of sun in a year. So I believe that solar renewable energy can be a beneficial area of cooperation. Wind energy and hydroelectricity are also of interest. Are there any other cooperation plans on energy? A lot of issues are under discussion. I personally believe that energy cooperation between Mongolia will be very beneficial. Mongolia is four times the size of France and has a population only 3.4 million. This gives us a lot of open empty land. It also has more than 270 days of sun in a year. So I believe that solar renewable energy can be a beneficial area of cooperation. Wind energy and hydroelectricity are also of interest. Conversations with the Indian government on joint projects are in very early stages. Is there a sense of what both countries want to do together to improve connectivity? Yes, we are working now to establish direct flights between Mongolia and India. As soon as we have direct flight, it will be easy for our business people to connect to each other. I believe at the end of this year, well have regular flights twice per month. India and Mongolia now have a strategic partnership. Is there a sense of what both sides want to do on security? Our defense cooperation is developing very well. Last September, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited India and our Defence Minister attended DefenceExpo in October last year. At the beginning of this year, Mongolias State Secretary of Defense visited India for the AeroIndia in Bangalore. I believe cooperation in the defense sector can cover the infrastructure construction as well. Last month, I met the chief of the Border Security Force of India, and we invited him to visit Mongolia this July. I believe that he has agreed to visit Mongolia. I believe the exchange of our experiences between our border forces is crucial. Are there any key policy priorities for you? I believe tourism can be a very good part of our cooperation. For many Mongolians, India is the land of the Buddha. I believe that agriculture also offers opportunities. There is a huge amount of land untapped in Mongolia. With Indian expertise in cultivation. I believe we can grow many varieties of crops in Mongolia. On education, the Indian government is giving 50 scholarships per year for college students from Mongolia but I would like to get more. On the medical side, I believe medical cooperation can be very interesting because there are a lot of Mongolians coming to India for medical tourism. So Im looking to bring Indian medical health centers into Mongolia. Last year, I brought a representative from Max Hospitals to Mongolia and now this year, I am planning to bring some more Indian health institutions to Mongolia to explore possibilities for cooperation. This would include setting up facilities, research and training among other things. During the fourth India-CARICOM (Caribbean Community and Common Market) ministerial meeting held in Guyana, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the importance of pursuing shared interests in renewable energy to tackle climate change. According to a report by ANI, Jaishankar also mentioned that India's G20 presidency is focused not only on the members of the group but also on countries outside it. 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 acknowledged that there has been a weak uptake in programs, exchanges, and scholarships. "My suggestion which I would like you to consider is, instead of our inviting you to participate in a general course, which we are doing globally for everybody, can we actually take domains or area specific areas which are of specific interest to the CARICOM. And we are prepared to customize programs in whatever area, which are completely dedicated only to the requirements of CARICOM officials or users as the case may be," Jaishankar said. Addressed the India-Guyana Business Round Table. Appreciate participation of Foreign Minister Hugh Todd, Finance Minister Ashni Singh & Public Works Minister Deodat Indar. The presence of a @FollowCII delegation is a reflection of Indias growing engagement with Latin America. pic.twitter.com/JhtBL1Wd1l Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 23, 2023 S Jaishankar travelled to Guyana on Friday, where he was received by Hugh Todd, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. This is the first time Jaishankar has visited Guyana. During his visit, Jaishankar mentioned the establishment of the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India, which has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). He highlighted that although much of the work is Indian, the center is open to incorporating traditional practices from all parts of the world. In addition, Jaishankar talked about collaborating with the Caribbean Agriculture Research Institute, stating that there is an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the institute and its Indian counterpart. However, he pointed out that the MoU has not been put into action yet and suggested that it would be mutually beneficial to do so. Many of Africa's higher education institutions were established by colonial governments to meet the labor needs of the time. Now many universities on the continent want to prepare graduates for the modern job market. When Victoria Afua Dautey took up studies at the prestigious University of Ghana in Accra, it was a dream come true. It is now been ten years since she completed her studies. Yet, looking back, she remains somewhat sobered by the experience. "The quality of education wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't prepare me for the working world," the young entrepreneur told DW. "I think our educational system, in general, lacks a touch with reality. It's a bit detached. It's quite theoretical. It's just memorization, and then you write an exam," Dautey added. She said she was lucky to have already completed several internships back in school and work with patient colleagues. A colonial legacy According to Olusola Oyewole, a Nigerian microbiologist and the General Secretary of the Association of African Universities (AAU), most institutions of higher learning in Africa have a colonial heritage. "The modern universities on the African continent, such as the University of Ghana, Ibadan (Nigeria), Makerere (Uganda), are more or less tailored to the needs of the colonial masters that colonised the various countries," Oyewole told DW. These three universities, which were also the first in their respective countries, have their roots in British colonial rule. "The original intention of the establishment of universities in Africa was to provide manpower for the colonial service, the civil service," Oyewole said, adding that the institutions' curricula reflected that objective. South Africa lauded as an academic hub The one country that has garnered more laurels than any other sub-Saharan country as far as academic excellence is concerned is South Africa. The University of Cape Town (UCT), the University of the Witwatersrand, and Stellenbosch University are among its acclaimed universities, with each boasting a long record of achievements. History is still being written in the old walls today: Stellenbosch, for example, played a crucial role in the coronavirus research. Only last year, Stellenbosch's Professor Tulio de Oliveira and alumnus Sikhulile Moyo , who now resides in Botswana, were awarded the German Africa Award for their discovery of the omicron variant. International recognition The US Time magazine also featured the two scientists in its list of the 100 most influential people of 2022. The University of Cape Town also stands out with a long history of firsts -- among them the world's first human heart transplant and a number of Nobel Prize winners. However, Oyewole stressed that the rankings by no means reflect the diversity of the university landscape in Africa. In fact, there are very few African campuses included in the data sets. "It's not right to base a ranking on just 30 universities," he said. To remedy this, the AAU is building a database of its own that international rankings will be able to draw on. Growing demand for higher education With its young and growing population, the demand for higher education across Africa is increasing. As a result, new private universities have sprung up all across the continent. With their new business models, they seem better positioned to meet the challenges of the times. The Academic City University College (ACUC) in Ghana's capital Accra is an example of one of these very successful universities. "We know that the jobs of today look nothing like the jobs of tomorrow," ACUC Vice President Lucy Agyepong, who is responsible for institutional development, told DW. "If you look at some of the jobs that are in existence today, like social media, consultant, influencer, and the like, five years ago, ten years ago, there were no jobs like that." Agyepong regretted that Ghana's educational system is still preparing people for their old jobs: "The jobs that are now becoming obsolete." Shifting to AI learning According to Agyepong, this is why ACUC is choosing to focus on STEM subjects, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. There is also an emphasis on artificial intelligence and robotics. One problem troubling private universities is that more and more young people are scrambling for a place. This makes for an unbalanced ratio of teachers to students, making it difficult for the private institutions to meet their goals, says Agyepong. But they are advantaged in other ways: While private universities secure their funding through tuition fees -- at ACUC, these range from $5,000 (4,555) to $7,000 a year -- the financial situation at many public universities remains unresolved. "It is high time that universities in Africa recognize their areas of strength and demand they be branded according to their areas of strength," Oyewole said. "Let them recognize their areas of strength and use them to impact development in Africa." Expanding centers of academic excellence For some years now, there has been some progress in that regard. For example, with funds from the World Bank, the Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) Impact project has created and expanded centers of excellence across the continent since 2014. One of the key aims of the ACE project is to make graduates fit for the labor market. The same can be said of the 'Institut 2iE' in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The focus there is primarily on water and environmental technologies. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Nigeria South Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "It's a passion," Harouna Karambiri, the research director at the institute, told DW. "It's also a commitment to the development of the African continent," he said, adding that he was proud to help build Africa's "young, competent and innovative" human capital. His colleague Christian Happi, who heads the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) in Ede, southwestern Nigeria, takes a similar view. "We are really changing the narrative," Happi said. We are putting Africa in the driver's seat when it comes to addressing infectious diseases and the challenges in the world." Bolstered with funding from the World Bank, ACEGID spearheaded the rapid sequencing of Ebola when the epidemic claimed more than 11,300 lives in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. Partnering in fighting the COVID pandemic The center also played a crucial role in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in Africa, helping to sequence samples from 38 countries and training researchers from 42 countries amid the pandemic. Collaboration with colleagues from South Africa, such as Tulio de Oliveira played an essential role in the pandemic, Happi said. "South Africa is perceived more positively compared to other countries, but excellent research can be found everywhere in Africa." This article was originally written in German Last year, obtaining a visa for Europe was chaotic and this year, things are not really different. Nevertheless, if you plan ahead and make wise choices, you can still enjoy a long summer vacation in Europe. It's important to do your research and find out which countries require a visa, and what the application process entails. Additionally, consider alternative destinations that may be easier to visit or have more relaxed entry requirements. How much time it is taking to acquire Schengen visas? Currently, the average turnaround time for Europe (Schengen visas) is 15-20 working days, with some countries processing applications quicker than others, Rajeev Kale - President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa - Thomas Cook (India) Limited, said. France is now issuing visas in approx. 5 to 6 days Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Portugal are currently processing applications within 15 working days Greece is taking 3 weeks to issue visas. Additionally, appointments for Switzerland's Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) have been kept on hold till further notice. Due to increased booking windows resulting from visa challenges, it is advisable for customers to apply now for travel in June to avoid disappointment. For those keen to travel to Europe earlier, destinations with quicker appointment slots and visa processing times include Hungary, Finland, Greece, Spain, Norway, and Denmark, Kale advised What are the other travel destinations amid Schengen visa delay? As a result of these visa challenges, customers are opting for easy visa destinations Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, and Mauritius do not require a visa or offer visas on arrival. Destinations with quick and smooth visa processing times such as UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Oman, and Vietnam are also seeing high demand for summer holidays, where visas can be obtained in 3-4 working days. Turkey is processing visas within 4-6 working days, South Africa within 10 days, and New Zealand within 15-20 days. Australia offers a fully digitized process with no biometrics, and visas for well-travelled, high-quality applicants in India are processed much faster. Customers with valid Schengen/USA/UK visas can apply for an e-visa for Turkey, while customers with valid Schengen/USA/Canadian visas are eligible for a long-term multiple-entry visa for Saudi. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sanchari Ghosh Sanchari Ghosh is a Deputy Chief Content Producer with LiveMint. She covers news, human interest, epidemiology and personal finance stories Read more from this author Sri Lanka is implementing measures to rejuvenate its economy after receiving the initial instalment of financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and as a result, this could create possibilities for the Indian corporate sector. According to ET, as part of its plan for economic recovery and fiscal consolidation, Sri Lanka is considering restructuring its state-owned enterprises and divesting from sectors such as airlines, hotels, and hospitals. This move is expected to create investment opportunities for Indian investors. Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $3 billion loan program for Sri Lanka, a crucial step for the bankrupt nation to stabilize its economy and begin restructuring its debt. A source based in Colombo has informed ET that Tata Enterprises, a major industrial conglomerate in India that recently acquired Air India from the government, is being considered as a possible investor in Sri Lankan Airways. To facilitate the privatization or restructuring of Sri Lankan Airlines, the Sri Lankan government has set up a "State-Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit". It is worth noting that Sri Lankan Airlines was a highly profitable airline when it was previously privatized, with 40% of its shares sold to Emirates Airlines, who managed the airline operations. To expand its customer base in India, Sri Lankan Airlines is allegedly considering launching flights from three more Indian cities, including Ahmedabad. Currently, the airline operates in nine cities in India. Many Sri Lankan Airline' flights are routed through India, and it would be beneficial for Indian airlines to collaborate with the Sri Lankan service provider. In 2022, Sri Lanka's economy contracted by 7.8% and is further expected to shrink by 3% in 2023 as it continues to grapple with the challenge of debt restructuring and balance of payments difficulties, as per ANI reports. ADB stated that reform measures such as the reversal of the tax it cut in 2019, and the recent approval of the IMF loan arrangement will support the country's efforts to stabilize its economy. (With inputs from agencies) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday said his country has temporarily suspended operations in Sudan after extracting all its diplomats. All Canadian diplomats are safe, Trudeau said and are working from outside Sudan. Justin Trudeau said, Weve temporarily suspended Canadas operations in Sudan. Our diplomats are safe they have been extracted and are working from outside the country and we are looking at every possible option to support our locally-engaged staff." Weve temporarily suspended Canadas operations in Sudan. Our diplomats are safe they have been extracted and are working from outside the country and we are looking at every possible option to support our locally-engaged staff. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 23, 2023 Urging all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire and to engage in mediation efforts with regional partners, Trudeau said Canada is committed to supporting the people of Sudan in their desire for a peaceful transition and a democratic future. Trudeau said his government is also looking at every possible option to support Canadians in Sudan. His government is extremely concerned by the dangerous and rapidly evolving situation on the ground, and his administration is staying in contact with Canadians affected, Trudeau said. The Canadian officials in nearby countries have also been mobilized to help, Trudeau added. "We have deployed our Standing Rapid Deployment Team to Djibouti to enhance our ability to support and further assess needs, and the Canadian Forces members are planning for various contingencies with partners, Trudeau said further. The Japanese merchant ship that was torpedoed during the second World War, the ship that sunk with a total of eight hundred and sixty four soldiers including prisoners of war, the debacle that was dubbed Australia's worst maritime disaster was discovered by deep sea survey in the South China Sea experts recently. Defence Minister of Australia Richard Marles announced on Saturday that the SS Montevideo Maru, a covert prisoner-of-war transport ship that had been lost since being sinking off the coast of the Philippines in 1 July 1942, by a US submarine, had been found northwest of Luzon island. According to Independent, the ship was torpedoed en route from what is now Papua New Guinea to Chinas Hainan by a US submarine, unaware of the prisoners of war onboard. 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. The discovery comes just ahead of Australia's Anzac Day, celebrated on 25 April. On this day Australia and New Zealand commemorates and remembers their troops killed in all military conflicts. This brings to an end one of the most tragic chapters in Australias maritime history," Marles said in a video message. According to the government, a marine archaeology not-for-profit and deep-sea survey specialists led the hunt for the wreck, which was discovered at a depth of more than 13,123 feet. The search was also aided by Australia's Defence Department. The Defence Minister added, "The absence of a location of the Montevideo Maru has represented unfinished business for the families of those who lost their lives until now." The Defence Minister added, The absence of a location of the Montevideo Maru has represented unfinished business for the families of those who lost their lives until now." 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 Whenever Rahul Gandhi takes a few steps forward, he faces fresh hurdles. A Surat courts recent rejection of his request to put off his conviction in a defamation case is a case in point. He can still move a high court or the Supreme Court, but if he fails to get any relief from these courts, or if the proceedings are protracted, he will remain ineligible to contest in the next election. Is this why he took his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Wayanad? Wayanad, in Kerala, is the constituency from which he won the 2019 general elections. He was defeated at Amethi, the old Gandhi family bastion. However, things changed after he was convicted in a defamation case by a lower court in Surat last month. The Lok Sabha secretariat swiftly removed him from membership of the House. The question now is whether Priyanka will contest from this seat if the Election Commission chooses to hold a by-election in Wayanad. Although there was talk within the Congress that she might contest from Rae Bareli instead of Sonia Gandhi, Kerala is crucial the Congress, which won 15 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state. It would not want to lose even one of these seats in 2024. For this, one member of the Gandhi family must represent this state. What will be the approach for the countrys largest state and the home state of the Gandhi-Nehru family, Uttar Pradesh, in such a situation? Rahul will undoubtedly have to devise a new strategy to go forward. Its no surprise then that the red carpet is now being rolled out to Nitish Kumar, whom the Congress had ditched before the last general election. Nitish had come to Delhi last September, too, hoping to gain Congress support, but he did not get the green signal from the family". This is why he and Tejashwi Yadav have publicly stated that they are willing to join efforts for Opposition unity, but the Congress must agree, too. The Congresss reliance on Nitish would undoubtedly grow as a result of this court decision. Is Nitish Kumar planning to visit other states in the near future? It would be good for Rahul to take to the streets once more to advocate Opposition unity. There are few such people in todays politics who, despite being out of power, can apply indirect pressure on peoples representatives for the public good. This is the most effective strategy to stop the autocracy of the ruling elite. Rahul has made similar efforts in the past. You may recall his visit to Bhatta Parsol in Uttar Pradesh in 2011. Farmers there were agitated because the state government was acquiring their land for a private companys power project. Although Rahuls initiative did not help the Congress, Mayawati lost the next election. Similarly, in front of the media, Rahul tore copies of the ordinance amending The Representation of the People Act. It was an attack on his own partys government. Nothing could have been a bigger insult to Manmohan Singh than the fact that the heir of the same Gandhi dynasty that had brought him to office publicly disapproved of his decision. Surely, Rahul is aware of these problems, which is why he has started advocating a caste census. The slogan Jiski jitni sankhya bhaari, uski utni hissedari (share according to ones strength) was once used to destabilize the Congress. Today, Rahul has chosen the same path. It is evident that Mandal and Kamandal politics will be resurrected in the coming days. Home minister Amit Shah recently said the Ram temple would be completed by 1 January 2024. There is no doubt that all ceremonies, starting with idol installation, would be grandiose to give Hindu religious beliefs a push. For long, the BJP has exploited this sentiment. Two questions arise here: Will the opening of the great Ram mandir" in Ayodhya create a wave large enough to give the BJP a third consecutive majority? Or, in the name of the caste census, would there be another storm like the one that previously overwhelmed Ram lehar? The topic is made more interesting by the fact that the central government is currently in the hands of Narendra Modi, who comes from a backward caste. He has effectively demonstrated in all previous regional and national elections that he has an incredible capacity to break apart caste equations. If Rahul Gandhi is to succeed in his efforts, he must unify his thoughts, words and actions. The problem he faces now is a lack of control over his speech. His demeanour at press conferences often does not reflect his reputation. He must be aware that neither he nor his party can afford a third consecutive defeat. Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal. The United Nations recently informed the world that India was now its most populous nation. According to the UN, [come 1 July], India will have 1.428 billion people, as opposed to a mere 1.426 billion in China. [The overtaking may already have happened.] When asked about this, Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson sounded dismissive: I want to tell you that population dividend does not depend on quantity but also quality." I would love to reply in kindexcept I dont even know if the UNs claim is correct. Are we already the biggest country in the world? Perhaps. But most projections of Indias population are based on decades-old data, because India hasnt conducted a proper census since 2011. Indias parliamentary elections, every five years, are generally agreed to be the worlds most impressive public exercise. In some ways, Indias census is even more remarkable. Once every decade, for over a century, every Indian and their households characteristics have been enumerated. In 2020, however, pandemic-hit India postponed the census and claimed at first it would shift online. Yet, things have returned to normal and theres no sign of preparations for a census, online or off. Indias current government has a somewhat difficult relationship with data. Various surveys and calculations, from the national income accounts to household consumption patterns and jobs data, have been cancelled or reviewed. This census was set to be even more politically explosive. In diverse India, the census provides the last word on the relative sizes of various groups. And those numbers dont just determine their voting power, but also the distribution of welfare and public services. Without an accurate census, policymakers would be fumbling in the dark. Unfortunately, the demographic composition of Indianswhat caste they were born into, where they live, and what religion they professis now exceptionally controversial. Consider caste. Not since 1931 has India determined the exact caste composition of its population. And yet our huge affirmative action systemwith job and educational quotas earmarked for various caste groupsis based on that data. Any big shifts in the numbers would certainly impact caste-based political mobilization, and the government is unwilling to do the counting. Then theres also religion. If minorities numbers have increased too much" there would be an outcry from the right-wing; if they havent, it becomes harder for rightist politicians to tell Hindus that they are in demographic danger. Meanwhile, this Census was also supposed to be the first step toward creating a National Register of Citizensa controversial plan which, together with changes in Indias citizenship law, caused huge nationwide protests in 2019 because of fears it could render many Indian Muslims stateless. Nobody is eager to start up that argument again. Even more potentially problematic are the numbers for language groups and state origins. India is a country of two halves: one with a rapidly growing population, and the other ageing just as rapidly. By 2041, according to government estimates, the northern state of Bihar will have added 50 million people to its strength of 104 million in the 2011 Census. The southern state of Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, will have begun to shrink. Worse, the shrinking states are mostly ruled by strong regional parties, dont speak the same language as the north, and are much richer. New population numbers may mean that these states share of seats in Parliament will decline, leaving them with little voice in New Delhis decisions. Inter-regional transfers in India, already high, will increase. One state finance minister has complained that sending local taxes north is like throwing money down the well." Finally, theres employment. India has no reliable data about how many jobs are being created. Two government surveys that estimated unemployment were shut down in 2017 and 2018. But the 2011 Census did tell us that 28% of households had somebody seeking or available for work," and that there were 47 million unemployed people between the ages of 15 and 24, a youth unemployment rate of 20%. If that rate has increased, it would be very bad news for a government that pitches itself to aspirational, young India. The census would also tell us how many Indians have access to healthcare, and how much they have been educated. It would tell us whether they have had to migrate for work. It would, in short, answer the Chinese spokespersons somewhat dismissive question about quality. For now, it looks like India isnt ready for the answer. India may today be the largest country in the world, and likely will be for all time from now on. But we cant know how India will shape its worldsince we dont know who Indians are. Mihir Sharma is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. OpenAI's chatbot product, ChatGPT, has been recently compared to students in terms of performance on accounting exams. While the students outperformed ChatGPT, researchers still found the chatbot's performance to be impressive. They even went so far as to say that ChatGPT is a game changer that will revolutionize the way people teach and learn for the better. A group of researchers from Brigham Young University (BYU) and 186 other universities conducted a study to determine how OpenAI's technology would perform on accounting exams. The results of the study were published in the journal Issues in Accounting Education. According to the study, students scored an average of 76.7 percent on the accounting exam, while ChatGPT achieved a score of 47.4 percent. The study revealed that ChatGPT outperformed the student average in 11.3 percent of the questions, with particularly strong performance in accounting information systems (AIS) and auditing. However, ChatGPT's performance was weaker in tax, financial, and managerial assessments. This could potentially be attributed to the bot's difficulty with the mathematical calculations required for these types of questions, according to the researchers. Moreover, the study found that ChatGPT, which utilizes machine learning to produce natural language responses, performed better on true/false questions (68.7% correct) and multiple-choice questions (59.5%), but struggled with short-answer questions (with correct answers ranging from 28.7% to 39.1%). Furthermore, the researchers observed that higher-level questions were more challenging for ChatGPT to answer, and it sometimes provided detailed responses for incorrect answers or responded inconsistently to the same question. Despite frequently providing explanations for its answers, ChatGPT occasionally chose the wrong multiple-choice response despite offering accurate descriptions. It was also found that ChatGPT provided false information, including generating a seemingly valid reference for non-existent sources. Additionally, it made errors in mathematical calculations such as adding instead of subtracting or dividing numbers incorrectly. To contribute to the ongoing debate on the role of models like ChatGPT in education, David Wood, a BYU professor of accounting and the lead author of the study, enlisted numerous professors to compare ChatGPT's performance with that of university accounting students. The social media pitch by his co-author garnered a huge response, with 327 co-authors from 186 educational institutions in 14 countries contributing 25,181 classroom accounting exam questions. They also involved undergraduate BYU students who provided ChatGPT with 2,268 questions from various accounting domains of varying complexity and types, including AIS, auditing, financial accounting, managerial accounting, and tax. (With inputs from PTI) San Antonio Area Foundation recently awarded 20 students from Webb County with the 2023 San Antonio Area Foundation Legacy Scholarship at Texas A&M International University. The recipients, all high school junior students, each received $40,000 scholarships. Bernice Uresti, Executive Director of Legacy Scholarship and Scholars, said these scholarships were made possible by an anonymous donor who left a scholarship to the Area Foundation, His wishes were that the students be from Bexar County and from Webb County, she said. Every student is going to receive a $10,000 a year scholarship for four years for a total of $40,000; also they will have to attend a college or a university in the state of Texas a college or university. During the event, one of the awarded students -- Marianna Resendez from United High School, who wants to pursue a career in engineering -- gave a speech thanking San Antonio Area Foundation and how she was planning to use her scholarship. I was always eager to learn, she said. Calculus fascinated me. Sure I struggled with the lessons like any other student, but its complexity did not discourage me. Around this time, people started asking me the usual question, 'What you want to do when you are older?' But I could not give them an answer. It was not until shortly after that I realized I wanted to continue to study math and pursue studying engineering. Ultimately, if there is any lesson that this scholarship has taught me it is to never underestimate yourself. You will never know where your abilities can take you, so take the risk or lose the chance. Malena Charur/Laredo Morning Times United States District Judge Diana Saldana was the guest speaker at the event. She spoke about her hard life as a migrant worker before she graduated as a lawyer. She said that she was grateful to be there since her job was difficult because, unfortunately, she is faced with cases where people reach the lowest point in their lives. It is hard to realize that this talent still exists in our community, and sometimes I forget because what I see day and day out is so challenging for me, she said. So it really is an honor to be here with you and talk to you about my life. Each of one should be very proud of your hard work and your selection to be a Legacy scholar in your junior year. Uresti said that over 100 applications were submitted from Laredo to SAAF, but only 20 students were selected. Every application was reviewed by volunteers from Laredo, she said. It was very important for us that the students from Laredo be selected by people of their own community. In total, we are giving out $4 million to students in these two counties. The students were chosen as juniors, so they will have ample time and peace of mind going into their senior year that they can budget college costs knowing theyve already secured this scholarship. Regarding the criteria established for the selection of students, Uresti said that they need to be high school juniors, they must plan to attend college or university in the state of Texas, and they must be from either from Bexar or Webb County. We notified the students via Zoom, and many of them were ecstatic, she said. The reaction has been of much excitement. Some of them cried, some others were just super excited. One of them called the mom on the phone and told her about the scholarship. Courtesy/UISD Uresti said that 16 of the students selected were from United Independent School District, three were from Laredo Independent School District and one was from Staggs Academy. Last year was the first year that we came to Laredo, she said. We awarded 10 students, and this year we have been able to award 20. We hope that with the promotion of the scholarship, the promotion of this event and with the work of the counselors that can help us to get the word out so more students from Laredo will find about the scholarship and more students will apply. Uresti said that although the donor did not specify a time limit for the scholarship, they do anticipate that it will be for many years to come. There were a little bit more of applications this year, but we were able to award more students, she said. So as word gets out, we hope that every year more applications will be submitted from the Laredo area students. Be prepared for next year, as applications will open again in about mid-October of this year for the high school juniors that will begin in the fall of 2023. Webb County will discuss a bid for the construction of new streets in the Pueblo Nuevo colonia during a special Commissioners Court meeting Wednesday at United Middle School. An item submitted by the Webb County Purchasing Departments states the discussion and possible action to award Invitation to Bid 2023-004 Pueblo Nuevo Street Improvement Project Contract CDV21-0485 to the sole bidder Anderson Columbia Co., Inc. The amount is not to exceed the reduced valued engineered bid amount of $404,490 for the construction of new streets along West Meirs and West Paredes Avenue. According to the agenda item, the streets in Colonia Pueblo Nuevo are old and dilapidated, which could pose a threat to public safety and frequently cause maintenance issues. Commissioners Court authorized the acceptance of a grant award from the Texas Department of Agriculture for roadway improvements. The sole bidder Anderson Columbias total bid amount submitted of $464,490 exceeded the grant construction budget of $260,000. The Economic Development Department will initiate the transfer of $45,000 in grant administrative funds for construction use to increase the total grant construction budget to $305,000. Commissioners Court would then need to transfer $99,490 in additional funds and approve the $404,490 bid. During this special meeting, Guillermo J. Cavazos, Jr., AIA, from Cavazos & Associates, PLLC d/b/a Cavazos Architects, will present a design and opinion of cost estimate for the Webb County Southern Fire Station. Last year, Commissioners Court approved architectural services for a future fire station that will be located in the southern area of Webb County. The commissioners will also discuss canceling the regular scheduled Commissioners Court meeting for May 8 and scheduling a special meeting the same day at the Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts. press release Brazzaville An estimated 33 million children will need to be vaccinated in Africa between 2023 and 2025 to put the continent back on track to achieve the 2030 global immunization goals that include reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases, an analysis by World Health Organization (WHO) finds. The unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine immunization services has driven up the number of zero-dose and under-immunized children, rising by 16% between 2019 and 2021 and pushing the cumulative total (2019-2021) to around 33 million, which represents nearly half the global figure, according to estimates by WHO and UNICEF. "The pandemic has seriously set back the region's vaccination efforts and left millions of children vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases that can cause serious illness and even death," said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. "As countries strive to emerge from the long shadow of COVID-19, we cannot afford to lose further ground. Every effort must be made to ensure every child has access to essential vaccines." Without renewed political will and intensified efforts by governments, it is estimated that vaccination coverage in Africa will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2027. This year, African Vaccination Week and World Immunization Week, from 24-30 April, is being marked under the theme "The Big Catch-Up". This is a global push by WHO and partners to intensify efforts to reach children who missed vaccinations, as well as to restore and strengthen routine immunization programmes. The "Big Catch-Up" campaign builds on efforts to advance countries towards the goals of Immunization Agenda 2030, a strategy endorsed during the WHO World Health Assembly in 2020. It seeks to reduce mortality and morbidity from vaccine-preventable diseases, ensure equitable access to vaccines and strengthen immunization within primary health care. To urgently scale up coverage and protect children, WHO and partners are supporting 10 priority African countries--which are among the top 20 countries globally with the highest numbers of zero-dose children--to carry out catch-up routine vaccination campaigns. African governments and healthcare workers made heroic efforts during an unprecedented public health emergency, vaccinating more people than ever before in history. But the ripples of this emergency response effort are still being felt. At the Vaccine Alliance we are intensifying our efforts to support countries to make up lost ground," said Aurelia Nguyen, Chief Programme and Strategy Officer for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. "Our Alliance is committed to working with countries and communities alike to support efforts to catch up and restore immunization, focusing on responding to the unique needs of each child - and particularly those in hard-to-reach areas and fragile and conflict settings." At a high-level event during the African Union Summit in February 2023, African heads of state endorsed a declaration aimed at revamping and scaling up routine immunization across the continent. The declaration also called for urgent measures to address persistent bottlenecks in vaccine and health care delivery systems. In a bid to recover from the pandemic's disruptive wake, countries have made efforts to restore health services. Decreased vaccination levels have led to a surge in outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever. Despite the disruptions, at least one third of African countries have sustained the target coverage of 90% or higher for the third dose of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, and the third dose of the polio vaccine, over the past three years. However, only three countries have sustained this coverage for the second dose of the measles and yellow fever vaccines during the same period. The region has also continued to step up the polio response. More than 30 million children were vaccinated against polio in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2022, following wild poliovirus type 1 cases being reported in Malawi and Mozambique. "The ambition to ensure that every child has access to essential vaccines by 2030 is still within our reach if we act now," said Dr Moeti. "It is time for us to renew our commitment to this ambition and work together to restore and strengthen essential vaccination services to save the lives of millions of children." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines International Organisations Health Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. WHO held a press conference today led by Dr Joseph Cabore, Director of Programme Management, WHO Regional Office for Africa. He was joined by Hon. Dr Austin Demby, Minister of Health, Sierra Leone, Ms Aurelia Nguyen, Chief Programme and Strategy Officer for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health, Ghana Health Services; and Prof William K. Ampofo, Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Vaccine Manufacturing and Development, Ghana. Also on hand from WHO Regional Office for Africa were Dr Phionah Atuhebwe, New Vaccines Introduction Officer; Dr Dorothy Achu, Team lead, Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases; Dr Jamal Ahmed, Polio Coordinator; Dr Ado Bwaka, acting Team Lead, Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Programme; and Dr Patrick Otim, Health Emergency Officer, Acute Events Management Unit. analysis London The current fighting in Sudan marks the failure of supposed processes for transition to democratic rule. The international community needs to learn the lessons of this catastrophe and work with civil society. On one side is the army, headed by Sudan's current leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. On the other are the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti. Both sides blame the other and say they will refuse to negotiate. The two worked together in the October 2021 coup that overthrew a transitional government, put in place in August 2019 after long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir was ousted following a popular uprising. They were never committed to democracy. Military forces initially tried to suppress democracy protests with lethal violence. The grimmest day came on 3 June 2019, when the RSF ended a sit-in with indiscriminate gunfire, killing over 100 people. There has been no accountability for the violence. The October 2021 military coup, which brought mass protests and civil disobedience, was followed by a short-lived and palpably insincere attempt at a civilian-military power-sharing deal that only lasted from November 2021 to January 2022. Protests, and military violence against them, continued. December 2022 saw the signing of a deal between the military and some civilian groups. This deal was supposed to kickstart a two-year transition to democracy. Some pro-democracy groups and political parties rejected the plan, but the international community urged all sides to get behind it. The army was already seeking to backtrack on its commitments before the fighting began. Now those who doubted the sincerity of the two forces' intentions and willingness to hand over power have been proved right. Civilians in the firing line Relations between the two military leaders had become increasingly strained, and fighting finally broke out on 15 April. Attempts at a humanitarian ceasefire have so far come to nothing. Civilians are in the firing line. There's much confusion on the ground, making it hard to get accurate numbers of casualties, but currently over 300 civilians are reported killed, with thousands injured. Khartoum's major sites of contestation, such as the airport and military bases, nestle side by side with civilian housing, leaving people vulnerable to airstrikes. People are stuck in their homes and at workplaces with limited supplies of food, and water and electricity have been cut. Some have had their homes seized by RSF soldiers. Thousands have fled. Many hospitals have been forced to evacuate or are running out of vital supplies, and there are reports of attacks on health facilities. There are also reports that UN staff and other aid workers are being targeted and offices of humanitarian organisations have been looted. A battle for power The origins of the current crisis lie in al-Bashir's deployment of paramilitary forces, the Janjaweed, to brutally crush a rebellion in Darfur in 2003. The violence was such that al-Bashir remains subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. In recognition of its brutal effectiveness, al-Bashir formally reorganised the Janjaweed into the RSF. It suited him to have two forces he could play off against each other, although ultimately they worked together to oust him. The tensions that have built since partly reflect a clash of cultures between the two leaders and Hemedti's evident ambition for the top job. But mostly it's a competition for political and economic supremacy. The army has always been the power behind the presidency, and it's said to control major companies, having taken over many businesses once owned by al-Bashir and his inner circle. Hemedti has his own sources of wealth, including illegal gold mining - something that connects him with Russia, with mercenary forces from the shadowy Wagner Group reportedly guarding goldmines in return for gold exports to Russia. Now Wagner is allegedly supplying the RSF with missiles. Hemedti had positioned himself as supportive of transitional processes, a ruse that enabled him to dispute the army's power. Al-Burhan was always a compromised figure, supposedly leading Sudan through transition while also defending the army's extensive interests. Proposals to integrate the two forces appear to have been the final straw, threatening to erode Hemedti's power base, making this an existential struggle. International failure Democratic states that backed the transition plan wanted to believe in it and basically hoped for the best. Self-interest has never been far away from the calculations of outside forces either. In recent years, EU funding indirectly found its way to the RSF for its border control role, helping prevent people making their way to Europe; the EU's preoccupation with controlling migration trumped democracy and human rights concerns. The Egyptian government, an influential player in Sudan, is meanwhile squarely behind al-Burhan: it wants its domestic model of repressive government by a military strongman applied in its southern neighbour. Russia strongly backs Hemedti, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates might have no strong preference between the two as long as the outcome isn't democracy. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. What all the approaches taken have in common is that they're largely top-down, investing faith in leaders while failing to address the tensions that led to violence. Now the limitations of that approach should be evident. Sudan's democracy movement has been consistently ignored. But people don't want their futures to come down to a dismal choice of two warlords. This conflict must put an end to any notion that either military head can be expected to lead a transition to democracy. Democratic states need to hold a stronger line on demanding not only that the conflict ends but that a genuine, civilian-led transition follows. With this must come accountability for violence. From now on, the outside world must listen to and be guided by Sudanese civil society voices - in restoring peace, and in bringing about democracy. Andrew Firmin is CIVICUS Editor-in-Chief, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report. Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue says he hopes state lawmakers will restore the $66 million they cut from the systems teaching budget next year A man who assaulted a manager of a licensed premises in the Midlands 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. Gardai launch probe after violent row inside shop in Longford town Gardai have launched an investigation into the incident after the two suspects became embroiled in a violent brawl at a shop in Longford town yesterday afternoon. 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 the Midlands 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. Local News By Long Island Published: April 23 2023 A fatal vehicular accident occurred in West Hempstead where a 41-year-old male driver crossed over into the northbound lane and collided with a 26-year-old male driving a 2019 Hyundai Sonata, resulting in the death of ... The Homicide Squad reports the details of a Fatal Vehicular Accident that occurred at 3:40 am on Sunday, April 23, 2023 in West Hempstead. According to Detectives, a male, 41, was traveling southbound on Nassau Boulevard, near Harless Place, in his 2015 Hyundai Elantra when he crossed over the double yellow lane markings and into the northbound lane. He collided with a 2019 Hyundai Sonata, operated by a 26-year-old male who was traveling northbound on Nassau Boulevard. The 41-year-old male was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased by a hospital physician. The 26-year-old male remained at scene and was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. Manchester, VT (05254) Today Rain likely. High 51F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy in the evening, then off and on rain showers after midnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. BeijingChina on Sunday said it had lodged a complaint with Seoul over South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeols erroneous remarks about Taiwan, as a diplomatic spat simmers between the Asian neighbours. Beijing and Seoul have traded barbs over a Reuters interview with Yoon this month, in which he called tensions between China and Taiwan a global issue similar to North Korea and blamed recent heightened tensions on attempts to change the status quo by force. China claims self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control one day, with Beijing insisting that its dealings with Taipei are purely internal matters. The Chinese foreign ministry said Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong had been ordered on Thursday to make a solemn representation to the South Korean ambassador over Yoons comments. Sun told the ambassador Yoons remarks were totally unacceptable and expressed strong dissatisfaction, the ministry said. ADVERTISEMENT Chinas statement comes ahead of Yoons state visit to key ally the United States, which Beijing has blamed for arming Taiwan and encouraging pro-independence politicians. The Taiwan question is a matter belonging to the Chinese themselves and no force can be allowed to interfere, Sun said, urging Seoul to adhere to the One-China Principle and be careful in words and actions relating to the Taiwan issue. Chinas foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin had previously criticised Yoons remarks, calling it a universally known fact that the Taiwan issue was not comparable to tensions on the Korean Peninsula. This prompted South Koreas foreign ministry on Thursday to berate China for its serious diplomatic discourtesy. Tensions have escalated in the Taiwan Strait in recent years, with China launching military exercises earlier this month after Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen visited the United States. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. interview Ahmed Soliman talks to Yusuf Hassan about what needs to happen to resolve Sudan's latest conflict, and how to move its transition to civilian government forwards. How was this latest conflict triggered? This battle is about power projection between Sudan's two most powerful military forces, the SAF (Sudan Armed Forces) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary RSF (Rapid Support Forces) led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti. The clashes in Khartoum and across the country are in part the result of autocratic leaders who oversee vast armies and control much of the state's economy, and who have been emboldened by becoming key stakeholders in the political process. The two generals have co-existed in partnership for more than three years due to their mutual interest in maintaining power and slowing Sudan's transition to civilian government, but tensions between the SAF and RSF have risen steadily in recent months. Ahead of this outbreak of fighting there were increasingly confrontational statements by both sides against each other and they were moving forces to prepare for a conflict. But both have continued to frame themselves as reformists and protectors of Sudan and its transition to civilian rule. The main obstacle between Burhan and Hemedti concerns security sector reform and the integration of the RSF into the regular army, which was laid out in the framework agreement of December 2022 between the military actors and the civilian coalition. Hemedti wanted that integration process spread out over a decade so as to maintain his own influence and counterbalance the SAF, but the army's general staff called for it to take only two years. The main obstacle between Burhan and Hemedti concerns security sector reform and the integration of the RSF into the regular army There have also been disagreements over the command-and-control structure during the planned integration with Hemedti wanting the RSF to report to civilian leadership rather than be under Burhan's SAF. Crucially, a unified and professional force under a new civilian authority was not acceptable to Islamist elements within the army as it would have likely further dented their position and elevated the position of Hemedti and the RSF even further. Although most of the focus is on the two generals, not enough attention is being paid to the disruptive role played by elements of the former Bashir regime in the 'deep state' and from certain armed groups on Sudan's historically marginalized peripheries. Islamist old regime elements have been successful in their efforts to derail the political agreement and undermine the civilian transition as they ultimately seek to regain control of the country through the vehicle of a SAF victory. What is the current situation on the ground? The conflict between the two sides has spread rapidly throughout the country - from Darfur in the west to the Gedaref in the east - and is incorporating the capital Khartoum, neighbouring Omdurman, and several other major cities. Much of the fighting is in urban areas with the army and RSF striking to control each other's facilities and camps, many of which are close to residential zones. Days of airstrikes by SAF on RSF-controlled areas have escalated the conflict and civilian casualties are steadily rising with critical infrastructure being destroyed. Both the SAF and the RSF are calling for citizens to side with them, so there is no 'neutral position' for civilians even though most do not support either side Khartoum is the epicentre of the fighting, a departure from previous conflicts in Sudan which have chiefly been prosecuted in the country's historically marginalized regions. The RSF is embedding itself in neighbourhoods and taking over civilian houses there, using them as cover from SAF. There is little discipline from soldiers and reports are growing of looting and violence against people already under siege. Civilians have been living under near constant bombardment, without electricity and with dwindling water and food. Even without a ceasefire many have risked the heavy fighting to try and escape the city or attempt to move to areas of relative safety. Both the SAF and the RSF are calling for citizens to side with them, so there is no 'neutral position' for civilians even though most do not support either side. In Darfur there has been little accountability for decades of atrocities committed by various armed forces and 2023 is the 20th anniversary of the start of the war there. This is Hemedti's stronghold and reports filtering through are of particularly heavy fighting and casualties in El-Fashir, Nyala, and Zalingei, among other places. Even if Hemedti was removed, there is no guarantee RSF forces and commanders - especially in Darfur - would stop fighting. One scenario is that this war could evolve into a renewed subnational conflict - with RSF retreating to its heartlands where it can regroup, mobilize and resupply. What are the fault lines of the conflict? Hemedti continues to assert that he is supportive of the democratic process and anti-Islamist, and that General Burhan is not. He has branded the RSF as a defender of the revolution and the Sudanese people. This claim to legitimacy is overstated as Sudanese have not forgotten the atrocities committed by the RSF in Darfur, nor their brutal attacks on the protesters' sit-in camp in Khartoum in June 2019 which led to the deaths of more than 120 people. The SAF is also not a cohesive force because Islamist elements from Bashir's old regime - known as the Kayzan - make up an important element of the army leadership and have steered SAF in the direction of conflict. But this contestation reveals plainly - if it was ever in doubt - that the two military leaders and the institutions they lead are the main impediment to establishing civilian government in Sudan. Burhan and Hemedti have both been trying their best since the outset of the revolution to avoid pressure from the streets and civilian political leaders for security sector reform and accountability. This conflict will hugely raise those demands from people across Sudan. The military leaders have also showed time and time again that they cannot be trusted to be reliable partners in Sudan's transition to democracy. In October 2021, SAF staged a military coup against their civilian partners in the transitional government, removing then prime minister Abdalla Hamdok. Now, just as Sudan was on the verge of returning a civilian government through political negotiations, the two military hegemons have gone to war against each other. Sudan's international partners have largely failed to hold the military leaders to account for violations during and since the military coup. International and regional mediation efforts have in a sense contributed to this outcome by legitimizing Burhan and Hemedti as political actors. Neither is seeking to safeguard Sudan's democratic transition - what they are doing is fighting it out to be Sudan's next strongman dictator and the successor to Omar-al Bashir. What is the role of regional and international actors? Regional and international leaders have been aware of these tensions building, and the political process being a contributing factor to these hostilities. The requisite steps have not been taken to avoid this worst-case-scenario. Certain regional stakeholders - including Egypt and the Gulf Arab states - have sought to influence the political process in Sudan in often contradictory ways, complicating prospects for de-escalation and resolution. Egypt has strong military ties with Sudan and is keen to see a similarly styled government to Cairo in charge in Khartoum. More recent Emirati and Saudi Arabian engagement in Sudan has ostensibly supported progress towards a working political process, albeit with a view to legitimizing a military-led or military-aligned government through elections. These regional states have the decisive political and economic clout to change the generals' calculations, should they wish to use it. This contestation reveals plainly - if it was ever in doubt - that the two military leaders and the institutions they lead are the main impediment to establishing civilian government in Sudan Within Sudan's seven neighbouring states, there are national and subnational interests in who governs the country, with diverging preferences over who wins. Many of these regional alliances are also fluid. It is critical that regional and international actors are prevented from deepening the conflict further. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Governance Peacekeeping By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Coordination with regional actors, and building a unified international coalition is crucial to persuading the generals to abide by a short-term ceasefire which, if achieved, can hopefully be built-on to reach a permanent cessation of hostilities. What firm action can be taken to avert the current violence? The entire international and regional community need to act to prevent the conflict worsening. This requires a collective approach and unified diplomatic bloc capable of pressuring the parties to stop fighting - including the US, UK, Norway (Troika), and the European Union (EU), key influential players in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, Egypt, and other influential states such as China. Crucially, international efforts should connect with continental and regional mediation efforts by the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), to ensure that efforts are not duplicated or diluted. Sudan's international partners must press on the need for an immediate ceasefire and access for humanitarian support, followed by political talks to agree to a permanent cessation of hostilities. If a permanent ceasefire can be achieved, this needs to be followed by a resumption of political talks aimed at establishing a civilian government and putting the democratic transition slowly back on track. Given the escalations of the Generals actions, it is hard to see this scenario playing out in the short to medium term, especially as neither of the two belligerents could be a part of such a process. To achieve a ceasefire the international community must make use of its leverage over key actors in the conflict. This includes considering the viability of economic levers, particularly pertinent for the UAE and China as Sudan's largest trading partners, as well as other punitive measures such as targeted sanctions on SAF and RSF individuals and companies should they continue to refuse to heed firm and cohesive international calls for an immediate ceasefire. Ahmed Soliman, Senior Research Fellow, Africa Programme Yusuf Hassan, Parliamentary, Media and Outreach Officer, Africa Programme 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. At home, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the government was working out plans to safely bring out trapped Filipinos from strife-torn Sudan. In a statement, Mr. Marcos said the Philippine government was getting more information on the ground to better prepare and ascertain if an evacuation is possible. We have about 300 people in Sudan. Unfortunately, none of the airports are functioning. They are still under fire, President Marcos said. 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, the Chief Executive pointed out. ADVERTISEMENT He explained there was no identified secure land route yet as the Sudanese capital of Khartoum is hundreds of miles away from Egypt, where the nearest Philippine Embassy is located. As of Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said at least 86 have requested to be evacuated or repatriated from the country. According to the World Health Organization, over 400 people have died in the continued conflict in Sudan since the in-fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group began on April 15. A 72-hour truce has fallen through, according to Anadolu reports, quoting a local doctors associations announcement on Saturday (see related story in World page Editors). Hospitals continue to be targeted in the conflict as both sides failed to fulfill their commitments under the ceasefire, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said. An Anadolu correspondent on the ground said the fighting had spread to Bahri and Omdurman, cities adjacent to Khartoum, the CCSD added, noting that clashes had also taken place around the army headquarters and presidential palace. Both sides accused each other of violating the truce, with the army claiming that the RSF was pushing more forces to Khartoum, while the paramilitary group said the SAF attacked its forces at different locations. 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 Sunday. It announced the safe arrival of 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals from 12 other countriesKuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina Faso. The foreigners included diplomats and international officials, the ministry said without giving further details. The SAF said in a statement on Facebook that army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan had received requests from different countries to allow the evacuation of their nationals. We are waiting for the process to begin in the coming hours as US, UK, France, and China will provide military planes for the evacuation from Khartoum, the statement said. It added that the Saudi diplomatic mission was the first nation to have its citizens evacuated through Port Sudan, adding that Jordan would use the same route. Kuwait also said Saturday that it had launched an emergency operation to evacuate its citizens. Foreign Minister Sheikh Salim Abdullah al-Jaber al-Sabah said all Kuwaitis who wanted to return to the Gulf country have safely reachedthe city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and that efforts continued to get them to Kuwait. Saudi Arabia worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreignnationals ahead of their departure to their respective countries, the statement added. Saudi state-run Al-Ekhbariya television released several videos of warships approaching Jeddahs 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, Sudans 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 cominghours, adding 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 thoseof his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle. The conflictmuch of which has taken place in Khartoumhas 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. AFP with Vince Lopez Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Pact with US could cover more military bases for 360-degree protection The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Sunday that the countrys Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States could be further expanded to cover more military bases to improve the countrys defenses. BALIKATAN ON SKY AND SEA. Pilots of the Philippine Air Force 15th Strike Wings A-29B Super Tucano and the 17th Special Operation Squadrons AC-130J of the US Air Force pose after a live gunnery exercise at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base in Capas, Tarlac. Meanwhile, the AFP Western Command carries out training in Visit, Board, Search and Seizure during Balikatan 2023, which ends this week. AFP Photos In an interview on radio dzBB, AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilarsaid more EDCA sites, to be built up with US funding and which would be accessible to American troops and equipment, would provide the Philippine military with the capability to provide 360-degree protection. The government recently announced four new EDCA sites: Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan;Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the four additional EDCA sites would not be used for offensive actions. The five existing EDCA locations are Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija,Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayande Oro City. ADVERTISEMENT The Senate committee on foreign relations, however, questioned thelocation of the EDCA sites, particularly two that were near Taiwan, which is a bone of contention between China and the United States. Over the weekend, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said it has been briefed on the operations and other specifications of the American-made MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system. In a statement over the weekend, PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. ConsueloCastillo said it was made possible during the air and missile defense subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) conducted by the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade of the United States Army at Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command in San Antonio, Zambales on April 19. During the learning session, subject matter experts from the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade discussed the operations, role, various specifications, capabilities, and key parts of the Patriot missile defense system involving the radar set, engagement control station, missile launchers, and the Patriot missile, she said. The Patriot is one of the premier missile systems of the United States and is classified as a high to medium air defense system. The SMEE is part of the ongoing Balikatan joint military exercises, which started April 11 and will end on the 28th. PAF participants are from the 960th Air and Missile Defense Group (AMDG), the operator of the newly activated ground-based air defense system (GBADS) consisting of SPYDER medium-range missiles from Israel. The first two GBADS batteries were commissioned and activated by the PAF on Nov. 8 last year. The aforementioned exercise broadened the understanding of the Airand Missile System Operators of 960th AMDG on air and missile defense operations. Likewise, it strengthened ties and comradery between the PAF and its US counterparts, Castillo said. GBADS, also known as the SPYDER Philippines Air Defense System, is amobile air and missile defense system designed to protect critical installations, land-based fixed assets, mobile platforms, and friendly forces from aerial threats, such as combat aircraft, attack helicopters, unmanned air vehicles, incoming missiles, guided munition, and rockets. The Philippines and Singapore are the only two countries in Southeast Asia operating the advanced missile system. The first two GBAD batteries were delivered on Sept. 24 and 29, 2022, while the third battery is expected on May 24, 2024 under a P6.84 billion contract. A typical PAF GBADS battery consists of a command-and-control unit,three main firing units equipped with four missile launchers, alongwith two support vehicles for field service and munitions resupply. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. House of Representatives Minority Leader Marcelino Nonoy Libanan wants Filipino students to draw inspiration from national hero Jose P. Rizal, who developed a passion to learn foreign languages. Libanan has filed House Resolution No. 910, urging the Department of Education (DepEd), which is currently conducting a review of the K-12 program, to integrate foreign language studies other than English in the school curriculum. Our school system by tradition has been teaching Filipino children to emulate and aspire to be like Rizal. We might as well encourage them to study foreign languages, just like Rizal, Libanan said. Owing to his fascination with foreign languages, Rizal became conversant in Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, and Swedish. Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, in her 2023 Basic Education Report, had declared that the Department of Education intends to revise and improve the K-12 program, with the view to developing lifelong learners who are competent and job-ready. ADVERTISEMENT In his resolution, Libanan said that the whole world has become a global village with multilingual labor markets, thus creating a strong demand for workers with foreign language skills. Libanan said that exposing young learners to foreign languages will vastly improve their employability in the global labor markets of the 21st century. Global corporations based in the United States, China and Japan the worlds three largest economies have been known to prefer hiring staff who can speak a second foreign language besides English, Libanan pointed out. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines deployed a total of 2,150,000 workers to overseas labor markets in 2019, or an average of 5,890 every day, according to Department of Migrant Workers. The number of Filipino workers deployed abroad has since dropped to less than one million yearly. Despite the deployment slump, the World Bank estimates that the Philippines received up to $38 billion in cash remittances from all channels in 2022, making the country the worlds fourth-largest recipient of money from overseas workers, after India, Mexico and China. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Senator Francis Tolentino is seeking to defer the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in Negros Oriental, warning that the current political situation might lead to further chaos. Tolentino, chair of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights noted that the present political atmosphere in province is not good for the conduct of said elections. He cited the current peace and order situation in Negros Oriental following the assassination of Governor Roel Degamo. He also mentioned the spate of violence-related cases which was revealed during the three-day hearings of the Senate Committee of Public Order and Illegal Drugs chaired by Sen. Ronald Bato Dela Rosa. Majority of the killings were linked to Rep. Arnolfo Teves who was also tagged by the Department of Justice as behind the killing of Degamo. ADVERTISEMENT Tolentino also said if the BSKE will be postponed, then the governments peacekeeping forces will have a stronger momentum. Degamos widow, Pamplona town Mayor Janice Degamo, welcomed Tolentinos proposition, saying that it will definitely help calm the current political climate in her province. Tolentino earlier asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to set-up a Special Prosecution Task Force in Negros Oriental which will help hasten the progress of violence-related cases pending before various trial courts in the said province. Senator Robin Padilla meanwhile inquired if it is time for a military takeover in Negro Oriental to avert the social volcano in Negros Oriental from exploding due to the crimes and abuses. Padillasaid the Constitution allows the takeover by the Armed Forces of the Philippines if needed, and if authorized by the President. Our Constitution is clear if an area is infested with crimes, the President is allowed to authorize the military to take over. Do you think it is time for this in Negros Oriental? Aside from the murder of the governor, he said there have been many other victims of other crimes including those merely seeking aid. Based on the testimonies and emotions from earlier hearings, he said the problem remains the loss of trust in our police, the continued impunity in Negros and the tarnishing of the name of our Philippine National Police. These individuals are trusted and trained to protect the people. Their use of their skills to commit such heinous crimes is unacceptable, he saad. The governors widow, agreed with Padillas point that it is time for military control though not to the point of martial law. If that would hasten ending the feeling of impunity, then personally I am okay with it, she said. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. In 2019, the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Calamba Campus and the Grandsoul Japan Co., LTD sealed a partnership to address the demand for highly skilled caregivers in Japan. Dr. Anthony M. Tamayo, President of the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, studied projects that the need for caregivers will steadily increase as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose health risks across the globe. TRAINING CENTER. (From left) Dr. Ernesto F. Ramirez, School Director, UPHSD Calamba Campus, Dr. Marjorie Gutierrez-Tangog, Executive Vice President, UPHSD, Mr. Dan Navarro, President, NFRI, Dr. Anthony Jose Moran Tamayo, President, UPHSD, Mr. Toni June Tamayo, Regional Director, TESDA, Mr. Atsushi Tsujimura, President, Grandsoul Japan, Hon. Kanno Chihiro, First Secretary and Labor Attache, Embassy of Japan, Mr. Kimio Nakatani, General Manager, Grandsoul Japan, open the new training center in Calamba, Laguna. Roy Tomandao Thus, Grandsoul Japan Co., LTD commits itself to helping every Filipino fulfill their dreams and donated a state-of-the-art facility to the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in Calamba Campus. By replicating its caregiving facilities in Japan to support the establishment of the UPHSD-Grandsoul Japan Center for Japanese Caregiving Education, enrollees get six months of quality Japanese language training and Japanese Nursing Care Training and eventually will have the opportunity to work as caregivers and have the chance to live in Japan. UPHSD-Grandsoul Japan creates opportunities for every Filipino through its world-class Japanese Caregiving Training Facility. ADVERTISEMENT Well-trained instructors from the Allied Health Department of the university underwent three-month intensive training in Japan so enrollees acquire exceptional knowledge and the skills set required for the job. Books, online platforms, and other learning materials will be provided to trainees to make sure that quality training shall be imparted and to be more globally competitive caregivers. With these, the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Calamba Campus invites interested applicants to enroll in their Japanese Nursing Care courses. Roy Tomandao Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. A group of investors on Sunday called on the government to support offshore mining in Philippine seabeds for the industry to flourish, aside from fishing. At a media briefing in Quezon City, Dr. Michael Raymond Aragon, Offshore Mining Chamber of the Philippines Inc. chairperson, said offshore mining is a new and high technology to cleanly mine for raw minerals in the deep seabeds of our country. However, he lamented that the Philippines does not have the high technology and lacks the money, and that there is a need for foreign resources to do this locally. Offshore mining is entirely different, and much cleaner and greener mining process against the land-based mining, Aragon noted. The countrys untouched oceans are rich in mineral resources, such as palladium, manganese, iron, nickel, platinum, copper, silver, gold, lithium, and even elusive rare earth elements crucially needed in the electronic and renewable industries, he said. ADVERTISEMENT We welcome the approval of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the issuance of an executive order to operationalize the nations tariff commitments under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership of the Asian Southeast Nations, Aragon told reporters. Offshore mining may benefit from preferential tariff reduction for imported industrial goods and equipment, he said. The new mining scheme needs all-out support from the government, Aragon said, emphasizing that oceans can also utilized for mining, apart from fishing. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Aboitiz Land, the real estate arm of the Aboitiz Group, joins hands with the Aboitiz Foundation in teaming up with Connected Women to train and support marginalized and disadvantaged Filipino women in Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation (AIDA) skills. The initiative aims to expand Filipino womens skills and create for them potential income opportunities. Connected Women will offer training and mentorship programs to beneficiaries through their award-winning Elevate AIDA program. This will open new job opportunities and provide them with the skills and knowledge to succeed. Aboitiz Land Inc. and the Aboitiz Foundation on March 30, 2023 sign a memorandum of agreement with Connected Women. Posing after the signing ceremony (from left) are Connected Women chief executive Agnes Gervacio, Connected Women co-founder Ruth Yu-Owen, Aboitiz Foundation Inc. president and chief operating officer Maribeth Marasigan and Aboitiz Land Inc. senior assistant vice president of legal and corporate affairs Irene Mischele Sta. Ana. The partnership is a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce in the Philippines, while also promoting gender equality and empowering women. Connected Women, founded in 2017 by Gina Romero and Ruth Yu-Owen, is a social impact tech company with a community of 100,000 women. They have been making significant strides in empowering women in the Philippines through training in technology skills and upskilling for the global Artificial Intelligence industry. The organization offers training programs to expand the skills of marginalized and disadvantaged Filipino women, with the ultimate goal of creating potential income opportunities ADVERTISEMENT We are thrilled to partner with Aboitiz Land in our shared mission to promote gender equality, diversity, and sustainable economic growth in the Philippines. This collaboration is a testament to our organizations unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of marginalized and disadvantaged Filipino women, said Connected Women co-founder Ruth Yu-Owen. Aboitiz Lands dedication to sustainability, innovation, and gender equality is truly inspiring, and we are proud to stand with them in creating a more inclusive future. We firmly believe that this partnership will have a transformative effect on the lives of countless Filipino women. Aboitiz Land is committed to innovating toward sustainability, starting with property technology in developing products and services and now, community development. Through this initiative with Connected Women, Aboitiz Land supports marginalized and disadvantaged Filipino women in the communities they operate in, namely San Juan, Batangas, and Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Shifting to a low-carbon economy can unlock new jobs and opportunities but it must be done in a way that is as socially and economically fair as possible for everyone, according to on-the-ground case studies contained in a new report from UN Climate Change. To ensure no one is left behind, countries need just transition and economic diversification policies that are comprehensive, inclusive, and based on social dialogue and stakeholder engagement, said James Grabert, Director of Mitigation at UN Climate Change. These policies need to be integrated into national climate action plans, as well as in national adaptation plans, to avoid exacerbating inequality. The concept of a just transition recognizes that a shift to a more sustainable economy can have significant impacts on workers and communities that are currently dependent on fossil fuels. A just transition means transforming the economy and economic system in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind. Bangui Wind Farm is a wind farm in Bangui, Ilocos Norte The report, which was prepared by the Katowice Committee of Experts on the Impacts of the Implementation of Response, compiles some of the best practices from different countries that are already implementing just transition and economic diversification strategies. Examples range from social protection for factory workers in Bangladesh where fast fashion is shifting to more sustainable business models to just transition agreements in Spain where coal-fired power plants are being replaced by wind farms and photovoltaic plants. ADVERTISEMENT The report finds that including training and skill-development initiatives in national climate action plans and electricity roadmaps can create equitable and long-lasting energy policies. The report highlights the Marshall Islands Island Eco initiative, which provides technical training to women to assemble, install, operate, and maintain solar-powered equipment, helping the country achieve its goal of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050. The initiative is also contributing to the creation of decent work conditions in the country. In Denmark, a former shipyard has been transformed into an industrial park, housing 100 different companies in the renewable energy sector. More than 3,000 workers lost their jobs when the shipyard closed in 2012. In the immediate aftermath of the decision to close the shipyard in 2009, a public-private partnership, Lind Offshore Renewables Center, was established to transform the site into an industrial park for the wind and renewable energy industry. Today, more than 2,500 people are employed across the 100 companies operating on the Lind site, and an additional 3,000 people are employed in local industry and hospitality supporting the site. The report underscores that there is no one size fits all approach when it comes to just transition. Just transition strategies must be tailored to each individual country. In Nigeria, for example, just transition needs to be seen through the lens of adapting to the impacts of climate change. Roughly 70 per cent of Nigerians work in farming or fishing. But the country is facing steep declines in agricultural productivity due to extreme weather events and more frequent and severe drought. There is widespread recognition that new jobs and methods of production are needed. In 2018, the Nigeria Labor Congress launched a joint project with Friends of the Earth Nigeria on just transition in two sectorsagriculture and petroleum. The project has two goals: build a shared understanding and political agenda between Nigerian trade unions, civil society and communities regarding what a just transition would look like for these two sectors in Nigeria; and develop models and best practices for other unions. UN Climate Change News Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. China's Henan sees foreign trade increase 2.5 pct in Q1 Xinhua) 11:05, April 23, 2023 ZHENGZHOU, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Central China's Henan Province reported a total import and export value of 209.02 billion yuan (about 30.4 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 2.5 percent, according to the customs office in Zhengzhou, the province's capital city. Of the total, exports soared to 140.18 billion yuan, a 13.8 percent increase from the same period last year. Imports fell 14.7 percent year on year to 68.84 billion yuan, data from Zhengzhou Customs shows. The province's trade with its major trading partners the United States, ASEAN, the European Union and the Republic of Korea came in at 41.47 billion yuan, 26.5 billion yuan, 24.38 billion yuan and 20.52 billion yuan, respectively. Mobile phones and phone components are the province's main import and export commodities. The value of imports and exports of mobile phones, integrated circuits, audio and video parts, and flat-panel display modules totaled 107.92 billion yuan, accounting for 51.6 percent of Henan's foreign trade in the first quarter. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Addis Ababa Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has disclosed it will begin peace talks with Shene on upcoming Tuesday, in Tanzania. In his remark he made in connection with the recognition ceremony under the theme: "Enough with War, Let us Sustain Peace!," Abiy said the people of Ethiopia are eagerly waiting for this peace talks to nurture a complete peace in the country . On the other hand, Prime Minister Abiy stated that a delegation led by the Vice President of the Prosperity Party, Adam Farah will head to Mekele, Tigray regional capital next week, to foster the peace building efforts. Also, a delegation composed of all the chief administrators of all the regions of Ethiopia is expected to travel to Mekelle, it was indicated. Two people are dead after what police believe to be related shooting incidents Saturday night. According to Boston Police Department, at 9:37 p.m. Saturday police received a report of a person shot near 36 Dedham St. in Hyde Park. At the scene, officers found a man who had been shot inside a car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. While officers were at the scene of the shooting, they learned that a second gunshot victim had walked into Milton Hospital. The man later died. A preliminary investigation indicated that the second victim was likely related to the Hyde Park incident, police said. Both shootings are under investigation and the victims names have not been released. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police at 617-343-4470, or submit a tip anonymously by calling 1-800-494-TIPS or texting the word TIP to 27463. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, April 22, 2023 Elon Musk accused Microsoft of using data from Twitter without permission to train its chatbot. Then he threatened to sue the company. Microsoft retaliated by ending support for Twitter in its ad platform for search and social campaigns. "They trained illegally using Twitter data. Lawsuit time," Musk tweeted. Microsoft invested billions in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT technology, which Musk cofounded and according to a Semafor report, unsuccessfully tried to take control of the company. When that didnt happen, he walked away and started his own company. When someone criticized Musks decision to shift from open access to high API fees, he wrote: Im open to ideas, but ripping off the Twitter database, demonetizing it (removing ads) and then selling our data to others isnt a winning solution. advertisement advertisement Musk is working on his own AI company called X.AI based in Nevada. Microsoft also informed users that as of April 25, 2023, Smart Campaigns with Multi-platform will no longer support Twitter. As of April 25, 2023, marketers will not have access to their Twitter account through Microsofts social management tool. Nor will they have the ability to create and manage drafts or Tweets, view past Tweets and engagement, and schedule Tweets. Multi-platform is a Microsoft Advertising feature in Smart Campaigns. It allows advertisers to manage search advertising and social media campaigns across platforms from one place. Multi-platform is free to use when setting up Smart Campaign. It operates on a pay-per-click model. With Multi-platform, marketers can run search and social ads, interact with customers, analyze reports, create campaigns, automate ad content, optimize return on investments with artificial intelligence, leverage AI-powered campaign management, and connect ads with relevant searches. Microsoft generated only about 6% of the $198 billion in revenue last year from ads running through its platforms that create and manage ads, according to Insider Intelligence. Working to change that, this year Microsoft redesigned and integrated generative AI across its platforms, including its search engine Bing and browser Edge. Google, in comparison, accounted for nearly 30% of total digital ad spend in 2022, per Insider Intelligence. Addis Ababa Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on the Sudanese waring parties to come to the peace alternative by taking lessons from Ethiopia's peace agreement. PM Abiy disclosed this today in a message he delivered at an event organized to honor those who have contributed to the Pretoria Peace agreement under the theme: "Enough with War, Let us Sustain Peace!" The premier said that Ethiopia's peace agreement signed in South Africa, Pretoria is a lesson to the neighboring countries and all other African countries. Peace doesn't need excuses, Abiy said, stressing the need to give utmost priority to peace. He called on Sudanese rivals to resolve their current conflicts through dialogue, drawing lessons from Ethiopia's peace agreement. Ethiopia has been preparing to deliver humanitarian aid to Sudan to express its solidarity to the people of Sudan, Abiy disclosed. Accordingly, 50,000 quintals of wheat and medical supplies will be delivered to the people of Sudan. Recall Ethiopia's continued contribution to the peace in Africa by sending peacekeeping missions to several countries in the continent, Abiy said, adding we are ready to demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Sudan by sharing from what we have. In the context of the continuous monitoring of the situation in Sudan and coordination of actions for the evacuation of Greeks from this country, two meetings of the Crisis Management Unit were convened today, April 23, by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs senior leadership, the Greek Ambassador in Cairo and the Hellenic National Defence General Staff. The first took place this morning and the second has just concluded. Following the Minister of Foreign Affairs' constant contacts for the safe evacuation of the Greek citizens from Sudan, the first group of Greek citizens, including the two injured, has left Sudan, with the assistance of France and is on board a flight to Djibouti. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was briefed on this development. The Ambassador of Greece to Ethiopia and the Honorary Consul of our country in Djibouti are already there to receive the Greek citizens and provide any assistance. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has extended his thanks to his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, as well as to the French Minister of State for International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, for France's substantial assistance in the safe removal of the above-mentioned Greeks from Sudan. The process and coordination with EU partners and allies regarding the evacuation of the rest of the Greeks and their family members are ongoing. Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias will travel to Luxembourg tomorrow, Monday, April 24, 2023, to participate in the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) of the European Union (EU). The first topic of discussion will be the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There is expected to be a short intervention, via videoconference, by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Furthermore, EU Foreign Ministers will discuss the implementation of the EU Action Plan on the consequences of the war in Ukraine on third countries, which was also addressed at the FAC to be held in June 2022. Under "Current Affairs", there will be a discussion on the situation in Sudan, during which the Minister of Foreign Affairs will raise the evacuation of EU citizens from the country as an issue of absolute priority. Lastly, the Foreign Ministers will exchange views on Moldova, the situation in Tunisia, Iran, China, the Middle East Peace Process and developments in Lebanon. From the very first moment that hostilities started in Sudan, the Government set the safety and protection of Greek citizens currently in the country as its primary objective. On Saturday, April 15, when the armed clashes started, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an announcement advising Greeks to avoid traveling to Sudan. We also recommended Greek citizens currently in the country to be informed of developments, to avoid travel, and to observe the highest possible security measures. In a new announcement, on April 16, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the above instructions and informed about the actions it has taken to provide assistance to Greek citizens in Sudan. Our Embassy in Cairo maintains constant contact with the local Metropolitan Savvas of Nubia, the President of the Greek Community and the Honorary Consul of Greece, as well as with the Head of the EU Delegation in Sudan. At the same time, upon my instructions, the Crisis Management Unit (CMU) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been activated and is in constant contact with the other EU Member States through the Consular Cooperation System, and also convenes twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, with officials from the Ministry of National Defence in attendance. In general, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to coordinate with the other EU member states for a possible operation to evacuate European citizens. I will raise this issue tomorrow morning at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg as an absolute priority. I have also held a series of contacts with senior foreign officials to assist in the evacuation of Greek citizens. I refer to: - My contacts with Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, on April 18, and 22, - My three contacts with the EU High Representative, - with the French Minister of State for International Partnerships currently in Paris, Ms. Zacharopoulou, and - with the US Ambassador in Athens, Mr. Tsunis. A short while ago, it was decided by the Prime Minister to send Air Force aircraft, together with members of the Special Forces, to Egypt, in order to be ready to participate in an operation to evacuate Greek citizens. I reiterate, our main concern is the safety and evacuation of the Greek citizens currently in Sudan. To this end, the Government continues to work closely with its allies and partners. As a concluding remark, I would also like to state that the list of Greek citizens to be evacuated includes citizens of the Republic of Cyprus. The lone crash involving a Mazda bus marked BDG993YG occurred at about 10:45 a.m. on Sunday. Seven persons including two children were killed on Sunday after a bus crashed and went up in flames on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. 14 other passengers were injured in the accident which occurred in the OPIC area of the highway. The lone crash involving a Mazda bus marked BDG993YG occurred at about 10:45 a.m. on Sunday. A spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the area, Florence Okpe, confirmed the incident in a statement in Abeokuta. Ms Okpe said 22 persons - seven male adults, eight female adults, four male children and three female children - were in the crashed bus. She blamed the crash on "excessive speed and brake failure which led to the loss of control." The FRSC said some of the passengers were burnt to death, adding that the injured were taken to Lagos State Accident Emergency Centre, Ojota while the corpses were deposited at Olabisi Onabajo University Teaching Hospital morgue in Sagamu, Ogun State. According to the spokesperson, the FRSC Sector Commander, Ahmed Umar, commiserated with the family of the victims and advised motorists "to shun speeding and always conduct a routine vehicle check for good maintenance and replacement of any defect." Photo provided by Midland County Jail A 40-year-old father of seven pleaded no contest on Thursday to aggravated domestic violence in Midland County Circuit Court. Kurt Simons, of Midland, was arrested Feb. 7 and was originally charged with domestic violence and the attempted strangulation of a 38-year-old woman. Midland County Prosecutor J. Dee Brooks said the charges were amended, accounting for Simonss lack of a criminal record. Also, the victim wanted Simons's help in caring for the children. His bond also was amended to include peaceful contact between the parents rather than no or limited contact. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Ten years after gaining local control of its police for the first time since the Civil War, the city of St. Louis has more murders than ever before and Missouri's Republican lawmakers are again pressuring for a state takeover of the police force. The debate over policing power in St. Louis a racially diverse, heavily Democratic city long vexed by violent crime carries political and racial overtones like those that have roiled other cities and states this year. But data suggest neither state nor local control may make much difference when it comes to stemming homicides. Lots of things matter a whole lot more, like widespread social unrest, the economy crashing, that sort of thing, said Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who analyzed the city's crime statistics. With violent crime troubling many large cities, Republicans nationwide have pushed a tough-on-crime agenda that would make it harder for the accused to get out of jail on bail and lock up people longer when convicted of certain offenses. Now a proposed state takeover of the St. Louis police department is being touted as a way to fight crime. Missouri provides a unique case study in the effectiveness of state or local control of police departments. For much of its history, police in Missouri's two largest cities of St. Louis and Kansas City had been overseen by state boards appointed predominantly by the governor. That ended for St. Louis in 2013, after voters approved a statewide ballot measure to return police oversight to city officials. Around then, a mayor's task force in Kansas City narrowly recommended continuing state control over its police. Since 2014, both cities have seen homicide surges. Kansas City's homicide rate rose by an average yearly rate of 6.7%, topping 150 deaths each of the past four years, according to Rosenfeld's research. Homicide rates in St. Louis, long higher than in Kansas City, increased by an average annual rate of 8.2%, exceeding 190 deaths each of the past four years. Both cities also saw upticks in homicides in the early 1990s, when both had state control of their police. Despite the slightly larger increase in St. Louis, "there is no statistically significant difference between the change in homicide in St. Louis and the change in homicide in Kansas City since local control was restored in St. Louis, Rosenfeld said. Yet some state lawmakers contend it's time to declare local police control a failure in St. Louis. The Republican-led state House passed a bill last month to empower GOP Gov. Mike Parson to appoint four St. Louis police board commissioners. The mayor, Democrat Tishaura O. Jones, would serve as the fifth commissioner. The Republican-led Senate is expected to debate the plan before its session ends in mid-May. Jones said the takeover effort in her city isnt about public safety. This is about power and politics, she said. If you look at all of the cities where we are facing control or overarching authority over local law enforcement, whats the trend? Theyre all led by Black mayors. Lawmakers have exerted control over liberal, largely minority communities in Washington, D.C., and Jackson, Mississippi. President Joe Biden recently signed a Republican-sponsored resolution nullifying the District of Columbia's new crime laws, including measures eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for many crimes and reducing maximum penalties for burglary, carjacking and robbery. Tensions flared in Mississippi as the majority-white and Republican-controlled Legislature passed a bill to expand the territory of a state-run police department inside the majority Black capital city, which is governed by Democrats. GOP Gov. Tate Reeves signed the measure into law Friday. Beyond debating control of the St. Louis police, Missouri lawmakers also are weighing a bill allowing the state to take over prosecution of violent crimes in that city. Meanwhile, Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is seeking to oust the locally elected prosecutor, Democratic Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, alleging negligence. If a judge agrees and removes Gardner, Parson would appoint her replacement. Policing in St. Louis comes with a stigma of association to the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson in 2014. Officer Darren Wilson was not charged in the death of the Black 18-year-old, but months of protests followed, along with criticism of policing practices across the St. Louis area. Racial justice protests newly spread nationwide after George Floyds killing by a Minneapolis officer in 2020. Some law enforcement agencies have since struggled to recruit and retain officers; the St. Louis and Kansas City departments each have vacancy rates around 20%. Jones, a critic of what she calls the arrest and incarcerate" model of policing, has shifted millions of dollars toward addressing mental health issues and supporting civil rights enforcement since winning election as St. Louis mayor in 2021. If the state took control of St. Louis police, more money could be directed to increasing patrols and adding more officers on the streets, according to the bill's sponsor, Republican state Rep. Brad Christ of suburban St. Louis County. He said a state takeover could boost officer morale, noting it has the support of local police union leadership. Is this going to fix crime? Christ asked rhetorically. Is it going to go from 200 homicides to zero? No. But this is the start ... to build the police department back to where it actually needs to be to put a crime plan in place and actually address crime. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas disputes that. The Black Democrat notes his city set a record high for homicides in 2020 and had its second-highest total last year with state control of police. "It seems as if state control does nothing more than perhaps alienate the people of a community," he said. Theoretically, local control of police could strengthen trust between residents and officers, making witnesses and victims more willing to come forward, said Ken Novak, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. But "to simply switch the governing structure and expect suddenly homicides are going to go down, I think thats unrealistic, Novak said. Those types of changes, if any, would occur over the course of many years. ___ Salter reported from O'Fallon, Missouri. Dear Savvy Senior, My husband and I are interested in taking our two grandkids on a big trip this summer and are looking for some good ideas. Can you recommend some travel companies that offer special travel packages for grandparents and grandkids? Doting Grandmother Dear Doting, Grandparents traveling with just their grandchildren has become a growing segment of the multigenerational travel industry. Not only is this type of travel fun, its also a terrific way to strengthen generational bonds and create some lasting memories. To help you with your traveling aspirations, there are a number of travel companies today that offer specialized grandparent/grandchildren and multigenerational trip packages. This is a nice way to go because they plan everything for you with most activities together, but some just for adults so you can get an occasional breather. Available in various trip lengths and price ranges, these tours are designed for children, typically between the ages of six or seven up to 18, and are usually scheduled in the summer, or sometimes during winter breaks when the kids are out of school. Here are some top tour companies to check into that will take you and your grandkids on a fun, well-planned vacation. Road Scholar (RoadScholar.org): This well-established not-for-profit organization has offered educational travel to older adults since 1975. They currently offer 83 different programs geared to grandparent and grandchildren. About 75 percent of the grandparent trips are domestic; 25 percent are international. Some of the many popular trip destinations include the U.S. National Parks, Washington D.C., Canada, France, Italy, Iceland, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands. The average cost per person per night is around $265 for domestic trips, $365 for international. Intrepid (IntrepidTravel.com): An adventure travel tour operator that offers grandparent holiday tours that bring together the young and the young at heart. They offer 35 one and two-week tours in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as in Alaska and Wyoming. To find these trips, go to Intrepidtravel.com/us/theme/family/grandparents. Tauck (Tauck.com): This is a large tour operator that offers 19 foreign and domestic multigenerational trips called Tauck Bridges Family Tours. Some of their most popular trips are Costa Rica, the European riverboat cruises, and the Cowboy Country, which tours you through Wyoming and South Dakota. Smithsonian Journeys (SmithsonianJourneys.org): They offer 10 different family journey trips to Iceland, New Zealand, Italy, Greece, Japan, Ireland, Costa Rica, South Africa, Yellowstone and a Rhine River cruise. Journeys International (JourneysInternational.com): They offer customized multigenerational trips primarily to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific. Grandkids Travel Documents Depending on where you go and your mode of transportation, youll need to gather some documents for your grandchildren to make sure everything goes smoothly. In general, most travel experts recommend you bring a notarized travel consent form (letter of permission from the parents), and a medical consent form in case any emergencies or problems arise. Also bring copies of insurance cards. If youre traveling domestically, you should know that airlines and trains dont require any form of ID for children under 18. But if youre traveling to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, or other areas of the Caribbean by land or sea, grandchildren 15 and under will need certified copies of their birth certificates. And if your grandkids are 16 or older, or youre traveling to these locations via air, passports will be required. If youre traveling overseas, all children, even infants, must have a passport. Some countries also require a visa for entry, and vaccinations may be required in some cases. Before booking a trip, check the U.S. Department of States website at Travel.State.gov for country-specific information. It will be online until May 15. NFSAW receives 50 percent of each sale. Founded in 1977, NFSAW is a nonprofit organization that shelters and finds homes for abused, neglected, and abandoned cats and dogs. All flower purchases will go to the care of those animals. Flower orders are shipped directly to buyers homes. For information on how to purchase flowers, go to the NFSAW website at: www.nfsaw.org. Washington: Nominations Sought For Reich award Nominations for two awards honoring Major Stephen Reich are being sought from the community. The awards are presented annually to a citizen of Washington who demonstrates character, service, leadership and achievement. Major Reich was commanding a rescue operation in eastern Afghanistan when his Chinook helicopter was shot down June 28, 2005, killing all 16 aboard. Major Reich grew up in Washington, graduated from Shepaug Valley High School in 1989, and from the United States Military Academy in 1993. The Major Stephen Reich Award for Exceptional Citizenship: The purpose of this award is to recognize a Washington citizen who stands out among the many people who give so much, in so many ways, to our community. This award honors Stephens memory by honoring an individual that demonstrates the qualities of character, service, leadership, and achievement that exemplified Stephens life. This award is presented on Memorial Day during the ceremony in front of the Town Hall following the parade. As in the past, nominations are being sought from the community. Nominations need to be in writing and should chronicle the nominees contributions in as much detail as possible. All nominations will be considered by the criteria of character, service, leadership, and achievement. Nominations can be submitted in three ways: 1) visit our website at http://www.majorreichaward.com and click on Submit a Nomination, or 2) by email to majorreichaward@gmail.com, or 3) by mail to Sheila Anson, Town Clerk, Town of Washington, PO Box 383, Washington Depot, CT 06794. Nominations will be accepted through May 5. For more information about the awards, as well as bios of past winners and an online nomination form can be found at http://www.majorreichaward.com. New Milford High School Grad Party committee looking for vendors The vendors will be for the Spring Junk in the Trunk fundraising event on Sunday, May 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain date 5/21) at New Milford High School. Vendors can reserve a spot for only $30. Whether you are just cleaning out your house or are a crafter or home-based business owner, all are welcome. Admission to shop is free. The New Milford High School Grad Party is an all-night, substance-free party for the graduating class of New Milford High School. The primary source of funding for the Grad Party is through fundraising and runs solely on the support of volunteers. For more information on these events, please visit the NMHS Grad Party website www.nmhsgradparty.org or send an email to nmhsgradparty@gmail.com. The Greater Washington Coalition for Jewish Life hosts Robin Washington He is the editor-at-large of The Forward, in a Zoom program Sunday, May 7 at 10am, titled The Myth of Jewish Homogeneity. The Coalition invites anyone interested in attending to call 860-868-2434 or email jewishlifect@gmail.com for additional information and to obtain the Zoom link. Washington will explore the myth that most Jews share similar backgrounds such as white European and proceed to develop similar religious and political beliefs. In his talk, he will show that his work at The Forward revealed something very different, namely that an overwhelming number of Jews display an intersection of identities. Conservative Jews identify as Hebrew Israelites. Lubavitchers come from Hispanic backgrounds. And interfaith and interracial families including his own - abound in Judaism. Through The Artist's Eyes Brand New Members Show at Gallery 25 May 6-June 30. Opening Reception Saturday, May 6, 2-4 p.m. with light refreshments and wine. Everyone is welcome to attend. Gallery 25 offers "Through The Artists Eyes" artwork The exhibit features original artwork by its 21 member artists, including newest members Joan Ilvers and M.J Newman. This show presents the viewer with a feast for the eyes, with paintings of every genre,pastels, mixed media, graphite and collage, art photography, handmade one of a kind jewelry, ceramics, woodwork, felting, and fused glass. And for the soul, a book of poetry by the dot painter and Poet Laureate of Southbury. The Opening reception is May 6, 2-4. The show runs May 5-June 30. Also at the gallery: Lezlie Roy, New Milford sculptor, and painter, is the May featured artist at the gallery. Her show is much anticipated with her dual talents. Her unique painting style is right from the heart and reflects her innermost feelings. Lezlies sculptures utilize found objects and feature the natural beauty of driftwood. The gallery is at 11 Railroad St, New Milford. New Milford Public Library: Exhibit of paintings by New Milford artist Lorraine Ryan The exhibit is from May 1-May 31 Lorraine Ryan has been painting fine art for 40 years. Prior to that she was a designer of decorative home fashion products in New York City, partnered with her husband, Martin Ryan, at Ryan Associates. She has won numerous awards at various juried shows in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Her most recent award was Best in Show for a Body of Work at the Kent Art Association. . Lorraine grew up in the Bronx, New York, in Throggs Neck, and from the moment she could hold a crayon she was drawing, then painting. After high school at Evander Childs, she attended the Parsons School of Design and the Art Students League of New York. She met her husband, a G.I. Bill student, in art school in 1950, and four years later they married. They have two daughters. Ryan freelanced art until the girls were older, then joined Ryan Associates full time, where they designed fabrics, domestic products, floor coverings, wall coverings and dinnerware. Lorraine is 91 years old and still painting. She is a member of Gallery 25 in New Milford, located at the Railroad Station. The display may be viewed during regular library hours. For more information, contact the library at 860-355-1191 ext. 2. Washington Depot: Book signing with Peter Kupfer Author Peter Kupfer will be reading from and signing copies of his new memoir The Glassmakers Son: Looking for the World My Father Left Behind in Nazi Germany on Sunday May 7 at 2 p.m. This event will take place at The Hickory Stick Bookshop, 2 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot, CT 06794. Author photograph Salgu Wissmath This event is free and open to the public. If you are unable to attend this event, you may reserve a signed copy of The Glassmakers Son by calling The Hickory Stick Bookshop at 860-868-0525, or shop our website 24/7 at www.hickorystickbookshop.com. The New Milford Republican Town Committee will host a May the 4th be with you on the 2nd Star Wars themed fundraising event on May 2 It will be at Housatonic River Brewing, 30 Kent Road, New Milford. 5:30 to 8 p.m., Out-of-this world Buffet by Taste of Rio! $ 35 per person, Star Wars Trivia, Raffles, Best Costume Prizes, cash bar. RSVP by April 28 at nmrepublicans.org or call 203-947-2812. Mail payment to NMRTC, PO Box 81, New Milford. The New Milford Rotary Club will hold a Community Document Shredding Day on Saturday It will be May 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Pettibone Community Center, 2 Pickett District Road, New Milford. Drive-up at the Pettibone Building - No appointment is necessary and no limit on the number of boxes. Open to residents and businesses from any town. Shredding done, while you watch, by a mobile on-site document destruction process. What could take many hours to shred at home can be shredded on-site in minutes and all shredded material will be recycled. The cost is just $10 per standard copy paper-type box. All money collected will be donated by the New Milford Rotary Club within the community to various support community projects and high school scholarships.For more information, or if you have a large number of boxes call 860-866-7141, email shredfest@nmrotary.org or visit www.nmrotary.org. Kent: NCLC Brings Funding for Climate-Smart Agriculture to Northwest Connecticut Farms with Grant from CT Department of Agriculture On March 30, Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (NCLC) was awarded a $750,000 grant to support climate-smart agricultural practices on Northwest Connecticut farms. Only twelve organizations out of 78 applicants were awarded funding in the highly competitive CT Department of Agriculture grant program. A total of $7 million was awarded across the state. Through the grant, NCLC will provide technical support to Northwest Connecticut's agricultural community while also directly funding more than $500,000 in climate-smart agricultural assessments, practices, and land improvements. To learn how your farm can apply for funding, contact NCLC at info@ctland.org or (860) 927-1927. New Milford's "Walk in their shoes" Today is Eid-al-fitr, a feast marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Much like the Christian Lent, Ramadan is a period of fasting, prayer and, most importantly, doing good to help others. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, estimates there are 100 million displaced people in the world, of whom 32.5 million are refugees. Thirty-two million that is 10 times the population of Connecticut. On average, these refugees walk about 60 miles the distance from New Milford to Hartford carrying their lives in one suitcase or backpack. World Refugee Day is June 20. To mark that, New Milford Refugee Resettlement will conduct a Walk a Mile in Their Shoes event June 17 on the New Milford Green. The premise is for people to learn about refugees and walk around the Green (0.7 miles) symbolically carrying a suitcase or backpack. ROCKY HILL Six Connecticut women are facing larceny charges for allegedly stealing nearly $60,000 in food stamps and other benefits in separate schemes, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice. The women were recently arrested in connection with the unrelated offenses by inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Chief State's Attorney, officials announced in a news release. Each was charged with first-degree larceny for filing incorrect, incomplete or misleading documents with the Connecticut Department of Social Services in order to receive public assistance that they are not eligible to receive. Jennifer Foux, 46, of Dayville, is accused of receiving $19,030 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits she was not entitled to between October 2018 and November 2022. Ashley N. Jones, age 33, of Middletown, is accused of receiving $4,421 in SNAP benefits and $2,128 in Temporary Family Assistance she was not entitled to receive. Brittni-Nichole King, age 29, of Vernon, is accused of receiving $11,870 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to receive from August 2020 to November 2021. Michelle Plante, age 71, of Canterbury, is accused of receiving $8,226 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to receive from October 2019 to November 2022. Thayer L. Ebron, age 37, of Monroe, is accused of receiving $11,151 in benefits from SNAP she was not entitled to receive from January 2017 to October 2020. Angie M. Ludwig, age 32, of Hartford, is accused of receiving $3,132 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to receive from June 2021 to December 2021. Officials said Foux and Plante were also charged with one count of second-degree false statement and Jones was charged with two counts of second-degree false statement. Each has been released after promising to appear in court at a later date. Officials said the Office of Chief States Attorney has signed 46 arrest warrants for individuals who have allegedly scammed Connecticut public assistance programs since late 2022. The office is seeking to recover over almost $380,000 in restitution. The bureau is part of the recommendations by a committee set up to investigate the cause of Biafra agitation in the state. The Anambra State Government has approved the establishment of a bureau of missing persons. The Commissioner for Information in the state, Paul Nwosu, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, Vanguard newspaper reported. Mr Nwosu said the approval was made at the State Executive Council meeting and that the bureau would be domiciled in the State Ministry of Justice. He said the establishment of the bureau was part of the fulfilment of the recommendation by the Truth, Justice and Peace Committee. Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State had, in April 2022, set up the committee to help address rising cases of agitation, insecurity and other challenges in the state. The 15-member committee had renowned human rights activist, Chidi Odinkalu as its Chairperson, Bianca Ojukwu, the widow of the late Biafra leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu, as Secretary and Sylvia Ifemeje, the State Commissioner for Justice as a member. Other members of the committee include Joe Nwaorgu, Udenta Udenta, Uju Agomoh, Jerome Madueke, Okechukwu Obi-Okoye and Charles Oputa (Charly Boy). Others are John Otu, Ngozi Odumuko, Onyeka Onwenu, Joe Abah, Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, Sam Egwuatu and Joseph Ikechebelu. The committee was inaugurated by Mr Soludo on 23 June 2022 and was given six months to complete its assignment. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Legal Affairs Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The purpose of the committee was to seek a restorative justice approach for truth-telling or real facts and the healing of the victims of the violence. It was also to handle victims' restitution for certain losses and rehabilitation to allow restoration of peace and justice as well as the promotion of development in the state. The committee was to further identify the remote and immediate causes of the agitations, restiveness, violence, and armed struggle in the South-east since 1999. They are to document victims and circumstances of death, brutality, and incarceration. The commission submitted its report to Mr Soludo on 17 February. Another mandate of the bureau Mr Nwosu, the information commissioner, said part of the mandate of the newly established bureau was to trace cases of missing persons and come up with the needed database to support police investigations and eventual prosecution of suspects. The Pirates have landed their new first baseman, announcing agreement with the Rays on a deal that brings in Ji-Man Choi. Minor league pitcher Jack Hartman goes to Tampa Bay in a one-for-one swap. The move brings to an end Chois four-plus year tenure in Tampa Bay. The Rays first acquired the first baseman from the Brewers in June 2018, sending utilityman Brad Miller to Milwaukee in a swap of big leaguers. Choi hit the ground running, putting up a .269/.370/.506 line in 49 games down the stretch. He staked a claim to a regular job in the Rays first base/designated hitter rotation, one hes held the past few years. Choi has been an above-average overall hitter in each of the past three seasons. He strikes out a fair amount and has hit between .229 and .233 the whole time, but he compensates for the mediocre batting averages by drawing plenty of free passes. Choi has walked in around 14% of his plate appearances in each of the last three years, pushing his on-base percentage into the .330 to .350 range. He typically gets into the double-digits in home runs and approaches 20 doubles annually. Going back to the start of 2020, Choi owns a .231/.342/.399 line in 869 cumulative plate appearances. That offensive production checks in 14 points better than league average, by measure of wRC+. A left-handed hitter, Choi has only mustered a .203/.290/.301 line in his career against southpaws. Hes a .247/.355/.454 hitter against right-handed pitching, making him a solid platoon option for first base and designated hitter. Its not too dissimilar from the role Daniel Vogelbach played for the Bucs in 2022 before they dealt him to the Mets. Choi has between five and six years of MLB service, so hes going through the arbitration process for the final time. MLTBR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $4.5MM salary, a modest but not completely insignificant amount. He was part of a large arbitration class in Tampa Bay and looked like a possible non-tender candidate. Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweeted yesterday the Rays were marketing Choi at this weeks GM meetings. Morosi added pitchers Ryan Yarbrough, Yonny Chirinos and Shawn Armstrong as other players the Tampa Bay front office was discussing with other teams. The Pirates entered the offseason seeking first base help, and theyll take on Chois final season of club control to plug that gap. Factoring in his arbitration projection brings the Bucs 2023 payroll slate to an estimated $50MM, per Roster Resource. Pittsburgh opened this past season with a payroll in the $56MM range. The Pirates are sure to search for catching help and are likely to bolster their starting rotation within the next few months, even as they field offers on big leaguers like Kevin Newman as part of the ongoing rebuild. Choi himself could be a midseason trade candidate if hes hitting up to his usual standards and the Pirates fall back out of contention next summer. Hartman, meanwhile, was a fourth-round pick in 2020. Pittsburgh nabbed him out of Appalachian State University as a $60K senior signee. The 24-year-old righty spent this year in Low-A, working as a reliever. He put up a 6.27 ERA through 18 2/3 innings, striking out a below-average 20.4% of opponents against a massive 17.2% walk rate. The Rays will hope a change of scenery can push him up the minor league ladder; hed be eligible for the Rule 5 draft next offseason if not added to the 40-man roster. Naver Sports in Korea was first to report Choi had been traded to the Pirates. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported the Rays would receive a minor league player in return. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports. ANN ARBOR, MI - While crews are making progress on downtown Ann Arbor road construction projects, closures remain in place, and new restrictions are appearing in other parts of Washtenaw County. Heres a list of road work that could affect commute times and travel across the area for the week beginning Sunday, April 23. ANN ARBOR Broadway Street: The street on the north side is closed through Monday, Aug. 21 between the Traver Creek pedestrian crossing island, just south of Jones Drive, and Plymouth Road for a project bringing water main upgrades, sidewalk improvements and pavement resurfacing. Read more: Ann Arbor street closing for much of summer for utility, resurfacing project South Main Street: The street is closed between William and Liberty streets until Friday, May 5, for the first phase of a major resurfacing project. The Liberty and Main street intersection also is closed. Local businesses will remain open, and pedestrians can still access the businesses in the Main Street commercial district. Crews will replace a water main, make crosswalk improvements and put new pavement on the crumbling downtown street. The project will progress between Liberty and Huron streets between May and July, with additional sewer work at the Main and Huron intersection in July and August. Read more: Expect closures for $8M project to fix Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor Whats that under Ann Arbors Main Street? Mysterious bricks spark theories William Street: The westbound street is closed at South Main Street as part of the resurfacing project, with the protected bike lanes at the intersection closed in both directions. As of Thursday, April 20, the eastbound lane of William is also closed at Main Street. The closures are expected to last until May 5. Read more: Drivers and cyclists will be affected by new closures for Ann Arbor Main Street project New closure in place for downtown Ann Arbor Main Street construction project South State Street: The downtown street is closed to vehicle traffic between North University Avenue and Huron Street until Friday, Sept. 1, for the second phase of a major overhaul extending curb-less design in the area near the University of Michigan Diag and bringing water and sewer upgrades. The intersections on either side of the work zone will remain open. Regular updates can be found online from the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. Read more: 6-month closure coming as State Street overhaul resumes in downtown Ann Arbor East Hoover Avenue: The street is closed until Monday, May 8, in the westbound direction between State and South Division streets for a city sewer-lining project. Platt Road: The road on the citys east side is reduced from four lanes to two between Packard Road and Huron Parkway until Friday, Aug. 1. The restrictions will allow for crews to replace an existing water main, as well as replace curb, sidewalk and ramps while resurfacing Platt Road. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Read more: Traffic restrictions coming for 2 Ann Arbor water and sewer projects Scio Church Road: A section of the road between South Seventh Street and South Maple Road is closed until May for a resurfacing project, bringing improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. Construction on the first phase of the project is set to run through Friday, May 26, when Scio Church Road will reopen in the eastbound direction, and officials will notify residents of a new traffic pattern. During the project, the Maple Road intersection will remain open to traffic turning left onto Maple or right onto Scio Church to ease congestion because of the damage to the Liberty Road I-94 overpass. Read more: $3.58M resurfacing project set to begin, bringing closures to southwest Ann Arbor road M-14: Both directions of M-14 between Newport Road and Huron View Boulevard will see for permit work overnight between midnight and 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday nights until Sunday, April 23. Crews will implement intermittent 15-minute closures. Research Park Drive: The west side of the road will close between Tuesday, April 25 and May 26 for the installation of a new water main. Long-term projects: North Fifth Avenue from Detroit to Catherine streets will have a lane shift through June 2024 for a new development. Eastbound South University Avenue traffic between East University Avenue and Church Street is closed long-term for high-rise construction. The Liberty Road bridge over I-94 is reduced to single-lane traffic, with temporary traffic signals, until further notice after being damaged by a truck on March 13. The Michigan Department of Transportation plans to design and contract for a bridge replacement, officials say, though no timeline has been released for the project. OTHER WASHTENAW COUNTY PROJECTS: Pittsfield Township - U.S. 23/Michigan Avenue: A major project widening Michigan Avenue in Pittsfield Township and upgrading the U.S. 23 interchange will cause shoulder closures and lane closures on a stretch of U.S. 23 south of Ann Arbor. On westbound Michigan Avenue from Carpenter Road to U.S. 23, a single-lane closure with a lane shift is also in place. The construction is scheduled to run through November. Pittsfield Township is posting regular updates. Read more: Closures coming to U.S. 23 near Ann Arbor for $69M construction project Superior Township - M-14: An intermittent single lane closure will be in place on the highway in the westbound direction at Vorhies Road to allow for maintenance between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on April 25. Pittsfield/Ypsilanti townships - I-94: The interstate will see intermittent single-lane closures between U.S. 23 and Rawsonville Road for permit work until Friday, April 28. York Township - U.S. 23/Willis Road interchange: Willis Road at U.S. 23 is closed in both directions through late June as bridge construction takes place. The eastbound Willis Road ramp to northbound U.S. 23 also is closed during the project. Read more: U.S. 23 closing for bridge demolition, ramp construction in Washtenaw County Sylvan/Lima townships - I-94: The interstate will see a single-lane closure in the westbound direction between Freer Road and the Washtenaw/Jackson county line for construction Monday until Thursday, April 27. A single-lane closure in the eastbound direction on the same stretch will begin April 27 and last until Sunday, May 7. Lyndon/Sylvan townships - Various roads: Several roads in the townships will see intermittent lane restrictions through July for a Consumers Energy natural gas pipeline replacement project. A project map is available online. Sylvan Township - Sibley Road: The road will be closed between Conway and Bush roads from April 17 to Saturday, July 1 for the Consumers pipeline project. Read more: 55-mile natural gas pipeline will pass through nature areas in Washtenaw County Pittsfield Township - Morgan Road: The road between Carpenter Road and Michigan Avenue is closed for sanitary sewer installation until June 30. A detour map is available online. Morgan Road east of Platt road will also see intermittent lane closures through Saturday, April 29 for a private road installation. Pittsfield Township - Platt Road: The road will see intermittent lane closures between Bemis Road and Michigan Avenue through September for construction of a non-motorized pathway. Pittsfield Township - Crane Road: The road between Textile Road and Michigan Avenue will be closed through Wednesday, May 26 for sanitary sewer installation. A detour map is available online. Pittsfield Township - Textile Road: The road will close between Carpenter and Crane roads beginning Monday, April 24 for sanitary sewer installation. The project runs through September. Pittsfield/Ypsilanti townships - Textile Road: The road will see intermittent lane closures running through May 4 between Crane Road and Rawsonville Road for forestry and drainage improvements. This project has been extended. Pittsfield Township - Lohr Road: The road will see lane restrictions between Weatherstone Drive and Lohr Circle until May 5 for the installation of a pedestrian crosswalk. This project has been extended. The road will close between Textile Road and Regents Park Court for a resurfacing project scheduled between April 25 and May 5. Read more: $390K resurfacing project will bring closures to road south of Ann Arbor Pittsfield Township - Bemis Road: The road will see intermittent lane closures between Moon and Warner roads between April 27 and May 4 for road resurfacing. Saline Township - Braun Road: The road between Michigan Avenue and Macon Road will see intermittent lane restrictions until April 28 for limestone resurfacing. This project has been extended. Saline Township - Macon Road: The road between Hack and Arkona roads will see intermittent lane restrictions until April 28 for limestone resurfacing. This project has been extended. Scio Township - Zeeb Road: The road will be closed between Huron River Drive and Scio/Peters roads for construction of a new segment of the Washtenaw County Border-to-Border Trail, with work scheduled between April 24 and April 29. Scio Township - Huron River Drive: The road will see intermittent lane closures between Zeeb and Delhi roads for B2B Trail construction through Nov. 15. Superior Township - Intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Harris Road: The intersection will see intermittent lane restrictions for pedestrian improvements through April 28. This project has been extended. York Township - Hack Road: The road between Maple and Ridge roads will see intermittent lane restrictions through April 28 for forestry, drainage work and limestone resurfacing. This project has been extended. York Township - Judd Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions through April 30 for drainage work and limestone resurfacing between Platt Road and U.S. 23 and through April 28 between US. 23 and Carpenter Road. York Township - Moon Road: The road between Stony Creek Road and Saline-Milan Road will see intermittent lane closures through April 28 for forestry, drainage work and limestone resurfacing. York Township - Bishop Road: The road between Willis and Moon roads will see intermittent lane closures through April 28 for limestone resurfacing. York Township - Willow Road: The road will see intermittent lane restrictions west of Moon Road for drainage work and limestone resurfacing through April 28. Ypsilanti Township - Ruth Avenue: The avenue will see daytime lane closures between Georgina Street and Hull Avenue for DTE Energy gas line replacement running through November. Ypsilanti Township - Grand Boulevard: Speed hump replacement will result in daytime lane closures until May 5 between Michigan Avenue and Forest Avenue. Ypsilanti Township - Rue Deauville Boulevard: Speed hump replacement will result in daytime lane closures until May 5 between between Holmes and Clark roads. Ypsilanti Township - Rue Willette Boulevard: Speed hump replacement will result in daytime lane closures until May 5 between Rue Deauville Boulevard and Clark Road. Ypsilanti Township - Sweet Road: Speed hump replacement will result in daytime lane closures until May 5 between Holmes and Clark roads. An updated list of Ann Arbor city street closures is available online here. The weekly Washtenaw County Road Commission schedule is here and the MDOT road closure map is here. More from The Ann Arbor News: State and polluter may get their way in Ann Arbor dioxane plume case Ann Arbor fire department considers adding electric engine to fleet Bernie Sanders offers his support to striking University of Michigan graduate instructors Slap in the face: Independent coffee shop objects to Starbucks possibly opening nearby FLINT, MI -- Three of Flints newest small business owners are just 18 and 19 years old. Antonio Sweeney, Kameron Motley and Chris Brown-Pinson recently became the new owners of Amazing Tents and Chairs, a party tent rental company that has served the community for more than a decade. The three teenagers used to work together at the company setting up chairs and tables for various events over the summer. As they dive into entrepreneurship, the three teens have big ideas for the rental company in the coming months and years. Sweeney, 18, just finished his first year at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Kameron Motley is headed to Morehouse next year. Brown-Pinson is taking a gap year with plans to study music. The three childhood friends have known each other going back to elementary school. Being young themselves, the new owners want to use their business to help lift fellow Flint youths by giving them an opportunity to work. Thats why they named their company NextGen Management LLC. Motley, 19, remembered being 15 years old shortly after he got his first car. He was at an open house for his stepbrother where Amazing Tents and Chairs was setting up. In the next week, I was rolling with them, Motley said. Its crazy because I remember my first day, he handed me a table. He was like, Get this, and I was like Im on? People tell me I do a lot of things in the community, but like, Ive never had this sensation of fulfillment. Im proud of me. Sweeney, Motley and Brown-Pinson, all co-owners, purchased the company from local businessmen Wilson Rogers III, DaVante Powell and Derrin Rawls. One might recognize Rogers and Powell as the owners of Crazy Legs, the chicken wing restaurant at 4526 Beecher Road in Flint Township. In passing on the business to the three teenagers, Rogers said he hopes to help them out in a mentor role for their first season this summer. We just didnt want to sell this to anybody, Rogers said. We saw their work ethic. This was a perfect fit. Sweeney wants the trios story to inspire other young people in Flint by showing them that it is never too early to start your own business. This is our way to kind of, like, give back to the city, Sweeney said. ... One of my biggest philosophies on life is you dont have to wait until you grow up to do something. What does that actually mean? A lot of times young people get into the mindset of waiting until they grow up to do something. Well, the biggest opportunity that you have is time. Brown-Pinson, 18, was excited to get started with the company, signaling to reporters that this was the first step in his journey to financial freedom. Were definitely going to stay in Flint and were going to expand to other places, Brown-Pinson said. But Flint is always going to be our home. Amazing Tents and Chairs offers several party packages for events up to 150 or more people, Sweeney said. The company can be contacted via its website, amazingtentsandchairs.com, or by calling 810-893-4893. Read more at The Flint Journal: Mott Community College launches free summer program to help prep incoming students Flint-based robotics misfits team set to compete in world championship Flint schools, Michigan Department of Education reach agreement to improve academic achievement Flint, Ajax, community groups explain appeals for controversial asphalt plant permit SOUTH HAVEN, MI A 33-year-old South Haven woman was arrested in connection to a shooting early Sunday, April 23, South Haven police reported. The suspect was taken into custody around 6:36 a.m. stemming from an altercation hours earlier. Police released few details about the actual shooting but said a 60-year-old South Haven man was transferred, via a personal car, to an area hospital around 1:30 a.m. after he was shot in the head. Police said the shooting occurred inside a residence in the 72000 block of M-43. The victim and shooter are involved in a domestic relationship, police confirmed. The incident is still under investigation to determine the appropriate charges. Read more on MLive: Jessica Heeringas disappearance a tragic mystery 10 years later Police chase ends after teen driver crashes into fence 5 things to know about Michigans pending red flag laws MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI Muskegon 911: What is your emergency? I dont know if its an emergency. I just got out of work. Im at the Exxon gas station on Sternberg Road, Sternberg and Old Grand Haven, and theres nobody here. And so began the frantic search for Jessica Heeringa, a 25-year-old gas station attendant who disappeared from her job in the city of Norton Shores on April 26, 2013. Ten years later, the case haunts the investigators who worked on it. And even though Jeffrey Willis is serving a life term for her murder, some members of Heeringas family all these years later dont believe hes guilty and that Heeringa may still be alive. Because 10 years after a bewildered customer called 911, Heeringa is still missing. For three years, investigators fielded thousands of tips, interviewed hundreds of people and developed some very solid suspects. Heeringas life was complicated, and there were those who might have had motive to take her. But it wasnt until a 16-year-old girl was the victim of an attempted abduction and was able to escape that the case against Willis began to form. A predator who hunted for victims, including Rebekah Bletsch who was shot to death as she jogged along an isolated road, Willis finally was brought to justice in 2018. The 352-page police report of the Heeringa investigation, obtained by MLive/Muskegon Chronicle through the Freedom of Information Act, shows the lengths investigators went through to solve the disappearance of the friendly, popular young mom from suburban Muskegon. The night she disappeared Police know that the last transaction Jessica Heeringa rang up on the night of April 26, 2013, was at 10:52 p.m. It was for a lighter, purchased by a female customer who was a regular. Four minutes later, at 10:56 p.m. another Exxon employee was riding her motorcycle past the station when she saw a van drive behind the station and turn off its lights. She and her husband turned their motorcycles around at 10:58 p.m. and parked where they could watch. Others would tell police the woman didnt like Heeringa, thought she was stealing from the station and might catch her in the act. The couple watched a white man at the back of the van and saw the interior lights briefly flicker as he opened the rear hatch, re-arrange something and close it. At 11:04 p.m. they watched as the van drove past them. The woman recognized it to be a silver Town and Country van just like the one her mother owned. The driver had wavy hair and a red or orange shirt and turned north on Grand Haven Road. The couple turned south and went home. Three minutes later, a regular customer arrived to gas up his truck for the weekend. Every Friday hed get out of his second shift job at a nearby factory and head to the Exxon near U.S. 31. It was so routine he was certain of his time of arrival: 11:07 p.m. Except on this night, the gas pump wouldnt engage. It was cold out as he fiddled around with the pump for a bit before going inside to get the attendant to turn on the pump. He was used to a small, blonde woman working there and he called out but there was no answer. He searched around, entering the walk-in cooler and sticking his head in a back room where he saw a coat and purse. He went outside, walked around the building and then decided to call 911. It was 11:14 p.m. It is very suspicious why there is nobody here, he told the dispatcher. Norton Shores Police Officer Jonathan Ginka was the first to arrive. Ginka, who years later would die in a tragic cruiser crash, searched the station. He saw evidence that someone was cleaning up debris had been swept into little piles awaiting the dustpan and a waste basket was propping open a bathroom door. The cash drawer from a register that was full of money was on top of a safe in the back room. Ginka checked the purse and found $420 in cash inside. There were cigarettes and a lighter and a black leather jacket hanging over the purse. A maroon vehicle parked out front was registered to Jessica Heeringa. Related: Jessica Heeringa detective still lives with the void and criticism 10 years later Soon other officers arrived. During a search behind the station, just outside a door that opens only from the inside, they found two small batteries, a battery cover off a laser sight for a Walther P22 handgun and a half dollar-size smudge of what appeared to be dried blood. A K-9 was brought to search the area, but the scent it tracked stopped outside the back door. Mike Kasher, then a sergeant at the Norton Shores Police Department, arrived and was shocked the station didnt have surveillance cameras. By then, the motorcycle-riding employee had talked to police about what she had seen. Everythings adding up really quick, Kasher, now retired from the department, told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. I would say by 1 oclock, 1:15, I felt we had a problem. The next day, the Michigan State Police helped set up a Rapid Start system to divvy up tips that were starting to pour in. A task force to search for the missing woman was established and included numerous police agencies, including local police departments, Muskegon and Ottawa county sheriff departments, the prosecutors office, Michigan State Police, the FBI and the Secret Service. Hopes of an early arrest dashed The case moved quickly at first. Within hours of Heeringas disappearance, police interviewed a married man with whom Heeringa was having an intimate relationship. He typically visited the station at 11:30 when Heeringa was getting off work for the night so they could hang out. But that night, she had told him to stay away, telling him her fiance might be there. She and the married man had had an emotional conversation that night and he thought maybe Heeringa was breaking up with him. He drove by the station in his work van a few times, saw the police converge there and thought there had been a robbery. The station employee and others pointed police to his distinctive work van parked nearby and suggested police interview him. They did and he agreed to let them search his work van as well as a silver van he owned. Several months later, he failed a polygraph exam and stopped talking to investigators. He remained a suspect. Related: Jeffrey Willis trial: Night Heeringa disappeared clearly a bad situation There also was Heeringas fiance, who had called the station looking for Heeringa only to have police answer the phone. After arriving at the station, he told police about the married man and another man he thought Heeringa was seeing. That other man was the brother of the motorcycle-riding employee. Police quickly realized he would have access to a silver van the one their mother owned. Police also learned that Heeringa had broken the relationship off with him, and investigators found some angry text messages on his phone, including one that said, she will get hers very soon. Kasher said at first, he thought one of those three men the work van man, the employees jilted brother, or Heeringas fiance would be in jail within a few hours. I thought by the end of that night, by Saturday night, Sunday, one of thems going to be in jail. Thats how confident I was, Kasher said. It started looking good all of them looked really good. And then youre investigating it and just like a snowball in the hot sun, it melted away. It turned out the van belonging to the jilted brothers mom was at a casino up north and he later passed a polygraph exam. The work van man remained a suspect, but police didnt have enough to pin Heeringas disappearance on him. (He) was in the eye of the storm, Kasher said. And he ended up being just as innocent as anybody. A man named Jeffrey Willis Based on the employees description of what she saw behind the station, police quickly released a sketch of the suspect. Flyers with images of Heeringa, the silver van and a drawing of the suspect driver were circulated throughout the community. Tips streamed in about vans and evidence from the gas station was processed. On May 8, forensics confirmed that it was Heeringas blood in the stain found outside the station. That same day, police interviewed a man who had frequented the Exxon, knew Heeringa and had been there between 10:40 and 10:50 that night. He said he saw a man pull in driving a silver Dodge Caravan, enter the store and talk to Heeringa, who seemed to know him. The police determined he didnt match the description of their suspects. Related: Norton Shores missing persons mom: Jessica Heeringa is loved by everyone Tip No. 257 had been submitted five days earlier by an employee of a Starbucks located near the Exxon. They reported a man who was kind of creepy named Jeffrey Willis who drove a silver van, wore an orange shirt and frequented the Starbucks. Now, creepy and a silver van if I had a dime every time I heard that I would have been, you know, retired before that because I would have had millions a millionaire easily, Kasher said. Two officers followed up on the tip, visiting Willis at his home on May 9. He consented to a search of his 2006 silver Dodge Caravan, which obviously had been recently cleaned. Willis told police he was familiar with Heeringa, had seen her at the station about 5 p.m. the night she disappeared. But he said he had been home when she went missing and gave an odd story about getting up at 12:30 in the morning to retrieve wood from his grandfathers house for a dog kennel he was building. He said he didnt have his phone that his wife had it and hed bring it to them the following day. Unbeknownst to the officers, Willis wife was at home listening to their conversation. When Willis brought in the Motorola Trac phone the following day, it was broken, and the contents couldnt be downloaded. Meanwhile, police had checked the home of the grandfather, who was deceased, and found it to be vacant and nothing there disturbed. They also determined that Willis didnt have a registered firearm. And so, they moved on. Weeks turn into months Police remained busy chasing down tips. Tips would come in every day, Kasher said. Some of them were like, I saw a white van in Chicago, could that have been it? No plate, no way to follow up. Psychics would call in saying they knew where Heeringa was. Several locations were searched, including P.J. Hoffmaster State Park where a visitor reported hearing several gunshots and seeing a silver Town and Country van. Related: Jessica Heeringas alleged abduction results in Muskegon Countys largest missing person search They tracked down people who owned both a Town and Country van and a Walther P22 handgun and interviewed eight of them. People would call to say they suspected a son, a friend or a coworker. Contents from cell phones of numerous possible suspects were downloaded, and countless hours of surveillance videos from various locations were viewed. Police learned that Heeringa was a drug user and thought a dealer may have taken her. That theory also fizzled. Weeks turned to months with still no word from Heeringa. Police thought they had a break early in 2014 when officers in Kalamazoo arrested a man they believed to be a serial rapist and who allegedly had abducted a woman who escaped him. The man, Brad Mason, had ties to Muskegon and had even visited the Exxon station, Kasher said. He died when he brandished a gun at police, and they shot him. But further investigation determined Mason wasnt their guy. In November 2015, Heeringas mother contacted police, saying she was communicating with a man who said Heeringa had been abducted and forced into prostitution. He offered to turn Heeringa over for $40,000. When police investigated, they determined the man was in Russia and had tried the same scam with other families of missing people. Shocking discoveries In May 2016, Jeffrey Willis name and van resurfaced in the Heeringa investigation. A teenager had reported being abducted while she was lost and trying to find her way home on a desolate northern Muskegon County road. A man driving a silver van had stopped, offered to let her use his phone and then pulled a gun on her. Related: Teen in Jeffrey Willis kidnapping case, her rescuer and a morning of terror The girl jumped from the van and ran to a nearby home. Word was spread to the public to look for a silver van, but at that time neither Kasher nor Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson thought it was related to the the Heeringa case. You know, the attention of the silver van from (20)13 had faded away, Hilson told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. And nobody was making the connection There was no real thought about that. Police believed they found the van on nearby surveillance video, and experts helped narrow down the make, model and year. That led police to Willis, who the girl identified as the man who abducted her. A month after the abduction, Willis was arrested, and his van was searched and police found a toolbox they described as a rape kit inside. They also found a Walther P22 handgun missing its laser sight. Investigators also searched Willis home where they found a computer with a folder labeled VICS, or victims, with subfolders containing information related to Heeringa and Bletsch. Related: Jeffrey Willis guilty verdict bittersweet for Becky Bletschs family Also on his computer, police found tens of thousands of gruesome videos depicting abductions, torture and rape of women, some of whom were then killed. They also found 15,000 videos Willis apparently shot at high school swim meets showing girls private areas, The search turned up a list of serial killers and stolen panties belonging to a co-worker from whom police later determined Willis had stolen the gun. Hidden in his shed, detectives found an answering machine microcassette with voice messages from officers looking to speak with Willis wife following their interview with him three years earlier. It was like, Holy cat, what did we stumble upon? Hilson said, Jessica, the gas station girl At 3 in the morning on June 17, 2016, Kasher received a phone call from two detectives who were in Kentwood interviewing Jeffrey Willis friend and cousin, Kevin Bluhm. They were interviewing him in connection to the teens abduction and the murder of jogger Rebekah Bletsch. And then he started talking about the Heeringa case. Kasher wrote in his report of the incident that as soon as he sat down, Bluhm told him I know where Jessica is at. I can take you to her. Lets go. Bluhm then proceeded to talk, in detail, about seeing Willis with Heeringas body in the basement of their grandfathers home on April 27, 2013, the day after she had disappeared. The body was naked, had evidence of a head injury and tied up. A video camera was on a table nearby and Willis made statements about a sexual assault. Bluhm said Willis told him about stalking Jessica, the gas station girl, that he knew her schedule, when she took breaks and that he had lured her to the back of the station and struck her. He had way too much detail for someone to have made that up, or not been present, Hilson said. Related: Kevin Bluhm enters plea in Jessica Heeringa murder case Bluhm said the body had been buried in a shallow grave and he agreed to take law enforcement officers there. He directed them to a location near Willis home and then indicated he wasnt positive of the actual location of the grave site. A cadaver dog was brought in and several hours were spent searching. The dogs handler said they believed a body had never been there. In a second interview, Bluhm admitted he had helped Willis remove Heeringas body from the basement and bury it. Hilson believes that Bluhm had realized there could be evidence on Heeringas body that would implicate him in her death, and so he suddenly stopped cooperating. Both Hilson and Kasher are convinced Bluhm was present when Heeringa died. They also believe there was video taken of Heeringa and that it could be on the dark web, where Kasher believes Willis obtained many of his gruesome videos. Hilson said attempts were made to track down video of Heeringa, and a search warrant for an address in Canada was pursued. But their efforts came up empty. Justice finally served Bluhm ended up pleading no contest to being an accessory after the fact in Heeringas murder, and for lying to investigators. He was sentenced in January 2018 to the 15 months in jail he had already served and five years of probation that ended earlier this year. He didnt testify at Willis trial for Heeringas death, citing his right to avoid self-incrimination. Willis had already been convicted in the murder of Bletsch, which crime investigators believe occurred in an attempt to abduct, sexually assault and kill her. Willis trial for the abduction and murder of Heeringa began on May 8, 2018. Related: All remaining cases against murderer Jeffrey Willis dismissed The witnesses, all called by Hilson, included multiple police officers; experts in DNA, ballistics, vehicle design and cell phone and computer technology; customers who were at the gas station the night Heeringa disappeared; Heeringas boyfriend; Willis ex-wife; and the teen whose abduction escape led investigators to Willis. There was no direct DNA or other forensic evidence connecting Willis to Heeringas murder, which was especially challenging to prove without her body. But there was a mountain of circumstantial evidence. After six days of testimony and 1 1/2 hours of deliberation, the jury announced its guilty verdict. At his sentencing two months later, Willis declared his innocence in a tearful, rambling statement. He also took shots at numerous individuals, including his attorney, police investigators, jurors, the media and the prosecutor. Hilson turned his back while Willis spoke. He didnt deserve the respect of that, Hilson said, later adding, Theres just something deep and dark about him. Im thankful that we were able to catch him when we did because he would have continued to hunt and kill until he was caught. Read more about the Jessica Heeringa case. More from MLive: Tire, electronics, hazardous waste will be accepted at event in Muskegon County Star of HBO series partners with Muskegon organizations to highlight diversity in film FlixBus expands service in West Michigan BAY CITY, MI - A popular boat launch will be closed next month, meaning that spring anglers will have to look elsewhere to access the Saginaw River for a bit. The Michigan Department of Natural Resourcess Saginaw River Mouth Boating Access Site will be closed starting on May 1 for some finishing touches on an expansive set of upgrades. The closure is expected to last for two weeks. In August, the launch was closed for two months as crews began an extensive overhaul project on the site. The project plans included the addition of vehicle and trailer parking, vehicle-only parking and a new skid pier with a lane on each side, as well as the repaving of the parking lot. During the closure, the DNR is encouraging fishermen and boaters to use other launch sites such as: Golson Boat Launch, 1598 N Johnson Street in Bay City. Smith Park, 1005 Burns Street in Essexville. Linwood Bay Marina, located at 135 S. Linwood Beach Road in Linwood. Independence Launch, located off Harry S. Truman Parkway in Bangor Township. Edward M. Golson Boat Launch, located at 1598 N. Johnson St. in Bay City. Quanicassee River Boating Access Site, located on Barney Drive off M-25 in Fairgrove. There may be some other hurdles to deal with both before and after the two-week closure. Starting on April 24, a section of Patterson Road will be closed from Wheeler Road north to the Dow deer viewing area for about a month. To access the Saginaw River Mouth site, visitors will need to take Bangor Road north from Wheeler about 1 mile to Zimmer Road, turning right. This route takes drivers to the intersection near the Party Dock on Shady Shore, which then leads to the launch site. Its recommended that anyone planning to visit the Saginaw River Mouth Boating Access Site first visit Michigan.gov/DNRClosures to view any changes to the anticipated reopening date. The improvements to the launch arent the only upgrades being done to recreation spots along the Saginaw Bay. Bay City State Park is seeing a boatload of improvements as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. Both the parks campground and the eastern half of the day-use parking lot will close starting on Sept. 25 so crews can work on the much-needed upgrades. The eastern day-use parking lot will have the old pavement removed and repaved. Currently, the pavement has significant potholes and cracks. The parking lot will also get some other upgrades including additional parking spaces, a bus drop-off and turn-around at the playground/spray park area, a dual electric car charging station and sidewalks. Work is being done on the playground in this part of the park. The old wooden play structures was removed last year and a new playground called Play by The Bay is currently being finished. New individual electrical pedestals will be installed on every campsite with more than 50 amp sites. Full water and sewer hookups will be added to several sites and repairs will be made to the parks sewer system. The park is also planning to add more ADA-accessible campsites, a third lane for the sanitation station, and a drainage system to tackle ongoing flooding issues at the park. Bay City State Park is also renovating its visitor center. The park received $1.5 million from Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Building Michigan Together Plan to renovate the interior and exterior of the Saginaw Bay Visitor Center. Read more from MLive Bay City State Park renovating campground, playground and more Bay City State Park celebrating 100 years by the Saginaw Bay Major improvements coming to Bay City State Parks visitor center Run the Happy Little Trees 5K at Bay City State Park for the parks 100th anniversary Hello folks, and a belated eid mubarak (blessed feast) for the Michiganders who concluded the month of Ramadan this past Friday evening. This is your guide to Michigan politics. This week felt like another increment in a couple of ongoing Michigan political sagas. If youre a weekly reader of this newsletter, youll going to notice some similarities from last weeks edition: Economic incentives were approved for an electric vehicle factory. Measures aimed at addressing gun violence moved closer to becoming law. These, however, were the tougher parts the legislatures Democratic majorities had saved for later. On April 12 the Senate Appropriations Committee gave the green light to $410 million in economic incentives for two EV factories in Marshall and Van Buren Township. But Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, the bodys chair, waited to hold a vote on the most controversial funding until this past Thursday. In a 10-9 vote, funding for Gotions electric vehicle battery component production facility passed narrowly, with three Democrats joining all the panels Republicans in opposition. Furor over the companys Chinese ownership has dominated debate about the factory as some opponents have insisted its merely a Trojan horse for the Chinese Communist Party in Michigan. Hundreds gathered Saturday to rally against the plant in Mecosta County, even as local leaders and residents have supported the development in one of the states poorest counties. A rendering of the proposed $2.4 billion Gotion plant in Big Rapids. The Chinese electric vehicle battery manufacturer plans to build two 550,000-square-foot plants near U.S. 131 and the Big Rapids airport. (Photo provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has already signed safe storage requirements for firearms and universal background checks into law, but emergency risk protection orders (more succinctly known as red flag laws) hadnt yet found consensus in the legislature. The keystone red flag law bill has now passed and is headed to Whitmers desk, while the other components are headed back to the House for what is likely a final vote. That bill had previously passed out of the House Judiciary Committee with one Democrat, Rep. Kimberly Edwards, D-Eastpointe, voting pass. Michigan State senior Karah Tanski, front, listens somberly among more than 1,000 students on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023 at the Capitol in Lansing, hearing dozens of students recount their stories from the night three students were killed and five others injured in a mass shooting at Michigan State University one week ago. (Jake May | MLive.com) Its the third policy in the trio Whitmer called for ahead of her State of the State address in January, and spurred on by calls for action in the wake of the mass shooting at Michigan State University and also the most contentious. The red flag bills went through multiple rounds of amendments and substitutions, underscoring the delicacy Democrats need to bring the entirety of their thin majorities on board to win partly-line votes. The first of four announced guilty pleas were entered Friday in a wide-ranging bribery scandal that has roiled Lansing. At the center of the investigation thus far is former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson, who chaired a now-defunct board that vetted license applications for medical marijuana businesses. FBI investigators alleged Johnson used his role on the board to receive more than $100,000 in cash and gifts. Last federal court in Grand Rapids, though, it was John Dalaly, an Oakland County businessman who was pleading first. He admitted to paying Johnson about $68,200 in the form of cash, private flights and meals as he sought a license in 2018. Johnson and two other Michigan lobbyists named in the probe, Tyler Brown and Brian Pierce, face arraignment in the coming week and have also signed agreements to plead guilty. After the arraignment and plea, Dalalys attorney, Raymond Cassar, offered a little additional information in the case that could add an international component to the scandal: Dalaly had been working on behalf of a company with Canadian investors, who he and Johnson had flown to visit. In other news KALAMAZOO, MI-- Mattawan high school students spent A Night in the City on Saturday to celebrate prom 2023. A ballroom inside the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo was creatively transformed into New York City. Students checked in at a subway station and entered through a handmade subway car, while a staff member played a bucket drum. As the students entered they were greeted by large letters spelling out NYC. Three Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) officials were seriously injured on Sunday when their government vehicle was involved in a head-on-collision with the official vehicle of prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila. The accident took place about 15km outside Otjiwarongo en route to Okahandja at about 13h45. Otjozondjupa regional commander Heinrich Tjiveze confirmed the accident. The three officials, whose names have not been released yet, have been taken to the Otjiwarongo State Hospital. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and her driver are said to have escaped the accident unhurt. The prime minister was returning from Grootfontein, where Swapo celebrated the party's 63rd anniversary. "I can only confirm that an accident happened that involved the prime minister. Government will issue a statement pertaining to the details. That's all I can tell you," said Tjiveze. This is a developing story. Eric Lundquist became a franchise owner after a 40-year career running a family business. Lundquist opened a Pet Supplies Plus store in March 2022 as a part of his retirement plan. It was one of 200 franchises to open in Michigan last year as the business model continues to grow. (Photo provided by Pet Supplies Plus) The "Matisse: Cahiers d'Art, the Pivotal 1930s" exhibition revisits a decisive decade for the French painter Henri Matisse. Although extremely successful, he had begun to call into question his place on the avant-garde scene. The exhibition traces this soul-searching period that ultimately took him in a new and bold direction. Although many exhibitions have been dedicated to Matisse (1869 1954), very few have focused on the 1930s, a long period of soul searching, in which Matisse trying his hand at experimental drawings, paintings and sculpture. At the end of the 1920s, Matisse was going through a creative breakdown, despite being at the height of his career, curator Cecile Debray told RFI. What's interesting is to see a side to an artist we don't often see, Debray explains. We're more often likely to see the smooth, polished side of an artist's work, rather than the turmoil, she says, adding that Matisse was fond of expressing his artistic process, and didn't seek to hide the difficulties he had. The 1930s also holds interesting parallels with the present day, she says. It's was period of great complexity, violence and uncertainty, all themes explored in Matisse's works. Behind the scenes His artistic rebirth was documented in detail by the Cahiers d'Art, a magazine created by Christian Zervos in 1926. Cahiers d'art played a role in Matisse's artistic comeback, Debray says because they showed the behind the scenes reportages of the painter's work in progress. The original editions of the magazine punctuate the exhibition, providing a guide for the visitor, marking the ebb and flow of Matisse's career. Tahiti retreat He was featured regularly in the publication alongside artists of his time such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Miro, Fernand Leger, Wassily Kandinsky, Mondrian, Le Corbusier and Marcel Duchamp. Part of getting back in the avant-garde game involved a long trip to Tahiti, where he spent time immersing himself in the local culture and admiring the landscape. Debray points out that he didn't produce much more than a few sketches and photographs during this time, which turned out to be more like a spiritual retreat. However, he gathered inspiration for his later works, among them The Dance, a giant fresco displayed for an art collector at the Barnes Foundation in the United States from 1933. His method of painting pieces of paper and adding them progressively to the fresco opened new doors to his technique. Some works have rarely been exhibited in France, including Large Reclining Nude from Baltimore, The Song from Houston and the 1938 Romanian Blouses series, all held in various American museums. Matisse. Cahiers d'Art, the Pivotal 1930s at the Musee de l'Orangerie in Paris until 29 May 2023. More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia Saturday in the first announced evacuation of civilians from Sudan, where fighting between the army and paramilitaries entered a second week following a brief lull. Foreign nations have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, even though Sudan's main airport remains closed. Fighting has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded while survivors cope with shortages of electricity and food. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry announced the "safe arrival" of 91 of its citizens along with nationals from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philipines, Canada and Burkina Faso. As the kingdom's naval forces transported the civilians, including diplomats and international officials, across the Red Sea from Port Sudan to Jeddah, fighting resumed in Sudan's capital Khartoum after a temporary truce saw gunfire momentarily die down on Friday, the first day of Eid al-Fitr. Sudanese crowd onto a truck to flee fighting in Khartoum. By - (AFP) Eid is normally a major celebration for Sudanese marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This year it is marked by fear, grief and hunger. Earlier on Saturday, Sudan's army said its chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had 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. Burhan told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that the army was in control of "all airports, except for Khartoum airport" and one in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. People fill water in barrels mounted on donkey-pulled carts in southern Khartoum amid water shortages caused by the fighting. By - (AFP) Eid is meant to be spent "with sweets and pastries, with happy children, and people greeting relatives", Khartoum resident Sami al-Nour told AFP. Instead, there has been "gunfire and the stench of blood all around us". Urban warfare began on April 15 between forces loyal to Burhan and those of his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. He commands the heavily armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which emerged from the Janjaweed fighters unleashed in Darfur by former strongman Omar al-Bashir, drawing accusations of war crimes. The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle. 'Stench of blood' On Saturday morning, heavy gunfire, loud explosions and fighter jets were heard in many parts of the capital, according to witnesses. The army announced Friday agreement to a three-day ceasefire, which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had called for a day earlier. Gold, a strategic resource for Sudan. By Sylvie HUSSON, Laurence SAUBADU (AFP) Daglo said in a statement he had "discussed the current crisis" with Guterres, and was "focused on the humanitarian truce, safe passages, and protecting humanitarian workers". Five humanitarians, including four from UN-linked agencies, have so far been killed. Two 24-hour ceasefires announced earlier in the week were also ignored. In Khartoum, a city of five million people, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes. Many have ventured out only to get urgent food supplies -- stocks of which are dwindling -- or to flee the city. While Khartoum has seen some of the fiercest battles, they have occurred across the country. A hospital in Darfur crowded with those wounded in fighting. By Ali SHUKUR (MAdecins sans FrontiAres (MSF)/AFP) Late Friday, the army accused the RSF of attacks in the capital's twin city of Omdurman where they released "a large number of inmates" from a prison, accusations the group denies. Battles have raged in Darfur, where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of El Fasher said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children. Crisis meeting More plans are being made to evacuate foreigners, with the United States, South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries, and the European Union weighing a similar move. Smoke hangs over residential buildings in eastern Khartoum. By - (AFP) The German ministers of defence and foreign affairs held a crisis meeting Saturday on a possible evacuation, after three military transport planes had to turn back Wednesday, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. On Friday, the US said an evacuation of embassy personnel was still too risky. Later, the RSF said it was ready to "partially" open "all airports" in Sudan to evacuate foreign citizens. It was not possible to verify which airports the RSF controls. 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. More than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states are now "out of service", and at least four hospitals in North Kordofan state were shelled, the doctors' union said. 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. 23.04.2023 LISTEN A Ghanaian Internal Medicine Specialist, Dr Philip Yaw Bannor has lost majority of marital assets to his estranged wife, Dora Bannor. The Judicial Circuit Court for Hamilton County in the State of Tennessee in the United States of America has awarded majority of the real estate, estimated at $915,000 owed by Dr. and Mrs Bannor in Ghana to the estranged wife. The said estate includes a Kwaming chateau, Pokuase House, a House at Medoma in Kumasi, two developed plots and four undeveloped plots at Prampram all estimated at $915,000, according to a verified Statement of Assets and Liabilities filed by Dr. Bannor before the court on September 4, 2020. Dr. Bannor, who serves as the Registrar of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) has been practicing internal medicine since 2001. Granting a divorce suit against Dr. Bannor, the court presided over by Jeffrey W. Hollingsworth on January 21, 2022 based its verdict on the "inappropriate conduct" of Dr. Bannor. Judgment was also entered in favour of Dora Bannor on account that Dr. Bannor absconded to Ghana with most of the family's money and allowed the family home to go into foreclosure. The court noted that Dr. Bannor has no credibility and ordered that all marital property in the US be awarded to Dora Bannor adding that all marital liabilities are the responsibility of Dr. Philip Bannor. The Registrar of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) is also to pay a total of $2,686 which had accumulated to $4,378.00 plus interest in arrears of child support as well as a monthly alimony of $1,000 to be paid to Dora Bannor from the Medical Clinic owned by Dr. Bannor in Hamilton County in Tennessee in the US. The entire Vanguard account of the value of $185,000 as at January 2019 has also been awarded to Dora Bannor. In respect of the over $300,000 of marital assets, Dr. Bannor invested in Menzgold which act was regarded as a "theft." The court ordered that the value should be divided equally among the parties if the investment is liquidated. The court also upheld that each party should keep household furnishings and motor vehicles in their possession. On February 21, 2022, the defendant filed a motion for a new trial (retrial) of the divorce suit. Robert N. Meeks, the defendant's attorney stating grounds for a new trial indicated errors in the admission of evidence making the ruling not backed by evidence. The motion also mentioned that the Court had classified the defendant's (husband) assets as marital and that the division of marital property and assigning it was not equitable. The court, on March 7, 2022 denied the motion for retrial on the grounds that it is evident that Dr. Bannor had "abandoned" the wife and children. It, however, suggested that the defendant had the option to appeal within 30 days following which Dr. Bannor has conveniently appealed and the suit is still pending in the US. A vast portion of land destroyed by the activities of illegal mining 23.04.2023 LISTEN Ghana's natural resources have been a source of pride and wealth for the country since time immemorial. However, the recent surge in illegal mining activities, popularly known as "galamsey," has left our environment in a deplorable state. Galamsey has polluted rivers, destroyed farms, and disrupted the lives of many communities. It is now clear that relying on politicians to fight against this environmental menace has been a grave mistake. The current political landscape in Ghana has proven to be detrimental to the fight against galamsey. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have consistently used illegal mining as a political tool, either to gain votes or to attack their opponents. The promises made by President Akufo-Addo to put his presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey have fallen short. Instead, we have seen the introduction of a potentially more harmful alternative community mining. Similarly, the opposition has not shown a genuine commitment to tackling this issue. Former President John Dramani Mahama has been quoted promising amnesty to those arrested and jailed for illegal mining activities. This approach demonstrates a focus on winning elections rather than protecting the land and resources they seek to govern. It is time for Ghanaians to rise above partisan politics and unite in the fight against galamsey. The environment, our collective heritage, is at stake. We must demand more from our leaders and hold them accountable for their actions or inaction on this critical issue. The first step in this united front is to demand transparency and accountability from the government. We must insist on clear and stringent regulations for the mining sector, with strict penalties for non-compliance. Moreover, we must ensure that the enforcement of these regulations is fair and impartial, regardless of one's political affiliations. Secondly, we must work together to raise awareness about the devastating effects of galamsey on our environment and livelihoods. This includes educating our communities on the importance of sustainable mining practices, as well as the environmental, social, and economic consequences of illegal mining. Finally, we must support and empower local communities to take ownership of their resources and the fight against galamsey. This can be achieved through the establishment of community-based organizations, which can monitor and report illegal mining activities and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to apprehend the culprits. It is only when Ghanaians take a unified stance against galamsey that we can truly protect our environment and preserve our natural resources for future generations. The time for politicking is over; the time for action is now. Together, we can save our environment from the devastating effects of illegal mining and ensure a sustainable future for Ghana. A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Finance, University of Cape Coast School of Business (UCCSoB), Seyram Kawor has described the damning revelations in the former Minister of Environment, Science and Technology's report as pathetic. He said the destruction of the environment will affect the financial fortunes of the country. According to him, 'demons' within the Nana Akufo-Addo's government have derailed the efforts of the President in curtailing the illegal mining menace. "We're currently running to the IMF for a $3 billion bailout and instead of managing our natural resources prudently, we're not doing so but, rather pillaging and plundering the resources by the minority few which must benefit the majority good", he stated. The Senior Lecturer further averred that, the country need to chart a new development paradigm. "If the president puts his presidency on the line and some of his own people are behind the illegal mining menace, then it's a worrying signal for the country", he intimated. Speaking to this reporter on 'Centre Stage' Show on GBC Radio Central, Saturday 22nd April, 2023 he lambasted persons attacking Prof. Frimpong Boateng for naming them and their nefarious activities in the report. "That is interference and I don't know what else to call it", he affirmed. Seyram Kawor underscored the fact that, looking at the terms of reference of the IMCIM, "If they had not thought about themselves and looked and worked according to the terms of reference of the committee, we would have been better off by now." "If we destroy our natural resources especially water then, building hospitals would amount to nothing good and something ought to be done by the president about illegal mining", he emphasized. US troops swooped in on helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan's battle-torn capital, President Joe Biden announced Sunday, as other nations sought to help their citizens escape deadly fighting between rival generals. France on Sunday also launched evacuation operations from the northeast African nation, where fighting has entered its second week. Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group -- which has seen fighter jets launch airstrikes and street fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum -- have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. Biden, who said the US military "conducted an operation" to extract US government personnel, called for an immediate ceasefire and condemned the deadly violence. Fighting between the Sudanese army and a heavily armed paramilitary group has entered a second week. By - (AFP) "It's unconscionable and it must stop," he said in a statement. Just over 100 US special operations troops took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw three Chinook helicopters fly from Djibouti, staying on the ground in Khartoum for less than an hour. France's foreign ministry said Sunday a "rapid evacuation operation" had begun, and that European citizens and those from "allied partner countries" would also be assisted, without giving further details. Scramble to evacuate US troops evacuated staff from the American embassy in Sudan's capital. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP/File) Heavy fighting broke out on April 15 between forces loyal to 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 fell out in a bitter power struggle. Daglo's RSF emerged from the Janjaweed fighters unleashed in Darfur by former strongman leader Omar al-Bashir, where they were accused of war crimes. US Under Secretary of State John Bass said that the RSF "cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members", warning that a coordinated US government effort to evacuate other American citizens was unlikely in the coming days. Map of Sudan's Khartoum locating various civilian buildings damaged in the fighting, accompanied by satellite images released by Maxar. By Sabrina BLANCHARD, Emmanuelle MICHEL, Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sophie RAMIS (AFP) More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia after naval forces launched a rescue across the Red Sea on Saturday, collecting 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals from 12 other countries from Port Sudan, in the first announced evacuation of civilians. Other foreign countries have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, with South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries, and the European Union weighing a similar move. Three German military transport planes had to turn back Wednesday, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. Khartoum's airport has been the site of heavy fighting with aircraft destroyed on the runway, and is under the control of the RSF. 'Living in darkness' Members of the armed forces pass out chocolates and flowers to Saudi citizens and other nationals upon their arrival in Jeddah, following their rescue from Sudan. By - (SPA/AFP) Multiple truces have been agreed and ignored. The latest truce to be declared, for the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saw gunfire momentarily die down on Friday but then resume. Fighting continues. "Sadly, the main focus and impetus for the attempted Eid ceasefire in Sudan has been evacuations of foreign nationals, not humanitarian relief or peace diplomacy," Alan Boswell of the International Crisis Group said Sunday. In Khartoum, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power largely cut amid sweltering heat in the city of five million people. Many have ventured out only to get food and water, supplies of which are dwindling, or to flee the city. "We were living in darkness, it's not normal. First we didn't have water and then we didn't have power," Khartoum resident Awad Ahmad Sherif said. "We ask God for our safety." Adding to residents' woes was a "near-total collapse of internet connectivity" across the country, according to web monitor NetBlocks. While the capital has seen some of the fiercest clashes, fighting has broken out elsewhere across Sudan, Africa's third biggest nation, roughly three times the size of France. Battles have raged in Darfur, where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of El Fasher said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children. The UN World Health Organization said more than 420 people had been killed and over 3,700 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the actual death toll is thought to be higher. More than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states are now "out of service", and at least four hospitals in North Kordofan state were shelled, the doctors' union said. 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. burs/pjm/fz From what I hear on radio as playback on promissory speeches by former President John Dramani Mahama to the NDC executives and delegates across-the-board, if he became president of Ghana come election 2024, is a shocking food for thought for all Ghanaians. As a known person devoid of, and deficient in, ideas worthy of making Ghana great and Ghanaians happy of living a life without much economic hassles, he has been making promises only pertaining to bettering the lives and living standards of the NDC executives and delegates and their families. He promises giving their children scholarships to go abroad to study to become great persons to cater for their families. He promises offering the delegates better jobs and positions and so on and so forth. Was it not this same John Dramani Mahama who not long ago, went to the USA, met some NDC members and sympathisers in the company of then NDC National Chairman Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and Julius Debrah, former Chief of Staff under Mahama, and assured them of his dreamed policy of No Contribution No Chop (NCNC)? He announced through Samuel Ofosu Ampofo that in his next administration, if he won election 2024, he will only cater for those who will have contributed massively towards bringing him and NDC to power in year 2024 under the campaign slogan and banner, No Contribution No Chop (NCNC). Are his campaign tour messages as said above not confirming his real intentions as to coming to cater for only a section of Ghanaians? What about the many other NDC members and sympathisers who will have voted for him but unfortunately unable to contribute heavily in terms of money hence their names are not handy in his good notebooks? This John Mahama man is a proven liar overflowing with incompetence and cluelessness. He is not sharp-thinking but a jumpy populist politician always playing on the intelligence of Ghanaians by joining the bandwagon. What an absolute opportunist he is, always siding with the expressed fears and worries by the public as though, such concerns are always right and grounded in facts in this current worldwide economic crisis. Dr Kwabena Duffour on the other hand is promising to institute a pension scheme for the executive members and or, delegates, of NDC throughout Ghana, if he became the president of Ghana following election 2024. I am a bit concerned about their intentions. Is it about persuading the delegates to vote for them, or they are very serious about such promises? In both cases, how do they cater for the interests of the majority of their NDC members, let alone, that of the majority of Ghanaians or all Ghanaians? Think about that, both ye NDC foot soldiers and entire Ghanaian electorates. During the campaign of then presidential-candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, he made promises that could be seen to cater for the interests of all Ghanaians. Look at his free Senior High School education, One District One Factory (1D1F), One Village One Dam (1V1D), Creation of the Zongo Development Fund, etc. promises made. Were they not of wider benefits to most, or, all Ghanaians? Were they of limited benefits to a few people as in the case of the NDC promises being made as indicated above? No!!! That of Dr Kwabena Duffour could be understood to some extent. The delegates could be asked to contribute into a fund specifically set up for them and invested for them as in say, life insurance policy. This could be feasible, possible and easily done without necessarily excluding Ghanaians since the delegates themselves may be contributing into the fund with a little seed money from the president but John Dramani Mahamas is questionable. Nana Akufo-Addos promises did not exclude anyone from benefitting from them but rather encompassed all Ghanaians or majority of Ghanaians. He did not even go for the implementation of the policy of positive discrimination as I had wished or will have suggested. Under the previous NDC administrations, some tribes and some political parties members had been excluded from getting employment into many public companies, organisations and services. It was official discrimination galore, obvious to many a Ghanaian except those who are economical with the truth. Considering that conspicuous official discrimination to disadvantage some tribes and people, it was all too correct for Nana Akufo-Addo to have practised positive discrimination to bring the advantaged and the disadvantaged to par but he didnt. Why are the aspiring NDC flag bearers thinking differently in the best interests of a few people? Much as Dr Kwabena Duffour could be exonerated from blame, John Dramani Mahama could not. Are Ghanaians happy to bring back John Mahama as president of Ghana upon all his known dreadful skeletons in his cupboard? You had better go for Dr Kwabena Duffour but in the greater interest of Ghana and Ghanaians as Africans or black people, go for the candidate to be presented by NPP, as either in the person of Kennedy Agyapong (Hon), His Excellency Alhaji Mahammudu Bawumia or Hon. Kwadwo Alan Kyeremateng. How perfect will it be to have a team of Kennedy Agyapong, Dr Mahammudu Bawumia, Hon Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng, Dr Kwabena Duffour and IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare governing Ghana with each given absolute powers to bring on board the good things in them for strict and proper implementation to help Ghana and Ghanaians. Rockson Adofo Sunday, 23 April 2023 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has congratulated Muslims on the successful completion of the Ramadan, and prayed to Allah (God) to continue to shower His grace, mercies and peace on our nation. May the Almighty Allah accept our worship, bless us all and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong, he said. President Nana Akufo-Addo, in a solidarity message on his Facebook page, on Saturday, April 22, to mark the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration, lauded Muslims for braving the pangs of hunger and thirst for an entire month. Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. In Ghana, the national event was held Saturday, at the Independence Square, Accra, with a congregation of the faithful who prayed for Allah's mercies and blessings. The ceremony had as Special Guest the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who represented the President. Besides the spiritual attainment of the month, they (Muslims) deserve commendation for the strict disciplinary code that they have adhered to throughout the period, President Akufo-Addo noted. He wished all Muslims a blissful and peaceful Eid-ul-Fitr. Monday, April 24, has been declared a statutory holiday by the Minister of the Interior in view of the Muslim festival being marked on a Saturday. GNA Burundi's Public Prosecutor, Sylvestre Nyandwi, announced that Gen. Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni, the country's former prime minister, is in police custody. On April 19, Bunyoni was reported missing following a police search at his house as part of investigations that were ongoing. Nyandwi said in a statement released on April 23, that the warrant to search his home was issued because of the information revealed about crimes that may have been committed, involving Bunyoni. "Other evidence that shows the crimes he committed are being collected so that he can be presented to the public prosecutor of the Republic who will also make a decision according to the law." He indicated that Bunyoni was arrested at Nyamuzi, Kabezi Municipality of Bujumbura on April 21. In September 2022, President Evariste Ndayishimiye sacked Bunyoni from office and replaced him with Gervais Ndirakobuca. The Burundian office of prime minister was abolished in 1998, and reinstated in 2020 when Ndayishimiye assumed office and appointed Bunyoni. His dismissal came at a time when there were political tensions in the country, with President Ndayishimiye warning government officials against any move of carrying out a coup d'etat. Bunyoni is a former police chief and had been in office as prime minister for two years. He had also served as Minister for Internal Security during late president Pierre Nkurunziza's regime. Aspiring National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for the Sagnarigu Constituency in the Northern Region, Mr Atta Issah has called on the Muslim community to use the Eid to pray for a positive change in the Sagnarigu Constituency. According to him, the Sagnarigu Constituency deserves better representation in Parliament, noting that it needs a representative "who will not only represent the interest of the people in Parliament but draw massive development to the constituency." He also appealed to the Muslim Community on the occasion of the celebration of Eid-ul- Fitr to pray for Allah's intervention to save Ghana's economy from the mismanagement of the ruling NPP. He said the country needed divine intervention to save it from the "reckless and incompetent" NPP administration. In his Eid-ul-Fitr Message to his Constituents and Ghanaians, the NDC's Finance Officer praised the Islamic Community for their steadfastness and prayers for the country during the 30 days of fasting in the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan. "To the good people of my beloved Sagnarigu Constituency, especially the entire Muslim community, I congratulate you on your successful completion of the spiritual exercise of hunger and thirst for a whole month. "May Allah in his infinite mercy use this to cleanse us and enable us contribute our quota in developing the constituency to be a shining example among its peers," part of the statement read. Mr Issah has vowed to unseat outspoken NDC MP for Sagnarigu, Alhaji ABA Fuseini. Since announcing his interest, the philanthropist has initiated several development projects in the constituency, which have gained him massive popularity and support in the constituency. It has positioned him as one of the favourites to win the NDC's parliamentary primaries. The Adansi Zongo chief Alhaji Jibrin Ibrahim has, in his Eid-ul-Fitr message to the people of Obuasi urged them to live and coexist peacefully. He said it was only when the various religious groups live peacefully that Obuasi can develop to the status residents are craving. Alhaji Jibrin Ibrahim made this call when he joined Muslims in Obuasi to observe prayers to mark this year's Eid- ul- Fitr. Eid-ul-Fitr the Islamic festival celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar, to mark the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting is being observed throughout the country with prayers and other Islamic observances. "Obuasi and Ghana as a whole is well acclaimed for its peaceful coexistence and tolerance. I urge residents of Obuasi to guard jealously the peace that we are all enjoying and not do anything to jeopardize it," he stated. He hinted that he has formed a committee made up of political heads, clergy and Muslim leaders to deal with the ongoing communal violence rearing its ugly head in Obuasi. He intimated that the committee has been tasked to make sure that it deals with with violence among youth groups in Obuasi. "Be measured in your celebration of Eid"- Obuasi MCE The Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi Honourable Elijah Adansi-Bonah who joined Muslims to observe prayers to mark Eid- ul- Fitr admonished Muslims especially the youth to be measured in their celebrations stating that the police will deal with anybody who perpetuates crime or violence during the celebrations. He again reiterated Government's support for Muslims who desire to make the Holy pilgrimage to Mecca. He said Government was aware of the complaints by a section of Muslims about the cost of making the Holy journey. "The Vice President His Excellency Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia is a listening Veep hence will take measures to address your grievances," he stated. He also added his voice to the need for various religious groups in the country to continue to coexist peacefully. He said peaceful coexistence was the panacea to the country's development. The Municipal Chief Imam, Alhaji Yusif Iddris in his address emphasized the need for the political parties to elect leaders who are committed to sustaining the existing peace in the country. "I urge the political parties to look out for leaders who will unite the country when they are electing their leaders," he stressed. 23.04.2023 LISTEN Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the grim allegations that over 149 million barrels of crude oil are missing, as documented in the 2019 audited reports bythe Auditor General of the Federation and Nigeria Extractive Industries TransparencyInitiative (NEITI). SERAP also urged him to ensure the effective prosecution of anyone suspected to be responsible for the plundering of the countrys oil wealth and the full recovery of any proceeds of crime. According to the 2019 audited report by the Auditor General over 107 million barrels of crude oil were lifted as domestic crude without any document or tracing. NEITI also reported missing 42.25 million barrels of crude oil in 2019. In the letter dated 22 April 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these very serious allegations. SERAP said, the recommended steps can be taken between now and the end of your term of office to set the tone for the next administration. The letter, read in part: SERAP notes that you have repeatedly promised to combat corruption. As you go into the final weeks of your term of office, the missing crude oil allegations present yet another opportunity to demonstrate your commitment and to uphold your oath of office both as President and Minister of Petroleum Resources. As the President and substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources, you and your government should prioritise getting to the bottom of these allegations and use the remainder of your term of office to ensure justice and accountability for these serious crimes against the Nigerian people. Investigating the allegations and naming and shaming and prosecuting those suspected to be responsible for the missing crude oil would serve the public interest and end the impunity of perpetrators. We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest. The allegations by both the Auditor-General and NEITI are different from a whistleblowers claims that 48 million barrels of Bonny Light crude oil allegedly sold in China in 2015 are missing or unaccounted for. The reports by the Auditor-General and NEITI suggest a grave violation of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and the countrys anticorruption laws and international obligations, as well as the public trust. These damning revelations also suggest your government is failing to prevent and combat the plundering of Nigerias wealth and natural resources, name and bring suspected perpetrators to account and recover any proceeds of crime. Poor and socio-economically vulnerable Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the stealing of the countrys oil wealth apparently by both state and non-state actors. The countrys oil wealth ought to be used solely for the benefit of the Nigerian people, and for the sake of the present and future generations. These allegations can promptly be investigated and suspected perpetrators named and shamed. Taking these steps would advance the right of Nigerians to restitution, compensation and guarantee of non-repetition and improve public confidence in the fight against corruption, and related crimes, especially in the oil sector. According to the 2019 audited report by the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), some 107,239,436.00 barrels of crude oil were lifted as domestic crude without any document or tracing. To date, there is no information on the sale of Un-Utilized Crude oil by Refineries for 2019 and no information on crude oil allocations from 30th May to 31st December 2019. The Auditor-General is concerned that the missing crude oil may have been diverted. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) also reported missing 42.25 million barrels of crude oil in 2019. Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on your government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity. Section 16(2) further provides that, the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good. The UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party obligate your government to effectively prevent and investigate the plundering of the countrys wealth and natural resources and hold public officials and non-state actors to account for any violations. Specifically, article 26 of the UN convention requires your government to ensure effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions including criminal and non-criminal sanctions, in cases of grand corruption. Article 26 complements the more general requirement of article 30, paragraph 1, that sanctions must take into account the gravity of the corruption allegations. The proposed panel should be headed by a retired justice of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal, and its members should include people with proven professional record, and of the highest integrity that can act impartially, independently, and transparently. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) to continue to produce professional educators who will spearhead the governments new national vision of education aimed at championing rapid economic and social development. The President who was speaking at the 2nd investiture and induction of the Omanhene of the Effutu Traditional Area Nai Ghartey VII as the new Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba charged the Omanhene to use his office to ensure peace at the University. President Akufo-Addo also applauded the leadership of Alhaji Asumani Banda, the immediate past Chancellor of the University for steering it to greater heights emerging as the third-best university in Ghana in 2016 and adjudged the most sustainable university in Ghana last year. Nai Ghartey VII assured the president of his readiness to chart a new path that will continue to improve and expand the gains of the University. He also promised to use alternative dispute resolution to ensure peace in the university which has in the recent past seen a lot of wrangling. US troops swooped in on helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan's battle-torn capital, President Joe Biden said Sunday, as other nations sought to help their citizens flee deadly fighting between rival generals. France and Turkey on Sunday also launched evacuation operations from the chaos-torn northeast African nation, where ongoing fighting has entered its second week. Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group -- which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets -- have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. Sudanese crowd onto a truck to flee fighting in Khartoum. By - (AFP) Biden, who said the US military "conducted an operation" to extract US government personnel, condemned the violence, saying "it's unconscionable and it must stop". Just over 100 US special operations troops took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw three Chinook helicopters fly from Djibouti, staying on the ground in Khartoum for less than an hour. File photographs show Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (top), leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. By Ashraf SHAZLY (AFP) France's foreign ministry said Sunday a "rapid evacuation operation" had begun, and that European citizens and those from "allied partner countries" would also be assisted, without giving further details. Fighting continued Sunday with the crackle of automatic gunfire echoing across Khartoum and Sudanese military aircraft roaring overhead, witnesses said. Turkey began rescue operations at dawn via road from the southern city of Wad Medani, but plans were postponed from one site in Khartoum after "explosions" near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said on Twitter. Scramble to evacuate US troops evacuated staff from the American embassy in Sudan's capital. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP/File) Frightened residents, many low on water, food and other essentials, have huddled inside their homes in the capital where buildings have been gutted, lampposts are lying on the ground, and smoke has been rising from shops set on fire. Heavy fighting broke out on April 15 between forces loyal to 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 fell out in a bitter power struggle. Daglo's RSF emerged from the Janjaweed fighters unleashed in Darfur by former strongman leader Omar al-Bashir, where they were accused of war crimes. Multiple truces have been agreed and ignored. Khartoum's airport has been the site of heavy fighting with aircraft destroyed on the runway, and is under the control of the RSF. This video grab taken from AFPTV footage on April 19, 2023 shows black smoke covering the sky above the capital Khartoum. By Abdelmoneim SAYED (AFP/File) US Under Secretary of State John Bass said that the RSF "cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members", warning any wider effort to evacuate thousands of other American citizens was unlikely in the coming days. More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia after naval forces launched a rescue across the Red Sea on Saturday, collecting both Saudi citizens and nationals from 12 other countries from Port Sudan. Other foreign countries have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, with South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries, and the European Union weighing a similar move. Three German military transport planes had to turn back Wednesday, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. Map of Sudan's Khartoum locating various civilian buildings damaged in the fighting, accompanied by satellite images released by Maxar. By Sabrina BLANCHARD, Emmanuelle MICHEL, Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sophie RAMIS (AFP) But the scramble by foreigners to escape has sparked worry among Sudanese of what will happen when diplomats who could act as potential mediators have gone. "Pushing for safe passages to evacuate internationals without simultaneously pushing to end the war will be terrible", said researcher Hamid Khalafallah. "International actors will have less impact once they're out of country," he said, adding in a message to foreign nations: "Do all you can to leave safely, but don't leave the Sudanese people behind unprotected." 'Living in darkness' People fill barrels with water in Khartoum amid water shortages caused by ongoing battles between the forces of two rival generals. By - (AFP/File) In Khartoum, a city of five million, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power largely off amid sweltering heat and the internet cut for most. "We were living in darkness...first we didn't have water and then we didn't have power," Khartoum resident Awad Ahmad Sherif said. "We ask God for our safety." Fighting has broken out elsewhere across Sudan, Africa's third biggest nation and roughly three times the size of France. Members of the armed forces pass out chocolates and flowers to Saudi citizens and other nationals upon their arrival in Jeddah, following their rescue from Sudan. By - (SPA/AFP) Battles have raged in Darfur, where aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of El Fasher said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children. The UN World Health Organization said more than 420 people had been killed and over 3,700 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the actual death toll is thought to be higher. Some hospitals have been shelled in fighting and others looted, with more than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states "out of service", the doctors' union said. 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. burs/pjm/fz One of France's biggest computer science laboratories, known as LIP6, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. A joint project of the National Centre for Scientific Research and the Sorbonne University, the laboratory has made several contributions to digital innovations. "We are doing research in almost all the areas of computer science and also the interfaces between these areas," LIP6 director Professor Fabrice Kordon said. According to Kordon, these areas include artificial intelligence, quantum computing systems, hardware and software systems, networks, distributed algorithms and software languages. Speaking about the evolution of the lab over the past 25 years, Kordon said while now computer science is everywhere, back in the late 1990s it was not yet out of its chrysalis. He said that computer science was not just a technique at the service of other sciences. "To have these techniques you have to really do scientific work," he explained. So computer science is really a science. It's not mathematics. It's not physics. It is really something specific. This has become evident over the past 25 years." Ghana must emulate the practice in Kenya regarding the appointment of a Chief Justice, the Founding President of policy think tank, Imani Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has suggested. Mr Cudjoe indicated that in Kenya, the candidates are interviewed live on television by the Judicial Service Commission for the whole world to observe. The successful candidate is then presented to Parliament for vetting and subsequently the President appoints the person. But in Ghana, the president nominates the person for Parliamentary vetting and subsequently, approval. On May 24, Ghanas Justice Anin Yeboah will be retiring upon attaining the age of 70. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to nominate another person for vetting and Parliamentary approval. Commenting on this on Facebook, Mr Franklin Cudjoe said the Kenyan Judicial Service Commission conducts live interviews on TV in search of a new Chief Justice. The successful candidate is then presented to Parliament for vetting and subsequent appointment by the President. We should do same in Ghana. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has announced its preparedness to evacuate Ghanaian nationals trapped in Sudans conflict. Sudan has been gripped by a deadly conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, resulting in avoidable casualties in the past week. A number of Ghanaian nationals, particularly students, have been affected by the conflict but Ghanas Honorary Consulate in Khartoum reports that all of its nationals are safe. A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration assured that the Ghana Embassy in Cairo, Egypt which has concurrent accreditation to Sudan is working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Honorary Consulate is coordinating the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals to secure their safe passage to Ethiopia. Below is the full statement. EVACUATION OF GHANAIAN NATIONALS FROM SUDAN ACCRA, 23RD APRIL, 2023 In the past one week, the Republic of Sudan has been gripped by a deadly conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, resulting in avoidable casualties. Khartoum, the capital, has been the epicentre of the clashes with civilians being most affected. A number of Ghanaian nationals, particularly students, have been affected by the conflict. Ghanas Honorary Consulate in Khartoum reports that all of our nationals are safe. The Ghana Embassy in Cairo, Egypt which has concurrent accreditation to Sudan, working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Honorary Consulate are coordinating the evacuation of our nationals, and plans are currently underway to secure their safe passage to Ethiopia. The government wishes to assure the general public, in particular, the families and acquaintances of Ghanaians in Sudan that every effort is being made to ensure the safety of their loved ones until their arrival in Ghana. The Government of Ghana joins the International Community to appeal to the warring factions to cease fire and allow negotiations to resume for the sake of the peace and safety of the People of the Sudan. -citinewroom Battles raging in Sudan have sparked several foreign evacuation operations to rescue their citizens or embassy staff by road, air and sea. The main airport in the capital Khartoum has been the site of heavy fighting and is under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that is battling the army. Some evacuations are taking place from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, an 850 kilometre (530 mile) drive from Khartoum. Here is an overview of what various nations were doing Sunday in efforts to take stranded citizens to safety. Saudi Arabia A ship carrying Saudi citizens and other nationals rescued from battle-scarred Sudan arrived in Jeddah on Saturday. By - (AL-IKHBARIYA TV/AFP) Saudi Arabia led the first reported successful evacuation with naval operations picking up more than 150 people including foreign diplomats and officials from Port Sudan on Saturday. Riyadh 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. United States The US Embassy in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, pictured in 2017. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP/File) On Sunday, the US military sent three Chinook helicopters to evacuate American embassy staff from Khartoum. More than 100 US forces took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw the choppers flying from Djibouti to Ethiopia to Sudan, where they stayed on the ground for less than an hour. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he ordered the evacuation of staff and their families due to the "serious and growing security risks" amid fighting that has already left hundreds dead and thousands wounded. Several thousand US citizens including dual nationals are thought to remain in the country. France France launched a "rapid evacuation operation" for its citizens and diplomatic staff, with some 250 French nationals believed to be in the country. Other European citizens and those from "allied partner countries" would also be assisted, the foreign ministry said without giving further details. Britain The British army has evacuated UK embassy staff and their families from Sudan, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. "UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff," Sunak tweeted. Turkey Map of Sudan locating the capital Khartoum.. By (AFP) Ankara began operations at dawn on Sunday, taking some of its estimated 600 nationals by road from two Khartoum districts and the southern city of Wad Madani. But plans were postponed from one site in Khartoum after "explosions" near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said. EU, Germany, Italy, Greece, Netherlands Sudanese are also fleeing Khartoum if they can, on foot or whatever transport they can find. By - (AFP) The European Union said Friday it was "trying to coordinate an operation to get our civilians out of the city which is now in a high-risk situation." Seven EU members have missions in Sudan. Italy said it would try to evacuate citizens on Sunday and was "working on a window of opportunity" to get them out, according to Italy's AGI news agency. The Dutch Foreign Ministry said it was "participating in an international evacuation operation", with Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra saying teams would "do their utmost to collect Dutch people as quickly and safely as possible". Berlin aborted an evacuation attempt for its citizens from Sudan on Wednesday, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. Three military transport planes, which would have carried around 150 German citizens, headed for the country but were made to turn back, it said. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said Sunday that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had ordered to relocate Air Force aircraft and troops to Egypt to participate in a potential operation to rescue Greek and Cypriot citizens from Sudan. Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman Sinan Majali said Saturday that Amman had begun the evacuation of some 300 Jordanian citizens, adding there was "continuous cooperation with the UAE and Saudi Arabia for this purpose". Iraqi embassy staff left Khartoum on Saturday, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahhaf said, while on Sunday, 14 citizens arrived safely at a "secure site" at Port Sudan. Lebanon said 60 citizens had also left Khartoum by road and were "safe", ahead of their planned evacuation by sea. The Libyan embassy in Khartoum on Friday said it had evacuated 83 Libyans from Khartoum, taking them to Port Sudan. China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia Other foreign countries preparing evacuations include South Korea and Japan, who have deployed forces to nearby countries. The Sudanese army has said it is also coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from China. Indonesia said 43 citizens were sheltering inside the embassy compound in Khartoum. burs-pjm/hkb/fz Government of Ghana has announced plans to evacuate its citizens from Sudan following deadly clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. The conflict has takeover the capital Khartoum over the past week, resulting in several casualties. In a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said all Ghanaian nationals, especially students, have been affected by the conflict. However, the Ghana Honorary Consulate in Khartoum has reported that all Ghanaians are currently safe. "The Ghana Embassy in Cairo, Egypt which has concurrent accreditation to the Sudan working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Honorary Consulate are coordinating the evacuation of our nationals, and plans are currently underway to secure their safe passage to Ethiopia," the statement said. The government assured Ghanaians that efforts are underway to ensure the safe evacuation of citizens from Sudan. "Government wishes to assure the general public, in particular, the families and acquaintances of Ghanaians in the Sudan that every effort is being made to ensure the safety of their loved ones until their arrival in Ghana," the statement said. The government joined the international community to call for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations to end the conflict for the safety of Sudanese citizens. "The Government of Ghana joins the International Community to appeal to the warring factions to cease fire and allow negotiations to resume for the sake of the peace and safety of the People of the Sudan," the statement concluded. Read a full copy of the ministrys release below; The South African Government has joined the international community in its call for parties involved in the conflict in Sudan to lay down their weapons, return to the negotiating table and unite the people of Sudan. "South Africa reiterates its appeal on the parties involved in the conflict to heed international calls for an immediate ceasefire as unarmed civilians, including visitors from many parts of the world, remain stranded and fast running out of supplies," the Presidency said on Friday. The government expressed deep concern about the unfolding situation in Sudan, where violence erupted last week following a breakdown in negotiations on political and security sector reforms. "Over a prolonged period, the people of Sudan have endured instability and strife. The deterioration of the situation this week further complicates their yearning for a stable government that is civilian-led. "South Africa sends a message of solidarity to the people of Sudan as they mark conclusion of the Holy Month of Ramadan and wishes them well during the Id-Ul-Fitr," the Presidency said. The Presidency said the conflict in Sudan marks a setback in Africa's efforts to silence the guns and usher in a sustained period of peace, stability and development. South Africa is currently serving as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC). In this role, the country has been seized with the situation in Sudan, working with other African countries towards peace and stability in Sudan. South Africa supports the role played by the African Union (AU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) IGAD and the East African Community (EAC) in their mediation roles in Sudan. "We will engage directly with the leaders of the armed forces in Sudan as part of our endeavours for peace in Sudan," the Presidency said. US and British forces on Sunday evacuated embassy staff and their families from battle-torn Sudan where deadly fighting raged into a second week between forces loyal to two rival generals. As gunfire again echoed through Khartoum and fighter jets roared above, foreigners also fled the capital in a long UN car convoy, as millions of frightened residents hunkered down inside their homes, many running low on water and food. Across the city of five million, army and militia troops have fought ferocious street battles since April 15, leaving behind charred tanks, gutted buildings and shops that have been looted and torched. More than 420 people have been killed and thousands wounded, according to UN figures, in fighting that has sparked fears of wider turmoil and a humanitarian disaster in one of the world's poorest nations. This video grab taken from AFPTV footage on April 19, 2023 shows black smoke covering the sky above the capital Khartoum. By Abdelmoneim SAYED (AFP/File) US special forces launched a rescue mission early Sunday for around 100 embassy staff and their relatives, swooping in with Chinook helicopters to fly them to a military base in Djibouti. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak later said UK forces had also "completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff". US President Joe Biden condemned the violence that has rocked the northeast African country with a history of military coups, saying it is "unconscionable and it must stop". A convoy leaving Khartoum advances on a road towards Port Sudan, on April 23, 2023, as people flee the battle-torn Sudanese capital. By Abubakarr JALLOH (AFP) Long convoys of United Nations vehicles and buses were seen leaving Khartoum heading east to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 850 kilometres (530 miles) by road. Both France and Germany said Sunday they had begun evacuation operations that would assist European citizens and other nationals as well. 'Living in darkness' File photographs show Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (top), leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. By Ashraf SHAZLY (AFP) The fighting broke out on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Daglo's RSF emerged from the Janjaweed fighters whom former strongman leader Omar al-Bashir unleashed in the Darfur region, where they were accused of war crimes including genocide. The military toppled Bashir in April 2019 following mass citizen protests. The two generals seized power in a 2021 coup, but later fell out in a bitter power struggle, most recently centred on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. Multiple truces have been agreed in recent days and ignored. People fill barrels with water in Khartoum amid water shortages caused by ongoing battles between the forces of two rival generals. By - (AFP/File) Khartoum's airport, where the blackened hulls of destroyed aircraft lie on runways, is under the control of the RSF. At least one jailbreak has taken place in the capital, according to lawyers. Reports of prisoners also being freed from two other prisons -- including the Kober jail where Bashir has been held since his ouster -- could not be independently verified. In Khartoum, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power largely off amid sweltering heat and the internet out for most. "We were living in darkness... first we didn't have water and then we didn't have power," Khartoum resident Awad Ahmad Sherif said. "We ask God for our safety." 'Stop the violence' A convoy evacuating foreign citizens leaves Khartoum towards Port Sudan watched by soldiers. By Abubakarr JALLOH (AFP) Pope Francis on Sunday renewed calls "for the violence to stop as quickly as possible and for dialogue to resume". Fighting has broken out elsewhere across Sudan, Africa's third biggest nation. Battles have raged in Darfur, where aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children, in the city of El Fasher. Some hospitals have been shelled in fighting and others ransacked, with more than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states "out of service", the doctors' union said. In the first large evacuation of foreigners, more than 150 people reached Saudi Arabia after naval forces launched a rescue across the Red Sea on Saturday, collecting Saudi citizens and nationals from 12 other countries from Port Sudan. Map of Sudan's Khartoum locating various civilian buildings damaged in the fighting, accompanied by satellite images released by Maxar. By Sabrina BLANCHARD, Emmanuelle MICHEL, Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sophie RAMIS (AFP) Turkey began rescue operations at dawn Sunday via road from the southern city of Wad Medani, but the effort was postponed from one site in Khartoum after explosions near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said on Twitter. Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome was planning to evacuate "about 200 people" including Italians, Swiss and representatives of the Vatican in a military operation on Sunday. The scramble by foreigners to escape has heightened fears among Sudanese of what will happen when diplomats who could act as potential mediators have gone. "Pushing for safe passages to evacuate internationals without simultaneously pushing to end the war will be terrible", said researcher Hamid Khalafallah. "International actors will have less impact once they're out of country," he said, adding in a message to foreign nations: "Do all you can to leave safely, but don't leave the Sudanese people behind unprotected." burs/pjm/fz 23.04.2023 LISTEN The Police have this evening arrested a Police officer, Inspector Ahmed Twumasi, who is alleged to have shot and killed a female adult, who was believed to be his girlfriend. The shooting incident occurred in Kumasi, in the Ashanti region, on Thursday, 20th April 2023. The suspect, who has been on the run since the incident, was arrested at Sekyere, near Effiduase in the Ashanti region as a result of a special police operation, which was launched following the shooting incident. The suspect is currently in police custody and will be put before court to face justice. Telsey Advisory Group restated their market perform rating on shares of a.k.a. Brands (NYSE:AKA Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $2.00 price target on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group also issued estimates for a.k.a. Brands Q1 2023 earnings at ($0.08) EPS, Q2 2023 earnings at ($0.04) EPS, FY2023 earnings at ($0.09) EPS and FY2024 earnings at $0.01 EPS. Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Credit Suisse Group cut their price target on a.k.a. Brands from $3.50 to $3.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 10th. TD Securities reduced their target price on shares of a.k.a. Brands from $1.70 to $1.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of a.k.a. Brands from $4.00 to $2.60 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of a.k.a. Brands from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $4.00 to $1.70 in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut shares of a.k.a. Brands from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $3.00 to $2.00 in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $2.19. Get a.k.a. Brands alerts: a.k.a. Brands Price Performance a.k.a. Brands stock opened at $0.39 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.96 million, a P/E ratio of -0.28 and a beta of 1.09. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $0.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1.35. a.k.a. Brands has a twelve month low of $0.31 and a twelve month high of $4.28. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Insider Activity at a.k.a. Brands Hedge Funds Weigh In On a.k.a. Brands In other a.k.a. Brands news, Director Myles B. Mccormick bought 56,250 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $0.65 per share, with a total value of $36,562.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 122,635 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $79,712.75. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . In other news, Director Myles B. Mccormick acquired 56,250 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were bought at an average price of $0.65 per share, with a total value of $36,562.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 122,635 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,712.75. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, CFO Ciaran Joseph Long acquired 79,979 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $0.63 per share, for a total transaction of $50,386.77. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer now owns 383,226 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $241,432.38. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . 34.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AKA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in a.k.a. Brands by 1,039.7% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 41,474 shares of the companys stock valued at $184,000 after acquiring an additional 37,835 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 24.2% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 23,254 shares of the companys stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 4,538 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 1.7% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 362,482 shares of the companys stock worth $1,602,000 after purchasing an additional 6,231 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in a.k.a. Brands by 31.0% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 113,368 shares of the companys stock valued at $501,000 after buying an additional 26,815 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PDT Partners LLC acquired a new position in a.k.a. Brands in the 1st quarter valued at $119,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 59.89% of the companys stock. About a.k.a. Brands (Get Rating) a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. operates a portfolio of online fashion brands in the United States, Australia, and internationally. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories through its online stores under the Princess Polly, Culture Kings, Petal & Pup, mnml, and Rebdolls brands, as well as operates eight physical stores under the Culture Kings brand name. Read More Receive News & Ratings for a.k.a. Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for a.k.a. Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. (NYSE:AKA Get Rating) KeyCorp decreased their Q1 2023 earnings estimates for shares of a.k.a. Brands in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, April 18th. KeyCorp analyst N. Zatzkin now expects that the company will earn ($0.08) per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of ($0.05). The consensus estimate for a.k.a. Brands current full-year earnings is ($0.06) per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for a.k.a. Brands FY2023 earnings at ($0.10) EPS. Get a.k.a. Brands alerts: A number of other brokerages have also commented on AKA. Jefferies Financial Group lowered a.k.a. Brands from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their price target for the company from $4.00 to $1.70 in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on a.k.a. Brands from $3.50 to $3.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 10th. TD Securities reduced their target price on shares of a.k.a. Brands from $1.70 to $1.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Piper Sandler lowered a.k.a. Brands from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $3.00 to $2.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price objective on a.k.a. Brands from $4.00 to $2.60 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 10th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, a.k.a. Brands currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $2.19. a.k.a. Brands Price Performance Institutional Inflows and Outflows NYSE:AKA opened at $0.39 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.96 million, a PE ratio of -0.28 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $0.90 and a 200-day moving average of $1.35. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. a.k.a. Brands has a 52 week low of $0.31 and a 52 week high of $4.28. A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AKA. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 24.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 23,254 shares of the companys stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 4,538 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 1.7% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 362,482 shares of the companys stock worth $1,602,000 after purchasing an additional 6,231 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 9.7% in the second quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 70,621 shares of the companys stock valued at $195,000 after purchasing an additional 6,273 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in a.k.a. Brands by 17.1% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 68,600 shares of the companys stock valued at $189,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 165,793 shares of the companys stock worth $210,000 after acquiring an additional 15,899 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.89% of the companys stock. Insider Buying and Selling at a.k.a. Brands In other news, CFO Ciaran Joseph Long purchased 79,979 shares of a.k.a. Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $0.63 per share, for a total transaction of $50,386.77. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer now directly owns 383,226 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $241,432.38. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, Director Myles B. Mccormick purchased 56,250 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The stock was bought at an average price of $0.65 per share, with a total value of $36,562.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 122,635 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,712.75. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Ciaran Joseph Long acquired 79,979 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $0.63 per share, with a total value of $50,386.77. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 383,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $241,432.38. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 34.90% of the companys stock. About a.k.a. Brands (Get Rating) a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. operates a portfolio of online fashion brands in the United States, Australia, and internationally. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories through its online stores under the Princess Polly, Culture Kings, Petal & Pup, mnml, and Rebdolls brands, as well as operates eight physical stores under the Culture Kings brand name. See Also Receive News & Ratings for a.k.a. Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for a.k.a. Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (TSE:CP Get Rating) (NYSE:CP) Research analysts at Atb Cap Markets decreased their Q1 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Canadian Pacific Railway in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, April 19th. Atb Cap Markets analyst C. Murray now anticipates that the company will earn $0.87 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.98. The consensus estimate for Canadian Pacific Railways current full-year earnings is $4.73 per share. Atb Cap Markets also issued estimates for Canadian Pacific Railways Q2 2023 earnings at $1.12 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $4.61 EPS and Q1 2024 earnings at $1.24 EPS. Get Canadian Pacific Railway alerts: Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on CP. BMO Capital Markets set a C$130.00 price objective on Canadian Pacific Railway and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Canadian Pacific Railway from C$117.00 to C$120.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Berenberg Bank lifted their price objective on Canadian Pacific Railway from C$99.00 to C$110.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. National Bank Financial lifted their price objective on Canadian Pacific Railway from C$106.00 to C$107.00 in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price target on Canadian Pacific Railway from C$116.00 to C$122.00 in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Three investment 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 stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$109.64. Canadian Pacific Railway Stock Up 1.1 % Canadian Pacific Railway stock opened at C$110.06 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 51.23, a current ratio of 0.59 and a quick ratio of 0.42. Canadian Pacific Railway has a 1-year low of C$86.42 and a 1-year high of C$111.43. The company has a market cap of C$102.45 billion, a PE ratio of 29.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.83. The stocks 50 day moving average price is C$104.46 and its 200 day moving average price is C$103.48. Canadian Pacific Railway (TSE:CP Get Rating) (NYSE:CP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The company reported C$1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$1.06 by C$0.04. The company had revenue of C$2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$2.45 billion. Canadian Pacific Railway had a return on equity of 9.67% and a net margin of 39.90%. Canadian Pacific Railway Cuts Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be given a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. Canadian Pacific Railways payout ratio is 20.16%. Insider Transactions at Canadian Pacific Railway In other news, Senior Officer Keith E. Creel sold 3,608 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$77.31, for a total value of C$278,934.48. Company insiders own 0.02% of the companys stock. About Canadian Pacific Railway (Get Rating) Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a transcontinental freight railway in Canada and the United States. The company transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, potash, fertilizers, and sulphur; and merchandise freight, such as energy, chemicals and plastics, metals, minerals and consumer, automotive, and forest products. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Pacific Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Pacific Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cannell & Co. trimmed its position in shares of Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A) by 86.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 230,962 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,429,634 shares during the quarter. Cannell & Co.s holdings in Brookfield Asset Management were worth $6,622,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Fortis Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Brookfield Asset Management by 2.8% in the third quarter. Fortis Advisors LLC now owns 8,250 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $337,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its position in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 55,610 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,274,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 26,295 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,074,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC lifted its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 8,307 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $340,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the period. Finally, Stephens Inc. AR boosted its stake in Brookfield Asset Management by 5.1% during the third quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 5,412 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $221,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares in the last quarter. Get Brookfield Asset Management alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Brookfield Asset Management news, Director Multi-Strategy Mast Brookfield sold 24,744 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.96, for a total value of $295,938.24. Following the transaction, the director now owns 21,104,923 shares of the companys stock, valued at $252,414,879.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 11.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Brookfield Asset Management Stock Performance BAM opened at $32.64 on Friday. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $32.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.39. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. has a 52-week low of $26.76 and a 52-week high of $36.50. Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $958.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.81 billion. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. will post 1.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Brookfield Asset Management Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This is an increase from Brookfield Asset Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have weighed in on BAM shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded shares of Brookfield Asset Management to an underperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Brookfield Asset Management from $35.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $40.00 price objective on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Brookfield Asset Management in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brookfield Asset Management currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $47.06. Brookfield Asset Management Company Profile (Get Rating) Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. provides alternative asset management services. Its renewable power and transition business includes the ownership, operation, and development of hydroelectric, wind, solar, and energy transition power generating assets. The company's infrastructure business engages in the ownership, operation, and development of utilities, transport, midstream, data and sustainable resource assets. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A). Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Asset Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Asset Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of CC Japan Income & Growth Trust plc (LON:CCJI Get Rating) crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 153.17 ($1.90) and traded as low as GBX 150 ($1.86). CC Japan Income & Growth Trust shares last traded at GBX 150 ($1.86), with a volume of 156,708 shares trading hands. CC Japan Income & Growth Trust Stock Down 2.3 % The companys 50 day moving average price is GBX 153.17 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 149.82. The stock has a market cap of 202.10 million and a P/E ratio of -1,500.00. Get CC Japan Income & Growth Trust alerts: Insider Activity In other CC Japan Income & Growth Trust news, insider June Aitken purchased 879 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 160 ($1.98) per share, with a total value of 1,406.40 ($1,740.38). Insiders own 2.84% of the companys stock. About CC Japan Income & Growth Trust CC Japan Income & Growth Trust plc is an equity mutual fund launched and managed by Coupland Cardiff Asset Management LLP. It invests in the equity markets of Japan. The fund invests in stocks of companies operating across the diversified sectors. CC Japan Income & Growth Trust plc was formed in 2013 and is domiciled in the United Kingdom. Read More Receive News & Ratings for CC Japan Income & Growth Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CC Japan Income & Growth Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. (NYSE:NMFC Get Rating) and AGF Management (OTCMKTS:AGFMF Get Rating) are both companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, dividends and valuation. Profitability This table compares and AGF Managements net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets N/A N/A N/A AGF Management N/A N/A N/A Insider & Institutional Ownership 40.3% of AGF Management shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Valuation & Earnings Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A AGF Management N/A N/A N/A $0.70 8.33 This table compares and AGF Managements top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings for and AGF Management, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score 0 0 0 0 N/A AGF Management 0 1 0 0 2.00 AGF Management has a consensus target price of $9.04, indicating a potential upside of 55.09%. Summary AGF Management beats on 1 of the 1 factors compared between the two stocks. About AGF Management (Get Rating) AGF Management Ltd. is a diversified global asset management firm. It offers investment solutions to a wide range of clients, from individual investors and financial advisors to institutions, including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and foundations. The firm provides investment management with operations and investments in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its products include a diversified mutual funds, mutual fund wrap programs, and pooled funds. The company was founded by C. Warren Goldring and Allan Manford in 1957 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Dazed (OTCMKTS:MEDH Get Rating) and Paysafe (NYSE:PSFE Get Rating) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, risk, earnings and analyst recommendations. Profitability This table compares Dazed and Paysafes net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Dazed alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Dazed N/A N/A N/A Paysafe -122.68% 12.91% 2.14% Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Dazed and Paysafe, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Dazed 0 0 0 0 N/A Paysafe 1 3 1 0 2.00 Insider and Institutional Ownership Paysafe has a consensus target price of $36.60, suggesting a potential upside of 132.53%. Given Paysafes higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Paysafe is more favorable than Dazed. 47.7% of Paysafe shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Volatility and Risk Dazed has a beta of 2.86, indicating that its stock price is 186% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Paysafe has a beta of 1.85, indicating that its stock price is 85% more volatile than the S&P 500. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Dazed and Paysafes gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Dazed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Paysafe $1.50 billion 0.64 -$1.86 billion ($30.45) -0.52 Dazed has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Paysafe. Summary Paysafe beats Dazed on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Dazed (Get Rating) MedX Holdings, Inc. engages in the construction of commercial and residential properties through its subsidiaries. It also manages properties for rent. The company was founded by J. Glen House and Jay W. Roth on September 5, 2006 and is headquartered in Cheyenne, WY. About Paysafe (Get Rating) Paysafe Limited provides digital commerce solutions to online businesses, small and medium-sized business merchants, and consumers through its Paysafe Network worldwide. The company operates in two segments, US Acquiring and Digital Commerce. It provides PCI-compliant payment acceptance and transaction processing solutions for merchants and integrated service providers, including merchant acquiring, transaction processing, online solutions, fraud and risk management tools, data and analytics, and point of sale systems and merchant financing solutions under the Paysafe and Petroleum Card Services brands. The company also offers digital wallet solutions under the Skrill and NETELLER brands; and pay-by-bank solution under the Rapid Transfer brand. In addition, it provides eCash solutions, such as Paysafecash, a bill payment eCash solution that allow users to shop online and then pay offline in cash to finalize the transaction; paysafecard, a prepaid eCash solution; and paysafecard prepaid Mastercard that can be linked to a digital paysafecard account and used to make purchases. Further, it offers integrated and ecommerce solutions for online merchants and software-integrated merchants within integrated payment capabilities; online toolkit that allows merchants and integrated software vendor to build and scale their online commerce presence; and turn-key payments gateway solution that offers critical connectivity between merchant online sites and payment acceptance and transaction processing providers. Additionally, the company manages and provides various connections to card processing networks, acquiring banks, and transaction processors; and offers gateway connectivity,? shopping cart, tokenization and encryption, fraud and risk management, and support to payment alternatives, as well as provides integrations into eCommerce platforms and multiple alternative payment methods. Paysafe Limited is based in London, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Dazed Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dazed and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Dallas Securities Inc. reduced its stake in shares of FedEx Co. (NYSE:FDX Get Rating) by 45.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,128 shares of the shipping service providers stock after selling 5,081 shares during the quarter. First Dallas Securities Inc.s holdings in FedEx were worth $1,061,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in FedEx by 1.2% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 18,835,505 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $2,796,508,000 after purchasing an additional 220,183 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in FedEx by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 16,818,843 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $2,497,094,000 after buying an additional 469,345 shares during the period. Primecap Management Co. CA raised its stake in FedEx by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 13,878,717 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $2,060,573,000 after buying an additional 445,125 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management lifted its holdings in FedEx by 9.1% during the third quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,645,580 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $244,319,000 after acquiring an additional 136,862 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in FedEx by 4.5% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,284,390 shares of the shipping service providers stock valued at $297,196,000 after acquiring an additional 54,901 shares during the period. 72.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get FedEx alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup lifted their price objective on FedEx from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of FedEx from $250.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. StockNews.com raised shares of FedEx from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on FedEx from $242.00 to $264.00 in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on FedEx from $199.00 to $233.00 in a report on Friday, March 17th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $241.41. Insider Buying and Selling FedEx Stock Performance In other news, Director Stephen E. Gorman acquired 1,080 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $230.75 per share, for a total transaction of $249,210.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,258 shares of the companys stock, valued at $290,283.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . In related news, CEO Rajesh Subramaniam sold 11,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.01, for a total transaction of $2,569,986.25. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 39,483 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,120,967.83. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Also, Director Stephen E. Gorman acquired 1,080 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $230.75 per share, for a total transaction of $249,210.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 1,258 shares in the company, valued at $290,283.50. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders sold 146,486 shares of company stock valued at $34,001,009. Insiders own 8.62% of the companys stock. FDX traded up $1.06 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $230.44. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,180,092 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,957,353. The companys 50-day moving average is $216.40 and its 200-day moving average is $189.46. FedEx Co. has a 52 week low of $141.92 and a 52 week high of $248.76. The firm has a market cap of $57.92 billion, a PE ratio of 19.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.32. FedEx (NYSE:FDX Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 16th. The shipping service provider reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.74. The company had revenue of $22.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.74 billion. FedEx had a net margin of 3.23% and a return on equity of 17.71%. The companys revenue was down 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.59 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that FedEx Co. will post 14.93 EPS for the current year. FedEx Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 12th will be paid a dividend of $1.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 9th. This represents a $5.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.19%. This is a positive change from FedExs previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. FedExs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.72%. FedEx Company Profile (Get Rating) FedEx Corp. provides a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services under the FedEx brand. It operates through the following segments: FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, FedEx Services, and Corporate, Other & Eliminations. The FedEx Express segment consists of domestic and international shipping services for delivery of packages and freight. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FDX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for FedEx Co. (NYSE:FDX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for FedEx Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FedEx and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Number of Missing People in Kenya's Shakahola Cult Now Over 200 The number of missing people in cult leader Paul Mackenzie Nthenge's Shakahola forest cult has risen to 212, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS). The Malindi Sub-County hospital morgue is now full to capacity following the delivery of 78 bodies from on-going exhumations. The cult leader reportedly "brainwashed" citizens into starving themselves to death in order to "meet Jesus". He turned himself in to police and was charged after two children starved to death while in the custody of their parents, according to local media. Multi-agency security team have discovered shallow graves on the 800-acre parcel of land that is believed to be owned by the controversial pastor of Good News International Church. Although his church was shut down in 2019, Mackenzie has continued to attract the masses through his preaching of the 'end times and fasting to go to heaven'. President William Ruto has likened controversial the cult leader to an extremist who uses religion to advance what he described as "weird and unacceptable ideologies" after radicalising thousands, some of who starved to death. Ruto expressed deep concern over the revelations in Kilifi's Shakahola forest where over 70 bodies have been exhumed so far with many more believed to be buried there. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Kuehne + Nagel International (OTCMKTS:KHNGY Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on KHNGY. UBS Group downgraded Kuehne + Nagel International from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Kuehne + Nagel International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Stifel Nicolaus downgraded Kuehne + Nagel International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Kuehne + Nagel International from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, BNP Paribas downgraded Kuehne + Nagel International from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kuehne + Nagel International presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $280.00. Get Kuehne + Nagel International alerts: Kuehne + Nagel International Price Performance Shares of OTCMKTS KHNGY opened at $60.41 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.22. Kuehne + Nagel International has a fifty-two week low of $39.39 and a fifty-two week high of $60.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.47 billion, a PE ratio of 13.05 and a beta of 0.91. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $55.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.55. Kuehne + Nagel International Company Profile 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Kuehne + Nagel International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kuehne + Nagel International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Minera Alamos Inc. (OTCMKTS:MAIFF Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 753,200 shares, an increase of 6.2% from the March 15th total of 709,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 619,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days. Minera Alamos Stock Performance Shares of Minera Alamos stock opened at $0.30 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $0.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $0.31. Minera Alamos has a 1-year low of $0.26 and a 1-year high of $0.57. Get Minera Alamos alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, National Bank Financial increased their price target on Minera Alamos from C$0.80 to C$0.85 in a report on Friday, January 13th. About Minera Alamos Minera Alamos, Inc is a gold development company with a portfolio of Mexican assets. The firm holds an interest in Santana, La Fortuna, and Los Reyes projects. The Santana open-pit heap-leach development project in Sonora currently under construction, which is expected to have its first gold production in late 2020. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Minera Alamos Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Minera Alamos and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. decreased its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Rating) by 78.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 9,749 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 36,073 shares during the quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc.s holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $403,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 326,822,162 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $13,144,788,000 after buying an additional 3,920,830 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 20.9% during the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 105,621,983 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,248,626,000 after acquiring an additional 18,252,701 shares during the period. Sanders Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1.7% in the third quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 25,041,576 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,007,172,000 after acquiring an additional 416,171 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 0.3% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 21,901,706 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,061,357,000 after acquiring an additional 64,080 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 0.8% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 19,030,663 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $765,495,000 after purchasing an additional 153,177 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.24% of the companys stock. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Insider Activity In related news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 34,698 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.27, for a total transaction of $1,605,476.46. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $906,429.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Wells Fargo & Company Stock Performance A number of research firms have issued reports on WFC. Citigroup reduced their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $52.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Raymond James raised their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $46.00 to $49.00 in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $47.00 to $46.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $49.45. Shares of WFC stock opened at $41.24 on Friday. The stocks 50-day moving average is $41.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.83. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1 year low of $35.25 and a 1 year high of $48.84. The firm has a market cap of $155.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.82, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.12. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $20.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.06 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 10.07% and a net margin of 15.93%. The businesss revenue was up 16.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.88 EPS. Analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.76 earnings per share for the current year. Wells Fargo & Company Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 3rd were issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 2nd. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.91%. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is 34.38%. About Wells Fargo & Company (Get Rating) Wells Fargo & Co is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage products and services, and consumer and commercial finance. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (NYSE:WPM Get Rating) Analysts at National Bank Financial decreased their Q1 2023 earnings estimates for shares of Wheaton Precious Metals in a report issued on Tuesday, April 18th. National Bank Financial analyst S. Nagle now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $0.20 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.33. The consensus estimate for Wheaton Precious Metals current full-year earnings is $1.17 per share. National Bank Financial also issued estimates for Wheaton Precious Metals Q2 2023 earnings at $0.26 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $1.33 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $1.28 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $1.02 EPS. Get Wheaton Precious Metals alerts: Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE:WPM Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 10th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.24 by ($0.01). Wheaton Precious Metals had a net margin of 62.83% and a return on equity of 7.76%. The company had revenue of $236.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $241.70 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. Wheaton Precious Metals Stock Performance WPM has been the topic of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals from $52.00 to $51.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Wheaton Precious Metals from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Raymond James decreased their target price on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals from C$52.00 to C$51.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, TD Securities decreased their target price on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals from $55.00 to $54.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $55.11. Shares of WPM opened at $49.11 on Friday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $45.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $41.06. Wheaton Precious Metals has a 52 week low of $28.62 and a 52 week high of $52.76. The company has a market capitalization of $22.21 billion, a PE ratio of 33.18, a PEG ratio of 8.46 and a beta of 0.58. Institutional Trading of Wheaton Precious Metals Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Wheaton Precious Metals by 67.3% during the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 654 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 263 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in Wheaton Precious Metals by 7,566.7% during the 1st quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 690 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 681 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Wheaton Precious Metals during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc acquired a new position in Wheaton Precious Metals during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in Wheaton Precious Metals by 54.7% during the 4th quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 792 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. 57.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Wheaton Precious Metals Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 23rd. Wheaton Precious Metalss dividend payout ratio is currently 40.54%. About Wheaton Precious Metals (Get Rating) Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. is a mining company engages in the sale of precious metals and cobalt production. It operates through the following business segments: Gold, Silver, Palladium, Cobalt, and Other. The company was founded by Peter Derek Barnes on December 17, 2004 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO Get Rating) Analysts at Jefferies Financial Group reduced their FY2023 earnings estimates for Rio Tinto Group in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, April 19th. Jefferies Financial Group analyst C. Lafemina now expects that the mining company will earn $8.79 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $8.88. The consensus estimate for Rio Tinto Groups current full-year earnings is $8.02 per share. Get Rio Tinto Group alerts: RIO has been the topic of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,310 ($65.71) to GBX 5,380 ($66.58) in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. Barclays raised shares of Rio Tinto Group from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,750 ($71.15) to GBX 5,790 ($71.65) in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Rio Tinto Group from a sell rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,800 ($71.77) to GBX 6,200 ($76.72) in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $5,790.00. Rio Tinto Group Stock Down 4.0 % Rio Tinto Group Cuts Dividend Shares of Rio Tinto Group stock opened at $64.58 on Friday. Rio Tinto Group has a 52-week low of $50.92 and a 52-week high of $80.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $69.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.92. The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a $2.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 9.8%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rio Tinto Group Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 169,344 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $9,324,000 after acquiring an additional 22,821 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in Rio Tinto Group by 10.9% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 6,952 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $411,000 after purchasing an additional 682 shares during the period. Clarius Group LLC boosted its position in Rio Tinto Group by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 7,116 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $507,000 after purchasing an additional 921 shares during the period. Meritage Portfolio Management boosted its position in Rio Tinto Group by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 38,611 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $2,749,000 after purchasing an additional 1,169 shares during the period. Finally, Kathmere Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Rio Tinto Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $205,000. 10.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Rio Tinto Group Company Profile (Get Rating) Rio Tinto Plc engages in the exploration, mining, and processing of mineral resources. It operates through the following business segments: Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper and Diamonds, Energy and Minerals, and Other Operations. The Iron Ore segment supplies global seaborne iron ore trade. The Aluminium segment produces bauxite, alumina and primary aluminum. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Rio Tinto Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rio Tinto Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Schroders plc (LON:SDR Get Rating) have received a consensus rating of Hold from the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 2,123.33 ($26.28). Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a hold rating on shares of Schroders in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. Credit Suisse Group cut Schroders to a neutral rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from GBX 510 ($6.31) to GBX 470 ($5.82) in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a neutral rating on shares of Schroders in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Get Schroders alerts: Schroders Trading Down 0.3 % Shares of LON:SDR opened at GBX 480.50 ($5.95) on Friday. Schroders has a 52 week low of GBX 348 ($4.31) and a 52 week high of GBX 524 ($6.48). The companys 50 day moving average is GBX 471.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 451.87. The company has a market cap of 7.74 billion, a PE ratio of 1,601.67, a P/E/G ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 4.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.06. Schroders Cuts Dividend Insider Activity The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd will be given a dividend of GBX 15 ($0.19) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 23rd. Schroderss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7,000.00%. In other news, insider Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson purchased 4,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 451 ($5.58) per share, for a total transaction of 19,844 ($24,556.37). In other Schroders news, insider Deborah Waterhouse acquired 4,190 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 491 ($6.08) per share, for a total transaction of 20,572.90 ($25,458.36). Also, insider Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson bought 4,400 shares of Schroders stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 451 ($5.58) per share, with a total value of 19,844 ($24,556.37). In the last three months, insiders bought 8,640 shares of company stock valued at $4,066,240. Insiders own 43.22% of the companys stock. About Schroders (Get Rating) Schroders plc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm also provides advisory and consultancy services. It provides its services to financial institutions, high net worth clients, large corporate, local authority, charitable entities, individuals, pension plans, government funds, insurance companies, and endowments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Schroders Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Schroders and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Ventas (NYSE:VTR Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm issued an overweight rating and a $50.00 price objective on the real estate investment trusts stock. Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. KeyCorp lowered their price target on Ventas from $56.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Ventas from $56.00 to $54.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Credit Suisse Group lowered their price objective on Ventas from $51.00 to $50.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Raymond James lifted their price objective on Ventas from $46.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, January 9th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Ventas in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $55.75. Get Ventas alerts: Ventas Stock Up 1.3 % VTR opened at $45.18 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.62. Ventas has a one year low of $35.33 and a one year high of $59.81. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $45.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.07 billion, a P/E ratio of -376.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 1.18. Ventas Announces Dividend Ventas ( NYSE:VTR Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.11) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.72 by ($0.83). Ventas had a negative return on equity of 0.45% and a negative net margin of 1.15%. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.73 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Ventas will post 2.96 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 3rd were issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 31st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.98%. Ventass dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -1,500.00%. Insider Buying and Selling at Ventas In other Ventas news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 32,932 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.74, for a total value of $1,736,833.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 863,555 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,543,890.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Ventas Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VTR. MV Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 923.2% during the 4th quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 573 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 517 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in Ventas during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Ventas during the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ventas during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Hollencrest Capital Management purchased a new stake in Ventas during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 91.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Ventas (Get Rating) Ventas, Inc engages in the acquisition and ownership of seniors housing and healthcare properties. It operates through the following segments: Triple-Net Leased Properties, Senior Housing Operating Portfolio (SHOP), and Office Operations. The Triple-Net Leased Properties segment invests in and owns senior housing and healthcare properties. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Ventas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ventas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of Wabash National (NYSE:WNC Get Rating) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday. Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Wabash National from $29.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Raymond James boosted their target price on shares of Wabash National from $29.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Wabash National from $17.00 to $27.50 in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $28.30. Get Wabash National alerts: Wabash National Stock Performance Shares of WNC opened at $22.55 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.71. The company has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.93 and a beta of 1.61. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $25.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $23.82. Wabash National has a 1 year low of $12.81 and a 1 year high of $30.10. Wabash National Announces Dividend Wabash National ( NYSE:WNC Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The company reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $657.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $668.58 million. Wabash National had a net margin of 4.49% and a return on equity of 31.21%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 37.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.07 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Wabash National will post 2.9 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 6th will be issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.42%. Wabash Nationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.10%. Insider Activity at Wabash National In other Wabash National news, CEO Brent L. Yeagy sold 60,244 shares of Wabash National stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.08, for a total transaction of $1,691,651.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 319,129 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,961,142.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CEO Brent L. Yeagy sold 60,244 shares of Wabash National stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.08, for a total transaction of $1,691,651.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 319,129 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,961,142.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Brent L. Yeagy sold 16,864 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.21, for a total value of $458,869.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 275,787 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,504,164.27. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 230,249 shares of company stock valued at $6,347,724. 1.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Wabash National Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WNC. Well Done LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Wabash National by 26.6% during the 1st quarter. Well Done LLC now owns 12,176 shares of the companys stock worth $299,000 after buying an additional 2,560 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Wabash National by 20.7% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 36,235 shares of the companys stock worth $891,000 after buying an additional 6,222 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in Wabash National by 15.5% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 71,345 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,754,000 after purchasing an additional 9,560 shares during the last quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Wabash National in the first quarter valued at approximately $461,000. Finally, Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new position in Wabash National in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 98.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Wabash National (Get Rating) Wabash National Corp. engages in the design, manufacture and market of semi-trailers, truck bodies, specialized commercial vehicles, and liquid transportation systems. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Trailer Products, Diversified Products, and Final Mile Products. The Commercial Trailer Products segment manufactures van and platform trailers and other transportation related equipment to customers who purchase directly from the company or through independent dealers. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Wabash National Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wabash National and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oakworth Capital Inc. lowered its stake in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 29.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,396 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,000 shares during the period. Oakworth Capital Inc.s holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $99,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Financial Management Professionals Inc. grew its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 66.6% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 688 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Orion Capital Management LLC grew its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 125.0% in the 3rd quarter. Orion Capital Management LLC now owns 900 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Lam Group Inc. bought a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors own 72.24% of the companys stock. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Piper Sandler lowered shares of Wells Fargo & Company from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the company from $49.00 to $47.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. Cfra upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company to a buy rating and set a $50.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, January 13th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Odeon Capital Group downgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, March 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $49.00 to $45.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 10th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $49.45. Insiders Place Their Bets Wells Fargo & Company Stock Down 1.0 % In other news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 34,698 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.27, for a total value of $1,605,476.46. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $906,429.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the companys stock. Shares of Wells Fargo & Company stock traded down $0.43 on Friday, hitting $41.24. The company had a trading volume of 23,975,297 shares, compared to its average volume of 23,597,486. Wells Fargo & Company has a twelve month low of $35.25 and a twelve month high of $48.84. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $41.64 and a 200-day moving average of $43.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $155.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.82, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.83. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $20.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.06 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 15.93% and a return on equity of 10.07%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.88 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.76 earnings per share for the current year. Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 3rd were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 2nd. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.91%. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.38%. Wells Fargo & Company Profile (Get Rating) Wells Fargo & Co is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage products and services, and consumer and commercial finance. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. This year's Akshaya Tritiya was marked by sluggish sales of jewellery and gold items despite heavy footfalls as high prices of the yellow metal dampened demand, jewellers told PTI. The festival is spread across two days this year, April 22 and April 23. Jewellers expected a nearly 10 per cent decline in sales volume on Akshaya Tritiya on a year on year basis due to the 20 percent rise in the price of gold since last year. Customers either made token purchases or went for lightweight jewellery on the auspicious occasion on April 22. Steady footfalls were seen since morning on April 22 in jewellery retail stores, however, consumers opted mostly for lightweight jewellery or 1-2 grams of gold coins as a token purchase to celebrate the festive occasion, jewellers said. "We have been getting positive responses on consumer footfalls this year. In fact, reports from the southern region have been encouraging and people are mostly going in for light-weight jewellery items ranging from 2-8 grams. Hallmarking has also been a positive boost to sales," All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) chairman Sayam Mehra told news agency PTI. Also Read: Sovereign gold bonds should you buy them this Akshaya Tritiya 2023? However, due to the high gold prices, there is likely to be a decline in sales of about 5-7 per cent in terms of volume from last year, Mehra said. Gold prices (24K) on April 23 were ruling Rs 62,090 per 10 grams in Delhi, compared to Rs 50,800 per 10 grams last year. Kolkata-based Senco Gold and Diamonds MD and CEO Suvankar Sen appeared bullish regarding sales and said the upcoming summer wedding season is the reason behind being hopeful for good sales during this period for jewellers. "While high gold prices and recent heat waves in a few states have impacted the customers' footfalls during the day time, we are witnessing an increase in footfalls in the evening. Also for a change this year we have witnessed good traffic at our e-commerce and digital gold platform," he said. "Reviewing the sales since morning and the projection for two days, we are expecting 7-10 per cent growth in value terms compared to last year and a 10 per cent decline in terms of volume. As April 23 is the second day of Akshaya Tritiya which is a Sunday, we are hopeful for more footfalls at our 137 nationwide showrooms and better sales growth," Sen added. Also Read: Remain invested in gold rather than waiting for larger correction in prices: Tata Asset Management De Beers Forevermark Vice President Amit Pratihari talked about witnessing a strong momentum with South Indian states driving the demand on the auspicious occassion. "On the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, we have been witnessing strong footfalls. All our partner retailers have received a good response and we have witnessed a strong momentum across the country, particularly in South India, where it's a major festival," Pratihari said. Pratihari spoke about people taking interest in diamond jewellery and a sustenance of demand throughout the year. "People are taking more interest in diamond jewellery, we have noticed around 25-30 per cent growth this Akshaya Tritiya and are upbeat that the strong demand for this festivity will be retained for the rest of the year," Pratihari said. Jewellers are expecting the demand to pick up on April 23, the second day on which the festival is being celebrated. (With inputs from PTI) " " The signature facial structure of the alligator gar includes a short, wide, shovel-shaped bill that makes it stand out even amongst its fellow gar. Jason Goh/Pixabay As humans, we like to think we run the show here on planet Earth. But in the grand scheme of things, our legacy is laughably short compared to those of other species. The prehistoric-looking Atractosteus spatula, for example, otherwise known as the alligator gar, is sometimes referred to as a "living fossil." And for good reason: Scientists can trace this unique looking fish back 100 million years. "The alligator gar, Atractosteus spatula, is the largest of the seven living species of gar," said Robert H. Robins, collection manager in the Division of Ichthyology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, when we talked to him in 2019. "Besides its massive adult size, it can be distinguished from other gar by two rows of teeth in the upper jaw versus one, and a head that when measured length versus width, is broader than most other gar." Advertisement And talk about massive in the first week of May 2022, a Texas man pulled in an alligator gar of truly monstrous proportions. According to LiveScience, YouTuber, educator and conservationist Payton Moore caught the huge fish, which was 8 feet (2.5 meters) long and weighed an estimated 300 pounds (136 kilograms). In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Moore said, "It felt like somebody's car had just started up and was rolling out of the driveway, and Im hanging on to the end of it." Moore released the gar back into the bayou after measuring it and uploaded a video of it to his channel, WILD LIFE, on May 7. But he didn't seek official certification and the fish wasn't weighed, so his massive catch isn't eligible for the record books. The record for the largest alligator gar ever caught in Texas still stands with the beast hauled into a boat in 1953, which weighed 302 pounds (137 kilograms), according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Agri drone manufacturer IoTechWorld Avigation is targeting to sell 3,000 drones this fiscal, a six-fold jump from the previous year, on rising demand mainly from agrochemical firms and agriculture universities. Startup IoTechWorld, which was founded in 2017 by Deepak Bhardwaj and Anoop Upadhyay, has a manufacturing facility in Gurugram. It sells agri drones at about Rs 7.5 lakh plus GST. Agrochemical player Dhanuka Agritech in 2021 announced an investment of Rs 30 crore in IoTechWorld for a minority stake. "We sold around 500 agri drones during the last fiscal year as against 100 drones in 2021-22," IoTechWorld Avigation co-founder Deepak Bhardwaj said on the sidelines of an event on Saturday. The company celebrated 6th foundation day and launched a new agri drone which is more compact and foldable, thereby easy to transport. "We could not fulfill the entire orders last fiscal because of the shortage of chips," he said. Bhardwaj said the demand is primarily from agrochemical players, agriculture universities and other government bodies. Asked about turnover, Bhardwaj said it was around Rs 45 crore last fiscal and is set to jump multiple times in lines with growth in volumes. Upadhyay said the company is getting a lot of enquiries from foreign countries like Russia, Brazil and South East Asia, and it will hopefully start exporting drones from this fiscal year. Although IotechWorld will continue to focus on agri-drones, he said the company might explore supplying drones in defence and logistics sectors. "We are seeing lot of opportunities for use of drones in precision agriculture and forest management," Upadhyay said. The government's subsidy schemes have helped a lot in boosting demand for agri-drones, said both the co-founders. In February, IoTechWorld partnered with Syngenta India for facilitating introduction of drone spraying across India. Under this agreement, the two companies will work on creating employment opportunities for rural youth by training and preparing them for using drones. "In next year, we are targeting 2,000 agri-entrepreneurs who will provide services to farmers," Bhardwaj said, adding that it would be a profitable business for them. Bhardwaj highlighted the benefits of the use of agri drones and said it takes only 7 minutes to spray agrochemicals in one acre of land. That apart, spraying pesticides with the use of drones could boost yield because of uniform applications of chemicals in the field. In June last year, Civil Aviation ministry awarded the first Type Certificate (TC) under Drone Rules, 2021 to IoTechWorld Avigation Pvt Ltd. The Drone Rules, 2021 were notified on 25 August 2021 and the 'Certification Scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CSUAS)' for obtaining Type Certificate (TC) for drones was notified on 26 January 2022. At the start of FY23, the Street expected a 15% earnings growth, but the final outcome was only around 7-8%. In this context, Amit Premchandani from UTI AMC is concerned that the Street's expectation of 20%-plus earnings growth for FY24 may need to be revised downwards. "The market is a function of earnings growth and multiples. Although multiples have corrected, earnings expectations have not," he said in an interview with Moneycontrol. "I believe the market will remain volatile over the next few months, given the global macro factors and the earnings cycle in India." Edited excerpts: Do you believe valuations have corrected to a point where FII inflows will now sustain? The bulk of the rate tightening cycle in developed markets is behind us and India has absorbed a large part of FII selling without too much price erosion. So on an incremental basis, we don't think FII outflow will be as strong as we have seen over the last one year. But, it is difficult to hazard a guess whether it will be a positive number this year since dynamics are constantly changing. In this market outlook, what are the aggressive sector calls you are taking based on valuation? Healthcare We are positive about the healthcare sector given that healthcare expenditure to GDP for a country like India is still pretty low. We are one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of medicine. Growth in the domestic pharma sector has been hovering around 8-10 percent on a steady basis. Moreover, most of the domestic pharma companies are cash-generating with very limited debt and are available at reasonable valuation. Unfortunately, in India, there's an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases due to lifestyle choices and that provides a very long runway of growth for the Indian pharma sector. Autos From a cyclical point of view, we are positive about the auto sector. The replacement cycle started playing out in 2022 and we have started seeing double-digit growth in some of the two-wheeler companies. The margin profile of these companies will also improve as volume growth comes back after two years of COVID-impacted base. Plus, most auto companies have no debt issues. Also read: Slowing housing sales to bring in second leg of US bank decline, says Ashika Globals Amit Jain Metals Given that metal prices have corrected significantly, EBITDA margins have sharply gone down and hence the valuations have also corrected within the sector. Over the last three years, Indian metal companies have cleaned up their balance sheet and reduced leverage. So, they are very much capable to ride out the slowdown. Banks have kickstarted Q4 earnings season on a positive note. Do you prefer private banks or PSU banks? We have a large exposure to private sector banks because we believe they will continue gaining market share and their growth rate will be significantly higher than the entire BFSI sector. Most private sector banks are well capitalized and are sitting at CET-1 ratio at decade high. They have provided well for bad loans and also have significant continuing provisions. RoA (return on assets) profiles are at all-time high and margins are surprisingly surprising positively over the last two quarters. We are focused on banks that are able to generate a good return on equity on a sustainable basis and historically, private banks have been able to do so. In FY24, net interest margins might contract slightly, coming in lower than FY23 exit margins but they will still be higher than 5-year average. Which sector are you underweight on? We are underweight on the consumer staples side. If you look at the valuations, the market is implying growth which is much higher than what they have delivered over the last decade. We are not comfortable with that. Moreover, the penetration story in the staples sector has already played out. Also read: Why this CIO is bullish on FMCG stocks and sees no spark in tech From that angle, we are more positive on a discretionary space. Although valuations are not significantly cheaper, but the underperformance over the last one year provides some opportunity. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Ajmera Realty & Infra India Ltd has acquired 5,017 square meters of land in Mumbai from Tata Communications for Rs 76 crore to build a residential project. The land parcel, located at Vikhroli East, has been acquired by its subsidiary Shree Yogi Realcon Pvt Ltd in a bidding process for a total consideration of Rs 76 crore. The acquisition is intended for the residential development offering 1/2/3 BHK, with an estimated gross sales value of Rs 550 crore, the company said. The land acquisition is a part of Ajmera Realty's growth strategy, to continue broadening its scope in newer micro-markets across the Mumbai & MMR region, where residential sales have accelerated and is expected to grow further. Dhaval Ajmera, the company's director, said the land acquisition in Vikhroli aligns with the objective of strengthening the company's footprint across real estate micro markets in Mumbai & MMR. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Reliance Industries Ltd, India's largest company by market value, will commence natural gas production from its deepest discovery in the KG-D6 block this quarter, meeting 15 per cent of India's gas demand. KG-D6 off the Andhra coast is India's only deepwater block under production. The block averaged 20 million standard cubic meters per day of production in the January-March quarter, the company said in an investor presentation post-presentation of the March quarter earnings. Reliance and its partner, UK super major BP are now nearing the start of production from their giant MJ deep-water project, which will significantly boost gas output from the prized east coast asset. "MJ field is expected to commence production in 1Q FY24 (April 2023 to March 2024)," it said. The company, which is the operator of the block, earlier planned to start production in the December quarter, but it was delayed by three months. Reliance and BP are spending about USD 5 billion on further developing KG-D6 through three different projects, aimed at rejuvenating gas production from the offshore asset. While the first two developmentsR-cluster and Satellite Clusterhave started gas production, MJ is now nearing completion. Start of MJ will take KG-D6 gas production to 30 mmscmd in FY24, Reliance said in the presentation. "Testing and commissioning underway in the MJ field," it said. "One well opened as part of the ongoing testing of the integrated production system." The company has already sold 6 mmscmd of gas to companies in the city gas, power and fertiliser sectors. The two partners plan to use a floating production system at high-sea in the Bay of Bengal to bring to production the deepest gas discovery in the KG-D6 block. The MJ-1 gas find is located about 2,000 metres directly below the Dhirubhai-1 and 3 (D1 and D3) fieldsthe first and the largest fields in KG-D6 block. MJ-1 is estimated to hold a minimum of 0.988 trillion cubic feet of contingent resources. The field also has oil deposits. Both gas and oil will flow from wells drilled below seabed to the Floating Production Storage and Offloading, where they will be stripped of impurities. Oil will be loaded on tankers for sale to refineries while gas will travel to onshore through an under-sea pipeline and onwards to customers. South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries-built double-hulled FPSO is built to handle 60,000 barrels per day of liquids and around 12.7 million cubic metres per day of gas. The floater is expected to have condensate production capacity of 30,000 bpd and water-handling capacity of at least 20,000 bpd, with the potential for the latter to be increased. R-Cluster started production in December 2020 and the Satellite Cluster came on stream in April next year. While R-Cluster is expected to reach plateau gas production of about 12.9 mmscmd in 2021, Satellite Cluster will have a peak output of 6 mmscmd. The MJ field will have a peak output of 12 mmscmd. Oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance has so far made 19 gas discoveries in the KG-D6 block. Of these, D-1 and D-3the largest among the lotwere brought into production from April 2009 and MA, the only oilfield in the block, was put to production in September 2008. While the MA field stopped producing in 2019, the output from D-1 and D-3 ceased in February 2020. Other discoveries have either been surrendered or taken away by the government for not meeting timelines for beginning production. Located on Block KG-D6 in water depths of between 600 and 1,200 metres, the MJ development includes seven production wells to be linked to the FPSO via a pair of subsea drill centres. MJ's reservoirs are about 2,000 metres below the producing D1-D3 gas fields and the development is expected to be the third largest on the block. Reliance holds a 66.67 per cent operated interest in KG-D6, with BP holding the remaining 33.33 per cent. Disclaimer: Moneycontrol is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary. As the price of rice rose during the first half of 1943, the poor in the villages without sufficient stocks of grain in their possession found themselves unable to buy food, the Famine Inquiry Commission wrote in the report published in 1945. After an interval during which they attempted to live on their scanty reserves of food, or to obtain money to buy rice at steadily rising prices by selling their scanty possessions, they starved. The majority remained in their homes and of these many died. Others wandered away from their villages in search of food, and the mass migration of starving and sick destitute people was one of the most distressing features of the famine. Also read: 80 years since the Bengal Famine - Part 2: Portrait of the 1943 famine We are 80 years from that early summer of 1943 when the price of rice rose and rose until...people starved. At least three million persons were killed in the 1943 famine, Amartya Sen writes in Poverty and Famines, basing his calculation on the figure provided by the colonial British government. Several anti-imperialist academics call it the forgotten holocaust or an unremembered genocide of the 20th century. Also read: Book excerpt | Amartya Sen's 'Home in The World' Perhaps, even within India, the story of 1943 has receded outside of Bengal - it is a footnote in public memory possibly because there is no memorial to those killed in the famine, not even a citizens initiative like the Partition museum in Amritsar. This could also be because most of what we know about the famine is through scholarly, complex work that was inaccessible to the public until the internet and book-sharing sites opened up academia to a degree. A two-page story by PC Joshi from November 1943, photos by Sunil Janah. Yet, the famine of 1943-45 was in fact extensively and meticulously documented by a tabloid-sized weekly magazine called Peoples Age, renamed Peoples War during the years of World War II. It was published by the Communist Party of India and cost two annas, a price that was raised to three annas in September 1944. The weekly was edited mainly by Puran Chand Joshi (1907-80), the general secretary of the party from 1935-47, although he shared editorship duties with Dr Gangadhar Adhikari, who was another general secretary of the party. But it was Joshi who would commission the late Sunil Janah (1918-2012), one of the greatest photographers to document India from the 1940s to the 1970sthe birth of the nation and her decades of youth. The famine would be his first major assignment. Joshi also commissioned Chittaprosad Bhattacharya (1915-78), now considered one of the most striking political artists in India. Joshi himself would report from across the large undivided Bengal province, and his articles were accompanied by Janah's photographs. Moved by the coverage of the famine, Somnath Hore (1921-2006), another major political artist, sent in his drawings of the famine affected and was published in the Bengali edition of Peoples War, Janayyuddha. The Statesman in Calcutta has received credit for its famine coverage, and rightly so. Its editor at the time, Ian M. Stephen, was a British citizen but he was extremely critical of the colonial British governments indifference to the distress in Bengal. On 22 August 1943, Stephen published a number of photographs of the starving lying listlessly or dead on the streets of Calcutta. This is believed to be the thing that embarrassed the British government to take action because the impact of the photographs travelled outside of Calcutta into the world. But the famine did not affect Calcutta directly, except bringing streams of emaciated, stunned rural migrants into the city. The urban poor of Calcutta were covered by subsidized food schemes and did not starve. The Statesmans coverage of 1943, however, remained Calcutta-centred in the subsequent months. By the second half of 1944, when Bengal reeled from the aftermath of the famine and the epidemics that came in its wake, The Statesman had ceased coverage of the famine. The only indication in the paper that the food situation was still precarious were the consistent ration notices for food, medicines, clothes issued by the then government of India. The effects of the famine continued well into 1945, Peoples War found. Joshi had commissioned Chittaprosad and Janah to travel across the vast presidency to report on the situation, often travelling with them himself to write. Chittaprosad did this in an especially interesting manner: he identified districts and villages by the most famous resident of the area. Thus, Hooghly was Shyama Prosad Mookerjees home, Birsingha Vidyasagars village, Telirbhag village, near Dhaka, Chittaranjan Dass place. Joshi also appeared to nurture their growth. It was not the norm for photographers in Indian newspapers to be credited for images. Janah was given full page photo spreads with a byline, Chittaprosad would often write the reports alongside his drawings. The result is an outstanding archive of human-interest journalisma unforgettable catalogue of a people wasting away without food, medicine, clothes. Their gaze tired and quiet, ashamed and sometimes beyond caring. It was also, particularly for the 1940s when news publications were text-dense, a pleasingly designed paper with handsome use of illustrations, photographs and cartoons. People's Age also published the work of Somnath Hore, a major Indian artist, influenced by the papers reportage of the ruin of Bengal. The reportage in Peoples War forced the colonial government to react in uncharacteristic panic: the administration confiscated 5,000-odd copies of a slender book called Hungry Bengal that Chittaprosad published on his travels through Midnapore district undertaken for the Peoples War. The paper also shaped a cultural output about the famine through the work of IPTA, or the Indian Peoples Theatre Association, which composed songs and wrote plays, most prominently Nabanna by Bijon Bhattacharya, performing them across India. In 1946, there was the Hindi feature film Dharti ke Lal directed by IPTA member Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. Mrinal Sen, another IPTA member, would direct the Bengali features Baishey Srabon (1960) and Akaler Sandhaney (1980). These are three of the four films made on 1943 the fourth being Satyajit Rays Ashani Sanket. Not least, the Peoples Age also directly fashioned the conscience and art of three prominent Indians artists of the twentieth centuryChittaprosad, Sunil Janah and Somnath Hore. Sunil Janah Sunil Janah was a student in the then Presidency College and a member of the Leftist students union, when Joshi visited Bengal for a fact-finding tour on the famine. Joshi asked Janah to accompany him to take photographs and Janah, who waned to be a journalist and pursued photography as a hobby, went along. The famine of 1943 was his first assignment as a photo-journalist. People were starving and dying and I was holding a camera to their faces, intruding into their suffering and grief, Sunil Janah said about his photography about the famine. I envied people who were involved in relief work because they were at least doing something to relieve the peoples distress. It was a very harrowing experience, but I also felt that I had to take photographs. There had to be a record of what was happening, and I would do it with my photographs. This diffidence about intruding manifests beautifully in his photographs of the famine. His human subjects are almost never looking away in the photos, they were aware of his camera and looked back at it. Perhaps this was Janahs way of securing a kind of consent for his intrusion. And this participatory gaze brings intimacy. As if the persons in the picture are right across you. Not a victim of a distant famine. But someone you know, looking quietly, tiredly at you. After the famine assignment, Joshi asked Janah to join the Communist Party of India, the photographer and archivist Ram Rahman has written. He moved to the CPIs office in Bombay where they lived in a commune. It was the party that bought him a Leica camera, Rahman writes, and on assignment for the party, he photographed Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohd Ali Jinnah, M.K. Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, indeed all the leaders of the national movement. Janah would go on to produce an outstanding body of work on India from the 1940s to 1970sher birth and formative decadesbefore leaving India. Sunil Janah was thrown out of the party in 1947 when Joshi was disqualified. He returned to Calcutta where he set up a studio, founded the film society movement with Satyajit Ray, Chidananda Das Gupta and Hari Dasgupta. He received commissions to photograph many of independent Indias industrial and big dam projects. He would also photograph a number of tribes on assignment for The Anthropological Society of India, then headquartered in Calcutta. By the end of the 1970s, Janah would move to London and later the US. At the time, despite his body of work that spanned over four decades and took him all over India, he was not a well-known name. He has spoken about being hurt by the frequent uncredited use of his images. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)s library and the CPIs library each held select, incomplete archives of the paper Peoples Age. The National Library does not hold archives of the journal. The second part of this story--on the artists Chittaprosad and Somnath Hore who carried the wounds of the famine lifelong, and PC Joshi and the end of the Peoples Age magazine--shall be carried next Sunday. "Waris Punjab De" chief Amritpal Singh has been arrested by the Punjab Police from Moga district. Amritpal Singh, head of Waris Punjab De, is a self-styled separatist leader and Khalistan sympathiser who openly boasts about idolising slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The controversial preacher made headlines when in late February he led a sword and gun-wielding mob of supporters that attacked a police station in Ajnala, demanding the quashing of an FIR against Amritpal and the release of his close aide. The police gave in to the pressure and the aide was released. The pictures and the clips of the mob triggered fears of the return of separatist violence in the border state. His activities were bolstered by the steady popularity he began gaining on social media during the farmers protests against three farm laws that now stand repealed. Also read: Punjab Police cracks down against radical preacher Amritpal Singh Soon, the youth leader started preaching about being a true Sikh and started giving speeches about the importance for all to gain shastra vidya or knowledge of weaponry. He has openly spoken against regional and national political parties, the Khalsa Aid, and feminist activists, among others. The 29-year-old, who is married to an NRI, used to reside in Dubai and worked as a dispatcher in his family-owned transport business. He was enticed by the ways of protest leader Deep Sidhu and took over the reins of the organisation he constituted Waris Punjab De after his sudden demise in a road mishap. However, as per reports, Sidhus family was quick to dissociate from Singh, who began dressing like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and also started emulating his mannerisms; in fact, his followers often refer to him as Bhindranwale 2.0. Also read: Behind Amritpals Startling Rise: Ghosts of Punjabs traumatic past, and an equally troubled present Singh has said, Bhindranwale is my inspiration. I will walk the path shown by him. I want to be like him because thats what every Sikh wants, but I am not copying him. I am not even equal to dust on his feet. An Indian Express report quoted Deep Sidhus brother Mandeep Singh Sidhu as saying: My brother made this organisation for a social cause, to raise issues of Punjab and to provide legal aid to the needy, not to propagate Khalistan. Amritpal is talking about creating unrest in Punjab. He is befooling people using my brothers and Khalistans name. Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was on Sunday lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam after being flown in a special flight from Punjab following his arrest in the northern state, officials said. A senior official told PTI that a heavily-guarded convoy reached the prison with Singh, who arrived at the Dibrugarh airport around 2:20 pm from Bathinda. "He has been kept in a special cell under tight security. A team from Punjab Police is present in the jail along with personnel of Assam Police," he said. The Assam Police has not yet made any official statement on the development. A multi-tier security arrangement has been made at the Central Jail, the official said. "The jail compound has been surrounded by Assam Police's elite Black Cat Commandos, CRPF and other security personnel," he said. Dibrugarh Central Jail was constructed in 1859-60 by the British on 15.54 acres of land. It is one of the oldest and well-fortified prisons, officials said. Altogether, nine of Singh's associates are also lodged in the jail. Security in and around the jail premises has been beefed up since March 19, when four members of the 'Waris Punjab De' (WPD) were brought here in the first batch. Earlier in the day, Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police from Rode village in the northern state, after remaining absconding for more than a month. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Punjab Police Inspector General Sukhchain Singh Gill said Amritpal Singh would be taken to Dibrugarh under the National Security Act (NSA). A few pictures of Amritpal Singh, while being taken into custody, surfaced on social media and in these, he could be seen a wearing traditional white robe. In a video circulated online, he is purportedly addressing a gathering at a gurudwara, and says he is surrendering. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. The Punjab Police had invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the Khalistan sympathiser. Several cases have been lodged against the radical preacher and his associates for allegedly spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and obstructing the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Venkatasamy Vignesh's family was thrilled when he got a job with Infosys in Chennai. Hailing from a family with roots in agriculture, a job with the software giant meant a stable income, but the happiness was short-lived when Vignesh decided to quit his job and take up farming. Now, two years since, the 27-year-old earns double the salary while working at a brinjal farm in Japan. "I have always been interested in agriculture," Vignesh, who is from Kovilpatti in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, told Moneycontrol. "And it was during the lockdown that I got a chance to reconnect with my passion. I began to tend to my family's farms and soon realised that it was indeed my calling." But Vignesh's family was not in favour of him earning a living out of agriculture. "They said there is no money to be made here. And they wanted me to have a stable income," he said, and he soon found hope when he came to know of an opportunity in Japan. "I heard from a friend about an institute that trains people in Japanese language and culture before helping them find jobs in the country and I got myself enrolled," Vignesh said. Chennai-based Nihon Edutech works in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and trains skilled workers in Japanese language, culture, etiquette, and technical training to place them in Japan. The country's demand for farmers comes from its ageing population and its younger generation's disinterest in agriculture. Six months later, Vignesh was ready, and in March, he flew to Japan to begin his stint as an agricultural worker at a brinjal farm in the country's Kochi prefecture. The former software engineer, who used to earn close to Rs 40,000 a month at Infosys, now earns around Rs 80,000 after deducting taxes. "Here, I live in the company's quarters for free but have to take care of my food requirements," Vignesh told Moneycontrol over a call from Japan. Explaining his role at the brinjal farm, he said that he has to take care of the crops and once they are ready, he helps in harvesting, cleaning, and processing it. "There is a lot to learn from here," he said. "A lot of the work is mechanised which reduces manual labour." When asked what he plans to do after his stint in the country, Vignesh said he intends to use his learnings to introduce innovate farming techniques in India. Commenting on Vignesh's journey, CEO of Nihon Edutech Krishnan Narayanan said, "He has done a great job, not only in setting a goal and achieving but has also helped a few of the others to go along (with him to Japan), helped and even been a leader to them." Meanwhile, CIIs executive director Sougata Roy Choudhary believes it's a unique opportunity for Vignesh especially because he wants to return to India and use his experience to teach others about better farming practices. "Japan has limited agricultural land and they practice intensive farming with the use of the latest equipment and technology. The techniques Vignesh learns there, he can implement in India so that the productivity per acre goes up," he said. But in the end, when Vignesh was asked what his family feels about him farming brinjals in Japan, he replied with a laugh, "They are okay now knowing that I am making more money than in my last job at Infosys while still working in the agricultural industry. They are also a little proud that I intend to return and share my experiences with them." Read more: Can farming in developed countries become a feasible employment avenue for Indian youth? The Bar Council of India has passed a resolution opposing the Supreme Court hearing petitions seeking legal recognition for same-sex marriage, stating that it is the responsibility of the legislature to deal with such matters. The resolution notes that India is a socio-religiously diverse country, and any decision regarding such a sensitive matter may prove harmful to future generations. The responsibility of lawmaking has been entrusted to the legislature under the Constitution, and laws made by the legislature are democratic as they are made after a consultative process. The resolution states that the issue of legal recognition of same-sex marriage is a matter of serious concern for the bar, and any decision of the apex court in such a sensitive matter may destabilize the social structure of the country in the coming days. The resolution urges the court to leave the question of recognizing same-sex marriage to the legislature, as it may arrive at an appropriate decision as per the societal conscience and mandate of the people of the country. According to the resolution, marriage has been typically accepted and categorized as a union of biological man and woman for the twin purpose of procreation and recreation since the inception of human civilization and culture. Thus, it would be catastrophic to overhaul something as fundamental as the conception of marriage by any law court, however well-intentioned it may be. The resolution claims that more than 99.9% of people of the country are opposed to "the idea of same sex marriage." It states "The vast majority believes that any decision of the Apex Court in favour on this issue will be treated to be against the culture and socio religious structure of our country." A constitution bench of the Supreme Court began hearing a batch of pleas seeking recognition of same-sex marriage on April 18. The hearing began on a controversial note as the government urged the court to either put the case on hold till it consults with all the states on the issue or hear their concerns in open court. However, the hearing scheduled to continue on April 24 has been put on hold as two of the judges are indisposed. The resolution of the Bar Council of India raises important issues regarding the role of the judiciary and the legislature in shaping public policy and upholding constitutional values. The Supreme Court's decision in this matter will have far-reaching implications for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and the overall socio-cultural fabric of the country. It is essential that the court takes into account the diverse opinions and beliefs of all sections of the society while arriving at a decision that upholds the principles of equality and justice enshrined in the Constitution. Shark Tank India judge and Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal on Saturday hit out at Google for its new payment norms which, he said, violated the Competition Commission of Indias (CCI) October 2022 antitrust directives. This comes amid an ongoing legal tussle over Googles new user choice billing system. Taking to Twitter, Mittal wrote, "Received a call from Google today mandating their payments for Indian developers in continued violation and disregard of CCI orders and Indian laws. Neo-colonialism at its worst! Hope the media, courts, and the Prime Minister's office are taking note the Digital East India Co is here." Received a call from @Google today mandating their payments for Indian developers in continued violation & disregard of @CCI_India orders & Indian laws. Neo-colonialism at its worst! Hope the media, courts & @PMOIndia are taking note the Digital East India Co is here Anupam Mittal (@AnupamMittal) April 20, 2023 On being asked by a Twitter user if he was referring to the 30 percent commission that Google demands, Anupam Mittal said, "amongst other things". Speaking about the call with Google representatives, Mittal told Inc42 that he was warned that his company People Group would have to comply with the new policy by April 26 or its apps would be taken off the Play Store. People Group is the umbrella company that operates others like Shaadi.com, Makaan, and Mauj. Mittal also said that complying with Google's rules when the Delhi High Court is already hearing an appeal against the new user choice billing system, would amount to being illegal. "We will not give up the fight easily It is fundamentally illegal in our interpretation and in the laws interpretation and, according to the law of the land, they are asking us to do illegal activities," the Shark Tank India judge told Inc42. "They (Google) are saying that I am your overlord and you have to listen to my instructions, not the court in your country, not the law in your country, not the institutions of your country. Read more: Google to allow app developers to offer third-party billing in India from April 26 As per Google's new policy, if a user pays through the alternative billing system (also termed as user choice billing system), the transaction will still be subjected to a service fee, but at a 4 percent rate reduction. This means that developers will have to shell out a service fee to Google ranging from 6-26 percent for in-app purchases and subscriptions, depending on the type of app/service and the annual revenue it generates on Google Play, as compared to the regular 10-30 percent service fee. This was opposed by startups in India who united under Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF). Despite not using any service from Google, app developers will be forced to pay commissions to Google. The startup community agreed that Google's non-compliance will impact the Indian startup ecosystem negatively, ADIF stated. Read more: Delhi High Court reserves judgment in start-ups' plea against Google's user choice billing system YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. On April 23, 2023 the authorities of Azerbaijan, grossly violating the provision 6 of November 9, 2020 Trilateral statement, have already officially blocked the Lachin corridor, taking steps to install a checkpoint in the corridor in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia. This step carried out by the armed forces of Azerbaijan today cannot even be considered as another provocation of Azerbaijan: it is really a flagrant violation of one of the fundamental provisions of November 9, 2020 Trilateral statement, aimed at the consistent implementation of Azerbaijans policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and the complete annihilation of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. The continuous illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor since December 12, 2022 under fabricated environmental pretexts and the installation of a checkpoint under false and groundless pretexts today are the continuation of the consistent implementation of this planned policy. This action is being carried out against the unequivocal statements of the international community and especially the legally binding decision of February 22, 2023 of the International Court of Justice. Moreover, the authorities of Azerbaijan do not make an effort to fulfil the well-known agreements or even to cover up its continuous violations of the fundamental norms of international law and in every possible way aggravate the regional situation, preparing the ground for the use of large-scale force. The Republic of Armenia, as a signatory to the November 9 Trilateral statement, considers this step of installation of a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan unacceptable. This, as well as the previous similar actions of Azerbaijan, combined with continuous Armeniophobic and threatening rhetoric, are aimed at scuttling the negotiations on the document on the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We call on the Russian Federation to finally fulfil the obligation under provision 6 of the Trilateral statement by eliminating the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor and ensuring the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the entire security zone of the corridor, and we call on the member states of the UN, having a mandate for the preservation of international security, to clearly record Azerbaijan's actions undermining the regional security and take effective steps towards the unconditional implementation of the decision of the ICJ, the highest international legal body. Summer is upon us. Theres no better time to escape the city and soak up all the adventures that lie within easy reach of Bangalore. Beaches and hill stations, wildlife and culture-filled cities whatever your holiday style, youll find a weekend getaway thats just a drive or train ride away. If youve already ticked off the usual suspects Coorg, Hampi, Pondicherry we offer some alternatives for a short and sweet weekend break. 1. Sakleshpur Karnataka is prime coffee country. While Coorg and Chikmagalur top the charts when it comes to hillside getaways in the state, Sakleshpur offers a quieter, relatively unspoilt alternative. The picturesque town sits on the slopes of the Western Ghats, where coffee and spice plantations stretch across the land. In the mornings, clouds envelop the peaks, and as day breaks, a golden light bathes the green hills and valleys. The Western Ghats are among the most biodiverse spots in the world, and long walks in nature introduce you to a fascinating variety of plant and avian life. Trek to waterfalls, visit the unique star-shaped Manjarabad Fort, or just soak in the quiet hill life with nothing but a book and a hot cuppa. Distance: 220 km from Bangalore 2. Badami & Aihole The ruins of Hampi are a major draw for any history buff, but if youve already been there done that, nearby Badami and Aihole offer an equally riveting historical circuit. Badami is known for its cave temples tucked into sandstone cliffs, with magnificently carved stone pillars and statues. Explore the rock-cut cave temples to marvel at how these architectural feats were achieved in the 6th century by the Chalukya dynasty. Nearby Aihole, 35km from Badami, was the capital of the Chalukya kingdom and is the site of several Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples. Youll see grand rock-cut structures dating back centuries, with carved pillars and plinths, sculptures and small shrines. Distance: 450 km from Bangalore 3. Mahabalipuram With the newly-launched Vande Bharat Express between Bangalore and Chennai, travelling between the two cities has never been easier. A short drive from Chennai via the scenic East Coast Road is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram. The seaside towns main allure lies in its collection of magnificent rock-cut temples and sculptures built by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. The Shore Temples carvings are a sight to behold, as is Krishnas Butter Ball a gigantic boulder balancing on a downward slope. After taking in the sights, relax and enjoy the sea breeze on Mahabalipuram Beach. Distance: 355 km from Bangalore 4. Bandipur National Park Summer is the best season to go on a wildlife safari in India. Chances of animal sightings are higher, as many species emerge from the tree cover in search of water. Bandipur National Park is among Karnatakas prime national parks, and a summer safari is a great way to understand the workings of the forest. Spread across 872 sq km, this jungle of teak and sandalwood was once the hunting ground of the former Mysore maharajas. Today, it is home to tigers and elephants, sloth bear, jackals, gaur and deer. Theres also a wide variety of bird life and snakes. Along with nearby Nagarhole and Mudumalai, this wilderness in the Nilgiris offers the perfect antidote to busy city life. Distance: 224 km from Bangalore Also read: 10 super clean beaches in India 5. Honnavar A sleepy coastal town in Uttara Kannada, Honnavar generally flies under the tourist radar, but if youre really looking to switch off on your holiday, this is the place to go. The towns scenic Kasarkod Beach recently came into the spotlight when it earned the Blue Flag tag a title given to beaches that meet stringent cleanliness, environmental and accessibility criteria. Now called the Eco beach, the five-kilometre-long stretch of sand is a beautiful spot to unwind and catch the sunset. Apart from beautiful beaches, Honnavars forests, waterfalls, and suspension bridge are all worth a visit. Visit the Apsarakonda waterfall and dont miss the Mangrove Boardwalk a wooded trail that meanders through the mangroves. Distance: 460 km from Bangalore 6. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary Just 18km from Mysuru, the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary offers a chance to get truly up close with crocodiles and a range of birds. The sanctuary is spread across islets in the River Kaveri lush sites that are breeding and nesting sites for nearly 200 species of resident and migratory birds. Boats meander down pristine water channels, with trained guides pointing out painted storks and spoonbills, pelicans and darters. The sanctuary is also home to a large and charismatic species the mugger or the marsh crocodile. You see loads of them basking on rocks and riverbanks, soaking up the sun with their mouths wide open. Distance: 131 km from Bangalore Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on Sunday announced that it will formally launch its election campaign in Punjab on Monday though there is no clarity on the date of the polls in the politically crucial province. Tehreek-e-Insaf will officially launch its election campaign tomorrow. They (Pakistan Democratic Movement) may not be ready but we are ready, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar tweeted. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is a coalition of political parties headed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) currently ruling the country. Interestingly, PTIs announcement of launching the election campaign comes despite uncertainty surrounding the elections in Punjab, the most populous province which also sends nearly 150 lawmakers to the National Assembly. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is waiting for funds from the federal government to conduct the elections. The Defence Ministry has informed the ECP that the Pakistan Army will not be available for providing security. Parliament and the judiciary have also locked horns over the holding of elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces as the cash-strapped government has refused to authorise the funds to meet the expenditures amidst the economic crisis facing the country. The Supreme Court has directed the federal government to release Rs 21 billion in funds for the ECP by April 10 and provide security for the elections. However, the government has refused to release funds for the polls as the Parliament rejected the proposal. The defence ministry had also filed a petition in the Supreme Court calling it to take back its order of holding polls on May 14. The case is being heard in the Supreme Court and during the proceedings Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial remarked that the three-member bench will not take back its order for holding polls on May 14. Former prime minister Khan has been pushing for snap elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provinces where his PTI ruled till recently. The PTI dissolved the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies on January 14 and 18, respectively, in a bid to force the ruling PDM coalition in Islamabad to hold early general elections in the country. The PTI finalised a list of 297 candidates recently after PTI Chairman Khan interviewed all party candidates in person to uphold merit in awarding party tickets, media reports said. But the allotment of tickets has not gone well within the party as many high-profile leaders were snubbed, the reports said. Meanwhile, Geo News reported, citing sources, that Khan was planning to include the party's Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Umar in the review committee to address objections. The current term of the National Assembly will complete its five-year term in August this year. According to the Constitution, elections shall be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the lower house. This means that the election must be held by mid-October. The last general election was held in July 2018. Cheering, flag-waving crowds gathered in Tokyo on Sunday for the first full Pride parade in four years, celebrating advances in LGBTQ rights but demanding Japan join other advanced nations in legally recognising same-sex marriage. Change is slow in Japan, which hosts a summit next month of the Group of Seven industrial powers as the only member of the G7 that does not recognise same-sex marriage. But growing support from the nations top business lobby and major companies is putting pressure on the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his conservative ruling party. Organisers estimated 10,000 people marched in Sundays parade in the downtown Shibuya district. Participants said they realised how their nation lagged the rest of the G7 but were hopeful of change. Japan is really far behind We will fight until the entire country has same-sex marriage, said Himama, sporting a pink-dyed goatee and declining to give his real name out of consideration for family members. I think the government is both pretending to see us and pretending not to, but that change will really start happening from here on in. Masako Mori, a special advisor to Kishida on LGBTQ affairs, attended, but did not mention same-sex marriage in brief remarks before the parade began, instead urging greater understanding of LGBTQ. Crowds lined the sidewalks, waving rainbow flags and shouting Happy Pride at marchers, who included a group from Taiwan the only Asian nation with same-sex marriage. Since the last pre-pandemic Pride parade in 2019, the number of Japanese municipalities allowing same-sex couples to enter partnership agreements has surged from 26 to around 300, covering some 65% of the population. These do not allow partners to inherit each others assets and deny them parental rights to each others children. Hospital visits are not guaranteed. Kishida in February sacked an aide who sparked outrage by saying people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was allowed, but the premier remains noncommittal about same-sex marriage, even as polls show some 70% of the public in favour. Circumstances in each country are different, and I believe it is important to proceed with discussions carefully, Kishida told a foreign media roundtable on Thursday. Japans constitution refers to marriage as being between both sexes and mentions the equal rights of husband and wife. Allowing same-sex marriage would require amending the civil code. Some lawmakers have vowed to pass a law promoting understanding of LGBTQ before the summit. Activists and business leaders say this is a good step but falls short, noting that Japan at last years G7 summit committed to ensuring equal rights and anti-discrimination measures for LGBTQ. Masakazu Tokura, head of the powerful Keidanren business lobby, said in March he found the gap between Japan and other countries on LGBTQ issues embarrassing during a trip to the U.S. The situation has long limited the talent pool for global firms, but even traditional Japanese companies now find their international competitiveness endangered without diversity, including LGBTQ rights. Basically all the debates would be by Japanese men, and that made it hard to grow as a global firm, said Chika Sato, chief diversity officer at NEC. Foreign sponsors dominated the early days of Tokyo Pride, but this years roster includes Japanese firms from Panasonic and manufacturer IHI to Japan Post and Mitsubishi Materials. Conservative politicians idea of traditional family may be hard to change, but the idea of boosting Japans economy will definitely resonate, said Takeharu Kato, a member of the activist group Marriage for All Japan and a lawyer in a landmark 2021 case over LGBTQ marriage rights. NEC has in recent years promoted diversity in-house and grants LGBTQ couples some of the same benefits as married couples. Some 100 employees were scheduled to march in the parade. An NEC subsidiary is a sponsor, though not the parent company. Battles raging in Sudan have sparked several evacuation operations to rescue foreign citizens or embassy staff by road, air and sea. The main airport in the capital Khartoum has been the site of heavy fighting and is under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that is battling the army. Some evacuations are taking place from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, an 850 kilometre (530 mile) drive from Khartoum. Here is an overview of what various nations were doing in efforts to take stranded citizens to safety. - Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia led the first reported successful evacuation with naval operations picking up more than 150 people including foreign diplomats and officials from Port Sudan on Saturday. Riyadh 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. - United States - On Sunday, the US military sent three Chinook helicopters to evacuate American embassy staff from Khartoum. More than 100 US forces took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw the choppers flying from Djibouti to Ethiopia to Sudan, where they stayed on the ground for less than an hour. Several thousand US citizens including dual nationals are thought to remain in the country. - France - Around 100 people of multiple nationalities have been evacuated from Sudan on a first French flight out of the country after a "complicated" rescue operation, a French foreign ministry official said on Sunday. A second flight of another 100 people is expected to leave on Sunday evening, also heading to Djibouti, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity. - Britain - The British army has evacuated UK embassy staff and their families in a "complex and rapid" operation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a tweet. - Turkey - Ankara began operations at dawn on Sunday, taking some of its estimated 600 nationals by road from two Khartoum districts and the southern city of Wad Madani. But plans were postponed from one site in Khartoum after "explosions" near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said. - EU, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Greece - The European Union said Sunday there were "efforts to coordinate" evacuations. Seven EU members have missions in Sudan. The Netherlands' Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said a "handful" of Dutch people had been evacuated on a French aircraft, with another group leaving Khartoum by road in a UN convoy. Together with France, Germany and some other countries, "we have agreed that we will bring each other's compatriots," he said. Germany began evacuating citizens in "an ongoing evacuation operation", the defence and foreign ministries tweeted on Sunday, following an aborted attempt to transfer 150 Germans on Wednesday. Sweden's defence minister told AFP on Sunday "140 to 150" soldiers were mobilised to evacuate diplomats and other Swedish nationals. Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome was planning to evacuate "about 200 people" including Italians, Swiss and representatives of the Vatican in a military operation on Sunday. The Greek foreign ministry said a first group of evacuees has "left Sudan with the assistance of France". The Irish government is deploying 12 defence personnel to Djibouti to help evacuate 150 citizens in Sudan, a foreign ministry statement said. - Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia - Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman Sinan Majali said Saturday that Amman had begun the evacuation of some 300 Jordanian citizens, adding there was "continuous cooperation with the UAE and Saudi Arabia for this purpose". Iraqi embassy staff left Khartoum on Saturday, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahhaf said, while on Sunday, 14 citizens arrived safely at a "secure site" at Port Sudan. An Iraqi was killed in Khartoum "due to current events", Sahhaf told AFP Sunday, without providing further details. Lebanon said 60 citizens had also left Khartoum by road and were "safe", ahead of their planned evacuation by sea. The Libyan embassy in Khartoum on Friday said it had evacuated 83 Libyans from the capital, taking them to Port Sudan. The Tunisian embassy has announced an evacuation operation planned for Monday to extract citizens remaining in the country, after some had left aboard Saudi ships. - China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia - Other foreign countries preparing evacuations include South Korea and Japan, which have deployed forces to nearby countries. India said it had two air force planes "on standby in Jeddah" in Saudi Arabia and a navy ship had arrived in Port Sudan, but any evacuations "would depend on the security situation", according to a foreign ministry statement. The Sudanese army has said it is also coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from China. Indonesia said 43 citizens were sheltering inside the embassy compound in Khartoum. April 23, 2023 Ukraine Open Thread 2023-98 Only for news & views directly related to the Ukraine conflict. The current open thread for other issues is here. Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators. Posted by b on April 23, 2023 at 13:32 UTC | Permalink Comments next page China strives to advance ecological progress with green, intelligent technologies 11:09, April 23, 2023 By Shi Ling ( People's Daily Ningbo of east China's Zhejiang province has upgraded part of its public facilities, making them greener and more intelligent. It has integrated these upgraded facilities into a smart management platform to build itself into an intelligent and eco-friendly city where humans and nature can both prosper and live in harmony. Photo shows the Rihu Lake park and its surrounding cityscape in Ningbo. (People's Daily Online/Hu Xuejun) Many regions across China have employed big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other digital and smart technologies in ecological conservation, blazing a new trail of advancing ecological progress. For instance, Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang province has built a digital twin platform that is able to simulate floods in its Yongjiang River, which helps improve the city's capability in risk control and management. In a nature reserve in Shishou, central China's Hubei province, water temperature, dissolved oxygen rate, food intake of finless porpoises as well as other relevant data are collected by an intelligent ecological conservation system, so as to better protect the animal. Northwest China's Shaanxi province has launched a digital platform for rural ecological governance, which features rural environment monitoring, visualized geographical information service and other functions. Digitalization and green transition are two major trends in today's world. The two, mutually reinforcing, will create a multiplying effect. According to a recently released plan on building a digital China, to make positive achievements in digital ecological progress is an important goal. The plan proposes to build a green and intelligent digital ecosystem, which sets new requirements for a new generation of digital technologies in assisting ecological governance. A staff member of an industrial internet innovation center in Dongying, east China's Shandong province, checks real-time energy consumption of local enterprises on a big data platform. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Guangxue) Only by strengthening sci-tech development and expanding the application of digital technologies can ecological environment be constantly improved and high-quality development advanced. Ecological governance is a systemic project. Digital technologies support the whole process of ecological governance by making targeted identification and real-time tracking of environmental data a regular practice, so as to systematically and timely resolve ecological problems. For example, southeast China's Fujian province has introduced a cloud platform of ecological big data. The platform monitors marine debris, tracks air quality and features paperless approval of inter-provincial transfers of hazardous wastes. It helps ecological conservation practitioners better spot and address problems. The massive data and the powerful algorithm of the platform have made efficient monitoring and active forewarning possible for ecological governance. Besides, the platform also has the ability to analyze problems in a science-based manner and address them effectively. Ecological and environmental problems are in essence the problems of economic development models. To accelerate synergetic digital and green transformation is conducive to building and improving a green and low-carbon circular economic development system. Thanks to a series of policies implemented over the recent years, many digital tech firms in China have tailored low-carbon development plans. The energy consumption of each 5G base station in the country has been cut by over 20 percent from 2019 when the stations were just put into commercial use. In addition, energy-saving buildings, water-conservation agriculture, carbon-zero factories and other digital applications have effectively lowered the environmental cost of economic development. A staff member of a seedling center in an intelligent agricultural park in Xingwen county, Yibin, southwest China's Sichuan province, checks the growth of seedlings, April 11, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Wang Yu) It is estimated that industries will reduce their carbon emissions by 12.1 billion tons by 2030 thanks to the application of digital technologies. The synergetic development of digitalization and green transformation helps lower energy consumption of the whole industrial chain, improve production and energy efficiency, and integrate digital technologies with the real economy, thus leading to higher-quality development. Green development means not only a transition in production models, but also newer lifestyles. From virtual reality-enabled property tours to paperless contract signing, and from online fitness app to online second-hand trading, digital applications are bringing green and intelligent lifestyles to more and more people. Thanks to digital technologies, green application scenarios are seeping into every aspect of people's life, including consumption, traveling and home appliances. While promoting energy conservation, carbon reduction and pollution reduction, green applications are also enhancing Chinese people's awareness for energy saving, environmental protection and ecological conservation. Digitalization and green transformation are important topics concerning global development, and make a pair of twins that are interdependent and mutually-reinforcing. China will continue consolidating the foundation for the development of ecological and environmental technologies, expand the application scenarios of digital technologies, lead green transformation with digitalization and promote digitalization with green transformation, so as to make the country a more beautiful place. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming) And if Christ has not been raised, then empty, too, is our preaching; empty, too, your faith, 1 Corinthians 15:14. In contemplating these words of St. Paul, the scholarly pontiff Benedict XVI of beloved memory writes: With these words Saint Paul explains quite drastically what faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ means for the Christian message over all: It is its very foundation. The Christian faith stands or falls with the testimony that Christ has risen from the dead, Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Part II, page 241. With the Resurrection of Our Lord, we see the dawn of new hope even among the upheavals of our world. Hope was foreshadowed even as the darkness of Golgotha enveloped all creation when the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after His Resurrection, they entered the holy city, Matthew 27:51-53. Through Christs passion, death and resurrection, death was conquered. Now, we, too, after having lived a life worthy of God, at the end of our earthly journey, hope to see the heavens open and to enter through the portals of eternal life! After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (the mother of James, cf. Mark 16:1) came to see the tomb, and they heard the words: He is not here," Matthew 28:1-6. Neither the nails that fastened Him unto the cross, nor the tomb in which He was buried, could ever confine or restrict Jesus Christ. He was beyond the restrictions of this life and as He broke the walls limiting humanity, He broke our earthly confinement and opened for us the gates of heaven. No, He was not in the tomb! Christ was risen, and He then desired to dwell in the hearts of every woman, man and child, and in all the ages to follow would dwell with His people in Eucharistic communion. He is here: in the Eucharist, in the holy sacraments He instituted and in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy that flow from hearts united to Him in Holy Communion. Instructing, advising, consoling, and comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead," Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2447. When we understand the meaning of Easter, then we can become people of hope. Pope Benedict XVI asked the question, What does Easter mean? and responded, God has acted. History does not go on aimlessly. Justice, love, truth these are realities, genuine reality. God loves us; He comes to meet us. The more we go along His path and live in His way, the less we need to fear justice and truth, the more our hearts will be full of Easter joy. "Easter is not only a story to be told: It is a signpost on lifes way. It is not an account of a miracle that happened a very long time ago: it is the breakthrough that has determined the meaning of all of history," Pope Benedict XVI, Seek That Which Is Above, pages 77-79. During this Easter season, take to heart the words of Pope Francis: Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you wont be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, dont be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do," homily, St. Peters Basilica, Easter Vigil, March 30, 2013. Midland College Current Midland College (MC) Diesel Technology student Jessy Hills is the first person in the nation to enter the Sunbelt Rentals Specialty Technician Apprentice/Co-Op program. With more than 1,200 locations in the United States, Sunbelt provides expertise and reliable equipment for the energy industry, including generators, cooling trailers, light towers and more. Gov. Greg Abbott reappointed Midlands Ellen Ramsey to Humanities Texas. As the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Humanities Texas conducts and supports public programs in history, literature, philosophy and the other humanities disciplines which strengthen Texas communities by cultivating the knowledge and judgment that representative democracy demands of its citizens. Humanities Texas is one of 56 nonprofit state and jurisdictional humanities councils in the United States. Ramsey is the executive director of the Permian Road Safety Coalition, a partner of Ramsey Petroleum, LP, and a civic volunteer. She is a 2016 Gubernatorial appointee to the Humanities Texas board where she serves as Public Programs chairman and Grants committee member. She also serves on the boards of the Midland Chamber of Commerce, Midland Memorial Hospital board of trustees, City of Midland Hotel/Motel Tax, and Midland Habitat. Additionally, she is a Junior League of Midland sustainer and PTA lifetime member. Ramsey has served on the boards for the Midland County Public Library Foundation, George W. Bush Childhood Home, Pink the Basin, Midland County Republican Party and I-20 Wildlife Preserve. She previously was Community Relations director for Norfleet Strategies and District director for former state Sen. Kel Seliger. Ramsey attended Baylor University and earned a BA in sociology from The University of Texas Permian Basin. She and her husband, Midland County Commissioner Scott Ramsey, have two children, Rachel and Tucker. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) A judge on Saturday ordered the immigration director of Mexico's northern border state of Chihuahua to stand trial Saturday on charges of homicide, injuries and failure to perform his duties, for last month's deadly fire at a migrant detention center. The judge ordered the director, Salvador Gonzalez, held in prison pending trial. Judge Juan Jose Chavez said there was evidence that Gonzalez failed to do his duty to protect the migrants. Forty migrants died in the March 27 fire in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, after a migrant allegedly set fire to foam mattresses to protest a supposed transfer. In the end, everything depends on the head" official, Chavez said. Not complying with standards does have its results." Five other officials of the countrys National Immigration Institute, a guard at the center and the Venezuelan migrant accused of starting the blaze are already in custody facing homicide charges. The step is significant, in part because Gonzalez is a retired Mexican navy rear admiral. He is the highest ranking official to be held over for trial in the case, though prosecutors have said they will press charges against the immigration agencys top national official, Francisco Garduno, who is scheduled to make a court appearance April 21. Federal prosecutors have said Garduno was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agencys detention centers. Prosecutors said government audits had found a pattern of irresponsibility and repeated omissions in the immigration institute. The fire in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, quickly filled the facility with smoke. No one let the migrants out. Singer Ed Sheeran performs the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, marking the end of the celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, in London, Britain, June 5, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Staff Reporter Richelle obtained a bachelor of arts degree in mass communications from the Far Eastern University in Manila, the Philippines. She was a junior reporter for Marianas Variety from 2009 to 2010, and from 2014 to 2015. In the Maldives, she worked as a news reporter and marketing executive. In her free time, shes a painter, pianist, and mom baker. Factbox 2024 - US presidential election: who is in, who is out and who is still thinking about it Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Global Technology, a Chinese brake-by-wire system provider, on Apr. 22 announced via its WeChat account that it recently closed its Series C financing with nearly 4 million yuan raised. The fresh round attracted such new investors as China Capital Investment Group, Shenzhen Investment Holdings Capital, TSARI Capital, Guosen H & S, etc., as well as the returning investor Xin Ding Capital. Prior to the latest financing round, Global Technology had received investments from well-known investment institutions, such as SB China Capital, FG Venture, Fortune Capital, Baidu Venture, China Securities, etc. The company said 2023 is a year of breakthrough for Global Technology, with further improvement of its product matrix, and successful implementation and mass production of its product technologies. Currently, its annual production capacity of such main products as the EPB, ESC, GIBS, and GIBC, has all surpassed 1 million units, with an aim to lift the respective number to over 2 million units over the next three years. At the ongoing Auto Shanghai 2023, Global Technology displays a slew of new products, including the EMB, the GIBC, the ESC, the iCDS, etc. Photo credit: Global Technology The GIBC (onebox) is the most innovative generation of brake-by-wire products of Global Technology, said the company. It can achieve faster brake response speed, provide a safer driving experience, generate smaller brake noise, and also fulfill the mission of energy-saving and emission reduction, and green environmental protection by achieving 100% energy recovery during braking. Due to the structural design of "decoupling-by-wire", no hydraulic pressure is generated in the caliper during the braking energy recovery process. Therefore, compared with traditional braking energy recovery systems, it can provide more comfortable and efficient braking energy recovery. Photo credit: Global Technology Global Technologys new in-house-developed iCDS smart chassis domain controller can provide a more intelligent chassis-by-wire domain integration solution for the new generation of domain-integrated vehicle network architectures in Chinas domestic high-end car market. Photo credit: Global Technology The company also claims the EMB (electronic mechanical braking) system as the ultimate solution for brake-by-wire systems. It can simplify the vehicle structure, improve control capabilities, and provide faster braking response, shorter braking distance, and enhance braking experience. It is an important component of the control execution layer of intelligent driving systems. 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 April 22, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer DEMONSTRATING FORCE: A B-52 Stratofortress, assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, takes off at Andersen Air Force Base in support of a Bomber Task Force mission, as seen April 20, 2023. While the deployment isn't specifically tied to reports of Chinese warships patrolling near Guam, the military stated the mission demonstrates "the credibility of our forces to address a complex and uncertain security environment." From left, Sen. Chris Barnett, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio, Guam Police Department Chief Stephen Ignacio, and Sen. Roy. Quinata address immigration concerns at a University of Guam student forum held at the Mangilao campus April 20, 2023. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Missouri is currently too cold to foster crocodilian life, so theres no reason to fear alligators in your backyard yet. But in just a few decades, they might become as common as the armadillos that have recently moved from the South to the Midwest. Casey Holliday, an associate professor of anatomy at MU who studies the build and evolution of animal heads, explains why it could take just 30 years for alligators to show up in the Missouri River and the Lake of the Ozarks. Climate change Over the course of 50 million years, the Earth has begun to heat back up a process accelerated by human-induced climate change making way for alligators to head north. The planet was definitely hotter 50 million years ago than it is now, Holliday explained. It then cooled off over the course of about 20 million years, and during the Ice Ages, alligators were pushed southward. As temperatures rise again, they are likely to head back north. They move with the frost line, Holliday said, which is basically an invisible line near the north of Louisiana and up toward North Carolina where temperatures are chillier. So much during the winter that certain animals dont get past that line, and that tends to include gators and armadillos in particular, he said. Over the last 30 years, weve started to see armadillos and alligators kind of move north. Alligators have already moved into the waters of southern Arkansas and southern Tennessee. Right now, its too cold north of those borders for them to survive, Holliday said. But in a warmer future, they could be found in backwater draws around the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, as well as in lakes, ponds and swampy areas. Crocodilian evolution Crocodilians crocodiles, alligators, caimans and the critically endangered gharial have a long history on the planet, roughly 220 million years, Holliday said. The clade or lineage that exists today is largely aquatic. In North America, two of the species American alligators and American crocodiles are native. Those two species differ biologically, as well as aesthetically because of their different head shapes, Holliday explained. Crocodiles have more pointed snouts, and behaviorally, they tend to be more aggressive than alligators. The size of these reptiles has also diminished over time, particularly the alligators that were hunted for leather. Larger alligators were hunted more, thus making their smaller counterparts more likely to reproduce and pass on their genes. These days, Holliday said, 10 feet is about the longest they reach. Fifty to 100 years ago, there used to be lots of 13-foot alligators, he said. Alligator interactions For most of U.S. history, alligators have largely been found in the waterways of Florida and Georgia, and the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana. As people keep moving into particularly Florida and developing neighborhoods into the swamp lands, they encroach upon alligator turf, and thats led to more interactions in the past 50 to 100 years, Holliday said. Interactions are even more likely to occur as areas where people are unfamiliar with alligators may soon be their habitat. However, alligator interactions dont have to be as dangerous as the February encounter in southeast Florida that killed an 85-year-old woman. Holliday listed several courses of action that can prevent a negative experience with an alligator. Keep your distance, he said. You dont mess with them, you dont feed them, you dont swim out toward them. Just keep your distance like you would any wild animal. Avoiding alligator nests, where mothers can be very protective, is another effective measure. Holliday said theyre easy to spot if one knows what to look for a mound shape, usually in a grassy or marshy area, full of detritus. The eggs are buried under leaves and branches for temperature control. Since alligators are the most cold-adapted living crocodilian, its likely more time and global warming will have to occur before other species in the same family follow in their path. Still, it could be a matter of only decades before they begin to reclaim the land their ancestors inhabited. They are native to North America so its really hard to call them invasive, Holliday said. As the world heats up, theyre not invading, I guess theyre reinvading in a way where they used to be. Low, leaden clouds overhead that Friday morning 158 years ago this month set a somber tone. A locomotive chugged out of Washington railroad depot at precisely 8 a.m. It took two hours to reach Baltimore, just 40 miles away. The little train wasnt allowed to travel faster than 20 miles per hour. Everything on it was historic. Not just because of the many Washington and military VIPs it carried. Not because it bore the body of Americas first murdered president home for burial. Even the railcar his remains rode in was significant. This is the curious tale of Abraham Lincolns funeral car. In 1864, it was decided the countrys chief executive should travel in style. Thirty years after Andrew Jackson became the first president to ride the rails, trains were now the preferred way for travelers. Whenever a president went by iron horse, rail carriers tried to make him feel welcome. For instance, when Lincoln visited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in November 1863 for his legendary address, the B&O provided a special train for the trip. That changed in January 1865 when a transportation marvel was unveiled. Called The United States, it was the Air Force One of the mid-Victorian era. Fit for a king, it carried the princely price tag of $10,000 ($185,000 today), three times the usual cost. And indeed, it was luxury on wheels. More than a year in the making, it had everything a president could want. More than 42 feet long and nearly 9 feet wide with iron-plated walls for protection, it traveled on 16 wheels that would fit any tracks in the country. The inside was sheer luxury. State-of-the-art heating, wood paneling with painted sections, etched glass windows, and lush upholstered walls. There was a sitting room, a sleeping room, and a stateroom featuring a gigantic sofa large enough to hold the 6-foot-4 Abraham Lincoln. Except Lincoln never rode in it. At least, not while he was alive. The United States first trip was to carry the slain president home to Illinois. His casket rode in the stateroom alongside his son Willie, who had died in 1862 and was returning to Springfield to rest alongside his famous father. The train retraced the same route Lincoln had taken to his 1861 inauguration. Services were held in various cities. At stops where heavy spring thunderstorms prevented moving the body, people streamed through the railcar and shuffled by it. Mourners lined the tracks as the train slowly rolled by. In Pennsylvania, one of those watching from a carriage as the funeral car passed was the previous president, James Buchanan. By the time Lincoln was laid to rest on May 4, more than 1 million Americans had done likewise. But although the 16th presidents life journey was over, The United States strange odyssey was just beginning. Victorians had a weird obsession with death, and Lincolns death was as big as it got. For those who never got to see him in life, the railcar carried a connection to him. Folks were downright fascinated by it. The government auctioned it off along with other military surplus items in 1866. The Union Pacific Railroads VP bought it for his private car and took it to Nebraska. Sometime in the 1870s, it was stripped of its fancy furnishings and served as a regular passenger car. From there, it devolved into sleeping quarters for railroad inspectors and a dining car for work crews. The Union Pacific eventually realized the cars importance and displayed it at a big fair in Omaha in 1898. It was such a popular attraction that businessman Frank Snow bought it and showcased it at the granddaddy of them all, the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis, where it was a huge hit. From there, he hauled it around the country, hawking it as Americas Most Sacred Relic. Americans (at least Northern ones) eagerly handed over nickels and dimes to gape at the decaying link to the Great Emancipator. A real estate developer in Minneapolis bought it in 1905 to attract would-be homebuyers. The Grand Army of the Republic (a kind of forerunner of the VFW and American Legion) dragged it to Columbus, Ohio, for its 1908 national encampment (and where a local business handed out 300,000 copies of postcards of it to aging Union vets as keepsakes). Back in the Gopher State, the Minnesota Federation of Womens Clubs somehow wound up with the decrepit artifact. As the group made plans to fully restore it to its former glory, a prairie fire blew through on March 18, 1911, burning it down to its metal wheels. Such was the desire to have a memento of anything close to Lincoln; souvenir hunters picked up the last bits of charred wood. To paraphrase Gideon Welles famous words at Lincolns passing, Now it belongs to the ages. Several Illinois counties dominated the national rankings in terms of corn and soybean production last year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its county production totals for 2022. Crop statistician Mark Schleusener said in terms of corn production, one central Illinois county led the nation. McLean County ranked first across the entire U.S. with nearly 71 million bushels of corn produced last year, Schleusener said. Additionally, Illinois had the top five counties in the country for total corn production. Those other counties included Iroquois, Livingston, LaSalle and Champaign counties. Stark County had the highest yield in Illinois at over 240 bushels per acre, followed by Woodford and Ogle counties. Iowa led the nation in total corn production in 2022, followed by Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and South Dakota. Illinois is home to several counties that ranked in the top ten for soybean production as well. McLean County led the nation, followed by two counties in Mississippi and North Dakota. Following those two, the next four highest soybean producing counties were all in Illinois, said Schleusener. Iroquois, Champaign, Livingston and LaSalle counties ranked fourth through seventh nationally. Illinois led the nation in soybean production last year, followed by Iowa and Minnesota. Illinois soybean farmers export about 50% of their crop, with China, Mexico and Canada being the top three markets. The newly painted pink details adorning a single storefront on East Aspen Avenue mean one thing: Downtown Flagstaff now has its very own self-serve frozen yogurt shop. YOGRT opened its doors February 17, and owner Samantha DeWarf said it has been a family business from the start. She even joked that her six-year-old daughter is the real boss. My dad came in, and hes a contractor. So he helped us redo the space and build everything, DeWarf said. My husband is a third grade teacher, but hes definitely a huge part of this too. We are definitely equal counterparts in the whole thing, so its one hundred percent a family business. Youll see my sister and my mom working here at times, too. After strolling through the front door of YOGRT, the first thing customers will see is a gallery of sorts. The displays range from stickers to clothing to candles and art printsalmost all made by local artists. DeWarf explained that the idea for YOGRT came about after her daughter asked her for frozen yogurt one day. After searching the area, DeWarf realized there was not one frozen yogurt shop in the area. She was then inspired to combine her passions for art and fashion by creating a space that not only serves frozen yogurt but also spotlights local artists. At my regular job I work with emerging brands, so I thought, What if I could take that and do it in my own way here? So I wanted to get emerging artists and artists that deserve to have a space to get their work showcased, DeWarf said. Thats the mindset I walked in here with. The name of the shop, DeWarf explained, is a tribute to her Norwegian heritage as she grew up half in Norway and half in Arizona. Ive always kind of wanted to do something in the food industry too, DeWarf said. My grandpa was an amazing chef. He was the chef for the King of Norway, so it was kind of a tie in for him with the Norwegian letter and a little bit of food and then my art and fashion passions. As business owners, DeWarf and her husband attempt to incorporate as much art as possible into their yogurt shop. Not only is there local art and fashion for sale at the front of the shop, there are also brightly colored murals lining the walls, beckoning customers in and adding to the cheerful atmosphere. I know that we are a little bit brighter than most things, but thats what we want to be. We want to be fun and happy and just a place that people want to hang out in, DeWarf said. Im excited to be part of the downtown community, to be part of Flagstaff and bring more art and color to the downtown area. Since the shops grand opening, DeWarf said they have been flooded with positive feedback from both the local and NAU communities. In downtown Flagstaff everyone has been so welcoming and just Flagstaff in general has been really excited for us, DeWarf said. Im honestly beside myself and thankful for how nice everyone has been so far Weve had a lot of NAU students, which is awesome and we are starting to get tourists now that [tourist season] has been picking up a bit. DeWarf said she cannot stress enough that she and her family opened YOGRT as a place for people to hang out, relax and enjoy each others company. The shop is equipped with free Wi-Fi for customers and extensive seating to encourage those stopping by to take a seat and enjoy their frozen treat. Weve had some birthdays in here already, and there've been a couple of first dates where they just sit there and talk, DeWarf said. Its just so cute to be part of someones beginning in their little story too. However, YOGRT is not done upgrading just yet. DeWarf explained that the shop will soon have a vintage Pepsi soda tap machine so customers can make yogurt floats as well. DeWarf also said there are more yogurt flavors and options on the way. We plan to get more [yogurt] machines as we grow, DeWarf said. Everything is gluten-free, we have vegan, the only thing we are lacking right now is sugar-free, and thats something we want to bring in to make sure we have an option for anybody that comes in the door, basically. DeWarf and her husband are happy to evolve the business as it grows and offer as many options as possible to their customers, but she said it is going to take time and support. We are just small, local people who wanted to start something, but were not coming into this as billionaires. So as we grow we can grow our product and everything we have too, DeWarf said. DeWarf said she encourages the community to come check out the shop for a few main reasons. An overwhelmingly important one, she explained, is to support local art and artists. DeWarf also stressed that YOGRT was created to be a vibrant, welcoming place for anyone and everyone. We want to be the place where people can just come to hang out and have fun and have their first date, have their birthday party, have whatever! We want to be a happy place, DeWarf said. So I am hoping that we are that and thats why people would want to come. DeWarf said she and her family are excited to bring more joy and color as well as some frozen treats to the downtown area. YOGRT is located at 3 E Aspen Ave in downtown Flagstaff. Dr. Don Greeley, a clinical associate professor at the Carle Illinois School of Medicine in Urbana, said rural life is pretty foreign to many of the schools first-year medical students who hail from urban areas. Theyve never been on a farm, never seen a farm, he said. Many are from California. Yet many of their patients over the next four years will have a farm background or will be farmers. We thought it would be a good idea for them to learn about the lifestyle of some of the patients they would be seeing. That focus has helped to usher in the FarmDocs program a collaborative effort between the med school and the Champaign County Farm Bureau. Farmers have their own set of health-related issues that many people dont think about as modern society has become more urban-based. For the past two years, the majority of the newbie medical students have taken field trips to area livestock and grain farms to learn first hand about some of the issues. We want to dispel any myth about what modern agriculture looks like, said Bailey Edenburn, assistant Champaign County Farm Bureau manager. We want to give them a hands-on look on what it is. We dont want them to fall into the traps of what they read on the internet. An important aspect: When a farmer arrives for treatment at a medical clinic, trust and understanding are vital. Edenburn cited from her own life, as her husband was in a farming accident. I cant tell you the amount of times we had to describe what happened and pull up pictures of what a sprayer (which was involved in the accident) looked like, she said. As part of the medical program, students had a choice of topics such as farm safety, farm health, delivery of health care in a rural setting where farmers arent close to emergency care of their physicians office, specific stresses in the farming community and how to deal with those. Fifteen groups of four students each chose from one of those topics. At the end of five weeks, they were asked to present their discussions and solutions. For instance, Greeley said, how to deal with farmers who wont go to the doctor during the high-pressure periods of planting and harvest. With internet service spotty and slow in many rural regions, telehealth (Zoom) visits arent a viable option. Edenburn was among those in the audience when those issues were discussed. Baileys perspective was especially important because it really brought home to the students that these problems are real to the farming population, Greeley said. And if they could devise some of the solutions, they could maybe take them much further. Forty-five medical students and seven faculty members attended the farm tours. Champaign County Farm Bureau members and volunteers also engaged with the students during a question-and-answer session over lunch about some of the major issues facing farmers. Edenburn said some of the medical challenges farmers face include a lot of heavy lifting, long hours, stress, farm-safety issues such as augers or power takeoff shafts, grain entrapment and injuries caused by livestock. Edenburn said the stress can be significant for farmers as they are essentially operating their own business. That can dovetail into mental health issues. Edenburn said a report issued several years ago indicated the suicide rate among farm workers is extremely high. That triggered a great deal of research with additional recognition that this is something that needs to be dealt with. You also have the fact theres a lot of isolation ... working on the farm, Edenburn said. And you also have people who feel that the farm is their life and they cant break that tie, and if the farm is doing bad its completely their fault. Its kind of like a cascade. Edenburn said such issues really arent talked about in the farming community. There arent enough professionals who know what its about to try to cover the issues, especially in the rural areas, she said. Edenburn said Champaign County farmers are more fortunate than in some areas of the country. They are closer to health care than many of their counterparts elsewhere in the U.S. If you get out in more rural areas than this county, weve seen closings of these small community hospitals that served rural areas. Doctors offices arent opening in the Philos of the world, so health care access is limited, Edenburn said. Greeley said he hopes some of the ideas stemming from the rural health scenario can be part of additional study at the University of Illinois for possible solutions. He said he believes the FarmDocs field trips/discussions will continue. We are hoping we can build on this, he said. Were already talking about ways of integrating rural health into the curriculum. I think (the field trips) gave the students a sense that what they were doing was not a didactic exercise and could help the real world. It has possibilities of expanding into other disciplines such as mental health, access to care. There are several parts of our curriculum it could be involved in. Greeley said he has been pleased by the response of the Farm Bureau and the enthusiasm the host farmers have exhibited toward the students. I think (the program will) grow considerably as we go along, he said. Breaking down non-tariff trade barriers is a major concern for American farmers. Last year was a banner year for U.S. agricultural exports. International sales of U.S. farm products rose by 11% in 2022, exceeding $196 billion. The outlook for 2023 looks like that growth will continue. Illinois farmers depend on robust sales overseas to remain profitable. Exports are absolutely crucial to the agricultural sector, particularly in the Midwest, University of Illinois agriculture economist Gary Schnitkey said. Soybean farmers, for example, export 50% of their crop. Those exports increased in 2022, in part because there was a drought and shortages, to a certain extent, in Brazil and Argentina, two of the U.S.s top export competitors, Schnitkey said. U.S. farmers have come off three very profitable years, where good weather, high yields and high demand have meant high prices. For that to continue, the export market needs to remain vibrant. For income and prices to remain at the levels they are now, we need exports to continue to grow, Schnitkey said. Illinois is the number one state in the U.S. for soybean production. Brazil is a top U.S. competitor in soybean exports. China is the number one buyer of exported soybeans for both the U.S. and Brazil. USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs Alexis Taylor was in Iowa this month to talk about the Biden administrations efforts to increase international trade. She told Brownfield Ag News that the USDA is working to expand market opportunities. Strong export markets are really critical to farmers' and ranchers' livelihoods, she told Brownfield. An overreliance on any single market could lead to trade disruptions, she said. One of the failings of U.S. trade policy in the past few years, Schnitkey said, is the failure to remove non-tariff trade barriers with other countries, in particular with the Pacific Rim countries. The idea of freer trade in agriculture has not been growing. We seem to be taking steps back. And that is not a good thing for the wellbeing of U.S. farmers, Schnitkey said. Schnitkey would like to see the removal of non-tariff trade barriers get higher priority from the government. There is not a big push to make that happen, Schnitkey said. It is not a priority these days. Nigeria and the Pacific Rim countries are markets with potential for more U.S. trade, Schnitkey said. Free trade and freer trade is a message that most commodity groups feel is important, he said. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Artavius L. McGee, 34, of 863 W. Superior Ave. was arrested at 1:44 a.m. Sunday on charges of driving under the influence, possession of adult-use cannabis in a motor vehicle and illegal transportation of alcohol after being stopped in the 200 block of East State Street. David L. Wilson, 39, of 882 N. Church St. was arrested at 5 p.m. Friday on an Illinois Department of Corrections warrant accusing him of violating parole. ACCIDENTS Danielle M. Williams, 42, of 101 W. Pulaski St., Williamsville, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, driving while license is suspended, operating an uninsured vehicle, and failing to yield after her vehicle and one being driven by Anthony J. Annerino, 25, of Southern View collided at Hardin and East College avenues at 12:27 a.m. Saturday. Williams was treated at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital for minor injuries, according to police. Tara E. Brue, 50, of Virginia was cited on a charge of failing to yield after her vehicle and one being driven by Charles S. Mikovich, 70, of Jacksonville collided at 10:53 a.m. Friday at Fayette and State streets. THEFTS, BURGLARIES A leather backpack was stolen from a vehicle in the 200 block of East Superior Avenue between 11 p.m. Friday and 8:05 a.m. Saturday. A vehicle was taken from a driveway in the 300 block of East Michigan Avenue between 8 p.m. Friday and 6:05 a.m. Saturday. The vehicle was found damaged in the road in front of the residence. More than $500 worth of jewelry was stolen Friday from a Book Lane residence, according to a report filed at 12:08 a.m. Saturday. A number of items have been removed from a garage in the 900 block of North East Street during the past few months, according to a report filed at 12:29 p.m. Friday. A bicycle was stolen from a residence in the 200 block of East Court Street about 2:53 p.m. Friday. In early 2019 in Illinois, a farmworker, his wife and his son lived in a moldy house. Attempting to keep the winter cold at bay, he'd spray-foamed the windows shut. The toilet often malfunctioned. Unlike most farmworker housing, it hadn't been inspected the employer hadn't registered it with the state. But the man had another option. He complained to a state employee whose job is to advocate for farmworkers' rights. A crucial component of the advocate's job is visiting fields and housing and forwarding complaints to law enforcement. Several farmworkers a week were contacted through this outreach. Between 2018 and 2020, Illinois forwarded 10 complaints ranging from being sprayed twice by pesticides to illegally garnishing wages for medical treatment to authorities. For example, once the father in the moldy house complained, the state employee informed the U.S. Department of Labor. However, when farmworkers likely needed this outreach most, Illinois stopped delivering it. When COVID-19 hit, Illinois barred the outreach workers from traveling and assigned some to other duties, according to state and federal documents. Often living in crowded housing, farmworkers were particularly susceptible to COVID-19. Between the pandemic's first summer and summer 2022, the state contacted zero farmworkers. The state recorded one complaint. The outreach workers in Illinois are part of a federal and state partnership known as the Monitor Advocate System. U.S. Department of Labor officials oversee state counterparts who are supposed to ensure their states protect farmworkers from unsafe housing, wage theft and other abuses. Outreach is only part of the system's duties, but it's an essential element. Nationwide problem The failings in Illinois echo across the country, according to internal program documents obtained by Investigate Midwest, and other state and federal records. Consider: The pandemic either impaired or completely shut down required outreach to farmworkers. States are supposed to have full-time outreach staff during harvest season. Personnel at some local job centers mainly known for providing career counseling and job referrals also chip in. In the pandemic's first years, some states including Illinois, Ohio and Kansas closed job centers or reassigned staff. Across the country, the number of contacts with farmworkers fell, according to the system's latest annual report. Meanwhile, more than 90,000 farmworkers contracted the virus, and at least 100 died during the pandemic, according to tracking by the Food and Environmental Reporting Network, a nonprofit newsroom. The monitor advocate system has convulsed with turnover in recent years. The system has about 60 positions: a national monitor advocate, six DOL officials overseeing states in different regions, an advocate in each state and some support staff. Since 2020, 37 people have cycled through the system, according to Investigate Midwest's review of staff directories. Since 2020, four states, including Illinois, have had three different people employed in the monitor advocate role. Some who technically served in the role did not perform its duties full-time. For instance, between 2016 and 2018, Iowa's monitor advocate spent less than half of her time performing monitoring duties. (The state said this is currently not the case.) Janie Claytor-Woodson, the longtime state monitor advocate for West Virginia who retired in 2020, said many monitor advocates she worked with were dedicated and caring individuals who had farmworkers' best interests in mind. "Most of the people I worked with were outstanding. They took their jobs to heart," she said. But, she added, "You can't just put somebody in that seat. You got to have somebody who has some interest or background (with farmworkers). Otherwise, the program's going to suffer." Even before COVID-19, some states did not perform the required outreach to farmworkers. The year before the pandemic started, 16 states failed to do so, according to a recent annual report. The annual reports note little contact with farmworkers generally means fewer complaints. Yu-Mon "Luis" Chang, Connecticut's state monitor advocate, said in a video for the National Center for Farmworker Health that frequent visits are essential to building trust with farmworkers. He did not return repeated requests for an interview. "If you're just showing up once every two years to the farm, you're not going to gain the trust of the workers," he said. "But if they see you out there all the time, and they start talking to you, they'll get comfortable enough to disclose something that may be bothering them. That's the key." In a statement to Investigate Midwest, the labor department said it disagreed with any characterization that the program wasn't successful. The statement said the oversight the monitor advocate system provides focuses on reviewing states' protections of farmworkers, the functionality of their complaint process and their compliance with regulations and directives: "This system is successful when Monitor Advocates effectively perform their specific duties," the statement reads. On a national level, several of the performance indicators the labor department uses to determine the program's success are being met. But, the agency acknowledged, "state-level data shows that not all (local job centers) are meeting all measures." The system's most recent annual report notes weekly contacts increased after the pandemic's first year. However, it reads, "it is critical to understand that the pre-pandemic contact rate may not have been adequate." When asked what kind of accountability existed for states not meeting the required standards, the labor department said, "Continued non-compliance can result in (the agency) formally noting deficiencies in a monitoring report and requiring a corrective action plan. Most states can resolve compliance issues through these steps." In more extreme cases, funding can be withheld, the agency said. But, the labor department said, it was "not aware" of an instance where funding related to farmworker services was withheld. For example, Indiana has been cited repeatedly since 2009 for inadequate outreach staff, according to a copy of the labor department's corrective action plan for the state. Indiana said it is "currently in compliance" with staffing regulations. The Illinois Department of Employment Security, which houses Illinois's part of the monitor advocate system, originally said it would answer Investigate Midwest's questions about its role in the system and its decisions during the pandemic. It did not respond prior to publication. The monitor advocate system was in the headlines recently because of a possible connection between its representative in Georgia and a human trafficking operation, according to reporting by USA Today. The operation forced farmworkers to dig for onions with their bare hands, and to live in housing with limited plumbing and no safe water, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. According to testimony related to the case, the traffickers paid off a state official who inspected and approved farmworker housing. The person who inspected housing was the state monitor advocate for Georgia, who retired in the wake of the DOJ's investigation. The advocate's sister was indicted in the DOJ's case, and several of his family members owned companies that employed farmworkers, USA Today reported. The Georgia Department of Labor did not respond to requests for comment. Chronic issues In an ongoing series on farmworker housing, Investigate Midwest is examining chronic issues and the systems created to uphold farmworker rights. Ensuring safe living conditions is not the Monitor Advocate System's only responsibility, but protecting farmworkers from substandard housing an entrenched problem has been part of its mission since its start. Across the country, examples of poor housing abound. In Iowa, authorities have found housing with holes in the wall and floor. In Missouri, farmworkers were forced to live in an old jail. One farmworker complained to an advocacy group of living in an "iron chicken coop" with bunk beds. "Farmworkers are one of the worst housed groups in the United States," said Lance George, director of research and information at the Housing Assistance Council, which studied the issue in 2002. "This is a group in the shadows." Oversight and enforcement need to improve for conditions to change, said Antonio De Loera-Brust, communications director for United Farm Workers, a California labor union. "There's one law on the books," he said. "There's another law in the fields." Research, government data and previous reporting show farmworkers are also vulnerable to labor abuses, human trafficking and legal violations - necessitating a government position like the monitor advocate. When one advocacy organization, Centro de Los Derechos del Migrante, conducted a survey of farmworkers recently, 100% of respondents said they faced at least one serious legal violation. Matt Boles, an attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center's Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative, represents five clients on H-2A visas who worked on farms connected to the Georgia trafficking case. They've applied to stay in the U.S. on T visas, which are for victims of human trafficking. "People just have so much fear," he said. "They think, 'If I say something or I speak out, however bad I'm treated now or however bad the conditions are, it may actually then (get) worse.'" Just last year brought other examples of farmworkers being trafficked. In January 2022, a South Carolina grand jury indicted two people on labor trafficking charges involving the H-2A program. In April, a Florida woman pleaded guilty to a multi-state racketeering conspiracy involving trafficking farmworkers. In December, a farm labor contractor was sentenced to almost 10 years in prison for leading a multi-state conspiracy to traffic Mexican seasonal farmworkers. Stolen wages is also a chronic issue. The DOL has recovered more than $82 million in back wages due to farmworkers since 2000. In the most recent fiscal year, the DOL assessed a record $7.9 million in fines. Richey order The monitor advocate system grew from the complaints of farmworkers about 50 years ago. Job centers, created in the depths of the Great Depression, were supposed to facilitate the same career prospects for all workers. However, the centers referred farmworkers to employers that stole their wages and provided unsafe housing, the workers alleged. In 1974, Charles R. Richey, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled in the case. (More famously, he ruled the tapes Richard Nixon created while president were not personal records.) Finding the DOL infringed the farmworkers' rights, he laid out the federal and state partnership that would become the monitor advocate system. One element essential to the system's success is outreach. Many farmworkers do not walk through the job centers' doors. Under the Richey order, states are required to provide the same services to farmworkers as non-farmworkers. This means states are supposed to employ dedicated outreach staff who alert farmworkers to the resources available to them. Outreach staffers are also supposed to document any apparent violations they see while visiting farmworkers and send any complaints to agencies that can investigate, usually the DOL. But many of the issues Richey identified decades ago continue to vex states, according to internal reviews and corrective action plans. The order stipulated states should hire bilingual staff and, if possible, members of the farmworker community. States have largely failed. In Illinois, for instance, five offices are located near large populations of farmworkers. Only three employ bilingual staff, and just one employs someone with a farmworker background, state records show. The judge also required states to employ enough staff to conduct "random field checks ... to determine whether wages, working and housing conditions" do not violate state and federal laws, Richey wrote. In recent years, staffing shortages have bedeviled states. During Missouri's peak harvesting season in 2019, about 9,000 farmworkers were in the state; Missouri had no assigned outreach staff. (It has since hired full-time outreach staff.) The same year, Nebraska outreach staff "did not spend the majority of (their) time in the field." In 2021, Indiana's one outreach staffer split time with other duties during peak harvesting time. Missouri and Indiana did not return requests for comment. A 2021 labor department review of services in Nebraska found no issues, and a state spokesperson said Nebraska, as a state with few farmworkers, is not required to have full-time outreach staff most of the year. Indiana said it is now compliant with staffing regulations. Seeing individual Claytor-Woodson and her colleague walked through a tin shed that housed giant tractors. At the back, a man who worked for a Florida company showed them where the farmworkers would would sleep. The "very crude" beds, with no mattresses, were constructed with 2x4s and chicken wire, she recalled recently. When she saw dead rats and their droppings, she faced her colleague. "Are you kidding me?" she thought. Most farmworker housing she inspected proved satisfactory, she said. But no one should live in the "awful" tin shed, she decided. Though not the state monitor advocate at the time of this inspection, Claytor-Woodson, now 75, served in the role for more than a decade before her retirement in 2020. Previously, she was a child welfare administrator in California. She approached both duties the same way, she said. She told her employees who removed kids from dangerous situations to always act in the child's interest, she said. "I don't care who the mama is, who the daddy is, a political leader, whatever, none of that stuff your job is to make sure that that child is safe," she said. "That's the way I approached" the monitor advocate role. She'd meet farmworkers early in the morning, at lunch, or late at night to not interfere with their work. With a translator in tow, she'd let them know that the employer knew she was there and that she'd be asking questions. In small groups away from the employer, she'd ask them where they were from, whether they had kids, how they came to the job "I just wanted to see who they were as individuals," she said. She also observed body language, she said, to understand whether she needed to engage one-on-one. Once, she said, a young farmworker told her about his father. Also a farmworker, he was injured on the job in Ohio. The injuries prevented him from working, and his employer refused to pay his medical bills, Claytor-Woodson remembered. "They sent him home (to Mexico) with this enormous hospital bill," she said. The "father was worried to death that somebody was going to put him in jail." She worked with Ohio's state monitor advocate to have a local charity to pay for his medical care. When the young farmworker returned the next season, he sought her out and thanked her. While turnover has plagued the system, some monitor advocates have been in their position for years. Olga Ruiz, who did not respond to questions from Investigate Midwest, has worked for the system for more than 30 years in Colorado. Her state is often cited in the system's annual reports as a success story. Since Claytor-Woodson retired, two people in West Virginia have held the monitor advocate position, staff listings show. An email to Steven Sansom, who was most recently listed as working in the position, bounced back. In her experience, Claytor-Woodson said, many monitor advocates she worked with wanted to make a difference. This includes Laura Tramontana, now the National Monitor Advocate, charged with marshaling the DOL's resources to aid farmworkers. Tramontana did not respond to an interview request to her government email. But Claytor-Woodson also struggled with some of her colleagues' apathy toward farmworkers. "You have people who see a benefit of getting out of the office," she said, "but not necessarily in providing the services that the employer or the farmworkers might require or need." 'Baseline' in Illinois In May 2021, Myriam Diaz Rutland video-conferenced, through a malfunctioning camera, with state employees at a job center in Mount Vernon. The rural town in southern Illinois sits within an hours' drive in either direction of six migrant labor camps. As many as 200 workers cycle through the area each year, according to state records. Each year, state monitor advocates are supposed to review how job centers provide services to farmworkers, including the quality and amount of outreach they do. Because Illinois had failed to keep the role filled, Diaz Rutland's review, held over the internet due to COVID-19, was the first one in years. Her notes show Illinois's program was essentially starting from scratch. "This period of monitoring is being established as a 'baseline,'" she wrote, according to records Investigate Midwest obtained through a public records request. "The State Monitor Advocate has been vacant in an official capacity for several years leading up to this review." The last review, in fact, was performed in 2018 by Diaz Rutland, during her first stint as the state monitor advocate. She didn't return requests for an interview. When contacted for a previous story about Illinois farmworkers, she'd directed Investigate Midwest to the spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Diaz Rutland went through her review: No farmworkers had received any services in the past year, let alone been contacted through outreach. The office had one bilingual employee who was not trained to assist farmworkers. The office had received no training on how to intake complaints from farmworkers and get them to the proper authorities. When she finished, she concluded the office was "not equipped" to ensure farmworkers were protected. Mount Vernon had company. Four of the five offices near known populations of farmworkers did not meet the requirements of the monitor advocate system, according to state records. In response, the Mount Vernon office manager said she "should not be held accountable" for how the office handled farmworker outreach before she took over. She said the office would begin conducting outreach when the state allowed. About a month after finishing the reviews, Diaz Rutland vacated the position, according to federal records. She remains with the employment security agency, and it's unclear how or why she was reassigned. The change left Illinois, in the middle of peak harvest season, with no federally required monitor advocate. As the state transitioned to a new hire its third since 2020 no one reviewed how the state protected farmworkers last year. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Wyllow Elizabeth started making bars of soap when she found that her skin was sensitive to many store-bought ones. She made soaps for her own use, and only ventured into her local farmers' markets, in Nova Scotia, Canada, to sell the extras. Demand there was so strong, however, that she switched approaches, and now just keeps the extras and undersize bars for herself. Elizabeth uses oils like olive, coconut, castor and hemp, as well as shea butter. The hemp oil makes a lovely lather, and doesnt build up on hair, she says. Hers are among many new bars that look, feel and smell different than traditional, mass-produced soaps. In supermarkets, beauty stores or at farmers markets, youll see an array of bar soaps that are, or have the look and feel of, the handmade, with natural and unusual ingredients. They might be infused with bits of tangy orange. Sea kelp. Lilac. Or even volcanic ash. Everything from carrots to coffee to clay are used to color the bars, and added scents are derived from plants, herbs and essential oils. Although bar soap lost a lot of shelf space in recent decades to liquid soap, many people are rediscovering its virtues. For one thing, it doesn't come in a plastic bottle. When a bar of soap is used up, its well and truly GONE. It's often wrapped in paper, and takes less energy to ship than liquids. Compared to its liquid counterpart, it travels through airport security without a fuss. Fortunately, hotels never fell out of love with the bar soap, says Andrew Goetz, who together with partner Matthew Malin founded the personal-care brand Malin and Goetz in New York. Their soaps can now be found in restaurants, hotels, salons and fitness centers around the world; Goetz says their Dark Rum and Lime bars are especially popular. John and Linda Meyer, founders of Wary Meyers, are married interior designers in Maine who created their own line of glycerin soaps, candles and modernist jewelry to echo their aesthetic. We thought the bar of soap was something that could use a refresh colored stripes, gradients, speckles so we treated it like a little design object, says Linda Meyer. One of their playful soaps is the Virgo Cluster. We were inspired by those clear rubber balls with glitter inside that everybody had as kids. But instead of glitter, we embed the bars with pieces of multicolored striped soap. she says. If youve ever rubbed the leaf of a tomato plant, youll know how fresh the scent is. That was the inspiration for Wary Meyers Italian Tomato Leaf bar. The red, green and white colors were inspired by Gucci, the Italian flag, and of course tomatoes, Meyer says. They have a Pink Champagne soap bar made to look like the fizzy drink sitting in a flute, and some combos that sound good enough to eat: cucumber and cilantro, or grapefruit and clementine. Icelandic company Kalastyles Hallo bars are derived from unusual ingredients like Arctic birch, moss and volcanic ash. The creamy-hued, round bars are smoky and herbaceous. Popular bars in Wyllow Elizabeth's lineup include Mint Ripple, with cocoa powder and peppermint essential oil. And when a friend found his grandfathers old shaving cup, Elizabeth started experimenting until she found a formula for a toast-colored shaving bar that smells like bay spice. She has her trusted playbook of ingredients now, but theres still room for surprises. For instance, I use yellow dock plants in my Lemongrass Summer soap for their soothing properties. I thought theyd make yellow soap, but they came out rosy pink!," she says. "Another surprise was when I used lemon peel powder in my Under the Sun soap it starts out bright yellow, but as it cures it becomes a beautiful creamy color. Along with the pleasure she gets from soap crafting, Elizabeth loves naming the finished products, and engages her customers at markets in the process. I share the scents and colors, and they enter a contest to name the soap," she says. My favorite winner was a girl about 9 years old. She named the Lime Squeeze soap, and was so excited to win her very own bar of it; a simple prize. Lime Squeeze became the signature scent for Elizabeths line of toy surprise soaps. As each bar is used, a small treasure is revealed a wee farm animal, a marble, a tiny Pegasus. There's a version for grownups too. Elizabeth's Gems soaps might hold a carnelian, an amethyst or a piece of rose quartz. Good clean fun, in bar form. Retired engineers Kelly and Derek Barkey assumed they would be approved when they applied for a $50,000 home equity line of credit two years ago to fix up their new house. The Barkeys, now 56 and 59, had just sold their longtime home and paid cash for a house worth about $850,000 near St. Louis. They had retirement accounts worth $3 million, $500,000 in a taxable brokerage account and excellent credit scores. They were surprised when a national bank turned them down. They tried a local credit union, which also rejected them. We havent been turned down for credit since about 1987, says Kelly Barkey, remembering when the couple applied for a rewards credit card while she was still a college student. The federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from discriminating against applicants based on age, but that doesnt mean getting a home loan in retirement will be easy even for those with good credit, little debt and plenty of savings, financial planners say. The issue is often proving that you have enough steady income to repay the loan, says Lori Trawinski, director of finance and employment for AARP Public Policy Institute. Working people can use W-2 forms and pay stubs to prove they have sufficient income. Lenders can verify incomes through IRS transcripts, by calling an employer or using massive paycheck databases such as The Work Number. Lenders typically want to see two years worth of steady income, but working borrowers arent required to prove that their incomes will continue at the same rate. The rules are more complicated for retirees, Trawinski says. In addition to proving they have enough income to pay the loan, retired people often must prove that the money will continue for at least three years, she says. The Barkeys say they draw about $35,000 a year from their taxable brokerage account, and Derek Barkey earns another $35,000 by consulting more than enough to support the payments on a $50,000 home equity line. Yet they were told their applications had been rejected because of inadequate income. Trawinski suspects the Barkeys ran afoul of automated underwriting software that didnt account for their income properly. Mortgage lenders typically divide retiree income into two categories: income with a potential expiration date and income without. Pension payments and Social Security retirement benefits based on an applicants work record dont have an expiration date because the income continues for life. By contrast, retirement and investment accounts often are viewed as having an expiration date because the accounts can be depleted over time, so borrowers must prove the income will continue for a minimum of three years. Lenders can use an asset depletion calculation to determine how much income an account can generate. Typically the calculations consider only 70% of the account balance since the underlying investments can lose value. Lenders may divide the result by the number of expected payments, such as 360 in the case of a 30-year loan. Retirement accounts usually wont be included in these calculations unless the balances can be accessed without restriction. Since the Barkeys were under 59 the earliest age their retirement accounts could be tapped without penalty lenders typically would ignore the $3 million in those accounts. Certified financial planner Kayla Johnson says helping clients in retirement get mortgages and HELOCs often takes a lot of financial gymnastics. She recommends people apply for home loans while theyre still working, if possible. Its simplest to secure any loan you may need before retirement, Johnson says. People who need home loans and are already retired should consider talking to a loan officer about their situations before submitting an application and risking damage to their credit scores, financial planners say. Such a conversation can help potential applicants get a better feel for how the lender will view their application and how many hurdles lie ahead. Not all lenders are equally skilled at dealing with retired clients, so you may need to talk to more than one lender to find the right fit. And if youre turned down, dont consider that the last word. After being rejected by the credit union, Kelly Barkey contacted its president by Facebook Messenger to ask why. She says soon afterward, they got a call from the loan department manager admitting the credit union had overlooked some things. And within a day, we had our HELOC, Kelly Barkey says. Tick-borne illnesses like ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are on the rise in Illinois, and outdoor workers like farmers are at higher risk than those who spend more time indoors. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign doctoral candidate Sulagna Chakraborty and her colleagues at Illinois led a new study on the subject that surveyed 50 Illinois farmers to learn about their awareness of the problem and engagement in tick-prevention efforts. Chakraborty spoke to News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates about what they found. What are the trends in tick abundance and tick-borne disease in Illinois? Ticks have been present in Illinois since at least 1905, but in recent times there has been an exponential increase in ticks and tick-borne diseases in the state. The geographic expansion of ticks is driven by changes in climate and the movement patterns of hosts such as birds, small mammals and white-tailed deer. Land-use changes also affect the availability of suitable habitats and strongly influence tick abundance. In particular, the tick species that can cause the most harm such as the blacklegged tick, American dog tick, lone star tick and the Gulf coast tick have expanded into new areas in Illinois and across the Midwest. How might farm animals and wildlife be affected? Ticks are known to parasitize domestic animals, livestock, companion animals and wildlife. Ticks are considered vectors because they can pick up an infection during a blood-meal from one host and transmit it to another in their next meal. Among livestock, ticks can cause bovine anaplasmosis, bovine babesiosis, theileriosis, cattle fever and other diseases. Ticks can be a nuisance and are known to cause infections in cats, dogs and other companion animals. If cattle and wildlife interact in nature for example, during grazing this can promote the transmission of several zoonotic and vector-borne diseases such as anaplasmosis, tick-borne encephalitis and tularemia. If farm animals are not regularly protected with safe-to-use acaricides and groomed for ticks, they are at risk of becoming infested and can pass those ticks to their human handlers. How informed were the farmers you surveyed about the risks to them and their animals? Awareness of ticks and the diseases they transmit varied. Beef producers and mixed-commodity farmers were more knowledgeable on this topic than crop producers. All of the farmers we surveyed knew that ticks can spread diseases to humans and a majority knew that ticks also spread diseases to animals. Farmers who reported being bitten by ticks in 39 counties in Illinois had moderate knowledge about the tick species that are present in the state. Fewer respondents said they could identify the medically important tick species. They also were aware of the types of habitats where they might be exposed to ticks but did not know which animals act as reservoirs of infection or help move the ticks around. Depending on the farm type, the sources of information used by farmers for ticks and tick-borne diseases were not always accurate and reliable. We also found that farmers were not very concerned about contracting tick-borne diseases. Did the farmers know how to protect themselves? Most farmers said they performed regular tick checks on themselves after spending time outdoors and sometimes take one or more preventive measures. About half of the respondents believed that following tick-prevention measures was helpful but only 8% respondents were satisfied with the precautionary measures currently taken. Interestingly, we found that farmers implement more preventive measures against ticks for their pets than for themselves. Those with cattle were even less likely to use prevention measures on their livestock. Did you identify significant gaps in their understanding of the risks? We found several critical gaps in their understanding. First, farmers were not knowledgeable about the main vectors of tick-borne illness in their counties. Second, they were not aware of tick-prevention measures for themselves such as wearing permethrin-treated clothing. Third, farmers were not taking enough measures to protect their cattle with tick repellents or topical acaricides. Fourth, they were not aware of where they would go to seek treatment if they had a tick-borne illness. And finally, as stated before, they had very low concern about contracting a tick-borne disease. The level of knowledge also varied depending on the main commodity produced by the farmer. What kinds of programs would help fill those gaps in knowledge? We recommend basic tick and tick-borne disease training for all residents of Illinois because everyone is at risk of being exposed to tick bites depending on their occupations, leisure and outdoor habits. For farmers, providing farm-specific training on ticks, tick-borne diseases and their risks of exposure would bolster their knowledge of the necessary measures to take not just for their companion animals but also for themselves and their livestock. Increasing the reliance of farmers on reliable sources of information on ticks and tick-borne diseases such as Extension educators and veterinary and medical professionals instead of conventional media and family and friends will allow farmers to keep up with the latest scientifically valid information on the subject. This will allow them to better protect their farm, their animals and their families. The Turner family farming operation in Cass and Mason counties has a multi-generational commitment to good land stewardship. My father-in-law taught me a lot to pass it along to my generation, and I have my two adult sons in the farming operation right now so they are looking to do the same things, said the current patriarch of the farming operation, Steve Turner. With each generation there are bound to be new techniques and technology to advance it a bit more. The Turner farms are an example of various soil, water and nutrient stewardship practices, some tried and true and some relatively new, that keep dirt and fertilizer on the farm and put cleaner water downstream. The latter result is especially important in their Mason County operation, which is located above a huge water aquifer that supplies critical irrigation to crops grown in the areas sandy soils. The Turners practice no-till and conservation tillage, which leaves crop residue on the ground, and their fields are green with cover crops such as rye grass in the off-season. Both of these traditional practices help to control wind and water erosion. Their Cass County ground also features grassy areas between the hills to carry away excess water. These relatively common practices have been supplemented this spring on the Turner farms by the installation of water and sediment control basins, a series of embankments that store and slowly release water runoff through field drains that connect to drainage tile. I call them dry dams. They minimize the amount of time the water has to be on top of the ground and moving across the soil, because thats what causes erosion, Turner said. I have a sediment bed to capture the nutrients. Anything you can do to control that water movement, you also control soil erosion and nutrient loss. When the Turners apply nitrogen fertilizer, especially on their irrigated ground, they spread out the applications and dont apply it all at once. We put on small amounts of nitrogen which really works well because its going right to the roots and doesnt lay around on the ground, Turner said. The plants are picking that up real quick. Sangamon County grain farmer Joe Pickrell is planning to install a relatively new technology, saturated buffers, at the edge of several fields on his 4,000-acre grain farm near Buffalo. The Illinois Farm Bureau will host a field day at Pickrells farm in June to install the saturated buffer, a demonstration that will be part of the Sangamon County Farm Bureaus annual Field Day. The Farm Bureau put out feelers to see who might be interested in putting in a buffer strip. On our farm we have a creek that runs basically through the main part of our farm, Pickrell said. I told them I was interested, because we want to make sure that the nitrogen and the other inputs stay where they are supposed to be and we have clean water.. Agricultural drainage tile removes excess water from farm fields but while moving that water, the tile also moves any nutrients the water may have picked up on its journey. Those nutrients will keep flowing downstream unless theres a way to stop them. Saturated buffers feature control structures that intersect with drainage tile at the edge of a field and divert the water to underground pipes that run parallel to a stream or drainage ditch. Those pipes allow the diverted water and the nutrients they contain to gradually seep into the soil, where grasses that have been planted above the installation take up the water and nutrients. Think of the soil as a sponge. If the soil is super-saturated it cant take any more water so that water is going to go somewhere, it will roll off of the sponge, Pickrell said. If we tile the soil and install a saturated buffer we hopefully keep that sponge drier. That way if we do get a heavy rain event, that soil can take that water in and it wont run off. Pickrell and his father and brother, who are his farming partners, want to be good stewards of the land and soil. Fertilizer is very expensive and we definitely want it to stay where its supposed to be, Pickrell said. We live there, we have wells there, we drink the water, we want everything to be as safe as possible. Thomas Beyers from Odin is chairman of the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts. These water control and nutrient loss reduction strategies remediate those nutrients that are getting into the Mississippi River watershed and impacting the Gulf of Mexico, Beyers said. By using these practices you are being a good steward of the public waters. Its the right thing to do. Beyers pointed to two other new practices that are gaining acceptance. Bioreactors divert water into a wood chip filter, and the microbial actions that go on in those saturated wood chips use up the nitrates, he said. A little more expensive method is discharging the effluent into a constructed wetland, where the microbial processes that go on in the wetland remove the nitrates. Jill Kostel of the Wetlands Initiative helps farmers to turn non-profitable, marginal areas of their operations into tile water treatment wetlands. If we get a wetland that is up to 2 percent of the tile drainage area, we can get 50 to 90% nitrogen removal, Kostel said. At the low end its around 30%, but usually its in the 50% to 60% range. And its seasonal, wetlands work best when theyre warm. Kostel said there are other benefits to developing wetlands on the farm. They are all comprised of native vegetation, so it attracts pollinators, waterfowl, birds, turtles, frogs, sometimes deer and turkeys, Kostel said. Youre not going to have quite the diverse food web as you would in a natural wetland, because the space is limited and its kind of isolated, but if you plant it, they will find it. The Illinois Farm Bureau has a nutrient stewardship grant program to help farmers with some of these conservation practices, and environmental program manager Raelynn Parmely is excited about the growing use of some of the newer technologies in the field. We expect to see more as farmers are given nutrient loss credits for these practices, Parmely said. They keep soil in place, keep nutrients in place, and help to slow the flow of water a bit, which helps downstream for drinking water. We all eat. We all drink water. Its important to remember that its not just one group working on this issue, its a lot of different groups, Parmely said. Agriculture is definitely engaged in trying to identify the best practices. Just before 6 a.m. Thursday, a car traveling faster than 80 miles per hour barreled into an Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) safety truck while speeding southbound on I-17. The crash happened near Table Mesa Road, and according to experts it could have been deadly if it wasnt for a special attachment, called an attenuator, mounted to the ADOT vehicle. That stretch of I-17 has been subject to lane restrictions and closures for overnight earthwork operations, according to ADOT. A construction team was picking markers to effectively open both lanes of traffic on the interstate Thursday morning when the crash happened. Speed limit signs, signaling the work ahead and instructing motorists to slow to 55 miles per hour, were set up in the area, according to ADOT spokesperson Laura Douglas. Despite that, a driver sped through the work zone, eventually slamming their vehicle into a signaling truck that parks between the people physically picking up cones or signs and oncoming traffic. The construction vehicle that was hit was a truck-mounted attenuator. The TMA vehicle follows behind an operation to protect the workers and equipment in front. An attenuator is the kinetic absorption device that absorbs impact when hit. In simple terms, it's a crash cushion that is mounted to the rear of a safety truck, Douglas said. In this case, the TMA truck did its job. Arizona Department of Public Safety Spokesperson Bart Graves said, The at-fault driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is still in hospital. Thursdays crash happened in the midst of National Work Zone Awareness Week, and Douglas said its a stark reminder to motorists. Yesterday's crash serves as an important reminder for all drivers to drive safely in the I-17 work zone and all work zones. It comes down to two simple but very important reminders: slow down and pay attention, Douglas said. Drivers need to observe the posted work zone speed limit and watch for construction crews and equipment in order to prevent crashes and tragedies. DPS is actively investigating the crash, and according to Graves, speed will be a primary factor. I-17 remains a full construction zone from Anthem Way to Sunset Point, according to ADOT. The I-17 Improvement Project has crews working to add one lane in each direction of travel, and two flex lanes from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point. More information about this project can be found at: www.improvingi17.com. The City of Flagstaff is on track to train all municipal employees on sex trafficking prevention and theyve partnered with experts at the Arizona Anti-trafficking Network (AATN) to do it. AATN is a nonprofit that aims to end human trafficking in Arizona by raising awareness about exploitation and reducing demand for commercial sex. The AATN devised CEASE which stands for Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation a training specifically designed for local governments and government employees. The training has been rolled out in several cities across the state, and Coconino County is on track to be the first county to enlist AATNs trainers to educate their employees on the topic. The standardized CEASE training is an online module that has already been integrated into the City of Flagstaffs existing digital training platform, according to Flagstaff City Manager Greg Clifton. We can train online; people can do it at the time of their choosing. Its very effective, Clifton said. According to Michelle Rucker, the director of AATNs CEASE Program, the training has been provided at no cost to the city. She said the course is meant to equip cities with the knowledge and tools they might need to effectively combat sex trafficking and sexual exploitation in their area. We know that sex trafficking happens in every single community in our state. It doesnt matter if its a rural community or a major metropolitan area; a place that has significant wealth or a place that doesnt, Rucker said. Anywhere between 5 and 10% of men buy sex or have bought sex in the last three years. We know we have individuals in our community willing to purchase sex, and it brings the opportunity for sex traffickers to offer people to be sold and exploited. Clifton said the training is an important tool for the city, and marks an important step forward. In 2019, two Flagstaff police officers went undercover to massage parlors, took off their pants and allowed themselves to be touched sexually as part of an investigation into suspected human trafficking, sex trafficking and prostitution. Last summer, details from the massage parlor sting, a joint operation between the Flagstaff Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security, were brought to light. Phoenix TV station ABC 15 first broke the story, broadcasting clips from a video deposition involving one of the undercover officers. In August of 2022, Flagstaff Police Chief Dan Musselman was placed on a non-punitive administrative leave as the department came under fire. Critiques about a lack of transparency in city government bubbled to the surface. [Human trafficking] is a topic that I think everybody should be aware of. I think transparency was a little bit at the root of the issue last summer, not necessarily by design, Clifton said. If we could go back and do it over again, we would do it with a little more transparency. We just would have been more open about things. Now, Clifton said, the city is taking a measured and intentional approach to combating sex trafficking in the community ensuring everyone on the municipal payroll has been trained by experts on best practices for helping victims and preventing exploitation. We have two things happening on parallel tracks. One is getting that policy buttoned up. The other is this training, he said. According to Musselman, the Flagstaff Police Department has been moving toward a new policy specifically for undercover officers. Were working on a VICE policy that touches on trafficking and other crimes. Rather than start from scratch, we looked at other policies just to get a framework. We feel we have a good framework, Musselman said. We do have a draft policy. We did send it to the anti-trafficking network to get their seal of approval. The police chief added that AATN has provided comments on the draft document, but those comments are still under review. Well meet again, go over the policy in its final form and then train the officers that it will impact, Musselman said. Flagstaff police officers will be required to complete the same digital CEASE training as every other city employee including new hires. According to Clifton, CEASE will become a mandatory course in the citys onboarding process. While it might seem strange for every municipal worker from the public works plow driver to the myriad desk workers at City Hall to be required to receive training on human trafficking and sexual exploitation, Rucker says its an important way to inject potentially life-saving or life-changing knowledge into communities. Ive been in this field for almost 10 years now. It takes a community response. Its not necessarily only going to be folks from PD or the fire department who are going to interact with a victim, Rucker said. She said that for the most part crimes related to commercial sex and sexual exploitation are hidden from view. Transactions tend to take place online, and activity occurs in illicit massage parlors, motels or residential brothels which are largely out of sight. About 79% of sex trafficking victims had contact with a hotel or a motel during their experience, Rucker said. Because of the nature of the crimes, we dont typically have victims make disclosures and definitely not right away. Its very rare that someone is going to Flag PD and raise their hand to say theyre a victim. In many cases, victims of sex trafficking or exploitation dont self-identify as such. They likely fear for their lives because of the trauma theyve endured. They likely have a trauma bond with their exploiter, which can lead to people protecting the people who are exploiting them. Thats brain chemistry and how it sometimes works, she said. Rucker said she used to take a poster from the 2008 Liam Neeson film, Taken, into in-person CEASE trainings. She would point to the poster as an example of how Hollywood has planted misconceptions about human trafficking in the public consciousness. Most people arent snatched or suddenly kidnapped into a life of modern slavery or sexual exploitation. A typical victim is vulnerable and meets a trafficker who slowly gains their trust and exploits their vulnerabilities. Being housing insecure, food insecure, having mental health issues, an unstable home life, being in foster care, a trafficker is finding this person, figuring out their vulnerability and exploiting that. Theyre going to give them everything they need. Once they get confident that they have the person under their thumb, theyll start exploiting them for commercial sex. Its truly a long manipulation, Rucker said. Its not like what you see in the movies. Sometimes what a vulnerable person craves is affection. It is relationship based. You have traffickers who are grooming victims, and it begins as the exploitation of an existing platonic, romantic, or familial relationship. To put a finer point on it, it is often a romantic relationship. Someone might think theyre dating someone and they turn around and exploit them, Rucker said. That experience can be disorienting or even embarrassing which further discourages victims from coming forward. Rucker said, because of their more limited life experience when it comes to recognizing healthy and unhealthy relationships, adolescents are often at the greatest risk of falling prey to traffickers. Most people in prostitution start as sex trafficking victims as children. The average age is 14, so theyre eighth-graders. Thats the most common age of entry, Rucker said. But, its not just child sex trafficking victims that we need to care about. ... We need to make sure our city or state is a place where nobody is bought, sold or exploited. Thats why training for all city employees can be valuable, Rucker explained. Its up to us as community members to make that report. It takes all of us and you never know when youre going to be in a position to see something and say something, she said. A city employee who is a parent, a neighbor, a teacher might notice an exploitative relationship or the signs of victimization in their everyday life. Police officers and firefighters will not only receive the digital CEASE training, theyre also slotted to receive 4-hour in-person trainings with AATN. The CEASE training will be an asset. Training is key for officers. Just like anything else, you need refreshers and ongoing training to keep things in the forefront of your per view. Police officers are one of the groups most often that will interact with those folks in the community that are more likely to be trafficking victims, Musselman said. According to data provided by FDPs training coordinator, between 2004 and 2019 officers received on average one or two specialized trainings on human trafficking or child abduction every year. Over the past two years officers have received 11 specialized trainings on the same topics including one in-service training on human trafficking at Northland Family Help Center. Repetition and CEASEs emphasis on a victim-centered approach are valuable for officers, Musselman said. I think its a good refresher, and I think it will help make officers more aware when they are talking to people in the community, trying to locate victims. They may be more compassionate and passionate about dealing with and assisting those victims through the system, he added. One of the things AATN aims to do is reduce and eliminate demand for commercial sex. Educating prospective buyers, Rucker said, is one of the best ways to protect potential victims. A lot of people dont think it through. They didnt have the insight, they really just made that choice. We want to educate them, deconstruct the glamorization, and help them understand how its harmful and why its not OK, Rucker said. Once 75% of the citys employees has completed the CEASE training, Flagstaff will be eligible for a CEASE City designation officially becoming a part of a statewide network of municipalities taking tangible action to reduce sex-buying and respond to human trafficking in their area. City leadership and PD leadership really want to see Flagstaff become a CEASE-designated city, Musselman said. The city has brought in outside consultants, set up training with AATN, and crafted new policies for undercover officers to move the city forward. Clifton says he wants to continue to be transparent and proactive in the process. When things like this happen, we can look at it a number of ways. We could wait for it to pass by, carry on with business as usual, or we can see it as an opportunity to institute some needed change. That clearly is the case here, Clifton said. The idea is not to try to mitigate what happened a few years ago. The idea is to have good policy moving forward and do it right the next time. (Natural News) A recent court filing has made an explosive claim that at least two of the 9/11 hijackers were recruited into a joint CIA-Saudi intelligence operation that was covered up at the highest levels. A relationship between Alec Station, a CIA unit tasked with monitoring Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and his associates, and two 9/11 hijackers leading up to the attacks has been called into question by a newly-released court filing, which also suggests that there was a cover-up at the highest levels of the FBI regarding the matter, according to The Gray Zone. SpyTalk has obtained a 21-page declaration by Don Canestraro, a lead investigator for the Office of Military Commissions responsible for overseeing the cases of 9/11 defendants. The filing summarizes classified government discovery disclosures and private interviews conducted by Canestraro with anonymous high-ranking officials from the CIA and FBI. The interviewed agents, who led Operation Encore, the Bureaus discontinued, extensive investigation into the Saudi governments ties to the 9/11 attack, shared their insights with Canestraro, the site notes. Operation Encore, which involved conducting numerous lengthy interviews with various witnesses, producing hundreds of pages of evidence, formally investigating multiple Saudi officials, and launching a grand jury to investigate a US-based support network for the hijackers allegedly run by Riyadh, was suddenly terminated in 2016. The cause of the termination was purportedly a complicated internal dispute within the FBI over investigative methods, the report continued. When the document was initially released in 2021 on the Offices public court docket, every part of it, except for an unclassified marking, was redacted. Given the documents explosive contents, it is not that difficult to understand why. As per Canestraros investigation, at least two 9/11 hijackers had been recruited, whether knowingly or unknowingly, into a joint CIA-Saudi intelligence operation that might have gone wrong, The Gray Zone report noted further. The CIA established Alec Station in 1996 as a joint investigative effort with the FBI. However, FBI operatives assigned to the unit discovered that they were not permitted to share any information with the Bureaus head office without the CIAs authorization, and they faced severe penalties if they did so. Additionally, their attempts to share information with the FBIs equivalent unit, the I-49 squad based in New York, were repeatedly obstructed, said the report. As the system blinked red in late 1999 with indications of an imminent large-scale Al Qaeda terror attack within the US, the CIA and NSA were actively monitoring an operational cadre within an Al Qaeda cell that comprised Saudi nationals Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. These two individuals were later believed to have hijacked American Airlines Flight 77, resulting in the crash into the Pentagon on 9/11, the site said. Between January 5th and 8th, 2000, al-Hazmi and al-Midhar attended an Al Qaeda summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Local authorities secretly photographed and videotaped the meeting at Alec Stations request, although no audio recording was captured. While en route to the summit, al-Midhar transited through Dubai, where operatives working for the CIA broke into his hotel room and copied his passpower, which showed that he had a multi-entry visa to the US. An internal CIA cable at the time stated that this information was promptly conveyed to the FBI for further investigation. However, in reality, Alec Station not only neglected to inform the Bureau about al-Midhars US visa but also explicitly prohibited two FBI agents assigned to the unit from telling their supervisors. [I said] weve got to tell the Bureau about this. These guys clearly are badweve got to tell the FBI. And then [the CIA] said to me, no, its not the FBIs case, not the FBIs jurisdiction, Mark Rossini, one of the FBI agents in question, has said. If we had picked up the phone and called the Bureau, I wouldve been violating the law. Iwouldve been removed from the building that day. I wouldve had my clearances suspended, and I would be gone, Rossini noted further. Sources include: TheGrayZone.com FloridaBulldog.org (Natural News) A retired CIA leader coordinated a letter from former intelligence chiefs claiming that Hunter Bidens laptop was Russian disinformation because he wanted to help Joe Bidens presidential campaign. (Article by Harriet Alexander republished from DailyMail.co.uk) Mike Morell told the House Judiciary Committee that he was asked by Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State who at the time was a senior member of the Biden campaign to help discredit the laptop reporting. Morell was a former acting CIA director, serving for two months in 2011 and four months from 2012 to 2013. He retired from the CIA in September 2013. The House Judiciary Committee, led by Jim Jordan, is currently investigating Hunter Bidens laptop, as well as the Biden family businesses. Morell recently conducted a transcribed interview with Jordans team and was asked about the Biden campaigns response to the laptop. The laptop, which had been left in a Delaware repair store, was touted by Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trumps lawyer, as providing evidence of supposed corruption among the Biden family. The Biden campaign said the efforts to publicize the contents of the laptop bore the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation campaign. The laptop included explicit photos of the troubled Hunter Biden naked, with prostitutes, and taking drugs, as well as multiple emails and texts between the 53-year-old and his father. Morell said that he was asked by Blinken to rally former intelligence chiefs to agree that the laptop looked like a smear campaign. He carried out a little bit of my own research, and then reached out to retired CIA senior operations officer Marc Polymeropoulos for assistance in compiling the letter. The letter was ultimately signed by 51 former intelligence officials, including himself and four other former CIA directors, including John Brennan and Leon Panetta. The letter was published by Politico five days after The New York Post first reported on the contents of the laptop. The headline for Politicos story, on October 19, 2020, was: Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former officials say. The letter alleged that The New York Post story has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation. Several media outlets, including DailyMail.com, have since confirmed the contents of the laptop and that it belonged to Hunter Biden. Read more at: DailyMail.co.uk (Natural News) International Man: In parts of California and other states, shoplifting under $950 has been de-facto decriminalized. (Article by Doug Casey republished from InternationalMan.com) The practical reality is that thieves can now walk into a store and steal whatever they can without fear of police interveningas long as its under $950. The trend of de-facto legalization of shoplifting is spreading across the country. What is your take? Doug Casey: The rise in crime in general and the veritable legalization of shoplifting, in particular, are really just symptoms. The real problem is that the moral fabric of the US and many other Western countries are torn. Theres not much of a moral compass left. Its no longer clear to the average American what is right and what is wrong. Right and wrong is now viewed as arbitrary social constructs. Property rights are barely even seen as rights, which is perverse since the very concept of rights is based on propertystarting with your own body, which is the most basic form of property. This degeneration is understandable in a world where black is white and wrong is right. Its become unclear in many peoples minds what a man is, what a woman is, and what the difference is. If theres no recognition of something as basic and obvious as that, the meaning of words, and any logic in thought, becomes meaningless. So, of course, they have trouble understanding concepts like right and wrong. But it goes beyond that. For instance, many people think that reparations are due to black people simply because theyre black, and many blacks were slaves over 160 years ago. Incidentally, I dont capitalize that word, something which has become a widespread affectation. It only serves to draw attention to race, which is part of the problem. Lets pursue the absurd matter of racial reparations for a moment since some miscreants have said all blacks in California are due $5 million. But are reparations due to American blacks, by any stretch of fact or logic? The average income of blacks in the US is many, many times that of blacks who are still in Africa. Should blacks in the US, therefore, pay whites something out of gratitude? The answer, just in case anybody is wondering: Of course not. When people think theyre due reparations, the next step is for them to thinkor rather feel, since theres no logical thought involvedthat they have a moral right to steal to take the reparations they imagine theyre owed. Does that have any relation to the fact that, although blacks are only 13% of the population, they commit 50% of the crime? Anyway, the nonobservance of shoplifting laws is just one more symptom of a corrupt culture and a collapsing civilization. International Man: Videos of smash and grab robberieswhere large groups rush into a large store like Walmart or a very expensive one like Louis Vuitton and grab as much merchandise as they can carryare circulating online. In places like Portland, Walmart has decided to permanently close all of its stores because of the rise in theft. For similar reasons, Target has closed stores in downtown Chicago, Minneapolis, and Washington, DC. How is rising crime affecting businesses, and what are the implications? Doug Casey: From a criminals point of view, in the kind of societal environment were in right now, flash mobs make a lot of sense. If you call together your posse to raid a store, and a hundred people overwhelm it to steal all they can, theres nothing the employees can do about it. In fact, theres likely nothing that the police can do about it, if only because it happens so quickly. Its a clever tactic. But this type of thing happens not because theyre poor, black, or there arent enough police but because people no longer have a sense of right or wrong. The police are loath to stop them for fear of being called racists. Increasingly, business itself makes no sense, with the amount of taxes and regulations an entrepreneur has to deal with added to the lack of defense from common criminals. I expect this trend to continue. If it does, not just ghettos but central business districts will be devoid of retail stores. Many large office buildings will be empty. Others will opt to become self-contained fortresses. International Man: Many cities which have decided to defund the police have seen a surge in violent crime generally and carjackings, armed robbery, and murder. What do you make of the trend of rising crime? Doug Casey: Once again, its an indicator of the general degradation of civilization itself. If youre wondering where the US is going, you can look at Venezuela, where the standard of living has collapsed since being totally taken over by socialist values in the last 20 years. And Argentina, which has been on a shallower glide path for the last 80 years. Latins seem to have learned absolutely nothing, however, since every country in South America, with the exception of Uruguay, is run by a doctrinaire socialist. Look at South Africa, which is still the most advanced country on the continent. Americans rarely hear about it, but power is only available half the day. The blacks have practically declared open season on whites in parts of the country. Thats the direction were going in the US. All over the West, criminals and welfare recipients are rewarded while producers are punished. China has some huge problems, but this is one area where theyre doing much better than the rest of the world. Common criminality is not tolerated in Chinaor anywhere in the Orient. Welfare barely exists. Thats one reason why China has risen relative to the US in recent years. The social and moral underpinnings of China are shockingly better than they are in the woke US. In fact, the US seems to be undergoing its own version of the Great Cultural Revolution that nearly destroyed China in the 60s. Read more at: InternationalMan.com Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy (Natural News) The global shipping industry is splitting into two opposing camps a Western bloc led by the United States and the European Union (EU) and an Eastern bloc led by China and Russia. This is according to multiple research papers published by the World Trade Organization (WTO). These papers warn about a worst-case scenario for the global shipping industry called a long-run decoupling, which involves the disintegration of the global economy into two separate blocs. (Related: Shipping cost from Asia to US West Coast drops 84% year-over-year as consumer demand plunges.) Another research paper published by the WTO this January analyzed a worst-case scenario outcome of the geopolitical rivalries between the Eastern and Western blocs resulting in a bipolar trade war with severe consequences for future global GDP and trade volumes. An assessment by the European Central Bank provides a similar warning, noting that countries may soon be mechanically allocated to either the Western or Eastern bloc according to their voting patterns in the United Nations General Assembly. In this fragmentation scenario, we assume that trade (as a share of GDP) in intermediate inputs between the two blocs reverts back to the level of the mid-1990s, the banks researchers wrote. Current geopolitical conflict points like Taiwan and Ukraine will make the possibility of the world essentially splitting up into two shipping and trading zones even more likely unless they are resolved peacefully soon. Short-term profits of global shipping to turn into long-term worries In the short term, FreightWaves writer and maritime expert Greg Miller noted that further geopolitical schisms will initially be positive for shipping rates. This can be seen in the past year when the beginning of Russias special military operation in Ukraine rerouted Russian crude from the short-haul oil trade with the EU to long-haul runs in China and India. Russia also found replacement buyers of diesel in North Africa, Asia and South America. Meanwhile, the EU replaced lost Russian barrels with more-distant supplies coming in from the U.S., Asia and the Middle East. This massive shift in shipping demand has brought greater profits for shipping companies willing to make long-haul journeys. However, in the longer term, these continued geopolitical issues pose significant downsides for shipping. The January WTO working paper noted that the higher the global GDP growth, the better the demand for oil is over the long term. Shifts in geopolitical stability as opposed to multilateral cooperation would translate into an approximately 6.4 percent GDP decrease for developed nations through 2050, a 10.2 percent GDP loss for developing nations and an 11.3 percent GDP hit for the worlds least developed countries. This prediction by the WTO is likely to happen if current geopolitical tensions continue. This does not take into account the possibility of escalations, such as if the conflict in Ukraine gets even bloodier or if a military conflict breaks out between the U.S. and China over Taiwan. These potential conflicts are predicted to have a highly negative effect on the global economy. Its a given to me that the Chinese wont forget about Taiwan. Its a given to me that the Chinese will go for it in the future, said Robert Bugbee, president of shipping company Scorpio Tankers. But its such an enormous thing, should it happen, that you cant think about it on an everyday basis. You just put it in the back of your mind and get on with it, as an operator. Oystein Kalleklev, CEO of Flex LNG, a liquefied natural gas shipping company, noted that the consequences of a future war between China and the U.S. are so enormous that it is almost not even worth worrying about. The consequences are so big, he said. If that happens, were all screwed. Russia and Ukraine would look like a small bump in the road. You would have an energy shock like youd never seen before. The whole world economy would stop. Learn more about global trade at SupplyChainWarning.com. Watch this video from The American Journal on InfoWars discussing how a Chinese shipping company once orchestrated the shutdown of Americas largest ports. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: The climate cult is destroying international shipping and global supply chains along with it. Russia and China pledge friendship, denounce the West. PLUMMET: Maritime, rail and trucking demand DROPS sharply from pandemic era peak. LA Ports October imports drop 28% year-over-year as labor negotiations drag on. Freight companies expect muted peak season due to waning retailer demand. Sources include: FreightWaves.com ECB.Europa.eu Brighteon.com (Natural News) The popular artificial intelligence-powered chatbot ChatGPT is scraping peoples data from their conversations with the program without their consent a move that could lead to the chatbot being banned throughout the entire European Union. This is according to the Italian data protection agency Garante, which said ChatGPT collects data in a way that is incompatible with Italian and European data protection laws. This comes about a month after Italy banned ChatGPT, becoming the first country in the Western world to block the advanced chatbot over privacy issues. (Related: Italy bans ChatGPT over privacy concerns.) Garante said ChatGPT has been scraping peoples names and email addresses and using this data without their consent. The privacy watchdog gave OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, until April 30 to comply with the law. To this end, Italy laid out several requirements for OpenAI to continue operating the chatbot. First, OpenAI must publish an information notice detailing how it scrapes and processes data; second, ChatGPT must create an age verification process to prevent minors from accessing the chatbot; third, ChatGPT must provide sufficient proof that the chatbot has a legitimate interest for processing peoples data; and fourth, OpenAI must conduct a local awareness campaign to properly inform Italians about how ChatGPT uses their data and must give users in the country ways to correct mistakes about them that the chatbot writes down, to have their data erased if they so choose and to object to letting the chatbot use their data. If OpenAI does not respond to Garante by April 30, it will pay a fine of 20 million euros ($21.94 million) or up to four percent of the companys annual revenue, which means the company might pay up to $40 million. ChatGPT ban could spread all over Europe and the rest of the world All eyes are now on OpenAIs arguments to the Italian data protection authorities. If the company is unable to convince Garante that its data usage practices are legal, this could lead to a domino effect. Enforcement of the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation, the worlds strictest data protection law, could mean the banning of ChatGPT in multiple other European countries. Privacy regulators in France and Ireland have already contacted their counterparts in Italy to gain more insight into the nations rationale for its ban on ChatGPT. We will collaborate with all EU data protection authorities regarding this issue, said a spokesperson for Irelands Data Protection Commission. In Germany, the Federal Commission for Data Protection and Freedom of Information has expressed concerns over data security and has hinted that the country might pass its own restrictions on ChatGPT. The EUs own European Data Protection Board has already set up a task force to investigate ChatGPT, an important first step for the bloc toward creating a common continent-wide policy on setting privacy rules on artificial intelligence. The task force was created following a request from Spains own data protection agency for some kind of bloc-wide intervention. The effects of ChatGPTs data scraping may also extend outside of the European Union. In Latin America, for example, the Senate of Brazil has recommended the passage of measures to protect citizens rights and to lay out proper measures for informing individuals when they are interacting with AI systems. The proposal includes provisions for the protection of personal data and for non-discrimination systems to be implemented. Learn more about artificial intelligence programs like ChatGPT at Computing.news. Watch this video discussing whether ChatGPT has already been corrupted. This video is from the channel PureTrauma357 on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Professor alleges ChatGPT defamed him with fake sexual assault allegations. CCP blocks ChatGPT: Party officials fear chatbot will spread American propaganda online. Climate scientist Willis Eschenbach has fun with ChatGPT, instructs it to write short laudatory speech about his work. ChatGPT AI taught to single out hateful content by silencing Whites, Republicans and MEN: Research. Artificial intelligence ChatGPT program successfully passes Bar, medical licensing exams are machines taking over the world? Sources include: Expose-News.com TheConversation.com TechnologyReview.com 150Sec.com Reuters.com 1 Reuters.com 2 Brighteon.com (Natural News) A non-governmental organization (NGO) called Welcome.US that was founded by Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Hussein Obama has partnered with American Express and a host of other multinational corporations to fly illegal aliens into the United States for placement in your local community. With the help of fake president Joe Biden and his illicit regime, the three former presidents, via their NGO, initially resettled some 85,000 Afghans across the United States both in 2021 and 2022. Their goal for 2023 and beyond is to bring in a whole lot more than that until every last crevice of the country is occupied by migrants. For the Afghan portion of its operation alone, Welcome.US helped fly nearly 20,000 Afghans to American communities. The millions of dollars needed to do this came from multinational corporations and brands such as Walmart, Airbnb, The New York Times, the Business Roundtable, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Starbucks, the Washington Post, Goldman Sachs, Goodwill Industries, Microsoft, and Chobani. (Related: Last fall, the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] released a report showing that Venezuela has been emptying its prisons and sending the criminals to the U.S. for relocation and resettlement.) George Soros and his Open Society Foundation also involved in Welcome.US illegal alien invasion scheme Another household globalist name tied to Welcome.US is none other than billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Foundation, numerous members of which currently sit on the Welcome.US National Welcome Council. With the help of open borders organizations such as Miles4Migrants and American Express Global Business Travel, Soros et al. are funding even more flights for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Ukraine, who will also be dumped in your local community in seemingly endless numbers. Donations are needed to fund the flights for newcomers to travel to the United States, reads the website of the initiative, begging for more cash from the public to make this all possible. Those forced to flee often leave behind all but what they can carry, and the costs of international travel can be prohibitive. Welcome Connect Travel removes the cost of travel as a barrier for both sponsors in the United States and the displaced families they are supporting through humanitarian sponsorship. With the average cost of a single flight at $1,600, public donations through our partner Miles4Migrants will help provide a lifeline to newcomers, giving them the opportunity to safely travel to their new communities. Donate below to help newcomers access safe travel. Since the wealthy elite of Marthas Vineyard, where Obama lives, have already made it abundantly clear that they will not be participating in any illegal alien relocation schemes, middle-class Americans will have to accept them into their communities instead. None of the rich neighborhoods plastered in We Welcome Our Refugee Neighbors yard signs will ever see a single migrant resettled there, but you can be sure that American suburbs all across the nation will be flooded with all these plane loads of people until Obama et al. have successfully replaced the current America with their envisioned new America. This year, the Biden regime also launched its own similar program to Welcome.US that aims to fly in 360,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. That program is part of an expansive parole pipeline, we are told, that has already released about one million migrants into American communities between 2021 and 2022. Since he first started occupying the Oval Office, the Pedophile-in-Chief has brought in close to five million illegal aliens, all of whom now live illegally in American communities right alongside legal American citizens. The powers that be are working really hard to replace Americans with south-of-the-border migrants. To learn more, visit InvasionUSA.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com The Colorado River is the most endangered as of 2023, but the Ohio River is a close second. Ohio River at Close Ranks With Colorado River In a press release, American Rivers stated that the main threats to the river and its watershed are a lack of federal investment and years of environmental pollution due to industrial, agricultural, and municipal development. Although they are dismayed by this report, the Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA), according to Executive Director Michael Washburn, is not at all surprised. The Ohio River as well as its basin have been ignored for a long time, despite its status as one of the most significant waterways in the country. In addition to being the environmentally responsible thing to do, restoring and protecting the Ohio River is crucial for the health and prosperity of local communities and economies. For millions of people in 14 states, the Ohio River is a crucial source of safe drinking water, outdoor activities, and economic activity. The river provides a habitat for more than 150 species of fish, WDRB reports. 2023 Most Endangered Rivers The Colorado River in Arizona is listed as the most endangered river for the year. The Ohio River, which runs through Illinois, Indiana, then Kentucky, Ohio, down to Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, follows closely behind. Pearl River which runs from Louisiana to Mississippi, is in third place. While the Snake River covering Idaho, Oregon, and through Washington is at 4th. Montana's Clark Fork River follows at fifth place, Eel River in California at sixth, and Lehigh River in Pennsylvania is at 7th. Chilkat and Klehini Rivers in Alaska placed eighth because of an upcoming mine for copping and zinc, according to KTOO. Rio Gallinas in New Mexico takes the ninth place and Okefenokee Swamp in Florida to Georgia takes the tenth. Also Read: Cow Waste Slurry From Livestock Farming and Fertilizer Pollutes UK Rivers Up to 300 Times in 2021, EA American Rivers Water from rivers is used to hydrate citizens, grow their food, and keep their spirits up. As a result of climate change, flooding, pollution, drought, and habitat loss, the nation's rivers are now more vulnerable than ever. The only thing at stake is the health and safety of the populace. American Rivers supports a cause to safeguard and restore the rivers on which the entire country depends by working with the hardest-hit communities. American Rivers claims that they have had 50 years of experience dealing with threats to rivers from coast to coast and assisting partners in protecting essential habitats. By 2030, they want to protect a million miles of free-flowing rivers, and by 2050, they want to have protected half of the nation's rivers. In addition to defending some of the most beautiful and healthy rivers, American Rivers will concentrate on populated areas. The quickest and most effective way to revive a river is to remove a dam. American Rivers will place special emphasis on areas that aim to resolve climate impacts and safeguard biodiversity in its work to reconnect as well as restore free-flowing rivers. Health requires access to clean water, and rivers give communities that access. The group will see to it that the hundreds of millions of dollars provided by federal infrastructure legislation go to where they are most needed, namely to increase climate resilience, safety, and health. Related Article: Vacation Spot Salton Sea Oasis Now Just Dust Bowls, Receding Waters, Dead Fish - California Hawaii's coasts are temporarily closed while an endangered Hawaiian monk seal gives birth to a pup. The birth of an endangered seal pup at one of Hawaii's busiest tourist destinations has drawn attention to the conflict between preserving the islands' delicate ecosystems and allowing access to the pristine white-sand beaches, which draw in millions of tourists every year. Closed Hawaii Coasts To safeguard the Hawaiian monk seal named Kaiwi and her young pup, Hawaii officials fenced off a sizable portion of a well-known Waikiki neighborhood this week. Visitors and locals alike enjoy swimming and tanning at Kaimana Beach, which is close to a modest hotel. Monk seals have given birth there on occasion since six years ago, causing tension between the mothers of the newborn seals and beachgoers. After a California visitor, 60, got too close when a mother monk seal had just given birth to its pup last year and was pulled underwater by the mother, who caused cuts to appear on his face, arms, and back, authorities are being extra cautious this spring. Previously, when pups were born, officials cordoned off a portion of Kaimana Beach; however, this spring, the protected area is much larger. Officials from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources will use personal watercraft when the seals are in the water to keep onlookers outside of a 50-yard safety zone. Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal Pup Two years ago, Kaiwi had another puppy at Kaimana. On April 14, she gave birth once more, and researchers anticipate that she will remain at Kaimana with her pup for about 5 to 7 weeks while the offspring nurses, according to USA Today. During this time, monk seal mothers guard their young. Authorities advise swimmers to frequent one of Oahu's numerous alternative shorelines up until the pup weans. The pup will benefit from keeping humans and seals apart as it begins to explore the ocean and learn how to swim so that it can eventually go in search of food. Biologists are concerned that the newborn's ability to survive in the wild will be harmed by growing too accustomed to humans at this impressionable age. After the young seals were weaned and their mother left, NOAA officials relocated them in previous years. They were taken to isolated areas of Oahu by biologists and veterinarians so they could develop alongside other wild monk seals with very little human contact. Also Read: Two Injured Blind Seals Join Vancouver Aquarium Following Rescue and Treatment Waikiki, Hawaii According to NOAA Fisheries, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the State of Hawaii law, all protect Hawaiian monk seals. Four Hawaiian monk seal births have taken place at Kaimana Beach since 2017, the first being a mother named Rocky, who became the first monk seal to give birth on Waikiki shores since NOAA started keeping track in the 1970s. Fewer than 1,600 Hawaiian monk seals are still in the wild, and disturbing them is illegal. Hotels and villas with white-sand beaches can be found along a mile-long stretch in Waikiki. With 10 million tourists visiting each year, it is Hawaii's main tourism hub. Waikiki and Honolulu are located on the island of Oahu, which welcomed 4.9 million tourists in 2017. Additionally, Hawaii has more species that are in danger of extinction than any other US state, including rare forest birds, snails, and plants, AP News reported. Related Article: Dead Caspian Seals on Russian Shores Rise to 2500, Signs of Violent Death Seen Flagstaff City Council must take note of the monopolistic and predatory nature of Northern Arizona Healthcare as it decides whether to allow a new massive development. The recent article in the Arizona Daily Sun regarding their strong-arming of Northern Arizona Pulmonary Associates is only one example of them driving out competition and forcing quality healthcare professionals out of the community. They did this six months ago with the microhospital off of Cedar. They lobbied hard to prevent the new surgery centers from opening two years ago, surgery centers that charge less than FMC for the exact same procedures. NAH has the highest cost of healthcare of any major network in Arizona, and this new development will increase the costs for all of us. Meanwhile, they pay their employees 15% less than the other networks. They cant keep permanent employees, with some departments having over 50% of their nurses being travelers. Councilmembers ran on reducing the living costs in Flagstaff. This is the time they prove it, or they will be proving that they are beholden to a predatory and monopolistic organization that cares more about their own pocketbooks than the well-being of our community. I am glad Planning and Zoning voted it down, and Council needs to listen and check facts. The first official, economic analysis of the development found no economic benefit, yet Council is considering spending tens of millions of our taxpayer dollars to increase our medical costs and line the executives pockets. EMILY EVERMORE Flagstaff Gurbir Singh By Express News Service The much-anticipated event everybody was waiting was has been flagged. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has confirmed that India is now the most populous nation with 142.86 crore people, outstripping China at 142.57 crore. The gap is expected to further widen with the UN projecting India touching 166.8 crores by 2050 while China by then would have declined to 131.7 crore. The funny thing is no one knows how to react. Is going ahead of China on population something to celebrate about? Or, is it going to be a dubious liability for the future... something we should gulp down and well, stay silent? India and the rest of the developed world are in different population cycles. India will continue to grow till about 2050, after which absolute numbers will begin to decline. For the rest of the world, total population touched 8 billion last November. After 1968 the global population growth rate started a long decline with the fertility rate dropping more than half to 2.4 in 2019. The shrinkage has been the maximum for Europe and Japan the developed world geographies that are seeing a 7% fall in population. Interestingly, it will be now migration from war and conflict and human disaster which will add to their population numbers. The youth asset Back to India. As the most populous nation, how do we see ourselves today? Thinking has changed from the 1980s where family planning and the hum-do-hamare-do campaign was a desperate bid to rein in numbers. We are now past the population bomb. Fertility in India has fallen due a variety of factors, and is nosing down to about 2.0 a family. The new word is demographic dividend. For India, population is an asset as nearly half about 650 million is below the age of 25. As per Worldometer the median age in India is 28.4 years, compared to 38.3 years in the US, 38.4 years in China, and 40.5 years in the UK.Unlike much of the developed world, which has an ageing population that needs looking after, Indias young population is a huge asset that not only provides skills but also drives consumption the two pillars of economic growth. But to catch the window of opportunity and cash in on its demographic dividend, India has to focus on planned urbanization, and institutional skilling. With development comes urbanization. It calls for an educated work force and in turn provides citizens with better incomes and a higher quality of life. For all the romance of rural life, Indias semi-feudal village existence can be summed up in Thomas Hobbes words: solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. Urban life, in contrast, spells rapid cultural and economic progress. India has been slow in the rural-to-urban metamorphosis, but it is happening. According to new McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) research, 590 million Indians will live in cities by 2030, more than double the 290 million in 2001.The MGI report says India will have 68 cities with populations of over 1 million, and 6 megacities with populations of 10 million or more. This urban explosion will result in surging incomes and consumption. Households with true discretionary spending power could rise sevenfold from 13 million in 2005 to around 90 million in 2025. Skilling our assets But these cities have to be planned or else they will be hovels of misery. Billions have to be poured in to provide infrastructure housing, transportation, education. Despite all the promises of Housing for All by 2022 and the creation of Smart Cities our urban agglomerations are a commuters nightmare and civic failures on most fronts. Meanwhile, skilling the youth is the crucial link for creating aworkforce that becomes a magnet for investment and development. India has among the largest internet penetrations and a high level of literacy. But on the ground, institutional skilling remains a mirage. Industrial parks, the centers of employment and manufacture in China, have largely evaded India. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has repeatedly flagged concern that the labour participation, particularly of young people, has been falling and is now just about 40% from 47% in fiscal 2021. It means those of working age, after not finding suitable jobs, simply disappeared from the job market. From the time liberalization kicked in in 1992 there has been talk of creating a safety net through retraining and skilling. It has remainedlip service. Only 5 per cent of Indias workforce is formally skilled today, says the World Economic Forum. More opportunities and skills to make them future-ready, is the need of the hour. Theres another stumbling block. Grinding inequality. With 10% of the creme de la creme holding 73% of the nations wealth, while the bottom 50% have access to just 6% of wealth generated, leaves us with a rather constricted growth story. We also have to consider that the demographic dividend window wont be open forever. Indias population is expected to start declining by 2045 and will perhaps fall to 1 billion people by 2100. The time to cash in on the power and skills of our youth is now. The much-anticipated event everybody was waiting was has been flagged. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has confirmed that India is now the most populous nation with 142.86 crore people, outstripping China at 142.57 crore. The gap is expected to further widen with the UN projecting India touching 166.8 crores by 2050 while China by then would have declined to 131.7 crore. The funny thing is no one knows how to react. Is going ahead of China on population something to celebrate about? Or, is it going to be a dubious liability for the future... something we should gulp down and well, stay silent? India and the rest of the developed world are in different population cycles. India will continue to grow till about 2050, after which absolute numbers will begin to decline. For the rest of the world, total population touched 8 billion last November. After 1968 the global population growth rate started a long decline with the fertility rate dropping more than half to 2.4 in 2019.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The shrinkage has been the maximum for Europe and Japan the developed world geographies that are seeing a 7% fall in population. Interestingly, it will be now migration from war and conflict and human disaster which will add to their population numbers. The youth asset Back to India. As the most populous nation, how do we see ourselves today? Thinking has changed from the 1980s where family planning and the hum-do-hamare-do campaign was a desperate bid to rein in numbers. We are now past the population bomb. Fertility in India has fallen due a variety of factors, and is nosing down to about 2.0 a family. The new word is demographic dividend. For India, population is an asset as nearly half about 650 million is below the age of 25. As per Worldometer the median age in India is 28.4 years, compared to 38.3 years in the US, 38.4 years in China, and 40.5 years in the UK.Unlike much of the developed world, which has an ageing population that needs looking after, Indias young population is a huge asset that not only provides skills but also drives consumption the two pillars of economic growth. But to catch the window of opportunity and cash in on its demographic dividend, India has to focus on planned urbanization, and institutional skilling. With development comes urbanization. It calls for an educated work force and in turn provides citizens with better incomes and a higher quality of life. For all the romance of rural life, Indias semi-feudal village existence can be summed up in Thomas Hobbes words: solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. Urban life, in contrast, spells rapid cultural and economic progress. India has been slow in the rural-to-urban metamorphosis, but it is happening. According to new McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) research, 590 million Indians will live in cities by 2030, more than double the 290 million in 2001.The MGI report says India will have 68 cities with populations of over 1 million, and 6 megacities with populations of 10 million or more. This urban explosion will result in surging incomes and consumption. Households with true discretionary spending power could rise sevenfold from 13 million in 2005 to around 90 million in 2025. Skilling our assets But these cities have to be planned or else they will be hovels of misery. Billions have to be poured in to provide infrastructure housing, transportation, education. Despite all the promises of Housing for All by 2022 and the creation of Smart Cities our urban agglomerations are a commuters nightmare and civic failures on most fronts. Meanwhile, skilling the youth is the crucial link for creating aworkforce that becomes a magnet for investment and development. India has among the largest internet penetrations and a high level of literacy. But on the ground, institutional skilling remains a mirage. Industrial parks, the centers of employment and manufacture in China, have largely evaded India. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has repeatedly flagged concern that the labour participation, particularly of young people, has been falling and is now just about 40% from 47% in fiscal 2021. It means those of working age, after not finding suitable jobs, simply disappeared from the job market. From the time liberalization kicked in in 1992 there has been talk of creating a safety net through retraining and skilling. It has remainedlip service. Only 5 per cent of Indias workforce is formally skilled today, says the World Economic Forum. More opportunities and skills to make them future-ready, is the need of the hour. Theres another stumbling block. Grinding inequality. With 10% of the creme de la creme holding 73% of the nations wealth, while the bottom 50% have access to just 6% of wealth generated, leaves us with a rather constricted growth story. We also have to consider that the demographic dividend window wont be open forever. Indias population is expected to start declining by 2045 and will perhaps fall to 1 billion people by 2100. The time to cash in on the power and skills of our youth is now. Uma Kannan By Express News Service BENGALURU: At a time when recession fears and economic slowdown is pushing the global economy on a cliffs edge, one sector that is gaining prominence and generating employment opportunities is the Global Capability Centre (GCC). The country has been witnessing an increase in the number of GCCs or captives, which are offshore centres that support the operations of global enterprises, across retail and BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), among other segments. During the pandemic, many companies shifted their focus to India and the country has been attracting many centres for a few years now. Due to the global macroeconomic conditions, businesses attempt to reduce costs to ensure a profitable operation. Companies are considering moving work to less expensive locations, in addition to restructuring. There are many models that have significant offshore or nearshore + offshore outsourcing. In addition to this, there is a shortage of people with specific technological skills. India is the leader in terms of the availability of labour in this area as well, and this is another important factor in the shift, says A R Ramesh, Director - Managed services & Professional staffing, Adecco India. In July last year, US luxury retailer Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) inaugurated its new GCC in Bengaluru. The company said that the centre brings new strategic technical talent to its integrated team focused on operational excellence, curated customer experiences and a faster time to market. Lowes India, the global capability centre for Lowes Companies, launched its second office in April last year in Bengaluru due to its increased demand from customers across selling channels. According to Nasscoms recent report, in the third quarter of 2022, about 60% of the new GCCs instituted in India hail from the software and internet vertical. Also, US-headquartered MNCs accounted for about 76% of new GCCs as well as new centres of existing GCCs established in India when compared to 63% in Q2 2022. The reasons behind the steady ramp-up of GCCs are driving cost efficiencies, leveraging technology, leading innovations, and boosting quality delivery to name a few, says Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services. He adds that about 3.64 lakh new jobs are estimated to be created by GCCs across India in 2023. As found through NLB Services recent report India Captivating! - Impact of Global Captive Centers (GCCs) on the Indian Staffing Ecosystem, these jobs will majorly be in domains like data science, data analytics, data engineering, statistical analysis, UI/UX Design, DevOps, AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, etc. According to Alug, the market size of GCCs as of 2021 in India was $35.9 billion. The sector is predicted to scale up to $60-85 billion by the year 2026. Nasscoms GCC India Landscape 2021 & Beyond report says that ER&D (Engineering R&D) is leading the GCC growth story in India with a 55% market share. By 2023, the country will have over 1,900 GCCs, employing over 2 million people and generating revenues of $58-61 billion by 2025. Kotak Institutional Equities says the headcount has large scope to increase across segments - Automotive, BFSI, IT and software, and would have likely grown further over FY23, looking at the sharp increase in business services exports. The future of GCCs The future of GCCs, specifically in India, seems to be promising as they are highly intent on the technical skills, resources, foreign policies, and infrastructure this country has to offer. Similarly, Indian start-ups have witnessed stable growth in various sectors due to some of these very factors that provide them with impeccable ease in doing business, Alug says. There is growing interest around adoption of modern IT solutions and upgrading existing infrastructure despite challenges. For instance, seeing the growing need for flexibility, security and an urge to remain prepared for modern workloads like AI, we brought in innovation into our PowerEdge portfolio and recently launched 16G servers in India, to meet business demands, says Sudha KV, VP, Dell Technologies India. India is home to several top tier institutions which are our hunting grounds for tech talent. As a country India is quick in adopting new technologies and spending on IT/ Digital transformation has been growing constantly, Sudha adds. Vikram Ahuja, MD ANSR and CEO, Co-Founder Talent500 says in todays landscape, GCCs have expanded their scope and capabilities beyond just technology-driven functions. They also focus on delivering growth drivers and decision-based services that go beyond technical expertise. He adds that this shift in perspective can help GCCs unlock new opportunities and play a more strategic role in driving overall business success. India is home to 1,500 GCCs, employing 1.3 million people, generating a revenue of $33.8 billion - about 1% of Indias GDP. 500 new GCCs are estimated to be added to the existing tally by 2026, he adds. GCCs talent demand has grown by 12-15% in the last three years, double that of IT services firms. Despite the hiring slowdown globally, GCCs continue to hire for roles including cloud, data engineering, AI, info security, RPA, blockchain, among others. GCCs have also emerged as a preferred employer of choice for three key reasons, explains Ahuja. First, employees have the opportunities to work on cutting edge technologies that demonstrate tangible impact. Second, GCCs reflect the culture of their headquarters, which means the employees enjoy the same work-life balance and benefits. Furthermore, in light of recent layoffs, job security has become a top priority for tech workers. GCCs are increasingly viewed as a more stable option compared to start-ups and service companies, providing a sense of security and stability for tech professionals in todays uncertain job market, he adds. BENGALURU: At a time when recession fears and economic slowdown is pushing the global economy on a cliffs edge, one sector that is gaining prominence and generating employment opportunities is the Global Capability Centre (GCC). The country has been witnessing an increase in the number of GCCs or captives, which are offshore centres that support the operations of global enterprises, across retail and BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), among other segments. During the pandemic, many companies shifted their focus to India and the country has been attracting many centres for a few years now. Due to the global macroeconomic conditions, businesses attempt to reduce costs to ensure a profitable operation. Companies are considering moving work to less expensive locations, in addition to restructuring. There are many models that have significant offshore or nearshore + offshore outsourcing. In addition to this, there is a shortage of people with specific technological skills. India is the leader in terms of the availability of labour in this area as well, and this is another important factor in the shift, says A R Ramesh, Director - Managed services & Professional staffing, Adecco India.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In July last year, US luxury retailer Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) inaugurated its new GCC in Bengaluru. The company said that the centre brings new strategic technical talent to its integrated team focused on operational excellence, curated customer experiences and a faster time to market. Lowes India, the global capability centre for Lowes Companies, launched its second office in April last year in Bengaluru due to its increased demand from customers across selling channels. According to Nasscoms recent report, in the third quarter of 2022, about 60% of the new GCCs instituted in India hail from the software and internet vertical. Also, US-headquartered MNCs accounted for about 76% of new GCCs as well as new centres of existing GCCs established in India when compared to 63% in Q2 2022. The reasons behind the steady ramp-up of GCCs are driving cost efficiencies, leveraging technology, leading innovations, and boosting quality delivery to name a few, says Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services. He adds that about 3.64 lakh new jobs are estimated to be created by GCCs across India in 2023. As found through NLB Services recent report India Captivating! - Impact of Global Captive Centers (GCCs) on the Indian Staffing Ecosystem, these jobs will majorly be in domains like data science, data analytics, data engineering, statistical analysis, UI/UX Design, DevOps, AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, etc. According to Alug, the market size of GCCs as of 2021 in India was $35.9 billion. The sector is predicted to scale up to $60-85 billion by the year 2026. Nasscoms GCC India Landscape 2021 & Beyond report says that ER&D (Engineering R&D) is leading the GCC growth story in India with a 55% market share. By 2023, the country will have over 1,900 GCCs, employing over 2 million people and generating revenues of $58-61 billion by 2025. Kotak Institutional Equities says the headcount has large scope to increase across segments - Automotive, BFSI, IT and software, and would have likely grown further over FY23, looking at the sharp increase in business services exports. The future of GCCs The future of GCCs, specifically in India, seems to be promising as they are highly intent on the technical skills, resources, foreign policies, and infrastructure this country has to offer. Similarly, Indian start-ups have witnessed stable growth in various sectors due to some of these very factors that provide them with impeccable ease in doing business, Alug says. There is growing interest around adoption of modern IT solutions and upgrading existing infrastructure despite challenges. For instance, seeing the growing need for flexibility, security and an urge to remain prepared for modern workloads like AI, we brought in innovation into our PowerEdge portfolio and recently launched 16G servers in India, to meet business demands, says Sudha KV, VP, Dell Technologies India. India is home to several top tier institutions which are our hunting grounds for tech talent. As a country India is quick in adopting new technologies and spending on IT/ Digital transformation has been growing constantly, Sudha adds. Vikram Ahuja, MD ANSR and CEO, Co-Founder Talent500 says in todays landscape, GCCs have expanded their scope and capabilities beyond just technology-driven functions. They also focus on delivering growth drivers and decision-based services that go beyond technical expertise. He adds that this shift in perspective can help GCCs unlock new opportunities and play a more strategic role in driving overall business success. India is home to 1,500 GCCs, employing 1.3 million people, generating a revenue of $33.8 billion - about 1% of Indias GDP. 500 new GCCs are estimated to be added to the existing tally by 2026, he adds. GCCs talent demand has grown by 12-15% in the last three years, double that of IT services firms. Despite the hiring slowdown globally, GCCs continue to hire for roles including cloud, data engineering, AI, info security, RPA, blockchain, among others. GCCs have also emerged as a preferred employer of choice for three key reasons, explains Ahuja. First, employees have the opportunities to work on cutting edge technologies that demonstrate tangible impact. Second, GCCs reflect the culture of their headquarters, which means the employees enjoy the same work-life balance and benefits. Furthermore, in light of recent layoffs, job security has become a top priority for tech workers. GCCs are increasingly viewed as a more stable option compared to start-ups and service companies, providing a sense of security and stability for tech professionals in todays uncertain job market, he adds. Namrata Sindwani By Express News Service BENGALURU: For sex workers, identity cards are just papers that have failed to change their miserable living conditions. Karnataka Sex Workers Association (KSWA) and NGOs associated with them said that 70 per cent of the community hold identity cards like voter ID, Aadhaar card, PAN and ration cards. But they still do not have access to basic health and education.KSWA general secretary said the members feel that they are neglected though they vote, and demanded equal rights at par with a garment, domestic, and sanitation workers. During the pandemic, there was no support for them despite Supreme Court orders to provide them ration kits, complained many sex workers. Many of them were HIV positive and contracted Covid. Eventually, they lost the battle without medicines and proper treatment. They demanded access to basic healthcare, the right to education, and employment opportunities, and hoped that they would not be harassed when they visit a hospital or a government office. Shubha Chacko, the executive director, of Solidarity Foundation, said the state government must follow the Supreme Court judgment and ensure they are not harassed by police officers. Often many sex workers are sent to state home shelters against their wishes. With the stigma attached to their work, many of them are deprived of government schemes. She suggested that officials be more sensitive towards sex workers while dealing with them, and ensure their identity is kept confidential. BENGALURU: For sex workers, identity cards are just papers that have failed to change their miserable living conditions. Karnataka Sex Workers Association (KSWA) and NGOs associated with them said that 70 per cent of the community hold identity cards like voter ID, Aadhaar card, PAN and ration cards. But they still do not have access to basic health and education.KSWA general secretary said the members feel that they are neglected though they vote, and demanded equal rights at par with a garment, domestic, and sanitation workers. During the pandemic, there was no support for them despite Supreme Court orders to provide them ration kits, complained many sex workers.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Many of them were HIV positive and contracted Covid. Eventually, they lost the battle without medicines and proper treatment. They demanded access to basic healthcare, the right to education, and employment opportunities, and hoped that they would not be harassed when they visit a hospital or a government office. Shubha Chacko, the executive director, of Solidarity Foundation, said the state government must follow the Supreme Court judgment and ensure they are not harassed by police officers. Often many sex workers are sent to state home shelters against their wishes. With the stigma attached to their work, many of them are deprived of government schemes. She suggested that officials be more sensitive towards sex workers while dealing with them, and ensure their identity is kept confidential. Boil your steak, keep US forces at bay US troops stationed in Syria looted hundreds of metric tons of crude oil in Iraq on last Sunday. This was the third time they did so this year. Earlier, the troops had mobilized 73 oil tankers on April 9 and 23 tankers on April 3 to transport their ill-gotten gains. In 2022, the Syrian government said US troops pillaged 66,000 barrels of oil every day, which is about 83 percent of Syria's total oil production. It is anybody's guess why the US went into Iraq, Libya or anywhere in the Middle East and North Africa. That it is openly stealing oil from Syria, however, takes the cake. Since the civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, the US and its allies have been actively intervening to pull down the government there. US warplanes have been bombing Syrian government forces, supplying arms and ammunition to the opposition forces, and pouring scorn at Syrian diplomats in international forums. Even though the civilian strife has largely stabilized, the Syrian government has lost control of many places in the country. The Kurdish forces, and the Islamic State that emerged later, still control places in Syria. This disintegration of Syria gave the US a chance to take advantage of the situation. When it takes oil, it claims it is from oilfields controlled by the opposition forces; but it even takes oil from Syrian territory and claims it is to help the Kurdish forces. Anybody familiar with the situation in the Middle East knows how Delta Crescent Energy, a US-based company, has inked a contract with the Kurdish authorities to "develop" and export the region's crude oil under a secretive deal. So while the US claims to promote "democracy", it is actually there to just make money. A popular saying on social media goes that where there is oil, there are US troops. That's why I decided to boil, and not to fry, my steak today. (Source: China Daily) By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The condition of the woman shot inside a Delhi court complex was stated to be out of danger and stable, officials said on Saturday. The woman is currently undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences. A police officer said the condition of the woman was out of danger and stable. The accused, a debarred lawyer, had fired four rounds at the woman, identified as M Radha, and wounded her inside Saket court in south Delhi on Friday. A man who works as a munshi in the court was also injured in the firing that occurred around 10.30 am. Kameshwar Singh alias Manoj Singh, a resident of Durga Ashram in Chhatarpur, was arrested from a house in Faridabad where he was hiding after the incident. He has been booked under IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder) and sections of the Arms Act. Singh had filed a case of cheating against the woman and her lawyer over a monetary dispute involving Rs 25 lakh. The hearing was scheduled for Friday. NEW DELHI: The condition of the woman shot inside a Delhi court complex was stated to be out of danger and stable, officials said on Saturday. The woman is currently undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences. A police officer said the condition of the woman was out of danger and stable. The accused, a debarred lawyer, had fired four rounds at the woman, identified as M Radha, and wounded her inside Saket court in south Delhi on Friday. A man who works as a munshi in the court was also injured in the firing that occurred around 10.30 am. Kameshwar Singh alias Manoj Singh, a resident of Durga Ashram in Chhatarpur, was arrested from a house in Faridabad where he was hiding after the incident. He has been booked under IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder) and sections of the Arms Act. Singh had filed a case of cheating against the woman and her lawyer over a monetary dispute involving Rs 25 lakh. The hearing was scheduled for Friday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Deepali Singh By Express News Service In the early eighties, when the angry young man was dominating the Hindi silver screen, Mithun Chakraborty burst onto the scene as a hero, who did not require bulging biceps to beat villains to a pulp. Clad in blingy outfits, he danced his way into peoples hearts with the blockbuster Disco Dancer. Coupled with a booming soundtrack featuring chartbusters such as Jimmy Jimmy and Yaad Aa Raha Hai, the movie became a hit in domestic and international markets. Four decades later, director B Subhashs labour of love has been adapted for stage by director-choreographer Rajeev Goswami as Disco Dancer-The Musical, which premiered in Mumbai recently. Everyone makes movies, but I want to make grand musicals for the stage. We have such brilliant dancers and actors. I want to train them in the theatre format, and take our music and dance across the world, he says, adding that the music of the 1982 film and Mithuns charismatic dancing led him to adapt it for stage. A still from Disco Dancer-The Musical A celebration of the 80s Bollywood that revelled in its foot-tapping numbers, upbeat disco-style dancing, and paisa-vasool dialogues, the musical kickstarts with the bombastic Koi Yahaan Nache Nache in Bappi Lahiri and Usha Uthups voices. Then, the stage is set on fire in anticipation of the infamous confrontation between Sam Oberoithe reigning king of discoand Jimmy, the poor but talented artiste from the streets. The latters entry to the beats of Bambai Se Aaya Mera Dost is equal parts invigorating and nostalgic, and actor Arjun Tanwar slips into Mithuns shoes with flair. He is as suave with his freestyle moves as he is rugged, delivering the chest-thumping dialogue, tere bete ka waqt nahi, zamana aayega. Goswami reveals that the rehearsals went on for almost four months, a large part of which focused on teaching the actors techniques to synchronise live singing and dancing. It takes a special skill-set to sing pitch-perfect on stage and dance. One has to condition themselves in certain techniques (lip syncing, breath, stamina etc.), he says. Besides Tanwar, the musical also stars Varun Tiwari and Tia Kar, among others. The director, who began his career as a choreographer, assisting the likes of Vaibhavi Merchant and Ganesh Hegde, worked independently in films such Shootout at Lokhandwala, Cash and Mission Istaanbul. He directed his first musical, Beyond Bollywood, in 2015, followed by Umrao Jaan Ada in 2020. Disco Dancer-The Musical is his third such production. You cannot go wrong with Indian music, Goswami says, adding, I have grown up listening to some brilliant songs, and have felt inspired by foreign musicals. I want to take this craft on stage, and give our artistes an opportunity to travel around the world to spread Indian culture. The music, originally composed by Bappi Lahiri, has been reimagined by Salim-Sulaiman. The composers, who were young when the cult film released, grew up listening to the late composers music, and getting to recreate his work was a matter of pride and joy for them. This one is an unmissable party. It is unlike anything Indian audiences have seen on stage, says Salim. Adds Sulaiman: The range of music we worked with was boggling. It had so many different shades. It makes you dance, cry, sing, fall in love, and even grieve. Indeed, songs such as I Am a Disco Dancer and Goron Ki Na Kaalon Ki, when performed live, have a magic that can transport the audience to a bygone era. The culminating face-off between Jimmy and Sam, as they groove to Yaad Aa Raha Hai Tera Pyar and Kasam Paida Karnewale Ki, is a worthy finale. Saregama bankrolled the production. Suniel Shetty, who presented it, believes it is a testimony to the Heritage of Bollywood. Our song-and-dance routines have been mocked, but now people are realising the happiness they have brought to millions, he says. The musical had six packed shows at Londons West End last November, before premiering in India. Goswami now plans to take the musical across the country to allow the audience to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the glorious music- and dance-filled past of Hindi cinema. A large part of the rehearsals focused on teaching the actors techniques to synchronise live singing and dancing In the early eighties, when the angry young man was dominating the Hindi silver screen, Mithun Chakraborty burst onto the scene as a hero, who did not require bulging biceps to beat villains to a pulp. Clad in blingy outfits, he danced his way into peoples hearts with the blockbuster Disco Dancer. Coupled with a booming soundtrack featuring chartbusters such as Jimmy Jimmy and Yaad Aa Raha Hai, the movie became a hit in domestic and international markets. Four decades later, director B Subhashs labour of love has been adapted for stage by director-choreographer Rajeev Goswami as Disco Dancer-The Musical, which premiered in Mumbai recently. Everyone makes movies, but I want to make grand musicals for the stage. We have such brilliant dancers and actors. I want to train them in the theatre format, and take our music and dance across the world, he says, adding that the music of the 1982 film and Mithuns charismatic dancing led him to adapt it for stage. A still from Disco Dancer-The Musical A celebration of the 80s Bollywood that revelled in its foot-tapping numbers, upbeat disco-style dancing, and paisa-vasool dialogues, the musical kickstarts with the bombastic Koi Yahaan Nache Nache in Bappi Lahiri and Usha Uthups voices. Then, the stage is set on fire in anticipation of the infamous confrontation between Sam Oberoithe reigning king of discoand Jimmy, the poor but talented artiste from the streets. The latters entry to the beats of Bambai Se Aaya Mera Dost is equal parts invigorating and nostalgic, and actor Arjun Tanwar slips into Mithuns shoes with flair. He is as suave with his freestyle moves as he is rugged, delivering the chest-thumping dialogue, tere bete ka waqt nahi, zamana aayega.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Goswami reveals that the rehearsals went on for almost four months, a large part of which focused on teaching the actors techniques to synchronise live singing and dancing. It takes a special skill-set to sing pitch-perfect on stage and dance. One has to condition themselves in certain techniques (lip syncing, breath, stamina etc.), he says. Besides Tanwar, the musical also stars Varun Tiwari and Tia Kar, among others. The director, who began his career as a choreographer, assisting the likes of Vaibhavi Merchant and Ganesh Hegde, worked independently in films such Shootout at Lokhandwala, Cash and Mission Istaanbul. He directed his first musical, Beyond Bollywood, in 2015, followed by Umrao Jaan Ada in 2020. Disco Dancer-The Musical is his third such production. You cannot go wrong with Indian music, Goswami says, adding, I have grown up listening to some brilliant songs, and have felt inspired by foreign musicals. I want to take this craft on stage, and give our artistes an opportunity to travel around the world to spread Indian culture. The music, originally composed by Bappi Lahiri, has been reimagined by Salim-Sulaiman. The composers, who were young when the cult film released, grew up listening to the late composers music, and getting to recreate his work was a matter of pride and joy for them. This one is an unmissable party. It is unlike anything Indian audiences have seen on stage, says Salim. Adds Sulaiman: The range of music we worked with was boggling. It had so many different shades. It makes you dance, cry, sing, fall in love, and even grieve. Indeed, songs such as I Am a Disco Dancer and Goron Ki Na Kaalon Ki, when performed live, have a magic that can transport the audience to a bygone era. The culminating face-off between Jimmy and Sam, as they groove to Yaad Aa Raha Hai Tera Pyar and Kasam Paida Karnewale Ki, is a worthy finale. Saregama bankrolled the production. Suniel Shetty, who presented it, believes it is a testimony to the Heritage of Bollywood. Our song-and-dance routines have been mocked, but now people are realising the happiness they have brought to millions, he says. The musical had six packed shows at Londons West End last November, before premiering in India. Goswami now plans to take the musical across the country to allow the audience to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the glorious music- and dance-filled past of Hindi cinema. A large part of the rehearsals focused on teaching the actors techniques to synchronise live singing and dancing By PTI BENGALURU: On this World Book Day, in a nod to the power of books to transport one to a different era, actor Karthi said books about the time that Vallavarayan Vandiyathevan lived helped him better understand this popular Tamil literary character. "Not just Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan, I needed to read other books also to get an idea of what Vandiyathevan could have been like," he said. On Saturday, some actors of Mani Ratnam's multi-starrer, 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' --- Trisha, Vikram, Karthi and Jayam Ravi --- were interacting with the media in Bengaluru after launching the Kannada trailer of the film. The historical saga is scheduled for an all-India release on April 28. 'Ponniyan Selvan' is an adaptation of the epic of the same name by Kalki. Books establish a character in leisure, said Karthi, adding that when they are being made into a film, they have to be compressed and repackaged, therefore more knowledge about the character and the time he or she lived in is an advantage to the actor. "For me the difficulty was, it was a 3,000-odd pages book, which was compressed to 300 pages for a script. For example, Vandiyathevan met Kundavai multiple times before they spoke to each other. But in the movie, they meet only once. All that transpired in the book in those multiple meetings had to be told in that one meeting. So, unless you read the book and take in all that Vandiyathevan carries through, you cannot represent the right Vandiyathevan. I had to go back to the book and not just stick to the script. I used to read the scene from the book once and then the script, before coming for the shoot," said Karthi. Karthi said at times his obsession with reading the book got him in trouble with the director. "If I raise my voice about anything, the first thing Mani sir would say, 'is this from the book or the script?'. He also used to say, "stop reading the book and stick to the script'," he added. But Karthi said despite that he kept at it. He said he somehow felt the need to understand a common man's view at that time, as Vandiyathevan's character travelled through the expanse of Chola kingdom, meeting people. "There were no accounts of the common man anywhere in history. So, I had to read travelogues and Silappathikaram. For example, in Silappathikaram, which was written in the 4th century, Kovalan and Kannagi travel from Poompuhar to Madurai in search of a livelihood. They cross a river and there's an account there where it says people pray to the river before they cross it, as rivers were the source of life. That one thing stuck to my mind and when we were shooting a river-crossing scene, I told Mani sir about it and he made me pray too. There were a lot of references from the street in poetry as well." Vikram too agreed that after he read the book it was possible to understand the many layers that made his character Aditya Karikalan. That he was not just a brave warrior but also a vulnerable lover. "When I was younger, I didn't read the book, but had only heard of Karikalan. For a long time, I believed from what I heard that Karikalan was called that because his leg was burnt. To me, this toughness made him a hero. Later, I came to know that this is not true --- my mother had narrated the story to me then. Now, of course, I have read the book. Once you read the book, you see Karikalan in a different light." BENGALURU: On this World Book Day, in a nod to the power of books to transport one to a different era, actor Karthi said books about the time that Vallavarayan Vandiyathevan lived helped him better understand this popular Tamil literary character. "Not just Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan, I needed to read other books also to get an idea of what Vandiyathevan could have been like," he said. On Saturday, some actors of Mani Ratnam's multi-starrer, 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' --- Trisha, Vikram, Karthi and Jayam Ravi --- were interacting with the media in Bengaluru after launching the Kannada trailer of the film.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The historical saga is scheduled for an all-India release on April 28. 'Ponniyan Selvan' is an adaptation of the epic of the same name by Kalki. Books establish a character in leisure, said Karthi, adding that when they are being made into a film, they have to be compressed and repackaged, therefore more knowledge about the character and the time he or she lived in is an advantage to the actor. "For me the difficulty was, it was a 3,000-odd pages book, which was compressed to 300 pages for a script. For example, Vandiyathevan met Kundavai multiple times before they spoke to each other. But in the movie, they meet only once. All that transpired in the book in those multiple meetings had to be told in that one meeting. So, unless you read the book and take in all that Vandiyathevan carries through, you cannot represent the right Vandiyathevan. I had to go back to the book and not just stick to the script. I used to read the scene from the book once and then the script, before coming for the shoot," said Karthi. Karthi said at times his obsession with reading the book got him in trouble with the director. "If I raise my voice about anything, the first thing Mani sir would say, 'is this from the book or the script?'. He also used to say, "stop reading the book and stick to the script'," he added. But Karthi said despite that he kept at it. He said he somehow felt the need to understand a common man's view at that time, as Vandiyathevan's character travelled through the expanse of Chola kingdom, meeting people. "There were no accounts of the common man anywhere in history. So, I had to read travelogues and Silappathikaram. For example, in Silappathikaram, which was written in the 4th century, Kovalan and Kannagi travel from Poompuhar to Madurai in search of a livelihood. They cross a river and there's an account there where it says people pray to the river before they cross it, as rivers were the source of life. That one thing stuck to my mind and when we were shooting a river-crossing scene, I told Mani sir about it and he made me pray too. There were a lot of references from the street in poetry as well." Vikram too agreed that after he read the book it was possible to understand the many layers that made his character Aditya Karikalan. That he was not just a brave warrior but also a vulnerable lover. "When I was younger, I didn't read the book, but had only heard of Karikalan. For a long time, I believed from what I heard that Karikalan was called that because his leg was burnt. To me, this toughness made him a hero. Later, I came to know that this is not true --- my mother had narrated the story to me then. Now, of course, I have read the book. Once you read the book, you see Karikalan in a different light." Fayaz Wani By Express News Service JAMMU & KASHMIR: The Bhaderwah area in the mountainous Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing the purple revolution, with farmers deriving considerable economic benefits from it. From 10 kanals in 2012, lavender cultivation in the region has increased to about 4000 kanals of land in just about a decade, with farmers giving up traditional farming of maize and other grains in its favour. Bharat Bhushan, who started lavender cultivation in his farm in 2010, is among the first farmers who switched over from traditional maize farming to lavender farming in Bhaderwah. I started with two kanals of land in 2010. I got four times more profit from lavender farming than the traditional maize cultivation and gradually, I converted my entire 10 kanals farm land into a lavender farm, he said. Chuffed with his rising income, Bhushan spread the message of lavender farming to others. Slowly, it began picking up in the region, which is conducive for it due to the cold climate, he said. The lavender flowers grow in temperate areas and are drought-resistant. A single plant bears flowers for 15 years, needs little maintenance and can be harvested from the second year of plantation onwards. The oil extracted from the plant is used in soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, room fresheners, medicines, etc. According to Bhushan, till 2016, only over a dozen farmers in Bhaderwah were into lavender farming. However, things changed dramatically after my video conference with PM Narendra Modi in 2016. I apprised him that farmers have to purchase lavender plants and poor farmers cannot afford it. He announced that Aroma Mission will start in J&K and lavender plants would be provided free of cost to the farmers, he said. The Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) introduced lavender in the temperate regions of Jammu division under CSIR-Aroma Mission in 2017. This, as per Bhushan, saw 500-600 farmers switching over to lavender farming and 1000 kanals of land was brought under its cultivation. Aroma Mission was extended for three years in 2020 and has been further extended by three more years from March 2023. Principal scientist at CSIRIIIM Jammu Dr Sumeet Gairola, who is also nodal officer for Aroma Mission/Purple Revolution, said at present, 2000- 2500 farmers in Bhaderwah are engaged in lavender farming and about 4000 kanals of land are under lavender cultivation. When lavender farming started in Bhaderwah in 2010, only two to four farmers had shown interest in it and about 6-8 kanals of land was under lavender cultivation. After the introduction of Aroma Mission, lavender farming picked up on a large scale in and farmers began giving up traditional farming in its favour, he said. Asked what incentives are provided to farmers intending to switch over to lavender farming, he said the planting material is provided free of cost to farmers owning land up to 4 kanals. We also provide technical expertise to farmers and install distillation units at centrally located places, where farmers can sell their yield. In Bhaderwah, CSIR-IIIM Jammu has installed 10 distillation units and two more are in the pipeline. The lavender flowers are harvested from May end till Juneend. On an average, a farmer gets about Rs 10,000 for one kg of oil produced from lavender flowers. The average per kanal yield of lavender is 2.5 kgs oil. Another farmer, who has switched over to lavender farming, said he used to make Rs 2500 per kanal from maize cultivation which has gone up to Rs 20,000 per kanal after switching to lavender cultivation . It is more profitable and needs less maintenance, he said. PM Modi recently mentioned the purple revolution in Bhaderwah in Mann Ki Baat. Today, along with lavender, the fragrance of their success is spreading far and wide, he said. PLANT BEARS FLOWERS FOR 15 YEARS A lavender plant bears flowers for 15 years, needs little maintenance and can be harvested from second year onwards. A farmer gets about Rs 10,000 for one kg of oil produced from lavender flowers, used in soaps, cosmetics, perfumes and medicines. The average per kanal yield of lavender is 2.5 kgs oil JAMMU & KASHMIR: The Bhaderwah area in the mountainous Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing the purple revolution, with farmers deriving considerable economic benefits from it. From 10 kanals in 2012, lavender cultivation in the region has increased to about 4000 kanals of land in just about a decade, with farmers giving up traditional farming of maize and other grains in its favour. Bharat Bhushan, who started lavender cultivation in his farm in 2010, is among the first farmers who switched over from traditional maize farming to lavender farming in Bhaderwah. I started with two kanals of land in 2010. I got four times more profit from lavender farming than the traditional maize cultivation and gradually, I converted my entire 10 kanals farm land into a lavender farm, he said. Chuffed with his rising income, Bhushan spread the message of lavender farming to others. Slowly, it began picking up in the region, which is conducive for it due to the cold climate, he said. The lavender flowers grow in temperate areas and are drought-resistant.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A single plant bears flowers for 15 years, needs little maintenance and can be harvested from the second year of plantation onwards. The oil extracted from the plant is used in soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, room fresheners, medicines, etc. According to Bhushan, till 2016, only over a dozen farmers in Bhaderwah were into lavender farming. However, things changed dramatically after my video conference with PM Narendra Modi in 2016. I apprised him that farmers have to purchase lavender plants and poor farmers cannot afford it. He announced that Aroma Mission will start in J&K and lavender plants would be provided free of cost to the farmers, he said. The Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) introduced lavender in the temperate regions of Jammu division under CSIR-Aroma Mission in 2017. This, as per Bhushan, saw 500-600 farmers switching over to lavender farming and 1000 kanals of land was brought under its cultivation. Aroma Mission was extended for three years in 2020 and has been further extended by three more years from March 2023. Principal scientist at CSIRIIIM Jammu Dr Sumeet Gairola, who is also nodal officer for Aroma Mission/Purple Revolution, said at present, 2000- 2500 farmers in Bhaderwah are engaged in lavender farming and about 4000 kanals of land are under lavender cultivation. When lavender farming started in Bhaderwah in 2010, only two to four farmers had shown interest in it and about 6-8 kanals of land was under lavender cultivation. After the introduction of Aroma Mission, lavender farming picked up on a large scale in and farmers began giving up traditional farming in its favour, he said. Asked what incentives are provided to farmers intending to switch over to lavender farming, he said the planting material is provided free of cost to farmers owning land up to 4 kanals. We also provide technical expertise to farmers and install distillation units at centrally located places, where farmers can sell their yield. In Bhaderwah, CSIR-IIIM Jammu has installed 10 distillation units and two more are in the pipeline. The lavender flowers are harvested from May end till Juneend. On an average, a farmer gets about Rs 10,000 for one kg of oil produced from lavender flowers. The average per kanal yield of lavender is 2.5 kgs oil. Another farmer, who has switched over to lavender farming, said he used to make Rs 2500 per kanal from maize cultivation which has gone up to Rs 20,000 per kanal after switching to lavender cultivation . It is more profitable and needs less maintenance, he said. PM Modi recently mentioned the purple revolution in Bhaderwah in Mann Ki Baat. Today, along with lavender, the fragrance of their success is spreading far and wide, he said. PLANT BEARS FLOWERS FOR 15 YEARS A lavender plant bears flowers for 15 years, needs little maintenance and can be harvested from second year onwards. A farmer gets about Rs 10,000 for one kg of oil produced from lavender flowers, used in soaps, cosmetics, perfumes and medicines. The average per kanal yield of lavender is 2.5 kgs oil Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested in Rode village of Punjab's Moga district on Sunday morning after police personnel surrounded him, leaving him with no way to escape, a senior Punjab Police official said here. After 35 days on the run from law enforcement agencies, he was arrested from the native village of Khalistani separatist terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Amritpal was made the head of `Waris Punjab De at the turban-tying ceremony (dastarbandi) at the same place. Amritpal Singh often called "Bhindranwale 2.0" by his supporters has been on the run since March 18. Confirming his arrest, Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said police maintained relentless pressure for the last 35 days to catch Amritpal as the state intelligence wing besides all the local units and Amritsar Rural and Moga Police were involved in the operation. Already the stringent National Security Act (NSA) is invoked against the radical leader. ALSO READ | Amritpal 'brainwashed' youth at rehab centre to build terrorist outfit: Officials "National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal and those warrants have been executed today morning. Amritpal was arrested at 6:45 am from Rode village as the police had special inputs that he was hiding in the gurdwara of the village. The entire Rode village was cordoned off today morning after intelligence inputs. Amritpal got the message that he has been surrounded by police, thereafter he was arrested. We did not enter the gurdwara to maintain its sanctity (Maryada) as a religious place as it is supreme for us. He was surrounded and had no chance to escape. He is being shifted to Dibrugarh central jail in Assam where eight of his aides are already being held under the National Security Act (NSA). "He is being taken to Dibrugarh, Assam, and further action will be taken as per the law, said Gill. ALSO READ | Stopping Amritpal Singh's wife at airport was not right: Akal Takht Jathedar Meanwhile, former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode claimed that Amritpal Singh reached Rode village late on Saturday night and he came to know that he is going to surrender. "After paying obeisance at the gurdwara of the village where he also addressed a gathering in which he thanked people who helped him and explained the reasons for his late surrender, then he went outside of the gurdwara and surrendered before the police, said Rode. But when IGP Gill was asked that Amritpal surrender before the police as claimed by Rode, Gill categorically said that the radical leader was arrested as he had nowhere to run as the village was surrounded by the police. When asked if there are reports of Amritpal offering prayers inside the gurudwara before the police took him into custody, Gill said that he is not aware of what happened inside the gurudwara. Also, a video is doing rounds on social media in which Amritpal Singh is addressing a gathering at a gurdwara in Rode village in which he says that he would surrender. " It is the birthplace of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. This is the place where my 'dastar bandi' (turban tying) ceremony took place. We are standing at life's critical juncture. As you have seen what has happened during the past one month. A month back you have seen that the authorities unleashed excesses on the sikhs. There were many ways to arrest me I would have cooperated, he said. "In the court of Almighty, I am not guilty but I could be guilty in the worldly court. After one month, I decided to fight on this land and will never leave this land as false cases were registered and we will face them in court. With the prayers of the community (sangat) I could not have survived so long. In the same place I decided to surrender and this arrest is not an end, it is the beginning. Soon all this false narrative (bunch of lies) created against him will be demolished by the almighty and then I will again come in front of the sangat (community). I request the youth to get themselves baptized (Amrit-dhari), he is heard in the video. Police did not enter the gurudwara in which Amritpal was present to maintain its sanctity. "To maintain sanctity, the police did not enter the gurdwara and since he knew that he had no way to escape now, he was surrounded by Punjab Police. The village was surrounded by Punjab Police from all sides," he said. Punjab Police urged people to maintain peace and harmony and refrain from sharing any fake news. The police said that details about the arrest will be shared and the people should verify any news before sharing. "Amritpal Singh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share," Punjab Police tweeted. Amritpal Singh surrendered three days after his wife Kirandeep Kaur was held for questioning at the Amritsar airport while she was trying to flee to London. Kirandeep Kaur, who was questioned by the customs department, was detained as a precautionary measure under the same legal process under which the family and acquaintances of the absconding accused are questioned. Amritpal Singh tied the knot with UK-based Kaur in February this year. #WATCH | Earlier visuals of Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh at Gurudwara in Moga, Punjab. He was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga this morning and is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. pic.twitter.com/2HMxTr50s7 ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 INTERVIEW | An armed struggle is always the last option, if it is imposed on us: Amritpal Singh In February, this year hundreds of supporters of Pro-Khalistan propagator and self-styled Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh had barged into the Ajnala Police Station near Amritsar and laid siege after clashing with the police personnel. The 29-year-old's supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and stormed the police station demanding that Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan, an accused in a case involving kidnapping, be released. A few policemen were injured during the clash, according to officials. A case was registered against Amritpal Singh and his 30 supporters for allegedly kidnapping and thrashing Barinder Singh, a resident of Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar district. ALSO READ | NSA order against radical preacher Amritpal Singh issued on Saturday: Police affidavit in HC Amritpal Singh had earlier escaped the police dragnet twice -- first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. Papalpreet, who is considered to be Amritpal's mentor and who has allegedly been in contact with Pakistan's ISI, has been arrested. While on the run, two videos and one audio clip of Amritpal Singh had surfaced on social media. In one of his two videos, which surfaced on March 30, Amritpal Singh had asserted that he was not a fugitive and would soon appear. The pro-Khalistan preacher had claimed that he was not like those who flee the country. The Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had asked the preacher to surrender before the police and cooperate with the investigation. Recently, Punjab Police had pasted posters of Amritpal Singh at railway stations in Batala and Amritsar, announcing that an appropriate reward will be given to anyone who provides credible information about his whereabouts. On April 15, police managed to nab Amritpal Singh's close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib. According to them, Joga Singh was in direct contact with Amritpal and had even arranged a shelter and vehicles for him in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit. ALSO READ | Story of how Amritpal gave Punjab cops the slip It was Joga Singh who brought Amritpal and his aide Papalpreet back to Punjab on March 28. Nine of Amritpal's aides -- Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla -- have been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged under the stringent National Security Act. Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De', the organisation founded by actor and activist Deep Sidhu. (With inputs from PTI) CHANDIGARH: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested in Rode village of Punjab's Moga district on Sunday morning after police personnel surrounded him, leaving him with no way to escape, a senior Punjab Police official said here. After 35 days on the run from law enforcement agencies, he was arrested from the native village of Khalistani separatist terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Amritpal was made the head of `Waris Punjab De at the turban-tying ceremony (dastarbandi) at the same place. Amritpal Singh often called "Bhindranwale 2.0" by his supporters has been on the run since March 18.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Confirming his arrest, Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said police maintained relentless pressure for the last 35 days to catch Amritpal as the state intelligence wing besides all the local units and Amritsar Rural and Moga Police were involved in the operation. Already the stringent National Security Act (NSA) is invoked against the radical leader. ALSO READ | Amritpal 'brainwashed' youth at rehab centre to build terrorist outfit: Officials "National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal and those warrants have been executed today morning. Amritpal was arrested at 6:45 am from Rode village as the police had special inputs that he was hiding in the gurdwara of the village. The entire Rode village was cordoned off today morning after intelligence inputs. Amritpal got the message that he has been surrounded by police, thereafter he was arrested. We did not enter the gurdwara to maintain its sanctity (Maryada) as a religious place as it is supreme for us. He was surrounded and had no chance to escape. He is being shifted to Dibrugarh central jail in Assam where eight of his aides are already being held under the National Security Act (NSA). "He is being taken to Dibrugarh, Assam, and further action will be taken as per the law, said Gill. ALSO READ | Stopping Amritpal Singh's wife at airport was not right: Akal Takht Jathedar Meanwhile, former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode claimed that Amritpal Singh reached Rode village late on Saturday night and he came to know that he is going to surrender. "After paying obeisance at the gurdwara of the village where he also addressed a gathering in which he thanked people who helped him and explained the reasons for his late surrender, then he went outside of the gurdwara and surrendered before the police, said Rode. But when IGP Gill was asked that Amritpal surrender before the police as claimed by Rode, Gill categorically said that the radical leader was arrested as he had nowhere to run as the village was surrounded by the police. When asked if there are reports of Amritpal offering prayers inside the gurudwara before the police took him into custody, Gill said that he is not aware of what happened inside the gurudwara. Also, a video is doing rounds on social media in which Amritpal Singh is addressing a gathering at a gurdwara in Rode village in which he says that he would surrender. " It is the birthplace of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. This is the place where my 'dastar bandi' (turban tying) ceremony took place. We are standing at life's critical juncture. As you have seen what has happened during the past one month. A month back you have seen that the authorities unleashed excesses on the sikhs. There were many ways to arrest me I would have cooperated, he said. "In the court of Almighty, I am not guilty but I could be guilty in the worldly court. After one month, I decided to fight on this land and will never leave this land as false cases were registered and we will face them in court. With the prayers of the community (sangat) I could not have survived so long. In the same place I decided to surrender and this arrest is not an end, it is the beginning. Soon all this false narrative (bunch of lies) created against him will be demolished by the almighty and then I will again come in front of the sangat (community). I request the youth to get themselves baptized (Amrit-dhari), he is heard in the video. Police did not enter the gurudwara in which Amritpal was present to maintain its sanctity. "To maintain sanctity, the police did not enter the gurdwara and since he knew that he had no way to escape now, he was surrounded by Punjab Police. The village was surrounded by Punjab Police from all sides," he said. Punjab Police urged people to maintain peace and harmony and refrain from sharing any fake news. The police said that details about the arrest will be shared and the people should verify any news before sharing. "Amritpal Singh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share," Punjab Police tweeted. Amritpal Singh surrendered three days after his wife Kirandeep Kaur was held for questioning at the Amritsar airport while she was trying to flee to London. Kirandeep Kaur, who was questioned by the customs department, was detained as a precautionary measure under the same legal process under which the family and acquaintances of the absconding accused are questioned. Amritpal Singh tied the knot with UK-based Kaur in February this year. #WATCH | Earlier visuals of Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh at Gurudwara in Moga, Punjab. He was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga this morning and is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. pic.twitter.com/2HMxTr50s7 ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 INTERVIEW | An armed struggle is always the last option, if it is imposed on us: Amritpal Singh In February, this year hundreds of supporters of Pro-Khalistan propagator and self-styled Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh had barged into the Ajnala Police Station near Amritsar and laid siege after clashing with the police personnel. The 29-year-old's supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and stormed the police station demanding that Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan, an accused in a case involving kidnapping, be released. A few policemen were injured during the clash, according to officials. A case was registered against Amritpal Singh and his 30 supporters for allegedly kidnapping and thrashing Barinder Singh, a resident of Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar district. ALSO READ | NSA order against radical preacher Amritpal Singh issued on Saturday: Police affidavit in HC Amritpal Singh had earlier escaped the police dragnet twice -- first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. Papalpreet, who is considered to be Amritpal's mentor and who has allegedly been in contact with Pakistan's ISI, has been arrested. While on the run, two videos and one audio clip of Amritpal Singh had surfaced on social media. In one of his two videos, which surfaced on March 30, Amritpal Singh had asserted that he was not a fugitive and would soon appear. The pro-Khalistan preacher had claimed that he was not like those who flee the country. The Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had asked the preacher to surrender before the police and cooperate with the investigation. Recently, Punjab Police had pasted posters of Amritpal Singh at railway stations in Batala and Amritsar, announcing that an appropriate reward will be given to anyone who provides credible information about his whereabouts. On April 15, police managed to nab Amritpal Singh's close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib. According to them, Joga Singh was in direct contact with Amritpal and had even arranged a shelter and vehicles for him in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit. ALSO READ | Story of how Amritpal gave Punjab cops the slip It was Joga Singh who brought Amritpal and his aide Papalpreet back to Punjab on March 28. Nine of Amritpal's aides -- Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla -- have been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged under the stringent National Security Act. Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De', the organisation founded by actor and activist Deep Sidhu. (With inputs from PTI) By PTI BHARATPUR: Mobile internet service remained suspended in parts of Bharatpur as members of the Mali community continued to block the Jaipur-Agra National Highway here for the third consecutive day demanding a separate 12 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. On Sunday, a large number of demonstrators started gathering at the protest site and demanded the release of their leader Murari Lal Saini, who along with six other people was detained ahead of the agitation, police said. President of Phule Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti CP Saini said if the state government fails to fulfil their demands, they will block the Jaipur-Delhi highway. "We can also do a 'Chakka Jam' in the entire state," he said. Mali community comes under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also belongs to the same community. On Friday, the protesters blocked the key Jaipur-Agra National Highway in Bharatpur and pelted stones at police personnel who retaliated by firing tear gas shells to control the mob. Bharatpur Divisional Commissioner Sanwarmal Verma said, "The situation is under control. We are closely monitoring the situation. Talks are being held with the community representatives." He said mobile internet service has been further extended till midnight in Vair, Nadbai and Bhusawar, which is likely to be extended further. The police have put up barricades on the national highway in Ballabgarh, Halaina, Vair, Aronda, and Ramaspur villages. The community is demanding a 12 per cent reservation, the formation of a separate Luv Kush Welfare Board and hostel facilities for the children of the community among others. The Congress-led state government had recently formed the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Welfare Board and declared the social reformer's birthday as a state holiday on April 19. The community carried out a similar protest in June 2022, which was pacified after assurances. BHARATPUR: Mobile internet service remained suspended in parts of Bharatpur as members of the Mali community continued to block the Jaipur-Agra National Highway here for the third consecutive day demanding a separate 12 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. On Sunday, a large number of demonstrators started gathering at the protest site and demanded the release of their leader Murari Lal Saini, who along with six other people was detained ahead of the agitation, police said. President of Phule Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti CP Saini said if the state government fails to fulfil their demands, they will block the Jaipur-Delhi highway. "We can also do a 'Chakka Jam' in the entire state," he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Mali community comes under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also belongs to the same community. On Friday, the protesters blocked the key Jaipur-Agra National Highway in Bharatpur and pelted stones at police personnel who retaliated by firing tear gas shells to control the mob. Bharatpur Divisional Commissioner Sanwarmal Verma said, "The situation is under control. We are closely monitoring the situation. Talks are being held with the community representatives." He said mobile internet service has been further extended till midnight in Vair, Nadbai and Bhusawar, which is likely to be extended further. The police have put up barricades on the national highway in Ballabgarh, Halaina, Vair, Aronda, and Ramaspur villages. The community is demanding a 12 per cent reservation, the formation of a separate Luv Kush Welfare Board and hostel facilities for the children of the community among others. The Congress-led state government had recently formed the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Welfare Board and declared the social reformer's birthday as a state holiday on April 19. The community carried out a similar protest in June 2022, which was pacified after assurances. Ramashankar By Express News Service PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is expected to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday for holding talks relating to forging a broader opposition front ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Sources claimed that Nitish along with JD (U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh would leave for Lucknow by a special plane to meet Akhilesh. Similarly, he is also likely to meet Mamata in Kolkata in his bid to forge an alliance of opposition parties. A senior JD(U) leader said that Nitish will also meet Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik soon. The date of the meeting with Patnaik is yet to be finalised, he said. On the other hand, Nitish is looking confident about the opposition unity with Congress on board after his recent meaningful discussions with the Opposition leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja in New Delhi. ALSO READ | Amid UPA convenor buzz, Nitish meets Congress brass, AAP From the meetings, it emanated that Nitish will hold discussions with leaders of various regional parties like TMC, Samajwadi Party, K Chandrashekar Raos BRS, Mamata Banerjees TMC, and Kejriwals AAP, BJD and YSRCP. It has also been decided to field a single opposition candidate against the BJP in the 2024 election to improve the chances of winning. It is interesting that Nitish will be meeting the West Bengal Chief Minister even as Mamatas outbursts against Congress following the TMC defeat in the Sagardighi by-election. Banerjee had termed the victory of the Congress at Sagardighi by-elections as "immoral", alleging that the Congress, besides the CPI (M), had entered into an understanding with the BJP to defeat her party in the election. Despite Congress and TMC having bitter verbal duels in the past, Nitish still hopes of taking TMC on board by using his persuasive skills. Nitish has a good relationship with both Congress and TMC and in such a situation, he can definitely succeed in at least creating a workable relationship between both parties in view of the huge electoral challenge likely to be posed by the BJP election once again in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, a political analyst added. Nitish has a long experience working with leaders of both Janata Parivar and also with former NDA allies such as TDP and TMC. In such a situation, Nitish can make valuable contributions in the drive to bring as many opposition parties on one platform before the next parliamentary election. On the other hand, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had met with Mamata in Kolkata for holding discussions on creating a third front comprising non-BJP and non-Congress parties. It is in complete contrast to Nitish`s repeated emphasis on taking Congress on board for countering BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. His oft-repeated contention is that there will be only the main front comprising Congress against BJP. Later, Mamata had also gone to Odisha and held a meeting with her counterpart Naveen Patnaik. Similarly, JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy had met with Mamata in Kolkata followed by the TMC leader`s call to Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. READ MORE: Congress will join hands with like-minded parties to defend Constitution: Sonia Gandhi Expedite alliance: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to Sonia Gandhi Congress President Kharge dials Stalin, Uddhav, Nitish for Opposition unity PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is expected to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday for holding talks relating to forging a broader opposition front ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Sources claimed that Nitish along with JD (U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh would leave for Lucknow by a special plane to meet Akhilesh. Similarly, he is also likely to meet Mamata in Kolkata in his bid to forge an alliance of opposition parties.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A senior JD(U) leader said that Nitish will also meet Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik soon. The date of the meeting with Patnaik is yet to be finalised, he said. On the other hand, Nitish is looking confident about the opposition unity with Congress on board after his recent meaningful discussions with the Opposition leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja in New Delhi. ALSO READ | Amid UPA convenor buzz, Nitish meets Congress brass, AAP From the meetings, it emanated that Nitish will hold discussions with leaders of various regional parties like TMC, Samajwadi Party, K Chandrashekar Raos BRS, Mamata Banerjees TMC, and Kejriwals AAP, BJD and YSRCP. It has also been decided to field a single opposition candidate against the BJP in the 2024 election to improve the chances of winning. It is interesting that Nitish will be meeting the West Bengal Chief Minister even as Mamatas outbursts against Congress following the TMC defeat in the Sagardighi by-election. Banerjee had termed the victory of the Congress at Sagardighi by-elections as "immoral", alleging that the Congress, besides the CPI (M), had entered into an understanding with the BJP to defeat her party in the election. Despite Congress and TMC having bitter verbal duels in the past, Nitish still hopes of taking TMC on board by using his persuasive skills. Nitish has a good relationship with both Congress and TMC and in such a situation, he can definitely succeed in at least creating a workable relationship between both parties in view of the huge electoral challenge likely to be posed by the BJP election once again in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, a political analyst added. Nitish has a long experience working with leaders of both Janata Parivar and also with former NDA allies such as TDP and TMC. In such a situation, Nitish can make valuable contributions in the drive to bring as many opposition parties on one platform before the next parliamentary election. On the other hand, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had met with Mamata in Kolkata for holding discussions on creating a third front comprising non-BJP and non-Congress parties. It is in complete contrast to Nitish`s repeated emphasis on taking Congress on board for countering BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. His oft-repeated contention is that there will be only the main front comprising Congress against BJP. Later, Mamata had also gone to Odisha and held a meeting with her counterpart Naveen Patnaik. Similarly, JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy had met with Mamata in Kolkata followed by the TMC leader`s call to Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. READ MORE: Congress will join hands with like-minded parties to defend Constitution: Sonia Gandhi Expedite alliance: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to Sonia Gandhi Congress President Kharge dials Stalin, Uddhav, Nitish for Opposition unity Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: 'Waris Punjab De' chief and radical preacher Amritpal Singh's family on Sunday said that he surrendered before the police and was not arrested as reports claim. 'Waris Punjab De' is a 'Sikh-separatist political group' that 'propagates the cause of an independent Khalistan.' "We'll fight the legal battle against his arrest," Amritpal's uncle said. Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh appealed to the community (Sangat) that it should keep on with his son's mission which was fighting the drug menace. Talking about his son's arrest, Tarsem Singh said, "We came to know about it through the media. We were not in touch with him. He still dons Sikh attire. We're thankful for that. The police had registered false cases against him. I'm with all the people who have been harassed by the Punjab police." Amritpal's mother Balwinder Kaur said she was proud of her son. "He's a warrior. He surrendered like a lion," she said. "We request the Sangat to start Khalsa Vheer. The police have been saying this and that. The government is trying to tarnish his image. We will now go an meet him in jail. His wife Kirandeep Kaur will also go with us," she added. His uncle Sukhchain Singh, a retired inspector with Punjab Police, said the family will fight the case legally. "We came to know today morning that Amritpal Singh has surrendered. We were thinking he was in police custody. Finally, the dilemma has ended. We will go and meet him in jail. he said. Was Amritpal Singh under immense pressure to surrender before the police? His "arrest" comes three days after his wife Kirandeep Kaur, a British national, was stopped at the Amritsar International Airport while trying to fly to London. She was questioned and sent back to Jallapur Khera village. He had plans to fly out of the country. Kaur was under the surveillance of the state police and various agencies. He could have nurtured a fear that his wife would be implicated in helping him to escape from the police. Moreover, she was questioned about foreign funds allegedly received by him. Kaur's visa was valid till July. But he apparently wanted her to leave for the UK since he anticipated his possible arrest. Meanwhile, Congress Member of Parliament from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu remarked, "When his aides were arrested he (Amritpal) did not raise his voice. Now when his wife was stopped he has surfaced. Amritpal was shifted to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam where nine of his associates were already lodged. CHANDIGARH: 'Waris Punjab De' chief and radical preacher Amritpal Singh's family on Sunday said that he surrendered before the police and was not arrested as reports claim. 'Waris Punjab De' is a 'Sikh-separatist political group' that 'propagates the cause of an independent Khalistan.' "We'll fight the legal battle against his arrest," Amritpal's uncle said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh appealed to the community (Sangat) that it should keep on with his son's mission which was fighting the drug menace. Talking about his son's arrest, Tarsem Singh said, "We came to know about it through the media. We were not in touch with him. He still dons Sikh attire. We're thankful for that. The police had registered false cases against him. I'm with all the people who have been harassed by the Punjab police." Amritpal's mother Balwinder Kaur said she was proud of her son. "He's a warrior. He surrendered like a lion," she said. "We request the Sangat to start Khalsa Vheer. The police have been saying this and that. The government is trying to tarnish his image. We will now go an meet him in jail. His wife Kirandeep Kaur will also go with us," she added. His uncle Sukhchain Singh, a retired inspector with Punjab Police, said the family will fight the case legally. "We came to know today morning that Amritpal Singh has surrendered. We were thinking he was in police custody. Finally, the dilemma has ended. We will go and meet him in jail. he said. Was Amritpal Singh under immense pressure to surrender before the police? His "arrest" comes three days after his wife Kirandeep Kaur, a British national, was stopped at the Amritsar International Airport while trying to fly to London. She was questioned and sent back to Jallapur Khera village. He had plans to fly out of the country. Kaur was under the surveillance of the state police and various agencies. He could have nurtured a fear that his wife would be implicated in helping him to escape from the police. Moreover, she was questioned about foreign funds allegedly received by him. Kaur's visa was valid till July. But he apparently wanted her to leave for the UK since he anticipated his possible arrest. Meanwhile, Congress Member of Parliament from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu remarked, "When his aides were arrested he (Amritpal) did not raise his voice. Now when his wife was stopped he has surfaced. Amritpal was shifted to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam where nine of his associates were already lodged. By PTI LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party is redrawing its strategy to expand the party's base beyond its Muslim-Yadav core constituencies and win over Dalits and Other Backward Castes (OBCs) to counter the BJP in the upcoming urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh. SP president Akhilesh Yadav is working with Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrasekhar, who is said to hold influence among Dalits in west Uttar Pradesh, in this bid to consolidate the new vote bank. This repositioning has been in the works for a while now. The SP conducted a campaign in the state to demand a caste census. In December, Akhilesh Yadav said the SP will conduct a caste census within three months if it is voted to power in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier this month, he unveiled a statue of Dalit leader Kanshi Ram and attended an event to commemorate the birth anniversary of social reformer Bhim Rao Ambedkar in Madhya Pradesh's Mhow. The SP is also counting on its increased heft in the wake of Shivpal Singh Yadav returning to the party fold. The SP did not fare well in the 2017 urban body polls and could not open its account in any of the 16 mayoral seats. While 14 of these seats were won by the BJP, two went to the BSP. Shivpal Yadav exuded confidence that the SP will win the urban local body polls this time. "Responsibilities have already been given to senior party leaders in their respective areas. We will certainly win the urban local body polls," the SP national general secretary said. "We (Akhilesh and Shivpal) will campaign together as per the plan formulated by the party," he added. The SP has been persistently demanding a caste census. "Ours is the only party that worked on the ground to demand a caste census. Our campaign was very successful. It will certainly prove helpful for the party candidates in this election," said Rajpal Kashyap, state head of the SP's backward wing. The recent killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj might also help consolidate Muslim votes against the BJP and benefit the SP. "Certainly, the manner in which the two were killed raises suspicion. There was apprehension that they might be killed but the government did not do anything. We don't do politics of religion but Muslims of the state were with the SP and will remain with us," a senior party leader said. Political analyst Siddharth Kalhans said of the 213 SP candidates who were in the fray in the 2017 urban local body polls, only 18 could save their deposits. This time, however, the SP has fielded good candidates keeping all factors, including local demographics, in mind, he said. "It's not about winning every time. Increasing the vote share and gauging the mood of the people ahead of the crucial 2024 general elections will also be the aim of the SP. Even if it doesn't do well (in the urban local body polls), it can redraw its strategy on the basis of its learnings from this election," he added. According to State Election Commission data, SP candidates lost their deposits on 10 of the 16 mayoral seats in the 2017 polls, while Congress and BSP candidates lost deposits on 11 seats each. Every candidate deposits a fixed amount at the time of filing nominations. The deposit is forfeited if the candidate fails to secure one-sixth of the total valid votes. Of the total 652 seats, the BJP won 184. Asked about the SP's Dalit-OBC outreach, BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said, "People see (a party's) track record. When the SP was in power in the state, it did nothing for Dalits and OBCs. In fact, the maximum cases of atrocities against Dalits were witnessed during the SP's tenure between 2012-2017. The SP was never in the race in the urban body polls. People of the state will vote for the BJP due to its track record and will not be fooled by the SP's political gimmicks," he added. The urban body polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held in two phases -- on May 4 and 11. The counting of votes will be taken up on May 13. LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party is redrawing its strategy to expand the party's base beyond its Muslim-Yadav core constituencies and win over Dalits and Other Backward Castes (OBCs) to counter the BJP in the upcoming urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh. SP president Akhilesh Yadav is working with Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrasekhar, who is said to hold influence among Dalits in west Uttar Pradesh, in this bid to consolidate the new vote bank. This repositioning has been in the works for a while now.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The SP conducted a campaign in the state to demand a caste census. In December, Akhilesh Yadav said the SP will conduct a caste census within three months if it is voted to power in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier this month, he unveiled a statue of Dalit leader Kanshi Ram and attended an event to commemorate the birth anniversary of social reformer Bhim Rao Ambedkar in Madhya Pradesh's Mhow. The SP is also counting on its increased heft in the wake of Shivpal Singh Yadav returning to the party fold. The SP did not fare well in the 2017 urban body polls and could not open its account in any of the 16 mayoral seats. While 14 of these seats were won by the BJP, two went to the BSP. Shivpal Yadav exuded confidence that the SP will win the urban local body polls this time. "Responsibilities have already been given to senior party leaders in their respective areas. We will certainly win the urban local body polls," the SP national general secretary said. "We (Akhilesh and Shivpal) will campaign together as per the plan formulated by the party," he added. The SP has been persistently demanding a caste census. "Ours is the only party that worked on the ground to demand a caste census. Our campaign was very successful. It will certainly prove helpful for the party candidates in this election," said Rajpal Kashyap, state head of the SP's backward wing. The recent killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj might also help consolidate Muslim votes against the BJP and benefit the SP. "Certainly, the manner in which the two were killed raises suspicion. There was apprehension that they might be killed but the government did not do anything. We don't do politics of religion but Muslims of the state were with the SP and will remain with us," a senior party leader said. Political analyst Siddharth Kalhans said of the 213 SP candidates who were in the fray in the 2017 urban local body polls, only 18 could save their deposits. This time, however, the SP has fielded good candidates keeping all factors, including local demographics, in mind, he said. "It's not about winning every time. Increasing the vote share and gauging the mood of the people ahead of the crucial 2024 general elections will also be the aim of the SP. Even if it doesn't do well (in the urban local body polls), it can redraw its strategy on the basis of its learnings from this election," he added. According to State Election Commission data, SP candidates lost their deposits on 10 of the 16 mayoral seats in the 2017 polls, while Congress and BSP candidates lost deposits on 11 seats each. Every candidate deposits a fixed amount at the time of filing nominations. The deposit is forfeited if the candidate fails to secure one-sixth of the total valid votes. Of the total 652 seats, the BJP won 184. Asked about the SP's Dalit-OBC outreach, BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said, "People see (a party's) track record. When the SP was in power in the state, it did nothing for Dalits and OBCs. In fact, the maximum cases of atrocities against Dalits were witnessed during the SP's tenure between 2012-2017. The SP was never in the race in the urban body polls. People of the state will vote for the BJP due to its track record and will not be fooled by the SP's political gimmicks," he added. The urban body polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held in two phases -- on May 4 and 11. The counting of votes will be taken up on May 13. Kapil Sibal By On April 6, 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023, that, besides seeking to regulate the online gaming sector, also gives the Press Information Bureau (PIB) the authority to identify fake or false or misleading online content with respect to any business of the Centre under Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the 2023 Amendment Rules. What this means is that now, PIB has the power to take down any information that it deems fakebut thats not all. The cherry on this amendment fudge is the withdrawal of legal immunity, provided by Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000, to social media platforms and intermediaries in case they do not comply with PIBs diktat. Section 79 clearly spells out that an intermediary shall not be liable for any third party information, data, or communication link made available or hosted by him. The same Section 79 was read down by the Honble Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015), wherein Section 66(A) of the IT Act, 2000, was struck down by the court. The court also assured immunity to intermediaries under Section 79, unless an active role is established in the commission of an offence. Section 66(A) criminalised the sending of offensive messages through a computer or other communication devices. The court declared Section 66(A) unconstitutional, holding that it violated freedom of speech guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Article 19(1)(a) stipulates that all citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression subject to reasonable restrictions that may be imposed under Article 19(2). The court found that none of the heads of restrictions under which free speech and expression can be curtailed had any nexus with Section 66(A). In striking down the section, the court also invoked the cardinal principle that no one should be a judge in his own cause or be interested in its outcome. The court relied on the dictum that the authority to which the case is assigned ought to be unbiased and must abjure favouritism. It thus struck down Section 66(A) also on the ground that its unilateralism in exercise of power also violates the principles of natural justice. The amendment in question is consistent with this regimes proclivity to throttle free speech and regulate the flow of information. The government is aware that intermediaries cannot risk being embroiled in court processes in the event they choose to disobey the diktats of PIB in taking down content which it finds unpalatable. Those in power find the immunity to intermediaries provided in Shreya Singhal a hindrance to their design to exclude from the public domain information that they deem unfavourable. The ostensible reason for the questionable amendment is to eliminate fake news, which is merely an excuse. The real intent behind this move is to eliminate all shades of criticism. The quest to vehemently suppress freedom of speech now includes shooting both the message and the medium. Once intermediaries fall in line, as they are bound to, any criticism of the government will be removed on grounds that it misrepresents or misleads. Basically, the 2023 Amendment Rules empower the government to identify what it considers fake news, paving the way for further absolutism since the fact-check unit will exercise its subjective judgement in such a determination. This is the most deeply worrying aspect of this entire charade. We should all be worried by this development. For its part, the Editors Guild of India expressed its reservations by stating that the government has given itself absolute power to determine what is fake or not, in respect of its own work and this new amendment and the fact-checking unit assumes sweeping powers to determine what is fake or false. By endowing such drastic power to one singular authority, the government has buried objectivity and transparency, making way for despotic decision-making, contrary to fundamental principles of governance. In the wake of this Amendment, our discussions on national issues, our criticism of the ruling regime and our participation to keep democracy robust will be held back under the guise of fake news. While no one can oppose honest attempts to curb the menace of fake news and misinformation, given the track record of this government and the disdain with which it deals with the fundamental rights of citizens, it is not likely to abide by acceptable standards of assessment of information to maintain objectivity. The International Fact Checking Network (IFCN) adheres to a code of principles of which the guiding light is a commitment to non-partisanship and fairness. The same unfortunately cannot be said about PIB, which on many occasions in the past has simply flagged down content on the basis of it being critical of the ruling regime. The 2023 Amendment Rules, while assigning arbitrary and discretionary power to the government without prescribing any procedures, will have a significant impact on online freedom of expression and access to online information. What constitutes fake information and what does not is another way of saying that the government is going to take down whatever information it finds going against its political grain. With Lok Sabha elections due in 2024, this rushed up move by the government should be seen for what it isan extreme measure to do away with any information which questions its inadequacies/missteps/failures. Any information which puts the spotlight on this regimes incompetence will be termed fake through its own holier than thou fact-checking unit. Whos going to show the king the mirror, when mirrors are banned in the kingdom? I feel this new development should be a matter of extreme concern for each one of usnot just as public representatives, but as practitioners and consumers of democracy, where the voice of the people is cardinal. How will the sanctity of public and individual expression be upheld when the noose of fact-checking tightens, choking it every time the expression doesnt align with the governments version? This reminds me of DaShanne Stokes words: Ethics and oversight are what you eliminate when you want absolute power. Kapil Sibal Senior lawyer and member of Rajya Sabha (Tweets @KapilSibal) On April 6, 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023, that, besides seeking to regulate the online gaming sector, also gives the Press Information Bureau (PIB) the authority to identify fake or false or misleading online content with respect to any business of the Centre under Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the 2023 Amendment Rules. What this means is that now, PIB has the power to take down any information that it deems fakebut thats not all. The cherry on this amendment fudge is the withdrawal of legal immunity, provided by Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000, to social media platforms and intermediaries in case they do not comply with PIBs diktat. Section 79 clearly spells out that an intermediary shall not be liable for any third party information, data, or communication link made available or hosted by him. The same Section 79 was read down by the Honble Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015), wherein Section 66(A) of the IT Act, 2000, was struck down by the court. The court also assured immunity to intermediaries under Section 79, unless an active role is established in the commission of an offence. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Section 66(A) criminalised the sending of offensive messages through a computer or other communication devices. The court declared Section 66(A) unconstitutional, holding that it violated freedom of speech guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Article 19(1)(a) stipulates that all citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression subject to reasonable restrictions that may be imposed under Article 19(2). The court found that none of the heads of restrictions under which free speech and expression can be curtailed had any nexus with Section 66(A). In striking down the section, the court also invoked the cardinal principle that no one should be a judge in his own cause or be interested in its outcome. The court relied on the dictum that the authority to which the case is assigned ought to be unbiased and must abjure favouritism. It thus struck down Section 66(A) also on the ground that its unilateralism in exercise of power also violates the principles of natural justice. The amendment in question is consistent with this regimes proclivity to throttle free speech and regulate the flow of information. The government is aware that intermediaries cannot risk being embroiled in court processes in the event they choose to disobey the diktats of PIB in taking down content which it finds unpalatable. Those in power find the immunity to intermediaries provided in Shreya Singhal a hindrance to their design to exclude from the public domain information that they deem unfavourable. The ostensible reason for the questionable amendment is to eliminate fake news, which is merely an excuse. The real intent behind this move is to eliminate all shades of criticism. The quest to vehemently suppress freedom of speech now includes shooting both the message and the medium. Once intermediaries fall in line, as they are bound to, any criticism of the government will be removed on grounds that it misrepresents or misleads. Basically, the 2023 Amendment Rules empower the government to identify what it considers fake news, paving the way for further absolutism since the fact-check unit will exercise its subjective judgement in such a determination. This is the most deeply worrying aspect of this entire charade. We should all be worried by this development. For its part, the Editors Guild of India expressed its reservations by stating that the government has given itself absolute power to determine what is fake or not, in respect of its own work and this new amendment and the fact-checking unit assumes sweeping powers to determine what is fake or false. By endowing such drastic power to one singular authority, the government has buried objectivity and transparency, making way for despotic decision-making, contrary to fundamental principles of governance. In the wake of this Amendment, our discussions on national issues, our criticism of the ruling regime and our participation to keep democracy robust will be held back under the guise of fake news. While no one can oppose honest attempts to curb the menace of fake news and misinformation, given the track record of this government and the disdain with which it deals with the fundamental rights of citizens, it is not likely to abide by acceptable standards of assessment of information to maintain objectivity. The International Fact Checking Network (IFCN) adheres to a code of principles of which the guiding light is a commitment to non-partisanship and fairness. The same unfortunately cannot be said about PIB, which on many occasions in the past has simply flagged down content on the basis of it being critical of the ruling regime. The 2023 Amendment Rules, while assigning arbitrary and discretionary power to the government without prescribing any procedures, will have a significant impact on online freedom of expression and access to online information. What constitutes fake information and what does not is another way of saying that the government is going to take down whatever information it finds going against its political grain. With Lok Sabha elections due in 2024, this rushed up move by the government should be seen for what it isan extreme measure to do away with any information which questions its inadequacies/missteps/failures. Any information which puts the spotlight on this regimes incompetence will be termed fake through its own holier than thou fact-checking unit. Whos going to show the king the mirror, when mirrors are banned in the kingdom? I feel this new development should be a matter of extreme concern for each one of usnot just as public representatives, but as practitioners and consumers of democracy, where the voice of the people is cardinal. How will the sanctity of public and individual expression be upheld when the noose of fact-checking tightens, choking it every time the expression doesnt align with the governments version? This reminds me of DaShanne Stokes words: Ethics and oversight are what you eliminate when you want absolute power. Kapil Sibal Senior lawyer and member of Rajya Sabha (Tweets @KapilSibal) Remember when The Wall Street Journal mocked French President Emmanuel Macron's push for "strategic autonomy" following his China trip? "If President Biden is awake, he ought to call Mr. Macron" the media wrote on April 9. Eleven days later, the call happened. Washington seems eager to prove that transatlantic partnership is still solid. But what it gets is an awkward scenario with two different readouts for the same conversation. On Thursday local time, US President Joe Biden spoke with Macron by phone. The two different readouts from the White House and Elysee Palace have attracted a frenzy of interest. The White House articulated that the two sides "reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." The French statement, however, did not mention the word "Taiwan." Another significant contrast is the two sides' positions on the Ukraine crisis. The Elysee Palace's statement specifically mentioned, "China had a role to play in contributing, in the medium term, to an end to the conflict in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter," while the US' statement did not name China regarding the conflict. In an effort to spin the transatlantic divergences a story of unity, the AFP commented that the talk "signaled efforts to ease tensions in the wake of the French leader's recent remarks on Taiwan and the European security relationship with Washington." But the gap is too obvious to conceal. For observers, the episode shows no matter how hard the US and France try to display unity, their differences are right there, which will not melt, and may even swell. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is traumatizing Europe, eroding its interests. A growing number of Europeans now wish to cut their loss. When France realizes that US has no interest in easing or stopping the conflict, it does not want to block China from playing a role in this regard. The stance is based on French and European fundamental interests. But apparently, it goes against US' will to fully dominate the situation in Ukraine, and the US is resistant to see China play a contributive role, Wang Shuo, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. At the same time, when the EU has its pressing troubles to face, Washington shows no qualms about diverting Brussels' attention to the Pacific front, and holding the bloc under its grip to confront China, through hyping up the Taiwan question. Nevertheless, as Macron put it, the EU does not want to be "caught up in crises that are not ours," adding "Europeans cannot resolve the crisis in Ukraine; how can we credibly say on Taiwan?" It means when it comes to some specific issues regarding China policy, such as the Taiwan question, European countries, represented by France, are keeping a distance from the US, Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times. The divergence on the two sides of Atlantic Ocean on the understanding over their alliance is also emerging. Cui said that for Macron, France has fulfilled its duty as an ally via maintaining communication with the US both before and after his China visit. But this is not enough for the US. Should the two sides have their different and independent stances? Or must they share the exact same stance, perspective, and even the same way to deal with issues? Growing differences are bubbling. And Macron has shown, once again, from the recent call, that Europe must resist pressure to become a blind follower of the US. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has caused several heavy shocks to Europe. It even changed the way Europe views the world. As a result, the EU has started to readjust its relations with the globe, including ties with the US and China, Wang said. Against the backdrop, the US must be anxious. In the eyes of Washington, Europe has been a crucial card, a tool, which has well served the US in the Ukraine crisis. But now, this tool is having rising sense of strategic autonomy, which will become a US headache. Because in such a context, the US will have to spend more energy and resources to deal with Europe, rather than focusing on fire against China, experts noted. Granted, the transatlantic relationship will see no major change any time soon. Their common principles and values will be maintained. But in terms of specific issues, their shared stance is becoming hollowed out, according to Cui. After all, from the European debt crisis, to the tariff war, to the energy crisis, the US has long lost its willingness to help and support Europe like after the end of the WWII. Now, it has been displaying little goodwill when exploiting EU's interests. What's left in the transatlantic relationship is nothing more than a declining post-war order in which the US enjoys hegemony and EU share some dividends, combined with some empty slogans about ideology and values. US' leadership and control over its allies are degrading, whether it uses carrots or sticks. Worse, Washington is running out of effective approaches to fix cracks on their ties. This is not only the predicament in transatlantic relations, as mirrored in the Biden-Macron call, but also an awkward moment for US diplomacy. (Source: Global Times) Shankkar Aiyar By This week, the world was informed that India had overtaken China to emerge as the most populous nation on earth. Context is critical for comprehending the tectonic event. China hosts a population of 142.57 crore in a land area of 9.424 million sq km and its gross domestic product is estimated at $19.3 trillion. India now hosts 142.86 crore people in 3.287 million sq km and its GDP is around $3.7 trillion. Effectively India today hosts more people than China in roughly one-third of the geographical area and sustains the populace on one-sixth of Chinas GDP. The imagery sketched by data highlights the magnitude of the test faced by India. Indeed the India challenge mirrors the demographic disruption faced by the world. In the next three decades world population is expected to touch 9.7 billion. The working-age population is shrinking in advanced economies and expanding in less developed ones. In India, the developed states in the south are ageing while the less developed northern states are bulging with young cohorts. The debate in the big tent is whether India can harvest the demographic dividend promised by an expanding working-age population. As a longtime observer of demographic trends and their implications, this column had in May 2014 observed that demography is not destiny and could well be a ticking time bomb. On the face of it India is currently the fastest-growing large economy and is the fifth largest in the world. Consider the data map of potential. It has a working-age population of around 950 million and adds roughly around 10 million persons to its workforce. The persistent puzzle is the sub-par participation rates of working-age persons. Nearly four out of ten working-age males and three of four females are staying out. The big question is can India combine the scale of its market and working age cohort to propel consumption, investment and growth. It is true the evolution of the gig economy and investment in infrastructure has triggered downstream effects. It is equally true that 42 per cent of Indias labour force depends on agriculture which accounts for a sixth of the national income. This fault line between urban and rural India distinguishes Indias potential and its reality. It could be argued that if China could leverage its demographics why cant India? History may well rhyme but the conditions vary. China invested in health and education. It boasts of a literacy rate of 95 plus per cent. China crossed the literacy rate of 78 per cent in 1990 India is still at 77 per cent. The new economy calls for better schooling and skills -- the average Indian spends barely 6.3 years in schooling whereas the average Chinese worker has spent about 8.4 years and an American 13 years in schooling. China sequenced its reforms by first enabling agriculture and then under Deng Xiao Ping opened up industry for foreign investment. The results are manifest in data. China recorded double-digit GDP growth for nearly ten of 20 years between 1990 and 2020 in 1990 India and China were similarly placed at roughly $320 billion and $ 360 billion. In two decades China has exported its way to prosperity. Without doubt, China also had the advantage of peace dividends and attendant tailwinds rising demand in advanced economies, higher capital flows and rising global trade. It grew furiously at a time climate change was still a theory. India, in stark contrast, faces headwinds. Its economy must navigate past conflicting compulsions arising out of geopolitics. The return of economic nationalism, the fragmentation of trade, the newly announced industrial policies of advanced economies shrink the potential for global growth. Add to this the triad of disruptions demography, climate change and accelerated adoption of technology. Consumption in advanced economies provided the base for Chinas growth and now these countries are aging rapidly. The rising concern on climate change has narrowed options in how growth will be fuelled. Rapid advancements in technology threaten existing business models just this week the debate is whether AI could possibly shrink opportunities for Indias software sector and trigger a jobocalypse. India is poised at an inflection point and this is verily the carpe diem moment. British think-tank CEBR estimates that given the potential, Indias GDP could touch $ 10 trillion by 2035. India can leverage its market size clout to woo investments and shift labour out of farms to factories. This calls for competitive reforms at the state level every factor of productivity is shackled by archaic laws and regulatory cholesterol. India also needs a viable public-private skills training model to train the youth for Indian and global opportunities. There are embedded blessings too. India has leap-frogged ahead of many advanced economies in creating a digital physical infrastructure lauded by the world. The stack of services could form the neural network to catalyse transformation in education and healthcare. Data pouring out of digitalization can be harnessed to expand credit to home enterprises. Solving the energy challenge with wind, solar and tidal power can create global population-scale business models. Whether demography turns out to be a destiny or a disaster depends largely on the interface of politics and economics, how policies evolve at the intersection of challenge and opportunity. Shankkar Aiyar Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar: A Biometric History of Indias 12 Digit Revolution, and Accidental India (shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com) This week, the world was informed that India had overtaken China to emerge as the most populous nation on earth. Context is critical for comprehending the tectonic event. China hosts a population of 142.57 crore in a land area of 9.424 million sq km and its gross domestic product is estimated at $19.3 trillion. India now hosts 142.86 crore people in 3.287 million sq km and its GDP is around $3.7 trillion. Effectively India today hosts more people than China in roughly one-third of the geographical area and sustains the populace on one-sixth of Chinas GDP. The imagery sketched by data highlights the magnitude of the test faced by India. Indeed the India challenge mirrors the demographic disruption faced by the world. In the next three decades world population is expected to touch 9.7 billion. The working-age population is shrinking in advanced economies and expanding in less developed ones. In India, the developed states in the south are ageing while the less developed northern states are bulging with young cohorts.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The debate in the big tent is whether India can harvest the demographic dividend promised by an expanding working-age population. As a longtime observer of demographic trends and their implications, this column had in May 2014 observed that demography is not destiny and could well be a ticking time bomb. On the face of it India is currently the fastest-growing large economy and is the fifth largest in the world. Consider the data map of potential. It has a working-age population of around 950 million and adds roughly around 10 million persons to its workforce. The persistent puzzle is the sub-par participation rates of working-age persons. Nearly four out of ten working-age males and three of four females are staying out. The big question is can India combine the scale of its market and working age cohort to propel consumption, investment and growth. It is true the evolution of the gig economy and investment in infrastructure has triggered downstream effects. It is equally true that 42 per cent of Indias labour force depends on agriculture which accounts for a sixth of the national income. This fault line between urban and rural India distinguishes Indias potential and its reality. It could be argued that if China could leverage its demographics why cant India? History may well rhyme but the conditions vary. China invested in health and education. It boasts of a literacy rate of 95 plus per cent. China crossed the literacy rate of 78 per cent in 1990 India is still at 77 per cent. The new economy calls for better schooling and skills -- the average Indian spends barely 6.3 years in schooling whereas the average Chinese worker has spent about 8.4 years and an American 13 years in schooling. China sequenced its reforms by first enabling agriculture and then under Deng Xiao Ping opened up industry for foreign investment. The results are manifest in data. China recorded double-digit GDP growth for nearly ten of 20 years between 1990 and 2020 in 1990 India and China were similarly placed at roughly $320 billion and $ 360 billion. In two decades China has exported its way to prosperity. Without doubt, China also had the advantage of peace dividends and attendant tailwinds rising demand in advanced economies, higher capital flows and rising global trade. It grew furiously at a time climate change was still a theory. India, in stark contrast, faces headwinds. Its economy must navigate past conflicting compulsions arising out of geopolitics. The return of economic nationalism, the fragmentation of trade, the newly announced industrial policies of advanced economies shrink the potential for global growth. Add to this the triad of disruptions demography, climate change and accelerated adoption of technology. Consumption in advanced economies provided the base for Chinas growth and now these countries are aging rapidly. The rising concern on climate change has narrowed options in how growth will be fuelled. Rapid advancements in technology threaten existing business models just this week the debate is whether AI could possibly shrink opportunities for Indias software sector and trigger a jobocalypse. India is poised at an inflection point and this is verily the carpe diem moment. British think-tank CEBR estimates that given the potential, Indias GDP could touch $ 10 trillion by 2035. India can leverage its market size clout to woo investments and shift labour out of farms to factories. This calls for competitive reforms at the state level every factor of productivity is shackled by archaic laws and regulatory cholesterol. India also needs a viable public-private skills training model to train the youth for Indian and global opportunities. There are embedded blessings too. India has leap-frogged ahead of many advanced economies in creating a digital physical infrastructure lauded by the world. The stack of services could form the neural network to catalyse transformation in education and healthcare. Data pouring out of digitalization can be harnessed to expand credit to home enterprises. Solving the energy challenge with wind, solar and tidal power can create global population-scale business models. Whether demography turns out to be a destiny or a disaster depends largely on the interface of politics and economics, how policies evolve at the intersection of challenge and opportunity. Shankkar Aiyar Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar: A Biometric History of Indias 12 Digit Revolution, and Accidental India (shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com) CP Venugopal By Express News Service ANANTAPUR: Over the past 16 months, one mandal in Anantapur district has reported 11 farmer suicides. The district officials have confirmed the data but with a small variation. According to them, 12 farmers died by suicide in the drought-prone Kuderu mandal in January 2021. Besides the burden of debts, damage to crops due to inclement climate, lack of water for irrigation, drought and poor market prices for the yield pushed the farmers to take the extreme step. On March 29 this year, Ranganayakulu ended his life as he was unable to clear his debts. He had cultivated pomegranate on nearly 11.5 acres after taking the land on lease. He invested more than Rs 22 lakh for the crop expecting good returns. Unfortunately, pests infested the crop. Yet to come to terms with the loss of her husband and bleak future staring at her daughters, Ranganayakulus wife has been seeking help from the government even as officials are yet to collect the familys details to begin the process of providing compensation. On March 16, another farmer Sanjeev Kumar of Kalagallu died by suicide. He, too, took the extreme step as he was unable to clear a debt of Rs 14 lakh. Kumar had cultivated citrus, along with tomato and groundnut as internal crops, on his four-acre land. He suffered losses as he did not get a remunerative price for groundnut and tomato. His wife Shatnamma is expecting her third child. The couple had two daughters. In Kuderu, farmers cultivate horticulture crops such as pomegranate, chilli, banana and citrus on nearly 10,000 acres and agriculture crops like groundnut, red gram, paddy and castor oil seeds on about 36,470 acres. They are mostly dependent on rains and borewells for irrigation. For the past three years, the groundnut crop has suffered due to pest attacks and changes in climatic conditions. Pests have also affected chill yield which has dropped to 2-3 quintals for each acre from 5-6 quintals. Since January 2022, there have been 11 farmer suicides in the mandal. However, officials said they have identified 12 such cases in the last two years. We have identified 12 farmers who have died by suicide since 2021. The department has also sent reports of ten farmers to the Commissioner of Agriculture Department. Three of the families have received compensation and the rest of the families will receive it within a short period. We have been preparing the reports of two farmers and will be sending them to the Commissionerate. Measures will be taken for providing compensation to the bereaved families, Anantapur RDO Madhusudhan said. According to reports, at least three farmers ended their lives between March 10 and 29 this year due to the burden of debts. In order to get compensation in case of death by suicide, it is mandatory that families of the deceased obtain several documents from the police department initially. A First Information Report, a Panchanama report, a post-mortem report, a forensic report, and a final report by the recommending committee, consisting of MRO and SI, and recommendations from the Agriculture Officer are required. District administrations should certify death instances and make recommendations for any compensation. These cumbersome administrative procedures were not followed by many families earlier who lost their breadwinners due to debts and unexplained maladies. Further, this has led to a huge gap between the actual number and official figures on account of the documents required to prove the death of a farmer as a genuine case of farm-related suicide. While the State government has reduced the number of mandatory documents from 13 to 5 in a bid to make the process hassle-free, lack of awareness and education has led to families of the deceased farmers failing to produce the documents. ANANTAPUR: Over the past 16 months, one mandal in Anantapur district has reported 11 farmer suicides. The district officials have confirmed the data but with a small variation. According to them, 12 farmers died by suicide in the drought-prone Kuderu mandal in January 2021. Besides the burden of debts, damage to crops due to inclement climate, lack of water for irrigation, drought and poor market prices for the yield pushed the farmers to take the extreme step. On March 29 this year, Ranganayakulu ended his life as he was unable to clear his debts. He had cultivated pomegranate on nearly 11.5 acres after taking the land on lease. He invested more than Rs 22 lakh for the crop expecting good returns. Unfortunately, pests infested the crop. Yet to come to terms with the loss of her husband and bleak future staring at her daughters, Ranganayakulus wife has been seeking help from the government even as officials are yet to collect the familys details to begin the process of providing compensation.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On March 16, another farmer Sanjeev Kumar of Kalagallu died by suicide. He, too, took the extreme step as he was unable to clear a debt of Rs 14 lakh. Kumar had cultivated citrus, along with tomato and groundnut as internal crops, on his four-acre land. He suffered losses as he did not get a remunerative price for groundnut and tomato. His wife Shatnamma is expecting her third child. The couple had two daughters. In Kuderu, farmers cultivate horticulture crops such as pomegranate, chilli, banana and citrus on nearly 10,000 acres and agriculture crops like groundnut, red gram, paddy and castor oil seeds on about 36,470 acres. They are mostly dependent on rains and borewells for irrigation. For the past three years, the groundnut crop has suffered due to pest attacks and changes in climatic conditions. Pests have also affected chill yield which has dropped to 2-3 quintals for each acre from 5-6 quintals. Since January 2022, there have been 11 farmer suicides in the mandal. However, officials said they have identified 12 such cases in the last two years. We have identified 12 farmers who have died by suicide since 2021. The department has also sent reports of ten farmers to the Commissioner of Agriculture Department. Three of the families have received compensation and the rest of the families will receive it within a short period. We have been preparing the reports of two farmers and will be sending them to the Commissionerate. Measures will be taken for providing compensation to the bereaved families, Anantapur RDO Madhusudhan said. According to reports, at least three farmers ended their lives between March 10 and 29 this year due to the burden of debts. In order to get compensation in case of death by suicide, it is mandatory that families of the deceased obtain several documents from the police department initially. A First Information Report, a Panchanama report, a post-mortem report, a forensic report, and a final report by the recommending committee, consisting of MRO and SI, and recommendations from the Agriculture Officer are required. District administrations should certify death instances and make recommendations for any compensation. These cumbersome administrative procedures were not followed by many families earlier who lost their breadwinners due to debts and unexplained maladies. Further, this has led to a huge gap between the actual number and official figures on account of the documents required to prove the death of a farmer as a genuine case of farm-related suicide. While the State government has reduced the number of mandatory documents from 13 to 5 in a bid to make the process hassle-free, lack of awareness and education has led to families of the deceased farmers failing to produce the documents. By Express News Service TIRUMALA: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has exempted the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), custodian of the Srivari temple in Tirumala, from disclosing details of donors who have offered foreign currency in hundis, while depositing the amount in banks. Tirumala temple is the only temple to have been given this exemption under Section 50 (c) of the FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act) Act, MHA secretary S Muthu Kumar said in a communication to the TTD. It may be recalled that besides suspending its FCRA registration, the Ministry had pointed out certain irregularities in receiving foreign contributions by the TTD and had asked the Trust to pay a penalty of Rs 10 crore. After negotiations, the TTD had paid Rs 3 crore as fine. Between 2019, when TTD renewed its FCRA registration, and March 2023, when it received notice for penalty, the Trust has accumulated foreign currency worth Rs 30 crore. The State Bank of India had refused to deposit foreign donations stating that identity of the donors was not known. Following this, the TTD had written to the Centre, stating that the FCRA did not specify the process for contributions received through Hundi. TTD officials had explained the practical problems in verifying the credentials of donors who deposit foreign currency in Hundi. Responding positively, the MHA exempted the Trust from disclosing details of such hundi donations and specified that they may be mentioned as gifts (offerings) to Lord Venkateswara. TTD is also negotiating for Rs 3 crore waiver for getting its FCRA licence renewed. TIRUMALA: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has exempted the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), custodian of the Srivari temple in Tirumala, from disclosing details of donors who have offered foreign currency in hundis, while depositing the amount in banks. Tirumala temple is the only temple to have been given this exemption under Section 50 (c) of the FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act) Act, MHA secretary S Muthu Kumar said in a communication to the TTD. It may be recalled that besides suspending its FCRA registration, the Ministry had pointed out certain irregularities in receiving foreign contributions by the TTD and had asked the Trust to pay a penalty of Rs 10 crore. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); After negotiations, the TTD had paid Rs 3 crore as fine. Between 2019, when TTD renewed its FCRA registration, and March 2023, when it received notice for penalty, the Trust has accumulated foreign currency worth Rs 30 crore. The State Bank of India had refused to deposit foreign donations stating that identity of the donors was not known. Following this, the TTD had written to the Centre, stating that the FCRA did not specify the process for contributions received through Hundi. TTD officials had explained the practical problems in verifying the credentials of donors who deposit foreign currency in Hundi. Responding positively, the MHA exempted the Trust from disclosing details of such hundi donations and specified that they may be mentioned as gifts (offerings) to Lord Venkateswara. TTD is also negotiating for Rs 3 crore waiver for getting its FCRA licence renewed. Ramu Patil By Express News Service BENGALURU: BJPs decision to bench many sitting MLAs to field new faces caused heartburn among many of its senior leaders, but an internal survey done by the party has shown that it is likely to help shore up its prospects. BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel told TNSE that the partys latest survey after fielding new faces showed that it is getting over 116 seats. The decision has had a positive impact and the party numbers will increase further after PM Modi and other central leaders hold rallies in the state, he said. Modi will address 20 rallies across Karnataka. The party leaders, including former ministers, state presidents and former ministers, with experience in winning elections even in challenging circumstances have been deputed in all districts and Assembly segments to oversee election work. They have been working in all constituencies for the last week. On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with those leaders and got a ground report from them. Even that report is favourable to us, he said. BJP fielded new faces to overcome anti-incumbency against many of its MLAs. Development works taken up by the double-engine governments and the strong organisational strength will help the party to get a clear majority, he said. On the Congress allegations that BJP sidelined Lingayat leaders, he said the partys misinformation campaign will not have any impact as it was Congress that insulted the Lingayats. They insulted Veerendra Patil, they tried to split Veerashaiva-Lingayats and they never respected the community, he said and added that the BJP government ensured social justice to all the communities. Kateel said though the BJP has been in power in the state for a short duration, three leaders from the community have been made CMs. Even now, the CM is from the Lingayat community and if the next CM has to be from the community, only BJP can make it and not Congress or any other party. BENGALURU: BJPs decision to bench many sitting MLAs to field new faces caused heartburn among many of its senior leaders, but an internal survey done by the party has shown that it is likely to help shore up its prospects. BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel told TNSE that the partys latest survey after fielding new faces showed that it is getting over 116 seats. The decision has had a positive impact and the party numbers will increase further after PM Modi and other central leaders hold rallies in the state, he said. Modi will address 20 rallies across Karnataka. The party leaders, including former ministers, state presidents and former ministers, with experience in winning elections even in challenging circumstances have been deputed in all districts and Assembly segments to oversee election work. They have been working in all constituencies for the last week. On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with those leaders and got a ground report from them. Even that report is favourable to us, he said. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); BJP fielded new faces to overcome anti-incumbency against many of its MLAs. Development works taken up by the double-engine governments and the strong organisational strength will help the party to get a clear majority, he said. On the Congress allegations that BJP sidelined Lingayat leaders, he said the partys misinformation campaign will not have any impact as it was Congress that insulted the Lingayats. They insulted Veerendra Patil, they tried to split Veerashaiva-Lingayats and they never respected the community, he said and added that the BJP government ensured social justice to all the communities. Kateel said though the BJP has been in power in the state for a short duration, three leaders from the community have been made CMs. Even now, the CM is from the Lingayat community and if the next CM has to be from the community, only BJP can make it and not Congress or any other party. By Express News Service Professor M Kunjaman is one of the most organic intellectuals Kerala has produced. His personal experiences of caste oppression have only made him more profound. He talks to TNIE about the failure of Congress and the Left in understanding the Dalit question, the class-caste equation of poverty, and also about his hopes of Indian society progressing to become a casteless one. Excerpts: You have always been a dissenting voice from your childhood to till date. Is it because of your life situations or are there any other reasons? Its mostly due to my life situations... There was severe poverty and caste oppression. There were people who treated us as animals. But I dont feel any hatred towards them because they were mere products of that age. One can call my dissent a legacy of my life. You have written about a feudal lord who let loose the dog after you were given kanji in the courtyard... It was a ferocious dog... I fought with that dog for food. I felt bad for him and me. I felt he was a fellow sufferer (chuckles). Have heard you saying that fear, inferiority complex, and lack of confidence instilled by those experiences have not left you yet... Yes. I feel inferior due to those experiences even now. But there have been some good things also. Those experiences have stopped me from doing anything wrong or bad to other people. Whatever has happened in my life has been a bonus... no disappointments. You dont have any good childhood memories? Even Onam was not a fond memory because people from my caste had to go to rich peoples houses and sing songs praising them on the day of Uthradam. I used to feel very disturbed as those people had no good qualities worth praising. But we did that as we would get food on those days. People treated you badly even after you became well known? While I was a professor at TISS, I got a call from Kiran Bedis office. The caller asked me to call Ms Bedi. Then I told that person that if she wants to talk to me, she should call me. That call never came. There have been totally opposite experiences too. Once I got a call from Brinda Karat seeking a time to meet me. I was quite impressed and then, I conveyed that I will go to her if she wants to meet me. You have said poverty is secular... There was severe poverty in those days. There is no shortage of food now thanks to the food security measures initiated by our government. The absence of hunger has led to higher aspiration levels across the social spectrum. Life becomes lively when there are aspirations. Mobile phones are an empowering instrument. How have the manifestations of caste changed? Brahminical Hinduism is disappearing from India. Narendra Modi is responsible for that. It does not mean Brahminism is disappearing. But the present Brahminism is without Brahmins. There are Dalit Brahmins, OBC Brahmins... All communities want a share in power now. It is impossible to do politics in todays India by stressing caste domination. That has become a thing of the past. WATCH FULL INTERVIEW | Will you please explain it? They introduced Subaltern Hinduism in a serious manner. They really studied and worked hard to make inroads into the caste system something which the Communists and Congress failed to do. You said Brahminical Hinduism is disappearing. But where will you place RSS in this context? I have not studied RSS seriously. As far as I know, RSS is a cultural organisation. This type of cultural organisation is there in the Muslim community... in the Dalit community. You said that Communists failed to understand the realities of the caste system... Yes. They failed. They talked about land reforms while Ambedkar talked about land distribution. It was not because EMS did not understand this but because he could not go beyond the concept of class. How about Congress? They too failed miserably in that. They could not tolerate a person like Ambedkar. Similarly, they both voted against Droupadi Murmu in the presidential election. They opposed her not because she was a BJP candidate. The person whom they supported was once a BJP minister. Their opposition was personal. That shows their lack of political insight. You said the Left failed to understand caste. If it had, do you think Lefts prospects would have been better? Yes, I think so. Left would have grown wider. You said you have talked to EMS about this. What was his response? I have asked EMS that question several times. He never gave a straight reply to that. Many Communist leaders retain caste surnames. They dont ask themselves that question and they dont like others asking that question. How do you assess Congress understanding of caste? The earlier Congress leaders were very secular. But now we dont have such leaders. Rahul Gandhi does have an all-India perspective and he is secular. But, there are not many leaders with a national perspective now. How do you look at Shashi Tharoor as a national leader? He dug his own grave by positioning himself as unique. I never thought that he would go on a Pala-Perunna-Panakkad trip. That exposed him. Tharoor, like EMS, is a scholar among politicians and a politician among scholars. No academician would use his references. How do you look at the way Indias politics is progressing? Indias electoral democracy does have a political future. But now it has become a democracy sans freedom. I dont feel freedom anywhere now. One has to look left and right before speaking. You have said that Keralas Left is going the West Bengal way. Why do you think so? Now there is no Left as such. Now LDF is a coalition that takes occasional glances towards the Left while moving towards the Right. There is no purity or originality. They are practising politics like any other front. So, you say LDF will wither away the way Left Front did in Bengal? Yes. Because leaders with Left thinking are not there. Mamata Banerjee is implementing exactly what Jyoti Basu implemented. She is doing it in a very clever way. If thats the case, how would you explain the disappearance of the Left from Tripura? Manik Sarkar was a CM who was pure Communist, someone who would tick all the boxes of moral codes and Communist values... We know about Tripura from what we have read. We dont know the ground realities. But is it right to judge the Left parties or leaders using the yardsticks of the 60s and 70s? The world has changed, its politics have changed, and societys aspirations have changed... Your point is correct... But what does it mean if leaders change as per circumstances? A leader should be able to influence circumstances like Gandhi. Certain things should not change. Its like the relationship between mother and child. Some things must be constant. You have interacted closely with EMS. How was your equation? I used to criticise him a lot. Once he told me, criticism is very important. Marxism grows through criticisms. You should criticise me too. I am not a God to be not criticised, he told me. Those were the words of a real Communist. I noted those lines in my diary immediately. Ever since I have considered those lines as a guiding principle in my life. How do you assess the ruling LDF? Politics does not matter in a coalition. What matters only is election strategy. It is an arrangement. There is none like EMS in the current party. Zealots make an organisation weak while criticisms make it stronger. Communists are their own grave diggers now. As an economist, how do you assess the Kerala model of development? The Kerala model was not created out of any blueprint. It was not a contribution of any political party or leader. It evolved socially due to historical reasons. It is an exclusion model. Those who were historically marginalised continued to be marginalised. At the same time, the Left parties succeeded in developing an inclusive welfare model which is very secular. It is this inclusive welfare model of the Left governments that is responsible for sustaining Kerala. The way workers from other states have been imbibed into our system is because of this inclusiveness. CM Pinarayi Vijayans articulation of the term athithi thozhilalikal (guest workers) was an excellent one. But the Left government is not doing anything to distribute the land to the landless. How has neoliberalism impacted society as a whole? It has impacted our language and lingo. For example, Communists no longer talk about exploitation or surplus value. They dont use the term bourgeois, instead, they say investor. That is an interesting change. I am not making any judgement here. There is a belief that neoliberalism has empowered the Dalits like nothing else. How far is it true? Capitalism is more inclusive as it wants everyone to have more money so that everyone has purchasing power. Poverty is not in their interest. But politicians want poor people so that they can continue to speak about the poor. You have written that for a Dalit to sit on the CM chair, he has to be born as a bug... (Chuckles) Yes, it is very difficult for political parties to accept a Dalit, even if he is very much eligible, for the top post. Even now, a Dalit is mandated to contest only from reserved constituencies. Sadly, that is the case even in Communist parties. Ambedkarite parties like the Republican Party or BSP have got reduced to reservation politics. How do you look at them? That is because they understood Ambedkar wrongly. They equated Ambedkar with reservation and social justice. They think only about caste and reservation. The leaders have become career politicians. They fell for the ruling classs ploy of limiting everything to the reservation. All they wanted was reservation, they are not bothered about whether the right people are ruling. Why do Dalit movements for land rights fail... whether it was that of Laha Gopalan or C K Janu? Communists defeated the struggle for land distribution led by Laha Gopalan using state power and cadre power. Similarly, the UDF government in 2003 used state power and tortured the tribals who asked for land. So its clear that all fronts in power have a tacit understanding in protecting class interests. The real reason for Congress and Left opposing Murmus presidential candidature was because they feared she may be against their class interests as she, as a Governor, had refused to sign two Bills that were against the interest of Adivasis. There have been some attempts at Dalit-Muslim unity. What is your take on them? I dont think that is the solution to the problems. Primarily because they cant join hands genuinely because their interests are different. There is nothing common between them. Muslims dont think of Dalit issues as their own. They dont really give any consideration to Dalits. Dalits are being used by Hindutva forces across the country to advance their interests... It is not just Hindutva forces alone that use Dalits. The poor have always been used by the powerful throughout our political history. Who is not a fascist? There may be small differences but everybody in power becomes a fascist. How do you look at the situation of Dalits in the country? If you look at it, you can see that all victims are from the same community. whether it is Madhu or Valayar Amma. It will be like that only... The poor have never got justice anywhere in the world; will never get it either. Poor will get justice only if they come out of poverty. The reality is that those who want change do not have the power to bring in change while those who can bring in change do not want change. How do you look at the future of the caste system in the country? Do you foresee India without a caste system? Yes. I believe we are moving towards a casteless society. That is what will emerge ultimately when there is equal redistribution of wealth. The number of people who think beyond caste is increasing. That is indeed a silver lining. But do you think such redistribution will happen? That is indeed a million-dollar question. Professor M Kunjaman is one of the most organic intellectuals Kerala has produced. His personal experiences of caste oppression have only made him more profound. He talks to TNIE about the failure of Congress and the Left in understanding the Dalit question, the class-caste equation of poverty, and also about his hopes of Indian society progressing to become a casteless one. Excerpts: You have always been a dissenting voice from your childhood to till date. Is it because of your life situations or are there any other reasons? Its mostly due to my life situations... There was severe poverty and caste oppression. There were people who treated us as animals. But I dont feel any hatred towards them because they were mere products of that age. One can call my dissent a legacy of my life. You have written about a feudal lord who let loose the dog after you were given kanji in the courtyard... It was a ferocious dog... I fought with that dog for food. I felt bad for him and me. I felt he was a fellow sufferer (chuckles). Have heard you saying that fear, inferiority complex, and lack of confidence instilled by those experiences have not left you yet... Yes. I feel inferior due to those experiences even now. But there have been some good things also. Those experiences have stopped me from doing anything wrong or bad to other people. Whatever has happened in my life has been a bonus... no disappointments. You dont have any good childhood memories? Even Onam was not a fond memory because people from my caste had to go to rich peoples houses and sing songs praising them on the day of Uthradam. I used to feel very disturbed as those people had no good qualities worth praising. But we did that as we would get food on those days. People treated you badly even after you became well known? While I was a professor at TISS, I got a call from Kiran Bedis office. The caller asked me to call Ms Bedi. Then I told that person that if she wants to talk to me, she should call me. That call never came. There have been totally opposite experiences too. Once I got a call from Brinda Karat seeking a time to meet me. I was quite impressed and then, I conveyed that I will go to her if she wants to meet me. You have said poverty is secular... There was severe poverty in those days. There is no shortage of food now thanks to the food security measures initiated by our government. The absence of hunger has led to higher aspiration levels across the social spectrum. Life becomes lively when there are aspirations. Mobile phones are an empowering instrument. How have the manifestations of caste changed? Brahminical Hinduism is disappearing from India. Narendra Modi is responsible for that. It does not mean Brahminism is disappearing. But the present Brahminism is without Brahmins. There are Dalit Brahmins, OBC Brahmins... All communities want a share in power now. It is impossible to do politics in todays India by stressing caste domination. That has become a thing of the past. WATCH FULL INTERVIEW | googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Will you please explain it? They introduced Subaltern Hinduism in a serious manner. They really studied and worked hard to make inroads into the caste system something which the Communists and Congress failed to do. You said Brahminical Hinduism is disappearing. But where will you place RSS in this context? I have not studied RSS seriously. As far as I know, RSS is a cultural organisation. This type of cultural organisation is there in the Muslim community... in the Dalit community. You said that Communists failed to understand the realities of the caste system... Yes. They failed. They talked about land reforms while Ambedkar talked about land distribution. It was not because EMS did not understand this but because he could not go beyond the concept of class. How about Congress? They too failed miserably in that. They could not tolerate a person like Ambedkar. Similarly, they both voted against Droupadi Murmu in the presidential election. They opposed her not because she was a BJP candidate. The person whom they supported was once a BJP minister. Their opposition was personal. That shows their lack of political insight. You said the Left failed to understand caste. If it had, do you think Lefts prospects would have been better? Yes, I think so. Left would have grown wider. You said you have talked to EMS about this. What was his response? I have asked EMS that question several times. He never gave a straight reply to that. Many Communist leaders retain caste surnames. They dont ask themselves that question and they dont like others asking that question. How do you assess Congress understanding of caste? The earlier Congress leaders were very secular. But now we dont have such leaders. Rahul Gandhi does have an all-India perspective and he is secular. But, there are not many leaders with a national perspective now. How do you look at Shashi Tharoor as a national leader? He dug his own grave by positioning himself as unique. I never thought that he would go on a Pala-Perunna-Panakkad trip. That exposed him. Tharoor, like EMS, is a scholar among politicians and a politician among scholars. No academician would use his references. How do you look at the way Indias politics is progressing? Indias electoral democracy does have a political future. But now it has become a democracy sans freedom. I dont feel freedom anywhere now. One has to look left and right before speaking. You have said that Keralas Left is going the West Bengal way. Why do you think so? Now there is no Left as such. Now LDF is a coalition that takes occasional glances towards the Left while moving towards the Right. There is no purity or originality. They are practising politics like any other front. So, you say LDF will wither away the way Left Front did in Bengal? Yes. Because leaders with Left thinking are not there. Mamata Banerjee is implementing exactly what Jyoti Basu implemented. She is doing it in a very clever way. If thats the case, how would you explain the disappearance of the Left from Tripura? Manik Sarkar was a CM who was pure Communist, someone who would tick all the boxes of moral codes and Communist values... We know about Tripura from what we have read. We dont know the ground realities. But is it right to judge the Left parties or leaders using the yardsticks of the 60s and 70s? The world has changed, its politics have changed, and societys aspirations have changed... Your point is correct... But what does it mean if leaders change as per circumstances? A leader should be able to influence circumstances like Gandhi. Certain things should not change. Its like the relationship between mother and child. Some things must be constant. You have interacted closely with EMS. How was your equation? I used to criticise him a lot. Once he told me, criticism is very important. Marxism grows through criticisms. You should criticise me too. I am not a God to be not criticised, he told me. Those were the words of a real Communist. I noted those lines in my diary immediately. Ever since I have considered those lines as a guiding principle in my life. How do you assess the ruling LDF? Politics does not matter in a coalition. What matters only is election strategy. It is an arrangement. There is none like EMS in the current party. Zealots make an organisation weak while criticisms make it stronger. Communists are their own grave diggers now. As an economist, how do you assess the Kerala model of development? The Kerala model was not created out of any blueprint. It was not a contribution of any political party or leader. It evolved socially due to historical reasons. It is an exclusion model. Those who were historically marginalised continued to be marginalised. At the same time, the Left parties succeeded in developing an inclusive welfare model which is very secular. It is this inclusive welfare model of the Left governments that is responsible for sustaining Kerala. The way workers from other states have been imbibed into our system is because of this inclusiveness. CM Pinarayi Vijayans articulation of the term athithi thozhilalikal (guest workers) was an excellent one. But the Left government is not doing anything to distribute the land to the landless. How has neoliberalism impacted society as a whole? It has impacted our language and lingo. For example, Communists no longer talk about exploitation or surplus value. They dont use the term bourgeois, instead, they say investor. That is an interesting change. I am not making any judgement here. There is a belief that neoliberalism has empowered the Dalits like nothing else. How far is it true? Capitalism is more inclusive as it wants everyone to have more money so that everyone has purchasing power. Poverty is not in their interest. But politicians want poor people so that they can continue to speak about the poor. You have written that for a Dalit to sit on the CM chair, he has to be born as a bug... (Chuckles) Yes, it is very difficult for political parties to accept a Dalit, even if he is very much eligible, for the top post. Even now, a Dalit is mandated to contest only from reserved constituencies. Sadly, that is the case even in Communist parties. Ambedkarite parties like the Republican Party or BSP have got reduced to reservation politics. How do you look at them? That is because they understood Ambedkar wrongly. They equated Ambedkar with reservation and social justice. They think only about caste and reservation. The leaders have become career politicians. They fell for the ruling classs ploy of limiting everything to the reservation. All they wanted was reservation, they are not bothered about whether the right people are ruling. Why do Dalit movements for land rights fail... whether it was that of Laha Gopalan or C K Janu? Communists defeated the struggle for land distribution led by Laha Gopalan using state power and cadre power. Similarly, the UDF government in 2003 used state power and tortured the tribals who asked for land. So its clear that all fronts in power have a tacit understanding in protecting class interests. The real reason for Congress and Left opposing Murmus presidential candidature was because they feared she may be against their class interests as she, as a Governor, had refused to sign two Bills that were against the interest of Adivasis. There have been some attempts at Dalit-Muslim unity. What is your take on them? I dont think that is the solution to the problems. Primarily because they cant join hands genuinely because their interests are different. There is nothing common between them. Muslims dont think of Dalit issues as their own. They dont really give any consideration to Dalits. Dalits are being used by Hindutva forces across the country to advance their interests... It is not just Hindutva forces alone that use Dalits. The poor have always been used by the powerful throughout our political history. Who is not a fascist? There may be small differences but everybody in power becomes a fascist. How do you look at the situation of Dalits in the country? If you look at it, you can see that all victims are from the same community. whether it is Madhu or Valayar Amma. It will be like that only... The poor have never got justice anywhere in the world; will never get it either. Poor will get justice only if they come out of poverty. The reality is that those who want change do not have the power to bring in change while those who can bring in change do not want change. How do you look at the future of the caste system in the country? Do you foresee India without a caste system? Yes. I believe we are moving towards a casteless society. That is what will emerge ultimately when there is equal redistribution of wealth. The number of people who think beyond caste is increasing. That is indeed a silver lining. But do you think such redistribution will happen? That is indeed a million-dollar question. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Crime Branch which is investigating the Department of Posts recruitment scam has apparently established links of the prime accused with staff of Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Sikhya Parishad for procurement of the certificates as well as rigging the verification process. Sources said the agency was initially suspecting that the main suspect Manoj Mishra printed fake certificates as well as mark sheets in the state but later ascertained his links with officials of the Uttar Pradesh board. Separate teams of the Crime Branch recently visited UP, Delhi, Punjab and Jharkhand as the postal department recruitment scam has pan-India links. Sources said the agency has now information on officials of UP Madhyamik Sikhya Parishad who are possibly hand-in-glove with Mishra. They, however, are yet to ascertain whether the boards officials purportedly having links with Mishra are in the junior or senior levels of the administration. There is a strong suspicion that whenever any certificate or mark sheet was sent to UP for verification, some of the board officials sent those documents back to Mishra, said sources. Those having nexus with Mishra managed to receive the fake documents before those could be verified by officials concerned of the board. The fake documents were then sent back to the postal department in the state with a genuine tag. Sources said a Crime Branch team may again visit Uttar Pradesh as part of the investigation. The fraud had come to the fore after the Department of Posts began verifying certificates of applicants for various Gram Dak Seva (GDS) posts in Balangir district where 37 candidates were found to have scored very high marks in various subjects. All these candidates had furnished certificates from the UP board which prompted the officials to flag the cases. About 1,500 to 2,000 fake certificates of various boards of secondary education and universities in Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Sikkim were seized from Mishra. Sources said he sold the fake certificates for Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh to job aspirants in Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Boudh, Sonepur, Dhenkanal and other parts of the country. Balangir Police had earlier arrested at least 19 people including Mishra and his associate Alok Udgata. In Odisha, over 1,100 candidates were selected by the Department of Posts for GDS jobs which included posts of branch postmaster, assistant postmaster and dak sevak for which written/viva tests are not conducted and Class X marks are the only eligibility. BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Crime Branch which is investigating the Department of Posts recruitment scam has apparently established links of the prime accused with staff of Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Sikhya Parishad for procurement of the certificates as well as rigging the verification process. Sources said the agency was initially suspecting that the main suspect Manoj Mishra printed fake certificates as well as mark sheets in the state but later ascertained his links with officials of the Uttar Pradesh board. Separate teams of the Crime Branch recently visited UP, Delhi, Punjab and Jharkhand as the postal department recruitment scam has pan-India links. Sources said the agency has now information on officials of UP Madhyamik Sikhya Parishad who are possibly hand-in-glove with Mishra. They, however, are yet to ascertain whether the boards officials purportedly having links with Mishra are in the junior or senior levels of the administration.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); There is a strong suspicion that whenever any certificate or mark sheet was sent to UP for verification, some of the board officials sent those documents back to Mishra, said sources. Those having nexus with Mishra managed to receive the fake documents before those could be verified by officials concerned of the board. The fake documents were then sent back to the postal department in the state with a genuine tag. Sources said a Crime Branch team may again visit Uttar Pradesh as part of the investigation. The fraud had come to the fore after the Department of Posts began verifying certificates of applicants for various Gram Dak Seva (GDS) posts in Balangir district where 37 candidates were found to have scored very high marks in various subjects. All these candidates had furnished certificates from the UP board which prompted the officials to flag the cases. About 1,500 to 2,000 fake certificates of various boards of secondary education and universities in Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Sikkim were seized from Mishra. Sources said he sold the fake certificates for Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh to job aspirants in Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Boudh, Sonepur, Dhenkanal and other parts of the country. Balangir Police had earlier arrested at least 19 people including Mishra and his associate Alok Udgata. In Odisha, over 1,100 candidates were selected by the Department of Posts for GDS jobs which included posts of branch postmaster, assistant postmaster and dak sevak for which written/viva tests are not conducted and Class X marks are the only eligibility. By Express News Service CHENNAI: A BJP delegation led by the party's state vice-president VP Duraisamy is meeting Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi this evening to urge him to initiate an independent forensic audit on the audio clip attributed to Palanivel Thiaga Rajan. The audio clip, purportedly a recording of the finance minister's interaction with journalists, alleges that a DMK minister and one of his relatives had amassed huge ill-gotten wealth. The finance minister in a statement on Saturday said the audio clip was not authentic and that forensic analysis of the audio proved that it is a clear case of manipulation by cutting and pasting several clips to defame DMK and him. Reacting to it, on Sunday, the BJP said it will urge the governor to initiate an independent forensic audit of the audio clip. In a statement, the party's state unit president K Annamalai said a six-member team will meet Governor RN Ravi to hand over a representation. Today, leaders from @BJP4TamilNadu will meet the Hon Gov of TN Thiru RN Ravi avargal, requesting an independent forensic audit of the audio tape of the State Finance Minister. pic.twitter.com/h1RWWwc5XO K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) April 23, 2023 The statement also said, "We challenge him (Palanivel Thiaga Rajan) to produce an audio clip with similar content but instead in my voice. We shall submit both audio samples to a Court monitored investigation and let the investigating agency ascertain the genuine nature of both audio clips." Annamalai had also shared the audio clip on his social media handle a few hours after it was first posted by certain social media personalities and a BJP functionary. Annamalai said the audio clip supports the claims he made in his "DMK files". However, DMK in response had said BJP is unable to electorally make gains in the state and has been making such baseless allegations against the ruling party. In his Saturday statement, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said, "With the ability to create fabricated and 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." CHENNAI: A BJP delegation led by the party's state vice-president VP Duraisamy is meeting Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi this evening to urge him to initiate an independent forensic audit on the audio clip attributed to Palanivel Thiaga Rajan. The audio clip, purportedly a recording of the finance minister's interaction with journalists, alleges that a DMK minister and one of his relatives had amassed huge ill-gotten wealth. The finance minister in a statement on Saturday said the audio clip was not authentic and that forensic analysis of the audio proved that it is a clear case of manipulation by cutting and pasting several clips to defame DMK and him. Reacting to it, on Sunday, the BJP said it will urge the governor to initiate an independent forensic audit of the audio clip. In a statement, the party's state unit president K Annamalai said a six-member team will meet Governor RN Ravi to hand over a representation. Today, leaders from @BJP4TamilNadu will meet the Hon Gov of TN Thiru RN Ravi avargal, requesting an independent forensic audit of the audio tape of the State Finance Minister. pic.twitter.com/h1RWWwc5XO K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) April 23, 2023 The statement also said, "We challenge him (Palanivel Thiaga Rajan) to produce an audio clip with similar content but instead in my voice. We shall submit both audio samples to a Court monitored investigation and let the investigating agency ascertain the genuine nature of both audio clips." Annamalai had also shared the audio clip on his social media handle a few hours after it was first posted by certain social media personalities and a BJP functionary. Annamalai said the audio clip supports the claims he made in his "DMK files". However, DMK in response had said BJP is unable to electorally make gains in the state and has been making such baseless allegations against the ruling party. In his Saturday statement, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said, "With the ability to create fabricated and 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."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Ireddy Srinivas Reddy By Express News Service HYDERABAD: After realising the importance of effective communication to reach out to the voters, the Telangana Congress has decided to go in for a talent hunt for those who can act as its spokespersons. As BJP is becoming menacingly powerful, the Congress has decided to sharpen its weapons by hand-picking spokespersons who can speak well, build an effective argument in defence of the party, launch a counter-attack, and pull out instances of achievements of the party when it was in power in the past in support of what they would be able to do in the future if voted to power. The party will kick-start talent hunt in Hyderabad soon. It will be organised by the AICC media department, which will conduct interviews with potential candidates from different districts and backgrounds. The candidates will be selected on the basis of their knowledge of local issues, language proficiency, and commitment to the partys ideology. The selection process will involve multiple rounds of tests, which include a written test, group discussions, and personal interviews. TPCC vice-president and Media in-charge Chamala Kiran Reddy told TNIE that interested candidates can apply for the Talent Hunt Programme. They will have to submit their applications through the official party website or by mailing them to the AICC media department. Senior Congress leaders to conduct workshop for spokespersons The TPCC vice president said that the selection process will be announced soon. The applications should include a resume, a cover letter highlighting their relevant skills and experience, and any other supporting documents or references. After short-listing the applications, the candidates will be invited to Hyderabad Gandhi Bhavan for the selection process. The exact dates and venue will be communicated to the shortlisted candidates, he added. Reddy said that the selected spokespersons will undergo training sessions and workshops to enhance their abilities. They will then be asked to take up roles that fit them well. The training will cover various aspects of working as a spokesperson, including maintaining media relations, crisis management, public relations, and digital media. The workshops will be conducted by senior party leaders, media professionals, and experts from various fields. The media in charge of Telangana also stated that the talent hunt programme for spokespersons provides a unique opportunity for individuals who want to be a part of Rahul Gandhis vision to inject young talent into the party and encourage youths to join politics. Selected spokespersons will have the chance to represent the party at various levels, including the district, State, and national levels. They will also interact with senior party leaders and media professionals, gaining valuable exposure to different aspects of politics and governance. HYDERABAD: After realising the importance of effective communication to reach out to the voters, the Telangana Congress has decided to go in for a talent hunt for those who can act as its spokespersons. As BJP is becoming menacingly powerful, the Congress has decided to sharpen its weapons by hand-picking spokespersons who can speak well, build an effective argument in defence of the party, launch a counter-attack, and pull out instances of achievements of the party when it was in power in the past in support of what they would be able to do in the future if voted to power. The party will kick-start talent hunt in Hyderabad soon. It will be organised by the AICC media department, which will conduct interviews with potential candidates from different districts and backgrounds.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The candidates will be selected on the basis of their knowledge of local issues, language proficiency, and commitment to the partys ideology. The selection process will involve multiple rounds of tests, which include a written test, group discussions, and personal interviews. TPCC vice-president and Media in-charge Chamala Kiran Reddy told TNIE that interested candidates can apply for the Talent Hunt Programme. They will have to submit their applications through the official party website or by mailing them to the AICC media department. Senior Congress leaders to conduct workshop for spokespersons The TPCC vice president said that the selection process will be announced soon. The applications should include a resume, a cover letter highlighting their relevant skills and experience, and any other supporting documents or references. After short-listing the applications, the candidates will be invited to Hyderabad Gandhi Bhavan for the selection process. The exact dates and venue will be communicated to the shortlisted candidates, he added. Reddy said that the selected spokespersons will undergo training sessions and workshops to enhance their abilities. They will then be asked to take up roles that fit them well. The training will cover various aspects of working as a spokesperson, including maintaining media relations, crisis management, public relations, and digital media. The workshops will be conducted by senior party leaders, media professionals, and experts from various fields. The media in charge of Telangana also stated that the talent hunt programme for spokespersons provides a unique opportunity for individuals who want to be a part of Rahul Gandhis vision to inject young talent into the party and encourage youths to join politics. Selected spokespersons will have the chance to represent the party at various levels, including the district, State, and national levels. They will also interact with senior party leaders and media professionals, gaining valuable exposure to different aspects of politics and governance. Sahaya Novinston Lobo By CHENNAI: Officials of the idol wing CID have seized 55 antique idols from the house of art collector Shobha Durairajan at Raja Annamalaipuram in Chennai. Police suspect the idols were stolen from temples across the country. Durairajan had come under police scrutiny in the past and officials had seized idols from her house in December. A senior police official said, Durairajan has been in the US since last year. She will return in September, and once she does, we will conduct inquiries and take action. Speaking to TNIE on Saturday, idol wing CID DGP Shailesh Kumar said, On Wednesday, we received a tip-off, following which a special team conducted searches at the house. According to police, Shobha Durairajan told them that collecting antique artefacts was her hobby and that she had purchased the idols from alleged idol smuggler Deenadayalan of Aparna Art Gallery between 2008 and 2015. Officials said the idols might belong to the 9th or 10th century CE and have sought help from the Archeological Survey of India to identify them. A total of 64 idols, which were stolen, have been found in foreign countries. Idols traced to the US, Australia, Singapore and England have been identified with the help of Indians living in those countries. Steps are being taken to retrieve the idols. Singapore has agreed to return 16 idols, DGP C Sylendra Babu told reporters, appreciating the efforts of the idol wing officials. The idols seized from Durairajans house include a Varahi, Veerabadrar, Dhakshinamoorthy, Vishnu, Durga, Murugan with consort, Vishnu Lakshmi, Lingothbhavar, Ganapathy, Mahishasura Mardhini and Buddha. Since the inception of the idol wing, as many as 1,541 stolen antique idols of bronze and stone have been recovered and kept safely at 19 icon centres. Armed police personnel are guarding them and CCTV surveillance has been also provided. We will investigate who was involved in the theft and nab them. We have seized over 300 idols in the last two years, Sylendra Babu said. CHENNAI: Officials of the idol wing CID have seized 55 antique idols from the house of art collector Shobha Durairajan at Raja Annamalaipuram in Chennai. Police suspect the idols were stolen from temples across the country. Durairajan had come under police scrutiny in the past and officials had seized idols from her house in December. A senior police official said, Durairajan has been in the US since last year. She will return in September, and once she does, we will conduct inquiries and take action. Speaking to TNIE on Saturday, idol wing CID DGP Shailesh Kumar said, On Wednesday, we received a tip-off, following which a special team conducted searches at the house. According to police, Shobha Durairajan told them that collecting antique artefacts was her hobby and that she had purchased the idols from alleged idol smuggler Deenadayalan of Aparna Art Gallery between 2008 and 2015. Officials said the idols might belong to the 9th or 10th century CE and have sought help from the Archeological Survey of India to identify them. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A total of 64 idols, which were stolen, have been found in foreign countries. Idols traced to the US, Australia, Singapore and England have been identified with the help of Indians living in those countries. Steps are being taken to retrieve the idols. Singapore has agreed to return 16 idols, DGP C Sylendra Babu told reporters, appreciating the efforts of the idol wing officials. The idols seized from Durairajans house include a Varahi, Veerabadrar, Dhakshinamoorthy, Vishnu, Durga, Murugan with consort, Vishnu Lakshmi, Lingothbhavar, Ganapathy, Mahishasura Mardhini and Buddha. Since the inception of the idol wing, as many as 1,541 stolen antique idols of bronze and stone have been recovered and kept safely at 19 icon centres. Armed police personnel are guarding them and CCTV surveillance has been also provided. We will investigate who was involved in the theft and nab them. We have seized over 300 idols in the last two years, Sylendra Babu said. A federal judge sentenced a Lame Deer man earlier this week to nearly 12 years in prison for attacking and raping a woman on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. James Cale Allen, 29, previously pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse in U.S. District Court, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office. Allens conduct in this case, punctuated by some underlying mental health and substance issues, demonstrate a person who can be a danger to the community, federal prosecutors wrote in sentencing documents. In June 2022, court documents said, Allen drunkenly struck a woman at a home in Lame Deer. The violence escalated to him punching her several times. He then forced her into sexual intercourse. A friend took the woman to a hospital, where she received a sexual assault exam. Allen was indicted in September 2022 on three counts that also included strangulation and assault resulting in bodily injury. He reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in December that same year, admitting to the one count of aggravated sexual abuse. In court Thursday, U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters sentenced Allen to 11 years and eight months in prison, followed by five years of federal supervision. While comprehensive data on the extent of violent crime on Indian reservations is marred by underreporting, what information is available shows Indigenous women are victims of sexual and physical violence at rates much higher than any other racial group in the United States. In one survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39% of Native American women reported being victims of intimate partner violence. One in three Native American women in the United States have been raped during their lifetime, according to a May 2022 report from Amnesty International. Jitendra Choubey By NEW DELHI: Former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik was briefly detained along with dozens of farmers and khap leaders on Saturday afternoon, though Delhi Police denied it. The police said Malik presented himself at the R K Puram police station along with his supporters. False Information is being spread on social media regarding the detention of Satya Pal Malik. He himself arrived at PS RK Puram along with his supporters. He has been informed that he is free to leave at his own will, said Police on Twitter. Malik was allegedly questioned after he without seeking prior permission, held a meeting at a park in the RK Puram area. Malik was on Friday summoned by the CBI for questioning as a witness in a case of alleged corruption in a group insurance scheme for J&K employees during his governorship. Malik on Saturday had organized a get-together and a lunch with various farmers leaders and Khap panchayat elders from Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, MP and Uttarakhand. The farmer leaders said a team of Delhi Police uprooted a tent set up at Maliks residence and arrested them. Malik ji invited us over the lunch a week back, says Gurunam Singh Chadhuni, a farmer leader from Haryana. We all joined as we consider him a friend of farmers, but the police arrested us and took us to different police stations. Malik ji was taken to the R.K. Puram Police Station while we were taken to Vasant Kunj Police Station, said Chadhuni. Malik tweeted Arrested at 12:52 pm with a video of a group of detained farmers and khap leaders in a bus. These leaders can be seen in the video shouting slogans against the police and the government. NEW DELHI: Former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik was briefly detained along with dozens of farmers and khap leaders on Saturday afternoon, though Delhi Police denied it. The police said Malik presented himself at the R K Puram police station along with his supporters. False Information is being spread on social media regarding the detention of Satya Pal Malik. He himself arrived at PS RK Puram along with his supporters. He has been informed that he is free to leave at his own will, said Police on Twitter. Malik was allegedly questioned after he without seeking prior permission, held a meeting at a park in the RK Puram area. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Malik was on Friday summoned by the CBI for questioning as a witness in a case of alleged corruption in a group insurance scheme for J&K employees during his governorship. Malik on Saturday had organized a get-together and a lunch with various farmers leaders and Khap panchayat elders from Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, MP and Uttarakhand. The farmer leaders said a team of Delhi Police uprooted a tent set up at Maliks residence and arrested them. Malik ji invited us over the lunch a week back, says Gurunam Singh Chadhuni, a farmer leader from Haryana. We all joined as we consider him a friend of farmers, but the police arrested us and took us to different police stations. Malik ji was taken to the R.K. Puram Police Station while we were taken to Vasant Kunj Police Station, said Chadhuni. Malik tweeted Arrested at 12:52 pm with a video of a group of detained farmers and khap leaders in a bus. These leaders can be seen in the video shouting slogans against the police and the government. Pranab Mondal By KOLKATA: Fresh violence erupted in Kaliaganj in West Bengals North Dinajpur district, on the second consecutive day after a minor girl was allegedly raped and murdered a day before. BJP supporters, joined by locals, staged demonstrations and fought a pitched battle with police. The police resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas to disperse an unruly mob. The National Commission for Women (NCW) wrote to the DGP asking him to submit a report within three days about the progress of the investigation. A team of representatives from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights led by the chairman, Priyank Kanungo, is likely to visit the victims house. The protest started when BJP leaders, including the partys state president Sukanta Majumdar, arrived in Kaliaganj and met the family of the victim. Two shops in a local market were set ablaze and stones were pelted at the policemen. Rapid Action Force (RAF) resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells to quell the irate protesters. The victim, a Class X student from a backward class went missing on Thursday night and her body was found floating in a canal in the area the next morning. Local residents staged a demonstration and pelted stones when the police arrived there to remove the body of the girl. Majumdar demanding a CBI probe into the incident said, We think the truth will be revealed only if a CBI inquiry is conducted. On the allegation against the police, superintendent of Raiganj police district Mohammad Sana Akhtar said, Cops acted according to the situation. We will inquire about their role. KOLKATA: Fresh violence erupted in Kaliaganj in West Bengals North Dinajpur district, on the second consecutive day after a minor girl was allegedly raped and murdered a day before. BJP supporters, joined by locals, staged demonstrations and fought a pitched battle with police. The police resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas to disperse an unruly mob. The National Commission for Women (NCW) wrote to the DGP asking him to submit a report within three days about the progress of the investigation. A team of representatives from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights led by the chairman, Priyank Kanungo, is likely to visit the victims house. The protest started when BJP leaders, including the partys state president Sukanta Majumdar, arrived in Kaliaganj and met the family of the victim. Two shops in a local market were set ablaze and stones were pelted at the policemen. Rapid Action Force (RAF) resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells to quell the irate protesters.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The victim, a Class X student from a backward class went missing on Thursday night and her body was found floating in a canal in the area the next morning. Local residents staged a demonstration and pelted stones when the police arrived there to remove the body of the girl. Majumdar demanding a CBI probe into the incident said, We think the truth will be revealed only if a CBI inquiry is conducted. On the allegation against the police, superintendent of Raiganj police district Mohammad Sana Akhtar said, Cops acted according to the situation. We will inquire about their role. Express News Service By KOCHI/TPURAM: A leaked intelligence report on possible security threats during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kerala on April 24-25, coupled with a letter received at the BJP state headquarters threatening a suicide bomb attack on the PM, on the lines of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, have sent the state police into a tizzy. Though the letter turned out to be a hoax, the police sounded a high alert. We are not taking things lightly. Security arrangements have been beefed up. More than 2,000 police personnel will be on security duty. Besides, ADGP intelligence and state police chief Anil Kant have reviewed the arrangements, said Kochi Commissioner K Sethu Raman. WATCH | The police intelligence report said the presence of Muslim fundamentalists and Maoists among the migrant labourers poses a serious security risk. The letter received at the BJP office a week ago was written in Malayalam and issued in the name of N J Johny, a resident of Kaloor, Kochi. His name is mentioned as Joseph John in the letter, which also contained his contact number. The police verified Johnys handwriting and found no match. After Johny suspected the role of a church committee member who nursed a grudge against him, police questioned the latter. ALSO READ | Kerala security report ahead of Modis visit drags names of Muslim outfits, Maoists and migrant workers The leaked intelligence report by ADGP T K Vinodkumar, cautioned about the Popular Front of India, which was banned recently, posing a threat to the Prime Minister considering the strong presence of the outfit in the state. The report also mentions the potential threat from other Muslim fundamentalist organisations like the Peoples Democratic Party. It further highlights the presence of the Maoist cadre in Kerala and the possibility of retaliation against actions taken by the Centre to decimate them. KOCHI/TPURAM: A leaked intelligence report on possible security threats during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kerala on April 24-25, coupled with a letter received at the BJP state headquarters threatening a suicide bomb attack on the PM, on the lines of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, have sent the state police into a tizzy. Though the letter turned out to be a hoax, the police sounded a high alert. We are not taking things lightly. Security arrangements have been beefed up. More than 2,000 police personnel will be on security duty. Besides, ADGP intelligence and state police chief Anil Kant have reviewed the arrangements, said Kochi Commissioner K Sethu Raman.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); WATCH | The police intelligence report said the presence of Muslim fundamentalists and Maoists among the migrant labourers poses a serious security risk. The letter received at the BJP office a week ago was written in Malayalam and issued in the name of N J Johny, a resident of Kaloor, Kochi. His name is mentioned as Joseph John in the letter, which also contained his contact number. The police verified Johnys handwriting and found no match. After Johny suspected the role of a church committee member who nursed a grudge against him, police questioned the latter. ALSO READ | Kerala security report ahead of Modis visit drags names of Muslim outfits, Maoists and migrant workers The leaked intelligence report by ADGP T K Vinodkumar, cautioned about the Popular Front of India, which was banned recently, posing a threat to the Prime Minister considering the strong presence of the outfit in the state. The report also mentions the potential threat from other Muslim fundamentalist organisations like the Peoples Democratic Party. It further highlights the presence of the Maoist cadre in Kerala and the possibility of retaliation against actions taken by the Centre to decimate them. Anuraag Singh By BHOPAL: The superstition of getting infants branded with a hot iron by tantriks (self-proclaimed faith-healers) for ailments like pneumonia continues unabated in tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh. Three male children aged between two months and seven months have been admitted at the government hospital in west MPs Jhabua district, following cruel practice by tantriks. The incident occurred only two months after two pneumonia-affected Kol tribe baby girls died following medical complications caused by branding with a hot iron by a woman faith-healer in the Shahdol district. The three male infants, aged two months, six months and seven months hail from Pipliyakhadan, Hadumatiya and Samoi villages respectively. They were admitted to the pediatric ICU of the Jhabua District Hospital. The infants, who were initially suffering from cough, cold and fever, gradually developed pneumonic symptoms. But instead of taking them to the government or private health facilities, the parents of the tribal kids took them to local tantriks, who termed the ailment as Daabna and branded the three kids on the chest and abdomen with scalding hot iron. With the branding deteriorating their health further, the three families finally admitted the three kids to the hospital, where the trio are stated critical at the pediatric ICU. According to Dr Sandeep Chopra, a paediatrician at the Jhabua District Hospital, The cruel superstitious practice among tribals of getting their kids branded with a hot iron by tantriks for pneumonia isnt new in Jhabua and Alirajpur districts. Every month 100-150 kids are admitted to the hospitals PICU. Out of them, 50-60 kids are afflicted with pneumonia (called locally as Haplia). 20-25 of those kids are branded with a hot iron by local self-proclaimed faith healers, out of the long-standing superstition that the cruel practice can cure the children. But it actually makes the situation more complicated, which has happened with the three kids now. While the doctors are working round the clock to cure the three infants, the parents of the kids havent lodged any complaints against the tantriks, as it was performed with their consent. Branding in MP areas is common: Doctor Dr Sandeep Chopra, a pediatrician at the Jhabua District Hospital, said, The practice among tribals of getting their kids branded isnt new in Jhabua and Alirajpur districts. Every month 100-150 kids are admitted to the hospitals PICU. Out of them, 50-60 kids are afflicted with pneumonia. 20-25 of those kids are branded with hot iron by local self-proclaimed faith-healers, he added. BHOPAL: The superstition of getting infants branded with a hot iron by tantriks (self-proclaimed faith-healers) for ailments like pneumonia continues unabated in tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh. Three male children aged between two months and seven months have been admitted at the government hospital in west MPs Jhabua district, following cruel practice by tantriks. The incident occurred only two months after two pneumonia-affected Kol tribe baby girls died following medical complications caused by branding with a hot iron by a woman faith-healer in the Shahdol district. The three male infants, aged two months, six months and seven months hail from Pipliyakhadan, Hadumatiya and Samoi villages respectively. They were admitted to the pediatric ICU of the Jhabua District Hospital.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The infants, who were initially suffering from cough, cold and fever, gradually developed pneumonic symptoms. But instead of taking them to the government or private health facilities, the parents of the tribal kids took them to local tantriks, who termed the ailment as Daabna and branded the three kids on the chest and abdomen with scalding hot iron. With the branding deteriorating their health further, the three families finally admitted the three kids to the hospital, where the trio are stated critical at the pediatric ICU. According to Dr Sandeep Chopra, a paediatrician at the Jhabua District Hospital, The cruel superstitious practice among tribals of getting their kids branded with a hot iron by tantriks for pneumonia isnt new in Jhabua and Alirajpur districts. Every month 100-150 kids are admitted to the hospitals PICU. Out of them, 50-60 kids are afflicted with pneumonia (called locally as Haplia). 20-25 of those kids are branded with a hot iron by local self-proclaimed faith healers, out of the long-standing superstition that the cruel practice can cure the children. But it actually makes the situation more complicated, which has happened with the three kids now. While the doctors are working round the clock to cure the three infants, the parents of the kids havent lodged any complaints against the tantriks, as it was performed with their consent. Branding in MP areas is common: Doctor Dr Sandeep Chopra, a pediatrician at the Jhabua District Hospital, said, The practice among tribals of getting their kids branded isnt new in Jhabua and Alirajpur districts. Every month 100-150 kids are admitted to the hospitals PICU. Out of them, 50-60 kids are afflicted with pneumonia. 20-25 of those kids are branded with hot iron by local self-proclaimed faith-healers, he added. By AFP KHARTOUM: Evacuations of foreign nationals in battle-scarred Sudan got underway Saturday as fighting between the forces of rival generals in the capital Khartoum entered a second week following a brief lull. A temporary truce saw fighting momentarily die down in Sudan on the first day of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but by Saturday morning clashes had resumed in Khartoum. Saudi Arabia evacuated its citizens and other nationals in the first major rescue operation for civilians since fighting broke out last week, according to Saudi state television. "The first evacuation vessel from Sudan has arrived (in Jeddah), carrying 50 citizens and a number of nationals from friendly countries," the official Al-Ekhbariyah television said. Another 108 people from 11 countries were expected to arrive later in the day aboard four other ships, it added. Earlier on Saturday, Sudan's army said its chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had received calls from leaders of multiple 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 US, 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. ALSO READ | Out of Khartoum, Sudanese fleeing violence find 'taste of life' Members of the armed forces share chocolates and flowers with Saudi citizens and other nationals upon their arrival in Jeddah, following their rescue from Sudan, April 22, 2023. (Photo | AFP) 'Stench of blood' On Saturday morning, heavy gunfire, loud explosions and fighter jets roared in many parts of the capital, according to witnesses. The army announced Friday that it had agreed to a three-day ceasefire, which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had called for a day earlier. Daglo said in a statement he had "discussed the current crisis" with Guterres, and was "focused on the humanitarian truce, safe passages, and protecting humanitarian workers." Two 24-hour ceasefires announced earlier in the week were also ignored. The fighting has seen the RSF -- a force tens of thousands strong, formed from members of the Janjaweed militia that led years of violence in the western Darfur region -- take on the regular army, with neither side seemingly having seized the advantage. In Khartoum, a city of five million people, the conflict upended the lives of civilians, who have sheltered in terror inside their homes without electricity in the baking heat for days. Many civilians have ventured out only to get urgent food supplies or to flee the city. 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". While Khartoum has seen some of the fiercest battles, violence also exploded across the country. Late Friday, the army accused the RSF of attacks in the capital's twin city of Omdurman where they released "a large number of inmates" from a prison, accusations the group denies. Battles have also raged in Darfur, where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of El Fasher said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children. EXPLAINER | What sparked the violent struggle to control Sudan's future? Embassies prepare for evacuation More 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 said the situation was still too risky for an evacuation of embassy personnel. Later, the RSF said it was ready to "partially" open "all airports" in Sudan to evacuate foreign citizens. Though it is not possible to verify which airports the RSF controls, Burhan on Saturday told Al-Arabiya TV that the army was in control of "all airports, except for Khartoum airport" and one in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. The World Health Organisation (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. More than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states are now "out of service", and at least four hospitals in North Kordofan state were shelled, the doctors' union said. 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. The military toppled autocratic president Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 following massive 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. ALSO READ | UN Women urges action against sexual violence amid conflict in Sudan By PTI WASHINGTON: Reiterating that the United States supports a resolution of the India-China border dispute through a negotiated settlement and direct conversations between the two countries, a top Biden Administration official has said that Washington has seen "little evidence" that Beijing is seriously approaching the talks with a sense of goodwill. Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh. India has maintained that its bilateral ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. "Our position on India's border dispute with China is long-standing. We support a resolution of that border dispute through a negotiated settlement and through direct conversations between the two countries," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told PTI in an interview on Thursday. "Having said that, we see little evidence that the Chinese government is seriously approaching these talks with a sense of goodwill. What we see is the opposite. We see provocations that happen on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on a pretty regular basis," Lu said in response to a question. India, the senior State Department official said, can count on the United States' standing with India as it faces the challenge of its northern neighbour. "We demonstrated that resolve in 2020 during the Galwan crisis, and we continue to find opportunities to cooperate with India on information but also on military equipment, exercises and that will go forward into the years ahead," he said. A top American think-tank Centre for a New American Security in a report last month said the increased prospect of India-China border hostility has implications for the United States and its Indo-Pacific strategy. As the United States considers the role that India will play in the Indo-Pacific and how to maximise US-India cooperation to meet security challenges in the region, US policymakers must closely monitor and be prepared to respond quickly to future India-China border crisis, said the report authored by Lisa Curtis who served as deputy assistant to the president and NSC senior director for South and Central Asia from 2017 to 2021 and senior defence analyst Derek Grossman. The report recommended the Biden Administration that to help deter and respond to further Chinese aggression along the border with India, the United States should elevate Indian territorial disputes with China on par with Beijing's assertiveness against other US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific and ensure this is reflected in all national security-related documents and speeches. "Offer India the sophisticated military technology it requires to defend its borders and initiate co-production and co-development of military equipment. Assist India in strengthening its maritime and naval capacity, and conduct joint intelligence reviews with India to align assessments of Chinese plans and intentions along the LAC and enhance coordination with Indian officials on contingency planning in the event of a future India-China conflict," it said. It urged the US to establish or support an official or unofficial organisation charged with collating unclassified commercial satellite imagery on the position of PLA troops along the LAC and disseminate these images routinely for public consumption. "Criticise Beijing's efforts at land-grabbing in multilateral forums, including the UN, Shangri-La Dialogue, G20, and East Asia Summit. Message Pakistan --- and enlist help from Islamabad's other important partners to convey similar points --- about the need to stay neutral in the event of a potential future India-China border flare-up. And be prepared to extend full support to India, in the event of another border crisis or conflict," recommended the think-tank in its report. WASHINGTON: Reiterating that the United States supports a resolution of the India-China border dispute through a negotiated settlement and direct conversations between the two countries, a top Biden Administration official has said that Washington has seen "little evidence" that Beijing is seriously approaching the talks with a sense of goodwill. Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh. India has maintained that its bilateral ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Our position on India's border dispute with China is long-standing. We support a resolution of that border dispute through a negotiated settlement and through direct conversations between the two countries," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told PTI in an interview on Thursday. "Having said that, we see little evidence that the Chinese government is seriously approaching these talks with a sense of goodwill. What we see is the opposite. We see provocations that happen on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on a pretty regular basis," Lu said in response to a question. India, the senior State Department official said, can count on the United States' standing with India as it faces the challenge of its northern neighbour. "We demonstrated that resolve in 2020 during the Galwan crisis, and we continue to find opportunities to cooperate with India on information but also on military equipment, exercises and that will go forward into the years ahead," he said. A top American think-tank Centre for a New American Security in a report last month said the increased prospect of India-China border hostility has implications for the United States and its Indo-Pacific strategy. As the United States considers the role that India will play in the Indo-Pacific and how to maximise US-India cooperation to meet security challenges in the region, US policymakers must closely monitor and be prepared to respond quickly to future India-China border crisis, said the report authored by Lisa Curtis who served as deputy assistant to the president and NSC senior director for South and Central Asia from 2017 to 2021 and senior defence analyst Derek Grossman. The report recommended the Biden Administration that to help deter and respond to further Chinese aggression along the border with India, the United States should elevate Indian territorial disputes with China on par with Beijing's assertiveness against other US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific and ensure this is reflected in all national security-related documents and speeches. "Offer India the sophisticated military technology it requires to defend its borders and initiate co-production and co-development of military equipment. Assist India in strengthening its maritime and naval capacity, and conduct joint intelligence reviews with India to align assessments of Chinese plans and intentions along the LAC and enhance coordination with Indian officials on contingency planning in the event of a future India-China conflict," it said. It urged the US to establish or support an official or unofficial organisation charged with collating unclassified commercial satellite imagery on the position of PLA troops along the LAC and disseminate these images routinely for public consumption. "Criticise Beijing's efforts at land-grabbing in multilateral forums, including the UN, Shangri-La Dialogue, G20, and East Asia Summit. Message Pakistan --- and enlist help from Islamabad's other important partners to convey similar points --- about the need to stay neutral in the event of a potential future India-China border flare-up. And be prepared to extend full support to India, in the event of another border crisis or conflict," recommended the think-tank in its report. By PTI KATHMANDU: Nepal witnessed around 60 per cent voter turnout in its three constituencies of Tanhun-1, Chitawan-2 and Bara-2 where by-elections were held on Sunday. Journalist-turned-politician Ravi Lamichhane is contesting the election from Chitawan-2, while prominent economist Swornim Wagley and former Deputy Police Chief Ramesh Kharel are contesting from Tanhun-1 and Bara-2 constituencies respectively. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in Tanahun-1 was 53 per cent. The constituency was vacant after Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel, who was the elected lawmaker from the constituency, became the President in March. In Chitwan-2, the voter turnout was 63 per cent. Lamichhane, who had lost his Parliament Member and Deputy Prime Minister's post due to the citizenship certificate controversy, is contesting from this constituency. Bara-2 saw the highest voter turnout among all the constituencies at 64 per cent. The constituency was vacant as the elected lawmaker Ram Saya Yadav became the Vice-President last month. Nepal's Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya said the by-polls in all three constituencies were held in a peaceful manner. On Thursday, authorities sealed Nepal's border points with India for 72 hours due to the by-election. The by-elections in the three constituencies have become a prestige issue for both the ruling alliance and the fourth-largest party Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP), which has not yet withdrawn its support to the Prachanda-led coalition government, though its ministers had already quit the government. KATHMANDU: Nepal witnessed around 60 per cent voter turnout in its three constituencies of Tanhun-1, Chitawan-2 and Bara-2 where by-elections were held on Sunday. Journalist-turned-politician Ravi Lamichhane is contesting the election from Chitawan-2, while prominent economist Swornim Wagley and former Deputy Police Chief Ramesh Kharel are contesting from Tanhun-1 and Bara-2 constituencies respectively. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in Tanahun-1 was 53 per cent.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The constituency was vacant after Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel, who was the elected lawmaker from the constituency, became the President in March. In Chitwan-2, the voter turnout was 63 per cent. Lamichhane, who had lost his Parliament Member and Deputy Prime Minister's post due to the citizenship certificate controversy, is contesting from this constituency. Bara-2 saw the highest voter turnout among all the constituencies at 64 per cent. The constituency was vacant as the elected lawmaker Ram Saya Yadav became the Vice-President last month. Nepal's Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya said the by-polls in all three constituencies were held in a peaceful manner. On Thursday, authorities sealed Nepal's border points with India for 72 hours due to the by-election. The by-elections in the three constituencies have become a prestige issue for both the ruling alliance and the fourth-largest party Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP), which has not yet withdrawn its support to the Prachanda-led coalition government, though its ministers had already quit the government. By AFP KHARTOUM: US troops swooped in on helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan's battle-torn capital, President Joe Biden said Sunday, as other nations sought to help their citizens flee deadly fighting between rival generals. France and Turkey on Sunday also launched evacuation operations from the chaos-torn northeast African nation, where ongoing fighting has entered its second week. Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group -- which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets -- have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. Biden, who said the US military "conducted an operation" to extract US government personnel, condemned the violence, saying "it's unconscionable and it must stop". Just over 100 US special operations troops took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw three Chinook helicopters fly from Djibouti, staying on the ground in Khartoum for less than an hour. France's foreign ministry said Sunday a "rapid evacuation operation" had begun, and that European citizens and those from "allied partner countries" would also be assisted, without giving further details. Fighting continued Sunday with the crackle of automatic gunfire echoing across Khartoum and Sudanese military aircraft roaring overhead, witnesses said. Turkey began rescue operations at dawn via road from the southern city of Wad Medani, but plans were postponed from one site in Khartoum after "explosions" near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said on Twitter. EXPLAINER | What sparked the violent struggle to control Sudan's future? Scramble to evacuate Frightened residents, many low on water, food and other essentials, have huddled inside their homes in the capital where buildings have been gutted, lampposts are lying on the ground, and smoke has been rising from shops set on fire. Heavy fighting broke out on April 15 between forces loyal to 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 fell out in a bitter power struggle. Daglo's RSF emerged from the Janjaweed fighters unleashed in Darfur by former strongman leader Omar al-Bashir, where they were accused of war crimes. Multiple truces have been agreed and ignored. Khartoum's airport has been the site of heavy fighting with aircraft destroyed on the runway, and is under the control of the RSF. US Under Secretary of State John Bass said that the RSF "cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members", warning any wider effort to evacuate thousands of other American citizens was unlikely in the coming days. More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia after naval forces launched a rescue across the Red Sea on Saturday, collecting both Saudi citizens and nationals from 12 other countries from Port Sudan. Other foreign countries have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, with South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries, and the European Union weighing a similar move. Three German military transport planes had to turn back Wednesday, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. But the scramble by foreigners to escape has sparked worry among Sudanese of what will happen when diplomats who could act as potential mediators have gone. "Pushing for safe passages to evacuate internationals without simultaneously pushing to end the war will be terrible", said researcher Hamid Khalafallah. "International actors will have less impact once they're out of country," he said, adding in a message to foreign nations: "Do all you can to leave safely, but don't leave the Sudanese people behind unprotected." ALSO READ | Sudan clashes: Keralaite hit by stray bullet dies; he was talking on phone with son in Canada 'Living in darkness' In Khartoum, a city of five million, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power largely off amid sweltering heat and the internet cut for most. "We were living in darkness...first we didn't have water and then we didn't have power," Khartoum resident Awad Ahmad Sherif said. "We ask God for our safety." Fighting has broken out elsewhere across Sudan, Africa's third biggest nation and roughly three times the size of France. Battles have raged in Darfur, where aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of El Fasher said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children. The UN World Health Organization said more than 420 people had been killed and over 3,700 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the actual death toll is thought to be higher. Some hospitals have been shelled in fighting and others looted, with more than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states "out of service", the doctors' union said. 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. ALSO READ Civil war: Out of Khartoum, Sudanese fleeing violence find 'taste of life' 31 Hakki-Pikki tribals stranded in Sudan send SOS to Karnataka govt KHARTOUM: US troops swooped in on helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan's battle-torn capital, President Joe Biden said Sunday, as other nations sought to help their citizens flee deadly fighting between rival generals. France and Turkey on Sunday also launched evacuation operations from the chaos-torn northeast African nation, where ongoing fighting has entered its second week. Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group -- which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets -- have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Biden, who said the US military "conducted an operation" to extract US government personnel, condemned the violence, saying "it's unconscionable and it must stop". Just over 100 US special operations troops took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw three Chinook helicopters fly from Djibouti, staying on the ground in Khartoum for less than an hour. France's foreign ministry said Sunday a "rapid evacuation operation" had begun, and that European citizens and those from "allied partner countries" would also be assisted, without giving further details. Fighting continued Sunday with the crackle of automatic gunfire echoing across Khartoum and Sudanese military aircraft roaring overhead, witnesses said. Turkey began rescue operations at dawn via road from the southern city of Wad Medani, but plans were postponed from one site in Khartoum after "explosions" near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said on Twitter. EXPLAINER | What sparked the violent struggle to control Sudan's future? Scramble to evacuate Frightened residents, many low on water, food and other essentials, have huddled inside their homes in the capital where buildings have been gutted, lampposts are lying on the ground, and smoke has been rising from shops set on fire. Heavy fighting broke out on April 15 between forces loyal to 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 fell out in a bitter power struggle. Daglo's RSF emerged from the Janjaweed fighters unleashed in Darfur by former strongman leader Omar al-Bashir, where they were accused of war crimes. Multiple truces have been agreed and ignored. Khartoum's airport has been the site of heavy fighting with aircraft destroyed on the runway, and is under the control of the RSF. US Under Secretary of State John Bass said that the RSF "cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members", warning any wider effort to evacuate thousands of other American citizens was unlikely in the coming days. More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia after naval forces launched a rescue across the Red Sea on Saturday, collecting both Saudi citizens and nationals from 12 other countries from Port Sudan. Other foreign countries have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, with South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries, and the European Union weighing a similar move. Three German military transport planes had to turn back Wednesday, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. But the scramble by foreigners to escape has sparked worry among Sudanese of what will happen when diplomats who could act as potential mediators have gone. "Pushing for safe passages to evacuate internationals without simultaneously pushing to end the war will be terrible", said researcher Hamid Khalafallah. "International actors will have less impact once they're out of country," he said, adding in a message to foreign nations: "Do all you can to leave safely, but don't leave the Sudanese people behind unprotected." ALSO READ | Sudan clashes: Keralaite hit by stray bullet dies; he was talking on phone with son in Canada 'Living in darkness' In Khartoum, a city of five million, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power largely off amid sweltering heat and the internet cut for most. "We were living in darkness...first we didn't have water and then we didn't have power," Khartoum resident Awad Ahmad Sherif said. "We ask God for our safety." Fighting has broken out elsewhere across Sudan, Africa's third biggest nation and roughly three times the size of France. Battles have raged in Darfur, where aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of El Fasher said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children. The UN World Health Organization said more than 420 people had been killed and over 3,700 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the actual death toll is thought to be higher. Some hospitals have been shelled in fighting and others looted, with more than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states "out of service", the doctors' union said. 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. ALSO READ Civil war: Out of Khartoum, Sudanese fleeing violence find 'taste of life' 31 Hakki-Pikki tribals stranded in Sudan send SOS to Karnataka govt Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: With the ground situation in Sudan going from bad to worse, foreign nations are racing against time to evacuate their citizens from the conflict-ridden country. On Sunday, the US and the UK said they have pulled out their diplomats from Khartoum, while other countries including France, Italy and Belgium have begun the process to evacuate their citizens. India has put two Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft on standby in Saudi Arabias Jeddah, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday, adding that INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan, a port city in eastern Sudan. As part of our preparations, and in order to move swiftly, the Government of India is pursuing multiple options, the MEA added. According to sources, Saudi Arabia is a safer option for evacuation as they have been able to evacuate their nationals and also nationals of many other countries. India has an estimated 3,000 nationals in Sudan. Reports said three Indians were among the 66 foreign nationals that Saudi Arabia evacuated on Saturday. Last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had spoken to his counterpart in Saudi Arabia and asked for help in evacuating Indians stuck in Sudan. India is also in touch with Egypt, the UK, the UAE and the US for help in the evacuation process. The Indian embassy is functional. However, it is very close to the airport at Khartoum where a lot of shelling is taking place. We are extremely cautious, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, adding that the control room in Delhi is facilitating information for family members of those stranded in Sudan. Officials said contingency plans are firmly in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum. The Sudanese airspace currently remains closed for all foreign aircraft. The overland movement has its own risks besides logistical challenges. Our Embassy is in regular touch with the stranded Indians in Sudan and is advising them on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unnecessary risk. It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement, said MEA. Meanwhile, the situation became tense in Sudan on April 15th after the countrys army clashed with a powerful paramilitary force that claimed to have taken control of the airport and the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum. This happened after failed negotiations between the army, paramilitary and civilian groups over a long-awaited power deal following a coup that happened in 2021. The army headed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (who became President after a coup in October 2021) and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti) who is Sudans vice-president and commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The violence comes as a setback in a much-delayed transition to a civilian government that followed the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, after months of street protests. It is understood that there is a disagreement between the General and Hemeti over the command and integration of the paramilitary force into the army. Explosions rocked Khartoum on Sunday, leaving the sky over the airport with thick black smoke. The group fighting the army claimed the latter launched airstrikes on an upscale neighbourhood. 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and more than 3,700 have been wounded in the fighting Evacuation ops in full-swing Around 100 people of multiple nationalities evacuated from Sudan on a French flight on Sunday. The US military sent three Chinook helicopters to evacuate 100 embassy staff from Khartoum. The British army evacuated UK embassy staff and their families. Turkey began operations to evacuate 600 nationals by road from Khartoum NEW DELHI: With the ground situation in Sudan going from bad to worse, foreign nations are racing against time to evacuate their citizens from the conflict-ridden country. On Sunday, the US and the UK said they have pulled out their diplomats from Khartoum, while other countries including France, Italy and Belgium have begun the process to evacuate their citizens. India has put two Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft on standby in Saudi Arabias Jeddah, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday, adding that INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan, a port city in eastern Sudan. As part of our preparations, and in order to move swiftly, the Government of India is pursuing multiple options, the MEA added. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to sources, Saudi Arabia is a safer option for evacuation as they have been able to evacuate their nationals and also nationals of many other countries. India has an estimated 3,000 nationals in Sudan. Reports said three Indians were among the 66 foreign nationals that Saudi Arabia evacuated on Saturday. Last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had spoken to his counterpart in Saudi Arabia and asked for help in evacuating Indians stuck in Sudan. India is also in touch with Egypt, the UK, the UAE and the US for help in the evacuation process. The Indian embassy is functional. However, it is very close to the airport at Khartoum where a lot of shelling is taking place. We are extremely cautious, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, adding that the control room in Delhi is facilitating information for family members of those stranded in Sudan. Officials said contingency plans are firmly in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum. The Sudanese airspace currently remains closed for all foreign aircraft. The overland movement has its own risks besides logistical challenges. Our Embassy is in regular touch with the stranded Indians in Sudan and is advising them on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unnecessary risk. It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement, said MEA. Meanwhile, the situation became tense in Sudan on April 15th after the countrys army clashed with a powerful paramilitary force that claimed to have taken control of the airport and the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum. This happened after failed negotiations between the army, paramilitary and civilian groups over a long-awaited power deal following a coup that happened in 2021. The army headed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (who became President after a coup in October 2021) and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti) who is Sudans vice-president and commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The violence comes as a setback in a much-delayed transition to a civilian government that followed the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, after months of street protests. It is understood that there is a disagreement between the General and Hemeti over the command and integration of the paramilitary force into the army. Explosions rocked Khartoum on Sunday, leaving the sky over the airport with thick black smoke. The group fighting the army claimed the latter launched airstrikes on an upscale neighbourhood. 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and more than 3,700 have been wounded in the fighting Evacuation ops in full-swing Around 100 people of multiple nationalities evacuated from Sudan on a French flight on Sunday. The US military sent three Chinook helicopters to evacuate 100 embassy staff from Khartoum. The British army evacuated UK embassy staff and their families. Turkey began operations to evacuate 600 nationals by road from Khartoum Exhibition on Rewi Alley, pathfinder for China-New Zealand friendship, held in Wellington Xinhua) 11:26, April 23, 2023 A visitor looks at an exhibit at an exhibition featuring artworks about Rewi Alley in Wellington, New Zealand, April 21, 2023. An exhibition featuring artworks about Rewi Alley, who opened the door for New Zealand-China diplomatic ties, and historical items and pictures that showcase his prominent contribution to China's revolution, development and bilateral friendship, kicked off here on Friday. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua) WELLINGTON, April 21 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition featuring artworks about Rewi Alley, who opened the door for New Zealand-China diplomatic ties, and historical items and pictures that showcase his prominent contribution to China's revolution, development and bilateral friendship, kicked off here on Friday. This is the largest exhibition about Alley, a New Zealand-born writer, social reformer and educator, held in New Zealand in recent years. An old friend of the Chinese people, Alley had spent 60 years living and working in China before he died in 1987 in Beijing. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day event, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said that as an internationalist, humanitarian and above all, a pathfinder for China-New Zealand friendship, Alley helped to bring the two peoples closer across vast oceans. He is truly a precious asset for both countries. "We should build on his legacy and carry forward the Rewi Alley spirit of friendship, inclusiveness and endeavor, especially among the younger generation, with a view to taking the mutually-respectful and mutually-beneficial partnership between our two countries to new heights as we usher in the next 50 years for our diplomatic relationship," the ambassador said. David Carter, former speaker of the New Zealand Parliament, said younger generations should recognize the impact Alley has made. The Rewi Alley Memorial Exhibition is to continue Alley's knowledge and contribution to the bilateral relationship. Artist Deng Bangzhen, Alley's foster son, and his wife Lu Bo brought 100 of their paintings and artworks to the exhibition. Deng said Alley encouraged them to create paintings of Chinese landscapes and folklore to be exhibited in New Zealand, and paintings about New Zealand to be displayed in China. "Rewi Alley is an important part of our history," said Chris Lipscombe, national president of the New Zealand China Friendship Society. "Many of you will know that our organization was founded over 70 years ago at Alley's suggestion, and that during his life he entrusted the Society to work on his behalf in New Zealand," he said. Chris Lipscombe, national president of the New Zealand China Friendship Society, speaks during the opening ceremony of an exhibition featuring artworks about Rewi Alley in Wellington, New Zealand, April 21, 2023. An exhibition featuring artworks about Rewi Alley, who opened the door for New Zealand-China diplomatic ties, and historical items and pictures that showcase his prominent contribution to China's revolution, development and bilateral friendship, kicked off here on Friday. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) 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. Experts deliberate on scope of GM crops in aquaculture Kochi, April 22: Fisheries and biotechnology experts emphasised the need to bust the myths associated with the use of genetically modified (GM) crops as feed ingredients in India's aquaculture sector. Experts deliberate on scope of GM crops in aquaculture They were of the view that GM crop-based products (mainly non-living genetically modified organisms) have huge scope in enhancing the supply of feed ingredients in aquaculture, thereby promoting growth, disease resistance and reduction of input costs in aquaculture production.The experts were speaking at an awareness workshop on the use of GM crops and their derivatives for the aqua-feed sector organised by the Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL) in association with ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).The workshop highlighted that the introduction of GM crops in the aqua-feed sector would also help reduce the mounting pressure on fishmeal and fish oil and maintain a sustainable aquaculture industry.Dr Vibha Ahuja, Chief General Manager of BCIL said that GM crops come with several desirable traits such as insect resistance, disease resistance and herbicide tolerance, and hence using these would be beneficial to boost the yield."Cost analysis showed that the use of dried distillers grains with soluble (DDGS), a co-product from cereals in the distillery industry, can help reduce shrimp feed prices. Most of the DDGS produced in the world are however of GM-corn origin and Indian feed producers can capitalize on the economic benefits, if they are open to use them as feed ingredients," said Ahuja.Allaying various concerns over GM crops, Ahuja pointed out that in the last 25 years, no confirmed report of adverse effects was reported from approved GM crops."Systemic regulations are in place to ensure the safe use of GM crops which are monitored by internationally accepted safety assessment methodologies. Hence, an approved GM crop is as safe as that of its non-GM counterpart", added Ahuja.In India, Bt Cotton, a GM crop, is being cultivated from 2002 onwards with significant increase in production and commensurate economic benefits for the farmers.The Government of India in October 2022 approved the environmental release of GM Mustard for its seed production and testing as per the existing ICAR guidelines.Globally, 71 countries use GM crops and their products for food, feed and processing.Dr A. Gopalakrishnan, director of CMFRI said one of the primary benefits of GM crops in the aqua sector is their ability to increase the nutritional value of the feed."GM soybeans can be engineered to produce omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for the growth and health of farmed fish. That feed constitutes 50-55 per cent of total input cost in aquaculture. It is essential to develop streamlined regulatory efforts with careful considerations for the ethics and risks associated with using GM plant ingredients in aqua feeds," said Gopalakrishnan.The deliberations of experts decided to have an interface among scientists working on fish nutrition, genetics, microbiology and molecular biology and identified potential multi-disciplinary researchable issues .IANS22 April 2023 Shared Recently! Alec Baldwin to star in Mike Hattons Hollywood Heist Washington, April 22: Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin is set to star in Mike Hatton's feature directorial debut film 'Hollywood Heist,' Deadline has learned. Alec Baldwin to star in Mike Hatton's 'Hollywood Heist' The news came a day after the charges against the actor for the tragic on-set death of DP Halyna Hutchins were dropped.The film also stars Nick Cannon, Mickey Rourke, Paul Sloan, Til Schweiger and Tara Reid in pivotal roles and was shot in Las Vegas and Majorca, Spain, and finished principal photography in Los Angeles last week.According to Deadline, a US-based media outlet, 'Hollywood Heist' follows a Hollywood power agent (Cannon) trying to land an actor (Baldwin) by telling the story of his client, a movie producer (Hatton), along with a washed-up movie star pal (Sloan), as they race against time to save their latest production. This comes after the project's bank account is wiped clean by a thief, leading to an onslaught of negotiations with famous actors, drug lords and death.Set in a 'meta' version of Hollywood, the story is inspired by true events.Baldwin, Rourke and Reid will be seen playing fictionalized versions of themselves. The film also features a fictional version of producer Asko Akopyan, played by Arman Nshanian, reported Deadline.ANI22 April 2023 Shared Recently! UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, South Korea FM discuss developments in Sudan Abu Dhabi, April 21: H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, discussed latest developments in the Republic of Sudan during a phone call with South Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin. UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, South Korea FM discuss developments in Sudan The two ministers discussed the ongoing global efforts to cease escalation and hostilities, as well as calling for a dialogue between the fighting parties and reaching a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Sudan.Sheikh Abdullah and Park Jin stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of civilians, foreign communities in the country, and humanitarian workers, pointing out the need to rapidly cease military operations.During the phone call, Sheikh Abdullah noted that the return to dialogue is essential to reach a political settlement to the crisis in Sudan. He also affirmed that the UAE supports all efforts to cease escalation and help the Sudanese people overcome this hardship. (ANI/WAM)ANI22 April 2023 Shared Recently! Global Buddhist Summit can help spread Buddhisms essence to the world: Tibetan teacher New Delhi, April 22: Tibetan teacher and meditation master of Tibetan Buddhism Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche on Friday said the Global Buddhist Summit can help spread Buddhism's essence to the world. Global Buddhist Summit can help spread Buddhism's essence to the world: Tibetan teacher "Through this event, we can really help spread the essence of Buddha Dharma to the world," Rinpoche said on the second day of the Global Buddhist Summit being held in New Delhi."I'm very happy to join this meeting because we are meeting with a different tradition, different lineage. So, we are learning a lot," Rinpoche said.He said "The Buddha Dharma is born from India. The main message is about awareness, love, compassion and wisdom.""India and Nepal have a very close relationship as far as Buddhism is concerned because they are neighbours. But Buddhism unites both countries. I think Buddha Dharma came to Tibet and what we call India is like father, Nepal is like mother," the Tibetan teacher said."We receive a lot of teachings from India, from Nepal. Buddha was born in Nepal, but Buddha taught Buddhism around India, many, many places," he said.The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), hosted the Global Buddhist Summit in New Delhi. The theme of the Global Buddhist Summit was 'Responses to Contemporary Challenges Philosophy to Praxis.'Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit on Thursday.He underlined that 'Atithi Devo Bhava' is a tradition of the land of Buddha and the presence of so many personalities who have lived through Buddha's ideals "makes us feel the experience of Buddha being present himself around us"."Buddha is beyond the individual, it is a perception," the Prime Minister said.Participating in the Global Buddhist Summit, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Friday called for a focus on wisdom and compassion as he highlighted the situation in Tibet by giving his example and stressed looking at the current situation from a broader perspective.ANI22 April 2023 Shared Recently! Bentley Systems organizes a four-day workshop in collaboration with Symbiosis Institute of Technology Pune, April 21: Focusing on the Indian government's vision of the Gati Shakti Yojana, Bentley Systems collaborated with the Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT) to organize a four-day faculty development program from the 20 to 23 March in Pune, focusing on how digital twins are transforming the infrastructure sector and how technology is enabling civil engineering design. This workshop aimed to expose the country's youth to the industry and help them become better civil engineering professionals, considering the government's commitment and investments to rapid digitization and innovation in technology to the industry. The program sought to help foster a deeper understanding of why the government seeks to develop the country's infrastructure, as well as the opportunities for future professionals to acquire specialized skills and engage with current industry challenges--bridging the skills gap between industry and academia. The world and its infrastructure are facing many growing challenges, and digital twin technology will be a powerful tool for future engineers. Digital twins bring together and visualize data in ways that optimize decision-making and enable effective planning and action. The data in digital twins can include 3D design models, reality meshes (3D models of real-world locations), and Internet of Things (IoT) data. Bentley Systems organizes a four-day workshop in collaboration with Symbiosis Institute of Technology The workshop brought together qualified, experienced professionals from the infrastructure sector, global digital twin experts from Bentley, eminent professors and researchers, civil engineering experts, the faculty of Symbiosis Institute of Technology, and many other educational institutes across the country. The objective was to provide valuable insights on emerging industry trends, the digital workflow for efficient engineering practices, and exposure to industry-level projects. It also promoted the adoption of engineering software while also expressing the importance of aligning educational curriculum with the industry's ongoing standards and best practices with real-world scenarios. Attendees of the program also received hands-on training of software and digital solutions used in the industry while showcasing applications that help design and build smart, resilient water and wastewater systems while also including digital solutions for mobility across roads, rails, and bridges. Speaker sessions helped attendees garner insights into the ongoing technological developments, aid in fostering a competitive teaching and learning environment in educational institutions, and create a talent pool of graduate students who will be ready to take on challenges. Speaking about the collaboration, , said, "Today, we are witnessing an ever-changing and fast-paced industry. There is a huge focus and investment planned for the infrastructure development of the country by the government of India. With the rapid progress in digitization to increase efficiency and adoption of the latest innovation in technology, India's academic institutions and their curriculum need to be up to date with the industry standards to appropriately train our future generations and make them well-equipped individuals to mitigate the challenges. I hope that this workshop has rightly influenced the industry and academia, and that they take further steps to implement faster progress for our nation." Speaking about how we should focus on digitizing curriculum today, , said, "Digitizing means bringing innovation in curriculum, and this is very important to pave the way through the skill gap that exists in the industry today. Today, we are seeing an acute shortage of manpower, as there is a lack of skillset that industry graduates hold in them. An alignment of educational institutes and the industry--with constant upgradation of pedagogy--will ensure the right placement of students and make them qualified professionals. Everything around us is soon going to be digital, and this is an upcoming revolution. Infrastructure development is the foundation for the development of any country's economy and prosperity, which helps in improving the quality of life of the citizens. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure the right curriculum for students and the civil engineering graduates of today for a better tomorrow." , said, "It was indeed a pleasure to have Bentley conduct a workshop at the Symbiosis Institute of Technology. The four-day workshop profoundly enlightened students, faculty, and various professionals about the current industry standards and expectations, and further educated our knowledge to appropriately equip the youth with infrastructure and collaborative digital twin tools. Training the trainers is of high importance today, and students need to be given hands-on training in this field to face the competitive world, improve their skillset, and think beyond the classroom. Universities should not restrict their curriculum to the classroom but take up innovative pedagogies. We are very happy to be collaborating with Bentley Education since 2017, and we look forward to establishing a Digital iTwin Technology Lab at SIT by Bentley Education. In today's era, industry and academia must go hand-in-hand and take a collaborative multidiscipline approach. We look forward to more such partnerships with Bentley and hope to provide the industry with the finest level of education." Below is a brief of the sessions that were covered at the event*Infrastructure Industry Trends and the Skills Gap1. About Symbiosis Institute of Technology - By Ketan Kotecha, Director, Dean of Faculty of Engineering, SIT2. Innovations in Teaching and Learning - By Sophia Gaikwad, Director, STLRC3. Keynote Lecture - By Rahul Patil, Vice President, iTwin Enablement, Bentley Systems4. Innovation in Curriculum with Digital Twin Technology - By5. The Roadmap to Digitalize Curriculum to Bridge the Skill Gap in Indian Infrastructure Industry - By Sudipto Goswami, Director, Bentley Education6. Importance of Digital Twin for the Future of Infrastructure Industry - By Ashwin Mahalingam, Professor, IIT-Madras7. BIM and Digital Twin in Academic Curriculum - Madhumathi Anbu, Professor and Director, School of Architecture and Planning, VIT*Digital Twin The Future of Infrastructure Industry and the iTwin Technology Stack1. Digital Twins in the Future of Infrastructure - "Why do we need to invest in the skills NOW? - By Iain Miskimmin, Advisor for National Digital Twin, U.K., Enterprise Success Advisor, and Author of Plain Language BIM2. iTwin Experience and Industry Perspective - By Sumit Deshpande, Senior Product Manager and Consultant, iTwin Enablement, Bentley Systems3. Digital Twin Implementation with iTwin Technology Stack - By Tamanud Das, Manager, iTwin Platform Developer Success, Bentley Systems Below are few excerpts from the sessions at the event by industry experts While we speak about being multidiscipline in the industry, let me give you an example. I am a mechanical engineer who is, right now, talking to civil engineering professors, and also someone who has coded for the last 20 years. This is the beauty of being multidiscipline and that is the opportunity that engineers of today should capture and implement in the real world. We all need to converse and connect with each other across the niches, to crack great opportunities along the aisle. Infrastructure engineering is facing the typical challenges of climate change, aging infrastructure, and a rise in urbanization, which has extreme and serious consequences and is mainly driving the change for infrastructure. We should all be ready to respond to these challenges as infrastructure professionals and build resilient and sustainable designs to face the future. The rise of automation and robotics is a shaping trend, especially for the automation in surveying and construction industry. With regards to digital twins and iTwin models and their implementation by Bentley, we are taking the data from all places and aligning it together so that engineers can make better decisions. There is an ever-increasing demand to sustain the infrastructure today and do more with fewer resources. Digital tech will be the biggest driver of our future with the digital twin technology having a competitive advantage to give users a competitive edge. I look forward to enabling digital twins to have better artificial intelligence and machine learning models to reap better benefits. When we see the various projects done in the sectors of infrastructure and commercial industries, there is a constant problem, [such as] the delay in projects due to time and cost [at] shocking levels. The main problem of the industry today is that the success rate of projects is 10% to 20%, whereas our error rate is 200%. The projects are delayed due to problems in drawings, the delayed time and cost, [and] material unavailability. Essentially, all of these are coordination-related issues. We are a very fragmented industry, and we need to coordinate in a better way. That is how BIM and digital twin technology will help build better performance by getting all the information and data on one platform for us to coordinate better. Coordination is the biggest bottleneck, and digital technology is the answer to resolve this issue. Looking at the broader picture of the government's strategy and focus in the transportation sector, smart city mission, and water networks, these sectors will be major growth drivers in India, which will create huge demand for skilled professionals to build, manage, and operate various facilities. Keeping this in mind, we need innovation in the curriculum of universities and various educational institutions now, as there is a skills gap that we see today for future professionals to mitigate the challenges. This can be solved by digital transformation and exposure to BIM and digital twin[s] in the curriculum.Andrius Jurelionis, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania Andruis Jurelionis presented a clear view on the centre for smart cities and infrastructure projects focusing on the digital twin lab, energy, e-modernization, and various research projects. He gave a brief on the KTU Smart Campus initiative for demonstrating a campus and city scale model to study the impact of the smart campus and digital twin environment. He discussed the approach in integrating civil engineering and architecture in the research projects and organizing the built environment digital twin Hackathon, explaining how the institute's partnership with Bentley throughout the project delivery and development of the curriculum was a major achievement. For the next generation of specialists like technologists, educators, and learners, the future is constantly changing through various scenarios. We, as educators and informers, need to step up to this and bring a change within the mindset of society. Digital twins and infrastructure have immense potential, and these are skills that we need to invest in and educate our upcoming professionals [about]. There is massive investment in infrastructure today on a global level to grow the economy and sustain our ecosystem. To tackle the potential skills gap in this industry, we should start [right] at the bottom and educate younger children of 14 [to] 16 years to implement this technology and talk about how our digital skills and processes will give us the right results to optimize our resources. That is how digital twin[s] can be commissioned in the future. If we do not emphasize the skills now, it will take another generation to build resilient infrastructures. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical entity or process. Data and its synchronization are crucial, and the digital twin is very close to what a physical entity is. The Bentley's iTwin Platform enables every organization and enterprise to make these living and breathing digital twins. At this event, we are trying to explain to the faculty and students how the industry has adopted digital twins today to keep them updated about the real world and its uses. A lot of countries are driving this technology and are making its use mandatory to make sure that the costs of infrastructure can be controlled. Various engineering technologies, operations technologies, and information technologies collaborate for project delivery in organizations that include engineering and architecture, EPCs, and construction firms. Bentley is building a larger ecosystem of digital twins to drive the adoption of the iTwin Platform in the industry. Bentley is one of the pioneers of digital twin technology. We have created an open-source format on our platform called the Bentley developers portal, which is available to anyone who wants to access it, along with the tutorial and technical materials, on which one can create their own application. Bentley has expertise in different verticals of the infrastructure [sector], where we know how to validate a design or track and visualize the changes in a design. The core technology is open source and readily available for everyone to use, but if a user additionally wants Bentley's expertise, we are making it available to the platform. Engineers are accustomed to using windows software in silos. But now, we are unlocking an opportunity to bring all the software on one easy-to-use digital twin platform. Today, this application can easily be accessed even by a smartphone or tablet or Chromebook, which does not need a high configuration, but just a high-speed internet connection to leverage the iTwin Platform. This being a new technology, we see a mindset and skill gap and hence, we are taking the initiative to collaborate with more educational institutions to keep the academia and faculty updated with the real world. Moving to a cloud platform from the use of a desktop should be incorporated to minimize this skill gap in the industry today. Madhumathi Anbu, Director, School of Architecture VIT, Vellore, Tamil Nadu Madhumati Anbu shared about VIT's digital twin curriculum and how they are creating specialized offerings, modules, and elective subjects for students. She also emphasized the need for innovation in curriculum aligned to the industry trends and best practices. Moving toward digital transformation, VIT is committed to learning iTwin solutions through research projects on 4D simulation, IoT, data collaboration and smart cities using the iTwin Platform, in partnership with Bentley Education. Additionally, the below sessions were conducted at the event- A workshop for educators about water and sewer network solutions, which shared insights on how we can fill the huge demand for skilled resources considering the huge investments from government of India in Jal Jeevan Mission and Amrut.- A workshop about how the mobility industry can digitize their workflow for roads, rails and bridges- Existing Water Distribution and Waste - Water Management Systems The Industry Connect - By Suparna Khan, Senior Content Manager, Bentley Education- Existing Transportation Systems The Industry Connect - By Suparna Khan, Senior Content Manager, Bentley EducationThis story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.ANI22 April 2023 Shared Recently! Japan approves nations first abortion pill Mefeego Tokyo, April 22: 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. Japan approves nation's first abortion pill Mefeego 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.ANI23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Anushka Sharma relishes South-Indian food with Virat Kohli and her parents Bengaluru, April 22: Anushka Sharma is back in her hometown Bengaluru and she spent some quality time savouring delicious South-Indian food on Saturday. She was accompanied by her husband Virat Kohli, her parents and other family friends. Anushka Sharma relishes South-Indian food with Virat Kohli and her parents Anushka took to Instagram stories to share the updates with her fans. In the first frame, she shared a picture of the famous food joint in Bengaluru where she had lunch with her family.Then she posted pictures of dosa, halwa, Vada and some yummy ice cream too from the popular ice cream parlour of Bengaluru.There's a full-house frame for the fans too, where Anushka was joined by her parents, Virat and other friends.The official Instagram handle of the food joint shared a gratitude note saying, "It was lovely hosting you @virat.kohli and your family! Looking forward to your next visit."Kohli is currently busy playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 16th edition of IPL. He has scored the most IPL runs. In 228 matches, he has scored 6844 runs at an average of 36.60. He has 47 fifties and five centuries under his belt.Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will take on Rajasthan Royals on Sunday in Bangalore.Meanwhile, on the work front, Anushka will be seen essaying the role of the iconic Indian pace bowler Jhulan Goswami in the much-talked-about film 'Chakda Xpress'. The final release date of the film is still awaited.ANI23 April 2023 Shared Recently! MP CM Chouhan stops convoy after seeing overturned car in Bhopal, enquires from victim, instructs official to take them to hospital Bhopal, April 22: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stopped his convoy midway after seeing an overturned car and inquired about the accident victims at VIP road in the state capital Bhopal on Saturday morning. MP CM Chouhan stops convoy after seeing overturned car in Bhopal, enquires from victim, instructs official to take them to hospital CM Chouhan reached the spot in a pilot vehicle and asked the injured youths about their health condition. The chief minister also gave instructions to take youths to the hospital on the occasion.A video of the incident also went viral on social media and in which CM Chouhan was seen stepping out from the pilot vehicle and moving towards the youth who sustained injuries in the accident.Chouhan was heard saying, "Do they get hurt too much? Take them to the hospital." He then reached near the youth and asked them, are they from Bhopal? Chouhan blessed them and instructed the officials present on the spot to take the injured to hospital immediately.After that CM Chouhan proceeded on his way. He was going to attend a religious programme scheduled to organise at Gufa Mandir situated at Lalghati in the state capital on the occasion of Parshuram Jayanti.ANI23 April 2023 Shared Recently! UPSC aspirants eagerly await launch of Neeharika Reddys Polity book - The Must-Have Resource! New Delhi, April 22: Neeharika Reddy, a well-known advocate and UPSC mentor, is all set to release a new book that is bound to revolutionize the way UPSC aspirants approach the Polity. Titled Essentials of Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance, this book fills a significant void in the market, as it is the first of its kind to provide legal perspective on the Indian Constitution. UPSC aspirants eagerly await launch of Neeharika Reddy's Polity book - The Must-Have Resource! For years, aspirants have relied on various books that talk about political aspect of Polity. However, with changing trends in the UPSC examination, it has become increasingly important for aspirants to have a thorough understanding of Polity from a legal standpoint. This is where Neeharika Reddy's book comes in.As an expert in the Indian Constitution, Neeharika Reddy has taken great pains to ensure that her book provides a comprehensive overview of the legal context in which the Indian Constitution operates. By doing so, she has given UPSC aspirants a valuable resource that they can use to prepare for the Polity section of the exam.One of the most significant advantages of this book is that it is written by someone who has first-hand experience of the legal system. As an advocate, Neeharika Reddy has dealt with various legal issues and has a deep understanding of how the system works. This knowledge is reflected in her writing, making the book a valuable resource for aspirants.Moreover, the book is not only informative but also engaging. Neeharika Reddy has taken care to ensure that the book is not just a dry, academic treatise. Instead, she has written in a way that is both informative and engaging, making it easy for aspirants to grasp the concepts.One of the main reasons why this book is so highly anticipated is that it is the first of its kind. Aspirants have long felt the need for a book that provides a legal perspective on Polity, and Neeharika Reddy has delivered just that. The fact that she is an expert in the field makes the book even more valuable, as aspirants can rest assured that they are getting information from a reliable source.It is not surprising, therefore, that many aspirants who follow Neeharika Reddy are eagerly awaiting the release of this book. They know that it has the potential to be a game-changer and could become the go-to resource for UPSC aspirants preparing for the Polity section.In conclusion, Neeharika Reddys book Essentials of Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance is a must-read for all UPSC aspirants. It provides a much-needed legal on the Indian Constitution, making it an invaluable resource for aspirants. With its engaging writing style and authoritative content, this book is sure to become a mandatory reference for all those preparing for the UPSC exam.In addition to her expertise as an advocate and author, Neeharika Reddy is also a personal mentor to UPSC aspirants and runs an institute in Hyderabad (Neeharika Reddy IAS Academy). Her dedication to guiding and supporting aspirants in their UPSC journey has earned her a reputation as a trusted and respected mentor in the field.This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)ANI23 April 2023 Shared Recently! The next generation takes flight: Class of 2023 graduation at Oakridge Bachupally Hyderabad, April 22: Oakridge International School Bachupally recently held their graduation ceremony, with over 90 students graduating this year, securing offers and placements in some of the top world universities like Michigan state university, University of Manchester, Penn State University, University of Illinois Chicago and many more across the globe. These students go on to join the prestigious Oakridge Alumni of over 2500+ students that have graduated across Oakridge schools over the years. The next generation takes flight: Class of 2023 graduation at Oakridge Bachupally "It is delightful to see the students graduate and embark on a new chapter in their lives. Their success is a testament to the school's values and dedication to fostering an environment of excellence. Congratulations to each one of them!" says Principal Baljeet Oberoi.This momentous occasion marked the hard work and dedication of the students, and the school is proud to have equipped these young learners with the knowledge and skills to become responsible global citizens ready to take on the world's challenges.The experienced faculty at Oakridge helps to provide the right guidance to students, helping them consistently achieve outstanding results and placements into the world's leading universities. In addition to that, Oakridge students have various opportunities to take part in events, competitions, and challenges at a national and global level, thereby helping them gain confidence in their abilities through exposure to a big stage.Oakridger Tejendra Varma, a recent graduate during the ceremony expressed his gratitude towards the school for providing him with invaluable education, opportunities, and guidance. "I cannot thank Oakridge Bachupally enough for preparing me to take on the world's challenges." He credits the school's faculty for their support and the exposure to various events and competitions, which helped him develop confidence in his abilities.Navneet Kaur, CBSE Head at Oakridge Bachupally, says, "The university offers received by the students demonstrate their dedication and hard work. We congratulate them on their success and wish them the best for their future.""The students have displayed impressive academic achievements and have been involved in a range of activities that have allowed them to develop as well-rounded individuals. The school is confident that they will positively impact society," added Sai Krishna, Head of IBDP Program at Oakridge Bachupally.For more information, please visit .This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.ANI23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Seven years ago, some Wyoming fisheries biologists found themselves swimming against the current. The Wyoming Game and Fish Departments Cody-area biologists had proposed restoration projects for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout on streams identified as the best places for success, but some vocal members of the public disagreed. We were obviously missing something, said Joe Skorupski, a Cody fisheries biologist who gave a presentation on the topic at the Draper Natural History Museum earlier this month. So the agency regrouped and reorganized, hiring a facilitator and holding public meetings to involve those interested in the process. As a result, the public had buy-in for two projects one on Crandall Creek, an upper tributary to the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River, and East Tensleep Creek, a tributary to the Nowood River in the Bighorn Mountains. Why? Yellowstone cutthroat trout occupy only a fraction of their original habitat portions of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah and Nevada less than half of where they were originally found. Of that, only 17% is considered intact, Skorupski said. The reasons are varied, everything from habitat degradation by historic mining, livestock grazing and logging to overfishing and introduction of nonnative species like brook and rainbow trout that outcompete the natives. But hands down the most impact we see today and challenges that exist are the nonnative trout, Skorupski said, noting that nonnatives like rainbow trout will interbreed with native cutthroats. Brown trout and brookies will eat cutthroats. In the Cody region, Yellowstone cutthroats occupy around 30% of their historic habitat, but only 10% of which is considered secure, Skorupski said. The drop in populations has been so steep that in 1998 the species was petitioned for protection under the Endangered Species Act, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deemed the action was not warranted. Teamwork For its part, WGFD created a cutthroat trout conservation team to identify problems and solutions to restore Yellowstone cutthroats to their traditional range. The aim was to protect the species, its habitat and ecosystems to ensure the fish did not go extinct. The group was guided by the three Rs of conservation: representation, making sure the fishs genetic integrity was protected; resilience, ensuring a population could withstand or rebound from disturbance events such as fires and floods; and redundancy, safeguarding the fish by spreading them out across the landscape. Skorupski pointed to the Greybull River, in the Bighorn Mountains, as a good example of an intact Yellowstone cutthroat trout fishery in Wyoming. But we dont want to say that the Greybull is enough, he said. We want to make sure if something happens in the Greybull, thinking about 100 years forward, (cutthroat are) still going to exist on the landscape across their entire range. Regrouping Based on the guidelines, Wyoming Game and Fish had success restoring cutthroats in the Cody region, including at Dry Medicine Lodge, South Paintrock and Dead Indian creeks. It was when the agency attempted to expand to some other waters that it met headwinds. The Cody Enterprise newspaper summed up the issue, Skorupski said, when its reporter wrote following a 2016 meeting, While the big picture is conserving a native species that is under siege, the remedy met with anger and disappointment. Skorupski said the department recognized it had social challenges which took about three years to overcome through a collaborative process putting the social part of the work at the front end, rather than the back, of the project. The agency learned that the members of the public involved were concerned about diverse fishing opportunities while also protecting existing cutthroat populations, but they wanted to see restoration prioritized in historically occupied habitat. They also wanted the agency to be responsible with how much time and money was invested in the work. The public was especially concerned about the departments end goal, Skorupski said, how far did the agency want to go with the work? How much was enough? End goal In the end, the group identified 16 out of 27 streams that met the criteria for cutthroat conservation work. Of those, seven ranked the highest for meeting social and biological viability. We landed in a really successful spot, Skorupski said. You can bridge biological and social desires. The first goal for WGFD is to restore Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations. Beyond that, however, Skorupski said the agency needs to enhance and maintain watershed health to ensure the fish endure over time. So essentially, were trying to prevent a species from blinking out on the landscape. At Crandall Creek, one of the two streams identified through the public process, WGFD has been working to remove rainbow trout to protect native cutthroats. Its a really big system, interconnected its over 64 miles, Skorupski said. So weve been working on that the last couple of years. For the other project on East Tensleep Creek WGFD has identified a site for a barrier to block fish from going upstream and creating a safe haven for cutthroat. Skorupski said the agency is completing the paperwork for that project. We are seeing declines in that population every single year to the point where were concerned we could lose that population if action is not taken, he said. Not a single dispute regarding recruitments in last 6 years under CM Yogi: UPPSC Chairman Sanjay Shrinet Lucknow, April 22: Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) Chairman Sanjay Shrinet on Saturday said that not a single dispute regarding recruitment in the last 6 years under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and added that the state has established a model of transparency in recruitment. Not a single dispute regarding recruitments in last 6 years under CM Yogi: UPPSC Chairman Sanjay Shrinet While addressing the 24th National Conference of State Public Service Commission, UPPSC Chairman Sanjay Shrinet said, "It is our endeavour to conduct examinations in a fair and transparent manner by establishing better coordination between the State Public Service Commissions in the country"."In the last 6 years, UP has conducted various recruitment examinations through the State Public Service Commission transparently, fair, without discrimination and corruption-free manner. The transparent manner in which the examinations and appointments have been conducted under the leadership of CM Yogi is a matter of discussion in the whole country today. UP's recruitment model is being lauded across the country today," he added."UPPSC Chairman Sanjay Shrinet said that with the chairmen and members of the Public Service Commission of all the states gathered in the two-day national conference, brainstorming sessions on how the recruitment examinations to be held in different states can be conducted with complete fairness are being done to benefit maximum youth," the press release said.The 24th two-day National Conference of State Public Service Commission Chairmen began Saturday at the Signature Building at Police Headquarters. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the national convention in the morning, and three rounds of closed business sessions were held after that.Three close business sessions were organized during the inaugural session on Saturday. On the other hand, in the valedictory session on Sunday, the chairpersons and members of the Public Service Commission of all the states will brainstorm. Former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Rajesh Bindal will attend the conference as the chief guest on Sunday.ANI23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio calls on Amit Shah in Delhi, thanks him for constant support New Delhi, April 23: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital and expressed gratitude for constant support for the state. Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio calls on Amit Shah in Delhi, thanks him for constant support Rio was accompanied by his deputies Taditui Rangkau Zeliang and Yanthungo Patton."The Chief Minister of Nagaland, Shri @Neiphiu_Rio and Deputy CMs Shri @YanthungoPatton and Shri @TRZeliang met the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri @AmitShah," HMO India tweeted.Taking to Twitter, Nagaland CM said, "Called on the Hon'ble @HMOIndia Shri @AmitShah ji along with Deputy Chief Ministers Shri @YanthungoPatton and Shri @TRZeliang. Grateful to him for his constant support for Nagaland, especially for development and peace in the State."Moreover, Nagaland CM also met Union Minister Anurag Thakur and discussed matters related to the development and promotion of sports, youth affairs and media affairs.Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland for the fifth time on March 7 this year.Taditui Rangkau Zeliang and Yanthungo Patton also took oath as Deputy chief ministers of Nagaland.The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-Bharatiya Janata Party retained power in the Nagaland election, with the two parties having secured 37 seats in the 60-member assembly, as per the data by the Election Commission of India (ECI).ANI23 April 2023 Shared Recently! MP govt joins Centre in opposing plea to legitimise same-sex marriages Bhopal, April 23: Amid the ongoing debate over whether 'same-sex' marriages should be legitimised or not in a multi-cultural country like India, the Madhya Pradesh government has submitted its views before the Centre. MP govt joins Centre in opposing plea to legitimise same-sex marriages The Union Law Ministry, on April 18, sought response from state governments over the issue, to which BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government has submitted its response. Madhya Pradesh Advocate General Prashant Singh talking to IANS on Friday said, "We have filed our interventions with the Centre."In it's letter to the states, the Union Law Ministry said "It may be noted that the subject of marrige pertains to Entry 5 in the concurrent list of the Constitution of India. Moreover, any decision on this matter requires an assessment of the ramifications on existing social customs, practices, values, norms, mores, State Rules and such like that may be prevalent in different sections of the society. It is important that a composit and cohesive view is presented before the Court incorporating the views of all state governments for effective adjudication."The Advocate General, however, did not say much about state's views on this heated subject maintaing the secrecy, but it is most likely that the Madhya Pradesh government led by the BJP will stand with its central leadership, which is vehemently against the idea of same-sex marriage."There is no question about going against the Centre's decision. Madhya Pradesh would maintain what the Centre has already submitted before the Supreme Court," said Rajneesh Agrawal, a senior functionary in the state BJP unit.Meanwhile, as the Supreme Court hearing a series of petitions in the land mark case filed by 18 LGBTQ+ couples including three who are raising children together, seeking marriage equality in the country and even refused to accept Centre's appeal on some ground, a perception is taking shape within the state BJP unit that Chief Justice (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud has been "deliberately interfering in legislative jurisdiction".Around half a dozen of leaders in Madhya Pradesh BJP shared their views with IANS; they all believe that the CJI has "widely differing views" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi."He (CJI) is trying to change the law of nature about male and female," a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said that conceptually it won't be easy to accept it as different people have their different opinion on this subject, but, "I would be happy if it (same-sex marriage) would be legitimised... As a human being we can't object it. Because it's thier life."The Supreme Court on Thursday said it could follow the example of a landmark verdict of the UK top court and constructively interpret the Special Marriage Act to give same-sex couples the rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples as members of the LGBTQIA+ community were already living in stable, marriage-like relationships since 2018 after the decriminalisation of homosexuality.If the Supreme Court rules in favour of same-sex marriage, this could be the first significant step towards the protection of LGBTQ+ rights since the court's landmark decision in 2018 to read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.IANS23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Biden says, US military evacuates diplomats from Sudan Washington, April 23: United States President Joe Biden said that the country's military conducted an operation and evacuated government personnel from the conflict-hit Sudan. Biden says, US military evacuates diplomats from Sudan "Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract US Government personnel from Khartoum. I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan," Biden said in a statement, released by the White House."I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety. And I thank Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of our operation," he added.The US President further stated that he is receiving regular reports from his team over the ongoing work to assist Americans in Sudan, to the extent possible. The US is working closely with our allies and partners in this effort."This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It's unconscionable and it must stop. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. We are temporarily suspending operations at the U.S. Embassy in Sudan, but our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending," Biden said in the statement.Earlier, Saudi Arabia announced the safe evacuation of 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals representing the following nationalities Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina. Faso.Sudan is facing violence due to fighting between the army and the paramilitary forces. There are reports of violence even amid a 72-hour ceasefire.The statement read, "In the implementation of the directives of the Kingdoms Leadership, 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."Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting 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 a 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.Earlier, Jaishankar had a meeting 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.ANI23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Covid jab for kids: Parents worry about long-term risks, responsibility New Delhi, April 23: Most parents are concerned about potential long-term risks from the Covid-19 vaccine for their children and some fear they'll be held responsible if their child gets ill after the jab, a study has revealed. Covid jab for kids: Parents worry about long-term risks, responsibility Despite efforts to increase the vaccination rate among children, many remain unvaccinated due to parental concerns about the vaccine's long-term effects and anticipated responsibility, aids the study published in the journal Pediatrics.The Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research (CSER) at University of Southern California (USC) found that 45 per cent of parents of children are concerned about potential long-term risks while 18 per cent fear they'll be viewed as responsible if their child gets sick after the vaccination.Ying Liu, research scientist at CESR and the study lead, explained that "parents' hesitancy may be partly driven by apprehension about the vaccine, stemming from its rapid development and the use of newer techniques.""People often exhibit a more cautious approach when making medical decisions for others, including their own children, than for themselves," Liu said. "Some tend to do nothing rather than vaccinate their child, even though such inaction could result in negative consequences."The researchers sought to determine the causes of low child vaccination rates in the US. Currently, only 39 per cent of children of age 5 to 11, and 68 per cent of those aged 12 to 17 have received vaccinations, compared to 92 per cent of adults."This research underscores the pressing need to address parental perceptions of the Covid-19 vaccine. By doing so, we believe the vaccination rate among 5- to 17-year-olds could be increased to over 50 per cent," said Arie Kapteyn, director of CESR.IANS23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Crucial Nitish Kumar-Mamata Banerjee meeting likely on April 25 Kolkata, April 23: A crucial meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar will likely take place on April 25. Crucial Nitish Kumar-Mamata Banerjee meeting likely on April 25 Trinamool Congress insiders said that Nitish Kumar is supposed to come to Kolkata on Tuesday morning and there is a high possibility of his meeting with Mamata Banerjee at the latter's Kalighat residence in South Kolkata on the same evening.A member of the West Bengal cabinet said that the meeting will harp on the unity of opposition forces against BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.In the last couple of months, Mamata Banerjee has had an array of meetings with a number of non-BJP and non-Congress leaders on the issue of opposition unity against the BJP in the 2024 polls.Last month, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met her in Kalighat.In the meeting, the two leaders agreed to maintain a distance with Congress and rather focus on the unity of the regional forces against BJP in the 2024 polls.Soon after meeting Akhilesh, Mamata Banerjee went to Odisha and had a meeting with her counterpart Naveen Patnaik.This was followed by a visit to Kolkata by Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy during which he met Banerjee.Last week, she also called up her counterpart in Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin and discussed the unity of opposition forces against the role of Governors in the opposition-ruled state in the country.In the recent past, Mamata Banerjee, in all her public meetings, stressed that if the opposition gets united before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, then it is possible to bring an end to the BJP-led regime.However, she has always avoided the tricky issue of whether Congress is a part of her blueprint of united opposition against BJP.IANS23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Nalandas Bawan Buti saree maestro Kapil Dev speaks up for weavers Patna, April 23: A 68-year-old resident of Bihar's Nalanda, who was living a life of anonymity till now, has been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award after being associated with the textile industry for almost 50 years. Nalanda's 'Bawan Buti' saree maestro Kapil Dev speaks up for weavers Kapil Dev Prasad, is a resident of Baswan Bigha village, which is about three kilometres from Nalanda district headquarters in Bihar.Prasad has been associated with weaving since a young age. He is still doing the weaving himself and is also giving training to many people of the district.Prasad said that he has been engaged in weaving for almost six decades but his fame in textile manufacturing came from Bawan Buti sarees and curtains.He said "Now the situation is bad because of the lack of marketing of all the sheets and curtains made by the weavers.His family occupation has been handlooms.Talking to IANS, he said "It was started by my grandfather Shanichar Tanti. Then later my father Hari Tanti took it forward. And now my son Suraj Dev also helps in handloom work."Prasad said The first President Dr Rajendra Prasad installed the curtains and bedsheets of the weavers of Bihar Sharif in Rashtrapati Bhavan.Prasad, however, is quite unhappy about the market. "Art is getting richer but its markets are getting limited."Till the year 2000, the curtains and bedsheets of Nalanda were sent to Germany, Australia and the US on behalf of Bihar State Export Corporation. After this, when there was a crisis in the corporation, the exports stopped.Prasad said that at that time, a school for government weavers was running in Bihar Sharif. But in 1990, the school was closed.He said that the Basavan Bigha Primary Weavers Co-operation Committee has been formed in which there are many weavers. But, due to non-availability of regular work, many weavers are now leaving.Prasad is definitely worried, but not discouraged. He said "Even today people appreciate Bawan Buti art. There is a need to market the art of the people associated with this, so that this ancient art can be saved.""The history of the handicraft Bawan Buti saree has been associated with the Buddhist period. The art of Buddhism is engraved in the Bawan Buti saree. Symbols like lotus flower, peepal leaves, Bodhi tree, bull, trishul, goldfish, wheel of Dharma are used in the designs," he said.IANS23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Jay Bhanushali feels proud and jealous of love pouring in for daughter Tara Mumbai, April 23: Actor and television host Jay Bhanushali is a household name, however, he has a solid competition when it comes to popularity with his adorable toddler Tara. Jay Bhanushali feels 'proud and jealous' of love pouring in for daughter Tara He said that he feels proud and nice but also at times jealous as he too wants the same kind of reaction Tara gets from people.Asked how it feel that Tara seems to be a bigger star than him, Jay said with a laugh to IANS "I would like to keep that forever. Even if I become the biggest star on television, I would really want my daughter to take over all my fame. She should be more popular because I feel very very nice when I travel and when I go somewhere and people come to me and say that I am a fan of Tara.""It feels really nice and at the same time, I feel jealous because of the kind of love she gets. I also want that love. All actors want that kind of love," he quipped.The actor, who is currently seen on Sony Entertainment Television show 'Hum Rahe Na Rahe Hum', said that Tara is a natural."She has not done anything different, she's not acting, she's just being real and people are loving her. Aesa pyaar mujhe bhi chahiye."IANS23 April 2023 Shared Recently! India calls for global coordination to effectively regulate cryptocurrency Bengaluru, April 23: Pointing to the fact that cryptocurrency as a technology is borderless in nature, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reiterated that all countries need to be on board for any regulation mechanism, or else it would not be effective. India calls for global coordination to effectively regulate cryptocurrency Crypto assets are currently unregulated in India. The Indian government does not register crypto exchanges and it maintains crypto assets, by definition, is borderless and requires "international collaboration".She was responding to a question on cryptocurrency during an interactive session on Sunday in Karnataka."No one country individually, in a matter of technology-driven, a crypto asset, can effectively control it, because technology doesn't have any borders, it can just pass through. So the very character of it being technology driven requires all countries to be on board, or else it will not be effective,' Sitharaman said."The underlying principle is because the digital currencies are completely digitalised and technology-driven, the technology, which is very distributed, and sometimes identity is very difficult to be established, but which has potential, it will therefore have to be acted upon only with all countries coming on board."A broad discussion on cryptocurrency is currently under consideration in G20 forum, whose presidency is currently with India.The IMF has given a paper on cryptocurrency and the way it can affect macroeconomic stability. The Financial Stability Board (FSB), which was set up by G-20, has also agreed to give a report that will also focus on financial stability.Their (FSB) report and IMF report are going to be discussed when G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meet in July.Now, all eyes will be on India's G20 Presidency for any positive headway in cryptocurrency regulation.After the First G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in February, Sitharaman had said the central government was progressing towards the regulation of cryptocurrency under India's G20 presidency."Recognizing the risks attached to the private virtual assets, G20 nations moved a step closer to developing a coordinated and comprehensive policy approach to deal with the crypto assets by considering macroeconomic and regulatory perspectives," she had said then.India on many occasions maintained that any legislation for regulation or for banning cryptocurrencies can be effective only after significant international collaboration on the evaluation of the risks and benefits."Cryptocurrencies are by definition borderless and require international collaboration to prevent regulatory arbitrage," Sitharaman informed Lok Sabha earlier.Notably, cryptocurrencies have witnessed sharp volatility in 2022 with several service providers have closed their operations. Investors' money worth billions in value got wiped out in the process.Of them was the FTX meltdown. FTX was a high-profile crypto exchange and collapsed in November due to reported misappropriation of customer funds.The recent collapse of the crypto exchange FTX and the ensuing sell-off in the crypto markets have placed a spotlight on the vulnerabilities in the crypto ecosystem, the Economic Survey document for 2022-23 tabled in Parliament by the central government said.In early 2023, US regulators warned that risks such as fraud and scams, legal uncertainties, inaccurate or misleading representations and disclosures, and volatility is associated with crypto-assets and the participants and banking organizations should be aware of them.Indian central bank RBI is also not very keen on allowing crypto trade.RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had even said cryptocurrencies are a clear danger and anything that derives value based on make-believe, without any underlying, is just speculation under a sophisticated name. He termed it to be a threat to the country's macroeconomic and financial stability.According to Das, cryptocurrencies should be "prohibited" and if they are allowed to grow "next financial crisis" will come from private cryptocurrencies. Its origin, underlying value, and lack of clarity were his major concerns.ANI23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Charlie Sheen requests Elon Musk to return his Twitter blue tick Los Angeles, April 23: Actor Charlie Sheen publicly begged Elon Musk to return his blue Twitter check mark, recently. Sheen, like thousands of others, lost his official verification badge after a site-wide purge of legacy verified accounts. Charlie Sheen requests Elon Musk to return his Twitter blue tick He was among the ones who refused to pony up for Twitter Blue - Musk's $8-dolllar-a-month subscription service, reports New York Post."Dear @elonmusk. I'm sorry your fancy rocket exploded in spectacular fashion. I'm certain you'll build an even bigger and more explody one," Sheen wrote. "Now, may I please have my blue check back? It would mean a lot to me. Thank you in advance, sincerely - C Sheen."The "fancy rocket" the 'Two and a Half Men' and 'Platoon' star referenced was Musk's 400-foot tall SpaceX Starship, which exploded moments after taking off in Boca Chica, Texas.Officials say that the Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, will one day be capable of taking people to the moon and Mars.New York Post further states that though Musk has agreed to cover the costs for a few megawatt accounts like Stephen King, LeBron James and William Shatner, he offered no indication that Sheen would be among that select group. "I feel your pain," he tweeted in response to Sheen's appeal.However, Sheen's blue check was soon restored. "Oh my! it's like Xmas and my birthday all at once! @elonmusk," the actor tweeted just after 5 p.m." I'm flushed with gratitude. Rock Star move, good sir."IANS23 April 2023 Shared Recently! Wyoming's top education leaders have agreed to collaborate on pilot projects that could kickstart the remaking of the state's 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 Gordon's office and their educational initiatives to put all of the state's power behind transitioning education in Wyoming toward a system that's 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 UW's 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. Wyoming's 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. "You're talking about changing the bedrock essentially of education," Lachelle Brant, Gordon's education policy adviser, told the State Board of Education. The board's members acknowledged that the pilot schools could be the start of a monumental shift for Wyoming's K-12 education. "Sometimes a person gets on a board and you don't really know what you're supposed to be doing or what you're accomplishing," said Ellen Creagar, a member of the board and a social science and business professor at Eastern Wyoming College. "This isn't that board folks. This is a board that's really moving, shaking and making big, important, positive change for students and changing the face of education in Wyoming. It's 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. We're all really in this together, Degenfelder said. 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 Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Becca Kasdan, a University of Illinois doctoral student in violin performance, plays her own instrument in front of a case that holds one that belonged to a victim of the Holocaust at the Spurlock Museum in Urbana. Kasdan, who is Jewish and whose family escaped persecution in Russia in the early 1900s, will be featured in the local Violins of Hope projects opening concert, set for 5:30 p.m. today at the museum. This story contains original reporting by News-Gazette staff. If you are not a subscriber, please consider becoming one, because local journalism is only possible with your support. A subscription to The News-Gazette plays a vital role in making this reporting possible. Thank you for your support and helping us continue to connect our community. Rocky Mountain Power, Wyomings largest electric utility, wants to increase ratepayers bills by an average of 7.6% in response to higher-than-expected fuel and transmission costs during 2022. The rate adjustment would translate to an extra $50.3 million for the utility. The utility sources the vast majority of its electricity from its own power plants and through long-term contracts. But about 5% comes from the more volatile wholesale market. Sharply higher prices in the wholesale power market during the severe summer weather of 2022 are responsible for nearly half of Wyomings share of increased power costs, said Jack Painter, the utilitys net power cost specialist, in a statement. Severe weather events, extreme temperatures, high natural gas prices and supply-chain disruptions also contributed to the higher costs, he said. The change in electricity prices would vary across rate classes under the utilitys proposal. Residential customers would see the smallest increase, at 5.1%, with the average residential bill going up by about $3.52 per month, according to the utility. That percentage rises to between 5.6% and 8.4% for general service users and between 6.4% and 9.2% for all other categories. Rocky Mountain Power has asked the Wyoming Public Service Commission to put the rate adjustment into effect on July 1. The request, which the utility submitted to state regulators on Monday, is separate from the ongoing rate case in which it is seeking a 21.6% average price increase over the next several years. Its normal for a utility to adjust prices each year in response to shifts in the market. Rate cases typically involve more fundamental changes to utility payment structures. These annual energy cost adjustments track costs beyond the companys direct control and factor in 2022 investments made by the company to ensure reliable service to customers, said Sharon Fain, Rocky Mountain Powers vice president for Wyoming, in a statement. This annual energy cost adjustment mechanism ensures our customers do not overpay or underpay for the electricity they use, Fain added. Rocky Mountain Power encouraged ratepayers who may need assistance paying their bills to call 1-888-221-7070 or visit the utilitys website to learn about options for financial support. Photos: A look at a Wyoming wind farm Wind Technicians Wind Technicians Wind Technicians Wind Technicians Wind Technicians Wind Technicians Wind Technicians Wind Technicians Wind Wind Technicians Wind Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Metabolic (bariatric) surgery is more effective than medications and lifestyle interventions for the treatment of advanced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A new paper, published today in The Lancet by King's College London and the Catholic University of Rome, is the first to compare three active treatments of non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and to specifically investigate the effectiveness of metabolic surgery (weight loss surgery) in a randomized clinical trial. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease, globally affecting 55% of people with type 2 diabetes and 75% of those with obesity. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the progressive form of the disease and is characterized by liver cell injury and inflammation, which induce liver fibrosis (scarring of the tissue). Left untreated, it can lead to liver failure and liver cancer, and is one of the leading causes of liver transplant in the western world. NASH also increases risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes. NAFLD/NASH currently affects 12% of adults in the UK; in the USA it is estimated that the condition will affect 27 million people by 2030. The multi-center randomized trial was conducted in Italy. The trial compared the efficacy of bariatric and metabolic surgery versus lifestyle modifications and best current medical care in 288 patients. Pre- and post-operative liver biopsies showed that surgery was more effective in inducing complete reversal of inflammation and cell damage in the liver - the core characteristics of NASH - without worsening of liver fibrosis after 1 year from surgery. The probability of achieving reversal of NASH was 35 times higher with metabolic surgery than with medical care. Surgery was also more effective at achieving improvement of at least one stage of liver fibrosis, another pre-specified endpoint of the trial. The two surgical procedures appeared to equally improve NASH. Researchers say the ability of surgery to control and even improve fibrosis associated with NASH is of special clinical relevance as fibrosis is the main predictor of liver complications and poor cardiovascular outcomes and death in patients with NASH. Professor Geltrude Mingrone, first author of the report, Professor of Medicine at the Catholic University of Rome and a Professor of Diabetes and Nutrition at King's College London said: "The results of our study support the use of metabolic surgery as a treatment of NASH, a condition for long considered orphan of effective therapies". The presence of NASH predicts a significant risk of complications and mortality in people with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes. The results of this study provide a compelling case for prioritization of metabolic surgery in this patient population". Professor Francesco Rubino, senior co-investigator and Chair of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery at King's College London and consultant surgeon at King's College Hospital Compared to conventional medical treatment, surgery also resulted in better overall health benefits. While both surgical procedures seemed to equally improve NASH, the gastric bypass group was more effective than sleeve gastrectomy at improving type 2 diabetes and reducing other cardiovascular risk factors associated with NAFLD/NASH. 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. According to a report by Moneycontrol, 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 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 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. Reportedly, the lawyer representing the coffee company argued that since 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 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 in 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. Read all the Latest Business News, Tax News and Stock Market Updates here Karnataka Election 2023: The poll-bound state of Karnataka will see some political action on Sunday with Congress leader Rahul Gandhis 2-day visit to the state, right after the conclusion of Union Home Minister Amit Shahs visit. Former BJP Leader Jagadish Shettar met Rahul Gandhi on Sunday for the first time after he joined the Congress. He said he became a part of the grand old party because of the ill-treatment given by BJP. He also said that he discussed many things with Gandhi in the meeting. Read More After his arrest, Punjab police said Amritpal Singh will be taken to Assams Dibrugarh as he is a National Security Act (NSA) subject. The stringent NSA had earlier been invoked against Amritpal Singh, the Punjab government had told the high court. Police in March had launched a major crackdown against Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit Waris Punjab De. The elusive preacher himself had, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district. But Why Exactly is Amritpal Singh Being Taken to Assam Jail? News18 reported that Amritpal is being taken to Assam for security reasons. Punjab police fear keeping them in Punjab jail could escalate tension and there are also apprehensions of a repeat of the Ajnala incident when his supporters stormed the police station to press for release of his top aide, Lovepreet Singh. Nine aides of Singh, members of the Waris Punjab De are also lodged at the 166-year-old Assam Jail. And What is The National Security Act? News18 Explains: The act, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, allows for preventive detention of individuals. The National Security Act of 1980 empowers a state or central authority to detain a person if there is reason to suspect that he or she is committing an act endangering national security. The government may also use the NSA to prohibit someone from upsetting public order or interrupting crucial supply and services. If a person poses a threat to Indias relations with other countries, he or she may be held, as per a report by Deccan Herald. The Act gives the government the authority to imprison foreigners, control their presence, or deport them from India. The NSA allows for a 12-month period of preventive detention, which can be extended if the government acquires new evidence against the suspect. During this time, the detainee cannot be prosecuted. The detainee may appeal to a high court advisory panel, but he or she is not permitted to have a lawyer present during the trial. Protection Available Under Act Article 22 of the Indian Constitution provides for both preventive detention and the right to be free from arrest and custody in certain circumstances, according to the Indian Express. However, Article 22(3) states that the rights afforded to an arrested person do not apply in the situation of preventative detention, therefore an exemption is made. Article 22(5) of the NSA grants all detained persons the right to make an effective representation before an independent advisory board, which consists of three members; and the board is chaired by a member who is, or has been, a judge of a high court, the report says. The DM who issues the detention order is protected by the Act: no prosecution or legal action can be brought against the official who executes the directives, the report adds. As a result, the writ of habeas corpus is the only remedy available under the Constitution against the states power to detain anyone under the NSA. As a result, Imaan Singh Khara, the legal advisor for Waris Punjab De, has filed a habeas corpus petition in Singhs case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. History of the Act The NSA 1980 started during the colonial era, Deccan Herald explains. Bengal Regulation III was enacted in 1818 to allow the British establishment to arrest anyone without providing legal aid in order to maintain public order. The Rowlatt Act was introduced in 1919, allowing detention without a trial, and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a direct result. Following the Rowlatt Act, Indira Gandhi established the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) in 1971, which was ultimately repealed in 1977. In 1980, the National Security Act was enacted. With inputs from Swati Bhan Read all the Latest Explainers here A suspect and a police officer were injured Saturday evening in Bismarck in an officer-involved shooting that followed a high-speed chase, authorities said. Burleigh County deputies were in pursuit of a vehicle fleeing at a high rate of speed about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a joint statement from the Bismarck Police Department and Burleigh County Sheriffs Department. Bismarck police officers assisted deputies as the fleeing vehicle arrived in Bismarck. The suspect vehicle stopped in south Bismarck near Ivy Avenue and South Washington Street. The driver, identified as 34-year-old Kyle Johnson, exited the vehicle with a handgun, authorities said. Officers fired at the suspect, according to the statement. It's unclear if Johnson fired his weapon at that time. Johnson was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries that authorities said were not life-threatening. He was arrested and booked into the Burleigh Morton Detention Center on suspicion of fleeing, reckless endangerment and warrants from Bismarck police and Burleigh County, authorities said. Jail records state Johnson is from Jamestown. He remained jailed Sunday pending a bond hearing. Court records show Johnson has a lengthy criminal history in North Dakota, including warrants in several counties and one municipality. One officer was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries after the Bismarck incident. The statement did not identify the officer or the department, or specify the nature of the injuries to the officer or to Johnson. All officers have been placed on administrative leave per department policy. It's unclear how many officers were involved, or put on leave. The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been asked to investigate. That's normal procedure for officer-involved shootings. Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested from Punjabs Moga district on Sunday, police said. The Punjab Police have arrested him," a senior police official told PTI. Read LIVE Updates here Police further said he would be sent to Assams Dibrugarh jail. He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh," said the officer. The Punjab Police has already invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the Khalistan sympathizer. Singh had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and his aides. The police on March 18 had launched a major crackdown against Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit Waris Punjab De. He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, attacking police personnel, and creating obstructions in public servants lawful discharge of duty. A manhunt had been on to nab the radical Sikh preacher and Khalistan sympathizer after the Punjab government had launched a major crackdown against Amritpal, with police arresting 78 members of an outfit headed by him. The elusive preacher himself, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district. Police Op Against Amritpal? Police in March had launched a massive state-wide cordon and search operations (CASO)" in the state against the members of the Waris Punjab De group, headed by Singh, against whom several criminal cases have been registered. Seventy-eight persons have been arrested so far, while several others have been detained for questioning, they said. The police action came a day ahead of the start of Amritpal Singhs Khalsa Wahir - a religious procession - which was to start from Muktsar district. During their state-wide operation, police seized one .315 bore rifle, seven 12 bore rifles, one revolver, and 373 live cartridges of different caliber, they said. So Who is Amritpal Singh? Donning a flowing white chola and a navy blue turban and often escorted by armed supporters, radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh has been quite active in Punjab for some time. Read more on this here In 1993, he was born in Amritsars Jallupur Khera hamlet. He completed Class 12 and then left India in 2012 to work for his uncles transport company in Dubai, according to Times of India. He was appointed the head of Waris Punjab De, an organisation formed by actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, only six months ago, bringing him to the attention of Punjabs lawmakers and police. Amritpal and his friends believe Sidhu was murdered by the state when he died in a car accident in February 2022. As per the report, Amritpal never actually met Sidhu in person, but he thinks their online exchanges had a big influence on him. When others criticised Deep Sidhu for the Red Fort protests on Republic Day 2021 amid the farmers struggle, Amritpal stood by him. Amritpal claimed on the one anniversary of Sidhus death a week ago that he had stopped trimming his hair on the late actors advise in November 2021. He became a Amritdhari Sikh on September 25, last year, after undergoing a formal Sikh baptism at Anandpur Sahib. Just four days later, on September 29, Times of India reports, with massive crowds gathered to see Amritpals dastar bandi (turban-tying ritual to show the acceptance of responsibility) at Rode village, the birthplace of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, whose name is inextricably linked to Punjab militancy. Amritpal has gone from a clean-shaven transporter in Dubai to a separatist Sikh leader with a flowing beard. He dressed like Bhindranwale, and others are referring to him as Bhindranwale 2.0. In a recent address, he stated that when he arrived at Amritsar airport, he was questioned by agencies" for quite some time. He went on to say that questioning a Sikh teenager about returning to his homeland is a symptom of ghulami (slavery). He has been promoting Khalistans cause on Facebook for quite some time. He questioned why it is wrong for a Sikh to advocate Khalistan while advocating for a Hindu Rashtra is not penalised. Amritpal told a Punjabi news channel that the Bargari sacrilege and Behbal Kalan police shooting in 2015 drew him to Sikh activism. What is Waris Punjab De? WPD was founded by Pollywood actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, a supporter of Simranjit Singh Mann, who died in a road accident in Haryana earlier while driving to Punjab from Delhi along with his Indian-origin American girlfriend Reena Rai. Sidhu laid the foundation of Waris Punjab De in Chandigarh eight months after the Republic Day incident, said a report by Free Press Journal. During his launch event, he stated that the organisation would fight for Punjabs rights against the Centre and raise voice anytime there is any attack on Punjabs culture, language, social fabric, and rights." Soon after establishing his organisation, Sidhu expressed his support for Simranjit Singh Manns extremist pro-Khalistan party SAD (Amritsar) and campaigned for them ahead of the Punjab elections. Sidhu, on the other hand, died in a car accident on February 15, 2022, just five days before the state elections. Simranjit Singh Mann has requested a judicial investigation into Sidhus death. Once Amritpal Singh assumed control of Waris Punjab De, Sidhus family distanced themselves from Amritpal, claiming that he was never nominated as the leader of their sons organisation. Why in Limelight? A police spokesperson told PTI that the followers of WPD are involved in four criminal cases relating to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel, and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duties of public servants. An FIR dated February 24 stands registered against WPD elements for the attack on Ajnala Police Station. In February, Amritpal and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of the Amritsar city, clashing with police for the release of one of Amritpals aide. After the incident, in which six policemen including a Superintendent of Police rank officer had suffered injuries, the AAP government in the state had faced severe flak and was accused of kowtowing to extremists. With inputs from PTI Parts of this report were originally published on March 19, 2023. Read all the Latest Explainers here Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flagged off the Kochi Water Metro, set to revolutionize the transport system in Kerala. Read more here Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier termed the Kochi Water Metro a dream project" of the state that would accelerate the growth and development of Kochi. With the launching of the flagship project set up at a cost of Rs 1,136.83 crore in the port city, one more assurance given to the people of the state by the LDF government is being fulfilled, Vijayan had said in a Facebook post. In a tweet, he had said exciting times are ahead for the southern states transport and tourism sectors. The world-class #KochiWaterMetro is setting sail! It is Keralas dream project connecting 10 islands in and around Kochi. KWM with 78 electric boats & 38 terminals cost 1,136.83 crores, funded by GoK & KfW," he tweeted. KfW is a German funding agency. The Kochi Water Metro As a first phase of the project, service would begin soon from High Court-Vypin terminals to Vyttila-Kakkanad terminals, the Chief Minister said in his Facebook post. The cost-effective and secure journey in air-conditioned boats would help people to reach their respective destinations without being stuck in traffic snarls, he said. The world-class #KochiWaterMetro is setting sail! It is Kerala's dream project connecting 10 islands in and around Kochi. KWM with 78 electric boats & 38 terminals cost 1,136.83 crores, funded by GoK & KfW. Exciting times are ahead for our transport and tourism sectors! pic.twitter.com/XTvUyqw59D CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) April 22, 2023 Passengers can travel in both Kochi metro and water metro using the Kochi 1" card. They can also book the tickets digitally, the CM added. The Kochi Water Metro is marketed as being air-conditioned, electrically operated, and accessible to people with disabilities, and it has 38 terminals and 78 electric boats make up the water metro. Towards Sustainability The expansion and development of Kochi and the State of Kerala as a whole have been significantly influenced by water transportation. 90% of Keralans used tiny boats to get to the mainland, where they could sell their wares, around the turn of the 20th century. However, as new roads and bridges were constructed, they gradually began switching to road-based transportation. Less than 3% of locals now commute by inland waterway, according to a report by Cities Development Initiative for Asia. This modal shift in Kochi has increased traffic congestion and air pollution, which are made worse by unplanned urban growth, a sparse road network, and the citys nearly doubling private vehicle ownership rate, the report says. According to a report, this extensive urban water transportation system, the first of its type in India and South Asia, will link the island towns of Kochi with the mainland via a fleet of 78 battery-operated electric hybrid boats that travel along 38 contemporary terminals and 15 routes totaling 76 km. The remaining 78 boats will each hold 50 passengers, with 23 of them having a capacity of 100. The boats use Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) batteries, which can be charged using a specifically developed charging mechanism in about 15 minutes. LTO batteries have a lifespan of between 7 and 10 years, making them not only the longest-lasting commercially accessible battery in the world but also the safest. Disability-friendly Shaji P.J., Chief General Manager at KMRL told the CDIA that the Kochi Water Metro has a lot of green initiatives attached to it, it is a disable-friendly system, and it is connecting with other transport modes. We are one step ahead in the shipping industry, such that we are already incorporating a variety of innovations into the system. Read all the Latest Explainers here The 18th round of Corps Commander Level talks was held between India and China on Sunday at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point in Eastern Ladakh. This follows the previous round of talks that was held five months back in December. The meeting was led by Fire and Fury Corps Commander Lt Gen Rashim Bali from the Indian side while an equivalent rank officer represented the Chinese side, defence sources told ANI. The meeting comes at a crucial time when both parties are engaged in active construction work along the border areas to establish their position. In a bid to claim parts of Arunachal Pradesh, the Chinese government recently announced it would standardise the names of 11 places in the northeastern Indian state. It has also released a list of the 11 places along with a map that shows parts of Arunachal Pradesh instead of inside the southern Tibetan region. As far as the conflict is concerned, the Indian side has constantly raised the issue of the Depsang plains, Demchok and disengagement by both sides repeatedly. In previous rounds of talks, the two sides have maintained to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic ways to reach a mutually acceptable resolution regarding the issue. Physically, the two sides have however disengaged, and moved to new positions to avoid confrontations but the Chinese side is blocking Indian patrols to move to their patrolling points in that sector for a long time now, reported ANI. Meanwhile, in another major development, the Chinese Defence Minister is scheduled to visit India for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meetings next week in Delhi. Read all the Latest India News here The dramatic arrest of Amritpal Singh from a gurdwara in Rode village in Punjab on Sunday, which is the native village of Khalistani leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, is a major breakthrough for the Punjab Police. The central agencies would now want to know from Singh how he was backed by the ISI to come to Punjab from Dubai where he was working for his family business. Singh was on the run for almost 36 days before his arrest from the Rode village in Moga district early on Sunday morning. Singh reached the village gurdwara in the wee hours of Sunday, spoke briefly to the devotees there and said he wanted to surrender here. This village is where Bhindranwale was born and also where in a ceremony held on September 29 last year, Singh was appointed as the next chief of the outfit Waris Punjab De by his supporters. His presence in the Rode village at the time of his arrest shows Singh wanted to make a statement as he had modelled himself on Bhindranwale and was trying to become a separatist leader with similar appeal in Punjab. But his bumbling escape had worked against his image. Government sources told News18 that the top priority now is to interrogate Singh on his links with the Pakistan ISI and expose the entire conspiracy on how he had been supported by the ISI to come to Punjab from Dubai with the objective of stirring trouble. He is being flown to Assams Dibrugarh jail by a special aircraft and had been booked earlier under the National Security Act (NSA). A key development leading to his arrest was the questioning of his wife, Kirandeep Kaur, on April 20 when she was trying to fly out to for London from the Amritsar airport. There had been reports earlier that Singh could surrender on the occasion of Baisakhi earlier this month at the Talwandi Sabo Gurudwara but the police had ramped up security and vigil there then. The Punjab police is probing Singhs intention behind arriving in the Rode village. The agencies would also question Singh on his involvement in drug trade as well as weapon trade as drone sightings from across the border had increased ever since Singhs return to Punjab last August and it is suspected he was dealing in drugs and arms. When Singh was arrested, he was back in his baptised Sikh attire of long white robes a departure from his look during his escape when he started wearing jeans and shirts and tried to hoodwink the police by changing his appearance. Agencies would now quiz him about his criminal connections to the drugs mafia and gun dealers and his attempts to create law and order problems and trying to disturb social harmony. His earlier act of taking the holy book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib, to the Ajnala Police station had earned him the displeasure of the Sikh clergy and a committee inquiry by the Akal Takht. The agencies had earlier cited how the de-addiction centre run by Amritpal Singh in his village near Amritsar had actually become a centre for radicalising youth and convert them into a private militia for Amritpal Singh. The agencies would question him on his intentions behind building this private militia and giving them arms training. It will also be probed if he got some outside help during his 36-day long escape and if anti-India forces helped him with logistics during his run during which Amritpal travelled to various states before returning to Punjab. Read all the Latest India News here Fugitive and pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh was arrested from Punjabs Moga district on Sunday morning. According to reports, Rode, the village from where he was arrested was also Khalistani separatist-terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwales native place. Ahead of his arrest, he also addressed a gathering at the Rodewal gurudwara in Moga, in which he is going to surrender", a Hindustan Times report said. He was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga this morning and is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. #WATCH | Earlier visuals of Waris Punjab Des #AmritpalSingh at Gurudwara in Moga, Punjab.He was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga this morning and is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. pic.twitter.com/2HMxTr50s7 ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 The village is also where in a ceremony held on September 29 last year, Amritpal Singh was appointed the next chief of Waris Punjab De by his supporters. The outfit was founded by actor and activist Deep Sidhu in February, 2022. Amritpal Singh came to the Rodewal Gurudwara on Saturday night. He himself informed the police about his presence and that he will surrender this morning at 7 am," claimed Singh Sahib Giani Jasbir Singh Rode of Rodewal Gurudwara in Moga, while speaking to news agency ANI. The crackdown against Amritpal was started on March 18, almost over three weeks after his supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. Read all the Latest India News here Read more police. In a tweet, Punjab Police said Amritpal Singh has been arrested in Moga and urged citizens to maintain peace and harmony. The Punjab Police have arrested him, a senior police official said. Police further said he would be sent to Assams Dibrugarh jail. He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh, said the officer. The Punjab Police has already invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the Khalistan sympathizer. The arrest came days after, Amritpal Singhs wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped from boarding a flight to London at the Sri Guru Ram Dass International Airport in Amritsar, on Thursday. 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. The 29-year-old Khalistani sympathiser married Kaur, a UK-based Non-Resident Indian, on February 10. The crackdown against Amritpal began on March 18 and members of his outfit Waris Punjab De. He however, escaped the police dragnet twice first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. Papalpreet, who is considered to be Amritpals mentor and who has allegedly been in contact with Pakistans ISI, has been arrested. Several cases have been lodged against the Khalistan sympathizer and his associates for allegedly spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and obstructing the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Despite being sighted in several CCTV footage and photos with changed appearances at many places, including Patiala, Kurukshetra and Delhi, the radical preacher continued to hoodwink the police. While on the run, two videos and one audio clip of Amritpal surfaced on social media. In one of his two videos, which surfaced on March 30, Amritpal asserted that he was not a fugitive and would soon appear. The pro-Khalistan preacher had claimed that he was not like those who would flee the country. There were rumours that Amritpal might surrender on Baisakhi at Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda, but that did not happen. Recently, Punjab Police pasted posters of Amritpal at railway stations in Batala and Amritsar, announcing that an appropriate reward will be given to anyone who provides credible information about his whereabouts. On April 15, police managed to nab Amritpals close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib. According to them, Joga Singh was in direct contact with Amritpal and had even arranged a shelter and vehicles for him in Uttar Pradeshs Pilibhit. It was Joga Singh who brought Amritpal and his aide Papalpreet back to Punjab on March 28. Nine of Amritpals aides Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla have been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged under the stringent National Security Act. The 29-year-old Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of Waris Punjab De, the organisation founded by actor and activist Deep Sidhu in February last year. Read all the Latest India News here In a massive win for the Punjab Police, fugitive and radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested from the Moga district on Sunday morning. The arrest was the result of an over a month-long crackdown against the pro-Khalistani leader. Surely, it was not easy to finally nab Amritpal, who used several tactics like changing his attire, hiding away at a Gurudwara, and using his key aides to evade being caught. Follow LIVE Updates of Amritpals Arrest The police on March 18 had launched a major crackdown against Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit Waris Punjab De. He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, attacking police personnel, and creating obstructions in public servants lawful discharge of duty. Heres a timeline of his hide & seek with the police: Amritpal Escapes Police on March 18 Using Mercedes SUV, Dumps His Phone The crackdown against Amritpal Singh was kickstarted by the Punjab Police on March 18. As they approached to apprehend him near Jalandhar, he ditched his Mercedes SUV along with his phone to throw cops off his trail. The police had laid out an elaborate trap that day, waiting for Singh to leave his village Jallupur Khera on the way to Jalandhar where he was to participate in a couple of programmes. Three SUVs were in his convoy with his Mercedes in the middle. After reports of a high-speed car chase comprising over 100 police vehicles in the afternoon, the police confirmed that seven close associates of Amritpal Singh were arrested after officials on the Shahkot-Malsian Road intercepted them. Use of Multiple Vehicles, Ditching Sikh Attire at Gurdwara On March 21, Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill said the Brezza car, in which Amritpal Singh fled, has been recovered by the police. Amritpal along with three others went to a gurdwara in Mangal Ambian village (in Jalandhar district) in Brezza car. Amritpal then changed his outfit and wore a shirt and trouser. Amritpal along with three others escaped on bikes. Three people who went to the gurdwara in Breeza car with Amritpal have been arrested while those persons who fled with him on bikes are yet to be arrested. Breeza car has been recovered from one Manpreet Singh, Gill said. The IGP said the National Security Act (NSA) was invoked against Amritpal Singh. A non-bailable warrant has been issued against him on March 18. Police is working as per law. People have suspicions, but the prime accused (Amritpal Singh) has not been arrested yet. As soon as the arrest is made, we will inform you. Amritpal Singh Seen On CCTV Fleeing in SUV in Punjab On March 21, pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh was seen in a car crossing a toll plaza. A CCTV footage exclusively accessed by CNN-News18 showed Amritpal sitting in front of a car bearing the registration number of Punjab. The CCTV footage was from a toll booth between Mehatpur and Shahkot in Jalandhar on Saturday when Amritpal was trying to flee amid a police crackdown. #BreakingNews: Exclusive CCTV footage of the car in which Amritpal Singh fled has now been accessed by CNN-News18@_anshuls shares more detailsJoin the broadcast with @ridhimb | #AmritpalSingh #WarisPunjabDe #Punjab pic.twitter.com/s0b4IGkpAY News18 (@CNNnews18) March 21, 2023 Changing His Location Every 12 Hrs, Haryana Woman Hides Amritpal & Papalpreet Around the end of March, Punjab Police prepared a list of Amritpals close associates across North India, who might be helping him escape. Old friends, including a reporter, were among those who are helping Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh dodge central intelligence agencies and police of several states since almost a week. The sources said very few supporters were aware of Singhs exact location and he was forced to change his hiding spot every 12 hours. On March 23, Punjab Police nabbed Baljit Kaur, woman who harbored the radical preacher and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in Haryanas Shahabad on Sunday. She was allegedly in touch with Papalpreet Singh, a close aide of Amritpal Singh. Kaur told the police that Singh came to her home in the Kurukshetra district with Papalpreet on a scooter. Kaur also said that Amritpal had changed his clothes and was wearing a turban. He also fixed his mustache. India Tells Nepal to Stop Amritpal From Fleeing On March 28, news reports said Amritpal Singh had most likely crossed into Nepal. In a letter accessed by CNN-News18, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu had urged the Nepalese government to prevent the escape of Amritpal to a third country. Amritpal Singh is currently hiding in Nepal, reads the letter dated March 25. The embassy had sent a letter to the Department of Consular Services, requesting the arrest of Singh if he tries to flee Nepal using an Indian passport or any other fake documents. Punjab Police Arrest Amritpal Singhs Close Aide Papalpreet from Amritsar On April 10, pro-Khalistani leader and radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singhs close aide Papalpreet was arrested from Amritsar, in an operation conducted by Punjab Polices counter-intelligence special Cell. Both Amritpal and Papalpreet were recently spotted in the latest pictures that went viral on social media. Both appeared relaxed, with Amritpal Singh seen wearing a jacket, a maroon turban and sunglasses and holding a beverage can. Papalpreet is said to be Amritpal Singhs mentor. He was allegedly in contact with Pakistans spy agency ISI, reports earlier said. Fugitive Amritpal Singh Seen in Rajasthan Near Pakistan Border On April 13, Amritpal Singh was spotted in Rajasthan near the Pakistan border. Sources in the Rajasthan Police told CNN-News18 that Singh was seen in Hanumangarh district which shares borders with Muktsar and Fazilka in Punjab. A team of Punjab Police was also present. We cordoned the house where he was staying but he managed to escape. While Rajasthan Police earlier said he wasnt at the location, an SHO said he wasnt sure of who Singh was but he had seen a 6-feet-tall, fair outsider, dressed in the robes of a nihang at the house, the source said. Singh was staying at the home of a man identified as Hardeep who was his former gunman and also part of his close coterie. Also, his house was very close to Bathindas Talwandi Sabo. Amritpal Singh Finally Arrested From Moga on April 23 Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested from Punjabs Moga district on Sunday, police said. The Punjab Police have arrested him," a senior police official told PTI. The Punjab Police has already invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the Khalistan sympathizer. Nine of Amritpals aides Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla have been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged under the stringent National Security Act. Read all the Latest India News here A student of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, was critically injured after her boyfriend allegedly poured boiling oil on the girls hands and legs after confining her to a room in his house in Eluru district. The shocking incident came to light after the victim escaped early Sunday and lodged a complaint with the police. She has been admitted to the government hospital at Eluru. According to police, the victim is a third-year engineering student. A resident of Eluru, the girl was entrapped in love by one Anudeep, a resident of Duggirala. He had promised to marry her. Five days ago, Anudeep had taken the girl to his house in Duggirala. He confined her to a room, where he was torturing her. He had threatened to kill her. The victim told police he had planned to kill her after midnight by hanging. She, however, managed to escape and reached her house. With the help of her parents, she lodged the complain. Police registered a case and launched a hunt for Anudeep, who was absconding. The accused is said to be addicted to marijuana and other psychotropic substances and had allegedly cheated several girls in the name of love. Read all the Latest India News here Cheetah Oban, now renamed as Pavan, was rescued before it was about to cross over into a forest in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Sunday. The cheetah had strayed out of the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh last week. It was brought back to the park after being tranquilised. This is the second time in the month of April that cheetah Oban strayed out and was brought back to the KNP after wandering a long distance from the park. After being tranquilised at Karera forest in Shivpuri district, cheetah Oban, now renamed as Pavan, was released in Palpur forest of the Kuno National Park at around 9.30 pm on Saturday, KNPs Divisional Forest Officer Prakash Kumar Verma told news agency PTI. The cheetah was moving towards Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh when it was rescued. The spotted cat was around 150 km away from the KNP at that time, the official said. On April 7, the feline, which has strayed out of the KNP multiple times, was rescued from Bairad area in Shivpuri after being tranquilised and brought back to the park, officials said. Eight Namibian cheetahs, comprising five females and three males, were brought to the KNP as part of an ambitious reintroduction programme of the species and were released into special enclosures on September 17, 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One of them, Sasha, died of a kidney ailment on March 27. Another cheetah, named Siyaya, recently gave birth to four cubs. On February 18 this year, 12 cheetahs, comprising seven males and five females, were brought to the KNP from South Africa. (With PTI Inputs) Read all the Latest India News here In his last message to his followers before the sensational arrest, pro-Khalistani leader and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh said that he wants the protest for his mission to continue even when he is in jail. He also said that he never had any fear of arrest and would come back among people once again. In a video message shared by HT, the fugitive can be heard saying that he had options to flee to other countries but he chose otherwise as his followers and preachers were being persecuted by the state. My Dastar Bandi (anointment as the chief of Waris Punjab De) was done at this gurdwara built at the birthplace of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. After taking the blessing of the guru, I will give the arrest, he said in the video. The month-long chase exposed the true face of the state as it did not appear as an attempt to arrest, the Khalistan movement supporter said, adding that he had no fear of arrest ever. Meanwhile, Amritpal Singhs parents while talking to the media said that they were proud of their son and support his decision to surrender before the police. We saw the news and came to know that he has surrendered. I felt proud that he surrendered like a warrior. We will fight a legal battle and we will also go and meet him at the earliest, Balwinder Kaur, Amritpals mother told ANI. Pro-Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, who was absconding for weeks after Punjab Police launched a massive crackdown against him and his outfit, was arrested in Punjabs Moga district on Sunday. Earlier, he escaped the police dragnet twice first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. In February, his followers stormed the Ajnala police station by his supporters to secure the release of an arrested associate. Read all the Latest India News here Everyone can thank the heavy metal band Metallica for bringing back this forgotten movie Johnny Got His Gun into the main pipeline of movies again. This film was not really remembered after its initial release in 1971, but then Metallica started using clips of the film during their concerts, which caused a big cult following of the film that led to the band purchasing the rights to the movie. What most people forget is that Johnny Got His Gun is a truly terrifying film that is subdued in its horror and not only targets the atrocities of war but also the subject of being euthanized and where the line should be drawn. All of this was made possible by the infamous writer Dalton Trumbo. Of course, Trumbo came back into the limelight recently with the film Trumbo played by Bryan Cranston who was one of ten men in Hollywood who were put on trial for maybe spreading the word of communism in the United States. Trumbo wrote the book Johnny Got His Gun in 1939 and came to direct the film in 1971, serving as his only directorial effort. Johnny Got His Gun didn't do very well financially, even though Jason Robards and Donald Sutherland starred in the film. Perhaps the added work for Trumbo in getting the best performances out of his actors and trying to frame a cohesive story was a bit much for him at the time, but the movie was almost lost until Metallica started using it. And rightfully so, because this movie is gutsy and artfully done in a way that the legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa stated that this is one of his favorite films. Why would that be? Its setup is unorthodox where a young man named Joe enlists in the army during WWI in order to do the right thing, or so he thought. Joe is injured during the war and wakes up in a hospital where all four limbs have been removed and all of his facial features have also been blown off or amputated. The only sense he has left is touch, leaving his eyesight, hearing, taste, and smell gone forever. He can't even eat but must take in food intravenously. This awful and tragic scenario has forced the young Joe to be a literal prisoner in his own body without a real way to communicate other than banging his head on his pillow in Morse code. All this allows Joe to fantasize, dream, and hallucinate about his past life with his loved ones, growing up, and the family he left behind before the tragedy. Through the help of a nurse who has become sympathetic to his situation, he is able to have some form of real human interaction, but it's all for nothing as the army doctors decide what to do with him. Trumbo was very outspoken on the subject of war. He was against it. But this is not so much an anti-war movie as it is about being pro-life and euthanasia, or even about what the horrors of war can do not to thousands of soldiers, but to just one person who thought the right path was to join the army and fight for their country. Trumbo doesn't allow his dialogue or heavy-handed themes to knock his audience over the head with sermons, but it rather plays out naturally through the characters and their reactions to the tragedy before them and that's what makes this little gem of a movie stand out so brightly. Young Joe doesn't want to keep going in his state, but his inability to communicate clearly doesn't come through enough to the army doctors who want to keep him alive and away from the media or others so as to not showcase the bad side of war. It's a sad state of affairs, even until the very end where it has an Ari Aster vibe to it all. Johnny Got His Gun may not have particularly great pacing, but its visual style in painting the present-day in black and white and having Joe's memories set in color is truly outstanding. Plus, having Donald Sutherland play Jesus Christ was a brilliant choice. This is one memorable and sad film that should be discovered again. Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray Johnny Got His Gun codes its way to Blu-ray via Imprint with one disc housed inside a hard plastic clear case with spine number 115. There is also a hard cardboard sleeve that features the artwork of a hand giving the peace sign with a soldier walking through a war-torn field. Inside, the reversible artwork features Joe in the hospital bed while the other side is a movie still. Everything is in black and white. On April 15, as the news of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Azeems death spread like a wildfire, Surajkali, a farmer from Prayagrajs Jhalwa locality looked up in the sky and thanked her God in her own different way. The day was not all about end of Atiqs terror but the end of Ramkali Kushwahas 35-year-long fight to save her ancestral property from the clutches of Atiq and his brother. Ramkali is one of the few victims of Atiq who mustered enough courage to stand against the mighty Atiq, who eyed upon her property at a prime location. Though in the battle, she lost her husband and son and almost everything but she is happy that Atiqs terror has ended. Ramkalis story goes back to the late 1980s when Atiqs men approached her and forced her to sell her 12 bighas of land, located opposite the Indian Oil Depot in Jhalwa. Atiqs men said he wants to purchase my land. Initially, they requested but later they threatened me of dire consequences for refusing Atiq. Until then we were a happy family, recollected Ramkali Kushwaha, who is in her late 50s. Ramkali said the threats from Atiq and his brother became a common thing, as most of the time, his men used to be around her house and land to mount pressure on her family to sell off their land. But nothing worked as Ramkali was adamant that she wont let Atiq take her ancestral property, which is the only thing she has to fend for her family. In 1989, my husband Brij Mohan Kushwaha, who used to work in a nearby factory, left for work and then never returned home. It didnt take me any longer to understand that its Atiqs another pressure tactic to mount pressure on the family to sell the ancestral land. I also approached Dhoomanganj Police Station to lodge a report against Atiq, who was then a gangster-in-making, but the police refused to help me and shoved me away, said Ramkali. She said in the same year in 1989, Atiq won the election and became an MLA for the first time after which he called her and told that her husband is no more. He said now I will look after your family if you give your 12 bighas land to me for which he has planned a multi-storeyed building. But my response remained negative, she said. However, after running from pillar to post, she managed to lodge an FIR against Atiq. She said from 1989 to 2016, there were several occasions when she and her family members were attacked by Atiqs men and were forced to hand over the land to Atiq. But I was adamant that I wont give an inch of land to this mafia and will continue to fight. In 2016, the Atiqs men launched a fierce attack on her house in which her son suffered a serious bullet injury and had to be hospitalised. But the threats from Atiq continued even in the hospital, she added. However, in 2017, when the Yogi Adityanath government first came to power in Uttar Pradesh, Ramkali said somewhere, I knew that this government is not going to withstand Mafiaraj, she said. However, when Asad was killed in a police encounter and later on when mafia brothers were killed, she heaved a sigh of relief as her almost 35-year-old legal battle came to an end. Not just Ramkali, there were several others whom Atiq tortured to the core. A few of them hail from Chakia locality of Prayagraj where Atiqs office is located. Some of them were detained for honking in front of Atiqs office, locally famous as Sansad ji ka Durbar. Atiqs men used to detain us even for honking in front of his office. It used to haunt people so much that they started taking another route. However, now the don is dead but the tales of his terror are still doing the rounds. The Uttar Pradesh government has released a long list of the people who remained a witness to Atiqs terror. Ramkalis name is on the top. People say though the don is dead, but the torture they faced would haunt them for life. Read all the Latest India News here Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modis three luxurious flats in Mumbai are now posing a problem for Enforcement Directorate officials as they dont know who will look after its maintenance post confiscation. The three flats are caught up in a legal hurdle as Modi is not in India presently. According to a Times of India report, ED officials are looking at two ways but both do not seem feasible. One of the ways could be auctioning the sea-facing flats off but it is unlikely to get the expected market price of Rs 110 crore for it. Another way could be the government maintaining the posh flats, but since it comes with costly paintings and other household goods, even that is not viable. The apartments have been locked shut for the past five years, ever since Nirav Modi fled the country. Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are accused of duping PNB, a public sector bank, of Rs 13,000 crore using letters of undertaking (LoUs) and foreign letters of credit (FLCs) by bribing its officials at the Brady House branch in Mumbai. In case of turning the apartments into guest houses, huge costs would follow through which would be a problem for the probe agency, the news report further said. Expenses would include refurbishing and maintenance bills, and officials would also have to ensure household items, utensils and paintings are intact. Converting the three into guesthouses would be more expensive than a five-star hotel stay", TOI quoted the officials as saying. Shifting the items lying inside along with all the expensive household utensils and paintings in the flats would pose a problem for ED officials. ED also cited the example of late drug smuggler Iqbal Mirchis confiscated premises, which are now used as the probe agencys Zone 2 Office. Leaving the assets at Niravs apartments as is without any maintenance, would also increase the risk of them getting deteriorated. ED is in touch with officials in Delhi to look for a solution to the problem, but have not come up with one. Meanwhile, a special PMLA court on Tuesday granted bail to Subash Parab, a close aide of Nirav Modi, in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case. India had issued an Interpol Red Notice against Parab to track him down and bring him back. In February, he was granted bail in a related case being probed by the CBI. Read all the Latest India News here Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the government is working towards curbing ponzi apps, though there is no proposal at present before it to regulate financial influencers on social media. Addressing an event in Karnatakas Tumkuru district, the Union Minister when asked if the Centre was planning to clamp down on financial influencers" who give financial advices on social media, said there is no such proposal as of now before the government. However she added that, there are many ponzi apps on which were working with the IT ministry and RBI and clamping down on them like never before". On social media influencers giving financial advice, Sitharaman had a word of caution for people, as she said that they should be careful about following everything which is suggested by such platforms, as ultimately it is their hard earned money which is at stake. If there are three or four people giving us objective advice, then at the same time there are seven others out of 10 whore probably driven by some other considerations. Social influencers and financial influencers are all out there, but a strong sense of caution is required in each one of us to make sure we do double checking, counter checking, and dont go as a flock into something and therefore protect our hard-earned money," she said during the event. Read all the Latest India News here Amritpal Singh was in touch with mediators and wanted to surrender before a public gathering, top Intelligence sources told News18, adding that this option was not agreed upon by the agencies. Khalistani sympathiser and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh was arrested on Sunday morning from Punjabs Moga after a massive manhunt that went on for over a month. FOLLOW AMRITPAL SINGH NEWS LIVE UPDATES Giving exclusive inside details of Amritpal Singhs arrest to News18, top Intel sources said multiple demands of radical preacher were turned down by agencies before his arrest. Inside Details of Amritpal Singh Arrest -Top Intelligence sources said Amritpal Singh was in touch with mediators and wanted to surrender before a public gathering. This option was refused straight away by agencies. -Amritpal Singh wanted relaxation in NSA and this demand was was also turned down. -Amritpal Singh, sources said, was under pressure and had expressed his desire to surrender before state police. This was accepted, sources added. -Amritpal Singh told police he is not guilty of any wrongdoing and that he should have been told about the arrest. I would have done it myself," he said. Sustained interrogation will bring facts about Georgia and Pakistan, sources added. Amritpal Singhs Arrest Amritpal Singh was arrested from Rode village in Moga after his surrender through an address in a gurdwara. Sources said Amritpal Singh will kept in a jail in Assam amid apprehensions that he might expand his network if kept in jail in Punjab. Punjab Police confirmed the arrest of Amritpal Singh and urged citizens through its official Twitter handle to maintain peace and harmony and not share fake news. The arrest of absconding Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh comes after a massive manhunt that went on for over a month and had begun on March 18 when Singh managed to escape the police crackdown in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and changing appearances. In follow up actions, Amritpal Singh and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Amritpal Singh had escaped the police crackdown twice first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. In the subsequent days, Amripal Singh was sighted in several CCTV footage and photos with changed appearances at many places, including Patiala, Kurukshetra and Delhi. Read all the Latest India News here Healthcare has been a primary focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Mann Ki Baat with him inspiring people to take up yoga and advocating Indias time-honoured traditions such as ayurveda. The prime minister has addressed a wide array of health-related topics, underscoring the significance of adopting a healthy lifestyle and practising preventive healthcare. He has also applauded numerous health victories from battling diseases like kala-azar to setting ambitious targets to eradicate tuberculosis by 2025. Through his radio programme, which is completing 100 episodes on April 30, Prime Minister Modi has even showcased remarkable achievements in healthcare Manav Mandir in Himachal Pradesh, which treats muscular dystrophy, and ayurvedic treatment at Sreedhareeyam that restored the eyesight of the daughter of Kenyas former prime minister. He has emphasised on initiatives like Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat, Jan Aushadhi and Ayushman Bharat, which underline the Centres commitment to making healthcare accessible as well as affordable. The PM has also drawn attention to the growth of medical education infrastructure through the establishment of new AIIMS facilities and medical colleges. The World Health Organisation has praised PM Modi for addressing mental health issues in his radio programme, where he has talked about depression and the value of mental well-being. The central government has invited ideas from the public to celebrate the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, and the last date of submission is April 27. The radio show, which began on Vijayadashami in October 2014, has completed 99 editions to date. Here are some of instances from Mann Ki Baat episodes, where Modi is discussing healthcare: In only the second episode of Mann Ki Baat, Modi shared about 10 children Nidhi Baipotu, Monish Joshi, Devanshi Rawat, Tanush Jain, Harsh Devdharkar, Anant Tiwari, Preeti Nag, Atharva Deshmukh, Aronyatesh Ganguli and Hrithik Alaamandaa who fought and overcame cancer. In his first episode for 2018, the PM spoke about Jan Aushadhi centres offering medicines that are 50 to 90 percent cheaper than branded drugs in the market. This is beneficial for the public, especially for senior citizens, and results in significant savings. In another episode from 2018, Modi highlighted different initiatives of the central government to make healthcare more accessible and affordable Jan Aushadhi centres, reduction in the cost of heart stents and knee implants, Ayushman Bharat that provides Rs 5 lakh for treatment to around 50 crore people per year. He also talks about an increase in MBBS seats in medical colleges, opening of a new AIIMS, and the goal of making the country tuberculosis-free by 2025. Additionally, he shared 3D animated videos of his own yoga practice sessions, encouraging people to practice yoga for better health. In the 91st episode, Modi also highlighted the ongoing fight against Covid-19 and the importance of holistic healthcare. Indian traditional methods, including ayurveda and Indian medicine, have played a crucial role in the fight against the pandemic with AYUSH playing an important role globally. For the 87th episode, PM Modi talked about growing interest in holistic healthcare and traditional Indian medicine like ayurveda, which played a significant role in the fight against Covid-19. The Ayush industry has witnessed record growth, with investment proposals of about Rs 10,000 crore received in the recent Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit. Modi also talked about the success of the Covid vaccination drive. He said many people had written to him asking about how much faith he had in the campaign and how it achieved so much success. He attributed this success to the capabilities of the country and its people, especially healthcare workers who worked tirelessly to ensure maximum vaccination coverage. In one of the episodes, Modi shared examples of those who had dedicated their lives to the welfare of society, especially in the healthcare sector. He mentioned Sulagitti Narsamma, a midwife from Karnataka, who was recently honoured with the Padma Shri for aiding pregnant women during childbirth. He also talked about doctors from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, who had set up camps offering free treatment to underprivileged patients every month. The PM also praised collective efforts that made the Swachh Bharat Mission successful, citing an example of over three lakh people who recently came together to work for the sanitation campaign at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Modi mentioned the success of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana, a scheme that provides affordable and quality medicines. He also discussed the impact of Covid-19 on healthcare and wellness awareness in India. He mentioned the abundance of natural products in India and shared examples of those who have made unique contributions to this field such as Patayat Sahu who planted medicinal saplings on 1.5 acres of land and documented them, and a team of women in Deori village who have undergone training in aloe vera cultivation and linked agriculture with health by selling the plant to companies making sanitisers. The PM praised their efforts as an example of how agriculture can be linked with health. Modi spoke about the eSanjeevani app, which has played a significant role in digital healthcare. The app allows tele-consultation, which means people can consult doctors from the comfort of their homes through video conferencing. The number of consultations through the app has crossed 10 crore, making it a great achievement for India. Modi has also spoken about the Manav Mandir Centre for muscular dystrophy in Himachal Pradesh, which uses hi-tech facilities to bring a positive change in the lives of patients. Modi had an emotional meeting with his friend, former Kenyan PM Raila Odinga, who shared the story of his daughters struggle with a brain tumour and losing her eyesight after surgery. Odinga tried treatments at hospitals across the world until someone suggested ayurveda treatment in India. They went to an ayurvedic hospital in Kerala, where the treatment worked wonders for Rosemary and she regained her eyesight. Odinga was deeply touched and wished to bring ayurveda to Kenya to help more people benefit from it. Read all the Latest India News here At least 162 houses have been damaged by heavy rain and hailstones in west Mizorams Mamit district, an official said on Sunday. West Phaileng Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Vanlalchhuanawma Chawngthu told PTI that a downpour and hail lashed three villages in the district bordering Tripura and Bangladesh, on Saturday evening. There were, however, no reports of any death due to the incident, he said. Chawngthu said that around 61 houses 40 in Lallen, 13 in Chhippui and eight in Kawnmawi have been heavily damaged. Mamit Deputy Commissioner V L Remliana said the district administration and local MLA Lalrintluanga Sailo have provided tarpaulins to the affected families. The three villages fall under the Dampa assembly constituency. State BJP president Vanlalhmuaka has also extended monetary assistance, party sources said. Read all the Latest India News here Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit Kerala on a two-day trip on April 24, will lay the foundation stone for the countrys first Digital Science Park, a Rs-1,500-crore project, here on Tuesday, April 25. The third-generation Science Park (they are located in bustling city centres) will come up close to the Digital University of Kerala at Technopark Phase IV - Technocity, a government release said. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, various ministers of the Left government and Congresss Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor would be attending the event, the release said. The Digital Science Park project had been conceived as a multidisciplinary cluster-based interactive-innovation zone focused on digital technologies and is expected to be completed in two years, it said. In the 2022-23 budget, the state government had announced the establishment of a Digital Science Park in an area of 10 lakh square feet in two blocks, the release added. The park will initially have two buildings with a total area of 2,00,000 square feet. The first one in 1,50,000 square feet will have five floors, housing the Centre of Excellence (CoE) including research labs and digital incubator, while the second building will house the administrative as well as Digital Experience centre." The Digital Science Park will start its operations from a 10,000 square feet space in Kabani located at Technopark Phase IV within the next couple of months, it added. Out of the total project outlay of over Rs 1,500 crore, Rs 200 crore has already been allotted by the state government and the remaining amount will be generated from other sources including industry partners, the release said. Initially, Digital Science Park will facilitate industry and business units as well as technology startups from the domains of Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, electronics, smart hardware, sustainable and smart materials. UK-based semiconductor and software design company ARM has signed an agreement with Digital University Kerala on academic, research and startup-related activities as part of this centre. Similarly, the centre for AI will focus on both the hardware and software aspects of responsible AI, where the leading multinational technology company NVIDIA is expected to join as a partner," the release said. Read all the Latest India News here A day after Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary vowed to reduce Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his party to dust in the next Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Kumar said leaders of the saffron party have become brainless. The JD(U) de facto leader was replying to a query from journalists about Choudharys remark that Kumar will be turned to dust (mitti mein mila denge) in the next general elections for his betrayal. They (BJP) are brainless (Buddhihin) people. Tell him (Samrat Choudhary) to do what he said. I have never used such words in my entire political career. No sensible politicians use such words. I have also worked with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, I have a lot of respect for him. The state BJP president had said at a function here on Saturday that Nitish Kumar had backstabbed the BJP and joined hands with RJD chief Lalu Prasad to pursue his prime ministerial ambitions. With the help of the BJP, Nitish Kumar became the chief minister five times. Now the JD (U) will bite the dust.BJP will grind Nitish Kumar into dust in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as well as the assembly elections in Bihar in 2025. Nitish dumped the BJP and formed the Mahagathbandhan government with RJD, Congress and other parties in August 2022. In his efforts to form an alliance of opposition parties against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Kumar said, We are trying to unite more and more parties in the country against the BJP. We will make all efforts and work unitedly. I recently met several opposition leaders in New Delhi. My aim is to unite opposition parties against the BJP before the general elections. When asked about his plans to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kumar said, Whenever I meet her, I will inform you. During his recent visit to Delhi, Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Besides, he met several other opposition leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kumar has already clarified that he has no prime ministerial ambitions. On several occasions in the past, Kumar said he was looking forward to playing a positive role in forging opposition unity against the ruling NDA at the Centre. Read all the Latest India News here As part of the Indian governments efforts to evacuate stranded Indians from violence-ridden Sudan, two C-130J military transport aircraft have been placed on standby in Jeddah, while an Indian Navy vessel has arrived at a strategic port in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday. The statement came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed officials to prepare contingency evacuation plans for about 3,000 Indian citizens stuck in the country amid escalating violence. The MEA has disclosed that contingency plans have been established to facilitate the evacuation of Indian citizens from Sudan, but emphasised that any action taken will be dependent on the state of security on the ground. Two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan," it said. Contingency plans are in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum," the MEA said. According to the government, the security situation in Sudan remains unstable, with reports of intense clashes emerging from multiple areas within the capital city of Khartoum. The MEA said India is making all-out efforts to ensure the safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan. We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan," it said. We are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated," the MEA said. In addition to engaging with Sudanese authorities, the MEA and the Indian embassy in Sudan have established frequent communication with a range of international actors, including the UN, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and the US, among others. The MEA has further stated that the Indian government is actively pursuing various options to ensure a swift and effective response to the situation at hand. According to the statement, the airspace over Sudan is currently closed to foreign aircraft, and there are significant risks and logistical obstacles associated with overland transportation. The primary airport located in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, has become a site of intense conflict, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) currently controlling the airport and engaging in clashes with the army. Evacuation by Road Sources had earlier told News18 that India is planning to evacuate by road those who are outside the conflict zone and in areas with lesser violence. On Saturday, a group of over 150 individuals, including Indian citizens, were successfully rescued from Sudan and transported to Jeddah, as confirmed by the Saudi foreign ministry. The group comprised 91 Saudi nationals and 66 individuals from 12 other countries, namely Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina Faso, all of whom arrived safely in Saudi Arabia. US, Britain and French forces were among several countries who have evacuated embassy staff and their families from the war-torn region. The ongoing violence in Sudan has resulted in over 420 fatalities and numerous injuries, as per the United Nations. The conflict has raised concerns of further destabilization and a potential humanitarian crisis in a nation already grappling with significant economic challenges. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest India News here Two sanitation workers died of asphyxiation while cleaning a sewage line in Gujarats Ahmedabad district, police said on Sunday. The incident took place in Dholka town on Saturday evening, they said. The two workers, identified as Gopal Padhar (24) and Bijal Padhar (32), fell unconscious after entering a sewage line to clean it. They were rushed to a hospital where doctors declared them dead, an official from Dholka police station said. The incident occurred at around 5 pm on Saturday when the duo entered the gutter line. They died of asphyxiation," the official said. An FIR was registered at Dholka police station against contractors Ashiq Thakor and Jagdish Thakor under Indian Penal Code Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) as well as under relevant provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the official said. The Gujarat government recently informed the Legislative Assembly that 11 sanitation workers died of asphyxiation while cleaning drains in different parts of the state during the last two years. On Tuesday, an NGO moved a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Gujarat High Court seeking steps to prevent the death of manhole workers and compensation to the families of all those who died while cleaning drainage lines or septic tanks. The NGO Manav Garima claimed the government has not paid compensation to the families of 26 out of 152 manhole workers who died between 1993 and 2014, and 16 workers who died after the filing of its main petition in 2016. Despite section 7 of the Prohibition of Employment As Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act prohibiting local authorities or their agencies from engaging people for hazardous cleaning of sewer in underground drainage lines or septic tanks, they have continued to do so, causing several deaths, it said. As many as 45 instances have taken place where 95 workers lost their lives while cleaning septic tanks, the PIL claimed. Read all the Latest India News here Ronald Reagan is invoked by many as a transformational president. Barack Obama fashioned his own presidential trajectory after the Gipper. Shrilling for the General Electric Corporation as an influencer and publicly switching political and ideological affiliations, Reagan transformed from a conservative Cold War New Deal liberal actor to a law-and-order "Goldwater conservative" Republican politician (who never ceased to act), leading the charge against so-called subversives and communists in Hollywood and the country. From 1967-1975, Governor Reagan attempted to transform California into "Reaganland" by spearheading campaigns, policies, and laws against progressive movements, the Black Panther Party's right to self-defense, Angela Davis's professorship at UC Berkeley, and even justifying discrimination in property sales. Reagan told the Los Angeles Times in 1966 that free citizens had a "basic and cherished right to do as they please with their property. If an individual wants to discriminate against Negroes or others in selling or renting his house, he has a right to do so." In other words, the Constitution protects discrimination of certain people by specific others. Reagan perfected the coded appeals of dog-whistle politics, most notably as President, as he blamed "welfare queens" for all the nation's economic problems. These are just a few of the long list of reactionary actions that Governor "Dutch" championed and later nationalized as POTUS. In this video clip, recorded at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, circa February 1989, "the Teflon President" shared his views on banning assault weapons. This speech marked Reagan's first public appearance after leaving office and occurred shortly after a mass shooting at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, on January 17, 1989. "I do not believe in taking away the right of the citizen to own guns for sporting, for hunting, and so forth, or for home defense. But I do believe that an AK-47, a machine gun, is not a sporting weapon or needed for the defense of the home." Given that "the great communicator" self-identified as a staunch Cold Warrior (he is not responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall), it is no surprise that he identifies a weapon associated with the USSR. Even the NRA will tell you the AK-47 and the AR-15 have more in common than being one of many machines manufactured as part of the Cold War arms race. Both are semi-automatic assault rifles that destroy human tissue, bones, and organs. Reagan is not challenging the Second Amendment but instead taking a position on the type of weapon to be used for self-defense. I wonder what Reagan would say about Andrew Lester shooting sixteen years young Ralph Yarl twice at point blank range in Kansas City, MO on Thurday, April 13, 2023. It is also unclear if Reagan would have been able to, or would have desired to, resist the legions of patriots claiming an originalist interpretation of the Second Amendment that says NOTHING about assault weapons. If, from the perspective of an originalist interpretation of the Constitution, weapons were for personal home self-defense (this is not what the Second Amendment protects), then the musket should suffice. But originalists tend to pick and choose from the Constitution like Evangelicals approach the Bible what is most convenient and useful to make a political argument. The video of the entire speech is available here. Check out this archival Boing post with videos about when the NRA supported gun control. The autopsy report of the teenage minor tribal girl has revealed that the cause of her death is poisoning no major injury marks were found on her body, police said. A 20-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in connection with the case that triggered violent protests in the districts Kaliaganj, with locals demanding the arrest of all culprits. 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. He said that the police has formed a three-member medical board which was present during the post-mortem, along with the family of the victim. In the preliminary report, the cause of death is due to the effect of the presence of a poisonous substance," he said. We are investigating the case from all angles," the official added. Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken cognizance of the video purportedly of the rape victims body being ruthlessly and inappropriately" dragged by police officials. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Director General of Police, West Bengal to intervene in the matter and ensure a fair and time-bound investigation. She has also asked for a detailed action taken report within three days. Police have, meanwhile, said that they will investigate the video and if something is found, departmental action will be taken. Violence In Bengal 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. Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed to bring the situation under control, police said, adding that a few protestors were also detained. 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. Politics of the Issue 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. 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. Meanwhile, the ruling TMC ]has accused BJP of doing vulture politics over the issue. 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 clarify 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. Sudip Das, State President of SC Morcha will also visit Kaliganj, Uttar Dinajpur on Sunday at 11:30 am. (With PTI inputs) Read all the Latest India News here Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singhs mother on Sunday said she is proud of her son, who surrendered after he was surrounded by Punjab Police last night. The fugitive has been on run for weeks. Talking to ANI, Singhs mother Balwinder Kaur, said, We saw the news and came to know that he has surrendered. I felt proud that he surrendered like a warrior. We will fight a legal battle and we will also go and meet him at the earliest. #WATCH | Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh's mother Balwinder Kaur says, "We saw the news and came to know that he has surrendered. I felt proud that he surrendered like a warriorWe will fight a legal battle and we will also go & meet him at the earliest. pic.twitter.com/vit1mo8pqW ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 On the other hand, Amritpal Singhs father said that he and his family were being harassed because of his son and thus, his surrender will make things easier for the family. He also said that the family will pursue legal ways to get justice for the son. #WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab | Tarsem Singh, father of Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh, says, "Through TV we came to know that he surrendered before the Police. We too wanted the same because people were being harassed due to himWe will fight the case, the entire community pic.twitter.com/Q1xXJO2tBo ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 "Through TV we came to know that he surrendered before the Police. We too wanted the same because people were being harassed due to him. We will fight the case, the entire community should fight it, he was working to save people from the drug menace; an offer has been made to us for it, Singhs father Tarsem Singh told ANI. Pro-Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, who was absconding for weeks after Punjab Police launched a massive crackdown against him and his outfit, was arrested in Punjabs Moga district on Sunday. Earlier, he escaped the police dragnet twice first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. In February, his followers stormed the Ajnala police station by his supporters to secure the release of an arrested associate. #WATCH | Assam: Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh being taken to Dibrugarh jail. He was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga district in Punjab today. pic.twitter.com/D2RiU3m8AM ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 He will be shifted to a prison in the Upper Assam town from Punjab. Police Inspector General Sukhchain Singh Gill said Amritpal Singh will be taken to Dibrugarh under the National Security Act (NSA). Read all the Latest India News here Lyst, a fashion technology company releases a quarterly ranking of the most popular brands and products in the fashion industry. To determine brand and product popularity, the company analyses its shoppers behaviour, including their searches on and off the platform, product views, and sales. They also consider social media mentions, activity and engagement statistics worldwide, over three months. Meanwhile, Prada remains the top brand globally for two consecutive quarters with a 22% increase in searches, followed by Miu Miu, climbing to second place due to high demand for the pocket bag, New Balance collaboration, and a successful Paris Fashion Week show. Versace rose five spots by hosting FW23 shows in LA during Oscars weekend, generating 39.8 million TikTok views and a 44% increase in searches. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LYST (@lyst) Here are the rankings of the Hottest Brands for Q1 of 2023: Prada Miu Miu Moncler Valentino Loewe Bottega Veneta Dolce & Gabbana Versace Gucci Saint Laurent Lysts Instagram page shared the list of Hottest Products, mentioning that Uniqlos shoulder bag, which went viral on TikTok and generated over 59 million views on the platform, is the most affordable product ever featured in The Lyst Index. It sold out multiple times in various colourways. At the opposite end of the price spectrum, Rick Owens Kriester Sunglasses have become a favourite among fashion shoppers, they added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LYST (@lyst) Here are the rankings of the Hottest Products for Q1 of 2023: Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag Rick Owens Kriester Sunglasses Skims Sculpt Bodysuit MSCHF Big Red Boots Diesel Denim Maxi Skirt Bottega Veneta Drop Earrings Adidas Gazelle Sneakers Weekday Astro Loose Baggy Jeans Alaia Le Coeur Bag MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon Cross High Sneakers Lysts formula for finding the hottest products in the world involves filtering more than eight million items" based on the volume of social media mentions, searches, page views, interactions, and sales" in the companys app. They group colours for styles and consider global demand in relation to the volume of stock available. The list also includes breakout brands like Khaite, Magda Butrym and Ann Demeulemeester as the standout breakout brands for Q1 2023. Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY 2023: Books are reservoirs of knowledge. They expose us to worlds, both imaginary and real, that we are unable to traverse in our lifetimes. Books inform, entertain, thrill and captivate readers. The protection of authors rights is vital. World Book and Copyright Day, also known as World Book Day and International Day of the Book, is celebrated on April 23, annually. Below, we will take a look at some of the interesting facts about the day and share some quotes for avid readers. World Book and Copyright Day 2023: Interesting Facts World Book and Copyright Day highlights the importance of reading as also publishing and copyright. As decided by UNESCO, the theme for World Book and Copyright Day this year is indigenous languages, many of which are fast disappearing. World Book and Copyright Day began as a commemoration of Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes death on October 7, 1916. The idea originated from writer and editor Vicente Clavel Andres of Valencia, Spain. Later, the date was shifted to April 23, which was when the Don Quixote author as buried following his passing on April 22. April 23, 1616 also the day on which William Shakespeare passed away. Authors like Vladimir Nabokov, Maurice Druon, Halldor K. Laxness and Manuel Mejia were all born on April 23. World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated in Spains Catalonia as Sant Jordis Day and The Day of Books and Roses. On this day, couples gift each other books and roses. UNESCO in its 1995 General Conference, declared April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day to honour authors who were born or passed away on the said date. World Book and Copyright Day 2023: Quotes There is no friend as loyal as a book. - Ernest Hemingway A room without books is like a body without a soul. - Marcus Tullius Cicero The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. - Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself. - George Bernard Shaw I cannot live without books. - Thomas Jefferson Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANOJ BAJPAYEE: Today, on April 23, actor Manoj Bajpayee turns a year older. The man is known for his versatile and method acting. From little roles in films to exhibiting his talent by playing the protagonists, he has ruled many hearts. After a few minor appearances in movies, the actor rose to prominence as Bhiku Mhatre in Ram Gopal Varmas 1998 crime drama Satya. ALSO READ: Manoj Bajpayee Birthday: Latest and Upcoming Projects of the National Award-winning Actor Since then, he has received numerous awards, including Filmfare, Dada Saheb Phalke, and National Awards. In addition, he received the Padma Shri for his services to the cinema. On the actors birthday, lets look back at some of his most iconic roles with shades of grey: Satya It will not be fair to discuss his shady role without mentioning Bhikhu Mhatre, which is at the top of any list that discusses Manoj Bajpayees work. The film had such an influence on people that after seeing him in the Gangster role, many began to address him by his character name in real life. Gangs of Wasseypur -1 Released in the year 2012, the crime action film directed by Anurag Kashyap focuses on the Dhanbad coal mafia and the underlying power struggles, politics, and fury amongst three mafia families. Sardar Khan, without a doubt, is one of the darkest characters Bajpayee has ever played. He appeared on the big screen as a lusty, immoral, and criminal character. Raajneeti Manoj Bajpayee portrays Veerendra Pratap, a candidate for Chief Minister from the Rashtrawadi party, the son of Bhanu Pratap, and the major antagonist in Prakash Jhas thriller drama depicting Indian politics. Bajpayee played an ambitious, power-hungry politician in this film, which also starred Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, and Ajay Devgn. This film is inspired by the epic Mahabharata, but it is a unique rendition taking place in the political world. Satyagraha Bajpayee plays a corrupt, power-hungry politician who is willing to go to any length to achieve his objectives in this dark political thriller. Bajpayee has portrayed the characters malice to perfection. The film mainly discusses the widespread corruption in the government. Aarakshan Manoj Bajpayee portrayed Mithilesh Singh in the 2011 film about the challenges surrounding Indias reservation system. He plays the role of a henchman for a fraudulent state minister and is the key brain behind corrupt coaching institutions that charge exorbitant fees but ultimately teach zero. Read all the Latest Movies News and Entertainment News here The RSS has often been portrayed as an anti-democratic organisation by the Western media as well as academia. Nothing can be farther than the truth. To understand how important democracy is for the RSS, one needs to revisit what happened after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed an 18-month long internal Emergency in India. The Opposition leaders were packed to the jails, fundamental rights were hijacked and the Indira governments dictatorial rule almost strangulated Indian democracy. Had it not been for the valiant fight put on by lakhs of RSS swayamsevaks (volunteers). Ironically the same Western press which has been trying to paint RSS as an anti-democratic organisation, was all praise for how the Sangh defended Indian democracy. There are two interesting texts that should be referred to in this context. They are: The Press She Could Not Whip: Emergency in India as reported by the Foreign Press, edited by Amiya Rao and B.G. Rao, and first published by Popular Prakashan in 1977, and The Smugglers of Truth, edited by Makarand Desai and published by The Friends of India Society International in July 1978 (it compiled articles published in Satyavani, an underground journal that was published during Emergency period in India). Lets take a look at some of the foreign media reports during that era and what they had to say about the RSS. American journalist J. Anthony Lukas busted the propaganda against the RSS which was banned immediately after the Emergency had kicked in. In an article titled India is as Indira Does (published on April 4, 1976) in The New York Times, Lukas wrote, The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, commonly known as the RSS, are a tightly disciplined band of volunteers between the ages of 12 and 21, but they can hardly be called troops. Pictures of material seized from the RSS offices after the Emergency primarily show long wooden staves and wooden swords. I asked Om Mehta, a Minister of State in the Home Ministry, about this and he replied vaguely, There were some metal swords too. Even with some metal swords, I asked, how could boys with staves pose much of a threat to a superbly equipped army of about one million men, the Border Security Force of about 85,000, the Central Reserve Police of about 57,000 and some 755,000 state policemen. Well, Mehta said, there were undoubtedly some rifles. Did you seize any? I asked. No, he said. They probably kept them at home. Dont underestimate these peoples capacity for mischief. On 24 January, 1976, around 7 months after the Emergency was imposed (25-26 June midnight, 1975), The Economist wrote in an article titled Yes there is an Underground, In formal terms, the underground is an alliance of four opposition parties: The Jana Sangh, the socialist party, the breakaway fraction of the Congress party and the Lok Dal But the shock troops of the movement come largely from the Jana Sangh and ..the RSS, which claim a combined membership of 10m (of whom 80,000, including 6,000 full-time party workers, are in prison). This report specifically said that Dattopant Thengadi, a senior RSS Pracharak (full-time worker) was one of the top leaders who were running the underground movement to end the Emergency and restore democracy in India. In another dispatch, as reproduced in the underground journal Satyavani on 26 June 1977, The Economist wrote: The underground campaign against Mrs Gandhi claims to be the only non-left wing revolutionary force in the world, disavowing both bloodshed and class struggle. Indeed, it might even be called right-wing since it is dominated by Jana Sangh and its banned cultural affiliate the RSS but its platform at the moment has only one non-ideological plank to bring back democracy to India. It added, The truth of this operation consists of tens of thousands of cadres who are organised down to the village level into 4-man cells. Most of them are RSS regulars the other opposition parties which started out as partners in the underground have effectively abandoned the field to the Jana Sangh and the RSS. The function of the RSS cadre network is mainly to spread the anti-(Indira) Gandhi word. Once the ground is prepared and political consciousness raised, so the leaders are ready, any spark can set off the revolutionary Prairie fire. Interestingly, during the Emergency, many RSS workers went underground and crossed over to Nepal to evade arrest in India. The Guardian wrote in an article dated 2 August 1976, titled The Empress Reigns Supreme, Reports from Kathmandu say that the Nepalese government has rejected appeals from the Indian police to arrest and intern members of the Indian underground. A source close to the Nepalese embassy said that Kathmandu will never hand over to the Indian government members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) banned by the Gandhi regime shortly after the promulgation of the Emergency Quoting the then Indian Home Minister about his views on the RSS, the same article stated, The RSS continues to be active all over India, Brahmanand Reddy, the Indian Home Minister, said recently It has even extended its tentacles to far-off Kerala in the South. Commenting on the role of communists, the article added, Pro-CPI (Communist Party of India) journals in India are being given some latitude by the censors because the party is in favour of even stronger measures to suppress the non-communist opposition. The New York Times reported on 28 October 1976, The only political parties which are supporting Congress Party of the government in the actions that it is taking are the Communist Party of India, the pro-Moscow Communist party and the Moslem League. First arrest in Emergency As soon as Emergency was imposed on the midnight of 25-26 June, 1975, the first man to be arrested was an RSS stalwart. KR Malkani, the editor of an English daily Motherland, was arrested from his residence at 2:30 am from his residence at Pandara Road in New Delhi. Motherland, however, was able to bring out a special supplement by the 26 June afternoon that exposed Indira Gandhis move to impose Emergency in detail. This was a historic edition and was in such huge demand that a single copy was sold at Rs 20, a princely sum for a newspaper copy at that time. It was the only newspaper on 26 June that published detailed stories on Emergency and made the whole nation and the world aware about it. It was shut down by the Indira Gandhi government as a part of the crackdown on independent Press. Motherland was backed by the RSS too. More than 1.5 lakh RSS volunteers were jailed during the emergency and a large number of them were brutally tortured also. Most of the top RSS leadership was also in jail. However, a handful of them escaped the clutches of the police and kept on running an underground movement by continuously moving from one place to another and changing their appearances. One of them was an RSS full-timer from Gujarat who later became the Prime Minister of India and is known to the world as Narendra Modi. The latter has given a detailed account of how this underground movement was run in a book that was originally written in Gujarati in 1978 and was titled Sangharsh ma Gujarat. It was translated in Hindi also under the title Aapatkaal Mein Gujarat. Broadly the title can be translated in English as Gujarats struggle against Emergency. The book tells you not only about Gujarat but the whole nationwide movement as Gujarat was one of the hubs of this movement where most of the underground literature was published and was sent to many other states in the country. (Continues) The writer, an author and columnist has written two books on RSS. He tweets @ArunAnandLive. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication Read all the Latest Opinions here Home Photos Auto IN PICS: TVS Young Media Racers Program Seventh Edition Selection Round at MMRT in Chennai Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently addressed the serious allegations levelled by the former governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik on the Pulwama Attack situation handled by the Modi government and asked why was he quiet at the time when he was in power. Speaking at India Today Karnataka Roundtable, Shah, said Why was your soul not awake when you were in powerthe credibility of such remarks should be analysed by people and media and if all this is true, why was he quiet when he was the governor. Why did you wait for this long to speak up? I want to tell all Indians that the BJP-led government, which you elected with a vast majority, hasnt 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 was quoted as saying. Shah further added that he should be asked: Why do these things (have) come to mind after leaving us. On being asked why Malik was appointed as Jammu and Kashmir governor, Shah said he had worked in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a long time and was thus given the role. It was a tactical decision, sometimes this happens in politics. If someone keeps changing attitude, form from time to time, what can we do, people should understand, he said. Speaking about the summon by the Central Bureau of Investigation to Satya Pal Malik following his allegations, Amit Shah said that there is no truth that Malik has been called for speaking against the government. He has been called for the second or third time. An investigation is on, some new information or proof must have surfaced that he has been called for the third time. There is no truth in this that he has been called for speaking against us, Amit Shah said. Recently, Satya Pal Malik, who was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir at the time of the fateful Pulwama terror attack, alleged that the paramilitary personnel who died in the attack were denied an aircraft to commute by the Centre and were sent by road despite an attacking threat. He also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him to remain silent on the matter and not flag the lapses. Read all the Latest Politics News here The Assam police on Sunday issued a notice to Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV over a harassment charge by a former party colleague. The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president has been asked to appear before the Guwahati Police Commissionerate at the Dispur police station on Tuesday, May 2, for questioning in connection with the case. According to an ANI report, a team of Assam Police arrived at the residence of the uncle of Srinivas BV at Basaveshwara Nagar in Bengaluru today in connection with the case against him by Angkita Dutta. Karnataka | A team of Assam Police reaches the residence of the uncle of IYC president Srinivas BV at Basaveshwara Nagar in Bengaluru in connection with the case against him by Angkita Dutta, former President of Assam Youth Congress.We are here to investigate the case. We pic.twitter.com/04tto4hgjW ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 In a series of tweets, Assam Youth Congress chief Angkita Dutta on Tuesday had claimed that Srinivas BV was a sexist and chauvinistic" person, who has been harassing her and discriminating based on gender. @IYC President @srinivasiyc has continually harassed me and has been discriminating on the basis of my gender. My values and education dont allow me to suffer anymore. The leadership has played deaf ears despite bringing the issue in front of them many times," Dutta wrote in a tweet. @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 Dutta further said despite several complaints, no enquiry committee was initiated against Srinivas. She also stated that Srinivas was trying to defame her by spreading posters featuring her with BJP leaders. They want to throw me out of the party," the Congress leader alleged. Now @vardhanyadav and @srinivasiyc is harassing and defaming me by making this posters. Because they want to throw me out of the party. Please note @RahulGandhi @priyankagandhi I am a four generation congress and CBI, ED hasnt been able to scare me till now pic.twitter.com/m8Ichfkiov Dr Angkita Dutta (@angkitadutta) April 18, 2023 Dutta filed a complaint against Srinivas 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" an FPJ report mentioned. Following her complaint, Angkita Dutta was expelled from the party on Saturday. Read all the Latest Politics News here Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said those raising slogans glorifying slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed should be shot on sight." The statement was in response to sloganeering held near the largest mosque after Friday prayers in Bihars Patna. Vaibhav Sharma, City SP, Patna had said, 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." Reacting to the incident, Union Minister Choubey 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. Choubey further 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. Choubey claimed that Bihar is currently being ruled by a dynasty and caste-based government and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is targeting BJP members with his statements. Choubey expressed confidence that the people of Bihar will respond by electing the Yogi model in the 2025 state elections. He further stated that the people of Bihar will bring the BJP government to power, and that the Yogi model will be implemented in the state in the near future. Atiq Ahmed Slogans Ahead of Eid ul-Fitr The Patna district administration shared a statement made by Mohd Faisal Imam, who leads the managing committee of Jama Masjid, on social media on Friday after the incident. The move was seemingly made to maintain calm and prevent any potential tensions, particularly ahead of the Eid ul Fitr celebrations 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. India celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramzan, on Saturday. During the Eid ul Fitr celebration, people wearing traditional clothing offered prayers at mosques and Eidgahs and families gathered together for festive feasts. A senior police official said Eid prayers in the state passed off peacefully at all the 31,838 places. Due to everyones efforts and efficient management, no untoward incident has been reported anywhere," and official. Security was tightened across Uttar Pradesh and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were imposed across districts after gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj on April 15 by three men posing as journalists. (With inputs from PTI and ANI) Read all the Latest Politics News here It's nice to see stop-motion animation getting the respect it deserves in modernity. As computer-generated animation began to skyrocket in popularity, other "outdated" forms of the medium started to fall by the wayside. And while stop-motion was never the dominant force in the world of animation, it was always a respected format that demanded intense attention to detail and the patience of a saint. Thankfully, we're finally in the middle of a wonderful renaissance for stop-motion animation. Outside of the stellar work that Laika Studios is behind(Kubo and the Two Strings, The Boxtrolls, and Coraline), longtime stop-motion veteran Henry Selick recently worked on a new film for Netflix titled Wendell & Wild. Plus, 2021 saw the release of Phil Tippet's highly acclaimed Mad God, an adult-oriented stop-motion film. Following the trend of stop-motion films aimed at adults, you can check out the short film linked above called HIDARI, which presents a beautifully realized samurai battle. Also, you can take a look at the behind-the-scenes process of making the film below. The US-based tech giant Google has introduced new capabilities to its AI chatbot, Bard, to help users with programming and software development tasks, including code generation, code debugging, and code explanation. Bard is now available in over 20 programming languages, including C++, Go, Java, JavaScript, Python, and TypeScript. With Bard, users can export Python code to Google Colab without the need for copy and paste. The chatbot can also assist with writing functions for Google Sheets, according to Google. In addition to generating code, Bard can explain code snippets, making it helpful for those who are learning programming for the first time. If users encounter an error message or receive code that doesnt work as intended, they can ask Bard to fix it by saying this code didnt work, please fix it." However, Google cautioned that Bard is still an early experiment and may sometimes provide inaccurate or misleading information while appearing confident. Google emphasized the importance of double-checking Bards responses and thoroughly testing and reviewing code for errors, bugs, and vulnerabilities before relying on it. Despite its capabilities, Bard may generate code that doesnt produce the expected output or may provide suboptimal or incomplete code. Bard has been assisting users with various everyday tasks, such as crafting presentations, writing lesson plans, inventing new recipes, and planning workout routines. Googles CEO Sundar Pichai recently created a unit called Google DeepMind" to build more capable AI systems safely and responsibly, in response to the success of OpenAIs ChatGPT, which is owned by Microsoft. The new unit will bring together the Brain team from Google Research and DeepMind, two leading research groups in the field of AI. In related news, Google is reportedly planning to incorporate generative artificial intelligence into its advertising business in the coming months as big tech companies rush to adopt the technology. Read all the Latest Tech News here Global technology brand Lenovo has reportedly started laying off employees, as its PC business suffers significantly amid economic downturn. According to a report in CRN, the job cuts at Levono are part of a roughly $115 million cost-cutting plan". Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing had informed in February about a coming workforce adjustment" as part of a broader reduction in spending. The company had about 75,000 employees at the end of its 2022 fiscal year. Like our CEO Yuanqing Yang said at our most recent quarterly earnings announcement, we are reducing operational expenses and making workforce adjustments where necessary and appropriate," a company spokesperson said in a statement. We continue to invest in the areas that accelerate growth and the overall transformation of the company," the spokesperson told WRAL TechWire. A severe downturn" in the PC and smartphone markets caused the companys revenue to drop 24 per cent (year-on-year) to $15.3 billion and net income to $437 million in the quarter ended December 31. The company had hinted at the job cuts in future as part of the overall cost reduction. Lenovo CFO Wong Wai Ming had blamed the downturn on a confluence of global economic challenges and dynamic shifts in market demand". In the March quarter (Q1 2023), weak demand, excess inventory and a worsening macroeconomic climate resulted in the global shipments of traditional PCs recording 56.9 million, a huge 29 per cent drop compared to the same quarter last year, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). Lenovo led the global PC market with 22.4 per cent market share, followed by HP Inc at 21.1 per cent and Dell Technologies at 16.7 per cent. According to the report, the pause in growth and demand is also giving the supply chain some room to make changes as many factories begin to explore production options outside China. If recession in key markets drags into next year, recovery could be a slog. Read all the Latest Tech News here A US man flying from Minnesota to Alaska has been arrested after he was accused of forcing himself on a male flight attendant and kissing him on the neck. The Delta Airlines passenger from Texas is said to be heavily drunk when he made this unruly advance towards the flight attendant, New York Post reported. The passenger has been identified as David Alan Burk, 61, and has been charged with assault and criminal mischief for his behaviour and is due in court on April 27. The report said that Burk was entitled to drinks before his take-off from Minneapolis as he was a first-class passenger. However, the crew member told him he ran out of time to serve him red wine. The flight attendant, identified as TC, served wine to the passenger wine after the takeoff, but he returned to collect the meal trays from him, Burk reached out to shake the flight attendants hand. A few minutes later, Burk got off his seat to use the restroom and stopped at the gallery where the TC was. He told the male flight attendant that he was so beautiful, before asking for a kiss. TC replied, No, thank you, to which the passenger then said, Okay, well on the neck then, and he grabbed him and plant a smooch on his neck, making him extremely uncomfortable. While the plane was in flight, Burk then grabbed TCs neck, pulling him toward Burk, and purposefully kissed TCs neck. TC stated he was very uncomfortable and caught off-guard by what Burk had just done, the affidavit stated. TC never gave verbal consent or implicit consent to Burk to allow him to touch or kiss TC, or to make him think it was okay to do so, the affidavit says. After the incident, the flight attendant was moved to the back of the plane for the rest of the journey. The report also said that the passenger had damaged a tray containing the food for the captain. He later asked for two more glasses of red wine and became "wasted" before falling asleep, the report said. After the plane landed, Burk was taken into custody by the airport Police. He, however, denied getting up to use the toilet, breaking a plate and planting the unwanted kiss. He acknowledged drinking "a lot" before the flight. He was charged with interfering with flight crew members and making false statements before being released on his own recognizance. Read all the Latest News here Meghan Markle, the wife of Britains 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 sons 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 couples 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. Read all the Latest News here India is planning to evacuate stranded Indians from Sudan by road, where the conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces has entered its second week, sources have said. The sources said that those who are outside the conflict zone and in areas with lesser violence will be evacuated by road. Indians stranded in areas of continuous violence and firing will be evacuated as soon as the violence subsides. The new plan comes as air navigation services have been suspended in Sudans airspace. The Khartoum International Airport was closed immediately after the conflict started in the capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday directed officials to prepare contingency evacuation plans for about 3,000 Indian citizens stuck in the conflict-ridden country. Around 3000-4000 Indians are stranded in Sudan and most of them are stranded in the capital Khartoum, which is the epicentre of the fighting. 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 PMO said. Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group which has seen fighter jets launch airstrikes and street fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded. India is chalking out plans for the safety and security of stranded Indians and planning for their evacuation. Earlier on Saturday, more than 150 people, including Indian nationals, were rescued from Sudan and taken to Jeddah, the Saudi foreign ministry said. It said that 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 arrived safely in the country. Meanwhile, the United States military conducted an operation to extract American embassy staff from Khartoum. France has also launched evacuation operations from the northeast African nation. Read all the Latest India News here 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. Read all the Latest News here Israel has detained a Jordanian lawmaker on suspicion of smuggling arms and gold into the West Bank and Amman is working to secure his release, the kingdoms foreign ministry said on Sunday. Imad al Adwan, a member of parliament who had crossed a main border crossing along the Jordan River earlier on Sunday by car, was being held and interrogated by Israeli authorities, Sinan al Majali, a Jordanian foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement to state media. The ministry in coordination with the relevant agencies in the kingdom was efforting to get details of the case and resolve it as speedily as possible, Majali said. A spokesperson for Israels foreign ministry declined to comment on reports of the arrest. Prominent lawmaker Khalil Atiya, known for his vocal opposition to Israel and who has led campaigns to repeal the countrys peace treaty with Israel, said the government would be held responsible if it failed to act quickly. There should be no room left for the enemy to harm the dignity of Jordanians by detaining and jailing a member of the parliament, Atiya said. Israel enjoys close security ties with Jordan, the Arab neighbour it shares its longest stretch of border with, but political relations have soured in recent years over Israels stance on the right of Palestinians to a state. Many of the kingdoms citizens are of Palestinian origin. Read all the Latest News here Russia on Saturday announced the tit-for-tat expulsion of over 20 German diplomats following the mass" removal of Russian embassy staff from the country and accused Berlin of destroying ties. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state-run television Zvezda more than 20" German diplomats would have to leave. Her statement came shortly after the 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. The Federal government and the Russian side have been contact in recent weeks on personnel matters in their respective representations abroad," the German foreign ministry told AFP. Todays flight is part of that process," it said, without specifically mentioning any expulsion of Russian diplomats. Moscow accused Berlin of continuing to demonstratively destroy the entire range of Russia-Germany relations." As a response to Berlins 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 Germanys ambassador Geza Andreas von Geyr was notified of the measures on April 5. Increased espionage Germany had for years maintained deep economic ties with Moscow, particularly in the energy sector where it is dependent on Russian gas. Relations however soured since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine, and as Berlin increased its financial and military support to Kyiv. Germany had been criticised for dragging its feet over delivering weapons to Kyiv and its reluctance to allow the despatch of German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine. In January it finally agreed to allow the armaments to be sent and pledged to deliver some of the most modern ones from its stocks. The Kremlin said the Western tanks would burn". The German security service also raised the level of alert regarding Russian espionage which it said had reached unprecedented levels after what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine. It said Russia was targeting German companies and strategic infrastructure, especially energy, rail and road. Early last year, Germany expelled 40 Russian diplomats who it said represented a security threat. In October, Germanys cybersecurity chief, Arne Schoenbohm, was sacked after allegations that he had ties to Russian intelligence services. Read all the Latest News here The deputy head of Myanmars election commission was shot dead in Yangon on Saturday by rebel fighters, the military said, in the latest killing of a high-profile individual linked to the countrys junta. Myanmars military has led a bloody 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 tasked the junta-stacked election commission with holding fresh polls, which opponents of the military say cannot possibly be 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 Friday. The group was trounced by Suu Kyis NLD at elections in 1990, 2015 and 2020. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the militarys power grab, which sparked renewed fighting with ethnic rebels and birthed 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 murky 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. Read all the Latest News here 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 Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: 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. 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. Read all the Latest News here In 1973, a group of young musicians from East LA Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano, David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, Steve Berlin (joined in 1984), and the late Francisco Gonzalez formed Los Lobos del Este De Los Angeles. Though most well-known, perhaps in some cultural circles, for popularizing and circulating the song La Bamba from the Richie Valens biopic in 1987, Los Lobos is a multi-instrument group that connects generations through language, music, and reinvention. Singing in Spanish and English, and easily navigating genres from rock-n-roll, rockabilly, R&B, folk music, blues, Tex-Mex, and traditional Mexican music like mariachi, conjunto, son jarocho, and huapango, as well as songs associated with the Chicano Movement, Los Lobos created a cross-over=and-back sound that has attracted a broad audience for the last half-century. Ethnomusicologist Estevan Azcona calls this creative energy of political cultures of resistance and creativity "irreverent play." Check out their first album, "Just Another Band From East L.A.," also known as The Yellow Album. Gonzalez left the band in 1977 to become the music director for Theatro Campesino, the Chicano/a theater group that first began as a cultural element of the United Farm Workers. Adam Joseph at Good Times explains, "His unofficial mission for the group has been a guiding light throughout Los Lobos' career." Gonzalez eventually mastered the Mexican Harp, releasing the album The Gift/Regalo in 2009. Gonzalez died on March 30, 2022. Fifty years after their first community gigs in East LA, Los Lobos continue to create and inspire, playing to fans around the world, the consummate rock-n-rollers still making stellar, electrified, and award-winning music. Still and always Chicanos from East LA, their most recent album, Native Sons, won the 2022 Grammy Award in the Best Americana category. Pitchfork explains Native Sons is "an autobiography told through other people's words. Los Lobos designed this covers album as a tribute to their hometown of Los Angeles, selecting songs they believed would represent the soul of the city, taking pains to incorporate the different sounds and cultures that lie within its urban sprawl. Sticking largely to music written and recorded prior to the band's formation in 1973, Los Lobos dodge nostalgia by side-stepping recognizable tunes in favor of ones that showcase their versatility and taste, elements that have distinguished the band throughout their long career." Los Lobos innovated a musical genealogy that sequenced and weaved the intricacies and precision of traditional Mexican and Chicano music with any and all melodic and rhythmic forms of sonic function. As artists, they reimagined tradition as part of tradition's demand for remaking and sometimes undoing itself: music as the intersection of moving vernaculars of people migrating across the earth. These rockers from East LA inherited a tradition of artists playing music inspired by conventions and practices that did not center central Europe or the United States. Ethnomusicologist Estevan Azcona calls this creative energy of political cultures of resistance, solidarity, and inventiveness "irreverent play". Los Lobos were a consequence of who came before them, and conditioned the possibility for uniquely evolving musical genres, including bands like Quetzal, Maneja Beto, and Dos Santos. For a deeper literary dive, check out Los Lobos: Dream in Blue, by Chris Morris, "the first book on this unique band traces the entire arc of the band's career. Music journalist Chris Morris draws on new interviews with Los Lobos members and their principal collaborators, as well as his own reporting since the early 1980s, to recount the evolution of Los Lobos's musicwhile following the band's trajectory from playing Mexican folk music at weddings and dances in East L.A. to international stardom and major-label success, as well as their independent work in the new millennium." If you are in Las Vegas, Nevada, in early July, Los Lobos will play the Vegas Tejano Takeover 2023 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. The wealth of Russias richest people increased by $152 billion over the past year despite the war in Ukraine, a report in Reuters said. The report quoting Forbes Russia said that the number of billionaires saw an increase in wealth due to the increased prices for natural resources and rebounding from the huge loss of fortunes they experienced just after the Ukraine war began. Russia now has 110 official billionaires on the list, up 22 from last year, while their total wealth increased to $505 billion from $353 billion when the 2022 list was announced. The new Russian names in the Forbes list include billionaires who made their money in snacks, supermarkets, chemicals, building and pharmaceuticals, indicating that Russian domestic demand has remained strong despite the sanctions, the report said. The list doesnt include five billionaires- DST Global founder Yuri Milner, Revolut founder Nikolay Storonsky, Freedom Finance founder Timur Turlov, and JetBrains co-founders Sergei Dmitriev and Valentin Kipyatkov as they renounced their Russian citizenship. Last years rating results were also influenced by apocalyptic predictions about the Russian economy," Forbes said, adding that the total wealth of Russias billionaires was $606 billion in 2021, before Ukraine war. According to the list, the richest man in Russia was Andrei Melnichenko, who made a fortune in fertilisers and has an estimated worth of $25.2 billion, more than double what he was estimated to be worth last year. The second richest in the list was Vladimir Potanin, president and biggest shareholder of Nornickel, the worlds largest producer of palladium and refined nickel with a fortune of $23.7 billion. Vladimir Lisin, who was the richest man last year, was placed third in the list with a fortune of $22.1 billion. After Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in Feb 2022, the West has imposed what it casts as the most severe sanctions in modern history on Russias economy in an attempt to punish Putin for the war. Though Russian economy shrank 2.1 percent in 2022 amid Western sanctions, it was able to sell oil, metals and other natural resources to countries including China, India and the Middle East. Read all the Latest News here Foreign countries on Sunday rushed to evacuate their nationals from battle-torn Sudan where deadly fighting raged into a second week between forces loyal to two rival generals. As gunfire again echoed through Khartoum and fighter jets roared above, foreigners also fled the capital in a long United Nations convoy, while millions of frightened residents hunkered down inside their homes, many running low on water and food. Across the city of five million, army and paramilitary troops have fought ferocious street battles since April 15, leaving behind charred tanks, gutted buildings and shops that have been looted and torched. More than 420 people have been killed and thousands wounded, according to UN figures, amid fears of wider turmoil and a humanitarian disaster in one of the worlds poorest nations. US special forces launched a rescue mission early Sunday for around 100 embassy staff and their relatives, swooping in with Chinook helicopters to fly them to a military base in Djibouti. US President Joe Biden condemned the violence, saying it is unconscionable and it must stop". British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said UK forces had also evacuated diplomats and their families amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff". Germany and France meanwhile announced Sunday that they had begun evacuating their nationals and those from other countries. A French plane carrying around 100 people of multiple nationalities landed in Djibouti", according to French President Emmanuel Macron, with a second flight of another 100 people expected to leave Sunday evening. Long convoys of UN vehicles and buses were seen leaving Khartoum heading east to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 850 kilometres (530 miles) away by road, carrying citizens from all over the world", according to one Sierra Leonean evacuee. Taking advantage of a recent brief lull in fighting, residents of Khartoum rushed to organise buses out mainly north to Egypt sharing drivers numbers, safe routes, and advice on visa restrictions on social media. - Living in darkness - The fighting broke out on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Daglos RSF emerged from the Janjaweed fighters whom former strongman Omar al-Bashir unleashed in the Darfur region, where they were accused of war crimes including genocide. The military toppled Bashir in April 2019 following mass citizen protests. The two generals seized power in a 2021 coup, but later fell out in a bitter power struggle, most recently centred on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. Multiple truces have been agreed in recent days and ignored. Khartoums airport, where the blackened hulls of destroyed aircraft lie on runways, is under the control of the RSF. At least one jailbreak has taken place in the capital, according to lawyers. Reports of prisoners also being freed from two other prisons including the Kober jail where Bashir has been held could not be independently verified. In Khartoum, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power largely off amid sweltering heat and the internet out for most. We were living in darkness first we didnt have water and then we didnt have power," Khartoum resident Awad Ahmad Sherif said. We ask God for our safety." - Stop the violence - Pope Francis on Sunday renewed calls for the violence to stop as quickly as possible and for dialogue to resume". Fighting has broken out elsewhere across Sudan, Africas third biggest nation. Battles have raged in Darfur, where aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said their medics had been overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children, in the city of El Fasher. Some hospitals have been shelled and others ransacked, with more than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states out of service", the doctors union said. In the first large evacuation, more than 150 Saudi citizens and nationals from 12 other countries reached Saudi Arabia by sea on Saturday. Turkey began rescue operations at dawn Sunday via road from the southern city of Wad Madani, but the effort was postponed from one site in Khartoum after explosions near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said on Twitter. European countries including Italy, the Netherlands and Greece also said they were planning rescue efforts. The scramble by foreigners to escape has heightened fears among Sudanese of what will happen when diplomats who could act as potential mediators have gone. Pushing for safe passages to evacuate internationals without simultaneously pushing to end the war will be terrible", said researcher Hamid Khalafallah. International actors will have less impact once theyre out of country," he said, adding in a message to foreign nations: Do all you can to leave safely, but dont leave the Sudanese people behind unprotected." Read all the Latest News here Battles raging in Sudan have sparked several evacuation operations to rescue foreign citizens or embassy staff by road, air and sea. The main airport in the capital Khartoum has been the site of heavy fighting and is under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that is battling the army. Some evacuations are taking place from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, an 850 kilometre (530 mile) drive from Khartoum. Here is an overview of what various nations were doing Sunday in efforts to take stranded citizens to safety. - Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia led the first reported successful evacuation with naval operations picking up more than 150 people including foreign diplomats and officials from Port Sudan on Saturday. Riyadh 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. - United States - On Sunday, the US military sent three Chinook helicopters to evacuate American embassy staff from Khartoum. More than 100 US forces took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw the choppers flying from Djibouti to Ethiopia to Sudan, where they stayed on the ground for less than an hour. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he ordered the evacuation of staff and their families due to the serious and growing security risks" amid fighting that has already left hundreds dead and thousands wounded. Several thousand US citizens including dual nationals are thought to remain in the country. - France - Around 100 people of multiple nationalities have been evacuated from Sudan on a first French flight out of the country after a complicated" rescue operation, a French foreign ministry official said on Sunday. A second flight of another 100 people is expected to leave on Sunday evening, also heading to Djibouti, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity. - Britain - The British army has evacuated UK embassy staff and their families from Sudan, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff," Sunak tweeted. - Turkey - Ankara began operations at dawn on Sunday, taking some of its estimated 600 nationals by road from two Khartoum districts and the southern city of Wad Madani. But plans were postponed from one site in Khartoum after explosions" near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said. - EU, Germany, Italy, Greece, Netherlands - The European Union said Friday it was trying to coordinate an operation to get our civilians out of the city which is now in a high-risk situation". Seven EU members have missions in Sudan. Germany began evacuating citizens from Sudan in an ongoing evacuation operation in coordination with our partners", the defence and foreign ministries tweeted on Sunday, following an aborted attempt to transfer 150 Germans on Wednesday. Italys Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome was planning to evacuate about 200 people" including Italians, Swiss and representatives of the Vatican in a military operation on Sunday. The Dutch Foreign Ministry said it was participating in an international evacuation operation", with Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra saying teams would do their utmost to collect Dutch people as quickly and safely as possible". Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said the government had ordered to relocate aircraft and troops to Egypt for a potential operation to rescue Greek and Cypriot citizens. The Irish government is deploying 12 defence personnel to Djibouti to help evacuate 150 citizens in Sudan, a foreign ministry statement said. - Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia - Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman Sinan Majali said Saturday that Amman had begun the evacuation of some 300 Jordanian citizens, adding there was continuous cooperation with the UAE and Saudi Arabia for this purpose". Iraqi embassy staff left Khartoum on Saturday, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahhaf said, while on Sunday, 14 citizens arrived safely at a secure site" at Port Sudan. An Iraqi was killed in Khartoum due to current events", Sahhaf told AFP Sunday, without providing further details. Lebanon said 60 citizens had also left Khartoum by road and were safe", ahead of their planned evacuation by sea. The Libyan embassy in Khartoum on Friday said it had evacuated 83 Libyans from the capital, taking them to Port Sudan. The Tunisian embassy has announced an evacuation operation planned for Monday to extract citizens remaining in the country, after some had left aboard Saudi ships. - China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia - Other foreign countries preparing evacuations include South Korea and Japan, which have deployed forces to nearby countries. India said it had two air force planes on standby in Jeddah" in Saudi Arabia and a navy ship had arrived in Port Sudan, but any evacuations would depend on the security situation", according to a foreign ministry statement. The Sudanese army has said it is also coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from China. Indonesia said 43 citizens were sheltering inside the embassy compound in Khartoum. Read all the Latest News here The United States asked South Korea to urge its chipmakers not to fill any market gap in China if Beijing bans memory chipmaker Micron from selling chips, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The United States made the request as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol prepares to travel to Washington on Monday, the newspaper reported, according to four people familiar with the talks. Chinas cyberspace regulator Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in March that it would conduct a cybersecurity review of products sold in the country by Micron. In a response, Micron said that it is cooperating with the Chinese government and that its operations in China are normal. Washington asked Seoul to encourage Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to hold back from boosting sales to China if Micron is banned as a result of the investigation, the report added, citing people familiar with the situation. The U.S. has imposed a series of export controls on chipmaking technology to China for fear it could be used to produce chips for military applications. It has blacklisted a number of Chinas largest chip firms, including Micron rival Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd. Read all the Latest Tech News here It is, write Natalie Kitroeff and Ronen Bergman in the New York Times, the "world's most infamous spyware." The pair do a deep dive into Pegasus, a surveillance tool that can compromise every piece of data on a target's phoneeven encrypted phonesincluding the camera. Pegasus is made by the Israeli company NSO, and so many privacy abuses have been reported in so many countries since its debut in 2011, that the Israeli government promised to ban sales to nations where there was a high risk of misuse. The US, meanwhile, sees Pegasus as so dangerous it has blacklisted NSO and barred American companies from selling its equipment. The story, however, focuses on one nation where Pegasus appears to be flourishing, and not just against criminalsMexico. At this point, the nation's military has "targeted more cellphones with the spyware than any other government agency in the world." The Mexican government was the first to buy the tool more than a decade ago, and it famously helped authorities catch the drug lord known as El Chapo. "Mexico went on to wield the surveillance tool against civilians who stand up to the stateabuses the country insists it has stopped," per the story. But the newspaper's investigation "found that Mexico has continued to use Pegasus to spy on people who defend human rights, even in recent months." In the latter half of 2022, for example, the military infiltrated the phones of two attorneys representing victims of a notorious mass disappearance in 2014. The kicker: The military was using the spyware at the time of the mass abduction of students to spy on the phones of people involved in the crime, per the story, but authorities did not use the intelligence to help find the students. (Read the full story.) Whenever Disney and Star Wars find themselves in the same sentence, you already know the results will be polarizing at best and horrifically underwhelming at worst. Barring Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first two seasons of the Mandalorian and Andor, every Disney Star Wars property has caused massive rifts within the fandom and been the subject of intense debate and scrutiny. And when it comes to polarizing Star Wars projects, no series of films fit the bill better than Disney's disastrous sequel trilogy. Dissecting what went wrong with Disney's sequel trilogy of Star Wars movies is like breaking down the Zapruder film. One of the trilogies' most egregious failures relates to the series' handling of John Boyega's character Finn. Arriving with one of the most interesting backstories ever conceived in a Star Wars film, Finn seemed like he was going to become a massive player in the universe during his debut in The Force Awakens. And then he just kind of faded into the background. According to Comingsoon.net, John Boyega has been rumored to return as Finn for Daisy Ridley's recently announced Star Wars films. 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, the AP reports. Randy Stratton, whose late father, Donald Stratton, was Potts' Arizona shipmate and close friend, said he had talked to Potts on April 15the veteran's 102nd birthday. "He knew that his body was kind of shutting down on him," 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." Dozens of ships either sank, capsized, or were damaged in the bombing of the Hawaii naval base, which catapulted the US 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 that there was also a lot of chaos. He carried his memories of the attack for the rest of his 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. Once Conter has died, he added, "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 Stratton said Potts didn't want that. He said he got off once, hes not going to go back on board again, he said. (In December, only a half-dozen Pearl Harbor survivors made it to the annual remembrance.) Back in December, fresh off his easy reelection win, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis led Donald Trump by 14 points in a Wall Street Journal poll of likely Republican candidates for president. What a difference four months has made. Trump now leads DeSantis by 13 points in the newspaper's latest poll. Trump had 51% and DeSantis 38%, followed by Nikki Haley at 5% and Sen. Tim Scott at 3%. Everybody else, including Mike Pence, registered at 2% or lower. Unlike Trump, DeSantis has yet to formally enter the race, but the Journal notes he has hit something of a "rough patch" on the national stage as he edges toward an expected official entry. DeSantis, for example, caught flak from both Republicans and Democrats after he criticized US aid to Ukraine, and backtracked from his comments. Trump, meanwhile, has been steadily attacking his presumed rival, while DeSantis largely has refrained from returning fire. The poll does have some good news for the governor, however: 84% view him favorably, ahead of Trump's 78%, and 41% think he would have a better chance of beating President Biden, ahead of the 31% who think so of Trump. Meanwhile, the Hill reports on a separate poll from Harvard CAPS/Harris that also shows the race moving in Trump's favorthough by a lesser degree. The poll has Trump at 55% and DeSantis at 20%. Last month, Trump led 50% to 24%. Pence fares better in this one, coming in at 7% for third place, with nobody else cracking 5%. (Trump appears to be seeing a surge in donations in the wake of his indictment in New York.) The US military airlifted embassy officials out of Sudan on Sunday as rival generals battled for control of Africas third-largest country for a ninth straight day, per the AP. The violence came despite a declared truce that was to coincide with the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. After a week of bloody battles hindered rescue efforts, US special forces swiftly evacuated some 70 US embassy staffers from Khartoum to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia early Sunday. Although American officials said it was still too dangerous to carry out a government-coordinated mass evacuation of private citizens, other countries scrambled to evacuate their citizens and diplomats. France and the Netherlands, for example, said Sunday they were organizing evacuations for embassy employees and nationals, along with some citizens of allied countries. The fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces has targeted and paralyzed the country's main international airport, reducing a number of civilian aircraft to ruins and gutting at least one runway. Other airports across the country have also been knocked out of operation. The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudan's heady hopes for a democratic transition. More than 400 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and more than 3,500 have been wounded in the fighting. The fighting has left millions of Sudanese stranded at homehiding from explosions, gunfire, and lootingwithout adequate electricity, food, or water. On Sunday, the country experienced a near-total collapse of internet connection, according to NetBlocks.org, an internet monitoring service. (Read more Sudan stories.) Around 3,000 migrants set out Sunday on what they call a mass protest procession through southern Mexico to demand the end of detention centers like the one that caught fire last month, killing 40 migrants. The migrants set out early Sunday from the city of Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border, the AP reports. They say their aim is to reach Mexico City to demand changes in the way migrants are treated. "It could well have been any of us," Salvadoran migrant Miriam Argueta said of those killed in the fire. "In fact, a lot of our countrymen died. The only thing we are asking for is justice, and to be treated like anyone else." In the past, however, many participants in such processions have continued on to the US border, which is almost always their goal. The migrants are mainly from Central America, Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia. Mexican authorities have used paperwork restrictions and highway checkpoints to bottle up tens of thousands of frustrated migrants in Tapachula, making it hard for them to reach the US border. Argueta said that when migrants look for work in Tapachula, "they give us jobs, perhaps not humiliating, but the one the Mexicans don't want to do, hard work that pays very little." Organizer Irineo Mujica said the migrants are demanding the dissolving of the country's immigration agency, whose officials have been blamedand some of t hem charged with homicidein the March 27 fire. Mujica called the immigration detention centers "jails." The roots of the migrant caravan phenomenon began years ago when activists organized processions, often with a religious theme, during Holy Week to dramatize the hardships and needs of migrants. In 2018 a minority of those involved wound up traveling all the way to the US border. Mexican prosecutors have said they will press charges against the immigration agencys top national official, Francisco Garduno, saying that he was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agency's detention centers. Prosecutors said government audits had found a pattern of irresponsibility and repeated omissions in the immigration institute. Six officials of the National Immigration Institute, a guard at the center and the Venezuelan migrant accused of starting the blaze are already in custody facing homicide charges. (Read more Mexico stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 30F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 30F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Military Working Dog Handler, Sgt. David Sheriff, and his four-legged partner, Fargo, with the 947th Military Police Detachment (The Old Guard), Washington, D.C., participate in an assessment of a new explosives detection training aid April 6 at the Training Support Center here. The assessment was part of whats called the Maneuver Support, Sustainment and Protection Integration eXperiments, or MSSPIX, which provides Army leaders and capability developers a chance to gain insights into the viability of emerging technologies through credible and validated operational assessments. (Photo by Brian Hill, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office) We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Chinese enterprises make remarkable contributions to South Africa's industrialization 13:38, April 23, 2023 By Zou Song ( People's Daily Local employees assemble motors in a workshop in the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park. (People's Daily/Zou Song) Wide and flat roads, orderly traffic flow, and neatly built factory facilities - these are the most prominent features of the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park, a manufacturing quarter built by Chinese home appliance giant Hisense in Cape Town, South Africa. "I've been working in this industry for nearly 30 years, and this year marks the 10th year for me to work in the industrial park. I'm glad to see the young people gaining better and better vocational skills today," said Valeri, Workshop Director of Industrial Park Television Factory. Valeri is about to retire. She had gone through the hardships of factory shutdowns and unemployment. For a time, she had to do some vending businesses to make a living. After the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park was built in the Atlantis industrial area in Cape Town, the woman immediately applied for a job there. She started from the most basic position and became a team leader and then workshop director after training. Valeri now has apprentices. The products manufactured by her factory are available in many home appliance shops in South Africa, which makes her proud, Valeri told People's Daily. Local employees work in a workshop of the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park. (People's Daily/Zou Song) The Hisense South Africa Industrial Park was jointly built by Hisense and the China-Africa Development Fund in 2013 with an investment of $350 million. After years of development, the park is able to produce 400,000 television sets and 400,000 refrigerators on an annual basis today. Now, Hisense televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators and other home appliance products are sold in over 5,000 shops under 18 major chain stores across South Africa, accounting for 30 percent of the market share in the country. Besides, these products are exported to more than 10 African countries such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Madagascar, as well as European destinations including the UK. More and more factories on the supply chain of the home appliance industry have been built in the Atlantis industrial area because of the influence of the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park. The Atlantis industrial area has become an important manufacturing hub for electronic and home appliance products in South Africa and designated as a national-level special economic zone. Sizo Nkala, a researcher at University of Johannesburg Centre for Africa-China Studies, told People's Daily that the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park, attracting more and more Chinese enterprises to South Africa, has contributed to South Africa's re-industrialization. While promoting industrialization in South Africa, Chinese enterprises attach high importance to talent cultivation, which helps improve vocational skills of the local workforce. Local employees work in a workshop of the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park. (People's Daily/Zou Song) Many local workers including Valeri have joined vocational training programs launched by Chinese enterprises, and now about 70 percent of the management positions are held by local employees. Besides, to improve the vocational skills of local young employees, Hisense and a local middle school have jointly established an electronics technology research and development training base, which offers electronic, software and equipment operation courses. So far, the base has trained a total of more than 1,400 people. Today, Valeri and her family are living an obviously better life than before. She said her job has brought dramatic changes to her family. "We expanded our residence, and I can enjoy my twilight years after retirement," she told People's Daily. A number of residents in the Atlantis industrial area have secured a job near their homes, and many of them have bought their own cars. Since the Hisense South Africa Industrial Park was put into use, it has created around 1,000 jobs for local people and indirectly offered 5,000 jobs. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Africa. Alvin Botes, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, noted that Chinese enterprises have made constant and remarkable contributions to promoting South Africa's industrialization. He hopes that the two countries can achieve more fruitful results in their future cooperation. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming) Three years ago, the board of directors at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center received an anonymous letter raising concerns about how its employees of color were treated. In response, Chairman Michael Joseph urged the hiring of a diversity consultant. In early 2021, Roswell Park tapped an outside law firm to advise a newly created board diversity committee. The firm completed its report last year and shared it with board members in a closed-door session. Roswell Park has paid $4.67 million to settle discrimination lawsuits, faces more complaints Fifteen lawsuits claiming employment discrimination based on gender, race or disability have been filed against Roswell Park over the last eight years. To date, The Buffalo News has found the cancer center has paid at least $4.67 million to settle six of the cases. Roswell Park has refused to make the report public, over the objections of several directors, and has twice rejected public records requests from The Buffalo News for this document. Roswell Parks decision to keep the report and much of its diversity discussion hidden from view comes as it has faced lawsuits accusing hospital officials of racial, gender and other discrimination. Former employees have filed at least 15 such lawsuits over the past eight years, a review of state and federal court records found. The complaints were brought by doctors, nurses and support staff at the hospital. And they raised allegations of a hostile workplace environment, careers that unfairly stalled and retaliation against anyone who raised concerns. Roswell Park has paid at least $4.67 million to settle six of those lawsuits, according to legal filings obtained through a public records request, a figure not previously reported. I've been deeply concerned about a series of events that had taken place in the past. And concerned that it amounted to a pattern and practice that was discriminatory, said Dr. Mary Bassett, who served on the board during her tenure as New York's health commissioner. And I wanted to see the board sort of grab this with both hands and pursue it without a roadmap, without the goal of exoneration, but with the goal of truth and repair. Roswell Park officials deny the allegations in the lawsuits and say the cancer center's record on diversity is comparable to that of other area health care providers. And they defended their efforts to recruit, and support, an employee base that reflects the population of the community the cancer center serves. Officials pointed to the creation of a diversity action committee, improvements to how claims of racial discrimination are investigated and the planned hiring of a senior vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. Roswell Park remains steadfast in our obligation to be a driving force for equity and community welfare for our patients, team members and society in all our endeavors," the cancer center said in a statement. The public has a significant stake in how well Roswell Park, the only federally designated cancer center in upstate New York, addresses the issue of diversity. The cancer center is a public-benefit corporation that receives more than $100 million annually in state funding and, with about 3,800 workers, is a major area employer. And its record on diversity has drawn the attention of the state's top elected official. "We are very concerned about these allegations and are exploring ways to improve diversity, equity and inclusion at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, emailed Matt Janiszewski, a spokesman for Gov. Kathy Hochul. A message received Board meeting minutes, documents shared with The News and comments provided by current and former hospital leaders offer a detailed look at how Roswell Park's administration recently confronted the issue of race. At a board of directors meeting held June 25, 2020, Joseph, the chairman, referred to the anonymous letter that, he said, most board members received. The letter has not been previously reported but The News obtained a copy. Rampant discrimination and hostility against Black and brown employees are the coin of the realm at Roswell Park, the letter writer argued, claiming the board overlooked this mistreatment for years. The letter also detailed the few Black and Latino employees in the cancer centers upper ranks: At the time, of roughly 240 physicians practicing at the hospital, just five were Black and two were Latino. Today, Roswell Park reported, of 200 physicians who identified their race, five identify as Black and four identify as Latino, numbers that are in line with national statistics for practicing oncologists. The meeting was held one month after George Floyds murder in Minneapolis set off racial justice protests around the country, including in Buffalo. According to meeting minutes, Joseph acknowledged "there are likely diversity issues that need to be addressed. The board ultimately hired a diversity consultant, Bart Bailey, to provide advice and guidance. A 'change in culture' On March 17, 2021, President and CEO Candace Johnson told the board that Bailey had started holding diversity workshops and he was arranging a meeting with the author of a book she was reading, Me and White Supremacy, minutes show. Later in the meeting, Johnson proposed the board create its own diversity and inclusion committee, in addition to an administrative diversity committee already in existence. Roswell Park reports progress against cancer in WNY at least before Covid Between 2014 and 2019, overall cancer incidence (the rate of new cases of cancer) declined by 1.1% that means about 92 fewer people were diagnosed with cancer each year in Western New York. Michael Sexton, Roswell Parks general counsel and senior vice president, also updated directors on a diversity investigation by the state Division of Human Rights. The hospital said recently that it fully cooperated with the investigation and it hasn't heard from the division since October 2020. The board later hired the Philadelphia-based Cozen OConnor law firm, according to a March 29, 2021, retainer agreement that emphasized keeping information gathered in the strictest confidence. On Sept. 2, 2021, Steve Weiss gave his first report as chair of the boards diversity committee. He noted that Roswell Park had mandated training and that a Cozen O'Connor lawyer was reviewing previous legal complaints and assessing current practices, minutes show. Then, on March 24, 2022, Johnson gave a lengthy presentation that included a review of racial demographics of the hospitals workforce. According to Roswell Park data, the hospital employs a higher proportion of Asian workers than their population in Western New York and it employs a smaller percentage of Black, Latino and white workers than found in the eight-county region. Johnson said diversity in hiring, particularly in the leadership ranks, was a priority, meeting minutes show, and a change in culture was needed for this effort to succeed. She also promised a more transparent process in reporting and investigating claims of misconduct. Both Johnson and Joseph declined interview requests. A secret report Its not known what conclusions the Cozen O'Connor report reached about the treatment of Roswell Parks employees of color. On July 18, 2022, at a special board meeting, Cozen O'Connor lawyers presented their findings in executive session, according to heavily redacted meeting minutes marked highly confidential. The News on Feb. 7 requested a copy of the report through the states Freedom of Information Law. Roswell Park on March 14 rejected the request, saying the report is confidential attorney/client work product. The News appealed, and Johnson, acting as the hospitals FOIL appeals officer, on March 30 upheld the decision to withhold the Cozen OConnor report and related communications. But she provided other records of legal settlements The News sought. Roswell Park has done more than just keep the Cozen OConnor report secret. The hospital also asked another law firm, Buffalo-based Hodgson Russ, to respond to the analysis at a special meeting on Aug. 25. The board again went behind closed doors to discuss this supplement to the diversity report. Following the legal discussion, the board voted on a proposed public statement that skirted concerns raised by the hospitals employees of color. Minutes show eight board members, all white, voted in favor of the statement and five voted against, as Investigative Post first reported. The five were the boards four Black members and Weiss, who is white. The statement was published as a full-page ad in The News on Aug. 28, as well as a similar ad last Sunday. Roswell Park is committed to instituting change to support diversity, equity and inclusion, being active listeners and not shying away from difficult conversations, the statement read in part. On Aug. 30, the five dissenting board members wrote to Johnson and Joseph to express frustration that the public statement did not acknowledge the hospitals past failings on race. The News independently obtained a copy of the letter after Investigative Post published its contents. We believe that the Cozen investigation and resulting report correctly conveyed the long history and sentiment of institutional racism, lack of trust inside and outside of the institution, feelings of retaliation and racial inequity, the letter stated. It also blasted Roswell Park and Hodgson Russ for demanding Cozen OConnor reveal attorneys notes, identities of anonymous sources and other confidential material gathered in the report's production. A hospital spokeswoman declined comment on "matters related to an internal, privileged document" and, speaking generally, said the board follows state Open Meetings Law in discussing confidential information behind closed doors. 'Step toward reconciliation' On Sept. 1, the board discussed unspecified diversity issues in executive session after receiving an update from Johnson on the hospitals search for a senior vice president and chief diversity officer. Three months later, on Dec. 15, Johnson told the board the hospital has worked to bolster overall diversity and inclusion procedures and, specifically, a new investigation policy. That same day, however, Weiss sent a letter to Hochul asking her to accept his resignation. In addition to Weiss, the board members who objected to the statement and who signed the Aug. 30 letter were Bassett; Dr. Gregory Daniel, a physician and developer; Leecia Eve, a political strategist and adviser; and Gail Mitchell, a former assistant United States attorney. Eve and Mitchell did not respond to messages. Daniel, in a statement, emphasized the need for contrition. We can never go forward until we have taken responsibility for the past, he said. Its not about money or reparations. Its all about saying I apologize. Thats where the future begins in the most positive of ways. Weiss called for a change in board leadership in his own statement. "Once the governor and her team are fully briefed on these matters, I have to believe she and other politicians, if not the public, will demand change at Roswell, he said. "In my opinion, naming a person of color as the next board chair would naturally transform the institutional agenda on matters of race from secrecy and denial to transparency, acknowledgment and contrition a key first step toward reconciliation." Health Commissioner Bassetts board tenure ended in December but she said diversity at the cancer center remains a concern. I think that there's been a missed opportunity to make this a truly great institution," said Bassett, who teaches public health at Harvard. "It could be one that regains the trust and confidence of a community that's literally at its doorstep. The hospital has its defenders, including Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo. Roswell Parks history of challenges regarding diversity and discrimination needs to be addressed, she emailed. I believe in Dr. Johnsons leadership, and together with outside consultants and the board of directors, I believe they collectively possess the desire, willingness and tenacity to effectively and systemically bring about change. James Pitts, the former Common Council president who serves as executive director of Buffalo's African American Cultural Center, compared the situation to a family intervention that, while difficult, is needed to mend Roswell Park's relationship with the community. He also called for the administration to act transparently. The confidence that I would have in them would grow tremendously, Pitts said, if they would release the report, set up some public meetings first of all, allow the board to discuss it the way that they would like to discuss it, in an open forum and confront that issue, confront whatever the issues are. 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. Best and worst states for health care Best and worst states for health care The 10 states with the best health care The 10 states with the lowest rank for health care Additional findings: Outcome, cost and access data rankings Depending on state, Americans' cost for care can vary significantly Methodology TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Bahraini nationals currently residing in Sudan to register their personal information with the Kingdoms embassy in Sudan. This is to ensure effective communication, safety, and assistance. Citizens are advised to contact the Embassy of Bahrain in Sudan at 00249912815260 or 00249923546293, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour follow-up office at 0097317227555. Furthermore, the ministry has advised citizens to postpone their travel plans to Sudan until further notice. The statement stressed the importance of maintaining constant communication with diplomatic and consular missions for improved and efficient services to citizens. Bahraini nationals in Sudan can stay informed about the latest updates by monitoring the social media accounts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kingdoms embassy in Khartoum. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Renu Yadav, who previously served as the second secretary at the Indian Embassy in Bahrain, has been appointed the new representative to the State of Palestine, making her the first Indian woman to hold this position. Yadav presented her Letter of Credentials as Representative of India (Designate) to Dr Riad Al-Malki, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine during a meeting yesterday. Prior to this appointment, Yadav has held various roles of increasing responsibility in the Indian foreign service. A career diplomat, Renu Yadav joined Indian Foreign Service in 2013. Yadavs first diplomatic assignment was to the Embassy of India, Cairo where, apart from the other duties at the Embassy, she obtained an Advanced Diploma in Arabic Language from the American University, Cairo. She later served at the Embassy of India in Bahrain as Second Secretary/First Secretary, handling administration, media, education and political work. During her last assignment, Yadav was Deputy Secretary in West Asia and North Africa Division of Ministry of External Affairs, India, handling the matters pertaining to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Djibouti. Her appointment is expected to further strengthen the diplomatic ties between India and Palestine. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Countries that remain dependent on oil and gas would fall behind others as industries turn green and investors increasingly look for climate-friendly opportunities, warn Bahrain Minister of Industry and Commerce Abdulla Adel Fakhro. The Middle East, he said, is taking bold steps towards economic diversification, recognising the importance of moving away from hydrocarbons and investing in new industries. Powering up this shift will be increasing digitisation and the widespread adoption of emerging technologies, stressed the minister. There will undoubtedly be significant challenges ahead but if Middle Eastern countries can adapt to these megatrends and follow through on their ambitious plans for diversification, they will succeed in creating a more prosperous and resilient region, the minister said in an article penned for the World Economic Forum. The move away from hydrocarbons, Minister Fakhro said, will help the regions economies become more resilient in the face of climate change and a changing world. In this scenario, the minister highlighted artificial intelligence, a creative workforce, real estate, travel and tourism, and e-commerce as the five mega trends that would play significant roles over the next decades in the Middle East. Artificial intelligence Fakhro said that Bahrain is harnessing the capabilities of AI, which is poised to become one of the most disruptive global forces of this decade. According to him, the Middle East region would generate economic gains of up to $320 billion by 2030 through the adoption of AI. Citing developments in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, the ministry said Bahrain is currently employing AI to count its palm trees and quantify agricultural production more efficiently. With these developments, AI could contribute almost $46 billion, or 8.2% of gross domestic product (GDP), to the economies of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar by the end of this decade. A creative, youthful workforce Bahrain, the minister pointed out, has also invested heavily in education and training programmes to equip young people with the skills they need, not just to thrive in a knowledge-based economy, but to lead one. "This is important as the Middle East has one of the youngest populations, with children and young people accounting for around half of the population," he said. He pointed out that private and public sector organisations across the Middle East are finding innovative ways to invest in their young people and their future. Real estate The minister also highlighted the importance of property investment as an enabler of economic diversification. Bahrains GDP, he stressed, of which 5% comes from real estate and is on the rise. Travel and tourism In going forward, the minister further stressed that tourism would play an increasingly important role in the regions economy as more countries seek to attract visitors from around the world. "Despite being a small island, Bahrain has plans to welcome 14.1 million tourists a year by 2026 and create 4,700 jobs in the travel-related industries." The World Travel & Tourism Council forecasts that travel and tourisms contribution to the Middle Easts GDP will grow at an average rate of 7.7% annually to be worth almost $540 billion from 2022 to 2032. E-commerce explosion The ministry also pointed out that growth in digitalisation and a rise in e-commerce adoption will transform the way businesses operate in the region. Governments are investing accordingly in digital infrastructure Saudi Arabia is building 14 fully automated smart warehouses in Jeddah as part of a public-private sector partnership. Meanwhile, the UAE is doubling down on its multi-billion e-commerce market with a bold ambition to become a cashless society This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW MILFORD Since escaping from Kabul, Afghanistan, after it fell to the Taliban in August 2021, Mohammad Mohammadi has created a new life for himself. As a refugee, Mohammadi found a home with Eileen and Gerard Monaghan of New Milford, got his driver's license, completed his second semester at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury and works two part-time jobs. And now he wants to help the people struggling in his home country, where, according to the United Nations, 95 percent of Afghans do not get enough to eat. "We believe every human being in this world deserves food," said Mohammadi, who is 21. He is putting all of his efforts into an organization he started as a high school junior in Afghanistan, with about 20 of his classmates, called Raindrops Charity Foundation. It places food and money directly into the hands of Afghan people in need. Now, he's working to get nonprofit status for the foundation, which would enable donors to raise funds that are tax exempt. Mohammadi also has been sending money including about $250 a month of his own money to friends in Afghanistan who are involved with the charity. "They transfer the money from foreign currency to Afghani (currency), and they give a part of the money to the people for their daily expenses," he said. They also purchase food for residents in need. Gerard Monahgan said he's impressed with Mohammadi's high hopes and goals as he strives to help the people of Afghanistan. "He is an amazing 21-year-old. He's dealing with a lot of stuff," Monaghan said. "He made it out and he made it here and has adapted well to the American lifestyle." 'Build opportunities' Since the Taliban's take over of Afghanistan in August 2021, Mohammadi said conditions in the poverty-stricken country have grown worse. While Mohammadi's high school friends are now spread out across the globe, including in Russia, Canada, Germany and England, a handful still live in Afghanistan. His friends in Afghanistan find people in need, on the streets, in the city of Kabul, he said. "Whenever they walk somewhere in the streets or when they pass somebody asking for money, (my friends) will go and ask them, 'What do you do for a job?' or 'Can we look at your house?'" Mohammadi said. When they go to their homes, they'll take videos that show the poor living conditions in the war-torn nation and post them on the Facebook page for the Raindrops Charity Foundation. "Many times, the families don't have any furniture ... and they're living just on a floor. It doesn't have even a carpet," Mohammadi said. He also hopes to help Afghanistan in a larger capacity by getting the support and involvement of the World Health Organization and World Food Programme. Toward that goal, he plans to create a profile for Raindrops, showing how it is helping the people of Afghanistan. His hope is to contact the international relief organizations and perhaps persuade them to increase their efforts in his homeland. Mohammadi said he hopes people will donate to Raindrops, whose motto is "No one has ever become poor from giving." He added that he especially wants to help the women living in Afghanistan. "Since the Taliban took over, they banned women from working. There are no work opportunities for them," Mohammadi said. His long-term hope is to get more people out of Afghanistan and registered in schools in the United States. "We can build opportunities with this organization to at least get some of them out and give them an opportunity to study here," Mohammadi said. Chatwan Mongkol/Hearst Connecticut Media NEW HAVEN A person was shot early Sunday while running from the area of a stunt driving show in the Lowes parking lot, according to police. In a prepared statement, New Haven Police Capt. Rose Dell said that at 1:04 a.m., police were notified that a female gunshot victim had sought treatment at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media NEW HAVEN Detectives say they are trying to determine if a man admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound Saturday night is connected to a pair of shootings in the area of Dixwell Avenue earlier that evening. In a prepared statement, New Haven Police Capt. Rose Dell said that about 5:41 p.m. Saturday, police received a ShotSpotter alert to two incidents where two houses and three vehicles were struck on Huntington Avenue and Dixwell Avenue. Two adults and two children escaped safely Friday afternoon when fire swept a home in the Town of Covington, the Wyoming County Office of Emergency Services reported. Perry Center firefighters responded to a call at 2:23 p.m. for the blaze on Kendall Road at Simmons Road and were assisted by 11 other companies from three counties. Damage was estimated at $100,000, according to the report. The owner was listed as Arlan Brubaker. Family and friends are assisting the four people who were displaced. Helping at the scene were fire companies from Perry, Castile, Warsaw, Wyoming, Silver Springs, Mount Morris, Cuylerville, Leicester, Leroy, Caledonia and Pavilion. ALTAMAHAW, N.C. (AP) Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson formally entered next year's gubernatorial race at a rally Saturday, with the sharp-spoken social conservative saying North Carolina neads a leader like him who can relate to the challlenges and desires of working people. Elected the state's first Black lieutenant governor in 2020 in his frst run for political office, Robinson would make similar history if he wins the governorship. I'm running for governor because we the people of North Carolina need someone who understands us, Robinson told roughly 1,000 supporters at the event at a speedway in Alamance County, about a half-hour from where he grew up. We don't need another politician who's spent their life climbing the political ladder. Robinson's entry was anticipated for well over a year, with the Greensboro native heavily hinting at a run in speeches and fundraising appeals. The 54-year-old also released an autobiography that talked about a childhood of poverty, financial challenges as an adult, his religious beliefs and his late entry into politics. Other competitors are also lining up to try to succeed Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is barred by the state consitution from seeking a third consecutive term. Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein announced his bid in January. Republican State Treasurer Dale Folwell also got in the race last month. And former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., is preparing to enter in the coming weeks, according to Tim Murtaugh, a spokesperson for a consulting firm advising Walker. Robinson's popularity among the Republican base and flush coffers put him squarely at the top of the list of candidates for a GOP primary. But others have questioned whether his aggressive, conservative style and blunt comments about LGBTQ+ rights, abortion and the role of women make him the party's best choice to win a general election in a closely divided state. Despite Republican success in controlling the state legislature, the GOP has won the governor's office just once since 1992, back in 2012. The office of lieutentant governor has been considered for several decades as a stepping stone to the state's highest office. But since the late 1960s, only three of them all Democrats have made the leap to governor. Robinson held the event at Ace Speedway, which defied Cooper's executive order in 2020 limiting outdoor crowds to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The track's owners are still fighting the Cooper administration in court over its temporary closure. Robinsons 35-minute speech Saturday included support for Republican tax-cutting policies, as well as for school safety and law enforcement. But the choice of venue reinforced his narrative as an anti-establishment candidate looking out for average folks. I was supposed to be crushed by racism as a Black man in the South, he said under rain showers. I have a chance to be a symbol to others in humble beginnings, and despite what anyone else may tell you, you can achieve anything." A former factory worker and day care operator, Robinson gained public attention from a viral video of his 2018 anti-gun control speech to the Greensboro City Council about attempts to cancel a local gun show. I think hes honest. I think hes straightforward. I think hes worked hard for where he is today, said Ruthann Harris, 78, of Elon, who attended the rally. I think he'll listen to the people, said Nim Harris, her husband. Robinson's critics have pointed to speeches he has made in conservative churches and on radio shows that touched on his antipathy toward LGBTQ+ activism and for his support for banning abortion. In one address at a church in 2021, Robinson said, Theres no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth. Robinson hasnt apologized for such remarks, saying that he wasnt attacking the LGBTQ+ community but rather that it was a judgment on reading materials in public schools. He also has said he can separate his religious views from the responsibilities of office. Robinson said Saturday he wants to make North Carolina a destination state for life," which he said includes his support for legislation preventing abortions once an ultrasound first detects fetal cardiac activity, typically about six weeks after fertilization. State law currently bans nearly all abortions after 20 weeks. Gubernatorial rivals already have been pushing back at Robinson even before the formal announcement. Stein's campaign-opening video accused Robinson of wanting "to tell you who you can marry, when youll be pregnant and who you should hate. And Folwell said last month that Robinson has spent his time in the political spotlight "attacking people instead of attacking the important problems that our citizens are facing. As for Walker, it was his distribution of Robinson's 2018 speech that helped vault him to fame. But Robinson endorsed Ted Budd for U.S. Senate last year and not Walker, who finished a distant third to Budd in the GOP primary. Budd endorsed Robinson in a video message aired at Saturday's rally. In a statement this weekend, Walker said he understands the desire of his supporters "to nominate a Republican who can hold up under the scrutiny a candidate for governor will undergo." 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 Niagara Falls Convention Centre. Uber Eats released a study last week in recognition of 4/20 that 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 Catholic High School student offered custom T-shirt, hats and other merchandise. He started his 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. SHARE: KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) Foreign governments evacuated diplomats, staff and others from Sudan on Sunday as rival generals battled for a ninth day with no sign of a truce that had been declared for a major Muslim holiday. While world powers like the U.S. and Britain airlifted their diplomats from the capital of Khartoum, Sudanese desperately sought to flee the chaos. Many risked dangerous roads to cross the northern border into Egypt. My family my mother, my siblings and my nephews are on the road from Sudan to Cairo through Aswan, prominent Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abual-Ala wrote on Facebook. Fighting raged in Omdurman, a city across the Nile River from Khartoum, residents said, despite a hoped-for cease-fire to coincide with the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. We did not see such a truce, Amin al-Tayed said from his home near state TV headquarters in Omdurman, adding that heavy gunfire and thundering explosions rocked the city. Over 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and over 3,700 wounded in fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. The RSF said the armed forces unleashed airstrikes on the upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, north of Khartoum. There was no immediate army comment. The ongoing violence has affected operations at the main international airport, destroying civilian planes and damaging at least one runway, and thick, black smoke rose above it. Other airports also have been knocked out of operation. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted he had spoken with the rival commanders, urging an immediate cease-fire to protect civilians and the evacuation of EU citizens. In other fighting, a senior military official said it repelled an RSF attack on Kober Prison in Khartoum where Sudans longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, and former officials in his movement have been held since his 2019 ouster. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said a number of prisoners fled but al-Bashir and other high-profile inmates were in a highly secure area, adding that a few prisoners were killed or wounded. The RSF claimed the military removed al-Bashir and other prisoners from the facility, although the statement could not be independently confirmed. The Arqin border crossing with Egypt was crowded with about 30 passenger buses of at least 55 people each, said Suliman al-Kouni, an Egyptian student who fled northward from Khartoum with dozens of other students. We traveled 15 hours on land at our own risk, al-Kouni told The Associated Press by phone. But many of our friends are still trapped in Sudan. Sudan experienced a near-total collapse of internet and phone service Sunday, according to the monitoring service NetBlocks. Its possible that infrastructure has been damaged or sabotaged, said Netblocks director Alp Toker. This will have a major effect on residents ability to stay safe and will impact the evacuation programs that are ongoing. After a week of battles that hindered rescues, U.S. special forces swiftly evacuated 70 U.S. Embassy staffers from Khartoum to Ethiopia early Sunday. Although American officials said it was too dangerous for a government-coordinated evacuation of thousands of private citizens, other countries scrambled to remove their citizens as well as their diplomats. France and Italy said they would accommodate all their citizens who want to leave, as well as those of other countries who could not otherwise join an evacuation operation. Germany said early Monday that a military plane carrying 101 German diplomatic staff, family members and citizens of partner countries who were evacuated from Sudan via Jordan has landed safely in Berlin. The military said it had brought 311 people to Jordan so far, from where an onward journey is being organized. A Dutch air force C-130 Hercules flew out of Sudan to Jordan early Monday carrying evacuees of various nationalities, including Dutch. The French Foreign Ministry said Monday it has so far brought four flights from Sudan to Djibouti, with a total of 388 people citizens of 28 countries of Europe, Asia, North America and Africa, including Sudan. An Italian air force C-130 that left Khartoum with evacuees landed Sunday night at an air base in Djibouti, the Defense Ministry said. Another plane, carrying Italys ambassador and military personnel involved in the evacuation, was expected in Djibouti later in the night. About 100 people were flown out of Khartoum by Spanish military aircraft more than 30 Spaniards and the rest from Portugal, Italy, Poland, Ireland, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina, the foreign ministry said. Officials in Jordan said four planes landed at Amman military airport carrying 343 Jordanian evacuees from Port Sudan. Other flights from Sudan were organized by Greece and the Netherlands. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted that U.K. armed forces evacuated British diplomatic staff and dependents amid a significant escalation in violence and threats. Overland travel through contested areas was possible but dangerous. Khartoum is about 840 kilometers (520 miles) from Port Sudan on the Red Sea. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia said it evacuated 157 people, including 91 Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries. Saudi state TV showed a large convoy of cars and buses from Khartoum to Port Sudan, where a navy ship took them to the Saudi port of Jeddah. Fighters attacked a U.S. Embassy convoy last week, and stormed the home of the EU ambassador. Violence wounded an Egyptian Embassy employee in Sudan, according to Egypts Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zaid. Egypt, which said it had over 10,000 citizens in Sudan, urged those in cities other than Khartoum to head to consular offices in Port Sudan and Wadi Halfa in the north for evacuation, the state-run MENA news agency reported. The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudans hopes for a democratic transition. The rival generals came to power after a pro-democracy uprising led to the ouster of the former strongman, al-Bashir. In 2021, the generals joined forces to seize power in a coup. The current 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. Both generals, each craving international legitimacy, have accused the other of obstructing the evacuations. The Sudanese military alleged the RSF opened fire on a French convoy, wounding a French national. The RSF countered it came under attack by warplanes as French citizens and diplomats left the embassy for Omdurman, saying the militarys strikes endangered the lives of French nationals. Hospitals have struggled as violence rages. Many wounded are stranded by the fighting, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate that monitors casualties, suggesting the death toll is probably higher than what is known. The Italian medical group Emergency said 46 of its staff refused to leave, working in hospitals in Khartoum, Nyala and Port Sudan. Thousands of Sudanese have fled fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere, U.N. agencies said, but millions are sheltering in their homes amid explosions, gunfire and looting without adequate electricity, food or water. In the western region of Darfur, up to 20,000 people left for neighboring Chad. War is not new to Darfur, where ethnically motivated violence has killed up to 300,000 people since 2003. But Sudan is not used to such heavy fighting in its capital, which has become a ghost city, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya of the Doctors Syndicate. Khalid Omar, a spokesman for the pro-democracy bloc that seeks to restore civilian rule, urged both generals to resolve their differences. There is an opportunity to stop this war and put the county on the right path, he wrote on Facebook. This is a war fueled by groups from the deposed regime who want it to continue. ___ Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Michael Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Angela Charlton in Paris, Frances DEmilio in Rome and Fay Abuelgasim in Beirut contributed. SHARE: OTTAWA - Canada suspended consular services in Sudan on Sunday amid reports of allied countries evacuating Canadian diplomats and as armed conflict escalated in the East-African country. Global Affairs Canada said Canadian diplomats would temporarily work from a safe location outside the country while still trying to help citizens in Sudan. The Associated Press reported more than 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and over 3,700 wounded in the fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Those deaths occurred in just nine days after power-sharing negotiations between the two groups deteriorated. Global Affairs said there were 1,596 Canadian citizens formally registered as being in Sudan as of Saturday. But Nicholas Coghlan, Canadas former top envoy to Sudan, said in a Sunday interview that the number is likely considerably higher, with many being dual nationals. He said many Canadians abroad see registering as a needless hassle, while others believe their information will be shared with other branches of government such as the Canada Revenue Agency, despite laws preventing such data transfers. Coghlan was also Canadas first ambassador to South Sudan when it separated from that country in 2011, and he oversaw an evacuation of citizens after a civil war broke out in 2013. At that time, less than 20 Canadian citizens were registered in South Sudan, but roughly 140 ended up being evacuated in less than a week. Canada first evacuated those easily reachable in the capital of Juba who wanted to leave, and then worked to identify others and get them onto roughly weekly flights operated by one of Canadas allies. The ongoing situation in Sudan is likely different, Coghlan said, because the clashing forces are deliberately targeting airports as strategic locations in a turf war. The Associated Press reports that fighting at the countrys main international airport in the capital city of Khartoum has destroyed civilian planes and damaged at least one runway. Canadas embassy sits near that airport, making it one of the most dangerous areas in the country, Coghlan said. The New York Times reported Sunday that U.S. special forces evacuated six Canadian diplomats, along with 70 American diplomats and some from other countries. The BBC, meanwhile, reported Canadians were among a group evacuated by sea to Saudi Arabia. Global Affairs did not immediately confirm those reports. Data the department filed to the Senate foreign-affairs committee shows that as of August 2022, the Khartoum embassy had six Canadian staff and 12 who were locally hired. Overland travel through contested areas has proven dangerous. Khartoum is about 840 kilometres from Port Sudan on the Red Sea. Both the countrys militias have accused each other of obstructing evacuations. Coghlan said Sundays announced suspension of consular services means Canadian citizens who need emergency passports to leave Sudan likely have no chance of getting them, because Ottawa deemed it too risky to keep a scaled-down operation running in the country. He said many dual nationals likely have expired passports or insufficient paperwork to get on a flight. Some registered Canadians likely work for the United Nations or aid organizations, who can help extract them, but many will be private citizens with family ties to Sudan who will be left to their own devices. Reports from Sudans Arqin border crossing with Egypt suggest 30 packed coaches were trying to reach safety. Sudan experienced a near-total collapse of countrywide internet and phone connections Sunday, according to the monitoring service NetBlocks. Coghlan said many Sudanese will likely feel let down by western countries, particularly those critical of how the world handled the heads of the two duelling forces ever since an October 2021 coup detat. The signal thats been sent there is (that) there is a perception of people leaving the sinking ship, he said. Thats how it looks, a sense of abandonment, for sure. The federal government is not evacuating its locally hired Sudanese staff, saying it is looking at all possible options to support them. Coghlan said the issue of how to handle locals is always sensitive. The harsh reality is they are typically left to their own devices, he said. Thats controversial within Global Affairs (Canada), out of a sense that we depend on these people 100 per cent. Last summer, the Liberals came under fire over allegations that Canada did not heed intelligence warnings about the safety of its Ukraine embassys locally engaged staff ahead of Russias February 2022 full-scale invasion. The allegations, which have not been proven, include claims that other western countries had evacuated Ukrainians listed as targets by Moscow. Coghlan said the current Sudan conflict, unlike the Ukraine invasion and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, does not have a focus on western policy. If anything, Coghlan said Egypt and the United Arab Emirates likely have the most sway over resolving the upheaval, given the apparent support of Cairo for the Sudanese Armed Forces, and the Emirates for the RSF. Its a question of how much leverage do they want to exert, he said. Neither the SAF nor the RSF are the good guys here; neither of them deserve any support or any credibility. Coghlan said the conflict raises stark questions about what countries like Canada have done over the years to build up democracy in Sudan. He said western countries should have sanctioned both generals leading the two militias, and Canada could have funded civil-society groups that would eventually pose a political alternative. There are a lot of articulate and very brave civilians out there; a lot of people have been out demonstrating, women in particular, he said. But being civilians, theyre not necessarily organized into blocks or leaders. So the default reaction of the international community is, well talk to the guys whove got the guns. Coghlan said the end result is likely to involve more countries getting involved in a proxy war. The risk is the longer this goes on, the two forces will try to coerce various sectors of the population on ethnic or tribal grounds, he said. He stressed the situation in Sudan is dynamic and he does not have the full facts surrounding Ottawas choice to pull out diplomats and end consular services. The minister had a very hard decision to make here, he said. Its very easy to be an armchair quarterback on this. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: The All Progressives Congress, APC, has dissolved its Presidential Campaign Council. The campaign council was constituted to ensure the victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu in the last election. The dissolution was disclosed in a statement signed by the councils Director General, Governor Simon Lalong and the Secretary, James Faleke. Lalong commended President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting the council during the election period. According to Lalong, the council wont have achieved its result without Buharis support. He said, However, we have concluded that it is in the best interest of the campaign and its stakeholders for us to dissolve our council with immediate effect. This has become necessary to retune us towards the May 29, 2023, inauguration of the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubus administration. The process of transitioning into a new era of Renewed Hope is underway and all our energies and activities must reflect the principles underlying this process. Leke, son of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has revealed how he made his first one million naira. According to him, he made his first million naira from selling wristbands, popularly known as rubber bands in local parlance. He disclosed this in a recent interview with Tribune where he said: I made my first million [from] selling wristbands, rubber to be precise, promotional gift items for those that are doing branding. Wristbands are just rubber; but if I sell enough of those rubbers with a very tiny margin profit of N50 or N100 at a big Christian event, it adds up. He berated some Nigerians who blame the government for the harsh economy while neglecting menial jobs and businesses. Members of the IReign Christian Ministry, founded by Bishop Feyi Daniel, worshipped together in joy today despite the ongoing r@pe case involving their prophet. Our correspondent who visited the church at Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos confirmed that Bishop Feyi did not attend todays service but his absence did not alter the mood of the service. The embattled cleric was represented by one of the ministers of the church, Pastor Foluke, who preached the sermon titled Honour The preacher laid emphasis on the need to give honor to Men called by God and to refrain from passing on judgment as that is Gods due and not mans. Speaking on the absence of the Bishop, Pastor Foluke said: I want to bring to your remembrance some of the words of our father before this event played out. He said and I quote In believing and following a prophetic oath, you must guard your heart and mind against social media publications and sponsored posts. Discerning accurately and standing for what is right and not what is trending. She goes further to say, Remember that our father Bishop Feyi is a covenanted man who foresaw all of the attacks. Talking to the congregation on their role while going through this trial, she says that it is simple and their role is to guard their heart and stand in honor. Speaking further she said that definitely the church members will hear all sorts of news but they should remember that the goal of every negative information is to disconnect them from all that God has prepared for them through the man of God. She admonished them not to allow such, saying, like our father would say It is a storm and it shall come to pass. She encouraged the followers of Bishop Feyi to be strong and ignore what people are saying and only stand for what they believe in, asking them to take a bold stand and show people who they are standing with. Asking them to note that in the course of standing for Bishop Feyi, they are not to engage in any arguments or banters both on and off all social media platforms but instead they should stand in honor, guard their hearts and just make their stance known privately and publicly without entangling themselves in any form of argument. A Niagara Falls man who attempted to flee from police earlier this month has been arraigned in federal court on a cocaine charge, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross reported. Jonathan Bersani, 31, was released on conditions following a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer. Charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted. Ross said that the Niagara County Drug Task Force made a controlled purchase of cocaine from Bersani after suspecting him of drug activity, then had him under surveillance on April 14 on Buffalo Avenue in Niagara Falls, when his vehicle struck two other vehicles, one of them a law enforcement vehicle. Bersani fled until his tire blew on Buffalo Avenue, Ross said, then ran a short distance before he was taken into custody. Officers found a black bag containing about 192 grams of suspected cocaine nearby. Investigators executed a search warrant at Bersani's home on Linwood Avenue and reportedly found about 14 grams of suspected crack cocaine, about four grams of cocaine powder, metal knuckles and implements containing white residue. Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola has stated that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obis victory in Lagos in the just concluded general election was a surprise to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Fashola, who was the former governor of Lagos State, made the revelation in an interview with Channels Television during the Sunday Politics programme. He explained that the LP turned its voters on in the state and decimated the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar. While noting that the ruling party conducted pre-election internal polls but never released it, he described polls that predicted Obi and Atikus victory as badly conducted. Fashola, who headed the Election Planning Directorate of the Tinubu-Shettima campaign, said APC knew states where it had high chances of winning and had concentrated its energy in those states. He said: In some cases, you get blindsided. We were blindsided in Lagos State because the opposition turned out their voters there. And you also saw that the umbrella party that has been competitive for 24 years suddenly disappeared. It showed that their support base has shifted. When asked whether Obis victory in Lagos during the presidential poll surprised the ruling party, he said, Yeah, blindsided us, without a doubt. They turned out their voters, and in the subsequent gubernatorial poll, we turned out our voters. The camp of the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the Presidency to provide proof of the Sallah phone conversation between President Muhammadu Buhari and his successor, Bola Tinubu. Tinubus whereabouts has been a subject of controversy lately because he has not been seen at any function. But, his media team had said the President-elect had travelled abroad to rest following his rigorous campaign. Buharis spokesman, Garba Shehu, on Friday, said Buhari and Tinubu exchanged a phone conversation to celebrate Eid el-Fitr. However, one of Atikus spokesman, Daniel Bwala, demanded a proof. Tweeting, Bwala wrote: Release the audio conversation as a proof. Anyway, our constitution does not envision you welcoming him to the state house because after the swearing-in at eagle square, the motorcade would take you to the airport, whilst he will now resume at his new house. A widower, Ariyibi Ahmed Olaseinde, and a divorcee, Akanbi Silifat Tunrayo who were going for lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. They were arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos for attempting to export 14.4 kilograms of cocaine concealed in lace and Ankara fabrics. Ariyibi was intercepted on Thursday 20th April at the screening point of MMIA Terminal 2 during outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers travelling from Lagos via Doha to Medina, Saudi Arabia. When his carry-on bag was checked, four sets of white lace material with linings of substance that tested positive to Cocaine weighing 11.50kg were discovered. The suspect who claimed to be a widower and an advertising practitioner said his original plan was to ingest the drugs but had to change his mind after failed attempts to swallow bitter cola, which he was using to practice the process. He is expected to be paid One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,800,000) upon successful delivery of the consignment in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The previous day, Wednesday 19th April, NDLEA officers at the Terminal 2 of the airport also arrested Mrs. Silifat Tunrayo Akanbi with 2.90kg cocaine during outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers from Lagos via Doha to Jedda, Saudi Arabia. A search of her hand luggage led to the discovery of six sheets of cocaine weighing 2.90kg concealed in ankara fabrics. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a divorcee and a trader who used to hawk cloths around Awoyaya area of Ajah, Lagos. Based on information in her statement, a follow-up operation that lasted through the night into the early hours of Thursday 20th April was carried out, during which the person who recruited her, Alhaji Adebayo Adeola Wasiu was arrested at No 28, Olateju Street, Mushin, Lagos. Adebayo is the managing director of B&T Travel Agency. Target is shuttering four locations in May, citing declining foot traffic in the area. The four locations in Maryland, Virginia, Minnesota and Pennsylvania are smaller-format stores meant to sway shoppers in urban locations. The company said declining foot traffic in those urban areas was the motivating factor to shutter those stores. The decision to close one of our stores isnt something we take lightly, Target spokesperson Kayla Castaneda told Insider. Its an action we take only after multiple years of working to improve performance, she said. The company added that most employees would get job offers at other nearby Target locations. The Target stores closing in the U.S. in 2023 include, according to Insider: 7501 Baltimore Ave, College Park, Maryland 1300 W Lake St., Minneapolis, Minnesota 1128 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 500 S Washington St, Falls Church, Virginia Target is not the only big-box retailer closing stores. Walmart announced recently that they are closing stores in several locations throughout the U.S. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. A 23-year-old man was shot and killed in a late-night shooting Sunday in Jersey City, officials said. Police received a report at close to midnight of gunfire near Danforth Avenue in the Greenville neighborhood of the city. Officers later found an unresponsive man who appeared to have been suffering from a gunshot wound inside a smoke shop at 152 Danforth Ave., Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said Sunday afternoon in a statement. About three months after a Pennsauken man was found guilty of attempted murder in a 2019 stabbing that left another man with critical wounds, he was sentenced to 15 years in New Jersey State Prison, Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay said Friday. Zachary Mai, 43, of Pennsauken, was sentenced for first-degree attempted murder Tuesday, authorities said. Officials said he was sentenced to 15 years under the No Early Release Act. It mandates Mai serve 85% of the sentence more than 12 years in his case before becoming eligible for parole. Earlier this year, Mai was also found guilty by a Camden County jury on charges of second-degree aggravated assault and related weapons offenses. By Andrew Donnelly It has been nearly two years since the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees have been scattered throughout the world. A significant number have been resettled on American soil. While the successful resettlement of many of our allies is overtly positive, it has not come without challenges and difficulties. Many resettled Afghans struggle with necessities such as affordable housing, health care and employment. To make matters worse, the vast majority of Afghans who were evacuated were processed for what is known as humanitarian parole. Humanitarian parole has been used repeatedly in the past following U.S. military withdrawals and emergency evacuations, including the Vietnam War. However, it only grants temporary protections. These protections are set to expire this summer. Once they expire, many Afghans face the possibility of deportation. This cannot be allowed to happen. Dont miss an issue of our Opinion newsletter! Get it delivered each Wednesday right into your inbox by adding your email below and hitting "subscribe." Last August, the Afghan Adjustment Act (S-4787) was introduced in Congress by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. It has bipartisan support, and, if passed and signed into law, will guarantee a path for permanent legal status for Afghan evacuees and expand and improve ongoing efforts to protect Afghans who were left behind. Despite misinformation being spread by the bills opposition, the bill also establishes rigorous vetting procedures and requirements, and includes grounds for criminal inadmissibility. It should be noted that since the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out, tens of thousands of thousands of Ukrainians have fled their country, just as the Afghans did, in search of refuge in neighboring European countries and the United States. While the United States has generously welcomed the refugees from Ukraine and was right to do so there is a double standard. Red tape facing the Ukrainians was cleared quickly by the Biden administration. This is not so for the Afghans. Many from Afghanistan who have been threatened or beaten, or belong to an ethnic group being targeted by the Taliban, have had their applications rejected entirely. In order for those who have fled Afghanistan to succeed here in the United States, Congress needs to act. Afghans cannot build a new life here without permanent citizenship, first and foremost. Please contact your representatives about this issue. I also ask that if an Afghan family has been resettled into your neighborhood, lend a helping hand. Or at the very least, have a conversation with them. I can personally guarantee you that many are struggling. Many Afghans have given their lives for our cause in Afghanistan for 20 years. Our disastrous withdrawal and current treatment of their refugees does not do their memories any justice. We cannot change the past. But we can atone for it. The best way to do that is to weave the Afghan flag into our American flag. Americans lineages can be traced all over the globe. And, the Afghans are no different. At some point, somebody like us has arrived on our very shores in pursuit of a better life. Whether they were fleeing poverty, war or lawlessness, they have made perilous journeys and have made the very difficult choice of leaving the place that they called home. Please contact your representatives. Your voice can help alleviate the suffering that Afghans are facing not only here at home, but all over the world. Andrew Donnelly is an EMT who works for a private ambulance firm that has assisted refugees from Afghanistan. He writes from Turnersville. S-4787 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee in August, but no further action has been taken. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. I fashion myself a celebrity spotter, so my antennae go up when Im in Manhattan. Standing outside Pulitzer Hall on the Columbia University campus recently, I was enjoying the brisk spring weather before attending a conference on the First Amendment. Lo and behold, Maria Ressa turns the corner. In case you do not recognize her name, she is a 2021 Nobel Peace laureate for exposing corruption in the Duterte regime in her native Philippines. I told her it was an honor to meet her, and we chatted briefly. She told me her family grew up in Toms River and she was familiar with St. Joseph Church there, the largest in the Trenton diocese, where I had been a weekend assistant before I came to Hoboken. I told her I write this column for The Jersey Journal, and she was familiar with our award-winning newspaper (which is receiving, by the way, multiple awards at the annual New Jersey Press Association celebration on Thursday). And that was a perfect segue into the conference, Resilience in Journalism and Free Speech in the Age of Social Media, sponsored by the schools Tow Center for Digital Journalism. There were even more celebrities among the participants: MSNBCs Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes; Pulitzer Prize winner Ronan Farrow; former Homeland Security chief Jeh C. Johnson, a Montclair resident; and Lee C. Bollinger, retiring as the 19th president of Columbia and a First Amendment legal scholar. Lee C. Bollinger, the retiring president of Columbia University and a First Amendment scholar, speaks during the recent conference Resilience in Journalism and Free Speech in the Age of Social Media, sponsored by the school's Tow Center for Digital Journalism. (Photo by Chris Taggart) The event was also a tribute to Bollinger for his support for the only Ivy League journalism school. In his introductory comments, he noted that current events are crucial for the work we do. Bollingers interest in journalism began with his father, also Lee Bollinger, who spent nearly 50 years as publisher and editor of The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, California. The younger Bollinger also worked there as a janitor and jack of all trades growing up, which led him into the specialty of journalism and the law. The day of the conference was to be the first day of the trial between FOX News and Dominion Voting Systems and it was announced to the crowd of over 100 that a settlement was reached -- a fitting backdrop to the days panel discussions on whether the First Amendment can weather the storm of what Ressa called not misinformation but disinformation. FILE - MSNBC television anchor Rachel Maddow, host of the Rachel Maddow Show, moderates the "Perspectives on National Security" panel on Oct. 16, 2017, in Cambridge, Mass. Maddow returned to the air on Monday, April 11, 2022, with some bad news for her fans: Starting in May, she will be doing her prime-time show just once a week. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)AP In a panel discussion between Ressa and Maddow, Maddow took a backseat to Ressas story of intimidation and threats of jail time for perhaps 103 years because she stood up to Duterte, who is no longer the president. He was succeeded by the son of disgraced president Ferdinand Marcos, Bongbong Marcos. Ressa said she still faces three outstanding charges when she returns to the Philippines where she is the head of Rappler, the largest digital news service she founded in 2011 as a Facebook page. Ressa said technology can spread lies six times faster than the truth. She noted how many girls who use Instagram, for example, have eating disorders. The rise in disinformation has led to 72 percent of the worlds countries being led by autocrats and she believes 2024 will be a turning point with India, the worlds largest democracy, Indonesia, with the worlds largest Muslim population, and the U.S. all holding national elections. These are critical to whether democracy can withstand the onslaught of election assaults. She explained how a network of some 150 Filipino groups -- including non-governmental organizations and the Catholic Church -- have banded together to share fact checking so democracy can stay resilient. Maddow pressed Ressa to talk about how she manages to stay effective and positive when she is attacked on social media and threatened with prison. Ressa acknowledged that women journalists are threatened the most and 50 percent of Rappler staff are women around 23 years old. She also said that when one is attacked online or threatened, the Rappler staff swarm around the person to show support. Ressa admitted that stress and little sleep bring out a skin condition for her but shes not backing down. Maddow sat among the guests until it was her time to speak. She is quite humble for being such a smart cookie (Stanford, Oxford, Rhodes Scholar). I only regret she is only on cable Monday nights unless there is breaking news. Afterward, we chatted, and I told her I was proud to learn she is Catholic. She asked me where my parish was and then said her father is from Paterson and her partner comes from Perth Amboy. Not once was Trumps name mentioned out loud. But David McCraw, deputy general counsel at The New York Times and author of Truth in Our Times: Inside the Fight for Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts, said that when the press was declared the enemy of the people, by you know who, it was a turning point for the First Amendment. Most panelists seemed confident the First Amendment will endure but threats are real. The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken. The National Weather Service has issued a series of severe thunderstorm warnings in New Jersey, with strong storm cells packing small hail and wind gusts as high as 60 mph moving across different regions of the state Saturday evening. The latest warning was issued about 8:15 p.m. for all of Middlesex County, central Monmouth County and north-central Ocean County, effective until 9 p.m. Severe Thunderstorm Warning including New Brunswick NJ, Perth Amboy NJ and Sayreville NJ until 9:00 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/Ycl7k6igRx NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 23, 2023 Among the other recent weather alerts in New Jersey were: A special weather statement issued at 8:45 p.m. Saturday, saying strong thunderstorms with wind gusts up to 50 mph will impact Monmouth, Ocean and eastern Middlesex counties until 9:45 p.m. A special weather statement issued at 8:40 p.m. Saturday, saying strong thunderstorms with 40 mph winds and pea-size hail will impact Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union counties until 9:30 p.m. A severe thunderstorm warning issued at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday for northeastern Morris County, effective until 9:15 p.m., with 60 mph winds possible. A severe thunderstorm warning issued at about 8:25 p.m. Saturday for western Passaic County, effective until 9:15 p.m., with 60 mph winds possible. A severe thunderstorm warning issued at about 8:05 p.m. Saturday for northeastern sections of Morris County and the east-central region of Sussex County, effective until 8:30 p.m., with 60 mph winds possible. A severe thunderstorm warning issued at about 7:25 p.m. Saturday for Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties, effective until 8:15 p.m., with 60 mph winds possible. A severe thunderstorm warning issued at about 7:15 p.m. Saturday for the northwestern region of Sussex County, effective until 8 p.m., with 60 mph winds possible. A severe thunderstorm warning issued at about 6:50 p.m. for central sections of Burlington County and all of Camden County active until 7:30 p.m. Severe thunderstorm warnings issued at about 6:30 p.m., active through 7 p.m., in Hunterdon, Mercer, Sussex and Warren counties. Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Kinnelon NJ, Boonton NJ and Bloomingdale NJ until 9:15 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/w8q313qjXC NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 23, 2023 Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Kinnelon NJ, Bloomingdale NJ and Butler NJ until 8:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/yPAiv05hCZ NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 23, 2023 Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Dover NJ, Hopatcong NJ and Lake Mohawk NJ until 8:15 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/bjT6ZgJUFa NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 22, 2023 Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Beemerville NJ, Colesville NJ and Libertyville NJ until 8:00 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/nedBXVWjtu NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 22, 2023 Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Lindenwold NJ, Haddonfield NJ and Pine Hill NJ until 7:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/Dxf4GOOWRL NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 22, 2023 A severe weather statement issued for western Sussex and Warren counties said that, along with wind gusts, there could be penny-size hail, which could possibly damage roofs, siding, trees and power lines. Forecasters say some of the thunderstorms that develop Saturday evening have the potential to produce heavy downpours, frequent lightning and wind gusts that could be strong enough to snap tree branches and power lines. They also say some of the storm cells will produce large hail, and they cant rule out the possibility of an isolated tornado. A severe thunderstorm watch remains active until 9 p.m. Saturday, covering nine New Jersey counties: Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Salem, Somerset and Warren. A severe thunderstorm warning is more urgent than a watch. If a warning is issued for your area, the National Weather Service says you should seek immediate shelter indoors.National Weather Service A thunderstorm warning is more urgent than a thunderstorm watch. Weather officials say you should seek shelter indoors as quickly as possible if a thunderstorm warning is issued for your area. Forecasters say scattered rain showers and thunderstorms could continue on and off Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Some heavy rain would be beneficial to New Jersey, because wide swaths of the northern and southern regions are abnormally dry and parts of four counties have moderate drought conditions, according to the latest national drought status maps issued Thursday. N.J. hail reports These are among the hail reports received by the National Weather Service Saturday evening: Bridgeboro , Burlington County: Quarter-size hail (1 diameter) Cherry Hill , Camden County: Quarter-size hail (1 diameter) Moorestown , Burlington County: Quarter-size hail (1 diameter) Randolph , Morris County: Quarter-size hail (1 diameter) West Milford , Passaic County: Quarter-size hail (1 diameter) Delran , Burlington County: Half-inch diameter hail Tewksbury , Hunterdon County: Half-inch diameter hail Mays Landing, Atlantic County: Dime-sized hail Current weather radar Thank you for relying on us to provide the local weather news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. It was intended as a teachable moment. That's what a veteran science teacher at Nardin Academy later explained after hearing a high school student use a word in her classroom hurtful to people with physical and mental disabilities. Marilou Bebak responded by telling the student in front of her classmates that it was inappropriate to use the "R-word," comparing it to the "N-word," saying both in exactly those terms. "An event took place on March 17, 2023 during one of Ms. Bebak's classes that involved Ms. Bebak using racially charged language directed at a Black student," Nardin President Sandra Betters wrote afterward, in explaining why she suspended the teacher. "Ms. Bebak admitted, in writing, to using this language in front of her entire class. A complete investigation will take place." Bebak lost her job this week, at least in part because of the exchange with the student, although teachers, parents and alumni upset by her departure wonder if it was retaliation for her criticism of the school's leadership last fall. "I write this letter in the hope that something can be done to improve our faculty situation here at Nardin Academy," Bebak said to trustees in a letter last Sept. 21. "I am a veteran faculty member and in my many years at Nardin, I have never seen faculty dissatisfaction so high and faculty morale so low... "Daily atmosphere of being spied upon, threatened and intimidated," she continued. "Disrespectful treatment, name-calling and verbal harassment by upper-level administration. Meaningless platitudes from president's office while faculty treatment shows the opposite. Use of students as pawns by upper-level administration to manipulate faculty." Bebak also added her name to a faculty letter that same month signed by 32 of the high school's 36 faculty, which expressed "no confidence in the current executive leadership of Nardin Academy." Turmoil at Nardin Academy as faculty, parents, alums question school leadership Since President Sandra Betters arrived, enrollment at Nardin has dropped, 24 faculty and staff members have left and at least one key donor has withheld a pledge to support the school financially. The board of trustees has become divided and many alumnae and parents feel outraged over what is happening. Academy officials confirmed Friday that Bebak has been "separated from the school." Nardin Academy does not comment on personnel matters," the school told The Buffalo News in a statement. "Whenever Nardin receives concerns regarding our students, we handle it with the utmost care, and we uphold our Catholic values of embracing all, and upholding the dignity of all people. Betters put the 31-year teaching veteran on administrative leave March 24, a decision that sparked a recent round of calls for Betters' resignation. The reason for the suspension spelled out in the email Betters sent Bebak that same day was obtained by The News from a Nardin alum and not the teacher, who declined to be interviewed. In an email Bebak sent on March 17 to Karen Brown, Nardin's diversity, equity and opportunity director, as well as a dozen others at the school, she said the incident began with a student using the word "retard," which "is just as upsetting to people with a disability as the 'N-word' is to people of color." This email also was obtained by The News from an alum. Bebak wrote that after the student "shouted the 'R-word' out to the entire class," she decided to turn what happened into "a teachable moment" about why hurtful words should never be used. Hailey Short, a 15-year-old freshman, sat in a front-row seat that day. At the start of the class, Hailey said, the student in question said loudly that " 'the English test made me feel so retarded.' Miss Bebak said you should not be saying that because it would be offensive to kids in the class." Nardin Academy statement from board chair, other leader admonishes 'rogue' trustees A letter sent Monday to the Nardin Academy community from the school's embattled chairwoman and a key board member took aim at a "rogue statement" nine trustees issued Friday calling on the school's leadership to resign. Hailey said there are students in the class with learning disabilities. After the student said she hadn't directed the word at anyone else, "and it didn't really matter," Miss Bebak said, 'I would never say the 'N' word to you, so you should never say the 'R' word.' " Hailey said Bebak didn't speak angrily at the student, and thought her teacher was trying to show how words that offend people are hurtful and shouldn't be used. Hailey said no one looking into what happened that day ever asked her or her classmates, to her knowledge, what happened. Betters denied Bebak's request to have the department chair present when summoned to meet with her on March 24. Betters, with Board of Trustees Vice Chair and Nardin parent Jim Swiezy in the room, told Bebak she was being put on immediate administrative leave and directed Darwin Jones, the school security guard, to accompany her as she left the building. Betters, in a recent interview, declined to discuss the personnel matter but defended having a board member present. She said she needed a witness and, with no senior staff members available, received the green light from an attorney. Word of the end of Bebak's employment Wednesday traveled fast through the Nardin community. About 100 students and around 40 faculty and several parents staged separate, silent protests Thursday morning as they entered the school. "The students wanted her back, which is why they did the walkout," said Cristine Adams, the mother of three students at Nardin, including a freshman whose teachers during this school year have included Bebak. Adams called the science teacher "so pro-student, which makes her punishment even more out of context for what she did." "It doesn't matter what field or specialty you're in, if you make a mistake there are consequences," she said. "These are not appropriate consequences for her actions. These are severe and punitive." Bebak's suspension was a factor in bringing into public view the faculty's concerns about Betters and Board Chairwoman Tish Van Dyke. Letters signed by 74 alumni and dozens of parents calling for Betters' removal quickly followed, along with a petition seeking her ouster that began the next day on change.org and has nearly 2,000 signatures. In the past school year, a majority of Nardin faculty have signed letters to the board, complaining of Betters' management style and treatment of people. Nine of the board's 24 trustees, along with three financial supporters of the Nardin community have called on Betters and Van Dyke to resign. Marsha Sullivan, Betters' predecessor and a key donor, is withholding her financial support until she feels "the future of the school is sound." More than 250 students, led by high school seniors, staged a walkout at the school last week in support of faculty and calling for a change in leadership. In a letter Thursday to the Nardin community, Van Dyke called for "renewal" at the academy and laid out a four-step "Plan for Healing and Growth." She also warned of "an orchestrated campaign that is nurturing conflict in our community and our school." The last month has been heartbreaking for many with ties to Nardin Academy. Katie Kokolus is among them. The scientist at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center said the freshman biology class she took with Bebak more than 20 years ago profoundly changed her life. "Miss Bebak was a very supportive and inspirational biology teacher," Kokolus said. "She's one of the main reasons I'm a tumor immunologist now. I would guess those freshmen sitting in the same seats we were in are going to be losing a major inspiration to pursue careers as women in science." Alumna Lauren Maricle, who said her niece was "incredibly inspired" by Bebak, said she's deeply worried about Nardin's future. "When there are so many issues walkouts, donors withholding funds, re-enrollment day with over 100 people withholding deposits it falls on the shoulders of the leadership," she said, "to resolve this and bring the community together." The Defiance of Dandelions, by New Orleans writer Philana Imade Omorotionmwan, is a poetic piece about Black girls overcoming the harm and restraints they suffer, much of it in school. One girl, who is at times known as Strongness, may be perceived as a bully because she stands up for herself. Another girl known as Thickness has developed a womans body and been subjected to unwelcome attention and touching. Theyre all learning to take care of themselves and trying to assert their own identities. The third full production of the We Will Dream Festival at the Andre Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice, The Defiance of Dandelions opens Friday, April 28, and runs through June 17. Its being directed by Yale University professor Nicole Brewer, who is known for her work pioneering anti-racist theater. Omorotionmwan found the inspiration for the title while in grad school in Ohio, in a region so covered by dandelions that theres a dandelion festival, she says. But it was her experiences as a public-school teacher and tutor that inspired the piece. Particularly for Black girls, expectations about what you are allowed to do are different as a result of race, Omorotionmwan says. The school creates rules around dress code, or zero tolerance policies, and uses them to create order but also it represses the students. At large, there are labels we put on Black girls because of the way they show up as themselves and dont apologize for it, and that gets labeled a negative thing, even though they are not bending to rules created by people who didnt consult them about what the world should look like. Omorotionmwan left teaching to focus on writing and returned to New Orleans after graduating. This is the first full production of Dandelions. After a production of another play scheduled to open in London in 2020 was canceled by the pandemic, its her first full show premiere as well. Its a poetic work in both language and form. Brewer opted to stage it in the large atrium of the former St. Rose de Lima church at the Cailloux Center. Though not a dance piece or choreopoem, it uses movement in a distinct way. I am calling it a ceremony, Brewer says. It lives within the spectrum of play, but what she has written is quite medicinal. Its this ceremony of healing for Black women an opportunity for us to really focus on our wounds. The work uses an improvised thrust stage and is in the round, in a way meant to draw the audience into the ritual. This entire piece is asking for the audience to interrogate the wounds that havent been allowed to heal and the way they keep injuring themselves and others, Brewer says. Thats my way in. Anything I am asked to direct, I ask, Is this medicinal, and for whom? Brewer has not changed her approach for this work, though the subject matter of the play is well-suited to her approach and anti-racist theater. One example is that she doesnt start her process with a standard table read, with director and cast analyzing the text. Instead, Brewer had the actors play. Table reads at the top of something establish a sort of were going to come to this work from an intellectual moment and understanding and foundation and move from there, Brewer says. What I have found is that that makes it harder for people to access their body, and you get what I call neck up acting. I dont want to see any of that. I start by asking large questions. I am assuming this is a professional thing and everybody read the play before we got into the room. I am more interested in what is the sound of that? What is the essence of that? How do we find that in our bodies and with each other? Then we build off of that and play, and that vocabulary of vulnerability, until it evolves and finds its way into the final project. Brewers anti-racist method is all encompassing, and includes working out ground rules for rehearsing, addressing harm and communication and more. Shes more concerned with the process than the final product, Brewer says. Shes currently working on a book about anti-racist theater. Omorotionmwan has observed some of the process at the Cailloux Center and liked the way it related to the work. It works well for this show because it reminded me that the students in this show are girls, Omorotionmwan says. But that gets stripped away or taken away by society and they get made into adults. There was something lovely seeing the actors playing. Theyre adults, but theres still that girl inside of them. The Defiance of Dandelions runs April 28-June 17. Visit nodreamdeferrednola.com for tickets and information. 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. After five years on the job, On Scene Services has a new contract, expands to Baltimore Quin Hillyer: No, Louisiana Republicans did not demand an end to teaching about racism U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, discusses House passage of the Lower Energy Costs Act, H.R. 1, during a March 30, 2023 press conference in the U.S. Capitol. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is to Graves' right. Beside McCarthy is House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson and chief sponsor for H.R. 1, on which Graves contributed a section. Last November's record storm dumped nearly 7 feet of snow in parts of Buffalo and the Southtowns and cost municipalities in Erie County more than $11 million. But local governments have been left in the cold when officials ask to get reimbursed for most of the storm-related cleanup costs. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will not pay for the cost of related snow removal because the expenses fall short of its standard reimbursement requirements, so local taxpayers are on the hook. "Leaving it, obviously, wasn't part of the options on the table," Hamburg Village Administrator Jason Cozza said. "The snow needed to be removed so people could move around on the streets and the sidewalks." If record snowfall doesn't count for a disaster and snow removal costs, what does, Cozza asked. "We were inundated with snow," he said. "We had to hire contractors to remove the snow." Five deaths were attributed to the storm that dumped 80 inches in Orchard Park and 81.2 inches in Hamburg. Four to 5 feet of snow fell in Elma, East Aurora and Boston. The rest of Erie County saw snowfall totals of 1 foot to just under 4 feet, according to the National Weather Service. More than 156,000 cubic yards of snow was trucked from throughout the county and dumped at Erie Community College South Campus, creating a huge hill of snow. Some still remains. Villages, towns, cities and school districts compiled the costs they wracked up combating the storm and sent the estimates to Erie County, which also had storm expenditures. The preliminary estimate totaled $11.13 million. Municipalities hoped to get 75% of that reimbursed from the federal government. Municipalities can receive federal funding under two kinds of declarations: emergency and major disaster. President Biden authorized a federal emergency declaration Nov. 20 for the storm, after New York State requested it. Kevin Sullivan, a public affairs specialist for FEMA, said the state did not request a major disaster declaration from the president, which would have opened up more categories to be considered for financial assistance. The state asked for, and received, a major disaster declaration for the December blizzard that resulted in the deaths of 47 people. There are criteria for the major disaster assistance, including minimum monetary thresholds. Erie County had to have at least $3.7 million in damages, and New York State had to meet a minimum of $32.9 million in damages. While Erie County damages surpassed the minimum for the November storm, the state did not meet the damage criteria. "Both have to be met for the major disaster declaration," Sullivan said. "Snow removal can be included in that second type, the major disaster declaration, if certain thresholds and criteria are met, but it is not included in the emergency declaration." The different declarations cover different categories of aid. The emergency declaration covers debris removal and emergency protective measures, while the major disaster declaration also covers emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities. Municipal officials said while the bulk of expenses were for snow removal, overtime costs for police should be reimbursable, and they may recover some costs for damage from insurance. Orchard Park emergency management coordinator Rich Mrugulski said the town spent about $600,000 throughout the storm, including from snow removal. After learning much of it won't be covered, he said the town probably will submit about $150,000 in costs. West Seneca spent an estimated $500,000, much of that on overtime and contractors to remove the snow, Supervisor Gary Dickson said. While the town would have preferred a full reimbursement, he said, "It's a hit we can absorb without too much trouble." Cozza said Hamburg will try to get as much reimbursement as possible. The village, which has a budget of $11.3 million, spent about $500,000 on the storm, including about $350,000 for outside contractors. "It's not a positive thing for our budget," he said. A conference created in remembrance of a May 14 victim saw a panel of lawyers, journalists, historians and activists tackle a difficult yet relevant topic: When First Amendment protections of free speech can be used as a "free pass to incite hate." The discussion on Saturday at SUNY Buffalo State University stemmed from the racist massacre of 10 people at Tops Markets, where an 18-year-old from Broome County acted upon extremist ideas from a hate-filled diatribe he authored and discussed on Discord and 4chan, social media channels devoted to messaging and anonymous forums, respectively. Ruth Whitfield, the 86-year-old mother of former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell W. Whitfield Jr. and the conference's namesake, was one of the people killed. Garnell Whitfield Jr. and his three siblings, Raymond Whitfield, Robin Harris and Angela Crawley, concluded the three-day Pursuit of tRUTH conference Saturday, which on previous days debated how Buffalo had responded to the massacre and painted the city as a climate for activism yet still vulnerable to race-based hate. Nearly a year after Tops massacre, Buffalo grapples with 'painstakingly long' work of transformation A panel at the "Pursuit of tRuth" conference in Buffalo, in honor of Tops massacre victim Ruth Whitfield, agreed that little has changed since May 14, and Buffalo, as a community, needs to do much more to uplift all of its neighborhoods. Panel guests Saturday were Alice Wairimu Nderitu, United Nations under-secretary general special adviser for the Office of Genocide Prevention; civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump; Jelani Cobb, dean of Columbia Journalism School; New York Civil Liberties Union executive director Donna Lieberman; University at Buffalo professor and author Henry Louis Taylor Jr.; and Buffalo attorney Terry Connors. CBS' Jericka Duncan was the moderator. In her keynote address, Nderitu stressed the inextricable link between hate speech and acts of hate; Nazi Germany, the Rwandan genocide and ethnic conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina were cited as atrocities sparked or accompanied by hate speech. "You cannot have a genocide without words," she said. "There is a direct connection." She said the UN defines hate speech as "any kind of communication in speech, writing or behavior, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender or other identity factor." The Tops shooter's hate crime against Black people in Buffalo is a local example of a growing national problem. Nderitu said hate crimes targeting minorities in the United States have reached their highest level in over a decade; motivations of race, ethnicity and religious bias represent 70% of these crimes. The panel discussion that ensued, however, revealed the difficulties of criminalizing hate speech. Connors, the Buffalo attorney, pointed to the Supreme Court's recent handling of Counterman v. Colorado, in which an alleged Facebook stalker was accused of repeatedly threatening a Colorado musician over several years. While Connors said that while the case has yet to be decided, early takeaways from the Supreme Court were that "objectively reasonable" claims of hate speech were not sufficient and that instead a "subjective element" in which a juror required evidence of intentional hate in the mind of the alleged harasser was necessary. Whitfield family organizing 3-day conference on hate and healing after 5/14 massacre The Whitfields hope that by bringing together leaders and experts from around the country to meet with the survivors and the community in Buffalo, they can find paths forward. Lieberman, the NYCLU leader, condemned the American Civil Liberties Union's response to the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., but she defended free speech as central to democracy. She insisted police and society share a responsibility to keep protests peaceful. Cobb noted that the Charlottesville community did not want the Unite the Right rally to happen but "outside advocates" argued for free speech and the right to gather. "They were allowed to assemble, and predictably, at the end of the day, there was someone dead," Cobb said. "We see that dynamic time and time again." Taylor said the Supreme Court has been "soft" in how it defines hate speech. "You can't incite violence until violence occurs after something," Taylor said. But a lenient approach to hate speech "creates the condition that makes this violence possible," he continued. The tensions between free speech and violence are not new. The Columbia dean reflected back to the effect of the 1915 film "Birth of a Nation," which he said led to the re-emergence of the Ku Klux Klan and split the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People over whether the movie should be allowed to continue in theaters. "That really set the DNA for the conflicts that we have now," Cobb said. After sentencing, families of shooting victims look to future: 'Buffalo needs to look at its racist ways in the face' The families of the victims of the May 14 massacre want to do something to make sure no one can ever perpetrate a heinous crime like that again and also to confront the racism that brought the killing to fruition. Crump veered slightly from the free speech debate and blamed the "intellectual justification of discrimination" for why racist acts of hate occur, detailing historical oppression of Black and Brown peoples. It was his final message during a brief reflection on the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" that perhaps best summed up the overall discussion. "You can't look the other way if you see injustice," Crump said. "Too many people look the other way." A former Town of Wilson code enforcement officer was charged Friday with stealing building permit and inspection fees from the town, according to the Niagara County District Attorneys Office. Christopher L. Jordan, who is currently employed as the Town of Wheatfields deputy building inspector, was accused of pocketing fees after requesting cash payments from residents and contractors, reportedly telling them that the Town of Wilson did not accept checks, according to Wilson town officials. Jordan, 47, of Wilson, resigned in August 2022 and accepted the job in Wheatfield. It was shortly after Jordans departure that Wilson officials said they noticed that public funds appeared to be unaccounted for. Town Councilman Robert A. Hall said that once the irregularities were uncovered, the town reached out to the Niagara County DAs office and requested an investigation. Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced Friday that Jordan was charged with felony corruption, felony grand larceny and misdemeanor official misconduct. Seaman said Jordan was arraigned and released because "none of the charges qualified for bail under New York States bail reform laws." Jordan has an appearance date of May 25 in Wilson Town Court, Seaman said. Jordan could not be reached for comment, and his attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. Earlier this year, Town Supervisor Doyle H. Phillips filed a complaint with the New York State Comptrollers Division of Investigations, requesting a review. In part, the complaint stated: When the new building inspector (code enforcement officer) came in, he found many permits that were signed by Mr. Jordan, but the money was never given to the town clerk nor were the permits signed by her (town clerk). The complaint also goes on to state that Jordan was giving huge breaks on permit fees to acquaintances if they paid in cash. Phillips ended the complaint stating, We will probably never know the full extent of his theft over the four years he was employed here. Town officials said they are addressing situations where permits were issued improperly. It's a joy for Chris Hoch to be traveling in the touring company of "Jagged Little Pill." "I'm enjoying it very much," said Hoch, who portrays Steve Healy, the patriarch of the family in "Jagged Little Pill." Hoch, who now resides in New York City, hails from Northbrook, Ill. The show continues to April 23 at The James M. Nederlander Theatre in Chicago. "Jagged Little Pill," which features lyrics by Grammy-winner Alanis Morissette, music by Morissette and Glenn Ballard and a story by Diablo Cody, is directed by Diane Paulus. The production tells the story of the suburban dwelling Healy family and the troubles, heartbreak, dysfunction and relationships dealt with in their daily lives. Hoch said the show is a great vehicle for showcasing Alanis Morissette's music and her music is also a wonderful vehicle for moving the story told in the play forward. "Alanis Morissette's music is fantastic," Hoch said, adding the songwriter's music has a strong storytelling quality. Hoch added the cast met Morissette when the show had tour stops in California. For Hoch, playing the Chicago area in "Jagged Little Pill," is special because he still has family and friends in the area. "I'm going to see a lot of them," he said. Hoch added he was looking forward to doing a few things and seeing "The Cherry Orchard" at The Goodman Theatre while in town. "I'll probably get some Chicago pizza," he said, with a laugh. Hoch said he became interested in theater while a student at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook. Touring in a long-running show remains exciting for Hoch. "A lot of people get bored with long runs, but I don't," Hoch said. The actor has performed in a variety of shows through the years including Broadway productions of "A Christmas Carol," "War Paint," "Amazing Grace," "Matilda," "Spamalot," "Beauty and the Beast" and others. He's also made various TV appearances including on "All My Children," "30 Rock" and "The Good Wife." FYI: "Jagged Little Pill" continues to April 23 at The James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago. Tickets run $35 to $125. Visit BroadwayInChicago.com and jaggedlittlepill.com. Gallery: Opening Night of 'Paradise Square' in Chicago curtain call for Paradise Square A.J. Shively cast of Paradise Square Paradise Paradise Square opening Chilina Kennedy We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde Eileen Collins was 12 when Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. And I remember it, she said. I do, too. I was 7, standing on the front porch of my familys home in Gary and squinting to get a glimpse of the man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. More than half a billion people watched on television as the first human set foot on another world. Thats one small step Armstrong said. Collins took countless small steps and many giant leaps to become a NASA astronaut, a U.S. Air Force colonel, a flight instructor and test pilot. She was the first woman to pilot the space shuttle and the first to command a shuttle mission. The Earths population will need to spread throughout the universe. We are only taking baby steps now, Collins told me. Last month, NASA announced plans to return to the moon with a four-member astronaut crew including the first woman, the first person of color and the first Canadian on a lunar mission through the Artemis program. This 10-day flight, scheduled for next year, will be the first step toward establishing a long-term presence on the moon for science and exploration through Artemis. These explorers represent the best of humanity, daring to forge new frontiers in space on behalf of humanity, NASAs website says. Countries that are strong and remain strong are countries that explore," Collins said. "Remember, we landed on the moon in 1969 and stated We come in peace for all mankind. We did not claim to own the moon. Will other countries do the same? I asked Collins, whos 66, to explain why we, as humans, should spend so much time, energy and money on space exploration when our planet has so many obvious problems. With Earth Day in the international spotlight this weekend, it's an ideal opportunity to explore this decades-old debate. Collins cited secondary reasons for space exploration, such as finding new materials, sources of energy and technologies, as well as a better understanding of the human body, developing new medicines and observing Earth from space. Whether we explore space or not, other countries like China, India, Russia will definitely go to the moon and Mars. The countries that go first will be the ones to set the rules and regulations. I would like to see the United States do that. Collins wrote the book Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission. Edwin Buzz Aldrin, one of the first astronauts to step on the surface of the moon, wrote in his review of Collins book: I hope that a young explorer who reads Eileens book will be inspired to become the first human on Mars. I asked Collins how much the inclusion of the first woman and person of color on this particular mission will influence a new generation of space explorers. It will be a huge factor, she replied. I know that many more young people will choose careers in science, technology, engineering and math if they see role models who inspire them to take on the tough subjects and go on to create, invent and discover, she said. I have observed this myself when young girls tell me they want to do the same thing I did. These young people are the ones who inspired me to write my book, so they can learn from my experiences. I asked the relevance of returning to the moon after 50 years, a long distance between the latest moon landing in 1972 and the Artemis program. There are many reasons, I believe. The primary one is the cost, she replied. These missions are also risky, and I believe the Apollo program was shut down in 1972 for both cost and risk. We beat the Soviet Union, and we proved it could be done. Our nation chose to build a space station as its next space exploration project but needed to build the space shuttle first. The shuttle program flew from 1981 to 2011. Now the U.S. is ready, based on what we have learned from shuttle and station, to go deeper into space, she said. We are going to the moon, primarily to test the equipment that will be needed later for a Mars mission. The ultimate goal is humans on Mars. A space trip to Mars will take six months to two years, depending on where the planets are around the sun. It would be too risky to skip the moon and go straight to Mars, Collins said. Instead, the propulsion and life-support equipment will be tested in a closer environment, the moon, which is only three days away. If something breaks down or there is an emergency, it is faster to return the astronauts to Earth. Once the equipment reaches a certain reliability level, it will be ready to go to Mars and support the mission of the astronauts. The debate isnt whether we should continue space exploration, even now as our planet faces its own existential crises. The question is how far we can go into space to explore our distant options. Humans are hardwired to explore, Collins said. Its in our nature. Its in our history. And it should be in our future. Some of us need to look at the stars from the gutters of our troubled planet. The Indiana Library Federation is encouraging Hoosier lawmakers to not revive legislation that would open the door to widespread, Florida-style book bans at school and public libraries across the state. The nonpartisan organization that works to advance library services for Hoosiers communicated its concern Friday that components of Senate Bill 12, which failed to advance in the House, will be slipped into another measure in the final days of Indiana's annual legislative session. On Thursday, leaders in the Republican-controlled House hinted that the restrictions on library materials approved in February by the Republican-controlled Senate could be inserted as soon as Monday into House Bill 1447. It's not yet known whether the language will follow a never-adopted amendment to Senate Bill 380 considered three weeks ago by the House Education Committee requiring all Indiana libraries and schools to adopt policies and procedures concerning the potential removal of material alleged to be obscene or harmful to minors. Or if it will more closely match the Senate legislation that sought to create a different multistep complaint and review process for "inappropriate" material in only school libraries. Under both plans, librarians, library personnel, teachers and principals, among others, potentially would be subject to felony criminal prosecution, punishable by up to 2 years behind bars, for making available library materials deemed harmful to minors. The Indiana Library Federation said it completely opposes any policy taking away educational and scope-of-employment defenses that would allow for the criminal prosecution and jailing of librarians in the Hoosier State. At the same time, the federation expressed support for local challenge processes in school and public libraries to create transparency for the community and for parents. "ILF is committed to protecting all Hoosiers constitutional freedom to read. Libraries provide all sorts of information on a range of topics for everyone. Local challenge processes allow people the chance to make their voices and concerns heard in their communities. Libraries should be able to make diverse materials available for everyone without government interference," the federation said. Should some kind of book ban language be inserted in pending legislation, it still must be approved in identical form by the House and the Senate to advance to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to be signed into law or vetoed. The Indiana General Assembly is required by law adjourn for the year on or before April 29. 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 WHITING Fifty-two years after the first Earth Day in America, groups of students, merchants and municipal departments did their part to beautify their community. Some planted, some swept, others picked up trash. Along Schrage Avenue near the BP Refinery, members of the Student Conservation Association worked with community and business volunteers to plant fir trees and native plugs. Sam Vergara, Chicago program manager for SCA, explained that the plantings have been an ongoing program with BP and the city since 2019. The plantings help with stormwater retention and removing pollutants from the air. Over the four lots targeted for planting, Vergara said, about 600 plugs of native grasses and 50 conifer trees would be planted. Were focusing on building our next generation of conservation leaders, said Leo Sawyers, SCA community program manager for Northwest Indiana. He cited the biodiversity of plant and tree species in the Region: This restoration just helps beautify the area and clean away pollutants, while engaging the community. This project helps restore the area. Kelly Runzel, also with SCA, cited the importance of using native plants to create an ecoshield and help with air quality. For Amanda Rodda, a volunteer from BP, this is something really positive. Im happy we can come together and plant and promote these native plants. The Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce and United Citizens Association sponsored the cleanup that drew students from public and parochial schools, Calumet College of St. Joseph, Unilever, Hammond Port Authority, Hammond Police, and Hammond and Whiting public works departments. Tom Markovich, general chairman for the Earth Day project, said groups worked Friday and Saturday on different parts of the city. Volunteers hit seven sites. Were trying to make people aware of litter and what they can do to get involved and clean up our community, Markovich said, pointing to volunteers sweeping along 119th Street near St. John the Baptist School. A small group of people can make a big difference, he said. Markovich is a member of the chambers Litter Awareness and Reduction Committee. The group was created, he explained, when then-Mayor Joseph Stahura was looking for community ideas. Markovich suggested the litter issue, and Stahura was interested. LARC took a few years to get started, Markovich said. He also noted the support of the United Citizens Association, which provided funding for brooms, trash bags and other cleaning supplies for the two days. Earth Day originated in 1970 as a day of education about environmental issues: 20 million people took to the streets to protest environmental issues that were being ignored. These included oil spills, polluted rivers and air pollution. The holiday has become a global celebration. Along Indianapolis Boulevard, Calumet College students were bagging trash. CCSJ Communications Director Linda Gajewski said some student-athletes, campus ministers and honors-learning students participated. Working beside the college students was Carolyn Sarvanidis, owner of Region Signs. Its amazing, the trash thats here. Lots of masks and plastic bottles, the business owner said. Its good to see the people out here. Most of the residents have done a good job keeping their property clean. Most of this trash came from cars. Back at the plantings along Schrage Avenue, Tamera Lienhart, BP director of state and local affairs, said Im really excited about this. Lienhart said BP has been working for several years with the U.S. Forestry Service, SCA and Mayor Steve Spebar on conservation projects. She noted that Whiting has one of the lowest urban tree canopies in the area. BPs first plantings came last year along Schrage, on the other side of Indianapolis Boulevard. The oil refinery has done similar projects in Hammond and East Chicago. We always want to benefit the community," Lienhart said. "Were working with the mayor to identify high-profile areas. Councilman Shawn Turpin, D-at large, had shovel in hand: This is great. We hope to continue these partnerships. Whiting Parks and other groups are sponsoring a Whihala Beach cleanup from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6. The public is welcome to assist, the councilman said, noting that last years beach cleanup produced 1,100 pounds of trash. Also wielding a shovel was Drew Hart of the U.S. Forestry Services CommuniTree program. Breaking ground for the planting of Canaan fir trees, Hart said the coniferous trees can grow to 60 feet in height. CommuniTree is an effort to promote tree planting, as well as the care for and maintenance of trees. Since 2016, Hart said, the program has planted 10,000 trees around Lake County. The program tries to plant a variety of fir trees. Even through the resin on their needles, these trees can catch particulate matter, he explained: Besides being a home for various wildlife, these trees are great for picking up pollutants. A former University at Buffalo student from Lackawanna has safely returned to U.S. soil, nearly 18 months after she was reportedly tricked into traveling to Yemen and then kept there as part of her father's plan to pursue an arranged marriage that she rejected, according to federal prosecutors. But she's not out of danger, they say. While her father, Khaled Abughanem, and her brother, Waleed Abughanem, remain in federal custody, each facing a charge of conspiracy to kidnap a person in a foreign country, prosecutors point to what happened upon her arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on the morning of April 6 as proof of the continued threat she faces. Federal agents, armed but wearing plain clothes, met her when her flight arrived so they could escort her to a safe location. As the agents escorted her through the concourse, her sister ran toward her from behind. Kidnapping charges lodged as Lackawanna woman resists forced marriage in Yemen: 'You are no longer in the West' For a Lackawanna woman, the torrent of abuse at her family's hands started in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she was "dragged and pushed" out of her fiance's home and forced to return to Lackawanna in September 2021, according to a federal complaint. Airport surveillance photos show what happened next. The sister grabbed her and began pulling her, shoving the agents who intervened. The federal agents ultimately separated her from her sister and took her to a secure location, according to a court filing from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Kruly and Maeve Huggins. She "had barely touched down in the United States before a member of her family attempted to bring her back into the Abughanem familys control and custody," according to their court filing. Court documents in U.S. District Court in Buffalo do not name the woman reportedly kidnapped by her family, and have provided few details about her. Her location remains undisclosed. But her return to the United States "only makes it easier for members of the defendants family to attempt to locate or contact her so that they may harm her or continue their obstruction campaign," Kruly and Huggins said in their court filing. Her father and brother have been in custody since their arrests in February, when federal authorities accused the two of planning to traffic her to Yemen for the purposes of a forced marriage. At a detention hearing last month, U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. ordered both to remain locked up, saying he could find no reasonable conditions he could impose to reasonably assure their appearance at future proceedings and the safety of the community. But the judge said the two could ask him to reconsider his detention order if the woman was returned to the United States. With her return, both defendants asked the judge to reconsider. A hearing on the father's request is scheduled for May 5. At a court hearing Thursday, Schroeder ruled the brother's defense counsel did not make a sufficient case to warrant reconsidering the detention order. Both face a sentence of up to life in prison, if convicted. The government has urged the judge to retain the detention order for both men. "The defendants decision to return (her) to the United States after conspiring to hold her captive in a war-torn country for nearly 18 months does nothing to alter the courts sound decision," according to court papers filed the U.S. Attorney's Office. Federal judge declines release of father, brother charged with kidnapping woman U.S. District Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. expressed concern that Khaled Abughanem, 50, and his son, Waleed Abughanem, 32, posed a serious risk of flight and a threat to the safety of the woman, if they were released. 'Elaborate plot' At a hearing last month, Huggins described the case as a conspiracy involving "an elaborate plot" that began in 2021 to kidnap the woman from her fiance in Mexico. Then, she was held against her will at a Lackawanna home owned by her brother, Waleed. Her father and brother are accused of planning to "essentially disappear her by tricking her by ruse to travel first to Egypt, where then she was forced against her will to travel to Yemen," Huggins said. While in Yemen, the woman had been held against her will for a significant period of time, restricted from free movement, access to her travel documents and from contacting others, Huggins said. Those who restricted her included her father and brother, their spouses and other members of the family, she said. She was "essentially being held as chattel for her family and brother to sell off to someone that they deem to be a suitable husband," Huggins said. If she did not obey the wishes of her family, they threatened to kill her, Huggins said. One such threat came from her father, even while he was locked up in the Cattaraugus County Jail as a federal defendant. In a phone call with his wife and another daughter, recorded and monitored by the jail, Khaled Abughanem referred to his daughter as a despicable girl who "made the people laugh at us," according to a criminal complaint against him. In the phone call, he asks why another daughter is not answering his phone calls promptly and discusses waiting for lawyers to figure out legal questions involving his son. Later in the call, he stated, "I will wait for three days, three days, otherwise the one over there will be slaughtered," according to the complaint. Authorities believe he was referring to his daughter, then in Yemen, so they added a charge against him threat to retaliate against a witness, victim or an informant. In court papers, Edmund Susman, a special agent for the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, said he began investigating this case in December as a task force officer to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force at the Buffalo Division. He said the investigation provided probable cause to believe her father and others have attempted to force her to marry a person not of her choosing and discussed killing her if she does not abide by her father's wishes. In emails to Susman, the woman said her family has pressured her to recant her earlier statements to the FBI and pressured her not to speak to any FBI agent about anything, according to email transcripts in the court file. "I know exactly what they truly want," she told the federal agent in an email, referring to her family. "But I will not do what they say. Because I know speaking about what happened either to you or any specified agent will not harm me." Detention hearing delayed for two family members charged in suspected forced marriage scheme Khaled Abughanem, 50, and her brother, Waleed Abughanem, 32, were arrested Feb. 14 on a charge of conspiracy to kidnap a person in a foreign country. Both remain in custody. 'Adores her and loves her' Lawyers representing the two men could not be reached for comment on the woman's return to the United States. But at last month's hearing, they rejected the government's portrayal of a kidnapping, the woman's stay in Yemen, and the father and brother's actions. "We all have a thought that a person who is alleged or claimed to have been kidnapped is hidden away somewhere, some remote area in a basement where it's dark, given maybe a couple of pieces of bread a day, no communication with anybody, and wearing something over their eyes and being held against their will," said attorney Herbert Greenman, who represents the father. "And then I saw the facts of the case as I know them to be. I never heard of a kidnapping case where the complainant victim has unfettered access to go where she wants to go." At last month's hearing, Greenman referred to photos that were not part of the publicly available court case file, which he said show "that she goes out, she is not limited to the house where she has been staying." "Not only can she go where she wants to go, the doors are not locked," he said. "There is one person, a woman, who lives with her who can't watch her all of the time. She has, apparently, unfettered access to the internet with a computer, and she speaks with the FBI on a regular basis. I know she has access to a telephone, a cellphone, and she calls all kinds of different people. On one occasion, her mother was in my office when she called her mother on the cellphone. So, I would guess if she can call one person's cellphone, she can call anybody that she wants to talk with. That is not what I see as a person who is being held against their will." Greenman said the father has been "painted with a very broad brush based upon allegations made by a young woman, a daughter, who said that he did all these bad things to her." The daughter, 21 or 22 years old, according to Greenman, "is doing what she wants to do to the exclusion of her best interest." "She ran away from home, and where did she go? To Mexico, and didn't tell her parents," Greenman said. Her parents have heard stories about how people prey on those who leave their country and who use another person's citizenship to gain their own citizenship, he said. "One can imagine what a parent's reaction might be that the daughter has run away, gone to Mexico," he said. "She winds up in Yemen. Maybe the family thought this was in her best interest. I know she didn't. But now the family is in ruins." Her father "adores her and loves her and wants only the best for her. He is doing the best that he can," Greenman said. How the prosecution has portrayed Khaled Abughanem "is not the entire picture of what's going on here or the kind of father that he is and a father who could never do damage to his daughter," Greenman said. At last month's detention hearing, Greenman asked the judge not to "accept every word that this woman has said, because that is really what the government has asked you to do." When asked by the judge at the March hearing about the recorded jail phone call, Greenman said he had not listened to the recording and would get his own interpretation of what the father said. "Again, not having heard it, it's a lot of hubris of a man who has been locked up in jail down in Cattaraugus County, away from his entire family, for weeks, who just wants to go home and let her come home," he said. WINFIELD Residents of one of Indiana's fastest-growing communities are asking town officials to slow the pace of construction. That was the strong message from respondents to an online survey and 20 people who attended a workshop Wednesday at which a new comprehensive master plan for Winfield was discussed. Georgia Falkenberg lives on 20 acres in Winfield. She likes what she called the community's "country charm" and doesn't want to see it congested with more residential development. People moved here because they want open space. Im happy people dont feel the need for more homes to be built, she said. The workshop, the last in a series, was headed by Alaina Shonkwiler, director of community and economic development for Veridus; and Jack Woods, project analyst for Veridus. Town officials hired the Indianapolis-based company this year to draft a new comprehensive master plan for the community for $50,000. Woods shared results of the online survey, which he termed a good turnout at 580 respondents. The survey indicated that residents would like to see more retail businesses especially restaurants walking paths and recreational offerings. A survey is a good way to maximize input, Woods said. Shonkwiler said it was made clear in the 20-question survey that respondents believe the current new-housing stock is sufficient. The survey says no more residential development. The communitys voice is loud and clear on that, Shonkwiler said. After relaying highlights of the survey, Shonkwiler and Woods invited residents to provide questions or comments about information posted on color-coded maps. Those maps outined possible land use within Winfield and in outlying areas that are not part of the town. Residents wrote comments on sticky notes and attached them to the maps. Cindy Baumeister, who has lived in the Trees subdivision for 17 years, said she would like to see more accessibility for residents, especially those who live off 109th Avenue. Her note on the map read: How do we make subdivisions on 109th accessible without driving? Nicole Kadelak said she and her family moved to the Stonegate subdivision 14 years ago because of the good schools and the towns open spaces. She would like more sidewalks connected to businesses and more walking paths and trails. Were outdoorsy people, she said. Shonkwiler and Woods said they will take the information provided from the workshop and the survey and continue to refine it. The master plan will be presented in final form May 23 to the Town Council, Shonkwiler said. It has to be the communitys vision and not a single vision, she said. Preliminary census data gathered by Veridus indicates that Winfield has grown rapidly in the past 20 years, more than tripling the number of residents. Winfield is one of the fastest-growing communities, ranking ninth in population growth in the state, Woods said. Winfield, incorporated as a town in 1993, had a population of 7,000 in the 2020 U.S. census. The first episode of the new female-fronted television adaptation of David Cronenbergs 1988 psychological thriller, Dead Ringers, splices together footage of four live births with shocking forthrightness. A plastic-gloved hand grips the bloody head of a newborn and tugs it from the birth canal as another cradles it from below; a baby is pulled briskly out using a pair of elongated metal forceps clasped around its skull; a scalpel is drawn sharply through the surface of a prepped and sterilized abdomen during an emergency cesarean section; hands are thrust inside and a small body is lifted up. Why are you wearing my vagina like its a [expletive] glove? shouts one patient at the doctors working busily out of view. The montage is a feverish, pugilistic sequence of grunts and cries that presents modern obstetrics as a high-volume industry, an assembly line made up mostly of soft, fleshy parts and powered by adrenaline. When at last the twin gynecologists who are the focal point of the series (both played with startling acuity by Rachel Weisz) are able to pause and rest for a moment in the quiet of an empty hospital room, I couldnt help letting out my own sigh of vicarious exhaustion. In the television world, babies are a convenient way to reinvigorate stale interpersonal dynamics, or a point of narrative pressure that forces characters to make dramatic choices. But births, in all their beauty and gore, are rare. Were used to a certain sleight of hand, carefully placed cuts and scenes where fresh-looking mothers in hospital gowns hold clean, swaddled infants in their arms. Real birthing is something more radical: Pregnancy involves a terraforming of the body that might appear terrifying if you were to see it at time-lapse speed. Inside a pregnant body, the volume of blood can increase by at least a third: It swells the hands and limbs; fluid accumulates in some tissue, like the legs, causing it to bloat like an oversaturated sponge. Soaked in hormones that relax the tendons and ligaments, the joints in the pelvis loosen and the shape of the foot is remolded under greater weight. During labor, the pelvic floor, which helps to hold organs in place, can stretch or tear permanently, causing them to resettle in unfamiliar ways. Thinking about all this puts birth in a different generic register depending on how it is framed and depicted. Having a child might be a blessing or a difficulty within the tropes of a domestic drama, but the actual mechanics of bringing that child into the world verge on body horror, the genre perhaps best typified by the films of David Cronenberg. He made his reputation as a horror auteur with movies like his 1986 remake of The Fly, in which a scientist accidentally fuses his DNA with that of a common housefly. In his worlds, familiar physiology is bent into strange new shapes, showing us that the seeming fixity of our bodies is only a soothing illusion. Why judging your feelings can backfire When we perceive our emotions as bad, we pile more bad feelings onto our existing ones, which makes us feel even worse, said Emily Willroth, a psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis and a co-author of the new study. It is likely to increase both the intensity of our negative feelings and the amount of time we suffer from them. Instead of having a feeling naturally pass after a few minutes, you might be ruminating on it an hour later, she said. Avoiding or suppressing feelings can be counterproductive, too. In a small clinical trial, researchers asked people to put one of their hands into an ice water bath and to either accept their feelings of pain or to suppress them. Those who tried to suppress their feelings reported more pain and couldnt endure the ice water for as long as those who accepted their discomfort. Other research has linked emotional suppression with an increased risk for mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety. What one resists, persists, said Amanda Shallcross, a naturopathic physician who studies emotion regulation at the Cleveland Clinic. When you avoid your emotions, youre bound to experience longer-term negative mental and physical health. Research also suggests that if you have a habit of negatively judging your emotions, you can become more upset when faced with a stressful situation. In a 2018 study, Dr. Mauss and her colleagues asked individuals whether they tended to accept their emotions or judge them as bad. Then they asked subjects to give a three-minute speech about their qualifications for a job a task known to induce stress. Participants who said they didnt usually accept their emotions reported experiencing more negative feelings while they gave the speech. In a follow-up experiment, the researchers found that subjects who didnt usually accept their emotions reported worse psychological well-being and had more depression and anxiety symptoms six months later. How to make peace with your feelings First, remember that unpleasant feelings are part of the human experience. No emotion is inherently bad or inappropriate, Dr. Willroth said. Negative feelings can even serve a purpose, she added. Anxiety can help you to face a potential threat, anger can help you stand up for yourself and sadness can signal to other people that you need their social support. Evacuations from Sudan The U.S. evacuated its diplomats from Sudan yesterday, starting an exodus of foreign diplomats from the country as fighting there stretched into a second week. Officials said almost 100 people mostly U.S. Embassy employees were evacuated by helicopters that arrived from Djibouti, where the U.S. has a base. More than 100 special operations troops were involved in the operation. Within hours after the U.S. announced the move, a swell of countries, including France, Britain and Germany, followed suit. India said that it had two military aircraft and a naval vessel on standby to prepare for the evacuation of its citizens. China issued a notice via its embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, asking its citizens to register if they wanted to be rescued. As helicopters and planes swept away foreigners, Sudanese citizens continued to flee. They often face greater risks than diplomats or aid workers, and many have been trying to leave through land borders, but the journeys are dangerous. Bed Bath & Beyond came out of the 2008 downturn a winner. While competitors like Sharper Image and Linens n Things filed for bankruptcy, Bed Bath & Beyond actually expanded its business by acquiring other retailers. Its home-goods emporiums full of towels and kitchen aids all available at a reduced price with that Big Blue coupon were beacons that kept shoppers coming back. Now, as the U.S. economy experiences another period of uncertainty, Bed Bath & Beyond is no longer on top, the result of an increasingly unwieldy corporate structure and its failure to fully reckon with the ascendance of online shopping. On Sunday, the 52-year-old retailer said it was filing for bankruptcy protection in United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. It said it would start the process of closing the companys 360 Bed Bath & Beyond stores and 120 Buy Buy Baby locations on Wednesday and seek to sell parts of its business. In its Chapter 11 filing, the company said it expected all stores to close by June 30. It will stop accepting its coupons on Wednesday, when its store closing sales begin. Customers will have until May 8 to use Bed Bath & Beyond gift cards. The company did not specify when its store apps would shut down, saying only that customers could continue using them at this time. Image Credit... Giulio Bonasera Whats Up? (April 16-22) Fox News Settles Fox Newss highly anticipated trial with Dominion Voting Systems, the voting machine maker that accused the network of spreading lies about the 2020 presidential election on its programs, ended before it began. In an unexpected twist in the courtroom on Tuesday after jurors had been selected and opening statements delayed Fox News agreed to a $787.5 million settlement. Dominion had been seeking $1.6 billion in damages. But even at less than half that amount, the settlement is still one of the largest ever in a defamation case. Though Fox did not apologize for its falsehoods, the company acknowledged in a statement that certain claims it made about Dominion were false. And Fox may face more consequences; the cable news network remains entangled in multiple legal battles, including a defamation suit from another election technology company, Smartmatic, which is seeking an even larger amount: $2.7 billion. Dominion also has other pending litigation against Rudolph W. Giuliani and One America News Network related to false claims of election fraud. A Looming Strike in Hollywood Thousands of television and film writers are ready to walk on the picket lines if they cant reach an agreement with Hollywoods biggest studios by the end of the month. Last week, more than 9,000 of those writers, represented by the Writers Guild of America, voted to authorize a strike, giving union leaders the ability to call for a walkout when the writers contract expires on May 1. Writers say their pay and working conditions have not kept pace with the streaming-era boom. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a trade association that bargains on behalf of Hollywood production companies, said its goal was to reach a fair and reasonable agreement. In the meantime, Hollywood executives have begun to prepare for the possibility of a strike, which would first disrupt late-night television shows and then scripted television. Tax Credit Confusion Cashing in on the federal tax credits promised to buyers of electric vehicles became more complicated last week, when the Treasury Department placed additional limitations on which models qualify. Caveats released in August said vehicles and plug-in hybrids assembled outside North America were not eligible for the $7,500 credit. Now, a new policy from the department requires that a certain percentage of the components and minerals in a cars battery be sourced in the United States or from its trade allies. That means just 11 electric cars from a handful of automakers qualify for the full tax credit, while several others meet the standard for a partial $3,750 credit. The list of eligible vehicles is expected to grow as carmakers fine-tune their supply chains and catch up with demand. That could take a while, though: Automakers have been struggling to scale up their production because of problems with sourcing the materials they need. Image Credit... Giulio Bonasera Whats Next? (April 23-29) Checking In on a Struggling Bank Last month, 11 of the countrys largest banks came together to inject $30 billion into First Republic, a midsize bank that teetered on the brink of collapse after the failures of two other banks had sent shock waves through the banking sector. So, did it work? When the bank reports its quarterly earnings this week, analysts expect to see an enormous flight of deposits that is, customers pulling their money from the bank and losses. If there is no deal to sell a stake in First Republic or a plan to shepherd it through these hard times, its stock is likely to plummet and add to the pressure on the bank. For the past decade, the White House and Congress have relied on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, a renowned advisory group, to help shape the federal response to the opioid crisis, whether by convening expert panels or delivering policy recommendations and reports. Yet officials with the National Academies have kept quiet about one thing: their decision to accept roughly $19 million in donations from members of the Sackler family, the owners of Purdue Pharma, the maker of the drug OxyContin that is notorious for fueling the opioid epidemic. The opioid crisis has led to hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths, spawned lawsuits and forced other institutions to publicly distance themselves from Sackler money or to acknowledge potential conflicts of interest from ties to Purdue Pharma. The National Academies has largely avoided such scrutiny as it continues to advise the government on painkillers. I didnt know they were taking private money, Michael Von Korff, a prominent pain care researcher, said. It sounds like insanity to take money from principals of drug companies and then do reports related to opioids. I am really shocked. ALBANY, N.Y. A push by Gov. Kathy Hochul to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes in New York has become the focal point of a fierce and expensive lobbying fight, pitting Big Tobacco against the medical community. Caught in the middle are Black smokers, who smoke menthol cigarettes at higher rates than white smokers, and are the main group the ban is meant to help. Decades of aggressive marketing by tobacco companies have caused Black smokers to consume menthol cigarettes, whose cooling sensation on the throat makes them more appealing and addictive. Altria and R.J. Reynolds, which produce top-selling menthol brands and are the two largest cigarette makers in the United States, have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on an army of top lobbyists who have argued to members of Ms. Hochuls staff and dozens of lawmakers that such a ban would be ineffective public policy. The companies have also funneled at least $135,000 since 2020 to a convenience-store trade group that is fighting the ban. Their opponents, a coalition of public health groups and a national antismoking organization, have spent over $1 million on ads in newspapers, on television and even in Times Square, disparaging tobacco companies and trying to pressure lawmakers to back Ms. Hochuls proposal. Seabirds that nest in great colonies are a little more visible. Such dense nesting also makes them more vulnerable to contagious disease, and many kinds are long-lived, maturing at relatively late ages, which leaves their populations slower to rebound. During nesting season last May, at a colony of sandwich terns on the coast of France, observers counted more than 1,000 tern corpses. France as a whole may have lost 10 percent of its breeding population within a week. At remote island sites in Britain, such as Orkney and the Shetlands, the great skua seems to have suffered die-offs of up to 85 percent. Any such bird flu, so deadly, is called highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H.P.A.I. That label was once applied to viruses that infect chickens. Until this century, these kinds of viruses were virtually unknown among wild birds. The exception was an event in 1961, when 1,300 common terns showed up dead along the coast of South Africa. The cause was a new avian virus of the general sort that we now know wild aquatic birds carry endemically and sometimes spill into domestic birds, pigs and humans. For decades after that tern die-off, though, no other influenza so virulent was detected in wild birds. New influenzas did come from wild birds, yes, but in milder form, usually sickening domestic birds little or not at all. Evolving to become more lethal was something that happened, so far as science could see, mainly among farmed poultry. A Belgian epidemiologist, Marius Gilbert, led a 2018 study of this phenomenon. Dr. Gilbert and his colleagues reviewed 39 cases in which a mild avian influenza had evolved into a killer virus. All but two of those 39 known conversions occurred among commercial poultry. Is it going too far, I recently asked Dr. Gilbert, to conclude that commercial poultry farms are what deliver the problem of virulent influenzas upon us humans and also upon wild birds? No. I dont think its too far, he said. But we have to bring nuance to that statement. Commercial poultry can mean theres a vast and dense aggregation of birds thousands or hundreds of thousands in industrial-scale operations or it can mean 10 chickens and six ducks in the backyard of a family in a rural village. The ducks share the rice field with wild birds passing through, and some of the chickens are sent live to a local market. Viruses flow in every direction, including to the children who tend the ducks. Tomorrow will mark four weeks from the day that three 9-year-olds and three adults were murdered at a Christian school in Nashville. The family and friends of those who were killed will never be the same. They are only at the very beginning of a long, hard journey through deepest grief. But in many ways, our nation has moved on. Mass shootings have simply become a part of American life. We have had more mass shootings than days so far in 2023. More broadly, gun-related tragedies happen every day across America, including the shooting of an unarmed African American teenager last week in Kansas City, Mo. There are simply too many tragedies caused by firearms for ordinary Americans to keep track of them. Gun violence now seems so woven into the fabric of our culture that, for the most part, it recedes from sight, only gaining attention when a shooting is deemed so troubling or unexpected that it makes national news for a few days. We as a society have grown numb to daily, horrific, preventable tragedy. The problem of guns in America is vast and complex. In a chilling 2022 piece, The Times named our age the era of the gun, with gun violence as the leading cause of death among children in the United States. This is a national crisis. Studies have shown comprehensively that more guns and easier access to guns leads, inevitably, to more gun deaths, which is why America is a global outlier when it comes to rates of gun violence. As German Lopez wrote for The Times last year: In every country, people get into arguments, hold racist views or suffer from mental health issues. But in the U.S., it is easier for those people to pick up a gun and shoot someone. Gun violence in America will not be reduced by short-lived outrage or hashtagging after major events. In the immediate wake of a tragedy, sometimes the best response truly is lament, grief, prayer and horrified silence But we must not move on too quickly. After the headlines have quieted, when the culture war debate about thoughts and prayers is no longer trending, is precisely when we must take up the hard work of fighting for change. To reduce gun violence in the United States, we need legal change and we need social change. Both take time. And both demand a level of unity and sustained attention that is unusual in our day. Reducing gun deaths in America will require focus, persistence and cooperation over years and decades from people across a broad swath of political and ideological communities. Chinese FM spokesperson introduces achievements of GSI over past year Xinhua) 13:39, April 23, 2023 BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- 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. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Before America knew the name of Tyre Nichols, before it learned about Michael Brown in Ferguson and before it witnessed the murder of George Floyd, this country first heard of Trayvon Martin. So many unarmed Black men have been killed in the last decade that some have forgotten the story of the 17-year-old who was gunned down in Florida while wearing a black hoodie. Yao Kahlil Newkirk is building community in and outside of Paul Robeson Theatre Im really pushing to do work that causes you to have conversations that you normally will not talk about aloud, Newkirk said. Were about expanding ideas. Yao Kahlil Newkirk wants to change that and he is going to great lengths to make it happen. The noted Black artist and former artistic director of Buffalo's Paul Robeson Theatre on Sunday donned a black hoodie that he will wear every day for the next year. To prove his commitment before a few dozen friends and supporters, Newkirk had his hairstylist sew his dark locks into the hoodie. He won't remove it for 365 days through the heat of summer, the cold of winter and whatever he experiences in between. "I'm going to live in it," Newkirk said. "I'm going to bathe in it. It's a physical representation of all those things that we don't get to escape." The cost of being Black in America from microaggressions he experiences to visceral racism he tries to overcome is something that Newkirk says he and many others must face repeatedly each day. "There's so much that has happened over the last several years," Newkirk said. "Even in Buffalo ... it's compiled trauma. So now, it's something I have to think about, every day." Newkirk will also limit himself to one meal per day what he calls his "last meal," just as a bag of Skittles and an Arizona fruit drink was Martin's final meal before George Zimmerman gunned him down in 2012. "Trayvon didn't know it was going to be his last meal," Newkirk said. Rod Watson: 'Facing Our Truth' puts art to good use to probe race, bias, violence "Just as art can be a destructive force, it also can cultivate the immunity needed to withstand those forces and reverse the conditions that breed them," Rod Watson says. Newkirk's performance art is titled "Separation Anxiety," and it is dedicated in honor of "all those who have been lynched both present and past." "What I believe is happening now is still lynching," Newkirk said. "You might be using a gun or a fist, but it's still lynching." The performance, which debuted Sunday at the University at Buffalo North Campus, was timed for the date April 23 that Zimmerman was released on bail 11 years earlier, before he was acquitted of second-degree murder. Newkirk will write in a leather-bound journal about his experiences wearing the hoodie and will take videos and post them daily to social media at 7:16 p.m. the exact time that Martin was shot. Martin may be dead, Newkirk said, but the daily trauma of being Black in America has not receded. He recalled his 17-year-old son going to school where he was one of the only Black kids in attendance. How should Buffalo talk about racism? Author of 'White Fragility' to help guide conversation Nanette Massey will co-host a workshop at Canisius College's Montante Cultural Center with Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility: Why Its So Hard For White People to Talk About Racism, which reached the New York Times' bestseller list. "I made a rule in the house of, 'Don't wear any black hoodies to school,' " Newkirk said. That led him to reflect on why a simple article of clothing, combined with the racist impulses or implicit biases of others, can be a danger to young Black men going about their daily lives. "If I put a suit on, does it erase my Blackness enough?" he asked. Linda Barr, an artist who worked with Newkirk when he was the artistic director at the Paul Robeson Theatre, said Newkirk's performances help people consider societal injustices and larger concepts, "as opposed to the mayhem we deal with in life." She said she was particularly impressed with the fact that Newkirk's latest project will last an entire year. A march to truly make Black lives matter to Blacks No More of This march down Jefferson Avenue on Saturday afternoon aims to bring message of peace among Blacks to the streets. "So much of his soul is invested in it because it's an everyday endeavor," Barr said. Beyond galvanizing the Black community to stand up to injustice, Newkirk hopes the exhibit will spark conversation with white people who have never had to consider how a fashion choice might affect whether they live or die. "Maybe I'm not just the angry Black person," Newkirk said. "I hope it changes the way people engage, interact with and perceive those like me." Newkirk held the event at the UB Student Union, which is located on Mary Talbert Way. The famous orator, suffragist and anti-lynching activist is Newkirk's great-great-aunt, he said. He reflected on Talbert's legacy and pondered how things might be different for his descendants when they are generations removed from his exhibit. "We've come a long way, but we're still having a similar conversation that they were having 100 years ago," Newkirk said. "I hope this is not the same conversation my kids and my grandkids will be having." To the Editor: Re As a Doctor, I Know Being Ready to Die Is an Illusion, by Dr. Sunita Puri (Opinion guest essay, April 2): Many doctors, including me, have faced Dr. Puris dilemma about how to talk to dying patients. My early years as a specialist were besmirched by my failure to inform patients, in a timely fashion, that they were dying. Used to playing the role of a problem solver, I had no skills in consoling an explosion of grief. The rapid expansion of medical ethics in the 1980s put patient autonomy and rights on a pedestal, demolishing paternalism. Indeed, several courts have found doctors at fault for nondisclosure of proximate death. Research has shown that the vast majority of people surveyed would want their doctor to inform them, without prompting, if they were dying. Over the years I was able to break down my self-created barriers, and in doing so realized how many people were grateful for the truth, which allowed them to reschedule family events, go on trips and get their affairs in order. Adrian Fine Victoria, British Columbia The writer is a retired professor of medicine at the University of Manitoba. Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher One Sunday in February, in a northern Italian town called Ivrea, the facades of historic buildings were covered with plastic sheeting and nets. And in several different piazzas, hundreds of wooden crates had appeared. Inside them were oranges. Oranges, the fruit. Over the next three days, 8,000 people in Ivrea would throw 900 tons of oranges at one another, one orange at a time, while tens of thousands of other people watched. They would throw the oranges very hard, very viciously, often while screaming profanities at their targets or yowling like Braveheart. But they would also keep smiling as they threw the oranges, embracing and joking and cheering one another on, exhibiting with their total beings a deranged-seeming but euphoric sense of abandon and belonging a freedom that was easy to envy but difficult to understand. The Battle of the Oranges is an annual tradition in Ivrea and part of a larger celebration described by its organizers as the most ancient historical Carnival in Italy. Several people in Ivrea told the writer Jon Mooallem that as three pandemic years had passed in which no oranges were thrown, they grew concerned that something bad would happen in the community that without this catharsis, a certain pent-up, sinister energy would explode. And on that day in February, three years of constrained energy was due to explode all at once. In adopting the programs for Latin Americans, the Biden administration was responding to widespread criticism over the chaotic situation on the southern border, which last year saw 1.5 million unauthorized crossings. It bypassed years of failed attempts in Congress to legalize undocumented workers already in the country or to make more visas available to employers who wish to bring in temporary workers. The new parole programs are temporary most expire after two years, unless they are renewed but they already are changing the nature of immigrant arrivals. The migrants who were admitted to the country after flooding the border from many of the same conflict-ridden countries last year have not been allowed to work for at least six months, after opening an asylum case. As a result, many have wound up in shelters in cities like New York, which has struggled to accommodate them. The humanitarian parole program, in contrast, requires immigrants to first have a sponsor in the United States who will take financial responsibility for settling them in, and expeditiously offers a work permit for those approved. Employers with worker shortages are welcoming the arrivals as an important new labor pool. The administrations goal was to discourage the hundreds of thousands of migrants who were arriving at the border by allowing people to apply in a more orderly fashion from their home countries. After the programs began, overall Border Patrol apprehensions at the border reached their lowest levels in two years, led by a precipitous decline in Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. Average weekly apprehensions declined to 46 in late February from 1,231 in early January, when some of the parole measures were announced. In another sign of the deep rift in Mississippi between white state lawmakers and Black residents of its capital, Jackson, the N.A.A.C.P. is suing state leaders over two new laws that it says create a separate and unequal structure involving the police and courts in the city. The laws, passed by the overwhelmingly white and Republican Legislature and signed on Friday by Gov. Tate Reeves, also a Republican, establish state control of policing and the judicial system in much of Jackson, something not done in other cities in the state, according to the N.A.A.C.P. The citys leaders are mostly Black and Democratic, and 80 percent of its 150,000 residents are Black. One of the laws, Senate Bill 2343, extends the jurisdiction of the Capitol Police from a compact district surrounding state government buildings to broader areas of the city, where tension already exists between Black residents and the Capitol Police over officers conduct. The other law, House Bill 1020, establishes a new court system overseeing Jacksons downtown, with judges and prosecutors who are appointed, not elected. Proponents of the laws have insisted that they are needed to help reduce crime in Jackson, which has a higher murder rate than much of the nation, and assist the citys police force. More than nine months before the Iowa caucuses, eight declared and potential presidential candidates came to a gathering of Christian conservatives on Saturday evening to test a question: Can flesh-and-blood politicians eyeing the highest office in the land be upstaged by a long-distance video? The answer was almost certainly yes. The audio did not quite match the video on former President Donald J. Trumps message to the hundreds gathered at the largest cattle call yet of the fledgling campaign season. The delivery of his trademark hyperbole was rushed to fit into the final, 10-minute window that closed the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalitions spring kickoff. But the reception given to the man who wasnt there and who, according to a new NBC News poll has the support of nearly 70 percent of Republican primary voters was strikingly different from the applause given to those who were, and the candidates who bothered to make the trip barely bothered to try to knock the front-runner from his perch. Their strategy appeared straightforward: Avoid confrontation with the better-known, better-funded front-runners, hope Mr. Trumps attacks take out or at least take down Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor who is second in most Republican polls, and hope outside forces, namely indictments, take out Mr. Trump. In Virginia, Mr. Youngkin has chosen a less confrontational approach than Mr. DeSantis, but has moved to change the direction of the states flagship university, in part by appointing Mr. Ellis to the board. A spokesman for the governor did not respond to questions about the administrations plans for D.E.I. programs at the university but referred to a comment the governor made during a recent CNN Town Hall: We have to celebrate excellence. We shouldnt embrace equity at the expense of excellence. Attacks on D.E.I. come at a crucial pivot point. The Supreme Court is expected to rule in the next few months against race-conscious affirmative action. At Virginia, where admissions is highly competitive, such a ruling could radically lower the number of Black students, who currently make up about 7 percent of undergraduates, an increase of more than 200 Black students since 2015. Among other demographic groups on campus, white students make up the largest share, 52 percent. Asian Americans make up 18 percent, and Hispanic American students comprise 7 percent of undergraduates. Depending on the reach of the courts ruling, D.E.I. programs could become more crucial in attracting and retaining Black and Hispanic students. Bruce Haigh, an Australian diplomat who brushed aside the protocols of his profession to offer covert support to anti-apartheid figures in South Africa, including the banned newspaper editor depicted in the movie Cry Freedom, died on April 7 in Australia. He was 77. His sister, Christina Henderson, told Australian news outlets that her brother had been medevacked from Laos when a cancerous condition worsened. He died in a hospital in Wollongong, south of Sydney, she said. Over the years Mr. Haigh worked variously as a ranch hand (known on Australian sheep and cattle stations as a jackeroo), an oil rig worker, an Australian Army conscript in Vietnam, a diplomat, a champion of refugees and a columnist and broadcaster decrying what he considered excessive American influence on Australias security and defense policies. But a defining example of his commitment to underdogs and those he saw as oppressed came during his assignment in the late 1970s as a junior diplomat with the rank of second secretary at the Australian mission in Pretoria. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the notorious private military company Wagner, has offered weapons to the paramilitaries fighting for control of Sudan, according to American officials. Mr. Prigozhin, who is waging a brutal military campaign on behalf of Russia in Ukraine, said this week that he wanted peace and offered to help mediate between the rival generals fighting for power. But American officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak publicly, said Mr. Prigozhin is actually intent on fueling the fighting between the two military factions in Sudan: the Sudanese Army, overseen by Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries, led by Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan. Wagner which previously sent Sudan armored vehicles and training in return for lucrative gold mining concessions has offered powerful weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, to General Hamdans paramilitaries, American officials said. As of Friday, General Hamdan had not decided whether to accept the weapons, which would come from Wagner stocks in the Central African Republic, the officials said. A top election official for Myanmars military junta has been assassinated by bicycle-riding gunmen from a rebel group, which accused him of being complicit in oppressing and terrorizing the public. It is the latest in a series of high-profile killings targeting a military that has escalated attacks on civilians. The official, Sai Kyaw Thu, a retired lieutenant colonel who served as deputy director general of the Union Election Commission, was fatally shot Saturday afternoon after driving his wife, a doctor, to her job at a hospital in Yangon, Myanmars largest city. A resistance group calling itself For the Yangon claimed responsibility for the killing. A spokesman for the group, who gave his name only as Sky for fear of retaliation, said Mr. Sai Kyaw Thu was targeted in part because he testified last year against the countrys ousted civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the ousted president, U Win Myint, at their trial for election fraud. Both were convicted and sentenced to the maximum three years in prison on that charge. A security camera outside a Yangon pharmacy captured the attack as two men rode up on one bicycle, jumped off in the middle of the street and began firing their handguns at a black sport utility vehicle. The car ran over the bicycle and continued down the road and out of camera range. For sale: An uninhabited, 25-acre island with pristine views of the Scottish coastline. No one in sight for miles. Just you and the birds, all for at least 150,000 British pounds, or about $186,000. The catch: Reaching the island is challenging, and staying there for any length of time even more so. Barlocco Island was listed for sale on Thursday by the Scottish real estate firm Galbraith. The island is in the county of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland and is about six miles from the largest nearby town, Gatehouse of Fleet, which is about a two-hour drive from Glasgow. It is only accessible by boat or, at low tide, by all-terrain vehicle or foot over a rock causeway. While there are no dwellings or buildings on the island, there is a pebble beach and a flood pond where rainwater could gather in extreme rainfall and provide water for livestock and wildlife. 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. Early in 2020, on the same day that a frightening new illness officially got the name Covid-19, a team of scientists from the United States and China released critical data showing how quickly the virus was spreading, and who was dying. The study was cited in health warnings around the world and appeared to be a model of international collaboration in a moment of crisis. Within days, though, the researchers quietly withdrew the paper, which was replaced online by a message telling scientists not to cite it. A few observers took note of the peculiar move, but the whole episode quickly faded amid the frenzy of the coronavirus pandemic. What is now clear is that the study was not removed because of faulty research. Instead, it was withdrawn at the direction of Chinese health officials amid a crackdown on science. That effort kicked up a cloud of dust around the dates of early Covid cases, like those reported in the study. Bureaucracy, said John Codara, who owns the gelato shop next to the ferry. Since the last ferry operators left to run a more lucrative water taxi in Lake Como, no one has bid to take over the 4,500-euro-a-year concession, even though the town has thrown in a mountain bike rental as a deal sweetener. The mayor says no one wants to operate the ferry because it cannot function with weak currents, and tried to explain as much to Mr. Codara in his cafe. But the gelato maker wasnt buying it. After the mayor left, Mr. Codara, who fielded calls from interested locals You should see the hair on this guy, he said, cupping the phone remained convinced that the engineering of the ferry could handle low water. I mean Leonardo wasnt a moron, he said, under a framed picture of Leonardo. He demonstrated how the ferry worked on a small wooden model made by a local pensioner Its to scale; its worth 500 euros, or nearly $550, and argued that low water and weak currents meant operators required elbow grease to move it across the cable connecting the two banks. The force of the ferry is these, Mr. Codara said, pointing at his biceps. What they did not need was an advanced nautical degree, he said, as he marched out of his cafe and made a beeline for a sign honoring The Human Face of the Ferry and its pilots over the past century. Harvard, Harvard, Harvard, Mr. Codara said with derision as he pointed at the names. They all went to Harvard. One more body is left behind with the Russian soldiers, he added. While much of the worlds attention has fixated on the bloody urban battle taking place in Bakhmut, Russias campaign in eastern Ukraine is also raging in forests and fields about 50 miles north of the city, near Kreminna. Here, soldiers take positions in trenches surrounded by tall, slim trees, crouching to avoid the direct line of sight of their Russian enemies. People say its harsh in Bakhmut, said Valentyn, who joined the army seven months ago. But its harsh here, too. For the past month, Valentyn has been stationed at this evacuation point, traveling back and forth to the front line almost daily to rescue wounded soldiers and recover the dead. His job requires him to drive directly toward Russian forces, and he has come under fire at times. There is nothing good about it, Valentyn said. What is this war for? Ukrainian and Russian military officials have been reluctant to release data on casualties within their ranks, though the U.S. government and military experts estimate that both sides have suffered significant losses in the tens or hundreds of thousands. For Valentyn, the work of responding to the casualties has been both grim and relentless. There is blood everywhere, he said, while cleaning it from his vehicle. It has a smell. Especially fresh blood. KYIV, Ukraine Russian troops are forcibly relocating people from occupied areas near the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday, suggesting it could indicate that Moscows forces might be preparing to withdraw further from that area ahead of an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russian forces retreated from Kherson in November and decamped to just across the Dnipro River, from where they have continued to launch frequent attacks on the city. In recent weeks, the Ukrainian military has warned that the Russian occupation authorities have been preparing to evacuate civilians from the territory it still controls in the broader Kherson region before any potential counteroffensive. On Sunday, the Ukrainian head of Khersons regional council, Oleksandr Samoylenko, said the evacuations had begun. I have information that the evacuation starts today with an excuse of protecting civilians from the consequences of heavy fighting in the area, Mr. Samoylenko said. He said the troops were trying to steal as much as they can as they withdrew. Every Memorial Day, thousands of families who have lost brothers, sisters and siblings to Israels endless wars and terrorist attacks gather to remember the dead, a commemoration that was to have been followed this year by a jubilant celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the country. But Israel is deeply divided as never before, and what should have been a time of national contemplation and celebration is being overshadowed by protests and political chaos, which have rived the country for the past few months. The minister overseeing the televised state ceremony for the countrys 75th Independence Day celebration, which will be marked from sundown Tuesday until sundown Wednesday, has instructed the events director to cut from a live broadcast to a prerecorded dress rehearsal in the event of a disruption by protesters. Yair Lapid, the leader of the parliamentary opposition, has announced that he will not attend. And bereaved families are pleading for politicians to forgo the usual speeches that they deliver on Memorial Day at military cemeteries across the country, fearing angry outbursts at a time when Israelis are supposed to unite in honoring the dead. When Punjab was burning, CM Bhagwant Mann was praising law and order in his state Those who break law....: Punjab CM vows strict action against Khalistan India oi-Deepika S Hours after radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that action will be taken against those who try to disrupt the country's peace and law. In a televised statement, Bhagwant Mann said, "Amritpal Singh has been arrested after 35 days. Some anti-social elements were trying to disrupt peace and harmony in the state. I assure you that those, who break the law of the country will face action as per law." "We will not disturb any innocent person. It is a matter of national security and we don't do vendetta politics," he added. The chief minister further thanked the people of Punjab for their support, maintaining peace in the state during the 35-day-long operation to nab Amritpal Singh. Punjab made huge sacrifices during the freedom struggle and we will continue to serve the nation, said Mann while referring to the death of 4 Army jawans in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch a couple of days ago. "Punjab will not allow seeds of hatred to blossom," he added. Reacting to Amritpal's arrest, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that Punjab took little time in taking action against the radical preacher. "How long can an absconder be on the run? Law is mighty. Stringent action should be taken against those who spread terror and fear. Punjab took a little time, had it been done sooner it would have been even better," Thakur was quoted saying by news agency ANI. Amritpal Singh was arrested from a Gurdwara in Rode village in Moga, where he surrendered to the police. The radical Sikh preacher had been on the run since March 18 when Punjab police launched a massive manhunt against him and his aides. Many of his aides were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, attacking police personnel, and creating obstructions in public servants' lawful discharge of duty. Nine of his associates are presently lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh Central Jail. The Punjab police has invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against Waris Punjab De's chief Amritpal. Amritpal Singh surrendered like a warrior: Fugitive preacher's mom reacts India oi-Prakash KL The parents of Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh have reacted to his arrest saying that they are "proud" of his decision to surrender and they will fight the issue "legally". Speaking to news agency ANI, Amritpal Singh's mother Balwinder Kaur said that he surrendered before the cops like "a warrior." "We saw the news and came to know that he has surrendered. I felt proud that he surrendered like a warrior...We will fight a legal battle and we will also go & meet him at the earliest...," ANI quoted her in a tweet. Tarsem Singh, the father of 'Waris Punjab De' chief, told the news agency that her son was fighting against the drug menace in Punjab. #WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab | Tarsem Singh, father of Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh, says, "...Through TV we came to know that he surrendered before the Police. We too wanted the same because people were being harassed due to him...We will fight the case, the entire community pic.twitter.com/Q1xXJO2tBo ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 Tarsem Singh said that he came to know about the development through news channels. "Through TV we came to know that he surrendered before the Police. We too wanted the same because people were being harassed due to him...We will fight the case, the entire community should fight it, he was working to save people from the drug menace; an offer has been made to us for it...," he said. The Khalistani sympathiser had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and his aides. He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, attacking police personnel, and creating obstructions in public servants' lawful discharge of duty. #WATCH | Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh's mother Balwinder Kaur says, "We saw the news and came to know that he has surrendered. I felt proud that he surrendered like a warrior...We will fight a legal battle and we will also go & meet him at the earliest.... pic.twitter.com/vit1mo8pqW ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 Responding to the development, Amritpal Singh's uncle Sukhchain Singh said the family will fight the legal battle against his arrest. "We came to know today morning that Amritpal Singh has surrendered. We were thinking he was in police custody. He never contacted his family," Hindustan Times quoted him as saying. The Punjab cops arrested Amritpal Singh around 6.45 am on Sunday in Moga district. The Punjab Police has invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the Khalistan sympathizer. Meanwhile, he has been brought aboard a special flight from Bathinda after his arrest by Punjab Police. He will be taken to the town's central jail which has been converted into a high security jail ever since some of Singh's associates were brought here to be lodged. "His flight landed at 2:20 pm. After necessary formalities, he will be taken to Dibrugarh Central Jail in a security convoy," a senior official told PTI. With inputs from agencies For the majority of my life, from Buffalo to Brooklyn, Ive been walking over dead bodies. Every day, 17 New Yorkers are lost to the same crisis: preventable overdose. Each person we lose has their own story, their own loved ones and their own past. But until New York State takes action to combat these preventable deaths, I fear they will all just become more statistics. Ive seen people die in cold places alone because they had nowhere else to safely use, and it breaks my heart. Whats worse, the proven solutions that meet people where theyre at are right in front of us New York just lacks the political courage to take action. Ive seen firsthand how extensive the overdose crisis here is in my area. No community is immune to our overdose crisis, and we need our state leaders to pass legislation that authorize overdose prevention centers across the entire state, as soon as possible. This fight is more than politics for me its personal. My drug use began as a teenager, and I used drugs to get away from the traumas of my own life, including witnessing several of my friends and family die from overdoses. Harm reduction programs saved my life, and now I work to give other users the same opportunities that kept me alive. I have been a peer with a harm reduction program in Buffalo for more than a decade, doing outreach within various neighborhoods around Buffalo twice a week. Sometimes I spend the day cleaning syringe litter in local parks; other days I give sterile syringes and information to people so that they can more safely use their drugs. The reality of harm reduction is theres only so much we can do on our own. Unfortunately, our state policies are rooted in the failed War on Drugs. Theres no better example of policy getting in the way of lifesaving work than opposition to overdose prevention centers. Overdose prevention centers (OPCs) are controlled health care settings where people can more safely use pre-obtained drugs under clinical supervision and receive health care, counseling and referrals to health and social services, including addiction treatment. New York City allowed the first two OPCs in the nation to operate, run by the nonprofit organization OnPoint. To date, more than 700 lives were saved without a single fatal overdose, while also connecting participants to wraparound services with care and compassion as the foundation of their work. But right now, OPCs are not authorized to operate anywhere else in the state. This isnt a question of need I bear witness each day to the need for support, safety and resources for people who use drugs. Its our policies, and by default, our politicians that are standing in the way of making these lifesaving services accessible to more New Yorkers. Its our governor, from our very own city, who is turning her back on people who use drugs and need help. As a VOCAL-NY Users Union Leader, I have been tirelessly working to see OPCs a reality here in Buffalo. Frankly, the lack of response that Ive seen from Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers is killing New Yorkers. The overdose crisis in New York State has been unacceptably breaking records for the last two years; more than 6,000 have died due to a preventable overdose in 2021 alone. Truly, our state has passed the point of return weve run out of time. Gov. Hochul has the responsibility to protect the lives of every New Yorker, including people who society has deemed unimportant and disposable. With an executive order authorizing OPCs statewide, the governor could save lives and become a leader in the movement. Many people use drugs for many reasons, but they all deserve to stay alive. James Hill is a Buffalo resident and harm reduction advocate. Suspense over as Mukul Roy says, I want to be in BJP Bengal: Prohibitory orders imposed in Kaliaganj after protests over girl's death India pti-PTI Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were clamped in parts of Kaliaganj in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district on Sunday following clashes between police and locals over the death of a 17-year-old girl, an official said. The prohibitory orders were imposed hours before the visit of representatives of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights led by its chairperson Priyank Kanoongo to the deceased's family. "Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed for a fortnight from today as a precautionary measure, though the duration is subject to review. As per the law, we will not allow congregation of four or more people. Action will be taken against violators," the official said. Kanoongo, however, was allowed to visit the girl's family along with three other representatives of the NCPCR. He was accompanied by police. The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights alleged that Kanoongo and his team have visited the area in a bid to "politicise the matter" and that they were violating the CPCR Act. WBCPCR chairperson Ananya Chakraborty alleged that the NCPCR team's visit was "absolutely not needed". "The NCPCR blatantly violated the CPCR Act and entered West Bengal illegally with the sole purpose of maligning the state. They took along with them a large contingent of journalists to the deceased's house in complete violation of the prohibitory orders. This is shameful. They should have informed us about their visit and taken our feedback in the case," Chakraborty told PTI. Meanwhile, an eerie calm prevailed at Kaliaganj amid heavy deployment of police forces in the area. Police have arrested six people in connection their involvement in clashes with police and vandalism following the recovery of the minor's body from a canal on Friday. A case was filed under Section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on a complaint filed by the girl's mother. The preliminary post-mortem report revealed there was no injury to the body, Uttar Dinajpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Sana Akhtar claimed. Did Amritpal surrender or he was arrested? Here's what Punjab IGP says India oi-Prakash KL Reports in some media outlets claimed that radical preacher Amritpal Singh surrendered on Sunday after being on the run for 35 days, but a section of media stated that he was arrested by the Punjab cops. The confusion started after former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode claimed that fugitive Amritpal Singh reached Rode village on Saturday night and he surrendered before the cops. "I got to know from the police that Amritpal is going to surrender. I reached here sometime before his surrender. After paying obeisance and reciting Path went to gurdwara where he addressed the Sangat (gathering). He explained the reasons for being late in surrender and also thanked people who helped him including providing him stays. He went outside of the gurdwara and surrendered before the police. The reports that Amritpal was arrested or forced to surrender are false. Police would have not allowed him to address a gathering, if they knew he was here," Hindustan Times quoted him as saying. However, Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill clarified the reports saying that he was "arrested" and Khalistani sympathiser had no way to escape as he was surrounded by all sides. "It is very clear that we have arrested him, he was surrounded from all sides and had no way to escape. Whatever he said inside the Gurudwara Sahib it is not right to comment on it," the top cop told at the press meet. However, the IGP highlighted the point that the cops did not enter the Gurudwara Sahib. "...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and the Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didn't enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA...," he said. According to the officer, Amritpal Singh, who was on the run since the Punjab cops launched a crackdown against him on March 18, was arrested around 6.45 am. The manhunt was launched after his supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. "NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morning...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode," said Sukhchain Singh Gill. The fugitive is being sent to a prison in Dibrugarh in Assam. Why has Amritpal been booked under the stringent NSA Bhindranwales nephew and his role in the arrest of Amritpal Singh Why Amritpal Singh was a no-show at the end of it Radical preacher Amritpal Singh arrested in Punjab India oi-Prakash KL Radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who has been on the run since March 18, has been arrested in Moga on Sunday, the Punjab Police said. The fugitive 'Waris Punjab De' chief is now being shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh where his eight close aides are held, a senior police officer told PTI. "He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh," the news agency quoted the officer as saying. The Punjab Police has already invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the radical preacher. Amritpal Singh addressed a gathering at a Gurdwara in Rode village of Moga district before his arrest. The cops have also appealed to people to "maintain peace and harmony" while requesting not to spread "fake news". #WATCH | Earlier visuals of Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh at Gurudwara in Moga, Punjab. He was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga this morning and is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. pic.twitter.com/2HMxTr50s7 ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the radical preacher might be arrested soon. "It may happen sometime. Earlier he used to roam freely, but now he cannot carry on with his activities," Shah said. #WATCH | Outside visuals from Rodewal Gurudwara in Moga, Punjab from where Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh was arrested by Punjab Police today. pic.twitter.com/gHtlARqarn ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 Days ago, his wife Kirandeep Kaur was detained by the Punjab police at Shri Guru Dass International Airport in Amritsar, when she was trying to board a flight to London. #WATCH | Punjab: Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh brought to Air Force Station, Bathinda by Punjab Police. He was arrested from Moga earlier this morning. pic.twitter.com/mbjziJEb3N ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 Police had launched a major crackdown against Amritpal Singh and members of 'Waris Punjab De' on March 18. However, the radical preacher gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in the Jalandhar district. The Punjab cops launched the manhunt after Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of the Amritsar city, clashing with police for the release of one of Amritpal's aide in February. Last month, the Punjab Police declared him a fugitive and issued a lookout circular (LOC) and non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him. A follower of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, killed in the infamous Operation Blue Star in June 1984, Singh had returned to India from Dubai in August 2022 after quitting his job as a lorry driver. Since then he has styled himself on the lines of Bhindranwale and has been seeking a separate Khalistan nation. Why has Amritpal been booked under the stringent NSA Bhindranwales nephew and his role in the arrest of Amritpal Singh Why Amritpal Singh was a no-show at the end of it How Amritpal Singh came to limelight? A timeline of his journey India oi-Prakash KL Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested from Punjab's Moga district on Sunday, police said. "The Punjab Police have arrested him," a senior police official told PTI. Police further said he would be sent to Assam's Dibrugarh jail. "He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh," said the officer. How Amritpal Singh came to the limelight? A timeline September 2021: Deep Sidhu creates 'Waris Punjab De', as "a pressure group to protect and fight for rights of Punjab and raise social issues." 15 February 2022: Deep Sidhu is killed in a road accident. July 4, 2022: As per Deep Sidhu's deep desire, his brother Mandeep creates an organisation in Fathehgarh Sahib to promote 'Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan'. It was started to spread awareness about pollution-related issues, draw drug-addicted youths towards sports, and aid people during natural disasters, among other goals. August 2022: Amritpal returns from Dubai and demands the papers of 'Waris Punjab De', but Mandeep refuses to hand them over. The actor's family refuse to acknowledge Amritpal as the heir to Deep's ideology and said the actor had blocked his number before his tragic road accident. To cash in on 'Waris Punjab De', Amritpal Singh creates a new organisation called 'Warris Panj-Aab De' surfaced, with Deep Sidhu's official Facebook page linked to it. It was registered in Moga district, with its inception date set being mentioned as December 15, 2021. February 16, 2023: The Punjab cops registers an FIR against Amritpal Singh, his close aides Lovepreet Toofan, Bikramjit Singh, Pappalpreet Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Fauji Rode and 20 unknown persons in connection with a kidnapping and assault case. It was booked under Sections 365 (Kidnapping), 379-B (2) (causing hurt while committing snatching), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and other relevant sections of Indian Penal Code was registered at Ajnala police station. February 18, 2023: The police arrest Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan. February 23, 2023: Lovepreet's arrest angers Amritpal Singh and he accuses the cops of falsely implicating him as there is no evidence against them. So, Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, break through barricades and barge into the Ajnala Police Station demanding the release of Lovepreet. The Punjab Police says that the demonstrators used the holy Guru Granth Sahib as a shield and attacked police personnel in a cowardly manner, leaving six of them injured. February 24, 2023: Toofan released from the judicial custody. However, an FIR was registered against the elements of Waris Punjab De over the incident Ajnala incident. March 2, 2023: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann meets Union Home Minister Amit Shah and explains about the circumstances leading to the Ajnala incident. He says in a tweet that the Punjab and Centre will work together on the issue of law and order issue. March 18, 2023: As the G-20 meeting concludes in Amritsar, the Punjab cops launch a statewide crackdown against Amritpal Singh and members of 'Waris Punjab De'. However, the radical preacher gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in the Jalandhar district. March 20, 2023: The radical preacher's uncle Harjit Singh, and his driver surrender before the cops in Shahkot of Jalandhar. April 10, 2023: 38-year-old Papalpreet Singh, the man behind Amritpal Singh's escape from the police dragnet, arrested. April 23, 2023: Amritpal Singh arrested in Moga. 'If someone is trying': Sharad Pawar on Ajit Pawar's remarks on CM post India oi-Deepika S Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said there was no discussion about reports of Ajit Pawar joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition in Maharashtra. "If someone is trying to break away Ajit Pawar from NCP, then, it is their strategy and they must be doing that. If we have to take a stand, then we will take a firm stand. It isn't right to speak anything on it as we haven't had any discussions regarding this," Sharad Pawar was quoted saying by news agency ANI. The NCP chief's statement comes amid speculations that Ajit Pawar may break away from the NCP to join the BJP. Amid speculations, Ajit Pawar on Friday said he is still ambitious to become the chief minister. He had also said that NCP can stake a claim to the post of chief minister "now also" instead of waiting for 2024. Backing Ajit Pawar, NCP leader Supriya Sule said that there is nothing wrong to have ambition in politics. "There is nothing wrong to have ambition or a dream in politics, everybody has it, so I don't think there is anything wrong with saying openly about it. In fact, he is very honest in talking about his ambition," NCP leader Supriya Sule told ANI. Notably, Ajit Pawar skipped NCP's day-long convention in Mumbai today citing his prior commitments elsewhere, which has raised eyebrows in political circles as speculation about his next political move refuse to die down. Speculations about his next political move starteddoing rounds after he suddenly cancelled his scheduled meetings and also made comments which were seen favouring the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's camp. The 63-year-old leader, who was Deputy Chief Minister, is currently the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly. In one of the most dramatic incidents in Maharashtra politics, Ajit Pawar went missing only to reappear alongside BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis at Raj Bhavan in 2019. Ajit took oath as Deputy CM with Fadnavis as the Chief Minister. However, the government fell within days as it could not survive as they failed to prove majority. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 23, 2023, 23:50 [IST] Why has Amritpal been booked under the stringent NSA Bhindranwales nephew and his role in the arrest of Amritpal Singh Why Amritpal Singh was a no-show at the end of it In Pictures: The Dramatic Arrest of Amritpal Singh India oi-Prakash KL Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested from Punjab's Moga district on Sunday and he is being sent to Assam's Dibrugarh jail. Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill said that Amritpal Singh was arrested by the cops around 6.45 am. A joint operation was launched by Amritsar Police and the Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. The top cop said that the National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning. "NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morning...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode," said Sukhchain Singh Gill. Visuals show 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh at Gurudwara Sahib in Rode village in Moga district hours before his arrest on Sunday. The Khalistani sympathiser addressed a gathering before the Punjab cops arrested him. The Gurudwara is located at Moga district which is the birthplace of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, killed in the infamous Operation Blue Star in June 1984. Amritpal Singh pays homage to Bhindranwale before surrendering. The cops did not enter Gurudwara to maintain the sanctity and Amritpal himself surrendered as he was covered by cops from all sides. According to Former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode, the fugitive preacher, who was in the run since March 18, reached Rode village on Saturday night. "I got to know from the police that Amritpal is going to surrender. I reached here sometime before his surrender. After paying obeisance and reciting Path went to gurdwara where he addressed the Sangat (gathering). He explained the reasons for being late in surrender and also thanked people who helped him including providing him stays. He went outside of the gurdwara and surrendered before the police. The reports that Amritpal was arrested or forced to surrender are false. Police would have not allowed him to address a gathering, if they knew he was here," Hindustan Times quoted him as saying. Six out of 10 Indians reduced on purchasing products manufactured in China in 2022 Govt to set up high-level committee to fast-track implementation of infra projects along border with China India, China hold 18th round of military talks to resolve LAC issue India oi-Deepika S India and China held a fresh round of high-level talks to resolve issues at the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, where the two sides have been locked in a border row for almost three years. The 18th round of military talks between India and China was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. However, an official statement on the outcome of the meeting is awaited. The military-level talks comes ahead of the Chinese defence minister's upcoming visit to India for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting to be held in New Delhi. Reportedly, Indian side pressed on resolving the issues at the remaining friction points of Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh at the earliest. After several rounds of high-level talks, India and China have initiated disengagement process from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15). However, both the armies still have more than 60,000 troops deployed in the region. At the 17th round of military talks held on December 20. the two sides exchanged views in an "open and constructive" manner to resolve the "relevant issues" and that it was agreed to maintain "security and stability" on the ground in the region. According to a joint statement, India and China agreed to stay in close contact, maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. The Corps Commander-level talks were set in motion to resolve the eastern Ladakh row. India has reiterated that its ties with China cannot be normal unless peace is established in the border areas. On 5 May 2020, clashes erupted in the Pangong lake area due to China's repeated stopping of Indian patrols in the region. The ties between the two countries plunged significantly after the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. with agency inputs For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 23, 2023, 23:23 [IST] How political parties are using GPay, PhonePe to bribe voters in Karnataka India oi-Prakash KL Advancements in technology bring a new set of challenges and the Election Commission is facing one such issue in the Karnataka Assembly polls this time as the political parties have found a way to bribe voters, digitally. Digital payment transactions in India have significantly increased from 2,071 crore transactions in 2017-18 to 8,840 crore transactions in 2021-22. Today, people in rural parts too are using digital payment apps. Hence, this development does not come as a surprise. On the other side, this payment method has now become a headache for the EC as it has to tackle bribes given by the political parties to the voters. Political observers feel that at least 10-15 per cent freebies and payments might be delivered to voters this election through digitally, according to a report in Deccan Herald. Political parties are using daily service shops such as petrol bunks, grocery stores and other centres which have transaction limit of Rs 3-5 lakh daily to deliver freebies, sources informed the newspaper. "Distribution of money will be shown as daily payment," a source tells. The payment will be made using apps such as GPay, PhonePe, BhimApp along with others. An intelligencee officer revealed that the payments will be made through advance vouchers which can be encashed by voters. However, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena said that they have started the process to prevent such transactions. "We have appointed analysts in each district and asked the banks to provide the required data. Any suspicious transactions will be acted upon," he said. Also, the EC had a meeting over the issue with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation regulating the retail payment and settlement systems in India, RBI and the nodal bankers association at the state level, digital payment companies such as GPay, PhonePe, Airtel payment, UPI, BHIM recently, Venkatesh Kumar R, Additional Chief Electoral Officer. "We have asked them to monitor the bulk transactions and check if these are being done for a long time or are recent phenomena that started in March or April. Criminal action will be initiated against violators. So far, no such cases have been reported in the state," Venkatesh said. The single-phase election will be held in Karnataka on May 10. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has seized Rs 239.52 crore and this includes cash, precious metals, liquor, drugs, and since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on March 30. Poonch terror attack: Around 30 people detained for questioning, hunt on for terrorists India pti-PTI Around 30 people have been detained for questioning so far as security forces conducted a massive search operation to track down the terrorists who ambushed an Army truck in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch killing five personnel last week, officials said on Sunday. Necessary action is being taken against the terrorists responsible for the deadly attack, the Army's Northern Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi said during an interaction with the personnel who survived the ambush in the dense forest area of Bhata Dhurian on Thursday. A stretch of the Jammu-Poonch national highway which was closed following the ambush was reopened for vehicular traffic on Sunday. In a tweet on its official handle, the Army's Northern Command shared Lt Gen Dwivedi's visit to the Command Hospital in Udhampur and interaction with the survivor. Dwivedi interacted with the survivor...and assured that necessary action is underway, it tweeted along with two pictures of the soldier. Five soldiers were killed and one was injured after the terrorists attacked the lone Army truck, which was carrying eatables for iftar to a nearby village. The Army's northern commander visited the attack site on Saturday. 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. Dwivedi reviewed the security in the border area and the ongoing combing operation to track down the terrorists. The Northern Command said in a tweet that he was briefed on the actions undertaken so far and exhorted the troops to be steadfast in their resolve. While the search operation was underway amid a high alert in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, vehicular movement on the Jammu-Poonch highway resumed Sunday morning after remaining suspended since Thursday evening, officials said. They said traffic was earlier diverted to other routes to secure the highway which connects the twin border districts with Jammu. Some of the people who passed through the scene of the attack said a traffic signboard put up by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) bore three bullet marks and the road stretch was strewn with vegetables and fruits. The officials said around 30 people have been detained for questioning so far. "Among those rounded up are two couples from Degwar in Poonch -- Iqbal and his wife Mudifa and Salam Din and his wife Rashida," an official source said, adding further investigation was underway. The slain soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations. Sources earlier said the attack was suspected to have been carried out by a group of three to four terrorists. The attackers possibly spent more than a year in Rajouri and Poonch and had adequate knowledge of the terrain, they added. The Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF) is said to be active in the area and its "commander", Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi, hails from the region. Currently, three-four terrorist groups are active in the region of Rajouri and Poonch, the sources said. The terrorists who ambushed the Army truck used steel core bullets, capable of piercing an armoured shield, and decamped with the soldiers' weapons, officials said on Sunday. They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the truck from the front before the other terrorists sprayed bullets and lobbed grenades on it. Experts from various agencies, including the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), have visited the site of the attack over the past two days and have managed to get a clear picture of the deadly ambush which was laid by the terrorists, the officials said. Meanwhile, members of the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities on Sunday visited an Army unit in the Akhnoor sector here to express their solidarity with the forces. Mohd Akram, who was leading the 113-member-strong community delegation, appealed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to provide free hand to the Army in tackling the threat of cross-border terrorism. "We moved from Banihal tehsil in Ramban district to Akhnoor some 25 years back when militancy was at its peak and it was the Army which provided relief to us and ensured that we did not face any problem. We strongly condemn the attack on the troops and our community stands with our soldiers, Akram told reporters. He said the terrorists are working at the behest of Pakistan to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir and should be dealt with sternly. We request the defence minister to provide a free hand to the Army to tackle with terrorism, he said. A defence spokesman thanked the community for its concern and said the Gujjars and Bakkarwals are one of the most victimised communities of Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir since the early 90s. The community has suffered at length, frequently at the cost of precious lives and property at the hands of terrorists supported from across the border. These valiant nomadic people have supported the Indian Army in counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations with great courage and conviction, the spokesman said. He must make his statements within limits: Gujarat HC in Rahul Gandhi defamation case This election is not about you: Rahul Gandhi hits out at PM in poll-bound Karnataka Rahul Gandhi meets Jagadish Shettar India oi-Prakash KL Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday met senior Karnataka politician Jagadish Shettar, who recently joined the grand old party after the BJP refused to give him a ticket to contest in the upcoming Karnataka assembly polls. "I came to join Congress because everyone knows the ill-treatment given by BJP. So, I have shifted to another national party. Rahul Gandhi is the leader of that party. So, I discussed many things," ANI quoted Shettar as saying after his meeting with Gandhi. After associating with the BJP for decades, Shettar recently quit the party as it replaced Mahesh Tenginkai with him in the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency. He expressed his unhappiness over the BJP treating him "like a kid." The former Karnataka CM later held National General Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party BL Santhosh responsible for missing ticket to contest. "My name was in the list sent by the core committee. I don't know what happened in the Central Election Committee meeting. If they had offered me some other position earlier respectfully, I would have accepted it. BL Santhosh is the main reason for missing the ticket. For some people, the party is not important but individuals are. To disturb one seat, you destroyed the party," News9 quoted Shettar as saying. He joined the Congress party in the presence of leaders such as Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge, KPCC President DK Shivakumar, former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah among others. The former CM has been elected from the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency six consecutive times with a margin of at least 20,000 votes. This time around as well, a tough contest is expected between Shettar and the BJP candidate. Not just Jagadish Shettar, the BJP this time has denied tickets to senior leaders like KS Eshwarappa, Laxman Savadi, S Angara, Raghupathi Bhat and a few others. The election for the single-phase Karnataka polls will be held on May 10. The results will be announced on May 13. News / National by Staff reporter PRESIDENTIAL Envoy and Ambassador-at-Large Uebert Angel, who is holed up in Dubai after being exposed as a player in gold smuggling and money laundering activities, has been on a property-buying spree in and out of Zimbabwe, officials from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and other state investigative agencies say.Of late Angel has acquired two properties in Glenlorne in Harare, one of which is his family residence while the other accommodates one of his staff members. He has also acquired properties and is building or renovating them in Braeside and Hatfield in the capital. He is also building a Church Village on the outskirts of Harare after the tollgate along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway. In addition Angel has acquired properties in Dubai, Greece and East Africa.The FIU and the Insurance and Pensions Commission (Ipec) are investigating Angel over money laundering allegations, after he was exposed in Al Jazeera's four-part Gold Mafia investigative documentary as a key player in gold smuggling. A telephone conversation between Angel and Zimbabwe Miners' Federation president Henrietta Rushwaya revealed that they use private jets to pick up gold as part of smuggling and laundering activities. Angel also revealed he could easily carry millions of dollars in his diplomatic bag, to facilitate money laundering.A letter from Ipec and FIU to insurance industry players revealed the entities were trying to establish properties purchased by Angel between 1 January 2020 and 21 March 2023. "The Insurance and Pensions Commission (the Commission) is required in terms of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act [Chapter 9:24], to coordinate with FIU in the assessment of the money laundering and terrorist financing risks to which the country is exposed," wrote the FIU."Pursuant to the above, we are in receipt of an urgent communication from the FIU requesting all industry players to assist with information on: (i) insurance products; (ii) insured assets held or dis posed by the above-mentioned individuals directly or indirectly through companies or trusts during the period 1 January 2020 and 21 March 2023."An FIU official revealed Angel had acquired two properties in Dubai, one in Greece and another in an East African country."In addition, he has two properties in Glen Lorne, here in Harare, one in Braeside and another one near the Robert Mugabe International Airport," said the official."He is also building a massive structure just after the tollgate along Masvingo Road, which will include a church villa, lodges and a conference centre. The building will have recreational facilities, fitness centre and facilities, business offices, as well as satellite and internet facilities."Angel was the most vocal and undiplomatic actor in the four-part Gold Mafia series, implicating the President and his wife. He also implicated Mnangagwa's gold runner Pedzesai "Scott" Sakupwanya in the gold smuggling saga. From the first to the last episode, Angel, who is Presidential Envoy and Ambassador-at-Large to Europe and the Americas, was playing a leading role in revealing the roles of key Gold Mafia players in Zimbabwe. He also exposed that investors pay facilitation fees ranging from US$200 000 to US$1 million to have access to the President.Investigations by Al Jazeera show that Zimbabwe has been losing over 50 kilogrammes of gold every week through a well-knit racket involving people close to President Mnangagwa. In the final series titled: Having The King With You, Angel calls First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa to discuss whether the First Family would provide a plane for US$1.2 billion to be transported into the country.The other alternative was for the gangsters, who were in fact Al Jazeera reporters, should use their own plane. The gangsters were posing as people who wanted to clean their money by building a casino in Victoria Falls. Through phone calls, Angel also exposed the role of controversial gold dealer Sakupwanya in the smuggling syndicate. "He is the biggest gold buyer in Zimbabwe. He used to clean cars for MacMillan (Ewan). MacMillan is the one he used to work for," Angel explained to undercover reporters.He also said he has managed to keep his wealth due to connections with President Mnangagwa. Sakupwanya, a Mnangagwa loyalist, is one of the financers to Mnangagwa's election campaign. This election is not about you: Rahul Gandhi hits out at PM in poll-bound Karnataka Rahul pays obeisance to Basaveshwara on 'Basava Jayanti' in Karnataka India pti-PTI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday offered obeisance to 12th-century poet and social reformer Basaveshwara at his resting place in Kudala Sangama, on the occasion of his birth anniversary, which is observed as "Basava Jayanti". On his arrival in Hubballi from Delhi, the former AICC president travelled to Kudala Sangama by helicopter for the darshan at Sangamanatha temple and of the Aikya Linga. Kudala Sangama, situated at the confluence of the rivers Krishna and Malaprabha in Bagalakote district, is a pilgrim centre. The Aikya Mantapa or the holy Samadhi of Basaveshwara, popularly known as Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat sect, along with a Linga, which is believed to be self-born (Swayambhu), is here. Kudala Sangama is also famed for its Chalukyan-style Sangameshwara temple where it is believed that Basavanna had worshipped lord Shiva. Accompanied by AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state Congress campaign committee chief M B Patil and other leaders, Gandhi later participated in the Basava Jayanti celebration organised by Utsava Samithi (festival committee) at Basava Mantapa, and took prasada (lunch) at Kudala Sangama Dasoha Bhavan. Seers from several Lingayat maths were present on the occasion. This visit of Gandhi is seen as an attempt by the Congress to bolster the Lingayat outreach, ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in the State. Lingayats are a dominant community constituting about 17 per cent of the State's population, largely seen as ruling BJP's vote-bank. Speaking at the event, Gandhi, remembered with gratitude Basavanna and people like him, for laying the foundation for democracy and parliamentary democracy and rights in India. Basavana played the role of a light amid the darkness that existed in the society during his times, he said, as he praised Basvanna's qualities of questioning the practices that existed, which he felt were wrong. "Basavanna did not leave the path of truth throughout his life and spoke out truth without any fear. It is not easy to speak the truth before society. Despite threats Basavanna did not deviate from the path of truth and questioned bad practices in the society, so he is respected till today," he added. Basava Jayanthi is a government holiday in Karnataka and is observed with reverence by the Lingayat community across the State. Basavanna believed in a society free of the caste system with equal opportunity for all. He founded the 'Anubhava Mantapa', an academy which included Lingayat mystics, saints and philosophers. Located in Basavakalyan in Bidar district it is considered to be the first religious parliament in the world. 2 IAF planes on standby to evacuate Indians stuck in Sudan India oi-Deepika S Two Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft are currently on standby in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah and INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan, the government said on Sunday while giving details of preparations to evacuate Indians from the crisis-hit African nation. "Government of India is making all out efforts to ensure safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan. We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "We are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated," it added. "Apart from the Sudanese authorities, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Sudan are also in regular touch with the UN, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and US among others," according to the statement. As part of our preparations, and in order to move swiftly, the Government of India is pursuing multiple options. Two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan. Contingency plans are in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum. Sudanese airspace currently remains closed for all foreign aircraft. Overland movement also has risks and logistical challenges. Our Embassy is in regular touch with the stranded Indians in Sudan and is advising them on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unnecessary risk. It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought a report of the on-ground situation with a specific focus on the safety of the 3,000 Indians present in Sudan. "PM Modi asked the officials to prepare for contingency evacuation plans, accounting for the rapidly shifting security landscape and the viability of various options," a statement from PMO said. Wet spell over East central, NE and South India during next 4 days, predicts IMD Weather update: Heavy rains to lash TN, Kerala; No heatwave conditions for next 7 days Are you hit by the heatwave: Here are 8 things you should do Eastern India may experience heat wave in May, says IMD Weather Update: No heat wave conditions for next 5 days India oi-Deepika S The India Meteorological Department on Sunday said no heat wave conditions are likely over most parts of India during the next five days. The much-needed relief comes even as the sweltering heat grips Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal. According to the IMD weather forecast, there will be no significant change in maximum temperatures in West and East India for next three days, but a rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius is expected during the subsequent two days. Photo Credit: East India The weather department has predicted light to moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds over East India for the next 4-5 days, with a gradual reduction thereafter. Hailstorms are very likely to occur at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on April 23, over Odisha during April 23-24, and over Bihar on April 24. Northeast India Northeast India to witness scattered to fairly widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm, lightning, and gusty winds during the next two days with a gradual reduction thereafter. On April 23, heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in Assam & Meghalaya. Central India The IMD also predicted light to moderate isolated to scattered rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds is expected over East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh for the next five days, followed by a gradual reduction thereafter. Hailstorms are very likely to occur at isolated places over Chhattisgarh during 23rd-24th April and Vidarbha during April 24-25. Northeast India Northeast India likely to witness scattered to fairly widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm, lightning, and gusty winds during the next two days with a gradual reduction thereafter. Central India The IMD predicted light to moderate isolated to scattered rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds is expected over East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh for the next five days, followed by a gradual reduction thereafter. Hailstorms are very likely to occur at isolated places over Chhattisgarh during 23rd-24th April and Vidarbha during April 24-25. South India The central weather agency also predicted light to moderate scattered rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds very likely over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala during the next 4 days, with isolated rainfall and thunderstorms expected in remaining areas. Heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Puducherry on April 23, and over Kerala on April 24. Hailstorm is very likely at isolated places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on April 24. West India The IMD said light isolated rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning is expected over Maharashtra and Marathwada during the next 5 days, with additional chances over Gujarat on April 26 and 27. There is a possibility of hailstorms at isolated places over Marathawada from April 26-27th April. Northwest India Light isolated rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning over the region in the next 24 hours, except for West Rajasthan. Why Amritpal Singh was a no-show at the end of it Why did fugitive preacher Amritpal Singh decide to surrender? India oi-Prakash KL For over a month, Amritpal Singh had given a tough time to the Punjab cops as they found it difficult to nab him. On Sunday, Amritpal Singh was arrested in Rode village in Punjab's Moga district. While the Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh claimed that the radical preacher was arrested at 6.45 am, former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode claimed that fugitive Amritpal Singh surrendered before the police. This left many wondering why the fugitive preacher finally decided to surrender. Well, he decided to surrender fearing the safety of his wife Kirandeep Kaur, a British national, India Today reported citing sources in the Punjab Government. He was under pressure as his wife came under surveillance. He feared that the cops might implicate her for assisting him to escape, the report said. She wanted to leave India before her visa expires in July and the fugitive preacher could not flee the country as he wanted his wife to get out of the country, sources added. According to Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill, a joint operation was launched by Amritsar Police and the Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. "He was located in village Rode based on inputs from the Punjab police. He was surrounded by all sides by the Punjab police," the IGP said. However, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann monitored the entire operation throughout the night and around 4 am it was confirmed that the radical preacher was surrounded from all sides, sources further said. On Thursday, Kirandeep Kaur 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. Amritpal Singh had tied the knot to Kirandeep Kaur in February this year. She was going to the UK for the first time after her marriage. Amritpal and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. The cops had launched the crackdown against him on March 18. Solar eclipse: 5 myths associated with it busted by scientists South African Cheetah translocated to Kuno park dies of sickness New Delhi oi-Deepika S A male Cheetah named Uday, who was brought from South Africa has died in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park after falling ill on Sunday. This is the second death among the group of 20 cheetahs, which India brought recently from Namibia and South Africa. Chief Conservator of Forest JS Chauhan confirmed the death and said that the six-year-old male cheetah, named Uday, died during treatment. "Male Cheetah, Uday, translocated from South Africa, has died during treatment after falling sick at Kuno National Park. The cause of death is yet to be ascertained," he said. "At the daily check-up, Uday was found dull with head down following which veterinarians attending him alerted senior officials and the big cat was taken out from the large enclosure for treatment. He was under constant observation. But unfortunately, around 4 pm, the cheetah passed away," he was quoted saying by news agency PTI. Under the ambitious Cheetah reintroduction programme, eight Cheetahs - five of which are female were brought from Namibia, while 12 more were translocated from South Africa. One of the Namibian cheetahs, Sasha, died due to a kidney ailment on March 27. A female cheetah Siyaya gave birth to four cubs at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him "Shikari Shambu" for not speaking on the matter. "First Sasha dies in Kuno. Now Uday passes away. Sad. A word of anguish from Shikari Shambu would not have been out of place," Ramesh tweeted. First Sasha dies in Kuno. Now Uday passes away. Sad. A word of anguish from Shikari Shambu would not have been out of place.https://t.co/P1ySnFDmzw Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 23, 2023 The last known Asiatic cheetah was killed by Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo in the Sal forests of Koriya District, Chhattisgarh State in 1947. The big cat was declared extinct in 1952. The reason for the decline of cheetah in India were poaching, large-scale capture of animals from the wild for coursing, bounty and sport hunting. As per the Action Plan for Cheetah Introduction in India, the government plans to import 10-12 cheetahs annually for next five years. In this context, the government initiated bilateral negotiations with South Africa and Namibia. 2008-2023 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Indian police have arrested Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh after searching for him for more than a month, a state police official.. Upworthy 23 Apr 2023 Vancouvers Vaisakhi parade returned on Saturday for the first time since 2019, with thousands of people out on the streets celebrating the Sikh festival marked every April. Paul Makenzie Nthenge reportedly told his followers to starve themselves in order to meet Jesus. Police were able to rescue several cult members and take them to the hospital for treatment. News / National by Staff reporter PRESIDENTIAL Envoy and Ambassador-at-Large Uebert Angel is currently holed up in Dubai alongside several prominent members of rival gangs exposed in Al Jazeera's Gold Mafia investigative documentary as key players in the looting of Zimbabwe's gold and money laundering activities.Sources in the security sector say a rattled Angel, who fears he may be sacrificed by being arrested if he comes to Zimbabwe, is studying the mood of the Zimbabwean authorities while weighing his options from Dubai, which ironically received most of the country's smuggled gold.Angel was the most vocal and undiplomatic actor in the four-part investigative series which exposed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had a close relationship with gold smugglers and money launderers, who claimed they were making regular payments to the President to ensure protection.The controversial diplomat played a role in exposing Mnangagwa, his wife Auxillia, niece Henrietta Rushwaya and the President's gold runner Pedzisai "Scott" Sakupwanya in the documentary. Dubai is also a destination for gold smuggled from several other African countries.One of Africa's largest gold smugglers, Kamlesh Pattni, known as Brother Paul, who features prominently in the documentary is also in Dubai, which he described as the headquarters of Africa in the documentary."Dubai is the headquarters. Dubai is the centre of Africa; a banking centre, financial centre, it's tax free," he told undercover reporters.Pattni has all but abandoned his Zimbabwean operations. In the 1990s, his firm Goldenberg International was at the centre of a giant scandal that robbed Kenya of $600 million 10% of its GDP at the time.The then president Daniel Arap Moi allowed Pattni to export Kenyan gold at a time when the East African country was facing a Western aid embargo in return for massive incentives. Alistair Mathias, a Canadian national who is the brains behind Ewan MacMillan's gold operations, is also believed to be in Dubai, where he largely operates from.Mathias allegedly launders money for people all over the world, from Russians to African politicians, using a web of companies and refineries to make sure money "gets moved around".A key player on the South African front, Mohammed Khan, better known as "Mo Dollars," who made headlines as the man at the centre of the alleged money laundering scheme involving gold and tobacco, assisting prominent business persons Simon Rudland and Gold Lead Tobacco Corp, as well as the Gupta brothers, who were at the centre of state capture allegations during former president Jacob Zuma's tenure, has also fled to Dubai, according to various media reports.Interestingly, he has joined the Gupta brothers who are also holed up in Dubai. A Dubai court this month rejected South Africa's request to extradite Atul and Rajesh Gupta due to insufficient legal documentation.Dubai police arrested the Gupta brothers in June after Interpol had issued a Red Notice against them for allegedly looting billions from state-owned companies in South Africa. UAE and South Africa signed an extradition treaty in 2018, which was ratified in 2021.Following their arrest, the South African authorities submitted an extradition request based on two cases of money laundering, fraud and corruption.The ministry of Justice said in a statement that the Dubai Court of Appeal rejected the request following a "comprehensive and thorough legal review process" that found the documents submitted were not in line with the extradition agreement between the UAE and South Africa.The ministry said that based on the extradition treaty, the charge of fraud should be accompanied by a copy of the arrest warrant order.However, the submitted documents for the two accused were cancelled arrest warrant orders. Also based on the treaty, the charge of corruption should be accompanied by a copy of the arrest warrant order, the court said.The ministry said the "submitted documents are free of the arrest warrant order of the two accused for the charge of corruption", which also failed to meet the extradition conditions. The ministry said it received the original extradition file from the South African authorities on 29 November, after holding several meetings.The extradition request was referred to the prosecutors to investigate the accused concerning the charges levelled against them. After a comprehensive investigation, the file was referred to the Court of Appeal, which held three hearings before issuing its decision."At every step, UAE judicial authorities briefed their South African counterparts on proceedings," the ministry said in its statement. By Dr. Mohamed ELDoh Sudan has always been viewed by Egypt as strategic depth that is crucial for its national.. Eurasia Review 01 May 2023 The RSF paramilitary claimed to have coordinated the evacuation with the United States. The Sudanese army is expecting several other countries to also evacuate their citizens from the country on Sunday. US troops have carried out an evacuation of American embassy staff from Sudan's capital Khartoum as fighting rages for a ninth day, according to a senior White House official. NEW DELHI Indian police on Sunday arrested a separatist leader who has revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland and the.. Upworthy 24 Apr 2023 Labour MP Diane Abbott has apologised for remarks in which she suggested Jewish people do not face racism, but instead face prejudice similar to "redheads". ODN 25 Apr 2023 Labour's Jim McMahon says there is "no hierarchy of racism", calling out Diane Abbot's article in the Observer. He goes on to say.. eBaums World 25 Apr 2023 On Saturday, April 22, Disneyland made headlines after a performance of its nighttime show Fantasmick quite literally went up in.. UK diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan after a "significant escalation in violence", Rishi Sunak has said. Deutsche Welle 23 Apr 2023 Singh's reported surrender to the Indian police comes as a surprising end to the intense manhunt launched over a month ago. He had.. 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. Story continues 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. You Might Also Like German Bundeswehr troops have begun evacuating embassy staff as Sweden plans to send its own forces to support evacuation. Meanwhile, the pope has called for an end to the violence. An ex-employee at Walt Disney World in Florida has allegedly told police that he covertly shot videos up the skirts and dresses of more than 500 female guests at the theme park over the past six years. The Group of Seven farm ministers on Sunday condemned Russia for its war against Ukraine and the impact the conflict has had on global food security while also Republicans gathered in the state Saturday in a kickoff event that lacked the attendance of two front-runners, though their presence was felt. Russia is advising citizens to avoid travel to Canada, citing what it calls numerous cases of discrimination against Russians, including physical violence, its foreign ministry said on Saturday. The UK will evacuate British diplomats from Sudan as soon as possible but other British nationals are being advised to stay put, despite deadly fighting in the capital, it is understood. 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. US troops have carried out an evacuation of American embassy staff from Sudan's capital as fighting between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary group continues for a ninth day. U.S. 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 de-escalation. North Carolina agriculture just cant help getting involved in national holiday events. First it was turkeys. Then a tree. This time, Braswell Family Farms in Nashville, is supplying 30,000 eggs 20,000 will be dyed for the White House Easter Egg Roll Monday. Every year, since 1878, children gathered on the South Lawn of the White House and used wooden spoons to roll colorful eggs across the lawn. How did this tradition start? Well, originally children gathered on Capitol Hill every Easter Monday to participate in the tradition, but Congress, being Congress, took note that the activity was damaging the Capitol lawn, according to the National Park Service. So lawmakers took it upon themselves in 1876 to pass the Turf Protection Law, making it illegal for children to continue. Thankfully, President Rutherford B. Hayes was not a fun-sucker like the suits on the Hill and told the children of Washington they were welcome on the White House lawn. The Easter Egg Roll has continued annually ever since. This is the second year in a row that Braswell Family Farms provided eggs to the White House; it also provided eggs in previous years. Trey Braswell, president of his family farm, acknowledged in an interview with The Washington Post that due to the national egg shortage that caused egg prices to soar this year, the White Houses request for a 30,000 egg donation was a big ask. But he told the Post, We look at it as an opportunity to do our civic duty. We do it joyfully and gladly. The eggs were sent to The Stocked Pot, in Lewisville, to be boiled and dyed. The Stocked Pot was given five Pantone color codes to match the egg dye to. The Washington Post reported the colors as neon pink, green, orange, royal blue and aqua. Its great to see North Carolina continue to be represented so well by strong, family-run businesses like Braswell Family Farms and The Stocked Pot, said Gov. Roy Cooper. We know theyll make sure this special event is a success where everyone has a hopping good time! Story continues Once dyed, the eggs will travel to Washington, D.C., where children will be greeted by celebrities, including Halle Bailey, star of the upcoming Disneys The Little Mermaid, and characters from Bluey, Winnie the Pooh, Sesame Street, Paw Patrol and Snoopy. First lady Jill Biden announced earlier this week that the theme of this years roll is Eggucation. The South Lawn and the Ellipse will be transformed into a school-like atmosphere with a reading nook, a field trip to the farm, picture day in front of the White House, an obstacle course for physical education, a talent show and a snack tent. There will also be an Easter egg hunt with special prizes. NASA sent astronauts at the International Space Station a wooden Official White House Easter Egg to allow them to demonstrate weightlessness in space. Videos will be posted to the White House social media pages. White House officials invited service members and veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors to the event. The public was also able to get tickets through an online lottery system. North Carolina has participated in most of D.C.s holidays in the past 12 months, including supplying the turkeys, Chocolate and Chip, to be pardoned by President Joe Biden at Thanksgiving and the Capitol Christmas Tree named Ruby. Ukraine has condemned what it called "absurd" comments from China's ambassador to France, who questioned the sovereignty of post-Soviet countries. The covert mission to evacuate British diplomats and their families from Sudan's warzone capital began under the cover of darkness. Sky News 23 Apr 2023 Moscow threatens to shut down the Black Sea Grain deal that helps feed much of the developing world if the G7 decides to ban all exports to Russia. South Africa's top diplomat in Canada says Canada should help push for peace in Ukraine, rather than support it militarily. Sudans Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said in a tweet on Sunday that they were attacked by aircraft during the evacuation of French nationals from their embassy. One French national was injured in the incident, which the Sudanese army claims was the result of an attack by RSF troops a claim they denied. This morning,... Russia is looking to recruit real men to fight in its invasion of Ukraine, the British Defense Ministry said Sunday in its intelligence update posted on Twitter. The ads for the new campaign on billboards, TV, and social media sites also feature the financial rewards of signing up for the Russian military, but it is... Rumble 29 Apr 2023 The final proof is now available. Lockdowns was a waste of resource, a waste of time and very expensive with zero gain. The.. ESPN 01 May 2023 It's a great time to be in South Florida if you're a fan of underdogs. The Heat did it just days before the Panthers' historic.. The Delft Police arrested the main suspect in the brutal killing of five persons in a house in the Delft Island in Jaffna, last night (April 22). Police said the 51-year-old suspect was arrested on Saturday night (April 22) at a house in the Punkudutivu area. Police also recovered three gold necklaces, two pairs of gold bangles, eight rings, one pair of earrings, a gold pendant and two mobile phones in the possession of the suspect. The suspect had reportedly returned to the country after living in Germany for about 20 years. Five persons were found hacked to death in a house in the Delft Island in Jaffna on Saturday morning (April 22). Accordingly, three females and two males were found brutally hacked to death, while another female was admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital after sustaining serious cut injuries. The injured woman has also been identified to have returned to Sri Lanka from abroad. Police mentioned that all the victims were adults and that it was revealed in the investigations that they all were relatives. Gaming Realms and King Show Games Renew Partnership Agreement" Published April 23, 2023 by OCR Editor Gaming Realms extends licensing partnership with King Show Games, signaling further development of hit titlesNew Progressive Jackpot title in the works, leveraging King Show Games' popular Lobstermania brand. Gaming Realms and King Show Games Unfold Licensing Partnership to Develop New Titles 18th April 2023: Gaming Realms, a major provider of mobile-focused gaming content, has announced the extension of its licensing partnership with King Show Games, paving the way for developing additional hit titles. The renewed agreement allows Gaming Realms to continue creating Slingo versions of popular slots from King Show Games, leveraging their innovative Slingo concept and King Show Games' well-known themes. Notable titles from the existing partnership include Stinkin Rich Slingo and Lucky Larry's Lobstermania Slingo, which have garnered widespread popularity. With the extension of the partnership, Gaming Realms has already commenced the development of its first Progressive Jackpot title that will feature King Show Games' beloved Lobstermania brand. Lobstermania has been a fan-favorite in various markets and across both iGaming and land-based sectors, making it an exciting addition to Gaming Realms' expanding portfolio. The collaboration aligns with Gaming Realms' strategic approach of utilizing licensed IPs to create unique and engaging gameplay experiences with their Slingo mechanic. Craig Falciglia, Director of Business Development at Gaming Realms, expressed enthusiasm about the extended partnership, stating, Extending our already successful partnership with King Show Games was a natural progression of our agreement, having already produced multiple hit games like Lucky Larry Lobstermania Slingo and Stinkin Rich Slingo. We are excited to begin developing additional content with the King Show Games team. We are confident players are equally enthusiastic to see an innovative Slingo version of some of King Show Games' most popular slots. President of King Show Games, Bradley Berman, also shared positive sentiments about the expanded partnership: We are pleased to expand our already fruitful partnership with Gaming Realms to bring more of our successful game brands to players across the globe. This collaboration introduces new players to our game brands for the first time and also provides exciting new gameplay experiences for our existing fans. Gaming Realms is known for its cutting-edge mobile technology that powers content distribution and monetization across real money and social gaming markets. The company has developed various popular games, including Slingo, bingo, slots, and casual games, using its proprietary data platform to engage global audiences through strategic partnerships. King Show Games, on the other hand, is an experienced game development company that has created market-leading games for land-based, social, and online gaming markets. With over 200 games designed by their talented teams, King Show Games is known for successful brands like Lucky Larry's Lobstermania, Stinkin Rich, and the Hot Roll series. This extended partnership between Gaming Realms and King Show Games is expected to bring more exciting titles to players worldwide, catering to both new and existing fans of their games. Music from the Glen Music from the Glen is a weekly program of traditional music from the British Isles and beyond. The program has been running for over 45 years, and focuses on folk music of a traditional bent from the British Isles and elsewhere that these traditions have spread. We feature traditional music in all forms: new releases of traditional songs and tunes, new compositions in traditional style, classic traditional material from the folk revival onward, and even the occasional archival recording. We frequently play the music of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and sometimes venture to Australia, Brittany and Scandinavia. We often feature musicians from the rich Canadian traditional music scene including players from Cape Breton, the Ottawa Valley, Newfoundland, and Quebec as well as the music of the American North-East. Memories fade quickly, and we haven't yet been able to track down an exact date for the first broadcast. If the show was not part of the original CKCU lineup in November 1975, then it likely started within the first year of broadcast. We believe the program was originally hosted by Stephanie David. By December 1979 (first issue of TransFM) hosting duties had passed to Graham Ashby, who eventually co-hosted with Rebecca Barclay. Then Rob McCarthy hosted the show until his departure on a trip around the world in mid-1982, at which point Riva Flexer took over the program until 1985. Vince Veness then organized a collective of hosts including John Henderson, Pippa Hall, Ivan Empky and Shelley Posen. Gord Peeling and Stewart Patch were also a part of the collective and eventually took over the show, splitting the hosting duties. Colin Henein replaced Stewart in the fall of 2005, and Ed Kingscote joined as a third host in 2017. Gord, Colin and Ed now alternate weeks, bringing you the best in traditional music from the British Isles, and beyond! An avid travel buff, Malayalam actor Mohanlal is one of those celebs who inspire us time and again to spend our time and money on quality travel experiences. His son and actor Pranav too is no different. Recently, Mohanlal shared a photo in which he can be seen posing in front of cherry blossom trees at Hiroshima Park at Aomori, Japan. The actor captioned the photo with a quote of Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa, which goes, 'What a strange thing to b e alive beneath cherry blossoms.' Interestingly, in one of the recent episodes of Bigg Boss Malayalam, hosted by the actor, he had revealed he will be travelling to Japan. He even asked the participants of the show about their knowledge of the language. 800 varieties of cherry blossoms! For the uninitiated, cherry blossoms aka sakura is a flower grown on an ornamental cherry tree that's considered a national obsession in Japan. Different varieties of this plant blossom at various stages during the months of March and April in Japan, and tourists flock to Japan to see it. Apparently, there are around 800 varieties of this plant in Japan and the right way to enjoy them is to attend cherry blossom festivals held across the country, following a centuries-old custom called 'hanami. Mount Yoshinoyama of Japan is often termed the best spot to check out the blossom. Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter: ACTS 2, 14, 22-33; PSALM 16:1-11; 1 PETER 1: 17-21; LUKE 24: 13-25 Our celebration of the resurrection myth, and of Life's unlimited powers and possibilities continues for a third week. They invite thoughtful people to scan the list of contemporary events to identify where resurrection might be happening - where death is being defeated by Life's overwhelming force. With that in mind, today's readings for this Third Sunday of the Resurrection (especially the Gospel account of Yeshua's veiled appearance at Emmaus) suggest that we embrace resurrection as an unexpected new world order arising unperceived before our very eyes. Could it be that today it is surfacing at the hands of Russia, China., and other BRICS Plus nations? That emerging order can remind attentive truth seekers that movement towards the entirely new and seemingly "impossible" arrangement that Yeshua referred to as the Kingdom of God is not only possible, but necessary. It's required to draw our species back from the brink of annihilation habitually fostered by a necrophilic United States with its cult of bombing and sanctions, along with threats of nuclear war and environmental omnicide. Though it might be hard for patriotic "Americans" to endure, please let me show you what I mean. U.S. As Enemy of Humankind To begin with, resurrection calls us to face death. And in the context, I'm suggesting, we must face the fact that the entity most responsible for plunging the world towards complete destruction is our own country. The Sandinista hymn of the 1980s expressed that clearly when it denounced Yankee imperialism as the "enemy of humankind." With that shocking phrase, the Sandinistas were only echoing what in 1967 Martin Luther King had said about the U.S. when he identified it (not the Russians or the Chinese) as the world's "greatest purveyor of violence." Even closer to our own time is Vijay Prashad's description of NATO (of course headed by the United States) as the "machine that destroys humanity." Careful thought makes it difficult to deny the truth of such denunciations: "We" are the most belligerent country in the world maintaining about 750 military bases across the planet - about 3 times as many as all other countries combined. "Our" war budget is similarly unprecedented, outlandish, and grossly inflated to more than $2 billion per day. "We" are the ones responsible for wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Ukraine, and who know where else? Besides all of that and on an unprecedented scale, "we" have intervened militarily and wantonly changed regimes across the planet for more than a century, especially where the regimes in question have tried to improve the lives of ordinary people rather than the bottom lines of American corporations. "Our" country is the only one that has ever actually used nuclear weapons and has repeatedly and unilaterally opted out of arms control agreements. With just 4.6% of the world's population, the United States aspires to control countries like Russia, China, India, and the whole continent of Africa whose populations (not counting the rest of the Global South) total far more than half the world's inhabitants. "America" is historically the world's greatest polluter and is even responsible in large measure for environmental degradation in the Global South (including China), where U.S. corporations have largely relocated for the last forty years. In summary, the U.S. has worked hard to ensure that it possesses the same control of the world that Hitler coveted for capitalist Germany. Accordingly, it is easy to see how victims of such policies might well see the U.S. as the greatest purveyor of violence, as the enemy of humankind, and as heading a belligerent organization well characterized as the machine that destroys humanity. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). What's something that nobody can give you unless you want it? An enemy. This ought to be obviously true in both the personal sense and the international sense. In your personal life, you acquire enemies by seeking them out and choosing to have them. And if, through no fault of your own, someone is cruel to you, the option remains of not behaving cruelly in return. The option remains of not even thinking anything cruelly in return. That option might be extremely difficult. That option might be one that you believe is undesirable "" for whatever reason. Maybe you've consumed 85,000 Hollywood movies in which the greatest good is revenge, or whatever. The point is purely that it is an option. It is not impossible. Declining to think of someone as an enemy will often lead to that someone not thinking of you as an enemy. But perhaps it won't. Again, the point is purely that you have the option to not view anyone in the world as an enemy. When peace activist David Hartsough had a knife to his throat, and told his assailant that he would try to love him no matter what, and the knife was dropped to the ground, it may or may not be that the assailant ceased thinking of David as an enemy. It may or may not be that David managed to love him. David could have easily been killed. The point is, again, merely that "" even with a knife on your throat "" your thoughts and deeds are your own to control, not somebody else's. If you don't accept having an enemy, you have no enemy. A Sandinista leader named Toma's Borges was forced by the Somoza government in Nicaragua to endure the rape and murder of his wife, and the rape of his 16-year-old daughter who would later commit suicide. He was imprisoned and tortured for years, with a hood over his head for nine months, handcuffed for seven months. When he later captured his torturers, he told them "The hour of my revenge has come: we will not do you even the slightest harm. You did not believe us beforehand; now you will believe us. That is our philosophy, our way of being." You may condemn that choice. Or you may think it too difficult. Or you may imagine you've somehow disproven something by pointing to the Sandinistas' use of violence. The point is only that, no matter what someone has done to you, you can "" if you want "" choose to take pride in NOT mirroring their repulsive behavior, but rather in asserting your own better way of being. When murder victims' families in the United States advocate for joining most of the rest of the world in abolishing the death penalty, they are choosing not to have enemies that their culture expects them to have. It's their choice. And it's one that they apply as a political principle, not just a personal relation. When we move to international relations, of course, it becomes dramatically easier to not have enemies. A nation doesn't have any emotions. It doesn't even exist except as an abstract concept. So the pretense of some human impossibility to behave or think better can't even get a toehold. In addition, the general rule that enemies must be sought out, and that behaving respectfully to others leads to them doing the same, is far more consistent. Again, there are exceptions and anomalies and no guarantees. Again, the point is purely that a nation can choose not to treat other nations as enemies "" and not what those other nations might do. But one can be pretty darn sure what they will do. The U.S. government is always very eager to pretend it has enemies, to believe it has enemies, and to generate nations that actually view it as an enemy. Its favorite candidates are China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Even when not counting free weapons to Ukraine and various other expenses, U.S. military spending is so enormous (as justified by these enemies) that China's is 37%, Russia's 9%, Iran's 3%, and North Korea's kept secret but relatively tiny, compared to the U.S. level of spending. Looked at per-capita, Russia's is 20%, China's 9%, Iran's 5%, of the U.S. level. For the U.S. to fear these budget militaries as enemies is like you living in a steel fortress and fearing a kid outside with a squirt gun "" except that these are international abstractions which you'd really have little excuse to allow fears to distort even if the fears were not ludicrous. But the numbers above radically understate the disparity. The United States is not a country. It is not alone. It is a military empire. Only 29 nations, out of some 200 on Earth, spend even 1 percent what the U.S. does on wars. Of those 29, a full 26 are U.S. weapons customers. Many of those, and many with smaller budgets too, receive free U.S. weapons and/or training and/or have U.S. bases in their countries. Many are members of NATO and/or AUKUS and/or are otherwise sworn to jump into wars themselves at the bidding of the United States. The other three "" Russia, China, and Iran, (plus the secretive North Korea) "" are not up against the U.S. military budget, but the combined military budget of the U.S. and its weapons customers and allies (minus any defections or fits of independence). Looked at in this way, as compared to the U.S. war machine, China spends 18%, Russia 4%, and Iran 1%. If you pretend these nations are an "axis of evil," or you drive them, against their will, into a military alliance, they're still at a combined 23% of the military spending of the U.S. and its sidekicks, or 48% of the U.S. alone. Those numbers suggest an inability to be an enemy, but there's also the absence of any inimical behavior. While the U.S. has planted military bases, troops, and weaponry around these designated enemies and threated them, none of them has a military base anywhere near the United States, and none has threatened the United States. The U.S. has successfully sought out a war with Russia in Ukraine, and Russia has disgracefully taken the bait. The U.S. is intent on a war with China in Taiwan. But both Ukraine and Taiwan would have been much better off left the hell alone, and neither Ukraine nor Taiwan is the United States. Of course, in international affairs, even more than in personal, one is supposed to imagine that any violence engaged in by one's chosen side is defensive. But there is a stronger tool than violence for defending a nation under attack, and numerous tools for reducing the likelihood of any attacks. So preparing for the possible emergence of enemies can only make sense for a government organized around the principle of desiring enemies. Reprinted from hartmannreport.com Rebuilding American manufacturing not only returns jobs to our country, but also keeps profits here in America. Instead of strengthening China, we'd be rebuilding our own nation... Why are we using tax policy to subsidize giant American corporations in their dependency relationship with the Communist Chinese dictatorship? For 30 years, American corporations have been helping build China into a massive industrial empire while collapsing manufacturing capacity here in the United States. That country now has a stranglehold on things essential to America, from pharmaceuticals to electronics to consumer goods, all because of a neoliberal fantasy that if we helped them become wealthy through trade they would become more democratic. American politicians in the pocket of big business went along with this bizarre plan to increase corporate profits and cut US labor costs, and we now see the extraordinary damage it has done to our working class people and our nation, all while strengthening a brutal overseas authoritarian regime. In recent weeks, China has been busted for running a police operation in New York City to harass Chinese dissidents (they're doing this all over the world, according to The New York Times), has again explicitly threatened war against Taiwan, and two weeks ago committed a hostile interception of US aircraft in the region. Yet America is China's largest financial supporter, having largely funded that country's government and growth into a modern economy by moving over 60,000 US factories there since the beginning of the neoliberal Reagan Revolution. As the Council on Foreign Relations reported, "U.S. manufacturing employment dropped from 26 percent of the workforce in 1970 to 8.5 percent in 2016." When I lived and studied in Beijing in 1996, that country made and exported almost nothing: the tallest building in the city was an American hotel at 10 stories (I used to eat dinner there). You could walk the streets for hours and not see a single car: the major thoroughfare in front of Tiananmen Square was a sea of black bicycles. And American stores in 1996 were filled with American-made products. Sam Walton's Wal-Mart stores sported banners proclaiming "100% Made In America" (the title of Walton's autobiography). Today, however, it's almost impossible to find products not made in China in most American stores; without cheap Chinese goods, everything from Walmart to Amazon to your local dollar store would be mostly empty shelves. If this seems crazy to you, you're not alone. From 1793 until 1996, when President Bill Clinton signed NAFTA and GATT/WTO, the United States had protected its domestic industries and workers by leveling the playing fields of labor and manufacturing costs. This was mostly done by tax law, through country-of-origin regulations, and import tariffs. Alexander Hamilton laid it out in 1793 with his Report on American Manufactures and President George Washington adopted the protectionist policies that built America for over 203 years, as I lay out in The Hidden History of Neoliberalism: How Reaganism Gutted America. From the 1920s to the 1990s, America was the world's largest importer of raw materials and largest exporter of finished goods. American-made products were available in every country in the world, defining the standards of excellence and quality. We shipped steel ore into the country and shipped out washing machines, cars, and televisions to the world. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). How comfortable are you in your own skin? What if it were blue? Is your appearance your identity? Cyanosis is an actual medical condition. So is methemoglobinemia. Google it. There was an entire family living in the hills of West Virginia called the Blue-skinned Fugates during the 19th century. Google it. Then forget about it while youre reading Sarah Cyphers stunning debut coming-of-age novel, The Skin and Its Girl. Its not easy being blue. Thats what Elspeth Noura Rummani (called Betty) learns from day one, being born on the top floor of a middling Portland hospital with skin the pure cobalt blue of a gas flame. At first the attending physician and nurse are certain she is dead a blue baby. But Betty is no ordinary blue baby. She is an astounding phenomenon with an improbable mesmerizing story to tell. Cypher utilizes coincidences, fairy tale elements, magic realism, and an extended Palestinian family saga to enhance a character driven tale that is emotional, metaphysical, metaphorical, and philosophical. She enlarges it into a captivating, elegiac LGBTQ+ story of lineage, exile, and forbidden love across decades. If you like, you can read the whole thing as allegory. Cypher makes a bold and challenging narrative structural decision from the start. The book is divided into three parts Soap, Salt, Ink. In the first, Betty is 0-1; then, 1-6; and 6-9. The overall framework of the novel, however, has a grown up Betty talking to her Aunt Nuha Rummanis Portland gravesite, seeking advice, consolation, solace, guidance, and answers about the familys past and secrets. She slowly realizes that there is no truth but old womens tales. All else is a Tower of Babel, a teetering Jenga of misunderstood languages and misinformation. Aunt Nuhas story is at the core of the novel. She is at the hospital when her niece is born, demands Elspeth be called Betty. Over their lifetimes Betty discovers that she and her aunt (her mothers divorced sister, Tashi) have much in common besides their heritage of a soap factory in the West Bank and a desire to live their own true lives. Both are queer. Both were trying to figure ways to get to their secret lovers in different parts of the globe. They both feel exiled no matter where they have settled. Tashi, a 36-year-old suicidal neuroscientist, initially decides to give Betty to a lesbian couple for adoption to keep her from her father, Adam, a wealthy one-armed (thats another whole story) Bay Area entrepreneur. But Nuha will have none of it. The adoption is foiled. Bettys birth is kept secret from Adam during her whole first year. Nuha believes Bettys birth is auspicious (one of the first coincidences) occurring simultaneously as an airstrike that destroys the familys soap factory. The family wealth had been built on the manufacturing of a blue pomegranate cube of soap made from olive oil and encrusted with a halved pomegranate showing all its seeds stashed in a warehouse to age like cheese. The treasured soap papered and bound in brocade often functioned as a dowry at arranged marriages. As the many flashbacks to Palestine help to reconstruct Nuhas past life and disclose the familys labored history, Betty begins to construct and then own her new one. Throughout her early years medical tests prove her stone-cold normal and doctors say, If shes well we cant fix her. That doesnt stop people from staring at her in her carriage or as she gets older from children bullying her in first grade at St. Catherines Joint School for Oregonians, sprites of the West Hills suburbs who smelled of shampoo. An invisibility correspondence project in third grade with anonymous pen pals leads to a developing friendship with another girl and an understanding of trust. Keep track of the gazelles, a set of twin cannonballs, and a red chandelier scattered throughout the novel. The gazelles are wooden and silver and a real one is even spotted at the Portland Zoo. They bear significant relevance for Nuha and her lover. And are an equivalent doppelganger verbal pun for Nuhas poetry collection of ghazals, an Arabic verse form in which Persian poets dealt with loss and romantic love. They provide an emotional context for Nuhas forbidden desires. The cannonballs expose the underlying abusive relationship between Bettys parents. And the red chandelier is her attempt to bring her parents a misconceived modicum of misconstrued happiness. One of Cyphers most notable and successful achievements is the ability to establish the initial improbability of Bettys condition, then, as Betty becomes comfortable in her own skin, its easy to forget that Betty is blue. She was simply born that way. Shes here; shes queer; get used to her. Bettys acceptance of herself also gives her the understanding that love is liking the people you need. Readers will come to love and need Betty and the other engaging characters and compelling plot that inhabits The Skin and Its Girl. -- Robert Allen Papinchak UPDATE: Hornsby has been arrested The Washington County Sheriffs Office is looking for 43-year-old Glen Alen Hornsby Jr. of Hillsboro after a woman was shot in the chest. Deputies say Hornsby is armed and dangerous and warn the public to call 911 and not to approach him. They say he was last seen near Highway 26 and Southwest 185th Avenue. At 6:15 p.m. Friday, deputies responded to multiple reports of a road rage incident and gunfire in the 12700 block of Northwest Dogwood Street. They found a woman who had been shot once in the chest and provided medical aid until paramedics arrived. The woman was treated at a hospital and released. According to detectives, Hornsby tried to rob the victim and shot her. She fled in her car but Hornsby followed and shot at the vehicle. Deputies later found Hornsbys car parked near a Hillsboro motorhome that he is associated with but did not find Hornsby. The Washington County Sheriffs Office asks anyone with information about Hornsby or the shooting to call 503-846-2700. The Oregonian/OregonLive SAN FRANCISCO Californias highway patrol and national guard will bring in additional people and resources to help San Francisco battle its worsening fentanyl drug crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday. The announcement highlights a serious concern in the city where Newsom was once mayor. Overdose deaths have soared, and authorities have been unable to stop rampant open-air drug dealing and use. Newsom said in a statement that the partnership will crack down on crime linked to the fentanyl crisis and hold poison peddlers accountable. The operation will not result in criminalizing people addicted to drugs, the statement said. The news was welcomed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, the district attorneys office and the police chief, who have all vowed to get tough on large-scale drug traffickers. The California Highway Patrol will assist in training and traffic enforcement while the California National Guard will help analyze drug trafficking operations with the aim of dismantling them, according to the statement. Newsom made a surprise visit this week to the citys Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods, which are rife with drug use and dealing. Mayor Breed has repeatedly pledged to crack down on drug dealing in the Tenderloin, but conditions have not improved. Associated Press NYSSA With a riderless horse, bagpipes and a law enforcement procession that stretched 12 miles, the people of Nyssa and law enforcement officers from across the West on Saturday honored Joseph JJ Johnson, a reserve police corporal killed on duty a week earlier. Johnson, 43, was picking up an extra shift for the short-handed Nyssa Police Department when he was shot to death. He is the first officer to die on duty in Malheur County since 1957, when a Nyssa officer was killed when a car struck him. The service brought life nearly to a stop in Nyssa, an agricultural town of about 3,100. A crowd filled Nyssa High Schools auditorium and hundreds more observed the ceremony in a live feed to the schools gymnasium. Over two hours, speakers described Johnsons work career, drive for education and a personality that was both caring and fun-loving. He was a goofball with a masters degree, said Don Ballou, Nyssa police chief. Ahead of the ceremony Saturday morning, hundreds of police and fire vehicles congregated in a parking lot at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario. They represented city police departments, sheriffs offices, fire departments and state police. The last vehicle in the procession was just leaving the parking lot as the lead vehicles pulled into Nyssa 12 miles away. Scattered all along the route, citizens parked and stood for the passing procession. Some held American flags. Some put their hands over their hearts. Others saluted. In Nyssa, the procession turned onto the street to the high school, passing under a massive U.S. flag stretched across Adrian Boulevard, held taut by two fire ladder trucks. As the vehicles carrying Johnsons family drew near, members of honor guards stepped alongside, providing a walking escort the final few hundred yards to the school parking lot. The honor guards came from the Oregon Department of Corrections, the Oregon State Police and other agencies. Except for the sounds of vehicle engines, there would have been silence but for the mournful songs played by the Portland Police Highland Guard. The bagpipers and drummers stepped into the procession behind flag bearers. They were followed by a single riderless horse. Mindful that hundreds of officers had gathered, police tactical teams took positions on school building rooftops, keeping a watchful eye. At the high school, the auditorium filled with Johnsons relatives, police in crisp uniforms and officers from the Oregon Department of Corrections, where Johnson had worked since 2007. Hundreds more mourners took seats in the high school gymnasium, home of the Bulldogs, to watch the ceremony on a large screen. Over two hours, speakers told Johnsons life story, alternating with bagpipe music and honor guard presentations of flags. Ballou, the police chief, told of Johnsons cheesy grin and zest for life. But he described a man who constantly sought more education, amassing double the number of trainings that his chief had. As a reserve, he wasnt paid for his duty as a reserve corporal. The chief said that in the last four months, Johnson had worked patrol shifts on Saturday and Sunday his days off from his job as a behavioral health specialist at the Snake River Correctional Institution. He did so, Ballou said, because he knew the small agency was short of people. Were never going to fully recover because its such a huge loss, Ballou said. Johnson started with the Corrections Department as a corrections officer and last year became the first officer to make the shift to behavioral health. He was known among colleagues as a practical joker with a passion for Star Wars. A sizable man, Johnson was known as Papa Bear as much for his caring for agency workers and inmates as his girth. A slide show at the ceremony with photos and details of Johnsons life played to the Star Wars theme. Gov. Tina Kotek, in the name of a grateful state, on Friday awarded Johnson the Law Enforcement Medal of Ultimate Sacrifice. The citation was presented at the memorial to Johnsons widow, Linda, by Casey Codding, Oregon State Police superintendent. The ceremony took place just a mile from the Nyssa neighborhood where Johnson died, shot while behind the wheel of his patrol car, answering a domestic violence call. The suspect, Rene Castro, 36, was arrested two days later and now potentially faces the death penalty after being charged in Malheur County Circuit Court with aggravated murder. At the high school, the ceremony included the ceremonial broadcast from a dispatcher seeking to contact 320 Johnsons radio identification. With no answer, the dispatcher declared end of watch for Johnson. Les Zaitz, Malheur Enterprise This month, we released the first episodes of our podcast, The Unidentifieds, which underscores just how far our storytelling has evolved in the digital age. The six-part series is our first foray into long-form documentary podcasts, which are stories meant to be listened to rather than read. New installments in the series are published Mondays at oregonlive.com/theunidentifieds. The project looks in depth at several cases of human remains that were found in Oregon but remained unidentified for many years. The series highlights how recent scientific breakthroughs have allowed investigators to sleuth out the identities of the long-missing people. Podcasts are increasingly popular ways for people to consume information. A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that half of U.S. adults reported listening to a podcast in the past year, with about 20% listening nearly every day. Weve learned a lot from this endeavor. The first, hard lesson was audio projects take as much or more time as written articles. Regan Mertz, whose voice you hear in the series, actually began the podcast project as a summer intern, working remotely from Missouri during the pandemic. As Mertzs internship drew to a close, it became clear to her editor Andrew Theen that she had a ton of great material but the series would be even better with more reporting. Trouble was, Mertz was headed back to college. Enter Dave Killen, whose tremendous video work has accompanied many of our outstanding projects, including Ghosts of Highway 20 and No Mercy. Killen became the boots on the ground, visiting many of the sites where remains had been found. He became another character in the podcast, and his travels also allowed him to get ambient sounds so essential to setting the scene for listeners. The series reports that 120 sets of unidentified human remains are stored in Oregon, discovered in all but three of our 36 counties. Meantime, families wonder what happened to their missing loved ones. Now, new technologies and tactics are bringing answers to cold cases from decades past. First, advances in DNA testing allow for results even with tiny or degraded samples. Combine that with the explosion of people uploading their DNA to sites such as 23AndMe. That trend has given rise to the use of genetic genealogy, where an investigator might find links in a family tree that lead to a relative long gone missing. Famously, this technique was used to catch Californias Golden State Killer in 2018. Investigators uploaded DNA from the crime scenes, found possible relatives and meticulously started working through family trees to find the suspect. Or, in the case of the unidentified, they use DNA to find familial connections to narrow their search for the persons possible identity. A recent news release from the Oregon State Medical Examiners Office shows how this works, and how prevalent it has become. The news release tells the story of how a partial human skull was discovered outside of Sandy in 1981. Investigators at the time knew an elderly woman named Illya Wilkins, who suffered from memory problems, had disappeared from a home near Sandy in 1976. Although investigators in 1981 believed the human remains belonged to Wilkins, the medical examiner noted, Forensic DNA examination did not yet exist. As scientific advances were made, a new sample was submitted to a specialized lab in Texas by Dr. Nici Vance, Oregon state forensic anthropologist. Vance is also a source for our series. The new DNA profile was uploaded into missing persons databases, but no match was found. Last summer, the medical examiner decided to give genetic genealogy a try in the long-dormant case. Vance submitted another sample to a private lab, Othram Inc., which conducts advanced DNA testing that can provide genetic information even with difficult samples. The office compared the results to material in two databases, FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch, and finally had a breakthrough. Clackamas County investigators reached out to Wilkins grandchild, who lives in Oregon, and collected a DNA sample. They had a match. The death of Illya Ella Wilkins, born July 30, 1887, was finally confirmed with 100% certainty. This case is a great example of the power of DNA confirmation testing, and the legitimacy these methods have in resolving unidentified human remains cases, the medical examiners office said, noting it had remained on the sheriffs offices pending resolution list for more than four decades. The story is another remarkable reminder of the kind of work Vance and many others, some volunteers, are doing to find answers in cold cases. Ella Wilkins is now accounted for, Vance said. The Oregon State Medical Examiners Office will continue our commitment to solve these mystery cases and assist families, no matter how unsolvable they may seem. To hear more about this fascinating work, tune in to The Unidentifieds, the latest evolution for The Oregonian/OregonLives newsroom as we continue to find new ways to inform readers (and listeners) with stories they cant find anywhere else. Oregon Moms for Addiction Recovery applauds The Oregonian/OregonLives April 16 editorial Oregons non-existent strategy on teen addiction. As mothers of children who have been afflicted by -- and lost to -- addiction, we are keenly aware of the absence of a system of care for youth in Oregon. Each one of us has a story about trying to help a child with substance use disorder, only to be told there are no treatment options available. Imagine being a parent of a child with acute respiratory illness or injury, with nowhere to go for care, and you may understand what compels us to come together as a collective voice for change. As referenced in your editorial, Oregon ranks 3rd highest nationally for substance use disorder among adolescents. At the same time, a teenager can now purchase a fatal dose of fentanyl for $2 in pocket change. We must address this problem with urgency and commitment. We call on the governor, Legislature and state agencies to work together to build and adequately fund a continuum of care for youth who experience substance use disorder. Additionally, we call on the Legislature to require school districts across the state to adopt an addiction prevention curriculum for the 2023-2024 school year. To create awareness, we are holding a gathering on Mothers Day at Salmon Street Springs in Portland. We welcome families, youth providers, educators, and other interested parties to join us. Find more information at www.oregonmoms.org/. Mary Beth Henry, Portland Kelly Hernandez, Scappoose Pam Connelly, Deer Island To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion. Restart, in contrast, actually does shut down all of the computer's processes, including the kernel, according to Tidrow. That means you get a totally clean start when the computer boots up again, though it takes longer to get everything running. "Restart should be used when installing updates/software and to resolve any errors," Microsoft, the operating system's maker, explained in an email. Some software installations and updates actually require you to use Restart to finish the process. If your computer has frozen or is giving off some other error, you should use Restart rather than Shut Down, even though it may seem to you that Shut Down would be a more complete option. Advertisement There are several ways to trigger a restart, explains Derek Meister via email. He's an agent for Geek Squad, a tech support and repair service provided by retail consumer electronics and appliance chain Best Buy. Besides using the Start Menu, you can hold down the CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys, click one of the icons on the Lock Screen. And if you're nostalgic for the pre-Windows days, you can pull up the old-school Command Prompt and type shutdown/r. He adds that it's also possible to disable Fast Startup in your computer's power settings, so that you when you shut down the computer, it will clear everything. So, what about the term Reboot? "For most people, Reboot and Restart mean the same thing. The primary difference with most computers, and Windows 10 (and 8) is that a reboot typically involves the system being shut down to the point where the motherboard [the main printed circuit board which allows communication between electronic components] will have to run its initial boot loading process as if you've turned the computer on from being completely powered off," says Meister. "Restarting, however, involves the operating system shutting itself down to the point where Windows will reload, but typically does not go the extra step of having to go through the motherboard boot loading process." Residents of Brookings, a small coastal town in southern Oregon, are demanding answers and resignations after the city council reinstated the city manager who was caught shoplifting from the local Fred Meyer on July 4, 2022.Dave Killen / The Oregonian Portland residents in high visibility vests sporting the words Jade District and equipped with reach extenders spanned up and down Southeast 82nd Avenue near Division Street Saturday. Over 40 volunteers came and went throughout the morning to help clean up trash in the Jade District for Earth Day. They gathered in the parking lot of the shuttered Canton Grill restaurant. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 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. Several times during the past few months, the Midland County Commission canceled its regular board meetings due to a lack of business. They should have done that last week as well. They sure had no business doing the business that they did. In recent years, weve seen state and national political interests try to hijack school boards and city and county government for their own purposes. There is no shortage of election deniers and groups like Moms For Liberty that would love to poison Midland County politics. Over the past year, the county commission has shown us that it is susceptible to those outside influences. In fact, it welcomes them. During the county commissions April 18 meeting, it devoted 35 minutes (of a 75-minute meeting) to a discussion about a non-Midland County topic purely for the indulgence of Chair Mark Bone. Tuesdays meeting featured a presentation by retired Lt. Col. Mike McNamara on the expansion of the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, the largest National Guard training facility in the United States. That, in and of itself, was weird because McNamara is retired and no longer affiliated with the base. He doesnt live in Midland County. His presentation didnt directly tie into a Midland County issue. In fact, according to a story in the Army Times, McNamara was forced to retire after a Michigan National Guard investigation found theft, moonlighting, destruction of government property and nepotism at the Camp Grayling military training base. So why was he allowed to address commissioners for almost 19 minutes? Because McNamara, like Bone, opposes the Camp Grayling expansion. McNamara delivered a diatribe that offered lots of opinions and speculation and little data. McNamara, who resides in Grayling, has traveled around the state encouraging Republican elected officials to make on-the-record statements opposing the Camp Grayling plan. The real purpose for his Midland visit (and his appearance in Bay City the following day) was to receive a resolution from Midland's commissioners. Midland County/YouTube About 16 minutes into the meeting, Bone clarified for all in attendance that there was not going to be a vote on Camp Grayling. Just a discussion. Then, 15 minutes after Bones clarification, Bone left his seat at the board table to move to the floor to offer public comment as a citizen about the topic he had put before the commission as a commissioner. Stay with me here: Bone offered public comment on a topic he introduced on the commissions agenda, which has nothing to do with Midland County, after clarifying that there would be no formal action taken, and then he encouraged commissioners to add Camp Grayling as an action item to the agenda so that they could take a formal vote that day. Geez, buddy, make up your mind! At first, when we, ah, when I took this up when we agreed to hear this presentation I though, hey, we are not going to vote on something like this today, Bone said. But I feel strongly opposed to this expansion. Id love to see us vote on it today. Midland County/YouTube At least Commissioner Eric Dorrien was upset by Bones antics. During Dorriens comments, he scolded - I do really oppose these measures that are involving ourselves in business that we shouldn't be. He also told his fellow commissioners it would be the last time he participated in symbolic, theatrical political displays at meetings. Yet, even Dorrien supported the resolution. Debating how much public land should be sacrificed to National Guard training space is a worthwhile discussion. Instead, only McNamara, whose position against the Camp Grayling project is well-documented, was given the floor by Bone to offer his opinions, and then commissioners clumsily introduced the resolution and approved it with almost no debate. If Bone and the commission were interested in having an honest discussion on that topic, a representative from Camp Grayling also would have been invited to explain the expansion proposal as well as any other long-range plans. In May 2022, county residents addressed the commission to discuss how they were impacted by the revised Michigan Auto Insurance Reform Act. Ultimately, the commission voted to approve a resolution supporting those affected and asking the state to offer solutions to their issues another symbolic vote that didnt really do anything. Bone abstained from that vote because he operates an insurance company. In that case, however, it was important to Bone to make sure commissioners heard both sides. At a later meeting, Bone passed out insurance industry propaganda about the Auto Insurance Reform Act that featured a charming anecdote about a quadriplegic claimant who "moved to the Caribbean and demanded she and her care team fly first class when traveling. Those darn quadriplegics trying to game the system (insert eyeroll here). Lets also not forget about the outside influences that convinced Commissioner Steve Glaser to introduce an election integrity resolution at the Nov. 1 meeting. But Glaser reconsidered bringing the resolution to the commission after it became clear that he was trying to get the county to adopt garbage "legislation" promoted by election deniers and authored by the Thomas More Society - which is still challenging the outcome of the 2020 election. Our Republican-led commission seems to happily, enthusiastically, take a break from Midland County business when they can advance their own personal agendas. Commissioner Gaye Terwillegar cheerfully opposed the Camp Grayling expansion because thank you at least for the transparency - her family hunts and fishes in the Grayling area. This is a personal thing, she said Tuesday. This (vote) is for my husband and our family. That's just swell. I wonder if it even occurred to commissioners to consult the National Guard members who live in their districts before crafting a resolution against the Camp Grayling expansion? That was another voice that certainly should have been heard before the commission's vote. One item that Bone should put on the commissions May 2 meeting agenda if there is enough business to even warrant a meeting is his resignation as commission chair. Ultimately, the decision on Camp Grayling will be made by DNR Director Shannon Lott. The county commissions resolution really doesnt matter. What matters is the commissions increasingly erratic behavior. Email Daily News Editor Dave Clark at david.clark@hearst.com Move over Dick and Jane. A different approach to teaching kids how to read is on the rise. 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 cant read demand swift change. Time for 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 got short shrift, said Michael Kamil, professor emeritus of education at Stanford University. It wasnt 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. What is the science of reading? While the phrase doesnt have a universal definition, it refers broadly to research in a variety of fields that relates to how a childs 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 arent 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. Theyre 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. Theyre 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. What is dyslexias role in the debate? 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 cant even tell you how many screaming fits we had, said Sheila Salmond, whose youngest child has dyslexia. My daughter would come home and say, Mom, Im not learning. And then it became, Mom, Im 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 on the science of reading. The changes have put some curriculum programs in the crosshairs. Some Colorado districts, for instance, have ditched instructional materials that didnt 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 does it mean for parents? Should they 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 childrens schools. Parents can be part of the solution, she said, if we educate them on why this is kind of the movement we need. Canada provides new military aid package for Ukraine Xinhua) 13:41, April 23, 2023 OTTAWA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Canada is providing a new military aid package for Ukraine, the Department of National Defence announced Friday. In a news release, the department said this 39 million Canadian dollars (31 million U.S. dollars) 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, the release said. 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. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) It is an exciting time to be a transplant surgeon because of the technical advances occurring that will help address a major limitation for transplant: a shortage of donated organs. In the United States, there are approximately 105,000 people on the transplant waiting list. Over time, these technological advances will reduce the number of patients who die while waiting for organs and even may allow us to expand the group of patients who are eligible for organ transplants. The future of transplants One technological advance that I am most excited about is a technique called machine perfusion, which better protects and preserves donated organs outside the body while awaiting a transplant. Currently, donated organs are placed in a special preservation solution inside a cooler, leaving a small window of time to perform a transplant. Research is demonstrating that utilizing machines to pump preservation fluids or blood through the organs while they are outside the body can preserve the organ for a longer time and improve the function of the organ to make transplant safer. There are a few approaches that have been taken. For decades, kidney transplant recipients have benefited from this type of technology where the kidney is removed and a machine pumps preservation fluid through the kidney to help preserve the kidney for transplant. However, newer technology is now pumping blood through other types of donated organs at a normal body temperature. Using this approach, you can see the organs begin to function again for example, lungs absorbing oxygen, a liver clearing toxins and making bile or even see a heartbeat returning. Along with expanding the window of time to transplant an organ, this technology will enable us to use organs that otherwise would not have been safe to transplant by testing the function outside of the body before transplant or improving the function of the organ. The most exciting area of transplant right now is the use of genetically engineered pig organs for transplant. This is in the very early stages of research, but there are a few examples of successful transplants using genetically engineered pig hearts and kidneys with transplant into humans. This is not routinely available at this time but has the potential to have a huge impact in our field. How UVa Health can help Here at UVa Health, we are also working to expand the groups of patients that can benefit from transplant. We have just performed our first living donor liver transplant for a patient who had colon cancer that had spread to the liver and could not be treated successfully in any other way. Another area we are working on improving at UVa Health is the medications patients take to protect their bodies from rejecting donated kidneys. The medications typically used have serious side effects, such as injuring kidneys and causing diabetes. We are expanding the use of a medication called belatacept that does not have these same side effects and continues to have the same protection of kidneys and long-term function. This allows us to use donor kidneys that we may not have been able to use in the past, enabling more patients to receive transplants. At UVa Health, we have a world-class team developing technologies that are innovative and will advance the field of transplant care. But at the same time, we are always focused on providing holistic, state-of-the-art care for the patients who need our help right now. For more information on transplants at UVa Health, visit uvahealth.com/services/transplant. Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Governments this week examined in detail more than a third of over 300 proposed amendments to the WHO International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR) Accra, Ghana (PANA) - Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Sunday announced plans to evacuate Ghanaians caught up in Sudans disturbance, an official statement issued Sunday said Photo: (Photo : Brandon Bell /Getty Images) The Texas Senate has approved two bills that have stirred controversy in the state. The bills require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom and to allow time for prayer and Bible reading on school days. After receiving 17 affirmative votes and 12 negative votes, the legislation will be forwarded to the Texas House of Representatives. However, civil liberty advocates have expressed their dissent, contending that lawmakers should not be authorized to determine the religious materials that students are exposed to. Display of the Ten Commandments and Prayer Time in Schools According to CNN, Senate Bill 1515, authored by state Sen. Phil King, requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom in Texas. The bill states that the commandments must be displayed in a conspicuous place and in a size and typeface that are legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom. The law will be effective from the 2023-2024 school year, and immediate action will be taken if it receives a two-thirds vote in each house. If the bill does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, it takes effect on September 1, 2023. In addition to the Ten Commandments bill, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1396, which requires schools to allow time for students and employees to pray and read the Bible on each school day. The bill also passed with a 17-12 vote. Supporters of the legislation argue that it will enable students to express their religious beliefs freely. According to Fox, King further stated that the proposed legislation would serve as a reminder to students throughout Texas about the significance of America's fundamental foundation. Read Also: Kelly Clarkson Gets Candid To Henry Winkler About Her Daughter's Dyslexia, School Bullying Controversy and Backlash The passage of the bills has drawn backlash from civil liberty advocates who argue that the state should not be dictating what religious materials students are exposed to in public schools. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas released a statement saying that parents should be able to decide what religious materials their child should learn, not the Texas legislature. Opponents argue that it violates the separation of church and state and could lead to discrimination against students who do not share the same religious beliefs. During a hearing earlier this month, as per NBC, John Litzler, who serves as the public policy director for the Christian Life Commission and as general counsel for Texas Baptists, stated that it is the obligation of religious institutions such as churches to instruct children about their religious freedoms and not the role of the state. The bills represent a continuation of a push in Texas to promote the display of religious symbols in public schools. Last year, the state passed a law that requires schools to display posters with the phrase "In God We Trust" if they are paid for by private donations. Parental Bill of Rights The passage of the two bills on religion in public schools comes shortly after the Senate passed legislation known as the Parental Bill of Rights. The recently passed Parental Bill of Rights grants parents a yearly allowance of $8,000 to support the expenses of home-schooling or private school tuition, allowing them to withdraw their children from public schools. The bill is viewed as a triumph for conservative activists who have persistently campaigned for greater parental choice in education. Related Article: Three 7-Year-Olds Hospitalized After Mistaking Methamphetamine-Related Drug for Candy at Maryland School Ive already told this story here before, but Im not feeling well and Im very tired, and I thought that I could maybe smooth out the retelling of it for eventual inclusion in my personal history: I received my California drivers license when I was sixteen, and I graduated from high school when I was seventeen. Between those two events, I managed to garner two driving tickets. In the wake of the first ticket, my license was suspended for a month. And strictly speaking, although Innocence is virtually my middle name, I deserved it. I was coming home from the local public library (of all places) on a Wednesday night. I was minding my own business, happy with the books and records that Id snared, when a carload of idiots presumably from my high school roared by, hanging out their windows, yelling my name, and waving. Curious what they were yelling about and who they were, I foolishly sped up to catch them. (I was a sixteen-year-old male, and I was thinking like one.) As might have been predicted, I didnt catch them, and in fact I never found out exactly who they were, though the policeman who turned on his lights and directed me to pull over and stay put apparently went on to get them before returning to me. In any event, I was given a speeding ticket very shortly after my acceleration to warp speed. The judge suspended my license for a month. My parents werent especially pleased, and the next several weeks passed very slowly.. Finally, though, my license was returned to me. Shortly after I received my driving privileges back, though, I was out on a Saturday night date with my principal high school flame. Still chastened from my recent suspension, I was driving (I thought) quite carefully. We were headed home, and were roughly in the vicinity of Dodger Stadium. She was sitting close to me, and I changed lanes in preparation for getting off of the Golden State Freeway and onto the San Bernardino Freeway. (In those days, we or, at least, my family and I didnt typically use freeway numbers. We used names. But to translate it into current vernacular, I was preparing to leave the southbound I-5 for the eastbound I-10.) I had looked to my right and into the rear-view mirror and had seen no problem, so I flipped on my turn-signal. Unfortunately, though, presumably because he was in my blind spot and because, with my girlfriend cozied very gratifyingly up to my side, I didnt turn around to look as well as I should have, I changed lanes right in front of a California Highway Patrol car, which I hadnt seen. I was given a ticket for an unsafe lane change. This, I knew, would be serious. I might lose the right to drive for a significant length of time. And it would definitely not play well with the parental units. I was given a court date for a venue right downtown, in, as I recall, the Los Angeles County Courthouse. (It wasnt far, after all, from the junction of the I-5 and the I-10.) When the appointed day of doom arrived it was a weekday and, therefore, a workday for him my father went with me, no doubt anticipating (as I did) that he would be obliged to drive me home after my meeting with the traffic judge. We met with the judge privately, in his office. He was an impressive fellow with an appropriately stern demeanor who looked and this will mean something to older folks who lived in Los Angeles during the appropriate era almost exactly like the already quasi-legendary Los Angeles news broadcaster Jerry Dunphy (d. 2002), distinguished white hair included. Mr. Dunphys locally-famous nightly intro (From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California, a good evening) was instantly recognizable to everybody in the area; he regularly appeared in television shows and movies playing a news anchorman (because he just simply looked perfect for the part). The judge stressed how dangerous my lane-change on the freeway had been, and how bad my driving must have been to have merited not one but two tickets in such a short space of time. I could say little in return. I had no real defense. I had definitely deserved my first ticket, though it seemed really bad luck. As for the second, I had genuinely been trying to drive well. I guess I just hadnt understood how big my cars blind spot was, nor how well most of a black and white Highway Patrol vehicle might blend into the nighttime darkness. After we had spoken for a while, he asked me whether I could think of any reason why he shouldnt take my license away. I expressed sincere remorse. But I also meekly responded that, no, I really couldnt think of any good reason why he shouldnt take it away. I told him that I wasnt actually a bad or careless driver but that, well, if thats what he had to do, I would have to find a way to live with it. (Inwardly, of course, I was agonizing about how this was going to cripple my social life, which revolved around my girlfriend, and my musical life, which involved several specific nightclubs, mostly in Pasadena and in Westwood, where I was a frequent visitor along with some of my musically-inclined friends. How long might a second suspension last?) At this point, my father, who had been silent throughout, asked if he might be permitted to say something, and the judge told him to go ahead. My father who, at this point, was still a non-practicing Lutheran explained that I attended a daily early morning church class before going to my high school, and that, if I couldnt drive, either I would have to drop out of attendance or else one or the other of my parents would have to pick me up and take me there. He said that, although they could probably manage it, this would be awkward and significantly inconvenient. He didnt mention the name of the church. The judge sat back in his chair, smiled, and said that he thought that maybe an exception could be made for a good Mormon boy. He told me that he would expunge this latest offense from my record, but that he expected me to drive more carefully in the future, not to repeat such nonsense, and not to be back in front of him ever again. I dont know the judges name. I assume, but I dont actually know, that he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In any case, I floated out of the judges office with the thought going through my ecstatic adolescent mind over and over again, The Church is true! If there was ever a year when we need to celebrate sexuality at Beltane its this year. Not because thats how our pre-Christian ancestors celebrated it, but because its what we need here and now. For our ancestors, Beltane was one of the four fire festivals. The emphasis was on driving livestock between two fires for cleansing and protection. In this post from 2019, Jason Mankey outlines how Beltane became a celebration of sex and sexuality in the mid-20th century. In short, blame it on Robert Graves and his problematic work The White Goddess, first published in 1948. That it was ahistorical doesnt mean it wasnt meaningful and helpful. Thats how myths work. Sometimes theyre based on historical truth. Other times theyre based on something we need to be true and telling stories about it helps make it true. The escape from the repressive sexual mores of the Victorian Era that began in the early 1900s was put on hold by the Great Depression and World War II. Graves work was one part of what restarted that movement and led to the sexual revolution of the 1960s. It helped establish Paganism as a sex-positive religion. In the words of The Charge of the Goddess (which has many authors Doreen Valiente deserves the bulk of the credit for the version we have today) all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. Sex is good. Not just because it can be procreative, but because it brings pleasure, and pleasure is good and helpful and necessary. And so Beltane became the preeminent time to celebrate sex and its pleasures. Sex positive requires consent culture As happens with anything pleasurable, some people took things too far. Sex positive means that everyone should have the types and quantities of sex that are right for them, with other consenting adults who want the same things. More than a few people (some Pagan, some not) twisted that into everybody should have more sex, and everybody should have more sex with me. We are in the early stages of building a true consent culture. In a consent culture, an enthusiastic yes means yes and anything else means no. Consent culture is built on a foundation of respect, where we view everyone first as a sovereign person and not as a potential sex partner. [For more on this, read Pagan Consent Culture Building Communities of Empathy and Autonomy, edited by Christine Hoff Kraemer and Yvonne Aburrow. I have an essay in it, but I get no royalties just the satisfaction of knowing some good ideas are being read.] Additionally, much of the sex being celebrated at Beltane mostly symbolically has been cisgender, heteronormative, and binary. The chalice-and-blade Great Rite is beautiful and powerful, but what does it mean to a gay couple? Or a polyamorous triad? Where do trans people fit into all this? What about asexual and demisexual people? The Pagan community has finally begun to address this with books such as Outside the Charmed Circle: Exploring Gender & Sexuality in Magical Practice by Misha Magdalene, but we still have a long way to go. I was wrong in 2020 Three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic, at the strictest of the lockdowns I wrote The End of Beltane as The Sexy Holiday. I covered the problems described above, and pointed out that the idea of Beltane as a time of massive orgies in the woods is almost entirely fantasy a fantasy that sets unrealistic expectations and pushes people into sex they dont really want. All that was true then and its still true now. But then I wrote: The war on sex is natural and good is over and we won. I was wrong. This war is nowhere near over. Were fighting battles for reproductive rights we thought were settled 50 years ago. Were fighting for the rights of trans people to simply exist. Were fighting to keep authoritarian fundamentalists from outlawing drag and other expressions of gender non-conformity. Think theyre going to stop there? Think youre safe because youre cis and straight and use protection every time? Guess again. Democrats took control of the Michigan state legislature last year, and theyre cleaning up some old laws. The Michigan Senate just voted to repeal a 1931 law that criminalized men and women living together if theyre not married. The law is unenforceable, so youd think removing it would be uncontroversial. Still, 9 Senators (out of 38) voted to retain it. All of them were Republicans. One of them said This law was passed because it was better for society, and particularly for children. Prior to Lawrence v. Texas in 2003, oral sex between straight couples was illegal in 18 states. Prior to Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965, birth control was illegal in 26 states. In his Dobbs concurrence, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called for these rulings to be overturned. The anti-sex fundamentalists will not stop until they control every aspect of sexuality and gender expression in this country. But what about the children? Every time someone attempts to push a cultural boundary, someone whos afraid of change screams but what about the children? Every time. When we see someone arrested for molesting children, many times its a pastor or a priest or a politician. Its never a drag queen. But nobodys trying to outlaw Sunday School, because its not really about the children. Protect the children attempts to manipulate peoples innate sense of protectiveness toward the most vulnerable members of our society into maintaining the status quo at any expense. Which is not to say that everything is suitable for everyone. It isnt. But protecting the innocence of young children is one thing denying teenagers the information they need to deal with life is quite another. And acknowledging the existence and affirming the dignity of LGBTQ people and relationships is appropriate and necessary at every age. Ron DeSantis dont say gay law is insulting and harmful. What age boundaries are appropriate is a complicated question and one that varies among individual young people. Using the law to set the same boundaries for everyone needlessly restricts the many for the preferences of a few. The same people who are whining about parental rights need to exercise some parental responsibility. If you take your kids to the Folsom Street Fair, dont be surprised when they ask some uncomfortable questions. That doesnt mean the Folsom Street Fair shouldnt exist. To be clear: I affirm and support maintaining the age of consent at 18, with appropriate exceptions to prevent criminalizing teenagers being teenagers. But the answer to what about the children? is take care of your own children and stay out of other peoples business. So, what do we do now? Im not scheduling an orgy for May 1 and Im not suggesting you do either. Though if you can and want to do it, great. Im less concerned with creating a spectacle and more concerned with affirming what we know is good and true and right, in our celebrations, in our rituals, and in our conversations. Affirm that sex is good. Sex isnt wicked or sinful or shameful. Sex is good and right and healthy. Yes, sex is Natures way of tricking us into reproducing but thats not all its good for, any more than we should shun delicious and varied foods because theyre not necessary to keep us alive. Celebrate consensual sex. The only ethical sex is consensual sex, and the only consensual sex is sex that begins with a clear, unambiguous, fully-informed, enthusiastic yes! Anything that involves coercion, manipulation, or force is unethical and should not be done. This isnt complicated its just not what those who think theyre entitled to other peoples bodies and intimacy want to hear. Affirm trans and gender non-conforming people. Trans and gender-nonconforming people are on the front lines right now. They need and deserve the support of every person of good will. If you dont want to support them because its the right thing to do, support them because the Ron DeSantises of the world will be coming for you sooner or later. Include sexual minorities. Whatever you do, include your lesbian, gay, and bisexual friends and neighbors. Include demisexuals and asexuals/aromantics. Include the polyamorous and those who are temporarily unpartnered. Make sure your celebrations are more than just cisgender and heteronormative. Resacralizing sex We live in a much more accepting and inclusive time than most of our ancestors, even though we are still fighting battles we thought were over (or at least, I thought they were over). But for all that weve gained and learned over the past century or so, sex remains mysterious. Its more than evolutions way of getting us to reproduce. Its more than simple pleasure. Sex forces us to expose our vulnerabilities in order to manifest our desires. Sex is sacred and holy. Not in some evangelicals-lecturing-to-teenagers save yourself for marriage way, but in a way that quite literally produces ecstasy. Sex is worthy of myths and rituals and celebrations. As with all that is sacred and holy, you have to experience it for yourself, in the ways that are right for you. Those who experience it differently from you arent wrong, theyre just different. So this Beltane, I hope you can celebrate sex in whatever way is right for you, with as many (or as few) people as is right for you and for them. Remind yourself and everyone else that sex is good and holy, and that the authoritarians who want to control it are fighting against the fundamental rights of people, and theyre fighting against Nature. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoices, for behold: all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. 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 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Trade Commissioner of Vanuatu to Ghana, Prof Hugh Aryee has sent a message of goodwill to all Muslims as they celebrate the Ramadan festival which climaxes their 30 day fasting and prayer. He said Islam is a Religion of Peace an therefore Allah should wash away every sin and purify all of us from all flaws. He prayed that Allah should examine our hearts for the piety of hearts and overlook our shortcomings. He called for tolerance and peaceful coexistence with all religions for a better world in these global economic turmoils. Quoting a verse from the Holy Quoran to wish them a blessed day and fruitful celebrations, he said "O Allah grant us this day a share from Your infinite mercy and guide us towards Your shining proofs. Lead us to your encompassing pleasure by your love, O the hope of the desirous." He concluded that "On behalf of the people of Vanuatu and the Trade Commission to Ghana, I wish to extend a hand of fellowship to all Muslims in the country, to take advantage of the favourable business opportunities the Commission provides, with many potentials to all Muslims who wish to venture and invest in Vanuatu from Ghana and West Africa" Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A planned solar farm in Albemarle County that could conservatively power more than half of the countys households is well on its way to a ground-breaking within the next year. County supervisors and the projects developer say the 650-acre, 35-megawatt Woodridge Solar project in southeastern Albemarle can, and should, be a model for other communities. Were really on the forefront of doing things. Its the beginning. I think its going to set us up for a standard for the commonwealth of what we can do and what can be done, Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley said at an April 5 county meeting. Is it enough? No. We probably need more. But, this is the beginning. Solar energy projects elsewhere in Virginia have been stalled or stopped completely. But at the April 5 meeting, the solar farm won unanimous approval for two special use permits that would allow for additional grading in construction of the project and the construction of a power station to allow the project to be connected to nearby power lines. Its not the last time the project developer, Charlottesville-based Hexagon Energy, will have to work with the county as it prepares for installation. The county will have more involvement in particular, a site plan has to be submitted, Board of Supervisors Chair Donna Price told The Daily Progress on Friday. What weve seen basically is the general concept. What they now need to submit is a site plan that will provide more specificity. But Price, who represents the countys Scottsville Magisterial District where the project is planned, said it is the last time the supervisors will have to vote on the matter for the foreseeable future. She described the site plan process as administrative action, a responsibility of county staff, the Community Development Department in particular. The board likely does not have any further action, Price said. If the applicant were to make some changes, that would fall back to the category of legislative action that requires board approval. Its no different than if you were building a house and you were approved for a permit, she said. Thats not the end of it; the county still has to do inspections. Hexagon Energy is heading into that process with confidence after fielding resounding support from county supervisors as well as the majority of community members who have spoken publicly about the project. Much was made of the fact that the $220 million solar farm will produce enough energy to power 25,000 households more than half of the countys 45,000 households. Thats conservative, Scott Remer, Hexagons director of development, told supervisors on April 5. Ive seen some other estimates produced by third parties that put it more at 30,000. Thats not to say that Albemarle residents will be the sole benefactors of the energy produced at the Woodridge Solar project. Some of that energy will travel outside of the county; thats just the nature of power grids. We have no control over where that energy goes, Price told The Daily Progress. Once it is up and operating, Albemarle County does not have authority over the dissemination of that electricity. That kind of regulation would come more through the state. Price said it is worth noting that when it comes to energy, Albemarle has historically been more of a taker than a giver. While we may not necessarily benefit in Albemarle from every watt produced, at least well be contributing to energy production, Price said. Just as we currently benefit from energy produced somewhere else. One of those energy-producing places was nearby Fluvanna County. The Bremo Bluff Power Station built there in 1931 had been one of the oldest, if not the oldest, coal-fired power station in Virginia before Dominion Energy announced it would be retiring the plant in 2019. Demolition of the plant began in late 2021, and now millions of tons of coal ash must be removed. Bremo has been a good reminder, Price said, of the considerations that need to take place before projects, even solar projects, can be approved. There is an environmental impact from this industrial solar installation, Price acknowledged. There is a negative environmental impact from everything we do, and many things we dont do. It all has to be put into balance. Many at the April 5 meeting lauded the balance struck by the Woodridge Solar project. Hexagon plans to install roughly 650 acres of solar panels on 2,300 acres of privately owned timberland that has seen its soil condition severely depleted over the years. The land has been regularly called a moonscape by both its neighbors and the project developers. Part and parcel of Hexagons plans for the 2,300-acre site is revitalizing the landscape: restoring the streams that run through the property, fertilizing the soil and planting new vegetation. That vegetation could be used to attract pollinators such as bees, opening up the opportunity for mead production if the land is found viable for beekeeping operations, Hexagon has said. Hexagon has also floated a sheep-farming operation at the site once the vegetation has grown in, reducing the need for gas-powered mowers to maintain overgrowth. Remer said the company has already been in discussions with local farmers interested in such projects. Theres a lot of conservation that goes into this, Remer told supervisors on April 5, from a cutover moonscape, right now, to about 500 acres of meadow habitat and thats not even counting the clover and plants and flowers and grasses that are under the panels. While the solar panels are slated for 650 acres of the site, there will still be plenty of space under and between them for nature. Hexagon has emphasized, on multiple occasions, how little space the actual solar panels take up. If you were to sum up all the panels and put them in one big flat surface which is impossible and would be a nightmare for stormwater but were you to do such a thing, it would be about 200 acres altogether, Remer said. Thats less 9% of the total 2,300-acre site. Stormwater considerations are a major component of the next steps for Hexagon. Remer promised supervisors on April 5 that Hexagon has planned buffers near the streams on the Woodridge property to prevent additional stormwater runoff. The vegetation planted under and around the panels, he said, will also help reintroduce groundwater infiltration in the area. Stormwater has been a sticking point for solar projects in Virginia. Last year, the commonwealths Department of Environmental Quality rolled out a number of changes to how Virginia manages runoff from solar farms, arguing that prior policies underestimated the farms impact on water quality. Previously, Virginia considered only the bases of solar panels to be impervious surfaces unable to absorb runoff. The Youngkin administration, however, has made it so that the solar panels themselves are considered impervious surfaces. Stormwater played a major role in the Culpeper County Planning Commissions decision in January to deny a North Carolina developers plan to build a solar plant on private agricultural land along a high-power Dominion transmission line. It was the third time Maroon Solars project has been denied, and the third time managing water at the site has been a contributing factor in its denial. In March, Amherst Countys planning commission denied an Energix proposal to build a solar array in Piney River, citing environmental concerns and the impact on scenic views. Earlier this month, Culpeper planners deferred action on another solar project, this one from North Ridge Culpeper Solar LLC, arguing the companys 238-page application was incomplete, including information about management of rainwater on the property and potential flooding impacts downstream and to neighboring parcels. In Madison County, a Louth Callan Renewables solar project that would feed into the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative grid has been going back and forth for years. Residents have voiced concerns over zoning, tree buffers and a proposal to let sheep graze the property not unlike Hexagons. Remer acknowledges Hexagon has a lot of work ahead of it, even in Albemarle County where the response to its project has been largely positive. However, he said, he is confident that Hexagon and Albemarle have the expertise and working relationship to achieve at Woodridge what other communities have struggled to accomplish. Weve got a lot of work ahead of us, Remer told supervisors on April 5. Before we get any sort of stormwater sign-off, theres a lot of work that county engineers and our engineers are going to have to work through to get this to work right. Albemarle County has that skill level to be able to help enforce it. Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, this morning, paid a surprise visit to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu, on his 104th birthday. Sheikh Sharubutu turned 104 today and the Vice President paid him a customary birthday visit at his residence in Accra early today. Earlier, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the First Lady also visited the religious leader at his residence. Speaking during the visit, Vice President Bawumia paid glowing tributes to Sheikh Sharubutu for his impactful life and immense contributions to the peace and harmony the country enjoys. "Allah has blessed our Father. He celebrates a birthday and it is not an ordinary birthday. For a human being to reach a hundred years, it is a big matter. To reach 104 is a blessing from Allah," Dr. Bawumia said. "What we all know is that the National Chief Imam is a gift from God to this nation. And to the Muslim Ummah, we are so fortunate and grateful to Allah for giving him to us." Dr. Bawumia praised Sheikh Sharubutu for his contribution to the stability Ghana enjoys and urged that the peace the nation enjoys should not be taken for granted. "We owe a lot in terms of the tolerance and peace in this country to him, the National Chief Imam. Ghana is the most peaceful country in West Africa and the second most peaceful country in West Africa. We should not take it for granted; it is a blessing from Allah." "When you look at the countries around us, you see that there is a lot of tension. But in Ghana, Christians and Muslims are sitting together, speaking together, eating together, laughing together and crying together." "This is not the same in many countries and so we should not take it for granted. It is happening because of people like the National Chief Imam." The Vice President added that the Muslim community is also thankful to God for a leader like Sheikh Sharubutu, whose leadership has seen so much development in Zongo communities through his excellent relationship with government. "During his tenure, we have started the Jubilee House Iftar, for the first time in the history of Ghana." "We have done the Zongo Development Fund. You see that the ZDF is bringing so many projects, over 400 projects so far to Zongo communities in Ghana. . We are having astro turfs, clinics, classrooms, drainages, and people being sent abroad to study - about 40 Zongo students to Cuba to study medicine." "We are very happy and grateful that in his time, so much is happening to help the people of the zongo community. So we thank Allah for his life. And if we had a way, we would say, Allah should leave him forever. But we are happy that he has given him to us for 104 years. And we are looking forward to coming back next year, to celebrate 105 years, in shaa Allah," Dr Bawumia added. The Vice President presented a symbolic birthday cake to Sheikh Sharubutu and requested special prayers for the Chief Imam. Sheikh Sharubutu expressed appreciation to Dr. Bawumia for the visit, describing it as an expression of gratitude Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Presidential Candidate hopeful Hon. Alan Kyerematen has joined the Muslim community in a solem prayer session (Iftar) programme at Ayawaso West Wougon in Accra. The former Trade and Industry Minister, who resides in Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency joined the Muslim community and office of the National Chief to break their fast on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. He was joined by top ranking officials of his campaign team at the Iftar and used the program to preach for religious coexistence and love for each other. The Chief Imam was represented by Alhaji Abdul Lateef and Imam Muktari Abbass both senior officials of the Office of the Chief Imam . Speaking at the gathering, Hon. Alan Kyerematen called on the Muslim community to keep their love for each other and extend it to other religious faiths within the country. He urged the youth to see the sacred month of Ramadan as a cleansing month and keep their good behaviour even after the fasting period. The former Trade and Industry Minister is reportedly in the lead as New Patriotic Party heads to the National Presidential Primaries slated for November 2023. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video UNION, N.J. (AP) Bed Bath & Beyond has filed for bankruptcy protection, but its stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers, the company said. The beleaguered home goods chain made the filing Sunday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, listing its estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion and $10 billion. The move comes after the company failed to secure funds to stay afloat. In January, it defaulted on loans, and said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing then that it would be forced to consider alternatives, including bankruptcy court. In a statement, the company based in Union, New Jersey, said it voluntarily made the filing to implement an orderly wind down of its businesses while conducting a limited marketing process to solicit interest in one or more sales of some or all of its assets. The firm said its 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 Buy Buy Baby stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers as it begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its retail locations. The company said it also intends to uphold commitments to customers, employees and partners. More from PennLive: Davids Bridal files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it looks for buyer Ikea to invest $2.2B in the U.S. and open hundreds of pick-up locations Lebanon City Police say they have arrested a man in relation to a robbery and shooting at a grocery shop on Friday night. Police say they arrested Jorge Pereira-Sepulveda, 34, of Lebanon, and charged him robbery, assault, and firearms crimes stemming from the incident. According to Lebanon police, officers were flagged down by patrons of the Montro Grocery-Bodega at 625 Lehman St. around 11:30 p.m. Friday. The patrons reported that a robbery had just occurred. Officers discovered that the store clerk had been attacked and shot; the clerk was transported to a hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to police. Witnesses pointed officers in the direction the suspect had fled, according to police, and Pereira-Sepulveda was apprehended a short distance away. Anyone with further information about the incident is asked to contact Lebanon City Police or submit a tip through Crimewatch. More: Coroner IDs woman killed in transit bus crash in central Pa. Central Pa. school district closes locker rooms over transgender student concerns 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. 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. Diane Mastrull of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote this story. Staff writer Michelle Myers contributed to this article. (c)2023 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. More: Central Pa. boy killed by falling tree: report Central Pa. shop clerk shot, suspect arrested: police LOS ANGELES (AP) Actor Shannen Doherty of hit shows Charmed and Beverly Hills, 90210 has filed for divorce from her husband, photographer 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. Shannen Doherty in 2019. (Michael Tran / AFP, file)Michael Tran / AFP 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, Dohertys publicist, suggested contacting Iswarienkos agent for elaboration, whom she identified as Collier Grimm. Grimm did not immediately reply to a message for comment. Story by Colin Deppen of Spotlight PA This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food of Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. By Dr. Matthew J. Kelly As the new millennium dawned in 2000, the nation and world held their breath, anticipating our computer-dependent societys potential collapse. It didnt happen. Everyone exhaled a huge sigh of relief. At the same time, however, patients, physicians, and hospitals were experiencing the collapse of Pennsylvanias medical system. The reason was not that the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2000. It was jackpot jury verdicts in specific counties that caused skyrocketing medical liability insurance premiums that were, not figuratively, forcing physician practices to shutter and hospitals to curtail vital services such as birthing units. For at least two orthopaedic practices in Montgomery and Lackawanna Counties, liability insurance was not available at any price. From approximately 1998 to 2002, Pennsylvanias physicians and hospitals experienced an unprecedented liability insurance crisis that had never been seen. Trial lawyers practiced venue shopping, in which they routinely sought and were granted the right to move lawsuits from the county in which the medical services were provided to Philadelphia, Allegheny, Lackawanna, and other counties whose juries often favored plaintiffs with excessive awards that would not be granted in the original counties. Insurance premium rates annually doubled for most physicians. For high-risk specialists such as neurosurgeons, obstetrics and gynecology physicians, general surgeons, and orthopaedic surgeons, premiums were unaffordable or not offered at all. The impact on patients was tremendous, particularly for women. In many regions, OB Gyn care was limited, and in Greater Philadelphia, many practices moved to the liability safe harbor of New Jersey. Pennsylvania women had to cross the state line to receive critical pregnancy care. At the time, it was also reported that no neurosurgeon was available in the entire Commonwealth for trauma care for one weekend. To say the situation was dire is an understatement. Fortunately, the state government acted responsibly. Through medical liability reforms enacted by the General Assembly, two gubernatorial administrations, and the state Supreme Court, stability was returned to the medical liability insurance market. In turn, patients began to receive vital healthcare services in their home state. Physicians and hospitals returned to normal practice. A key reform was a venue statute and a Supreme Court rule that required medical liability lawsuits to be in the county of the alleged injury. This wise action by the legislature, the governor, and the high court stopped trial lawyers from venue shopping. It also did more to stabilize the medical liability insurance market and to protect patients, physicians, and hospitals than any other measure enacted 20 years ago. Since then, Pennsylvania has had two decades of affordable medical liability insurance and sustained quality healthcare services. In August of 2022, however, the state Supreme Court disrupted this stability by overturning the venue statute and amending the venue rules. As of January 1, 2023, venue shopping has returned to Pennsylvania. And predictably, trial lawyers are wasting no time taking advantage of the situation. The statistics do not lie. In Philadelphia County alone, medical liability lawsuits have significantly jumped compared to 2022 cases. In January 2023, the year-to-year increase saw 70 cases compared to 18. In February 2023, lawsuits rose to 42 from 24 in 2022. In March 2023, the ratio was 47 to 22. At the same time, Southeast Pennsylvania suburban counties have experienced a nearly 67% drop in medical liability cases as lawsuits are moved to Philadelphia, according to the Legal Intelligencer. For the patients and the medical community, it seems like Y2K again. The Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society calls on the General Assembly and Governor Josh Shapiro to swiftly act to avert another medical liability. One sensible reform is to modify the current Certificate of Merit law, which has failed. The new statute should require medical liability lawsuit certificates of merit to be an actual medical expert report from a Pennsylvania licensed physician of the same training and specialty as the defendant physician. This important measure should be enacted before the June 30 summer recess. For his part, Gov. Shapiro should convene a workgroup comprised of patient representatives, physicians, hospitals, business and industry, and the trial lawyers to hammer out common sense reforms. Former Gov. Ed Rendells Mcare Commission is an excellent model. Our society participated in Gov. Rendells efforts and obtained meaningful results. Inaction, however, is not an option. As the phrase goes, if we do not learn from history, we are condemned to repeat it. For those of us who have been in practice for 25 years, we lived through the past medical liability crisis. We can already see the new one coming. Act now so we do not repeat the past. Dr. Matthew J. Kelly is President of the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society, and a general orthopedic surgeon at the Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania in Camp Hill, PA. A man and woman with family ties to the area have been charged with two counts each of felony grand larceny and auto theft after the sheriffs office said they conducted a high risk traffic stop near a residence in Lignum, according to a release Friday night from Culpeper County Sheriffs Office. The Culpeper County Sheriffs Office was dispatched around 7:16 p.m. Wednesday to a home in the 21000 Block of Davis Lane, off Route 3, to attempt to locate a stolen Penske rental truck, stated CCSO spokeswoman Vanessa Blackstock in the release. Upon arrival, Deputy Fuentes located a truck matching the description, and the vehicle was confirmed stolen out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, police said. The vehicle rental company identified 34-year-old male, Joshuwa Ellis, as the individual who rented the truck from Penske. A U-Haul trailer also found on the property was reported stolen from Douglas County, Washington, according to the release. Fuentes obtained additional information about possible stolen furniture and numerous hot tubs being stored in a barn and was given permission to search the barn. Deputies compiled statements from several alleged victims that had called the Sheriffs Office over the last several weeksfrom New York to Californiawho had contracted Mr. Ellis to deliver furniture. However, he had not delivered their items for several months. Police said he was threatening to destroy or sell the items unless the customers paid more money. According to authorities, the man was in the company of a relative, Tonya Ellis, 50. Several units set up a perimeter near the residence in Lignum until they spotted the vehicle the duo was operating. They were taken into custody without incident and additionally charged with two counts of auto theft and conspiracy to commit a felony. Additional charges are pending, Blackstock said. This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information or who had any property that was supposed to be delivered by the suspects should contact the Culpeper County Sheriffs Office at 540/727-7520. Blackstock said the accused are not permanent Culpeper County residents. Court records list Tonya Ellis address as Lignum and Joshuwa Ellis address as Forsyth, Georgia. Adjudicator and ballet dance instructor Stephana Arnold talks with a student during the junior ballet workshop that was part of the opening day of dance at the Kiwanis Music, Dance and Speech Arts Festival. Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 62F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 62F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. There were over 12 hours of poker on Day 2 of the 1,100 Main Event at the 2023 888poker Live London festival and a field of 385 entries has been dwindled down to the final 15 players. The lion's share of the 367,500 prize pool is still up for grabs with the winner eventually walking away with 93,000 for their efforts. Leading the charge into the final day will be none other than Hong Pham who put on a brilliant display of poker throughout the day. Pham got off to a hot start in the early going and that trend continued into the dinner break where she took over the chip lead just four levels into the day. From then, Pham never relinquished her lead en route to bagging a stack of 2,030,000 chips. Pham's previous poker results only go back to 2021 with the majority of her cashes coming here at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino. While mostly playing smaller buy-in events, Pham has accumulated nearly $100,000 in winnings thus far but is in a great position to lock up the best result of her short career. Pham looked like a seasoned veteran on the felt hiding behind her sunglasses and showing no fear whatsoever. Three-bets, four-bets, and plenty of aggressive action put her in the pole position heading to Day 3. When she returns tomorrow, she will be seated next to her nearest competitor and adversary, Francis Obadun. A series of bluffs along with some favorable runouts led Obadun to a stack of 1,600,000 as he looks for his largest career score as well. Rounding out the top three stacks after Day 2 is Tobias Kirby who put on an impressive display at the feature table over the last two hours of the night. Kirby bagged up 1,220,000 and will be in a great position for a deep run when Day 3 rolls around. Day 3 Seat Draw and Chip Counts Table Seat Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 20 1 Raymond Caabay United Kingdom 540,000 27 20 2 Dave Mcconachie United Kingdom 505,000 25 21 3 Leon Campbell United Kingdom 375,000 19 22 4 Tobias Kirby United Kingdom 1,220,000 61 23 5 Eliran Argelazi Israel 560,000 28 24 6 Paul Nugent United Kingdom 335,000 17 25 7 Ryan Otto New Zealand 840,000 42 26 8 Jiaze Li United Kingdom 430,000 22 21 1 Francis Obadun United Kingdom 1,600,000 80 22 2 Hong Pham Vietnam 2,030,000 102 23 3 Chris Williams United Kingdom 1,045,000 52 24 4 Smit Trivedi United Kingdom 815,000 41 25 5 Richard Connolly United Kingdom 450,000 23 26 6 27 7 George Pop United Kingdom 335,000 17 28 8 Bixi Yao United Kingdom 680,000 34 There were 138 players who began the day of the 385 total entries in this event. Late registration was open until the start of the day and 14 players took their last shot with a 30,000-chip starting stack. It didn't take long for some of the shorties to head to the rail as the field was cut down to just 81 players at the first break. Unfortunately for the 888poker ambassadors, Ricardo Mateus, Lucia Navarro, and Vivian Saliba were all eliminated in the early going and failed to make it into the money. Upon returning from dinner break, everyone had their sights set on reaching the money as the field was only a few eliminations away. There was no time wasted making it to the hand-for-hand portion of the tournament but on the stone bubble, the action came to a screeching halt. While some of the short stacks doubled up in the first few hands, the bubble continued to drag on for about two hours. With a few players down to just a single big blind, it was Joshua Kovacs who had his last 5,000 chips in the middle and at risk. Kovacs was unable to connect with anything on the board and Obadun flopped two pair to finally burst the remaining 38 players into the money, locking up at least 2,250 for a min-cash. bubble There was a flurry of eliminations that followed as the short stacks felt the brunt of the torturous bubble that ensued. From 38 players to the final 24 players took less than an hour and the final three tables were redrawn. Some of the late-night casualties included Chris Da Silva, Janice Phillips, and Jack McDermott but all of them at least locked up a piece of the prize pool. The action is slated to resume at 12:00 p.m. noon local time tomorrow where the final 15 players will square off until a winner is crowned. They will be returning to level 23 with the blinds at 10,000/20,000 and a 20,000 big blind ante. The levels will continue to be 60 minutes in length until just five players remain and they are cut down to 45 minutes. Each player will be given a fresh stack of four time-bank cards, each worth 30 seconds. The final 15 players have secured themselves at least 4,050 thus far, but the pay jumps will become more significant as the tournament progresses. The PokerNews live reporting team will be here all the way to bring you all of the eliminations until a champion is determined. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) made it clear that the abortion bans being enacted in red states are not individual decisions but part of a coordinated Republican plan to take away healthcare freedom. Video: Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) tells @Acosta that the taking away of healthcare freedom from women isn't just happening, "This is part of a concerted campaign by this Republican Party to strip away that freedom." Smith added GOP would be doing this federally if they had the votes. pic.twitter.com/vOaG4ixSmT Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 22, 2023 Smith told CNNs Jim Acosta when he asked about the Supreme Courts stay on the ruling banning the abortion pill: I worked at Planned Parenthood where I saw everyday women make good decisions about their own health care, and they dont need politicians telling them what to do for people who live in states where abortion is still, that freedom is still protected. They can know that for now, they will still have access to abortion medication. But as your piece before I came on showed women in states all over the country are losing that access. And this isnt just happening now. This is part of a concerted campaign by this Republican Party to strip away that freedom and I worked at Planned Parenthood when I saw this longstanding effort to ban abortion, and that is really what we are seeing and states across the country and I think thats what we would see at the federal level if they had the vote. The abortion issue is a freedom issue. Republicans are trying to take away from the majority of the US population the freedom to control their own bodies and make their own healthcare decisions. Every American who values individual freedom should be outraged by what Republicans are doing. These bans are not isolated individual decisions that are being made by state governments. The bans are a coordinated campaign to defacto ban abortion in the United States. Sen. Smith was correct. If Republicans had control of the government, they would ban abortion. The media tends to treat the theft of rights as individual acts, but they need to see the bigger picture. If Americans wish to remain free, they need to stop those who are determined to destroy the most personal of individual liberties. 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. 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. Aiken, SC (29801) Today Sunshine in the morning followed by partly cloudy skies and gusty winds during the afternoon. High 73F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low 46F. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Less than 10 days from sentencing, a fallen Charleston technology executive charged with wire fraud nearly four years ago is looking to further delay his judicial fate. Micfo LLC founder and CEO Amir Golestan is hanging his hopes on an appeal before the highest court in the land that entails bid-rigging charges, a Tesla plant and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He had been scheduled to learn his punishment next week, nearly 18 months after he entered a guilty plea two days into his trial at the Four Corners of Law. Sentencing already has been delayed multiple times. In an 11th-hour filing last week, Golestan asked that it be postponed again, until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a case filed by a developer involved in a publicly funded economic development project known as "Buffalo Billion." "At that time he will be able to make an informed and reasoned decision with whether ... he should move to withdraw his guilty plea or proceed with sentencing," one of his defense attorneys said in a court filing. Prosecutors charged Golestan and his now-shuttered East Bay Street internet services firm in May 2019 with 20 charges of wire fraud. They were accused of deceiving the U.S. entity that doles out unique and scarce 32-digit numerical combinations that allow smartphones and other devices to download websites and other online information. The case was described as a first-of-its-kind criminal prosecution involving the inner workings of the internet. Golestan later admitted to concocting bogus executives, shell companies and websites. He's claimed he had no choice, saying Micfo was being shut out after its clients were suspected of using the free codes "to engage in spam and other harmful internet conduct," according to his attorneys. He was able to amass nearly 758,000 numbers with a market value north of $14 million. Red flags His victim was the American Registry for Internet Numbers Ltd. The obscure Virginia-based nonprofit said it believed all of the requests for blocks of numbers were from legitimate, independent businesses. It later figured out it had been duped by the fake personas and falsified notarized documents. Prosecutors said Golestan sold about 130,000 of the number combinations for $1.85 million in 2017 and 2018. The scheme began to unravel after some of his fictitious firms asked the numbers registry to provide verification that they needed to complete a big sale valued at more than $6 million. The buyer was later identified as a state-owned Saudi Arabia telecommunications company. The transaction set off alarm bells because the U.S. had been looking into the Mideast kingdom's involvement in the high-profile killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. On top of that, a Micfo employee who was asked to notarize fake legal documents reported his boss to the FBI. At first, Golestan vowed to fight the charges because he felt he hadn't broken any laws. His November 2021 trial in Charleston came to an abrupt end when he changed his plea without explanation, just as Justice Department lawyers had finished questioning their eighth witness. Golestan was behind bars a few months later. The 40-year-old has been incarcerated in Charleston County Detention Center since February 2022 on a local contempt of court penalty tied to his contentious divorce proceedings. He was to be sentenced for the federal fraud charges on March 27. The date was pushed to May 2 after a private "attorney status hearing" with him and his lawyers last month. What was said behind closed doors hasn't been made public. Afterward, lead defense attorney Bart Daniel was no longer representing Golestan and Micfo. Also, a public defender was named as co-counsel to Cameron Blazer, who left private practice last year to join the Ninth Judicial Circuit but has stayed on the case. The order that Judge Richard Gergel issued after the hour-long hearing remains under seal. The reshuffled defense sought another delay Tuesday, citing the legal limbo of a real estate developer named Louis Ciminelli. He wants the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn his conviction for conspiring to fix construction bids on a $750 million Tesla solar panel plant in upstate New York about a decade ago. The project was part of a $1 billion initiative by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration to energize the Buffalo economy. Ciminelli's co-conspirator, a longtime friend of the former governor, was found guilty of soliciting and accepting a $35,000 bribe. The appeal hinges on whether the high court invalidates "right to control," a debated legal theory stating that fraud can be established if someone is induced into making a financial or other economic transaction based on incomplete and inaccurate information. Ciminelli's lawyers argued that his "informational deprivation" that their client didn't disclose his relationship with Cuomo's pal to the officials who vetted the Tesla contract bids isn't the same "as a deprivation of money or property." No harm, no fraud, to put it another way. Wishful thinking? Alicia Vachira Penn, Golestan's public defender, said in a legal filing last week that the outcome of Ciminelli's appeal "bears directly" on the Micfo case. She noted that the American Registry for Internet Numbers, like the board that reviewed the Tesla bids, didn't suffer any financial harm. "There are enough similarities between the government's theory of culpability and Ciminelli's argument to cause Mr. Golestan to reconsider his allocution of guilt," she wrote. "It is not that Mr. Golestan disagrees he factually did what the government says he did, but that what he did may no longer ... meet the statutory definition of fraud." Prosecutors are expected to file a response by Tuesday. By most accounts, the majority of the Supreme Court justices were skeptical of the government's right to control argument during their November review of Ciminelli's appeal. Their decision is expected by early summer. Atlanta trial lawyer Don Samuel, who has written about the nuances of withdrawing guilty pleas and isn't involved in the Micfo case, said it would be "logical" to delay the sentencing. He's also "dubious" whether the Supreme Court ruling will resonate beyond the New York-based 2nd Circuit, where Ciminelli's conviction was upheld once before. The reason: It's the only federal court jurisdiction in the country where the right to control theory is used to establish fraud. In the indictment South Carolina prosecutors dropped on Golestan four years ago next month the term appears ... nowhere. "He may be engaged in a lot of wishful thinking," Samuel said of the Micfo founder. This is a tale of two counties, one bold and daring, the other timid and foolish. Linn and Benton counties can you guess which is which? Our story begins with new Gov. Tina Koteks announcement on Day 1 that she is going to tackle homelessness in Oregon by throwing around lots of money. Thats not a criticism. You dont address the issues that cause homelessness by wishing it away. Its going to take money. A lot of money. But heres the conundrum: A large unhoused population is a fairly new phenomenon, and our government doesnt have any single department assigned to address it. Every department is more or less involved in addressing the issue, because the roots of homelessness are myriad and touch on many agencies responsibilities. We know from surveys that homeless individuals may be young, old, families, veterans, mentally unstable, on drugs, burdened with debt, priced out of the housing market or without a job or some combination of any of those. So creating a system to address all of these unique concerns is going to be complicated. Finding the money is going to be complicated. And doling out the money is going to be complicated. For at least one source of money Oregon divides the spoils by identifying the largest concentration of homeless individuals, who are mostly found in metropolitan areas. Seven distinct areas encompassing 10 counties Lane, Multnomah, Jackson, Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Marion, Polk, Washington and Clackamas get the lions share. The rest of the 26 counties, including yes, Linn and Benton, are grouped together as Balance of State, meaning all the rest of yall. Its the great urban-rural divide, right? Not really. Benton and Linn counties may have rural areas, but they also have mid-sized cities with outsized populations of homeless people (413 and 347, respectively, based on a point-in-time count thats likely underestimating the true numbers). At about 60,000 and 57,000 residents, Corvallis and Albany are in the states Top 12 most populous cities. But theyre the only two that arent considered metropolitan. Because of their proximity to much larger burgs and their good fortune of being on the right side of their county line, cities with smaller populations than Albany and Corvallis that may gain access to additional homeless dollars include mid-valley neighbors West Linn (27,000), Monmouth (11,000), Independence (10,000), Stayton (8,200) and Junction City (7,100). One of the pots of money, about $40 million, that is coming to urban counties is Koteks first-day Executive Order No. 23-02, which expires Jan 10, 2024, and establishes a state of emergency in those areas. So its all sour grapes for counties like Linn and Benton, which werent included, right? Not so fast. Several counties petitioned the governor for inclusion, declaring their own state of emergency and demonstrating that: The county counted at least 30 people without shelter, and That unsheltered homelessness increased by 50% or more between 2017 and 2022, or If four-fifths of the total homeless population in 2022 had no shelter. A number of counties, including two of the three local counties in the consortium tending to the needs of homeless people, applied. Kotek said no to Lincoln. But yes to Linn. The hero of our story is Linn. Well done! Unfortunately, the state ended up not rewarding Linn for its hustle, promising "administrative support" only. But heres the unexpected plot twist. Benton County officials didnt even apply. Why? A commissioner, Xan Augerot, said she felt there were too many strings attached and it was a bureaucratic hassle. As we explained above, yes, addressing homelessness is going to take bureaucracy (hopefully a coordinated bureaucracy). A government agency leaving money on the table because of bureaucracy? Dont government agencies live for bureaucracy? Arent they bureaucracy defined? Has Benton County come to fear the Deep State? None of this makes sense. We do know the issue is important to Benton County residents. Political analysts have told Benton County officials the key to passing their now-$110 million bond measure to pay for a suite of justice-related buildings next month is making sure the voters know it will help address homelessness. Measure 2-140s official subject is bonds for community safety, mental health, homelessness services facilities. Is that it? Had residents known Benton County went after some additional money, theyd be less inclined to pass the bond? We know thats cynical, but if true, its practically governmental malpractice. First of all, proceeds from the bond measure, which the county says could pay for a homelessness services housing and navigation center, cant pay for that on its own. The bulk of that money, $10.2 million, would come from the state, and the county wont know whether it can count on that money until after the election. So the county is by no means flush, and its funding sources are not certain. And second, arguably most importantly, even a $14.2 million navigation center (the remaining $1 million comes from expected donations) isnt going to solve everything. As explained above, homelessness is complicated. Were going to need every tool, every strategy, every resource. Every dollar. Even if it has to be spent on a tight deadline. But Benton County officials couldnt be bothered. In a world where money is passed onto cities and counties in a variety of ways, Benton County balked. Are government malpractice lawyers a thing? Because wed like to file a case. Editor's note: Because of a technical glitch, an earlier version of this editorial appeared online last week. Little progress has been made in bringing a highly touted "Agriculture Technology Campus" to one of South Carolina's poorest counties, but those who back the deal insist it will become a reality. "We're still marching forward and should see significant work done in the next few months," said Danny Black, CEO of the Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance, which owns the Hampton County industrial park where the $350 million project is to be built. When the project was announced in September 2020, it drew state and federal officials to tiny Early Branch. Billed as the nation's largest Opportunity Zone investment, it was projected to bring more than 1,500 jobs to the 1,000-acre site that would grow tomatoes and leafy vegetables in a high-tech greenhouse operation. But since then, there has been nothing but setbacks. The three original partners in the deal Mastronardi Produce, Clear Water Farms and LiDestri pulled out soon after the deal was announced. They did not respond to requests for comment. Initial job estimates were cut by more than 11 percent, prompting the S.C. Department of Commerce's Coordinating Council for Economic Development to cut its commitment to $8 million from the original $9 million. It also extended the timeline for the project to qualify for incentives through 2030. The S.C. Department of Agriculture blamed the coronavirus for further delays but said last September that a new tomato grower Harvest House of the Netherlands had been secured to build 10 greenhouses. Construction hasn't started, and the Dutch company did not respond to requests for comment. Black said Harvest House is still involved but the project "has been stymied a little by issues with the wetlands delineation and infrastructure financing." Even with the delays, he added, the project is "still on track to have the first phase completed by the end of the year." That's when the first employees are expected to be hired, he added. Zeb Portanova, whose Columbia-based GEM Opportunity Zone Fund is developing and securing investors for the project, said his group has been focused on design and preparing for construction, which will likely take the next six months. Black said the local water and sewer authority has applied for a grant to pay for upgrades at the site, and he's confident the application will be approved soon. Road construction grants have been approved, and engineering is underway, he said. The Southern Carolina alliance last month paid $438,350 for the roughly 90-acre first phase of the project, which Black said will provide right-of-way access for roads, broadband and water and sewer lines. He said the developer will buy the property in the next week or so, but the deed will remain in the economic development group's name until $25 million has been invested in the site. "They have five years to reach their investment and employment commitment, but have milestones to reach before any incentives kick in," Black said. "The first payout will be for sitework reimbursements, which wont happen until late summer." A $7 million state rural infrastructure grant that's supposed to go toward the project has not been distributed, according to a Commerce Department spokeswoman. A separate $1 million grant that was to help LiDestri establish a co-packing facility has been withdrawn because the company is no longer part of the project. The lack of progress has also delayed a deal announced two years ago in which cryptocurrency mining firm Core Scientific was to provide blockchain and artificial intelligence services for the Ag-Tech project. The Austin, Texas-based company filed for bankruptcy protection to reorganize its finances in December. As part of that case, the firm is embroiled in a dispute with another company that Portanova helps lead called GEM Mining a Greenville-based cryptocurrency firm. Portanova said the Ag-Tech campus still plans to use Core Scientific for its services, though that could change depending on the outcome of the bankruptcy case. "Our plan is to pick back up with the blockchain design with Core Scientific when we know our construction and completion dates," Portanova said. "If there are issues, like the reorganization from their bankruptcy over the next few months, we have multiple other providers that can provide that service in place of Core Scientific." When it was announced, the Ag-Tech campus was advertised as a first-of-its-kind project where pesticide-free berries and vegetables would be grown year-round in greenhouses using sustainable practices, such as capturing rainwater for irrigation. Supporters said the development would reduce reliance on food imports from Mexico and allow consumers to buy fresh vegetables regardless of the growing season. Located in an economically depressed part of the state, the project qualifies for tax breaks under the federal Opportunity Zone program. "This is the exact sort of investment we expected in creating Opportunity Zones and is a classic example of the potential for zones across the country," U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from Charleston, said when the project was announced. Scott, who is now exploring a run for the White House, helped create the Opportunity Zone legislation under the 2017 tax reforms. NEW YORK Bed Bath & Beyond one of the original big box retailers has filed for bankruptcy protection, following years of dismal sales and losses and numerous failed turnaround plans. The beleaguered home goods chain filed the petition Sunday in New Jersey. It said its store and websites will remain open for now. The company listed estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion and $10 billion. The move comes after the company failed to secure funds to stay afloat. In a statement, the Union, N.J.-based retailer said it voluntarily made the filing "to implement an orderly wind down of its businesses while conducting a limited marketing process to solicit interest in one or more sales of some or all of its assets." The firm said its 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 Buy Buy Baby stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers as it "begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its retail locations." The company said it also intends to uphold commitments to customers, employees and partners. The retailer said it secured a commitment of roughly $240 million in financing from Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. to allow it to keep operating during the bankruptcy process. In South Carolina, Beth Bath & Beyond has announced plans to close five of its 12 stores around the state since January. The affected locations are in Aiken, Columbia, Florence, North Charleston and Spartanburg. The chain sought bankruptcy as its shares have tumbled even more as speculation of an impending filing increased. Its financial performance has also deteriorated. In late March, it noted that preliminary results showed anywhere from a 40 percent to 50 percent decline in sales at stores opened at least a year for the quarter ended Feb. 25. The company also said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing in late March that it planned to sell $300 million worth of shares in an effort to avoid bankruptcy. The home goods retailer had been issuing several warnings about a potential bankruptcy filing since earlier this year. In late January, it noted in a government filing it was in default of its loans and didn't have the funds to repay what it owes. The company had said the default was forcing the company to look at various alternatives including restructuring its debt in bankruptcy court. Bed Bath & Beyond warned on Jan. 5 that it was considering various options including filing for bankruptcy and said that there was "substantial doubt" that it could stay in business. A week later, Bed Bath & Beyond posted a 33 percent drop in sales and a widening loss for the fiscal third quarter, ended Nov. 26, compared with the year-ago period. Sales at stores opened at least a year a key indicator of a company's health dropped 32 percent. Bed Bath & Beyond's recently appointed CEO Sue Gove blamed the poor holiday performance on inventory constraints and reduced credit limits that resulted in shortages of merchandise on store shelves. Typically, struggling retailers file for bankruptcy protection after the holiday shopping season because they have a cash cushion coming from the two-month sales period. So far this year, Party City, Tuesday Morning and David's Bridal have been among the retailers that have made the move. Still, turning around Bed Bath & Beyond has been difficult amid increasing competition from discounters. Also, shoppers are tightening their purse strings as the economy weakens and borrowing costs rise. The retailer had been trying to turn around its business and slash costs after previous management's new strategies worsened a sales slump. The company announced in August it would close about 150 of its namesake stores and slash its workforce by 20 percent. It also lined up more than $500 million of new financing. Founded in 1971, Bed Bath & Beyond had for years enjoyed its status as a big box retailer that offered a vast selection of sheets, towels and gadgets unmatched by department store rivals. It was among the first to introduce shoppers to many of today's household items like the air fryer or single-serve coffee maker, and its 15 percent to 20 percent coupon mailers were ubiquitous. But for the last decade or so, Bed Bath & Beyond struggled with weak sales, largely because of its messy assortments and lagging online strategy that made it hard to compete with the likes of Target and Walmart, both of which have spruced up their home departments with higher quality sheets and beddings. Meanwhile, online players like Wayfair have lured customers with affordable and trendy furniture and home decor. In late 2019, Bed Bath & Beyond tapped Target executive Mark Tritton to take the helm and turn around sales. Tritton quickly reduced coupons and started to introduce store label brands at the expense of national labels, a strategy that proved disastrous for the retailer. And the pandemic, which happened shortly after his arrival, forced the retailer to temporarily close its stores. It was never able to use the health crisis to pivot to a successful online strategy as others had, analysts said. And while many retailers were grappling with supply chain issues a year ago, Bed Bath was among the most vulnerable, missing many of its 200 best-selling items including kitchen appliances and personal electronics, during the holiday 2021 season. The retailer ousted Tritton in June 2022 after two back-to-back quarters of disastrous sales. In recent months, the company went back to its original strategy of focusing on national brands, instead of pushing its own store labels. But the company has had a hard time having suppliers commit to delivering merchandise because of the retailer's financial woes. This past holiday season, the stores were missing many key items, and it lost many customers. Bed Bath & Beyond's shares, which were trading at distressed levels, have also been on a turbulent run. It made a monstrous run from $5.77 to $23.08 in a little more than two weeks in August. The trading was reminiscent of last year's meme-stock craze, when out-of-favor companies suddenly became darlings of smaller-pocketed investors. But the stock fell back after Ryan Cohen, the billionaire co-founder of online pet-products retailer Chewy Inc. who purchased a nearly 10 percent stake in Bed Bath & Beyond last March, sold off all his shares. Shares were hovering close to 30 cents in the past few days. A year ago, shares were trading at around $17. A few pieces are already in place to grow the industry, including the existing Volvo car plant and a battery recycling business coming to Berkeley County. Read moreNorth Charleston is the place to be for EV-related manufacturers, report says COLUMBIA Richland County's rejection of tax incentives for a gun manufacturer over concerns about recent mass shootings could create problems in attracting other industry because of politics becoming a part of business decisions, council members and business leaders said. Richland County, a Democratic stronghold in the center of a heavily Republican state, nixed an expansion deal with gun manufacturer FN America, which planned to invest $16.5 million and create 100 jobs just outside Columbia, with a 5-5 tie vote at the April 18 County Council meeting. Council Vice Chairwoman Jesica Mackey recused herself over a conflict of interest because the communications firm where she works represents many economic development clients. FN America's deal failed on its third and final vote, passing 7-3 twice before a recent spate of mass shootings, including one in the Isle of Palms. FN, which employs more than 500 workers, did not respond to a request for comment about its plans moving forward. The decision was unusual for a county that has become more focused on bringing in additional development, notably winning the Scout Motors EV auto plant near Blythewood, but council members who voted against the deal emphasized this was a one-time decision based the number of shootings across the country. However, rejecting a deal based on reasons outside of business practices could scare off potential investment in South Carolina's second-largest county, supporters of the deal warned. Gov. Henry McMaster's office, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce's president and a national firearms trade association said the decision was disappointing and called on the County Council to separate politics from economics. "Yes, gun safety is important," said County Council Chairman Overture Walker, who voted to back the deal. "But you have to be very careful when you allow the culture wars seep into economic development decisions." 'Not a welcome mat for new industry' The council vote to turn down an incentive package for the arms maker is "not a welcome mat for new industry" looking to come to Richland County, Columbia Chamber of Commerce President Carl Blackstone said. "Injecting politics into the day-to-day business operations where does it end?" Blackstone said. "I don't think it's healthy, and quite honestly, it can hurt economic development going into future years." Turning down companies over issues such as gun violence is a "slippery slope," said County Councilman Don Weaver, a Republican who voted for the deal. Questions of gun control should stay in the S.C. Statehouse or on Capitol Hill and outside of local business deals, both Weaver and Walker said. "It is kind of scary if we get to the point where we start judging our tax credits, our business expansion, by some litmus test of whether these people pass muster as far as some woke ideology," Weaver said. "I think that's a bad road we're going down." Walker, a staunch proponent of gun control legislation, said the council needs to be consistent in its decisions. He pointed to the $2 billion deal with Scout Motors and the fact that nearly as many people died in car crashes in 2021 as died in firearm-related incidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This is a textbook example of putting the ladder on the wrong wall," Walker said. Councilwoman Gretchen Barron, a Democrat who voted for the tax incentives, said each situation is different, so the council turning down one incentive package does not necessarily mean it will turn down another. "Does it mean that this company may pack up and go somewhere else? There's a possibility," Barron said. "But what I also know is, when one leaves, then there's another one that's going to come. "We're a growing county, we're a thriving county, so I'd hate to see them go if that comes to be, but I do believe that there are more companies that are coming that are going to provide those same opportunities, if not greater." A rare move Rejecting a development deal is rare as the county works to court investors and jobs in an region that for years won few large economic development deals. That has changed in recent years. In addition to the Scout plans, recent council meetings have been rife with votes on smaller deals, which offer anywhere from millions to hundreds of millions of dollars in investment. Since the beginning of 2023, which the Economic Development office promised would be a "blockbuster year," the council has approved five development deals, with more in the pipeline. The FN America deal, which would have given the company a 60 percent reduction on its property taxes, was the first time the council rejected an incentive package in recent memory, according to council members and the Richland County Economic Development office. "Prior to this political stunt, Richland County was slowly making progress in changing its liberal anti-business reputation," McMaster's spokesman, Brandon Charochak, said. "This setback only makes it harder to bring new jobs and investment to the Midlands." The FN deal was different, council members who voted against it argued, with recent acts of gun violence weighing heavily on their minds. The decision came days after four people died and another 32 were wounded in a shooting at an Alabama birthday party April 15. Five days earlier, a gunman killed five and injured eight people at a bank in Kentucky. Three days before that and closer to home, five people were shot and injured during a "senior skip day" on Isle of Palms. "We are horrified regularly about mass shootings," Councilwoman Allison Terracio, a Democrat, said at the April 18 meeting before voting against the deal. "We are horrified regularly about just day-to-day shootings in our communities." Councilwoman Yvonne McBride, also a Democrat, emphasized that her "no" vote was not a comment on her thoughts about gun control but about offering tax breaks to a company manufacturing weapons, with taxpayers being left to make up the difference. "I have no problems if that company wants to sell guns that's fine," McBride said at the meeting. "But do not use taxpayer dollars." Walker and Councilman Jason Branham pushed back against that idea after the meeting, arguing that the incentives have no cost to the taxpayer since they allow companies to create more county revenue. "The county is gifting nothing; instead, it is increasing the amount of money it has to fund operations such as law enforcement and other community outreach and counseling services that actually reduce gun violence," Branham, a Republican who voted for the deal, said. FN America sells weapons and accessories to law enforcement and military agencies, as well as retail. FN America's website advertises guns for home defense and tactical purposes. Shootings are not the fault of the company making the guns, the national Firearm Industry Trade Association said in a statement. "This political decision to attempt to shame FN America for the crimes committed by remote third parties is short-sighted," association spokesman Mark Oliva said in an email. "The county should be focused on ensuring criminals are held accountable for their crimes." Changing attitudes The council's decision was particularly disappointing, Blackstone said, because FN America has been doing business in Richland County since 1979. McMaster's office called the company "one of South Carolina's finest employers." "I think it's important to keep them here," Blackstone said. "And if they want to grow, let's help them grow." In 2018, a council composed primarily of different members narrowly approved another tax break with FN America, which was planning a $26 million investment in its existing plant on Old Clemson Road. Dissenters, including McBride, raised similar concerns at the time over the company making military-grade FN-15 rifles, similar to the AR-15s used in many mass shootings. Council members also questioned whether the company's jobs were going to people in Richland County, which is not something the county requires companies to track. Since then, Blackstone said he's seen a trend in people boycotting or bashing companies over issues unrelated to their business practices, particularly on social media. Recent mass shootings across the country also factored into the decision, Weaver and Walker said. "It's the environment that we're in at this time as far as the surge or uptick in gun violence," Walker said. "But it's also a very palpable sense of helplessness in the fact that the federal government has not enacted something as simple as background checks." Other gun manufacturers have taken up shop across the state. Rifle-maker PTR Industries is headquartered in Horry County, Palmetto State Armory runs out of Lexington and S.W.O.R.D. International has a plant in Greenville. Richland County is one of few places in South Carolina where attitudes seem to have shifted about gun manufacturers, economic development attorney Burnet Maybank said. "Even counties who might be a little nervous about gun manufacturers ... they wouldn't have any reluctance for a gun manufacturer making guns for the military and the police," Maybank said. Moving forward Turning down tax incentive packages were once a way to prevent a company from coming to a county because most could not afford the price of taxes without a reduction, Maybank said. Often, if a county rejected a company, it was because the company created too much traffic or had a bad environmental record. Since the state Legislature lowered property taxes for manufacturers, though, some companies may choose to come to the state or expand operations without the promise of a deal. While FN America could still expand without the incentives, the cost could also drive the company into another county willing to offer a tax break, Weaver and Blackstone said. "I think it gives any company a moment of pause," Blackstone said. "At the end of the day, it has to make financial sense for a company to relocate or to move anywhere. It's just a roll of the dice to see, if we turn on them, does another marketplace make them a better offer? And if it does, then we're out of luck, and that's what you don't want." Weaver, Walker and Blackstone said they'd like to see FN America come back to the council with another proposal, as well as more specifics on the company's work and the impact it has on the community. "The timing was bad, and it was such a close vote," Weaver said. "I think if (FN America) does a little more groundwork and provides (the) council with a little more information, they might still have a shot at it." Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Mainly sunny. High 77F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low 53F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Where exactly is the enchanted forest that you sometimes hear about? Ive come to realize that for me, it was that little patch of woods right next door when I was growing up. But youve probably been in an enchanted forest, too. Read moreThis herb offers a 'quiet, enchanted magic': Can you name this week's mystery plant? Charleston County and its sheriffs office knew for months the company hired to provide medical care at the jail failed to give needed medications and neglected inmates incapable of going elsewhere for care, but they did not use power at their disposal. Long before two inmates deaths at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center prompted calls for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation, jail staff had documented a pattern of the medical provider's failure to care for inmates. Charleston County's contract with Wellpath, a private correctional health care company that has worked in the jail since 2020, gave the government the power to suspend, fire or withhold payment from the Nashville-based corporation. Instead, the county rewarded Wellpath with a pay raise. Each month, the company collects more than a half-million dollars from Charleston County. To date, it has been paid roughly $17 million. The Post and Courier reviewed 11 months of communications exchanged between jail staff and the county's contracts and procurement staff. The emails, obtained through a public record request to the sheriff's office, show jail administrators repeatedly sounded alarms about Wellpath for nearly a year, at least. I have grave concerns about continuing with Wellpath, Abigail Duffy, the jail's then-chief, wrote May 2, 2022, in an email to procurement staff. We continue to have repetitive problems with them. They have done nothing to alleviate the concern that they are a liability generally. It would take another seven months and continual reports of medical failures for the county to begin searching for another medical provider. The county is in negotiations with VitalCore Health Strategies, a Kansas-based health care company, to provide services at the jail. Wellpath is on its way out. Charleston County is confident in working with the Detention Centers new leadership as we move forward with a new medical provider, county spokeswoman Kelsey Barlow said in a statement. But the workings of Charleston County's bureaucracy has enabled Wellpath to remain in the jail for nearly a year despite persistent reports of medical failures. Under the countys procurement system, holding Wellpath accountable required a partnership between the sheriffs office, which runs the jail, and the countys contracts and procurement department, which controls all agreements with vendors, including Wellpath. As the county, its sheriff and Wellpath squabbled for months over procedure and responsibility, people locked away in South Carolinas largest county jail suffered and two died, an investigation by The Post and Courier has found. More than 80 percent of the approximately 1,000 people detained in the county jail off of Leeds Avenue in North Charleston are awaiting trial and are presumed innocent. One in four suffers from a serious and persistent mental illness. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, people held behind bars are more likely than the general public to have high blood pressure, asthma, cancer, arthritis and infectious diseases. Charleston County paid Wellpath more than $500,000 in October, even as the sheriff's office reported allegations that: A jailed woman was rushed to a hospital for seizures after Wellpath failed to give her prescribed medication. Another jailed woman was put on suicide watch after Wellpath did not give her prescribed mental health drugs. A jailed man was inadvertently given a blood thinner by a Wellpath nurse, who said in response, thats not the worst thing he could take, it will just make him sleepy. Wellpath told the county it fired the nurse. In December, the sheriff's office reported: A Wellpath doctor was accused of injecting inmates with a drug used to treat opioid addiction without their consent. A man with untreated mental illness was found unconscious in an isolation cell and died. Wellpath continued to get paid. In March, after months of making such reports, the sheriff's office reported: Another man died in the jails infirmary after a deputy found him unconscious. Wellpath repeatedly failed to keep a medical provider on site. Wellpath failed to provide medications to units housing people with the most intense mental health needs. Sheriff Kristin Graziano, who took office in January 2021, said her staff began raising concerns to the county about Wellpath within the first months of her administration. But the sheriff, who has spent decades in law enforcement, said she has been handcuffed by Charleston Countys bureaucratic system. It is my job to make sure we provide at least adequate care, Graziano said. But when you rely on a third party whos under contract by the county, its very difficult to hold anybody accountable. The county and Wellpath, in turn, blamed the sheriff and her department. Barrett Tolbert, the county's director of procurement and contracts, stated in emails to the sheriffs office in May 2022 that it had failed to properly document Wellpaths non-conformance, undermining the countys ability to hold Wellpath accountable. Wellpath spokesman Chris Hartline said a dearth of guards inside the jail hamstrings the ability of health care workers to provide care to inmates. About a third of jail guard positions are vacant, according to the sheriff's office. "We hold patients at the center of everything we do, and their care remains our top priority," the Wellpath spokesman said. Tolbert told The Post and Courier that managing a contract is a thoughtful process. The county has to be very, very careful as to when we pull the trigger to get rid of a vendor. You dont just pull it because you have the power and authority to pull it, because if you do, it causes a lot of chain reactions, he said, citing consequences in a gap in services and potential litigation against the county. The vendor has rights. Cameron Blazer, the head public defender for Charleston County, said the constitutional rights of people jailed awaiting trial, including their right to adequate medical care, demands more than we have been delivering. Greatly concerned Wellpaths contract allows the county to renew the agreement annually for a total of five years if it is determined to be in its best interest. Alternatively, the county can suspend Wellpaths services at its convenience or to investigate the providers performance. It also can fire Wellpath at its convenience or if the company fails to perform. Stuart Andrews, a Columbia-based civil rights attorney with decades of experience in corporate contracts, said terminating a contract can be contentious. But through its agreement, the county created a mechanism with little risk to get out of its contractual arrangement, said Andrews, who is also the board president of South Carolina's ACLU. The contract gives the county so many ways out. Yet for nearly a year, the county did not exercise those rights as the sheriff's office continued to report examples of Wellpath's failures, according to internal emails. Jail administrators detailed incidents in a message sent to procurement staffers on May 18, 2022 43 days before the expiration of the countys second annual contract with Wellpath. The email detailed allegations that: A nurse abandoned a man on March 29, 2022, after she gave him the wrong medication, telling him instead to vomit in a toilet. Medical staff neglected a patient in the infirmary lying in his own feces for over an hour on April 19, 2022. A man was hospitalized in April 2022 with a urinary tract infection because Wellpath failed to tend to him during his hunger strike. Duffy, the jail's chief, wrote that she was greatly concerned about continuing with Wellpath, citing repeated issues at the jail and the companys tanking reputation nationally. Duffy alluded to Wellpaths contract at the Richland County jail, where a man died of dehydration. The coroner classified the death as homicide. Wellpath and Richland County have since cut ties. Duffy suggested procurement seek a new provider. She has since been removed from her position running the jail. Tolbert, the countys procurement director, wrote May 23 that the jail had not documented Wellpaths performance issues in a satisfactory format. Jail staff should provide his department with specific dates, all communications with Wellpath and issues as they relate to the contract terms and conditions. Note, we will not contact the vendor about these non-compliance issues until we have received your correspondence detailing all of the problems," he wrote. Staffers in both the jail and procurement offices accused each other of disrespect and incompetency, emails show. County administrator Bill Tuten intervened in June to facilitate a conversation between the two departments on best workplace communication practices. Making a profit Amid bureaucratic wrangling, people in the jail continued to suffer while Wellpath continued to profit. In June, the sheriffs office reported in "non-conformance" forms provided by procurement: A diabetic didn't get at least a dozen prescribed insulin injections. Wellpath staff claimed the inmate had a pattern of refusing medications, but there were no records documenting his refusal of services. A man was told he needed to be checked for diabetes but did not receive the necessary bloodwork. He suffered constant pain and swelling in his stomach. Another man said the dialysis provider hired by Wellpath intentionally allowed him to cramp for nearly 30 minutes. I restate that I have grave concerns for the countys continued contract with them, Duffy wrote to procurement staff on June 23. A large part of this is external factors that cant be addressed through a right to cure or a nonconformance form. They are still making a profit regardless of their inability to fulfill the contract, she added. A week later, the county extended the contract for July. During that month, the sheriffs office reported: Nurses repeatedly failed to deliver daily medications, including to jail units that house people with the most serious mental health needs. Wellpath did not have a full-time psychiatrist on its payroll, though its contract requires a psychiatrist to be at the jail 40 hours per week. The jails medical staff racked up 600 unanswered grievances. Still, the county extended Wellpath's contract another 30 days. And then for another 10 months. Under the latest contract, signed in September, the county awarded Wellpath a monthly raise of nearly $16,000. The raise accompanied an amendment that empowered the county to withhold payment if Wellpath did not deliver obligated services. But the county never enforced this. Monthly expenditure reports show Wellpath has been paid roughly $537,000 every month since October. Tolbert, the procurement director, said the county agency that uses the vendor's services is responsible for deducting pay, in consultation with the county's finance and legal departments. Monthly invoices show Duffy, the jail's chief, signed off on the full payments at the same time she was decrying Wellpath to procurement. Her successor, Pat Morris, has continued to sign invoices for the full amount despite persistent reported medical failings. Sheriff's office spokesman Andrew Knapp said the "appropriate consultation" took place between the sheriff's office and the county. The government continued to not avail itself of rights baked into its contract. Less than 30 days after the new contract was signed, a jailed woman was hospitalized for seizures. Wellpath failed to provide needed medications, according to an email Duffy sent Tolbert on Oct. 12. She requested immediate termination of Wellpaths contract and suggested the county bring in NaphCare, which had submitted a proposal to provide medical services in 2020 but had lost to Wellpath, and the Medical University of South Carolina. I cannot express strongly enough that we can no longer allow them (Wellpath) to continue to be the provider, Duffy wrote. Tolbert acknowledged, This is unacceptable." He notified Wellpath by letter at the end of October of its failures to comply with the contract. Tolbert pointed out this was not the first time the county had alerted Wellpath of its failures. Tolbert gave Wellpath seven days to fix the issues or face termination. Wellpath President Kip Hallman responded with a plan to fill vacancies, tackle the backlog of grievances and improve the provision of medications. But things were about to get worse. A homicide On Dec. 21, a man suffering from untreated schizophrenia was found unconscious in a filthy isolation cell. DAngelo Dontrel Brown, 28, was hospitalized and never regained consciousness. The coroner ruled his death a homicide, determining that he died of gross medical neglect, The Post and Courier previously reported. Browns mother is suing the county and the sheriffs office, contending they were negligent, in part, for failing to terminate Wellpaths contract. Allegations also surfaced in December that Wellpath's medical director, Paul Carl Drago, administered injections of a drug used to treat opioid addiction to three inmates without their consent. The jail revoked Dragos clearance. Drago is no longer employed by Wellpath, according to the company's spokesman. County officials began requesting proposals from other correctional health care providers on Dec. 12 at least seven months after the jail had requested procurement find a new vendor. Time is of the essence The sheriffs office attorney sounded alarm bells Jan. 11 to top county officials. We feel it is imperative to meet and discuss the realities of their (Wellpath's) nonconformance and how to enforce the agreement or otherwise move forward, attorney Nicole Paluzzi wrote. Time is of the essence. She followed up in an email to the county's attorney that the sheriff's office was exploring ways to meet its "obligation to provide access to competent infirmary care on an emergency basis." It is unclear what emergency options the sheriff's office explored. Through a spokesman, Paluzzi declined to comment further. Meanwhile, Wellpath tried to reframe the narrative. The company sent a letter to the county at the end of January asserting the jail had failed to meet its contractual obligations. Wellpaths president alleged a shortage of guards endangered healthcare workers and undermined their ability to provide care. He requested the county address the security issues and meet with the company no later than Feb. 6. It is unclear if a meeting took place. Two days later, a Wellpath nurse told a deputy Im going to be a bitch tonight, according to a non-conformance report, which stated the nurse denied people medications they truly need to live. Another month passed, and the jail remained understaffed with medical personnel and deputies. On March 8, Julian Jenkins was arrested in connection with an old shoplifting charge and placed in the medical ward. The 50-year-old man contended with heart and kidney failure, diabetes and schizophrenia. Jenkins fell in the jails infirmary March 14, according to his family's attorney, Marvin Pendarvis, who reviewed video footage from the jail. Jenkins shouted for help, Pendarvis said, but a Wellpath nurse initially ignored him and then said he just wants some attention. The sheriffs office declined The Post and Couriers request to review jail footage, citing State Law Enforcement Division's ongoing investigation. Hours later, a deputy discovered Jenkins unconscious and requested medical assistance. An incident report states there was no medical provider in the infirmary. Jenkins was pronounced dead within the hour. The coroners office and SLED are investigating. Jenkins family plans to sue Charleston County and Wellpath, according to their attorney. Their lawsuits are not unique. Jamal Sutherland, 31, died Jan. 5, 2021, after detention deputies repeatedly tased and pepper-sprayed the mentally ill patient for refusing to attend his bond hearing. Charleston County settled a lawsuit filed by his family for $10 million. The Sutherlands' lawsuit against Wellpath remains pending. Wellpath remains in the jail until its contract expires at the end of June. By then, it will have collected more than $3 million since the county started searching for its replacement. Susan Crawford tells a frightening story: She wants us all to abandon the peninsula and move to Ladson. Or Goose Creek. Or Summerville. Or anywhere inland. It doesnt get much scarier than that. Read moreBailey: The Ladson Solution: Harvard professor warns the end is near for Charleston For a city that loves history so much, Charleston sure tends to forget some of its big moments. And you know what they say about those who dont remember their past. This unfolding drama over the Union Pier redevelopment is reminiscent of a similar, smaller skirmish a decade ago. If history repeats itself this time, the price of intransigence will be much higher. So, as folks line up to fight the State Ports Authoritys Union Pier plans, keep this Texas-inspired rally cry in mind: Remember The Jasper. A decade ago, the Beach Co. decided to replace the 1950s-era Sergeant Jasper apartment building where Lockwood turns to Broad Street. A lot of people never liked the old Jasper, and some folks here just dont like any change at all. It was a bad combination. The Beach Co. pitched a plan, then amended it to placate neighbors based in part on their suggestions. Then people criticized those changes ... and wound up with something they liked even less. Nothing was ever going to make everyone happy, but some people were never going to accept anything. Well, beyond turning the land into a public park. Which, in another case of history repeating itself, already has been suggested for Union Pier. Thats not an option here, either. Bottom line, the State Ports Authority is going to do something with Union Pier and soon. The fact that it started this in the middle of a city election, when everything is more difficult, more political, shows it isnt the least bit concerned about Charlestons timetable. See, the port is technically a state agency, but its really a business. Its board, and state legislators, are demanding the port maximize profits, expand economic development in South Carolina and wring every dollar out of every asset it owns. And Union Pier is quite an asset 64 acres of prime waterfront real estate on one of the deepest, most convenient harbors in the country. City Councilman Mike Seekings says it may be the most valuable undeveloped real estate on the East Coast. Which means the SPA has options. For instance, theres no guarantee some shipping company wont sweep in and outbid everyone at auction. The property is already zoned for industrial use, and there would be nothing the city could do about it. Think the port wouldnt abandon a redevelopment plan for even more cash? Or, if the port tires of nebulous back and forth, the board could decide to simply keep the property. It'll likely need a place to move 200,000 Scout electric vehicles every year. Union Pier is made for that its where the authority used to park all those Upstate BMWs. Also worth noting: Most city folks agree that Barbara Melvin, the port's new president and CEO, is much more congenial and diplomatic than past port leaders. That's helpful, but only gets us so far. Of the nine members on the Ports Authority board, exactly one lives in Charleston. The rest are scattered across the state, which means they arent particularly worried about aggravating Ansonborough. This doesnt mean we should just roll over and accept whatever the port offers. Far from it. But locals need to decide what's acceptable, and ditch the vague pablum. Mayor John Tecklenburg told the authority the 600 hotel rooms in its plan is too many, and asked it to cut that number in half. That's the kind of specific negotiating points we need ... as well as a reality check that building a few dozen single homes and a park is not an economically viable option. Its unfortunate the city gave up its rights to the land 30 years ago in an attempt to get Union Pier back on the tax rolls. It would be better if the city had more control here, but it really doesnt. Anyone who suggests otherwise is just trying to extend this drama for sport or profit. So we can take a new neighborhood with a park that incorporates the Bennett Rice Mill facade as Charlestons own version of Greenwich Villages Washington Square Arch, and negotiate height and density down to something reasonable. Or we could end up with trainloads of electric vehicles rolling through town every week. Or something far worse. Before critics walked away from The Jasper mediation, the Beach Co. had agreed to build a few smaller, much shorter buildings on the property. When the opposition refused to take yes for an answer, the company simply built what the existing zoning allowed. The Beach Co.s redevelopment was a vast improvement over the old Jasper, but some people still grouse about it. The lesson is: Without some specific, good-faith negotiations, Charleston could be headed for the same outcome here. Not content with the response from United Airlines about what the company can do to relieve cumbersome" protocols Guam travelers bound for the United States mainland undergo when transiting through Honolulu, Sen. Jesse Lujan penned a letter to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green for his assistance. In a letter dated April 18, Lujan asked Green to review the travel policies that have been implemented at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in light of numerous complaints the Guam senator has received from local constituents. I wrote to Gov. Green and spelled out the steps Guam residents and Guam travelers are subjected to when transiting via Hawaii, Lujan said in a release. After the 7-hour flight, Guam passengers in transit must collect their bags and clear U.S. Customs, then leave the arrival area on the ground floor with their bags; then haul their bags upstairs even though the bags have been tagged in Guam to their final destination; then process their bags through agricultural screening in the upstairs terminal departure area; and then recheck their bags at the appropriate departure counter. That process, according to Lujan, is not reasonable for passengers transiting through the state and not leaving the airport facility. These steps are burdensome and very difficult for elderly passengers and families with young children, and can be easily modified and simplified. I hope Gov. Green will take action. Lujan said. In his letter, Lujan contended the transit protocols add to a list of discriminatory actions toward Guamanians, despite the geostrategic vantage point Guam serves for the United States. 'Second-class citizens' "Guam is a U.S. territory, and we are U.S. citizens flying to other parts of the United States. We should not be treated as second-class citizens. Lujan said in a release. Lujan wrote to Green that he had initially brought the concern to United Airlines director of Guam airport operations Samuel Shinohara and managing director of global, government and regulatory affairs Dan Weiss, but did not receive the response he had hoped for. I understand that United Airlines does its best to comply with the rules and regulations set by the United States Customs and Border Protection. However, I wrote to the senior management with the hope that United Airlines can reevaluate these policies and look into possible solutions to ease the strain felt by our people. Unfortunately, the response from United Airlines was not cooperative and claimed limited authority to be able to produce the desired outcome, Lujan wrote. Lujan asked Green to assist Guam travelers by eliminating or mitigating the discriminatory and troublesome effects on Guam travelers." "With so many constituents raising questions, complaints, and inquiring about the new procedures, I do hope you can provide insight or aid on how Guam passengers can be relieved of this current burden. I believe your executive leadership can greatly help me in my pursuit to resolve these issues, Lujan concluded. The Guam Daily Post sent an inquiry to Hawaiis Department of Transportation Air Administration regarding the protocols and who has oversight to make changes, but a response was not available as of press time Sunday. Would our friends or family members be eager to tell God how they spend their time with us? The influence we have on each other affects us more than well ever realize. As important as it is to consider the company we keep, its equally important to consider what kind of company we are to others. What would it take for us to be a positive influence on those around us? For some of us, it would take being truly sorry for our sins and having a healthy fear of God. Dont you hate the moments (sometimes years) after youve willfully disobeyed God? Shame and damaged credibility are bad enough, but the wrenching realization of how weve grieved our heavenly Father strips us of the joy we previously had with Him. Its even worse when we entice others to follow our wayward lead. In 2 Samuel 11, King David allowed his lust for Bathsheba to mature into a shameful affair. Then he callously arranged the murder of her honorable husband, thus bringing innocent men into his sin. David the king of Israel. What an example. What an influence. But when the prophet Nathan confronted David about his sin, David pled with God for forgiveness and promised, I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you Psalm 51:13 (ESV). I admire the fruit (and proof) of Davids repentance. Today, Davids words continue to encourage people who feel trapped in their guilt. When we genuinely repent (have more remorse for our rebellion against a holy God than despair for the consequences we experience), God mercifully restores our fellowship with Him and helps us deal with the aftermath of our choices. And the more we fear God, (the more we fear treading into any area of sin), the more we can help others do the same. For the next several days, spend time reading Psalm 51. Allow its message to encourage you to genuinely repent of any area of rebellion against God especially behavior in which youve encouraged others to sin along with you. Then humbly ask the Holy Spirit to use you to help those youve negatively influenced find their way back to Him. If we, like David, allow the Holy Spirit to break our hearts over our sin and cultivate in us a healthy fear of Him, God will use us in ways we can only imagine in our friends and familys lives. Perhaps even in the lives of those who havent yet chosen to follow Christ. PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-23 12:02:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 596 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TAMPA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2023 / The internet has made entrepreneurship and having a small business look rather easy. That is far from the truth. About 20% of new small businesses and startups survive their first year. Around 30% in the second year. 50% will fail in year three. COVID has not made it any easier. 70% of businesses in the United States are independently owned. Most employ less than 300 people. 30% of those small businesses closed during the pandemic. Directly impacted were women owned and minority owned businesses. Growing while in the pandemic was near to impossible. To be standing in its aftermath is more of a miracle. A young CEO from Florida has made that miracle into her reality.The Blush Bar is not just another med spa chain. It reflects the values and guiding blocks of its founder and CEO, Aicha Yoder. With a multi-million-dollar business, Yoder operates with integrity, displaying unwavering candor, honesty, and respect. The company's focus on dynamism and willingness to understand comes with an open-minded approach to life, making the work environment close to utopia.Building a woman-owned, woman-run company isn't such an easy job. Yoder describes the many obstacles she's encountered while building a thriving business before, during, and after the pandemic. "It hasn't been easy, it's been quite a learning process. I am confident without a doubt our growth is because of the dedication of our staff and the unique services they provide." Yoder continues proudly explaining "Our success is due to our focus on our people and their potential. "Women are ubiquitous due to their multifaceted role in society. They can mold themselves into any manifestation and achieve new heights in any field." The Blush Bar is a celebration of womanhood and its attributes in their fluidic brilliance, offering services that truly extend the virtues of culturally vibrant women. Blush's focus on the restoration of ethnic skin and one-of-a-kind treatments sets it apart from other med spas. The opening of their new location this Summer in Orlando, Florida, highlights the company's success in thriving during and after the pandemic, building a woman-owned, woman-run company, and creating a space where women can celebrate their femininity.The Blush Bar's marketing strategy is based on a heuristic approach, with a challenging open-ear policy. Yoder acknowledges that not many companies are inclined towards this approach, but it is a display of her sincere admiration towards her employees. Better and more efficient communication is a key element of the company's success. The Blush Bar's success is due to its focus on its people, providing endearment, trust, and value to its workforce. Yoder is a firm believer in the fact that true growth, both personal and professional, comes from the willingness to understand."COVID taught me to make better preparations for the unknown. We experienced the effects of the mandatory state -wide shut down. It wasn't pleasurable, but we made it through. Anything can truly happen at any time, but if you have a solid strong business structure, your brand can withstand a few uppercuts. Take care of your people too. You want to be personal enough for your people to know you care, but also professional enough to still run your business while adhering to your mission, values, and culture. That's the secret to a strong business" says Yoder.For more information on The Blush Bar, visit them at any of the Florida locations or online:Media Contact:Name: Aicha YoderWebsite: https://www.blushbeautycollection.com/ Email: aichayoder@ yahoo.com Place: Tampa,Florida, USASOURCE: Blush Bar PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-23 19:00:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 636 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2023 / WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Dutch Bros, Inc. (NYSE:BROS) between March 1, 2022 and May 11, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important May 1, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.SO WHAT: If you purchased Dutch Bros 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 Dutch Bros class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12586 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 handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made materially false and/or misleading statements, and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Dutch Bros was experiencing increased costs and expenses, including on dairy; (2) as a result, Dutch Bros was experiencing increased margin pressure and decreased profitability in the first quarter of 2022; and (3) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the Dutch Bros class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12586or 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: Rosen Law Firm PA PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-23 08:54:51 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 1091 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global cotton-filled sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global cotton-filled sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges 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/Cotton-Filled-Sponges-Market/request-for-sample-report The global cotton-filled sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges 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 Cotton-Filled Sponges Market ReportThe global cotton-filled sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges 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 ReportCotton-Filled Sponges Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into sterile, non-sterile.The market by application is segmented into hospital, clinic, other.Regions Covered in the Global Cotton-Filled Sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the cotton-filled sponges 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 cotton-filled sponges market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Cotton-Filled Sponges Market Research Report:BD, Biocer, Celox, Equimedical, Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson), Gelita Medical, Hemotec Medical, Medira, Pfizer, Starch MedicalContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-23 03:32:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1007 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 22, 2023 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP( www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been against Norfolk Southern Corporation ("Norfolk Southern") (NYSE:NSC). The action charges Norfolk Southern with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Norfolk Southern's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Norfolk Southern's investors have suffered significant losses.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR NORFOLK SOUTHERN LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/norfolk-southern-corporation?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=nsc&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERELEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: MAY 15, 2023CLASS PERIOD: OCTOBER 28, 2020 THROUGH MARCH 3, 2023CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.NORFOLK SOUTHERN'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCTFor several years leading up to the beginning of the Class Period, Norfolk Southern took a number of measures which put profits and executive compensation over safety. For example, in October 2018, Norfolk Southern adopted "Precision Scheduled Railroading" or "PSR" which was purportedly aimed at producing better service at a lower cost. In actuality, the company sought to increase revenues by cutting operating costs including reducing staff, running fewer, heavier, faster trains and optimizing the company's networks in order to increase efficiency. Norfolk Southern also began tying executive compensation to achieving PSR goals. For example, in 2021, multiple Norfolk Southern executives received millions of dollars in cash bonuses for reducing costs by achieving "record performance for train length and weight." Industry critics have warned that this type of compensation system incentivizes executives to cut costs at the expense of safety and also leads to longer and more dangerous trains which "have greater damage done, greater, larger pileups, fires and so on." At the same time, Norfolk Southern and its lobbyists played a key role in defeating an Obama-era safety rule that was used following a number of oil train accidents, including the "ECP Brake Rule" which was ultimately repealed in 2018.On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern Railway Company general merchandise freight train derailed 38 railcars in East Palestine, Ohio, leaving behind what the Associated Press called "a mangled and charred mass of boxcars and flames." The derailed equipment included 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials that subsequently ignited, fueling fires that damaged an additional 12 non-derailed railcars.On February 6, 2023, responders engaged in a controlled detonation and burn of the vinyl chloride, spewing massive volumes of chemicals into the vicinity. The chemicals released from the derailment entered the air and water of the surrounding residential areas, the closest of which were only 1,000 feet from the site of the accident. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell on February 6, 2023 - down $5.66 per share from its closing price on Friday, February 3, 2023.Then, on February 8, 2023, after lifting a previously issued evacuation order, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stated that Norfolk Southern was "the one[] who created the problem. It's their liability. They're the ones who ought to pay for it." Following their return, numerous residents reported hazardous air quality and other health and environmental concerns. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell on February 9, 2023, closing at $238.98 per share - down $7.64 per share from its closing price of $246.62 per share on February 8, 2023.Thereafter, Norfolk Southern's stock price continued to drop in response to several other reports and public officials who spoke out about Norfolk Southern's liability for all of the harm and damage it had caused.On March 4, 2023, another Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Springfield, Ohio. Two days later, on March 6, 2023, Norfolk Southern announced a 6-part plan to improve operational safety. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell again on March 6 and March 7, 2023, closing at $215.18 per share - down $13.21 per share from its closing price of $228.39 on Friday, March 3, 2023.WHAT CAN I DO?Norfolk Southern investors may, no later than May 15, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPor other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPencourages Norfolk Southern investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against Norfolk Southern, captioned Bucks County Employees Retirement System v. Norfolk Southern Corporation, et al. and docketed under 23-cv-0982, is filed in the United States District Court for Southern District of Ohio (Eastern Division) before the Honorable Michael H. Watson.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASEWHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLPKessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-23 20:22:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 652 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2023 / WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of securities Trinseo PLC (NYSE:TSE) between May 3, 2021 and March 27, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 20, 2023.SO WHAT: If you purchased Trinseo 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 Trinseo class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=13711 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@ rosenlegal.com or cases@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 20, 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. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company's Bristol, Pennsylvania plant had a troubled safety record while under prior ownership and continued to be unsafe after the Company acquired it; (2) defendants did not sufficiently disclose specific risks related to conducting operations at that plant; (3) operating a chemical plant with an unsafe history and presently unsafe operations exposed the Company to a heightened risk of a chemical spill or other adverse event; and (4) as a result, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times.When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the Trinseo class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=13711 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@ rosenlegal.com or cases@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.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. 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. One of the greatest horrors that Nigeria has had to live through in the past almost two decades has been the prolong assault of religious fundamentalism, which has blown into full-scale insurgency, with the infamous terrorist group, Boko Haram, seeking to impose its own version of theology and way of life no matter how distorted on the state. This has led to a cruel and protracted assault on the country over several years, from its Sahelian flank into the Northern regions, leading to grisly repeat carnages, and instability across the space in which it has been operating. Naturally these have wrought a great degree of internal displacement for many, the evolution of IDP camps defined by human misery and the tanking of the economy of places within this region. Naturally, the Nigerian military has, over this period, responded to the call of duty in protecting the sovereignty of the nation space, even as this has exacted a huge toll on it in the loss of men and materiel in this continued counterinsurgency offensive. That the armed forces have exhibited so much gallantry is not in doubt, while being exercised by the possible noble of causes in its determination to preserve and hold the country together. This great act of courage in some of the direst of situations is what has motivated the notable journalist, Jibrin Baba Ndace, to document the experiences of our forces in three new volumes of writings to be launched soon. This trilogy comprises The Lonely Grave, a collection of poems, and two narratives, Duty Call Under Buratais Command and Walking the War Front With Lt. Gen. TY Buratai. This spread a canvass in which the valiant activities of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the war against Boko Haram/ISWAP has been chronicled. The books, to be unveiled in Abuja soon, can be described as must-reads for all documentarists, students of history, scholars and the general citizenry seeking deep insights and pictorial evidence of Nigerias counter-insurgency warfare in some of its most devastating moments. The books, written over five years, have been the labour of love of Ndace, a former Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, who felt the need to document the experience of the war against insurgency in Nigeria. For him, these books were inspired by many veterans who fought on and off the war field. Soldiers who sacrificed their lives to serve our great nation, the courage they showcased and the aftermath of their gruesome experiences. And, amongst many soldiers and servicemen, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai (a retired Nigerian army chief between 2015 and 2021) occupies a large part of the storytelling. That was a high period in which some of the most definitive aspects of the counterinsurgency war was given full expression. Also, as Jibrin Ndace put it, this trilogy about to be launched offers unexpected experiences revealed through first-hand accounts, poetry, photography, and powerful storytelling, while witnessing the courage and sacrifice of soldiers, the brutal realities of combat, and the toll that war takes on both the human body and mind. As witness to the treasures unfolded in this trilogy, who happens to be military officer, observed that: These books, which have taken Jibrin over five years to successfully complete, have taken a lot of sweat, blood and tears. These books are not just mere stories but actual realities. Not just through his eyes, but also through the experiences of other servicemen. Fidelis Nwagwu wrote from Abuja. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Movie Title: Domitilla: The Reboot Runtime: 2 hours Date of Release: 7th April 2023 Cast: Teniola Aladese, Uzoamaka Doris Auiunoh, Elvina Ibru, Deyemi Okanlawon, Stan Nze, Ejiro Onojaife and Onyinye Odokoro. At this point, one might as well create a petition that prevents Nollywood producers from butchering classic movies. It almost seems as if, despite the thousands of screenwriters out there with new and intriguing film concepts, for a reason best described as nostalgia, everyone wants to revisit the 90s and early 2000s popular movies back then and lazily turn them into a reboot. Dont get us wrong; we are not saying the idea of reboots is generally bad; its just the execution of many, including the recent addition, Domitilla, which makes it look like zero effort goes into storytelling, cinematography and acting performances. Domitilla has a relatively similar storyline to the original 1996 version. The film tells the story of four ladies who find themselves entangled in the dangerous web of prostitution, where the only way to get out is through losing their lives or those around them. Without a doubt, Domitilla contains several moral lessons. However, it offers nothing new to viewers, shielding it from the ability to stand out. It almost gives viewers the impression that they are watching the controversial 2022 movie Glamour Girls, except this time, the entire plotline seems so hazy that its hard to keep up. The Gist As is increasingly common with Nollywood movies, the film begins with a flash forward where we see three ladies about to get shot by a man. Before this happens, we are taken back to, lets say, a few months earlier and introduced to Ekwutosi (Onyinye Odokoro), who is currently debating the pros and cons of going ahead with an arranged marriage. She finally decides and flees to Lagos. Upon arriving in Lagos, she squats with her friend Ijeoma (Chioma Okafor) and works as a part-time usher. During one of her ushering gigs, she meets Madame Vee (Elvina Ibru), who takes an interest in her and offers Ekwutosi the opportunity to design a gown that would earn her millions. Unknown to Ekwutosi, Madame Vee runs a prostitution and child trafficking ring. Following a conversation with both ladies, Ekwutosi is introduced to the world of prostitution by Madam in a bid to achieve dreams. To help her navigate her new career option, she is paired with two other ladies: Promise (Uzoamaka Anionuh) and Fissolideniola Aladese) At the same time, same time, same time, Fisayo and Ekwutosi biosolid facadsolid facade solid facade due to the past trauma she experienced. Meanwhile, the corpse of a lady causes a detective (Deyemi Okanlawon) to investigate Madam Vees practices. A case that started as a dead end begins with possibilities as the lady, Vinces right-hand woman, decides to take her down. The Good Domitilla is a fair effort for a reboot. The costumes were great, the sound was fantastic, and the cinematography though average, showcased evidence of professionalism. Stan Nze, no stranger to the big screen, stands out the most as his performance as Farouk makes a few scenes less cringy and watchable. Lastly, Domitilla invokes a strong emotional response when viewers witness Promise getting shot after sharing her traumatic life experiences and reconnecting with her mother. The Bad Halfway into watching Domitilla, it would be normal to sit back and ask yourself, What am I watching? You might even walk out of the theatre because the screenplay has several flaws that make it slightly unbearable to sit through. There were poorly written characters who lacked strong motives or intentions as the story progresses; the dialogue did not help matters, as it sounded cringy and bland. Usually, in screenplay situations like this, actors can, to some extent, save the day, but the acting performances in Domitilla were below par. The actors failed to tap into the essence of the characters, preventing us from firing on a journey with those characters and rooting for them till the end. Dont even get us started on the editing and music. While there were a few good songs, the background music each time Madam Vee appeared on the screen was distracting and cringy. The editing was also executed poorly, as incensed as if someone took different parts of a movie and merged them without considering plot progression. This gives the film the impression of being shot on a low budget. A lot of show dont tell moments also ruined this film. Rather than have Promise narrate her life experiences, there were several other ways she hav has had had had fffFlashhad had ack would have been ideal, or something else other than her suddenly waking Fisayo up in the middle of the night and providing her background. Final Verdict 4/10. Doitilla has a lineup of great talents and several opportunities to explore but fails to optimise them. Domitilla is currently showing at cinemas. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. 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. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. 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. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The environmental disaster bedevilling Anambra and the need to address it was the crux of the matter at a town-hall meeting held in celebration of the 2023 World Earth Day (WED) in Awka on Saturday. The theme of the celebration in the state is Clean, Green and Sustainable Anambra: Taking Ownership-A Community Participation Approach, while the global theme is Invest In Our Planet. Governor Chukwuma Soludo, while declaring the meeting open, said it was unfortunate that Anambra which was the second least state behind Lagos was losing land to erosion while Lagos was expanding into the ocean by reclamation. Mr Soludo, represented by Onyekachukwu Ibezim, his deputy, said it was for his concern that he made environment reclamation through massive waste evacuation, drainage desilting and urban renewal his first priority upon assumption of office. He said the environment was so dirty that decayed human corpses were discovered at the dumpsites during the evacuation exercise. He called on residents of Anambra to become more friendly with the environment by adopting the preventive measures recommended by experts and discussants. In his lecture, Leo Muoghalu, Dean, Faculty of Environmental Science, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, said human activities had continued to impact more negatively on the environment as the population increases. Mr Muoghalu, a professor, who spoke on Flood menace in Anambra. Causes, prevention and remediation: A call for Community participation, said storms and floods were responsible for about 79 per cent of erosion. He blamed the destruction of about a combined 13,461 hectares of forest reserves, including the Akpaka forest in Onitsha, for being responsible for the erosion challenge in Anambra. The expert identified other factors of environmental degradation as urbanisation, lack of effective laws, nature of geological physical expression, nature of the soil, blocking of drainage channels with solid waste and construction on flood plains. According to him, other factors include poverty, heavy rainfall and gully erosion and lack of consideration for the environment in construction and urban planning. Mr Muoghalu said the loss of soil could be checked by the enactment of strong environmental law, reforestation, increased awareness and community participation and implementation of a disaster management cycle by the state emergency management agency. In his opening remark, Felix Odimegwu, the state Commissioner for Environment, appreciated stakeholders who responded to the call for a roundtable on a clean, green and sustainable environment for Anambra. Mr Odimegwu said the WED was a platform to further send the message of the desire of the Soludo administration to evolve a healthy and sustainable environment, noting that the governor had personally shown examples through desilting and tree-planting activities. ALSO READ: Chamber of Commerce urges Soludo to give details of MoU with electricity company He said the meeting was to raise the awareness of community-based groups and encourage them to take ownership of the measures. He said Anambra was fast losing its arable land due to gully erosion which was active on about 1,000 sites which he blamed on the nature of the soil. He said the vulnerability of the Anambra environment had made it imperative to save and protect it through a proactive and sustainable management system. We must try to avoid the erosion of our topsoil to stormwater, we have to plant trees, build catchments to harvest rainwater and ensure our drainages are free, he said. Other speakers at the event were Peter Nnabude, a Soil and Water conservation expert, and Adeleye Odebunmi, managing director of Lagos State Waste Management Agency, who spoke on Safe and Sustainable Waste Management In Our Community The Best Practice. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was a handover of economic trees to community-based groups as an advocacy for the governments tree-planting policy. World Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first marked in 1970. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Foreign investors at a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 22, 2023. Photo by the Ministry of Planning and Investment Three foreign groups unveiled plans to pour $3.7 billion into Vietnam at a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi Saturday, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. A group from South Korea is to invest $1.6 billion in heavy industry and logistics production; a German investor is eyeing green production using renewable energy with an estimated capital of $1.5 billion; and a Japanese investor plans to spend $600 million on medical equipment production. Gabor Fluit, Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, said despite several barriers, Vietnam remains a rising star in business and investment. The European business community in Vietnam is committed to standing side by side with the Vietnamese government to build a prosperous and resilient nation, toward sustainable development and green economy, Fluit said. Takeo Nakajima, Chief Representative of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) in Hanoi, said Japanese enterprises are ready to invest in Vietnam. Its survey showed that 47% of respondents will expand their operations in Vietnam in the next two years. He also expressed wish to see more foreign direct investment in Thanh Hoa, Quang Ninh and Thai Binh. Hong Sun, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam (Kocham), said there are about 9,000 Korean businesses investing in Vietnam at present, with bilateral trade turnover reaching a record high of $87.7 billion last year. Many Korean businesses investing in Vietnam are considering an increase in their capital and making new investments if the business environment remains stable, especially in high technology, finance and energy. To welcome the investment wave, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said, Vietnam needs to prepare the necessary conditions, including "packages" of preferential policies and support in the context of the global minimum tax to be applied in 2024, improve the competitiveness of the investment environment and harmonize the interests of investors. In the long term, Vietnam will continue to remove bottlenecks in mobilizing resources and production and trade. It will step up the disbursement of capital, and consolidate trust with the motto "Placing the people and businesses at the center, the subject, the goal and the driving force of development," he said. Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to commence an investigation into the alleged missing 149 million barrels of crude oil. The organization asked the outgoing president to set up a presidential panel of enquiry to investigate the missing crude oil as contained in the 2019 audited reports by the Auditor General of the Federation and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI). SERAP says it will consider suing Mr Buhari if he fails to heed the counsel to launch the probe within seven days. SERAP made the call In a letter dated 22 April and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, its deputy director. The anti-corruption group disclosed that it relied on the 2019 audited report by the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), which states that 107,239,436.00 barrels of crude oil were lifted as domestic crude without any document or tracing, and also the 42.25 million barrels of crude oil that NEITI declared as missing in 2019. SERAP stated that Mr Buhari, whose administration will end on 29 May, must use the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to fighting corruption, and also set the tone for the incoming administration. The organization added that Mr Buhari, who is also the minister of Petroleum Resources, must ensure Nigeria gets justice. As the President and substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources, you and your government should prioritise getting to the bottom of these allegations and use the remainder of your term of office to ensure justice and accountability for these serious crimes against the Nigerian people. Investigating the allegations and naming and shaming and prosecuting those suspected to be responsible for the missing crude oil would serve the public interest and end the impunity of perpetrators, the letter reads in part. SERAP noted that the damning revelations also suggest your government is failing to prevent and combat the plundering of Nigerias wealth and natural resources, name and bring suspected perpetrators to account and recover any proceeds of crime. Poor and socio-economically vulnerable Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the stealing of the countrys oil wealth apparently by both state and non-state actors. The countrys oil wealth ought to be used solely for the benefit f the Nigerian people, and for the sake of the present and future generations. These allegations can promptly be investigated and suspected perpetrators named and shamed. Taking these steps would advance the right of Nigerians to restitution, compensation and guarantee of non-repetition and improve public confidence in the fight against corruption, and related crimes, especially in the oil sector. The organization stated that it will consider using all available legal means to seek redress if Mr Buhari fails to take action. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Nigerias ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dissolved its presidential campaign council with immediate effect. The dissolution was contained in a statement on Saturday night, jointly signed by the Director General of the APC PCC, Governor Simon Lalong and the Secretary of the council, James Faleke. The APC PCC was set up in October 2022 to prosecute the 2023 presidential election of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima. Mr Tinubu defeated 17 other candidates who took part in the election. He scored a total of 8,794,726 votes. Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 6,984,520 votes and Peter Obi of the Labour Party got 6,101,533 votes. However, Mr Obi and Atiku are challenging the outcome of the election at the presidential election tribunal. The dissolution of the PCC is coming amid ongoing post-election litigation, where Atiku is asking the tribunal to cancel the 25th February election. Atiku, in the petition he submitted to the tribunal, urged the court to cancel the election and order a fresh election due to alleged irregularities that marred the 25 February poll in thousands of polling units. Also, Mr Obis petition contains a prayer for the cancellation of the presidential election and urged the court to order INEC to conduct a fresh one. We are focusing on the inauguration The statement by Messrs Lalong and Faleke stated that the ruling party decided to dissolve the PCC to focus on the inauguration of the president-elect. They stated that it is in the best interest of the party to dissolve the PCC with immediate effect. We have concluded that it is in the best interest of the campaign and its stakeholders for us to dissolve our council with immediate effect. This has become necessary to retune us towards the May 29, 2023, inauguration of the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubus administration. READ ALSO: The process of transitioning into a new era of a Renewed Hope is underway and all our energies and activities must reflect the principles underlying this process. We hope that you will all continue to stay involved in Nigerias political process and to advocate for issues that you believe in. Our democracy is stronger when we all participate in the political process with patriotism. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your support, dedication, and hard work, the statement reads in part. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has congratulated two distinguished Nigerian academics in the United States, Jacob Olupona and Mohammed Pate, over their election into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Messrs Olupona and Pate were among the 269 outstanding individuals recently announced as new Fellows of the prestigious Academy. In a statement released by his office at the weekend, the President-elect commended Mr Olupona, a professor in the field of Religious Studies, for his outstanding contributions to knowledge production and humanity. Mr Olupona, a former lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, was elected under the category of the study of religion. The President-elect said: I congratulate the Nigerian, Harvard University Professor, Jacob Olupona, for his outstanding academic achievement. To have been elected into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is no mean achievement, which is a testament to his high academic quality and deep knowledge. This comes as no surprise to me. The fact that he knows his onion is easily evident in conversations with him and Prof. Olupona and I have had several intellectual encounters. Professor Olupona has not only done remarkably well for himself and the Ivory Tower, but he has also made Nigeria and indeed Africa proud. His accomplishment is a testament to the great Nigerian spirit and to what is possible and achievable given the right academic environment, something which, in my agenda for Renewed Hope for Nigerians, I promised to provide and sustain during my presidency. I rejoice with Professor Olupona and I salute him for his invaluable contribution. Mr Olupona is a renowned Professor of African Religious Traditions, with a joint appointment as Professor of African and African-American Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Professor of Religion at Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, Cambridge. Mr Olupona has held many academic appointments both at home and abroad. He has published many books, academic journals and articles among which are Orisa Devotion as World Religion: The Globalization of Yoruba Religious Culture (the University of Wisconsin Press, 2008) and City of 201 Gods: Ile-Ife in Time, Space, and the Imagination (University of California Press, 2011). The President-elect in his congratulatory statement also praised another illustrious Nigerian, Mr Pate of Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, who is among the appointees, saying his research work did not go unnoticed. Mr Pate was Minister of State for Health in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He is a Professor of Practice of Public Health Leadership in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard University and a former Director of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents at the World Bank. He has had a distinguished career in public service in Nigeria as Chief Executive of the National Primary Health Agency and later as Minister of State for Health from where he proceeded to join the World Bank and is now at Harvard University. His global reputation as a Professor of Practice in Public Health continues to bring honour and prestige to our country, the President-elect said. Academy President David W. Oxtoby and Chair of the Board of Directors Nancy C. Andrews made the announcement of the 2023 list of recipients of the honours. According to the Academy, both Messrs Olupona and Pate along with other newly appointed members will be inducted on Friday, 29 September with the formal ceremony on Saturday, 30 September. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Police in Ebonyi State on Sunday said they rescued a kidnap victim and killed one suspect in the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, who disclosed this in a statement in Abakaliki, said the officers arrested two suspected kidnappers and recovered three rifles. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Faleye Olaleye, mobilised the police tactical teams and a divisional police officer for a rescue operation they cordoned off a marked area after receiving a distress call on Sunday about the kidnap of a cleric in the state. Nigerias secret police, the SSS, were involved in tracking the victims location, the police said. The kidnappers were intercepted along Ndofia Ishieke and Edupfu Egbu Ishieke in Ebonyi Local Government Area, where they abandoned the victim and took to their heels while exchanging gunshots with the Police to pave (the) way for their escape. Unfortunately, they were overpowered by the superior firepower of the Police, which led to one of them being neutralised and the arrest of two principal suspects, Ms Onovwakpoyeya, a superintendent of police, said. The police spokesperson said two AK 47 rifles and one other rifle as well as two vehicles, including that of the victim, were recovered. The police warned criminals in the state to surrender or leave the state. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo, on Saturday, explained how he acquired a house in the United States, in the wake of angry reactions to his recent online video clip showing him in the house. Mr Keyamo shared a 14-seconds-long video clip on 20 April showing him in a white hoodie and sneakers in front of an apartment. He jogged along the walkway that partitioned the well-manicured lawns in front of the house into green squares. The video ended with the minister turning his head back as he set the hood on his head, thumped up towards the camera, and continued jogging in short steps. The minister, who also served as a spokesperson for president-elect Bola Tinubus campaign organisation during the 2023 presidential election, captioned the video to show that he was trying to keep fit while enjoying his vacation. The video attracted criticisms with many questioning the source of the funding for the acquisition of the property. Many of the critics deplored it as the usual practice of Nigerian public officers being quick to rush abroad where security and clean environment is more guaranteed Mr Keyamo, in another tweet on Saturday, said he posted the video as bait to his critics, whom he described as folks of low moral standards. Two days ago, I decided to bait the horde of sore losers at the last elections with a video of my vacation in ONE OF MY PROPERTIES abroad as I did a light workout. Expectedly, they fell so terribly for the bait, he wrote. He said he acquired a number of assets, including the one shown in the video, with proceeds of his legal practice and wise investments in real estate of over 30 years. So, I had a good laugh when I saw the trending issues regarding just one of my properties in the US. It is even very laughable to think that after active, high-profile practice of law culminating in my privilege as a member of the Inner Bar (together with being an International Arbitrator) and thoughtful investments in real estate spanning over 30 years, I cannot afford such a relatively modest property, the minister wrote. I made money to buy houses before becoming minister Mr Keyamo said he had made enough money to purchase the properties long before his appointment as a minister. He recalled how he first made the first declaration of his foreign accounts after his appointment into the board of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC). He narrated how he intimated the relevant government agencies of his intention to repatriate the funds from the foreign accounts and his later decision to buy properties with the funds. He gave indication that all the assets were duly declared to Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the statutory body empowered to receive public officers assets declaration forms. By letters dated March 6, 2019 (long before I was appointed a Minister and immediately I was appointed a Board member of the NDIC), and in line with our Constitution, I wrote to the relevant government agencies, informing them of the closure of my foreign account(s) and the repatriation of my funds to the country, being some savings I had made as a private legal practitioner and a property investor over decades. The numbers of those accounts, both abroad and in Nigeria were clearly stated in those letters. Those foreign funds were lying in my accounts until my appointment as a Minister later in 2019 and formed part of my assets declaration. In 2021, I again wrote to the relevant agencies (by letters dated January 22, 2021), informing them of the movement of those funds out of the country to purchase a property as a better investment decision, instead of the funds lying idly in the account whilst I am in public office, the minister said. He added that the letters were duly acknowledged, and that he followed up with the heads of the said agencies via Whatsapp chats the same day, informing them of the delivery of the letters and the contents of the letters. the acknowledged copies of those letters and those chats and replies are still on my phone, showing the dates of those chats, he said. Im being underrated Mr Keyamo also said the unsavory reactions to his video clip showed that he was being underrated. He said this was made possible because of the low-profile he kept. Understandably, some people seem to underrate us because we live a simple, modest life and we are not given to ostentatious displays of wealth and the vanities of life like some people do. Lol, he said. He said the critics whom he described as haters should brace themselves for more of such videos as the apartment he showed is about the CHEAPEST of my several properties. Those who are VERY CLOSE to me over the years know exactly what I am talking about. My flourishing and manned law Chambers (whilst I am away on national assignment) and my real estate investments are still far more financially profitable than serving my country. Ours is a labour of love to my country. My Assets Declaration is there for all to see. (Again, this is verifiable.), the minister stated. My law firm more financial profitable to me than ministerial position Mr Keyamo also said his law firm was more financially profitable than his ministerial appointment. My flourishing and manned law Chambers (whilst I am away on national assignment) and my real estate investments are still far more financially profitable than serving my country. Ours is a labour of love to my country. My Assets Declaration is there for all to see. (Again, this is verifiable.), Mr Keyamo wrote. He added, Some of us dont need Government funds or patronage to get by. Whatever we do and whoever we support is out of our deep convictions. And yes, we have worked our socks off in the last 30 years! Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Discussions of a ceasefire in Sudan raised hopes on Saturday that foreign nationals stranded in the country amid heavy fighting between rival military groups could soon be evacuated. Sudans de facto president and commander-in-chief of the army, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said he has agreed to facilitate the evacuation of foreign civilians and diplomats from the embattled country. A Sudanese army spokesman said in a statement on Saturday that the United States, Britain, France, and China would begin evacuating from the capital Khartoum in the coming hours using military transport aircraft. By Saturday evening, however, no citizens of Western countries had been evacuated. Al-Burhan has pledged to facilitate and guarantee the evacuations and to provide the countries with the necessary support to ensure this, the army spokesman said. The rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been openly fighting the Sudanese army for the past week, also said in a statement it was ready for a complete ceasefire to allow evacuations. However, apparent ceasefire agreements have been repeatedly violated during the conflict. As clashes continue, Sudanese citizens are also trying to flee the fighting. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), up to 20,000 people have already fled to neighbouring Chad in the past few days. Thousands more people have been displaced from heavily contested areas within the country. Meanwhile, a Saudi Arabian delegation has already been evacuated from the eastern city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea, the army spokesman said, adding that a Jordanian delegation was also to be flown out of Port Sudan, some 850 kilometres from the Sudanese capital, later on Saturday. According to the Saudi television station al-Arabiya, five Saudi ships also brought 158 people from Sudan to the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Among them were diplomats and citizens from Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria, Canada, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, India, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, and the Philippines, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry. In Sudan, the army is in control of all airports except those in Khartoum and the town of Njala in the South Darfur region, al-Burhan told Al-Arabiya. The countrys de facto president said he remained in control of the army and would only let his rival and former deputy Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, the leader of the RSF, get away in a coffin. Fighting broke out in Sudan about a week ago between the north-eastern African countrys two most powerful generals and their respective military units. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 413 people have been killed and more than 3,500 have been injured since the fighting began. The airport in the capital Khartoum has been at the centre of the clashes and was therefore inaccessible. Diplomats have been trying for days to secure a resilient ceasefire for the evacuation of foreign citizens. After a brief ceasefire on Friday due to the Muslim Eid al-Fitr celebrations that mark the end of Ramadan, fighting continued overnight. On Saturday morning, Khartoum was bombed again, a reporter at the scene told dpa. Shots rang out in the city, and eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions in the capital on Twitter. The ceasefire largely held during the night, the reporter said. There were only sporadic clashes. The US embassy in Khartoum said on Saturday that the ongoing fighting and closure of the airport in the capital made it currently impossible to evacuate US citizens. The embassy continues to closely monitor the situation in Khartoum and surrounding areas, it said in a statement. Apart from the fighting between the rival forces, there are currently reports of attacks, home invasions and looting. Spain, meanwhile, sent four aircraft to the East African country of Djibouti to facilitate evacuations of its nationals and other foreign citizens from Sudan, according to media reports. Two more planes are still to follow on Saturday, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles was quoted as saying by the Europa Press news agency. Djibouti is located some 1,200 kilometres south-east of Khartoum. Some of the Spanish cargo planes were carrying special forces and armoured vehicles to safely evacuate civilians if necessary, the minister said. As Khartoum airport is currently closed, you have to get overland to a nearby airfield, but we have very well-prepared special forces, Ms Robles was quoted as saying. An evacuation will only be possible when there is an effective and genuine ceasefire, Ms Robles added. According to the German Defence Ministry, the countrys armed forces, or Bundeswehr, are preparing for a new attempt to evacuate German citizens. On Wednesday, an attempt at a diplomatic evacuation with air force planes had been aborted. The Swedish government plans to ask parliament to authorize on Sunday the deployment of an armed unit to Sudan to support an evacuation mission, Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom and Defense Minister Pal Jonson said on Saturday evening. (dpa/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Some residents of Abuja and its environs have decried the scarcity of the new naira notes. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) restored the old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes to remain as legal tender until 31 December. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the availability of the new notes reports that residents are lamenting over the scarcity of the new notes. Moses Nnegedu, a resident of Nyanya, said if CBN was serious to accomplish its goal of the circulation of the new naira notes before the deadline, it would monitor the commercial banks. The last time I used the new note was two weeks ago and it is really not available. It seems that the new notes are being hoarded. There should be political will to ensure the circulation of the new notes before the expiration date so we dont have a repeat of cash crunch, he said. Gabriel Daniel, a resident of Garki, said he didnt think the 31 December deadline would be visible because presently it was only the old notes that were available. I cant remember the last time I saw or used the new notes because even the banks are dispensing old notes both at the ATMs and in the banking hall. One of the problems we are having in this country is non-implementation of policies and the absence of accountability from those in authority. At this point, I am just confused, because the moment the announcement was made that both notes should be legal tenders, the few new ones disappeared, he said. According to Abbah Moses, a resident of Gwagwalada, those who have a lot of money and are able to get the new notes earlier are hoarding them against the December deadline. ALSO READ: Supreme Court extends old naira notes validity till December So, even if the banks release the new notes and it is being hoarded by some person, there will not be enough in circulation. In the past one week, I have only seen one new N500 note. The situation might be worst than what we had experienced early this year, he said. Mr Manasseh Gimba, a resident in Dutse, said the last time he saw the new note was a month ago. CBN should print more new notes and ensure they are in circulation. The old notes in circulation should be limited if the December deadline will be feasible, he said. NAN reports that the Supreme Court had earlier extended the validity of the old naira notes till Dec. 31. However, Nigerians believe that the new notes, in circulation though, which were hard to get at the time of release, have gradually vanished. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. IPI and IMS are proud to announce Mexican investigative journalist Carmen Aristegui as the recipient of the 2023 World Press Freedom Hero award. The award honours Aristeguis decades of fearless reporting on corruption in Mexico regardless of the government in power, and her unyielding commitment to critical journalism in the face of targeted efforts to silence her. For her vigorous watchdog journalism, Aristegui has been subject to a range of abuses at the hands of the Mexican state and other powerful actors, including smear campaigns and politically motivated firings. She and her family were illegally targeted with Pegasus surveillance beginning in 2015, in one of the first known uses of the powerful spyware against journalists. Despite working under threat in one of the worlds most dangerous countries for journalism, Aristegui has never wavered from her journalistic mission. Her fortitude has gained her widespread respect and inspired a generation as a prominent female investigative reporter in Mexicos male-dominated media industry. In a country where polarized political discourse and misinformation are on the rise, and where a journalist or media outlet is attacked every 13 hours, independent journalism, such as the kind that Aristegui practises and represents, is not only necessary but also a key element of democracy. The IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero award will be presented together with the IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer award during a special ceremony on May 25, 2023, in Vienna as part of IPIs annual World Congress. A thorn in the side of power Aristegui has spent nearly three decades breaking major stories on high-level corruption in Mexico, working mainly in radio and television, including CNN en Espanol. Her work is distinguished by an unflinching willingness to shine a critical light on some of Mexicos most powerful institutions, despite the risks such reporting entails. Indeed, her journalism has repeatedly been a thorn to the side of those in power frequently making her the target of reprisals. In 2015, Aristegui was fired from the radio broadcaster MVS shortly after she and her team reported on a dubious real-estate deal by the wife of then-President Enrique Pena Nieto and after she helped launch MexicoLeaks, a Wikileaks-style platform designed to help expose corruption. The firing was widely seen as politically motivated and a court later ruled it illegal. She had been dismissed once before from her position at MVS under pressure from the administration of former President Felipe Calderon, before being rehired after a public outcry. Two years later, a group of Mexican human rights organizations published a report revealing Aristegui had been subject to surveillance using the powerful Pegasus spyware in 2015 and 2016. The surveillance also targeted her then 16-year-old son Emilio as well as two colleagues; her sister, a producer, and a former assistant were also believed to have been suspected targets. READ ALSO: After her second dismissal from MVS, Aristegui continued to broadcast on CNN en Espanol and founded a news outlet called Aristegui Noticias, where she continues to produce hard-hitting investigative coverage on Mexicos governing elite. In response, Aristegui has been the target of repeated verbal attacks and attempted smears by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who regularly uses his press briefings to lash out at perceived enemies in the media and civil society. IPI Executive Director Frane Maroevic said: Carmen Aristegui stands out for her courageous determination to speak truth to power, despite the risks that doing so carries in a country like Mexico, one of the worlds most dangerous places to be a journalist. Throughout her career, she has done what the best investigative journalists do: acted as a watchdog on the powerful and giving a voice to the powerless. For this work, she has faced repeated attacks, harassment, and violations of her human rights. Yet time and time again she has responded to this harassment by doubling down on her commitment to critical journalism, refusing to be silenced. Were proud to award her this years IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero award. IMS Executive Director Jesper Hjberg said: For over three decades, Carmen Aristegui has been on the forefront of bringing truthful information to the public in Mexico. Her dedication to journalism and persistence in her work serve as inspiration to journalists around the world, but in particular in Latin America, where freedom of the press and the safety of journalists is unfortunately under severe pressure. Throughout her work, information integrity has remained a central pillar. Not only does this lead to good journalism, it is also key to upholding democratic values. By exposing corruption and seeking accountability, Carmen Aristegui has courageously and relentlessly continued her reporting despite the threats she has faced, and it is difficult to overestimate the impact of her work. For that, Carmen Aristegui is a true Press Freedom Hero. International jury This years Hero award recipients were selected by an international jury comprised of IPI; IMS; Siddharth Varadarajan, editor-in-chief of Indias The Wire, which received the 2021 Free Media Pioneer Award; Iryna Vidanava, co-founder and CEO of CityDog.io, a leading independent online media in Belarus; and Jose Zamora, chief communications and impact officer, Exile Content, and the son of imprisoned IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero Jose Ruben Zamora. The 2022 World Press Freedom Hero award was given to Shireen Abu Akleh, a pioneering figure for women in media in the Middle East and Al Jazeera correspondent who was shot and killed by Israeli forces in May 2022, and El Salvadors Carlos Dada, co-founder and director of El Faro, one of Latin Americas most prominent online investigative news outlets. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Another building under construction partially collapsed in the Apapa area of Lagos on Sunday. The news comes barely two weeks after a seven-storey building under construction collapsed leaving one dead in the Banana Island area of the state. Mukaila Sanusi, spokesperson of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, said in the latest incident that the developer ignored an instruction from the regulatory agency to halt construction. No casualty has been recorded so far, the government said. Contravention The Lagos State Government Sunday said that a three-floor building under construction that partially collapsed on Ladipo Oluwole Street, Apapa ignored the stop work and seal up orders of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA and continued construction behind the scene, the statement reads. The collapse incident, which was flagged on the physical planning incident management platform on Sunday evening, triggered immediate preliminary enquiries that showed that officers of the state Building Control Agency had issued a number of contravention notices, stop work and seal up orders which the developer ignored and carried on construction without any recourse, whatsoever, to the authorities. Mr Sanusi said the construction site has been cordoned off and taken over by its building control agency. This particular incident, like similar others, reinforces the governments repeated calls for responsible behaviour on the part of all stakeholders in the built environment, he said. Lagos State Government has immediately activated inquiries into the collapse to unravel the minute details and guide appropriate actions. News of building collapse is quite common in Nigerias commercial hub. In September, after a seven-storey building collapsed leaving six people trapped, a government official said that the developer refused to halt construction after the site was sealed three times. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. With a current landmass of 1,886,068 km2, Sudan is nearly double the size of Nigeria and the third largest country in Africa, behind only Algeria and the DRC. A popular land route for Muslim pilgrims and a magnet for all manner of irregular hawkers of violence, Sudan holds the key to nearly all of Africas significant strategic exposures, from governance, through climate change, to international terror. There are two countries whose wellbeing and stability reach into nearly every part of Africa. One is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is nominally in the Central African region but which shares borders with nine countries, extending to all of the continents four other regions Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Unsurprisingly, the DRC is in the regional organisation of every region of Africa, except those of the North and West Africa. The second is Sudan. With a current landmass of 1,886,068 km2, Sudan is nearly double the size of Nigeria and the third largest country in Africa, behind only Algeria and the DRC. Its neighbours include Chad, Central African Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, and South Sudan; and its regional reach extends to the Middle East and North Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, and West Africa. Even more, Sudans geo-strategic significance covers nearly all of the continents fragilities, including the Congo Basin, Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes of Africa, the Gulf of Aden, the Maghreb, the Nile Basin, the Sahel, and the Indian Ocean. A popular land route for Muslim pilgrims and a magnet for all manner of irregular hawkers of violence, Sudan holds the key to nearly all of Africas significant strategic exposures, from governance, through climate change, to international terror. But Sudan has known little peace since independence in 1956 as a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom. In 67 years of Independence, it has seen at least 17 attempted coups, six of which were successful. Two of those successful coups have occurred in the last four years, the first in April 2019, resulting in the overthrow of the 30-year long rule of General Omar Al-Bashir, and the second in October 2021, resulting in the overthrow of the power-sharing arrangement that was to return the country to civil rule in 2022. On both occasions, Egypt, itself at once both an uneasy neighbour, worried about the course of the Nile (which substantially flows through Sudan before emptying in its territory), and a former colonial power, was always an enthusiastic business partner with the Armed Forces of Sudan. To many people, General Burhan, who nominally heads the Sovereignty Council, as the ruling military arrangement in Sudan is called, is a client of Egypt. These two recent coups were a joint enterprise between the two most organised and best financed entities in the country: the Sudans armed forces commanded by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, a four-star General; and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, better known by the nom de guerre, Hemedti. The RSF is the new name for an entity that used to be known as the Janjaweed, an expeditionary unit of largely lawless irregulars, to whom the government of Omar Al-Bashir outsourced the violent pacification of Darfur. In many ways, it was an internal mercenary force which fed off its crimes. This arrangement suited all sides: the Army could conserve its assets; the regime could deny direct responsibility; and the leadership of the Janjaweed could make a lot of money and political capital too. The threat posed by the Janjaweed was always very evident even to the uninitiated. Until 2019, they were a kind of iron fist underneath Sudans velvet gloves. After the overthrow of Bashir, Hemedti, as the commander of the Janjaweed-in-Government nicknamed the RSF, became effectively the power behind the throne. The marriage between him and Burhan always seemed rather convenient. It was only a matter of time before he made his bid for power. In the decade and a half from the beginning of the Darfur campaign around 2004 to the overthrow of the regime of Omar Al-Bashir in 2019, Hemedti, who comes from one of Sudans most troubled regions in Darfur, built up considerable personal wealth and strategic capital, and the bandit force which he originally constituted as the Janjaweed, emerged to become what Alex de Waal described as now the real ruling power in Sudan. They are a new kind of regime: a hybrid of ethnic militia and business enterprise, a transnational mercenary force that has captured a state. In Darfur, the Janjaweed were responsible for a long and distinguished record of credibly attested atrocities, including crimes against humanity that have since become the subject of investigation and prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC). They also managed to export their skills in the deployment of indiscriminate violence to clients in the Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, who found them useful for outsourcing atrocities in Yemen. From his early origins as a bandit and violence rustler, Hemedti managed through these kinds of arrangements to insinuate himself into respectable company in the region, becoming an almost indispensable factor in the security of arguably the most fragile region in Africa, with support from an assortment of actors including the Gulf States and renegade General Khalifa Haftar in Libya. The threat posed by the Janjaweed was always very evident even to the uninitiated. Until 2019, they were a kind of iron fist underneath Sudans velvet gloves. After the overthrow of Bashir, Hemedti, as the commander of the Janjaweed-in-Government nicknamed the RSF, became effectively the power behind the throne. The marriage between him and Burhan always seemed rather convenient. It was only a matter of time before he made his bid for power. On or around 15 April, Hemedti launched what would effectively become Sudans 18th coup attempt by bringing the guns and heavy artillery into Khartoum, which were formerly trained on Darfur. The build up to this unfolded almost in slow motion amid the ruins of the effort to integrate the RSF into Sudans Armed Forces. While struggling to retrieve some respectability from that, Hemedti reportedly picked up rumours that the assets of Egypts Air Force stationed at the Merowe Air Base in the north-west of the country, including the relatively sophisticated Egyptian MiG-29M medium weight 4+ generation fighters, were planning a strike on him. So, he made the first move and attacked. Whether this could end up as Sudans seventh successful coup is presently unclear. The fact that Burhan and Hemedti, both committed Islamists, were too impatient to defer the outbreak of military hostilities until after the end of the Holy Month of Ramadhan is notable. As Muslims all over the world marked the Feast of the Sacrifice this week-end and amidst rising civilian casualties in this most urban of Africas recent wars, both sides proclaimed an unconvincing ceasefire, supposedly to enable the victims mark the Eid. For its part, the United Nations Security Council appears to have outsourced the situation to the African Union, which have in turn outsourced it to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is chaired by Sudan, whose duelling rulers each seem to believe that they have the military solution to this war. All they can muster at the moment appear to be Zoom meetings. Anyone with even limited knowledge of Sudan may be disappointed but not in anyway surprised by this turn of events. Much of the present tragedy was both foreseeable and predictable. The most surprising thing of all is the absence of any effective plan for addressing it. While the people of Sudan are slaughtered by those supposed to protect them, the world and the region carries on in apparent resignation and confusion. Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the ICC, appears so fixated on Ukraine, he cannot find the bandwidth to acknowledge the conflagration in Sudan, where Darfur, itself currently an active case under the watch of both the ICC and the UN, has also degenerated into warfare. For its part, the United Nations Security Council appears to have outsourced the situation to the African Union, which have in turn outsourced it to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is chaired by Sudan, whose duelling rulers each seem to believe that they have the military solution to this war. All they can muster at the moment appear to be Zoom meetings. While regional countries try to scramble, Nigeria, Africas self-appointed big brother, has barely noticed. Yet, the links between both countries are beyond geographic. In 1903, Frederick Lugard sacked Sultan Attahiru of Sokoto, who made a last stand at Burmi (now near Bajoga in Funakaye Local Government Area of Gombe State), where he and over 700 of his family and followers were slaughtered nearly 120 years ago in August 1903 in the destruction of the town by a British force of 30 whites and 500 native rank and file. His surviving son, Mohammed Bello, led the remainder of Attahirus survivors into exile in Sudan, where their descendants have lived since then. Above all, the embassy in Sudan is Nigerias most lucrative foreign mission. For Nigeria, the crisis in Sudan is not just a matter of security and geography, it is also inescapable history and economics. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Le Thanh Than, chairman of property giant Muong Thanh, is being prosecuted for false advertising and selling illegally constructed apartments in Hanois Ha Dong District. Than, who is released on bail, could face up to 5 years in prison and be fined from VND100 million to 500 million ($4,200 to 21,000), according to Hanoi People's Procuracy. Muong Thanh Group chairman Le Thanh Than. Photo by Forbes Vietnam The prosecutors are also prosecuting Nguyen Duy Uyen, former chairman of the People's Committee of Kien Hung Ward, Ha Dong District; Vuong Dang Quan, former deputy construction inspector chief of Ha Dong District; Mai Quang Bai, an officer of the construction management team of Ha Dong District; along with Bui Van Bang, Do Van Hung, and Nguyen Van Nam for lack of responsibility and causing grave consequences. They can face 3-12 years in prison. Than was prosecuted as the chairman of Bemes Manufacturing, Export and Import Corp., owned by Muong Thanh Group. In 1995, the People's Committee of Ha Tay Province (now part of Hanoi) leased 15,000 square meters of land to Bemes for 15 years in Kien Hung Commune in Ha Dong District to build a construction material factory. In 2008, Bemes was approved by Ha Tay People's Committee to go through with the CT6 Kien Hung project to build apartments, a hotel and 15 houses. Muong Thanh's CT6 Kien Hung projects in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Du According to the investigation, the buildings increased from 31 to 32 floors and removed a basement. One building was changed from a hotel to an apartment building, turning 495 hotel rooms into 1,582 apartments. Than also directed the construction of another building with 438 apartments, not included in the approved plan. In May 2011, he was accused of directing others to advertise and give false information about the legality of a project to sell apartments. Customers trusted him and signed contracts to purchase the apartments with Bemes, according to authorities. The prices of apartments in the project were decided by Than. As chairman, he directly signed the contracts with customers, gaining their trust, so they would pay upfront. The total number of apartments in the project was 1,620, of which only 934 apartments were issued with the red book, a certificate pertaining to property ownership in Vietnam, according to the investigation. Than is claimed to have illegally earned over VND534 billion, causing more than VND56 billion of damage to customers who bought apartments without the ownership certificates. Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The cross was Gods primary tool of salvation that God hid for thousands of years before Jesus actually came to execute Gods plan. In fact the Bible says, the lamb of God was slain before the foundation of the world (Revelations 13:8), meaning that God, in his omnipotence, had actually known that man would fall, and had prepared the death of Jesus on the cross as his solution. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18). The resurrection of Christ is the rallying point of Christianity. It is the main thrust of our gospel. It is what got mankind reconciled to God (Ephesians 2:16). It is the final nail in the coffin of Satan and the kingdom of darkness. It was upon the cross that Jesus nailed everything that was contrary to us on (Colossians 2:14). In fact, they thought that killing Jesus was going to put an end to his work of grace. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). The King James Version uses the words, the prince of this world in the place of the rulers of this age. Bear in mind that the prince of this world primarily refers to Satan and his team. Further, Jesus calls him prince in John 14:30. Also, the Bible calls Satan the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2-2). The cross was Gods primary tool of salvation that God hid for thousands of years before Jesus actually came to execute Gods plan. In fact the Bible says, the lamb of God was slain before the foundation of the world (Revelations 13:8), meaning that God, in his omnipotence, had actually known that man would fall, and had prepared the death of Jesus on the cross as his solution. The cross is the greatest success factor on earth. There is no side the cross turns to you that would not change you. Standing erect, the cross looks like the plus (+) sign. If you come to the cross in that erect position, the life of God will be added to you. You name will be added to the book of life. If you flip the cross around, it looks like a multiplication sign (X). Gladly, if you come to the cross, grace will be multiplied to you. Peace will be multiplied to you (2 Peter 1-2). So, the cross was not an after-thought. God is the most strategic thinker of all times, as He had already known what would happen millions of years before they ever happened. Consequently, He began to use types and shadows; typologies; imageries; and prophetic symbols to talk to men about the substitutionary work of the cross. First, in Genesis 3:21, God made tunics of skins to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve when they sinned. That was Gods first prophetic symbol of the substitutionary work of grace that would be consummated on the cross. You cant use an animal skin without killing the animal. Second, God, In Genesis 22, instructed Abraham to take Isaac to the mount of Moriah, and have him killed. To cut a long story short, God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac, and provided him with a lamb. It was the same place where Abraham attempted to kill Isaac as a sacrifice that Jesus was crucified thousands of years later. God was simply painting a prophetic picture of the substitutionary work of Jesus as the Lamb of God without blemish and spot. Historically, the cross was the Romans highest form of punishment for dangerous criminals. In fact, Flavius Josephus and Herodotus, the famed Jewish historians, who documented the history of the Roman execution of the Jews, confirmed that at a particular time in Roman history, in the period following the ascension of Jesus, the Romans began to attack the early Christians, crucifying them on almost a weekly basis. Josephus estimated that nearly 500 Jewish Christians were crucified on a weekly basis. Why? They just hated the guts of Christians. John J. Murray, the former pastor of Free Church of Scotland, once said the following words, The Roman Empire under which many Christians were crucified was pluralistic and supremely tolerant of religion, the only people they could not tolerate were Christians. Also, a lot of arguments and debates have been ongoing regarding the validity of Jesuss death and resurrection. Some said he died normally and never died on the cross. Some said he was stolen by his disciples. In their epic book, Finding Jesus. Faith. Fact. Forgery, David Gibson and Michael McKinley describe the scientific research and exploits that have been invested in the process of validating Jesuss crucifixion. Why are scientists troubling themselves with research upon research to validate Jesuss crucifixion and ressurection? Because Satan knows that once we are able to agree that Jesus truly died and resurrected, all other potential ways to God are dead on arrival. It puts Jesus ahead of the pack. Jesuss death and resurrection is the crowning of Gods love for humanity and the highest demonstration of his wisdom so far. You cant be wiser than God. Let us allow our lives to honour and appreciate Jesuss painful death and ultimate resurrection. The cross is the greatest success factor on earth. There is no side the cross turns to you that would not change you. Standing erect, the cross looks like the plus (+) sign. If you come to the cross in that erect position, the life of God will be added to you. You name will be added to the book of life. If you flip the cross around, it looks like a multiplication sign (X). Gladly, if you come to the cross, grace will be multiplied to you. Peace will be multiplied to you (2 Peter 1-2). Jesuss death and resurrection is the crowning of Gods love for humanity and the highest demonstration of his wisdom so far. You cant be wiser than God. Let us allow our lives to honour and appreciate Jesuss painful death and ultimate resurrection. Let me relate to you an analogy drawn by Dr David Jeremiah in one of his books: Alexander the Great achieved so many great things at the age of 33, but compared to the life of Jesus, who also died at 33, his records pale, ITS ONE THING TO CHANGE THE WORLD IN ONE DAY; ITS ANOTHER THING TO CHANGE THE WORLD FOREVER. THE DIFFERENCE IS THE CROSS. Jesus and Alexander died at 33. Alexander lived for himself, whereas through the cross, Jesus lived for the world; Alexander died on a throne, Jesus died on a cross; Alexander shed the worlds blood; through the cross, Jesus shed his blood for the world; Alexander conquered every throne; through the cross, Jesus conquered every grave; Alexander was man, but made himself God; Jesus was God, through the cross, he made himself man; Alexander made all men slaves; through the cross, Jesus made all men free. Ayo Akerele, a leadership and system development strategist, and minister of the word, writes from Canada and can be reached through ayoakerele2012@gmail.com. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Madia is Nigeria. Madia is Kenya. Madia is working hard in Sudan. It is every African country with no working system where the truth is one of the costliest prices to pay. It is every African country where the electorate is powerless, and the elected are demigods. It is the African countries perpetually cursed with bad leadership, where selfishness is so paramount that it has turned citizens into individualistic people who care little or nothing about what others are facing, so long as their own lives are not severely impacted. There is a saying that fiction is fictitious as there is no pure work of fiction devoid of insights and influences from actual occurrences in human societies. In Okey Ndibes work of fiction, Arrows of Rain, the veteran journalist, public intellectual and celebrated writer taps into the depth of happenings on the African continent to deliver on the most vital role of literature mirroring society. Set in a fictitious country called Madia, Arrows of Rain is an aggregation of the experiences and implied experiences of the average African citizen, where everyone is supposedly equal, yet some are more equal than others, and political leaders can do and undo, knowing that executive and fabricated legislative immunity will absolve them of answering for their deeds. For far too long, Africans have learnt that silence is not only golden but is also a saviour; to speak is too audacious and dangerous to the country-ravaging mission of those in power. To speak is to be prepared to pay for being outspoken; to be ready to be punished, maimed, unjustly incriminated and imprisoned, or even killed. Ken Saro-Wiwa and Wole Soyinka both have two things in common: one, their activism through different media, actively speaking truth to the military powerholders of the undemocratic era in Nigeria; and two, they were both incarcerated. For these men, it was either to forcefully go into exile or fall victim to an unjust death. Saro-Wiwa and the other eight members of the Ogoni Nine could not escape into exile and were executed unjustly. Wole Soyinka had to go into exile to save his life. All these happened because these men chose to voice out, speak truth to power, and defend and advocate for the masses. Similar to these events is the central theme of Arrows of Rain, in which Ndibe beams the spotlight on the curse of leadership in Africa and the deprivation of citizens through the travails of Bukuru, who finds himself in trouble for his honesty. The books first few pages introduce us to Bukuru, who becomes the prime and only suspect in the death of an unknown woman because of his presence at the time of her death. We also get familiar with Lanky, whose theatrics are not unfamiliar to any African who has encountered public workers before. There is narcissism, for which he continues to retell the story of the womans death to remain the centre of attention. Also, there is embellishment and story-polishing every time he retells the incident, which shows that his supposed heroic ventures to save the woman were not based on empathy or genuine care but just one of those things someone would do to gain attention. Seeing as she is now dead, Lanky has little to no regard for the solemnity of the moment or for getting her justice. He is fine with weaving several versions of the story of her death to keep the attention to himself. This is akin to accident cases where victims lose their gadgets, money, and other items to the rescuers who steal from them outright the supposed empathy that made those rescuers rush to save them did not extend to helping them keep their valuables safe. Drawing on his years of experience as a veteran journalist in Nigeria, Ndibe kills two birds of ill with one stone by first unravelling the typical dealings of the average Nigerian newsroom in a frantic chase after stories, one that has no regard for the privacy of people or is true to reporting factually. Journalism, to many, is more of a business than a good social enterprise, and it is the sad and emotion-laden stories that the editors push their teams to chase. Sometimes, the pressure to break a story within a specific period causes journalists to fabricate stories or report from twisted, largely non-existent, angles. It is a show of shame that eventually does society no good. Early in the book, readers get familiar with one of the biggest menaces spearheaded by the police force in society more prominent on the African continent than elsewhere. Just as the craze to break stories and gain virality from emotion-laden and bad news is fast and steadily consuming the journalism industry, so is the pressure and agitation to solve cases eating away at the police force. In a frenzy to uncover cases quickly, the police latch on to the slightest bit of evidence or seeming evidence, and woe betides anyone who looks remotely like a suspect. For the police force, the chief mission is to work until they arrest just one person and then wrap the entire case around that person, whether guilty or not. This way, they can quickly solve cases and move on to the next one that arises especially since there seems to be an endless number of new crimes. The seeming effectiveness of this hack is only beneficial to the force and its detectives, who are either unwilling to pursue the case, have limited resources to continue on the case, or are simply too lazy and clueless to care. In Ndibes Arrows of Rain, this phenomenon comes into play early in the first chapter, where Ladi and his police detectives make Bukuru, the madman, the fall guy for the womans death. Bukuru fits their ill-conceived profiling: he is psychologically sick, happened to be present during the womans death, and will most likely have no concerned family member or friend to stand for and defend him all the qualities that make it easy to pin the murder on him. Bukuru is soon arrested and charged with the womans death due to the police forces laziness in investigating the case thoroughly and for want of another suspect. Something similar is at play: Young Nigerians are profiled according to misaligned and pre-conceived notions, and criminal offences are fabricated and spilled into their laps. This phenomenon was the driving force behind the #EndSARS protest in Nigeria when young Nigerians got tired and demanded that the government reform the police force. In 300 pages, Ndibe poignantly touches on the most critical questions we must ask if we will ever witness true development in Africa and the transformation of African states into functioning systems. First published in 2000 and republished in 2015, Arrows of Rain is a powerful novel, a compelling work of extraordinary imagination, and Okey Ndibes way of demonstrating to the world that he is made of the same stuff as Africas literary greats like Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka. General Isa Palat Bello is the succinct representation of many an African leader. Although many countries on the continent now boast of a seemingly free system of government, the mode of ruling in the countries and the blinding thirst for political positions and to remain in power is similar to Bellos life and situation. Many wonder why African leaders crave power by all means, spend a fortune to gain it, and even risk their lives for it. It would be a valid claim if we said African leaders do all of this because once they are in office, they would make incredulous returns on any financial investments they made to get into power. But then, the craze for power in Africa goes beyond the generational wealth that may come from it. It extends to the immunity and untouchable status bestowed on African political officeholders. To be elected a leader in many African countries is to have bought the peoples loyalty; it is to be assured of continued political leadership, despite non-performance and to learn to mask autocratic rule in the cloak of democracy and impose the will of the very few as the decision of all. This also played out in Arrows of Rain in how Bello dramatically announces his decision to continue to rule. Rather than present it as his fascistic, autocratic decision, he masks it in an announcement that over 90% of citizens had voted in a referendum to have him continue as the leader. Yet, Citizen A knows that he did not participate in any referendum; so does his neighbour and his neighbours neighbour too. Who then voted? It is the same ridiculous way African leaders share nonsensical metrics with their citizens as supposed proof of their performance. It is how they announce that they have lifted 10 million citizens out of poverty, yet, the countrys poverty level continues to rise. It is how they claim to have brought education to 50 million out-of-school children, yet, the streets are full of children during school hours. In Madia, every citizen is equal, but some are more equal than others. Bukuru learnt this the hard way. In being honest about what he saw, thus revealing the complicity of the army, the government, and even the president, Bukuru steps on many toes. This caused his travails, including his arrest and incarceration and eventual silent murder, all orchestrated by the supposed guardians of the law. Madia is Nigeria. Madia is Kenya. Madia is working hard in Sudan. It is every African country with no working system where the truth is one of the costliest prices to pay. It is every African country where the electorate is powerless, and the elected are demigods. It is the African countries perpetually cursed with bad leadership, where selfishness is so paramount that it has turned citizens into individualistic people who care little or nothing about what others are facing, so long as their own lives are not severely impacted. These people are like the passersby and onlookers at the beach when Bukuru is whisked away by the police with little to no evidence of his complicity in the crime. Madia is every African country where the guilty sit in judgment over the guiltless, and the law is turned on its head to benefit a few. Ndibes three-part compartmentalisation of the novel is an ingenious approach that helps group events according to the storys development and an even deeper layer of thematic occurrence. This is further reflected in his choice of name for the parts Mists, Memories, and Malaise true reflections of Bukurus travails, his flashbacks, and his eventual fate. Like the narrator-journalist, one is made to ponder the importance of values in a deeply corroded country like Madia (read Nigeria, Kenya, or any other African country). In 300 pages, Ndibe poignantly touches on the most critical questions we must ask if we will ever witness true development in Africa and the transformation of African states into functioning systems. First published in 2000 and republished in 2015, Arrows of Rain is a powerful novel, a compelling work of extraordinary imagination, and Okey Ndibes way of demonstrating to the world that he is made of the same stuff as Africas literary greats like Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka. Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The kind of gospel that our churches are preaching are sometimes not powerful enough to change the very street where these churches are located, talk less of the nation where they are. We are not even going to throw the challenge of changing a whole generation before the modern day church. This generation of believers dont even know what that means. Max Weber is a German sociologist, economist and politician. In the year 1904/1905, he wrote a series of essays about the evolution of capitalism in Northern and Central Europe. These series of essays were later to become the widely read book called The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. The book is now regarded as one of the most fundamental political science books on the formation of capitalism in Europe. In 1998, the International Sociological Association listed this book as the fourth most influential book of the 20th century. The central topic of the book is the role Protestants played in forming the new economy of the old world. According to Mr Weber, the Industrial Revolution that gave birth to the new economy in Europe and eventually to our modern civilisation, was a result of the teachings of the European Protestants. Weber believed that when the Protestant ethic influenced large numbers of people to engage in work in the secular world, in enterprises, in trade, in savings, in investments, these gave birth to the new world economy that is largely known as capitalism. It is upon this economy that our modern world stands. All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work. Calvin Coolidge. Social scientists dont doubt the fact that the European civilisation, which the whole world enjoys today, was as a result of the direct teachings of the Protestants. The need to write this article about the Protestant ethic and the role this played in the history of our civilisation, becomes more and more apparent to me, as I look around the world and see the kind of messages that are been preached by our modern day Protestant Christians (Baptist, Pentecostals, Charismatics, etc.). In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility. Titus 2:7. If the teachings of the early Christians changed Rome and the entire Roman Empire, we cant point to any great change that the teachings coming from our pulpits today are producing upon our world in general. If the teachings of the Protestants in Europe gave birth to the Protestant ethic and the modern civilisation, it becomes alarming that most of our charismatic teachings today mainly concentrate on individual aggrandisement. The kind of gospel that our churches are preaching are sometimes not powerful enough to change the very street where these churches are located, talk less of the nation where they are. We are not even going to throw the challenge of changing a whole generation before the modern day church. This generation of believers dont even know what that means. The most revolutionary aspect of these teachings, however, was how the Protestants began to look for ways and means to serve God better through inventions, discoveries, research, science, the setting up of factories, industries, etc. These led, at first, to about 90% of all inventions coming from the Protestant world. Up till recently, 75% of all inventions from the time of the industrial revolution are credited to the countries where the Protestant ethic was taught. The basic teachings of the Protestants were all about values, ethics and morals. The teachings affected the view of the populace to work. Through their teachings, they dignified even the most mundane of professions. According to them, any profession or work that adds to the common good of man must be respected and it is dignified. They taught people that every work is sacred, as long as the believer does it to the glory of the lord. In their churches, the Protestants taught believers to go out of the four walls of the church to demonstrate their love for God by how they serve fellow humans. The emphasis of the churches were not in how much work or home keeping is done within the four walls of the church itself, they rather told the Protestants to go prove their love to God in their work places through the quality of their works. It is believed that every work you do is unto the lord and your love for God must show in the quality of your products. This led to a drive in everybody to do their best and produce the best possible qualities. As a result, the products made were the best in the market. Eventually, they became the best in the world, bringing revolution to the European economy. The most revolutionary aspect of these teachings, however, was how the Protestants began to look for ways and means to serve God better through inventions, discoveries, research, science, the setting up of factories, industries, etc. These led, at first, to about 90% of all inventions coming from the Protestant world. Up till recently, 75% of all inventions from the time of the industrial revolution are credited to the countries where the Protestant ethic was taught. The dilemma of the European economy before the capitalist teachings was the fact that, when land owners employed labourers, they could not make these labourers give their best. The only incentive that was widely known and used was an increase in wages, thinking that when there occured, labourers would view their works as more valuable and therefore work longer and harder. However, in the real sense, the labourers often spent less time working and not as hard, because they reasoned that they were being paid as well anyway. They would rather go drinking and pursuing leisure. It was this attitude that made Germany to be known then as a country of lazy drunks, who did not wish to work. But the Protestant teachings changed all that, because people viewed their work as a way of proving their love to God, hence they tried to do their best and give the best quality to God, by giving the best quality to man. One major teaching of the Protestants that we the Protestants of today must go back to is, the fact that the European Protestants did not emphasise a fivefold ministry the way we do today. Today our teaching on the subject only tends to view those called to the fivefold ministry as those called to be ministers, while the rest of the congregation is just viewed as the laity who just go to secular jobs. The way the early Protestants taught on the other hand is that everybody is a full time minister in their various places of work. They went to the extent of saying, your job, profession, occupation is your calling. So youre actually fulfilling your calling by going to work and giving your best to it. Hence, the Protestants went to work not just for the money, but their biggest motivation for work was service to God and man. Not the interest in profits or making money. The Protestants preached that faith is necessary to planning. They encouraged their members and followers to see into the invincible world. They taught their adherents to plan into the future and believe that they are able to bring to pass that which they have envisioned. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 The Protestant believe in the higher power through the truth they derive from the word of God. They got to know the truth, and that truth set them free. Hence they took the truth to the society and set their whole generation free. Just like today, the Protestants and their teachings had to fight with the prevalent order of the day which taught that: Work is only for making profit. Make money with minimum effort. Work is a burden to be avoided. The secular world of the time taught that you should do no more than what was enough for the good living. As we can see from these points, the sinful nature of man is the same in every generation. Man naturally moves towards entropy. We are driven towards the carnal, mundane and mediocre. We need a higher power, force and truth to deliver us from this entropic movement to self-destruction and to pull us higher to greater values. When work is viewed only as a source of economic gain, the centrality of work becomes self-indulgence, selfishness and egocentrism. There is a great advantage when work and economic gain is viewed from the perspective of moral and spiritual significance. Another very important aspect of the Protestant teachings is that money is simply a byproduct, a natural consequence, a compensation, and never the goal. The quality of goods and services are always viewed as more important than the compensation. If I do my best and produce the best products, that is my purpose, then I shall definitely be compensated. The byproduct will come when the product is good. I think it would be interesting for us to know from what perspective the Protestants preached faith. They preached faith not as a means of personal gain or profit. The Protestants preached that through faith we can endure. For example I need faith to keep on working on my product. I need faith to give my best. I need faith to endure the process of production. I need faith to persevere. I need faith to pay the price of self-denial, of sacrifice, of repetition. I need faith to keep myself encouraged, while I go through the hardship of labour. The Protestants preached that faith is necessary to planning. They encouraged their members and followers to see into the invincible world. They taught their adherents to plan into the future and believe that they are able to bring to pass that which they have envisioned. Sunday Adelaja is a Nigeria born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He was based in Kiev, Ukraine. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. If INEC learnt anything from the highly contentious Presidential and National Assembly elections of 25 February and the 18 March governorship and State Assembly elections, it did not reflect much in the quality of the supplementary elections it conducted on 15 April. In Adamawa State, where the governorship election was declared inconclusive on the ground that the number of cancelled votes exceeded the margin of lead between the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and his closest challenger, Aishatu Dahiru (also known as Binani) of the All Progressives Congress, the outcome of the supplementary election led to what could be called an attempted civilian coup. The Returning Officer, Professor Mele Lamido, had by 9 a.m. on 16 April announced results from 10 of the affected Local Government Areas in the state, which showed that Governor Fintiri was comfortably in the lead. The Returning Office then announced a recess and said the collation and announcement of more results would resume by 11 a.m. that same day. However during the recess, the states Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, came to the collation centre with a handwritten note, and announced Aisha Dahiru as the winner. Shortly after this usurpation of the role of the Returning Officer, Ms. Dahiru, in an apparently well-choreographed move, gave an Acceptance Speech which was televised live by NTA. This threw the collation centre into confusion as party agents kicked. Following the confusion, INEC first summoned both the Returning Officer and the Resident Electoral Commissioner to Abuja before later announcing that the purported declaration of Aisha Dahiru as the winner of the election was null and void. Aisha Dahiru quickly approached a court and filed an ex-parte application through her lawyer, Mohammed Sheriff, in which she asked the court to determine whether INEC could take any further steps on the declared governorship election results made by the states REC, Mr Hudu Yunusa-Ari. Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo fixed 26 April for hearing of the ex-parte application and the motion on whether the court has jurisdiction or not. The refusal of the Court to hear Binanis ex-parte application same day probably helped to prevent the legitimization of the impunity in Adamawa State. There are several lessons to be learnt from the Adamawa debacle: One, the gamble from Hudu Yunusa-Ari apparently borrowed from the jargon popularised by Professor Mahmood Yakubu that those dissatisfied by any of its actions, including possible cases of impunity, should go to court. The street interpretation of this lingo is that one can gamble with any act of rascality and then approach the courts to legitimise such. The subtext is a supposition that the courts are no longer temples where justice is dispensed blindly but avenues for various forms of contestations in which money, networks and other proclivities are valid currencies. It should be recalled that during the collation of the Presidential election results, there were several complaints by some political parties that the figures being announced by Professor Mahmood Yakubu did not tally with what their party agents had. They pleaded for a brief suspension of the collation and announcement of the results to enable a random crosschecking of some of the figures. The INEC Chair declined the request but promised to look into all complaints at the end of the collation exercise. However without apparently doing so, he went ahead to announce the results by 4AM and asked those dissatisfied to go to court. Two, while INEC ended up doing the right thing by announcing that the declaration of Aisha Dahiru as the winner of the election was null and void and concluded the process which led to the declaration of Governor Fintiri as the winner, its initial decision of merely summoning the Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Returning Officer to Abuja was rather a tepid response to a very bad situation. Asking the now suspended and absconded Adamawa REC to stay away from its office, as it did initially, did not show the sort of indignation expected from an organisation whose rules were flagrantly violated. One of the unfortunate consequences of this was people resorting to self-help which led to one of INECs National Commissioners, Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, a former Vice Chancellor of Usman Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto being stripped naked and beaten to stupor after being mistaken for Hudu Yunusa-Ari. Three, the Adamawa debacle reminds us that we were perhaps too quick in assigning a game changer status to BVAS. While it is apparent from reports that BVAS mostly did the job of accreditation that it was meant to do, politicians seemed to have gone back to the drawing board and resurrected the earlier crude practices of ballot box snatching and re-writing or results. Perhaps it may be time to encourage private technology companies to invest in our electoral processes. Such companies can charge political parties to represent them at the various polling units as well as demand subscription fees from people who want to view the results of the elections live on their servers. An arrangement such as this will permit records at INECs servers to be compared with those held by the registered private firms. Four, it is tempting to speculate on what would have would have happened if Hudu Yunusa-Ari is from another part of the country, say the South-east. Will he still be at large by now despite the fact that it was reportedly flown out by a private jet? It is also possible to speculate on what would have happened if it was Arise or Channel or AIT rather than NTA that televised the illegal acceptance speech by Binani. Will the rather hyperactive Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation still be mute? We certainly cannot build a society where citizens will put the country above themselves if they are hurting that the system has different standards for different peoples and operators. Five, why is Binanis apparent connivance with the illegality in Adamawa State being treated with levity? Neither her colleagues in the Senate are calling for disciplinary measures against her for embarrassing them nor are women groups calling her out for missing a golden opportunity to write her name in gold by rejecting that illegal declaration if she was not really part of the plot. Is this a case of gender discrimination against men or the demonstration of the power of female enchantment? Six, who are Hudu Yunusa-Aris co-plotters? Remarkably, Festus Keyamo, minister of state for Labour and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who ought to know better, celebrated the illegal declaration of Binani as governor with this tweet: Just woke up in the US to this wonderful news. I am screaming my head off here! This is such a glass-shattering watershed for the women of Nigeria! Huge congratulations to my sister, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (Binani). At a point in the struggle, we were speaking like a dozen times a day on phone! Jideofor Adibe is a professor of Political Science and International Relations at Nasarawa State University, Keffi and Extraordinary Professor of Government Studies at North Western University, Mafikeng South Africa. He is also the founder of Adonis & Abbey Publishers and can be reached at 0705 807 8841(Text or WhatsApp only). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The Zamfara State Government has approved the reinstatement of Aliyu Marafa, the suspended emir of Yandoto emirate who was asked to step aside following a public outcry after he appointed a notorious terrorist, Ado Aleru, the Sarkin Fulanin Yandoto. PREMIUM TIMES last July exclusively reported the plan by the emirate to honour Mr Aleru, who leads hundreds of fighters to terrorize residents and motorists in Zamfara and other north-west states. The emirate council had said Mr Aleru would be turbaned as part of efforts to bring peace to the area. He was eventually turbaned after which the state government, claiming it was not consulted, suspended the emir. On Sunday, in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Kabiru Balarabe, the government said it took the decision to reinstate the emir based on the recommendations of the panel constituted to investigate the circumstances leading to the event. He said the committee gathered that what the emirate council did was to forestall attacks and other terror activities. The committee found no evidence of any ill motive or collaboration between the Emir and the bandit. Based on the findings of the committee, the traditional title was conferred on the repentant bandit as part of peace-building efforts between the repentant bandit and banditry-affected communities in Tsafe and Gusau Local Government Areas, which include Yandoto town, the SSG said in the statement. Mr Balarabe said the reinstatement takes immediate effect. Mr Aleru is one of the leaders of terror groups in north-west Nigeria. He is known to operate in Tsafe local government of Zamfara and Faskari in neighbouring Katsina State. His armed group is believed to be responsible for the recent abduction of 85 residents of the Wanzamai community. Zamfara, like other states in north-west Nigeria, has witnessed several attacks by terror groups, locally called bandits. Thousands of people have been killed or kidnapped by the groups in the past year. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Seven persons including two children were killed on Sunday after a bus crashed and went up in flames on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. 14 other passengers were injured in the accident which occurred in the OPIC area of the highway. The lone crash involving a Mazda bus marked BDG993YG occurred at about 10:45 a.m. on Sunday. A spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the area, Florence Okpe, confirmed the incident in a statement in Abeokuta. Ms Okpe said 22 persons seven male adults, eight female adults, four male children and three female children were in the crashed bus. She blamed the crash on excessive speed and brake failure which led to the loss of control. The FRSC said some of the passengers were burnt to death, adding that the injured were taken to Lagos State Accident Emergency Centre, Ojota while the corpses were deposited at Olabisi Onabajo University Teaching Hospital morgue in Sagamu, Ogun State. According to the spokesperson, the FRSC Sector Commander, Ahmed Umar, commiserated with the family of the victims and advised motorists to shun speeding and always conduct a routine vehicle check for good maintenance and replacement of any defect. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print YIWU, China, April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiwugo.com, the official website of the Yiwu Commodity Market, is the largest commodity wholesale market in the world. As spring unfolds late and all things on earth burst forth with new life and vibrancy, Yiwugo.com held its annual "Most Excellent Female Bosses" Party at Xingfu Lake on the afternoon of April 20, 2023. Witnessed by media friends and representatives from various industries, Fu Jiangyan of Zhang Weichao Socks Firm, Huang Lingling of Ling'ou Carpets, Wang Liting of Dongyang Qiansi Crafts, Zhao Haijuan of Zhuji Kailian Knitting, Hu Bin of Meichen Cups, Wang Xiaohong of Aishang Home, Wang Xiaoqing of Yiwu Duo Can Baking Cake Cup, Jin Chengfeng of Lanmo Textiles, Wu Minghua of Meige Carpet Firm, and Bao Qiaoli of Bole Plush Toys won their medals of the "2023 Yiwugo.com Most Excellent Female Bosses" from among more than 700 female competitors. The 20 female bosses nominated for the "2023 Yiwugo.com Most Excellent Female Bosses" and other guests from various industries, as well as Yiwugo.com leaders, attended the event. Breaking from tradition, the event featured a Western-style outdoor party, complete with wonderful band performances and multiple rounds of lucky draws. Yiwugo.com not only prepared novel souvenirs for every guest but also offered high-end prizes such as designer lipsticks, branded massage devices, and smartphones, creating a lively yet warm atmosphere. 2023 Yiwugo.com Most Excellent Female Bosses The selection process for "2023 Yiwugo.com Most Excellent Female Bosses" spanned a solid month, from March 8 to April 8, 2023, and involved all merchants across the Yiwu Market and entire industrial zones, with nearly 700 participants. The registration and voting was promoted through Yiwugo.com's WeChat public account, APP, and PC web pages, reaching hundreds of thousands of people and garnering over 350,000 valid votes. The immense impact is evident in its far-reaching scope. Fu Jiangyan, the first-place winner and an experienced participant, said that every year during the event, the natural foot traffic to her store on Yiwugo.com would reach a new high. As a result, she always looked forward to the selection and was pleased with the result this year. Fu Jiangyan explained that Yiwugo.com had made her well-known among domestic and international buyers, making her brand and herself the first choice for many customers. Huang Lingling from Ling'ou Carpets also noted that her company not only rode out the pandemic but also established contacts with more high-quality customers through the platform. This has enabled Ling'ou Carpets to enhance its market presence and refine product design, greatly benefiting its growth and brand development over time. Wang Liting of Dongyang Qiansi Crafts, Zhao Haijuan of Zhuji Kailian Knitting, and Jin Chengfeng of Lanmo Textiles - this year's new winners - have seen their influence grow exponentially in their respective fields after years of dedication and hard work. The ongoing support and promotion from Yiwugo.com have consistently helped improve their brand recognition. Hu Bin of Meichen Cups, Wang Xiaohong of Aishang Home, Wang Xiaoqing of Yiwu Duo Can Baking Cake Cup, Wu Minghua of Meige Carpet Firm, and Bao Qiaoli of Bole Plush Toys, have won the honourable titles of "Most Excellent Female Bosses" and "Top Ten Operators" multiple times. The selection this time once again proved their strengths. First launched in 2016, the "Yiwugo.com Most Excellent Female Bosses" event has been running successfully for eight years. By evaluating merchants across the Yiwu market, this annual event serves as a platform for female business owners to showcase their enterprises, promote their product superiority, exhibit personal charisma, and express their unique characteristics to the media and all walks of life. The event is built upon the market, emphasizing care for women and understanding of business operators. It aims to join hands with high-quality merchants to discover outstanding brands and products in the Yiwu market, which has always been the core purpose of organizing the "Yiwugo.com Most Excellent Female Bosses" event. Over the past eight years, the influence of the event has expanded, attracting more business operators to participate. Yiwugo.com is happy to see that merchants now have better brand awareness and improved business management systems. Yiwugo.com is also honored to introduce numerous outstanding female entrepreneurs to the society, promoting their enterprises and products, and encouraging healthy competition. In doing so, the e-commerce platform pitched in its efforts in building a thriving market and highlighting the power of women in business. SOURCE Yiwugo.com SHENZHEN, China, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 20th, Huawei held the Striding Towards the Intelligent World Session at Global Analyst Summit 2023. Peng Song, Huawei's President of ICT Strategy & Marketing, delivered the keynote speech titled Striding Towards the Intelligent World Through Continuous Innovation. The session attracted analysts, experts, scholars, and journalists from around the world. Peng Song giving a keynote speech (PRNewsfoto/Huawei) In his speech, Peng pointed out that the digital economy is becoming a main driver of global economic growth, and that digital technologies are being applied in diverse production scenarios across a wide range of industries. This makes data a new factor of production, and is driving significant leaps in social productivity. Peng said that as digital infrastructure is critical for the success of the digital economy, Huawei is committed to collaboratively developing transmission, computing, and storage power to improve the efficiency of data collection, transmission, computing, storage, and analysis, in order to improve digital productivity and boost the digital economy. Peng also talked about how Huawei is working to build leading digital infrastructure. First, Huawei is building leading transmission facilities supported by the more advanced 5.5G, F5.5G, and Net5.5G technologies, in order to support IoT services that connect hundreds of billions of things and deliver a 10 Gbps user experience. Second, Huawei is continuing to develop solid computing infrastructure to facilitate breakthroughs in diverse computing fields, such as general-purpose computing and AI computing. Third, Huawei is building reliable storage facilities to ensure more data can be stored, quickly transmitted, and efficiently used. "Moving forward, we will continue innovating to help customers build leading digital infrastructure, accelerating our journey towards the intelligent world," said Peng. Wang Zhiqin, Vice President of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), introduced the ICT industry's top 10 trends in 2023. Sun Zhengyun, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Energy Research Society, talked about how power grid enterprises can go digital to support China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality strategy.Li Fuchang, Director of the Wireless Technology Research Center of China Unicom Research Institute, shared updates on China Unicom's recent research and exploration into 5.5G. Feng Dan, Changjiang Distinguished Professor and Dean of the School of Computer Science and Technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, talked about the development trends of diskless data center architecture and near-data processing. SOURCE Huawei The Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) internet cable that connects Vietnam with the rest of Asia has encountered a new technical problem while old issues remain unfixed. An internet service provider representative said the problem occurred 206 km offshore from Da Nang, but gave no information on a repair schedule. In late December 2022 and mid-January this year, the cable had an issue with its connection to Hong Kong and another cable 151 km offshore. The two errors affected the entire line. A problem with the connection to Singapore and Japan was fixed at the end of March, while the repair of the Hong Kong connection has been delayed until the end of April. Vietnam has five undersea fiber optic cables in operation, and all five are simultaneously having problems. The Asia Africa Europe 1 has failed since last November, which caused the loss of all international connection capacity from Vietnam to Hong Kong. It is expected to be fixed from May 2-17. The Asia America Gateway (AAG) line also had problems in December and January. Two AAG branches will be fixed in early May, while another two branches are not on the repair schedule. Branch IA failed at the end of January and will be restored in April, while another line had a small error in February, also yet to be fixed. The internet service provider representative said that the cable repair process faced many challenges, including getting permission from other countries to access the cable location. The lines are owned and managed by consortiums consisting of telecommunications businesses in various countries. This makes it difficult for Vietnamese carriers to be proactive in repairs. On February 9, the Ministry of Information and Communications directed internet operators to increase network capacity on land and share and support each other in international telecommunications and internet service traffic. The situation improved but many users say the internet quality is still poor. The ministry has set a target for Vietnam to have 10 undersea cable lines in the next two years, of which three will be owned by domestic enterprises. The APG, with a length of 10,400 km under the Pacific Ocean, is the cable with the largest bandwidth connecting to Vietnam. It provides a maximum bandwidth of 54 terabytes per second and opened in 2016. BEIJING, April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc. ("GEHI" or the "Company") (NYSE: GEHI), a leading early childhood education service provider in China, announced today that it has appointed Mr. Siyuan Wang as its chief financial officer, effective April 23. Mr. Wang will succeed Mr. Hao Gu, who has decided to resign from this position for personal reasons. Mr. Gu's resignation does not involve any disagreement with the Company with regard to its business, finance, accounting or any other affairs. Ms. Yanlai Shi, chief executive officer, co-founder and executive director, said, "On behalf of the Board of Directors and management team, I would like to thank Hao for his contributions and tireless work at GEHI over the past four years, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. I would also like to warmly welcome Siyuan to the Company. His extensive experience in finance and accounting will make him a great addition to the GEHI team." Prior to joining GEHI, from 2018 to 2023, Mr. Wang served as chief financial officer and financial controller at Ucommune International Ltd. From 2021 to 2023, Mr. Wang also served as chief financial officer of UK Wisdom Limited, which is sponsored by a majority-owned subsidiary of Ucommune International Ltd. Prior to that, Mr. Wang worked in the audit and assurance function of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC in the United States from 2012 to 2018. Mr. Wang received a master degree in accounting from Michigan State University and a bachelor degree in finance and accounting from the University of Idaho. Mr. Wang has been an American Institute of Certified Public Accountant (AICPA) since September 2014. About Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc. Founded on the core values of "Care" and "Responsibility," "Inspire" and "Innovate," Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc. (formerly known as RYB Education, Inc.) is a leading early childhood education service provider in China. Since opening its first play-and-learn center in 1998, the Company has grown and flourished with the mission to provide high-quality, individualized and age-appropriate care and education to nurture and inspire each child for his or her betterment in life. During its two decades of operating history, the Company has built itself into a well-recognized education brand and helped bring about many new educational practices in China's early childhood education industry. GEHI's comprehensive early childhood education solutions meet the needs of children from infancy to 6 years old through structured courses at kindergartens and play-and-learn centers, as well as at-home educational products and services. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's brand recognition and market reputation; student enrollment in the Company's teaching facilities; the Company's growth strategies; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; trends and competition in China's early childhood education market; changes in its revenues and certain cost or expense items; the expected growth of the Chinese early childhood education market; Chinese governmental policies relating to the Company's industry and general economic conditions in China. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. CONTACT: Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc., Investor Relations, E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Gravitas Education Holdings Inc. BEIJING, April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "To understand today's China, one must begin by understanding China's history. Guangzhou is the cradle of China's democratic revolution and the vanguard of China's reform and opening-up," in a recent meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping told French President Emmanuel Macron in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province. The remarks were made before China's top leader concluded a four-day inspection tour of the province from April 10 to 13. In the past decades, Guangdong has set a model of Chinese modernization for the rest of the country, and the model also has global repercussions, observers pointed out. From Zhanjiang to Maoming to Guangzhou, Xi traveled thousands of kilometers across the western part of the province and visited mangrove forests, ports, enterprises, and factories, while having in-depth exchanges with ordinary factory workers, farmers, and technicians. The trip not only provided a direction for the province which is long considered a pacesetter of China's reform and opening-up in taking the lead in Chinese modernization, but also opened a crucial window for the world to learn how Chinese modernization is essentially different from the capital-centered Western development path, experts said. "China offers an alternative path featuring collective prosperity and harmony between humanity and nature," Wang Chenxing, a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the Global Times. China's chosen development model meets humanity's challenges and offers other countries, especially developing ones, a choice for achieving social and economic progress, Wang said. Harmonizing ecology and economy Different from his previous inspection tours which often include visits to local farmlands, Xi started off his latest inspection trip at a mariculture base in Donghai Island in Zhanjiang to learn how it utilizes both land and sea resources to guarantee food security. In 2030, Guangdong is expected to increase output of seafood annually to 2.01 million tons, the equivalent of raising 30.45 million pigs or 1.54 billion ducks, based on the same amount of protein, according to official reports. Xi required elaborate efforts in developing the breeding industry as it serves as the foundation of the development of modern agriculture and aquaculture. More should be done to develop deep-sea aquaculture equipment and the smart fishing industry, Xi said, calling for the further upgrading of the marine fishery, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency. Xi's concern in ecological conservation extends to the second stop of his Zhanjiang tour - the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve, the largest and densest natural reserve of its kind in China. Xi referred to the mangrove forests as a national treasure and urged for its careful protection "like how people protect their own eyes." He emphasized the need for persistent efforts toward green development, with aims to build a beautiful China while also contributing to the preservation of the global environment. Guangdong's experience in advancing its economic boom and ecological progress demonstrates how China seeks the kind of modernization that promotes harmonious coexistence of man and nature, said Chinese experts. Guangdong's model in pursuing modernization reflects China's new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green development, opening-up, and sharing, Liu Ying, a research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times. Xi has long envisioned a homeland where man and nature can live in harmony, with economy and ecology thriving side by side. He has also made environmental protection one of the five main policy areas in his quest to build an "ecological civilization," as China advances in its aim to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Modernization of common prosperity Xi chose the western part of Guangdong as the focus of his latest inspection tour as that part of the province is less developed than the Pearl River Delta, known for the high concentration of manufacturers and high-tech companies, according to media reports. Xi stressed during the trip that Guangdong's development depends not only on the Pearl River Delta, but also on the joint development of the northern, eastern, and western parts of Guangdong. "Chinese modernization is aimed at promoting common prosperity and addressing imbalanced development among regions," Xi said, according to Xinhua. Such an aim is reflected in Guangdong's endeavors to improve regional connectivity through better transportation infrastructure, such as Xuwen Port which Xi also inspected. The port is a key project that facilitates the collaborative development of Guangdong with the neighboring island province of Hainan. In China, imbalanced development typically manifests itself in the disparity between urban and rural areas, and between western and eastern areas. To Xi, the root cause of imbalanced development between western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta largely resides in industries. After visiting a village known for growing lychees and learning about local rural revitalization, Xi said that to advance Chinese modernization, it is imperative to comprehensively advance rural revitalization and effectively address the imbalance between the urban and the rural areas and between regions. He called for more resources allocated to assist less developed areas, promote social etiquette and civility, and to improve the quality of life for the people. "Guangdong's practice manifests a core feature of Chinese modernization - achieving common prosperity for all Chinese people. That is how people of Guangdong Province, under the guidance of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, can inspire a concerted effort to turn the province into a region whose overall GDP far exceeds that of many other countries worldwide," Liu said. Guangdong has set a model for the rest of the country to promote Chinese modernization which emphasizes all-round development and a people-centered philosophy, Wang remarked. Modernization of independence with openness Another characteristic of Chinese modernization is that China pursues strategic independence and continued openness by beefing up its self-reliance in science and technology, modernizing its industrial system while maintaining an opening-up policy to the outside world, especially in the post-pandemic era, experts said. During an inspection tour of the GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co Ltd, Xi listened to reports about the company's progress in making technological breakthroughs, valuing its efforts in developing higher-end, smarter, and greener manufacturing when he visited the carmaker's R&D center. "China must improve its independent innovation ability on the path of modernization, and seek to overtake the curve," Wang told the Global Times. However, pursing Chinese modernization is not "closing the doors" to the outside world as the country's development is closely connected to global modernization, and instead of encouraging rivalry, China has proposed an alternative path that exceeds different ideologies, experts said. On April 12, when Xi went to Guangzhou and visited the South Korean multinational electronics company LG Display's manufacturing base, he said that China's market strengths will become more apparent as the country quickens the formation of a new development pattern and further improves the business environment amid the backdrop of sluggish global economic growth, as Xinhua reported. Xi encouraged foreign investors to seize opportunities and achieve greater business success by coming to China, particularly Guangdong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. "Xi's visit to a South Korean company shows that Chinese modernization is closely linking the rest of the world and features the common prosperity of all people, rather than development behind closed doors." said Liu of Chongyang. As China has embarked on a new journey of building a modern socialist country through a Chinese path to modernization, developing countries in Africa and beyond ought to take advantages presented by China's localized, people-centered type of modernization, Liu said. "Emphasis on the real economy is an intrinsic requirement of Chinese modernization," Wang noted. SOURCE Global Times Five of the start-ups are based in Boston MIAMI, April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten Israeli-founded unicorns have their global or U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts, according to the United States Israel Business Alliance. Each of these privately held technology companies reached or surpassed a $1 billion valuation and has at least one Israeli founder. The 10 companies have combined to create 6,745 direct jobs worldwide. "The success in recent years of Israeli-founded companies in Massachusetts has reinforced the state's reputation as an attractive option for Israeli start-ups to grow in the United States," USIBA president Aaron Kaplowitz said. "Israeli entrepreneurs value the state's world-renowned universities, highly skilled workforce, and direct flights between Boston and Tel Aviv." The 10 companies have combined to create 6,745 direct jobs worldwide. Tweet this Among the 10 unicorns, five are based in Boston: Cybereason, Lusha, Snyk, Transmit Security, and TravelPerk. With a $7.4 billion valuation, Snyk, a platform for securing computer code, remains the highest valued Israeli-founded unicorn in Massachusetts. The company reached that figure in December, when it completed a $196.5 million funding round. This estimate marks nearly a 13 percent drop from the $8.5 billion valuation it attained in 2021. Cybereason ($2.8 billion), which also saw its valuation fall, is the largest employer of the Massachusetts unicorn cohort. The cyber detection and response start-up has created 1,250 direct jobs worldwide. In recent years, TravelPerk ($1.3 billion), a corporate travel platform with a global headquarters in Barcelona, has expanded across the U.S. In addition to establishing its primary U.S. presence in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, TravelPerk has opened offices in Miami and Chicago. The company employs some 1,151 people worldwide. Formlabs ($2 billion), a 3D printing and manufacturing company founded by three Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate students, headquarters in Somerville. Earnix ($1.1 billion), founded in 2001 by Sammy Krikler and Yoni Cheifetz, and Infinidat ($1.6 billion), founded in 2011 by Moshe Yanai, both locate their U.S. headquarters in Waltham. Aqua Security ($1 billion) and Pentera ($1 billion) have both established their U.S. headquarters in Burlington. Massachusetts continues to trail only California and New York as the state with the most Israeli-founded unicorn headquarters. The companies' valuations and direct jobs created figures are estimates based on data resources, publicly available information, and conversations with executives and industry analysts. The estimates do not necessarily reflect the most current values. Israeli-Founded Unicorns Based in Massachusetts Company Valuation Direct Jobs Created Worldwide City Solution Aqua Security $1,000,000,000 632 Burlington Cloud native security Cybereason $2,800,000,000 1,250 Boston Cyber detection & response Earnix $1,100,000,000 341 Waltham Critical systems for banks & insurers Formlabs $2,000,000,000 861 Somerville 3D printing & manufacturing Infinidat $1,600,000,000 485 Waltham Data storage Lusha $1,500,000,000 319 Boston B2B sales & marketing Pentera $1,000,000,000 262 Burlington Cyber penetration tests Snyk $7,400,000,000 1,065 Boston Platform for securing code Transmit Security $2,700,000,000 379 Boston Passwordless authentication TravelPerk $1,300,000,000 1,151 Boston Business travel platform About the United States Israel Business Alliance The mission of the United States Israel Business Alliance is to strengthen the economic relationship between individual states and Israel. Learn more about the impact Israeli-founded companies are having on local communities at www.usisrael.co. SOURCE United States - Israel Business Alliance WASHINGTON, April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Osteopathic Association (AOA), which proudly serves more than 178,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and medical students, applauds the United States Senate for adopting Senate Resolution 162, and recognized osteopathic medicine. Introduced by U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and sponsored by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the resolution was unanimous. "I am proud to lead this bipartisan resolution and honor the countless contributions DOs, as well as schools of osteopathic medicine, have made to ensure Americans of all backgrounds have access to quality healthcare," said Sen. Manchin. The osteopathic community celebrates every April as an annual observance dedicated to spotlighting the osteopathic medical profession and raising awareness about the distinctiveness of osteopathic medicine. The event brings together nearly 142,000 DOs and more than 36,000 osteopathic medical students from across the country to celebrate and share the unique approach DOs bring to health care. "For the second year in a row, we are thrilled that our nation's leaders have unanimously voted to recognize NOM Week," said Ernest R. Gelb, DO, FACOFP, president of the AOA. "This resolution acknowledges the vitally important role DOs play in the lives of their patients, as well as the impact of the profession in helping shape the future of medicine." The resolution recognizes the "whole-person, patient-centric" approach DOs provide, as well as the critical impact of the profession's frontline caregivers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. "The AOA extends heartfelt thanks to members of the U.S. Senate for honoring the contributions of osteopathic physicians and enthusiastically supporting our NOM Week observance," said Kathleen S. Creason, MBA, interim CEO of the AOA. "It's wonderful to know how much our nation's policymakers value the osteopathic profession and the whole-person approach DOs bring to medicine." About the American Osteopathic Association The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 178,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; serves as the primary certifying body for DOs; and is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools. To learn more about DOs and the osteopathic philosophy of medicine, visit www.findaDO.org. SOURCE American Osteopathic Association Ankara, April 23 : A total of 21 "terrorists" were killed by Turkish troops over the past four days in northern Syria and Iraq, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said. Three of the "terrorists" were killed in Iraq's Zap region, semi-official Anadolu Agency quoted Akar as saying during an event in the Turkish central province of Kayseri on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported. Calling the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) a "tool in the hands of imperialists" to hinder Turkey's development, Akar said that the Turkish government is determined to eliminate the PKK. The fight against "terrorists" will not end until the security of Turkey's borders and the nation is ensured, he said. The PKK has been involved in armed clashes with Turkish forces for more than three decades and is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the European Union. Barcelona, April 23 : The top-seeded Spain's Carlos Alcaraz eased past Daniel Evans 6-2, 6-2 to reach the final of Barcelona Open, where he is bidding to become the first repeat champion since Rafael Nadal lifted the trophy three years in a row from 2016-18. Now 22-2 for the year, Alcaraz will take on Stefanos Tsitsipas as he chases his third tour-level title of 2023. The Buenos Aires and Indian Wells champion enters that clash holding a 3-0 ATP Head to Head series lead against Tsitsipas, a tally that includes a three-set quarter-final win in Barcelona last year. "I feel really comfortable playing here in Barcelona and [I am] playing well," said Alcaraz, who will try to successfully defend a title for the first time in his career against Tsitsipas. "Stefanos as well is playing great matches. Last year we had a spicy match, let's say. I know he's a really nice guy off the court, so I'm going to try to forget everything that has happened in the matches before, try to focus on my game tomorrow, and try to get the win," he said. On Saturday night, Alcaraz was clinical with his chances to down Evans in 81 minutes on Pista Rafa Nadal, where he converted five of his seven break points. Evans deployed typical variety in his shots, but his tactics were expertly countered by Alcaraz, who has now won all eight sets he has played this week at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899. "It's so special to play a final here in Barcelona, a tournament that I love playing. I came to watch this tournament when I was really young and I played for this club when I was 11 or 12. I love this club, I love this tournament, and it's so special to have the chance to lift the trophy here again," said Alcaraz. Alcaraz broke twice in the opening set to take command of his second tour-level meeting with Evans before opening a 4-0 lead in the second. Although the World No. 26 Evans battled valiantly to the end and was rewarded for persistently moving to the net with his only break of the match in the fifth game, Alcaraz's all-court game repeatedly proved too good. The Spaniard's ability to attack Evans' serve was the defining feature of the match. Alcaraz won 57 per cent (28/49) of points on return to back up his win against the Briton in Vienna in 2021. New Delhi, April 23 : A 32-year-old man was brutally stabbed to death in Delhi's Raj Park area, a police police said on Sunday. The official said that they received a PCR call at 12.23 a.m. The caller said that a man had been stabbed near Raj Park Rathi Hospital street. The stabbing was so brutal that his intestine had fallen out. The victim was identified as Virender Singh, a resident of Hathras, with the help of his Aadhaar Card. Police informed his wife Asha about the incident. Jitender was taken to a nearby government hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The police said that Mobile Crime Team and FSL Team were called to the spot and exhibits were collected. The police said that they have lodged an FIR of murder under section 302 of IPC. "His personal belongings were found to be intact. The motive behind the murder is not clear as of now," said the official. Dibrugarh, April 23 : Following the arrest of fugitive Sikh radical Amritpal Singh, the procedures are on to shift the Waris Punjab De chief to Assam's Dibrugarh Central Jail where nine of his associates are already lodged. Dibrugarh's Mohanbari airport has been witnessing heavy security deployment since early morning on Sunday. According to police sources, Amritpal will be brought in a special aircraft along with NSA and Punjab Police officials. A special team of Assam Police will receive them at the airport. Meanwhile, the security cover outside Dibrugarh Central Jail was also beefed up. A multi-tier security arrangement was already in place there, but more security personnel were deployed on Sunday. Notably, nine other aides of Amritpal Singh including his uncle Harjit Singh were already lodged in Dibrugarh central jail since last month. Aizawl, April 23 : After Nagaland and Meghalaya, the BJP is expanding its political and organisational base in another Christian dominated northeastern state Mizoram, where the saffron party last week for the first time swept the election to the Village Councils (VCs) under the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC). Christianity has emerged as the major religion in three northeastern states -- Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya, where tribals constitute 86 per cent to 95 per cent of the total population (2011 census). The BJP swept the election to the VCs (equivalent to Gram Panchayats in other states and outside the Autonomous District Council areas) under MADC in Mizoram by winning majority seats in 41 of the 99 VCs while the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) secured a majority in 25 VCs. The Congress and the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) got a majority in eight and two VCs respectively. Independent candidates won one VC while there is no clear majority in 22 VCs. Of the total 492 Village Council seats, the BJP won 232 seats, the MNF managed 127 seats, the Congress bagged seats in the April 18 elections to the Village Councils under MADC. For the all round socio-economic development of different tribal communities, Mizoram has three tribal autonomous bodies -- Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC), Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) and the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC). BJP MLA Buddha Dhan Chakma is the only saffron party legislator in the 40-member Mizoram Assembly, for which elections would be held in November-December this year. Chakma won the Tuichawng assembly seat in the 2018 assembly elections and the BJP for the first time entered the state assembly in the Christian and tribal dominated northeastern state. Before the Mizoram assembly, the BJP entered the Nagaland assembly in 2013 by winning one seat in the 60 member assembly. In the 2018 assembly polls, the BJP won 12 seats in Nagaland and two seats in Meghalaya and the party secured an equal number of seats in the two Christian dominated northeastern states in the February 27, 2023 assembly polls. The saffron party secured 18.81 per cent votes in Nagaland and 9.33 per cent votes in Meghalaya in the February elections against 15.31 per cent and 9.63 per cent votes in the two states respectively in the 2018 polls. Since the last Assembly elections in 2018, the BJP has been playing the minority card which has seen positive outcomes in elections to the Autonomous District Councils during the past year. Political pundits predict that the BJP is likely to do better in the next Mizoram assembly elections, due in November-December this year. Media reports in Mizoram said that the BJP's electoral prospects brightened after the resignation of Mizoram Social Welfare and Tribal Affairs Minister K. Beichhua in December last year. State Chief Minister and ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga asked Beichhua to step down from the council of ministers. Beichhua, who was elected from the Siaha constituency as the MNF nominee for two consecutive terms since 2013, along with a few MLAs from other parties is likely to join the BJP and contest from Siaha assembly seat on a BJP ticket, local media reports said. Considering its recent local body poll success, the BJP is highly optimistic about its growth in the future elections in the bordering state. Mizoram BJP president Vanlalhmuaka said: "The assembly elections in the state are more than six months away. Our state leaders and workers are working hard to further strengthen our party and we are confident of doing much better in the next assembly polls." He said that the BJP would field candidates for all the 40 assembly seats. "Considering the party's performance in other northeastern states, people of Mizoram have trust in the BJP as they predict that no other party including the MNF would be able to form the next government in the state after the elections," Vanlalhmuaka said. The BJP leaders are busy in mobilising support in the non-Mizo and minority dominated areas in Mamit, Siaha, Lunglei and Lawngtlai districts, where a considerable number of Reang, Chakma and Hmar tribals are residing. In May last year, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 25-member Mara Autonomous District Council polls in south Mizoram's Siaha district. It has won 12 seats, one seat short of getting an absolute majority. While addressing a party meeting recently, Zoramthanga said his party is also confident of raising its seats to 30 in the next assembly election. Political commentators said that the majority of the Mizo people would not support the BJP as they consider that the party is anti-Christian due to its strong Hindutva ideology and agenda. They said that the BJP is most unlikely to raise its tally much unless it ties up with the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) ally MNF. The BJP had contested 39 seats and secured 8.09 per cent votes against the ruling MNF's 37.70 per cent in the 2018 Assembly polls. The Congress, which ruled Mizoram for decades, secured four seats and 29.98 per cent votes in the last assembly polls in 2018. The Congress lost its last bastion Mizoram in the northeastern region to the MNF, which returned to power in the mountainous state in the 2018 Assembly elections by winning 27 seats. Of the eight states in the northeastern region, the BJP is ruling four -- Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura. Parties which are constituents of the NDA are running governments in the remaining four states including Mizoram. (Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in) Panaji, April 23 : With more than 10,000 persons from the LGBT community living in Goa, they are struggling for their right of 'Same Sex Marriage since the last two decades to do away with the social stigma and live happily in the coastal state. In Goa there are seven transgenders who have been given election cards, but they have complained that they are discriminated against in jobs. Lal Baig, project manager of 'Humsaath Trust Goa, speaking to IANS said that there are around 4,500 LGBT members registered with this trust. "There are more than 10,000 members belonging to the LGBT community. Some willingly come to us and get registered. But some stay away," he said. "We need permission for 'Same Sex Marriage'. Many people who don't have partners, commit suicide. There will be no such cases of suicide if we start living together by getting legal recognition of Same Sex Marriage," he said. "It is an equal right that we also should get. We have been fighting for a long time, maybe for the last two decades. We don't have the right also for child adoption," he said. "If we live together, after the death of that partner we don't get property rights. We can't claim property from our partner. This should be changed and we should be given that right," Baig said. He said that members of his trust are mostly from the middle class as the upper classes don't get registered. According to him once permission is granted they will get acceptance from the families of their partners and others. "There will be no discrimination. People look at us in a cheap way. For transgenders it is a horrible situation as they don't get a place to stay. There are many issues, they don't get jobs. This also happens with gays, once society comes to know that a person is gay, they don't get jobs," he said. He said that small events are organised for get-togethers of LGBTs and counselling is given to them. "There are 25 lesbians registered with our trust. They too come and enjoy the events," he said. Speaking to IANS, Beena (name changed), a transgender, said that they should get all the rights that others enjoy. "If there was a law to get married, I would have married long back and would have settled with my family. But today my age is 47 years, and now I can't think of getting married at this age. However, there should be a law so that this generation can at least settle down," Beena said. Speaking about the social stigma she has faced, Beena said that even her village people were not accepting her. "I left my house after completing my studies in college. I came to Goa and worked as a sex worker and then left this trade after I was convinced by some NGOs about the HIV issue. Later I started begging and till today I am continuing to do the same," she said. "We face several issues. Nobody gives us a room for rent or a job. Hence we are forced to beg. Here we are harassed by officials and the public. We also have the right to live with dignity and hence the system should provide us all the rights," Beena said, adding that 'marriage with same sex' should be considered. "I also want to appeal to be vigilant about fake transgenders in the state. They just wear a saree and makeup. They are men and opt for this garb to earn money by hoodwinking people," she said. Beena, who is from the Konkan belt of Maharashtra, said that people should not discriminate against them, they should be seen as a human being. "Nobody sits besides us in the bus or train. This discrimination should be stopped." Another transgender, who is married to a normal man from Goa, said that permission should be given for 'Same Sex Marriage' as it is important. "Family members from my husband's side have slowly started to accept me," she added. "I fight for the cause of transgenders and I even feel that there should be separate lockups for us in police stations. Whenever a transgender is arrested, the police get confused in which lockup we should be placed," she stated. A gay on the condition of anonymity said that the court should consider their demand and give them legal recognition. "Our body changes naturally. If we want to live with a partner of our choice then that right should be given to us," he said. Tourists gather in front of a giant eagle sculpture at Eagle Square on Langkawi Island, Malaysia, 2018. Photo by Reuters The Malaysian government has announced it plans to relax requirements of its 10-year visa program following a 90% drop in the number of applicants. The application process for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program "will be made more flexible," Malaysian tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing said at a recent meeting, as quoted by Channel News Asia. The visa program, which was launched in 2002, allows foreigners to stay in Malaysia for up to 10 years. In August 2021, the government imposed stricter conditions, requiring applicants to provide proof of RM1.5 million ($338,000) in liquid assets and a minimum RM40,000 in monthly income. Previously, applicants only needed savings of between RM300,000 and RM500,000. The conditions sparked heated discussions among visa holders, who said the new rules are too strict. Since the conditions were tightened in 2021, the program has seen a 90% drop in the number of applicants, according to data from MM2H Consultant Association. "If such conditions persist, I believe many expatriates will no longer choose Malaysia and will seek our neighboring countries, which are easier for them to meet the eligibility requirements to settle there," Penangs State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin was quoted as saying by Bernama. Several Southeast Asian countries have been vying for wealthy foreigners by launching 'golden visas' with stays of many years. Indonesia has introduced a new visa available for a period of five or ten years to those who hold at least two billion rupiahs (US$127,174) in their bank accounts. Thailand's Long Term Residence visa is valid for 10 years and offers multiple entries, but applicants must hold at least $1 million in assets, a validated annual personal income of a minimum of $80,000 for the past two years and an investment of at least $500,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment or Thai property. Cambodia also introduced its 10-year "golden visa" program that allows foreigners to apply for Cambodian citizenship after five years and gain access to insurance coverage and VIP medical treatment. Mumbai, April 23 : No more in the shadows, the LGBTQIA+ community is anxiously watching the ongoing hearings in the Supreme Court pertaining to their demand for 'Marriage Equality and the much-anticipated ensuing rights. One of the petitioners, transgender Zainab Patel of Thane, said that the fight for 'Marriage Equality' is nothing less than historic and comparable to some of the biggest past revolutionary movements and resultant laws banning dowry, sati, untouchability, etc. Prominent Equal Rights activist and another petitioner, Harish Iyer of Mumbai is cautiously optimistic, saying he wants a "more open reading of the Special Marriages Act, so as to include any two consenting adults, regardless of their sex or gender, to marry each other". "There are 'Hum aapke hain kaun' styled weddings happening already, many with the blessings of their families and friends. My fight is to get legal recognition for their weddings. This has greater ramifications. We would like all couples to be able to take a home loan together and enjoy all rights that are now only reserved for the majoritarian heterosexual population," Iyer urged. An indigenous (Adivasi) Transwoman, Christy Nag feels that the SC hearing "directly concerns our fundamental rights" and getting them is already long overdue. Nag expressed dismay over the government's stand and arguments on some aspects, saying "they don't hold much ground", and though horizontal reservations must be given, there is a lot of reluctance on the part of both the government and the Supreme Court. Not mincing words, Patel said that they were compelled to move the SC as "no political party really took any concrete steps for the welfare of the LGBTQIA minorities", and private bills introduced by MPs like Shashi Tharoor or Supriya Sule were not even allowed to be tabled. "They feel we are not the 'Voice of the Nation'. Then, what are we considered? 'Second-Class citizens' in our own country...? We just want our rights, we are not encroaching upon or snatching your rights, then why should anyone feel threatened? Why should my right to marry be an insult to society," asked Patel. "We want to live a fulfilling life of dignity, not merely 'exist'... We want to take the crucial decisions of our lives ourselves, just like how everybody else does... For instance, if I am on my death bed with life-support systems, my partner should have 'the right to decide' like all other people," Iyer demanded. The activist rued how some families live in denial, don't accept their wards' sexuality or their partner, but after they (wards) die, "all rush to stake claim on their wealth", and in such circumstances, the partner who contributed to building up the wealth, has no legal rights. "During the Covid-19 pandemic, many from LTBTQIA also died, and then their relatives materialised out of nowhere to grab the material wealth of the deceased... This is the saddest part...," Iyer said. Neeta Kene, chairperson of 'Kinnar Asmita', an NGO, who is a transgender and 'guru' of Patel, shot into the limelight in March 2023 when her team launched a 'TransFormation Salon' with help from the US Consulate and USAID, to provide career opportunities for the deprived community. "The entire LGBTQIA community has high hopes for the SC verdict and it would be a major step for our future and well being... With 'Marriage Equality' history will be created soon in India and set the trends for the world..." said Kene. Echoing the sentiments of the LGBTQIA tribe, Iyer emphatically concluded: "We want to be equal... Equal in all aspects. We need the entire bouquet of rights of succession, inheritance, adoption and everything else. We will get there. We will make the beginning with Equal Marriage rights." (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in) Thiruvananthapuram, April 23 : As part of his two-day trip to Kerala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Christian religious heads in Kochi on Monday evening. Sources in the Kerala BJP told IANS that the Prime Minister will be meeting eight heads of various denominations of Christian groups. The meeting, according to the sources, will take place at around 7 p.m. The Kerala BJP is reaching out to Christian community in a bid to break the party's dry run in electoral politics of the state. The Prime Minister himself meeting the religious heads are considered to be a major breakthrough for the state BJP in its endeavour in reaching out to the Christian community. In Kochi, Modi will also interact with 1 lakh youth as part of the 'YUVAM' programme organised by the BJP youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. The youths will be able to ask questions to the Prime Minister regarding various issues during the programme. The Prime Minister will also conduct a 1.8 km road show in Kochi on Monday from Venduruthy Bridge to the Sacred Heart College, Thevara. Kerala Police have beefed up security for the visit, with the deployment of 2,000 cops. Mumbai: In a shocking development, around 3000-plus stranded migrants from different parts of India crowded near Bandra railway station demanding that they should be given transportation facilities to return to their native places immediately, in Mum Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, April 23 : The clamour for a caste-based Census has once again come to haunt the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre, which is treating the sensitive issue with kid-gloves, with the general elections barely a year away. The Imperial Census, first conducted by the British Government in 1871-72 for the entire population, and later periodically undertaken, has always included general questions based on caste-religions. However, the first loose Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) was taken up by the British in 1881 -- over 140 years ago, followed by a similar one in 1931. In 2011, India had conducted a SECC but mostly to ascertain the number of people living below poverty line (BPL) and design targeted welfare measures or schemes for that group. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole raised the issue of a Caste-based Census in Dec. 2021, and soon the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) also joined the chorus. "The decision for a Caste Census was taken unanimously (by Maha Vikas Aghadi), but after that the new government is reluctant to take it up," said Patole recently. Congress Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe said that the state government has brought the proposal to a standstill "with nothing moving ahead now", and demanded that it should be immediately revived. NCP President Sharad Pawar has made a strong plea for Caste Census owing to "strong sentiments linking it with social justice", to create targeted development plans for various caste groups and help achieve an all-inclusive overall national growth. Party's Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said that the government's reluctance is confusing as with passing time, increasing population and aspirations, even welfare measures and policies need to be modified to suit the current situation. According to Shiv Sena (UBT) National Spokesperson Kishore Tiwari, the BJP government is worried about a Caste Census ahead of the 2024 elections as it would "reveal a lot and expose them". "There are a lot of caste imbalances, those who are less in number are enjoying the maximum fruits of developments, while the huge majority of the deprived at the lower levels of society in all castes-communities, continue to be ignored and their economic status keeps degrading," said Tiwari. Tapase feels that a Caste Census will throw up exhaustive, scientific data that can enable policy-makers to formulate special policies, reservations and implementation for each equitable representation to each caste or community, depending on their actual needs. Presently India is largely relying on the data thrown up in the 1931 Caste Census, but the socio-economic situation has undergone a sea-change in the past 90 years compelling the need to 'refresh' the figures and caste components in the 21st century. Replying to the demands, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last month stated that the government will send a team to study the Bihar pattern where a caste-census is being carried out. Admitting that there is a near-consensus on a Caste-based Census in the state, Fadnavis also cautioned for care as such an exercise could potentially create caste conflicts, and hence the need to analyse the Bihar experience on this count before taking a final decision here. Urging for a well-researched scientific approach, Fadnavis referred to the 2011 SECC and claimed that the data was not made public owing to several issues, errors and discrepancies, and adopting such wrong statistics could lead to a fresh social crisis as all communities would object. Stressing the need for a proper Caste Census, Janata Dal (U) MLC Kapil Patil said it would help determine not only the OBC population in the state but also provide data of all communities in Maharashtra. Tapase said that when the latest authentic data is available, the government can ensure that welfare schemes reach the intended sections and remove the existing glaring socio-economic disparities. Incidentally, Maharashtra announced in the Budget 2023-2024 that it will set up caste-wise development corporations for Lingayat, Gurav, Vadar and Ramoshi communities in the state, further spurring the demand for a Caste Census. A couple of years ago the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes (MSCBC) had given the finishing touches to the empirical data collection format and norms for a proposed SECC, estimated to cost around Rs 435-crore, but as state Opposition leaders rue, nothing has moved ahead. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) Patna, April 23 : With the second phase of the caste based census underway in Bihar, the people of the state are starting to analyse its positives and negatives. The 'intellectual community' believes that it has some loopholes like the sub-castes in the Extremely Backward Class (EBC), Other Backward Castes (OBC), Dalit and Muslim communities will be counted but there is no provision to count sub-castes in upper castes. It has created suspicions in the minds of the people about the intentions of the state government, or this loophole being used for political purposes. Ashok Kumar, a Patna based private teacher, told IANS: "The state government is well aware that MLAs, MLCs and MPs of upper castes cannot advocate for their castes in Bihar. They believe that if they talk in the interest of upper caste people, their vote banks of lower castes may slip away from them and they might lose the election." "Two to three upper caste MLAs and MPs are in the RJD, BJP, JD-U, Congress, HAM and others but they are not vocal about the interests of their castes. On the other hand, Dalit and minority leaders talk in the interest of their castes. This is the reason why the state government is counting castes and sub-castes of EBC, OBC and the minorities but not in the upper castes. The leaders at the panchayat or block level may talk for the interest of their castes but in the rank of MLA, MLC and MP they cannot dare to do that. They are looking at their personal and party interests," Kumar said. "I am connected to the Bhumihar Ekta Manch Whatsapp group where a number of BJP leaders are also present. The BJP has decided to celebrate Babu Veer Kunwar Singh birth anniversary on April 23 which is okay but I have pointed out to celebrate Parsuram Jayanti as well on 22 but no one reacted to it," Kumar said. No one knows the actual numbers of castes but there is a general perception in Bihar that the numbers of EBC, OBC and minority communities are much higher than upper castes like Bhumihar, Brahmins, Rajput and Kayasth. The BJP has traditional voters belonging to the upper castes while Nitish Kumar is an undisputed leader of the Lav-Kush community and Lalu Prasad Yadav is a leader of Muslim-Yadav and other lower castes. Jitan Ram Manjhi is a leader of Mahadalits and Chirag Paswan is a leader of the Dalit community. However, the caste based census has lots of positives as well. Dr Vijay Kishore, a Patna based economist said: "After the completion of caste based census, we would earmark the backwardness of a particular caste and community. Following that, the state and central governments are running many welfare programmes in the interest of EBC, OBC and minority communities. There is no political interest involved which I also believe will benefit the common people on the social, financial and political fronts." The first phase of the caste based census was completed in March this year where every house had a unique house code. The second phase kicked off from April 15 and will end in one month. In the second phase, Bihar government employees will go to every house and ask 17 questions printed on one sheet. The same will also be uploaded digitally as well so that anyone can access it from the internet. The employees will ask the name of the family head, his/her father's name, age, sex, marital status, religion, caste, sub-caste (In case of EBC, OBC, minority) followed by code, educational qualification, profession, residential status (Staying in own house or rent), temporary migration status, owning computer, laptop, motor vehicles, agriculture land, residential land and income from all sources. Patna district magistrate and nodal officer of the caste based census in the district Dr Chandrashekher Singh said: "It is taking half an hour to collect the information on one family in physical and digital modes. We are also contacting people who are living abroad. We are asking their profession, tenure, castes, financial status with country code through video calling. Everything is going in a smooth manner." Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said: "The report will be tabled in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad followed by it being sent to the Centre. The detailed report of the caste based census will be put in the public domain as well. It will not only give the caste status of a particular person but also its financial status. It will help to make policies followed by the development of the people and eventually the state." "It is the responsibility of the Centre to conduct a census in the country. I am surprised that it has not happened in the last 12 to 13 years. The past governments were organising it every 10 years." Mumbai, April 23 : Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu has cryptically clapped back at Telugu producer Chitti Babu who claimed that her career "as the heroine is finished and she cannot get back to stardom" and should accept whatever roles are to her and not be "selective." The actress had shared a post on her Instagram Stories, which got her fans scratching their heads believing that it was a jibe at Chitti Babu. In a now-deleted Instagram Story, Samantha shared a post revealing that she was searching "How do people have hair growing from ears" on Google. The answer was because of "increased testosterone." She shared the screenshot of her search along with the hashtag, "#IYKYK (If you know, you know)". Social media users believe that it was a jibe at Chitti Babu. Chitti Babu had claimed that her career as a "heroine is finished and she cannot get back to stardom. She should continue her journey doing the offers she gets." The producer also accused Samantha of trying to "gain sympathy." He said: "Every time sentiment will not work. If the role and film are good, people will watch. All these are cheap and insane acts. I wonder how Samantha who lost her heroine status suited for the role of Shakuntala. I do not have any interest in Shaakuntalam." New Delhi, April 23 : Singapore-based startup Zilingo's former CEO, Ankiti Bose, who was sacked over alleged financial irregularities last year, has filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Mahesh Murthy, angel investor and co-founder of Seedfund, the media reported. According to leading startup news portal Inc42, the lawsuit has been filed in the Bombay High Court on April 20 over an article authored by Murthy in a top business magazine. Murthy didn't name Bose in the article but wrote several descriptive pointers. The article mentioned "one lady" who "ran a popular fashion portal and took Sequoia's money". "She got her firm to pay her lawyer someRs 70 crore as fees and -- it is rumoured -- got a lot of that amount directly back to herself as her cut," Murthy alleged in his article.. Bose was quoted as saying that the $100 million lawsuit was filed taking into account her balance of equity in Zilingo and "the losses that statements like this can affect future endeavours." The lawsuit is currently in the pre-admission stage, according to reports. In March last year, Zilingo suspended 30-year-old CEO Bose over complaints about alleged financial irregularities. Following an investigation led by an independent forensics firm, the startup decided to terminate Bose's employment. In April last year, she brought to the board's attention certain harassment-related issues pertaining to past time periods, which did not include any harassment complaints against investors or their nominees. A top consulting firm was then appointed to look into the claims of harassment brought to the Board's notice by Ankiti. According to Zilingo, the investigation concluded that the company took appropriate action and followed due process to address these complaints that were brought to their notice, "contrary to media reports that have suggested that the suspension and investigations into Bose were aimed at suppressing the said harassment claims". The startup had raised more than $300 million from top investors, including Temasek Holdings Pte and Sequoia Capital India. Patna, April 23 : A 68-year-old resident of Bihar's Nalanda, who was living a life of anonymity till now, has been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award after being associated with the textile industry for almost 50 years. Kapil Dev Prasad, is a resident of Baswan Bigha village, which is about three kilometres from Nalanda district headquarters in Bihar. Prasad has been associated with weaving since a young age. He is still doing the weaving himself and is also giving training to many people of the district. Prasad said that he has been engaged in weaving for almost six decades but his fame in textile manufacturing came from Bawan Buti sarees and curtains. He said: "Now the situation is bad because of the lack of marketing of all the sheets and curtains made by the weavers. His family occupation has been handlooms. Talking to IANS, he said: "It was started by my grandfather Shanichar Tanti. Then later my father Hari Tanti took it forward. And now my son Suraj Dev also helps in handloom work." Prasad said: The first President Dr Rajendra Prasad installed the curtains and bedsheets of the weavers of Bihar Sharif in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prasad, however, is quite unhappy about the market. "Art is getting richer but its markets are getting limited." Till the year 2000, the curtains and bedsheets of Nalanda were sent to Germany, Australia and the US on behalf of Bihar State Export Corporation. After this, when there was a crisis in the corporation, the exports stopped. Prasad said that at that time, a school for government weavers was running in Bihar Sharif. But in 1990, the school was closed. He said that the Basavan Bigha Primary Weavers Co-operation Committee has been formed in which there are many weavers. But, due to non-availability of regular work, many weavers are now leaving. Prasad is definitely worried, but not discouraged. He said: "Even today people appreciate Bawan Buti art. There is a need to market the art of the people associated with this, so that this ancient art can be saved." "The history of the handicraft Bawan Buti saree has been associated with the Buddhist period. The art of Buddhism is engraved in the Bawan Buti saree. Symbols like lotus flower, peepal leaves, Bodhi tree, bull, trishul, goldfish, wheel of Dharma are used in the designs," he said. Kolkata, April 23 : A crucial meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar will likely take place on April 25. Trinamool Congress insiders said that Nitish Kumar is supposed to come to Kolkata on Tuesday morning and there is a high possibility of his meeting with Mamata Banerjee at the latter's Kalighat residence in South Kolkata on the same evening. A member of the West Bengal cabinet said that the meeting will harp on the unity of opposition forces against BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In the last couple of months, Mamata Banerjee has had an array of meetings with a number of non-BJP and non-Congress leaders on the issue of opposition unity against the BJP in the 2024 polls. Last month, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met her in Kalighat. In the meeting, the two leaders agreed to maintain a distance with Congress and rather focus on the unity of the regional forces against BJP in the 2024 polls. Soon after meeting Akhilesh, Mamata Banerjee went to Odisha and had a meeting with her counterpart Naveen Patnaik. This was followed by a visit to Kolkata by Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy during which he met Banerjee. Last week, she also called up her counterpart in Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin and discussed the unity of opposition forces against the role of Governors in the opposition-ruled state in the country. In the recent past, Mamata Banerjee, in all her public meetings, stressed that if the opposition gets united before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, then it is possible to bring an end to the BJP-led regime. However, she has always avoided the tricky issue of whether Congress is a part of her blueprint of united opposition against BJP. Jammu, April 23 : General officer commanding in chief (GoC-n-C) of army's northern command, Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, on Sunday assured that the Poonch terror attack perpetrators would soon face consequences. Lt General Dwivedi today visited the command hospital in Udhampur to meet the survivor of Poonch terror attack in which 5 soldiers were killed on April 20. During his interaction with the survivor of attack, GOC-n-C assured that necessary action against those behind the terror attack is underway. Seoul, April 23 : South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol plans to award the country's highest military order to three Korean War veterans from the US during his state visit to Washington this week, the presidential office here said on Sunday. Yoon is set to depart for Washington on Monday for a six-day state visit marking the 70th anniversary of the two countries' alliance, reports Yonhap News Agency. During the visit, he plans to hold a luncheon event with 300 key figures from South Korea and the US, and award the Taegeuk Order of Military Merit to three American servicemen who fought for South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, the presidential office said in a press release. It will mark the first time a South Korean president bestows a military order outside of the country. The three awardees are retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett, retired Navy Capt. Elmer Royce Williams and Baldomero Lopez, a late first lieutenant who served in the Marine Corps. A nephew will attend the awarding ceremony on behalf of the late Lopez. Puckett led the Eighth Army Ranger Company through the battle for Hill 205 on November 25, 1950, while Williams is known for his solo dogfight with seven Soviet pilots in November 1952. Lopez heroically smothered a hand grenade with his own body during the Incheon Landing on September 15, 1950, and saved his subordinates' lives. Yoon plans to commemorate the sacrifices of Korean War veterans and underline the meaning of the Korea-US alliance during the luncheon. A grandson of Gen. James Alward Van Fleet, commander of the US 8th Army from 1951-53, and the eldest daughter of Gen. Paik Sun-yup, commander of the Korean Army's 1st Division and a Korean War hero, will also join the event as invited guests. South Africa: Man to appear in court for possession of explosives A 38-year-old undocumented man will appear in court this week for the alleged possession of 14 hand grenades. The man was arrested on Saturday after a police officer received information about a man who was in possession of explosives in Extension 6, Khuma Location near Stilfontein. Upon following up, the officer found the suspect at corner of Marumole and Lekoma Street, and searched him. Fourteen hand grenades (Mk2) were found in his possession. As a result, the suspect was immediately arrested for unlawfully being in Possession of Explosives, thus contravening Section 128 of the Explosives Act, 1956 (Act No. 26 of 1956). Furthermore, it was established that the suspect is an undocumented person and will be processed in terms of Section 49(1)(b) of the Immigration Act, 2013 (Act No. 13 of 2002), the Office of the Provincial Commissioner North West said on Sunday. The suspect will appear before the Stilfontein Magistrates Court on Monday. The matter will be investigated by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks. Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, congratulated the member for his speedy reaction and bravery as it averted a tragedy. He also thanked the community for being the ears and eyes of the police. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2023-04-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 spreading in U.S. Xinhua) 13:49, April 23, 2023 LOS ANGELES, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A new Omicron subvariant is spreading in the United States, and has accounted for nearly 10 percent of new weekly COVID-19 cases reported across the country, according to data updated Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The subvariant XBB.1.16, referred to as "arcturus", has been added by the CDC to its variant tracker. The percentage is expected to increase in the coming weeks, and it may become the next dominant coronavirus strain in the country, experts warned. The highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 remains the dominant strain in the United States and accounted for about 73.6 percent of new COVID-19 cases this week, CDC data showed. The World Health Organization is monitoring XBB.1.16, which is contributing to a recent surge of COVID-19 cases in India. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) " " The router distributes the internet signal and creates a network. Log in to the router from your computer to create a password and make it secure. deepblue4you/Getty Images With WPA2 security enabled, it's unlikely anyone will ever piggyback on your network. But there's an easy way to spot squatters: Since every device connected to your network has a unique IP address and MAC address, you can easily see a list of connected devices often listed as "clients" on one of the settings pages for your wireless router. Many devices broadcast an ID because they've been named by their owners, so if you see "John's Laptop" connected to your network and you don't have a John in the house, you've found trouble! Even if a device doesn't show a name in the router's client list, you can count the number of devices connected and compare to the number of devices you know should be there to see if the numbers are off. Want to make absolutely sure no one's going to figure out your password and worm their way onto your network? You have a few options. Your router can hide its SSID, meaning it won't show up for anyone searching for connectable networks. The address will have to be entered manually. Advertisement You can also set up a wireless MAC filter to "whitelist" devices you own, disabling access for anyone else. Of course, this makes it a bit tougher for welcome guests, such as friends, to get online at your house. But that still leaves the burning question what do you do if you think someone is routinely using your WiFi without your permission? If you suspect someone's stealing your WiFi, you have a number of detective tools at your disposal. For starters, you could simply shut off all of your WiFi devices, like your phone and your laptop and then watch for blinking lights on the front of your router. If the router seems to be showing data transfer even with your family's devices powered down, you may have a piggybacker nearby. You can also smartphone apps like WiFi Thief Detector or for iOS users, WiFi Guard, which help you spot intruders. Internet monitoring software is another option. A program such as Wireless Network Watcher lets both Windows and MacOS users keep tabs on all connected devices and potential suspicious activity. When you launch the program, you'll see your computer nicknames, as well as manufacturer brands of the devices that are connected. If you're still confused (perhaps because you have so many devices), you can turn off each one and watch as it disappears from the list. If you power down all of your WiFi gadgets and still see active devices, you're a step closer to identifying a potential problem. If you can't identify a device on your network, simply change the password. You'll have to reauthorize all of your WiFi devices with the new password, of course, but this is quickest and easiest way to resecure your network and get peace of mind [source: Gordon]. As long as your network has a strong and unique password, only a hacker using specialized software is going to get past your security. A simple Google search will reveal just how many password hacking resources are available to criminals. For example, technology site Ars Technica has detailed how a $2,500 program called Silica can be used in conjunction with websites containing dictionaries of millions of words to connect to a secured network and crack its password. Hashcat is another popular password hacking tool. Like Silica, it's paired with databases of millions of the most popular password combinations until it figures out the correct password. It works and it's extremely easy to do, even for novice hackers [source: Porup]. But there's still an effective and efficient way to stop most hackers in their tracks: Use a secure password. The longer and harder to guess, the safer your network will be. With a strong password, you shouldn't ever have to worry about keeping tabs on who connects to your network. Piggybackers will have to find someone else to mooch off of. Advertisement Originally Published: Apr 30, 2009 Manila, April 23 : A member of the Philippine House of Representatives has filed a resolution urging the Department of Education (DepEd) to include foreign language studies other than English in school curriculum. House of Representatives Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan filed the resolution as the DepEd reviews the K-12 program, reports Xinhua news agency. He said Filipino students must draw inspiration from national hero Jose P. Rizal, who was said to be conversant in 22 languages. In his resolution, Libanan said that "the whole world has become a global village with multilingual labour markets, thus creating a strong demand for workers with foreign language skills". He added that global corporations based in large economies such as the US and China have been known to prefer hiring staff who can speak a second foreign language besides English. Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, in her 2023 Basic Education Report, also declared that DepEd intends to revise and improve the K-12 program to develop competent and job-ready lifelong learners. Guwahati, April 23 : 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." Bengaluru, April 23 : With the Supreme Court looking into the same-sex marriage issue, one of the oldest civilisations, and the largest democracy in the world, waits with bated breath for the outcome. For the LGBTQ community, after the historic moments in 2018 when homosexuality was finally decriminalised following the Supreme Court ruling, this could well be the next defining moment in its quest for equality in society. Part of the prevailing optimism that things will change for the better, is fuelled by the changing societal attitudes towards issues like same-sex relationships. The slow but steady acceptance of movies in this genre is also playing a part in changing perceptions towards sexual minorities. Realizing the limited opportunities available to the community to bring their stories to the screen, UK-based Indian filmmaker Neeraj Churi started Lotus Visual Productions with the sole purpose of producing and promoting South Asian LGBTQ+ films worldwide. He has been associated with several film projects including 'Sheer Qorma' (2021), 'Queer Parivaar' (2022), 'Gair' (2022) and 'Muhafiz' (2022). The latest production by Neeraj, 'Ek Jagah Apni', has received global recognition for its raw portrayal of the transgender community. 'Ek Jagah Apni' was also selected for Cannes Marche Du Film 2022 as part of NFDC-Goes-To-Cannes. The film premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2022 and won the Certificate of Merit as well as special mention for two leads at the International Film Festival of Kerala 2022. Churi feels that movies can be catalyst for societal change. "Those who are in the process of coming out, or are yet to come out probably feel more comfortable and less confused about their gender or orientation. They also feel less overwhelmed when they eventually decide to 'come out'." Films and the media can build empathy and understanding. By amplifying marginalized voices and creating diverse perspectives, we can move towards a more equitable and just society where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Cinema, when seen by wider community hopefully helps them understand that the existence of the LGBTQ+ community is not just a western implant, Churi told IANS. He opined that legalizing same-sex marriage or broadening the term to marriage-equality to include trans individuals, is not just a matter of equality, it's a matter of dignity and humanity for those involved. "It's about providing the LGBTQ+ community with the same legal and social recognition that heterosexual couples receive. We are talking about access to insurances, medical benefits, financial nominations and the same benefits that spouses have. It's about creating a more inclusive and accepting society that normalizes queer people as opposed to making them seem like objects to be afraid of," he elaborated. On a lighter note, the filmmaker feels that according legal sanctity to same-sex marriages will also lead to economic benefits for society at large. "The Indian wedding industry is already a behemoth -- $50 billion -- and by opening it up to same-sex couples, we can tap into a whole new category of couples across the globe looking at India as a destination to get married. Here's hoping that love prevails over hate and bias," he signs off. Chennai, April 23 : Indian transgender activist, writer, painter, poet and motivational speaker Kalki Subramaniam is the founder of the Sahodhari Foundation which works for the rights of the transgender community. She has also spoken to more than a million students in various universities within and outside the country. Kalki has been one of the key persons who fought legally for the community and won a landmark victory in 2014 in the Supreme Court which gave them the rights of 'Third Gender' and also the right to identify as male, female or third gender. The country's foremost trans activist spoke to IANS on the same-sex marriage issue. Excerpts: IANS: What is your opinion on same-sex marriage? Kalki: It is an individual right and I support it 100 per cent. IANS: What difference will the legalisation of same-sex marriage make to the gay and lesbian communities? Kalki: Ours is a democratic country whose Constitution celebrates and respects an individual's right firmly. People who feared exclusion will be relieved and happy. IANS: Will same-sex marriage irreparably damage the social fabric of the country, as is being alleged by the critics of the idea? Kalki: No, it will not cause any harm to the existing system. Decades ago people used to say women should not be educated, see what happened. Today more and more women are getting educated and becoming independent which is absolutely good and that is what a civilized society does. Women contribute to our country's development in a huge way. Same way, if same-sex marriage is legalised, then gay and lesbian people could contribute even more to the country's growth story. IANS: Will same-sex marriage affect the trans community? Kalki: Same-sex marriages will not affect the transgender community. We have many issues which are a priority to us. Poverty is widespread in the transgender community. Employment, livelihood, health, housing, inclusion are issues. Though we support same-sex marriage, our issues are different. For the transgender community, those are more important than marriage. Our very survival is an issue. Inclusion, our safety and security, education, jobs and means of livelihood, access to health services are all still uncertain for us. Those are our priorities. Reservation in education and jobs is our priority. We need horizontal reservation for transgender people. That is our future. Marriage of course is very important, but we, the transgender people, have deeper concerns. Nonetheless, we support and stand up for same-sex marriage. IANS: Can the courts be decision-makers on such crucial social matters as same-sex marriage? Kalki: For legal protection, we definitely need the courts' intervention. That is one of the major reasons why we need same-sex marriage legalisation from the Supreme Court. IANS: People who support same-sex marriages point to the practice being recognised by the law in certain countries in the West. Your comment? Kalki: That is actually no need to point out Western countries. Even in our famous epics such as Mahabharata and Kamasutra we see references to same-sex love and marriage. IANS: Several prominent religions and spiritual and religious leaders are against same-sex marriage. What is your message to them? Kalki: I want to tell them that opposing same-sex love and marriage is what colonisation has done to our country. I want to tell them "Please turn back and see your roots, you belong to a country that has believed in diversity and inclusion even in ancient times. Opposing LGBT communities' right is what colonisation has done to you". Kolkata, April 23 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be operating from a single office in Kolkata in the coming days. Currently, the two main units of the central probe agency -- the anti-corruption branch (ACB) and the special operation group (SOG) -- are operating from two different locations. The ACB, which is mainly dealing the probe in different financial scams like recruitment irregularities in teaching and non- teaching staff in state-run schools, cattle smuggling and coal smuggling among others, is operating from the CBI's Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata. On the other hand, the SOG, which is handling the probe on the post-poll violence cases in West Bengal, is operating from the central government office (CGO) complex office at Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata. Sources said that the decision to bring all the units of the central agency under one roof has been taken with the view of bringing about better coordination between the different units. If everything moves in the right direction, the sources added, all the operating units of the prime investigation agency of the country in Kolkata will be under one roof at Mominpur Square, which is well connected with different parts of the city. The decision on this count, sources said, was finalised during the recent visit of CBI's additional director Ajay Bhatnagar to Kolkata. Bhatnagar was in Kolkata primarily to review the progress of investigation by the central agency in different cases with special focus on recruitment scam, While the CBI is bringing all its units under roof in Kolkata, Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a parallel probe in many cases specially the ones handled by ACB, is increasing its office space and adding additional infrastructure in its existing facilities at Central Government Office (CGO) complex at Salt Lake. Currently, the ED has two facilities in two separate buildings within the CGO complex. However, following the increased pressure of high-profile investigations, there had been an increase in the staff strength at these two offices. Often the investigating officers have to take high-profile persons into custody for questioning and for that purpose they are required to set up make-shift lockups in the existing facilities, which is a matter of immense inconvenience. So, the ED authorities have decided to occupy the space vacated by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation, whose majority staff has moved to the organisation's own office elsewhere in Salt Lake only. This new space will be renovated to be mainly used for setting up lockups for housing those detained by the ED sleuths for the purpose of interrogation. Seoul, April 23 : The state of South Australia (SA) has announced a ban on a popular type of fishing net to protect platypuses and turtles. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) recently said SA will become the fifth state or territory to ban the use of opera house nets for recreational and commercial fishers from July 1. Used to catch yabbies -- a common freshwater crustacean -- the funnel-shaped nets are harmful to non-target species. Gavin Begg, the executive director of PIRSA, said the move to ban the nets would protect air-breathing animals such as native water rats, freshwater turtles and the iconic platypus. Anglers have widely welcomed the decision to ban the controversial nets but have expressed concerns about how existing nets will be disposed of. Asher Dezsery, executive officer of RecFish SA, said the industry was hoping for a plan from the government to phase out the nets sustainably. In 2022, BCF -- one of Australia's largest retailers of outdoor clothing and equipment -- announced it would withdraw opera house nets from sale after platypus deaths. Bhopal, April 23 : With Madhya Pradesh elections just six months away, political temperature has started rising slowly in the state. Now the words like 'traitors', 'Khuddar', 'divisive' are being used to attack each other. After a decade and a half, the Congress came to power in the state, but it slipped out of hand within 15 months. The Congress government under Kamal Nath, which came to power in December 2018, collapsed after MLAs loyal to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the saffron party following his rebellion in the grand old party. This is the reason why Scindia is always on the target of Congress. Madhya Pradesh politics has heated up again as senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh and Scindia indulged in an ugly war of words. The former chief minister has repeatedly attacked Scindia by calling him a 'traitor'. Singh recently visited Ujjain city in Madhya Pradesh, where the Mahakaleshwar temple is located and said, "Hey Mahakal, a second Jyotiraditya Scindia should not be born in the Congress." After this statement, Scindia said: "Lord Mahakal please ensure an 'anti-national' like Singh, who also greatly harmed Madhya Pradesh, is not born in India." Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan openly defended Scindia and said, "Scindia is not a traitor, he is self-righteous. After all, how much insult he tolerates from the Congress party." The tussle between Singh and the Scindia family is not hidden from anyone, as they are now openly making statements against each other. Political experts said that elections are just six months away, this is just the beginning of the attacks. It will not be surprising if there is a turn of personal attacks in the coming days. Both the leaders come from the same region, both of them have a special eye on the Gwalior-Chambal region and they know that victory and defeat here will decide their future. Chennai, April 23 : A man in Kerala's Kochi was arrested on Sunday for issuing a death threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi - only to get even with his neighbour with whom he had a quarrel, police said. The arrested man was identified as Xavier, a catering contractor from Kathrikadavu. The state BJP office had received a threat letter last week before stating that the Prime Minister would be assassinated during his visit to the state on April 24 and 25. The letter addressed to BJP Kerala state President, K. Surendran was signed by a person called N.J. Johny and his phone number was also mentioned in the letter. When police questioned Johny based on a complaint filed by Surendran, he feigned ignorance of the threat letter but said that he had a dispute with his neighbour Xavier. Police took Xavier in custody and he revealed that he had himself sent the letter in the name of Johny, to create problems for his neighbour. A scientific verification of his handwriting also proved that it was indeed Xavier who had sent the letter. Xavier was arrested and questioned for long hours but only stated that he had no intention to threaten the Prime Minister but instead had used this route to get even with his neighbour. Ernakulam Police Commissioner, K. Sethuraman led the investigation team. Los Angeles, April 23 : Actor Charlie Sheen publicly begged Elon Musk to return his blue Twitter check mark, recently. Sheen, like thousands of others, lost his official verification badge after a site-wide purge of legacy verified accounts. He was among the ones who refused to pony up for Twitter Blue - Musk's $8-dolllar-a-month subscription service, reports New York Post. "Dear @elonmusk. I'm sorry your fancy rocket exploded in spectacular fashion. I'm certain you'll build an even bigger and more explody one," Sheen wrote. "Now, may I please have my blue check back? It would mean a lot to me. Thank you in advance, sincerely - C Sheen." The "fancy rocket" the 'Two and a Half Men' and 'Platoon' star referenced was Musk's 400-foot tall SpaceX Starship, which exploded moments after taking off in Boca Chica, Texas. Officials say that the Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, will one day be capable of taking people to the moon and Mars. New York Post further states that though Musk has agreed to cover the costs for a few megawatt accounts like Stephen King, LeBron James and William Shatner, he offered no indication that Sheen would be among that select group. "I feel your pain," he tweeted in response to Sheen's appeal. However, Sheen's blue check was soon restored. "Oh my! it's like Xmas and my birthday all at once! @elonmusk," the actor tweeted just after 5 p.m." I'm flushed with gratitude. Rock Star move, good sir." Colombo, April 23 : Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickermesinghe has said that in the backdrop of India becoming the world's most populated country while having industrialisation which is on fast track, Sri Lanka can reap the benefits, and plan to become an air and sea hub in the region. Addressing the 30 year development plan of the Colombo North Port workshop here, Wickremesinghe highlighted the importance of probing the development in India to find the connectivity that is going to take place between India and Sri Lanka and pointed out the opportunities that India's southern neighbour would receive. "By 2050, India will be the most populous country in the world. From 1.4 billion, it will be up to 1.7 billion people. The industrialisation of India is happening fast, especially in some areas. You find Gujarat, Maharashtra and other one in southern India, especially in Tamil Nadu," Wickremesinghe said on Friday. "But this is the beginning. From there it should spread to other areas. So, industrialisation manufacturing is now taking place in India. It still has not reached the level that China reached somewhere in 2010. It still has to go there. So, if at all at some stage, it will be that the progress will be not arithmetic but geometrical progression," Wickremesinghe stated. "So, we will have the development in India. Then what is the connectivity that's going to take place between India and Sri Lanka. Our closest point is in the north. Are we going to have a role in the role of ferries? Are we going to have more permanent structures? These are issues that we have to resolve and that will also determine the viability of our ports, especially of the port of Colombo. So in looking at the port there's only two issues which came to my mind. "Firstly, it is the environment, especially the impact on fishing that we have to take seriously. Because before you start building you have to get the support of the people in the area," the Sri Lanka President said. Wickremesinghe said that in its journey to make Sri Lanka a hub and a developed country within the next 25 years, the island nation has to look at the development in India and the region including Bangladesh, Iran and the entire Makran coast. "With the Trincomalee Port, we are discussing with India on the development of the Trincomalee Port on the basis that in the next 25 years there will be vast development in the Bay of Bengal, both on the Indian side, the Bangladeshi side, Malaysia and even Myanmar. "So we have to look at the Trincomalee Port and also its capacity to be a point for cruise tourism in the Bay of Bengal." He said the island nation with over 22 million has to think of the future, what we will do in the next 25 years, how we are going ahead to make this a developed country. We have to look at the developments in India, in Bangladesh, in Iran, and total, in assessing the role that Sri Lanka has to play as a hub, that is important. "We have to remember one thing only that what is going to take place in India, what's the development in Pakistan and what's the development going to be in Iran. Those three will decide the capacity, the number of TUs that we can have, the number of containers, the units we have would depend on that. As it is now, people have a very bright forecast for India, and that's possible if it can be achieved," Ranil Wickremesinghe said. Referring to a report on the feasibility of the north port, Wickremeisnghe also said though Pakistan is going through a financial crisis now like Sri Lanka, the country has a great capacity for development considering its population. "If Iran goes ahead with the Chabahar Port which will join up to Central Asia and Russia, then Makran coast itself is something to look at. So these are all areas we have to think of development," President Wickremesinghe who took over Sri Lanka while it was going through the worst ever post-independent economic crisis said. He also stressed that to become the hub of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka should adjust with the logistic and transport changes taking place with East to West railways in Africa undertaken by China. "Remember that the Chinese are undertaking east to west Railways in Africa together with the African nations. One which will go from Kenya all the way to West African coast and another which will most probably go through Congo. So the whole logistics and transport in the region will change and we have to take that into account and make whatever adjustments we do now to ensure that Sri Lanka becomes the hub of the Indian Ocean. We can do it, we should do it, and we did that over a thousand years ago. I am sure we make up our mind, go ahead," Wickremesinghe reiterated. Elko Convention & Visitors Authority meets at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 25, in the convention centers Cedar Room. The board will hear updates on renovating the digital sign at Idaho Street and College Avenue, and on new stage lighting. Elko City Council meets at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, at Elko City Hall. Council will discuss opposing Senate Bills 226 and 433 which expand the definition of public works projects and could jeopardize future development projects including public-private partnerships between the City and nonprofit entities. Members will also consider a variance allowing a new Dottys Casino to be built with the ground floor below the base flood plain at 404 S. Fifth St. The council will hear a presentation from the Community Development Department and the City Attorney regarding ongoing violations of the Elko City Code, including a public nuisance at 837 Idaho Street, and the owner of the property will be given an opportunity to address the council. Elko County School District trustees will meet at 5:30 p.m. local time Tuesday, April 25, at the Owyhee Combined School band room. Possible action items include a request to convert Owyhee to a four-day school week; and possible policy changes regarding student welfare and student transportation. Spring Creek Association Board of Directors meets at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at the Fairway Community Center. The board will consider implementing a fee structure for the shooting range, approving a pasture lease at the Spring Creek Campground with Rex Steninger, and hear an update on the Neighborhood Watch program. City of Elko California Trails Advisory Board will meet at 8 a.m., Thursday, April 27, at Elko City Hall. The panel is scheduled to receive an update from the Bureau of Land Management regarding the trail center. City of Elko Redevelopment Advisory Council meets at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at Elko City Hall. The panel will consider three applications for Storefront Improvement Grants. Ahmedabad, April 23 : Two sanitation workers died due to suffocation while cleaning a sewage line in Dholka town in Ahmedabad, police said on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday at 5 p.m. when the workers entered the sewage line and subsequently lost consciousness. They were immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead upon arrival. The deceased workers have been identified as Gopal Padhar, aged 24, and Bijal Padhar, aged 32. An official from Dholka police station stated that the cause of death was asphyxiation. An FIR has been filed against contractors Ashiq Thakor and Jagdish Thakor at Dholka police station. The charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the Indian Penal Code Section 304 and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Earlier, the Gujarat government had revealed in the Legislative Assembly that 11 sanitation workers have died from asphyxiation while cleaning drains across the state in the last two years. In response to the alarming statistics, NGO Manav Garima filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday, demanding measures to prevent further deaths among manhole workers and compensation for the families of deceased workers. The NGO claims that the government has yet to compensate the families of 26 out of 152 manhole workers who died between 1993 and 2014. The NGO says that despite the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act's Section 7, which bans local authorities or their agencies from employing people for hazardous sewer cleaning in underground drainage lines or septic tanks, such practices continue to cause numerous fatalities. The organisation reported that 45 incidents involving the deaths of 95 workers have occurred while cleaning septic tanks. Shimla, April 23 : Himachal Pradesh's former Assembly Speaker Rajeev Bindal, considered a confidant of BJP President J.P. Nadda, was on Sunday again made the party chief in the hill state days after incumbent Suresh Kashyap quit ahead of his stint getting over. Four-time legislator Bindal held the state party chief's post in 2020 but resigned on moral grounds after a Health Department scam. While the opposition Congress had demanded a CBI probe, Bindal denied the involvement of any BJP leader in the scam. Holding the health portfolio in the state government from 2007-12, Bindal was told to resign as cabinet minister in July 2012 after a segment of his own party demanded his resignation to project a clean image of the government ahead of Assembly elections that year. Bindal, a former legislator from Nahan and Solan assembly seats, is considered experienced and possessing shrewd organisational skills. Chennai, April 23 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will be visiting Japan, Singapore, and the UK on a week-long tour after May 20, to attract investments as a prelude to the Global Investors Summit planned the state on January 10-11 next year. Stalin had earlier visited the middle eastern countries for attracting investments. According to information, the Chief Minister will be meeting entrepreneurs and government officials in his one-week tour of the three countries. The Tamil Nadu government will be making an official announcement after the next cabinet meeting scheduled for May 2. Thiruvananthapuram, April 23 : Senior Congress leader and former Leader of Opposition in Kerala, Ramesh Chennithala has alleged "huge corruption and irregularities" in buying and installing Artificial Intelligence (AI) backed CCTVs to curb traffic violations in the state. Kerala Transport Department has set up AI-enabled CCTV cameras to spot traffic violators and impose fines on them. It was part of the state government's Safe Kerala project. However, this has been into rough weather after the opposition Congress came up with allegations that huge corruption had taken place in the deal in awarding sub-contracts to companies that were not equipped to set up such cameras. Chennithala, also the former Home Minister of the state, alleged that huge corruption had taken place in the deal to award contracts and sub contracts by the state government Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron) The senior Congress leader alleged that the state government had entered a contract with the Keltron in 2020 to set up a fully automated traffic enforcement system to curb traffic violations and to impose fines on those who were violating the traffic rules. Chennithala said that Keltron then awarded a sub-contract to a Bengaluru-based company, SRIT India Pvt Ltd, in violation of the tender norms and charged that "the company does not have any experience in handling such projects". He also alleged that SRIT India Pvt Ltd then entered a sub-contract with two Kerala-based companies, Light Master Lighting India Ltd, in Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram and Rasadio Technologies Private Ltd at Malaparamba in Kozhikode. He said that "both these companies were not at all experienced in handling these projects". The senior Congress leader said that Rs 151.22 crore was allocated for the project. Chennithala asked "whether any other companies had participated in the tender, and if the contract has been awarded based on the tender process". He called upon the Keltron management to answer the questions. He also alleged that later the amount for the tender was jacked up to Rs 232 crore. The senior Congress leader also said that the cameras were only Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) based, and not AI cameras, as claimed by the state transport department and the state government. Ramesh Chennithala said that if the government does not disclose details on this issue in the next few days, he would bring out more facts. Keltron Managing Director, Narayana Murthy, however, denied the allegations levelled by Ramesh Chennithala. He said that the five year operational cost was Rs 232 crore and its contract with SRIT was to assist in the construction of the posts and installation of cameras. He also clarified that SRIT had given sub-contracts, and that Keltron was not in any way involved in this. State transport minister, Antony Raju told media persons that the idea behind the project was to bring down road accidents due to traffic violations and resultant deaths. He also said that the project was directly dealt by Keltron and not the transport department and hence Keltron had to answer the allegations. Islamabad, April 23 : An audio call, purportedly between Pakistan Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial's mother-in-law, Mahjabeen Noon, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim's wife, Rafia Tariq, surfaced on Sunday where the two were heard discussing their support for the top judge and the wish for snap elections, media reports said. The women, during the alleged call, also expressed their resentment towards the incumbent government in Islamabad, The News reported. Special Assistant to Prime Minister Ata Tarar shared the audio clip on his Twitter account, saying that he is sure about the deep conspiracy after hearing the audio clip. "The Constitution and law have been trampled for the sake of families. The families of Chief Sahib and two colleagues are trying to bring Imran Niazi to power by holding early elections along with attending (political) rallies," Tarar tweeted, as per the The News. In the purported leaked call, Noon and the PTI counsel's wife, speak about their concern for the Chief Justice amid the ongoing election case delay case which is being heard by a three-member bench at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. CJP Bandial's mother-in-law is heard extending her support towards her son-in-law, assuring him to strengthen him in the midst of the rift between the government and the apex court. They also vaguely discuss about being in a Lahore rally where there were hundreds of thousands of people. The bench - headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar as members - in its April 4 order, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the polls in Punjab on May 14. New Delhi, April 23 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Madhya Pradesh as well as Kerala and the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu from April 24 to 25, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation of projects worth over Rs 25,000 crore. In a series of tweets on Sunday, he gave a glimpse of programmes in which he will participate during the next two days. PM Modi will first participate in the National Panchayati Raj Day celebrations at Rewa, Madhya Pradesh on April 24. Incidentally, Madhya Pradesh will go to the polls later this year in December, and in this context, the Prime Minister's repeated tours to the state since the past few weeks hold a lot of political significance. Also, during the event, PM Modi will inaugurate an integrated eGramSwaraj and GeM portal for public procurement at Panchayat level. He will lay the foundation and dedicate to the nation projects worth around Rs 17,000 crore. On April 25, Modi will flag off the Vande Bharat Express at Thiruvananthapuram central railway station. After this, he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation, development projects worth more than Rs 3,200 crore, at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Later during the day, Modi will visit NAMO medical education and research institute and then will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation, various development projects worth more than Rs 4,850 crore at Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. PM Modi will also inaugurate the Devka seafront at Daman. Chandigarh, April 23 : Self-styled Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, finally arrested on Sunday from the village of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in Punjab, after 36 days of cat-and-mouse chase across several states, was largely unknown till last September when he returned to India from Dubai where he was running his family's transport business. After taking charge of 'Waris Punjab De' or "the heirs of Punjab" - floated by lawyer-actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu in 2021, he was trying to position himself as a new fulcrum for the Panthic cause by calling on the youth to "fight for the freedom" of the Panth. Sidhu, one of the accused in the January 26, 2021 Red Fort violence, had died in a road accident near Haryana's Sonepat in February 2022. In September that year, Amritpal Singh's 'dastar bandi' (turban tying) ceremony was held at Rode village, marking his official installation as the head of 'Waris Punjab De'. However, unlike Bhindranwale, he didn't have any formal religious schooling. A dropout from apolytechnic, he had cut his hair and shaved off his beard while in Dubai. However, Deep Sidhu's family, which came in the media glare after the police declared Amritpal Singh fugitive, sought an investigation into the antecedents of someone "who was not liked by Sidhu". Even investigation by the police had revealed that the late actor blocked his mobile number. Mandeep Sidhu, the Ludhiana-based advocate brother of Deep Sidhu, said Amritpal Singh's appointment as head of 'Waris Punjab De', which was founded by his brother, was illegal. "An impression is being given that our family is a party to the decision to appoint Amritpal Singh as the head. This is not true. In fact, Deep never talked about Amritpal and seemed to dislike him. He had blocked Amritpal's phone for 15 days in January and February," he had told the media. He had said screenshots of the blocked number have been shared on social media. "My brother's phone is with me. I have the evidence," he had said. "Deep had founded Waris Punjab De after much research. It has been hijacked. We need an inquiry into the issue." Even Reena Rai, a US-based actress, who was the fiancee of the late Deep Sidhu, had condemned the actions of Amritpal Singh. She said Deep Sidhu was neither a separatist nor a believer in violence. But Amritpal Singh had clandestinely hijacked the party to meet his Khalistani ambitions. She even alleged that everything was being done by Amritpal Singh to collect large amounts of donations from abroad. Amritpal Singh, against whom the National Security Act (NSA) was invoked and a non-bailable warrant issued, had been on the run despite the massive manhunt launched to nab him since March 18. The self-styled preacher, who returned from Dubai last year, tied the knot with Kirandeep Kaur in a simple ceremony in February. A police team, comprising women officers, questioned her in her husband's native place for nearly an hour in connection with alleged foreign funding for the activities of Amritpal Singh. Official sources told IANS that the police had also scanned bank accounts of Amritpal Singh, his wife, and parents to trace sources of funds. Confirming the arrest of Amritpal Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the Aam Aadmi government is duty-bound to preserve the hard-earned peace and communal harmony in the state. "Law is taking its own course in the case of Amritpal Singh, who was a stooge in hands of the forces inimical to the state and country, and no action is being taken against the innocents," he said in a statement. Mann said the state could have arrested Amritpal Singh only on March 18 but they never wanted any bloodshed and today the separatist leader has been arrested without firing a single bullet. He said this was a deep rooted conspiracy to disturb the peace, amity and brotherhood in the state but the government has foiled it by arresting all the key players. Mann said the self-proclaimed religious leader Amritpal Singh ran an organisation which provoked youth to take arms and indulge in illegal activities against the country. The Chief Minister said he knew about the operation to nab the fugitive since Saturday evening, adding he had a sleepless night as he took the update after every 15 minutes from the officers. Mann said when Amritpal had attacked the Ajnala police station by taking the shield of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, he had directed the police to ensure that no disrespect of Sri Guru Granth Sahib took place. He said Guru Granth Sahib is supreme for them due to which the police gave due respect to the vehicle carrying it and allowed its free movement. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com) New Delhi, April 23 : The lenders of Reliance Capital (RCap) will meet on Monday to resolve concerns raised by bidders ahead of the second round of auction on April 26. Torrent Investment and IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL) of Hinduja Group have expressed many reservations on the scheduled auction and its terms. Both the bidders reportedly have conveyed to the Committee of Creditors (CoC) that unless the issues raised by them are resolved, they are unlikely to participate in the auction. Both the bidders want finality, and no negotiation in value or on terms and conditions after the second round of auction is over. On the other hand, the two largest lenders of Reliance Capital -- the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and the LIC are against giving any such undertaking. Both lenders want to room for further negotiations in case the final bid value in the second round of auction is below the liquidation value of Rs 13,000 crore. The EPFO and the LIC collectively hold over 30 per cent voting rights in the COC. The IIHL has said that the bidders who are participating in the auction should give an undertaking that they will not give a bid outside the Challenge Mechanism process. Similarly, bidders also want an undertaking from the CoC that no bid outside the Challenge Mechanism will be considered by them. Torrent has requested to declare after every round how many bidders are participating in the next round and the value of their bids. The Mumbai-bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has extended the deadline for completing the resolution process of RCap by three months to July 16. Hyderabad, April 23 : Agriculture crops in some districts of Telangana were damaged due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms during the last two days. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday directed the officials to take up assessment of damages caused to the crops. In the wake of crop damages due to untimely rains in Choppadandi and Karimnagar rural mandal of Karimnagar district and other parts of the state, the Chief Minister directed Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari to take up the assessment of crop damages. He asked the Chief Secretary speak to District Collectors and get detailed reports on crop damages. This is the second time this summer that untimely rains and hailstorms have damaged crops in parts of Telangana. Meanwhile, minister for civil supplies Gangula Kamalar on Sunday visited a few areas in Karimnagar district and inspected fields damaged by unseasonal rains. Assuring that the KCR government will provide 100 per cent compensation, he advised farmers not to lose heart. He noted that some parts of the district had seen worst-ever damage to the crops. The minister said a second disaster has dealt a blow to farmers even before they could recover from the first. He claimed that the losses were minimised due to timely setting up of paddy procurement centres by the state government Kamalakar assured the affected farmers that the government will procure the paddy soaked in rains. Meanwhile, farmers in Jangaon district staged a protest on a highway demanding payment of compensation for the crop damage due to unseasonal rains. Unseasonal rains and hailstorms had damaged crops over 2.28 lakh acres in various parts of the state last month. The chief minister had then announced a compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre. However, after a survey the agriculture department decided to pay compensation only in respect of 1.51 lakh acres. Officials said the money will be deposited in the bank accounts of 1,30,988 farmers. Chennai, April 23 : The Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) will soon be questioning a few more persons in connection with the Kodanad estate murder case. On April 24, 2017, a burglary attempt took place at the Kodanad estate when a group of people barged into the premises. The incident happened four months after the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, and two months after the arrest of her aide V.K. Sasikala. According to police, 11 people barged into Kodanad estate on April 23, 2017 and killed Om Bahadur, a guard at the estate. Another guard, Krishna Thapa, was attacked and grievously injured. The burglars had escaped with 10 costly watches among other articles. In connection with this incident, on Thursday, a special team of CB-CID conducted a raid on the residential quarters of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kanagaraj. Kanagaraj was a former security officer of AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS). The CB-CID team questioned Kanagaraj for three hours and based on the information provided by him, more persons would be summoned for questioning. The Kodanad estate is a sprawling 900 acre property in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, and owned jointly by Jayalalithaa and Sasikala. Kanakaraj, former driver of Jayalalithaa and the 'accused number one' in the Kodanad burglary, was killed in a road accident on Salem-Chennai highway, five days after the burglary. At the same time, the second accused KV Sayan and his family met with an accident at Palakkad when a truck rammed into the car he and his family were travelling. The wife and daughter of Sayen died in the accident. A few months later, Dhinesh Kumar, the accountant of the Kodanad estate, committed suicide. The DMK in its election campaign for 2021 assembly elections, stated that if it regains power in Tamil Nadu, it would conduct a detailed investigation into the Kodanad estate case. After assuming office, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin ordered a re-investigation, and a special team of CB-CID was constituted. SINGAPORE, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Tsinghua Science Satellite is collecting data to help with the precise tracking and forecasting of space debris, said Wang Zhaokui, a professor of Tsinghua University at the 5th Committee on Space Research Symposium in Singapore Thursday. The satellite, launched from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Aug. 6, 2020, is currently operating normally in orbit, Wang said. It collects continuous precision orbital data to improve the Earth's upper atmosphere model, which is significant to the precise tracking and forecasting of space debris, Wang said. "The satellite weighs 21.2 kg and operates with a mission orbit altitude of 500 km. It adopts a pure spherical novel configuration to ensure that the atmospheric drag is independent of the satellite's attitude, thereby greatly improving the accuracy of atmospheric density measurement," said the satellite expert. "Our team also developed an electromagnetic separation system, a super capacitor-battery power system, and an integrated full-field solar sensor, which lays a solid foundation for the development of scientific small satellites in the future," Wang noted. "We have cultivated a research team with an average age of 25 years old through the development of the satellite and they will be a strong reserve to China's space science research," the professor said. Held at Nanyang Technological University, the event lasts from April 16 to 21. It attracts over 200 scientists, researchers and industry experts discussing advances in space sciences, with a focus on the emerging field of small satellite development. Editor: ZAD New Delhi, April 23 : Days before the meeting of the Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Delhi this week, India and China on Sunday held the 18th Corps Commanders-level talks -- nearly five months after the last round in December last year. At the meeting at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point in the eastern Ladakh sector, the Ladakh-based Fire and Fury Corps Commander Lt Gen Rashim Bali led the Indian side. It is understood to have raised the issue of the Depsang plains, Demchok and disengagement by both sides. The repeated attempts by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to violate the Line of Actual Control (LAC), leading to tension in Ladakh, spurred the institution of the Corps Commander-level meetings in 2020. While the two sides agreed on mutual withdrawals from Pangong Tso, Gogra, and Hot Springs, the Depsang Plains and Demchok remain points of contention and tension. Both sides have not been able to make any headway on these two issues. India has sought de-escalation in which additional troops and equipment will be withdrawn to resume the status of April 2020. However, China has not agreed and wants the present holding positions to be recognised. Amid the SCO Defence Ministers' in person meeting on April 27-28, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also likely to hold bilateral talks with his newly-installed Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, and the situation on the LAC is likely to figure in these. The SCO comprises Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Pakistan. Kolkata, April 23 : A major fire broke out at Kolkata's Salt Lake area on Sunday evening in which around 60 shanties there were totally gutted, leaving potentially hundreds of people homeless. However, no casualties have been reported, officials said. As of around 10 p.m, the fire at the Falguni Market was yet to be brought under control with 10 fire tenders deployed to tackle the blaze. What added panic in the locality was the bursting of the gas cylinders stored in the shanties one after another. State Fire Services Minister Sujit Basu and Mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation Krishna Chakraborty immediately rushed to the spot. Attempts were on to prevent the fire from spreading to the housing complexes adjacent to the shanties which have already been engulfed by the devastating fire. Locals said that the slum area in Falguni Market area where the fire broke out had over 100 shanties and majority of them have been completely gutted by the devastating fire. However, till the time the report was filed, there was no casualty on this count. "Those who were inside the shanties while the fire broke out have been safely evacuated," a fire officer present at the spot said. He added that the narrow approach-way to the shanties posed an immense problem for the fire-tenders to reach near the source of fire. Chakraborty said that the homeless people whose shanties were completely gutted by the fire had been sheltered at a local community hall for the time being. "They have also been provided with food. Alternative arrangement and compensation will be arranged for them," she said. --IANS src/vd A A New Delhi, April 23 : The Bar Council of India on Sunday expressed its great anxiety and serious concern over a constitution bench of the Supreme Court hearing a plea for recognition to the same-sex marriage. The lawyers' association emphasised that "any indulgence by the apex court in the matter will result in destabilising the social structure of the country in coming days", and added that it would be catastrophic to overhaul something as fundamental as the conception of marriage by the court. A joint meeting of all the state Bar councils with Bar Council of India passed a unanimous resolution stating it is advisable that this is dealt with after an elaborative consultation process involving different social, and religious groups by the competent legislature. The lawyers' association stressed that a matter having far reaching impact on our socio-cultural and religious beliefs should necessarily come through legislative process only. It asked the Supreme Court, hearing a batch of petitions for granting legal sanctity to the same sex marriage, to respect the sentiments and mandate of the mass of the country. The resolution said, "As per documented history, ever since the inception of human civilisation and culture, marriage has been typically accepted and categorised as a union of biological man and woman for the twin purpose of procreation and recreation. In such background, it would be catastrophic to overhaul something as fundamental as the conception of marriage by any Law Court, howsoever well-intentioned it may be." It claimed that every responsible and prudent citizen of the country is worried about the future of his/her children after coming to know about the pendency of this matter before the Supreme Court. "The vast majority believes that any decision of the apex court in petitioners' favour on this issue will be treated to be against the culture and socio religious structure of our country. The Bar is the mouthpiece of the common men and, therefore, this meeting is expressing their anxiety over this highly sensitive issue. The Joint Meeting is of clear opinion that if the Supreme Court shows any indulgence in this matter, it will result in destabilising the social structure of our country in coming days," it said. The resolution asked the top court to leave the issue for the legislative consideration. According to BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, the meeting also unanimously resolved to ask the Centre for effective law for the protection of lives, interests and privilege of the advocates and their families and provide compensation to them in case of any attack. Kohima, April 23 : The Naga National Political Groups (NNPG), an grouping of six Naga outfits, on Sunday asked Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio "to withdraw any kind of agreement with Assam on disturbed, unresolved boundary areas and mineral exploration attempt therein, as it is guarded by Naga historical and political sanctity". Rio and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma last week held talks on settlement of border disputes, and agreed, in principle, on exploring oil in disputed areas for economic benefit of both states. Both Chief Ministers also discussed issues of mutual interests and collaboration on oil exploration along the inter-state border. After the meeting with Sarma, Rio had told the media that both states have, in principle, decided to go in for a MoU on oil exploration in the disputed areas along the inter-state boundary so that oil can be extracted and royalties shared between both states. "Once it is formalised, there is huge potential for exploration of oil inside Nagaland also. And to move forward as the country needs oil in a big way," he added. Oil exploration could not be taken up in Nagaland for quite some time as there has been a standoff on the exploration issue between the Centre and the state. The Working Committee of the NNPG, in a statement on Sunday, said that it is constrained to demand the Nagaland Chief Minister to withdraw any kind of understanding with Assam on the disturbed, unresolved boundary areas and mineral exploration attempt therein, "as it is guarded by Naga historical and political sanctity and therefore, immoral and unacceptable to the stakeholders". "Assam and Nagaland do not have any powers to negotiate or enter into mutual agreements on oil exploration or any sharing contract on the unresolved border areas, as the matter has been subject to intense Negotiations between the NNPG and the Government of India," the statement said. It said that the subject is a core part of Naga political talks, negotiated and awaiting final agreement between the Central and Naga negotiators. Both Assam and Nagaland state governments are only caretaker governments as far as the disputed areas are concerned, the NNPG said, adding that the two state governments should not forget the past history of violence and conflict along the borders that cost hundreds of innocent lives and police personnel. "The handshakes should not invite another round of bloodshed. There are armed revolutionary movements fighting for the right to safeguard their historical political rights in both the regions and therefore the MoUs are premature and unwise as it cannot wash away the stain of a thousand's blood." It added that the proposed MOU on explorational of mineral activities on the undemarcated borders would have serious consequences in the border areas. "Leaders should not take the peaceful situation as a license to do anything they wish on land and resources. "They will be held solely responsible for my repercussions in the disputed areas. Let it be that Nagas are solely landowners in the disturbed area belt and they have every right to adopt any measure to protect historical and customary rights over land against blatant misuse of power and authority by embezzlers and profiteers. The NNPG has not surrendered our ancestral land to any neighbouring states," the statement said. The Central government has been holding talks with the NSCN-IM, the dominant Naga outfit and the NNPG to resolve the decades-old Naga political issue. The stalemate continued as the NSCN-IM remained firm on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas. Patna/Kolkata, April 23 : Taking forward his bid to unite opposition parties of the country, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is going to meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday. Sources have said that Nitish Kumar will go to Kolkata by special flight in the afternoon and meet Banerjee. He will discuss the points on which opposition parties are uniting against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. It is expected that he will stay for three to four hours in Kolkata, including one and half or two hours meeting with his West Bengal counterpart. However, leaders of Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had earlier pegged the Nitish Kumar-Banerjee meeting for April 25. Trinamool insiders said that Nitish Kumar is supposed to come to Kolkata on Tuesday morning and there is a high possibility of his meeting with Banerjee at the latter's Kalighat residence in south Kolkata on the same evening. A member of the West Bengal cabinet said that the meeting will focus on the unity of opposition forces against BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In the last couple of months, Banerjee has had an array of meetings with a number of non-BJP and non-Congress leaders on the issue of opposition unity against the BJP in the 2024 polls. Last month, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met her in Kalighat. In the meeting, the two leaders agreed to maintain a distance with Congress and rather focus on the unity of the regional forces against BJP in the 2024 polls. Soon after meeting Akhilesh Yadav, Banerjee went to Odisha and had a meeting with her counterpart Naveen Patnaik. This was followed by a visit to Kolkata by Janata Dal-Secular leader H.D. Kumaraswamy during which he met Banerjee. Last week, she also called up her counterpart in Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin and discussed the unity of opposition forces against the role of Governors in the opposition-ruled state in the country. In the recent past, Banerjee, in all her public meetings, stressed that if the opposition gets united before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, then it is possible to bring an end to the BJP-led regime. However, she has always avoided the tricky issue of whether Congress is a part of her blueprint of united opposition against BJP. Meanwhile, as per the JD-U, after meeting Banerjee, Nitish Kumar will go straight away to Lucknow to meet Akhilesh Yadav and discuss the same points. Nitish Kumar earlier met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, left party leaders D Raja and Sitaram Yechury to discuss opposition unity. Bengaluru, April 23 : In a sign that the election temperatures are on the rise in the poll-bound state of Karnataka, the ruling BJP on Sunday shared a video of a Congress leader slapping a youngster. The video that is gaining traction on social media purportedly shows Congress leader and MLA, M.B. Patil "in action" while on the campaign trail. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Karnataka on May 10. "Goondaism is in the DNA of Congress. Arrogant Karnataka Congress MLA M.B. Patil physically assaults a youth for sharing his grievances. Getting beaten up for sharing grievances is the ONLY guarantee that Congress delivers," the Karnataka BJP tweeted alongside the video. As per BJP supporters, Patil had allegedly slapped the man when he asked uncomfortable questions about the developmental work done for his village in Babaleshwar assembly constituency of Vijayapura district. A miffed Patil had allegedly responded by landing a slap on the man's face while campaigning in his constituency on Saturday night. The Congress MLA had, however, claimed that his action was prompted by the unparliamentary language used on stage by the youth. Colombo, April 24 : Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has said that the planned International Meditation Centre at the Sita Amman Temple in the central hills, one of the top destinations for Hindu pilgrims in the island nation, will be a symbol of the close ties between Sri Lanka and India. "I have the fullest confidence that this Centre for Meditation will be a great strength to uplift the human minds not only of the Sri Lankan society but also of the people of India and other nations to instill positive thoughts and ethical values. It will also be a symbol of the close ties between Sri Lanka and India since ancient times," Gunawardena said while laying the foundation stone for the Centre at Sita Amman Temple at Sita Eliya in Nuwara Eliya on Sunday. Situated in the Nuwara Eliya valley in the central hills of Sri Lanka, the Sita Amman Temple, which also known as Seetha Amman Kovil, has become the number one destination for Hindu pilgrims from India travelling along the Ramayana Trail. The temple is believed to mark the grove Ashoka Vatika or Ashoka Vana in the Ramayana epic, the place where Sita was held in captivity on the island of Lanka. After Sita had refused to stay in King Ravana's palace, she was brought to this grove where she lived under Ashoka trees. While thanking the Government of India for the support given to Sri Lanka to fight the unprecedented economic crisis, Gunawardena also expressed gratitude towards India's support to build the meditation centre. He thanked Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, Delhi Rotary Club and its President Pradeep Jain, Sita Amman Temple Committee President V. Radhakrishnan and philanthropists from India for providing generous assistance to build the proposed meditation centre. "It is not merely the financial assistance, but the thought of helping such a project is highly appreciable," he asserted. Gunawardena said that the great religions of Asia -- Buddhism and Hinduism -- coexist in Sri Lanka to enhance positive ethical values to the society. "Followers of these religions lived and worked together making our society stronger and progressive." A special stamp depicting the history of the Sita Amman Temple, together with a commemorative cover was issued to mark the event on Sunday. Besides Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, Sita Amman Temple Committee President V. Radhakrishnan and President of Delhi Rotary Club Pradeep Jain, a large gathering of foreign and local devotees was also present at the ceremony. "Our technicians are on standby 24/7, waiting to assist you," The statistics are in and violent crime is on the rise throughout Miami. Progress has been made in some areas, but it seems the city still has a long battle ahead when it comes to such things as robberies and aggravated assaults. To address the need for heightened security, homeowners in the Miami, FL area will be able to take advantage of a new smart lock sale and an installation promo discount that will help them ensure their house is secure at all times. Right now Quickly Locksmith is offering a 10% discount when its experts install a new smart lock system in the home. There is also a discount on the products themselves of up to 10%. The products that qualify for the discount change weekly, so customers are encouraged to act fast if they see a smart lock that interests them. New inventory will also arrive monthly and may qualify for the discount. With violent crime on the rise in Miami, there is no time like the present to take home security and safety seriously. Miami Reports a Bit of a Mixed Bag When It Comes to Crime: With statistics showing that violent crime is on the rise, it's leaving residents feeling rather uneasy. The one good takeaway that is being reported by police is that there has been a decrease in gun violence, shootings, and murders. This is credited to a multi-level approach that was put into motion in 2022. But the fact that violent crime is on the rise, including robberies, has left homeowners questioning how they can better secure their property and not end up a victim or a statistic. It's a well-known fact that burglars like to get in and out as fast as possible to ensure they aren't caught, but they can do a lot of damage and steal many valuable and even irreplaceable belongings in that time. They typically look for electronics such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other such hardware as well as cash and jewelry. Anything that can easily be sold with no questions asked is what they're after. This is where Quickly Locksmith's promotion can come in really handy, helping homeowners to secure their most expensive and cherished items while taking advantage of the new discounted price. Smart locks are one of the hottest trends in the home security industry right now and offer features that traditional locks can't compete with. Why Choose a Smart Lock? Do Homeowners Need to Upgrade? So why choose a smart lock? Is an upgrade really necessary for the home? Homeowners need to think about the valuables in the home, what they would do if these items were to be stolen, and how they would feel if a potential home invasion were to happen while they were at home. Its a scary thought and a situation people dont like to think about, but again the numbers dont lie and crime is on the rise. Smart locks excel in the category of convenience. Options such as a biometric lock, touchscreen panel, and key-free screens have become commonplace. A traditional keyed lock simply cant compete. Theres also the fact that homeowners dont have to worry about losing a key, or someone making a copy. The smart lock is only accessible to those with the code. That code can also be changed if its gotten into the wrong hands. Besides, select smart locks is available at a reduced price, Quickly Locksmith Miami also now features a "Deal of the Day" and a "Deal of the Month". Its a great way to appeal to all budgets and ensure all homeowners have the ability to upgrade their home security. Smart locks have a lot more features on them, and that means they need to be installed correctly. For those who dont have experience with one of these smart lock systems, it can also be helpful to have a professional walk them through the basics in terms of operation. "Our technicians are on standby 24/7, waiting to assist you," says Quickly Locksmith. "We will have your smart lock protection perfectly in tune with the manufacturer's configuration." All installers are certified and the company is fully licensed and insured. The standout feature of a smart lock system has to be the remote capabilities. To lock/unlock a smart lock you'll be using a keypad or even your smart device with a companion app installed. This also gives homeowners the ability to control their lock remotely if there is a companion app. It eliminates the problem of getting to work and questioning if the door has been locked. Simply log into the app and check the status. It's perfect for homeowners who aren't home when their kids leave and get home from school too as they can monitor when the door was unlocked and by who. Some of the more high-end models are also compatible with other smart home devices. What Other Steps Can Homeowners Take? While making an upgrade to a smart lock system is a step in the right direction where security and safety are concerned, there are plenty of other steps homeowners can take. Installing ample outdoor lighting with motion detection, cutting back overgrown trees, and ensuring all locks are in good working condition and window and door frames are not cracked or damaged are also essential. Homeowners are also reminded to take the necessary steps to secure their attached or detached standalone garage. Garages are a big target when it comes to robberies, especially since criminals are well aware of the tools, equipment, and other such items that are typically kept in them. Installing high-tech secure locks on the home doesnt secure the garage. The two spaces should be seen as separate and have their own locking systems. For more helpful tips on securing the home during this time of heightened violent crimes, Quickly Locksmith Miami offers an informative blog on its website. The blog is filled with helpful tips, advice, and guides all related to home security. Sources: https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2022/09/20/miami-dade-homicides-violent-crime https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/miami-sees-decrease-in-murders-shootings-city-stats/3007274/ Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Peach Home Services, LLC, 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 Peach Home Services, LLC, alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against Peach Home Services, LLC is currently pending in the Riverside County Superior Court, Case No. CVRI2301747. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here. According to the lawsuit filed, Peach Home Services, LLC allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, and (f) failed to pay sick pay wages, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections 201-204, 226, 226.7, 233, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct. Additionally, Peach Home Services, LLC allegedly failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code 2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, Plaintiff and other California Class Members were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones as a result of and in furtherance of their job duties. For more information about the class action lawsuit against Peach Home Services, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County, and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and other types of illegal workplace conduct. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan passes a book to a student at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students wait to receive books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) This photo taken on April 19, 2023 shows an inside view of Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan passes a book to a student at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) This photo taken on April 19, 2023 shows the exterior view of Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan cheers students up at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan explains a Chinese poem on spring rain to students at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Liu Yimenghan passes a book to a student at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students read books at Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) School in Mathare Valley of Nairobi, Kenya, April 19, 2023. The Mathare Valley, located in Nairobi, is the second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2014. The organization has been continuing and promoting charity work in Mathare area. Thanks to the efforts made in the past years, several schools in Mathare have been renovated. Many poor children have free meals for lunch and have a chance to receive scholarships. Dream Building Service Association (DBSA) built its own school in 2016 in Mathare. Ahead of the World Book Day which falls on April 23, the school received a batch of books. Liu Yimenghan, a DBSA co-founder, and other teaching staff here held a reading event in hope of enhancing and encouraging the habits of reading among pupils. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Editor: WXL The 563 Locomotive Group has announced that the next stage in overhauling Adams T3 Class 4-4-0 No. 563 has been reached. The boiler is being refurbished at the Flour Mill workshop in the Forest of Dean, where the Group's Locomotive Superintendent, Graham Froud, and the boiler inspector witnessed 563's boiler being filled with water and pressurised to check its integrity. The tests were successfully completed, and an out-of-frames steam test will follow. That will bring the project closer to returning 563 to steam and is a huge credit to the team at the Flour Mill for all the work they've undertaken to get the boiler this far. William Adams designed the T3 Class as an express passenger locomotive for the London and South Western Railway, and 20 were constructed between 1892 and 1893, including No. 563. By the end of 1933, only three T3s remained in service, with 563 being the last operational T3 lasting until it was withdrawn in August 1945 and set aside for preservation. In more recent times, 563 was used in a production of The Railway Children in Toronto, Canada, from May until October 2011, and at King's Cross in London from December 2014 to January 2017. On 30 March 2017, the locomotive was transferred to the Swanage Railway Trust, under whose guidance it has since been undergoing a full restoration programme. In order to finish the restoration, the Group still needs more funds, but now there is less than 50,000 left to raise to get the project over the line. The Group is extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed so far, but anyone who can help contribute to finishing the overhaul can do so in a number of ways. Payments can be made online via the Swanage Railway Trust's website at www.swanagerailwaytrust.org/t3-appeal or the 563 Locomotive Group website www.563locomotivegroup.co.uk. Alternatively, donations can be made by cheque made payable to the Swanage Railway Trust, endorsed 563 Locomotive Group' on the back, and sent to 563 Locomotive Group, Swanage Railway Trust, Station House, Swanage, DORSET, BH19 1HB. Academics advising the Jamaican government on plans to reinstate its disused railway network have visited Birmingham to meet rail industry experts and view progress on the construction of new stations. The team from Jamaica's University of Technology (Utech) are working with the country's Ministry of Transport and Mining to restore the island's rail network. Services stopped in 1992. Their plan includes upgrading Kingston railway station and opening a three-and-a-half mile route through the city. The station has been mothballed since the rail service stopped. Last year, they formed a transatlantic partnership with the University of Birmingham's (UoB) Centre for Railway Research and Education to gain expert advice on the latest construction methods and technologies to deliver an efficient zero-carbon rail line. Restoration of the historic Kingston station and line will help the island's capital to reduce traffic congestion, improve mobility and boost tourism. The team visited Birmingham for three days, during which with viewed work to restore parts of the West Midlands' rail network. This included taking a closer look at the 61 million Camp Hill line project being led by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE). While Jamaica's railway restoration is still in the planning stage, work is already underway on the construction of three stations on the Camp Hill Line in south Birmingham restoring passenger rail services to Mosely Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road for the first time in more than eighty years. The School of Engineering at Utech Jamaica has been at the centre of engineering education in the country for almost sixty years. It has provided Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the world with high-performance engineers who have gone on to make significant contributions in a variety of sectors. The group also visited University station where the new buildings are currently being fitted out ready to open this autumn. Construction of the Camp Hill Line and University station is being carried out by Volkerfitzpatrick on behalf of TfWM. Oneil Josephs, head of the School of Engineering, said: This strategic technical rail tour of Birmingham is an opportunity to build on the Government of Jamaica's intention to rehabilitate rail in the country. This partnership with the University of Birmingham is what the country needs to find a rail solution to the broader transport challenges we face and provide the basis for development across the sector. We look forward to the positive outcomes of this UK tour and our continued partnership with the UoB. Seeing the development of new stations here in Birmingham and how passenger services are coming back after decades, gives us the encouragement to achieve a similar outcome in Jamaica. Liam Brooker, project sponsor for the WMRE and TfWM, said: Restoring railway stations and improving public transport in our towns and cities will better connect our communities, reduce reliance on private cars and cut traffic jams, helping us meet the climate challenge and support economic growth. Although Kingston and Birmingham are far apart, we have the common aim of benefitting our citizens by investing in rail. We are making great progress on building our new stations and we were delighted to share our experience with our guests and take the opportunity to learn from their reflections. Prof Clive Roberts, director of the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education at the University of Birmingham, said: We are proud to host our Jamaican colleagues in Birmingham and to share our knowledge and experience with them. At the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education we seek to find ways to share our research and innovation activities with the global rail industry, and this collaboration is an excellent example of that. Property details: This multi-use lot is your chance to own a piece of land outright in Pine Bluff for an amazing price! It is a third of an acre lot in a peaceful, quiet neighborhood and is the perfect spot to build your new home, business, or hold on to this land as an investment! According to the county zoning department, you can use this property for either commercial or residential purposes giving it multiple uses and versatility. It is conveniently located only minutes away from the Martha Mitchell Expresswa... Price: $ 6,000 Seller State of Residence: Colorado Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: 924 E 6th Ave, Pine Bluff, AR Zip/Postal Code: 71601 Zoning: Mixed City: Pine Bluff State/Province: Arkansas Location: 801**, Englewood, Colorado You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Arkansas BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. On April 23, at about 15:10 local time, units of the Armenian armed forces fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani army located in the direction of the settlement of Minkend in the Lachin region from their positions located in the direction of the settlement of Kyzyljik in the Garakilsi region, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. "The units of the Azerbaijani army have taken adequate response measures in the indicated direction," the ministry added. Kinetic Content / Reality TV World By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/23/2023 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. stars Jasmine Secrest and Gina Micheletti have revealed whether they were leaning towards saying a "yes" or "no" on Decision Day when only eight days of the process remained.'s latest sixteenth-season episode on Lifetime featured the four couples -- Jasmine and Airris Williams , Gina and Clint Webb Nicole Lilienthal and Chris Thielk , and Kirsten Grimes and Shaquille Dillon -- enjoying a Couples' Retreat in Tennessee with just over a week left of the extreme marriage experiment.Except for Nicole and Chris, who had already professed their love to each other, the other cast members seemed unsure about what their choice was going to be on Decision Day.Jasmine, Airris, Gina, Clint, Kirsten and Shaquille were all wary of the future and couldn't help but question whether continuing on with marriage would be the right call for their own personal happiness and well-being.During Wednesday night's episode of : Afterparty, a viewer asked Jasmine and Gina the following question: "The spouses are already married! I don't understand why they won't even attempt to try it out past Decision Day?!"Jasmine responded, "I feel like we all should go past Decision Day."Jasmine and Airris' relationship reached a turning point, in a positive direction, during the Couples' Retreat, but Airris was struggling with a lack of attraction to his wife and trying to build intimacy in other ways."I feel like after Decision Day, when all the cameras are gone," Jasmine continued, "it gets sweeter."And Gina agreed with Jasmine's take on the topic, even though she and Clint hadn't left the friend zone yet or even kissed.In fact, the Couples' Retreat was the first time Gina and Clint slept in the same bed since their honeymoon in Jamaica."I feel like, for me, if there's a question on Decision Day of whether or not Clint and I could work, then I would say yes," Gina revealed.Gina explained of her stagnant romance with Clint, "Something Clint and I discuss frequently is we don't want to get to Decision Day knowing, like, there could've been one day before Decision Day and a firework flew or we felt something. So we don't want to give up; we want to keep pressing forward."But Kirsten was shown saying on the latest Season 16 episode how she was "in the middle of the road" in terms of whether she felt ready to say "yes" to Shaquille on Decision Day."I feel like we're still having these communication issues and sometimes I don't think that the conversations have to be as difficult," Kirsten explained to her female co-stars.Afterparty host Keshia Knight Pulliam therefore asked Gina and Jasmine if they were surprised that Kirsten was only 50/50 about continuing her relationship with Shaquille past Decision Day."I guess I was more surprised that she wasn't a full yes," Jasmine shared. "But her being in the middle of the road, I feel like it's good for her. I'm like, 'It's Kirsten. That's good, it's not bad.'"Gina, however, admitted how she was "so confused" by Shaquille and Kirsten's relationship while filming the series."Sometimes I think it's 100 percent a yes and then other days I'm like, 'No.' So I don't know," Gina said.As for Airris and Clint's thoughts on staying married to Jasmine and Gina, respectively, Airris was still waiting for "some type of spark" or "a-ha moment" with Jasmine in the intimacy department.Airris said he just needed to picture their relationship being happy and healthy after Decision Day in order to say "yes" to staying married. However, he wasn't going to give up, and he didn't want to end the process with any regrets.And Clint told Gina on the show that he could see "for sure" why the experts had matched them. He thought they were doing a good job of embracing the good parts of their relationship and having fun together, and he planned to take things day by day.Clint told the guys how he and Gina didn't have a preconceived outcome for Decision Day."We don't want to judge things too early... We're always assessing," Clint announced.But neither Clint or Gina wanted to be married to a friend, and so they were hoping a fire would ignite within the next week, especially since they were finally sleeping in the same bed together.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group or click here to view our newspage!And click here for more updates on former cast members and info on where they are now! BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. We categorically reject the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia in connection with the measures Azerbaijan undertook to establish a checkpoint on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road on April 23, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. "The mentioned statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry is another attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan and is unacceptable. Such statements by the Armenian side, interfering in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan, not only do not contribute to peace and tranquility in the region, but also lead to tension increase. Azerbaijan's legal decision and step to establish a border checkpoint on its sovereign territory complies with all the principles and norms of international law. It is known that the Armenian side announced the recognition of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan following the meetings in Prague and Sochi, to which the country often refers. Based on this, Armenia must accept and respect the right of Azerbaijan to control the exit and entry into its territory. In a situation where, after the 44-day Patriotic War of 2020, the Armenian side, contrary to the provisions of the trilateral Statement dated November 10, 2020, has not stopped military provocations against Azerbaijan, used the road for illegal actions, transported weapons and mines, and rotated its military personnel, the establishment of this checkpoint is a legitimate decision and a national security decision. At the same time, on April 22, the transfer of two military accommodation containers and a convoy of military equipment with trucks belonging to Armenia to the territory of Azerbaijan and the activities of Armenia to build military infrastructure at the point closest to the territory of Azerbaijan at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road were among factors that led to the acceleration of this decision. With regard to the unfounded assertion that Azerbaijan allegedly violated its obligations under the trilateral statement, we would like to remind the Armenian side that the Armenian leadership confirmed at the highest level that the trilateral statement does not provide this country with any function in the issue of organizing traffic on the Lachin-Khankendi road. According to the abovementioned statement, Azerbaijan undertakes to guarantee the safety of citizens, vehicles and goods moving along the Lachin-Khankendi road. This obligation also includes the prevention of misuse of the Lachin road. Also, the organization of a border checkpoint at the beginning of the road does not cause a change in the movement on the road. Ensuring the security of the border, which is not related to the trilateral statement, is the prerogative of the Azerbaijani Government and a necessary condition for national security, state sovereignty, and the rule of law. The absurd claim that the establishment of the border checkpoint is for the purpose of ethnic cleansing is unfounded and unacceptable. We once again declare that there are appropriate conditions for transparent, safe and orderly travel in both directions for local Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, which has boycotted the peace talks, indicates the intention to use this incident as a pretext to again strike at efforts to resume negotiations. We recommend that the Armenian side refrain from such provocations, responsibly approach efforts to build relations with Azerbaijan on the basis of such principles as the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries, take a constructive position, and not impede peace negotiations under various pretexts. At the same time, we call on Armenia to stop its attempts to resort to a smear campaign in the international community, including for this purpose to distort the well-known decision of the International Court of Justice," the ministry noted. Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested in Rode village of Punjab's Moga district on Sunday morning after police personnel surrounded him, leaving him with no way to escape, a senior Punjab police official said in Chandigarh. IMAGE: 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh addressing the devotees in Rodewal Gurudwara, Moga shortly before his arrest, April 23, 2023. Photograph: ANI on Twitter He has been taken to Dibrugarh in Assam under National Security Act, inspector general of police, Sukhchain Singh Gill told a news conference in Chandigarh. "National Security Act warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and these have been executed today (Sunday) morning. Further law will take its own course," Gill said. Amritpal Singh was arrested by the Punjab police at around 6:45 am from village Rode after absconding for more than one month. "A joint operation was conducted by the Amritsar police and intelligence wing of Punjab police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by the Punjab police. He was surrounded from all sides, the village was surrounded by the Punjab police," Gill said. The police did not enter the gurudwara in which Amritpal was present to maintain its sanctity. "To maintain sanctity, the police did not enter the gurdwara and since he knew that he had no way to escape now, he was surrounded by the Punjab police. The village was surrounded by the Punjab police from all sides," he said. Slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale hailed from Rode village and Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De' outfit at an event held in this village. Over-a-month long "cat-and-mouse" chase finally came to an end on Sunday with police arresting radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh from Punjab's Moga district. IMAGE: Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh being taken to Dibrugarh central jail from the airport following his arrest from Punjab's Moga, in Dibrugarh, April 23, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo After having hoodwinked the Punjab police since March 18 while search operations for nabbing him were conducted in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Amritpal was held from Rode village in Moga, the place where he was anointed as the chief of the "Waris Punjab De" outfit in September last year. Amritpal managed to evade arrest for more than a month, which was proving to be a major embarrassment for the Punjab police that had launched a crackdown against the radical preacher and his aides on March 18. Punjab inspector general of police Sukhchain Singh Gill said Amritpal was arrested from Rode on Sunday morning after police personnel surrounded him, leaving no way for him to escape. Amritpal has been taken to Assam's Dibrugarh under the National Security Act, Gill told a press conference here. The Khalistan sympathiser was arrested at around 6:45 am. The police launched the crackdown last month after Amritpal and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala police station on the outskirts of Amritsar city on February 23 and clashed with police personnel, demanding the release of Lovepreet Singh Toofan, one of his aides. The police exercised utmost restraint as Amritpal and his supporters had brought the "Palki Sahib" (palanquin) of Guru Granth Sahib to the police station. Finally, the police action was seen on March 18 when some aides of the radical preacher shared videos on social media, claiming that police personnel were after them. Another video showed Amritpal sitting in a vehicle and one of his aides could be heard saying policemen were after bhai saab (Amritpal). Another close aide of Amritpal, Bhagwant Singh alias Pardhanmantri Bajeke, shared a video from a field, claiming that policemen were chasing him. Amritpal's cavalcade broke through a "naka" (police checkpost) in Amritsar's Khilchian area. Subsequently, the radical preacher switched vehicles to escape the police dragnet in Jalandhar. Jalandhar police commissioner Kuldeep Chahal had, on March 19, said, "It is a game of 'chor' and police. Sometimes, they manage to escape." Despite Amritpal and his close aide Papalpreet Singh being sighted multiple times in CCTV footage and pictures that surfaced on social media, police failed to nab them. They were seen in changed appearances in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, but they always appeared to remain a step ahead of police. The Khalistan sympathiser again managed to give a slip to police personnel when he, along with Papalpreet, returned to Punjab in Hoshiarpur from Uttar Pradesh on March 28. The police conducted search operations in Marnaian and some other villages of Hoshiarpur for days to locate Amritpal and Papalpreet. They even searched "deras" in Hoshiarpur and other places. The police tasted a major success when Papalpreet Singh was arrested from the Kathunangal area of Amritsar district on April 10. Papalpreet was earlier spotted in CCTV footage in which he was seen at a "dera" in a Hoshiarpur village. There were also rumours that Amritpal might surrender on the day of Baisakhi at Takht Damdama Sahib in Bathinda's Talwandi Sabo. Tight security arrangements were made at Talwandi Sabo during the Baisakhi festival. Police had said the arrangements were made for the convenience and safety of devotees. During the police operation against him, two videos and an audio clip of Amritpal emerged on social media platforms, in which he called for a "Sarbat Khalsa" -- a congregation of Sikhs -- and also said he would soon appear before the world. While Amritpal was on the run, Punjab police chief Guarav Yadav had said those wanted by the law should submit themselves to the process of law. Nine of Amritpal's associates, including Daljit Singh Kalsi and Papalpreet, are also in the Dibrugarh jail after they were charged under the NSA. The Kerala police on Sunday arrested a man who allegedly sent 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 addressing civil servants on the 16th Civil Services Day celebrations, in New Delhi, April 23, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Kochi resident Xavier, who runs a business in the city, was arrested by the police for allegedly writing the threatening letter in the name of another person. "We have arrested the man after probing the matter in a scientific manner. This was part of a personal vendetta. He wanted the person mentioned in the letter to be arrested," City Police Commissioner K Sethu Raman told PTI. The letter in Malayalam, written in the name of Kochi resident N J Johny, was received at the office of BJP state president K Surendran who in turn handed it over to the police last week. The news of the letter came out on Saturday after a report by ADGP (Intelligence) was telecast in the media. After the news was out, Surendran met the media and said he had handed over the threatening 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 a suicide bomber," the intelligence report read. Johny had yesterday met the media and claimed that he was innocent. "Police have questioned me. I have given them all the details. They cross-checked the handwriting and everything," he said. His family told the police said they suspected another person from the locality, who had some issues with them over some matter related to a church. Police said Xavier had some personal disagreements with Johny and wrote the letter to trap him. Meanwhile, Commissioner Sethu Raman said 2,060 police personnel had been deployed in Kochi city as part of the security arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit. He also said that around 20,000 participants are expect to take part in the PM's road show. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Kerala on Monday for a two-day visit during which he will be attending several programmes, including the flagging off of the Vande Bharat Express train here, a meeting with senior priests of the Christian community and a youth event. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanges greetings with priests during his visit to Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic Church on the occasion of Easter, in New Delhi, April 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala is aiming to use the PM's visit as a springboard for its outreach campaign aimed at bringing youth and minorities into its fold. On Monday, after a road show in the port city of Kochi, the PM would be attending a youth programme -- Yuvam 2023 -- there, which the BJP hopes would be a game changer in Kerala politics. However, the most politically significant event would be the Prime Minister's meeting with the church leaders in the evening at Kochi. The meeting comes in the wake of the saffron party's outreach campaign -- Sneha Yatra -- as part of which leaders of the BJP in Kerala visited Christian and Muslim leaders and the homes of people of these minority communities on the festive occasions of Easter and Eid, respectively. According to the BJP, the outreach campaign has received a favourable response as several members from the Christian community joined the party recently and more were allegedly flocking to join it even before the PM's visit. Once the PM arrives, the numbers will increase, BJP state president K Surendran has said. BJP's outreach campaign recently received a shot in the arm when a senior Bishop -- Thalassery archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany -- of the influential Syro-Malabar Catholic Church said that if the Centre promised to increase the rate of rubber procurement to Rs 300 per kilogram, the party's dearth of an MP from the southern state would be addressed. Subsequently, the visits to Christian priests by BJP leaders increased in number. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said that it was not the first time that church leaders were meeting the PM. While speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, he said that after Modi became PM in 2015, many church leaders had met him in Kochi when he arrived in the state to go to Thrissur. Muraleedharan said he believed the church leaders were meeting the PM because of the "love and respect they had for Modi" and they had not said it had anything to do with votes. "It is the Congress which is saying it is for votes. Congress is only concerned with votes and not welfare of the people, so they only see votes in everything," he contended. He also lashed out at the ruling Left government in Kerala for its "silence" and alleged "lack of action" against concerned officials for the leak of an intelligence report regarding the security measures in place for the PM's visit. "That was a serious breach of security, but the state government has been silent on the issue for the last 24 hours. It indicates that the Home Department is functioning without anyone at the helm," Muraleedharan said. He said that if the state government was serious about preventing such lapses in future, it would have taken action against the official concerned in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Commissioner K Sethu Raman said 2,060 police personnel had been deployed in Kochi city as part of the security arrangements for the prime minister's visit. He also said that around 20,000 participants were expected to take part in the PM's road show. Similar stringent security arrangements have been put in place in Thiruvananthapuram also, the police said. On Tuesday, the PM would be flagging off the much-awaited Vande Bharat Express train from Thiruvananthapuram, with the BJP giving the event a lot of publicity. The BJP in Kerala has drawn parallels between Vande Bharat and the state government's allegedly shelved SilverLine project and have claimed that while the Pinarayi Vijayan government tried to bring development by evicting thousands of people, the Modi government was doing it without causing difficulty to anyone. The terrorists who ambushed an Army truck in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch used steel core bullets, capable of piercing an armoured shield, and decamped with the soldiers' weapons, officials said on Sunday, amid intensified efforts to trace and neutralise the perpetrators. IMAGE: Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi interacts with a soldier, who was injured in the Poonch terrorist attack, at Command Hospital in Udhampur, April 23, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the truck from the front before the other terrorists sprayed bullets and lobbed grenades on it. Five soldiers were killed and one injured after the terrorists attacked the lone Army truck, which was carrying eatables for iftar to a nearby village, in the dense forest area of Bhata Dhurian late on Thursday afternoon and the vehicle caught fire. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations. Experts from various agencies, including the National Security Guard and the National Investigation Agency, have visited the site of the attack over the past two days and have managed to get a clear picture of the deadly ambush which was laid by the terrorists, the officials said. They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the vehicle from the front before his associates showered bullets and lobbed grenades on the vehicle from opposite sides, apparently giving the troops no time to retaliate. The terrorists used steel core bullets that can penetrate an armoured shield, they said. Before fleeing, the terrorists stole the soldiers' arms and ammunition, they added. Though the area where the attack took place is considered terrorism-free for long, the Bhata Dhurian forest area remains a notorious infiltration route for terrorists attempting to sneak into India by crossing the Line of Control due to 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 that continued for over three weeks. Thursday's ambush was also a grim reminder of a terrorist attack on the official vehicle of a judicial magistrate over two decades ago. District and Sessions Judge V K Phool, a civilian and two police personnel were killed in the attack which took place on December 5, 2001, in the Dehra Ki Gali forests near the Bhata Dhurian forests. The officials said over 12 people have been detained for questioning in connection with the Poonch attack but no arrests have been made so far. Security forces are using drones and sniffer dogs to conduct a recce of the dense forest but success has eluded them so far, they said. It is believed that the terrorists have managed to create safe hideouts in the dense forest to escape the security dragnet or may have crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, they added. According to the officials, initial reports suggest the involvement of around five terrorists, including some foreign mercenaries, in the attack. After the ambush, the terrorists possibly used grenades as well as sticky bombs that caused the vehicle to erupt into flames. The officials said those who executed the attack are believed to have been in Rajouri and Poonch for more than a year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain, which is quite tough. The area is a hotbed of Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force as its 'commander' Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi is a resident of the area, they added. At present, three to four terrorist groups are active in the region of Rajouri and Poonch, sources said. Banned terror group People's Anti-Fascist Front, a proxy wing of Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are reports suggesting that it was the handiwork of banned Lashker-e-Tayiba group also. Family members of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who was arrested from Punjab's Moga district on Sunday morning, said they felt relieved on seeing him after more than a month and would fight their legal battle. IMAGE: Tarsem Singh, father of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh. Photograph: ANI on Twitter We came to know through the media at 7:15 am that he has been arrested, Amritpal's uncle Sukhchain Singh said in Amritsar. Today, the family is feeling worry-free. We have seen him (Amritpal), he said. Replying to a question, Amritpal's uncle said the family will go to Assam's Dibrugarh and meet him. We will fight our legal battle, he further said. "The police said that Amritpal was arrested while Jasbir Singh Rode, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said he surrendered. It will be clear in a day or two," Sukhchain Singh said. The Punjab police arrested Amritpal Singh in Moga's Rode village early Sunday, ending an over a month-long manhunt against the radical preacher who styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The preacher was taken into custody at 6.45 am as he came out of the gurdwara in Rode, Bhindranwale's native village and also the place where he himself took over last year as the chief of Waris Punjab De. He was later flown by a special flight from Bathinda air force station to Dibrugarh in Assam and lodged in a high security prison. Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh said they were proud of him, and claimed that his son surrendered before the police. We were happy to see his face after 36 days, the father said. Asked if there were apprehensions that Amritpal had shorn his hair, Tarsem Singh said, We were sure that it would not happen. Amritpal's mother Balwinder Kaur said that they were proud that he has surrendered. We are proud that he surrendered at the place where his turban-tying ceremony was held, said Kaur. We are happy that our son surrendered while being in full 'Sikhi sarup' (not having shorn his hair), she said, adding that Amritpal even shared a video in which he said he would surrender. A Bennington Superior Court jury has awarded Robert Sullivan of Salem, N.Y., $250,000 in a malpractice suit he filed after being prescribed an antibiotic in error in 2014. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Armenia is the biggest aid for Russia in bypassing sanctions of the Western countries, Member of the Senate of France Natalie Goulet said, Trend reports via the senator's Twitter page. She also quoted an article of the Financial Times in her tweet which reported that Armenia is among those with sharp increases of western imports and rises in exports to Russia. 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 Western sanctions. 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. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Occasional rain. High 54F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 41F. Winds light and variable. 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 Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat on Saturday termed the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) as the "purest" treaty in the world and slammed Pakistan for violating it by showing "dual precedence". Union Minister Shekhawat said that after partition, Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan regarding the distribution of water. "It is the purest treaty, out of all the water treaties in the world. Even after three full-fledged wars, India has kept the sanctity of the treaty which shows India's character". He lashed out at Pakistan for showcasing "dual precedence" and violating the rules of the treaty. The BJP leader informed that Pakistan recently challenged India's rights and demanded a third party's intervention to look into the matter. The World Bank also approved it, but, at the same time, Pakistan went on to approach the International Court of Justice. This dual precedence is against the treaty," he said. The Union Minister added, "India has registered its objection against it at the World Bank. The matter is being discussed, and let's wait for the decision from there for deciding upon the future course of action". On being asked about Pakistan's current economic situation, Shekhawat said, "For understanding this, we have to listen to the Pakistan minister's remark. It will show why Pakistan is undergoing a crisis, and why is it making such statements. India Issues Notice Of Modification to Pakistan over Indus Water Treaty On January 25, 2023, India issued notice to Pakistan for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of September 1960 after Islamabad's actions adversely impinged the provisions of the treaty, according to sources. The notice was conveyed through respective Commissioners for Indus Waters as per Article XII (3) of the IWT. India has always been a steadfast supporter and a responsible partner in implementing IWT in letter and spirit. However, Pakistans actions have adversely impinged on the provisions of IWT and their implementation, and forced India to issue an appropriate notice for modification of IWT, the source added. In 2015, Pakistan requested for the appointment of a Neutral Expert to examine its technical objections to Indias Kishanganga and Ratle Hydroelectric Projects (HEPs). In 2016, Pakistan unilaterally retracted this request and proposed that a Court of Arbitration adjudicate on its objections. This unilateral action by Pakistan is in contravention of the graded mechanism of dispute settlement envisaged by Article IX of IWT. Accordingly, India made a separate request for the matter to be referred to a Neutral Expert. The World Bank acknowledged this itself in 2016 and took a decision to pause the initiation of two parallel processes and request India and Pakistan to seek an amicable way out. Despite repeated efforts by India to find a mutually agreeable way forward, Pakistan refused to discuss the issue during the five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022. At Pakistans continuing insistence, the World Bank has recently initiated actions on both the Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes. Such parallel consideration of the same issues is not covered under any provision of IWT. What is the Indus Water Treaty? Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was signed on September 19, 1960, between India and Pakistan and was brokered by the World Bank. The IWT has been displayed as a global model of the sanctity of treaties between two nations that are frequently at odds with each other. The IWT has survived the Indo-Pak War of 1964 & 1971, and also the 1999 Kargil conflict. The treaty gives control over the waters of the three "eastern rivers" the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej with a mean annual flow of 41 billion cubic metres to India, while control over the waters of the three "western rivers" the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum with a mean annual flow of 99 billion cubic metres to Pakistan. India has about 20% of the total water carried by the Indus system while Pakistan has 80%. Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu have confirmed their attendance to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Minister's meeting in India next week, along with their counterparts from other member nations of the grouping. The SCO Defence Ministers' meeting is scheduled for April 27 and 28 and will be attended by representatives from India, Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. The upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting, to be chaired by India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is expected to address critical issues such as terrorism, regional security, and the security situation in Afghanistan. While India has extended an invitation to Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, there has been no confirmation yet on whether he will attend the meeting. Following the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting, a meeting of the Foreign Ministers is scheduled on May 5 in Goa, which will be attended by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Recent terror attack casts a shadow on Bhutto's visit The recent terror attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to cast a shadow on the upcoming visits of Pakistani ministers. The visit from the Chinese defence minister also marks the first time since the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes that the Chinese Defence Minister will be visiting Delhi, amid ongoing border tensions between India and China. Despite disengagement at certain friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, no resolution has been reached on the legacy friction points, and incidents like the clash between Chinese and Indian troops at Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh in December last year further highlight the simmering border tensions between the two countries. Here is what you need to know about the SCO The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a regional intergovernmental organisation founded in 2001, and headquartered in Beijing, China. It was initially established by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with India and Pakistan joining as full members in 2017. The SCO aims to promote regional cooperation in various areas, including security, economy, culture, and humanitarian issues, among its member states. The SCO operates through various decision-making bodies, including the Heads of State Council, Heads of Government Council, Council of Foreign Ministers, and the Secretariat, which is the main executive body of the organisation. The SCO holds annual summits and regular ministerial-level meetings to discuss and coordinate regional policies and initiatives. 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 to get big money out of 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. Vance said the donation last year was between $25,000 and $50,000, adding that Common Cause normally reports the range of donations rather than precise dollar amounts. That's a small fraction of the nearly $28 million in grants Common Cause reported receiving in 2022. The grant also pales in comparison to Berger's political contributions, which amounted to about $72 million in 2021, cementing Wyss' status as a Democratic megadonor. The Berger Action Fund says on its website that the Common Cause donation was to support the DISCLOSE Act. The federal legislation would place new regulations on dark money to political nonprofit groups, which are not required to disclose their donors and do not have to reveal much about how they spend the donations they receive. The bill, which has stalled in a closely-divided Congress, also would crack down on contributions from foreign-controlled entities. The existence of the Common Cause grant was first reported by the conservative publication The Washington Free Beacon. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. Danish Armed Forces under the command of NATO Mission Iraq and Syria who participated in countering the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL; Arabic acronym Daesh or ISIS] and other terrorism threats in close proximity to the countries' borders have decided to finally withdraw, the Danish Defense Ministry said in an official statement on Saturday. Denmark is ready to pull out all its soldiers that were stationed in Iraq and Syria as their military contribution to combating ISIS "is no longer needed," Danish Defense Ministry said in a statement. It informed that the insurgent group operating primarily in western Iraq and eastern Syria since June 2014 has been weakened. US-led Coalition-backed Syrian Democratic Forces Alliance controls a large swath of territory in Syria captured from ISIS. Denmark forces, who train the Iraqi forces there, have brought transport and fighter aircraft, as well as the special operations forces as part of the coalition mission. Danish Troops to counter threats in 'immediate vicinity': MoD Danish military forces will head home to counter threats in the country's "immediate vicinity" after being deployed in the two conflict-ridden Mideast countries since 2016, the Defense Ministry's statement read. It noted that the unit being withdrawn specialised in the air defense field. Nordic NATO-member military personnel also trained the Iraqi security forces to counter Daesh's assaults. Denmark announced the initial withdrawal of 130 troops after Iran launched a military operation code-named Operation Martyr Soleimani named after Qassem Suleimani, the 62-year-old head of Irans Quds Force who was assassinated on the orders of the former US President Donald Trump's administration. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched over 12 ballistic missiles at the Ayn al-Asad airbase on Jan. 8, coercing Danish soldiers to evacuate over security concerns. "Now we are withdrawing the unit to Denmark, partly because the number of the Islamic State [in Syria and Iraq] has been so reduced that there is no equal need for our contribution, and partly because we need to restore combat power for countering the threats that we see in our immediate vicinity," the Danish military's statement published on April 22, read. Denmark's presence under NATO command in Syria, Iraq NATO member state Denmark is a part of the US-led operation Inherent Resolve against Islamic State [IS] and has ground troops operating in Iraq since 2016. The Danish government also deployed "special forces" at the Al Asad air base in Iraq to counter IS assaults and wipe out its strongholds. They operated close to the Iraqi border and also brought a frigate on a joint operation with a US aircraft carrier during their seven-year deployment on Syrian soil. Danish frigate Niels Juel joined Task Group 441.01 for the next three months as part of NATOs Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). Credit: Denmark at NATO In January, last year, a US war vessel carrying an estimated 600 pieces of military equipment docked in Denmark as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, to bolster NATO's eastern flank and enhance the coalition's military readiness. Danish F-16 multirole stealth fighter jets were also involved in heavy bombardment of Raqqa, the self-declared caliphate of the Islamic State as they marked the entry into the Syrian conflict with the US-led coalition in Sept. 2014. Denmark also boasts a naval contribution to an EU-led naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz, an approximately 30 miles-wide channel between the Omani Musandam Peninsula and Iran which is the largest global energy supply route. Turkish military convoy drives through the village of Binnish, in Idlib province, Syria. Credit: AP Turkish tanks and troops are deployed near the Syrian town of Manbij, Syria. Credit: AP The Syrian conflict is a multisided war with Aleppo hosting Syrian forces that are pro-incumbent Bashar al-Assad's regime. They are supported by Kremlin-backed mercenaries PMC Wagner, directly involved militarily with heavy deployment on the borders of the former Soviet Union. Turkey also has a troop presence in Syria over political tensions linked to the Euphrates-Tigris basin that it shares with Syria. Basin flows to the Shatt al-Arab basin in southern Iraq. Turkish forces launch major military incursions in Syria and Iraq to fight the Kurdish forces, whom Ankara's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan labels a national security threat and holds responsible for failed 2016 coup. Kurdish fighters are backed by the US-led coalition in its fight against ISIS with the help of the SDF viewed as the secessionist force and Trojan horse for American troops in Syria. The Supreme Court on Friday preserved womens access to a drug used in the most common method of abortion, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues. The justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, maker of the drug mifepristone. 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 U.S. 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. The next stop for the case is at the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which has set arguments in the case for May 17. Two of the nine justices Samuel Alito, the author of last years decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and Clarence Thomas voted to allow restrictions to take effect, and Alito issued a four-page dissent. No other justices commented on the courts one-paragraph order, and the court did not release a full vote breakdown. 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. Alliance Defending Freedom, representing abortion opponents challenging the FDAs approval of mifepristone, downplayed the courts action. 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, ADF lawyer Erik Baptist 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 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 Engelhardt said most of the rest of Kacsmaryks ruling could take effect while the case winds through federal courts. Their ruling would have effectively nullified 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 would have halted sending the drug in the mail or dispensing it as a generic, and patients who seek it would have had to make three in-person visits with a doctor. Women also might have been 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. Biden administration has said the rulings conflict and create an untenable situation for the FDA. Alito questioned the argument that chaos would result, saying the administration has not dispelled doubts that it would even obey an unfavorable order in these cases. 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 appeals court has sped up its review, but there is 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. In this June 24, 2022, photo, a man walks past Chinese and Hong Kong flags hung to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China, in Hong Kong. The number of high net worth individuals in Hong Kong has fallen by nearly 30% in recent years, as the city's ranking as a destination for the wealthy drops several places amid an ongoing erosion of the city's promised freedoms under Chinese rule. The number of millionaires living in Hong Kong fell by 27% between 2012 and 2023 to 129,000, as the city fell from fourth place globally to seventh place, immigration consultants Henley & Partners said in its Worlds Wealthiest Cities Report 2023. Meanwhile, the number of rich people living in Singapore rose by 40% over the same period, with the city-state overtaking Hong Kong to rise to fifth place in the global survey, it said. The figures come as the Hong Kong authorities try to woo fresh talent to come to the city amid an ongoing exodus of highly qualified people, handing out free plane tickets to visitors and offering work visas to attract professionals to replace those who have left. Net departures of permanent residents from Hong Kong totaled 113,000 for the whole of 2022, while the city's population fell by 1.2 percent in the 12 months to August 2021, prompting calls from media backed by the Communist Party for the government to act to stem the brain drain. Middle-class families have also been selling off property and voting with their feet, citing the curbs on freedom of speech and growing political interference in schools as driving factors in their decision to leave. Veteran Hong Kong journalist and former Cable TV finance channel editor Joseph Ngan said there is now little to set Hong Kong apart from other cities in mainland China, with many fleeing the city for Singapore during the three years of lockdowns and port closures that marked the ruling Communist Party's zero-COVID policy. Becoming similar to the mainland An ongoing crackdown on peaceful political opposition and public criticism of the government under a draconian national security law had also taken its toll on the city's reputation among wealthy individuals, he said. "Since the national security law took effect, the political and legal environment has become similar to that of mainland China," Ngan said. In this Sept. 1, 2019, photo, a visitor at Victoria Peak, overlooking Hong Kong skyline. (Jae C. Hong/AP) He said the recent rise of Singapore as a destination shows that many wealthy people from China are choosing to relocate there instead of to Hong Kong. "If the rich in the mainland want to transfer funds overseas, they would rather go to Singapore than Hong Kong," he said. "Also, Singapore's political and economic environment is pretty stable." "Looking at the Forbes list from last year, we see that around half of Singapore's billionaires hail from mainland China," Ngan said. "A lot of mainland Chinese money is going direct to Singapore, and no longer passing through Hong Kong." Simon Lee of the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the city is facing both a brain drain and capital flight. "The rich want to keep their wealth away from political issues, and Singapore can keep it away from tensions between other countries, like the United States, Europe, China or Russia," he said in a written response to questions from Radio Free Asia. Vibrant startup ecosystem By contrast, Singapore has been developing its private wealth management sector to compete with Hong Kong, to great effect, Ngan said, citing the Economic Development Bureau's support for family offices. According to the bureau's official website: "For family offices with an interest in venture capital, Singapore has a vibrant startup ecosystem [providing] family offices with exciting opportunities to invest in up-and-coming industries in Singapore such as the fintech sector, which attracted a record high of S$1.2 billion in 2019." In this Feb. 7, 2013, photo, luxury houses are seen on Victoria Peak, Hong Kong's most exclusive neighborhood in Hong Kong. (Vincent Yu/AP) The scheme includes work visas for professional advisers and permanent residency for members of wealthy families "who intend to drive their businesses and investment growth from Singapore." According to Ngan: "The most important thing for the wealthy isn't the size of the financial market, but the extent to which their personal assets will be protected." "Singapore has done a good job in this regard," he said. By contrast, asset freezes, including that of jailed Next Digital media magnate Jimmy Lai, as part of "national security" investigations under the current political crackdown in Hong Kong have made a lot of wealthy people nervous. "There have been a number of issues with assets in the past two or three years due to so-called national security issues," Ngan said. Property prices in Hong Kong fell by 15% last year, while Singapore's property sector is booming, he said. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. On visit to Manila, Chinas top diplomat meets with counterpart as well as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Philippines on Saturday raised concerns with China about soaring tensions related to neighbor 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," according to a report by BenarNews, an affiliate of Radio Free Asia. 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. 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] 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. 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. BenarNews is an online news outlet affiliated with Radio Free Asia. Returning to the Past program seeks to teach lessons about rebuilding and resilience. Uyghur children from various European countries, who went to Berlin to learn about Uyghur history and culture, gather with program leaders for a photo in the German capital, April 7, 2023. The group of Uyghur students stood in awe of the ancient murals with Persian and Indian influences, fragments of text and other artistic objects from caves in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region. With heads tilted upwards, the youths, aged 10-15, took in a reconstruction of a Buddhist cave temple dating from around the sixth century and spanning two levels of the gallery. The murals adorned the walls of Cave of the Ring-bearing Doves in Kizil, near Kucha, on the Northern Silk Road in what is now the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. But they were not seeing the cave art or temple in their original locations. They were viewing them more than 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) away at the Humboldt Forum, a Berlin museum dedicated to human history, art and culture. The wall paintings, whose once vivid colors have dulled with age, and other artifacts depicting both Buddhist legends and secular themes, are part of the history of ancient Xinjiang. We saw our motherlands artifacts, such as ancient carpets and clothes, Kamil, a Belgian-Uyghur participant, told Radio Free Asia. I never thought that we had things in Europe. I felt proud when a gentleman told us the story about them and our ancestors. Kamil was one of the 26 Uyghur kids participating in a four-day trip to the German capital organized by the research center of the World Uyghur Congress, an advocacy group headquartered in Munich. The youngsters, who study at Uyghur-language schools in seven European countries, were learning about their history and culture through artifacts taken from their historic homeland by a German expedition team that made four trips to Xinjiang in the early 20th century, and are now kept in Berlin museums. Returning to the Past The educational program called Returning to the Past was the first gathering of its kind for Uyghur teenagers in Europe to get together and learn about their heritage at a time when the Chinese government has been eradicate Uyghur culture in Xinjiang in an effort to Sinicize the restive region. Mr. Ablet explained to us the value of artifacts carted to Germany from our homeland exhibited in the museum, said Atikem, a teacher at a Uyghur-language school in England, who brought six students to the event. She was referring to a Uyghur historian who is an expert on the artifacts displayed in the museum and who served as a guide for the group. Uyghur children paint banners next to a remnant of the Berlin Wall in Germany's capital Berlin, April 10, 2023. Credit: Semet Abla WUC program organizers sought to impart two lessons during the program: rebuilding destroyed cities and remaining strong as a persecuted people. On the first day of the program, instructors introduced Berlin to the participants, said Abduweli Ayup, director of the WUCs Research Center and an event organizer. They drew parallels between the destruction of the city during World War II and the demolition in recent years of parts of ancient Uyghur cities by the Chinese government, including mosques, cemeteries, old towns and marketplaces. At the beginning of the program, we explained to them that Berlin was destroyed during WWII, and similarly, Uyghur cities, Uyghur symbols and cultural relics are facing destruction now, Ayup said. Just like the German people rebuilt Berlin, we need to rebuild Uyghur cities in the future, so we should get inspiration from the rebuilding of Berlin, he said. Parallels The program also drew parallels between the genocide of the Jews during the war and the genocide of the Uyghurs beginning in 2017, when Chinese authorities began detaining members of the mostly Muslim minority group in re-education camps and prisons where some were subjected to torture, sexual assaults, and forced labor. The U.S. government, the European Parliament and the legislatures of several Western countries have declared that the maltreatment amounts to genocide and crimes against humanity. During a visit to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, organizers highlighted the ongoing Uyghur genocide to the young people and expressed hope that Uyghurs would stand up to China one day just as did the Jews, Ayup said. By showing them the museum that depicts the history of Jewish peoples fight for liberty, we tried to explain to the teenagers how a nation of genocidal victims can rise and the possibility to rise, he later told RFA. In one discussion exercise, some participants compared the genocide of the Jews to the genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. I never thought they could make such comparisons, Atikem said. They told me that the Nazi government made Jewish people poor first and locked them in ghettos. They compared the Nazis behavior to that of the Chinese [who] locked up Uyghurs. The Jewish people stayed as one family in those ghettos and survived that oppression through family support, the teacher said. The Chinese separated kids from their parents and brought mental anguish to all of them. These kids said that to me. They missed their Uyghur identity, I think, she said. I also thought they longed for their people, culture and the opportunity to live as Uyghurs. Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. Azerbaijan and Armenia exchanged accusations on April 23 over alleged military supplies and the appearance of checkpoints in a sensitive region around the Caucasus foes' shared border. In a move condemned by Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani authorities on April 23 set up a border checkpoint on the only road connecting the mostly Armenian-populated region with Armenia. In setting up the border checkpoint at the Lachin road, Azerbaijan's State Border Service said that it mirrored a similar unilateral step by Armenia made on April 22. In Baku, the Foreign Ministry said Azerbaijan called its action a "legitimate decision" and that it "took appropriate measures to establish control at the starting point of the road." "Ensuring border security...is the prerogative of the government of Azerbaijan and a necessary condition for national security, state sovereignty, and the rule of law," it added. WATCH: Azerbaijan is setting up a checkpoint near its border with Armenia. Azerbaijani troops and Russian peacekeepers were present amid the construction work on April 23. EU observers monitored the events from Armenian territory. The checkpoints are intended to restrict traffic on the only road connecting Armenia with the mostly Armenian-populated parts of Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. The "frozen conflict" erupted violently in 2020 into intense fighting that lasted six weeks before a Russia-brokered cease-fire resulted in Armenia and ethnic Armenians losing control over parts of the region and seven adjacent districts. Tensions have flared recently as the Lachin Corridor has been blocked by government-backed Azerbaijani protesters since December 2022. The availability of food in Nagorno-Karabakh has become acute due to irregular deliveries, and prices for food and other goods have risen significantly and there have been interruptions in supplies of gas and electricity. On April 23, Azerbaijan's State Border Service accused the Armenian side of shuttling "continuing military supplies from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh," a claim repeatedly denied in both Yerevan and Stepanakert. The Armenian side has, for its part, accused Azerbaijan of seeking a pretext for isolating Karabakh Armenians. Ethnic Armenian leaders in Nagorno-Karabakh have also accused Baku of violating the terms of the Moscow-brokered 2020 cease-fire agreement, under which the road passing through the 5-kilometer-wide area known as the Lachin Corridor should be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. The U.S. State Department said in a statement on April 23 that it was "concerned that Azerbaijan's establishment of a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor undermines efforts to establish confidence in the peace process." "We reiterate that there should be free and open movement of people and commerce on the Lachin Corridor and call on the parties to resume peace talks and refrain from provocations and hostile actions along the border," it added. Armenia's Foreign Ministry on April 23 said the Azerbaijani roadblock "grossly violated" the terms of the 2020 cease-fire deal. We call on the Russian Federation to finally fulfil its obligation under Provision 6 of the trilateral statement by eliminating the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor and ensuring the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the entire security zone of the corridor, the Armenian ministry statement said. The latest incident comes a day after Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense said three soldiers were injured when their vehicle was blown up on a mine allegedly supplied from Armenia. In another statement, the ministry claimed that Russian peacekeepers controlling the area again helped Armenians transport "military cargoes" from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh via the Lachin road. Armenian has denied both accusations. Separately on April 23, Armenia's Defense Ministry said one of its soldiers was killed by an Azerbaijani sniper near the border. Azerbaijan denied the allegation and said its soldiers had come under fire from in the border area. Speaking in parliament earlier this week, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said Armenia recognizes Azerbaijans territorial integrity and is ready to sign a relevant peace treaty with Baku. 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 The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Polls have closed following a paltry turnout in extraordinary local elections in four municipalities in northern Kosovo with ethnic Serb majorities where local mayors resigned in November 2022 to protest a cross-border dispute over vehicle registrations. The Central Election Commission late on April 23 said that preliminary results indicated that the Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party of Prime Minister Albin Kurti,had won the mayoral races in North Mitrovica and Leposavic, while the opposition Democratic Party had taken races in Zvecan and Zubin Potok. Turnout, as expected, was low as the dominant Kosovar Serb party, Srpska Lista (Serbian List), which enjoys the support of neighboring Serbia's government, announced it was boycotting the votes. There are around 45,000 voters eligible to elect new mayors in North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan, and Zubin Potok, along with municipal assemblies in Zvecan and Leposavic. After polls closed, election officials said just 1,567 people had voted -- representing a turnout of 3.5 percent of eligible citizens. RFE/RL correspondents reported that the only ballots that were being cast were submitted in places with ethnic Albanian residents. Milan Radoicic, vice president of Serbian List, said following the vote that "those who think that with 1 or 2 percent of the vote, they can lead the municipalities in the north, I have to say that the Serbian people will never allow them to do that." A former chairwoman of Kosovo's Central Election Commission, Valdete Daka, told RFE/RL that so long as proper procedures were being followed, the tiny number of votes would likely result in mayoral seats being filled but not necessarily an end to the local problems. Daka said the "nonappearance in the elections" was essentially "conveying a message to the government of Kosovo that they won't accept the leaders who emerge from these elections." All of the areas voting maintain close ties with Belgrade. Fifteen years after the mostly ethnic Albanian former province declared independence from Serbia, Belgrade continues to oppose recognition of Kosovo's independence. Many ethnic Serbs in Kosovo continue to lean heavily on support from Serbia and nationalist President Aleksandar Vucic. The Serbian List party has demanded the formation of an Association of Serbian Municipalities, as Kosovo's government pledged to the international community a decade ago, and the withdrawal of special units of the Kosovo Police from north of country. A total of 10 candidates were competing for the mayorships, only one of whom -- independent candidate Sladjana Pantovic in Zvecan -- is an ethnic Serb. Pantovic was the rare exception among Serbs, turning out to vote at around 8 a.m. Pantovic received just five votes, or 2.6 percent. Another ethnic Serb candidate, Aleksandar Jablanovic from the Party of Kosovo Serbs, withdrew from the race in Leposavic three days ago, saying there were not "adequate conditions" for voting. All of the remaining candidates were ethnic Albanians from the Mitrovica Civic Initiative, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, and Kurti's Self-Determination movement. Kosovo's Central Election Commission had to organize alternative polling stations for the April 23 voting because the schools that normally host the voting in northern Kosovo operate within the so-called parallel system run by Serbia's leadership. Ethnic Serbs compose some 1-2 percent of Kosovo's population of around 2 million people. Kurti this week accused Belgrade of intimidating Serbs from the north to discourage them from participating in the elections. Vucic alleged on April 22 that Kosovar authorities were effectively staging "an occupation" of the north after the elections. The four northern municipalities have been without mayors since November, when Serbs largely loyal to Belgrade resigned from their jobs over the Kosovar government's threatened imposition of a requirement for all vehicles to be registered locally. The voting took place at 19 polling stations, 12 of which were organized by Kosovar authorities in the final days before the vote. Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani and the country's Central Election Commission urged citizens in the north to exercise their right to vote. The international community has also expressed regret at the Serbs' boycott and urged all sides to exercise restraint. Following the election, the U.S. Embassy in Pristina said, "We recognize Kosovan election officials' efforts to make polling places available to citizens wishing to exercise their right to vote, while minimizing potential points of tension." "We likewise express our appreciation for the professionalism of the Kosovo Police, EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), and KFOR in ensuring a secure environment for the elections." Kosovo remains blocked from many multinational organizations due to Serbian and Russian opposition to recognition, although there were recently signs of a possible breakthrough under EU-mediated talks. The European Parliament on April 18 approved a decision on visa liberalization that will allow citizens of Kosovo to travel to most European countries without a visa by January 2024 at the latest. It is the last Western Balkan country to achieve such status. U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier told RFE/RL's Balkan Service on April 21 that citizens in the north of Kosovo and all political parties "have a responsibility to respect the democratic process, recognizing that they all had the opportunity to register and participate." What dreams Yllka still clung to in 1999 were dashed when Serbian forces came to her home in Kosovo and raped her. "I had everything in front of me, but the war destroyed me," Yllka tells RFE/RL's Balkan Service, her voice quiet, her speech hesitant. Then just 17 years old, she was one of thousands of women in Kosovo reported to have been raped by Serbian forces, who, according to Human Rights Watch, used sexual violence as a tool of "ethnic cleansing." Today, 25 years after the conflict erupted, the victims of rape are still struggling to cope in Kosovo, a traditionally conservative society. Many still feel the stigma of shame and are hesitant to speak out or ask for help. The Kosovar authorities have taken steps in the right direction. In 2014, Kosovo passed a law recognizing the victims of wartime sexual violence, enabling them to receive a pension of about 230 euros ($252) per month. And for the first time ever, on April 14, Kosovo marked a newly designated Day of Survivors of Sexual Violence to, as the authorities put it, "recognize the pain" of the victims from the 1998-1999 war. For Yllka, now 42, recently returning to her childhood home in the northeastern region of Llap rekindled the horrors of that day in 1999. Most of the war crimes -- including rapes -- happened between March and June 1999, as Serbian forces terrorized the ethnic Albanian population in Kosovo. In March 1999, after internationally brokered peace talks collapsed, NATO launched air strikes against Yugoslavia that lasted 78 days before Belgrade yielded. "When I went [back] to the door of the house [of her former home], I had a feeling...but I tried to hide it," Yllka recounted in the interview with RFE/RL at one of the offices of the Kosovo Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors (KCRT), which offers therapy and other help for rape and other victims of the Kosovo war. "For a while, I was not very well. Everything upset me, even just the sun shining. I didn't want to see the sun with my eyes, nor light. Nothing," Yllka said. Before the rape, Yllka was smitten by Endrit. That relationship came to an abrupt end with the Kosovo War, although afterward the young Kosovar man tried to rekindle it. But Yllka wasn't sure, avoiding him at first. Undeterred, Endrit met with Drita, Yllka's cousin, who knew what had happened to her. "I thought he was just coming over to see how I was doing. I didn't think there was any point to it," Yllka said. However, Endrit ultimately proved to be the support Yllka needed. "He has done everything for me. He's been my everything, my love...my everything, a shoulder to lean on," she said. They later wed, and to this day, neither have discussed what happened to her during the war, something Yllka is grateful for. "Whenever I had a bad moment, I was overcome by tears. I cried so much that I almost passed out. I was trying to release what was inside of me in my soul. He would knock on the door, go up to the window. He kept saying, 'Let's go to a doctor or go out on the town.' He didn't care what the neighbors might say," Yllka said. While Yllka is grateful for the support Endrit has provided, she worries other women in Kosovo who suffered a similar fate aren't so lucky. "God gave me...as they say, where there is darkness, there comes light. But not for everyone. For some, where there was darkness, it has turned to complete night. But why? No woman wants this. They have to understand...what woman wants to experience this [being raped]," she said. Besides her husband, the couple's five children have also proved a blessing, providing a pilar of strength. "As they say, mothers are very strong, made of stone. Sometimes I think that if I didn't have my children, I would go completely crazy," she said. At the same time, Yllka frets that the trauma she experienced may somehow impact her kids. Children of women facing physical abuse, including rape, during the Kosovo War have higher levels of cortisol, a "stress hormone," according to research released in March by the KCRT in collaboration with the Danish Institute Against Torture. The KRCT studied 118 women and their 119 children and found that in some of the children of the survivors, cortisol was either at very high or very low levels. As a result of this research, the survivors' center has launched a project, offering therapy for all members of families impacted by rape or torture during the conflict. The rape survivors were given the opportunity to bring their children to the KRCT's offices in Pristina, where they were offered psychological therapy. Yllka decided to try it. "After family therapy, I myself have felt calmer. Because I've always been concerned that [the children] may be hiding something from me [such as stress or anxiety.] But then the psychologist told me that they are OK, and I really liked those sessions," Yllka explained, adding that those four years of therapy had helped her heal. "In the beginning [of therapy], it was very difficult to open up about what happened to me. At the time, it seemed to me like it had just happened [the rape]. Now, fortunately, I feel like I'm with family here," she added. She says the therapy has led to her feeling "resurrected," adding that she no longer feels "ashamed" every time someone glances at her on the street. Before, she would feel defensive, if not frightened, convinced they had figured out her secret. "When I came here, I saw many other women. They told me that I am not the only one, and then I said, 'OK, it's not just me.' And then it was much better. Now I feel like...oh God, like I've been born again," explained Yllka, talking softly and looking visibly relieved. Selvi Izeti, a psychologist at KRCT, says that the treatment of trauma caused by sexual violence should be continuous. Requests for therapy increase, she says, when cases of sexual violence are reported in the media, for example with the current war in Ukraine. "The very term 'sexual violence' is a trigger of trauma for the survivors, because it immediately brings back the uncertainty they felt when the traumatic event happened," Izeti said. In addition to the work she has done, since 2007, with survivors at the KRCT, she considers the family therapy to be particularly important. "For us, this has been a very significant result because we have made changes not only in the lives of mothers, but also of children. We are trying to break the chain of carrying the trauma", she emphasized. Yllka's kids never knew exactly why they had attended the therapy sessions. The mother of five says she never plans to divulge to them what happened to her. At the same time, she advises victims of sexual violence during the Kosovo War to seek out help. "Any problem...when you talk about it with someone you trust, it helps. It lifts the burden from you," she said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Discussions are underway on implementation of different projects in Turkiye and beyond by the joint venture of SOCAR Turkiye, subsidiary of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation, SOCAR told Trend. The company said the joint venture was created in late 2022. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez earlier said that BOTAS and SOCAR have established a new company to sell gas to Europe. "We have announced the goal of becoming a gas trading center, and Azerbaijan also supports us in this matter. The Balkan countries request gas from us and Azerbaijan. Well act on this issue together," the minister said. Previously, Donmez said that the Turkish Parliament has started the process of amending legislation which is necessary for the start of the international gas trade center (gas hub). "As for gas trade by the joint venture, we will provide more detailed information if there are updates," said Azerbaijans energy ministry. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn In June 2022, barely a month after Ukraine ended its haggard defense of Mariupol, a bustling port city that was obliterated in Russia's monthslong siege, Russia's push to rebuild began. Russian officials hoped to bring the occupied city, which had a prewar population of nearly 426,000, back to life, and entice some of the hundreds of thousands who fled to return, particularly those who had fled the city for Russia. Nearly a year later, with the war continuing unabated and Ukraine widely expected to open a new offensive any day now, the effort to erect a new Mariupol continues to lurch forward. Hundreds of newly built apartment units are completed, or nearing completion, according to Russian-appointed administrators. But interviews by RFE/RL's North.Realities with former residents who have returned, either to work or to take up the new housing, or to deliver humanitarian aid, paint a picture of hurried construction, dubious building quality, and great uncertainty about the city's future. "They're building quickly. But in terms of quality, I can't really say anything," said a 40-year-old former electrician named Roman, who was evacuated along with his family from Mariupol and lived for months in St. Petersburg, Russia. He's been rotated into Mariupol twice, as part of the construction effort, with wages substantially more than what he was making as a temporary worker in St. Petersburg. Like others interviewed for this story by RFE/RL's North.Realities, he asked to be identified by a pseudonym. Still, he says there is a slipshod quality to much of the construction, with temporary workers being brought in from Central Asia and elsewhere to work quickly, he said, without proper quality control. "Windows, for example, sometimes have to be installed three or four times," he said. "They are installed very poorly." "Even if Mariupol is restored, I don't know how it will be," he said. "It used to be an industrial city of a half-million [people] and now they want to turn it into a resort, but the resort lives seasonally." His once-negative feelings toward Ukraine's leadership have changed, Roman said. "It turns out everything wasn't so bad," he said. "We all looked at our neighbor [Russia]. 'Maybe the neighbor's apples are tastier.' And maybe at first they were tastier. Only later did they turn out to be rotten." 'It Feels Like A Ghost Town' It's unclear how many of Mariupol's residents fled to Russia and Russian-controlled territories, as opposed to going west, to Ukraine proper, or leaving for Western countries. Ukrainian officials estimate at least 25,000 people were killed in the Russian siege, which ended when hundreds of Ukrainian marines and members of the Azov Battalion who had been holed up in the Azovstal Steel Works plant surrendered on May 16, 2022. The United Nations estimates that up to 90 percent of Mariupol's multistory residential buildings have been destroyed or damaged, along with about 60 percent of private, standalone houses. The city's Russian-appointed administration estimates that around 32,500 private residences have been completely or partially destroyed. An unknown number of people have returned to the city after being housed in temporary accommodations in Russia, according to news reports. Many are believed to be elderly retirees. "It feels like a ghost town," said a woman named Svitlana, who traveled back and forth to Mariupol to look into elderly relatives who had returned to the city. "It's just all ruins, the atmosphere itself sucks all the strength out of you. People live among all this for a year." "It's physically difficult to live there," she said. "Elevators don't work. Tap water isn't drinkable. That is, you need to buy water, put it on a cart, but you can't leave the cart below, because it will be stolen, so all this must be dragged to your floor." Those who have returned struggle to find food or needed medications. Another woman, who asked to be called Olha, says that there are endless lines to withdraw money -- Russian rubles -- from the few automatic bank tellers that are working, or to apply for Russian passports. Olha says that when they got to Mariupol, they met the elderly mother of one of their acquaintances. The elderly woman showed her a package of food aid that the city administration had given out: a package of dried macaroni pasta and some canned meat. "Try some Mariupol cuisine," Olha said the woman quipped to her. "The stores are full of everything, but this is available only for the military and builders who receive normal money. It's too expensive for the locals," she said. A Longing To Return The Russian effort to rebuild Mariupol includes demolition of the tens of thousands of standalone houses and apartment blocks that were destroyed in the fighting. One of the sites for new high-rise apartment blocks is located in a southwestern district of the city; an organization called the Pobeda Foundation, whose funding sources are opaque, was tasked with running the project. In another location, a series of five-story apartment blocks has popped up at a furious pace. The general contractor for that particular development, which reportedly went up in just 80 days, is a Russian Defense Ministry-owned company. "The quality is bad, that's for sure," said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian mayor of Mariupol, now living elsewhere in Ukraine. "At best, it's like the Soviet concrete high-rise buildings, more or less," he told the News of Azov, a regional project of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "And what they're building now has no relation whatsoever with what they have dismantled and demolished." Hanna Romanenko, the editor in chief of 0629, a Mariupol news website, agrees, alleging that the high-rise foundations being poured by construction workers are substandard. "They're using ordinary concrete for the foundations, which, without shrinkage, will just crumble after two or three years," she said. Larisa says she and her husband fled Mariupol for Russia in the spring of 2022, but then returned to take care of their aging parents. She says that by her count new building projects numbered only around seven. She says the process of former residents applying to get new apartment was convoluted, but that retirees were being given priority. "Not many people are getting new housing: either they don't have enough of the right documents, or they don't like the new place" or the new units are too small, she said. Tamara and her family returned not long ago from Russia's St. Petersburg region, where they were temporarily housed. Their current housing in Mariupol still has damage from shelling, and temporary workers are rebuilding the structure while some of the units are still occupied. She says she was glad to be back; the air quality is better since all of the city's heavy industry has been destroyed. "The climate has gotten better because the factories are no longer working," she said. But, she added, "My husband was just barely able to get a job, and now he's afraid that they might cheat him out of his salary." Sewage pumping is still a major problem that the Russian administration hasn't repaired, Andryushchenko says. "The sewage system doesn't work and everything just goes into the sea, further clogging the sewage system. What can be built if you add new houses to the nonworking sewer system without rebuilding the sewer system?" he said. One St. Petersburg woman who recently returned from delivering medication and other humanitarian aid to Mariupol says she saw lots of construction workers. "I had the feeling there are more builders than locals," the woman, Svitlana, said. "It seemed to me that they were more actively restoring dilapidated housing, rather than building new ones." But the city, she adds, is still a largely demolished wasteland. Some residents told her that buildings were being torn down even though human corpses remained inside. "Windows are being installed in the burnt-out eye sockets of the apartment buildings, even before plumbing and electricity is being restored and the charred walls are cleaned off," she said. "There's a burnt smell everywhere." 'You'd Better Just Take What You Can Get' After leaving Mariupol early last year, Olha, a retired bookkeeper, and her daughter Natalya, who worked at one of the city's metallurgical plants, were sent to the Leningrad region, near St. Petersburg. They struggled to get by, Olha says: their monthly rent sucked up nearly all of their wages from cleaning houses. In January 2023, they returned to Mariupol. Their apartment was more or less intact, though she said it had been pillaged and everything stolen. The two set out to repair the apartment, hiring workers; but the quality of the workmanship was shoddy; the windows had to be replaced from scratch. Natalya gets by selling cigarettes on the black market, Olha says. Olha is hoping to get a monthly pension from the administration of the Donetsk's People Republic -- the Russian puppet government that controls much of the region where Mariupol is located. She said city authorities were scrambling to assign new housing to people looking to return. Some of her friends have received housing assignments but the units are located in inconvenient places. Officials then told them: "You'd better jump at this [opportunity]. A lot of people return to the city, refuse [housing assignments], and then get nothing at all'," Olha said her friends were told. "You'd better just take what you can get," Olha said. "And what difference does it make where you live? The main thing is it's in your hometown." For their part, Ukrainian authorities express confidence that Mariupol will return to Ukrainian control one day. Andryushchenko said the Ukrainian administration is drafting its own reconstruction plan, with funding they hope will come from the World Bank and large corporations. With reporting by News Of Azov, a project of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service Reports that the Ukrainian military has crossed the Dnieper River and established positions on the eastern side heightened expectations on April 23 that Kyiv is on the verge of its long-awaited counteroffensive. The influential U.S. Institute for the Study of War (ISW) argued in its regular update on April 22 that "Russian milbloggers have provided enough geolocated footage and textual reports to confirm that Ukrainian forces have established positions in east [left] bank Kherson Oblast as of April 22 though not at what scale or with what intentions." The ISW added that geolocated footage from Russian military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian forces had established a bridgehead north of the town of Oleshkiy and that they have put in place "stable supply lines to these positions" in the Kherson region. Battlefield reports could not be independently confirmed. 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. Many experts have said -- and Ukrainian leaders have hinted -- that a major spring counteroffensive by Kyiv's forces is in the works. One suggested goal would be to split the land corridor the Kremlin's forces have established between the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula and Russia itself. The Ukrainian military declined to confirm or deny the reports that its troops had taken up positions on the partly Russian-controlled bank of the strategically crucial Dnieper River. A spokeswoman for the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine, Natalia Humenyuk, said in televised comments that crossing an obstacle like the "wide and powerful" Dnieper was "very difficult work." "Therefore, the conditions of a military operation require informational silence until it is safe for our military," she said. "That's why we need to be patient." She added that "informational silence should be observed" also in light of wartime disinformation efforts by an enemy. Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-installed head of the occupied Kherson region, denied that Ukrainian forces had established a foothold on the Dnieper's east bank, saying on Telegram that Russian forces remained in "full control" of the area, although adding that Ukrainian sabotage teams had conducted operations there. Earlier, Ukraine's General Staff said Russia's "main effort is focused" on offensive operations in the areas of Bakhmut, Maryinka, and Avdiyivka. It said it had fought off 58 attacks in the past day, and warned of the possibility of missile and air strikes around the country. It also said Russian "defensive operations" were continuing farther south in and around Zaporizhzhya, which hosts an occupied nuclear power plant, and Kherson. In Kharkiv, the head of the local administration, Oleh Synyehubov, said via Telegram that Russian bombardments with S-300 missiles and other weapons were targeting the city and the district. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that "a fire broke out at a civil infrastructure facility in the Novobavar district due to rocket fire" and "emergency services are working at the scene." Meanwhile, Ukrainian leaders continued to press their Western allies for additional military supplies on top of the billions of dollars worth of armaments and aid already sent. On April 22, Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk said that while Ukraine was grateful for assistance so far, "it is not enough." "Ukraine needs 10 times more to finish [R]ussian aggression this year," Melnyk wrote on Twitter. "Thus we call upon our partners to cross all artificial red lines & devote 1% of GDP for [Ukraine] weapons deliveries." The United States said its Abrams tanks bound for Ukraine were on their way to Germany for the training of Ukrainian tank crews, and other allies issued fresh commitments to Kyiv at a Contact Group meeting at Ramstein on April 21 largely focused on helping boost Ukrainian air defenses. With reporting by AP BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Italy purchased natural gas worth 465 421 790 euros from Azerbaijan via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) in February 2023, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, told Trend. Azerbaijans natural gas exports to Italy stood at 644.4 million cubic meters in February, according to Eurostat. Italy imported a total of 1.377 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas worth 1.3 billion euros from January through February 2023. Azerbaijan produced 8 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the first two months of 2023. Gas exports from the country during this period stood at 4.3 billion cubic meters, 13 percent more than in the same period last year. Azerbaijan exports gas to Europe via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, the final leg of the Southern Gas Corridor. The initial capacity of TAP is 10 billion cubic meters expandable to 20 billion cubic meters per year. TAP has delivered a total of 22 billion cubic meters since the start of commercial operation. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Amritpal Singh Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam: IGP MOGA: 'Waris Punjab De' Chief and Fugitive Amritpal Singh has been arrested on Sunday morning. He has been sent to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam. IGP Headquarters Dr. Sukhchain Singh Gill has shared the information about the arrest during the press conference. The action has been taken against Amritpal Singh under the NSA issued by the court. As per the IGP, Amritpal Singh was nabbed from Rode village at 6:45 am on Sunday morning. Punjab Police and Intelligence had solid information about his presence in village Rode. Due to this, the village was surrounded from all sides but Amritpal Singh was hiding in the Gurdwara Sahib. The police took care of the dignity of the Gurdwara Sahib. Amritpal Singh could not find any way to escape due to the blockade from all sides and the police nabbed him. Advertisement Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh. The Punjab Police had been under pressure for the last 35 days. The IGP thanked the people of Punjab for maintaining peace throughout the operation. IGP Gill clarified that the police have arrested Amritpal Singh and he has not been surrendered. He said that this operation was going on for the last 35 days. Today, after collecting concrete information, the entire operation has been carried out. Further action will be taken as per law. Gurdwara Converted to a Buddhist Shrine in Arunachal Pradesh This matter is very serious, in which the President, the PM should intervene immediately: Dhami AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee claimed that the historical Gurdwara belonging to the first Patshah Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji has been converted into a Buddhist shrine at Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh. Gurdwara Guru Nanak Taposthan is located at Mechuka in memory of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, which has recently been converted into a Buddhist shrine. On April 8, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, has shared some pictures of his visit to Mechuka on social media, from which it is clear that this Sikh shrine has now been converted into a Buddhist shrine. Shiromani Committee President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami termed this move as an attack on Sikhs and said that converting any religious place to a center of another religion is a direct violation of Article 25 of the Constitution. Advertisement He said that Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji had made a religious journey to different countries for the welfare of humanity, which is known as Udasi in Sikh history. Accordingly, there is a reference to Guru Sahib's visit to Mechuka as well. Shiromani Committee President said that Gurdwara Guru Nanak Taposthan was established at Mechuka in memory of Guru Sahib. He said that historian Colonel Dalwinder Singh Grewal had made an important contribution to the development of Gurdwara Sahib. Grewal had offered this Gurdwara Sahib to Sangat in March 1987 with the support of the Indian Army. But it is a matter of sadness that now a desperate attempt has been made to destroy this memorial of the first king. He said that it is unfortunate that the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh is visiting this historical shrine of Sikhs and showing it as a Buddhist shrine. This move is going to hurt Sikh sentiments, which will be fiercely opposed at all levels. Advocate Dhami said that This matter is very serious, in which the President, the PM should intervene immediately: Dhami He said that many cases related to Sikh shrines located in different places in the country are already pending and now another case has come to the fore. This is another example of discrimination against Sikhs, which the Indian government should consider and move towards a solution. He said that in this regard, the Shiromani Committee will write a letter to the President and the representatives of the Government of India and ask for action. Advertisement Amritpal Singh Arrested by Punjab Police Amritpal has been arrested from village Rode in Moga MOGA: 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritapal Singh, who has been absconding since March 18, has been arrested from a village in Moga district. As per the reports, Amritapal Singh will be sent to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam. He was arrested by the Punjab Police from Moga early in the morning today. According to the information received, Amritpal has been arrested from village Rode in Moga. A case has been registered against Amritpal under NSA. Advertisement Notably, Fugitive Amritpal was absconding for the last 36 days. Amritpal had attacked the Ajnala police station in Punjab on February 23 for the release of one of his supporters. Since this incident, the police is in search of him. On April 20, Amritpal's NRI Wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped by immigration officials at Amritsar airport. She was going to London. Kirandeep was interrogated for 3 hours at Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport. After this, Kirandeep was released. Punjab Police has confirmed the arrest of Amritpal Singh on Twitter. Police informed that Amritpal Singh was arrested from Moga in Punjab. More details will be shared by Punjab Police later. The Cops have appealed to the citizens to maintain peace and harmony and to verify any fake news before sharing it. Advertisement Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey, but the beleaguered home improvement retailer said its stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers. The company noted that it has received a commitment of about $240 million in debtor-in-possession financing from Sixth Street Specialty Lending. Following court approval, the company expects the financing to provide the necessary liquidity to support operations during the Chapter 11 process. Bed Bath & Beyond said in January that it continued to consider all strategic alternatives including restructuring or refinancing its debt, seeking additional debt or equity capital, reducing or delaying activities and strategic initiatives, or selling assets, other strategic transactions and/or other measures, including obtaining relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Hyundai Exter will come equipped with a 1.2L NA petrol engine at launch and 1.0L turbo petrol might follow later Hyundai getting ready to take on Tata Punch with Exter. Punch has carved out quite a huge market share in a short span of time. Exter will be the first serious attempt from a rival manufacturer to eat into the sales of Tata Punch. Exter is short for External, suggesting that the newest Hyundai will focus on millennials and Gen-Z audiences with an outdoorsy appeal. It is codenamed Ai3 internally and is a larger offering as opposed to Casper. Rendering artist Pratyush Rout has rendered a production version of Hyundai Exter CUV, based on the leaked spy shots and official teasers. Hyundai Exter Render Hyundais Most Affordable Compact Utility Vehicle (CUV) The render perfectly captivates Exters essence based on spy shots. It gets a handsome face with H-shaped LED DRLs. Headlight is stacked vertically, below the DRLs. Side view reminds of Venue. Grille is parametric-shaped as Venue, but it lacks chrome studs. There are two sporty design elements below the main grille. They are flanking Exters lower grille, adding a touch of aggression. The six-spoke design alloy wheels look modern and youthful. Body cladding cuts down on visual bulk significantly. There is a power bulge on the renders bonnet, adding a lot of muscle to Exter. It makes the bonnet appear higher than it is. Couple that with a flat-ish front fascia, lends a crossover SUV appeal. A-pillars are blacked-out like in the Venue. Roof rails make it look taller than it already is. The recent spy shots of Exter were clicked in Sweden, where it was spotted testing on the snow. There is a possibility that Exter will get an AWD system. Could There Be A 3-Row Exter With 7 Seats? Hyundai Exter gets a tapering roof, getting taller towards the rear. It is visible in the spy shots from Sweden, and almost makes me wonder whether Hyundai stuffed a third row of seats in there. Manufacturers generally take this route to carve third-row head space. Something like a Renault Triber. Ai3 is its internal codename and will launch during the upcoming festive season. At launch, it is likely to debut with a 1.2L 4-cylinder petrol engine developing 83 PS and 113.8 Nm, mated to a 5-speed MT or a 5-speed AMT. A 1.0L turbo petrol and a 1.2L CNG variant are likely to follow in the future. Hyundai Exter prices could range from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, ex-sh. Disclaimer Design renders presented in this blog are solely for illustrative purposes and have not been commissioned, approved, or endorsed by the manufacturer. Designs presented here may not reflect the final product or the manufacturers intentions. The renders are provided as conceptual designs or artistic interpretations only, and their accuracy or feasibility cannot be guaranteed. Indian space agency launches 2 Singaporean satellites Xinhua) 14:16, April 23, 2023 NEW DELHI, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Saturday successfully launched the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C55 mission, carrying two Singaporean satellites weighing around 757 kg. The primary payload is an Earth Observation Satellite (EOS). The two satellites are intended to be launched into an eastward low-inclination orbit. The launch was carried out at the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) in Sriharikota, a rocket launch center in southern India. "PSLV-C55 is a dedicated commercial PSLV mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for the international satellite customer from Singapore. In this mission TeLEOS-2, a synthetic aperture radar satellite will be the primary satellite, and LUMELITE-4, a technology demonstration nano-satellite, will be the co-passenger satellite," said the ISRO in a statement. The TeLEOS-2 satellite will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies of the government of Singapore, while the LUMELITE-4 aims to augment Singapore's e-navigation on maritime safety and benefit the global shipping community. The mission was conducted under a contract with the New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the ISRO. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) The World Banks Board of Executive Directors approved the Second Livestock Sector Development Project for Uzbekistan which will help invest in building a productive, competitive, inclusive, and climate-resilient livestock sector across the country, Trend reports citing Kun.uz. The World Bank will provide technical assistance, international best practices, and financing of $240 million to the Government to implement the Project. The latter will include a highly concessional International Development Association (IDA) credit of $150 million (with a maturity period of 30 years, including a five-year grace period), and a low-cost International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan of $90 million (with a maturity period of 24.5 years including a grace period of 4.5 years). Livestock is one of Uzbekistans key economic sectors that constitutes 13 percent of GDP and about 50 percent of agricultural GDP. It generates from 45 to 67 percent of rural household income and plays a significant role in ensuring food and nutrition security. The sector employs about 27 percent of agricultural workers. However, it is the source of over 13 percent of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and most of the agricultural emissions. Livestock production has increased over the last three decades. Nevertheless, productivity remains low compared to that of neighboring countries, such as Russia, Turkey, and Kazakhstan, and it is not meeting the growing domestic demand. It is projected that by 2035, under a business-as-usual scenario, the production of milk and meat will satisfy only 59 and 52 percent of domestic demand, respectively. Smallholder farmers (dehkans) number 4.8 million across Uzbekistan. The productivity of animals they keep is substantially lower compared to that of large-scale commercial farmers and agribusinesses. For instance, average milk productivity is 3 liters of milk per cow per day for dehkans, 8 liters for commercial farmers, and 20 liters for agribusinesses. With improved access to modern inputs, information, technology, and finance, dehkans can increase their productivity. The new Project will help the Government implement the 2022-2026 Program for the Development of the Livestock Sector and its Industries in Uzbekistan designed to increase production, productivity, and incomes across the sector; improve access of livestock producers, including dehkans, to market, technology, and finance; develop green, inclusive and climate resilient livestock value chains; and enhance food and nutrition security, noted Marco Mantovanelli, World Bank Country Manager for Uzbekistan. Moreover, the Project will contribute to a wider application of the One Health concept in the country focusing on human, animal, and ecosystem health to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from infectious diseases. To achieve the above-mentioned goals, the Project will support the following activities: 1. Investment in developing public livestock support services. This includes activities designed to improve the institutional and legal framework that will stimulate the sectors productivity, competitiveness, inclusivity (specifically for dehkans and women), and climate resilience. The Project will invest in strengthening the management and service delivery capacity of Uzbekistans Committee of Veterinary and Livestock Development (CVLD) (e. g. through the creation of a national veterinary information system, improvement of laboratory infrastructure, and development of the CVLD human resources). The Project will also help develop extension and advisory services for livestock producers (e. g. veterinary, breed improvement, climate-smart agriculture services), as well as improve public livestock research and development (R&D) capacity (e. g. through improving human resources and infrastructure of the respective R&D institutions across the country). 2. Investment in strengthening market and value addition infrastructure and facilitating trade. This includes activities designed to construct new market and value-addition infrastructures and renovate existing ones to expand market access for livestock producers. The Project will help enhance control over the import of animals and animal products to protect the populations health and ensure food safety, as well as develop and launch a national system on animal identification, registration, and traceability. 3. Investment in promoting green and climate-resilient livestock value chains. This will include activities designed to improve the access of livestock producers to finance. Namely, local commercial banks will provide them with loans using simplified procedures. These funds can be invested in expanding livestock producers businesses, increasing their productivity, and introducing climate-smart technologies to control GHG emissions, improve climate resilience, and use natural and energy resources more efficiently. Tuna caught in industrialized areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans have 36 times more pollutants than those fished in remote parts of the West Pacific, scientists from Scripps Oceanography found. The researchers tracked concentrations of toxins in tuna around the world and found that the location of fish, as much as its species, can affect how safe it is to eat. The pollutant levels in seafood and tuna in our case, can be heavily determined by the location where it was caught, said lead author Sascha Nicklisch, a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. It is important to know the origin of catch of the fish, to know the amount of pollutants in your fish. Advertisement They hope the study will help advance understanding of how toxins enter our food supply through seafood, and how to manage fisheries to reduce that risk. The study, published in the June issue of the academic journal, Environmental Health Perspectives, tested tuna from locations around the globe for the presence of pesticides, coolants and flame retardants. Together, theyre part of a class of chemicals called persistent organic pollutants, which accumulate in body tissue and make their way up the food chain. Big fish and predators tend to have higher levels of toxic chemicals, so tuna offered a good means of tracking them. And yellowfin, which are relatively large fish but have shorter ranges than other tuna species, allowed researchers to look at regional pollutants. They stay in the location where they are born and hunt, Nicklisch said. So we tried to use these tuna to create a snapshot of local contamination. Scientists identified eight key sites around the globe, and analyzed 10 fish from each of them. To collect the samples, staff researcher Lindsay Bonito traveled from Tonga to Panama, Louisiana, Hawaii, Guam and Vietnam, chasing tuna. I was tasked to go out and actually secure tuna from all over the world, Bonito said. I would either go out and fish for it, or contact fishermen. They screened the fish for 247 toxic compounds, and calculated pollutant concentrations for each area. Average toxin levels in tuna from the most polluted areas were 36 times those found in the least polluted areas. The differences between individual fish were even higher. Toxic levels in the most and least contaminated tuna samples varied by a factor of 180, according to the report. In general, Nicklisch said, the more contaminated sites were industrialized areas of the northern hemisphere, including ocean regions off the Atlantic Coast of Europe, and the East and West Coasts of North America. Those off of Asia, and in the Pacific Islands were relatively clean, he said. The sites where we caught them are known to be more pristine, such as kingdom of Tonga, he said. Because food-born toxins can affect the health of people who eat them, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration issue guidelines on how much fish to eat, with more protective recommendations for children, and pregnant or nursing women. Most of the tuna analyzed in the study would be considered safe under current guidelines, the researchers said. But there were wide variations between regions, and some areas, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean around Europe, had high levels of unsafe fish. In all of the tuna samples, researchers found a particularly pernicious set of chemicals. Each fish tested contained 10 specific compounds that interfere with proteins that regulate cell membranes and fend off toxins, Nicklisch said. By disabling that defense, the toxic compounds open the floodgate to a host of other pollutants. These compounds might lead to accumulation of chemicals in these tuna, because the proteins usually block those compounds in fish, but also in us, in humans, Nicklisch said. He said he hopes the study will lead to better safety testing of chemicals found in food, and enhance public information and labeling of seafood. The most important part of the take-home message is that its important to know where your fish was caught, he said. deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan A four-day climate change protest called the Big One is taking place in London, Trend reports citing Euronews. The organisers, Extinction Rebellion, predicted 50,000 people would join street demonstrations. There were rallies, speeches and parades in and around Westminster. The second day of the event coincided with Earth Day. Despite the increasing use of genomic sequencing in clinical practice, interpreting rare genetic mutations, even among well-studied disease genes, remains difficult. Current predictive models are useful for interpreting those mutations, but they are prone to misclassify those that do not cause diseases, contributing to false positives. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden, the Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD) in Germany, and the Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, have developed a tool called Deciphering Mutations in Actionable Genes (DeMAG) published in the journal Nature Communications. DeMAG is an open-source web server (demag.org) that offers an interpretation of the effects of all potential single amino acid mutations could occur in 316 clinically relevant genes that cause diseases for which preventive diagnostics and treatments are already available. DeMAG provides medical professionals with a tool that allows them to more accurately assess the effect of mutations in those genes by reducing the false positive rate, which means that less benign mutations are predicted as pathogenic. As a result, the tool can support clinical decision-making. In recent years, genomic sequencing has become less expensive and more advanced. On the one hand, this allows clinicians to increasingly use sequencing for diagnostic purposes while also allowing scientists to explore more research hypotheses. On the other hand, many detected mutations do not have a clear clinical interpretation. The uncertainty over whether a mutation causes disease can be stressful for patients and lead to psychological burden, morbidity and health-care expenses associated with under- and overdiagnosis. While existing tools are already used to predict the functional impact of these variants, their performance is biased due to limited clinical data that makes distinguishing between pathogenic (disease-causing) and benign (neutral) variants within a given gene difficult and often lead to misclassifying mutations that do not cause disease as pathogenic. Addressing these difficulties is critical for developing a reliable predictor for clinical applications. The research group of Agnes Toth-Petroczy at the MPI-CBG and the CSBD teamed up with Christopher Cassa, assistant professor of medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital Division of Genetics at the Harvard Medical School, and Ivan Adzhubei, research associate at the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School, to develop a statistical model and web server DeMAG that reaches high accuracy in the interpretation of genetic mutations in disease genes. To do this, the researchers carefully selected known pathogenic and benign mutations for training the model. "We used clinical and various population databases. We selected only mutations whose clinical interpretation is agreed upon among multiple submitters such as medical doctors and genetics laboratories. And we also included data from ancestries that are underrepresented in the current population databases, such as Korean or Japanese, to make it even more representative and accurate," explains Federica Luppino, first author of the research paper and PhD student in the Toth-Petroczy group. DeMAG includes a novel feature, the "partners score," that identifies clusters of amino acids in a protein that share the same clinical effect. With the partners score, DeMAG takes advantage of the amino acid relationships based on evolutionary information from the genomes of many organisms and the recent AI (Artificial Intelligence) revolution of predicting the 3D shapes of proteins using the AlphaFold algorithm developed by Google DeepMind. Agnes Toth-Petroczy, who supervised the study, concludes, "We provide a basic framework for integrating clinical and protein data to aid assessing the impact of mutations. We hope that our tool and web server will ease variants effect assessment and clinical decision-making. Furthermore, the newly developed features can be applied to other genes and organisms beyond humans." An international team of scientists, co-led by Dr Carla J. Harper, Assistant Professor in Botany in the School of Natural Sciences at Trinity, has discovered the oldest evidence of plant self-defence in wood in a 360-million-year-old fossil from south-eastern Ireland. Plants can protect their wood from infection and water loss by forming special structures called "tyloses." These prevent bacterial and fungal pathogens from getting into the heartwood of living trees and damaging it. However, it was not previously known how early in the evolution of plants woody species became capable of forming such defences. Published today in Nature Plants is the oldest evidence of tylosis formation from Late Devonian (360-million-year-old) fossil wood from the Hook Head Peninsula area, Co. Wexford, Ireland. These plants lived well before the time of the dinosaurs or even flying insects. They formed the first primeval forests, when plants ruled the continents, accompanied by microorganisms, fungi, and early relatives of spiders, millipedes and centipedes. Dr Harper and her team, including Dr Anne-Laure Decombeix (CNRS, France), Dr Cyrille Prestianni (Uni. Liege, Belgium), Trinity Botany PhD student Thibault Durieux (co-advised by Harper and Decombeix), Merlin Ramel (INRAe, France), and Prof Michael Krings (BSGP, Munich, Germany and Trinity SNS Visiting Research Associate), discovered tyloses in the fossilised wood of an extinct group of plants known as the Archaeopteridalean progymnosperms. These plants are particularly important as they were the first trees to resemble those we see today, with a large woody trunk, branches, and complex root systems. The team has now discovered that these primitive trees were also able to form tyloses to protect their wood. What is particularly exciting is that Ireland is one of the few places in the world where such details can be observed in plants from this remote time period. This means that the fossils from Co. Wexford give unique insights into this important period in plant evolution. Dr Harper said: "Fossil wood is an example of an anatomically preserved fossil: plant remains that have been infiltrated by a water rich in minerals, preserving their tissues in three dimensions. These fossils allow us to study very fine details of extinct plant anatomy, down to the cellular level. This type of preservation, in general, is rare but occurs in certain fossil deposits in Ireland. "Continuing fieldwork in Irish Devonian localities will yield new fossils that will increase our understanding of the diversity and biology of extinct plants. Overall, Ireland's rich plant fossil history -- an untapped resource -- plays a key role in answering exciting research questions and raises many more." Ireland has long been known as the Emerald Isle due its famous rolling green hills -- but such discoveries help us to understand how and when this "greening" began. Dr Harper said: "By studying these fossil plants and their past environments, we can get powerful insights into the history of plant physiological processes that still occur today, and into both current and future ecosystems of Ireland and the world." Botanists and paleontologists, led by researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, have identified a fossil chili pepper that may rewrite the geography and evolutionary timeline of the tomato plant family. The team's findings, published last month in the journal New Phytologist, show that the chili pepper tribe (Capsiceae) within the tomato, or nightshade (Solanaceae), family is much older and was much more widespread than previously thought. Scientists previously believed that chili peppers evolved in South America at most 15 million years ago, but the new research pushes that date to at least 50 million years ago -- and suggests that chili peppers were in fact present in North America at that time. Rocio Deanna, a postdoctoral researcher in ecology and evolutionary biology, and Abel Campos, an undergraduate double majoring in evolutionary biology and molecular, cellular and developmental biology, weren't planning to rewrite history when they met up one afternoon at the CU Boulder Museum of Natural History in 2021. Yet among a group of specimens in its collections gathered from the Green River Formation -- geological treasure trove in northwestern Colorado and southwestern Wyoming -- Deanna spotted a specific, solanaceous trait embedded in one fossil: little spikes on the end of a fruiting stem. "At first, I thought 'No way! This can't be true,'" said Rocio Deanna, lead author of the study. "But it was so characteristic of the chili pepper." After they discovered two of these fossils in the CU Boulder collections, Deanna and Campos, a co-author of the study, found one more from the chili pepper tribe in collections at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. All three fossils are from the Green River Formation in Colorado: the CU specimens from Garfield County and the DMNS fossil from Rio Blanco County. These chili pepper fossils from the Eocene geological epoch (34 to 56 million years ago) match the timeline of another nightshade fossil found in the Esmeraldas Formation in Colombia, revealing that the family was already distributed across all of the Americas by as early as 50 million years ago. "The family is way older than we thought," said Deanna, also a faculty member at the National University of Cordoba. A fruit-fossil history The nightshade family comprises 3,000 species and almost 100 different genera, including chili peppers. The ancient chili pepper was technically a fruit -- and a berry, at that. While tomatoes and peppers are commonly associated with vegetables, they have seeds on the inside, which officially categorizes them as fruits. The researchers cannot be sure of the chili's exact shape or color, but it was probably on the smaller end compared to modern day chili peppers. And like its relatives, it could have been quite spicy, according to Deanna. Deanna and Campos identified the fossil by the unique shape of its calyx teeth: spikes on the end of the fruiting stem that hold on to the pepper, like those which hold a gemstone in a ring. "The world has maybe 300,000 plant species. The only plants with that kind of calyx is this group of 80 or 90 species," said Stacey Smith, senior author of the paper and associate professor of evolutionary biology at CU Boulder. Paleontologists collected the CU Boulder fossil from the Green River Formation in the 1990s. But its exact identity remained a mystery for years, in part because there are only a handful of "solanologists," botanists who study the nightshade family, in the world. When Deanna found these Colorado-based fossils, she had just returned from a global search for tomato family fossil specimens, only to find some "just ripe for the picking" right on campus. "A lot of discoveries happen decades after the specimens have been collected," said Smith. "Who knows how many other new fossil species are sitting in any of these museums? They're just waiting for the right eyes to look at them." Trickle-down evolution These chili pepper fossils were around during the Eocene, a geologic epoch that lasted from about 34 to 56 million years ago as the continents drifted toward their present positions. During this balmy time in Earth's history, carbon dioxide levels ranged between 700 and 900 parts per million (twice as high as they are today), and palm trees grew as far north as Alaska. Because little to no ice was present on Earth, sea level was as much as 500 feet higher than it is today. Scientists had assumed that the origins of chili peppers began in South America roughly 10 to 15 million years ago, where they then dispersed over land and water to the other continents. While Colorado today is home to very few native nightshades and no chili peppers, this new discovery hints that a plethora of plants from the tomato plant family may have existed in North America 40 to 50 million years ago, which have since largely disappeared. But how did these peppers first get to North America? It's now a case of "the chicken or the chili pepper?" Experts have theorized that fruit-eating birds, which existed as early as 60 million years ago, may have carried seeds and plants around the world with them in their guts, stuck to their feathers or in the mud on their feet. But these birds also had to be eating something to fuel their journeys -- and fleshy berries, or peppers, make the perfect fuel. Birds may have distributed peppers from continent to continent, but peppers may also have been crucial to the success of those same birds. So the nightshade family could have easily started in North America instead of South America, then dispersed in the other direction -- and with this discovery, scientists can no longer say for sure, said Smith. "These chili peppers, a species that we thought arose in an evolutionary blink of an eye, have been around for a super long time," said Smith. "We're still coming to grips with this new timeline." Chronic alcohol consumption may make people more sensitive to pain through two different molecular mechanisms -- one driven by alcohol intake and one by alcohol withdrawal. That is one new conclusion by scientists at Scripps Research on the complex links between alcohol and pain. The research, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology on April 12, 2023, also suggests potential new drug targets for treating alcohol-associated chronic pain and hypersensitivity. "There is an urgent need to better understand the two-way street between chronic pain and alcohol dependence," says senior author Marisa Roberto, PhD, the Schimmel Family Chair of Molecular Medicine, and a professor of neuroscience at Scripps Research. "Pain is both a widespread symptom in patients suffering from alcohol dependence, as well as a reason why people are driven to drink again." Alcohol use disorder (AUD), which encompasses the conditions commonly called alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence and alcohol addiction, affects 29.5 million people in the U.S. according to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Over time, AUD can trigger the development of numerous chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, liver disease and some cancers. Among the many impacts of long-term alcohol consumption is pain: more than half of people with AUD experience persistent pain of some type. This includes alcoholic neuropathy, which is nerve damage that causes chronic pain and other symptoms. Studies have also found that AUD is associated with changes in how the brain processes pain signals, as well as changes to how immune system activation occurs. In turn, this pain can lead to increased alcohol consumption. Moreover, during withdrawal, people with AUD can experience allodynia, in which a harmless stimulus is perceived as painful. Roberto and her colleagues were interested in learning the underlying causes of these different types of alcohol-related pain. In the new study, they compared three groups of adult mice: animals that were dependent on alcohol (excessive drinkers), animals that had limited access to alcohol and were not considered dependent (moderate drinkers), and those that had never been given alcohol. In dependent mice, allodynia developed during alcohol withdrawal, and subsequent alcohol access significantly decreased pain sensitivity. Separately, about half of the mice that were not dependent on alcohol also showed signs of increased pain sensitivity during alcohol withdrawal but, unlike the dependent mice, this neuropathy was not reversed by re-exposure to alcohol. When Roberto's group then measured levels of inflammatory proteins in the animals, they discovered that while inflammation pathways were elevated in both dependent and non-dependent animals, specific molecules were only increased in dependent mice. This indicates that different molecular mechanisms may drive the two types of pain. It also suggests which inflammatory proteins may be useful as drug targets to combat alcohol-related pain. "These two types of pain vary greatly, which is why it is important to be able to distinguish between them and develop different ways to treat each type," says first author Vittoria Borgonetti, PhD, a postdoctoral associate at Scripps Research. Roberto's group is continuing studies on how these molecules might be used to diagnose or treat alcohol-related chronic pain conditions. "Our goal is to unveil new potential molecular targets that can be used to distinguish these types of pain and potentially be used in the future for the development of therapies," says co-senior author Nicoletta Galeotti, PhD, associate professor of preclinical pharmacology at the University of Florence. In addition to Roberto, authors of the study, "Chronic alcohol induced mechanical allodynia by promoting neuroinflammation: a predictive mice model of alcoholic neuropathy," include Amanda Roberts, Michal Bajo and Vittoria Borgonetti of Scripps Research; and Nicoletta Galeotti of University of Florence. This work was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (The Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism Consortium AA013498, AA027700, AA021491, AA017447, AA006420, and AA029841), The Schimmel Family Chair, The Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, and The Scripps Research Institute's Animal Models Core Facility. At least seven thousand servicemen, police officers and other law enforcement officials will provide for security of participants in the 5th ALBA Games held under the auspices of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), Venezuelas minister of interior Remigio Ceballos tweeted, Trend reports citing TASS. "Law enforcement operations will involve 350 vehicles, 710 motorcycles and twelve ambulance cars that will be located on competition sites," the minister said. ALBA Games comprise competitions in 35 kinds of sports, with about 3,500 athletes from eleven countries participating in them. 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 packed -- Ceperley compared it to stacked oranges -- the researchers observed a phase where the molecules become oblong figures -- Ceperley 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." This work was done in collaboration with Markus Holzmann of Univ. Grenoble Alpes and Carlo Pierleoni of the University of L'Aquila. Ceperley's research group is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Computational Materials Sciences program under Award DE-SC0020177. Polynesian peoples are renowned for their advanced sailing technology and for reaching the most remote islands on the planet centuries before the Europeans reached the Americas. Through swift eastward migrations that are now well covered by archaeological research, Polynesian societies settled virtually every island from Samoa and Tonga to Rapa Nui/Easter Island in the east, Hawai'i in the north, and Aotearoa/New Zealand in the south. But little is known about Polynesian migrations west of the 180th meridian. In order to better understand the relationship between these Polynesian societies of the western Pacific, Melanesia and Micronesia -- often referred to as "Polynesian Outliers" -- a multidisciplinary team of researchers analysed the geochemical signature of stone artefacts collected in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and the Caroline Islands between 1978 and 2019. An international research team, led by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, was able to identify the geological origin of these artefacts after comparing their geochemical and isotopic compositions with reference datasets of natural rocks and archaeological quarries in the region. The connection to the Polynesian homeland Adzes are versatile cutting tools comparable to axes. Among the eight adzes or adze fragments the researchers analysed, six were sourced to the same large fortified quarry complex of Tatagamatau on Tutuila Island (American Samoa), which is located more than 2,500 kilometres away in the Polynesian homeland. "Tatagamatau adzes were among the most disseminated items across West and East Polynesia, and the sourcing of Taumako and Emae adzes suggest bursts of long-distance mobility towards the Outliers similar to those that led to the settlement of East Polynesia," says lead author Aymeric Hermann, researcher at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and associate researcher at the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Hermann points out that the transportation of such socially valued items -- often passed down for generations among Polynesian chiefly families -- suggests carefully planned voyages, rather than accidental landfalls. The geochemical investigation of stone artefacts from the Polynesian Outliers also provides critical information on inter-island transfers between the Polynesians and their neighbours in the western Pacific, specifically between the Banks Islands and Central Vanuatu, and between the Bismarck and the Caroline Islands. The team highlights that such inter-island contacts are signals that Polynesian sailors might have played an important role in the reappraisal of long-distance mobility and in the distribution of specific material culture items and technologies such as shell adzes, back-strap loom, and obsidian points among the mosaic of Pacific Island societies in the western Pacific during the last millennium A.D. "A recent study describes an obsidian stemmed point as a chiefly heirloom found on Kapingamarangi Island with a geochemical signature matching an obsidian source on Lou Island in the Admiralties: this is an exciting find that echoes our identification of a basalt flake from mainland New Britain on that same atoll," adds Hermann. Long-distance mobility in the past In the Pacific region, geochemical sourcing has been particularly successful at locating sources of stone artefacts and tracing the transport of specific items across distant islands and archipelagos. Such material evidence of long-distance inter-island voyaging shows that Pacific Island societies were never completely isolated from one another. These patterns of interaction are central to our understanding of the deeply intertwined history of cultural systems in the Pacific. In this study, atomic emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry were used to measure concentration of oxides, trace elements and ratios of radiogenic isotopes in order to identify geological provenances with a high level of accuracy. Thanks to the collaboration of experts in archaeology, geochemistry and data science, a cutting-edge approach to geochemical sourcing was developed, which involves the use of computer-assisted comparisons with open-access databases. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. Houses built as part of the smart village project in the Nurdagi district, located in the Turkish province of Gaziantep, were handed over yesterday to earthquake victims, Murat Kurum, Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change said in his Twitter account, Trend reports. "Today, 76 days after the catastrophe of the century, we are handing over the first rural houses for use," the minister said. Murat Kurum noted that 319,000 more houses for the victims will be commissioned within the prescribed period. Yesterday, in Nurdagi, which was severely damaged by the earthquake, a ceremony to commission the first courses for permanent residence for the victims of the earthquake was held with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Reportedly, with the coordination of the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urban Development and Climate Change and the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), 14 houses were built in the Belpinar quarter. The construction of the village mosque has also been completed. A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkiye on Feb. 6, 2023. The earthquake occurred at a depth of seven kilometers in the Pazarcik region of Kahramanmaras Province. The provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adiyaman, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, and Kahramanmaras were subjected to severe destruction. As a result of the earthquake that hit Turkiye, strong tremors were also felt in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Cyprus. The death toll of the earthquake in Turkiye reached 50,783. Police officers seized a large amount of drugs in San Francisco on Friday. The haul included 2,774.9 grams of methamphetamine, more than six pounds, 525 grams of fentanyl (18.5 ounces) and several other narcotics from the arrested subject, according to a tweet from the San Francisco Police Departments Tenderloin Station. On Twitter, other users replied by commending the department and thanking officers. Keep it up boys and girls in blue, said Twitter user @fotomarcos. A department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for further information. The Tenderloin neighborhood is ground zero for San Franciscos drug overdose crisis, which is driven by the widespread availability of fentanyl and claimed more lives during the pandemic than COVID-19. In the first three months of 2023, 200 people died of accidental drug overdoses, a roughly 40% increase from the number of deaths during the same period last year. When ChatGPT launched for free five months ago, the primary response among educators including in the Bay Area was panic. The online program can write long-form essays in a matter of seconds or solve algebraic equations step-by-step and create outlines, among other capabilities that led to instant anxiety among educators across the country when the free chatbot launched publicly in November. As predicted, examples of cheating using ChatGPT popped up almost immediately in the Bay Area and elsewhere. At San Franciscos academically competitive Lowell High School, an informal poll by the student newspaper found that 19% of students included in the survey appeared to be using the program to cut corners, saying they used AI-powered writing software to complete classwork, essays, or tests. But in a relatively short period of time the panic started to ebb as teachers acknowledged that cheating is not new. Students have long conned their way to good grades from crib notes scribbled on an arm to copying from the encyclopedia to texting test questions to friends and plagiarizing from the internet. And so now theres a new way to cheat. But with five months of exposure to the new technology, educators say ChatGPT and similar technologies have the potential to enrich and enliven teaching and learning rather than gut them. While educators remain on the lookout for ChatGPT cheaters, the opportunities in this technology are thrilling, they said. This is a moment thats going to go down in history, said Old Dominion University educational technology Professor Helen Crompton, an expert in the field for more than 25 years. This is a fantastic educational opportunity. We need to grab hold of it and be excited. Crompton argues that not only does AI and ChatGPT offer opportunities to make teaching and learning more interesting and interactive, but it can also expose deficiencies in outdated forms of education. For example, some teachers overrely on essays about the same topics year after year, like the five-paragraph argumentative essay. Instead of having students write that stereotypical essay, which ChatGPT could do in seconds about virtually any subject, the student could prompt the program to debate the topic, turning in the back-and-forth result to their teacher, demonstrating knowledge of the subject and the ability to present an argument. Or the teacher could prompt ChatGPT to write the argumentative essay and then have students critique it, improving on the technologys version, which incorporates a massive amount of information and spits out a stereotypical and mediocre response that lacks voice, creativity and other aspects of individualistic thinking. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Students get burned out and tired of doing the same old stuff, Crompton said. They want to do something exciting. Aisling Prange, the English department head at Roosevelt Middle School in San Francisco, is fired up about the possibilities ChatGPT brings to her classroom. Its incredible technology so how can we use it? Prange asked. It seems theres a place for it in project-based learning, she added, with students using the chatbots to come up with ideas or help write outlines or offer summaries of research. That means, however, that class assignments need to incorporate what a chatbot can do, but also require using the human brains ability to reason and critique, something a machine cant do. I think its a big shift for educators who are more traditional, she said, referring to the read the book, write the essay approach. Its not about learning the formulas anymore and applying them to the world, she said. I want students to feel proud of their own ideas and the way theyre expressing themselves. While she hopes to incorporate ChatGPT into assignments in the future, Prange continues to worry about cheating using AI products or other methods. Noticing a rise in cheating this year, she and her schools administrators sent a letter home advising parents and guardians that they were seeing plagiarism as well as use of ChatGPT, QuillBot, and other online AI programs in language arts classrooms. She hopes parents will talk to their kids about the cons of cheating, something reinforced in her classes and schoolwide. Roosevelts principal, Emily Leicham, agreed, saying that while the way to cheat has changed, the need to educate students on why its a bad idea is a constant. When youre an educator you see all the tricks, she said. Being honest, thats something we really really push with our kids now. While Leichem and her staff are focused on teaching academic honesty to mitigate the possibility of cheating with ChatGPT, two big school districts in Los Angeles and New York City were among those that blocked access to the AI technology in an attempt to prevent it. Some colleges, where educators were equally concerned, tried the same approach. But some experts think trying to make it go away wont work. Furman University philosophy professor Darren Hudson Hick, one of the first in the country to catch a ChatGPT cheat, equated that tactic with the futile effort to ban the internet from classrooms 30 years ago, for fear students would plagiarize information or access inappropriate material. This is 1993 all over again, he said, referring to the fear around new technology. What does AI mean for education a year from now, five years from now? Who knows. Hick was among the first educators in the country to catch a ChatGPT cheat in mid-December, about three weeks after the technology hit the internet. The South Carolina professor, like all K-12 and college educators across the country, didnt have technology to combat the problem yet, just years of experience. One student turned in her essay on philosopher David Hume and the paradox of horror, which was well written, he said, but made little sense. When he confronted her, the student subsequently admitted to using ChatGPT. Since then, Hick keeps an eye out for AI in student work. He warns his students about his policy on it, which helps deter cheating. If I have a whiff of artificial intelligence on anything turned in, I have the option of tossing it out and on the spot giving an oral exam, he said. In recent months, educators have turned to technology to help identify AI-written work, using a variety of programs like TurnItIn or other screening tools to look for the footprint of artificial intelligence, including tone, word usage and other aspects to determine whether it is likely AI generated or not. But those tools arent always accurate, and students are already finding ways to beat the AI detectors, including misspelling words, inserting typos and rewriting a handful of sentences. The best defense against the technology is perhaps offense, educators say. At Stanford University, Sarah Levine, assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education, said shes seeing more excitement and optimism from her students, many of whom are K-12 teachers working on an advanced degree. Im hearing teachers are using it more and are getting excited about it, she said, citing one teacher who used it to generate five college application essays about the same topic, but with different tone or style, helping students pay more attention to those elements in their writing. Levine said her students are finding that AI generated material is mushy, vanilla or generic. That said, it has great potential to help students learn in K-12 classrooms, although its still a bit unclear how to use it ethically and effectively. Im really trying to figure it out myself, she said. Its really pushing all of us to rethink why we teach what we teach. San Francisco seventh-grader Zoie Hon thinks so too. She remembers when she first heard about the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT, which can generate human-like responses to questions or prompts. I thought it was really cool that robots could behave like humans could, she said. But what if, she pondered, this was the precursor to AI taking over the world, a la the Terminator, even though ChatGPT denies such an apocalyptic scenario, writing in a response to the idea that AI doesnt have the capacity to take over the world on its own. It can also help students cheat, the Roosevelt Middle School student acknowledged, but besides that and the possibility of machine-based world domination, she thinks ChatGPT is pretty cool, given that it was able to write a funny limerick summing up her conversation with it as part of a class writing assignment on the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. Her teachers were impressed with her research, as well as the machine-generated poem that summed up Zoies conversation with the program. But the seventh-grader acknowledged shes still wary of AI. I think it probably excites me more than it scares me, she said, but I think it really depends on whos using it and for what purpose. Ill bury that n in my fields. (W)e kill more mexicans than anything else. Soo blacks can feel safe. Ungreateful n-s, Jackass n-s, Jaywalking n-s, 11-25 n-s, ACO n-s, Beaner n-s. These remarks werent taken from a 4-Chan forum where subliterate bigots anonymously spew hatred. These are examples of the dozens of virulent text messages in the group chats of Antioch police officers between 2019 and 2022, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorneys Office. The texts can be found in a pair of reports dated March 27 and 28, and are part of a larger investigation into APD misconduct by the FBI and the District Attorneys Office, first reported by the East Bay Times. In the messages, officers admit to stopping people because of their race, falsifying evidence and brutalizing Black and brown suspects; they also compare Black people to zoo animals. The reports name 17 officers, yet city leaders say more than 40% of the departments 99 officers could be implicated in the scandal. Currently, 38 APD officers are on paid leave related to the investigation. Nothing short of a complete revolution mass firings, decertifications, even federal takeover will change a culture where racism is normalized and calls for accountability and reform from frustrated Black and brown residents have largely gone ignored for years. Were not slaves that need to be violently captured, Addie Kitchen, a police reform activist and the grandmother of Steven Taylor, who was killed by San Leandro police inside a Walmart in 2020, told me. It hurts so deeply because we need law enforcement of some kind, but how can we trust officers if we constantly have to watch our back around them? The deeply embedded racism at the Antioch Police Department is deplorable. It isnt surprising. Antioch, like many Bay Area suburbs where police oversight is lacking, is years behind nearby cities such as Oakland and San Francisco when it comes to police reform. Aside from being under federal oversight for the past two decades because of its own explosive scandal, the Oakland Police Department has had a civilian oversight board since 2016 to increase the influence community members have on the department. Antioch only decided to create its own civilian-led commission in 2022, and it has yet to be staffed. The San Francisco Police Department started using body cameras in 2014 to track officers interactions with the public, in hopes that it would bring equity to policing outcomes. Antioch would follow suit in a half-hearted way seven years later, and only on the heels of the tragic death of Angelo Quinto. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The 30-year-old Navy veteran died in December 2020, three days after being restrained for several minutes by Antioch police after experiencing a mental health crisis at his mothers home. Police didnt even inform the public of the death for a month, and the only video that exists is a shaky cell phone recording Quintos mother made after her dying son was already unconscious and bleeding from his face. Reform has been slow in Antioch because, as Mayor Lamar Thorpe said during a heated City Council meeting Tuesday, the influential police union and its supporters have aggressively rejected even the most toothless proposals in recent years. In 2020, when all I asked for was a committee to sit down and look at policies to do police reform, people lost their collective minds, Thorpe said from the dais. If they could have hung me from the highest tree in Antioch, they would have. The week after the East Bay Times disclosed the Police Departments text messages on April 11, the Antioch City Council voted unanimously to conduct audits of the Police Departments internal affairs unit as well as its hiring and promotional practices. And Contra County District Attorney Diana Becton began reviewing a yet-to-be-disclosed number of cases involving the agency for potential resentencing or dismissal. This moment is not about anti-racism classes within (the department). A two-hour class wont suffice, City Council Member Monica Wilson said before the council voted Tuesday. This moment is about the elimination of members of the Antioch Police Department. More needs to be done for the department to even hope to have the publics trust, which it doesnt deserve. City leaders must clean house at the Police Department, quickly firing all personnel tied to the scandal, including top brass who knew the toxic culture existed and did nothing to stop, or, perhaps, encouraged and participated in it. Along with firings, the agency needs to be placed under scrutinizing external oversight. After all, the police agencies in San Francisco and Oakland, imperfect though they still are, didnt really start taking steps in the right direction until they were being compelled by the Department of Justice and a federal monitor, respectively. The agencys reputation is beyond repair at this point. The only way to build a police department that the East Bay city deserves is from the outside in. This includes people like Devin Williams, an Antioch native and a member of the nonprofit Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. He applied last month to be on the civilian-led commission and has yet to hear back from the city. As a community member here, we cant take no when it comes to reforms anymore because people are going to continue to be harassed, to be killed, to be uncomfortable around police until we get serious about addressing the crimes that police commit, he told me. Weve long known that cops can be criminals. But when you learn racism is as rooted as it is at the Antioch Police Deparment, where officers masquerade as protectors while finding joy in abuse, its time to tear it all down and start again. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) One of the most important munitions of the Ukraine war comes from a historic factory in this city built by coal barons, where tons of steel rods are brought in by train to be forged into the artillery shells Kyiv cant get enough of and that the U.S. cant produce fast enough. The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant is at the vanguard of a multibillion-dollar Pentagon plan to modernize and accelerate its production of ammunition and equipment not only to support Ukraine, but to be ready for a potential conflict with China. But it is one of just two sites in the U.S. that make the steel bodies for the critical 155 mm howitzer rounds that the U.S. is rushing to Ukraine to help in its grinding fight to repel the Russian invasion in the largest-scale war in Europe since World War II. The invasion of Ukraine revealed that the U.S. stockpile of 155 mm shells and those of European allies were unprepared to support a major and ongoing conventional land war, sending them scrambling to bolster production. The dwindling supply has alarmed U.S. military planners, and the Army now plans to spend billions on munitions plants around the country in what it calls its most significant transformation in 40 years. It may not be easy to adapt: practically every square foot of the Scranton plant's red brick factory buildings first constructed more than a century ago as a locomotive repair depot is in use as the Army clears space, expands production to private factories and assembles new supply chains. There are some things that Army and plant officials in Scranton wont reveal, including where they get the steel for the shells and exactly how many more rounds this factory can produce. Thats what Russia wants to know, said Justine Barati of the U.S. Armys Joint Munitions Command. So far, the U.S. has provided more than $35 billion in weapons and equipment to Ukraine. The 155 mm shell is one of the most often-requested and supplied items, which also include air defense systems, long-range missiles and tanks. The rounds, used in howitzer systems, are critical to Ukraines fight because they allow the Ukrainians to hit Russian targets up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) away with a highly explosive munition. Unfortunately, we understand that the production is very limited and its been more than a year of war, Ukraine parliamentary member Oleksandra Ustinova said at a German Marshall Fund media roundtable in Washington on Monday. But unfortunately we are very dependent on 155. The Army is spending about $1.5 billion to ramp up production of 155 mm rounds from 14,000 a month before Russia invaded Ukraine to over 85,000 a month by 2028, U.S. Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo told a symposium last month. Already, the U.S. military has given Ukraine more than 1.5 million rounds of 155 mm ammunition, according to Army figures. But even with higher near-term production rates, the U.S. cannot replenish its stockpile or catch up to the usage pace in Ukraine, where officials estimate that the Ukrainian military is firing 6,000 to 8,000 shells per day. In other words, two days' worth of shells fired by Ukraine equates to the United States' monthly pre-war production figure. This could become a crisis. With the front line now mostly stationary, artillery has become the most important combat arm, said a January report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Currently, the metal bodies for the 155 mm shells are made at the Army's Scranton plant, operated by General Dynamics, and at a General Dynamics-owned plant in nearby Wilkes-Barre, officials say. Together, the plants are under contract for 24,000 shells per month, with an additional $217 million Army task order to further boost production, although officials won't say how many more 155 mm shells are sought by the task order. The Russians are firing 40,000 shells per day, said Ustinova, who serves on Ukraine's wartime oversight committee. So were doing five times less than they do and trying to keep it up. But if we dont start the production lines, if you dont warm it up, it is going to be a huge problem, Ustinova said. The obstacles the U.S. faces in ramping up production can be seen at the Scranton plant. The factory built for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad just after 1900, when the city was a rising coal and railroad powerhouse has produced large-caliber ammunition for the military going back to the Korean War. But the buildings are on the National Historic Registry of Historic Places, limiting how the Army can alter the structures. Inside, the floor is crowded with piles of shells, defunct equipment and production lines where robotic arms, saws, presses and other machines cut, heat, forge, temper, pressure test, wash and paint the shells. The plant is in the midst of $120 million in modernization plans and the Army hopes to open a new production line there by 2025. Still, clearing space for it has been a complicated task while the military adds newer machinery to make existing lines more efficient. Theres a lot going on, said Richard Hansen, the Army commanders representative at the plant. Meanwhile, the Army is expanding supply chains for parts metal shells, explosive fill, charges that shoot the shell and fuses and buying the massive machines that do the work. The Army has new contracts with plants in Texas and Canada to make 155 mm shells, said Douglas Bush, an assistant Army secretary and its chief weapons buyer. The U.S. is also looking overseas to allies to expand production, Bush said. Once the shells are finished in Scranton, they are shipped to the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, where they are packed with explosives, fitted with fuses and packaged for final delivery. The Scranton plant is ill-suited for that task: an accident with an explosive could be devastating. If we had a mishap here, Hansen said, we take half of the city with us. __ Associated Press writers Tara Copp and Nomaan Merchant in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Marc Levy on Twitter: http://twitter.com/timelywriter ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) The 155 mm howitzer round is one of the most requested artillery munitions of the war in Ukraine. Already the U.S. has shipped more than 1.5 million rounds to Ukraine, but Kyiv is still seeking more. A look at why this particular munition is so commonly used, and why it's been so critical to the war in Ukraine. WHAT IS THE 155 MM? Essentially, the 155 mm round is a very big bullet, made up of four parts: the detonating fuse, projectile, propellant and primer. Each round is about 2 feet (60 centimeters) long, weighs about 100 pounds (45 kilograms), and is 155 mm, or 6.1 inches, in diameter. They are used in howitzer systems, which are towed large guns that are identified by the range of the angle of fire that their barrels can be set to. The 155 mm shells can be configured in many ways: They can be packed with highly explosive material, use precision guided systems, pierce armor or produce high fragmentation. Past variants have included smoke rounds to obscure troop movement and illumination rounds to expose an enemys position. The 155 mm round and the similar Soviet-era 152 mm rounds are so popular because they provide a good balance between range and warhead size, said Ryan Brobst, a research analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. If you have too small a shell, it wont do enough damage and go as far. If you have a larger shell, you cant necessarily fire it as far. This is the most common middle ground, and thats why its so widely used. 155 MM HISTORY The French first developed the 155 mm round to respond to World War I's extensive trench warfare, and early versions included gas shells, Keri Pleasant, historian for the Armys Joint Munitions Command, said in a statement to The Associated Press. As World War I continued, the 155 mm gun became the most common artillery piece used by the Allies, Pleasant said, and the U.S. Army later adopted it as its standard field heavy artillery piece. The U.S. military fielded its own version, the M1, for World War II. After the war, the new NATO alliance adopted the 155 mm as its artillery standard. By the Korean War, the round had been modified again, with a cluster munition variant. The round contained 88 submunitions, which were dispersed over a wide area to destroy vehicles, equipment, and personnel, Pleasant said. ITS USE IN UKRAINE Howitzer fires can strike targets up to 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometers) away, depending on what type of round and firing system is used, which makes them highly valued by ground forces to take out enemy targets from a protected distance. Adversaries dont have much warning of it coming. And its harder to hide from incoming rounds that are arcing in from the top, which makes it highly lethal, Brobst said. In Ukraine, 155 mm rounds are being fired at a rate of 6,000 to 8,000 a day, said Ukrainian parliamentary member Oleksandra Ustinova, who serves on Ukraines wartime oversight committee. They are eclipsed by the estimated 40,000 Russian variant howitzer rounds fired at them, she told reporters at a recent Washington event sponsored by the German Marshall Fund. The Pentagon previously had said how many rounds it was providing in each of the security assistance packages being sent about every two weeks to keep weapons and ammunition flowing into Ukraine. But it stopped specifying the number of 155 mm rounds shipped in each package in February, citing operational security. However, in its overall count of assistance provided to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022, the Pentagon says it has sent more than 160 155 mm howitzers, more than 1.5 million 155 mm rounds, more than 6,500 precision-guided 155 mm rounds and more than 14,000 155 mm Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) Systems essentially a 155 mm shell packed with four mines that scatter on the ground and can take out a Russian tank if it drives over them. Other countries have also provided howitzers, but Kyiv has continually asked for more. As of last year Ukrainian officials were requesting as many as 1,000 howitzer systems to push Russian forces back. SPRING OFFENSIVE As Ukraine prepares for an intense counteroffensive this spring, it will likely need to fire 7,000 to 9,000 155 mm shells a day, said Yehor Cherniev, a member of Ukraine's parliament who spoke to reporters at the German Marshall Fund event. In recent months, the Biden administration has been using presidential drawdown authority to send ammunition directly from U.S. military stockpiles to Ukraine, instead of having to wait and buy rounds from defense firms, so they can get there in time for the anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. The U.S. has also been training Ukrainian troops in Germany on how to better use the 155 mm rounds in combined arms tactics coordinating strikes with targeting information provided by forward-based troops and other armored systems to maximize damage and reduce the number of rounds needed to take out a target. ___ Associated Press writer Nomaan Merchant contributed to this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Spectators at Disneyland's popular Fantasmic show got a shock this weekend when the feature's fire-breathing animatronic dragon suddenly burst into flames. No injuries were reported following the blaze Saturday night at the Southern California theme park, the Anaheim Fire Department said. Ryan Laux, a frequent Disneyland visitor, said fire has always been a part of the Fantasmic" presentation. But he said he knew something was awry when when flames didn't come from where they usually do. The head started going on fire instead of the fire projecting out, said Laux, who lives in Los Angeles and captured the blaze on video. The show was stopped almost immediately and then right after that, the dragon started catching fire and the whole body was up in flames, he said Sunday. The show takes place twice nightly near the park's famous Tom Sawyer Island. The climax features Mickey Mouse battling a giant dragon named Maleficent. Laux said Mickey vanished from the stage as soon as the dragon's head became engulfed in flames. The extent of the damage wasn't immediately known. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will travel to the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan on April 22-27, Trend reports citing Mirage News. Assistant Secretary Lu will lead a U.S. delegation to build on the Secretarys successful travel to the region in February, discuss a wide range of shared interests, and strengthen regional ties to create a more connected and prosperous Central Asia. In Bishkek, Assistant Secretary Lu will meet with senior Kyrgyz government officials to further the bilateral and regional goals discussed during the fruitful United States-Kyrgyzstan Annual Bilateral Consultations in March. Assistant Secretary Lu will also meet with economic leaders and members of civil society to discuss ways in which the United States can better support the Kyrgyz creative economy, womens economic empowerment, human rights, and press freedom. Assistant Secretary Lu will then travel to Dushanbe to meet with senior government officials with the focus on deepening United States-Tajik partnership and discuss shared challenges and objectives including in the security sector. Assistant Secretary Lu will also meet with members of the press and Tajik civil society to highlight the importance of press freedom and the need for a robust civil society. While in both Bishkek and Dushanbe, Assistant Secretary Lu will emphasize the United States enduring commitment to the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistans sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. By Bay City News One person was killed and two were injured in a wrong-way collision Saturday afternoon on Interstate Highway 280, south of state Route 92, in Woodside, the California Highway Patrol said. A white Ford sedan driving north in the southbound lanes crashed head-on into a black BMW SUV about 2:38 p.m., the highway patrol said. The BMW's driver, a 54-year-old San Francisco woman whose name was withheld by police, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel, the CHP said. A 14-year-old boy, who was in the front passenger seat of the SUV, was taken to Stanford Medical Center with major injuries, the police said. His name was not disclosed. The driver of the Ford, Constellatia A. Martin, 24, of Campbell, was arrested and taken to Stanford Medical Center with major injuries, police said. Copyright 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JERUSALEM (AP) Orit Pinhasov strongly opposes the Israeli governments proposed judicial overhaul, but you wont find her anywhere near the mass protests against the plan. She says her marriage depends on it. Pinhasovs husband sits on the opposite side of Israels political divide, and joining the protests will only deepen what she says already are palpable tensions in her household. I dont go to the demonstrations not because I dont believe in them, she said. I dont go in order to protect my home. I feel like Im fighting for my home. As Israel turns 75 on Wednesday, it has much to celebrate. But instead of feting its accomplishments as a regional military and economic powerhouse, the nation that arose on the ashes of the Holocaust faces perhaps its gravest existential threat yet not from foreign enemies but from divisions within. For over three months, tens of thousands of people have rallied in the streets against what they see as an assault by an ultranationalist, religious government threatening a national identity rooted in liberal traditions. Fighter pilots have threatened to stop reporting for duty. The nation's leaders have openly warned of civil war, and families of fallen soldiers have called on politicians to stay away from the ceremonies. Many Israelis wonder if the deep split can ever heal. Miri Regev, the government minister in charge of the main celebration on Tuesday night, has threatened to throw out anyone who disrupts it. The event takes place at a plaza next to Israel's national cemetery in Jerusalem, where the country abruptly shifts from solemn Memorial Day observances for fallen soldiers to the joy of Independence Day, complete with a symbolic torch-lighting ceremony, military marches and musical and dance performances. Opposition leader Yair Lapid is boycotting the ceremony. You have torn Israeli society apart, and no phony fireworks performance can cover that up, he said. The rift is so wide that Israel's longest-running and perhaps most pressing problem its open-ended military rule over the Palestinians barely gets mentioned despite a recent surge in violence. Even before the protests erupted, public discourse was mostly limited to the military's dealing with the conflict, rather than the future of the territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, which Palestinians seek for their state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a polarizing leader revered by supporters and reviled by opponents, has played a key role in the crisis. The divisions gained steam as he was indicted on corruption charges in 2019. Israel barreled through five cycles of elections in under four years all of them focused on Netanyahus fitness to rule. Late last year, Netanyahu finally eked out a victory cobbling together the most right-wing government in Israels history. Within days, it set out to overhaul the judicial system and give Netanyahu's allies the power to overturn court decisions and appoint judges. The plan, which critics see as a transparent power grab, has triggered unprecedented protests that ultimately forced Netanyahu to freeze it. In a reflection of the deep mistrust, the protests have only grown larger, exposing deeper fault lines in Israeli society that go back decades. On Netanyahus side is a religious and socially conservative coalition that includes the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox minority, the religious-nationalist community, including West Bank settlers, and Jews of Middle Eastern descent who live in outlying working-class towns. Those protesting against him are largely secular, middle-class professionals behind Israels modern economy. They include high-tech workers, teachers, lawyers and current and former commanders in Israels security forces. Israels Palestinian minority, meanwhile, has largely sat out the protests, saying it never felt part of the country to begin with. These divisions have filtered down to workplaces, friendships and families. Despite political differences, Pinhasov, 49, said she and her husband have lived in peace for 30 years. She said there were disagreements at election time every few years, but these were short-lived and minor. That began to change during the coronavirus pandemic, when Pinhasov said the tone of public debate over issues like lockdowns and vaccines became more strident. Then, as Israel ricocheted from election to election, the tensions began to be felt at home. Her husband would tell her shes been brainwashed and complained about leftist media, Pinhasov said. When she disagreed, he would say, you dont understand. They could no longer watch the news together or Wonderful Country, a popular political satire show. Their four children, including a 21-year-old son who shares his fathers views, all love and respect each other and their parents, she says. But it's complicated, like walking on eggshells. While Israel typically unites in times of war, seeds of distrust were planted decades ago. From the country's earliest days, the Jewish majority was plagued by disagreements over issues such as whether to accept reparations from postwar West Germany, to violent protests by poorer Middle Eastern Jews in the early 1970s, and bitter internal divisions over military fiascos during the 1973 Mideast war and later in Lebanon. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish ultranationalist in 1995 opposed to his peace efforts with the Palestinians. Large protests erupted when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Israel was always a deeply divided society, but somehow it held together, said Tom Segev, an Israeli author, historian and journalist. The difference now is that we are really discussing the basic values of this society. The protests against Netanyahu's government show that many are genuinely frightened for the countrys future, he said. Tel Aviv University economist Dan Ben-David, president of the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research, points to two seminal events in Israels history the 1967 and 1973 Mideast wars. The 1967 war, in which Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, spawned the Jewish settler movement, which has turned into a powerful political force representing some 700,000 people. The 1973 war, meanwhile, set off a process that would bring the right-wing Likud party to power four years later. The Likud has ruled for most of the time since then, usually in partnership with ultra-Orthodox parties. These religious parties have used their political power to win generous subsidies and controversial exemptions from military service angering the broader secular public. The ultra-Orthodox community, and to a lesser extent the religious nationalist community run separate school systems that offer subpar educations with little respect for democratic values like minority rights, Ben-David said. Because these communities have high birth rates, he said said the country needs to go back to a melting pot model that includes a core curriculum promoting universal values, he said. If we are one nation, then we need to teach our children what brings us together. Danny Danon, a former ambassador to the United Nations and top figure in Netanyahu's Likud party, said the anniversary is a time for everyone to reflect and think about what they have in common. In my five years at the U.N., I realized that our enemies do not make the distinction between left and right, secular and Orthodox, he said. That's why we have to realize we have to stick together. Still, many see the 75th anniversary celebrations as a time for joy. Pinhasov said she will host a party for some 100 people at her home in central Israel, many of them members of her husbands family. Its our Independence Day, she said. Its still a day for celebrations. Armenias defense ministry said Sunday that one of its soldiers was killed by an Azerbaijani sniper near the border, but Azerbaijan denied the claim and separately reported that its soldiers had come under fire from Armenia in another part of the border area. Tensions further rose on Sunday when Azerbaijan announced it had opened a checkpoint at the start of the road that leads from Armenia to the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh that is within Azerbaijan. Armenia claimed that such a checkpoint violates the pact that ended fierce fighting between the countries in 2020. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is expected to tap Julie Rodriguez, a senior White House adviser, to manage his reelection campaign, two people familiar with deliberations on the matter said Sunday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because Rodriguez's appointment has not been finalized and Biden has yet to formally launch his reelection campaign. CBS News was first to report that Biden has decided to pick Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a longtime Democratic party activist, also worked in former President Barack Obama's White House. She's the granddaughter of labor leader Cesar Chavez and labor activist Helen Fabela Chavez. Growing up in California she was active in campaigns, picket lines, boycotts, marches and union meetings. She has served as Biden's director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs since the beginning of his presidency and added the senior adviser role last June. Rodriguez also has deep ties to Vice President Kamala Harris. She served on Harris' Senate staff and on Harris' 2020 presidential campaign as national political director and traveling chief of staff. She went on to be hired by Biden's 2020 presidential campaign as a deputy campaign manager and senior adviser for Latino outreach. Biden is expected to formally announce his 2024 reelection campaign as soon as this week, according to three people briefed on the discussions. The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said they were not aware that a final decision on timing had been made, but that Biden had been eyeing Tuesday, April 25, four years to the day since the Democrat entered the 2020 race. The upcoming announcement is expected to be in the form of a video released to supporters. Biden, 80, has repeatedly said he intends to run for a second term but advisers say he has felt little need to jump into campaigning because he faces no significant opposition to his partys nomination. - Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Darlene Superville contributed reporting. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW DELHI (AP) Indian police on Sunday arrested a separatist leader who has revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland and the secession of Indias northern Punjab state, which has a history of violent insurgency. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since last month after capturing national attention in February, when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, a town in Punjab state, with wooden batons, swords and guns to demand the release of a jailed aide. Punjab state police tweeted Sunday that Singh was arrested in Moga, a town in the state. A Sikh religious leader, Jasbir Singh Rodde, said Singh surrendered after offering morning prayers at a Sikh shrine in Moga. Police officer Sukhchain Singh Gill said police had surrounded the village on intelligence that Singh was in the shrine. "Relentless pressure built by the police over the past 35 days left Singh with no choice,'' Gill told reporters. He said the police didnt enter the shrine, implying that Singh was taken into custody after he left. Gill declined to confirm whether Singh surrendered as claimed by his supporters. Singh was flown to Dibrugarh in India's northeast where he will be detained until he is brought to court to face charges. Punjab suffered a bloody insurgency in the 1980s that led to the killing of India's then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards at her official residence in New Delhi. Her assassination in 1984 triggered bloody rioting by her Hindu supporters against Sikhs in northern India. Ashwini Dubey, a lawyer in Punjab state, said Singh's arrest would help police dismantle the separatist network and its supporters. Tavleen Singh, a political commentator and former journalist who covered the Punjab insurgency in the 1980s, said: The police took this man out, which is good because had they gone into a gurdwara (Sikh shrine), and started shooting you would have had a reaction from the general populous. The Sikhs happen to be very sensitive to gurdwaras being attacked. Sikhs are a religious minority in India and say they are discriminated against by the majority Hindus. More than 3,000 people were killed by extremists during the 1980s insurgency in the prosperous farming state. The insurgency was crushed by Indian forces by 1990. Punjab borders India-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of supporting, training and arming insurgents, a charge Islamabad denies. Police declared Singh, a 30-year-old preacher, a fugitive and accused him and his aides of creating discord in the state. Police accused them of spreading disharmony among people, attempted murder, attacking police personnel and obstructing public servants lawful discharge of duty. Authorities have deployed thousands of paramilitary soldiers in the state and arrested nearly 100 of his supporters. Singh's wife was prevented from leaving India last week. Very little was known about Singh until he arrived in Punjab state in 2022 and began leading marches calling for the protection of rights for Sikhs, who account for about 1.7% of Indias population. Singh claims to draw inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh militant leader accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency for Khalistan in the 1980s. Bhindranwale and his supporters were killed in 1984 when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. Singh has styled himself after Bhindranwale, with a long, flowing beard. He also dresses like Bhindranwale. Singh also heads Waris Punjab De, or Punjabs Heirs, an organization that was part of a massive campaign to mobilize farmers against controversial agriculture reforms being pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. The legislation triggered a year of protests that began in 2020, as farmers most of them Sikhs from Punjab state camped on the outskirts of New Delhi through a harsh winter and devastating coronavirus surge. The protests ended after Modis government withdrew the legislation in November 2021. Waris Punjab De was founded by Deep Sidhu, an Indian actor who died in 2022 in a traffic accident. Singh's speeches have become increasingly popular among supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. Officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. Even though the movement has waned over the years, it still has some support in Punjab and beyond including in countries like Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, which are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora. Last month, supporters of the movement pulled down the Indian flag at the countrys high commission in London and smashed the buildings windows in a show of anger against the move to arrest Singh. Indias Foreign Ministry denounced the incident and summoned the U.K.s deputy high commissioner in New Delhi to protest what it called the breach of security at the embassy in London. The supporters of the Khalistan movement also vandalized the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the United States. - Associated Press video journalist Prabhjot Gill in Amritsar, India, contributed to this report. Hayk Baghdasaryan/AP YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) About 10,000 people bearing torches on Sunday night marched through Armenias capital to commemorate the estimated 1.5 million Armenians killed in Ottoman Turkey more than a century ago. The march from a central square to a sprawling memorial complex began with activists burning the flags of Turkey and Azerbaijan. Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan have spiraled in recent months since the blockage of the road leading to the ethnic Aremenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) An Indian climber who was rescued after spending three days in a 300-meter (980-foot) -deep crevasse is recovering in a Kathmandu hospital but his condition is still critical, his family said Sunday. Anurag Maloo had fallen into the crevasse while descending Mount Annapurna, the worlds 10th highest, on April 17. After several attempts, he was rescued on Thursday. He is under medical supervision, but doctors are saying he is slowing improving," his younger brother, Ashish Maloo, told reporters, adding that he remains critical. He called the rescue and recovery a miracle." After he was plucked out of the crevasse, Maloo was flown to a hospital in the resort town of Pokhara. The doctor gave him CPR, he tried his best for next to three hours, which made his revival and that was a sign of relief for us, Ashish Maloo said. There were so much emotions at that moment I can't really express. Rescuers had struggled with bad weather, avalanches and the high altitude, and used thermal drones borrowed from the Nepal police and carbon dioxide detectors from the local Tribhuvan University to locate him. Chhepal Sherpa, an experienced climber, was near Maloo when he slipped and fell into the crevasse at an altitude of 5,700 meters (18,700 feet). He said that and other guides tried to find him but did not have enough ropes and other equipment. Bad weather and avalanche prevented them from looking for him the next day. Helicopters were unable to fly. Finally on Thursday, weather improved and they were able to climb down the crevasse through a narrow opening into a larger cave-like area. Sherpa said the rescuers spent hours inside the crevasse risking their own lives. The spring mountaineering season has just begun in Nepal and hundreds of foreigners and local guides have begun climbing the highest peaks. AMMAN, Jordan (AP) Jordan's Foreign Ministry on Sunday said a Jordanian lawmaker has been arrested by Israel on suspicion of smuggling weapons and gold into the occupied West Bank. The ministry's spokesman, Sinan Majali, said Jordanian officials are following the case to find out the merits of the situation and address it as soon as possible. The lawmaker was identified as Imad Al-Adwan and said to have been arrested crossing the border into the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The US authorities have completed the evacuation of the embassy personnel and their family members from Sudan, The Washington Post newspaper said, citing sources, Trend reports citing TASS. The evacuation operation was performed on Sunday morning, local time. The Department of State has not yet responded to a request from TASS to confirm the end of the evacuation process. A spokesman of the Sudans armed forces said on Saturday that the United Kingdom, China, the United States and France are evacuating their nationals from Khartoum by their military airlift planes. According to estimates of the Department of State, about 16,000 US nationals are in Sudan, with the majority of them having dual allegiance. Loren Elliott/Getty Images Back from suspension, Warriors big man Draymond Green needed just four possessions in Sundays crucial Game 4 against the Sacramento Kings in San Francisco to draw the ire of the referees. Coming off the bench for the first time since 2014, Green poked Keegan Murray in the eye on a drive to the rim by the Sacramento rookie, then was almost immediately assessed a double technical along with Kings star DeAaron Fox. The two were seen jawing at each other on the broadcast. ABC showed a series of replays after Murray was fouled, however, meaning fans entirely missed what led to the Green-Fox double technical and only saw the aftermath. WFO BOSTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Boston/Norton has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Windham County in northern Connecticut... Northwestern Washington County in Rhode Island... Southwestern Kent County in Rhode Island... * Until 245 AM EDT. * At 156 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Westerly, or 10 miles southeast of Mystic, moving north at 40 mph. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. * Locations impacted include... Coventry, Westerly, Hopkinton, Charlestown, Richmond, Exeter, West Greenwich and Sterling. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ 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... Eastern Otsego County in central New York... North central Delaware County in central New York... * Until 830 PM EDT. * At 742 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over East Meredith, or 7 miles east of Oneonta, moving north at 45 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Oneonta, Davenport, Worcester, Middlefield, Maryland, Cooperstown, Westville, Springfield, Westford and Cherry Valley. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Ulster, north central Dutchess, western Columbia and eastern Greene Counties through 815 PM EDT... At 742 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Milton, or near Saugerties, moving north at 45 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph, nickel size hail, and heavy rain. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Heavy rains could cause flooding. Locations impacted include... Hudson, Catskill, Saugerties, New Baltimore, Coxsackie, Clermont, Athens, Kinderhook, Lorenz Park, Saugerties South, North-South Lake Campground, Cairo, Veteran, Stockport, Durham, Stuyvesant, Germantown, Tivoli, Centerville and Tannersville. This includes Interstate 87 between exits 20 and 21B. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 4241 7424 4247 7369 4202 7380 4202 7403 TIME...MOT...LOC 2342Z 181DEG 37KT 4213 7394 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Llano County in south central Texas... * Until 930 PM CDT. * At 831 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Valley Spring, or 11 miles northwest of Llano, moving southeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Kingsland, Llano, Gainesville, Valley Spring and Oxford. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. 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 Mason County in west central Texas... * At 834 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Mason, moving southeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Two inch hail and 70 mph wind gusts. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Art around 845 PM CDT. Hedwigs Hill around 855 PM CDT. Hilda around 900 PM CDT. Loyal Valley around 910 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Koockville, Erna and Us-87 Near The Mason-Gillespie County Line. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Val Verde County in south central Texas... * Until 230 AM CDT. * At 148 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Seminole Canyon State Park, or near Comstock, moving east 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... Comstock, Amistad Acres, Seminole Canyon State Park, Box Canyon, Long Point, Devils Shores, Pafford Crossing, Pecos River Boat Ramp, Rough Canyon Recreation Area, Spur 406 Campground, Rock Quarry Campground, Salem Point, Devils River State Nat Area Big Satan and 277 North Campground. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 218 AM CDT Sun Apr 23 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of north central Kinney and southwestern Edwards Counties through 300 AM CDT... At 217 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 14 miles northwest of Alamo Village, or 19 miles northwest of Brackettville, moving east at 20 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Kickapoo Cavern State Park. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 500 AM CDT for south central Texas. LAT...LON 2949 10065 2966 10068 2972 10031 2947 10032 TIME...MOT...LOC 0717Z 263DEG 15KT 2957 10057 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern Kinney County in south central Texas... * Until 315 AM CDT. * At 231 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles northwest of Alamo Village, or 18 miles north of Brackettville, moving east at 25 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Kickapoo Cavern State Park. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. This thunderstorm is capable of producing all types of severe weather including extremely large hail, destructive straight line winds and tornadoes. Move quickly to a safe shelter such as an interior room, a bathroom, closet or basement. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Maverick County in south central Texas... * Until 615 AM CDT. * At 529 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Eagle Pass, moving east at 20 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... Eagle Pass around 540 AM CDT. Rosita around 545 AM CDT. Chula Vista around 550 AM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Fabrica, Siesta Acres, Elm Creek, Las Quintas Fronterizas, Eidson Road and Seco Mines. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Prepare immediately for large hail and deadly cloud to ground lightning. Seek shelter inside a well-built structure. Stay away from windows. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 23, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX 957 AM CDT Sun Apr 23 2023 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 AM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN WEBB COUNTY... At 956 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles west of Aguilares, or 17 miles southeast of Laredo, moving southeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...Half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. Locations impacted include... Laredo, Rio Bravo, El Cenizo, Texas A&M, Laredo International Airport, Unitec Industrial Park, Mirando City, Oilton, United South High School, Aguilares, Ranchitos Las Lomas, St Augustine High School South Laredo, Doctors Hospital Of Laredo, Laredo Country Club, Laredo Community College and Orvil. This includes the following highways... Interstate 35 between mile markers 1 and 13. US Highway 59 between mile markers 806 and 824. US Highway 83 between mile markers 718 and 734. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... South Central Webb County in south central Texas... * Until 100 PM CDT. * At 958 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 3 inches in 1 hour. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Laredo, Rio Bravo, St Augustine High School South Laredo, Laredo International Airport, United South High School, Laredo Community College, Texas A&M, Laredo Country Club and Doctors Hospital Of Laredo. US Highway 59 near mile marker 824. US Highway 83 between mile markers 718 and 728. Interstate 35 between mile markers 1 and 9. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather The U.S. military has successfully completed the evacuation of the American embassy in war-torn Sudan, President Joe Biden said late Saturday evening, Trend reports citing ABC News. Biden confirmed the evacuation of U.S. government personnel from Khartoum under his orders and that the administration would continue to assist Americans in Sudan. "I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan. I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety. And I thank Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of our operation," he said in a statement. Biden also also said the embassy has been temporarily closed but that "our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending." STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Bed Bath & Beyond, a half-century old company that once operated 1,500 stores across the U.S., announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The organization announced the financial decision in a statement released Sunday. In it, an announcement was made that 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 buybuy BABY stores will remain open and continue serving customers as the Company begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its retail locations. Sue Gove, president and CEO of the company, said Millions of customers have trusted us through the most important milestones in their lives from going to college to getting married, settling into a new home to having a baby. Our teams have worked with incredible purpose to support and strengthen our beloved banners, Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY. We deeply appreciate our associates, customers, partners, and the communities we serve, and we remain steadfastly determined to serve them throughout this process. We will continue working diligently to maximize value for the benefit of all stakeholders. From June 2006: A crowd waits patiently outside the Bed, Bath & Beyond store in Charleston to meet celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse who was there to promote his new line of cookware. The store closed at the end of 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Chad Rachman)STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE The stores inventory, like its name suggests, has everything for bathrooms, bedrooms, and more, including lighting fixtures, storage items, and dinnerware. According to NPR, Bed Bath & Beyond warned about a possible bankruptcy in January, with the outlet adding that the company cited lower customer traffic and reduced levels of inventory availability, while casting substantial doubt about the companys ability to continue as a going concern. Additionally, according to official SEC and Bed Bath & Beyond documents, NPR said a preliminary report for the holiday-season quarter showed sales falling 40% to 50% from a year earlier. Sales had fallen similarly in the quarter before that, down 32%. In its bankruptcy statement, the company said for decade, Bed Bath & Beyond set the standard across the home goods sector. Just five years ago, there were more than 1,500 Bed Bath & Beyond retail stores. Two on Staten Island were among them. The shops, once in Charleston and New Springville, closed in late 2020 and earlier this year, respectively. The Charleston shop opened in 2006. A year earlier, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg attended groundbreaking work on the store. During the construction ceremony, Bloomberg hailed the planned retail trifecta which at the time included Bed Bath & Beyond, Target and Home Depot for its promise to generate sales-tax revenue and jobs in New York. Acknowledging a line of orange-vested construction workers who took a break from digging to watch the event, Bloomberg said, This is about jobs. Founded in New Jersey in 1971, the big-box chain quickly became an anchor of suburban shopping centers throughout the nation, a destination that launched millions of simple home makeovers and supplied blankets, pillows and bathroom essentials for college freshmen, according to Advance archives. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. If the Farmers Almanac is to be believed, New Yorkers are in for a scorching summer, and that means beaches and outdoor pools will be oases from hot blacktop. Staten Islands four beaches maintained by the city Department of Parks and Recreation South Beach, Midland Beach, Cedar Grove Beach and Wolfes Pond Beach in Princes Bay will open Memorial Day, Saturday, May 27, 2023 and typically close around Labor Day. Great Kills Parks beach, operated by the National Parks Service as part of its Gateway National Recreation Area, opens Memorial Day and remains open through Labor Day. The city Parks Department operates all of Staten Islands public outdoor pools Faber Pool in Port Richmond, General Douglas Pool in Dongan Hills, Lyons Pool in Tompkinsville, Maggie Howard Pool in Stapleton, PS 46 Playground Pool in Grasemere, Tottenville Pool and West Brighton Pool. Lifeguards stand watch at Midland Beach on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) A Parks Department spokesperson said all the citys outdoor public pools will open June 29, two days after the last day of public school, but an ongoing lifeguard shortage might impact operations this year. A spokesperson for the National Parks Service said theyd yet to finalize the schedule for the beach at Great Kills Park this summer, but last year there were only has lifeguards on duty Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To address the shortage in the city, which led to sporadic pool closures last year, officials announced pay would increase for the lifeguards they employ, and they would take additional steps to ensure safety at city pools and beaches. Mayor Eric Adams announced in July that the city had reached a deal with the District Council 37 lifeguard union to hike starting pay from $16 an hour to $19.46 an hour, and the creation of a lifeguard class exclusively for the citys mini pools, two of which are on Staten Island at the Maggie Howard Pool in Stapleton and the PS 46 Playground Pool in South Beach. Additionally, the FDNY, NYPD and New York City Emergency Management established a public safety presence at closed portions of city beaches to prevent swimming. Every New Yorker deserves to safely enjoy our citys public pools and beaches this summer, and my team has taken extraordinary measures to make that happen, Adams said. While these changes are a step in the right direction, our ability to safely open beaches and pools has been impacted by a national lifeguard shortage, and has also been held back by inefficient practices that are in dire need of further reform. We will continue to work closely to correct course on policies that dont serve New Yorkers and pool resources from all agencies to ensure a fun and safe summer. The Parks Department spokesperson said theyd been working to recruit lifeguards for the upcoming summer season, but with Memorial Day a little over a month away it was too early to give an exact number of lifeguards. New York City was one of the few major American cities not to permanently close any of its pools or beaches due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and for the first time since the pandemic, outdoor pool attendance surpassed 1 million people last year an increase of nearly 20% over 2021 attendance, according to the Parks Department spokesperson. MORE NYC NEWS NYC Mayor Adams slams Pres. Biden, VP Harris over border crisis Staten Islands first gigabit center will be a new tech hub for immigrants NYC can offer veterans a property tax break, but City Council has yet to opt in NYC appoints $155,000 a year rat killer NYC Council bans sale of guinea pigs STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The NYPD is seeking the publics assistance in identifying an individual sought for questioning in connection to an assault in Mariners Harbor. The 121st Precinct tweeted a male assaulted an unnamed victim on the 100 block of Brabant Street in close proximity to the Forest Avenue Shoprite complex on March 24. Photographs accompanied the social media post. Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! When people enter from Fifth Avenue, they will see the Basquiat, said Alexandre Arnault, who wore a Dior suit and Loro Piana sneakers. Its an important part of the Tiffany brand now. Tall and lanky, Arnault, who is responsible for much of Tiffanys creative vision, was one of the architects of the About Love campaign. The use of the Basquiat spurred a bit of controversy when a former Basquiat assistant insisted that the artist hadnt intended any homage to the brand. Anthony Ledru, left, Tiffany CEO, and Alexandre Arnault, a Tiffany executive vice president, at the new store. Credit: New York Times But that didnt matter much from a marketing perspective: the Tiffany name was in the news for days, signalling that it no longer belonged solely to the era when Holly Golightly (portrayed by Audrey Hepburn) admired the vitrines of its flagship in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffanys. The new Tiffany, the LVMH Tiffany, was showing itself as a brand that could also be disruptive and viral. Amid speculation about which of the Arnault children will succeed the LVMH founder, Alexandre Arnault was tasked with the job of overseeing the renovation of the Tiffany store, which the company calls the Landmark. Before moving from Paris to New York two years ago to immerse himself in the project, he reinvigorated the luggage company Rimowa, another LVMH brand, through collaborations with Virgil Abloh and Supreme. Ledru, the Tiffany CEO, who was born in the Brittany area of France and raised in Lille, France, is a luxury industry veteran who has worked for Louis Vuitton, Harry Winston and Cartier. When a droplet of blood appeared on his chin that afternoon, the result of a shaving cut, a publicist hurried to fetch him a napkin. This is not just another flagship, Ledru said. For us, the Landmark is now the lighthouse of the brand. Tiffany no longer belongs solely to the era of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, but the new flagship store pays homage to Breakfast at Tiffanys. Credit: AP The reboot left the buildings facade untouched, and the Atlas statue clock still sits above its entrance, but it spared little else. The Landmark unabashedly represents LVMHs desire to imprint its DNA onto the company, which was founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young. The Tiffany flagship opened on Fifth Avenue in 1940. When the gut renovation began in 2019, the store moved into the former Niketown site next door. The Landmark was designed by architect Peter Marino, and its 10 floors are replete with works by artists such as Damien Hirst, Jenny Holzer, Richard Prince and Rashid Johnson. Flashy accoutrements include a Daniel Boulud restaurant, the Blue Box Cafe, which serves a Breakfast at Tiffanys meal, and an Audrey Hepburn experience room that features a replica of her black Givenchy dress from the movies opening scene. (LVMH acquired Givenchy in 1988.) People relate a lot to her when it comes to Tiffany, Arnault said. So we wanted to make a homage to her. While giving a tour of the building to a reporter, the two executives walked up an undulating mirror-lined staircase inspired by Perettis designs. The third floor specialised in wedding and engagement rings, the fourth in gold and diamonds, the fifth in silver and the sixth in home accessories. The seventh floor included a Patek Philippe department and a jewellery workshop. Loading Ledru described the nuances that went into designing each floor, while Arnault strayed from the press tour, inspecting side rooms and taking photos with his phone. Earlier, the two executives had sat for a more formal interview on a green couch in a book-lined room. Conservative and tight-lipped in its approach to public relations, LVMH would not disclose the Landmarks construction cost. A publicist, who sat in on the interview, said beforehand that inquiries about the LVMH succession were off limits. Nonetheless, Arnault and Ledru fielded a few hot-seat questions. At age 30, was Arnault feeling any heat to deliver on his mission for the family? Am I sweating? he said. No. Because Im surrounded by the best professionals we could have. Modernity and heritage: The remodelled interior of the store. Credit: New York Times On the eve of the Landmarks opening, were they concerned about talk that a recession may be on its way? Theres ups and downs, but the one thing about the US is that it comes back strong, Ledru said. New York is much stronger now than it was last year and the year before. I dont want to be overly confident, but were happy to finally open our doors. Arnault added: Were releasing our Q1 numbers for LVMH tomorrow. I encourage you to have a look. The day after the interview, LVMH reported a 17 per cent rise in first-quarter sales, surpassing analyst expectations. In response, French workers protesting against pension changes stormed LVMHs Paris headquarters, calling for the rich to contribute more financing to the state pension. If they werent nervous about the economy, were they worried about anything else? Im anxious for the first holiday season, Arnault said. Its such an important part of American culture. This is the first one back at the original Tiffanys corner. Ledru said he was a lot more anxious a year ago, when Arnault would call and ask, When do you open? After the two men finished their tour of the Landmark, they stepped onto the buildings eighth-floor deck. They stood in the fresh spring breeze as they took in the view of Fifth Avenue. Loading Pas mal, non? Ledru said. (Not bad, no?) While construction workers hammered away behind them, hurrying to add the final touches on a glass-walled event space, Arnault took note of several other LVMH properties within his sight: There was Louis Vuitton just across the street, Bulgari opposite it and Dior down the way. Few would be surprised that conservative legal think tank the Samuel Griffith Society has taken a just asking questions approach to an Indigenous Voice to parliament. The society is set to host a symposium on the Voice in Brisbane next month, and while it hasnt explicitly endorsed a No vote, the headline act is former charities commissioner and CBD favourite Gary Johns, along with ex-High Court judge, and noted sceptic of the current wording, Ian Callinan. Former Liberal senator Amanda Stoker will headline a talkfest on the Voice to parliament next month. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen But CBD is most excited by the addition of Amanda Stoker, the firebrand former Queensland LNP senator who lost her spot in the upper house for, among other reasons, not drinking enough beer with boorish male preselectors. Aside from the Society, theres been plenty of support for the Voice among senior legal figures, including constitutional experts, top barristers and former judges who tried to hose down some of the more bad faith attacks on the Albanese governments proposed changes. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has acknowledged the passing of Barry Humphries, but has revealed it has no plans to officially mark the demise of a man who played a crucial role in establishing what has become one of the worlds largest such events before relations soured between him and organisers in recent years. We are saddened to hear of the passing of comic legend Barry Humphries, the festival said in a statement posted on Saturday night, as news broke that the comedy great had died in Sydney. Barry Humphries at the Melbourne Comedy Festival with Peter Cook. Credit: Melbourne Comedy Festival Having started his career in Melbourne, Barrys early support, along with [English comedian] Peter Cook, helped kick off and raise the profile of the festival nationally and internationally. With festival founder John Pinder, Barry was part of a creative generation who celebrated and developed a global platform for Australian comedy. He will be remembered by legions of fans around the world for his wit, inimitable characters and biting satire. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Vale Barry. On the second day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, fighting had inched so close to the Kyiv home of Ukrainian charity worker Anna Koshikova that bombs shook its windows, so she escaped with her child and husband to a small village in western Ukraine. But after a few months, she returned to the nations capital, where her six-year-old son has become so accustomed to the sound of bombs they no longer scare him. Anna Koshikova said it was nice to be able to sleep through the night without air sirens when visiting Melbourne. Credit: Paul Jeffers Koshikova is one of the many charity and social service workers who have stayed in Ukraine, keeping services running under bullets for some of the countrys most vulnerable citizens, whose number and needs have grown drastically in wartime. Those they help include people on methadone programs, women who have been the victims of rape and violence and inmates in increasingly overcrowded prisons at risk of picking up diseases without access to clean needles. All U.S. government personnel were evacuated from Washington's embassy in Khartoum, as well as a small number of diplomatic personnel from other countries, U.S. officials said on Saturday, as fighting rocks Sudan, Trend reports citing Reuters. The operation evacuated fewer than 100 people, the officials told reporters. "We evacuated all of the U.S. personnel and dependents assigned to Embassy Khartoum," said Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass. A substantial number of local staff remain in Khartoum supporting the embassy, where Washington decided to suspend operations on Saturday due to the security risks, Bass said. Forces commanded by two previously allied leaders of Sudan's ruling council began a violent power struggle last weekend. Washington on Saturday repeatedly called on the parties to extend and expand a ceasefire for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday to a sustainable cessation of hostilities. Each side has accused the other of not respecting the truce. The evacuation operation conducted on Saturday involved just over 100 U.S. special operations forces and began at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) when U.S. aircraft, including three MH-47 Chinook transport helicopters, took off from a U.S. base in Djibouti, stopped in Ethiopia to refuel, then flew the last three hours to Khartoum. A Sydney trucking company and two executives admit they failed to protect the public after a drug-addled and fatigued driver killed four police officers in a horror crash in Melbourne. A third executive is still fighting charges that could land him in prison if found guilty. The Connect Logistics truck crash on Victorias Eastern Freeway claimed the lives of four police in April 2020. Credit: Simon Schluter Four Victorian police officers had stopped Porsche driver Richard Pusey on the side of the Eastern Freeway in Kew in April 2020, when a 20-tonne Connect Logistics truck smashed into the parked police cars. Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King and constables Glen Humphris and Joshua Prestney died at the scene as Pusey filmed the aftermath of the crash on his phone. The Queensland Police ethical standards branch is investigating the death in custody on Saturday afternoon of a 30-year-old man at Beenleigh. It was understood the man, who was believed to be non-Indigenous, took his own life. A 30-year-old man has died in police custody at Beenleigh. Police said in a statement he was being held at the Beenleigh watchhouse pending a transfer to jail after being sentenced for breaching a domestic violence order. The man was located deceased during a routine cell check at 5.15pm, the statement said. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Thousands of Victorians will hear the Last Post play and the Ode read at Anzac Day services across the state on Tuesday the 108th commemoration of those who served in Australias armed forces. Melburnians pay their respects on Anzac Day at Shrine of Remembrance last year. Credit: Chris Hopkins More than 30,000 are expected at Melbournes Shrine of Remembrance at the crack of dawn, while others will attend marches across the state later in the day. Two million people have worn the uniform of the Australian Defence Force. Nearly a million of them have served overseas. Thats what we remember on Anzac Day, Victorian RSL President Robert Webster said. Former Liberal MP Tim Wilson has defended jointly laying a wreath set aside for his successor at an Anzac Day service in Melbournes south-east, saying he was asked to do so by an RSL staff member because independent Zoe Daniel was not in attendance. But Daniels office says a volunteer was sent to the event in her absence and has called for community representatives to be respected. Former Liberal Goldstein MP Tim Wilson and the current independent member, Zoe Daniel. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen, Simon Schluter Footage circulating on social media on Sunday afternoon appeared to show Daniels representative, a volunteer identified only as Peter, confronting Wilson after the wreath-laying in Beaumaris to say what occurred was very inappropriate and ridiculous. In the video, Wilson who was there to lay a book at the cenotaph fired back, saying: The federal member for Goldstein isnt at an Anzac Day service in her community. Local defence companies are bracing for major cuts to orders of Australian-made naval vessels and infantry fighting vehicles as the federal government rapidly boosts the nations missile supplies in response to Chinas military build-up. Defence Minister Richard Marles will on Monday end months of intense speculation about the future of the Australian Defence Force by releasing a declassified version of its defence strategic review, a landmark examination of the nations military assets and force posture. The government wants to spur the creation of a local missile manufacturing industry. Credit: South Korean Defence Ministry As the government faces backlash from the army about sweeping cuts to combat vehicles, sources said significant spending announcements to spur the creation of a local missile manufacturing industry would form a centrepiece of the review. The defence industry and senior army figures were deeply disappointed by the revelation the government would slash a planned order of tank-like infantry fighting vehicles from 450 to just one battalion of 129. Nairobi: Thirty-nine bodies have been found so far on land owned by a pastor in coastal Kenya who was arrested for telling his followers of a Christian cult they would go to heaven if they starved themselves to death. Malindi sub-county police chief John Kemboi said that more shallow graves have yet to be dug up on the land belonging to pastor Paul Makenzi, who was arrested on April 14 over links to cultism. Police and local residents load the exhumed bodies of victims of a religious cult into the back of a truck in the village of Shakahola, near the coastal city of Malindi. Credit: AP The total death toll is 43, because a further four people died after they and others were discovered starving at the Good News International Church last week. Police have asked a court to allow them to hold Makenzi longer as investigations into the deaths of his followers continue. In other fighting, a senior military official said it repelled an RSF attack on Kober Prison in Khartoum where Sudans longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, and former officials in his movement have been held since his 2019 ouster. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media, said a number of prisoners fled but al-Bashir and other high-profile inmates were in a highly secure area, adding that a few prisoners were killed or wounded. The RSF claimed the military removed al-Bashir and other prisoners from the facility, although the statement could not be independently confirmed. Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan on Saturday. Credit: AP The Arqin border crossing with Egypt was crowded with about 30 passenger buses of at least 55 people each, said Suliman al-Kouni, an Egyptian student who fled northward from Khartoum with dozens of other students. We travelled 15 hours on land at our own risk, al-Kouni told The Associated Press by phone. But many of our friends are still trapped in Sudan. Sudan experienced a near-total collapse of internet and phone service on Sunday, according to the monitoring service NetBlocks. Its possible that infrastructure has been damaged or sabotaged, said Netblocks director Alp Toker. This will have a major effect on residents ability to stay safe and will impact the evacuation programs that are ongoing. After a week of battles that hindered rescues, US special forces swiftly evacuated 70 US embassy staffers from Khartoum to Ethiopia early on Sunday. Although American officials said it was too dangerous for a government-coordinated evacuation of thousands of private citizens, other countries scrambled to remove their citizens as well as their diplomats. France and Italy said they would accommodate all their citizens who want to leave, as well as those of other countries who could not otherwise join an evacuation operation. Germany said early on Monday that a military plane carrying 101 German diplomatic staff, family members and citizens of partner countries who were evacuated from Sudan via Jordan has landed safely in Berlin. The military said it had brought 311 people to Jordan so far, from where an onward journey is being organised. A Dutch air force C-130 Hercules flew out of Sudan to Jordan early Monday carrying evacuees of various nationalities, including Dutch. The French Foreign Ministry said Monday it has so far brought four flights from Sudan to Djibouti, with a total of 388 people citizens of 28 countries of Europe, Asia, North America and Africa, including Sudan. French soldiers evacuate French citizens in Khartoum. Credit: AP An Italian air force C-130 that left Khartoum with evacuees landed Sunday night at an air base in Djibouti, the Defence Ministry said. Another plane, carrying Italys ambassador and military personnel involved in the evacuation, was expected in Djibouti later in the night. About 100 people were flown out of Khartoum by Spanish military aircraft more than 30 Spaniards and the rest from Portugal, Italy, Poland, Ireland, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina, the foreign ministry said. Officials in Jordan said four planes landed at Amman military airport carrying 343 Jordanian evacuees from Port Sudan. Other flights from Sudan were organised by Greece and the Netherlands. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted that UK armed forces evacuated British diplomatic staff and dependents amid a significant escalation in violence and threats. Loading Overland travel through contested areas was possible but dangerous. Khartoum is about 840 kilometres from Port Sudan on the Red Sea. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia said it evacuated 157 people, including 91 Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries. Saudi state TV showed a large convoy of cars and buses from Khartoum to Port Sudan, where a navy ship took them to the Saudi port of Jeddah. Fighters attacked a US embassy convoy last week, and stormed the home of the EU ambassador. Violence wounded an Egyptian Embassy employee in Sudan, according to Egypts Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zaid. Egypt, which said it had over 10,000 citizens in Sudan, urged those in cities other than Khartoum to head to consular offices in Port Sudan and Wadi Halfa in the north for evacuation, the state-run MENA news agency reported. A Japan Air Self-Defence Force C-130 transport plane takes off from Komaki air base in central Japan on Friday to evacuate Japanese nationals from Sudan. Credit: Kyodo News via AP The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudans hopes for a democratic transition. The rival generals came to power after a pro-democracy uprising led to the ouster of the former strongman, al-Bashir. In 2021, the generals joined forces to seize power in a coup. The current 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. Both generals, each craving international legitimacy, have accused the other of obstructing the evacuations. The Sudanese military alleged the RSF opened fire on a French convoy, wounding a French national. The RSF countered it came under attack by warplanes as French citizens and diplomats left the embassy for Omdurman, saying the militarys strikes endangered the lives of French nationals. Hospitals have struggled as violence rages. Many wounded are stranded by the fighting, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate that monitors casualties, suggesting the death toll is probably higher than what is known. General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, during a televised address on Friday. Credit: Sudan Armed Forces via AP The Italian medical group Emergency said 46 of its staff refused to leave, working in hospitals in Khartoum, Nyala and Port Sudan. Thousands of Sudanese have fled fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere, UN agencies said, but millions are sheltering in their homes amid explosions, gunfire and looting without adequate electricity, food or water. A large number of Islamic extremists launched an attack on Burkina Faso's military in the country's east, killing 33 soldiers and wounding a dozen others, the army said Friday. ExoMars is the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars exploration program, which consists of two missions unified in their goal to characterize the Red Planet's past habitability. The first mission was the Trace Gas Orbiter, which launched to Mars in 2016 . The second mission is the long-delayed Rosalind Franklin rover (also known as the ExoMars rover), which will launch to Mars in October 2028 on a mission to drill deeper into the Martian surface than ever before to look for evidence of past life on the Red Planet. Rosalind Franklin will be Europe's first Mars rover . It is equipped with a drill that can dig about 6.5 feet (2 meters) into the ground, according to ESA . In doing so, the Rosalind Franklin rover will be able to search for biomarkers chemical evidence of life, such as complex organic molecules that have been buried and protected from radiation for 3 billion to 4 billion years, all the way back to when Mars was warmer and wetter. Related: Mars missions: A brief history When will the Rosalind Franklin rover launch? The Rosalind Franklin rover is currently scheduled to blast off in 2028, according to ESA (opens in new tab), with the aim of landing on the Red Planet in 2030. The rover has been delayed several times. Originally scheduled for launch in 2018 (opens in new tab), the early stages of the mission's development were plagued by technical difficulties. One significant setback was the failure of the Schiaparelli Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) (opens in new tab). Designed as a prototype to test how Rosalind Franklin would land on the surface, it traveled to the Red Planet in 2016 by piggybacking on the Trace Gas Orbiter. Once in Mars orbit, Schiaparelli was deployed, but the lander crashed into the ground. The COVID-19 pandemic led to another launch delay, with the second half of 2022 then being targeted. The ExoMars program was a joint initiative between ESA and the Russian space agency, Roscosmos. The rover was meant to launch on a Russian Proton rocket and be taken down to the Martian surface by a Russian landing platform called Kazachok, which also would have conducted imaging and climate science. However, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, subsequent international sanctions led ESA to dissolve the agreement to work with Roscosmos (opens in new tab) in July 2022, mere months before launch. The resulting unavailability of the Russian launch rocket and landing platform has led to a new and lengthy delay. Who was Rosalind Franklin? The ExoMars rover is named after British chemist and X-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin, who made many revolutionary discoveries including the molecular structure of DNA, RNA and viruses and may have won a Nobel Prize for her work had she not died in 1958, not long after making her revolutionary discoveries. It is a fitting name for a rover that is searching for the chemistry of possible life on Mars . Related: 20 trailblazing women in astronomy and astrophysics How will the Rosalind Franklin rover land on Mars? ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover is currently scheduled land on Mars in 2030. (Image credit: Adrian Mann/Stocktrek Images via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) The Rosalind Franklin rover will touch down slightly differently than NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, which were winched to the ground by the sky crane method. Rosalind Franklin will arrive at Mars in its carrier module an enclosed shell around a descent module containing a heat shield, the landing platform and the rover, the latter two of which are connected. Upon nearing Mars, the descent module will detach and plummet through the atmosphere, protected by its heat shield, ESA's mission page explains (opens in new tab). Its predecessor, Schiaparelli, reached temperatures as high as 2,732 degrees Fahrenheit ( 1,500 degrees Celsius (opens in new tab)) before being lost. Hopefully, that same fate won't befall the Rosalind Franklin rover. Parachutes will deploy to slow the falling descent module. The heat shield and parachutes will detach at an altitude of about 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) above the surface, at which point retro thrusters will take over for most of the remaining journey until the rover is mere meters above the ground. At that point, the engines will switch off, and the landing platform will drop the rest of the way to a cushioned landing on airbags. Those airbags will deflate, and after various systems checks, Rosalind Franklin will be ready for egress and deployment on the Martian surface. Where will the Rosalind Franklin rover land? A landing site in Oxia Planum was selected in 2018. It is located near the Martian equator and features large lowland plains that were once submerged in water and fed by a multitude of rivers, which today can be seen as channels covering 82,000 square miles (212,000 square kilometers). The plains are home to rich clay deposits that formed in the water long ago, and there are many exposed outcroppings where the Rosalind Franklin rover will be able to study stratigraphic layers, with deeper layers being the oldest. After Mars' climate changed over 3 billion years ago, a period of volcanism flooded Oxia Planum with lava, and today, many basaltic rocks still exist, protecting sediments from the rivers, lakes and seas that filled the region from the harmful radiation coming down from space. The solar-powered Rosalind Franklin rover faces the risk that dust will accumulate on its solar panels, thus reducing the energy it receives and limiting its life span. To mitigate this risk, the Rosalind Franklin rover will touch down during springtime in Oxia Planum. The timing of this landing is outside of dust-storm season on the Red Planet, meaning that the risk to the rover, at least during the initial stages of its mission, is limited. ESA has asked NASA (opens in new tab) to add nuclear-powered radioisotope thermal generators (opens in new tab) to supply energy to heaters, to prevent the rover's circuitry and instruments from growing too cold during the chilly Martian nights. What will the Rosalind Franklin rover be looking for on Mars? Given its history and geology, Oxia Planum is the perfect location to search for preserved chemical biomarkers, and even microfossils, dating back billions of years. Biomarkers are organic compounds utilized by life as we know it, including lipids such as fatty acids (opens in new tab), as well as amino acids and nucleic acids (opens in new tab). The Rosalind Franklin rover will drill down as deep as 6.5 feet to retrieve samples for analysis in its sophisticated onboard laboratory; there will be no sample return back to Earth as there is for NASA's Perseverance rover . The laboratory will be able to identify the minerals and organic compounds in the samples, giving a picture of the conditions in Oxia Planum long ago and answering the question of whether it was ever home to life. What instruments does the Rosalind Franklin rover have? The Rosalind Franklin rover is armed with nine scientific instruments (opens in new tab). On top of the rover's mast is PanCam, the panoramic camera, built by scientists at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London . PanCam will take most of the beauty shots of the Martian terrain, much like the Curiosity rover's Mastcam. Working in tandem with PanCam on the rover mast will be the Infrared Spectrometer for ExoMars (opens in new tab), which will measure the mineralogy of Martian rocks. The Close-Up Imager ( CLUPI ) will take high-resolution close-up images of interesting geological targets. The Micromega Infrared Spectrometer ( MicrOmega ), a visible and infrared imaging spectrometer, will also study Martian mineralogy, identifying minerals formed in water, which could tell scientists about the history of Oxia Planum. In the search for biomarkers, the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (opens in new tab) (MOMA), built by scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center , will search for chemical evidence of historic life on Mars. It will be supported by the Raman Laser Spectrometer (opens in new tab), which will be able to identify organic pigments as well as study mineralogy. Much of the rover's work will be done underground, especially because the rover is armed with a drill that can dig up to 6.5 feet deep and retrieve samples. Fitted inside the drill is the Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies ( Ma-MISS (opens in new tab)), which will directly assess the mineralogy and rock formations underground. Another instrument, the Russian-built Autonomous Detector of Radiation of Neutrons Onboard Rover at Mars (Adron), will search for subsurface water, in tandem with the Water-Ice and Subsurface Deposit Observation on Mars ( WISDOM (opens in new tab)), ground-penetrating radar that will help identify areas where the rover can drill. Rosalind Franklin rover: Current status The Rosalind Franklin rover is currently being stored in an ultraclean room while engineers figure out how to detach the rover from the Russian lander that can no longer be used. As the rover sits in storage, tests continue (opens in new tab) on Rosalind Franklin's twin, a rover called Amalia that will remain on Earth as an engineering test model. European countries will pay 360 million euros to keep the mission alive , and NASA has agreed to lend a helping hand, by providing either a new launch vehicle or a new lander, after requesting $30 million in funding (opens in new tab) from the U.S. Congress to support the mission. Trace Gas Orbiter and Schiaparelli The goal of the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is to search for less-abundant components of Mars' atmosphere. The Martian atmosphere is mostly made up of carbon dioxide, but concentrations of other molecules are poorly understood. For example, methane a sign of either biological or geological activity has been measured in different concentrations by different ground-based telescopes. The Curiosity rover has made repeated measurements of methane on the surface, but a global view of Mars would give a better sense of the methane's source or sources. "Since methane is short-lived on geological time scales, its presence implies the existence of an active, current source of methane. It is not clear, yet, whether the nature of that source is biological or chemical," ESA stated. "Organisms on Earth release methane as they digest nutrients. However, other purely geological processes, such as the oxidation of certain minerals, also release methane." TGO and Schiaparelli were launched together on March 14, 2016, from a Proton rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. TGO successfully entered orbit at Mars on Oct. 19, 2016, the same day of Schiaparelli's landing attempt, which failed. Two days after the malfunction, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed evidence of Schiaparelli's crash site, and additional pictures were sent in over several weeks. In 2017, an ESA investigation showed that a data glitch caused the Schiaparelli crash. Meanwhile, TGO was inserted into a highly elliptical orbit at Mars that took four Earth-days to complete. To perform its main science mission, it was lowered into a near-circular altitude of about 400 kilometers (250 miles) and had a two-hour orbit. Starting in 2017, mission controllers made a series of controlled skims through the edge of the Martian atmosphere. This technique is called "aerobraking" and has been performed by several other Mars missions, as well as the European Venus Express mission. It finished its aerobraking in February 2018 and sent its first image, of Korolev Crater, that April. More science results are expected to come now that TGO is in its main mapping orbit TGO has four principal instruments: NOMAD (Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery) a package of three spectrometers (two infrared, one ultraviolet) to identify methane and other parts of the atmosphere. Some elements will be found by looking at the atmosphere with the sun behind it, while others will be examined by direct reflected-light observations. ACS (Atmospheric Chemistry Street) three infrared instruments will provide information on the Martian atmosphere's chemistry and structure. CaSSIS (Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System) provides high-resolution images of the surface that will give geological context and the possible sources or sinks for trace gases found by NOMAD and ACS. FREND (Fine Resolution Epithermal Neutron Detector) maps potential deposits of water ice by looking for hydrogen on the surface to depths of up to one meter (3 feet). Besides its science mission, TGO is expected to serve as a communications relay for the ExoMars rover when it reaches the Martian surface. (TGO was also supposed to send communications from the failed Schiaparelli lander to Earth, but that part of the mission was never realized.) Trace Gas Orbiter discoveries The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter is still actively collecting data high above the Red Planet. The orbiter will not only act as a relay for the Rosalind Franklin rover, transmitting its data back to Earth, but also actively study Mars' atmosphere . As the mission name suggests, the aim is to chart the presence of trace gases in Mars' atmosphere that is, gases that are in short supply but that could indicate interesting geological, atmospheric or even biological processes, in either the past or present, on Mars. For example, methane is a trace gas that has come under the spotlight in recent years thanks to anomalous plumes of the gas that have been detected by Mars Express , the Trace Gas Orbiter and the Curiosity rover . This methane on Mars could be either geological or biological in origin. So far, the Trace Gas Orbiter has detected a possible chlorine cycle on Mars (opens in new tab), with the discovery of hydrogen chloride in the atmosphere. The hydrogen chloride may originate in interactions between the surface and the atmosphere during dust storms, as winds lift salts such as sodium chloride into the atmosphere, where it reacts with water vapor. This releases chlorine, which then reacts with other hydrogen-bearing molecules to form hydrogen chloride. The Trace Gas Orbiter has also been tracking water loss, as atoms of hydrogen and oxygen the components of water escape the atmosphere. This rate of escape tells scientists how much water Mars may have had billions of years ago, when Mars was much warmer and had a thicker atmosphere. Additional resources Check out NASA's overview of the Red Planet, and The Planetary Society's guide to water on Mars (opens in new tab) Follow the latest information about robotic exploration of Mars from the ESA. Follow Keith Cooper on Twitter @21stCenturySETI. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) and on Facebook (opens in new tab). Bibliography European Space Agency, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/46475-trace-gas-orbiter European Space Agency, ExoMars rover https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars/ExoMars_rover European Space Agency, FAQ: The rebirth' of ESA's ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars/FAQ_The_rebirth_of_ESA_s_ExoMars_Rosalind_Franklin_mission David Dickinson, Sky & Telescope, Rosalind Franklin rover targeting 2028 launch to Mars https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/rosalind-franklin-rover-targeting-2028-launch-to-mars/ European Space Agency, Landing Site Recommended for ExoMars 2018 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Landing_site_recommended_for_ExoMars_2018 European Space Agency, Schiaparelli landing investigation completed https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars/Schiaparelli_landing_investigation_completed European Space Agency, Schiaparelli, the European Perspective https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/47852-entry-descent-and-landing-demonstrator-module Josef Aschbacher, Twitter https://twitter.com/AschbacherJosef/status/1546899245998948354 European Space Agency, ESA's Mars rover has a name Rosalind Franklin https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars/ESA_s_Mars_rover_has_a_name_Rosalind_Franklin NASA, Curiosity's Sky Crane Maneuver, Artist's Concept https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/gallery/pia14839.html European Space Agency, Robotic Exploration of Mars, ExoMars Mission 2022 https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/48088-mission-overview European Space Agency, First high-altitude drop test success for ExoMars parachute https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars/First_high-altitude_drop_test_success_for_ExoMars_parachute European Space Agency, Oxia Planum favored for ExoMars surface mission https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars/Oxia_Planum_favoured_for_ExoMars_surface_mission NASA, Radioisotope Power Systems, Power and Thermal Systems https://rps.nasa.gov/power-and-thermal-systems/power-systems/ Daniel Carrizo et al, Detection of Potential Lipid Biomarkers in Oxidative Environments by Raman Spectroscopy and Implications for the ExoMars 2020-Raman Laser Spectrometer Instrument Performance, Astrobiology, 2020 Mar;20(3):405-414. doi: 10.1089/ast.2019.2100. Epub 2020 Jan 27. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31985262/ Wilfred F. M. Roling, The Significance of Microbe-Mineral-Biomarker Interactions in the Detection of Life on Mars and Beyond, Astrobiology, Vol 15, No 6, https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2014.1276 https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/ast.2014.1276 European Space Agency, Robotic Exploration of Mars, The ExoMars rover instrument suite https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/45103-rover-instruments UCL Department of Space and Climate Physics, ExoMars 2022 Rover Rosalind Franklin https://www.ucl.ac.uk/mssl/research-projects/2021/nov/exomars-2022-rover-rosalind-franklin NASA, Mars Exploration, Mars Curiosity rover https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/spacecraft/instruments/mastcam/ European Space Agency, Robotic Exploration of Mars, The ExoMars rover instrument suite, ISEM Infrared Spectrometer for ExoMars https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/45103-rover-instruments?section=isem---infrared-spectrometer-for-exomars European Space Agency, Robotic Exploration of Mars, The ExoMars rover instrument suite, CLUPI Close-Up Imager https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/45103-rover-instruments?section=clupi---close-up-imager European Space Agency, Robotic Exploration of Mars, The ExoMars rover instrument suite, The MicrOmega Infrared Spectrometer https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/45103-rover-instruments?section=the-micromega-infrared-spectrometer Bill Steigerwald, NASA, Scientists Shrink Chemistry Lab to Seek Evidence of Life on Mars https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/moma European Space Agency, Robotic Exploration of Mars, The ExoMars rover instrument suite, RLS Raman Spectrometer https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/45103-rover-instruments?section=rls---raman-laser-spectrometer European Space Agency, Robotic Exploration of Mars, The ExoMars rover instrument suite, Ma_MISS Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/45103-rover-instruments?section=ma_miss---mars-multispectral-imager-for-subsurface-studies European Space Agency, Robotic Exploration of Mars, The ExoMars rover instrument suite, WISDOM Water-Ice and Subsurface Deposit Observation on Mars https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/45103-rover-instruments?section=wisdom---water-ice-and-subsurface-deposit-observation-on-mars Lonnie Shekhtman, NASA, First You See It, Then You Don't: Scientists Closer to Explaining Mars Methane Mystery https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/first-you-see-it-then-you-don-t-scientists-closer-to-explaining-mars-methane-mystery European Space Agency, Robotic Exploration of Mars, ExoMars discovers new gas and traces water loss on Mars https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/exomars-discovers-new-gas-and-traces-water-loss-on-mars European Space Agency, ExoMars: Back on track for the Red Planet https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2023/03/ExoMars_Back_on_track_for_the_Red_Planet Jonathan Amos, BBC News, Rosalind Franklin: Europe's delayed Mars rover to receive rescue package https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63336201 Marcia Smith, Space Policy Online, NASA requests funding for ExoMars while warning MSR costs may grow Media's climate crisis coverage favours denial and avoidance: study Geneva, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2023 Media coverage of climate research is largely carried out in a way likely to provoke inaction instead of the pro-environmental behaviours needed to address the problem, a Swiss study shows. Most media coverage of the climate crisis focuses on broad, long-term projections and a narrow range of threats like melting glaciers and disappearing polar bears, according to a group of researchers at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) specialising in geosciences and psychology. "This type of narrative does not activate the mechanisms known from research on psychology that might engage pro-environmental behaviours in readers," they said in a statement on Thursday as they presented the study. "On the contrary, the media's selective choice of certain elements of climate change research could backfire, provoking denial and avoidance." For the study, published in the Global Environmental Change scientific journal, the researchers analysed a collection of around 50,000 scientific publications on climate change for the year 2020 and examined which ones made it into the mainstream media. The analysis revealed the media tends to pick up research within the natural science field and overly focus on large-scale climate projections that will occur far in the future. The researchers warn this approach could cause a "possible distancing reaction on the part of the public." Fabrizio Butera, a UNIL psychology professor and co-author of the study, cautioned that "individuals exposed to these facts, not feeling directly concerned by them, will tend towards a peripheral, superficial and distracted treatment of the information". Co-author Marie-Elodie Perga, a professor at the UNIL Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, agreed. "If the goal of mediating research is to have a societal impact, then it seems that we are pushing all the buttons that don't work," she said in the statement. Large-scale threats are known to create fear, and faced with purely descriptive articles only highlighting selective elements of climate change, the public will tend to ignore the problem, the researchers said. They could also seek out less worrying information, they added. Butera stressed "research on human behaviour shows that fear can lead to behavioural change" -- but only "if the problem presented is accompanied by solutions". To inspire action, Perga suggested the media should treat environmental issues in a "solution-oriented way" and strive to "show that climate change has direct consequences on our lifestyles, our immediate environment or our finances". This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD Some still remember the grassy parcel as the site of the original Dress Barn. Decades before then, preservationists say, it was home to a Victorian-era shoe factory. For the past nearly 30 years, however, the 128 Broad St. plot has been empty. The vacant property fronting the Bedford Street parking garage has become a rare pocket of inactivity in Downtown Stamford as developers fill in the remaining gaps like puzzle pieces. But now, the company that helmed downtown's urban renewal era has come forward with a plan. Stamford-based F.D. Rich Company is seeking Zoning Board approval to build a 198-unit luxury apartment complex on the parcel, which includes an adjacent lot across Gay Street. The proposed 13-story building would include 22 studios, 100 one-bedroom units, 67 two-bedroom units and nine three-bedroom units. In accordance with the city's Below Market Rate program requirement, the developer plans to build 18 affordable apartments on site. The plans also feature ground-floor retail space and amenities including a fourth-floor deck with an outdoor pool, workout facilities, a play area for dogs and more. Courtesy of F.D. Rich Company The properties are centrally located in front of Bedford Street parking, across the road from the Landmark Square tower and next door to a 228-unit apartment complex under construction between Broad Street and Greyrock Place, approved in July 2021. But though some developers inquired about the space, proposals have been few and far between, Land Use Bureau Chief Ralph Blessing said. It is a "challenging site," attorney Michael Cacace told the Zoning Board at its April 3 meeting. In total, the property is just 0.82 acres including Gay Street, which bisects the two lots to provide entry to the Bedford parking area. The side street is owned by F.D. Rich, but the city has an easement that ensures vehicle and pedestrian access. The developer's pitch: building over top of Gay Street, while carving out a path for cars and people through the middle of the ground floor. The covered road would also provide access to the apartment building's loading dock and 17 parking spaces, though the vast majority of parking would be on the second and third floors. It would also maintain access to the rear of existing businesses. The plan would alleviate the loss in first-floor space, in part, by building upward. The building would be 147.2 feet tall. The fourth floor, though it would have some apartments, would mostly house tenant amenities including the pool. But most of the units would be on the fifth through 13th floors. If approved, the developer plans to start construction in September 2023 and complete it by spring 2025, Cacace said. The city's tax revenue from the site would increase from $40,000 annually to $1.3 million, he estimated. "I will tell you that having worked on it with the development team for 18 months now, we've come up with a plan that works for the applicant, works for the city and works for the neighborhood," he said. Courtesy of F.D. Rich Company Zoning Board officials had a handful of questions for the attorney, eventually sending the developer a list of 11 requests to be addressed before their next scheduled meeting on April 24. The two primary questions revolved around the ground-floor design and parking plan. Zoning regulations require the developer to provide 215 parking spaces. Cacace said F.D. Rich planned to comply, but noted that the group's most recent downtown development, Summer House, has an excess of parking. The building has 228 apartments, but less than 100 spaces are regularly used. Still, the attorney said F.D. Rich would satisfy the requirement while rotating 37 parking spaces between valet and self-park, though it could impede access to other self-park spots. Zoning Board Chair David Stein requested a new parking plan that maintains full access. "I agree with you. I think that there is a lot of evidence that we do require more parking than is needed, but I think the way to go about that is to change the regulations to reduce the parking not to try to do this kind of scheme that I think is not really in compliance," Stein said. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media F.D. Rich Owner Tom Rich said that his team "overcomplicated" the description at the meeting. The parking plan would allot 112 self-park and 103 valet spots. If one of the options reached capacity, new residents would be placed on a waiting list. "Hopefully, we'll get the opportunity at the next hearing to really explain it, but it's a simple plan," Rich said. "It's a hybrid system. You can choose valet park or self-park. It's really not much more complicated than that." Additionally, officials asked for a design plan for the back of the Gay Street passageway. Stein said he wanted to make sure the space connecting the garage with Broad Street and the apartment building would be open and welcoming. Its an alley with a driveway," Stein said. "People are going to be walking from the ground parking area out to Broad Street, and we want to make them feel safe there. Rich said his team is submitting renderings of the property to the Land Use Bureau, which he hopes will clarify concerns. "It's a very wide opening, sidewalks on both sides, 15 feet tall," Rich said. "It's not an alley." Courtesy of F.D. Rich Company Otherwise, the Board's requests for the developer included a long-term affordability plan and a plan for street trees, among several other asks. Cacace submitted a document on April 14 that responds to all 11 Zoning Board requests. The Zoning Board plans to resume discussions on the project at its April 24 regularly scheduled online meeting. The meeting will include a public hearing to hear local comment. The last building that stood on the parcel was a three-story brick building constructed in 1883. The building cycled through several uses including the Loudesbury-Soule shoe factory and the flagship Dress Barn, according to a 1985 Stamford Advocate article. It survived much of the city's urban redevelopment where F.D. Rich turned the industrial New England downtown into a corporate hub, largely through eminent domain before being slated for demolition in 1985. After preservationists stood up to protect the building, the city and the owner made a deal to save it. But various development plans failed to coalesce over the next decade, and it was razed in 1995. STAMFORD Time is not on the Board of Representatives side if it wants residents to vote on potential changes to the citys governing document this November. City representatives formed a Charter Revision Commission more than a year ago to review Stamfords charter and propose changes. The charter must be reviewed every 10 years. A resolution by the Board of Representatives gives the Charter Revision Commission until June 7 to submit a draft report with its suggested changes. The Board of Representatives will then have up to 60 days to hold at least one public hearing and recommend tweaks to the draft report, according to provisions in state statute. After receiving any recommendations, the commission will have 30 days to finalize its report. Then, the Board of Representatives will have 15 days to vote on which changes will go before voters for final approval or rejection. But if the commission and the Board of Representatives use up all of the time allowed under state statute, the city will miss a Sept. 7 deadline for questions to appear on the Nov. 7 municipal election ballot. Steven Mednick, an attorney who has been advising the Charter Revision Commission, told city representatives at a meeting this week that they would need to accelerate the process to get the questions on that ballot. If you want it on the ballot this November, the Board of Reps has to have a much more aggressive schedule than the 60-day timeframe allows you to have, and the commission would then have to have a very aggressive turnaround, Mednick said. The Board of Representatives could decide to instead pose the ballot questions to voters in November 2024 or hold a standalone referendum. Board President Jeff Curtis said the November 2024 option was his preference. When our committee first started, I think the general consensus at the time was that we were planning for November 2024 so that we would have a higher turnout of voters coming to the polls, Curtis said And I still have that same mindset right now. Id rather follow the procedure, get it done right and have the time rather than try to rush it to get it onto this Novembers ballot. But board Majority Leader Nina Sherwood argued that it would be difficult to engage with voters on municipal issues during a presidential election year. Many people in the course of a presidential election are very politicized and are very concerned with basically nothing else except the presidential election, Sherwood said. Im very concerned about the public bandwidth for political education during a presidential election season that I think will probably be very contentious, as they always are. Sherwood asked: Could we start working with haste towards a 2023 deadline and do everything we possibly can with the idea of 2023 in our mind, and if we come to an impasse on issue X ... that we just shift over into 2024? Mednick said the Board of Representatives will have to make a call once it receives the commissions report. If you see that the report of the commission is generally acceptable to you, I think you can accelerate your process and declare that we will aim toward 2023, Mednick said. If the board makes a consensus judgment that theres two or three items that are just well beyond the ability to resolve, it could drop those proposals for now and form an interim Charter Revision Commission to continue working on them for the 2024 or 2025 election, Mednick said. The other option to hold a referendum outside the regular elections comes with a risk, said Charter Revision Commission Chair Thomas Lombardo. Under state statute, charter changes are adopted if a majority of voters at a regular election approve them. But if the changes go before voters at a non-regular election, not only do a majority of voters need to vote in favor of the changes, but the majority must also equal at least 15 percent of the citys electorate. But Rep. Virgil de la Cruz, D-2, said he saw some appeal to a standalone referendum. I concur with Rep. Sherwoods concerns about diluting this very important issue with the noise of a presidential election, and given that the charter is such an important document, Im now even concerned about diluting it within the context of a municipal election, de la Cruz said. I believe that with enough fanfare and advertising and attempts to engage the citizenry that we can expect to exceed that 15 percent limit. Rep. Ashley Ley, D-20, disagreed. I think this needs to be tied to an election cycle in November because our voter turnout outside of the November elections is abysmal, Ley said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) Foreign governments evacuated diplomats, staff and others from Sudan on Sunday as rival generals battled for a ninth day with no sign of a truce that had been declared for a major Muslim holiday. While world powers like the U.S. and Britain airlifted their diplomats from the capital of Khartoum, Sudanese desperately sought to flee the chaos. Many risked dangerous roads to cross the northern border into Egypt. My family my mother, my siblings and my nephews are on the road from Sudan to Cairo through Aswan, prominent Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abual-Ala wrote on Facebook. Fighting raged in Omdurman, a city across the Nile River from Khartoum, residents said, despite a hoped-for cease-fire to coincide with the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. We did not see such a truce, Amin al-Tayed said from his home near state TV headquarters in Omdurman, adding that heavy gunfire and thundering explosions rocked the city. Over 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and over 3,700 wounded in fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. The RSF said the armed forces unleashed airstrikes on the upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, north of Khartoum. There was no immediate army comment. The ongoing violence has affected operations at the main international airport, destroying civilian planes and damaging at least one runway, and thick, black smoke rose above it. Other airports also have been knocked out of operation. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted he had spoken with the rival commanders, urging an immediate cease-fire to protect civilians and the evacuation of EU citizens. In other fighting, a senior military official said it repelled an RSF attack on Kober Prison in Khartoum where Sudans longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, and former officials in his movement have been held since his 2019 ouster. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said a number of prisoners fled but al-Bashir and other high-profile inmates were in a highly secure area, adding that a few prisoners were killed or wounded. The RSF claimed the military removed al-Bashir and other prisoners from the facility, although the statement could not be independently confirmed. The Arqin border crossing with Egypt was crowded with about 30 passenger buses of at least 55 people each, said Suliman al-Kouni, an Egyptian student who fled northward from Khartoum with dozens of other students. We traveled 15 hours on land at our own risk, al-Kouni told The Associated Press by phone. But many of our friends are still trapped in Sudan. Sudan experienced a near-total collapse of internet and phone service Sunday, according to the monitoring service NetBlocks. Its possible that infrastructure has been damaged or sabotaged, said Netblocks director Alp Toker. This will have a major effect on residents ability to stay safe and will impact the evacuation programs that are ongoing. After a week of battles that hindered rescues, U.S. special forces swiftly evacuated 70 U.S. Embassy staffers from Khartoum to Ethiopia early Sunday. Although American officials said it was too dangerous for a government-coordinated evacuation of thousands of private citizens, other countries scrambled to remove their citizens as well as their diplomats. France and Italy said they would accommodate all their citizens who want to leave, as well as those of other countries who could not otherwise join an evacuation operation. Germany said early Monday that a military plane carrying 101 German diplomatic staff, family members and citizens of partner countries who were evacuated from Sudan via Jordan has landed safely in Berlin. The military said it had brought 311 people to Jordan so far, from where an onward journey is being organized. A Dutch air force C-130 Hercules flew out of Sudan to Jordan early Monday carrying evacuees of various nationalities, including Dutch. The French Foreign Ministry said Monday it has so far brought four flights from Sudan to Djibouti, with a total of 388 people citizens of 28 countries of Europe, Asia, North America and Africa, including Sudan. An Italian air force C-130 that left Khartoum with evacuees landed Sunday night at an air base in Djibouti, the Defense Ministry said. Another plane, carrying Italy's ambassador and military personnel involved in the evacuation, was expected in Djibouti later in the night. About 100 people were flown out of Khartoum by Spanish military aircraft more than 30 Spaniards and the rest from Portugal, Italy, Poland, Ireland, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina, the foreign ministry said. Officials in Jordan said four planes landed at Amman military airport carrying 343 Jordanian evacuees from Port Sudan. Other flights from Sudan were organized by Greece and the Netherlands. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted that U.K. armed forces evacuated British diplomatic staff and dependents amid a significant escalation in violence and threats. Overland travel through contested areas was possible but dangerous. Khartoum is about 840 kilometers (520 miles) from Port Sudan on the Red Sea. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia said it evacuated 157 people, including 91 Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries. Saudi state TV showed a large convoy of cars and buses from Khartoum to Port Sudan, where a navy ship took them to the Saudi port of Jeddah. Fighters attacked a U.S. Embassy convoy last week, and stormed the home of the EU ambassador. Violence wounded an Egyptian Embassy employee in Sudan, according to Egypts Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zaid. Egypt, which said it had over 10,000 citizens in Sudan, urged those in cities other than Khartoum to head to consular offices in Port Sudan and Wadi Halfa in the north for evacuation, the state-run MENA news agency reported. The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudan's hopes for a democratic transition. The rival generals came to power after a pro-democracy uprising led to the ouster of the former strongman, al-Bashir. In 2021, the generals joined forces to seize power in a coup. The current 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. Both generals, each craving international legitimacy, have accused the other of obstructing the evacuations. The Sudanese military alleged the RSF opened fire on a French convoy, wounding a French national. The RSF countered it came under attack by warplanes as French citizens and diplomats left the embassy for Omdurman, saying the militarys strikes endangered the lives of French nationals. Hospitals have struggled as violence rages. Many wounded are stranded by the fighting, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate that monitors casualties, suggesting the death toll is probably higher than what is known. The Italian medical group Emergency said 46 of its staff refused to leave, working in hospitals in Khartoum, Nyala and Port Sudan. Thousands of Sudanese have fled fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere, U.N. agencies said, but millions are sheltering in their homes amid explosions, gunfire and looting without adequate electricity, food or water. In the western region of Darfur, up to 20,000 people left for neighboring Chad. War is not new to Darfur, where ethnically motivated violence has killed up to 300,000 people since 2003. But Sudan is not used to such heavy fighting in its capital, which "has become a ghost city, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya of the Doctors Syndicate. Khalid Omar, a spokesman for the pro-democracy bloc that seeks to restore civilian rule, urged both generals to resolve their differences. There is an opportunity to stop this war and put the county on the right path, he wrote on Facebook. This is a war fueled by groups from the deposed regime who want it to continue. ___ Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Michael Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Angela Charlton in Paris, Frances D'Emilio in Rome and Fay Abuelgasim in Beirut contributed. An audit of Connecticuts hazardous materials cleanup program disclosed that more than a years worth of documentation was unavailable to auditors. But the audit did not seek to explain why the documentation was missing or to delve into why the abatement work was largely performed by a select group of state contractors. The Department of Administrative Services hired Marcum LLP, an independent auditing firm, to sample more than five years of state hazmat projects in March 2022 after federal criminal investigators subpoenaed records related to several contractors that performed cleanup work for the state. The audit was part of Gov. Ned Lamonts response to news that a federal grand jury was probing the states hazmat contracts, Connecticuts school construction program and several other state projects that were overseen by Konstantinos Diamantis, a deputy secretary at the state Office of Policy and Management. The audit, which was commissioned by the state last year at a cost of over $100,000, suggested the months-long gap in oversight coincided with the Lamont administrations transfer of hazmat program oversight from the Department of Administrative Services to the Office of Policy and Management. The CT Mirror published a story in February 2022 that highlighted how two of the states hazmat contractors AAIS Corp. and Bestech Inc. netted nearly all of the $29.2 million that was spent from the state hazmat fund between 2017 and 2022. DAS officials responded to that story by immediately canceling the state contract through which the companies were paid, and the state agency sought to expand the list of contractors who were eligible to perform hazmat cleanup work on state-owned buildings. AAIS was removed as a state hazmat contractor earlier this year. Despite those actions, officials at DAS did not ask Marcum to review why nearly all of the hazmat funding over the past five years went to those two companies, and the agency did not ask the auditors to review or confirm the work those companies performed. Instead, Marcum was directed to look at only two things: whether there were processes and procedures in place for the hazmat program and whether past projects were exclusively performed on state-owned buildings. The scope of the audit was to review DAS process to administer the program to ensure that the funds were being used by state agencies, DAS spokesman John McKay said. It was more about the process of how we administer our side. Municipal hazmat projects, such as school renovations, were excluded from the scope of the audit. McKay said projects such as the MLK Middle School in Hartford and the New London High School project, both done by AAIS, were not included because they were not state buildings. McKay said they dont know how many municipal projects may have been done through the hazmat program. DAS Commissioner Michelle Gilman, who declined through her staff to be interviewed for this story, announced in a press release this week that Marcums audit validates the robust processes that DAS now has in place to control the cleanup work at state-owned buildings and to manage the millions of dollars in funds that are paid out through the hazmat program every year. At DAS, we are committed to transparency and ensuring modernized procedures are in place and followed, to provide the best services to our partner state agencies and Connecticut residents, said Gilman. But the audit report makes it clear that the state was not always so diligent about tracking and reviewing the hazmat projects. According to the auditors, state employees historically used a spreadsheet to record each hazmat project that was paid for by the state. And they recorded key information about each project, such as which state agency asked for the work, what contractor was hired, when the companies billed the state and how much each company was paid. Marcums auditors said those spreadsheets were available for most of the projects undertaken between September 2017 and July 2019 and between January 2021 and May 2022. But between August 2019 and December 2020, DAS could not locate any similar records tracking the hazmat projects and the approval process for those funds. The only thing DAS could provide to auditors were records detailing how much money was paid from the hazmat fund during that time. DAS is not aware that such a spreadsheet exists for the period August 2019 to December 2020, the auditors wrote in the report. In lieu of a tracking spreadsheet, DAS provided a cash disbursement ledger to Marcum in order to facilitate assessment of transactions that occurred during this time period. To try to fill in the gaps, DAS also provided the auditors with records maintained by the state comptroller, which describe what projects and services were paid for, with only modest detail. McKay said he was unsure what other types of documentation were collected for the various HazMat projects during that time frame because the program transferred from DAS to OPM. Chris Collibee, a spokesman for OPM, told the CT Mirror that all of the relevant records from that time frame were returned to DAS in late 2021. The auditors laid the blame for the lack of oversight between 2019 and 2020 at the feet of two former state employees: Diamantis, who resigned his government posts in October 2021, and Michael Sanders, who died in December 2021 of a reported drug overdose. In August 2019, the HazMat Program moved to the Office of Policy and Management under the direction of Michael Sanders, who reported to Kosta Diamantis, the auditors wrote. The HazMat Program subsequently returned to DAS following Kosta Diamantiss resignation from state service in October 2021, and continued to be managed by Michael Sanders until his untimely death in December 2021, when the Program was returned to the DAS Construction Services unit, the auditors added. Documentation included with the audit shows that Sanders verbally approved nearly 300 projects from 2017 through early 2022. That same documentation suggested he approved some projects even after his death. During the period that Mike Sanders was reporting to Kosta, its our understanding that projects were often authorized verbally, McKay said. So when the program did return to DAS, we verified in writing with each state agency that work had in fact been authorized. Dimantis, who has not been charged with any crime, said DAS was attempting to blame him for the gaps in oversight when he had no control over hazmat funds or the cleanup work at state properties. Sanders did move offices with Diamantis when the states school construction program was officially transferred to OPM in late 2019. But he said Sanders continued to report to Noel Petra, a deputy commissioner at DAS, on the hazmat projects at state buildings. A memorandum of understanding that was signed by Josh Geballe, the former DAS commissioner, and Melissa McCaw, the former OPM secretary, specifically says that Mr. Sanders services and the hazardous material abatement funds shall remain readily available to DAS. Diamantis said that memo clearly shows that he played no role in the oversight of Sanders work related to state hazmat projects. They can jump up and down and stand on their heads, Diamantis said. I had no authority over Mike Sanders on state buildings. All of that came through DAS. Thats as factual, black and white as it can be, he added. So they need to take ownership of whatever it is they are looking to throw at the wall. A member of Eurovision-winning band Kalush Orchestra says he is grateful for UK support at this years song contest and is looking forward to a spectacle with Ukrainian flavour. Tymofii Muzychuk, a piper who forms part of the seven-piece Ukrainian group, said he believed something incredible would happen when Liverpool stages the competition next month. The UK took over hosting duties on behalf of Ukraine while it remains under Russian invasion. Kalush Orchestra is confirmed to be performing at the grand final on May 13, alongside British star Sam Ryder who came second at the 2022 event. Asked about the UK becoming host in support of Ukraine, Muzychuk said: We are grateful to Great Britain for this support, and we are also grateful that they are hosting this years competition. We believe that something incredible awaits us in Liverpool, of course, with a Ukrainian flavour. Muzychuk added that he and Kalush Orchestra were rooting for this years Ukrainian entrant, electronic duo Tvorchi, and praised their song Heart Of Steel. Kalush Orchestra has released a new song, Ushme Uturbe, which Muzychuk says was intended to distract people from the moment. We didnt try to place any specific meaning into the song itself, he said. We want people to listen to our new song, to be distracted from the moment, from any thoughts and just catch this vibe. Every moment is important, now more than ever. The new track was written and recorded in Austin, Texas, where the band performed at the SXSW festival in March. They hung Ukrainian coats of arms around Austin as a symbol of gratitude to the city for its acceptance. We dont want the world to forget what is happening in Ukraine now, and to continue to support us in all aspects, said Muzychuk. The fact that we left the Ukrainian coat of arms around the city is a sign that we left a piece of Ukraine, far away, in the US. And that we are grateful to the city for accepting us. Russia launched its second large salvo of missiles at Ukraine in recent days early Monday, damaging buildings and wounding at least 34 people in the eastern city of Pavlohrad but failing to hit Kyiv, officials said. D iane Abbott has had the Labour whip suspended after comments she made suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller people are not subject to racism all their lives. Ms Abbott, who served as Jeremy Corbyns shadow home secretary, wrote in a letter in The Observer that although white people with points of difference suffer prejudice, they have not suffered the same racism as black people. Following a backlash, including from a Tory Cabinet minister, she apologised for any anguish caused, suggesting errors arose in her initial draft letter to the newspaper. However, Labour confirmed that the whip has been suspended from her pending an investigation into the letter. A party spokesman said: The Labour Party completely condemns these comments, which are deeply offensive and wrong. The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation. Ms Abbott said on Twitter: I am writing regarding my letter that was recently published in The Observer. I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my written remarks and disassociate myself from them. The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused. Racism takes many forms and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others. Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them. The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP had been responding to a comment which suggested that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from racism in the UK. She wrote: It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said on Twitter: Once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful antisemitism. @Keir_Starmer are you actually going to do anything? Labour Against Antisemitism said Ms Abbotts comments are simply unacceptable and had called on Sir Keir to remove the whip from her. Spokeswoman Fiona Sharpe said: To reduce the racism faced by Jews to mere prejudice when in living memory six million Jews were systematically slaughtered in Europe for their race is grossly offensive. In the UK today one in five of all Jews have suffered a racist attack, with more than one in three Gypsy, Roma and Traveller reporting the same. Ms Abbott is either woefully misinformed or deliberately bigoted. Neither should be tolerated. R ishi Sunak has hailed the brave efforts of the UKs armed forces after they swooped into Sudan to help British diplomats and their families to escape fighting. The Prime Minister said the British military had undertaken a difficult operation to evacuate UK officials from Sudan following fears embassy staff could be targeted. Hundreds have died in a bloody conflict between the Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Mr Sunak tweeted: UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation. It comes after a UK Government source had announced on Saturday that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence would be delivering a diplomatic evacuation plan as soon as feasible. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace revealed the operation to remove British Embassy staff from Sudan involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF). This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the United States; France and other allies, Mr Wallace said in a written statement. They have evacuated British Embassy staff and their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats against diplomats. The operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade; the Royal Marines and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners. We will continue on our diplomatic effort to bring this conflict to a swift conclusion because until that happens, we are severely limited in our ability to provide assistance to British nationals The Sudanese army had on Saturday said Britain was one of a number of nations, including the US and China, that it would be assisting to help remove its officials from the dangerous conditions in the country. Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan had been complicated by the fact most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven perilous. The UK Government has stated that a more large-scale evacuation could prove a challenge, with Britain lacking the military footprint it had in Afghanistan which saw thousands airlifted out of Kabul during Operation Pitting in 2021. Mr Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would continue to act as a broker for a peace deal in Sudan. Mr Cleverly said a temporary lull in the nine days of fighting had given Britains armed forces a window of opportunity to strike. He defended prioritising an evacuation for what is thought to have been a small number of diplomats, arguing it would allow the UK Government to strengthen efforts to assist British nationals trapped in Sudan. The Foreign Secretary told broadcasters: The diplomats that were working in the British Embassy in Khartoum have been unable to discharge their functions because of the violence in that city. So, to fulfil our duty to protect them as their employer, we are relocating them to other embassies in the region. In order to continue to protect British nationals, we will of course be enhancing our teams in the region. This is following the pattern we have seen of our international friends and colleagues. We will continue on our diplomatic effort to bring this conflict to a swift conclusion because until that happens, we are severely limited in our ability to provide assistance to British nationals. The Prime Minister said his administration was pursuing every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining there. I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones, Mr Sunak added. Before the evacuation was announced, Labours shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth had said it was a legitimate question as to why the UK Government had not acted like others in removing staff and citizens from the country. He also called for Parliament to be updated this week on the state of play in Sudan. The US had at the time of Mr Ashworths interview with Sky News already announced a successful airlift mission to assist about 70 embassy staff into Ethiopia. France, Greece, the Netherlands and Italy are putting aircraft in place to carry out similar operations. In a joint statement, Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow defence secretary John Healey said Britains armed forces acted with bravery and professionalism. The pair called on ministers to set out their plans for providing assistance to Britons still in Sudan. They said: Many British nationals remain stuck in Sudan and we are deeply concerned about their welfare. We need to know about Government plans to help them and the steps the UK is taking to support an immediate ceasefire. M inisters must explain what they are doing to evacuate Britons from Sudan as fighting continues in the African country, Labour has urged. A UK Government source said Sudan will be evacuated of British embassy staff as soon as feasible due to safety fears following increasing attacks on diplomatic missions. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden declined to be drawn on the detail of what the Government is doing as he toured the broadcast studios on Sunday. It does seem a legitimate question as to why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth said there is a legitimate question as to why the UK Government is not acting like others in removing staff and citizens from the country, and suggested Parliament should be updated this week. Sudan is currently into a second week of bloody internal fighting between the army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. Mr Dowden, asked whether the UK was preparing to evacuate Sudan of British nationals, told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: The situation in respect of Sudan is clearly a rapidly moving and complex situation. Our priority is to support British nationals. Now, the Ministry of Defence is acting in support of the Foreign Office but clearly you wouldnt expect me to comment for security reasons on the current situation in terms of movement on the ground. Clearly, we need to make sure that we support our British nationals. At the moment, the advice to British nationals is to make sure they stay indoors, that they stay safe and get in contact with the Foreign Office Pressed on whether there are plans to evacuate Sudan of UK citizens, Mr Dowden added: This is a very different situation, for example, to the situation that you saw in Afghanistan for a number of reasons. First of all, this situation has arisen very rapidly and, secondly, we just dont have the kind of scale of resources on the ground that were there in Afghanistan. Clearly, we need to make sure that we support our British nationals. At the moment, the advice to British nationals is to make sure they stay indoors, that they stay safe and get in contact with the Foreign Office. For Labour, Mr Ashworth said people are deeply, deeply troubled and alarmed about what is happening in Sudan. We do need to be getting British nationals out. There is looting, there is sexual assault going on, there is violence on a daily basis. This is not a safe situation He told the same programme: As to the question around evacuations and so on, it does seem a legitimate question as to why our Government is not acting in the same way that other governments are acting. I hope we can have a clarification from the Foreign Office, perhaps in Parliament in the coming days, on that front. Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, acknowledged it would be probably the most complex evacuation she could think of in her lifetime given there was no UK military on the ground. Ms Kearns noted the United States had used a helicopter base on their embassy to start their evacuation and highlighted some of the difficulties. She also told Times Radio: We do need to be getting British nationals out. There is looting, there is sexual assault going on, there is violence on a daily basis. This is not a safe situation. I have a constituent whose loved ones are living in Sudan who want to get out, who have a UK visa. This is very complex, but we do need to evacuate British nationals. C heeky Prince Louis celebrates his fifth birthday today as new pictures of him reveal his playful personality. In one picture released by the palace on Sunday Louis is beaming as his mother, the Princess of Wales, pushes him in a wheelbarrow. The photograph shows the young prince wearing a blue woolly jumper, shirt and blue shorts while sitting on top of leaves and grass and holding on to the wheelbarrow, as Kate laughs. It is one of two pictures taken by photographer Millie Pilkington earlier this month on the Windsor Estate. AP The other is a close-up of the beaming prince, showing how quickly William and Kates youngest child is growing up. The family live in Adelaide Cottage in Windsors Home Park and Louis attends the private Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire alongside his brother and sister Prince George and Princess Charlotte. via REUTERS Louis is expected to accompany his siblings in the procession from Westminster Abbey which will follow the Kings coronation on May 6, according to newspaper reports. He was not at the Queens 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 Georges Day April 23 in 2018 in the private Lindo Wing of St Marys 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 Jamess Palace, in front of friends and family. T he US has military evacuated American government personnel from Sudan, Joe Biden said on Saturday. The President confirmed that Washington is suspending operations at its embassy in the troubled country as fighting between rival commanders continues. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians, Biden said in a statement. Its unconscionable and it must stop. Citizens of Saudi Arabia and people from other nationalities are welcomed by Saudi Royal Navy officials as they arrive after being evacuated from Sudan at Jeddah Sea Port on Saturday / via REUTERS US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that all US personnel and their dependents have been safely evacuated and that the US will continue to assist Americans in Sudan in planning for their own safety. All US government personnel and a small number of diplomatic personnel from other countries were evacuated in the operation, which removed fewer than 100 people, officials said. Just over 100 US special operations forces were involved in the evacuation, entering and exiting Sudan without being fired upon by the warring factions on the ground. Other foreign nationals began evacuating from a Red Sea port in Sudan on Saturday. Japans 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 UN 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. Sudans sudden collapse into warfare dashed plans to restore civilian rule. Fighting has brought an already impoverished country to the brink of humanitarian disaster and threatened a wider conflict that could draw in outside powers. The conflict comes 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 Africas 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. Western countries are expected to send planes for their citizens from Djibouti, though the Sudanese army has said airports in Khartoum and Darfurs 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. 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. Each side accused the other of not respecting the truce. Expo on Chinese language study opens in Vietnam Xinhua) 14:24, April 23, 2023 This photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows a scene of the 2023 Chinese language study seminar and expo in Vietnam's capital Hanoi. The 2023 Chinese language study seminar and expo kicked off here on Saturday, with the participation of 52 Chinese universities and more than 12,000 guests, the biggest among over 40 host countries over the past eight years. (Xinhua/Tao Jun) HANOI, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The 2023 Chinese language study seminar and expo kicked off here on Saturday, with the participation of 52 Chinese universities and more than 12,000 guests, the biggest among over 40 host countries over the past eight years. Chinese and Vietnamese officials, Chinese language learners, and examinees of Chinese proficiency test are among those present at the event. Addressing the seminar, Ma Jianfei, director general of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) of China, said such a seminar is a bridge connecting Chinese language learners from all over the world who come to China to study, contributing to creating more jobs and expanding international education services. "We are pleased to see that with the deepening of China-Vietnam relations, the number of Vietnamese people learning Chinese is increasing, and the demand for learning Chinese and studying in China is also constantly rising," he said. Xi Hui, minister of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, said cooperation in education and youth exchange plays an active role in enhancing understanding and promoting traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, and youths are the future of the relationship between the two countries. China announced that in the next five years, it will give Vietnam no less than 1,000 Chinese Government Scholarships and no less than 1,000 International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarships, helping Vietnam train highly qualified human resources and teachers of Chinese language education, she said. At the seminar, representatives from 52 Chinese universities answered questions of Vietnamese students and their parents about graduate and post-graduate programs in China and relevant scholarships. The annual event has become a comprehensive international education exchange and cooperation platform, benefiting many Chinese language learners in more than 40 countries around the world. This photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows a scene of the 2023 Chinese language study seminar and expo in Vietnam's capital Hanoi. The 2023 Chinese language study seminar and expo kicked off here on Saturday, with the participation of 52 Chinese universities and more than 12,000 guests, the biggest among over 40 host countries over the past eight years. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali) Vietnamese youth line up at the entrance of the 2023 Chinese language study seminar and expo in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, April 22, 2023. The 2023 Chinese language study seminar and expo kicked off here on Saturday, with the participation of 52 Chinese universities and more than 12,000 guests, the biggest among over 40 host countries over the past eight years. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) 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 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 some of whom are running short on food and basic supplies while hunkered down. 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. The port is in Sudan's far east, some 840 kilometers (520 miles) from Khartoum. 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. Burhan told Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hadath on Saturday that Khartoums airport would not handle any evacuations because of the ongoing fighting. 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. 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 countrys transition to a civilian-led democracy and raised concerns the chaos could draw in its neighbors, including Chad, Egypt and Libya. "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. 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. 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. 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. Search Keywords: Short link: Informed sources in New York told Ahram Online that the US and the UK invited members of the UN Security Council for a Sudan-focused meeting to discuss the continuing deterioration of the military and humanitarian situation in the country. The sources said that the US-British request calls for holding an official open session of the Security Council on Tuesday, 25 April. It is to be held immediately after the end of the Council's meeting on "The Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question." However, the official Sudanese mission strongly objects to holding this session so as not to internationalise the Sudanese issue and to give the African Union and other Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) the opportunity to mediate and reach a settlement, the sources clarified. Despite that, the worsening humanitarian situation on one hand, and the West's desire to reveal the alleged role of Russias Wagner militias in Sudan on the other as is happening in Ukraine push those countries to insist on holding the session even if it is limited to Council members and under the chairmanship of the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation chairs the Security Council during the current month. The format of the session has not yet been determined, but there is agreement among the council's member states, which was reached late yesterday in New York. According to the UN, tens of thousands of Sudanese people have fled the country to neighbouring countries as fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces enters its second week. Since tensions erupted, mediators from the UN, the AU, regional IGAD bloc, and Western and Gulf capitals have been attempting to bring Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo to the negotiating table. Yet, so far efforts have been in vain. The fighting between army chief Burhan's forces and the rival RSF of his former deputy Daglo began on 15 April over a dispute on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. Search Keywords: Short link: Sean Sebastian and his son Trenton braved chilly, rainy weather to try their luck at fishing at the kickoff of trout fishing season at St. Johns Conservation Area in rural Pelham on Saturday. The unpleasant weather saw smaller crowds than usual at the popular Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority fishing hole. In a world where people always seem so rushed and impatient nowadays, folks gathered along the shore of the St. Johns Conservation Area pond in rural Pelham exuded a zen-like quality of peaceful patience on Saturday. Despite chilly temperatures and rain that left everything sopping wet, the crowd quietly cast their fishing lures in the hope of landing supper on the opening day of trout season on Earth Day. Normally numbering in the hundreds, by about noon only dozens of hardy souls braved the inhospitable weather at the popular Niagara Peninsula Conservation Area fishing hole. It would be good to catch a good eating-sized one, said Sean Sebastian of St. Catharines, who was there with his son Trenton and bundled up against the rain. Stick them in the smoker and they taste fantastic. Sebastian wasnt having much luck: the trout seemed rather finicky on opening day. He (Trenton) caught a small one earlier, but it wasnt a keeper, he said. With a two-fish catch limit, Sebastian said you want to make sure any fish you keep are good sized ones. I imagine earlier in the morning they must have been biting a bit better, said Sebastian. Theyre not biting as well as Ive seen before. Alicia Powell, manager of conservation areas programs and services with the NPCA, said visitors to the watering hole will find its improved this year after completion of improvements to the sites entrance lane and parking area, as well as the addition of an accessible trail to the pond. Were excited to welcome visitors to St. Johns and we look forward to engaging our community in outdoor education and recreation, and the conservation of native species that call this area home, she said in a news release. Sebastian said his family makes the trek to fish at St. Johns on a regular basis. We come up here year-round, he said. Its a great place. Theres snapping turtles and some big bass. As soon as they were able to watch we started bringing our kids here. A valid Ontario fishing license is required to fish at St. Johns, which the NPCA said was covered by an ancient sea about 4.5 million years ago. The conservation area is located at 3101 Barron Rd. The NPCA asks that anglers use artificial instead of live lures to reduce the introduction of pollutants into the ponds ecosystem. Catch and release is also encouraged, the agency said. SHARE: Expect delays, especially during busy travel times: The Ministry of Transportation has scheduled three closures in Niagara on April 23, 2023 for roadwork on Queen Elizabeth Way. Queen Elizabeth Way Fort Erie bound at Mountain Road: one left lane closed from April 23 at 8 p.m. until April 27 at 5 a.m. Queen Elizabeth Way Fort Erie bound between Netherby Road and Bowen Road: one right lane closed until May 31 at 11:59 p.m. Queen Elizabeth Way Toronto bound between Gilmore Road and Bowen Road: one right lane closed until April 30 at 11:59 p.m. Have further to travel? Highway closures for planned roadwork outside Niagara 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 St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland. The disruptions may be intermittent or ongoing and can change due to weather, emergencies and other factors. SHARE: Just under five years ago, Roxy Earle was starring in Real Housewives of Toronto and had trouble finding stylish clothes that fit her size 12 body. I remember I couldn't get anyone to make a dress for me," she says. "I was a run-of-the-mill, average size for a woman in our country, and I couldn't find clothes that I felt beautiful in. Finding fashionable plus-size clothing for glam occasions and filming days presented a challenge, but so did shopping for other purposes. "Every vacation, I was riddled with anxiety about what I was going to wear. I would go to multiple swimsuit shops, Earle says. Sometimes I could find an XL, but it wasn't stylish or the one I really wanted. I would end up buying it anyway because it was the only option that fit. This was my experience when preparing for vacations." An entrepreneur and body positivity activist, Earle decided to take matters into her own hands. She recently designed a resort capsule collection in collaboration with Joe Fresh, called Hotel Roxy, which includes swimsuits and bikinis, breezy tunics and slinky nighties in sizes XS to 3X, and delicate sandals that run up to size 11. I wanted to design clothes that feel light, airy, and fresh," she says. "There's a ton of stuff [out there] that feels very mature, especially in larger sizes, and I wanted clothes that felt youthful and feminine and flatter the body." The line was inspired by Earle's travels to the Mediterranean, her favourite summer vacation destination. But this year, the soon-to-be mom of two is thinking Caribbean. I'm going away somewhere tropical and beautiful, but I haven't decided where yet. I love Barbados and Mexico, and I always love a good jaunt to Miami. Wherever she goes, she stays true to her personal style, which she describes as laid-back luxury. I'm not the girl who brings stilettos by the pool. Ill wear a beautiful flat sandal and throw on a gorgeous caftan, she says. "My goal is to celebrate as many body types as possible and to make people feel relaxed. Because when you feel comfortable, you feel confident." Roxy Earles sunny weather essentials JF X Roxy Earle swimsuit, sizes XS to 3X, $49, joefresh.com. SHOP HERE This chic one-shoulder cut-out swimsuit flatters the body by highlighting the waist and looks very glamorous on. Coola Tinted Sunscreen, $84, well.ca. SHOP HERE I like to wear minimal amounts of makeup and let my natural glow come through in warm climates. The tropics just do something to the skin and hair! A tinted moisturizer is an everyday essential when I'm on vacay. I love this one from Coola, it gives you coverage while also having SPF 30." JF X Roxy Earle bag, $39, joefresh.com. SHOP HERE "Every vacation needs a great beach bag. This super chic tote can hold all your pool and beach essentials, but my favourite part is that it comes with a mini bag inside! When you want to go from the beach to dinner you can pull out the mini tote and bam, you're ready. You can't go wrong." Missoni cover up, $1,480, tntfashion.ca. SHOP HERE "If you're looking for a luxury item to take on vacation, Missoni cover-ups are so beautiful and colourful. I don't think I've been on vacation without one in years. If I can find it vintage, it's even better." SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Essence Mist, $88, skinceuticals.ca. SHOP HERE "Having a hydrated, glowy face is the best feeling when on vacation. If I get a little bit of redness or rosacea when I'm out in the sun, this spray cools and soothes my skin." When you make a purchase through the links in this article, we may earn a small commission. Our journalism is independent and not influenced by advertising. Learn more. Melissa Fejtek is a freelance writer who writes about beauty and lifestyle. Follow her on Instagram: @itsmelissaliliana SHARE: It came and went like a hastily deleted late-night tweet. This weeks fury over how the CBC would be labelled on Elon Musks social media platform seemed to arrive at an anticlimactic conclusion Friday, as the government funded tags vanished from its account and those of other international public broadcasters. Meanwhile, the state-affiliated labels on media accounts such as Russias state-owned Sputnik and Chinese government mouthpiece Peoples Daily were also removed. But however Twitter chooses to brand the CBC from now on, there is every reason to believe that efforts to label the network in the court of public opinion are going to continue. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. was founded in 1936, its editorial independence enshrined under Canadas Broadcasting Act. CBC and Radio-Canadas mandate was, in part, to inform, enlighten and entertain; to contribute to the development of a shared national consciousness and identity. But experts say that as democracies around the world become more polarized, the ostensibly unifying role of public broadcasters is in peril, reflecting the frustration and distrust thats permeated a wide swath of society. A national survey of 1,200 people conducted this week by Abacus Data suggested that 40 per cent of adult Canadians agreed that the CBC was propaganda on behalf of the federal government. The majority holding that view identified themselves as Conservative voters. Forty-five per cent of respondents said they thought the CBC should be shut down to save taxpayer money, while the rest agreed with the statement: I value the CBC and want it maintained. The figures matched results of an earlier survey in September 2022, by Mainstreet Research, which found that 46 per cent of Canadians wanted to see the CBC defunded. For some, the trouble with Twitter is just the latest flashpoint in a fight CBC has been having since its inception. Others say that in the face of changing times, there needs to be a serious conversation about the networks path forward, even as a dark political cloud hangs over it. Pierre Poilievres attacks The label on CBCs Twitter account showed up days after Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre had issued a public letter calling on the social media platform to tag CBCs posts, framing it as a step to protect Canadians against disinformation and manipulation by state media. He later doubled down, saying people know that (CBC) is Trudeau propaganda, not news. Poilievre has been among those leading the defund chorus, threatening to slash CBCs funding if he becomes prime minister in the next federal election. That funding totalled $1.24 billion according to CBCs 2021-22 annual report. While it might seem innocuous to some, the Twitter label couldnt simply be ignored, said CBC News editor-in-chief Brodie Fenlon. He said the fact that it came with an allegation of government influence was a line in the sand that CBC could not tolerate and allow to stand out there. Its absolutely untrue. We cant allow a platform like Twitter to confuse audiences of what is professional journalism and what is propaganda, he told the Star in an interview this week. We have to be very clear and explicit about why this is a concern. He declined to provide an opinion on Poilievres stance, saying it would be inappropriate to do so as a journalist. CBC president and CEO Catherine Tait, on the other hand, has previously publicly butted heads with Poilievre, accusing the Opposition leader in a February interview of CBC bashing, and calling his campaign to defund the CBC fundraising-motivated. On Friday after the Twitter label has disappeared, CBCs head of public affairs, Chuck Thompson, said they were reviewing the situation and would leave the companys Twitter accounts on pause for the moment. Poilievres gambit resonated with many online, judging from the plethora of #defundthecbc tweets, and outraged others. FRIENDS, a public broadcasting advocacy group, said Poilievre seemed to have zero qualms about comparing CBC to the likes of Russias Sputnik TV: These tactics are irresponsible, dangerous and undermine the democracy that public institutions like CBC/Radio-Canada are desperately trying to uphold. CBC journalists face distrust Worldwide, trust in mainstream media is declining, and incidents of physical violence and online abuse against journalists are on the rise. Fenlon said its a troubling mix. In recent years, a CBC camera operator was shoved from behind during a protest related to pandemic measures, while others were surrounded by angry crowds and a security guard hired to protect a CBC reporter was tackled against a car. In CBC newsrooms, some journalists said that they try to not pay attention to things like upheaval at Twitter, but that broader trends of distrust and attacks on media are a source of anxiety. The journalists requested anonymity to speak openly with the Star because they werent authorized to speak with the media. Its absurd to be characterized as government-influenced, but I think most people will judge us based on the journalism we do, one CBC television producer said. An investigative journalist pointed to CBC stories that led to scrutiny of different governments, including an investigation claiming that government contractor WE Charity misled donors about building schools in Kenya, the Big Spend series deconstructing hundreds of billions spent on COVID-19 emergency funds that led to criticism of the Trudeau government, and countless stories on the controversial relationship between former prime minister Brian Mulroney and German-Canadian businessman Karlheinz Schreiber. Another CBC reporter said criticism of CBC reflected prejudice among some Canadians, who appear to think that the fact that CBC covers diverse communities is indicative of liberal bias. As part of trying to disparage our presence, our work and our lens, Black, Indigenous and women of colour are very often told we are somehow not objective simply because we do not have a white-centred lens. For me, this is nothing new. Its what I experience daily. If I do a critical story about racism, I am not objective to some. If I do a positive story about people of colour, I am also biased to some. Those sentiments dont just exist on one platform or on social media alone, she said. The fact is that those who do not like diverse views represented are doing what they can to fight it. CBC News Network has the biggest audience of any Canadian news channel, reaching more than four million Canadians a week. Another 4.3 million Canadians tune into CBC Radio One each week. On average, CBC podcasts see 12 million downloads a month and Front Burner is the No. 1 Canadian daily news podcast. Thompson said CBC offers daily news and information programming on radio in eight Indigenous languages in the North, plus a daily TV newscast in Inuktitut, and a current affairs show in Eastern Cree. Overseas, CBC has the most extensive foreign coverage of any Canadian publication, with about 45 people on any given week working in journalism outside Canada, including out of bureaus in New York, Washington, London, Mumbai, Paris and Taiwan. While we cant give a budget breakdown, its fair to say we invest significant money in world coverage, more than any other Canadian news organization. For example, we were on the ground in Ukraine this past year and provided coverage from the front lines in February. A political whipping boy Controversy around the CBC? Tell Peter Mansbridge something he hasnt heard before. No matter which government has been in power, there are always complaints about coverage, says Mansbridge, who was the anchor of CBCs flagship newscast, The National, for almost 30 years before his retirement in 2017. In his experience, Liberal oppositions have regularly accused the CBC of toadying up to a Conservative government, and Tory oppositions have done the same in reverse. Or, as another observer put it, the CBC tends to become the whipping boy for politicians regardless of whos in charge. What he says infuriates him is when those political power plays cast a shadow on the professionalism of the people who do the work. The way the terminology is thrown around about the CBC, its just a goddamn insult to the journalists who work there, he says. I just dont accept that, nor have I ever accepted it when they talk about state media or government-funded media organization. Its unfair and its inappropriate. How should the CBC respond? By doing their job. Thats it, he says. Thats what proves the ridiculous nature of the description, because CBC journalism has a background, a history and a tradition of telling stories no matter whos in government that reflect not only the country, but the way the country is being governed. That being said, it may be that Poilievre, once his rhetoric is stripped away, is opening up a necessary discussion about the CBC, its performance and its accountability over the amount of money it gets from the public purse annually as a Crown corporation. I welcome that. I think its been missing, Mansbridge says. I think there should be a legitimate discussion and everybody should be involved. I welcome hearing how (Poilievre) plans, and how his party plans and how the other parties plan to ensure that Canadians actually have some kind of voice within their media organizations that reflect television and radio that tells the Canadian story. The NPR model That Canadian story, of course, is rapidly changing, and CBCs pursuit of it is akin to trying to hit a moving target, says Jeffrey Dvorkin, formerly the managing editor for CBC News and formerly VP of news and an ombudsman for National Public Radio in the U.S. He says CBC is part of the Wayne Gretzky school of journalism. Gretzky famously once said that he never went to where the puck was; he went where the puck would be. By the same token, Dvorkin says, CBC is going to where it believes its audience is going to be, and that is toward a younger, more ethnically and culturally diverse demographic. The problem is that, unlike the Great One, when CBC gets there, the puck is missing. All those younger, ethnically and culturally diverse people who CBC has tagged as its future audience have taken a different route. For starters, in the digital age, the concept of a single, authoritative news source has gone the way of the dodo, says Dvorkin. Increasingly people get their news from multiple sources of varying credibility. And unlike the pre-Internet days, new immigrants can get news and programming directly from their former homes they see themselves perfectly reflected in that media, rather than the CBCs one-size-fits-all attempts. There are smaller points of reference in the culture now. And that means that the idea of some kind of a sharing or cultural agreement is less possible now than ever before, says Dvorkin. CBC, as far as I can tell, is still committed to this idea that they have to be all things to all people. And Im not sure that that can be done anymore. The challenge for the CBC now is to figure out, do they continue down that road, risk alienating their traditional audience without necessarily attracting a newer, younger, more diverse audience? Its a very tough time to be in management in any media organization. One of the ideas CBC might examine is the more decentralized National Public Radio model, Dvorkin suggested. At NPR, the customers own the company. The stations actually own NPR; NPR doesnt own the stations. So, it is more of a collective in that sense. One of the possibilities for a restructured CBC might be for a spine of national programming national news programs and some documentaries to come from CBC but to leave budgets, cultural programming and scheduling in the hands of local stations. That would allow them to be better focused on the needs of their regions and better reflect their particular communities, Dvorkin said. Hes spreading misinformation To most observers, Poilievres campaign against the CBC is largely politics as usual. Hes found an issue that his followers respond to and hes found success in lambasting the CBC and then asking those followers to give him money. But the way hes going about that is a little disingenuous, suggests Jeremy Copeland, the Graduate Program chair of the Master of Media in Journalism and Communication program at Western University. The CBC is government-funded. To suggest that that means its propaganda is a huge jump, a huge leap. Theres a huge difference between government-funded and government control. And I think thats important to think about and its completely lost in the nuance of Poilievres messages. Its interesting. Hes kind of spreading misinformation and trying to manipulate Canadians by accusing the CBC of spreading misinformation and being manipulative. Of more importance, Copeland suggests, is the continuing trend to a large extent imported from the U.S. of political leaders attacking the media when they perceive it as unfriendly. Its kind of a moment to pause and reflect, he says. If you think and believe that journalism is important and journalists still have an important role in society, attacking them and trying to label them as being manipulative and spreading misinformation that is something that not just the CBC, but everybody should take a pause and speak up and respond to. Correction April 24, 2023: In Nov. 2021, CBC released an investigation claiming that government contractor WE Charity misled donors about building schools in Kenya. A previous version of this article said the CBC investigation showed WE Charity misled donors. CBCs investigation is the subject of an ongoing defamation lawsuit from We Charity and is pending in U.S. federal court. Joanna Chiu is a B.C.-based staff reporter for the Star. She covers global and national affairs. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu Read more about: SHARE: It has been five years since a man deliberately drove a van down a bustling sidewalk in north Toronto, committing one of the countrys worst mass murders. Ten people died in the van attack in April 2018 and another died from her injuries more than three years later. Heres a look at the lives that were lost, based on interviews with family and friends and victim impact statements filed in court. Betty Forsyth, 94 Betty Forsyth was a walking library, family historian and a good friend to birds and squirrels. She was born on July 30, 1923 in Peacehaven, East Sussex in the United Kingdom. She left for Canada in 1968, with nine poodles in tow, and remained a loyal servant to the queen. Tragedy befell the family early on. Her father, Charles Speedie Forsyth, was a member of the British army and vanished at sea in 1928, near Gibraltar. But Betty, her quick wit and macabre humour at hand, used her missing father as material for family gatherings. Was he our real father? shed say loudly. Did mom drive him crazy? Did he jump ship? She loved the casino, Coronation Street and a good cup of tea. She hated politics, but loved ripping politicians. After she died, her family and friends brought her back to England. She is buried next to her mother and brother. --- Ji Hun Kim, 22 Ji Hun Kim was a 22-year-old student from Korea studying at Seneca College. She was out on the sidewalk of Yonge Street the day she was hit. She was known to her classmates and professors as June. She was often seen with a smile on her face and as a force of positivity and happiness. --- Sohe Chung, 22 Sohe Chung and her dog, Coco, became roommates with Ra So in 2015. The two young women met on the first day of school at the University of Toronto and instantly became best friends. So said Chung was her platonic soulmate. Chung was funny, mature and a human dictionary. She was more than just a best friend, she was sometimes a sister, sometimes a mother, sometimes a teacher, So said in her victim impact statement. Chung worked as a sales associate at Holt Renfrew with Sheena Tan. Being in an industry full of jealous and fake people, Sohe stood out like a bright shining light, always kind, gentle and warming anyone with her genuine smile, Tan wrote. She was a smart, ambitious and respectful girl, with a bright future ahead of her. Another colleague, Dianne Sullivan, started a movement she called the Sohe effect, to keep her traits alive by being kinder, more patient and less critical. In other words, more loving, Sullivan said. --- Geraldine Brady, 83 Gerry Brady taught her daughter, Janice Kirby, to think the best of people, along with patience and understanding. The pair spoke two-to-three times daily. Brady grew up in the area, living with her husband on Hounslow Avenue for over 60 years. She had beautiful white hair and noticeable scars on both legs, her daughter said, where doctors had taken bones to reconstruct her bottom jaw after she got cancer. Bradys mother also suffered trauma at the same age, 83. She was brutally beaten and raped in her own home in 1994 and the crime still has not been solved, Kirby wrote in her victim impact statement. Kirby retraced her mothers steps that day. Brady went to the Bank of Nova Scotia and took out $200. Three birthdays were coming up, including Kirbys, and two of her grandchildren. She had already signed the cards; they only needed money to be slipped in them. She then bought diapers for her great grandson, dropped them in her car and started walking to the Bank of Montreal to pay some bills. Kirby planned to stop by to see her mom after work that day she would usually pop by if she was in the city. Brady usually napped around 2 p.m., but wasnt answering her phone. Kirby went to her mothers home and found her car gone. Half a cup of tea sat on the table. --- Chul Min Eddie Kang, 45 Eddie Kang was with his wife for nearly 20 years, and together they built a life in Canada. The pair came together from Korea. He worked as a cook at Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse in Toronto. He brought joy to the restaurant with his daily happiness, bright smile and a passion for cooking. His wife, So Min Kim, wrote in her victim impact statement that she remains lost without her husband. --- Anne Marie DAmico, 30 Anne Marie DAmico lived with a lighthearted spirit that could make a room come apart with laughter. She got a job as a summer student at Invesco years before and worked there until the day of the attack. DAmico had just completed a data analytics course and earned 97.5 per cent on the final exam, her mother told court. DAmico was a thrill seeker who skydived in the Swiss Alps, ziplined through the Italian mountains and participated in the famous cheese-rolling race on Coopers Hill in England. She had a black belt in taekwondo and played softball. She also wrote new lyrics to old songs. Some of her greatest hits were: Lady in Bed to the tune of Lady in Red after my aunt took a serious fall on black ice and was bedridden, said her sister, Frances DAmico, in court. DAmicos family launched a foundation in her name to help women and children live free from violence. --- Munir Najjar, 85 Munir Najjar was born in Salt, Jordan, on Dec. 10, 1932. He spent his school years at the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem until the Palestinian exodus in 1948, when the family moved back to Jordan to finish high school. He went to university in Baghdad and then moved to the United States. His career took him to Libya then back to Jordan. He and his wife Lillian were married for 54 years. The pair did everything together: cooking, playing cards, and watching television. Munir took care of his wife, bought the groceries, paid the bills and fixed everything around the house in Amman. Their children would both immigrate to Canada. Munir loved taking trips with his family to Montreal, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls. In March 2018, the pair travelled half a world away to spend two months with their kids and grandchildren. Deep within Munir lived a hidden child, always curious to learn, his daughter, Haneen, said in court. And he lived with a que sera sera attitude. He saw beauty in everything around him and he appreciated all the little things that most people take for granted, she said. He called his daughter everyday, urging her to explore Canada, a country she moved to just the year before. Munir was a loving man who believed there was beauty and goodness in everyone and everything, his son, Omar, said. --- Dorothy Sewell, 80 Dorothy Sewell enjoyed going for long drives with her best friend and sister Joan Begg. The two would also drive around to look at Christmas lights. They lived for sports, watching the Toronto teams play while on the phone with each other. We cheered our teams on as if we were at the arenas, Begg told court in her victim impact statement. Our families knew the lines would be busy for the duration of the events. Sewell never missed a special occasion, always sending greeting cards and attending get-togethers. The sisters spoke on the phone each morning, laying out their days, then reported back later on to let each other know they made it home safely. The pair also had a bucket list. They managed to walk along the outer rim of the CN Tower, but other items remained undone. Time ran out, Begg said. --- Andrea Bradden, 33 Andrea Bradden had a smile that could light up any room, her friends say. She was set to become a godmother the month after the attack to her two-month old nephew, her brothers child. Her sister was pregnant and Bradden would soon be the cool aunt to five nieces and nephews. She spoiled those kids, her sister-in-law Adrian Knafelc wrote in a victim impact statement. She was the person who gave extra generous gifts, who took time to help plan out parties, make centrepieces, and bring flowers, extra balloons, Knafelc said. Bradden had recently finalized her divorce and had gone on a lunch date as she slowly entered the dating world again. It pains me that she will never get her second chance at love, said her sister-in-law Adriana Knafelc. She loved her dog Jimmy and planned to travel to New York City the following month with her friend, Michele Kellman. She had so much of her life still ahead of her, perhaps to wed again or have her first child, Kellman said. --- Renuka Amarasingha, 45 Renuka Amarasingha came to Canada from Sri Lanka in 2010 with her husband in an arranged marriage. Soon after she went to a police officer at 43 division in Scarborough looking for help. She was five months pregnant and being abused physically and emotionally by her husband, said police officer Laura Middleton in a victim impact statement filed with court. Middleton arrested and charged her husband and helped support Amarasingha, who divorced her husband and gave birth to her son, Diyon, in March 2011. Amarasingha returned to school until graduating in 2015 while she raised her son by herself, Middleton wrote. She had just landed a job with the Toronto District School Board. Renuka is one of the bravest women I have ever met, Middleton wrote. Every May, Amarasingha would hop on the bus with her boy and trek to the police divisions open house to thank everyone who helped her. She was an inspiration, and her courage and influence over my own life and career is something I deeply regret not expressing to her more than I did, Middleton wrote. To me, Renuka is the definition of hope. Renukas boy filed to court a drawing of him and his mother together under a beaming sun, both smiling. --- Amaresh Tesfamariam, 65 Tesfamariam was born on March 12, 1956, in Ethiopia, the third oldest of four brothers and five sisters. She became an elementary school teacher and in the 1980s moved to Eritrea to be with her parents, who had moved there earlier. When the Eritrean-Ethiopian war escalated, Tesfamariam left for a new life in Canada. She settled in Montreal, where she lived for nearly a decade. She struggled to find meaningful work in the city, bouncing from job to job, and eventually moved to Toronto in search of new opportunities, her family said. In 1999, at age 43, Tesfamariam went back to school to become a nurse. After graduation she went to work in a long-term care home in Toronto. She suffered catastrophic injuries in the van attack, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down and requiring a ventilator to breathe. Doctors told her family she might only survive a few weeks. Tesfamariam lived in two hospitals for more than three years. She never complained, she never cursed, her brother, Belay Tesfamariam said from Washington, D.C. Im going to go home, it might be in a wheelchair, but Im going to go home, shed tell her family. She never did. She died of her injuries in October 2021. Her family brought her body home to be laid to rest in Asmara, Eritrea. --- This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2023. SHARE: For months, she soared through Afghanistans skies. She made civil aviation history by flying inside the country with all-female crews. At age 21, Mohadese Mirzaees dream came true. She became Afghanistans first female commercial flight pilot, taking passengers in a Boeing 737 to different Afghan cities as well as Turkey, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and India. Her dream came crashing down a year later, on Aug. 15, 2021, the day that Kabul fell to the Taliban. When the extremist Islamic group known for its anti-women policies returned to power, she was in her uniform at the airport, planning her evening flight to Istanbul, Turkey. When I was in the airport, the Taliban had already attacked Kabul, and they were inside the city, recalled Mirzaee, now 24. Residents and security personnel were desperate to flee. When I got into the plane that I was supposed to fly, I see people rushing, everyone was running to the plane, she said. She left behind her family that day, fleeing the country this time as a passenger on an evacuation flight to Kyiv until her employer Kam Air, Afghanistans largest private carrier, assessed the situation. They denied my entry, she said, referring to the Ukrainian airport authorities in Kyiv. Then they checked my passport. I had to a visa for Bulgaria, since we always had that for the training. They said, You have to go to Bulgaria because you have the visa, and we cannot accept you. Mirzaees childhood dream of flying had hit a stumbling block in 2015 when she went to a military base of the then-U.S.-backed Afghanistan army to apply for pilot training but a commander told her, Youre so young. You dont have enough muscles. You cannot fly, and why are you thinking about flying? Think about something else, she recalls being told. The refusal, not surprising in a male-dominated country, didnt deter her. In 2016, she went abroad to do her last years class at a high school in Port Colborne, Ont. When I came to Canada and started searching, I saw it was such a normal thing for the women to fly. When she finished school, Mirzaee attended the aviation academy at Torontos Billy Bishop airport, and practised flying a Cessna 172. It was quite expensive, she said, talking about the fees for each training flight. I remember every hour of the flight was around $300. Being on a student visa, she could not get senior jobs; instead, she worked at Tim Hortons, McDonalds, as a cashier at Walmart and receptionist in a dental clinic to pay for training flights. Any job you can name it I was working, just to be able to pay for my flight training, to pay for my courses. In 2018, she returned to Afghanistan to persuade the state-run and private airlines to sponsor her to continue further training. She got rejected multiple times. I dont give up quickly, so I was pretty annoying. I was giving them calls every day, she said, referring to officials from the Kam Air private airline. They finally relented. I had meetings, interviews and exams before starting the program. After I passed all those exams and interviews, they supported and funded my training, said Mirzaee. The program was full-time integrated pilot training in the Philippines for 18 months. Later, she attended three months of training on the Boeing 737, in Bulgaria, where her visa was valid until she escaped from Afghanistan. To Mirzaee, August is an eventful month. Her first commercial flight was on Aug. 20, 2020; she lost her job in Afghanistan with the fall of Kabul in the same month, the following year. In August 2022, she got her European pilot certificate after passing several exams in Bulgaria. Listen: And so Mohadese Mirzaee, a Bulgarian permanent resident, has been flying around Europe. She wont name the airline for security reasons. It's always interesting when I go to the airports and pass through the security check. They see me in the uniform, and then they check my passport. They say youre from Afghanistan, she said. Responding to their surprised looks, she responds, Yes, Im from Afghanistan, and I say it proudly. Now Im flying for another European company, which is quite fun, she said from her hotel in Italy, where she was on vacation. Im in different cities every day, so I cannot complain. Im quite happy about that. Her family safely resettled in Canada, including her mother, who supported Mirzaee in achieving her dream. As the Taliban places more restrictions on women, including banning girls from high school and working in NGOs and the United Nations offices, she claims those barriers cannot stop Afghan women. For me, its a proud moment. I didnt give up. Even though the Taliban did everything to put us down and take us away, she said. And she added: Going back to Afghanistan and flying back, there is always the option after the Taliban are gone. I always remember the days that I was flying there as sweet memories. Im hoping and looking forward to that day when Afghanistan will finally be peaceful. Read more about: SHARE: CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) A judge on Saturday ordered the immigration director of Mexicos northern border state of Chihuahua to stand trial Saturday on charges of homicide, injuries and failure to perform his duties, for last months deadly fire at a migrant detention center. The judge ordered the director, Salvador Gonzalez, held in prison pending trial. Judge Juan Jose Chavez said there was evidence that Gonzalez failed to do his duty to protect the migrants. Forty migrants died in the March 27 fire in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, after a migrant allegedly set fire to foam mattresses to protest a supposed transfer. In the end, everything depends on the head official, Chavez said. Not complying with standards does have its results. Five other officials of the countrys National Immigration Institute, a guard at the center and the Venezuelan migrant accused of starting the blaze are already in custody facing homicide charges. The step is significant, in part because Gonzalez is a retired Mexican navy rear admiral. He is the highest ranking official to be held over for trial in the case, though prosecutors have said they will press charges against the immigration agencys top national official, Francisco Garduno, who is scheduled to make a court appearance April 21. Federal prosecutors have said Garduno was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agencys detention centers. Prosecutors said government audits had found a pattern of irresponsibility and repeated omissions in the immigration institute. The fire in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, quickly filled the facility with smoke. No one let the migrants out. Read more about: SHARE: TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) Around 3,000 migrants set out Sunday on what they call a mass protest procession through southern Mexico to demand the end of detention centers like the one that caught fire last month, killing 40 migrants. The migrants started from the city of Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border. They say their aim is to reach Mexico City to demand changes in the way migrants are treated. It could well have been any of us, Salvadoran migrant Miriam Argueta said of those killed in the fire. In fact, a lot of our countrymen died. The only thing we are asking for is justice, and to be treated like anyone else. But in the past many participants in such processions have continued on to the U.S. border, which is almost always their goal. The migrants are mainly from Central America, Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia. Mexican authorities have used paperwork restrictions and highway checkpoints to bottle up tens of thousands of frustrated migrants in Tapachula, making it hard for them to travel to the U.S. border. Argueta said that when migrants look for work in Tapachula, they give us jobs, perhaps not humiliating, but the one the Mexicans dont want to do, hard work that pays very little. Organizer Irineo Mujica said the migrants are demanding the dissolving of the countrys immigration agency, whose officials have been blamed and some charged with homicide in the March 27 fire. Mujica called the immigration detention centers jails. The roots of the migrant caravan phenomenon began years ago when activists organized processions often with a religious theme - during Holy Week to dramatize the hardships and needs of migrants. In 2018 a minority of those involved wound up traveling all the way to the U.S. border. This years mass walk began well after Holy Week had ended, but Mujica, a leader of the Pueblos Sin Fronteras activist group, called it a Viacrucis, or stations of the cross procession, and some migrants carried wooden crosses. In this Viacrucis, we are asking the government that justice be done to the killers, for them to stop hiding high-ranking officials, Mujica said in Tapachula before the long walk began. We are also asking that these jails be ended, and that the National Immigration Institute be dissolved. Some migrants carried banners or crosses reading Government Crime and The Government Killed Them. The migrants made it only as far as the town of Alvaro Obregon, about 9 miles (14 kilometers) from Tapachula, before stopping to settle down and rest for the remainder of the day, after having walked from around dawn. The migrants stretched out under a covered athletic court and under trees at a park in Alvaro Obregon. There was no sign at the start of any police attempt to block them. Mexican prosecutors have said they will press charges against the immigration agencys top national official, Francisco Garduno, who is scheduled to make a court appearance April 21. Federal prosecutors have said Garduno was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agencys detention centers. Prosecutors said government audits had found a pattern of irresponsibility and repeated omissions in the immigration institute. The fire in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, began after a migrant allegedly set fire to foam mattresses to protest a supposed transfer. The fire quickly filled the facility with smoke. No one let the migrants out. Six officials of the National Immigration Institute, a guard at the center and the Venezuelan migrant accused of starting the blaze are already in custody facing homicide charges. Migrants, especially poorer ones who cannot afford to pay migrant smugglers, have often seen such mass walks, or caravans, as a way to reach the U.S. border. Successive caravans grew to massive size in 2018 and 2019 before authorities in Mexico and Central American began stopping them of highways. The COVID-19 pandemic also played a role in quashing the caravans, as countries instituted health restrictions. The heat and sheer effort of walking 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) to Mexico City usually forces migrants to start walking in the pre-dawn darkness and stop in the early afternoon in towns along the way. Many of the migrants some carrying infants or babies in strollers also look to catch rides from passing trucks. In the past, authorities have sometimes allowed that to happen, and sometimes prohibited it. But sheer desperation drives many of the migrants. Venezuelan migrant Estefany Peroez was walking with her three daughters. In Tapachula, they had been sleeping in the streets. We dont have anything to eat, the authorities dont help us, we are doing this to give my daughters a better life, Peroez said. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWA - South Africas envoy to Ottawa is urging Canada to help broker an end to Russias war in Ukraine, arguing that sending arms to Kyiv will only prolong a dangerous conflict that is aggravating hunger in developing countries. We have all the instruments of human agency to stop this war, but we just simply dont want to, Rieaz Shaik said. In a wide-ranging interview, he said Russia needs to be held accountable, buturged the Trudeau government to drastically change course on its most central foreign-policy issue. I just hope they could stop for a moment and reflect (on) how much Canada has contributed to peace in the world. And why throw that away? South Africa is among 32 countries that have abstained from United Nations votes calling on Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. While Canada and other G7 countries have said they will support Ukraine for as long as it takes, the majority of the worlds population lives in countries that have opted against outright condemning Russia for the invasion. Some of them depend on trade with Russia, while others want good relations with Washington, Moscow and Beijing. Many have voiced contempt for European concerns taking away attention and development dollars from longer-lasting conflicts elsewhere. Soviet support decades ago for anti-colonial movements also prompts some to voice support for Moscow, even though Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. South Africa is ruled by the African National Congress, a political party that grew out of an anti-apartheid organization that had members trained by the Soviet Union in military tactics. Shaik insists South Africas motives are to defuse the conflict. Let me just say it categorically: South Africa is opposed to the invasion of Ukraine. The violation of the UN Charter is unacceptable to us. The territorial integrity of Ukraine must be maintained, he said. The only part where we are saying we have an alternative voice is that we do not believe that the solution to those violations lies in war, or counter-war or anything else. Shaik said the United Nations Security Council must broker a resolution to the conflict, even if it requires a reform of an institution that has largely followed the same rules since 1945and gives Russia veto powers. He argued this approach would bear more fruit than Ukraine and its Western allies refusing to undertake peace talks with Moscow until Russia returns all occupied territory. If you put an outcome of a negotiation as a requirement to negotiate, then youre not going to have negotiations, he said. As an activist in the anti-apartheid struggle, Shaik said it was Nelson Mandela who convinced him to push for gradual change instead of ultimatums. For example, the movement accepted the argument of the countrys former president F. W. de Klerk, who said he needed a mandate from a referendum to discuss the dismantling of apartheid through a vote in which only white people could have a say. That is insulting. But we agreed, because we understood that once we are committed to the process of peace, its an irreversible process, Shaik said. The referendum passed with majority support in 1992, and apartheid was dismantled two years later, through a series of compromises. The country launched a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that examined atrocities meted out by both the racist government and resistance movements. The ambassador said the world could better acknowledge that Moscow has security interestsand make commitments to alleviate its concerns. In exchange, Russia would be subject to agreed-upon mechanisms to ensure it respects Ukraines borders. That was the exact idea behind the 2014 and 2015 Minsk ceasefire agreements that he argues both sides didnt respect, but which Ukraine argues left the country vulnerable to further invasion. Russia claimed it could not order separatists to respect the deals, despite emboldening these groups. If Putins fear of NATO expansion is making Europe fragile, then remove that fear, Shaik said. He argued thats a much more productive response than having leaders ponder whether Russia is trying to re-establish the Tsar, or if Putin is mentally unstable, as Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has suggested. The only thing that the bogeyman narrative does is create fear. And we must never forget that fear produces cruelty. Shaik added that any reconciliation process must look at the wrongdoings of both sides. It is hard to believe that in war, only one side committed atrocities, he said. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has documented mistreatment of Russian prisoners of war, though the reports are far less common than documented abuse at the hands of Russian soldiers, and Kyiv more often follows through with criminal investigations. South African authorities will have to grapple with whether to enforce an International Criminal Court warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin if he follows through on plans to attend the BRICS Summit which also includes Brazil, India and China this August in Johannesburg. Ottawa has told developing countries that Russia is to blame for driving up living costs and distracting the global community from dealing with climate change. Canadas ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae, often makes the case that not laying such blame will set a precedent for other countries to violate sovereignty. There is no grand conspiracy against Russia. The international community is not anti-Russian. Russia is facing the consequences of its own actions, Rae told the General Assembly last October, shortly before its latest vote to condemn the invasion. Yet Shaik lamented that the war is tearing the world apart into camps that communicate with each other less and less, raising the risk of miscalculations. The polycrisis just requires one idiot to do the wrong thing, and then we are almost in the beginning of nuclear war, he said. Have the leaders of the world truly lost the ability to reflect of how close we are to absolute catastrophe? He expressed disappointment that Canada has not entertained the idea of peace talks, stressing that Canadians still earn respect in South Africa for their enormous contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle. At the time, Ottawa pressured the countrys regime to leave the Commonwealth, and Shaik saw firsthand the role the International Development Research Centre, a Canadian Crown corporation, played in helping the liberation movement negotiate with former oppressors. It is Canada who empowered us, who gave us the knowledge and the mechanism to rethink the question of our own conflict, and made us default towards peaceful resolution, he said. You can imagine how shocking it is for us, he added, to be unable to dialogue with Canada on Ukraine. As the economic ripple effects of the invasion continue to unfold, Shaik argued against Washingtons push for friendshoring, which holds that allies should rely on each other to make supply chains more resilient and defang hostile actors from taxing or withholding goods. He called it a chauvinistic, anglophone imposition on the rest of the world and said it prevents collaboration on issues such as climate change. Shaik also contended that Canada and the U.S. are wrong to limit Chinas role in mining the critical minerals needed to move the world off fossil fuels. After Canada ordered three Chinese companies to divest from Canadian projects on national-security grounds, the U.S. military is now investing in the Canadian industry. We have a very short and unique window in which current trajectories of the world would lead to the weaponization of the critical-metal energy sector. Its already happening in part in Canada, Shaik said. For South Africa, this comes at a time when climate change is wreaking havoc on rain patterns, and rising food prices due to the war in Ukraine are deepening inequality. We are stuck in a kind of forced helplessness, because the dominant players in the world dont want to talk. And that angers me. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2023. Note to readers: The headline on this story has been clarified to more accurately represent the comments of the South African envoy to Canada. He said Canadas lack of dialogue was shocking, not its stance on the war. Read more about: SHARE: MONTREAL More than six months after his election as Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre has yet to meet Quebec Premier Francois Legault one on one. That stands in stark contrast with his two immediate predecessors. Notwithstanding the pandemic, Erin OToole and Legault met face-to-face less than a month after the former became leader in August 2020. Andrew Scheer showed up for a meeting with the premier two short weeks after the CAQ was first elected to government in 2018. There is more at play here than the usual challenges involved in matching the agendas of two busy politicians. By the time Poilievre and Legault get around to a sit-down meeting, they will have a lot less to talk about than they would have back in September. For by now, there is little left of the Quebec agenda that earned OToole the premiers implicit endorsement in the last election. Over the course of the leadership campaign, Poilievre renounced the partys hands-off position on Quebecs contentious securalism law. And on health-care funding, he would stick to the terms the prime minister set out over his recent round of negotiations with the provinces. At the same time, there has been resolutions of many of the other irritants that prevailed between the two governments at the time of the last federal election. On that score, the ongoing thaw in the previously icy relationship between Legault and Justin Trudeaus government has been nothing short of remarkable. The loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement has been plugged, with Roxham Road no longer being used as the main entry point for irregular migration from the United States to Canada. In an unlikely development, the two governments have reconciled their respective language legislation, with Legault now fully behind Trudeaus rewritten Official Languages Act. After years of provincial lobbying, the federal government added Quebec shipyard Chantier Davie as the third shipyard in its multibillion-dollar ship procurement plan. At the same time, the federal budget and its plan for a green economy stands to translate into generous tax breaks for Hydro Quebec. Last month, Trudeau endorsed Legaults pick for the role of second in command of Lorganisation internationale de la Francophonie. Former Bloc MP Caroline St-Hilaire was defeated as a CAQ star candidate in last falls Quebec election. To cap it all, this week Legault walked back his partys long-standing promise to build a car tunnel to link the provincial capital to its south shore. The revised plan would see the projected infrastructure reserved exclusively for public transit. Under the current Liberal rules, that would make it eligible for a share of federal funding. For Poilievres Quebec caucus, the CAQs stunning turnaround amounts to a big platform loss. The Conservative promise to back the road component of the original third link plan was a popular part of its local election platform. And while the Conservatives are trying to mitigate the loss by shifting some of the blame for Legaults decision onto Trudeau, the premier himself is not pointing the finger at the federal government. For the Conservatives in Quebec, this latest development comes on the heels of a difficult week. Until now, Poilievres English-only vendetta against the CBC had largely gone unnoticed in the province. But that ended with the Conservative leaders latest vocal efforts to depict the CBC as a propaganda tool of the Liberal government. In Quebec, Poilievres high-profile crusade raised a host of fresh questions as to how a Conservative government would treat Radio-Canada. It does not help that serious answers have not been forthcoming. For instead of defending their leader, his Quebec MPs ran for cover, declining all media overtures to expand on their partys intentions. While the CBC may lack for champions and audiences in many regions of the country, such is not the case in Quebec, where many of its programs play to top ratings and its news reporting is considered among the most reliable. Indeed, the last time the Conservatives believed they could score points by taking an axe (or in that case, a small hatchet) to the budget of some cultural institutions goes back to the 2008 election. Such was the backlash in Quebec that it cost Stephen Harper his competitive position in the provinces polls and what had been a solid shot at securing a governing majority. Suffice it to say that Poilievre whose standing in Quebec puts him in competition with the NDPs Jagmeet Singh for last place among the major parties did not do himself or his party any good in the province this week. In other times, many Conservatives would shrug off their partys fading prospects in Quebec by noting that the next election will first and foremost be fought in Ontario. Except that by keeping his distance from Poilievre, Legault is really following Premier Doug Fords lead. Chantal Hebert is an Montreal-based freelance contributing columnist covering politics for the Star. Reach her via email: chantalh28@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert Read more about: SHARE: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune will visit France in June, his office said Sunday, weeks after a diplomatic spat over a French-Algerian activist. The visit had initially been due to take place in May, but was pushed back to June following a phone call between Tebboune and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, the Algerian presidency said. During those talks, Tebboune and Macron discussed "ways of bolstering bilateral relations" between the two countries and the upcoming visit due to take place in the second half of June. In early February, Algeria withdrew its ambassador from France, accusing its former colonial ruler of helping activist Amira Bouraoui flee the North African country. The French-Algerian activist had been sentenced to two years in jail for "offending Islam" and insulting the Algerian president. But Tebboune last month announced that the Algerian envoy would return to Paris, as the two countries sought to patch up relations that have repeatedly seen tensions erupt over the years. Algerian-French ties fell into crisis in late 2021 after Macron questioned Algeria's existence as a nation before the French occupation, and accused the government of fomenting "hatred towards France". But the two countries mended ties after a visit in August last year to Algeria by Macron, who signed with Tebboune a joint declaration to relaunch bilateral cooperation. Algeria was a French colony for 130 years and gained its independence in 1962 after a devastating eight-year war. French historians say half a million civilians and combatants died during the bloody war for independence, 400,000 of them Algerian. The Algerian authorities say 1.5 million were killed. 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But the April 13 arrest of a mother, whose 6-year-old son shot his teacher, and a related investigation of school employees shows how parents and educators are facing increasing scrutiny over any responsibility they may bear. While national statistics are hard to come by, at least seven criminal cases against parents have been filed in the last eight years after a child brought a gun to school and it was fired, intentionally or not. In Newport News, Virginia, the mother of the 6-year-old was charged with felony neglect, while prosecutors have started investigating whether the actions of Newport News Public Schools employees could lead to criminal charges. Criminal investigations of parents as well as schools are rare, experts say. But they appear to be gaining traction as communities demand accountability and new ways to prevent the violence. How often are parents charged after a school shooting? The K-12 School Shooting Database lists more than 2,000 incidents of gun violence in schools dating back to 1970. A review of its database and news articles shows that at least 11 adults have been charged, including the Newport News mother. Seven cases have been brought since 2015. Among them was a Chicago mother charged last year with child endangerment after a gun in her second-grader's backpack accidentally discharged at school, injuring a 7-year-old classmate. In 2020, the mother of an Indiana teen received probation for failing to remove guns from her home after her mentally ill son threatened to kill students in 2018. He fired shots inside his school and later killed himself. Teenager Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to killing four students at his Michigan high school in 2021. His parents were charged with involuntary manslaughter and accused of ignoring his mental health needs and making the gun accessible at home. The Newport News boy shot first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner at Richneck Elementary on Jan. 6 as she sat at a reading table. The 25-year-old was struck by a bullet in her hand and chest. She was hospitalized for two weeks and has had four surgeries. The boy's mother bought the gun legally, according to police. Her attorney, James Ellenson, has said she believed her gun was secured on a high closet shelf with a trigger lock. She faces up to six years in prison if convicted of felony child neglect and a misdemeanor charge of recklessly storing a firearm. Ellenson said the mother hopes to broker a plea deal with prosecutors. How effective are child gun safety laws? The shooting in Newport News has also renewed calls for stronger gun storage laws. Twenty-nine states including Virginia have enacted child-access prevention laws that allow for criminal charges against adults who intentionally or negligently allow children unsupervised access to guns, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Allison Anderman, senior counsel and director of local policy at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said the most effective laws go beyond liability and require gun owners to store firearms in a specific manner, particularly when children are around. Far fewer states have those, although Michigan's governor signed a safe-storage bill into law last week, following the 2021 shooting by Ethan Crumbley. But Virginia lawmakers rejected several storage bills in the wake of the Newport News shooting. The National Rifle Association said it opposes such "one-size-fits-all" mandates and cited other Virginia laws that hold gun owners responsible. D.J. Spiker, the NRA's Virginia state director, said the group's members already safely store firearms. "Why do we need to add more laws to the books?" he said. How often are schools investigated? Michael Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens International, which works to make schools safer, said he knows of only a few criminal probes involving school employees after a shooting and they're recent. "I suspect a lot of it is that everybody is just desperate for solutions," Dorn said. In Newport News, the prosecutor's office is seeking a special grand jury to probe if any "security failures" contributed to the shooting by the young boy. The office didn't elaborate, but Zwerner's lawsuit alleges a string of failures by administrators. A criminal investigation of school employees also followed the 2021 shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan. Prosecutor Karen McDonald has noted that school counselors and Ethan Crumbley's parents had met the day of the shooting over a drawing a teacher found on his desk that included a bullet and the words "blood everywhere." The 15-year-old was sent back to class after his parents refused to take him home. No school employees have been charged. Chuck Vergon, a professor of educational law and policy at the University of Michigan-Flint, said these types of charges are rare because criminal negligence can be difficult to prove. "Prosecutors don't want to bring actions that they can't be successful in," Vergon said, "and the facts are usually not so extreme as to make it either legally plausible to proceed or politically advantageous to proceed." NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Chances are shrinking fast for a key gun-control proposal to make it through the Tennessee Legislature in the wake of a deadly school shooting, as GOP lawmakers push back against the Republican governors proposal to keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others. Tennessee has become a flashpoint in the nations heated debate over gun rights. Two young Black Democratic lawmakers were expelled from the state House for a protest over gun control. Theyve since been reinstated. Pressure to pass gun safety measures has also come from students, parents, politicians and others after last month's shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, which killed three children and three adults. Tennesseans are asking us to set aside politics and personal pride, Gov. Bill Lee said in a video Wednesday. GOP House Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison recommended that the governor consider calling a special session at a later time to take up the issue, saying he doesn't see the political will to pass it in the next couple of days. Facing scrutiny over the expulsions and public demands for gun control, Republican lawmakers are hurrying to wrap up the legislative session this week. The GOP has supermajorities in both chambers. In the final days of the session, Lee has mounted a campaign for temporary mental health orders of protection. Law enforcement would first determine if a person is a threat, then a hearing with the person in question would be held, and a judge would rule whether they should indeed have their weapons taken away temporarily. If so, the person would have to surrender their guns, ammunition and any handgun carry license to a third party within 48 hours, for up to 180 days. A person facing a order of protection petition would be offered a court-appointed attorney, and anyone determined to have filed a frivolous report could face a felony perjury charge. There would also be a mental health evaluation. Lee said top lawmakers gave input on the proposal and he argued it isn't a red flag law. He called that term a toxic political label meant to draw lines in the sand so nothing gets done. In a cool reception, House Republicans didnt appear to make a distinction on terminology. Any red flag law is a non-starter, the House GOP caucus tweeted Wednesday. 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. Republican Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, who runs the Senate, has said the governors proposal strikes the right balance. Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton was noncommittal, saying he wants to find the best path forward to protect Tennessee children. Lee's plan still hasn't been put onto a bill. As Senate Democrats called for a vote on Lee's proposal, Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville on Thursday tried to force a floor vote on a similar plan. Republicans rejected it on procedural grounds. During that debate, Katy Dieckhaus, whose daughter Evelyn Dieckhaus died in The Covenant School, watched from the gallery with a photo of her daughter in her lap. After the shooting, lawmakers and Lee have passed proposals that largely focus on school security. A new budget passed Thursday includes $204.7 million proposed by Lee for enhanced school safety and student behavioral health measures, including a school resource officer in every public school and grants for private school security. Lawmakers also passed a bill to further protect gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers against lawsuits, despite pleas not to consider it in light of the shooting. Public pressure for stricter gun laws has continued to grow. Bill Frist, the former Republican U.S. Senate majority leader from Tennessee, was among the authors of a newspaper column calling for so-called extreme risk protection orders and other changes. Frist is a heart and lung transplant surgeon. "The vast majority of Americans support sensible gun laws. The vast majority of Tennesseans do too, the column states. Gun lobby groups have quickly cried foul. The Tennessee Firearms Association said Lee's proposal shows callous disregard of the United States Supreme Court and the Constitution. The National Rifle Association's legislative arm said Tennessee law already allows for detention of dangerous individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Lee has said involuntary commitment would restrict all kinds of constitutional rights, including the Second Amendment. Police say the shooter at The Covenant School was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder. However, authorities havent publicly stated a link between that care and the shooting. Police say the shooter was not on their radar before the attack. Missouri Republicans have some ideas for protecting the states kids from mass shootings: Better locks on school doors. Automated external defibrillators. Bleeding control kits. An app that alerts emergency responders to an active shooting. All told, Missouri is on track to spend more than $70 million on these and other school-safety ideas all while its ruling party refuses to take even the mildest steps toward reining in unfettered access to weapons of war, even for domestic abusers and the mentally ill. This is akin to fighting a raging house fire with a hose in one hand and flamethrower in the other. Its not that the improvements theyre pursuing are bad ideas. Schools should be secure, and defibrillators belong in crowded public spaces generally. But you would think that when political leaders feel the need to suggest schools be equipped with kits specifically designed to stanch massive bleeding because of the increasing likelihood of school mass shootings, the thought process might, at some point, bend toward preventing such shootings in the first place. There is no better way to do that than to institute common-sense gun regulations. Yet Gov. Mike Parson and his fellow Republicans who run Missouri have instead been going in the opposite direction in the past several years, systematically dismantling almost every firearm law the state used to have. Today, anyone in Missouri can sell a gun to a stranger, with no license or background check required and no questions asked. That renders one of the states few remaining gun laws the prohibition on felons buying firearms effectively unenforceable. And police in Missouri are hampered from confronting guns in public because theres no longer any state law requiring any kind of permit to carry them. The Legislature also passed a constitutionally ludicrous state law declaring federal gun laws null and void here, which will eventually be overturned in court but in the meantime has further hobbled law enforcement. And lawmakers determined refusal to pass a red-flag law empowering courts to disarm those deemed mentally dangerous directly contributed to the two innocent deaths in last years St. Louis school shooting, because the shooters family had no legal way to keep weapons away from someone they knew was mentally ill. None of these situations arose by accident. They are the result of an intentional project by Missouris Republican leaders to give their state some of the loosest gun laws in America. Its no coincidence that the states once-average firearms death rate has concurrently risen to among the nations highest. Against all this, they offer better locks on school doors? Thats an improvement over thoughts and prayers, but not by much. The kit hasnt been invented that will wash the blood from the hands of Missouris ruling party the next time children die in this states classrooms as they inevitably will. The Oklahoma Catholic Conference has fired the opening salvo in what promises to be a new front in the battle to erase Americas church-state dividing line. Such a fight has been long simmering just below headline level but is increasingly showing up in the commentary of religious conservatives who want to see Christianity play a more significant role in public schools, sporting events and politics in general. Oklahoma Catholics want state approval to start up their own online charter school. It would have all the trappings of a traditional Catholic school curriculum, including religious instruction. The only difference is that the Catholic Conference wants Oklahoma taxpayers to fund it. The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted unanimously to reject the application, but that might not be the final word on the matter. The Oklahoma City archdiocese appears intent on exercising its right to resubmit the application and reset the 30-day review clock, according to a report by the Catholic News Agency. Other schools have had their applications rejected on the first try before ultimately being approved, so this rejection might not be unusual, Brett Farley, executive director of the Oklahoma Catholic Conference, told the news agency. But this isnt just any ol charter school application. It proposes to cross the long-respected dividing line between church and state outlined in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Religious conservatives insist the clause has been misinterpreted and that the Founding Fathers always intended America to be a Christian nation. Culture war questions about abortion, gender identity, prayer in schools and even vaccination requirements are getting wrapped more and more in a religious context, with conservatives arguing that their rights of religious belief are violated when government forces them to accept laws that exceed the boundaries of their faith. Im a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian Nationalists, says Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, says of her party. Republican Doug Mastriano, who ran for Pennsylvania governor in November, called the separation of church and state a myth. Regardless of the outcome in Oklahoma, it almost certainly wont be the final attempt to impose Christian doctrine on public schools while demanding that taxpayers fund it. Other nations have tried state sponsorship of religion, and it doesnt tend to go well. Once religion becomes interwoven in government, it becomes almost impossible to unweave it. And since the Constitution requires equal treatment, state funding would also have to extend to other religions, meaning taxpayers could be on the hook to pay for public schools teaching, say, Islamist doctrine. Oklahomas current charter regulations require schools to be nonsectarian in all instruction, admissions policies and operations as it should be. Feeding souls are what churches, synagogues and mosques are all about. Public schools are for feeding brains, free of faith indoctrination. And they must stay that way. Who and where Andrew Fendelman of St. Louis in Bratislava, Slovakia. The trip He traveled last year to Vienna with an overnight stay in Bratislava. Travel tip Bratislava is a great day trip or perfect overnight trip if youre in Vienna, Austria (or even nearby Budapest). Direct buses from Vienna airport take about 45 minutes to the central railway station, and trains to Vienna center run all day long. Wander around old town with plenty of cafes, shops and restaurants, walk up to the castle on the hill, and for sunset, walk across the bridge to watch the sunset on the UFO tower. PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fresenius Kabi today announced the availability of a single-needle venous access option for the Amicus Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) System at the 49th annual meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT). Fresenius Kabi is a global health care company that specializes in medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The Amicus Blue System with online ECP was launched in Europe in 2019 with double-needle venous access only. The update announced today includes new software v6.1 for the Amicus Separator, new software v2.1 for the Phelix Photoactivation Device and a new single-use disposable kit that can be configured for single or double-needle venous access. The system also allows clinicians to switch between single and double-needle access at any time during the procedure. We are thrilled to enable the single-needle option for the Amicus Blue ECP system, which will allow physicians to treat patients with limited venous access. This builds on our Amicus Blue vision to provide a versatile, multi-procedural instrument to support patients individual needs, said Christian Hauer, President Fresenius Kabi MedTech. The Amicus ECP System has obtained CE mark for the indication of CTCL in the palliative treatment of the skin manifestations of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) that is unresponsive to other forms of treatment. The Amicus ECP System is CE marked in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/745 and includes: Amicus Separator Phelix Photoactivation Device Amicus ECP Apheresis Kits Amicus Separator is also cleared in Europe and the United States for therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), red blood cell exchange (RBCx), mononuclear cell (MNC) collection and platelet collection. The Amicus ECP System is not cleared for use in the U.S. Not all products listed are available or approved for sale in all countries. Contact your local Fresenius Kabi representative for additional information and product availability. Refer to the Amicus Separator Operators Manual and Phelix Photoactivation Device Operators Manual for a complete list of warnings and precautions associated with the use of these products. About Extracorporeal Photopheresis Extracorporeal photopheresis or ECP is a leukapheresis-based therapeutic procedure. The technology is currently approved for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Literature shows that it has also been used for graft versus host disease (GvHD) following bone marrow or stem cell transplant, the rejection of solid organ transplants, and autoimmune diseases where cell-mediated mechanisms are dominant. An online ECP procedure involves collection of mononuclear cells from the patient, treatment of collected cells with a light sensitive drug, 8-methoxypsoralen and exposure of cells to UV-A light, followed by the reinfusion of treated cells back to the patient. After reinfusion, the treated cells become apoptotic and are believed to be taken up by antigen presenting cells resulting in an immune response. The online ECP process combines cell separation and photoactivation into a single, sterile circuit reducing the risk of infection and cross-contamination. About Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are a heterogenous group of T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders involving the skin, the most common variants classified as Mycosis Fungoides (MF) or Sezary Syndrome (SS). Patients may experience itchy, scaly patches or plaques of the skin. As the disease progresses, some patients may experience growth of nodular lesions and large tumors, and internal organ involvement. Treatment is palliative, with the aim to induce long-term remissions and improve patient quality of life. About Fresenius Kabi Fresenius Kabi (www.fresenius-kabi.com) is a global health care company that specializes in medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The companys products and services are used to help care for critically and chronically ill patients. The companys global headquarters is in Bad Homburg, Germany. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230423005002/en/ Dolores Juarez +49 152 563 86727 [email protected] Source: Fresenius Kabi DONGYING, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- East Chinas Shandong province, where the Yellow River meets the sea, has been putting great efforts toward promoting Yellow River culture overseas. The international communication regarding Yellow River culture was highlighted at the Yellow River Culture Forum, which was held recently in Dongying, where the estuary of the Yellow River is located. The Yellow River, known as China's "mother river" and the cradle of Chinese civilization, flows about 5,464 kilometers through nine provincial-level regions. It is an age-old witness to the nation's history. Shandong, home to 628 kilometers of the Yellow River, boasts abundant cultural resources with the influence of the river throughout time. The province has been exploring ways to promote Yellow River culture globally, according to Xi Yanchun, head of the Information Office of the Shandong Provincial People's Government. The province is developing the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations to build a high-end platform to promote exchanges and mutual learning among world civilizations. It has also published works, including documentaries and short videos, showcasing Yellow River culture in multiple languages to make the culture better known. Yellow River culture is one of the four ancient civilizations, and its influence is very important around the world, Javier Garcia, a senior Spanish journalist, said. There are bright prospects in spreading Yellow River culture overseas and promoting ecological tourism. This will not only attract a large number of foreign tourists but also help establish a more comprehensive image of China, he added. Liu Yuzhu, head of the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation, shared views on the protection and utilization of cultural relics along the Yellow River. The Yellow River basin is rich in cultural relics and there are more than 300,000 immovable cultural relics in nine provinces and autonomous regions among the Yellow River. To make use of the cultural relics, emphases should be put in innovating communication methods and integrating high-tech methods like virtual reality to better promote them, according to Liu. It is also necessary to strengthen exchanges with great river basins in the world, and promote the establishment of regular cultural heritage cooperation projects Liu added. An initiative was reached, calling for joint efforts to protect and inherent Yellow River culture, improve the Yellow River cultural and tourism brand, as well as enhance its international influence. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230423005020/en/ Dongying Municipal Publicity Department Alina Liu [email protected] Source: Dongying Municipal Publicity Department BEIJING , April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "To understand today's China , one must begin by understanding China's history. Guangzhou is the cradle of China's democratic revolution and the vanguard of China's reform and opening-up," in a recent meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping told French President Emmanuel Macron in Guangzhou , capital of South China's Guangdong Province . The remarks were made before China's top leader concluded a four-day inspection tour of the province from April 10 to 13 . In the past decades, Guangdong has set a model of Chinese modernization for the rest of the country, and the model also has global repercussions, observers pointed out. From Zhanjiang to Maoming to Guangzhou , Xi traveled thousands of kilometers across the western part of the province and visited mangrove forests, ports, enterprises, and factories, while having in-depth exchanges with ordinary factory workers, farmers, and technicians. The trip not only provided a direction for the province which is long considered a pacesetter of China's reform and opening-up in taking the lead in Chinese modernization, but also opened a crucial window for the world to learn how Chinese modernization is essentially different from the capital-centered Western development path, experts said. " China offers an alternative path featuring collective prosperity and harmony between humanity and nature," Wang Chenxing, a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the Global Times. China's chosen development model meets humanity's challenges and offers other countries, especially developing ones, a choice for achieving social and economic progress, Wang said. Harmonizing ecology and economy Different from his previous inspection tours which often include visits to local farmlands, Xi started off his latest inspection trip at a mariculture base in Donghai Island in Zhanjiang to learn how it utilizes both land and sea resources to guarantee food security. In 2030, Guangdong is expected to increase output of seafood annually to 2.01 million tons, the equivalent of raising 30.45 million pigs or 1.54 billion ducks, based on the same amount of protein, according to official reports. Xi required elaborate efforts in developing the breeding industry as it serves as the foundation of the development of modern agriculture and aquaculture. More should be done to develop deep-sea aquaculture equipment and the smart fishing industry, Xi said, calling for the further upgrading of the marine fishery, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency. Xi's concern in ecological conservation extends to the second stop of his Zhanjiang tour - the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve, the largest and densest natural reserve of its kind in China. Xi referred to the mangrove forests as a national treasure and urged for its careful protection "like how people protect their own eyes." He emphasized the need for persistent efforts toward green development, with aims to build a beautiful China while also contributing to the preservation of the global environment. Guangdong's experience in advancing its economic boom and ecological progress demonstrates how China seeks the kind of modernization that promotes harmonious coexistence of man and nature, said Chinese experts. Guangdong's model in pursuing modernization reflects China's new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green development, opening-up, and sharing, Liu Ying , a research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times. Xi has long envisioned a homeland where man and nature can live in harmony, with economy and ecology thriving side by side. He has also made environmental protection one of the five main policy areas in his quest to build an "ecological civilization," as China advances in its aim to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Modernization of common prosperity Xi chose the western part of Guangdong as the focus of his latest inspection tour as that part of the province is less developed than the Pearl River Delta , known for the high concentration of manufacturers and high-tech companies, according to media reports. Xi stressed during the trip that Guangdong's development depends not only on the Pearl River Delta , but also on the joint development of the northern, eastern, and western parts of Guangdong . "Chinese modernization is aimed at promoting common prosperity and addressing imbalanced development among regions," Xi said, according to Xinhua. Such an aim is reflected in Guangdong's endeavors to improve regional connectivity through better transportation infrastructure, such as Xuwen Port which Xi also inspected. The port is a key project that facilitates the collaborative development of Guangdong with the neighboring island province of Hainan . In China , imbalanced development typically manifests itself in the disparity between urban and rural areas, and between western and eastern areas. To Xi, the root cause of imbalanced development between western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta largely resides in industries. After visiting a village known for growing lychees and learning about local rural revitalization, Xi said that to advance Chinese modernization, it is imperative to comprehensively advance rural revitalization and effectively address the imbalance between the urban and the rural areas and between regions. He called for more resources allocated to assist less developed areas, promote social etiquette and civility, and to improve the quality of life for the people. " Guangdong's practice manifests a core feature of Chinese modernization - achieving common prosperity for all Chinese people. That is how people of Guangdong Province , under the guidance of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, can inspire a concerted effort to turn the province into a region whose overall GDP far exceeds that of many other countries worldwide," Liu said. Guangdong has set a model for the rest of the country to promote Chinese modernization which emphasizes all-round development and a people-centered philosophy, Wang remarked. Modernization of independence with openness Another characteristic of Chinese modernization is that China pursues strategic independence and continued openness by beefing up its self-reliance in science and technology, modernizing its industrial system while maintaining an opening-up policy to the outside world, especially in the post-pandemic era, experts said. During an inspection tour of the GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co Ltd, Xi listened to reports about the company's progress in making technological breakthroughs, valuing its efforts in developing higher-end, smarter, and greener manufacturing when he visited the carmaker's R&D center. " China must improve its independent innovation ability on the path of modernization, and seek to overtake the curve," Wang told the Global Times. However, pursing Chinese modernization is not "closing the doors" to the outside world as the country's development is closely connected to global modernization, and instead of encouraging rivalry, China has proposed an alternative path that exceeds different ideologies, experts said. On April 12 , when Xi went to Guangzhou and visited the South Korean multinational electronics company LG Display's manufacturing base, he said that China's market strengths will become more apparent as the country quickens the formation of a new development pattern and further improves the business environment amid the backdrop of sluggish global economic growth, as Xinhua reported. Xi encouraged foreign investors to seize opportunities and achieve greater business success by coming to China , particularly Guangdong and the Guangdong -Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area . "Xi's visit to a South Korean company shows that Chinese modernization is closely linking the rest of the world and features the common prosperity of all people, rather than development behind closed doors." said Liu of Chongyang. As China has embarked on a new journey of building a modern socialist country through a Chinese path to modernization, developing countries in Africa and beyond ought to take advantages presented by China's localized, people-centered type of modernization, Liu said. "Emphasis on the real economy is an intrinsic requirement of Chinese modernization," Wang noted. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-xis-footprint-in-guangdong-offers-insights-into-practical-chinese-path-to-modernization-which-is-different-from-the-western-capitalistic-model-301804831.html SOURCE Global Times Around 100 people have been evacuated from Sudan on the first French flight out of the war-hit country after a "complicated" rescue operation, French officials said on Sunday. The first rescue flight had landed in Djibouti carrying citizens from Britain, France, Germany, and Switzerland as well as African nations such as Ethiopia and Morocco, an official from the foreign ministry said on condition of anonymity. "They're tired, tense, but very relieved to have arrived safe and sound," he said. A second flight of another 100 people is expected to leave on Sunday evening, with the evacuees having to cross the frontline of fighting around the capital Khartoum to board the planes. "I must stress the complicated nature of his operation," the official said. Asked about unconfirmed reports that a French national had been injured during the evacuation operation, a defense ministry official declined to comment. "With the operation ongoing, we do not want to comment on this type of rumor," an official from the defense ministry said, speaking during the same briefing with reporters. They gave details of the long negotiations leading up to Sunday's operations, which required a ceasefire around the road used for the evacuation convoy. President Emmanuel Macron also called his Ethiopian counterpart to request permission for the flights to use Ethiopian air space on their way to Djibouti. "We had difficulties with some countries which had closed their air space," the foreign ministry official said. A doctor was on board the French plane to assist evacuees, many of whom were "understandably psychologically affected" by their ordeal in Khartoum where food and fuel are in short supply, the official added. Other French rescue flights are expected on Monday morning. Search Keywords: Short link: SHANGRAO, China , April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar" or the "Company") (NYSE: JKS), one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced that its majority-owned principal operating subsidiary Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. ("Jiangxi Jinko") published estimates of certain preliminary unaudited financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2023 . For the three months ended March 31, 2023 , (i) the preliminary unaudited net income attributable to the shareholders of Jiangxi Jinko is estimated to be in the range from RMB1.60 billion to RMB1.70 billion , increasing by from RMB1.20 billion to RMB1.30 billion and by from 298.89% to 323.82% year over year, and (ii) the preliminary unaudited net income attributable to the shareholders of Jiangxi Jinko excluding extraordinary gains and losses is estimated to be in the range from RMB1.20 billion to RMB1.30 billion , increasing by from RMB899.6 million to RMB999.6 million and by from 299.48% to 332.77% year over year. The preliminary unaudited financial results of Jiangxi Jinko for the three months ended March 31, 2023 described in this press release (the "Jiangxi Jinko Preliminary Unaudited Financial Results") are different from JinkoSolar's consolidated financial results (the "Consolidated Financials"), mainly because (i) the consolidation scope of the Jiangxi Jinko Preliminary Unaudited Financial Results differs from that of the Consolidated Financials: the Jiangxi Jinko Preliminary Unaudited Financial Results are prepared solely for Jiangxi Jinko, whereas the Consolidated Financials also include financial statements of JinkoSolar and its other subsidiaries, and (ii) the Jiangxi Jinko Preliminary Unaudited Financial Results and the Consolidated Financials are prepared according to different accounting standards and principles: the Jiangxi Jinko Preliminary Unaudited Financial Results are prepared in accordance with PRC GAAP, whereas the Consolidated Financials are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America . As such, investors of JinkoSolar should exercise caution when reviewing the Jiangxi Jinko Preliminary Unaudited Financial Results described in this press release and are advised not to base their investment decisions solely on such preliminary unaudited financial results. JinkoSolar currently owns approximately 58.62% equity interest in Jiangxi Jinko. About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China , the United States , Japan , Germany , the United Kingdom , Chile , South Africa , India , Mexico , Brazil , the United Arab Emirates , Italy , Spain , France , Belgium , Netherlands , Poland , Austria , Switzerland , Greece and other countries and regions. JinkoSolar had 14 productions facilities globally, 23 overseas subsidiaries in Japan , South Korea , Vietnam , India , Turkey , Germany , Italy , Switzerland , the United States , Mexico , Brazil , Chile , Australia , Canada , Malaysia , the United Arab Emirates , Denmark , Indonesia and Nigeria , and global sales teams in China , the United States , Canada , Brazil , Chile , Mexico , Italy , Germany , Turkey , Spain , Japan , the United Arab Emirates , Netherlands , Vietnam and India , as of December 31, 2022 . To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company's operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China : Ms. Stella Wang JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. Tel: +86 21-5180-8777 ext.7806 Email: [email protected] Mr. Rene Vanguestaine Christensen Tel: +86 178 1749 0483 Email: [email protected] In the U.S. : Ms. Linda Bergkamp Christensen, Scottsdale, Arizona Tel: +1-480-614-3004 Email: [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jinkosolars-subsidiary-jinko-solar-co-ltd-announces-estimates-of-certain-preliminary-unaudited-financial-results-for-first-quarter-2023-301804827.html SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. Five of the start-ups are based in Boston MIAMI , April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten Israeli-founded unicorns have their global or U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts , according to the United States Israel Business Alliance. Each of these privately held technology companies reached or surpassed a $1 billion valuation and has at least one Israeli founder. The 10 companies have combined to create 6,745 direct jobs worldwide. The 10 companies have combined to create 6,745 direct jobs worldwide. "The success in recent years of Israeli-founded companies in Massachusetts has reinforced the state's reputation as an attractive option for Israeli start-ups to grow in the United States ," USIBA president Aaron Kaplowitz said. "Israeli entrepreneurs value the state's world-renowned universities, highly skilled workforce, and direct flights between Boston and Tel Aviv ." Among the 10 unicorns, five are based in Boston : Cybereason, Lusha, Snyk, Transmit Security, and TravelPerk. With a $7.4 billion valuation, Snyk, a platform for securing computer code, remains the highest valued Israeli-founded unicorn in Massachusetts . The company reached that figure in December, when it completed a $196.5 million funding round. This estimate marks nearly a 13 percent drop from the $8.5 billion valuation it attained in 2021. Cybereason ( $2.8 billion ), which also saw its valuation fall, is the largest employer of the Massachusetts unicorn cohort. The cyber detection and response start-up has created 1,250 direct jobs worldwide. In recent years, TravelPerk ( $1.3 billion ), a corporate travel platform with a global headquarters in Barcelona , has expanded across the U.S. In addition to establishing its primary U.S. presence in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, TravelPerk has opened offices in Miami and Chicago . The company employs some 1,151 people worldwide. Formlabs ( $2 billion ), a 3D printing and manufacturing company founded by three Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate students, headquarters in Somerville . Earnix ( $1.1 billion ), founded in 2001 by Sammy Krikler and Yoni Cheifetz , and Infinidat ( $1.6 billion ), founded in 2011 by Moshe Yanai , both locate their U.S. headquarters in Waltham . Aqua Security ( $1 billion ) and Pentera ( $1 billion ) have both established their U.S. headquarters in Burlington . Massachusetts continues to trail only California and New York as the state with the most Israeli-founded unicorn headquarters. The companies' valuations and direct jobs created figures are estimates based on data resources, publicly available information, and conversations with executives and industry analysts. The estimates do not necessarily reflect the most current values. Israeli-Founded Unicorns Based in Massachusetts Company Valuation Direct Jobs Created Worldwide City Solution Aqua Security $1,000,000,000 632 Burlington Cloud native security Cybereason $2,800,000,000 1,250 Boston Cyber detection & response Earnix $1,100,000,000 341 Waltham Critical systems for banks & insurers Formlabs $2,000,000,000 861 Somerville 3D printing & manufacturing Infinidat $1,600,000,000 485 Waltham Data storage Lusha $1,500,000,000 319 Boston B2B sales & marketing Pentera $1,000,000,000 262 Burlington Cyber penetration tests Snyk $7,400,000,000 1,065 Boston Platform for securing code Transmit Security $2,700,000,000 379 Boston Passwordless authentication TravelPerk $1,300,000,000 1,151 Boston Business travel platform About the United States Israel Business Alliance The mission of the United States Israel Business Alliance is to strengthen the economic relationship between individual states and Israel . Learn more about the impact Israeli-founded companies are having on local communities at www.usisrael.co. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/report-10-israeli-founded-unicorns-have-headquarters-in-massachusetts-301804866.html FILE PHOTO: Amritpal Singh, a radical Sikh leader, leaves the holy Sikh shrine of the Golden Temple along with his supporters, in Amritsar, India, March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Indian police have arrested Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh after searching for him for more than a month, a state police official said on Sunday, a move against the revival of an independent homeland in the state of Punjab bordering Pakistan. The rise of Singh, a preacher in the northwestern state of Punjab where Sikhs are in the majority, has revived talk of an independent Sikh homeland and stoked fears of a return to violence that killed tens of thousands of people in the 1980s and early 1990s during a Sikh insurgency. "Amritpal Singh has been arrested from the Rode village in Moga district, Punjab on the basis of specific intelligence," Sukhchain Singh Gill, a top official of the Punjab police told reporters. The arrest of Amritpal Singh, 30 -- who leads a group called Waris Punjab De (the heirs of Punjab)-- comes after the self-styled preacher and hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station with swords and firearms, demanding the release of one of his aides. Police have accused Singh and his supporters of attempted murder, obstruction of law enforcement, and creating disharmony, and said he had been on the run since mid-March. He was arrested in the village gurudwara, a Sikh temple, under the National Security Act, which allows for those deemed a threat to national security to be detained without charge for up to a year, the police official said. Gill said he would be moved to Dibrugarh, in the state of Assam, where some of his associates are already in jail. (Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Shivangi Acharya; Editing by William Mallard and Kim Coghill) Kenya police officers stand guard as Forensic experts and homicide detectives exhume 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, in Shak By Humphrey Malalo NAIROBI (Reuters) -Kenyan police have now exhumed the bodies of 47 people thought to be followers of a Christian cult who believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves to death. Police near the coastal town of Malindi started exhuming bodies on Friday from the Shakahola forest. "In total, 47 people have died at the Shakahola forest," detective Charles Kamau told Reuters on Sunday. The exhumations were still ongoing, Kamau said. Earlier this month, police rescued 15 members of the group -- worshippers at the Good News International Church -- who they said had been told to starve themselves to death. Four of them died before they reached hospital, police said. The leader of the church, Paul Mackenzie, was arrested following a tip-off that suggested the existence of shallow graves belonging to at least 31 of Mackenzie's followers. Local media, citing police sources, reported that Mackenzie has refused to eat or drink while in police custody. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said the entire 800 acre forest had been sealed off and declared a scene of crime. "This horrendous blight on our conscience must lead not only to the most severe punishment of the perpetrator(s) of the atrocity on so many innocent souls, but tighter regulation (including self-regulation) of every church, mosque, temple or synagogue going forward," he said. (Reporting by Humphrey Malalo and Ayenat MersieEditing by Christina Fincher) A Kosovo Albanian man prepares to vote at a polling station in the village of Qabra, Kosovo, April 23, 2023. REUTERS/Valdrin Xhemaj By Fatos Bytyci ZUBIN POTOK, Kosovo (Reuters) - Serbs in northern Kosovo boycotted local elections on Sunday in protest that their demands for more autonomy have not been met, in another sign that a peace deal signed between Kosovo and Serbia last month is not working. The main political party in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo, Serbian List, called on Friday on the Serb community not to vote on Sunday. "Except in some rare and very few cases, Serbs are boycotting the elections," an official from the central election commission, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters on Sunday. Serbia and the Kosovo Serbs are demanding the creation of an association of Kosovo Serb municipalities, in line with a decade-old EU-brokered deal with the Kosovo government in Pristina, before they take part in the vote. Fearing possible violence on Sunday, the central election commission abandoned plans to put voting booths in schools and instead set up mobile huts at 13 locations, while NATO troops from Latvia and Italy, part of a more than 3,000 strong peacekeeping force in Kosovo, patrolled roads in voting areas. Election officials in Zubin Potok, a municipality inhabited mainly by Serbs, were on standby in case any voters showed up. "Whether anyone will vote or not we have to keep the doors open," one election commission official in Zubin Potok, who did not wish to be identified, told Reuters. The voting huts were guarded by Albanian police officers brought in from other regions after 500 Serb police officers, along with Serb administrative staff and judges resigned collectively last November in protest over the Kosovo government's plan to replace Serbian car license number plates with those of Kosovo. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, following the 1998-99 war in which NATO intervened to protect the ethnic Albanian majority, but Serbia has not recognised independence and Kosovo's Serbs view themselves as part of Serbia and see Belgrade, not Pristina, as their capital. Northern Kosovo is home to around 50,000 Serbs. On March 18, Pristina and Belgrade verbally agreed to implement a Western-backed plan aimed at improving ties and defusing tensions in northern Kosovo, by offering more autonomy to local Serbs with Pristina given ultimate control. But Serbs say the agreement has yet to produce concrete action. "Democracy by force? No," said Jovan Knezevic, a Serbian in the town North Mitrovica, on why he would not be voting. The Serbian community should have been consulted on whether local elections should take place, he said. "There has to be a compromise, there has to be an agreement," he said. Albanians form a more than 90% majority in Kosovo but are a small minority in the north. Only one of 10 candidates in Sunday's elections was a Serb after another Serb withdrew. On Tuesday Kosovo's elected prime minister Albin Kurti said Belgrade was intimidating Serbs from the north not to participate in the elections. The European Union and the United States said last week they were disappointed that Serbs had decided not to participate in the elections. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Additional reporting by Branko Filipovic; Editing by Susan Fenton) As King Charles III prepares for his coronation, the heir to the throne has substantial American blood for the first time in history with a connection to the Revolution. Prince William is one-sixteenth American through his mother, the late Princess Diana, records show, and his lineage traces back to Benajah Strong, who was battling English troops when the first shots were fired in 1775. That means May 6, when William will play a central role at Westminster Abbey, taking an oath of fealty to his father, will mark a familys unlikely turn from fighting the monarchy to preparing to assume control of it. This speaks to the bond between Great Britain and America, as the American Revolution was more like the American Civil War in the 1860s, with many on both sides knowing each other, said Joseph Stoltz, the library director at the Society of the Cincinnati, a hereditary group dedicated to the Revolutionary War. The first Strong ancestor immigrated from England to New England in 1635, and Benajah Strong, Williams sixth-great-grandfather, was born in 1740 in Coventry, Conn. He signed on as a private in the Connecticut militia. Since the Boston Tea Party of 1773, New England had been under the surveillance of British regulars, dispatched to quell uprisings and root out rebels who had been recruiting men and forming militias. In April 1775, British troops moved from Boston toward Lexington and Concord, to seize the colonists military supplies and arrest revolutionaries like Samuel Adams and John Hancock. But the rebels mounted a formidable defense at both sites, aided by the rapid-reaction force of minutemen like Strong, who helped spread the word of a British expedition and save valuable assets, Stoltz said. Strong was known as a Lexington Responder, said John Holmy, Coventrys municipal historian, who said he was unaware of Coventrys connection to the Prince of Wales. Those opening skirmishes signaled this would not be the easy victory King George III had anticipated. The American War of Independence was underway. It is ironic that Williams ancestor kicked off the fight against Crown forces, Stoltz said. Another William relative, Strongs Yale-educated nephew Nathan Hale, had been working as a teacher in New London, Conn., when the war started. Like his uncle, Hale joined the Connecticut militia and quickly rose through the ranks. By the summer of 1776, Hale had been recruited to Knowltons Rangers, the first known U.S. Army intelligence unit, under the leadership of Col. Thomas Knowlton, according to Anne Marie Charland, an administrator at the Nathan Hale Homestead, which oversees the Hale family property in Coventry. At the time, the British were inching closer to a Manhattan invasion, and Gen. George Washington was desperate to infiltrate their ranks to determine their next moves. Hale was the first to raise his hand. In September 1776, he went to British-occupied Long Island to spy, with the cover of an unemployed Dutch schoolteacher. Some historians believe his fatal mistake was carrying his Yale diploma with him. Later that month, when the Great Fire of New York ravaged the city, British troops rounded up hundreds of patriots for interrogation, and Hale was stopped in nearby Queens. The British general William Howe grilled Hale at his military headquarters. On Sept. 22, 1776, two months after the Declaration of Independence, Hale was hanged at the age of 21, becoming the first spy for America to be executed, Charland said. His body was left hanging for days, as a gruesome reminder to those who dared defy the crown, but his possibly apocryphal final words I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country lived on. He knew he might get hanged. He was a true believer, Stoltz said. Many monuments have been erected in Hales honor, including one in the U.S. Capitols Statuary Hall Collection. Hales body was never recovered, but in Coventry, an obelisk stands in the Nathan Hale Cemetery where members of his family are buried. In its shadow is the nondescript, weatherworn grave of his Uncle Benajah, a stark contrast to the grand resting place at Windsor Castle that awaits his royal descendant. Strongs tombstone calls him food for worms. Strongs son, Joseph Strong, became a leading physician in Philadelphia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, receiving a patent for his invention of a substance that can control bleeding during surgery. Eventually, Williams American ancestors ended up in Chillicothe, Ohio, where his great-great-great grandfather Frank Work became the ultimate American success story, according to Pat Medert, the archivist and historian at the Ross County Historical Society, which has tracked the royal familys connection to its area. Work, born in 1819 and raised by a single mother as the youngest of five children, showed a rebellious streak from a young age scandalizing Chillicothe by riding a horse, quite unroyally, nude through the streets. He ran away from the Midwest at 15, established a prosperous dry goods business in New York and by 1874 had bought a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, Medert said. Work soon entered the orbit of the 19th-century business titan Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the two men bonded over their love of all things equine. Work became so wealthy that in addition to his considerable real estate, he built a luxurious stable in Manhattan that was worth $100,000 at the time. When he died in 1911, he was a multimillionaire many times over. His daughter and namesake, Williams great-great-grandmother Frances, kept it up, achieving the Gilded Age honor of inclusion on Mrs. Astors Four Hundred, a list of New Yorks most promising socialites. Presciently, Frances came to be known as Princess Fannie, for her regality and charm. She married James Boothby Burke Roche in 1880, a decision that outraged her father, who, correctly, believed Roche was just another British aristocrat who was after an American heiresss money. I am American to my backbone, Frank Work was reported to have said. Therefore, I have only contempt for these helpless, hopeless, lifeless men that cross the ocean to carry off the very flower of our womanhood. Yet in 1961, across that ocean, Fannie Works great-granddaughter Diana Frances Spencer would be born on the royal familys Sandringham estate. And, through her marriage to Charles, an American family with patriot roots would find its blood mingled with the British crown. STILLWATER, N.Y. (Tribune News Service) A 6-pound British cannon (Cannon #102) was recently donated to Saratoga National Historical Park by the Department of the Army to the National Park Service (NPS). The park will permanently preserve Cannon #102 as a part of its museum collection. The National Park Service is honored to continue to be the stewards of this significant piece of history from the Battles and Siege of Saratoga, said Superintendent Leslie Morlock in a press release. It has been a pleasure to partner with the Department of the Army to recover Cannon #102 and secure its return to Saratoga National Historical Park, where it will remain in our care. This British Cannon, crafted from bronze in 1756, was captured by the Continental Army in October 1777 after defeating the British Army at the Battles and Siege of Saratoga. According to the release, the brass light 6-pounder cannons were the most desired type of artillery used by the British and Americans during the War for Independence. British General Burgoyne had 18 light 6-pounders captured by the Continental Army, among other weapons. Throughout the war, the Continental Army continued to use the light six-pounders captured at Saratoga. Only three of the original 18 light 6-pounders captured at Saratoga are known to remain in existence today, the release noted. This alone makes this cannon of great value to historians. It was engraved with trophy honors marking the cannon as Surrender Cannon from Saratoga at West Point in 1783. In 1934, the town of Saratoga secured a loan of Cannon #102 from the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation which was its steward at that time. However, rather than being displayed, it remained in storage in a Schuylerville barn until 1961. It was then taken to Saratoga Springs, where it was allegedly illegally sold to a collector of militaria. Despite attempts to track down its location over the years and return it to Saratoga, it was essentially lost. In 2009, a visitor to Saratoga National Historical Park commented to park staff that he had just seen a cannon with Saratoga trophy engravings at a museum in Alabama. An NPS team visited the museum in Tuscaloosa and confirmed its identity as the missing Cannon #102. In 2011, the NPS and the U.S. Army Center for Military History agreed to pursue the case for the retrieval of Cannon #102 on behalf of the U.S. Army. In 2013, the Westervelt Company and the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art returned it to the Department of the Army. Later that year, the Center officially loaned the cannon to the park, where it has been ever since. The release notes that National Park Week (April 22-April 30) is an excellent time to see Cannon #102 and talk with park rangers and volunteers at the parks Visitor Center, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (c)2023 The Record, Troy, N.Y. Visit at https://www.troyrecord.com/ WASHINGTON U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported. With the final embassy employee out of Khartoum, the United States shuttered its diplomatic mission indefinitely. Remaining behind in the East African nation are thousands of private American citizens. U.S. officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation operation. Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders had forced the closing of the main international airport and left roads out of the country in control of armed fighters. The skirmishes has killed more than 400 people. In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan "to the extent possible." He also called for the end to "unconscionable" violence there. About 100 U.S. troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation. They airlifted all of roughly 70 remaining American employees from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. Ethiopia also provided overflight and refueling support, said Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Biden said Djibouti and Saudi Arabia provided assistance, too. "I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's 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." U.S. Africa Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, were in contact with the factions before and during the operation to ensure that U.S. forces would have safe passage to conduct the evacuation. John Bass, an undersecretary of state, denied claims by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Security Forces that it assisted in the U.S. evacuation. "They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation," Bass said. Biden had ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. "This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It's unconscionable and it must stop," Biden said. "The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan." Sudan's fighting broke out April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nation's transition to democracy. The power struggle between the armed forces chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has millions of Sudanese cowering inside their homes. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. An estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is rough because not all Americans register with embassy or say when they depart. 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 for American employees of the embassy got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that U.S. troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. Embassy evacuations conducted by the U.S. military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transportation if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, staffers used commercial transport to leave. In several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. U.S. troops accompanied personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. The Wagner group is moving aggressively to establish a confederation of anti-Western states in Africa as the Russian mercenaries foment instability while using their paramilitary and disinformation capabilities to bolster Moscows allies, according to leaked secret U.S. intelligence documents. The rapid expansion of Russias influence in Africa has been a source of growing alarm to U.S. intelligence and military officials, prompting a push over the past year to find ways to hit Wagners network of bases and business fronts with strikes, sanctions and cyber operations, according to the documents. At a time when Wagner leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin has been preoccupied with Kremlin infighting over the paramilitary groups deepening involvement in the war in Ukraine, U.S. officials depict Wagners expanding global footprint as a potential vulnerability. One document in the trove lists nearly a dozen kinetic and other options that could be pursued as part of coordinated U.S. and allied disruption efforts. The files propose providing targeting information to help Ukraine forces kill Wagner commanders, and cite other allies willingness to take similar lethal measures against Wagner nodes in Africa. And yet, there is little in the trove to suggest that the CIA, Pentagon or other agencies have caused more than minor setbacks for Wagner over a six-year stretch during which the mercenary group, controlled by Putin ally Prigozhin, gained strategic footholds in at least eight African countries, among 13 nations where Prigozhin has operated in some capacity, according to one document. The only direct military strike mentioned in the files refers to a successful unattributed attack in Libya that destroyed a Wagner logistics aircraft. The document provides no further detail about the operation or why that single plane part of a far larger Wagner fleet was targeted. The most significant American attack against Wagner was near Deir al-Zour, Syria, in February 2018, when U.S. airstrikes killed several hundred Wagner fighters who were attacking several dozen Delta Force soldiers, Rangers and Kurdish forces next to a gas plant. Overall, the trove portrays Wagner as a relatively unconstrained force in Africa, expanding its presence and ambitions on that continent even as the war in Ukraine has become a grinding, if not all-consuming, problem for the Kremlin. As a result, Prigozhin likely will further entrench his network in multiple countries, one of the intelligence documents concludes, undermining each countrys ability to sever ties with his services and exposing neighboring states to his destabilizing activities. Wagners rise heralds a new surge of great power competition in Africa and with it a resurgence of authoritarianism, said Anas El Gomati, director of the Tripoli-based Sadeq Institute think tank. Wagner, he said, are a solution to the kind of problems that African dictators find themselves in: Democratic push back? No problem. Well help you with that, whether its tampering with ballots, or whether its literally fighting brutal kind of insurgencies like they have in [the Central African Republic] and in southern Libya. If youre suffering trying to get your resources and minerals out of your country, not only can we bring [those] services to you, but well put those dollars in your bank and no one will be any the wiser because they operate these massive networks of shell companies, he said, referring to Wagner. Prigozhin entities have not only accelerated operations in Africa over the past year, according to the assessments, but appear to be operating with expanded ambition and authority shifting his approach from taking advantage of security vacuums to intentionally facilitating instability, according to one of the documents. The description appears on a slide marked with symbols indicating that it was prepared for U.S. Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his senior advisers. A footnote summarizes Prigozhins aggressive agenda, citing plans to counter U.S. and French influence in Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Guinea, Mali and other countries, as well as Wagners direct support for a coup plot in Chad by setting up a cross-border training compound for rebels. Chad has long been a linchpin of French and U.S. counterinsurgency operations against armed Islamist groups in the Sahel, and French President Emmanuel Macron signaled its importance when he attended Idriss Debys funeral in 2021. One of the documents in the trove indicates that France has communicated a willingness to strike Wagner if the [paramilitary organization] supports a coup in Chad. Prigozhin did not respond to a request for comment about the documents. Earlier, he told The Washington Post in response to questions about Chad that any suggestion that he had a role in destabilizing the transitional government there was nonsense. Prigozhin claimed in comments on Telegram that his operations in Africa are honest and fair, designed only to defend the African peoples, including those oppressed by bandits, terrorists, and unreliable neighbors. But in Libya, said El Gomati, Wagners intervention helped split and paralyze the country. Theyre probably the most destabilizing actor now operating in Libya, he said They often continue this kind of sub-threshold violence so whether youre living in peace or war, you dont feel any sense of stability. As if to underscore his expanding sense of self-importance, Prigozhin on Friday offered himself as a peace-broker in Sudan where fighting between rival factions have brought the East African country to the brink of civil war. To help resolve the existing conflict and for Sudans future prosperity, I am ready to mediate a conflict between the head of the countrys army and the leader of a powerful private paramilitary, Prigozhin said in a statement published by his press office on the Telegram social media platform. He claimed to be ready to send planes with medical supplies and everything needed for the people who are now suffering. Offering humanitarian intervention in a conflict he arguably inflamed by previously supplying weapons and training to security forces would be consistent with the Prigozhin playbook described in the trove of documents. A particularly creepy Russian organization After the Cold War, when the Soviet Union and United States fueled proxy wars in Africa, Russia retreated from the continent, leaving China to forge in with offers of infrastructure and cheap loans, free of the usual Western pressure for progress on human rights or democratic institutions. Russias return to Africa in recent years has revived a jostling competition for military and political influence that recalls the colonial scramble for African resources, a contest that one Equatorial Guinean official said indicated that Africa was like a pretty girl with many suitors, including the United States, according to the documents. Theres certainly a perception on the continent that following the end of the Cold War, the U.S. became less interested in the continent, only perceiving it as a place where it could engage in humanitarian activity, maybe apply some pressure for democratization, but not really engage in a meaningful way. And that opened up a gap for others, said Murithi Mutiga, African program director at International Crisis Group. Wagner is extracting resources in the Central African Repubic (CAR), Libya and Sudan, according to one of the leaked documents. As well as a source of gold, uranium and other resources, the continent is a market for Russian weapons, nuclear power technology and security contracts. Russia leveraged its influence with Sudanese military leaders to agree on the completion of a naval base in Port Sudan by the end of 2023, according to the documents. As Moscow intensifies diplomatic efforts to counter criticism of its war against Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has visited multiple African countries this year, including Mali, Sudan, South Africa, Eswatini, Angola and Eritrea, all ahead of Putins July summit with African leaders in St. Petersburg. In January, the State Department designated Wagner as a transnational criminal organization, with a pattern of serious criminal behavior [that] includes violent harassment of journalists, aid workers, and members of minority groups and harassment, obstruction, and intimidation of U.N. peacekeepers in the Central African Republic, as well as rape and killings in Mali. CIA Director William J. Burns alluded to covert U.S. efforts to combat Wagners operations in public remarks at Georgetown University in February, describing Prigozhins group as a particularly creepy Russian organization. He said that Wagner is expanding its influence in Mali and Burkina Faso and in other places, and that is a deeply unhealthy development and were working very hard to counter it because thats threatening to Africans across the continent. Prigozhin an ex-convict who rose to become an oligarch and close ally of Putin offers security, military assistance, political advice, opinion polling, and political manipulation techniques to African leaders facing rebellions or instability, in return for resource contracts in regions that are too unstable to attract major Western companies. The Russians are very opportunistic and will just go in at very low cost and try to stir things up and see if they can create an advantage for themselves, said Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at London-based think tank Chatham House. Theres opportunistic mischief going on in various places. In CAR, Wagner forces helped the government drive out rebels who were threatening the capital in 2020, and provided security for President Faustin-Archange Touadera, whose Russian security adviser, Vitaly Perfilov, is a Wagner employee, according to the State Department. Prigozhins entities are entrenched in mining, forestry and other activities there. French newspaper Le Monde reported in February that U.S. officials offered Touadera a deal on the sidelines of the U.S.-Africa summit in December to break with Wagner, in return for U.S. military training and increased humanitarian aid. In response, Perfilov proposed an anti-American disinformation campaign in CAR media and social media, according to the documents, claiming that Washington bribed government ministers and attempted to plunder CARs mineral resources. Russia has taken advantage of former Soviet ties with African leaders, according to analysts, but it has also exploited the United States dwindling engagement in Africa, notably during the Trump presidency, as well as an anti-French backlash over its counterterrorism operation in the Sahel region, focused on Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger named Operation Barkhane. France withdrew its forces from Mali in 2021, when Wagner mercenaries moved in, and in December withdrew its last forces from CAR, where some analysts say Wagner is engaged in state capture. In February, Burkina Faso ordered French troops to leave. Russia through troll factories and fake media has been kind of successful at poisoning views on France in Africa. It was already not good, but theyve really been able to stir the pot, through trolling and so on, said Vines. The Sahel is a very worrying, deteriorating area: Its the global hotspot for militant Islamic jihadism globally at the moment, not the Middle East. And so clearly Russia has seen an opportunity. He said Russian anti-French and anti-Western propaganda resonated with African leaders, angered by French missteps in the Sahel, and weary of Western leaders pressing them on democratic values and human rights. To elites in Africa, the United States is perceived as still focused on the old playbook of lectures about democratization and sending humanitarian aid while Washingtons democratic institutions have lost some of their sheen, said Mutiga. America may have taken a reputational knock in terms of the health of its democracy in recent years, but not just because of Trump, but because of congressional gridlock and chaotic politics and of course Trumps rejection of the election results. Meanwhile, some analysts say, U.S. investment in Africa pales in comparison to Chinas vast program of infrastructure and loans, while Russia is seen as offering more choices to African leaders who do not want to pick sides between Washington, Beijing and Moscow. TAPACHULA, Mexico Around 3,000 migrants set out Sunday on what they call a mass protest procession through southern Mexico to demand the end of detention centers like the one that caught fire last month, killing 40 migrants. The migrants started from the city of Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border. They say their aim is to reach Mexico City to demand changes in the way migrants are treated. "It could well have been any of us," Salvadoran migrant Miriam Argueta said of those killed in the fire. "In fact, a lot of our countrymen died. The only thing we are asking for is justice, and to be treated like anyone else." But in the past many participants in such processions have continued on to the U.S. border, which is almost always their goal. The migrants are mainly from Central America, Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia. Mexican authorities have used paperwork restrictions and highway checkpoints to bottle up tens of thousands of frustrated migrants in Tapachula, making it hard for them to travel to the U.S. border. Argueta said that when migrants look for work in Tapachula, "they give us jobs, perhaps not humiliating, but the one the Mexicans don't want to do, hard work that pays very little." Organizer Irineo Mujica said the migrants are demanding the dissolving of the country's immigration agency, whose officials have been blamed and some charged with homicide in the March 27 fire. Mujica called the immigration detention centers "jails." The roots of the migrant caravan phenomenon began years ago when activists organized processions often with a religious theme during Holy Week to dramatize the hardships and needs of migrants. In 2018 a minority of those involved wound up traveling all the way to the U.S. border. This year's mass walk began well after Holy Week had ended, but Mujica, a leader of the Pueblos Sin Fronteras activist group, called it a "Viacrucis," or stations of the cross procession, and some migrants carried wooden crosses. "In this Viacrucis, we are asking the government that justice be done to the killers, for them to stop hiding high-ranking officials," Mujica said in Tapachula before the long walk began. "We are also asking that these jails be ended, and that the National Immigration Institute be dissolved." Some migrants carried banners or crosses reading "Government Crime" and "The Government Killed Them." The migrants made it only as far as the town of Alvaro Obregon, about 9 miles from Tapachula, before stopping to settle down and rest for the remainder of the day, after having walked from around dawn. The migrants stretched out under a covered athletic court and under trees at a park in Alvaro Obregon. There was no sign at the start of any police attempt to block them. Mexican prosecutors have said they will press charges against the immigration agency's top national official, Francisco Garduno, who is scheduled to make a court appearance April 21. Federal prosecutors have said Garduno was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agency's detention centers. Prosecutors said government audits had found "a pattern of irresponsibility and repeated omissions" in the immigration institute. The fire in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, began after a migrant allegedly set fire to foam mattresses to protest a supposed transfer. The fire quickly filled the facility with smoke. No one let the migrants out. Six officials of the National Immigration Institute, a guard at the center and the Venezuelan migrant accused of starting the blaze are already in custody facing homicide charges. Migrants, especially poorer ones who cannot afford to pay migrant smugglers, have often seen such mass walks, or caravans, as a way to reach the U.S. border. Successive caravans grew to massive size in 2018 and 2019 before authorities in Mexico and Central American began stopping them of highways. The COVID-19 pandemic also played a role in quashing the caravans, as countries instituted health restrictions. The heat and sheer effort of walking 750 miles to Mexico City usually forces migrants to start walking in the pre-dawn darkness and stop in the early afternoon in towns along the way. Many of the migrants some carrying infants or babies in strollers also look to catch rides from passing trucks. In the past, authorities have sometimes allowed that to happen, and sometimes prohibited it. But sheer desperation drives many of the migrants. Venezuelan migrant Estefany Peroez was walking with her three daughters. In Tapachula, they had been sleeping in the streets. "We don't have anything to eat, the authorities don't help us, we are doing this to give my daughters a better life," Peroez said. 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. Search Keywords: Short link: BANGKOK A top election official in Myanmar was fatally shot in his car in Yangon, the country's commercial capital, in the latest attack attributed to militants opposed to military rule. Sai Kyaw Thu, deputy director-general of the military-appointed Union Election Commission, was shot multiple times on Saturday, according to the military's information office, media reports and a statement of responsibility from an urban guerrilla group. The information office on Sunday said the attack was carried out by the People's Defense Force, the loosely organized armed wing of the pro-democracy National Unity Government, an underground group that opposes the military-installed government that was established when the army seized power two years ago. Many opposition forces including local People's Defense Force groups operate autonomously from the National Unity Government but the military labels them all as "terrorists." A resistance group calling itself "For The Yangon" said it carried out the attack on Sai Kyaw Thu, a former lieutenant colonel. It declared "Mission: Accomplished" in a Facebook post on Saturday evening that was illustrated with three photos of their target. Sai Kyaw Thu is believed to be the most senior official of the Election Commission to be shot since the army seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Resistance groups earlier this year attempted to disrupt preparations for a new election the military had promised by attacking personnel conducting a population survey that could be used to assemble voter rolls and other low-level election workers. Plans for the polls were set back indefinitely in February when the military government announced it was extending a state of emergency due to security problems. Urban guerrillas have carried out many targeted killings, acts of arson and small bombings. Victims included officials and members of the military and their cronies, as well as people believed to be informers or military collaborators. In November 2021, a former navy officer who was the chief finance officer of Myanmar's military-linked Mytel telecommunications company was fatally shot on a Yangon street. Than Than Swe, then a deputy governor of Myanmar's Central Bank, was shot at her home in Yangon in April 2022. She survived and was promoted to the bank governor. Most recently, a veteran corporate lawyer accused of helping military leaders was shot dead in Yangon by self-proclaimed urban guerrillas in March. After its takeover, the army clamped down harshly on opponents in the cities, arresting thousands and using deadly force even against nonviolent demonstrators. The repression, which has now accounted for more than 3,400 civilian deaths, triggered widespread armed resistance. The military dismissed the members of the previous election commission which had ratified the victory of Suu Kyi's party in a November 2020 general election and appointed new ones. It also detained several members of the old commission, and according to reports in independent Myanmar media, pressured them to say there had been election fraud. The new military-appointed commission declared the 2020 election results invalid and prosecuted Suu Kyi and 15 other senior political figures for alleged fraud. In the statement, "For The Yangon" claimed Sai Kyaw Thu had been a plaintiff in the election fraud case against Suu Kyi. She and ousted President Win Myint and the former minister of the president's office, Min Thu, received three-year sentences in September last year in that case. A member of guerrilla group said in a text message on Sunday that Sai Kyaw Thu was assassinated "for being the deputy director-general of the illegal election commission of the military council, which disrespected the votes of the people in 2020 general election and abused the people unjustly, and also for being the one who falsely prosecuted President Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi as an accessory of the military council." "The one who insults the public will be punished by the people," said the member of group, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he fears arrest by the authorities. According to reports in Myanmar's independent media, Sai Kyaw Thu was cross-examined as a prosecution witness in the trials against Suu Kyi last year. (Tribune News Service) 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. 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 U.S., which is implementing increasingly confrontational policies. This puts Italy and the European Union in a delicate position between the two superpowers. 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 company, 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 U.S.-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. Italys dilemma on Belt and Road is starting to draw the U.S. 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-U.S. 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 U.S. 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 economic and diplomatic, with the risk of Chinese retaliation. 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 effect 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 U.S. and other allies to react to a possible response, Ghiretti said. Alessandro Speciale and Thomas Hall contributed to this report. ___ 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. HELSINKI The three Baltic states have strongly condemned comments by China's envoy to France, who appeared to suggest in a recent French television interview that former Soviet republics aren't sovereign nations. The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in separate announcements late Saturday deemed statements by Lu Shaye, China's ambassador to France, as unacceptable. In a recent interview with the French news channel LCI, he was asked if he thought that the Crimean Peninsula belongs to Ukraine. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world denounced as illegal. "That depends on how one perceives this problem," the envoy told the broadcaster. "There's the history. Crimea was at the beginning Russian, no? It was (Soviet leader Nikita) Khrushchev who gave Crimea to Ukraine in the era of the Soviet Union." When the channel's presenter noted that according to international law, Crimea is part of Ukraine, the Chinese ambassador drew a parallel to the former Soviet republics including the three Baltic nations that broke free after the USSR collapsed in 1991. "With regards to international law, even these ex-Soviet Union countries, they do not, they do not have the status how to say it? that's effective in international law, because there is no international agreement to solidify their status as a sovereign country," he said. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis tweeted that "If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States don't trust China to 'broker peace in Ukraine,' here's a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries' borders have no legal basis." His Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, said Chinese ambassador's comments were "false and a misinterpretation of history," while Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevics said that the statements were "completely unacceptable." Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius would each summon China's ambassador or representative for an explanation of the envoy's comments, the three Baltic countries said. European Union and NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania regained their independence in 1991 amid the fall of the Soviet Union after nearly five decades of Moscow's rule. In a separate statement, France's Foreign Ministry expressed concern about the ambassador's comments about ex-Soviet states and said: "It's for China to say whether these comments reflect its position, which we hope is not the case." The French ministry said these countries gained independence "after decades of oppression" and that in the specific case of Ukraine, "the entirety of the international community, including China," recognized its borders, including Crimea, when it declared independence in 1991. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday criticized the Chinese ambassador's unacceptable remarks on former Soviet republics' sovereignty. The EU can only suppose these declarations do not represent Chinas official policy, he tweeted. President Vladimir Putin of Russia, which is China's ally, has said several times that he doesn't recognize the sovereignty of Ukraine. The Kremlin also has made clear that it perceives the independence of the Baltic states and their active role in NATO and the EU as threats to Russia's security. John Leicester contributed to this report from Paris. This story has been corrected KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv's long-awaited spring counteroffensive. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with "stable supply lines" to their positions. Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country's south. Responding to Ukrainian media reports proclaiming that the establishment of such positions indicated the counteroffensive had begun, Natalia Humeniuk, the spokeswoman for Ukraine's Operational Command South, called for patience. While neither confirming nor denying the ISW report, she said only that details of military operations in the Dnieper delta couldn't be disclosed for operational and security reasons. Speaking on Ukrainian television, Humeniuk added that it was "very difficult work" when "it's necessary to overcome an obstacle such as the Dnieper, when the front line passes through a wide and powerful river." The Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region, one of four parts of Ukraine that Russia said it was illegally annexing in September, denied on Sunday that Ukrainian forces have established a foothold on the east bank of the Dnieper. In a Telegram update, Vladimir Saldo said that Russian forces are "in full control" of the area, and speculated that the images referenced by the ISW may have depicted Ukrainian sabotage units that "managed to take a selfie" across the Dnieper before being forced back. After more than a year since the Russian invasion, recent fighting has become a war of attrition, with neither side able to gain momentum. But Ukraine has recently received sophisticated weapons from its Western allies, and new troops freshly trained in the West, giving rise to growing anticipation of a counteroffensive. American-made Patriot missiles arrived in Ukraine last week and military spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said Sunday on Ukrainian television that some have already gone into battlefield service. The U.S. agreed in October to send the surface-to-air systems, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles such as those that Russia has used to bombard residential areas and the Ukrainian power grid. The fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense. On Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed Moscow's forces had captured two more neighborhoods in the western part of Bakhmut, without providing further details or clarifying what areas were still in Ukrainian hands. In the south, the Dnieper has for months marked the contact line in the Kherson region, where its namesake capital is regularly pummeled by shelling from Russian forces stationed across the river. In addition to having established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, across the Dnieper delta from Kherson, ISW said that Ukrainian troops were also approaching the nearby village of Dachi, citing data from Russian military bloggers. In Telegram posts on Thursday and Saturday, ISW said the bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had maintained these positions for weeks and established stable supply lines to them, indicating a lack of Russian control over the area. The Associated Press confirmed the posts from the bloggers, but it wasn't immediately possible to independently verify the data they shared. Russia is also expected to launch more intensive attacks in the spring, but ISW reported that top Russian defense figures are showing signs that they may be pushing for a consolidation of existing gains in Ukraine, rather than costly new operations, as Moscow struggles with both material and manpower. The think tank cited comments from financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut. On Saturday, Prigozhin's press service posted comments he made on its official Telegram channel in which he argued that Russian forces need to "anchor (themselves) in such a way that it is only possible to tear them out with (the) opponent's claws." The interview was published shortly after Western leaders meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany pledged to train more Ukrainian personnel and keep up their military support for Kyiv. As Moscow seeks to bolster its troop numbers, the U.K. Ministry of Defense noted Sunday in an intelligence briefing that Russian authorities had mounted a large-scale military recruitment campaign using social media, billboards and state television. It said Russian officials are "almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent," while assessing that this latest effort would likely fail to meet the defense ministry's stated goal of recruiting 400,000 new volunteers. In attacks overnight, local authorities in eastern Ukraine reported that Russian forces had launched at least five S-300 missiles at Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city and the surrounding region. The missiles damaged an industrial facility and private homes but caused no casualties, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the Kharkiv regional governor. In Kherson, one civilian was killed and two were wounded as Russian troops used artillery, drones and warplanes to launch a total of 54 strikes on the province, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram on Sunday morning. Russian forces on Saturday and overnight also dropped five guided aerial bombs over the Kherson region, Ukraine's Operational Command South said in a Facebook post Sunday. According to the post, the bombs were launched from drones and aircraft and damaged multiple residential buildings, but caused no casualties. Also in the Kherson region, two women, ages 85 and 57, were hospitalized after being wounded in a Russian artillery attack that damaged a local school and about 25 residential buildings in the village of Kizomys, Prokudin said in a Telegram post. In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Russian shelling wounded a 56-year-old man in Stepnohirsk, a town on the banks of the Dnieper river, local Gov. Yurii Malashko wrote on Telegram. Joanna Kozlowska reported from London. BAKHMUT, Ukraine Moving between apartment blocks, small teams of Ukrainian and Russian ground forces are battling for control of Bakhmuts western edge. We can attack and repel them for a day or two, or they can advance, and we have to retreat again, said a 35-year old Ukrainian junior sergeant responsible for holding a position in a high-rise building just a few yards from the front line. Like others in this report, he spoke on condition that he only be identified by his rank and call sign Bandit in keeping with military protocol. I dont even know, to be honest, what will happen in a week or two, Bandit said. A lot of people are dying here, a lot. For months, Ukraine and Russia have flooded Bakhmut with reinforcements and carted away thousands of dead and wounded in what has become the longest, bloodiest battle of the war. Now, after eight months of Ukraine steadily ceding territory, the fight is closing in on just a few square miles of the citys west. As the vice tightens with Russians assaulting from the north, east and south Kyiv is determined to draw the fight out as long as possible, hoping to deplete its enemy ahead of what is expected to be a high-stakes offensive aimed at dislodging Russian forces from a large swath of occupied territory. In an effort to speed up its advance, Russia has begun destroying entire apartment blocks used by Ukraine as defensive positions. The city is flattened in many places and most of its prewar population of about 70,000 have fled. They are simply blowing up nine-story buildings, Bandit said. A powerful aerial bomb, he said, was dropped on the four-story buildings next to ours there was nothing left of it. If it had landed on our building, we wouldnt be here either. Russian advances have also closed in on Ukraines supply roads to western Bakhmut. Moscow claimed to have taken control of a few hundred yards of one road on Friday, but Ukraine says it still can ferry soldiers and supplies in and out as needed. The current front line in the west runs south of the main train station that Ukraine has been using as high ground, but Russian forces have pushed past the railroad tracks to the northwest and southwest edges. The Wagner mercenary group has largely led Russias fight for Bakhmut and its leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, has repeatedly claimed his forces were on the verge of taking the city. Prigozhin personally broadcast videos marking Wagner advances after pushing into city center, including one in which his fighters placing a flag on a World War II liberation monument and another from the citys main administration building last month. Since the video from the administration building was released earlier this month, Russian forces have advanced less than a mile farther into the city center. A damp basement on the citys edge has been transformed into a Ukrainian command center. Computer screens and a tablet set up on a simple table toggled between half a dozen drone feeds showing Russian positions about three miles away. A lieutenant with the call sign Plai tracked a small Russian infantry unit moving across a courtyard between buildings. Were looking for movement, any kind of movement, he said as the feed zoomed in on a shattered building and coordinates were radioed to a nearby howitzer. The wider shots showed dozens of homes shredded by months of artillery fire. The whole city looks like this, Plai said. He said he blames Russia for the majority of the destruction, but also accepts Ukraine has played a role given that both sides have relied on heavy artillery since the battle began. We feel responsible, but we also understand that we will be rebuilding Bakhmut after this is over, he said. Russians, in turn believe that they will be the ones to reconstruct Bakhmut, which they call Artyomovsk, its Soviet-Russian name, just as they are now rebuilding occupied Mariupol, a port city in Donetsk that was largely destroyed during a Russian siege last spring. In the Ukrainians basement command center, one drone feed flashed a warning GPS signal weak, then aircraft signal interference before the image began to spin. Its falling, Plai said as the screen became garbled and then went dark. It got too close to the jammers. Plai said the fight for Bakhmut has intensified over the past week, as Russia and Ukraine each sent reinforcements into the city and are suffering more casualties. Both sides have deployed elite units to Bakhmut at various points to strengthen ground operations and reconnaissance. Increased reconnaissance focusing on a smaller patch of territory in Bakhmut has forced Russian and Ukrainian troops to be more mobile. After launching an attack from one position, ground units typically need to move quickly before drones overhead are able to call in artillery. There can be an immediate response if the enemy drones see where a shot came from, said Bandit, the junior sergeant. We come, we work there and we leave. No one waits in the same place for a response. The crew can die if they sit at one point for too long. The battles are tougher now, he added. Its exhausting, its hard to even think afterward. AMMAN, Jordan Jordan's Foreign Ministry on Sunday said a Jordanian lawmaker has been arrested by Israel on suspicion of smuggling weapons and gold into the occupied West Bank. The ministry's spokesman, Sinan Majali, said Jordanian officials are following the case "to find out the merits of the situation and address it as soon as possible." The lawmaker was identified as Imad Al-Adwan and said to have been arrested crossing the border into the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel's Foreign Ministry declined comment. The incident threatens to further strain what already are tense relations between Jordan and its neighbor Israel. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence over the past year. Israel says the area has been flooded with illegal weapons, including guns smuggled from neighboring Jordan. Over 90 Palestinians and 18 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year. Israel says most of the Palestinians were wanted militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting army incursions and people not involved in confrontations have also been killed. All but one of the Israelis killed were civilians. Since Israel's hard-line government took office, relations with Jordan have deteriorated over Israeli settlement construction, violence in the West Bank and policies over holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City. Jordan controlled the West Bank and east Jerusalem before Israel captured the areas in the 1967 Mideast war, but the kingdom retains custodianship of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Muslim holy sites in the Old City. DES MOINES, Iowa Although Donald Trump has often avoided talking about abortion as he campaigns again for the White House, his former vice president, Mike Pence, is not shying away from celebrating Trump's efforts to restrict abortion rights. Pence, who is weighing whether to launch his own presidential campaign, raised his voice to nearly a roar when speaking to religious conservatives in Iowa on Saturday night as he touted Trump's nominations of three conservative judges to the U.S. Supreme Court. The appointments paved the way to the court in 2022 overturning the landmark Roe. v. Wade ruling, which had affirmed a federal right to abortion. 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 of influential religious conservatives. We did that, Iowa, he said. I couldnt be more proud to have been a small part of an administration that did just that. Pence's appearance kicked off the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual spring fundraiser, which marks the unofficial start of the state's 2024 caucus campaign. The event features a slate of Republican candidates and potential contenders, including U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is expected to enter the race. Trump, whos already a candidate, is set to address the gathering later Saturday via video. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered a top rival to Trump, is not attending. The event hosted by a Christian group 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. On Thursday, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the nation's leading anti-abortion group, condemned Trump's position that abortion restrictions should be left up to states, not the federal government. The group called it a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate," a strong rebuke of a former president whose nominations to the Supreme Court led to Roe's overturning. The anti-abortion group 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. He has a chance on Saturday night to share his calls for uniting the nation around Christian faith and hopefulness, a message that diverges from the adversarial tone of Trump and DeSantis. 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 or set to appear 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. At age 93, struggling with the effects of a stroke, heart failure and recurrent cancer, Teri Sheridan was ready to end her life using New Jersey's law that allows medically assisted suicide but she was bedbound, too sick to travel. So last Nov. 17, surrounded by three of her children, Sheridan drank a lethal dose of drugs prescribed by a doctor she had never met in person, only online. She died within minutes. Soon, others who seek Sheridan's final option may find it out of reach, the unintended result of a federal move to roll back online prescribing of potentially addictive drugs allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic. "How much should one person suffer?" said Sheridan's daughter, Georgene White, 68. "She wanted to just go to sleep and not wake up." Online prescribing rules for controlled drugs were relaxed three years ago under emergency waivers to ensure critical medications remained available during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has proposed a rule that would reinstate most previously longstanding requirements that doctors see patients in person before prescribing narcotic drugs such as Oxycontin, amphetamines such as Adderall, and a host of other potentially dangerous drugs. The aim is to reduce improper prescribing of these drugs by telehealth companies that boomed during the pandemic. Given the ongoing opioid epidemic, allowing continued broad use of telemedicine prescribing "would pose too great a risk to the public health and safety," the proposed rule said. It also cracks down on how doctors can prescribe other less-addictive drugs, like Xanax, used to treat anxiety, and buprenorphine, a narcotic used to treat opioid addiction. The rule would allow some of these drugs to be prescribed with telemedicine for an initial 30-day dose, though patients would need to be seen in person to get a refill. And patients who have been referred to a new doctor by one they had previously met in person could continue to receive prescriptions for the drugs via telemedicine. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram called the plan "telemedicine with guardrails." The agency, with input from the Department of Health and Human Services, is working to finalize the rule by May 11, when the COVID public health emergency officially ends, an HHS spokeswoman said. If approved by then, the new requirements would take effect in November. The proposal has sparked a massive backlash, including more than 35,000 comments to a federal portal and calls from advocates, members of Congress and medical groups to reconsider certain patients or provisions. "They completely forgot that there was a population of people who are dying," said Dr. Lonny Shavelson, a California physician who chairs the American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying, a coalition of doctors who help patients access care under so-called right-to-die laws. Among the biggest complaints: The rule would delay or block access for patients who seek medically assisted suicide and hospice care, critics said. Many of the comments including nearly 10,000 delivered in person to DEA offices came from doctors and patients protesting the effect of the rule on seriously ill and dying patients. "Please do not make the end of life harder for me," wrote Lynda Bluestein, 75, of Bridgeport, Conn. In March, Bluestein, who has terminal fallopian tube cancer, reached a settlement with the state of Vermont that will allow her to be the first non-resident to use its medically assisted suicide law. By the time she's ready to use the drugs, she expects to be too ill to travel to see a doctor in person for the prescription, she wrote. The clash between desperate patients who need treatment and DEA's efforts to bar telehealth companies from overprescribing dangerous medications was inevitable, said David Herzberg, a historian of drugs at the University of Buffalo. "The balancing act is so tricky," he said. Laws in 10 states and Washington, D.C. allow dying people with a prognosis of six months or less to end their lives with a lethal combination of medications covered by the DEA rule. But such patients are often too sick to visit a doctor in person or they live hundreds of miles from the nearest willing and qualified provider, Shavelson said. There are similar issues for the 1.7 million Medicare recipients enrolled in hospice care in the U.S., said Judi Lund Person, who oversees regulatory compliance for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Rolling back online prescribing flexibilities could mean a dying patient would wait for days for drugs to ease pain and other symptoms. "They just don't have time for that," she said. Shavelson and his colleagues called for an exception to the rule for the hundreds of patients a year who qualify for medically assisted suicide. Both the American Medical Association and the California Medical Association sent letters asking the DEA to carve out provisions for doctors prescribing the most dangerous category of drugs to patients receiving hospice or palliative care. "These patients are extremely fragile and their medical conditions do not allow them to easily access a physician's office," wrote Dr. Donaldo D. Hernandez, president of the California group. Such people pose a "reduced risk for abuse" given their clear need for the medications. Congress directed DEA in 2008 to create exceptions for certain providers to permit remote prescribing, but the agency has not done so, Virginia Democrat Sen. Mark Warner said in a statement last month. DEA officials did not respond to questions about whether COVID-19 telehealth waivers would remain in effect if the proposed rule isn't finalized by May 11 or whether the agency will allow exceptions for remote prescribing. During the pandemic, prescriptions for medically assisted suicide went up, in some cases significantly. In Oregon, for instance, they climbed nearly 49%, to 432 in 2022 from 290 in 2019. The number of deaths under the law in that state rose, too, to 246 from 170. Nationally, at least 1,300 people die each year using the process, according to available state figures. Telemedicine was key to access during the COVID emergency, said Dr. Robin Plumer, the New Jersey doctor who prescribed the drugs Teri Sheridan took. Plumer has overseen 80 assisted suicide deaths since 2020. Without online prescribing, 35% to 40% of her patients wouldn't have been able to use the law. "I feel like we've taught people over the past couple of years that telemedicine does work in so many areas and it's a great improvement for people," especially for those who are homebound or dying, Plumer said. "And what?" she said. "They're suddenly going to yank that away?" The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Tribune News Service) A chartered American Airlines flight touched down at Syracuse Hancock International Saturday evening where passengers received a heros welcome on the tarmac before heading to the gate. On board were 80 Syracuse Honor Flight veterans returning from a long day touring the U.S. Navy Memorial, WWII Memorial, the U.S. Marine Corps and USAF Memorials, and the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials in Washington DC. The day was punctuated by observing the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Family, friends and members of the public lined the main building of the Syracuse airport from the baggage claim to the center escalators. Celebrants waved flags and posters as the Honor Flight Veterans processed through an emotional welcome home celebration. Honor Flight Syracuse, currently led by President Kevin Bradley, has flown over 1,200 veterans since 2012 from Central and Northern New York and the Mohawk Valley to view memorials in Washington D.C., at no cost to the veterans. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit syracuse.com . A staff member of the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum has sustained injuries after suffering from a gunshot, said the spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday without giving further details. In a statement, Ahmed Abu Zeid urged Egyptians in Sudan to exercise the utmost caution amid the ongoing fighting in the country. Abu Zeid also urged Egyptians currently in Khartoum to remain in their homes until the security situation and violence in the capital abate. The foreign ministry stated that the situation in Khartoum is being reassessed in coordination with the Sudanese authorities to allow for the evacuation of Egyptians in Khartoum as part of the evacuation strategy for all Egyptians in Sudan. The ministry also urged Egyptian nationals outside Khartoum to head to the nearest point to them in preparation for evacuation by the Egyptian authorities. These points are the headquarters of the Egyptian Consulate General in Port Sudan, Red Sea state, (contact number: 00249906398621) or the Wadi Halfa Consulate Office in Wadi Halfa city, Northern state, (contact number: 00249116604033 - 002491118162679). Embassy staff leave last In a briefing with reporters, the foreign ministry said that evacuating a number like 10,000 Egyptians in Sudan require careful planning to ensure the safety and efficiency of the operation due to ongoing violence in the country. He stressed that the embassy staff will evacuate after ensuring the safe exit of all Egyptians from Sudan, as was the case in previous evacuations of Egyptian nationals in Libya, Ukraine and Afghanistan. The Sudanese army, which has been embroiled in deadly clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as of last week, said they are coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from Sudan. Search Keywords: Short link: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah demanded on Sunday a forensic audit of an alleged leaked phone call involving the mother-in-law of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, and said that the judges mentioned in the audio should step down. Addressing a press conference in Faisalabad, Sanaullah said the CJP should take suo motu notice of the audio leak and order a forensic of the phone call. Those involved in the leaked audio must be questioned, and the judges who are being referred to in the audio [the chief justice] should show some grace and step down. Rana Sanaullah said the purported audio leak is a matter of concern for the general public and politicians alike and it must be thoroughly investigated. The interior ministers presser comes after an alleged phone call between CJP Bandials mother-in-law and the PTI counsels wife was leaked online. In the purported audio, the two women can be heard discussing early elections, their support for the chief justice, and their resentment towards the incumbent government. The two women also talk about their concern for the chief justice amid the ongoing election delay case which is being heard by a three-member bench at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. They also vaguely discuss being in a Lahore rally where there were hundreds of thousands of people. The bench headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar as members in its April 4 order, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the polls in Punjab on May 14. Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Ata Tarar shared the audio clip on his Twitter account, saying that he is sure about the deep conspiracy after hearing the audio clip. The Constitution and law have been trampled for the sake of families. The families of Chief Sahib and two colleagues are trying to bring Imran Niazi to power by holding early elections along with attending [political] rallies, Tarar tweeted. The rescue and relief operation to retrieve the dead bodies and containers from debris at the site of landslide on Pak Afghan Border at Torkham has been completed today. According to Deputy Commissioner district Khyber Abdul Nasir Khan, all the eight dead bodies, thirteen containers and twenty trucks have been recovered from the landslide debris. The dead bodies who are mostly Afghan drivers have been handed over to the Afghan authorities on the border. Presently clearance of the highway is underway to restore traffic movement on the route. On the Directives of the National Disaster Management Authority, the technical team of the Geological Survey of Pakistan will visit the incident spot tomorrow. The Geological Survey team will devise its report about future land sliding in the area that necessary steps may be taken to avert such type of tragic incidents in future. Speaking at her home yesterday, Kirsten Stevenson (32) said: Im just trying to get on with my life This is the alleged fraudster accused of swindling her boss out of 23,000 by tampering with National Lottery software. Kirsten Alexandra Stevenson (32) is charged with fraud by false representation, theft, and fraud by abuse of position between August 14, 2022, and January 23 this year. Speaking at her home yesterday, she said: Im just trying to get on with my life. He [the alleged victim] and I are not allowed to speak to each other at the moment. The case against Stevenson, of Gallows Street in Dromore, was heard at Banbridge Magistrates Court, sitting in Newry, on Friday. During Fridays hearing, a police constable told the court she could connect the defendant to the charges. According to the particulars of count one, Stevenson defrauded the victim by exaggerating National Lottery winnings layouts with the intent to make a gain for herself or to cause a loss to the complainant. There was some confusion in the courthouse on Friday as to whether or not Stevenson, who was absent, was required to attend the hearing. Defence counsel Justin Byrne said she had attended Belfast court by mistake, while a prosecution lawyer said the case would proceed on indictment to the Crown Court regardless. No pleas were formally entered. District Judge Trevor Browne adjourned the case for a month. Teresa Dinnegan and her partner are among four couples being targeted under Proceeds of Crime Act Teresa Dinnegan enjoying her Turkey trip while she was out on bail Teresa Dinnegan enjoying her Turkey trip while she was out on bail Teresa Dinnegan enjoying her Turkey trip while she was out on bail A woman who went to Turkey for cosmetic surgery while claiming free legal aid in an assault case is now a target of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). Teresa Dinnegan, from Co. Longford, along with her partner Jamie Dinnegan are one of four couples in a case being taken by CAB under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Also named as respondents in the case are Martin Keenan and Lena Keenan, Lawrence Ward and Geraldine Ward, Thomas Oliver Keenan and Bernadette Keenan. At a recent High Court hearing, the four couples were granted free legal aid in relation to aspects of the case, which centres on properties in a Longford housing estate. During that hearing it was claimed that the four men are alleged to be members of an Organised Crime Group and the women are their spouses. Counsel for the Dinnegans said the States argument that everything they own is the proceeds of crime but ignores Jamie Dinnegans income for motor trading, which was put at 74,000 a year. Teresa Dinnegan enjoying her Turkey trip while she was out on bail It was added that there is a serious allegation of an organised crime gang that is denied. The case is related to a number of houses bought for 20,000 in which CAB claims 300,000 was spent on refurbishments, which is also denied. Counsel for the other respondents said there are references to the sale of drugs in affidavits from CAB as well as a feud, which are not accepted. Judge Alex Owens agreed to allow free legal aid for a quantity surveyor and a forensic accountant to carry out reports for all four couples. He said there would be no confetti in relation to free legal aid certificates and turned down a request for senior counsel who were allowing two solicitors to be appointed. At a hearing this week, it was heard the Dinnegans were seeking an extension for separate replying affidavits and were allowed one week to make a filing. Teresa Dinnegan enjoying her Turkey trip while she was out on bail The other couples had already filed substantial affidavits before the legal aid application and were contesting the value of the works carried out on their homes. Last summer, Teresa Dinnegan (36) hit the headlines when she made an application at Longford District Court to have bail conditions relaxed to allow her fly to Turkey to undergo cosmetic dental surgery. She and another woman had been arrested in March following an alleged assault at Penneys, Longford Centre, which took place in front of other customers and staff. In July, the two women walked free from court after delays in obtaining directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions led to the charges against them being struck out. They had been subject to strict bail conditions following the alleged incident in March, including curfews, signing-on orders and barred from uploading anything relating to the case on social media. At the final District Court hearing it emerged the case, which had already been marked as peremptory against the State could not proceed as directions were still outstanding. Teresa Dinnegan enjoying her Turkey trip while she was out on bail The prosecuting garda said he had no reason to give to the court as to why directions from the DPP had not yet been made available. The womens defence solicitor successfully argued that in that case the charges against both women should be struck out. In June, Ms Dinnegan had posted photos posing in front of a mirror and soaking up the sun in a swimming pool shortly after jetting out to the Aegean coastal city of Izmir. The Longford woman had been given the go-ahead to fly out to the popular Turkish tourist resort just days earlier after securing the relaxation of her bail terms for the 10-day trip. She had given an undertaking to provide receipts confirming she underwent medical treatment while abroad after concerns were raised by gardai. The court had previously been told that the incident for which Ms Dinnegan was charged was connected to an ongoing feud between two rival groups. The row, which involved two other women being charged with assault, is believed to have started after a feud re-ignited at Christmas. That led to a man escaping serious injury after being allegedly mown down by a van at a Longford housing estate in January. Unlike criminal cases, there is no right to free legal aid in cases brought by CAB under the proceeds-of-crime act. It can be granted for certain aspects of a case, such as hiring financial experts to contest CAB assertions, and can be withdrawn by the judge. Detectives believe she had a distinctive large, brown handbag with her when she went missing, and appealed for anyone with information to come forward. The last known photo of Annie McCarrick, taken on the day she disappeared Gardai are investigating claims that a handbag belonging to Annie McCarrick was handed in to a Dublin garda station around the time the American woman disappeared 30 years ago. The claims emerged after a press conference last month revealed that Ms McCarricks disappearance is now being treated as murder. New Yorker Annie McCarrick (26) was living in Sandymount and working in the nearby suburb of Donnybrook at the time of her disappearance. Detectives believe she had a distinctive large, brown handbag with her when she went missing, and appealed for anyone with information to come forward. I presume it was dealt with and kept cards of Annie were in the bag A member of the public has submitted messages exchanged on a missing persons Facebook page in 2021, in which a man claimed to have handed in her handbag around the time she went missing in 1993. The man claimed he and his friend found McCarricks handbag behind Kielys pub in Donnybrook. He claimed that cards inside the bag indicated it belonged to McCarrick. He said his friend handed it in to Donnybrook garda station, and were amazed they heard nothing more about it. One message from the man said: We werent cops or detectives. We just handed it in to P Station [police station]. I presume it was dealt with and kept... Cards of Annie were in the bag... Annie McCarrick vanished 30 years ago Since the garda appeal, the recipient of the messages tried to contact the man who wrote them but was unable to trace him. The person then contacted a retired detective inspector, who urged the person to report the social media messages to Irishtown Garda Station. Gardai are trying to trace the author of the messages and are searching records at Donnybrook Garda Station. A number of people who saw the social media messages have been asked to make formal statements. One garda source said gardai were obliged to bottom out the information, however he stressed the information was from a secondary rather than a primary source. If the bag was handed in to the public office, it should have been recorded The retired detective inspector, who asked not to be named, said: I felt the information the person was bringing forward was very credible and relevant and warranted further investigation. An Garda Siochana are aware of the information. Was the bag handed in or was it not? If the bag was handed in to the public office, it should have been recorded. The Garda press office said a number of people had come forward since the appeal for information last month. The last known photo of Annie McCarrick, taken on the day she disappeared As this is an ongoing criminal investigation, An Garda Siochana does not comment on specific lines of investigation or remarks made by third parties, their statement said. Witnesses have told gardai that McCarrick originally from Long Island, New York was seen on a bus to Enniskerry and later at Johnny Foxs pub in Glencullen on the day she disappeared, leading to theories she may have vanished in the Dublin mountains. Doubts have been cast on some of those sightings, according to a garda source. The murder investigation, led by Superintendent Eddie Carroll, is concentrating on Sandymount. In the last confirmed sighting of her, she is carrying the large handbag McCarrick, who had studied in Maynooth, returned to Ireland in January 1993 planning to settle here. She shared a flat with two others in St Cathryns Court, Sandymount. She worked at Cafe Java on Leeson Street and at the Courtyard restaurant in Donnybrook. On the morning of Friday, March 26, she went to the Allied Irish Bank, where she is captured on CCTV around 11am, wearing a coat and carrying a large brown handbag. This is the last confirmed sighting of her. Shortly after that, she bought groceries at a supermarket. She had invited friends for dinner on Saturday night. Her flatmates had left to return to their homes in the country on the Friday. She didnt unpack the groceries but left them in the kitchen. There were unconfirmed sightings of her in Sandymount that afternoon, leaving her flat, and boarding a bus to Enniskerry. A security man reported seeing a woman matching her description at Johnny Foxs. When her friends called for dinner the following night, she was not home and hadnt turned up for work that day. She was reported missing on Sunday, March 28. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, said last month that investigators are keeping an open mind on how Annie McCarrick disappeared and how ultimately then she met her death. Anyone with information about Annie McCarrick is asked to either contact the investigation team at Irishtown Garda Station at 01 6669600, their local garda station, or the Garda Confidential telephone line 1800 666 111. Cartel boss gave 100k down payment to northern enforcer Mackin to assassinate ganglands Hutch Daniel Kinahan made a down payment of 100,000 to violent enforcer Gerard Mackin for the life of Gerard The Monk Hutch, promising him ten times that when he carries out the hit. The west Belfast thug was flown out to Dubai and given the advance payment as an incentive to kill the veteran criminal and the patriarch of the Hutch Organised Crime Group. Ginger-haired Mackin has recently told a court that he has made poor choices in the past and intends to turn his life around with his family in Spain when he is released from prison after pleading guilty to money laundering. Seeking leniency, the Special Criminal Court was also told that he had a new baby with his long-term partner and had found work in a building firm in Spain. Gerard Mackin (pictured) was hired to murder Gerry Hutch Barrister Ronan Kennedy SC said in Mackins defence that he came from a family where alcohol was rife and had an implant inserted in 2020. The notorious hardman is currently locked-up with members of the Kinahan Cartel in Portlaoise Prison awaiting sentence and is understood to be one of a number of terrorists, hitmen and enforcers who got an advance to murder The Monk. This week, in sensational scenes, Hutch walked free from the Special Criminal Court where he was found not guilty of murdering David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. Clean-shaved Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch photographed after his release Justice Tara Burns, in her lengthy judgement, said the State had not proved that Hutch was one of two shooters dressed in tactical gear and brandishing AK47s on February 5, 2016. It was the right decision and I am happy with it, Hutch told me, as he waited to walk out the doors of the court. Refusing to engage about his future plans, The Monk said a photograph of him looking dishevelled and which had been used in the media some days previous had been taken in Terenure Garda Station in Dublin during his recent arrest in connection with the investigation into corrupt Garda John Spud Murphy. How did that get out, I wonder? he said. Hutch said he wasnt shocked by the not guilty verdict but rather believed it reflected the evidence against him. Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch Where am I going? Im going out that door, he said, pointing to a media scrum gathered outside the Central Courts of Justice. While he was initially expected to leave the country, sources close to The Monk say he feels safest in his home town of Dublin, where he has the eyes and ears of family, friends and his community against the critical threat that remains active from the embattled Kinahan crime group. His close associate James Mago Gately, who has survived two assassination attempts, has also settled back in the capital after years in hiding from Kinahan gunmen. His brother Patsy, named as possibly the organiser of the Regency attack and the man in charge of the weapons around the event, also remains in the capital where his home is under 24-hour Garda watch since February 2016. All are still key targets for the Kinahan group and its leadership who remain in Dubai. While the cartel have been dismantled in Ireland, the veteran criminal is vigilant that the threat to his life could very well be the last sting of a dying wasp and that a bounty still exists on his head. He is also concerned about any threat from the Byrne Organised Crime Group, who operated as the Irish arm of the Kinahan operation. James Jaws Byrne and his wife Sadie lost their son David at the Regency, while the slain mobsters brother, Liam, relocated to Birmingham and has now joined Daniel Kinahan in Dubai. Gerry Hutch Mackin (40) was in custody during the early and most volatile years of the feud but as soon as he was released from prison he moved to Dublin and was linked to Gucci gangster Caolan Smyth, now serving a lengthy sentence for an attempt on the life of Gately. He once worked under the command of INLA boss James Jaws Kelly but the pair fell out when Mackin was overlooked for a leadership role in Dublin and split off to form his own terror cell. In 2009, Mackin became the first person found guilty in a Dublin court for a murder in Belfast. He had been accused of shooting taxi driver Eddie Burns. However, in 2010 the conviction was quashed by Dublins Court of Criminal Appeal and a retrial was ordered but it collapsed after three days meaning Mackin was freed. In September 2015 he was part of a three-man torture team who used a nail gun to crucify a member of the Travelling community over a debt. Mackin and his cohorts nailed the mans feet to the floor and a court was told that the Belfast native had formed the group to extort money and had "filled the void left by the demise of the Dundons. He was extradited from Alicante in Spain last December and pleaded guilty to laundering 4,780 as the proceeds of crime in a case before the Special Criminal Court. In 2019, he was in Dubai with Daniel Kinahan where he was put in charge of a supply route into Ireland amid growing pressure on the cartel. He was also asked to find an opportunity to kill The Monk. It comes after the 44-year-old was accepted into the Witness Security Programme earlier this week following the verdict of The Monk's murder trial State witness Jonathan Dowdall and his father are set to be moved to Arbour Hill Prison over the next few days. It comes after the 44-year-old was accepted into the Witness Security Programme earlier this week following the verdict of Gerard The Monk Hutchs murder trial. The Special Criminal Court found Hutch not guilty of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in north Dublin in February 2016. Dowdall was originally due to go on trial alongside Hutch for the murder of David Byrne. But the murder charge was dropped after he pleaded guilty to facilitating the killing and agreed to testify against his former co-accused. He was sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating the murder of Byrne the day before Hutchs trial began. Dowdall is currently being held in a segregated area of Limerick Prison but is due to be relocated to Arbour Hill Prison in Dublin alongside his father, the Irish Mirror reports. Arbour Hill is where they will most likely be moved to as it fits the criteria as their safety can be guaranteed, a source told the publication. They were going to be moved straight away if Gerry Hutchs verdict was guilty but as it was the opposite there wasnt as much of a rush. Arbour Hill Prison is very quiet and there is rarely any trouble. Former State witness Charlie Bowden once occupied a cell in the basement of the jail. The source said that Dowdall will no doubt be always looking over his shoulder as he enters the Witness Security Programme. From their new prison location, the Dowdalls will be released and relocated out of the country under the Witness Security Programme. There is an even higher risk against Jonathan Dowdalls life now that Gerry Hutch was found not guilty. Associates of the Hutch gang will be out for his blood as well as from the Kinahan cartel. On his release, Dowdall will almost certainly be relocated abroad by gardai, most likely to an English-speaking country, and set up with a new identity and livelihood. He will receive limited financial support. The security services in his new home will be responsible for his safety as he has been assessed as being under continuing and severe threat. Shocking footage shows a man wielding a blade threatening dad of two A man is seen brandishing a saw was caught on camera at the front door of Dr Raheels home This is the 80-year-old man charged with reckless endangerment following an alleged incident involving a circular saw at a rented home. Thomas Walsh, with an address in Galway, appeared before Loughrea District Court on Thursday afternoon charged with an offence contrary to section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences Act 1997. The pensioner was arrested by gardai on Wednesday night, three days after footage emerged on social media showing a circular saw being used to cut through the front door of a property rented by Portiuncula Hospital surgeon Dr Muhammed Raheel Bethel, his wife and two young daughters. Appearing before Judge James Faughnan at Loughrea District Court on Thursday, Walsh, with an address in Salthill in Galway, was formally charged. The court heard it was alleged that Walsh, on April 17, 2023, at the Aonoch apartments, Dunlo Hill, Ballinasloe, did intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct. The conduct alleged was that he lunged at Mr Muhammed Raheel while operating a power hand saw in an aggressive and threatening manner which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another. Garda inquiry under way into video of landlord allegedly lunging at tenant with circular saw In the clip shared online, a man issued a number of threats to Dr Raheel while wielding a circular saw at the front door of his property. At the start of the shared video, the blade from a circular saw can be seen from inside, cutting through the door alongside the lock. A man is seen brandishing a saw was caught on camera at the front door of Dr Raheels home Dr Raheel then tells a man standing outside: Stay there, Im going to call the guards. The man responds: Go on, yeah go on. Again, urged to stay there by Dr Raheel, the man responds: No, no. This is my plan. You go to hell! Dr Raheel again tells the man: You cannot do this, but the man repeats: You go to hell! Dr Raheel Bethel at his front door The man then switches on the circular saw and appears to raise it before moving forwards in Dr Raheels direction. Are you mad? asks the startled doctor in the footage. I am! the man replies. Im mad at you. You think I wouldnt do it? Ill f**king split you open you b**tard. You got it? Call the guards. Go on, call the f**king guards. I dont give a sh*t about your family or nothing. You will lose more than you have ever lost. At Thursdays sitting in Loughrea, Judge Faughnan remanded Walsh on bail to appear again at Ballinasloe District Court on May 25. 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. 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. His deranged followers started posting their photos on neo-Nazi social media pages this week Sick Ulster Nazis celebrated Adolf Hitlers birthday this week by baking cakes in his honour, we can reveal. Members of Ulster Blood and Honour joined Blood and Honour members around the world to mark the occasion by having a shameless cake competition. Despite being dead for almost 80 years, Hitler continues to be worshipped by fanatics all over the world. His deranged followers started posting their photos on neo-Nazi social media pages this week and some of the cakes posted were made in Northern Ireland. We can reveal the same crowd who hosted a secretive Nazi gig at a social club in north Belfast in February have been privately sharing their love of Hitler in the days leading up to his birthday on Thursday. Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 and died on April 30, 1945 after taking his own life in a Berlin bunker as the Second World War approached its end. Nazi cakes Ulster members of the hardcore Blood and Honour are celebrating his birthday and the Sunday Worldhas seen one Ulster members tribute to the worlds biggest mass murderer. The cake had Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler inscribed across it in icing. Another cake posted by a Nazi in Florida had a Nazi swastika baked into the topping and swastika flags decorating the edges. Sadly, Hitlers birthday is celebrated every year all over the world. Last year a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia, called the cops when a group of Nazis held a party for Hitler. They even posed for photographs and stood giving Nazi salutes. The restaurant apologised, saying they had no idea the group were Nazis until the last minute when they pulled out a cake and displayed photos commemorating the evil mass murderer. Six years ago a Polish neo-Nazi group called Pride and Modernity celebrated Hitlers birthday in a forest at night by dressing in SS and Wehrmacht uniforms and nailing swastikas to trees in an shocking ceremony which took place just 30 miles away from Auschwitz. Ulster Blood and Honour are a relatively small but active branch and we recently revealed how they staged a neo-Nazi gig in Belfast. Notorious British band Brutal Assault were joined at the secretive show by two bands from Europe. Members of a Polish far-right group were also in attendance for the event, which was organised with strict security in fear of being targeted by protests. Blood and Honour was founded by the late Ian Stuart Donaldson, who fronted notorious band Skrewdriver. It wasnt the first time the hate-filled bands have held secret gigs in Northern Ireland and the Sunday World has been told there are plans for many more after the Nazi-supporting lunatics were chased from holding their gigs in Britain. In recent times, venues hosting these gigs in Scotland and England have been infiltrated by Hope Not Hate members, forcing them to cancel before they actually took place. Hope Not Hate managed to stop a gig last November that was supposed to take place in Bathgate, Scotland. Belfast remains one of the few destinations still hosting the secretive shows which are a depressing reminder that there remains a contingent of deluded far-right supporters in this country despite thousands of people from Northern Ireland dying during the war against Hitlers murderous regime. In 2019 we revealed how the racist knuckle-draggers held a skinhead gig at a secret destination in east Belfast. Bands from Italy and the Czech Republic flew into the country to headline the far-right bash. They brought with them supporters from throughout Europe, with others travelling from the Republic of Ireland. Among those in attendance was infamous north coast Nazi Mark Brown. An Egyptian medical student in Sudan died on Sunday after suffering a health crisis, according to news reports. Saber Nasr El-Din, a student at the Faculty of Medicine at Khartoum University, died on Sunday after he suffered a severe drop in blood pressure, according to his Egyptian roommates who spoke to news websites in Egypt. Nasr's roommates said they were in contact with the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum to repatriate his body to his hometown of Dayrout in the governorate of Assiut in Upper Egypt. The Egyptian Ministry of foreign Affairs is coordinating with the relevant authorities in Sudan to evacuate Egyptian nationals from Khartoum and elsewhere in the country as armed confrontations between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces raged in the capital into a second week. On Sunday, sources told Al-Arabiya that Egypt has deployed security forces on its borders with Sudan to secure the safe evacuation of Egyptian nationals from Sudan. At least 10,000 Egyptians, including 5,000 students, are in Sudan. The sources added to Al-Arabiya that the Egyptian and Sudanese armed forces are coordinating to begin these evacuation operations, adding that Sudan has provide Egypt with the details of the safe corridors that will take Egyptian nationals to designated evacuation sites in Sudan. The Sudanese army will be accompanying convoys of Egyptians who will be evacuated from Sudan to the border crossings between the two countries, the sources noted. Search Keywords: Short link: I actually feel like a princess when I walked into it. Its so nice Erin McGregor has shown off the beautiful Italian palace that she is considering for the wedding she is planning for summer of next year. Bride-to-be Erin, the sister of Conor McGregor, and her fiance Terry Kavanagh gave fans a tour of the palace located on an Italian lake that they visited with her son Harry (six). Standing outside the ornate building, Erin invites followers on her Instagram page to come with me and Terry as we view this Italian palace. Erin, Terry and son Harry checking out the venue in Italy I was like oh, my gosh, she declares. I actually feel like a princess when I walked into it. Its so nice. The only one thing that kept playing on my mind was that because of the noise pollution laws in Italy you have to be indoors by 11pm and off the premises by 1am. I know that may be okay for anybody else but we Irish, we like to party. As they walk up the marble stairs, Erin adds: This particular palace is on the lake so I was a little bit concerned for Harry, but as usual he did absolutely amazing. Harry is non-verbal and was diagnosed with autism in 2019. UFC star Conor is Erins brother Terry and me (sic) both have different aesthetics so I love a certain look and I was like, come on Terry, how would you not love this? This is a fairytale princess palace, she adds. Actually, a family actually lives here. Its an occupied palace. Anyway you go up the stairs and out to where you can have your ceremony. Erin then guides viewers out onto a stunning stone walk way that overlooks the lake. So, out here is a possible location to have your ceremony, she adds. So, can you imagine walking up the aisle? Oh my God. You have to consider that because youre hiring out the whole venue, theres no chairs, no kitchen, no chairs, no knives and no forks, so all of that has to be added on top. Erin at the palace However, while she was clearly blown away by the venue, Erin did rule out the Plan B that they talk about a lot, as it has rain. Plan B is indoors and I was like, no Plan B is indoor, is Ireland guys (sic) The former Dancing with the Stars contestant got engaged to her long-time partner Terry at Christmas and now they are planning to get married in a summer wedding in 2024. In January, Erin celebrated her engagement with her closest gal pals in her brothers Crumlin pub, The Black Forge Inn. Sharing videos from the fun-fuelled bash, she wrote: Your thoughtfulness and kindness never cease to amaze me, and I feel so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family in my life. Thank you for our girls night celebrating my engagement. I am truly grateful for your friendship, and I look forward to many more fun and memorable nights out with all of you. Im wondering how many girls nights out can we get from an engagement? GIRLSJUSTWANNAHAVEFUN. Where would we be without our girls? Terry and Erin met in Las Vegas back in 2014 at one of Erins brother Conors UFC fights and they have one son Harry. The groom-to-be popped the question while Erin was on the Olympia Theatre stage performing in the Olly, Polly and the Beanstalk pantomime. Terry appeared on the stage during the encore and got down on one knee in front of a cheering live audience on St Stephens Day. Erin shared a clip of the special moment on Instagram, where she can be seen covering her face in surprise as she appeared to be lost for words. Im totally speechless, with every hurdle and struggle weve been through, weve been through it together, and I know whatever comes our way we will take it on as a team, she captioned the post. My heart is bursting with all of the love and support from everyone and Im still trying to process the magic of it all. Our love story might not have been straightforward, but I cant wait to spend forever with my best friend and my gorgeous family. Heres to forever with you, she added, tagging her partner in the post. The Radio Nova star was doing a clear out of his home last week when he came across an old Celtic jersey PJ Gallagher raised 400 for an Irish animal charity this weekend after selling some old football memorabilia he found his house. The Radio Nova star was doing a clear out of his home last week when he came across an old Celtic jersey. He admitted that hes never been a Celtic fan but bought the green and white top back in the late nineties as he asked his followers if one of them would be interested in taking it off his hands. He tweeted a photo of the top on Tuesday, which seemed to be in pristine condition, and said: Cleaning out the house and I found this. I bought it about 96/97 I think even though Ive never been a Celtic fan. Any real fans out there want to give it a new home? Honestly didnt realise there would be so much interest in this jersey. So Im going to auction it off and give the few quid for it to the @ISPCA1 Highest bid by 3pm on Saturday will take it. pic.twitter.com/zwjc8A2pQ4 PJ Gallagher (@pjgallagher) April 19, 2023 After receiving dozens of replies, PJ decided to auction it off to the highest bidder to raise some money for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA). He gave punters a deadline of Saturday at 3pm to place their bids and asked anyone interested to send him a DM on Twitter. Honestly didnt realise there would be so much interest in this jersey. So Im going to auction it off and give the few quid for it to the @ISPCA1 Highest bid by 3pm on Saturday will take it, he said. The jersey eventually sold for an impressive 400, with PJ thanking his followers for getting in touch. Sold for 400. Thanks so much everyone, he said in an update on Saturday evening. Fans arrived in their droves to congratulate the Dubliner on the initiative, with one person writing: Great shirt, with a great cause attached to it. Another said: Nice one PJ, a lovely jersey, cant remember the last time I fitted into a size large jersey. And someone else penned: Brilliantly done pj well done the new owner too. The comedian has previously stepped out to support the ISPCA on their annual SpayAware appeal, calling on pet owners to play their part in ending Irelands toll of unwanted cats and dogs. He joined forces with the charity a few years back highlight Irelands animal overcrowding issue which sees thousands of unwanted cats and dogs ending up in animal shelters every year. I love dogs and I love cats mostly dogs if Im honest, but I do love cats as well. Theyre furry and theyre friendly and theyre just great craic. Ive never once been heckled by an animal, he said as part of the campaign at the time. They cant add or subtract but one thing they can do and will do is multiply, if you let them. If you have dogs or cats, please neuter or spay them because the overpopulation of animals just isnt a joke. Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga communities have a range of services and events on April 25 to attend to commemorate ANZAC Day. Papamoa, Mount Maunganui and Tauranga will hold dawn services. Memorial and remembrance services will also be held at Mount Maunganui, Tauranga and Pyes Pa. ANZAC Day in the Western Bay will feature dawn parades and services at Katikati, Waihi Beach, Omokoroa and Maketu. Papamoa cenotaph. Photo: Bryan Montuya. Papamoa The Papamoa War Memorial Community Trust invites all residents to this years Dawn Service at the Cenotaph by Stella Place Carpark, Papamoa Beach Rd. Veterans, returned servicemen and women are requested to assemble along with Police, NZ Fire Service and Scouts at the Pony Club fields from 5.30am. At 6am is the parade call to order, with a march to the Cenotaph, then start of the service. Disability parking will be available, and this year the road to the carpark will be floodlit for ease of access. Mount Maunganui cenotaph. Photo: Taylor Rice. Mount Maunganui The Mount Maunganui Dawn Service is at Mount Maunganui Cenotaph, Marine Parade, opposite Mount Drury. People can assemble at 5.45am, with a 5.55am march off followed by a service from 6am. A free park and ride service will operate from Kawaka St, behind Blake Park, to Maunganui Rd behind Mount Drury Reserve. Buses will depart Kawaka St between 5am and 5.50am, returning at the end of the Dawn Service between 6.15am and 7.30am. A Mount Maunganui Civic Memorial Service begins 9.30am at Mount Maunganui Cenotaph, Marine Parade (opposite Mount Drury Reserve, Hopukiore). People can assemble at Mount Drury Reserve at 9.15am for a 9.25am march off. Tauranga City Tauranga Citys Dawn Service is at the Tauranga RSA Cenotaph, 1237 Cameron Rd, Greerton. Assemble 5.45am at Hayes Ave for a 5.55am march off and service at 6am. A Tauranga Moana Tumatauenga ANZAC Commemoration begins 5.45am at Te Whetu o Te Rangi Marae, Welcome Bay Rd, Tauranga. The Tauranga Civic Memorial Service is at Tauranga Memorial Park, Eleventh Ave. Parade assembly is on the grass beside Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre at 8.45am. March off is 8.55am and the 9am service will take place indoors at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre if poor weather prevents an outside gathering at Memorial Park. A park and ride and wreath laying are available at this service. Pyes Pa will hold a Remembrance Service at 11am at Pyes Pa Cemetery, 403 Pyes Pa Rd. Western BOP In the Western BOP, Katikatis dawn service begins 6am at Katikati War Memorial Hall. Those keen to march from the Talisman Hotel can assemble there by 5.45am. Katikati will also have a short service at Katikati Cemetery at 9am. Omokoroa is hosting a dawn service from 6am at Remembrance Cairn, Gerald Crapp Reserve, Omokoroa Point. Maketus dawn service begins 6am at Park Road Reserve. Te Puke will have a parade begin 9.50am opposite Te Puke War Memorial Hall followed by a Civic Memorial Service from 10am at the Te Puke War Memorial Hall. Attendees are asked to be seated before arrival of the parade. After the service, people can move to the cenotaph for wreath laying. To find out more about ANZAC Commemorations on April 25 in the Tauranga region, see: https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/exploring/whats-on/annual-council-run-events/anzac-day/service-information For contacts and information about ANZAC Day events in the Western BOP, see: https://www.westernbay.govt.nz/council/news-and-updates Man held after woman falls to her death from sixth-floor window balcony in Malaga Police are investigating the circumstances as it emerged the South American victim, who had only been in Spain a short time, had called a friend to say she was afraid Juan Cano Malaga Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Spains National Police force is investigating the death of a woman after she fell from the sixth floor of a building in the Teatinos district of Malaga city. Officers have arrested the man who she was with in the property until it is clear if he is involved in any way in the incident. At 6.40am on Saturday, 22 April, both the 112 Andalucia and police control rooms received calls from neighbours alerting them to noise coming from an apartment on Calle Juan de Robles, very close to the City of Justice. Apparently, one of the callers said that there was an argument taking place. Ampliar National Police vehicle at the scene. Salavdor Salas Several National and Local Police patrols rushed to the scene and found a woman had fallen around 20-metres from a window balcony of a sixth-floor property. Paramedics could do nothing to save her life. The property from which she fell is the home of a 46-year-old Bulgarian man. When police went to the apartment, he was arrested due to the possibility that he could have been directly or indirectly involved in the woman's fall. Police enquiries identified the victim as a 42-year-old South American. Although initially it was investigated whether they were a couple, enquiries have since ruled this out. It appears that the woman had been in Spain for a short time. Everything indicates that the victim met up with the man, who was partying at the property. It has not been revealed if they previously knew each other or had friends in common. At the scene, police allegedly found cash on a table and traces of drugs. Ampliar The sealed-off apartment. Salvador Salas The main hypothesis that police are investigating is that during the early morning there was a discussion and that the woman felt in danger. In fact, she even contacted a friend of hers to tell her that she was afraid. What remains to be clarified, according to sources, is whether that fear caused her to accidentally fall from the balcony or if the man had an involvement in the incident. On Saturday morning, forensic officers were seen trying to take fingerprints from the small window balcony from which the woman fell to find any evidence to allow them to reconstruct what happened. The investigation, which the Homicide Group has taken over, remains open. Egypt has deployed security forces on its borders with Sudan to secure the safe evacuation of Egyptian nationals from Sudan, according to sources that spoke to Al-Arabiya TV Station on Sunday. The sources added to Al-Arabiya that the Egyptian and Sudanese armed forces are coordinating to begin these evacuation operations, adding that Sudan has provided Egypt with the details of the safe corridors that will take Egyptian nationals to designatedevacuation sites in Sudan. The sources explained that the Sudanese army will be accompanying convoys of Egyptians who will be evacuated from Sudan to the border crossings between the two countries. On Saturday, the Egyptian Ministry of foreign Affairs said that it is coordinating with the Sudanese authorities to facilitate the evacuation of Egyptians in the capital Khartoum and other parts of the country. At least 10,000 Egyptians, including 5,000 students, are in Sudan. The foreign ministry urged Egyptian nationals outside Khartoum to head to the nearest point to them in preparation for evacuation by the Egyptian authorities. These points are the headquarters of the Egyptian Consulate General in Port Sudan, Red Sea state, (contact number: 00249906398621) or the Wadi Halfa Consulate Office in Wadi Halfa city, Northern state, (contact number: 00249116604033 - 002491118162679). On Sunday, the foreign ministry urged Egyptians in Khartoum to continue to stay at home and steer clear of areas of conflict after a member of the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum was shot by a firearm. Search Keywords: Short link: Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv's long-awaited spring counteroffensive. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with stable supply lines to their positions. Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country's south. Responding to Ukrainian media reports proclaiming that the establishment of such positions indicated the counteroffensive had begun, Natalia Humeniuk, the spokeswoman for Ukraines Operational Command South, called for patience. While neither confirming nor denying the ISW report, she said only that details of military operations in the Dnieper delta couldn't be disclosed for operational and security reasons. Speaking on Ukrainian television, Humeniuk added that it was very difficult work when its necessary to overcome an obstacle such as the Dnieper, when the front line passes through a wide and powerful river. After more than a year since the Russian invasion, recent fighting has become a war of attrition, with neither side able to gain momentum. But Ukraine has recently received sophisticated weapons from its Western allies, and new troops freshly trained in the West, giving rise to growing anticipation of a counteroffensive. The fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense. On Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed Moscow's forces had captured two more neighborhoods in the western part of Bakhmut, without providing further details or clarifying what areas were still in Ukrainian hands. In the south, the Dnieper has for months marked the contact line in the Kherson region, where its namesake capital is regularly pummeled by shelling from Russian forces stationed across the river. In addition to having established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, across the Dnieper delta from Kherson, ISW said that Ukrainian troops were also approaching the nearby village of Dachi, citing data from Russian military bloggers. In Telegram posts on Thursday and Saturday, ISW said the bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had maintained these positions for weeks and established stable supply lines to them, indicating a lack of Russian control over the area. The Associated Press confirmed the posts from the bloggers, but it wasn't immediately possible to independently verify the data they shared. Russia is also expected to launch more intensive attacks in the spring, but ISW reported that top Russian defense figures are showing signs that they may be pushing for a consolidation of existing gains in Ukraine, rather than costly new operations, as Moscow struggles with both material and manpower. The think tank cited comments from financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut. On Saturday, Prigozhin's press service posted comments he made on its official Telegram channel in which he argued that Russian forces need to anchor (themselves) in such a way that it is only possible to tear them out with (the) opponent's claws. The interview was published shortly after Western leaders meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany pledged to train more Ukrainian personnel and keep up their military support for Kyiv. As Moscow seeks to bolster its troop numbers, the U.K. Ministry of Defense noted Sunday in an intelligence briefing that Russian authorities had mounted a large-scale military recruitment campaign using social media, billboards, and state television. It said Russian officials are almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent, while assessing that this latest effort would likely fail to meet the defense ministry's stated goal of recruiting 400,000 new volunteers. In attacks overnight, local authorities in eastern Ukraine reported that Russian forces had launched at least five S-300 missiles at Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city and the surrounding region. The missiles damaged an industrial facility and private homes but caused no casualties, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the Kharkiv regional governor. In Kherson, one civilian was killed and two were wounded as Russian troops used artillery, drones and warplanes to launch a total of 54 strikes on the province, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram on Sunday morning. Russian forces on Saturday and overnight also dropped five guided aerial bombs over the Kherson region, Ukraines Operational Command South said in a Facebook post Sunday. According to the post, the bombs were launched from drones and aircraft and damaged multiple residential buildings, but caused no casualties. Also in the Kherson region, two women, ages 85 and 57, were hospitalized after being wounded in a Russian artillery attack that damaged a local school and about 25 residential buildings in the village of Kizomys, Prokudin said in a Telegram post. Search Keywords: Short link: Syracuse, N.Y. A chartered American Airlines flight touched down at Syracuse Hancock International Saturday evening where passengers received a heros welcome - a water canon landing - on the tarmac before heading to the gate. On board were 80 Syracuse Honor Flight veterans returning from a long day touring the U.S. Navy Memorial, WWII Memorial, the U.S. Marine Corps and USAF Memorials, and the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials in Washington DC. The day was punctuated by observing the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Family, friends and members of the public lined the main building of the Syracuse airport from the baggage claim to the center escalators. Celebrants waved flags and posters as the Honor Flight Veterans processed through an emotional welcome home celebration. Honor Flight Syracuse, currently led by President Kevin Bradley, has flown over 1,200 veterans since 2012 from Central and Northern New York and the Mohawk Valley to view memorials in Washington D.C., at no cost to the veterans. The past is never dead. Its not even past. We are reminded of William Faulkners famous quotation as two strands of 15th century history meet in present-day Columbus Circle in Syracuse, calling us to reflection and reconciliation. Any day now, an appeals court will decide whether the city of Syracuse can remove the statue of Christopher Columbus at the circles center and replace it with a less divisive, more unifying symbol. A few steps away, in the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, Bishop Douglas Lucia hails the recent decision by Pope Francis to officially repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery. The doctrine a series of 15th century papal bulls provided justification for Columbus and other European colonizers to claim Indigenous lands and their riches as if the people who lived there were merely occupants. An 1823 Supreme Court decision embedded the Doctrine of Discovery into U.S. law. It continues to shape relations between the federal government and Native Americans, as in the 2005 Supreme Court decision rejecting the Oneida Indian Nations claim to sovereignty over land it had sold to the state of New York 200 years ago and had recently repurchased. For decades, the Haudenosaunee and other Indigenous peoples pressed the Vatican to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery. To his credit, in 2021 Lucia was the first American Catholic bishop to publicly call on the pope to acknowledge the damage caused by the papal bulls and to apologize for harms to Indigenous peoples. On a trip to Canada last year, Pope Francis apologized for appalling abuses against Indigenous children in church-run schools but stopped short of rejecting the Doctrine of Discovery. That officially came in a Vatican statement published March 30. The statement said the papal decrees did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples and had been manipulated by colonial powers to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities. Onondaga Nation Faithkeeper Oren Lyons, speaking to the Buffalo News, said he was pleased -- but would not be satisfied until the church acknowledges its complicity in centuries of cruel treatment of Native Americans. Historians and theologians differ on the centrality of the Doctrine of Discovery to the horrors of colonization; empire and avarice, not holiness, motivated European monarchs and their conquistadors. But there is no question the doctrines existence, and the churchs feeble attempts to make amends for it, were an impediment to relations between the church and Indigenous peoples worldwide. The symbolism of the Vatican saying, once and for all, that it rejects the doctrine is important but the church should not be content to stop there. It is an opening for contrition, dialogue and healing. Symbols are powerful things. The Vatican statement on the Doctrine of Discovery forces us to confront the symbolism of a statue lionizing Columbus situated in the heart of the Haudenosaunee confederacy. It is a barrier to reconciliation. We agree with Lucias view expressed in a recent letter to the editor: Pope Francis has created an opportunity for a deeper dialogue between Christians and Indigenous people on whose ancestral land we live. The past is never dead. Its not even past. But the future is ours to write. About Syracuse.com editorials Editorials represent the collective opinion of the Advance Media New York editorial board. Our opinions are independent of news coverage. Read our mission statement. Members of the editorial board are Tim Kennedy, Trish LaMonte, Katrina Tulloch and Marie Morelli. To respond to this editorial: Submit a letter or commentary to letters@syracuse.com. Read our submission guidelines. If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion lead, at mmorelli@syracuse.com The first day of the 2023 Syracuse Gun Show is in the can, but the show returns today at the State Fairgrounds Center of Progress building, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. General admission is $8 ($6 for seniors). Children under 12 are free with a paying adult. There is no military discount. A shuttle will take you to the doors from the parking lot. The Syracuse Gun Show is billed as New Yorks largest gun show, with 1,000 tables filled with just about every kind of pew-pew device you can imagine: rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, even old crew-served machine guns modified to be legal (semiautomatic) in New York State. Expect to haggle on prices. Run out of tracer ammo? This is the place to stock up. How about a bayonet to trick out your vintage .30-40 Krag? Or a new upper for your AR with a spiffy electric-blue free floating hand guard? Not for you? Well heres something for that space on the wall in the den next to the moose antlers: a Soviet submarine wind-up clock. Take a look through the photo gallery to see some unusual finds from the weekends show. Sign up for the CNY Outdoors Newsletter Enter your email address to get weekly updates on CNY outdoors news delivered to your inbox: Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post-Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors. A solar flare eruption on the sun could give New York a rare opportunity to see the the glow of the northern lights early Monday morning, but theres a catch. The northern lights may be able to be seen from 1 a.m. until sunrise Monday morning, but cloud cover and night light pollution could block the celestial lights, National Weather Service Binghamton Meteorologist-in-Charge David Nicosia said. The solar flare erupted Friday afternoon, sending a cloud of charged particles rushing toward the Earth. The charged particles interacted with Earths atmosphere and produced the colorful lights known as the aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere, according to AccuWeather. Aurora borealis, or the northern lights, are arcs and spirals of glowing lights. NOAAs Space Weather Prediction Center predicted a level two storm on the Geomagnetic Storm Impact scale, but it could reach a level three status. Strong geomagnetic storms such as these could cause the northern lights to be seen as far south as the northern tier of the United States, AccuWeather reports. States along the US-Canadian border and others as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wyoming and Oregon, could also see the lights tonight, the station reported. Nicosia said the northern lights could be seen in a very dark area, and that onlookers would need to look off to the north of the horizon. The photo illustrates the Southern extent of where aurora borealis might be seen on the northern horizon. April 23, 2023 (Photo: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com Actor Benicio del Toro poses for EL PAIS on Friday in Madrid's Intercontinental Hotel. Samuel Sanchez This weekend in Madrid, Benicio del Toro received the Honorary Platino Award at the Ibero-American film ceremony an accolade previously bestowed on the likes of Antonio Banderas, Ricardo Darin and Carmen Maura. Im delighted to be part of this group, he says. Thirty years have passed since the release of Huevos de oro (Golden Balls), the first film he made with a Spanish director (Bigas Luna), and he recounts that to play that role, which gave him the chance to meet one of his favorite actors, Javier Bardem, he had to sneak away from another shoot in Pennsylvania. Huevos de oro was being shot in Miami and the other one was in the middle of winter, so I had to wear a Mexican hat to shield myself from the sun. During the award ceremony, the audience laughs at the anecdote given by the 56-year-old from Puerto Rico, whose dark under-eye circles are the most distinctive in cinema. There are also roars of laughter when he says that he would like his country to match the incredible success it has obtained with reggaeton or when, in saying that he would like to do other things producing, directing, maybe , he compares himself to SpongeBob since I became a father, everything has changed a lot. In an interview with EL PAIS, he says that he would like to take his daughter to visit the Alhambra palace in the Spanish city of Granada: Shes 11 now and its the perfect time, but I have to be in New York on Monday and theres no time for sightseeing this time. It will have to be on my next visit. The actor, who earned an Oscar for Traffic (2000), is of Basque descent: On my fathers side, one of the surnames is Irisarri; on my mothers side, my grandmothers, one is Bengoa. I grew up in a place called Santurce and Im a big fan of the group Eskorbuto. His latest film, a thriller called Reptile, starring Alicia Silverstone, is due to be released soon on Netflix. Question. In The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg describes the fascination of his first time in the cinema as if he had experienced enlightenment when he stepped into the darkened room. Do you remember that first time? Answer. The first film I remember seeing was James Bond, Live and let die [1973]. My old man and grandfather loved the cowboy ones, the westerns, but that feeling of being in the movie theater, being surrounded by people, with the movie about to start and people going shhh, thats ... Q. You dont get that from Netflix. A. No. And Ill always remember that. Another film that really influenced me at the cinema was Papillon [1977], with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. That impacted me. Q. And as someone as famous as you, can you still have the ritual of going to the movies, buying some popcorn and immersing yourself into a story without anyone disturbing you? Does fame deprive you of your freedom? A. Fame takes away a bit of that, the privacy. I mean, it doesnt exactly take it away, you just have to fight for it a bit. It becomes something you have to prepare, to cook, to organize. And that takes time away from you. But I still go to the movies. I recently went to see Air. I also watch movies at home and I show movies to my daughter. Q. What was the last one you showed her? A. (Laughs). My daughter and her friend had seen Scream 2, a horror film that scares me. I asked them if they wanted to see a proper good movie and I played them Sunset Boulevard [1950]. Q. And did they like it? A. At first, they were like: oh, in black and white, but yes, they liked it. Q. Until you won the Oscar, your family was insisting on setting you straight, i.e., sending you to law school, which is what your parents and godmother had studied. A. Yes. Im sad that theyre no longer with us and I miss them. If I could bring them back, Id be studying law right now. Q. Where do you keep the Oscar? A. At home. Q. In what part of your home? Do you forget that you have an Oscar? A. Yes, you do forget. Q. In Spain, people speak of the curse of the Goya film awards: you stop working after winning the award. Can an actor get used to success and relax at some point? A. No. If you got used to it, it means you believed it. Success is like a cloud or like smoke coming out of the car. Its like the smell of the flower, Im starting to get poetic. It can provide you with opportunities, but it cant do your job for you. Benicio del Toro on Friday, in Madrid. Samuel Sanchez Q. Do you still fear that the phone wont ring? A. Yes. Rejection is part of an actors training. Its something that stays with you, its always there. You feel that perhaps youre not going to work anymore. But you cant despair and just accept anything or do something that doesnt really interest you, that doesnt excite you, because youre afraid you wont get work. There are ways to keep yourself busy without having to be filming all the time. Q. Do you remember what your first paycheck as an actor was and what you did with it? A. Yes, the first thing I did was buy a suitcase (laughs). Q. Thats some metaphor, isnt it? A. Yes. The paycheck was a bit more than that, but that was the investment I made: to be able to travel. It was the first time I ever bought a suitcase because I always had the one that passed from cousin to uncle, to grandfather. That was around 1988 or thereabouts. And it didnt have wheels. Q. Theres a Spanish comedian, Raul Cimas, who has a joke about that: we sent a man to the Moon, but it took us many more years to put wheels on suitcases. A. (Laughs). Yes, thats right. Suitcases didnt have wheels until the nineties! Q. When he was in his 70s, director Kaneto Shindo, someone you admire, dedicated a film to his mother, who he had lost at the age of nine. Your mother also died very young. A. Yes. I lost my mother at the same age as he did and when I had the chance to meet him, we discussed it. I asked him, after making the film, whether any of that emptiness that you get when you lose your mother at such a young age had changed. He told me: No, I made the movie, but nothing changed. Memories are always lingering. I think of my mother every day. Actor Benicio del Toro at the Intercontinental hotel in Madrid on Friday. Samuel Sanchez Q. Do you remember how you felt when you got to her age? A. Yes. I felt like I was just a child when she passed away. I was so young. Q. Ricardo Darin turned down a Hollywood role to play a Mexican drug trafficker. Do Latino actors still experience these kinds of cliches? Especially in your early days, was it easy to tell when the offer was related to your origins or features and when it was related to your acting skill? A. I think the cliches and stereotypes have changed a bit or maybe theres a bit more sensitivity, but theyre still there and theyre still problematic. Narco movies have made a lot of actors careers, Im one of them. There are series, like Breaking Bad, Narcos... and movies, like Traffic and Sicario. Cliches exist, but like in gangster movies and Westerns, for instance, you can explore a lot of things about the human race, the extremes and that bring us to Shakespeare: revenge, love.... As with everything, it should be in the hands of a good team of filmmakers. Ive had the chance to make films like this with first-class crews, like Sodeberberghs on Traffic. Now, if a role comes along for a narco, you know the director and they dont seem to be sensitive or dont venture to make changes, then its not worth it. But sometimes when you sit down with the director, it becomes something different. Ive made several films that were one thing in the script and then turned out to be something else. You talk, you look for angles, nuances.... Actor Benicio del Toro in Madrid. Samuel Sanchez Q. What role, from the entire history of cinema, from all the films you love, would you have liked to play? A. Right, if I were seven years old, it would be Frankenstein. If I were 15 or 16, John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever or Rocky. But when I see Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata! [1952], for instance, I can only admire him. I dont think Id like to play that role. I wouldnt have the guts. The movie is in English, the guy was from Nebraska and Zapata was from deep in Mexico, but still, I watch that movie and I believe it, he convinces me, Im on his side. Thats amazing. Q. Over the years, some stars have confessed to regretting turning down roles in iconic movies. Has this happened to you? A. Okay, one time, I turned down a role and then I found out that Bob Dylan was in the movie [Masked and Anonymous, 2003] and the scenes were with him. Q. And that frustrated you. A. Yes. I wouldve loved to shake his hand, to meet him, to be able to say that I met him. Q. You worked with the likes of Bigas Luna, Fernando Leon de Aranoa and Javier Bardem. Are there any Spanish directors, actors or actresses you would like to work with? A. Many. Id like to work with Antonio Banderas, with Penelope Cruz... And I really like Carlos Vermuts movies. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Taos County is investigating a second death of a male detainee at its jail in less than a week's time. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications that allow organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy. Note: You can also download the latest final version of Tor Browser here. Individuals use Tor to keep websites from tracking them and their family members, or to connect to news sites, instant messaging services, or the like when these are blocked by their local Internet providers. Tor's hidden services let users publish web sites and other services without needing to reveal the location of the site. Individuals also use Tor for socially sensitive communication: chat rooms and web forums for rape and abuse survivors, or people with illnesses. Journalists use Tor to communicate more safely with whistleblowers and dissidents. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) use Tor to allow their workers to connect to their home website while they're in a foreign country, without notifying everybody nearby that they're working with that organization. Groups such as Indymedia recommend Tor for safeguarding their members' online privacy and security. Activist groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recommend Tor as a mechanism for maintaining civil liberties online. Corporations use Tor as a safe way to conduct competitive analysis, and to protect sensitive procurement patterns from eavesdroppers. They also use it to replace traditional VPNs, which reveal the exact amount and timing of communication. Which locations have employees working late? Which locations have employees consulting job-hunting websites? Which research divisions are communicating with the company's patent lawyers? A branch of the U.S. Navy uses Tor for open source intelligence gathering, and one of its teams used Tor while deployed in the Middle East recently. Law enforcement uses Tor for visiting or surveilling web sites without leaving government IP addresses in their web logs, and for security during sting operations. Welcome Screen Our old screen had way too much information for the users, leading many of them to spend great time confused about what to do. Some users at the paper experiment spent up to 40min confused about what they needed to be doing here. Besides simplifying the screen and the message, to make it easier for the user to know if they need to configure anything or not, we also did a 'brand refresh' bringing our logo to the launcher. Censorship circumvention configuration This is one of the most important steps for a user who is trying to connect to Tor while their network is censoring Tor. We also worked really hard to make sure the UI text would make it easy for the user to understand what a bridge is for and how to configure to use one. Another update was a little tip we added at the drop-down menu (as you can see below) for which bridge to use in countries that have very sophisticated censorship methods. Proxy help information The proxy settings at our Tor Launcher configuration wizard is an important feature for users who are under a network that demands such configuration. But it can also lead to a lot of confusion if the user has no idea what a proxy is. Since it is a very important feature for users, we decided to keep it in the main configuration screen and introduced a help prompt with an explanation of when someone would need such configuration. As part of our work with the UX team, we will also be coordinating user testing of this new UI to continue iterating and make sure we are always improving our users' experience. We are also planning a series of improvements not only for the Tor Launcher flow but for the whole browser experience (once you are connected to Tor) including a new user onboarding flow. And last but not least we are streamlining both our mobile and desktop experience: Tor Browser 7.5 adapted the security slider design we did for mobile bringing the improved user experience to the desktop as well. What's New All Platforms Update Firefox to 68.11.0esr Update NoScript to 11.0.34 Update Tor to 0.4.4.2-alpha Windows + OS X + Linux The latest advances in AI (GPT, LLM, transformers, etc.) are like a Nokia phone in the 90's everyone could see the appeal, but no one could predict all that it would lead to. The tech world has a new obsession with Large Language Models (LLMs), GPTs, and AI in general. Editor's Note: Guest author Jonathan Goldberg is the founder of D2D Advisory, a multi-functional consulting firm. Jonathan has developed growth strategies and alliances for companies in the mobile, networking, gaming, and software industries. Almost all of our news feeds are filled with AI content. We know many software startups who are being told they have to have GPT-something in their product or they will not get funded. And then of course, the general media is consumed with stories about AI alarmism and various billionaires with their GPT thoughts. For our part, we have read a very large number of papers, blog posts and even Stanford's 300+ State of AI report. Despite all of that, we are not convinced. There is no question that LLMs and transformers are important technically, The latest developments mark a major breakthrough in software capabilities. That being said, we are not sure anyone really knows what to do with those capabilities. A few weeks ago, we spoke at the AI Edge Summit, where the organization's Chairman, Jeff Bier, said something that catalyzed our view of AI and GPT. To paraphrase, he said ChatGPT is like seeing the first Nokia phone in the 1990's. We had all heard about mobile phones before that, and these Nokia devices were for many the first phone that looked like something we would actually want to buy. But at the same time, no one looking at the device then would be able to predict all the things that would eventually stem from it 3G, mobile data, smartphones, the iPhone, apps, and a complete reorganization of how we structure our time and daily activities. That seems like a good analogy for ChatGPT. It is useful. The first "AI" application that is useful to ordinary people, but not something that is going to change their lives too meaningfully. For those who have been watching technology for a long time, it is clear that LLMs and transformers have immense potential, we may very well just be scratching the surface of what they can provide. This has a few implications for what happens next: We are very much in the middle of a massive hype cycle. Absent some incredible product surprise, this cycle will eventually fade away and turn to a trough of doubt and despair. It is no coincidence that the media's eye of Sauron has turned so intently on AI just as the rest of the Bubble is deflating. As always, the oracles at The Onion said it best. No one really knows what all of this means. Maybe somewhere there is a rogue genius sitting in her cubicle or his mother's basement with a vision of 1,000 suns pointing the way forward. For everyone else, the future is much less certain. There are plenty of people who argue (very quietly right now) that AI is a dead end, with ChatGPT as just the latest version of chat bots (remember when those were the hot thing? It was only a few years ago.) There are also AI maximalists currently building their Skynet-proof bunkers in preparation for the imminent AI apocalypse because LLMs are just that awesome. Of course, the reality is somewhere in between. We need to remember that AI is just software. These latest new tools are very powerful, but for the foreseeable future we should mostly just expect some aspects of our interaction with software to improve. Developers definitely seem to be enjoying huge benefits from tools like Microsoft's Copilot. Everyone else can probably just expect better written spam e-mail content for the time being. We do not mean to be pessimistic, we are shooting for realistic. From what we can tell, LLMs and GPT offer huge potential to tackle really large data sets. Critically, transformers are probably going to allow us to interrogate problems that previously were too big to approach, or even data problems we had not even realized existed before. Moreover, there is the tantalizing possibility that these gains will be self-reinforcing, a Moore's Law for data analysis. This is important, albeit unexplored. Finally, we think everyone needs to take a more sober approach to the ethics and societal implications of these tools. We do not usually cover this subject, and would skip over it here except for the fact that almost everyone engaged in these advances seems to be blithely (maybe deliberately) avoiding the subject. We are likely months away from the ability to create highly realistic videos of anything. Anything. That is going to mess with a lot of people's heads and maybe we should take a more constructive approach to preparing the world at large for what that means. At the same time, the alarmists calling for a complete end to AI need to face the reality that the ship has sailed. All in all, we are deeply excited by these latest developments. After years of incremental SaaS improvements being hailed as "technology advances," it is exciting to have a genuinely compelling new capability before us. We just wish everyone would take a breath. AI and robots increased the speed of a material research laboratory by 100 times! With the help of artificial intelligence and robotics, the A-Lab at Berkeley was able to become an autonomous laboratory. "Our vision is using AI to discover the materials of the future," said A-Lab leader Yan Zeng. A-Lab is the latest effort of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). If you are curious about this new autonomous material research lab, here are the latest details you need to know. AI, Robots Increase Material Research Lab's Speed by 100x! According to Interesting Engineering's latest report, A-Lab is a 600 square feet laboratory. It has eight furnaces and three robotics arms. Also Read: Researchers Make Drones From Dead Birds! Here's How They Can Help the Aviation Industry Berkeley Lab introduced its concept back in 2020. The government-funded research center was able to construct A-Lab in 2022, thanks to funding from the Department of Energy. Thanks to the efforts made by Berkley Lab's researchers, the autonomous material research facility was completed in less than a year. On the official Berkeley Lab's News Center website, the researcher organization said that their machines are responsible for operating the instruments. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is the one making the decisions to detect useful new materials. A-Lab Faster Than Humans Berkeley Lab claims that the new A-Lab is 50 to 100 times faster than humans when it comes to processing sample materials. With the help of AI, the autonomous research facility can easily pursue promising findings. "Some people might compare our setup with manufacturing, where automation has been used for a long time," explained Zheng. The new A-Lab is specifically designed as a "closed-loop" laboratory. This means that it no longer needs human interference when making decisions. With this, Berkeley Lab's researchers can have more time for other critical tasks. You can click here to learn more about the A-Lab. Here are other stories we recently wrote about Ai and robotics: Google's AI tool was used to help save coral reefs. We also reported about the new New York robocops, which are expected to assist NYPD when it comes to patrolling the streets. For more news updates about AIs and other similar technologies, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Japanese Researchers Develop Breakthrough Method for Creating Molecular Robots 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Telegram, the cloud-based and instant messaging app, on Friday, released a new update for its app that brings new features and improvements for its Android and iOS users. The new Telegram update allows users to share entire chat folders with one link, create custom wallpapers for individual chats, use web apps in any chat, and much more. Lets take a look at the new features and improvements that comes with Telegrams latest update: Shareable Chat Folders You can now share chat folders with friends, co-workers, or followers by sending a single link. You can easily invite friends to groups, collections of news channels, and more. With just one tap, the recipient can conveniently join every group and channel in the folder. Further, each chat folder supports multiple invite links that allow access to different chats. You can include any public chats, as well as any chats where you have the admin rights to add people. To create a folder, open Settings > Chat Folders on any Telegram app. Select the chats you would like to include and give them a name your folder will appear as a separate tab in your chat list, like Work or News. Chat folders can have up to 200 chats each and any chat can be added to multiple folders. To share your folder, long-press the folder name in your chat list and select Share or open the folder in Settings > Chat Folders. This will create a new invite link for your folder. You can choose which of the chats from the folder will become available to the people with this link. However, if you do not want to share your folder with others, do not include or exclude Chat Types like Groups, Channels or Unread. Custom Wallpapers You can now create custom wallpapers with your favorite photos and color combinations that can be used in specific chats to give conversations extra personality and make them stand out. To set a custom wallpaper in any 1-on-1 chat, all you need to do is use the Set Wallpaper setting from the three dots menu in the chat header on Android or open a profile and tap Change Wallpaper from the three dots menu on iOS. Better Bots With the latest Telegram update, the bots are able to host seamless web apps, which can be launched in any chat bringing services and utilities to millions of users. When launched in a group, web apps can now support collaboration and multiplayer features for members. Other Features Other improvements include fast scroll support for message attachments, which now scrolls at super-fast speeds, just like Shared Media. Further, in groups of under 100 members with topics enabled, you will be able to see what time your messages were read by other group members. Lastly, the latest Telegram update brings improved interfaces. For instance, the Send When Online interface now requires fewer taps. Also, you can create groups without adding members immediately, which is useful if you want to set up permissions and pin a few messages first. Additionally, those owning the latest iPhones will now notice a Dynamic Island animation when scrolling through profiles and info pages on the Telegram app. 14-yr-old student wins Chinese proficiency competition in Ireland Xinhua) 14:29, April 23, 2023 CORK, Ireland, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The 16th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students (CPCFSSS) in Ireland was held here on Saturday, drawing dozens of contestants from all over the country. Logan Bowdler Lennon, a 14-year-old student from Ireland's southern city of Waterford, won the first prize of the competition by beating all the other 25 competitors. She will represent Ireland to participate in the grand final of the 16th CPCFSSS, an annual event which will be held in China later this year. Saturday's competition consisted of three parts, namely a quiz to test contestants' knowledge about China, particularly about its language and culture, a speech competition to check their Chinese language ability and a talent show to demonstrate their Chinese artistic talents. In the speech competition, participants were required to finish a speech with a topic chosen by themselves within two minutes. The contents of the talent show included singing Chinese songs, performing Chinese dances, showcasing Chinese painting and Chinese character writing abilities as well as reciting Chinese poems and essays. More than 100 people, including friends and family members of the contestants, watched the competition. Derry Canty, representative of the Lord Mayor of Cork City and councillor of Cork City Council, Frank O'Flynn, vice mayor of Cork County, and Zhu Xikun, head of the Education Section of the Chinese embassy in Ireland, attended the event and awarded prizes to the winners. "Cork City has developed and maintained strong relationships and links with our Sister City of Shanghai and our three partner cities of Hangzhou, Wuxi and Shenzhen. We are proud of our bonds with these Chinese cities and look forward to continuing this engagement in the months and years ahead," said Canty. The competition was organized by the Chinese embassy in Ireland in partnership with the Confucius Institute at University College Cork. There are three Confucius institutes in Ireland. The other two are in Dublin and Galway. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Students of the Thomazia Montoro public school shout for peace and against violence in front of a banner of Elisabete Tenreiro, a 71-year-old teacher who was stabbed to death the previous day, during a vigil at their school in Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 28, 2023. 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? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition 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, 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 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. 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 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 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. 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. 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 cease-fire, he told French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. But those on the ground painted a different picture Friday. 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, 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 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 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. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition [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. Another son of Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman, has been added to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agencys (DEA) blacklist. On Saturday, the DEA announced a $10 million reward for the capture of Ivan Archivaldo, who has joined his older brother, Jesus Alfredo Guzman, on the most-wanted drug traffickers list. This list is dominated by Mexican drug-trafficking criminals, who occupy seven of the top 10 positions. U.S. authorities have cranked up the pressure on Los Chapitos, successors to part of their fathers criminal empire at the head of the Sinaloa Cartel. A Justice Department document released last week depicted them as major traffickers of fentanyl, a potent opioid that is fueling a public health epidemic north of the border and has now become a diplomatic priority between Mexico and the United States. Since the arrest of El Chapo Guzman, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a New York court in 2019, an internal war has raged at the helm of the organization. Los Chapitos control one of the factions, at odds with veteran Mayo Zambadas crew. Zambada was also one of the founders of the Sinaloa Cartel and a former associate of their father, and, incidentally, he also appears on the DEAs list. The third faction in dispute within the cartel is headed by Rafael Caro Quintero, another veteran who reentered the business after 28 years behind bars for the murder of anti-narcotics officer Kiki Camarena. Until his arrest last year, the drug baron was the DEAs most wanted criminal. Today, that position is held by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho. He is the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), currently the most powerful Mexican cartel, which is at constant war with Sinaloa. The other three names on the list are high-ranking officials or operators of Los Chapitos network. Justice Department documents released last week precisely mapped out the new organizational structure of the Sinaloa Cartel, with the sons of the notorious capo at the helm. By fine-tuning the model founded by their father 30 years ago, which involved marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine, the business has focused on expanding the trafficking of fentanyl into the United States. The Justice Departments indictment contains six counts against Los Chapitos and 25 other members of the powerful outfit, whose activities commenced in 2014. The youngest of the sons, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, known as El Raton (The Mouse), was arrested last year and is currently awaiting extradition. He set up their first laboratory for the processing of fentanyl in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa. Guzman used the routes operated by his fathers cartel to dispatch small shipments to Tijuana and cross through the usual channels land, sea and air to deliver the drugs to Los Angeles. By 2016, the shift in business was more evident. The Sinaloa Cartels fentanyl operation has expanded exponentially in terms of volume, scale and sophistication, the Prosecutors Office documents state. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A view of the 2016 party for Boys Hope Girls Hope "There's No Place Like Hope" Gala fundraiser at Pavilion of Two Sisters, City Park. The organization needs volunteers for mentors and tutors. First, smartphones were transformed into digital wallets, now technology giants and banks want to turn phones into devices that can receive payments as well. As more consumers ditch cash and switch to digital payments, leading players in the sector are rolling out changes that allow businesses to use Android phones to accept tap-and-go debit and credit card payments. Tech billionaire Jack Dorseys Square has switched on systems to let Australian businesses use Android phones as payment terminals. Credit: Bloomberg The changes come amid fierce rivalry between banks and fintechs to sign up small business customers, who are adjusting to the ongoing digitisation of consumer payments. At the same time, lenders are keen to use payments data as a valuable source of information about their clients businesses, allowing them to quickly approve loans. In the past week, US technology giants Square, co-founded by tech billionaire Jack Dorsey, and Stripe, a payments fintech, switched on systems to allow Australian businesses to use Android phones as payment terminals. National Australia Bank and Westpac have already announced similar moves as they battle to win over smaller businesses. A groundbreaking supply deal with Japanese truck giant Hino and Volvos Mack will spark growth at start-up SEA-Electric, an electric vehicle company that struggled for a decade to deal with Australias policy vacuum before fleeing to the more fertile ground in the US. SEA founder Tony Fairweather is not your average software technology entrepreneur. SEA Electric workers install proprietary software, drive-train and battery system on a light commercial truck. Credit: After growing up in Melbournes bayside Beaumaris, he joined then-dominant freight company TNT Express and worked his way into senior roles before leaving and starting an import firm distributing light commercial vehicles. I understood the pick-up and delivery segment, he says. That insight into trucks was a stepping stone to another, more radical, venture: software and component start-up SEA whose proprietary software, drive-train and battery system is being installed in light commercial vehicles anything from a Toyota Hilux ute to commercial delivery or council rubbish trucks. 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). Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 22, 2023. The fighting in the capital between the Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces resumed after an internationally brokered cease-fire failed. U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy in warring Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital, Khartoum, with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported. With the last U.S. employee of the embassy out, Washington shuttered the U.S. mission in Khartoum indefinitely. Left behind were thousands of private American citizens remaining in the east African country. U.S. officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation mission. Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders entered their ninth day Sunday, forcing continued closing of the main international airport and leaving roads out of the country in control of armed men. Fighting has killed more than 400 people. In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan to the extent possible. He also called for the end to unconscionable violence there. About 100 U.S. troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation. They airlifted all of roughly 70 remaining American employees from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. Ethiopia also provided overflight and refueling support, said Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Biden said Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia also assisted with the evacuation. 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. U.S. Africa Command and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley were in contact with both warring factions before and during the operation to ensure that U.S. forces would have safe passage to conduct the evacuation. However, John Bass, a U.S. undersecretary of state, denied claims by one faction, Sudans paramilitary Rapid Security Forces, that it assisted in the U.S. evacuation. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation, Bass said. Biden had ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, Biden said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. Sudans fighting broke out April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nations transition to democracy. The ongoing power struggle now between the armed forces chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has millions of Sudanese cowering inside their homes, hiding from explosions, gunfire and looting. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. An estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is rough because not all Americans register with embassy or say when they depart. 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 for American employees of the embassy got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that U.S. troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. 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. Embassy evacuations conducted by the U.S. military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transportation if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, staffers used commercial transport to leave. However, in several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. U.S. troops accompanied personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Welcome back to Quick Q Monday Medias weekly series dedicated to finding out more about the personalities that matter most in the media landscape. Each week, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age ask figures across corporate media, business, sport, federal politics, radio, television and culture to answer questions about their lives, careers, hobbies and news habits. Larry Emdur might be the busiest man on Australian television. This weeks conversation is with the man who spent the entire 1990s inviting Australia to come on down, Larry Emdur. Often described as the nicest man on television, Emdur also seems to be the busiest. He spends his mornings hosting Channel Sevens The Morning Show alongside Kylie Gillies, and each night you can catch him in his natural game show habitat on The Chase. The shock delay of Melbournes long-awaited Airport Rail project has renewed calls to give SkyBus a dedicated lane on the congested Tullamarine Freeway to make it a faster and more reliable alternative to car travel. The Airport Rail link was due to open in 2029 but now faces a delay of up to four years as the cash-strapped state and federal governments look at deferring their joint $10 billion funding commitment. The SkyBus operator has called for a dedicated lane on the Tullamarine Freeway to Melbourne Airport. Credit: Luis Ascui The delay means another decade with SkyBus and private vehicles being the only viable options for most people to get to and from the airport. But Professor Graham Currie, chair of public transport at Monash University, said the privately run SkyBus would suffer worsening travel times as congestion returned to the recently widened Tullamarine Freeway and CityLink tollway. Beginning with matters judicial, few would be surprised that the conservative legal think tank, the Samuel Griffith Society has taken a just asking questions approach to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. The society is set to host a symposium on the Voice in Brisbane next month, with leading No advocate, former charities commissioner and CBD favourite Gary Johns headlining proceedings, along with ex-High Court judge Ian Callinan. Former Queensland senator Amanda Stoker Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Also joining the fun is Amanda Stoker (remember her?) the firebrand former LNP Queensland senator who lost her spot in the upper house for, among other reasons, not drinking enough beer with boorish male preselectors. Callinan aside, theres plenty of support for the Voice among the legal community, with constitutional experts, leading barristers and former judges all trying to hose down bad-faith attacks on the Albanese governments proposed constitutional amendments. And the Yes campaign is being run out of corporate law firm Gilbert and Tobins Barangaroo tower office in Sydney. An investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes revealed the link between The Potters House and the Eastern Freeway truck crash which killed four police in 2020. The truck driver, Mohinder Singh, claims he raised issues about his fatigue and delusions with his boss, Simiona Tuteru, also known as Simon, who laid hands on him and prayed before they agreed Singh would drive one last load. Its a feeling familiar to former members of the Potters House Christian Fellowship, a Pentecostal sect which former members have compared to a cult. Deep down it affected me on a level of so much fear that as a teenager I slept with the light on, she says a decade later. I slept with a fan on so I had constant noise. I was just so scared of silence. Reinforcing this frightening reality was a belief within her small, insular church community that sinning invited the devil in and could cause physical afflictions such as headaches, asthma or even cancer. And if she failed to pray enough to repent her sins, she would be left behind when her loved ones ascended to heaven during the looming rapture. Amy Higginson was a little girl when she was told about the demons manifesting inside her. They were growing, she heard, with each small transgression or misbehaviour. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. She was constantly worried about the punishment she would receive if she confessed to the smallest of transgressions, such as buying lollies, watching TV or listening to non-Christian music. There was little freedom in what she could wear, and she was discouraged from making friends outside the church. Amy was born into the church in the late 1990s. She remembers a regime of rigid control, with church services and activities dominating her life and keeping her family in a tight social bubble. Over months, The Age and Herald have spoken to more than 20 former members of the Potters House, many of whom say the link between the church and the crash is a reminder of the potential danger of some of the churchs more extreme teachings. They want to warn others about the reality of what on the outside appears to be an ordinary Christian group. Tuteru is a senior leader and was a missionary in Africa for the Potters House, a hardline church which believes in faith healing and links medical conditions to specific sins which can be cast out through prayer and repentance. At 15, she fell several metres and badly shattered her leg. She was initially taken to hospital but only returned once to have the cast removed, and once to see a physio. She was in a wheelchair for months. She remembers being told to pray for her own healing, and to let the congregation pray for her, a process which involved them laying their hands all over her body and speaking in tongues. When she had severe headaches, she was brought before the congregation for prayer. When she experienced severe back pain, she was discouraged from seeing a chiropractor and told the pain was evil magic. I was told this is a reality. I fully believed that if I was not a Christian when the rapture happened, that I would be left by myself, Amy recalls. I was told that the end was coming ... it could come tomorrow, or a week or a month or a year. The fear was prominent and there all the time. From a young age, she was shown low-budget, graphic movies, many produced in the US in the 1970s, which depicted the rapture what some Christians including devotees of the Potters House believe will be the end of the world, when Jesus returns and only those who are saved will make it to heaven while others will be stuck in hell on Earth. My whole life pretty much just revolved around the Potters House, she says. Every aspect of my life was heavily controlled. From there it grew, with believers sent across the country to start their own Potters House congregations. According to records lodged with the Australian charity regulator, there are currently 72 Potters House churches registered, and they are understood to have anywhere from a few patrons to hundreds. Another 35 churches have been established over the years but have had their registration revoked. I distinctly remember them commanding the demon of lust out of me. I was a kid. I was 6. In the late 1970s, Mitchell travelled all over the world, including Australia, where he spent almost a month preaching throughout Western Australia. The first church, and what remains the mother church within the religious sect in Australia, was in the Perth suburb of Beechboro. The roots of the Potters House lie in a former gold mining town called Prescott in Arizona. In the 1970s, a man named Wayman Mitchell, disillusioned with his experience at Bible college, started his own church heavily based around evangelism. He dubbed it the Christian Fellowship Ministries, which now operates under several names, including Potters House Christian Fellowship (not to be confused with the US megachurch Potters House led by preacher T.D. Jakes). In her experience of the church, which she left age 16 in 2012, Amy says her local pastors firmly believed they had the power to heal, and that seeking medical treatment was a secondary option after prayer and repentance. The Potters House Footscray Easter march 2019 in Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne. This is repeated across the country. Credit:Youtube/Potters House Footscray A large part of the church routine is aggressive street evangelism, dubbed outreach, which involves gathering in public places in a bid to recruit or save new members. In recent years, this has led to the church grabbing the headlines for extreme displays, such as graphic depictions of Jesus covered in dried blood being nailed to the cross in cities across Australia during Easter. Financial records lodged with the Australian charity regulator show that the smallest churches, which are referred to as pioneer or baby churches, also tithe a portion of their money to their mother church, as well as to the largest church in the country, located in Perth, which in the 2021 financial year brought in $3.3 million in revenue. A portion is then sent from Australia to the head church in Prescott, Arizona, creating a pyramid-like financial structure. Commitments for followers are intense. Services are on Wednesdays and twice on Sundays, with Bible studies, prayer meetings, outreach excursions, concerts and other activities scheduled on the other days. Tithing donating 10 per cent of a persons gross salary to the church is an obligation, with further generous donations called pledges also expected. Pastors dont attend Bible college or receive any formal theological training. Followers are strongly advised not to date anyone from outside the church, and women are expected to be subservient in marriage. Same-sex relationships are classed as sexual sin and perverted behaviour. Extensive interviews with former members paint a picture of a group which exerts unhealthy levels of control over its members. Those in leadership or who have active roles in the church cannot own a television or watch movies or drink alcohol. The group also stages concerts, stage shows, plays and haunted houses, some of which involve graphic depictions of suicides and abortions. In 2010, Potters House members staged a haunted house in Tasmania which portrayed a laughing doctor performing an abortion on a screaming woman who later dies, a simulated violent rape and simulated drug injection. A play staged in Melbourne last year, which involved children, ended with a graphic scene of a man dying by suicide before he is chained up in hell by the laughing devil. Condemnation is swift for those who question the authority of the church or the pastor, and is even worse for those who leave. They are branded rebels and backsliders, and members are encouraged to shun them to avoid also being infected with rebellion. This tears families, friends and communities apart. The church did not respond to a request for comment. Incredibly dangerous Former members say one of the most concerning features of the church is its approach to sickness and healing. The philosophy of the founder about these issues is laid out in a booklet obtained by The Age, the Herald and 60 Minutes, which was published in 2003 and updated by the church in 2021 after Mitchells death. It outlines a belief system in which physical ailments are spiritual in nature. It is my firm conviction that the devil is the author and perpetrator of all disease, Mitchell wrote in the booklet. There may or may not be germs, bacteria, parasites and deformity present but the power of disease is spiritual. Its energy, its power to make ill and eventually destroy is spiritual. If that power is destroyed, cast out or neutralised, so is the disease. Mitchell says tumours, cysts, growths and abnormalities of the womb have been healed when people repented of hate, bitterness and unforgiveness, also declaring that abortion and incest have the power to open a life to the demonic. Women with scoliosis have often been sexually molested as children or young girls, he writes, while cervical cancer is linked to promiscuous behaviour, which in turn is linked to anger and hatred of men. Many female disorders are closely related to emotions associated with unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment, he wrote. The devil exploits these women through hatred of fathers, husbands and sometimes men in general. Renouncing the hate often brings complete and instant healing from various kinds of cysts, ovarian and fallopian tube infirmities and dysfunction. Oftentimes lumps in the breast dissolve following prayers of forgiveness. Skin conditions such as eczema are connected to witchcraft and inherited curses, according to the church. In recent weeks, at a miracle healing crusade held in a Perth park, the founders son told those gathered that he was breaking the curse of witchcraft. Witchcraft is referred to often in the sermons by Potters House pastors and used as a wide-ranging term, referring to new age practices such as seances and necromancy, and is believed to be powered by demonic forces which cause rebellion, manipulate people and empower curses. Katrina Turner spent her childhood in the church. She struggled with her mental health as a child, having difficulty regulating her behaviour. She found it hard to stay still and silent during sermons. She was eventually diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder branded absent dad disorder by the church. Eventually, there was this one conclusion that I suppose the pastor thought was Gods intervention ... He got the father figures in the church to take me into the broom closet at the back of the church and beat me with a belt, she says. She also recounts disturbing memories of church members trying to address her issues as a young girl by healing her through laying on of hands, speaking in tongues and prayer. Former member Katrina Turner is concerned about the influence the Potters House has on its followers. Credit:Ross Swanborough They all put their hands on me and would just pray really loudly and shout all manner of nonsense, speak in tongues. I distinctly remember them commanding the demon of lust out of me. I was a kid. I was 6. And that, that stuck with me, to think something someone else did to me was because I had a demon. She later developed anxiety and tried anti-depressants, a choice that was frowned upon. The anxiety, she was told, was because of her lack of repentance and prayer, and because she wasnt submitting to Gods will. When she would have a breakdown it was considered a manifestation of the devil. It is incredibly dangerous, she says. It can always be traced back to something morally wrong with you ... And it makes me wonder, how many people have long-term medical issues because they listened to this instead of getting help that couldve legitimately fixed it? It was basically a prayer Its in tragic circumstances that Stuart Schulze has become aware of the Potters House. The former policemans life was changed irrevocably on April 22, 2020, when his wife, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, was killed on the Eastern Freeway. Stuart Schulze, husband of Lynette Taylor, one of the four police officers killed in the Eastern Freeway tragedy. Credit:Darrian Traynor He holds concerns about the possibility that Potters House beliefs may have played a role in the series of decisions made that night that led a drug-addled, delusional truck driver to get behind the wheel. He misses Lynette. She was the backbone and chief organiser of the family, a lover of travel, whose favourite time of the day was sunset. She was passionate about her job in road policing. She believed that she was making a serious dent in road traffic trauma, says Schulze. But she also hated it because it was becoming more and more dangerous every day. Stuart and his wife Lynette. On the day of the crash, Schulze said goodbye as she left for work. They spoke in the afternoon, and both said I love you. It was their last conversation. Hours later, police would arrive at his home to say his wife had been killed. The years since have been filled with court hearings, where awful details surrounding the tragedy were aired. It was quickly discovered that a Porsche driver, who Stuart refuses to name, filmed his wife on a mobile phone in her dying moments before leaving the scene of the crash. Simiona Tuteru, the boss of the driver in the fatal truck, was charged with four counts of manslaughter. A magistrate ruled there was sufficient evidence to proceed to trial on the manslaughter charges and other alleged breaches of the heavy vehicle law. Tuteru pleaded not guilty. However, the most serious offences four counts of manslaughter were later dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Tuteru declined to comment for this article. A last-minute suppression order application was brought by Tuteru in the Supreme Court on Sunday morning and heard by Justice Jacinta Forbes. After a brief hearing with lawyers from The Age, the Herald and 60 Minutes, Forbes ordered the application be dismissed, and the story progressed unchanged. During a committal in 2021 for Tuteru, text messages tendered to the court showed that driver Singh texted him on the morning of the crash, saying he was going through some hard times at home and other things. I need to come and speak to you about some of them, I dont know who to tell the story to, Im going to a doctor about it, can I come and see you? wrote Singh. Talk this arvo, I will be in the office, Tuteru responded. Okay, but [colleague] Steve [said] Im not fit to drive, wrote Singh. Steve is not a doctor, said Tuteru. Steve Harrison, another Connect Logistics employee also texted Tuteru on 1.38pm that day to say he had concerns about Singhs mental state. ... I dont think he should be driving, I told him to go to the doctor straightaway, Harrison texted. Dressed in a prison-issued grey tracksuit during the committal, Singh told the court he went to the warehouse that evening and spoke to Tuteru, telling his boss he was seeing things and had been cursed by a witch. He says this prompted Tuteru to start praying. It was basically a prayer, he put his hand on top of my head and prayed in Jesus name, take the curse away of the witch, Singh said. [I told him] I am too tired to drive and havent slept for a while. In Singhs police statement released by the court, he claimed Tuteru then accompanied him to his car and told him that sometimes witches leave behind voodoo dolls or hair. While we were searching the car he said that he had experiences with witches in Africa and this is where he learnt how witches work. After he prayed on me he then said OK you are right to go now I just need you to do the load to Thomastown and then you can come back see how you are feeling and go home. The crash scene on April 22. Credit:Nine News A truck driver friend of Singhs also said in a statement tendered to court that the pair saw each other prior to the crash and Singh told him he had prayed with his boss, who had cleaned his spirit to rid him of a curse. One charge against Tuteru of failing to comply with duty under national heavy vehicle laws remained, but a Supreme Court judge granted a permanent stay on the case in March, ruling that the prosecution had abused the court process by repeatedly changing its case and creating lengthy delays. This decision has been appealed by the DPP. The case will be heard in June. Schulze is frustrated and disappointed that the manslaughter charges against Tuteru were dropped. He holds concerns about the Potters House and the possibility that its belief system had an influence on the tragic outcome on April 22. I think its dangerous for the community, he says. I think there are serious threats to peoples safety when people like that are making decisions that are affecting other peoples lives or their livelihoods or how they go about their work. A bad system with good people in it David Vicary holds similar concerns. He was the head of the Potters House in Australia for over a decade before he left 15 years ago. He joined as a young man in 1978, and believes it was a good place initially but slowly became more legalistic. Simple little things like banning TV, movies, wearing certain clothes to church I just couldnt see the Biblical foundation for it, he says. David Vicary was the Australian head of the Potters House more than 15 years ago. Credit:Trevor Collens Vicary believes in divine healing, and points out this is not unusual among Pentecostal groups. But where the Potters House goes further is what he says is a hardline and formulaic stance, dictated by the founder, that connects each ailment to a different sin or moral issue. Theres no grey area. Its this adamant sense that, Im right. This is witchcraft and now were going to pray, and youre going to be fine, says Vicary. Its extreme. He believes many pastors in the Potters House wouldnt subscribe to some of the more hardline ideology but he acknowledges there are potential dangers that some pastors would feel they have the authority to dispense medical advice. Vicary met Tuteru several times when he was a pastor in the Potters House, and remembers him as a warm and caring person who was very devout, but says the church has unhealthy levels of control over its members. I think you could summarise Potters House as a bad system ... but with good people in it. But the problem is the longer theyre in the system, the more they drink the Kool-Aid, the more chance there is they are going to come out with this extreme position. Simiona Tuteru leading the choir at Potters House Footscray in 2017. Credit:YouTube It is a cult. Maybe not doctrinally, but certainly it is a cult behaviourally like the practice of shunning, where once you leave the church, youre completely cut off from friendships, many times families are divided. And they refuse to speak to you or acknowledge you. Vicary is embarrassed about being a part of the Potters House, and wants to encourage those still within it to join mainstream Christianity. He is now the pastor of a small Christian church on the outskirts of Perth. My biggest regret would be that I didnt leave earlier, he says. Religion done the wrong way Amy Higginson and Katrina Turner still grapple with the effects of their upbringing. Katrina Turner as a child. To this day, Turner struggles to distinguish what she believes to be true, and what is considered normal by the general community. She is oblivious when cultural touchstones like famous movie or TV quotes are brought up in conversation. Loading Higginson also took a long time to adjust. I didnt know that dinosaurs were real, she says. I didnt even question that until I was an adult and then it clicked one day, and I was like, just one more thing that Ive been absolutely brainwashed about. I think the system is evil. I know lots of people that Ive grown up and looked up to, and theyre still really beautiful people, and they have good intentions, but the teachings and ideologies that go with the Potters House turn out bad results. Its religion done the wrong way. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here. The federal government will reveal a multibillion-dollar cost blowout from its stage three tax cuts in next months budget as it scrambles to find extra funding for single parents and increased rent assistance. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has also suggested the government will likely increase taxes on oil and gas companies, which are enjoying soaring profits after the war in Ukraine, as a revenue-raising measure. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the government was deadly serious about addressing womens equality. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Even though it is not required to do so, Gallagher said the government will include an updated cost of the stage three tax cuts over the next four years in the May 9 budget. She told the ABCs Insiders program the government remains committed to delivering the controversial tax cuts due to start from July next year which will apply to those earning over $45,000 but deliver the biggest benefits to high-income earners as it promised at last years federal election. Byelections dont mean much, but the Aston result seems different. The party machine took the contest very seriously, as did Dutton . This was the type of seat that Dutton says he wants to win . And oppositions very, very rarely lose seats in byelections. Observing, at close quarters, Liberal crisis and resurgence made me sceptical about claims of a partys impending collapse. And yet, returning to Australia, I find myself becoming sceptical of my old scepticism. The weight of evidence is accumulating. I well recall watching, as a staffer on a small television in the office of Kevin Rudds chief of staff the result of the 2009 Liberal leadership contest being read out. The battle had been a shemozzle. There were no good options. We had thought Joe Hockey the biggest threat and most likely victor until he asked Twitter for policy advice . Malcolm Turnbull was too sharply, recently damaged. Still, when Tony Abbott triumphed, we were stunned. Then we grinned. This, we thought, would be easy. History records it was the opposite. For the past month, I have been overseas, paying only occasional attention to politics. From that distance, I have been surprised at how clearly a single fact has stood out: the Liberal Party is in serious trouble. Duttons counter-intuitive counter-offensive was to announce his party would oppose a policy that the majority of Australians support. Duttons opposition to the Voice was probably inevitable, but had he kept this a personal decision he would not have become the protagonist of the fight. The decision to bind the frontbench turns this into a clear Dutton-Albanese battle. It has already cost the party a frontbencher and a former Indigenous affairs minister. It has tied the party to regressive social policy, will keep attention off the economy, while reinforcing the perception that Duttons strategy is simply to oppose things. Resolve polling now suggests voters dislike Dutton more than they did before. He may yet succeed in the referendum, but I tend to agree with writer Peter Brent that it is a no-win proposition. A Yes vote will harm him; but a No vote will make Australians want to forget the whole affair, including Dutton. Loading The problem for Liberal Party optimists is that repeating itself is not the only thing that history does. Time brings change. And over the 20-odd years that both Albanese and Dutton have been in parliament, the clearest change is the gradual decline in support for the major parties. If that trend continues, one or both of our major parties will either drastically change or collapse. Neither party can afford to ignore this; but the Liberals, facing serious decline among both women and young people, far less so. Dutton, to his credit, has been surprisingly honest about at least one dimension of the partys problems. Talking to The Australians Paul Kelly, for a long article accurately describing the scale of the challenge, Dutton admitted the party had not stood for any substantive policy formulation since Tony Abbott was removed. As a result, we allowed ourselves to be defined by our opponents. This was a failure of leadership but it was not only that, and this is where Duttons honesty ends. Both Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison found themselves trapped, unable to move for fear of repercussions from their increasingly feverish party. Journalist James Campbell puts this another way: if the Liberal Party adopted policies that reflected the actual values of its members it would be smashed at the ballot box. Why should Dutton find this dilemma any simpler than his predecessors? Australian soldiers are being called upon to respond to natural disasters such as floods and bushfires so frequently that an entirely new branch of the Defence Force may be needed to ensure they are not distracted from their core duty of preparing for battle, according to crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie. Lambie, who served in the army for almost 10 years before entering politics, is chairing a Senate inquiry to examine the role of the Australian Defence Force in natural disaster recovery efforts and how the current arrangements can be improved. Australian Defence Force personnel have played an important role in recent natural disasters, such as floods on the NSW mid-north coast. Credit: Wolter Peeters The federal governments defence strategic review, which will be released on Monday, is expected to explore the issue and make recommendations for changes. The Department of Defence told Lambies inquiry that more than half of all defence personnel had been deployed in domestic disaster relief efforts since 2019 and that demands to respond to more frequent and intense natural disasters were harming its capacity to conduct important training exercises. The Andrews government maintains a commanding lead over the Victorian Coalition, with voters split on Opposition Leader John Pesuttos attempt to expel controversial upper house member Moira Deeming from the parliamentary Liberal Party. An exclusive survey conducted by Resolve Strategic for The Age shows Labors primary vote has jumped by 5 percentage points since the November state election to 42 per cent 12 points clear of the opposition. But the poll was conducted just before the corruption watchdog released a scathing report finding the government improperly awarded a $1.2 million contract to a Labor-affiliated union. Apart from his partys lead, Premier Daniel Andrews is ahead of Opposition Leader John Pesutto as preferred premier. Credit: Gus McCubbing The survey results show primary support for the Coalition remains stuck on 30 per cent, the same level it was in the January-February poll and below its primary vote of 34 per cent at the November election giving Labor a commanding lead. Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyivs long-awaited spring counteroffensive. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with stable supply lines to their positions. Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the countrys south. Responding to Ukrainian media reports proclaiming that the establishment of such positions indicated the counteroffensive had begun, Natalia Humeniuk, the spokeswoman for Ukraines Operational Command South, called for patience. While neither confirming nor denying the ISW report, she said only that details of military operations in the Dnieper delta couldnt be disclosed for operational and security reasons. Speaking on Ukrainian television, Humeniuk added that it was very difficult work when its necessary to overcome an obstacle such as the Dnieper, when the front line passes through a wide and powerful river. The Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region, one of four parts of Ukraine that Russia said it was illegally annexing in September, denied on Sunday that Ukrainian forces have established a foothold on the east bank of the Dnieper. In a Telegram update, Vladimir Saldo said that Russian forces are in full control of the area, and speculated that the images referenced by the ISW may have depicted Ukrainian sabotage units that managed to take a selfie across the Dnieper before being forced back. After more than a year since the Russian invasion, recent fighting has become a war of attrition, with neither side able to gain momentum. But Ukraine has recently received sophisticated weapons from its Western allies, and new troops freshly trained in the West, giving rise to growing anticipation of a counteroffensive. The fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense. On Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed Moscows forces had captured two more neighborhoods in the western part of Bakhmut, without providing further details or clarifying what areas were still in Ukrainian hands. In the south, the Dnieper has for months marked the contact line in the Kherson region, where its namesake capital is regularly pummeled by shelling from Russian forces stationed across the river. In addition to having established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, across the Dnieper delta from Kherson, ISW said that Ukrainian troops were also approaching the nearby village of Dachi, citing data from Russian military bloggers. In Telegram posts on Thursday and Saturday, ISW said the bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had maintained these positions for weeks and established stable supply lines to them, indicating a lack of Russian control over the area. The Associated Press confirmed the posts from the bloggers, but it wasnt immediately possible to independently verify the data they shared. Russia is also expected to launch more intensive attacks in the spring, but ISW reported that top Russian defense figures are showing signs that they may be pushing for a consolidation of existing gains in Ukraine, rather than costly new operations, as Moscow struggles with both material and manpower. The think tank cited comments from financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut. On Saturday, Prigozhins press service posted comments he made on its official Telegram channel in which he argued that Russian forces need to anchor (themselves) in such a way that it is only possible to tear them out with (the) opponents claws. The interview was published shortly after Western leaders meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany pledged to train more Ukrainian personnel and keep up their military support for Kyiv. As Moscow seeks to bolster its troop numbers, the U.K. Ministry of Defense noted Sunday in an intelligence briefing that Russian authorities had mounted a large-scale military recruitment campaign using social media, billboards and state television. It said Russian officials are almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent, while assessing that this latest effort would likely fail to meet the defense ministrys stated goal of recruiting 400,000 new volunteers. In attacks overnight, local authorities in eastern Ukraine reported that Russian forces had launched at least five S-300 missiles at Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city and the surrounding region. The missiles damaged an industrial facility and private homes but caused no casualties, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the Kharkiv regional governor. In Kherson, one civilian was killed and two were wounded as Russian troops used artillery, drones and warplanes to launch a total of 54 strikes on the province, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram on Sunday morning. Russian forces on Saturday and overnight also dropped five guided aerial bombs over the Kherson region, Ukraines Operational Command South said in a Facebook post Sunday. According to the post, the bombs were launched from drones and aircraft and damaged multiple residential buildings, but caused no casualties. Also in the Kherson region, two women, ages 85 and 57, were hospitalized after being wounded in a Russian artillery attack that damaged a local school and about 25 residential buildings in the village of Kizomys, Prokudin said in a Telegram post. In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Russian shelling wounded a 56-year-old man in Stepnohirsk, a town on the banks of the Dnieper river, local Gov. Yurii Malashko wrote on Telegram. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition I thought seeing Mt Fuji in sunshine couldnt be topped, but then I had a bath. A Japanese one. In public. In the nude. When I say in public, I dont mean a communal thing with our fellow male travellers. (How could I ever face Bruce from Ballarat over brekky after that?) I mean with other women, known and unknown. Shed your clothes and your insecurities at an onsen. When youve grown up in the West and youre shy and the closest youve come to going nuddy in front of your mates is hunching over an undone bra in the change room at swimming, this is HUGE. You build up to the big moment slowly. Like removing your shoes when you reach reception at the onsen (spa or hot springs). In this case, its a spa area on the fifth floor of our hotel in Takayama. ... Theres a real economic push for New Zealanders to move to higher paying countries, and Australia is a higher paying country. Peters warns that New Zealand is already losing a high rate of young professionals seeking overseas experiences and the citizenship development is going to make it easier to stay in Australia. The skill sets coming in to Aotearoa simply arent matching those going out as those returning are often looking to settle into leadership positions and are at the other end of their career. New Zealand is going to have a real dearth of doers and that is what I foresee coming in the next 24 months. The country must make itself more attractive to young professionals or the economy is going to really suffer. We have to target industries that we are specifically skills-short in. We have to look at the younger generation of newly qualified individuals and get them into the workforce a lot earlier. Ultimately, NZ is in a really tough position: Australia is a much more attractive place to go at the moment because pay rates are so much higher. Economist Cameron Bagrie also expected the development would be a big factor in peoples decisions to leave. Its pretty well flagged that NZ is going to have a full-blown recession and the consensus is Australia is going to avert one. Bagrie said New Zealand had generally done well over the decades when it came to migration, but was now entering a global environment where there was heightened competition for staff driven by structural trends such as demographics. Healthcare workers would be among those who might be more tempted to leave the country, he believed. Sally-Anne Colmore left NZ to work as registered nurse lead at Mineral Resources in Australia. Credit: Stuff (NZ) Registered nurse Sally-Anne Colmore has already left and has no plans to return, describing the citizenship announcement as a game changer: Well go for it, absolutely. Shes been in Perth for about seven years and while her Australian-born son would have automatically received citizenship when he turns 10, now therell be no waiting for him or his Kiwi parents. Colmores salary at mining company Mineral Resources is at least triple what she could earn in NZ, and the companys benefits are incomparable. That almost 5000 nurses, about 8 per cent of NZs nursing workforce, have registered to practise in Australia since August, comes as no surprise. If we could have our lifestyle, if we could earn this money and the cost of housing and living wasnt like it is, wed go back. But thats never going to happen. Infometrics has tracked average earnings in NZ and Australia since 1994, which showed Australians were generally at least $NZ200 a week better paid. The pre-COVID trend of more Kiwis going to Australia than vice versa has resumed, after a reversal when the pandemic struck. Over the year to September 2022 (the latest data available) 5400 people moved from Australia to NZ, with just over 8500 Kiwis moving to Australia. One Kiwi who wont be back here is James Ireland, whos planning on applying for citizenship on July 1. The 36-year-old shifted to Melbourne in 2018, after applying for a public transport sector job just too good to ignore. It was basically the same thing I was doing in Auckland but near on double the salary for the same job. While the money played a big part in his initial decision, its the future career opportunities, events and lifestyle that have also seen him stay. Theres more of everything everything is just a bit brighter and shinier over here. Loading He says its on trips home, and particularly to supermarkets, where his decision is further cemented. Although cheese is more expensive in Melbourne, other grocery items tend to be cheaper; the same goes for rent. By no means is it perfect here...however the wages are so much higher, and it feels like the cost of living stress level is 50 per cent lower. It feels like that pressure just isnt so intense. As for the downsides? There arent many. Being apart from family is the biggie and the cultural touchstones of New Zealand are the only other things lacking. Jandals have become thongs and kumara sweet potato. Ultimately though, Ireland encourages other Kiwis to make the move or at least think about it seriously. And although citizenship wont change much in his short term future, its a commitment to a country he deeply loves. Its proving to myself as well as those around me that Im here for good; Im not coming home. As for Sarah Arnolds family? Sixteen years on from those three magic words, they wont be returning though its not for a lack of trying. We tried for two years to buy a home in NZ; weve been back in Perth a year and have just been approved to build a house. Thats the whole reason we came back here we want a mortgage. While Arnold and her two younger children are already dual-citizens, Saturdays news means 23-year-old Tiaia can apply now and Huia in three years. And thats a relief, because life is good. Huia now earns nearly double what he could in NZ and the house is being built. They miss Huias family and New Zealands maori culture but mostly, Arnold says, its New Zealanders she really feels sorry for. My only regret is that we couldnt have all this back home, that all Kiwis cant experience what we have here. A challenge to make New Zealand better National Leader Christopher Luxon says the easier citizenship pathway is most welcome: Kiwis make a significant contribution to Australia and they should receive the same rights as Australians do in this country. Despite that, its also a reminder that many New Zealanders are looking for better lives. Its also a challenge to whether we can make NZ such a compelling proposition they dont want to leave; make it a place where people want to live, work and run businesses. Loading ACT Party leader David Seymour says while its good news for New Zealanders in Australia wanting citizenship, its a sign the governments given up. It would be churlish to ignore the relief this will give Kiwis in Australia but its tragic that one of Labours greatest achievements is helping people leave the country, and its actually a decision made by a government in Canberra. The question is how New Zealand makes it more attractive to keep Kiwis here. Auto Central April 23, 2023; Every Sunday Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and Auto Channel Executive Producer, with able assistance from senior editor Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, compile The Auto Channel's "take" on this past week's automotive news, condensed into easy to digest news Nuggets. LEARN MORE: Complete versions of today's news nuggets, along with thousands of pages of relevant news and opinions, information stored in a million-page library published and indexed on The Auto Channel during the past 25 years. Complete information can be found by copying a headline and inserting it into any Site Search Box. Nutson's Weekly Auto News Wrap-up Week April 16-22, 2023. * The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its latest projections for traffic fatalities in 2022, estimating that 42,795 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents a small decrease of about 0.3% as compared to 42,939 fatalities reported for 2021. The estimated fatality rate decreased to 1.35 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2022, down from 1.37 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2021. Americans are driving more than they did during the height of the pandemic, almost a 1% increase over 2021. Data showed a 12% increase in fatal crashes involving at least one distracted driver, with 3,522 people killed. * U.S.DoE Factoid of the Week: The top 10 new electric vehicle registrations in 2022 were models with long ranges. The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 dominated the list of new all-electric vehicle (EV) registrations in 2022. All but two of the top 10 models featured ranges of 300 miles or more, with the lowest model range being 247 miles. EVs are available in a variety of battery pack sizes or configurations that affect vehicle range, but all model configurations that made this list had ranges over 200 miles. * The Shanghai auto show was this week and a number of new vehicles had global reveals that included Two new electric's from Maserati; the 2025 VW ID.7 electric sedan World Premire; Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV, 2024 Buick Envista sedan-like compact crossover, a new Porsche Cayenne,, Polestar 4, and the all-new 2024 Lincoln Nautilus. * Finally an end to opinions about blind spots! The Polestar 4 doesn't have a rear window. The rear view mirror is replaced by a high-definition screen that shows a real-time feed from a roof-mounted, rear-facing camera.Polestar says this improves safety. * Buyers of certain BMW, Nissan, Hyundai and Volvo electric vehicles will no longer qualify for U.S. tax breaks as new domestic content rules took effect on April 18, the U.S. Treasury Department said. However, some of those vehicles could qualify for $7,500 tax credits if they are leased, Treasury said. Certain GM, Ford, Rivian, Tesla and Volkswagen vehicles qualify for the full tax credit. * Autotrader released its top ten best car interiors priced under $50,000 for 2023. All vehicles on the list are from the 2023 model-year and feature base prices under $50,000; however, buyers can option-up several of the models to drive their prices well above the lists $50,000 limit. All of the 2023 Best Interiors Under $50,000 vehicles even in lower-trim levels are still beautiful, comfortable and feature-laden. * A consumer survey conducted by MINI USA reveals American consumers changing perspectives and considerations regarding electric vehicles (EVs). The survey indicates that almost half of American consumers plan to purchase an electric vehicle in the next FIVE years. Probing the barriers that consumers are facing in the EV purchase journey, factors such as price (44%) and lack of reliable public charging stations (18%) are the main lingering deterrents. Awareness of local charging stations continues to rise steadily over the last four years, from just 26% of respondents in 2019 to 44% in 2023. Alongside this heightened awareness comes greater expectations for charging capabilities, though, with 72% of consumers finding an acceptable charging time to be at or under an hour. Also, 73% of respondents indicating their driving habits fall within 75 miles per day. * Did someone say Hemi? Stellantis is testing synthetic e-fuels, which are made with renewable energy, on 28 types of its internal combustion engines, a step it said could help decarbonize its existing European fleet. The announcement comes just weeks after the European Union opened a legal route in its phase-out of carbon dioxide-emitting cars from 2035 which would allow those models with combustion engines running on e-fuels to remain on sale. * Reuters reports: In 2018, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO became the most expensive car ever sold when it fetched $48 million at auction. Last year, that record was flattened by a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe that raced to 135 million euros ($149 million). These kind of megadeals are at the vanguard of billions of dollars of annual spending on classic cars globally in a wave of investment in this alternative asset. Vintage cars have risen 185% in value over the past decade, outstripping the growth of luxury rivals wine, watches and art, and ranking second only to rare whiskies, according to Knight Frank's 2023 wealth report. "Electrification will favour classic cars," said Cristiano Bolzoni, head of Maserati's vintage car unit Maserati Classiche. "Over time they will become cult objects." * Autoweek brought to our attention that Tesla has set another record, but not one youre likely to see touted in ads by the company, if the company ever decided to run ads. Turns out Teslas are recalled more than any other brand in Americaand by a long shot. There were 400 NTHSA recalls issued in 2022, impacting more than 25 million vehicles. Of those vehicles, Teslas scored four of the top five spots on the list, according to the price-tracking car search engine iSeeCars.com. Tesla might have scored more, but it only makes four models. The brand with the fewest projected recalls is Mercedes-Benz, followed by Toyota and Lexus. * Mazda is recalling certain 2022-2023MY CX-30 and 2023MY Mazda CX-50 vehicles because the brake pedal travel length may increase due to internal damage in the Anti-lock Braking System Hydraulic Control Unit. When attempting to stop the vehicle, the increased brake pedal travel length may cause a feeling of reduced braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash. Approximately 2,566 vehicles are affected in the US and Canada. * Michelin is recalling more than 542,000 light truck tires in the U.S. because they don't have enough traction to work in all snowy conditions. The recall covers certain Agilis CrossClimate C-Metric tires that Michelin says don't meet U.S. safety standards. The tire maker says that tires without sufficient traction can increase the risk of a crash. * Attorneys general in 17 states are urging the NHTSA to require a recall of certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles that are subject to easy theft. The vehicles are not equipped with engine immobilizers. The social media inspired thefts, described on Tik Tok using a USB cable and a screwdriver, have often resulted in crashes, injury and deaths. Hyundai and Kia have taken action with vehicle owners with software updates and anti-theft devices. The vehicle do meet all Federal safety and anti-theft requirements. * Car dealer and NASCAR race team owner Rick Hendrick, paid $1.15 million for the first electrified 2024 Corvette E-Ray at the 2023 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction. The money will go to education nonprofit DonorsChoose, which helps teachers in low-income communities fund classroom projects. Hendrick is one of the world's largest private collectors of Corvettes and now owns a total of 122 Corvette cars. * The all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R, the most powerful Honda production vehicle ever sold in the U.S.,has set a new track record for a front-wheel drive car around the iconic 20.8-kilometer Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germanyconsidered the most challenging road circuit ever devisedduring testing and performance evaluation. Thge /Civic Type R set an officially measured new lap record time of 7 minutes 44.881 seconds. For the record-setting lap around the Nurburgring Nordschleife, the Civic Type R was fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect tires, which are available through Honda dealers. * A new Maserati MC20 Cielo in which all the technological elements of a "robo-driver" have been installed, will travel the entire 1000 Miglia 2023 route, driving in autonomous mode along some stretches of the route. The project named 1000 Miglia Autonomous Drive, conceived and developed by the Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with 1000 Miglia srl along with the support and patronage of the National Centre for Sustainable Mobility, takes place June 13 to 17. On portions of the road, the vehicle will drive in total autonomy, respecting the rules of the Highway Code. Inside the car, in order to comply with the authorization requirements for experimentation, the vehicle will be supervised by a human co-driver. Matteo Marzotto, an experienced driver who has taken part in several editions of the historic 1000 Miglia, will also celebrate the 70th anniversary of his uncle Giannino's historic victory. Stay safe. Be Well. Maseratti Diventa Elettrico Maserati Goes Electric at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show The Trident introduces its first fully-electric SUV Grecale Folgore to the world and presents its new iconic GranTurismo to the Asian Market Shanghai, China April 19, 2023 The 2023 Shanghai Auto Show is opening its doors for an electrifying new edition and Maserati is thrilled to show the world its latest fully electric creations, marking the historic moment of being the first Italian luxury brand to produce 100 percent electric vehicles. And of course, China is the cradle of this fascinating and exciting mobility revolution not only in terms of innovation, but also forward-thinking and embedded interest in the luxury market and the ideal venue for the global premiere of the Maserati Grecale Folgore. On this special occasion, the Tridents first fully electric SUV is in good company, alongside the new Maserati GranTurismo. The powerful and timeless coupe has been introduced to the Asian market for the first time in its combustion engine variant and electric powertrain version, the GranTurismo Folgore. The future of electrification is rooted in China. Folgore is the name of the Tridents electric range and represents innovation, luxury, functional beauty, and the vision that unites the past and the future in the name of Maseratis incomparable style. The 2023 Shanghai Auto Show is therefore the ideal meeting point between the Asian market and the brand, to remark on and enhance the concept of Italian luxury performance, at the dawn of a new era. Electrification will play a key role in Maseratis future strategy, with a commitment to produce electric versions of all its models by 2025 and fully electric vehicles alone by 2030. It is an ambitious plan that reflects the audacity that has always defined the Trident's DNA, driving it forward toward the future, where its success will rely on its uniquely Italian character, its ability to evoke emotions with quality exclusive products, and the magic of innovation. All this is exactly what the automotive industry will require in the future. Maserati CEO Davide Grasso commented, Its a defining moment for the Maserati brand. Today, were in China at the Shanghai Auto Show; were in Italy for the cosmopolitan Milano Design Week event; were all over the world celebrating the future: its a new beginning for the brand. Were celebrating Folgore, the electrification plan that has become a reality and is ready to pave the way in this revolutionary era. Im very excited to be here in Shanghai, which is not only an international exhibition but also a global platform for innovation and the ideal place to unveil the first electric models in the history of Maserati. Maserati S.p.A. Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars, immediately recognisable for their extraordinary personality. Thanks to their style, technology, and innately exclusive character, they delight the most discerning, demanding tastes and have always been a benchmark for the global automotive industry. A tradition of successful cars, each of them redefining what makes an Italian sports car in terms of design, performance, comfort, elegance, and safety, currently available in more than seventy markets internationally. The ambassadors of this heritage are the Quattroporte flagship, the Ghibli sports sedan, and the Levante the first SUV made by Maserati, all models characterised by the use of the highest quality materials and excellent technical solutions. The Ghibli and Levante are now also available in hybrid versions and are the first electrified cars from the Trident brand. A complete range, equipped with 4-cylinder hybrid V6 and V8 petrol engines, with rear-wheel and four-wheel drive. The Trofeo Collection, comprising Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante, equipped with the powerful 580-hp V8 engine, embodies the performance DNA of the Trident brand. The top of the range is the MC20 super sports car, powered by the ground-breaking Nettuno V6 engine, incorporating F1-derived technologies available in the power unit of a standard production car for the first time. The sporty New GranTurismo models available with both high-performance petrol engines and a 100% battery electric powertrain take the House of the Trident forward into the future: the first car in the electric range, the Maserati Folgore. By 2025, all Maserati models will be available in a full-electric version, and the entire Maserati range will run on electricity alone by 2030. World Premiere Video Of 2025 Volkswagen ID.7 EV With 435 Mile Range The ID.7 is the first all-electric Volkswagen for the upper mid-size class The combination of excellent aerodynamics and a new, more efficient drive generation ensures long ranges First Volkswagen with new display and operating concept Exceptional travel comfort through features such as new air conditioning, seat Climatronic with massage function and panoramic sunroof with switchable smart glass Volkswagen now presents the new ID.7, the brands first global electric model for the upper mid-size class. The combination of ranges up to 700 kilometres (WLTP)Thomas Schafer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars: With the ID.7 we are taking the next step in our electric offensive. The limousine offers a high level of comfort and long ranges. Already by 2026, we will offer the widest electric range of all manufacturers in Europe from the entry-level model for less than 25,000 euros up to the ID.7 as the new top model within the ID. family. Our goal is to achieve an electric car share of 80 per cent in Europe by 2030. As from 2033, Volkswagen will produce only electric vehicles in Europe. Kai Grunitz, Member of the Brand Board of Management responsible for Development: The ID.7 sets new efficiency standards on the basis of the modular electric drive matrix (MEB). We are aiming for a range of up to 700 kilometres The new electric drive has been optimised above all in terms of its energy consumption. Depending on the battery sizes, it is predicted that WLTP ranges of up to 700 kilometres. and charging capacities of up to about 200 kW will be possible. The ID.7 therefore underlines its long-distance suitability for frequent drivers and fleet customers.The ID.7 is almost five metres long and was designed based on aerodynamic principles. Its roof slopes elegantly to the rear in coupe style and contributes to achieving an excellent drag coefficient of about 0.23 depending on the vehicle equipment. The long wheelbase and short overhangs create plenty of space in the vehicle interior for all occupants. First Volkswagen with new operating and display concept and exclusive equipment options A new operating and display concept is introduced in the ID.7. With this, Volkswagen has reacted to feedback from its customers and improved the operating experience in relevant areas. This includes the following features as standard: a 38-centimetre (15-inch) infotainment system screen the augmented reality head-up display a new air conditioning operating concept integrated on the top level of the infotainment system as well as freely assignable favourites buttons a backlit touch slider Imelda Labbe, Member of the Brand Board of Management for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales: The ID.7 is an extremely important model for the Volkswagen brand in Europe, China and North America. The ID.7 offers an attractive package that will excite both existing and new Volkswagen customers all over the world. In this Volkswagen, we are offering premium technologies that impress through their exclusivity, premium comfort and high degree of everyday usability. With the new massage seats and the electronically dimmable panoramic sunroof, the ID.7 offers equipment options that are otherwise present only in the higher classes of premium competitors. The new panoramic sunroof with smart glass can be switched between opaque and transparent settings by touch control. Like many other functions in the ID.7, the roof can also be operated by means of natural voice commands this takes place using the new IDA voice assistant. The optional front seats are also a new development: for the first time in a Volkswagen, they optionally offer adaptive seat Climatronic with cooling or heating as required and also a drying function. A massage function with a seal of approval from the German Campaign for Healthier Backs (AGR) is also available. The range of options is rounded off by a 700-watt sound system from Harman Kardon: 14 high-end loudspeakers, including centre speaker at the front and subwoofer in the luggage compartment, provide an impressive sound experience with the new Volkswagen limousine. Enhanced best-in-class assistance systems The Travel Assist with swarm data* can take over lateral and longitudinal control of the ID.7 as needed. Volkswagen developed this feature together with CARIAD, the software company of the VW Group. If desired, the ID.7 can also use Travel Assist The online component of Travel Assist is available in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. To activate the online functions, you need a Volkswagen ID user account, and must log into We Connect with your username and password. A separate We Connect contract must also be concluded with Volkswagen AG online. Following delivery of the vehicle, you have 90 days in which to activate the online component of Travel Assist with swarm data. Once this period has expired, the initial usage period for the online component of Travel Assist with swarm data will start. An integrated internet connection enables the online component of Travel Assist with swarm data. The related data charges incurred within Europe are borne by Volkswagen AG where network coverage is available. Depending on your mobile phone tariff, transferring data via the internet may incur additional charges (e.g. roaming charges), particularly if you are using it abroad. For the delivery of this service, certain personal data such as location and IP address of the vehicle has to be transferred. Further information about data processing is provided in the Privacy Policy for Travel Assist with swarm data. The availability of the individual services described in the packages can vary depending on the country. The services are available for the agreed contract term and may change or be discontinued during this contract term. Further details can be found at connect.volkswagen-we.com and are also available from your Volkswagen dealership. Information on mobile tariffs is available from your mobile provider. The size of the University of Wyomings 2.3-meter telescope at the Wyoming Infrared Observatory (WIRO) left a lasting impression on sixth, seventh and eighth grade students from Lander Middle School. Whoa! they said in chorus upon entry into the 42-foot dome that houses the 25-ton telescope and its 92-inch-diameter mirror. Two groups of six students -- who made visits to WIRO March 17 and April 14 -- saw the telescope in operation and learned about astronomical research at UW before spending the night at the observatory. This trip was magnificent. I went to Laramie and learned about space and the UW telescope, says Bryce Newman, a seventh grader. You use lots of computer coding to move and change the position of the telescope. It was an amazing experience, and I learned a lot, too. The observatory itself was huge, adds seventh grader Sebastian Bannon. I got to hear how the observatory was created, and we even got to move the telescope around. UW astronomers use the telescope, located on Jelm Mountain, every clear night of the year to study everything from moons in the solar systems to black holes in the distant universe, says Chip Kobulnicky, a UW physics and astronomy professor. Astronomy is a great entry point for young people into all kinds of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, Kobulnicky says. We bring students here in the hope they will see college, and perhaps UW, as part of their futures. I am hoping other Wyoming teachers can start such an enrichment program at their schools. Joe Meyer, who teaches computer science and has an astronomy enrichment program at Lander Middle School, formerly taught mathematics and sponsored an astronomy club at Lander Valley High School. A partnership between Meyer and Kobulnicky began in 2012 with the first overnight visits to the observatory. Meyer traces the idea for student trips to the observatory back to his own sons participation as a high school student in Kobulnickys 2010 UW ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp, which included a visit to the telescope as part of the curriculum for 48 students. This has always been such an amazing opportunity for my former high school and current middle school students to learn about astronomy, as well as the Linux system and computer coding used to operate the WIRO telescope, Meyer explains. Additionally, students learn about engineering, chemistry, physics and mathematics. Ive taken students once or twice per year since 2012 and hope to continue our adventures. The snowcat ride up Jelm Mountain on winter trips is spectacular as well. And Dr. Kobulnicky always facilitates an on-campus planetarium show, which is mind-blowing. As part of her on-campus job, Kaycee Conder, a UW physics and astronomy major and a Lander Valley High School alumna, presented star shows for the group at the Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium. Conder was among a group of Lander Valley High School students who made the same visit to WIRO in 2017 and 2019 that provided inspiration for her to attend UW. If it hadnt been for my trips to WIRO and the Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium, I would have most likely never pursued astronomy, let alone at the University of Wyoming, Conder says. I can still distinctly recall that sense of curiosity and wonder when traversing the cosmos through the planetarium and my unyielding excitement at the sheer size of WIRO, plus the fact that Carl Sagan had previously visited the telescope. Now, as a student and employee at the university, I have the opportunity to provide others with the same experience that led me to where I am today, she continues. I couldnt be more grateful for the role that I and the amazing planetarium staff get to play in exciting young minds with the ideas of astronomy. Brayden Allen, a seventh grader, describes the planetarium as an awesome time. We experienced an amazing visual of our planet, he says. We saw Saturn. We saw millions of galaxies beyond our solar system. Some students found the trip up Jelm Mountain in a snowcat -- an enclosed-cab vehicle designed to traverse over snow -- an interesting experience. The snowcat ride was fun, yet kind of scary, says Emmett Visher, a seventh grader. The snowcat ride was quite fun and beautiful, adds sixth grader Rohan Sundaresan. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High near 45F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Evening light rain followed by a mix of rain and snow late. Low 36F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 70%. After an illness, a pregnancy or three days of partying, you may have the feeling of having suddenly aged. Although chronological age (how long youve existed) increases progressively over time, theres evidence to show that it doesnt always correspond to biological age (how old your cells are). Illness, smoking or exercise can influence how the years affect the body. Today, a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism notes that stressful situations for the body such as undergoing surgery, having Covid or being pregnant accelerate the rate of aging. The good news is that this extra damage is reversible. In many cases, the cause of the accelerated aging can be reversed in only a matter of months, or even days. To study how aging fluctuates, an international team of scientists from some of the most prestigious institutions used what are known as DNA methylation clocks to measure changes in the biological age of humans and mice, who were subjected to extreme stress. These measures of biological aging observe how small molecules accumulate in the DNA and change the way in which genes are expressed the basis of what is known as epigenetics. More information A basement full of worms could shed some light on the secrets of aging One of the experiments used a method to rejuvenate old mice known as heterochronous parabiosis. This technical name refers to a surgical procedure in which two mice one young and one old are joined together via surgery, so that they share a circulatory system. Many studies have found that this form of exposure to young blood rejuvenates the old mouse. In the case of the research that was published last Friday, rodents between the ages of three and 20 months were joined for two months. The researchers observed that the intervention suddenly increased the biological age of the younger mice, but that the sudden aging was reversed after only two months of recovery. The authors took similar measurements in humans, looking at women after pregnancy, people who had suffered severe Covid, or had undergone major surgery. In all cases, rapid and significant increases in biological age were detected, but it was also observed that, after a period of recovery, the patients returned to the normal aging path. In addition to the natural recovery process itself, it was found that anti-inflammatory drugs such as tocilizumab accelerated the recovery of normal biological age. The authors suggest that this type of technique could be used to better assess the effectiveness of some drugs, particularly those aimed at slowing down aging. The publication also notes some differences that will require further study to understand. For example, people who had elective surgery did not suddenly age as did those who had emergency surgery. On the one hand, its suggested that people who are preparing for surgery take preventive measures that slow down biological aging. Vadim Gladyshev a professor at Harvard Medical School and one of the principal authors of the work points out that psychological factors derived from experiencing an unexpected traumatic situation cannot be ruled out for causing the accelerated aging process. However, post-surgery, the patients recovered their initial biological age in less than a week. Gladyshev says that these results make him think that its possible to partially reduce the biological age of some cells, tissues, and possibly whole organisms. Other studies show approaches capable of reducing the biological age during embryonic development, cell reprogramming and the exchange of material between old and young organisms, he adds. Yet, he warns that this is a very new area of research and all these approaches require validation. The researcher believes that biological clocks can be useful for measuring physiological stress, the usefulness of some measures to alleviate it, as well as the impact of some drugs on aging. Inaki Martin-Subero a researcher in the field of biomedical epigenetics in Barcelona believes that this work [paves the way forward]... although it must be expanded and replicated in the coming years. According to the Spanish researcher (who did not participate in the study), this type of technique can help those who have an accelerated aging rate. There are studies that show very significant associations between having an accelerated clock and premature death from any cause, from cardiovascular diseases to cancer, he points out. These [epigenetic] clocks would allow for us to measure the effect of interventions, such as exercise, mindfulness or increased sleep in some cases over a relatively short period to slow down the biological clock and prolong life. He himself is now testing the possibilities of reducing stress that accelerates aging, with measures such as mindfulness techniques. The authors acknowledge that epigenetic clocks are still in the development phase and that as they noted in their study not all are able to capture accelerated (but reversible) aging. Nor has it been possible to determine the way in which a person ages and recovers from circumstantial stressful situations affects rapid or slow aging in the long term. In the coming years, however, its likely that this technology will become a tool to know how to deal with aging, which may not be as inevitable as once thought. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition 2 People Die, 12 Hurt in Madrid Restaurant Blaze Rescuers work outside a restaurant following a fire in Madrid on April 21, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (Madrid Emergency Service/Handout via Reuters) MADRIDTwo 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. Firefighters gather outside a restaurant following a fire in Madrid on April 21, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (Madrid Emergency Service/Handout via Reuters) 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. 6 Cows in Texas Found Dead With Their Tongues Missing Cows stand in a field on a cattle ranch near Eldorado, Texas, on April 16, 2021. (Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images) The Madison County Sheriffs Office in Texas is actively coordinating with other agencies to find answers after ranchers found six cows dead in suspicious circumstances, including that all had their tongues removed. In a statement on April 19, the office stated that it found the six cows in separate locations, pastures, and herds, but all in the same condition. The cows were described as lying on their sides, with the hide around their mouths removed on the side facing upward, via a straight, clean cut, with apparent precision. The meat under the removed side wasnt touched. Their tongues were also completely removed. There was no blood spill surrounding any of the cows. On two of the cows, a circular cut was made removing the anus and the external genitalia, the statement reads. This circular cut was made with the same precision as the cuts noted around the jaw lines of each cow. There were no signs of struggle or disturbance found in the grass surrounding the carcasses of the cows. There were no noticeable tracks, including tire tracks, around the area. The cause of death of all the cows remains undetermined. No predators or birds would scavenge the remains of the cows for several weeks after their death, so they were left to decay untouched during that time. The cattle were found along Texas State Highway OSR. Investigators with the sheriffs office were first alerted by ranchers to one of the deathsa 6-year-old longhorn-cross cowbefore finding out about the deaths of the other five cows. They included four adult cows and one yearling, found along the area of OSR running into Brazos County and Robertson County. Multiple similar incidents have been reported across the United States, the sheriffs office noted. In 2019, five bulls were found dead in Oregon over the course of several days. All of their sex organs and tongues had been removed, and the blood was drained from their bodies. According to a report from The Associated Press, as in the new case of six cattle, there were no signs of struggle nor any tracks around the carcasses. Arrest Made in Hit-and-Run Crash That Killed Woman in Anaheim ANAHEIM, Calif.A man was arrested about eight hours after abandoning a speeding, stolen SUV that struck and killed a woman in Anaheim early April 22. Officers were dispatched about 1:20 a.m. to the 700 block of North East Street, after the Anaheim Police Department was notified by the Placentia Police Department that a traffic collision involving a stolen vehicle had just occurred, and the driver fled the scene on foot, Anaheim police Sgt. John McClintock said. Officers at the scene reported the SUV had crashed into several residential fences and struck a pedestrian, a woman in her 40s, McClintock said. Paramedics rushed the woman to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The initial investigation revealed the driver of the stolen vehicle fled from a Placentia P.D. officer and lost control of the stolen vehicle as he sped southbound on East Street, the sergeant said. Investigators determined Placentia P.D. officers were not pursuing the stolen vehicle before the collision occurred. Officers from the Anaheim, Placentia, and Fullerton police departments conducted a perimeter search but were unable to locate the suspect, McClintock said. At approximately 9:10 a.m., Anaheim P.D. officers responded to a church in the 1400 block of East La Palma Avenue regarding a suspicious subject, he said. Upon officers arrival, they contacted a man at the church and determined he was driving the stolen vehicle during the fatal collision. Officers arrested the man and booked him into the Anaheim jail for suspicion of offenses including vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run resulting in injury or death, DUI causing great bodily injury, and possession of a stolen vehicle, McClintock said. His name was not immediately released Anyone with information about the crash was asked to call Anaheim police at 714-765-1900 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIPOCCS. At Iowa 2024 Event, Trump Looms Large Even From Afar Two Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition guests pose for a photo in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) DES MOINES, IowaOn the evening of April 22, the Horizon Event Center outside Des Moines was packed. Its little wonder. With many months still to go before the Hawkeye State holds its first-in-the-nation contest to weigh in on the countrys Republican presidential hopefuls, likely and confirmed contenders for 2024 flocked to the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalitions 2023 spring kickoff, hoping to show evangelical Christians and other religious conservatives that they care. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Republican presidential candidate Perry Johnson attends the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), entrepreneurs Vivek Ramaswamy and Perry Johnson, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and radio host Larry Elder were among those who took the stage. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Republican presidential candidate Larry Elder speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Yet the crowds exceptionally enthusiastic response to former President Donald J. Trump, who came to the event by video, shows just how much ground Trumps rivals need to cover, even in a setting where the thrice-married former presidents less-than-pious reputation has been presented as a big handicap by the legacy media. Just ask Lynn Vogel Flessas. She was decked out in red, complete with a Keep America Great cowboy hat. She carried a glittering, gun-shaped purse. Two Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition guests pose for a photo in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) I get a lot of compliments on my evening bag, Flessas told The Epoch Times. She said that she thinks energy independence for the United States was Trumps greatest accomplishment. Before Biden entered the White House, we were poised for an era of prosperity like no other time in the United States, Flessas said. She also said that she believes the 2020 election was rigged. I do hope and pray that Donald Trump never varies from his course. I hope he stays strong, because everyone in my circle loves him. Guests watch former President Donald Trump speak on a recorded video at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) The woman in the KAG hat was far from alone in appreciating the man from Mar-a-Lago. Leanne Pellett, who was manning the booth for the Iowa Wildlife Foundation, told The Epoch Times she thinks Trump would be the choice if he keeps his mouth in control. The other person I like is DeSantis, she said. Lisa Schneider, the wife of former Iowa Senate President Charles Schneider, told The Epoch Times she wants a candidate who could bring us back pre-COVID pandemic, where things were really going in the right direction. She said that she thinks Trump and DeSantis currently stand out. Peoples minds could change [with] more people jumping in, Schneider said. Gloria Mazza, who chairs the Polk County GOP, said shes heard from people who like Trump and some whod prefer a different candidate. I think everybodys listening to everybody, she said. Gloria Mazza speaks with a reporter at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) The Trump Legacy The Trump legacy colored remarks from speakers seeking to court the GOPs more religious and conservative winga segment that has historically played a big role in the Hawkeye State. In 2012, for example, conservative Catholic Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucus. Rick Santorum arrives for a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York on Dec. 12, 2016. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images) In an interview with The Epoch Times, Ramaswamy, who is known for frequent public praise of Trump, says hes a better candidate than the former commander-in-chief precisely because he can take America First to the next level, through a program he has dubbed America First 2.0. Pence, who has distanced himself from his former boss, credited the previous administration with Supreme Court picks that sent Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history, where it belongs. Former Vice President Mike Pence meets with guests at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Meanwhile, businessman Perry Johnson, another 2024 hopeful, warned half-jokingly that he could be too conservative for the crowdpart of a rhetoric of defiance after years in which Republicans faced accusations of fascism simply for supporting Trump. He also stressed his disagreement with Pence over Ukraine. I think its ridiculous to send $100 billion to Ukraine when were going broke, he said, drawing cheers and applause from the audience. Republican presidential candidate Perry Johnson speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) He also criticized Trumps main rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for not appearing at the event, calling it a huge mistake. Pence commented obliquely on DeSantiss absence when asked about it by reporters. I think the people of Iowa appreciate it when they see you. Australian Children Spending More Time on Screens, Less Time Reading Two children play video games on their phones. The world is seeing an explosion of smart phone usage that will have a long-term impact on human relationships. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) New statistics show that the presence of small screens has increased in childrens lives, with one in four children spending more than 20 hours a week on screen-based devices. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released new statistics on April 21 after analysing how much time children spend in front of a screen by tracking the number of hours they spent watching TV, using the internet, and playing games or participating in activities through screen-based portable devices such as consoles, smartphones, or tablets. Statistics found that the percentage of children aged between 5-14 years using screens remained around the same when compared with 2017-18 data at around 90 percent. However, the amount of time spent using screen-based devices has since increased dramatically, with nine in ten children spending at least one hour a week using screen-based devices. Of children doing screen-based activities, 40 percent were spending 10-19 hours, but there has been an increase in the percentage of children using screens for more than 20 hours a week, from 16 percent to 24 percent, Michelle Ducat, ABS head of education statistics, said. Reading has became less prevalent in older age groups, with only 63 percent of 12 to 14 year olds taking up reading, 76 percent of five to eight year olds. Reading for pleasure was considerably less popular than screen-based activities, with 72 percent of children readingdown from 79 percent in 2017-18. Around one third of these children read for two hours or less a week. Children who participated in creative activity also fell to 59 percent in 2021-2022 compared to 63 percent in 2017-18. Arts and crafts were the most popular creative activity among children, with 39 percent of children participating at least once a week, Ducat said. This was followed by singing or playing musical instruments and creative writing, both with 19 percent of children involved in these activities. Although creative activities were popular among 60 percent of five to eight year olds, only 55 percent of older children aged 12 to 14 years were found to have participated in a creative activity. Creative activities were also more popular and enjoyed among girls at 67 percent, compared to 52 percent with boys. National Guidelines for Screen Time The Australian Institute of Family Studies published an article in August 2021 with an overview of the national guidelines for screen time. The studies show the effects of excessive screen time and how practitioners can support families to reduce screen time. The guidelines were developed from systematic reviews of the evidence about the effects of physical activity, sleep, and sedentary time (including screen time) on the development, health, and well-being of children. It is recommended for children younger than two years to not have screen time; no more than one hour per day for children aged two to five years, and no more than two hours of recreational screen time per day for children and young people aged 5-17 years. However, most Australian children spend more time using screen-based devices than the recommended amount. Estimates from primary research suggest only 1723 percent of pre-schoolers and 15 percent of 5-12 year olds meet the screen time guidelines. Screen time was shown to have increased between the ages of 10 and 14 in the categories of gaming, watching TV, and computer use for boys and social networking for girls. Research suggests that excessive screen time in children, especially young children, is likely to lead to unhealthy outcomes both short and long term. Researchers encouraged balancing each day with different activities to avoid focusing on specific behaviours in isolation. How Australian Children Are Using Their Phones In 2020, the reported number of Australian children aged six to 13 who used phones increased to 46 percent compared to 41 percent in 2015, according to a report published by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. From June 2019 to June 2020, it is reported that 33 percent of children aged between 6 to 13 owned the phone they used, and 54 percent did not have access to or own a phone. In the same 12 months, the most common phone use by children was playing games, taking photos/videos, and using apps. Using smartphones to communicate via text messages and calling a parent/family were also common uses. Children With Their Own Smartphones Are the New Normal A 2017 poll by the Royal Childrens Hospital (RCH) MelbourneRCH National Child Health Pollshows that children who have their own smartphone or tablet are considered the new normal for Australian children. Director of the RCH National Child Health Poll, Anthea Rhodes, explained that almost all teenagers had their own smartphone or tablet; while 67 percent of primary school children, 36 percent of pre-schoolers, and even 17 percent of infants and toddlers had their own screen-based device. The poll found that one in six primary school-aged children were on social media, which is concerning when the restriction on most accounts is for a minimum age of 13, and we also found that those kids on social media were more likely to experience online bullying, Rhodes said. Rhodes said that around half of Australian children are using screen-based devices up until bedtime, and a quarter of those children have sleep issues due to their screen use. The most concerning finding from the poll is that around 50 percent of pre-schoolers and toddlers are using screen-based devices on their own without supervision, Rhodes said. Rhodes added that 85 percent of parents said they used devices to keep their children occupied so they could get things done. The poll also found that in households where parents spend a lot of time on screen-based devices, their children would follow. So its important to remember that where we can, even though its hard, parents should model healthy habits, Rhodes said. BC Courts Granting Bail in Over Half of Cases Where Crown Seeks Detention: Premier Nanaimo resident Peter Louhimo asks B.C. Premier David Eby about catch-and-release offenders following the announcement about new hubs that will target violent crime, following a press conference in front of the Provincial Court of British Columbia in Nanaimo, B.C., on April 12, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito) B.C. Premier David Eby says that more than half of cases where prosecutors seek jail time for an offence are being turned down by the courts. Preliminary data from the B.C. Prosecution Service on bail hearings in the province indicate that more than half of the attempts by Crown prosecutors to seek detention for a convicted suspect are rejected by the courts, with judges granting bail instead, Eby said in a statement following a virtual meeting between the countrys premiers and police chiefs on April 21. Prosecutors in B.C. only seek detention when they are concerned about the safety of the public, the risk of reoffending and public confidence in the justice system, he said. Canadians are concerned about the crime and violence theyre seeing in their neighbourhoods. Eby said the urgent meeting between the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and his fellow premiers made it clear that each jurisdiction has to take action and pressure the federal government to implement bail reform. The premiers from Canadas provinces and territories are unanimous in calling on the federal government to implement urgently needed bail reform and expand support to combat guns and gangs in our communities, he said. Noting that B.C. police and prosecutors are doing their part within existing laws to reduce crime, he said, The federal government must act on its promise to amend federal bail laws to address this national risk to public safety showing up in every province and territory. Premiers Unite The meeting between the premiers and police chiefs took place following recent violent attacks in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, and Toronto. The premiers say they are united in their plan to insist that the federal government take action to combat violent crime. They premiers previously called for a reverse onus bail system, where certain violent crimes would require a suspect requesting bail to make a case for why they should not be say behind bars pending their trial. Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said the federal government has committed to extending the funding for its Guns and Gang Violence Action Fund but has not followed through. The five-year $358.8 million investment announced in 2018 is used by the provinces and territories to tackle gun-related violence and gang activity through public safety initiatives such as prevention, intervention, and law enforcement. All of our premiers agree on that front that now is the time to continue that fund, said Stefanson. Were calling on the federal government to ensure that they do that. In a statement, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police thanked the premiers for discussing the safety of front-line police officers and said a more concerted and consistent approach is required in all regions of Canada. In particular, the association said the federal government needs to quickly enact legislation to address elements of the Criminal Code and Canadas bail system to specifically address the issue of repeat violent offenders and those charged with offences involving firearms. Audrey Champoux, press secretary for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, said the government will soon have more to say on the Guns and Gang Violence Action Fund. We recognize the real risk that police officers face each day, she said in a statement. Thats why we agree with premiers that additional action is needed to support police [as they] continue their important work in fighting, and preventing, crime. The Canadian Press contributed to this report. British Diplomats Evacuated From Sudan in Complex and Rapid Operation, Sunak Says Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 21, 2023. (Maheen S via AP) The British military has evacuated UK diplomats and their families from war-torn Sudan in a complex and rapid operation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said. Hundreds have died in a bloody conflict between the Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, which broke out eight days ago. In a Twitter post on Sunday, Sunak said: UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers a speech during a gala dinner at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down, Northern Ireland, on April 19, 2023. (Charles McQuillan/PA Media) We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country. I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones. Escalating Threats Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force (RAF). This morning, UK armed forces undertook a military operation alongside the United States, France, and other allies, Wallace said in a written statement. Britains Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace poses for a group picture on the second day of a NATO Defence Ministers meeting at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Oct. 13, 2022. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images) They have evacuated British embassy staff and their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats against diplomats. The operation involved more than 1,200 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Royal Marines, and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners. Labours shadow foreign secretary David Lammy also paid tribute to the armed forces. Grateful for the brave armed forces personnel who undertook this operation, Lammy wrote on Twitter, adding, Our diplomats around the world play a vital role. But he said he remains very concerned about UK nationals still in Sudan, and urged the Foreign Office to do everything to support them and press for a ceasefire. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that the governments top priority remains the safety of British nationals. We are working around the clock to broker international support to end the bloodshed in Sudan, he wrote on Twitter. Continuing Diplomatic Support According to the foreign secretary, specific threats had caused the UK government to temporarily close the British embassy in Khartoum, to evacuate the British diplomats and their dependants, and relocate our diplomatic functions into a nearby diplomatic post. Cleverly told broadcasters that a temporary lull in the fighting had allowed UK armed forces to make their move and help get the officials out of the warring nation. But he emphasised that the government remains absolutely committed to supporting British nationals in Sudan. Cleverly argued that relocating embassy staff would give ministers the best opportunity to project our diplomatic support into Sudan. Asked why diplomats had been prioritised, he told broadcasters: The diplomats that were working in the British embassy in Khartoum have been unable to discharge their functions because of the violence in that city. We will continue on our diplomatic effort to bring this conflict to a swift conclusion because until that happens, we are severely limited in our ability to provide assistance to British nationals, he added. Back to Peace The Sudanese army had on Saturday said Britain was one of a number of nations, including the United States and China, that it would be assisting to help remove its officials from the dangerous conditions in the country. Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan had been complicated by the fact most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven perilous. The UK government has stated that a more large-scale evacuation could prove a challenge, with Britain lacking the military footprint it had in Afghanistan which saw thousands airlifted out of Kabul during Operation Pitting in 2021. Speaking to broadcasters on Sunday, Wallace, the defence secretary, said: Our involvement is obviously limited to trying to engage for the safety of our British nationals. But, ultimately, what we want is peace to return. There was originally a peace programme where two factions, the Sudan armed forces and another military faction, were working towards integration. That broke down and thats what has caused the conflict. We urge those parties very much to get back to the talks and back to peace. Sudan was on the right path and I think we need to continue to support that in whatever way we can, and I know the U.N. and the international community will be doing their best. PA Media contributed to this report. Completely restricting minors access to pornography on the internet is like trying to bail out the ocean with a teaspoon. There are over 47 million Spaniards, and 94.9% have access to the internet, according to the latest We Are Social report from February. Its everywhere: on cell phones, tablets, computers, videogames, televisions. And where there is an internet connection, there is porn. Spain ranks 11th in porn consumption on the worlds largest platform, Pornhub (it has over 120 million daily visits from around the world). But even if youre not looking for it, porn is there: it appears in pop-up windows, search engine results for the most unlikely keywords, unsolicited advertisements and on social media. Whats the problem with this? There are several. Most of these clips show physically and verbally violent sex that is devoid of any empathy, consent, reciprocity or affection. Almost all of the violence is against women. And for most children and teenagers, pornography is the only source of sex education. Yet it includes slapping, women dragged by the hair, asphyxiation, simulations of rape and sometimes real rape. For several years, experts have pointed to this type of porn so-called mainstream pornography, because not all porn is the same as a factor that must be taken into account when examining the increase in sexual violence among minors. In its latest annual report (with data from 2021), Spains Attorney Generals Office (FGE) noted: The figures of cases initiated [for sexual crimes] are eloquent, and the delegates explanations are similar, albeit with different and interesting nuances. Without falling into moralism, they warn against the carelessness and banality with which sexual relations between adolescents are addressed. [...] Emphasis continues to be placed on highly sexualized behavior at a very early age. The early onset [of this behavior] is fundamentally linked to access to pornography on mobile devices [before they reach puberty]. Recent studies show that some children are as young as six or eight years old when they are first exposed to pornography. In that report, the Attorney Generals Office referred to Granadas Deputy Prosecutor, who commented on the contradiction of dictating regulatory standards for this kind of content in the mass media, while, at the same time, there are no protocols to try to prevent minors from accessing pornographic web pages. Grenadas Deputy Prosecutor was referring to the General Law on Audiovisual Communication, which was approved last summer and introduced measures for protecting users and minors from certain audiovisual content. The legislation responded to the 2018 European directive on this topic which lacks precise instructions by establishing and operating age verification systems for users for any content that may harm the physical, mental or moral development of minors, which, in any case, prevent their access to the most harmful audiovisual content, such as gratuitous violence or pornography and providing parental control mechanisms or digital encryption systems. But these norms only apply to television stations, or on-demand channels and platforms that are located in Spain, or elsewhere in European countries, and operate in Spanish territory. What about the hundreds of thousands of porn sites that are registered all over the world? Upon opening any of them for the first time, a window appears with the warning for adults only and an accept button. All you need to do is click on it for millions of videos to appear before you. When you access the same site from the same device again, the warning does not even pop up, because the webpages memory (cookies) recognizes that you have already entered it. Legislation and privacy rights In recent years, the question of how to regulate pornography has arisen in Spain. In the last general elections, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) was the only party to include the issue in its platform: We will prosecute sex trafficking and exploitation, especially of minors, and we will protect them from the creation of, dissemination of and exposure to pornography and promote redoubled protection of minors to prevent access to pornography. The party confirms that it will retain that commitment for the next elections; it was also part of the current Governments coalition agreement. But the legislature is a few months away from the end of its term, and it hasnt done anything in this area. The Law on Childhood and Adolescence generally introduced unsolicited access to pornography as a form of violence against minors, and it enacted some educational and awareness-raising measures on the subject. But no measures have been instituted to directly restrict access. The idea is to verify the age of the people who access such content. Now, the Law on Personal Data Protection and Guarantee of Digital Rights establishes 14 years as the age of consent for processing personal data and includes not demonstrating reasonable efforts to verify the validity of the consent given by a minor as a very serious violating. But, according to the Spanish Data Protection Agencys report Protecting Minors on the Internet, so far, there is no evidence that the editors and publishers of adult content in Spain use any effective methods to check that users are of age. In the United States, the state of Louisiana has required identification since January 1 to be able to access any page whose content is at least one-third pornography. According to European legislation, such a measure would not be possible precisely because of user data protections. But other countries [with laws similar to Spains in this regard] are trying or have already tried, says Ana Valero, a professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Castilla-La Mancha and author of the book La libertad de la pornografia [The Right to Pornography]. One country to which she refers is the United Kingdom, which sought to pass very problematic legislation in terms of privacy rights: it was based on sending age-verification information to the sites, which in turn had to send it to the government. They desisted in 2019 and focused their efforts on sex education in schools and colleges. She also mentions Australia, which wants to use facial recognition and may have the same privacy issues. Finally, she cites France, which is working on an age verification solution that respects the principle of double anonymity, the French Minister of Digital Transition and Telecommunications, Jean-Noel Barrot, explained to the National Assembly in February. Double anonymity means that a telephone company, or any other platform through which this verification is provided, would not know what the data is used for, and the website on which the identification is used to gain access does not know the identity of the person entering it. We do not know which will be more effective, or if any of them will bewe will have to see how both legal rights are valued: on the one hand, data protection, but also the protection of youth and children [and] evaluate when it might be necessary to transfer data to protect minors, adds Valero. It should be possible to involve the platforms in proactively collaborating in the implementation of verification systems, whatever they may be. But the major industry is aware that teenagers are their new niche, and they are working to capture them on a massive scale, Valero points out. A 525,000 fine for personal data violations So, what is the solution? In the current legislative context, it is not simple. Sources at the Data Protection Agency remind us that their powers are limited to protecting personal information. They say that they are well aware that minors access to online adult content and that the addictive use of new technologies are habits that can entail serious risks for their development and mental health, as well as serious consequences for their family, educational and social environment. They are working on solutions. The agency also explains that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives regulatory authorities the ability to take corrective actions, of which levying an administrative fine is only one option; other measures include warnings, admonitions, and adopting measures to ensure that personal data processing complies with the law. Indeed, the AEPD initiated ex officio preliminary investigation proceedings against a company that owned several porn websites for alleged violations of data protection regulations, including the possible processing of the personal data of children under 14 years old that it obtained from browsing on its web pages. The case ended with a financial penalty of 525,000 for violating several GDPR provisions and obligated the company to implement effective and adequate security measures to verify users ages to ensure that only persons of legal age can access web pages with adult content. But the AEPD does not always have the ability to act, as in cases when companies are located outside Spain. However, according to Lluis Ballester, a PhD in Sociology and an expert on the relationship between youth and pornography, the debate over how to protect minors from certain types of pornography is necessary: We had the same debate about other products that were associated with freedom, like tobacco. Socially, we have come to accept strong restrictions on access to and consumption of [tobacco] because research showed its effects. Right now, the evidence on habitual pornography consumption is on a par with the [data] we had before tobacco restrictions. Education about emotions, relationships and sexuality Ballester believes that there are measures that could be taken to achieve that, including establishing by law that all internet-capable devices sold in Spain have parental controls activated by default; creating hotlines for complaints and advice for minors and families [which France has also done with the so-called Studer law and the 3018 phone number]; establishing an advisory council of experts on minors and risks in the National Commission of Markets and Competitions audiovisual jurisdiction; and setting up the Audiovisual Council in all of Spains autonomous communities to work on this issue. Beyond concrete measures, both Valero and Ballester, along with other specialists, point to prevention as a clear objective. The latter says that the best approach is education about emotions, affection, relationships, sexuality and digital literacy. He adds that we need to activate protection mechanisms for people who are at risk and those who have already been harmed, including measures like participation and research that allow us to better understand what is happeningwith risks related to social media and video games [which pornography affects], for example. And he suggests making well-scripted and well-produced films about sexuality that dont show violence, submission, etc., which could respond to human sexual curiosity outside the porn market. For example, such content could be developed through the compulsory affective-sexual education for all ages included in the latest reform of the abortion law and the only yes is yes law. But Spains autonomous regions, which have jurisdiction over education, have not yet begun to develop them. Sources at Spains Ministry of Equality say that non-consensual and violent pornography requires a comprehensive response that is not based solely on the Penal Code. It is a question of making sex education cross-disciplinary and [involving it] in all areas of life. They are referring to the two aforementioned regulations, which they were the driving force behind, along with other public policies like the 2022-2025 State Strategy for combatting male violence, so that sex education, especially among minors, is not [done] through pornography. They contend that sex education for adolescent boys and girls is the most effective measure for preventing and discouraging the consumption of pornography. Jose Luis Garcia, a psychologist and the co-director of the first university course on preventing the harmful effects of pornography at King Juan Carlos University (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), says that based on his 45 years of experience, he is more in favor of training boys and girls from very early on so that they learn to make decisions rationally and know what and where to look if they have concerns or need erotic stimuli. In the absence of education at home and at school, says Jorge Gutierrez, the director of the non-profit organization Dale Una Vuelta [Give It a Look], the sexual, mental and emotional health of children and teenagers suffers. He argues that they notice how [porn] is conducive to risky sexual behaviors [such as not using condoms] and a tendency to be more dissatisfied than satisfied when trying to emulate the practices they see, since those [practices] distort sex [they also see that] the woman is always the one who experiences the most harm, even to the point of violence. He adds that porn can [also] be a gateway to addictive behaviors. Most importantly, emotional [health] is affected to the extent that abusive consumption [of porn] can cause neglect of relationships [and] progressive isolation, and one ends up trapped in porn consumption. Pornography can also be associated with many boys maladaptive emotional management in an effort to avoidloneliness, anxiety or anger, [then they] turn to [porn] consumption to escape from that, for instant gratification. Gutierrez likens minors surfing the web to navigating a five-lane highway, and says that efforts to regulate porn are akin to creating a service road. Is it possible to prevent access to many places? No, but some barriers can be put in place " The billions of results that appear in less than a second by just typing the word porn in a search engine cannot be removed, but children and adolescents can at least be taught about what they will find. Let them know why such images have nothing to do with reality and what sex is really about. Unlike what appears in mainstream porn, Ana Valero says, sex involves caring, reciprocity, consent [and] empathy. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Canadas National Defence in Peril With Inadequate Spending: Former Defence Ministers Military vehicles and tanks of Poland, Italy, Canada, and the United States roll during the NATO military exercises Namejs 2021 at a training ground in Kadaga, Latvia, on Sept. 13, 2021. (AP/Roman Koksarov) An open letter, signed by former defence ministers among more than 60 former senior public servants and military and security officials, has been issued by the Conference of Defence Associations Institute (CDAI), warning that Canada is failing to live up to international expectations for military spending. The April 16 letter came just days before an April 19 Washington Post report that alleged Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials privately that the country will never meet the spending target agreed to by the alliances member countries. Trudeau would not deny or confirm the report, stating only: I continue to say and will always say that Canada is a reliable partner to NATO, a reliable partner around the world, and with our military investments, with the support we give to Canadians, we will continue to be doing that. Canada does not exist in a bubble and its security and prosperity are only guaranteed through collective security and defence arrangements that properly function if countries live up to the ideals of the UN Charter, said the CDAI letter. The letter was signed by dozens of signatories, including former national defence ministers, a former Supreme Court justice, and a long list of former provincial premiers, ministers, senators, chiefs of the defence staff, ambassadors, and senior public servants. The letter said Canadas critical Five-Eyes relationships require that the country invest enough money to earn its seat at the table. The group maintains that Canadas defence capabilities have atrophied and are outdated and woefully inadequate to protect our landmass and maritime approaches. NATO Commitment According to NATOs most recent annual report, released in March, Canada spent an estimated 1.29 percent of its GDP on defence in 2022. This is far below the 2014 pledge signed by the allies to meet the earlier NATO-agreed guideline of spending 2 percent of GDP on defence by 2024. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in February that member countries need to step up to meet the targets. We should move from regarding the 2 percent as a ceiling, to regard the 2 percent of GDP as a floor and minimum and to have a stronger commitment and not a long-term perspective, he said on Feb. 15 following a two-day meeting of NATOs defence ministers. We need immediate commitment to spend 2 percent as a minimum because when we see the needs for ammunition, for air defence, for training, for readiness, for high-end capabilities, its obvious that that 2 percent defence spending is minimal. Three of the signatories to CDAIs letter gave an interview to CTVs Question Period on April 23. Among them was Richard Fadden, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) director and national security adviser to two prime ministers. Also speaking was Albertas former premier Jason Kenney, who is a former Conservative national defence minister, and former Liberal national defence minister David Pratt. CSIS head Richard Fadden waits to testify at the Commons public safety committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on July 5, 2010. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Fadden said Canadians, absent of major crisis, dont care a great deal about national security, national defence. He said the world is becoming sufficiently unstable, which obligates the Canadian government to take national security and defence more seriously. He acknowledged the government has announced a plan to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and invest in 88 F-35 fighter jets, but said these things are 10 to 15 years in the future. Kenney said that global superpowers are now engaging in military assertiveness, and that is a wakeup call for Canada, which is not being seen as a serious player on the international scene. We cannot take a permanent holiday from history. Weve always been able to downplay defence, because we live under the American defence umbrella, but our allies rightfully expect for expect us to play our part, said the former premier. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney answers questions during a press conference in Victoria, B.C., on July 12, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito) Pratt said the military is suffering issues of culture and a personnel shortage, with the Canadian Armed Forces 16,000 short of reserve and regular forces. We need more money being spent on operations. They need training. Somebody, somehow, has to fill those 16,000 slots, he said. According to Pratt, Canadas military operational capabilities are much weaker than they were even five years ago. CDAIs letter said Canadas defence policy is lagging and comes at a time of great peril for global peace and security give the threats posed by China and Russia. Canada cannot afford to conduct business as usual, said the letter. The group has called on Trudeau and the federal government to follow the call of the NATO secretary general and treat the spending investment of 2 percent of GDP as a floor rather than a ceiling for defence spending. Peter Wilson contributed to this report. Hector and Nancy Flores attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Rosemont Theatre, on April 22, 2023. (Charlie Lu/The Epoch Times) ROSEMONT, IllinoisHector Flores, a deputy executive director, and Nancy Flores, a former manager, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Rosemont Theatre on April 22. I loved it, Mrs. Flores said. I love the music, I love the choreography, I just loved everything. I love the costumes, I love the way everything was engaging. It was just wonderful to see. Mr. Flores said he appreciated Shen Yuns colors and its storytelling about the history of communism. Hopefully, the goodness will prevail over the devil, over evil, he said. Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 and is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Now with eight equally-sized companies touring the world simultaneously, Shen Yuns mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture and give its audiences a glimpse of pre-communist China. Both Mr. and Mrs. Flores said they enjoyed the story-based dances in Shen Yuns program. Some of the story-based dances are set in modern-day China and depict the Chinese Communist Partys persecution of followers of faith, which Mr. and Mrs. Flores felt they were able to connect to because Mrs. Flores grew up in communist Cuba. I think everyone deserves their freedom, Mrs. Flores said. I think when [freedom of religion] is taken away, you take a lot of liberties away from the people. I hope one day China becomes independent, she said. China, free from communism, because communism is very hard on the people, not necessarily on the government because the government will always have more, but the people themselvesthey suffer because they dont have enough. Mrs. Flores said that she also appreciated the spiritual elements of Shen Yuns performance, which are a hallmark of traditional Chinese culture. I love the spirituality. I love the preaching of kindness, the preaching of traditions, the preaching of respect and honor. I love those traditions. Im glad they brought it out. I appreciate not only spiritual strength but the physical strength because it takes a lot to bounce around like that, Mr. Flores said. I love them, Mrs. Flores said. I love their freedom, their art, their beauty, their culture, their finesse in ease as theyre dancing. Theyre incredible. Reporting by Charlie Lu and Wandi Zhu. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. DA Alvin Bragg Has No Authority to Enforce Federal Campaign Crimes Against Trump: Former FEC Commissioner A former Federal Elections Commission official said that the Manhattan District Attorneys office has no authority to enforce federal campaign finance laws against former President Donald Trump. Its an extremely dubious prosecution, and I say that as a former commissioner on the Federal Election Commission, former FEC Commissioner Hans von Spakovsky, who was nominated by former President George W. Bush as FEC commissioner in 2006, told Just The News over the weekend. Von Spakovsky, now the manager of the Heritage Foundations Election Law Reform Initiative, said that Bragg is targeting the 45th president for alleged federal election crimes that arent within his authority to prosecute. A number of other legal experts, including George Washington University Jonathan Turley, have made similar statements as Trump was indicted for allegedly falsifying business records in connection to payments made during the 2016 campaign. No local state prosecutor has the authority to enforce federal campaign finance crimes in the first place, he told the news outlet. Theres just nothing from a factual and legal standpoint to this case. But I dont think this prosecutor cares about that. What hes counting on is that hes in Manhattan. Manhattan is one of the most liberal jurisdictions in the country. I think he believes that he can get a liberal jury to convict Trump, no matter what the facts are and no matter what the law is. But if Trump is convicted, the former president would have to rely on U.S. appeals courts. The former president could argue that Braggs handling of the case could be grounds for an appeal. [Trump] can appeal and try to convince an appellate court that this was everything from a malicious prosecution to the fact that it wasnt actually a violation of the law, von Spakovsky said. A lot of this is going to depend on the judges and the tenure of the judges in the state court system. And I think thats what Bragg is counting on, because his case is so weak, so nonexistent, that even folks on the left side of the political aisleincluding prosecutorshave all basically said theres just nothing to this case. It has long been known that Trump was under investigation by several federal agencies for the alleged hush-money payments. But two of them dropped their inquiries into the former president. While von Spakovsky did not mention specifically why Braggs case is out of his jurisdiction, the FEC in 2021 dropped its inquiry on whether Trump violated campaign finance laws when he paid $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels via his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, just days before the 2016 election. Two Democrats on the FEC panel voted to continue their investigation, while the two Republicans on the panel voted to drop the case. The Department of Justice (DOJ), too, declined to prosecute Trump as prosecutors in the U.S Southern District of New York brought charges against Cohen, who pleaded guilty to a handful of crimes, including tax evasion and federal election crimes. There were reports claiming that the DOJ did not prosecute Trump because there are longstanding rules around prosecuting a sitting president. Its perfectly legitimate to pay a settlement, von Spakovsky noted of the 2016 payments. Its perfectly legitimate to have a nondisclosure agreement. And Braggs multiplying that into 34 accountsthat in itself shows a lack of credibility. When prosecutors take a single incident, or two incidents and turn it into three dozen supposed violations of the law, thats a sure sign that the prosecutor doesnt have a case and is trying to overwhelm the jury. In the case, Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges that were brought against him. Trump, who has also said he did not engage in an affair with Daniels, has asserted that Braggs case is politically motivated and has made it a central theme of his 2024 campaign. Earlier this month, Trump released a campaign-style message saying he would investigate Marxist local prosecutors who took campaign cash from controversial left-wing billionaire George Soros. At the same time, Trump said if he is elected, he would appoint 100 U.S. attorneys who back his agenda upon taking office. Soros prosecutors appear to be engaging in selective enforcement based on illegal racial discrimination in places like Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, Trump said, vowing for reform. The Epoch Times has contacted Braggs office for comment. Diane Abbott Suspended from Labour Party Following Remarks on Jewish Racism Diane Abbott attends a Stand Up to Racism rally outside Downing Street, London, on July 17, 2021. (Hollie Adams/Getty Images) Diane Abbott has been suspended as a Labour MP after suggesting Jewish people are not subject to racism all their lives. Abbott, who served as shadow home secretary under the hard-left former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, made the comment in response to a comment which suggested that Irish, Jewish, and Traveller people all suffer from racism in the UK. She wrote in a letter in The Observer newspaper: It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people, and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships. Abbotts remarks sparked a backlash and led to calls for her to be suspended. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said on Twitter: Once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful antisemitism. Shapps asked Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Are you actually going to do anything? Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer speaking in east London, following the Equality and Human Rights Commissions announcement that it has concluded its monitoring of the Labour Party, on Feb. 15, 2023. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Media) Deeply Offensive Shortly afterwards, the Labour Party confirmed that the whip has been suspended from her pending an investigation. A party spokesman said: The Labour Party completely condemns these comments, which are deeply offensive and wrong. The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Diane Abbott pending an investigation. This means Abbott will not be allowed to represent Labour in the House of Commons, and will now sit as an independent MP. The suspension came after Abbott apologised for any anguish caused, suggesting errors arose in her initial draft letter to the newspaper. She said on Twitter: I am writing regarding my letter that was recently published in the Observer. I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my written remarks and disassociate myself from them. The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused. Racism takes many forms and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, travellers and many others. Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them. Either Woefully Misinformed or Deliberately Bigoted Abbotts comments in The Observer have been heavily criticised by Jewish members of the Labour Party. Jewish Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge said on Twitter that Abbotts letter was deeply offensive and deeply depressing. She added: Keir Starmers response is right. No excuses. No delays. The comments will be investigated and she has been immediately suspended. Labour Against Antisemitism said Abbotts comments are simply unacceptable. Spokeswoman Fiona Sharpe said: To reduce the racism faced by Jews to mere prejudice when in living memory 6 million Jews were systematically slaughtered in Europe for their race is grossly offensive. In the UK today one in five of all Jews have suffered a racist attack, with more than one in three Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller reporting the same. Ms. Abbott is either woefully misinformed or deliberately bigoted. Neither should be tolerated. The Jewish Labour Movement welcomed the move to suspend the whip, saying: We should be unified in our struggle against racism, not divided against one another. A hierarchy of racism only divides communities and assists the racists. We must not allow this. Anti-Semitism This is the latest incident of alleged anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. During Corbyns leadership from 2015 to 2020, Labour was persistently plagued by allegations of anti-Semitism among party ranks. Jeremy Corbyn, then-leader of the Labour Party, pauses while speaking at the vote count in his Islington North constituency in London, on Dec. 12, 2019. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) In October 2020, months after Corbyn stepped down as party leader, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found the Labour Party in breach of the Equality Act (2010) for political interference in anti-Semitism complaints, failure to provide adequate training to those handling such complaints, and harassment. Starmer, the new Labour leader, suspended Corbyns party membership after he said the EHRCs findings dramatically overstated the problem for political reasons. Corbyn got his party membership back the following month, but Starmer refused to give back his party whip, which means that he has been kept out of the parliamentary Labour Party and has continued to be classed as an independent MP. Last month, the Labour leadership formally blocked Corbyn from standing as a Labour candidate in the next general election. Starmer said in February that anyone who plays down anti-Semitism will be treated with zero patience or tolerance. He said Labour will never again be a party captured by narrow interest and will never again be brought to its knees by racism or bigotry. PA Media contributed to this report. On Earth Day, I spoke with geologist and author Gregory Wrightstone of the CO2 Coalition. The group provides science and research that counter the indoctrination in the American education system. Wrightstone disputes the lefts climate alarmist philosophy by discussing global warming, natural disasters, the attempt to ban gas stoves, and more. In addition, he explains how students are taught propaganda instead of learning the scientific process and obtaining critical thinking skills. Although the CO2 Coalition battles Big Tech censorship, it is also creating and providing resources that equip teachers, homeschool educators, and everyday Americans with the facts and refute the woke climate change narrative. EXCLUSIVE: Former FBI Agent Who Refused to Raid Jan. 6 Suspect Warns of Agencys Weaponization Stephen Friend's Jan. 6 constitutional objections led him out of the bureau Former FBI Special Agent Stephen Friend, shown as a member of the FBI's Omaha SWAT team on Nov. 22, 2020. (Courtesy of Stephen Friend) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, Stephen Friend was told. Why would hean FBI special agentnot want to hunt down and jail rioters who killed police officers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021? The question, its justification, and its accuracy were equally troubling when they were presented to Friend by an FBI superior on Aug. 23, 2022. I responded back that no police officers were killed by any of the individuals who were charged with the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, he recalled. Friend, who at the time was a fairly recent transfer to the FBI in Florida from Iowa, had just lodged a complaint against what he saw as heavy-handed tactics being planned against Jan. 6 suspects in Florida. Sitting with an FBI assistant special agent in charge, he felt he had to correct some of the misinformation that was being used to justify those tactics. Former FBI special agent Stephen Friend during an interview with The Epoch Times for an upcoming Jan. 6 documentary. (Paulio Shakespeare/The Epoch Times) There was this pause on his part for a few seconds, like that was new information to him, Friend told The Epoch Times. That was never anything that crossed his mind. Its never easy being a conscientious objector. This fork in the road for Friend came out of his concern about the FBIs plans to use a tactical team to arrest a misdemeanor Jan. 6 suspect. That kind of force against a nonviolent subject raised constitutional issues in his mind. I Have an Oath of Office I expressed that I have an oath of office, Friend said during filming for an upcoming Epoch Times documentary on the events of Jan. 6, 2021. And while Im aware that an arrest warrant is a legal order from a judge, I have an oath to protect the Constitution. I felt that us being outside the rules with following our case procedures was a potential breach of the Sixth Amendment for due process. The arrestee in question had already been in contact with the FBI. He was interviewed by FBI agents. Yet, plans were set to go in heavy for his arrest. Theres a whole array of methods that you can use to bring somebody into custody that doesnt involve the use of a tactical team, Friend said. That really is the utmost, highest level of enforcement. He said he was told he was being a bad team member and shouldnt report for work the next day. Then he was counted as absent without leave (AWOL). In short order, his security clearance was suspended. On Sept. 19, 2022, he was suspended from his job. His income dropped to zero. He wasnt allowed to seek outside work. His convictions were about to be seriously tested. The use-of-force objection ended up being just the beginning of Friends concerns with the FBI. He had moved his family to Florida primarily to work on human trafficking investigations, a subject close to his heart. The sexual trafficking of minors and young adults has exploded into an urgent national crisis, he said; however, he was reassigned from that role to the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), investigating and hunting down Jan. 6 suspects. Former FBI special agent Stephen Friend at his Daytona Beach, Fla., home on Oct. 28, 2022. (Paulio Shakespeare/The Epoch Times) He also called out what he saw as a deviation from the FBIs normal case-management protocols that he believes were employed to create the illusion that domestic terrorism is a much bigger issue than it actually is. Theyve chosen to open hundreds of cases and then spread them around the country, Friend said. That gives the impression that domestic terrorism is a nationwide threat, when, really, the numbers the FBI is touting stem from one incident on one day. Thats a problem for the country, he said. The FBI is supposed to stand for law and order, but instead, were raising the temperature. Friend says he can sit across the table from someone with opposite political views and have a respectful conversation about corporate taxes or some other issue. That individual will never have that conversation with me if he thinks Im a member of the Taliban, he said. The FBI is contributing to that by making the rest of the country think that half of its citizens are domestic terrorists. Were never going to be able to have the conversations necessary to address some real important issues. FBI officials didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment on Friends case. The FBI, however, expressed some significant concerns about Friends forthcoming book, True Blue: My Journey from Beat Cop to Suspended FBI Whistleblower. In an emailed letter to Friend dated April 21, the FBI demanded redactions on 36 pages of his book, including all of the contents of pages 85 to 110. Friend says he has no plans to redact his book. Your manuscript was reviewed pursuant to the terms of the [Prepublication Review Policy] and we concluded some of the information presented falls within a restricted area of disclosure, wrote Joseph E. Bender Jr., acting chief of the FBIs Record/Information Dissemination Section. Prepublication approval is contingent upon removal of the redacted information as shown in the attached version. There is no objection to the remainder of your work, as presented. Process Equals Punishment Friend says hes equally disturbed by how the process of Jan. 6 cases ends up punishing every suspect before they ever get a day in court. For many people who are being interviewed by the FBI, theres no case to be built against them for January 6, he said. It might be stemming from an anonymous tip, where theres no cellphone GPS information, no facial recognition software. The FBI is still knocking on that persons door. Thats an undue stress for anybody. Friend interviewed one suspect who attended then-President Donald Trumps speech at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, then walked to the Capitol. He asked Capitol Police if he could enter and was told it was OK. He doesnt even walk beyond the red velvet rope, Friend said. He walked to the Capitol for a few minutes and exited. We asked him, Did you take anything? He told us apologetically that he had taken a free brochure that was available for people who were touring the Capitol. Hed taken it as a keepsake. Now that man told me this story inside a law office, which Im sure was not free for him. He also told us that was the biggest mistake of his life because hed already lost his career. He might never face jail time, and if he does, it will probably be minimal. But even if he never sits inside a jail; even if hes never charged with a crime, he has been punished. That to me is wrong. A Toxic Stew Most FBI agents view Jan. 6, 2021, as a criminal matter for some individuals, Friend said. Were all fully aware that there has been a tendency to overcharge, to truly reach into the corners and try to scoop up everybody, he said. And the rumbling message that weve heard is that the FBI wants to make a point to charge every single person that possibly can be because of the magnitude of what happened on January 6. Its a misallocation of resources, Friend said. I think that it is what happens when political agenda marries opportunism. There are some true believers, some people who genuinely feel that January 6 was the worst day in the history of the country. There are others who think it was just a four-hour disturbance. For the true believers, they feel they are on a righteous mission. And for others, they see this as the largest, most important case that theyre ever going to encounter in their FBI career. And it behooves them to jump on that if they have ambitions of promotion, awards, anything of the sort. When you have incentive to do that, combined with individuals who are true believers, that just makes for a toxic stew. For Friend, being an FBI special agent was his dream job. After earning a degree at the University of Notre Dame, he found his way into law enforcement in 2009. He worked as a sworn police officer in Savannah and Pooler, Georgia, for four years before joining the FBI in 2014. He investigated violent crimes on Indian reservations in northeastern Nebraska for seven years before transferring to Daytona Beach, Florida, to investigate crimes against children. Its all I ever wanted to do, Friend said. And for eight years, I got to do it. I really felt like I did a really good job. Im certainly not a troublemaking employee who is looking to burn the bridge up behind him as he walks out the door. Friend said he always kept politics out of his police work. But early this year, Washington politics came looking for him. He was invited to sit for a transcribed interview with the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government in February. Friend resigned from the bureau on the day of his testimony, making him free to speak about his concerns before Congress. He said the Republican majority allowed him to present his story and air his concerns about the FBI, while the Democrat minority lobbed accusations at him, after generating a 300-page report and leaking cherry-picked sections to friendly media. The report accused Friend and others of espousing conspiracy theories rather than providing proof. A Grant, a Book, a Grift? It was suggested that Friend was a grifter because, after losing his six-figure salary with the FBI during his suspension, he took a $5,000 stipend from a charity headed by former Trump aide and Epoch TV personality Kash Patel. One Democrat attorney showed Friend a photograph of a Jan. 6 suspect wearing a helmet and body armor and asked, Does that look like somebody who went there that day to do something good? Friend recalled. Former FBI special agent Stephen Friend said the bureau was his dream job. (Courtesy of Stephen Friend) He looks bad,' Friend said he told the committee. He probably did some really bad things that day. He probably should get arrested for them, get charged with them. It would really be a shame if we lost a trial because we violated his civil rights.' Friend said that was his mic-drop moment before Congress. I wish that had been in front of an open hearing, Friend said. You know, I was really proud of that. Friend hopes to return for public testimony before the Weaponization subcommittee, along with fellow FBI whistleblowers Kyle Seraphin, Garret OBoyle, and George Hill. Friend has a book on his experience due out in July from Post Hill Press. He started a new job as an analyst with the Center for Renewing America, where he already has published an article, titled Top 10 Systemic Issues Within the FBI. Friend said he did his best to make peace with his departure from the FBI, beginning with a talk with his attorney a few days before he was suspended. We kind of had our come-to-Jesus talk, Friend said. He said, Have you accepted that theyre never going to bring you back? And I said, Yeah. He said: Because thats a challenge that I have with a lot of my whistleblower clients. They ultimately want to get their job back. And you just have to know thats not going to happen.' GOP Senate Candidate Asks Why There Are No Reparations for White Descendants of Civil War Soldiers Cleveland entrepreneur Bernie Moreno speaks to supporters at his 2024 U.S. Senate campaign kickoff in suburban Cincinnati on April 18. (Everitt Townsend) An Ohio Republican Senate candidate publicly wondered why white Americans dont get reparations if theyre descendants of white Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. During a campaign rally last week in which he announced his 2024 candidacy, Republican Bernie Moreno asked why white people dont get, or are asking for, reparations. Hes campaigning for the seat currently held by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). We stand [on] the shoulders of giants, dont we? We stand on shoulders of people like John Adams, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington [who] took on the largest empire in history. They said no, we will not stand for this. And won, Moreno told supporters last week, according to video footage of his campaign event. That same group of people laterwhite peopledied to free black people, he said, referring to the outcome of the four-year Civil War. Its never happened in human history before, but it happened here in America. Thats not taught a lot in schools much, is it? he asked. The GOP candidate then floated the idea of reparations for the descendants of Union soldiers who fought against the Confederacy. They make it sound like America is a racist, broken country. You name a country that did that: that freed slaves, died to do that, he said. You know, they talk about reparations. Where are the reparations for the people in the North who died to save the lives of black people? In comments to several media outlets later in the week, Moreno campaign spokesman Conor McGuinness said his candidate was making a point about political correctness run amok. He characterized media reports asserting that Moreno suggested reparations should be paid out to white people as false. Bernie was right when he said political correctness is killing our country, and the crocodile tears from the left expose the Democrat hypocrisy he was referring to in the clip, the campaign said. However, its unsurprising that the liberal media missed his point, since theyve been complicit with the identity politics charade for years. Moreno, a businessman, is the second Republican candidate to enter the race, facing a primary from state Sen. Matt Dolan. Republicans are vying to pick off Brown in Ohio, a state that went for Trump both in 2016 and 2020, while Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) notched a win against former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) last November. Reparations for black people have been floated in a handful of municipalities and states, namely California, where a state-backed task force is saying it is aiming to pay the descendants of black U.S. slaves who live in California. California entered the union in 1850about a decade before the Civil Warand never allowed slavery. Earlier this month, economists estimated that black Californians could receive upwards of $800 billion dollars in total, even though Californias yearly budget totals only $300 billion. Meanwhile, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom said in January that the state was facing a projected budget deficit of $22.5 billion. In San Francisco, some officials are considering lump sums of $5 million for each eligible black resident of the city. Amos C. Brown, a committee member, suggested that the payout isnt enough. Our position is through all the hell, the horror, and the harm that weve gone through, he said. If it were a matter based on a sensible, factual plan for reparations, it would even possibly be more than $5 million cash given out to individuals. But critics have said the recent proposals are unreasonable. The City of San Francisco proposal is completely delusional, John Dennis, Chairman of the San Francisco Republican Party, told The Epoch Times on March 29. Its a $50 billion price tag on a city with a $14 billion budget. We cant afford it on a per capita basis. Government Wont Raise Jobseeker, Will Continue to Deliver Stage-Three Tax Cuts: Australian Finance Minister Australias finance minister has ruled out raising the base rate of the JobSeeker payment, although she acknowledged that those on the support program are doing it tough. Minister Katy Gallagher also hinted that the government would slightly increase taxes on oil and gas companies while standing by its decision to deliver the stage-three tax cuts. Speaking to ABC Insiders on Sunday, the finance minister said the budget has been booby-trapped in various areas with a total of $1 trillion (US$669 billion) of debt. Amid demands for a cash boost by at least $76 a day to Centrelink Jobseeker in the upcoming federal budget to assist Australians coping with the cost of living crisis, Gallagher said the main challenge is balancing the budget. In terms of jobseeker, theres no doubt that people on jobseeker do it tough. Theres no doubt about that, she told ABC Insiders on Sunday. I accept that. The challenge for government, and I note some on the couch dont see this as a real issue, is how we balance up the range of pressures across the budget. Theyre substantial and theyre across almost every area. Stage-Three Tax Cuts Meanwhile, Gallagher noted the government would maintain its stance on the stage-three tax cuts. The tax cut aimed to flatten the marginal tax rate to 30 percent for people earning between $45,000 (US$29,300) and $200,000 (US$133,900) from July 2024. She revealed that the upcoming May 9 budget would show the cost of the stage-three tax cuts over the next four years. Are they the right balance? Well, our position is those tax cuts are legislated and we havent changed our position. My job as finance minister is to ensure quality spending, to make some of those difficult decisions. And there are difficult decisions, she said. I dont want to pretend to anybody that these are easy decisions. They are difficult. But how do we get that balance right? How do we address disadvantage? How do we support those that are the most vulnerable? How do we provide cost-of-living relief within the context of the environment were in? She noted that the government is under a range of pressures that are increasing over the long term. But she added that the government would continue to focus on addressing womens equality, with significant financial support for women in housing stress remaining on the table. When asked about the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Gallagher said the challenge with the initiative is making sure that every dollar going in thereand its a substantial amount of dollars now, is actually delivering the outcomes we want in supporting people with a disability to live a dignified life. Also on Sunday, the social services minister announced a funding boost for young carers so they can keep up with their schooling or education while caring for loved ones. The $10 million injection into the young carer bursary program aims to ease the burden on carers aged 12-25 who are trying to study. Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said demand for the bursary was consistently outstripping demand. This funding boost will increase the number of bursaries available by almost 60 per cent, she said. AAP contributed to this report. Governments Race to Rescue Diplomats, Citizens From Sudan KHARTOUM, SudanThe U.S. military airlifted embassy officials out of Sudan on Sunday and international governments raced to evacuate their diplomatic staff and citizens trapped in the capital as rival generals battled for control of Africas third-largest country for a ninth day. Fighting raged in Omdurman, the city across the Nile from Sudans capital, Khartoum, residents reported. The violence came despite a declared truce that was to coincide with the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. We did not see such a truce, said Amin al-Tayed from his home near state television headquarters in Omdurman. He said heavy gunfire and thundering explosions rocked the city. The battles did not stop, he said. Thick black smoke filled the sky over Khartoums airport. The paramilitary group battling the Sudanese armed forces claimed the military unleashed airstrikes on the upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, north of Khartoum. There was no immediate comment from the army. After a week of bloody battles that hindered rescue efforts, U.S. special forces swiftly evacuated some 70 U.S. embassy staffers from Khartoum to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia early Sunday. Although American officials said it was still too dangerous to carry out a government-coordinated mass evacuation of private citizens, other countries scrambled to evacuate their citizens and diplomats. France, Greece, and other European countries said Sunday they were organizing evacuations for embassy employees and nationals, along with some citizens of allied countries. French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said France was undertaking the operation with the help of European partners. The Greek foreign minister said the country had dispatched aircraft and special forces to its ally, Egypt, in preparation for an evacuation of 120 Greek and Cypriot nationals from Khartoum. Most of them have sought shelter in recent days at a Greek Orthodox cathedral in the capital, Nikos Dendias said. The Netherlands sent two air force Hercules C-130 planes and an Airbus A330 to Jordan ahead of a possible rescue mission. We deeply sympathize with the Dutch in Sudan and will make every effort to evacuate people where and when possible, said Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren. Italy has dispatched military jets to the Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the evacuation of 140 Italian nationals in Sudan, many of whom have already taken refuge in the embassy. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the ministrys crisis unit was in touch with stranded citizens. The fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces, has targeted and paralyzed the countrys main international airport, reducing a number of civilian aircraft to ruins and gutting at least one runway. Other airports across the country have also been knocked out of operation. Overland travel across areas contested by the warring parties has proven dangerous. Khartoum is some 840 kilometers (520 miles) from Port Sudan on the Red Sea. But some countries have pressed ahead with the journey. Saudi Arabia on Saturday said the kingdom successfully evacuated 157 people, including 91 Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries. Saudi state TV released footage of a large convoy of Saudis and other foreign nationals traveling by car and bus from Khartoum to Port Sudan, where a navy ship then ferried the evacuees across the Red Sea to the Saudi port of Jeddah. The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudans heady hopes for a democratic transition. More than 400 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and more than 3,500 have been wounded in the fighting. Hospitals say they are struggling to cope. Many dead and wounded have been stranded by the fighting, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate which monitors casualties, suggesting the death toll is probably far higher than what is publicly known. The conflict has left millions of Sudanese stranded at homehiding from explosions, gunfire, and lootingwithout adequate electricity, food, or water. On Sunday, the country experienced a near-total collapse of internet connection and phone lines nationwide, according to NetBlocks, an internet monitoring service. Its possible that infrastructure has been damaged or sabotaged, Alp Toker, director of Netblocks, said in an interview. This will have a major effect on residents ability to stay safe and will impact the evacuation programs that are ongoing. Thousands of Sudanese have fled the combat in Khartoum and other hotspots, according to U.N. agencies. At least 20,000 people have abandoned their homes in the western region of Darfur for neighboring Chad. War is not new to Darfur, where ethnically motivated violence has killed as many as 300,000 people since 2003. But Sudan is not used to such heavy fighting in its capital. The capital has become a ghost city, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Doctors Syndicate. Half of the population have fled and the rest are looking desperately for a way to get out of this hell. The fighting has also caught civiliansincluding foreign diplomatsin the crossfire. Fighters attacked a clearly marked U.S. Embassy convoy last week, and stormed the home of the European Union ambassador to Sudan. Gunfire wounded an Egyptian diplomat in Sudan, spokesman for Egypts Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zaid, said Sunday, without offering further details. 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 and opened a troubled new chapter in the countrys history. After decades of being accused of being hypochondriacs, sufferers from chronic Lyme disease have been exonerated in an award-winning American documentary called The Quiet Epidemic. The 2022 film proves that Lyme spirochetes, in approximately 20 percent of those affected, remain active in the human body long after the customary three-week round of antibiotics. Doctors and Insurance Companies Have Traditionally Questioned the Existence of Chronic Lyme Although Lyme disease was first discovered in 1975, its chronic version is still often not accepted as a viable disease by many doctors and most insurance companies. The Quiet Epidemic, a documentary about chronic Lyme disease by filmmakers Lindsay Keys and Winslow Crane-Murdoch, may finally provide conclusive evidence that chronic Lyme does indeed exist. Journalist Mary Beth Pfeiffer, from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., stated in the film that the battle over chronic Lyme is one of the most controversial and vicious medical debates today What we have here is a waran insurgency against evidence-based medicine. Dr. Kenneth Liegner, a board-certified internist with additional training in pathology and critical care medicine, states in the film that he believes insurance companies have denied the existence of chronic Lyme in order to avoid covering expensive treatments such as long-term intravenous antibiotics. The doctor, who practices in Pawling, New York, helped his patient, Vicki Logan, pictured in the documentary, to sue her insurance company to pay for her medical costs. The deck is stacked against Vicki and patients like her, Liegner said. There is no reimbursement for the kind of care Lyme disease patients need. LymeA Worldwide Epidemic Richard Horowitz, M.D., and medical director of the Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center in New York has been treating Lyme and other tick-borne infections for 28 years and has written several comprehensive books on the subject. He said in the film that Lyme is one of the smartest organisms on the planet. Lyme is a great imitator that can produce the symptoms of many other diseases such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrigs Disease, lupus, and Alzheimers. Shaped like a corkscrew, the spiral-shaped organisms can bore through joints and cartilage, and even make their way to the organs and the heart. Horowitz stated that he needed to share this information because this is a worldwide epidemic. New Technology Proves 20 Percent of Patients Exhibit Spirochetes Long After the Usual Round of Antibiotics The films most poignant narrator, Duke University physician-scientist Dr. Neil Spector, reveals through projected microscopic images that Lyme spirochetes are present in the brain, the organs, and the blood of approximately 20 percent of patients long after the customary round of antibiotics has been taken. Spector describes in the documentary how his team at Duke University in North Carolina identified HS-198a small molecule-fluorescent conjugate that selectively targets the highly conserved bacterial protein, HtpG (high-temperature protein G), within B. burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme Disease. The microbe can now be identified using noninvasive imaging or a small molecule imaging probe in organs and tissues and its presence in chronic patients can no longer be categorically denied. Spector stated in the film that he believed his innovative technology to image Lyme disease spirochetes would be available for patients within a year. He hoped that it would change the course of insurance coverage. Unfortunately, the doctor died in June 2020, and by the time the film was released in October 2022, that had not yet happenedbut there is ample hope that it will. His co-researcher of five years, Timothy Haystead, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology and associate professor in pathology at the Duke Cancer Institute, has continued to complete Spectors work. Haysteads physician wife, who had been afflicted with chronic Lyme, recently succeeded in securing $2 million in funding to continue the project from the Bay Area Lyme Foundation. When asked what his next steps would be in the development of his Lyme testing and treatment protocols during a November 2021 Tick Boot Camp podcast titled Theres Hope Haystead said: Were on a fast track right now because we have a lead molecule There was a paper that came out in Nature Chemistry, a very prestigious journal, and it described a new (radioactive metal) isotope called Serium 134 and weve become a test site for this Serium 134. Why are we excited about it? Because its something you can take to a radiologist We can carry it to the Borrelia and it allows us to image it. Its a high-energy emitter. Its a very, very, sensitive, noninvasive molecule probe to detect infection at an extraordinarily sensitive level. In terms of the funding process, Haystead said, the bar is a little lower for an imaging agent than for a drug. You have to believe in what youre doing, he stated during the podcast, and then the funders will back you. The Duke researchers innovative imaging techniques will likely make it possible for chronic Lyme patients to have their treatments covered by insurance companies in the near future. Spectors imaging has made it infinitely harder to deny the existence of chronic Lyme disease. The film is currently showing in film festivals and special screenings throughout the United States. The Quiet Epidemic May 9 sneak peek screening + Q&A, ahead of the May 16 release The Hispanic Society of America has been the New York home of Spanish artist Joaquin Sorolla since its founding in 1904. It also houses important art collections from Spain, Portugal and Latin America, including masterpieces by Goya, El Greco and Velazquez, among many others. It is situated in an old building in northern Manhattan far from the New York museum circuit but in the heart of the citys Hispanic community. Closed since 2017 due to a massive modernization plan, everything seemed to be ready to reopen this month. This was supposed to be the Sorolla Year, marking a century since the passing of the Spanish Valencian painter. The main building houses his monumental series of 14 paintings known as Vision of Spain, which was commissioned by the Hispanic Societys founder philanthropist Archer M. Huntington following the success of two exhibitions held by the Spanish painter in 1909 and 1911. However, a workers strike has marred the calendar. In addition to the distance between the demands of the workers and the offers made by the management, there are also two different ways of looking to the future. The Hispanic Society faces a dilemma: updating a museum that, for decades, has been a gigantic depository of artworks or, preserving its essence. For employees, worsening working conditions are the principal concern, while they are also concerned with the state of 900 paintings and more than 6,000 drawings, along with about 750,000 books, photographs, sculptures and decorative arts. A part of the workforce unionized since 2021 went on strike on March 27, after more than a year of negotiations. In addition to the economic demands which the management claims are the sole cause of the conflict many workers are frustrated by the lack of personnel and the poor treatment that the art collection receives. There are concerns about the lack of control over the storage temperature and the unfilled vacancies in the technical staff that must watch over the collections. Striking workers have also mentioned the threat of outsourcing positions or services, which the management denies it is doing. As with any other unionized action in the United States, resistance to mobilization is the norm. The strike has shown that the administration is willing to put priceless treasures at risk, says Patrick Lenaghan, the head of iconography and a curator at the Hispanic Society Museum for the past 28 years. Weve had a serious shortage of personnel and our incredible collection is in danger due to a lack of adequate safeguards, he adds, mentioning five floods (caused by rain) in the buildings basement which houses part of the collection as well as mold in the book restoration workshop While flatly rejecting these claims, Guillaume Kientz director of the Hispanic Society shows EL PAIS the rooms that will open to the public: the Sorolla room [with the Vision of Spain], the main patio and the library. Including the remodelling of the facilities, warehouses and offices as well as the roof and the plumbing in the main building, the renovations have cost a total of $8 million. Im not going to talk about the strike, because were negotiating and agree on almost everything hopefully it can be resolved very soon, Kientz notes. Regarding health insurance coverage, he says that it will not vary for contract workers well negotiate these conditions with [new workers]. The fight over working conditions isnt different from the negotiations taking place in many other American companies, but the novelty is that the strike (directly or indirectly) affects works of art valued at millions of dollars. Its not only an economic question, but also [about] the demand for professional museum standards, the curator warns. Kientz denies that the Hispanic Societys legacy is at risk. The renovation has already improved things a lot and its going to further improve conditions. Its something that was never done, there was very little maintenance during the last 50 years some liked [the building] better as it was before, a quasi-closed museum, with little public engagement. But we have to reach the people, share the collections and do what museums and libraries do. The library one of the largest Hispanic research centers in the world will be open to scholars, the director explains. Lenaghan emphasizes that the Hispanic Society of America houses the best library of manuscripts and rare books in Latin America outside of Spain, but he also makes it clear that, for instance, the restorer cannot work because now they dont know what to do with her workshop [after the renovation]. The collection of photographs is also the best of all of Latin America. [The Hispanic Society Museum] is on a par with the Frick Collection or the Morgan Library, Lenaghan says, naming other prominent New York institutions, but we dont earn the same as their employees, nor are we as well-regarded. The director alludes to the inertia of the institution to explain this popularity deficit. Its little-known because it had few exhibitions it always taught the same things and it was considered to be more of a research center than a museum that attracts the public. We have to change the way we approach people, [we must] be more proactive and be more open to new discourses on art history. Future plans call for the creation of a new cultural district in the area, along with another 10 museums and 20 cultural entities. The reform showcases a void that doesnt correspond to the legacy and dimension of the collection, says another striker, a curator with years of experience in state museums in Latin America. [The Hispanic Society of America] has no direction its a slow-motion derailment. We were a staff of 40 people in the 1990s now, we dont even reach 25, Lenaghan notes, although the company indicates that, since 2021, it has hired eight additional staff members. One person does the work of four. This shows in the restoration and conservation processes. Weve gone from three restorers to one, but the work all falls on them. A bottleneck is created. In addition, there are pieces that have traveled a lot to Madrid, Mexico, other places in the US, Canada or London and the risk of transit and handling is significant. Its a diverse collection that requires highly-specialized personnel. Precisely last Thursday, 150 pieces from the Treasures exhibition were returned to the mansion on Broadway Street from the Royal Academy in London. Among them, a Goya and a Velazquez. The strike committee denounced negligence in the transfer, with photos showing the open back of the moving truck and several pieces being left in plain sight, without appropriate supervision. Instead of professionals, the [Hispanic Society] turned to contractors who, according to the workers, endangered the art due to their poor handling and lack of security, the committee denounced. The allegations of negligence particularly irritate the director. We work with the same company as the Metropolitan Museum. The fact that the workers themselves have disclosed details and images of the transfer with the security risks that this implies is crossing a red line. I was very shocked that the date, time and content [of the truck] were known and shared with people who have nothing to do with the museum. Theres a video of a person shouting in the street: Look, look, theres a $30 million Velazquez! This is confidential information. For me and my colleagues, its been a shock to see professionals act in this way its something very serious. Judging by the pre-renovation photos that Kientz shows EL PAIS on his laptop snapshots of holes in the ceiling, rusty pipes almost bursting, a hodgepodge of negatives, stacks of files and papers the Hispanic Society was crying out for help. The museum didnt look good and theres still a lot to do but in two years, weve come a long way, thanks also to the donors and, of course, to the mobilization of the team that has helped, so it saddens me to see whats happening. The workers are showing their willingness to continue the strike, with the state of New York granting subsidies in the form of unemployment benefits. Until the strike ends, the home of 243 works by Sorolla his largest collection outside of Spain remains closed. However, the management hopes to be able to open later this spring. In 1909, an exhibition by the Valencian attracted no less than 160,000 visitors in one month. Today, the main courtyard of the mansion which people with reduced mobility can access via ramps and lifts hosts an exhibition of Sorollas works that takes your breath away. His paintings are in dialogue with kinetic pieces by the Venezuelan Jesus Rafael Soto, who was born a century ago. In the calendar, theres also a slot for the 50th anniversary of Picassos death. Next to the splendid tomb of the Duchess of Albuquerque, an ornamental work acquired by Huntington adorns one side of the courtyard. Nearby, the Sorollas await their latest moment of glory. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Homeland Security Plans to Integrate AI to Tackle Critical Missions Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas participates in an interview with Michael Isikoff from Yahoo News in Washington on June 14, 2021. (DHS/U.S. government) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to form a task force that will explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to advance critical homeland security missions. The rapid evolution of the threat environment requires the Department to evolve along with it, said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in an April 21 press release. The task force will seek to integrate AI to enhance the integrity of Americas supply chains, identify and interdict the flow of precursor chemicals to counter the flow of fentanyl, and target criminal networks, the statement said. According to U.S. authorities, China is the primary source of precursor chemicals. The department will also use AI tools to rescue victims of online child sexual abuse and exploitation as well as apprehend the perpetrators of such crimes, according to the statement. The department will work with academia, industry, and other government partners to assess how AI can be used to secure critical infrastructure, it said. The profound evolution in the homeland security threat environment, changing at a pace faster than ever before, has required our Department of Homeland Security to evolve along with it, said Mayorkas. The United States must address the multiple ways in which AI will drastically alter the threat landscape, he said on April 21. Our department will lead in the responsible use of AI to secure the homeland and in defending against the malicious use of this transformational technology. As we do this, we will ensure that our use of AI is rigorously tested to avoid bias and disparate impact. AI: A Double-Edged Sword The Homeland Security Departments integration of AI into government operations comes as experts warn about the tech being a threat to human freedoms in the hands of oppressive administrations. AI-enabled tech will be capable of surveilling, micro-targeting, and influencing democratic populations in ways that were previously impossible through traditional state monitoring and privately-developed social media algorithms, Anders Corr, principal at Corr Analytics, said in a Jan. 4 commentary. Through micro-targeting, micro-production, and micro-delivery of subtle propaganda, AI could determine democratic decision-making outcomes like at no other time in history, thereby making those formerly democratic processes undemocratic. The Biden administration has already begun integrating AI with biased ideologies in government operations. In February, Biden approved an executive order directing federal agencies to use AI to achieve equity objectives. When designing, developing, acquiring, and using artificial intelligence and automated systems in the Federal Government, agencies shall do so, consistent with applicable law, in a manner that advances equity, the order states. Derived from Marxist ideology, equity is different from the concept of equality, where everyone in a society is treated on an equal footing, and given the same level of treatment regardless of differences in race, religion, and other factors. Equity, on the other hand, focuses on the forced redistribution of resources. In a socialist equitable scenario, privileges are distributed based on perceived imbalances. Such decisions are typically undertaken by an unelected group of progressive advocates. Evolutionary biologist Colin Wright, a founding editor of pro-free speech publication Realitys Last Stand, has warned against such initiatives. Biden is not a moderate. This is a legal sprint to inject as much radical ideology as broadly and as deeply as possible in our government. This cannot be allowed. If Republicans take office, they must fully root out all of this ideological and social cancer, he said in a Feb. 21 Twitter post. The Race for AI Supremacy In the field of AI, the United States could face significant threats from China. A March 2021 report (pdf) issued by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NCSAI) warns that America is not prepared to defend or compete in the AI era. This is the tough reality we must face. And it is this reality that demands comprehensive, whole-of-nation action. The report points out that the competition in the field of artificial intelligence is also a values competition. Chinas domestic use of AI is a chilling precedent for anyone who cherishes individual liberty, it said. Chinas employment of AI as a tool of repression and surveillanceat home and, increasingly, abroadis a powerful counterpoint to how we believe AI should be used. We must win the AI competition that is intensifying strategic competition with China. Chinas plans, resources, and progress should concern all Americans. We take seriously Chinas ambition to surpass the United States as the worlds AI leader within a decade, the report said. Biden had earlier called this decade a decisive one for the world where generative AI and threats posed by the Chinese regime would influence the world. While announcing AI integration, the Homeland Department also introduced new measures to counter Chinese threats, including defending critical infrastructure, disrupting the global fentanyl supply chain, and protecting against Beijings malign economic influence. Leaving California: The Untold Story Explores Reasons Behind Mass Exodus From State Storm clouds blanket the Los Angeles skyline as seen from Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area following a rainstorm in Los Angeles on Jan. 17, 2023. (Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo) More than 700,000 people left California from April 2020 to July 2022 to relocate to other U.S. states, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The fact that hundreds of thousands left in light of California being such a wonderful place is unbelievable! a researcher says in EpochTVs new documentary Leaving California: The Untold Story, which premiered on April 21. People are leaving [California] to go to places that once were known as hell-hot Texas or desert Nevada that have become paradises in their mindand we took paradise and turned it into hell, another researcher says in the film. The remarks by Victor Davis Hanson, a historian at the Hoover Institute, and Jim Doti, president emeritus and professor of economics at Chapman University, encapsulate the biggest, unprecedented question facing Californians: Why are people leaving this paradise? In the 70-minute film, Siyamak Khorramithe host of EpochTVs California Insider program and editor of The Epoch Times Southern California editiontakes viewers on a personal journey to discover why people are fleeing the Golden State, once a prime magnet destination for immigrants and tourists from within the United States and around the world. Called the most important documentary on California, the film looks at challenges faced by those who callor calledCalifornia home, and their experiences grappling with various pressing issues that include crime, education, housing, cost of living, wildfires, and homelessness. Crime Property crime is one of many reasons some have moved out. Derek Drake, whose family-owned laundromat in Oakland had been subject to multiple window-smashing break-ins in recent years, is one of the 700,000. In one incident, thieves stole $600 from the ATM while causing $32,000 in damage, he said. He attributes the spike in crime to state policies that have reduced penalties for certain crimes in recent years. They know theyre not going to get in trouble. The penalties out here are nothing. Its all non-violent crime. A lot of people arent even reporting crimes anymore, he said. High Cost of Living A lunch is $30 now, Kevin Schmidt, an actor, says in the documentary. Everything has become more expensive in Los Angeles, from gas prices reaching $7 per gallon to more than $2,700 for a one-bedroom apartment, the former California resident said. Government policies have an effect on the high cost of living, according to Hanson, the Hoover Institute historian. The people who set policywhether its on electric prices or fuel pricestheyre never subject to the consequences of their own ideology, as the policymakers can afford the rates, he said. Many big employerssuch as Uber and Teslaalready relocated their headquarters to states with lower taxes and less stringent labor laws, while small businesses are pushed out by minor infractions that can lead to hefty settlements. Diana Bonnett, a business owner who also left California, said she mistakenly underpaid an employee about $34. Without first notifying her of the underpayment, the employee filed a lawsuit, which was settled for $30,000, she said. With employers moving out of California, where the income tax rate can reach 13.3 percent, individuals are seeking better opportunities in Florida, Washington, and Texas, where theres no income tax. Education Many are also fleeing for their childrens education. Only one-third of fourth graders in California were proficient in math in 2022, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Gloria Romero, former Democratic majority leader for the California state Senate, points out in the documentary a correlation between failing academic performance and incarcerationsaying almost 70 percent of states inmates dont have a high school diploma. If we dont transform failing schools, in which disproportionately high poverty, African American, Latino kids are trapped youre going to find illicit activity, drug running, [and] crime, she said. Environmental Regulations While the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was intended to minimize negative effects on the environment and wildlife, it has become a common tool for anyone to sue a development proposal over arbitrary disagreements, That can prolong the approval process for years, making a project costly and no longer viable, developer and former Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer says. In other states, if you want to sue, you [need] some standing, he says in the film. Here, anybody can sue to stop a development from going forward. As such, many well-intentioned laws have led to developers stopping operations or leaving California, where politicians are calling for building more affordable housing to address homelessness. Homelessness Pleasant weather is the states biggest blessingand woeas it has nurtured a vibrant culture of outdoor living and, when coupled with other problems, street homelessness. About 30 percent of the nations homelessmore than 170,000 people, and growingreside in California, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments 2022 count (pdf). The problem has become an industry, with the state feeding billions into it without seeing any improvement, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. There are people making their careers feeding off of the homeless, he says in the documentary. You look at the nonprofits [their] CEOs are making $800,000 a year. Managers and directors are pulling in $200,000-plus. Villanueva said politicians are claiming the homeless crisis is the result of a lack of affordable housing, when its really a drug and mental health issue. If youre smoking meth 24/7, rent could be a nickel a month and you couldnt afford it, he said. Is There a Future? Against the backdrop of the mass exodus, Khorrami sees hope in grassroots efforts by people such as Zach Southallthe founder of homeless outreach Charity on Wheels, who helps homeless individuals in his community get their lives back to normal. The majority of the people that I work withthe homelesstheyre dealing with some sort of trauma, heartbreak, Southall said. Its a heart issue. His team focuses on getting to the root causes of homelessness by listening to each persons story and building trust, through consistent outreach on the ground. Thats so tough and requires investment in people that government is not ready to make, he said. We are having real conversations that are leading to real relationships being developed, and people will actually tell you whats going on [in their lives] And next week, theyll see you again again and again. Eventually when they are ready for a change, guess whom they are going to call? You! he said. Through the journey of investigating the exodus, Khorrami realized that the breaking point might be a turning point for California. There are so many other people doing the same [like Southall], but their stories are not told, he said. The future of California is in the hands of these people. If I can help share their stories, maybe it will inspire more Californians to do the same. To watch Leaving California: The Untold Story, visit EpochTV or LeavingCAmovie.com. A mechanics son spent nine months refurbishing his fathers pride and joy, a 1946 Cadillac bought 50 years prior, so that the elderly veteran could drive the car one last time on his 102nd birthday. Passionate about cars, the older man, Wilburn Walt West, was born on May 17, 1920, the eldest of 15 children. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade to earn money for his family before serving during World War II and later worked for 38 years as a forklift driver in a warehouse while raising his family in Pampa, Texas. Walt purchased his 46 Cadillac in 1974. When my dad grew up, no one had cars; they walked to school, they rode on horses, Walts 73-year-old son Harry West, a retired biologist from Canyon, told The Epoch Times. Grandpa finally got a Model T Ford. Thats probably the first thing my dad ever drove. In Walts day, a Cadillac was one of those things only rich people owned, Harry said. So in the 1970s, when he happened to spot one that someone had obviously taken decent care of sitting behind a building in the hot Texas sun, he had to investigate. It simply wasnt right. Harry gets his fathers 1946 Cadillac out of storage where it had been for 50 years. (Courtesy of Jerry Heasley) The 46, which differs from other Cadillac models with its six-bar grille, showed just 37,000 miles on the odometer. The owner wanted his building cleared out, so Walt made an offer on the car. Because of the way he was raised, if you got something that was decent, you took care of it and you went to great pains, Harry said. Dad bought the car for $50. Tickled Pink Two years prior, in 1972, Walt had retired the Ford he bought brand-new in 1955. This car came to mind first when, at the age of 98, he broke his leg and needed surgery. The injury scared him and he asked his son, also mechanically gifted, Do you think you could get my Ford out and make it run again? I want to hear it run before I die. Harry said, I told him, Dad, not only will I make it run, youre going to drive it! (Left) Walts 1946 Cadillac had been sitting idle for 50 years. (Right) The Cadillacs engine was frozen and Harry had to replace it. (Courtesy of Jerry Heasley) So, Harry retrieved the 55 Ford from his fathers house in Pampa and, over three months, got the car up and running in time for Walts 99th birthday. At a huge family party, he was tickled pink to drive his faithful Ford for the first time in decades. When local TV covered the restoration, they asked the veteran what he wanted for his 100th birthday. Walt wanted to drive his Cadillac, which hadnt run in half a century. Harry initially thought there was no chance the 46 could be made roadworthy; his father had never succeeded in fixing it. Its engine was frozen and had water inside; the Cadillac needed a bumper-to-bumper overhaul. The car had not moved under its own power for about 50 years when we got it out of hibernation, Harry said. Itd been inside ever since Dad had it, so it had deteriorated horribly. By Walts 100th birthday, the car was not ready. So his family entered his restored 55 Ford into a major car show in Amarillo, Texas, instead with help from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Notably, Walt was recognized by former President Donald Trump, while an American flag was flown in his honor, courtesy of Senator Ted Cruz, for this milestone birthday. Walt was over the moon. Walt was honored for his WWII service on his 100th birthday; (Inset) Walt in his younger years during his service in WWII. (Courtesy of Jerry Heasley) The Restoration Harry was raised with his fathers sense of care for vehicles, knowing that if something broke he wouldnt get a new one. Harry started fixing things early in life, learning from local Pampa mechanics in exchange for odd jobs, and recalls one stellar mechanic, Don Cole, alongside whom he fixed his first 41 Ford pickup. With his own private shop today, Harry devoted nine months and around $1,500 to restoring his fathers 46 Cadillac. He sourced parts from all over the United States and secured help from a trusted childhood schoolmate, Jerry Heasley, who documented the project. As word spread of the restoration, offers of help poured in. Jerry, who has filmed several of Harrys restoration success stories, published his footage on YouTube. The video featuring the 46 Cadillac garnered over 2.4 million views to date while his footage of the 55 Ford restoration got over 7 million. Walt watches as his 1946 Cadillac pulls up in the driveway. (Courtesy of Jerry Heasley) On Aug. 6, 2022, a sunny Saturday in Texas, Harrys immense hard work paid off when he was able to reveal his fathers precious Cadillac, restored and roadworthy again. We got Dad in his wheelchair, got him out on his front porch, Harry said. We had five generations of the family there that day. My great-grandson and I were in the car, and we came down the street in that old Cadillac. He pulled into the driveway and Walts mouth was open. Theres that old 46 Cadillac that he never thought he would ever see run again, Harry said. For a while, neither did I! But he was just so tickled, he was just elated. Beyond Priceless After a gobsmacked Walt looked the car over and gushed about its smooth, quiet engine, it was time for his next surprise: a ride. He says, Well, we better not go very far, we might have to walk back. No, were not walking back, Dad! Harry said, recalling their conversation. He was a little skeptical because he knew the condition of the car. It just was an incredible day. I dont know how to describe what it meant to that old man to be able to sit in that old car. Walt behind the wheel of his 1946 Cadillac after it was fixed by his son Harry. (Courtesy of Jerry Heasley) After some convincing, he drove his treasured 46 Cadillac himself, at 102 years old, even though it kind of scared him because his legs were pretty weak. To honor the veteran, a convoy from the local fire department added to the momentous day. Two months later, Walt proudly entered his restored Cadillac in a local car show and on Veterans Day he got to spend time talking to younger generations about his experience during and after the war. In the end, Walt got his wish before passing away at his home of 73 years on Feb. 9. Harry and his sister Linda were with him when he died in his sleep. Dad is and will always be missed by all that knew him, Harry said, adding of their last big project, the 46 Cadillacs restoration: Absolutely priceless and now that Dad is gone, its beyond priceless. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Newsom Directs National Guard to Help Combat Fentanyl Crisis in San Francisco California Gov. Gavin Newsom is directing the states National Guard to help find personnel and resources to combat fentanyl trafficking in San Francisco. Newsoms directive also applies to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The move comes as part of a new partnership with the City of San Francisco in its ongoing efforts to deal with the fentanyl crisis. Another two agenciesthe San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and the San Francisco District Attorneys office (SFDA)are also joining to help disrupt the fentanyl supply and dismantle fentanyl trafficking in the city. The four agencies seek to hold those in charge of the large-scale drug trafficking operations accountable. Two truths can co-exist at the same time: San Franciscos violent crime rate is below comparably sized cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worthand there is also more we must do to address public safety concerns, especially the fentanyl crisis, Newsom said in a statement. 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 Democrat governor has directed the CHP to find ways to help the SFPD, including by assigning CHP personnel and resources to help them via technical assistance, training, and drug trafficking enforcement in key areas of San Francisco, which includes the Tenderloin. The California National Guard has been directed to find specialist personnel and resources to help analyze drug trafficking operations. The focus will be on disrupting and dismantling fentanyl trafficking rings. Our Police Department and District Attorney have been partnering to tackle this issue and increase enforcement, but our local agencies can use more support, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in a statement. With the Governors 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. According to Newsoms office, the latest partnership will not seek to criminalize those struggling with substance use and instead, focus on holding drug suppliers and traffickers accountable. The office noted there has been an alarming rise in deaths linked to fentanyl, including a more than 40 percent jump in overdose deaths from January through March. A recent analysis by the San Francisco Chronicle showed that San Francisco had the second-highest overdose rate in the United States, and the second-highest death rate from fentanyl overdose in 2020. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid up to 50 times more potent than heroin, and up to 100 times stronger than morphine. Manufacturers of illegal drugs add fentanyl to heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, and other drugs to make the drugs more powerful and cheaper to produce. China is the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked through international mail and express consignment operations, as well as the main source for all fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States, the DEA said in its 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment report (pdf). Two criminal drug networksthe Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)supply most of the fentanyl in the United States. Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat in the United States. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 died of drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending in March, and synthetic opioids including fentanyl were involved in more than two-thirds of those deaths. If you or someone you care about needs help or support, please call the Treatment helpline on 1-800-662-HELP (4357), or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For information and resources, visit www.SAMHSA.gov and www.dea.gov/onepill One Killed, Another Hospitalized in San Diego Trailer Fire RAMONA, Calif.One person died April 22 and another person was hospitalized in a travel trailer fire in Ramona, fire officials said. The fire was reported at 1:16 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters found the structure in the 17000 block of Voorhes Lane fully engulfed in flames when they arrived, according to Captain Mike Cornette of Cal Fire San Diego. The fire was quickly extinguished. One person was found dead at the scene and another victim was rushed to a hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, Voorhes said. Investigators from the San Diego County Sheriffs Department were on the scene to determine the cause of the fire. One of the Last of His Generation, Second World War Vet in New Brunswick Dies 100-year-old Second World War veteran Angus Hamilton, centre, and Rev. Bob Jones, right, sing O Canada as part of the provincial Remembrance Day ceremony in Fredericton, Nov. 11, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Stephen MacGillivray) Angus Hamilton, who served as a radar technician in Southeast Asia during the Second World War and returned home to a successful career in the civil service and academia, has died in Fredericton at the age of 100. Born in Listowel, Ont., on April 18, 1922, Hamilton grew up on a farm, with the Great Depression shaping his early years The war had come at the best possible time for me, he wrote in his book, For King and Country, one of seven he authored chronicling his life I was 17 in 1939 when the war began; I signed up when I was 18 and I had just turned 19 when I reported for duty. I wasnt close to settling down. I was at the age when adventure calls. In an interview in November when he attended a Remembrance Day ceremony in Fredericton, Hamilton said he had wanted to be a pilot, like every boy, but my eyesight was not good enough. Instead he became a radar technician with the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving on night fighter squadrons in Northern Ireland and India until the end of the war. During the war none of us was allowed to say where we were or what we were doing, and, after the war no one cared, he said in another of his books about the war years. Hamilton died at home last Saturday, just three days shy of his 101st birthday. His funeral was held Thursday in Fredericton. His daughter Anne Hamilton said that like most children, she didnt pay much attention to her dads work or his war experience when she was growing up. We always knew he had been in India during the war, she said in an interview Friday. We knew hed been in India because we had curry when we were growing up. We were in a very white bread neighbourhood, and we were the only ones on the street who ever had curry. Her sister, Elizabeth Hamilton, said that as a youngster she thought her father had been in a different war. The war was in Britain on the continent, and I could not conceive everybody up and down the block knew about Europe, she said. It was in the news. Nobody in the news talked about India. And nobody talked about Canadians in Southeast Asia. While he was mostly shielded from combat, Hamilton saw fire once in Myanmar, then called Burma, Elizabeth Hamilton said. His children learned he was not a fan of the jungle and suffered from malaria, jaundice and stomach problems during his years in India. For several years after he returned from the war, Hamilton got depressed around Remembrance Day. I sort of never understood it, because I didnt think he had been in the real war, Elizabeth Hamilton said. I didnt find out about it until he started talking about his best friend. That friend, a pilot, died while training another airman, she said. Her father revealed that his friend was likely suffering from what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder and did not want to fly. It was not just because he had lost a friend, but it was because he knew how tenuous his friends hold was on life and sanity . Dad was angry that his friend had been put into this situation. But it was the very clear sense of service and obligation that led him and his friends to sign up for the war, she added. It changed his life, said her sister. It gave him an education, which he wouldnt have got otherwise. After returning home from the war, Hamilton moved to Ottawa for a career of surveying and mapping positions in what is now the Department of Natural Resources. He eventually moved to Fredericton to become chairman of the department of surveying engineering at the University of New Brunswick. John McLaughlin, who went on to become UNB president, was hired by Hamilton in 1972 as a lecturer in the surveying engineering department. He recalled his first meeting with a man who wasnt flashy or charismatic but had an authoritative presence, exerting intelligence and experience that inspired confidence. McLaughlin said Hamilton is the very end of that sort of generation who were shaped by world war and emerged tenacious, thoughtful, humble and resilient. Tim Cook, research director at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, said he believes there are likely fewer than 20,000 Canadian veterans of the Second World War still alive. Hes part of a generation who went to war, over a million Canadians went to war, and he came back and then sort of built this terrific country, McLaughlin said. In many ways, its the very end of that era. 2022 | Not Rated | 1h 40m | Documentary By most accounts, the year 2020 was pretty traumatic after all we witnessed and experienced, and the widespread overreach in both the public and private sectors that limited our rights. The public was locked down, there was a huge transfer of wealth from average citizens and businesses to global corporationsparticularly Big Pharmaand it was a horrible year of loneliness, a year that many have written off as not even existing. However, there was a silver lining during that tumultuous period. The lockdown inspired many people to embrace their inner entrepreneurs and start their own home-based businesses. And when children of all ages were sent home to continue their studies online, parents got a good look at what they were being taught. For parents, it was a revelation to realize that many public and private schools are little more than Marxist brainwashing centers, with agendas such as critical race theory (CRT), anti-American revisionist history, and homosexual and transsexual ideologies being aggressively pushed on our youth. So just like many people began their own home businesses, parents across the country started to homeschool their kids. Kirk and Chelsea Cameron nee Noble reveal their initial reservations about homeschooling before discovering its many benefits, in The Homeschool Awakening. (Trinity Broadcasting Network) Actor and filmmaker Kirk Camerons (of Growing Pains fame) 2022 documentary, aptly titled The Homeschool Awakening, focuses on the many parents who have opted to pull their kids out of public schools and educate them at home. The film consists of interviews with 17 different families from various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds who have chosen to homeschool their kids. There are also interviews on the topic with journalists, former teachers, and others in education. The film kicks off by showing corporate news clips of the COVID-19 shutdown of schools, as well as interview snippets of fearful parents not knowing what to do when their kids are ordered to go home. We are then introduced to the families and learn of their initial misconceptions about homeschooling. Many of them speak of the skepticism they first felt when homeschooling was brought up. One husband even viewed the emerging homeschooling movement as a cult. Even Kirk and his wife, Chelsea, mention how they were initially doubtful about homeschooling. U.S. Education in the Past Journalist, author, and educator Alex Newman does a great job of giving a historical perspective on schooling in the United States. He talks about how the Pilgrims passed a law called The Old Deluder Satan Act in 1647 that emphasized teaching people in the original colonies how to read. In their wisdom, they knew that if people were literate, theyd be able to read the Bible and thus be less likely to be tempted by evil. In other words, theyd develop into good-natured, upstanding citizens with strong faith in God. Newman describes the large role that the church once filled for private academies and other institutions. Essentially, there was a free market for education. However, in the 19th century, the first secretary of education, Horace Mann, began setting up the first public schools in Massachusetts. More and more states started jumping on the bandwagon, and public schools began popping up all over the United States. In 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that prayer in public schools was unconstitutional. That crucial ruling paved the way for another ruling by the Supreme Court in 1963 that prohibited Bible readings in public schools. That was a fundamental turning point in the history of the United States, when we officially said to God, Youre not welcome in the education of our children anymore, Newman states. Kirk Cameron talks to a group in The Homeschool Awakening. (Trinity Broadcasting Network) Conversely, homeschooling parents are able to determine what subjects their kids are taught, and thus many are once again infusing faith into their young ones curriculums. Dispelling Myths The film goes on to dispel many of the myths and fears that may be preventing some parents from considering homeschooling. One of the biggest falsehoods is that parents arent properly qualified to teach their kids. However, as the documentary shows us, parents are not only more invested in their kids since they love them, but theyve already been teaching their kids for their entire lives. Parents have taught them how to walk, talk, carry themselves, and so on, since birth. Who would be better positioned to teach children than their own parents? And for those who arent sure whether homeschooling is allowed in their state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, homeschooling is legal in every stateand as a movement, its exploding. Between the 2020 and 2021 school years alone, homeschooling in U.S. households doubled. One of the things I found brilliant about this documentary is that it doesnt use a one-size-fits-all approach. On the contrary, its highly informative for people who are considering homeschooling, as well as for folks who have already been homeschooling yet want more information and useful tips. Another facet that viewers should enjoy is that the film not only takes the fear and apprehension out of homeschooling as a healthy alternative to public schooling, but also actively encourages parents to look into it. As more and more parents decide to homeschool their kids, whole communities of like-minded folks have been springing up all over the place. Host Kirk Cameron makes The Homeschool Awakening not only informative but also entertaining. (Trinity Broadcasting Network) The Homeschool Awakening is an insightful documentary about a movement that is spreading like wildfire. This film is so informative and engaging that its the perfect vehicle for educating people on this awakening. Please share it with your friends and family members who may not know much about it. The Homeschool Awakening is available on Pureflix and Amazon. The Homeschool Awakening shows how homeschooling has grown in the last few years. (Trinity Broadcasting Network) The Homeschool Awakening Director: Caleb Price MPAA Rating: Not Rated Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Release Date: June 13, 2022 Rated: 4.5 stars out of 5 Parents in America know the difficulties of pulling their children away from electronic devices, especially after months of virtual learning due to school lockdowns during the pandemic. About half of Americas young students8th and 10th gradersspend five hours or more daily on weekends watching videos on an electronic device, and 30 percent spend seven hours or more daily on weekends, according to the 2021 data collected by Monitoring the Future (MtF), a project affiliated with the National Institute of Health. Percentage of teenagers spending five hours or more daily watching videos on an electronic device. (The Epoch Times with source data from Monitoring the Future) Many parents have been limiting the number of hours their children have access to devices. Still, the algorithm on those video platformsthe key component contributing to addiction and other child development issuesis beyond reach. To keep the viewers attention, the algorithm keeps feeding them related content that could form addiction loops, in which viewers would keep responding by generating dopamine, something that gives people jolts of joy. We call it a wormhole. You think five minutes have passed. You look up; its been an hour, Nick Janicki, a tech entrepreneur and director of media relations of Gan Jing World, a new tech platform, said in a recent interview with Epoch Times California Insider program, adding, The physics analogy of a wormhole is something that sucks you in like a black hole. And theres more to these addiction loops. Being fed similar content over and over again could cause one to become close-minded, he said. It comes back to the confirmation bias. Once you already have a bias, the algorithms are going to continue to hone in on that bias. So, its not broadening your horizon. Unlike adults, children are more likely to be influenced by the algorithms inducing constant dopamine loops. In Janickis view, the bias confirmation algorithm could lead to something scary very quickly, especially for children. If Im looking at cat videos all day, now all my friends on social media are cat video people. And we have this confirmation bias that the best videos in the world are cat videos, he said, giving an example. So imagine that with negative content, and you start feeding into these kinds of micro-groups, and it gets very, very scary very quickly. Because were using the very base of human biology. And again, it comes back to children. A girl with her phone in Manhattan, New York, on Feb. 27, 2017. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) What can parents do to protect their children from harmful algorithms, then? Janicki said there are three ways to react to new technology: You can ignore it, you can try to stop it or destroy it, or you can try to put good back into it. To him, the last approach is what Gan Jing provides to its customers. Gan Jing means clean in Chinese. He explained the fundamental content rules of Gan Jing: no violence, no criminal activity, nothing harmful, and nothing erotic. Other than those, he said Gan Jing is open to conversations all over the opinion spectrum. What we saw from a tech standpoint is we started with the algorithms. We started with advancing technology, and the morality had to catch up, he said, adding that the free market allows engineers to actually open up a video and blogging platform that can be open to all sides, thats family-friendly and starts with the morality. So I think this is really, really important to know: hey, theres a safe place on the internet thats fully G [rated]. Youre not going to get accidentally taken into a negative addiction wormhole, no matter where you go, he added. The worst-case scenario is: you get too many educational videos, so you can be addicted to upgrading your character. There can be worse things, right? Now Gan Jing World offers monetization opportunities for creators as well. That started last month. RFK Jr. Says Middle Class Was Systematically Wiped Out by COVID-19 Lockdowns LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 01: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. attends Keep it Clean to benefit Waterkeeper Alliance on March 1, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Waterkeeper Alliance) Democratic 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said COVID-19 lockdowns across the United States decimated the middle class, suggesting that it has yet to recover. The strength of a nation comes from a strong economy and a vibrant middle class, Kennedy told Fox News over the weekend, and we have wiped out the middle class in the country systematically. The 69-year-old, who is a prominent skeptic of vaccines, stated that COVID-19-related policies benefited the elite ruling class at the cost of the middle class. Those lockdowns, he asserted, shifted $4 trillion in wealth from the middle class to a new aristocracy of billionaires. Those lockdowns created 500 new billionaires, Kennedy stated. The Oxfam report, which came out this week, shows that the billionaires that existed at the beginning of the pandemic, the people like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeffrey Bezos, Bloomberg, etc., increased their wealth by 30 percent during the pandemic. From the lockdowns. And [Bezoss] Amazon got to shut down all of its competitors. And Kennedy, the son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, stated that he believes that former President Donald Trump initiated those lockdowns. Kennedy added, Im in a better position to run against Donald Trump than any of the Democrats because I can hold him accountable for the worst thing that he did, which was the lockdowns. However, Trump, as president, had little authority to issue lockdowns at the state or local level. And in early 2020, Trump said that keeping the United States shut down would ultimately inflict more harm than it would prevent. For those remarks and others, mainstream media outlets frequently criticized Trump and essentially blamed his policies for the rise of COVID-19-related deaths that year. Its important for all Americans to recognize that a permanent lockdown is not a viable path forward producing the result that you want or certainly not a viable path forward, the president said in April 2020, about two months after the first COVID-19 cases were detected inside the United States after spreading from mainland China. The younger Kennedy, who is married to Curb Your Enthusiasm actress Cheryl Hines, has never held public office but is perhaps best known for his stance on childhood vaccines. Polls suggest he has a long-shot chance against President Joe Biden, who is reportedly readying a 2024 presidential announcement on Tuesday. Like my dad ran on principle, he did not believe that he could win. And his objective was to tell the truth to the American people, Kennedy said on Fox News. And thats what Im going to do. And if theres an appetite for that, Ill be in the White House in 2025. When he made his presidential ambitions known last Wednesday, Kennedy told supporters that he knew he is being counted out against Biden. But he maintains that it makes him like his father, who campaigned against incumbent Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 before Kennedy was assassinated at a hotel following his victory in the California primary. He was running against a president in his own party. He was running against a war. He was running at a time of unprecedented polarization in our country, Kennedy said. That hopelessness of his campaign, he added, freed him to tell the truth to the American people. Kennedy also noted that his critics have accused him of disseminating misinformation about vaccines. However, he said that a lot of the misinformation is just statements that depart from government orthodoxy. Outside of Kennedy, Democrat self-help author Marianne Williams announced a presidential bid earlier this year. Like Kennedy, shes also seen as a longshot candidate. Bruce Kennedy enjoyed Shen Yun's evening show at The Performing Arts Center of Purchase College on April 22, 2023. (Sally Lin/The Epoch Times) PURCHASE, N.Y.Bruce Kennedy, the village administrator and former mayor of Seacliff, N.Y., attended Shen Yuns evening performance at The Performing Arts Center of Purchase College on April 22. His interest was piqued after seeing various advertisements for the show. Shen Yun did not disappoint. The artistry was so beautifulthe dance, the music, and the colors! It was spectacular and unlike anything I had seen before, he exclaimed. It was very interesting [regarding] the culture and historyit was a lot more than I had expected. The worlds leading classical Chinese dance and music company, Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in 2006 by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party. Prior to the regimes violent takeover and the rampant spread of atheism, China was known as the Celestial Empirea country deeply rooted in spirituality and the belief in the divine. For 5,000 years, the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism were indelible parts of Chinese peoples everyday life. Since Shen Yuns establishment, the New York-based artists have made it their mission to bring back the glory of Chinas lost civilization. This aspect of the performance came as a surprise to Mr. Kennedy, and he thought it was a good learning experience. I learned about the spirituality, the religious implications, and how China is so different today than it once was, he said. I think [Shen Yun] is doing an excellent job at educating people about that history. Otherwise, we wouldnt even know about itI was unaware, and I am educated. Mr. Kennedy appreciated Shen Yuns efforts in bringing back these traditional values because if we had a little more spirituality in this world, we would live in a much more peaceful world. Its lacking, and we need it. Jon Kerr attended Shen Yun Performing Arts with his family of seven on April 22, 2023. (Yeawen Hung/The Epoch Times) Also in the audience was entrepreneur Jon Kerr. After doing some research, he decided to bring his family of seven to the performance. The show was amazing! The performers were wonderful, the dancing was unbelievable, the costumes were just amazingit was really wonderful to watch, he said enthusiastically. It gave Americans a piece of Chinese history that we did not rightly understand. [The artists] did a wonderful job, and well come back! Reporting by Sally Lin, Yeawen Hung, and Jennifer Tseng. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. By Junko Horiuchi, KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2023 - 14:51 | Feature, All, Japan A Japanese startup has developed a new method of decomposing organic waste using microorganisms, enabling ordinary citizens to contribute to environmental protection and help mitigate global warming. Komham Inc., a company based in Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, gets its name from the waste-decomposing bacteria it produces. The technology drastically reduces organic refuse, including livestock manure and sewage sludge, cutting greenhouse gas emissions produced by the transportation and incineration of waste necessary in conventional disposal methods. "I want environmental protection to be a part of everyday life, not just something that big companies and entities with lots of money and time do," said Suno Nishiyama, 35, founder of Komham. "I know reducing waste is necessary for environmental protection, but it can be difficult, especially if it means changing one's lifestyle," she says, admitting that she sometimes feels guilty too if she orders takeout and has to throw the leftovers in the garbage during a busy working week. "I hope to create better infrastructure for waste disposal so that everyone, without being aware of it, is doing something good for the environment," she said in a recent interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo, where the company's branch office is located. The company supplies bacteria that can process 98 percent of organic waste into water and carbon dioxide in just 24 hours, eliminating the need to turn it into compost, which is often not put to use. Fresh bacteria are added every three months for quality control. According to Nishiyama, Komham means dry leaves in the Ainu language. The Ainu are an indigenous ethnic group from Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island. Although the company was founded in January 2020 and specializes in biomass technology, Nishiyama, who spent several years in the public relations industry, has no background in scientific research or managing a company. But because of her strong desire "to do something that makes a lasting impact on society," she decided to start the venture by purchasing the komham bacteria technology, previously owned by her father in Hokkaido. Just as she got her startup venture up and running, however, the coronavirus pandemic hit. At first, she tried raising capital through bank loans but struggled, as the financing method tends to favor well-established companies. Eventually, she managed to secure an investment of 50 million yen ($371,000) from a fund established by Ritsumeikan University, her alma mater, and opened an experimental laboratory in Sapporo to develop and produce the bacteria culture. She said the Sapporo municipal government has also given them financial support, helping them with their opening and assisting with labor costs. Although people often think the business environment in Tokyo may be for starting a company, "Sapporo city has recently been very active in promoting local ventures, so they were surprisingly supportive. If I had tried to get everything up and running in Tokyo, it may not have gone as smoothly as it did," Nishiyama said. Komham has partnered with several different entities that have utilized its waste disposal technology, including Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, Ritsumeikan University, and local governments in Sapporo, Kawasaki and Yokohama. The venture plans to sell stand-alone "smartcompost" boxes containing the bacteria next year. The boxes will be powered by solar energy and will not require water treatment. Waste deposited in the boxes will decompose in a day meaning that, unlike regular compost, they will not produce any unpleasant odors, she said. The smartcompost system measures the amount of food waste disposed of and provides residual battery information, allowing the owner to monitor the waste decomposition process. "Although tech startups are usually run by engineers, I believe the fact that I don't have a research background is actually an advantage, as I tend to avoid using jargon or technical terms when discussing the product," she said. Nishiyama intends to expand the distribution of its compost boxes and make them as ubiquitous as "post boxes or vending machines" are in Japan by having them placed around cities, as well as in campsites, schools, and even high-rise condominiums. She also envisages using them to collect data on waste disposal and usage frequency, which varies depending on location and context, such as if there is a festival in a local area or if one is being used in a university cafeteria. "I hope that by setting up smart composts in various locations, it will generate more discussion about waste disposal," she said, adding that the data collected could be used as a marketing tool for companies seeking to reduce food waste or sell environmentally friendly products. Nishiyama believes that expanding overseas could also be an option in the future, particularly in countries like India and Vietnam, where food waste is increasing due to rapid population growth while waste disposal standards are yet to be established. "I think there is an opportunity to make a foray into foreign countries after trying it out in Japan," she said. Robert and Wendy Napolitano enjoyed Shen Yun's evening performance at the Rosemont Theatre on April 22, 2023. (Stacey Tang/The Epoch Times) ROSEMONT, Ill.Aviation director Robert Napolitano and his wife, Wendy, thoroughly enjoyed themselves at Shen Yuns evening performance on April 22. Exiting the Rosemont Theatre, Mr. Napolitano said the show was absolutely fantastic. I loved the dance, I loved the messagethere were a lot of peace and a lot of love, he said. It was really nice. Mrs. Napolitano chimed in happily that she simply could not get over how beautiful the spins were. Nevertheless, what touched her the most was Shen Yuns message behind the dances. As far as standing up and being sovereign and being able to say what you wantspeak your pieceI think that was very important, she said. To stand up against the government and make sure that your voice is heard regardless of what the consequences werethat came through a lot throughout [the show]. New York-based Shen Yun was founded by leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party. Their dream is to bring back the countrys 5,000 years of traditional culture that had been destroyed by decades of communist rule. The company has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from its worldwide audience since its establishment in 2006. In fact, in the 2023 touring season, these artists are slated to perform in over 180 cities. However, for their focus on reviving traditional culture and bringing awareness to ongoing human rights issues, Shen Yun is banned by the communist regime from performing in China. The couple also loved the spiritual element of Shen Yun and thought there should be more of that in this world. There was an [idea] of the ascended masters watching over humanitythey are there to help us, theyre ready to step in, and theyre always with us, Mrs. Napolitano expressed. We dont know they are there, but when we need them the most, they will be there for us. It was [a spark of] hope to the heartI enjoyed that part. For her, Shen Yuns classical Chinese dancewater sleevesexuded not just that idea but something a bit more ethereal. You see the flow of the movement, and you can just feel how it represented the energyit goes up, we capture it, then send it out, she said. It felt as if its our own personal energywe can send it out to others then bring it back to ourselves, hang on to it, then send it out to others again. Mrs. Napolitano felt the same way about the voice of Shen Yuns baritonetrained in the traditional bel canto style. He was exuding so much energy. It was going toward the audience and you can feel ithe was sending it. I wanted to capture it and send him rainbows back. Reporting by Stacey Tang and Jennifer Tseng. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. Texas Passes Bill Banning Sexually Explicit Materials From Public School Libraries Texas state representatives and visitors are gathered in the House chamber on the first day of the 87th Legislature's special session at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas, on July 8, 2021. (Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images) The Texas House has passed a bill that will ban sexually explicit books from public school and classroom libraries. The bill had bipartisan support, with 11 Democrats joining Republicans. The bill followed a six-hour committee hearing. Concerned parents and citizens showed strong support for the bill, which passed on April 20, by a vote of 9552. The bill, HB900, was filed by state Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco). Critics of the bill reportedly argued that the language is too vague and could incriminate books that would otherwise not be deemed unsuitable. Vendors of library materials will be required to vet any content before it gets sold to public and open-enrollment schools. Speaker of the House Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) stipulated reviewing all content as a necessity, with all sexually explicit material being prohibited from entering or remaining in taxpayer-funded school libraries. Further, the bill would mandate vendor book ratings and stipulate parental consent. According to a summary by Patterson, it also mandates adherence to library standards as set out by the State Board of Education and the Texas State Library Archives Commission. Patterson stated that he embarked on the quest to address sexually explicit materials in public schools 18 months ago. The process led to bipartisan support from state legislators. Patterson expressed strong disappointment in those who voted against the removal of explicit content from the hands of Texas kids. In 2021, prior to the introduction of HB900, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign the bill into law, sent a letter to the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). In it, he requested the Association investigate obscene content in public school materials. The TASB responded by saying it has no regulatory authority over school districts, nor does it set the standards for instructional materials, including library books. Following on from Pattersons initial request, he further instructed all independent school districts to declare whether the explicit book Gender Queer, a Memoirwas present in any of their libraries. Some school districts, including Keller ISD concurred that material of this sort does not have any place in educational facilities. It was subsequently removed. Patterson identified the book as well as other graphic content that was present in several other school libraries across the state. The issues pertaining to graphic content, library standards, and lack of parental control on the matter are covered in HB900. It further requests a list of any such materials to be passed on to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for submission to its website. HB 900 seeks to resolve issues relating to library material with graphic content, library standards, and lack of parental control regarding library material by providing for the rating of library material that is sexually relevant or sexually explicit and for a list of such materials to be submitted to TEA and posted to the TEA website, it states. New standards for libraries would follow the implementation of the bill, and would encompass the exclusion of sexually explicit library material for purchase and applying standards for selection and removal of questionable material. In addition, parental consent will be necessary for students to gain access to rated material. Schools and school districts will need to review and report any controversial content in their books on a bi-annual basis to the state. According to an analysis of the bill, as reported by Just The News, the bill does not bring into existence a criminal offense or category thereof. Neither does it alter the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. As both a lawmaker and a parent, its important that we empower parents to have better visibility into what materials are available to their children in school libraries and to implement better safeguards to prevent explicit materials from being available on campuses in our state, Speaker Phelan was quoted as saying following the passing of the bill. A similar bill was filed last month by Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney). SB13 relates to a school districts library materials and catalog. It mandates the creation of local school library advisory councils, as well as parental rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the parents child to library materials, according to Bill track 50. It passed along party lines by a vote of 1812. From NTD News 2 Supreme Court Justices Dissent in Major Abortion Case The Supreme Court held a special sitting on Sept. 30, 2022, for the formal investiture ceremony of Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. (Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States/Getty Images) A majority of Supreme Court justices halted a lower courts order on April 21 that blocked access to an abortion drug, but Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. Alito wrote a four-page dissent and explained why he would allow partial restrictions on the drug mifepristone, after the Biden administration appealed a ruling against a Texas district judge who ruled to overturn the Food and Drug Administrations (FDAs) approval of the pill. But he disagreed that chaos would be triggered by a conflict between two federal court orders. A Texas judge put an injunction on the FDA-backed drug nationwide, and a judge in Washington state ordered the FDA to not make any changes that would restrict access to the abortion drug. 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, Alito wrote (pdf), noting that the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals fast-tracked hearing the arguments of the case. 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. Because the appeal has been put on a fast track, with oral argument scheduled to take place in 26 days, he noted that there is reason to believe that they would get the relief they now seekfrom either the Court of Appeals or this Courtin the near future if their arguments on the merits are persuasive. His reference to chaos was in response to Justice Department Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogars previous petition to the high court. Writing on behalf of the FDA, Prelogar said the governments appeal dealt with unprecedented lower court orders countermanding FDAs scientific judgment and unleashing regulatory chaos by suspending the existing FDA-approved conditions of use for mifepristone. 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, Alito wrote. This series of events laid the foundation for the Governments regulatory chaos argument. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito poses in Washington on April 23, 2021. (Erin Schaff/Pool via Reuters) The George W. Bush-appointed justice further stipulated that 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. The Supreme Courts decision was published unsigned and didnt explain why it decided to grant the federal governments request. The votes of the justices other than Alito and Thomas, who would deny the applications for stays, werent published. Mifepristone was approved by the FDA for the termination of a pregnancy until the seventh week of gestation. In 2016, it was approved to be used up to 10 weeks into gestation. The Texas judge who blocked the FDAs approval of the drug, District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, sided with a pro-life group in an April 7 ruling. But a conflicting ruling, made by District Judge Thomas O. Rice of Washington state, an Obama appointee, ordered the FDA to keep mifepristone available in 17 states. The 5th Circuit will hear arguments over the federal governments appeal on May 17. People will still have access to mifepristone until the appeals court makes its decision, although that ruling could itself be appealed to the Supreme Court. Alito, who was the author of the landmark decision last summer to overturn the 1972 pro-abortion Roe v. Wade ruling, first issued a temporary stay on the case until April 19. That was extended until April 21. The group that petitioned Kacsmaryk, Alliance Defending Freedom, represented doctors who are against abortion and sought to strike down the FDAs approval of the drug. Our case seeking to put womens health above politics continues on an expedited basis in the lower courts, the groups senior counsel, Erik Baptist, said in a statement last week. We look forward to a final outcome in this case that will hold the FDA accountable. Pro-abortion groups praised the Supreme Courts decision last week, but they noted that the case is still being appealed. Were not out of the woods yet, Center for Reproductive Rights President Nancy Northup told Reuters. US Military Evacuate Personnel From US Embassy Amid Fighting in Sudan U.S. forces on Saturday evacuated government personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Sudan, President Joe Biden confirmed in the evening. In a statement, Biden said the U.S. military had conducted an extraction operation at the embassy in Sudans capital of Khartoum, which has been rocked by armed conflict between the army and a paramilitary group. Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract U.S. Government personnel from Khartoum. 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, the U.S. president said. I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety. And I thank Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of our operation. A substantial number of local staff remain in Khartoum supporting the embassy, where Washington decided to suspend operations on Saturday due to the security risks, Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass said. The operation evacuated fewer than 100 people, U.S. officials told reporters. The exterior of the U.S. embassy in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Oct. 7, 2017. (Ashraf Shazly/AFP via Getty Images) U.S. forces spent just an hour on the ground before taking off, entering, and exiting Sudan without being fired upon by the warring factions on the ground, the military said. We did not take any small-arms fire on the way in and were able to get in and out without issue, said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of operations at the militarys Joint Staff. Biden added that he is receiving regular reports from his team on their ongoing work to assist Americans in Sudan to the extent possible, and is working with allies and partners on the effort. The Sudanese Army said on Saturday other nations including the United Kingdom, France, and China would also be evacuating their diplomats and nationals, amid armed conflict between warring factions that has killed hundreds to date. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians, Biden said. Its unconscionable and it must stop. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. The U.S. State Department on Thursday confirmed the death of one American citizen. The Pentagon said shortly after that it was repositioning troops for a possible evacuation of the embassy. Fighting has now entered its second week, after hostilities broke out on April 15. Sudans sudden collapse into warfare dashed plans to restore civilian rule four years after the overthrow of long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising. 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. Reuters contributed to this report. 14 detained as cordon, search operation enter Day 2 in Poonch attack POONCH/JAMMU, A CORDON-AND-SEARCH operation backed up by drones and sniffer dogs to trace the terrorists who killed five Army personnel in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch entered the second day on Saturday. Top security officials, including Border Security Force (BSF) Director General S L Thaosen and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Mukesh Singh, besides those from the National Security Guard (NSG), visited the spot during a security review of the border belt. Fourteen people were detained for questioning, officials said, adding that some of them have been let off. Five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured after their vehicle caught fire following the terror attack in Poonch on Thursday. A preliminary investigation has revealed that the Army truck was carrying fruits and other items to a forward village for Iftar that was supposed to be hosted by the Armys Rashtriya Rifles unit on Thursday evening, sources 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, a senior officer told PTI. The entire area has been cordoned off, he added. Drones and sniffer dogs have also been pressed into service, the officials said. The troops involved in the operation are exercising utmost caution as the terrorists may have planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the densely forested area with deep gorges and caves, they added. Traffic on the Bhimber Gali-Poonch road was stopped following the terror attack and people have been advised to go to Poonch via Mendhar. Atiq lawyer booked for criminal conspiracy in Umesh Pal murder case PRAYAGRAJ (UP), GANGSTER-POLITICIAN Atiq Ahmads 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 Hanifs 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 Ahmads son Asad days before he was attacked, Bhukar told PTI. Asad, the third of Ahmads 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. On February 25, the police registered a case against Ahmad, 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 Ahmad, 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 Ahmad was sent to Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarats 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. Atiq about to reveal some secrets, thats why Opposition got him killed: UP minister Dharampal Singh: UTTAR Pradesh minister Dharampal Singh on Saturday alleged that the opposition parties got gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf killed, fearing that the duo would reveal their secrets. 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 checkup. CM Chouhan announces Brahmin Welfare Board Staff Reporter On Saturday morning, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended Akshayotsav 2023 programme organised on Parshuram Jayanti held at Gufa Mandir. On this occasion, Chouhan welcomed Bageshwar Dhams Dhirendra Shastri where a large crowd gathered that there was no place to even set foot. Devotees reached from nearby districts to listen to Pt Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. During the programme, CM Chouhan announced about forming a Brahmin Welfare Board, along with Rs 5,000 to the priests, give allowance and to build a new building in the temple. The Government will not conduct any activity of the temples. Collectors will not auction the land but only the priests will be able to auction them. He said that the recruitment of Sanskrit teachers has been started in Government schools. A total of 3,547 Sanskrit teachers have been recruited in Government schools of the State. An initiative has been taken to give allowance of Rs 5,000 per month to the priests of the temples of the State and scholarship to the ritual children studying Sanskrit. The life of Lord Parshuram was included in the eighth class book, we will not only teach Akbar, but also teach Lord Ram, and Bhagwan Parshuram. He said that Lord Parshuramji is known as the god of justice. He had raised the axe to destroy the demons. Due to his inspiration, goons, miscreants, Naxalites are not well on the land of Madhya Pradesh. The State Government is running the campaign with full force. Pt Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham said that both religion and scriptures are needed. We have not come here to preach, we have come to see the people of Bhopal. Will do Katha in Bhopal soon. If Balaji blesses us, then India will be a Hindu nation. The nexus of casteism has to be broken and we all have to unite. On this occasion, Alok Sharma, Rambabu Sharma and Rakesh Chaturvedi of Bhagwan Parshuram Prakatotsav Samaroh Samiti said that a large number of women took out the Kalash Yatra from Lalghati Crossroads. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Mahant Shri Shri 1008 Rampraveshdas Ji Maharaj of Gufa Mandir Shri Ramanand Ashram, BJP State President VD Sharma, former Union Minister Suresh Pachauri also participated in the procession. Artists of Shiv Bhakta Mandal Ujjain presented a cultural programme and swastik reading, shankhnaad, bhajan-kirtan and mahaarti were performed by 551 Brahmins on the stage in the temple premises. A member of the organising committee Chandrashekhar Tiwari said that a special seat was decorated for Pt Dhirendra Krishna Shastri and Mahant Rampravesh Das Ji Maharaj on the stage. Pt Shastri also blessed the devotees on this occasion. Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang, MLA Rameshwar Sharma, Mayor Malti Rai, former Mayor Alok Sharma were also present on the stage. Former Mayor Sharma welcomed all the saints and peoples representatives. Pandit Shastri thanked the entire society for their co-operation in the programme. Courtesy matters! THE greatest thing in the world is to be courteous, kind, and thoughtful of others Gautam Buddha Yes really courtesy matters a lot in our life, all of us are recognised by society primarily by our behavior, attitude, and other factors like humbleness, harshness, etc. No matter how we behave as per the situation but the personality traits exhibit in the real nature. Its a unforgetful incident that happened to me when I landed at Singapore Changi Airport (First overseas travel). I was a little nervous. As I came out of the airport, I quickly asked the policeman who came in front of me, about the distance to my hotel situated in Cecil street. Very politely he answered me and finally he said, Thanks for asking. It really gave me goosebumps. The courtesy he has shown, moved me very deeply and I was overjoyed. After offering him Thank you very much, I moved on. Two Little words are more powerful in the whole vocabulary, they can change any scenario in a positive direction, they are Thank You and I am Sorry. Magically they are the true meaning of courtesy. Some years back I read a book by Arindam Choudary titled Count your chickens before they hatch. It was a blockbuster book in those days, he emphasised on the usage of these words and adviced people to use them as frequently as possible and as quickly as possible because one may not get chance in a lifetime to say Thank you or I am Sorry to the other person. The author narrated one incident in the book. Once, his car tire went flat in the night and he had no spare tire. He came home by cab and informed his younger brother about the car and asked him to arrange for the repair the next morning. His brother made his car available for him the next morning. All he wanted to tell him was Thank you but in a busy schedule, he failed to utter those two words. On the same day his brother met with an accident and passed away next day. He could not say Thank you to his brother in the whole of his lifetime. We should not be burdened by the guilt of not showing gratitude to the person who has helped us in need and made us feel good. Wishing/greeting someone on any special occasion really make the person happy and we make our place in their heart forever. Thanks to social media and technology for keeping us alert all the time. These all little courtesies make our life beautiful. In real life, I came across a few personalities who are more humble and more courteous. Professor Singam Jayanthu, renowned mining professor in India. He never dodge offering help. Persons like him are most admirable and deserve more respect. I have also seen people with exactly opposite nature. They feel they are straightforward and dont care what others feel, they utter what they want and make others feel humiliated. Courtesy and humbleness go hand in hand and have the power of winning hearts. Lacking the knack for communication is a cause of disaster for personal life and professional life as well. We can witness the magic of Courtesy in Star Hotels and other hospitality businesses. It definitely makes good impression on the person on the other side. In our country Courtesy was embedded in the lives and has played important role in cultural development Bhagavad Gita says, suhrn-mitrary-udasina- madhyastha-dvesya-bandhusu sadhusv api ca papesu sama-buddhir visisyate - (He who is a friend to all, who is impartial toward all, and who treats alike the well-wisher and the enemy, the neutral and the hostile, the good and the sinful, is considered to be a sage of steady wisdom). Lets us keep the culture alive by teaching Courtesy to our younger generation. By Eduardo Martinez, KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2023 - 16:25 | All, Japan, World, G7 The Group of Seven farm ministers on Sunday condemned Russia for its war against Ukraine and the impact the conflict has had on global food security while also agreeing to help Kyiv revive its agriculture industry by sharing knowledge on demining farmland and rebuilding infrastructure. In a joint communique at the culmination of their two-day meeting in Miyazaki, southwestern Japan, the ministers also discussed pathways to overcoming climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic among the challenges faced by global food systems, saying an increase in efforts to make them more resilient and sustainable is urgently needed. "We are deeply concerned about the devastating impact the war is having on food security globally, not least through price spikes in grains, fuel and fertilizers, which is disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable," the statement said. The G-7 ministers, who represent Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union, acknowledged that conflict only exacerbated growing food instability as climate change and biodiversity loss continue to have a large-scale impact on crops, water and soil health. According to a 2021 survey released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, agricultural expansion is responsible for almost 90 percent of global deforestation, with more than half of forests lost due to being converted into cropland and 40 percent disappearing due to livestock grazing. The ministers also announced a separate action plan, dubbed the Miyazaki Actions, as a response to multiple complex issues global food systems face. The plan addresses short-term challenges, such as international conflict and the coronavirus, while focusing on the longer-term objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reversing biodiversity loss. Among the points outlined in the plan was "to diversify supply chains by exploring the ways to enhance local, regional and global food systems, making sustainable use of existing domestic agricultural resources and facilitating trade." Over the meeting period, Japanese farm minister Tetsuro Nomura held bilateral talks with his G-7 counterparts and several participating international organizations. Nomura made agreements with his U.S. and Canadian counterparts to conduct regular dialogue to exchange information on achieving sustainable agriculture and boosting productivity. As for issues concerning Japan, he urged European Union Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski to remove restrictions on products such as seafood and wild mushrooms from northeastern Fukushima Prefecture, which suffered a nuclear disaster at its Fukushima Daiichi power station when it was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Talks about increasing farm production were not a major topic of discussion for the G-7, partly because the group's members include major exporters, such as the U.S., according to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It is also feared that seeking to expand farm production will prompt countries to take protectionist moves, such as subsidizing farmers. Japan, a resource-poor and rapidly aging country, believes that raising farm productivity is a key issue it must tackle to improve its food self-sufficiency rate, which was at 38 percent in fiscal 2021 on a calorie basis. Doctors at Baderia Hospital perform angioplasty through Orbital Atherectomy technique Staff Reporter Baderia Metroprime Multi Speciality Hospital has become the first hospital in Central India to successfully perform angioplasty through Orbital Atherectomy technique on a 62-year-old patient. This technique has been introduced in India just one month ago and big cities including Nagpur, Bhopal and Raipur are unable to administer this facilities to patients right now, informed Dr Amzad Ali, Senior Cardiologist, Baderia Metroprime Hospital. Dr Ali along with another senior Cardiologist Dr Dileep Tiwari was addressing a press conference on Saturday to inform about successful angioplasty performed in the hospital on an elderly patient. The patient had calcium deposition in left arty of heart. This arty was unsuitable for graft through by-pass surgery which had its own risks. Hence Dr Ali and Dr Tiwari decided to perform angioplasty on patient through a recently introduced technique called Orbital Atherectomy which utilises Diamondback 360 orbital atherectomy system (Cardiovascular Systems). Dr Tiwari informed that Orbital atherectomy allows for lesion preparation of severely calcified plaque prior to stent implantation. With unique mechanism of action incorporating centrifugal forces, a standard 1.25 mm eccentrically mounted and diamond-coated burr orbits bi-directionally to ablate calcified plaque. Lesion preparation with orbital atherectomy allows for modification of calcified plaque to facilitate stent expansion. Eid-ul-Fitr celebrated with enthusiasm, festivity Staff Reporter Conveying the message of compassion and brotherhood, Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated with all enthusiasm and festivity by Muslim community marking the end of the fasting month of Ramzan on Saturday. People from Muslim community extended their best wishes and warm greetings on the occasion of Meethi Eid. People wore new clothes, prepared special dishes and did charity. Right from Saturday morning, people started extending Eid wishes by hugging each other. Following the same, Mufti-e-Azam, Madhya Pradesh, Ahmad Siddiqui while addressing the huge gathering of believers, said that the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr is usually celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar, after the new moon is sighted. He expressed that all festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm and communal harmony in Jabalpur and wished that the healthy tradition would continue in future as well. He appealed the followers not to give attention towards the communal forces which try to create rift and destroy the peaceful atmosphere in the society. As his health didnt allow him to talk much, hence he expressed his feelings in limited words. Mufti-e-Azam Siddiqui did not forget to extend his gratitude towards the Chief Minister and district administration for ensuring uninterrupted supply of electricity, drinking water, cleanliness and other facilities during the festival. Following which, the followers offered Eid-ul-Fitr ki Namaaz. Many political and social personalities including MLA, Lakhan Ghanghoria, MLA Vinay Saxena, Mayor, Jagat Bahadur Singh, MLA DDinesh Yadav, Mukesh Rathore, Manoj Seth, Pankaj Pandey, Vishnu Vinodiya and other Congress leaders also visited the Idgah premise to extended Eid wishes. Superintendent of Police, Tusharkant Vidyarthi and Additional Collector, Sher Singh Meena also exchanged Eid wishes in the Idgah. Indian Army rescues seventy stranded tourists in Sikkim PAKYONG, TRISHAKTI Corps of the Indian Army rescued more than 70 tourists stranded due to inclement weather at Kupup and Gnathang in Sikkim, informed Indian Army on Friday. #TrishaktiCorps rescued 70+ tourists including elderly, women & children, stranded due to inclement weather at Kupup & Gnathang in #SIKKIM on Apr 20, 2023. They were provided comfortable stay, warm clothing, medical aid & hot meals, read the Tweet by Trishakti Corps. Army termed the rescue operation Operation Himrahat. In another rescue operation, Jammu and Kashmir Police rescued more than 300 stranded passengers and took out 60 vehicles from the Sadhna Top in Karnah under Kupwara district on Friday. The rescue operation was launched on Thursday evening by the police, headed by SHO Karnah Inspector Mudasir Ahmad. All the rescued persons appreciated the police who came to their rescue, risking their own lives amidst the avalanche warnings. Nasta Chhun, or Sadhna Pass, is a mountain pass connecting Karnah tehsil of Kupwara district with the rest of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located in the vast Shams Bri mountain range. We are very thankful for our police, which always stands up for us, a person who was rescued said. Luxury branded garments sale at Chitnavis Centre Business Bureau An international export chain of luxury branded ready-made garments is organising its sale at Chitnavis Centre, Civil Lines, near Hislop College, Nagpur to sell the high quality branded ready-made garments at unbelievably low prices. The company would be selling all the stock at the cost of stitching to unable customers buy these luxury brands at very affordable costs. The sale is displaying all new collections for festive and wedding season in ready-mades for the entire family. The sale will remain open till April 24 between 10 am and 10 pm. Free entry and free parking facility is available at the venue. The sale got tremendous response in all its previous sale world wide as well as in India. The collection in the sale is truly mesmerising. Branded jeans, blazers, shorts, ladies kuties, western wear for entire family is the major attraction of the sale. The wide range of branded shirts, trousers, jeans and kurties are attracting huge customers in almost all the major cities in this sale. The ready-made garments for men, ladies and kids carry the latest styles and fashion wears with a value for money buying experience. The entire stock is offered with up to 90 per cent discount for this wedding season. The most liked and admirable range for men are branded shirts, T-shirts, shorts, trousers and jeans. The easy and stylish ladies wear like - kurties, suits, tops, jeans, office wear shirts and trousers are in vogue particularly for youngsters. NATION FIRST FIRST guide of a politician while stepping into the administration zone to run the affairs of the State is always a bureaucrat. As a famous quote goes, politics is a special province of the statesman and administration of the technical officials. Politicians and bureaucrats, thus, share a special but complex relationship where both need each other. However, almost always, one of them finds the other in ones way, flagging policies or adding domain knowledge. Finding a middle ground is a necessity for both the parties which has been stressed yet again by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi as he appealed to the bureaucrats to make national interest the sole basis of their decisions. Mr. Modis appeal to the bureaucrats on the Civil Services Day includes a freedom to keep a check on political parties in power and analyse whether the taxpayers money was benefiting the nation or the politicians holding power. The PMs advice yet again opens the tender layer in the complex relationship where domain knowledge of the experts and pride of electoral victory invariably cross swords over important policy decisions. While the Prime Minister has been a solid backer of reforms in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) which still has a colonial hangover, his measures including the 360 degree performance appraisal are still a work in progress. Bureaucracy still works in the old-fashioned manner though there have been some significant exceptions at every level in the country. Current example of the exception is the Gumla district in Jharkhand which has bagged the Prime Ministers Award for Excellence in Public Administration for bringing a silent revolution in Ragi cultivation. The Ragi revolution has now become a case study for Harvard Business School. Such examples of bureaucrats stirring a massive change in the lives of locals are present across the landscape, making the role of IAS officers absolutely pivotal in nation building. Mr. Modis advice to the civil servants has come from the same sentiment where national interest finds the core of each policy decision and personal egos are set aside for the sake of a larger good. Being a catalyst of change is the dream of every politician and bureaucrat working in the system but there are too many unseen hurdles that keep the two poles apart on many critical decisions. Lack of independence due to constant political interference has been the biggest handicap for the civil servants which has emerged a major demoralising factor for the IAS officers. Most of the times, electoral gains take precedence over rational policies forcing politicians to resort to pressure tactics on the bureaucrats. This factor has remained the biggest spoke in national development even as both the parties seek holding their turf. Then there is another side of the equation. Political interference often creates politician-bureaucrat nexus which can breed corruption. These factors need to be taken care of so that the civil servants can wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to the larger cause with national interest as a core idea. Mr. Modi has had a wonderful relationship with bureaucracy. He has been dependent on some retired bureaucrats to run the government. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw are key cogs in the NDA wheel. It could be achieved only by putting faith in each others capabilities. Mr. Modis team can learn from him. Police arrest four for sale of spurious detergent in name of famous brand Staff Reporter The Nishatpura police have arrested four persons and have seized over 1500 kilograms of spurious detergent from their possession. Police said the accused would sell local detergent using label of Ghadi Company. The detergent was available at a lesser price say Rs 10 per kg due to which the customers were buying their stock instead of the original stock, said police. The detergent companys management noticed a decline in sale after which they assessed reason and informed police. The team of police seized over 19 packets of detergent in the auto from Karond square on Friday. The cops brought the auto to police station and quizzed driver. He revealed names of owner and customers. The team of police reached Mandideep where the prime accused Vinay Agrawal was running the packaging unit in a rented room. The cops seized 28 sacks of the detergent. A sack consisted of over 50 packets of 1 kg of detergent, said police. He would illegally buy packets of Ghadi Company from Delhi and would pack locally made detergent inside. He had installed a packing machine and had hired a few labourers for the same, said police. The accused informed that he would sell the detergent to dealers Ashok, Jitendra and Shivmani in Bhopal who were arrested in the investigation, said SI Dinesh Singh Chouhan on Friday. He said that the accused would buy the local detergent to supply on the shops. The accused were aware of the reality but to earn profit they would supply the detergent on the shops, added the cop. Chouhan said that the amount of detergent they have supplied and names of their associates will be ascertained in the investigation. A large number of packets of the company was also found at the scene, said the cop. NEW DELHI, CONGRESS leader Rahul Gandhi vacated his official bungalow in Lutyens Delhi on Saturday and shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhis 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. On 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 Gandhis 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 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. 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. 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 Secretariats 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. RCOEM invites President Murmu to open worlds first Sthapatya Veda Centre Staff Reporter NAGPUR, THE team of Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management (RCOEM) had the honour and privilege of meeting the Honble President of India, Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. The meeting took place in presence of the former CJI Sharad Bobde, sculpture artist, Padmavibhushan Sudarshan Sahoo, Pushpa Sahoo, Sthapati Ar. Abhishek Deshpande, Chairman RCOEM, Satyanarayan Nuwal, and Principal RCOEM, Dr. Rajesh Pande. RCOEM has initiated a programme Sthapatya Veda in accordance with Veda Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, introduced by the Govt. of India under the patronage of Honble Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This programme, a distinctive endeavour based on the principles of Vastu Shastra focuses on the principles of design, construction, and architecture that are in harmony with the laws of nature. Sudarshan Sahoo communicated the purpose of the visit to the President. This is a creative product by Sharad Bobde who inspired the team to institutionalise Sthapatya Veda- the very first of its kind. In his interaction, he proposed the need to institutionalise the study in India and abroad. The dignitaries discussed this visionary programme with the President during this meet. Sthapati Ar. Abhishek Deshpande, who is also the Course Director, elucidated on the highlights of the programme that is introduced in collaboration with the Mayan Foundation. The attempt will be a global pioneering centre for the study of Sthapatya Veda. Sthapatya Veda is an upveda of Atharvaveda which is used to design a range of structures, from homes to temples and public buildings. Many of Indias ancient architectural masterpieces and renowned international sites were built according to the principles of this Veda. The interpretation of ancient Sthapatya Veda with modern architectural technology is focused to create a positive living environment, and promote health, wealth, and prosperity. The President was appreciative of the alignment of the incredible programme with the Veda Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, a campaign launched to promote the study of Vedas in India. By reviving and promoting Vedic education, it aims to preserve Indias rich cultural heritage and encourage the use of traditional techniques in design, construction and urban planning. Dr. Rajesh Pande, Principal RCOEM established that the incorporation of this programme by its Civil Engineering Department will offer young engineers a unique perspective an opportunity to design and create structures while preserving the integrity and rich cultural Indian heritage. Special Court acquits five accused in MCOCA case Special Correspondent SPECIAL Judge M Salman Azmi, on Friday, acquitted five accused Mayur Fule, Amol Waghmare, Ritesh Tayade, Himanshu Nandgawe and Abhay Kamble in a case registered against them under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) after the sensational murder of Anil Banjare in Imambada area as the prosecution failed to substantiate the charges. The Special Judge also acquitted the five accused, who are the residents of Rambag, in the Banjare murder case by extending them the benefit of doubt. According to the prosecution, Rohit Fusate and Abhay Kamble, both residents of Imambada area, had a tiff over some issue. Fusates brother-in-law Banjare had abused Kamble on February 14, 2016. To settle scores with Banjare, gangster Fule, Waghmare, Tayade, Nandgawe and Kamble carrying swords stormed into Fusates house around 9 pm on the same day. They ransacked the house and threatened Fusate of dire consequences. Banjares wife Kshama and her brother Fusate decided to lodge a police complaint against them. When they were on the way to the police station, they came to know that Banjare was killed by Fule, Waghmare, Tayade, Nandgawe and Kamble with swords, knives and stones near Mama Sardars house. Imambada Police arrived at the spot and sent Banjares body for autopsy and arrested the five accused on murder charges. Police then invoked MCOCA against them. Police officers Dhanraj Shingade, Atul Mohankar and Jaideep Pawar investigated the case and recovered two swords, knives and blood stained clothes from them. Nandgawe had made a confessional statement before the then Deputy Commissioner of Police Shailesh Balkawde. The investigating officer filed a chargesheet against them in the court. During the trials, the court examined as many as 23 witnesses. Defence counsel Adv Chandrashekar Jaltare pointed out that a confessional statement given by one of the five accused before the then DCP Balkawade cannot be taken into consideration in this particular case as there was no evidence that they were the members of an organised crime syndicate or engaged in a systematic course of activities for extorting money from the people. Adv Jaltare informed the court that Banjare himself was a criminal and had rivalry with many people. There were several criminal cases registered against Banjare and any of his rivals would have killed him, he added. As the weapons and blood stained clothes were not properly sealed by the investigators, the seizure panchnama cannot be relied upon, he said. As the prosecution failed to prove the charges, the court acquitted all the accused. Additional Public Prosecutor Abhay Jikar represented the State. Two dreaded women Naxalites eliminated in Balaghat Staff Reporter In an another major success for Madhya Pradesh Polices anti-Naxal campaign, two hard-core women Naxalites were killed in an encounter on Friday night near village Kandla of Supkhar forest range under Garhi police station of Balaghat district. Both the women, Sarita, 23, and Sunita, 26, were gunned down in the sequence of aggressive tactics adopted last year. Both these Naxalites were residents of Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. Both were involved in many Naxalite incidents in the state for the last 7-8 years. Both were also involved in the encounter that took place on 6 November 2020. In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh 11 cases registered against Sarita and 15 against Sunita. A reward of Rs. 14 lakh each was announced jointly by the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has congratulated the Hawk Force and Balaghat Police for the elimination of Naxalites in an encounter in Garhi area of Balaghat district on the intervening night of April 21 and 22. Two dreaded women Naxalites carrying a prize of 14 lakh each have been killed. Both were involved in Naxal activities for years by being members of the Naxalite Area Committee. A .303 rifles were recovered from them after an encounter with the police. Chouhan congratulated the bravehearts of Balaghat Police and Hawk Force on this achievement. Chief Minister said that, he congratulated the jawans who were involved in killing two dreaded Naxalites in an encounter with security forces last night in Balaghat. He said that it is the bravery and vigilance of our police that it is continuously eliminating the Naxalites. In the last year and a half, this was the fourth encounter courageously carried out by the Police and Hawk Force jawans against Naxalites, in which 8 dreaded Naxalites were killed. A reward of about Rs one and a half crore was declared on them. Naxalism will not be allowed to spread in Madhya Pradesh: Chief Minister Chouhan said that we will not allow dacoits to flourish in the State, we will not allow Naxalism to spread. After SIMI, we are also eliminating the people who are involved in terrorist incidents like PFI. We will not spare the goons and miscreants who disturb the peace and tranquillity of the public, this is the commitment of the State Government. Hawk force jawans have got special encouragement: It is worth mentioning that in the year and a half Madhya Pradesh Police killed 8 Naxalites in four encounters carrying a reward of about Rs 1.5 crore. During his visit to Balaghat last year, Chief Minister Chouhan had discussed in detail with the jawans of Hawk Force about their problems and duties. Being sensitive to the issues related to the working problems of the jawans, the Chief Minister also immediately approved two types of special allowances to the Hawk Force. Enthused by this, Hawk Force jawans are dutifully carrying out continuous actions to eradicate the Naxal problem. CM Chouhan himself gave out of turn promotions to the jawans in Balaghat and encouraged them by personally meeting the families of the jawans. Chinese character writing competition held in Malta Xinhua) 14:30, April 23, 2023 VALLETTA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Malta celebrated United Nations Chinese Language Day by hosting its first-ever Chinese character writing competition for secondary schools on Saturday. Organized jointly by the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, and the Confucius Institute at the University of Malta, the competition saw the participation of 16 students representing five secondary schools. The students were tasked with transcribing two Chinese poems describing the beauty of spring within a time limit of 25 minutes. Isabel Montan Rivier, 13, won the first prize. Following the competition, the students also had the opportunity to learn Chinese calligraphy with a brush and participate in a quiz covering various aspects of Chinese history, culture, and geography. Rivier, who is currently studying Chinese at St. Martin College, expressed her excitement about participating in her first-ever Chinese character writing competition in an interview with Xinhua after the competition. She described Chinese as "very interesting and different" and highlighted that learning the language would help her broaden her global perspective. Alice Micallef, assistant director of the Directorate for Learning and Assessment Programmes at the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research, and Innovation, expressed her happiness about organizing the event which aimed to familiarize learners with the Chinese language. She told Xinhua that an increasing number of students are expected to show interest in Chinese. "We find ways of how to encourage students and to motivate them to learn a new language," she said. Dennis Mizzi, the foreign director of the Confucius Institute, described the Chinese character writing competition as a "very important event" and a "good success." He told Xinhua that he hoped to organize more similar events in the future, with the goal of expanding the study and teaching of Chinese in Malta. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) KYODO NEWS - Apr 24, 2023 - 00:03 | All, Japan, World Some Japanese nationals have started evacuating from Sudan by land, likely joining a United Nations convoy, a government source said Sunday, as fighting between the country's military and a paramilitary force continues to escalate and triggers a humanitarian crisis. The convoy appears to be headed to Port Sudan in the country's northeast, according to the Japanese government source. Meanwhile, three Air Self-Defense Force aircraft arrived on Sunday in Djibouti, about 1,200 kilometers southeast of Sudan's capital Khartoum, as part of the evacuation efforts. The three planes on standby in the Horn of Africa are a C-130 and C-2 transport aircraft and a KC-767 aerial refueling plane. A total of 63 Japanese citizens, including embassy staff, were in Sudan as of Wednesday, a government official said earlier. Security remains volatile, as clashes intensify in Sudan, with a tenuous cease-fire failing to hold. The clashes have sent a number of countries scrambling to evacuate their nationals. The United States said it has pulled its government personnel out of the country, while France and Saudi Arabia are also evacuating their nationals. Related coverage: SDF plane leaves for Djibouti to evacuate nationals in Sudan Japan to send SDF planes to Djibouti to evacuate nationals from Sudan Editor's Note: Starting today, the Intelligencer plans a regular feature called "What's that going to be ... ?" to keep readers updated on new development in and around Edwardsville. GLEN CARBON The former bank that used to be located between Walgreens and Scooter's Coffee will become Discount Tire, the chain's first Metro East location. While it took longer than expected for construction to get underway after the former Bank of Edwardsville branch location was razed last September, photos taken Saturday show that progress is being made at the site, at 4200 Troy Road. Comprising 7,488-square-feet, the new store will face Illinois Route 159 and have three overhead doors. Behind that will be five installation bays with tire storage via a racking system in a mezzanine above the bays. The company previously told village officials that it will only perform tire and wheel installations, with no automotive [mechanical] repairs, oil changes or body work. Anyone who pulls in to request a complimentary tire pressure check will receive one. Store hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and closed on Sunday. The company expects to employ four to six sales/managerial people and eight to 10 technicians. They believe their busiest days of the week will be Friday and Saturday. This will be one of two tire stores new to the village in approximately the next 12 months. A Plaza Tire location will open within the next year at the northwestern-most corner of Orchard Town Center, the development located at the southeast corner of Plum Street and Governors' Parkway. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ROXANA A volunteer Earth Day effort drew 33 people who helped removed more than 100 bags of trash from roadsides on a key route waste haulers take from Interstate 255 to the Roxana Landfill. What a good opportunity to get together," said Rusty Wheat of Roxana, "and maybe we could build on this." Wheat and Madison County officials helped coordinate the event Saturday morning as part of ongoing efforts to address litter in the area. The group started the day at the off ramp for I-255, where, even as they were working, waste trucks exited the interstate onto Illinois Route 143/Madison Avenue near Wanda Road to take their load to the landfill. The work drew residents from county areas including Edwardsville. The landfill is located just northwest of the county seat. "We saw this on the media sites and we thought, 'Boy, that's a great cause. Let's do it,'" said Edwardsville resident Beth Joy, who helped pick up litter along with her daughter, Megan, 17. "Unfortunately, you get people that just don't care and throw it out of their cars. That's why we're out here today." As volunteers spread out along the sides of the I-255 off ramp, bright yellow safety vests glowing in the morning sun, Wheat gave direction to them in an area with which he is quite familiar. I think these people here are going to be mortified. Ive cleaned this area twice," Wheat said. "I personally have pulled off at least over 30 of those contractor bags full of trash, and I stopped counting. "I got over 1,500 pounds of trash and I stopped counting. Man on a mission About two months ago, Wheat said, he contacted landfill officials to bring to their attention the amount of trash along roads in the area off of I-255 at Madison Avenue. He said he was told the landfill operators weren't responsible. Thats what started an effort. So I thought, Well, Im going to prove hes wrong and that it is his responsibility and something needs to be done about it,'" Wheat said. So I started picking up trash and writing about 30 letters a day. He contacted the Roxana mayor, Wood River mayor, several Madison County Board members and others. The intensity of his efforts didn't make him a good contestant for any popularity contests, he said. I didnt get in this to make any friends. I wanted to get the trash picked up, and its just been an uphill battle," Wheat said. He found many divisions among government entities that are at least partially responsible for litter along public roads: the Illinois Department of Transportation, the county, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and others. He gives credit to officials who have stepped up, including Roxana Mayor Marty Reynolds and Roxana Police Department Chief Will Cunningham. In fact, Wheat said he saw a quick increase of police presence in the area when he raised the issue. "That's priceless," Wheat said. Ive noticed a significant difference in the amount of trash coming off of these trucks. Just a little thing like law enforcement on those trucks can have a huge impact. Within a month, there was a noticeable difference. And Im out here picking up trash all the time," he said. Long-term issue At times contentious, the topic of excess trash along the roads near the landfill has been ongoing in recent months. Several nearby residents have complained not just about litter but also about an increased unpleasant odor in the area. Neighbors have pushed the county board and Roxana council, among others, to take action. Republic Services, which operates the landfill, said in a previous statement that it is not responsible for the actions of other haulers that use the landfill and their trucks that may lose debris on the way to the site. "At Republic Services, we work diligently to ensure that our operations maintain compliance in order to protect human health and the environment," the statement from Republic Services read. In response to ongoing complaints, the Madison County Board last week approved $200,000 in emergency funds to help clean up the area. Wheat remains unimpressed. In my mind, thats just a Band-Aid. Thats not going to solve the problem," he said. Previously, you could call the landfill and say, Hey, Ive got trash and they would send a crew out," Wheat said. "And they would help pick up the trash and they were a good neighbor. That all changed after COVID. "And the amount of trucks has increased too," he added. "Each truck represents about 1,300 households. You may see a hundred trucks go by here every day, so thats a tremendous amount of pressure from households who say We want our trash gone." In that vein, Wheat said he understands that county and other government officials can only do so much. "So in order for the county to say we dont care what they think, were going to put restrictions thats pretty hard for them to do," he said. Wheat noted that Roxana mayor Reynolds and multiple county board members joined Saturday's cleanup effort. Roxana police maintained a presence, too, while volunteers collected refuse. "Roxana brought out their trash truck and disposed of it free of charge," he added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fikri Harish (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, April 23, 2023 A day after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) announced the nomination of Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo for the 2024 presidential run, President Joko Jokowi Widodo received visiting Gerindra Party presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto in his home in Surakarta, Central Java, on Saturday, during Idul Fitri. As per tradition [in Indonesia], its customary for an underling to pay respects to their leader during Idul Fitri, Prabowo, who also serves as the defense minister in Jokowis Cabinet, said after the meeting. As its Idul Fitri, we didnt have any political conversation whatsoever. Responding to questions from reporters, however, the Gerindra chairman downplayed the possibility of him being paired with Ganjar, saying Gerindra already named him as its presidential candidate and claiming, Gerindra is in a strong position right now. But he also maintained the situation was still fluid. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, April 23, 2023 Seknas Jokowi, a group of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo supporters, pledged its support for popular Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, and Jokowis fellow member in the largest party in the ruling coalition, for a presidential run in 2024. This came following a Friday announcement by the largest party in the ruling coalition, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri, to name Ganjar as its presidential candidate for 2024. Megawati at the time was accompanied by Jokowi along with Megawatis children: House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani, who heads the partys executive board, and partys head of situation analysis and control center Prananda Prabowo. "We fully support its decision [to support Ganjar in 2024]," Seknas Jokowi chair Rambun Tjajo said in a press release on Friday, adding leadership of the supporter group immediately held a virtual meeting to respond to Ganjars endorsement. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agustin Geist (Reuters) Buenos Aires, Argentina Thu, July 22, 2021 18:30 648 6f088072615a978e43b39d144ed500a2 2 Lifestyle LGBT,queer,gender-equality,gender-identity,sexual-identity,gender-diversity Free Argentina rolled out identification cards on Wednesday for non-binary citizens, who neither identify as male nor female, allowing them to use "x" in their important national ID document and passports in the field corresponding to gender. The South American country is the first in the region to enable this via decree, the center-left government said, adding it was joining countries such as New Zealand, Canada and Australia, which have already carried out the change. "There are other identities besides that of man and woman, and they must be respected," said President Alberto Fernandez at the presentation of the new document, adding there were "a thousand ways to love and be loved and be happy." The use of the "x" has already been accepted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and includes people who identify outside traditional gender definitions. Fernandez together with the Minister of the Interior, Eduardo de Pedro and the Minister of Women, Gender and Diversity, Elizabeth Gomez Alcorta, delivered the first three ID cards using the new "x" format. The Peronist leader has been an advocate of progressive social reforms, driving legislation through to legalize abortion late last year and publicly championing his son, Estanislao Fernandez, a design student and a well-known drag queen. "The ideal will be when all of us are just who we are and no one cares about people's gender," Fernandez added. "This is a step we are taking and I hope one day we get to the point where IDs don't say if someone is a man, woman or anything else." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Khartoum Sun, April 23, 2023 11:59 8 003a0fdfeebb1025ab3702947b3f75af 2 Middle East and Africa khartoum,Sudan,conflict,united-states,embassy,US-Embassy Free United States troops evacuated embassy staff from Sudan's capital, President Joe Biden announced Sunday, as other nations sought to help their citizens escape deadly fighting between rival generals. The clashes between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group -- which just entered their second week -- have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded, while survivors cope with shortages of electricity and food, as well as a reported internet outage. "Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract US government personnel from Khartoum," Biden said in a statement released late Saturday night, Washington time. He expressed gratitude for the "unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety", adding that Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia had helped in the operation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his department had "temporarily suspended operations" at the embassy, citing "the serious and growing security risks created by the conflict". The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the militia currently challenging the authority of the regular army in the capital and elsewhere, tweeted hours earlier that it had "coordinated with the US Forces Mission consisting of 6 aircraft, for evacuating diplomats and their families on Sunday morning". In his statement, Biden also called for an immediate ceasefire and condemned the deadly violence: "It's unconscionable and it must stop." Other foreign countries have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, even though Sudan's main airport remains closed. More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia a day earlier, in the first announced evacuation of civilians. As the kingdom's naval forces transported the civilians -- including diplomats and international officials -- across the Red Sea from Port Sudan to Jeddah, fighting resumed in Khartoum after a temporary truce saw gunfire momentarily die down on Friday, the first day of Idul Fitri. Read also: Khartoum sees lull in fighting on first day of Idul Fitri Idul Fitri is normally a major celebration for Sudanese marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This year it is marked by fear, grief and hunger. 'Living in darkness' In Khartoum, a city of five million people, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes. Many have ventured out only to get urgent food supplies -- stocks of which are dwindling -- or to flee the city. "All the residents here are suffering from the water issue," said Khartoum resident Awad Ahmad Sherif. "We also didn't have electricity, we got the current back three days ago. We were living in darkness, it's not normal, first we didn't have water and then we didn't have power. We ask God for our safety." Adding to residents' woes was a "near-total collapse of internet connectivity" across the country, according to NetBlocks, a London-based organization that monitors web access around the world. While the capital has seen some of the fiercest clashes, they have occurred across the country. Read also: Sudan's conflict and what worries neighbours, the US and others Battles have raged in Darfur, where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of El Fasher said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children. On Saturday, heavy gunfire, loud explosions and fighter jets were heard in many parts of the capital, according to witnesses, despite the army announcing an agreement to a three-day ceasefire a day earlier. Two 24-hour ceasefires announced earlier in the week were also ignored. Sudan's army said Saturday its chief Abdel Fattah al Burhan had received calls from leaders of multiple countries to "facilitate and guarantee safety for evacuating citizens and diplomatic missions". Burhan, meanwhile, told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV that the army was in control of "all airports, except for Khartoum airport" and one in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. More plans are being made to evacuate foreigners, with South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries, and the European Union weighing a similar move. The German ministers of defense and foreign affairs held a crisis meeting Saturday on a possible evacuation, after three military transport planes had to turn back Wednesday, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. Urban warfare began on April 15 between forces loyal to Burhan and those of his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Daglo commands the RSF, which emerged from the Janjaweed fighters unleashed in Darfur by former leader Omar al Bashir, drawing accusations of war crimes. Read also: RI evacuates citizens in Sudan amid deteriorating conditions The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 420 people had been killed and over 3,700 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the actual death toll is thought to be higher. More than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighboring states are now "out of service", and at least four hospitals in North Kordofan state were shelled, the doctors' union said. The World Food Program 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 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 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. Photo: Trader Joes, Grand Street. This weeks news and notes: A union vote at the Trader Joes on Grand Street ends in a tie, meaning the effort to unionize the Lower East Side has failed for now. [NY1] A look at why the city has been unable to cope with the explosion of unlicensed cannabis shops. Included in the story: lawsuits filed against four stores on the Lower East Side. [Daily News] A civil jury awards $2 million to Jawaun Fraser, who was imprisoned for two years after being arrested at a Lower East Side drug store in 2014 and charged with robbery. Fraser had no way of knowing that the officers who charged him had been the target of dozens of civil lawsuits over alleged evidence fabrication, abuse of power and other misconduct the New York Police Department and prosecutors never told his lawyers. [Law 360] The Seward Park Library is closing for about 3 months for renovations, beginning tomorrow, April 24. [NYPL] Renonations are complete at the Grand Street subway station. [WPIX 11] Community Board 3s monthly meeting will be held Tuesday evening. You can see the agenda here. There were two presentations at CB3s transportation committee meeting earlier this month detailing upcoming changes to the plaza areas on Delancey Street. You can watch the meeting here. A big renovation project is about to begin at the Abrons Arts Center. Well have more details about whats happening next week. [Instagram] A new album tells the story of three momentous events in NYC history through one East Village building. [Time Out] Adam Zhus photo book Nice Daze. follows a multigenerational group of skateboarders, graffiti writers, artists, musicians, and attendees of crowded partiesaround New Yorks East Village, Lower East Side, and Chinatown. [The New Yorker] A new podcast debuts with an episode celebrating the varied and vibrant cultures of the Lower East Side. [Travel & Leisure] Pete Wells says the most exciting Vietnamese food in the City can be found at Mam on the Lower East Side. [The New York Times] In the Times 100 Best Restaurants in New York City list, a few LES/Chinatown spots, including: Una Pizza Napoletana, Mam, Great NY Noodletown, Ernestos, Dirt Candy, Hop Lee, Scarrs Pizza, Dhamaka and Shopsins General Store. [The New York Times] If youre really Bananas, you can get early access to Nick Morgensterns new dairy-free soft serve shop on Rivington Street. [The New York Times] KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2023 - 15:09 | Arts, World, All, Japan Chinese participants in a Japanese government-backed exchange program sent to various cities around the country in early April have said they are eager to deepen cultural exchange after COVID-19 border controls were lifted. A total of 22 have been sent in 2023, the first year a full dispatch of Chinese participants has been possible in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program since 2019. Those selected for 2020 were barred from traveling to the neighboring country that year, being sent instead in smaller groups in 2022. Chinese JETs usually begin working in Japan from April, according to the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. Of the 22, 20 have been employed as international relations coordinators at municipalities in Japan, while the remaining two landed jobs as assistant language teachers. Han Chao, 36, a former Japanese language teacher at a Chinese university who is now working in Niigata city as a coordinator, said at a reception held at the embassy before they all departed she wants to convey the "real nature" of both countries to each other and contribute to stronger bilateral ties during her time in Japan. "I'd like to help more Japanese people to get familiar with the Chinese language and culture, while I'm also planning to demonstrate what I will directly experience in Japan, such as its great nature and traditional culture, on Chinese social media," she said. Even though Sino-Japanese relations have been strained over a territorial row and disputes over history, Han said she expects grassroots exchanges will not be affected by politics. Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi said in his speech to the reception that he hopes Chinese JETs will consider municipalities of their workplace as their "second hometown" and learn how local governments function in the country so that they can utilize their experience when they return to China. "In essence, people-to-people ties make up state-to-state relations. I believe the good memories of every one of you in Japan will contribute to improving and strengthening the Japan-China relationship," the envoy said. Local governments newly accepting Chinese JETs in 2023 include Miyakonojo in Miyazaki Prefecture, Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture, Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture and Sennan in Osaka Prefecture. So far, about 1,300 Chinese JETs have been dispatched to Japan since the program began accepting Chinese applicants in 1992. Overall, some 75,000 participants from 77 countries have worked in Japan under the program, which was launched in 1987, with many of them serving as assistant English language teachers. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Rating) had its target price raised by Citigroup from $125.00 to $130.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. They currently have a buy rating on the healthcare product makers stock. Several other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. They issued a buy rating and a $117.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, SVB Leerink upped their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $90.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $122.37. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 1.2 % Shares of ABT opened at $111.66 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $194.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.94, a PEG ratio of 4.96 and a beta of 0.67. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $93.25 and a fifty-two week high of $123.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $102.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $104.81. Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.05. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 22.48%. The company had revenue of $9.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.73 EPS. The firms revenue was down 18.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.37 earnings per share for the current year. The firm 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 $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is presently 62.01%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Abbott Laboratories news, SVP Randel William Woodgrift sold 1,032 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 52,203 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,256,842.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Abbott Laboratories news, SVP Randel William Woodgrift sold 1,032 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 52,203 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,256,842.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 679 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,091,998.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 1,971 shares of company stock valued at $199,140 over the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Abbott Laboratories A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABT. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the first quarter worth about $131,000. United Bank raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 7.2% in the first quarter. United Bank now owns 27,280 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $3,229,000 after purchasing an additional 1,826 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 1.9% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 813,253 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $96,257,000 after purchasing an additional 15,521 shares in the last quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 2.3% in the first quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC now owns 19,467 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $2,304,000 after purchasing an additional 436 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lumature Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 636.2% in the first quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $262,000 after purchasing an additional 1,915 shares in the last quarter. 72.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Abbott Laboratories Company Profile (Get Rating) Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of a broad and diversified line of health care products. It operates through the following business segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment refers to the international sales of a line of branded generic pharmaceutical products. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. lowered its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG Get Rating) by 4.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 73,173 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,529 shares during the quarter. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF comprises 1.0% of Ausdal Financial Partners Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc.s holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF were worth $7,097,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AGG. VitalStone Financial LLC purchased a new stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. HighMark Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC purchased a new position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. EWG Elevate Inc. purchased a new position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA purchased a new position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.07% of the companys stock. Get iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF alerts: iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Stock Down 0.2 % AGG stock traded down $0.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $99.17. 5,367,257 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,632,475. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a 52-week low of $93.20 and a 52-week high of $104.39. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $98.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $97.99. About iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account. Read More Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of America upgraded shares of AZEK (NYSE:AZEK Get Rating) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $31.00 price target on the stock, up from their prior price target of $28.00. AZEK has been the subject of several other reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of AZEK from $28.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of AZEK from $28.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Stephens increased their price objective on shares of AZEK from $23.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Citigroup cut shares of AZEK from a buy rating to a neutral rating and increased their price objective for the company from $21.00 to $23.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of AZEK from $27.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $27.61. Get AZEK alerts: AZEK Stock Performance AZEK stock opened at $26.70 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 2.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market capitalization of $4.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 127.14, a P/E/G ratio of 8.56 and a beta of 1.60. AZEK has a 12 month low of $15.12 and a 12 month high of $30.26. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $23.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.51. Insider Activity at AZEK AZEK ( NYSE:AZEK Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The company reported ($0.10) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.11) by $0.01. AZEK had a net margin of 2.49% and a return on equity of 7.03%. The company had revenue of $216.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $208.14 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.17 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AZEK will post 0.5 EPS for the current fiscal year. In related news, Director Corporate Opportunities F. Ares sold 4,770,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.06, for a total value of $124,306,200.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 14,326,090 shares in the company, valued at approximately $373,337,905.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Jonathan Skelly sold 20,000 shares of AZEK stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.83, for a total value of $476,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 216,569 shares in the company, valued at $5,160,839.27. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Corporate Opportunities F. Ares sold 4,770,000 shares of AZEK stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.06, for a total transaction of $124,306,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 14,326,090 shares in the company, valued at $373,337,905.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,810,000 shares of company stock worth $125,231,810 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 3.10% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On AZEK Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Congress Asset Management Co. MA grew its stake in shares of AZEK by 2.7% in the first quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 112,293 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,643,000 after buying an additional 2,990 shares in the last quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC bought a new position in AZEK during the first quarter worth $85,000. Congress Wealth Management LLC DE boosted its position in AZEK by 13.9% during the first quarter. Congress Wealth Management LLC DE now owns 56,898 shares of the companys stock worth $1,339,000 after purchasing an additional 6,944 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in AZEK by 74.0% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,613,879 shares of the companys stock worth $61,531,000 after purchasing an additional 1,111,899 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in AZEK during the first quarter worth $1,989,000. 99.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. AZEK Company Profile (Get Rating) The AZEK Company Inc engages in designing, manufacturing, and selling of building products for residential, commercial, and industrial markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Residential and Commercial. The Residential segment designs and manufactures engineered outdoor living products, which includes decking, railing, trim and molding, siding and cladding, pergolas and cabanas, and accessories under the TimberTech, AZEK Exteriors, VERSATEX, and ULTRALOX brand name. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for AZEK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AZEK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund (OTCMKTS:VCVOF Get Rating) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm issued an overweight rating on the stock. VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Trading Down 3.4 % Shares of VCVOF stock 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. Get VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund alerts: About VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund (Get Rating) Recommended Stories 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. Receive News & Ratings for VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI Get Rating) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Thursday. Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of British American Tobacco from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, March 13th. Get British American Tobacco alerts: British American Tobacco Price Performance BTI stock opened at $36.26 on Thursday. British American Tobacco has a 52 week low of $34.44 and a 52 week high of $45.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $36.62 and a 200 day moving average of $38.24. British American Tobacco Increases Dividend Institutional Trading of British American Tobacco The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.7006 per share. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 21st. This is an increase from British American Tobaccos previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BTI. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 379.3% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,942,991 shares of the companys stock valued at $77,681,000 after acquiring an additional 1,537,627 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 448.0% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 1,299,900 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,970,000 after acquiring an additional 1,062,700 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 9,449,045 shares of the companys stock valued at $400,788,000 after acquiring an additional 1,060,090 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 51.4% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,092,643 shares of the companys stock valued at $88,226,000 after acquiring an additional 710,867 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OLD Mission Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco in the 3rd quarter valued at $22,123,000. 6.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About British American Tobacco (Get Rating) British American Tobacco plc is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and distribution of tobacco products. Its brands include Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike, and Pall Mall. It operates through the following geographical segments: United States, Asia-Pacific and Middle East (APME), Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa (AMSSA), and Europe and North Africa (ENA). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for British American Tobacco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British American Tobacco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cannell & Co. raised its stake in shares of Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM Get Rating) by 25.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 39,334 shares of the construction companys stock after purchasing an additional 7,969 shares during the period. Cannell & Co. owned 0.06% of Martin Marietta Materials worth $13,294,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MLM. Quantitative Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Martin Marietta Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $451,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its position in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 30.1% in the third quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 109,988 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $35,426,000 after purchasing an additional 25,460 shares during the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 38.1% in the third quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 533 shares of the construction companys stock worth $172,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL increased its stake in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 10.3% in the third quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 9,986 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,216,000 after purchasing an additional 933 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 1.5% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 36,119 shares of the construction companys stock worth $11,634,000 after purchasing an additional 545 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.07% of the companys stock. Get Martin Marietta Materials alerts: Martin Marietta Materials Stock Down 0.5 % Shares of NYSE:MLM opened at $354.59 on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average is $350.16 and its 200-day moving average is $346.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.99. Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $284.99 and a 52 week high of $386.73. The company has a market capitalization of $21.98 billion, a PE ratio of 25.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.87. Martin Marietta Materials Announces Dividend Martin Marietta Materials ( NYSE:MLM Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The construction company reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.03 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. Martin Marietta Materials had a net margin of 14.07% and a return on equity of 11.03%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.15 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. will post 14.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.74%. Martin Marietta Materialss dividend payout ratio is 19.02%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades MLM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Martin Marietta Materials from $385.00 to $406.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. StockNews.com began coverage on Martin Marietta Materials in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Atlantic Securities downgraded Martin Marietta Materials from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $375.00 to $350.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 24th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Martin Marietta Materials from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn reissued a neutral rating on shares of Martin Marietta Materials in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $404.83. About Martin Marietta Materials (Get Rating) Martin Marietta Materials, Inc engages in the provision of aggregates including crushed stone, sand, and gravel through its network of quarries and distribution yards. It operates through the following geographical segments: East Group and West Group. The East Group segments provide aggregated products only. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Martin Marietta Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Martin Marietta Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Carlson Capital Management reduced its holdings in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Rating) by 4.9% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,516 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 284 shares during the period. Carlson Capital Managements holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $469,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MS. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 68.9% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 18,416,436 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,455,083,000 after buying an additional 7,514,505 shares in the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the first quarter worth about $451,711,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its stake in Morgan Stanley by 123.3% during the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 3,183,121 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $251,546,000 after purchasing an additional 1,757,682 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its stake in Morgan Stanley by 152.3% during the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,500,681 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $197,539,000 after purchasing an additional 1,509,589 shares during the period. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec raised its stake in Morgan Stanley by 479.4% during the third quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 1,390,483 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $109,862,000 after purchasing an additional 1,150,483 shares during the period. 83.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Morgan Stanley alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have commented on MS. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $106.00 to $104.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $95.34. Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley Stock Performance In other news, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 24,556 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.23, for a total transaction of $2,412,135.88. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 190,440 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $18,706,921.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . In related news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 15,133 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.20, for a total value of $1,455,794.60. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 323,398 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $31,110,887.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 24,556 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.23, for a total transaction of $2,412,135.88. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 190,440 shares in the company, valued at $18,706,921.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 41,689 shares of company stock valued at $4,057,330 in the last ninety days. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. MS traded up $0.69 during trading on Friday, hitting $91.12. The stock had a trading volume of 6,530,957 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,547,520. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. Morgan Stanley has a twelve month low of $72.05 and a twelve month high of $100.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $152.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.66, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.34. The companys 50-day moving average price is $90.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $89.13. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.03. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.12% and a return on equity of 11.34%. The business had revenue of $14.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.06 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 6.75 EPS for the current fiscal year. Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.775 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. This represents a $3.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.40%. Morgan Stanleys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.26%. About Morgan Stanley (Get Rating) Morgan Stanley operates as a global financial services company. The firm provides investment banking products and services to its clients and customers including corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. It operates through the following segments: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Morgan Stanley Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Morgan Stanley and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Carlson Capital Management reduced its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark Co. (NYSE:KMB Get Rating) by 6.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,040 shares of the companys stock after selling 211 shares during the quarter. Carlson Capital Managements holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $413,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new stake in Kimberly-Clark during the 1st quarter worth $96,000. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 22.2% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 190,867 shares of the companys stock worth $23,483,000 after acquiring an additional 34,646 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 2.8% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 292,834 shares of the companys stock worth $36,066,000 after acquiring an additional 7,878 shares in the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 23.9% in the first quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 4,102 shares of the companys stock worth $505,000 after acquiring an additional 791 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 28.7% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 20,180 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,485,000 after purchasing an additional 4,503 shares during the last quarter. 74.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Kimberly-Clark alerts: Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance KMB stock traded up $2.43 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $141.57. The company had a trading volume of 2,005,842 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,345,614. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.83. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $130.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $129.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.77 billion, a PE ratio of 24.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.41. Kimberly-Clark Co. has a fifty-two week low of $108.74 and a fifty-two week high of $144.53. Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend Kimberly-Clark ( NYSE:KMB Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 25th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.03. Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 264.67% and a net margin of 9.59%. The business had revenue of $4.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.30 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark Co. will post 5.94 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Investors of record on Friday, June 9th will be issued a $1.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. This represents a $4.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.33%. Kimberly-Clarks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.52%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have issued reports on KMB. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $124.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Thursday, February 16th. They issued a sell rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Kimberly-Clark from a sell rating to a hold rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $122.00 to $123.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Kimberly-Clark from a buy rating to a hold rating and upped their target price for the company from $137.00 to $139.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $126.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $130.50. About Kimberly-Clark (Get Rating) Kimberly-Clark Corp. engages in the manufacture and marketing of products made from natural or synthetic fibers. It operates through the following segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, and K-C Professional. The Personal Care segment offers disposable diapers, training and youth pants, swim pants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products, and other related products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Kimberly-Clark Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kimberly-Clark and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Homestead Advisers Corp grew its position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH Get Rating) by 31.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 925 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the period. Homestead Advisers Corps holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $104,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Congress Asset Management Co. MA boosted its position in Choice Hotels International by 3,113.7% during the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 753,107 shares of the companys stock worth $84,830,000 after acquiring an additional 729,673 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 51.6% in the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,740,428 shares of the companys stock worth $246,722,000 after purchasing an additional 592,654 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 116.0% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 627,869 shares of the companys stock worth $89,006,000 after purchasing an additional 337,252 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in Choice Hotels International by 604.6% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 364,744 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,947,000 after buying an additional 312,978 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Choice Hotels International by 44.0% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 627,446 shares of the companys stock valued at $68,718,000 after buying an additional 191,738 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.03% of the companys stock. Get Choice Hotels International alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $113.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Barclays lifted their price target on Choice Hotels International from $107.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $134.00 to $130.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 17th. Robert W. Baird raised Choice Hotels International from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $133.00 to $134.00 in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $120.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $121.88. Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International Choice Hotels International Trading Up 1.3 % In other news, SVP Simone Wu sold 6,342 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction on Monday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.04, for a total transaction of $793,003.68. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 39,147 shares in the company, valued at $4,894,940.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . In other Choice Hotels International news, insider David A. Pepper sold 7,932 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.94, for a total value of $959,296.08. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 30,387 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,675,003.78. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, SVP Simone Wu sold 6,342 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.04, for a total transaction of $793,003.68. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 39,147 shares in the company, valued at $4,894,940.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 90,521 shares of company stock valued at $10,955,487 in the last three months. 20.84% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Shares of NYSE CHH opened at $128.94 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.76. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $104.15 and a 12 month high of $146.79. The company has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.27. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $119.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $119.91. Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $362.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $356.74 million. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 23.69% and a return on equity of 99.85%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.99 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 5.9 EPS for the current year. Choice Hotels International Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 3rd were given a dividend of $0.287 per share. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. This is a boost from Choice Hotels Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 31st. Choice Hotels Internationals payout ratio is presently 19.23%. Choice Hotels International Company Profile (Get Rating) Choice Hotels International, Inc engages in the franchising and operations of hotels. It operates through Hotel Franchising, and Corporate and Other segments. The Hotel Franchising segment refers to the hotel franchising operations consisting of the companys several hotel brands. The Corporate and Other segment deals with hotel revenues and rental income related to office buildings owned by the company. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Choice Hotels International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Choice Hotels International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Citigroup upgraded shares of Comstock Resources (NYSE:CRK Get Rating) from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Citigroup currently has $12.00 price target on the oil and gas producers stock, up from their previous price target of $10.00. Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Comstock Resources from $12.00 to $9.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of Comstock Resources from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Comstock Resources from $17.00 to $18.00 in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Roth Capital restated a neutral rating on shares of Comstock Resources in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Comstock Resources from $20.00 to $15.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Comstock Resources has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $13.72. Get Comstock Resources alerts: Comstock Resources Stock Down 1.4 % CRK opened at $10.92 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. Comstock Resources has a 1-year low of $9.71 and a 1-year high of $22.11. The company has a market capitalization of $3.03 billion, a PE ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.19. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $11.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.06. Comstock Resources Announces Dividend Comstock Resources ( NYSE:CRK Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.21. Comstock Resources had a net margin of 31.84% and a return on equity of 68.19%. The business had revenue of $922.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $665.87 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.37 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 40.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Comstock Resources will post 1.35 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were issued a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.58%. Comstock Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 12.47%. Insider Buying and Selling at Comstock Resources In related news, VP Brian Christopher Claunch purchased 5,000 shares of Comstock Resources stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 15th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $10.08 per share, for a total transaction of $50,400.00. Following the acquisition, the vice president now owns 36,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $370,581.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Comstock Resources news, CFO Roland O. Burns acquired 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $10.00 per share, with a total value of $100,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer now directly owns 950,430 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,504,300. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Brian Christopher Claunch acquired 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $10.08 per share, with a total value of $50,400.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the vice president now directly owns 36,764 shares in the company, valued at $370,581.12. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Comstock Resources A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CRK. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Comstock Resources by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 17,991 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $311,000 after purchasing an additional 648 shares during the period. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. boosted its stake in shares of Comstock Resources by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 25,537 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $429,000 after purchasing an additional 850 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Comstock Resources by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 26,317 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $361,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its stake in shares of Comstock Resources by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 37,475 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $514,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of Comstock Resources by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 30,214 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $414,000 after purchasing an additional 1,272 shares during the period. 35.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Comstock Resources (Get Rating) Comstock Resources, Inc engages in the acquisition, development, and exploration of oil and natural gas. The firm operations concentrated in the Haynesville shale, a premier natural gas basin located in East Texas. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Frisco, TX. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Comstock Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Comstock Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2023 - 16:10 | World, All, Japan A Hong Kong resident who had been studying in Japan has been arrested for allegedly "inciting secession" in online posts under the national security law after returning to the city to renew her identity card, according to sources familiar with the matter. The woman was taken into custody by police in early March on suspicion of sharing online about two years ago slogans in support of pro-democracy student demonstration in Hong Kong that included calls for the semi-autonomous region's independence from China, the sources said. She was living in Japan when she shared the posts online, they added. It is rare for an enforcement of the national security law for activities overseas to come to light. The woman has since been released but not allowed to leave Hong Kong. A decision on whether she will be prosecuted will be reached possibly in May, according to the sources. Tomoko Ako, a sociology and China studies professor at the University of Tokyo, expressed concern over the Hong Kong student's arrest in a blog post earlier this month, saying the reach of the national security law could extend to anyone outside of the former British colony. "I am very concerned that Hong Kong's national security law is applied outside the region in this way," the professor wrote. "As similar cases accumulate, freedom of speech will eventually no longer be guaranteed, even in Japan." The national security law, imposed by Beijing in 2020, criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. The sweeping legislation was introduced following the sometimes violent anti-government protests in 2019 that saw thousands take to the streets in Hong Kong. Related coverage: Hong Kong abruptly pulls screening of "Winnie the Pooh" horror film H.K. organizer of Tiananmen vigil wins appeal against conviction H.K. tycoon Lai's national security trial postponed to September First Dallas Securities Inc. grew its holdings in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP Get Rating) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 12,038 shares of the construction companys stock after buying an additional 201 shares during the quarter. Eagle Materials accounts for about 1.0% of First Dallas Securities Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. First Dallas Securities Inc.s holdings in Eagle Materials were worth $1,599,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Eagle Materials by 3.0% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,841,414 shares of the construction companys stock worth $411,723,000 after purchasing an additional 110,695 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Eagle Materials by 0.3% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,056,912 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $135,929,000 after purchasing an additional 3,684 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Eagle Materials by 13.7% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 995,256 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $106,672,000 after purchasing an additional 119,576 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Eagle Materials by 2.0% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 610,973 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $65,485,000 after purchasing an additional 11,938 shares during the period. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of Eagle Materials by 1.0% in the third quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 578,183 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $61,968,000 after purchasing an additional 5,838 shares during the period. 93.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Eagle Materials alerts: Insider Activity In other news, EVP Eric Cribbs sold 1,401 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.39, for a total value of $203,691.39. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,039 shares in the company, valued at $2,331,910.21. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Director David B. Powers sold 4,941 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.48, for a total value of $728,698.68. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 23,662 shares in the company, valued at $3,489,671.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric Cribbs sold 1,401 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.39, for a total transaction of $203,691.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,039 shares in the company, valued at $2,331,910.21. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 43,992 shares of company stock worth $6,427,728. Insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock. Eagle Materials Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:EXP traded down $2.39 during trading on Friday, hitting $145.88. 274,855 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 213,101. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.61 and a beta of 1.31. The businesss fifty day moving average is $141.45 and its 200-day moving average is $135.33. Eagle Materials Inc. has a one year low of $101.98 and a one year high of $152.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 2.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 26th. The construction company reported $3.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.19 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $511.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $532.95 million. Eagle Materials had a return on equity of 38.27% and a net margin of 20.83%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.53 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 12.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Eagle Materials Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. Eagle Materialss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.64%. Analysts Set New Price Targets EXP has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Eagle Materials in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Eagle Materials from $130.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on Eagle Materials from $140.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Eagle Materials from $138.00 to $168.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Finally, Loop Capital boosted their price target on Eagle Materials from $145.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Eagle Materials presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $153.00. About Eagle Materials (Get Rating) Eagle Materials, Inc engages in the provision of heavy construction materials and light building materials. It operates through the following segments: Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, and Recycled Paperboard. The Cement segment deals with the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of Portland cement. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Eagle Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eagle Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Get Rating) in a report published on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $152.00 price target on the energy exploration companys stock. A number of other research firms have also recently commented on EOG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on EOG Resources from $139.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on EOG Resources from $140.00 to $132.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on EOG Resources from $164.00 to $141.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Citigroup cut their price objective on EOG Resources from $160.00 to $122.00 in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on EOG Resources from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $150.38. Get EOG Resources alerts: EOG Resources Stock Down 0.8 % Shares of EOG stock opened at $117.31 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $116.37 and a 200 day moving average of $126.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has a market cap of $68.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.53. EOG Resources has a twelve month low of $92.16 and a twelve month high of $150.88. EOG Resources Announces Dividend EOG Resources ( NYSE:EOG Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 24th. The energy exploration company reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.31 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $6.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.09 billion. EOG Resources had a net margin of 30.19% and a return on equity of 34.95%. The firms revenue was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.09 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that EOG Resources will post 11.69 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.98%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On EOG Resources Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of EOG. Ossiam lifted its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 1,206.7% in the 4th quarter. Ossiam now owns 196 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. lifted its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 54.3% in the 3rd quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 233 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of EOG Resources in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of EOG Resources in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of EOG Resources in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.40% of the companys stock. About EOG Resources (Get Rating) EOG Resources, Inc engages in the exploration, development, production and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. It operates through the United States, Trinidad & Tobago, and Other International segments. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for EOG Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EOG Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NY lessened its stake in shares of Fabrinet (NYSE:FN Get Rating) by 4.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 542,900 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 26,400 shares during the quarter. Fabrinet comprises about 4.6% of Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NYs holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NY owned 1.48% of Fabrinet worth $69,611,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in Fabrinet by 9.7% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 11,292 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,217,000 after purchasing an additional 998 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in Fabrinet by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 90,911 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $9,557,000 after purchasing an additional 5,603 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in Fabrinet by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,594,458 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $588,146,000 after purchasing an additional 24,058 shares during the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its position in Fabrinet by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 34,565 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $3,634,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Fabrinet by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,173,594 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $438,770,000 after purchasing an additional 30,481 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.13% of the companys stock. Get Fabrinet alerts: Fabrinet Stock Down 0.2 % NYSE:FN opened at $95.39 on Friday. Fabrinet has a fifty-two week low of $74.57 and a fifty-two week high of $140.18. The stock has a market cap of $3.49 billion, a PE ratio of 15.07 and a beta of 1.16. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $113.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $120.30. Insider Buying and Selling at Fabrinet Fabrinet ( NYSE:FN Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 6th. The technology company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.70 by $0.01. Fabrinet had a net margin of 9.47% and a return on equity of 18.17%. The business had revenue of $668.66 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $652.26 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Fabrinet will post 6.93 earnings per share for the current year. In other news, Director Rollance E. Olson sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.33, for a total transaction of $631,650.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 34,699 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,383,524.67. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Fabrinet from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday. Lake Street Capital started coverage on shares of Fabrinet in a research note on Friday. They issued a buy rating and a $130.00 price objective on the stock. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of Fabrinet from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. B. Riley boosted their price objective on shares of Fabrinet from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Fabrinet from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $125.43. About Fabrinet (Get Rating) Fabrinet engages in the provision of optical packaging and electronic manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers. The firms engineering services include process design, failure analysis, reliability testing, tooling design, and real-time traceability system. Its manufacturing operations offer sensors, subsystems, customized optics, and optical modules and components. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Fabrinet (NYSE:FN Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Fabrinet Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fabrinet and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Dallas Securities Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Get Rating) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 47,600 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock after selling 2,575 shares during the quarter. First Dallas Securities Inc.s holdings in Uber Technologies were worth $1,177,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 28.7% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 23,045 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $822,000 after buying an additional 5,142 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Uber Technologies in the first quarter worth $3,359,000. Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 29.3% during the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 22,650 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $808,000 after purchasing an additional 5,134 shares in the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies by 11.7% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 26,298 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $938,000 after purchasing an additional 2,756 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Uber Technologies by 17.3% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,144,337 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $40,838,000 after buying an additional 168,475 shares during the last quarter. 71.83% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Uber Technologies alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Uber Technologies news, insider Tony West sold 4,167 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.00, for a total value of $133,344.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 166,499 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,327,968. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 3.84% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Uber Technologies Price Performance NYSE:UBER traded down $0.67 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $30.83. 40,543,146 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,147,075. The firms fifty day moving average price is $32.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $29.71. Uber Technologies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $19.90 and a 52-week high of $37.58. The company has a market cap of $62.09 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.57 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.21) by $0.50. The business had revenue of $8.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.51 billion. Uber Technologies had a negative net margin of 28.68% and a negative return on equity of 114.18%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 49.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.44 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post -0.12 EPS for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have weighed in on UBER shares. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Uber Technologies from $54.00 to $45.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Uber Technologies from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Uber Technologies from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Uber Technologies from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, Wedbush reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $38.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $47.55. About Uber Technologies (Get Rating) Uber Technologies, Inc is a technology platform, which engages in the development and operation of technology applications, network, and product to power movement from point A to point B. The firm offers ride services and merchants delivery service providers for meal preparation, grocery and other delivery services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Dallas Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 4,600 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $391,000. Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 5.3% in the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,562 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $281,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 39,183 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,096,000 after purchasing an additional 2,451 shares in the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 38.7% in the 4th quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 25,353 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,156,000 after purchasing an additional 7,072 shares during the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 82.6% in the third quarter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,205 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $569,000 after purchasing an additional 3,259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its position in Morgan Stanley by 35.9% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 104,285 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $8,240,000 after buying an additional 27,536 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.48% of the companys stock. Get Morgan Stanley alerts: Insider Activity at Morgan Stanley In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 24,556 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.23, for a total transaction of $2,412,135.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 190,440 shares in the company, valued at $18,706,921.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 15,133 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.20, for a total value of $1,455,794.60. Following the sale, the insider now owns 323,398 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $31,110,887.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 24,556 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.23, for a total transaction of $2,412,135.88. Following the sale, the insider now owns 190,440 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $18,706,921.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 41,689 shares of company stock valued at $4,057,330 over the last quarter. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Morgan Stanley Stock Performance Morgan Stanley stock traded up $0.69 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $91.12. The stock had a trading volume of 6,530,957 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,547,520. The company has a 50-day moving average of $90.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $89.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57. Morgan Stanley has a fifty-two week low of $72.05 and a fifty-two week high of $100.99. The company has a market cap of $152.39 billion, a PE ratio of 15.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.34. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.03. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 11.34% and a net margin of 14.12%. The business had revenue of $14.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.06 earnings per share. Morgan Stanleys revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 6.75 EPS for the current fiscal year. Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $0.775 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. This represents a $3.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.40%. Morgan Stanleys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.26%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have weighed in on MS shares. Odeon Capital Group raised Morgan Stanley from a sell rating to a hold rating and set a $88.75 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Wolfe Research cut Morgan Stanley from an outperform rating to an underperform rating and set a $92.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Cfra reissued a strong-buy rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Wednesday. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $106.00 to $104.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $95.34. Morgan Stanley Profile (Get Rating) Morgan Stanley operates as a global financial services company. The firm provides investment banking products and services to its clients and customers including corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. It operates through the following segments: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Morgan Stanley Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Morgan Stanley and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc. lessened its stake in Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX Get Rating) by 3.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 213,500 shares of the natural resource companys stock after selling 7,600 shares during the period. Freeport-McMoRan accounts for about 1.3% of Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc.s holdings in Freeport-McMoRan were worth $8,113,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Flputnam Investment Management Co. acquired a new position in Freeport-McMoRan in the 3rd quarter valued at about $374,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Freeport-McMoRan by 18.1% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 300,285 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $8,379,000 after acquiring an additional 45,975 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in Freeport-McMoRan by 8.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 916,434 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $25,046,000 after acquiring an additional 70,006 shares during the period. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Freeport-McMoRan in the 3rd quarter valued at about $205,000. Finally, PFG Advisors acquired a new position in Freeport-McMoRan in the 4th quarter valued at about $289,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the companys stock. Get Freeport-McMoRan alerts: Freeport-McMoRan Price Performance Shares of NYSE:FCX opened at $39.66 on Friday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $40.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.73 and a beta of 2.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.46 and a quick ratio of 1.64. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a 12 month low of $24.80 and a 12 month high of $46.73. Freeport-McMoRan Dividend Announcement Freeport-McMoRan ( NYSE:FCX Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 21st. The natural resource company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.05. Freeport-McMoRan had a return on equity of 14.59% and a net margin of 15.22%. The firm had revenue of $5.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.25 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.07 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was down 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.51%. Freeport-McMoRans dividend payout ratio is currently 12.66%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In FCX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Freeport-McMoRan from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Raymond James reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $47.00 price objective on shares of Freeport-McMoRan in a report on Sunday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Freeport-McMoRan from $35.00 to $40.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Freeport-McMoRan in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, TheStreet raised Freeport-McMoRan from a c rating to a b rating in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $38.42. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CAO Ellie L. Mikes sold 11,678 shares of Freeport-McMoRan stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.17, for a total transaction of $504,139.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 32,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,395,815.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.72% of the companys stock. About Freeport-McMoRan (Get Rating) Freeport-McMoRan, Inc engages in the mining of copper, gold, and molybdenum. It operates through the following segments: North America Copper Mines, South America Mining, Indonesia Mining, Molybdenum Mines, Rod and Refining, Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining, and Corporate and Other. The North America Copper Mines segment operates open-pit copper mines in Morenci, Baghdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona and Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FCX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Freeport-McMoRan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Freeport-McMoRan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS Get Rating) Equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group decreased their FY2023 EPS estimates for shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, April 19th. Jefferies Financial Group analyst D. Katz now anticipates that the casino operator will post earnings of $1.91 per share for the year, down from their previous estimate of $2.00. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a Buy rating and a $69.00 target price on the stock. The consensus estimate for Las Vegas Sands current full-year earnings is $1.45 per share. Jefferies Financial Group also issued estimates for Las Vegas Sands FY2024 earnings at $3.15 EPS. Get Las Vegas Sands alerts: Several other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $64.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Las Vegas Sands in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Roth Mkm upped their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $62.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday. Two equities research 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 presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $68.54. Las Vegas Sands Trading Up 2.5 % NYSE:LVS opened at $63.05 on Friday. Las Vegas Sands has a one year low of $28.88 and a one year high of $63.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.81, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 1.73. The firm has a market cap of $48.19 billion, a P/E ratio of -87.57, a P/E/G ratio of 17.90 and a beta of 1.16. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $56.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $50.19. Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The casino operator reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.11. Las Vegas Sands had a negative net margin of 10.42% and a negative return on equity of 10.17%. The business had revenue of $2.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.83 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.40) EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 124.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LVS. Altfest L J & Co. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 20.5% in the first quarter. Altfest L J & Co. Inc. now owns 13,520 shares of the casino operators stock valued at $777,000 after purchasing an additional 2,299 shares during the period. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 148.7% in the first quarter. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC now owns 17,021 shares of the casino operators stock valued at $1,066,000 after purchasing an additional 10,178 shares during the period. DnB Asset Management AS boosted its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 741.0% in the first quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 389,653 shares of the casino operators stock valued at $22,386,000 after purchasing an additional 343,319 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 3.0% in the first quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 26,161 shares of the casino operators stock valued at $1,503,000 after purchasing an additional 766 shares during the period. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise boosted its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands by 478.6% in the first quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 38,632 shares of the casino operators stock valued at $2,219,000 after purchasing an additional 31,955 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 39.75% of the companys stock. About Las Vegas Sands (Get Rating) Las Vegas Sands Corp. engages in the development of destination properties. The firm operates through the Macao and Singapore geographical segments. The Macao segment handles the operations of The Venetian Macao, The Londoner Macao, The Parisian Macao, The Plaza Macao and Four Seasons Macao, and Sands Macao. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Las Vegas Sands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Las Vegas Sands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Guidewire Software (NYSE:GWRE Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Wednesday morning. GWRE has been the topic of a number of other reports. JMP Securities restated a market outperform rating and set a $95.00 target price on shares of Guidewire Software in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Guidewire Software from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $90.00 price objective on shares of Guidewire Software in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Guidewire Software from $67.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Guidewire Software in a report on Monday, January 23rd. They issued a buy rating and a $88.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $83.09. Get Guidewire Software alerts: Guidewire Software Stock Performance NYSE GWRE opened at $77.90 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $75.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.35 billion, a P/E ratio of -38.95 and a beta of 1.28. Guidewire Software has a fifty-two week low of $52.08 and a fifty-two week high of $92.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 3.66 and a current ratio of 3.66. Insider Transactions at Guidewire Software Guidewire Software ( NYSE:GWRE Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, March 6th. The technology company reported ($0.56) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.39) by ($0.17). Guidewire Software had a negative net margin of 19.19% and a negative return on equity of 12.63%. The business had revenue of $232.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $222.13 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that Guidewire Software will post -1.74 earnings per share for the current year. In other news, insider James Winston King sold 1,526 shares of Guidewire Software stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.88, for a total transaction of $117,318.88. Following the sale, the insider now owns 35,550 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,733,084. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, CFO Jeffrey Elliott Cooper sold 1,659 shares of Guidewire Software stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.88, for a total transaction of $127,543.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 60,899 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,681,915.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider James Winston King sold 1,526 shares of Guidewire Software stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.88, for a total transaction of $117,318.88. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 35,550 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,733,084. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 26,445 shares of company stock worth $2,037,798 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.30% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Guidewire Software A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Riverbridge Partners LLC raised its position in Guidewire Software by 54.0% in the first quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC now owns 1,090,587 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $89,483,000 after purchasing an additional 382,228 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its position in Guidewire Software by 128.8% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 23,592 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,936,000 after purchasing an additional 13,282 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. raised its position in Guidewire Software by 33.0% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 44,003 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $3,610,000 after purchasing an additional 10,924 shares during the period. HighMark Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Guidewire Software in the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Guidewire Software in the first quarter valued at approximately $381,000. Guidewire Software Company Profile (Get Rating) Guidewire Software, Inc engages in the provision of technology platform, which comprises software, services, and a partner ecosystem, for the global Property and Casualty insurance industry. Its products include InsuranceSuite, PolicyCenter, ClaimCenter, BillingCenter, InsuranceNow, Analytics, Ecosystem, Guidewire for salesforce, and Guidewire Cloud. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Guidewire Software Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Guidewire Software and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pennon Group Plc (LON:PNN Get Rating) insider Paul Boote acquired 18 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 19th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 854 ($10.57) per share, with a total value of 153.72 ($190.22). Pennon Group Stock Up 1.2 % Shares of PNN opened at GBX 865 ($10.70) on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 861.60 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 884.95. The stock has a market capitalization of 2.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4,805.56, a PEG ratio of 8.48 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 263.07, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 1.82. Pennon Group Plc has a one year low of GBX 735 ($9.10) and a one year high of GBX 1,124 ($13.91). Get Pennon Group alerts: Pennon Group Cuts Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 26th were paid a dividend of GBX 12.96 ($0.16) per share. This represents a yield of 1.42%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 26th. Pennon Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22,222.22%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In About Pennon Group Several analysts recently commented on PNN shares. Credit Suisse Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a GBX 900 ($11.14) price target on shares of Pennon Group in a research report on Monday, March 20th. Royal Bank of Canada cut Pennon Group to a sector perform rating and set a GBX 975 ($12.07) price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Pennon Group has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 1,072.14 ($13.27). (Get Rating) Pennon Group Plc provides clean water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom. It provides water and wastewater services for customers in Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset; water-only services in the areas of Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire; and water and wastewater retail services to non-household customers in Great Britain. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Pennon Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pennon Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Serica Energy plc (LON:SQZ Get Rating) insider Mitchell Robert Flegg sold 117,586 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 234 ($2.90), for a total transaction of 275,151.24 ($340,491.57). Serica Energy Stock Performance SQZ opened at GBX 236 ($2.92) on Friday. Serica Energy plc has a 52-week low of GBX 200 ($2.47) and a 52-week high of GBX 454 ($5.62). The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of 899.49 million, a P/E ratio of 380.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.41. The firms 50-day moving average price is GBX 236.23 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 273.76. Get Serica Energy alerts: Serica Energy Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 29th will be issued a dividend of GBX 14 ($0.17) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a dividend yield of 5.81%. This is an increase from Serica Energys previous dividend of $8.00. Serica Energys dividend payout ratio is 5,000.00%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In About Serica Energy Separately, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Serica Energy in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. They issued a buy rating for the company. (Get Rating) Serica Energy plc, an upstream oil and gas company, identifies, acquires, explores, exploits, and produces oil and gas reserves in the United Kingdom. The company holds 100% interest in the Keith oil fields; 98% interest in the Bruce gas fields; and 50% interest in the Rhum gas fields located in the Northern North Sea, as well as 18% non-operating interest in the Erskine field located in Central North Sea. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Serica Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Serica Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2023 - 19:21 | All, Japan A memorial service for the victims of a tourist boat that sank off the coast of the northern main island of Hokkaido was held Sunday to mark one year since the tragedy that left 20 people dead and six missing. At the ceremony held in the Utoro district of Shari town, where the Kazu I left port that fateful day last April, Mayor Takashi Baba vowed to never forget, saying "such an accident must never happen again." The 19-ton Kazu I with 26 people aboard went missing on April 23 after departing for a three-hour cruise around the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage site, despite bad weather being forecast. According to the town, 133 people, including 79 family members of the victims and Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki, attended the ceremony, with some laying flowers. "As (the government) continues to conduct inspections and audits, we take it very seriously that such an accident occurred," Tetsuo Saito, minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, said in his memorial address. Seiichi Katsurada, president of the ship's operator Shiretoko Yuransen, was not invited to the ceremony as organizers did not want to turn it into an occasion for apologies, Baba said, adding that he had told Katsurada to apologize to each of the victim's families separately. Flowers sent by Katsurada, however, were displayed at the ceremony's venue. Channing Global Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF (BATS:INDA Get Rating) by 47.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 60,532 shares of the companys stock after selling 54,520 shares during the period. iShares MSCI India ETF comprises about 2.9% of Channing Global Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Channing Global Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI India ETF were worth $2,527,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of INDA. Prudential PLC grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 132.8% during the third quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 2,314,216 shares of the companys stock valued at $94,374,000 after acquiring an additional 1,320,305 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 577.2% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,177,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $47,998,000 after acquiring an additional 1,003,200 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 110.8% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,895,713 shares of the companys stock worth $84,493,000 after purchasing an additional 996,561 shares during the last quarter. Credit Suisse AG lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 627.1% during the third quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 814,499 shares of the companys stock worth $33,215,000 after purchasing an additional 702,479 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fullerton Fund Management Co Ltd. bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF during the third quarter worth about $27,006,000. Get iShares MSCI India ETF alerts: iShares MSCI India ETF Stock Performance Shares of INDA stock opened at $39.88 on Friday. iShares MSCI India ETF has a one year low of $30.57 and a one year high of $38.21. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $39.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.86 and a beta of 0.68. About iShares MSCI India ETF The iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI India index, a market-cap-weighted index of the top 85% of firms in the Indian securities market. INDA was launched on Feb 2, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI India ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI India ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MeridianLink (NYSE:MLNK Get Rating) and ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW Get Rating) are both business services companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, risk and earnings. Risk and Volatility MeridianLink has a beta of 0.76, meaning that its share price is 24% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ServiceNow has a beta of 1.04, meaning that its share price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500. Get MeridianLink alerts: Profitability This table compares MeridianLink and ServiceNows net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets MeridianLink 0.45% 0.99% 0.54% ServiceNow 4.49% 9.37% 3.58% Insider & Institutional Ownership Valuation and Earnings 68.5% of MeridianLink shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 86.3% of ServiceNow shares are held by institutional investors. 20.9% of MeridianLink shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of ServiceNow shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. This table compares MeridianLink and ServiceNows gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio MeridianLink $288.05 million 4.28 $1.29 million $0.01 1,527.00 ServiceNow $7.25 billion 13.31 $325.00 million $1.60 295.82 ServiceNow has higher revenue and earnings than MeridianLink. ServiceNow is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than MeridianLink, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings for MeridianLink and ServiceNow, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score MeridianLink 2 1 2 0 2.00 ServiceNow 0 1 26 0 2.96 MeridianLink presently has a consensus target price of $17.33, indicating a potential upside of 13.51%. ServiceNow has a consensus target price of $529.28, indicating a potential upside of 11.82%. Given MeridianLinks higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe MeridianLink is more favorable than ServiceNow. Summary ServiceNow beats MeridianLink on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About MeridianLink (Get Rating) MeridianLink, Inc., a software and services company, provides software solutions for banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, specialty lending providers, and consumer reporting agencies in the United States. The company offers MeridianLink Consumer, a consumer lending and account opening platform; MeridianLink Opening, an online account opening software that unifies deposit account opening and funding for various channels and products; and MeridianLink DecisionLender, a loan origination software (LOS) for finance companies. It also provides MeridianLink Engage, an end-to-end consumer lending, account, and card marketing automation solution; MeridianLink Mortgage, a SaaS cloud-based end-to-end loan origination software; MeridianLink Collect, a cloud-based debt collection software; and Mortgage Credit Link, a web-based order fulfillment hub. In addition, the company provides solutions, including end-to-end platform, loan origination system, mortgage loan origination system, deposit account opening, data and reporting, collections, and consulting and analysis. MeridianLink, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. 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. Luddy in June 2004 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. Receive News & Ratings for MeridianLink Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MeridianLink and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Channing Global Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Rating) by 157.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 601 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 368 shares during the period. Channing Global Advisors LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $81,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jennison Associates LLC increased its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 3.9% in the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 10,930,506 shares of the companys stock worth $1,089,006,000 after buying an additional 413,285 shares during the period. Fayez Sarofim & Co increased its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 9.4% in the third quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 5,218,104 shares of the companys stock worth $519,878,000 after buying an additional 450,280 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 45.4% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,035,879 shares of the companys stock worth $559,235,000 after buying an additional 1,571,747 shares during the period. Folketrygdfondet increased its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 2.9% in the third quarter. Folketrygdfondet now owns 4,262,659 shares of the companys stock worth $424,689,000 after buying an additional 119,781 shares during the period. Finally, Everett Harris & Co. CA increased its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 1.7% in the third quarter. Everett Harris & Co. CA now owns 3,316,090 shares of the companys stock worth $330,382,000 after buying an additional 54,370 shares during the period. 6.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have recently commented on NVO. Credit Suisse Group raised Novo Nordisk A/S from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, April 13th. StockNews.com began coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Novo Nordisk A/S from 925.00 to 1,100.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $687.50. Novo Nordisk A/S Trading Up 4.4 % Shares of NVO stock opened at $172.65 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Novo Nordisk A/S has a fifty-two week low of $95.02 and a fifty-two week high of $172.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $390.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.48. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $150.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $133.51. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.02. Novo Nordisk A/S had a return on equity of 73.39% and a net margin of 31.44%. The business had revenue of $6.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.74 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 4.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Novo Nordisk A/S Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 4th. Investors of record on Monday, March 27th were given a $1.1887 dividend. This is a positive change from Novo Nordisk A/Ss previous semi-annual dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 24th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.8%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.70%. About Novo Nordisk A/S (Get Rating) Novo Nordisk A/S is a global healthcare company, which engages in the the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products. It operates through the Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Biopharm segments. The Diabetes and Obesity Care segment includes insulin, GLP-1 and related delivery systems, oral antidiabetic products (OAD), obesity, and other serious chronic diseases. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA Get Rating) by 29.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,237 shares of the aircraft producers stock after purchasing an additional 735 shares during the quarter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc.s holdings in Boeing were worth $617,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BA. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Boeing by 189.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,894,753 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $229,414,000 after acquiring an additional 1,240,669 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new stake in Boeing in the 1st quarter worth approximately $135,429,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Boeing by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 45,200,241 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $5,472,845,000 after acquiring an additional 670,698 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Boeing by 125.0% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,139,143 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $218,147,000 after acquiring an additional 632,913 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in Boeing by 1,588.5% in the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 558,140 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $67,580,000 after acquiring an additional 525,085 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.07% of the companys stock. Get Boeing alerts: Boeing Stock Performance BA opened at $205.15 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $207.32 and a 200 day moving average of $188.80. The Boeing Company has a 52-week low of $113.02 and a 52-week high of $221.33. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Boeing ( NYSE:BA Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 25th. The aircraft producer reported ($1.75) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.05 by ($1.80). The company had revenue of $19.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($7.69) EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 35.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that The Boeing Company will post -0.07 EPS for the current fiscal year. A number of research firms have issued reports on BA. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Boeing from $240.00 to $230.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Boeing from $261.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on Boeing from $200.00 to $220.00 in a report on Monday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $225.00 target price on Boeing in a report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Boeing from $222.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $223.59. Boeing Company Profile (Get Rating) The Boeing Co is an aerospace company, which engages in the manufacture of commercial jetliners and defense, space, and security systems. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Airplanes (BCA), Defense, Space and Security (BDS), Global Services (BGS), and Boeing Capital (BCC). The Commercial Airplanes segment includes the development, production, and market of commercial jet aircraft and provides fleet support services, principally to the commercial airline industry worldwide. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Boeing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boeing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NYSE:NOG Get Rating) Equities researchers at Capital One Financial lifted their Q1 2023 EPS estimates for Northern Oil and Gas in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, April 19th. Capital One Financial analyst P. Johnston now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $1.67 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.53. The consensus estimate for Northern Oil and Gas current full-year earnings is $8.01 per share. Capital One Financial also issued estimates for Northern Oil and Gas FY2023 earnings at $7.87 EPS. Get Northern Oil and Gas alerts: Northern Oil and Gas (NYSE:NOG Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 24th. The company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($0.22). The firm had revenue of $445.65 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $408.08 million. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 34.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.06 earnings per share. Northern Oil and Gas Stock Performance Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Bank of America upgraded shares of Northern Oil and Gas from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $38.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $46.00 target price on shares of Northern Oil and Gas in a research report on Friday, March 17th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Northern Oil and Gas from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Northern Oil and Gas from $44.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, Raymond James dropped their price target on shares of Northern Oil and Gas from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Northern Oil and Gas currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $46.78. NYSE NOG opened at $32.77 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 2.02. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $31.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $32.55. Northern Oil and Gas has a 1 year low of $21.45 and a 1 year high of $39.10. Northern Oil and Gas Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.34 per share. This is a boost from Northern Oil and Gass previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 29th. Northern Oil and Gass dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.55%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Yorktown Management & Research Co Inc grew its holdings in shares of Northern Oil and Gas by 186.2% during the first quarter. Yorktown Management & Research Co Inc now owns 31,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $947,000 after buying an additional 20,300 shares during the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System purchased a new position in Northern Oil and Gas during the first quarter worth about $906,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in Northern Oil and Gas during the first quarter worth about $1,050,000. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC boosted its holdings in Northern Oil and Gas by 9.1% during the first quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC now owns 20,224 shares of the companys stock worth $614,000 after purchasing an additional 1,682 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ETF Managers Group LLC purchased a new position in Northern Oil and Gas during the first quarter worth about $371,000. 96.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Northern Oil and Gas Company Profile (Get Rating) Northern Oil & Gas, Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas properties. It focuses on the Bakken and Three Forks formation within the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana. The company was founded on March 20, 2007 and is headquartered in Minnetonka, MN. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Northern Oil and Gas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Northern Oil and Gas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Range Resources (NYSE:RRC Get Rating) had its price objective reduced by Piper Sandler from $40.00 to $37.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the oil and gas exploration companys stock. Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Benchmark lowered shares of Range Resources from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Range Resources in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Range Resources from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $30.00 to $31.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Roth Capital reissued a neutral rating on shares of Range Resources in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Range Resources from $24.00 to $21.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $32.26. Get Range Resources alerts: Range Resources Stock Performance Shares of NYSE RRC opened at $25.50 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. Range Resources has a 12 month low of $22.61 and a 12 month high of $37.44. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $25.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.30. The stock has a market cap of $6.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.41, a PEG ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 2.13. Range Resources Dividend Announcement Range Resources ( NYSE:RRC Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $997.57 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. Range Resources had a net margin of 28.54% and a return on equity of 57.62%. As a group, analysts predict that Range Resources will post 2.31 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.25%. Range Resourcess payout ratio is 6.79%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Third Point LLC acquired a new position in shares of Range Resources during the 3rd quarter valued at about $98,514,000. Profund Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Range Resources by 126.7% during the 3rd quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 21,054 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $532,000 after acquiring an additional 11,766 shares during the last quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Range Resources during the 3rd quarter valued at about $594,000. Orser Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Range Resources during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,424,000. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its position in shares of Range Resources by 159.9% during the 3rd quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 110,349 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $2,787,000 after acquiring an additional 67,895 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.32% of the companys stock. About Range Resources (Get Rating) Range Resources Corp. engages in the exploration, development and acquisition of natural gas and oil properties in the Appalachian and Midcontinent regions. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, TX. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Range Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Range Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Smith Salley & Associates acquired a new stake in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund acquired 4,833 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $220,000. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new stake in shares of PulteGroup during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. General Partner Inc. bought a new stake in shares of PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Accurate Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth about $60,000. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. raised its position in shares of PulteGroup by 115.2% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,595 shares of the construction companys stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 854 shares in the last quarter. 88.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get PulteGroup alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of PulteGroup from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $64.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $58.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Sunday, February 5th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $68.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group lifted their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $52.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $62.21. PulteGroup Stock Performance PulteGroup stock opened at $62.83 on Friday. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $56.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.39. The company has a market cap of $14.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.62. PulteGroup, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $35.03 and a fifty-two week high of $64.49. PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The construction company reported $3.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.75. The business had revenue of $5.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.59 billion. PulteGroup had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 31.85%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.51 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 7.44 EPS for the current year. PulteGroup Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 20th were paid a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 17th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. PulteGroups dividend payout ratio is presently 5.77%. Insider Buying and Selling at PulteGroup In other PulteGroup news, VP John J. Chadwick sold 29,817 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.63, for a total value of $1,688,536.71. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 87,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,951,047.64. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other PulteGroup news, VP John J. Chadwick sold 29,817 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.63, for a total value of $1,688,536.71. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 87,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,951,047.64. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,998 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.83, for a total transaction of $861,172.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 82,339 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,432,308.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 50,739 shares of company stock worth $2,845,149. 0.83% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. PulteGroup Company Profile (Get Rating) PulteGroup, Inc engages in the homebuilding business. The firm is also involved in mortgage banking and title and insurance brokerage operations. It operates through the Homebuilding and Financial services business segments. The Homebuilding segment includes operations from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PHM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for PulteGroup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PulteGroup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 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. The firm currently has $45.00 price objective on the aerospace companys stock. A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Barclays increased their target price on Spirit AeroSystems from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Spirit AeroSystems from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $38.00 to $36.00 in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Spirit AeroSystems from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded Spirit AeroSystems from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $46.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Spirit AeroSystems in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $38.69. Get Spirit AeroSystems alerts: Spirit AeroSystems Trading Down 1.9 % Spirit AeroSystems stock 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 firm has a market cap of $3.22 billion, a PE ratio of -5.86 and a beta of 1.64. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $33.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $30.19. Institutional Trading of Spirit AeroSystems Spirit AeroSystems ( NYSE:SPR Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The aerospace company reported ($1.46) earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $1.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.43 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.84) EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Spirit AeroSystems will post -0.05 EPS for the current year. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 102,283 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $2,997,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 7,000 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $341,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its position in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 52,370 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,148,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its position in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 141,263 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $4,139,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC increased its position in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 39.6% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,637 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. 85.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Spirit AeroSystems Company Profile (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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Spirit AeroSystems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Spirit AeroSystems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Homestead Advisers Corp lifted its position in shares of Summit Materials, Inc. (NYSE:SUM Get Rating) by 1.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 289,609 shares of the construction companys stock after acquiring an additional 4,841 shares during the quarter. Homestead Advisers Corp owned 0.24% of Summit Materials worth $8,222,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of SUM. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Summit Materials by 1.0% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,439,985 shares of the construction companys stock worth $274,101,000 after purchasing an additional 113,791 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in shares of Summit Materials by 0.7% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 9,032,871 shares of the construction companys stock worth $280,561,000 after purchasing an additional 58,438 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors raised its stake in Summit Materials by 8.1% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 6,903,885 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $214,435,000 after purchasing an additional 519,296 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Summit Materials by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,610,437 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $134,429,000 after purchasing an additional 101,559 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Macquarie Group Ltd. boosted its stake in Summit Materials by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 4,622,585 shares of the construction companys stock worth $110,799,000 after purchasing an additional 45,903 shares during the last quarter. Get Summit Materials alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Summit Materials in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Summit Materials from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Summit Materials from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on Summit Materials in a research report on Friday, January 13th. They set a buy rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Summit Materials from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, January 20th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $34.36. Summit Materials Price Performance Shares of SUM opened at $27.30 on Friday. Summit Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $21.99 and a fifty-two week high of $34.40. The firms 50 day moving average price is $28.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $28.93. The company has a quick ratio of 3.15, a current ratio of 3.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The company has a market cap of $3.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.10 and a beta of 1.42. Summit Materials (NYSE:SUM Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The construction company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.03. Summit Materials had a return on equity of 7.58% and a net margin of 11.28%. The business had revenue of $511.66 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $555.20 million. On average, research analysts forecast that Summit Materials, Inc. will post 1.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Summit Materials Profile (Get Rating) Summit Materials, Inc is a construction materials company. It manufactures construction materials and related downstream products. The firm operates its business through the following segments: Cement, West and East. The Cement consists of its Hannibal, Missouri and Davenport, Iowa cement plants and distribution terminals along the Mississippi river from Minnesota to Louisiana. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SUM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Summit Materials, Inc. (NYSE:SUM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Summit Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Summit Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. This photo taken on July 12, 2022 shows Dominic Raab arriving to attend the cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street in London, Britain. 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. 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. (No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua) LONDON, April 21 (Xinhua) -- 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. This photo taken on June 14, 2022 shows Oliver Dowden (3rd R) speaking during the cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street in London, Britain. 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. 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. (No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (2nd R) talks with Alex Chalk (2nd L) in London, Britain, on April 21, 2023. 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. 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. (No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the grim allegations that over 149 million barrels of crude oil are missing, as documented in the 2019 audited reports bythe Auditor General of the Federation and Nigeria Extractive Industries TransparencyInitiative (NEITI). SERAP also urged him to ensure the effective prosecution of anyone suspected to be responsible for the plundering of the countrys oil wealth and the full recovery of any proceeds of crime. According to the 2019 audited report by the Auditor General over 107 million barrels of crude oil were lifted as domestic crude without any document or tracing. NEITI also reported missing 42.25 million barrels of crude oil in 2019. In the letter dated 22 April 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these very serious allegations. SERAP said, the recommended steps can be taken between now and the end of your term of office to set the tone for the next administration. The letter, read in part: SERAP notes that you have repeatedly promised to combat corruption. As you go into the final weeks of your term of office, the missing crude oil allegations present yet another opportunity to demonstrate your commitment and to uphold your oath of office both as President and Minister of Petroleum Resources. As the President and substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources, you and your government should prioritise getting to the bottom of these allegations and use the remainder of your term of office to ensure justice and accountability for these serious crimes against the Nigerian people. Investigating the allegations and naming and shaming and prosecuting those suspected to be responsible for the missing crude oil would serve the public interest and end the impunity of perpetrators. We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest. The allegations by both the Auditor-General and NEITI are different from a whistleblowers claims that 48 million barrels of Bonny Light crude oil allegedly sold in China in 2015 are missing or unaccounted for. The reports by the Auditor-General and NEITI suggest a grave violation of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and the countrys anticorruption laws and international obligations, as well as the public trust. These damning revelations also suggest your government is failing to prevent and combat the plundering of Nigerias wealth and natural resources, name and bring suspected perpetrators to account and recover any proceeds of crime. Poor and socio-economically vulnerable Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the stealing of the countrys oil wealth apparently by both state and non-state actors. The countrys oil wealth ought to be used solely for the benefit of the Nigerian people, and for the sake of the present and future generations. These allegations can promptly be investigated and suspected perpetrators named and shamed. Taking these steps would advance the right of Nigerians to restitution, compensation and guarantee of non-repetition and improve public confidence in the fight against corruption, and related crimes, especially in the oil sector. According to the 2019 audited report by the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), some 107,239,436.00 barrels of crude oil were lifted as domestic crude without any document or tracing. To date, there is no information on the sale of Un-Utilized Crude oil by Refineries for 2019 and no information on crude oil allocations from 30th May to 31st December 2019. The Auditor-General is concerned that the missing crude oil may have been diverted. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) also reported missing 42.25 million barrels of crude oil in 2019. Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on your government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity. Section 16(2) further provides that, the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good. The UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party obligate your government to effectively prevent and investigate the plundering of the countrys wealth and natural resources and hold public officials and non-state actors to account for any violations. Specifically, article 26 of the UN convention requires your government to ensure effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions including criminal and non-criminal sanctions, in cases of grand corruption. Article 26 complements the more general requirement of article 30, paragraph 1, that sanctions must take into account the gravity of the corruption allegations. The proposed panel should be headed by a retired justice of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal, and its members should include people with proven professional record, and of the highest integrity that can act impartially, independently, and transparently. Kolawole Oluwadare SERAP Deputy Director 23/4/2023 Lagos, Nigeria Emails: [email protected]; [email protected] Twitter: @SERAPNigeria Website: www.serap-nigeria.org For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202 It has been revealed that African countries have invested over $4.23bn (N1.95tn at the Central Bank of Nigerias exchange of N460.93 to a dollar) in Nigerian firms and businesses in the last three years. This formed 19.52 per cent of the $21.69bn that was invested into Nigeria from various countries in the period according to Nigeria Capital Importation data from the National Bureau of Statistics for 2020, 2021, and 2022. South Africa is the largest African investor in Nigeria, with $2.34bn (N1.09tn) invested in the time under review. MTN Nigeria, majorly owned by MTN Group, is one of South Africas successful business imports into Nigeria. Standard Bank, known as Stanbic Bank, is another well-known success story. Before their exit from the Nigerian market, Shoprite and PEP stores (both in the retail sector) dominated their space. Multichoice, owners of DSTV and GOTV, are also examples of South African firms operating in the country. The second largest African investor in Nigeria was Mauritius which invested N583.66bn ($1.27bn). Sustainable Capital Limited, an owner-managed investment manager based in Moka, Mauritius raising its equity stake in Seplat Energy Plc to 8.93 per cent from 7.79per cent in 2022. In 2022, Mauritius Commercial Bank disclosed plans to open an office in Nigeria. A post on the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission stated that MCBs Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking, Thierry Hebraud, revealed it on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire. I believe within the next couple of months, we will be operating the new representative office in Nigeria. We believe well continue to grow in the oil and gas sector, but at a slower pace. Well definitely grow in the energy and infrastructure. Other African investor countries in the time under review include Botswana ($1.29m); Congo ($148m); Cote dIvoire ($10m); Egypt ($16.14m); Guinea ($50m): Ghana ($31.78m); Kenya ($20.87m); Morocco ($43.97m); Niger ($2m); Sierra Leone ($2m); Seychelles ($700,000); Somalia ($400,000); Sudan ($53.59m); Togo ($225.89m); Uganda ($120,000), and Zambia ($1.4m). According to NBS, investment (capital importation) data is obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria and includes imported physical capital, such as equipment, and financial capital importation. These investments are divided into three main categories: foreign direct investment, portfolio investment, and other investments. The African Continental Free Trade Area is expected to improve intra-African investments with Nigeria benefiting more. However, foreign direct investment in Nigeria has been falling in recent times due to limited forex availability, security concerns, and other structural challenges. The World Bank recently lamented about Nigeria, Net FDI inflows are negative, reflecting net withdrawals of equity by foreign investors. FDI and FPI flow into Nigeria do not compare favourably with similar economies of the world, reflecting difficulties with FX availability, security concerns, and other structural challenges in recent years. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency [NDLEA], havve arrested a widower, Ariyibi Ahmed Olaseinde and a divorcee, Akanbi Silifat Tunrayo, over attempt to export 14.4 kilograms of cocaine concealed in their lace and ankara fabrics. According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEAs Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the suspects were nabbed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, when they were embarking on lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia. Babafemi stated that Ariyibi was intercepted on Thursday 20th April at the screening point of MMIA Terminal 2 during outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers travelling from Lagos via Doha to Medina, Saudi Arabia. When his carry-on bag was checked, four sets of white lace material with linings of substance that tested positive to Cocaine weighing 11.50kg were discovered. The suspect who claimed to be a widower and an advertising practitioner said his original plan was to ingest the drugs but had to change his mind after failed attempts to swallow bitter cola, which he was using to practice the process. He is expected to be paid One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,800,000) upon successful delivery of the consignment in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The previous day, Wednesday 19th April, NDLEA officers at the Terminal 2 of the airport also arrested Mrs. Silifat Tunrayo Akanbi with 2.90kg cocaine during outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers from Lagos via Doha to Jedda, Saudi Arabia. A search of her hand luggage led to the discovery of six sheets of cocaine weighing 2.90kg concealed in Ankara fabrics. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a divorcee and a trader who used to hawk cloths around Awoyaya area of Ajah, Lagos. Based on information in her statement, a follow up operation that lasted through the night into the early hours of Thursday 20th April was carried out, during which the person who recruited her, Alhaji Adebayo Adeola Wasiu was arrested at No 28, Olateju Street, Mushin, Lagos. Adebayo is the managing director of B&T Travel Agency. In the same vein, NDLEA officers attached to courier companies have intercepted two drug consignments consisting of ecstasy and skunk going to United Arab Emirate. While the pills of ecstasy were concealed in a gold colour wedding gown, the skunk was hidden in a micro controller. This is even as a 400-level Marine Engineering student at the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa state, Kelvin Ogenedoro has been arrested for dealing in 600grams of skunk. He was nabbed at the universitys gate in a follow up operation following the interception of the consignment in a commercial bus along Tombia-Amassoma road. In Adamawa state, a notorious drug dealer, Sunday Ishaku Emzor (aka Lalas) who was convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2010 for drug offences, was on Thursday 20th April arrested for drug dealing. He was arrested at Hayin Gada, Imburu Numan LGA where he went to supply 1.650kg cannabis to an undercover operative. His Yellow Press Cub motorcycle used for supplying illicit drugs and a cash of N78,120 suspected to be proceed of the illegal business were recovered from him at the point of arrest. On the same day in Kaduna, operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a truck conveying 110 bags and 200 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 1.223 tons (1,223kg) in Zaria while the truck driver, Adekunle Olanrewaju, 32, and his assistant, Tunde Jamiu, 20, were arrested. In Edo State, a 42-year-old cripple, Lucky Aigberenmolen trading in illicit drugs on his wheelchair was arrested in a raid of drug joints in parts of the state. While Lucky was nabbed at Ekpoma, Esan West LGA with 1.3kg of Cannabis Sativa and 10 litres of Monkey Tail, another suspect, Mary David,46, was arrested at Ugbegun, Esan Central LGA with four litres of Monkey Tail and Osagiede Stephanie, 19, at Ekpoma, with various quantities of Colorado, Methamphetamine, and Molly. A 50kg cannabis stored in a bush ready for distribution was also recovered in Irrua area of the state. While two suspects: Adeshina Olalekan and Christopher Joel, were arrested at Lektop hotel, Igbeba, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, with 39 litres of Skuchies, as well as various quantities of tramadol, and rophynol, operatives in Imo State intercepted a female suspect, Ijeoma Anyiam Loreza, 40, at Orogwe, Owerri North with 70 blocks of Cannabis Sativa weighing 30kg. A notorious drug dealer in Okitipupa area of Ondo state, Mathew Obateru, 42, has also been taken into custody after different quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Colorado and Loud were recovered from him. In Taraba, a suspect, Mohammed Usman was arrested on Monday 17th April in connection with the seizure of 10,009 pills of tramadol. While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Kaduna, Edo, Ogun, Imo, Ondo and Taraba Commands of the Agency for the excellent job done in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their compatriots across the country to continue to raise the bar of professionalism in the daily discharge of their responsibilities. Sudan leaders powerplay today is not different from Somali, Rwanda, Sierra Leone or Biafra/Nigeria wars. It has blinded our Youths, desperately jumping from the frying pan into fire. They usually realize too late that they have an African country that can rescue them in Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Ukraine and Asian countries. While those in Nigeria wanted to fight for Ukraine until they were asked to pay to be recruited. It shows how cheap African life is. Africa was progressing and building needed potential after Independence, we must constantly be reminded. Arrested development started when these same soldiers that were trained for acts of war and destruction of enemies fighting their countries, turned inwards against one another. They came as saviors but left as power hungry forces of mass destruction and mutilation fighting to legitimize themselves as popular civilian rulers through elections. The Armed Forces would usually incorporate a hybrid of hand picked civilian governments that took orders and directions to implement their uninformed whims and caprices. It was the beginning of regression and the race to the bottom. The accomplishments of the founding fathers were embellished in the name of God and War Against Indiscipline as teasers. This brought the worst indiscipline and normalized forbidden culture of corruption. If there was a place for any African and their foreign friends would rather be, it was Nigeria. Many scholars followed Kwame Nkrumah to Ghana, as many more also followed Herbert Macauley, Azikiwe and Awolowo to Nigeria. There was another Movement led by Marcus Garvey in the United States. The Activists proudly called it the Back To Africa Movement. Those led to the beginning days of the Africa renaissance: Say It Loud, Im Black And Proud! Nigerians were the ones the rest of African descendants throughout the world were looking up to. As the country raced to the bottom, some Diaspora Africans especially those that were deep into African studies, married to Africans and on visits started asking their husbands, wives and friends: if Nigeria cannot save itself, how can it save the Black world? When the Shagari Government kicked out the children of Nkrumah, Obafemi Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikiwe cried out loud about which African would kick out peaceful Ghanaians that were only minding their own businesses. They were teachers needed for the implementation of Free Education, professionals and laborers eking out a living without drawing attention to themselves or engaging in nefarious activities detrimental to the communities. Unlike some Nigerians that were loud, ostentatious and a few of them noted for criminal activities soiling the peace loving majority of Nigerians like other Africans. Yet, the Nigerian President answered a foreign reporter at a conference of world leaders that he is aware that his country is "fantastically corrupt" but not personally embarrassed. Possibly because he thought he was doing everything he could to correct the situation. It is to the amazement of Nigerians that they can be resented or kicked out by those they called ungrateful or that they got kicked out because of jealousy! One of the main reasons Nigerians have invited resentment at home and abroad has to do with petty retail trade that anyone can do locally wherever there is a market. That is, retailers looking for informed consumers outside home, with money and tastes for the services that anyone can provide. African politicians and businessmen emulate the worst form of greed in both Capitalism and Socialism. Even worse is the fact that Africans that make their first millions or billions cannot wait to launder the money outside African countries into Europe, America, Asia and Arab countries. We all know these as our problems and complain bitterly about them. But we are the same people voting and praising rogues and vagabonds because when we get the opportunity, we do the same thing or worse. There are laws and regulations against most forms of lawlessness. Since there are hardly any politicians or businessmen that are squeaky clean. They are not different from the rest of the world that would cheat or dodge paying taxes. But it becomes an aberration when the privileged class would flaunt the laws and commit crimes against many people. They then shout out against those who commit one crime or first time offenders as the worst criminals demanding stiff punishment or juggle justice to distract us from their own crimes. There are cases of the rich family we all know that wasted the inheritance their parents left them while the wise family multiplied their wealth. We even have the stories of how talents were taken from the ones that did not know how to use it and given to the ones that knew how to use and multiply wealth. Other families exhausted their inheritance on those smarter than them like lawyers, real estate agents, accountants and developers in exchange for money on immediate lascivious lifestyles only to become poor later in life. Feeding on the sweat and labor of others is exploitation not development unless the place or people gained from your input. After all, they load foreign goods in containers to Africa, sold at higher prices than in the United States and ship empty containers back for more imports. Affordable retail market is the key to riches. Everyone cannot be sellers where a sizable number of buyers is needed to establish market profits. Americans in their pursuit of low wage Labor to maximum profit, take ingenuity and money outside to establish in developing countries for higher returns back home. But Africans exhaust their earned income from natural resources by laundering them into foreign goods and markets without establishing their own in their countries. African militricians by tulasi, change uniforms into civilian clothes by force or rigged elections in Sudan and other African countries ravaged by civil wars became copycats of the predators in the Western and Eastern countries supplying them arm to fight one another to extinction. They take most of us as fools and even claim: only little people pay with their lives! Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa People take part in a protest against Sweden hosting a large international military exercise and the country striving to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 22, 2023. (Photo by Patrick Ekstrand/Xinhua) STOCKHOLM, April 22 (Xinhua) -- "NATO is nothing but the war machine of the United States," Nellie Puig, a Swede protesting his country joining the military alliance, told Xinhua in central Stockholm on Saturday. "It is not a defensive alliance as they claim. It is an organization that runs the errands of the United States," said Puig. Protests against Sweden hosting a large international military exercise and the country striving to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) were held in 17 cities across the country on Saturday. Several organizations and networks such as the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, No NATO, No to Nuclear Weapons, and political parties organized the events. Hundreds participated in the protest in Stockholm alone. Placards and banners with messages such as "No to NATO", "NATO's war will get our children killed for a dollar," and "Stop Aurora 23" -- referring to an ongoing military exercise with 26,000 participants mainly from NATO member states currently hosted by Sweden -- were seen as the protesters moved through the city. "Aurora 23 and similar previous exercises prove that Sweden has become increasingly integrated with NATO and Sweden also sells arms to NATO," said Puig. Another participant, Krister Holm, a member of the Communist Party, told Xinhua that Sweden would be better off neutral. "It would be better for the development of Swedish society, democracy, and culture if we were neutral. NATO is a war alliance that might drag Sweden into a conflict we do not wish to be a part of," said Holm. "Being a NATO member will also cost Swedish taxpayers a lot, as the defense budget will double while funding of the educational system and health care is cut," said Holm. Holm, as well as Puig, also expressed fears that nuclear weapons may be stored on Swedish territory when Sweden becomes a member. "Sweden has traditionally worked for nuclear disarmament," Holm said, adding that once Sweden becomes a NATO member, "politicians would have to reconsider their position." A majority of Swedes have traditionally been negative towards joining NATO, but this changed following the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Sweden dropped its decades-long policies of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO last May, when a poll showed that opinion had shifted to a majority of Swedes, about 53 percent, being pro-NATO. And a poll conducted by Statistics Sweden last November showed that 67.8 percent Swedes were quite or very positive about NATO. However, many Swedes are still concerned about the negative consequences of their country being a member of the military alliance. Partly because Russia had made it clear that "there can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltics" should Sweden, and Finland, join NATO. On March, 22, the Swedish parliament, Riksdagen, voted in favor of the country to join NATO, but so far, NATO members Hungary and Turkiye have yet to give a green light to Sweden's accession. Holm said that although Sweden will likely become a NATO member, the campaign against Sweden being a member will not stop. "We will continue to fight against it and when Sweden becomes a (NATO) member state, we will strive for secession," Holm said. People take part in a protest against Sweden hosting a large international military exercise and the country striving to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 22, 2023. (Photo by Patrick Ekstrand/Xinhua) People take part in a protest against Sweden hosting a large international military exercise and the country striving to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 22, 2023. (Photo by Patrick Ekstrand/Xinhua) People take part in a protest against Sweden hosting a large international military exercise and the country striving to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 22, 2023. (Photo by Patrick Ekstrand/Xinhua) McDonalds is back at it, helping to spread some smiles for the hospital and Northumberland families welcoming little ones into the world. Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation recently announced that area McDonalds restaurants will team up with the foundation once again this year for McHappy Day. We feel lucky to have community partners like McDonalds, said Rhonda Cunningham, CEO of the foundation. We saw the collective impact our community can make when they come together to support a cause last McHappy Day and we are looking forward to seeing this once again as we prepare to welcome guests on May 10. Earlier in March, McDonalds in Port Hope also chipped in to help the hospital, dedicating some fundraising efforts during its grand reopening weekend. In April, it was announced that McDonalds locations in Port Hope and Cobourg have chosen the foundation as the recipient of their annual McHappy Day fundraiser for the second year in a row. This means these locations will direct a portion of McHappy Day proceeds to help fund the purchase of newborn bassinets for the hospitals maternal child care unit. Whats more, although May 10 marks the official McHappy Day celebration this year, all three restaurants of west Northumberland have already started raising funds to maximize their impact for the foundation, it was explained. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to recognize and raise money for our Northumberland Hills Hospital during our McHappy Day campaign, said Lisa Wilson, owner and operator of McDonalds restaurants in Cobourg and Port Hope. It is our chance to show our support and gratitude to all of the incredible people (who) work so hard to care for our community. We look forward to hosting the community and encourage everyone to join us in showing our support. As McDonalds Canadas longest-running and largest community charitable initiative, this annual day of community giving across Canada also supports Ronald McDonald Houses and other local charities selected by individual franchises. The 2023 edition will mark the 29th McHappy Day. How does it work? During the initiative, 10 per cent of all product sales from the restaurants will go toward McHappy Day fundraising, with 75 per cent directed to the foundation as the organizations local charity of choice. The remaining 25 per cent will be directed to Ronald McDonald House charities, it was explained. Participating restaurants include: 805 William St., Cobourg; 73 Strathy Rd., Cobourg (inside Walmart) and 175 Rose Glen Rd. N., Port Hope. For more info, visit www.nhhfoundation.ca. SHARE: Stamp collectors gathered Saturday for the annual KAPEX, the Kawartha Stamp Clubs annual regional stamp show. The celebration of philately, or stamp collecting, was held at Westdale United Church. Admission was free. This years show cover the souvenir envelope designed specially for the event paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth ll. The show included professional dealers, a Canada Post exhibit, club sales, circuit books, member sales table, juried exhibits and raffles. This was the return of the in-person event for the first time in years because of COVID-19. Last years event was held virtually. In 2021, KAPEX was held as an online event, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To celebrate the return of KAPEX, the Kawartha Stamp Club has designed special edition show covers and these souvenir envelopes will be available at the show. Club History In January of 1956, Bill McFarlane meet with Kathryn Lamb of Kitchener and Eric Rushton of the Canadian Philatelic Society. Knowing a number of local individuals with a keen interest in stamp collecting, the group concluded that there was more than enough interest to form a stamp club. Twenty-five years prior there had been a viable stamp club in the Peterborough area, however aside from some correspondence with the Canadian Philatelic Society, little is known of the earlier club history. For all intents and purposes, the origin date of the Kawartha Stamp Club' is Feb. 28, 1956. In September 2015 the Kawartha Stamp Club joined the Greater Toronto Area Philatelic Alliance in order to support stamp collecting in the Greater Toronto region. Provided by the Kawartha Stamp Club SHARE: The province announced a proposal for a new provincial park near Uxbridge on Saturday Earth Day as an environmental group slammed the governments plan to develop the nearby crown jewel of Ontarios Greenbelt lands. The park in Uxbridge would be a major step forward for conservation and biodiversity protection in Ontario, said Environment Minister David Piccini in a news release. The minister is quoted in the release saying Uxbridge will become the site for Ontarios first urban provincial park, but Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville is an urban provincial park, according to the provinces website. He noted the governments proposal for a new Uxbridge park, first announced in the provincial budget last month, may include up to 532 hectares (1,315 acres) of provincially-owned land in the Oak Ridges Moraine. But first, he is calling for a study to identify the full recreational and protection potential of an urban provincial park in this area. The study area, the press release said, may include the Durham Regional Forests 598 hectares (1,477 acres), which is owned by the Region of Durham, and possibly 120 hectares (300 acres) from the Township of Uxbridge. As well, the assessment is to include consultations with Indigenous communities, the public and environmental groups. Obviously, anything to permanently protect more land in Ontario is a good thing, said Tim Gray, executive director of advocacy group Environmental Defence, but in no way does this counterbalance going back on the commitment to never touch the Greenbelt. Gray said Environmental Defence commissioned a report on the sensitivity of the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve (DRAP) near Pickering a 17-square-kilometre area of farms, forests and wetlands, about 30 km south of the Uxbridge region and known as the Greenbelts crown jewel after the province stripped it of protections last year. Titled Developing Disaster, the report said that 33 animal species found under the federal Species At Risk Act including the red-headed woodpecker, the monarch butterfly and the tricoloured bat as well as wetlands, streams and farmland will suffer under provincial development plans. The loss of natural ecosystems, Gray said, isnt the only problem. Its also the fact that it signals to developers that future removals are possible if you have the right connections to the government, he said. The provincial governments proposal for a new urban park has emerged in the midst of ongoing controversy over the removal of protections from Greenbelt lands that will enable developers to build new subdivisions on land that was purchased while still protected. Star/Narwhal investigations have found that, of the 15 areas slated to be removed from the Greenbelt, eight include properties purchased while Premier Doug Fords government was in power. During Fords 2018 campaign, he was recorded telling a private audience that, if elected, hed open a big chunk of the protected land. In the case of the DRAP land development plans, the federal government intervened. In March, federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault announced that Canadas Impact Assessment Agency would conduct an assessment of the impact of building within the DRAP area. The federal assessment, the Environmental Defence report said, will look at species at risk, water quality, migratory birds, natural areas, and include the nearby Rouge National Urban Park. Gray said Environmental Defence commissioned their study to help focus information for the federal assessment by analyzing numerous previous reports written on the sensitivity of DRAP land. The Star received an advance copy of Developing Disaster: Exploring the Species and Ecosystems at Risk in the Greenbelts Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve. The analysis found several key areas of risk. In addition to threats to 33 birds under the Species At Risk Act, the report forecasts problems for another 49 species of birds protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act; the polluting of 14 fish-bearing stream tributaries from seven cold water stream beds; and the paving up to 400 hectares of forest and a wetland in a headwater zone. This is an essential part of the Greenbelt that protects some of the most valuable agricultural land in all of Canada and supports the ecological integrity of the neighbouring Rouge National Urban Park ... the only national urban park in Canada, the report said. Developing Disaster recommends the federal study include forecasts on contaminants in DRAP lands and ensure that all natural lands within the DRAP are evaluated for their significance and protected accordingly. Clarification April, 24, 2023: Ontarios Environment Minister was quoted in a press release saying Uxbridge will become the site for Ontarios first urban provincial park. But Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville is an urban provincial park, according to the provinces website. Incorrect information was supplied to the Star. Moira Welsh is a Toronto Star journalist leading The Third Act project, pushing for changes in the way older adults live. Follow her on Twitter: @moirawelsh Read more about: SHARE: 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. Read more about: SHARE: The federal government has suspended operations in Sudan and evacuated diplomats from Canadas embassy in the capital of Khartoum. The move comes as world allies scrambled to airlift out personnel in the wake of escalating violence in the East African country, the result of conflict between Sudanese forces and paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more injured since power-sharing negotiations broke down between Sudanese forces and the RSF nine days ago. Everyone is extremely worried about this (war) continuing, and (they are worried) they will run out of food and water, said Imad Satti, in Edmonton, who has brothers, nephews and extended family in Sudan. This is a very, very terrible situation. I know some people there who have their family or part of their family stuck in Khartoum, and the situation is unsafe and theyre not able to come back, said Satti, a board member at the Sudanese Canadian Community Association. He said the decision to suspend consular services is very bad and will affect those who have sought immigration status as well as those who are trying to sponsor loved ones. Somehow (the government) needs to work, even if they are working remotely. Global Affairs Canada said in a statement the situation in Sudan made it impossible to safeguard the safety and security of staff in Khartoum. Embassy staff will temporarily work from a safe location outside of the country, the statement reads. Global Affairs did not say how Canada evacuated the diplomats. According to a New York Times report, U.S. special forces evacuated six Canadian diplomats, 70 American diplomats and some from other countries. In a news release Sunday, U.S. president Joe Biden said his countrys military extracted government staff from Khartoum as it temporarily suspended embassy operations. A BBC report said some Canadians were part of a group of 150 people evacuated by sea to Saudi Arabia. Limited consular services continue to be provided and Ottawa officials are in contact with affected Canadians in the country, Global Affairs said. Nearly 1,600 Canadians are registered as being in Sudan, although registration is voluntary. In a series of tweets, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said our diplomats are safe they have been extracted and are working from outside the country and we are looking at every possible option to support our locally engaged staff. We are also looking at every possible option to support Canadians in Sudan, he said. We are extremely concerned by the dangerous and rapidly evolving situation on the ground, and our officials are staying in contact with Canadians affected. Canada also issued a travel advisory on its website recommending that Canadians avoid all travel to Sudan. With the airports and airspace closed, no air evacuations from Sudan are possible at this time, the advisory said. According to the advisory, Canadians in Sudan should shelter in a safe place until the situation has stabilized. The advisory said Canadians in need of help should contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa. Global Affairs did not say if there are plans to evacuate nondiplomatic Canadians from Sudan. Nicholas Coghlan, Canadas former top envoy to Sudan, told The Canadian Press that Canadians who need emergency passports to leave Sudan are unlikely to get them, since consular services are suspended. He said many dual citizens wont have up-to-date passports or the proper paperwork for a flight out of the country. He noted that the number of Canadians formally registered as being in Sudan is likely higher since many are dual citizens and see registering as a needless hassle that could result in their information being shared with other branches of government, despite laws preventing it. Coghlan was Canadas first ambassador to South Sudan after its separation in 2011. After civil war broke out in 2013, he oversaw an evacuation of citizens. The Canadian Press reported that, at that time of the evacuation, less than 20 Canadian citizens were registered in South Sudan, yet around 140 were evacuated in less than a week. Coghlan said many Sudanese locals will feel let down by western countries, some of which are in the process of evacuating diplomats and citizens. The signal thats been sent there is (that) there is a perception of people leaving the sinking ship, he said. Thats how it looks. A sense of abandonment. Last week, the federal government said it would be deploying members of its Global Affairs Standing Rapid Deployment Team to Djibouti due to the volatile and rapidly deteriorating situation in Sudan in an attempt to provide emergency response, co-ordination, consular assistance and logistical support. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly also announced that Canadas embassy in Khartoum had temporarily suspended in-person operations. In a release published Friday, Joly said 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. Joly also said on Thursday that there were currently no means of evacuating Canadians from Sudan and urged people there to shelter in place. We urge all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire and to engage in mediation efforts with regional partners. We are committed to supporting the people of Sudan in their desire for a peaceful transition and a democratic future, said Trudeau on Sunday. With files from Star wire services MB Marissa Birnie is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @marissabirnie TG Thea Gribilas is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: tgribilas@thestar.ca SHARE: BERLIN (AP) A suspect has been arrested over last weeks stabbing attack at a gym in the western German city of Duisburg in which four people were seriously wounded, authorities said Sunday. The man, a 26-year-old Syrian citizen, was arrested shortly after midnight, police and prosecutors said in a statement. He was to be brought before a judge on Monday to determine whether he can be kept in custody on suspicion of attempted murder and other offenses pending possible charges. Police on Friday had released pictures of a man sought in the attack after obtaining footage from a surveillance camera located near the John Reed Fitness studio where the attack took place late Tuesday. Authorities offered a reward of 2,000 euros ($2,200) for information leading to his arrest. Two men, a Syrian and a German, went to police on Saturday afternoon with information on the suspect, whom they had recognized from the pictures. The suspect was arrested at his apartment in Duisburg, where police found two knives that may have been used in the attack. The man applied successfully for asylum in Germany in 2016 and had no previous police record, police and prosecutors said. They said they are still investigating what the motive might have been. Officials have said the attacker appeared to have targeted the most seriously injured victim, a 21-year-old man who is still in a life-threatening condition. The other victims, also men, were two 24-year-olds and a 32-year-old. Read more about: SHARE: Foreign minister Don meets Myanmar junta chief BANGKOK: Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai visited the capital of Myanmar on Friday for talks with Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military junta, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar. Myanmarmilitarypolitics By Bangkok Post Sunday 23 April 2023, 09:34AM An image from a video by Myanmar News Agency shows Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai with Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military government in Myanmar, meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday. Photo: Myanmar News Agency / via Bangkok Post Both sides cordially discussed cooperation among Myanmar, Thailand and Laos to reduce transboundary smog pollution, peace and stability in the border regions of both countries and plans to cooperate in the eradication of human trafficking, drug trafficking and arms smuggling, the state-run news organisation said on its website. Burning of maize fields by contract farmers in Myanmar and Laos as well as northern Thailand has been identified as a major contributor to the severe air pollution afflicting people throughout the area in recent weeks. Mr Don, also a deputy prime minister in the caretaker government, was accompanied at the talks in Nay Pyi Taw by Mongkol Visitstump, the Thai ambassador to Myanmar, reports the Bangkok Post. Myanmar official media also reported that Pornpimol Kanchanalak, Mr Dons special adviser for Myanmar, met with Ko Kolai, Myanmars minister for international cooperation. They reportedly discussed issues including transport, tourism, energy, rural development and people-to-people connectivity as well as humanitarian assistance in disaster management. Ms Pornpimol has been an advocate of greater engagement with the Myanmar military regime to find a way out of the crisis created since the coup two years ago. At a forum last year, she said that the sanctions and cancel rhetoric approach favoured by some countries was no longer productive. The catch of the day The scene is a familiar one. It is early morning and under a bright blue sky the local fishermen are bringing their boats ashore at Nai Yang Beach. Their wives and other family members are there to greet them and help unload the catch of the day. CommunityEnvironmentLife By Nattha Thepbamrung Sunday 23 April 2023, 11:00AM The fish is then bustled to the Ching Pla Market on the beachfront nearby, where people eager in anticipation are waiting to buy the fish from them. The market is open every day, officially from 6am to 10am, but regulars both Thais and foreigners know that to get the fish they want, and sometimes any at all, they need to be quick. The name of the market itself is a giveaway, with ching being the Thai word for the verb to snatch or to grab at eagerly. The Ching Pla Market is a community effort started by the Phuket Fisheries Office late last year to help support local fisherfolks incomes and that it does. Sukij Plodbut, 34, comes from a long line of fishermen. A member of the Sirinat Fishing Community, he now owns five boats, all called Roong Suriya, that supply the Ching Pla Market every morning with his family and fellow local fishermen. I have been fishing for more than 20 years. My family lives in the Nai Yang area, and I was taken out to sea to fish when I was very young. Sukij explains. One of my uncles is here, he says, pointing to a man in a yellow shirt. That is the uncle who took me out fishing when I was so young, and he still goes fishing with me today. I like fishing and it has always been what we love most, he adds. The flotilla of local fishing boats sets out from Nai Yang at about 3am to 4am each day, Sukij explains. We head out about 20 kilometres offshore and come back to Nai Yang Beach at about 8am to 9am in the morning, depending on the day, he says. There are about 30 fishing boats here at Nai Yang Beach, and I have five. For me, the boats I have are to support my family, my relatives and our friends. We switch who goes out fishing every day when we are free from our other main jobs, he says. We usually get a lot of fish after the monsoon, around the beginning of October or November onwards. Some days we do not get any fish, and other days we might land 100 kilos. During the monsoon season, we wait for the weather to be mild. If the wind safely allows it, and if it is possible to leave the shore, we set out crab gillnets as the monsoon season is the best time to catch crabs. But a good day is landing a lot of fish, Sukij notes: For me, it is simple. When I catch a lot of fish, it is an impressive day already, he says. We mostly find Indian mackerel, yellowtail fusilier, hardtail scad and grouper. Today, we also found sea catfish and trevally, but the biggest I caught was a mulloway. It was 18-19 kilos. I got a few of them during the last monsoon season as the monsoon is the best time to catch them. Mulloway is rare to find [compared with other fishes at the market] and it is expensive, Sukij explains. As already mentioned, fishing is not enough to support a family. Sukij has a day job refuelling aircraft at Phuket International Airport to support himself and his family. When he gets the chance, or if his work hours allow it, he heads out on the fishing boats to join his friends and family doing what they love most. However, Phukets growing tourism industry and rate of development are not making his job any easier. The wastewater released into the sea has been affecting our local fishing lifestyle There is a lot of seaweed in the water these days at many locations on the sea and that makes it more difficult to fish, Sukij says. On the days that we find a lot of contamination in the seawater, just like today, we find much less fish. The polluted water makes them disappear, he adds. Sukij says that he, as with every other member of the Sirinat Fishing Community, is very aware of the environmental impact of fishing. Together they incorporate that awareness into their practices while still preserving traditional fishing methods. The community regularly meets with the aim of protecting the authentic fishing culture that is friendly to the marine ecology, he explains. The community is trying to preserve the local fishing methods, and recently we had a meeting to tell all the fishermen the list of protected fish that we must release if we find them in our catch. he adds. We are trying to preserve the local fishing culture by having this fishing community. However, the number of fishermen is decreasing. Fewer and fewer young people want to become fishermen these days, he notes. The growing popularity and success of the Ching Pla Market at Nai Yang Beach is a welcome development, Sukij says appreciatively. The market has become a tourism attraction. It is very good for us that we do not have to go out and look for a place to sell our fish. For me, I only sell at the market. The fish is brought ashore and taken straight to the stalls, and the fish disappear very quickly, he says with a smile. Van fells power lines in Koh Kaew PHUKET: A passenger van brought down six power poles in an accident on the Thung Kha-Sapam bypass road, located behind the Toyota Bypass outlet, in Koh Kaew early this morning (Apr 23). accidentspolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Sunday 23 April 2023, 10:01AM Police were informed of the accident at about 2:40am, reported Pol Lt Col Udom Petcharat, Chief of Investigation at Phuket City Police Station. . Officers and rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation arrived at the scene to find six high-voltage power poles still conducting live current had fallen onto the road. A Bangkok-registered white Toyota van at the scene had suffered heavy damage to its front, with the driver trapped inside the cab. Rescue workers had to wait for the power supply to the felled power poles to be shut off before they could recover the driver Thanakorn Sanguansuk, 34, from the vehicle. Thanakorn was administered emergency first aid for a deep wound to his forehead, then rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital. Thanakorn told officers that he was driving from Phuket Town when he lost control of the van on the curve, and struck just the one power pole. The force of the impact felled the pole, causing the other power poles to fall, he said. Police said they were continuing their investigation into the accident. Meanwhile, the road remained closed while workers from Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) carried out repairs to the felled power lines and restored power supply to the area. 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. In the past, Cambridge residents have recited the lyric, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot from Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi when a building has been razed. Now, the city is just looking to buy a parking lot instead. On April 25, city council will be tasked with deciding on the staff recommendation to purchase of the parking lot at 27 Dickson St., which they already lease, and laneway at 20 Ainslie St. N. to the tune of $2.1 million. On top of that, staff is asking $295,000 be included in the 2024 capital forecast to install an interim flood mitigation solution for the lot. The city already owns the other half of the large lot at 7 Dickson St. Unless something sways his decision before the vote, Ward 4 Coun. Ross Earnshaw said hes in favour of the acquisition. I believe it is a good investment for the downtown, both in the present and for the future, Earnshaw said. With the lease coming up for the lot on June 30, despite the option to renew two additional five-year terms remaining, a report to council stated staff decided it is better to purchase the lot and laneway instead of paying the yearly lease of approximately $53,100 to ensure parking capacity certainty for the Dickson Street parking lot, which serves the local business community. The city has been renting the lot since 1984, but the laneway wasnt purchased by the parking lot owners Ganahl Canada Ltd. and Tom Watson until February. The fear, according to a city report, is a provision in the lease agreement that either party could terminate it with six-months notice, and it was possible the owner could sell to another party. That could mean the loss of 50 per cent of the parking from those lots. As well, the report states the lot is prone to flooding during heavy storms. An interim solution has been designed by the citys engineering department that solution was not revealed to help mitigate flooding until a permanent solution can be installed during the Dickson Street Streetscaping Project. Currently, while the streetscaping project has 90 per cent of the design completed, there isnt enough funding for it. At least one property owner with whom I have spoken has lamented the repeated flooding that occurs near the foot of the lane leading to Ainslie Street, Earnshaw said. Being able to address that perennial irritant for the local merchants and surrounding property owners is a happy byproduct of the acquisition, the importance of which should not be minimized. The report added the city and the owner have made several attempts to negotiate an agreement of purchase and sale for the city to acquire the property; however, the parties were unable to agree on price. This doesnt necessarily mean the freshly purchased crop of land will continue to be a lot in the future. There could be a reversal of fortune from Mitchell's tune, with some paradise on the horizon. The report stated the purchase of the lot and the laneway creates a land assembly opportunity of a combined 0.7-acre site that is a much more viable and valuable site for a future land development project. In the interim, however, it would operate as a parking lot. I am excited by the future development potential of this larger piece of land located centrally in the downtown the possibilities are endless, Earnshaw said. SHARE: CAMBRIDGE GrandBridge Energy workers are on strike. Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 636 voted 71 per cent to reject the utilitys new collective agreement Wednesday, and withdrew their services on the weekend. We withdrew services (Saturday) night; picket lines go up tomorrow (Monday), said Brian Manninger, business manager for the union. The union and employer have been involved in negotiations since late 2022 to merge the two collective agreements of Brantford Power and Energy+ into a new collective agreement under GrandBridge Energy. The union represents 69 employees working in operations, metering, field services and the system control room, who play a key role in ensuring the reliability of the utilitys distribution system, including the maintenance of equipment, power restoration and connecting new customers. These are the people that keep your power on when a storm comes, said Manninger. Picket lines will be set up at Cambridge City Hall, Brantford City Hall and GrandBridge Energys headquarters on Glebe Street in Cambridge. GrandBridge Energy didnt issue a comment on Sunday, but president Ian Miles previously said non-unionized employees will respond to calls. The priority will be addressing emergencies and restoring power during unplanned outages. As a result of the labour disruption, our response times may be delayed, he said. We appreciate our customers patience as we focus on prioritizing emergency situations. No talks are planned, said Manninger. RELATED STORIES Waterloo Region GrandBridge Energy strike looms for Cambridge residents In the event of an unplanned power outage, customers in Cambridge, the County of Brant and the Township of North Dumfries should call 1-833-769-3701. Customers in Brantford should call 519-751-3522. In the event of downed power lines or other emergency situations, customers should call 911. Customer service centres in Brantford and Cambridge will remain operational and accessible by telephone and email during regular business hours. Customers in Cambridge, County of Brant and the Township of North Dumfries call 1-877-871-2215, email customercare@grandbridgeenergy.com. Customers in Brantford call 519-751-3522, email customerservices@grandbridgeenergy.com. SHARE: WATERLOO The line started at the front door of First United Church, made its way down William Street and snaked around the corner to Caroline Street. Thousands of residents were out in force on Friday and Saturday to purchase used books, videos and CDs, with all proceeds going to Canadian Federation of University Women Kitchener-Waterloo. The organization awards scholarships to high school students, K-W Symphony Youth Orchestra members, and mature students at the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, Conestoga College and St. Louis Adult Learning Centre. More than $500,000 has been raised to date. Its amazing how the community comes together for this event, said organization managing trustee Janice Reiner. The sale has been around for 56 years, we promoted it this year on social media and with signs around town, and people just magically started showing up. Donated items arrived by the boxload on Wednesday and Thursday, said sale coordinator Donna Bowie, and about 50,000 books were sorted by volunteers into categories and placed in the appropriate location. Fiction books occupied the largest room, non-fiction was in a smaller room, and childrens books, cookbooks, CDs and sheet music were in the hallway. The event was last staged in 2019 and has been on the shelf for three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, people would bring in one or two books, but this year people were coming in with boxes of five, 10, 15 and 20 books, said Bowie. More than weve seen in the past, and thankfully we had a small army of volunteers to sort them into different categories. Those same volunteers also sent two dumpster loads of books to their final resting place. Dog-eared and out-of-date donations were sent to the regional landfill site. Hardcover books sold for $3 on Friday, paperbacks sold for $2, and on Saturday, people could purchase a box full of books for $15. Unsold items were donated to the Mennonite Central Committee, which sent a vehicle to First United on Saturday afternoon to transport the items to New Hamburg. About $30,000 was raised in each of the three previous sales, and that total could be even higher in 2023. The final tally is expected in a few days, said Reiner. SHARE: Lainashu Yaroi, Meenashu Yaroi The ST conundrum | It should be clear to all. It is not the State Government, it is not the High Court of Manipur and certainly it is not the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MTU), the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur (STDCM), the World Meetei Council (WMC), the Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) or the All Tribal Students Union, Manipur and the Hill Areas Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly which will decide whether the Meiteis fit the bill to be tagged a Scheduled Tribe in the Constitution of India or not, but the Centre. The job of the State Government is to just send the report on the socio-economic reality of the Meiteis and this is what it is supposed to do, as the High Court of Manipur has ruled. And it should also be clear that the High Court of Manipur just did not pluck this directive from thin air but acted on a communication from the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs to the State Government to send the recommendations that the Meiteis be included in the ST list. As stated many times in this column, the directive from the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs was sent dated, 29th May 2013. It is on record that for ten years, take away 30 days or so, the State Government slept over the missive from the Centre and it was only after the MTU approached the Court, was the directive issued. Or should the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs be held culpable for seeking the report, if one goes by the stand taken by ATSUM ? Let the experts debate on whether the Meiteis fulfil the criteria to be included in the list of Scheduled Tribes, but it stands that the Meitei community certainly go a along way to be understood as a tribal community, a point which even the British had noted. If one goes by the argument of ATSUM, then enlisting the Meities in the ST list would erode the sense of security of the tribal people who are protected under the provisions of the Consti- tution. This is where questions may well be raised on whether Constitutional protection, as understood in the realm of the ST tag, should be the personal fiefdom of only the existing tribal groups ? It is the need for Constitutional protection which has led STDCM, MTU, WMC, KKL and others to raise the ST for Meiteis demand and nothing else. Take a look at the valley area, the land identified as the only place where the Meiteis can stay and own properties, while at the same time it is open to all. Opposing the move to rectify this comes close to the understanding of Lainashu Yaroi, Meenashu Yaroi (Heaven and Earth cannot accept this). No one knows how the Centre would respond to the report from the State Government and lest it is forgotten, the report to the Centre is yet to be submitted. The Centre has not yet said anything on the demand that the Meiteis be included in the ST list and could it be because the Meiteis fulfil all the criteria to be included in the ST list that it has raised such a strong opposition ? An answer to this would be interesting, for if a community fulfils the criteria to be tagged a Scheduled Tribe then why oppose it ? Wouldnt that amount to denying the rights of a group of people ? Would this be agreeable to anyone ? And if the Meiteis do not fulfil the criteria to be tagged a Scheduled Tribe, despite the fact that they were identified as a tribal group by the Britishers, then why take such a strident stand against a demand which will not merit due consideration from the Centre ? Either way the opposition to the ST for Meiteis demand does not cut much ice and will not stand the test of reasoning. This is also the time for the MTU, STDCM, WMC, KKL and others to reach out to all sections of people and lay down certain points that their stand will not hurt the interests of anyone, particularly the existing tribal groups of Manipur. Internal arrangements can always be made in so far as issues within the Manipur are concerned. The need for Constitutional protection of the Meiteis should also be appreciated for remember the 10 percent of the geographical area of Manipur is open for anyone to come and settle while the 90 or so percent of the land is off limits for them. Towards a National Civil Service The Bhawna Vriksha 21st April 2023 | Srinivas Katikithala, Director, LBSNAA Civil Service Day, observed on April 21st every year, is a celebration of the idea of a National civil service. Bapu inaugurated new service recruits school at Delhi, observed Maniben Patel, in her diary. It was a poignant moment. Sardar Patel inaugurated the newly created Indian Administrative Service in 1947, officered entirely by Indians and subjected completely, to Indian control free toadopt its true role of National service without being trammelled by traditions and habits of the past. He added a credo that would motivate every civil servant: We have a right to expect the best out of every civil servant in India, in whatever position of responsibility he may be. It is not for you to approach your task purely from a mercenary angle or entirely from self-interest, however enlightened it may be. Your foremost consideration should be how best to contribute to the well-being of India as a whole. Hence, it is a travesty to attribute to Sardar Patel, the phrase Steel Frame with its negative connotation of a rigid, restrictive, and rule-bound colonial bureaucracy. The Steel Frame, a description of the Imperial Civil Service (ICS) by British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, in a Commons debate in 1921, came to define both the popular culture and self-imagination of the Civil Service. Hence, the lamentations of the early Governments on their inability to craft a civil service rooted in the National ethos, distracted as they were by the turbulent partition times. It remained as an unfinished job. This task of defining an Indian ethos for the civil service began in the 75th year of Indias independence, with Honble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modis address, where he spelt out the countrys vision and the Panch Pran- the five pledges to drive Indias transition from Amrit Mahotsav to Amrit Kaal. The second pledge i.e. the removal of a colonial mindset demanded a revision of self-imagination and the shedding of colonial baggage among the civil services. The power of an image and the act of positive envisioning is both liberating and reifying. The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) responded by visualising the Civil Service as a living entity the Peepul Tree which has animated our civilizational vision from times immemorial. The Civil Service, as Bhawna Vriksha, a tree of service and empathy, is thus, a positive reaffirmation of the spirit of self-assurance and decolonization. (To be contd) In 1967, on our 100th birthday, Canada was the third most prosperous country in the world based on income per person. Only the U.S. and Switzerland had higher average incomes. Most Canadians would be shocked to hear that since then our prosperity has slipped dramatically. Today we are the 15th most prosperous nation in the world, and current projections have us declining further in the coming decades. This trend has caused many to ask: what kind of country are we leaving to our children? Will the next generation be worse off than the current generation? To reverse this trend, there are steps that can be taken to create an economy that is prepared for the future and embraces the potential that comes with innovation. Were on the cusp of a new wave of the fourth industrial revolution with innovations such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and the internet of things transforming our global economy. Canadians must prepare to benefit from and embrace opportunities to develop and commercialize these technologies. Other countries, such as the U.S., are already succeeding Canada can join in. Many Canadians already develop brilliant business ideas but often hit a wall when it comes to commercializing them, smothered by regulations and red tape, at every level of government. While the small business tax rates are low, they increase steeply as companies expand resulting in significant barriers and disincentives to growth. While Ottawa offers R&D subsidies, administration of them is incredibly complicated requiring consulting firms to be involved and substantial commissions be paid. These programs are also administered by the Canada Revenue Agency. Could one think of a bigger mismatch between process and objective than designing an entrepreneurship R&D program to be implemented by a tax authority? The result is too few companies take advantage of these incentives a wasted opportunity. Historically, Canada has had a protectionist economy with trade barriers between nations and even provinces, with many still in place today. These barriers to internal trade include regulatory differences, inconsistent standards, and restrictions on the free movement of goods and services. For example, a tradesperson licensed in Ontario cannot work without being relicensed in another province. A consumer in New Brunswick cannot return home from Quebec with a case of beer. These barriers have placed Canadian firms at a disadvantage. Opening up our internal economy would help bring down prices for consumers and costs for entrepreneurs. In addition to opening itself up to more competition between provinces, Canada also needs to double down on engaging the global economy. The more profound impact of protectionism is on Canadas ability to develop world class companies. It protects incumbents and slows innovation and competition. This in turn stalls entrepreneurship and delays the economic transformation required for Canadians to cash in on high tech opportunities. Rather, we risk a brain drain of our best and brightest computer science and engineering grads to countries where they can commercialize their ideas. Canada needs to stop looking in the rearview mirror and shed its protectionist mindset. We can reverse our slide in prosperity by embracing a new vision for our future leaning into the power and potential of technology in the hands of Canadians, investing more in entrepreneurship and breaking down barriers. Last year, and for the first year in Canadas history, our population grew by a million people. As we all know, immigration is part of Canadas DNA. Diversity enriches us economically, culturally and socially. The gains would be so much more if all Canadians could plug into an economy that was forward looking and embraced new opportunities. Dany Assaf is co-chair of the competition and foreign investment group at Torys LLP. Walid Hejazi is a professor of international business at the Rotman School of Management. Joe Manget is chair and chief executive of EHN Canada. They are co-authors of the new book Everybodys Business: How to Ensure Canadian Prosperity Through the Twenty-First Century . SHARE: BAMAKO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) strongly condemned the Saturday morning attack against the Malian Armed Forces camp in central Mali. "The perpetrators of this attack must be identified quickly and brought to justice. To this end, MINUSMA is ready to provide all necessary support to the Malian authorities to conduct the required investigations," head of the mission El-Ghassim Wane was quoted as saying in a statement issued Saturday. In a separate statement issued Saturday evening, the Malian government reported that ten civilians and 28 terrorists were killed in the attempted complex attack on the airport area of Sevare in the central region of Mopti. "The blast caused the collapse of some houses. As a result, ten people were killed and 61 more wounded, all civilians," the statement said. Since 2012, Mali has been engulfed in a deep multi-faceted crisis at the security, political and economic levels. Independence insurgencies, jihadist incursions, and inter-communal violence have left thousands of people dead and hundreds of thousands more displaced in the West African nation. Its the $25-billion question. The federal budget released last month included a clean-electricity tax credit worth an estimated $25.7 billion. But its only available in provinces that commit to a net-zero electricity grid by 2035 something Ontario has not done. Instead, Premier Doug Ford is about to sign contracts for new power plants fuelled by natural gas a particularly potent greenhouse gas that will be in operation until 2040. Does this mean Ontarios businesses will miss out on the generous subsidies and electricity users will end up paying more for power? Neither the province nor the federal government will answer the question directly. They only say negotiations are ongoing and that they hope to reach a deal before next year, when the credits come into effect. Experts, however, warn that the gas plants are incompatible with a net-zero grid, and will end up costing Ontarians. If they go ahead with the gas plants, theyre either going to have to break those contracts, which means that Ontario electricity customers are going to be paying gas plants to sit idle, or the province is going to have to forego this clean energy tax incentive, said Keith Brooks, programs director at Environmental Defence. Either way, its going to be a multibillion-dollar scandal to add to the tally of this governments already expensive ideological battle against climate policy. Decarbonizing electricity is the foundation of Canadas effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions. As we transition away from fossil fuels, Canadians will have to electrify virtually everything from transportation to heating to manufacturing and mining, the federal budget said. If the electricity isnt carbon-free, it will undermine efforts to decarbonize almost everything else. The Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit will provide a 15 per cent refundable tax credit to private electricity developers, public utilities and Crown corporations such as Ontario Power Generation on the capital costs of building new, and refurbishing existing, non-emitting generators and batteries. There is no cap on how much money is available for these projects, but Ottawa estimates they will cost $6.3 billion over the next four years, and an additional $19.4 billion for the following seven years until 2035. Evan Pivnick, clean energy program manager at Clean Energy Canada, said the tax credit represents the ambition necessary to accelerate the clean energy transition. In particular, he pointed to the fact that it will be available to utilities, which havent traditionally been able to access tax credits. Its huge for the federal government to say: Were going to cover 15 per cent of the capital cost of building these facilities, Pivnick said. If the tax credit is the carrot used to entice provinces to clean up their electricity, the federal government also has a stick. The Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) will require every province to have a net zero grid by 2035. Currently in draft form, they state carbon-emitting generation can only be used during emergency situations or to back up renewable energy. Natural gas plants provided more than 10 per cent of all electricity generated in Ontario last year. If Ontarios gas plants are allowed to operate under the federal Clean Electricity Regulations, then the regulations clearly arent strong enough to deliver on the Prime Ministers commitment to a net-zero electricity sector by 2035, Brooks said. Bryan Purcell, vice-president of policy and programs at The Atmospheric Fund, which finances clean energy initiatives, said over the course of consultations, the federal government has been loosening the restrictions on gas plants in a way that risks undermining the push to net zero. There are several exceptions proposed for the (CER) that could allow the continued operation of natural gas plants for a significant period after 2035, he said. Were encouraging the federal government to move forward with an ambitious, clean electricity regulation that really minimizes these exceptions. Asked for comment, Ontario Ministry of Energy spokesperson Michael Dodsworth said the province believes the gas plants will be permitted beyond 2035. Despite having one of the cleanest grids in the country, Ontarios electricity is getting progressively dirtier, moving away from net zero instead of toward it. In 2017, 96 per cent of the provinces electricity came from carbon-free sources, chiefly nuclear and hydro. Last year, 89.6 per cent of the grid was non-emitting. Carbon emissions from the grid are rising because shortly after getting elected, Ford cancelled more than 700 renewable energy projects. With the Pickering nuclear plant slated to shut down and demand for electricity on the rise, the province is in the process of signing contracts for 1,500 megawatts of new gas generation. The plants will operate until 2040 five years after the 2035 net zero deadline in apparent contradiction of a commitment to a net zero grid. Last fall, the Star revealed that the province had written clauses into the gas plant contracts that would guarantee payment even if they had to shut down due to net zero rules. Since winning office, Ford has started to change his tune on renewable technology. While he campaigned on getting rid of electric vehicle subsidies, he later announced billions of dollars in incentives to bring EV battery and assembly plants to Ontario and the automakers said they were attracted to the province in part by the clean electricity available. But Fords softening on clean tech has not changed his attitude toward renewable electricity. Under the previous Liberal governments, Ontario commissioned more than 30,000 solar and wind generation projects. But that stream of new renewables came to a halt under Ford and virtually no new renewables have been built in the last five years. The premier has come around on electric vehicles. He has got behind clean steel. Theres no reason not to support clean energy because it is the lowest cost of new electricity generation, said Brooks. Pivnick says ambition is important from both levels of government to ensure the transition to net zero occurs. We've been through transitions in a couple of provinces including in Ontario when we phased out coal and one of the most important things we saw is: ambition matters, he said. When were ambitious about the targets we set and we truly drive at them, we're often able to achieve far more than we realize, he continued, citing Albertas coal phaseout, on pace to happen seven years ahead of schedule. It set restrictions and brought incentives and then worked with people to make it happen. That's the exact same mission we need to set here. Read more about: SHARE: The victims of the Yonge Street van attack will be honoured and remembered on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy at commemoration events in North York on Sunday afternoon. Observance events for the 10 victims who lost their lives and the 16 who were injured on April 23, 2018, is set to begin at 3 p.m. at the Cineplex Empress Walk, at 5095 Yonge St. There, a concert will feature local musicians and speeches are planned by faith leaders as well as Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie and Coun. Lily Cheng. Its the first time since the pandemic that an in-person commemoration will be held for the families, survivors and the community to honour the victims: Renuka Amarasingha, Andrea Bradden, Geraldine Brady, Sohe Chung, Anne Marie DAmico, Chul Min Eddie Kang, Ji Hun Kim, Betty Forsyth, Munir Najjar and Dorothy Sewell. Amaresh Tesfamariam, 65, was one of the 16 who was injured in the attack and later died of her injuries on Oct. 28, 2021. Each of the victims names will be read aloud, followed by a moment of silence, at the commemoration. Coun. Lily Cheng said its meaningful to mark the anniversary in-person. Grief is always easier to carry with others than it is do it alone, she said. We Love Willowdale, a community organization that came together after the tragedy, is one of the commemoration host groups that also include Yonge Street Tragedy Steering Committee, North York Arts and Neighbourlink North York, as well as Chengs office. Sebastian Biasucci, with Neighbourlink North York, said Sundays events allow the community to come together and are a reminder to care for your neighbours. With the pandemic, having to be isolated as separated, it can feel sometimes so hard to know your neighbours. And if you dont know your neighbours, how can you be there to support your neighbours and care for one another when we go through something so tragic? Following the concert and speeches, the commemoration will at 4 p.m. move across Yonge Street to Mel Lastman Square where the North York Arts organization will help attendees make paper boats to float in the squares reflection pool. Afterward, there will be refreshments donated by restaurants and an opportunity for people to meet and share their stories. Biasucci said the commemoration is also about showing the victims families that their loved ones are not forgotten. Cheng remembers the tragic day as the scariest moment of her life when she could not reach her partner after they had met on Yonge Street minutes before the tragedy. I think its been a long time where everyone has had to go through this difficult moment alone, she said. Cheng added that someone she knows has only just start walking on the side of Yonge Street where the tragedy occurred because it was too traumatic for them. I think there are still people who carry a lot of pain and by coming together we can take care of each other, and we can encourage each other, she said. We know that sometimes it can feel like the whole world has moved on while you still have a missing person in your life. And so we as a community just want them to know that we hold them with our thoughts and prayers. Cheng said a city committee is working on getting proposals for a permanent memorial to remember the victims. Sundays events are open to the public and those who wish to attend are asked to RSVP on EventBrite. The concert portion of event will livestream on We Love Willowdales Facebook page. SHARE: Lingering outside Olivia Chows mayoral campaign launch on Monday was a pair of uninvited guests. As reporters left Chows press conference at a rooftop restaurant in Chinatown, two campaigners from her rival Ana Bailaos team stood by the elevator, handing out a list of labour unions which had endorsed their candidate. It included CUPE Local 416, which represents more than 8,000 City of Toronto outdoor workers, as well as LiUNA Local 183, the major construction union. The message was clear: Chow, the former NDP MP for Trinity-Spadina, is a progressive who might claim to have the backing of working Torontonians, but she doesnt have a monopoly on support from unionized labour. Bailao, a Liberal who was closely aligned with former centre-right mayor John Tory, is eating her lunch. Chow will almost certainly secure labour endorsements of her own before the June 26 byelection, and the unions decision to back Bailao already looks divisive, with some workers and labour leaders alleging its not reflective of members beliefs. But Bailao receiving the blessing of major public sector unions like the CUPE locals is one of the early surprises in the Toronto mayors race. One expert says it spells trouble for Chow, while also revealing how labour politics have shifted in recent years. The fact (Bailao) was able to secure a range of endorsements from a range of different unions is symbolically very important for her campaign, and does severe damage to Chows, said Larry Savage, a professor of labour studies at Brock University. On Tuesday, CUPE Local 79, which represents 20,000 indoor city workers, announced it was also endorsing Bailao. Unite Here Local 75, which represents hospitality workers, and Carpenters Local 27, are also backing her. Savage said that even if rank-and-file members dont end up actively campaigning for Bailao, the endorsements signal to voters she is a progressive choice, regardless of whether her policies are actually progressive. That could make victory more difficult for Chow, whose chances likely depend on framing herself as the only viable progressive in a crowded field. Local 416 was among the unions that backed Chow when she ran for mayor in 2014, but Savage said since then labour leaders have become less ideological and more transactional in their politics. That means theyre more likely to support candidates they believe will directly advance members interests, rather than those who would pursue a broader political vision for what kind of city (the unions) want to see. Chows team doesnt believe unions going to Bailao is a troubling sign. Working people know Olivia Chow has their back. She fought for good jobs alongside workers and their families for decades as a city councillor and member of parliament, her campaign said in a statement, promising that working people will be at the heart of her mayoral run. The campaign didnt say which unions might come out for Chow, although the president of the Ontario Public Service Employees union is among those who have expressed support. Bailao, the former councillor for Davenport, says she has deep ties to labour. Her father was a construction worker and member of LiUNA 183, and she says she developed good relationships with CUPEs municipal workers in her 12 years at city hall. In 2012 Bailao helped derail then mayor Rob Fords plans to contract out unionized city cleaner jobs, when she made an emotional speech to council about cleaning offices with her mother after the family immigrated to Canada from Portugal. She has done the hard work attending meetings, listening to members and leadership, and working to earn their support not just assuming it, said Bailaos press secretary Taylor Deasley. Ana is running to fix services and build housing to make life better and more affordable in Toronto all of which are important to the public and private sector unions, to workers, she added. The unions decision to endorse Bailao appears to have caused rifts in the labour movement. The president of CUPE Ontario, the provincial political wing of Local 416s and Local 79s parent organization, said unions backing Bailao have decided to jump the gun by not waiting for the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, the umbrella group to which they all belong, to finish its deliberations about which candidate to endorse. Fred Hahn said CUPE Ontario wouldnt pre-empt that process by announcing an endorsement, but theres no doubt that I and our union have a long history with Olivia. Meanwhile, a group describing itself as Local 79s rank-and-file has launched an online petition demanding their union rescind the Bailao endorsement, which they claim leadership made without consulting members. The petition says Bailao supported Torys efforts to reduce city services and members believe she isnt prolabour. It cites her council votes in 2016 that opposed expanding child care subsidies and protecting TTC routes from cuts. Bailao is simply offering more of the same things we saw under John Tory, the petition states. Local 79 wouldnt answer questions about whether its members are on board with the endorsement. Instead a spokesperson referred to the unions original statement announcing support for Bailao, which asserted she has always had the backs of labour. Other candidates played down the importance of union endorsements on Friday. At a press conference, Coun. Josh Matlow (Ward 12, Toronto-St. Pauls), who describes himself as a pragmatic progressive, said hes focused on building a coalition of Torontonians who are working to improve the city by advocating for causes they care about, like helping the homeless and promoting the arts. Im not running for a party or a group or one organization. Our organization is Toronto and my job is to be the leader, he said. Mitzie Hunter, the Liberal MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood, said in statement there is broad and growing support for her candidacy, including from many public and private sector union members. She said that so far that support hasnt extended to union leadership, but she expects many unions wont endorse anyone in the mayors race. With files from David Rider Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr Read more about: SHARE: NEW DELHI (AP) Indian police on Sunday arrested a separatist leader who has revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland and the secession of Indias northern Punjab state, which has a history of violent insurgency. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since last month after capturing national attention in February, when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, a town in Punjab state, with wooden batons, swords and guns to demand the release of a jailed aide. Punjab state police tweeted Sunday that Singh was arrested in Moga, a town in the state. A Sikh religious leader, Jasbir Singh Rodde, said Singh surrendered after offering morning prayers at a Sikh shrine in Moga. Police officer Sukhchain Singh Gill said police had surrounded the village on intelligence that Singh was in the shrine. Relentless pressure built by the police over the past 35 days left Singh with no choice, Gill told reporters. He said the police didnt enter the shrine, implying that Singh was taken into custody after he left. Gill declined to confirm whether Singh surrendered as claimed by his supporters. Singh was flown to Dibrugarh in Indias northeast where he will be detained until he is brought to court to face charges. Punjab suffered a bloody insurgency in the 1980s that led to the killing of Indias then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards at her official residence in New Delhi. Her assassination in 1984 triggered bloody rioting by her Hindu supporters against Sikhs in northern India. Ashwini Dubey, a lawyer in Punjab state, said Singhs arrest would help police dismantle the separatist network and its supporters. Tavleen Singh, a political commentator and former journalist who covered the Punjab insurgency in the 1980s, said: The police took this man out, which is good because had they gone into a gurdwara (Sikh shrine), and started shooting you would have had a reaction from the general populous. The Sikhs happen to be very sensitive to gurdwaras being attacked. Sikhs are a religious minority in India and say they are discriminated against by the majority Hindus. More than 3,000 people were killed by extremists during the 1980s insurgency in the prosperous farming state. The insurgency was crushed by Indian forces by 1990. Punjab borders India-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of supporting, training and arming insurgents, a charge Islamabad denies. Police declared Singh, a 30-year-old preacher, a fugitive and accused him and his aides of creating discord in the state. Police accused them of spreading disharmony among people, attempted murder, attacking police personnel and obstructing public servants lawful discharge of duty. Authorities have deployed thousands of paramilitary soldiers in the state and arrested nearly 100 of his supporters. Singhs wife was prevented from leaving India last week. Very little was known about Singh until he arrived in Punjab state in 2022 and began leading marches calling for the protection of rights for Sikhs, who account for about 1.7% of Indias population. Singh claims to draw inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh militant leader accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency for Khalistan in the 1980s. Bhindranwale and his supporters were killed in 1984 when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. Singh has styled himself after Bhindranwale, with a long, flowing beard. He also dresses like Bhindranwale. Singh also heads Waris Punjab De, or Punjabs Heirs, an organization that was part of a massive campaign to mobilize farmers against controversial agriculture reforms being pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. The legislation triggered a year of protests that began in 2020, as farmers most of them Sikhs from Punjab state camped on the outskirts of New Delhi through a harsh winter and devastating coronavirus surge. The protests ended after Modis government withdrew the legislation in November 2021. Waris Punjab De was founded by Deep Sidhu, an Indian actor who died in 2022 in a traffic accident. Singhs speeches have become increasingly popular among supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. Officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. Even though the movement has waned over the years, it still has some support in Punjab and beyond including in countries like Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, which are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora. Last month, supporters of the movement pulled down the Indian flag at the countrys high commission in London and smashed the buildings windows in a show of anger against the move to arrest Singh. Indias Foreign Ministry denounced the incident and summoned the U.K.s deputy high commissioner in New Delhi to protest what it called the breach of security at the embassy in London. The supporters of the Khalistan movement also vandalized the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the United States. - Associated Press video journalist Prabhjot Gill in Amritsar, India, contributed to this report. Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported. With the final embassy employee out of Khartoum, the United States shuttered its diplomatic mission indefinitely. Remaining behind in the East African nation are thousands of private American citizens. U.S. officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation operation. Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders had forced the closing of the main international airport and left roads out of the country in control of armed fighters. The skirmishes has killed more than 400 people. In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan to the extent possible. He also called for the end to unconscionable violence there. About 100 U.S. troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation. They airlifted all of roughly 70 remaining American employees from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. Ethiopia also provided overflight and refueling support, said Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Biden said Djibouti and Saudi Arabia provided assistance, too. 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. U.S. Africa Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, were in contact with the factions before and during the operation to ensure that U.S. forces would have safe passage to conduct the evacuation. John Bass, an undersecretary of state, denied claims by Sudans paramilitary Rapid Security Forces that it assisted in the U.S. evacuation. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation, Bass said. Biden had ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, Biden said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. Sudans fighting broke out April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nations transition to democracy. The power struggle between the armed forces chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has millions of Sudanese cowering inside their homes. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. An estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is rough because not all Americans register with embassy or say when they depart. 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 for American employees of the embassy got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that U.S. troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. Embassy evacuations conducted by the U.S. military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transportation if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, staffers used commercial transport to leave. In several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. U.S. troops accompanied personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. SHARE: TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) The family of an Arizona property manager who was fatally shot during an attempted eviction in Tucson last year has filed a $50 million claim against Pima County and others. An attorney representing Angela Foxs family alleges in the claim that county Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay had cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and alcohol in her system at the time of the fatal shooting and also was under investigation by the county for felony fraud, the Arizona Republic reported Sunday. Fox, 28, was a property manager for a management company that included Lind Commons Apartments in Tucson. She went with Martinez-Garibay to evict tenant Gavin Lee Stansell on Aug. 25 last year. An eviction complaint filed 10 days earlier by a landlord in Pima County Consolidated Justice Court indicated Stansell had previously threatened and intimidated neighbors with a gun in July. Tucson police said the 24-year-old Stansell fatally shot Fox, Martinez-Garibay and a neighbor at the apartment complex before killing himself. The claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, said Martinez-Garibay knew that Stansell possessed a firearm but still had Fox accompany her to serve the eviction. Martinez-Garibay, 43, was hired in March 2022 when her predecessor reportedly quit over frustration about serving eviction notices. Attorneys for Foxs family said in the claim that Martinez-Garibay was unfit for the job because she had not received the mandatory constable training. The claim also said that after Martinez-Garibay was hired, it was discovered she had falsified signatures on her nomination petition to run for constable and wasnt a resident of the countys Precinct 8 as candidates were required. Constables are elected peace officers who serve civil or criminal papers for Pima Justice Court and several county agencies. They can also serve papers from courts outside the region. The state Attorney Generals Office and the Arizona Constable Ethics, Standards and Training Board are also named in the claim. A call to Pima County officials seeking comment wasnt immediately returned Sunday. SHARE: I grew up in Windsor and thought Ontario was flat. Dead flat and boring. No hills or valleys, none of the wildly dramatic and varied landscape other parts of Canada had. Ive come to appreciate and love the southwest Ontario flatlands since, but I was a jealous kid. Then I went to the Ontario Science Centre and it changed the way I thought about this province. It seemed like we travelled to another place very far away the building a futuristic, brutalist mothership, a place from a sci-fi film. Its been many decades since that first trip but I still remember crossing the internal bridge and going down the escalators that followed the contours of the Don Valley. With many windows looking out at the wild-seeming ravine, inside felt outdoors. The science exhibits were an additional experience from the place itself. With the announcement this week that the Ford government wants to move the Science Centre to Ontario Place and the building torn down, many people are sharing these kinds of memories. Its easy to dismiss this as childhood nostalgia, but the Science Centre is a profoundly unique architectural and topographical experience, connecting city, landscape and province. Theres nothing like it, anywhere, yet it might be trashed. What I am deeply nostalgic for is an Ontario Progressive Conservative party that could come up with good new ideas rather than tearing existing things down. Oh, where have you gone, William G. Davis? A province turns its lonely eyes to you. Woo, woo, woo. Ah, there were once Conservative premiers who wanted to build an Ontario to be proud of. Its ironic that both Ontario Place and the Science Centre were created under another Conservative premier, John Robarts, and preceding him, Leslie Frost also had his own province-building legacy. This mid- to late-century lot all had fresh, new ideas and were committed to creating the modern Ontario we know today. Another inexplicable irony here is Doug Ford and his brother Rob made their political careers on suburban grievance. They railed against downtown elites and caterwauled for years that the suburbs were left out, disrespected and didnt get enough stuff. Now heres Doug Ford removing an awfully big and important chunk of stuff from the suburbs and putting it downtown. Its incoherent and perplexing. The Science Centre is also a huge building, and moving it to Ontario Place will require building vast new structures. Those costs havent been released, but it makes the governments claim that the building is too expensive to repair as weak an argument as when they say nobody visits Ontario Place today. Go see for yourself. Apart from the insincerity of Fords grievance politics, moving the Science Centre is a terrible idea because its been part of Flemingdon Park and Don Mills for more than half a century, communities that deserve cultural attractions as much as any other. Indeed, this area of Toronto is a cultural hub, and could be even greater. Down the street from the Science Center is the Aga Khan Museum and the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. Also nearby is the original Japanese Cultural Centre, the first major project by Toronto architect Raymond Moriyama. It, like Moriyamas Science Centre, is currently at risk of destruction but could be something special again. Sometimes the phrase heritage landscape is thrown around too loosely, but this part of Toronto is just that. Moriyamas Science Centre was even a 1967 centennial project, though it opened two years later. Soon this will all have big-time transit connections when the Eglinton Crosstown opens. Further underscoring the absurdity of this slapdash plan is that the Ford government now says it will rename the already-built and signed Science Centre station. It will also be a stop on the Ontario Line, the subway that, for now, government websites tout as connecting the Ontario Science Centre with Ontario Place. Its the Ontario Line, get it? The province says it will build housing on the Science Centre site, but in Toronto we havent built housing in ravines since Hurricane Hazel, though knowing Fords penchant for upending long-held norms and rules, it could happen. More likely the housing will be up top where a sea of parking lots is now. The Science Centre doesnt have to move to build housing, they can coexist happily: the parking can go underground and an even better connection to the transit station established. Across the street a massive residential and commercial complex at the former IBM/Celestica campus on the northwest corner of Eglinton and Don Mills is under construction. The northeast corner is currently parking lots and a big-box Supercentre, exactly the kind of place appropriate for something like a big indoor European spa, unlike Ontario Place. More irony. Both the Science Centre and Ontario Place have become flashpoints at either end of their namesake transit line. Both have been poorly treated by provincial governments, allowing their unique heritage architecture to degrade, only to be saved by awful, destructive plans. Too bad the old Conservatives arent around to stop it. Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @shawnmicallef Read more about: SHARE: Politicians or civil servants with even the slightest role in shaping Canadas foreign policy should be prohibited including after they return to the private sector from receiving payments or gifts for supporting a foreign nations agenda in Canada. They should also be required to declare all foreign sources of income to allay any concerns about a possible conflict of interest. To ensure such safeguards, we need appropriate legislation. The past year has seen rising public distress about the integrity of our policy processes, after media reports revealed classified documents about Chinas efforts to manipulate the outcomes of Canadas last two federal elections. Canadians are alarmed at the spectre of foreign states hijacking our democracy, but confidence has also been piqued by our own governments apparent reluctance to visibly and energetically confront this threat. After years of resisting calls for such a measure, the federal government has just begun hearing select public input on creating a new Federal Influence Registry Act (FIRA) to help track foreign meddling. This month, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino held stakeholder consultations in Vancouver with Chinese community members. But even if Canadians can have a say about protecting our policies from outside sabotage, a vexing concern is whether their worries are shared by Canadas major political parties. Our allies know the threat is real. Australia and the U.S. have such laws in place, and the U.K. will soon enact its own legislation. Canada has given itself no such protections. The path to achieving FIRA is fraught with challenges, not least because so many respected private-sector Canadian leaders who associate with both major political parties have through naivete or greed become beholden to regimes hostile to Canadas interests. Now these enablers find themselves quietly urging parliamentarians to let this pesky influence registry matter quietly slide out of sight. There is also concern that any legislation meant to neutralize foreign subversion of Canadas institutions will fall short of our allies strong measures, being kept weak so as not to not expose any ex-politicians now benefitting from significant income streams from Chinese regime-related sources, which have been described as life transforming amounts of money. As CSIS has exposed, the primary culprits behind the rise of foreign interference in Canada are China, North Korea, Iran and Russia. Chinas United Front Work Department has been the most active, launching disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining any legislative attempt to challenge Beijings influence operations in Canada. In an effort to distort and exploit this years 100th anniversary of Canadas shameful Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923, Chinese operatives absurdly depict the proposed modern-day FIRA as equivalent to that racist legislation of a century ago, asking how can we prevent this registry from becoming a modern form of Chinese exclusion? This assertion is repugnant, particularly to earlier generations of Canadians of Chinese origin and others who worked hard over many years to finally, in 2006, obtain an apology and compensation for the victims of the 1885 Chinese Head Tax legislation. As Chinese-Canadian filmmaker and democracy activist Cheuk Kwan told the Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, The Chinese Canadian community together with the Uyghur community, Tibetan community and other people welcome this foreign agent registry. A registry on foreign agents is not the same as a registry on all Chinese Canadians. Canada must have no toleration for racism in all its forms, old and new, but we must also recognize that alarmist claims about a foreign registry being racist are simply a red herring. The danger is that this kind of disinformation campaign could succeed in obscuring the real threat. Canada desperately needs to take real steps that counter efforts to subvert the stability of our country. Charles Burton and Kaveh Shahrooz are senior fellows at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Read more about: SHARE: 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 Read more about: SHARE: YINCHUAN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Each day, Jin Xia gives online reading lessons to her students, having already helped them master 500 Chinese characters. Over the past year, the 41-year-old from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has been using video-sharing and livestreaming app Kuaishou to teach illiterate people to read, following a program of 600 lessons she designed herself. Armed with a computer, a cellphone and some textbooks, she now has about 100,000 online followers and teaches basic Chinese and mathematics to an online class of over 1,000 students. Each student pays just 100 yuan (about 14.5 U.S. dollars) for the courses. Jin is a resident of one of the largest settlement areas for relocated people in the city of Wuzhong in Ningxia. A mother of two, she graduated from a teachers' university in central China's Hubei Province in 2002 with a teaching certificate. She taught at a primary school in Ningxia for three years before going into business with her husband and then finally returning to teaching on a self-employed basis. "I decided to return to the teaching profession because I wanted to realize my dream of being a teacher and helping as many people as possible to read and write," Jin told Xinhua in an interview at her home, which also serves as her studio. About 80 percent of her students are women aged from 40 to 60. They are mostly housewives, workers or farmers, who did not have the opportunity to gain an education during their youth. Most of her students speak with heavy accents from their home regions, so Jin teaches Chinese pinyin, or the phonetic alphabet, together with the characters, helping them memorize the characters while mastering the correct Mandarin pronunciation. "In contrast to schoolchildren, these adults have a relatively poor memory, so you need to spend more time and have more patience with them," Jin said. "But most of my students have mastered basic Chinese and are able to use dictionaries after a couple of months of learning." Like school teachers, Jin gets satisfaction and happiness from bringing literacy and math skills to her students. Many of her students have also established close relationships with her. "One student told me that she had never dreamed of having a teacher in her life. Some students even sent me gifts and herbal medicines collected personally to treat my sore throat, a common illness for teachers," she said. Jin also teaches math because her students need to master calculation skills for use in daily life. "A 60-year-old student has learned how to do simple math because she still does some temporary work. Now she is able to teach others how to do math," she said. The resignation of Britains Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has added to the pressures on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he struggles to govern his country, but has thrown open a debate on just how far ministers in a parliamentary democracy can go in their dealings with the bureaucracy. Mr Raab had to quit after an official enquiry found he was guilty of an abuse or misuse of power and of intimidating and insulting civil servants. He was accused of belittling his staff, on occasion calling them utterly useless and woeful, and of causing stress and anxiety which forced some of those who worked with him to take sick leave. In his response to the findings of the enquiry, conducted by a well-regarded employment barrister, Mr Raab said the threshold for bullying was too low. He claimed the accusations against him were Kafkaesque, and an attempt by a small number of officials to target ministers who negotiate robustly on behalf of the country, pursue bold reforms and persevere in holding civil servants to account. In an interview to the BBC, Mr Raab said: What youve got is the risk here of 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. In the wake of the allegations, many in the Conservative establishment had suggested that the civil servants were whining, and that their unions had deliberately targeted the minister. The FDA Union, which represents civil servants and public service professionals, said the issues raised by its members were not confined to one minister, but that several members of Mr Sunaks cabinet were guilty of crossing the line in their dealings with officials. Rejecting suggestions that its members were whining or that they were snowflakes, the union has sought a wider enquiry into ministerial bullying. Mr Sunak is clearly not prepared to give in, having reluctantly accepted Mr Raabs resignation even as some of his fellow Tories urged him not to do so arguing that there was little accountability in the system for civil servants who were incompetent or failed to deliver on government policy. While it is too early to tell how Britons have reacted to the developments, public opinion seems to be getting moulded by the countrys newspapers which appeared largely sympathetic to Mr Raab. One of them asked in its headline, Was this the day Britain became ungovernable? while another said Forced out for wanting best for Britain. The Conservatives have not had a happy run with bureaucrats, a fact emphasised by former Prime Minister David Cameron when he had referred to them as enemies of enterprise, and argued that the civil service was both bloated and inefficient. For their part, civil servants are unhappy with the pay rises announced by the Sunak government and are said to be considering a strike to press their demands Party hopping in Karnataka is reaching its peak before the May 10 Assembly polls. The ruling BJP has become vulnerable to rebels and turncoats this time. As a result, some influential BJP leaders have migrated to Congress and other parties. The erosion is due to BJPs calculated decision to purge older candidates for younger and new faces. Veterans are miffed over their non-inclusion in the candidate lists. Also, those who could sense they would not get a ticket and those who could gauge the publics mood against the party have defected. Last week, the BJP fielded 52 new candidates and retained 90 sitting MLAs, including 11 from the Congress and J.D.(S) who had crossed over in 2019 to help it wrest power from the Kumaraswamy coalition. The former chief minister, a former State BJP President, and six-time MLA Jagdish Shetter tops the list of migrants. The BJP attempted damage control by offering him the post of governor or a central minister, but he rejected it to contest on a Congress ticket. The other disappointed veterans include Laxman Savadi, a heavyweight ex-deputy chief minister, S Angara, a six-time MLA, R. Shankar, a BJP MLC and M P Kumaraswamy, the partys MLA from Mudigere. Most are from the influential Lingayat community, which has traditionally supported the BJP since the late 1990s. Despite the BJP insisting that this migration would not affect its poll prospects, the exit of prominent faces would be bad optics. How far these party hoppers would damage the BJP is unknown. The party already faces anti-incumbency and is battling allegations of corruption. The BJP hopes to retain power in the only southern state it controls in the May 10 polls. Besides, the state has a tradition of not returning the ruling party to power. Defections are not new to Indian politics. As early as 1948, the Congress Socialist Party broke away from the Congress. They occurred in Uttar Pradesh in 1950, Andhra Pradesh in 1953, and Haryana in 1967 (the famous Aya Ram Gaya Ram case), when a Haryana legislator, Gaya Ram won first as an Independent, joined the Congress, and changed parties thrice within a fortnight! Karnataka has a long history of migrant and betrayal politics which ended with government collapse not once or twice but several times. Between 1967 and 1983, there were approximately 2,700 defections at the state level, with 15 defectors becoming chief ministers, according to PRS Legislative Research. Defection means an elected representative leaves a party on whose symbol she or he won and joins another party. Such politicians treat disqualification as a mere detour only to return to the House by recontesting. After the passage of the AntiDefection Law in 1985, the pace fell, but the trend continued. According to one estimate, a fourth of the current MLAs had won on a different party ticket. One in six had been elected on more than one party ticket in their political career. India Todays Data Intelligence Team reveals that of the 341 turncoat candidates who contested in the last three assembly elections, 78 won, while 263 lost. Also, the number of turncoat candidates has increased over time, with the highest number in the 2018 election. Incidentally, the BJP has been in power in Karnataka for nine years at different times but has never secured a majority. It had to depend on turncoats to form government. In 2008, it won 110 out of the 224 seats and, in 2018, 104 seats. In 2018, the J.D. (S) (37) and the Congress (76) coalition formed the government, though BJP emerged as the single largest party. The Kumaraswamy government collapsed after the BJP engineered a coup with 18 MLAs from Congress and J.D. (S), bringing it back to power. Voters elected 15 of the 17 defected legislators in 2019. In a bizarre situation, BJP leader Yediyurappa became CM twice in less than one week and never completed one full term. His government collapsed in 2007 and 2011, and in 2018. Why do the turncoats return as legislators? Switching parties does not always affect the migrants. They see parties now as a vehicle that lends credibility, bridges funding gaps, and a place to get influential positions. Traditionally, candidates depended on the migrant partys goodwill, cadres, and ability to finance them. Small-time leaders acquire a new image to win. In the case of famous leaders, they carry their vote bank. The moral of the story is that turncoats cannot be wished away by bringing stringent laws. If the trend is not checked, it will damage Indian democracy. The turncoats are here to stay as long as political parties encourage them, the public votes for them to return, and defectors believe in selfinterest. In Maharana Sangram Singh I, we have a warrior-king of Mewar whom the world knows as Rana Sanga. Every year 12th April is commemorated as the birth anniversary of the Rana who remains larger than life even after 541 years; his valorous deeds and aura continue to dominate early modern Indian history. There could be few examples in our contemporary world to match the veneration which Rana Sanga has inspired over the centuries. It was a tumultuous journey for Rana Sanga as he assumed charge in 1509 CE of a kingdom surrounded by Malwa, Gujarat and Delhi, all of which were hostile kingdoms constantly challenging Mewar to battle. Sanga turned his attention first to consolidating the State of Mewar with its capital at Chittaurgarh, the fortcity acknowledged as the most powerful one of its times. Garhon ka garh hai Chittaurgarh is what the bards sang, poetically proclaiming Chittaur to be the mightiest amongst all forts. Modern-day gurus would highlight it as a management challenge which an enormous fort-city presented in the 15th century CE: think of the urban planning; water, waste and energy management, military administration of men and materials, horses, elephants, and armaments, maintenance of ancient temples and palaces. The list would seem endless, and surely the young Rana would have had his hands full, even though having grown up in Chittaurgarh he was well-versed with the command and control systems of the prosperous State of Mewar. Udaipur Rajya ka Itihas (History of the Udaipur State, Volume 1) remains a seminal work of GH Ojha wherein he wrote that Rana Sanga will be remembered for carrying the mantle of greatness of his illustrious grandfather, the multi-faceted, multi-talented warrior-King Maharana Kumbhakaran, or Rana Kumbha as he was known. Ojha places Sangas sagas in the context of Mewars history stretching back to the 8th century CE; with each generation of the Maharanas building on platforms they inherited. It was akin to giants standing on the shoulders of other giants, demonstrating their sensitivity towards the legacies of spirituality and religion, polity and military, society and culture. If Mewars geographical spread and historically-acquired values assumed iconic status in the 15th and 16th century CE, the credit goes to both Rana Kumbha and Rana Sanga, an eminent grandfather and his equally celebrated valorous grandson. In the reign of Rana Kumbha, from 1433 to 1468 CE, Chittaur truly became the centre of the sub-continent. The Rana provided a burst of creative energy and military might. In GH Ojhas twovolume history we find Rana Kumbha emerging as one of the greatest military generals of the Sisodia Rajputs. Like his legendary predecessors, Rana Kumbha was a defender of Mewars territories, not ready to accept the sway of the Delhi Sultans over Gujarat, Malwa and parts of Rajasthan. Mewar was invaded several times in the early years of Rana Kumbhas reign; each attack was successfully defended. In 1437 CE, Sultan Mahmud, the King of Malwa, was taken prisoner after a pitched battle. The Rana proved his magnanimity as a victor on the battlefield and off it too. Sultan Mahmud was treated as a guest and released without demands for ransom. This was the hallmark of Mewars conduct in victory. Warfare had its ethics and values; warrior-leaders like Rana Kumbha were upholding ancient Hindu ideals even though the world was soon acquiring an increasingly complex political, ethnic, sectarian, and cultural landscape. The saga of Rana Kumbha continues for he was a relentless builder. He constructed no less than 32 of the 84 fortresses in Mewar. The monumental Kumbhalgarh, named after the Rana himself, was a majestic fort-city with 33 km-long stone walls encircling the hills. But it is in Chittaur that Rana Kumbhas most impressive construction is seen: the Kirti Stambha or the Tower of Victory, 120 feet high rising through nine floors. In The Hegemony of Heritage-Ritual and Record in Stone, UC Berkeley scholar Dr Deborah L Stein provided us with a fascinating perspective to the Kirti Stambha: In contrast to the typical victory narrative, both the rich sculptural contents and the inscriptions of the nine-story interior tell a different story ~ a tale that could be romantically coined the making of one of Indias first museums, because it is the story of a collection and a very permanent collection at that. She felt that the combination of two features distinguishes this tower from any previous Indian monument: First, the incised labeling of each image in stone underneath; and, second, an interior turn-square staircase that permits the viewer to travel across nine different interior landings within a span of ten minutes or so. It was as if Rana Kumbha and his creative team were curating it for posterity. All prior towers, stambhas, and even Kirti Stambha in South Asia and even western Asia relied on surface decoration of the exterior; only the Kirti Stambha had such rich interior sculptural decoration. Going beyond terming it as Indias first museum, Dr Stein said, Kirti Stambha is Indias first image archive, predating the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the American Institute of Indian Studies photo archives by several centuries. No matter what English label we put on the Kirti Stambha, those who created it in the fifteenth century decided the iconography could not stand alone, so text was added. Hundreds of years before photography was invented, the labeled images of the Kirti Stambha suggest archival tendencies on the part of Rana Kumbha, Jaita, and the other artists involved in the project, she added, paying her tribute to the Ranas saga and sense of history with a remarkable flourish. Rana Sanga did not have the creative freedom which his distinguished grandfather had in Chittaurgarh. There were too many battles being fought on different fronts but the Mewar army had been reorganized, its forts well-garrisoned. In Dr Rima Hoojas Rajasthan ~ A Concise History we read of Mewar-Malwa battles and the subsequent defeat of Sultan Mahmud II. Mewar under Rana Sanga was now ruling over a larger swathe of territories including Kalpi, Bhilsa, Sarangpur, Chanderi and Ranthambore. Just as Rana Kumbha had done a generation ago, Rana Sanga ensured an honourable return of the Sultan to his Statecapital of Mandu. It seemed as if history was repeating itself. Bards have sung about how the Rana even tended to the wounds of the Sultan. While Rana Sangas forays and victories on the battlefields continued, and historians have commented on his triumphs against the Delhi Sultans, the capture of a prince of Delhi and the sway of his authority right till Agra, the economic importance of Mewar as a State continued to grow in these politically chaotic times. Undoubtedly Mewar had over the centuries developed its own political identity, but in the thick of battles and political history, we often tend to ignore economic and social realities. The strategic importance of Mewar in western India is being emphasized and understood by modern audiences today. Mewars confrontations with Delhi Sultans, Sultans of Malwa and Gujarat, and later with the invading armies of Babur are best seen in this geostrategic context. As trade and commerce along the Gujarat coast became more vibrant, Mewar was ideally positioned to take advantage of it, being centrally located between northern India and western-central India. Needless to say, growing trade and traffic, tolls and taxes resulted in tensions which in turn led to battles between Mewar and the states surrounding it. Through the 14th to 16th centuries CE, Mewar continued to command increasing commercial importance. Records from merchant families belonging to urban centres such as Ahad, Khamnor and Chittaur, besides Ghatiyala, Mandor, Hathundi, Jalor and Nadol, testify to the commercial transactions in this period. Dariba, for its lead and zinc mines, Paldi, Jagat, Atapura and Shri Eklingji were ancient towns growing in prominence along the trade routes. The prosperous agrarian base of Mewar merits its own story as the land was yielding a spectrum of crops through the year, be it maize, wheat, barley, gram, oilseeds in the hilly regions or cotton and sugarcane in the river-fed plain areas. Historical references abound of the use of araghatta or the Persian wheel even back in the 8th-9th centuries CE: clearly indicative of the royal and individual initiatives to promote and develop agriculture across the State. In the eras of Rana Kumbha and Rana Sanga, the agricultural surplus provided sustenance to the State so often at war. The historical sagas of Mewar are now being contextualized in its geography and growing economy. (The writer, a researcher writer on history and heritage issues, is a former deputy curator of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya) The leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has replied through his advocate to the legal notice sent to him by Trinamul Congress for comments accusing chief minister Mamata Banerjee of seeking Union Home Minister Amit Shahs intervention for the restoration of the national party status of Trinamul Congress. In his reply to the legal notice sent by Trinamuls Rajya Sabha MP Derek O Brien, Adhikaris counsel Suryanil Das has challenged its authenticity. Indirectly referring to the Election Commission of Indias (ECI) decision to withdraw the national party status of Trinamul, Das said in the reply that currently there is no political party by the name of All India Trinamul Congress, and what exists is a regional party called just Trinamul Congress. Adhikaris 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 Adhikaris comments at a public rally were libellous and an attempt to malign the image of the Trinamul. The notice also asked Adhikari to withdraw his comments or face legal action. The Trinamul leadership, meanwhile, has described the reply by the leader of opposition as Adhikaris lack of common sense, pointing out that even if Trinamuls national party status is withdrawn, there is no bar in using the name All India Trinamul Congress. On the occasion of Earth Day, a leading agency dealing in environmental concerns, announced setting up of realtime air quality monitors, across leading schools and institutions in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. This initiative is supported by the Clean Air Toolbox Program of Columbia University, New York. These air quality monitoring centers will be set up across the most polluted or non-attainment cities with the objective to make children and youth aware about the air pollution to inspire them to protect themselves and take positive action. A team of SwitchON Foundation team along with experts and advisors will train students on how to use the air quality data from these monitors and government monitors, prepare reports and spread awareness amongst their campus and community and take positive action through the school academic year. The air quality monitors will report minute-by-minute changes in the air quality levels and provide alerts if pollution levels rise. Experts say children are more vulnerable to pollution because their lungs are underdeveloped and their immune systems are weaker. And yet, nine out of 10 children around the world are breathing in toxins that exceed safe levels. Supporting this initiative, Manfred Auster, Consul-General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Kolkata said, Air pollution is a serious health concern and it affects all of us, but children are particularly at risk. Change has to start with all of us and building childrens awareness is key. The 21st century will be knowledge-based and technology-driven. Guided by its civilisational ethos and as a natural hub of talent, captive market & resources, India is going to play a leading role in fulfilling global aspirations of the 21st century. Skills and competencies will drive the future rather than degrees, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said here on Sunday. Throwing light on the coastal State, he said Odisha is a land of skills. Its art and architectural excellence and ancient trade linkages is a glowing testimony to this. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned transforming Indias YuvaShakti into job-creators rather than job-seekers, Pradhan said today inaugurating one of its kind Future of Work exhibition under 3rd Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting. He said that as technologies continue to disrupt, we must think of new approaches to skilling to prepare youth for the future of jobs. Internet, mobility, and global connectivity provide us with an opportunity to think about global requirements The inaugural ceremony was graced among others Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE; Ambassador Atul Keshap, President, USIBC and Senior Vice President, South Asia, US Chamber of Commerce; Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII; Vipin Sondhi, Chairman, CII Mission on Tech, Innovation & Research and Future Mobility and Former MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland and JCB India and Raghav Narsalay, Managing Director, Accenture Research. The Minister visited nearly 70 exhibitors with keen interest and appreciated their efforts. The exhibitors included premier institutes and organizations from diverse sectors such as NIT Rourkela, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIM Sambalpur, Microsoft, Meta, UNICEF, NCERT and many more, displaying technologies that will drive the future of work with constant innovations in modern workplace, future skills, and innovative delivery models. The exhibition received a positive response with 10,000 visitors attending it on the inaugural day. The Odisha Skill Conclave 2023, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday concluded successfully today. The CM in his inaugural address called for enhanced cooperation between centre and states in new-age tech skilling in the country. Odisha has kept a budgetary provision of Rs. 100 crores for this year for the new scheme Nua Odisha to train the youth in future technologies like cloud computing, artificial technology, data sciences, and other futuristic knowledge, he stated. The Chief Minister added that Odisha is devoted to the cause of skilling and that the state has launched initiatives such as Mission Shakti for transforming the lives of 70 lakh women and supporting them become entrepreneurs. Country is going through significant transformation, rapid technological advancements and changing job markets have made it imperative for us to invest in our human capital and equip our younger generation with the skill they need to succeed in the 21st century, said Patnaik on the first day of the conclave. Pritiranjan Gharai, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Skill Development & Technical Education Department, Government of Odisha said that the Government of Odisha has always been keen to partner with industries with modern and future technologies and make them affirmative in the process. He further added that Odisha has made great strides in the skill sector because of various prudent and proactive interventions by the government. The event was graced by various dignitaries including Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Odisha Skill Development Authority, Government of Odisha, Pradeep Kumar Jena, Chief Secretary & Chief Development Commissioner, Department of General Administration and Public Grievance, Government of Odisha and Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Skill Development & Technical Education Department, Government of Odisha besides other government officials. During the 3-day conclave, 24 MoUs were exchanged between the Government of Odisha and renowned organisations including ITE Education Services- Singapore, Schneider Electric Foundation, Philips Machine Tools, Mitutoyo South Asia, Drone Federation of India, Festo, Coursera, ISB among others. Some of the key topics that were discussed during the 3-day conclave include diversity and inclusion, sector specific skilling, importance of internships and apprenticeship, role of up-and-coming technologies such as AI, robotics, etc. The discussions also revolved around the growing importance of gender empowerment and equality in skilling, and role of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET). Experts across sectors such as energy, education, infrastructure, oil & gas, technology, among others came together to showcase the avenues for employment. Additionally corporate representatives from TATA, Larsen & Tubro, Bharat Petroleum, Schindler, Maruti Suzuki, among others highlighted the key areas that ensure employability for skilled workforce. Students and experts from Singapore participated in the event with fervour to deepen the relationship with the state and ensure bilateral employment opportunities. Overall, the 3-day event saw participation from close to 2000 students, 360 teachers, 60 role models, 25 students from Singapore and 100 high level dignitaries including speakers across sectors. Patha Pranta Utsav was held near Exhibition Ground, Bhubaneswar on Day-2 of the conclave. The conclave was hosted by the Government of Odisha, Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI). This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal has issued notice to Delhi Police for failing to register FIR in the matter of sexual harassment case of women wrestlers. The DCW on Sunday said that it has received a complaint regarding sexual harassment with women wrestlers by Brijbhushan Singh, president of the Wrestling Federation of India. The complainant has informed the Commission that several women wrestlers including a minor have alleged that the accused person has indulged in the crime of sexual harassment against them during his tenure at the Wrestling Federation of India, the DCW said in a statement. The complainant has also informed the Commission that a complaint in this regard was submitted by them at Connaught Place police station on April 21. She has further informed that no action has been taken by the SHO, Connaught Place on the complaint. She has also stated that when she called the SHO, Connaught Place to enquire about the status of the complaint on April 22, she was informed by him that no FIR has been filed and that action shall be taken on the complaint post Monday. She has further stated that when she asked him for assurance that the FIR shall be filed by Monday, he answered that he could not guarantee the same. Further she has informed the Commission that instead of an FIR being filed in the matter, some of the complainants and their family members have started getting phone calls enquiring about the identities of the complainants from an IPS officer posted in Department of Sports, MYAS. The DCW chief has issued notice to Delhi Police in the matter and has sought an action taken report. The Commission has sought a copy of FIR and has asked Delhi Police to explain reasons for delay in registration of FIR. The Commission has also asked the details of arrests made in the matter. Further, the Commission has asked the details of security provided to complainants along with details of the persons who have allegedly shared the information regarding the matter with officials from the Department of Sports. The Commission has also sought the details of steps taken against the police officials for failing to register FIR and sharing the details of complainants. The Commission has asked Delhi Police to provide an action taken report by April 25. The DCW chief stated, It is very unfortunate that the women wrestlers are not able to register their FIR of sexual harassment. They have submitted complaints to Delhi Police, still no FIR has been registered. I have issued notice to Delhi Police and has sought report. FIR must be registered immediately and accused must be arrested. Action must be taken against police officers for failing to register their FIR even after passing of 2 days. 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. Its 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 couldnt 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, Alexs Strip. I wasnt 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, Ive 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 doesnt matter because the show must always go on. The whole experience is so beautiful when youre 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. Johny Nellore, vice chairman of Kerala Congress (Joseph), who recently resigned from the party, along with some other leaders of Kerala Congress, formed a new party called the National Peoples Party (NPP). Former member of the Minority Commission and the former leader of the Catholic Congress VV Augustine is the chairman of the new party.Johny Nellore is the working chairman of the party and former MLA Mathew Stephen is appointed as the vice chairman of the party. It has been stated that new party is formed with the backing of the various denominations of the Church in order to safe guard the interests of the farmers in the state. It is also said that the party is formed with the support of the BJP. It is said the BJP adopted dual strategy to bring the Christian community close to the party.At one hand the party tried to bring a section among the Christians directly to the BJP, on the other, the party is persuading some other sections in the Christian community to work in association with the new party. Speaking to media persons at the party launching event in Kochi, party chairman VV Augustine said the NPP is not against any party and his party will not join any front at present. NPP leaders claimed that it is a pro farmer party and will always try to protect the interests of the farmers.They said they will take all steps to persuade the government to raise the price of rubber to Rs 300 per kg. An Indonesian expert has said that China's performance in innovation has contributed to the country's economic growth. China's economic performance has gotten off to a strong start, with its gross domestic product (GDP) growing 4.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year. Last year, China moved up to the 11th spot in the Global Innovation Index 2022 released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, marking an impressive climb of 23 places from its 2012 ranking. China is now on a par with the U.S. in terms of the number of top 100 science and technology clusters, with 21 each. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Punjab Police on Sunday urged people to maintain peace and harmony and refrain from sharing any fake news after the arrest of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh in Moga. The police said that details about the arrest will be shared and the people should verify any news before sharing. Amritpal Singh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Dont share any fake news, always verify and share, Punjab Police tweeted. Amritpal who was absconding since March 18, the day on which a huge crackdown was launched against him and his associates in Punjab, was arrested, the police informed early Sunday morning. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpals supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. Amritpal was then declared a fugitive by the police. The Punjab Police had issued a lookout circular (LOC) and non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the Waris Punjab De chief about a month ago. His associates were earlier arrested from various parts of the state. Two aides of the radical preacher and Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh were arrested at Mohali in Punjab, in a joint operation by Punjab and Delhi Police on April 18. On April 15, Punjab Police arrested his close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in the Fatehgarh Sahib district. Another close aid of the pro khalistani leader, Papalpreet Singh was arrested on April 10, in an operation conducted by Punjab Police and its counter-intelligence unit. Terming it as unconstitutional, Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah on Sunday vowed to cancel Muslim reservation in Telangana if voted to power and redistribute it among Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBC). The current BJP government in Karnataka ended reservation for Muslim at the end of March just prior to the Assembly elections in a bid to appease two major backward classes in the state. The Supreme Court has observed that prima facie the decision appeared to be shaky and flawed. Shah, who addressed a public meeting at Chevella Telangana, told the gathering that if the BJP is voted to power, it will abolish reservation for Muslims. When the BJP forms the government, we will put an end to this unconstitutional Muslim reservation. It is the right of SC, ST and OBCs of Telangana and we will ensure they get their rights, announced the Union home Minister. It may be pointed out that currently Telangana has 4 per cent reservation for Muslims. However, in 2017 the state Assembly under Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had passed a Bill to increase it to 12 per cent but with the Centre not keen on it, the Bill is yet to be enacted. Shah also took a dig at Chief Minister Rao for changing his partys name from TRS to BRS in order to divert attention. He said that KCR was dreaming to be the Prime Minister and going around the country to realise his dreams. Leave alone India your work is over in Telangana, said the Union Home Minister and then went on to add that the seat of the Prime Minister was not vacant. He exhorted the crowd to vote for the BJP in 2024 General Elections but then reminded them to ensure that a BJP government assumes office in Telangana in the assembly elections of 2023 which will be the trailer before the Parliamentary polls. Following surrender claims by a cleric of the Rodewal Gurudwara where Amritpal Singh stayed, Punjab top official on Sunday said that the police have arrested the Waris Punjab De chief after he was surrounded from all sides and had no way out. Addressing a press conference, Punjabs Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill said, It is very clear that we have arrested him, he was surrounded from all sides and had no way to escape. Whatever he said inside the Gurudwara Sahib it is not right to comment on it. Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill said that the police did not enter the Gurudwara Sahib to maintain its sanctity. Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and the Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didnt enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA, he said. He said that National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning. NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morningAmritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode, said Sukhchain Singh Gill. Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh, Assam and further action will be taken as per law and order in the case. A warning has been issued against disturbing elements trying to jeopardise the peace and harmony of the state, he added. Hours before his arrest, Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh addressed the devotees this morning in Rodewal Gurudwara in Punjabs Moga. Amritpal Singh came to the Rodewal Gurudwara on Saturday night. He himself informed the police about his presence and that he will surrender this morning at 7 am, claimed Singh Sahib Giani Jasbir Singh Rode of Rodewal Gurudwara in Moga, while speaking to ANI over phone. Amritpal who was absconding since March 18, the day on which a huge crackdown was launched against him and his associates in Punjab, was arrested, the police informed early Sunday morning. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpals supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. Amritpal was then declared a fugitive by the police. The Punjab Police had issued a lookout circular (LOC) and non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the Waris Punjab De chief about a month ago. His associates were earlier arrested from various parts of the state. Two aides of the radical preacher and Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh were arrested at Mohali in Punjab, in a joint operation by Punjab and Delhi Police on April 18. On April 15, Punjab Police arrested his close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in the Fatehgarh Sahib district. Another close aid of the pro khalistani leader, Papalpreet Singh was arrested on April 10, in an operation conducted by Punjab Police and its counter-intelligence unit. After Khalistan sympathiser and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh was arrested by Punjab Police, the father of the radical preacher Tarsem Singh said Amritpal was working to save people from the drug menace in the State. Amritpal was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga district in Punjab on Sunday morning and shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam. Through TV we came to know that he surrendered before the Police. We too wanted the same because people were being harassed due to him. We will fight the case. The entire community should fight it. He was working to save people from the drug menace; an offer has been made to us for it Amritpals father Tarsem Singh told ANI. Amritpal Singhs mother Balwinder Kaur said, We saw the news and came to know that he has surrendered. I felt proud that he surrendered like a warriorWe will fight a legal battle and we will also go and meet him at the earliest. Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh has been shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam amid tight security. He was arrested by police from Moga district in Punjab on Sunday early morning and was taken to Dibrugarh Airport via flight during the afternoon hours. Since Amritpal was shifted to Dibrugarh jail, security was stepped up ahead of his arrival in Assam. Hours after his arrest, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that action will be taken against those who try to disrupt the countrys law and order. Amritpal was on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. The Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher Amritpal Singhs other associates are also lodged at Dibrugarh jail. Papalpreet Singh a close aide of the fugitive Khalistan leader was brought to Assams Dibrugarh Central Jail on April 11 after he was arrested. Earlier in March, pro-Khalistan supporters and associates of Amritpal Singh were shifted out of Punjab after Central Intelligence agencies raised concerns over possible jailbreak and repeat of the Ajnala incident. Earlier on Sunday, the Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) said that National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning. NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morningAmritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode, said Sukhchain Singh Gill. He said that the Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher was arrested in a joint operation by Punjab police and the intelligence wing. Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh, Assam and further action will be taken as per law and order in the case. A warning has been issued against those elements trying to jeopardise the peace and harmony of the state, he said. Amritpal Singh was arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and the Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didnt enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA, the IGP said. Earlier, the radical leader had been declared a fugitive as he was on the run earlier in March. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpals supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu will visit India to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting planned to be held on 27-28 April, it is learnt. This will be the first time that a Chinese defence minister will be in India following the Galwan Valley clash between the troops of the two countries in June 2020. India has also sent an invite to Pakistan for its defence ministers participation in the meeting. However, Islamabad is yet to confirm his participation. Li Shangfu, a US-sanctioned general, was named as Chinas new defence minister a month ago. He has been under US sanctions since 2018 and his appointment comes at a time of an increasingly strained relationship between Beijing and Washington. The visit of the Chinese minister will take place when ties between India and China are also far from normal since they have not been able to resolve the military stand-off in eastern Ladakh despite umpteen rounds of military and diplomatic talks. The stand-off, which began in April-May 2020, has led to increased tensions in bilateral ties. After the SCO Defence Ministers meeting, a meeting of the SCO Foreign Ministers is scheduled to be held on 5 May in Goa. For this meeting, Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also confirmed his participation. The SCO comprises India, Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Iran has also become a full-fledged member of the grouping and will formally join it at the summit in India. Shortly after Amritpal Singh was arrested from Moga, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Sunday sought to know if the Khalistan sympathiser had a connection with someone in the central government or state government. Fugitive Amritpal Singh was arrested in the early hours of Sunday and will be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. Randeep Surjewala, in a press conference here, raised a series of questions regarding Amritpals arrest and asked why are the central investigative agencies not disclosing the details of the forces supporting him. Who helped the anti-India propagandist and supporter of terrorists, Amritpal Singh escape in the first instance? Where was Amritpal hidden? Who gave him shelter? Where did he stay? Arent all those forces anti-India? Who is his accomplice? Why arent the Punjab police, CBI, and IB disclosing it? Foreign powers in Pakistan and also elsewhere are supporting him, why isnt the government coming forward and disclosing it? Surjewala asked. Who are the co-conspirators of the Amritpal operation from India and also elsewhere and what action will the government of India and the government of Pubjab take against it? Does Amritpal have a connection with someone in the central government or in the state government? he added. Amritpal has been on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning, said Punjabs Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill after Waris Punjab De chiefs arrest earlier today. NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morningAmritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode, said Sukhchain Singh Gill. He said that the Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher was arrested in a joint operation by Punjab police and the intelligence wing. Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh, Assam and further action will be taken as per law and order in the case. A warning has been issued against those elements trying to jeopardise the peace and harmony of the state, he said. Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didnt enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA, the IGP said. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpals supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. Amritpal was then declared a fugitive by the police. The Punjab Police had issued a lookout circular (LOC) and non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the Waris Punjab De chief about a month ago. His associates were earlier arrested from various parts of the state. Two aides of the radical preacher and Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh were arrested at Mohali in Punjab, in a joint operation by Punjab and Delhi Police on April 18. On April 15, Punjab Police arrested his close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in the Fatehgarh Sahib district. Another close aid of the pro khalistani leader, Papalpreet Singh was arrested on April 10, in an operation conducted by Punjab Police and its counter-intelligence unit. Seeking to resolve the three-year-old military standoff, India and China are holding the 18th round of Corps Commander Level talks on Sunday (today) l at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point in the Eastern Ladakh sector. From the Indian side, the meeting is led by Fire and Fury Corps Commander Lt Gen Rashim Bali and an equivalent rank officer from the Chinese side is taking place in the eastern Ladakh sector today, defence sources told ANI. This meeting is taking place after a gap of five months. The last meeting between the two sides at the Corps Commander level was held in December last year. The meeting is taking place when both sides are engaged in rapid construction activities along the border areas to strengthen their respective positions. The Indian side has been raising the issue of the Depsang plains, Demchok and disengagement by both sides repeatedly. The corps commander-level talks started to resolve the matters between the two sides in the eastern Ladakh area after the Chinese side tried to alter the status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by aggressively moving forward with heavy weaponry and a large number of troops in 2020 during the initial period of the Covid pandemic. The two sides have however disengaged, and have moved to new positions to avoid confrontations. In the talks, the two sides have agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. However, the Chinese side does not seem to be in a hurry to resolve the issues and is not allowing any forward movement to take place on the legacy issues like the Depsang plains. They have been blocking Indian patrols to move to their patrolling points in that sector for a long time now. The Chinese Defence Minister is also now scheduled to be in India for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meetings next week in the national capital. The chances of de-escalation in near future by the two sides dont seem very bright and the Indian side is continuing to deploy heavily in the area to guard against any Chinese attempts to alter the status quo as they keep trying to do. Indian troops thwarted one such attempt in December last year in Yangtse when a Chinese contingent was forcefully pushed back to its area after they tried to come to Indian positions on the LAC there. The Kerala Police on Sunday arrested a 53-year-old Kochi native, who wrote a letter warning of a suicide attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Kochi on Monday. Kochi Police Commissioner K Sethu Raman on Sunday said police have arrested one person for allegedly sending the letter. The arrested person has been identified as Xavier Anjanikal, who lives at Kaloor in Kochi.The Police Commissioner said the accused wrote the letter in the name of NJ Johny, his neighbour to trap him. The letter, written in Malayalam, was delivered to the BJP office last week. The party leaders then handed over the letter to the police Police said that Johny and Xavier are members of the same parish and Xavier had written a fake letter three years ago following some dispute in the parish council. When the police checked the old fake letter with the current one, the handwriting was found to match. The police have been following Xavier for the past week. They managed to receive his handwriting specimen without making him aware of the case investigation. They checked the handwriting of the accused in the fake letter with that of the letter sent to the BJP office, threatening to attack PM Modi and confirmed that both the letters were written by Xavier. Then he was taken into custody on Saturday night after registering an FIR. His arrest was recorded on Sunday. The Kochi Police Commissioner said that tight security has been arranged ahead of the Prime Ministers visit to the state. A total of 2,060 police personnel were deployed to oversee security arrangements. Tight security has been arranged for the Prime Ministers visit to Kochi. 2060 policemen have been deployed. As part of this, traffic control has also been imposed from 2 pm, he said PM Modi will arrive in Kochi at the naval air station INS Garuda at 5 pm on Monday .BJP will organise a mega road show in Kochi to welcome the PM. The Prime Minister also take part in the road show. Expressing his serious concern for Non-Resident Rajasthanis (NRRs) who are stranded in Sudan, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has released helpline numbers and directed the Bikaner House Resident Commissioner in Delhi and Rajasthan Foundation to provide all possible help and assistance to those who need and contact them. According to a list of MEA, there are at least 40 Rajasthanis who are currently stranded in Sudan. Those who require assistance can contact the helpline numbers at +91 83060 09838, 0141-2229111, and 011-23070807. The ACS (Coordination) cum Chief Resident Commissioner, Bikaner House, Shubhra Singh, has requested NRRs to contact the helpline numbers provided on social media channels and the website of Rajasthan Foundation. Dhiraj Srivastava, Resident Commissioner (Bikaner House) at New Delhi and Commissioner of 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. Singh was arrested by police from Moga district in Punjab on Sunday early morning and was taken to Dibrugarh Airport in Assam via flight during the afternoon hours. From there, he has been shifted to a prison in Dibrugarh, officials said. According to officials, security has been tightened in Assam. Amritpal Singh was on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. The Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher Amritpal Singhs other associates are also lodged at Dibrugarh jail, officials said. Papalpreet Singh a close aide of the fugitive Khalistan leader was brought to Assams Dibrugarh Central Jail on April 11 after he was arrested. Earlier in March, pro-Khalistan supporters and associates of Amritpal Singh were shifted out of Punjab after Central Intelligence agencies raised concerns over possible jailbreak and repeat of the Ajnala incident. Earlier in the day, the Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill said that National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning. NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morningAmritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode, Gill said. He said that the Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher was arrested in a joint operation by Punjab police and the intelligence wing. Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh, Assam and further action will be taken as per law and order in the case. A warning has been issued against those elements trying to jeopardise the peace and harmony of the state, he said. Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and the Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didnt enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA, the IGP said. The radical leader had been declared a fugitive while he was on a run earlier in March. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpals supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. Financial services under China-Singapore connectivity initiative benefit more ASEAN members Xinhua) 14:31, April 23, 2023 This photo taken on April 20, 2023 shows the signing ceremony of key projects during the fifth China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative Financial Summit in southwest China's Chongqing. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) CHONGQING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Thai subsidiary of Chongqing Hongjiu Fruit Co. Limited obtained a 3-million-U.S. dollar loan from Standard Chartered Bank (Thailand) in June 2022, and the money has been used to expand the company's fruit business. "The loan has been mainly used to import fresh fruits from Thailand. It has played a crucial role in enhancing our purchasing capacity and expanding the market. Meanwhile, it has further benefited Thai fruit growers, as they have broader access to export their fruits and to gain more profits from exporting," said Deng Hongjiu, chairman of the fruit company based in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The financing project was facilitated under the framework of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, which was launched in 2015. Financial service is one of the key areas of cooperation under the framework. Data released at the fifth China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative Financial Summit, which closed on Friday, showed that as of March this year, a total of 19.6-billion-U.S. dollar in cross-border financing projects had been implemented under the framework over the preceding seven years. Such cross-border financing projects were scattered across more than 10 provinces and municipalities in China, including Chongqing, Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou. Held in China's Chongqing Municipality and Singapore simultaneously from April 20 to 21, the summit focused on new missions for financial centers and new momentum for financial opening up. It aimed to provide forward-looking views and policy guidelines for quality financial cooperation between China and Singapore, as well as new areas of financial cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Cross-border financial services under the framework have also provided new opportunities for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provincial regions and ASEAN members. "A financial service platform for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has been co-established by the Chinese side and Singaporean side, which has been providing convenient and low-cost financial services for logistics, trade and manufacturing enterprises," said Liu Wei, director of the coordination center for logistics and operation of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. Through financial support, the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has taken off. Data from the center showed that, from January to March, 36,000 TEUs, with a value of 5.56 billion yuan (808.7 million U.S. dollars), were transported along the trade corridor via Chongqing, up 39 percent and 25 percent year on year, respectively. The trade corridor reaches 393 ports in 119 countries and regions. Apart from fruits from Thailand, more and more agricultural products from Laos and Cambodia, as well as seafood from Vietnam, have entered the vast Chinese market through the trade corridor. "Enhancing financial cooperation and connectivity is an important part of promoting ASEAN-China economic integration. More connected financial ecosystems across the region will help businesses by lowering transaction costs, improving their access to financing, and making it easier for businesses to manage risks and their finances," said Josephine Teo, Singapore's minister for communications and information and second minister for home affairs, at the summit via an online speech. "All these will have a positive effect on increasing trade flows and cross-border investments in new projects, and help realize the immense potential of our region," she added. Ruan Lu, director of the Chongqing Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, said the cooperation between Chongqing and Singapore has promoted the connectivity between the western regions of China and ASEAN members. Chongqing and Singapore are expected to further strengthen financial cooperation and explore higher-level cross-border financial services in the future, Ruan said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Students perform during Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) A Broadway artist joins young performers during Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) A tourism bus passes by an Earth Day-themed billboard in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) A Broadway artist performs during Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) A young performer joins a Broadway artist in performance during Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) A pedestrian stops at an information stand during Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) A Broadway artist performs during Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) Broadway artists perform during Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) Students perform during Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) Pedestrians check information about Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) A Broadway artist performs during Earth Day celebrations in Times Square in New York City, the United States, on April 22, 2023. Numerous events were held at over 30 locations across New York City on Saturday for a Car-Free Earth Day. Performances, fitness classes and educational activities took place in the car-free streets, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will embark upon a hectic campaigning for the urban local bodies polls from Monday. He will address several election meetings in the southern state. BJP sources here on Sunday said the CM will lead the Partys campaigning for the Civic polls tomorrow from Saharanpur. Yogi Adityanath will hold 75 public meetings, one in each district of the state, in support of the BJP candidates in the municipal elections, sources said. He will address the proposed public meetings in Saharanpur, Shamli and Amroha on April 24 in support of BJP candidates. Along with the CM, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak would also address meetings in all 75 districts. Yogi will also hold election meetings in support of BJP candidates in Karnataka on April 26 and 30. Sources said CMs meetings were in demand from all the districts and election tours of other leaders including CM and both deputy CMs are being fixed in the partys election management team. The first election meeting of Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak will be held in Ghaziabad on April 24 while UP BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chowdhary will kick start from Meerut tomorrow. The first phase of civic polling in 9 divisions would be held on May 4 and the remaining 9 divisions on May 11. The counting of votes to be taken up on May 13. Ahead of the 2024 General Elections, the Indian space agency ISRO will launch the first uncrewed test rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) as a part of the Gaganyaan Mission Indias human space mission. The Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) S. Somanath said here on Saturday the space agency is planning to send up the first uncrewed GSLV rocket in February 2024 as part of the Gaganyaan Mission. The human module will land in the sea. He was speaking to reporters here after the successful launch of two Singaporean satellites TeLEOS-2 and Lumilite-4, with the rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Somanath said prior that there will a test of Gagayaan Mission in June this year where the rocket will go up to 12-14 km and test its safety systems. Queried about the next step in ISRO developing a reusable rocket similar to the USAs Space Shuttle, Somanath said the space agency will send up a Oribital Recovery Vehicle. The vehicle will be in the space for some days and come back. On forthcoming space missions of ISRO, he said the space agency will send the Aditya L1, Navigation satellites, a commercial launch with the heavier rocket GSLV and a mission with Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). According to D. Radhakrishnan, Chairman and Managing Director of NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) the commercial arm of Department of Space, there is emerging demand for SSLV rocket for orbiting small satellites. Similarly after the successful launch of 72 OneWeb satellites for a fee of over Rs 1,000 crore- with ISROs LVM3 rocket, there is a good business potential for that rocket as well, Radhakrishnan said. He said the NSIL is planning to build communication satellites and launch the same. Be that as it may, speaking about the Saturdays successful PSLV rocket mission, Somanath said the space agency did some re-engineering to cut costs without compromising on its performance. The ISRO officials are also upbeat about using the PSLV rockets upper stage as a stablised orbital platform on which small payloads are fitted to carry out experiments. The upper stage of PSLV-C55 rocket that went up on Saturday had seven experimental payloads. According to M. Sankaran, Director, U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), the thought of using the upper stage came four years ago as it will be in the space for a long time. Sankaran said the space agency took steps to stabilise the upper stage in space and then upgraded the same. Somanath said commercial electronics are used in the upper stage to make it as an orbital platform and hence its life span will be short. 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. 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. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged visiting President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Odile Renaud-Basso to accelerate the implementation of the banks projects in Ukraine, Zelenskys press service reported. Today, in the conditions of war and urgent reconstruction, speed is a critically important element, Zelensky said during the talks with Renaud-Basso in Kiev, Xinhua news agency reported. The EBRD investments in the private sector and the development projects of Ukraine, especially the housing segment, is a priority for Kiev, Zelensky said. He thanked the EBRD for supporting Ukraine and implementing important projects during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The EBRD said earlier that it is committed to providing 3 billion euros (about $3.3 billion) of financing in 2022-2023 to help keep Ukraines businesses and economy functioning. Last year, the bank deployed 1.7 billion euros ($1.87 billion) in support of Ukraine. In addition, 200 million euros ($220 million) was also directly mobilised by the bank from partner financial institutions. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. GRANITE CITY As the new CEO of Gateway Regional Medical Center, Brian Cotter said he has a lot to do. On Thursday Cotter talked to about 30 business, community and political leaders Thursday morning at the hospital. He said the facility is in need of a tune-up, but plays a vital role in the community. The discussion was part of an Eggs and Issues breakfast sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Southwestern Madison County, which brings in local leaders to discuss various issues or developments in the Tri-City area. Cotter was named CEO of the hospital on April 1, and said he arrived several weeks ago. He has more than 30 years experience in the health care field, most recently as CEO of Barstow Community Hospital in California. He has a masters degree in business administration from Columbus University and an RN degree from Solano School of Nursing. The hospital was purchased this year from Quorum Health Corp by Los Angeles-based American Healthcare Systems. It was founded around 1900 as a private facility, then acquired in 1920 by the Sisters of Divine Providence before being sold in 2001. The sisters operated the hospital, renamed St. Elizabeth Hospital and later St. Elizabeth Medical Center, until 2001, when it was sold to Tennessee-based Community Health Systems Inc. and renamed Gateway Regional Medical Center. In 2015 CHS spun off 38 hospitals, including GRMC, creating Quorum Health Corp. In November it was announced that GRMC was being sold. While introducing Cotter, Chamber Executive Director Rosemarie Brown, who had served on the St. Elizabeth board of directors at the time of the sale, said it was welcomed and CHS made a number of improvements, but when Quorum took over much of that stopped. Now, she said they were looking forward to Cotters plans for the hospital. His talk ranged from personal information about himself and his family, to discussion of the health care field and specifically some issues and planned changes at the hospital. He noted the differences between Barstow and Granite City, especially the humidity. I had no idea pork could be a steak, he said. He also noted that he started in the health field as a medical technician with the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Turkey. Cotter became a registered nurse, then moved to administration. Its an interesting industry, he added. Hospitals change hands frequently, so change is the norm. He said GRMC is in need of a tune-up, but said it has a strong leadership team. We will do the best we can, he added. Cotter also described GRMC as a safety net hospital. We have a community that we have to be here for, he said, adding they are already doing community assessments and will play a role in the community. He also said they are addressing issues in the emergency room, and are meeting with officials from the BJC health system to develop partnerships. He noted that care, especially emergency care, has to be accessible and sustainable. Cotter said he recently talked to ER workers, who noted the lack of on-call workers, which has been addressed. We have to be here in the long term with the ER to serve the community, he said. Hospital is a business, but the business is health care. He also noted it is very complicated and regulated. Cotter also said they have to better utilize the hospitals catheterization lab and encourage in-house dialysis rather than sending patients elsewhere. He also said the hospital has a lot of deferred maintenance that has to be dealt with. He specifically said lighting near the emergency room entrance needs to be improved. Cotter also said staffing is an issue. Although the hospital is certified for 278 beds, they only have staff to serve a small portion of that, so increasing staff is vital. Some of that may involve increased pay, but Cotter said what keeps employees is the working environment. They come for the money, but they stay for the culture, he said. Its not going to happen overnight. When asked what the community could do to help the hospital, Cotter said Believe in us. We have a lot of things to fix, but we have a lot thats right, he said. Tell me the truth, thats really what I need right now. He said they are making other changes, and he expected to see some success by the end of the year. It will take eight to 15 months to get things in line, he added. Im really excited to be here, its a lot of work. EDWARDSVILLE Emergency appropriations of $200,000 to fight trash coming from trucks going to the Roxana Landfill, and $100,000 for new uniforms for Madison County sheriffs deputies, were approved by the County Board at its recent meeting. The two items were among a number of emergency appropriations. Such appropriations are common, usually the result of the receipt of grants after the budget is complete, or unexpected expenses. Trash along routes used by garbage trucks taking refuse to the Roxana Landfill has been an ongoing concern and has recently gotten a lot more attention by county officials. The $200,000 is part of a larger plan to clean up the areas, primarily along Interstate 270 and Illinois 143, then determine a more permanent solution to the problem. The $200,000 will come from the Host Fee Fund, which is funded through tipping fees collected at the countys landfills. Saturday was a volunteer clean-up of the area as part of Earth Day. Also approved is $100,000 for new uniforms for the Sheriffs Department. New uniforms, including the option of load-bearing vests to replace the standard equipment belt used by deputies, is one of a number of ongoing improvements planned by Sheriff Jeff Connor. In addition to updating the departments image, previously he had said there was a very practical consideration. The dark brown shirts are getting hard to find, Connor said. Were looking at basically flipping our colors to a dark brown pants and then a lighter, tan shirt. Chief Deputy Maj. Marcos Pulido also said that because the new uniform is more common, it will be much easier to order. At the same time the department is also considering switching to a load-bearing vest, in part to redistribute the weight of a deputys equipment off of their belts. It disburses the weight, Connor said. Some of that weight would be on their shoulders rather than their hips. Statistics show it lowers the wear and tear on somebodys back. Its a heavy belt, there are 12 hours a day getting in and out of a car and running, he said. Deputies have already been fitted for vests, and most of them have said they are looking forward to the change. Three other emergency appropriations were also approved. The Health Department is receiving a $350,000 grant to support the continuation of COVID-19 vaccination efforts, along with other vaccination programs. The Health Department is also being reimbursed $11,616 for local health preparedness expenditures in 2022. Also approved was a $49,000 emergency appropriation for the Coroners Office for a new vehicle. One of the offices vehicles developed multiple mechanical problems, and it was determined it was not worth to cost to fix. Also approved by the County Board was a $69,670 contract with Fidlar Technologies for a service contract with the Recorders Office, and a change in fee schedules for that office. Recorder fees are set by the state, and recent legislation changed some of those fees. In other business, the board also approved spending up to $40,000 for electronic monitoring devices for subjects awaiting trails or other court procedures; approved a $60,750 contract with Onsolve LLC for the countys Code Red warning services agreement with the Emergency Management Agency; and approved the purchase of a new police vehicle for the Sheriffs Department at a cost of $50,700. BENTON A U.S. district judge sentenced a St. Louis woman to one year in prison after she admitted visiting Metro East credit unions, including one in Glen Carbon, and using fake identification to take out loans. Toneka D. Prince, 20, pled guilty to one count of falsely obtaining property owned by a finance institution and one count of aggravated identity theft. She was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, and two years supervised release, and was ordered to pay $9,800 in restitution. Stealing identities, taking out loans in someone elses name and defrauding a financial institution are all serious crimes, and luckily, the defendant was apprehended, said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. I appreciate our federal and local law enforcement partners for their efforts to bring Ms. Prince to justice. According to court documents, Prince used identification documents of two victims to take out loans. The identity theft victims information would first be used to fill out a loan application. Once approved, Prince would go to the credit union and pretend to be the victim to collect the money. On June 24, 2022, Prince visited the First Community Credit in Glen Carbon to collect the cash from the approved loan. She presented a fake Illinois drivers license with a victims real identifiable information and successfully obtained a cash loan of $9,800. On June 28, 2022, she went to the First Community Credit Union in Fairview Heights and signed one victims name on a loan application for $9,900. In the application, Prince used a fake temporary Illinois drivers license and fake Spire gas bill with the victims real social security number and date of birth included. Law enforcement officers apprehended Prince at the credit union in Fairview Heights. U.S. Secret Service led the investigation with contributions from the Glen Carbon and OFallon police departments. This type of fraudulent activity can be devastating to hardworking citizens and their families, and we appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Attorneys Office to hold individuals accountable for their actions, said USSS Resident Agent in Charge Stephen Webster. The U.S. Secret Service remains committed to identifying, investigating, and pursuing those who attempt to enrich themselves through fraudulent means. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed prosecuted the case. Charan is currently in the US to promote 'RRR' ahead of Academy Awards Chen Xinjiang arranges life vests on his passenger boat in Sinan County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Minghong) GUIYANG, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Cui Lanzhi's home is right next to the Wujiang River, and it's cool when the river breeze blows. The special location makes her family eatery popular among diners. "In addition to the nearby workers, many people drive over from the county seat to eat here," said Cui, 45. Cui, from a village in Yanhe County in southwest China's Guizhou Province, used to be a fisherwoman along the Wujiang River, a tributary of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. She and her husband were able to catch a lot of fish, earning more than 40,000 yuan (about 5,818 U.S. dollars) just by fishery for more than 100 days a year. "Being fishermen is tough. We dined and slept on the boat back then, and sometimes, we fell into the river," said Cui. Luckily, both of them were great swimmers, with no life-threatening conditions encountered. Gradually, the couple found what they could catch was less and less. In 2013, the couple invested more than 300,000 yuan, using their own house to open a family eatery. But they kept fishing to serve their customers fish. To restore the biodiversity along the Yangtze River, China implemented a full fishing ban in 332 conservation areas of the Yangtze River basin in January 2020. The move has been expanded to a 10-year moratorium along the river's main streams and major tributaries, effective Jan. 1, 2021. Responding to the fishing ban, Cui officially retired from fishing in 2019. Later that year, she received a subsidy of more than 70,000 yuan from the local government, which she used to expand her eatery business. Now, the family restaurant can hold 200 people to dine at the same time, with the daily business revenue reaching some 3,000 yuan now. "As it's getting warmer and warmer, more customers come to eat here," said Cui, adding that the business revenue can reach 5,000 yuan during the peak season. According to the county government, all 165 retired fishermen in the county have been transferred to employment. In Xiazhai, a village in Sinan County, Chen Xinjiang stopped fishing in 2019 and applied for a license to operate a passenger boat. Supported by subsidized loans, he bought a 50-seat vessel, which went operational last year. "With my boat, I provide renting services to tourist groups in the daytime and offer night tours for individual travelers in the evening. The monthly business revenue reaches up to 40,000 yuan," said Chen, 50, adding that he also runs an aquatic products shop, with an annual profit of over 100,000 yuan. Sinan County paid more than 9.4 million yuan to 121 retired fishermen in the county as compensation or incentives. The relevant departments also guided them to start their own businesses and provided training for employment and followed-up services to ensure that every household retiring from fishing could be employed. Chen said his wife has just received cabin service training in the city of Zunyi. "As the tourism market has rebounded, we will be prepared for the upcoming peak season," he said. This undated photo provided by the interviewee shows the family eatery run by Cui Lanzhi in Yanhe County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua) Mary Quant, the British fashion designer who died last week at 93, has often been likened to The Beatles. Mostly because when she visited the US in 1966, she was greeted by a sea of fans much like the worlds most famous boy band. A fashion designer receiving such rapturous attention was unheard of. But then, such was the power of the mini skirt, which Quant has been credited with popularising. The jury is still out on who invented the mini skirt. French designer Andre Courreges lays claim to it. But this is yet another cultural superiority battle between the French and the English, for which we will not get clear answers. British Vogue claims the inventor of the mini was John Bates, and neither Quant nor Courreges. American fashion historian Valerie Steele says Quant has more evidence to support her claim. One would think it does not matter who invented the mini skirt, what matters is that it has outlasted every single trend since the 1960s. Except it does matter. More so that a female designer did not get due credit for something so innovative that it was even beyond fashion. I mean, if this was not a grey area, Quant would have enjoyed the legacy that Coco Chanel did just before her. It did not help that Chanel loathed Quant (hated me, in Quants own words), perhaps for reasons more to do with professional rivalry than personal. Mary Quant in 2009 | AP Quants popularity rose in post-war Britain, especially after she opened a little fashion boutique called Bazaar. She became a great influencer. This was the time of womens sexual liberation, the invention of the birth control pill and the release of feminist author Betty Friedans seminal book, The Feminine Mystique. Quant stood for a young London that wanted to leave behind the horrors of war and the puritanical nature of the previous generation. The young and rebellious woman wanted a new energy, and obviously a new wardrobe to match. It also helped in running to catch a bus, Quant would often say about her mini, giving the downsized skirt a practical as well as an anarchistic edge. It is amazing to see how the works of women designers are so startlingly different from their male counterparts. Male designers, even if homosexual, play out a mans fantasies in a womans wardrobe. She is always elegant (Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent), overdressed like a trophy (Valentino), or sexualised like a Versace/ D&G kitten. Women designers make clothes that women want to actually wear. Like Chanels pant-suits, Quants minis with pockets and gamine dresses, Donna Karans everyday staples, or Diane Von Furstenbergs wrap dresses that go from work to after-hours effortlessly. I have gone blue in the face defending Maria Grazia Chiuris showcase in Mumbai a couple of weeks ago. Underwhelming? No, its ready-to-wear. Besides, anyone who has been following Chiuri in Dior can tell she advocates working-girl clothes for the working girl. Quant and her coterie of female designers have struggled to bring themselves out of the ivory tower the fashion system insists on locking them in. It still wishes to tell these ladies how to do their jobs, completely ignoring that women would know womens bodies, as well as what to put on them, better than men. Womens bodies and clothing are still political battlefields, with several states in the US seeking to ban abortions altogether, and women in several countries fighting for their right to wear a head-dress or their right not to wear one. Its interesting to note that in her 1966 autobiography, Quant described fashion as a tool to compete in life outside home. @namratazakaria Our Constitution, lauded as the worlds longest and one of the finest, is said to contain prescriptions for most of the problems that our politics, which is often the art of the impossible, can throw up. Yet there are occasions, however rare, when we find the Constitution being silent, and its pundits clueless. The Constitution says that a bill passed by the legislature shall become law only after the president, or governor in the case of a state, gives his assent. If he returns the bill, and if the legislature passes it again and sends it to him, he is bound to give his assent. But what if he does nothing on presentation of a bill for the first time? That is, if he simply sits on it? The Constitution is silent on this; it does not prescribe a time frame for the president or the governor to sign on the dotted line, or tear it up on any perforated line. Illustration: Bhaskaran President Zail Singh used this silence of the statute to the hilt; he killed Rajiv Gandhis postal bill, which was not to his liking. The postal bill, if you dont know, was one which empowered your postmaster to open your love letters, an ungentlemanly act in those pre-hacking days when epistolary privacy was an article of faith in decent democracies. Zail knew that if he sent the bill back, the government would get it passed again by the houses, and present him with fait accompli. So he just kept it in his pocket. Soon constitutional pundits came out with a new political phrasepocket veto, a stage where a bill is neither alive nor dead or, to borrow a phrase from the Dracula stories, it is undead. Since then governors who have quarrels with their governments have been taking pages out of Zails pocket, and keeping bills undead with them, leaving their CMs fretting and fuming. The trend has been spreading among more and more governors in opposition-ruled states. Last week, however, Governor N. Ravi of Tamil Nadu (or Tamizhagom, as he pleases) tried to give a finality to the situation. Addressing a few civil service aspirants who came calling at his Raj Bhavan, he said a bill is dead if the governor has not given assent. The death verdict from the Raj Bhavan brought back to life all the dead and buried federal spirits in Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. In no time he marched into the assembly, told the law-makers that a law that they had passed so as to save young men from getting trapped in gambling debts, was lying dead with the governor. The law-makers passed a resolution, urging the president, who had appointed Ravi and all the governors, to prescribe a time frame for governors to sign bills. Prompt came a statement from the Raj Bhavan that the governor had signed the bill two days earlier! Soon Stalin was telling opposition CMs across India to take leaves out of his pocket and get their assemblies adopt similar resolutions. For sure, said Keralas Pinarayi Vijayan, Chhattisgarhs Bhupesh Baghel et al. Telanganas K. Chandrasekhar Rao has other ideas. He has approached the Supreme Court seeking directions to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to clear his bills, one of which has been pending since September. Whether the court would listen or not is yet to be seen, but the move has had its own effect. Hours before the case came up for hearing last week, the governor cleared three bills and sent back two. Anyway, it looks like the phenomenon of pocket veto is finally ending. Moral of the story: Where theres a will, theres a way. Where theres a bill, theres a pay. Where there is a bill blocked, there is a way out. prasannan@theweek.in Gangsters Atique Ahmed and brother Ashraf were gunned down while in police custody by three young men who shot them at point blank range, even as the Uttar Pradesh Police looked on and didnt fire back. This, when they had shot dead Atiques son a couple of days earlier for allegedly shooting at the police. Rightwing social media ecosystems erupted in applause. A fairly basic application of rationality, a vague idea of rule of law and knowing why courts and judicial processes exist, would make one realise what a gross travesty the murder-in-custody-on-live-TV is. And one neednt have to put up a disclaimer that one has no love lost for Atique. Of course, we dont! He was a convicted criminal and a known gangster. But even convicts are guaranteed right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution and the right to a fair trial. UP has seen 183 encounters by police since Yogi Adityanaths ascent to CM-ship. What is as worrying as the collapse of any notion of law and order is the acceptance and applause this seemingly staged custodial murder is eliciting in public discourse in India, for some years now. I remember first noticing this in 2008, on a Mumbai local train about a month after the terrorist attacks in the Taj hotel, the Oberoi, CST and other parts of Colaba. Mumbai was in shock and Mumbaikars were seething. I was heading back to the suburbs. A group of women were talking. We should do a nuclear attack on Pakistan. We should erase the existence of Pakistan. It was the first time in my memory that channels had begun a shrill trial on the captured terrorist Ajmal Kasab. There was a bloodlust in the public discourse. Luckily for rule of law in this country, the then government subjected Kasab to a proper trial as per the law of the land. That was not a sign of the love for Kasab, it signalled a respect for the legal and judicial processes. The same bloodthirsty din was raised after the heinous Nirbhaya gang rape case in Delhi. The six rapists who were arrested were jailed and placed under trial. One of them died in jail by suicide, but five others were punished as per the law of the land. One was acquitted after serving the maximum term a juvenile can serve under Indian law and four were hung to death. Even Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhis assassin, was afforded a fair trial although mass sentiment at the time surely would have eliminated Godse on the spot. The simplest argument in favour of rule of law is that the state, which possesses power to rule and has the capability and legitimacy to resort to violence, must operate with due processes that are accepted as fair, equal and dispassionate. Quite simply, the state is neither arbitrary nor vindictive. And democracies have added credibility as their laws are seen as having been accepted by the people, for they are made by representatives of the people, elected by people themselves. Each time the state or its agencies abdicate the responsibility of conducting themselves as per the due process of law, they lose the legitimacy of being responsible guardians of law and executors of power and violence. Each time a state allows a mob to run rampant and function with impunity it only loses its own right to rule. There is no greater betrayal than the abdication of responsibility by those who have the power and are responsible to protect us. Thats why abuse of children by parents is particularly horrifying. Similarly, abuse of power by the state and human rights violations by state agencies are particularly harmful. An extrajudicial killing, a custodial death or an encounter are not things to be celebrated. These signal a state of lawlessness. They are a sign that the agencies have depleted credibility because they are acting like criminals. When those in power act like criminals, that is not strong governance. That is anarchy. The writer is an award-winning Bollywood actor and sometime writer and social commentator. Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh was lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam after being flown in a special chartered flight from Punjab on Sunday. Reports said a team of central intelligence agencies including the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) will reach the jail to question the Waris Punjab De chief. Amritpal, who was on the run for more than a month, was arrested Punjab Police on Sunday morning from a Gurudwara in Moga district. "He has been kept in a special cell under tight security. A team from Punjab Police is present in the jail along with personnel of Assam Police," a senior officer said. Nine of his aides, who were arrested earlier, have also been lodged in Dibrugarh jail. "He will be questioned on his association with his sympathisers and his source of funding. Because, intelligence agencies have got a lot of inputs regarding his association with handlers in Pakistan and other countries," a senior official told ANI. The officer said Assam Police has been asked to beef up security around the jail premises and that the visitors need to be thoroughly frisked. A team of the Central Armed Police Force (CRPF) has also been deployed on the jail premises. Amritpal had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. The Punjab Police had invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the Khalistan sympathiser. Several cases have been lodged against the radical preacher and his associates for allegedly spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and obstructing the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Amritpal was taken into custody at 6.45 am as he came out of the Gurdwara in Rode, the place where he took over last year as the chief of Waris Punjab De. Two months after he and his followers stormed the Ajnala police station complex demanding the release of his aide Lovepreet Singh, radical preacher and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh has ended up in police custody. From being a truck driver in Dubai till 2021 to becoming the chief of Waris Punjab De, Amritpal Singh's rise has been astronomical. Here is the timeline of how he emerged as the country's most wanted man. 2012: Amritpal leaves for Dubai to work with his uncle Harjith Singh Sandhu. September 2021: Deep Sidhu creates 'Waris Punjab De' as "a pressure group to protect and fight for rights of Punjab and raise social issues." Sidhu was already famous by then as an important part of the farmers' protest against the Narendra Modi government's farm laws. February 15, 2022: Deep Sidhu dies in a car accident. September 29: Amritpal Singh appointed 'Waris Punjab De' chief. A letter of appointment was also posted on Facebook. Sidhu's family was reportedly not happy about Amritpal heading the organisation as they claim Sidhu himself had maintained a distance from Amritpal. February 23: Amritpal Singh and his supporters, armed with swords, storm into a police complex in Ajnala, Amritsar, demanding the release of his aide Lovepreet Singh aka Toofan who was being charged with kidnapping. February 24: Ajnala court ordered the release of Lovepreet Singh. March 2: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter's residence in Delhi. It was at this meeting that a decision was taken to initiate a crackdown against Waris Punjab De chief and his aides. Shah promised Mann every possible help, including sending Central Armed Forces. March 18: Punjab Police begins a crackdown on Amritpal Singh and his aides. 73 people were arrested. However, Amritpal escapes the police net. March 19: Punjab Police declares Amritpal Singh a fugitive March 28: Police chase the vehicle carrying Amritpal and his aide Pappalpreet Singh. Both manage to evade the police once again. March 30: Videos and one audio clip of Amritpal surface on social media. He is heard asserting that he was not a fugitive and would soon appear. April 10: Punjab Police arrests pro-Khalistani sympathiser and Amritpal's aide Papalpreet Singh from Hoshiarpur. April 20: Amritpal Singh's wife Kirandeep Kaur stopped from boarding a flight from Amritsar to the UK. April 23: Amritpal Singh arrested from Moga in Punjab. He reportedly surrendered before the police. Denying reports that radical preacher and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh surrendered before the police, Punjab Police Inspector General of Police (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said that Amritpal was surrounded by police personnel leaving him with no way to escape. Amritpal Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police at around 6:45 am from the village in Rode after absconding for more than one month. "A joint operation was conducted by the Amritsar Police and the intelligence wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. He was surrounded from all sides, the village was surrounded by Punjab police," Gill told a press conference on Sunday, hours after Amritpal ended up in police custody. He added that police did not enter the gurudwara in Moga where Amritpal was giving a sermon to follow the sacred place's "maryada." "To maintain sanctity, the police did not enter the gurdwara and since he knew that he had no way to escape now, he was surrounded by Punjab Police. The village was surrounded by Punjab Police from all sides," he said. The police chief added that Amritpal has been taken to Dibrugarh in Assam under NSA. "National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and these have been executed today morning. Further law will take its own course," Gill added. #WATCH | Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill narrates the sequence leading upto to the arrest of Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh "...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar pic.twitter.com/0KZzO7LwKx ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 Meanwhile, the police have accused Singh of attempted murder, obstruction of law enforcement, and creating disharmony. Gill's statement on surrender comes after Amritpal, in a sermon given just before ending up in police custody, claimed that he was surrendering. In a video that surfaced on social media, Amritpal was seen addressing a gathering at a gurdwara in Rode village in Moga. 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh at a Gurudwara in Moga district. Punjab Police arrested Singh from Moga on Sunday morning | PTI "It is the birthplace of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. This is the place where my 'dastar bandi' (turban tying) ceremony was held. We are standing at life's critical juncture. During the past month whatever took place, you have seen that all, he said in the video. "A month back, 'excesses' were unleashed by the government against Sikhs. Had it been only the question of (my) arrest, then perhaps there were many ways of arrest and with which, I would have cooperated," he could be heard saying in the video. "In the court of Almighty, I am not guilty but I could be guilty in the worldly court," he said. "After one month, I decided that we fought on this land, we will fight on this land and will never leave this land," he stated. He further said he will face false cases, which have been registered against him by police, in the courts. "On the same place (Rode where he was anointed), I decided to surrender and this arrest is not an end, it is the beginning," he said. He was also heard saying that the bunch of lies created against him will be demolished by the Almighty. Jasbir Singh Rode, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, too claimed Amritpal surrendered and that he was present when he did so. He told reporters in Moga that Amritpal addressed a gathering and later came out of the gurdwara to surrender. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. The unsaid rule in Punjab that there cannot be a Bhindranwale-II was established yet again on April 23 with the arrest of self-styled radical preacher Amritpal Singh from Rode village in Moga district of Punjab. Minutes after his arrest, he was taken to Dibrugarh jail in Assam by the Punjab police as he faces charges under the National Security Act that allows the arrested accused to be lodged in jail in another state. The birth place of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale had taken Amritpal to Rode where he wanted to give his last address before arrest. But, Amritpal failed to evoke the same response with neither the crowds swelling in support for any public speech nor a sympathy wave for the fugitive who had been on the run for a month now. The only similarity was the appearance- flowing whites and saffron turban. When Bhindranwale spoke before his surrender in Mehta village in 1981, he asked the crowds gathered there not to indulge in violence. However, the wave of attacks that ensued soon after decried the rule of law and exposed the many mistakes that could have been avoided in Punjab. After 32 years, the Amritpal operation was planned in a manner where there would minimum violence and maximum advantage in curbing any attempts to stoke separatist sentiments by Amritpal and his supporters. To that extent, the operation was carefully coordinated by the counter intelligence wing of Punjab police which laid emphasis on patience instead of using the might of the state to capture the fugitive. The chase was long and daunting after Amritpal escaped the police dragnet in Jalandhar on March 18. The main accused in the Ajnala police station violence with six FIRs against him, Amritpal used a Mercedes, a motorised cart -with his associate Papalpreet Singh - and changed appearances and locations several times before his support base started waning and he started exploring options to leave the country. From taking shelter in the house of a 60-year-old woman in Patiala, using a scooty, snatching mobiles, crossing into Haryana and tapping into religious sentiments of supporters who provided him shelter and food, Amritpal tried to evade arrest for a month till he was surrounded by the police on April 23. Security sources said the fact that he moved without a mobile phone, used VPN to avoid digitial tracking in the mobile phones he used along the way demonstrated that he was using organised networks to find shelter every time he changed location. The police chase went on in Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and border areas as intelligence agencies received inputs that he may try to sneak out of the Nepal border. Throughout his domestic chase, the trans national networks of banned Khalistani networks of Sikh for Justice and Babbar Khalsa International have been active from foreign shores in United Kingdom, Canada, United States where his associates and handlers are learnt to be fishing in troubled waters. The nuisance created by the banned Khalistani outfits outside the country has been a huge challenge for the central and state police agencies who want to prevent any law and order problem within Punjab. The choice to lose the perception battle during the Amritpal chase seems to have worked well for the Punjab police which restricted his exit as well as of his wife Kirandeep Kaur, a UK citizen, when she tried to leave the country. "Between the brain and the brawn, sometimes the brain is required more in counter intelligence operations, said a senior state official. With Aam Aadmi party government in Punjab on a sticky wicket after his flight and central agencies wanting quick results, the carefully crafted operation did not have many takers when it began but gathered steam and support of the centre very soon. The central agencies and state governments were on board as the union home ministry monitored the developments closely. But the local police led the operation keeping in mind the sensitivities involved. Sources said the human networks of Amritpal have been exposed during his month long chase and the police will track his journey to bust the remnants of the Amritpal module. But there are several challenges ahead. The pro Amritpal supporters, however minuscule in numbers, can try and stoke unrest in Punjab; there are cross border terror groups already active in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir; the pro-Khalistan supporters abroad will continue to spread misinformation and protests and the presence of Amritpal in jail will continue to keep the pot boiling for sometime. The cases against Amritpal and his supporters have to be backed by solid evidence to be able to keep them behind bars. But, the key challenge for the police is to dig information on Amritpals handlers who had carefully crafted his image as a radical preacher to make him a poster boy of Khalistan overnight. A day after National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah asked security agencies not to harass innocents during their operation against the perpetrators of a recent terror attack in Poonch, the BJP on Sunday said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister's remarks are unacceptable as those could hamper the probe. The saffron party also said people should also understand the "ill motives" of the NC leadership, which is trying to create a wedge between communities by misusing such critical situations. "Abdullah accused investigation agencies of harassing common people in the name of the Poonch terror attack probe. He should not mislead people and rather ask them to join the probe to punish the culprits as soon as possible," senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kavinder Gupta said here. Five Army personnel were killed and one was seriously injured after their vehicle was attacked by terrorists in Poonch on Thursday. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations. "They (security agencies) have started operations 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 said on Saturday. On Friday, the NC president had said the top security officials in Jammu and Kashmir should look into the lapses that led to the killing of the soldiers. "The area (where the attack took place) is closer to the border. There must be a security issue which they need to check. There has been a mistake somewhere, they should look into it," he had said. Gupta said the NC leadership should ponder for a while that central agencies are probing the case of a terror attack in which five Army bravehearts have given the supreme sacrifice. "The unfounded statements given by Abdullah in context of the Poonch attack are unacceptable as these could hamper the investigation and have the potential to alienate people from the mainstream," he said. The former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister also said people should understand the "ill motives" of the NC leadership, which is trying to create a wedge between communities by misusing such critical situations. "Those who have any knowledge about the terror strike in Poonch should come forward and become part of the probe as five countrymen have lost their precious lives while performing their duties," he said. Days ahead of Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu's planned visit to India, the militaries of the two countries on Sunday held a fresh round of high-level talks to resolve issues at the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh as the border row spills over to the fourth year. The 18th round of military talks between India and China took place at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, people familiar with the dialogue said. It was not immediately known whether there was any forward movement at the talks in the resolution of pending issues. It is learnt that the Indian side insisted on resolving the issues at the remaining friction points of Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh as soon as possible. The Indian delegation at the dialogue was led by Lt Gen Rashim Bali, Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps that takes care of security along the LAC in the Ladakh sector. The talks took place ahead of Chinese Defence Minister Li's visit to New Delhi to attend a defence ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on April 27 and 28. India is hosting the meeting under its presidency of the grouping. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the SCO conclave. Sunday's military talks came around four months after the last round of the dialogue between the senior Army commanders of the two sides. The 17th round of military talks was held on December 20. Following the dialogue, the two sides, in a joint statement, said they exchanged views in an "open and constructive" manner to resolve the "relevant issues" and that it was agreed to maintain "security and stability" on the ground in the region. The statement said the two sides agreed to stay in "close contact", maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. In line with a decision taken at the 16th round of military talks, the two sides carried out disengagement from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in September last year. The Corps Commander-level talks were instituted to resolve the eastern Ladakh row. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area. JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy was on Sunday admitted to a hospital after suffering from a fever. Doctors who attended him said the former chief minister is "medically stable and is recuperating." With barely three weeks left for the elections, Kumaraswamy has been busy with the election campaign. However, the tireless touring reportedly left him exhausted and weak. It was then that the doctors advised rest for the 63-year-old leader. "Mr H D Kumaraswamy was admitted on April 22, 2023 evening to Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road Bengaluru, under the care of Dr Satyanarayana Mysore. He is admitted with symptoms of exhaustion and generalised weakness," the hospital said in a statement. "All relevant medical tests and treatment are being carried out. He is medically stable and is recuperating," it said. Following his hospitalisation, the JD(S) announced the cancellations of all programmes scheduled by the leader. Kumaraswamy, however, requested the JD(S) workers and leaders not to worry, adding that he will participate in the election campaign after resting. Kumaraswamy had undergone heart-related surgery in the past and had been vocal about his intention to quit electoral politics after 2028, hinting that he "needs to take some rest." "After 2028 assembly elections, I will not contest in the polls. I need to take some rest but that doesnt mean I will be away from politics. I will continue to work for the people of Karnataka and its development," he added. Rahul arrives in Hubbali Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being received by party leader Jagadish Shettar upon his arrival in Hubballi | PTI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has arrived in Hubbali, Karnataka, to take part in the Basava Jayanti celebrations at Kudala Sangama in Bagalkot district, a major pilgrimage centre of the Lingayats. Rahul's arrival is seen as a bid by the Congress party to reach out to the Lingayat community, which holds sway in the state. Rahul was welcomed to Hubbali by former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who recently quit BJP to join Congress after being denied a ticket. As part of his two-day programme, Rahul will also participate in Jana Samparka' (public contact) at Vijayapura at Shivaji Circle. On Monday afternoon, he will arrive at Ramdurg in Belagavi to meet sugarcane growers of the region. His literary also include Gadag and a public meeting in Hangal in the Haveri district. Staff of Mainstream Media Limited work at their office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 18, 2023. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/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. DAR ES SALAAM, April 23 (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. 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) 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. 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) "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. Radical preacher and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh has been arrested from Rode village at Moga in Punjab on early Sunday morning. He was reportedly absconding since March 18 after Punjab police launched a crackdown on the Khalistan sympathiser. Punjab Police took to Twitter to confirm the news of the arrest. "Amritpal Singh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by Punjab Police. Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share. (sic)" the tweet read. #AmritpalSingh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share. Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 23, 2023 Meanwhile, there are reports that Amritpal is being shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh jail where other members of Waris Punjab De have already been lodged."He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh," a senior police officer told PTI. He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel, and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Three days ago, Amritpal Singh's wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped from boarding a flight to London at the Sri Guru Ram Dass International Airport in Punjab. She was questioned by the immigration authorities and asked to return along with some relatives who had come to see her off at the airport. Meanwhile, a video has surfaced on social media showing Amritpal Singh addressing a gathering at a gurdwara in Rode village in Moga, where he is heard saying he was "surrendering". Moga is the birth place of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. "This is the place where my 'dastar bandi' (turban tying) ceremony was held. We are standing at life's critical juncture. During the past one month whatever took place, you have seen that all," he said in the video. "A month back, 'excesses' were unleashed by the government against Sikhs. Had it been only the question of (my) arrest, then perhaps there were many ways of arrest and with which, I would have cooperated, he could be heard saying in the video. In the court of Almighty, I am not guilty but I could be guilty in the worldly court," he said. "After one month, I decided that we fought on this land, we will fight on this land and will never leave this land," he stated. He further said he will face false cases, which have been registered against him by police, in the courts. "On the same place (Rode where he was anointed), I decided to surrender and this arrest is not an end, it is the beginning," he said. In the video, Amritpal Singh is heard saying that the bunch of lies created against him will be demolished by the Almighty. A mass marriage scheme of the Madhya Pradesh government stirred a row after some of the would-be brides were found to be pregnant during medical tests, with the opposition Congress seeking to know under which guidelines these tests were conducted and demanded an inquiry into the incident which it termed as an "insult" to the poor. A district official said there was no directive from the administration to conduct pregnancy tests but doctors at the site decided to medically examine those brides who complained of some gynaecological issues. The issue is related to the marriage of 219 couples in Gadasarai town in Dindori district under the 'Mukhya Mantri Kanya Vivah Yojana' on Saturday to mark Akshaya Tritiya, an official said on Sunday. Calling such testing an insult to the poor, Congress legislator Omkar Singh Markam said the state government must clarify what are the guidelines or rules for such pregnancy tests. Dindori collector Vikas Mishra told PTI that directives were issued during the mass marriage event for the detection of sickle cell (anaemia) among participants. During medical examinations, some brides spoke of period issues after which doctors at the site took a decision to conduct pregnancy tests on those with such complaints, Mishra said. "There was no directive from the administration to conduct pregnancy tests. The four women who were found to be pregnant were not allowed to take part in the mass marriage," he added. Under the 'Mukhaya Mantri Kanya Vivah Yojana', the state government provides Rs 56,000 as financial assistance to eligible couples. State Congress chief Kamal Nath demanded a high-level probe into this incident. He cited media reports to claim that more than 200 women were made to take pregnancy tests at the event. I wanted to know from the chief minister if this news is true. If this news is true, then on whose orders was such insult done to the daughters of Madhya Pradesh? Do the daughters of the poor and tribal communities have no dignity in the eyes of the Chief Minister? Madhya Pradesh under Shivraj Singh Chouhan government is leading in cases of misbehaviour with women, Nath tweeted. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister demanded a fair and high-level inquiry and severe punishment for the guilty. This is not just a matter of pregnancy test, but this is about a malicious attitude towards women, he added. 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. Days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a call to his Saudi Arabian counterpart, some Indian citizens were evacuated from the conflict-torn Sudan in a rescue mission conducted by Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Sudan on Friday. According to a statement by the Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry, "citizens of several nationals of brotherly and friendly countries were evacuated." "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 & friendly countries, including diplomats & international officials," Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry statement said. The Kingdom reportedly conducted the evacuation across the Red Sea from Port Sudan to Jeddah. As many as 66 citizens from 12 nations were evacuated, including several Indian nationals. "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. There were reportedly over 3,000 Indian citizens in Sudan. Besides Saudi, the U.S. military too evacuated American diplomats and their families from Sudan. The operation, involving six aircraft, was carried out in coordination with Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), said Reuters. A statement by U.S. President Joe Biden said Washington is temporarily suspending operations at its embassy in Sudan. Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on their ongoing work to assist Americans in Sudan to the extent possible and is working with allies and partners on the effort. According to the World Health Organisation, the fighting has killed more than 400 people since erupting on April 15 between two factions whose leaders are vying for control over the country. Though many countries are planning evacuations by sending planes from Djibouti, their efforts are hampered by the fact that the airports in Khartoum and Darfur's biggest city Nyala are not operational and are "problematic." Meanwhile, fighting rages on in the African nation, leaving hundreds dead and thousands wounded as people continue to struggle for food amid power and water shortage. Despite the three-day ceasefire, fighting continued in the country between the RSF and the military. Both sides accused the other of not respecting the truce. "I dont have a problem with the ceasefire," Hemedti told Al Arabiya TV late on Saturday. "They [the army] did not respect it. If they respect it, so will we." Russia's defence ministry has launched a new advertisement campaign, trying to attract 'real men' to volunteer for its ongoing mobilisation drive for its 'special operation' in Ukraine. According to reports, Russia's defence ministry aims to mobilise four lakh volunteers to strengthen its forces in Ukraine. United Kingdom's defence intelligence reported on Sunday that advertisements have been put up on Russian social media sites, on billboards, and on TV and the new adverts appeal to potential recruits masculine pride, appealing for real men, as well as highlighting the financial benefits of joining up. According to the report, private mercenary group Wagner is also competing to recruit men from the limited pool of Russian fighting-age group since authorities have stopped Wagner's access to prisoner recuritment. It remains highly unlikely that the campaign will attract the MoDs reported target of 4,00,000 volunteers. The authorities are almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilisation for as long as possible to minimise domestic dissent, British Intelligence reported. Reuters reported that the ad invites men to sign a contract with the Russian Defence Ministry for a salary starting at 2,04,000 roubles ($2,495) a month. According to reports, posters seeking professional soldiers have sprung up in the Russian capital in recent weeks offering honourable profession and decent pay. "Our Profession is to defend the Motherland, read posters looking for gunners, sappers, military medics, drivers and tank commanders, Reuters reported. A VAST MAJORITY of the Rohingyas were forcibly displaced from Myanmar. The Rohingya population in Bangladesh has now grown to more than 12 lakh, of which 31,000 have been relocated to Bhasan Char (an island in the Bay of Bengal). The rest are settled in camps in Ukhiya and Kutupalong in Coxs Bazar. They are being managed with the help of the army and the police. There is fencing around the camps and a watch tower. Humanitarian aid is flowing from UN agencies, NGOs and the International Organization for Migration. There are schools in the camp, the Rohingyan youth are being given technical training. The children are educated using Myanmarese curriculum because that is what will help them once they go back. The government is trying to repatriate them. More bilateral talks will be held. Yes, fire hazard exists, but there is no plan to construct shelters with more durable material as the idea is to repatriate the Rohingyas. As told to Sumitra Nair Q/ Is there progress in the talks with Myanmar on repatriation? A/ Recently, there have been several rounds of discussions to resolve issues related to the verification of past residency of the Rohingyas in Rakhine, and to implement a successful pilot repatriation project and create a conducive environment in Rakhine. A technical team from Myanmar visited Bangladesh in March to verify past residency of the extended family members of the Rohingyas considered for the pilot project. We expect to continue discussions with Myanmar to ensure safe, sustainable, voluntary and dignified return of the Rohingyas. Q/ Are western countries ready to accept the Rohingyas? A/ Bangladesh is in touch with western countries to ensure early commencement of repatriation of the Rohingyas and provide them humanitarian assistance while they are here. The creation of a conducive environment in Rakhine is another agenda of our engagement with western countries. The proposal of some western countries to resettle the Rohingyas in third countries is being discussed, too. However, Bangladesh has always made it clear that resettlement cannot be the solution. Q/ Is repatriation the only way forward? A/ Sustainable repatriation is the only way to solve the Rohingya crisis. It will ensure their basic human right to live in their own country. Forced displacement from Rakhine and the temporary stay in Bangladesh are creating various challenges for Bangladesh and the Rohingyas themselves, which can destabilise the whole region. The Rohingyas have been displaced by Myanmar, falsely alleging that they are people from other places. Their stay outside their place of origin will legitimise Myanmars false claim. Q/ There are reports of insurgent groups operating in the camps. A/ Coxs Bazar hosts the largest refugee camp in the world, with one of the largest humanitarian operations. The situation is becoming increasingly untenable in the camps for both the Rohingyas and the host community. The prolongation of the stalemate in repatriation is leaving this vulnerable population more frustrated and is making them susceptible to unlawful activities. They are being used to smuggle drugs into Bangladesh. These can flare up the security situation in the region and beyond. Various Rohingya miscreant groups are active inside the camps and they often engage in armed clashes with each other to take control of certain areas and illegal business including drug and arms trafficking. On several occasions, particularly during anti-drug operations inside the camps, our security personnel have come under attack by armed Rohingya criminals. The Bangladesh government has engaged about 3,000 security personnel, besides members of security agencies, to improve the security situation inside the 33 camps in Coxs Bazar. Three armed police battalions are engaged to manage the law and order situation. Q/ What is the UNHCRs view on the Rohingya crisis? A/ It has been over five years since 7.5 lakh Rohingyas crossed into Bangladesh and the numbers have increased since then. They need humanitarian and emotional support. A majority of them wants to return as long as they can live with dignity and safety. The UNHCR definitely hopes for repatriation with dignity. While resettlement is what some of the people want, it cannot be the ultimate goal. But we are grateful to the Bangladesh government for accepting the refugees in such large numbers and granting them space to live. Right now, we are focusing on developing skill-driven sustainable activities that will help when they go back. Q/ What about resettlement in the west? A/ In December 2022, the US announced that it would take Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh. Again, we are very grateful for this. The numbers, as of now, might be small, but it will make a difference. Q/ In the last five years, we have seen at least one fire incident each year in the camps. A/ Talks are on to make their shelters with more robust material. But, in the meantime, we have been training the youth in the camps, making them capable of dealing with natural disasters. For example, we are teaching them how to dismantle shelters quickly, so that they can be saved in case of a fire. We are also teaching them how to respond and help their community in case of a firelike evacuation, first aid and so on. We are equipping them with tomtoms (a type of three-wheeler) that can act as water vehicles so that they can prevent the fire from spreading, rather than wait for help. The fire that took place recently was, in fact, managed well, compared with previous fires. It destroyed 3,000 shelters, but there were no casualties. We have also been training them on safely evacuating themselves in case of a flood. Q/ Media reports say there are insurgent groups operating in the camps. A/ The UN condemns any kind of violent or illegal activities. The Bangladesh government, I believe, is very much aware of such activities and are actively taking measures to control the law and order situation. The [refugees] need to be engaged on several levels, or such instances will continue to occur. And the UNHCR and several NGOs are working together to give them counselling-led psychosocial support. It is important to keep the youth engaged. Which is why various organisations are working to help them develop skills, give them education and provide them with livelihoods. At 23, Khushi has delivered around 5,000 babies. She has gained recognition as a midwife thanks to her experience working in health centres at the refugee camp in Coxs Bazar. But Khushi is a woman on a mission; she wants to be a lawyer. She wants to learn human rights, educate her community and empower women. Heres her story: In the camp, education is available only till grade five. I did not want to stop there. I wanted to study more. I saw people working in the campsthey were from different organisations. They were helping people; speaking in English. This inspired me. Initially, I was shy. But I realised that if I study more, I will be able to help more people. So I sought the help of my teacher, a Bangladeshi national, to get admitted to a Bangladeshi school. They helped me gain a Bangladeshi identity. Rohingyas are not allowed to step out of the camp. At the time, though, the big influx of refugees had not happened. And so I was admitted to a Bangladeshi school, into grade six. I completed grade six and seven. The school was about an hour away. In the meantime, my aunt went to live in Canada as part of a UN resettlement programme. She married a Bangladeshi. So for a while, I lived with her relatives in Coxs Bazar. Being educated till class seven was not enough for me. So I enrolled in a higher secondary school; I taught pre-KG students to pay my fees. My parents, especially my father, were not all that supportive. My father wanted to marry me off. But my mother stood her ground and often got beaten up. She would sell a portion of the supplies we got to help pay my fees. My main aim was, and is, to support other women in my community. I wanted to become a lawyerI still doand so I enrolled in Coxs Bazar International University to study law. So many questions would rise in my mindmy community is human like all others, then why are they being treated differently? Why are they leading such a life? I was doing well in law school. But, as I was about to start term three, my identity was revealed and I was suspended. I was naive. A researcher was writing an article about the plight of the Rohingya in camps and I spoke about the plight of women. The article became viral online and my identity was revealed. This was in June 2019. I started getting a lot of rape and death threats. People even threatened to throw acid on me if I continued to study. Members of my community made rude comments about me and my family. They assaulted my character. My life has been in limbo; my dream to become a lawyer is paused. But I continue to do social work. I am 23 today. Women need to be empowered. A lot of women know nothing about family planning; they dont know how to take initiative about it either. Women need to be made aware of different issues they face. They keep giving birth and, a lot of times, without the help of medical professionals. They get infected and suffer. They do not need to suffer. New York, Apr 23 (PTI) Bodies of two Indian students have been recovered after they went missing at a lake in the US state of Indiana, according to media reports. Siddhant Shah, 19, and Aryan Vaidya, 20, went swimming at Monroe Lake, roughly 64 miles southwest of downtown Indianapolis, with a group of friends on April 15 but didn't resurface, the USA Today newspaper reported. Both students attended IUs Kelley School of Business. They were missing in the water since April 15. The bodies have been recovered after a massive search that was hampered by severe weather conditions, officials said. The bodies were located and recovered by search crews on April 18. Shah and Vaidya were boating on a pontoon on April 15 when their group anchored to swim. Both men did not resurface and friends attempted to help them but were unsuccessful, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources was quoted as saying by the newspaper. One of the men was struggling in the water when others jumped in to help, said Lt. Angela Goldman, a Department of Natural Resources representative. Divers searched using sonar and scuba divers, and all day on April 16 under windy conditions, Goldman said. The lake was busy with boaters on April 15, which was sunny and warm. But the next two days, cold rain and the wind changed the nature of the lake, which was mostly deserted. "With 15-to-20-mph sustained winds, we're struggling with that," Goldman said. "A lot of the technology we use that makes things more precise needs better conditions. When dealing with whitecaps and wind, our sonar is not as effective." Sycamore Schools confirmed that Vaidya is a 2021 graduate of Sycamore High School. "The entire Sycamore community is heartbroken by this sudden loss. Aryan was very involved during his time at Sycamore, including as a member of the student council and DECA," WLWT television station, affiliated with NBC, reported. "Aryans death may raise different emotions for our staff and students. Some of these reactions may be mild, others may be more intense. Our Grief Response Team has been mobilised to respond," the school said in a statement. Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy guide visitors for a tour on a military vessel during an open day activity at Qiujiang Dock in east China's Shanghai, April 22, 2023. The PLA Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Yu Junhao/Xinhua) QINGDAO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. As part of the celebration, members of the public are invited to visit 28 military vessels at anchor. The displayed ships comprise a diverse range of classes, including guided-missile destroyers, guided-missile frigates, and hospital ships. Military enthusiasts boarded the naval training ship Deng Shichang, which was docked in Lyushun in the city of Dalian, to witness military training courses such as war injury rescue at the ship's wheelhouse, medical module, and other spots. In the city of Qingdao in Shandong Province, more than 5,000 visitors were invited to the guided-missile destroyer Kaifeng, the guided-missile frigate Daqing, the comprehensive supply ship Kekexili Lake and the comprehensive submarine rescue ship Hongze Lake on their first day of docking. Also in Qingdao, China's first new-generation home-built guided-missile destroyer Nanchang welcomed students and teachers from Fudan University and China University of Petroleum ahead of the founding anniversary of the PLA Navy. The destroyer took part in a joint naval drill with the Russian navy in October 2021, which was the first time for the warship sailing in foreign waters. Xu Wenqian, who is stationed on the warship, said, "The Chinese Navy has the right to grow stronger." The destroyer conducting exercises outside China's waters serves the need for self-defense and safeguarding the country's legitimate rights and interests, Xu added. At Shanghai's Wusong Port, local residents participated in the special activities held at the guided-missile frigate Jiaxing, such as light weapons disassembly and assembly, and simulated shooting. People in Hainan Province were invited to a naval aviation brigade of the Southern Theater Command to learn about military history, observe weaponry and equipment, and communicate with navy troops. Laser shows were organized in a number of cities including Shanghai, south China's Guangzhou, and east China's Ningbo. Videos and digital posters to mark the anniversary celebrations were displayed on electronic screens and mobile televisions at public venues across the country. Navy bands performed at several scenic spots in Qingdao. Units of the PLA Navy also held national flag-raising ceremonies. The PLA Navy was founded on April 23, 1949. This photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows the guided-missile frigate Daqing (front) and the guided-missile destroyer Kaifeng on display during an open day activity at the Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Sun Fei/Xinhua) A soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy guides visitors for a tour on a military vessel during an open day activity at a military port in Zhanjiang of south China's Guangdong Province, April 22, 2023. The PLA Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Wang Keman/Xinhua) A band of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy performs at the Xiaomaidao Park in Qingdao of east China's Shandong Province, April 18, 2023. The PLA Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Wang Guangjie/Xinhua) A soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy demonstrates rope-knot-making techniques for visitors during an open day activity at a military port in Zhoushan of east China's Zhejiang Province, April 22, 2023. The PLA Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Liu Wei/Xinhua) A soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy demonstrates quilt-folding for visiting students during an open day activity at a military port in Ningde of southeast China's Fujian Province, April 22, 2023. The PLA Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Zhu Bailin/Xinhua) A soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, with a blindfold, demonstrates pistol disassembling and assembling for visitors during an open day activity at a barrack in east China's Shanghai, April 22, 2023. The PLA Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Wang Shuoxinyu/Xinhua) Students and faculties visit a military vessel during an open day activity in Ningbo of east China's Zhejiang Province, April 23, 2023. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Meng Yinqi/Xinhua) Soldiers of the navy of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) prepare an artifact in commemoration of the 74th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy, April 23, 2023. The PLA Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Gao Xianglong/Xinhua) This photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows a navy-themed light show projected on tall buildings at Fushan Bay in Qingdao of east China's Shandong Province. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Liu Zaiyao/Xinhua) This photo taken on April 21, 2023 shows a navy-themed light show projected on tall buildings at a square in Yantai of east China's Shandong Province. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has organized a range of open day activities across the country to mark its 74th founding anniversary that fell on Sunday. A total of 62 PLA Navy barracks in 22 cities, including Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have been open to the public since Friday. (Photo by Wu Jianghong/Xinhua) Khartoum (Sudan), Apr 23 (AP) The US military airlifted embassy officials out of Sudan on Sunday and international governments raced to evacuate their diplomatic staff and citizens trapped in the capital as rival generals battled for control of Africa's third-largest country for a ninth straight day. Fighting raged in Omdurman, the city across the Nile from Sudan's capital, Khartoum, residents reported. The violence came despite a declared truce that was to coincide with the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. We did not see such a truce, said Amin al-Tayed from his home near state television headquarters in Omdurman. He said heavy gunfire and thundering explosions rocked the city. The battles did not stop, he said. Thick black smoke filled the sky over Khartoum's airport. The paramilitary group battling the Sudanese armed forces claimed the military unleashed airstrikes on the upscale neighbourhood of Kafouri, north of Khartoum. There was no immediate comment from the army. After a week of bloody battles hindered rescue efforts, US special forces swiftly evacuated some 70 US embassy staffers from Khartoum to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia early Sunday. Although American officials said it was still too dangerous to carry out a government-coordinated mass evacuation of private citizens, other countries scrambled to evacuate their citizens and diplomats. France and the Netherlands said Sunday they were organising evacuations for embassy employees and nationals, along with some citizens of allied countries. French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said France was undertaking the operation with the help of European partners. The Netherlands sent two air force Hercules C-130 planes and an Airbus A330 to Jordan ahead of a possible rescue mission. "We deeply sympathise with the Dutch in Sudan and will make every effort to evacuate people where and when possible," said Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren. The fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces, has targeted and paralysed the country's main international airport, reducing a number of civilian aircraft to ruins and gutting at least one runway. Other airports across the country have also been knocked out of operation. Overland travel across areas contested by the warring parties has proven dangerous. Khartoum is some some 840 kilometres (520 miles) from Port Sudan on the Red Sea. But some countries have pressed ahead with the journey. Saudi Arabia on Saturday said the kingdom successfully evacuated 157 people, including 91 Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries. Saudi state TV released footage of a large convoy of Saudis and other foreign nationals travelling by car and bus from Khartoum to Port Sudan, where a navy ship then ferried the evacuees across the Red Sea to the Saudi port of Jeddah. The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudan's heady hopes for a democratic transition. More than 400 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and more than 3,500 have been wounded in the fighting. Hospitals say they are struggling to cope. Many dead and wounded have been stranded by the fighting, according to the Sudan Doctors' Syndicate that monitors casualties, suggesting the death toll is probably far higher than what is publicly known. The fighting has left millions of Sudanese stranded at home hiding from explosions, gunfire and looting without adequate electricity, food or water. On Sunday, the country experienced a near-total collapse of internet connection, according to NetBlocks.org, an internet monitoring service. Thousands of Sudanese have fled the combat in Khartoum for the suburbs. The capital has become a ghost city, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Doctors' Syndicate. Half of the population have fled and the rest are looking desperately for a way to get out of this hell. The fighting has trapped civilians including foreign diplomats in the crossfire. Fighters attacked a clearly marked US Embassy convoy last week, and stormed the home of the European Union ambassador to Sudan. On Sunday, gunfire wounded an Egyptian diplomat in Sudan, said Ahmed Abu Zaid, spokesman for Egypt's Foreign Ministry, without offering further details. 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 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 and opened a troubled new chapter in the country's history. (AP) GRS (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) Washington, Apr 23 (AP) US troops are carrying out a precarious evacuation of American embassy staffers in the African nation of Sudan, shuttering the US embassy there as fighting rages for a ninth day, according to a senior Biden administration official. Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier on 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. US forces were airliftng them from a landing zone at the embassy to an unspecified location. The State Department has suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might resume functioning. (AP) PY PY Washington, Apr 23 (AP) US troops are carrying out a precarious evacuation of American embassy staffers in the African nation of Sudan, shuttering the US embassy there as fighting rages for a ninth day, according to a senior Biden administration official. US troops that airlifted embassy staff out of Khartoum have safely left Sudanese airspace, a second US official confirmed. 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. US forces were flying them from a landing zone at the embassy to an unspecified location. The State Department has suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might resume functioning. According to the World Health Organisation, fighting has killed more than 400 people since erupting April 15 between two factions whose leaders are vying for control over the country. The violence has 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 has said it has no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of American citizens trapped in Sudan. An estimated 16,000 private US citizens are registered with the embassy 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. 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 US government-coordinated evacuation of private US citizens". The US evacuation planning got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that US troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. 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. (AP) PY PY Thane, Apr 23 (PTI) Police have arrested five persons for allegedly kidnapping a 38-year-old doctor and extorting Rs 30 lakh from him last year in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said. The doctor was on his scooter on October 22, 2022 when a man took lift from him. After they travelled some distance, the man and his associates, who also arrived there, allegedly took the doctor forcibly in a car to a forest at Saralgaon in Murbad area, covered his eyes and beat him up. The accused also called up the doctor's wife and allegedly extorted Rs 30 lakh before releasing him, Murbad police station's senior inspector Prasad Pandhare said. The doctor lodged a police complaint 25 days after the incident, he said. A police probe team worked on various angles of the crime as they did not have any clue about the culprits. The police analysed 2.50 lakh data dumps of various mobile phones and managed to get the tower locations of the accused, the official said. The probe team zeroed-in on the accused a couple of days back and arrested them on Saturday, he said. The motive behind the crime was yet to be ascertained, the official said. A local court has remanded the accused to police custody till April 26, he added. Dibrugarh (Assam), Apr 23 (PTI) A special flight carrying radical preacher Amritpal Singh from Punjab landed at Dibrugarh airport on Sunday, officials said. According to official sources, Singh was brought aboard a special flight from Bathinda after his arrest by Punjab Police during early Sunday morning. He will be taken to the town's central jail which has been converted into a high security jail ever since some of Singh's associates were brought here to be lodged. "His flight landed at 2:20 pm. After necessary formalities, he will be taken to Dibrugarh Central Jail in a security convoy," a senior official told PTI. Dibrugarh Traffic Police has been alerted for road clearance from the airport to the prison, a 15-km stretch. A special team is in place along with policemen in plain clothes. Dibrugarh (Assam), Apr 23 (PTI) A special flight carrying radical preacher Amritpal Singh landed at Dibrugarh airport on Sunday from where he will taken to the Central Jail located in the Upper Assam town, officials said. Singh was flown in the special flight from Bathinda after his arrest by Punjab Police earlier in the day, they said. "His flight landed at 2:20 pm. After necessary formalities, he will be taken to Dibrugarh Central Jail in a security convoy," a senior official told PTI. Dibrugarh Traffic Police has been alerted for road clearance from the airport to the prison, a 15-km stretch. Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police around 6.45 am from Rode village in the northern state, after remaining absconding for more than a month. Altogether, nine of his associates are presently lodged at Dibrugarh Central Jail. Security in and around the jail premises has been beefed up since March 19, when four members of the Waris Punjab De (WPD) were brought here in the first batch. Patna, Apr 23 (PTI) A day after Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary vowed to reduce Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his party to dust in the next Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Kumar said leaders of the saffron party have become brainless. The JD(U) de facto leader was replying to a query from journalists about Choudharys remark that Kumar will be turned to dust (mitti mein mila denge) in the next general elections for his betrayal. They (BJP) are brainless (Buddhihin) people. Tell him (Samrat Choudhary) to do what he said. I have never used such words in my entire political career. No sensible politicians use such words. I have also worked with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, I have a lot of respect for him. The state BJP president had said at a function here on Saturday that Nitish Kumar had backstabbed the BJP and joined hands with RJD chief Lalu Prasad to pursue his prime ministerial ambitions. With the help of the the BJP, Nitish Kumar became the chief minister five times. Now the JD (U) will bite the dust.BJP will grind Nitish Kumar into dust in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as well as the assembly elections in Bihar in 2025. Nitish had dumped the BJP and formed the Mahagathbandhan government with RJD, Congress and other parties in August 2022. On his efforts to form an alliance of opposition parties against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Kumar said, We are trying to unite more and more parties in the country against the BJP. We will make all efforts and work unitedly. I recently met several opposition leaders in New Delhi. My aim is to unite opposition parties against the BJP before the general elections. When asked about his plans to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kumar said, Whenever, I meet her, I will inform you. During his recent visit to Delhi, Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Besides, he met several other opposition leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kumar has already clarified that he has no prime ministerial ambitions. On several occasions in the past, Kumar said he was looking forward to playing a positive role in forging opposition unity against the ruling NDA at the Centre. Ranchi, Apr 23 (PTI) At least three people were killed and two others were injured in lightning strikes in Jharkhand's Ranchi district, police said on Sunday. Two persons were killed in Itki block, around 25 km from the state capital, while one died in Sonahatu block, around 60 km from the city, on Saturday, a police officer said. "In Itki, a volleyball match was being held at Vidhani village when thundershowers started. Most of the participants went inside a nearby school but four of them took shelter underneath a tree near the ground. When the lightning struck, two of them were killed on the spot and two others were injured," Itki police station in-charge Rajni Ranjan told PTI. He said the two injured were taken to a hospital and doctors said their condition is stable. A 55-year-old man, who was working on his farm on Saturday afternoon, was killed in a lightning strike in Sonahatu block. After prolonged heatwave conditions, Jharkhand experienced rain and thunderstorm on Saturday. Ranchi recorded 14 mm of rainfall, while Jamshedpur saw slight rain of 0.4 mm. Simdega registered 4 mm of showers, while Khunti received 3 mm of rainfall. A weather official at Ranchi Meteorological Centre said that Jharkhand may get a respite from heat conditions till April 26. MOSCOW, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it decided to "mirror" Germany's "hostile" actions and expel German diplomats from Russia. "The German authorities have decided 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. The maximum number of employees in German diplomatic missions in Russia will also be "significantly" limited, it said, adding that on April 5, 2023, the Russian Foreign Ministry officially notified German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr of this decision. The German Foreign Ministry has not made official announcements on this matter. In April last year, Germany announced the expulsion of 40 Russian diplomats, and Russia declared a tit-for-tat move. Kaliaganj (WB), Apr 23 (PTI) Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were clamped in parts of Kaliaganj in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district on Sunday following clashes between police and locals over the death of a 17-year-old girl, an official said. The prohibitory orders were imposed hours before the visit of representatives of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights led by its chairperson Priyank Kanoongo to the deceased's family. "Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed for a fortnight from today as a precautionary measure, though the duration is subject to review. As per the law, we will not allow congregation of four or more people. Action will be taken against violators," the official said. Kanoongo, however, was allowed to visit the girl's family along with three other representatives of the NCPCR. He was accompanied by police. The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights alleged that Kanoongo and his team have visited the area in a bid to "politicise the matter" and that they were violating the CPCR Act. WBCPCR chairperson Ananya Chakraborty alleged that the NCPCR team's visit was "absolutely not needed". "The NCPCR blatantly violated the CPCR Act and entered West Bengal illegally with the sole purpose of maligning the state. They took along with them a large contingent of journalists to the deceased's house in complete violation of the prohibitory orders. This is shameful. They should have informed us about their visit and taken our feedback in the case," Chakraborty told PTI. Meanwhile, an eerie calm prevailed at Kaliaganj amid heavy deployment of police forces in the area. Police have arrested six people in connection their involvement in clashes with police and vandalism following the recovery of the minor's body from a canal on Friday. A case was filed under Section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on a complaint filed by the girl's mother. The preliminary post-mortem report revealed there was no injury to the body, Uttar Dinajpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Sana Akhtar claimed. Chandigarh, Apr 23 (PTI) Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested from Punjab's Moga on Sunday, police said. He has been arrested by the Punjab Police, a senior police official told PTI. Singh had been on the run since March 18 when a police crackdown was launched against him and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel, and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Jaipur, Apr 23 (PTI) Former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday asserted he will continue with his agitation against his own government for action against the corruption in the previous BJP government. Pilot said he is not backing down from the stand he has taken against the state Congress government and has been politely requesting it to take action in corruption cases from the previous dispensation. He said despite his daylong fast on April 11, no action has been taken in such cases. "Speaking truth, raising voice against corruption and injustice, is among the values of the Congress party. Following these values, I observed one-day fast on April 11. Today, it's been two weeks, no action has been taken so far. "So, again I am politely requesting the government to fulfil the promises we had made to the people," Pilot told reporters here, adding that now even demanding action against corruption is being termed anti-party activity. Pilot was speaking to media after offering his prayers at Jhadkhad Temple (Shiv Temple) in the city. He said he welcomes the action taken by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which arrested several corrupt IAS, IPS, RAS and other officers. "The Chief Minister himself had said that ACB is active and has raided several corrupt officers, which we all welcome. But, when he had come into power after being in opposition for five years, we never said that we would arrest a patwari or officer. We had said we will take action in the corruption cases that happened in Vasundhara Ji's tenure," Pilot said. After the Pilot's one-day fast, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said that ACB has arrested several corrupt IAS, IPS officers, which has nowhere happened in the country. People voted for people because corruption was a big issue before Congress came to power, he said, adding that since there is very little time left in the assembly elections, action should be taken. "If we all raise corruption done by the BJP or if I raise the corruption issues of the previous Vasundhara Raje government and demand action on them then I believe that it is in the benefit of the party," Pilot said. He also raised questions over inaction against the party leaders who defied the party's high command in September 2022. "It is true that the incident that took place on September 25 was an open violation of the orders of our Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken were openly insulted. Why hasn't action been taken against them yet? This is the question, the answer lies with the party, Pilot said. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) A 39-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by two youths in a suspected case of road rage in central Delhi's Rajender Nagar, police said on Sunday. The victim was identified as Pankaj Thakur, who worked as a shop helper and also delivered groceries on a part-time basis, they said. The police have arrested the accused Manish Kumar (19) and 20-year-old Lalchand in this connection. The alleged incident occurred around 11.30 pm on Saturday when the victim was standing outside a shop. At that point, the accused arrived from a party in a cab and told him to leave. The two men scuffled with Thakur over his motorcycle being parked in the street, a senior police officer said. "They argued over the space. Kumar and Lalchand got out of the cab and asked Thakur to leave. When he sat on his motorcycle, they pushed him off it and thrashed him," he said. The duo left the bleeding victim and fled the spot. He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the officer added. Based on local intelligence and analysis of CCTV camera footage, the accused were identified and arrested, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Sanjay Sain. Kumar was found to be involved in two other criminal cases, the police said. Investigation in the current case is underway, they added. Jaipur, Apr 22 (PTI) The family of a 38-year-old man who died by suicide six days ago ended their dharna on Saturday, after assurances from the administration on their demands, including action against the accused, police said. The family members of Ramprasad Meena have agreed to end their dharna and perform his last rites, Deputy Commissioner of Police, North, Rashi Dogra Dudi said. Following Meena's death on Monday, based on a complaint by his brother, a case of abetment to suicide was registered against five-six people, including Water Supply Minister Mahesh Joshi. Ramprasad allegedly recorded a video before killing himself in which he blamed minister Joshi and others for driving him to take the extreme step. Joshi, however, rejected the allegations against him and said police should conduct a fair investigation in the case. Ramprasad's family members and relatives had been sitting on the dharna since then to press for demands that include arrest of the accused in the case, compensation and a government job. They were joined by BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena. After the consensus, the MP said five people have been arrested in this episode and the rest of the accused will be apprehended after questioning. He added that the victim's family will be allowed to build a house and a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh will be given to them from the BJP. The family has been allotted a dairy booth and one member is proposed to be given a job in the municipal corporation, officials said. Saturday's talks were held between the victim's family and Jaipur Police Commissioner Anand Srivastava and other top officers. Bengaluru, Apr 22 (PTI) Two "banned-entry" candidates Vinay Kulkarni and G Janardhana Reddy present a picture of a peculiar case in the run-up to the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections. While the Congress candidate Kulkarni can't go to Dharwad, the constituency he is contesting from, following a court-imposed ban, Reddy fielded his wife in Ballari city as he is barred from entry there. Kulkarni's wife Shivaleela filed the nomination on his behalf. "Our supporters are backing us with a firm belief that 'Saheb' will come here. In his absence I am seeking the blessings of the voters asking them treat me as 'Saheb'," she told reporters. Since video and phone calls are the only means to reach out to his voters, Kulkarni in a video message said, "I will immerse myself for you and my constituency. You are my strength who backed me today." Former Minister Kulkarni was arrested and remanded to judicial custody in November 2020 in connection with the murder of BJP leader and Zilla Panchayat member Yogeshgouda Goudar in June 2016. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on the condition that he would not be allowed to enter Dharwad, the district known as cultural capital of Karnataka as it produced acclaimed literatteurs and music maestros, without the permission of the jurisdictional court. The jurisdictional Special Court in Bengaluru had rejected his request requesting entry, after which he had approached the High Court where his petition was dismissed by Justice K Natarajan on Friday. Kulkarni's advocate had argued that he needs to be in the constituency to campaign. The HC observed that the party, which gave him ticket to contest, should have known that he was forbidden by the court from entering Dharwad. The case of former mining baron Janardhana Reddy of the famed 'Reddy brothers of Ballari' is not much different compared to Kulkarni. A former BJP minister, Reddy has been barred by the apex court from entering Ballari in Karnataka and Anantapur and YSR Kadapa districts in Andhra Pradesh in connection with illegal mining case. Reddy had severed ties with the BJP and floated a new party Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP). His brothers G Karunakara Reddy and G Somashekhara Reddy are with the BJP and are contesting from Ballari City and Harapanahalli, respectively, on the party ticket. Since he is not allowed to enter Ballari, Reddy chose to contest from neighbouring Gangavathi in Koppal district. The KRPP leader has fielded his wife Lakshmi Aruna G from Ballari City constituency against his brother Somashekhara Reddy. Lakshmi Aruna was in tears on the day of filing her nomination papers as she missed her husband, who could not accompany with her. She sought the blessings of voters to complete the projects such as ring road, airport, superspecialty hospital and drinking water, which Janardhana Reddy had started but "halted midway." Janardhana Reddy said: "I am concentrating only in those constituencies wherever I have the scope of winning the election. My target is to win 20 to 28 seats. I am building party at the booth level with the available strength," he had told reporters. Barred entry, Reddy cannot canvass for his wife or any other candidates that the party has fielded in Ballari district it considers as its stronghold. Hyderabad, Apr 23 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be addressing a public rally at Chevella near here this evening, BJP sources said on Sunday. His visit is part of 'Parliament Prabhas Yojana' programme, they said. Though Shah was scheduled to meet some of the key members of blockbuster 'RRR' movie team during his visit, the same was cancelled, they said. BJP sources said the saffron party will work with increased focus in Telangana and step up its campaign once the Assembly polls are over in neighbouring Karnataka on May 10. The political one-upmanship between the ruling BRS and BJP has reached new heights during recent times with the war of words between the two parties becoming almost a daily affair. The BJP has been making efforts to emerge as the alternative to BRS and the national party has had reasonable success in a couple of Assembly bypolls and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election during the last three years. Maharajganj (UP), Apr 23 (PTI) Two motorcycles collided with each other in the district, leaving a man dead, police said Sunday. The accident took place on Saturday evening, SHO (Pharenda) Satendra Rai said, adding the deceased has been identified as Sanjay Chauhan (28). The injured were rushed to THE Bankati community health centre from where they were referred to the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur. The body of the deceased has been sent for postmortem. Jaunpur (UP), Apr 23 (PTI) Two persons were killed in a lightning strike in the Chandwak area here on Sunday evening, officials said. Santu Ram (65) and Jeera Devi (45) were grazing goats in Ramgarh village when suddenly it started raining. They were struck by lightning while they were taking the herd to a safer place, District Magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha said. The bodies have been sent for postmortem, the officials said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the loss of lives, the CMs office said. The chief minister has instructed that Rs 4 lakh each be paid to the family members of the deceased, it said. 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. Vote View Results HANOI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The National Convention Center in Hanoi on Saturday was packed with thousands of local people exploring ways to make their dreams of education and career come true by studying in China. Eager-looking university students and their parents from all over Vietnam gathered at a Chinese language study event named "The 2023 HSK Study in China Seminar and Expo", where they asked over 130 representatives of 52 Chinese universities questions about programs and relevant scholarships. Some 60 Vietnamese youths were standing in two long lines before a booth specially designated for examinees of Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), or the Chinese Proficiency Test. Patiently queuing before the booth, a university graduate named Van Anh told Xinhua that he would register to take the coming HSK for himself and his younger sister named My Duyen, a student at Nguyen Van Troi High School in Hanoi. "After completing registration for the HSK, I will come to booths of some Chinese universities, maybe the Communication University of China to get to know their curricula, because my younger sister is deeply interested in journalism and media," the young man said. Next to the queues was a big group of students and their parents asking for information about undergraduate and graduate programs at the booth of Tsinghua University. Gracefully donning Ao dai (Vietnam's traditional long dress), a middle-aged woman named Nguyen Khanh Van said she wanted to know about an undergraduate program on art or literature for her daughter who is as keen as mustard on studying Chinese culture. "My daughter is now studying at the Saigon High School in Ho Chi Minh City, focusing on maths, literature and two foreign languages, English and Chinese, with a tuition fee of 2.5 million Vietnamese dong (106 U.S. dollars) per month. I can afford reasonable tuition fees if she studies at Tsinghua University," Van told Xinhua. The woman said the annual tuition fee for an undergraduate program majoring in social sciences is 26,000 yuan (nearly 3,800 U.S. dollars) and the monthly on-campus accommodation is 1,200 yuan (174 U.S. dollars), much lower than fees in Singapore, let alone faraway destinations such as the United States and Australia. "As far as I know, Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University are China's top universities and have high global rankings. Along with good teaching quality, their low tuition fees and accommodation rates are a very positive point when I consider letting my daughter study there," she said. "I'm going to graduate from the Hanoi University of Technology in the field of automation in a couple of months, so I'm applying for a master's degree program at the Beijing Institute of Technology," Le Hai Nam told Xinhua, while standing at the institute's booth. "China is famous for not only time-honored cultural values but also scientific and technological advancements nowadays. With the increasingly closer cooperative ties between Vietnam and China, the technology transfer between the two countries will strengthen. I can have a bigger opportunity to secure a well-respected and well-paid job if I get a master's degree in automation in China," Nam said. To prepare for studying in China as well as for applying for a scholarship there, the young man with a charming smile has attended free training courses in Chinese and self-studied the language which is spoken by one-fifth of the world's population. "Right from the first year at the Hanoi University of Technology, I bought textbooks, and then installed a Chinese study application on my smartphone to learn Chinese by myself," he said, noting that he is expecting a Chinese scholarship in July. According to Nam, winning a full scholarship will not only help him study and live in comfort in Beijing, but also save 500-800 yuan (72.5-116 U.S. dollars) a month. "If I won't receive a scholarship this time as expected, I think my family can afford tuition fees and living expenses in Beijing. And after graduation there, I will recoup my parents' investment in my higher education soon," he said, broadening into a warm smile. Like Nam, many other local seniors are planning to pursue a master's degree in China and come back to Vietnam, especially their hometowns to bring into play their broadened and deepened knowledge as well as expertise. Nguyen Ha My, a 21-year-old student at the Foreign Trade University in Hanoi, said she was born in the northern province of Quang Ninh bordering China, so since childhood, she has been familiar with cross-border cultural and economic exchanges. "I want to enrich my knowledge about international trade, earn an MBA degree in China, and then return to my hometown to work. Quang Ninh will obviously benefit from the increasingly closer friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and China," the final-year student told Chinese and Vietnamese officials, students and their parents at the seminar. At the seminar, Luo Jianbo, dean of the International Cultural Exchange School of Fudan University, said that setting foot in Vietnam, he immediately felt Vietnamese people's enthusiasm for learning Chinese and local authorities in supporting the activity, which demonstrates full vitality and wide application of Chinese study in the country. Since receiving the first 214 Vietnamese students in 1965, Fudan University has welcomed more and more Vietnamese compatriots, especially youths who are the future of the fine ties between China and Vietnam, he stated. Xi Hui, minister of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, said that in the next five years, China will give Vietnam no less than 1,000 Chinese Government Scholarships and no less than 1,000 International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarships. As President Joe Biden edges closer to announcing his reelection bid, a new poll from NBC News reveals that 70 percent of Americans do not want him to run for a second term. Only 26 percent of those polled said they want the 80-year-old president to pursue a second term. Of those who do not want Biden to run, 69 percent cite his age as a reason why, with 48 percent calling it a major reason. The poll also shows Biden facing a steep uphill climb in a general election, with only 41 percent of Americans planning to vote for him in 2024, compared to 47 percent who say they will back the Republican nominee. Despite these numbers, there is a silver lining for the incumbent president. The poll shows that 38 percent of Americans have a positive view of Joe Biden, compared to 48 percent who have a negative view. This is a significantly better rating than that of former President Donald Trump, about whom just 34 percent of Americans hold a positive view, compared to 53 percent who have a negative view. However, with the news that the president will announce his reelection bid on Tuesday, it appears that a Biden run is on the verge of becoming official. The poll results indicate that the president faces a tough road ahead, with a significant number of Americans calling for him to step down. The poll was conducted just as Biden marked his 100th day in office, and it highlights the challenges he will face as he attempts to secure a second term. With his popularity ratings in the negative, the president will have to work hard to convince the American people that he is the right candidate for the job. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday declined to condemn the anti-Semitic remarks made by his uncle, whom he had previously defended in a college op-ed that recently came to light. Instead, Jeffries simply stated that he does not hold any of the contentious opinions expressed by his relative. In the recently unearthed college op-ed from 1992, Jeffries also defended notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, who has referred to Jews as termites and thats on of the nicer things hes said. I think Ive made clear consistently that I do not share any of the controversial views that were expressed by my uncle more than three decades ago, Jeffries said Thursday. In the college paper, Jeffries had defended his uncle, Leonard Jeffries, who had claimed that rich Jews were responsible for the slave trade and said there was a conspiracy, planned and plotted by Jews to portray black people in a bad light. Jeffries had previously claimed that he had vague recollections of his uncle and that he never reviewed his speeches. The college op-ed strongly suggests otherwise. In the same paper, Jeffries defended Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Dr. Leonard Jeffries and Minister Louis Farrakhan have come under intense fire, Jeffries wrote. Where do you think their interests lie? His uncle, Jeffries wrote, has challenged the existing white supremist [sic] educational system and long standing distortion of history. His reward has been a media lynching complete with character assassinations and inflammatory erroneous accusations, he added. Jeffries also wrote that condervative black people were similar to house Negroes black people who work in slaveowners homes on plantations. The House Negro of the slavery era and the Black conservative of today are both opportunists interested in securing some measure of happiness for themselves within the existing social order, he claimed. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) A groundbreaking revelation was made Thursday when a top officials said that a group of former spies were encouraged by Biden campaign officials to write a letter in 2020 that falsely claimed Russia was responsible for leaking emails from Hunter Bidens infamous laptop. Former CIA Director Michael Morrell told the House Judiciary Committee that he put together 50 top intelligence officials to sign the letter claiming Russian disinformation after a conversation he had with now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The letter had the effect of helping to suppress the Hunter Biden story and preventing American citizens from making a fully informed decision during the 2020 presidential election, Republicans on the committee said. On October 17, 2020, Blinken reportedly contacted Morell to discuss a New York Post story about emails found on Hunter Bidens abandoned laptop. Morell said that Blinken sent him an article that suggested the FBI was investigating whether the laptop was part of a disinformation campaign. Blinkens communication prompted Morell to draft a letter dismissing the email release as a probable Russian disinformation operation, which he forwarded to former CIA Director John Brennan and others to sign. Morell also testified that the Biden campaign helped plan the letters release and expressed a desire to provide it to the Washington Post. The letter was eventually published by Politico on October 19, with the headline Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say. There is no evidence that Russia played a role in the release of Hunter Bidens emails, which provided insight into his business dealings with China and his struggles with addiction. A computer shop owner has claimed that he gave copies of the laptops contents to reporters after Hunter Biden abandoned it at his store in 2019. Morell admitted that he had organized the letter to support Bidens election campaign. Morell said the letter had two intents. One intent was to share our concern with the American people that the Russians were playing on this issue; and, two, it was [to] help Vice President Biden. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) 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 Trumps 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. He has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty. (AP) Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Thursday opened the countrys permanent embassy in Turkmenistan and said the move will strengthen Israels position in Central Asia. Cohen, in the first visit by an Israeli top diplomat since 1994, met with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov. Ties with Turkmenistan have great importance for security and diplomacy, and the visit will strengthen Israels place in the region, Cohen said on Twitter. Opening the permanent diplomatic mission in the capital Ashgabat, about 17 kilometers (10 miles) from the Iranian border, gives Israel its third embassy in former Soviet Central Asia, after Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan, which holds vast natural gas reserves, maintains a firmly neutral foreign policy. It has remained largely isolated under autocratic rulers since independence after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem & AP) Israels Defense Ministry on Thursday said it has begun talks to sell an advanced missile defense system to Germany. The announcement came two weeks after Israel said it was selling another missile defense system to NATOs newest member, Finland. Although Israel has long had close economic and military ties with western European countries, the latest deals could draw the attention of Russia. Israel has repeatedly rebuffed requests to sell arms to Ukraine for fear of antagonizing Russia. It appears to be counting on the fact that the latest deals involve only defensive weapons. Israels Defense Ministry also noted that both deals would also need U.S. approval, because the systems have been jointly developed with the United States. In Thursdays announcement, the ministry said it launched advanced negotiations this week with its German counterparts over the purchase of the Arrow 3, a system designed to intercept long-range missiles outside the atmosphere. Germany has previously expressed interest in the system and been pushing to coordinate a European air defense system with some 15 countries. We value the opportunity to share our capabilities with the partners and allies of the state of Israel, said Boaz Levy, chief executive of state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, the primary builder of the Arrow system. Within the framework of this agreement, we further deepen our security ties between Israel and Germany. Earlier this month, the Israeli Defense Ministry said it had reached an agreement to sell its Davids Sling system to Finland. The system is meant to defend against medium-range aerial threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. The deal was valued at nearly $350 million. I am confident that the cooperation between our countries will further enhance our readiness to respond to regional and global threats, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at the time. While Israel has expressed support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, it has turned down requests to provide weapons. Instead, it has delivered humanitarian aid to Ukraine and promised to deliver a sophisticated air defense warning system. Israel has a delicate relationship with Russia. It maintains security coordination with Russia in neighboring Syria where Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against Iranian military positions in recent years. Russia is also home to a large Jewish community. Uzi Rubin, the former director of Israels missile defense program, said Israeli sales of missile defense systems to Ukraine are unlikely anytime soon. But he said the deal with Finland, and likely Germany, could usher in additional sales to Europe as the continent realizes it must defend itself against the big bad bear of Russia. Europe has lived for 30 years with a kind of illusion that it has no security problems anymore, said Rubin, who is now a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. Now that the big bad bear is out hunting, everybody is scared. (AP) The Jerusalem Magistrates Court on Sunday sentenced the chasan from the hate wedding to four months of community service, probation and a fine. A year ago, the chasan and six other men were convicted of inciting violence and terror for their involvement in a 2015 wedding in which participants celebrated the Duma arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents. A second defendant was sentenced to 180 hours of community service, probation and a fine. The five other defendants have not yet been sentenced. Attorney Moshe Pulaski of the Honenu legal aid organization attacked the courts decision, saying: We believe that this case is all political persecution by the prosecutors office. The court adopted the prosecutions absurd thesis that it saw the event as a demonstration of incitement. This indictment should never have happened. The incident [at the wedding] was disrespectful but it was a spontaneous act without any intention of incitement. The entire event was a protest against the required interrogations which included physical measures used by the Shin Bet against Amiram Ben-Uliel and other boys who were in the basements of the Shin Bet at the time. It was convenient for the state authorities to divert media pressure from this illegal activity of the Shin Bet to an event that should not have happened but does not cross the criminal threshold. In light of all that has been said, we will consider whether to appeal the verdict and the sentence. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) NANCHANG, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A batch of exquisite craft ceramics from small ceramics businesses in Jingdezhen, a world-famous "porcelain capital" in east China's Jiangxi Province, left the city on Wednesday, heading for Dubai. Exports of this batch of 175 pieces of exquisite craft ceramics, weighing 0.96 tonnes and worth 805,000 yuan (about 117,087 U.S. dollars), showcase Jingdezhen's on-going efforts to facilitate ceramics exports of small and micro-sized merchants. It is the first batch of goods officially exported from Jingdezhen through its pilot market procurement trade mode, which features fast customs clearance and VAT exemption. The Jingdezhen ceramic trading market was approved in September 2022, and was among the sixth batch of pilots for market procurement trade in the country. Fang Junmu, who runs a ceramic company, said that the market procurement trade has helped lower the threshold for exports, and he can pack the products and complete the declaration at home, with lower export costs. "I never thought I could sell my ceramic products all over the world from home," he said. With thousands of years of porcelain-making history behind it, Jingdezhen has the most complete handmade porcelain system in the world, drawing the attention of both domestic and foreign customers to personalized porcelain. Jingdezhen has a permanent resident population of more than 1.6 million, with one out of 10 people engaged in the ceramic industry. There are more than 10,000 ceramic and related enterprises and more than 15,000 self-employed businesses. According to Yi Guangying, director of a ceramic art center in Jingdezhen, the market procurement trade has successfully connected individual needs from all over the world with tens of thousands of small and micro-sized ceramics enterprises and manual workshops in Jingdezhen. "Foreign ceramic art lovers can purchase their favorite works in Jingdezhen more conveniently, and the international influence of our ceramic culture will also be significantly enhanced," said Yi. At present, Jingdezhen has established friendly relations with more than 180 cities in 72 countries around the world. Liu Zhao, director of Jingdezhen Customs, said that the customs will continue to optimize the business environment, actively explore the innovation mechanism for supervision and service, and constantly expand the market procurement trade mode, helping to spread ceramic culture around the world. An elderly couple who lost their 80,000 life savings to a fraudster pretending to be endorsed by Martin Lewis claim they were told by their account holder Revolut to use a foodbank when they asked for their money back. Retirees Barbara and Ewan Atkins*, 78, paid nearly 80,000 to a scammer who told them that they were investing in bitcoin and got them to use popular e-money platform Revolut to avoid fraud checks. The conman explained how to set up accounts with Wise, Binance and Revolut, which the couple had never heard of, before giving them instructions on how to avoid triggering fraud prevention processes. But when they tried to withdraw their money and were told they needed to make more payments, the couple realised they had been scammed. They told their daughter and son-in-law, who contacted the banks to report the fraud. But Revolut's response left a lot to be desired, the family said, especially when a complaint response included a link to a foodbank website and the Age UK website. The pensioners were convinced that the scammer was a real investment expert because they believed the investment was backed by consumer journalist Martin Lewis (pictured) Revolut's response left a lot to be desired, the family said, especially when a complaint response included a link to a foodbank website and the Age UK website It comes as senior industry insiders have raised serious concerns about Revolut's ability to deal with cases of fraud and money laundering and said the e-money institution, which is not a bank in the UK, is the 'vehicle of choice' for fraudsters. Mr and Mrs Atkins moved back to the UK from France a year ago. In late February, they spotted an advert for Bitcoin online, seemingly backed by consumer journalist Martin Lewis, and thought it would be a good opportunity to make their savings go a bit further. They clicked through and were called by a man calling himself Michael Hampton, who had a profile online that they thought made him look like a 'dynamic international investor'. He told them that their bank, Barclays, would question the large transactions and that the couple should tell them they were planning a big purchase. Barclays did flag the payments as unusual and called the couple to make sure they were happy to move the money. Read more: We were scammed for thousands... but our so-called bank 'blamed US': More fraud victims speak out after trendy e-money app Revolut refused refunds Daria Tymicka (pictured) had just finished studying game design at the University of Worcester when she lost nearly 10,000 that she had saved while working as a restaurant supervisor The scammer then talked the Atkinses through setting up an account with Wise, a foreign exchange service that was founded in 2011, so that they could invest in bitcoin. They sent 10,000 to the account, which was flagged by Wise and the account was shut. The fraudster then talked the pensioners into setting up a Revolut account, telling them that only the first payment would be flagged on the system. Over the next few days, the couple made 14 transactions of between 3,000 and 5,000, encouraged at every step of the way by the supposed 'investment manager', who called them repeatedly each day. The first transaction prompted a warning message from Revolut, as the scammer said that it would, but none of the other transactions were challenged. The pensioners received daily updates on their nearly 65,000 'investment', which they were told had nearly doubled in value in just four weeks. But when they tried to withdraw the money, they were told by the fraudsters that they needed to pay 10,000 for capital gains tax. At this point, Mr and Mrs Atkins realised that they had been duped and told their daughter and son-in-law what had happened. But it wasn't until they got in touch with the Barclays fraud team that they realised how much money had been lost. Barclays told the pensioners that as it had warned them about the payments and called them before the money left their account it would not refund them the money they had lost. Revolut first told the couple that there had been 'no trace' of fraudulent activity and then said they would not reimburse them - and sent a number of links, in the hope that 'this information helps you understand the situation and stay safe in the future'. Revolut was founded in 2015 by former Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers trader Nik Storonsky, 38, and Vlad Yatsenko, 39 (file image) Their son-in-law and daughter said they were 'disgusted' at how dismissive Revolut had been. They said they couldn't believe the fraud processes at the online platform hadn't picked up the unusual payments more quickly and that the initial response from Revolut said that they weren't fraudulent. Their daughter added: 'Its a permanent weight on our minds. We were shell shocked as well that my parents had been scammed like that.' She said sending a link to a foodbank showed Revolut's lack of interest, insensitivity and lackadaisical approach. 'Everybody knows about foodbanks, so we didnt need to see that as a link from Revolut.' Barbara and Ewan have taken their case to the financial ombudsman. A senior industry insider, a director of compliance at a large firm, said Revolut is the 'vehicle of choice' for money launderers and fraudsters (file image) A senior industry insider, a director of compliance at a large firm, said Revolut is the 'vehicle of choice' for money launderers and fraudsters. They expressed concerns that businesses were struggling to flag potentially fraudulent accounts to the e-money institution. Recent figures for Revolut suggest it has been struggling with protecting customers against fraud, with the number of crime reports made to Action Fraud ballooning to 7,198 last year, up 81 per cent from 3,975 in 2021. That was the fourth highest figure for any firm offering current account-style services, trailing only Barclays, Lloyds and Santander. The data also accounts for cases where the fraudsters funnel money through Revolut accounts, or when an identity has been stolen and a fake account set up. Revolut, which offers current account services but is not a bank in the UK, announced in early March that it would be getting its banking licence 'imminently'. Read more: How fraudster went on 62K Selfridges spree with Revolut card Co-Founder Nikolay Storonsky has previously blasted the Financial Conduct Authority for being slow with Revolut's UK banking licence (pictured in 2018) Revolut is different in this sense to rival challenger banks, which are relatively small retail banks set up to compete with larger more traditional financial institutions. Revolut worth 28billion according to its most recent valuation reported its first ever profit, of 26million, for 2021 in February, as turnover tripled to 636m during the cryptocurrency boom. The challenger bank is not signed up to the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM) in the UK, a voluntary agreement between banks that they will repay victims of some kinds of fraud. A Wise spokesman said: 'We are truly sorry to learn of the scam Mr and Mrs Atkins have fallen victim to. 'Were currently investigating the case and will be in touch with them directly regarding updates on the remaining funds.' Gareth Shaw, deputy editor at Martin Lewis's website MoneySavingExpert.com, said: 'Sadly, this is similar to scams weve been seeing for years. 'Please know and spread the word if you can that neither MoneySavingExpert nor Martin Lewis ever endorse products or investments. 'Here at MSE, we find it so frustrating and disheartening that many scammers get away with it. It's why MSE and Martin Lewis have always tried to close down their routes to the general public and create awareness through campaigning.' A Barclays spokesperson said: 'We have every sympathy with our customer who was a victim of a sophisticated investment scam. 'We urge everyone to stay vigilant to fraudulent investment opportunities. 'Please take steps to satisfy yourself that the person or business you are investing through is legitimate and who you think it is, and check the FCA website and warning list to ensure they are a regulated financial firm before transferring any funds. 'Remember, if the investment seems too good to be true, it probably is.' A Revolut spokesman said: 'We are very sorry that Mr and Mrs Atkins were targeted by ruthless and highly sophisticated criminals. 'We take our responsibility to protect and support our customers extremely seriously and have made significant investments in our systems, processes and people to ensure that our customers are safe. 'When making an investment, we urge everyone to take steps to satisfy themselves that the person they are sending money to is legitimate. We encourage customers to check the investment company is genuine and a regulated firm. If in doubt, seek trusted independent financial advice first.' The e-money institution said it was 'deeply concerned' about frauds involving fake social media advertisements and fake phone calls. *Names have been changed to protect the identity of the victims of the scam. 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.' Critics: Boss Noel Quinn was paid 5.6 million HSBC is braced for a shareholder revolt against boss Noel Quinn over the bank's alleged links to Hong Kong human rights abuses. Investor adviser Pirc has taken aim at the bank a big lender in China as well as the UK ahead of its annual meeting on May 5. It has told backers to vote against Quinn's re-election to the board after HSBC was criticised by politicians in Britain and the US for activities such as freezing the bank accounts of activists in Hong Kong and blocking pension payouts for Hong Kong citizens who fled to the UK. Pirc said: 'While the full impact of these issues is yet to be ascertained, these practices are considered to be examples of a corporate culture not aligned with the interests of all stakeholders.' It also urged investors to vote down HSBC's pay report, which it said handed an excessive amount to Quinn last year 5.6 million and to oust Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, chair of the pay committee. HSBC is one of a slew of FTSE firms that could face a backlash from increasingly active investors this year, particularly as concerns grow over executive pay amid the cost-of-living crisis. Last week, AstraZeneca boss Pascal Soriot was another high-profile name targeted by Pirc, which said he should be removed because of the company's mounting legal battles. Unilever may face a rebellion after another proxy adviser, Glass Lewis, said it had 'severe reservations' about how much boss Hein Schumacher will be paid. His starting salary on arrival in July will be about 1.6 million, which is 18.5 per cent more than his predecessor Alan Jope. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that ShareAction, a charity focused on responsible investing, has set out a hit list of 49 companies that it will urge investors to target at annual meetings in the coming months. Those on its list include British Airways owner International Airlines Group, online grocer Ocado and supermarket giant Sainsbury's. HSBC said it had an 'enduring commitment' to Hong Kong, adding: 'Like all banks, we have to obey the law, and the instructions of the regulators, in every region in which we operate.' 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.' First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP Get Rating) is set to issue its quarterly earnings data before the market opens on Tuesday, April 25th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.35 per share for the quarter. Parties interested in participating in the companys conference call can do so using this link. First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 27th. The bank reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.41 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $219.46 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $241.17 million. First BanCorp. had a net margin of 31.85% and a return on equity of 20.58%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.36 EPS. On average, analysts expect First BanCorp. to post $1 EPS for the current fiscal year and $2 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get First BanCorp. alerts: First BanCorp. Trading Down 0.4 % NYSE FBP opened at $11.29 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $12.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.59. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a PE ratio of 7.10, a PEG ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.11. First BanCorp. has a 12 month low of $10.69 and a 12 month high of $16.40. First BanCorp. Increases Dividend Insider Activity at First BanCorp. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 24th were issued a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 23rd. This is a boost from First BanCorp.s previous quarterly dividend of $0.12. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.96%. First BanCorp.s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.22%. In related news, Director John A. Heffern acquired 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $11.61 per share, with a total value of $34,830.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 84,895 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $985,630.95. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On First BanCorp. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Truist Financial Corp grew its stake in shares of First BanCorp. by 259.6% during the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 62,745 shares of the banks stock worth $798,000 after purchasing an additional 45,295 shares during the period. Point72 Middle East FZE acquired a new stake in First BanCorp. in the 4th quarter valued at $548,000. CI Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in First BanCorp. in the 4th quarter valued at $254,000. Kiwi Wealth Investments Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in First BanCorp. in the 4th quarter valued at $850,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its stake in First BanCorp. by 73.1% in the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 183,139 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,330,000 after acquiring an additional 77,340 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.38% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have issued reports on FBP shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of First BanCorp. in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of First BanCorp. from $14.00 to $12.50 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. About First BanCorp. (Get Rating) First BanCorp (Puerto Rico) is a holding company, which engages in the provision of personal, commercial, and corporate banking services. It operates through the following segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Mortgage Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. See Also Receive News & Ratings for First BanCorp. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First BanCorp. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Commonwealth Financial (NYSE:FCF Get Rating) is scheduled to release its earnings data before the market opens on Tuesday, April 25th. Analysts expect First Commonwealth Financial to post earnings of $0.39 per share for the quarter. Persons that are interested in registering for the companys earnings conference call can do so using this link. First Commonwealth Financial (NYSE:FCF Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 24th. The bank reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.44 by ($0.05). First Commonwealth Financial had a net margin of 29.90% and a return on equity of 12.36%. The business had revenue of $120.59 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.63 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.37 EPS. On average, analysts expect First Commonwealth Financial to post $2 EPS for the current fiscal year and $2 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get First Commonwealth Financial alerts: First Commonwealth Financial Trading Down 1.2 % NYSE:FCF opened at $11.85 on Friday. First Commonwealth Financial has a one year low of $11.57 and a one year high of $16.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.71 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $13.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.03. First Commonwealth Financial Announces Dividend Insider Activity at First Commonwealth Financial The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 3rd were issued a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 2nd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.05%. First Commonwealth Financials dividend payout ratio is currently 35.29%. In other news, Director Ray T. Charley acquired 3,900 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $12.85 per share, with a total value of $50,115.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 325,074 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,177,200.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other First Commonwealth Financial news, CEO T Michael Price bought 13,212 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $13.87 per share, for a total transaction of $183,250.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 321,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,462,755.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ray T. Charley bought 3,900 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The shares were bought at an average price of $12.85 per share, for a total transaction of $50,115.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 325,074 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,177,200.90. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders bought 21,112 shares of company stock valued at $286,405. 1.85% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY raised its stake in shares of First Commonwealth Financial by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 5,758 shares of the banks stock worth $80,000 after buying an additional 710 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in shares of First Commonwealth Financial by 237.0% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 9,955 shares of the banks stock worth $128,000 after buying an additional 7,001 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its stake in shares of First Commonwealth Financial by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 10,234 shares of the banks stock worth $131,000 after buying an additional 1,739 shares during the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in First Commonwealth Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $136,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in First Commonwealth Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $144,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.47% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades FCF has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of First Commonwealth Financial in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Raymond James downgraded shares of First Commonwealth Financial from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $15.90. About First Commonwealth Financial (Get Rating) First Commonwealth Financial Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of consumer and commercial banking services. The firm is also involved in providing trust and wealth management services and offers insurance products. The company was founded on November 15, 1982 and is headquartered in Indiana, PA. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for First Commonwealth Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Commonwealth Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR Get Rating) (NYSE:CNI) Investment analysts at Raymond James raised their Q1 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Canadian National Railway in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, April 19th. Raymond James analyst S. Hansen now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $1.75 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.62. The consensus estimate for Canadian National Railways current full-year earnings is $7.94 per share. Get Canadian National Railway alerts: Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. CIBC reduced their price objective on Canadian National Railway from C$181.00 to C$175.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Atlantic Securities set a C$162.00 target price on Canadian National Railway in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$185.00 to C$180.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$156.00 to C$154.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Canadian National Railway to a sell rating and set a C$150.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$163.31. Canadian National Railway Trading Up 0.8 % Shares of CNR stock opened at C$166.53 on Friday. Canadian National Railway has a fifty-two week low of C$137.26 and a fifty-two week high of C$175.39. The stock has a market capitalization of C$111.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 74.33. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$159.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$161.27. Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR Get Rating) (NYSE:CNI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 24th. The company reported C$2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of C$2.10. Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 23.20% and a net margin of 29.92%. The business had revenue of C$4.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$4.51 billion. Canadian National Railway Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were given a $1.862 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a $7.45 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.47%. This is an increase from Canadian National Railways previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.47%. Canadian National Railway Company Profile (Get Rating) Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail and related transportation business. The company's portfolio of goods includes petroleum and chemicals, grain and fertilizers, coal, metals and minerals, forest products, intermodal, and automotive products serving exporters, importers, retailers, farmers, and manufacturers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE Get Rating) had its price target hoisted by Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $164.00 in a research note released on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the utilities providers stock. Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Sempra Energy in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $180.00 to $174.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $169.00 to $166.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $168.90. Get Sempra Energy alerts: Sempra Energy Stock Down 0.1 % NYSE SRE opened at $156.80 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.60. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $151.34 and a 200 day simple moving average of $154.31. Sempra Energy has a twelve month low of $136.54 and a twelve month high of $176.47. The stock has a market cap of $49.34 billion, a PE ratio of 23.69, a PEG ratio of 3.86 and a beta of 0.73. Sempra Energy Increases Dividend Sempra Energy ( NYSE:SRE Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The utilities provider reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.06 by $0.29. Sempra Energy had a net margin of 14.74% and a return on equity of 10.53%. The business had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.79 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.16 earnings per share. The firms revenue was down 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Sempra Energy will post 8.96 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, April 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 22nd were given a $1.19 dividend. This is a boost from Sempra Energys previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 21st. Sempra Energys payout ratio is currently 71.90%. Insider Activity at Sempra Energy In other Sempra Energy news, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 19,260 shares of Sempra Energy stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.09, for a total value of $2,813,693.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1 shares in the company, valued at approximately $146.09. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Sempra Energy news, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 19,260 shares of Sempra Energy stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.09, for a total value of $2,813,693.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1 shares in the company, valued at approximately $146.09. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Trevor I. Mihalik sold 2,306 shares of Sempra Energy stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.50, for a total transaction of $342,441.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 21,362 shares in the company, valued at $3,172,257. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 52,504 shares of company stock valued at $8,045,547. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Glenmede Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 17,850 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,675,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Glassman Wealth Services increased its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 16.2% during the 4th quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 459 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. FineMark National Bank & Trust grew its stake in Sempra Energy by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. FineMark National Bank & Trust now owns 2,383 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $357,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Sempra Energy by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 1,468 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $228,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its stake in Sempra Energy by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 733 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $113,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. 84.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Sempra Energy (Get Rating) Sempra Energy is an energy-service holding company, which engages in the development and operation of energy infrastructure, and provision of electric and gas services. It operates through the following segments: San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), Sempra Texas Utilities, Sempra Mexico, and Sempra LNG. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Sempra Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sempra Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM Get Rating) had its target price decreased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $134.00 to $97.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the basic materials companys stock. Several other analysts have also commented on SQM. Bank of America raised Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $90.00 to $85.00 in a report on Monday, April 10th. StockNews.com lowered Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Scotiabank raised Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $97.50. Get Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile alerts: Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Trading Down 18.6 % NYSE:SQM opened at $63.44 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $18.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.64, a PEG ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 2.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The companys 50 day moving average price is $81.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $87.78. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile has a 52 week low of $60.21 and a 52 week high of $115.76. Institutional Trading of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile ( NYSE:SQM Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The basic materials company reported $4.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.80 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $3.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.17 billion. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile had a net margin of 36.47% and a return on equity of 95.37%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile will post 13.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SQM. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in the first quarter worth $346,000. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 48.9% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 10,730 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $918,000 after purchasing an additional 3,526 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 17.3% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 11,471 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $982,000 after buying an additional 1,694 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. increased its stake in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 44.8% during the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 5,814 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $498,000 after buying an additional 1,799 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 8.0% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 938,593 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $80,344,000 after acquiring an additional 69,385 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.42% of the companys stock. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Company Profile (Get Rating) Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA engages in the production and distribution of fertilizers, potassium nitrate, iodine, and lithium chemicals. It operates through the following segments: Specialty Plant Nutrients, Iodine and Derivatives, Lithium and Derivatives, Industrial Chemicals, Potassium, and Other Products and Services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. This photo taken on April 20, 2023 shows the signing ceremony of key projects during the fifth China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative Financial Summit in southwest China's Chongqing. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) CHONGQING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Thai subsidiary of Chongqing Hongjiu Fruit Co. Limited obtained a 3-million-U.S. dollar loan from Standard Chartered Bank (Thailand) in June 2022, and the money has been used to expand the company's fruit business. "The loan has been mainly used to import fresh fruits from Thailand. It has played a crucial role in enhancing our purchasing capacity and expanding the market. Meanwhile, it has further benefited Thai fruit growers, as they have broader access to export their fruits and to gain more profits from exporting," said Deng Hongjiu, chairman of the fruit company based in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The financing project was facilitated under the framework of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, which was launched in 2015. Financial service is one of the key areas of cooperation under the framework. Data released at the fifth China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative Financial Summit, which closed on Friday, showed that as of March this year, a total of 19.6-billion-U.S. dollar in cross-border financing projects had been implemented under the framework over the preceding seven years. Such cross-border financing projects were scattered across more than 10 provinces and municipalities in China, including Chongqing, Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou. Held in China's Chongqing Municipality and Singapore simultaneously from April 20 to 21, the summit focused on new missions for financial centers and new momentum for financial opening up. It aimed to provide forward-looking views and policy guidelines for quality financial cooperation between China and Singapore, as well as new areas of financial cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Cross-border financial services under the framework have also provided new opportunities for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provincial regions and ASEAN members. "A financial service platform for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has been co-established by the Chinese side and Singaporean side, which has been providing convenient and low-cost financial services for logistics, trade and manufacturing enterprises," said Liu Wei, director of the coordination center for logistics and operation of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. Through financial support, the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has taken off. Data from the center showed that, from January to March, 36,000 TEUs, with a value of 5.56 billion yuan (808.7 million U.S. dollars), were transported along the trade corridor via Chongqing, up 39 percent and 25 percent year on year, respectively. The trade corridor reaches 393 ports in 119 countries and regions. Apart from fruits from Thailand, more and more agricultural products from Laos and Cambodia, as well as seafood from Vietnam, have entered the vast Chinese market through the trade corridor. "Enhancing financial cooperation and connectivity is an important part of promoting ASEAN-China economic integration. More connected financial ecosystems across the region will help businesses by lowering transaction costs, improving their access to financing, and making it easier for businesses to manage risks and their finances," said Josephine Teo, Singapore's minister for communications and information and second minister for home affairs, at the summit via an online speech. "All these will have a positive effect on increasing trade flows and cross-border investments in new projects, and help realize the immense potential of our region," she added. Ruan Lu, director of the Chongqing Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, said the cooperation between Chongqing and Singapore has promoted the connectivity between the western regions of China and ASEAN members. Chongqing and Singapore are expected to further strengthen financial cooperation and explore higher-level cross-border financial services in the future, Ruan said. Shares of Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:VLRS Get Rating) have been assigned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the eight research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $19.38. Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday. Get Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion alerts: Institutional Trading of Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. WCM Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion during the 4th quarter worth $21,199,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion by 32,831.9% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,430,234 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $11,957,000 after purchasing an additional 1,425,891 shares during the period. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC boosted its position in Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion by 67.6% during the 3rd quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC now owns 2,441,007 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $17,063,000 after purchasing an additional 984,581 shares during the period. TT International Asset Management LTD purchased a new stake in Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion during the 4th quarter worth $7,537,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion during the 3rd quarter worth $3,495,000. 46.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion Trading Down 0.4 % About Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion Shares of VLRS opened at $11.72 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $11.44 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.75. The company has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a PE ratio of -39.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 2.58. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion has a fifty-two week low of $6.86 and a fifty-two week high of $18.25. (Get Rating) Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV is a holding company, which engages in the provision of air transportation and related services. It also offers cargo services. The company was founded by Roberto Jose Kriete Avila and Carlos Mendoza Valencia on October 27, 2005 and is headquartered in Mexico City. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Deutsche Telekom AG (FRA:DTE Get Rating) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of 20.11 ($21.86) and traded as high as 22.56 ($24.52). Deutsche Telekom shares last traded at 22.48 ($24.43), with a volume of 6,310,003 shares. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Credit Suisse Group set a 25.00 ($27.17) price target on Deutsche Telekom in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Jefferies Financial Group set a 23.60 ($25.65) price target on Deutsche Telekom in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a 30.00 ($32.61) price target on Deutsche Telekom in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. Berenberg Bank set a 28.00 ($30.43) target price on Deutsche Telekom in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a 25.00 ($27.17) target price on Deutsche Telekom in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Get Deutsche Telekom alerts: Deutsche Telekom Trading Down 0.4 % The business has a fifty day simple moving average of 21.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of 20.11. About Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated telecommunication services. The company operates through five segments: Germany, United States, Europe, Systems Solutions, and Group Development. It offers fixed-network services, including voice and data communication services based on fixed-network and broadband technology; and sells terminal equipment and other hardware products, as well as services to resellers. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Telekom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Telekom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Calix (NYSE:CALX Get Rating) updated its second quarter 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $0.28-$0.34 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $0.29. The company issued revenue guidance of $255.00 million-$261.00 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $249.26 million. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Loop Capital increased their price target on Calix from $83.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Cowen decreased their price target on Calix from $90.00 to $78.00 in a report on Friday, January 27th. Rosenblatt Securities decreased their price target on Calix from $75.00 to $70.00 in a report on Friday. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $88.00 price target on shares of Calix in a report on Thursday. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Calix in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $79.67. Get Calix alerts: Calix Stock Performance Calix stock opened at $48.02 on Friday. Calix has a one year low of $31.59 and a one year high of $77.44. The business has a fifty day moving average of $51.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.08. The company has a market cap of $3.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 78.72 and a beta of 1.55. Insider Transactions at Calix Calix ( NYSE:CALX Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $244.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $240.93 million. Calix had a return on equity of 6.47% and a net margin of 4.55%. Sell-side analysts predict that Calix will post 0.55 EPS for the current year. In other news, insider John Matthew Collins sold 5,000 shares of Calix stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.48, for a total transaction of $272,400.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 16.69% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CALX. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in Calix by 45.9% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 7,446,078 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $319,511,000 after purchasing an additional 2,340,968 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Calix by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,769,235 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $352,731,000 after purchasing an additional 373,464 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in Calix by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,801,280 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $110,130,000 after purchasing an additional 61,237 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Calix by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,711,123 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $73,422,000 after buying an additional 12,667 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Calix by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,564,912 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $67,151,000 after buying an additional 67,005 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the companys stock. About Calix (Get Rating) Calix, Inc provides cloud and software platforms, systems and services required to realize the unified access network. The firm offers broadband communications access systems and software for fiber and copper-based network architectures that enable communications service providers to transform their networks and connect to their residential and business subscribers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Calix Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Calix and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. OLD National Bancorp IN raised its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG Get Rating) by 4.2% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 29,882 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,199 shares during the quarter. OLD National Bancorp INs holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF were worth $2,898,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AGG. Raymond James & Associates raised its stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 15.2% during the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 46,527,580 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,482,469,000 after buying an additional 6,127,129 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 24.5% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,925,971 shares of the companys stock worth $955,866,000 after purchasing an additional 1,754,499 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 320.0% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,100,000 shares of the companys stock worth $202,246,000 after purchasing an additional 1,600,000 shares during the period. Continental Investors Services Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 6,307.4% during the 3rd quarter. Continental Investors Services Inc. now owns 1,503,361 shares of the companys stock worth $152,004,000 after purchasing an additional 1,479,898 shares during the period. Finally, Orgel Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 9,635.5% during the 3rd quarter. Orgel Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,251,009 shares of the companys stock worth $120,522,000 after purchasing an additional 1,238,159 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.07% of the companys stock. Get iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF alerts: iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Trading Down 0.2 % Shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF stock opened at $99.17 on Friday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $98.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $97.99. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a twelve month low of $93.20 and a twelve month high of $104.39. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Profile IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AGG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fisher Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWT Get Rating) by 7.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,551,721 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 133,582 shares during the quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned approximately 1.70% of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF worth $62,317,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Advisors Preferred LLC purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Phillips Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $51,000. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF during the 3rd quarter worth $57,000. Get iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF Price Performance Shares of EWT opened at $43.95 on Friday. iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF has a 1-year low of $39.75 and a 1-year high of $57.85. The stock has a market cap of $4.01 billion, a PE ratio of 10.02 and a beta of 0.83. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $44.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.39. iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF Company Profile Ishares MSCI Taiwan Index Fund (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Taiwan IndexSM (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL Get Rating) by 4.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 251,140 shares of the medical research companys stock after acquiring an additional 10,381 shares during the quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.49% of Charles River Laboratories International worth $54,723,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in CRL. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,793 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $509,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 28.6% during the 3rd quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 198 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Czech National Bank raised its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 5,955 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,298,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. FourThought Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 21.3% during the 3rd quarter. FourThought Financial LLC now owns 256 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 4,090 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $891,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. 97.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Charles River Laboratories International alerts: Charles River Laboratories International Price Performance CRL stock opened at $200.90 on Friday. Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $181.36 and a 52-week high of $288.83. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $211.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $220.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.35. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Charles River Laboratories International ( NYSE:CRL Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 22nd. The medical research company reported $2.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.75 by $0.23. Charles River Laboratories International had a return on equity of 20.98% and a net margin of 12.23%. The business had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.49 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 21.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 10.2 EPS for the current year. A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Credit Suisse Group cut their target price on Charles River Laboratories International from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Guggenheim raised Charles River Laboratories International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $255.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $241.00 to $230.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $233.00 to $203.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $280.00 to $260.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Charles River Laboratories International currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $267.75. Insider Transactions at Charles River Laboratories International In other news, CEO James C. Foster sold 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $5,000,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 216,594 shares in the company, valued at $54,148,500. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, COO Birgit Girshick sold 3,205 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.39, for a total value of $815,319.95. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 41,038 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,439,656.82. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO James C. Foster sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $5,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 216,594 shares in the company, valued at $54,148,500. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 27,763 shares of company stock worth $6,974,921 over the last quarter. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Charles River Laboratories International Company Profile (Get Rating) Charles River Laboratories International, Inc is an early-stage contract research company, which provides research models required in the research and development of new drugs, devices, and therapies. It operates through the following segments: Research Models and Services (RMS), Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA), and Manufacturing Solutions. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Charles River Laboratories International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles River Laboratories International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $6.10-$6.22 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $6.34. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Philip Morris International also updated its FY23 guidance to $6.10-$6.22 EPS. Philip Morris International Stock Performance Philip Morris International stock opened at $97.77 on Friday. Philip Morris International has a 1 year low of $82.85 and a 1 year high of $109.81. The firms 50-day moving average is $98.04 and its 200-day moving average is $97.42. The company has a market cap of $151.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.49, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.68. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $8.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.03 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 128.55% and a net margin of 10.80%. The businesss revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.56 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Philip Morris International will post 6.18 earnings per share for the current year. Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 23rd were given a $1.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 22nd. This represents a $5.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.20%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.88%. PM has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $95.00 to $120.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Societe Generale began coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. They issued a sell rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $111.18. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of Philip Morris International stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total value of $786,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 87,321 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,588,020.35. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Philip Morris International news, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 8,756 shares of Philip Morris International stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.31, for a total value of $887,070.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 47,731 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,835,627.61. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total transaction of $786,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 87,321 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,588,020.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 117,064 shares of company stock valued at $11,738,763. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Philip Morris International Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in PM. Fairfield Bush & CO. grew its holdings in Philip Morris International by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Fairfield Bush & CO. now owns 26,141 shares of the companys stock worth $2,456,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 35.6% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,939 shares of the companys stock valued at $463,000 after buying an additional 1,296 shares during the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P raised its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 24.7% during the first quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 3,065 shares of the companys stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 608 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 54.9% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 525 shares of the companys stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the period. Finally, Mather Group LLC. lifted its holdings in Philip Morris International by 14.7% in the first quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 8,987 shares of the companys stock valued at $844,000 after acquiring an additional 1,154 shares during the period. 75.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Philip Morris International Company Profile (Get Rating) Philip Morris International, Inc is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. Its products include cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: European Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, and Americas. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. OLD National Bancorp IN decreased its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL Get Rating) by 50.2% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 24,570 shares of the companys stock after selling 24,728 shares during the quarter. OLD National Bancorp INs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF were worth $2,800,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in QUAL. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 8,332.0% during the 3rd quarter. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,024,899 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 2,989,025 shares during the period. Arlington Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Oxler Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Ancora Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 219.7% during the 1st quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 374 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ellevest Inc. grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 336.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 589 shares of the companys stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 454 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Stock Down 0.2 % iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF stock opened at $124.86 on Friday. The stock has a market cap 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 12 month low of $71.96 and a 12 month high of $88.63. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $121.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $117.53. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Profile 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. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding QUAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Simplicity Solutions LLC grew its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK Get Rating) by 24.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,837 shares of the industrial products companys stock after buying an additional 355 shares during the period. Simplicity Solutions LLCs holdings in Rockwell Automation were worth $473,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bailard Inc. raised its stake in Rockwell Automation by 49.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 1,709 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 562 shares during the last quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Rockwell Automation by 12.1% in the third quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 12,711 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,734,000 after buying an additional 1,367 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Rockwell Automation by 2.5% during the third quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,544 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $977,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in Rockwell Automation by 15.5% during the third quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 261,836 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $56,324,000 after acquiring an additional 35,222 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp grew its stake in Rockwell Automation by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 70,778 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $15,225,000 after acquiring an additional 1,284 shares during the period. 77.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Rockwell Automation alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have weighed in on ROK shares. Loop Capital increased their price target on Rockwell Automation from $258.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Rockwell Automation from $272.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Rockwell Automation from $238.00 to $272.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $297.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $264.59. Rockwell Automation Trading Up 0.6 % NYSE ROK opened at $275.45 on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $285.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $269.04. The stock has a market cap of $31.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.84, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $190.08 and a 52 week high of $309.36. Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The industrial products company reported $2.46 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.65. The firm had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.93 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 13.63% and a return on equity of 38.70%. Rockwell Automations quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.14 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 11.21 EPS for the current fiscal year. Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.18 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $4.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.71%. Rockwell Automations dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.14%. Insider Transactions at Rockwell Automation In other Rockwell Automation news, CFO Nicholas C. Gangestad sold 1,975 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.25, for a total value of $581,143.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 7,757 shares in the company, valued at $2,282,497.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CFO Nicholas C. Gangestad sold 1,975 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.25, for a total transaction of $581,143.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 7,757 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,282,497.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Isaac Woods sold 100 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.33, for a total transaction of $29,433.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 452 shares in the company, valued at $133,037.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 10,730 shares of company stock valued at $3,112,032. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Rockwell Automation Profile (Get Rating) Rockwell Automation, Inc engages in the provision of industrial automation and information services. It operates through the following segments: Intelligent Devices, Software and Control, and Lifecycle Services. The Intelligent Devices segment combines a portfolio of smart products that create the foundation of an agile, resilient, and sustainable production system. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Rockwell Automation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rockwell Automation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WealthBridge Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in Chevron Co. (NYSE:CVX Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 3,900 shares of the oil and gas companys stock, valued at approximately $700,000. Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in CVX. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P grew its stake in shares of Chevron by 85.1% in the 1st quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P now owns 159,115 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $25,908,000 after buying an additional 73,141 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of Chevron by 25.2% in the 1st quarter. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC now owns 7,335 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,155,000 after buying an additional 1,476 shares in the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Chevron by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 40,538 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $6,598,000 after buying an additional 1,813 shares in the last quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Chevron by 43.5% in the 1st quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,837 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $950,000 after buying an additional 1,770 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Chevron by 13.8% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,068,600 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $336,830,000 after buying an additional 250,840 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.37% of the companys stock. Get Chevron alerts: Chevron Stock Performance Shares of NYSE CVX opened at $169.12 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $163.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $171.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $320.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.25, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.16. Chevron Co. has a one year low of $132.54 and a one year high of $189.68. Chevron ( NYSE:CVX Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 27th. The oil and gas company reported $4.09 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $4.16 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $56.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $53.97 billion. Chevron had a net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 23.52%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.56 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Chevron Co. will post 14.39 EPS for the current year. Chevron declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, January 25th that authorizes the company to buyback $75.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the oil and gas company to repurchase up to 21.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the companys board of directors believes its stock is undervalued. Chevron Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 16th were paid a $1.51 dividend. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.57%. This is a positive change from Chevrons previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 15th. Chevrons dividend payout ratio is presently 33.04%. Insider Activity at Chevron In related news, VP Rhonda J. Morris sold 19,666 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $3,343,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 3,967 shares in the company, valued at $674,390. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.32% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Raymond James lowered their price target on Chevron from $212.00 to $208.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 14th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Chevron in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Chevron from $195.00 to $192.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Mizuho reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $206.00 target price on shares of Chevron in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Chevron from $196.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $193.50. Chevron Company Profile (Get Rating) Chevron Corp. engages in the provision of administrative, financial management, and technology support for energy and chemical operations. It operates through the Upstream and Downstream segments. The Upstream segment consists of the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas, the liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas, the transporting of crude oil by major international oil export pipelines, the processing, transporting, storage, and marketing of natural gas, and a gas-to-liquids plant. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Chevron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chevron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ANKARA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 21 "terrorists" were killed by Turkish troops over the past four days in northern Syria and Iraq, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday. Three of the "terrorists" were killed in Iraq's Zap region, semi-official Anadolu Agency quoted Akar as saying during an event in the Turkish central province of Kayseri. Calling the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) a "tool in the hands of imperialists" to hinder Turkiye's development, Akar said that the Turkish government is determined to eliminate the PKK. The fight against "terrorists" will not end until the security of Turkiye's borders and the nation is ensured, he said. The PKK has been involved in armed clashes with Turkish forces for more than three decades and is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union. 9258 Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Avery Dennison Co. (NYSE:AVY Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,136 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $206,000. A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AVY. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Avery Dennison by 48.0% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,748,006 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $304,099,000 after buying an additional 566,938 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co. MA grew its holdings in Avery Dennison by 3,901.0% during the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 579,627 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $104,913,000 after acquiring an additional 565,140 shares during the period. Boston Partners raised its position in shares of Avery Dennison by 66.8% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 907,608 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $147,675,000 after acquiring an additional 363,404 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Avery Dennison by 47.8% in the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 654,486 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $106,485,000 after purchasing an additional 211,535 shares during the period. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC boosted its position in shares of Avery Dennison by 16.9% in the 3rd quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 1,124,442 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $182,947,000 after purchasing an additional 162,364 shares during the last quarter. 89.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Avery Dennison alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth AVY has been the topic of several analyst reports. UBS Group increased their target price on Avery Dennison from $183.00 to $194.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 11th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Avery Dennison from $240.00 to $233.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Avery Dennison from $229.00 to $223.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 3rd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Avery Dennison in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Avery Dennison from $204.00 to $216.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $210.13. Avery Dennison Stock Up 0.1 % Avery Dennison stock opened at $178.09 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $177.31 and a 200-day moving average of $180.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. Avery Dennison Co. has a twelve month low of $151.62 and a twelve month high of $204.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.44 billion, a PE ratio of 19.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.95. Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The industrial products company reported $1.65 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.10 by ($0.45). Avery Dennison had a return on equity of 38.05% and a net margin of 8.38%. The company had revenue of $2.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. Avery Dennisons revenue for the quarter was down 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Avery Dennison Co. will post 9.25 EPS for the current fiscal year. Avery Dennison Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 1st were issued a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.68%. Avery Dennisons payout ratio is presently 32.57%. Insider Activity at Avery Dennison In other news, Director Anthony Anderson sold 816 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.99, for a total transaction of $150,135.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 558 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $102,666.42. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Andres Alberto Lopez sold 5,800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.00, for a total transaction of $1,055,600.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,315 shares in the company, valued at $239,330. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Anthony Anderson sold 816 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.99, for a total value of $150,135.84. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 558 shares of the companys stock, valued at $102,666.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,458 shares of company stock valued at $1,898,948. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders. Avery Dennison Profile (Get Rating) Avery Dennison Corp. engages in the provision of labeling and packaging materials and solutions. It operates through the Materials and Solutions Group segments. The Materials Group segment manufactures and sells pressure-sensitive label materials, films for graphic and reflective products, performance tapes and other adhesive products for industrial, medical and other applications, as well as fastener solutions. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AVY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Avery Dennison Co. (NYSE:AVY Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Avery Dennison Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Avery Dennison and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Packaging Co. of America (NYSE:PKG Get Rating) by 4.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 64,009 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,981 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned about 0.07% of Packaging Co. of America worth $8,187,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its position in Packaging Co. of America by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 12,710 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,984,000 after acquiring an additional 787 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its stake in shares of Packaging Co. of America by 120.3% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 3,792 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $592,000 after purchasing an additional 2,071 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Packaging Co. of America during the first quarter worth $693,000. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in shares of Packaging Co. of America by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 162,403 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $25,356,000 after acquiring an additional 4,701 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its holdings in shares of Packaging Co. of America by 58.6% in the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 24,748 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $3,863,000 after acquiring an additional 9,145 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the companys stock. Get Packaging Co. of America alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts recently issued reports on PKG shares. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Packaging Co. of America in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Packaging Co. of America from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Packaging Co. of America from $124.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, January 9th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Packaging Co. of America from $149.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Packaging Co. of America from $123.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $133.25. Packaging Co. of America Trading Down 0.1 % Shares of PKG opened at $143.23 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 2.87 and a quick ratio of 1.75. Packaging Co. of America has a 1-year low of $110.56 and a 1-year high of $165.72. The stock has a market cap of $12.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.87. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $137.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $132.05. Packaging Co. of America (NYSE:PKG Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The industrial products company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.11. Packaging Co. of America had a return on equity of 27.00% and a net margin of 12.12%. The firm had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.76 EPS. Packaging Co. of Americas quarterly revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Packaging Co. of America will post 9.18 EPS for the current fiscal year. Packaging Co. of America Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. Packaging Co. of Americas payout ratio is 45.41%. Packaging Co. of America Profile (Get Rating) Packaging Corporation of America engages in the production of container products. It operates through the following segments: Packaging, Paper, and Corporate and Other. The Packaging segment offers a variety of corrugated packaging products, such as conventional shipping containers. The Paper segment manufactures and sells a range of papers, including communication-based papers, and pressure sensitive papers. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PKG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Packaging Co. of America (NYSE:PKG Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Packaging Co. of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Packaging Co. of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lessened its holdings in shares of Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS Get Rating) by 13.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 37,083 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 5,905 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned about 0.06% of Essex Property Trust worth $7,859,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESS. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Essex Property Trust by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,735,177 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,600,381,000 after acquiring an additional 83,030 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Essex Property Trust by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,818,919 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,651,748,000 after buying an additional 390,858 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in Essex Property Trust by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,517,541 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,348,129,000 after buying an additional 314,259 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in Essex Property Trust by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,104,124 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $381,453,000 after acquiring an additional 37,651 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners increased its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 6.1% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 927,361 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $224,565,000 after acquiring an additional 53,010 shares during the period. 91.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Essex Property Trust alerts: Essex Property Trust Price Performance Shares of NYSE ESS opened at $212.42 on Friday. Essex Property Trust, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $195.03 and a fifty-two week high of $359.57. The company has a market cap of $13.69 billion, a PE ratio of 33.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $217.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $218.41. Essex Property Trust Increases Dividend Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were paid a $2.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. This is a boost from Essex Property Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $2.20. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.35%. Essex Property Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 147.13%. Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com started coverage on Essex Property Trust in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets downgraded Essex Property Trust from a market perform rating to an underperform rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $239.00 to $200.00 in a report on Monday, April 17th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Essex Property Trust from $219.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Scotiabank raised shares of Essex Property Trust from a sector underperform rating to a sector outperform rating and set a $240.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Essex Property Trust from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $249.52. Essex Property Trust Profile (Get Rating) Essex Property Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust. It engages in the ownership, operation, management, acquisition, development, and redevelopment of predominantly apartment communities. The company was founded by George M. Marcus in 1971 and is headquartered in San Mateo, CA. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ESS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Essex Property Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Essex Property Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. OLD National Bancorp IN reduced its holdings in shares of U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB Get Rating) by 4.0% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 53,646 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 2,255 shares during the quarter. OLD National Bancorp INs holdings in U.S. Bancorp were worth $2,340,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Adirondack Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 2,808 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $122,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Waldron Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Waldron Private Wealth LLC now owns 14,330 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $584,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. First Command Bank lifted its holdings in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. First Command Bank now owns 1,893 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $83,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Smith Salley & Associates lifted its holdings in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Smith Salley & Associates now owns 69,471 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,801,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Epiq Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Epiq Partners LLC now owns 7,729 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $337,000 after purchasing an additional 244 shares during the last quarter. 71.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get U.S. Bancorp alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have recently weighed in on USB. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on U.S. Bancorp from $60.00 to $52.00 in a report on Friday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on U.S. Bancorp from $55.00 to $49.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 24th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on U.S. Bancorp from $54.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on U.S. Bancorp from $57.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on U.S. Bancorp from $68.00 to $52.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $50.35. U.S. Bancorp Stock Performance Shares of USB stock opened at $33.52 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $51.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.93. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $42.86. U.S. Bancorp has a 12-month low of $32.61 and a 12-month high of $53.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by ($0.09). The firm had revenue of $7.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.14 billion. U.S. Bancorp had a return on equity of 16.70% and a net margin of 19.21%. The businesss revenue was up 28.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.99 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that U.S. Bancorp will post 4.67 EPS for the current year. U.S. Bancorp Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.73%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. U.S. Bancorps dividend payout ratio is currently 51.06%. U.S. Bancorp Company Profile (Get Rating) U.S. Bancorp operates as a bank holding company, which offers financial services including lending and depository services, cash management, foreign exchange and trust and investment management. The firm also offers mortgage, refinance, auto, boat and RV loans, credit lines, credit card services, merchant, bank, checking and savings accounts, debit cards, online and mobile banking, ATM processing, mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage and leasing services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding USB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for U.S. Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for U.S. Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Larson Financial Group LLC trimmed its position in Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX Get Rating) by 16.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,579 shares of the asset managers stock after selling 502 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLCs holdings in Blackstone were worth $191,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BX. Whalerock Point Partners LLC purchased a new position in Blackstone during the 3rd quarter valued at $282,571,000. Mach 1 Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Blackstone in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new position in shares of Blackstone during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Trust Co. of Vermont raised its holdings in shares of Blackstone by 133.3% during the 3rd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 350 shares of the asset managers stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Blackstone in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. 62.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Blackstone alerts: Blackstone Stock Down 2.7 % Shares of BX stock opened at $89.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market cap of $63.18 billion, a PE ratio of 37.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.50. The businesss fifty day moving average is $87.61 and its 200-day moving average is $87.00. Blackstone Inc. has a 1 year low of $71.72 and a 1 year high of $123.18. Blackstone Cuts Dividend Blackstone ( NYSE:BX Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The asset manager reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.97. The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.44 billion. Blackstone had a return on equity of 18.08% and a net margin of 12.92%. Blackstones quarterly revenue was down 73.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.55 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Blackstone Inc. will post 4.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be issued a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.67%. Blackstones payout ratio is presently 153.59%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Credit Suisse Group lowered their price objective on Blackstone from $74.00 to $70.50 in a research report on Friday. Bank of America upped their target price on Blackstone from $98.00 to $109.00 in a report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Blackstone from $86.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. Barclays raised their price objective on Blackstone from $94.00 to $99.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Blackstone from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their target price for the company from $104.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $103.54. Insider Activity at Blackstone In related news, Director Ruth Porat purchased 277 shares of Blackstone stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $92.61 per share, for a total transaction of $25,652.97. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,851 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,857,111.11. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Blackstone news, Director Ruth Porat purchased 277 shares of Blackstone stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $92.61 per share, for a total transaction of $25,652.97. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 30,851 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,857,111.11. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder Holdings L.P. Blackstone III sold 205,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.00, for a total value of $6,781,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 9,844,228 shares of the companys stock, valued at $324,859,524. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders acquired 10,950,338 shares of company stock valued at $18,744,064 and sold 140,962,716 shares valued at $1,744,783,150. Insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. About Blackstone (Get Rating) Blackstone, Inc engages in the provision of investment and fund management services. It operates through the following segments: Real Estate, Private Equity, Credit and Insurance, and Hedge Fund Solutions. The Real Estate segment includes management of opportunistic real estate funds, Core+ real estate funds, high-yield real estate debt funds, and liquid real estate debt funds. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Blackstone Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Blackstone and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Monks attend a debate activity in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 23, 2023. TO GO WITH:"13 monks receive doctoral degree equivalent in Tibetan Buddhism " (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) LHASA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa, equivalent to a doctoral degree in modern education, on Sunday in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. A debate activity and the award ceremony were held Sunday in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, the regional capital. Geshe Lharampa is the highest degree in the exoteric teachings of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. With an average age of 45, the 13 monks are from temples in Tibet and southwest China's Yunnan Province. Ranking first in this year's exam, Tsultrim Gyaltsen, a 50-year-old monk from the Sera Monastery in Lhasa, told Xinhua that he would further deepen his understanding of Buddhism and help more students of Tibetan Buddhism. Since 2004, 177 Tibetan Buddhist monks have been awarded the degree of Geshe Lharampa. Monks awarded the degree of Geshe Lharampa pose for a group photo in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 23, 2023. TO GO WITH:"13 monks receive doctoral degree equivalent in Tibetan Buddhism " (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Monks attend a debate activity in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 23, 2023. TO GO WITH:"13 monks receive doctoral degree equivalent in Tibetan Buddhism " (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Monks attend a debate activity in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 23, 2023. TO GO WITH:"13 monks receive doctoral degree equivalent in Tibetan Buddhism " (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) A monk receives a certificate for the degree of Geshe Lharampa in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 23, 2023. TO GO WITH:"13 monks receive doctoral degree equivalent in Tibetan Buddhism " (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Monks attend a debate activity in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 23, 2023. TO GO WITH:"13 monks receive doctoral degree equivalent in Tibetan Buddhism " (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SCHENECTADY A four-story residential building of one-bedroom luxury apartments with retail stores on the ground floor will soon replace the now vacant sliver of land on one of the citys more high-profile corners. At the same time, on the next block over on the same side of State Street close to South Ferry Street, the same developers are set to knock down two existing, empty buildings to pave the way for the construction of 24 more of the same type of tony apartments along with a two-level parking deck of approximately 60 spaces, according to paperwork submitted to the Schenectady Planning Development Office. Those builders, HighBridge Development and Prime Companies, who collaborated to bring the multi-million dollar Electric City Apartments with underground parking space and nearly 10,000 square-feet of street level storefronts to downtown Schenectady, recently won approval for the projects from the Planning Commission during separate meetings. Theyll be bookends to the Electric City apartments, so we have 24 of them going in on the east side and six more going in on the west side, John Roth with HighBridge said Thursday, adding that the build out will bring the total number of units to about 234. Were doing it because weve been running at the high 90s (percent) in our occupancy rate for quite a long time and its just a natural progression. He also talked about the dearth of parking being a challenge. Everybody wants parking, and that parking has kind of hurt us down there, thats why were building Phase 2 with the parking deck so that the apartments were building, their parking will be in the lower deck and then the upper deck, which will be that State Street level, that will be parking for all of our retail tenants, Roth added. Roth said that so far they have already secured one tenant, a small restaurant establishment, and have several other prospective tenants looking. He anticipates that the construction at 224- and 264- State Street will get underway sometime in early fall. Planning Commission Chairwoman Mary Moore Wallinger said the project at 264 State St., which won unanimous site plan Wednesday night, will make the area even more of an attraction. Itll be really wonderful to have a building on that corner that really fronts on both streets and has the kind of architectural character and detail that will enhance the rest of our downtown, and Im excited to see that theyre addressing the corner, and look forward to that helping to bridge the gap across State Street, said Wallinger. Plans call for six one-bedroom apartments with 1,900 square feet of retail space on the first floor that will be open for business from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to documents about the project. The location where the Electric City Apartments now sit was at one time a major source of controversy and led to a protracted court and legal battle when in 2017 the historic Nicholaus building was demolished after the city declared an emergency, citing concerns that the building posed a danger to the public and could collapse. The Nicholaus became unstable and was evacuated during construction work to prepare for the building of the apartment complex. One of the displaced tenants was the Thai Thai Bistro. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY The popularity of TV shows like as Finding Your Roots, advances in DNA technology, websites like Ancestry.com and growing interest in immigration have led to a genealogy boom. More and more amateur genealogists are researching their family trees to trace their lineages, searches that may lead to towns in Ireland or Italy, long-lost shtetls in Eastern Europe or ancient villages in Africa or Asia. New York state is a ground zero for such research, given how many families can trace their roots through Ellis Island, and thanks to the states earlier role as one of the original 13 colonies. Ironically, state government is now being blamed for running in reverse of the trend, hindering work of researchers. In particular, genealogists are roundly criticizing the Department of Health over the time they are taking to respond to record requests. The agency, genealogist say, has dropped what used to be an efficient system for providing key data like indexes or lists of birth, death and marriage records. Until a few years ago, the health department could expedite requests and even had a walk-up window at its Albany headquarters where people could ask for records in person. Now, requests have to be made online and wait times can easily run for two years or longer. Interviews with several genealogists and genealogy organizations suggest New York has emerged as one of the most difficult states nationally for finding vital records. New York was one of most notorious, said Michelle Cohen, executive director of the 2,200-member Association of Professional Genealogists. Its taking forever and its taking forever for people who are working professionally and who are not working professionally, Judith Herbert, a Guilderland-based genealogist said, describing how long it takes to get state records. They are about two years behind they just do not put any effort into genealogy at all, added Brooke Schreier Ganz, founder of Reclaim the Records. A native New Yorker and amateur genealogist who now lives in California, she created the nonprofit group in part after growing frustrated in her search for up-to-date records from New York. Death index woes Schreier Ganz's organization last month won a lawsuit seeking an updated, usable death index, or list of people who have died in New York dating back to the late 19th century. Those are crucial starting points in genealogical research, which can be akin to a complex task of connecting the relationships between people across multiple generations in distant locations. Health department officials said they use a vendor for retrieving records. But its imperfect. Searching for a death certificate, for example, requires knowing the date of death. There are alternatives for birth and death records. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the Mormons, maintain extensive genealogical records which can be accessed for free at their local church libraries and on a website, FamilySearch.org. And some localities have vital records lists, although that is often a patchwork. The importance of a statewide index is due to its completeness, said Schreier Ganz. Her group had been repeatedly rebuffed by the health department when it tries to get lists such as death indexes through the state Freedom of Information law. That prompted them to sue in state Supreme Court in Albany County. The health department is appealing the courts decision in recent weeks that such an index should be made publicly available. State officials suggest the backups stemmed from the pandemic's started three years ago, but they did not elaborate. The Department remains committed to providing essential documentation, such as birth and death certificates, in a timely fashion, and is constantly exploring ways to overcome delays caused by the pandemic, an agency spokesperson said in an email. There are no delays when it comes to paying for records requests though. The checks get cashed right away but the records could take two to three years, said Schreier Ganz. Federal proposal panned Rising cost is another issue, especially on the federal level. Genealogists nationwide are raising cries about a proposal by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to establish a $100 fee for each index search, which is the basic listing of information on births and deaths as well as immigration records. Thats the cost if they are already digitized by Citizenship and Immigration Services and even then they will take 245 days to provide them. If the records arent digitized, the fee would be an additional $240 and the wait time would be extended by another 275 days. The current price for any record of that type is $65. The federal records, in addition spanning state boundaries, contain immigration, visa and naturalization records. Thats important said Rich Venezia, a Pennsylvania-based professional genealogist who has led one of the pushback efforts against the plan and and is involved in the Records Not Revenues website. Genealogist are upset by it because there is such a treasure trove of information, said Carolynn Duffy Presser, a Washington County genealogist. Those records can also lead to dead ends. A steep increase in the cost of searching federal indexes could discourage some from trying in the first place. And professionals like Duffy Presser or Herbert say it would add to the cost for such searches. Making it happen Professional genealogists often do this work as second careers. Herbert, for instance, has been fascinated by genealogy since she was a young girl. After retiring from a career in IT, she launched a professional service, becoming certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She said people often seek her out when theyve reached a dead end in their own genealogical pursuits. If one knows where to look, there are a lot of avenues to pursue in ferreting out ones lineage. Genealogical searches can lead overseas. Venezia has combed through dusty records rooms in Italy, trying to reconcile different spellings of names for families that wanted to see if they are related. Records also can be used when people are seeking dual citizenship and for other immigration matters. DNA technology has become a tool for genealogical searches as well. Thanks to advances in research, people can now seek out, for example, lists of those with similar DNA or genetic profiles, regardless of whether they are in, say Athens, N.Y., Athens, Ga., or Athens, Greece. Then if some of the matches have the same or similar names, a researcher can find if they are related. Genealogists stress, though, that resources like state indexes are key data points, thus the unhappiness about delays in New York. There is a common thread with these complaints. Genealogists like Herbert, Cohen and Brooke Schreier Ganz say the information should be maintained in state archives rather than the health department. And on the federal level, Venezia notes that the Citizenship and Immigration Services is a part of Homeland Security. There have been calls to have the National Archives take possession of the records. In fact, Customs and Immigration in the past has tried to raise its rates, being stopped at the last minute by a court injunction. The proposed increase, some believe, may be the agencys bureaucratic way of saying it needs help with the task, or needs someone to take the data off their hands. Most states over the years have shifted their vital records from departments of health to archivists, said Schreier Ganz. New York has not. New York state never got its act together to make accessible and preserve these old records, she said. April 5, 1900. From out of that ship window, the dense smoke from the boats approaching Ellis Islands shores were like columns toward the sky. From his seat, Raffaele Sergio could finally see it: just off the shore, the Statue of Liberty. With nothing more than a worn-out bag, Raffaele was directed to the islands security checks, where he was found to have a fever. Before being isolated for two weeks, he told his brothers to proceed without him. After all this, in one way or another, we will see each other again. Working as a handyman in the Big Apple, Raffaele discovered the hard life of the immigrant. Too poor to afford a private room, too Italian to be trusted, Raffaele shared a small apartment with a couple of families. All alone in a strange land, he strived for months to discover that his brothers were waiting for him beyond Lake Michigan, in Chicago. Spending the few dollars hed accumulated, he decided to move again. Ten years later, his hands were deeply marked by the grueling work shifts at the railway. One night, looking at those same hands, he turned to his brothers: Why is it so hard? They all shared a sleepy look under the cattle wagon, where they slept. The fire was crackling to keep them warm, a cascade of stars lighting the sky. Raffaele continued: We came here for nothing more than a roof over our head and a warm bed. Now look at us. For years they had looked for a piece of land to buy and settle, unsuccessfully. His brothers did not reply to him. They were all too exhausted. My great-grandfather would tell you how he eventually realized his American dream. Years of efforts allowed him to purchase a house in Illinois and, after retiring, he moved back to Italy. I did it, he used to say to my father, but for every step my brothers and I were taking, you could always feel the burden of being an immigrant, that sensation of constantly lagging behind the other Americans. Even after settling, we felt like people were seeing us as unwelcome, as if we were stealing something from them. Fast forward to the summer of 2022. Looking out of that flight window, the bright lights of Manhattan were a tangle of colors breaking through the night. Just off the shore was the Statue of Liberty, the symbol that had colored my dreams for years. A blend of amazement and fear was pervading me. While landing, my thoughts went to my parents, without whom my efforts would have been in vain. Less than a year before, they had decided to get heavily in debt to allow me to chase my American dream. And the expenses multiplied over time. My dream branched out as it put down roots: I came here to pursue a graduate degree, and then an internship opportunity opened up. It would require a visa extension. Every month, new documentation requirements emerged, forcing my family and me to make tough decisions. At the end of November, it was costing us more than we ever expected. A week before Christmas, when the deadline for my visa renewal was approaching, my family agreed to sell their car to pay for the extension. My mother told me on the phone: You dont have to worry about a thing, we are doing this for you. It doesnt matter if we wont have any gifts under the tree. On a cold day in January, while snow was covering Albany with its white cloak, my conversation with an immigration attorney came to an end. It became clear that my probability of remaining in the country hung by the thread of the visa lottery. It was a cold shower: Who could imagine that my destiny would be dependent on a mere raffle, instead of on my capabilities? Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. Our stories my great-grandfathers and mine are the ones of many others like us. That torch in the hands of the Statue of Liberty is still a beacon of hope for people from all over the world. Over the course of generations, the condition of an immigrant has always entailed obstacles: language barriers, cultural differences and a general sense of disorientation. However, other unnecessary but significant burdens and barriers to integration are still in place for those immigrants eager to pursue their American dream. Why does it have to be so hard for us? Isac Sergio is a masters degree student in the department of public administration and policy at the University at Albanys Rockefeller College. WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Binghamton NY 615 PM EDT Sat Apr 22 2023 ...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Oneida, Otsego, southeastern Broome, eastern Madison, northern Delaware and eastern Chenango Counties through 715 PM EDT... At 614 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Camden to Pecksport to near Sanford. Movement was northeast at 25 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... Utica, Rome, Oneonta, Oneida, Kirkland, Lenox, Norwich, Lee, Verona and Westmoreland. This includes the following highway exits... Interstate 90 between 31 and 34. Interstate 86/Route 17 between 81 and 82. Interstate 88 between 7 and 19. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 4333 7508 4330 7515 4326 7516 4322 7507 4305 7522 4287 7521 4286 7516 4291 7509 4283 7490 4290 7486 4283 7466 4263 7463 4252 7471 4239 7454 4200 7561 4281 7564 4336 7587 4348 7581 4342 7553 4361 7511 TIME...MOT...LOC 2214Z 232DEG 22KT 4340 7581 4286 7557 4212 7555 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Broome County in central New York... Southwestern Delaware County in central New York... Northeastern Susquehanna County in northeastern Pennsylvania... Northwestern Wayne County in northeastern Pennsylvania... * Until 700 PM EDT. * At 614 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Thompson, or 16 miles north of Carbondale, moving northeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Jackson, Deposit, Hancock, Ararat, Lanesboro, Thompson, Union Dale, Starrucca, Gibson and Hiawatha. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather China's "porcelain capital" facilitates exports for smaller merchants Xinhua) 14:41, April 23, 2023 NANCHANG, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A batch of exquisite craft ceramics from small ceramics businesses in Jingdezhen, a world-famous "porcelain capital" in east China's Jiangxi Province, left the city on Wednesday, heading for Dubai. Exports of this batch of 175 pieces of exquisite craft ceramics, weighing 0.96 tonnes and worth 805,000 yuan (about 117,087 U.S. dollars), showcase Jingdezhen's on-going efforts to facilitate ceramics exports of small and micro-sized merchants. It is the first batch of goods officially exported from Jingdezhen through its pilot market procurement trade mode, which features fast customs clearance and VAT exemption. The Jingdezhen ceramic trading market was approved in September 2022, and was among the sixth batch of pilots for market procurement trade in the country. Fang Junmu, who runs a ceramic company, said that the market procurement trade has helped lower the threshold for exports, and he can pack the products and complete the declaration at home, with lower export costs. "I never thought I could sell my ceramic products all over the world from home," he said. With thousands of years of porcelain-making history behind it, Jingdezhen has the most complete handmade porcelain system in the world, drawing the attention of both domestic and foreign customers to personalized porcelain. Jingdezhen has a permanent resident population of more than 1.6 million, with one out of 10 people engaged in the ceramic industry. There are more than 10,000 ceramic and related enterprises and more than 15,000 self-employed businesses. According to Yi Guangying, director of a ceramic art center in Jingdezhen, the market procurement trade has successfully connected individual needs from all over the world with tens of thousands of small and micro-sized ceramics enterprises and manual workshops in Jingdezhen. "Foreign ceramic art lovers can purchase their favorite works in Jingdezhen more conveniently, and the international influence of our ceramic culture will also be significantly enhanced," said Yi. At present, Jingdezhen has established friendly relations with more than 180 cities in 72 countries around the world. Liu Zhao, director of Jingdezhen Customs, said that the customs will continue to optimize the business environment, actively explore the innovation mechanism for supervision and service, and constantly expand the market procurement trade mode, helping to spread ceramic culture around the world. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Celebrations have been held in China's Fujian Province to mark a major ethnic festival, which is attended by compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Produced by Xinhua Global Service LIMBER Prosthetics & Orthotics Awarded $200,000+ in Funding at San Diego Angel Conference V with Relavo Winning at Least $150,000 and Athletiverse Receiving at Least a $75,000 Investment San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC), a University of San Diego (USD) Knauss School of Business program now in its fifth year that activates accredited angel investors and engages promising early-stage companies, today awarded three startups with angel funding for their potentially disruptive solutions. LIMBER Prosthetics & Orthotics took the top prize with $200,000* in funding for its affordable, personalized prosthetics. Runners up were awarded funding as follows: Relavo - $150,000* Athletiverse - $75,000* The SDAC V people's choice honor went to LIMBER Prosthetics & Orthotics. *Actual amount raised by the finalists could increase as investors may elect to invest in the startups as individual investors. Today's conference, the culmination of seven months of activating accredited angel investors, providing educational events and mentoring for participating early-stage companies, was presented live to an audience at University of San Diego (USD) and live streamed by the San Diego Angel Conference to an audience from across the country. LIMBER Prosthetics & Orthotics CEO Dr. Joshua Pelz says, "What an honor to present alongside the other finalists today and be selected to receive funding from the SDAC fund. This seed funding will enable us to move our product development forward. SDAC also provided us with invaluable mentoring and lessons on how to effectively communicate with angel investors, complete the due diligence process, and build a strong network of mentors, investors, and peers." SDAC V received 106 applications from early-stage companies for the 2022/2023 season. Accredited angel investors nationwide invested anywhere from $7,000 to $40,000 to form a collective SDAC V fund. The angel investors evaluated the 106 startus over three months to determine those most likely to succeed and make it to the final pitch for funding. Finalists included: SDAC partners with 30+ organizations in the startup ecosystem. These connections, combined with SDAC's reputation for excellence, enables it to attract promising startups and manage a substantial investment fund. SDAC sponsors include USD, C3 Bank, Mintz, SDSU, Knobbe Martens, First Republic Bank, Coeptus Law, Aquillius, Clearpoint Agency, Seraf, and UCSD. SDAC Founder Mysty Rusk says, "Securing an angel investment doesn't require affluence, education, or wealth. It requires a smart solution to a real-world problem and an entrepreneur with tenacity and a tolerance for risk. SDAC's main objectives are to activate accredited investors and fund innovative early-stage companies. USD's Free Enterprise Institute, Brink SBDC, and SDAC collaborate seamlessly to provide the infrastructure to 'Get to yes!', and USD continues to lead in values-driven free enterprise, enabling an enduring network of entrepreneurs, partners, sponsors, and investors." *Actual amount invested depends on total dollars raised. Historically, investors have exceeded both the investment amount and number of companies funded. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230422005016/en/ [April 23, 2023] Pharma Two B to Present Additional Positive Results from P2B001 Phase 3 Trial at 2023 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting Results showed P2B001, a once-daily fixed-dose combination of low dose pramipexole and low dose rasagiline, showed comparable efficacy to marketed optimally titrated pramipexole, with significantly reduced sleep-related and dopaminergic side effects Data analysis also confirmed patients treated with P2B001 developed significantly less new-onset excessive daytime sleepiness when compared to marketed pramipexole REHOVOT, Israel, April 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pharma Two B, a private, venture-backed, late-stage pharmaceutical company, today announced that additional results from the Phase 3 pivotal clinical trial evaluating P2B001, will be presented at the 2023 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, April 22-27 in Boston, MA. The data are being presented as an oral (Abstract 3733) and poster (Abstract 2396) presentation. The data in both presentations are consistent with the positive Phase 3 topline efficacy and safety results presented previously, reemphasizing the potential of P2B001, if approved, to offer a new treatment approach for people with early Parkinsons disease (PD). Pharma Two B plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) for P2B001 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023. The Phase 3 trial was a global, multi-center, double-blind, parallel group design that enrolled 544 treatment naive patients with PD (Hoehn-Yahr <3). The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to week 12 in total Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) for P2B001 versus its individual components. The key secondary endpoint compared the change from baseline in Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for P2B001 versus commercial pramipexole-ER (Prami-ER). Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a commonly reported side effect among people with PD, which often worsens with dopamine agonist (DA) treatmenti. The results of this Phase 3 trial represent positive news for newly diagnosed PD patients, as there has been a clear unmet need for an initial, once-daily treatment that has demonstrable efficacy and safety, requires no titration and has a lower incidence of excessive daytime sedation compared to pramipexole monotherapy, says Lawrence W. Elmer, M.D. Ph.D., Department of Neurology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, and trial investigator. As a clinician caring for PD patients, I know the side effects from dopamine agonists (DAs) as monotherapy for early PD may be challenging and often limit treatment options, especially for younger people who may be required to drive for their employment and also for older people who often cannot tolerate DA side effects, including excessive daytime somnolence. The results presented in abstract 3733 demonstrate comparable changes from baseline to week 12 with P2B001 and commercial Prami-ER in total UPDRS scores (-7.98 0.6 vs -8.35 0.86, p=0.7197) and non-inferiority (post-hoc) of P2B001 was confirmed (margin of 3 points, p=0.0052). Similarly, no significant differences between P2B001 and Prami-ER were seen in total UPDRS responders (=4-point improvement), UPDRS Part II (activities of daily living/ADL) and UPDRS Part III (motor) scores. Importantly, patients receiving P2B001 versus Prami-ER reported less dopaminergic-related side effects (44.7% vs. 66.2%) and specifically less somnolence (14.7% vs. 31.1%,) and orthostatic hypotension (2.7% vs. 12.2%,) side effects. Trial participants treated with P2B001 had better outcomes in dayime sleepiness, with significantly less worsening (shown by a lower ESS change from baseline) than that with Prami-ER (key secondary endpoint; p < 0.0001). Results highlighted in abstract 2396 show that patients treated with P2B001 developed significantly less new-onset EDS, often a limiting factor for traditional dosing of DAs. Data analysis showed the rate of new-onset EDS was significantly lower in patients treated with P2B001 (8.5%) as compared to commercial Prami-ER (35.7%; adjusted odds ratio 0.17 (95% CI: 0.08-0.36; P<0.0001). We believe the data presented at AAN this year continue to support the development of P2B001 as a potential first-line therapy for people with PD, says Dan Teleman, President, Pharma Two B. Our unique and proprietary formulation shown through our dose selection, extended-release formulation, and no need for titration supports our plan to submit a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. P2B001 Clinical Data Presentations Abstract Title Abstract # Presentation Lead Author P2B001 significantly reduced risk of daytime sleepiness: results from a randomized controlled phase 3 trial with active pramipexole arm in early Parkinsons disease (PD) 2396 POSTER 001 Neighborhood 11 Sunday, April 23 11:45am12:45pm P2: Movement Disorders: Clinical Trials in Parkinsons Disease 2 Kreitzman, D., et. al. P2B001 (low dose combination of extended-release pramipexole and rasagiline) versus titrated extended-release pramipexole in the management of early Parkinsons disease: Exploratory findings from a randomized, controlled trial. 3733 ORAL 010 Tuesday, April 25 5:18pm S32: Movement Disorders: Trials Elmer, L., et. al. About P2B001 P2B001 is an investigational, novel, fixed-dose, extended-release combination of pramipexole and rasagiline (0.6 mg/0.75 mg), both at low doses that are not commercially available. Marketed pramipexole and rasagiline are currently indicated for the treatment of Parkinsons disease (as monotherapy and adjunct therapy for early and more advanced patients). P2B001 is being developed for potential use as a first-line therapy for people with Parkinsons disease of all ages. Extended-release rasagiline is a new and proprietary formulation of rasagiline developed by Pharma Two B. Pharma Two B owns worldwide granted patents for both pharmaceutical composition and method of treatment with P2B001, which are expected to remain in force until January 2033. About Pharma Two B Pharma Two B is a private, venture-backed, late-stage pharmaceutical company established in 2008 in Rehovot, Israel. Our mission is to improve patients quality of life by developing innovative, value-added combination drugs for neurological disorders, with a clear unmet need, that are based on previously approved oral drugs and that offer meaningful clinical benefits, as well as improved safety and enhanced convenience through easier administration. The company is led by a highly experienced team in Parkinson Disease, supported by top tier scientific and clinical key opinion leaders, and backed by a dedicated group of investors. For more information, please visit: www.pharma2b.com. Forward Looking Statements Some of the statements made herein constitute forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future financial and other performance or anticipated plans and are identified by words such as will, expect, could, if, expected, anticipate, look forward, believe potential, propose and continue or negative variants of such terms. These and similar forward-looking statements discuss the companys future expectations and plans. The company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, the company cautions against placing undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements are only estimates of future performance. Actual performance or events may not meet such expectations or estimates and may, in fact, differ materially. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements made herein are reasonable, the company cannot and does not guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Moreover, the company does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of such forward-looking statements in the future. The company does not plan and, subject to applicable law, undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements made herein after the date hereof in order to conform such statements to actual results. _____________________________ i Amara et al, J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 2017; Suzuki J Park Dis, 2021; Avorn et al, Arch Neurol, 2005 Contact: Dan Teleman President Pharma Two B Ltd. Cell. + 972-54-550-0804 email: [email protected] www.pharma2b.com U.S. media contact: Cali Mangel Associate Director [email protected] 215-694-1577 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Sorry but it looks like the planet is just going to have to suffer given a notable disinterest in Earth Day in between election years. Or maybe our environmentalist buddies didn't want to answer questions about anything that prog Seymour Hersh has to say regarding the Nord Stream pipeline eco-disaster. Still . . . DID YOU NOTICE THE DEARTH OF KANSAS CITY EARTH DAY EXCITEMENT?!?! I know, I know . . . It's hard to gauge reaction from the comfort of an extra large SUV. For one thing . . . Earth Day is a relic from a long-ago time when kinder & gentler activists weren't willing to burn the planet in order to save it. Today's eco-loving progressives are more likely to toss people out in to the street to save the Earth rather than look silly holding signs and doing stupid dances in the park . . . Even if both activities are equally useless when it comes to impacting global climate. In Kansas City, our politicos have spiked home prices and required more cash from builders in order save the planet. We're not sure if any of it will work . . . But we didn't expect much beyond a few tweets and low-rent gatherings to mark the celebration today in Kansas City. And that was about all we got in these last 10 years until skyfall decides the fate of the globe altogether. In the meantime, we'll take a peek at www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . New study shows poor air quality in Kansas City. How to stay safe from pollution Kansas City's air quality received low grades from the American Lung Association Wednesday in the group's 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. Earth Day Update: Midwest Cities Still Have Air Quality Problems Stricter federal rules for major ozone emitters have led to a reduction in dangerous ozone levels affecting air quality around the country. The American Lung Association (ALA) says the trend has continued since the Clean Air Act went into effect in 1963. It's been amended several times since. How to make your home more energy efficient this Earth Day KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Mike Zerillo loves the charm of his family's old-school Waldo home. But with old-school charm comes old-home problems. "It's from 1936. It's got quite a bit of character, but it's also got quite a bit of aging in some areas," Zerillo said. Volunteers give older adults in KC Metro a lawn makeover for Earth Day KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - To celebrate Earth Day, many in the KC Metro will mow the lawn, clean up trash or even turn to greener alternatives. However, for some people in Kansas City, beautifying the area isn't as simple. Over the Earth Day weekend, volunteers are teaming up and helping out people with different abilities. 7 ways we've made the Earth better since the last Earth Day Earth Day is here again on April 22, and since the last time our planet reached this part of its orbit, humanity has actually taken surprisingly big new steps to avert the gargantuan threats to life as we know it: toxic pollution, habitat destruction, extinction, and climate change. The Case For Making Earth Day a Religious Holiday Earth Day is upon us-that forlorn little non-holiday that some years sandwiches itself between Easter and Passover, or other years trails in the wake of those "real" holidays. If the Super Bowl is America's unofficial national day of celebration, Earth Day is the collective yawn that brings a shrug. On this day in history, April 22, 1970, first Earth Day is celebrated: 'Rare political alignment' On this day in history, April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated - ushering in a host of new environmental legislation. The idea for the observation "Earth Day" originated with Sen. Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, who had "long been concerned about the deteriorating environment in the United States," says EarthDay.org. And all of this inspires our TKC Playlist tonight . . . One of our favorite eco-tunes still holds up over time . . . Forgive our Saturday night nostalgia as we share one of our favorite environmentalist songs from the 90s that's just a remake of a 60s Joni Mitchell tune: Nerdcore hip-hop provides a nice bridge . . . Earth Song from Michael Jackson charted at #1 in the UK even if it's more than a bit hokey but still catchy. A timeless feel good classic song for those who have made it this far . . . As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night. Blaming guns, racism and governance structure . . . Kansas City Mayor Q spoke to the politics of a recent teen shooting that earned the national spotlight. What we noticed first and foremost . . . Mayor Q's concern seems focused on defending the White House and Democratic Party policy over managing hometown issues and the local impact of this ongoing controversy. His tone was diplomatic, polished and strong . . . But we've heard these words before and they mostly lead to more divisive discussions. Credit where it's due . . . Toward the end of the interview he did make an important mention that law enforcement taking this shooting SERIOUSLY was, in fact, an important message the needs to be understood by all. Then again, he ruined those comments by discounting the rising crime issue plaguing KCMO and the nation. Check the description and the interview . . . "Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old in Kansas City, was shot last week after going to the wrong house. A White 84-year-old man has been charged with two felony counts. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas joins "Face the Nation" to discuss." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Frank Matys is a reporter for Orillia Today. He covers a range of topics, from happenings at city hall to people profiles and social issues. SHANGHAI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai's imports and exports reached 1.05 trillion yuan (about 152.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of this year, up 3.5 percent year on year, local customs said Sunday. Over the period, Shanghai's imports rose 6.9 percent year on year to 639.32 billion yuan, while its exports dropped 1.4 percent to 407.78 billion yuan, data from Shanghai Customs showed. The city's trade with the European Union, its largest trading partner, reached 212.4 billion yuan, up 8.2 percent year on year, accounting for 20.3 percent of the city's total foreign trade volume in the first quarter. Shanghai's trade with other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) rose 3.6 percent and that with countries along the Belt and Road grew by 2.3 percent, accounting for 33.6 percent and 22.4 percent of the total, respectively. The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) put Peninsula Petroleum Limited global leading marine fuel supplier on the list of international war sponsors. "As long as Russia supports its economy by earning from sea oil exports, Peninsula Petroleum Limited continues to receive excess profits and deliver fuel for ships that transport this Russian oil. Large tankers leave the Russian Federation every day via the Baltic Sea, despite the fact that the European Union imposed an embargo on the import of Russian oil after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine," the press service of the NACP reports. Ireland-based Peninsula Petroleum is a global bunker fuel supplier, operating more than 25,000 deliveries per year and offering fuel resale services, technical expertise, fleet management and yachting services. As the NACP noted, despite the fact that several bunker fuel suppliers stopped cooperation with the companies of the aggressor state, the Irish Peninsula Petroleum consciously continues to supply fuel to tankers in Danish waters when they return or go to one of the main oil ports located in the north-west of the Russian Federation. This allows the company to set higher prices when selling fuel to tankers transporting Russian oil. According to the report, a review of AIS data in the area shows that Peninsula Petroleum supplies large quantities of fuel to tankers bound for or from the terrorist state every week. At the same time, the company says that the sanctions were never intended to completely cut off Russian oil from the global market as this would raise oil prices and harm the global economy. "So while Russia is looking for ways to support its economy weakened by the effectiveness of global sanctions, Peninsula Petroleum Limited is directly facilitating the transportation and sale of Russian oil through refueling and maintaining its tankers. This demonstrates the company's support for and sponsorship of the war," the NACP stressed. As reported, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention put Chinese Xiaomi Corporation on the list of international sponsors of the war. In total, this list includes 22 companies that support the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine. All of them are already listed in the World-Check database of high-risk individuals and organizations used worldwide to identify and manage financial, regulatory, and reputational risks. All global companies and investors see that cooperation with such companies is dangerous and risky. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis reiterated the position of Baltic States who dont trust China to mediate a settlement in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Thats according to a tweet Landsbergis posted on Saturday, Ukrinform reports. If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States don't trust China to broker peace in Ukraine, here's a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries' borders have no legal basis, Landsbergis wrote. The head of Lithuanian diplomacy referred to the recent comment made by Chinas Ambassador to France Lu Shaye, who claimed former Soviet countries have no effective status in international law. Read also: Biden discusses with von der Leyen her visit to China and support for Ukraine Besides the obvious Ukraine implications, the statement also outraged the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia all ex-Soviet republics that broke away as the USSR collapsed. According to The Kyiv Independent, when asked about Crimea, the ambassador said the issue of whom the peninsula belongs to depends on how you see the problem. He went on to claim that Crimea was Russian at the beginning, stopping short of specifying the timeframe he referred to. Earlier, the spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, said China would develop a mutually beneficial strategic partnership with Russia and continue to work with the international community to find a political solution to the Ukraine crisis. Regarding Sino-Russian relations, the spokesman noted that China and Russia are "committed to the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of any third party, and are developing a new type of relationship between major powers based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and mutually beneficial cooperation." Advisor to the Head of the Ukrainian Presidents Office Mykhailo Podolyak has emphasized that all post-Soviet countries, except Russia, have a clear sovereign status. He said this in a tweet, commenting on the recent statement by Chinas Ambassador to France Lu Shaye, who questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet countries, Ukrinform reports. All post-Soviet Union countries have a clear sovereign status enshrined in international law. Except for Russia, which fraudulently took a seat in the UN Security Council, Podolyak noted. According to him, it is also strange to hear an absurd version of the "history of Crimea" from a representative of a country that is scrupulous about its thousand-year history. If you want to be a major political player, do not parrot the propaganda of Russian outsiders, the adviser to the Presidents Office head said. As reported by Ukrinform, Chinas Ambassador to France Lu Shaye questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet republics, including Ukraine. He also mentioned Russian-occupied Crimea, noting that it depends how you perceive the problem and added that everything is not so simple and that the peninsula was originally part of Russia. Following these statements, the official representative of China was severely criticized. In particular, Ukraines Ambassador to France Vadym Omelchenko suggested that Lu Shaye has problems with geography and reminded that such statements contradict China's official position. The Baltic countries announced their intention to summon representatives of the People's Republic of China to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs following the statements by the Chinese ambassador to France. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk met with President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus Annita Demetriou and called on her country to join the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. As Stefanchuk posted on Facebook, he also invited his colleague to visit Ukraine. The Verkhovna Rada Chairman believes that this will contribute to the intensification of the inter-parliamentary dialogue between the countries. "I called on the Parliament of Cyprus to recognize present-day Russian crimes against Ukrainians and the Holodomor of 1932-33 as the genocide of the Ukrainian people," Stefanchuk added. In addition, he focused on the issue of sanctions against the Russian Federation, especially against Russian nuclear energy and Rosatom corporation. The issue of justice was raised also. "It is very important not only to win on the battlefield but also to bring the Russian Federation to justice for the crimes committed in Ukraine. I called on Cyprus to join the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine," Stefanchuk emphasized. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada heard from his colleague the words of support for Ukraine's accession to the European Union. As reported, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk arrived in Prague to participate in the Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments. Pope Francis has called on the world not to forget about Ukrainians who are still suffering from the war. According to Ukrinform, this was reported by Vatican News. Next Friday, Pope Francis will travel to Budapest, Hungary, which serves as a complement to his visit to the country in 2021 for the International Eucharistic Congress. However, Pope Francis noted, it will also be a journey to the centre of Europe, over which the icy winds of war continue to blow, with the resulting movement of so many people puts urgent humanitarian issues on the agenda. The Pope also said he is looking forward to his visit with the Hungarian people, and thanked them for their commitment in preparing for his arrival. He asked everyone to accompany his journey with prayer, not forgetting our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, still afflicted by this war. Read also: Russian aggression already injured 949 children in Ukraine Among other things, he also mentioned that World Earth Day was celebrated the day before. In view of the gravity of the situation in Sudan, Pope Francis invited everyone to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters. Pope Francis appealed for an immediate end to violence and a return to the path of dialogue. As Ukrinform reported, Pope Francis is planning to discuss peace for Ukraine during his visit to Hungary on April 28-30. RABAT, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan police seized on Saturday 5.44 tonnes of cannabis at the northern port of Tanger Med, it said in a statement. Police officers and customs personnel found the drugs, which were in the form of compressed resin, on an international freight truck heading for Spain. The cannabis was hidden in cavities specially placed in the truck's trailer and chassis, the statement said, adding that the 45-year-old Moroccan driver was detained. A criminal investigation is underway to arrest suspects linked to the smuggling, the statement said. Despite efforts to crack down on cannabis farming in the past decade, Morocco remains one of the world's largest producers of cannabis resin. 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. SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 23rd Apr, 2023) The Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) in Sharjah has wrapped up three days of successful participation at the International Exhibition and Conference (India Steel 2023), one of the largest and most important steel industry events in the world. The conference, which took place from 19th to 21st April at the Mumbai Exhibition Centre, brought together industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders from around the globe, as well as major commercial and manufacturing companies. During the three-day gathering, HFZA showcased its facilities and services, positioning Sharjah as an attractive investment destination. The team engaged with major companies and brands operating in the global steel sector, as well as exhibition visitors interested in establishing their businesses in the free zone. In addition to highlighting Sharjahs strategic location and the ease of setting up a business at HFZA, the team provided insights into the current trends and dynamics of the global steel industry for prospective investors. The free zone also showcased several benefits of setting up a business in its industrial manufacturing park, which houses the largest number of steel manufacturers in the MENA region and offers competitive advantages and services that attract investors from both within and outside the country. The park also boasts over 180 companies operating in welding and mining, using HFZA as a gateway to the global market. Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, Director of HFZA, said, The biennial India Steel Show 2023 serves as an exceptional platform to engage with industry leaders, acquire insights on future growth potential, and discover collaboration opportunities in the rapidly evolving Indian market. This comes in line with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and India, which the two nations recently signed. India is among the UAE's most significant investment partners, with substantial mutual investments, and iron and steel rank among the top commodities exported from the UAE to India. HFZA team introduced our platforms visitors to a wide range of solutions that were designed to help industry stakeholders reach new markets and expand their businesses, let alone the logistical capabilities, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and support services that not only attract investments but also catapult investors businesses to the next level, he added. (@FahadShabbir) Khartoum, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Apr, 2023 ) :Foreign countries on Sunday rushed to evacuate their nationals from battle-torn Sudan where deadly fighting raged into a second week between forces loyal to two rival generals. As gunfire again echoed through Khartoum and fighter jets roared above, foreigners also fled the capital in a long United Nations convoy, while millions of frightened residents hunkered down inside their homes, many running low on water and food. Across the city of five million, army and militia troops have fought ferocious street battles since April 15, leaving behind charred tanks, gutted buildings and shops that have been looted and torched. More than 420 people have been killed and thousands wounded, according to UN figures, in fighting that has sparked fears of wider turmoil and a humanitarian disaster in one of the world's poorest nations. US special forces launched a rescue mission early Sunday for around 100 embassy staff and their relatives, swooping in with Chinook helicopters to fly them to a military base in Djibouti. US President Joe Biden condemned the violence, saying it is "unconscionable and it must stop". British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said UK forces had also "completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff". Germany and France meanwhile announced Sunday that they had begun evacuating their nationals and those from other countries, with a French plane carrying around 100 people of multiple nationalities out. Long convoys of UN vehicles and buses were seen leaving Khartoum heading east to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 850 kilometres (530 miles) away by road. Taking advantage of a recent brief lull in fighting, residents of the battle-striken capital rushed to organise buses out -- mainly north to Egypt -- sharing bus drivers' numbers, safe routes to the border, and advice on visa restrictions on social media. - 'Living in darkness' - The fighting broke out on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Daglo's RSF emerged from the Janjaweed fighters whom former strongman Omar al-Bashir unleashed in the Darfur region, where they were accused of war crimes including genocide. The military toppled Bashir in April 2019 following mass citizen protests. The two generals seized power in a 2021 coup, but later fell out in a bitter power struggle, most recently centred on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. Multiple truces have been agreed in recent days and ignored. Khartoum's airport, where the blackened hulls of destroyed aircraft lie on runways, is under the control of the RSF. At least one jailbreak has taken place in the capital, according to lawyers. Reports of prisoners also being freed from two other prisons -- including the Kober jail where Bashir has been held -- could not be independently verified. In Khartoum, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power largely off amid sweltering heat and the internet out for most. "We were living in darkness... first we didn't have water and then we didn't have power," Khartoum resident Awad Ahmad Sherif said. "We ask God for our safety." - 'Stop the violence' - Pope Francis on Sunday renewed calls "for the violence to stop as quickly as possible and for dialogue to resume". Fighting has broken out elsewhere across Sudan, Africa's third biggest nation. Battles have raged in Darfur, where aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children, in the city of El Fasher. Some hospitals have been shelled in fighting and others ransacked, with more than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states "out of service", the doctors' union said. In the first large evacuation of foreigners, more than 150 people reached Saudi Arabia after naval forces launched a rescue across the Red Sea on Saturday, collecting Saudi citizens and nationals from 12 other countries from Port Sudan. Turkey began rescue operations at dawn Sunday via road from the southern city of Wad Madani, but the effort was postponed from one site in Khartoum after explosions near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said on Twitter. European countries including Italy, the Netherlands and Greece also said they were planning rescue efforts. The scramble by foreigners to escape has heightened fears among Sudanese of what will happen when diplomats who could act as potential mediators have gone. "Pushing for safe passages to evacuate internationals without simultaneously pushing to end the war will be terrible", said researcher Hamid Khalafallah. "International actors will have less impact once they're out of country," he said, adding in a message to foreign nations: "Do all you can to leave safely, but don't leave the Sudanese people behind unprotected." Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2023 ) :Around 100 people have been evacuated from Sudan on the first French flight out of the war-hit country after a "complicated" rescue operation, French officials said on Sunday. The first rescue flight had landed in Djibouti carrying citizens from Britain, France, Germany, and Switzerland as well as African nations such as Ethiopia and Morocco, an official from the foreign ministry said on condition of anonymity. "They're tired, tense, but very relieved to have arrived safe and sound," he said. A second flight of another 100 people is expected to leave on Sunday evening, with the evacuees having to cross the frontline of fighting around the capital Khartoum to board the planes. "I must stress the complicated nature of his operation," the official said. Asked about unconfirmed reports that a French national had been injured during the evacuation operation, a defence ministry official declined to comment. "With the operation ongoing, we do not want to comment on this type of rumour," an official from the defence ministry said, speaking during the same briefing with reporters. They gave details of the long negotiations leading up to Sunday's operations, which required a ceasefire around the road used for the evacuation convoy. President Emmanuel Macron also called his Ethiopian counterpart to request permission for the flights to use Ethiopian air space on their way to Djibouti. "We had difficulties with some countries which had closed their air space," the foreign ministry official said. A doctor was on board the French plane to assist evacuees, many of whom were "understandably psychologically affected" by their ordeal in Khartoum where food and fuel are in short supply, the official added. Other French rescue flights are expected on Monday morning. (@ChaudhryMAli88) TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2023) The G7 agriculture ministers have agreed to cooperate on food safety and environmental sustainability during a meeting in the Japanese city of Miyazaki, the Kyodo news agency reports. The agriculture ministers issued a joint statement after their summit held on April 22-23, agreeing to support Kiev in the restoration of Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure, facilitating projects in developing countries through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and also agreed to expand cooperation on food safety, environmental sustainability, and other food industry and agro-industrial production issues, Kyodo said. A senior EU official said on Friday that the issue of a complete ban on exports to Russia has not yet been discussed by the G7 but should not be ruled out in the future. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that a potential ban on the export of almost all goods to Russia would hit the global economy and could lead to an increase in crisis trends around the world. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2023) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has condemned the United States' failure to issue visas to Russian journalists who were supposed to accompany their country's delegation to the UN Security Council session in New York and pledged response measures. "The Americans pulled yet another outrageous and totally unacceptable trick in preparation for the participation of Russian Foreign Minister (Sergey) Lavrov in the events of the outgoing Russian presidency of the UN Security Council. A group of Russian journalists who were to accompany Lavrov on this trip were not issued visas until the very last moment. The Americans pretended that they were working and that a solution was about to be found," Ryabkov told the reporters who arrived at an airport to leave for New York. He added that this situation was "a game of nerves, a mockery, and yet another reflection of the fact that our colleagues in Washington are not only not to be trusted, they are simply not worth listening to. " "We have repeatedly contacted them on this issue over the last few days. Nevertheless, the result, as you can see, is deplorable, even though we were given assurances that visas are on the way, are about to be issued. All of this is a lie. This is an outright lie, and it does not paint a good picture of the country that hosts the UN Headquarters. The journalists were supposed to cover the most important event of the Russian presidency of the UN Security Council," Ryabkov said. He stressed that all the events that Lavrov is scheduled to attend in New York are "high-profile newsworthy events." "And our press pool was bound to be with us. That didn't happen. The responsibility lies squarely on the American side," Ryabkov said, stressing that Moscow will find ways to respond to this move "so that Americans remember for a long time that this is not the way things are done." ULAN BATOR, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The final round of the 16th edition of the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign secondary school students was held here Saturday. Under the theme "Fly High With Chinese," a total of 22 finalists from nine schools across Mongolia showcased their Chinese language skills and understanding of the Chinese culture through speeches, quizzes, and cultural performances. Enkhmaa Bolor-Od, a student from the Khishig secondary school in the national capital Ulan Bator, won the contest and was qualified to represent Mongolia at the final "Chinese Bridge" competition in China. BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2023) Local elections in four municipalities in Kosovo's north on Sunday see particularly low turnout as the region's predominantly ethnic Serb population is boycotting the vote as called for by the Serb List party, media reported. Voters are set to elect new mayors in the municipalities of North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq and new municipal councils in Zvecan and Leposaviq. The Serb List party, whose candidates previously were in majority in the municipalities' councils and executive bodies, called for boycotting the elections citing pressure and provocations from the Kosovo authorities and enjoyed far-reaching public support in this cause, the Kosovo Online news portal reported. While over 45,000 people are eligible to vote in the north of Serbia's former region, whose independence Belgrade never recognized, just under 2% of them are ethnic Albanians, which further fuels expectations of extremely low turnout. The Kosovo authorities set up 19 special metal cabins near police stations and along highways where the residents can cast their ballots starting 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. (05:00-17:00 GMT). A total of 357 observers from political movements, foreign embassies and missions, media and non-government organizations are reportedly monitoring the elections. The streets in the four municipalities are particularly deserted and only police officers could be seen standing outside the voting cabins, along with NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) vehicles and reporters, the report said. Meanwhile, police barred observers and journalists from entering some polling places. The election commission in Pristina registered 10 candidates for the mayors' posts in the four municipalities, including those from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, founded by former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who is now on trial in The Hague for war crimes committed in 1998-1999, the Self-determination movement of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and the Mitrovica Civic Initiative. The only ethnic Serb among them is independent candidate Sladjana Pantovic, who is running for the seat of Zvecan mayor. The news outlet said she voted early in the morning, briefly spoke to the media and then departed in a private car guarded by the police. On Saturday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters, when asked about what he expected after the Kosovo elections, that "there would be a total occupation, which people are already ready for and used to." Vucic, at a meeting with Kosovo Serbs on April 13, supported the boycott and said that the new elected authorities in northern Kosovo "will not be legitimate because they will be formed by Albanians, who amount to 2% there." On Friday night, he called the upcoming vote "a disgrace to the West and democracy," directing particular criticism to the metal cabins where people are supposed to vote. The Serbian president pointed out that the boycott of the elections should be pinned not only on Pristina but also on the European Union, the guarantor of the 2013 Brussels Agreement on forming the Community of Serb Municipalities with autonomous rights from 10 Serb-inhabited municipalities. Vucic opined that after Albanians win the municipal elections in the north of Kosovo, they will refuse to participate in forming the Community of Serb Municipalities. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2023) Pope Francis on Sunday repeated his calls for an end to hostilities in Sudan, which have already spilled into a second week, urging the flock to pray for the people of the northeast African nation. "Unfortunately, the situation in Sudan remains grave, and therefore I renew my appeal for an end to the violence as soon as possible and for a return to the path of dialogue. I invite everyone to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters," the pontiff said at the end of his Sunday prayer. Last Sunday, Pope Francis also expressed his concerns over the events unfolding in Sudan, while calling for a prayer "so that they might lay down their arms, and pick up the path of peace and harmony. " On April 15, violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese regular army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, with the epicenter in Khartoum. Government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides have agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. (@FahadShabbir) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2023) Iran has received a proposal from the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation to launch three regular flights per week between the two countries, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash said. "The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization has recently received an official request from the Saudi civil aviation authority on starting three flights a week, apart from flights conducted for the Hajj pilgrimage," the official said, as quoted by Iranian news agency Tasnim. The Iranian authorities would make every effort to establish direct air traffic between the two countries as soon as possible, Bazrpash added. Earlier in the month, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, met in China and signed an agreement on the restoration of diplomatic relations and preparation for the opening of diplomatic missions. The officials also agreed to resume direct flights between the two countries. In early March, Iran and Saudi Arabia, with China's mediation, agreed to resume diplomatic ties that were severed in 2016 after Saudi Arabia's diplomatic missions in Iran had been attacked following the execution of Shiite preacher Nimr al-Nimr. (@FahadShabbir) CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2023) The Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group on Sunday exchanged accusations of injuring a French national during the evacuation of French diplomats from the African country engulfed in armed clashes. "The Rapid Support (Forces) militia committed several violations against diplomatic missions last night and today ... The French embassy convoy was attacked by gunfire, which led to their return and disrupted the evacuation. One of the French nationals was wounded by a sniper's bullet," the armed forces said on social media. The paramilitary group, in turn, pinned the blame for the attack on the regular armed forces. "On the morning of 23 April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces were attacked by aircraft during the evacuation of French nationals from their embassy, passing through Bahri (the city of Khartoum North) to Omdurman, which endangered the lives of French nationals by injuring one of them," the RSF said on Twitter, claiming that they were assisting the evacuation efforts. Earlier in the day, US President Joe Biden confirmed that he had ordered US military forces to evacuate US government personnel from the US embassy in Sudan's capital of Khartoum. The French Foreign Ministry later announced that it had also started evacuating its citizens and diplomatic personnel from Sudan. On April 15, violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the RSF broke out, with the epicenter in Khartoum. Government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday in connection with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. On Thursday, the Sudanese Health Ministry said that the death toll in the armed clashes surpassed 600. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people were killed and 3,551 others were injured. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2023) The United States did not coordinate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan to carry out an evacuation of American personnel at the US Embassy in Khartoum, US Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass said. "This operation was conducted by the Department of Defense and only by the Department of Defense," Bass said during a conference call late on Saturday night. "You may have seen some assertions in social media in recent hours that the rapid security forces somehow coordinated with us, supported this operation. That was not the case." Bass pointed out that the RSF cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on US service members in the course of the evacuation operation. Meanwhile, the RSF said on Twitter that they coordinated with the US Forces Mission consisting of six aircraft, for evacuating US diplomats and their families on Sunday morning. The RSF added that they supervised all the arrangements that preceded the evacuation process and affirmed their readiness to ensure the safe return of diplomats to their countries. The three Baltic states have strongly condemned comments by China's envoy to France, who appeared to suggest in a recent French television interview that former Soviet republics aren't sovereign nations. The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in separate announcements late Saturday deemed statements by Lu Shaye, China's ambassador to France, as unacceptable. In a recent interview with the French news channel LCI, he was asked if he thought that the Crimean Peninsula belongs to Ukraine. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world denounced as illegal. "That depends ... on how one perceives this problem," the envoy told the broadcaster. "There's the history. Crimea was at the beginning Russian, no? It was (Soviet leader Nikita) Khrushchev who gave Crimea to Ukraine in the era of the Soviet Union." When the channel's presenter noted that according to international law, Crimea is part of Ukraine, the Chinese ambassador drew a parallel to the former Soviet republics including the three Baltic nations that broke free after the USSR collapsed in 1991. "With regards to international law, even these ex-Soviet Union countries, they do not, they do not have the status how to say it? that's effective in international law, because there is no international agreement to solidify their status as a sovereign country," he said. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis tweeted, "If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States don't trust China to 'broker peace in Ukraine,' here's a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries' borders have no legal basis." His Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, said the Chinese ambassador's comments were "false and a misinterpretation of history," while Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevics said that the statements were "completely unacceptable." Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius would each summon China's ambassador or representative for an explanation of the envoy's comments, the three Baltic countries said. European Union and NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania regained their independence in 1991 amid the fall of the Soviet Union after nearly five decades of Moscow's rule. In a separate statement, France's foreign ministry expressed concern about the ambassador's comments about ex-Soviet states and said: "It's for China to say whether these comments reflect its position, which we hope is not the case." The French ministry said these countries gained independence "after decades of oppression" and that in the specific case of Ukraine, "the entirety of the international community, including China," recognized its borders, including Crimea, when it declared independence in 1991. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday criticized the Chinese ambassador's "unacceptable remarks" on former Soviet republics' sovereignty. "The EU can only suppose these declarations do not represent China's official policy," he tweeted. President Vladimir Putin of Russia, which is China's ally, has said several times that he doesn't recognize the sovereignty of Ukraine. The Kremlin also has made clear that it perceives the independence of the Baltic states and their active role in NATO and the EU as threats to Russia's security. 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 deepening 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 China's 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 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. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (L) shakes hands with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Lisbon, Portugal on April 22, 2023. Lula arrived in Lisbon on Friday on his first visit to Europe since being reelected president, with an agenda that includes a Portugal-Brazil summit, at the end of which the two countries signed 13 bilateral cooperation agreements covering such areas as education, justice, health, economy, and culture. (Photo by Pedro Fiuza/Xinhua) LISBON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- On his visit to Portugal, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Saturday that it is necessary to "choose a third way" to build peace for the conflict in Ukraine. "I don't want to please anyone. I want to build a way to bring the two (Russia and Ukraine) to the table," Lula said. Lula arrived in Lisbon on Friday on his first visit to Europe since being reelected president, with an agenda that includes a Portugal-Brazil summit, at the end of which the two countries signed 13 bilateral cooperation agreements covering such areas as education, justice, health, economy, and culture. In a joint declaration, Lula and his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa emphasized their commitment to international law, the UN Charter, and peaceful resolutions of conflicts. The declaration also says Portugal and Brazil support the full functioning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations, and signed by Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to establish a maritime humanitarian corridor for grain and fertilizer export from the two countries. Planning for next month's coronation of King Charles III, the first for a British monarch in 70 years, is being met with subdued enthusiasm in Canada, the Commonwealth's largest country by area. While some Canadians are eagerly awaiting the pageantry-filled spectacle steeped in centuries of history, most of their compatriots say they have little interest in the event and don't want Charles as their king. But Canada is unlikely to cast off the monarchy and become a republic any time soon. "The monarchy is hard-wired into the Canadian constitution and just because most Canadians have little interest in it does not mean that the monarchy is on its death-bed," said Cape Breton University professor David Johnson, an expert on Canadian politics and constitutional matters, in an email exchange with VOA. Many Canadians, like their American neighbors, are fascinated by not only the pageantry but also the tabloid-worthy drama that surrounds the royal family. But unlike the United States, which threw off royal rule in 1776, Canada still recognizes the king or queen of England as its head of state. Many see monarchy as dated While the inhabitants of Windsor Castle have no role in day-to-day governance in Canada, the monarchy is embedded in its institutions, with the face of the ruling monarch adorning its currency. The monarch's representative, known as the governor general, presides over the annual opening of Parliament, and lieutenant governors perform similar ceremonial duties in each of the 10 provinces. But Canadians are increasingly seeing that legacy of colonial rule as an outdated relic, a change in attitude that has been brought to the fore by the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the imminent coronation of Charles. "It's not surprising that recent polling on this shows the vast majority of Canadians to be uninterested in the coronation, the king, and the institution of the monarchy in Canada," Johnson said. He cited a Research Co. poll conducted in early March that showed only 19% of survey respondents wanted to see Charles remain as Canada's head of state. Several other polls have produced similar findings. "Some 44% of respondents wish to see an elected head of state in this country," Johnson wrote. "I am in no way surprised by any of these numbers," said Johnson. "Only some one-third of Canadians generally express views supportive of the monarchy in Canada (and I am one of them) while the majority show little interest in it, and are perplexed as to why the head of the Windsor family in the U.K. is our head of state." Among those with little interest in the monarchy are the residents of predominantly French-speaking Quebec, who feel more affinity with France than with Britain, and the more than 8 million Canadian residents accounting for almost a quarter of the total population who came to Canada as immigrants. Proponents for separation One of the most outspoken proponents for cutting ties with the monarchy is Tom Freda, director of the advocacy group Citizens for a Canadian Republic, who sees the coronation as an opportunity to advance his cause. "Anything that gets Canadians thinking about the monarchy is a good thing," Freda said in an email exchange. "Because when they do, the majority always see it as an anachronistic colonial relic that needs to be sent to the history books. "This is the conundrum monarchists face with an absentee monarch," Freda told VOA. "If they [royal family members] stay in Britain, Canadians will always think they're British and symbols of our colonial past," said Freda. "But if they visit (or are in the news for any other reason), the sheer ridiculousness of having a head of state who is a hereditary monarch and lives in a castle on another continent, becomes front-and-centre." Freda believes not much would change if Canada were to become a republic. "Where there will be a change is in the enhanced sense of Canadian identity we'll all feel when it happens," Freda said. "This has proven to be the case in all the news stories on Barbados' transition to a republic. Barbadians interviewed describe a renewed sense of pride in their country for taking the last step to independence." Some still loyal to royals But any attempt to cut Canada's ties to the monarchy would encounter constitutional hurdles and likely run into stiff opposition from the one-third of Canadians, especially older ones, who still revere the institution. "Abolishing the monarchy would require a feat of political maneuvering that has rarely been seen throughout the years, requiring unanimous agreement among the House of Commons, the Senate and all of the provincial legislatures," wrote Amanda Connolly in Canada's Global News. Her September 18 article followed remarks by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ruling out any such effort in the near future. Canadian royalists, meanwhile, are heartened by an uptick in approval of Charles himself, who has managed to achieve a stature as king that long evaded him as Prince of Wales. Historian Robert Lacey, who wrote the companion books to the blockbuster TV series "The Crown," told VOA he could not speak to Charles' popularity in Canada but said it is growing in the United Kingdom. "Quite a lot of people in Britain say I've never had much time for Prince Charles but I quite like King Charles," Lacey told VOA via Skype. "In his speaking, he's developed an appeal that people didn't quite expect." Johnson pointed out that polling shows the next generation of royals is more popular in Canada than the new king. "54% of respondents like the Prince and Princess of Wales, and 46% like Harry, 41% like Meghan," he said. Canada will host coronation celebrations Regardless of public opinion, the federal government is moving ahead with plans for a day of festivities to mark the coronation, though the prime minister might skip the events in London. In a March 16 press release, Trudeau's office announced plans for Coronation Day celebrations that would "acknowledge the special relationship" between Canada and the new king, including "artistic performances, and special unveilings" at various Ottawa locations. "All Commonwealth nations will be represented, likely by governors-general," Johnson told VOA. "This will probably be the case for Canada, although this has not yet been stated. The prime minister has a Liberal Party convention to attend that weekend." With the peak tourism season setting in, Greece is bracing for a record number of arrivals and is welcoming back Chinese tourists. The warm feelings follow a period of discontent due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions placed on travelers from China for the past three years, and other issues. On the cobblestone streets of Athens, tavern owner Spiros Bairaktaris spreads his arms wide open, welcoming news of what is already called the Chinese return. He says, We await them with great love, from the bottom of our hearts. We want to host them, to feed them, to offer all our services. All restaurants here, he says, are aching for their return. While groups of Chinese travelers are just starting to trickle in, Greece expects the number to surge through the summer, exceeding the roughly 200,000 who visited the country ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent months, a flurry of meetings between Greek and Chinese officials has helped ease visa restrictions. Direct flights have resumed, but also increased in number and locations in a strategy to boost inflows of travelers from China, Tourism accounts for more than a quarter of Greeces economic earnings. And with forecasts predicting more than 30 million travelers this summer, business and officials here say that the Chinese return will help stoke the engines of this countrys lackluster economy after a decade-long recession and the pandemic. In the past, we have seen that average spending from our friends from China was even double [that of] European travelers to Greece," said Sofia Zacharaki, the deputy tourism minister. Such sweeping feelings of welcome and enthusiasm are new. Just five years ago and ahead of the pandemic, many businesses and locals said they upset with what they called an over-saturation of Chinese travelers. Greeks pointed to what they say was an over-commercialization of mass Chinese weddings against iconic sunsets on popular islands like Santorini. They also say that on Santorini and other islands, law enforcement, garbage collection and other services were overstretched due to the influx of mainly Chinese visitors. Concerns were also raised about reckless construction as the host islands sought to accommodate the visitors. And many locals began fearing that Chinese and other visitors were posing threats to social cohesion. Whether such deep-rooted concerns will creep up again remains unclear. For now, though, restaurant menus are being translated into Mandarin, shops are being festooned with Chinese flags and hotel employees, are learning Mandarin. Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said 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 defense 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 about 300,000 Brazilians, during his time in office. "I wanted to tell you how happy I am," Lula, standing next to Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio 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," he said. Lula signed 13 agreements on technology, energy transition, tourism, culture and education with 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. "Small adjustments are needed but we will do it," Lula said. A 50-member Indian business delegation starts a four-day visit to Russia Monday as both countries seek to deepen economic ties that have grown in the aftermath of Russias invasion of Ukraine. India and Russia are also in talks for a free trade deal, ministers from the two countries said earlier this week during a visit by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov to New Delhi. In recent months, Moscow has become Indias largest supplier of crude oil as sanctions-hit Russia seeks more trade with Asian countries. New Delhi has not joined U.S-led Western sanctions on Moscow or condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine outright but has been calling for a negotiated resolution of the conflict. It is also continuing to step up its economic engagement with Russia despite Western calls to gradually distance itself from Moscow. The Indian business delegation headed to Russia is expected to meet buyers in Moscow and St. Petersburg. We see opportunities in Russia and that is why we put together this delegation. It is going to explore markets in food and agricultural products, Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations told VOA. He said that the aim is to double Indian exports to Russia to about $5 billion this year. Trade analysts say India is trying to step up its exports to Russia to bridge a trade deficit that has become huge as New Delhis crude oil imports from Moscow rise exponentially. While Indias imports from Russia have jumped fourfold to over $46 billion since 2021, its exports to Moscow add up to less than $3 billion. But as Russias trade with the West dries up, it has been seeking products from India, including manufactured goods, electronics devices and automobile components. It is a windfall situation. We are getting discounted oil which is a huge advantage for India. Compared to virtually nothing prior to the Ukraine invasion, Indias crude oil imports have risen to over a million barrels of oil per day from Russia, Manoj Joshi, distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation told VOA. And now that they are under sanctions, India sees an opportunity in promoting exports also, so that will be a double advantage. Russia, Indias Cold War ally, was its largest defense supplier for decades. Even though New Delhi has strengthened strategic partnerships with the United States and other Western countries in the last two decades, it maintains close ties with Moscow. Addressing a business forum with Manturov on April 17 in New Delhi, Indian External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar called the India-Russia relationship among the steadiest in global relations, and said that the partnership is drawing attention not because it has changed but because it has not. Jaishankar said Russia's resources and technology can make a powerful contribution to India's growth as Moscow is looking more toward Asia. We are looking forward to intensifying trade negotiations on a free trade agreement with India, Manturov, who is also Russias industry and trade minister said. Indian exporters however say that issues such as logistics, market access and payment difficulties pose a challenge. The opportunity is there to grow trade, but only time will tell how far we can exploit it, Sahai said. While Western countries want India to decrease its reliance on Russian imports to isolate Moscow over the Ukraine war, New Delhi has remained firm in maintaining its economic engagement with Russia. Indias message to the West is clear. We will pursue a relationship in our self-interest and we will go wherever our interests take us, Joshi said. Yes, the West would like India to pressure Russia by not buying oil from them, but they have reconciled to the position that New Delhi has taken, he said. Irans new domestic surveillance program for enforcing its mandatory hijab law is having a shaky start, with many women appearing to ignore it, lawyers sharply criticizing it and activists observed to be plotting to subvert it. Iranian state media said the program went into effect April 15. A week earlier, Irans national police chief, Ahmad Reza Radan, said it would employ advanced surveillance capabilities, including street cameras, to identify women violating the law requiring them to wear a hijab to cover their hair in public in accordance with an Islamist dress code reviled by secular Iranians. A video posted Monday on the state-run Tasnim news site used animation to show how part of the program works. It said women caught on camera not wearing a hijab inside vehicles would receive text message warnings from police and could see their vehicles impounded if they ignore those warnings. It was not immediately clear how many new cameras were installed for the surveillance program and where. Iran had been using street cameras to record traffic violations. Many women in Iran appear undaunted by the increased surveillance. Over the past week, VOA Persian has observed a series of what it deems to be credible social media videos showing women in different parts of the country walking unveiled in public in defiance of the hijab law. In one video received by VOA Persian TV host Masih Alinejad and posted to her Telegram channel on Friday, an unveiled woman can be seen walking along a street at night and raising her arms in defiant gestures as she and other women around her chant Radan, get lost, a reference to the Iranian police chief, and death to the dictator, a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Alinejad said the sender of the video told her it was filmed in the Jolfa neighborhood of the central city of Isfahan. VOA cannot independently verify the locations and dates of the observed social media videos because it is barred from reporting inside Iran. Irans Kayhan newspaper, which is run by a Khamenei aide, dismissed the videos of unveiled women broadcast by Western-based Persian news channels. In an April 16 commentary, it called those videos fake without citing evidence. Several prominent lawyers in Iran criticized the new hijab surveillance program as ill-advised and illegitimate in comments to state-approved news sites. Tehran-based lawyer Ali Mojtahedzadeh told the Didban Iran (Iran Watch) site in an April 15 article that he believes the program will violate peoples privacy. Photography is [acceptable] for traffic violations, but it is a strange and expensive technique for identifying people without a veil. I consider this to be against the law and against reason and logic, Mojtahedzadeh said. In a commentary published April 17 by the Khabar Online site, Iranian law professor Nemat Ahmadi expressed doubt that the surveillance cameras will produce the desired result. Ahmadi said Iran should learn from nationwide antigovernment protests that erupted in September and not lay the groundwork for more actions that would inflame the public and try to distract peoples attention from economic problems. This weeks VOA Flashpoint Iran podcast examined the technology behind Irans surveillance program in an interview with Yasmin Green, CEO of Google subsidiary Jigsaw, which develops technology to address threats to open societies. The following transcript of Greens April 17 interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. VOA: Is the initial defiance of the camera surveillance by Iranian women a sign that this system will not work, or is it too early to say? Yasmin Green, Jigsaw CEO: So Irans use of cameras and CCTV to spy on people in public spaces, read license plates and identify people who are driving cars and not wearing hijabs has been in place for a while. What has recently been announced is almost a scaling up of the enforcement, as opposed to any new technology, as far as I can tell. It is documented that the Iranians have purchased technology from China to be able to do facial recognition. It is not clear that they are using that technology in this deployment that just started. But I anticipate that we will see more sophisticated facial recognition systems deployed, because the investments have been made. VOA: We have heard that Iranian authorities may impose financial penalties on women photographed without a hijab and summon them to court. But there is no clear explanation of the penalties. How do you think Iranian women are going to respond? Green: My expectation is that if people do not respond to warnings, and those warnings are not an effective deterrent, then the penalties will become more severe, whether they are financial penalties or prison and other types of physical violence that the Iranian government is capable of. Clearly, there is a recognition by the government that during the last six months of protests, the bloodiness of it has not advanced their reputation. So they are looking to move from the more brutal public morality police to a more private and scalable morality tech enforcement. They have done a lot of public relations inside the country, with the police chief speaking about the deployment and how it is going to be very accurate. They are hoping that will work. They also are talking to businesses and attempting to rally their supporters in the country to inform on people who are not observing the hijab law, as a way to complement the technology angle. VOA: What kind of high-tech tools can Iranian women use to protect themselves from this kind of surveillance and fight back against it? Green: There are conversations happening inside the country about how the system could be subverted. Because technology systems are vulnerable to getting things wrong in particular, by making assertions that something is happening when it is not the language used in the field to describe this vulnerability is false positives. One subversive idea considers if this system could be flooded with false positives, making it think that it has seen women without a hijab when that has not been the case. So, you could maybe break the system if, for example, a lot of men wearing wigs or men with long hair went out [to be spotted by the cameras]. Also, because authorities are asking individuals on the ground to inform them [about unveiled women], anybody could use that reporting mechanism and inform on somebody who was wearing a hijab. So these systems are vulnerable. Once facial recognition systems are in place, they become scarier and harder to circumvent, because you actually have an audit trail for the image of a person whom you could interrogate. 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, Wisconsin Republican Lawmaker Mike Gallagher, 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% 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. On the receding shorelines of low-lying Vypin Island off India's western coast, T. P. Murukesan fixed his eyes on the white paint peeling off the damp walls of his raised home and recounted the most recent floods. "The floods are occurring more frequently and lasting longer," he said. The last flood was chest-height for his young grandson. "Every flood brings waters this high, we just deal with it." Sea level rise and severe tidal floods have forced many families in Murukesan's neighborhood to relocate to higher grounds over the years. But the retired fisherman has almost singlehandedly been buffering the impacts of the rising waters on his home and in his community. Known locally as "Mangrove Man," Murukesan has turned to planting the trees along the shores of Vypin and the surrounding areas in the Kochi region of Kerala state to counter the impacts of rising waters on his home. Tidal flooding occurs when sea level rise combines with local factors to push water levels above the normal levels. Mangroves can provide natural coastal defenses against sea level rise, tides and storm surges, but over the course of his life forest cover in the state has dwindled. Murukesan said he grew up surrounded by beautiful, abundant mangroves that separated islands from the sea. Now, only fragmented patches of mangroves can be seen in Kochi, the state's financial capital. "They protected our houses against floods, sea erosion, and storms, used to be an inseparable part of our life, our ecosystem," he said. "Only these can save us." Murukesan said he has planted over 100,000 mangroves. He plants saplings on alternate days and does most of the work himself. Some help comes in the form of saplings from the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, a non-government organization based in Chennai, India. His efforts come up against a strong trend in the opposite direction. Ernakulam district, which includes Kochi, has lost nearly 42% of its mangrove ecosystems, including major decreases in the southern Puthuvypeen area in Vypin, according to a study released last year by the Indian Space Research Organization and the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies. Mangrove cover in the state has reduced from 700 square kilometers (435 square miles) to just 24 square kilometers (15 square miles) since 1975, according to the Kerala Forest department. "The construction of coastal roads and highways has severely damaged mangrove ecosystems in the state," said K K Ramachandran, former member secretary of the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority, a government body mandated to protect the coastal environment. "There should be an incentive for people who are making efforts to protect them." Murukesan's dedication to the cause has won him praise, awards and the audience of senior politicians but not incentives beyond the immediate benefits to his home. He said the mangroves he planted in and around the area in 2014 have grown into a dense thicket and are helping reduce the intensity of tidal flooding, but he's nevertheless continuing his efforts. Despite the thousands of new mangrove trees, other factors like climate change mean tidal floods have become more frequent and severe, sometimes keeping children from going to school and people from getting to work. It's all mentally exhausting, Murukesan and his wife, Geetha, said. "I have to travel a lot to collect seeds. My wife helps me in the nursery as much as she can. I am tired but I cannot stop," he said. Geetha said they do the tough work "for our children," preserving the forest for decades to come. "It keeps us going," she said. Vypin is at high-risk for tidal flooding, said Abhilash S, director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at the Cochin University of Science and Technology. "The sea level has risen and has damaged freshwater supplies. Sea erosion and spring tides have worsened. Coastal flooding is a common occurrence now," he said. "The carrying capacity of the backwaters has reduced due to sediment deposition and encroachment, and the rainwater enters residential areas during the monsoon season." Backwaters in the state of Kerala are networks of canals, lagoons and lakes parallel to coastal areas, unique ecosystems that help provide a buffer to rising sea levels. According to the World Meteorological Organization, global mean sea level rose by 4.5 millimeters per year between 2013 and 2022. It's a major threat for countries like India, China, the Netherlands and Bangladesh, which comprise large coastal populations. NASA projections show that Kochi might experience a sea level rise of 0.22 meters (8.7 inches) by 2050, and over half a meter (nearly 20 inches) by 2100 in a middle-of-the-road climate warming scenario. "Many families have left," Murukesan said. Fishing families living within 50 meters (55 yards) of the shore get a financial assistance of 10 lakh rupees ($12,000) through a rehabilitation scheme run by the Kerala government. Only few of those not covered under it have means to relocate to safer places. Some fishing families shift to government shelters in the monsoon season and return after it ends. A few have built stilt houses that stand on columns to fight tidal floods. Murukesan knows the sea is rising, but it's the backwaters that make him more anxious. The backwaters have become shallow due to the silt deposited by heavy floods. During heavy rain events, the water inundates the island. "We are caught between the sea and the backwaters. They are likely to swallow the island in some years, but I am not going anywhere," he said. "I was born here, and I will die here." 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 for 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 they're 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 day's 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. Often targeted 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. Migrants halt traffic 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. Pakistan is bracing for a new military offensive that is expected to target militants in the northwest as ethnic Pashtuns in the area say they are still looking for accountability for the army's last offensives in the region, in 2014 and 2017. Early this month, the countrys national security committee, comprising top civilian and military leaders, announced it was launching a comprehensive, nationwide anti-militant operation to halt a rise in attacks on security forces by the Pakistani Taliban and other extremist groups. While the statement did not explicitly mention a military operation, past comprehensive plans have included large-scale military action. Later, in a rare in-camera briefing to the lower house of the Parliament, according to lawmakers who declined to be identified, army chief Gen. Asim Munir said that the military was not launching a new operation but continuing its existing strategy. Pakistani security and law enforcement agencies have increased intelligence-based operations against militants in the last few months following an increase in terrorist activity. However, residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan remain concerned about the possibility of wider military action. Pakistan's government has said that previous operations led to a drop in terrorist attacks; however, Pashtun civil society members and peace activists say it came at a steep cost to many innocent people. "The generals and those involved in bringing back armed men [militants] to the area haven't been arrested and have not [been] held accountable. We will oppose any [new] operation," an elected member from South Waziristan, Ali Wazir, told Parliament on April 7 after the government disclosed its intentions for another offensive. Rights activists say previous military-led operations in their region killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, destroyed towns and market centers, and led to the creation of a harsh security law that gives the armed forces sweeping powers in the whole province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the former federally administered tribal areas. Wazir is a household name in Pakistan for his opposition to extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, illegal detentions, landmines and the Taliban's shadow rule in the Pashtun region. He was in jail for half of his 60-month term in Parliament, purportedly for his opposition to Pakistan's former chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Earlier this month, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif responded to Wazir's opposition by saying he would work to assuage local fears over the operation. "I want to tell members from Waziristan that their concerns will be heard, and they will be answered," the prime minister said on the floor of the lower house. Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif also supported the stance of the Waziristan members of Parliament and told the house that "they [MPs] are right in saying that those people [involved in talks with militants] should be reckoned with." News spreads fear Leaders and activists of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), a nonviolent Indigenous organization with serious reservations about the army's series of operations, are skeptical of the motive and timing of the announcement of the new operation, which could come during an election year and would be the military's first offensive since the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan. "The announcement of yet another military operation has indeed spread fear among locals because what they saw in the past operations was they were the ones who suffered the most," said Idris Bacha, a civil rights activist from Swat and the leader of a local movement, the People's Resistance Against Militancy. "Someone needs to tell us, what did they achieve in the previous campaigns? 80,000 people have been killed, whole villages destroyed, and their bazaars lay in ruins. They don't want to see that happen again," Bacha told VOA. Marvin Weinbaum, a longtime regional analyst with the Washington-based think tank Middle East Institute, shares Bacha's concerns. "I am very skeptical that there will be anything like a campaign they had in 2014, when they pushed them out of North and South Waziristan. I am skeptical of that in part because [of] the feelings in the tribal areas where they suffered terribly when that campaign was on its way. Many, many thousands were evicted from their homes. They became refugees." Other activists have gone further, saying they will actively oppose a military campaign. "We are united against another war in our area. The military can force us to leave our houses again, but we won't leave them on our own will," South Waziristan writer and social activist Shehrayar Mehsud told VOA in a Twitter Spaces conversation. Pakistan economy Others see a financial benefit in launching such an operation as Pakistan waits for another major International Monetary Fund bailout loan. "We have said it before that in the past whenever Pakistan needed money, they would launch an operation in Pashtun areas to get funds from abroad," said Mir Kalam Wazir, a former provincial legislator and PTM supporter from North Waziristan. "Looks like it's the same this time, too. With Pakistan's difficult economic situation, they need funds, especially from the U.S.," Wazir continued. The U.S. gave Pakistan billions of dollars during the height of the war on terrorism, but aid dropped off sharply during the Trump administration. Last year, the total reported U.S. aid to Pakistan was around $150 million. That drop in aid and the departure of foreign troops from Afghanistan have led some to question whether Islamabad has the capacity to carry out an offensive while its economy is under severe strain. Pakistan hopes the suspended IMF bailout package will resume so it can avoid defaulting on its debt obligations. The IMF has stalled its $6.5 billion program since November, while a bruising political battle rages between the sitting coalition government and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. "We are talking of a campaign which is very expensive, at a time when Pakistan is struggling to read its bills, particularly its debt obligations," Weinbaum told VOA. New developments: Signs Kyivs spring counteroffensive may be coming soon. Chinese diplomat causes stir over Crimea sovereignty comments. Black Sea Grain Initiative in peril as May 18 expiration deadline approaches. Russia and Ukraine traded claims on Sunday over the embattled city of Bakhmut. Moscow said its forces had taken two more neighborhoods in the western area of the nearly destroyed city but offered no details. Russia, which invaded Ukraine 14 months ago, sees taking Bakhmut as a pathway to other advances in eastern Ukraine. However, Ukrainian Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi posted on the messaging app Telegram images of he and his troops at the frontline and said, We hit the enemy, often unexpectedly for him, and continue to hold strategic lines. Neither The Associated Press nor Reuters could verify the battlefield reports. Last month, Deputy Ukrainian Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of more than 70,000, now has fewer than 4,000 civilians, including 38 children, remaining, Reuters reported. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said those left are eking out an existence in underground shelters under heavy shelling. Late Saturday, the Institute for the Study of War said that geolocated footage published by pro-Kremlin military bloggers seemed to show that Ukraine was preparing for a long-awaited spring counteroffensive against Russian troops. The Washington-based think tank said the pro-Kremlin bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established positions north of the town of Oleshky in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. Analysts have said a major goal of a possible Ukrainian counteroffensive would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country's south, the AP reported. Vladimir Saldo, the Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region, said in a Telegram post that Russian forces are in full control of the area and speculated that the images referenced by the ISW may have depicted Ukrainian sabotage units that managed to take a selfie across the Dnieper before being forced back. The AP confirmed the posts from the bloggers, but it wasn't immediately possible to independently verify the data they shared. Also Sunday, Russia said it was ramping up its recruitment military campaign by trying to appeal to Russian masculine pride, calling on real men to fight in its invasion of Ukraine, the British defense ministry said in its intelligence update posted on Twitter. The ads for the new campaign on billboards, TV, and social media sites also feature financial rewards of signing up for the Russian military, but it is highly unlikely that Russia will meet its target of 400,000 volunteer recruits, the British ministry said. Chinese diplomats Crimea comment Allies expressed their consternation Sunday after Chinas ambassador to Paris, Lu Shaye, questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet countries such as Ukraine, in an interview Friday. The Chinese ambassador said on French television that Crimea was historically part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1991."These ex-USSR countries don't have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status," Shaye added. France responded on Sunday by stating its "full solidarity" with all the allied countries affected, which it said had acquired their independence "after decades of oppression." A senior Ukrainian presidential official also took issue with the Chinese diplomats comment. "It is strange to hear an absurd version of the 'history of Crimea from a representative of a country that is scrupulous about its thousand-year history," Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior Ukrainian presidential aide, wrote on Twitter. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also reacted negatively to the comment, according to the Reuters news agency. Chinas foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. SOFIA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- This year's United Nations Chinese Language Day was celebrated in Bulgaria by holding a Chinese singing contest and talent show here on Saturday. As many as 14 solo performers and four groups from all over Bulgaria participated in the event, which was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, organized by the Confucius Institute at Sofia University, and co-organized by Confucius Institute at the University of Veliko Turnovo. The teen trio "Scarlet Sorghum" from the town of Stara Zagora won the group category while 12-year-old Doylina Mladenova from Sofia came first among the individuals. It turned out that despite her age, Mladenova has been studying Chinese for eight years. Mladenova, whose parents were musicians, said that she wanted to devote herself to the Chinese language "because I know it will open many doors for me," she said. Yan Jianqun, minister-counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, was also present at the event and awarded the winners. Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnipro River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv's long-awaited spring counteroffensive. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based research group, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with "stable supply lines" to their positions. Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnipro River in the country's south. Responding to Ukrainian media reports proclaiming that the establishment of such positions indicated the counteroffensive had begun, Natalia Humeniuk, the spokeswoman for Ukraine's Operational Command South, called for patience. While neither confirming nor denying the ISW report, she said only that details of military operations in the Dnipro delta couldn't be disclosed for operational and security reasons. Speaking on Ukrainian television, Humeniuk added that it was "very difficult work" when "it's necessary to overcome an obstacle such as the Dnipro, when the front line passes through a wide and powerful river." The Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region, one of four parts of Ukraine that Russia said it was illegally annexing in September, denied on Sunday that Ukrainian forces have established a foothold on the east bank of the Dnipro. In a Telegram update, Vladimir Saldo said that Russian forces are "in full control" of the area, and speculated that the images referenced by the ISW may have depicted Ukrainian sabotage units that "managed to take a selfie" across the Dnipro before being forced back. After more than a year since the Russian invasion, recent fighting has become a war of attrition, with neither side able to gain momentum. But Ukraine has recently received sophisticated weapons from its Western allies, and new troops freshly trained in the West, giving rise to growing anticipation of a counteroffensive. American-made Patriot missiles arrived in Ukraine last week and military spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said Sunday on Ukrainian television that some have already gone into battlefield service. The United States agreed in October to send the surface-to-air systems, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles such as those that Russia has used to bombard residential areas and the Ukrainian power grid. The fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense. On Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed Moscow's forces had captured two more neighborhoods in the western part of Bakhmut, without providing further details or clarifying what areas were still in Ukrainian hands. In the south, the Dnipro has for months marked the contact line in the Kherson region, where its namesake capital is regularly pummeled by shelling from Russian forces stationed across the river. In addition to having established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, across the Dnipro delta from Kherson, the ISW said that Ukrainian troops were also approaching the nearby village of Dachi, citing data from Russian military bloggers. In Telegram posts on Thursday and Saturday, the ISW said the bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had maintained these positions for weeks and established stable supply lines to them, indicating a lack of Russian control over the area. The Associated Press confirmed the posts from the bloggers, but it wasn't immediately possible to independently verify the data they shared. Russia is also expected to launch more intensive attacks in the spring, but ISW reported that top Russian defense figures are showing signs that they may be pushing for a consolidation of existing gains in Ukraine, rather than costly new operations, as Moscow struggles with both material and manpower. The ISW cited comments from financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut. On Saturday, Prigozhin's press service posted comments he made on its official Telegram channel in which he argued that Russian forces need to "anchor (themselves) in such a way that it is only possible to tear them out with (the) opponent's claws." The interview was published shortly after Western leaders meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany pledged to train more Ukrainian personnel and keep up their military support for Kyiv. As Moscow seeks to bolster its troop numbers, the U.K. Ministry of Defense noted Sunday in an intelligence briefing that Russian authorities had mounted a large-scale military recruitment campaign using social media, billboards and state television. It said Russian officials are "almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent," while assessing that this latest effort would likely fail to meet the defense ministry's stated goal of recruiting 400,000 new volunteers. In attacks overnight, local authorities in eastern Ukraine reported that Russian forces had launched at least five S-300 missiles at Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city and the surrounding region. The missiles damaged an industrial facility and private homes but caused no casualties, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the Kharkiv regional governor. In Kherson, one civilian was killed and two were wounded as Russian troops used artillery, drones and warplanes to launch a total of 54 strikes on the province, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram on Sunday morning. Russian forces on Saturday and overnight also dropped five guided aerial bombs over the Kherson region, Ukraine's Operational Command South said in a Facebook post Sunday. According to the post, the bombs were launched from drones and aircraft and damaged multiple residential buildings but caused no casualties. Also in the Kherson region, two women, ages 85 and 57, were hospitalized after being wounded in a Russian artillery attack that damaged a local school and about 25 residential buildings in the village of Kizomys, Prokudin said in a Telegram post. In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Russian shelling wounded a 56-year-old man in Stepnohirsk, a town on the banks of the Dnipro river, local Gov. Yurii Malashko wrote on Telegram. U.S. special operations forces early Sunday successfully evacuated American diplomats and their families from the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, but other countries were facing more difficulty in getting their people out of Sudan amid continued fighting between warring military factions. U.S. officials said it took less than hour to safely evacuate about 70 Americans, sending in MH-47 Chinook helicopters from a U.S. base in Djibouti. "We did not take any small arms fire on the way in and were able to get in and out without issue," said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of operations at the military's Joint Staff. Other Americans could be traveling on overland routes out of Sudan. Chris Maier, an assistant secretary of defense, said the U.S. military might use drone or satellite imagery to detect any threats to them or position naval assets at the Port of Sudan to aid Americans arriving there. Britian also announced it evacuated diplomatic staff and their families from Sudan. More than 400 people have been killed in Sudan since fighting erupted more than a week ago between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. Live TV on Sunday showed thick smoke hanging over the capital of Khartoum, with gunfire heard in some places. The warring sides accused each other of attacking a convoy of French nationals, with both saying one French person was wounded. Frances foreign ministry had said earlier it was evacuating its diplomatic staff and citizens. The Sudanese army accused the Rapid Support Forces of attacking and looting a Qatari convoy heading to Port Sudan. Doha released no immediate statement on any incident. Egypt said a member of its mission in Sudan had been wounded by a gunshot, without giving details. But Saudi Arabia said it had already evacuated Persian Gulf citizens from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 650 kilometers from Khartoum, and Jordan is planning to use the same route for its nationals. U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States was temporarily suspending operations at its embassy in Khartoum and called for an end to the fighting. "The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan," Biden said in a statement. The fighting started April 15 in Khartoum, as well as in the adjoining cities of Omdurman and Bahri and elsewhere in the country, four years after long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir was toppled during a popular uprising. The army and RSF jointly staged a coup in 2021 but fell out during negotiations over a plan to form a civilian government and integrate the RSF into the armed forces. In recent days, the army under Abdel Fattah Burhan and the RSF, headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, have ignored cease-fires they have supposedly agreed on, including a three-day truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which began on Friday. Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Battles have continued around the army's headquarters in central Khartoum and the airport, which has been closed by the clashes, and over the past two days in Bahri, where the army has used troops on the ground as well as airstrikes to try to push back the RSF. The RSF said on Sunday that its forces were targeted by airstrikes in Bahri's Kafouri district and that dozens were "killed and injured." RSF forces were heavily deployed in the streets and on the bridges across the capital, with army troops visible in parts of Omdurman. Neighborhoods were otherwise largely empty of civilians and ordinary life. Some material in this report came from Reuters. 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. Russia is looking to recruit real men to fight in its invasion of Ukraine, the British Defense Ministry said Sunday in its intelligence update posted on Twitter. The ads for the new campaign on billboards, TV, and social media sites also feature the financial rewards of signing up for the Russian military, but it is highly unlikely that Russia will meet its target of 400,000 volunteer recruits, the British ministry said. Ukraine announced new sanctions against individuals or legal entities who support or invest in Russian aggression. In his nightly video address 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. Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Tokyo has struggled for years to pitch itself again as a major financial hub, but its ambitions might be saved by what Homer Simpson once called the two sweetest words in the English language: De fault. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The citys been trying to recover from a reputation thats taken a battering. Having once been a capital of the financial world, last month it tumbled out of the top 20 in one ranking of banking centers, behind the likes of Asian rivals Seoul and Beijing. Shenzhen, barely a dot on the financial map when Tokyos markets were at their peak three decades ago, now ranks nine places(1) higher. Various attempts to woo foreign traders have come up against some inalienable truths that even the likes of Governor Yuriko Koike have struggled to fix: A large taxation burden compared to Hong Kong and Singapore, the fact that Japanese and not English is the language of both day-to-day life and bureaucracy, as well as a maze of red tape. Advertisement There are green shoots suggesting that Tokyo might now be looking more attractive if for no other reason than the fact that its main rivals look worse. Ken Griffins hedge fund, Citadel, is planning to set up in the city for the first time since the global financial crisis, Bloomberg News has reported. That follows the return of market-maker Citadel Securities, a separate entity founded by Griffin, to the capital last year, one of nine financial firms that secured licenses in 2022. Most recently, Steve Cohen said his Point72 Asset Management is increasing its staff there by 20%. Its a small start, but a start nonetheless. After Japans lengthy closure to the world during Covid, the country is getting another look. Warren Buffett gave his seal of approval earlier this month with his first visit in 12 years, citing a strong feeling that the market will continue to grow over the next half-century. But if Tokyo does recover its financial mojo, it wont be due to the push spearheaded by the FinCity Tokyo organization to promote its appeal. When that group was formed in April 2019, something more influential was happening elsewhere: The pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Four years later, things look quite different. The city may now be recovering from its pandemic-era constrictions, but its been diminished as an international hub, and Beijing has revealed the hollow nature of its promises over the One Country, Two Systems policy. Hong Kongs population is in decline as expats leave, evidenced last week by a 12% drop in foreign students enrolled at international schools. Advertisement On the mainland, cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen may be climbing in financial center rankings, but the Covid-Zero era and its chaotic ending spooked many. So too have the worsening relations between the US and China, and talk of war over Taiwan. While the risk may be low, the sporadic arbitrary detention of foreigners also weighs on the minds of expats, after Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were held for nearly three years. Just this month, an employee of Japans Astellas Pharma Inc. was the latest to be arrested. Low-tax, highly safe Singapore has been the logical winner from this almost too much so. Its suffering from its own issues, most notably a dizzying surge in housing costs amid limited supply. Rents jumped 30% in 2022 alone. The city-state is also trying to balance attracting foreign talent with domestic concerns over a wealth gap, while visa quotas make it difficult to accommodate everyone looking to flee Hong Kong. That opens up a window for Tokyo. As visitors return in droves for the first time in four years, they tend to remark upon how the city is defying a narrative of terminal decline. A building boom that continued during the pandemic means the city looks better than ever. Indeed, it is one of the few major, developed metropolises that also builds. Tokyos five major business wards will add 760,000 square meters (8.2 million square feet) of new office space this year, with redevelopments of the Toranomon business district and tech-friendly Shibuya nearing completion. Advertisement The rental market is running hot, with supply at an all-time low, according to one survey, yet the city is still surprisingly affordable: Average rents have risen just 3.6% in the past three years. While Tokyos brutally efficient housing market means it may not be a great investment, workers will find somewhere to live much easier than in the likes of Hong Kong. Despite a reputation for being opposed to immigration, the country is desperate to attract elite professionals. The government recently launched a fast-track visa program for educated high earners, who can obtain permanent residency in just a year. And some areas of concern to the expat community are also being addressed. Theres a mini-boom of new international schools, with more than 3,000 new student slots to be added in the coming years as institutions such as Harrow build campuses. While the live-in help favored in Singapore and Hong Kong isnt commonplace here, many are unaware of a domestic help visa that lets the well-off sponsor housekeepers an option that, incredibly, isnt even available to Japanese citizens. Advertisement None of this is to say Tokyo is back, or that it will ever again become the international center it dreams of being. But the scars of recent setbacks from the financial crisis to the triple earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster of 2011 that frightened many residents away are fading and its importance to the US in geopolitical terms is growing. If Buffett, Griffin and Cohen together the fourth, 21st and 50th richest individuals in the US think Tokyo is back, it might be worth another look. More From Bloomberg Opinion: The Growing Comprehension Gap That Isolates Japan: Gearoid Reidy How Happy Can Hong Kong Be This Year, Really?: Andy Mukherjee Invest in Kishida? First Persuade Elon Musk: Gearoid Reidy (1) It should be noted that the ranking is co-produced by the China Development Institute; Japans low ranking is partly attributed to a slow consumer recovery from the pandemic. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas. He previously led the breaking news team in North Asia, and was the Tokyo deputy bureau chief. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2023 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Rabat: Security officials reported that Moroccan police seized 60 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed inside frozen tuna along with 5.4 tonnes of cannabis resin hidden in a truck bound for Spain. The cannabis resin was found in Tangier's northern port "on board an international goods truck," according to a late-Saturday statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN). The truck's chassis and other cavities were fitted with specially shaped plates into which the resin blocks were pressed. The Moroccan driver, 45, was taken into custody. Also Read: Israeli forces conduct raids and detain Palestinians Nearly 60 kilogrammes of cocaine were found inside a chilled container on Thursday in a separate operation, also in Tangier. In tuna marked as coming from Ecuador and going to Spain, cocaine was packed. Also Read: Iranian prisoner's daughter claims she has lost faith in American efforts According to the UN, Morocco is the country that produces the most cannabis resin, and last year, police found nearly 100 tonnes of it. Also Read: US diplomats are airlifted, and rivals of Sudan offer assistance with evacuation In recent years, police have also made numerous sizable seizures of cocaine, with South American cartels using the country of North Africa as a transit point for smuggling cocaine into Europe News Corp co-chairman Lachlan Murdochs battle against small news outlet Crikey is set to continue in a brewing dispute over an almost $600,000 pool of supporter funds after the media scion dropped his defamation litigation. At issue is the $588,735 Crikey raised from its supporters to defend itself from the claim that Murdoch launched last year about an article branding the Murdoch family as unindicted co-conspirators in the 2021 riot at the US Capitol. Lachlan Murdoch, Crikey owner Eric Beecher, and the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021. Credit: Jessica Hromas, Thom Rigney, AP The Murdoch camp believes the money should be deducted from its contribution to Crikeys legal fees which it will have to pay as the party that withdrew litigation so that the website is not effectively compensated for the same expenses twice. But a source close to the litigation, who was not authorised to speak publicly because of legal sensitivities, said Crikey would push for the money to be disregarded by the court as it works out what Murdoch will have to pay. 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. 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. London: More than 70 MPs representing the UK and Europe have written to the French government demanding the Chinese ambassador in Paris be declared persona non grata, after he told local television that ex-Soviet states have no effective status as sovereign countries. Ambassador Lu Shayes comments on Frances free-to-air television La Chaine Info provoked outrage and brought into question Beijings attempts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. Lu Shaye, Chinese ambassador to France, has provoked a furious response to his comments about the independence of ex-Soviet states. Credit: Getty Beijings envoy to France had been asked about the status of Crimea, which Russias Vladimir Putin annexed in 2014, and responded that it depends as Crimea was first Russian. Lu then went on to generally question the status of post-Soviet states. These ex-USSR countries dont have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialise their sovereign status, Lu said. London: Meghan, the wife of Britains Prince Harry, has criticised the British media over reports that letters exchanged with King Charles played a part in her decision not to attend his coronation, in her latest confrontation with the press. The London 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 sons skin would be. King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service in Westminster Abbey last year. Credit: AP 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. Moscow: After an explosive device was discovered at the scene where a bomb accidentally dropped by a Russian warplane caused a powerful blast this week, authorities said seventeen apartment buildings in a Russian city close to the Ukrainian border were evacuated on Saturday. Three people were hurt and a large crater was left by the bomb explosion that occurred late on Thursday in Belgorod. The explosion was caused by a weapon accidentally discharged by one of the Russian Defence Ministry's own Su-34 bombers, which was quickly acknowledged. The ministry stated that an investigation was ongoing but provided no additional information regarding the weapon, which according to military experts was probably a potent 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) bomb. Also Read: Philippines expresses worries about Taiwan in discussions with China Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the province of Belgorod, reported on Saturday that sappers examining the scene of Thursday's explosion discovered and chose to detonate what he called a "explosive object" that was "in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings." Mayor of Belgorod Valentin Demidov stated that the precautionary evacuations were discontinued later in the day. The residential area was cleared of the bomb. Returning residents to their homes is taking place, Demidov wrote on Telegram. Russian authorities did not specify whether the detonated object was dropped accidentally on Thursday, and if so, whether it was a piece of the bomb that exploded in the city or something else entirely. Also Read: While fighting Al-Shabab terrorists in a remote area the Somalian military claims at least 21 casualties Since Russia sent troops into Ukraine last year, Belgorod, which is located about 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the Russian-Ukrainian border, has experienced frequent drone attacks. Although the Ukrainian military resisted making a direct claim of responsibility, Russian authorities have blamed those strikes on it. Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region, reported late Saturday that five missiles fired from the Belgorod area had impacted the area, one of which had hit unidentified "civilian infrastructure" in Kharkiv, the region's capital. Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has severely strained ties with the West, leading to frequent diplomat ejections on both sides. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Saturday that the German government had "decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany." According to a ministry statement, Russia made the decision to "mirror" Germany's expulsions and "significantly limit" the number of employees at German diplomatic missions in Russia "in response to the hostile actions of Berlin." Russian state media reported that more than 20 German diplomats are being expelled from Russia, but the spokesperson for the foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, did not provide an exact number. The foreign ministry of Germany said it was aware of the remarks. According to the statement, a flight on Saturday was related to discussions between the German and Russian governments about "questions regarding the staffing of the respective diplomatic missions" that had taken place in recent weeks. It was very brief. Also Read: A new poll reveals that experiencing extreme weather is almost universal The German air force previously reported that a Russian aircraft arrived in Berlin on Saturday with diplomatic clearance, but it did not say who or what was on board. Because the European Union restricted access to Russian aircraft shortly after the conflict in Ukraine began, special clearance is needed. Ukrainian grain exports face boycott by EU countries, leading to losses for farmers 23 April, 12:20 PM Exclusive Oleh Nivievsky says that grain prices are falling all over the world, not just in Poland (Photo: ') Ukrainian grain has been getting stuck at the borders of EU countries, with Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary initially blocking imports and transit due to anger among local farmers who sell their produce at higher prices, and reportedly the presence of pesticides in Ukrainian products. While transit has since been unblocked, the European Union is preparing emergency measures to ban Ukrainian grain imports to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria, and allowing only transit and re-export to other EU countries. Oleh Nivievsky, dean of the Master's program in economics and an associate member of the Center for Food and Land Use Studies, explained the consequences of the boycott and the reasons it has come about in an interview with NV Business. Video of day Poland has allowed the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products through its territory. Can we say that the problem is solved, and exports will not be affected? No, the problem is only partially solved. There are several aspects to consider, and as always, economics and politics are intertwined. If we talk about the economic aspect, Poland is a consumer of our grain, and about half of the products that go through European countries are imports, and the rest is transit. Poland also has this ratio. So, it turns out that part of the Polish consumers will suffer from not receiving our products, which is a loss for both sides. I hope that transit exports will resume, but there will be no imports. However, from a political point of view, the situation is more complicated. The European Union is a bloc of countries, and each of them cannot unilaterally decide how to trade with other countries. This issue has to be resolved at the Brussels level. However, Ukraine, not Brussels, negotiates with Poland. This is a blow to the unity of the European Union and sets a bad precedent. Could this mean that the ban on grain imports will be lifted if Brussels does not support such a decision? I think these restrictions will eventually be lifted, but I dont know when. As an economist, I believe that the situation with the unity of the European Union, their trade policy, and their decisions is very important, even more so than the economic aspect. If there are already fluctuations in this area, what can be expected when it comes to making security decisions? When we are not united, it is a good signal for our enemies and a bad signal for both the European Union and Ukraine. In EU countries, they claim that supplies of Ukrainian grain lead to a fall in prices on the domestic market and losses for local farmers. Is this true? The data does not confirm this claim, including data from the European Union. If we look at the price dynamics on the domestic market in Poland, they do not differ significantly from those in Hamburg or Rotterdam. However, what I saw in the Polish media was an incorrect representation of this trend. They showed the dynamics of domestic prices, which are currently decreasing. However, this is a global trend that is happening in Poland, Germany, Slovakia, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. If this was reported correctly in Poland, the situation would look different. Moreover, no one talks about it, but due to Ukraine's misfortune, European farmers were able to make a profit in the spring and summer of last year as prices doubled. Now, grains are sold at pre-war prices, but a month ago, they were higher, and local farmers earned more than before the start of the war. However, such narratives can be easily manipulated for political purposes, which suggests a political subtext underlying the issue. As for the losses suffered by Ukrainian farmers due to the ban on imports to certain EU countries, it is too early to determine the exact extent of the damage. Nevertheless, potential losses could be significant as approximately 40% of all Ukrainian exports are shipped to Western countries through the mainland. This loss of income will inevitably lead to a drop in prices for Ukrainian farmers. The Russian aggressors have mentioned the possibility of closing the grain corridor. If this were to occur, what would be the consequences, and would it be feasible to increase exports through EU countries to offset any losses? Based on our calculations, Ukrainian farmers suffered losses of approximately $15 billion due to port blockades, which resulted in higher logistics costs and lower prices. If the western border is closed and the Russian aggressors block the grain corridor, the only available export route will be through the Danube ports. This will essentially result in a similar situation as at the beginning of the war, and the losses will likely be comparable. However, it's worth noting that detailed calculations have not yet been made. Has the boycott had an impact on the price of grain in the global market? Not yet. Read also: Polish farmers threaten to blockade Ukraine border crossing How will such risks influence planting decisions? Which crops may farmers opt not to plant, and will they reduce planting areas? Farmers have already started adjusting their plans. They are planting less corn and paying more attention to more expensive crops such as oil, which can withstand higher logistics costs. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Indian Silk and Weaving centers Silk, the queen of textiles dominates the textile industry with its luster, sensuousness and glamour. The history of silk, goes back to 4,500 years. India is the second largest producer of silk, contributing to about 18 per cent of the world production. Today, silk weaving tradition in India revolves around the sari, the ethnic traditional wear that is worn in most parts of the country. The Indians dress themselves in elaborate and colorful silk sarees on festive occasions. The vibrant colours, light weight, resilience and excellent drape etc. have made silk sarees, the irresistible and unavoidable companion ofIndian women. Indian silk is popular all over the world with its variety of designs, weaves and patterns. Silk, one of the oldest known fibre is a protein fibre, produced by the silkworm for spinning around its cocoon. Five main variety of silks are available in India namely Mulberry silk, Tasar silk, Eri silk, Muga silk and Oak Tasar silk. These are obtained from different species of silkworms which in turn feed on a number of food plants. Mulberry silk, known as the commercial silk comes from the silk worm Bombyx mori which feeds on the mulberry plant. In India, the major mulberry silk producing states are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir. Eri Silk, also known as the Endi or Errandi silk is thick, warm, soft, rare and very long lasting. India is a major producer of Eri Silk. It is grown in Assam and eastern parts of India. It is also found in Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa. Eri silk is produced by Philosamia ricini that feeds mainly on castor leaves. Muga Silk, the pride of Assam is known for its natural shimmering golden yellow colour. It is obtained from semi-domesticated multivoltine silkworm, Antheraea assamensis. These silkworms feed on the aromatic leaves of Som and Soalu plants. The muga silk, an high value product is used in products like sarees, mekhalas, chaddars etc. Oak Tasar silk : Less lustrous than mulberry silk, Tassar silk is used mainly for furnishings and interiors. Tasar silk is generated by the silkworm, Antheraea mylitta which mainly thrive on the food plants Asan and Arjun. It is cultivated in the states of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Orissa, besides Maharashtra, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. The silk sarees of India are among the living examples of the excellent craftsmanship of the weavers of the country. Their mastery lies in the creation of floral designs, beautiful textures, fine geometry, durability of such work and not the least, the vibrant colours they choose for making sarees. Many states in the country have their own variety of makes in silk as well as weaving centres with their traditional designs, weaving and quality. The silk varieties are renowned by the place where it has been woven. Banaras is one of the leading silk weaving centres in India. Amru silk, Jamvar, Navarangi, Jamdani etc. are the types of Banaras Saris, in which Amru Silk brocades with a heavy pallu of flowering bushes or the flowering mango pattern are very famous. Maharashtra is famous for its Paithani Silk saris, generally with gold dots design and Kosa silk of Bhandara district. Patola silk, known as the pride of Gujarat is noted for their bright colours and geometric designs with folk motifs. Madhya Pradesh is famous for Chanderi, Maheshwari and Tussar silk saris. Specialty of these saris are the contrasting colours and depiction of animal and human figures on the sarees. Silk Bomkai Sambalpuri saris from Orissa comes in single and double ikat weaves. Murshidabad in West Bengal is the home of the famous Baluchari sari in which untwisted silk thread are used for weaving brocades. In the south, heavy silk saris from Tanjore, Kumbakonam and Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu are known for their broad decorative borders and contrasting colors. Kancheepuram silks has an enviable position among the best silk sarees in the country for their texture, luster, durability and finish. Kolegal and Molkalmoru in Karnataka are known for their simple ikat weave with parrot motif on the borders. A wide range of ladies and men's wear like dupattas, sarees, salwars, Sherwanis, caps, handkerchiefs, scarves, dhotis, turbans, shawls, ghagras or lehengas, and even quilts, bedcovers, cushions, table-cloths curtains are made of silk. In short, Silk has been mingled with the life and culture of Indians. DEBERT, N.S. - The husband of a woman killed in the Nova Scotia mass shooting three years ago is offering a reward for information about a theft from a memorial park that pays tribute to her life. In a Facebook message posted Friday, Nick Beaton alleges someone recently entered Hearts Haven Memorial Park in Debert, N.S., and stole two steel beams that were to be used to build a bridge at the site. You low-lifes hit an all time low, Beatons message says, adding that a white Dodge or Ford pickup was seen in the area on April 16. Maybe if anyone has a camera in the . . . area could give a look for that truck. The park is dedicated to preserving the memory of Kristen Beaton and Heather OBrien, both of whom were killed nearby by a lone gunman disguised as a Mountie on the morning of April 19, 2020. They were among 22 people who were shot to death during the killers 13-hour rampage, which ended when two RCMP officers fatally shot him at a gas station north of Halifax. At the time of her death, 33-year-old Kristen Beaton was pregnant with her second child. She had worked for the Victorian Order of Nurses as a continuing care assistant for nearly six years. She was on her way to visit a client when she was killed in her car as it was parked at the roadside. OBrien was Kristen Beatons co-worker at the Victorian Order of Nurses. The 55-year-old woman was a licensed practical nurse who had worked with VON for nearly 17 years. Shortly after her death, daughter Darcy Dobson described her mother as a kind and beautiful woman. I want everyone to remember how kind she was, (and) how much she loved being a nurse, Dobson said at the time. The RCMP confirmed Saturday that investigators are looking into the theft from the park. Sgt. Andrew Joyce said the five-metre beams are worth about $2,000 each and weight about 300 kilograms in total. A message from Dobson on the parks Facebook page said surveillance footage is being reviewed. To be a thief in any capacity is horrible but to take away from a community-funded memorial park in honour of two selfless women is deplorable, Dobson wrote. If any one has any information or thinks they saw something please reach out. In response to Dobsons message, several people expressed their sadness and anger. What compels someone to do something so heartless and despicable? asked one commenter. I dont understand it. Others were more blunt: There is no end to what some people will do! Unbelievable! This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: MOSCOW (AP) Russia said Sunday that the United States has denied visas to journalists who wanted to cover Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs trip to New York, and Lavrov suggested that Moscow would take strong retaliatory measures. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department about the claim of refused visas. The journalists aimed to cover Lavrovs appearance at the United Nations to mark Russias chairmanship of the Security Council. A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, free and fair country has chickened out and done something stupid by showing what its sworn assurances about protecting freedom of speech and access to information are really worth, Lavrov said before leaving Moscow on Sunday. Be sure that we will not forget and will not forgive, he said. I emphasize that we will find ways to respond to this, so that the Americans will remember for a long time not to do this, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said. The dispute comes in the wake of high tensions with Washington over the arrest last month of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, whom Russia accuses of espionage. The United States has declared him to be wrongfully detained. Many Western journalists stationed in Moscow left the country after Russia sent troops into Ukraine. Russia currently requires foreign journalists to renew their visas and accreditation every three months, compared to once a year before the fighting began. Read more about: SHARE: Allentown, PA (18103) Today Mostly cloudy, brisk, and unseasonably cool with a few scattered showers. More dry than wet overall, but still cool and unsettled. . Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy, brisk, and cool. Belt and Road Initiative takes China's development dividends to Africa 14:44, April 23, 2023 By Tafara Mugwara ( Xinhua HARARE, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is taking China's development dividends beyond the Asian country to the world, ushering in a new era of connectivity for African economies, a Zimbabwean ruling party official has said. For the past 5,000 years, Africa, Asia, and Europe among others have been advancing human civilization, and the BRI has helped further expand the links between those continents, Christopher Mutsvangwa, secretary for Information and Publicity for the ruling party Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) told Xinhua. The BRI has consolidated relations between African countries and China, in particular deepening infrastructure cooperation, said Gideon Chitanga, associate researcher at the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. According to the African Development Bank, Africa's infrastructure investment gap is estimated at more than 100 billion U.S. dollars per year, affecting the living conditions of Africans and the continent's global competitiveness. Infrastructure is very important to facilitate freight trade in the African continent because the current constraints in air, road, and railway transport have limited intra-African trade, Chitanga told Xinhua. Indirectly, the initiative also advanced the movement of goods and people between African countries and transformed multilateral relations of African countries by emphasizing the core values of respect for sovereignty and independence from other countries, Chitanga added. In contrast, the Western-dominated worldview based any relations with African countries on such conditions as the promotion of foreign political value systems, and norms and practices which undermine the sovereignty and independence of other countries and subject them to unilateral hegemonic influences, said Chitanga. In Zimbabwe, China has become a major actor in bridging the southern African country's infrastructure gap. The Chinese company Sinohydro in 2018 completed a power boost project at Kariba South Hydro Power Station where it installed two generators with a capacity of 150 megawatts each. Sinohydro is also refurbishing the country's largest power station -- the Hwange Thermal Power Station. The project is part of Zimbabwe's efforts to find sustainable solutions to its power challenges that are severely curtailing industrial growth and the economy at large. In addition, China Jiangsu International in August 2018 began upgrading the country's biggest airport -- Harare Robert Mugabe International Airport -- under a loan facility from the China EximBank. It has brought funding committed to Zimbabwe's biggest airport since 2016, after the completion of the Victoria Falls International Airport expansion, which increased its capacity to 1.5 million from 500,000 passengers a year. China also funded and constructed the spacious, six-story parliament building in west Harare, as well as handed over a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical warehouse to the Zimbabwean government in last November. Across the country, China is involved in the construction of local dams and waterworks. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) An interesting forecast. What to expect from China in the near future opinion 23 April, 05:00 PM Xi Jinping (Photo:Getty Images) The key element of the answer to this question is in Ukraine. These days the world has been actively discussing the new role of China and its prospects as a real center of power. The world has already realized that Russia has lost any chance of becoming a (as they believed) pole of gravity. Russia's perspective is clear: it is becoming (as one American president once said) a regional state, and its chances to play a more assertive role are decreasing. As are its chances of even keeping its current borders. Therefore, our Western partners have identified China as the nearest competitor, perhaps even in the medium-term. Video of day How will China behave, and what can we expect from it in the near future? Having asked this question, we understand that the answer is not unambiguous and instantaneous. But a key element of this answer is in Ukraine. It was probably pleasing to the Lord that he put Ukraine in the center of world intrigue and decided the world's future in our country. If it is assumed that Russia will be defeated (even the most staunch Putinverstehers and Russophiles are beginning to understand this), then it can be assumed it will turn into an economic vassal of China. On the other hand, China is not interested in Russia disappearing. A junior partner is still a partner. And here comes the biggest intrigue who will prevail? Therefore, China will do everything it can to save Russia, at least in some form. Although it will take advantage of its weakness to restore, as they say in China, historical justice, and return at least a few of its territories seized by Russia in the 19th century. Then the situation will develop quite interestingly. On the one hand, the civilized world is thinking about how to counter China's expansionist plans. But, on the other, China is thinking about how to assemble an anti-Western coalition around itself. And here comes the biggest intrigue who will prevail? In my opinion, when Russia is defeated, it will create a trend in global security. This will mean that Western countries will gradually but relentlessly dictate their terms on a global level. It is already clear that a coalition of countries is developing to contain China. It includes Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and, very importantly, India. Just the other day, new demographic information showed that India overtook China as the largest country in the world. So India will undoubtedly play an influential role in containing China. The question of Indias governance, its chosen path, and whose side it will be on will decide the geopolitical landscape in Asia for many years. We know it has contentious relations with China due to border disputes and other problems. Therefore, the calculation on the part of the West and, above all, the USA, that they will be able to build a coalition of states that will restrain China is quite understandable and justified. Naturally, this will be an uncomfortable situation in Beijing. On the other hand, China has its own machinations. It is trying to form an anti-Western coalition. It will pay the most attention to the countries of Asia (except those I have mentioned), Africa, and Latin America. We see countries forming around this BRICS idea, fueled by China and Russia's anti-Western position. Therefore, the situation will look quite dynamic as well. China, losing somewhere in Asia, will try to take revenge in Africa or Latin America. Moreover, it will begin actively using Western politicians, such as Macron, to undermine the transatlantic unity between Europe and America, fueling anti-Americanism even in Europe. There are also opportunities for it here, because anti-American sentiments in France or Germany are traditionally quite strong. So we will have an interesting events forecast. On the one hand, the weakening or even the disappearance of Russia as a global player will significantly weaken China's position. But it can then take revenge on other continents, trying to increase its influence. But, I think the main factor will still be the economic one. The current Chinese emperor will most likely see that, even with their possible allies and partners, it will be challenging to compete with the collective West, even if the West is not always united and does not always speak with one voice. Therefore, I think that in the future, in 7-10 years, we will see a new equilibrium. There will be something like a model of peaceful coexistence of the civilized world with weakened totalitarianism. The totalitarians will be in a weekend position because the West's line to contain it after Russia's aggression becomes the top priority. The West, especially the United States, does not want Russia entirely in the Chinese orbit. Therefore, there is no answer to what the outcome of the war should be. There is now a dominant position in the West that it is necessary for Ukraine to win, but also for Russia not to lose. This means that the West thinks that Russia should be preserved in its current form, but liberalized and democratized. However, this is nonsense and a complete misunderstanding of the essence of Russia. It is not capable of democracy and liberalism. Therefore, it is certainly not in the interests of the West for post-Russia to turn entirely into an economic appendage of China. That is why they will attempt to preserve Russia if possible, but not in a pro-Western way rather than a pro-China one. In order to compete, the West will look for anyone who can set the conditions for a new Russia. The uncontrolled disintegration of Russia carries with it the threat that its individual pieces, especially those close to China, may come under its direct influence. But even under such circumstances, if Russia breaks up into dozens of state entities, no one will interfere with the Americans, British, and French coming with investments. The choice will be up to the local leadership - to adhere to progressive Western technologies or those copied by the Chinese. That is why there will be such difficult decisions on whether to leave Russia whole or not. It is precisely from this that a new field of conflict will develop between China and the West. The division of the present Russian Federation territories will come with a great deal of tension. But, in this competition, the West has more power than China and its potential allies. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News The hit film adaptation of Matilda has announced Netflix plans. Directed by Matthew Warchus, Matilda was released by Sony Pictures UK and Tristar Pictures across the UK and Ireland exclusively in cinemas on 25 November 2022. It was then made available across streaming sites (such as Amazon Prime, YouTube, etc) to rent and buy. The show, which has played for more than a decade at London's Cambridge Theatre, is based on the classic Roald Dahl novel and features a book by Dennis Kelly and a score by Tim Minchin. Described as a "bright, buoyant bonanza of musical whimsy", the film stars Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, Sindhu Vee and Alisha Weir. It was been nominated for two BAFTAs including Outstanding British Film and for make-up and hair. As previously (and frequently) stated, it will be released on UK Netflix this summer, having been released on Netflix in almost all other territories on Christmas Day last year. The date for the release has now been confirmed as 25 June 2023, with the film available in the UK and Ireland. In the meantime, the stage show has just announced plans to extend to 2024 with more details available here. NSW's Killer Image wins Ball & Doggett Australia's Greatest Wrapper After an overwhelming number of entries, the winner of Ball & Doggetts MetaWrap Are YOU Australias Greatest Wrapper? competition is Coopers Camo Truck by Killer Image from Glendenning in Sydney, NSW. After receiving an overwhelming number of submissions from across the country, judges Matt Horne (Wrap Studio), Dan Sefton (Metamark) and our very own Steve Warn, National Manager - SAV & Heat Transfer had a tough time selecting the winner. However, after careful consideration, the winner of the Ball & Doggett, MetaWrap "Are You Australias Greatest Wrapper?" competition is Coopers Camo Truck by Killer Image from Glendenning, NSW, said Ball & Doggett, Australia's largest distributor of printable materials, press consumables and wide format printing equipment. Joel Goff, Killer Image; James Merhab, Ball & DoggettI am shocked and amazed to have won, said Killer Image managing director Joel Goff. There are so many talented people in this industry and it is nice to be recognised for our work. Metamarks Dan Sefton said: The winner impressed us with their exceptional design and attention to detail. Their solution demonstrated a high level of creativity, innovation, and technical expertise, which not only met but exceeded our expectations. They put a great deal of effort into perfecting every aspect of their work. Judge Matt Horne: Killer Image stood out for their exceptional technical wrapping skills, which were clearly demonstrated across the full truck wrap and the challenges met for the inner footstep. Steve Warn added: The winning Wrapper stood out for its combination of creativity and practicality. The design and use of colour was both bold and cohesive, creating a visually stunning display. Overall, this installation was a true standout and a deserving winner." Killer Image will receive a trip for two people to FESPA Munich in Germany, including return airfares from their nearest capital city, accommodation and breakfast, AUD$1000 spending money and entrance into FESPA Global Print Expo next month as guests of Metamark UK. The prize is valued at $7500. The judges would like to give a special mention to the businesses listed (no order) for their entries in this competition. Although they did not win, their impressive achievements and standout installation truly wowed the judges. We commend these businesses for their hard work and dedication, and we look forward to seeing their continued success in the future: Dizzi Decalz with project Finish Him! EB Graphics with project Bearey #46 Glamour Street Stock YBI FX with project The Angry Carrot - Junior Dragster Race Team Branding YBI FX with project Dog House Ski Race Boat CRG Designs Pty Ltd with project Laser Thing SS Wagon Browns Graphix with project Dental Room Chair Wrap Grafico Group with project The Motley Hotel. "We were thrilled to see the level of creativity and skill displayed in the entries we received," said Rob Brussolo, general manager - Sign, Display & Digital at Ball & Doggett. "It was clear that each entry was created with care and attention to detail, and we are so grateful to everyone who participated in the competition." The MetaWrap Are YOU Australias Greatest Wrapper competition presented by Ball & Doggett was created to celebrate all parts of wrapping including design, print and installation, and was open to all registered print, sign and display businesses. www.ballanddoggett.com.au Williamson, WV (25661) Today A mix of clouds and sun early, then becoming cloudy later in the day. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 59F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy in the evening, then off and on rain showers after midnight. Low 42F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. In this article, we take a look at the 20 strongest militaries in Europe. For more on this, go to the 5 Strongest Militaries in Europe. The EU's military spending stood at a paltry 1.3% in 2014. The increased spending in the following years was motivated by two factors: The Russian takeover of Crimea and the then US President Trumps demands from EU countries to contribute more to NATO. The EUs military spending consistently increased over the following years, and aggregated at 32% in real terms in 2021. In the wake of the full-scale Russian military assault on Ukraine that began in 2022, the military spending in Europe is only expected to pick up pace. Many European countries are also aggressively arming Ukraine in order to aid its military resistance against Russia. Germany is highly important in this respect. The country is heavily industrialized, and its defense industry is crucial to re-arming Europe. A military fund worth more than $100 billion that was announced in February of last year in reaction to the Ukrainian invasion was approved by the German lower house parliament in June of 2022. The fund is intended to supplement Germany's normal defense budget over the following few years in order to aid in the military's reconstruction. Germany would become the third-largest military spender behind the US and China since the fund should allow it to reach NATO's 2% defense spending target, given its GDP size. European and even some US defense companies are already poised to reap great benefits from the ongoing arms procurement. According to reports, the German Rheinmetall AG plans to increase tank output from 40,000 to 240,000 units annually. Germany, France, Spain, and Italy also signed contracts for the Eurodrone initiative in 2022, in an effort to lessen Europe's reliance on Israeli drones. OCCAR granted these contracts to the French company; Airbus SE. In this regard, General Electric Company (NYSE:GE)-owned Avivo Aero was selected by Airbus SE to design and produce the drone's engine. Story continues Other US defense companies, such as Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT), are also expanding European defense capabilities, in addition to General Electric Company (NYSE:GE). 20 Strongest Militaries in Europe BPTU/Shutterstock.com Our Methodology We have defined militarily strong European countries as ones that have advanced strategic military assets, and logistical and financial capability. The last metric is important since financial capacity directly determines defense capability. For this purpose, we have first identified the top 20 European countries on the Global Firepower Index of 2023 and ranked them amongst themselves. Then, we used the 2021 GDPs of these countries to rank them separately amongst themselves as well. Then we've averaged out the rankings on the two indexes for our list. We used countries ranking amongst themselves on Global Firepower Index to tiebreak countries with the same averaged-out rankings. The information for countries' military assets also comes from the Global Firepower Index of 2023. For militarily strategic countries, weve also brought into discussion their cyberwarfare capabilities, for which, we consulted with the Belfer Centers National Cyber Power Index of 2022. We also discussed some countries number of military bases around the world and space capabilities for military purposes. In that order, weve sourced data from The Power Atlas by the European Council on Foreign Relations. Here are the 20 strongest militaries in Europe: 20. Belgium Global Firepower Index Ranking: 25 GDP Ranking: 12 Average Ranking: 18.5 Belgium is one of the biggest economies in Europe, having a GDP of $0.6 trillion as of 2021, which allows the country to invest significantly in its military capability. Its military globally ranks 66th on the Global Firepower Index of 2023. The countrys navy operates two frigates, two patrol vessels and five vessels for mine warfare vessels. Its air force is significantly stronger, operating 106 aircraft, including 44 fighters. 19. Finland Global Firepower Index Ranking: 19 GDP Ranking: 15 Average Ranking: 17 Finland has one of the most advanced air forces in Europe, owing to its aircraft inventory consisting of F/A-18s and F35s, with the latter developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT). The countrys navy operates 18 mine warfare vessels and two patrol vessels. In terms of army assets, Finland boasts 239 tanks. 18. Czech Republic Global Firepower Index Ranking: 17 GDP Ranking: 16 Average Ranking: 16.5 The Czech Republic has one of the most powerful militaries in Europe, which is, to a large extent, armed by the countrys domestic defense industry, which comprises companies like Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ), Aero Vodochody and Tatra. 17. Romania Global Firepower Index Ranking: 16 GDP Ranking: 17 Average Ranking: 16.5 Romania spent 2% of it on its defense in 2021. Being a member of NATO, Romania is also further modernizing its military. As of 2023, its military operates 45 naval assets, including 18 vessels, 413 tanks and 146 aircraft, including 30 fighters. 16. Denmark Global Firepower Index Ranking: 18 GDP Ranking: 14 Average Ranking: 16 Denmark is a Scandinavian country. The country has 115 aircraft in its inventory, with four F-35s and 33 F-16s. Denmark is home to domestic defense companies like Danish Aerotech A/S, and also hosts US defense companies like Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) and General Electric Company (NYSE:GE). The country's military has had numerous contracts with General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) for Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs). The Danish military operates 74 naval assets, including 24 vessels, 44 tanks and 115 aircraft, which comprise 33 fighter jets. 15. Portugal Global Firepower Index Ranking: 14 GDP Ranking: 18 Average Ranking: 16 In 2021, defense expenditures were 2.2% of Portugals GDP of $254 billion. The premier fighter in the countrys air force is the F-16 fighting falcon, 28 of which are battle-ready. Its navy operates 111 total naval assets, which include two tridente-class submarines, five frigates, two corvettes and 20 patrol vessels. 14. Greece Global Firepower Index Ranking: 10 GDP Ranking: 19 Average Ranking: 14.5 Greece has been struggling due to financial mismanagement but the country still operates a huge military. It boasts one of the biggest armor units in Europe, with over 1,300 tanks. The Greek Navy operates 63 fleet units, with 11 submarines and 13 frigates. Its air force operates 635 aircraft, 193 of which are fighters. 13. Ukraine Global Firepower Index Ranking: 6 GDP Ranking: 20 Average Ranking: 13 They say what doesnt kill you makes you stronger. Ukraine is currently fighting a war with Russia, but is holding its own against a much more powerful military, signifying its own military capability. Ukraines military, as of 2023, operates 1,890 tanks, 312 aircraft, and 38 naval assets, including 16 vessels. Russia is often accused of using Ukraine as an experimental ground for its offensive cyber capabilities, and Ukraine has faced several cyberattacks in the past, leading the country to develop cyberwarfare capabilities of its own. Ukraine is regarded as the 12th top country by Belfer Centers National Cyberpower Index of 2022. 12. Switzerland Global Firepower Index Ranking: 15 GDP Ranking: 9 Average Ranking: 12 Air force is considered Switzerlands strongest military arm, with a fleet of 148 aircraft, 43 of which are fighter jets. The top fighting aircraft in its inventory is F/A-18C, and the country has 25 of them in service. The country spent 0.7% of its $0.8 trillion GDP on defense in 2021. Switzerland also has robust cyberwar capabilities and ranks 22nd on Belfer Centers National Cyber Power Index of 2022. 11. Norway Global Firepower Index Ranking: 11 GDP Ranking: 13 Average Ranking: 12 Norway has one of the most formidable militaries in Europe. Its air force has advanced fighting capabilities and currently operates 27 units of F-35 stealth fighters, with more to come. Norway is expected to have a fleet of 52 F-35s by 2025. 10. Sweden Global Firepower Index Ranking: 12 GDP Ranking: 11 Average Ranking: 11.5 Sweden boasts a strong defense capability. Its military operates 367 total naval assets, which include 298 patrol vessels, five submarines and seven corvettes, 121 tanks and 205 aircraft. Sweden ranks 20th on the National Cyber Power Index of 2022, signifying the countrys strong cyber-defense capabilities. 9. Netherlands Global Firepower Index Ranking: 13 GDP Ranking: 7 Average Ranking: 10 The Netherlands is the seventh largest economy in Europe, with a 2021 GDP size of $1 trillion. As such, it spends considerably on its military, with defense expenditures comprising 1.4% of its GDP in 2021. The Netherlands is the top sixth country in cyberwarfare capabilities as of 2022 based on the National Cyber Power Index of the same year. 8. Poland Global Firepower Index Ranking: 7 GDP Ranking: 10 Average Ranking: 8.5 Poland is one of the strongest countries in Europe by military power. The country possesses 459 aircraft, 18.6% of which are fighter jets. Its tank inventory comprises 569 units. On the sea, the country projects power through two frigates, two corvettes and one submarine. 7. Spain Global Firepower Index Ranking: 8 GDP Ranking: 6 Average Ranking: 7 Spain is a formidable military power in Europe, with the sixth largest GDP on the continent. In terms of primary military assets, the country possesses 11 frigates, 140 fighter jets and 327 tank units and four military satellites as of 2023. 6. Turkiye Global Firepower Index Ranking: 5 GDP Ranking: 8 Average Ranking: 6.5 Turkiye is one of the most militarily powerful countries in Europe. It is the eighth biggest economy in Europe, which affords it a strong military. The Turkish navy operates 16 frigates, 12 submarines and 9 corvettes. Its armor inventory comprises a whopping 2,229 tank units. Turkiye dominates the sky through over 1,000 aircraft in its air force inventory, 205 of which are fighters. Its military has two satellites in orbit, per the European Council on Foreign Relations. Further, it has bolstered its air defense through the procurement of the Russian-made S-400 Triumf system, which is often described as the best in the world. Turkiye ranks 23rd on the National Cyber Power Index of 2022. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Strongest Militaries in Europe. Disclosure: none. 20 Strongest Militaries in Europe is originally published on Insider Monkey. Larkin Clem came to Saint Marys University for volleyball but shes leaving with a fulfilling career path. The Elk River, Minnesota, native came to campus knowing she was a future Cardinal athlete and that she was interested in biology. Now-retired faculty member Randy Krainock told her about all the research opportunities she would have, and his enthusiasm both rubbed off on her and sealed her academic future. He wasnt mistaken about research opportunities. Her sophomore year, Clem worked with adviser Matthew Rowley on optimizing the universitys flow cytometry protocol. The flow cytometry equipment, used in large and smaller scale labs to identify certain characteristics of cancer cells and normal cells, had sometimes yielded unexpected data, so Clem did cell growth and death rate tests to optimize how the machine is used and make it easier for all students in the future. Shes also been working on various research projects including analyzing the expression of epiregulin in response to TBX2 transfection. Its when she can talk about things like epiregulin and TBX2, without having to explain what that means, that she excels. Research matches my personality, she said. Its a lot of independent benchwork, but its also about being part of an intellectual community. Ive always thrived where advisers have viewed me as an equal and talked about science at the highest level. Clem said shes been grateful for all the hands-on research shes been able to do as an undergraduate. It prepared me to do my research at a high-capacity research institution, she said. Last summer, for a 10-week internship, she did full-time research at the University of Minnesota in the life sciences summer undergraduate program in the cancer research wing. Working alongside a second-year Ph.D. student, Clem studied how estrogen affects breast cancer growth a topic she is using for her senior thesis. In general, if you have invasive lobular carcinoma and treat it with estrogen, certain genes are more highly expressed as a result, which correlates with higher growth rates, tumor burden and more aggressive phenotype, she said. If you treat mice with estrogen, they grow tumors faster, bigger and more resistant to drug therapy. Next year, she will be enrolled in the cancer biology Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For the next five to seven years, shell be doing research and publishing papers on the way to obtaining her doctorate. Eventually, she would love to run her own cancer research lab. Shes had quite a few family members and friends battle the invasive disease. Everyone sadly has known someone who has gone through cancer or lost the battle with cancer, she said. Im glad I can enter a program that is aiming to make a difference. Although Clem wont be going into patient care, she is excited to know that the work she does in the lab will affect patient outcomes. Finding the cure to cancer is a large, massive task that no one person, lab, or university will do. Its about translational research, making sure it has applications to patients and to actual people. Making biomarkers and having translational research will be driving my career in the future. Clem says she genuinely feels prepared for the next step of her academic journey. Going into the internship last summer, I was really nervous; I was working with doctoral students, she said. But I think Dr. Rowleys mentorship style has really helped me. Hes hands off. He provides guidance but also gives you freedom. Ive been able to succeed without him being over my shoulder which has really been beneficial. Everyone in biology has been great. Its a close-knit community of advisers who are all looking out for you and trying to help you get to where you want to go next. Columbus Area Historical Society 1973 The third annual Antique Show and Sale sponsored by the Columbus Womens Civic Club was held at St. Jeromes school gym. Last years show attracted antique lovers from a hundred mile radius. Tearing down the Mudrock property began this week. The home located on the corner of Ludington and Harrison Streets was removed to make way for a new fire station. 1983 Eighty years ago the Columbus Mundeo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was formed. Lois Caldwell and Wilma Black were awarded special 50-year membership pins. American Packaging Corporation neared completion of a bag manufacturing plant in a new 35,000 square foot building on Continental Drive. The building was constructed by Midwest Metal Building Systems of Columbus. 1993 Political newcomer Joseph Marks, 20, defeated two opponents by a 2-1 margin to become Columbuss youngest mayor. Two new faces elected to the Columbus School Board were Jim Schieble and Robert Link. They were elected to the seats vacated by retiring board members Lois White and Debra Huntley. 2003 Students at Zion Lutheran School celebrated their graduation from the D.A.R.E. program - Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Two students were recognized for their D.A.R.E. essays, Cassie Pratt and Sarah Bartels. Sarah Bartels essay was selected as the winner in the statewide contest. Bartels was invited to read her essay at a Milwaukee Brewers game and throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Columbus School Board accepted three staff resignations. Nancy Kirchberg and Krissane OBrien both retired from teaching and Tekoni Maughan left for another position. Visit www.columbuswiareahistory.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/columbuswiareahistory or email info@columbuswiareahistory.com to reach us. The Columbus WI Area Historical Society is looking for a new home for its museum. If anyone has ideas on where to locate, please contact the society. Shares of Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE Get Rating) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $95.45. A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AEE. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Ameren from $97.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Guggenheim lowered shares of Ameren from a buy rating to a neutral rating and upped their price objective for the company from $84.00 to $89.00 in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Ameren from $89.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Ameren from $102.00 to $95.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Ameren in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Get Ameren alerts: Ameren Price Performance Ameren stock opened at $89.96 on Friday. Ameren has a 52-week low of $73.28 and a 52-week high of $97.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.73, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $85.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $85.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. Ameren Increases Dividend Ameren ( NYSE:AEE Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The utilities provider reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.07. Ameren had a net margin of 13.50% and a return on equity of 10.50%. The firm had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.48 earnings per share. Amerens quarterly revenue was up 32.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ameren will post 4.35 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.80%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This is a boost from Amerens previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. Amerens dividend payout ratio is currently 60.87%. Insider Transactions at Ameren In other news, EVP Chonda J. Nwamu sold 3,660 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.40, for a total transaction of $305,244.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 36,692 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,060,112.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Fadi M. Diya sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.41, for a total value of $422,050.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 94,533 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,979,530.53. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chonda J. Nwamu sold 3,660 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.40, for a total transaction of $305,244.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,060,112.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 63,509 shares of company stock valued at $5,221,792. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Ameren Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AEE. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Ameren by 21.1% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 28,809 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,701,000 after acquiring an additional 5,025 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. acquired a new stake in Ameren in the first quarter valued at approximately $769,000. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in Ameren by 3.8% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 114,360 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $10,724,000 after purchasing an additional 4,148 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its stake in Ameren by 3.1% in the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 272,246 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $25,526,000 after purchasing an additional 8,174 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moors & Cabot Inc. increased its stake in Ameren by 14.4% in the first quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 2,780 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.42% of the companys stock. About Ameren (Get Rating) Ameren Corp. is a public utility holding company, which engages in the provision of electric and natural gas services. It operates through the following segments: Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, Ameren Transmission, and Other. The Ameren Transmission segment consists of the aggregated electric transmission businesses of Ameren Illinois and Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI). See Also Receive News & Ratings for Ameren Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ameren and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) had its price objective upped by Morgan Stanley from $31.00 to $32.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the financial services providers stock. A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on BAC. Odeon Capital Group cut Bank of America from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $35.20 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Bank of America from $48.00 to $39.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut Bank of America from a market perform rating to an underperform rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $35.00 to $33.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Bank of America from $38.00 to $34.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Bank of America from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $36.83. Get Bank of America alerts: Bank of America Trading Down 0.1 % Bank of America stock opened at $29.87 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.29. The company has a market cap of $239.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.36. Bank of America has a 52-week low of $26.32 and a 52-week high of $38.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. Bank of America Dividend Announcement Bank of America ( NYSE:BAC Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $26.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.28 billion. Bank of America had a return on equity of 11.72% and a net margin of 21.85%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.80 EPS. Analysts predict that Bank of America will post 3.37 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.95%. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.43%. Insider Transactions at Bank of America In other news, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 105,054 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.27, for a total transaction of $3,600,200.58. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 319,803 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,959,648.81. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 105,054 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.27, for a total transaction of $3,600,200.58. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 319,803 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,959,648.81. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 214,745 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.91, for a total value of $7,711,492.95. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 214,747 shares in the company, valued at $7,711,564.77. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.27% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Bank of America Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Bank of America by 6,772.7% during the 4th quarter. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 756 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 745 shares during the last quarter. Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. WD Rutherford LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Mendota Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 68.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Bank of America Company Profile (Get Rating) Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bank of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son (NYSE:NTB Get Rating) is scheduled to issue its quarterly earnings data after the market closes on Monday, April 24th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $1.16 per share for the quarter. Parties that wish to listen to the companys conference call can do so using this link. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son (NYSE:NTB Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 14th. The bank reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.17. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son had a return on equity of 26.44% and a net margin of 37.09%. The business had revenue of $148.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $140.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.84 EPS. On average, analysts expect Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son to post $4 EPS for the current fiscal year and $4 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son alerts: Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Price Performance Shares of NTB stock opened at $25.65 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son has a twelve month low of $25.02 and a twelve month high of $38.31. The company has a market cap of $1.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.98 and a beta of 1.38. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $31.79. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Announces Dividend Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 27th were given a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 24th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.86%. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Sons dividend payout ratio is presently 41.03%. Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son from $48.00 to $40.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son from $41.00 to $35.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Raymond James cut their target price on Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son from $41.00 to $36.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $36.75. Institutional Trading of Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its stake in shares of Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 34.6% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,178 shares of the banks stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 21,130 shares of the banks stock worth $630,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 12,080 shares of the banks stock worth $433,000 after buying an additional 380 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 24,313 shares of the banks stock worth $874,000 after buying an additional 385 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,683 shares of the banks stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 673 shares during the period. 68.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Company Profile (Get Rating) The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Ltd. provides community banking and wealth management business. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, The Bahamas, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Bermuda and the Cayman Islands segment offers a range of retail and corporate banking services to individuals, local businesses, captive insurers, reinsurance and trust companies, and hedge funds. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of International Tower Hill Mines (NYSE:THM Get Rating) in a report issued on Wednesday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the stock. International Tower Hill Mines Stock Performance THM opened at $0.52 on Wednesday. International Tower Hill Mines has a 1 year low of $0.38 and a 1 year high of $1.01. The company has a market capitalization of $101.17 million, a P/E ratio of -51.80 and a beta of 0.82. Get International Tower Hill Mines alerts: About International Tower Hill Mines (Get Rating) Featured Stories International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company, which engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. It holds the right to acquire interest in an advanced stage exploration project in Alaska, known as the Livengood Gold Project. The company was founded by Jeffrey A. Receive News & Ratings for International Tower Hill Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Tower Hill Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. From what we can see, insiders were net buyers in Abundante Limited's (SGX:570 ) during the past 12 months. That is, insiders acquired the stock in greater numbers than they sold it. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. See our latest analysis for Abundante The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Abundante The insider Lee Sai Sing made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for S$122k worth of shares at a price of S$0.15 each. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (S$0.20), we still think insider buying is a positive. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive. Lee Sai Sing bought a total of 1.14m shares over the year at an average price of S$0.14. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Does Abundante Boast High Insider Ownership? For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Abundante insiders own 89% of the company, currently worth about S$19m based on the recent share price. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders. So What Do The Abundante Insider Transactions Indicate? The fact that there have been no Abundante insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Judging from their transactions, and high insider ownership, Abundante insiders feel good about the company's future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Abundante. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Abundante has 4 warning signs (1 is a bit concerning!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis. Story continues If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE:MFA Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,740,000 shares, a growth of 7.9% from the March 15th total of 2,540,000 shares. Approximately 2.7% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,530,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MFA shares. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and issued a $11.00 target price on shares of MFA Financial in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of MFA Financial in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $12.50 price target on shares of MFA Financial in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $12.45. Get MFA Financial alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new position in MFA Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its position in MFA Financial by 240.7% during the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 4,027 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 2,845 shares during the period. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its position in MFA Financial by 194.7% during the 4th quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,541 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. purchased a new position in MFA Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of MFA Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $72,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.40% of the companys stock. MFA Financial Price Performance MFA Financial Dividend Announcement MFA stock opened at $10.48 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.07 billion, a PE ratio of -4.09 and a beta of 1.95. MFA Financial has a 12 month low of $7.15 and a 12 month high of $15.19. The firms 50-day moving average is $10.13 and its 200 day moving average is $10.36. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.36%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. MFA Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -54.69%. About MFA Financial (Get Rating) MFA Financial, Inc is a real estate investment trust. engages in the business of investment, on a leveraged basis, in residential mortgage assets including agency mortgage-backed securities, Non-Agency mortgage backed securities and residential whole loans. The company was founded by Stewart Zimmerman on July 24, 1997 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More Receive News & Ratings for MFA Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MFA Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Shaw Communications (NYSE:SJR Get Rating) (TSE:SJR.B) in a report issued on Thursday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the stock. A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. National Bank Financial cut Shaw Communications from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, January 4th. Scotiabank cut Shaw Communications from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, January 13th. Desjardins cut Shaw Communications from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, January 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut Shaw Communications from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, January 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $40.50. Get Shaw Communications alerts: Shaw Communications Stock Up 0.9 % NYSE SJR opened at $30.18 on Thursday. The stocks 50 day moving average is $29.25 and its 200 day moving average is $27.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Shaw Communications has a 12 month low of $23.64 and a 12 month high of $31.60. The stock has a market cap of $14.42 billion, a PE ratio of 26.47 and a beta of 0.52. Shaw Communications Increases Dividend Institutional Trading of Shaw Communications The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a dividend of $0.074 per share. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.94%. This is a boost from Shaw Communicationss previous monthly dividend of $0.07. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. Shaw Communicationss dividend payout ratio is 76.32%. Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SJR. Pentwater Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Shaw Communications during the 3rd quarter valued at $157,812,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Shaw Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $159,219,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in Shaw Communications by 2,771.2% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 5,635,328 shares of the companys stock valued at $174,921,000 after buying an additional 5,439,058 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI raised its holdings in Shaw Communications by 327.3% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 3,737,024 shares of the companys stock valued at $107,589,000 after buying an additional 2,862,476 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in Shaw Communications by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 14,582,178 shares of the companys stock valued at $355,766,000 after buying an additional 2,075,248 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.44% of the companys stock. Shaw Communications Company Profile (Get Rating) Shaw Communications, Inc engages in the provision of cable telecommunications and satellite video services. The company was founded by James Robert Shaw on December 9, 1966 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Shaw Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shaw Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chief Justice John Roberts has declined to directly respond to a congressional request for his testimony at a Supreme Court ethics hearing next month about Justice Clarence Thomas alleged ethical lapses. The US embassy in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum is pictured. President Joe Biden on April 22 said that US government personnel had been evacuated from Sudan. It will be another busy week for investors with a plethora of blue chip and big tech earnings on tap, as well as first quarter GDP and the ongoing battle over the nation's debt limit. The stock market closed higher on Friday but ended the week with modest losses. In Washington, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., plans to bring the GOP debt limit bill to a vote this week heating up political tensions in a race to avoid default on America's debt. Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks at a news conference. FOX Business breaks down other events likely to move financial markets in the coming days. DISNEY TO SLASH 7,000 JOBS On Monday Disney will conduct its second round of job cuts, with a third already on the horizon. Its ESPN unit will also be conducting cuts in talent and management. READ ON THE FOX BUSINESS APP Disney CEO Bob Iger The cost-cutting comes after CEO Bob Iger returned to the helm after the dismissal of Bob Chapek. Monday will also see public comments close for the Federal Trade Commission's Guide for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims. The FTC has been looking for input on what marketing claims companies can make about their products and what defines compostable, degradable and other terms companies use to market their products. In earnings, Coca-Cola and First Republic Bank will report before the opening bell. The regional bank has been hard hit after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and the results will provide a fresh update on its stability. Earnings after the bell will include Ameriprise Financial and Whirlpool. Economic data will include the Chicago Fed national activity index and the Dallas Fed manufacturing business index; both are forecast to show a further decline. On Tuesday, Japans ispace will attempt to be the first private company to land on the moon. SPACEX REVEALS WHY STARSHIP EXPLODED MINUTES INTO LAUNCH Earnings before markets open will include General Electric, General Motors, JetBlue, McDonalds, Raytheon Technologies, UPS and Verizon. After the bell Google parent company Alphabet, Boston Properties, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Microsoft, Texas Instruments and Visa will report. Story continues It will also be a busy day for economic data, including, building permits (revised), the FHFA monthly home price index, the Case-Shiller home price index, consumer confidence, and new home sales. Revised building permit data and the FHFA monthly home price index expected this week. In San Francisco, the arraignment for the suspect who allegedly murdered Cash App founder Bob Lee will take place. Cash App CEO Bob Lee The National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC), which was established in 2020 to advise the president on AI, will release its first report and recommendations today. Read FOX Business' comprehensive reporting on artificial intelligence here. Earnings before markets open include Boeing, General Dynamics, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Norfolk Southern, and potentially embattled Bed Bath & Beyond. After the bell, eBay, Mattel, Facebook's Meta and Spirit Airlines report. Wednesday's economic data will include MBA Mortgage applications, durable goods and EIA weekly crude stocks. Pfizer, which accounted for almost a quarter of biopharma industry spending in 2022, will host their annual meeting on Thursday. The company has offered to buy cancer drugmaker Seagen for $45 billion, which is the biggest industry buyout since the AbbVie and Allergan deal in 2019. Analysts say the Seagen deal will likely face regulator scrutiny. Thursday's investors will keep their finger on the pulse of the hearing about AMCs plan to dilute its shares through preferred equity (APE shares). The case has been brought by common stockholders. Earnings in the morning will include American Airlines, Caterpillar, MasterCard, Merck, Northrop Grumman and Southwest Airlines. After the bell Activision Blizzard, Amazon, Intel, L3Harris Technologies, Snap and T-Mobile US will report. MICROSOFT-ACTIVISION DEAL HITS NEW STUMBLING BLOCK Thursday's economic data will include an advance read of first quarter GDP, which is expected to show the U.S. economy grew 2%, a drop from the 4Q's 2.6% rise. Also, weekly initial jobless claims, NAR pending home sales and the Kansas City Fed's manufacturing index will be released. JetBlue will make a second prepayment to Spirit Airlines shareholders of $0.10 per share despite the ongoing lawsuit by the Department of Justice which aims to block the transaction, saying the deal could reduce competition, causing higher ticket prices. A JetBlue airliner lands past a Spirit Airlines jet on taxi way at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport on April 25, 2022. Earnings on Friday morning will include Outback Steakhouse's parent company Bloomin Brands, Charter Communications, Chevron, Colgate-Palmolive and Exxon Mobil. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP Economic data rounding out the week will include personal income, personal consumption, ECI employment wages, the Chicago PMI, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index (final), and the Dallas Fed's PCE. Jessica MacKenzie contributed to this story. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have demanded answers from Beijing, after a senior Chinese diplomat questioned the sovereignty of post-Soviet states. In an interview with French network TF1, Lu Shaye, China's ambassador to France, said former Soviet republics have no "effective status" in international law. "In international law, even these ex-Soviet Union countries do not have the status, the effective status in international law, because there is no international agreement to materialise their status of a sovereign country," Lu said, in an interview broadcast on Friday. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. His comments drew fury from the Baltic states, all three of which are former Soviet republics and current members of the European Union. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the comments by Lu Shaye, China's ambassador to France, help explain why the Baltic States don't trust China to broker peace in Ukraine. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the comments by Lu Shaye, China's ambassador to France, help explain why the Baltic States don't trust China to broker peace in Ukraine. Photo: EPA-EFE> Each will summon the top Chinese diplomat in their respective capitals, said Edgars Rinkevics, the Latvian foreign minister. "Taking into account the unacceptable statements of the Chinese ambassador in France about international law and national sovereignty, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia has summoned the authorised charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Riga to provide explanations on Monday. This step is coordinated with Lithuania and Estonia," Rinkevics wrote on Twitter. He had earlier said that the remarks were "completely unacceptable", and that Riga demanded an "explanation from the Chinese side and [a] complete retraction of this statement". Story continues The row comes ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, at which EU-China relations will be discussed. Remarks by the Chinese Ambassador in France concerning international law and sovereignty of nations are completely unacceptable. We expect explanation from the Chinese side and complete retraction of this statement https://t.co/S937uXJGWJ - Edgars Rinkevics (@edgarsrinkevics) April 22, 2023 It also comes at a time when EU members are divided on whether to continue leaning on China to help end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron has led efforts to engage China, travelling to Beijing this month to try to get President Xi Jinping to use his influence on Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to end the war - but those efforts have thus far failed. Macron's approach has stoked controversy, particularly in the Eastern flank of the EU, where capitals are generally more hawkish towards Russia and China. "If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States don't trust China to 'broker peace in Ukraine', here's a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries' borders have no legal basis," tweeted Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the Chinese ambassador's remarks as "incomprehensible". Photo: Reuters alt=Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the Chinese ambassador's remarks as "incomprehensible". Photo: Reuters> Margus Tsahkna, Estonia's foreign minister, told local media outlet Delfi that "it is sad that a representative of the People's Republic of China holds such views. Such a position is incomprehensible." In the same interview, Lu prevaricated when asked whether Crimea - a Ukrainian territory annexed by Russian forces - was part of Ukraine. "It depends on how you perceive the problem," Lu said, adding when pressed by journalist Darius Rochebin that "it's not that simple" and that Crimea was "Russian at the beginning". China officially recognised Ukraine's borders - including Crimea - in December 1994, as part of a denuclearisation agreement that saw Kyiv give up the world's third largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances from capitals including Beijing. Ukraine's ambassador to France responded by saying there is "no room for ambiguity, Crimea is Ukraine". "Test question 'Who owns Crimea?' is revealing as usual. Next time it will be good to expand 'who owns Vladivostok?'," added Vadym Omelchenko in a Twitter post. "The Soviet empire no longer exists. The story moves forward," in Europe, which have attempted to downplay the closeness of Beijing's ties with Moscow. In a recent interview with the South China Morning Post, China's ambassador to the EU, Fu Cong, said that there was too much focus on the "no limits" partnership agreed to by the Russian and Chinese leaders in February 2022. Fu Cong, China's ambassador to the European Union, said there was too much focus on the "no limits" partnership agreed to by the Russian and Chinese leaders in February 2022. Photo: Handout alt=Fu Cong, China's ambassador to the European Union, said there was too much focus on the "no limits" partnership agreed to by the Russian and Chinese leaders in February 2022. Photo: Handout> "Those words can be used also in our relationship with the EU. We are ready to say that we have no limits between our relations either," Fu said. He later told The New York Times that "'no limit' is nothing but rhetoric". Throughout his time in Paris, Lu - seen in Europe as the archetypal "wolf warrior" diplomat - has been unafraid to stoke controversy. Last year, in an interview with French broadcaster LCI that focused on the fallout from former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to Taiwan, Lu said re-education would be required because the government in Taipei had "indoctrinated and intoxicated" the population with anti-Chinese education. "Why do I say 're-educate'? Because the authorities of Taiwan have made an education of 'desinicisation' on its population, which is effectively indoctrinated and intoxicated. It must be re-educated to eliminate separatist thought and secessionist theory," Lu said. At the peak of the pandemic, Lu was summoned by the French foreign ministry after a blog post published by his embassy accused the West of recklessly handling the Covid-19 outbreak. He was particularly critical of reports that health workers in France had left elderly people in nursing homes to die. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. (Bloomberg) -- Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New Jersey with plans to shut down, putting thousands of jobs on the line. Most Read from Bloomberg The US housewares retailer will use the court process to begin liquidating its 360 Bed Bath & Beyond stores and 120 Buy Buy Baby shops, while also searching for a buyer for some or all of its assets, according to a statement. The company may pivot away from the store closings if theres a successful sale. Bed Bath & Beyond estimated it had assets of $4.4 billion and total debt of $5.2 billion as of late November, according to a court filing. The number of creditors is between 25,001 and 50,000, with BNY Mellon having the biggest unsecured claim of $1.18 billion. Bed Bath & Beyonds chief financial officer, Holly Etlin, will serve as chief restructuring officer to manage the bankruptcy. The Union, New Jersey-based companys crisis spiraled this year, starting in January when it said there was substantial doubt about its ability to keep operating and that it was weighing options to restructure its debts. Later that month, it received a default notice from JPMorgan Chase & Co. after breaching terms on a credit line. The retailer received a last-minute lifeline from the hedge fund Hudson Bay Capital Management a deal that would have given Bed Bath & Beyond more than $1 billion under certain conditions. But the company failed to meet stock-price minimums, and the deal was terminated. Bed Bath & Beyond then said it would sell more shares in an effort to stave off a filing. A unit of Sixth Street Partners is providing the company with a $240 million loan to help it fund itself in bankruptcy. An Avoidable Decline Story continues In 2022, the company embarked on a turnaround effort that gave it a $375 million rescue loan as it shuttered some stores and cut roughly 20% of its workforce. The plan, unveiled in August, was among the retailers latest comeback attempts as it struggled to keep up with e-commerce competitors and changing consumer shopping habits. In recent years, lagging performance has made the company an activist target. In 2019, shareholders forced a revamp of the companys board and the removal of its chief executive officer, while activist investor Ryan Cohen launched a subsequent campaign in March that saw another CEO ousted after a board shakeup. Bed Bath & Beyonds demise is not, as some pundits have insisted, an example of the inevitable decline of brick-and-mortar retailers that struggle to compete against Amazon.com Inc. Instead, Bed Bath & Beyond is largely responsible for its own undoing, according to suppliers, analysts and former managers and employees. For nearly a decade, the retailers leadership teams made decisions that pushed the company, little by little, toward the brink of financial collapse. Under longtime CEO Steve Temares, Bed Bath & Beyond spent too much money and time acquiring companies, such as Cost Plus World Market in 2012 and Decorist in 2017, which ultimately flopped. Temares also spent billions of dollars to buy back shares. Meanwhile, the retailer wasnt investing enough to improve its online and logistics operations, putting Bed Bath & Beyond at a disadvantage as competitors including Target Corp., Walmart Inc. and Lowes Cos. began to roll out next-day and eventually same-day shipping, and offer options such as buy online, pick up in store. Other specialty big-box stores were also shifting gears to compete effectively against Amazon.com, including Best Buy Co., which became a go-to store for consumers to talk to knowledgeable staff and test competitively priced electronics products in person. Private-Label Pivot In 2019, former Target executive Mark Tritton took the helm of Bed Bath & Beyond as it was losing market share and reporting a decrease in quarterly sales. To try to arrest that decline, he decided to produce more products in-house, which can help to cut costs if implemented effectively over time. But at Bed Bath & Beyond the strategy ended up filling stores with too many unknown private-label products at the expense of well-known national brands. The retailers fundamental flaw, I think, was around the merchandising decision to pivot to private-label products, S&P Global Ratings analyst Declan Gargan said in an interview. Their core customer was not interested in that. Shoppers retreated and sales plummeted. Earlier this year, Bed Bath & Beyond was preparing to file for bankruptcy. But, to the astonishment of many suppliers and analysts, the retailer inked a complex eleventh-hour financing deal at the beginning of February to sell its shares to hedge fund Hudson Bay. The deal raised $360 million far short of the $1 billion goal. Bankruptcy loomed large once again. Then, the retailer announced yet another last-ditch financing deal at the end of March. But this one didnt have a hedge fund as an intermediary. This time, Bed Bath & Beyond had several weeks to sell $300 million in shares directly to investors. They were largely uninterested, though, and the stock price kept spiraling downward. Constant Dilution The idea that you can continually support your company even in the face of constant dilution of your investors just isnt a long-term, viable corporate-finance strategy, said James Gellert, CEO of ratings firm Rapid Ratings. Bed Bath & Beyond had a seeming disregard for common equity holders. The jobs of thousands of employees and their retirement savings and severance pay are on the line. There are, however, some winners amid the collapse of one of the largest home-goods retailers in the US. Companies that have been able to effectively pivot in recent years to compete against Amazon and other online giants have seen a pickup in demand. Target, Walmart, HomeGoods and Amazon itself have been beneficiaries, notes GlobalData analyst Neil Saunders. The store closures and loss of traffic at Bed Bath & Beyond, he said, is being spread fairly widely among a variety of retailers. --With assistance from Simon Lee. (Updates with details on store closings in first two paragraphs.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY Stores and Websites are Open and Serving Customers as Wind Down Commences $240 Million Debtor-in-Possession Financing Secured to Support Ongoing Operations and Chapter 11 Process UNION, N.J., April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBY) today announced that it and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, "the Company") filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code ("Chapter 11") in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey (the "Court") to implement an orderly wind down of its businesses while conducting a limited marketing process to solicit interest in one or more sales of some or all of its assets. (PRNewsfoto/Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.) To facilitate this process, the Company has received a commitment of approximately $240 million in debtor-in-possession financing ("DIP") from Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. Following court approval, the Company expects this financing to provide the necessary liquidity to support operations during the Chapter 11 process. The Company's 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 buybuy BABY stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers as the Company begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its retail locations. Through the filing of customary motions with the Court, the Company intends to uphold its commitments to customers, employees, and partners, including continued payment of employee wages and benefits, maintaining customer programs, and honoring obligations to critical vendors. Sue Gove, President & CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. said, "Millions of customers have trusted us through the most important milestones in their lives from going to college to getting married, settling into a new home to having a baby. Our teams have worked with incredible purpose to support and strengthen our beloved banners, Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY. We deeply appreciate our associates, customers, partners, and the communities we serve, and we remain steadfastly determined to serve them throughout this process. We will continue working diligently to maximize value for the benefit of all stakeholders." Story continues For decades, Bed Bath & Beyond set the standard across the home goods sector and held its position through many different economic cycles and alongside a continuously evolving customer. In late 2022, the Company initiated a significant turnaround plan to reset foundational elements of its operational and financial positioning to better serve customers, employees, and supplier partners. Actions have been underway to improve merchandise assortment, streamline supply chain, and optimize its store footprint. While the Company has commenced a liquidation sale, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. intends to use the Chapter 11 proceedings to conduct a limited sale and marketing process for some or all of its assets. The Company has filed motions with the Court seeking authority to market Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY as part of an auction pursuant to section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code. Alongside these efforts, the Company is also strategically managing inventory to preserve value. In the event of a successful sale, the Company will pivot away from any store closings needed to implement a transaction. The Company believes this dual-path process will best maximize value. Additional information is available at https://restructuring.ra.kroll.com/bbby. Stakeholders with questions can contact the Company's Claims Agent, Kroll LLC, at BBBYInfo@ra.kroll.com, (833) 570-5355, or (646) 440-4806 if calling from outside the U.S. or Canada. Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Cole Schotz P.C. are serving as legal counsel, Lazard Freres & Co. LLC is serving as investment banker, and AlixPartners LLP is serving as financial advisor. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has retained Hilco Merchant Resources LLC to assist with inventory sales. About the Company Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") is an omnichannel retailer that makes it easy for our customers to feel at home. The Company sells a wide assortment of merchandise primarily in the Home and Baby markets. Additionally, the Company is a partner in a joint venture which operates retail stores in Mexico under the name Bed Bath & Beyond. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." All statements other than statements of historical fact are "forward-looking" statements for purposes of the U.S. federal and state securities laws. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "our vision," "plan," "potential," "preliminary," "predict," "should," "will," or "would" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: risks attendant to the bankruptcy process, including the Company's ability to obtain court approval from the Court with respect to motions or other requests made to the Court throughout the course of Chapter 11, including with respect the DIP; the effects of Chapter 11, including increased legal and other professional costs necessary to execute the Company's wind down, on the Company's liquidity (including the availability of operating capital during the pendency of Chapter 11); the effects of Chapter 11 on the interests of various constituents and financial stakeholders; the length of time that the Company will operate under Chapter 11 protection and the continued availability of operating capital during the pendency of Chapter 11; objections to the Company's wind down process, the DIP, or other pleadings filed that could protract Chapter 11; risks associated with third-party motions in Chapter 11; Court rulings in the Chapter 11 and the outcome of Chapter 11 in general; the Company's ability to comply with the restrictions imposed by the terms and conditions of the DIP and other financing arrangements; employee attrition and the Company's ability to retain senior management and other key personnel due to the distractions and uncertainties; the impact and timing of any cost-savings measures and related local law requirements in various jurisdictions; the impact of litigation and regulatory proceedings; and other factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form10-Q filed with the SEC. These risks and uncertainties may cause the Company's actual results, performance, liquidity or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance, liquidity or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, please refer to the Company's filings with the SEC that are available at www.sec.gov. The Company cautions you that the list of important factors included in the Company's SEC filings may not contain all of the material factors that are important to you. In addition, in light of these risks and uncertainties, the matters referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this report may not in fact occur. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, including the Projections, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bed-bath--beyond-inc-files-voluntary-chapter-11-petitions-301804829.html SOURCE Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. 90 Day Fiance star Anny Francisco shared a heartbreaking tribute commemorating one year since the tragic death of her 7-month-old son, Adriel Hassan. A day like today, they gave the worst news that changed my life forever, the Dominican Republic native, 33, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, April 20, alongside a photo cuddling the little one. Losing my son has been too painful, hard to understand because I had to live it and very few people understand me. The 90 Day Fiance star continued, A child is like half of our heart, and I do not wish my worst enemy to go through this because all material things in this life can be recovered but the loss of a family member never. Shortly after Anny shared the sweet tribute, TLC stars rushed to the comment section to support the grieving couple. We are sending you all the love we have to give you and your family, season 3 star Loren Brovarnik penned under the post. Meanwhile, 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way alum Darcey Silva wrote, Sending you and your family prayers and love! We are so sorry for your loss! Hes an angel watching over you! Anny and her husband, Robert Springs, revealed they tragically lost their son in April 2022 when he was only 7 months old. '90 Day Fiance': Robert, Anny Family Photos Today is one of the worst days of my life, my son Adriel Springs died, the Florida resident wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of a black ribbon. I am devastated and [so is] my family life is so hard and difficult. I never thought I would lose my son. He was a fighter his heart couldnt take it my heart is broken its a big pain so difficult. Two days later, Anny revealed his tragic cause of death in a separate Instagram post suggesting he had a heart condition and wrote, This was the last pic an hour before my sons surgery. Life is unfair. Following Adriels passing, Anny reflected on the painful moment of burying her son, calling it one of the worst days of her life. I had to say goodbye to my son, she wrote in Spanish via Instagram on April 27. Never in my life was I so ready to bury my son. Its so painful and hard. I feel my heart being squeezed out of the pain I have, and it knows I cant change anything to get back to my son. My angel Adriel. But its not goodbye, but Ill see you again someday. I love you forever my life. Robert and Anny introduced their love story on season 7 of 90 Day Fiance, which debuted in November 2019. The couple met online and after spending less than one day together in her native country of the Dominican Republic, Robert proposed. Their September 2019 wedding ceremony played out during a February 2020 episode. A year later, the TLC couple would welcome their first child, a daughter named Brenda, in July 2020. They announced Anny was pregnant with baby No. 2 in April 2021, and Adriel was born that September. Adriel was the 90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk couples second child together and Roberts seventh child in total, as he shares five older children from previous relationships. The late man's family seeks damages of at least $1 million, according to the suit JOKER / Helmut Metzmacher/ullstein bild via Getty Celebrity Cruises is facing a lawsuit in which a Florida woman and her family accuse the cruise line of improperly storing her husband's body in the ship's cooler, not the morgue. In the lawsuit, cited by both CNN and NBC News, the widow of Robert L. Jones accuses the company of improperly storing the late Jones, thereby "allowing Mr. Jones' body to decompose while on the ship to such a state that his family was unable to have [an] open casket funeral." The Jones family seeks damages of at least $1 million, according to the suit as cited by the news outlet. Jones died of a cardiac medical emergency while on the Celebrity Equinox cruise ship in August 2022, which was traveling from Fort Lauderdale ports in the Eastern Caribbean. Related:50 Graves Discovered Under Paris Bus Station Pre-Date French Capital According to the lawsuit, as cited by CNN, after Jones' death, his wife, Marilyn, was informed there were two options: have the body removed from the ship in San Juan, Puerto Rico or have the body stored on the ship until it reached port in Ft. Lauderdale in six days. The decision was made to store the body. However, "When the funeral services employee in Ft. Lauderdale was brought onto the ship to retrieve Mr. Jones' body, his body was not located in the ship's morgue," the lawsuit alleges, according to CNN. "Instead, Mr. Jones' body had, at some time not yet known, had been moved from the ship's morgue to a cooler on a different floor than the ship's morgue. The cooler in which Mr. Jones' body was found by the funeral employee had drinks placed outside of the cooler, and was not at a temperature which was sufficient nor proper for storing a dead body to prevent decomposition." 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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Celebrity Cruises did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment. A representative with Celebrity Cruises on Friday said in an email to NBC News: "Due to the sensitivity of the alleged facts and out of respect for the family, we decline to comment on the matter." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. desantis-swin.jpg Ron DeSantis Speaks At Midland Republican Dave Camp Spring Breakfast In Michigan - Credit: Chris duMond/Getty Images Donald Trump loathes Ron DeSantis for the Florida governors disloyal challenge to Trumps iron grip on the Republican Party. The former presidents ire, however, is dwarfed by the intense desire harbored by some of Trumps key aides and allies to see DeSantis politically ruined. These advisers, lawmakers, and operatives personally know DeSantis or used to work for him. Now, some of them are working to reelect Trump and have brought their intimate knowledge of DeSantis operations, and also what makes Trumps likely 2024 primary rival tick. Just as importantly, some of the Team-DeSantis-turned-Team-Trump contingent have talked to the ex-president about how best to relentlessly mess with DeSantis, assuring Trump that the Florida governor is uniquely insecure and sensitive, and that its easy to get in his head, two such sources whove spoken to Trump tell Rolling Stone. More from Rolling Stone Its one of the reasons why the open political warfare between Trump and DeSantis is only expected to get nastier in the coming months. If Ron thinks the last couple months have been bumpy, hes in for a painful ride, says a third source, who used to be on Team DeSantis and is now in the Trump orbit. This person continues, The nature of the conversations among the people who used to work for Ron is just so frequently: OK, how can we destroy this guy? It is not at all at a level that is normal for people who hold the usual grudges against horrible bosses. Its a pure hatred that is much, much purer than that People who were traveling with Ron everyday, who worked with him very closely over the years, to this day joke about how it was always an open question whether or not Ron knew their names And thats just the start of it. One Trump adviser who also knows DeSantis tells Rolling Stone, Oh, Ive told the [former] president several times how easy it is to mindfuck Ron, adding theyve told Trump that [DeSantis] takes little slights and digs incredibly personally and doesnt really let things go. [Trump] is aware that the Florida governor is tailor-made for him to effectively mess with, until Ron backs down. Ironically, the title of the prominent pro-DeSantis super PAC is Never Back Down. Story continues Though Trump seems eager to take advantage of DeSantis allegedly razor-thin skin, the ex-president and 2024 GOP frontrunner is similarly famous for his own hypersensitivity and penchant for obsessing over jabs from others. He spent time as president trying to convince his own female senior staffer that his penis wasnt bizarrely shaped, as was alleged at the time. During his 2016 presidential campaign, he couldnt help himself from feuding with a Gold Star family, simply because they criticized him. He kept feuding with John McCain even after the senator died. While he was leader of the free world, Trump secretly pressed lawyers and political aides on whether his government and Justice Department could investigate Saturday Night Live and other late-night comedy shows for being too mean to him. He directed his own White House staff to lean on Disney to censor late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, an anti-Trump comedian. And the ex-president was, of course, so keen on not letting go of the anti-democratic fiction that the 2020 election had been stolen from him that it caused a deadly riot. Furthermore, Trump, similar to DeSantis, has his own lengthy running list of former loyalists and officials whove since become some of his most bitter enemies. But no matter for Team Trump, which sees DeSantis own insecurities as a massive opportunity. Ron is not someone who can just walk it off. I know because I made a lighthearted joke to him once, and he got mad and held it against me, the Trump adviser adds. Team Trump does not want to just beat him. Team Trump wants to humiliate him maybe more than theyve ever wanted to humiliate anybody on a national stage [and] that is what is driving a lot of this. DeSantis spokesperson did not respond to Rolling Stones request for comment on this story. In recent months, Trump has spoken to an array of advisers, friends, and Republican lawmakers whove known or worked closely with DeSantis, and has at times solicited gossip and salacious, unverified details of the governors personal life. On top of that, the former president has brainstormed with several of these confidants various ideas for aggressive mudslinging messaging. According to two other sources with direct knowledge of the matter, among the potential targets they see are DeSantis physique, attire, appearance, voice, and social skills. They also believe he looks humorously clumsy in his ongoing feud with Disney. Sometimes, Trump has privately noted that some of these elements would work well if incorporated somehow into eventual 2024 attack ads against DeSantis. Donald Trump is an animal. Hes a fighter. In 2016, he went further than what a so-called respectable politician was supposed to do, in how aggressive his attacks against opponents were. It offended some people, but now, hes pushed the boundary of propriety so far that others are willing to go there in campaigning, Michael Caputo, a former Trump administration official who remains close to the ex-president, tells Rolling Stone. He adds that some Trump allies are interested in perhaps even harsher attacks than Trump is. There are people including at the peripheries of the 2024 campaign who go after DeSantis even harder, and get even rougher on the governors allies, Caputo says. Indeed, Trump has already demonstrated that virtually nothing is off limits in his campaign against DeSantis, who hasnt even officially declared his 2024 candidacy yet. (The governor is clearly running a shadow campaign at this time, however.) Last month, the ex-president publicly suggested DeSantis might be gay. The month before that, Trump implied the Florida governor is a pedophile. That the allegations are baseless is not much of a concern to the 2024 Republican frontrunner. The only people who like Ron DeSantis are the people who have never met him, Taylor Budowich, the head of the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. and Trumps former spokesman, harshly commented to NBC News last week. Budowich, too, is a DeSantis alum, having worked with the DeSantis transition in Florida. Stories of DeSantis colleagues and staffers describing the Florida governor as either cold or hostile are legion. Republican political operatives have slammed him as a man who is missing the sociability gene and never says thank you, even to major donors. In a blistering 2021 piece, Politico reported on the existence of a so-called support group of scarred former DeSantis aides who meet to exchange stories on what they described as a nightmare boss that treated anyone not in his innermost circle like a disposable piece of garbage. The irritation with DeSantis is evident in some of the embarrassing stories former staff have floated to the press. Former employees told The Daily Beast of the pudding incident, which reportedly involved the Florida governor shoveling the chocolate dessert into his mouth with three fingers to the disgust and amazement of those accompanying him on a flight to Washington, D.C. The detail went viral and provided the grist for a Trump-aligned super PAC ad riffing on the pudding incident and attacking DeSantis over Social Security policy. The DeSantis campaign-in-waiting has been rocked by a series of rebukes from donors to members of the states Republican congressional delegation. Over the past two weeks, members of Floridas Republican congressional delegation have announced their support for Trump one by one and the steady drip-drip of endorsements hasnt been accidental. As Rolling Stone reported, the slow rollout planned to inflict maximum humiliation of DeSantis was helmed in part by Susie Wiles, a former DeSantis aide whom the Florida governor blackballed from his political operation after she helped him win the 2018 governors race. According to people with knowledge of the matter, though, Wiles is more restrained, and less colorful, than other Trump acolytes in privately describing her bad experiences with DeSantis. Rep. Greg Steube, who endured a dangerous fall and lengthy subsequent hospital stay, announced his support for Trump last week. In an interview with Politico, the Florida Republican said DeSantis had repeatedly snubbed or ignored him, including during his hospital stay, in contrast to what he described as a more solicitous and attentive Trump. On Friday, Steube went a step further and blasted DeSantis supporters in the state legislature for carrying the water for an unannounced presidential campaign and urged them not to kowtow to the presidential ambitions of a Governor. Other former DeSantis associates have made their intentions toward DeSantisland abundantly clear. Justin Caporale is a former Trump White House aide who went to work for the DeSantis administration only to return to the MAGA fold as Trumps top advance man. According to RealClearPolitics, Caporale has already informed DeSantis aides that working on the Florida governors recent book tour would blackball them from a future in the Trump presidential campaign or any future Trump White House. Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. HGTV Ben and Erin Napier are back for a second season of Home Town Takeover, and this time, they've brought their friends along. The HGTV stars joined forces with Dave and Jenny Marrs of Fixer to Fabulous to renovate the town of Fort Morgan, Colorado. In the six-episode season, the couples complete 18 renovation projects from homes and local businesses to public spaces. More HGTV stars, including Ty Pennington, Jonathan Knight, and Jasmine Roth, pitch in to revitalize the town. But still, it took some convincing to get the very busy parents of young children to participate. After season 1 aired, Erin wrote on Twitter, "Ill be honest, the takeover life is not all that simpatico with family life. It was an amazing adventure for us, but likely the only one like it until (maybe) our girls are much older." Ben explained, "Season 1 was hard. We were potty-training Helen and Erin was pregnant with Mae. Now we've got two little kids and our businesses." But, ultimately, the small-town enthusiasts couldn't turn down the opportunity to breathe new life into Fort Morgan. How did season 2 come about? It was only possible because Ben and Erin were able to share the workload with their friends, Dave and Jenny. But it wasn't an easy decision for the parents of five either. Jenny tells Country Living it was "a hard sell" for her and Dave, who live on a farm in Arkansas. "We couldn't figure out how it was possible, honestly. Our production company had to rework our entire Fixer-to-Fabulous schedule." "It was tough, but at the end of the day, there was a huge draw for me because it was in Colorado. We love small-town America, and we loved seeing what happened in Wetumpka, the emotion and the energy that was there, we just had to figure out a way to do it," Dave, who grew up in Colorado, says. "The world needs more goodness. All four of us felt honored to participate in something like that," Erin notes. Story continues Why Fort Morgan? HGTV received thousands of submissions from towns in need, but Ben and Erin were not involved in the decision-making process. "We are happily removed from the selection process so we don't have to pick favorites," Erin says. HGTV "It is such a different landscape from Laurel, Mississippi, and Bentonville, Arkansas, and even Wetumpka, Alabama. People in the South are very proud to be from the south, and that is a constant throughout every town in the South. So I think the network wanted to get us out of that for sort of a fish-out-of water situation," says Ben. "They sent us somewhere really unfamiliar. And also just to see how a town with completely different issues could revitalize. They have so much industry and so many jobs, but there was no fun," Erin adds. Will there Be a Home Town Takeover season 3? HGTV Erin is leaving the door open this time. She said, laughing, "Who knows? I hope someone watches this. It was a lot of work!" Tune in to season 2 of Home Town Takeover on HGTV on Sundays at 8 p.m. EST. or stream on discovery+. You Might Also Like Anheuser-Busch has decided to shake up its marketing leadership after its Bud Light brand became, quite literally, a target for conservatives angered by a campaign featuring a transgender social media influencer. Alissa Heinerscheid, who oversaw Bud Light marketing, has taken a "leave of absence" and Todd Allen, vice president of global marketing for Budweiser, has been appointed, Beer Business Daily reported. Anheuser-Busch confirmed Allen's new duties in a statement to USA TODAY: "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." The moves, the statement said, "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 actions come after prominent conservatives criticized Bud Light for partnering with TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney to promote a contest. In an April 1 Instagram post, Mulvaney displayed a personalized Bud Light can with an image of her face printed on the front and discussed the companys $15,000 giveaway tied to March Madness. McDonald's menu: Next week, you can add Big Mac sauce to anything; get it free with McNuggets Lyft layoffs: Tech industry sees more and more job cuts Cans of Bud Light beer. The brand has faced backlash after a collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Subsequently, some conservatives including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, as well as musicians Kid Rock and Travis Tritt, have called for a boycott of Bud Light. Kid Rock posted to Twitter a video of himself shooting 12-packs of Bud Light. The Anheuser-Busch backlash also comes amid a rise in anti-trans legislation. Anheuser-Busch CEO's response to the backlash Last week, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth posted a statement in response to the controversy, saying, We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people," wrote in a statement released Friday afternoon. "We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer. Story continues Anheuser-Busch's move was confirmed by Ad Age. In an interview on the Make Yourself At Home podcast last month before the Bud Light-Mulvaney video was posted Heinerschied said her charge was to help Bud Light, which she described as a brand "in decline" to "attract young drinkers." Bud Light, she said on the podcast, "had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out of touch humor and it was really important that we had another approach." In related news, a Bud Light did not put up a billboard in Toronto saying, lol CRYBABIES, after the brand was targeted by a boycott over its partnership with Mulvaney. Altered images of the billboard were being shared online, The Associated Press reported. Shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev have risen 5.3% in the past month, closing at $65.52 on Friday. Dig deeper: Contributing: Bailey Schulz Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider. What's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bud Light marketing shake up following Dylan Mulvaney controversy Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) on Sunday slammed the media and politicians for drumming up a culture of fear and paranoia, arguing that and the fetishization of guns played into the shooting of a Black teen who went to the wrong home in the Missouri city. Ralph Yarl, 16, was shot twice by Andrew Lester, 84, police say, after going to the wrong address to pick up his younger brothers. The case has sparked national attention, igniting old debates over guns and race in the U.S. Lucas, who has been citys mayor since 2019, said the shooting was the result of a culture of fear and paranoia propagated by some in the media and lawmakers. We have this fetishization of guns, Lucas said on CBSs Face The Nation. More Stand Your Ground laws, more laws that say you should use your gun and have it absolutely everywhere. This was an 84-year-old man who went to sleep in one of the safest neighborhoods of Kansas City, but still had a loaded gun, Lucas said, referring to Lester. And when he heard a disturbance at his door, the first thing he thought to do wasnt just to brandish, it wasnt just even to say a word or scream at somebody who would be outside. It was to shoot, and to shoot twice. Yarl was shot in the head at point-blank range but survived the shooting. He has received an outpouring of support, including a call from President Biden. But the shooting has also sharpened political divisions, with the attack sparking debate over gun control and politics of race. I think this is a serious situation and the real politicization are the people who after each one of these incidents say Lets blame it on mental health, lets blame it on society, Lucas said on CBS. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Image via Getty/Boonchai Wedmakawand A Missouri man will spend decades behind bars for 2019 hate crime against a gay teen. According to the New York Times, 25-year-old Malachi Robinson was sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison on Thursday for the shooting of a 16-year-old Kansas City boy. Prosecutors say Robinson had met the teen by chance at a public library and began communicating with him over Facebook Messenger. The teen eventually agreed to meet Robinson outside the library, and was subsequently lured into a nearby wooded area. Authorities say Robinson suggested they find a place to engage in a sex act, but was really looking for a spot where he could shoot him. At one point during the search, Robinson allegedly wrote to his girlfriend that he might shoot this boy because of his sexual orientation. The teen reportedly changed his mind shortly after entering the woods, and began to turn back. It was at that time when Robinson pulled out a 9mm pistol and opened fire, ultimately wounding the teen eight times. The boy managed to make his way to the outside of an apartment complex, where a bystander called 911. He was then transferred to the hospital in critical condition, but was released two weeks later. A Missouri man who lured a teenager into a wooded area and shot him eight times because of his sexual orientation, causing serious and lingering injuries, was sentenced on Thursday to nearly 22 years in prison, the Justice Department said. https://t.co/qPE24FSiFJ The New York Times (@nytimes) April 21, 2023 Robinson admitted to the crime in 2022, when he pleaded guilty to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This defendants sentence holds him accountable for the violent and callous hate crime perpetrated against a defenseless teenager targeted because of their LGBTQ+ status, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. Recent FBI data makes clear that hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community persist and this sentence should send a strong message to the perpetrators of these crimes that they will be held accountable. Bias motivated misconduct has no place in our country, and the Justice Department is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to vigorously pursue justice for victims targeted because of their sexual orientation. Story continues According to the Times, Robinson was denied the possibility for parole. The FBI recently determined an 11.6 percent increase in reported hate crime incidents from 8,210 in 2020 to 9,065 in 2021. However, supplemental data showed there was a total of 10,840 hate crime incidents in 2021, nearly 300 more than in the previous year. Related Articles More Complex Sign up for the Complex Newsletter for breaking news, events, and unique stories. Follow Complex on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Since making the decision to take a step back as senior members of the British royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been forging their own path in America. But that hasnt stopped tabloids in the United Kingdom from writing story after story about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their current relationship with the rest of the House of Windsor. A recent story regarding Meghans reported correspondence with King Charles III from two years ago struck enough of a chord that Meghan made the decision to respond. More from SheKnows A statement from Team Sussex shared by Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie made it clear that Meghan isnt interested in engaging further with UK tabloids. 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. Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous, the statement reads. We encourage tabloid media and various royal correspondents to stop the exhausting circus that they alone are creating. The statement was released following a report detailing correspondence Meghan sent to King Charles III regarding unconscious bias within the royal family. The letter was reportedly written following Harry and Meghans interview with Oprah, and the timing of the report couldnt be more, well, interesting. Story continues Click here to read the full article. King Charles IIIs coronation is less than two weeks away. Prince Harry will be attend the event solo, while Meghan stays in Montecito to celebrate the couples son Archies fourth birthday. Hopefully this statement will be enough to squash further reports, interest, or speculation regarding Meghans relationship with the rest of the royals as the global attention shifts to London for the forthcoming historic event. Regardless, choosing not to engage with the report further speaks volumes to Meghans feelings regarding the past. Before you go, click here to see every single time the royal family shaded Meghan Markle and Prince Harry since they stepped down as royals. Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Power Episode 6. Proceed at your own risk! From this weeks grim episode of The Power emerged at least one bright spot: a new romance between Tunde (played by Ted Lassos Toheeb Jimoh) and Ndudi (newcomer Heather Agyepong). More from TVLine In the hour, streaming now on Prime Video, Tunde returned from investigating the use of the biologically produced electrical shocks by women in Saudi Arabia. He then attended a friends wedding where he met up with Ndudi, who he hadnt seen since she was hospitalized after being unexpectedly struck by the power (an injury that was partially Tundes fault). After some light banter, Ndudi said, You have everything youve ever wanted, and Tunde remarked, Not everything, before smirking and offering her a drink. There was a little discussion of Tundes recent travels, a little intensification of their chemistry, and then the sex scene that followed told us exactly what we speculated from the premiere: Ndudi has always had feelings for Tunde, it just took him a while to notice. In the video above, Jimoh and Agyepong tell TVLine about their characters budding romance, with Jimoh admitting that he was waiting for his character to realize the feelings hed had for Ndudi all long. Sometimes when something is this close to you, you kind of take it for granted and you dont really see it, Jimoh says in the video above. And it isnt until Tunde goes out and sees the rest of the world, and is kind of broken out of his sheltered little privileged bubble that hes lived in his entire life and sees everything else, that he comes back and he realizes that this relationship that hes now missing out on is nurturing, is his safe space, and this is somebody who he cares about ultimately. Story continues Agyepong then opens up about the way the show honors Ndudis needs throughout the episode. Ndudi wants Tunde from the jump, but shes just trying to figure that out, she says. Shes scared. Shes fearful. Shes fearful of rejection, but the next time you see her after Tundes gone on his journey, she knows exactly what she wants. Theres a confidence and an inner strength, Agyepong says. She gets what she wants, and there is a beautiful celebration in that. Check out the video above to hear Jimoh and Agyepong talk about their characters relationship, as well as Agyepongs thoughts on what she did and didnt want to do while portraying Ndudis trauma. Then head to the comments to let us know how you feel! Launch Gallery: Amazon Prime Video's 15 Greatest Shows Ever, Ranked Who's #1? Best of TVLine Get more from TVLine.com : Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Newsletter Click here to read the full article. Fadumo Abdulkadir shows a video of her friend Khadijah Wasuge at the Somali Community Self Management Agency in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News Moving to Salt Lake City in 1998 was a difficult transition for Abdirizak Ibrahim. Ibrahim had fled his home in Somalia because of the countrys civil war, an ongoing conflict thats claimed between 450,000 and 1.5 million lives, displaced over 1.5 million individuals internally and forced another 800,000 to flee the country. He lived in a refugee camp in neighboring Kenya for six years before coming to Utah as a refugee. When I came, I didnt know anything about the system, he said. Imagine coming from different country and you dont really understand. Salt Lake is totally different. Life was very hard the next couple of months, but we try to take it slowly, step by step. Ibrahims first time using public transportation is an example of the difficulty he experienced. During his first week in Utah, he saw individuals riding Utah Transit Authority buses and using the pull chords to stop. Ibrahim decided to try the bus out for himself after working up the courage for a few days. When I came inside the bus, I sat down, then I pulled the rope and held it and never let go, he said. There were people looking at me, but they never said anything to me all the way down from 3100 South to 2700 South. Then a bus driver came to me and all the people looked at me and I was just hoping that I was doing the right thing. Ibrahim said there were only a handful of Somali families in Utah when he came, but today Somali refugees make up the largest group among Utahs 65,000 refugees, according to the Department of Workforce Services, which oversees Utah Refugee Services Office. The department said it does not have exact data on the number of Somali refugees, but nonprofit Salt Lake American Refugee Services estimated about 10,000 Somali families live in Utah. Director Abdirizak Ibrahim poses at the Somali Community Self Management Agency in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News Addressing unique needs Despite the communitys growth, Ibrahim noticed Somalis were still experiencing difficulties while adapting to life in Utah. He founded the Somali Community Self-Management Agency to address those difficulties and partnered with Salt Lake American Refugee Services in 2010 after struggling to navigate the American grant system. Story continues The community is very poor, struggling day to day with food, housing, employment, all of these issues. Salt Lake American Refugee Services founder Ghulam Hasnain said, adding that it can take Somalis years to adapt to the U.S. Theyre a large community and you can obtain grants with a large community. But the problem is, thats not enough to get a grant. You have to administer the program. The two nonprofits administer a number of programs for the Somali community, including survival English classes, 24/7 interpretation services and a food bank that serves about 100 families. Hasnain and Ibrahim said their programs fill a gap other refugee organizations havent been able to bridge. The first thing is to help them survive right then and there, Hasnain said. Is their need Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.? No, its 24/7. Community members can call Ibrahim and a female interpreter, Fadumo Abulkadir, any hour of the day. The interpreter will pick up the community member at their house and guide them through a variety of situations, such as going to the bank. In one instance, an interpreter even helped a woman in labor navigate going to the doctor. Interpreters help over 100 individuals each year, usually multiple times per individual. On average, they cover close to 30 assignments per week. Abdullahi Kulmiye waits at the Dahabshil money order service at the Somali Community Self Management Agency in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News Although there are a number of programs that offer English classes in Utah, Hasnain said they often didnt meet the immediate needs of Somali refugees. This motivated him to put together a survival English class. Other places are teaching English using English. But what happens if a person doesnt know a word of English? said Hasnain, who has a degree in linguistics. You have to have a different strategy. Abulkadir, one of the interpreters, struggled with traditional English classes. She said she didnt last more than two months because she couldnt understand English-to-English teaching methods. People can go work and do a lot of stuff, but the most difficulty people have is language, she said. Most people dont even have low (English levels). They havent gone to school in Africa because of civil wars and all that stuff you go to a refugee camp and you have to raise your kids. A lot of people didnt come from like a big city in Africa or a big city in Somalia. So there was a lot of need. When we saw that need, we started with the classes. The survival classes cover the basic dialogue and American behavior for various scenarios ranging from going to the grocery store or signing a lease to getting stopped by the police. If you were in Somalia or India, the thing to do is open your car door, run over to him (police officer), give him 20 bucks and he goes his way and you go yours. Well, if you run up over here, guess whats going to happen? You might get shot, Hasnain said. So we tell them, Dont do nothing, put your hands up as high as you can and just sit there. Abulkadir said most individuals were generous when she was learning English through immersion while working at the airport. She encouraged individuals to continue to have empathy for refugees in the state and be open to the different ways Somalis can contribute to the state. Nobody wants to leave his own country to go to a different country where he doesnt even know what it is gonna go through, she said. Be nice to the people. Every human deserves to be treated nice. And then if you learn about those people, their cultures and how different they are, Im sure you will love them. Assistant director Fadumo Abdulkadir, left, and director Abdirizak Ibrahim pose at the Somali Community Self Management Agency in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News How to help Hasnain said the organization does need volunteer help and will eventually need someone who can transition into his role. Volunteers could help with grant writing and data entry for refugees applications for things like housing assistance. He added that the organization doesnt need volunteers for things like hard labor or interpretation. The Somalis are better off getting that from the Somalis, he said. You need to be really dedicated to the mission, which overrides the financial aspect. Because if thats not the case, then its not gonna work. More information about Salt Lake American Refugees is available on its website, and the Somali Community Self-Management Agency regularly posts updates on its Facebook page. Under pitch black conditions and amid fighting, U.S. military forces, including the Navy's elite SEAL Team Six, swooped into war-torn Sudan and evacuated the American embassy in a "fast and clean" operation, military officials said late Saturday evening. President Joe Biden confirmed the evacuation of U.S. government personnel from Khartoum was conducted Saturday under his orders and said the administration would continue to assist Americans in Sudan. Biden praised embassy staff, saying in a statement they "embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan." "I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety," he said. "And I thank Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of our operation." PHOTO: Plumes of smoke rises over the city of Khartoum, as conflict between the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army continues, as filmed from Omdurman, Sudan, April 21, 2023, in this screengrab obtained from a video by Reuters. (Obtained By Reuters) MORE: Dead bodies line the streets amid fighting in Sudan; American confirmed among fatalities Biden said the embassy had been temporarily closed but "our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending." Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described evacuation operation as being "fast and clean." Sims said at a briefing that the mission got underway at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, when two MH-47 Chinook helicopters took off from Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, refueled in Ethiopia and flew into the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to evacuate the U.S. embassy. He said the special forces team was on the ground in Khartoum for less than an hour. Sims said that "under" 100 people, including Americans from the embassy and other personnel from unidentified embassies, were evacuated, including all U.S. Marines who were providing security at the embassy. The Navy's SEAL Team Six took part in the planning and execution of the evacuation, a U.S. official told ABC News. Overall, the rescue helicopters flew 1,600 miles from Djibouti to Khartoum and back. Story continues Sims said that for much of their transit, the helicopters flew in at 100 knots and low to the ground in pitch black conditions. He said the helicopters did not take any ground fire on their way in and out of Khartoum. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the suspensions of operations at the embassy in Khartoum were due to the growing security risk and ensuring the safety of personnel. "The widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our Embassy personnel," Blinken said in a statement. The State Department updated its travel advisory for Sudan to reflect that the U.S. embassy in Khartoum had suspended operations. The department's advisory for Sudan remains at its highest warning level -- where it has been since August of 2021. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted the successful evacuation operation was conducted at Biden's direction. He also highlighted the countries that assisted the operation. "We also thank our allies and partners, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of this operation," Austin said in a statement. A National Security Council spokesperson told ABC News that Biden ordered the operation to be executed on April 22 or as soon as it was safe and feasible. The Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese paramilitary group battling Sudan's army, issued a statement claiming to have aided in the U.S. evacuation. "Today, Sunday, the Rapid Support Forces, in coordination with the US forces mission consisting of 6 planes for the purpose of evacuating diplomats and their families, supervised the necessary arrangements that preceded the evacuation process," the statement read. State Department Under Secretary for Management John Bass refuted those claims. "That was not the case. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation," he said. "I would submit that was as much in their self-interest as anything else." The Sudanese army said Saturday that evacuations of foreign diplomatic staff from the U.S., U.K., France and China will begin in the coming hours on military airplanes, as fighting persisted in the capital, including at its main airport. Their evacuation will be by air in military transport aircrafts belonging to their armed forces, the army said. 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) The Saudi Arabian mission was earlier evacuated by land to Port Sudan then by air to Saudi Arabia, Sudan's army said. A similar evacuation plan will be secured for the Jordanian mission at a later time. The rescue mission is the product of days of preparation across the administration and comes amidst a violent power struggle for control of Sudan. The conflict, entering its second week, has already claimed more than 420 lives and has left more than 3,700 people injured, the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office said Sunday. On Friday, Austin told reporters U.S. forces had deployed to Africa to assist with a possible evacuation of U.S. embassy personnel. "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," he said during a news conference in Ramstein, Germany. Austin and other senior administration officials said at that time that no final call had been made to evacuate the embassy. Speaking late Saturday, Bass said the quickly deteriorating situation in recent days left the administration with no other option other than to turn to the military to rescue embassy personnel. But he said private U.S. citizens in the country should not expect similar assistance "We certainly continue to be in close touch with many American citizen residents in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan to give them our best assessment of the security environment and to encourage them to take appropriate precautions to the best of their ability in and around that environment," he said. MORE: Blinken confirms attack on US diplomatic convoy in Sudan as fighting continues National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby emphasized the challenges in conducting even a limited military operation in Sudan during a press briefing on Friday, remarking that it was "not as simple as jumping in a taxicab" and that at the time, all U.S. government personnel had not yet been consolidated in a single location. Despite a 72-hour ceasefire agreed upon to coincide with the religious holiday of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, deadly clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group continued through the weekend. PHOTO: In this screen grab from a video, smoke rises over Khartoum, Sudan, on April 21, 2023. (Alaa Eissa) In a statement on Friday, Blinken urged both sides to uphold 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. But both sides show little interest in laying down arms, and the violence seems poised to continue. An estimated 16,000 Americans are still in Sudan, but despite the ongoing danger, the Biden administration has repeatedly declared they should not expect a government-led mass evacuation. "It is not our standard procedure to evacuate American citizens living abroad," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a White House press briefing on Friday. The U.S. Embassy in Sudan reiterated this saying, "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," in a statement Saturday. Principal Deputy State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said that officials had been in touch with several hundred U.S. citizens in Sudan concerning "security measures and other precautions they can take on their own." But during the press briefing Saturday night on the evacuation operation, Chris Maier, assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, said the U.S. military is working on ways to help American citizens who make it to Port Sudan via an overland route get out of the country. "In the coming days, we will continue to work with the State Department to help American citizens who may want to leave Sudan," said Maier, adding that one way was to make the overland route out of Sudan "potentially more viable." "So DoD is at present considering actions that may include use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe routes and detect threats," Maier said. "Secondly, the employment of Naval assets outside the Port of Sudan to potentially help Americans who arrive at the port." Additionally, USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team Sunday to respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The DART team will be operating out of Kenya "for the initial phase of the response," Samantha Power, the agency's administration, said in the statement. The State Department has confirmed that one American citizen has been killed through the course of the conflict, but the limited information flow in Sudan could mean there are other victims not yet accounted for. At the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis called for the resumption of talks to end the fighting in Sudan and offered a special prayer for "our Sudanese brothers and sisters." "Unfortunately, the situation in Sudan remains grave," Francis told worshipers gathered in St. Peter's Square. "Thus, I am renewing my appeal so that violence ceases as soon as possible and that the path of dialogue resumes." ABC News' Morgan Windsor, Matt Seyler, Josh Margolin, Ellie Kaufman and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report. US embassy staff in Sudan evacuated in 'fast and clean' operation amid fighting originally appeared on abcnews.go.com 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 Details emerged Sunday from the dramatic evacuation of U.S. diplomats from the Sudanese capital of Khartoum while aid workers and other Americans remained imperiled amid the raging warfare pitting rival generals. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner said most of the thousands of Americans remaining in Sudan are aid workers or Sudanese Americans. He said they need to "shelter in place" while the U.S. works with international partners to arrange a safe way to get them out," likely via a land corridor. The violence has paralyzed Sudan's airports, destroying civilian planes and damaging runways. Warner, speaking Sunday on ABC's "This Week," commended the U.S. military and intelligence community for the evacuation of scores of diplomatic personnel and their families. The effort was completed late Saturday. "That was a dangerous mission to take them out by helicopter," Warner said. Developments: European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Sunday he spoke to leaders of both sides in the conflict, urging an immediate ceasefire, protection of civilians, and guaranteed safe evacuation of EU citizens. Pope Francis on Sunday urged the faithful to pray for "our Sudanese brothers and sisters." The pope appealed for an immediate end to violence and a return to the path of dialogue. The country experienced a near-total collapse of internet connection and phone lines nationwide Sunday, according to NetBlocks, an internet monitoring service. SEAL Team 6, Army special forces aided clandestine evacuation U.S. officials have released few details on the evacuation. Elements of SEAL Team 6 which rose to fame for killing Osama Bin Laden 12 years ago and the Armys 3rd Special Forces Group took part in the evacuation, a security official told The Washington Post. The Americans were airlifted out on three MH-47 Chinook helicopters that flew first from Djibouti and then refueled in Ethiopia, according to a senior Pentagon official who briefed reporters Saturday night. Story continues CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin says the aircraft "went in at night, low-level. ... They were on the ground for a little more than half an hour. No shots were fired." Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin thanked authorities in Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia, saying they were "critical to the success of this operation." Secretary Blinken says US had no choice but to flee Sudan Embassy Suspending operations at the U.S. Embassy in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum was a difficult decision, but the safety of U.S. diplomats must come first, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement late Saturday. Blinken said all U.S. personnel and their dependents had been evacuated from Khartoum because of the increasingly violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The widespread fighting has caused civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure while posing "an unacceptable risk" to our embassy personnel, he said. "We remind both belligerents of their obligations under international humanitarian law, including obligations related to the protection of civilians," Blinken said. "The United States, in partnership with the region and international community, will continue to press efforts to bring an end to this fighting and a return to the process of transition to civilian government." Britain, France, Greece, Italy evacuate staff Britains Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted that the U.K. armed forces evacuated British diplomatic staff and their families amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said more than 1,200 military personnel were involved. France, Greece, and other European nations also rushed people out. The Netherlands sent two Hercules C-130 planes and an Airbus A330 to Jordan to rescue 152 Dutch citizens who made their way from Sudan to an undisclosed evacuation point, but not without risks, said Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren. Italy sent military jets to Djibouti in the Gulf of Aden to extract 140 Italian nationals from Sudan, many of whom took refuge in the embassy, said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. How we got here: The fight for control of Sudan The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, comes amid hopes for a democratic transition. The rival generals came to power after a pro-democracy uprising led to the ouster of the former strongman and longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir. In 2021, they joined forces to seize power in a coup. The current violence came after Burhan and Dagalo fell out over a recent internationally brokered deal with democracy activists that was meant to eventually lead to civilian rule. Fighting has killed more than 400 people since erupting April 15, according to the World Health Organization, The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sudan war updates: US aid workers shelter in place, await rescue Jessica Cooper hand-delivered a signed court order to the Lincoln Park Police Department in Michigan in August 2022. The document would have allowed police to transport her cousin, Shane Cousins, 33, to a mental health facility involuntarily for an evaluation had the police department followed through. Instead, Cousins' mental health continued to spiral; his delusions and paranoia intensified, and on Jan. 24, Michigan State Police troopers killed him after he fired a gun at a police helicopter flying above his brother's Detroit home. In the months leading to his death, Cousins thought planes and helicopters were the government's way of spying on him or, on some days, a way of dropping cannabis seeds from the air as a means of confiscating his grandmother's land in Tennessee. He'd shoot at aircraft "to scare them off," his family told the Detroit Free Press, a member of the USA TODAY Network. He also thought the government was trying to kill him. He walked around his house and yard firing guns. He threw screws in the middle of the street. He thought he was the leader of Ukraine. He thought TVs and radios were sending him subliminal messages. He thought family members were human traffickers, his grandmother part of a cult. Previous attempts by Cousins' family to help him get a formal diagnosis and treatment failed. And after Cousins barricaded himself in his home with guns and had a standoff with Lincoln Park police on Aug. 7, 2022, the Cooper-Cousins family desperately sought a court order to have him evaluated involuntarily. Cynthia Cooper, mother of Shane Cousins, holds a family photo as she poses with, Stone Cousins, 23, Jessica Cooper, 34, and Shannon Cousins, 26, on Monday, April 3, 2023. Shane was shot and killed by Michigan State Police officers after he shot at a police helicopter. That's what Lincoln Park Police Lt. Patrick Culter told them to do, according to a police report of the incident. On Aug. 17, 2022, a Wayne County probate judge issued the order. But when Cooper hand-delivered the order to the police department, Cooper said, Culter told her she and her family were harassing Cousins. He wasn't convinced Cousins was mentally ill, she said. Story continues Still, Cooper said her family devised a plan with Lincoln Park police to get Cousins out of his house to a local McDonald's, away from his guns, so he could be apprehended. Officers never showed up, she said. Reached by phone for comment, Culter said he wasn't authorized to speak to the news media. Lincoln Park Police Chief Scott Lavis, who took leadership of the department this month following Chief Ray Watters' retirement, said he was looking into the matter. Maybe, if police had taken Cousins in to get help, "he'd still be here," said Shannon Cousins, one of Shane's younger brothers. Around his neck hung a skateboard pendant holding a small portion of his brother's ashes. "We tried everything," said Cynthia Cooper, Shane Cousins' mother. "We really tried, so hard." More: Police footage shows gunman firing at helicopter in Detroit A disconnected system This frame capture from video taken by the MSP Trooper 2 helicopter, the suspect appears to be carrying a long gun after pointing and shooting at the helicopter. According to the court order, police had a window of 10 days to get Shane Cousins evaluated at a local mental health facility in this case, the Hegira Health psychiatric emergency center in Livonia. Its a court order. It should be executed as such," said Kristina Morgan, liaison manager for the Wayne County Probate Court's Behavioral Health Unit. To Morgan's knowledge, police departments usually follow through on such orders. But if the court is not made aware that a transport order wasn't executed by a police agency, then enforcement mechanisms are limited, Morgan said. If a transport order isn't executed, Michigan law requires police agencies to report to the court the reason it wasn't. Then a judge might schedule a review hearing to determine next steps. In Shane Cousins' case, he was never transported to the Hegira facility, and the Wayne County Probate Court confirmed with the Free Press that Lincoln Park police did not provide a non-execution report. Mental health advocates say Shane Cousins was a victim of the nation's broken system of addressing and treating mental illness amid an escalating national mental health crisis prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a disconnected or disjointed system," said Kevin Fischer, executive director of the National Alliance of Mental Illness in Michigan. System failure Fischer noted a lack of psychiatric beds and treatment centers, as well as a lack of awareness about the support resources that are available. "We shouldnt have to wait until someone is in a crisis. Were reactive when we should be proactive," Fischer said. Ash Daniels, a mental health advocate and organizer with Michigan Liberation's "Care, Not Criminalization" initiative, called Cousins "another person who was failed by so many systems, who lost his life to the failure of these systems." "What does that say about our community? People are in crisis and we turn them away," Daniels said. We need to start talking about it more. Everybody knows somebody who lives with mental health considerations. Its OK to not be OK. Its OK to talk about these things. Fischer said police responding to mental health calls at the frequency they do "is not a good system." Bad days A house sits unoccupied on Terry Street in Detroit Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023 after the Michigan State Police fatally shot a male who allegedly targeted an aviation unit from the property Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. The Cooper-Cousins family is close-knit, Cynthia Cooper said. They've never been far apart from one another. Jessica Cooper calls Shane Cousins her "little big brother." She is only 11 months older than him. And although they weren't actually siblings, their parents used to dress them in matching outfits like they were. Shane Cousins was the oldest of Cynthia Cooper's three sons. Shane was like a father to his brothers, Shannon and Stone. He taught them how to skateboard. He was the glue of the family, Stone Cousins said. He was outgoing and loved to make others laugh. His family can pinpoint when Shane Cousins' mental health began to deteriorate. It started when his friend, Michael Cavanaugh, was killed in a downtown Detroit hit-and-run in 2018. Shane Cousins was there when it happened. He died in his arms, Stone Cousins said. Then, in 2021, when Shane Cousins and his siblings briefly moved to Tennessee to help their grandmother, his delusions became "full blown," so much so that their grandmother took him back to Michigan in July 2022. According to Shane Cousins' family, he briefly checked himself into a mental health facility in Tennessee, but checked himself out before he was formally diagnosed. By August 2022, Cousins had his standoff with Lincoln Park police. Then, on New Year's Day, another close friend of Cousins died. That was the tipping point, his family said. He had his good days, Jessica Cooper said, looking up at the ceiling. There were cookouts, skateboarding sessions, visits with family. And he had his bad days," she continued. "But at the end, even on his good days, he wasnt himself." Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press, a member of the USA TODAY Network. She can be contacted at asahouri@freepress.com or on Twitter @andreamsahouri. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Man killed after shooting at helicopter was supposed to get treatment Road to '24 (ABC News Photo Illustration / Alex Gilbeaux) Multiple 2024 Republican presidential candidates and those continuing to mull a bid for the White House pitched their platforms on Saturday to hundreds of Christian conservatives at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual spring kickoff in Clive. The back-to-back candidate forum allowed speakers to court a vital voting bloc in Iowa, which will host the first nominating contest for Republican hopefuls next February. The topic of abortion took center stage as GOP politicians continue to stake out their own stances on the issue. Saturday's event was held one day after the Supreme Court paused a lower court's ruling to restrict access to the widely used abortion pill mifepristone while legal battles over the FDA's approval of the drug play out in court. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and other Republicans emphasized their backing for limits on abortion access, opposition to transgender rights and the importance of school choice. Also speaking on Saturday were lesser-known presidential candidates Larry Elder, Perry Johnson and Vivek Ramaswamy. Former President Donald Trump addressed the crowd virtually. Below are highlights from the forum. Donald Trump Facing criticism from some abortion opponents over his position that abortion access should be decided at the state level, Trump defended his stance on restrictions by focusing on his judicial appointments while in office -- including successfully naming three Supreme Court justices, all of whom helped reverse the Roe v. Wade decision last year. "Nobody thought it was gonna happen, they thought it would be another 50 years. Because Republicans had been trying to do it for that period of time," Trump said in his pre-taped remarks. "I appointed over 300 judges to fill the federal bench with constitutional warriors who interpret the laws as written. I faced down vile attacks to confirm our three Supreme Court justices: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett," Trump said. Story continues He said he would continue to "stand in defense of life" and, if elected to a second term, he promised to work to curb transgender rights -- which conservatives claim harm society, drawing fierce outcry from LGBTQ advocates -- while attacking the U.S. Department of Education. "We will reassert the Judeo-Christian values of our nation's founding. We will protect our heritage and traditions," he said. PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks to guests via video link at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023 in Clive, Iowa. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Mike Pence In the wake of the Supreme Court decision on mifepristone on Friday, Pence said he wanted to see the justices ban chemical abortions, labeling the FDA-approved drug as "a dangerous medication," though doctors and the U.S. government say it is safe. "I think that chemical abortions, mail-order abortions that the Biden administration has now allowed should be banned," Pence told ABC News after his speech. He broke with the former president, his former boss, saying he disagreed with Trump's view that abortion is a state-level matter even though "I do think it's more likely that this issue is resolved at the state level." PHOTO: Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to guests at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023 in Clive, Iowa. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) "We've been given a new beginning for life in this country," Pence said. I think we have an opportunity to advance the sanctity of life." MORE: Dozens of states wade into legal fight on abortion pill Asa Hutchinson Hutchinson, Arkansas' most recent former governor, centered his speech around faith, arguing that "our leadership in the public arena should reflect our as well." Like others, he stressed his opposition to abortion while addressing Iowans. "As governor I was proud of the fact that we were the most pro-life state. I signed 30 pro-life bills over my eight years as governor," he said. Asked about his presidential priorities, Hutchinson discussed eliminating "wokeness" in schools, which Republicans describe as a left-wing movement wrongly emphasizing identity politics, and advocating for parental rights. "The most important way to push back is by parents being engaged in our schools," he said. PHOTO: Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-off in West Des Moines, Iowa, April 22, 2023. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) Tim Scott Scott discussed the topic of life -- not solely by focusing on abortion but through his view of American exceptionalism as it relates to race. "We have the ultimate responsibility to protect the future of this nation not for ourselves but for Americans unborn. I would simply say, the lies of the left have been disproven by my life," he said, reiterating what has been a key part of his persona on the political stage. Scott said that while "the radical left are selling a drug of victimhood," he advocated that people could achieve whatever they work toward despite their racial identity or upbringing. "We have to tell them the whole story, the story of truth and redemption, that America is the freest, fairest land in the history of the world," Scott said. "I will say this: With a praying mama, all things are possible." PHOTO: Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-off in West Des Moines, Iowa, April 22, 2023. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) Vivek Ramaswamy Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur, also focused on race during his remarks, stating he would end affirmative action and shut down the U.S. Department of Education if he were elected. "Do you know what it means to be an American? It means you believe in the ideals that set this country into motion," he said. Ramaswamy told ABC News before he spoke that he was "unapologetically pro-life" in response to being asked about the legal battles surrounding access to mifepristone. "The scope of the administrative state has reached far too broad we need to constrain it," he said. Elder, a popular commentator, and businessman Johnson, who recently announced their own long shot presidential bids, also took the stage Saturday. MORE: Republicans will 'lose huge' without finding 'middle ground' on abortion, Nancy Mace says "The reason I ran for office is because I felt like I had an obligation, a moral obligation and a religious obligation. Our family, our country, is moving away from the Judeo-Christian values that founded this country," said Elder, who unsuccessfully challenged California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall race in 2021. Johnson opened his remarks by saying he was probably "too conservative" for the Iowa group before criticizing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's decision to repeal the state's abortion ban. "I say, let's stop all of this and go on the offensive on the subject," he said. One notable politician missing in Iowa was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was at the Utah GOP's state convention on Saturday. PHOTO: People attend the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-off in West Des Moines, Iowa, April 22, 2023. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) Some locals remain undecided on 2024 pick Several Iowans attending Saturday's event told ABC News they were largely undecided about their candidate choice, emphasizing the importance of forums ahead of the 2024 nominating process. "We take our job seriously and I love it. And we've been living in Iowa a long time. And we get out and see the candidates," said George Wood, a retired businessman. "You listen and ask questions. This is the only place in the country you can do that," he said. Becky McKibben, a retired school nurse, said she was "not yet 100%" on her choice. "I think it's good to hear what other people have to say and hear lots of different ideas and what their thoughts are on what they see as the vision for our country," she said. Others said they already know who they want and are using every opportunity to see their candidate speak. "I would like Trump to be the president again," Juanita Blonigan, an IT worker said. "That's what I want. But I don't know if the country is going to allow that." Blonigan said Trump's recent indictment in New York related to hush money payments made her feel "frustrated and annoyed" but her support of the former president has only strengthened since his recent court appearance, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. "You know, I'm hoping that whatever it takes, people will swing his way and make America great again," she said. Trump, Pence and more make their pitch to Iowa voters -- but differ on abortion originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Prostock-Studio / Getty Images/iStockphoto Home shopping may be ramping up as more Americans are looking to move out of their expensive city homes to more affordable ones in the suburbs. Despite the ups and downs of the stock market, the real estate market has remained pretty hot. With competition for homes remaining high, there's no time for rookie mistakes. Do You Have a Money Question? Ask an Expert Read More: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000 With that in mind, here are some of the most common real estate myths debunked. Shutterstock.com Myth: Looking at Homes Is the Best First Step It might be tempting to visit open houses, drive through neighborhoods where you'd like to live and talk to neighbors and friends. But your transaction will go much smoother if you get your ducks in a row first. The truth: "Assuming that you will be financing your purchase, the first step is to get a preapproval letter -- or a prequalification letter at a minimum -- from a lender of your choice," said Keith Hickman, realtor at Compass in Beverly Hills, California. "This will not only prepare you to make an offer when the time is right but will help you to focus your search within the price range that you qualify for and are comfortable with." Poll: Would You Move for a Job That Paid You a $10,000 Signing Bonus? sturti / Getty Images/iStockphoto Myth: You Don't Need an Agent To Buy a Home Did you know that you can sell your home without an agent? In fact, you can even buy a home without an agent. "It's true that sites such as StreetEasy, Zillow and Trulia have made it easy for consumers by providing them with information at their fingertips," said Judy Williams, licensed real estate salesperson with Halstead Properties in Manhattan. However, "many underestimate the value an experienced agent can bring to them." The truth: Buyer agents have a duty to put your best interests in the transaction at the forefront. They can provide you with knowledge about the current market conditions and use their expertise to negotiate the best deal for you. Story continues "For buyers, an organized agent will ensure that you have all your ducks in a row regarding paperwork and walk you through the process," said Williams. Shutterstock.com Myth: Buying a New Home Means Few Repairs in Years To Come "Modern home builders have a strong incentive to build quickly and with the least expense in order to maximize profits and move on to the next project," said Hickman. But, there are some hidden expenses of building a new home. And quick builds designed to maximize profits can result in homes with lower-quality craftsmanship and some important construction details overlooked. The truth: Employ a home inspector specializing in new home construction to discover potential problems, such as walls with little soundproofing or marble countertops that haven't been properly sealed. "The time to have these things identified and fixed is before you close on your new home," said Hickman. MMPhotography / Getty Images Myth: You'll Need a 20% Down Payment Plus Closing Costs "Having the spare capital to put 20% down on a home purchase is great, but it's certainly not the norm," said real estate investment educator and property management specialist Denise Supplee of SparkRental. The truth: "There are many programs such as FHA mortgages where you only need as little as 3.5% down and some of the closing costs can be covered as well," said Supplee. Anchiy / Getty Images Myth: A Down Payment Is the Only Upfront Cost Don't get sticker shock when you head to the escrow company to sign your final papers. Your down payment doesn't cover things such as a home inspection, termite inspection or closing costs, which can range from 3% to 6% of the purchase price. The truth: Many closing costs are negotiable, so you can ask the seller to pay them. If you need to finance closing costs, ask your lender about an FHA loan where some closing costs can be added to the loan. Vladimir Vladimirov / Getty Images Myth: Getting Preapproved Will Hurt Your Credit Seth Lejeune of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, said one of the top real estate myths he encounters is from those who haven't spoken to a lender. "They believe that even speaking to a lender will 'ding' their credit," he said. "Moreover, they think getting preapproved will 'ruin' their credit. This prevents them from even entertaining the notion, which is a big mistake." The truth: Getting prequalified is only a soft hit on your credit, causing absolutely no impact. Once you apply for preapproval of a mortgage, however, it shows a hard pull on your credit, which does slightly impact your credit score. However, credit scoring models take into account that you might be shopping around. In other words, if you initiate several mortgage applications within a short amount of time, they likely will be considered as a single hard credit inquiry. If possible, limit mortgage credit pulls by lenders -- also known as preapprovals -- to a two-week window. Hard credit inquiries will drop your score from one to five points, so by initiating all of those preapprovals within a two-week window, you can reduce the likelihood that more than one hard inquiry will be counted on your credit report and limit the impact on your score. Goodboy Picture Company / Getty Images Myth: There's Plenty of Time for Preapproval When You Find the Right House Waiting to get a loan approval letter until you find a home that you want to make an offer on puts you at a disadvantage in a competitive market, according to Hickman. The truth: "Most offers will not be accepted without a lender approval letter," he said. "Potential buyers that have their approval letter in hand will be in a better position to move quickly with a successful offer." Costco's Best Deals? Employee Reveals 10 Standout Buys for Your Money Shutterstock.com Myth: You Should Never Offer Full Price "These days, low-ball offers on move-in-ready homes don't fly in my local market," said Justin Davis of Keller Williams Realty in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "When housing inventory is low and demand is sky-high, you need to come in with a respectable, competitive offer." The truth: "Low offers can be insulting to sellers and are generally not a good way to open up a transaction," said Davis. "If you really want the home and it is priced reasonably, offer close-to or at list price. In some markets, you may even want to offer over list price to secure the home of your dreams. This is where a great agent will help you come up with a winning offer strategy." Shutterstock.com Myth: Buying a Condo Is Just Like Buying a Home Perhaps you're looking to escape the restrictions of your rental apartment so you can decorate or remodel as you please, and you set your mind to buying a condo. Before you start making remodeling plans for your soon-to-be condo, hold on. The truth: "You might think you can do whatever you want in a condo; that there are no rules," said Jesse Kent, director of communications of Triplemint in Manhattan. "If you are renovating a condo, you still need to get approvals from the condo board and, when necessary, the architect for the condo." freemixer / Getty Images Myth: Avoid Buying a First-Floor Condo Safety, privacy and noise levels are a few reasons buyers tend to shy away from first-floor condos. But don't pass up a great deal just because it's on the ground level. The truth: Window shades that open from the top down can keep out inquisitive stares from passers-by, and decorative iron grills can exclude intruders. Add acoustical paneling inside and a solid door that fits well to eliminate sounds from the outside world. lisegagne / Getty Images Myth: Schools Don't Matter If You Don't Have Kids Let's face it: Homes in the best school districts cost significantly more -- about $50 per square foot, according to Redfin -- than those in districts where test scores are average or worse. If you don't have kids, it can be tempting to get more house for your money in an area with average education standards. The truth: When it comes time to resell your home, those in the better school districts will hold their value better and give more return on your investment. So if it's within your budget, consider buying a home in a good school district. monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images/iStockphoto Myth: Buying Is Always a Better Financial Deal Than Renting Buying a home can be a good investment -- if you stay in it long enough to see a profit. To find out if renting will be cheaper than buying a home over the long haul, figure out the total of what a purchased home will cost you during the time you plan to own it. The truth: Your upfront costs such as points, closing costs, insurance, interest and maintenance must be figured into a long-term cost comparison to renting a similar unit. Remember to add in the costs of selling your home into your calculations, such as realtor commissions, appraisal fees and closing costs. Compare the result to the amount of the monthly rent you'd pay for a similar home plus rental insurance during the same time period. If you plan to stay in a home for just a few years, it could cost more to buy than rent. Shutterstock.com Myth: Single-Family Homes Are More Affordable Than Multi-Family Dwellings The list price of a multi-family dwelling might come with a higher price tag than a single-family home, but it can be more affordable overall. "Although a single-family home sells cheaper, buyers will have to carry the entire payment on their own," said Anna Russo, CEO at Home Mega Management in Fresh Meadows, New York. The truth: A multi-family home can be more affordable if you rent out the extra space you don't use. "When purchasing a multi-family unit, they will have the extra apartment for renters, which will increase their earnings and will cover at least 50% of their monthly mortgage payment," said Russo. $2,000 Quarter? Check Your Pockets Before You Use This 2004 Coin Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com Myth: You Must Sell Your Current Home Before Buying a New One "Rental real estate is a great way to create wealth, equity and extra income," said Ryan Stewman, real estate sales and marketing expert with the Break Free Academy and author of "Elevator to the Top." "Most people believe you can only have one mortgage or own one home at a time, and that's just not the case these days." The truth: Talk to your lender about extra requirements to keep your present home as a rental property to generate tenant income while buying a new one. These might include a special type of appraisal on the home you intend to rent to tenants and bank, or investment reserves of 2% to 6% unless your present home is paid off. Rawpixel / Getty Images/iStockphoto Myth: Your Preapproval Amount Will Be the Loan Amount You're Approved For Loan pre-approval is a pretty thorough process, requiring you to provide documentation that backs up your income and credit worthiness. But that doesn't mean your loan will necessarily be in that amount. The truth: "It all depends on the appraisal," said Ron Lennox of Lennox Home Buyers in Houston. "Just because you contract the house for a certain price, that doesn't mean the mortgage company will approve the amount of the sale price." This means you could be left with the choice of renegotiating the contract, coming up with extra funds out of pocket or walking away from your dream home if it appraises too low. Shutterstock.com Myth: You Don't Need a Home Inspection It might be tempting to save a few hundred dollars by skipping a professional home inspection and having a friend or family member look over the home. Don't do it, said Hickman. The truth: Home inspectors look for more than 1,600 specific items in the home, helping you avoid tricks that hide a home's flaws. "Unless your family member is a professional home inspector, you could be in for some very unpleasant surprises after the purchase," said Hickman. Hire an inspector with high customer ratings, and accompany them through the home to ask them to explain what they are seeing. kali9 / Getty Images Myth: You Should List Your Home With a 'Super Agent' "Many top Realtors are actually teams or groups made up of Realtors with various skill and experience levels," said Ryan Hardy, luxury real estate broker at Gold Coast Realty. The truth: Although top-producing listing agents might advertise an eye-popping number of sold properties, the high number is the result of a team of 15 or 20 agents. "All of the team sales are closed under one Realtor's name and, although the namesake Realtor may show up to the listing appointment, that is probably the last time you'll see or hear from them," said Hardy. More likely, you'll be assigned to an assistant or junior Realtor, who will handle the showings, contract and escrow transaction from start to finish. Shutterstock.com Myth: Remove All Holiday Decorations Before Listing Your Home Personal effects such as family photos and travel souvenirs distract potential buyers from seeing themselves living in the home because they see you living there instead. The truth: One exception is simple and tasteful holiday decorations, which can add warmth and a homey ambiance. The National Association of Realtors suggests a small, simple tree and fresh boughs for Christmas, a dish of candy corn for Halloween and jelly beans at Easter. Shutterstock.com Myth: Always Redecorate in Neutral Tones Although repainting children's rooms swathed in color to a neutral tone is usually a good idea to appeal to a wide range of buyers, the advice doesn't necessarily hold true for all rooms of your house. The truth: Walls in bold colors can play up architectural features or divide room areas from one another visually. The National Association of Realtors recommends an alternative of softening strong colors with fresh greenery or neutral rugs or furnishings. Jacob Lund / Shutterstock.com Myth: Set the List Price Above Comparables To Build in Bargaining Room Listing a home at a much higher price than what comparable reports show or real estate experts provide seems like a good idea to make sure your home sells for all its worth. "Sellers commonly will say, 'If we don't ask more, we will never get more,'" said Bruce Ailion, Realtor and attorney at RE/MAX Town and Country in Atlanta. The truth: "This is factually wrong," said Ailion. "On average, homes will bring real market price. Asking that plus 10% is more likely to cause the home to stay on the market longer, generate less activity and interest, and ultimately sell for less than the market." Of course, it depends on whether the real estate market is a buyer's or seller's market and how much competition there happens to be for homes. FatCamera / Getty Images Myth: Setting a Low Price Means You'll Make Less Money Not necessarily so, according to the National Association of Realtors. In fact, this strategy could help you sell your home for more money. The truth: A lower-priced home will attract more attention from a greater number of buyers. In a competitive housing market, this could lead to interested buyers striving to outbid one another for the home. The end result could be getting offers for more than you asked for in the list price. Shutterstock.com Myth: Negotiate the Realtor's Commission To Net More Profit A common seller myth is that offering a lower commission will net more money. The truth: "Nothing is further from the truth," said Ailion. "What this will do is cause agents with the most qualified buyers to go to the higher listed commission properties first and show the lower commission properties with less enthusiasm. The result is that fewer interested buyers will see your property and fewer cooperating brokers will show it, and it's more likely that your listing agent will seek to earn the full commission rather than splitting the commission with another agent." Shutterstock.com Myth: Professionally Staging a Home Is Necessary for a Quick Sale Staging your home to make it the most appealing to the greatest number of buyers can help it sell 88% faster for an average of 20% more than non-staged homes, according to the National Association of Realtors. But professional staging comes with a price tag that can cost hundreds of dollars each month. The truth: "Staging a home is not a bad task," said Supplee. "But the best thing you can do to sell a home quicker is to price it competitively, market it aggressively and make it available easily for showings." Shutterstock.com Myth: If Your Home Isn't in Great Condition, No One Will Buy It It's true that some remodeling projects can increase your home's value. But if your home is dated or needs major repairs, it doesn't necessarily mean no one will want to buy it. The truth: "There are people that only buy homes that are in poor condition and require updating or major repairs," said Matthew Miller, founder of Fair Trade Real Estate. "These are typically local real estate investors and professional home buyers who update and renovate properties as a business. If your current home needs some work, consider selling the property to a professional home buyer." monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images/iStockphoto Myth: List Your Home With a Neighborhood Expert Before the days of abundant information freely available on the internet, a real estate agent who was a neighborhood expert was a valuable tool for prospective buyers to find out information about listings, such as which schools had waiting lists or other crucial area information. The truth: "The neighborhood expert markets their properties the exact same way that that the non-experts do," said Gary Lucido, president of Lucid Realty in Chicago. "The real difference in agents and one that matters tremendously and may often be confused with being a neighborhood expert is in their professionalism, intelligence and responsiveness." wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock.com Myth: Open Houses Are a Waste of Time You might have heard that open houses just attract lookie-loos, and agents only hold them to find prospective buyers. Although only 7% of homebuyers find the home they ultimately purchase via an open house sign, according to data from the National Association of Realtors, there are definite advantages to holding them. The truth: "Today's buyers are tech-savvy and spend a considerable amount of time browsing the web," said Abraham Walker, lead agent at Ask a Walker in Alexandria, Virginia. "Many of these buyers are preapproved and ready to make an offer. When they see the opportunity to view a house at their convenience, they take it." An open house shortly after listing generates attention and gives your agent a valuable opportunity to gather any feedback that might hinder a quick sale. Tempura / Getty Images Myth: You'll Recoup Remodeling and Home Improvement Costs When You Sell Don't expect to see a 100% return on your remodeling investment in your home. The truth: According to Realtor.com, the return rate averages just 64% of your initial outlay. That said, some upgrades can add significant value to the price of your home. The most recent analysis by the National Association of Realtors cited refinishing hardwood floors, installing hardwood floors, and upgrading insulation as items returning 100% or more of their cost. However, adding a new primary bedroom suite only offers a return of 56% of the cost. Myth: The Highest Price Is Always the Best Offer Many buyers and sellers believe that an offer with the highest price is always the best offer. The truth: The highest offer is not the best offer if you have to spend more than the difference to comply with the buyer's requests as a condition of the sale. For example, if a buyer wants you to move out much sooner than you had planned, that could cause you to have to rent storage, pay for a hotel room and incur other expenses that might not make the higher offer worth it. stevecoleimages / Getty Images/Vetta Myth: Wait Until the Property Is Under Contract for a Home Inspection Buyers have the option to bring in an inspector to find any hidden problems with the home. Smart sellers buy their own home inspection prior to putting the home on the market. The truth: For the price of a few hundred dollars or so, a home inspector will go through the home thoroughly, giving you the opportunity to make minor repairs or take care of deferred maintenance before entering a contract. You can also disclose any issues before a buyer enters a contract. This prevents your sale from falling through or taking a price reduction based on the buyer's home inspection contingency clause in the contract. Jo Ann Snover / Shutterstock.com Myth: Winter Is a Bad Time To Sell Late spring is the best time to list your home, according to Zillow. But the winter experiences a significant peak as well, especially in the Southern states. The truth: "Sometimes, sellers focus solely on the fact that there are likely fewer buyers in the off-season and ignore the fact that there is also a corresponding reduction in listings," said Kevin Mack, real estate broker for @Properties in Evanston, Illinois. "There is less competition for well-positioned properties. Statistics clearly show that the supply of inventory typically reaches its lowest point in the winter months. Smart, realistic, savvy sellers should be all too happy to put their place on the market in the winter." jhorrocks / Getty Images/iStockphoto Myth: Save Money by Marketing Your Home as a 'For Sale by Owner' It's a common belief that you can save money by eliminating all real estate agents and selling your house on your own. The truth: "Nothing can be further from the truth," said Marla Forbes, real estate broker for @Properties in Highland Park. "Time and again, I see unrepresented buyers overpaying and sellers underselling because they really do not know the intricacies of their particular market or property." A full-time professional broker has way more market knowledge and insight than the average consumer who is buying or selling one property every few years. Although a client pays a broker a commission, the money saved on a purchase -- or the extra dollars made on a sale -- will compound over time making the broker commission a small price to pay for the extra financial gain." More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 31 Common Real Estate Myths Debunked From Washington to California, these are the best places to visit on the West Coast. Doug Michaels/Getty Images As a California native, I say the following with obvious and admitted bias: the West Coast is the best coast. Urban oases like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle attract visitors from around the world for good reason. However, if anyone asks me for itinerary assistance, I push for balancing city sojourns with slow escapes to the West Coast's most beautiful spots none of which are smack dab in the middle of a city, in my opinion. Here are 15 of the best places to visit on the West Coast, arranged from south to north, that really show off the treasures of the regions contiguous states: Washington, Oregon, and California. Big Sur, California Youri Beke/500px/Getty Images The undulating 90-mile length of Californias Central Coast known as Big Sur is the stuff of travel lore. Much of the road is right at the edge of a cliff, so if you dont have incomparable sea views, its likely only because youve been enveloped in fog. While I love a misty morning, sunny days here are spectacular. Enjoy iconic McWay Falls from above via Overlook Trail, explore Andrew Molera State Park, and trek along Pfeiffer Falls Trail. A stop at Big Sur Bakery is another itinerary must. Be sure to check that the road is open before you visit, as the roads precarious placement means it's regularly impacted by winter rains and mudslides. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California John Elk/Getty Images This coastal village measures less than one square mile and is the ideal destination for easy strolls. You will walk past fairy-tale cottages (note that people actually live in them), charming cafes and galleries, and even the soft-sanded Carmel Beach. Then hop on the famous 17-mile Drive, keeping on the lookout for endemic Monterey cypress trees as you circle the Monterey Peninsula. Muir Woods, California zrfphoto/Getty Images Muir Woods National Monument is small at 558 acres, but its resident trees are not small at all. You will find towering ancient redwoods here, many nearly a millennium old and standing taller than 250 feet. Spend a couple of hours exploring below these mighty giants and reading placards to learn about the history of the land. The monument is less than 20 miles from San Francisco and is the most easily accessible redwood grove in the state. Parking reservations are always required, as spots are extremely limited. Story continues Point Reyes, California Doug Michaels/Getty Images Point Reyes National Seashore is situated on a hammer-shaped peninsula about 60 miles north of San Francisco. Set aside a few hours for a misty out-and-back hike on Tomales Point Trail, where wildflowers and tule elk can be spotted, or try the short-but-stunning Chimney Rock Trail. Then grab oysters along Tomales Bay at an oyster shack of your choice. Russian River Valley, California Robert_Ford/Getty Images The Russian River Valley is lush and green and even delicious, thanks to wineries, beloved cafes, and marketplaces. Walk the town of Guerneville, stopping for a meal at Big Bottom Market (Oprahs favorite biscuits are made here), then trek around in Armstong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Plan to float the Russian River (Steelhead Beach is a preferred starting point), and save time for wine tasting at nearby spots like Hartford Family Wines and Equality Vines. Mendocino, California Jon Lovette/Getty Images Theres something particularly majestic about a teeny town on a bluff overlooking the sea, and Mendocino is just that. Grab coffee and pastries in this quaint and preserved historic town, then enjoy nature on as many trails as you can. Top paths are in Mendocino Headlands State Park for birds-eye ocean views, Hendy Woods State Park for redwood viewing, and Russian Gulch State Park for a beach walk. Redwood National and State Parks, California YayaErnst/Getty Images This collection of parks protects the ultra-special redwood tree they only grow in coastal California and southern Oregon, and theyre jaw-dropping in size (nothing on the planet grows taller) and beauty. There are miles of trails here to trek, but you might want to start with Tall Trees Grove Loop or Trillium Falls Trail. To simply hang out with and marvel at redwoods, head to Lady Bird Johnson Grove. Thors Well, Oregon Charles Wollertz/Getty Images Thors Well is a sight to see. It looks like a hole in the ocean, where rushing waters sink to unseen depths; scientists say it's likely the remnant of a collapsed sea cave. Visit at high tide to get the full effect of this drainpipe of the Pacific. The area is also good for gray whale spotting in December and January when they travel south for the winter. Silver Falls State Park, Oregon Wayne Ng/500px/Getty Images Who knew Oregon had so many waterfalls? If youd like to enjoy these natural treasures, try the Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park. The 7.2-mile loop trail brings hikers through dense forest and you guessed it past ten waterfalls, and its pretty moderate in elevation gain (800 feet). Do the whole trip if youre able so you can appreciate both the stretches on the forest floor and up the canyon. Start early to avoid crowds. Willamette Valley, Oregon BruceBlock/Getty Images There are more than 700 wineries in Willamette Valley, Oregons expansive wine country. Build your own wine-tasting itinerary, and save time to go waterfall hiking (as mentioned above, you will find so many falls in this region). Then shop and dine in towns like Cottage Grove, Brownsville, Silverton, or McMinnville. Cannon Beach, Oregon Westend61/Getty Images This is Oregons most famous beach, and for good reason the high basalt rocks just offshore pierce the landscape dramatically (puffins are pretty active here from April to July), and the cute coastal town of the same name sits just behind the sand. While small, it has everything you need, from breweries and ice cream shops to oceanside lodging options. Small nearby towns like Manzanita and Seaside charm visitors, too. Multnomah Falls, Oregon thyegn/Getty Images This dreamy, double-tiered waterfall is set in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, which attracts more than two million people every year. Park near the base and enjoy the view from below (theres a pretty footbridge at the falls midpoint), or hike to the top of the falls via a 2.6-mile out-and-back trail. Note that timed-use permits will be required beginning in May. White Salmon, Washington edb3_16/Getty Images Also in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, White Salmon, Washington is a perfect riverside town with all the ambiance and activity you could ask for. Expect supreme kite and windsurfing, mountain biking, hiking, and even a brand-new Wildflower Festival in May. You can also explore the area on a whitewater kayaking excursion. Hurricane Ridge Trail, Olympic National Park, Washington Spacewalk/Getty Images Olympic National Park is nearly one million acres in size, and Hurricane Ridge Trail is considered one of the best routes in it, as the path delivers stunning views of the Olympic Mountains. The trail and its surroundings are set to reopen Memorial Day weekend after a big rehabilitation effort. Note that the trailhead is in the northeast corner of the park about 100 miles from Seattle, and it closes during snowy winter months. Friday Harbor, Washington MoniqueRodriguez/Getty Images Washingtons San Juan Islands are breathtaking year round, and though the archipelago includes hundreds of islands, a ferry system allows for easy access to just a handful of them, including San Juan Island, Orcas Island, and Lopez Island. Friday Harbor is considered the hub of the region, and it's a great place from which to explore. Visit for orca watching, hiking in preserves like Lime Kiln Point State Park, and even farm and winery tours. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. A 19-year-old was killed when a car she was in rolled down a driveway and pinned her against a tree, West Virginia deputies say. Elizabeth OLeary was found dead just after 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 16, according to a news release from the Kanawha County Sheriffs Office. An overturned Hyundai Elantra was found nearby in the front yard of a home. Deputies said OLeary had been partially inside the Hyundai holding its steering wheel when the car began to roll down a steep driveway. The car struck a tree, pinning OLeary, then continued rolling down the hillside before overturning. The car had been left in drive with no parking brake, which caused it to roll, investigators said. OLeary was a Nitro High School graduate, and a beloved daughter, sister and friend, according to a Facebook post from the school. Loved ones shared tributes for OLeary on social media. I still dont have the right words to convey how amazing Elizabeth OLeary was in our lives, Amanda Estep Burton wrote in a Facebook post. Liz was an honors student, valedictorian, a kind human. She had so much life to live, as she just celebrated her 19th birthday...This is hard. Liz, you had such an incredible impact on everyone around you, Chloe Beckner said in a post. You knew how to light up the room, make people laugh and so much more. You were such a intelligent young lady and I knew you were going to excel in life. You were such a special, genuine soul. If you knew Elizabeth, you loved her. She was extremely studious and applied herself like very few students I have ever taught, Andy Shamblin, one of OLearys high school teachers wrote in a Facebook post. Life just doesnt make sense or seem fair. However, I am thankful for good memories of Elizabeth. Nitro is about 15 miles northwest of Charleston, West Virginia. Two teens killed after prom when their car gets pinned underneath semi, AL reports say Teen sisters killed in fiery car crash in Virginia, cops say. Never be whole again Teen among five killed when SUV runs stop sign and slams into 18-wheeler, NC cops say 30 Dogs Rescued From Unsanitary Home animal advocate holding a rescued dog (Photo credit: mladenbalinovac / Getty Images) In South Carolina, local animal advocates rescued 30 dogs from a home, where they were living in deplorable conditions. On Thursday afternoon, Dorchester Paws seized the dogs from a house in their namesake county, reported WCSC 5. According to Danielle Zuck, a spokesperson for the shelter, they found the dogs living in their own filth. Disturbingly, Zuck said they found the dogs locked in crates, tied to trees with heavy chains, and placed in crates that were too small for them. Some of the dogs were also in the end-stage of heartworm disease. As a result, most of the dogs needed urgent medical attention. To this end, Dorchester Paws is currently working to help the dogs as they arrive at the shelter. Dogs rescued from an unsafe home However, Zuck also said the shelter needs the communitys help caring for the dogs. Since the shelter doesnt have enough space for all the dogs, theyre urgently seeking emergency fosters to help them. We do not want any animal to be living in a pop-up crate, Zuck said. Fosters are needed for as long as they can commit. Additionally, the shelter is waiving adoption fees for dogs that have been at the shelter for over 15 days. Incredibly, the rescue happened after the Dorchester County Sheriffs Office received a call from animal control asking for an escort to a nearby home. Upon arriving, officers saw the dire state of the animals living there. As a result, they presented the resident with a warrant and detained them. Afterward, Animal Control called Dorchester Paws to assist in the rescue. For now, the investigation is ongoing. Additionally, the sheriffs office is planning to release more information as it becomes available. A growing concern for dog owners nationwide Because of groups like Dorchester Paws, many dogs living in substandard conditions and facing unnecessary danger are being given a second chance. Last year, for example, the Humane Society of the United States launched an incredible effort to rescue 4,000 Beagles from a breeding facility in Virginia. Similarly, in the UK the RSPCA rescued 150 Shih Tzus from another unsanitary, unsafe breeding facility. Importantly, these scenarios bring to light the questionable ethics of dog breeding and are promoting many states to pass laws banning the sale of commercially-bred puppies. The post 30 Dogs Rescued From Unsanitary Home appeared first on DogTime. Dog Pepper-sprayed by Postal Worker mail carrier with dog pepper-sprayed (Photo credit: Design Pics / Getty Images) In Montana, a dog pepper-sprayed by a postal worker led to that worker losing their job. From KTVQ in Billings, the U.S. Postal Service fired local mail carrier Frank Hoon Park who was caught on camera allegedly pepper-spraying a dog. Strangely, the video footage suggested that Park went out of his way to pepper-spray the dog. Dog pepper-sprayed on camera After the incident, Park appeared in Billings Municipal Court, facing a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. On February 4, a neighborhood surveillance camera recorded the mail carrier crossing the street and pepper-spraying the dog, who was inside a fence. The dogs owner, Katie Guzman, said her pet, Sunka, is doing better, and she hopes publicity of the incident will prevent other dogs from being sprayed. Im just happy that they are actually doing something about it, said Guzman. To a lot of people, their pets are family and thats our little girl, you know? And my kids love her, and I am just really happy that theyre pursuing it. According to a Postal Service spokesperson, Park is no longer employed. However, the spokesperson did not confirm whether he was fired. Its more than a trope Although the incident suggests malicious intent, the fact is postal workers regularly face overly aggressive dogs who simply lack proper training. Far from just being a stereotype, these dogs intimidate postal workers, who simply want to do their job undisturbed. In 2021, for example, there were over 5,400 documented incidents between dogs and postal workers. In fact, the problem is so prevalent that the USPS has started promoting National Dog Bite Month to raise awareness of this particular occupational hazard. All that being said, pepper spray is not an effective way to deal with aggressive dogs. Most of the time, these dogs suffer because of past trauma and abuse, plus a lack of training and socialization. Finally, its worth mentioning that there is one instance in which pepper spray and dogs go together. If you and your dog are struggling with wildlife encounters at home, such as skunks, pepper spray can be a good, natural remedy for keeping unwanted animals at bay. The post Dog Pepper-sprayed by Postal Worker appeared first on DogTime. Brod was a little over 11 years old. If you've happened to see any video footage of Irish President, Michael D. Higgins over the past several years, you've no doubt "met" his beloved Bernese Mountain dog, Brod. The pup, who's been noted to be "one of the most photographed dogs in Ireland," has sadly passed away at the age of 11 years old. The devastating news was confirmed by Higgins and his wife, Sabina, and was shared on the @presidentirl TikTok account, which you can see here. View the original article to see embedded media. The caption on the post reads: "Brod was 11 years and two months at Aras an Uachtarain, having come to the Aras as a 8 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." The statement continues: "He will be missed by the President, Sabina and all at the Aras, particularly Misneach, the President's remaining dog who is two and a half years old, and who has shared his space with Brod over recent months and was his constant companion, aware of Brod's situation and very attentive to him." As you might recall, Misneach recently made headlines while greeting US President Joe Biden on his recent trip to Ireland. The young pup gave a colorful bark and seemed to be protective of his master's home, which isn't uncommon for the breed, given that Bernese Mountain dogs were bred to protect pastures and farms. After hearing this news, it's safe to say that collective hearts are breaking across the world for the President and his wife. The bonds we form with our pets due to their unconditional love and devotion are something that cannot be replaced. No matter how old a pup is or how expected their passing might be, it's still just so difficult to come to terms with never seeing a treasured family member again. May the President and his wife always treasure the beautiful memories that they shared with Brod over the years. In addition, one can hope that they'll find some comfort and peace in the fact that so many people's lives were touched by this incredible pup. READ THE COMMENTS "Emily in Helsinki," anyone? Lily Collins, the star of Netflix's hit series Emily in Paris, has fans dreaming of a Finland-set spinoff after she shared beautiful photos from a recent trip to the capital city. The actress posted a bunch of snaps of the city of Helsinki, including local food, street art and architecture, on Instagram, captioning the update, "Postcards from Helsinki" One photo also included Collins' husband, Charlie McDowell, while another showed their dog, Redford, looking at some peculiar dog-themed art. Fans enjoyed seeing a look at Collins' vacation, and a few people who call Helsinki home welcomed the actress to their city, with one writing in the comments, "I hope you liked my home town. ." "So happy you have been in Helsinki right now on our super beautiful springtime! Hope you had a wonderful visit, welcome back soon! ," said another. Another fan complimented Collins, writing, "You always find the coolest things! ." Of course, many people also couldn't help but joke about Collins and her Netflix series, as someone wrote, "Where is the Emily?" Collins has been traveling a lot lately, recently sharing some beautiful shots from a trip to Japan with McDowell featuring cherry blossoms and bamboo forests. The 34-year-old celebrated her birthday while visiting Japan, beginning with a visit to Moominvalley Park. She also hit up Stockholm, Sweden, embracing the cold weather and snow while exploring the picturesque city. It's unknown where else the couple will visit in 2023, but we're excited to see more of their adventures on social media. Collins is currently taking a much-deserved break after the successful release of Emily in Paris Season 3 in December of last year, exploring the world before filming starts for the highly-anticipated Season 4. 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. Story continues "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 News In Brief ASHLAND Beth and Mark Delaney, owners of Spherion Staffing and Recruiting in Mid-Ohio, 1423 Mifflin Ave., were presented with the Marketing Excellence award during the Spherion 2023 National Meeting. The Delaneys were the recipients of the first Marketing Excellence award, earning it due to their dedication to innovation and investment in marketing to raise brand awareness and build an audience to better connect job seekers with employment at local companies. Their strategy led to an average rating of 4.9 on Google, according to a news release, which also stated one of the offices biggest marketing achievements in 2022 was from a TikTok post that earned 45 million views and more than 80,000 new followers. We are thrilled to have earned the very first Marketing Excellence award, said Beth Delaney in the release. Our marketing team led by Jessica Hiser, creative marketing director, worked tirelessly developing our strategy to help bring more awareness to Spherion and our office, and we were over the moon to see how well it went. The TikTok was certainly one of the most surprising successes wed seen, and while we were obviously hopeful it would go well, we werent expecting that huge of an impact. Spherions 2023 National Meeting was held in Fort Worth, Texas. To learn more about Spherion Staffing Mid-Ohio, visit www.midohiojobs.net. This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Spherion announces Marketing Excellence award 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. Story continues 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. Cregis has come a long way since its UDun wallet days, and the team behind it believes the new brand and product they launch. Cregis Technology Limited Cregis has come a long way since its UDun wallet days, and the team behind it believes the new brand and product they launch. Hong Kong, China, April 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recently, Cregis, a well-known brand of Web3, attended the roadshow of BIG DEMO DAY II in Hong Kong and displayed their innovative asset custody products. Cregis not only provides professional encrypted asset management tools for more than 2,000 crypto exchanges, project parties and institutions, but also will comprehensively upgrade and launch a more powerful asset collaboration management platform in 2023, showing a new possibility for Web3 enterprises and individual users. More than a wallet, but is a financial SaaS Cregis is a brand-new brand upgraded by UDun, a wallet product with a 6-year accident-free safety operation record and customers covering HK, Japan, Korea, North America, Australia and other regions. It supports 100+ digital assets, mainstream cryptocurrencies, such as BTC, ETH, DOT, TRX, DOGE, ERC20 andTRC20 tokens, etc. Rather than a wallet, Cregis describes itself as a platform for Web3 users. Cregis delicately carefully designs a digital asset self-custody platform consisting of multiple tool kits to help individuals and teams efficiently and securely collaborate in managing their assets. More secure to self-custody assets In Cregis, private keys are dispersed into 3-5 shards through MPC. The shards place separately in the storage on the Cregis cloud and the user's local computer. Combined with the TEE(Trusted execution environment), each MPC shard generation, calculation and signature is ensured to be performed in a secure memory environment, ensuring that transaction signatures do not expose private key for increased security. Cregis, authorized by the team administrator, can support one account to have MPC fragments on multiple devices for convenient use under secure conditions. With multiple members and devices, security is not compromised. There is no need to worry about the safety of fragments on multiple Cregis clients as they can be controlled based on permission management and reset using seed phrases. Story continues Cregis uses privacy computing, permission control and other methods to achieve end-to-end security protection from accounts to private keys. While ensuring safe management of assets for multiple users, it further provides security and a better user experience for asset safety. Makes Web3 business better off Sometimes, the biggest constraint on asset management efficiency is manual operations. Cregis can help users become much more efficient because of the built-in applications. Collaborate made efficient and simple. Cregis has a sound permission management mechanism to ensure the security of collaborative operation by multiple users and can manage different transactions based on projects. At the same time, the transaction of creating and signature on Cregis is completely separated, ensuring that every step is controllable. By reducing manual operations, efficiency is greatly improved. Based on the isolation of asset management and business scenarios, multiple users collaborate to manage processes and risk control, making asset operations orderly and organized. There is no need to worry about the safety of fragments on multiple Cregis clients as they can be controlled based on permission management and reset using seed phrases. Cregiss automatic payment application allows for the automatic withdrawal of funds within a secure process by setting transaction strategies while supporting batch operations to reduce operational costs. Simple and efficient asset management functions help teams or individuals achieve scientific asset management. Intelligent collection provides easy-to-use fund collection and intelligent management, improving asset management efficiency while reducing costs. Cregis also has real-time transfer notification reminders, including multi-signature invitations, transaction signatures, asset changes and other real-time messages. Standardizing the process makes asset operation orderly and efficient. Both personnel collaboration and individual efficiency can also be improved while reducing unnecessary processes. Media Contact Contct: Marco Liao Company Name: Cregis Technology Limited Website: www.cregis.com Email: marco@cregis.io Disclaimer: There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation. For more info, please contact brandnewsproject@gmail.com. Attachment Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go on vacation with nearly 20 family members? I have the answer. Frames, Stamps: Getty Images; Photos: Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure If youve ever traveled to Costa Rica, youve likely heard the term pura vida, a country-wide phrase that translates to pure life or simple life. But anyone who has ever tried to plan a trip with almost 20 people knows theres rarely anything simple about it. It was last November when 17 of my closest relatives sat around a dinner table and decided another family trip was in order. With family members ranging from three to 60 years old, and spanning New York to Pennsylvania to Colorado, this would be our first vacation back together again and after the passing of both my grandparents. While the prospect of such a large group getaway might sound daunting, with a bit of help, we were able to create a memorable trip of a lifetime. Here are some of the tips and tricks that helped us along the way. One key to our success, especially in the early stages of planning, was having one main decision-making point person. For us, that was uncle Frank. Everyone shared their individual family needs and desires; then, he took that information and ran with it. This way, there werent more than a dozen people trying to communicate and plan. Its also important to establish even the most basic ground rules before leaving. In our case, since we were joining three fairly widespread families, that meant making sure everyone knew and agreed on the schedule so there was no confusion before taking off. Communication is a must for any successful trip, but especially when dealing with a group of our size. Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure Sometimes, the best tricks can often be the smallest. Ensuring the whole group had TSA PreCheck, for example, helped us fly through the airport. When traveling with nearly 20 people, thats an immeasurable commodity. Be sure to pack a good pair of soundproof headphones and an AirFly Pro, too, so you dont need to leave your fate to a pair of in-flight earbuds. Pop those on, along with an eye mask, and it will make the noise emanating from the four full rows of family members sitting behind you simply melt away at least for a few hours or until the snack cart comes around. Story continues Asking for help when necessary was also vital to our trip's success. Tagging in a travel agency and accepting help from the incredible staff at Dreams Las Mareas was paramount. Fort Hill Travel planned and booked our stay and airfare, and organized a bus big enough to fit the whole family plus 18 carry-on bags and 21 pieces of checked luggage. Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure My uncle, the point person, shared the parameters of our trip with our travel agent and they provided options for a few different countries, resorts, and flights within our budget. We knew Costa Rica and Dreams Las Mareas would be the perfect backdrop for a trip this special. One must for our trip was an all-inclusive resort. It was the best way to help with the groups individual budgets, as well as ensure everyone gets the most out of their stay. With food and drink baked into the price of the stay, the all-inclusive resort eliminated day-to-day stress of doing things like making dinner plans for 18 people. The unlimited passion fruit mojitos didnt hurt, either. Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure At Dreams, there are plenty of activities such as cooking classes, sunset kayaking, and sunset and morning hikes. Theres also an on-site waterslide, which the adults enjoyed just as much as the three-year-old. I recommend talking to someone at the resort for the best and worst times for a party of your size to sit down for dinner. We were told anything later than 7 p.m. would be difficult to accommodate, given our group size. Having those quick conversations allowed us to enjoy every meal together. Its also crucial to understand everyone has a different vacation style and respect that on a family trip. Knowing each others needs and deciding to split off when necessary allowed us to accommodate individual interests and preferences while still enjoying family time. One day, 14 of us explored Buena Vista del Rincon, hiking to waterfalls, soaking in hot springs, zip lining, and horseback riding. The remaining four group members spent their day happily lounging by the resorts pool, and we all met up for dinner. That said, we all spent most days lounging and laughing by the pool together, including one very intense game of Monkey in the Middle. Though it can be viewed as a vacation faux pas to wake early and reserve your spot by the pool, I recommend asking a few resort employees to help set up your lounge chairs so your family can stick together, especially when dealing with a large group. Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure If youre like me, youll wind up being the family photographer. To give yourself a little peace, I recommend iPhone users create a group chat and shared family photo drive. Its the easiest, stress-free way to distribute photos during and after a trip. Its also the best way to find 55 photos of the adorable capuchin monkeys that climbed all over the resort's terraces. In our shared album, youd find incredible Costa Rican sunsets, three not-so-great full family photos, and three-year-old sister eating corn on the cob for breakfast Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure Lastly, its important to take some time for yourself on family trips no matter the size of your group. Whether its getting a treatment at the resort spa, enjoying a quiet moment with a good book, or napping by the pool (or terrace hot tub or swim-up pool, if you have a preferred status at Dreams), carving out a bit of relaxing self-care time is essential for recharging and enjoying the rest of the trip with your brood. Dont be afraid or feel guilty if you need to close that adjoining room door. Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure Ultimately, the best trick for pulling off a family trip of this magnitude is to soak in the little things. Its in those small, sometimes quiet (or, if youre my family, loud) moments where the real magic happens. It makes the chaos of attempting to pack 18 people, including a toddler, and 40 pieces of luggage into a single van that needs to traverse a winding, dirt road completely manageable. If you do this, youll be left with only good feelings. Feelings of recognizing how special the last few days have been. Youll cherish every watermelon mimosa you toasted with and realize how much better they tasted because you experienced them together. I also recommend checking in on your family group chat the morning after you return home. Youll all need a little cheering up and perhaps even start planning a follow-up family adventure. Next up, were thinking of getting 20 people on a flight to Thailand. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he would sign into law a 15-week national abortion ban if he were president, a departure from his previous stance when he said the issue should be left up to individual states. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a conservative anti-abortion group, announced last week it would oppose any 2024 presidential candidate if they do not back a national abortion ban. Fox News host Shannon Bream asked Hutchinson on "Fox News Sunday" if he would sign such legislation if he were president, to which the former Arkansas governor said he would as long as the ban provides appropriate exceptions. Theyre calling for a 15-week minimum. If you did have both houses of Congress and were President Hutchinson, would you sign it? Bream asked. The answer is Ive always signed pro-life bills. And a pro-life bill that comes to me that sets reasonable restrictions, but also has the appropriate exceptions, yes I would sign it. Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter CLIVE, IOWA - APRIL 22: Republican presidential candidate former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson speaks to guests at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023 in Clive, Iowa. Iowa is scheduled to hold the first Republican presidential nominating contest of 2024, on Feb. 5. Hutchinson would support 'a national standard' on abortion Hutchinsons support for a national abortion ban is an apparent departure from his previous resistance to federal legislation on abortion, having previously told ABC News' This Week last year that states should have the prerogative on the issue. Hutchinson also told NBC News earlier this month that it depends whether he would sign a federal abortion ban, noting that he would be hesitant to take power away from the states. The former Arkansas governor reiterated those sentiments Sunday, but added that Democratic efforts to protect and strengthen abortion access means Republicans could act on the national level while still including exceptions to save the life of a mother and in cases of rape and incest. Who is Asa Hutchinson? What to know about the former GOP governor running for president Story continues Republican presidential candidate former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks during a meet and greet at the VFW Post 9127, Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. I would prefer that this is an issue thats resolved by the states because thats what the pro-life community fought for for 40 years in reversing Roe v. Wade, Hutchinson said on Fox News Sunday. Theres gonna be more pressure on the Republican side and on the life side to put in those reasonable restrictions, and so I would support that if those restrictions are in place and that we can have a national standard to help save the lives of the unborn, Hutchinson continued. Abortion divides other 2024 GOP candidates SBA Pro-Life Americas pledge to oppose any 2024 candidate that would not support a national abortion ban came after former President Donald Trumps campaign told the Washington Post that Trump believes the Supreme Court got it right when it decided states could determine access to abortion. We will oppose any presidential candidate who refuses to embrace at a minimum a 15-week national standard to stop painful late-term abortions while allowing states to enact further protections," SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement Thursday. Former President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association Convention in Indianapolis, Friday, April 14, 2023. The issue of whether to ban abortion on the national scale has tripped up prospective 2024 GOP candidates. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who has announced a presidential exploratory committee, said earlier this month a 20-week national abortion ban "makes total sense" and then later told Fox News that afternoon he would consider a 15-week ban. The next day, Scott told MSNBC he would "literally sign the most conservative, pro-life legislation that they can get through Congress." Senator Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks to guests at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023 in Clive, Iowa. Iowa is scheduled to hold the first Republican presidential nominating contest of 2024, on Feb. 5. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has avoided saying whether she supports a federal ban. In February, when asked on NBC's "Today" whether she supported a 15-week ban proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., she said "We need consensus on this because I want to save as many babies as possible, and I want to support as many moms as possible." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch a presidential campaign, has generally been mum on the issue, but recently signed a 6-week abortion ban in Florida. For his part, former Vice President Mike Pence, who is considering a White House bid, told CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday he would support a 15-week ban, a stance he has taken multiple times. Abortion pill: Supreme Court sides with the Biden administration, halts restrictions on mifepristone Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to guests at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023 in Clive, Iowa. Iowa is scheduled to hold the first Republican presidential nominating contest of 2024, on Feb. 5. Hutchinson: Abortion will not be as important in 2024 Hutchinson also said that heading into the 2024 election cycle, he anticipates abortion will not be as important of an issue in the future as it is now. As governor, Hutchinson signed a near-total abortion ban trigger law that went into effect in Arkansas after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to an abortion, last summer. The ban provides an exception for when a mothers life is at risk but has no exceptions for victims of rape or incest a lack of which Hutchinson has lamented, saying the ban should be revisited. Regardless, Hutchinson defended the bill, saying the aim of the law was to reduce abortions. Absorb the blows: How Asa Hutchinson says he'll handle Trump's withering attacks in 2024 Republican presidential candidate former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks to reporters after meet and greet at the VFW Post 9127, Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he would sign federal abortion ban Sen. Dick Durbin, chair of the Judiciary Committee, said Sunday he expects Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas would likely refuse to testify in front of the committee about gifts he accepted but did not disclose from a Texas billionaire. The Illinois Democrat asked Chief Justice John Roberts last week to appear before the committee next month to discuss judicial ethics rules in the wake of a ProPublica report that found Thomas had gone on several luxury trips Crow had subsidized. During an interview on NBCs Meet the Press," host Chuck Todd asked Durbin why the panel didn't ask Thomas himself. I think I know what would happen to that invitation. It would be ignored, Durbin said, without elaborating as to why he thought that would be the case. Roberts' appearance before the committee would be voluntary, and Durbin has said last week that there were no conversations about subpoenaing any of the justices. But Roberts should appear, Durbin urged Sunday. Why this Supreme Court, these nine justices, believe they are exempt from the basic standards of disclosure, I cannot explain. And I think [the] chief justice should appear before our committee and explain something or explain the changes that he's going to make, he said. Thomas defended his decision to accept the trips he and his wife received from Harlan Crow without disclosing them to the court, saying he has always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines. Further reporting showed that Crow also bought property from Thomas, a real estate deal he also did not disclose. This column was submitted as an entry for CalMatters inaugural Earth Day Op-Ed Contest. The effects of climate change in Ventura County are threatening a precious local resource: groundwater. About 68% of total groundwater used in the county goes to agriculture, an integral aspect of the countys culture and economy. On top of the overpumping of aquifers, results of climate change such as rising temperatures and sea levels have caused major pollution and depletion of groundwater. This environmental disaster has widespread consequences for local residents and worldwide consumers alike. Ten of Ventura Countys groundwater basins are reported to be medium to high utilization priority, and three of these are deemed critically overdrafted by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). One of these critically overdrafted basins is the deep Oxnard Subbasin that has complex layers of clay between its five underground aquifers. This alone makes the process of groundwater recharge difficult, which is worsened by rising temperatures and sea levels. Warming 4.75 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895, Ventura Countys temperature increase has exceeded that of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles County by half a degree. This warmer climate has caused a periodic drought since 2012, due to a lack of rainfall and increased evaporation rates. Groundwater is replenished by precipitation; therefore, years of abnormally dry conditions have caused groundwater levels to diminish. So far in 2023, average precipitation marks have been exceeded and the drought has temporarily subsided. Shallow basins along the Ventura and Santa Clara River Valleys have been replenished to an extent, but deep basins specifically those in the Oxnard Subplain have not seen improvement due to layers of clay that are obstructive for percolation. Kim Loeb, the Groundwater Manager at Ventura County Watershed Protection District and Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency, states, Isotopic testing of groundwater in the northern portion of the Las Posas Valley Basin indicates that it may take 100 years or more for water to percolate through the extensive silt and clay deposits to reach the underlying deep aquifers. Story continues Vast strawberry fields lie off of Olivas Park Drive in Ventura. According to the 2021 Ventura County crop report, strawberries were the number one leading crop, at a total of $712,022,000. To make matters worse, aquifers near the ocean in the Oxnard Subbasin have begun to experience saltwater intrusion, another issue caused by overpumping. When groundwater stores drop below sea level, ocean water is sucked into the aquifer, polluting the freshwater and making it unsuitable for agricultural use. With rising sea levels caused by global warming, this issue will be exacerbated, further promoting freshwater deficits. The effects of groundwater depletion will be felt far and wide, as Ventura County farmers export their produce to Canada, Europe and China. According to Ventura Countys 2021 Crop and Livestock Report, 31,000 jobs are dependent on farming, and the gross value of all crops grown was $2 billion in 2021. While one rainy season alone cannot improve the critical state of these basins, the implementation of water conservation techniques on local farmland is a realistic solution. Grants like The Healthy Soils Program give farmers across California funding for the installation of water conservation technology. As countless families in Ventura County depend on the agriculture industry for economic stability, conserving water to ensure the longevity of these practices is essential to the health and well-being of local residents, as well as the planet. Camilla Lewis is a sophomore at Foothill Technology High School and an assignment editor for the Foothill Dragon Press. Beatrice Barnes is a sophomore at Foothill Technology High School and a features writer for the Foothill Dragon Press. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Groundwater scarcity threatens Ventura County agriculture The Stone of Destiny is a large rectangular stone. The "Stone of Destiny" was used in the coronation of the kings of Scotland in the 13th century. Today it is used in the coronation of the United Kingdom's monarch. When King Charles III is crowned in London on May 6, the coronation ceremony will involve the Stone of Destiny, a Scottish carved seat that's at least 800 years old. Despite its long history, scientists only recently noticed never-before-documented symbols and other anomalies on the stone, they announced in a statement. These anomalies a copper alloy stain and the remains of gypsum plaster suggest that the historical block, also known as the Stone of Scone, has unknown aspects of its history that aren't recorded in documents. The stone was used in the coronation of Scotland's monarchs in the 13th century, and today, it is used in the coronation of the United Kingdom's monarch. As part of the modern-day ceremony, the stone is placed within the coronation chair that the monarch sits on. The stone was captured and moved from Scotland to England in 1296 and was not returned until the 20th century. Its history before the 13th century is unclear. Now, scientists with Historic Environment Scotland, a public body that takes care of the stone, have performed a laser scan of the artifact and conducted scientific tests, revealing new information on it. Related: Graves of dozens of kings from the time of King Arthur uncovered in Britain Roman numerals? The Stone of Destiny is a large rectangular stone. Close up of Roman numeral markings on the Stone of Destiny. Among the finds were markings that look like Roman numerals. They include three X-shaped marks, followed by a marking that looks like a "v." "The Roman numerals haven't been recorded before," Ewan Hyslop , head of research & climate change at Historic Environment Scotland, told Live Science in an email. "We do not know why they were carved or what they signify, but we hope that this will be an area for further research." The carvings might not even be Roman numerals, but rather other symbols, said Ewan Campbell , a senior lecturer of archaeology at the University of Glasgow in the U.K., who was not involved in the new research. "I think these are dubious as numerals more likely crude crosses," Campbell told Live Science in an email. Based on the wearing of the stone and position of the markings, Campbell suspects they weren't etched into the stone until sometime after it was moved from Scotland to England in 1296. Story continues Hints of a relic and plaster A digital model of the Stone of Destiny, a large rectangular stone. The research team also identified a copper alloy stain on the stone by using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, a relatively non-destructive technique that works by measuring the chemical composition of materials such as rocks, minerals and sediments. The finding suggests that a copper or brass object was placed on the stone for a period of time at some point in its history. "By far, the more important result is the presence of copper staining on the surface," Campbell said. "This suggest[s] some object, possibly a relic such as a saint's bell, was positioned on the stone for a long period." Relics were popular in the Middle Ages and sometimes consisted of physical remains, such as the bones of a saint or holy person placed in a metal container, such as copper. Relics could also be artifacts associated with such a person. For example, pieces of wood that were reportedly from the cross that Jesus was crucified on were popular relics. The analysis also revealed the presence of gypsum plaster on the Stone of Destiny. This suggests that at some point a plaster cast of the artifact may have been made. The existence of a cast is unexpected, as no records mention a cast being made of the stone, Sally Foster , a professor of heritage and conservation at the University of Stirling, told Live Science in an email. "I have not encountered any stories of, or evidence for, the stone being replicated in this way," Foster said. Related stories Which British monarch has reigned the longest? (What about the shortest?) 8 truly dysfunctional royal families Who inherits the British throne? While it's not clear how the gypsum plaster got on the stone, the recent scans and tests will make it easier for scholars to study the stone. "The Stone of Destiny is rarely moved and it's not easy for scholars and the public to look at it in its entirety, close-up or for any extended period," The laser scan led to the creation of a virtual 3D image of the stone that is now available online to scholars and the public alike. "The availability of the [online model] now allows us all to see and review some of that evidence for ourselves we can all become detectives if we look for the ways in which the stone has been modified through time by activities that left their marks on its fabric," Foster said. James W. Pfister Thailand, formerly Siam, grew out of the movement of peoples south from Yunan China around 600 A.D. They eventually set up a kingdom at Sukhotai in 1238 A.D. Rama Khamheng founded the government. The linch-pin of Rama Khamhengs policy was the maintenance of the most cordial relations with China. (D.G.E. Hall, A History of South-East Asia, 1981). China, I believe, never attacked the Thai, unlike its attacks on the Burmese and the Vietnamese. Many Chinese were assimilated into Thai society over the centuries. The major Thai enemy was Burma, not China. My thesis is that China is about to replace the United States as the partner of the Thai. This is only natural, since China is emerging as the most powerful state in the region and is geographically proximate. Thailand tends to align itself with the most powerful state in the region, and to thereby maintain its independence. The Thai are very adaptable to the international relations environment. In the 19th century they adapted to Western colonialism. King Mongkut (Rama IV), who knew English and Western science, entered into the Bowring Treaty in 1855, giving many concessions to Britain. Other Western countries followed with similar trade deals, including the United States (the U.S. trading relationship goes back at least to 1833). Thailand was the only state in Southeast Asia not to be colonized by a European state. They accommodated themselves to the West, being like a reed in the wind, not a tree that could be broken in the wind. Thailand aligned itself with Japan during World War II, even declared war on the United States and Britain, although lawyer Seni Pramoj went to Washington, D.C., as leader of the Free Thai Movement. When the war was over, there was a coup and Seni Pramoj greeted the United States as the new prime minister. The Thai declaration of war on the United States was forgiven. During the Cold War, the Thai aligned themselves with the United States. The close relationship with Thailand may have been the basis in the domino theory for the American defense of South Vietnam. Thailand was the only Mainland Southeast Asian state to join the U.S.-led Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), an anti-communist defense treaty. Even though SEATO dissolved in 1977, the Manila Pact commitment remained in force. The 2020 Joint Vision Statement for the Thai-U.S. Alliance is the foundation of the U.S.-Thai defense alliance today. (Department of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, May 4, 2021). In 2003, the United States designated Thailand a major non-NATO Ally. (Ibid.). Story continues Thailand is expected to have an election this May 14th, but do not expect the election to be beyond the militarys control. (The Editorial Board, The Washington Post, April 12, 2023). Bangkok has grown tired of Washingtons chiding over democratic backsliding and human rights abuses (Jack Detsch, Washington Worries China is Winning Over Thailand, Foreign Policy, June 17, 2022). In recent years, China has become a leading trading partner. Thailand has purchased Chinese military equipment, and Chinas premier has addressed the Thai parliament, the first foreign national ever to do so. Xi Jinping said on a trip to Bangkok last November: China and Thailand are as close as one family. (CGTN, Nov. 20, 2022). The two had established diplomatic relations in 1975, interestingly, the year South Vietnam fell. The United States relationship had the logic of our forward containment policy regarding communism. Those days are over, a relic of the Vietnam era. We can expect Thailand to adjust to a new international environment, as it did in the 19th century and during World War II. Our Cold War relationship with Thailand was such an adjustment. China is now dominant. It is likely China will dominate Thailands world. The United States influence will eclipse. As the saying goes, it is better to have loved and lost much better. The new balance of power in Asia does not require the United States to defend any Mainland Southeast Asian state, nor should it. The United States should pursue a policy of deference to Mainland Southeast Asia, except for trade and tourism. The Thai will adjust to the new world order, as a reed in the wind, and survive. James W. Pfister, J.D. University of Toledo, Ph.D. University of Michigan (political science), retired after 46 years in the Political Science Department at Eastern Michigan University. He lives at Devils Lake and can be reached at jpfister@emich.edu. This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: James Pfister: Thai Triangle: the U.S. vs. China ESCANABA As sudden, excruciating pain ripped through Eric Phillips' chest in mid-February, he was sure he was having a heart attack. The paramedics believed he was, too. But when the 46-year-old reached OSF St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba, "The doctor kept saying, 'It's not his heart; it's not his heart,' " Phillips' wife, Crissy, recalled. A CT scan revealed a huge mass on Eric Phillips' right lung. "We immediately thought he had cancer," Crissy Phillips said. He was quickly sent by ambulance two hours south to the more advanced HSHS St. Mary's Hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin. After a lung biopsy, a doctor approached the couple. "He said, 'I believe you have a fungal infection, blastomycosis,' " Crissy said. "Then he asked Eric, 'Have you been around any disturbed wood or soil?' And Eric and I just looked at each other." Eric Phillips, a Billerud paper mill employee who contracted blastomycosis, at his home on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Gladstone, Michigan. Phillips, who was hospitalized for several weeks, continues to require medication as he slowly recovers from the fungal infection. A contract employee recently died from blastomycosis, a fungal infection that has affected nearly 100 employees. Nearly 100 cases, more than a dozen hospitalizations Eric Phillips is an employee at the Billerud paper mill in Escanaba. He would go on to spend 23 days in the hospital, on oxygen, being intravenously administered powerful, potentially liver-damaging antifungal medications. "Watching him struggle to breathe is something I will never be able to get past," Crissy Phillips said. "It was devastating. I felt helpless as a wife." As Phillips battled his own illness, other cases emerged at the vast paper mill, the largest manufacturing employer in Michigan north of Midland, with more than 800 employees. More: Escanaba paper mill temporarily closes amid fungal infection outbreak, investigation More: 'Never seen anything like this': Fungal outbreak infects over 90 workers at Michigan paper mill According to the local health department, Public Health Delta and Menominee Counties, 104 workers, contractors and visitors to the Billerud mill are now affected by blastomycosis. At least 17 cases have been confirmed through biopsies and laboratory tests, with most considered probable cases, people exhibiting the symptoms of blastomycosis and with positive antigen or antibody tests for the fungal infection in their blood, urine or saliva. Story continues Including Phillips, 13 of those infected have required hospitalization. One, a contractor from Gladstone who worked at the mill, died earlier this month. On the day that death was announced publicly, April 14, Billerud officials also announced they would temporarily idle the mill for up to three weeks to allow for a deep cleaning, inspection and filter replacement in ventilation systems, and testing of raw materials entering the mill for blastomyces fungal spores. The company, which declined interview requests, is continuing to pay its employees during the shutdown. "Our top priority now and always is protecting the health and safety of our employees and contractors who work at our Escanaba mill," Billerud President and CEO Christoph Michalski said in an April 14 statement. "We care deeply about their well-being and are doing everything we can to protect them and identify and address the root cause of the blastomycosis fungal infections." It's the largest known blastomycosis outbreak in U.S. history, and how it happened is puzzling infectious disease experts who have spent more than a month trying to find the source of the infection. How does a person get blastomycosis? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people contract blastomycosis after breathing in microscopic fungal spores from the air, often after participating in activities that disturb the soil. Once inside the lungs, the body's warmth and moisture can transform the spores into yeast that can stay in the lungs or be transferred through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, including the skin, bones, joints, organs, brain and spinal cord. Though symptoms of blastomycosis often mirror a cold or flu cough, fever, body aches, night sweats unlike a cold or flu, it isn't transmitted person to person. The fungal spore that can cause blastomycosis is found throughout the Great Lakes region and eastern U.S. That may indicate that scores of people at the Billerud mill were exposed to the same materials laden with blastomyces spores. But Billerud officials, on an informational webpage about the outbreak that the company has established, escanabamillinfo.com, state, "At this time, no blastomyces spores have been found at the mill," adding, "at present, it has not been confirmed that the source is the mill and no public health authorities or agencies have suggested at any time that we should restrict operations. We are idling the mill as a precautionary measure while we perform systematic deep cleaning." The blastomycosis cases come from all over the mill, and include visitors and others who would have far less contact with the facilities than an everyday worker. Phillips said he worked almost exclusively outdoors, outside the mill building, while his two brothers-in-law who also contracted blastomycosis one also requiring hospitalization in Marquette worked inside. Phillips added that he was the only person working in his area known to have contracted the fungal infection. More: DTE, Consumers Energy among worst utilities in US for blackout durations More: After East Palestine, more in Michigan wonder what hazards roll by on trains Blastomyces spores exist in nature throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada in moist soil and decomposing matter such as wood and leaves, including in the Upper Peninsula. The Escanaba mill has turned wood products from that environment into paper for more than a century, taking in more than 4,250 tons of pulpwood a day. So why hasn't a blastomycosis outbreak like this happened before? What happened to cause this one? "When you talk to the experts, that's what they are mystified by," said Jamie Dier, first vice president of United Steel Workers Local 21, the union representing about 700 of the Billerud Escanaba Mill's employees. "One of them told me, 'We wish this was any other fungus besides blastomyces because we know so little about it. You only get one or two cases for every hundred thousand people.' " In addition to the local health department, responding agencies include the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH officials returned to Escanaba last week, urging Billerud employees to voluntarily submit urine samples for a blastomyces antigen test and to answer a work and health questionnaire to see whether patterns emerge. The workers' union is encouraging its members to participate. "Information is power, right? The more people you get to do it, the better it's going to be for everybody," Dier said. "If you get a test now and if you find you have it, maybe you catch it early enough where it doesn't turn into a problem for you. Or maybe you're one of those people where you just fight it off." Mill has a huge local economic impact The paper mill's history in Escanaba actually located just outside the city limits in Delta County's Wells Township goes back more than a century, to 1911. Operated by Mead Corp. for decades, mergers and sales had the now-sprawling mill that covers more than 2,000 acres changing hands four times in the 2000s. BillerudKorsnas, a Swedish pulp and paper manufacturer, acquired the Escanaba mill from Verso Corp. for $825 million last year. Billerud Escanaba Mill "Whoever has owned it over the years, to us it's just 'The Mill,' " said Terry Packer, general manager at the Halbinsel Volkswagen-Mazda dealership in town. The mill's estimated annual economic impact is nearly $360 million, including wages, salaries, taxes paid and raw materials and services purchased. "As far as the economy, no employer has the impact that the paper mill in Escanaba does," said Ed Legault, executive director of the Delta County Economic Development Alliance. It's a view shared by John Caswell, owner of Caswell's Barber Shop in downtown Gladstone, just up U.S. 2 from the Billerud mill. "We have the train companies, and logging is big here. But the mill is the biggest one," he said. "It's important; it trickles down to all of our businesses." The mill is one of the best-paying manufacturers in the region, with an average hourly wage of more than $36. Virtually everyone locally has a family member, friend or acquaintance who works there. So, as the blastomycosis outbreak emerged, the community activated. A fundraiser held by USW Local 21 at its union hall raised more than $30,000 in a single day. Diners and bars around town have coffee cans urging donations for particular employees off work because of the disease. "Fundraising, donations, meals, whatever it looks like, it's almost a given that when something happens, everyone is going to get involved in whatever way they can," Legault said. The news that the mill would temporarily cease operations jolted some in the community, Packer said. "It caused some controversy in the town," he said. "Some people say, 'You close that mill, that's our economy.' I say this is about people's lives." Downtown Escanaba on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 in Escanaba, Michigan. A contract employee at the nearby Billerud paper mill recently died from blastomycosis, a fungal infection that has affected nearly 100 employees. The paper mill will close for up to three weeks as cleaning and investigation intensify in response to the fungal infection outbreak at the plant. Those concerns have relaxed since it was announced Billerud would continue to pay its idled workers, Dier said. The Escanaba mill has primarily produced papers for magazines, catalogs and books over the years a declining demand as publications transition to online. But Billerud is proposing a more than $1 billion retooling of the mill to convert it to primarily constructing paperboard, used in cereal and other consumer product boxes. A paperboard machine is expected to begin operations in Escanaba by 2025, with a second in place by 2029, according to Billerud's website. "It really puts the mill where it's going to be around for at least another 50 years," Legault said. "It stabilizes the mill, keeps all of the jobs that are there, and while they are doing this enhancement, all of the engineers and contractors will bring another 1,000 people to the area for about five years." In January, the Legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer approved a $200 million state grant to help with the project. Late last year, both Wells and Escanaba townships designated the mill as a Forest Products Processing Renaissance Zone, allowing the mill to abate taxes of nearly $2 million annually over 15 years, a resulting savings of more than $29.4 million. Local school districts, Bay College, the Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District, and local libraries will not be affected by the abatements, with the state reimbursing those taxing units, the Escanaba Daily Press reported. The blastomycosis outbreak is not giving Billerud second thoughts about the Escanaba mill transition, Dier said. "We have been assured that this project is going full steam ahead; that we are going to beat this and get this behind us," he said. A $275,000 hospital bill Eric Phillips returned to Gladstone, where he grew up, after 20 years in the U.S. Army that saw him do tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea and Europe. "I said, 'I'm tired of seeing the world; I want to go home where I can hunt and fish again,' " he said. Phillips said he eventually "got bored" and took the job at the mill about a year ago. Now at home, Phillips takes oral antifungal medication. One blastomycosis mass in his lungs is shrinking; another has not. It's still possible that Phillips may lose a portion of his lung. As Phillips talks, longer sentences leave him reaching for air at the end, straining to get the words out. This is progress; two months ago, he couldn't finish a short sentence without running out of breath. "Stairs still suck," he said. "For me it's shortness of breath and fatigue. Just doing regular things I was raking gravel out of the grass pushed up by the plow over the winter and raking it back to the driveway. And I can only do so much before I run out of breath. Its horrible. "But I'm being optimistic about it, and it's getting better to breathe." Phillips shared his hospital bill from his 23 days in Green Bay. The total cost was nearly $275,000, but it was entirely covered through his Veterans Administration health insurance. Eric Phillips, a Billerud paper mill employee who contracted blastomycosis, shows his diagnosis on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Escanaba, Michigan. Phillips, who was hospitalized for several weeks, continues to require medication as he slowly recovers from the fungal infection. A contract employee recently died from blastomycosis, a fungal infection that has affected nearly 100 employees. The paper mill will close for up to three weeks as cleaning and investigation intensify in response to the fungal infection outbreak at the plant. Phillips knows other affected mill employees may not be as fortunate. He noted his antifungal medication costs about $900 for a 30-day prescription. Billerud has recently approved the workers' compensation claims of some sickened employees, Dier said a welcomed development, as workers out sick with blastomycosis from the mill have been trying to get by on short-term disability, which is "not even close" to their typical pay, he said. Dier credited Phillips and a couple of other Billerud employees who were among the first fallen ill with helping expose the blastomycosis outbreak. As they heard others were out sick and being potentially misdiagnosed as having bacterial pneumonia, Phillips and some other workers shared their symptoms and their doctor's findings of the fungal disease on social media and the union's internal message board. People began comparing experiences and urging those with symptoms to visit their doctor and ask for blastomyces testing. "I know Eric is going through it and it's awful what is happening to him," Dier said. "But if wasn't for him and other people that came out right away and said, 'These are my symptoms, they tried this and it didn't work, and then they tested me and now they know it's this.' ... People like Eric were huge to save their brothers and sisters a lot of pain and suffering." For his part, Phillips says he wants to recover and go back to work at the mill. "I absolutely love my job," he said. "I'm going stir-crazy because I like to work." Eric Phillips, a Billerud paper mill employee who contracted blastomycosis, at his home on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Gladstone, Michigan. Phillips, who was hospitalized for several weeks, continues to require medication as he slowly recovers from the fungal infection. A contract employee recently died from blastomycosis, a fungal infection that has affected nearly 100 employees. The paper mill will close for up to three weeks as cleaning and investigation intensify in response to the fungal infection outbreak at the plant. Understanding what happened at the Escanaba mill may become clearer after the NIOSH testing and questionnaires, and after the detailed cleaning and testing inside the mill. Or it may not. The cause of the outbreak may have passed through the mill months ago and is now gone, Dier said. "I don't know that they are going to find the source," he said. "But we want to get to a point where people aren't getting sick anymore. And we want the people that have been sick to get taken care of like they should be." This story has been updated to include new information that Billerud is now approving workers' compensation claims of some blastomycosis-infected employees. Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Blastomycosis outbreak inquiry goes on at Billerud's Escanaba mill John Allen Yes, Ukraine is worth our support! And as a staunch Republican Im very worried that my party is giving in to a false America First idea that we should end our support unilaterally in Ukraine, as some in the Republican party are now advocating. Ronald Reagan, who was a great president and restored our standing in the world, always stood for aiding/supplying weapons to countries if they were on the side of freedom and they were willing to do all the fighting. Peace through Strength was always Reagans approach and that meant aiding countries in weapons and aid money. Reagan rebuilt our military and that led the whole Soviet Empire to be dismantled, after Reagans total decisive victories in the Cold War. He gave support to Poland, Nicaragua and others in Latin America. Reagan confronted Russia with his famous Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down this [Berlin] Wall speech! The No. 1 responsibility of government is to provide security for its people and that includes having reliable allies that support us. Like it or not we are the No. 1 power in the world. We have many priorities to defend our own borders from the failed immigration policies of Joe Biden. But, we must also defend a strategic, very rich resource country like Ukraine that Russia wants to gobble up and will then continue on to other Eastern European countries like Poland and Finland. Our national security is built on our NATO Alliance of European Democratic Governments and all of our European NATO Allies are supporting Ukraine. NATO was formed and led by the United States to stop the Soviet Union from dominating Europe and it has been the cornerstone of our security. More: Opinion: From the WNC mountains to Maldives: Urging glocal environmental diplomacy More: Opinion: Fox News broadcast voting fraud allegations it knew was false But powerful voices like Fox News' Tucker Carlson, are advocating stopping our support for Ukraine, and polling for Republicans shows support for Ukraine is declining. Let me also mention an important fact Tucker never mentions. Russia, Britain and the U.S. signed an agreement called the Budapest Memorandum in 1994 that the U.S., Great Britain and yes, Russia, signed it too. This agreement would guarantee the borders of Ukraine against Russia, if Ukraine would give up all their nuclear weapons. Ukraine agreed and gave up all these powerful nukes/missiles. But, if we stop supplying Ukraine in this war, where is America in honoring our pledge in this agreement? And, maybe Russia wouldnt be doing this, if Ukraine had these nukes today? But, Ukraine trusted the U.S. to stop Russia and now we are going to break our pledge to defend Ukraine? Story continues This is a total war of conquest, not a small territorial dispute as some want to call this, like Carlson and now DeSantis. Putins plan is to restore the Soviet Union and the power it used to have, before Poland, East Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, and of course Ukraine (and others) all broke away from the Soviet Union and Empire. The ruthless, murderous tactics of Putin/Russia including thousands of children abducted from their families and sent to Russia or how Russian military heavily targets civilians including apartments, schools and hospitals to win by terror and by destroying the power, water systems, etc. More: Opinion: Chuck Edwards is out of touch with today's North Carolinians and religion But on the field of battle, the Russians are losing! And the valor of the Ukrainians to fight for their country, despite being outmanned and out-gunned, is inspiring. And Ukraine is winning because of their patriotism to fight for their freedom and the help weve given and from our NATO Allies. Russias army has proven to have poor generals and huge morale problems. Lies and distortions by Tucker Carlson/other talk show hosts about the war and Zelenskyy being a corrupt dictator and billions of support money stolen are simply not documented. Zelenskyy has proven to be a great leader with very high polling numbers in Ukraine and all of Europe, contrary to what Tucker has said. Yes, Ronald Reagan put his Peace through Strength policies into action and was a realist that evil men are always out for conquest and power. I urge my country, and Republicans and Rep. Chuck Edwards in particular, to stand strong to support Ukraine. We cannot allow Russia to win by some drastic U.S. pullout that would for the long run put America last. China and Iran would see our weakness and, yes, the world would be facing far more violence and turmoil and threats of war, which means economic and trading declines for us if we turn our backs on Ukraine. John Allen was a public high school history teacher, coach, and assistant dean in a 34-year career in suburban Chicago and lives in Hendersonville. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Ukraine is worth U.S. support despite Tucker Carlson opinions Support local journalism. Unlock unlimited digital access to floridatoday.com Click here and subscribe today. A man with an extensive criminal history has been charged with the Thursday murder of a 69-year-old Palm Bay man, police said Saturday. "This 31-year-old suspect is pure evil," Palm Bay Police Chief Mario Augello said in a Saturday night Facebook video announcing that Justin Giambanco faces charges of second-degree murder with a firearm and other crimes. "He is a violent repeat offender that, while out on bond for a previous arrest, preyed on the citizens of Brevard County. The suspect in this case is just another example of how our current criminal justice system is failing to keep our community safe," Augello said. More: Tornado strikes Micco mobile home park, damaging 25 to 30 homes near U.S. 1 More: Avelo Airlines adding new nonstop flights between Melbourne and Wilmington, Delaware Palm Bay Police Chief Mario Augello answers questions during an interview with FLORIDA TODAY reporter Rick Neale in July. Giambanco also faces charges of false imprisonment, grand theft of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon related to the murder. He remains incarcerated without bail at the Brevard County Jail Complex. His initial court appearance took place Sunday morning from the jail, and he will be arraigned May 18 at the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Justice Center in Viera. The homicide investigation began about 7 p.m. Thursday after Palm Bay police responded to a report of a dead man at a home in the 2700 block of Palm Drive Northeast, Augello said. Palm Drive is a short residential street off U.S. 1 between R.J. Conlan Boulevard and Castaway Point Park. Police did not disclose the man's name, and an arrest affidavit in the case was not available Sunday morning. Messages seeking information were left with police. Augello said the murder investigation involved a collaborative effort including Melbourne police and the Brevard County Sheriffs Office. Before Palm Bay police received the 911 call reporting a body on Palm Drive, Melbourne police had arrested Giambanco on Thursday morning on unrelated felony charges after a brief foot chase at Wawa in downtown Melbourne, an arrest affidavit said. Story continues Augello said Giambanco is a Brevard County resident. Giambanco told Melbourne police he lives at an Orlando address. In January 2018, Giambanco was convicted of attempted burglary of a dwelling, shooting a deadly missile within an occupied dwelling and criminal mischief after an arrest in beachside Melbourne. After spending about two years behind bars, he was released and began violating the conditions of his probation, Augello said. After an April 2021 probation violation, Augello said Giambanco was sentenced to serve 53 months behind bars. But he was released in October 2022. Augello said he was most recently released from jail April 16. "Since his most recent release, this individual has been a suspect of several burglaries within our county. And his most heinous act yet: the brutal murder of a 69-year-old Palm Bay resident just a few short days ago," Augello said in the video. "We are seeing far too many violent repeat offenders being released way too early, for either shorter sentences or because of minimal bottom-outs. This murder could have been prevented had Giambanco served his full 53-month sentence back in April of 2021," he said. Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1 Support local journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 'Pure evil': Palm Bay police chief bashes judicial system after murder Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) lost his cool after being corrected by CNNs Dana Bash on State of the Union on Sunday. The senator seemed unnerved after Bash asked him if abortion should be handled on the state level, as Donald Trumps campaign recently suggested to The Washington Post. Instead of answering her question, Graham twisted the topic to third-trimester abortions. Graham, who introduced a federal abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy in the Senate in 2022, accused Democrats of having barbaric policies as he spewed several distorted claims. What the Democratic Party proposes on abortion is barbaric, he said. Abortion up to the moment of birth, taxpayer-funded, I think is barbaric. Sen. Lindsey Graham was corrected on Sen. Lindsey Graham was corrected on "State of the Union" Sunday after he claimed Democrats are pushing for "abortion up to the moment of birth, taxpayer-funded." Bash reminded the senator that Roe v. Wade, which was overturned by the Supreme Court last year, had only protected the right to an abortion up to the point of viability, which is around 24 weeks. Upon being corrected, Graham lashed out at the anchor, shouting, No, quit covering for these guys, before repeating his claims about abortion on demand. Senator, Im not covering for anybody, and you know that, Bash said. And when I have Democrats on and Ive had Democrats on I have asked many, all of them about their position on where, where they believe this issue should be. The issue of third-trimester abortion is somewhat of a right-wing boogeyman. Late-term abortions are exceptionally rare, with recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing only 1.1% of abortions take place after 21 weeks. Trump drew ire from the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America after his camp told The Washington Post that the Supreme Court got it right when they ruled abortion should be decided at the State level. Story continues The 2024 Republican contender defended himself during a Sunday speech with the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, stressing his impact on the Supreme Court. There, he told supporters via video, Those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life. Nobody thought it was going to happen. See Graham and Bashs full exchange below: Related... Reading, No.1 hobby with enduring inspiration Xinhua) 14:48, April 23, 2023 BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Reading has long remained the favorite hobby of Xi Jinping, throughout various stages of his life -- his years of youth in the Loess Plateau, his years of primary-level tenures in localities, and now his years of dedication as China's top leader. "I have many hobbies. I love reading the most. Reading has become a way of life for me," said President Xi during a press interview in 2013. During his childhood, the patriotic spirit of Yue Fei, a Song Dynasty (960-1279) national hero, struck a chord with Xi while he was listening to Yue's story as told in an illustrated booklet. From childhood to his adult life, books have continued to be a good companion for Xi. In 1969, when Xi arrived at the village of Liangjiahe in northwest China's Shaanxi Province as an "educated youth," he was hauling heavy suitcases full of books. There, Xi immersed himself in the literary classics of the world, not only those in his personal collection but also those he borrowed. Xi was so passionate about reading that he would read during meals, under the light of a kerosene lamp at night, and even during breaks from farm work in the fields. Xi's passion for reading continued as he served in various posts across China. In the coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian Province and the rural county of Zhengding in Hebei Province, he had in-depth discussions with local friends on books such as "Das Kapital" and Russian literature. During his tenure as the Party chief of Zhejiang Province in the early 2000s, Xi carried on with the habit. A cornucopia of quotes from classics such as "The Book of Rites," "The Records of the Grand Historian," and "The Book of Mencius" were featured in his articles for a local newspaper column and in his public speeches. Xi had developed an interest in reading ancient county gazettes while working in various localities. On fact-finding research and study trips, he would often read ancient county gazettes first to gain a deeper understanding of a place's history in order to make better development plans. His literati friend in Zhengding, writer Jia Dashan recalled, "Although he hasn't been here for long, he's already capable of engaging in in-depth discussions regarding the history and cultural facts of Zhengding. Some of the local intellectuals were surprised by his extensive reading and remarkable ability to acquire new knowledge." "Reading invigorates my mind, gives me inspiration and cultivates my moral force," Xi revealed in another press interview in 2014. He once cited "The Communist Manifesto" as a rich theoretical treasure-house that "we can constantly draw spiritual nourishment from through our repeated and in-depth study." While quoting verses of Rabindranath Tagore's poems when he visited India, Xi said these beautiful lines full of philosophical wisdom have greatly inspired him. When delivering a speech in London in 2015, Xi listed works from William Shakespeare that he had read and expressed his fondness for the intriguing plots, vivid characters, and emotional sentiment in Shakespeare's books. He also praised French writer Victor Hugo's novel "Les Miserables" and Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time," among other literary gems. In his congratulatory letter to the First National Conference on Reading in 2022, Xi said: "Reading is an important avenue for humans to acquire knowledge, expand wisdom and cultivate virtues. It enlightens us and helps us aim high and stand upright." Since ancient times, the Chinese people have advocated reading and stressed the acquisition of knowledge through studying the nature of things and rectification of the mind through thinking with sincerity, Xi said. Reading helps the Chinese people to carry on the traditional spirit of perseverance and shape their character of self-confidence and self-reliance, he noted. "I call on Party members and officials to take the lead in reading and learning, foster virtues and ideals and improve abilities. I hope that all our children will have a habit of reading, enjoy reading and grow up in a healthy way. I wish all of our people are engaged in reading and contribute to an atmosphere where everyone loves reading, has good books to read and knows how to gain from reading," said Xi. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised that Disney wont get the last word. A year into his tangle with one of his states largest employers, the governor this week announced new penalties against the company, which defied his attempt to strip some of its self-governing powers. Increased property taxes, more oversight over Disney World rides and even building a state prison near the theme park were all possible, DeSantis said. Ultimately, were going to win on every single issue involving Disney, DeSantis said earlier this month at Hillsdale College in Michigan, where he first floated the idea of upping the companys tax burden. As his profile and political clout have grown, DeSantis has increasingly sought to punish those who cross him or get in the way of his agenda. His grudge match with Disney is a prime example. This scorched-earth approach is often aimed at sending a message to would-be opponents including some who are usually his allies. The resulting anxiety reverberates in drag bars, universities and the state Capitol. READ MORE: Is Ron DeSantis losing his grip on the Florida GOP? People are frustrated As DeSantis eyes the presidency, with an expected 2024 campaign launch coming in the early summer, this retaliatory reflex also raises questions about how he would govern in Washington a town where deal-making skills are essential. I cant think of one thing he has been willing to negotiate on. Its always been: If its not my way, Im going to slap you down, run against you for school board, take away your tax status, take away your books, said David Jolly, a former Republican colleague of DeSantis in Congress whos now a political commentator. Compromise is not necessary in our politics, but it is in our governing. Bryan Griffin, a spokesperson for DeSantis office, said that the actions against Disney are a response to its unfair special advantage compared to other businesses in the state and its 11th hour agreement to preserve those privileges. Story continues Thats an attempt to subvert the will of the people of Florida, and Gov. DeSantis will not stand for that, Griffin said in an emailed statement. Good and limited government (and, indeed, principled conservatism) reduces special privilege, encourages an even playing field for businesses, and upholds the will of the people. Gov. DeSantis is the champion of the people of Florida. Merchandise is displayed for sale outside North Baptist Church where Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke during a tour in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Wednesday April 19, 2023. Creating enemies and fans While top aides in DeSantis office were researching whether to oust Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren from office, they made sure Warren didnt see it coming. Rather than ask Warren about his policies, court testimony later revealed that the governors aides sought to make his removal a surprise. DeSantis has since cited Warren as an example of his ability to battle soft-on-crime prosecutors. Warren is a Democrat and a critic of the governor. DeSantis justified his removal in part over pledges Warren signed that said he wouldnt prosecute crimes related to abortion and transgender healthcare. A federal judge in January concluded that DeSantis had violated the First Amendment as well as the Florida Constitution when he ousted Warren but that the judge did not have the authority to reinstate him. Warren is still fighting his ouster in a federal appeals court and the Florida Supreme Court. Politicians who are willing to break the law to get votes or applause are extremely dangerous to our nation, Warren said in a statement this week. Some Tampa Bay area school board members were similarly surprised when they learned earlier this year that their names were on a list of people whom the governor was targeting for the 2024 elections for failing to protect students from woke ideologies. Several previously told the Tampa Bay Times that they were especially shocked because they are aligned with DeSantis on some issues. Right now, Im probably the most fiscally conservative person on the board, said Nadia Combs of the Hillsborough County School Board, whose name was on the list. DeSantis also has an open disdain for the mainstream news media, which he has called the guard of the nations failed ruling class. He held a news conference in April 2021 to dispute a 60 Minutes segment that alleged his administration gave Publix special access to COVID-19 vaccines, calling it a smear. Earlier this year, he suggested that the state change defamation law to make it easier to sue news outlets, an idea that has since drawn concerns even from conservative media and has stalled in the Legislature. In 2019, DeSantis ostracized Susie Wiles, who helped lead his first campaign for governor, after he and his allies suspected her of being insufficiently loyal and blamed her for leaked information. In recent stump speeches, DeSantis has referenced the people whove been cast out of his orbit, saying he wanted to ensure anybody who was bringing any other agenda would be shown the door. Wiles is now working for former President Donald Trump. DeSantis tangle with Disney has been a crowd-favorite applause line at some of his recent cross-country rallies, and his fans have sported DeSantisLand T-shirts and flags, sometimes with an accompanying picture of the entire U.S. The Disney fight also helped DeSantis generate tens of thousands in out-of-state grassroots donations in a matter of days last year, and is the subject of an entire chapter of his recent book. Just months after he suspended Warren and after frequently pummeling Disney in his Free State of Florida campaign speeches, DeSantis was reelected in November by a landslide. But lately, as his fight with Disney has reemerged in the news (and he has endured sustained attacks from Trump and his allies) the political upside has become less clear, as some polls have shown him wavering. Ken Griffin, a billionaire investor and DeSantis megadonor, said last year he didnt approve of the move to go after Disneys special taxing district because it could look like retaliation, according to Forbes. (Griffin is reportedly still supporting DeSantis for 2024.) More recently, DeSantis likely primary opponents have bashed him over the Disney feud. Where are we headed here now that if you express disagreement in this country, the government is allowed to punish you? former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday. To me, thats what I always thought liberals did, and now all of a sudden here we are participating in this with a Republican governor. In higher education, DeSantis-led efforts to overhaul the progressive New College, crack down on college diversity initiatives and weaken professor tenure have also made some faculty members afraid, said Geveryl Robinson, a vice president and faculty liaison for the Black Faculty and Staff Association at the University of South Florida. She said theres been an uptick in people declining faculty job offers as candidates shy away from the state. A lot of faculty and staff are afraid to speak out, said Robinson, who is also an assistant professor. When people are attacked theyre either going to fight back or retreat. I think theres a lot of retreating because a lot of people feel hopeless. Allies arent exempt In the early stages of DeSantis first term, when he was still new to the statewide political scene, he brought some people into his administration who had bashed him on the campaign trail including Richard Corcoran, who backed his primary rival, and Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat who supported DeSantis general election opponent. But this conciliatory approach was replaced by combativeness as DeSantis skyrocketed to national prominence during the pandemic, amassing political capital along the way. DeSantis now often breaks from typical deal-making traditions in Tallahassee. Top Republicans havent been spared. Lawmakers were debating congressional redistricting maps approved by Republican leadership last year when the governor, who preferred versions that would more heavily favor his party, tweeted that he would veto them. DOA, he wrote. A lawmaker read the tweet on the House floor. State Rep. Fentrice Driskell of Tampa, the Democratic minority leader, remembers her GOP colleagues looking stunned. She said some Republican lawmakers have privately complained about DeSantis tight control of the legislative process. Its all about the Ron DeSantis show. They feel like they are doing the governors dirty work, Driskell said. With the governor strong-arming these culture war bills it takes a toll on the culture of [the Legislature], and Ive heard some lamenting of that. Even after lawmakers complied with DeSantis wishes and came back to Tallahassee to pass congressional maps drawn by his office, the governor still vetoed some of the Republican leaderships priority projects in the budget, and cracked a joke about it while they stood on stage with him. Still, DeSantis domination of policy in the state would not be possible without a compliant Legislature. The GOPs super majorities in both chambers and his own strong poll numbers have helped DeSantis push his agenda without many compromises. Ron Book, a longtime Tallahassee lobbyist, credited DeSantis with being incredibly effective at pushing through policies that conservatives have wanted for years. He said that DeSantis wouldnt be able to feel comfortable touring the country for higher office if he wasnt confident lawmakers would pass his priorities while he was away. (Book is also the father of Sen. Lauren Book, the Senate Democratic minority leader.) If he was a wimp, they wouldnt respect him, he said. If he was a wimp, he wouldnt be traveling to Iowa. Washington is a different kettle of fish As DeSantis looks to make the case that he should be president, observers note that being the chief executive of the federal government would be quite different from the political reality in Florida. Thats in part because, unlike Florida, the majorities in each chamber have remained razor-thin for years. Without term limits, members of Congress do not have the sense of urgency that presidents do, and have cultivated brands that are independent of the wishes of the chief executive, said Joshua Huder, a senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University who specializes in congressional procedure. Presidents have to negotiate on every functional thing that needs to occur because the power is rooted in Congress, Huder said. The negotiating power is on the other foot. Brian Ballard, a DeSantis ally who runs a powerful lobbying firm in both Tallahassee and Washington, agreed that the federal government is a much different kettle of fish. But he added that DeSantis has already reshaped the office of the Florida governor by expanding what were typically considered his powers by suspending Warren, interfering in school board races, overhauling the New College of Florida and involving his office in former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasses appointment as president of the University of Florida, for example. Florida has never seen a governor demonstrate and exercise the power of his office like Gov. DeSantis has done, Ballard said. I could imagine a DeSantis presidency, should he ever decide to run, being an incredibly powerful one. Senate Luncheons - Credit: CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Sen. Lindsey Graham couldnt keep his cool when he was questioned about his position on abortion and whether it aligns with Donald Trumps stance that it is a state issue. Graham recently proposed federal legislation banning abortions after 15 weeks but had previously indicated he believed states should decide whether to ban the procedure. Senator, I have heard you say both on this issue, that it is a state issue, but now you do support a federal ban, Dana Bash said during Grahams appearance on CNNs State of the Union Sunday. More from Rolling Stone Last May, Graham tweeted that leaving abortion rights to the states would be the most constitutionally sound way of dealing with this issue. And in June 2022, he said on Fox News, All of us in the conservative world have believed that theres nothing in the Constitution giving the federal government the right to regulate abortion. Well, I have been supporting a limit on late-term abortions for since 2015, Graham told Bash during the interview. I had a bill to limit abortions at 20 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother. Seventy percent of Americans support limiting abortion when the when the unborn child can feel pain. Fifty of 53 European nations limit abortion at 15 weeks or less. "No no, quit covering for these guys! No no no, you're media, you keep covering for these guys!" Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) goes off on Dana Bash after she says "for the record Roe went up to viability" during discussion on late-term abortion and what should be left to states pic.twitter.com/s5zbKaWQFf The Recount (@therecount) April 23, 2023 But my question is, is it a federal issue or a state Bash interjected, but Graham kept talking over her. Story continues At 15 weeks, you have a developed heart and lungs, the senator claimed. And to dismember a child at 15 weeks is a painful experience. Its barbaric. Its out of line with the rest of the civilized world. Only North Korea and China allow abortion demand up to the moment of birth, except the Democratic Party. What the Democratic Party proposes on abortion is barbaric. Abortion up to the moment of birth, taxpayer-funded. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) disagrees with Grahams assertion that a 15-week fetus can feel pain. ACOG wrote that science conclusively establishes that a human fetus does not have the capacity to experience pain until after at least 2425 weeks and added that the evidence shows that the neural circuitry necessary to distinguish touch from painful touch does not, in fact, develop until late in the third trimester. Further, Grahams allegations that the rest of the civilized world bars abortions after 15 weeks is very misleading, as many European nations have broad allowances for exceptions, including socioeconomic circumstances. Abortion in many other nations is also subsidized by the government. And his claims about late-term abortions are highly exaggerated. Further, states with Democratic leadership including Illinois and New York have imposed limits on abortion after the point of viability, usually around 24 weeks. But when Bash pointed out to Graham, Just for the record, Roe went up to viability, the senator exploded. No, thats no, no, no! Quit covering for these guys. No, no, no! Youre media, you keep covering for these guys. They introduced legislation that allowed abortion on demand with taxpayer-funded you paying for it, the taxpayer, up to the moment of birth. That was their position in Washington. Thats the law they want to pass. And nobody in your business will talk about it. Senator, Im not covering for anybody. And you know that, Bash fired back. And when I have Democrats on and I have had Democrats on I have asked all of them about their position where they believe this issue should be My question for you, sir, is about President Trump, who you have endorsed to be president again. Is he right in saying that this issue should be a states issue? He said yesterday, I think, at a speech in Iowa that he opposes late-term abortion, Graham responded. Heres what I believe, that anybody running for president who has a snowballs chance in hell in the 2024 primary is going to be with me, the American people, and all of Europe saying late-term abortions should be off the table. Seventy percent of the people oppose late-term abortions. I am confident, over time, thats where our nominee will be. I am confident that no Democrat will answer the question of, when do you draw a line? They never get challenged. I welcome this debate. Of course, Graham is lying. A number of Democrats have indicated they believe in some regulation around abortion. Graham is also using the specter of late-term abortions a procedure that is exceedingly rare and often sought due to extreme fetal abnormalities or the life of the parent to polarize people on the issue, a common conservative tactic. Proving Graham wrong in his claim that Bash never presses Democrats on the issue of abortion, the host interviewed Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar later in the show and asked for her to respond to Graham. I think Senator Graham knows where the American people are on this, Klobuchar said. They are with Democratic leaders. And the people of this country believe that the women of this country should be able to make their own decisions about their health care, and not politicians. And they dont want Ted Cruz in the waiting room. Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Explore editor Hi! Im Sara Rae Shields, Explore editor for the Yakima Herald-Republic. Im a very outgoing and sociable person and I want to share with readers whats going on in the Yakima Valley. I also want to hear from you. Lets create strong community bonds over the fun events and fascinating people to meet in the area. Im Wapato born and raised and love meeting locals and transplants. I spend a lot of time supporting the Seattle Sounders as part of the Dry Side Supporters, raving about my rescue dog, Telly and hanging out at local gathering spots like restaurants,breweries, wineries and bars. Prior to working for YHR, I was a GIS Specialist for the Yakama Nation and take great pride in the 15 years I spent working for my tribe. I also coached middle school girls soccer in Wapato and worked the front desk at a tattoo/body piercing shop. RFA/Health Care Access Reporter Santiago Ochoa is a bilingual journalist covering health care access at the Yakima Herald-Republic in Yakima, Washington. Before joining the Herald, Ochoa reported for Flint Beat in Flint, Michigan, covering the citys Latino populationhealth care, education, community building and more, and winning top honors in the Michigan Press Associations feature category. He served as photographer and later editor for his college newspaper, The Michigan Times. When hes not working, Ochoa enjoys cross-country trips on his motorcycle, going to the movies, reading and skiing. Im Luke Thompson, a reporter in my seventh year at the YH-R following stints at seven publications in the preceding seven years. My primary focus is covering the many great prep sports stories in the Yakima Valley, as well as the sports at Yakima Valley College and Central Washington University.Ialso cover Pippins baseball and Outdoors features. After spending my childhood in Kansas followed by college at the University of Missouri and jobs at various papers in the South/Midwest, Ive tried to make up for all those years without mountains by spending a lot of time in the Cascades skiing, hiking, camping, or just exploring on my own or with my wife and our dog. If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. Key Insights Perenti's estimated fair value is AU$1.34 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of AU$1.26 suggests Perenti is potentially trading close to its fair value Analyst price target for PRN is AU$1.47, which is 9.6% above our fair value estimate In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Perenti Limited (ASX:PRN) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Perenti The Model We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$21.3m AU$85.0m AU$91.9m AU$97.1m AU$101.5m AU$105.2m AU$108.6m AU$111.7m AU$114.5m AU$117.2m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Est @ 5.60% Est @ 4.50% Est @ 3.73% Est @ 3.19% Est @ 2.81% Est @ 2.55% Est @ 2.36% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 12% AU$19.0 AU$68.2 AU$66.1 AU$62.5 AU$58.5 AU$54.3 AU$50.2 AU$46.3 AU$42.5 AU$39.0 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$507m Story continues We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.9%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 12%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$117m (1 + 1.9%) (12% 1.9%) = AU$1.2b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$1.2b ( 1 + 12%)10= AU$409m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is AU$915m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$1.3, the company appears about fair value at a 6.1% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Perenti as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 12%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.635. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Perenti Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by cash flow. Weakness Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Australian market. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Annual revenue is expected to decline over the next 3 years. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Perenti, there are three pertinent elements you should further examine: Financial Health: Does PRN have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does PRN's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Horoscop 2 mai 2023. Capricornii se indragostesc Horoscop 2 mai 2023. Se anunta o zi speciala pentru Capricorni, de parca Ziua Indragostitilor s-a mutat, pentru ei, de pe 14 februarie pe 2 mai. Unii dintre nativi se indragostesc si simt fluturii in stomac, dupa ceva vreme in care nu credeau ca mai este posibil un astfel de sentiment. Iar alti Capricorni, [citeste mai departe] One simple way to benefit from the stock market is to buy an index fund. But if you buy good businesses at attractive prices, your portfolio returns could exceed the average market return. For example, the General Electric Company ( NYSE:GE ) share price is up 99% in the last three years, clearly besting the market return of around 43% (not including dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 44% in the last year , including dividends . Since it's been a strong week for General Electric shareholders, let's have a look at trend of the longer term fundamentals. View our latest analysis for General Electric While General Electric made a small profit, in the last year, we think that the market is probably more focussed on the top line growth at the moment. Generally speaking, we'd consider a stock like this alongside loss-making companies, simply because the quantum of the profit is so low. It would be hard to believe in a more profitable future without growing revenues. In the last 3 years General Electric saw its revenue shrink by 6.6% per year. Despite the lack of revenue growth, the stock has returned 26%, compound, over three years. If the company is cutting costs profitability could be on the horizon, but the revenue decline is a prima facie concern. You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on General Electric What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for General Electric the TSR over the last 3 years was 158%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. Story continues A Different Perspective It's good to see that General Electric has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 44% in the last twelve months. Of course, that includes the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 4% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for General Electric that you should be aware of before investing here. General Electric is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Maruti Suzuki India has issued a recall for the Baleno RS model on sale in India. The recall by the Indian automaker is to address a suspected defect in the vacuum pump of the car. The problem with the pump can result in irregular braking as the pump is supposed to assist the brake function of the hatchback. The recall will be for 7,213 units of the car that were manufactured between October 27, 2016, and November 1, 2019, by the Indian automaker. A statement by the Indian automaker said, "It is suspected that there is a possible defect in the vacuum pump, which assists the brake function. In a rare case, the affected vehicle may require increased effort in the brake pedal application." Also read: Mahindra Thar Modified With Neon-Like Paint Is Aggressive Head-Turner; Check Pics The company claimed that Maruti Suzuki authorised dealer workshops will contact affected vehicle owners to arrange for free replacement of the problematic parts. Maruti Suzuki India also announced in a post on its website that it would be conducting a service campaign for 676 Ertiga and XL6 models built between June 24, 2022, and July 7, 2022, due to a suspected issue in the front driveshaft, which in rare instances may cause an odd noise when turning the vehicle but has no bearing on its functionality. The company recalled 17,362 units of the Alto K10, S-Presso, Eeco, Brezza, Baleno, and Grand Vitara models to replace a defective airbag controller in January of this year. The products in question were produced between December 8, 2022, and January 12, 2023. A likely problem with the torque of a bolt related to the seat belt buckle bracket of the co-driver seat forced the company to recall 5,002 units of its commercial vehicle Super Carry (both Petrol and CNG Variants) in September of last year. Herry Shroti, popularly known as Goldman, is not only known for his luxurious lifestyle but also for his philanthropic activities. His kind nature and generosity towards those in need have won the hearts of many. His actions prove that being wealthy and successful does not necessarily mean being selfish and greedy. Goldman's acts of kindness extend beyond donating money to charities. He is known to personally visit hospitals and distribute food packets to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. His assistance to underprivileged people in need of COVID-19 medicines, equipment, and food has been a great help to many. He has even provided oxygen cylinders to hospitals in various districts and cities, showing his commitment to helping those in need. Goldman believes that even a small act of kindness can go a long way in changing someone's life. He understands the value of education and basic necessities, and he has been actively involved in supporting underprivileged children's education. His contributions to education, nutrition, and basic security have made a significant impact on children's lives, enabling them to lead normal life. New Delhi: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully accomplished PSLV C55/ TeLEOS 2 Mission. It aimed to place TeLEOS -2 and LUMELITE -4 satellites precisely into their intended 586 km circular orbit. The test was successfully conducted by ISRO and called it a textbook launch. ALSO READ | AI Machine Introduced In Maharashtra Tribal School To Ensure Nutritious Meals Reacting on the success of ISRO in a textbook launch of TeLEOS -2 mission, SpaceX head Elon Musk wrote, Congratulations!. Tech billionaire Musks comment marked a big thing for Indian space organisation and showed the eyes of the world leaders and billionaires are on ISRO and its missions. Congratulations! Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2023 ISRO tweeted after the successful launch of the satellite mission and wrote, PSLV- C55/TeLEOS-2 mission is accomplished successfully. In a textbook launch, the vehicle placed TeLEOS-2 and LUMELITE-4 satellites precisely into their intended 586 km circular orbit. It also shared the photos of the launch of PSLV - C55. ISROs PSLV C55/ TeLEOS 2 Mission ISRO launched its PSLV C55/ TeLEOS 2 Mission on Saturday, sending two Singapore- made satellites into the Space. It was launched from ISROs Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SCSC) in Andhra Pradeshs Sriharikota. The mission was undertaken by the ISROs commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) an organisation that aims to commercialise ISROs missions. It is the 57th flight of the ISROs Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). PSLV- C55/TeLEOS-2 mission is accomplished successfully. In a textbook launch, the vehicle placed TeLEOS-2 and LUMELITE-4 satellites precisely into their intended 586 km circular orbit.@NSIL_India@PIB_India ISRO (@isro) April 22, 2023 Musks SpaceX Startship Exploded Elon Musks SpaceX conducted the first trial of the worlds heaviest rocket Starship launch two days from Texas, USA. It successfully lifted off, but being exploded in the middle. Musk hailed the mission as a successful lift-off. AGARTALA: The BJP had 'used' the 2019 Pulwama terror attack and the consequent air strike at Balakot in the neighbouring country to win the Lok Sabha polls that year, former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar claimed on Sunday. Sarkar made the claim days after former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satyapal Malik, alleged that the Pulwama terror attack was a result of 'systemic failure, involving gross security and intelligence lapses'. A terror attack was carried out in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir by a suicide bomber on February 14, 2019 resulting in the death of 40 CRPF personnel. "Using the atmosphere, they (BJP) won the 2019 Lok Sabha election and it is Satyapal Malik, who was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir when the incident took place, is now speaking about it," Sarkar said at a party programme here. Soon after the Balakot incident, the CPI(M) had expressed doubt and asserted that there was a 'deep-rooted conspiracy' behind the incident before the general election held in April-May that year to overshadow other burning issues like unemployment. India's war planes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack. Expressing surprise over Malik's interview, Sarkar said the Prime Minister, Home Minister and National Security Advisor are now 'observing silence'. Former army chief Gen (retd) Shankar Roychowdhury has also raised concerns over the issue, he said. "After the former Governor gave the interview, I was thinking that he would be summoned by the CBI and it proved to be correct as he was asked to appear before the federal investigating agency on a case related to an alleged insurance scam," Sarkar said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. 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. Claiming that the country has for the first time experienced such a 'reactionary government', the CPI(M) politburo member said the BJP can be defeated if people come together. "In Tripura, 60 per cent of voters did not support them (BJP) in the recent Assembly elections. Political force, Tipra Motha which openly criticised the BJP, helped the saffron party to win the polls", he said. New Delhi: Pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh, who was on the run for over a month, was arrested from Punjab's Moga, police said on Sunday. Punjab Police, which launched a massive crackdown against Amritpal and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De' on March 18, said he would be sent to Assam's Dibrugarh jail. The cops also urged citizens to maintain peace and harmony. "Amritpal Singh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by Punjab Police. Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, don't share any fake news, always verify and share," Punjab Police said on its official Twitter account. #AmritpalSingh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share. Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 23, 2023 Amritpal and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, attacking police personnel, and creating obstructions in public servants' lawful discharge of duty. The stringent National Security Act (NSA) was also invoked against Singh and some of his aides. "He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh," a senior police official told the news agency PTI. The latest picture of #AmritpalSingh in Punjab Police custody shared with ANI by Official sources pic.twitter.com/z7VB91Na0D ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 Nine of Amritpal's aides -- Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla -- are currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail. Despite being sighted in several CCTV footage and photos with changed appearances at many places, including Patiala, Kurukshetra and Delhi, Amritpal Singh managed to remain elusive for over a month. While on the run, two videos and one audio clip of Amritpal surfaced on social media. In one of his two videos, which surfaced on March 30, he had asserted that he was not a fugitive and would soon appear. The pro-Khalistan preacher had claimed that he was not like those who would flee the country. In February this year, Amritpal Singh and his supporters -- some of them brandishing swords and guns -- broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of the Amritsar city, clashing with police for the release of one of Amritpal's aides. After the incident, in which six policemen including a Superintendent of Police rank officer had suffered injuries, the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government faced severe flak and was accused of kowtowing to extremists. Earlier this week, Amritpal's wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped from boarding a flight to London at the Sri Guru Ram Dass International Airport in Amritsar. 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. According to reports, she was stopped at the airport as there was a lookout circular (LoC) issued against her, however, there was no official word on it. Amritpal married Kaur, a UK-based Non-Resident Indian, on February 10. New Delhi: 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. 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 in Prayagraj 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. Ahmed, 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 to Prayagraj from Gujarat and Bareilly prisons for interrogation in connection with the killing of Umesh Pal. Opposition got Atiq Ahmed 'killed': UP minister Uttar Pradesh minister Dharampal Singh on Saturday alleged that the opposition parties got Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf killed, fearing that the duo would reveal their secrets. "The truth is that the opposition is involved in getting Atiq killed. Some serious secrets were about to be revealed, that's why the opposition got him murdered," said Singh, the state animal husbandry and dairy development minister. Chennai: A day after Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan dismissed as "fabricated" an audio clip where he is claimed to have made some comments about the DMK's first family, the BJP's state unit said it will seek an "independent forensic audit" of the tape. Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai, who had uploaded Rajan's purported audio tape on his Twitter account a few days ago, challenged the minister to produce a tape with "similar content but instead in my voice." In a statement, he said a delegation of BJP leaders will be meeting state Governor R N Ravi on Sunday "seeking an independent forensic audit on the audio file." PTR, as Rajan is addressed, had on Saturday dismissed as "fabricated," the audio clip in which he is claimed to have made certain comments about the ruling DMK's first family. While sharing the clip, Annamalai had claimed Rajan made some 'revelation' about the assets of DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin's son Udhaynidhi and son-in-law Sabareesan. Since the minister "is resting on an argument that this audio is fabricated, we challenge him to produce an audio clip with similar content but instead in my voice," Annamalai said. "We shall submit both audio samples to a court-monitored investigation and let the investigating agency ascertain the genuine nature of both audio clips," he insisted. The BJP leader said he will submit his voice sample and expected PTR to do the same. Rajan should understand it is "too big a case to be brushed under the carpet with weak statements posted as defence," he added. PTR had earlier described the audio clip as "malicious, fabricated," and asserted anyone could make such clips with the help of technology. HYDERABAD: Countdown for the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS Government in Telangana has begun and the BJP's fight will not stop until the present regime is dethroned, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday. Addressing a public meeting titled "Vijay Sankalp Sabha" at Chevella near here, Shah said if BJP comes to power in Telangana, reservations for Muslims will be scrapped. Elections are due in the southern state later this year. On BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samiti) expansion plans, Shah said KCR, as Rao is addressed has dreamt of becoming the Prime Minister and going around the country. His dreams of becoming the Prime Minister will never be fulfilled because there is no vacancy, Shah said adding the people of Telangana know everything. The Prime Minister's post is not vacant. "KCR, in 2024 also Narendra Modi is going to become Prime Minister with full majority", Shah said. "Before that there will be trailer of (assembly elections in Telangana) and elect a BJP government here," Shah said. The minister alleged corruption in several projects and accused KCR of making Telangana as an "ATM" for his family, adding now the people of Telangana have become aware. "The countdown for the ruling BRS in Telangana which has been running a corrupt government in the state for the last eight-nine years has begun," Shah said. BJP is forming government in Telangana and the corrupt will be put behind bars, he stated. "Telangana people have come to know about you ( KCR) and your family corruption. Government funds are being misused in a big way...The people around you are the main accused and are involved in scams. To divert attention they made TRS to BRS," Shah said about KCR recently renaming his founded party. He charged policing and administration in Telangana have been completely politicised and welfare measures which are being extended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not percolating down to the grassroots. Referring to the arrest of Telangana BJP president and Lok Sabha MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar recently in connection with the case of malpractice after a Class 10 board exam question paper surfaced in an instant messaging app, Shah said party workers won't be cowed down by such acts. "He feels that BJP party workers will be scared if put behind bars. KCR listen, none of our workers is afraid of your atrocities. We will not stop until you are thrown out of the seat of power," Shah said. "Today I want to ask KCR what was Bandi Sanjay's fault. He (Bandi Sanjay) raised his voice against paper leakage and for rights of youths. You put Bandi Sanjay in jail and court granted him bail within 24 hours. BJP MLA E Rajender was stopped from speaking in Assembly," Shah said. "I want to assure the poor of Telangana that no matter how much KCR conspires he cannot keep you far from Modi ji. In the upcoming elections, the BJP is going to form a government here with an absolute majority," he said. Shah alleged injustice was being meted out to youth in Telangana. "SSC and TSPSC exam papers are being leaked. KCR has ruined the future of lakhs of youths. Youth are ready to teach you a lesson in election. More than 2 lakh vacancies in the state government were not filled. When the process to fill 80,000 posts began in a hurry, the incidents of the question-paper leak ruined the lives of youths?does he have the right to continue to be in power for even a second," Shah asked. The veteran BJP leader said the Telangana CM has not spoken a single word on the TSPSC question paper leak issue and sought to know from KCR whom he wants to protect. A probe should be ordered into the issue by a sitting Judge of the High Court, Shah demanded. "If you have guts then order a probe by a sitting judge into the issue. If you think that you will be saved by not instituting a probe, you are wrong. Because as soon as the BJP forms a government we will throw each and every corrupt person into jail," he said. The Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on March 15 cancelled the Assistant Engineers (AE) exam held earlier that month, following allegations that the question paper had been leaked. Subsequently some more exams were cancelled. More than 15 people including TSPSC employees have been arrested over their alleged involvement in connection with the leak of papers. Shah further accused KCR of walking on AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi's 'agenda.' He also hit out at KCR for not celebrating the 'Telangana Liberation Day" (the day the erstwhile Nizam state merged with Indian Union in 1948) and promised it will be celebrated in a grand manner at Hyderabad's Parade Ground after BJP forms government. Shah alleged the Telangana government even does not show the complete map of Kashmir to appease Owaisi's party. This is disrespectful to India, he said. He said KCR unconstitutionally reserved benefits for Muslims under the two-bedroom home scheme and education schemes. "We are not scared of Majlis (AIMIM). Telangana government will be for the people and not Owaisi. Once BJP government is formed this unconstitutional Muslim reservation will be scrapped. This right is of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC and they will get their right and we will scrap Muslim reservation,? Shah said. Shah said the steering of 'car' (the election symbol of BRS) was with Majlis and Owaisi and alleged they cannot do good to Telangana and appealed the people to vote for 'lotus', the BJP's symbol. Shah also listed out the developmental works undertaken by Modi government in Telangana including highways, railways and allotment of new projects and on enhancement of budgetary allocation to the state. He alleged BRS government of not fulfilling the promises made to the people. "We will form a government here which will focus on your development," Shah added. Hitting back at Shah, BRS leader and Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao tweeted : "I thank HM @AmitShah Ji on laying the foundation for ITIR Hyderabad, National Project status for Palamuru - RR lift irrigation project, Hyderabad Metro Phase 2 , IIM, IISER, IIIT, IIT, NID, Navodayas, Medical & Nursing Colleges Oh Wait he did none of that. Amit Ji, Why don't you name one BJP governed state which has fared better than #Telangana in last 9 years?". GUWAHATI: Assam police on Sunday served a notice to national president of Indian Youth Congress Srinivas B.V. to appear before it over harassment complaint lodged by expelled Congress leader Angkita Dutta. Srinivas was asked to be present at the Dispur police station on May 2 failing which may attract issuance of an arrest warrant against him. The copy of the letter of Assam police referring the cases registered against Srinivas on Dutta's complaint mentioned, "It is revealed that there are reasonable grounds to question you (Srinivas B.V.) to ascertain facts and circumstances from you, in relation to the present investigation. Hence you are directed to appear at 11:00 AM on 02/05/2023 (Tuesday) at Dispur police station." "Failure to attend/comply with the terms of this notice can render you liable for arrest under section 41A(3) and (4) of CrPC," the letter further said. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala took a swipe at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on his response on Angkita`s issues. He said, "The turncoat Chief Minister of Assam has become infamous for his antics to stay in news. Sometimes he wants to arrest Pawan Khera, sometimes he wants to arrest BV Srinivas." Surjewala said, "Perhaps he is doing so to save the ignominy that Mr Modi was once trying to arrest him for Saradha and Louis Berger Scam. That is why he defected to the BJP. Reject him, don`t pay any attention to him." Reacting sharply to Surjewala, Sarma posted on Twitter, "The Assam police is acting in accordance with the law. They are currently investigating a case filed by a female Congress worker against the accused person under Section 354 of IPC. It is unfair to blame me for the lack of a safe environment within the Congress party for female workers." New Delhi: Ahead of the release of the series Citadel, Priyanka Chopra is hogging all the limelight from Mumbai to Rome. Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas went to Rome for the global premiere of Citadel. They are also enjoying the couple time amid work. Priyanka took to Instagram on Saturday to post some drool-worthy pictures which she captioned, Roman Holiday. Priyanka looked absolutely gorgeous in a parrot green bodycon dress with a plunging neckline. She amped up her look with a ruffled cape. Priyanka posted a couple of solo pictures as well as two frames with her husband. Nick sported a blue suit. The two of them together exude love. Celebs could not keep their calm and complimented Priyankas look. Huma Qureshi posted a fire emoji on it. Raashii Khanna wrote, Stunning! Nick Jonas is also promoting Priyankas Citadel in his own unique way. He posted a video of his wife, in which, Priyanka is posing at the red carpet. He captioned it, Damnn @priyankachopra. In the early hours of Friday, Nick took to his Instagram account and dropped an adorable video from their recent vacation which he captioned, Rome. In the video, the couple could be seen walking and kissing on the streets of Rome, Italy and having ice cream together. Priyanka will be seen headlining The Russo Brothers show Citadel, which will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, April 28, with two adrenaline-fueled episodes, followed by a new episode released weekly every Friday. The action-packed show revolves around two elite agents Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka) of the global spy agency Citadel. Sharing details about the show, Priyanka said, The story is closely interwoven with the stunts. Whats 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 theres drama at the heart of each one of them, so theres a story sort of interwoven in all the stunts. And that was just very cool and new for me. A German court wont hear arguments in a sex offense trial involving the primary suspect in the Madeleine McCann case. Convicted sex predator, Christian Bruckner, 45, whos considered the most credible suspect in the British toddlers 2007 disappearance, will not face trial on charges related to a trio of sexual assaults that took place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017, the Guardian reported. Hed faced three charges of aggravated rape. RELATED: Polish Woman Issues Apology To Madeleine McCanns Parents After Claiming To Be Missing Girl A regional German court ruled it was not competent to allow the trial against Bruckner to proceed, which had soon been set to open, because his last known address in Germany was reportedly located in a different state of Saxony-Anhalt, according to the Guardian. The announcement by the Braunschweig court, which comes days before the 16th anniversary of McCanns disappearance, appeared to catch prosecutors off-guard. The court should have given both the state prosecutor and the defense lawyer this decision simultaneously, prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told Bild newspaper, the Guardian reported. Christian Brueckner Ap Christian Brueckner Photo: AP Wolters said his office would carefully examine the reasons issued by the tribunal. He said hed likely appeal the decision. Wolters vowed to continue probing McCanns disappearance. Bruckners lawyer, however, said the court precedent could now impede German investigators efforts in investigating McCanns disappearance. On the basis of the courts decision, the Brunswick justice system is also not competent in the Maddie case, Friedrich Fulscher said, according to the Guardian. Madeleine McCann Its unclear what impact, if any, the ruling will have on the German investigation into McCanns disappearance. Even if the case moves to the proper jurisdiction, prosecutors may still face additional legal hurdles in bringing forth charges against Bruckner. Story continues Bruckners registration documents alone, Fulscher said, are also not sufficient enough evidence to prove his client was physically living at the listed address in question at the time. Prior to his arrest abroad, the accused lived on his property in Neuwegersleben, Fulscher added. On May 3, 2007, McCann vanished from her familys hotel room while vacationing in Praia da Luz, Portugal. McCann was 3 years old at the time. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were later discounted as persons of interest in the case by Portugal investigators. Madeleine Mccann Pd Madeleine Mccann Photo: MET Police German authorities in 2020 declared theyd obtained evidence which they say strongly suggested McCann was no longer alive and that Bruckner was behind her death, however, they didnt further elaborate on the claims. If you knew the evidence we had, you would come to the same conclusion as I do, but I cant give you details because we dont want the accused to know what we have on him, Wolters said at the time. These are tactical considerations. Wolters had previously stated that proceeding to trial without McCanns body or evidence that shed been killed would be incredibly difficult. Oxy App Bruckner, identified only as Christian B. in formal court documents in accordance with German privacy laws, has long-insisted hes innocent in McCanns kidnapping. He claims he was having sex in a nearby camper van with a German woman around the time of McCanns disappearance. Last year, Portuguese officials also listed Bruckner as a suspect in McCann's 2007 kidnapping. Bruckner is currently serving a 7-year prison sentence for raping a 72-year-old woman at the Praia da Luz resort dating back to 2005. In other news related to the highly publicized case, a 21-year-old Polish woman who had recently speculated she may be McCann, issued an apology to the missing girls parents after a DNA test disproved her claims. New Delhi: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested in Punjab's Moga district on Sunday after police personnel surrounded him, leaving him with no chance to escape, a senior police official said. Briefing the media after the pro-Khalistani leader's arrest, who was on the run for more than a month, Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Punjab, Sukhchain Singh Gill, said Amritpal was arrested at around 6:45 am from village Rode and has now been taken to Dibrugarh in Assam. "National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and these have been executed today morning. Further law will take its own course," Sukhchain Singh Gill told the news conference. He added that a joint operation was conducted by the Amritsar Police and the intelligence wing of the Punjab Police. "He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. He was surrounded from all sides, the village was surrounded by Punjab police," Gill said. The police personnel did not enter the gurudwara in which Amritpal was present to maintain its sanctity. "To maintain sanctity, the police did not enter the gurdwara and since he knew that he had no way to escape now, he was surrounded by Punjab Police. The village was surrounded by Punjab Police from all sides," he said. Earlier in the day, a video that surfaced on social media showed Amritpal Singh purportedly addressing a gathering at a gurdwara in Rode village in Moga. The video clip also showed him saying that he was 'surrendering'. "It is the birthplace of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. This is the place where my 'dastar bandi' (turban tying) ceremony was held. We are standing at life's critical juncture. During the past one month, whatever took place, you have seen that all," he could be heard saying in the video. A month back, 'excesses' were unleashed by the government against Sikhs," he said. "Had it been only the question of (my) arrest, then perhaps there were many ways of arrest and with which, I would have cooperated," Singh said. #WATCH | Earlier visuals of Waris Punjab De's #AmritpalSingh at Gurudwara in Moga, Punjab. He was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga this morning and is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. pic.twitter.com/2HMxTr50s7 ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 A few pictures of the radical preacher while being taken into custody also surfaced on social media in which he could be seen wearing a traditional white robe. The latest picture of #AmritpalSingh in Punjab Police custody shared with ANI by Official sources pic.twitter.com/z7VB91Na0D ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023 Crackdown against Amritpal Singh began last month A massive crackdown was launched against Amritpal Singh on March 18 after the Ajnala police station was stormed by him and his supporters to secure the release of an arrested associate. In February, Amritpal and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of one of his aides. He had earlier escaped the police dragnet twice -- first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his key associate Papalpreet Singh. Papalpreet, who is said to be Amritpal's mentor and who has allegedly been in contact with Pakistan's ISI, has already been arrested. Nine of Amritpal's aides -- Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla -- have also been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged under the stringent NSA. BJP leader Pamela Goswami was on Saturday felicitated by MoS Shantanu Thakur in West Bengal's Kolkata. Pamela, who is an actress turned politician, thanked Minister Shantanu Thakur. The former state Youth Wing chief for the party was gifted with a special garland that holds significance among the people of Matua society. We thank you for your blessings and support. You are a great example of living life of faith.I extend my gratitude for the benediction.Accept my sincere regards for being an excellent mentor and honoring me with the most pious "Garland" of the Great Matua Mahasangha @Shantanu_bjp pic.twitter.com/uo1bNA3Wik Pamela Goswami (@pamelagoswami9) April 22, 2023 "We thank you for your blessings and support. You are a great example of living life of faith. I extend my gratitude for the benediction. Accept my sincere regards for being an excellent mentor and honoring me with the most pious "Garland" of the Great Matua Mahasangha," Goswami said in tweet. On March 26, Pamela Goswami was acquitted in a high profile cocaine smuggling case filed against her during 2021 West Bengal assembly elections. Pamela Goswami thanked Union Minister of State Shantanu Thakur and said that, "The love and blessings that I have received from the entire Matua community with this sacred "garland" are priceless for me." BENGALURU: The Congress and Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday announced their alliance for the Karnataka assembly polls scheduled for May 10. As per the understanding arrived between the two parties, the CPI cadre will support the Congress candidates in 215 of the 224 constituencies of the state. While the last date for submitting nomination papers was April 20, the papers were scrutinised on April 21, and the last day for withdrawal of nominations is April 24. According to Congress party's Karnataka in-charge, Randeep Surjewala, seven constituencies will witness `friendly contests` between the two allies as the CPI has already fielded its candidates in those constituencies. "CPI has fielded 7 candidates and they were going to field more candidates. But I and the party reached out to the CPI state leadership and national leadership, and they have agreed that there will be a friendly contest on the 7 seats but on all remaining 215 seats, the entire CPI cadre will whole-heartedly support the Congress candidates in this fight against the BJP," Surjewala said. Meanwhile, backing the Congress in the fight against the ruling BJP in Karnataka assembly polls, the CPI stated that apart from contesting the seven seats, it is extending its support to the CPI(M) candidate contesting from Bagepalli constituency, and the Sarvodaya Karnataka Party candidate from Melkote constituency. Karnataka assembly polls are scheduled to be held on May 10, and the results will be announced on May 13. In a concerning development, the United Nations-designated terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has been seen openly collecting funds in Peshawar, Pakistan. This has raised alarm bells about the resurgence of extremist groups in the country, particularly after its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) grey list. https://twitter.com/AAsifAfridii/status/1649630005691809792 Asif Afridi, a Twitter user, recounted his experience during the Eid prayer, where he witnessed members of the banned outfit collecting funds openly in Peshawar, in the presence of security personnel. " Members of a banned outflit were collecting money openly in Peshawar in the presence of security personnel. My father, my brothers and I (six members in total) were there to pray Eid prayer," he said. The fundraising took place in Hayatabad (Bagh-e-Naran) by JeM, which is responsible for several terrorist attacks, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack. https://twitter.com/AAsifAfridii/status/1649835764119740416 Another Twitter user, Ehsanullah Khan Jadoon, expressed his disappointment and shared that such fundraising is a common sight in Pakistan. "It is very normal for someone to stand up after prayers and openly ask for funds to fight Jihad in Palestine and Kashmir," he said. "Was a frequent sight at our mosque in Karachi". https://twitter.com/Ehsanul09159573/status/1649944420731478017 This is not an isolated incident as several users pointed out that fundraising for extremist groups is happening in other areas as well. https://twitter.com/KalbeSaleem/status/1644599074908192769 The ease with which these groups can openly collect funds raises concerns about the government's ability to crack down on extremist activities. The FATF is an intergovernmental organization that works to combat money laundering and terrorist financing had placed the country on its grey list in 2018 due to its failure to curb terror financing but removed last year. However, recent developments such as the open fundraising by JeM suggest that the country still has a long way to go in curbing extremist activities. Earlier this year, In a stern message to Islamabad, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has said Pakistan's progress on taking action on terror financing continues to be monitored. The comments are significant in the backdrop of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin being seen publicly in Pakistan. In response to a WION question, FATF President T. Raja Kumar said, "I will not speculate on specific media reports. But I think what is important is to emphasize that there continues to be, you know, monitoring of Pakistan's progress by the Asia Pacific group." Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Syed Salahuddin, protected by security personnel, was seen leading funeral prayers for Bashir Ahmad Peer in a viral video, where he also issued a threat against India. New Delhi: Actress Urvashi Rautela recently took to Instagram and expressed her anger over a fake news report by self-proclaimed film critic Umair Sandhu. In his tweet, Umair had written that Urvashi was harassed by actor Akhil Akkineni during the shoot of their upcoming film Agent in Europe. #AkhilAkkineni harassed Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela during the soot of Agent in Europe. As per her, He is a very immature kind of actor & feeling uncomfortable working with him, the tweet read. In response to this, Urvashi penned a long note in which she mentioned that her team has sent him a defamation legal notice. Defamation legal notice has been served by my legal team. Definitely disgruntled by indecent journalists like you for your spurious/ridiculous tweets. You are not my official spokesperson. And yes, you are a very immature kind of journalist who made me & my family extremely uncomfortable, her post read. See the post shared by Urvashi in response to the tweet Umair Sandhu was recently in the news for spreading fake news about actress Celina Jaitlys alleged affair with both Feroze Khan and Fardeen Khan. However, he did not respond to either Celina or Urvashis comments. Meanwhile, on the work front, Urvashi Rautela was last seen in Waltair Veerayya alongside Chiranjeevi. She also had an ugly spat with cricketer Rishabh Pant on social media sometime back. New Delhi: Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu has cryptically clapped back at Telugu producer Chitti Babu who claimed that her career "as the heroine is finished and she cannot get back to stardom" and should accept whatever roles are to her and not be "selective." The actress had shared a post on her Instagram Stories, which got her fans scratching their heads believing that it was a jibe at Chitti Babu. In a now-deleted Instagram Story, Samantha shared a post revealing that she was searching "How do people have hair growing from ears" on Google. The answer was because of "increased testosterone." She shared the screenshot of her search along with the hashtag, "#IYKYK (If you know, you know)". Social media users believe that it was a jibe at Chitti Babu. Chitti Babu had claimed that her career as a "heroine is finished and she cannot get back to stardom. She should continue her journey doing the offers she gets." The producer also accused Samantha of trying to "gain sympathy." He said: "Every time sentiment will not work. If the role and film are good, people will watch. All these are cheap and insane acts. I wonder how Samantha who lost her heroine status suited for the role of Shakuntala. I do not have any interest in Shaakuntalam." New Delhi: Researchers found students to have fared better at accounting exams than ChatGPT, OpenAI's chatbot product. Despite this, they said that ChatGPT's performance was "impressive" and that it was a "game changer that will change the way everyone teaches and learns - for the better." The researchers from Brigham Young University (BYU), US, and 186 other universities wanted to know how OpenAI's technology would fare on accounting exams. They have published their findings in the journal Issues in Accounting Education. In the researchers' accounting exam, students scored an overall average of 76.7 per cent, compared to ChatGPT's score of 47.4 per cent. While in 11.3 per cent of the questions, ChatGPT was found to score higher than the student average, doing particularly well on accounting information systems (AIS) and auditing, the AI bot was found to perform worse on tax, financial, and managerial assessments. Researchers think this could possibly be because ChatGPT struggled with the mathematical processes required for the latter type. The AI bot, which uses machine learning to generate natural language text, was further found to do better on true/false questions (68.7 per cent correct) and multiple-choice questions (59.5 per cent), but struggled with short-answer questions (between 28.7 and 39.1 per cent). In general, the researchers said that higher-order questions were harder for ChatGPT to answer. In fact, sometimes ChatGPT was found to provide authoritative written descriptions for incorrect answers, or answer the same question different ways. They also found that ChatGPT often provided explanations for its answers, even if they were incorrect. Other times, it went on to select the wrong multiple-choice answer, despite providing accurate descriptions. Researchers importantly noted that ChatGPT sometimes made up facts. For example, when providing a reference, it generated a real-looking reference that was completely fabricated. The work and sometimes the authors did not even exist. The bot was seen to also make nonsensical mathematical errors such as adding two numbers in a subtraction problem, or dividing numbers incorrectly. Wanting to add to the intense ongoing debate about how how models like ChatGPT should factor into education, lead study author David Wood, a BYU professor of accounting, decided to recruit as many professors as possible to see how the AI fared against actual university accounting students. His co-author recruiting pitch on social media exploded: 327 co-authors from 186 educational institutions in 14 countries participated in the research, contributing 25,181 classroom accounting exam questions. They also recruited undergraduate BYU students to feed another 2,268 textbook test bank questions to ChatGPT. The questions covered AIS, auditing, financial accounting, managerial accounting and tax, and varied in difficulty and type (true/false, multiple choice, short answer). (Bloomberg) -- Glencore Plcs attempt to seal minings biggest deal in a decade has thrust Chief Executive Officer Gary Nagle into center stage. Little known outside Glencore before taking the job nearly two years ago, the energetic South African is pursuing one of minings most unattainable targets, in a bitter brawl thats headed for a potential climax this week. Most Read from Bloomberg While the bid for Canadas Teck Resources Ltd. is Nagles first major move as CEO, the deal itself was dreamed up under his predecessor Ivan Glasenberg, who privately tried and failed to get it done in 2020. Nagle was involved in those efforts too, according to people familiar with the matter, as head of Glencores coal business and already earmarked to replace the man that hired him two decades earlier. Three years later, Glencore under Nagle is trying again. It has proposed a $23 billion takeover of Teck, with a plan to create two new companies from the combination one focused on metals and the other that produces coal. Its a company-defining deal that would reshape Glencores own business while swallowing up one of the last big Canadian miners. Glencore itself has a long history of aggressive moves, and much of its expansion over the years came through acquisitions. Teck has rejected Glencores approaches, saying investors should support its own plan to spin off its coal mines before its willing to entertain offers. Crucially, that view is backed by Norman Keevil, the Canadian mining patriarch whose familys supervoting shares give him a veto on any big decisions. For decades, the Keevil stake meant that Teck was viewed as untouchable across the industry, even as rivals coveted its mines. Story continues Read: Teck Mining Magnate Stands Between Glencore and Mega Deal This was always going to be speculative given Tecks shareholding, said Ben Davis, an analyst at Liberum in London. Tecks other investors will get a say on Wednesday in a vote on its spinoff plan, which Glencore has sought to frame as a referendum on whether Tecks board should abandon the split and enter talks. Should investors approve Tecks strategy, Nagles pursuit will probably be over, at least for now. If they dont, Glencore said its willing to make a higher offer. Theres a lot at stake for 48-year-old Nagle and Glencore. Buying Teck is a deal the company has worked on for years, presenting an opportunity to consolidate its control of one of the worlds best copper mining complexes while offering a neat solution for its profitable but polluting coal business. Read Javier Blas: Will Glencore Go From Predator to Mining M&A Prey? Glencore would overnight go from being the worlds biggest coal shipper to a company with no exposure to the dirtiest fuel at all. It would also become one of the biggest metal miners, poised to benefit from surging demand as the global economy decarbonizes. Such a transformation would define Nagles early leadership of a company thats long been dominated by two figures founder and legendary fugitive trader Marc Rich, and Glasenberg, Nagles predecessor who built the company in its current form and remains its biggest shareholder. Still, while Glencore has a history of bold dealmaking, not all of its efforts have succeeded. As well as failing to convince Tecks previous management team, Glasenberg tried unsuccessfully to merge with mining giant Rio Tinto Group in 2014. Glencores willingness to separate its coal business for the Teck deal also threatens to reopen the question of whether the company should get out of coal even if the bid fails. Glencore says nothing has changed it will exit its coal business when shareholders say they want it to but the structure of the Teck proposal provided the first concrete sign that the company was considering such a move. Glencore slid about 1% in London on Monday and is down about 12% this year. Read: Glencores Bid for Teck Shows Its Willing to Abandon Coal Glencores overtures have been given short shrift by Teck. The company has branded the approach as opportunistic, as it starts up a huge new copper mine, and pointed to differences in the two cultures, including Glencores record of bribery and price fixing. Teck says other mining companies have expressed interest in a deal after the coal spinoff and dangled the prospect of a bidding war. Glencore, quite frankly, has been rather clever at maybe jumping the gun before others have been able to put together offers, said Peter Letko, co-founder of Montreal-based Letko Brosseau & Associates Inc., who said he will vote in favor of Tecks spinoff. Given a little time youll see broader interest and a real competitive bidding for these assets. The vote on Wednesday requires two-thirds support from both types of shares, and Tecks biggest investors have yet to say which way they will go. Teck will be able to see the initial results and could delay or cancel the vote if its heading for a loss. Tecks Keevil has also sought to undermine Nagles influence. In a statement a week ago, he referred to Glasenberg as a smart man whose timing was good for Glencore rather than Teck, but failed to mention Glencores current CEO. Read: Tecks Keevil Says Hes Open to Deals After Planned Split Glencore, under Glasenberg, first approached Teck in 2020. After six months of talks, based around a similar structure that Glencore has proposed again now, Teck said it was not interested. Nagle made his first attempt to succeed where his predecessor failed at Londons annual metal gathering last October, according to people familiar with the matter. Teck had just undergone its own leadership change Don Lindsay, who ran the company for nearly two decades, handed over to his chief financial officer, Jonathan Price at the end of September. Nagle pitched his idea over breakfast to his new counterpart, a relative newcomer to Teck who joined in 2020 from industry leader BHP Group. What followed was a series of communications through a London banker who worked as an intermediary. Price and Nagle met again at Davos in January. Then, in mid-February, Teck announced a plan to split its company in half instead. After years of weighing options for its two main business copper and zinc mines that straddle the Americas and a chain of coal mines in British Columbia Teck had finally made a decision: coal would become its own company, but would remain economically linked to the metal mines for another six years. Read: Teck Resources to Spin Off Coal and Simplify Share Structure Inside Glencore, Tecks announcement set the clock ticking. Within months, the door would slam shut on its own long-coveted deal. It made its proposal in late March, and a week later Teck announced its rejection. Glencores bid for Teck marks the public return to mega deals by the worlds biggest miners, as rising demand for metals like copper and nickel to facilitate the green-energy transition helps revive the industrys appetite for acquisitions. The largest producers have spent a decade on the sidelines after a series of disastrous deals during the 2000s commodities boom. During that period, nearly every big name in mining either disappeared or became one of the handful of behemoths that denominate the sector today. The exceptions mostly had one thing in common: a single family or large shareholder that didnt want to sell. For Chilean copper miner Antofagasta Plc it was the Luksic family, for Teck it was the Keevils. Read: Mega Miners Are Hunting for Deals After Decade on the Sidelines Teck has also sought to frame the battle as a defense of Canadian mining, after many of its rivals were swallowed up during the last takeover frenzy. For Glencore to be successful, there are some serious obstacles to overcome. Glencore cannot buy Teck without the support of Keevil, who has so far been blunt in his refusal. The company would also have to muster wider shareholder support at a time when mining investors have been demanding weighty premiums BHP and Rio Tinto both recently bought copper miners at around a 50% premium. Chinas sovereign wealth fund is the biggest holder of Tecks Class B shares, with about 10%. Still, while this is Nagles first big deal as CEO, he has some experienced heads at his side. As well as Glasenberg, Nagle has veteran dealmaker Michael Klein. Bloomberg reported on Friday Glencore has been working with Klein as well as Citigroup Inc. on the Teck bid, continuing a longstanding relationship after Klein previously acted as a go-between in the negotiations to take over Glencores sister company Xstrata a decade ago. Read: Klein Emerges From Credit Suisse Saga With Glencore-Teck Role Since Teck went public in rejecting Glencores offer, Nagle has traveled relentlessly to meet with shareholders and muster support, including a dash to Toronto. For Nagle, who spent much of his year as a trader, the salesman lifestyle comes naturally. In an interview with Bloomberg last month, Nagle said it goes without saying that his employees travel on a weekend to optimize their time during the week. Its done naturally, he said. Nobody gets up and says should I travel on Sunday or Monday? --With assistance from Danielle Bochove. (Updates with share price.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. NEWARK, DE / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2023 / According to Future Market Insights (FMI), Japan food cling film market size is forecast to reach US$ 29.6 million in 2023. Overall food cling film sales in Japan will soar at 3.8% CAGR from 2023 to 2033. The total market valuation in Japan at the end of 2033 is set to reach US$ 43.0 million. Burgeoning demand for food-grade packaging is a prominent factor driving Japan market. In Japan, cling films are frequently used to package food. This is because these films are clear, simple to use and help keep food fresh. The need for food-grade cling films that are safe for cooking and storing food is rising as customers' awareness of their own health increases. Driven by this food cling film sales in Japan will rise at a steady pace through 2033. Drivers and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-17072 Companies in Japan are increasing their capacity to produce food-grade cling films to meet the rising demand. Further, to cater to the rising demand for environmentally friendly packaging, key players are introducing cutting-edge products such as biodegradable cling films. Development and rising popularity of environmentally friendly food cling films in Japan will boost market revenues. As more consumers and businesses value sustainability and eco-friendliness in their purchase decisions, the market for cling films will continue seeing great growth potential in the years to come. Another factor that will elevate demand in Japan is the rise in online grocery shopping and home deliveries. Key Takeaways from Japan Food Cling Film Market. Japan food cling film market will hit a valuation of US$ 43.0 million in 2033. From 2023 to 2033, sales of food cling films are set to surge at 3.8% CAGR. By material, polyethylene segment will account for over 53% of the market share in 2033. By thickness, up to 90 microns segment is likely to hold around 65% of the market share during the forecast period. By sales channel, the retail segment will generate the most revenues for the market through 2033. Story continues "Japan food cling film industry will expand due to the increasing demand for food-grade packaging, driven by rising health consciousness. Companies are expanding production capacity and introducing innovative products, such as biodegradable cling films, to meet demand." - Says an FMI analyst. Expand operations in the future - To get requisite details, ask for a custom report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-17072 Growing Hypermarkets to Drive the Market for Japan Food Cling Films The food cling film market is likely to be driven by Japan's expanding hypermarkets. A broad variety of food products are sold in hypermarkets; thus, packaging must be secure, practical, and attractive. Because they are simple to use and keep food fresh, food cling films are frequently used to package food items in hypermarkets. The market for food cling films will expand because of the demand brought on by Japan's growing number of hypermarkets. Further, because food cling films are used for packaging and shipping food items, the trend towards online grocery shopping will elevate their demand. Hence, the expansion of hypermarkets and the rising popularity of online grocery shopping will boost Japan food cling film industry. Who is Winning? Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp, Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd., Kureha Corporation, Riken Technos Corp, Asahi Kasei Group, BENKAI Co., Ltd, KOHJIN Film & Chemicals, and Jiangyin Centry Plastic Products Co., Ltd. are few of the leading food cling film manufacturers profile in the report. The Tier 3 players in the market hold 75 to 80% of the Japan food cling film market. New product launches, mergers, partnerships, acquisitions, and Japan Food Cling Film Market Segmentation By Material: Polyethylene (PE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC) By Product: Machine Films, Manual and Handheld Films By Thickness: Up to 9 microns, 9 to 12 microns, Above 12 microns By Sale Channel: Manufacturers (Direct Sales), Retail, Hypermarket, Supermarket, Variety Stores, Specialty Stores, Distributors, Online By End Use: Meat, Poultry & Seafood, Baked Foods, Dairy Products, Fruits & Vegetables, Ready to Eat Meals, and Other Food Products collaborations are key strategies adopted by companies. For more Insights: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/japan-food-cling-film-market Table of Content 1. Executive Summary | Japan Food Cling Film Market 1.1. Market Outlook 1.2. Market Analysis 1.3. Analysis and Recommendations 2. Market Overview 2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy 2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations 3. Key Market Trends 3.1. Key Trends Impacting the Market 3.2. Product Innovation / Development Trends 4. Key Success Factors 4.1. Product Adoption / Usage Analysis 4.2. Product USP's / Features 4.3. Strategic Promotional Strategies 5. Market Demand Analysis 2018 to 2022 and Forecast, 2023 to 2033 5.1. Historical Market Volume (Tonnes) Analysis, 2018 to 2022 5.2. Current and Future Market Volume (Tonnes) Projections, 2023 to 2033 5.3. Y-o-Y Growth Trend Analysis Ask the Analyst: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-17072 More Insights into Japan Food Cling Film Market Report Future Market Insights (FMI), in its new report, offers an unbiased analysis of the Japan food cling film industry, analyzing historical demand from 2018 to 2022 and forecast statistics for 2023 to 2033. The study reveals growth projections on the food cling film market based on the material (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC)), product (machine films, and manual and handheld films, thickness (up to 9 microns, 9 to 12 microns, and above 12 microns), sales channel (manufacturers (direct sales), retail, distributors, and online), and end use (meat, poultry & seafood, baked foods, dairy products, fruits & vegetables, ready to eat meals, and other food products) and across Japan. About the Packaging Division at Future Market Insights (FMI) The packaging division at Future Market Insights (FMI) provides an in-depth historical analysis and projections for the next ten years and covers the competitive landscape through a unique dashboard view. Ranging from packaging materials, and packaging machinery to packaging designs & formats, Future Market Insights (FMI) has an exhaustive database for these industry verticals, serving clients with unique research offerings and strategic recommendations. With a repository of 1,000+ reports, the team has analyzed the packaging industry comprehensively in 50+ countries. The team evaluates every node of the value chain and provides end-to-end research and consulting services; reach out to explore how we can help. Explore Wide-ranging Coverage of FMI's Packaging Landscape Japan Polypropylene Packaging Films Market: is set to gain a valuation of US$ 883.5 million in 2023. Over the next ten years, polypropylene packaging film sales across Japan are likely to rise at 2.1% CAGR. Packaging Testing Market: is expected to surpass US$ 16,099.87 million in 2023. The overall worth of the market may record a significant CAGR of 12.6% between 2023 and 2033. By 2033, the market is estimated to reach US$ 52,748.03 million. Packaging Laminates Market: is projected to be valued at US$ 6,274.7 million in 2022 and is expected to rise to US$ 10,410.2 million by 2033. The sales of packaging laminates are expected to grow at a significant CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period. Pet Care Packaging Market: is estimated to be nearly US$ 10.6 billion in the present year 2023. The analysis report predicts the sales of pet care packaging are likely to record a decent CAGR of 4% between the years 2023 and 2033. Sack Fillers Market: is anticipated to gain astonishing growth from 2023 to 2033. According to the research report, the global market is predicted to exceed a valuation of US$ 4,272.1 million in 2023. It is anticipated to hit a valuation of US$ 6,634.4 million by 2033. About Future Market Insights, Inc. Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, and is headquartered in Delaware, USA. A recipient of the Clutch Leaders Award 2022 on account of a high client score (4.9/5), we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries. Contact Us: Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com SOURCE: Future Market Insights, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/750772/Growing-Need-for-Food-Grade-Packaging-to-Steer-Japan-Food-Cling-Film-Market-Past-US-430-Million-by-2033-Future-Market-Insights-Inc We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. Nonetheless, only a fool would ignore the risk that a loss making company burns through its cash too quickly. So should Collective Mining (CVE:CNL) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. See our latest analysis for Collective Mining Does Collective Mining Have A Long Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. In December 2022, Collective Mining had US$8.5m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was US$15m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from December 2022 it had roughly 7 months of cash runway. To be frank, this kind of short runway puts us on edge, as it indicates the company must reduce its cash burn significantly, or else raise cash imminently. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Is Collective Mining's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Because Collective Mining isn't currently generating revenue, we consider it an early-stage business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. During the last twelve months, its cash burn actually ramped up 79%. Oftentimes, increased cash burn simply means a company is accelerating its business development, but one should always be mindful that this causes the cash runway to shrink. Collective Mining makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow. Story continues How Easily Can Collective Mining Raise Cash? Given its cash burn trajectory, Collective Mining shareholders should already be thinking about how easy it might be for it to raise further cash in the future. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Collective Mining has a market capitalisation of US$240m and burnt through US$15m last year, which is 6.1% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. Is Collective Mining's Cash Burn A Worry? Even though its cash runway makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Collective Mining's cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. Looking at the factors mentioned in this short report, we do think that its cash burn is a bit risky, and it does make us slightly nervous about the stock. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 4 warning signs for Collective Mining (2 make us uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Of course Collective Mining may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here QINGDAO, China, April 23, 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. Story continues 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 Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. So when we looked at Ho Wah Genting Berhad (KLSE:HWGB) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Ho Wah Genting Berhad is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.042 = RM3.7m (RM132m - RM45m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022). So, Ho Wah Genting Berhad has an ROCE of 4.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Electrical industry average of 9.3%. See our latest analysis for Ho Wah Genting Berhad roce While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how Ho Wah Genting Berhad has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us We're delighted to see that Ho Wah Genting Berhad is reaping rewards from its investments and is now generating some pre-tax profits. Shareholders would no doubt be pleased with this because the business was loss-making five years ago but is is now generating 4.2% on its capital. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 119% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger. Story continues In another part of our analysis, we noticed that the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets decreased to 34%, which broadly means the business is relying less on its suppliers or short-term creditors to fund its operations. So shareholders would be pleased that the growth in returns has mostly come from underlying business performance. The Key Takeaway In summary, it's great to see that Ho Wah Genting Berhad has managed to break into profitability and is continuing to reinvest in its business. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 21% in the last five years. With that in mind, we believe the promising trends warrant this stock for further investigation. One more thing, we've spotted 3 warning signs facing Ho Wah Genting Berhad that you might find interesting. While Ho Wah Genting Berhad isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Confirmed overall response rate (ORR) of 45%, disease control rate (DCR) of 90% and median PFS of ~7 months in 20 evaluable First-Line MUM patients Based on FDA meeting, initiating Phase 2/3 registrational trial in Q2 2023 in First-Line HLA-A2 negative MUM, with median PFS as primary endpoint for potential accelerated approval Confirmed overall response rate (ORR) of 30%, disease control rate (DCR) of 87% and median PFS of ~7 months in 63 evaluable Any-Line MUM patients Confirmed overall response rate (ORR) of 35%, disease control rate (DCR) of 100% and median PFS of ~11 months in 20 evaluable Hepatic-Only MUM patients Historical % ORR and median PFS by other therapies in MUM have been low, ranging from ~0% to 5% confirmed ORR and ~2 to 3 months median PFS Neoadjuvant PoC: Ocular tumor shrinkage in 9 of 9 (100%) UM / MUM patients, including a neoadjuvant UM patient with a partial response at 1 month and a second neoadjuvant UM patient who was spared enucleation with ~80% tumor shrinkage at 4 months Investor webcast and call with management and key opinion leaders scheduled for Monday, April 24, 2023, at 8:00 am ET SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDYA), a precision medicine oncology company committed to the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics, announced further interim results from its Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating darovasertib and crizotinib combination in metastatic uveal melanoma (MUM) patients (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03947385). "The observed efficacy in first-line metastatic uveal melanoma patients including confirmed ORR of 45% and median PFS of ~ 7 months is clinically significant and represents a potential paradigm shift for treating MUM patients. The interim data for the darovasertib and crizotinib combination treatment in MUM suggests a compelling clinical efficacy and tolerability profile," said Dr. Meredith McKean, M.D., MPH, Director, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research at Sarah Cannon Research Institute. Story continues "These clinical data, considered with the FDA's guidance from our recent Type C meeting, provides IDEAYA with a registrational trial design in first-line HLA-A2 negative MUM patients which includes a path to potential accelerated approval based on median PFS as the primary endpoint," said Dr. Darrin Beaupre, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, IDEAYA Biosciences. There are currently no FDA approved therapies for MUM patients with HLA-A2*02:01 (HLA-A2) negative serotype. Current therapies for MUM have relatively low confirmed overall response rates and short median progression free survival (PFS), highlighting the high unmet medical need. The historical overall response rate (ORR) in MUM clinical trials has generally been reported with a confirmed ORR ranging from approximately 0% to 5%. The historical median PFS in MUM clinical trials has been reported ranging from approximately 2 to 3 months. Darovasertib (IDE196) is a small molecule, potential first-in-class protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. IDEAYA is evaluating the synthetic lethal combination of darovasertib and crizotinib, a small molecule cMET inhibitor, in MUM pursuant to a clinical trial collaboration and drug supply agreement with Pfizer. Clinical Data Update Darovasertib and Crizotinib Combination in MUM The company observed encouraging clinical activity in the Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the darovasertib and crizotinib combination in first-line and any-line MUM patients. The reported Phase 2 clinical data are based on twenty (20) evaluable first-line and sixty-three (63) evaluable any-line patients enrolled in the darovasertib and crizotinib combination study at the expansion dose of 300 mg twice-a-day darovasertib and 200 mg twice-a-day crizotinib as of September 22, 2022. Reported data are preliminary and based on investigator review from an unlocked database as of the data analyses cutoff date of March 8, 2023. Enrollment in the darovasertib and crizotinib combination expansion dose cohort of the Phase 2 clinical trial is ongoing. In the twenty (20) evaluable first-line MUM patients in the expansion cohort, the investigator-reviewed data by RECIST 1.1 include: 45% confirmed Overall Response Rate (ORR) in First-Line MUM: 9 of 20 evaluable patients had a confirmed partial response (PR) 90% Disease Control Rate (DCR) in First-Line MUM: 18 of 20 evaluable patients showed disease control, including 9 confirmed PRs, 1 unconfirmed PR and 8 stable disease ~7 months median Progression Free Survival (PFS) in First-Line MUM In the sixty-three (63) evaluable any-line MUM patients at the expansion dose, the investigator-reviewed data by RECIST 1.1 include: 30% confirmed Overall Response Rate (ORR) in Any-Line MUM: 19 of 63 evaluable patients had a confirmed partial response (PR); the Any-Line MUM patients were heavily pre-treated, with 63% of patients having received 1 or more prior lines of treatment and 43% of patients having received 2 or more prior lines of treatment in the metastatic setting 87% Disease Control Rate (DCR) in Any-Line MUM: 55 of 63 evaluable patients showed disease control, including 19 confirmed PRs, 4 unconfirmed PRs and 32 stable disease ~7 months median Progression Free Survival (PFS) in Any-Line MUM Observed median PFS increased versus median PFS of ~5 months previously reported in September 2022 with thirty-five (35) evaluable Any-Line MUM patients There were twenty (20) evaluable hepatic-only MUM patients, including first-line and pre-treated patients with only hepatic metastases, for whom the investigator-reviewed data by RECIST 1.1 include: 35% confirmed Overall Response Rate (ORR) in Hepatic-Only MUM: 7 of 20 evaluable patients had a confirmed partial response (PR) 100% Disease Control Rate (DCR) in Hepatic-Only MUM: 20 of 20 evaluable patients showed disease control, including 7 confirmed PRs, 1 unconfirmed PR and 12 stable disease ~11 months median Progression Free Survival (PFS) in Hepatic-Only MUM These data demonstrate robust clinical efficacy of the darovasertib and crizotinib combination in first-line and any-line MUM patients. The darovasertib and crizotinib combination has a manageable adverse event profile in MUM patients (n=68), with a low rate of drug-related serious adverse events (SAEs). Patients reported predominantly Grade 1 or 2 drug-related adverse events (AEs): 31% of patients reported at least one Grade 3 AE; no patients observed a Grade 4 AE; and one patient observed a Grade 5 AE. Four (6%) patients discontinued treatment with either darovasertib or crizotinib due to a drug-related adverse event. FDA Guidance in Type C Meeting Supports Initiation of Potential Registrational Trial IDEAYA is targeting to initiate a potential registration-enabling Phase 2/3 clinical trial in Q2 2023 in first-line HLA-A2 negative MUM patients. The Phase 2/3 clinical trial design incorporates guidance and feedback from the FDA following a recent Type C meeting. The protocol includes an integrated Phase 2/3 open-label study-in-study design in first-line MUM patients with an HLA-A*02:01 negative serotype. The clinical trial design employs a Phase 2 portion with median PFS as a primary endpoint for potential accelerated approval. Patients enrolled in Phase 2 will continue on treatment within the same clinical trial and will be considered together with additional enrolled patients to evaluate OS in support of a potential Phase 3 registrational trial. In the Phase 2 portion of the clinical trial, approximately 230 patients will be randomized on a 2:1 basis for treatment with the darovasertib and crizotinib combination in the treatment arm or investigators choice in the control arm, selected from a combination of ipilimumab (ipi) and nivolumab (nivo), PD1-targeted monotherapy or DTIC. The treatment arm of the Phase 2 portion includes a nested study to confirm the move forward combination dose for the integrated Phase 2/3 clinical trial including cohorts at the Phase 2 expansion doses of (i) darovasertib 300 mg BID + crizotinib 200 mg BID and (ii) darovasertib 200 mg BID + crizotinib 200 mg BID. Under the nested study design, patients enrolled in the cohort at the move forward dose will be included within the Phase 2/3 registrational clinical trial. The Phase 2 portion of the clinical trial contemplates an efficacy and safety data set of approximately 200 patients randomized 2:1 with the treatment arm at the move forward dose to support a potential accelerated approval based on median PFS by blinded independent central review (BICR) as a primary endpoint. Patients enrolled in Phase 2 at the selected dose would continue on treatment and be included in the Phase 3 study analysis, supplemented by enrollment of approximately 120 additional patients into the Phase 3 portion of the clinical trial with 2:1 randomization on the same basis as the Phase 2 portion. Efficacy data from the Phase 3 could support potential approval using median OS as a primary endpoint. Clinical Data Update Darovasertib in (Neo)Adjuvant Primary UM The company observed further evidence of encouraging clinical activity for darovasertib as neoadjuvant therapy in primary uveal melanoma (UM), including responses in primary ocular tumor lesions. Data was reported from an ongoing investigator sponsored trial (IST) evaluating darovasertib in (neo)adjuvant uveal melanoma, from compassionate use protocol(s) and from the company's Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating darovasertib as monotherapy and in combination with crizotinib. Best ocular tumor response is reported based on maximal percentage reduction in measured apical height or longest basal diameter. Collectively, these data further substantiate clinical proof of concept (PoC) for the use of darovasertib in the (neo)adjuvant uveal melanoma setting: Ocular tumor shrinkage by investigator review in 9 of 9 (100%) UM (n=6) or MUM (n=3) patients treated as monotherapy or in combination with crizotinib, including a neoadjuvant UM patient treated with darovasertib with a partial response at 1 month, and a second neoadjuvant UM patient treated with the darovasertib and crizotinib combination with ~80% ocular tumor shrinkage at 4 months who was spared enucleation, as described below. A UM patient who was already blind in one eye from vascular disease developed a large uveal melanoma lesion in his other eye and sought neoadjuvant treatment with a goal to avoid enucleation and potentially preserve vision in the affected eye to prevent blindness. This patient, who remains on therapy, was treated with darovasertib and crizotinib combination under a compassionate use protocol. The preliminary clinical data showed: "These additional clinical data underscore the potential for darovasertib as a (neo)adjuvant approach for the treatment of uveal melanoma patients. If clinically validated, this approach could significantly improve current primary treatment paradigms, which typically include radiotherapies and/or enucleation of the eye," said Prof. Anthony Joshua, MBBS Ph.D. FRACP, Head of the Department of Medical Oncology, Kinghorn Cancer Centre, St Vincent's Hospital/Garvan Medical Research Institute, Sydney, Australia. IDEAYA is initiating a company-sponsored clinical trial to evaluate darovasertib as monotherapy in (neo)adjuvant uveal melanoma and is evaluating potential near-term clinical neoadjuvant endpoints such as organ preservation (avoiding enucleation) for large ocular tumors and reduction in radiation dose and/or vision preservation for small or medium ocular tumors. IDEAYA is also supporting St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney Limited, which has initiated an ongoing IST captioned as "Neoadjuvant / Adjuvant trial of Darovasertib in Ocular Melanoma" (NADOM) (NCT05187884), to evaluate darovasertib monotherapy in a neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting in primary UM patients. Addressable Patient Population in MUM and UM The potentially addressable patient population for metastatic uveal melanoma is estimated to include approximately 4,500 patients across U.S. and Europe, based on estimated annual incidence, and approximately 14,000 patients in total prevalence in the US and Europe. (Neo)Adjuvant UM represents a significant expansion opportunity for darovasertib with a potential annual incidence of approximately 8,700 patients aggregate in U.S. and Europe, and approximately 100,000 patients in total prevalence in the U.S. and Europe. IDEAYA owns or controls all commercial rights in darovasertib, including in MUM and in UM, subject to certain economic obligations pursuant to the Novartis exclusive, worldwide license. IDEAYA Investor Webcast and Conference Call IDEAYA will host an investor webcast and conference tomorrow morning, Monday, April 24, 2023 at 8:00 am Eastern Time (ET), to present the further darovasertib and crizotinib Phase 2 clinical efficacy and tolerability data in metastatic uveal melanoma, and the potential registrational clinical trial design based on guidance and feedback from the recent FDA Type C meeting. The company will also provide a clinical data update for darovasertib in neoadjuvant uveal melanoma. Presenters at the investor webcast and conference call will include Dr. Meredith McKean, M.D., MPH, Director, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Prof. Anthony Joshua, MBBS Ph.D. FRACP, Head of the Department of Medical Oncology, Kinghorn Cancer Centre, St Vincent's Hospital/Garvan Medical Research Institute, Sydney, Australia, and Prof. Mark Shackleton, MBBS, Ph.D., FRACP, Professor of Oncology, Monash University, Director of Oncology, Alfred Health, Chair, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials, Melbourne, Australia, each of whom are key opinion leaders and clinical investigators. Yujiro S. Hata, Chief Executive Officer of IDEAYA Biosciences, and Darrin Beaupre, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of IDEAYA Biosciences, will also present. IDEAYA's darovasertib investor webcast presentation, as well as an updated corporate presentation, which incorporates the updated darovasertib clinical data as well as IDE397, IDE161 and Werner Helicase program updates from AACR 2023, will be available on the company's website, at its Investor Relations portal (https://ir.ideayabio.com/) in advance of the investor webcast presentation at approximately 6:00 am ET. Corporate Updates IDEAYA had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of approximately $373 million as of December 31, 2022, which it currently projects will be sufficient to fund its planned operations into 2026. About IDEAYA Biosciences IDEAYA is a focused precision medicine oncology company committed to the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics for patient populations selected using molecular diagnostics. IDEAYA's approach integrates capabilities in identifying and validating translational biomarkers with drug discovery to select patient populations most likely to benefit from its targeted therapies. IDEAYA is applying its research and drug discovery capabilities to synthetic lethality which represents an emerging class of precision medicine targets. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained herein are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (the "Company") or its industry to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or other comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact could be deemed forward-looking, including, but not limited to, statements related to (i) the timing for initiation of and trial design for the darovasertib and crizotinib combination Phase 2/3 registrational trial, (ii) the timing and content of the IDEAYA investor webcast and conference call, (iii) the potential clinical benefit of darovasertib as a (neo)adjuvant therapy, and (iv) the potentially addressable patient population for MUM and (neo)adjuvant UM. The company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While the Company believes these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, including the Company's programs' early stage of development, the process of designing and conducting preclinical and clinical trials, the regulatory approval processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges associated with manufacturing drug products, the Company's ability to successfully establish, protect and defend its intellectual property, the effects on the Company's business of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and other matters that could affect the sufficiency of existing cash to fund operations. These and other important factors may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of IDEAYA in general, see the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and any current and periodic reports filed thereafter. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements or to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in the Company's expectations. Investor and Media Contact IDEAYA Biosciences Paul Stone Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer investor@ideayabio.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ideaya-announces-positive-interim-phase-2-data-for-darovasertib-and-crizotinib-combination-and-successful-fda-type-c-meeting-on-registrational-trial-design-for-accelerated-approval-in-first-line-metastatic-uveal-melanoma-301804804.html SOURCE IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. 'Compelling, enduring': Concept of 'Chinese modernization' hailed at top-level forum (People's Daily App) 15:40, April 23, 2023 John Thornton, co-chair of the Board of Trustees of the Asia Society, hailed the concept of Chinese modernization at the Lanting Forum on Chinese Modernization and the World in Shanghai on Friday. "The concept to me of Chinese modernization is very compelling... And I see it as kind of aspiration, but also a guide to behavior," Thornton told audiences at the forum. The Lanting Forum on Chinese Modernization and the World was organized by the China Public Diplomacy Association and the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, and was supported by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. Representatives of governments, think tanks and the media from nearly 80 countries participated in the Forum. (Video source: The Paper) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) This Just In: All Those Quiet Quitters Are Getting It Right! Remember the panic about quiet quitting in the fall of 2022? Thats when legions of fed-up, burned-out post-pandemic workers decided they werent going to leave their jobs but they also werent going above and beyond the prescribed duties of their positions. There were headlines in The New York Times. The Washington Post, CNN, Harvard Business Review and even Psychology Today. And now this: the quiet quitters might be right. A financial advisor can help you put your hard-earned income to work in an investment portfolio tailored to your goals. Find an advisor today. Thats the conclusion of a postdoctoral researcher at Duke University whose research made it into the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. The title of his paper? Loyal Workers Are Selectively And Ironically Targeted For Exploitation. What the Study Found This Just In: All Those Quiet Quitters Are Getting It Right! The bottom line from Matthew Stanley, a postdoctoral researcher at Dukes Fuqua School of Business? Workers making the extra effort on the job usually dont get anything in exchange except more work. Its a vicious cycle, Stanley told Duke Today. Loyal workers tend to get picked out for exploitation. And then when they do something thats exploitative, they end up getting a boost in their reputation as a loyal worker, making them more likely to get picked out in the future. In other words, the more unpaid work a staffer took on, the more likely the manager was to perceive them as being loyal, and subsequently reward them with more unpaid work. To conduct the study, Stanley and his fellow researchers created a fictional 29-year-old worker named John. Stanley then had 1,400 managers who read that times were tight at Johns company and managers were ordered to limit their costs. The managers then were asked to decide how willing theyd be to give John extra unpaid work. If the managers were informed that John was a loyal worker, he always got stuck with extra work but no extra pay. When managers were told John took on extra unpaid tasks, they characterized him as loyal. And, if the managers were given letters of recommendation describing John as loyal they were once again more willing to give him extra compared to other workers. Story continues Stanley found that the managers believed that loyalty came with a duty to perform more unpaid work. If youre ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Fixing the Problem This Just In: All Those Quiet Quitters Are Getting It Right! Fixing the problem isnt a matter of encouraging workers to avoid being loyal because that loyalty can come with real benefits at work. Instead, he suggested that it might be a matter of educating managers about these ethical blind spots to create awareness. Stanley also suggested creating institutional standards to prevent exploiting those workers who simply are more agreeable than others. I dont want to suggest that the takeaway of the paper is to not be loyal to anybody because it just leads to disaster, Stanley told Duke Today. We value people who are loyal. We think about them in positive terms. They get awarded often. Its not just the negative side. Its really tricky and complex. Stanley conducted the experiments with Chris Neck, Ph.D. and Chris Neck, father-and-son researchers at Arizona State University and West Virginia University, respectively. The results were published online on Jan. 6 in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Bottom Line Being loyal at work can have many benefits but it can also lead managers to dump extra unpaid work on the most loyal workers. Research from Duke University found that the more unpaid work an employee performed, the more they were perceived as loyal, resulting in managers assigning them more unpaid work. Tips for Managing Your Paycheck A financial advisor can help you budget and invest the money you work so hard to earn. Finding a financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Does your paycheck get deposited into a single bank account? If so, consider setting up direct deposit to multiple bank accounts. One can be designated specifically for your fixed monthly expenses. Others can be used to cover your discretionary spending and long-term savings. Photo credit: iStock.com/VioletaStoimenova, iStock.com/shapecharge, iStock.com/Prostock-Studio The post This Just In: All Those Quiet Quitters Are Getting It Right appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. So when we looked at Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLSE:KLK) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It? For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.13 = RM3.1b (RM30b - RM5.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022). Therefore, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad has an ROCE of 13%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 11% generated by the Food industry. View our latest analysis for Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad roce In the above chart we have measured Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company. What Can We Tell From Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad's ROCE Trend? Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 13%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 49%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital. In Conclusion... A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad has. Since the total return from the stock has been almost flat over the last five years, there might be an opportunity here if the valuation looks good. With that in mind, we believe the promising trends warrant this stock for further investigation. Story continues One final note, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (including 1 which is concerning) . For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Elon Musk touched upon many themes on Teslas recent earnings call, one of which was the lack of lithium refining options. Given lithium is an essential component in EV batteries, there is an unmet need for refined lithium in the EV industry. During the call, Musk said: Can other people please do this work? That would be great. Were begging you. We dont want to do it. Can someone please? Instead of making a picture-sharing app, try lithium mining and refining, heavy industry, come on. In short, Musk was trying to draw attention to the opportunity at play for lithium producers. Covering this industry for Deutsche Bank, analyst Corinne Blanchard agrees and has an idea about which companies could also represent an opportunity for investors. Our fundamental view of Lithium has not changed in the medium to long-term, as we believe Supply will remain short of Demand. We anticipate market tightness over the coming years, followed by a growing deficit thereafter, Blanchard wrote. We have a preference for the most established Lithium producers, as we believe they can offer better execution with a lower risk profile, and they are well positioned for growing volumes in key jurisdictions. Against this backdrop, weve opened the TipRanks database and pulled up the details on two of Blanchards recommendations. Both are Buy-rated stocks, with double-digit upside potential for the coming year. Lets take a closer look. Lithium Americas (LAC) Well start with Lithium Americas, a lithium mining and refining company with big growth potential ahead. While still a pre-revenue concern, LAC fully owns the Thacker Pass Mine, which is situated in northern Nevada, and is its crowning asset given that it boasts the greatest lithium reserves in the US. That makes the mine a valuable resource for the nations developing EV industry, which needs first-rate Li-ion batteries. Furthermore, LAC also holds complete ownership and joint venture deals for high purity lithium mines in Argentina. Story continues Although Thacker Pass is an exciting project, production is still a while away and slated for 2026. The company announced the start of construction activities in early March. However, on the recent Q4 earnings call, the company announced that construction at the Argentine Cauchari-Olaroz mine was substantially complete, with production expected to kick off before the conclusion of the first half of 2023. To achieve production and positive cash flow, the company said it requires less than $50 million in extra capital costs. LAC anticipates reaching the full production rate of 40,000 tpa (tonnes per annum) of lithium carbonate by the first quarter of next year. Assessing the companys prospects, it is the long-term potential of the Thacker Pass Mine that is core to Blanchards positive thesis. We remain Buy rated on LAC, said the Deutsche Bank analyst, given its asset portfolio and strategic geographic exposure to Argentina and the US We are positive on managements ability to develop the Thacker Pass, although we recognize the inherent challenges to the asset being a clay-based deposit. That being said, Thacker Pass is a ~80ktpa hydroxide project, in the US, which should be highly valuable to the US domestic Lithium market. That Buy rating is supported by a $26 price target, and should it be met, will represent one-year share appreciation of 36%. (To view Blanchards track record, click here) Blanchard is not alone in her positive take for this prospective lithium producer. LAC has garnered 5 analyst reviews over the past 3 months, and all are positive, naturally making the consensus view here a Strong Buy. In the year ahead, the analysts see the stock surging 73.5%, considering the average target stands at $32.85. (See LAC stock forecast) Sociedad Quimica Y Minera de Chile (SQM) Well now shift to Chile, a country in possession of the worlds largest lithium reserves and the second-biggest producer on earth. As such, Sociedad Quimica Y Minera de Chile is one of the worlds largest producers of lithium, iodine, and potassium nitrate. The company produces lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate from brine in Chiles vastest salt flat, the Salar de Atacama. The positive price environment seen during 2022 helped the company deliver robust results in its most recently reported quarter for 4Q22. Revenue climbed by 189.8% from the same period a year ago to $3.13 billion, while beating the consensus estimate by $110 million. Gross profit hit $1.64 billion, way above the $542.8 million generated in 4Q21. That helped the company deliver EPADR (Earnings per American Depositary Receipt) of $4.03, a big increase on the $1.13 delivered in the year ago quarter and well ahead of the $3.77 forecast. However, more recently, on last Friday, the shares took a big beating, crashing by 18.5% after Chilean President Gabriel Boric unveiled plans to nationalize the countrys lithium industry and establish a state-owned company that will be involved in lithium exploration. Before their contracts run out, the state-controlled Codelco is expected to negotiate an agreement with SQM (and peer Albemarle) to purchase an interest in their operations. With SQMs contract to extract lithium in Chiles Atacama salt flat coming to an end in 2030, Deutsche Banks Blanchard notes that despite believing there wont be any major changes to current contracts, given the ongoing renewal process, SQM could be affected. Still, whether the Chilean governments plan actually takes place remains to be seen, and in the meantime, Blanchard highlights SQMs value proposition and opportunity for investors. As we are increasingly positive on the fundamentals of the market in the medium-term, we value SQMs upcoming volume expansion, with a focus in Chile on existing operations, but also the upcoming 20kt of hydroxide capacity in China and Mt Holland in Australia, the analyst wrote. We like SQMs shareholder returns with a ~12% dividend yield expected this year, based on our numbers. All told, despite the Chilean governments actions, theres no change to Blanchards Buy rating on SQM or to the price target, which remains at $90 and is set to generate returns of ~42% over the coming months Looking at the consensus breakdown, with a total of 6 Buys vs. 1 Hold and Sell, each, the analyst consensus rates this stock a Moderate Buy. At $103.63, the average target is more bullish than Blanchard allows and could see investors pocket gains of 63% a year from now. (See SQM stock forecast) To find good ideas for lithium stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Key Insights Carnival Corporation &'s estimated fair value is US$11.52 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity With US$9.38 share price, Carnival Corporation & appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value The US$11.93 analyst price target for CCL is 3.6% more than our estimate of fair value How far off is Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE:CCL) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Carnival Corporation & Is Carnival Corporation & Fairly Valued? We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Story continues Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF ($, Millions) -US$1.08b US$1.10b US$2.12b US$4.29b US$3.31b US$2.78b US$2.48b US$2.31b US$2.22b US$2.17b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -16.01% Est @ -10.59% Est @ -6.79% Est @ -4.13% Est @ -2.27% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 14% -US$946 US$844 US$1.4k US$2.5k US$1.7k US$1.3k US$996 US$814 US$685 US$588 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$9.9b After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.1%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 14%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = US$2.2b (1 + 2.1%) (14% 2.1%) = US$19b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$19b ( 1 + 14%)10= US$5.0b The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$15b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$9.4, the company appears about fair value at a 19% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Carnival Corporation & as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 14%, which is based on a levered beta of 2.000. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Carnival Corporation & Strength Debt is well covered by earnings. Weakness Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity Forecast to reduce losses next year. Good value based on P/S ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Has less than 3 years of cash runway based on current free cash flow. Next Steps: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Carnival Corporation &, there are three further factors you should further examine: Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Carnival Corporation & that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does CCL's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Public sector employees in the Chinese city of Changshu will start receiving their salaries in central bank digital currency (CBDC) next month, as Chinas rollout of the financial technology continues apace. The new initiative will impact employees like doctors, teachers, and journalists, according to the South China Morning Post. Located less than 100 miles from Shanghai, Changshu City is home to more than 1.5 million residents. The notice came from the citys financial authorities, according to a local media report. Described as a Notice on the Implementation of Full Salary Digital Renminbi Issuance, the shift will be effective starting in May. As of this month, Chinas CBDC rollout has expanded to 26 different regions in 17 of 23 provinces, the report states. Not far from Changshu City, Taicang was the first location with a public institution to fully offer wages in digital yuan, a milestone reached in July last year. China Releases Digital Yuan Wallet as Bitcoin Crackdown Continues Another report noted that Changshu City has previously promoted the digital yuans use in certain situations, such as paying for public transport, medical expenses, groceries, and utilities like gas and water. Changshu City falls within the jurisdiction of Chinas Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The city of Suzhou was one of Chinas initial testing grounds for its pilot of the yuan in 2020, as well as Shenzhen, Xiongan, and Chengdu. In December of that year, citizens of Suzhou participated in a CBDC airdrop, where $3 million worth of digital yuan was distributed among 10,000 residents. CBDCs resemble stablecoins because they are digital tokens pegged to the price of a sovereign currency such as the U.S. dollar or Chinese yuan. However, instead of being issued by commercial entities on decentralized networks, CBDCs are issued and controlled by a countrys government or central bank. US Digital Currency a Unanimous Need to Compete With China: House Committee Story continues The shift comes amid growing chatter in the U.S. about the potential dangers of a CBDC, which recently spread to both sides of the political aisle. Floridas Republican governor Ron DeSantis and Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have slammed the technology as prone to abuse and an affront to Americans financial privacy rights. Developments in China overlap with Hong Kongs reemergence as a potential place for digital asset actors to do business, especially amid a regulatory crackdown on crypto in the U.S. that some politicians have warned will push the industry abroad. While only 11 countries, including the Bahamas, have fully launched a CBDC, the technology has a growing foothold across the globe, according to the Atlantic Councils CBDC tracker. One hundred countries are piloting, researching, or developing the technology today. Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of Location Sciences Group PLC (LON:LSAI), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders. While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. View our latest analysis for Location Sciences Group Location Sciences Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Non-Executive Chairman Simon Wilkinson bought UK50k worth of shares at a price of UK0.002 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than UK0.0016 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 42.50m shares worth UK85k. But they sold 5.11m shares for UK9.9k. Overall, Location Sciences Group insiders were net buyers during the last year. 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! Location Sciences Group is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Insider Ownership Of Location Sciences Group Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Location Sciences Group insiders own 27% of the company, worth about UK1.2m. 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 What Might The Insider Transactions At Location Sciences Group Tell Us? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Location Sciences Group shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders own shares in Location Sciences Group and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for Location Sciences Group (3 are significant) you should be aware of. Of course Location Sciences Group may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here If you fear your childrens lives arent going to be better than yours, youre not alone. A recent survey showed that 78% of respondents didnt feel confident that their children would have a better life than theyve had, while 44% feel their finances are in worse condition than they expected at this stage of their life. Don't miss Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds Here's how much money the average middle-class American household makes how do you stack up? Americans are paying nearly 40% more on home insurance compared to 12 years ago here's how to spend less on peace of mind The survey, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, with funding from the Wall Street Journal, surveyed 1,019 people to get a read on how Americans feel about their personal finances. The 78% of Americans who dont feel their children would live a better life than them represents the highest percentage since NORC began asking the same question every few years as part of its General Social Survey in 1990. While there are high levels of pessimism, thats no reason to not give your kids the best chance at financial success. Here are five ways to help them make the most of their money. Start your kids financial education early Children as young as five have shown the ability to develop a relationship with money, according to a study out of the University of Michigan. Researchers discovered that kids had distinct feelings about spending and saving, which affected their behaviors with their own money. The researchers also suggest that parents should start talking to their children about money early so they can develop healthy spending habits. Getting your kids involved in everyday activities like grocery shopping and comparing prices on items is a great way to start their financial literacy education. Story continues For young children, explain how much things cost and let them see how you pay for them. They may begin to realize that things arent free, and watching you engage with your credit or debit card will get them asking questions. As your kids get older, if they start earning an allowance, you can use this as an opportunity to teach them about saving. An effective visual aid, If you use cash as a form of allowance, could be the use of a clear or transparent piggy bank. This will allow children to actually see their savings grow and watch them shrink as they spend their money. Read more: Want to invest your spare change but don't know where to start? There's an app for that Open a bank account for your child Giving your child their own bank account is a great way to give them a sense of ownership and control over their money. And when you teach them about opening an account, making deposits and managing their own savings, they learn invaluable financial lessons that can stick with them for the rest of their lives. If you want to take things slowly at first, some companies offer debit cards for kids that parents can manage through an app. This lets you deposit money into their accounts and limit where your kids are allowed to spend the money. It can be a safe way for them to learn about earning, spending and saving. Encourage budgeting skills A household budget is an important factor in keeping a persons own finances in check. Encouraging your kids to start budgeting as well is a great way to get them on the right track. By showing your child how they can both spend and save their allowance, they may learn to start considering what they spend their money on more carefully. Help them create a budget based on how much they earn and their savings goal so they can manage their spending. You can also show your own budget to your child as a real-world example to help them understand how your spending affects the family. Teach your child about interest You could go out and buy that big-ticket item your kids been longing for, or you could turn it into a teachable moment. By lending them the cash and charging interest if its not paid back by a certain date interest doesnt have to be in the form of money, it could be extra chores you teach your child about the importance of paying back loans on time, otherwise things might cost more than necessary. This is also a great way to introduce your child to the idea of credit. You can show your kid the types of credit that you have, and how you have to budget to ensure you pay off your debts as well. Make financial literacy fun While games like Monopoly and Life can help teach your kids about handling cash, there are other ways to make financial literacy fun. For instance, if your child expresses particular interest in a brand or a product, you can purchase them a small number of shares in the company. Your child can watch as the stock value rises or falls daily, and decide what they want to do with the investment in the company. Watching the investments grow or shrink over time can teach them the value and risks of investing even small amounts of money. Or consider gifting your child a government savings bond. The fact that savings bonds gain interest but can only be redeemed after a certain period of time can teach your child the value of investing and patience. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. TORONTO, April 23, 2023 /CNW/ - Registered nurses (RNs) and health-care professionals in many locations across the province are out in their communities today, asking the public to support them and join in their fight for better care. Ontario Nurses Association Logo (CNW Group/Ontario Nurses' Association) Nurses are calling for a better contract for 60,000 members working in the hospital sector, with better staffing and wages so they can provide better care for Ontarians. The action comes as ONA's negotiations for a new contract with the Ontario Hospital Association ended without an agreement, leaving the parties heading to arbitration soon. "Simply put, our patients need and deserve better care," says ONA Interim Provincial President Bernie Robinson, RN. "Despite the fact that they are exhausted and many are burnt out, our members are still making use of what little precious down time they have to talk to their communities about the truth of what's happening to health care. "Our nurses and health-care professionals are in the streets to fulfill their role as patient advocates, to put an end to the practice of Ontario's hospitals operating with unsafe staffing levels that harm patients. The failure to properly invest in our public hospital system is hurting those who rely on quality care." The nurses and health-care professionals have organized the events to inform people of the very real threats to their health care and explain how the failures of the Ford government and hospital CEOs are hurting the care of those who need it. "As front-line nurses and health-care professionals, we're informing people of the threats to their health care and making it easy for them to take steps to bring back better care for all," says Robinson. "We are asking Ontarians to join us in the push for better funding for public health care, and a better contract for those who provide that care." Robinson notes that in the last budget, the Ford government moved funding and care into the hands of private, for-profit providers. "Sending our public taxpayer dollars to those who want to profit from vulnerable Ontarians who need care is unacceptable," says Robinson. "We are asking people today to sign our petitions and voice their opposition to the destruction of our public health-care system. We simply cannot stand idly by while our health-care system is destroyed." Story continues ONA is the union representing 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care, public health, the community, clinics and industry. SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/23/c0836.html Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Vossloh fair value estimate is 67.55 Vossloh's 41.70 share price signals that it might be 38% undervalued Analyst price target for VOS is 46.50 which is 31% below our fair value estimate Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Vossloh AG (ETR:VOS) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. Check out our latest analysis for Vossloh The Model We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) 53.0m 54.8m 51.6m 77.0m 82.4m 86.0m 88.7m 90.7m 92.2m 93.3m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x6 Analyst x5 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 4.41% Est @ 3.14% Est @ 2.24% Est @ 1.62% Est @ 1.18% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 7.1% 49.4 47.7 42.0 58.4 58.3 56.9 54.7 52.2 49.5 46.8 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 516m We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.1%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = 93m (1 + 0.2%) (7.1% 0.2%) = 1.3b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 1.3b ( 1 + 7.1%)10= 670m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is 1.2b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of 41.7, the company appears quite good value at a 38% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Vossloh as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.1%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.176. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Vossloh Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is not viewed as a risk. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Machinery market. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the German market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the German market. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Vossloh, we've compiled three fundamental factors you should consider: Risks: You should be aware of the 1 warning sign for Vossloh we've uncovered before considering an investment in the company. Future Earnings: How does VOS's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every German stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Elbit's ROBUST tanks being demonstrated at Bovington Just outside of Dorchester, Dorset, the future of warfare is being tested. Last month, the Army began trialling self-driving tanks at its Armoured Trials and Development Unit in Bovington, an army base that also hosts Britain's tank museum. The autonomous, heavily armoured vehicles that have been roaming the landscape are seen as the future of the battlefield, acting as outriders and scouts for the infantry. The benefits are obvious: sending troops into a town filled with booby traps and snipers is a risk, but sending in a five-tonne tank that drives itself is much safer. As with the race to develop a self-driving car, there are plenty of companies seeking to be the first to put an autonomous tank on the battlefield. Elbit Systems UK, part of the Israeli defence business of the same name, is among them. Better known for its Watchkeeper surveillance drone developed with Frances Thales, Elbits Robust self-driving tank or to give the vehicle its formal classification, a heavy uncrewed ground system (H-UGVs) - was among the vehicles tested by the Army in Dorset. The six-wheel giant, which runs on tyres rather than treads, looks like a cross between Wall-E and the Batmobile. It is designed to conduct missions where you would prefer not to put people in harm's way, says Martin Fausset, chief executive of Elbit Systems UK. Robust and other self-driving tanks that are being developed are packed with cameras, microphones and other sensors, allowing them to send crucial battlefield intelligence back to base even when taking fire. The vehicles can also shift supplies without tying up soldiers, dont sleep, unlike human troops, and take up little power when stationary. As with a smaller bomb disposal robot, and despite their tank-like size, these vehicles also offer a closer look at unknown threats compared to airborne drones. However, they are not just useful aides on the battlefield they will also be able to launch offensives. Story continues The size of it, and the physical presence of it is such that you could get very good cross country performance and if you needed to, you can, you can put weapons on it, says Fausset. You can put a turret on it, you can put missiles on it and you can launch drones from it. As with military drones, self-driving tanks with offensive capabilities would always have a human sitting behind them to ensure that judgment is used when pulling the trigger. However, when it comes to information gathering, the vehicles will also follow the trend of being paired with artificial intelligence to sift the data for the most useful nuggets to act upon. In this respect, it joins other cutting edge military technology gathering gigabytes of data, such as the Tempest next generation fighter jet being developed by the UK, Italy and Japan. The new next generation Tempest Stealth jet Prototype on display - David Rose Despite the complex technology, vehicles such as Robust are lighter than a human-manned tank. Protection systems from threats such as poison gas and features including air conditioning can be dispensed with. The armour can also be thinner, which cuts down costs. Prices are as yet undecided and will depend on the precise demands the army makes on the vehicles, says Fausset. However, Kuldar Vaarsi, chief executive of Milrem, an Estonian firm also developing an autonomous tank, says: The price of such systems will be significantly lower than of modern infantry fighting vehicles, but the firepower and mobility will be the same or higher. The vehicles themselves are three to four times lighter compared to traditional infantry fighting vehicles and more versatile on various terrains. Since they have no crew compartments, they are also lower with a lower visual signature, which is useful for evading detection. Once deployed, Milrems Type X, which was also tested by the Army, will be able to detect obstacles and the best route to follow, as well as monitoring its own internal systems for parts that need to be replaced. The Type X will be an intelligent wingman to main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, says Vaarsi. Compared to a crewed vehicle, replacing a lost robotic combat vehicle is purely a logistical nuance, he adds. The tanks can accompany armed units or go off on their own. Groups of them can act as sentries along a contested border, says Elbits Fausset. Milrem and Elbit are relatively small players in the multi-billion dollar defence market. However, the UKs biggest defence businesses have also been busy developing rival technology. BAE Systems is working with Qinetiq on fighting vehicles that can be made in either manned or autonomous models. Qinetiq is known for its military robots, which can dispose of bombs and deal with other nasty situations like a nuclear or chemical leak. Royal Navy of fixed-wing drones being launched from the flight deck of HMS Prince of Wales as the Royal Navy begins exploring the use of un-crewed technology on the new aircraft carriers - LPhot Ben Corbett/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright BAE has already installed autonomous technology onto the Australian Armys M113 AS4 Armoured Personnel Carriers to help defence officials there experiment with the new equipment. In the US, BAE has developed a prototype robot tank that can speed along at 45 miles per hour and can shoot drones and other targets three miles away. With a hybrid engine, it can also move for six miles silently and tackle 60pc inclines. In addition to keeping personnel away from dangerous situations, autonomous tanks will reduce the number of trained soldiers needed for tasks such as sentry duty and logistics near the front line. Fausset added: You could put up a boundary fence with these types of vehicles, which enables you to both detect electronic threats, and also to jam them. You could surround yourself with remote vehicles with that jamming equipment to obtain better protection as a consequence. That is a boon for the British Army, which is currently in the process of shrinking its overall regular numbers to 72,500 by 2025, its lowest figure in two centuries. The reduction in standing force means each soldier must do more, with automation offering a helping hand. While smaller robot units already exist, the heft of an automated tank offers new advantages, Faussett says As to when they can be put to use, Elbits contender could be seen soon if a buyer emerges. I think we're very close, Faussett says. I honestly think somebody will be using this within a year or two. South Africa: High Courts to commemorate centenary of women in legal practice The High Courts in both Pretoria and Johannesburg will this week hold ceremonial sittings to commemorate the centenary of the Women Legal Practice Act of 1923. Prior to the Act the courts had ruled, in Schlesin v Incorporated Law Society 1909 TS 363 and Incorporated Law Society v Wookey 1912 AD 623 that women were not included as persons who could be admitted to legal practice, the Office of the Chief Justice said on Sunday. The Act expressly opened the door to women by decreeing that: Women shall be entitled to be admitted to practice and to be enrolled as advocates, attorneys, notaries public or conveyancers in any province of the Union subject to the same terms and conditions as apply to men . It did not take long for women to take active steps to become legal practitioners. The first woman to be admitted as an advocate in South Africa was Irene Geffin in 1923. The first woman attorney was Constance Mary Hall, in 1926. For historic apartheid reasons, it took longer for Black women to join the ranks, with Desiree Finca being enrolled as the first Black woman attorney in 1967, the Office of the Chief Justice said. For this historic celebratory occasion, Finca, together with direct descendants of Geffin and of Wookey, will attend the sittings as special guests. Tuesdays occasion is hosted in collaboration with the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges and the 100 more Campaign. The ceremonial sittings will bring together women from legal practice, legal institutions, and the Judiciary to honour these pioneering women, to reflect on the journey of women in the legal profession and to reaffirm the commitment as a collective to promote the constitutional rights of equality and human dignity. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2023-04-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Reading with Xi Jinping | The Alchemist 16:34, April 23, 2023 By Beatriz Cunha, Fu Yuanyuan ( People's Daily Online "The world lies in the hands of those that have the courage to dream and who take the risk of living out their dreams." This is a famous quote from Paulo Coelho, a renowned Brazilian writer. Coelho's works have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. He has been put on par with Gabriel Garcia Marquez and has the largest readership as a Latin American writer. His O Alquimista (The Alchemist), first published in 1988, had 158 editions in Brazil over 12 years. On July 16, 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping cited the famous quote from Coelho in a speech delivered at the National Congress of Brazil. Unity, collaboration, development and revitalization are the dreams of the Latin American people from generation to generation. The "Chinese Dream" and the "Latin American Dream" are closely linked. Both sides should take the courage to pursue the dream and jointly make the dream come true, Xi said. In The Alchemist, the shepherd boy Santiago followed the instructions of Melchizedek and the alchemist and constantly motivated himself to march toward his goal and never give up on his dream, eventually finding his dream treasure. Both China and Brazil are influential major developing countries and promising emerging markets, and China-Brazil relations have become increasingly influential to the world. Showing concern for the world and being persistent in pursuing dreams are personality traits people should possess. The courage to work hard and the talent to forge ahead are qualities that should be cherished. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chengliang) (Bloomberg) -- Moscow may retaliate if Group of Seven countries proceed with a total ban on most exports to Russia by withdrawing from the safe-transit deal that allows Ukraine to ship grains from Black Sea ports, said Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russias Security Council. Most Read from Bloomberg Russia would also consider banning exports of some of its own goods, Medvedev said in a Telegram post. G-7 officials are considering moving closer to an outright ban on most exports to Russia and are discussing the idea ahead of a leaders summit in Japan in May, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposal is still being debated and could change, the people said last week. The total ban on the export of goods to our country by default is a wonderful idea, because it also implies retaliation and a ban of the import of goods from our country, said Medvedev, a former Russian prime minister and president. The grain deal will end, he added. On top of the G-7 discussions, the European Union is also set to propose a ban on many goods transiting through Russia as the bloc attempts to tighten enforcement of sanctions imposed over the past year, people said on Saturday. Read more: Ukraines Black Sea Crop Exports Resume After Latest Halt The safe-transit agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey, has allowed Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain since last summer. Russia, which is currently the worlds largest wheat exporter, has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the deal, which is next up for renewal in mid-May, if issues regarding its own grain and fertilizer shipments arent resolved. A shipment of Russian fertilizer held in Latvia since Moscows invasion of Ukraine 14 months ago has sailed for Kenya, Latvian authorities said on Saturday, in what was seen as a possible boost for efforts to extend the Black Sea deal. Story continues Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to discuss the grain agreement with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while in New York this week to chair the UN Security Council meeting, Tass reported. Yet Medvedevs comments suggest another hurdle for the agreement to continue. Medvedev is known for inflammatory comments on social media. He issued a veiled threat via Twitter on Friday to Boris Pistorius, Germanys defense minister, saying that the German who wishes to attack Russia, must be ready for our parade in Berlin. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. For many, the main point of investing is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But the main game is to find enough winners to more than offset the losers So we wouldn't blame long term Maxis Berhad (KLSE:MAXIS) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 25% over a half decade. While the last five years has been tough for Maxis Berhad shareholders, this past week has shown signs of promise. So let's look at the longer term fundamentals and see if they've been the driver of the negative returns. See our latest analysis for Maxis Berhad 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 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). Looking back five years, both Maxis Berhad's share price and EPS declined; the latter at a rate of 12% per year. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 6% compound annual share price fall. The relatively muted share price reaction might be because the market expects the business to turn around. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). This free interactive report on Maxis Berhad's earnings, revenue and cash flow 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, Maxis Berhad's TSR for the last 5 years was -9.0%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! Story continues A Different Perspective It's nice to see that Maxis Berhad shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 17% over the last year. And that does include the dividend. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 1.7% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. We generally put more weight on the long term performance over the short term, but the recent improvement could hint at a (positive) inflection point within the business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Maxis Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Maxis Berhad (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Of course Maxis Berhad may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Nearly empty shelves are seen at a Bed Bath & Beyond store, April 10, 2023 in Naples, Fla. Bed Bath & Beyond has filed for bankruptcy protection, but the company says its stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers. The beleaguered home goods chain made the filing Sunday, April 23 in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, listing its estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion and $10 billion. (AP Photo/Anne D'Innocenzio) NEW YORK (AP) Bed Bath & Beyond one of the original big box retailers known for its seemingly endless offerings of sheets, towels and kitchen gadgets filed for bankruptcy protection, following years of dismal sales and losses and numerous failed turnaround plans. The beleaguered home goods chain made the filing Sunday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey and said it will start an orderly wind down of its operations, while seeking a buyer for all or some of its businesses. In the bankruptcy filing, the retailer said it anticipates closing all of its stores by June 30. For now, the company's 360 Bed Bath & Beyond stores and its 120 Buy Buy Baby sites as well as its websites will remain open to serve customers. It listed estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion to $10 billion. The move comes after the company failed to secure funds to stay afloat. In a statement, the company, based in Union, New Jersey, said it voluntarily made the filing "to implement an orderly wind down of its businesses while conducting a limited marketing process to solicit interest in one or more sales of some or all of its assets." The store closings will put thousands of jobs at risk. The company employed 14,000 workers, according to the court filing. That's drastically down from the 32,000 as of February 2022. Bed Bath & Beyond said it secured a commitment of roughly $240 million in financing from Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. to allow it to keep operating during the bankruptcy process. It's the death of an icon. A lot of people have grown up with it, said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. Its an institution in retailing, but unfortunately being an institution doesnt protect you from financial woes. Founded in 1971, Bed Bath & Beyond had for years enjoyed its status as a big box retailer that offered a vast selection of sheets, towels and gadgets unmatched by department store rivals. It was among the first to introduce shoppers to many of todays household items like the air fryer or single-serve coffee maker, and its 15% to 20% coupons were ubiquitous. Story continues But for the last decade or so, Bed Bath & Beyond struggled with weak sales, largely because of its messy assortments and lagging online strategy that made it hard to compete with the likes of Target and Walmart, both of which have spruced up their home departments with higher quality sheets and beddings. Meanwhile, online players like Wayfair have lured customers with affordable and trendy furniture and home decor. In late 2019, Bed Bath & Beyond tapped Target executive Mark Tritton to take the helm and turn around sales. Tritton quickly reduced coupons and started to introduce store label brands at the expense of national labels, a strategy that proved disastrous for the retailer. And the pandemic, which happened shortly after his arrival, forced the retailer to temporarily close its stores. It was never able to use the health crisis to pivot to a successful online strategy as others had, analysts said. And while many retailers were grappling with supply chain issues a year ago, Bed Bath was among the most vulnerable, missing many of its 200 best-selling items including kitchen appliances and personal electronics, during the holiday 2021 season. The retailer ousted Tritton in June 2022 after two back-to-back quarters of disastrous sales. In recent months, the company, under the stewardship of recently appointed president and CEO Sue Grove, went back to its original strategy of focusing on national brands, instead of pushing its own store labels. But the company has had a hard time having suppliers commit to delivering merchandise because of the retailers financial woes. This past holiday season, the stores were missing many key items, and it lost many customers, a problem that continued to plague the retailer through the winter and spring seasons. The bankruptcy filing comes as the companys shares have tumbled even more as speculation of an impending bankruptcy filing increased. Its financial performance has also deteriorated. In late March, it noted that preliminary results showed anywhere from a 40% to 50% decline in sales at stores opened at least a year for the quarter ended Feb. 25. The company also said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing in late March that it planned to sell $300 million worth of shares to avoid bankruptcy filing. The home goods retailer had been issuing several warnings about a potential bankruptcy filing since early this year. In late January, it noted in a government filing it was in default of its loans and didnt have the funds to repay what it owes. The company had said the default is forcing the company to look at various alternatives including restructuring its debt in bankruptcy court. Bed Bath & Beyond joins a growing list of retailers that have filed for bankruptcy so far this year including party supplies chain Party City and Davids Bridal. The bankruptcy could offer a window of what's to come in the retail industry, given the changing landscape and the increasing challenges in the U.S. economy. During the depths of the pandemic, a number of retailers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy including Neiman Marcus and J.C. Penney. But in 2022, there was a respite in retail bankruptcy filings as shoppers, flush with government stimulus money and a pile of savings, spent with abandon, helping to lift all types of retailers. But as credit tightens and inflation remains stubborn, shoppers have been tightening their purse strings in recent months, leaving struggling retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond more vulnerable. Bed Bath & Beyond had been trying to turn around its business and slash costs after the previous managements new strategies worsened a sales slump. The company announced last August it would close about 150 of its namesake stores and slash its workforce by 20%. It also lined up more than $500 million of new financing. Bed Bath & Beyonds shares, which were trading at distressed levels, have also been on a turbulent run. It made a monstrous run from $5.77 to $23.08 in a little more than two weeks in August. The trading was reminiscent of last years meme-stock craze, when out-of-favor companies suddenly became darlings of smaller-pocketed investors. But the stock fell back to Earth after Ryan Cohen, the billionaire co-founder of online pet-products retailer Chewy Inc. who purchased a nearly 10% stake in Bed Bath & Beyond last March, sold off all his shares. Shares were hovering close to 30 cents in the past few days. A year ago, shares were trading at around $17. Bed Bath & Beyond said it expects to process returns and exchanges in accordance with its usual policies until May 24 for items purchased prior to Sunday. It also anticipates gift cards, gift certificates and loyalty certificates will be accepted through May 8.It will stop accepting coupons on Wednesday. ____ AP Writer Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey contributed to this report. ______ Follow Anne DInnocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio Even as 5G still has years to go before it's fully implemented, the White House is already game-planning how to get ahead with 6G. Top Biden officials began government planning for the coming sixth generation of mobile wireless communication in an event Friday hosted by the National Science Foundation. The goal of the workshop "was to talk about how we get the technology and policy right to ensure that we can lead in this space," Anne Neuberger, Biden's Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber & Emerging Technology and one of the attendees, told Yahoo Finance Live on Monday. She added that, for now at least, "the jury is still out on how 6G will look." The full-day meeting entitled 6G: Open and Resilient by Design comes as experts predict that changes from the emerging technology could be felt as early as this decade amid a host of national security concerns, including China's aggressive moves to put its stamp on the still-developing standards. A 6G banner is displayed during the 2023 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain in March. (Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Friday's gathering featured lawmakers, business leaders, academics, and other stakeholders with a plan to continue the conversations in the months ahead and to also fold in European allies in an effort to make a united stand against China. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Alan Davidson noted in his remarks to kick off the event that the technology has huge potential, but also raises questions about how authoritarian governments could deploy this technology for further surveillance and control of their citizens. As for the technology itself, experts are already making grandiose predictions about a coming era of ubiquitous connectivity, which could spur new technologies that can constantly monitor users and their surroundings. Nokia has described 6G as nothing less than a technology that will allow a world where the digital, physical, and human world will seamlessly fuse." The company's goal is to have it commercially available by 2030. Story continues 6G is not just 5G-plus, former Federal Communication Commission (FCC) chairman Tom Wheeler told Yahoo Finance. 6G will facilitate much more than just better use of your smartphone, and we need to consider it in that kind of a context. Chinese efforts that we ought to be resisting One question is who will set the technical standards for how the network is built: U.S. companies or Chinese ones like Huawei. China has been aggressive in the area, even reportedly testing its own 6G standards. There are also concerns that the way China is building the technology could create privacy issues by making it easier to individually identify users. "We certainly see much tighter linkage now between the Chinese government, not only state-owned firms, but their private sector telecom firms like Huawei and ZTE," said Neuberger, adding that the administration believes that over 90% of private-sector Chinese firms now have communist party members inside the companies working to influence decision-making. "If you can't trust your supplier, you can't have confidence that data won't be spied on, that communications won't be disrupted or degraded in a time of crisis," she said. A prototype for 6G wireless communication is on display during the 8th China International Technology Fair at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in April 2021. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images) The private sector's efforts to develop the standards in the US are being coordinated by a group called the Next-G alliance, which was formed to research 6G technology and includes major telecoms like Verizon (VZ), AT&T (T), T-Mobile (TMUS), and others. Qualcomm (QCOM) CFO Akash Palkhiwala a member of the alliance appeared on Yahoo Finance Live last year and predicted 6G could be deployed in the second half of this decade. The National Science Foundation also recently announced a call for partnerships between the government and leading companies to advance next-generation computing systems, including 6G. Getting ahead in what will be an essential technology The issue has also gotten attention on Capitol Hill with a recent hearing on wireless leadership. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) noted that simply because our nation led the world in providing consumers with access to 4G wireless technology and Wi-Fi does not mean we will achieve the same result in 5G, 6G, or Wi-Fi 7. The possibilities of 6G have other far-reaching possibilities, including allowing the ubiquitous use of artificial intelligence in people's daily lives to using less power and helping the fight against climate change. It could also increase internet access to underserved areas by transmitting data faster and across greater distances. I was honored to join @DavidsonNTIA, @DorisMatsui, and leading experts to talk about the development of 6G wireless. My message has always been to increase federal support and keep the fire lit for R&D, while ensuring that new essential technology is available in every zip code. pic.twitter.com/ssBk4iqxHC Senator Ben Ray Lujan (@SenatorLujan) April 21, 2023 In attendance Friday were Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), among others. Lujan tweeted out that his focus was on "ensuring that new essential technology is available in every zip code. Wheeler, who was chairman of the FCC during the Obama administration and is now a visiting fellow at The Brookings Institution, criticized the Trump administrations approach to 5G, saying it ceded too much to China. The earlier the Biden administration can show concrete action in this area, the better, he said, adding hooray for the Biden administration for getting out in front of this This post has been updated. Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Click here for politics news related to business and money Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse. Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether AFC Energy (LON:AFC) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. See our latest analysis for AFC Energy How Long Is AFC Energy's Cash Runway? You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. In October 2022, AFC Energy had UK40m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was UK16m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 2.6 years as of October 2022. Importantly, analysts think that AFC Energy will reach cashflow breakeven in 3 years. So there's a very good chance it won't need more cash, when you consider the burn rate will be reducing in that period. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years. How Is AFC Energy's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? In the last year, AFC Energy did book revenue of UK582k, but its revenue from operations was less, at just UK582k. Given how low that operating leverage is, we think it's too early to put much weight on the revenue growth, so we'll focus on how the cash burn is changing, instead. With the cash burn rate up 45% in the last year, it seems that the company is ratcheting up investment in the business over time. However, the company's true cash runway will therefore be shorter than suggested above, if spending continues to increase. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company. Story continues Can AFC Energy Raise More Cash Easily? Given its cash burn trajectory, AFC Energy shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. AFC Energy has a market capitalisation of UK153m and burnt through UK16m last year, which is 10% of the company's market value. Given that situation, it's fair to say the company wouldn't have much trouble raising more cash for growth, but shareholders would be somewhat diluted. So, Should We Worry About AFC Energy's Cash Burn? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about AFC Energy's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. While its increasing cash burn wasn't great, the other factors mentioned in this article more than make up for weakness on that measure. One real positive is that analysts are forecasting that the company will reach breakeven. Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we're not overly concerned about the company's cash burn, although we do think shareholders should keep an eye on how it develops. On another note, AFC Energy has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here When you buy shares in a company, it's worth keeping in mind the possibility that it could fail, and you could lose your money. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. For instance, the price of CACI International Inc (NYSE:CACI) stock is up an impressive 101% over the last five years. Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. See our latest analysis for CACI International While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). During five years of share price growth, CACI International achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 7.7% per year. This EPS growth is lower than the 15% average annual increase in the share price. So it's fair to assume the market has a higher opinion of the business than it did five years ago. That's not necessarily surprising considering the five-year track record of earnings growth. You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on CACI International's earnings, revenue and cash flow. A Different Perspective It's nice to see that CACI International shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 7.7% over the last year. However, that falls short of the 15% TSR per annum it has made for shareholders, each year, over five years. The pessimistic view would be that be that the stock has its best days behind it, but on the other hand the price might simply be moderating while the business itself continues to execute. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with CACI International . Story continues If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. So we wouldn't blame long term International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 14% over a half decade. Furthermore, it's down 11% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. This could be related to the recent financial results - you can catch up on the most recent data by reading our company report. Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns. Check out our latest analysis for International Business Machines In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. During the five years over which the share price declined, International Business Machines' earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 18% each year. The share price decline of 3% per year isn't as bad as the EPS decline. So investors might expect EPS to bounce back -- or they may have previously foreseen the EPS decline. With a P/E ratio of 55.53, it's fair to say the market sees a brighter future for the business. You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on International Business Machines' earnings, revenue and cash flow. 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 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. In the case of International Business Machines, it has a TSR of 14% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 3.6% in the twelve months, International Business Machines shareholders did even worse, losing 4.5% (even including dividends). However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 3%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand International Business Machines better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 5 warning signs we've spotted with International Business Machines (including 1 which shouldn't be ignored) . International Business Machines is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Although, when we looked at Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes. What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)? Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Verizon Communications: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.10 = US$33b (US$380b - US$50b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022). Thus, Verizon Communications has an ROCE of 10%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Telecom industry average of 6.5% it's much better. Check out our latest analysis for Verizon Communications roce In the above chart we have measured Verizon Communications' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company. What Does the ROCE Trend For Verizon Communications Tell Us? In terms of Verizon Communications' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 13% over the last five years. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments. Story continues What We Can Learn From Verizon Communications' ROCE In summary, Verizon Communications is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Unsurprisingly then, the total return to shareholders over the last five years has been flat. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere. On a final note, we've found 2 warning signs for Verizon Communications that we think you should be aware of. If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here WALDWICK There was no ocean in sight, but Waldwick High School students helped create a "Shark Tank"-style event Tuesday with students in Kenya via Zoom, identifying local projects in need of sponsors and raising funds to help finance them. Waldwick High School's Global Awareness Club is among 20 Bergen County student programs participating in The Empathy, Equality, Entrepreneurship Mission (TEEEM), an international nonprofit that teaches students about global issues and humanitarianism. This year, Waldwick's class was connected to Kenyan students through The Grace Project. The students met weekly via Zoom for hourlong English reading and discussion classes. Out of this came a suggestion from the teachers in both countries for the students to collaborate on a presentation similar to the "Shark Tank" television show, where entrepreneurs demonstrate their products and services in hopes of attracting financial investors. First prize winner of the competition was Petal Care, snap-on holders and washable reusable liners for Kenyan women who have no access to disposable feminine hygiene products. Waldwick teacher Ted Opderbeck said his students did some "creative fundraisers" including a "dine and donate" event at the local Bombay Hut restaurant. Students raised $2,000, which TEEEM matched to create a prize purse of $4,000 to be split among the three presentation groups. More: Bergen County's new tech high school breaks ground; to open in 2025 "The students in Kenya researched the issue and developed ideas to create actual functional businesses that they could run to address the problem," Opderbeck said. "My students assisted in putting information onto slides, helping with presentation skills, and evaluating/constructing budgets." Waldwick junior Kaitlyn Hu estimated that her team met with the Kenyan students before school about six times to create a proposal for a secondhand clothing store. Waldwick students prepared slide show presentations for Kenya student projects, including this proposal to increase productivity of indigenous vegetables. "Our role was helping create and expand the idea," Kaitlyn said. "The best part was helping them evaluate the items to sell and the pricing. It was eye-opening. We don't think much about having lots of clothing." Story continues The groups took turns making five-minute presentations, followed by a question-and-answer session for four judges including TEEEM officers and Waldwick Servepro Office and Marketing Manager Karen Centauro. The first-place winner, Petal Care, received $2,500 to start a feminine hygiene product business. In second place, Afya Bora Investment received $1,500 for its plan to improve food crop yields. Third-place finisher Buy Our Own Build Our Own received $1,000 to start its secondhand clothing store. "It was a powerful and emotional experience to witness the Kenya students presenting their ideas and receiving TEEEM funding to put their plans into action," Centauro said. For more information on TEEEM, visit TEEEM.org. For more information on The Grace Project, visit graceproject.org. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New businesses come from teamwork between Waldwick, Kenya students Illustration by Mitchell Preffer for Decrypt This week, markets were at the mercy of macroeconomic factors as some at the Fed have indicated another rate hike is due next month. Crypto was also subjected to intense scrutiny by regulators in both the U.S. and EU. Bitcoin and Ethereum led the downturn, with similar seven-day losses of over 10% impacting many leading cryptocurrencies. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) crackdown on crypto made headlines on Monday when the regulator sued yet another big crypto business for alleged failure to comply with securities laws, Seattle-based exchange Bittrex. Delphi Labs Gabriel Shapiro was outraged by the agencys description of the Dash (DASH) token as a security. I just read SEC's case against Bittrex & am floored...more aggressive than could've been imagined and goes directly against Dash's no-premine model, saying DASH is a security despite the fact that the devco is funded by validators out of block rewards... pic.twitter.com/McpZEYTK1O _gabrielShapir0 (@lex_node) April 17, 2023 On Thursday, The European Parliament passed the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) bill with 517 votes in favor, 38 against, and 18 abstentions. The legislation now gives the blocs 27 constituent states a unified approach to crypto. Rebecca Retig, Chief Policy Officer at Polygon Labs, wrote a thread on Monday arguing that the bloc still needed to tweak its data act, which she described as overbroad and likely unenforceable in decentralized systems. 1/ Today @0xPolygonLabs published an open letter to the EU on Art. 30 of the #DataAct, which could have serious consequences for permissionless smart contracts. @Ledger has joined in proposing amendments to narrow Art. 30 to protect decentralized software development. Read pic.twitter.com/AZHGCm14sQ Rebecca Rettig (@RebeccaRettig1) April 17, 2023 Institutional Bitcoin whale Michael Saylor complained about all the sats he was receiving on Tuesday. Story continues So @MicroStrategy converted my corporate email address into a #Lightning address and people keep sending me 21 sats... pic.twitter.com/FHde6RtA6N Michael Saylor (@saylor) April 17, 2023 Crypto lawyer Rodrigo, who tweets under the handle @RSSH273, tweeted a lengthy legal objection to the sanctioning of crypto privacy mixer Tornado Cash by U.S. authorities. We filed an amicus in the suit that 6 Tornado Cash users brought against the unprecedented sanctions of TC open-source code Our argument is simple: Sanctions only apply to people or entities, and their property. TC fits none of those definitionsit is just open-source code pic.twitter.com/oCKuRpIFyZ Rodrigo (@RSSH273) April 17, 2023 Coinbase CEO Brian Amstrong flexed his diplomatic muscle in London on Tuesday. Later in the week the exchange announced extensive expansion plans, a maneuver to counteract the increasing assertiveness and aggressiveness of U.S. regulators towards the exchange and industry in recent months. Great meeting today with UK Economic Secretary and City Minister @griffitha. The UK is moving fast on sensible crypto regulation to both drive economic growth AND consumer protection. Excited to keep investing in the UK. pic.twitter.com/478PQSLmDe Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) April 17, 2023 Twitter user @Tayvano_ flagged a multimillion dollar wallet draining operation that has been active since December. For the past 48hrs I've been unwinding a massive wallet draining operation I don't know how big it is but since Dec 2022 it's drained 5000+ ETH and ??? in tokens / NFTs / coins across 11+ chains. Its rekt my friends & OGs who are reasonably secure. No one knows how. pic.twitter.com/MafntG7RkP Tay (@tayvano_) April 18, 2023 Republican Tom Emmers appearance at a hearing in Washington on the oversight of the SEC made the rounds on Twitter with an eminently quotable soundbite. At the hearing, Emmer grilled SEC chair Gensler and said, Youve been an incompetent cop on the beat, before claiming the SEC chair was pushing American firms into the hands of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). And hes pushing innovation into the hands of a communist country, the United States number one adversary: pic.twitter.com/lE0Q4TuhYa Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) April 18, 2023 Blockchain sleuth @ZachXBT on Wednesday compiled a long list of scams that rapper Soulja Boy has shilled since he got involved in crypto. 1/ In recent weeks influencers have given @souljaboy praise for new NFT projects in hopes of clout. In reality he has been one of the most shameless promoters in the crypto space. In my research I observed 73 promotions & 16 NFT drops done by him. Many of these were scams. pic.twitter.com/8xRDN79S5t ZachXBT (@zachxbt) April 19, 2023 Do the hiccups referred to in writer and lawyer @NYCSouthpaws tweet refer to blanket refusals from mama and papa Bankman-Fried to have their phones compromised in such an intrusive manner? Likely! One of SBFs bail conditions is his parents have to have cell phones that automatically snap photos of the user every couple minutes, and theyre having some hiccups setting it up. https://t.co/i8NHWcb1qH southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) April 19, 2023 On Thursday, news hit Twitter that Tornado Cash developer Alex Pertsev, who was arrested by Dutch authorities in August for allegedly facilitating money laundering, is getting released next Wednesday so he can prepare for his trial at home. tornado cash dev alex pertsev reportedly released just now pic.twitter.com/Lg1s01VaRP banteg (@bantg) April 20, 2023 Gabriel Shapiro that day pitched his idea of a BORG. An abbreviation for cybernetic organization, the BORG is a new middle between the decentralized and autonomous principles of DAOs and the legal entitlements and compliant structures of traditional business entities. BORGs merge traditional business entities with smart contracts, offering a new path for DAO legal structuring. They are the culmination of years of my thinking on how to bridge meatspace corporate law & the on-chain world. pic.twitter.com/gaME7yXdvh _gabrielShapir0 (@lex_node) April 20, 2023 Finally, Dogecoin creator turned-nocoiner Billy Markus still thinks crypto is a lunatics game. Mongolia holds 16th "Chinese Bridge" contest for secondary school students Xinhua) 16:52, April 23, 2023 ULAN BATOR, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The final round of the 16th edition of the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign secondary school students was held here Saturday. Under the theme "Fly High With Chinese," a total of 22 finalists from nine schools across Mongolia showcased their Chinese language skills and understanding of the Chinese culture through speeches, quizzes, and cultural performances. Enkhmaa Bolor-Od, a student from the Khishig secondary school in the national capital Ulan Bator, won the contest and was qualified to represent Mongolia at the final "Chinese Bridge" competition in China. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu) SFC Virginia has received a $35,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to help prepare more homeless pets for adoption. With the help of this grant, the organization will offer pre-adoption vetting to include spay/neuter, age-appropriate vaccinations, treatments and preventatives, microchipping, and any needed extraneous medical care for 250 animals in 2023. SFC Virginia is a foster-focused rescue with a home base in the FredericksburgSpotsylvania County area. With more than 300 active fosters, it has found homes for more than 5,000 dogs and cats since its formation less than four years ago. SFC Virginia hosts adoption events weekly at local Petsmart locations and helps connect pets like Millie Mashed Potato, who worked with a trainer and her dedicated foster home during her time in rescue, to families in the region willing to open their hearts and homes to pets in need. Since July of 2019, we have been working with rural and underserved shelters across Virginia toward the goal of ending space-related euthanasia and improving the overall live release rate in the state, said Ryan Barker, executive director of SFC Virginia. As a young organization without high barriers and requirements for the animals we take in, medical expenses make up the majority of our budget. This generous grant will enable us to provide medical support for at least 250 of Virginias homeless pets in 2023, while simultaneously helping us increase our annual intakes and ensuring that the pets that come out of our program are set up for success in their forever homes. Find out more about SFC Virginia and sign up as a foster parent at sfcva.org. Culpeper County Public Schools recently announced an expansion of its School Bus Safety program, which seeks to prevent illegal passing of school buses. Since it began the program in 2018, the school system has partnered with BusPatrol, a safety technology company based in Lorton, to install stop arm cameras on its buses. "With the support of the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office, the Commonwealth's 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 Culpeper Schools Superintendent Anthony Brads. The cameras provided by BusPatrol are equipped with artificial intelligence technology that can capture the license plates of vehicles that pass stopped school buses. 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 penalty for a first-time violation in this matter is $250. The DMV also recommends drivers stop for any school buses loading or unloading passengers, regardless of whether they have activated their lights and stop signs. 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. The costs of installation of the technology and its maintenance are provided at no cost to the CCPS or local taxpayers, the news release stated. This is made possible through BusPatrols violator-funded program. BusPatrol also partners with other school divisions in Virginia, including schools in Gloucester, Newport News and WilliamsburgJames City County. The fleetwide installation of the stop arm cameras is expected to be completed in May. Fredericksburg-area health departments will soon start giving away free doses of naloxone, the drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. After kickoff events in each of the five localities in the Rappahannock Area Health District Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford residents will be able to get the drug at their local health department during regular business hours. Theyll have to take a 1015 minute free training course, called Rapid REVIVE, to understand how to administer the drug then get a kit with two doses of naloxone nasal spray, according to an RAHD news release. The 4 milligram dose is the same for children and adults. Our goal is to remove as many barriers as possible so that this life-saving drug can be widely available in our community, said Anthony Salgado, RAHDs lead trainer. By bringing it to the local health departments, we are trying to make it convenient for community members to pick it up. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Narcan, the original brand name of naloxone, for sale without a prescription. The generic version costs between $22 and $60 for kits, according to the National Training and Technical Assistance Center. In 2018, the Surgeon Generals office urged more Americans to learn how to use naloxone and to carry the kits with them as the number of deaths from opioid overdoses skyrocketed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the deaths topped the 1 million mark for the first time in 2020, and CDC figures show there have been another 200,000 deaths since then. The Fredericksburg area, and Virginia, also have seen rising fatalities. In 2017, there were 58 fatal overdoses in the Rappahannock Area Health District. By 2021, the toll had climbed to 135 deaths, according to the RAHD. The total doesnt include all those who take in more drugs than their systems can tolerate but survive. In 2021, more than 800 people visited local emergency rooms after overdosing, according to figures from the Harm Reduction Committee, part of the Be Well Rappahannock Council. Those are only the reported ones, said Carmen Greiner, an addiction counselor in Spotsylvania County whos part of the group. There are so many overdose deaths that are happening that we dont know about. Or overdoses that we dont know because people recover at home. She said the taskforce has focused in recent months on getting Narcan everywhere in an attempt to at least give folks something to manage the opiate overdoses. What we do know is that Narcan saves lives. The naloxone kits will be available after each health department has a kickoff event, planed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily: Tuesday, April 25: Caroline County, 17202 Richmond Turnpike, Milford Thursday, April 27: King George County, 8097 Kings Highway, King George Monday, May 1: Stafford County, 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford Wednesday, May 3: Fredericksburg, 608 Jackson St., Fredericksburg Friday, May 5: Spotsylvania County, 9104 Courthouse Road, Spotsylvania After the kickoffs, the free training and naloxone kits will be available on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. People can get one free kit per day, but will have to take the training each time they receive a kit, said Allison BalmesJohn, RAHD spokesperson. She said she hopes the campaign will result in more lives saved. This means training and getting naloxone into the hands of community members including drug users, their family and friends, and the general public, she said. We want to remove the stigma of having naloxone on hand. Everyone should become comfortable with using naloxone during an emergency. The six-week murder trial of South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh mesmerized the nation earlier this year. Murdaugh, a member of a well-known legal family, was charged and later convicted of the June 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son, Paul. The conviction was far from certain, as the evidence was circumstantial. The critical piece of evidence, according to the jury, was Pauls cellphone video recovered by the U.S. Secret Service. This video had Alexs voice yelling at one of their dogs just moments prior to the murders. Murdaugh swore he was nowhere near the crime scene. During interviews the night of the murders and during all the legal proceedings leading up to the main trial, he stuck to that story. It was only in the days leading up to the main trial itself that the Secret Service was able to brute force its way into his deceased sons phone and recover the video that blew apart Alexs alibi. It was after this video revelation that Murdaugh had to admit that he was at the scene of the murders. A brute force attack is a trial-and-error hacking method to gain unauthorized access to a device. There are several brute force methods. A simple attack is not using any special tools, but continually tries to log in using easily identified passwords such as abc123, password123 or birth dates. Local law enforcement in South Carolina was unable to unlock Pauls phone, but they reached out to the Secret Service for additional assistance. The agency then used a tool kit from an Israeli company, Cellebrite, which can unlock, decrypt and extract data on both iOS (software version 7 to 13.3) and Android devices. The Cellebrite Premium kit comprises a laptop preloaded with specifically designed software, specialized adapters and licensing dongles that are required to allow the software to run. The capabilities include everything from accessing messages or photos, to full file systems access, which includes passwords stored on the devices themselves. Cellebrite, founded in 1999, boasts a global presence, with more than 6,900 clients, many of which are public safety agencies. As the law-abiding citizen I know you are, you are probably thinking, this is interesting, but so what? From what Ive researched, the mobile device-cracking technology is limited to Cellebrite. One of the things you learn when it comes to cybersecurity, is that no matter how locked down a physical device or piece of software is, with enough time and resources, someone can figure their way around those safeguards. Will anyone ever get their hands on this toolkit and reverse engineer how it all works? How long before its replicated and easily accessible to more nefarious individuals? Are your passwords appropriately configured on your phone so if someone gained access, they couldnt immediately login to all of your other private applications, such as banking? Here are a few steps to consider to better protect yourself: Enable multifactor authentication where possible. This advice may sound like a broken record, but the annoyance of taking an extra few seconds to enter the second authentication can avoid a world of pain. If someone accesses your most sensitive information, youll wish you had enabled the extra log-in step. Use longer passphrases. We have been accustomed to passwords between 8-12 characters. Most of those are not memorable and lead to reusing the same ones over and over. Consider using a longer passphrase that is much more difficult to crack, but significantly easier to remember. An example would be In2023WereGoingtotheBeach! Use a password manager such as 1Password or Bitwarden. A password manager can prevent reusing the same password on multiple websites, ensure the passwords are complex, and avoids using personal information as the password. Password managers also have the added ability to share with trusted family members that can access your accounts in the event of an emergency, such as a spouse. Enable the longest PIN you can on your mobile device. Ensure your mobile device screen is locked when you set it down. If you manage a system where other people log in, make sure to limit the amount of failed login attempts and lengthen the character limit on what a password can be, and ensure old, unused accounts are disabled. During my 34 years as a prosecutor, I have handled over 30 vehicular manslaughter cases where someone was killed at the hands of a drunk driver. The range of tragedy is almost incomprehensible: The 17-year-old who got drunk at his older sisters wedding who insisted on driving from the wedding with his girlfriend, his younger sister, and her best friend in the car. He killed all three. The woman who was drunk at 8 in the morning in Aquia Harbour and killed an 8-year-old girl standing at her bus stop. The 23-year-old who got drunk, wrecked his car and killed his older brother who happened to be his best friend. Each case is unique in its facts, but identical in the way that an innocent life was taken in the most senseless and preventable way. I think of these cases (and the many others) all the time, but especially during National Crime Victims Rights Week, where those of us in the criminal justice system ask those of you who are not to hear the voices of the victims of crime. As a prosecutor, I hear those voices every day and I see trauma in the faces and in the bearing of the victims of crime. I listen as they try to explain what outcome they would like to see from the criminal justice system. It is remarkable the difference, which so often depends on the relationship of the offender to the victim. In one case, where a drunk driver killed a mother of two out for a jog, I was asked if the death penalty was an option. In another, when one family member killed another, I was asked to drop the case entirely. And while part of my job is to listen to victims and to speak for victims in the courtroom, it is only a part. The justice system strives for balance and fairness, and while the voice of the victim is a very important part of any case, it does not control the outcome a fact that for some victims only adds to the trauma. Regardless of the perspective of the family who has lost a loved one at the hands of a drunk driver, the reality is that we can never give the victim of this crime what they want. Because, in the end, they all want the exact same thing. They want for it to have never happened in the first place. In the words of Nancy Ballance, whose son was killed by a drunk driver on probation from an earlier DWI conviction: The daily pain and lifelong suffering never heals. We now live two separate lives, the one that people openly see, and the life full of internal struggle that we try our best to hide all for a tragedy that was 100% preventable. As we mark Crime Victims Rights Week, our message is simple: As a community, lets strive, in every way that we can, to prevent this most senseless crime. It is the best way to let those countless victims know that they have been heard. The Stafford Commonwealths Attorney Office will host its Crime Victims Rights Week event April 27 at 6:15 p.m. in the Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chambers. It is open to the public. The Air Force Academy played host this past week to two distinguished visitors: alumni Col. Tyler Nick Hague, an astronaut, and Maj. Caitlin Reilly, a pilot. On Friday, both were awarded the Col. James Jabara Award for Airmanship, which recognizes academy graduates whose accomplishments demonstrate superior performance in fields directly involved with aerospace vehicles. Reilly who was recognized for her consistent ability to deliver results, no matter how challenging or unconventional the mission, as well as for her status as an outstanding air commando instrumental in the Global War on Terrorism is the first woman to receive the award. During a 2018 deployment, operations headed by Reilly led to 50 airstrikes, protection of 8,000 U.S. and allied soldiers, rescue of three hostages, 274 enemies killed in action, capture of 187 detainees and removal of 23 high-value targets from the battlefield, according to her award citation. For Reilly, the trip was her first time back at the academy since she graduated in 2007, save one visit for a wedding. The Gazette asked Reilly about the path she took at the academy, her most memorable combat mission and her advice for young women considering a military career. Below are her answers, edited for space. On finding her way at the academy: I took a circuitous route. I actually came here wanting to be an astronaut. I took my first engineering class and realized I wasnt real good at it and I didnt particularity enjoy it. At that point, I had to reassess. For about a year I tried to figure out what I wanted to major in, what I wanted to do with my life, and actually whether I was going to stay at the academy. Thankfully, I got to go in the ops Air Force program that they send cadets to do between their freshman and sophomore years. I got to go out to Cannon Air Force Base back when it was an F-16 base, and they took us to all the jobs in the Air Force. I went to the flying squadron on the last day, and I got a ride in an F-16, and that pretty much sold it for me. We landed, and I was like, Where do I sign up for that? Sign Up for free: Military Brief Your weekly local update on local military news and events, sent straight to your inbox. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. On receiving the prestigious Jabara Award: When I was sitting here as a cadet, thats certainly not how I envisioned life. Its been such a privilege and honor. I still am blown away by it. There are so many people out there in the Air Force doing incredible missions that most people just dont get to hear about. On being recognized as a female pilot: We all seek to be recognized just as aviators, not as female aviators. So thats always my goal, be a good aviator and I just happen to be a female. I think were getting there, and the more women that come to the academy, and the more women that go to fly airplanes, well get to the point where we dont even have to put that identifier in front. On her most memorable combat mission: One of the nights we were out there, we were running an air stack for (joint terminal attack controllers) on the ground. Unfortunately, they walked into an ambush that we were not able to see. Theyre surrounded on three sides and taking fire on three sides, and theres a compound next to them shooting at them. We were able to find the machine-gun nest that was in that compound shooting at our guys, and we were able to help work a deconfliction plan. That way we were helping the F-16s drop bombs and the M-29s drop bombs on the different threats around the friendlies. ... That one, to me, was so memorable because when we got back to base, they called us up and were like, Hey, thank you for saving our lives. To me, thats what were there to do. Its not our flying. Its about keeping those guys alive when they go out there and do those missions. They all got to go back to their families at the end of that deployment, which is really what its all about. Her advice to young women considering a military career: Dont shut any doors. Do your best at everything you do, even if youre not 100% sure thats where youre going to be in the future. Even if you get put in a position you may not particularly like. Do the best at it. You dont know what doors thats going to open. 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. Sign Up for free: Military Brief Your weekly local update on local military news and events, sent straight to your inbox. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. 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. Three people were injured at least one seriously in two separate incidents in Colorado Springs on Saturday night and early Sunday, according to police department officials. At about 7 p.m., Saturday, officers responded to an emergency call about a stabbing at a residence in the 1900 block of South Institute Avenue, police said. The caller indicated the victim was seriously injured and identified the suspect by name, adding that the attacker had left the area on foot. Responding officers found two victims in the home, officials said. One was taken to a nearby hospital and underwent emergency surgery. That victim is expected to survive. No information was given on the second victims condition. Not long after the victims were found, police saw the suspect, later identified as Jacob Hunter, walking on the Martin Luther King Bypass, where he was taken into custody. At approximately 2:25 a.m., Sunday, officers received an emergency call about a shooting in the 2500 block of South Chelton Road, police said. A 35-year-old man, suffering from at least one gunshot wound, was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to CSPD. No arrests were announced in that incident. KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's conflict between the army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has prompted foreign countries to race to extract their diplomats and citizens. Several countries evacuated nationals by air, while some went via Port Sudan on the Red Seaabout 800 km (500 miles) by road from Khartoum. This is the status of some evacuations: UNITED STATES U.S. special forces evacuated U.S. government personnel and their dependents and some other foreign diplomats from the U.S. embassy on Saturday using helicopters that flew in from a base in Djibouti and refuelled in Ethiopia. They were not fired on. The United States was positioning naval assets to assist other Americans leaving Sudan but no major U.S. evacuation of private citizens was under way as fighting continues. BRITAIN British armed forces evacuated diplomatic staff and their families from Sudan, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday. The defence minister said they worked with the United States, France and other allies. FRANCE Paris said a French plane flew out 100 people on Sunday, taking them to Djibouti, while a second plane with a similar number had also been due to leave the same day with further operations were planned on Monday. The French operation including evacuating members of the European Union delegation and some other nationalities. Sudan's army and the RSF each accused the other of attacking a French convoy, in which a French national was wounded. France's Foreign Ministry has not commented. GERMANY The German military said on Monday it had flown out 311 people so far from an airfield near Khartoum. The first 101 people landed in Berlin on Monday, coming from a hub in Jordan. Germany said it had about 200 citizens in Sudan. ITALY Italy evacuated Italians on Sunday and had said it would also fly out some people from Switzerland, Vatican City and other European countries. Italy's foreign minister said about 140 Italians would be flown out and about 60 people from other countries. EGYPT Egypt said it had evacuated 436 of its nationals out of about 10,000 in neighbouring Sudan. It said one of its diplomats had been wounded by gunfire, without giving details. About 800 Sudanese and 100 foreigners had passed through the Egyptian border with Sudan, two Egyptian security sources said on Monday, as Egypt loosened restrictions on those allowed in. SAUDI ARABIA AND GULF ARAB STATES Saudi Arabia on Saturday took 91 Saudis and about 66 people from other countries out from Port Sudan by naval ship to Jeddah, across the Red Sea. Kuwait said all citizens wishing to return home had arrived in Jeddah. Qatar said Saudi Arabia had helped evacuate Qatari citizens. Sudan's army accused the RSF of attacking and looting a Qatari embassy convoy heading to Port Sudan. It was not clear if it was the same group that left for Saudi Arabia. The RSF and Qatar have not commented. RUSSIA Moscow's ambassador in Khartoum said 140 of about 300 Russians in Sudan had said they wanted to leave, but said evacuation plans could not yet be implemented because they involved crossing front lines. He said there were about 15 people, including a woman and child, stuck in a Russian Orthodox church close to heavy fighting in Khartoum. OTHER COUNTRIES Sweden said on Monday its embassy staff, their families and other Swedes had been evacuated to Djibouti. It said military planes and personnel would help evacuate foreign nationals as long as the security situation allowed. Jordan said four planes carrying 343 people, including Jordanians and residents of the Palestinian areas, Iraq, Syria and Germany, had left Sudan. Libya's embassy in Khartoum said 83 Libyans including diplomats and their families, students and airline and bank employees had reached Port Sudan for onward travel home. Spain said a plane landed near Madrid, bringing 72 people, including 34 Spaniards and 11 nationals of other states. It said some citizens wished to stay in Sudan or were leaving by other routes. Madrid previously said there were 60 Spaniards living in Sudan. India said it had sent a naval ship to Port Sudan and two military planes to Jeddah as part of its preparations and was telling citizens to avoid unnecessary risks. Tunisia said it would start evacuating citizens on Monday from Khartoum. Lebanon said it was working to evacuate 51 citizens from Port Sudan. South Korea said on Friday it was sending a military aircraft to evacuate its 25 citizens in Sudan. Japan said its military aircraft evacuated Japanese nationals and their family members, flying out 45 people. Canada said it was suspending operations in Sudan and had extracted its diplomats. Ghana and Kenya said they were working to help their nationals get out. Nigeria said had asked for a safe corridor to evacuate 5,500 nationals, mostly students. Norway and Ireland each said they were involved in efforts to evacuate citizens. The Netherlands said about 60 Dutch citizens were evacuated on a Dutch military plane and on flights arranged by other countries. It said other nationalities also left on the Dutch plane. Belgium said eight Belgians had been evacuated so far, with about 30 remaining in the country Denmark said 15 Danish citizens had been evacuated and said another six citizens had turned down an offer to be flown out. Hungary said 18 Hungarians had been evacuated, while six more were on route to safety. Switzerland said its embassy staff and their families have been evacuated. Austria said about 25 of its citizens and dependents were evacuated on German military flights. About 30 more Austrian citizens were registered as living in Sudan, it said. (Reporting by Reuters Cairo bureau and other newsrooms worldwide; Writing by Angus McDowall and Andy Sullivan; Editing by Alex Richardson, Frances Kerry, Grant McCool, Philippa Fletcher) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to meet with Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when the expected 2024 presidential candidate visits Israel this week, Netanyahu said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday. DeSantis is traveling abroad to Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom. The visit to Israel coincides with protests over Netanyahu's plans to tighten controls on the country's Supreme Court. Netanyahu, asked by CBS whether he would meet with DeSantis, replied: "Of course, I'll meet with everyone. Why not? I'll meet with Republican governors and Democratic governors." DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Former President Donald Trump, a Republican who began his re-election campaign in November 2022, last week won endorsements of several Republican lawmakers in Florida. The endorsements are a blow to DeSantis, who has not yet declared his candidacy. DeSantis met with Netanyahu during a visit to Jerusalem in 2019, calling Florida "the most pro-Israel state in the nation." Netanyahu's plans for judicial reform were paused last month after strikes and mass demonstrations. The proposals would give the government effective control over appointment of Supreme Court judges and allow parliament to overrule many decisions of the court. When asked on CBS why he would not withdraw the planned reforms, Netanyahu said there was a "broad consensus" to fix the Israeli judicial system. "I've actually said that I will not accept a blanket ability of the parliament to overcome judicial Supreme Court decisions, just as we don't accept that the Supreme Court can abrogate any decision by the parliament or the government," he said. (Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Grant McCool) Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) was released from the hospital over the weekend following a "successful surgery" to remove a cancerous tumor on his tonsil, he announced Saturday. Kildee was admitted to the George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Monday for a planned procedure to remove a "small cancerous tumor found in his tonsil," his office said at the time, just two weeks after announcing his squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis. The 64-year-old lawmaker said Saturday his doctors had given him an "excellent" prognosis and that he would head home to Michigan to recover before returning to Congress. MICHIGAN REP. DAN KILDEE UNDERGOES SURGERY TO TREAT CANCER "I am happy to be leaving the hospital after a successful surgery to remove a small cancerous tumor," Kildee wrote on social media. "I want to thank my great team of doctors who provided excellent care. I continue to be grateful that I caught my cancer diagnosis early thanks to a preventative scan." "As I continue to recover from my surgery at home, I want to thank my constituents for their continued support," he continued. "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. I look forward to being back voting in Congress and traveling the district soon." Kildee currently serves as the co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He also serves on the highly influential House Ways and Means Committee. He succeeded his uncle, former Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI), in holding his House of Representatives seat in 2013. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Republicans control the House 222-212, which is identical to the majority Democrats had in the last Congress. Kildee's absence, similar to Rep. Jamie Raskin's (D-MD) for treatment of a different form of cancer, does not impact how the chamber will operate. This stands in contrast to the Senate, where Democrats only control the chamber by a 51-49 margin. This means that one absence gives Republicans an opportunity to block President Joe Biden's nominees and legislative efforts. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-CA) continued absence from the body has essentially paralyzed the Senate Judiciary Committee, leading to some calls for her resignation as Biden's judicial nominees stall. Original Location: Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee released from hospital after 'successful' cancer surgery Washington Examiner Videos Author Stephen King, famous for his bestselling fictional horror novels, urged Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Saturday to take his blue check and donate it to a Ukranian charity. After Twitter stripped blue check marks from all users who had not paid for a Twitter Blue subscription on Thursday, Musk selected to restore blue checks to Lebron James, William Shatner, and Stephen King. TWITTER REMOVES 'GOVERNMENT-FUNDED MEDIA' LABEL FROM NPR, CBC, BBC AND RT ACCOUNTS Many celebrities scoffed at being without a blue check and refused to pay $8 a month for it. On Thursday night, King expressed confusion as to why his blue check was still there. "My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven't. My Twitter account says I've given a phone number. I haven't," the author said in a tweet. "You're welcome namaste," Musk responded. Musk revealed that he was "personally paying" for certain celebrities to maintain their blue check verification status. On Saturday, King suggested Musk use the money he was spending to pay for the author's blue check and give it to a foundation helping people in Ukraine. "I think Mr. Musk should give my blue check to charity. I recommend the Prytula Foundation, which provides lifesaving services in Ukraine. It's only $8, so perhaps Mr. Musk could add a bit more," King tweeted. Musk pushed back on the author's suggestion with a searing response. "I've donated $100M to Ukraine," Musk said. "How much have you donated?" he further asked King. Musk's company Starlink has been instrumental in supplying Ukraine with the technology to ensure it has reliable internet connectivity, communication for Ukraine's military, and critical satellite services using 20,000 Starlink satellite units in its war with Russia. King has been one of the tech mogul's harshest critics since he took over the social media platform last year, but Musk has been gracious and complimentary of the legendary writer behind bestselling novels including Carrie, Salem's Lot, and The Shining. "Stephen King is one of most creative people on Earth," Musk tweeted last November. Despite King's criticisms, Musk offered an olive branch with an invite last year for King to visit Twitter headquarters in San Francisco. "While I may not agree with everything he says, I do actually want to hear it," Musk said last year. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER In response to the Twitter CEO, King shared some back-handed compliments for the billionaire. "I think Elon Musk is a visionary. Almost singlehandedly, he's changed the way Americans think about automobiles. I have a Tesla and love it," King wrote, adding, "That said, he's been a terrible fit for Twitter." Original Location: Musk claps back at Stephen King's blue check request: 'Ive donated $100M to Ukraine' Washington Examiner Videos The United States military evacuated American diplomats and their families from Sudan over the weekend as fighting between rival military factions threatens to plunge the country into a civil war, the White House confirmed Saturday evening. Hundreds are dead, including one American, and thousands more have been wounded as a result of the fighting between Sudanese Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan's military forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Both sides joined forces in 2021 to overthrow a coalition government, but the alliance soured over disputes related to the integration of paramilitary fighters into the regular forces. Both factions failed to uphold a planned 72-hour ceasefire, which was set to begin Friday for the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday. US DIPLOMATS CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE AS SUDAN'S GENERALS TURN ON EACH OTHER U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed news of the successful evacuation in a statement Saturday, shortly after Pentagon officials began verifying reports about the mission. "Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract U.S. Government personnel from Khartoum," the president said. "I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan. I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety." Biden credited the support provided by Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia as "critical to the success of our operation." He did not, however, credit the RSF, which said upon completion of the operation early Sunday local time that it assisted with the evacuation. He instead referred to both sides as "belligerent parties" who were causing "tragic violence." The president also said the U.S. was "temporarily suspending operations" at the Sudanese embassy, which is located in the capital city of Khartoum, while vowing that "our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending." U.S. officials in the country had already been placed under a shelter-in-place order and were not able travel within the country prior to the evacuation, while the Khartoum International Airport and its border with Chad were both closed after renewed fighting broke out last week. Talk of possible diplomatic evacuations grew as the situation on the ground continued deteriorating. The Sudanese army said Saturday that evacuations for diplomatic staff from the U.S., China, France, and the United Kingdom were being coordinated in concert with those governments and that flights would begin taking off with those individuals on board in the coming hours. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The army did not take credit for being involved in coordinating the U.S. evacuations immediately after they were completed. Mike Brest contributed to this report. Original Location: US Embassy in Sudan evacuated after failed ceasefire sparks worsening unrest Washington Examiner Videos The most troublesome bill for legislators this session is Senate Bill 213, Gov. Jared Polis own pride and joy, that he promises will create a home for every budget. So, is this bill good or bad? Well, its a little of both. Absolutely. Its hard to summarize SB 213, not only because its more than 100 pages long, but like an aging Hollywood starlet with a good plastic surgeon, it changes every few days. Democrat allies are starting to break from Polis, as Republicans just want to defeat anything Jared brings forward. As it reads today, I hope the bill dies. But there are bits and pieces of the bill that shouldnt be thrown out with the bath water. I know its impossible today but, this would be a good bill to put aside partisanship (yes, and I shouldnt be bald). Lets just step back for a second and ask how did we get here? Here being the ridiculously unaffordable Colorado home market. This will be a shocker. It all came from bad governmental policy every last bit of it. Colorado is one big, empty plot of land. Yet thanks to urban growth boundaries, growth control and central planners power-hungry lust for ever-increasing density, we live on top of each other like rats. In a state where 98% of the land that can be developed is yet to be developed, we wonder why home prices are out of control. Colorado should be the most affordable state in America to live. But policymakers who apparently know better regarding how we should live have made it the opposite the case. This elitist system of intellectual central planning goes by many sales names: New Urbanism, Smart Growth, Transit-Friendly Development, etc. In practice, it is stack-and-pack housing resulting in true systematic racism as it prices minorities and first-time homeowners out of the market. It creates lily-white communities with ever-escalating property values. Which is frickin awesome! Why? Because I live in racist, growth-control Boulder. Thank you, central planners, growth-control, high-density racists! My stupid, ugly little split-level Boulder house is my only good investment due to your elitism. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Boulder has urban growth boundaries and growth controls. The average price of a home there is now more than a million dollars. Low-income, highly subsidized housing is clustered in certain areas (next to my house) that no diversity-speaking, Tesla-driving Boulderites would dare call the ghetto. But we do keep those people away from the fancy folk. The dirty secret is people with homes dont want affordable homes for other people maybe their kids, but nobody else. The forced scarcity of urban growth boundaries and growth control keeps property values artificially high. Drive through Boulder and go to the White folks who have Black Lives Matter signs in their yards. Ask them if theyre willing to get rid of Boulders growth boundaries so poorer minority families can have real homes with yards like theirs in Boulder, and youll see Boulder-style tolerance in action. They dont want neighbors. They want as few houses as possible so long as they own one. Last legislative session a Republican sponsored a bill to stop growth caps, like Boulders. It was of course executed in its first Democratically controlled committee. So, who wants to help the poor? One part of SB 213 takes on urban growth boundaries. Lets see if that provision makes it to the final version. The bill also loosens restrictions for homeowners to cut through local red tape when building on their property. That in and of itself isnt a bad thing. The question is do we want zoning questions made by the state, not our city? The state central planners want more stack-and-pack housing, more density. Dont for a moment think that more density means lower home prices. Look at Boulder! Look at Denver! Also thank Colorado lawmakers for making starter homeownership impossible by putting trial lawyers before young people needing to buy their first home, a condominium. It is near impossible to get insurance to build condos in this state because the Legislature wont pass a construction defects bill. So, builders build apartments instead, not condos, the steppingstone into a house. Every time a bill comes forward to make it easier to ensure condominium builders, the Legislature kills it. Real profiles in courage there. Whether SB 213 passes, lawmakers could easily fix the hateful housing problems they created. Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics. Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics. While a proposed crackdown on rampant auto theft appears to have stalled in Colorados Legislature our states attorney general has decided to go after automakers instead. If its too much trouble to catch the culprit, blame the victim. On Friday, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced he is joining 17 attorneys general from his party in other states in requesting a federal recall of Hyundai and Kia automobiles. Weiser isnt alleging the popular brands have faulty air bags or brakes or emissions systems. Rather, a news release from his office cites, the companies continued failure to take adequate steps to address the alarming rate of theft of their vehicles. In a letter sent last Thursday to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Weiser and his counterparts ask the agency to issue a recall of Hyundais and Kias made between 2011 and 2022 due to easily bypassed ignition switches and a lack of engine immobilizers. That makes them vulnerable to theft, the letter contends. Were familiar with the TikTok challenge videos that went viral, offering a how-to on stealing the brands and egging on budding car thieves to give it a try. Its galling, of course. But well have to defer to the technical experts as to whether the two oft-stolen brands actually are easier to start than others or just more in demand, regrettably, thanks to TikTok. It also seems like a rather debatable legal strategy to seek the recall of an otherwise functional and safe vehicle because its deemed easy to steal. But Weisers the lawyer, not us. What seems a certainty, though, is that Weisers gambit will have virtually no impact on Colorados dubious status as the No. 1 state for auto theft. Even a recall, if the feds agree to one, would do little to change that. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. A surer bet would be for Weiser to use his political capital and bully pulpit to call on his fellow Democrats in control of the state House of Representatives to pass Senate Bill 23-097. For some reason, the bill has been going nowhere fast, idling for weeks without even a committee hearing. It passed the Senate amid fanfare and much media coverage. SB 23-097 would repair a glaring defect in Colorado law. Auto theft penalties are based on the vehicles value, which makes no sense. A vehicle worth only a few thousand dollars is at least as essential to its owner probably someone of modest means as a vehicle worth much more is to its owner. The Legislature made matters even worse in 2021 by adopting a sweeping law watering down a range of criminal penalties incredibly, making the theft of a vehicle valued under $2,000 a mere misdemeanor. It was implemented as part of the reckless, criminal-coddling justice reform agenda advanced by lawmakers from the ruling Democrats political fringe. The bipartisan SB 23-097 would eliminate the state criminal codes sliding scale tying the value of a vehicle to the penalty. All vehicle thefts would be a felony. Its a fix thats overdue. The bill emerged from the Senate with broad backing, including from law enforcement and Colorados local governments. Presumably, Gov. Jared Polis would sign it, having called on the Legislature in his State of the State speech in January to get tough on auto-theft sentencing. Hyundai and Kia might make fetching scapegoats. But if Weiser really wants to put a dent in auto theft, the next news release issued by his office ought to quote him demanding that House Democrats approve SB 23-097. THE GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD 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. 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 president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced this Saturday (22) the installation of an office for Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (apex Brazil) in Lisbon. According to the president, the measure will show the seriousness of the relationship between Brazil and Portugal. The statement was made in XIII Summit Brazil-Portugalan event held in Lisbon with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, and 13 agreements were signed in the areas of education, justice, health, economy and culture. Lula highlighted the importance of signing the bilateral agreements, after seven years of interruption of the Brazil-Portugal Summit. Integration between Brazil and Portugal In the area of education, an agreement was signed that establishes the legal framework for granting equivalence of studies in Brazil (primary and secondary education) and in Portugal (primary and secondary education), to promote adequate school integration between the two countries. Another agreement in the area of education foresees the creation of the Portuguese School of Sao Paulo. The two heads of government reaffirmed their commitment, in terms of Public Health, to development and innovation in the areas of Health and Biotechnology, with a special focus on epidemiological surveillance, preparation and response to public health emergencies, digital health, and in the development and production of health equipment. In the field of human rights, there were two terms: one for the protection of witnesses in criminal proceedings and another that establishes good practices in the promotion and defense of the rights of people with disabilities. The Portuguese Space Agency and the Brazilian Space Agency have signed cooperation on the peaceful use of space, space sciences and technologies. The Ministers of Culture of Portugal and Brazil also signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of cinema, with the participation of the National Film Agency (Ancine), with a focus on promoting film production in Portugal and Brazil, through the co-financing of projects of the two countries. The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding to promote the mutual recognition of driving titles (drivers licenses). Memorandums were also signed in the areas of Energy, Geology and Mines, in addition to the cooperation between Empresa Brasil de Comunicacao (EBC) and Agencia Lusa. As temperatures topped 80 degrees for three days the week ending April 14, Paul Staudt pulled the trigger and started seeding his fields. The rub was that while field conditions were great Friday, April 14, a cold and wet front was forecast to move in over the weekend. "If you weren't looking at the calendar and looking at the weather this week it would say it's time to get going, but most everybody is holding off because we have a cold rain coming, and that first drink of water that seed gets you don't want it to be cold rain," said Cal Dickson of Hertz Farm Management in Mason City. Staudt, who farms with his brother along with their wives near Dougherty, said he and his partners decided to take the risk this year because it could result in greater profits at harvest time. "The thing that tipped the scale for us this year, because it can go either way when you're planting early, but you can potentially get a premium rate for early harvested corn," he said. Staudt said the forecast was a concern, but it's rare to have high temperatures at the beginning of April. "With the cold weather coming we have a 50-50 chance if we have problems or not, but I feel like as warm as the soil is we'll get through that," he said. The first thing Staudt looks at is soil conditions. He relies on agronomists and specialists to tell him and his partners which seeds have the best cold germination. Dickson said Staudt was one of the few who decided to take the chance before the cold weather came in. Bob Nuehring, who farms 3,700 acres near Rockwell, decided to hold off on planting until April 26 or so. "Ground conditions were ideal," Nuehring said. "It was hard to wait, but the forecast told us, and the calendar, that we better wait." Dickson has been the farm office manager at Hertz for 39 years. He said the company offers farmland management services for many different situations, including people who inherit land, investors or those who simply don't want to manage the property themselves. The company also assists with buying and selling of assets. Dickson said when to plant has been a tough decision for farmers this spring. "We've had highs in the 80s and up to 90," he said. "Typically that tells you it's warm enough to go out. The soil temperature is warm enough. You want that temperature to be above 50 degrees, and we're above that." According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, conditions in Cerro Gordo and surrounding counties are abnormally dry, the lowest form of drought on the scale, as of Thursday. The western half of the state is in a more dire situation with severe, extreme and exceptional drought conditions. Dickson said the farmers he has spoken with have all their planting equipment up and running. Some have planted an acre or two just to be sure everything is running smoothly. "When the time is ready to plant you just don't want any down time," he said. "Their time is extremely important at planting, so they've been working on their equipment all winter and want to test them out." Staudt utilizes a 36-row, 30-inch planter that's approximately 90-feet wide. He said he can plant about 70 acres an hour with his equipment. Another concern this spring is fertilizer costs. Dickson said most farmers locked in their price last fall when prices were higher than they are this spring. He estimated two-thirds to three-quarters of farmers took that route last year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, prices peaked at $1,620 per ton in June and were down to $1,237 per ton in March. "(Farmers) maybe have more risk this year than any other year because a lot of their crop inputs, those fertilizer prices that were locked in last year, were at extremely high levels," Dickson said. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia was a major factor in rising fertilizer costs. According the the International Food Policy Research Institute, "At the time of the Russian invasion, fertilizer prices were already at historically high levels. They had been rising since late 2020 due to several factors. Fertilizer demand, which declined during COVID-19 lockdowns, rebounded in late 2020/2021 as restrictions were lifted and crop prices rose. "The outbreak of war Feb. 24, 2022, drove prices dramatically higher. Uncertainties multiplied about fertilizer exports from Russia and Belarus due to the conflict itself, new or expanded economic sanctions on the two countries, and disruptions in Black Sea trade routes. Russia and Belarus are important producers of all three major fertilizer nutrients: In 2020, Russia accounted for 14% of global trade in urea and 11% of trade in phosphate, while jointly Russia and Belarus accounted for 41% of global trade in potash." Dickson said the corn and soybean markets look pretty good right now. He said prices have been fairly high for the past three years and expects that to continue. Nuehring, who also raises livestock, is mostly optimistic as well. "Things are looking good. Cattle prices are good. Hog prices aren't so good," he said. Dickson said planting at the proper time can make a big difference when harvest comes along. "There's only one great chance to put that crop in the ground, because if you do it in too wet of conditions and not everything comes up evenly it really hurts your chance of having a great crop later in the year," Dickson said. Re: The company's policy of encouraging its employees to volunteer at loca [ #permalink The company's policy of encouraging its employees to volunteer at local charities, along with sponsoring a number of charitable events, are an example of the company's commitment to social responsibility. (A) along with sponsoring a number of charitable events, an example of the company's subject is policy(singular). usage of "are" is incorrect. (B) as well as to sponsor a number of charitable events, is an example of the company's the parallelism over here is "to volunteer at local charities" with "to sponsor a number of charitable events" it doesn't make sense that a company will encourage its employees to sponsor charitable events and that will show the company's commitment to social responsibility. (C) as well as sponsoring a number of charitable events, are an example of the company's subject is policy(singular). usage of "are" is incorrect. (D) and sponsoring a number of charitable events, is an example of the company's correct (E) and sponsors a number of charitable events, are an example of the company's "sponsors a number of charitable events" is not parallel with "encouraging its employees to volunteer at local charities" Tommy Bennetts grandmother died at Winslow Hospital in the early 1960s, when he was a child. The hospital on Betts Street in Danvilles Almagro neighborhood was the medical center for the citys Black community. The historic structure has been closed and vacant for many years and now the Danville Redevelopment & Housing Authority hopes to bring the building back to life. The authority has bought the building but has no official plans for how it will be developed. But whatever is done with the former hospital, DRHA officials plan for it to honor the structure and its history. We are going to do what is best for the community and honor the history of the Winslow Hospital, said Katya Urraco, chief financial officer and deputy director of the DRHA. The authority paid $150,000 for the property, Urraco said. The DRHA initially tried to purchase the property in 2021, but the offer was declined. Last December, the former owner approached the authority about buying the former hospital because of the DRHAs commitment to the community and advocacy for growth, according to a news release from the organization. Bennett, president of the Danville branch of the NAACP, said he was glad the DRHA bought the building because they want to make sure that all the people in the Almagro community has a say-so on what they want for that community. Established in 1883, Almagro was one of the first incorporated Black communities in the United States at the time. I would love to see that community rebuilt and go back and look the same way it did years ago, said Bennett, 67. At one time, Almagro had its own police station, fire department, post office, schools and hospital, which was staffed with Black doctors and Black nurses, Bennett pointed out. My grandmother passed away in that hospital, he said. I can remember going with my mother and father there. It was the only hospital Black people had in the Danville community. We were not allowed to go to any other hospital, unless we went in the basement of [Danville] Memorial Hospital, where we really didnt get the care that everybody needed. To help determine what to do with the building, a feasibility study will be conducted and a community forum will be held. A feasibility study and funding for development must take place and, of course, having a conversation with the community about what they would like to see the building become, DRHA CEO and Executive Director Larissa Deedrich said in a news release. The authority wants to honor what the neighborhood was while realizing what it could be and is asking that the community understand that any development plans DRHA may make must still comply with federal, state and local housing regulations. Urraco said it will be a couple of years before the authority would be ready to announce what will be done with the building. The DRHA focuses on providing stable housing for low-income families and helping them become self-sufficient. The authority will hold the community forum with dinner at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Boys and Girls Club on Foster Street. We are excited to be ale to hear directly from the community, give some of our thoughts on the next steps and hopefully clear up some of the anxiety around the purchase of Winslow Hospital, DRHA Marketing and Community Director Vera Vaden said in the news release. DRHA is adamant about being a good partner and neighbor of the Almagro community. MARTINSVILLE, Va. Tracy Hinchcliff and her husband, Rev. Mark Hinchcliff, opened their life calling up to God and found themselves placed here in Martinsville. Hinchcliff grew up in San Antonio, Texas where she graduated from high school before going into retail management for over 35 years. Over the course of her tenure at Sears, 25 years of retail management, she took many training programs on business. I just climbed the ladder within a company, Hinchcliff said. Years ago that was feasible. Nowadays, I dont know, things are different It depends on how hard you want to work. The two moved to Martinsville from San Antonio, Texas, for Mark Hinchcliff to be the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Martinsville. After he retired, they decided to stay in the area. Im very blessed, she said. The couple were married in 2013 at Mo-Ranch, a Presbyterian retreat center in the hill country of Texas, and are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. After getting married, she said, they had thought they would stay in Texas but after some deep thinking and opening up the opportunity for a calling from God moved to Martinsville in 2014. Hinchcliff said when they eventually returned to Texas after flying out to Martinsville for three days for an in-person interview, they knew Martinsville was the place. It truly called us, and we have fallen in love with Martinsville, she said. We had never been to Virginia in our lives when we got the calling to come here. Weve established some great friends, community. She said the story of Martinsville was something she was familiar with because she lived right outside of Houston, Texas, in an area that used to boom with chemical plants and oil refineries. So, back in the 80s, what happened to the furniture and textile business here happened there with oil. It all went overseas and practically overnight hundreds of thousands of workers lost their jobs, Hinchcliff said. I was not unfamiliar with what that looks like and what that does to a community and so when we moved here and we heard the stories of Martinsville and the surrounding areas I got it, I understood. And I also understood what kind of devastation to the economics, just to peoples lives. Almost immediately after she arrived in Martinsville, Hinchcliff said, she began volunteering with Grace Network, which she got to know through First Presbyterian Church. In 2015 she became its executive director. Grace Network was just the perfect thing at the perfect time, she said: Working there, with her understanding of what Martinsville went through and is still affected by, allows her to help people in the community with better context. Grace Network is a faith-based resource center for people in crisis in the Martinsville and Henry County area. It provides short-term assistance with things such as covering rent for a month or grocery money and then aim to help find long term solutions through other community resources, she said. It was just a match made in heaven. I just love my job, I love the mission of Grace Network, Hinchcliff said. It worked beautifully with the ministry of my husbandit just fit. Our whole life here has been one big God wink, she added, for it to just all fit, and it all fits beautifully. She enjoys traveling with her husband and they enjoy visiting places all over the United States, but coming from Texas, she said, places such as New York, Boston, Florida, California and Georgia are very interesting to them. The couple enjoy going to the movies together, and the genre doesnt matter to them: We really love the full gamut, anything from action to love stories to animations, we love it all. Hinchcliff enjoys cooking Cajun food such as gumbos and etouffees (a Louisiana shrimp stew), Mexican food such as enchiladas and fajitas and also Italian food. Theres more eclectic music headed for Butte. Organizers recently announced the second wave of performers coming to the Montana Folk Festival in Butte this July 14-16. The genres include Chicago-style blues, New Orleans funk, western swing, Irish traditional, Tibetan dance and opera, Ukrainian folk and music from a Texas master fiddler. Its shaping up to be a strong lineup for this July's Montana Folk Festival packed with master musicians, says George Everett, festival director. "You can expect to find plenty that's familiar but also to be amazed at the variety and diversity of the event. It is estimated that more than 200 artists representing a broad range of musical and cultural traditions will entertain concertgoers in Uptown Butte during the festival. Previously named 2023 performers include Red Baraat, High Fidelity (Bluegrass), Kiki Valera y son Cubano, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, Heart of Afghanistan with the Fanoos Ensemble, Ken Heath and the True Disciples, and Musique a Bouches. (Quebecois a Capella) The latest musical acts include: Melody Angel is a gifted guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, vocalist, arranger, and producer from Southside Chicago who is navigating a forward-looking musical path while integrating the legacy of classic blues. Her music encompasses many American genres, including rhythm & blues, rock, folk, and funk, all layered on a strong bed of Chicago blues. Still, the Chicago musician is ready to embrace the future. The blues is what all great American musical genres are made from after all, Angel said. Everything starts with the blues. Cyril Neville hails from The Big Easy and is the youngest of the four famous Neville Brothers of New Orleans. Cyril picked up his love of music from his parents and his older brothers at an early age, but it wasn't until 1967 that he began singing professionally, as he united with brothers Art and Aaron in Art Neville and the Neville Sounds, playing the New Orleans club circuit regularly. Cyril, along with brother Aaron, eventually left the group and formed Soul Machine shortly thereafter. Later, Cyril would provide vocals and congas to his brother Art and his band, The Meters. The four siblings would later reunite as the Neville Brothers. Over the years, he has also had several solo albums, including 1995's The Fire This Time, and a pair in 2000, New Orleans Cookin' and Soulo. Originally from Canada, Redd Volkaert of Galax, Virginia is among the countrys top Telecaster guitar slingers, particularly in Western swing and honky-tonk. Volkaert cut his teeth playing clubs six nights a week at age 16 until the mid-1980s in Canada and moved to Los Angeles in 1986. There, he worked clubs, private gigs at night and gave guitar lessons and recording during the day, and regularly traveled to Las Vegas to play show rooms and casinos. In 1990, Volkaert moved to Nashville to play full-time clubs seven nights a week on Broadway, Printers Alley and around town. Periodically, he would travel with road bands, filling in as a substitute for guitarists in bands such as Johnny Paycheck, George Jones, Statler Brothers and Rhonda Vincent, etc., as well as on the Grand Ole Opry. He joined Merle Haggard's band in 1997 while continuing to record with folks like Brad Paisley, garnering a 2009 Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Teada is a traditional band from Sligo, Ireland. Formed 21 years ago, the band has headlined at major music festivals throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, Russia, Israel and Australia. The six band members are fiddle player Oisin Mac Diamada; button accordion player Paul Finn; Damien Stenson on flute; Sean McElwain with the bouzouki and guitar; and bodhran player Tristan Rosentock. Samantha Harvey performs on the piano and also performs Irish dance. In 2001, Teada appeared on the Irish television series "Flosc," bringing them to national attention. Spring 2022 brought the release of the bands sixth album, featuring the vocals of Seamus Begley, along with the band's customary re-energizing of rare traditional tunes. Founded in 1989 in San Francisco, Chaksampa, the Tibetan Dance & Opera Co. is considered to be the most successful professional performance group outside of Tibet. Led by its artistic director Tsering Wangmo, all members are trained actors originally from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Dharmasala, India, the first generation trained in exile by the great Tibetan master performers. They perform regularly today in the Bay Area and across the United States, as well as hosting an annual summer camp for Tibetan children to keep their culture alive. In the Tibetan language, Chaksampa means bridge builder and is one of the many names attributed to a famous Tibetan saint, Thankgtong Gyalpo, who lived in 14th century Tibet. He is considered to be a patron saint of Tibetan medicine, as well as the founding father of Ache Lhamo, Tibetan opera. Andriy Milavsky, clarinetist and master piper, is an Eastern European folk musician who founded the group Cheres in 1990, after graduating from the Kyiv State Conservatory of Music. The groups vigorous folk repertoire features instrumentals from the mountains of Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Hungary and neighboring Eastern European countries. Currently based in New York City, the group aims to keep alive the folk traditions, songs, and melodies of the Carpathian region. Cheres musical arsenal comprises a wide array of instruments such as wooden pipes, soprano and tenor pipes, double pipe, trembita (a 12-foot shepherds pipe), tylynka (ametal pipe without finger holes), panpipe, bagpipe, ocarina (or sweet potato), mountain orjaw harp, clarinet, violin, hammered dulcimer, double bass, accordion, drum and other percussions. Cheres has played sold-out engagements at nightclubs and concerts in New York City and at major music festivals. Belen Escobedo of Panfilos Guera is the foremost practitioner of the Tejano Conjunto fiddle that expresses the deep roots of Tejano (Texas-Mexican) culture. Conjunto (group in Spanish) emerged in the late 19th century when European instrumentation met Spanish and Indigenous borderlands in the lively dance music of the Tejano working-class communities in southern Texas. By the early 1930s, modern conjuntos were almost exclusively led by the accordion. However, the earliest versions of Tejano conjunto were strings-only affairs. Escobedo grew up in South San Antonio, where Tejano music on the radio was the soundtrack for daily life. As a professional mariachi fiddler, she had to master music from across countless Texas-Mexican musical genres, but it was later in her career that she finally found other musicians who shared her abiding love for the borderlands fiddle-led conjunto. For Escobedo, playing the music of her heritage is a lifelong passion. Joining her at the Montana Folk Festival will be her husband, Ramon Gutierrez, on tololoche, the Tejano upright bass, and Greg Rush on bajo sexto, the 12-string guitar. Admission is free to all performances during the three days of the festival, although organizers urge attendees to contribute $25 per person and $35 for a family to sustain the festival this year and for years to come. Donations can be mailed to Montana Folk Festival, P.O. Box 696, Butte, Montana 59703, or contribute online at paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1876197. The Butte festival is produced by Mainstreet Uptown Butte with major partnership and support from Butte-Silver Bow County and the Imagine Butte Collaborative in cooperation with the B-SB Tourism Business Improvement District. Artistic programming services are provided by the National Council for the Traditional Arts. For more details as they develop, go to www.montanafolkfestival.com or on Facebook at mtfolkfest. DECATUR A dispute over borrowed nail polish between two female Decatur apartment neighbors escalated to the point where one was arrested after threatening the other with a butcher knife, police report. Sgt. Brandon Rolfs with the Decatur Police Department said officers were called to the 1400 block of East Wellington Way on Friday evening by the threatened 63-year-old neighbor, who feared she was going to be attacked. The victim had previously borrowed nail polish from the suspect and had made a joke about moving to Wisconsin, said Rolfs. And when the victim asked the neighbor if she could borrow a few more things, the suspect got upset and said, Ive already let you borrow stuff, you haven't returned my nail polish and the argument escalated from there. He said the suspect, also 63, was only standing 6 feet from the victim while waving the knife around and pointing it at her. And if you are standing 6 feet away from somebody, you are definitely close enough that a person would feel that you could harm them, Rolfs added. The suspect was booked on a preliminary charge of aggravated assault and Macon County Jail records show she was released later that same night after posting a $100 bond on bail set at $1,000. All preliminary charges are subject to review by the office of the states attorney. 2023 mugshots from the Herald & Review Lourash Hirstein Phillip Gehrken Joseph A. Williams Jetrevius O. Jarrett Edwards King-Woods Wilson Behind every great man, they say, is an even greater woman. You might not see her but shes there, cajoling and nudging to keep things on track. Shes part helpmate, partner, co-conspirator, and ally, making him shine but not always expecting her own glitter. Sometimes, she leads. Sometimes, she pulls. And in the new book Untold Power by Rebecca Boggs Roberts, sometimes, she runs the country. Born after the Civil War was over, Edith Bolling decided early in life that she didnt have the childhood she thought she deserved. Though her parents had once been well-to-do, the War upended her familys wealth and social status and Edith never forgot that. Growing up, she was fiercely independent but she could be snobbish. She always claimed she didnt want to marry, so she surprised everyone when, in 1896, she wed jeweler Norman Galt who, Roberts says, was a fusspot and not at all Ediths type. Still, theirs was a good marriage, until Galt died of the flu in 1908. For a number of years then, Edith traveled back and forth to Europe and had many beaux but none was as persistent as then-President Woodrow Wilson, himself a widower. Wilson overcame Ediths reluctance to wed again with passionate letters and, moreover, by encouraging her to be his helpmate in policy-making and paperwork. That was something Edith could understand. By the time they were married in late 1915, Woodrow, says Roberts, had come to rely on Edith as much as, if not more, than any man in the administration. This was essential to him as America headed for war with Germany, despite his wish to avoid entanglement. Even after World War I ended, the pressure on Wilson was enormous and he fell ill. In the fall of 1919, after wars end, he suffered a debilitating stroke and Edith swung into action. She conspired to issue a statement that Wilson would be back on his feet soon. In the meantime, she decided, shed do his work and pretend everything was fine. So you say its about time we had a woman in the Oval Office? Give a woman a chance, right? In Untold Power, youll see how thats more-or-less already in the bag. Oh, my, but a book like this is fun to read, and heres why: readers will scarcely be able to imagine anything like what happened more than a century ago, happening now. Were too savvy, too 24/7, too demanding for a First Lady to pull off such a thing, which just leaves us to marvel at and appreciate Edith Wilsons determination, guts, and her audacity. Author Rebecca Boggs Roberts does a perfect job showing readers how Wilson came by these qualities, and why her tales been a hidden-in-plain-sight story for so long. That might make you wonder what other silent stories lurk in the corners of history. There are lots of them, and this is one you shouldnt miss especially if you love womens history with spirit. If thats you, then youll find Untold Power to be pretty great. Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson by Rebecca Boggs Roberts c.2023, Viking $30.00 320 pages EMORY, Va. Emory & Henry College announced its decision in late March to follow in the footsteps of neighboring higher education institutions by completing a status change, which will see it become Emory & Henry University. Emory & Henry President John Wells explained to the Bristol Herald Courier that the decision to make the switch from college to university, which will go into effect by the fall of 2024, is an easy one because, in many ways, the school has already been functioning as a university. The decision was really made to confirm really kind of the direction that Emory and Henry has been going in for a while, Wells said. Its really just sending that message that we do have a very broad curriculum that we have multiple campuses, and weve added a number of things like, weve moved to [NCAA] Division 2, weve added things like career services and things that really are outward facing that help to prepare students for the world of work. By fall 2024 Emory & Henry anticipates being in full Division II status with the NCAA and the South Atlantic Conference, with greater regional and national exposure, according to the school. Of the 13 institutions in the South Atlantic Conference, Emory & Henry is one of only three colleges; the others are universities. Among the various additions that Emory & Henry has planned as it continues to grow is the construction of the Bill Gatton Equestrian Center and the Sportsplex both beside Interstate 81 which Wells believes will raise awareness about the school and its continued evolution. Were national champions in equestrian, and so we want to have a facility thats as impressive as the skills of our team, Wells said. By building out at the interstate, we want to make sure that people know that there is a great institution here in Emory & Henry. What were doing is following a tradition that weve had for 187 years, which is making sure that we offer what students need, he said. The name change is part of Emory & Henrys 2023-2026 strategic plan, through which the schools Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff aim to turn E&H into the premier private university in the region. Joey DeFilippo, the director of academic affairs for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, explained that even though Emory & Henry is exempt from state regulation, there is no set of rules or requirements for an institution in the state to make the switch. We dont have any rules that say in order to be a university, you have to have at least 10,000 students and a dozen doctoral programs or anything like that, DeFilippo said. We have state law that says college and university can only be used for degree-granting higher education institutions. They have a very simple form that they have to fill out and a small fee that they pay, just to record the fact their official name is now university, but they dont have to justify it to us, give us dates or anything like that because theyre free from state regulation, He said. E&H is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. An attempt to speak with a representative of the association was unsuccessful. Over the past decade, Emory & Henry has added new masters and doctoral programs in health sciences, education and, now, business, to its liberal arts bachelors degree offerings, according to a written statement. Comprehensive universities are defined by Carnegie Classification as those offering degrees at the masters level and a few at the doctoral level. Just this year, Emory & Henry was categorized in the U.S. News & World Report rankings in Best Regional Universities (South) and ranked No. 20 with peers like Rollins, The Citadel, Berry, Stetson, Christopher Newport, Appalachian State, Tuskegee, Florida Southern, Charleston, Queens, Savannah College of Art & Design and Milligan, according to the statement. DeFilippo emphasized that the only college in Virginia that would have to go through a complex process if they were to seek to make the switch from college to university would be the University of Virginias College at Wise. In order for their name to change, a bill would have to be passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor, DeFilippo said. Over the past decade, various higher education institutions across Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee have made the switch, including King University, Bluefield University and Tusculum University. In this context, DeFilippo believes that the decision by Emory & Henry is about both branding and competition. Theyre competing with one another, De Filippo said. It gives their name visibility. It encourages people, both their own students, and faculty, maybe to think about the place in a different way. Wells emphasized that in no way will the switch from college to university change the student-focused culture and experience that has shaped Emory & Henry for the past 187 years. We dont have any intention of becoming a place that has high-rise buildings, that has overcrowded classrooms. Were not going to do any of that, Wells said. The heart of what makes Emory & Henry, Emory & Henry has not and will not change. Narissa Rahaman and her fiance, who both work in political advocacy with busy schedules, are likely holding off on their wedding celebration until next year but they will probably do the legal thing soon. Rahaman is the executive director for Equality Virginia, an advocacy group that supports laws that benefit LGBTQ people. My partner and I want to get married as soon as possible because we want to be married to each other. And we understand the state of the world right now for LGBTQ people, Rahaman said. Protections and rights that we all feel like we have are being chipped away day by day. While same-sex marriages are federally protected by the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress Respect for Marriage Act, Virginias state constitution does not technically support those marriages. A 2006 state constitutional amendment barred same-sex marriage in Virginia, recognizing marriage as only a union between one man and one woman. But given a 2015 ruling by the Supreme Court and Congress 2022 law, the language here is moot. Thats why Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, and Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax both openly gay legislators have each carried proposed constitutional amendments in recent years to adjust Virginias constitution and keep up with modern times, Ebbin said. Committed to doing this until we pass it Passing a constitutional amendment in Virginia requires a multiyear process. The proposals have to pass the legislature two years in a row, with an election for the House of Delegates in between, before they can go to Virginias voters in a state referendum for final approval. Ebbins proposed amendment won first approval in the legislature in 2021 when Democrats controlled both chambers and held the governorship. After Republicans won control of the House in that Novembers elections, a GOP-led House panel defeated his bid for a second approval in 2022. During this years session, Ebbin and Sickles started over. Their bids for a first approval were defeated again in a House committee. Im committed to doing this until we pass it and give the voters a chance to fix the constitution, Ebbin said. Its not totally partisan. Del. Tim Anderson, R-Virginia Beach, carried a failed resolution similar to Ebbins. However, the matter is starting to feel more urgent for some people after some indications that Obergefell v. Hodges the 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide could be undone. Last summer, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In his majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that it only concerned abortion. To ensure that our decision is not misunderstood or mischaracterized, Alito wrote, we emphasize that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right. Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion. But Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a concurring opinion that the due process clause in the 14th Amendment at most guarantees process and does not secure any substantive rights. Thomas asserted that in future cases, the court should reconsider all of this Courts substantive due process precedents, including cases that guaranteed married adults the right to obtain contraceptives, the right to engage in private, consensual sexual acts, and Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case that guaranteed the right to same-sex marriage. This was around the time Rahaman and her partner got engaged. It was like a bit of a jolting moment, Rahaman said of potentially losing the same rights that opposite-sex couples have. She added: It felt a little bit more imminent during that summer of this can be a real thing thats happening. Virginias political parties disagree on how or if same-sex marriage is under threat in Virginia. Last week, the Democratic Party of Virginia tweeted that Republicans are working to reinstate draconian bans on same-sex marriage. The account for the Republican Party of Virginia fired back that it was not under threat and called the previous tweet a lie. A GOP-led subcommittee defeated Ebbins latest attempt to enshrine same-sex protections in Virginias constitution with no debate and on party-line votes. House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah; House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott; and Dels. Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, and Kathy Byron, R-Bedford, voted to defeat the bill while Del. Vivian Watts, D-Fairfax, dissented. (Committees and subcommittees are how the legislature filters through bills before some of them can come to full floor votes in both chambers.) Moments before the vote, a representative of The Family Foundation an advocacy group that opposes same-sex marriage noted that the Supreme Courts actions on abortion could mean action on marriage is likely, too. With the courts precedent in Dobbs, the abortion ruling, the court is clearly in a position to reverse its erroneous 2015 decision, said Todd Gathje. And if and when it does, Virginias constitution should continue to reflect the truth about marriage. The Family Foundation believes marriage is only between a man and a woman. With no discussion from the subcommittee, its unclear exactly why it chose to vote down Ebbins bill. A spokesperson for the House GOP Caucus did not respond to email inquiry by the time of this publication. Meantime, nationwide protections for same-sex marriage still hinge on the Obergefell ruling. University of Virginia law professor Rich Schragger said that given the Supreme Courts action on Roe, its not totally unlikely that the conservative wing of the court which has the votes revisits the Obergefell ruling. He did note how the court could move slowly on it or even avoid it, given how the fallout of Roe may drive up Democratic engagement nationwide. It is a matter of judicial politics, not a matter of respect for precedent, he said. The conservative justices are not particularly constrained by precedent. If the Supreme Court did overturn Obergefell, the legality of same-sex marriages would then revert to state law in this case, the prohibition within Virginias constitution would take effect. However, the Respect for Marriage Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law last December, would require states to recognize marriages performed in other states where its legal, along with marriages that took place when Obergefell was in effect. Schragger noted that the Respect for Marriage Act is also subject to potential repeal in Congress, pending future federal elections. Amid Virginias own contests this year with all 140 seats in the House and Senate up for election Rahaman said marriage equality is on the ballot. 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. HICKORY Exodus Homes, a faith-based United Way agency, and the League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley will host an educational outreach, "It Is Your Right to Vote" seminar for formerly incarcerated people. The seminar will be held at 11 a.m. May 6 at the Ridgeview Recreation Center, 115 Seventh Ave. SW in Hickory. The voting rights expansion that took effect in July 2022 allows any North Carolina citizen on probation, parole, or post-release supervision to register and vote, although many of the people affected by this change are not aware of it. This event aims to educate formerly incarcerated citizens that they can now legally vote, and engage them in the electoral process. Presentations in the seminar will address the importance of registering to vote and voting, as well as information on expungement of criminal records, obtaining a certificate of relief, getting a state ID, drivers license, birth certificate, and social security card. Speakers will include the Rev. Reggie Longcrier, founding executive director of Exodus Homes; Dennis Gaddy, founding executive director of Community Success Initiative; and Sabrina Mommers, North Carolina organizer for VoteRiders. During the seminar, formerly incarcerated people will be able to register to vote and obtain information on voting; get help with expunging their criminal record, getting a certificate of relief, obtaining a state ID, drivers license, birth certificate or social security card. A light lunch will be provided, followed by a chess tournament, and door prizes for those who attend. The League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy. The league works to inform and engage the community and it encourages citizens to participate in government. This event is made possible by the League of Women Voters Education Fund. Longcrier expressed gratitude to the league for spearheading this effort saying, "The recent victories in voter expansion for formerly incarcerated people in North Carolina is long overdue, and we are excited for this opportunity to help reach them to let them know they can vote and that their vote matters." For more information, contact Longcrier at 828-962-8196 or revlongcrier@exodushomes.org or Priya Palmer at priya.palmer@yahoo.com. " " Grape and vine motifs with shadow effect decorate this cotton Alencon lace collar from the late 19th century. Horsehair was used to support picots on the outside edge and on some interior motifs. The pattern for this collar is in the Musee des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle, Alencon, France. Beverly Wolov/National Museum of American History In a small town in Normandy, France, admiration for handcrafting has never gone out of style. Known since the 17th century for its fine lacemaking tradition, Alencon, France, is still home to the nationally sponsored Atelier Conservatoire National du Point d'Alencon (National Alencon Lace Workshop). It's where artisans learn to make the delicate point d'Alencon lace, regarded as the "queen of laces" and the historical favorite of queens like Marie Antoinette. The importance and rarity of point d'Alencon also known as Alencon needlepoint lace is due to the fact that it is made entirely by hand with needles, thread and parchment, just as it has been for more than 350 years, explains Valerie Durand in an email translated from French. Durand joined the National Alencon Lace Workshop in 2006 and is now its head. She was named "One of the Best Workers in France" by the COET-MOF for needle option lace in 2019 for a Point d'Alencon bracelet she crafted. Advertisement Today's Alencon lacemakers like Durand learn the process during an apprenticeship that can last up to a decade. And while other lace may claim to be Alencon, the authentic stuff, which bears the name of the city where it was born and perfected through thousands of Normandy lacemakers, is as inseparable from its place of origin as from its technique, she says. But interestingly, the story of this famed French lace begins somewhere else. "The Vietnam War was just beginning in the early 60s," says Ken Kolsbun, author of "Peace: The Biography of a Symbol," which was published in 2008 on the 50th anniversary of the symbol. The symbol was adopted as an anti-war symbol, and because Holtom intentionally made it free for anyone to use, it was passed out on buttons on college campuses throughout the war, and adopted by the hippie movement as a symbol of 1960s youth subculture. Advertisement "The early anti-war people were not hippies so much as pacifists, worried about the growing fatalities in the Vietnam War," says Kolsbun. "It morphed from a symbol that stood for nuclear disarmament to one that stood for peace." Gerald Holtom died in 1985, and according to Kolsbun, who corresponded with him during the 1970s, Holtom asked that his tombstone depict the peace symbol he created, only with a twist: "On his tombstone, he wanted the symbol inverted; in other words, instead of drooping arms, he wanted the arms of his peace symbol to be pointed upward," says Kolsbun. "In his mind, this symbolized the Tree of Life. In symbology, when a symbol points downward that means someone has died, so I think later in life, he realized he wanted it to point up like the Tree of Life, where mankind lives." Unfortunately, Holtom's revised peace symbol didn't make it onto his tombstone, but the first iteration of his work has certainly made an impression on the world. "Sixty years later, it's still going strong," says Kolsbun. " " Walt Whitman is best known for his epic work of poetry "Leaves of Grass." Library of Congress/HowStuffWorks Walt Whitman is universally recognized as one of America's most influential literary voices. He was a man who defined his time and defied its conventions, who was in large measure misunderstood in life but whose brilliant poetry has been celebrated now for more than a century. Whitman (1819-1892) was a lover of life, of nature, of men and of mankind and of himself. He wrote of them all passionately, vividly, and what many in fusty mid-19th century America considered obscenely. Sexuality and homosexual love was a frequent topic in Whitman's work. Advertisement From The New York Times in 1860, after the third edition of Whitman's seminal volume of poetry, "Leaves of Grass," was released: He seems to delight in the contemplation of scenes that ordinary men do not love, or which they are content to regard as irredeemable evils, about which it is needless to repine. Mr. WHITMAN sees nothing vulgar in that which is commonly regarded as the grossest obscenity; rejects the laws of conventionality so completely as to become repulsive; gloats over coarse images with the gusto of RABELAIS, but lacks the genius or the grace of RABELAIS to vivify or adorn that which, when said at all, should be said as delicately as possible. As raw as his poetry struck many, Whitman was recognized, from the beginning, as uniquely talented and uncommonly perceptive. In his poems, he explores the divinity of nature and of the person. He embraces religions of all kinds. And he often weaves them together in the glorification of another love: America. "[T]his man has brave stuff in him. He is truly astonishing," The Times wrote in its initial review of "Leaves" in 1856, after much gnashing about the "insolence and indecency" of the work. "We are much mistaken if, after all, he does not yet contribute something to American literature which shall awaken wonder." In fact, "Leaves," a collection that Whitman added to and edited many times over his life, endures as one of the most persuasive of American literary efforts. Years after his death, the poet Ezra Pound called Whitman "America's poet." "His crudity is an exceeding great stench," Pound wrote, "but it is America." Certainly, Whitman is as complicated as the nation itself. But purchasing an entire country would be a more complicated matter today, as would a major land purchase akin to the Louisiana Territory or Alaska deals. "This kind of thing used to be quite common, and the traditional rules of international law made it pretty simple the nations involved just had to agree on a price, essentially," Blocher explains via email. "But the legal landscape has changed in the past century, so that the old rules really shouldn't apply in the same way. Most importantly, the rise of the principle of self-determination means that, in order to be legitimate, any such sale of populated territory should be based on the approval of the people living on that territory. So even if Denmark did 'own' Greenland, as the President has put it, the people of Greenland would still need to be consulted." Advertisement "Aside from international law, and domestic law, it's difficult to see how the sale of territory would be seen as acceptable behavior in today's international system, especially when the territory in question is an autonomous dependent territory," Rebecca Richards, a lecturer in international relations at the U.K.'s Keele University in Newcastle and author of this 2017 article in The Conversation on national sovereignty, explains via email. "That is uncomfortably close to colonial practices, and it's very difficult to imagine a situation where this would be acceptable, especially given the states involved in this." But in another sense, this all might be a moot argument, and not just because Denmark dismissed the notion of selling Greenland. "Buying and selling countries doesn't make good economic sense," emails Robert Deitz, former senior counselor to the director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, and currently a professor of public policy at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in Virginia. "There are more efficient ways to get the things we want. " Instead of buying territory, Deitz points out, it's simpler and cheaper simply to lease land for military bases or work out a deal on rights to extract mineral wealth (such as Greenland's supply of rare earth minerals, which are essentials for modern technology such as smartphones. "I don't know anything that Trump really wants from Greenland for the U.S. that couldn't be obtained without transfer of sovereignty," he says. Danish prime minister Frederiksen seems to agree. As she recently told a TV interviewer, "Thankfully, the time where you buy and sell other countries and populations is over. " Now That's Interesting In 2014, the nation of Kiribati, which consists of 32 atolls in the Pacific, purchased 5,460 acres (2,209 hectares) of land on Vanua Levu, the second biggest island in the nation of Fiji, to give Kiribatis people a place to relocate if their country is submerged by rising seas as the result of climate change. On April 22, "Trace the New Thoughts - Follow the Road of Common Prosperity in Ethnic Regions" Jingning Theory Seminar was held in Jingning County, Lishui City, Zhejiang Province. Experts and scholars from all over the country gathered here to discuss the meanings, ways and experiences of Chinese modernization to promote common prosperity in ethnic autonomous regions. During the seminar, Shi Kang, secretary of the Shibadong Village Youth League Branch in Huayuan County, Hunan Province, and Shi Jinlan, deputy general manager of the Shibadong Tourism Company discussed with the participants about the development of Chinese path to modernization to promote common prosperity construction in ethnic autonomous regions based on the experience of Shibadong Village. At the seminar, Shi Kang spoke as a special guest. Taking the development of Shibadong Village as an example, he introduced to the participants about the situation related to the rural tourism of Shibadong Village to help the targeted poverty alleviation. Combining with his own life experience in Shibadong Village, he told an vivid story of the way Shibadong out of poverty. In recent years, relying on the unique resources such as Miao ethnic culture, characteristic Miao village and natural scenery, Shibadong Village, which is the "birthplace" of targeted poverty alleviation, has been increasing the construction of tourism infrastructure, making efforts to improve the tourism development environment, encouraging poor households to participate in rural tourism development, and jointly promoting the integration of targeted poverty alleviation and rural tourism development. With all these efforts, Shibadong Village has becoming a model village and a designated tourism village in Hunan Province. By defeating Shettar, BJP hopes it will send out strong message to turncoats By M.K. Ashoka Bengaluru, April 30 (IANS) Former chief minister Jagadish Shettars defection to the Congress and his attacks on the BJP over ideology has put the entire focus on him. The party's state unit as well as the high command have taken it as a priority to defeat Shettar in his home turf and send out a strong message to defectors and those who violate party diktats. 100 years ago, April 23, 1923 EFFINGHAM An interesting trial came to a sudden end here when C.W. Taylor, principal of the Shumway High School, who was on trial charged with criminal assault on one of his girl pupils, pleaded guilty. For more than a year the principal has maintained innocence but when the time came for the hearing he filed a plea of guilty. The court sent him to the Southern Illinois penitentiary for one year or more...CHARLESTON The jury in the assumpsit suit of Mrs. Doris Crispin against Harry Birch returned a verdict for Mrs. Crispin in the full amount asked for, $350. Mrs. Crispin states that on March 8, 1922, she loaned Birch $350, taking a promissory note, signed by Mr. and Mrs. Birch, for security. The note, however, so it was stated, disappeared one night when the Birch home was robbed, and Birch, so Mrs. Crispin stated, refused to renew the note or pay it when it became due on March 8, 1923. Birch contended he did not owe Mrs. Crispin that sum of money, or that he had ever executed a note for that sum in her favor...MATTOON A raid on the Eureka Hotel, Nineteenth street and Broadway, shortly after twelve o'clock Sunday night, resulted in what the officers claim to be a good haul - a twenty-gallon still, about twenty-five gallons of mash and two men. One of the men is John Green proprietor of the hotel, and a fellow who gave his name as "Happy" Morris. Green and Morris were taken by the officers to Charleston, where they were placed in jail. 50 years ago, 1973 MATTOON Mayor Roger Dettro announced today that he has agreed to give the IOOF Old Folks Home and the Mattoon Manor nursing home an additional 90 days to comply with a city demand that the fire alarm systems in the two homes be connected to the city's central fire and burglary warning system. On April 20, 1971, the city council approved an agreement which authorized Mattoon fireman Fred Decker to install a combination burglary and fire alarm receiving and indicating system in the radio dispatch room of the police department at city hall. Decker's firm, Fire Extinguisher Sales and Service was given the exclusive right by the city to have the "sole and only burglary and fire alarm system and indicating system." On April 4, IOOF administrator Howard Reichart had requested an extension of the deadline to permit him to meet with the IOOF board of directors concerning the matter. On April 4, Richard told the Journal Gazette he was considering challenging the whole constitutionality of the Decker franchise. 25 years ago, 1998 OAKLAND Oakland High School's reign as undefeated Coles County Envirothon champion will continue for another year. Edging out by a Mattoon High School team by six points, Oakland's Team 1 took home the trophy for the fourth time in the four years of the county Envirothon competition. Charleston, Mattoon, and Oakland High Schools each had two teams of five students competing Wednesday at the Douglas-Hart Nature Center. Oakland will now move on to face 25 other teams in the state competition...CHARLESTON Coles County State's Attorney Steve Ferguson filed a motion Wednesday to have the testimony of Thomas Drum admitted in the murder trial of Charles Drum, a movie that took the defense attorney by surprise. Steve Ryan, Charles Drum's court-appointed attorney, said he was prepared for Ferguson's motion but had not known Ferguson would call Marcus Douglas and Larry Drum as witnesses at the pre-trial hearing until 9 a.m. Wednesday. Charles Drum, 28, is accused of beating and strangling Shane Ellison to death on Jan. 4, 1997. Douglas, 23, and Thomas Drum, have already been convicted for their roles in the murder. I wish I could talk with Yvonne right now. Yvonne is a Republican. I met her one sunny October day last year at an early voting site in central North Carolina. We were greeting voters, Yvonne for the Republican Party and I for the Democrats. Id brought my corgi puppy. The day before, one of the Republican poll greeters had been yelling at voters he thought were Democrats. I hoped the puppy with her big, soft ears might ease the tension. It worked. For a little while. Yvonne is probably about my age, mid-60s. She has a friendly face, ivory skin and short white hair. I heard her talking with care about neighbors and friends as folks came to vote. She and I chatted about the dog, the weather. But when she overheard me talking to a voter about the need to maintain the right to safe and legal abortion, her face contorted with rage. She spat out, Baby killer. I tried to keep my cool. As a physician, I explained that abortion is essential health care. One of my patients miscarried, losing a much-wanted baby. She needed a therapeutic abortion as good medical care, instead of bleeding alone, at home. Another patient had an ectopic pregnancy, a kind of tubal pregnancy which can rupture and kill the mother. Her abortion was necessary to save her life. Women who are pregnant and have fetuses with severe genetic defects need access to abortion. So do girls and women raped by family members and strangers. Well, in those cases of course they could get one, Yvonne said. I carefully explained that Republicans have made all abortion a crime in some states. Doctors who perform these types of abortions could face criminal charges. She didnt believe me. After more heated words, we finally agreed to disagree; she offered me a bottle of water. Today, I wish I could ask Yvonne why Republicans are so worried about unborn babies but not children murdered daily in our schools and on our streets by gun violence. In the U.S., guns are the leading cause of death in children and adolescents (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmc2201761). Yet, many Republicans love guns; some send holiday greeting cards posing with AR-15s (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-congressman-posts-family-christmas-picture-with-guns-days-after-school-2021-12-05/). Those same Republicans tell us that books and transgender people harm kids. Meanwhile, emergency room doctors frantically try to save children shredded into bloody pulp by guns. As a psychiatrist, I say that it is crazy that we keep weapons of war in our homes. The real mental health issue is the impact on children of hiding under desks and in closets during active-shooter drills and during mass shootings. The real harm is having children watch their classmates and teachers bleed to death. When families lose children to guns, the resulting trauma lasts for generations. Have Republicans heard the unearthly wail when a father learns that his child is dead? Have they watched a mother fling herself on the fresh dirt of a grave after her child is buried? No book about Black history has killed a child. But every day in America, people aim their guns at kids. After the latest school shooting, I called my Republican senators to plead for gun reform and an assault-weapons ban. One aide replied, The senator is devastated. I snapped back, No, those parents are devastated. He has the power to do something. He needs to act. Republicans seem to love their guns more than our children. I want to ask Yvonne why. Next year is the 250th anniversary of our revolution in America, but you wont care, because all media will be abuzz with the rancor and accusations that now pass for our quadrennial presidential election process. Next year? you ask. Yes, 1774 was when we began to talk in earnest among ourselves about what was wrong with being British colonies. I mention it now because April 19 was the 248th anniversary of the shot heard round the world, the beginning of the shooting war 15 months before the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the event we will summarily celebrate in three years as the ostensible origin of our nation. It was hardly the beginning of it all, and certainly not the last word. Our Constitution was a dozen years after that and keeping America true to its civic virtues has been a constant struggle since. Tensions between overlords and subjects had been mounting in the colonies since the French and Indian War ended in 1763. The King imposed and repealed some onerous taxes in 1765 and 1767, the Boston Massacre happened in 1770, and then the Kings ministers messed with our tea. In a sweetheart deal for the economically ailing East India Co., only the EIC could import tea into the colonies and could bypass existing distributors. Moreover, the collected tax would pay the salaries of some colonial officials, thus bypassing the controls of local assemblies. The issue was not the cost; the tea was cheaper. The affront was that such a tax set a precedent that the King and his out-of-touch ministers (lets just call it ignorance and arrogance) could do likewise from across The Pond on anything they wished. (Think current politics in Tennessee and Florida and, OK, North Carolina, too.) In August 1773, the East India Co. sent seven ships headed for seven different ports, each deciding on its own how to deal with the arriving tea. Some forbade its unloading. Others decided to boycott. Boston was the only one that destroyed the tea, and only after they backed themselves into a corner by earlier inaction. That debacle was on Dec. 16, 1773, The Boston Tea Party, 250 years ago this year. It involved a bunch of hotheads calling themselves Mohawks and wearing costumes to disguise their identities. The whole town suffered the consequences of their intemperate actions. And all the colonies were anxious that those punishments might befall them, too. In March 1774, John Hancock suggested in his impassioned oration for the annual commemoration of the Boston Massacre that representatives of all the colonies should convene as a congress to discuss the challenges all faced with a disconnected and distant British aristocracy and Parliament. By May, and in retaliation for the destruction of the tea, Parliament closed the port of Boston imposing economic sanctions but also cutting off food supplies. Thus came the punitive Coercive Acts which we colonies labeled Intolerable Acts. (Think outlawing abortions and banning books.) Meanwhile, Lord Dunmores War was taken to the frontier in fall 1774 to quell the Shawnee resistance to intrusive white settlements just as the First Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia. That Congress agreed to meet again in spring 1775, and did just as Daniel Boone was leading a party of settlers into Kentucky on behalf of North Carolina Judge Richard Henderson to establish a new colony of Transylvania. Meanwhile, British soldiers and Minutemen of Massachusetts faced off at Concord Bridge on April 19. Nobody knows who fired first, but a year later Thomas Jefferson drafted a Declaration of Independence for that Second Continental Congress to sign, a declaration which backcountry Mecklenburgers said sounded a lot like what they had written the year before on May 20, 1775. North Carolinians might miss commemorating those 250th anniversaries during next year and the year after because of the distractions of political campaigns. But weve probably already decided whos getting our vote, so why not study and reflect on the history as each events 250th anniversary rolls by. Depending on whom we elect in our foresight or folly, this could be our last chance to celebrate the real, factual history of our American Revolution. You want to know what jumped out at me when I read that for almost 20 years Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been accepting luxury items, like trips on private jets, and not reporting them on his financial disclosure forms? That he had to ask. I imagine Thomas walking into Chief Justice William Rehnquists office back when Thomas was a newbie on the court, financial disclosure form in hand. I know that Rule 3.13 says I dont have to disclose items with little intrinsic value, such as plaques, certificates, trophies and greeting cards, I imagine the new justice saying. But what about a nine-day vacation halfway around the world, island-hopping through Indonesia on a friends 162-foot-long superyacht checking out the Komodo dragons? You think I have to disclose that? He had to ask? Like that was a close call for one of the keenest legal minds in America, as I assume and hope all Supreme Court justices are? I would like to think that Rehnquist rolled his eyes, and said, Clarence, youre on the Supreme Court now. Youre going to have to make tough legal decisions on complicated issues. Believe me, this one is not hard. Evidently that is not what happened. In his response to the ProPublica article that broke this story a week ago, Thomas said, Early in my tenure at the court, I sought guidance from my colleagues the other justices on the court, I assume and others in the judiciary and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the court, was not reportable. Thomas reference to this sort of personal hospitality was not accidental. Chapter 6 of the Guide to Judiciary Policy, which deals with Gifts to Judicial Officers and Employees, says explicitly that the definition of gift does not include social hospitality based on personal relationships. That is where Clarence Thomas chose to hang his hat. Thomas claimed that he and Texas billionaire Harlan Crow have been friends for 25 years. Therefore, the expensive gifts he received from Crow should be thought of as social hospitality based on personal relationships, and need not be listed in his financial disclosure. Unfortunately for Justice Thomas, not everyone buys that interpretation of the rule. Plus, ProPublica has since revealed that Crow bought a house from Thomas in Savannah and spent thousands of dollars renovating it for Thomas mother to live in. Thomas did not disclose that either. Democratic members of the House and Senate are lining up to sponsor bills that would require justices to adhere to a code of ethics that would compel them to disclose more information about gifts they receive. One bill would create a Supreme Court ethics officer and set up a process for filing complaints against the justices for ethical violations. Meanwhile, last month when no one was looking, the Judicial Conference, the federal courts policymaking body, adopted new rules regarding how justices account for gifts they accept. In his public statement, Thomas acknowledged the new rules and said, It is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future. Of course it is. While he is adjusting to following rules regarding disclosing luxury gifts from friends who happen to be big-time donors to one of our major political parties, perhaps Justice Thomas should review Canon 2 of The Code of Conduct for United States Judges, which says, A judge should avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all activities. An appearance of impropriety occurs, the Canon says, when reasonable minds, with knowledge of all the relevant circumstances disclosed by a reasonable inquiry, would conclude that the judges honesty, integrity, impartiality, temperament, or fitness to serve as a judge is impaired. The Canon wisely warns, Public confidence in the judiciary is eroded by irresponsible or improper conduct by judges. It could have and probably should have added, or the appearance of irresponsible or improper conduct by judges. According to Gallup, when John Roberts gaveled the Supreme Court into session last fall, the approval rating for the court hovered around 40%, a drop of 20% in two years. Given the dwindling approval rate of the court and the degree to which he may have contributed to that decline, as well as the increasingly uncertain status of his legacy, perhaps Clarence Thomas would be well-advised to heed the advice of Scripture as well as that of the Code of Conduct of United States Judges and avoid even the appearance of evil. Richard Aldag has worn many hats over the years. He's done intelligence work in Iraq and Afghanistan. He's patrolled Nebraska as a state trooper and worked on large federal narcotics cases. During the floods of 2019 and the pandemic that followed a year later, Aldag helped manage the Nebraska State Patrol's response. Today, he oversees a logistics business and a commercial real estate investment company. The common thread that runs through all of those many roles is an ability to lead, says Aldag, which he believes makes him qualified to serve on the Lincoln Board of Education. Aldag, a Republican in the officially nonpartisan race, is running in District 6, which covers a section of central and east Lincoln. Aldag grew up in Lincoln, attending Lincoln Public Schools and later graduating from Bellevue University with a bachelor's degree in business. He was soon drawn to the Nebraska State Patrol, becoming a trooper in 1996. His first duty station was in the Panhandle town of Oshkosh. He and his wife, Trish, came back to Lincoln a few years later, where Aldag got a promotion to work on large federal conspiracy cases before the Army National Guard recruited him to do intelligence work in the Middle East during the Iraq War. "That was my first real major exposure to senior leadership at a large level," Aldag said. When he came back, he was promoted to a sergeant in the State Patrol and hit the road again as a trooper before being recruited in the patrol's so-called fusion center in Lincoln designed to promote information sharing between state and federal agencies. Aldag even helped oversee the buildout and move of the fusion center, the criminal identification unit and investigative services division in 2008, which he says gave him valuable insight into facility work that could prove useful on the school board. "That was a big brick-and-mortar project that I did," he said. He did intel work up until the 2019 floods that inundated the state. Aldag, with his strong military background, was called upon to help manage the deployment of troopers and State Patrol resources as part of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. "Fast-moving, direct, public service -- that is perfect for me, and I enjoyed that a lot," he said. Running for the Lincoln Board of Education felt like the next natural step for the 51-year-old Aldag, who retired from the State Patrol last year. "I just always feel like I'm a service-oriented person," he said. "This is kind of a good next step." Teacher who had an impact Mike Troester, social studies, Lincoln Southeast: He always told me a story about these two ants. They're on the driving range and the golfer takes a swing and takes a huge divot out and takes another swing and takes another huge divot out of the ground and the one (ant) answers the other: "If we want to make it out of here alive, we'd better get on the ball." ... I use that story all the time. Aldag, who has a master's of business administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University, devotes his time and his days to his businesses. He's the president of Flagstone Peak Logistics Inc., a contract carrier, and is a partner at Gannet Peak Investments, a commercial real estate company. On the side, he likes to sail and fly single-engine planes: He's a certified keelboat captain and has his pilot's license. He and his wife, who runs a Lincoln studio, have four children, including a seventh grader at Lux Middle School and a kindergartner at Messiah Lutheran. His decision to run for school board was also influenced by conversations with LPS staff and administrators, who brought up issues like the need for better special education support. Aldag, who says he's been critical of the board in the past, finally realized he couldn't stand idle. "I'm always the guy who says, 'Stop complaining and get involved,'" he said. "If you're going to have a strong opinion about something, at least be part of the solution, don't just sit on the sidelines and complain." The federal government reacted to the needs of the nations wars survivors as early as 1832 with acts passed to aid veterans, though aid in housing did not surface until 1851. Most aid was centered around pensions and alleviating economic difficulties until after the Civil War when needs became so critical that some states began providing housing on their own. 1869 saw a federal act authorizing branch homes in seven states including Nebraska, on tracts of 320 or more acres. Although the 1869 act gave authorization for veterans homes to seven states, the Senate act ultimately listed only Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri as a potential location, specifically for volunteer soldiers and sailors of the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. In 1884 Nebraska pushed to be the chosen state, pointing out our perfect central location and unspecified climate advantages. The initial proposal carried an appropriation of $250,000. In February of 1887 the Nebraska Legislature enacted the Soldiers Home Bill No. 247 to provide a home and subsistence for honorably discharged soldiers, sailors, Marines, and hospital nurses. The federal government also agreed to contribute $100 per capita, calculated on an average occupancy. It provided building and maintaining housing for 25 to 50 men in a central building to be located not less than three or more than six miles from the city limits of Grand Island on a tract of not less than 640 acres. In addition to the central building, the site would also contain 2-acre plots with cottages for inmates to live and partially support themselves. It should be pointed out that an inmate was, at that time, defined as any ward of the state, not just those incarcerated, as is now usually implied. Because the land for the project was to be furnished to the state without cost, the Grand Island Board of Trade assembled a group, primarily consisting of area businessmen, at the Bartenbach Opera House, where funds for the land purchase plus $19,200 in cash were raised. The following month architects were solicited to submit plans for the first two-story plus basement, main building to cost less than $20,000. The cornerstone for the initial headquarters, named the Lincoln Building, was laid on Oct. 27, 1887, with the local newspaper noting that it drew over 300 buggies of locals who heard a band concert and speech by Gov. John Thayer. In June of 1888, Civil War veteran Oliver Duncan became the first person admitted and on June 30 the formal dedication of the 40-by-100-foot, four-story building was held, with comrade John Hammond [as] the first commandant. The building housed a kitchen and dining area in the sunlight basement with the floors above housing the commandants quarters and offices, library and apartments. In December of 1888 it was reported that there were 55 inmates in the Soldiers and Sailors Home. The following year the occupancy dropped to 52 with room for 300 including seven cottages costing $700 each completed. Just two years later, 25 cottages had been finished and the commandants salary increased to $1,500 per year. By 1895 the home was termed overcrowded and a branch at Milford was established on a 300-acre site rented at $800 a year. The following year Grand Island built an addition. In 1913 the home received state funds of $125,000 for maintenance and $24,500 for improvements while, with 415 inmates, it was so overcrowded that applicants were being turned away for lack of room. With the original building no longer in good enough condition to even survive with maintenance and repairs, in 1931 it was razed. The 1951 report to the Legislature showed the average population was 265 and the average cost per capita, per day was $2.72. In April of 1969 the Soldiers and Sailors Home was renamed the Nebraska Veterans' Home. The city of Grand Island gave title to its interest in the real estate to the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services, and six years later the state began consideration of an entirely new facility, listing several possible sites, including Grand Island and began soliciting proposals. In 2013 Grand Island learned that the new facility would be at Kearney. 2019 saw the Grand Island home closed and all residents moved to the new Kearney campus. Today, in 2023, every state in the union has at least one veterans' home. N Nebraska has four, at Bellevue, Kearney, Norfolk, and Scottsbluff but not at either Milford or Grand Island. Grand Island however does have a V. A. Medical Center on the old Soldiers and Sailors Home site. 50 icons of Nebraska people, history and heritage Vise-Grip These locking pliers, developed by Danish immigrant William Petersen and patented in 1924, took a strong hold on the small town of DeWitt. Petersen began production at his blacksmith shop, but by 1928 the company he founded had more than 600 employees. The metal tools were popular additions to toolboxes because they enabled a craftsman to grab a nut or a bolt and hold onto it, leaving his hands free. In 2002 the company was sold by remaining family members, and it closed its doors in 2008. Vise-Grips, although not made in DeWitt anymore, are still sold in almost every hardware store. Sandhill cranes Although they dont call Nebraska home, these fly-by residents have been regular visitors to the central Platte Valley for centuries. The yearly spring migration of 500,000, 4-foot tall, gray-feathered birds with jaunty red caps, who arrive in March and are usually gone by mid-April, has made an impact in both the birds' numbers and in our response to them. Visitors from around the country come to watch them fly from their roost on the river in the morning and stalk the corn stalks during the day from buses and blinds, and all of that is good for the state. The most recent economic study estimates that crane-related tourism in 2009 generated $8.08 million in direct economic impact by visitors in central Nebraska. And a survey done in 2010 showed that more than 70,000 crane watchers spent an average of 1.3 days in the region (75 percent of those who came to see the cranes were planning on spending at least one night). And in the past 30 years, groups have worked to protect and maintain this river-side environment, with more than 10,000 acres of habitat set aside. State capitol New York architect Bertram Goodhue described his distinctive building as the tower on the Plains, made from Indiana limestone and begun in April 1922. It took 10 years to complete the project at a cost of $9.8 million. The Sower, which stands 19 feet tall on a 12-foot-tall base of corn and wheat shocks, represents the states agricultural background and can be seen for miles. Thousands of Nebraskans came to watch the hulky bronze statue placed on top with a crane when the tower was completed in the third phase of construction. Its interior is as distinctive as the exterior, with floor mosaics depicting a variety of Nebraska motifs, as well as wall murals and the ornate legislative and Supreme Court chambers. Sebesta family trunk Ignac and Marie Sebesta came to the United States around 1910, arriving after a long journey across the ocean with whatever they could pack into their wooden trunk. Like other immigrants, the Sebestas began their American life working for farmers, at first in Milligan, then Tobias. Three Nebraska cities were on the list of the top 10 cities in the country where Czech immigrants settled. For those starting life in a new country with only one piece of luggage, these trunks held only the most essential or the most precious things. And many immigrants could not afford even a wooden trunk for their travels, packing their belongings into a cloth bag. Beyond the obvious items -- clothing or shoes -- the immigrants may have brought seeds, tools or cloth. If there was room, they might have tucked in a silver thimble and needle and thread, and possibly portraits of family and a Bible. Kool-Aid In 1927 Edwin Perkins of Hastings put his chemistry skills to work and came up with the powdered, fruit-flavored drink we call Kool-Aid. It came in six flavors -- strawberry, cherry, lemon-lime, grape, orange and raspberry, and by 1929 the 10-cent packets were being distributed nationwide to grocery stores. During the Great Depression, Perkins slashed the price to 5 cents a package and made it affordable, even for children, who often set up their own stands. Even though he moved the operation to Chicago in 1931 and in 1953 sold it to General Foods, which came up with the familiar smiley-faced pitcher, the Perkins family still calls Hastings home, and a Kool-Aid museum is based there. Dorothy Lynch salad dressing Once you taste this not-quite-French salad dressing made with celery seeds and a hint of both sweet and sour, there is no substitute. From its St. Paul Legion Club origins in the late 1940s, where its namesake (yes, there really was a Dorothy Lynch) served it to veterans on weekends, this dressing became a regional hit. In 1964, Tasty-Toppings Inc. bought the recipe and began producing it in Columbus and later Duncan. Yes, they have tinkered with it a bit, introducing a fat-free version and changing the familiar glass bottle shape. In fact, it is even gluten-free. Luckily, former Nebraskans can buy it in 35 states, and the company even will ship it directly to your house. Grover Cleveland Alexanders cleats Baseball players and writers from Grover Cleveland Alexanders era referred to him as the best pitcher to ever put on a pair of shoes. Its hard to argue. Nicknamed Old Pete, the righty from Elba won 373 games (third all-time) between 1911 and 1930 with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched the Cards to a World Series championship over Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and the rest of the New York Yankees in 1926, winning two games and coming in the seventh inning of the decisive seventh game with the bases loaded, two outs and the Cards clinging to a 3-2 lead. He struck out Tony Lazzeri and then held the Yanks scoreless for two more innings to earn the save. In 1938, he became the first Nebraskan inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Swanson's TV dinner These were made in Omaha by C.A. Swanson and Sons -- who may or may not have had the idea first -- but the company was the first to get the dinners into thousands of Americas freezers in 1953. The original effort, officially called a TV Brand Frozen Dinner, came in a compartmentalized aluminum tray and included turkey, cornbread stuffing, frozen peas and sweet potatoes, and it was just the right size to fit on a TV tray. If you set your oven at 425 degrees and cooked it for 25 minutes, your 98-cent dinner would be ready. By 1955, the company was selling 25 million units, and a new chapter in cooking had begun. American bison Nebraska is where the buffalo roamed. For centuries the bison was central to the life of Plains Indian tribes. The 2-ton wooly beasts provided food, clothing, shelter and tools during that time. Settlement of that land, beginning in the 1830s, created problems for the bison herds, which were said to number in the millions at one time. Between 1830 and 1880, hunters and fur traders organized bison hunts killing hundreds of bison at a time. As a result, by the 1900s, the American bison was near extinction. Theodore Roosevelt came to its rescue, enacting federal legislation protecting the bison. Wild bison herds are now mostly in national parks, but a small herd can be found on 2,000 acres of the tallgrass prairie on Shoemaker Island in the Platte River. Cowboy boots Albert B. Persinger came to the Nebraska Panhandle in 1876 from Alabama, where he started the Hardscrabble Ranch and raised purebred Hereford cattle near Lodgepole. His leather boots were made by O.H. Hyer of Olathe, Kan. Cowboys like Persinger were in their heyday in Nebraska from the 1870s to 1890s during open-range days. But even in the 1870s, the Nebraska Legislature ruled that counties could invoke a herd law, which would would ban cattle roaming at large. We dont know much about the thousands of cowboys who were working the Nebraska range during that time. Historians describe them as footloose laborers on horseback. But we do know that it wasnt all happy trails -- cowboys worked seven days a week, sunup to sundown for little pay and in all kinds of weather. Lack of pastureland, wire fence and the meatpacking industry adjusting cattle prices all contributed to fewer cowboys riding the range. Bison scapula hoe Found in the Medicine Creek Valley near Stockville, this bison shoulder blade hoe was discovered in 1934 at the remains of a Native earth lodge. Tools like this were used by the people of the Central Plains tradition, which is what archaeologists called the village farmers who lived in hamlets along the rivers and streams in Nebraska from 1000 A.D. to 1400 A.D. By the end of this period, groups had started to grow gourds and corn in small-scale gardens. Intensified cultivation of domesticated crops coincided with an increase in prehistoric Indian populations. Although hunting and fishing continued to be very important, a less-nomadic economy developed. Food surpluses, such as corn, were stored in underground storage pits dug into the floors of earth lodges. Tools like these were the forerunners of plows pulled by oxen and later the giant John Deere equipment that todays farmers use in their fields. Unicameral Legislature gavel Nebraska operated under a bicameral legislature until the early 1930s, when U.S. Sen. George Norris campaigned for reform, saying the two-house system was archaic. In 1934, voters agreed, passing an amendment to make Nebraska the only one-house legislature in the country. The pounding of this gavel began the first unicameral session in 1937, which not only proved to be efficient but inexpensive. The last bicameral session in 1935 with 133 legislators ran 110 days, passed 192 bills and cost $202,593. The first unicameral session two years later with just 43 legislators lasted 92 days, passed 214 bills and cost $103,445. Johnny Carson coffee mug The late, great Johnny Carson chatted up celebrities and sipped from this mug from behind his desk on the set of The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. Although born in Iowa, Carson called Nebraska home, having grown up in Norfolk and graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before embarking on his entertainment career. He kept audiences in stitches for 30 years (1962-92) on NBC via his monologues, comedy sketches, interviews and those patented deadpan looks of his. A PBS documentary tabbed Johnny Carson the King of Late Night for his 30-year run as host of NBCs The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Jeff Kinneys jersey The Game of the Century that pitted undefeated No. 1-ranked Nebraska against undefeated No. 2-ranked Oklahoma at Owen Field in Norman, Okla., produced a plethora of memorable plays -- particularly Johnny Rodgers 72-yard first-quarter punt return. But the most memorable object was the No. 35 jersey worn by Husker tailback Jeff Kinney. Kinney carried the ball 31 times during the game, rushing for 171 yards and four touchdowns. The tear-away jersey began to rip apart in the first half and was in tatters during his final four rushes. Those carries capped a 12-play, 74-yard drive that saw Kinney follow a block from fullback Maury Damkroger (46) and plunge into the end zone to give Nebraska the clinching touchdown in the greatest game in college football history. Final score: Nebraska 35, Oklahoma 31. In the Year 2525 45 rpm record The biggest hit to come out of Nebraska, Zager and Evans In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus) spent six weeks at the top of the Billboard charts in 1969. It was the most popular song in the country when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon and during the Woodstock Music Festival. Zager and Evans was a four-piece Lincoln group that was fronted by singer/guitarists Denny Zager and Rick Evans and included drummer Dave Trupp and bassist Mark Dalton. Written by Evans and recorded for $500 in an Odessa, Texas, studio, the folk-rock tune that portends the end of the human race because of technological innovations was initially released on Truth Records, a local label. After becoming a regional hit, it was picked up by RCA. Dismissed by critics, In the Year 2525 sold more than 4 million copies by 1970 and now has topped the 10 million mark. Corn Standing tall and at attention, row after row, acre after acre, corn stalks guard the Great Plains. Native tribes in Nebraska planted corn long before the settlers arrived and had great success with it. Nebraska pioneers found the crop well suited to the states variable climate with its whipping winds, drought and harsh winters. These bountiful battalions are Nebraskas agricultural front line and keepers of the kernels Nebraskas gold. An ear of corn averages 800 kernels in 16 rows, and those kernels add up. In 2013, the USDA estimate was 1.61 billion bushels, based on 169 bushels per acre. Livestock feeding consumes nearly one-third of the states corn harvest. It takes 55 bushels of corn to feed a steer to market weight and 15 bushels to raise a pig. Spread throughout much of the state, more than 20 ethanol plants have a capacity of nearly 20 billion gallons -- making Nebraska the second-largest ethanol-producing state in the country. Combined, these plants use more than 700 million bushels of corn per year. And since 1901, Cornhuskers has been a nickname for the University of Nebraska football team, when Lincoln Journal sportswriter Cy Sherman coined the phrase in his sports copy. Although it was shortened to Huskers, fans with cornheads are regulars at Nebraska sports events. Sod house With a lack of trees or stone on the prairie, homesteaders looked to the land for building materials. Sod, made from thickly rooted prairie grass cut in 2- by 1-foot chunks, was piled like bricks to make walls for the soddy. A simple sod house could be built in about a week for a cost of less than $5. The thick walls provided insulation against the summer temperatures, strong winds and winter cold, but leaky roofs were a problem, and the dirt floors needed to be watered down regularly, making it quite damp. One Fillmore County pioneer in 1873 described the process in letters to his wife: All we have to do is plow up some sod (which will hang together for a half mile without breaking), cut in lengths to suit and lay up a wall & cover it and you have a house. To one who never seen one of our houses built of Nebraska brick, it would seem as though they were a dirty house, but they are warmer & cleaner than our hosier log cabins ever were. Keith Jacobshagen painting Keith Jacobshagen moved to Lincoln to teach at the University of Nebraska in 1968. Now one of the most acclaimed artists in the state, Jacobshagen is the preeminent painter of the Great Plains. Jacobshagen developed his connections with the flatland and big sky flying with his test pilot father while growing up in Wichita, Kan. Those flights led Jacobshagen to develop his unique perspective: painting as if he is standing yards above the ground, a view that lowers and lengthens the horizon. Jacobshagens landscapes found an audience in the 1970s and can now be found in museums and prominent private and corporate collections. He is represented by several galleries around the country, including Kiechel Fine Art in Lincoln. William Jennings Bryan campaign memorabilia William Jennings Bryan was a Nebraska politician who ran for president of the United States as the Democratic Party candidate three times -- in 1896, 1900 and 1908 -- never winning, but bringing the national political debate closer to home. Born in 1860 in Illinois, he came to Lincoln in 1887, where he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1890. Known for his oratory skills, Bryan traveled across the country campaigning on Populist issues and issues of the common man. Woodrow Wilson appointed Bryan secretary of state in 1913, during which time he worked to negotiate treaties before World War I broke out. Bryan left Nebraska during that time, moving to Florida, where he lived until his death in 1925. Charles Starkweathers rifles In January 1958, Lincoln garbageman Charles Starkweather killed 10 people on a murder spree that terrified Nebraskans and grabbed national attention. The first spree killer of the television era, Starkweather and his teenage girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, became the subjects of intense media scrutiny and public interest after they were captured in Wyoming, where they had fled after the killings, nine of which took place in and around Lincoln. Starkweather was executed for the murders in 1959. Fugate served 17 years in prison and was released in 1976. The story of Starkweather and Fugate continues to reverberate through popular culture. Bruce Springsteen wrote a song from Starkweathers viewpoint, titled an album Nebraska" and continues to perform those songs in his concerts. An ABC-TV miniseries, Murder in the Heartland," was based on the killing spree, and at least six feature films, including Terrence Malicks classic Badlands and Oliver Stones controversial Natural Born Killers, were inspired by the story. Whiteclay empty bottle Alcohol sales in Whiteclay have dropped during the past four years (2010 to 2013), but 336,217 gallons of alcohol were consumed in the Pine Ridge Reservation border town. It remains a jarring statistic in a state that ranks high in many alcohol-related surveys. Nebraska ranks eighth nationally in beer consumption per capita, averaging 35.2 gallons per person over 21, according to 2012 figures from the Beer Institute, which represents the beer industry. And the state ranked 15th in craft breweries per capita in 2012, according to the Brewers Association. Not all the stats shine a good light on Nebraska. Four cities made the Centers for Disease Controls 2010 report of the top 20 binge drinking U.S. cities -- Grand Island (19.4 percent of residents surveyed), Omaha (19.5 percent) Norfolk (20.2 percent) and Lincoln (22.7 percent). And that list of metropolitan and micropolitan cities doesnt include Whiteclay, where beverages like this one are sold by the millions. Sugarbeet workers The raising of sugar beets in Nebraska began as an experiment in Hall County in the 1880s. The land took to it, and then, for decades, migrants took to the land. Germans from Russia, Mexican immigrant families and others worked the land for five long months a year, with sugar companies hiring people based on the knowledge that their children would join them in the fields, as a 2005 Great Plains Quarterly article by Mary Lyons-Barret detailed. Eastern Nebraskas beets were considered too low in sugar, and plants closed in Norfolk in 1905 and Ames in 1906. They thrived in Scottsbluff and Bayard, though, and Great Western Sugar Company and American Sugar Company covered train fare for migrant workers to come there, only to offer many of them old rail cars, empty chicken coops or tents to live in, Lyons-Barret wrote. Investigations into child labor conditions in the sugarbeet industry would directly influence federal child labor laws in the 1930s. Kawasaki KZ400 motorcycle The first shiny KZ400 that rolled off the production line in January of 1975 was presented to then-Gov. Jim Exon by Yoji Hamawaki, president of the United States division of Kawasaki Motors. It was the beginning of an almost 40-year manufacturing alliance between the plant and the Capital City. Over the years the plant has evolved as it followed market trends. First motorcycles, then Jet Skis and later all-terrain vehicles and industrial robots, were made there. In 2000, the company invested $50 million in the plant as it accepted a contract to build light rail cars destined for the East Coast. The plant employs about 1,700 people with the consumer products side that produces personal watercraft and all-terrain vehicles and rail car production. There havent been any motorcycles off the line since 2007 when production of the motorbikes moved back to Japan. But the Japanese/Nebraska industrial alliance is going strong. Carhenge Dedicated on the summer solstice of 1987 by Jim Reinders and about 35 friends and family who didnt question his sanity and helped him build it, the collection of 38 gray painted cars has at least one thing going for it that its inspiration, Stonehenge, doesnt -- we know why it exists. Reinders built it as a tribute to his late father, according to Kevin Howard, director of the Alliance Visitors Bureau. "It took 1,600 years for them to complete Stonehenge, and we did it in six days," Reinders said on a documentary about the site, which still draws thousands of visitors a year. The humongous roadside attraction thats not near a major roadside (its about 80 miles north of Interstate 80) got a new owner last year -- the city of Alliance. Archie, the imperial mammoth Archie is short for Archidiskidon imperator maibeni, and he is one of the star attractions in Elephant Hall at the University of Nebraska State Museum of Natural History. The fossil, which roamed the Plains about 30,000 years ago, is one of the biggest and most complete in the country. It measures 25 feet, 7 inches from its long tusks to its tail and weighed about 15 tons. A bronze statue of Archie stands in front of the museum. Archie and his prehistoric pals were all over Nebraska, and mammoth fossils have been found in every county in the state. They werent the only prehistoric relics that Nebraska has produced. At Ashfall Fossil Beds near Royal are fossils from more than 12 million years ago of elephants, camels and rhinos that grazed on the Great Plains. Brides quilt Martha Allis was born in Bellevue in 1840, daughter of missionaries Samuel and Emeline Allis. When she was set to marry her beloved, William George Hollin, on July 4, 1861, she made a Wreath of Roses pattern quilt to commemorate the event. Believed to be the oldest quilt made by a native Nebraskan, the quilt of red-and-green nine-rose wreaths surrounded by vines made of cotton was typical of other quilts that would be made over the decades by Nebraska women. Originally pieced by hand, and later by machine, the quilts told women's stories in fabric and became beautifully crafted blankets that would keep families warm on cold nights on the prairie. Lincoln Highway marker The 2,436 road markers, 220-pound hulks of rebar and concrete, were placed alongside the country-spanning Lincoln Highway about 15 years after Henry B. Joy first asked for driving directions west of Omaha in 1913. Joy, president of the Packard Motor Car Company and the first president of the Lincoln Highway Association, didnt have much to go on. Joy was on a cross-country tour from Detroit to the Pacific to promote better roadways, which, in turn, would promote the growing auto industry. The local Packard dealer told him to drive until he came to a fence, and then another fence, and another. When Joy ran out of fences, he followed two ruts across the prairie, according to a 1985 Smithsonian article. The winding path taking drivers through Omaha, Elkhorn, Fremont and along the Platte River System to Wyoming became part of the privately funded New York-to-San Francisco Lincoln Highway. When it was decreed that the majority of the pivotal road would be renamed U.S. 30, the Lincoln Highway Association in 1928 arranged for Boy Scouts to place road markers like this one bearing the letter L and a bronze medallion depicting Abraham Lincoln across the countryside. Explosives from ordnance plants Smack in the middle of the country, Nebraska was deemed the perfect noncoastal site for bomb making in 1942 when World War II loomed, because it was easily reachable by trains in either direction. At one time there were four plants across the state in Mead, Hastings, Sidney and Grand Island. Mostly women were on the production line and were known as WOWs or Women Ordnance Workers. In Grand Island there were three shifts and more than 4,200 workers at the war's peak manufacturing bombs up to 2,000 pounds. Although work stopped after the war ended, it began again during the Korean War and in Grand Island during the Vietnam War. Buffalo coat from Buffalo Soldiers Given the nickname by Native Americans likely because of their curly hair and buffalo coats worn in the winters, 10 units of the all-black U.S. Army cavalry served at Fort Robinson between 1885 and 1898. "Lt. John Alexander, the second African-American graduate of West Point, and Henry Plummer, the first black chaplain in the regular Army, served here," reads the historical marker at Fort Robinson State Park in Dawes County. "So did 10 Buffalo Soldier Medal of Honor men." Standing Bears headdress He stood before a federal judge in Omaha in 1879 and testified that, after being forced from Ponca land, watching a third of his tribe die and being arrested following his return to the Niobrara to bury his teenage sons bones, that he no longer felt like a chief, but rather a poor person. The U.S. attorneys position was that Standing Bear, because he was an Indian, was not a person of any sort under federal law. Judge Elmer Dundy sided with Standing Bear, a landmark decision in the continuing struggle for Indian rights. Ted Koosers notebook Ted Kooser, two-term U.S. poet laureate, helped secure Nebraskas spot on the literary map when his book Delights and Shadows (Copper Canyon Press) won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 2005. From his home in rural Garland, Kooser takes pen in hand each morning before dawn and chronicles the nuances of everyday life, from screeching owls to small-town diners. Born in 1939 in Iowa, Kooser spent most of his 9-to-5 life as a life insurance executive, but he was writing poetry during that time, too. He is a Presidential Professor at the University of Nebraska teaching the writing of poetry and essays. His poetry even has been set to music. Winter Morning Walks won three Grammy awards for composer Maria Schneider and soprano Dawn Upshaw, who adapted the poems from his collection of the same name for an album. J. Sterling Mortons walking stick Although many think of J. Sterling Morton as Nebraskas Johnny Appleseed because of his advocacy for tree planting, including heirloom apple trees, his legacy is much more than that. Born in New York and raised in Detroit, he came to Nebraska in 1854 and staked a claim in Nebraska City. Editor of the Nebraska City News, Morton became politically active and also well respected for his agricultural achievements -- he was the secretary of agriculture for President Grover Cleveland. Like many men of the time, Morton carried a brass-topped walking stick, and his was inscribed with a Latin verse, which translates to If you seek a monument, look around. Mortons monument -- in addition to Arbor Day, the state holiday encouraging tree planting -- can be seen in the many trees growing across the state. SAC red phone "Well, we all felt that this was in the cards, that unless we were good -- if we slipped, if we were not capable of doing our job, that the Russians would eventually move in and take over, Lt. Gen. James Edmundson, a former director of operations at the facility now known as Stratcom, told a PBS film crew when asked about the reality of a nuclear attack. From bomber pilots flying 24-hour-long training missions to the installation of this red telephone that fortunately never rang, the command center at Offutt Air Force Base prepared as if the unthinkable could happen at any moment at the height of the Cold War. It was a tough life, said Edmundson, who died in the summer of 2001, months before Stratcoms focus would dramatically shift. Transcontinental Railroad Building west from Omaha after President Abraham Lincoln approved legislation to build a railroad across the frontier, the Union Pacific railroad laid the first tracks of the Transcontinental Railroad on July 10, 1865. Thousands of workers swung hammers and laid rail ties for four years, and on May 10, 1869, the track was complete in Promontory, Utah. Cities sprang up across the Plains like those following the ABC Burlington railroad. From Crete westward, towns about eight miles apart were named in alphabetical order -- Crete, Dorchester, Exeter, Fairmont, Grafton, Hastings, Inland, Juniata, Kenesaw and Lowell. The Platte River railroad corridor is still chugging along, with Union Pacific, headquartered in Omaha, and BNSF Railway, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned company. Only two states, Texas and Illinois, have more railroad employees than Nebraska. Willa Cathers William Dean Howells Medal Although Willa Cather was not a native Nebraskan -- born in 1873 in Virginia -- we claim the famous author as ours, because many of her novels revolve around her hometown of Red Cloud and the Great Plains. Winning the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours in 1923 and gaining recognition for O Pioneers! and My Antonia, Cather gained national literary attention with her descriptive prose that captured the spirit of the states early inhabitants. Then, in 1930, Cather received the William Dean Howells Medal for her book Death Comes for the Archbishop. Before she wrote novels, she wrote reviews for the Lincoln Journal newspaper as a student at the University of Nebraska. Cather moved to Pittsburgh, then New York, shortly after graduating from the University of Nebraska, but she returned to Red Cloud several times before her death in 1947. Kregel windmill One thing Nebraska has plenty of is wind, and George F. Kregel found a way to use it. In 1879 Kregel developed a water-pumping windmill that would harness that wind and help pioneer farmers survive on the prairie. At first, the Nebraska City manufacturing company installed the windmills and water supply equipment and helped farmers maintain and repair them. During the 20th century, the company focused mostly on water well maintenance and the pump repair business. Even though they have not been mass produced since the early 1940s, Kregel Windmill Company Eli-brand windmills are still found in service pumping life-giving water for both humans and livestock. The factory remains intact -- exactly as it was after it closed in 1989 -- and has been reopened as the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum. Homestead certificate Four miles west of Beatrice, the Homestead National Monument is the site of Daniel Freemans claim under the Homestead Act of 1862. He is said to have filed it 10 minutes after midnight at the Land Office in Brownville on Jan. 1, 1863, making him one of the first to take advantage of Abraham Lincolns legislation. All homesteaders had to be at least 21 years old, got 160 acres of land and had five years to prove up by living on the land, building a home and farming for five years. Total filing fee: $18. Freeman and his wife, Agnes, did just that and raised eight children there. About 270 million acres were claimed across the nation under this act. Runza sandwich Germans from Russia brought the runza sandwich to Nebraska. A bread pocket filled with meat, cabbage, onions and seasonings goes by different names and comes in different shapes. But only in Nebraska did it give rise to a chain of fast-food restaurants. Ingredients now may vary, but the taste whether homemade or restaurant-bought is uniquely Nebraskan. Chimney Rock Standing almost 300 feet above the surround North Platte River Valley, Chimney Rock in western Nebraska bade farewell from the state as Pioneers headed west on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails. Its image has adorned licenses plates and Nebraskas state quarter. Its made of layers of clay, volcanic ash and sandstone. Warren Buffett One of the richest men in world, the Oracle of Omaha is known for his down-to-earth style, common-sense financial philosophy and his philanthropy. As chairman, CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett is considered by many to be the most successful investor of the 20th century, but hes known equally for his personal frugality. CliffsNotes Before the Internet and Wikipedia, the distinctive yellow-and-black covers of CliffsNotes adorned the bookshelves of many a college and high school student. The series of study guides (which are not to be used as a substitute for reading the actual text, OK?) was launched in Lincoln by Cliff Hillegass and his wife Catherine. From the original 16 Shakespeare titles, CliffsNotes has grown to include hundreds of works and has saved many a student. Giant porch swing Hebron is home to what was and may still be the worlds largest porch swing. Built from a giant crop irrigator pole, the swing seats between 18 and 24 depending on bun width. It sits in Roosevelt Park downtown, not on an actual front porch. Reportedly a larger porch swing may have been built in 2012 in Canada, but Hebrons still seems pretty big. Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Earlier this year, Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium was named by TripAdvisor the worlds best zoo. Marking its 120th year this year, the zoo is home to the Desert Dome, built in 2002, which is both the worlds largest indoor desert and the largest glazed geodesic dome. And the indoor Leid Jungle has been fogging up eyeglasses on cold winter days for 22 years. Oregon Trail The 2,200-mile Oregon Trail connected the Missouri River to fertile valleys in, you guessed it, Oregon. Following along the Oregon Trail through Nebraska were the California, Mormon and Bozeman trails, which separated from each other after leaving the western edge of Nebraska. Between the 1830s and the 1870s, around 400,000 pioneers used the trail across Nebraska. College World Series Since 1950 Omaha has hosted the College World Series, where eight teams square off in a double elimination tournament to decide the NCAA Division I baseball champion. Through 2010, games were held at Rosenblatt Stadium. Beginning in 2011, the series moved to TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. The NCAA has signed a contract that will keep the tournament in Omaha through at least 2035. Arbor Day J. Sterling Morton moved to Nebraska from Detroit, Mich., in 1854. Along with his family and furniture, he brought a love to trees, which he felt were sorely needed in his new home territory (Nebraska became a state in 1867), so using the newspaper he owned as a pulpit, he campaigned for the establishment of Arbor Day, a holiday set aside for the planting of trees. On April 10, 1872, more than one million trees were planted in connection with the first Arbor Day. The holiday later expanded nationwide and globally. Yellow school buses Its hard to believe something as ubiquitous as the yellow school bus has its origins in Nebraska, but Franklin-born educator Frank W. Cyr in the 1930s led a group that standardized many features of the nations school buses, most prominently their yellow-orange color, which was found to be the most visible at sunrise and late afternoon. Cyr, who eventually left Nebraska, is known as the father of the yellow school bus. Beef Nebraska has the top three beef cattle counties in the United States, according to the UNL Beef Team, in Cherry, Custer and Holt counties. Cattle flourish on Nebraskas grasslands, and the state flourishes, to the tune of $12.1 billion, which is the estimated impact of the beef industry on the state. And this year Nebraska overtook Texas as the top beef-producing state in the U.S. Ogallala Aquifer Nebraska is home to Americas largest underground lake, or aquifer, which stretches north to South Dakota and south to northern Texas. But in Nebraska the aquifer involves the largest geographic area and is in places more than 1,000 feet deep. It supplies the vast majority of drinking water in Nebraska and provides agriculture with the water needed for irrigation. North Platte Canteen Frustrated by college diversity initiatives he says are fomenting radical and toxic divisions, Texas state Rep. Carl Tepper set out to put an end to diversity, equity and inclusion offices in higher education. The freshman Republican lawmaker filed a bill to ban such offices. Three months later, he filed a new version of the legislation doing the same thing. The difference? Tepper switched the wording to align with a new model bill developed by the Manhattan Institute and Goldwater Institute, a pair of conservative think tanks based in New York and Arizona, respectively. Republican lawmakers in at least a dozen states have proposed more than 30 bills this year targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education, an Associated Press analysis found using the bill-tracking software Plural. The measures have become the latest flashpoint in a cultural battle involving race, ethnicity and gender that has been amplified by prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, potential rivals for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. Many of the proposals root in one of a half-dozen conservative or libertarian organizations offering recommendations for limiting consideration of diversity, equity and inclusion in employment decisions, training and student admissions. Some measures mirror the model bills nearly exactly. Others copy key definitions or phrases while adapting the concepts to their particular states. Theres a tremendous appetite on the right to deal with this issue, said Joe Cohn, legislative and policy director for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which in February added its own model bill to the swelling ranks of proposals. The bills are an outgrowth of recent Republican attempts to limit critical race theory, a viewpoint that racism is historically systemic in the nations institutions and continues today to maintain the dominance of white people in society. Christopher Rufo, who now is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, helped propel conservative outrage in 2020 against what he has described as critical-race-theory concepts infiltrating governments and educational institutions. Trump responded by issuing an order in September 2020 banning training involving divisive concepts about race for government employees and contractors. Similar wording began cropping up in state-level legislation the following year. Floridas so-called Stop WOKE law, which DeSantis signed last year, is among the most prominent measures. It bars businesses, colleges and K-12 schools from giving training on certain racial concepts, such as the theory that people of a particular race are inherently racist, privileged or oppressed. Courts have currently blocked the law's enforcement in colleges, universities and businesses. DeSantis has continued to press the issue. He proposed legislation this year to ban diversity, equity and inclusion offices as part of a broader agenda to reshape higher education. He also appointed Rufo and other conservatives to the New College of Florida's oversight board, which then abolished the liberal arts colleges office that handles diversity, equity and inclusion programs. DeSantis has been so vocal about the changes he wants to make in universities that it has probably spurred activity in other states, said Jenna Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, a conservative nonprofit based in Raleigh, North Carolina. On their face, diversity, equity and inclusion may seem uncontentious. Higher education institutions, along with many businesses, have devoted resources to inclusivity for years. "DEI is woven into the fabric of good universities, said Karma Chavez, chair of the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies and co-chair of the College of Liberal Arts diversity committee at the University of Texas. Campus DEI offices often spearhead services tailored to students of various races, genders, sexual orientations, cultures and abilities. Some college administrators also consider diversity and equity when admitting students, providing scholarships or deciding which faculty to hire and promote. Applicants may be asked not only for resumes and references, but also for statements about how they would advance DEI efforts. Tepper contends DEI initiatives are ideologically driven" on a Marxist foundation." Republican lawmakers in other states have used similar arguments. During a recent Missouri House debate, Republican Rep. Doug Richey put forth a series of budget amendments prohibiting state funding for DEI initiatives in government agencies and higher education. He asserted the offices espouse "racist policies and Marxist ideology that is trying to strip away from us the concepts of the nuclear family, of merit, of character and of being judged by what you are capable of. Provisions blocking spending on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts also have been added to budget bills in Kansas and Texas. Separate bills banning spending for DEI offices in higher education have been proposed in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, Utah and West Virginia, though some of those already have failed. Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts administration warned state entities in February not to use DEI factors in employment decisions. That prompted the state's largest university systems to pause such practices and led students at the University of Texas to organize in defense of DEI efforts. It feels like an attack on my identity, said Sameeha Rizvi, a university senior who said she has benefited from DEI initiatives as a Muslim woman of color with a disability. It is exceptionally hurtful and tiring to see this very hateful rhetoric being employed by legislators." The American Association of University Professors, which has about 45,000 members nationwide, said the bills mischaracterize DEI initiatives. "Theyre dog whistling that DEI initiatives are something sinister and subversive that people should be afraid of, and thats not true at all, association President Irene Mulvey said. The 10 most popular TED Talks about diversity The 10 most popular TED Talks about diversity #10. 'Want to truly succeed? Lift others up while you climb' #9. 'The story we tell about millennials and who we leave out' #8. 'How to keep human bias out of AI' #7. 'What it's really like to have autism' #6. '3 ways to be a better ally in the workplace' #5. 'What baby boomers can learn from millennials at work and vice versa' #4. 'The beauty of human skin in every color' #3. 'My identity is a superpower not an obstacle' #2. 'How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them' #1. 'Color blind or color brave?' NEW YORK 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. A new wave of GOP White House hopefuls will begin entering the 2024 race as soon as this week after a monthslong lull. They include former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who will formally launch his campaign Wednesday. Former Vice President Mike Pence 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 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 met with former aides and 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, struggled to live up to sky-high expectations among some early backers. He has been losing support to Trump among elected Republicans in his own state 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 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. The rivalry between Trump and DeSantis has turned uglier by the day, with political groups supporting both men already spending millions on attack ads. Some strategists hope the two will attack each other so viciously, they will turn off voters, who will search for an alternative. "It's not uncommon for a third candidate who's 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. Candidates may need to cement their planning soon, even if they would prefer to wait longer. The Republican National Committee 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 in an interview with the media outlet Semafor. Candidates-in-waiting 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 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 Trump upended the race. "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." 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 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 don't know if it stays that way. There's still way too long to go," he said, arguing that a debate moment or news story could change the trajectory. "Somebody's just got to get momentum," he said. "It's just so wide open even with Trump being the prohibitive favorite." Here are 20 Republicans considering 2024 presidential runs In: Donald Trump In: Nikki Haley Ron DeSantis Mike Pence Tim Scott Ted Cruz Glenn Youngkin Chris Sununu Kristi Noem Greg Abbott Out: Larry Hogan Asa Hutchinson Chris Christie Mike Pompeo Liz Cheney Will Hurd Keep an eye on: Brian Kemp Keep an eye on: Rick Scott Keep an eye on: Josh Hawley Keep an eye on: John Bolton 1873: Nebraska pamphleteers were busy writing articles promoting the benefits of the Cornhusker State. It was announced that writers of the 16 best articles each would receive 40 acres of land. 1883: The Wells-Fargo express company agreed to put up a new building near the Burlington Depot if the City Council would grant the company use of a portion of the street. 1893: J.A. Buckstaff completed a five-story building on West L Street for use as the Nebraska headquarters for an agricultural implement company. Gen. Victor Vifquain of Lincoln was appointed consul to Panama by President Grover Cleveland. 1903: President Theodore Roosevelt visited Lincoln and made a speech in front of the Capitol. A large crowd turned out in spite of high winds and blowing dust. 1913: In reply to a comment, U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan explained publicly that it was not the custom of his family to serve wine at dinner. 1923: A tornado hit Gage County. One girl was killed when her parents' farmhouse near Barneston was destroyed. 1933: Judge Lincoln Frost was elected president of the Lancaster County Bar Association. 1943: Nebraska's Gov. Dwight Griswold was being mentioned as a candidate for vice president on the Republican ticket. Nebraska accepted Kansas' challenge to a scrap collection contest. May 2-15 was set as the collection period. The idea was to make scrap metals count in war production. 1953: Pvt. Lester R. Todd of Alliance was one of 36 American prisoners of war returned to U.S. lines in Korea by their communist captors. He had been held by the communists for almost two years. A $100,000 fire in a North Platte garage and automotive service center destroyed three new pickups and 16 cars. It was the third major fire in the city in three months. Earlier, two elementary schools valued at $340,000 were damaged. 1963: A grass fire and a "freezing" of a Nebraska Public Power substation switch outside Lincoln cut off electricity for more than two-thirds of the city for about 30 minutes. Towns and rural customers in Lancaster, Gage and Seward counties also were affected. 1973: Former Gov. and Mrs. Val Peterson were in Washington on their way back to Nebraska after Peterson, 70, retired as U.S. ambassador to Finland. Gov. Jim Exon vetoed a legislative bill that would have permitted the University of Nebraska to acquire part of the campus of the defunct Hiram Scott College at Scottsbluff. 1983: Clay Center firefighters battled two major fires within 24 hours. The first call was to the old Harvard Air Force Base, where a cutting torch had set off a blaze that destroyed three of four hangars being dismantled. The second was to a firetruck accident near Clay Center. 1993: Gov. Ben Nelson kicked off Nebraska's celebration of Earth Day by creating a 26-member committee to increase the state's use of alternative transportation fuels and reduce its dependency on foreign oil. 2003: The refusal to budge on performance raises forced the city to cut jobs and tap reserves. To help balance the budget, the city cut 20 jobs overall and dipped into reserves. The lesson was clear: City employees expect and vehemently protect their merit, or pay-for-performance, raises. MOUNT PLEASANT Ed Steckley said in a March 2000 Journal Times report that he hoped to one day have his cartoon illustrations featured in national magazines. In the 23 years since then, he met his goal and more. Additionally, its appeared in Saturday Night Live, many childrens books including the Rube Goldberg series, and a multitude of advertising campaigns including large brands such as Charmin, Mucinex, Burger King, Canon, General Mills and Hasbro. Hes created illustrations for CD covers and off-Broadway shows. And he received the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement on Saturday. Sam Viviano, who worked as art director of MAD Magazine from 1999 to 2017, joked that working with Steckley was total hell. Viviano gave Steckley his first assignment at the magazine and nominated Steckley for the UW-Whitewater award. Viviano presented Steckley the award at a ceremony Saturday. When the opportunity came to nominate him for this award, it was a no-brainer, because I didnt know any other alumni from UW-Whitewater, he joked. From my point of view, he was extremely distinguished. Viviano met Steckley in 1999, and they became very good friends. Viviano described him as a terrific caricaturist. I was very intrigued by his work, Viviano said. His work was quirky, whimsical, and it was well-crafted. A very busy illustrator The award-winning fulltime freelance illustrator grew up in Racine and graduated from Park High School in 1991. He was inducted into the Park High School Hall of Fame in 2014. Steckley attended UW-Whitewater from 1991-95 and dropped out to work as artists frequently arent asked for a degree. Either they have the talent or they dont, Steckley said. But he only had one semester of credits left to earn a bachelors degree, and he was the only person in his family who didnt have one, so he decided to go back to his former university. Steckley earned a bachelors of arts degree in graphic design and a minor in art history through remote independent study in 2018. Theres a cemetery in Kenosha thats a little bit more quiet now, because grandma stopped rolling over in her grave having a grandson who didnt graduate, Steckley, 49, joked. Viviano also noted that no one in the art industry ever asks to see a diploma. Its the work that counts, not the resume, Viviano said. But it was his unfinished business. Thats another impressive thing. I think that the university should be proud of the fact that he cared enough to go back 20 some years later and said, Im going to complete the work. Viviano, who grew up in Detroit, Michigan, but lives in New York City, said he was very happy to have the opportunity to come back to the Midwest and be part of the award presentation. I watched him grow as an artist, as a businessman and as a person, Viviano said. I watched him start to develop skills as an illustrator. He became a very, very, very busy artist, and I got to witness this from the sidelines. He has participated in many Comic-Cons. Steckley has lived in St. Louis and New York City, the latter until last year. He moved back last year to the Racine area, specifically to Mount Pleasant, to be closer to his mother. I just got to the point where I dont need to be in the big city anymore, he said. I get work now. He added he appreciates the lower cost of living in Wisconsin and increased square footage. In the last year being back in the Racine area, hes spent his days getting his feet off the ground and participating in two Racine Theater Guild shows. People are supposed to hate where they grew up. Thats why they move away, Steckley said. But since Ive been back, this is great. Its quiet. I love it. Putting his spin on things Steckley described his work process in simple terms: people call him and he draws. People call me because of the spin I put on things, he said. Steckley drew live theme park caricatures for 20 years so its no surprise his favorite thing to draw is caricatures. He worked at theme parks in Minneapolis, St. Louis, Massachusetts and Gurnee, Illinois. He grew up reading MAD Magazine, so being featured in it was his biggest honor, he said. While the type of freelance work he does fluctuates, he estimated that about half of his work is advertising, which he said pays the bills, and the other half is books and magazines. He said it typically takes five months to illustrate a book. Steckley often adds in gags, or small humorous images within his pictures, such as a fictional dragons foot inside a tunnel or a toaster hidden within a city skyline. He never draws the bottom of a mans shoe without a hole in it. Working on all these things, I give him all the credit in the world, Viviano said. Im very proud of the guy. Inside Racine native illustrator Ed Steckley's Mount Pleasant studio, in photos and video Ed Steckley creates a drawing in his Mount Pleasant studio Getting ready Light box Finishing up Finishing up Book cover illustrations "Rube Goldberg's Simple Normal Definitely Different Day Off" book jacket Flipping through book Ed Steckley points out some of his gags in his work and others GLOBALink | IMF official says China's contribution to global growth to stand at over a third this year Pub Date:23-04-23 08:49 Source:Xinhua An official from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that China's contribution to global economic growth will stand at over one-third this year. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service Editor:Zheng Chen Related News Foreign investment remains stable in Q1 GLOBALink | Good start to Chinese economy ... Europe profits from China's recovery Economic Watch: China's high-quality devel... BURLINGTON John Davies is still waiting for the future to catch up with him. The Burlington homeowner was ahead of his time in 2009 when he installed a solar energy system in his front yard, generating enough electricity to power his entire house. Not only does Davies not receive an electric bill most months, the utility company often sends him money, because he produces more electricity than he can use. Few people in Burlington had converted to solar energy when Davies unveiled his sunshine-absorbing panels on Conkey Street. Nearly 15 years later, not many have followed the 60-year-old retiree down that environmentally friendly path. But alternative energy proponents say solar finally is building momentum in Wisconsin, as the rate of homeowner conversions has tripled in recent years, now at about 2,300 homes annually. Davies feels satisfaction in knowing that he has done his part, not only to help the environment but also to demonstrate the potential for solar-powered houses in Racine County. Im happy that I did it, he said. People have got to see it to see that its real. How the cost of solar panels has fallen How the cost of solar panels has fallen Solar panel shipments have grown significantly in the last 15 years Lower prices have followed that growth Falling prices made solar a competitive electricity source with fossil fuels Neighbors on Conkey Street have grown accustomed to the solar energy system standing about 15 feet tall on Davies front lawn. Situated at the corner of Conkey and Reynolds Avenue, the house is in a residential area just south of Downtown Burlington. Bill Rysdam, who lives across the street, said plenty of people in the neighborhood talk about the solar panels. But there is no complaining, he said, especially not after so many years. Rysdam said he even has considered going solar himself, although at age 84, he is not ready for such a lifestyle change. Im too stubborn and mule-headed, he said. But I think its a great thing. Solar-powered houses collect solar energy with their outdoor displays, or arrays, and they generate electricity that goes to the power grid operated by utility companies, including Milwaukee-based We Energies. The utility company then credits homeowners for whatever energy they produce, and adjusts their their monthly electric bills accordingly. Renew Wisconsin, a nonprofit group promoting alternative energy, estimates that 15,000 homeowners statewide have gone solar, generating a combined 90 million watts of electricity by harnessing the natural energy of the sun. Sam Dunaiski, executive director of Renew Wisconsin, said federal tax credits approved by the Biden administration currently pay about 30% of a homeowners upfront cost of installing solar panels. The climate for promoting solar in Wisconsin, Dunaiski said, could be improved further with state legislative and regulatory changes, such as allowing homeowners to lease their systems rather than purchase. We would just like to see that situation remedied, he said. Davies, who grew up in Burlington and graduated from Burlington High School in 1980, became fascinated with solar power in college. After purchasing his house at 356 Conkey St. in 2007, he decided to take the plunge. He spent $25,000, of which half was refunded to him through government incentives that existed at the time. Burlington city officials approved the solar house possibly the citys first, according to Davies but they required Davies and his contractor to erect solar panels on the ground rather than on the roof. City officials at the time seemed uncertain about the concept of residential solar power, Davies said. They were dumbfounded, he said. The solar array planted in his front yard includes 12 individual panels, each capable of generating 200 watts of electricity. Mounted on a heavy pole, the apparatus rotates so it always is facing toward the sun. The combined 2,400 watts is enough on many days to power Davies entire two-story house, where he lives alone. The retired industrial electrician from the Nestle chocolate plant in Burlington calculates that he has saved about $5,000 in unpaid electric bills over the years. With surplus electricity sold to We Energies, he receives credits ranging from $10 to $45 a month. We Energies spokesman Brendan Conway said the number of new residential solar connections annually in the companys service region has jumped from 200 to more than 1,000 in the past five years. Conway also said We Energies pays more than any other utility in the state when it comes to rebating customers for solar power sent to the grid. The interest in solar is growing, he said. And we are supportive of these projects. Solar arrays on the market today are more powerful and efficient than what Davies bought in 2009, and they cost about one-fourth what he paid. Looking around his neighborhood, Davies admits to being disappointed that more neighbors have not joined him with solar-powered houses. If Wisconsin permitted leasing solar arrays like Illinois does, he said, there probably would be solar panels on every roof around. Davies cited government and industry opposition for slowing the growth of solar energy, in part because of apprehension that leased systems take more effort to implement. It gets more complicated, he said. So its complicated? Its better for the environment. The states producing the most solar energy States Producing the Most Solar Energy The use of solar power continues to grow rapidly in the US Renewables still lag behind natural gas coal and nuclear California leads the US in solar energy production 15. South Carolina 14. Virginia 13. Massachusetts 12. New Jersey 11. Colorado 10. Minnesota 9. New Mexico 8. Georgia 7. Utah 6. Florida 5. Texas 4. Nevada 3. Arizona 2. North Carolina 1. California BURLINGTON When dealing with stress, Trinity Ludford journals. Writing helps clear her mind, clarify the source of her stress and how to deal with it. Its generally being like, This is what happened, these are the problems, this is how its going to affect me, and this is what I should do to move on, said Ludford, a Burlington High School senior. You will understand yourself so much better and, in my experience, its given me so much confidence in how I will deal with stressful moments. One thing Ludford recently understood was that Burlington High School counselors think highly of her, since they nominated Ludford for a Herb Kohl Educational Foundation scholarship. Their regard for Ludford was proven correct when she was recently named a Kohl Foundation Student Initiative Scholar and awarded $10,000 to put toward college. Ludford cried when she found out. To get that scholarship was amazing, because now I dont really have to worry about the finances for my first year of college, Ludford said. Its such a big relief. Kristen Schiappacasse, Burlington High School counselor, said the BHS student services team nominated Ludford because the scholarship would support Trinity in pursuing her goals. Ludford plans to attend Roosevelt University in Chicago. She was born in Burlington and currently lives in Kansasville so expects college to be a huge culture shock but is looking forward to it. I love that area (of Chicago), Ludford said. Theres a lot of business opportunities. Theres a lot of different cultures that mesh. Its a lot different than Burlington, so I wanted to experience that. Schiappacasse met Ludford in August and said she has ambition, persistence and drive. Ludford wants to do something she finds meaningful, Schiappacasse wrote in an email. She has a clear vision for what she wants after high school in terms of a post-secondary learning environment. She sets high goals for herself and wants to take in as much information as possible from the world around her. Ludford, who took six Advanced Placement classes last fall, plans to study economics and eventually be a teacher. She has always enjoyed teaching, beginning in eighth grade when she helped her friends learn math. She continued tutoring in high school. Teaching is my favorite thing to do, just because its amazing to see people adapt and learn and understand things, Ludford said. When it clicks, its beautiful. She also wants to become a teacher because shes fascinated by the different ways people learn, something that was made clear during the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person classes were disrupted. That changed my entire framework of teaching, Ludford said. I think its always been a battle the entire four years of how I learn and how other people learn and how the teacher teaches. Balancing that is very fascinating. Its exactly why I want to become a teacher. Ludfords interest in economics began with a class she took as a high school junior. The subject came intuitively to her, and she was intrigued by the role of economics in American history. It made things make more sense in terms of economic incentives, Ludford said. Thats something that is very heavy in decisions in politics, but its not the primary thing that we talk about in terms of history I think it is something that is a really great frame of reference. Community service has also become an important part of Ludfords life, starting with 4-H a few years ago. On days when Ludford volunteers, even if she didnt accomplish everything she wanted to, at least I can pride myself on being able to get out there and go serve the community a little bit, she said. One memorable volunteer occasion was at an elderly Bingo night, and Ludford loved listening to the players banter. The bickering back and forth is fantastic, Ludford said. Theyre just so sassy. Ludford is also a student representative on the Burlington Common Council, which she called an excellent learning opportunity. When not studying or volunteering, she plays upright bass and bass guitar in the school orchestra. Ludford also participates in show choir and fondly recalled a competition her junior year when the group qualified for state. Ludford hadnt slept in multiple days and was running on nerves, adrenaline and too much caffeine. She was shaking on the bus ride back to Burlington but called it a memorable evening. It was just a fantastic night with how on edge everyone was and just scraping by by our teeth, Ludford said. It was one of the best nights I think weve ever had. Her adoration for music began in childhood, and she said artists like Charles Mingus and Kendrick Lamar have always provided refuge. I used music a lot to get out of my own head, Ludford said. It was my escape from having stresses going on in my life when I was young, so I think that was my first coping mechanism. Journaling is a newer way to cope with stress. Writing has helped Ludford understand herself, and the Kohl scholarship should aid in that journey in the years ahead. Kids learn to pump up the jams at library's musical exercise program, in photos Landon Kreiter, 2, gets moving at musical exercise program for kids at Burlington library Angelina Sikiaridi, 3, joins the fun in Burlington library musical exercise program for kids Breeyn Cranley leads a musical exercise program for preschoolers at Burlington library Everett Kreiter, 2, exercises at Get Moving program for kids at Burlington library WATERFORD School districts across Racine County are collaborating with the Aging and Disability Resource Center to host the Racine County Special Needs Resource Fair from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, at Waterford Union High School, 100 Field Drive, door 19. The resource fair provides information to families, caregivers and educators who either have or work with anyone with a physical, cognitive, social, emotional, learning, developmental or behavioral disability. More than 70 agencies will be available to connect individuals with local disability services and resources, including financial resources, community-based therapies, respite opportunities, recreational ideas, job training and living arrangements. In addition to having an opportunity to ask questions, attendees can enter a door prize drawing, receive a free tote and have ice cream and refreshments. The fair will have a K9 unit and fire truck on site. Waterford Union High Schools Best Buddies group will offer child care during the first hour. A Spanish-speaking interpreter will be available. A list of the exhibitors is available at bit.ly/specialneedsresourcefair. The U.S. Supreme Court needs to do a better job of policing itself. The recent reports by Pro Publica detailing how Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni, have gone on swanky vacations paid for by GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, a Dallas businessman, for the past 20 years, underscore the need for the high court to adopt a code of conduct. Thomas defended his lack of reporting those trips on Crows super-yacht, planes and resorts, saying in a statement, Early in my tenure at the court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends who did not have business before the court, was not reportable. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with disclosure guidelines. We dont know who Thomas consulted, but were not talking about a friendly invitation to a down-home Texas barbecue. Were talking about multiple trips across the globe over the years to New Zealand, Indonesia, California, Texas and Georgia. Pro Publica put the cost of a 2019 trip to Indonesia alone at $500,000. Crow, for his part, defended his actions, saying they were no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends. Justice Thomas and Ginni never asked for any of this hospitality, he said, adding that we have never asked about a pending or lower court case and Justice Thomas has never discussed one. That may well be true and despite calls for Thomas resignation, a Senate investigation or his impeachment, which is highly unlikely we doubt those measures would come up with anything given the high courts ambiguous or non-existent standards. The only thing that might be actionable in the Thomas-Crow relationship might be Thomas sale of his Savannah, Georgia home to Crow in 2014 for $133,363. Thomas mother still lives in the home and Crow apparently plans on refurbishing it as a tribute to the career of Thomas. That sale was not reported as required by law, but Thomas has said he will amend his filings to reflect that. We can do without the hysterics of a Senate hearing or a go-nowhere impeachment effort. What is needed here is for the high court lead by Chief Justice John Roberts to adopt a code of conduct and ethics guide that clearly lays out the guidelines for comportment by Supreme Court justices. A half-step was taken toward that goal recently when the federal judiciarys policy-making body quietly adjusted its interpretation of what justices are required to disclose as part of their gifts and hospitality transparency obligations. Those changes require justice to disclose personal hospitality when it is subsidized by third parties and that would appear to apply to Thomas stays at a Crow Adirondack resort, because it is owned by Crows company, according to a CNN report. But much remains ambiguous. The U.S, Supreme Court has considered setting its own code of conduct for years, but it has been on the back burner despite calls from bar associations and public watchdog agencies to move ahead. Perhaps the Thomas imbroglio will give Chief Justice Roberts the needed push to move ahead. They could start with the conduct codes already in place for lower court judges. It should include standards for transparency, prohibited conduct, divestment and other disclosure and, yes, a mechanism for recusal, which is currently at the sole discretion of each justice. Those are the measures that are needed to restore public confidence in the Supreme Court and the comportment of its justices. They are long overdue. The lack of action by the court to police itself has likely contributed to the decline in the publics trust in the high court. According to the New York Times, in 2002, 50 percent of U.S. adults said they had a lot of confidence in the Supreme Court. Last year, according to the Gallup poll, that trust diminished to 25 percent, making the court less trusted than organized religion, organized labor or public schools. The court and not Congress should reassert its commitment to high ethical and conduct standards if it expects to have the public trust. 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 View Results *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. *Advocating a new path to security featuring dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance, and win-win over zero-sum, the Global Security Initiative has so far elicited a positive traction from more than 80 countries and regional organizations. *Security is a precondition for development, while development is a master key to addressing major problems. 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." (Video reporters: Jiang Xuelan, Nie Xiaoyang, Wang Feng, Wang Huan, Ali Jaswal; Video editors:Liang Wanshan, Li Qin, Huang Aiping, Zhang Yucheng, Zhang Qiru) After recently spending 45 minutes looking for parking at the Philadelphia International Airport, Diana Smith took to Twitter. Tagging the airport's account, she relayed her experience, writing in part, "I know renovations are coming but parking needs some solutions." Smith, 55, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, has found social media to be the most efficient way to get problems resolved, connect with customer service representatives, and provide feedback. "I'm looking to get their attention, and have my matter resolved quickly," she said. "And have them know how I feel quickly." An increasing number of people are using social media to air their complaints, sometimes with the motivation to get "revenge" on a company, organization, or agency, according to a national study of consumer behavior. Customer problems with goods and services are at an all-time high, doubling since 2020. Problems with government agencies, such as the DMV, IRS, and transit authorities, have increased the most, tripling since 2020, according to the National Customer Rage Survey, an independent survey of 1,000 people across the country. About half of those surveyed used social media, an online chat, or email to complain, compared to 5% just three years ago, and those digital options have overtaken the telephone as the primary complaint channel since early 2020, the last time the survey was conducted. And not everyone is as nice as Smith: The percentage of people who said that they wanted "revenge" tripled to 9% since 2020, the survey found. One vengeful behavior could be "social media shaming," said Scott Broetzmann, president and CEO of Alexandria, Virginia-based Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, which conducts the Rage Survey with the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. "The motivation for a lot of the postings aren't necessarily built around the negative emotion of revenge," he said. Sometimes, customers simply "wanted to alert other people, so other people don't have the same bad experience." Generational divides For some millennials and Gen Z-ers, posting about a negative experience may simply be a product of habit, said Evan Urbania, CEO of Chatterblast, a Philadelphia-based digital communications agency. If Urbania, for example, got a cold burger at a chain restaurant, the 43-year-old said he'd most likely "forgive them and move on." "Some digital natives are more likely to post a picture of a sad face, tag the burger, tag the account," he added. And when some companies outsource or completely digitize customer service, or make it more difficult to reach a human on the phone, older generations also get ticked off. They may be more on edge when they do reach a person, Urbania said, or go to social media when they've reached their last straw. "I will reserve social media for a last resort," said Roy Kessel, 58, of Chicago, who took to Twitter earlier this year after a negative experience at a Philadelphia hotel. "That's not my first step. ... That's the point where I've spent an hour on this and I've gotten no response." Changing customer service Companies and agencies are juggling the best way to move forward. Customers who complain digitally are generally more satisfied than those who call on the phone, according to the Rage Survey, and digital customer service is cheaper for companies than staffing a call center, Broetzmann said. Yet, people also want empathy, an unscripted answer to their problems, and the ability to vent their anger, according to the survey, and those are three things that are difficult to get through a screen. "It's challenging for many companies and for consumers to figure out how to create authentic experiences of service in a digital environment," Broetzmann said. For the first time in 20 years, the most recent Rage Survey also measured customer "uncivility," which it defines as "the phenomenon of rude, discourteous and disrespectful customer behavior stemming from socio-political conflicts between customers and companies/organizations." The importance of being heard Smith, the Collegeville woman, first used social media for customer service about five years ago. Her washing machine, which was under warranty, needed to be repaired, she said, but she couldn't get in touch with anyone at the national company from which she bought it. "People on the phone, people on email, no one was getting back to me. I tweeted, and they got right back to me," Smith said. "My issue that had taken a month was resolved in a week." Two-thirds of consumers won't buy from a company with misaligned valuesand other customer behavior trends Two-thirds of consumers won't buy from a company with misaligned valuesand other customer behavior trends People are looking for experiencesnot just purchases Consumers seek a unified, or 'omnichannel,' experience The main reasons people switch brands are better deals and quality of product or service Environmental practices are gaining importance Hyper-personalization is essential AI offers an essential bridge between brands and buyers Buyers want to feel like there's a human they can reach with questions Three years after four new owners bought and began renovating the historic Hotel Fortney at 100 N. Main St. in downtown Viroqua, it will reopen as a hotel on Thursday with its 14 new boutique guest rooms that replaced 41 much smaller rooms on the buildings second and third floors. Brian and Amy Wrobel and his parents, Larry and Sue Wrobel, all of Stoddard, bought the building in January 2020 and began renovating it in April 2020. The Wrobels opened The Historic Fortney Lounge in June 2021 in part of the renovated first floor, where several businesses also have located. The lounge soon will be renamed The Hotel Fortney Lounge and will expand its hours starting May 2 to 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Food from the nearby Driftless Cafe and the nearby Noble Rind Cheese Co. cheese shop and deli can be ordered in the lounge. The three-story hotel was built in 1899 by Toger and Hannah Fortney, with a grand staircase near the lobby leading to guest rooms on the second and third floor. In the last phase of the hotels renovation, the second and third floors were gutted and 14 boutique guest rooms were created where the 41 old rooms had been. A guest lounge was built on the third floor and an outdoor gear room was created on the second floor with such amenities as a fly-tying station and a station for working on bicycles. The wooden grand staircase has been refinished. Hanging near it on the first floor is a recently restored neon Fortney Hotel sign that apparently dates back to the 1920s and was found in the basement. The buildings many windows were replaced as part of the restoration. The restoration project will be completed once an elevator is installed near the staircase. Hopefully by July 1 thats up and running, Brian said. Until then, guests will walk up the grand staircase to get to their rooms, as they always did in the past. The hotel has begun taking reservations. For more information, call 608-638-3100 or visit www.hotelfortney.com or Facebook. Scooters Coffee franchisee Northern Grounds, LLC, has asked the City of La Crosse for an exception to minimum height standards so it can build a Scooters drive-thru at 224 La Crosse St., near the Hampton Inn & Suites hotel in downtown La Crosse. It would be Northern Grounds third area Scooters location. It opened a drive-thru in June 2022 in Onalaska. And a larger Scooters that will have a drive-thru as well as inside and outside seating is expected to open sometime in May at Hale Drive and Holmen Drive in Holmen, Zach Mueller, a partner in Northern Grounds, told me last week The city of La Crosse normally would require a minimum of two stories for construction of a new building at the proposed downtown site. But Northern Grounds application for an exception says that isnt feasible for its proposed drive-thru. If everything goes smoothly, and the city graciously grants us all required approvals, we would hope to be starting construction by late summer or early fall and be open before the end of 2023, Mueller told me. The proposed drive-thru would have outdoor patio seating, but no inside seating. The City Plan Commission will consider Northern Grounds application on May 1, the common councils Judiciary & Administration Committee will hold a public hearing on it May 2 and the La Crosse Common Council will take final action May 11. The new Five Guys restaurant at 3025 S. Kinney Coulee Road in Onalaska will open tomorrow Monday, April 24 its general manager, Nick Hotchkiss, told me last week. Its opening was originally scheduled for April 17, but was postponed so additional employees could be hired, Hotchkiss said. The restaurant will open with about 50 employees. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. For more information, call 608-519-0748 or visit the restaurants Facebook page. Kelly Sunday and Tes Kirschbaum opened their new Bean & Baum Handmade store on April 8 at 732 Rose St. in La Crosse. The two friends make all-natural body care products and started their business in February 2022, selling on their Etsy page. They also sell their products at events such as the Spring Market on the Mississippi set for May 5 and 6 at Maple Grove Venues near West Salem; and the next Great River Makers Market set for June 3 at the La Crescent Area Event Center in La Crescent. We have a lot of local customers and its convenient for them, Sunday said of the decision to open their new retail store. And we thought this could help the North Side of La Crosse. Kirschbaum said she and Sunday also plan to host pop-up shop events by others. Some of Bean & Baums biggest sellers are bath cheese wedges, which are soaps shaped like wedges of Swiss cheese; whipped body butter and clay earrings. The new stores grand opening celebration will be on June 10. Regular store hours are 4:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, by appointment Tuesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. We may have pop-ups on days outside of these regular hours and they will be advertised on our social media, Kirschbaum said. For more information, visit www.etsy.com/shop/BeanandBaum or Facebook, or email beanandbaumhandmade@gmail.com. DBS Group plans to break ground Thursday for its new headquarters at 200 French Road in Onalaska. And it plans to move into the new building in November. DBS, now at 2700 National Drive in Onalaska, is a design-build construction company that says its grown rapidly since its founding in 2015. It now has 36 team members and has a second office, in Rochester, Minn. The new 6,300-square-foot Onalaska building will house private offices, design studio space and collaboration spaces, including a conference room that DBS will make available for use by local nonprofit and community groups. Weve been fortunate to find talented and committed professionals to join our team, said Chris Walters, president and CEO. Its a group that has attracted more great clients and projects, fueling continuing business growth and furthering the need for additional staff. For more information, visit www.dbsg.com or Facebook. Steves Small Engine at 3425 Mormon Coulee Road will be open by appointment only until it closes permanently this spring, according to a sign posted near its entrance. We dont have a (closing) date yet, a spokesman for the business told me last week. He declined to comment on why the business is closing. Steves Small Engine has been selling and servicing lawn equipment with small engines, such as lawn mowers and snow blowers. But it announced Feb. 25 on its Facebook page that it is closing and is no longer taking in service work or selling parts. The company has done business as Steves Small Engine since 2003, initially at 1211 Travis St. and since 2008 at its current location. For more information, call 608-788-3232 or visit www.stevessmallengine.com or the stores Facebook page. Places of the past: 30 La Crosse area restaurants you'll never eat at again (part two) Edwardo's Embers Restaurant Cheddar 'n Ale Mai-Tai Supper Club Winchell's Donut House Taco Bell 1976: New Villa Mr. D's Donuts 1975: Bodega Lunch Club McDonald's Taco John's Taco Village Ponderosa Steak House Shakey's Pizza Fireside Restaurant 1972: Hoffman House Restaurant 1972: Louie Bantle's Restaurant Royale Pie Shop Chicago Beef & Etc. 1971: Kewpee Lunch Bridgeman's Ice Cream 1965: Dog House Restaurant Swiss Chateau Henry's Drive-In 1954: Triangle Cafe 1952: Harmony Cafe South Avenue Cafeteria The Penguin Drive-In TGI Fridays Fat Porcupine Burger Fusion A woman holds an umbrella to shelter from the sun Saturday in Bangkok, Thailand. Authorities warned residents across the country to avoid outdoor activities due to extreme heat over the weekend. The highest temperature Saturday was in the northern province of Phetchabun at 109 Fahrenheit, but the highest heat index which measures what the temperature feels like due to humidity was forecast to be 129 in the eastern province of Chonburi. "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 also should be wary of sudden summer storms until at least this coming week, the Meteorological Department said. Spacious Farm house with 7 bedrooms on almost 30 acres. Enjoy the wide open spaces from your porch. The main floor offers a primary bedroom, huge living room, open concept kitchen with dining and sitting area. Bring your idea to this Amish style home with no modern utilities. The land offers tillable acres, fenced pastures, two large barns to build your self-sustainable lifestyle. Convert the garage back into two car parking or use it as a workshop. Close to schools, groceries and Bangor amenities. Less than 30 mins to Onalaska/La Crosse. The possibilities are endless at the end of Antal Road. Must see to appreciate, schedule your showing today! The economics of child care do not work. Parents cannot afford its high cost; yet, we struggle to find child care providers and get people into the profession. Something has got to give, because this is unsustainable for Wisconsin families. Accessible, affordable child care is a bridge to a higher quality of life. Unfortunately, many residents of western Wisconsin live in child care deserts. To access child care, they may be forced to drive great distances, while in some cases, they may have no access at all. This puts a significant strain on working families, as it limits both employment and educational opportunities. Wisconsinites know this is more than just a child care crisis, its also a workforce crisis. Too many people, especially women, are not in the workforce or work reduced hours due to child care concerns. Other hidden costs that businesses face include job recruitment, retention and productivity. Its hard for a worker to focus exclusively on their work if they are concerned about their childs well-being. As businesses struggle to find employees, we need to do everything we can to help parents enter and stay in the workforce. Even 20 years ago the cost of child care was high with my wife and I paying over $1,000 a month for our two kids. Sadly, the cost has only risen since then. As a state, we can do something to help our working families. I support permanently establishing the Child Care Counts Program in this years state budget, which will continue to provide financial stability for Wisconsin child care providers. Child Care Counts ensures providers can keep the lights on, pay their employees, and manage the overall cost of child care for families. This program has kept many of our child care providers alive since the start of COVID, but without it, many of these child care programs would be forced to close their doors. Without Child Care Counts, as many as 25% of child care providers in Wisconsin have said they would close permanently and 60% would be forced to raise tuition, increasing the already high financial burden for working families. At a time when our businesses are struggling to find workers, this is a commonsense policy that should receive bipartisan support. This policy is good for our kids and good for our economy, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach to solve the child care crisis. Every family and community is unique. I understand that its going to take a collaborative approach that recognizes each community may have different child care needs to address. Im proud to support child care in the Driftless Region, and will continue to seek solutions to make it more accessible and affordable. ATLANTA Michael Crowder stood nervously at the front of his third grade class room, his yellow polo shirt buttoned to the top. "Give us some vowels," said his teacher, La'Neeka Gilbert-Jackson. His eyes searched a chart, but he didn't land on an answer. "Let's help him out," Gilbert-Jackson said. "A-E-I-O-U," the class said in unison. Michael missed most of first grade, the foundational year for learning to read. It was the first fall of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for months Atlanta only offered school online. Michael's mom had just had a baby, and there was no quiet place in their small apartment. He missed part of second grade, too. So, like most of his classmates at his Atlanta school, he isn't reading at the level expected for a third grader. That poses an urgent problem. Third grade is the last chance for Michael and his classmates to master reading before they face more rigorous expectations. If the students don't read fluently by the time this school year ends, research shows they're less likely to complete high school. Pandemic fuelled school interruptions raised the stakes: Nationally, third graders lost more ground in reading than kids in older grades. To address learning loss, Atlanta has been one of the only cities in the country to add class time: 30 minutes a day for three years. Gilbert-Jackson hopes it will be enough. She has raced to prepare her students for future classes, where reading well is a gateway to everything else. "Yes, I work you hard," she says about her students. "Because we have too much to learn." Before December vacation, the class was subdued and visibly tired but Gilbert-Jackson moved on with her lessons. She reviewed suffixes, how to spell words ending in -ch, -tch, and how to make words plural. Some students had spellings memorized; for those who don't, Gilbert-Jackson explained the rules. It's a phonics-based program the district now mandates for all third graders, in line with science-backed curricula gaining momentum across the country. It can be dry and tedious, replete with obscure jargon like "digraph" and "trigraph." The strong readers nodded and responded, but the students still learning the basics looked lost. To inject fun into the lesson, Gilbert-Jackson turned it into a quiz game. "Teach," Gilbert-Jackson called out. "How do you spell teach?" Students chose between "teach" and "teatch." Only half got it right. As the first semester drew to a close, 14 of Gilbert-Jackson's 19 students weren't meeting expectations for reading. That included Michael. Gilbert-Jackson has an important advantage: She taught most of her students in first grade and second grade, and followed them to third. She knows how much school many of them missed and why. The strategy was adopted by Boyd Elementary to give students consistency through the crisis. The long-term connection or perhaps just the continuity of attending school daily helped Michael start reading. At the end of first grade he knew two of the so-called "sight words" "a" and "the." By that point, first graders were expected to have memorized 200 of these high-frequency words. Now, midway through third grade, he is reading like a mid-year first grader. It's progress, Gilbert-Jackson says. "I see a change in him," says Michael's stepfather, Rico Morton. "I feel like he has the potential to be someone." Gilbert-Jackson believes some parents were doing work for their children when school was online. On paper, Atlanta' policy is to promote elementary school students who "master" reading, math and other subjects. How often the district, which did not respond to requests for data, holds students back is unclear. Atlanta students can attend four weeks of summer school, but that likely won't be enough to catch them up. Gilbert-Jackson started reaching out to students' parents to talk about how their children were progressing. The parents of some struggling readers don't return her calls. One day in late February, Gilbert-Jackson asked her students to revise a narrative they'd each been writing about a glowing rock. One new student, a boy with a 100-watt smile, had transferred from another school. Instead of taking out his narrative, he chose a book from the class library and started writing. He presented his notebook to Keione Vance, the teacher's assistant. "I know you just copied it," she said. She asked him to read to her. He started on the book aimed at a first grade reading level, but struggled with words: nice, true, voice, sure, might, outside and because. When he arrived in November, it appeared he needed "to learn everything from first, second and third grade," Gilbert-Jackson said. She worries she isn't serving her new students as well as she'd like. "This train has been running for three years," she said. "I can't start over." She and the other third grade teachers were so concerned about their students' reading and math skills, they decided after Christmas break to cut back on social studies and science. Now only seven of the 19 students are below grade level in reading. Of those still behind, Gilbert-Jackson is the least worried about one: Michael Crowder. She's confident he'll find a way to navigate the new world ahead of him. "He wants it," she says. "He'll catch up." MATAMOROS, Mexico - About two dozen makeshift tents were set ablaze and destroyed at a migrant camp across the border from Texas last 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. A government official suggested the fires could have been set by a group of migrants frustrated over their long wait to cross the border. "The people fled as their tents were burned," said Gladys Cafias, who runs the group Ayudandoles A Triunfar. "What they're saying as part of their testimony is that they were told to leave from there." There were no reports of deaths or significant injuries. 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 belongings left inside. Margarita, a Mexican woman staying at the camp, said Friday she saw migrants from Venezuela screaming during the previous day's blaze. "They had their children with them and a few other things they had a chance to get," she said, speaking on the condition that her last name not be published due to fears for her safety. Criminal groups often prey upon migrants in the area and demand money in return for permission to pass through their territory. Gangs recently threatened migrants wading across the river border illegally, as well as their guides, Margarita said, but the crossings continued. 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 were 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. LOS ANGELES The U.S. is setting a record pace for mass killings in 023,playing the horror on a loop roughly once a week so far this year. The carnage has taken 88 lives in 17mass killings over 111 days. Each time, the killers wielded firearms. Children at a Nashville grade school, gunned down on an ordinary Monday. Farm workers in Northern California, sprayed with bullets over a work place grudge. Dancers at a ballroom outside Los Angeles, massacred as they celebrated the Lunar New Year. In just the last week, four partygoers were slain and 32 injured in Dadeville, Alabama, when bullets rained down on a Sweet 16 celebration. And a man just released from prison fatally shot four people, including his parents, in Bowdoin, Maine, before opening fire on motorists traveling a busy interstate highway. "Nobody should be shocked," said Fred Guttenberg,whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was one of 17 people killed at a Parkland, Florida, high school in 2018."I visit my daughter in a cemetery. Outrage doesn't begin to describe how I feel." The Parkland victims are amongthe2,842peoplewho have died in mass killings in the U.S. since 2006,according to a data base maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today, in partnership with North eastern University. It counts killings involving four or more fatalities, not including the perpetrator, the same standard as the FBI,and tracks a number of variables for each. The bloodshed represents just a fraction of the fatal violence that occurs in the U.S. annually. Yet mass killings are happening with staggering frequency this year: An average of once every 6.53 days, according to an analysis of The AP/USA Today data. Only 2009 was marked by as many such tragedies in the same period of time. From coast to coast, the violence is sparked by a range of motives. Murder-suicides and domestic violence; gang retaliation; school shootings and work place vendettas. All have taken the lives of four or more people at on cosine Jan. 1. Yet the violence continues and barriers to change remain. The likelihood of Congress reinstating a ban on semi-automatic rifles appears far off, and the U.S. Supreme Court last year set new standards for reviewing the nation's gun laws,calling into question firearms restrictions across the country. The pace of mass shootings so far this year doesn't necessarily foretell a new annual record. In 2009, the bloodshed slowed and the year finished with a final count of 32 mas skilling's and 172 fatalities. Those figures just barely exceed the averages of 31.1 mass killings and 162 victims a year, according to an analysis of data dating back to 2006. Gruesome records have been set within the last decade. The data shows a high of 45 mass killings in 2019and230people slain in such tragedies in 2017.That year,60people died when a gun man opened fire over an outdoor country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. The massacre still accounts for the most fatalities from a mass shooting in modern America. "Here's the reality: If somebody is determined to commit mass violence, they're going to," said Jaclyn Schildkraut, executive director of the Rockefeller Institute of Government's Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium."And it's our role as society to try and put up obstacles and barriers to make that more difficult." But there's little indication at either the state or federal levelwith a handful of exceptions that many major policy changes are on the horizon. Some states have tried to impose more gun control within their own borders. Last week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a new law man dating criminal background checks to purchase rifles and shotguns, whereas the state previously required them only for people buying pistols. And on Wednesday, a ban on dozens of types of semi-automatic rifles cleared the Washington state Legislature and is headed to the governor's desk. Other states are experiencing a new round of pressure. In conservative Tennessee, protesters descended on the state Capitol to demand more gun regulation after six people were killed at the Nashville private elementary school last month. At the federal level, President Joe Biden last year signed a milestone gun violence bill, toughening background checks for the youngest gun buyers, keeping firearms from more domestic violence offenders and helping states use red flag laws that enable police to ask courts to take guns from people who show signs they could turn violent. Despite the blaring headlines,mass killings are statistically rare, perpetrated by just a handful of people each year in a country of nearly 335 million. And there's no way to predict whether this year's events will continue attic rate. Sometimes mass killings happen back-to-back like in January, when deadly events in northern and southern California occurred just two days apart while other months pass without bloodshed. "We shouldn't necessarily expect that thisone mass killing every less than seven days will continue," said North eastern University criminologist James Alan Fox."Hopefully it won't." Still, experts and advocates decry the proliferation of guns in the U.S. in recent years, including record sales during the height of the pandemic. "We have to know that this isn't the way to live," said John Fein latt, president of Every town for Gun Safety."We don't have to live this way. And we cannot live in a country with an agenda of guns everywhere, every place and every time." The National Rifle Association did not respond to the AP's request for comment. Jaime Guttenberg would be 19 years old now. Her father now spends his days as a gun control activist. "America shouldn't be surprised by where we are today," Guttenberg said. "It's all in the numbers. The numbers don't lie. But we need to do something immediately to ix it." Fenn reported from New York. Top Russian Diplomat Warns That Arms Race in Missile Technologies Is Getting Out of Hand April 22, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Grigory Mashkov, Ambassador at Large for the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned in an article in the Russian journal International Affairs, that the arms race in missile technologies is getting out of hand. In fact, we are witnessing a missile arms race whose consequences are unpredictable. Tens of billions of dollars are being invested in upgrading missile technologies. This process is growing uncontrollable, he wrote, reported TASS. The situation with missile risks and threats to national security is going from bad to worse, he stressed. Mashkov then listed all of the arms control treaties that the U.S. has pulled out of, adding that New START, which expires in 2026, is on the verge of collapse. Mashkov reported that, with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty long dead, Russia is considering revising its position on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles on its western borders, to permit such deployments. He argued that Russia should build up its tactical potential and stockpile missile weapons in advance, including in the exclave of Kaliningrad, in order to effectively respond to any challenges. Mashkov pointed out the need to analyze the threats emerging from the Western direction and develop ways to counter them. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had already said, back on April 3, that the collective West had already resorted to preventive use of its armed forces, making it necessary for Russia to adopt the same policy for its use. Mashkov stressed the importance of dialogue, if possible, to address the problem. Whatever the situation in the missile field, there is a need to make preparations to launch a dialogue mechanism on the United Nations platform to discuss the entire range of missile issues. Such a proposal could be sent to the UN secretary general, and we also could highlight our readiness to take a leading role in the process, the diplomat pointed out. According to him, the discussion may get a boost from a draft resolution on missiles in all their aspects, which could be submitted to the UN General Assembly First Committee. But Russia must also be prepared for the likelihood that New START will expire. Its quite possible that after New START expires in February 2026, a vacuum will be created in the field of international legal tools to maintain strategic stability in the long term, Mashkov said. This is why it seems crucial to preserve the existing missile capabilities and in practical terms, to explore the idea of enhancing New START by creating a single integrated national missile defense system to counter threats from the outside. The previous formula of strategic stability, which was based on the bipolar nuclear missile parity, has exhausted and even discredited itself because it allowed Western countries to strengthen their positions on other tracks and expand their zones of influence without facing any serious consequences for a long time, Mashkov emphasized. Reducing strategic offensive arms without taking into account the joint missile capabilities of the Euro-Atlantic alliance and some Asian countries is counterproductive. Mashkov highlighted the need to take into consideration other aspects of strategic stability, including new weapons, imbalances in terms with conventional arms and the military space industry, as well as legal obligations to recognize a common and indivisible security space and the need to prevent attempts to strengthen ones security at the expense of others. The opportunities for talks and mutually acceptable solutions are shrinking amid turbulence and aggressive confrontation on the international stage, and the lack of trust, he concluded. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL SUNDAY APRIL 23, 2023 Diane Sare for Senate Hosts Town Hall on Putting Away Childish Things: America In a World Without War April 22, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Today, the Sare for Senate campaign organized a live town hall meeting in New York City, both in-person and via Zoom, titled, Putting Away Childish Things: America in a World Without War. The event drew some 120 people from New York and other states, along with around 90 online participants. The gathering brought together diverse political voices that collectively called for the United States to return to its anti-colonialist philosophical roots and commit to building a community of sovereign nations, in the spirit of John Quincy Adams, Franklin Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. The program for the event stated that the participation of the speakers did not constitute an endorsement by them of her Senatorial campaign. Tara Reade, a former junior staffer for Joe Bidens Senate office, introduced and moderated the event. She cited the controversial FBI raid and arrest of Uhuru Movement members in St. Petersburg, Florida, whom the Justice Department has charged with having sowing discord and spreading Russian propaganda as setting a dangerous precedent for anti-war activists. Reade also acknowledged the Schiller Institutes essential role in fostering a global peace movement. Schiller Institute founder and chairwoman Helga Zepp-LaRouche, in her keynote, highlighted the necessity of introducing her Ten Principles for a New International Security and Development Architecture into the global dialogue. Though her first seven principles may be considered obvious and programmatic, she said, the last three, which focus on the philosophical foundations of a world security and development architecture, are crucial ideas for citizens across the world to realize in order to avert the extinction of the human species, whether through nuclear war or financial breakdown. She emphasized the role of the Global South in turning away from neocolonialism and creating an alternative non-dollar-based financial system, which idea has enraged many of the lunatics in the trans-Atlantic. In order for the United States to avert a potential nuclear showdown with Russia and China, Zepp-LaRouche emphasized, citizens must demand that their leaders join the new paradigm, represented emphatically by Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. The rest of the panel featured significant and exciting speakers, including Janice Kortkamp, a journalist who reported her experience in Syria; Steven Starr, a nuclear weapons expert who gave a glimpse of a theoretical nuclear conflict between the U.S. and Russia, noting that the potential now is even higher than it was in the 1980s; Dennis Speed, a long-time collaborator of Lyndon LaRouche, who recalled the hope and optimism represented by John F. Kennedys famous June 1963 American University commencement address, and called upon everyone to consider the true meaning of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, as civil rights minister James Bevel emphasized Americans do, and restore a government in alignment with the principles of natural law, and respect for the dignity of man; Jose Vega, a young member of the LaRouche movement, spoke about the interventions he and others have led against government officials; and Scott Ritter, who described his role in the INF Treaty that wiped out intermediate nuclear weapons in the 1980s, and insisted on the strategic importance for nuclear disarmament in saving human civilization today. Other speakers also included Larry Sharpe, Nick Brana, Cade Levinson, and Gerald Celente. Many other speakers from various political parties, including the Libertarian Party, Green Party, and Peoples Party, praised Diane Sare for helping to break the artificial left-right political matrix, and bringing together voices to form a coalition dedicated to ending the war regime. Diane Sare concluded the event, urgently calling upon people to resist the tug of primitive habits and instincts, and recognize their short, but meaningful existence as part of the immortality of the entire human species. The United States needs to jump off the insane path of endless bank bailouts and financial speculation, return to a Glass-Steagall based system, and increase the population and its energy consumption from generation to generation. She also evoked the unjust imprisonment of Lyndon LaRouche, showing a short video of LaRouches attorney Odin Andersons 1995 testimony before an independent panel convened to expose Justice Department misconduct in the LaRouche and other cases. LaRouches discoveries in the field of physical economy, along with creative genius as being the spark to a sound, healthy economy, must be studied and implemented, Sare said. A recording of the event will soon be made available, and transcripts of the remarks by Sare, Zepp-LaRouche, and Ritter have been prepared. VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents. Today we are talking about William Henry Harrison. Although he was elected in 1840, many Americans still remember his catchy campaign slogan: Tippecanoe and Tyler, too. Tyler referred to John Tyler, Harrisons partner on the ticket. In other words, Harrison was the candidate for president, and Tyler was the candidate for vice president. That seems straightforward enough. But Tippecanoe? That was Harrisons nickname. It came from a battle he had fought nearly 30 years before the presidential campaign. At that time, Harrison led troops against an alliance of Native American tribes. The alliance was fighting white American settlers who were taking native peoples territory. Harrison and his men wanted to prevent the alliance from getting the supplies and warriors it needed to fight a long war. They planned to attack an important Native American base in what is today the state of Indiana. But Native American warriors attacked first. They struck at dawn, when Harrisons men were still sleeping in a camp near the River Tippecanoe. The battle was confused and bloody. Many fighters on both sides died. After several hours, Harrisons troops pushed the Native American fighters away from the camp. It was not really clear who won, but Harrison declared victory. His presidential campaign reminded voters about the battle. The nickname Tippecanoe suggested Harrison was a simple yet tough westerner who would fight for white Americans. But that image of Harrison was not entirely true. Early life Harrison did not come from a simple, western family. Instead, he was the youngest child of a wealthy family from the southern state of Virginia. The Harrisons were active in the politics of the young nation. His father signed the Declaration of Independence and became the governor of Virginia. Young William Harrison received a good education. But he did not want to become a doctor or lawyer. He joined the military instead. Harrison succeeded quickly as an Army officer. He earned a reputation as an able leader in fights against Native Americans. Harrison became the governor of what was known as Indiana Territory. In that job, he persuaded Native Americans to enter into treaties that sold their land to the U.S. government often for very little money. Harrisons insistence on securing land for white settlers was one reason Native American tribes formed an alliance against the United States. A member of the Shawnee tribe, Tecumseh, was one of their most prominent leaders. It was Tecumsehs men who fought against Harrison in the Battle of Tippecanoe. Tecumsehs men clashed again with Harrison during the War of 1812 at a battle in Ontario, Canada near the River Thames. In that battle, both the British and Native Americans were clearly defeated. Tecumseh was killed. After that, the Native American alliance fell apart. And Harrison became famous again. Political career Although Harrison was a well-known fighter against Native Americans, he could not find lasting success as a politician. He served briefly in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but he did not stay in those positions long. He struggled with debt. His home in Indiana was very expensive. He also had to provide for his ten children. The emotional cost of his family was also high: only four of his children lived past the age of 40. In 1836, Harrisons fortunes seemed to change. A new party, called the Whigs, looked to him as a presidential candidate. The Whigs strongly opposed President Andrew Jackson and his policies. They did not want Jacksons vice president and right-hand man, Martin Van Buren, to become president. But they understood that Jackson was very popular with everyday Americans. So the Whigs thought that Harrison a military hero from the west, just as Jackson was would appeal to voters. (At the time, voting was limited mostly to white men.) The Whigs nominated Harrison as one of their candidates. Harrison did well but not well enough. Van Buren won the 1836 election. But the next election belonged to Harrison. His campaign developed that memorable song about Tippecanoe and Tyler, too. Supporters also turned an insult against Harrison into an advantage. Harrisons opposition said he would be happy to spend the rest of his life just sitting in a log cabin and drinking hard cider an alcoholic drink made from apples. The opposition wanted to suggest that Harrison was not really interested in becoming president and working hard for the American people. But Harrisons supporters used the images of a log cabin and hard cider to portray Harrison as a humble man who could relate to common Americans. The plan was a success: Harrison won the election. A surprising turn of events At 68, Harrison was the oldest person yet to take office. On his Inauguration Day, he reportedly wanted to show that he was strong enough to serve as president by delivering a very long speech without wearing a coat or hat. Several weeks later, Harrison became sick. He complained of many problems: anxiety, fatigue, and pain in his stomach. His health grew worse and worse. One month after he was sworn-in, Harrison died. It was the first time in the countrys history that a president had died in office. The event raised many questions about who would become president. That question is answered in the next episode of this series. For future generations, it also raised a question about what Harrison died of. The traditional story is that his long inaugural speech led to a fatal pneumonia. But researchers in 2014 proposed a different reason. Jane McHugh and Philip Mackowiak wrote in the New York Times that, while Harrison was in office, Washington, DC did not have a good sewer system. Human waste simply flowed onto public grounds a short distance from the White House. The researchers conclude that Harrison probably died from problems related to drinking dirty water in the presidents house. So, for Harrison, winning the White House may not have been good fortune at all. Im Kelly Jean Kelly. ______________________________________________________________ See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Quiz - America's Presidents: William Henry Harrison Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story catchy - adj. appealing and easy to remember slogan - n. a word or phrase that is easy to remember prominent - adj. well known right-hand man - n. very important assistant advantage - n. a good position or condition more likely to succeed [Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said that Harrison won the 1842 election. The election was in 1840.] Almost every area of higher education in the United States has fewer students registering for classes. But many trade programs are growing. Trade programs teach students skills for specific jobs, like electricians or car repair. For many students, skilled trades offer a clearer path to a job. The National Student Clearing House says from spring 2021 to 2022, some trade programs grew as much as 19.3 percent. Meanwhile, the overall number of students declined by 7.8 percent at public two-year colleges and about 3.4 percent at public four-year colleges. That is the case in the American state of Tennessee. Despite having free tuition since 2015, the overall number of students going to the states community colleges declined during the pandemic. But at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) many trade programs have continued to grow. TCAT is a network of 24 colleges that offers training for 70 different jobs. At TCAT Nashville, several programs have waiting lists. The college has added night classes to meet demand, said Nathan Garrett, president of the college. TCAT centers on training students for jobs that are in demand in the area. Garrett said the pandemic made certain jobs more desirable. When we look at essential workers, a lot of those trades never saw a slowdown, he said. They still hired. They still have the need. Cheven Jones is attending an automotive trade school at the TCAT in Nashville. The 26-year-old said when he was in high school he did not know what he wanted to do. He said that his biggest fear was to go to college, put in all that time and effort and then not use my degree. Robert Nivyayo said he did not like high school. But he knew what he wanted to do earlier in life. He spent most of his free time watching videos about fixing up cars before he was old enough to drive. Training in car repair made sense for him, he said, because he could earn a working document while doing what he enjoyed. Now 19, Nivyayo looks forward to the money he will earn when he gets a job in an auto shop. He can expect to make about $40,000 to $60,000 a year, his instructor said. Laura Monks is the president of TCAT Shelbyville. She said one of the reasons students like TCAT is the schools co-op program. It gives students who are close to finishing their studies a chance to get real work experience toward their degree. Brayden Johnson, 20, is studying industrial maintenance automation. As part of the co-op program, he works as an electrical maintenance technician in a local factory that makes containers for toothpaste. Johnson earns $26 an hour and hopes to stay in the job after he finishes at TCAT this spring. Garrett of Nashville said to get real work experience in TCATs co-op program is important. He noted that the employer reports back to the students instructor, so they know where the student is doing well and where they are struggling. That way, they can work on those weaknesses in class. For Cheven Jones, his plan is to fix up his car by the time he finishes the trade program and have fun while doing it. Its school, and I take it seriously. But you know, you come here, and it just feels more like youre at a shop hanging out with your homies all day, Jones said. Its a good feeling. Im Dan Novak. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press. Quiz -While Some Students Skip College, Trade Schools Are Growing Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story tuition n. money that is paid to a school for the right to study there essential adj. extremely important and necessary degree n. a unit for measuring temperature homie n. (slang) a friend Return to index Article published by: Leah Rowe Date of publication: 23 April 2023 Libreboot provides boot firmware for supported x86/ARM machines, starting a bootloader that then loads your operating system. It replaces proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware on x86 machines, and provides an improved configuration on ARM-based chromebooks supported (U-Boot bootloader, instead of Googles depthcharge bootloader). On x86 machines, the GRUB and SeaBIOS coreboot payloads are officially supported, provided in varying configurations per machine. It provides an automated build system for the configuration and installation of coreboot ROM images, making coreboot easier to use for non-technical people. You can find the list of supported hardware in the Libreboot documentation. The last Libreboot release, version 20230413, was released on 13 April in 2023. This new release, Libreboot 20230423, is released today on April 23rd, 2023. This is marked as a testing release, though it is basically stable. Weve been going at it like crazy, on a big spree adding more mainboards from coreboot. Some fixes to the build system were also made, since the last release only 10 days ago. The priority for Libreboot is to add as many new boards as possible, from now to the next stable release (ETA Q3 2023), with many testing releases in between. Release early, release often. Rigorious testing ensues. Build from source [link] This release was build-tested on Debian Sid, as of 23 April 2023. Your mileage may vary, with other distros. Refer to Libreboot documentation. ASUS KGPE-D16 and KCMA-D8 needed for testing! These boards still havent made it back to Libreboot, but I wish to re-add them in a future release. If you can give/loan me a fully assembled workstation with one (or both) of these, I would appreciate it. Please get in touch! Work done since last release [link] This is in the last 10 days, since the previous release was 10 days ago! Ergo, this is a very conservative changelog. It seems Libreboot has been releasing almost fortnightly, as of late; perhaps this could continue from now on. New mainboards now supported: [link] Dell Latitude E6400 (laptop) (GM45, blob-free, flashable entirely in software, no disassembly required!) - courtesy Nicholas Chin, nic3-14159 on Libreboot IRC. (GM45, blob-free, flashable entirely in software, no disassembly required!) - courtesy Nicholas Chin, on Libreboot IRC. HP Compaq 8200 Elite SFF (desktop), courtesy Riku Viitanen ( Riku_V on Libreboot IRC) - Sandybridge hardware generation, really nice machine, cheap, easy to flash, supports 32GB RAM, multiple HDDs etc. on Libreboot IRC) - Sandybridge hardware generation, really nice machine, cheap, easy to flash, supports 32GB RAM, multiple HDDs etc. HP EliteBook Folio 9470m (laptop), courtesy Riku Viitanen (IvyBridge gen) HP EliteBook 2560p (laptop), courtesy Riku Viitanen (seriously cool guy) - Sandybridge hardware gen Build system changes: [link] GM45 no-microcode bug mitigations re-added: revert to old SMRR handling and disable PECI (for e.g. X200/T400 users who want to remove microcode updates, using cbfstool ) - fixes broken reboot/speedstep CPU scaling in such configuration. - Patch: https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/commit/?id=bd4ea9a02845b22a09b73ebb015ce134234d100b (patch by Leah Rowe) - this also affects Dell Latitude E6400, and it can be used there on that board. We recommend keeping microcode updates, but these mitigations were re-added to satisfy users of older releases that excluded them, who want to still have the option to feasibly run without them. This is ill advised, due to bugs that the microcode updates fix - Patch: https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/commit/?id=bd4ea9a02845b22a09b73ebb015ce134234d100b (patch by Leah Rowe) - this also affects Dell Latitude E6400, and it can be used there on that board. We recommend keeping microcode updates, but these mitigations were re-added to satisfy users of older releases that excluded them, who want to still have the option to feasibly run without them. This is ill advised, due to bugs that the microcode updates fix blobutil/inject : Fixed bad variable expansion pattern. Patch courtesy Leah Rowe. : Fixed bad variable expansion pattern. Patch courtesy Leah Rowe. GRUB patch: fix hanging on HP EliteBooks, by implementing a 200ms timeout for PS/2 keyboard initialisation. Patch courtesy of Riku Viitanen, and it fixes this issue which has existed in coreboot for years: https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/plain/resources/grub/patches/0005-at-keyboard-timeout.patch?id=20192c08488104f5cacc1f3842ae8e0ee74c44ef build/release/roms : HP KBC1126 EC firmware scrubbed from release ROMs, for re-insertion later via ./blobutil download and ./blobutil inject like with ME images via me_cleaner - for HP laptops. Patch courtesy Leah Rowe. : HP KBC1126 EC firmware scrubbed from release ROMs, for re-insertion later via and like with ME images via - for HP laptops. Patch courtesy Leah Rowe. build/dependencies/parabola : New script for installing build dependencies in Parabola GNU+Linux, courtesy of Riku Viitanen ( Riku_V on Libreboot IRC) : New script for installing build dependencies in Parabola GNU+Linux, courtesy of Riku Viitanen ( on Libreboot IRC) util/nvmutil : sorted includes alphabetically; sys/ first (puffy!) - courtesy Leah Rowe. : sorted includes alphabetically; first (puffy!) - courtesy Leah Rowe. util/e6400-flash-unlock : New utility for Dell Latitude E6400 added, written by Nicholas Chin ( nic3-14159 on Libreboot IRC). It sends EC commands to pull a GPIO connected to GPIO33 / HDA_DOCK_EN in the chipset to a low logic state, disabling IFD-based flash protections. Additionally, it bypasses the SMM BIOS lock protection by disabling SMIs, and since Dells own BIOS offers no other protections, the machine can be flashed entirely with software on the host CPU, from Dell BIOS to Libreboot! See: https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/tree/util/e6400-flash-unlock : New utility for Dell Latitude E6400 added, written by Nicholas Chin ( on Libreboot IRC). It sends EC commands to pull a GPIO connected to / in the chipset to a low logic state, disabling IFD-based flash protections. Additionally, it bypasses the SMM BIOS lock protection by disabling SMIs, and since Dells own BIOS offers no other protections, the machine can be flashed entirely with software on the host CPU, from Dell BIOS to Libreboot! See: https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/tree/util/e6400-flash-unlock GRUB payload: grub.cfg menu timeout now 30s, not 5s (courtesy Leah Rowe) menu timeout now 30s, not 5s (courtesy Leah Rowe) blobutil/download : support downloading KBC1126-based EC firmware for HP laptops. (patch by Leah Rowe) : support downloading KBC1126-based EC firmware for HP laptops. (patch by Leah Rowe) blobutil/download : Support extracting me.bin from full archives, when running ./blobutil download - this is done, using the -M option in me_cleaner (some vendors put whole ROM images with IFD, GBE, ME and BIOS regions in them, inside their BIOS update archives - we only need to get ME from them, to run through me_cleaner ) in me_cleaner . Ninjad into lbmk by Leah Rowe. Hardware supported in this release [link] All of the following are believed to boot, but if you have any issues, please contact the Libreboot project. They are: Laptops (ARM, with U-Boot payload) [link] More boards soon! [link] Ive purchased about ~10 HP mainboards, all of the viable sandybridge, ivybridge and haswell ones from coreboot. Im going to add them all. I also have Dell Optiplex 7020 and 9020; these are on coreboot gerrit and will also be added, in the next Libreboot release (Haswell gen). Im going to re-work a lot of the merged Haswell boards, so that they can also make use of Angels experimental libre MRC raminit and such, currently available on ThinkPad T440p and W541 as an option in Libreboot (including in this release!) You can find this release on the downloads page. At the time of this announcement, some of the rsync mirrors may not have it yet, so please check another one if your favourite one doesnt have it. Markdown file for this page: https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20230423.md Subscribe to RSS for this site Site map This HTML page was generated by the untitled static site generator. Paris, Rome, New York, Venice: According to data from Virtuoso, a global network of travel advisers, the most booked cities for 2023 contain few surprises. One great option Denmark ranks nowhere on the list. That's a selling point in itself, say the country's tourism officials. "We're not a destination with a lot of big iconic attractions; we don't have an Eiffel Tower or a Chinese wall," says Dennis Englund, U.S. and U.K. market director for Visit Denmark. "What makes Denmark more interesting is often in the very small things." Even in Copenhagen, a city as beautiful as any among its continental neighbors and boasting culinary prowess to spare, some of the most memorable experiences come in small packages. Take the gringa al pastor tacos at Hija de Sanchez or a warm-from the-oven kanelsnurre (cinnamon bun) from Meyers Bageri. Denmark isn't a destination that comes to mind for summertime vacations, despite its vibrant culture in warmer months: Copenhagen's colorful buildings, always gorgeous, face waterways that residents often use as swimming pools. You're never more than 35 miles from the sea, and temperatures hover in the low 70s Fahrenheit much more humane than the Mediterranean's 90-degree-plus days. Add a newly overhauled metro system and easy access to the country's less obvious summertime havens, all replete with exciting new openings and cultural offerings, and it's a prime alternative to places you've already considered. Here's a primer on where to go: Copenhagen What's new: See the first permanent exhibit on the history of Danish architecture from the Vikings to the present Danish Architecture Center. The show promises cinematic experiences of famous Danish buildings, along with opportunities to meet Danish architects and learn about future projects. Coming soon:The Gilleje S5/8-og Havbad Hotel soon will be a welcome addition to Denmark's badehotel, or seaside summer lodging culture. The 40-room luxury hotel and boutique spa is a former town hall, built in the 1940s, that now offers a modern focus on wellness, from an indoor spa to an outdoor pool and restaurant overlooking the ocean. Rooms feature glorious views that stretch as far as Sweden. North Jutland Why go:North Jutland, on Denmark's northernmost tip, is home to Rold Forest, the country's largest, where you'll be able to maximize your time biking and hiking. From there, the seaside beach town of Skagen is home to centuries-old maritime history and art. Lindholm H5/8je burial site and museum offers a good glimpse of Denmark's Viking era. What's new:A nuclear bunker secretly built in the 1960s has opened to the public as part of the new Regan Vest Cold War Museum. The forested bunker 200 feet underground was operational until 2012, intended to shelter 350 members of government and Denmark's monarch in the event of global conflict. The bunker's entrance was hidden by a Danish brick home in which its engineer resided. The home and bunker interior remain intact. You can tour the underground situation room, the reigning monarch's bedroom and such other areas as a cafeteria. A newly built museum aboveground houses an exhibit and stories about the Cold War era in Denmark; it feels particularly relevant at a moment when tensions between the West and Russia are again high. Tour guides must be hired and tickets purchased online in advance. How to get there:Scandinavian Airlines recently launched direct flights from Newark, New Jersey, to Aalborg, the North Jutland region's colorful waterfront city, to run three times weekly through the summer. You could also hop on a 40-minute Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Aalborg. Bornholm Why go: A favorite Danish vacation island along the Baltic Sea offers breezy seaside scenery. Fine, white-sand beaches abut picturesque fishing villages and dramatic cliff tops. What's new:This small island is about to get the world's largest high-speed ferry in May. While the Express 5-model ferry is designed for sensitivity to the environment with high-efficiency diesel engines, the increased capacity it will hold 1,610 passengers and 450 cars will enable more people to easily reach this pristine yet popular destination. In R5/8nne, on Bornholm's western coastline, Hotel Green Solution House offers a unique location that's tucked in the woods yet within walking distance of the beach the best of both worlds. The hotel is so popular that it's sold out for July. Hop on bicycle trails that begin outside the hotel and explore the rest of R5/8nne, or relax on site in the hot tub and sauna. From $248 per night. How to get there:Travel from Copenhagen to Ystad, on Sweden's south coast, by bus. From Ystad, take the double-deck Express 5 ferry for an 80-minute ride to R5/8nne, which costs about 600 Danish kroner ($90) for a car with five passengers. Tickets will be available online when summer service is scheduled. Expect several small restaurants on board, with comfortable seats and sweeping views of the Baltic Sea. Madison Faith Margaret rice (Dittberner) passed away on January 20, 2022. Family is everything (and friends and pets were not far behind). Faith was born to Karl and Myrtle Dittberner. Her sisters, dawn (Buddy Bonesz) and Gail (al Francik) remained lifelong friends, sharing a house at lake Geneva and traveling abroad. When she was 19 she married Frank J rice. Her children: craig (Maria Wesle); Hope (J. Scott Lovell, grandchildren: Blake and case); and Mark (dorothy, grandchildren: Preston and Andrea (Jon Schneiter, great-grands: Ashle, Lylah and Kennedy); all remained close to her throughout her life. dogs and cats were always part of her family. Faith loved to travel and visited every state and many countries, initially camping, later in their RV and world tours. she loved being outdoors, camping, backpacking, swimming and leading nature walks. Faith played cards and read daily if she could. she painted, knit, sewed and quilted throughout her life. she worked caring for people as an LPN. a fun afternoon would be spent at thrift shops with a stop at culvers. Most of all she loved people. Faith made friends as she moved from Indiana to Lancaster and Erie, pa., Maryland, Wisconsin, and Florida. she was a Girl scout leader as Hope grew up, continuing to lead senior troop 510 for another 20 years, and was beloved as Ma Hen by her girls. Faith didn't think the younger girls should have all of the fun and helped to found Women's Week. as Head cook her strengths of planning, organizing and leading shone. Many of her friends there also belonged to WOWS, a group of scouting women who took trips, laughed and played together. Faith and Frank returned to Madison, taking an apartment at Oakwood Village (east) in 2012. they integrated into the community there and had many friends. she struggled with arthritis of her back and Parkinson's disease. losing her husband of 65 years in 2016 was heart breaking. she was fiercely independent until she moved to an assisted living apartment in 2019, as she lost her strength. Agrace Hospice was invaluable in supporting her and her family there. she died peacefully. JOHNSONCREEK Steve Paulet and his wife, Rachel Bauer, knew little about the Gobbler. But they're all in on returning its groove. The Madison couple didn't grow up in Wisconsin so they never sipped a drink at the rotating bar or danced in the supper club's elevated night club called The Roost. They didn't know that a turkey farmer hired a world-renowned architect to design the building that opened in 1969 and drew customers from around the region. The building continued to elude the couple's radar even after Dan Manesis, the owner of a Wauwatosa trucking company, spent $2.4million to buy and convert the low-slung, white building with eye shaped windows that had been vacant for more than 10 years into a 404-seat music venue that made its debut in 2015. Renamed The Gobbler Theater, it presented shows once a month or every six weeks and featured country and country crossover acts such as The Kentucky Headhunters, Joe Diffie, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Ronnie Milsap mixed in with occasional Christian rock performances. The COVID-19 pandemic ended the shows, and in 2021Manesis died of cancer. So in December, when Paulet and Bauer were driving from Madison to their son's graduation at UW-Milwaukee, they realized the 10-acre property along Interstate 94 was for sale for $1.6million. They knew almost instantly they had to take a look. Once inside, their entrepreneurial wheels began to spin and they knew they had to buy the business they're renaming Club Groovy at the Gobbler. And yes, the purple lounge chairs will remain around the bar, along with the purple shag carpeting and pink wallpaper on the walls of a downstairs hallway. "As I'm walking inside, I'm literally shaking," Paulet said. "The only way I could explain it is that Dan Manesis grabbed (me) as I was driving by and said, 'You're the one.' So the Gobbler's , I'm not buying the Gobbler." Paulet, a Navy veteran who hunted submarines and spent time in banking, is an audiophile, lover of music and owner of Groovy Wood Studios, a Madison company formed in 2020 that buys, restores and sells console radios and record players. Bauer has a background in commercial banking, assisting entrepreneurs as a business consultant, and worked in hospitality and hotel development planning. For five years she owned a boutique hotel in Sycamore, Illinois. When they toured the Gobbler, Paulet began thinking about the acoustics and what kind of acts he could draw. Bauer was excited that it was basically a turnkey operation, needed little renovation and had a working point of sales system. Their plans could get the go-ahead Monday when the Johnson Creek Village Board is scheduled to vote on a conditional use permit for the business and a full liquor license that would allow Club Groovy to sell not only beer and wine but a full slate of cocktails. "This is a great performance space, but the hospitality end of this really excites me," said Bauer. "I stepped behind the bar and I got a little 'vibratey' myself. I miss bartending. I miss working with staff and putting on a fun experience for people." Paulet and Bauer are expected to close on the purchase in July. They also are signing a short-term lease for May and June that will allow them to prepare the business for the return of musical acts by later this summer, which could bring more visitors to the village and boost bookings at two nearby hotels. Their vision, however, far exceeds what Manesis had done in the past. They envision a wide range of musical genres that could include indie bands and up-and-coming rock artists, classic rock bands, country crossover, jazz and stand-up comedy acts. The goal is for multiple shows a week that will draw audiences from throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. They plan to use the main stage for live recording sessions and piano recitals, and in the basement build rehearsal space for all ages, including area students. The plans also call for the construction of an acoustic stage in the basement for acts that want to play without amplification before or after their concerts upstairs. "The community here has no idea how big of an impact I'm dying to make here," Paulet said. "I want the place to be used. Tome, its a cultural outreach center. I just like the vibe it threw off the moment I walked in." Since 1969 The plans by Paulet and Bauer add another chapter to the building's funky history. Clarence Hartwig, a local turkey farmer, spent $1 million to build and open the Gobbler along with the Gobbler Hotel up the hill to the east. The businesses drew customers from throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois who would dine, drink and dance and stay in the motel's lush rooms with shag carpeting and round beds. Both closed in 1992 before a trio of area businessmen bought the property in 1996 for $494,000 as an investment and put another $600,000 into the property for upgrades that led to a number of restaurants using the space until the early 2000s when the motel was demolished. The supper club building remained empty for years, which led to a 2009 auction in an attempt to sell the building, land and much of its furnishings, including petrified wood that decorated the building's lavish interior. No bids, however, were submitted for the building or land. Five years later, Manesis purchased the property for $635,000. Since his death, a number of potential buyers have looked at the building. Some wanted to use it as a music venue, others made inquiries about creating a conference center. "The village wants it to be a destination," said Dave Ferron, a real estate broker for Cushman &Wakefield Boerke, the Milwaukee company listing the property. "It's high profile and it's been here forever. The village wants this to stay." Ramping up Because most acts are already booked for this year, initial shows will primarily be local and regional bands but will eventually ramp up into bigger acts, some of whom might be passing through on their way to Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee. A hint at Paulet's musical taste can be experienced in his Groovy Wood Studios at 1 Sherman Terrace, just north of Tenney Park. This is where restored consoles manufactured by Grundig, Telefunken, Blaupunkt, RCA and Zenith fill a showroom that also includes posters of Elvis Presley and Paulet's eclectic record collection that includes jazz greats Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis and some of the biggest names in legendary rock. "I want to find the Beatles 1962 or the (Rolling) Stones 1962 before they were a hit and they were out there living in their vans and playing their hearts out," Paulet said of the type of bands he wants to play at Club Groovy. "What's driving this is my passion for music." Paulet, who grew up playing the trombone in New York's Hudson Valley, was inspired to pursue his own music venue after attending last August's Mile of Music, a four-day indie music festival that features more than 200 bands playing original music in downtown Appleton. Paulet was invited to the event by Dave Willems, who runs and co-founded the festival, after Paulet sold Willems a jukebox and radio console. Willems is now on Paulet's board of directors for Club Groovy at the Gobbler, but Paulet and Bauer had been looking far and wide for a venue before landing in Johnson Creek. "It really got my wheels spinning," Paulet said of his trip to the Mile of Music. "If we found the right place, we were going to go. But guess what? We found not only the right place but a great place that keeps us here. There's so many right things about it. I just can't wait for this to be up and operating again." Barry Adams covers regional news for the Wisconsin State Journal. Send him ideas for On Wisconsin at 608-252-6148 or by email at badams@madison.com. After years of opposition to any form of marijuana legalization in Wisconsin, Republican lawmakers are now working privately to build support for a medical cannabis program that could win bipartisan backing and be enacted into law later this year, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told The Associated Press. For now, the group of lawmakers whom Vos declined to name are working only among Assembly Republicans to build enough support, and he hopes to introduce the plan this fall. Vos has long backed some form of medical marijuana program, but no bill has ever received a vote in either the GOP-controlled Assembly or Senate. Vos said he remains steadfastly opposed to legalizing recreational marijuana and does not want to create a medical program that would be a precursor to that. Wisconsin remains an outlier nationally, with medical marijuana legal in 38 states and recreational marijuana legal in 21. The push for legalization in Wisconsin has gained momentum, as neighboring Illinois and Michigan allow recreational use, while Minnesota and Iowa have legalized medical use. "We are not Illinois. We are not California. We are not Colorado," Vos said in an interview. "We are a state that's at best purple. And purple is not legalization of recreational marijuana." Vos' announcement that Republicans have been working on a deal he hopes can pass the Legislature came on April 20, or "420 Day," marijuana's high holiday. Also on Thursday, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard, D -M a d i s o n , announced the "Grass Routes" Tour, which will include stops in Platteville, Wauwatosa, Eau Claire and Wausau to discuss the current landscape of cannabis policy in Wisconsin. Agard,who is leading the fight for full legalization, cast doubt on Vos' intentions. "We've seen this story before but actions speak louder than words," Agard said in a statement."Session after session, the Speaker has come forward with empty promises but no tangible steps toward any form of legal cannabis Wisconsin." Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed full legalization of marijuana in his state budget, an idea that Republicans vowed to reject. Last April 20, a Republican-authored bill creating a medical marijuana program received a public hearing, the first time any such bill made it that far in the GOP-controlled Legislature. However, the bill died in committee. Senate Republicans have been less open to pot legalization than those in the Assembly. But in January,Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said a bill to create a medical marijuana program could pass this legislative sessionas long as regulations are put forward to ensure it's for those in serious pain. Sixty-four percent of Wisconsinites support legalizing marijuana for any use, according to October polling by the Marquette University Law School. More than 80% of Wisconsinites supported the idea of a medical marijuana program,according to 2019 polling. Take a breath, everybody. The 90-day public comment period on the Lava Ridge Wind Project draft environmental impact statement came to a close on Thursday and, safe to say, the Bureau of Land Management and the folks at the federal government will know how you feel. You wrote letters. You staged rallies. You shouted from the proverbial rooftops. You left nothing open to interpretation: Get out and stay out. In one of the 30-some letters published this year by the Times-News lashing out against Lava Ridge, Brian Olmstead of Twin Falls summed it up with aplomb this month: The people of the Magic Valley say no to your project! The ranchers of Magic Valley say no to your project! The farmers of Magic Valley say no to your project! The hunters, sportsmen and outdoor recreationists of Magic Valley say no to your project! The cultural and historical groups of Magic Valley say no to your project! The water users of Magic Valley say no to your project! The canal companies of Magic Valley say no to your project! The highway districts of Magic Valley say no to your project! The county commissioners of Magic Valley say no to your project! All of the state legislators of Magic Valley and from all over Idaho say no to your project! The governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general of Idaho say no to your project! Idahos national senators and representatives say no to your project! And, for good measure, Olmstead added, If I forgot anyone, THEY also say no to your project! That about covers it, right? You had support from Idahos state and federal leaders early in this fight, too. The February letter to BLM Idaho State Director Karen Kelleher, signed by Gov. Brad Little, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, and U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson sent a clear message while pushing you and your interests to the front. Idahoans cherish the concept of multiple and mixed uses on their public lands, they wrote at the outset, then emphasized the importance of your voices at the close: Without community support, the BLM risks jeopardizing trust in government ... Idaho AG Raul Labrador might have managed to get the last word on Friday, releasing a statement opposing the project and describing it as an assault on Idahos sovereignty that would harm wildlife, hunters, waterways and people all to sell off power to California. The federal government has once again acted on behalf of corporate interests instead of the people, Labrador said in the release. My office will work within the confines of the law to fight this project. While Labradors abbreviated track record as AG is questionable at best, seeming more interested in grandstanding for political points and his hard-right friends and allies than working for all Idahoans, he got this right. His job, in part, is to represent the public interest, and Labrador took the sort of stance thats wholly appropriate in this situation. OUR VIEW: What the Times-News Editorial Board has said in 2023 The voice of Twin Falls and the Magic Valley: Here's what the Times-News Editorial Board has said in 2023. What happens next wont likely happen soon, though. The BLM has thousands of comments to review Rep. Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome, told the Times-News this week he heard that number was over 6,000 but even the cataloging and recording of those comments wont immediately lead to a resolution. It could, in truth, be years before we hear another word of significance from the federal government about Lava Ridge. Years. The process figures to be all the more confounding because President Joe Biden and his administration has spent two years sending mostly mixed messages about reconciling a vision for public lands and renewable energy development. As part of Bidens 30x30 goal announced in January 2021, an order to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030, the administration pledged to honor the nations conservation traditions, private property rights, the sovereignty of Tribal Nations, and the values and priorities of local communities. If thats the measuring stick, Lava Ridge must be thrown out. Yet, in other recent conservation planning, the Biden administration has seemingly come into conflict with its own stated mission for renewable energy development on public lands. Theres also the pleasant thought that Biden wont be president when its time to make a decision on this project. But, for now, the time for stewing and frothing is over. Anything else at this point is simply wasted energy. So, again, take a breath. Let the people at the BLM do their jobs and remember, too, that theyre not the ones deciding a course of action and allow time for this convoluted process of governance to work itself out. Youve said your piece. Now we wait. PHOTOS: County commissioners rally against Lava Ridge Wind Project County commissioners from the surrounding area come together to sign a resolution decrying the Lava Ridge Wind Project on Thursday, April 6, 2 PHOTOS: Rally against the Lava Ridge Wind Project draws a crowd The public attends a rally decrying the Lava Ridge Wind Project on Tuesday evening, April 11, 2023, at the Downtown Commons in Twin Falls. Hong Kong: HK delegates visit Dongguan, Foshan The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and Legislative Council delegation led by Chief Executive John Lee today headed to Dongguan and Foshan as part of its visit to the Greater Bay Area. In the morning, Mr Lee and the group of lawmakers led by LegCo President Andrew Leung toured the Dongguan Hong Kong International Airport Logistics Park jointly developed by the Dongguan Municipal Government and Airport Authority Hong Kong. The Chief Executive was pleased to note that the two sides had entered into a co-operation framework agreement to implement and foster the long-term development of the sea-air intermodal cargo transshipment mode between Hong Kong and Dongguan. After calling on Huaweis Ox Horn Campus to learn about the companys technological research achievements, Mr Lee attended a luncheon with Hong Kong business people in Dongguan. The Chief Executive then departed for Foshan where he joined another group of lawmakers led by Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki and viewed the city brain system centre to find out more about Foshans development in applying smart city management technologies. Afterwards, the delegation visited KUKA Robotics to learn about the research and production processes of industrial robots. During their trips to Dongguan and Foshan, the two groups of LegCo members separately visited Modern Dental Technology, Huayang Lake Wetland Park and Jianyuzhou Cultural & Creative Park in Dongguan as well as Guangdong Bright Dream Robotics, Lingnan Tiandi, and the Ancient Nanfeng Kiln in Foshan. Mr Lee and the delegates also attended a dinner hosted by Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Guangdong Provincial Committee Vice Chairman and CPC Foshan Municipal Committee Secretary Zheng Ke; and Foshan Municipal Government Mayor Bai Tao. With Hong Kong's rich experience in commerce, logistics and management, the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to promote and strengthen the collaboration in different industries with bay area Mainland cities, the Chief Executive noted. The delegation will spend its last day of the trip in Guangzhou tomorrow. This story has been published on: 2023-04-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Press Release April 23, 2023 Tulfo coordinates with NEA, Malacanang amid Occidental Mindoro energy crisis As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo confirmed that he already talked with National Electrification Administrator (NEA) Antonio Almeda today to discuss the current energy crisis in Occidental Mindoro, which has been placed under a state of calamity due to 20-hour daily power outages for more than a month now. It can be recalled that as early as April 5, in the middle of Holy Week, Tulfo's Senate Committee on Energy conducted an emergency consultative meeting involving various government agencies to discuss the widespread brownout in Occidental Mindoro. It was discussed during said meeting that the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc (OMECO) will make a board resolution so that the NEA will loan them 50 million pesos to buy bunker fuel as a temporary immediate solution to the power outage. In his discussion with Almeda, Tulfo shared that he particularly asked him about NEA's current action to urgently address the power crisis. "Sa ibinigay na briefing ni Admin Almeda sa akin, hiniling niya na bigyan siya ng hanggang tatlong linggo mula ngayon para makapagbigay sila ng konkretong solusyon sa problemang ito," he said. Tulfo said that according to Almeda, NEA has already requested a Certificate of Exemption (COE) from the Department of Energy (DOE) to allow OMECO to enter into the Emergency Power Supply Agreement (EPSA). When this happens, they will be able to secure modular gensets from Singapore that can generate up to 17 megawatts (MW). Tulfo was told that NEA already asked for transfer of four modular gensets with 2MW each from Mindanao which can produce up to 8MW. These are the same modular gensets that were used in 2013-2014 when there was an emergency power crisis in Mindanao. Likewise, Tulfo shared that NEA already asked DMCI Power Corporation to provide approximately 5MW of electricity from Oriental Mindoro to Occidental Mindoro. This 5MW will immediately provide an extra 4 hours of electricity per day in Occidental Mindoro. Tulfo was also informed that NEA and DOE have requested the Department of Finance (DOF) to remove the restriction on the next loan secured by the National Power Corporation (NPC) so that it can be used in the entire missionary electrification areas. Notably, in the current policy, the NPC cannot use the loan they get in areas already covered by private power providers that supply electricity, like with OMECO, which is no longer included in the Small Power Utility Group (SPUG) areas of the NPC. SPUG refers to areas where NPC remains the power provider. Additionally, Tulfo shared that NEA has asked NPC to be the one to operate the old and unused NPC plant that they will renovate so that it becomes an operational plant that can generate up to 10MW. The Senator from Isabela and Davao likewise said that he already called Malacanang today to ask for an appointment to personally talk to President Bongbong Marcos to discuss how the Senate can help with said issue. The Department of Health on Sunday clarified the 26 provinces and cities under COVID-19 Alert Level 2 were not escalated from Alert Level 1. Instead, the DOH noted these areas have maintained their Alert Level 2 status since June 2022. Furthermore, the Health department stressed that no province or city has been escalated to Alert Level 2 from Alert Level 1 since January 2023. While the Alert Level 2 areas have reached low risk classifications for cases and utilization rates, the DOH said these have vaccination rates lower than 70 percent of the target total and population and/or 70% of the total A2 population (senior citizens). Meeting these targets will allow these areas to be de-escalated to Alert Level 1, the DOH said. ADVERTISEMENT It pointed out that the Alert Level System (ALS) continues to provide guidance for every Filipino, so that each may equip themselves with better layers of protection against COVID-19. The DOH continues to encourage those that are still unvaccinated, unboosted, or under-boosted to get the vaccines as soon as possible while it is still free of charge, especially for senior citizens. The Health department assured it is continuously working with the local government units of the identified provinces and cities to increase their COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Moreover, the DOH continues to monitor our health system capacity toensure that Filipinos can continuously avail of healthcare services, it said. Although some hospitals have reported some increases in admission, no hospital has reported full capacity. Meanwhile, the DOH reminds the public that as the country continues to reopen the economy, we need to ensure that we are healthy. This is not the time to get sick. We have seen reports that some hospitals have increasing admissions for other diseases (e.g. heart diseases) and these diseases account for admissions during pre-pandemic time, it said. Also, the department said the ongoing El Nino heat may trigger worsening symptoms of other diseases. The DOH encourages everyone to keep safe and healthy. Get vaccinated and boosted. Protect yourself and your family, it added. Alert Level 2 remains over Cebu province, Benguet and 24 other provinces until the end of April. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), however, did not cite case counts to explain the higher alert level. Alert Level 2 will prevail until April 30 in Benguet; Ifugao; Quezon Province; Palawan; Camarines Norte; Masbate; Antique; NegrosOccidental; Bohol; Cebu Province; Negros Oriental; Leyte; Western Samar; Lanao del Norte; Davao de Oro; Davao del Norte; Davao del Sur;Davao Occidental; North Cotabato; Sarangani; Sultan Kudarat; Dinagat Islands; Basilan; Maguindanao; Sulu; and Tawi-Tawi, the IATF said. Under Alert Level 2, certain establishments and activities are allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults (and minors, even if unvaccinated), and 70 percent capacity outdoors. Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Region I, RegionII, Region III, and Region IVA and IV-B, Region VII, VIII, IX, X, XI,XII, Caraga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao remain at Alert Level 1, the lowest in the alert level system. No restrictions are set on establishments and places of work as long as conditions are consistent with minimum public health standards. The IATF resolution was approved April 14 and signed by Department of Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire and Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., chairperson and vice chairperson of the IATF, respectively. With Darwin Amojelar The Department of Transportation, meanwhile, said the use of face masks would be mandatory in all trains of the Light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro Rail Transit (MRT), and Philippine National Railways (PNR) as a preventive measure. DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette B. Aquino said face masks are also mandatory inside LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 stations. However, the policy becomes optional at PNR stations as these were open-air spaces. Our medical professionals in the railways sector stressed that the risk of COVID-19 transmission remains present in our trains as they are enclosed spaces, Aquino said. Security personnel deployed in all of our stations and trains will help ensure that the policy is strictly enforced. While millions of Filipinos have received their COVID-19 vaccine, Aquino urged the riding public to remain vigilant and encouraged them to protect their fellow commuters by wearing masks. Even if you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you can still become infected and potentially spread the virus to others, he said. Aquino also encouraged the riding public to get their second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Department of Health (DOH) recently issued new guidelines on the administration of the second booster shot to the general adult population through local government units. These booster shots are designed to help maintain the level of protection against the virus, especially as new variants emerge, Aquino said. With Darwin Amojelar Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Sen. Grace Poe on Sunday called on the public to give the SIM Registration law one final push as the deadline to register approaches. Lets spread the word that all must enlist their SIM for their protection and peace of mind, she said. Poe noted that the government and telcos should go all out to encourage our countrymen to register. This should be matched with a fortified infrastructure to handle thegush of transactions from those who will sign up their SIM, said Poe. She reiterated that systems are in place to secure our information andprotect our data. ADVERTISEMENT In our SIM number, there should be no goodbye. We just have forever, she stated. Similarly, Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte urged the Department of Information and Communications Technology to extend for a month or two the sign-up of SIM card registration, saying holders of over 100 million SIM numbers have yet to list up as the April 26 registration deadline nears. He reminded the DICT that a non-extension of the four-month registration period would mean the automatic deactivation the day after of the SIM numbers of subscribers who fail to beat the original registration deadline set by Republic Act 11934, or the SIM Registration Act. Villafuerte is one of the authors of RA 11934. This is an 11th-hour appeal to the DICT to stretch the SIM registration period by a month or two to avoid shutting out from digital and financial inclusion the legion of Filipinos who legitimately own possibly most of the 100 million-plus still-unregistered SIMs at this point, he said. A non-extension of the registration period will have led to the disenfranchisement come Wednesday of the legion of legit SIM owners who fail to beat the deadline for the sign-up, thereby dealing a severe blow to the Marcos Jr. administrations efforts to fast track our countrys digital transformation, he added. The financial and digital exclusion from cyberspace of the countless people in possession of the unregistered SIMs would happen, Villafuerte cited. DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said he would meet with the representatives of the public telecommunications entities (PTEs) and other stakeholders on April 24 to identify gaps in the SIM registration process. As of April 20, or a week before the deadline, the National Telecommunications Center website reported that 76.92 million SIM owners or 45.79% had signed. Of the 76.92 million registrants, 37.45 million signed up with Smart Communications Inc. as of last Thursday, another 33.93 million with Globe Telecom Inc., and 5.53 million more with DITO Telecommunity Corp. In separately appealing for an extension, the three PTEsSmart, Globe and DITO /told the DICT and NTC that many legitimate SIM holders have possibly failed to register their SIMs over the four-month sign-up period because of their lack of the required ID cards for them to list up or because of digital challenges such as the poor connectivity or no Internet at all, especially in the so-called missionary or faraway places across the country, Villafuerte said. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. KyivUkraine on Sunday condemned what it called absurd comments from Chinas ambassador to France, who questioned the sovereignty of post-Soviet countries. Speaking Friday on the LCI news channel, ambassador Lu Shaye suggested countries that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union dont have effective status under international law because there is not an international agreement confirming their status as sovereign nations. The comments cast doubt not just on Ukraine, which Russia invaded last February, but all former Soviet republics which emerged as independent nations after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, including many members of the European Union. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday was again at odds with Europe over Ukraine while pressing his first European tour since resuming office in January. The veteran left-winger is seeking to revive his countrys diplomatic ties after four years of relative isolation under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, but tensions have been on display with the West over Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT On Saturday, Lula again called for a negotiated settlement between Kyiv and Moscow more than a year after the Russian invasion. The Brazilian leader has angered Ukraine by saying Kyiv shares blame for the war and has not joined Western nations in imposing sanctions on Moscow or supplying ammunition to Kyiv. Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak replied on Sunday that the status of post-Soviet countries was enshrined in international law. It is strange to hear an absurd version of the history of Crimea from a representative of a country that is scrupulous about its thousand-year history, Podolyak said, referring to China. Moscow and Beijing have over the past years ramped up cooperation, and Washington has accused Beijing of mulling arms exports to Moscow claims China denied. Despite strong ties with Russia, China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict. It proposed a vague political solution to the conflict. If you want to be a major political player, do not parrot the propaganda of Russian outsiders, Podolyak said. Consternation A statement issued late Saturday by the French foreign ministry said it had learned with consternation about the statements from the ambassador. It remains up to China to say whether these statements reflect its position which we hope not to be the case, the statement added. Remarks by the Chinese Ambassador in France concerning international law and sovereignty of nations are completely unacceptable, Latvias foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics wrote on Twitter. We expect explanation from the Chinese side and complete retraction of this statement. Dont trust China His Lithuanian counterpart, Gabrielius Landsbergis, added: If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States dont trust China to broker peace in Ukraine, heres a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries borders have no legal basis. Asked if Crimea was Ukrainian during his interview on LCI, Lu replied, it depends on how you look at the problem. Theres history. Crimea was Russian at the start. The timing of the controversy is embarrassing for French President Emmanuel Macron who visited Beijing this month to encourage Chinese President Xi Jinping to put pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine. Macrons trip caused unease among some Western allies who are skeptical of Chinas intentions, given Xis formal alliance with fellow authoritarian Putin. Countries that emerged from the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 were later admitted as sovereign members of the United Nations. AFP Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. SINGAPOREThe family of a Singaporean man due to be hanged next week over a kilogram of cannabis pleaded for clemency from the authorities Sunday and urged a retrial. Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in 2018 for conspiring to smuggle the drugs and the Court of Appeal has upheld his sentence which is scheduled to be carried out on Wednesday. We dont think my brothers had a fair trial I have faith the president will read all our petitions, his sister Leelavathy Suppiah told reporters in Tamil at a news conference. Since young, hes been kind and well-liked by everyone, and hes never done anything bad to anyone hes sacrificed everything to help his family, she added, breaking down in tears. It will be Singapores first execution in six months. ADVERTISEMENT Tangaraju was convicted in 2017 of abetting by engaging in a conspiracy to traffic 1,017.9 grams (35.9 ounces) of cannabis, twice the minimum amount that merits the death sentence under the city-states tough drug laws. In many parts of the worldincluding in neighbouring Thailand cannabis has been decriminalised and rights groups have been mounting pressure on Singapore to abolish capital punishment. The Asian financial hub has some of the worlds toughest anti-narcotics laws and insists the death penalty remains an effective deterrent against trafficking. Family members, relatives and friends signed appeals at the news conference and activists said they would deliver the petitions to the presidents office. Rights activists and family members say there were loopholes in the case and that Tangaraju never handled the drugs. They also claim he was questioned by police without legal counsel, and that he was denied a Tamil interpreter during the recording of his first police statement. Singapores Central Narcotics Bureau said he had access to legal counsel throughout the process and that the judge found it disingenuous given Tangarajus admission he had made no request for an interpreter for any of the other statements. Singapore resumed execution by hanging in March 2022 after a hiatus of more than two years. Eleven executions were carried out last year all for drug offences. Among those hanged was Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, whose execution sparked a global outcry, including from the United Nations and British tycoon Richard Branson, because he was deemed to have a mental disability. Tangarajus niece Subhashini Ilango, 26, said her uncle had been brave and has said he is prepared for Wednesday but that his death will be unjust. But he believes that God will help him. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The String Orchestra of the Rockies is closing out its season on a virtuosic note this Sunday with a guest, whos not only won top piano competitions, hes bringing a piano concerto he wrote himself. Adam Neiman has clinched awards like the Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Gilmore Young Artist Award and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions when he was only 17 and a freshman at Juilliard School. Neiman has the chops to play anything, said artistic director Maria Larionoff. But hes defined not just by technique he draws listeners in with his depth and musical intellect. When he plays, you hear how he crafts every phrase, she said. "Its not just notes, but theres so much meaning." Here in Missoula, hell perform his Piano Concerto No. 1. She thinks that if you didnt know what you were hearing, you might assume that it was late-period Romantic work, complete with the fireworks associated with Liszt and Rachmaninoff. However, Nieman is also influenced by Bernard Herrmann, who wrote the scores for Hitchcock films like Psycho and Vertigo, which will be most apparent in the opening sequence. Neiman, whos also a professor and runs a label, will talk about his work with listeners, too. Having a performer like that, who is playing his own work and speaking about it to the audience and sharing the process of composing I think it'll be really a fascinating evening, Larionoff said. Robert Schumann: String Quartet in A Minor, Opus 41 No. 1 The German pianist-composer, who died by suicide at age 46 in 1856, wrote this lyrical and sunny work, Larionoff said. The SOR will perform an arrangement for full string orchestra by its bassist, Barry Lieberman, who frequently adapts compositions for the group. If you want to hear Liebermans work and the traditional string quartet version, tune into Montana Public Radio, which is hosting a live performance on Saturday at 3 p.m. A four-piece will demonstrate the first movement of the Schumann, then the full orchestra will run through it from front to back. The work contains tricky rhythms, and contains the most beautiful slow movements ever written in the third. The piece will be introduced by cellist Adam Collins, a University of Montana professor, who will give background and insights into the piece. Beethoven: Variations from Mozarts opera Don Giovanni These charming variations from Mozarts opera are based on the la ci darem la mano theme duet where the baritone title character is making his move on the soprano, Larionoff said, and Beethoven gives each of the string sections a showy turn. YMCA Yoga at the Library Missoula Public Library is thrilled to partner with Missoula Family YMCA to offer free yoga at the library. Focus on basic yoga postures, alignment principles and breathing techniques that help balance, strengthen and stretch the body. This class is recommended for those wishing to strengthen the foundation of their practice, or who simply want an ongoing practice in harmony with their level of strength, balance and flexibility. Join us on April 23 from 1 to 2:15 p.m. in Cooper Room A on Level Four for this program. Space is limited to 25 participants. This class is first come, first served. Participants must sign in on the day of the class; class sign up list will be posted by 12:30 p.m. outside of Cooper Room A on Level Four. Participants must sign a liability waiver prior to class by downloading and printing it or by signing a provided copy before class begins. Download the waiver (PDF) here https://tinyurl.com/2994wjww. Participants are welcome to bring their own yoga mats or use mats that are provided. For more information email Sarah at svelk@missoulapubliclibrary.org. Nature's Temples: Old-Growth Forests with Dr. Joan Maloof Join author and founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network, Joan Maloof, for this presentation on her work and her recently revised and expanded book "Nature's Temples: A Natural History of Old-Growth Forests." The Old-Growth Forest Network connects people with nature by creating a national network of protected, publicly accessible forests. Dr. Maloof wrote this book in response to the idea that forests need to be managed to be healthy. Dr. Maloofs research shows unmanaged forests have the largest and oldest trees as well as more mushrooms, wildflowers, salamanders and moss species. Enjoy this presentation on April 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Cooper Room on Level Four of the library. Lets get together to talk about ancient forests and what can be done to save them. Read with dogs Certified therapy dogs are just waiting for your child to read them a book at Missoula Public Library. Your child can read a favorite book from home or pick one of the many picture books we have to offer. This program is held on April 25 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library and is great for hesitant readers or kids who just love dogs. Open AIR Artists in Residency at Missoula Public Library: Aspen and Cameron Decker On April 25 from 4 to 5 p.m. in Cooper Room A on Level Four of the library, join us for riveting presentations by artists Aspen and Cameron Decker. This program will be followed by refreshments and a chance to mingle and meet the artist. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is optional but appreciated at: https://form.jotform.com/230945289645165. Wednesdays with the Mayor All are welcome to join Mayor Jordan Hess for in-person discussions of current affairs and answers to your questions on all topics to do with City governance on April 26 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Cooper Room B on Level Four of the library. Missoula broadcast journalist Dennis Bragg will moderate. During the meeting, you may call us with questions at 406-552-6002. Visit the Citys website for the topic of the month ci.missoula.mt.us/2875/Wednesdays-with-the-Mayor. Watch the livestream or view meetings later on MCATs Facebook page or YouTube channel. Missoula Public Library Tech Connect: eBooks and Audiobooks Learn how to download eBooks and audiobooks for free with your library card using a variety of mobile devices. This class is held on April 27 from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. in Cooper Room A on Level Four of the library. Bring your own device, or try out one of the library's devices before buying your own. A variety of tablets, smartphones, Kindles, and other E-readers will be on hand for use during the class. Marc Cameron Reading On April 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Cooper Room B on Level Four of the library, bestselling author of the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan novels and former U.S. Marshal, Marc Cameron, will read from his new novel "Breakneck," the latest book in his Arliss Cutter mystery series. Set in Alaska, and described as wilderness noir, this atmospheric series sweeps from the frigid waters of Anchorage to the banks of the Arctic Ocean, and draws from Camerons many years of firsthand experience in the Marshal Service. Marc Cameron is a native of Texas and has spent over three decades in law enforcement. He is the award-winning author of the Arliss Cutter and Jericho Quinn series, as well as the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan books. He has served as a uniformed police officer, a mounted police officer, and a detective, before joining the U.S. Marshals. His work has taken him from Alaska to Mexico and to points in between. Presently he lives in Alaska with his wife and his BMW motorcycle. 4HistoryBuffs: Tour Through Time On April 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Cooper Room on Level Four on the library, UM Paleontologist Kallie Moore gives us a quick history of the evolution of life on Earth. We'll start with the first evidence of life around 4 billion years ago and work our way up to the most recent Ice Age that ended about 12,000 years ago. This program is a Missoula Public Library 4HistoryBuffs presentation as well as part of our Fossils Rock! Lecture Series. 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. Montana is one of 31 states without a red-flag law, which allows for temporary firearm removal from individuals believed to be at risk of harming themselves or others. Montana had the 11th highest rate of firearm mortality in the U.S. as of 2020, according to federal data. The policy, enacted in 19 states and D.C., is one that gun-safety advocates are pushing for 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 with some Republicans in favor of it, but Second Amendment advocates say the policy is concerning because it entails firearm removal. A bill to implement red-flag laws encountered opposition in the Montana Legislature this year and was immediately tabled. Most of Montanas congressional delegation voted against the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which contains funding for states to create and implement red-flag laws. Republican Sen. Steve Daines and Reps. Ryan Zinke and Matt Rosendale voted against it while Democratic Sen. Jon Tester voted for it. After the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was passed, the state applied for and was awarded about $1.4 million in funding. In its application, the state noted Montana has no Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws in place therefore, it is not anticipated the (state) will pursue any types of ERPO programs. Montanas Board of Crime Control said that its funding plans are still waiting to be approved by the federal government. Overall, it focuses on adding school resource officers to school, mental health intervention like pairing police with mental health providers, and options for violent offenders to receive treatment during the court process, according to Natalia Bowser, director of Montanas MBCC. A biogeochemist with expertise in lead exposure reacted to the EPAs controversial action level for lead in Butte. I am really surprised to read that they are using the 1,200 ppm standards, which is for soil in areas where children are not coming in contact with it, said Gabriel Filippelli, chancellors professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. They should take the precautionary approach and remediate down to 400 ppm, at least. In California, the remediation standard is 80 ppm, he said. PPM is an abbreviation for parts per million, a measurement that typically describes the concentration of a substance in water or soil. The lead balloon question for many in Butte is why the EPA uses a remediation standard that allows a greater concentration of lead in soils in Butte than is the standard for many other communities. The EPA uses the 400 ppm standard in Anaconda for deciding whether soil in yards should be remediated but relies on the 1,200 ppm standard in Butte meaning that soil in Butte has to be more contaminated than soil in Anaconda to trigger the same remediation. Others familiar with agency efforts in Butte to address lead agree that the EPA ought to err on the side of caution when testing soils in the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, or BPSOU, part of a federal Superfund site tied to historic mining. I believe that the current BPSOU soil action level for residential properties is outdated and needs to be revised, said Dr. Seth Cornell, an internist in Butte and a member of the Butte-Silver Bow Board of Health. No safe level The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has observed theres no safe blood level for lead in children. The amount of lead in blood is referred to as the blood lead level, which is measured in micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (g/dL). The CDC currently uses a blood lead reference value of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to identify children with blood lead levels that are higher than most. A microgram is a unit of mass equal to one millionth of a gram; a deciliter is a unit of capacity equal to one-tenth of a liter. Cornell said the EPA should lower its threshold for blood lead levels in children to match the more stringent standard set by the CDC. The current lead soil action level was selected with the goal of keeping blood lead levels below 10ug/dL for 95 percent of Butte children, Cornell said. He said the CDCs blood lead reference value has been lowered twice since then, most recently to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter. My concerns regarding the action levels are further heightened by the Phase 2 study data that shows elevated levels of lead in Butte study participants, especially those living Uptown, are significantly higher than nationwide rates, Cornell said. No level of lead is safe in children. Certainly the EPA knows this irrefutable fact, he said. Higher blood lead levels translates to higher risk for severe and potentially irreversible damage in exposed children. From a practical standpoint, clinicians use the CDC blood level reference level as a threshold that should trigger additional query into potential exposures and ensure follow up lead testing to confirm blood lead levels decline, Cornell said. Bioavailability Why the higher soils action level for lead of 1,200 ppm in Butte? For the EPA, it comes down to differences in bioavailability. The agency defines bioavailability as the amount of a contaminant absorbed into the body following skin contact, ingestion or inhalation. Related research has relied on animal studies, with test subjects including pigs and rats. An EPA fact sheet about bioavailability observes, Cleaning up arsenic and lead at Superfund sites can be an expensive proposition. Currently, if contaminant levels are high, the top layer of soil is removed and transported to a hazardous materials landfill for treatment to isolate and remove toxic metals, the fact sheet says. The price tag for such remediation activities can reach into the millions of dollars per acre. However, not all toxic metals present in soil are in a form that can harm humans or animals, the EPA says. Certain forms of arsenic and lead are not fully available, or absorbed by the human body. The amount that is absorbed is referred to as bioavailable, meaning it is in a form that can enter the bloodstream and affect human health. The EPA says lead from a century of smelter emissions in Anaconda is more bioavailable than lead from waste rock or soils mixed with waste rock in Butte, though the agency acknowledges smelters also operated in Butte for a time and that emissions from the towering smelter stack in Anaconda could have wafted over. Aerially deposited lead from roasting and smelting ore was also an historic source of metals and sulfur, especially from the practice of heap roasting that occurred until the early 1890s, the EPA says. However, roasting and smelting in Butte declined significantly in the early 1900s with construction of smelters in Anaconda and Great Falls. The EPA said the Butte Reduction Works stopped smelting ore in 1910 and that the Pittsmont Smelter in East Butte operated longer. Filippelli confirmed the relevance of the concept of bioavailability. There are different bioavailabilities for lead in soil depending on the types of minerals that it is associated with, he said. Some are quite bioavailable, such as some lead chlorides, oxides and carbonates, while others, like lead silicates and phosphates are far less so. Filippelli added, In normal urban soils, much of the legacy soil lead is from gasoline and paint, and is typically pretty bioavailable. In areas near mining operations, the availability strongly relates to what was being mined and how the material is dispersed. Stakes are high The stakes are high when agencies establish benchmarks for soil action levels and blood lead levels in children. Facts and figures PPM: parts per million Butte remediation standard: 1,200 ppm Anaconda remediation standard: 400 ppm California remediation standard: 80 ppm g/dL: micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood Microgram: one millionth of a gram Deciliter: one-tenth of a liter Young children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning because of their tendency to suck on fingers contaminated with lead-laced dust or to put chips of peeling lead paint in their mouths. Research has established that children absorb lead in their bodies at a significantly higher rate than adults. Potential consequences are stark, placing children at risk for neurobehavioral, kidney and blood disorders. According to the CDC, even low levels of lead in blood can cause developmental delays, difficulty learning, behavioral issues, and neurological damage. The effects of lead poisoning can be permanent and disabling. CDC uses a blood lead reference value of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to identify children with blood lead levels higher than most other children. Yet the EPAs reference value is higher. The agency has said it is considering the CDCs reference value for prioritizing home visits for children with an elevated blood lead level. Cornell weighed in. (The) EPA should re-examine the action levels and adjust them to reflect updated blood lead reference value, he said. In response to questions from The Montana Standard about its approach to lead in Butte, the EPA said lead bioavailability can vary greatly between sites. Dana Barnicoat is an EPA regional spokesman. Where site-specific bioavailability data are not available, (the) EPA generally applies a default bioavailability value resulting in a screening level of 400 ppm, Barnicoat said. The 1,200 ppm action level for Butte was developed using data on lead bioavailability at the site, he said. EPA evaluation Barnicoat said the EPA is currently evaluating the 1998 residential soil lead guidance for contaminated sites to determine if new recommendations for sites and facilities with residential soil lead exposures are appropriate. We expect any changes to this guidance would include considerations of site-specific variations in lead bioavailability, he said. David Hutchins, of Butte, has long bird-dogged the EPA about lead action levels in Butte. He has asked when the EPA will update its lead exposure model since the first CDC update in 2012. He said hes heard that the agency was re-evaluating its approach to lead ever since then, with no sign of an actual update. The National Institutes of Health has reported that blood lead levels in the U.S. have declined dramatically since the 1970s as many widespread lead uses have been discontinued, including the use of lead in gasoline and paints. Large scale mining and mineral processing represent an additional localized source of potential lead exposure in many historical mining communities, such as Butte, Montana, the NIH observed. Two Medical Monitoring studies, relying on blood samples collected by a finger stick, have been conducted in Butte, with one conducted from 2003 through 2010 and the other from 2012 through 2017. The first study showed decline in blood lead levels in children in Butte but the more recent study showed no statistically significant decline. Thus, concerns remain. The percent of Butte children with elevated blood lead levels is still higher than the average reported in a national survey of blood lead levels, according to a report from Ramboll US Corp., a consultant hired by the Atlantic Richfield Co. to prepare the Medical Monitoring study report for Phase 2. Uptown Butte The study found that children living in neighborhoods in Uptown Butte had higher rates of elevated blood lead levels than children living in the Flat. Uptown Butte has many homes built before 1940 that are likely to have lead paint, but the report found that elevated blood lead levels were more frequent in children living in Uptown even after accounting for house age. Proximity to mine waste would seem to be a major source of lead exposure in Uptown Butte, Cornell said. This proximity, coupled with outdated residential soil action levels (1,200 ppm), may explain the elevated blood lead levels Uptown, as opposed to the Flat. He added, An outdoor environmental exposure is supported by the fact that lead levels were higher in warmer months when children are more likely to be playing outside. Residents in both Butte and Anaconda have access to programs that test soils for lead and other contaminants, such as arsenic. Federal Superfund law holds that Atlantic Richfield Co., which purchased the Anaconda Co. in 1977, is on the hook for remediation work in Butte and Anaconda, along the Clark Fork River and elsewhere tied to past mining and smelting pollution. When residential soils in Butte and Anaconda test hot for contaminants, a process kicks in to remove contaminated soils and replace them, generally, with cleaner soil and sod. In Butte-Silver Bow County, the Residential Metals Abatement Program evaluates residential living spaces and cleans them if contamination exceeding local action levels is found. Priorities are homes where residents include children 6 years old or younger, pregnant or nursing mothers or other potentially sensitive groups. Protective of human health Atlantic Richfield issued a statement about lead cleanup levels in Butte: Site specific data from Butte, including blood lead sampling data, was used to develop and evaluate cleanup levels in the current Residential Metals Abatement Program. The EPAs science-based approach created a comprehensive, multi-pathway program which to date has remediated nearly 2,000 properties. The program remains highly effective in remediating the effects of legacy mining, while also addressing non-mining related sources of lead in homes where an individual has blood lead concentrations above the risk-based threshold, Atlantic Richfield said. RMAP also inspects for lead paint and other sources of lead from those residences. The multi-pathway approach is effective in protecting the health of citizens in the Butte area covered by the program, Atlantic Richfield said. The company did not respond to a question about how it might react if the EPA changes the action level for lead in soils from 1,200 ppm to 400 ppm. Eric Hassler is director of Reclamation and Environmental Services for Butte-Silver Bow County. He hopes that any action levels identified for Butte are protective of human health and the environment and inclusive for varied sources of mining-related lead, be they tied to waste rock, smelting or other sources. Hassler said any yards or portions of yards already remediated by RMAP would not need to be remediated again if the action level drops. Thats because remediation involves removing the contaminated soils and replacing them with cleaner dirt and, generally, sod. He said there might be yards that did not require cleanup under the 1,200 ppm standard that would require intervention under a new standard. Meanwhile, the point of contention in Butte remains on how the EPA calculates local action levels. Although the Phase 1 Medical Monitoring study found a decrease in blood lead levels in study participants, the Phase 2 study did not find a statistically significant decline since at least 2012. Atlantic Richfield consultant Ramboll US Corp. prepared the Phase 2 Medical Monitoring Study. That affiliation worried some who suggested it could affect how the data was presented. Ramboll determines how the information is presented, what findings are highlighted and what findings are de-emphasized or obfuscated, said Cornell. This was evident during the recent Citizens Technical Education Committee presentation by Ramboll whereby there was no mention of the findings in Phase 2 that showed no change in elevated blood levels of Butte. Hutchins, the longtime EPA watchdog, said science supports a more stringent action level in Butte for lead in soils. "We have been told repeatedly that the cleanup decisions in Superfund and in Butte are not written in stone, that if the science or our understanding improves, that the criteria will be updated, he said. But here we are, more than a decade after an update to the science, and the EPA has not followed through with that promise, Hutchins said. The community wants the best possible cleanup, not based on financial constraints but on the best and most up-to-date science." 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." ALL India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Press Statement [April 23, 2023] Farmers to March Again! AIKS Organises Statewide Farmers March from Akole to Loni in Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra from 26-28 April As a result of both natural calamities and the corrupt and immoral politics in the state, the basic issues of farmers, workers, agricultural labourers and all working people have intensified. Due to political instability the problems of the people and issues of development have got completely sidelined. Since most ruling party leaders of the BJP are busy offering various kinds of bribes or showing the fear of jail to break political parties, it has again become imperative to come on to the streets to solve peoples fundamental problems. In this background, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has taken the lead to organise a three day statewide march of thousands of peasants from Akole to Loni in Ahmednagar district on 26-27-28 April 2023. The AIKS is being supported by the CITU, AIAWU, AIDWA, DYFI, SFI and other like-minded mass organisations. The march will be taken to the Loni office of the Revenue and Dairy Development Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. If the demands are not met, an indefinite Mahapadav will be conducted at Loni. In the last two years, excessive and unseasonal rains destroyed crops in large parts of the state. The state government loudly declared that compensation would be given to farmers, but it has been given nowhere. Assurances were given time and again to vest forest land, temple land, inaam land, waqf land, pasture land, and land for housing to peasants and agricultural workers, many of whom are actually tilling that land for several generations. But instead of vesting land in their names, the police and forest department was misused to beat up poor peasants and drive them out of their meagre land and houses. Lands are being forcibly acquired for highways, corridors, ports and airports, with very little compensation. In the Covid pandemic crisis, milk peasants were forced to sell their milk for just Rs 17 per litre! Now, just when they are trying to stand up again, the BJP central government has begun moves to import milk and dairy products, thus once again destroying their future. Prices of cotton, soyabean, tur, gram and other crops have collapsed. The problems of unorganised workers like Anganwadi, Asha, Mid Day Meal Scheme, construction workers, domestic workers, are becoming grim, with no help at all from the BJP-led State or Central governments. In this background, this massive statewide march to the State Revenue Ministers office at Loni is being organised by the AIKS for the following burning demands: Vesting of the lands mentioned above in the names of the peasants and agricultural workers, and proper compensation for essential land acquisition; Remunerative price for milk, cotton, soyabean, tur, gram and other produce; Opposition to import of milk and dairy products; Adequate compensation for crop loss due to natural calamities; Increased pension for peasants, agricultural workers and destitute people; Mediclaim and housing facilities for construction workers; Increased remuneration and status of government employees for Anganwadi, Asha, Mid Day Meal and other unorganised workers; and so on. Signed/- Dr Ashok Dhawale, J P Gavit, Umesh Deshmukh, Dr Ajit Nawale, Dr Uday Narkar, Kisan Gujar, Subhash Choudhary, Chandrakant Ghorkhana, Sanjay Thakur, and other Maharashtra State Office Bearers of AIKS. AIKS Akole to Loni March Route 26 April - Start at 3 pm Akole Bajar Tal to Rameshwar Mandir, Dhandarfal, Tehsil Sangamner - 12 Km 27 April - Start at 7 am Rameshwar Mandir, Dhandarfal, to Khatode Lawns, Sangamner - 10 Km 27 April - Start at 4 pm Khatode Lawns to Janata Vidyalaya, Vadgaon Pan - 9.6 Km 28 April - Start at 7 am Vadgaon Pan to Samruddhi Lawns, Nimgaon Jali - 11 Km 28 April - Start at 4 pm Samruddhi Lawns to Loni - 10 Km AIKS Maharashtra and other like-minded fraternal organisations Recently Matt Smith and Marc Devokaitis posted online "A Modest Proposal: Can EBird Help Choose Better State Birds?" They propose replacing the Western Meadowlark with the Thick-billed Longspur as the state bird of Montana. They propose the Thick-billed Longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii) because 60 percent of the global population of Thick-billed Longspurs breed in Montana. The Thick-billed Longspur also breeds in southern Canada and Wyoming, in wide open spaces. It migrates through Wyoming and Colorado, spilling over state borders along the way, and winters in Texas and Mexico. But over half the population breeds in Montana. As the name suggests, this Longspur has a thick bill and, like other species of Longspurs, an elongated rear toe, the spur. If you see a bird singing while parachuting down to earth, with its wings upstretched and its white tail feathers spread wide, that's probably a male thick-billed longspur. The aerial-song display is the way the species establishes and maintains it territory. The bird likes open spaces, particularly shortgrass prairie habitat. Buff and brown streaks on the back, and an inverted black T on the white tail, characterize this Longspur. A breeding male has a white face with black crown and black on the upper chest, plus a chestnut-colored patch on the wings. It's handsome. The Thick-billed Longspur used to be called McCown's Longspur, named after John P. McCown who in addition to collecting birds fought as a Confederate general during the American Civil War. His defense of slavery provided cause for removing his name from the species, not that his political views had anything to do with his birding or vice versa, but his discriminatory behavior only hastened the renaming. The renaming was part of an ongoing movement for Bird Names for Birds. It's a fact that birds named for people were usually named for white men. The naming generally failed to recognize indigenous people or people of color, or women of any description, for their contributions to understanding birds. Thus the renaming campaign targets all birds named for people rather than just those birds named after people who discriminated against Black people. But the status of the species, rather than the name, is the subject at hand. Should it be the state bird? Montana's state bird has been the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) since 1931 when the state's school children selected it by vote and the state Legislature affirmed the selection, also by vote. The Western Meadowlark sings a loud song, and it is easy to see due to its bright yellow and black streaked and spotted plumage. It is fond of open grasslands. The Western Meadowlark is so popular that it is also the state bird of North Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oregon. Smith and Devokaitis propose alternatives to the Meadowlark for those five states too: the Marsh Wren for North Dakota, the Black Rosy-Finch for Wyoming, the Lesser Prairie-Chicken for Kansas, the Greater Prairie-Chicken for Nebraska, and the Hermit Warbler for Oregon. That would leave the Western Meadowlark without any state recognition. How can that be fair? The egg, in the form of lower taxes, that Lake County Senator and grocery-store owner Greg Hertz proudly touts in his Easter column (Missoulian, April 9), unfortunately puts egg on our faces. Lower taxes come with real costs, including reduced access to high-quality public education with well-trained and well-paid teachers, higher tuition and higher student debt than in other leading countries, insufficient affordable child care and early childhood education, and unmet healthcare needs. Low taxes come with unjust incarcerations, in already overcrowded jail facilities, continue due to a shortage of tax dollars to alleviate excessive public defender caseloads and address mental health needs. The U.S. incarceration rate, at 664 per 100,000 in 2021 was more than five times higher than other NATO countries (104 in Canada, 69 in Germany, and 53 in Finland; Montanas 709 is above the national average). It is not a sign of prosperity or greatness that those with higher incomes and wealth can afford the private schools, higher tuition, access to costly health care, and can pay lawyers whats needed to stay out of jail (for example, former President Trumps Political Action Committee spent roughly $10 million on Trumps legal fees in 2022). Quality public education, access to quality health care, and a well-functioning justice system are central to Making America Great Again. What a shame that Sen. Hertz and his small government colleagues are so absorbed with lower taxes for those who can purchase what they need including politicians who may do their bidding. In Senator Hertzs words, the more you make the more you will save but the high cost of low taxes is irrefutable. Quality public education, access to excellent healthcare and a well-functioning justice system all require adequate funding. Thats what taxes can do or not do if you like egg on your face. Income and wealth distribution have become much more concentrated in the U.S. since the 1980s one result of the lower taxes movement of the GOP. Student debt has grown along with gun deaths. As we continue to pursue lower taxes, U.S. life expectancy falls relative to our competitors. In 2019, U.S. life expectancy was 77.3 years with 50 countries having higher life expectancy e.g., 84.6 in Japan, 83.2 in Australia, 81.8 in Canada and 78.1 in China. Germany was the center of research excellence in the 19 century; the U.S. took the lead in the 20th century, will it be China in the 21st century? Will the U.S. retain an adequately strong public system providing education, health, and justice for all, complementing our outstanding private institutions? Lower taxes wont achieve this goal. As David Brooks noted in his April 14 NYT column, the most successful political party may be one that is conservative on business matters and more liberal-leaning on things like education, immigration, and work force development. Will we do whats necessary for the quality education and health care, reduced gun deaths, justice for all, and sound infrastructure? Only then will America maintain its status as a great nation. To the rest of the country, our Montana Senate may not seem likely to be the hero who can break the "Citizen United" spell cast by the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court. But, from here in Montana, no one can do it like we can! Soon a Montana Senate committee may give our Senate this historic opportunity when the "Resolution to support a U.S. constitutional amendment regarding campaign finance is considered. You can make a difference by urging your senator to support the Resolution: 406-444-4800 or leg.mt.gov/session/have-your-say/. This resolution is worthy of broad bipartisan support because it lies at the heart of 100 years of Montana's heritage our right to govern money and corporations. But in truth, its worthy of unanimous nonpartisan support. The one thing all our legislators hold in common is their commitment to govern honorably on behalf of a free Montana people. But we are less free, and we were disrespected, when the 2010 Court needlessly, and recklessly, struck down our Corrupt Practices Act, citing the Citizens United decision. Needless, because our 100 years of practical governing experience under that Act showed that we could balance the needs of a free Montana people with the wants of money and corporations, benefiting both. Reckless, because the 2010 Justices were single-minded in pursuing their line of legal reasoning. They ignored their duty to leave in place the essential tool that protects our freedom, the right to govern the most powerful sectors in our society and to limit their influence on our political system. Now, imagine our senators standing together in response to this affront while honoring their heritage! This has such potential... A unanimous vote for this resolution could ignite a prairie fire, inspiring all the states to enact similar resolutions, and empowering the Congress to pass the amendment for the states to quickly ratify. Why Montana? Because we have what many other states lack. At a gut level, our heritage is alive within us, because our grandparents' generation told us what it was like to live under corporate rule. They still guide us. The essential tool they needed in their struggle to throw off the Copper Collar, was the right to limit money and corporations in politics, so they passed the 1912 Corrupt Practices Act by citizens initiative with a 77% margin and a majority in every county. In 2010, our generation never wavered. We rejected the "Citizens United Collar, passing our own Initiative 166, calling for the U.S. constitutional amendment that could restore that Act, with the same majorities and the same decisive margin, 75%. Why now? Its been 13 long years while Congress has waited to pass the amendment until the states become ready to quickly ratify. Indeed, if Congress acts alone before the states are ready, during those intervening years, powerful forces will dismantle that Congress and create division among the states. Acting in unity is the only solution. And soon. This national impasse will only get worse as powerful monied and corporate sectors become embedded, emboldened, and more able to intimidate. Why unanimous? Although the Montana people will be grateful for broad bipartisan support for this resolution that calls on Congress to pass the amendment, we could do so much more by realizing how united at heart we are. We can break the cycle of inaction by standing with our neighbors as we have been taught. We can jolt the states awake to realize their own ability to follow in our footsteps, freeing Congress to pass the amendment for those states to ratify. And the whole country will be the better for it. You may believe that Montana is debt-free following actions by the Legislature earlier this year to pay off state debt. It is great that we passed legislation to pay off over $100 million of state bonded debt, but there is another debt obligation rarely discussed but costing us dearly. Unfortunately, Montana has accumulated over $4.8 billion in pension debt over the past twenty years (in 2003 our pensions were fully funded with no debt). This debt is equivalent to over $4,300 for every man, woman, and child in Montana! Pension liabilities have accrued for a variety of reasons, but the main culprit is that the assumed rate of return on investments has been less than what the actuary estimated over the past 20 years. The bad news about Montana pension debt is that it falls on the employer, in this case Montana taxpayers. We have a choice: establish a game plan to pay off the debt or continue to refinance the debt over and over until it is unmanageable. The current cost of lost earnings to Montana taxpayers is $350 million per year! This is a massive cost to bear as it is equivalent to more than 10% of the states annual general fund expenditures. HB 226 and HB 569 implement measures to assure these liabilities dont continue to grow and become an even larger burden to our state by providing a path that assures these liabilities are paid over 30 years. The bills do this by adjusting the states employer contribution annually and adding $400 million. Although this is a significant investment, we believe that not addressing this liability now, while we have a once in a lifetime surplus, would be short sighted. While its disappointing that these significant liabilities have not been addressed over the past twenty years, now is an ideal time to provide a permanent resolution. Although we would rather deploy some of our surplus revenue in a different way (providing services, lowering taxes, improving infrastructure), paying down pension debt now is far better than perpetually refinancing increasing pension liabilities repeatedly over 30 years. We must not leave this generational debt to be dealt with by our children and grandchildren. Rather, we must address the debt now while we are in a time of abundance. Public debt is a burden on the economy. Currently Montana taxpayers who are not the beneficiaries of these pensions are adding over $130 million per year above state employer and employee contributions, and we are still falling behind. Most of us have at one time or another wrestled with debt, and we discovered that too much debt ties us down and limits our options in life. It is no different in the public sector. Encourage your legislative representative to support these important measures to provide a permanent fix on pension debt by calling the Montana Legislature at 406-444-4800. When Morganton author Randy Safford retired from his work as a psychiatric nurse seven years ago, he started to write. Combined with a love of genealogy and family history, Saffords hobby produced a book titled An Act of Remembrance & Other Mostly True Historical West Virginia Stories. The book is a collection of fictional tales based on historical events and real people. Saffords work emphasizes the interplay between history and story, and he points out that the experiences of everyday people are what create history. With the first Safford immigrating from Ipswich, England, to the New World in the 1630s, the author represents his paternal familys 13th generation in America, a lineage that includes Col. Robert Safford, founder of Gallipolis, Ohio. On the other side of his family tree, Safford knew little about his mother and her West Virginia roots. With his father having also lived in that area from the age of 2 years, Safford knew where the journey had to start. A family friend helped him search Ancestry.com. Based on what he learned there he identified sites where his mothers people lived. He made several trips to West Virginia to uncover what information he could. As he traveled across the area, pieces of history unfolded one by one, sparking his curiosity and inspiring him to imagine the stories behind the history. In the Morgantown, West Virginia, librarys historical section, Safford ran across two or three lines in a book that talked about Marion County, where his maternal grandmother was born. It contained a brief reference to a horrific mining disaster in the small town of Monongah in the early 1900s. Safford followed the story and visited a genealogical society in a neighboring county, where he found people who knew about the incident. They took him to the site of the disaster and told compelling stories of the people who lost family members there. This visit inspired the titular story, An Act of Remembrance. Another story, They Took My Jesus, recounts a verbal altercation between a mother and her adult son around conflicting spiritual beliefs. While it is based on an event that took place decades ago in Bridgeport, West Virginia, this story of intergenerational religious discord could easily have taken place yesterday in Burke County or anywhere in the Bible Belt. Discussing this story, Safford observed that some of the most memorable parts of the Bible are the stories, and emphasized the power they hold in our collective memory. Stories give us a reason to treasure our ancestry and to hold it dear, he said. They let us know that in some marvelous, mysterious way, we are linked with these people. A third story, Return, is based on a one paragraph report about a police detective in the mining town of Clarksdale, West Virginia who was combating the local Black Hand mafia movement. He ended up investigating the related murder of a young woman who came from a nearby farming community. Based on the few details available around the young womans death, Safford set out to answer the question, What events might cause a young girl, who moved to the city because she had nothing going for her on the farm, to come back home in a casket? There is a distinctiveness about the books stories, but still a universality that could apply to almost any small Appalachian or Southern town. Taking the little bits we know and enlarging them through the imaginative process is what excites Safford about his particular combination of genealogy, history and fiction. Great stories are based on a tiny bit of historical evidence and a great imagination, he says. You learn about the historical context of their time, get into the characters head, and tell the story. The author muses, Why do we have an innate desire to remember? To tell the stories of our parents and grandparents? He answers himself by quoting renowned author Jim Harrison, who said, Death steals everything except our stories. Safford adds that if no one remembers those stories, they are lost. Thats why I write, he says. Currently working on a new book, Safford will next place 10 of his ancestors in historical events and recount American history in the context of fictionalized experiences. In this work, he combines history with family narratives, taking the viewpoint of the protagonist and telling the story from their perspective. My hope is that people will be interested in this idea and in my book and realize that my family story is about everyday people, Safford said. So maybe they can tell their own family story. Safford continues to encounter compelling stories along the road to uncovering his ancestry, and his passion is to bring historical figures to life again as he writes about them. He speaks of the importance of telling our stories and reclaiming those that have not been told, firmly believing that everybody has a story to tell. OLD FORT The Mountain Gateway Museum will host its 37th Annual Pioneer Day Festival rain or shine on Saturday, April 29, on the museums grounds at 24 Water St., in downtown Old Fort just a quarter-mile off Interstate 40 at Exit 73. Featuring traditional Southern Appalachian crafters, craft demonstrations, live music, food trucks and inflatables, the family-friendly festival will start at 10 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. Vendor set-up will begin at 8 a.m. Admission is free. Parking will be available in the lot at the end of Water Street and at Old Fort Elementary School, 128 Mauney Ave. Begun in 1984 to celebrate and help preserve the history, heritage and lifestyle of people in western North Carolinas mountains, Pioneer Day offers fun for all ages with displays and demonstrations of vintage farm tools and equipment, horse-and-wagon rides, animals, childrens games, special exhibits and much more. Headlining the Pioneer Day 2023 music lineup is the Purpose Quartet, a Southern Gospel male quartet from McDowell County. Their tight harmonies and moving musical arrangements have made this group of Christian artists a perennial crowd favorite. Purpose Quartet will perform on the museums creek-side amphitheater stage at 1 p.m. Saturday. Kicking off the music at 10 a.m. will be Ulysses Long of Americas Got Talent 2012. One of the Top 48 acts in Season 7 of the NBC talent competition series, Long is a versatile vocalist and pianist who hails from Statesville. He will perform a variety of melodies. Brothers in Christ will take the stage at 11 a.m. They are an all-male a cappella gospel group based at the Catawba View Missionary Baptist Church in Old Fort. At noon, Possum Creek, a locally known bluegrass band, will perform. Their repertoire includes bluegrass, old-time, and country music, and even some grassed-up rock n roll. In addition to talented musicians, Pioneer Day features western North Carolina artisans and crafters some of whom are long-familiar faces at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh and the Mountain State Fair in Fletcher. Many of them will be demonstrating their skills throughout the day on April 29. Among the crafts to be seen will be blacksmithing, woodworking, quilting, crocheting, pottery, basketry, chair caning, spinning, weaving, dyeing, gourd artistry, jewelry making and others. Vendors also will have crafts for sale, as well as homemade jams, jellies, soaps, lotions, toys, hand-sewn items, native plants and flowers and other items. In the food court area around the museums outdoor fountain, Bears Smokehouse BBQ of Asheville will make its debut at Pioneer Day, serving up Kansas City-styled barbecue with vegan and gluten-free options. Also making its first appearance this year is Countryside BBQ of Marion. Its food truck will offer briskets, chicken tenders, wraps, fries and more. Macs Soulful Food of Old Fort will be cooking up wings and chili cheese fries, while members of the Old Fort Ruritan Club will be grilling hot dogs and hamburgers under the river-rock gazebo. For dessert, Leisas Kettle Corn of Marion will have a food truck full of funnel cakes, soft pretzels, pork skins, boiled and roasted peanuts, in addition to kettle corn, shaved ice, lemonade, coffee and sodas. For the young and young-at-heart, Fun Time Inflatables of Spruce Pine will be set up in the field across the creek from the Mountain Gateway Museum. Just stroll across the footbridges behind the museums amphitheater and the Old Fort library to enjoy some bouncy-house fun and childrens games. Brackett Town Farms of Nebo also will have some friendly animals available to pet. A variety of community organizations including the McDowell County Public Library and its new bookmobile, the Old Fort 150th Project, the Old Fort Community Forum, People On the Move-Old Fort, the Mountain Glory Quilting Guild and Historic Davidsons Fort also will be set up around the museums grounds to showcase their services. While at the Mountain Gateway Museum, be sure to visit its new photography exhibition, A Peek Into the Past: Old Fort at 150. The free exhibit celebrates the towns sesquicentennial by looking at images of some of its outstanding people, places, institutions and events during the past century and a half. A Peek Into the Past will remain open through Dec. 31. However, because of the number of historically significant photographs available, the 72 images now on display will be replaced by another batch of photographs in late July. For more information about Pioneer Day 2023 or the exhibit, A Peek Into the Past, contact RoAnn Bishop at Mountain Gateway Museum at 828-668-9259 or roann.bishop@ncdcr.gov. Its probably a good time to begin planning a summer vacation, so this column is dedicated not only to some places you might want to visit, but also to little known facts of interest courtesy of www.bestlifeonline.com. No matter where you go in the world, its comforting to know that you can always enjoy Americas favorite soft drink, Coca-Cola. While the fizzy drink is sold practically everywhere, it still hasnt officially made its way to North Korea or Cuba, according to the BBC. Thats because these countries are under long-term U.S. trade embargoes. In 2022, another country made it onto the list. Following its invasion of Ukraine, the Coca-Cola Company announced that it would be suspending business in Russia. The company finalized its exit from the worlds largest country just five months after the war began. For those planning a trip to Europe, youll be content with your Coca-Cola being served everywhere. For something stronger, like fine wine, consider a trip to France. Famous for its wine, good food and amazing scenery, its no surprise that more people want to visit it than any other country in the world, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. In 2017, France welcomed 86.9 million people, Spain was the second-most popular destination with 81.8 million visitors, followed by America (76.9 million), China (60.7 million), and Italy (58.3 million). Ive been to Paris twice, once with my wonderful sister, and it was an amazing trip. For those planning something different, the Canary Islands is a super place to visit (been there in early 70s beautiful). Located in the North Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Morocco, all seven islands in the archipelago flaunt enviable strips of shoreline that roll out into aquamarine waters. If youre visiting some of the bigger islands, such as Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Lanzarote, youll find plush resorts with luxury accommodations. And, no, the Canary Islands are not named after the popular bird. The location was named after a different animal the dog. Although its off the coast of northwestern Africa, the archipelago is part of Spain and in Spanish, the areas name is Islas Canarias, which comes from the Latin phrase Canariae Insulae for island of dogs. If New Zealand has always interested you, and if youre visiting family or friends, it may be interesting to know that New Zealanders have more pets per household than any other country so be prepared for plenty of company. Sixty-eight percent of households in the country have a pet, which is more than any other nation in the world. If a trip to Japan is high on the list of places to visit, Tokyo is a booming city with plenty to do. However, you will be sharing space with 37 million inhabitants! Thats right 37 million people live in the Tokyo metro area, the worlds largest city when it comes to population size. The next largest city is Delhi, India (population of 29 million), followed by Shanghai, China (population of 26 million). For those that dont like cold environments, you may want to rethink your dream trip to Antarctica (although a very good friend of mine recently traveled there and loved the entire trip). The average temperature in the winter is minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (I suffer from cold feet even in the summer, so not a place for me). The coldest temperature recorded in Antarctica during a span of research between 2004 and 2016 was a frigid minus 144 degrees Fahrenheit. When youre on vacation and if visiting a zoo is an item on your agenda, remember that all giant pandas in zoos around the world are on loan from China. According to the article, unless you live in China, the pandas that youre seeing are just visiting. Thats because every one of the gentle giants in zoos around the world is on loan from China and are technically the property of the government of China. Thank you, China! Now for those that would rather stick to travel in America, California is usually at the top of everyones list. Sure, it has Hollywood, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive, Malibu, etc., but its also known as the Artichoke Capital of the World. Castroville, a rural town in California with perfect weather to grow artichokes, grows 99.9% of all commercially grown artichokes. Im almost embarrassed to admit that Ive never had artichoke, but I know theyre popular yet difficult to prepare because many chefs on Chopped wind up failing to thrill the judges. As of the time of this writing, youll be sharing your vacation plans with the rest of the overall human population, estimated to be more than 8 billion people. And if you want to watch that increase in real-time, you can tune into the World Population Clock, which shows the upticks and downticks as babies are born and people die. You can also see the current populations of different countries. Its mind-boggling to watch the figures constantly change. And, finally, the article had one interesting fact which Ill use to end this column and it, too, has to do with people: According to a study developed for National Geographic, the most typical human person is right-handed, makes less than $12,000 per year, has a mobile phone, and doesnt have a bank account. Now that study was done in 2011 and I couldnt find a more current accounting, but I did find out that Facebook, the most popular social media way of communicating, has more users than the population of the U.S., China and Brazil combined. Thats a lot of Facebook emojis, 60 million a day, floating around in cyberspace! Class of 1973 plans 50th reunion The Butte High and Butte Central class of 1973 will have their 50th class reunion June 16-17 at the Butte Country Club, 3400 Elizabeth Warren Ave. Bulldog classmates who have not received reunion confirmation and plan to attend, contact Rose Shea at 406-565-6338 or Michele Anderson, 406-490-2198, or email sheazrus@bresnan.net or micheleandersondance@gmail.com. For the Maroons, call Joan Simon at 406-490-8924 or email joanmsimon112@gmail.com. Missouri Headwaters to host workshop THREE FORKS Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a scoping workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 20 to gather early public input on potential improvements and additions to Missouri Headwaters State Park. The workshop will be at the parks picnic area. Visitors can provide their input on several development options dealing with the parks overnight accommodations, day-use amenities, trails and interpretive signs, and a visitor center. Public comments gathered at the workshop will help inform the creation of a draft development plan later this year. That plan will undergo additional public comment once it is drafted. Missouri Headwaters State Park is about 5 miles northeast of Three Forks on Trident Road. For more details, visit bit.ly/mohw23 or call 406-285-3610. Across our state, there are thousands of spouses and children who watch their family members head off to work each day. But for the families of law enforcement in Montana, watching their officer leave for work holds a whole different meaning. For law enforcement families, watching their significant other put on their uniform and badge comes with the daily acknowledgement that as theyre putting on that uniform, theyre also putting a target on their back, and the possibility that they may never walk back in that door the same way they walked out or at all looms large. The law enforcement officers that protect our communities and uphold the laws enacted by our Legislature put their lives on the line each day. They face the unknown, the dangerous and they deal with the challenges within our society that few others care to face. And yet, when these individuals make the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of others, our state provides them and their families little to no support in return. In the face of the death of their spouse, law enforcement families are left reeling, and to make matters worse, are often faced with being notified of the termination of their healthcare in the middle of planning the funeral proceedings for their loved one. Senate Bill 294 (introduced by Sen. Barry Usher) seeks to remedy this by providing the families of law enforcement who are killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty, temporary financial assistance to enable them to care for their families and loved ones while in the midst of tragedy. It provides for these families by establishing a trust the End of Watch trust from a small portion of the states $2 billion surplus, and then allocating payments to the impacted families from the interest generated by the fund which is set up to be largely self-sufficient and not require continuous investments from the legislature each session. While you would think that such a bill would not fall victim to the political posturing that is all too common in these final days of the legislative session, unfortunately that doesnt appear to be the case. Currently, SB 294 is awaiting a vote on the House floor, but with some tight deadlines approaching and the end of the session drawing near, any further games to amend or hold up this critical legislation will kill the bill and our Legislature will have failed to honor and support the families of fallen and severely injured officers. SB 294 doesnt just care for the catastrophically injured officer and the families of officers killed in the line of duty it sends a message that we recognize and value the contributions law enforcement makes to our communities and that we are committed to supporting their families if they lose their life or are catastrophically injured in the course of performing their duties. Passing SB 294 is the least we can do for the families of fallen and injured officers and we would encourage the Legislature to take decisive action to pass this bill without amendments to decrease the appropriation and effectiveness of this critical program. The Legislature should not play political games with this bill because our law enforcement officers certainly dont play games when they are called to serve and protect the citizens in our state. Call your legislator today to ask them to vote YES on SB 294! Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Staying in? We've got you covered Get the recommendations on what's streaming now, games you'll love, TV news and more with our weekly Home Entertainment newsletter! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy After a winter of heavy dishes, it's time to lighten things up with herb-filled quiches, frittatas and citrus. Since Mother Nature missed the memo that spring has arrived, it's time to take matters into our own hands. And there's no better place to usher in a new season than the kitchen. Bid a fond farewell to the heavy stews and sauce-laden comfort food that got us through a trying winter. We need to lighten up. Easter was just the first occasion of a spring filled with special occasions bridal showers, Mother's Day, graduations and brunch is one of our favorite ways to celebrate. While we always have our go-to dishes (is it even a brunch without ham?), we're also ready to try something new. Fresh herbs take center stage in frittatas and quiches, while peas and asparagus remain a match made in culinary heaven. Both kids and adults will enjoy vegetable-filled egg bites, which you can and should tailor to your own tastes, and adding bacon to deviled eggs will make them fly off the plate even faster than usual. Because we're not quite ready to entirely do away with comfort food, start the morning out with orange-kissed sweet rolls that appeal to our nostalgic side, but without the stress of working with yeast dough. We're feeling better already. Add bright-colored napkins and a bouquet of tulips, daffodils or daisies, and it's officially spring. If not outside, at least in your kitchen. CRAB AND BOURSIN CHEESE QUICHE Serves 6. In "For the Love of Seafood" (Countryman, 2023), author Karista Bennett writes: "Over the years, I've developed a lot of quiche recipes. My preferred ratio for a creamy quiche custard is four eggs to 1 3/4 cups heavy cream, using a deep-dish pie plate (about 2 inches deep). If the pie plate is a standard pie plate (1 1/2 inches deep), reduce the heavy cream to 1 1/2 cups. It'll still be delicious!" Feel free to substitute your own pie crust recipe, or a store-bought one if time is of the essence. For the pie crust: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes 1/3 cup ice-cold water For the quiche filling: 6 ounces crabmeat 1 (5.2-ounce) pkg. garlic and fine herb boursin cheese 1 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish 4 large eggs 1 3/4 cups heavy cream 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Directions To prepare the pie crust: Combine the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until it forms crumbles. Then, while pulsing, add the cold water and pulse until the dough comes together. It'll be a bit shaggy. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and form a 10- to 11-inch disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface, to about a 12-inch round that is 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough in half and place it in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, placing the fold in the center and then unfolding the dough. Press the dough down into the pie plate, trim the edges, and then pinch to form a pretty edge. To prepare the quiche filling: Squeeze out all the excess liquid from the crab and dry with a paper towel. Then, layer into the bottom of the pie crust. Next, layer the boursin cheese over the crab and sprinkle with the chopped chives. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper and then pour it over the crab and cheese. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the center is set. If needed, place a piece of parchment over the quiche to keep the crust from getting too brown. Once the quiche is done, remove from the oven, garnish with additional chives and let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. HERB FRITTATA Serves 8. The basic difference between an omelet and a frittata is the latter is cooked slowly over low heat sometimes even baked in the oven while an omelet is cooked quickly over medium or medium-high heat. Omelets are usually served immediately so they retain their heat, while frittatas are often served at room temperature. This is a great dish to make ahead for brunch. From "Italy on a Plate," by Susan Gravely (Vietri Publishing, 2023). 4 small red potatoes 10 eggs 1 1/4 cups mixed finely chopped herbs, such as dandelion greens, thyme, basil, oregano or Italian parsley, plus more for garnish 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil, or more as needed to cover the bottom of the pan Seasonal edible flowers, for optional garnish Directions Place the potatoes in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes until fork-tender. Drain and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Add the chopped herbs, cheese, onion, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cut the cooled potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Add to eggs and stir gently to combine. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, making sure there is enough oil to just cover the entire bottom of the pan. Add the egg mixture and cook 4 to 5 minutes until the frittata thickens. Use a spatula to loosen around the edge. If you are good at flipping frittatas, turn the frittata over onto the other side and let cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until set. If not, you can finish using the oven broiler, cooking 3 to 4 minutes until the eggs are set. Place the frittata on a serving plate or wooden cutting board and cut into wedges. Garnish the center with a bunch of herbs and seasonal flowers. MASALA EGG BITES Serves 6. These fluffy mini frittatas or egg muffins are spiced with a simple combination of ginger, green chile and turmeric to take the ubiquitous coffee-chain egg bites up a notch and are a fun addition to any brunch spread (or breakfast on the go). Mix up the toppings as you like use spinach, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, or any other veggies or cheeses you like. If you don't have a mini-muffin pan, use a regular muffin pan and increase the baking time by 5 minutes. From "The Vegetarian Reset," by Vasudha Viswanath (Collective, 2023). 4 eggs 1/2 cup full-fat cottage cheese 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 2 tablespoons diced onion 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 jalapeno pepper or Thai chile, chopped 1 teaspoon grated ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/4 teaspoon salt Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray. Combine the eggs, cottage cheese and Cheddar cheese in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The mixture will be the consistency of heavy cream. Add the red pepper, onion, cilantro, chiles, ginger, turmeric and salt to the blender and pulse a couple of times until evenly distributed (don't blend the toppings smooth, just distribute them evenly throughout the mixture). Pour the mixture into the prepared mini-muffin pan, filling each muffin cup no more than two-thirds full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool in the pan (they will deflate a bit). Remove from the pan and serve. To make ahead: Bake as directed and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat for 20 seconds in the microwave. To freeze, wrap them individually in plastic wrap to prevent them from sticking together, and freeze for up to 1 month. WHIPPED RICOTTA WITH PEAS AND ASPARAGUS Serves 4. This pretty salad works beautifully as a starter, arranged on individual plates, but is equally stunning on a platter served family-style. Whipping the ricotta gives it a smoother, lighter and creamier texture. You can also use half feta or rindless goat cheese if you prefer a bolder, saltier flavor. From "LEON Big Salads," by Rebecca Seal (Conran, 2023). 1 1/4 cups ricotta 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving 1 tablespoon milk Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for serving 2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives Olive oil, for cooking 20 asparagus spears, trimmed 1/2 cup frozen peas Handful of pea shoots or arugula Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish Leaves from a sprig of fresh mint, torn if large Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to serve Directions Place the ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil and milk into the bowl of a blender or small food processor and blitz until smooth and creamy. (You can also whisk by hand.) Stir in the salt, pepper, parsley and chives. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the asparagus and the peas. Saute for a couple of minutes until the asparagus just begins to brown, shuffling it all around in the pan. Remove from the heat. Divide the whipped ricotta mixture between four starter plates and use the back of a spoon to spread it out over the plate. Arrange the asparagus on top and scatter over the peas, then finish with the pea shoots or arugula, plus the Parmesan, mint, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and final twist of salt and pepper. Serve. ORANGE ROLLS Makes 8 rolls. Inspired by orange roll recipes from the 1910s and '20s, these citrusy cinnamon rolls have an old-fashioned feel. Perfumed with fresh orange zest in the base, filling and glaze, they come together in less than an hour, thanks to a fluffy, tender dough that doesn't require yeast. To help the biscuit-dough base end up as soft as any yeasted treat, cream cheese and extra milk are mixed into the dry ingredients. But the most important part of these rolls is the fresh orange zest, plump with fragrant, flavorful citrus oils. From the New York Times' Genevieve Ko. For the dough: 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1 orange 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus softened butter for the pan 2 tablespoons cold cream cheese 2/3 cup whole milk or half-and-half For the filling: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or a combination of cinnamon and cardamom 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft For the (optional) glaze: 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, or to taste 1 orange Directions To prepare the dough: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the brown sugar in a small bowl and zest the orange directly over it. Gently rub the zest into the sugar and transfer 2 tablespoons to a large bowl to use for the dough. Save the rest of the orange sugar for the filling. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the large bowl and whisk well. Add the butter and cream cheese, and smash and rub them into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until they're fully incorporated and the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the milk all at once and stir gently with a fork until the dough comes together and no dry bits remain. Freeze while you prepare the pan and filling. Very generously butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan or ovenproof skillet. To prepare the filling: Mix the cinnamon (and cardamom, if using) into the reserved orange sugar. Scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough or flour your hands to pat the dough into a 12-by-5-inch rectangle. It may be sticky, but that's OK. Just flour the dough enough to be able to shape it. To fill the dough, spread the very soft butter evenly over the surface, then sprinkle the orange sugar on top. Starting with one long side of the dough, roll it up into a 12-inch-long log. If it's stuck to the surface, scrape it up as you roll it, using a bench scraper or stiff spatula. Use a serrated knife to cut the log with a sawing motion into 8 (1 1/2-inch-thick) slices. Place a slice in the center of the pan, then space the remaining slices 1/2-inch apart around it. At this point, the rolls can be covered and chilled for up to 2 days before baking directly from the refrigerator. Bake until golden on top, 23 to 25 minutes. You don't want to overbake, but also want the dough to be cooked through. When you press the top, the roll shouldn't sink but spring back just a little. To prepare the glaze: While the rolls are baking, place the cream cheese and the powdered sugar in a bowl. Zest the orange directly over the sugar, then mix and smush together until smooth. Squeeze in 2 tablespoons orange juice and mix well. The glaze should be a bit thick because it will loosen when it hits the hot rolls. Taste and add more powdered sugar if you'd like. Stir in more juice if it's too stiff. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then spread the glaze all over them. Cool a bit longer to serve hot or warm. 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 doesn't show an incident in Fairfield, local police say, and they've 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 they've 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 we're 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 Musk's 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." More than 100 farmworkers and supporters picketed at Vino Farms in Healdsburg Friday, calling attention to what they described as inhospitable, sometimes dangerous working conditions at one of the largest vineyard management companies in Sonoma County. Former Vino Farms workers said the company uses synthetic pesticides like Roundup that are believed to cause cancer in its farming and that workers often have to apply those chemicals without much protective gear. Other complaints: Supervisors often prohibit water breaks during the hottest, busiest times of harvest; the company has used temporary agricultural workers to illegally replace longtime field employees; and that workers have been retaliated against for pointing out those issues. "When we were spraying at night, the Roundup was blowing because of the wind and it affected us, but ... the bosses did not give us much protection," said Tomas Uriarte. He said he was one of a group of 12 workers who were let go in 2021. "You couldn't complain," he said. Uriarte said he was told he was let go because there weren't "sufficient supervisors." But he said he believes he and his co-workers, some who lived at the Healdsburg site, were replaced by H2A workers who receive temporary visas to fill agricultural jobs. Marissa Ledbetter Foster, vice president of operations and a partner at Vino Farms, and also chairperson of the Sonoma County Winegrowers board of directors, did not respond to calls to Vino Farms' Lodi headquarters and emails seeking comment Friday. Karissa Kruse, Sonoma County Winegrowers president, also did not respond to a call and email seeking comment. The spokesperson for Sonoma Wine Industry for Safe Employees, or SonomaWISE, said the allegations are incorrect. Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor penalized Vino Farms for giving preferential treatment to temporary agricultural workers over local workers. Wildfires, a drought, COVID-19 and successive heavy rainstorms have contributed to the mounting economic and safety concerns for farmworkers in recent years, spurring increasing worker activism. Friday's rally followed at least two years of farmworker organizing in Sonoma County, during which they and allies generally linked to the advocacy group North Bay Jobs with Justice have sought hazard pay protection, better working conditions, safety training in their native languages and income supplements to compensate for work lost to natural disasters. In that time, some other prominent wine industry companies, from the giant E & J Gallo Winery to the ultra premium winery Eco Terreno, have started offering hazard pay in Sonoma County. "The largest players need to do the right thing for workers," said Max Bell Alper, executive director of North Bay Jobs with Justice, the labor advocacy group that worked with farmworkers to organize Friday's picket. The protest took place against a backdrop of barns, farm equipment, a dozen portable toilets used by farmworkers, and the rolling vineyards in which they tend and pick the grape crop. Currently: About 100 Farmworkers are picketing outside Vino Farms in Healdsburg. They allege unsafe work conditions from use of Roundup, replacement by temporary H2A workers and retaliation for speaking up. pic.twitter.com/uzMZkwTiMz J. Sawhney (@sawhney_media) April 22, 2023 Friday's march was the first such protest Paolina Atanacio of Santa Rosa had attended. She said she hasn't been called back to work since October 2022, the end of the last harvest. "(I'm here) to support my companions who have the same problem of lack of work and whose work is becoming scarce," said Atancio, who worked with Enterprise Vineyards for the previous three years and as a vineyard worker since 2011. The spokesperson for Sonoma Wine Industry for Safe Employees a group formed in 2022 to push back against the North Bay Jobs with Justice farmworker campaign disputed the allegations. "Vino Farms is a highly respected, family-owned, award-winning sustainable farming operation that places worker safety as an absolute priority, with an outstanding reputation for its workplace safety practices," said John Segale, whose LinkedIn profile describes him as Western region senior vice president at Fahlgren Mortine, a Columbus, Ohio-based communications firm. "Vino has a long-standing history of providing its employees with a positive and safe work environment and will continue to do so." Segale told The Guardian news organization last year that SonomaWISE has "no connection" with the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation (since renamed Fundacion de la Voz de los Vinedos) or Sonoma County Winegrowers and "receives support from the region's wine community, the local hospitality industry, the business community, area nonprofits and the public." According to pesticide use reports from the Sonoma County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures collected by North Bay Jobs with Justice and also provided to The Press Democrat by the department, between January 2020 and March 2023, Vino Farms applied 15,377 pounds of glyphosate in its Sonoma County acreage, more than any other company. Glyphosate the main ingredient in Roundup, the widely used herbicide manufactured by Monsanto was added to California's Proposition 65 list of cancer-causing chemicals in 2017. Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Windsor and Sonoma County have since banned or sharply restricted use of such synthetic pesticides on public land. In an email to The Press Democrat, Segale said that while glyphosate is a highly effective weed killer and legal throughout the country, "it has always been considered a tool of last resort by Sonoma County's winegrape growers. "This is a fact from the Sonoma County Ag Commissioner's Ag Pesticide Use Permit report, which shows that there has been a 53% reduction in the use of glyphosate by local winegrape farmers and more than a 60% reduction in the acres it is used on in the past seven years." He added: "The implication that Vino is somehow using any product banned for agricultural use is simply false. Vino Farms is a family-owned, award-winning sustainable farming operation with an outstanding reputation, whose agricultural products are fully compliant with federal, state and local regulations." Azerbaijan seeks to conclude a peace agreement with Armenia, Assistant to the First Vice-President Azerbaijan Elchin Amirbayov assured in a statement. The Azerbaijani official, whose government does not hide its hatred of Armenians and Armenia, suddenly became expresses concern over the fate of Armenia, saying that the country suffers most from the lack of a peace agreement, including due to closed borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Although he seems to have forgotten to mention that it was Turkey that unilaterally closed the border with Armenia in the 1990s. At the same time, according to Azerbaijani media, Amirbayov expressed doubts about the "mood" of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The US Armed Forces evacuated US diplomats and their families from Khartoum, US President Joe Biden said in a statement. "Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract US government personnel from Khartoum," Biden said. The president thanked Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia saying they were "critical to the success of our operation." The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Turkish colleague Mevlut Cavusoglu held a telephone conversation on Saturday on bilateral relations between Tehran and Ankara, Mehr reports. Abdollahian congratulated the Turkish government and people on the Eid al-Fitr holiday. He also said that the Iranian Foreign Ministry agreed to open a section of Iranian interests in Albania through Turkey and thanked Ankara for its assistance in this regard. His Turkish colleague, for his part, also congratulated the Iranian people on Eid al-Fitr and stressed the importance of further developing ties between the two countries. Almost all Russians in the conflict zone in the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, were taken to the Russian embassy. Only a woman with a child remains in a dangerous situation in the Nubian Metropolis building. About 140 people asked the embassy to evacuate them from the country, Russian newspaper Kommersant reports. "The fact is that the hostilities started at the same time everywhere and quite actively, and such serious hostilities. We had people in about six or seven hot spots, fortunately, we managed to get people out of there, except for the Russian woman with a child in the Nubian Metropolis building," Russian Ambassador to Sudan Andrey Chernovol told RIA Novosti. In the church calendar, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is followed by a fifty-day period, symbolizing the revival of the church after the Great Lent period, symbolizing the spiritual spring. The Sundays following Easter are named after colors: Blue, Red, Green. Qahana.am writes. The second Sunday following Easter is called Green or Sunday of the World Church. Arlington hosts bilateral meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers The Mirzoyan-Blinken-Bayramov meeting ended in Washington Karabakh state minister: I have no direct communication with Armenias authorities President of Artsakh convenes Security Council session Mirzoyan-Blinken-Bayramov meeting starts in Washington Russia, Iran plan to jointly manufacture research satellite Mirzoyan-Blinken meeting discusses process of normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations David Babayan: Karabakh society awaits answers from its authorities, Moscow, Yerevan, the West State minister: Meeting between Karabakh authorities, Russian peacekeeping troops new commander concluded Armenian language courses being conducted for repatriates in Armenia Aram Ananyan: Yerevan-Istanbul flight will take place Mirzoyan-Blinken meeting starts Head of Karabakhs Mets Shen village: We remain in complete blockade Iran embassy, consulate in Saudi Arabia to resume work Tbilisi mayor: EU did not grant Georgia candidate status due to its not joining sanctions on Russia Former human rights activist: Armenian side also set up checkpoint, this legitimizes Azerbaijani sides actions Azerbaijan preparing to organize rowing competition in occupied Mataghis village of Karabakh Murder with firearm in Yerevan, victim was Netherlands citizen Paraguay president-elect wants to restore diplomatic relations with Venezuela World gold prices going down US embassy in Armenia closed Monday Armenias Mirzoyan to meet with US Secretary of State Marina Kaljurand condemns Azerbaijan actions that endanger peace process Anti-Crisis Council head: Russian peacekeepers commander told Karabakh authorities he is going to Azerbaijan for talks Moldova opposition party vice-chair detained at Chisinau airport International Workers' Day marked in Greece with mass labor strikes, demonstrations It snows heavily in Armenia village in May Natural gas supply to Armenia temporarily stopped 6 dead after minibus falls into gorge in Tajikistan 18 dead after tourist bus falls into ravine in Mexico Switzerland heads UN Security Council by rotation shamhsyan.com: Man found dead with gunshot wounds after shooting in Yerevan 4 consecutive earthquakes recorded off Japan coast Turkey's Erdogan expresses hope for wheat deal extension Sudan army agrees to extend humanitarian truce for 72 hours Armenia PM: Only knowledge-based work can bring development, progress Karabakh state minister: Azerbaijanis, putting our citizens in desperate situation, force them to fulfill their demands Italy wants to build world's longest suspension bridge Blinken tells Aliyev deep US concern over Azerbaijans establishment of checkpoint on Lachin corridor Artsakh Information Center: Residents of Karabakh communities under siege are those in Azerbaijan media video Zelenskyy, Macron discuss prospects for development of situation on battlefront 10 killed after armed attack in Ecuador Information about Armenia soldier being wounded not true Iran dismisses industry minister Cuba cancels May Day parade Russian embassy in Poland ready for any decisions by Moscow Operation "Ring": 30 years later, Artsakh faces same existential threat CEC of Uzbekistan declares referendum valid French senator calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan US accuses Russian pilots of aggression in Syria Kyrgyz PM concerned over driverless taxis Artsakh President: No to ethnic cleansing of Artsakh Car falls into gorge in Ararat Province Paris-Yerevan flight arrives from Chisinau Blinken's promise to Armenian PM Pashinyan Stepantsminda-Lars road closed for trucks "Armenia" opposition members visit Gegharkunik Province Turkey closes airspace to FlyOne Armenia Armenian PMs call with Blinken An Armenian serviceman received a gunshot wound in the direction of Tegh Russia and Turkey to increase passenger air traffic "Endangered Christian Culture of Artsakh" conference held in Cologne Warring parties in Sudan more open to negotiations Seven RA citizens to return to Armenia from Sudan Lavrov: West's attempt to isolate Russia will fail "Old and new refugees of Azerbaijani aggression: past, present, future" forum participants adopt declaration "Murdered Citizens Day" rally near Parliament building Zelenskyy: Ukraine to take back Crimea 16 patients transported from Artsakh to Armenia with help of ICRC Mirzoyan and Bayramov to develop "road map" Azerbaijanis detain peacekeepers with humanitarian aid Ardshinbank has opened a new branch in Multi Magic Mall shopping center Ararat Mirzoyan will go on a working visit to Washington Road safety training at Russian military base in Armenia Iran ready to solve Lebanon's electricity shortage problem Turkish plane fired at in Sudan Three Azerbaijanis dead after mine explosion Pope allows women to vote at bishops' meeting for the first time Iranian President to Visit Syria for the First Time in 13 Years Putin signed the law on amendments to CSTO charter on cooperation on biosecurity Haberler: Erdogan and his primary opponent will hold rallies in Istanbul on the same day Eurostat: Eurozone GDP slowed to 1.3 percent in the first quarter Armenia Investigative Committee, TikTok to collaborate in connection with serious crimes Azerbaijan army again targets Karabakh civilians France FM announces possibility of Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders meeting on June 1 in Chisinau FM informs Brazil journalists about situation in Karabakh Azerbaijani media report on temporary suspension of so called eco-activists protest at Lachin corridor CSTO head: Caucasus tension maintained due to long-standing disagreements between Armenia, Azerbaijan 13 more medical patients transferred from Karabakh to Armenia, 10 others return 3rd Penderecki Contemporary Classics' Festival kicks off in Yerevan Catherine Colonna on Armenia, Azerbaijan: Path to peace assumes that parties share vision of objective Armenia FM: Yerevan does not oppose negotiating platforms in Moscow, Washington or Brussels Energy and political matters should be separated in relations with Azerbaijan, France FM says Armenia FM: Lachin corridor arrangements are set out in November 9, 2020 trilateral statement France FM visits Yerevan military pantheon Armenia official: We have not forwarded our proposals to Azerbaijan because negotiations are expected soon Security Council secretary: Current number of EU monitoring mission members in Armenia is insufficient Armenia Security Council head: We expect France to assist in sending international mission to Lachin corridor, Karabakh Armenia, France FMs holding tete-a-tete meeting (PHOTOS) Papikyan, Lentsov discuss urgent situation at zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh Discussions are underway on implementation of different projects in Turkiye and beyond by the joint venture of SOCAR Turkiye, subsidiary of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and BOTA? Petroleum Pipeline Corporation, Azernews reports citing Azerbaijans energy ministry. The ministry said the joint venture was created in late 2022. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez earlier said that BOTA? and SOCAR have established a new company to sell gas to Europe. "We have announced the goal of becoming a gas trading center, and Azerbaijan also supports us in this matter. The Balkan countries request gas from us and Azerbaijan. Well act on this issue together," the minister said. Previously, Donmez said that the Turkish Parliament has started the process of amending legislation which is necessary for the start of the international gas trade center (gas hub). "As for gas trade by the joint venture, we will provide more detailed information if there are updates," said Azerbaijans energy ministry. Artsakh Republic President Arayik Harutyunyan announced that a statement was adopted at the emergency session of the Security Council convened today. "Dear compatriots, today I have convened an urgent meeting of the Security Council to discuss the issue of Azerbaijan blocking the Lachin Corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia and setting up a checkpoint. All members of the Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh have unanimously adopted a statement, which, in particular, says: Emphasizing that the entire people of Artsakh once believed in the Trilateral Ceasefire Agreement of November 9, 2020 and the security guarantees provided by the Russian Federation and returned to the Motherland and started organizing a normal life, Emphasizing that since the signing of the Trilateral Ceasefire Agreement, Azerbaijan has repeatedly violated various provisions of this document, killing the residents of Artsakh, occupying new territories, and since December 12, 2022, keeping the people of Artsakh under siege for 133 days, 104 days without electricity supply and 67 for days without gas supply, Welcoming the position repeatedly expressed by the Russian government officials regarding the continuity and strength of the security guarantees for the people of Artsakh, as well as the inadmissibility of the establishment of an Azerbaijani checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor, Deeming absolutely unacceptable the blockage of the Lachin Corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia, which is under the responsibility of the Russian Peacekeeping Brigade, and the installation of a checkpoint there by Azerbaijan on April 23, Noting that with this step, the people of Artsakh have once and for all become hostages in the hands of Azerbaijan, with the growing danger of apparent ethnic cleansing, and that the further effect of the Trilateral Ceasefire Agreement is under serious threat, We appeal to the parties of the Trilateral Ceasefire Agreement, and especially the Russian Federation, to immediately start discussions on lifting the blockade of Artsakh, preventing the establishment of an Azerbaijani checkpoint and providing real guarantees for the security of the people of Artsakh. We expect effective steps to solve the security and humanitarian problems faced by the people of Artsakh in the shortest possible time, the absence of which will allow the government and the people of Artsakh to decide what to do next." 11:25 Water Metro is a unique urban mass transit system with the same experience and ease of travel as that of the conventional metro system. It is very useful in cities like Kochi. According to the officials, the Modi government has made a conscious choice to avoid a one-size fits all approach in providing infrastructure and connectivity. A prime example of this approach is seen in the expansion of metro connectivity in the country. The officials further detailed the differences between the various forms of Metro systems. "Metro Lite is a low-cost Mass Rapid Transit System with the same experience and ease of travel in terms of comfort, convenience, safety, punctuality, reliability, and environment friendliness as that of the conventional metro system," they said. They further said that it is a low-cost mobility solution for tier-2 cities and smaller cities with peak hour peak direction traffic up to 15,000. "Metro Lite costs 40 per cent of a conventional metro system. It is being planned in cities such as Jammu, Srinagar and Gorakhpur," officials said. "Metro Neo has rubber tyred electric coaches powered by overhead traction system running on a road slab with exclusive right of way, with the same experience and ease of travel in terms of comfort, convenience, safety, punctuality, reliability and environment friendliness as that of the conventional metro system," they added. Also, Metro Neo is being planned in Maharashtra's Nasik. "Metro Neo resembles an electric bus trolley and can cater to a ridership of up to 8,000 peak hour peak direction traffic. It does not require a standard gauge track. Metro Neo is being planned in Nasik, Maharashtra," they said. -- ANI Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation India's first Water Metro during his visit to Kerala on April 25, in the government's bid to boost the ease of living in the cities, officials said on Sunday. Panchayats are one of the foundations of Indian democracy and to emphasise this, National Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated on April 24 every year. It denotes the decentralisation of power to ordinary people with the institutionalization of the Panchayati Raj, through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 which came into force with effect from that day. Indian cinema has often portrayed rural politics on screen and succeeded multiple times. On the eve of National Panchayati Raj Day, let's list the movies and series which ruled our hearts and educated us about the ground realities of rural panchayats. 'Swades' Ashutosh Gowarikar's directorial 'Swades' provides insight into the rural landscape in a beautiful way. Shah Rukh Khan, who returns from Nasa to find out his guardian, Kaveri Amma, decides to stay back in his motherland after understanding how much the nation needs him. From the caste system to the problems of Rural India this film covers it all. The movie makes us feel how even when our nation is not the most powerful nation in the world, we still have the ability to make it the world's no.1 country with honesty and hard work. 'Newton' The movie takes you on a journey to understand how hard it is to conduct elections at a rural level. The movie featuring Pankaj Tripathi and Rajkumar Rao in lead roles delivers a strong message on the nature of elections in the countryside. The way people assumed that every other government official Newton (Rajkumar Rao) is also there to earn money makes us ponder over the roots of the bribery in politics. 'Panchayat' The web series 'Panchayat' has given us moments to laugh, cry and think about the way people live in the countryside of the nation. The storyline is about Jitu an MBA aspirant preparing for his entrance exam while he serves as secretary in the Panchayat office of a district in Madhya Pradesh. The way Jitender Kumar (Jitu) connects with his fellow colleagues and the sarpanch of the village is a fun ride to watch as it also unfolds the ground reality of the proceedings of Panchayat. 'Bandit Queen' The real-life story of Phoolan Devi unfolds the dark side of people in power. Thakur men who were members of panchayat and were supposed to protect people committed sexual crimes against a woman. The movie haunts you but the fact that Phoolan Devi faced this with courage will inspire you to fight against evils present in society. 'Kaagaz' Actor Pankaj Tripathi brings us this social drama which narrates how hard it is to get official proof of your existence when the system is not ready to support you. The movie is based on a real-life incident when due to an error by Indian bureaucracy and a family tussle a person named Bharatlal Bihari was declared dead after 19 years. 'Peepli Live' The biggest problem with rural politics is the lack of coverage from mainstream media. 'Peepli Live' is a satirical take on an event when a person trying to commit suicide unexpectedly pulls the attention of Indian media and top officials. The movie gives the limelight to the way politicians use rural politics in times of elections. The Aamir Khan productions have been thought visionary of bringing this topic up. These projects delivered a better understanding of rural politics to the audience. (ANI) The 'Mimi' actor Kriti Sanon recently travelled by economy class and played with a kid in the plane. A paparazzo captured the scene and posted the video on his Instagram account which is winning the hearts of netizens. In the first video, Kriti was seen in a white dress and she wrapped a pink shawl over her. Wearing a black mask, the 'Bhediya' actor made her way amid people inside the plane. In another video, Kriti seemed to enjoy the company of a little one. She was holding the little munchkin's hands, throwing a flying kiss towards her. Her genuine gestures are winning the hearts of the netizens. Before Kriti, Deepika Padukone, Kartik Aaryan, Aamir Khan were also spotted in the economy class at various points of time. Kriti has an interesting line-up of movies in her kitty. Kriti teamed up with Tabu and Kareena Kapoor Khan for 'The Crew'. Diljit Dosanjh is also a part of the film. She has wrapped the shoot of a Maddock film, in which she has been cast opposite Shahid Kapoor. Kriti will also be seen in Om Raut's 'Adipurush', where she will portray the role of Sita. (ANI) Elnur Enveroglu 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 Sad?qov. 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 Sad?qov 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. Sparking a controversy, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Bhai Virendra has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of "conspiring" the terror attack in Poonch which led to the death of five Indian soldiers. Speaking to ANI, Virendra said, "This incident (Poonch) is quite similar to Pulwama. The conspiracy of the central government is clearly visible in it. Now, they (BJP) will try to raise the Hindu-Muslim issues. Just like the British's 'Divide and Rule', BJP too believes in creating unrest and looting". He added, "The attack on our soldiers is an unfortunate incident. But, the central government has to answer the allegations. I also want answers from Union Minister Amit Shah as well who is coming to Bihar in a week. Since the party (BJP) is losing ground in the state, he is coming to create unrest in the state". On April 20, an Army vehicle passing Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector was fired upon, by unidentified terrorists, likely through grenades, which lead to the death of five soldiers. Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles deployed for counterterrorism operations in the area lost their lives in the incident, the Army said. The mortal remains of all five soldiers were brought to their native village on Saturday. As per sources, the terrorists are suspected to have been from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 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. (ANI) Terming the Indus Water Treaty as the "purest" treaty in the world, Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat on Saturday slammed Pakistan for violating it by showing "dual precedence". Speaking to ANI, Shekhawat said, "After partition, Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan regarding the distribution of water. It is the purest treaty, out of all the water treaties in the world. Even after three full-fledged wars, India has kept the sanctity of the treaty which shows India's character". He slammed Pakistan for showing "dual precedence" and violating the rules of the treaty. "Recently, Pakistan challenged India's rights and demanded a third party to look into the matter. The World Bank also approved it. But, at the same time, Pakistan had also approached the International Court of Justice. This dual precedence is against the treaty," he said. The Union Minister added, "India has registered its objection against it at the World Bank. The matter is being discussed, and let's wait for the decision from there for deciding upon the future course of action". On being asked why Pakistan is making such statements while undergoing an economic crisis, Shekhawat said, "For understanding this, we have to listen to the Pakistan minister's remark. It will show why Pakistan is undergoing crisis, and why is it making such statements. India issued notice to Pakistan on January 25 for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of September 1960 after Islamabad's actions adversely impinged the provisions of the treaty, according to sources. The notice was conveyed on January 25 through respective Commissioners for Indus Waters as per Article XII (3) of the IWT. The objective of the notice for modification, according to sources, is to provide Pakistan with an opportunity to enter into intergovernmental negotiations within 90 days to rectify the material breach of the IWT. This process would also update IWT to incorporate the lessons learned over the last 62 years. India has always been a responsible partner in implementing the IWT. Pakistan's actions, however, have encroached on the provisions of IWT and their implementation and forced India to issue an appropriate notice for modification of IWT. In 2015, Pakistan requested the appointment of a Neutral Expert to examine its technical objections to India's Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs). In 2016, Pakistan unilaterally retracted this request and proposed that a Court of Arbitration adjudicate its objections. Pakistan, despite repeated efforts by India to find a mutually agreeable way forward, has refused to discuss the issue during the five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022. The World Bank at Pakistan's continued insistence initiated actions on both the Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes. Such parallel consideration of the same issues is not covered under any provision of IWT. The World Bank in October 2022, made appointments in two separate processes requested by India and Pakistan in relation to the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants. It appointed a chairman of the Court of Arbitration and a neutral expert "in line with its responsibilities" under the Indus Waters Treaty. A World Bank release said that the two countries disagree over whether the technical design features of the two hydroelectric plants contravene the Treaty. Michel Lino was appointed as the Neutral Expert and Sean Murphy was appointed as Chairman of the Court of Arbitration. They will carry out their duties in their individual capacity as subject matter experts and independently of any other appointments they may currently hold, the release said. (ANI) 'Oban' - one of the male Namibian cheetahs, who ran away from the Kuno National Park and was heading towards the Uttar Pradesh border, was rescued and brought back, informed the forest officials. Notably, it has been reported multiple times that the cheetahs flee from the national park towards the village areas of Sheopur. On Saturday, the Oban went towards the Karaira tehsil, which comes under the Shivpuri district. From there, he was moving towards the Uttar Pradesh border. But the monitoring team keeps a watch over the movement of the cheetah throughout the 24 hours and keeps on informing the senior officials and experts. Based on this, the team of experts and officials of the national park, conducted a joint rescue operation. The Oban was tranquillized and brought back to Kuno National Park. Prakash Kumar Verma, the DFO of Kuno Forest Zoological Division said, "Oban was leaving the Madhav National Park and going towards the Uttar Pradesh border from Karaira. There was no forest where Oban was moving, and he was tranquillized in the Karaira area around 5.30 pm. Now he is being brought back to Kuno". Earlier on April 7 also, the team of the Forest Department rescued an Oban from the Bairad area of Shivpuri district and brought it to Kuno, which was released in the Palpur area of Kuno. Then again on April 16, an Oban left Kuno and wandered through the forests of the Bairad area of Shivpuri and reached the Madhav National Park. And since then was residing there only, the officials added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia at Kuno National Park on September 17, last year. The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952 but 8 cheetahs (5 females and 3 males) were brought from Africa's Namibia as part of 'Project Cheetah' and the government's efforts to revitalise and diversify the country's wildlife and habitat. (ANI) Hours after Angkita Dutta was expelled by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) for six years for "anti-party activities", Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Assam, Debabrata Saikia on Saturday accused the former youth president of "crossing her limits". "Today AICC has expelled Angkita Dutta from the party for six years for anti-party activities. She had crossed all the limits. She was told that all her grievances will be taken to the party's high command, as currently, all the leaders are busy campaigning. But, she didn't stick to the advice. She went ahead and got an FIR registered against the IYC president. This will affect the party," Saikia alleged in a self-made video on Saturday. "Though, she claims that she informed the higher leadership. She was asked to explain her conduct through the show-cause notice, but no proof was given by her. After this, the AICC president had to take the step and she has to undergo the consequences," he added. Saikia's remarks came hours after Dutta was expelled from the APCC. Earlier on Thursday, APCC President Bhupen Kumar Borah issued a show-cause notice to Angkita Dutta and sought an explanation in a short time. The show cause notice came hours after Angkita Dutta filed a complaint against Srinivas BV at Dispur police station in Guwahati. According to Assam Police, a case was registered at Dispur Police Station under sections 509, 294, 341, 352, 354, 354A (iv), 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Read With (RW) Section 67 of The Information Technology Act. In her complaint, Angkita alleged Srinivas BV of "harassing" and "discriminating" against her for the past six months. A top source of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) told ANI that APCC on Thursday issued a show cause notice to Angkita Dutta and gave her two days' time for her reply. On April 18, taking to Twitter, Angkita Dutta said, "@IYC President @srinivasiyc has continually harnessed me 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". "I am a four generations congressmen. I have contest internal organisation twice, make booth committee, beaten by police. My education from Pol Sc to LLB in Delhi Uni, to PhD in Guwahati University. We keep quiet for the sake of the party. But harassment doesn't stop by Srinivas," she said in another tweet. (ANI) He was speaking to the reporters after offering Namaz at the Hazratbal Mosque in Srinagar on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Fitr. "Now that the investigation has started regarding the Poonch terror attack, innocents should not be arrested. It should be taken special care of. Many innocents are arrested and then tortured. This is the wrong method," Farooq Abdullah said. "I don't want the innocent people to suffer," he stressed. On April 20, an Army vehicle passing Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector was fired upon by unidentified terrorists, through grenades, which lead to the death of five soldiers. Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles deployed for counterterrorism operations lost their lives in the incident, the Army said. The mortal remains of all five soldiers were brought to their native village on Saturday. As per sources, the terrorists are suspected to have been from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 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. (ANI) National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning, said Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill after 'Waris Punjab De' chief's arrest. "NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morning...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode," said Sukhchain Singh Gill. He said that the Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher was arrested in a joint operation by Punjab police and the intelligence wing. "Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh, Assam and further action will be taken as per law and order in the case. A warning has been issued against those elements trying to jeopardise the peace and harmony of the state," he said. "...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didn't enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA...", the IGP said. 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh, who was arrested on early Sunday morning, was brought to Air Force Station, Bathinda by Punjab Police from where he will be shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh. Papalpreet Singh, a close aide of fugitive Khalistan sympathiser was also arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) on April 10. Soon after the arrest of the Waris Punjab De chief from Moga's Gurudwara, Punjab Police urged people to maintain peace and harmony and refrain from sharing any fake news. The police said that details about the arrest will be shared and the people should verify any news before sharing. "Amritpal Singh arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by #PunjabPolice Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, Don't share any fake news, always verify and share," Punjab Police tweeted. Earlier on Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah when asked about Amritpal Singh's arrest and that he has been absconding for a long, said, "It may happen sometime. Earlier he used to roam freely, but now he cannot carry on with his activities." Two more aides of Amritpal Singh were arrested at Mohali in Punjab, in a joint operation by Punjab and Delhi Police on April 18. On April 15, Punjab Police arrested his close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in the Fatehgarh Sahib district. Another close aid of the pro khalistani leader, Papalpreet Singh was arrested on April 10, in an operation conducted by Punjab Police and its counter-intelligence unit. The radical leader had been declared a "fugitive" while he was on a run earlier in March. 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh has been declared a fugitive. His two cars were seized and gunmen nabbed. We also checked if the firearms of his security escorts had been procured legally. A case has been registered. Punjab Police have launched a manhunt for Amritpal Singh and we are hopeful that he will be arrested soon. A total of 78 people have been arrested so far and further searches and raids are underway," Chahal said in an exclusive interview with ANI. Almost a month ago the Punjab police issued a lookout circular (LOC) and non-bailable warrant (NBW) against 'Waris Punjab De' chief. 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) Bullets were found at the spot in Bhimber Gali in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch where five soldiers lost their lives in the terror attack on April 20. The Rajouri-Poonch Highway from the Surankot side was opened. Earlier on Friday, the Indian Army launched a massive operation to hunt down a group of around six to seven terrorists who are behind this attack. "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," defence sources told ANI. Sources said that this group was involved in the ambush of the Indian Army vehicle yesterday in the Poonch sector where five soldiers were killed. As a follow up the Indian Army has launched multiple operations to nab the terror group. "Multiple special forces teams along with drones and surveillance helicopters have been rushed to the area to help carry out search and destroy ops there," the sources said. The security forces including the Army, Police and Intelligence Agencies are coordinating the operations. As per the sources, the terrorists are suspected to be from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and from Pakistan. The deceased soldiers were identified as havildar Mandeep Singh, lance naik Debashish Baswal, lance naik Kulwant Singh, sepoy Harkrishan Singh and Sepoy Sewak Singh were attached with the army's Rashtriya Rifles unit and were deployed for counterterrorist operations in the area. The incident occurred after an Army vehicle they were travelling in was fired upon by terrorists in the Rajouri sector in Jammu leading to the death of five soldiers, and injuring another. Operations were launched to trace the perpetrators. The Army vehicle was moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in the Poonch district. (ANI) In a tweet, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju informed that in Arunachal Pradesh, 254 4G mobile towers have been dedicated to the nation. This high-speed internet facility to 336 remote villages will transform the lives of the people, he added. "Momentous occasion for the people of #ArunachalPradesh as 254 4G mobile towers were dedicated to the nation. This high-speed internet facility to 336 remote villages will transform the lives of the people. The border people are extending their gratitude to PM @narendramodi Ji," Rijiju tweeted on Saturday. Responding to the tweet, the Prime Minister tweeted, "Excellent news for furthering connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh." In a joint effort between the government of India and Arunachal Pradesh, 254 4G mobile towers were dedicated to the public in the northeastern state on Saturday. Union Minister for Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, and Union Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan were present during the launch event. The mobile towers will cover 336 villages and benefit thousands of residents in Arunachal Pradesh. The beneficiaries shall be able to access to high-speed network connectivity to residents living in remote parts across the state. Separately, over 1,310 Gram Panchayats have been connected with optical fibre under Bharat Net scheme and over 1,156 more mobile towers have been planned to bring digital inclusion. The 5G services have been recently launched in Itanagar and shall be extended to other areas. Notably, telecom service providers in India started providing high-speed 5G services in the country in October 2022. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Khandu said since 2014, there has been an infrastructural change in his state which has resulted in a transformation. Digital inclusion has helped in removing corruption and e-governance, he said. (ANI) Police arrest arrested the person who wrote a letter threatening to launch a suicide bomb attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Kochi scheduled for April 24. The accused has been identified as Xavier, said the police on Sunday. On Saturday, Kerala BJP chief K Surendran said that he had received a letter last week about a conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit Kerala. While talking to ANI, Kochi City Police Commissioner, K Sethu Raman said, "The person who sent the threat letter against the Prime Minister was arrested. Xavier, the accused was arrested yesterday. The reason is personal enmity. He wrote the letter to trap his neighbour. We found him with the help of forensics." "Tight security has been arranged for the Prime Minister arriving in Kochi. 2060 policemen have been appointed for this purpose. As part of this, traffic control has also been imposed from 2 pm," the Commissioner added. "15,000 people are expected at the Prime Minister's roadshow and 20,000 at the Yuvam-23 event. The participants of Yuvam-23 can bring mobile phones only," the Commissioner further stated. 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: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod. 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) K Sethu Raman, Kochi City Police Commissioner and other officials attended the meeting on Sunday. Earlier, Kerala BJP chief K Surendran received a letter last week about a conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit Kerala. Kerala Police and security agencies launched a probe into a letter threatening to launch a suicide bomb attack on PM Modi. The PM will reach Kochi on April 24 and hold a roadshow. He will attend "yuvam" programme where he will interact with young voters. 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. PM Modi will lay the foundation stone and dedicate various projects to the nation worth more than Rs 3200 crores. 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. 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. (ANI) Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has distributed footage of the moment in which Armenians illegally import military cargo from Armenia to the territory of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. "On April 22, at about 20:00, our cameras in the Lachin region recorded movement in a convoy belonging to Armenia of 2 KamAZ tow trucks, 1 KamAZ truck crane, 1 UAZ-3151 car and 1 UAZ-Patriot car with one residential container each. The video footage shows that a convoy of cars moving from the village of Kornidzor of Armenia enters the territory of Azerbaijan through a new bridge on the Khekari River, built on the conditional Azerbaijani-Armenian border. It should be noted that Russian peacekeepers created conditions for the import of military goods from Armenia to the territory of Azerbaijan. After the cars returned later and stopped on the Lachin-Khankendi road in Armenia, on the border with Azerbaijan, 2 residential containers were unloaded to a pre-prepared place using a truck crane. During the observation, the establishment of a border checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road on the border with Azerbaijan was revealed, which unilaterally violates the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020 by Armenia," the ministry said in a statement. Uttarakhand government on Sunday issues an alert stating that in view of the rain and snowfall in Kedarnath Dham in past few days, devotees are requested to be careful and start the yatra according to the weather forecast. "It may be noted that intermittent rain and snowfall continue in Kedarnath Dham. All the devotees coming to Kedarnath Dham from the country and abroad have been informed by the government to check the weather forecast before going to Kedarnath Dham and have been asked to carry enough warm clothes," the government stated. "There was heavy snowfall in Kedarnath Dham yesterday. Pilgrims are requested to be alert and begin their yatra by looking at the weather," said Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar. It has been said by the government that adequate health arrangements have been made on all the travel routes. Passengers can also visit the nearest health centre immediately after starting the journey or if their health deteriorates during the journey and consult a doctor. The state government is determined to make the journey smooth, safe and uninterrupted. The travel arrangements are being regularly monitored from a higher level. On the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya on Saturday the Char Dham Yatra began. This time the state government is making every possible effort to make the Char Dham Yatra smooth and safe for the devotees. The pilgrims will get the best health services on the Yatra route. On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Health Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, Health Secretary Dr R.K. Rajesh Kumar is taking stock of the health services on the Char Dham Yatra route. In this episode, the Health Secretary is inspecting health units at various places by travelling to Kedarnath Dham. Health Secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar said that the Health Department has made complete preparations during the Chardham Yatra. "Guidelines ie SOP have been issued for the journey. In this, travellers have been suggested to acclimatize their bodies to the mountain weather during the journey. If you are facing difficulty then rest for some time and only then travel," he said. The Health Secretary said that the government welcomes all the pilgrims coming for the yatra. But at the same time, there is an appeal that if the devotees above 55 years of age are suffering from any disease like sugar, BP, heart disease etc., then mention it. He said that such devotees would be monitored through 104. According to the Health Secretary, this time the government has a special focus on the Kedarnath pilgrimage route. 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. (ANI) Hours after 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh was arrested, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said that action will be taken against those who try to disrupt the country's peace and law. Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher Amritpal Singh who was absconding for over a month will be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam, informed Punjab Police sources. Addressing a press conference, Mann said, "...It had been 35 days. Today Amritpal Singh was arrested. Action will be taken against those who try to disrupt the country's peace and law. We will not disturb any innocent person. We don't do vendetta politics..." He further thanked the people for maintaining peace and harmony in the state and said that even though there have been multiple efforts to disrupt the harmony, it has not been successful. Mentioning the incident in Ajnala, he said that some people had brought the palanquin in which the Guru Granth Sahib is carried and made it a shield and went inside the police station. "In front of the police station in Ajnala, some people had brought the palanquin in which the Guru Granth Sahib is carried and made it a shield and went inside the police station. On that day also instructions were given to DGP that no matter what happens, the dignity of Guru Granth Sahib and his honour should not be affected. Neither did we use any water cannons nor did we throw pebbles. Although some police personnel were definitely injured. We will do anything for the respect and honour of Guru Granth Sahib that is in the people's minds. The Punjab Police was praised for controlling the situation with great restraint," he said. Meanwhile, security was stepped up outside Dibrugarh airport in Assam ahead of Amritpal's arrival. Amritpal has been on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. Earlier, Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill said that National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning. "NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morning...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode," said Sukhchain Singh Gill. He said that the Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher was arrested in a joint operation by Punjab police and the intelligence wing. "Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh, Assam and further action will be taken as per law and order in the case. A warning has been issued against those elements trying to jeopardise the peace and harmony of the state," he said. "...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didn't enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA...", the IGP said. 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) Border Roads Organisation organised Ekta Shradhanjali Abhiyan' motorcycle rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar on Sunday to commemorate the sacrifices and contribution of BRO workers in nation building. The rally started from the BEACON headquarters in Srinagar. The rally was conducted also to mark the 64th Raising Day of BRO and collect soil, water and plant saplings from various rivers and mountains along the bike rally route and then send those samples to the BRO centre in school Pune. The bike rally started from the BRO office in Srinagar and will go towards Jawahar Tunnel and then towards Chandigarh and then towards Pune. During the event, Major Udhay Mishra, a participant, stated that the event was organised for the people who worked away from home and sacrificed life for the country. "We are sending saplings of plant and clay to Pune to make the memorial site. Youth should also take part in such events to be active," he said. Another participant in the rally, Jaseep Singh said that the rally was organised to celebrate the BRO day and urged the youth to stand with the development of Kashmir. Brig. Saket Singh (Chief Engineer Project Beacon BRO) highlighted adventure as a very important and effective tool for an organisation. "The event was organised to keep morale and motivation high. With the motto of unity and appreciation for the efforts of people who sacrificed themselves for the country, they collected water from every river, saplings of plants and clay to send to pune for the memorial site," he said. On this occasion, senior officers of the Border Roads organization were also present. Around 8 bikers from the Border Roads Organization (BRO) took part in Ekta Shradhanjali Abhiyan' motorcycle rally. (ANI) After Khalistan sympathiser and 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh was arrested by Punjab Police, the father of the radical preacher Tarsem Singh said Amritpal was working to save people from the drug menace in the State. Amritpal was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga district in Punjab on Sunday morning and shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam. "Through TV we came to know that he surrendered before the Police. We too wanted the same because people were being harassed due to him. We will fight the case. The entire community should fight it. He was working to save people from the drug menace; an offer has been made to us for it..." Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh told ANI. Amritpal Singh's mother Balwinder Kaur said, "We saw the news and came to know that he has surrendered. I felt proud that he surrendered like a warrior...We will fight a legal battle and we will also go and meet him at the earliest." 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh has been shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam amid tight security. He was arrested by police from Moga district in Punjab on Sunday early morning and was taken to Dibrugarh Airport via flight during the afternoon hours. Since Amritpal was shifted to Dibrugarh jail, security was stepped up ahead of his arrival in Assam. Hours after his arrest, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that action will be taken against those who try to disrupt the country's law and order. Amritpal was on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. The Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher Amritpal Singh's other associates are also lodged at Dibrugarh jail. Papalpreet Singh a close aide of the fugitive Khalistan leader was brought to Assam's Dibrugarh Central Jail on April 11 after he was arrested. Earlier in March, pro-Khalistan supporters and associates of Amritpal Singh were shifted out of Punjab after Central Intelligence agencies raised concerns over possible jailbreak and repeat of the Ajnala incident. Earlier on Sunday, the Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) said that National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning. "NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morning...Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode," said Sukhchain Singh Gill. He said that the Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher was arrested in a joint operation by Punjab police and the intelligence wing. "Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh, Assam and further action will be taken as per law and order in the case. A warning has been issued against those elements trying to jeopardise the peace and harmony of the state," he said. "...Amritpal Singh was arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and the Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didn't enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA...", the IGP said. Earlier, the radical leader had been declared a "fugitive" as he was on the run earlier in March. 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) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for India's first Digital Science Park in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district on April 25, marking a milestone in Kerala's transformation into a knowledge economy, said an official release on Sunday. According to the government release, the third-generation Science Park will come up close to the Digital University of Kerala at Technopark Phase IV - Technocity in the state capital. "Located adjacent to the Kerala University of Digital Sciences Innovation and Technology, (Digital University of Kerala- DUK) in around 14 acres of land, the Rs 1,500+ crore Digital Science Park project has been conceived as a multidisciplinary cluster-based interactive - innovation zone focused on digital technologies. The project is to be completed in two years", reads the statement. The Park will become operational with the launch of its first centre on electronics system design focusing on analogue and mixed-signal systems, VLSI, AI processors and allied areas. According to the statement, UK-based semiconductor and software design company ARM has signed an agreement with Digital University Kerala on the academic, research and startup-related activities as part of this centre. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan, Minister for Transport, Government of Kerala Adv Antony Raju, Minister for Railways, Government of Kerala V Abdurahiman and Member of Parliament Dr Shashi Tharoor will join the function scheduled at 11.00 am, at the Central Stadium here. In the 2022-23 budget, the state government announced the establishment of a Digital Science Park adjacent to DUK at an area of 10 lakh sq. ft. in two blocks. Out of the total project outlay, Rs 200 crore has been already allotted by the Government of Kerala and the remaining amount will be generated from other sources including industry partners, the statement said. "The University of Manchester, The University of Oxford and The University of Edinburgh have also signed MoUs with DUK to engage in the development of the Digital Science Park", reads the statement. According to the statement, the park will initially have two buildings with a total area of 2,00,000 sq. ft. The first one spread across 1,50,000 sq. ft., will have five floors, housing Centre of Excellence (CoEs) including research labs and a digital incubator, while the second building will house administrative as well as Digital Experience centre. The Digital Science Park will start its operations from the 10,000 sq. ft space in Kabani located at Technopark Phase IV within the next couple of months, as per the release. The release further added that the Park will develop and leverage on network overlay of communications built over a triple helix involving Universities, industry and the government. Initially, Digital Science Park will facilitate industry and business units as well as technology startups from the domains of Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, electronics, smart hardware, and sustainable and smart materials." One of the four thematic pillars of the Digital Science Park is Digital Industry, focusing on industry 4.0, covering Electronics, Semiconductors and very-large-scale integration (VLSI) and 5G communications, Smart materials and Medical materials, the statement added. "While Digital Applications with a focus on e-mobility and digital health will be the second pillar, Digital Deeptech with a focus on AI, Blockchain and security, Geo-and sustainable informatics is the third dimension and Digital Entrepreneurship with a focus on creating new products, capacity and jobs is its fourth thematic pillar", the statement said. The statement further added, "These thematic pillars will translate into high-end research labs and facilities which will include cleanrooms, material characterisation facilities, integrated sensor labs, energy labs, motor and drives labs, RF and wireless testing labs, unconventional computing centres, high-end data centres, robotics labs, electronic design centre, software development labs, informatics and computing labs, and Blockchain and cybersecurity labs." Similarly, the Centre for AI will focus on both the hardware and software aspects of responsible AI, where the leading multinational technology company NVIDIA is expected to join as a partner, it added. (ANI) Central intelligence agencies will interrogate 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh, who was arrested by the Punjab Police on Sunday and later sent to Assam's Dibrugarh jail. The self-styled preacher was evading Punjab Police since March 18. Nine of Amritpal's aides who were arrested earlier were also lodged in Dibrugarh jail. "Amritpal has been kept in a separate cell, distant from his accomplices who are also in same jail after they were arrested during Punjab Police crackdown," a senior official told ANI. The official added that a team of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and other Central Intelligence agencies would reach Dibrugarh jail to question Amritpal. "He will be questioned on his association with his sympathisers and his source of funding. Because intelligence agencies have got a lot of inputs regarding his association with handlers in Pakistan and other countries," the official said. "We have asked Assam Police to beef up security around jail premises and visitors to the jail to be thoroughly frisked and their details to be kept in record. Apart from state police, Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) is also deployed in the periphery of jail premises," he added. A special chartered flight from Bathinda Airport accompanied by a team of Punjab police took off at 8.25 am and reached the Dibrugarh Airport at 2.20 pm. They were received by senior Assam Police officers at the airport and he was immediately taken to Dibrugarh Jail where he was kept in a cell after a medical examination. Earlier on Sunday, Amritpal was arrested from a Gurudwara in the Moga district of Punjab and reportedly also addressed a gathering before his arrest. According to the officials, the arrest was done by combined efforts of the Punjab Police and Central intelligence agencies. (ANI) According to a senior DGCA official, Kestrel Aviation Augusta 119 helicopter VT-RNK was picking up the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) team from Kedarnath helipad on Sunday when the incident took place. While boarding the helicopter with rotors running one passenger walked into the tail rotor and sustained fatal injuries, said the officials. The official added that they have ordered a detailed investigation into the matter. They are coordinating with UCADA members to get more details into the incident, the officials said. A man was killed after being hit by the rotor blades of a helicopter in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath on Sunday, officials said. According to the officials, the deceased was an officer of UCADA. The incident happened at a Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd (GMVN) helipad at around 2.15 pm on Sunday. The officers had gone to take stock of the travel arrangements. "The man came in the range of the rotor blades of a helicopter. He died on the spot," Rudraprayag SP Visakha Ashok told ANI. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday addressed an event in Bhopal on Parshuram Jayanti and said that government will not control any activities of temples. In his address, CM Chouhan said, "We have decided that the government will not have any control over the activities of the temples and the auction of temple land will be done by priests and not by collectors. CM also praised the Brahmins for protecting religion and culture and announced to set up of a 'Brahmin Welfare Board'. "Brahmins have always protected religion and culture, so for their welfare, we will set up 'Brahmin Welfare Board', he said. Earlier, CM stopped his convoy midway after seeing an overturned car and inquired about the accident victims on a VIP road in the state capital Bhopal on Saturday morning. CM Chouhan reached the spot in a pilot vehicle and asked the injured youths about their health condition. The chief minister also gave instructions to take youths to the hospital on the occasion. Chouhan was heard saying, "Do they get hurt too much? Take them to the hospital." He then reached the youths and asked them, are they from Bhopal? Chouhan blessed them and instructed the officials present on the spot to take the injured to the hospital immediately. (ANI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday reacted to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statement after vacating his official residence and said that Gandhi made a statement because anyone who speaks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Adani will have to pay for it. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday vacated his official bungalow and said that he is ready to pay any price for speaking the truth. The move comes after the disqualification of the former Lok Sabha MP. "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. For some days I will be staying at 10 Janpath," said Rahul Gandhi after the handover. Talking to the media, CM Baghel said, "The statement made by Rahul Gandhi is very serious because anyone who speaks against PM Modi or Adani will have to pay for it and the membership will be terminated." Baghel related the incident to Satyalpal Malik's allegation and that this is not a new incident, it has happened earlier also. "The first incident is that of Satyapal Malik when he raised his voice, CBI is taking action against him," he said. Satyapal Malik has been called by the Central Bureau of Investigation as part of the investigation into an alleged insurance scam. Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party, Baghel said, "In all the non-BJP ruled states, if someone talks against the Centre, ED and IT swung into action." Satyapal earlier said, "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," when asked about the alleged insurance scam involving Reliance General Insurance. He had earlier alleged the involvement of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary in the matter. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah noted that there was no relation between Satyapal's summons and his allegations against the 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. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached Kashi and offered prayers at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham during a one-day tour ahead of the municipal elections on Sunday. At the outset of his tour, CM Yogi visited Kal Bhairav Temple and Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham to offer prayers from Police Line Helipad. CM Yogi prayed to Baba Vishwanath through the Shodshopachar method for the party's victory in the civic elections. Chief Minister was welcomed by the temple administration by providing him with Angavastram. After this, CM Yogi reached the regional office of the Bhartiya Janata Party located in Rohaniya. CM Yogi reached the BJP office and garlanded the statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. He interacted with the mayoral candidate Ashok Tiwari along with the authorized BJP councillor candidates for all the 100 wards at the party office. During his interaction, he asked all the candidates to conduct door to door campaign to reach out to people. The Chief Minister said that all the candidates should go to the people and tell them about the development works being done in the country and the state, including Varanasi. The CM told the candidates to explain to the people the effectiveness of the double-engine government and also inform them about the benefits of triple engine government. A large number of party leaders including BJP District President Hansraj Vishwakarma were present on the occasion. Varanasi will go to polls on May 4, in the first phase of the municipal elections to be held in Uttar Pradesh. (ANI) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved a major milestone by jumping 17 places in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) issued by the World Bank. Among 160 countries, the kingdom has advanced to the rank 38th in the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index after achieving wide leaps in performance efficiency through several sub-indicators, most notably the indexes of logistics competence and quality, tracking and tracing, timeliness, customs, infrastructure, and international shipments. Lauding the achievement, Minister of Transport and Logistics Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser said this milestone could be achieved only due to the support and empowerment of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He also highlighted the ambitious goals of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which Prince Mohammed bin Salman had recently launched, and the broad structural reforms and qualitative strategic initiatives it includes. Al Jasser indicated that strategies employed in the sector have had a significant impact and have radically transformed the transport and logistics system. It has profoundly enhanced operational efficiency across every sector's performance in accordance with international indicators, and has enhanced the kingdom's position as a global logistics hub, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu praised the efforts of doctors and healthcare workers in serving society on Sunday. The Chief Minister was presiding over the silver jubilee function of the Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) organized at Dev Sanskriti Sadan in Mandi. CM said that the state government has implemented radical reforms in the medical field and the results would be visible in a year to come. CM Sukhu said that for dental doctors, under the Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Scheme, a provision of a 50 per cent subsidy has been made for the purchase of medical equipment. Robotic surgery will be introduced in the four medical colleges and the government is moving in this direction. CM highlighted the government's efforts to provide modern medical facilities to the people of the state. Despite the challenging economic situation in the state. Chief Minister assured and said, "There would be no shortage of funds for development. Today every Himachali has a debt of Rs. 92,840 and financial benefits of the employees are also due". Chief Minister Sukhu also informed that the state government was making efforts to reduce carbon emissions. CM said, "E-vehicles will be used in all government departments in three years and the diesel buses fleet of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) will be transformed into e-buses in a phased manner. The government has made a provision of a 50 per cent subsidy to the youth on the purchase of e-bus, e-taxi, e-truck and e-goods carriers. Along with this, the state government is going to provide 40 per cent financial assistance for solar power projects with capacities ranging from 250 KW to 2 MW". "Demonstrating strong willpower and giving priority to the self-esteem of the employees, the state government has reinstated the old pension", he added. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr (Col) Dhani Ram Shandil said that doctors, para-medical staff and ASHA workers have played an important role in protecting humanity during the Covid-19 era. Along with this, the health workers of the state have also done a commendable job in Covid-19 vaccination. Appreciating the first budget of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the minister said that special attention has been laid on the health sector. Earlier, Association President Dr Anupam Badhan welcomed Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and thanked him for reinstating the old pension. Along with this, he gave detailed information about the activities of the association. Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) also presented a cheque of Rs. 21 lakhs to CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu towards the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. A cultural program was also presented on the occasion, for which the Chief Minister announced Rs. 25,000. Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Anil Sharma and Chandrashekhar, former Ministers Kaul Singh Thakur and Prakash Chaudhary, senior Congress leaders Sohan Lal Thakur, Champa Thakur, Pawan Thakur, Naresh Chauhan, Chet Ram Thakur, Jeevan Thakur, Mahesh Raj, Surendra Pal Thakur, Sanjeev were also attended the program. Guleria, Dr Pushpind Verma, Director of Health Services Dr Gopal Beri, Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chowdhary, SP Soumya Sambasivan and other dignitaries, office bearers and members of HMOA were also present on the occasion. (ANI) Ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka, the only southern state where the Bharatiya Janata Party is in power, seems to throw all its efforts into the poll campaign aiming for the second consecutive term. The party's mega election campaign is likely to get a boost with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the State on April 29. According to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, PM Modi will start his campaign from Belgavi. He will visit Chikodi, Kittur and Kudachi in Belagavi, one of the biggest districts of Karnataka. Prime Miniter will also visit Uttara Kannada district. The PM will also visit the poll-bound State on May 3. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was on a three-day visit to Karnataka starting on Sunday. Shah will visit Sri Chamundeshwari Devi Temple on Monday. He will hold a roadshow in Hassan on Monday. On April 25, Shah will address public rallies at Teradal in Bagalkot district, Devarhippargi in Vijayapura district and Yadagiri. He will also participate in a roadshow in Yadagiri. On the other hand, BJP president JP Nadda will embark on a three-day visit to Karnataka from Monday. He will participate in a roadshow in Sidlaghatta, Chikkaballapur district. He will also visit a temple at Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district and will address several public meetings. According to BJP sources, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address four election rallies on April 26 and 29 and on May 5 and 7. Union Minister Smriti Irani will address eight rallies between April 25 and May 6. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will hold four public meetings on April 26 and 30 and on May 6 and 7. Further, Assam Chief Miniter Himanta Biswa Sarma will address five public meetings between May 3 and 5. 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. (ANI) Delhi Commission for Women Chief Swati Maliwal on Sunday issued a notice to the police for reportedly failing to register an FIR in the matter of sexual harassment of women wrestlers, said a notice by DCW. They have complained to the Commission that they gave a written complaint to Delhi Police two days back but their FIR has not been registered yet, added the notice. Meanwhile, Delhi police said that seven complaints have been received so far, some from Delhi and some from outside. Inquiry is being done into all the complaints. FIR will be registered after concrete evidence comes to light, added the Delhi police. The Delhi Commission for Women has received a complaint regarding the sexual harassment of women wrestlers by Brijbhushan Singh, President of the Wrestling Federation of India. The complainant has informed the Commission that several women wrestlers including a minor have alleged that the accused person has indulged in the crime of sexual harassment against them during his tenure at the Wrestling Federation of India. The complainant has also informed the Commission that a complaint in this regard was submitted by them at PS Connaught Place on April 21, 2023. She has further informed that the SHO, Connaught Place on the complaint has taken no action. She also stated that when she called the SHO, Connaught Place to enquire about the status of the complaint on April 22, 2023, she was informed by him that no FIR has been filed and that action shall be taken on the complaint post-Monday. She further stated that when she asked him for assurance that the FIR shall be filed by Monday, he answered that he could not guarantee the same. Further, she has informed the Commission that instead of an FIR being filed in the matter, some of the complainants and their family members have started getting phone calls enquiring about the identities of the complainants from an IPS officer posted in the Department of Sports, MYAS. The complaints received by the Commission are attached herewith. (ANI) CM Dhami during the course of his visit also distributed relief cheques to 13 families of disaster-affected Bhainswara and Chhamrauli, officials said. Along with this, Chief Minister Dhami also announced the construction of the remaining 4 km of motorway from Kyara Dhanaulti road. During this, CM also directed the concerned officials to speed up the work to bring normalcy to the area. Villagers in Sarkhet and nearby areas suffered huge losses as the region witnessed heavy rainfall and subsequent floods in August last year. (ANI) The BJP's Jharkhand unit on Sunday launched a no-holds-barred attack on state Health Minister and Congress leader Banna Gupta after a video of his purported video chat with a woman went viral on social media. The minister, however, was quick to issue a clarification over the alleged video chat, terming it "fake and edited". Hitting out at the state Health minister over his alleged video chat, the BJP demanded his resignation and a probe into the matter. Sharing the viral clip of the minister's purported video chat with the woman, BJP MP from Jharkhand, Nishikant Dubey, claimed that the video exposed the true face of the Congress. Speaking to ANI, the spokesperson for the BJP in Jharkhand, Pratul Shahdeo, said the Congress should clarify its position on the "obscene and objectionable" video. "The viral video purportedly showing the Health minister is highly objectionable. Though the veracity of the clip hasn't been ascertained as yet, we want to know if it's real or fake. Since he is a member of the state cabinet headed by the chief minister (Hemant Soren), it is the CM's responsibility to order a probe to find out if the clip is real or fake," Shahdeo said. However, he said if the purported video turns out to be genuine, the minister should step down immediately. Meanwhile, the state Health minister hit back at the BJP over its "vindictive politics", claiming that the purported clip is part of a "conspiracy" to tarnish his image. Terming the purported video chat as "fake and edited", the minister released a statement saying that he has already filed an FIR in the matter. "A fake and edited video has been deliberately circulated on social media. It's quite clear that the video is photoshopped or has been edited through any other editing app. I have already filed an FIR in the matter. I will pursue legal action against those behind this fake video," the Congress leader said. (ANI) Congress leader and former AICC secretary Girish Chodankar has claimed that one MLA of the BJP in Goa has specially flown 100 people to Turkey to celebrate birthday by spending around Rs 23 crore. "Goa's most lavish 50th birthday is not being celebrated in Goa but in Turkey! A BJP MLA has specially flown 100 people, including businessmen, bureaucrats & well-wishers for the birthday. Cost: Rs 23 crore. Beef items & sumptuous menu," Chodankar tweeted on Sunday. "Lavish B'day!! The 5 day, all-inclusive birthday celebrations reflect BJP's hypocrisy. Beef is an Election Agenda for @BJP4India which differs from state to state. Can PM Narendra Modi tell his #mankibaat on this hypocrisy? And from where is this Aatmanirbhar finance of Rs 23 crore coming?" he questioned in the tweet. Speaking to IANS, Chodankar said that soon after coming to power in 2014, Narendra Modi government had announced to adopt austerity measures. However, BJP's MLAs seem not to follow them. "Though birthday celebrations are their personal thing, still people should understand how the money is spent in crores on such celebrations. Where does this money come from?" he questioned. Chodankar, also former Congress chief of Goa, said that businessmen, bureaucrats and well wishers of this BJP MLA have gone to Turkey in different flights. "I have confirmed this from my source and only then tweeted after getting several calls on this," he said. "In Goa, people are suffering due to unemployment and other many issues. But our elected representatives are not bothered. They are busy spending crores on their birthday parties, that too in foreign countries," he said. --IANS sbk/pgh ( 281 Words) 2023-04-23-20:36:02 (IANS) Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist Associations came in support of Dalai Lama alleging China is behind the "ill-spreading" of the video against Dalai Lama to tarnish his image. The Tibetan spiritual leader has apologised following the controversy over his viral video. After the Dalai Lama's video of purportedly kissing a boy went viral, a group of Tibetan leaders and activists from across the globe, expressed their solidarity and support for him. The Himalayan Buddhist Association has also decided to file a defamation suit against those who have spread the video. The Tibetan Buddhist has also sought support from PM Narendra Modi and other world leaders. The legislator of Lahaul-Spiti and President of one of the Buddhist associations said that he has also sought an investigation from the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and the government of India. "I feel that whatever incident has happened, it was misled by the media, I ask the Himachal Pradesh government to form an SIT. We have already made it final to file defamation. For this we shall also take permission from the private office of the His Holiness, we also want the religious opinion and blessing from the His Holiness before moving the defamation suit in the court of law for justice," said Ravi Thakur, a Buddhist leader and Congress MLA. The Buddhist Associations of Tibetan in exile in the Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh are also alleging China's hand behind this attempt to defame the Dalai lama, he said. "We shall write a letter from our Buddhist community to the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh and the prime minister of India to investigate the matter. We will ask all Buddhist communities across the globe to collect support for our Buddhist Teacher. We definitely suspect China is behind this. China is doing this because they want to capture Tibet fully," Thakur added. The Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti Buddh Sewa Sangh Shimla, Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti Students Welfare Association Shimla, Indo Tibet Friendship Society Shimla, Bhurat Tibet Samanvya Sangh Shimla Regional Tibetan Women Association and Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Shimla would like to release press statement collectively regarding the recent viral video on His Holiness the 14 Dalai Lama and its misinterpretation. View of the recent viral video that has become an internet sensation where His 14 Dalai Lama is seen kissing a child has grossly been spread. The video was completely tailored and edited to defame His Holiness Dalai Lama, claimed the Buddhist associations in the Press Conference. (ANI) Following a thorough risk analysis by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), employees of government departments and agencies have been told to remove TikTok from their work-related devices, The Irish Times reported. The NCSC said that its evaluation "leant heavily on the experiences" of the European Commission, the European Union, the UK, and other organisations in addition to being in line with procedures in other nations. Due to data protection and privacy concerns related to the company's relationship with the Chinese government, a number of nations, notably the UK and the Netherlands, have blocked the use of social networking app on government computers. Use of the app is no longer allowed under the guidelines outlined in the Acceptable Usage Policy for Irish State employees, according to The Irish Times. On Friday, parent departments and then staff received a message outlining the instructions, which The Irish Times obtained. They were instructed to remove the Chinese-owned social media app from any devices that were already running it and stopping installing the programme altogether. A spokesperson of the Department of Communications, which is in charge of the NCSC, said the restriction extends to all departments, agencies, and other government entities falling under their purview, with the exception of "exceptional cases where there is a business need," as per The Irish Times. The spokesperson added, "This recommendation was informed by a detailed risk assessment carried out by the NCSC, and extensive engagement with relevant stakeholders, including the Data Protection Commission (DPC), the European Commission and other Member States." The Irish Times reported that the department sees it as being complementary to current security measures based on the 2021 Cyber Security Baseline Standards Framework intended to increase the security and resilience of public sector ICT systems. Analysts weren't overly surprised by the decision because similar bans had been implemented by the European Commission and the US, two countries that have expressed privacy concerns. Chief Executive of BH Consulting, which specialises in cybersecurity and data protection, Brian Honan said. "The primary concern they have is that TikTok may be forced by the Chinese Government to hand over data from their user base and if some of them are Government employees that may enable the Chinese Government to do espionage or surveillance on those people," adding, "It's no big surprise the Irish Government has [gone] the same way." Minister of State for eGovernment Ossian Smyth, last month, indicated the NCSC was due to issue new guidance to the Government around policies for devices assigned to their civil servants. He said, "That guidance doesn't name specific companies; it describes how to measure the type of risk from different types of apps and what type of precautions to take in which circumstances. It doesn't particularly name any apps or companies. Contacts, photos, location information, and user interactions with other applications are among the types of information that may be accessible through social media apps. Honan noted that identical functionality could be found in other social networking apps that are situated in different countries. In reference to State agency staff and other potentially vulnerable users, "If you're going to ban TikTok well then we should be banning other social media apps as well." The action taken on Friday is a sign of deepening discomfort with China and related security issues. The European Commission issued a directive to its workforce in February 2017 ordering them to immediately uninstall any commission-related apps from all work-related and personal devices. Apps like Skype for Business and the commission's internal email were scheduled to be removed from devices that continue to use TikTok, which is controlled by Beijing-based ByteDance, starting in the middle of March. TikTok responded to the commission's ruling by saying it was "disappointed with the decision, which we believe to be misguided and based on fundamental misconceptions," reported The Irish Times. In an era of escalating geopolitical tensions, the company has promised it will not provide the Chinese Government access to user data, but this hasn't done much to allay worries. (ANI) Pakistanis voiced against the persecution of Uyghurs, the Muslim community in the neighbouring Xinjiang province, by the Chinese authorities, according to JustEarth News reported. Although the current government of Pakistan have remained silent because of its close ties with China, some sets of Pakistani have raised their voice in the favour of Uyghurs. There are some sets of Pakistani media that are talking about the persecution of Uyghurs, quoting Western media reports and human rights bodies, which were completely ignored by the government. At one point former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan even denied the allegations against the Beijing authorities saying he did not believe them. On April 19, Qazi Javid, in his column in Urdu in Jasarat, reminds China of its treatment against Uyghur women when China expressed its concern over Afghan women being ill-treated by the Taliban, reported JustEarth News. The Chinese also declare that they do not 'interfere' in the internal affairs of any country, but have made exceptions, for obvious diplomatic reasons, to express their 'concern' abound the Taliban not allowing Afghan women to enter schools and colleges and take up employment. The issue is thus a delicate one on which all three countries are careful and evasive. Besides religion and the human rights aspects, there is also opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that traverses through Pakistan from Xinjiang to Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. Pakistanis, especially the Islamic clergy on one hand and the 'nationalists' on the other resent the Chinese presence. Reacting to China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang's statement regarding the ill-treatment of women by the Taliban, Javid said, "Yes, this is the same China where the women of the Muslim Uyghur community are left naked, handcuffed, and humiliated in front of humanoid dogs and other animals for practising Muslim beliefs." "A few are punished until they die and the perpetrators are told not to allow them to die too soon but to let them suffer as much as they can," Javid writes quoting a report prepared by a Britain-based human rights body. "The Muslim world and free people around the world want to ask China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang if China is not committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslim community," JustEarth News quoted Javid as saying. According to Legal Opinion published in the UK in 2017, which is reviewed annually, there is clear evidence that the Chinese government is complicit in the crimes of genocide against the Uyghur community. Javid stated a case can be filed against China in the International Court of Justice. The legal opinion states that extensive evidence in north-western China indicates the Chinese government intends to exterminate this Muslim minority (the Uyghurs). "Evidence shows that measures such as deliberately harming Uyghur Muslims during detention, terminating women's ability to bear children and promoting abortion were taken, while children of Uyghur families were forcibly removed from their homes. There is also evidence of shifting them outside their community," JustEarth News quoted Javid saying. Javid alleges that "Chinese President Xi Jinping himself is responsible for these crimes against humanity." (ANI) Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu is scheduled to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting planned to be held in the ensuing week, defence officials said. The Pakistani side is yet to confirm their participation in the meeting, they said. The SCO Defence Ministers' meeting is scheduled to be held on April 27 and 28. Following the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, this is the first time that a Chinese Defence Minister will visit India. Li Shangfu, a US-sanctioned general, was named as China's new Defence Minister a month ago. Li has been under US sanctions since 2018 and his appointment comes at a time of increasingly strained relations between Beijing and Washington, reported CNN. Li Shangfu, an aerospace expert, was voted unanimously by the country's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress to replace outgoing defence chief Wei Fenghe. China and India have a long history of border transgressions and a recent one was witnessed in December 2022 in Arunachal Pradesh. Regarding the same, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on December 13, 2022, informed both Houses of parliament that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops tried to transgress the Line of Actual Control in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo but they went back to their locations due to timely intervention of Indian military commanders. The scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides and there are no fatalities or serious casualties on our side, Rajnath Singh had said. Prior to that, a clash was witnessed in Galwan in June 2020 when the Chinese troops tried to aggressively change the status quo on LAC in eastern Ladakh. The clash took place along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh following a standoff over the actions of the Chinese Army. Twenty Indian soldiers died in the Galwan Valley clash which was fought in hand-to-hand combat in sub-zero temperatures on the near pitch-black night of June 15 and June 16, 2020. The clash was the deadliest confrontation between India and China in over four decades. China's state media has almost entirely failed to cover the skirmish or its aftermath. However, after the Galwan clash in 2020, several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have taken place to resolve the standoff. Disengagement at some border points did take place but by and large, there is an impasse on complete disengagement. Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement in February 2021 to disengage from the 135-km Pangong Lake, creating buffer zones until all outstanding border issues are resolved, Sputnik, a Russian-based media agency reported earlier. Over 50,000 Indian soldiers had been stationed since 2020 at forward posts along the LAC, with advanced weapons to prevent any attempts to change the status quo unilaterally on the LAC. After the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting, a meeting of the Foreign Minister is scheduled to be held on May 5 in Goa. Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is all set to take part in the same. The SCO member countries are India, Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. (ANI) Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) has lined up a host of exciting events and activities for the residents and visitors to this ancient Saudi city to celebrate this years Eid Al Fitr. The festivities are taking place across different locations including the historic Unesco World Heritage Site of At Turaif, the premium culinary destination of Bujairi Terrace, and a number of Diriyah parks and mosques. The Eid festivities being held in At Turaif are based on traditional Saudi hospitality, with visitors being welcomed to the site with the rich aroma of Saudi coffee and Dokhon, setting the tone for an unforgettable experience. The celebrations also feature captivating performances of the traditional Saudi Ardah, the traditional celebratory dance staged in front of Salwa Palace, and the lively Samri folklore dance, performed at Prince Thunayyan Palace. To enhance the festive atmosphere, DGDA also decorated and prepared three parks in Diriyah. Approximately 25,000 Eid gifts, known as "Eidiyyah," including boxes of sweets, are planned for distribution to the local community and Diriyah visitors, said DGDA in its statement. Additionally, Bujairi Terrace offers an array of activities for visitors who will be treated to live music performances, engaging storytelling sessions, specially curated workshops for children, and a range of traditional games and activities, it stated. DGDA said it was firmly committed to building strong connections with the local community of Diriyah and providing a warm welcome to visitors throughout the year on all occasions. Amid uncertainty over elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar on Sunday announced that the party will launch its election campaign for Punjab polls on Monday, Geo News reported. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Asad Umar stated, "Tehreek-e-Insaf will officially launch its election campaign from tomorrow. They (PDM) may not be ready but we are ready." Earlier this week, the PTI finalised a list of 297 candidates for the elections. PTI's announcement of launching the election campaign comes despite uncertainty over the polls. The PTI finalised the list of candidates after the party's chairman Imran Khan interviewed all party candidates in person to uphold merit in distributing party tickets. He held one-on-one interviews with all candidates from April 6-18 to select nominees for polls, as per the Geo News report. However, the issuance of tickets has not gone well within the PTI as many high-profile leaders of the party were not given tickets. Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been planning to include PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar in the review committee to address objections raised by party members, Geo News reported citing sources. On Thursday, the PTI set up a four-member committee to address objections regarding the issuance of party tickets. The panel included Musaddiq Abbasi, Ijaz Chaudhary, Rai Hassan Nawaz, and Aoon Abbas. However, after backlash from party workers and supporters, PTI chairman Imran Khan is likely to involve some senior members to make a decision over the appeals regarding the issuance of tickets, as per the Geo News report. The Election Commission of Pakistan (PTI) is waiting for funds from Pakistan's federal government to hold elections, as per the news report. Earlier this month, the Pakistan Supreme Court directed the ECP to conduct elections in Punjab on May 14. Earlier in an order on April 4, the Pakistan Supreme Court also directed the federal government to release Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 21 billion in funds for the ECP by April 10 and give security for the polls. However, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government has refused to release funds for the elections as the country's parliament rejected the proposal. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Defence Ministry has filed a petition in the apex court requesting the court to take back its order of conducting elections on May 14. The case is being heard in the Supreme Court, as per the news report. During the court proceedings, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said that the three-member bench will not take back its order for elections scheduled to be held on May 14. (ANI) Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay on Sunday issued a Special Commemorative Cover for Sita Temple near Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka. They also laid the foundation stone for a Meditation Centre at the Temple. Taking to its official Twitter handle, the High Commission of India in Colombo noted that the Meditation Centre will add to the facilities at the Temple and help in attracting more tourists. Thee High Commission of India in Colombo tweeted, "H.E Prime Minister of #SriLanka @DCRGunawardena accompanied by High Commissioner and other dignitaries issued a Special Commemorative Cover for Sita Temple near Nuwara Eliya in today. They also laid the foundation stone for a Meditation Centre at the Temple." It further said, "It is believed to signify the place of Ashok Vatika in the epic #ramayana. The Meditation Centre will add to the facilities at the Temple and help attract more tourists from #India and other places." On Saturday, two photographs of Sri Lankan origin were unveiled at the office of the Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. High Commission of Sri Lanka in India said in a statement, "Marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations, which falls this year, two photographs of Sri Lankan origin were unveiled at the office of the State Minister of External Affairs and Culture of India at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi today." The photographs which were unveiled feature two murals painted by the eminent Sri Lankan painter Solias Mendis in the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara. High Commission of Sri Lanka in India in a statement said, "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." It further said, "These two historical events that occurred in the 3rd century BCE marked the commencement of a Buddhist civilization in Sri Lanka and epitomize the strong and unbreakable civilizational bonds that exist between Sri Lanka and India." (ANI) The Assemblea Nacional Catalana organised an international event where the members highlighted the difficulties that minorities faced in making their voices heard and the struggle of Uyghur, Eastern Kurds and Sindh people. Assemblea Nacional Catalana ("Catalan National Assembly"; ANC by its Catalan acronym) is an organization seeking Catalonia's political independence from Spain. During the event, Dolors Feliu I Torrent, President of the Assemblea Nacional Catalana, highlighted the importance of the event as it is hard for minorities to have their voices heard. "We need to find neutral spaces where we can debate, advocate and counteract the discourse of the bigger states," she added, Assemblea Nacional Catalana tweeted on Friday. The Assemblea Nacional Catalana has been a member of the UN's Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organizations since 2018 to internationalise the conflict and put self-determination on the intl agenda. She further stated, "Every nation has its own particularities, but the issues at stake are the same: democracy, human rights, justice and freedom". Abel Riu, a Political scientist from Spain and another speaker presented 'Secessionist movements and internationalization strategies: a comparative study' by Catalonia Global Institute, a think tank that analyses the international strategies of diplomatic and para-diplomatic engagement of ten movements. "Edna Adan Ismail, Former Foreign Minister of Somaliland: 'A country can only be born once. Mine was born in 1886 & in 1960 came to a legal agreement. Many of the 42 African countries were under the colonial rule while we were independent. Nowadays, they don't recognise us even though we were independent before them'," Assemblea Nacional Catalana tweeted. She denounced the lack of international recognition of Somaliland. "We claim full ownership of our name, identity, language, culture, traditions & sovereignty. We have the right to be heard, seen and recognised as responsible members of the international community," Ismail added. Meanwhile, Eastern Kurdish HR defender Taimoor Aliassi said, "The policy in Iran is: one country, one nation, one language, one religion. Kurds were dubbed anti-Islam & anti-revolutionary because they pushed for a democratic federal Irani state. They've since been victims of hate propaganda," according to the ANC tweet. Talking about Sindhi's identity, the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) President Rubina Greenwood said that the Sindh movement has many progressive policies: it accommodates multilingual, multi-religion Sindhi identity, and it's openly non-violent. It aspires to a just and democratic multi-national society. She further stated, "The world is dominated by post-colonial legacies & many nations are still suffering. Catalan, Uyghurs & others want their legitimate sovereignty, but it is denied. The intl system is fixated on the status quo of inorganic & often undemocratically formed states." (ANI) The agreement was signed between Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, M.P and the High Commissioner of India to Guyana KJ Srinivasa, and in the presence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who is on a 3-day visit to Guyana. The agreement's signing is consistent with the government's objective to establish ties between Guyana and the rest of the world. It will also complement the more than 50 Air Services Agreements Guyana has negotiated with other ICAO governments for the advancement of interstate air travel. Along with Jaishankar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana, Hugh Todd; Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Elizabeth Harper; Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Lt. Col. (ret'd) Egbert Field, and other Technical Officials from India and Guyana were also present while the agreement was being signed, reported Guyana's leading broadcast and online news media, News Room Guyana. The Agreement encourages the development of international air services between the two nations and a global airline market. It also addresses important matters Grant of Rights; Designation and Authorization of Airlines; Revocation or Suspension of Operating Authorization, Principles governing the operation of Agreed Services, Application of Laws, User Charges, Customs Duties and Charges, Aviation safety and security, and more, reported News Room Guyana. As the two countries signed the air services agreement, new investment opportunities for Guyanese-owned airlines to have direct market access to international airports in India and vice versa will be now accessible. (ANI) Amid the Eid festivities, the majority of government employees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been denied salary advances, The Express Tribune reported. The development comes at a time when most salaried or self-employed people continue to do the shopping for Eid. Markets and shopping malls have been buzzing with buyers as people have received their monthly salary in advance or are sole proprietors. However, government employees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been denied an advance this year which has shattered both their hopes and that of their family members and affected their spirits, as per the news report. Mubeen, a former constable at the police department said that he has no savings from the previous month as his entire salary was spent on rations for Sehri and Iftari. He further said, "The salary advance before Eid was my family's only ray of hope, but now we are anticipating a very gloomy Eid," as per The Express Tribune report. Naveed, a tube well operator in the Gulbahar region working for a local government department, is facing a similar situation. He took a loan to put a smile on his children's faces as they were distraught at not having new clothes to wear on Eid. According to The Express Tribune, Naveed said, "Every year I would take my family out shopping after receiving an advance. This year however, I did not receive my salary in time. Therefore, I was impelled to take a loan to put a smile on my children's faces." As many as 600,000 government employees, holding designations in various departments, have been facing a similar situation as they have been denied salary advances worth Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 45 billion by the provincial finance department, The Express Tribune reported. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister's Adviser on Finance Himayatullah Khan acknowledged the problem. Khan said that the provincial government is facing a serious financial crisis and added that "this is not in our hands." Himayatullah Khan said, "This is not in our hands. The provincial government is currently undergoing a serious financial crisis, which has left us with no choice but to delay the crediting of salaries to the 1st of May, after Eid," as per The Express Tribune report. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's caretaker government in Pakistan has been facing a severe financial crisis and has reached the edge of default, The News International reported on April 13. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's government is facing a deficit of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 110 billion in the current month with regard to salaries, pensions, development budget and non-salary budget, The News International reported. The Finance Department refused to give salary and pension to government employees for the month of April in advance on account of Eid. (ANI) The United Kingdom has evacuated its embassy staff from Sudan, UK's Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, said on Sunday, adding that the safety of British citizens remains the top priority for the UK government. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Cleverly stated, "Due to escalating threats against foreign diplomats, the UK has evacuated embassy staff from Sudan. Our top priority remains the safety of British nationals. We are working around the clock to broker international support to end the bloodshed in Sudan." UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday said that UK armed forces have completed a "complex and rapid evacuation" of British diplomats and their families from Sudan. He lauded the British diplomats and military personnel who carried out the operation. He urged the parties to lay down arms and implement an immediate ceasefire to allow citizens to leave conflict zones. "UK armed forces have completed a complex and rapid evacuation of British diplomats and their families from Sudan, amid a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation," Rishi Sunak said in a tweet. He further said, "We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country. I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones." UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, said that UK armed forces along with the US, France & other allies carried out a military operation. He said that the forces have evacuated British embassy personnel and their families from Khartoum due to the escalating threats. "This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the US, France & other allies. They have evacuated British Embassy staff & their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats," Ben Wallace said in a tweet. He further said, "The operation involved more than 1200 British personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Royal Marines and the RAF. I am grateful to all our partners including Cyprus. I want to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our armed forces." Fighting between two rival military factions - the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues in Sudan despite a 72-hour truce declared for Eid, CNN reported. On Saturday, Loud explosions and clashes were reported, mainly near the military headquarters and presidential palace in Khartoum. (ANI) The Union Election Commission's deputy director, Sai Kyaw Thu, was assassinated on Saturday in the eastern Yangon township of Thingangyun, according to a statement from the army's media team. He was shot many times in the head, neck, and chest, according to local media. People's Defence Forces (PDF), the country's loosely organised, armed wing of the shadow National Unity Government (NUG), have emerged in opposition to the military, which overthrew the government more than two years ago, causing social unrest and an economic crisis, Al Jazeera reported. Politicians who had been democratically elected but were ousted in the military coup founded the NUG. Myanmar's military, which has battled armed ethnic groups for territorial control since soon after independence in 1948, has a long history of brutal attacks on civilians, and now an official has been targeted. Since the coup, pro-democracy forces have united with some armed ethnic groups in a national campaign to oust the military from power, creating the most unified resistance movement the military has faced. (ANI) A Jordanian MP was arrested at the Allenby Crossing between Jordan and Israel by Israel Police, according to a news report on the Jordanian channel Al-Mamlaka, citing the Jordanian Foreign Ministry. According to the report, police arrested the man suspected of trying to smuggle gold and weapons. The customs officers, who are not supposed to inspect members of parliament, reportedly received intelligence information regarding the minister, who the Jordanian Ministry identified as MP Imad Al-Adwan, and carried out an inspection as a result. During the inspection, they reportedly uncovered evidence of an attempt to smuggle 100 kg. of gold, 12 long weapons, 12 ZIG pistols and 167 Glock pistols into Israel. Jordanian MP Khalil Atieh called on the Israeli authorities to release him "immediately", according to Maariv. Amman's Foreign Ministry confirmed that a Jordanian lawmaker was arrested by Israel on Saturday night after being caught smuggling hundreds of weapons and massive amounts of gold into Israel. The lawmaker, identified as Imad Al-Adwan, was said to have been arrested crossing the Allenby Bridge border crossing, located approximately five kilometres east of the Palestinian Authority-administered city of Jericho, Jordanian media reported Sunday. According to the Jordanian ministry's spokesman, officials were following the case "to find out the merits of the situation and address it as soon as possible." Adwan is on record for praising the Hamas terrorist group and calling for "resistance" against the "Zionist enemy," World Israel News reported. While Israel's Foreign Ministry declined comment, Kan News reported that Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi would not answer calls from his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen regarding the incident. There has been a surge in violence over the past year. Israel says the Palestinian areas of Judea and Samaria have been flooded with illegal weapons, including guns smuggled from neighbouring Jordan. The latest incident threatens to further strain tense relations between Jordan and the Jewish state. According to Israeli media outlet Maariv, Jordanian MP Khalil Atieh has demanded Al-Adwan's immediate release. Earlier this month, King Abdullah II told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that "every Muslim" should deter "Israeli escalations" in Jerusalem. Jordan controlled Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem between 1948 - when the Kingdom and other surrounding Arab countries attacked the fledgling Jewish state - until the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel, in a war of defence, regained the territories. Jordan, however, retained custodianship of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount. Jordan and Israel have maintained a cold peace, including security collaboration, since signing an agreement in 1994. (ANI) Becoming a parent is not just about buying nappies, formula and baby gros. For many mothers and fathers it is also about setting up their children financially for whatever life throws at them. All you need is a birth certificate to set up an Isa or pension and while 18 years might not be long enough to save 1m, your child can be well on the way to a house deposit by the time they become an adult. Unlike the 20,000-a-year adult Isa allowance, the amount you can stash into a Junior Isa or "Jisa" has risen and now stands at 9,000 per child. For two years for 16 and 17-year-olds you can save into both a junior and adult Isa in the same tax year, meaning you could in theory save 29,000 in a single year. The catch is that you can only save money into a cash adult Isa, not a stocks and shares account, when you are under 18. You can also invest into a pension, known as a Junior Sipp, but while tax relief means this pot could grow much faster than money left in an Isa, it is not accessible until the age of 55 at the earliest. How 9,000 a year can turn into 1m If you maximise the Jisa allowance every year, then over time you could build up a pot worth 1m including investment returns, however you will need to be patient. Rob Morgan, of wealth manager Charles Stanley, said: Unfortunately, making your child a Junior Isa millionaire by age 18 is unlikely to be achievable. An unrealistic annual growth rate of 17.5pc after charges is required to hit seven figures at that age. However, the portfolio could reach 1m later in life, even if no more contributions are made after their eighteenth birthday. An annual growth rate of 5.9pc after charges would turn the 162,000 invested between birth and age 18 into just over a million by age 40," Mr Morgan said. A growth rate of 5.9pc per year is pretty impressive but certainly not unthinkable. Global stock markets have produced an annual growth rate of 8.1pc over the past 30 years. This is why, in pursuit of high returns, it is worth taking on the risk of the stock market. Story continues One way to iron out the volatility of equity markets is to invest regularly. By contributing either a lump sum or series of lump sums every year totalling up to 9,000, or a direct debit into the account for up to 750 a month, you buy more shares or units when prices become cheaper and fewer when they become more expensive, said Mr Morgan. This strategy known as pound cost averaging can give you peace of mind because it will reduce the overall risk within your portfolio. Even if you put in a small amount each month, compound interest means the sum can snowball. However, if you can afford to put away the full lump sum of 9,000 each time, then you probably should as you stand to compound returns on the whole amount for longer. Where to invest for a 1m portfolio Choosing the investments that will deliver the best returns is another key ingredient in building a large portfolio, and one that is harder to get right, for obvious reasons. If in 1993 you had put 26,369 into the Jupiter European fund the best-performing fund of the past 30 years then today you would have a portfolio worth 1m, according to the investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown. By comparison, if you had invested 26,369 into the L&G FTSE 100 tracker 30 years ago, then you would have 195,589 today. This tracker has had a total return of 641.73pc, whereas the Jupiter European fund has returned almost six times that. The best-performing funds over the past 30 years 30 yr return on 1,000 Compound annual growth rate (%) Jupiter European 37,923 12.9 Schroder US Smaller Companies 36,640 12.8 Fidelity European 33,186 12.4 Janus Henderson European Smaller Companies 32,396 12.3 Janus Henderson Global Technology Leaders 28,398 11.8 Data from FE Analytics to 28/02/23; total return with income reinvested This data is compelling, but it should not persuade you to bet everything on one horse. Investing in just one company or fund will leave you highly exposed if anything goes wrong (remember that 50pc of actively managed funds close within the first ten years). Diversification is the key to a resilient portfolio so even if the Jisa is entirely invested in the stock market, you need a mixture of investment styles and exposure to different markets around the world. Emma Wall, of Hargreaves Lansdown, the stockbroker, said: All long-term investors should have exposure to both developed and emerging markets, offering opportunities to benefit from different drivers through the market cycle. The other key to investment is to stay the course. For most retail investors the most sensible approach when markets become bumpy is to do nothing if you are invested for a long time horizon, as is typical for a Jisa, it is more detrimental to tinker than exercise inertia, said Ms Wall. Make changes triggered by human events rather than markets such as a manager changing at an actively managed fund for example, or a change in investment style, rather than a short period of underperformance. Barbie-inspired dresses in hot pink and other vibrant shades are big this prom season. Square and off-the-shoulder necklines are becoming more common than sweetheart necklines. Red-carpet pantsuits can provide unconventional prom style inspiration. Hot-pink Barbiecore dresses, like Stephanie Hsu's Valentino gown at the 2023 Oscars, are expected to be big at proms this year. Stephanie Hsu in 2023. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Greta Gerwig's upcoming "Barbie" movie and a Y2K fashion renaissance have helped popularize the vibrant shade. "While colorful dresses such as yellow, orange, and pink first became popular in the 1960s, hot-pink prom dresses will be everywhere this year as a nod to the 'Barbiecore' trend," Stitch Fix styling team lead Katie Merickel told Insider's Elana Klein. The hot-pink color also lends itself to pantsuits like Zendaya's Valentino ensemble at 2023 Paris Fashion Week another growing prom trend. Zendaya in 2022. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Merickel told Insider that requests for blazers on Stitch Fix increased 40% from last year. "The best part about a prom suit? You can incorporate the separates into your wardrobe to mix and match with other looks," Merickel said. Sandra Oh demonstrated another way to wear separates to formal events with a purple Rodarte jumpsuit and blazer at the 2022 Emmys. Sandra Oh attends the 2022 Emmys. Mark Von Holden/NBC/Getty Images The garment was almost entirely comprised of purple sequins, with a loosely draped purple satin top. Oh also draped a matching sequin-covered blazer over her shoulders. Barbie-inspired outfits don't have to just be pink. Other bright colors, like Drew Afualo's yellow gown at the 2023 Oscars, also count. Drew Afualo attends the 2023 Academy Awards. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images The TikTok star's yellow gown, styled by Alex Clough, had a sweetheart neckline, bow detailing on the waist, and a slit in the full skirt. Dresses with corset designs have been all over red carpets this year, and they make perfect prom looks, as well. Sabrina Dhowre Elba in a corset dress. Robert Smith/Getty Images As Insider's Amanda Krause reported, corsets dominated the 2023 Oscars red carpet. Sabrina Dhowre Elba chose a silver Nicolas Jebran corset dress for this year's Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Story continues Daisy Edgar-Jones attended the 2023 Golden Globes in a black Gucci corset gown. Daisy Edgar-Jones attends the 2023 Golden Globes. Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty Images The corset featured black lace detailing, and the skirt was embellished with layered ruffles for a dramatic look perfect for a night of celebration. Halle Bailey's turquoise Dolce & Gabbana corset gown from this year's Oscars featured a floaty tulle skirt. Halle Bailey attends the 2023 Academy Awards. Mike Coppola/Getty Images In a nod to her starring role in Disney's upcoming remake of "The Little Mermaid," Bailey appeared in a strapless, aqua gown with a corset top and full skirt. Ruffled dresses are among this year's prom trends as well the cream Gucci gown Michelle Williams wore to the 2023 Golden Globes is the perfect inspiration. Michelle Williams attends the 2023 Golden Globe Awards. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Stylist Ali Levine told Insider's Elana Klein that ruffles in "dreamier and softer fabrics" are growing in popularity this prom season. A prom dress like Cara Delevingne's one-shoulder Elie Saab Oscars look would make a dramatic statement. Cara Delevingne attends the 2023 Academy Awards. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Delevingne's dress also featured pockets, a thigh-high slit, and a statement shoulder embellishment. Square necklines are also beginning to take precedence over sweetheart necklines on the red carpet, a shift that could influence prom styles. Ana de Armas attends the 2023 Golden Globes. Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty Images Sweetheart necklines, which rose to prominence in the 1980s, are being replaced with straighter necklines, Insider's Elana Klein reported. Ana de Armas' Louis Vuitton gown from the 2023 Golden Globes, with side cutouts and silver embellishments, exemplifies the sharper angles of this style. Britt Lower's metallic Cucculelli Shaheen gown with a square neckline also included cutouts on the sides. Britt Lower attends the 2022 Emmy Awards. Evans Vestal Ward/NBC / Contributor / Getty Images Lower, who wore the dress to the 2022 Emmys, accessorized with matching gloves. When cutouts aren't daring enough, a two-piece ensemble like Taylor Swift's 2023 Grammys look can make a bold statement at prom. Taylor Swift attends the 2023 Grammy Awards. Jon Kopaloff/WireImage/Getty Images Designed by Roberto Cavalli, Swift's midnight-blue outfit alluded to her latest album, "Midnights." Read the original article on Insider The brothers' flight from Dallas, Texas to Boise, Idaho was canceled Thursday. Getty Images Derick Andrew and his brother were stranded in Dallas for two days after their flight was canceled. Andrew said American Airlines refused to give them hotel or food vouchers despite the long delay. The brothers had to spend more than $500 of their own money for a rental car, hotel, and food. Two American Airlines passengers were left stranded for two days and had to pay for their own hotel and food after their connecting flight was canceled. Derick Andrew and his brother were due to fly from Dallas, Texas to Boise, Idaho on Thursday but their flight was cut due to bad weather. The brothers, both 35, found out their flight got canceled when they got to Dallas Fort Worth International airport. They'd been traveling for more than 36 hours after a vacation in Reykjavik, Iceland and had a layover in Helsinki, Finland as well as Dallas. Insider has verified their flight documentation. They joined a customer service desk queue to book another flight to Boise but were told there wasn't one until Saturday. When he asked if he could get a refund or vouchers for food and a hotel room, Andrew was told that it wouldn't be possible. "We were told unambiguously 'no,' that we would not get a refund for a flight canceled due to weather," Andrew told Insider. "That was really frustrating." The brothers were forced to pay for a hotel for two nights and a rental car themselves as a result. Airlines are not obliged to offer vouchers when flights are canceled, but some opt to do so if the cancellation is their fault. They checked online to see if there were any earlier flights and found one on Friday, but were told by American Airlines customer service that it was already fully booked, so they'd been booked on a flight Saturday. "I contacted AA through the app again and said regulation shows I should be reimbursed for the canceled flight and they said we could get a refund if we didn't rebook another flight." Story continues Andrew said the airline apologized for the cancellation but hadn't offered any compensation for the hotel, food and rental car, which cost them more than $500. Insider has viewed receipts of their payments. A customer service agent told Andrew in a message Friday via its app, seen by Insider, to keep receipts of all their expenses and to ask for a reimbursement from its customer relations department via an online form. "The ticket number they provided me this morning does not work when I navigate to the Receipts and Refunds section of their website so all I've been able to do is submit feedback and tell them the issues I've had but nowhere to send receipts," he said. The brothers finally got back to Boise Saturday, two days later than planned. American Airlines didn't respond to multiple requests for comment from Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider The Wes Anderson trend in action. Trains, cute dogs, and vintage cars are a must. Romanticizing your life on social media is nothing new, but some TikTokers are taking it to a new level of *~aesthetics*~. A recent trend has emerged on the video sharing platform that features users creating TikToks with a vibe ripped straight from a Wes Anderson movie. The shorts feature users going about their day-to-day activitiesshopping, eating, woodworkingbut all through the lens of a pastel color palette, symmetrical shots, and a soft, whimsical instrumentals. TikTok user Ava Williams (who goes by @avawillyums on the platform) claimed ownership of the trend on Twitter. Williams told Newsweek in an interview: Read more I was inspired to make the video after watching The French Dispatch with my parents the night before. I was going back to New York after a very short visit with my family and I was sad that I was leaving so soon. I didnt want to really end my trip on such a sad note so I was hoping to make the most out of a situation that wasnt totally ideal. Scroll on to see Williams and others mastering the art of Anderson-esque cinematography and storytelling. The First Train Along the Shoreline tiktok-7219665093867474218 Lunch at Honest Burger with My Wife tiktok-7221582114880294150 An Afternoon at my In-Laws House with My Wife tiktok-7222692974486998277 Shopping at Adidas With My Wife tiktok-7224165601135070490 Returning to Ukraine tiktok-7220533252585508102 The Shop tiktok-7223087366972558638 West London, Saturday Morning with Nothing to Do tiktok-7222287588021783813 Lake Como Funicular to Brunate tiktok-7222324369790389530 Down the Old Town tiktok-7222134900273515802 Lost in Paris with Two Lost Kids tiktok-7222453244730051846 Trip to Brighton tiktok-7223095479775677702 Frog Gets Ready (Leisurely) tiktok-7222378107787824411 The Lobby is Grand tiktok-7221428861442002177 A Guided Tour of the Museum tiktok-7221866178212384027 Story continues A Journey to Central Park with Two Photographers tiktok-7222429065699986731 Depressed Student Exam Season tiktok-7222807528441154821 Starbucks Date in San Fran tiktok-7223080701606792494 A Weekend in Lisbon tiktok-7223467221467663643 Tulips & The Hound tiktok-7223132541631401222 How to create the perfect Wes Anderson edit tiktok-7223088231850478874 More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Laura Young bought the bust in a Texas Goodwill store in 2018. Laura Young An ancient Roman marble bust found in Texas will soon return to its "rightful" home in Germany. Laura Young bought the bust in 2018 for just $35 at a Goodwill in Austin, Texas. The artifact, which once belonged to a king, was likely stolen after World War II by a US soldier. An ancient marble bust will soon return to its original home in Germany after the 2,000-year-old Roman relic was bought for $35 at a Goodwill in Texas. Laura Young found the bust at a Goodwill in Austin, Texas, in 2018. She initially thought it was just a replica, Young previously told Insider. After getting in touch with auction houses about the sculpture, it turned out the centuries-old piece actually once belonged to a 19th-century Bavarian king. Art lawyers later estimated that the bust was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. How the bust ended up in Austin "remains a mystery," according to the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA). However, it likely made its way to the US after World War II, stolen by a returning soldier. While the sculpture is currently on display at the San Antonio museum, it will soon return to its "rightful home" when repatriated to Germany next month. Dr. Stephennie Mulder (@stephenniem) May 21, 2022 "It's been really bittersweet," Young told CNN on Thursday. "I'm a little in denial, but I do plan on visiting him in Germany." The sculpture will remain displayed in Texas until May 21 and then be shipped back to Europe. "Upon its return, the portrait will either go back on display in its original location at the Pompejanum in Aschaffenburg or at the Munich Glyptothek with the rest of Ludwig I's collection," a spokesperson for the Glyptothek museum recently told Artnet News. Ludwig I, the King of Bavaria from 1825 to 1848, acquired the sculpture sometime before 1833. He displayed the piece in the Pompejanum his replica of a Roman villa in Pompeii in the town of Aschaffenburg, Young's lawyer told The New York Times. Story continues Young said she knew she couldn't keep the sculpture once its origins were revealed. "Either way, I'm glad I got to be a small part of (its) long and complicated history," she said in the SAMA press release. "And he looked great in the house while I had him." Read the original article on Business Insider The biggest fashion night in New York City is only weeks away, as the annual Met Gala has returned with a new theme and its usual time slot. On 1 May 2023, celebrities will walk the red carpet steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for Vogues fashion extravaganza. This years theme of the Met Gala, which is an annual fundraiser for the museums Costume Institute, is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty and will examine the life of the late Chanel creative director. According to Vogue, the annual fundraiser will also pay homage to the designer through its dress code: In honour of Karl. While what goes on inside the gala is top secret, as social media has been banned from the occasion, fashion lovers can still watch their favourite stars pose on the red carpet on Monday 1 May. Heres everything you need to know about the 2023 Met Gala and how to stream it. The livestream of the event, which is run by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, will be hosted by the magazine and broadcast on its website. In addition, the gala will broadcasted on Vogues YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages, with the livestream beginning at 6.30pm Eastern Time on the first Monday of May. According to Vogue, viewers can also sign up to receive a notification when the livestream begins. The livestream will have three hosts: La La Anthony, Chloe Fineman, and Derek Blasberg. Just like last years Met Gala, Emma Chamberlain will be stepping in as Vogues special correspondent of the livestream. Along with Wintour, there will be four co-chairs of the Met Gala, who include Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, and Roger Federer. When announcing the dress code, In honour of Karl, in January, Vogue revealed that there are three wondrous ways that guests can salute one of fashions greats. The first, most authentic approach would be to wear an archival look from one of the labels Lagerfeld led, the magazine stated. The second option is to pay tribute to the late designer with a modern-day look from Chanel or Fendi, two houses on which Lagerfeld left an indelible impression. Story continues For the final interpretation, guests could dress a la Lagerfeld, a direction the outlet notes might include finding a Choupette all your own. Choupette Lagerfeld, a white cat, was the late designers beloved pet and occasional muse, although the designer himself was known for wearing black suits and dark sunglasses. The attendees at last years Gala also brought out some showstopping looks, as the theme of the event was In America: An Anthology of Fashion, with the dress code listed on the invites as Gilded Glamour. For example, Black Lively changed into a second outfit on the red carpet, as both of her looks paid homage to the Statue of Liberty, while Kim Kardashian wore a gown adorned with jewels, which was previously worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday, Mr. President for President John F. Kennedy in 1962. The Vogues livestream of the 2023 Met Gala begins on Monday 1 May at 6.30pm ET (11.30pm GMT). A 3-year-old boy who died after he and his twin brother were found unresponsive in the pool of a Porter Ranch home was identified Saturday as Kai Bernabe. (KTLA Sky5) A 3-year-old boy who died after he and his twin brother were found unresponsive Friday morning in the backyard pool of a Porter Ranch home has been identified. Kai Bernabe died at the hospital, three months short of his fourth birthday, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's office confirmed. The boys were originally reported to be 4 years old. The boys parents found them in the pool, pulled the children from the water and performed CPR with guidance of L.A. Fire Department dispatchers on the phone, fire officials said. Fire and emergency medical personnel arrived at the home along a cul-de-sac on Des Moines Avenue just after 10:30 a.m., according to the Fire Department. "Paramedics worked feverishly to provide every chance possible for these children, LAFD Capt. Eric Scott told reporters Friday. The children were transported to a regional pediatric trauma center. Tragically, Scott said, one of those boys was pronounced dead at the hospital. Authorities had no update on the second childs condition as of Saturday evening. Television footage of the Porter Ranch property shows a stately ranch home that looks out onto a large pool and patio area. Theres nothing to indicate anything beyond a tragic accident here, Capt. Kelly Muniz of the Los Angeles Police Department told reporters Friday. Members of the mayors Crisis Response Team were sent to the home to provide support to family and neighbors. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Four people were sent to the hospital after a car left the roadway and crashed into trees late Saturday night, fire officials said. The crash occurred on Pierce Avenue in Lakeville around 10:45 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters responded to the scene after receiving several 911 calls reporting the crash. When they arrived, they found one person still trapped inside a black sedan with heavy front-end damage, fire officials said. Four people were sent to the hospital after a car left the roadway and crashed into trees on Saturday night, fire officials said. Crews used the Jaws of Life extrication tool to extricate one person from the vehicle. Three other people were able to get out of the car themselves. All four occupants were taken by ambulance to area hospitals for injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, fire officials said. Two people were taken to St. Lukes Hospital in New Bedford, and two others were taken to Hasbro Childrens Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. Their conditions were not known on Sunday. Four people were sent to the hospital after a car left the roadway and crashed into trees on Saturday night, fire officials said. Chief OBrien would like to commend the performance of the firefighters who responded, the Fire Department said in a post on Facebook. With an on-duty complement of 3 firefighters, this operation was only possible with the help of off duty and on-call firefighters. Berkley and Freetown provided assistance. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Jay Yuno - Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Frustration. Exhaustion. Lack of motivation. Sound familiar? If so, you may very well be suffering from burnout at work. Whats more, youre not alone. Things were tough during the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization, and research shows that many workers continue to feel overwhelmed. Over the past year, career challenges and barriers faced by American workers have continued to be compounded, says John Woods, PhD, provost and chief academic officer at University of Phoenix, which has just issued a new report on career optimism, which shows that workers feel major discomfort back at work. We found that 74% of Americans still say they feel stressed about their job and their career, and 47% of workers are experiencing burnout at work," says Woods. "Importantly, half of those people report that it has worsened over the past year. What causes burnout? There are many factors that can lead a person to experience burnout on the job, including feeling unappreciated, having more work than you think you can handle, working long hours and not having control over your schedule, according to the Mayo Clinic. While burnout can look different for everyone, those who reported experiencing burnout are more likely to feel stressed, frustrated, anxious, bored and isolated at work compared to those who are not," says Woods. "Additionally, 55% of workers say their work-related stress has a negative impact on their personal life. Some people were able to reimagine their lives during the last few years, quit or change jobs and find greener pastures. But what if that's not an option for you? Luckily, there are straightforward ways to get your mojo back right now, so you can feel and work better than ever. Common symptoms of burnout You hate being back in the office post-pandemic. After getting into the groove of remote work during COVID-19, everything about being back on-site at your job now bothers you. Were the lights in here always this blindingly bright? Was it always this noisy? Was it always this hard to concentrate?! Story continues This may seem like youre just having trouble getting back into the swing of things, but it can actually be a symptom of big-time burnout. If youre unhappy in your environment, when it comes to your work, youre going to think to yourself, I dont want to do it, says Christina Maslach, PhD, professor of psychology and a core researcher at the Healthy Workplaces Center at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of The Burnout Challenge. You start doing the bare minimum instead of doing your very best." You think people you work with are out to get you. You find yourself looking for ulterior motives in everyone on your team. Did the way my manager said Hows it going? just now sound kind of snarky or judgy? This must mean hes secretly not happy with my work! Well ... maybe not. It might just be your perception, and an incorrect one at that. Research from the National Institutes of Health shows that cynicism and negativity are major red flags of burnout; they show that it's making you think in ways that are too extreme. If you think in terms of always or never, youve hit a wall, says Jennifer Moss, a workplace culture strategist and the author of The Burnout Epidemic. The key is to remember that if youre burned out, you dont see people clearly you see them as worse than they really are, Moss points out. And in turn, that makes you pull back from them as much as possible because you think, mistakenly, you need to protect yourself. Soon, you can find yourself isolated from everyone you work with, communicating only when you absolutely have to through email because you just dont want to deal with them face-to-face. Youre dying to quit but have no idea what else you want to do. I want out! has become your new mantra its stuck on repeat in your brain. Yet this feels weird, because youve always liked your job until now. You cant think of another career youd want, or another company youd want to work for. Larisa Rudenko - Getty Images It takes you a super-long time to complete a task. Youve been stuck on writing the first paragraph of your report for hours. Its due tomorrow, but you keep getting distracted its a case of procrastination, plus lack of inspiration. This often happens because youre rushing to complete a job you havent planned enough time for in the first place. Then, you get overwhelmed and freeze up when you need to get things finished. A new study from Pakistan found that workers who have a poor work-life balance, specifically in terms of time management, do worse on projects. Ask yourself, Do I feel this way two or three times a week? says Moss. If so, cramming in work at the last minute has become an energy-zapping habit. How to recover from burnout Determine your true comfort level. Ask yourself, What does success look like to me now? says Maslach. Do you absolutely have to work in person? Not everyone has the option to switch back to remote work, of course, and for some people it might mean giving up their shot at a promotion they were working toward. Yet if working from home feels more happy and productive, you might just find that your goals have shifted. Talk to your supervisor about how you feel, and try to work out a solution that lets you take on different tasks that excite you. This might be just what youve needed to feel satisfied both professionally and personally. Meet with co-workers IRL. Meet people in real lifenot just over texts or calls, says Moss. Face-to-face interactions will not only show you that your co-workers are kinder and more supportive than you thought. It will also help pull you out of wanting to retreat from the world a classic symptom of burnout. Walk to your co-workers desk to ask them a question and why not bring them a latte too, as a goodwill gesture? Sending out good vibes may just bring good vibes back your way. Think before you act. If youre getting to the point where you want to change your job, but you dont know what youd change it too, take a pause, says Maslach. The job may be able to be fixed! Its not always about, If I cant stand the heat, I need to get out of the kitchen. Instead, you could just turn the heat in the kitchen down. Theres a good chance that its not really about moving on to something else its making the most of where you are. Ask yourself the why question, says Maslach. As in, Why do I feel the way I do, and whats the solution? Am I overextended? Do I want more recognition for the work Im doing? Talk to your supervisor about delegating some work if you feel swamped. Boost your potential by asking to join a more high-profile project. If you make serious, proactive changes and you still feel like you want to leave, then you can start a job search after you figure out whether you can get what you need, right where you are. Try the frivolous 15 trick. Take a serious, big-picture look at your calendar, and be realistic when scheduling in the hours for the work you need to complete. And try this right now: Stop working for 15 minutes, and do something fun, silly or superficial. Watch a Real Housewives table-flipping clip. Order that lip gloss you want. Call your sister and dish about your cute neighbor. Zone out with this purpose: to refresh. The frivolous fifteen can be great, productive rest, says Moss. Its OK to let yourself off the hook." Feel better? Youll find it's much easier to do whatever your task you've been putting off. Building in regular mini-breaks is a powerful way to bust burnout and you deserve them! You Might Also Like Manuel Paez Teran, the Atlanta activist who was fatally shot by officers in January while protesting the construction of a controversial law enforcement training center known as Cop City, was struck at least 57 times when police fired their weapons, an autopsy report reveals. According to the autopsy report from the DeKalb County Medical Examiner, Teran, who went by Tortuguita and used they/them pronouns, sustained gunshot wounds to their entire body, including their head, torso, hands and legs. While the autopsy report provides additional information, it does not bring the family closer to the answers they seek, Terans family said in a statement. Police said Teran, who was shot during a protest at the site of the proposed Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, also fired a weapon at that time and wounded a trooper. Friends and family, however, said the 26-year-old had their hands raised and was no threat to police, NBC News reported. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), which previously released a photo of the gun it alleges Teran was carrying, said forensic analysis matched the round which wounded the trooper to that gun. According to the GBI, Teran legally bought the gun in 2020. The autopsy was unable to determine Terans body position during the shooting because of too many variables with respect to movement of the decedent and the shooters. Since most shootings involving multiple gunshots are dynamic events, attempts to place the decedent in any particular position at a specific point in time is fraught with potential inaccuracies, the autopsy concluded according to CBS News. Terans family released the results of an independent autopsy last month. According to the report, Teran had their hands up and was sitting cross-legged at the time of the shooting. The GBI also said there is no body camera footage of the shooting. Per The Guardian, experts say that Paezs death is unprecedented by being the first time that an environmental activist has been killed by police in US history. Fox 5 Atlanta says that Terans death has been ruled a homicide, according to the DeKalb County Medical Examiners Office. Abdul hoped to teach art at high schools in Pierce County, but a denied visa is forcing the Afghan artist to try to find safety with his family in another country. Upon taking control of Afghanistans government again in August 2021, the Taliban quickly issued edicts banning music and art of living things. That means Abdul cannot teach girls or women, or publicly display and sell art in Afghanistan that shows people or animals. As a result, he cannot provide for his family through his art and was forced to close his art gallery and school. I can no longer have a painting exhibition, nor teach painting to girls and women, Abdul previously told the Gateway via WhatsApp from Afghanistan. My paintings are not sold in Afghanistan, and the Taliban do not value my art. I wish to be able to have painting galleries in America show my art and express my feelings easily and teach American people to paint. I love painting and teaching and I hope the good people of America will help me achieve my dreams. Abdul, 35, has been painting since he was 15 years old. He asked that the Gateway only publish his first name, out of concern for his safety and the safety of his family. After receiving threats from the Taliban and their attempts to find Abdul, he took his wife and three young children and went into hiding. Afghanistan Artist, Abdul, standing in his art studio. Courtesy photo Theyve been in hiding, staying with friends in Afghanistan since October 2021. Abdul and his wife had a fourth child in December 2022. Shortly after going into hiding, Abdul contacted an old friend, Timothy Ham, for financial support and help to flee Afghanistan to America. Ham first met Abdul in 2008 when Ham attended an award ceremony at Abduls art school. At the time Ham worked as the Western Regional Manager on the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Afghanistan Small & Medium Enterprise Development project in Afghanistan. Abdul was an instructor and co-owner of the art school with his father. After learning of Abduls current status, Ham was determined to help find a way to bring Abdul to the United States. Story continues Abdul has a unique gift as an artist with the ability to paint not only what he sees, but also what he feels. Each painting has a story. I am grateful for the two years I spent in Afghanistan and saddened by the pain Afghans have had to endure from decades of war and conflict. I did not know exactly how I would help Abdul and his family but at least I could try, Ham previously told the Gateway. In an effort to raise funds to come to America, Abdul shipped Ham 56 original oil paintings to distribute for donations to help pay for Abduls application for a work visa to the U.S. Abdul painted a portrait of Gig Harbor. Courtesy photo One of these paintings was a portrait of the Gig Harbor waterfront, painted from a photo that Ham sent Abdul. That painting was given to a Gig Harbor couple, Mike and Pat Harle, for their donations to support Abduls journey. The original painting remains in the Harles home. They allowed it to be digitally scanned and framed by Tammy and Craig Radford with the American Art Company of Tacoma. That copy was donated to the city of Gig Harbor on March 29. City officials are deciding where they want to put it. Tim Ham, left, and Mayor of Gig Harbor Tracie Markley, right, pose for a portrait with Afghan artist Abduls painting of Gig Harbor that he created while living in hiding with his family from the Taliban in Afghanistan, in Gig Harbor on March 29, 2023. Cheyenne Boone/Cheyenne Boone/The News Tribune Funds from all the paintings were set to help with any future living expenses, visa costs and travel. In June of 2022, Abdul and his attorneys applied for an O-1 Artist Visa from the U.S. as an artist of extraordinary abilities. The visa was preliminarily granted to Abdul in July 2022 and a final visa interview was the last step. In August 2022 Abdul and his family traveled to the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan for this final interview. The consular officers denied the family access to the U.S. because they felt Abdul could not assure he would return after his one-year teaching contract was completed, said Abduls attorney, Sanjay Sethi from the Law Offices of Sethi & Mazaheri, LLC in New Jersey. The job Abdul had lined up involved working in art classrooms in Tacoma, primarily at the School of the Arts, alongside certified teachers as a teaching assistant. The visa denial stated that he had not demonstrated that he had ties that would compel him to return to his home country. Abdul had hoped to work on a documentary film in another country after teaching for a year in the U.S., but that opportunity wasnt confirmed in time for the visa interview. Abdul and his family were forced to return to Afghanistan. After exploring several other options for a second visa interview, Abdul and his attorneys decided to submit an application for a humanitarian visa for Germany for the family, which the attorneys have seen work for other Afghan artists. In the first five months after the U.S. withdrew all U.S. forces from Afghanistan, Sethis office had 3,000 immediate inquiries for assistance from artists. German humanitarian visa regime is much more accommodating, Sethi told the Gateway. They have a humanitarian visa regime that actually can bring people in much quicker and also directly. Sethis office has resettled about 3-4 times as many artists to Europe than to the United States, Sethi said. If the system in Germany functions as it should, Abduls attorneys are hopeful Abdul and his family will be approved in the near future. Abdul is grateful to the city of Gig Harbor and to Tacoma. I hope to visit this region one day and show my children your love and appreciation for an Afghan artist by displaying this print, Abdul said in a WhatsApp message. I am glad that many of my paintings are now in the homes of people in America, including Mike and Pat Harle. The German government has not informed Abdul of its decision yet. What was waiting for Abdul in Tacoma A position with Elements of Education was waiting for Abdul, if he made it to Tacoma. Elements of Education is a nonprofit founded over 20 years ago in Tacoma. The organization created the School of the Arts, the Science and Math Institute, and the School of Industrial Design, Engineering and Art. Elements of Education agreed to make Abdul an employee, if funds for a salary were raised, Jon Ketler, co-director of Elements of Education previously told the Gateway. Individuals made donations on their own without expectations of prints or paintings. Donations to Elements of Education were for his first-year base wages and could only be used once 100% of his wages of $44,500 had been deposited. Since Abdul and his family cannot come to the U.S., Ham asked Elements of Education to return all donations to donors. Ham informed the donors of the reasons for this and suggested that they could also provide donations to a GoFundMe account established to support the family, and for visa fees and travel to a German embassy. Donations can be made at gofundme.com/f/rescuing-an-afghan-artist-and-family. Ham just wants Abdul to be able to leave Afghanistan. If he and his family are allowed to leave Afghanistan to a country where he can once again paint what he wants to express, I will be very happy for him and his family, Ham told the Gateway. We were all disappointed that he was not allowed to come to the U.S. but, should the family get to a country that would allow him to travel, at least from there he will hopefully be able to come to the U.S. to visit and exhibit his own works. At least if he were safe in another country, I could go there to visit with him and his family. An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing after an engine burst into flames in mid-air, Ohio officials said. The flight from John Glenn International Airport in Columbus was bound for Phoenix, Arizona, according to FlightAware. It took off around 7:40 a.m. EDT but landed back at John Glenn about 40 minutes later. Emergency crews responded to an aircraft incident at CMH this morning involving a reported engine fire. The aircraft landed safely and the airport is open and operational, the airport said in a tweet. The Boeing 737s crew reported a possible bird strike, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a news release. Passengers said they heard loud noises outside the cabin, a witness told WCMH. The pilot said they had flown through a flock of geese, which likely damaged the engine and caused it to catch fire, a passenger told WBNS. No injuries were reported. The FAA is investigating. Southwest flight to Texas delayed. The reason? A mess dubbed RiceGate, passenger says Passenger opens emergency exit, deploys slide as plane taxis, California cops say Deadly cobra slithering under pilots seat forces emergency landing in South Africa Passengers pry man out of headlock during brawl on Southwest flight, video shows A former Russian criminal prisoner who was fighting with Wagner in an interrogation room after being captured by Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut on March 12, 2023. SERGEY SHESTAK/AFP via Getty Images Two men claiming to be ex-Wagner fighters have made harrowing claims about their actions in Ukraine. The men claim they killed dozens of children, civilians, and some of their comrades. The Wagner Group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, denied the men's claims. Two men claiming to be former members of the Wagner Group say that they killed dozens of children in Ukraine. The former convicts Azamat Uldarov and Alexey Savichev made the confessions in video interviews with Gulagu.net, a Russian human rights organization. Uldarov said in the video, according to Politico: "As we entered Soledar and Bakhmut, we got the order to destroy everyone: men, women, children, elderly. She was screaming, a little girl, don't know if she was 5 or 6. And I shot her." The two men detailed several harrowing acts they say they committed in Ukraine, including killing over 20 Ukrainian children in Bakhmut and the Donetsk region, killing their comrades who refused to fight, and blowing up pits with more than 50 wounded prisoners in them, Politico reported. Vladimir Osechkin, the head of Gulagu.net, said the two fighters had spoken to him for over a week in video calls. Along with the interviews, he published documents that showed the pair spent up to six months fighting in Ukraine and returned home to Russia to receive medals and money. CNN said it had also obtained penal documents showing the men were released from prison in Russia on presidential pardons in September and August of 2022. Insider could not independently verify the men's identities or their claims. People in military uniform, claimed to be soldiers of Russian mercenary group Wagner and its head Yevgeny Prigozhin, pose for a picture believed to be in a salt mine in Soledar in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, in this picture released January 10, 2023. Reuters The pair claimed to have fought with the Wagner Group, the Russian paramilitary organization founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, which has been active in fighting in parts of eastern Ukraine, including Bakhmut. The group is known to recruit from Russian prisons, offering inmates freedom once they complete six months of fighting in Ukraine. "There is a superior over all the commanders it's Prigozhin, who told us not to let anyone get out of there and annihilate everyone," Uldarov said of fighting in Soledar and Bakhmut, per CNN. Story continues Savichev said that Wagner fighters were ordered to "execute any men who were 15 years or older" and were told when sweeping houses to ensure all civilians found were killed, CNN reported. "It doesn't matter whether there is a civilian there or not. The house needs to be swept. I didn't give a fuck who was inside," he said. "You can condemn me for this. I will not object. It's your right. But I wanted to live, too." He claimed that fighters who did not follow orders would be killed. Prigozhin took to Telegram to deny the men's allegations and threaten punishment against them. "If at least one of these accusations against me is confirmed, I am ready to be held accountable according to any laws," he said, per CNN. Uldarov later appeared on the Russian news agency RIA-FAN, which has ties to Prigozhin, to recant his account, CNN said. According to Osechkin, who had published the original interviews, both former fighters began getting threats following Prigozhin's comments, Politico reported. Ukrainian prosecutors have started to investigate the Wagner fighters' testimonies. In another apparent confession by Wagner mercenaries, Alexey Savichev, 49, a convicted murderer, told The Guardian that he had been involved in the killing and torture of "dozens" of Ukrainian prisoners of war. "We were told not to take any prisoners and just shoot them on the spot," he said in an interview published earlier this week. Read the original article on Business Insider Trillian Clifford and her daughter Alma are trapped in Sudan amid the nations civil war (Rebecca Winter/Facebook) An American teacher and her 18-month-old daughter are trapped in Sudan as civil war ravages the North African country. Trillian Clifford and her daughter Alma are following orders by the US government to shelter in place and ration their food and water, but Ms Cliffords family in Massachusetts are worried about their safety as there appears to be no end in sight to the fighting. [Their situation] continues to decline every day. The fighting got extremely heavy during the first two days of Eid, Ms Cliffords sister-in-law Rebecca Winter told The Independent on Sunday. Trillian and her baby were moved to a first-floor apartment to get away from the windows on the upper floor because there were air strikes just within one kilometre of her apartment. President Joe Biden ordered American troops to evacuate fewer than 100 embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier Saturday from his national security team, according to the Associated Press. However, The US has yet to announce plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of American civilians. Ms Clifford, who has taught internationally for over a decade, moved to Sudan with her daughter last summer. She had been communicating with her family in the US via text messages up until Sunday morning, when Ms Winter said they lost contact. We have been able to FaceTime occasionally, but the last few days in particular the internet has been very unstable, Ms Winter said. We have lost all contact and its the first time thats happened in the nine days that shes been sheltering in place ... its just an extra layer of frightening. The civil war between Sudans two most powerful generals, who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup, erupted into an unprecedented battle for control of the resource-rich nation of more than 46 million people. The armed forces chief and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group have vowed not to negotiate or cease fire, despite mounting global diplomatic pressure. More than 400 people, including at least one American citizen, have been killed in the fighting, according to the United Nations World Health Organization. Story continues Trillian Clifford and her daughter Alma (Rebecca Winter/Facebook) Ms Winter said one of the security guards who works at Ms Cliffords building risked his life during a lull in the fighting to bring food and water to the teachers sheltering in the complex. However, Ms Clifford told her family that she is running low on food and doesnt know when the next drop will be. Ms Clifford has been reverse-weaning her daughter in a desperate bid to keep giving her proper nutrition. In her living room, Ms Clifford has arranged a makeshift shelter under her coffee table where she hides with Alma whenever she hears gunfire. Trill also is prepared to evacuate at any point, so everything is packed up. And she just has a go bag waiting, Ms Winter told The Independent. So they only have a few toys out for Alma to play with and I think that Alma is finally getting over them, so shes been really fussy lately. Trillian Clifford and her daughter Alma are trapped in the middle of the Sudan civil war (Rebecca Winter/Facebook) The State Department suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. President Biden has called for an end to the unconscionable violence but has not announced evacuations for American civilians. Ms Clifford, who has taught in Mumbai and Cairo in the past, is among at least 10 other American teachers in her building who have not been able to flee the country. Smoke is seen rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (Reuters) Weve spoken with the embassy, weve spoken to the Department of Defense, Ms Winter said. She does receive emails from the embassy, so she knows that theyre aware of her location, but theyve continued to say all we can do is tell you to shelter in place and ration your food and water. There are no plans for evacuations for US citizens. Although she is frustrated with the situation, her only option at this time would be to risk her and her daughters life by trying to escape in a convoy, which Ms Winter said US officials have advised against. Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy. No injuries were reported. Its really horrific. She doesnt know what to do anymore, shes exhausted, Ms Winter said of her sister. She says its the most terrifying and the most boring experience of her life because shes terrified out of her mind and has nothing she can do about it. Shes just stuck sitting there. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since 18 March Self-styled preacher Amritpal Singh, whose calls for Sikh independence riled India's authorities, has been arrested in Punjab state. The 30-year-old had been on the run for more than a month after evading arrest in Punjab on 18 March. He and his supporters have been accused of attempted murder and attacking police officials. Punjab Police officials confirmed news of the arrest on Twitter and also appealed for peace. Mr Singh was arrested from Rode village in Punjab's Moga district at around 6.45am on Sunday, the state's inspector general Sukhchain Singh Gill said in a press conference. He has been arrested under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), which allows for individuals to be detained without being charged for up to a year. He will be taken to the high-security Dibrugarh jail in Assam state, where some of his supporters have been kept. Mr Singh shot to prominence in February after hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station, demanding the release of an arrested aide. His campaign brought back memories from the 1980s of a separatist insurgency and subsequent crackdown in Punjab in which thousands of people were killed. Mr Singh's disappearance had sparked a massive manhunt Mr Singh, who says he supports the Khalistan movement for a separate Sikh homeland, claims to draw inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a preacher accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency in the 1980s. Bhindranwale was killed in the Indian army's storming of the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion, in 1984. The manhunt for Mr Singh spanned several parts of northern India, including the capital Delhi and the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Nepal had also put him on its surveillance list at India's request. Police first attempted to arrest Mr Singh on 18 March - thousands of personnel were deployed and traffic blockades were set up across the state to check vehicles. Story continues But he escaped in a dramatic car chase which was live-streamed by some of his associates. Within hours of Mr Singh's escape, authorities blocked internet services in Punjab - where 27 million people live - restricted the movement of people, and arrested hundreds of Mr Singh's supporters. Many of them were later released. Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, had asked Mr Singh to surrender to the police and co-operate with their investigation. After the crackdown, however, it also questioned the government's arrests and detentions of people for their alleged support of Mr Singh and for Khalistan. Sikh groups in Canada held widespread protests against the government action in Punjab. Protests were also held outside the Indian High Commission in London, where demonstrators removed the Indian flag. India had strongly condemned the incident and summoned the UK's deputy high commissioner in New Delhi to register its protest. In San Francisco, pro-Khalistan supporters vandalised the Indian consulate, calling for Mr Singh to be freed. A couple of weeks after his arrest, Mr Singh had released a video from an undisclosed location, where he termed the crackdown as an "attack on the Sikh community". He had also termed as "unfair" the invocation of the NSA against him and his supporters. Who is Amritpal Singh? Not much is known about Mr Singh's early years. A resident of Jallupur Khera in Punjab's Amritsar district, he moved to Dubai in 2012 to join his family's transport business. His LinkedIn profile says he has a mechanical engineering degree from a university in Punjab and that he worked as an "operational manager" at a cargo company. For many years, reports say, his popularity was restricted to social media where his views on Sikh unity and statehood found plenty of resonance. In August last year, he travelled to India from Dubai, looking like a devout, practising Sikh - visibly different from old photos in which his hair and beard were neatly trimmed. A month later, Mr Singh was appointed head of Waris Punjab De (Heirs of Punjab), an organisation formed by Deep Sidhu, an actor and activist who was arrested in connection with violence during a protest held by farmers - he died in a car accident last year. The ceremony, which was attended by thousands of people, was held in Rode, which is also the ancestral village of Bhindranwale. BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features. Read more India stories from the BBC: China's ambassador to France has sparked anger in eastern Europe and Ukraine while drawing a rebuke from Paris and the EU after questioning the sovereignty of post-Soviet countries. Speaking Friday on France's LCI news channel, ambassador Lu Shaye suggested countries that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union "don't have effective status under international law because there is not an international agreement confirming their status as sovereign nations." The ambassador's comments cast doubt not just on Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022, but all former Soviet republics which emerged as independent nations after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, including members of the European Union. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell branded the remarks "unacceptable" in the latest sign of indignation in Europe. "The EU can only suppose these declarations do not represent China's official policy", he tweeted. Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak said on Sunday that the status of post-Soviet countries was "enshrined in international law", while he also took issue with Lu's comments on Crimea, which was occupied by Russia in 2014. Asked if Crimea was Ukrainian during his interview on LCI, Lu replied, "it depends on how you look at the problem. There's history. Crimea was Russian at the start." "It is strange to hear an absurd version of the 'history of Crimea' from a representative of a country that is scrupulous about its thousand-year history," Podolyak said, referring to China. The foreign ministers of Baltic countries Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, all former Soviet republics which joined the EU after independence, condemned the comments from Lu, who is part of a new class of outspoken Chinese diplomats. Latvia's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics wrote on Twitter that his views were "completely unacceptable", while Estonia's top diplomat Margus Tsahkna called them "false and a misinterpretation of history." Story continues - 'Don't trust China' - The timing of the controversy is embarrassing for French President Emmanuel Macron who visited Beijing this month to encourage Chinese President Xi Jinping to put pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine. Macron's trip caused unease among some Western allies who are sceptical of China's intentions, given Xi's formal alliance with Russia. On Saturday the French foreign ministry said it had "learned with consternation about the statements from the Chinese ambassador in France about the borders of countries that became independent after the fall of the Soviet Union". "It remains up to China to say whether these statements reflect its position which we hope not to be the case," it added. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis wrote on Twitter that "if anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States don't trust China to 'broker peace in Ukraine', here's a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries' borders have no legal basis". China has emphasised its relationship with Russia even as it seeks to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine war, and has proposed a political solution to the conflict which was rejected by Kyiv and its Western backers. "If you want to be a major political player, do not parrot the propaganda of Russian outsiders," Ukrainian presidential aide Podolyak added. Countries that emerged from the break-up of the Soviet Union were admitted as sovereign members of the United Nations, with China recognising them at the time. - 'Wolf warrior' - Lu has previously acknowledged being part of the so-called "wolf warrior" class of Chinese diplomats, a nickname given to those who respond vehemently to critics they perceive as hostile to China. In January 2019, he accused Canada of "white supremacy" for calling for the release of two Canadians detained in China, days after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada at the request of the United States. After taking up a new role in Paris, he caused a fresh diplomatic spat in 2021 when he called a critical French researcher a "little thug" and a "troll" on Twitter. He also took aim at French lawmakers who were weighing a trip to Taiwan which China is threatening to seize by force. Summoned by the French foreign ministry over the "insults and threats", he took the highly unusual step of delaying his appearance, citing "scheduling issues". This sparked further irritation in Paris. "Neither France nor Europe is a doormat," then-Europe minister Clement Beaune warned. "When you are summoned as an ambassador, you pay a visit to the foreign ministry." adp-jf-brw/giv/jm/lcm/gw A 29-year-old man is facing a murder charge in the shooting death of an employee at The Marq on West 7th apartments, according to Fort Worth police and jail records and a notice posted at the apartment property. A resident who was being evicted is accused of killing Carlos Aybar, a maintenance worker at the apartment building, on Friday night, according to the note from the apartment management and a GoFundMe for Aybars family. The suspect, Devin Smith, was arrested Friday night and as of Sunday afternoon was being held on $150,000 bond at the Tarrant County Jail. Officers were called about 5:40 p.m. Friday to The Marq on West 7th apartments, at 701 Arch Adams Lane in the Monticello neighborhood near the Cultural District, in response to a call about a shooting, according to police records. A woman called 911 and reported that she was working in the front office of the apartment building and a man was arguing with her over an animal control violation, according to a police call log. The woman reported that an employee had been shot and told the dispatcher that she had locked herself in a restroom and the man was standing outside the door shooting. The GoFundMe said Aybar died a hero protecting his coworker. He left behind a beautiful 4-year-old son, a loving mother and extended family. Carlos was loved by many and his heart of service and kindness was one in a million, a relative wrote on the GoFundMe page. Funds raised will help care for his son and provide travel and financial support for his mother, who lives in the Dominican Republic, according to the fundraising site. Notices posted across the apartment property Saturday warned residents that Smith could be released on bond and should be considered an extremely dangerous individual. The notices also told residents that there has been minimal to no communication from Fort Worth Police Department. The note urged residents to flood the Fort Worth police non-emergency line with requests for information. A huge loss for the voters I have worked for several years as a poll worker and temporary worker in Tarrant County elections. Because of the political climate in our county, we are losing one of the very best election administrators in the state, if not the country, in Heider Garcia. (April 19, 13A, Elections chief quitting is bad sign for Tarrant voting) With a new county election integrity unit that is not needed and several bills being considered in the Legislature, we are in danger of losing our say in elections. Bills to do away with countywide voting, give the secretary of state authority to overturn elections and remove any co-election administrator are attacks on your voting rights. Godspeed, Mr. Garcia, I hope you find a state or county that appreciates you. - Suzanne Mabe, Fort Worth Keep our eyes on the ball A Texas-size tip of the hat to those in the local media for their attention to troublesome, destabilizing issues at the Tarrant County Courthouse, including jail deaths and serious matters around voting and elections. You are serving the people, the community and, yes, democracy itself. Have courage as you go about your work. - Roger Summers, Arlington Is Clarence Thomas stupid? Do any Republicans find it disturbing that The Washington Posts story Complaints about Justice Thomas disclosures sent to judicial committee reported: The justice said at the time (2011) that he had not understood the filing instructions regarding his financial disclosures? How can a Supreme Court justice listen to complex legal arguments but not understand financial-disclosure reporting instructions? - Glenn Celerier, Arlington Think big about going to Mars John M. Crisps April 16 commentary Fly to Mars? Maybe. But why should we? 95C) questioned the logic of traveling to the moon and eventually establishing a human colony on Mars. His questions cast doubt on the accepted reasons for moving forward in this quest: exhausting Earths resources, competition with China. Story continues But his main argument is that humans evolved on Earth because of natural resources and that we should not venture into space away from them. He underestimates our inherent spirit of adventure. That may be the main reason for leaving the protection of Earth to explore the unknown. - Wallace James Hahn, Fort Worth Mansfield schools are losing out As a resident of Mansfield, I am appalled at the recent events involving our school board members one member colluding with others to write statements for people to read at meetings, (April 21, 12A, Mansfield school board candidate names public comment writer) the arrest of a board member and charges of financial improprieties against a former PTA president. The school board is focused on banning books instead of assuring that students and staff have the best educational opportunities. Mansfield used to be one of the best districts in the country, but it now makes the news for its lack of transparency and ethics. Lets hope voters decide to put our children and district first. - Bettie Saccardo, Mansfield Vouchers steal from everyone The idea of school vouchers that cut tax money from our public schools to fund private schools does not make any sense. What if we applied the concept of school vouchers to other aspects of public funding? Some people could propose that they want the portion of their tax money earmarked for the police department refunded because they live in a gated community and want to hire private security. Or, I deserve a rebate on my tax money for fire departments so I can install a deluxe sprinkler system in my home. No one would argue that these scenarios would be viable, practical or successful. If public schools arent meeting our expectations, lets not abandon them. Lets improve what we already have in place. Better public schools help future generations and will benefit all communities, from large cities to small rural towns. - Daryl Marek, Grand Prairie Worth a pound of cure With routine, twice-yearly dental cleanings, we prevent abscesses. By making contraceptives available, we prevent untimely pregnancies. By making condoms available, we prevent sexually transmitted infections. With prevention, individuals take responsibility for their health and save taxpayers money. Prevention respects individuals freedom. Thats conservative, and its pro-life. - Rita Cotterly, Fort Worth Azerbaijan on Sunday set up a checkpoint on the only land link between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, sparking an angry response from its archrival Yerevan. The move fuels tensions between the ex-Soviet Caucasus nations that fought two wars over Azerbaijan's Armenian-majority region of Nagorno-Karabakh. "The units of the Azerbaijani Border Service established a border checkpoint on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, at the entrance of the Lachin-Khankendi road," the state border service said. Baku and Yerevan went to war in 2020 and in the 1990s over Nagorno-Karabakh. Under the Russia-brokered ceasefire that ended the 2020 conflict, Azerbaijan is required to guarantee safe passage on the Lachin corridor, which is patrolled by Russian peacekeepers. Azerbaijan, however, said it set up the checkpoint at 12:00 pm (0800 GMT) on Sunday "to prevent the illegal transportation of manpower, weapons, mines." It added the checkpoint "shall be implemented in interaction with the Russian peacekeeping force." Washington said it was "deeply concerned that Azerbaijan's establishment of a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor undermines efforts to establish confidence in the peace process". "We reiterate that there should be free and open movement of people and commerce on the Lachin corridor and call on the parties to resume peace talks and refrain from provocations and hostile actions along the border," the State Department said in a statement. A French foreign ministry statement also said it "deplores" the development as a violation of the ceasefire agreements that would hamper the negotiations process. Since last year tensions have risen over the Lachin corridor, with Russia focused on its offensive in Ukraine. In December, Azerbaijani activists blocked the Lachin corridor to protest what they claim was illegal mining. Yerevan accused Baku of staging the demonstrations and creating a humanitarian crisis in the mountainous enclave. Story continues - 'Gross violation' - In a new escalation on Sunday, Azerbaijan said it built the checkpoint following "threats and provocations" from Armenia, which denied the claims. Baku accused Yerevan of using the corridor for the rotation of army staff, "the transfer of weapons and ammunition, entrance of terrorists, as well as illicit trafficking of natural resources and cultural property." It said it recorded military convoys entering Azerbaijan's territory and "the construction of military infrastructure... at the point closest to the territory of Azerbaijan." The Armenian foreign ministry said the claims were a "far-fetched and baseless pretext". It said setting up the checkpoint was "a gross violation" of the 2020 ceasefire agreement, part of Baku's "policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh." Separatist authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh called on "the Russian Federation to immediately begin discussions" including on "preventing the establishment" of the checkpoint. Distracted by its offensive in Ukraine and the confrontation with the West, Russia has been visibly losing influence in the region, which it sees as its traditional sphere of influence. Yerevan, which relies on Russia as a security guarantor, has grown frustrated over the Kremlin's failure to fulfil its peacekeeping role. Several servicemen from both sides have been killed in clashes in recent months. And on Sunday, Armenia reported Azerbaijan's forces killed one of its servicemen. Azerbaijan said it was responding to enemy fire. bur/gw/jj/tjj Scientists are getting closer to the possibility of making a new person from skin or blood cells without the need for sex. This approach goes well beyond in vitro fertilization, which combines egg and sperm in a laboratory, because it doesn't require natural eggs or sperm. Called in vitro gametogenesis, or IVG, it promises to someday provide a cure for many types of infertility, to slow or even turn off biological clocks, and to enable the kind of embryo selection that sends chills up many spines. In a three-day meeting last week at the National Academies of Sciences, researchers eagerly discussed their work, advocates laid out their vision for making IVG useful, and ethicists squirmed in their seats. "The search for a 'perfect' race, 'perfect' baby, 'perfect generation' is not science fiction," Amrita Pande, a sociologist at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, told the group Thursday. The technology for making babies from cells other than eggs and sperm still remains a decade away or more. But now before the science turns possibility into reality is a good time for the public to consider the implications of IVG, said I. Glenn Cohen, an expert on the intersection of law and bioethics at Harvard Law School. "There's certainly a lot of publications and a lot of interest in the scientific community, and it's great that we're introducing it to a larger community," Cohen said after the first day's presentations. "If people have serious ethical concerns, this is the time to spell them out." 'Big shift' for cancer treatment: mRNA vaccine shows promise against melanoma In this Aug. 14, 2013 file photo, an in vitro fertilization embryologist works on a petri dish at a fertility clinic in London. In vitro fertilization involves surgically removing eggs from a womans ovaries, combining them with sperm in a laboratory, and transferring the days-old embryo to the womans uterus. Eggs from male mice In one of the latest advances in the field, Japanese researcher Katsuhiko Hayashi showed in March that he can transform skin cells from adult male mice into healthy eggs. Story continues Only a tiny fraction of the mouse eggs he made were viable, but the mice grown from these egg cells were healthy and able to have pups and grandpups of their own. He envisions eventually using this approach to treat infertility in people who have extra sex chromosomes, such as XXY or XYY, as compared with the typical XX for females and XY for males. It also could allow single-sex couples to have a child who is biologically related to both parents. Hayashi also has developed a method of making viable sperm from adult male mouse cells, and he and others are working to mature eggs made from adult females all of which fit under the rubric of IVG. "My primary wish is to contribute to helping people suffering from infertility," Hayashi said in an interview last month. "What I am doing now is very basic biology." In animals, IVG could be used to conserve species in danger of extinction, said Insoo Hyun, a bioethicist at Harvard Medical School and director of life sciences at Boston's Museum of Science. Latest news: Patients worried IVF treatments could become illegal under abortion bans, doctors say But whether IVG could ever be considered safe in humans, and how many embryos would have to be sacrificed in the process, remain open questions. And while the science may be driven by curiosity, everyone agrees it will be used to make money from people desperate to continue their biological line or just willing to pay for the offspring of their choice. "It is a perversion of the sanctity of procreation as a fundamental aspect of human life," said Ben Hurlbut, a bioethicist and historian of science at Arizona State University, before the meeting. "It makes it into an industrial project that responds to and also inspires and cultivates the desires of their future customers." Already several startups backed by private venture capital are looking to commercialize the creation of lab-made eggs and sperm, perhaps first in farm animals. Animal testing no longer required for drug approval: But high-tech substitutes aren't ready. The ethical perspective One ethical question raised by IVG is who benefits from this kind of work. "The child that would be created exists not for its own sake but for the sake of others," Hurlbut said. "That child is the expression of other people's desires." Several people at the conference raised the specter of 90-year-olds having offspring in this way, or babies having babies, or long-dead people. Researchers and ethicists alike agree it's OK to tinker with genes for the sake of curing a sick child. Those genetic changes won't be passed down to future generations. IVG doesn't tinker with genetics, it just uses the programs already in place in a cell to give it a different function turning a skin cell into a sperm cell, for instance. But once this can be done in an unlimited way, people could choose among dozens, hundreds or thousands of embryos, compared with IVF in which just a handful of embryos are created. Cutting-edge advances in cancer are underway: Here are 3 that could change lives. The perspective of history does not make the fertility field look good, Hurlbut said, and the "Wild West" approach doesn't seem to be changing. In vitro fertilization, for example, was introduced without the standard clinical trial process. Reproductive technologies have long been a biological, social, legal and moral experiment, Hurlbut said. "We really still do not understand the subtleties even of IVF itself, which is 45 years old this year, let alone all of the other things we've layered on top of it," he said. A similar nonscientific process established the hormonal regimen that women still routinely get to generate eggs for IVF, he said. "It's a quite fundamental norm that you don't experiment on children, and yet this in vitro cultivation of a technology is also cultivation of desires and of a potential market that at the end of the day fundamentally entails experimentation on children," he said. Pursuing this work also sends a mixed message to families that result from adoption, said Francoise Baylis, a philosopher at Dalhousie University in Canada, before the conference. Pursuing a biologically related child, regardless of the financial, scientific and ethical cost, devalues families based on other relationships, she said. Reining in science The public tends to assume scientists pursue only worthwhile research, said Katie Hasson, associate director of science for the Center for Genetics and Society, an advocacy group that argues for responsible use of genetic technology. But once something is possible, she said, the presumption becomes "now that we can do it, how can anyone say we should not do it?" Meetings like last week's are intended to foster discussion before it becomes too late to stop scientific "progress." More: After years of failure, study finds hearts were 'pumping stronger' after stem cell therapy Dr. Peter Marks, an official with the Food and Drug Administration, laid out the many regulatory hurdles IVG probably would face in the U.S. just to reach the stage of a clinical trial. Federal funding cannot be used for the creation of embryos, and right now, embryos can't be allowed to develop for more than 14 days in a lab, which limits the ability to test their safety, Hyun said. Many conference attendees worried aloud that other countries, perhaps with less scientific and regulatory oversight, will pursue the work first. "There's ego and also the structure of incentives in science," Hasson said. "That also feeds into arguments like 'If we don't do it, X country is going to do it, therefore we should do it first.' ... The profit potential and the push to commercialize these technologies can be a big motivation." To Baylis, the question about pursuing IVG is also one of priorities. "There are only so many scientists, so much money and time to solve dramatic problems." Contact Karen Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com. Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Future of fertility? Scientists create babies without egg, sperm BAFTA gave out their Craft Awards on Sunday, 23 April. As with the Primetime Emmys, the British academy also devotes a weekend to celebrating the creative arts. The BAFTA TV Craft Awards are split into 20 categories, with six devoted to fictional programming, six to factual programming, and a further four in combined fields. The BBC medical drama This is Going to Hurt won three awards Editing (Fiction), Scripted Casting, and Writer (Drama) for show creator Adam Kay. Kay adapted his best-selling memoir, which chronciled his experiences as a doctor in the NHS. Kay won in a stacked category that included Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy), Alice Oseman (Heartstopper) and Tony Schumacher (The Responder). This is Going to Hurt will contend at the Emmys in the limited series categories. More from GoldDerby Meanwhile, Writer (Comedy) went to Lisa McGee for her work on Derry Girls, which follows a teenage girl and family in friends in 1990s Northern Ireland. Derry Girls ran for three seasons before it came to an end last year. McGee beat Jack Rooke (Big Boys), Nancy Harris (The Dry), and Sharon Horgan, Barunka OShaughnessy, Helen Serafinowicz, and Holly Walsh (Motherland). Director (Fiction) went to William Stefan Smith for his work on Top Boy, which follows gangs and drug dealers in East London. Smith directed the final two episodes of the fourth season, which was released on Netflix last year and is comprised of eight episodes. Smith triumphed over some tough competition: Dearbhla Walsh (Bad Sisters), Hugo Blick (The English), and Lucy Forbes (This is Going to Hurt). Emmy favourite House of the Dragon had a good night, too, winning three awards in total Makeup and Hair Design, Sound (Fiction), and Special, Visual, and Graphic Effects. Apple TVs The Essex Serpent also won an award (for Costume Design) and so, too, did Channel 4s weird and wonderful puppet comedy Dont Hug Me, Im Scared. Story continues On the factual side of things, it was The State Funeral Of HM Queen Elizabeth II that was the big winner. That event special won Director (Multi-Camera) and Sound (Factual). Meanwhile, Netflixs Jimmy Saville: A British Horror Story won Original Music (Factual) and Director: Factual went to Felicity Morris for Netflixs widely popular The Tinder Swindler. She beat out Emma Cooper (The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes), James Jones (Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes), and Sophie Robinson (My Dead Body). Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Dont miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why? SIGN UP for Gold Derbys free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The foreign ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have reacted to the recent statement of Lu Shaye, the Chinese Ambassador to France, who questioned the sovereignty of the former Soviet republics and claimed that "Crimea originally belonged to Russia". Source: Delfi, a news website in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania providing daily news Details: A television interview with Lu Shaye, Chinese Ambassador to France, to Swiss journalist Darius Rochebin caused a broad resonance. In particular, the ambassador stated that the status of post-Soviet countries in international law is unclear, thus calling into question their sovereignty, as the newspaper writes. Answering the question of whether Crimea was part of Ukraine, Lu Shaye said that it all depends on how you look at this question. "First of all... Crimea originally belonged to Russia, didn't it? And then Khrushchev [former leader of the USSR] gave Crimea to Ukraine in the Soviet times," Shaye said. The journalist argued that under international law, Crimea is part of Ukraine. Shaye told him that the former Soviet republics have no status under international law. "In international law, the former Soviet states do not even have the status of... how shall I put it... actual status in international law because no international treaty would materialise their sovereignty," the Chinese ambassador said. The Latvian Foreign Ministry has responded to the Chinese diplomat's statement. The ministry summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Riga for explanations on 17 March. Quote: "Remarks by the Chinese Ambassador in France concerning international law and sovereignty of nations are completely unacceptable. We expect an explanation from the Chinese side and complete retraction of this statement," Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics wrote on Twitter. Remarks by the Chinese Ambassador in France concerning international law and sovereignty of nations are completely unacceptable. We expect explanation from the Chinese side and complete retraction of this statement https://t.co/S937uXJGWJ Edgars Rinkevics (@edgarsrinkevics) April 22, 2023 Details: Rinkevics noted that this step was agreed upon with Lithuania and Estonia. Story continues Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated that the Chinese diplomat's statement clearly explains why Beijing cannot mediate in the peace talks in Ukraine. "If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States don't trust China to "broker peace in Ukraine", here's a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries' borders have no legal basis," he stressed. "For years the West said economic cooperation would persuade dictators to support rules based international order. But all we did was feed their economies while letting them break all the rules. China is betting that we will repeat this mistake. It's time to try something else," Landsbergis wrote on Twitter. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna also condemned the words of the Chinese ambassador, as Estonian news agency Postimees reports. "The Chinese diplomat's statements are confusing. We condemn such comments against an independent and sovereign country," said the Estonian Foreign Minister. For years the West said economic cooperation would persuade dictators to support rules based international order. But all we did was feed their economies while letting them break all the rules. China is betting that we will repeat this mistake. It's time to try something else Gabrielius Landsbergis (@GLandsbergis) April 12, 2023 "The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to summon the Chinese representative in Estonia and, if necessary, educate him about our history. Our goal is to clarify that such views are unacceptable and that Estonia is a sovereign state," Tsahkna said. Background: Vadym Omelchenko, Ukraines ambassador to France, has rebuked a Chinese diplomat in France who said the status of Ukraine and Crimea was "not that simple". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Ramiro Huerta admits he was irate and then some when he repeatedly called law enforcement to complain about squad cars shining searchlights through the windows of his familys Strathmore home. All he wanted, he says, was for the lights to go away. What he got instead was the entire uniformed night shift at the Porterville substation of the Tulare County Sheriffs Office four deputies and their sergeant showing up at his home hours later and proceeding to wrestle with him and to hit, kick, and swat him with batons before he was hogtied and carted away in a patrol car. The results included serious injuries for Huerta followed by resisting arrest and other charges. A jury cleared him of any wrongdoing except making annoying phone calls. Also resulting from the violent confrontation of April 25, 2017, is a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Sheriffs Office, an already expensive suit that could go to trial in Fresno this summer or fall. With considerable evidence on his side, Huerta contends he was beaten by a gang of deputies who wanted to teach him a lesson. Among the evidence, none of the five men was wearing a functional body camera during much of the action. Huerta, 47, is an openly gay Latino and he believes that may explain why he was assaulted. He is also an unemployed florist who moved to Strathmore to help care for his aged parents. He takes prescription medication for his nerves but they werent helping much that evening. He says he reacted at full throttle because he felt like he was under siege. Officially the visit to his home was a welfare check but it turned into what one former sheriffs official and one of his lawyers called a beatdown. What happened at Strathmore home the night of April 25, 2017 The lights started flashing around 7:30 p.m. while Huerta and his mother were watching a Golden Girls rerun on TV. First Huerta tried calling the Porterville Police Department to complain. Dispatchers there told him they dont patrol Strathmore. They correctly directed him to the sherifffs Porterville substation. Story continues So Huerta started calling there, and he kept calling. Over and over. But the lights kept shining up and down his street. He wasnt getting any satisfaction and was cursing anyone who picked up the phone. Deputies arrived after 10 p.m., hours after the calls had ended. Huerta and his parents were in bed. The men in brown uniforms banged on the metal security door. Heated dialog quickly ensued, leading to Round 1. Briefly a couple of body cameras recorded the action as deputies grabbed Huerta. He fell to the floor inside the house and the deputies went with him. He swung and kicked and so did they. Huerta was slugged in the face at least twice. Somehow he squirmed free. I managed to make it to the steps, he recalled during an interview at his home. I fell to the floor, my mom was standing somewhere, right there. They pushed her onto the couch and shoved the couch to the wall and made more space where they could kick me, baton me some more. Huerta managed to get the deputies to leave the house. He closed the door behind them. But they werent done. At the direction of their sergeant, now lieutenant, Ron Smith, they didnt drive away. Instead they hid in the bushes that surround the house. There, quietly, in the dark, they waited in hopes he would come outside to lock the front yard gate. When he did, they jumped him for Round 2. The plan, the deputies said in reports and court testimony, was to get Huerta outside so he could be arrested for being drunk in public even though there was no obvious evidence that he was. And when he was lured outside, he went no farther than his front lawn. Few people have been successfully prosecuted for public drunkenness on their own property. His blood was never drawn to be tested for alcohol. A couple of the deputies were wearing functional body cameras when they arrived. The first round was videotaped. But by the time things got rougher outside, none of them had a working camera, either by design or coincidence. Thats a violation five violations, actually of department policy and an issue that will likely loom large in federal court. Huerta was only wearing a yellow tank top and briefs when deputies handcuffed him, hogtied his bare feet to his arms and carried him to a squad car. They pepper sprayed him because he was kicking and refusing to get into the vehicle. Huerta says he couldnt get in because of how his hands and feet were shackled together. His lawyers say Huerta still hasnt fully healed from the eye damage and is being treated for traumatic brain injury. They say the blows broke one of the bones that protect his eyes. The county lawyers have disputed that he sustained brain injury. Huerta convicted only of making annoying calls The Sheriffs Office and the deputies tell a different story than Huertas, of course, but not as different as might be expected. Testimony from the deputies puts the blame on Huerta but also raises questions about the deputies training and motivations. Their first chance to tell their side came when the county took Huerta to court. Six months after the confrontation, his lawyers filed the federal excessive force/civil rights case. Three weeks later, Tulare County prosecutors charged Huerta with resisting arrest, assaulting officers and making annoying calls. Huerta and his lawyers contend the charges were filed only as a bargaining tool to make the federal lawsuit go away. The county lawyers say they dont operate like that. The result was a 15-day trial in Porterville Judge Walter Gorelicks courtroom. Huerta was convicted only of making annoying calls, a type of charge more likely to lead to a citation rather than arrest. He was sentenced to 40 hours of community service. Huerta was clearly resisting the deputies but Tulare County jurors, generally regarded as pro-prosecution, apparently found his response reasonable considering the amount of force directed at him. The deputies have denied they improperly targeted Huerta. They say he might have presented a danger to his elderly mother because he pushed her away from the door shortly after deputies started banging on it. She testified in the criminal trial that her son had never been abusive and she never felt endangered. Huertas mother, Josefina, testified that she kept telling the deputies that it would be better to settle the matter the next day. Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux issued a written statement about the Huerta matter in 2017. There are two sides to every story, he told the Valley Voice newspaper in Visalia. You have heard one side. Our side, which involves a personnel matter, will be heard during litigation. At this time there is no evidence to support the allegation, the sheriff continued. Due to the pending litigation, we are unable to elaborate on our position . Boudreauxs office said in March and again in April that the sheriff will have no additional comment until after the civil trial. Lack of body cam footage doesnt look good Defending the deputies has been a complicated task for the county. Thats partly because of the apparent seriousness of Huertas injuries and the body camera issue. The Sheriffs Office sent a set of incident reports to the District Attorneys Office as part of a request for criminal charges. The prosecutors initial reaction was to formally reject the request because no body camera footage had been submitted. The Tulare County Sheriffs Office sent a set of incident reports to the District Attorneys Office as part of a request for criminal charges against Ramiro Huerta. The prosecutors initial reaction was to formally reject the request because no body camera footage had been submitted. During Huertas resisting arrest trial, prosecutor Andrew Kosch acknowledged that the lack of body cam footage doesnt look good but said there were innocent explanations. Huertas lawyers have been trying to establish that the deputies were instructed to turn off their cameras before confronting Huerta. The deputies have testified, however, that there were legitimate and innocent reasons for the sparse footage. Those included mechanical malfunction, forgetfulness and a mistaken impression that the action had already ended. Lt. Smith testified in Huertas misdemeanor trial that he never told the other men to turn off their cameras. California doesnt require law enforcement agents to wear body cameras while engaged with the public but it is the policy of a growing number of agencies to require them. The Tulare County Sheriffs Office is one of them. Lt. Smith testified at Huertas trial that his own body cam was under repair. He said those were the early days of body cams and getting them to work involved a lot of trial and error. Body camera technology has improved since then. Smith testified he was skeptical of their value at first but now, I love them because the video removes doubt about what occurred. It could prove significant that one of the defendants in the federal litigation, Deputy Salvador Ceja, was later disciplined for hitting a handcuffed juvenile in Pixley after asking his partner to turn off his camera. Ceja testified in Huertas trial that he had simply forgotten to wear his camera on the day of Huertas arrest. Ceja is no longer with the sheriffs office. Deputy Michael Coldren said he experienced a hardware problem; the connection between his radio and camera had failed. Coldren was later promoted to detective before moving briefly to the Visalia Police Department. He has since left law enforcement. Correctional Officer James Dillon IV and Deputy Hector Hernandez said their body cameras were functioning early in the confrontation but they turned them off prematurely when they incorrectly thought the action was over. Their cameras captured some of the deputies initial contact with Huerta. Those deputies are defendants in the federal civil rights case along with Deputy Laura Torres-Salcido, who allegedly taunted Huerta over his homosexuality while he was being treated at a Porterville hospital later that night. She has denied that. It was a beatdown, veteran sheriffs official says An expert witness for Huerta testified at the trial that the deputies blundered by making no effort to deescalate the situation when they arrived at his front door while a couple of body cameras were operational. Well, if you watch the body-worn camera, you know, I mean the officers conduct was very aggressive and assertive from the very beginning, said Jeff Noble. Formerly a deputy police chief in Irvine, Noble has been certified as an expert witness in more than 30 trials. Officer Hernandez admitted that he called Mr. Huerta a jackass, told him to shut up, Noble testified. That was shortly after Huerta reportedly used the same term to describe a deputy. People dont comply and they dont have to comply with our commands, Noble continued. Noble said it appeared the deputies immediately chose to make the visit a confrontation rather than a legitimate welfare check. It was a beatdown, says a veteran sheriffs official, since retired. It was an ambush. That source spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. He was not there that night but says he heard disturbing descriptions of the encounter from deputies and one of their supervisors. Sexual identity an issue? Only open gay in town Huerta says he thinks he was targeted because he isnt deferential to law enforcement and possibly because of his sexual identity. Im probably the only open gay in town, he said. He feels like a lone wolf in Strathmore, population 3,000 or so and declining. Like many San Joaquin Valley farm towns, it has been struggling because of drought, COVID and its high poverty rate. Most blocks in the little business district have at least one boarded-up store. Huerta has lived there with his parents since 2012. He grew up near the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, where his parents ran a florist shop. He says he spent many of his high school days hiding from other students. I was different, he said. I wanted to hide. After high school, he moved to Southern California. He worked in florist shops in Huntington Beach and Venice and then owned his own in Malibu. He lived in Visalia for several years before moving to Strathmore after his sister, Sandra, a high school counselor, died in childbirth. The trauma of it all almost broke his parents, he remembered. The house is filled with the stuff of everyday life plus his mothers squawking birds and yappy dogs. Outside, front and back, its a jungle, tropical despite Tulare Countys freezing winters. Huerta proudly shows off the foliage. Hes a fairly big fellow, 6-foot-3 and about 210 pounds though one of the deputies testified that he seemed heavier in 2017. Huerta says he has never been arrested but has had words with law enforcement officers over the years. He said he had some things to say several years ago when deputies ignored his reports of shots fired in the neighborhood. I dont understand their mentality about service, he said. He also said he doesnt like the way law enforcement treats Latinos. During the filmed portion of his confrontation with the deputies, he complained that his family was being treated like wetbacks. The federal lawsuit contends that the deputies were taunting Huerta for being gay, name-calling that allegedly continued after he was taken to the hospital. The lawsuit says that during Huertas brief stay there a nurse asked if he was a top or a bottom. Thats a reference to homosexual practices. County officials have denied that Huerta was targeted because of his race or sexual orientation. The lawsuit alleges that the deputies mocked Huerta and accused him of hiding behind his mother. The officers were clearly there to teach Huerta a lesson. Huerta and his mother were frightened. (They) informed the deputies and officers that nothing was wrong and that they did not wish to open the screen door as there was no warrant. Goon squad behavior, one attorney contends After the deputies pretended to leave, the lawsuit continues, Huerta walked into the front yard and was tackled from behind by an officer who had been hiding in the bushes. Other deputies joined in, the lawsuit contends, and Huerta was dragged back into the house where he was repeatedly punched and kicked in the face by numerous officers with heavy boots. In addition he was struck repeatedly with batons. The lawsuit says Huerta was then handcuffed and dragged back outside where he was pepper-sprayed, loaded into the back of a patrol car and beaten some more. Ramiro Huerta booking mug after his 2017 arrest by the Tulare County Sheriffs Office. During the annoying-calls trial of Huerta, another of his lawyers, Boris Treyzon, also called the incident a beatdown. He also said he believed it may have been requested by the dispatchers who had taken Huertas calls. Treyzon said the deputies felt they were just doing their job but simply went too far. They dont get to be a goon squad, he told the jury. They dont get to threaten us when we call to complain about what they do. They dont send one officer. They dont send two officers. They send four officers and a sergeant to check on what they consider to be somebody who maybe may be under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Not drunk. Somebody in the confines of their home may have taken medicine or consumed alcohol. Thats five men with guns, batons, a massive flashlight, (who) showed up at his house hours after he called. After almost no treatment at Portervilles Sierra View Hospital, Huerta was taken to a holding cell late that night. He was released the next morning but didnt have a ride, so he walked home 13 miles away, barefoot, through the orchards of Tulare County. Two days later, his father drove him back to the hospital because blood was coming out of his mouth and nose. Reflecting the importance of the civil case and the potential for a significant judgment, 12 lawyers were involved at last count, five on Huertas side and seven representing the county. Freelance writer Royal Calkins is a former Bee reporter and editor of the Monterey Herald. He writes regularly for the Voices of Monterey Bay website. Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy April 23 and announced that it will begin to implement an orderly wind down of operations in all 360 stores after a year of declining sales and closures. Sue Gove, president and CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., expressed her gratitude for the companys devoted customers in a statement Sunday. We deeply appreciate our associates, customers, partners, and the communities we serve, and we remain steadfastly determined to serve them throughout this process. We will continue working diligently to maximize value for the benefit of all stakeholders, she said. While shoppers may have to say goodbye to the chain, which was founded in 1971, shoppers will soon be able to to take advantage of the closing sales. But if you'd been holding on to the store's coupons, now is the time to use them. They expire today. However, the store's closing sale starts tomorrow on April 26 until May 24. Heres what you need to know. A Bed Bath & Beyond store in Westbury, New York, US, on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. (Johnny Milano / Bloomberg via Getty Images) Coupons expire on April 26 but can be used at The Container Store Gift cards can be used through May 8, but any shoppers hoping to use coupons will be disappointed. The company said employees will stop accepting coupons on April 26. But, customers should not throw them away. The Container Store announced on April 26 that it will take coupons from Bed Bath & Beyond for a limited time. "The Container Store will offer a 20% discount off any single item through May 31, 2023, for customers who bring a competitors blue coupon to any store location," the company said. Membership benefits will end the day closing sales begin, but refunds are not available for membership holders. Bed Bath & Beyond encouraged customers to contact Kroll Restructuring Administration, a restructuring service, for more information. Closing sales begin tomorrow Bed Bath & Beyond revealed on its website that closing sales will begin on April 26 with "deep discounts." Customers can still shop online, in stores or using the Bed Bath & Beyond/buybuy BABY app. Story continues All purchases after April 26 will be final. The company said they "expect" to accept returns and exchanges for items bought before April 26 up until May 24. The Welcome Rewards program will be up and running until May 15, meaning customers will be able to redeem points and merchandise credits. However, customers will not be awarded Welcome Rewards on any future purchases following the bankruptcy announcement. Stores will remain open for now The home goods retailer announced it had filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey in a statement April 23. However, the company assured Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY customers that they will still be able to purchase items. The stores will remain open as Bed Bath & Beyond begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its retail locations, the company said in the statement. Through the filing of customary motions with the Court, the Company intends to uphold its commitments to customers, employees, and partners, including continued payment of employee wages and benefits, maintaining customer programs, and honoring obligations to critical vendors, the statement read. Bed Bath & Beyond said it has received $240 million from the investment firm Sixth Street Specialty Lending to help fund the bankruptcy process as it tries to sell some of its assets. How the company got here The bankruptcy news comes after the company began 2023 with a series of store closures and layoffs. In January, CNBC reported that employees were sent a memo that said the companys chief transformation officer role had been eliminated. Additionally, the message said workforce would be reduced across our corporate, supply chain and store portfolio, but did not include the specific number of layoffs. CNBC had previously reported in June 2022 that Bed Bath & Beyonds shares had plummeted, and CEO Mark Tritton departed along with other top executives. Gove stepped in as interim CEO before taking over the role. But the financial problems continued. The companys shares were worth about $2 in January, according to NBC News. In February, Bed Bath & Beyond announced 150 store closures across the country, just one week after initially revealing that 87 locations, five buybuy Baby stores and and all remaining Harmon Face Value stores were shuttering. At the time, Gove said the 150 closures, totaling about half of all Bed Bath & Beyond locations, were intended to prioritize a straight-forward, back-to-basics philosophy that focuses on better serving our customers, driving growth and delivering business returns. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 protections on Sunday after an extended period of sliding sales. Michael Santiago/Getty Images Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 protection in New Jersey on Sunday, a court filing showed. The retailer had long endured sliding sales, making its financial position increasingly precarious. The company warned earlier this year there was considerable doubt about its long-term prospects. Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey Sunday, according to a court filing. The US home-goods retailer warned in January that there was considerable doubt about its survival after grappling with sliding sales. The chain has closed hundreds of stores, cut jobs, and taken other steps in recent years to shore up its finances. The company subsequently abandoned a turnaround plan to raise $1 billion from a hedge fund in February. In another last-ditch move, Bed Bath & Beyond tried this month to raise $300 million from other investors. All those efforts have failed to adequately improve its situation. Its shares have fallen by 87% this year, valuing the company at just $138 million on Friday. The company also recently missed payments on bonds worth about $1 billion. Bed Bath & Beyond will start holding closing-down sales at its 360 stores from Wednesday, with steep discounts on merchandise likely to clear stock. A number of factors have played parts in the downfall of the retailer that started out with just one store in New Jersey in the early 1970s. The company temporarily closed its stores during the pandemic, which hit sales in both 2020 and 2021. Competition from both physical and online rivals has also increased. The retailer said in February it aimed to further reduce the number of US stores, down from a peak of more than 1,500, as well as about 120 Buybuy Baby stores. A series of turnaround efforts in recent years fell short and the company has experienced a series of management changes, too. Bed Bath & Beyond has long been known for its discount coupons, which stores will only accept until Tuesday. Its former president, Arthur Stark, told Bloomberg that offering coupons wasn't the right approach in the long term because it made it difficult to phase them out without alienating customers. Mark Tritton became the CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond in 2019 and tried to move the store away from big brands in favor of its own private-label offerings. Story continues However, customers voted with their feet, prompting a reversal of the policy last year. The company ousted Tritton as CEO last June, and Sue Gove replaced him in the wake of falling sales. The company has tapped Holly Etlin, who became interim CFO in February, to serve as chief restructuring officer, and she will oversee the liquidation-and-sale process, the Chapter 11 filing shows. She took over for Laura Crossen, who stepped up following the death of Gustavo Arnal in September. Crossen has since resumed her position as the chief accounting officer and vice president of finance. Read the original article on Business Insider Home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond, which has closed swaths of stores in recent months, filed for bankruptcy and will wind down its operations, the company announced late Saturday. The bankruptcy filing comes after the company failed to find additional funding and reported disappointing revenue data to investors over the last few months. The company estimated assets and liabilities of approximately $1 billion and $10 billion in the filings. We deeply appreciate our associates, customers, partners, and the communities we serve, and we remain steadfastly determined to serve them throughout this process, company President and CEO Sue Gove said in a statement. We will continue working diligently to maximize value for the benefit of all stakeholders. The company said its remaining 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 Buy Buy Baby stores would stay open as it goes through the bankruptcy process and said it intends to continue to pay employee wages and benefits and obligations to vendors. The company had moved to shutter stores at an aggressive rate over the last year. In February, it announced plans to close 150 locations. One week earlier, it said it was closing 87 stores. The company warned investors in January that the bankruptcy filing could be coming. In a report that showed sales for the third quarter were a third lower than the year before, the company said there was substantial doubt that it could continue. The company, which was founded in 1971, first opened in New Jersey. Updated at 1:30 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that hed of course meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a high-profile trade mission as DeSantis weighs a presidential bid. Of course, he said Sunday morning on CBSs Face the Nation when he was asked whether he'd meet with DeSantis. I'll meet with everyone. Why not? I meet with Republican governors and Democratic governors. Im not avoiding the question, and actually Im rushing right into it. I think its my job, and I think its important for Israels bipartisan support in the United States. I make a point of it. DeSantis office has not confirmed it has scheduled a meeting with Netanyahu, and it did not reply to a request for comment. Until now, it had not been clear whether DeSantis would get a meeting with Netanyahu. DeSantis announcement Friday of a global trade mission specifically noted that he would meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, as well as British Foreign Minister James Cleverly. But notably, it made no mention of whether hed meet with Netanyahu in Israel. Netanyahu is seen as a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, whos running for a second term and has been relentlessly attacking DeSantis over the past few months even though DeSantis has not officially entered the presidential race. In the past, Netanyahu has been reluctant to weigh in on U.S. elections. As DeSantis considers a possible 2024 presidential bid, he has drawn criticism even from some in his own party for a perceived lack of foreign policy experience after he referred to the war in Ukraine as a "territorial dispute." He later downplayed the comments and switched to harsher language against Russia. DeSantis has long touted a strong relationship with Israel as one of his top priorities, but Netanyahus close ties to Trump sets up a thorny dynamic as Trump and DeSantis gear up to clash in the presidential race. Story continues DeSantis is scheduled to speak at the Celebrating the Faces of Israel conference in Jerusalem on Thursday. In a news release, his office said he would meet with government leaders and Israeli companies that have invested or are interested in investing in Florida. The release noted that bilateral trade between Florida and Israel reached $651 million in 2022 and that it has grown by 65% over the last five years. DeSantis also met with Netanyahu in 2019, when he called him a "great friend of Florida." DeSantis support for Israel had been evident even before his gubernatorial administration. During a 2017 trip as a House member, he joined a group of U.S. lawmakers on a fact-finding mission to Israel where he scouted possible locations in Jerusalem to move the U.S. Embassy and he also met with Netanyahu. In addition to an effort to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, DeSantis also sponsored a bill to prevent boycotts of U.S. allies, including Israel, and one that would amend the Iran sanctions law to allow states to impose their own sanctions beyond the federal sanctions. He also wanted to limit U.S. support for Palestinians and would have banned the purchase of heavy water an important component for nuclear reactors from Iran. In his book The Courage To be Free, DeSantis highlighted the 2017 trip and an accompanying news conference where he expressed his view that then-President Trump would deliver on his promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem. My words created some buzz in Israel. Was an announcement imminent? people wondered, DeSantis wrote. I was freelancing, and my trip was not coordinated with the White House, so the answer was: not necessarily. Later that year, Trump did announce he was moving the embassy. A month before the announcement, DeSantis convened a subcommittee hearing to press the issue. From my seat in the House, I wanted to create a sense of inevitability about the relocation of our embassy, DeSantis wrote. I looked at a handful of possible locations, and the site I thought was the best ended up being the site that was selected by the Trump administration. Trumps campaign pushed back strongly against the idea that DeSantis advocacy for moving the embassy had anything to do with the final decision. People have tried to take credit for President Trumps hard work, Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesman, said. It never ends well. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com LONDON Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, met with Wang Wentao, Chinas minister of commerce, at Diors Avenue Montaigne flagship in Paris on Friday, following French President Emmanuel Macrons controversial visit to China earlier this month. Members of the senior management team at LVMH, including Delphine Arnault, chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture; Pietro Beccari, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, and Stephane Rinderknecht, chairman and CEO of the groups beauty division, also attended the meeting with Wang, who has been in his current position since December 2020. More from WWD The company, which owns brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Sephora and Tiffany & Co., said the meeting between Arnault and Wang highlighted the sustainable growth of the Chinese economy, the constant dynamism of LVMHs brands in China, as well as the longstanding and intense ties between the two partners. Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, meets with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao alongside members of the senior management team at LVMH, at Diors 30 Avenue Montaigne flagship in Paris. Wang expressed his satisfaction with the strength and diversity of the worlds largest luxury groups commitment to China, praising the many commercial and cultural contributions made by various brands under the group, and the care they take to provide the same exceptional quality products in boutiques that are just as remarkable as in France to Chinese customers. Meanwhile, Arnault reiterated the groups commitment to China and his confidence in the strength of the Chinese economy, underlining the importance that this market holds for LVMH. Since the opening of the first mainland China Louis Vuitton store at The Peninsula Beijing in 1992, LVMH has invested heavily in the market, opening bigger flagships in top-tier cities, while steadily penetrating into lower-tier cities. Earlier this year, Arnault said during an earnings call that the company is cautiously confident heading into 2023 amid signs of a recovery in China following President Xi Jinpings decision to reverse strict COVID-19 restrictions. Story continues Im quite confident that the Chinese leaders, being very shrewd, they will surely take advantage of the period that is starting to revitalize Chinese growth. If this is the case and weve seen signs of it in January then we have every reason to be confident, even optimistic, about the Chinese market, he told analysts and reporters after the luxury group reported another year of record results. Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, meets with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao alongside members of the senior management team at LVMH, at Diors 30 Avenue Montaigne flagship in Paris. During his meeting with Wang, Arnault also expressed LVMHs willingness to contribute to promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries, in close collaboration with the Chinese and French authorities. Toward the end of the meeting, it was revealed that LVMH will participate in the sixth China International Import Expo to be held later this year in Shanghai, between Nov. 5 and 10. The company has been an active participant in the fair since its inception. The CIIE represents a unique opportunity for LVMH to celebrate its close ties with China and to present to Chinese customers the new creations and latest innovations of its most emblematic Maisons, LVMH said in a statement. Its understood that the official signing of this partnership took place that same day at the Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Macron visited China earlier this month and was feted elaborately by President Xi. But the French presidents visit sparked an outcry in the West for his failure to pressure China over its continued failure to criticize Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday after the ceasefire between the Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces failed (AP Photo/Marwan Ali) (AP) All US government personnel were evacuated from Washingtons embassy in Khartoum, as well as a small number of diplomatic personnel from other countries, US officials said on Saturday. The operation evacuated fewer than 100 people, the officials told reporters. We evacuated all of the US personnel and dependents assigned to embassy Khartoum, said under secretary of state for management John Bass. President Joe Biden said earlier that the US military had completed the evacuation of American embassy personnel in Sudan. He called for an end to the unconscionable violence in the war-torn country and thanked the US troops who extracted the trapped American staffers as Washington shuttered its mission in Khartoum indefinitely. The staffers were airlifted to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia, according to two US officials familiar with the mission. US troops carried out the operation as fighting between two armed Sudanese commanders which has killed more than 400, put the nation at risk of collapse, and could have consequences far beyond its borders moved into 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, Mr 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 for their help with the mission. Mr Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier on Saturday from his national security team with no end in sight to the fighting. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, he said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. Story continues Many are still trapped in the country. The State Department suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might resume functioning. The widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our embassy personnel, secretary of state Antony Blinken said in a statement. The fighting erupted on 15 April 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. Army chief General 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 rival Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, in a Twitter posting said it cooperated with US forces. 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. The RSF, which has been battling the Sudanese army, said the US rescue mission involved six aircraft. 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. 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. Additional reporting from agencies Flames erupted around an animatronic dragon prop during the popular Fantasmic! water show at Disneyland, a California video shows. It was a big giant fireball. Then they began pushing people out, Ryan Laux, 28, told the Los Angeles Times about the incident Saturday, April 22. Disneylands Fantasmic show got cancelled near the end. The dragons head caught on fire as everyone ran away through the nearest exits.#Fantasmic #Disneyland pic.twitter.com/m16H4BP3Qo Pablo Jet Silva (@PabloJetSilva_) April 23, 2023 A video posted to Twitter shows fire engulfing the 45-foot-tall dragons head and body at the show. No injuries were reported, the Anaheim Fire Department told KABC. During the final showing of Fantasmic at Disneyland park on Saturday evening, the dragon caught fire, Disneyland told KTLA in a statement. Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded and the fire was extinguished. All cast members were evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island. Due to smoke and wind, attractions near the island were safely cleared of any guests, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time. The dragon appears during the climax of the popular outdoor show, which takes place on and around Tom Sawyers Island in the Frontierland area of the theme park. Mickey Mouse battles the wicked sorceress Maleficent as she transforms into a fire-breathing dragon during the spectacular, which includes water and fire effects. Hundreds of fans who fill the area around Rivers of America to watch the twice-nightly show saw the dragon catch fire. It happened out of nowhere, Melissa Giles, 30, told the Los Angeles Times. We thought it was part of the show. Within seconds it went up in flames. Story continues Laux told the publication that Disneyland workers doused the flames with a water feature used in the show and the nearly 1,000 spectators were asked to leave the area. Disneyland did not provide an estimate of the damage or time for repairs. Splash Mountain closing for good in Disneyland and now we have a date. What to know Gun reported at transit station in Boston but it was just Boba Fett, officials say Firefighters rescue 16 stranded on SeaWorld roller coaster, California officials say No to permitless carry To get his drivers license, my son was required to complete 40 hours of driving practice, and pass both a written and a driving test. But the Second Amendment extremists pushing the dangerously ill-advised permitless carry law dont think basic training in gun safety or a background check is needed for people as young as 18. Where is the common sense? Where is their commitment to law enforcement and crime reduction when theyve ignored the concerns of numerous law enforcement agencies and gun safety advocates? The South Carolina GOP and the GOP at large nationwide have lost their minds. The S.C. Senate must vote No on S.109. Otherwise, innocent people will pay for it in blood. Mike Laskavy, Charleston Stop domestic violence Breathing feels easy, right? We often do it without even thinking. Just inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. But imagine that breathing suddenly becomes difficult. Theres a hand over your mouth and a voice saying, Dont fight, or someone is gripping your throat and slowly choking the breath from your lungs. All at once, breathing feels like the hardest thing youve ever had to do. As survivors of physical and sexual violence, many women in South Carolina know this breathless feeling all too well. With high rates of domestic abuse, sexual assault and gendered murder, violence against women makes this state a terrifying place for many. A 2020 S.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault report states that upwards of 620 S.C. women each day need help as survivors of domestic violence. A 2021 National Coalition Against Domestic Violence report reveals that at least 46% of women in S.C. experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Many women in this state hold their breath, fearing meeting another fist or another unwanted sexual advance. And if this isnt horrible enough, many S.C. women will never breathe again. According to the Violence Policy Center, South Carolina has been consistently ranked in the top 10 states for most murders of women by men. Story continues This topic deserves greater attention from all who call South Carolina home. Consider the women in your life. Your mother, sister, girlfriend and best friend deserve to feel safe and breathe easily in the place they call home. Join the fight to stop violence against women in South Carolina by spreading awareness and speaking out on this issue, encouraging policymakers to enact more stringent prosecution of violence against women, and supporting local anti-violence against women organizations such as S.C. Safe Harbor and the Julie Valentine Center. Stop the violence by saying no to silence! And think of the women who struggle to breathe or will never breathe again each time you inhale with ease. Fighting violence against women should be as easy as breathing. Logan Coffee, Easley Junk mail subsidy? In a recent Washington Post article published in the Island Packet, the writer stated that the postal rate hike from 63 cents to 66 cents is a bargain. Unfortunately he does not mention that the U.S. Postal Service has lost $100 billion since 2007, according to Reuters. While the 2020 fiscal year loss was $9.2 billion and the 2021 loss was only $4.9 billion, taxpayers continue to subsidize the countrys mail delivery service. This subsidy, at a time when the federal debt is $31 trillion, may be acceptable to the taxpayers, but lets present all the facts. We are also subsidizing a lot of junk mail. If the taxpayers are willing to subsidize the USPS because they value the service, thats fine. But the writers statement that the 3-cent increase will cover future costs is misleading. Im afraid that without additional government support, which has been the case for many years, the USPS will continue to face financial challenges posed by electronic communications and commercial competition from Fedex and UPS. T The commercial competitors are garning the higher-margin-package shipping business leaving the lower-margin-bulk-junk mail for USPS. James Synk, HHI Thank you Agape Counseling & Training Services of the Lowcountry (ACTS Counseling) would like to thank The Church Mouse Thrift Shop and The Saint Lukes Church Outreach Committee for allowing us to be the recipient of funding for our Scholarship Fund, which allows anyone in need to receive affordable counseling. Sharon Smith, HHI No to permit-less carry To get his drivers license, my son was required to complete 40 hours of driving practice, and pass both a written and a driving test. But the Second Amendment extremists pushing the dangerously ill-advised permit-less carry law dont think basic training in gun safety or a background check is needed for people as young as 18 years old. Where is the common sense? Where is their commitment to law enforcement and crime reduction when theyve ignored the concerns of numerous law enforcement agencies and gun safety advocates? The South Carolina GOP and the GOP at large nationwide have lost their minds. The S.C. Senate must vote No on S.109. Otherwise, innocent people will pay for it in blood. Mike Laskavy, Charleston Stop domestic violence Breathing feels easy, right? We often do it without even thinking. Just inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. But imagine that breathing suddenly becomes difficult. Theres a hand over your mouth and a voice saying, Dont fight, or someone is gripping your throat and slowly choking the breath from your lungs. All at once, breathing feels like the hardest thing youve ever had to do. As survivors of physical and sexual violence, many women in South Carolina know this breathless feeling all too well. With high rates of domestic abuse, sexual assault and gendered murder, violence against women makes this state a terrifying place for many. A 2020 S.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault report states that upwards of 620 S.C. women each day need help as survivors of domestic violence. And a 2021 National Coalition Against Domestic Violence report reveals that at least 46% of women in S.C. experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Many women in this state hold their breath, fearing meeting another fist or another unwanted sexual advance. And if this isnt horrible enough, many S.C. women will never breathe again. According to the Violence Policy Center, South Carolina has been consistently ranked in the top 10 states for most murders of women by men. Story continues This topic deserves greater attention from all who call South Carolina home. Consider the women in your life. Your mother, sister, girlfriend and best friend deserve to feel safe and breath easily in the place they call home. Join the fight to stop violence against women in South Carolina by spreading awareness and speaking out on this issue, encouraging policymakers to enact more stringent prosecution of violence against women, and supporting local anti-violence against women organizations such as S.C. Safe Harbor and the Julie Valentine Center. Stop the violence by saying no to silence! And think of the women who struggle to breathe or will never breathe again each time you inhale with ease. Fighting violence against women should be as easy as breathing. Logan Coffee, Easley Junk mail subsidy? In a recent Washington Post article published in the Island Packet, the writer stated that the postal rate hike from 63 cents to 66 cents is a bargain. Unfortunately he does not mention that the U.S. Postal Service has lost $100 billion since 2007, according to Reuters. While the 2020 fiscal year loss was $9.2 billion and the 2021 loss was only $4.9 billion, taxpayers continue to subsidize the countrys mail delivery service. This subsidy, at a time when the federal debt is $31 trillion, may be acceptable to the taxpayers, but lets present all the facts. We are also subsidizing a lot of junk mail. If the taxpayers are willing to subsidize the USPS because they value the service, thats fine. But the writers statement that the 3-cent increase will cover future costs is misleading. Im afraid that without additional government support, which has been the case for many years, the USPS will continue to face financial challenges posed by electronic communications and commercial competition from Fedex and UPS. The commercial competitors are garning the higher-margin-package shipping business leaving the lower-margin-bulk-junk mail for USPS. James Synk, HHI Help families more Prices have gone up so much over the years its getting harder for families to be able to afford items that we need in an everyday household. Food specifically has gone up. At one point, eggs were $18 for 60 eggs when they used to be $10 for 60 eggs. Its getting harder for families that live paycheck to paycheck to buy the items that they need to survive. From plants to cars, everything has been skyrocketing in price over the years. There should be lower prices for daily essentials so that everyone can afford them. The government should assist more families financially. With the government helping more, it would make a difference for everyone whos struggling to make ends meet. Johnathan Fajardo, Gaston The two evaders pretended to be children to cross the border According to the border service, the two men, aged 20 and 21, were attempting to enter Hungary, along with a 52-year-old caretaker, who held a letter granting him power attorney over the two juveniles, who, according to their documents, were aged 13 and 15. "The border control inspector detected these would-be crooks at once," the border guard service wrote. Read also: Ukrainian border guards halt Russian invaders in Bakhmut video The two men will face fines for attempting to cross the border illegally, and their accomplice may face criminal charges, the border service stated. Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country during martial law, except in circumstances of special dispensation, poor health, or military work. Read also: State Border Guard Service detains Ukrainian men who wanted to flee to Romania 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 Boston Police are looking to the public for help in identifying a suspect in an aggravated assault case in Roxbury. The aggravated assault involving a knife occurred at about 4:43 p.m. on Monday, April 10, 2023, in the area of 301 Warren St. in Roxbury, police said. Police described the suspect as having long dreadlocks and riding/having a skateboard. The suspect is known to frequent the parking lot of the Washington Street Park Mall, and the immediate surrounding area, police said. Anyone with information is advised to contact Boston Police Detectives at 617-343-4275. Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who had previously suggested that Kyiv give up Crimea for the sake of peace and called on the US to "stop encouraging war", has said he was not seeking to "please anyone" but was trying to find a "third alternative" that he believed would bring peace to Ukraine. Source: Lula da Silva quoted by Reuters Quote: "I want to find a third alternative, which is the construction of peace [in Ukraine ed.]." Details: According to the Brazilian president, his goal is to "create a path" to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table. Background: On 6 April, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva proposed that Ukraine cede the Crimean peninsula to Russia to put an end to the war. In response to it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that Ukraine does not trade its territories. Lula da Silva also stated that the USA should "stop encouraging" the war in Ukraine. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! British diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan following threats to embassy staff. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted after that UK armed forces had completed the complex and rapid operation on Sunday. Sudan is currently into a second week of bloody internal fighting between the army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces. It comes after the UK faced criticism for not explaining what plans were in place to Ministers must explain what they are doing to evacuate Britons from Sudan as fighting continues in the African country. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden declined to be drawn on the detail of what the Government is doing as he toured the broadcast studios earlier on Sunday. Mr Dowden, asked whether the UK was preparing to evacuate Sudan of British nationals, told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: The situation in respect of Sudan is clearly a rapidly moving and complex situation. Our priority is to support British nationals. Now, the Ministry of Defence is acting in support of the Foreign Office but clearly you wouldnt expect me to comment for security reasons on the current situation in terms of movement on the ground. More follows in this breaking news story.... Americans dont realize the breadth of philanthropys reach and support. But nonprofits like Health First have a wide-ranging ripple effect. When you think of charity, chances are your mind flashes to disaster relief. People who flock to the aftermath of hurricanes and tornadoes, equipped with volunteers, resources, and money to kickstart recovery efforts. While noble and sorely needed, its not a realistic picture of charities, overall. Charity isnt just about the big things. Its also about the homegrown efforts that make our communities a better place. And its about encouraging and celebrating philanthropic support of the numerous charities right here in Brevard. You might have seen a recent study published by the Indiana University (IU) Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Summarized by a Chronicle of Philanthropy story featured on Page 5A of FLORIDA TODAY on April 9, the study made one thing clear most Americans concept of charity and nonprofits is cloudy at best. John Adams, manager of Streetside Showers, with members of Health First Finance Dept., who filled an SUV with supplies for Streetside Showers after they received a grant . Health First awarded 12 local community partners who are Wellness Grant recipients. More than $360,000 is being awarded to focus on the disparities identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment in partnership with the Space Coast Health Foundation. Health First is your local nonprofit that serves the wellness needs of all of Brevard. We're passionate about helping our community. You may not realize it, but we've been here for more than 85 years, so you or someone you know has likely been touched by our outreach or cared for by us. It's also likely that you, your family, friends, or neighbors are part of the Health First family on the front lines of service to our community. More: Health First tells staff not to panic after more than a year of financial losses So, lets clear up some misconceptions IUs study unearthed. This research was done last summer, surveying about 1,300 people. One statistic that shocked us just 5% of Americans think theyre affected by charity. (Thats even with one in 11 people being employed by a nonprofit.) Thats not the reality. Especially when it comes to Health First: On any given day, were caring for more than 2,500 people in Brevard, regardless of their ability to pay. Story continues In addition, last year, Health First awarded 12 nonprofit Wellness Grants worth $360,000 to community partners aligned with our mission, including: Streetside Showers. They provide showers and free toiletries to those in need, as well as home-cooked meals and laundry services. Our grant helped them expand their services and buy a mobile unit thats accessible for the disabled. Junior League of the Space Coasts Fueling Families program. This means added access to healthy, nutritious food for kids and families in need, coordinated through local elementary schools. WAYS for Life. This nonprofit is geared toward helping teens and young adults avoid homelessness and crime. They provide wrap-around services, including essential services and healthcare navigation programs. Think shelter, transportation, and mentorship the keys to a better path Recipients of our grants have voiced theyre beyond grateful. Most kids who come to our center have aged out of foster care or are experiencing homelessness, said Pamela Bress, executive director of WAYS for Life Brevard. With the help of this grant, itll create better ways for life for our vulnerable youth by providing them with services to meet their basic needs which provides them an opportunity to successfully transition to adulthood and independence. More: Health First scales back plans for Merritt Island hospital/wellness village project While some Americans recognize the community value philanthropy generates, plenty dont. The IU study pointed out this troubling figure 60% of Americans think the number of people giving has increased or stayed the same. But it hasnt. In fact, in the past 20 years, philanthropic giving has dropped from 85% to 50% today. The research also unveiled that some dont give because they figure someone else is stepping up. But as the study revealed, more are stepping away. Its another reason charities need your help more than ever. And, Health First is still dedicated to our mission, even during turbulent times. Health First has had some financial challenges in the past year, as have the majority of healthcare organizations nationwide, said Kent Smith, Health First interim CEO. We have a plan and are making great strides to turn things around. And we remain firmly committed to our mission. We will continue to support these community partners and programs whose vision aligns with ours wellness for our entire community. It's important to mention that our financial support and grants to other charities arent handouts. Theyre our communitys collective investment in the place we call home. And its imperative we keep going. Michael Seeley is president of the Health First Foundation, which works in support of Health Firsts mission of wellness and health for Brevard. Our community needs Health First. And we want to continue to serve Brevard in ways that are meaningful. If you dont know that Health First is a non-profit charitable organization, head over to hf.org/foundation for more real examples of what gifts of support do for our neighbors. (And check out our Donor Report, which paints a comprehensive picture of all the ways we give back.) Just check us out and see if were a good fit for your support. If you decide the Health First Foundation isnt for you, we get it. We just ask one thing: Find a cause you believe in and support it. When you give, youre not just helping others. Youre helping your loved ones, your friends, your neighbors and building a better Brevard. Both now and in the future. Michael Seeley is the president of the Health First Foundation, which works in support of Health Firsts mission of wellness and health for Brevard. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Support Bevard's nonprofits: Invest in this place we call home After months of wintry weather battered the West Coast with torrential rains and snow, Californias hillsides are now bursting with orange, yellow and purple hues so vibrant that they are visible from space. Tourists are coming in droves to see these so-called super blooms, which occur when large amounts of precipitation in natural landscapes intersect with years of drought, according to Californias Department of Parks and Recreation. Prolonged drought conditions eliminated the grasses and weeds that would have otherwise consumed nutrients, enabling the growth of what the agency described as spectacular blooms events that last occurred in 2019 and 2017. The seeds hang out for years and years in the soil. And when you get a good rain, theyre like, Oh, okay, great, time to come out, Valerie Eviner, a plant sciences professor at the University of California Davis, told The Hill. So we do tend to see those big flushes, she said, noting that super bloom is more of a popular term. Regardless of what theyre called, these colorful bursts of flowers are drawing hikers, photographers and zip-liners into their midst. NASAs Earth Observatory has also been capturing the spectacle from space, with the Landsat 9 satellites Operational Land Imager-2 depicting another vibrant view of the bloom just last weekend. (NASA) Alongside the images, the agency described how yellow flowers were beginning to pop out and replace the golden-orange poppies that had dominated the week before. Wildflowers can now be seen up and down the state a rare delight for Californians and out-of-state visitors alike. Wildflower super blooms occur only sporadically in Southern California where University of California ecologists had counted just 10 such events prior to this year, the agency noted. Such blooms are still more uncommon in Northern California than in the drought-prone southern part of the state, because good flower years are all about bad grass conditions, according to Eviner. Story continues The appearance of wildflowers in Northern California is way more patchy and tends to occur after disturbances such as fires knock back some of the grasses, she explained. Because grass seeds dont store in the soil from year to year, a big fire event will tend to yield really good wildflowers the next spring, Eviner added. The wildflower seeds, which are sitting in the soil, will be like, Oh, nobodys competing with us this year. Its a good time to come out, she said. When grasses fail to grow because of drought or fire, wildflowers can take their place as emergency first responders by providing food for animals and preventing soil erosion, according to Eviner. As climate-driven weather extremes continue to wreak havoc on the West, there are likely to be more hostile conditions that necessitate such an emergency response, she added. Where to see the blooms In Northern California, among the top Bay Area wildflower spots recommended by the Parks Department is Mount Tamalpais State Park home to narrow leaf mules ear, lupine, Ithuriels spear, blue dicks, California poppy and Western blue-eyed grass. Also of interest is China Camp State Park, which could feature California poppy, narrowleaf mules ear, yellow mariposa lily, Ithuriels spear and Douglas iris. This month and next could bring yellow mariposa lily, ookow, red larkspur and purple Chinese houses to Trione-Annadel State Park, as well as whispering bells, popcorn flowers, Diogenes lantern, blue dicks, lupine and California poppy to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, per the Parks Department. Eviner said she plans this weekend to visit one of her favorite flower destinations Table Mountain near Oroville about 75 miles north of Sacramento. In Southern California, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park about 70 miles northeast of San Diego has already experienced some blooms, but the Parks Department warned that with hotter temperatures on the way, the wildflower season there is nearing its end. The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve has likewise already passed its peak, the Parks Department stated, noting that there are only a few more weeks to continue to view the vivid colors of orange from the poppies, pinks from filagree and vibrant yellows from the goldfields. At this popular destination in Lancaster, Calif., about 70 miles north of Los Angeles the Parks Department recommended the Antelope Trail, North Loop and Kitanemuk Vista Point as the prime spots where wildflower viewing is still available. We want to remind visitors to not expect an endless sea of bright orange poppies, the agency warned. Visitors walk on a pathway amid fields of blooming flowers at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve on April 10 in Lancaster, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Echoing these sentiments, Eviner said that when she visited the Carrizo Plain National Monument east of San Luis Obispo to see flowers over spring break, she heard visitors lamenting that there wasnt as much variety as there was in 2017 and 2019. While Eviner said that the landscape looked to her like a super bloom, she stressed that people have different opinions on the meaning of this decidedly non-scientific term. Elsewhere in Southern California, the Parks Department recommended Chino Hills State Park for canterbury, school bell, arroyo lupine and California poppy viewing, and Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, which is currently covered in brilliant yellow goldfields. Another hot spot in Southern California touted by the Parks Department is Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Area, where visitors can enjoy a beautiful array of wildflowers blooming for the next month including lavender Lacy Phacelia and brilliant yellow desert dandelions. The Parks Department also suggested Red Rock Canyon State Park for its dandelions, blue dicks, desert or wild parsley and red maids, as well as Tule Elk State Natural Reserve, for its goldfields, filagree and occasional elk herd. A call for care As people head out to see the flowers in the coming weeks, the Los Angeles-based Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants urged visitors to take care when viewing this awe-inspiring natural phenomenon. Crowds were so tremendous in the town of Lake Elsinores popular Walker Canyon this February that city officials decided to prohibit access to those trails and threatened arrest for noncompliance, the Los Angeles Times reported. Emphasizing that wildflowers are delicate and are easily damaged by human activity, the Payne Foundation asked that tourists minimize the impact on fragile ecosystems. Eviner shared similar advice, noting that when these plants are at peak flower, they have yet to disperse their seeds. This means that when were walking all over them, were essentially crushing the ability to provide those seeds for the next super bloom, she warned. The ideal is always sticking to the trail, Eviner said. But Id say, if you really need to be in those flowers, just go a foot or so in from the trail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Black women and children are significantly more likely to go missing when compared to their white counterparts, yet their cases tend to receive much less attention from law enforcement agencies and the media. A new proposal in California to create an Ebony Alert system for missing Black women and children hopes to close the gap in attention. State Senator Steven Bradford, who has served in the California state assembly since 2009, introduced the legislation last month as Senate Bill 673. We must do all we can to bring our missing Black children and young Black women home safely, Senator Bradford posted on Twitter earlier this week about his proposed new legislation. My Ebony Alert legislation #SB673 would increase the resources and attention given to these critical cases, Bradford said. We must do all we can to bring our missing Black children and young Black women home safely. My Ebony Alert legislation #SB673 would increase the resources and attention given to these critical cases. #CALeg https://t.co/OIaMpuXUuF Senator Steven Bradford (@SenBradfordCA) April 12, 2023 According to a press release issued about the proposal, SB 673 would authorize a law enforcement agency to request that an Ebony Alert be activated if that agency determines that it would be an effective tool in the investigation of a missing Black youth or young Black women between the ages of 12 25 years. Additionally, in such cases of missing Black children or young women, SB 673 would encourage news organizations including television, cable, online, radio and social media outlets to cooperate with disseminating the information contained in an Ebony Alert. Experts note that there are currently several systems that were inspired by missing white women and girls. The most famous of these is the Amber Alert system for kidnapped children, named after Amber Hagerman. Megans Law, creating a sex offenders registry, was named after Megan Kanka. Laci Peterson, a pregnant white woman whose high-profile disappearance ended in a murder conviction for her husband, inspired Laci and Conners Law, which recognizes fetuses as murder victims. All these systems, experts criticize, focus disproportionately on white women and children, a phenomenon that has been dubbed missing white woman syndrome. California is currently one of several states attempting to address the disparities between white and nonwhite missing persons. Earlier this year, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill that would create a statewide Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls. If passed by the Minnesota Senate and signed into law, this would the first such agency in the nation. Meanwhile, California and Montana have passed laws addressing the disproportionate number of Indigenous women and girls who go missing. The passage of SB 673 would be a significant next step in helping to rescue the most vulnerable members of the countrys most vulnerable communities. With public support and no noticeable opposition, this important new tool may soon become law in California. The Canadian government may step in to provide American women with mifepristone should the abortion drug be banned in the US, an official said. Canadas Families Minister Karina Gould reacted to the legal battle over mifepristone on Thursday, before the US Supreme Court preserved access to the widely used abortion drug while legal challenges against its government approval continue. The decision from the nations high court on 21 April maintained 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. Speaking to CTV the day before the Supreme Court ruling, Ms Gould said that her nations government would work to provide [mifepristone] for American women in the event of a US ban. What concerns me is where you see laws in states where theyre actually criminalising women [who] cross state borders to access reproductive healthcare, Ms Gould said. We need to be very thoughtful about how we do this to make sure that we dont further endanger, you know, American women who are seeking access to reproductive health care and services, as well as health-care providers. She said Canada does not currently have enough supply of mifepristone to provide it across the border, but that the federal government is actively engaged on that matter. Lets hope it doesnt get to that point, she said. The Supreme Court issued its ruling maintaining the FDAs 23-year-old approval the following day - but the issue is far from put to bed as it goes back down to an appeals court next month. 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. Ricardo Avitia Did not respond Rick Herring Age: 58 Campaign website: RickHerringForFortWorth.com Best way for voters to reach you: RickHerringForFortWorth@gmail.com Occupation: ERISA Consultant Education: BBA, Texas Wesleyan University, 1989 Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years): No Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in the city of Fort Worth: President, Carter Riverside NA (current) President, Oakhurst Neighborhood Association (former) Fort Worth Neighbor of the Year 2022 Riverside Alliance, Co-Founder and Moderator (3 terms) Site Based Decision Management Team - Carter Riverside High School Site Based Decision Management Team - Oakhurst Elementary School Carter Riverside Alumni Association, President Riverside Lions Club Scenic Fort Worth, former board member Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society, former board member Oakhurst Citizens on Patrol Fort Worth Zoning Commission Fort Worth Plan Commission Fort Worth Scenic Preservation Commission Fort Worth Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission Fort Worth Historic Preservation Plan Six Points Urban Village Plan Mixed Use Zoning Advisory Group 3 terms Fort Worth Public Art Committees 3 separate projects FWISD Distinguished Graduate, 1997 Fort Worth Business Press 40 Under 40, 1998 Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: .Class B Misdemeanor Obstruction of a Highway, 2019 Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain: Chapter 13 Bankruptcy discharged July 23, 2013 Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Rick Herring, Joyce Farmer, Francisco Hernandez Why are you seeking this office?: To use my 30-plus years of civic involvement to serve the residents of District 11 and Fort Worth. Being newly formed, District 11 needs a representative who can start work on Day 1 and not have a steep learning curve as to how City Hall works, and that person is me. Having been a neighborhood activist, I am the right person to serve the residents of District 11 and forge it into a cohesive district and understand what District 11 is NOT getting from City Hall. Story continues What are the biggest challenges facing the city of Fort Worth?: Sustaining and responding to marginalized and overlooked neighborhoods, explosive growth and sprawl, soaring property taxes for homeowners, and aging infrastructure If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?: Protecting and preserving the middle- and working-class neighborhoods of District 11, balancing the needs of runaway growth with the needs of current population, and finding meaningful ways to effectively lower property taxes for homeowners. How will you measure your success as council member?: If all of the residents of District 11 feel that they have a Council representative that will meet with them and hear them, respond to their concerns, and welcome their perspective, then I will count myself successful as a council member. Having said that, I will fight for real, positive change for the residents of District 11. Why should voters choose you over your opponents?: My extensive experience and background in Fort worth civic affairs give me a distinct advantage that no other candidate can offer. I can start work on Day 1 without a steep learning curve as to what it really means to serve on City Council. How will you reduce the citys reliance on residential property taxes?: Fort Worth must expand its efforts to attract new and large businesses to shift some burden from residential property taxes so that they are not the bulk of the Citys tax revenues. Whats your plan to lower property taxes and not just the tax rate?: An immediate way to accomplish this is to make sure that homeowners are taking advantage of all of the exemptions available to them. Based on my research and analysis, an astonishing number of homeowners in District 11, particularly in our south and east side neighborhoods are not taking advantage of these exemptions. I will make every effort to raise awareness and offer assistance so that homeowners can apply for the exemptions and realize an immediate tax savings. I would be open to considering an increased exemption for our seniors. No seniors should be forced out of their home because they cant afford property taxes. How should Fort Worth manage its explosive growth?: Attracting more corporations and businesses and encouraging City staff to be more proactive than reactive in planning for and managing growth. How should the city engage with neighborhoods like those in the Hemphill Corridor to ensure growth doesnt displace existing residents?: The City should proactively and robustly reach out to neighborhoods immediately upon learning of impending development in our older neighborhoods. All too often a development project is far down the planning road before residents are even aware it is being considered. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. How can east Fort Worth develop economically while respecting resident concerns about density?: When developers hold out the carrot of more density equals more development it generally does not turn out that way in less affluent communities. The argument that density drives development is disingenuous at best. East Fort Worth is as dense as west Fort Worth but there seems to be no issue with development of amenities in that area. I have experienced this first hand. What (if anything) should the city do to make it easier for locally-owned small businesses to flourish in Fort Worth?: Continuing to improve the Development Services Department and removing red-tape and other hindrances will make it easier for small businesses to get started and succeed. Alliance Texas has seen huge economic growth in its 30+ year existence. How can Fort Worth replicate that success in other parts of the city?: Alliance Texas is a huge economic engine for Fort Worth and we should strive to model that elsewhere in the City. However, we must acknowledge that a massive amount of private investment has played a major part in the success of the Alliance area. Finding far-sighted entrepreneurs with big ideas should be a daily part of Fort Worths efforts. Whats the appropriate balance between Fort Worths rapid growth and its culture as the largest small town in America?: In the manner that Fort Worth residents are friendly, down to earth, and care for one another, it can be referred to as the largest small town in America and I believe most of us want to keep it that way. But Fort Worth can no longer be considered a small town in any way, with any qualifier and culturally or otherwise, so Im not sure its possible to consider the 13th largest city in the United States as having a monolithic culture shared by almost one million people. Many far-flung and distinct communities with their own cultures and priorites comprise the Fort Worth of the 21st Century. What should Fort Worth do to prevent a repeat of the infrastructure problems north of Loop 820 as the city continues to add residents in areas west and southwest of the loop?: PLAN! PLAN! PLAN! Fort Worth takes a backward approach to building infrastructure in developing areas. Future bond programs should have funds set aside for developing infrastructure before it is needed, not after when communities are in crisis. What needs to be done in the wake of the Aaron Dean trial to improve community-police relations?: I believe Chief Noakes has done an admirable job of working to improve community-police relations and he has plans to continue this improvement. For most citizens, public safety is considered the number 1 job of city government, and our Police Department needs to be given the tools to fulfill that responsibility. Along with those resources needs to be an equal amount of training and sensitivity in all areas of policing. Being a police officer in a city the size of Fort Worth is a difficult job and there is no such thing as too much training for those who do that job. How would you assess the performance of city manager David Cooke?: In my opinion, David Cooke has done a good job as city manager. Fort Worth is fiscally sound and is managed as well or better than many large cities across the country. There are concerns surrounding his personal relationships with powerful elements in Fort Worth and it would serve him and the average citizens well for him to continue to address and rectify those concerns. Christopher Johnson Did not respond Tara Maldonado-Wilson Age: 38 Campaign website: www.votetarawilson.com Best way for voters to reach you: info@votetarawilson.com / 469-587-9492 Occupation: Registered Nurse Education: Associate Degree of Applied Science in Nursing, McLennan Community College Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years): Fort Worth City Council District 4; 2021/2022 Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in the city of Fort Worth: Tarrant County Democratic Election Judge Tarrant County Democratic Precinct Chair Tarrant County Community Bail Fund Executive Board of LGBTQ Saves: a group that focuses on creating safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth 12-24 Executive Board of Texas Latina List: a PAC that focuses on getting Hispanic/Latina women in positions of higher office at the local, county, and state level. Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Leadership Fort Worth Leading Edge 2022 Class for emerging leaders in Fort Worth under 40 Leadership ISD 2022 Cohort: community leaders advocating for public school systems Hispanic Womens Network of Texas (HWNT)/Fort Worth Chapter Education Committee Mentor in the Latinas in Progress (LIP) mentorship program Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: No Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain: No Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Dr. Catalina E. Garcia, Bob Bonilla, Greg Hughes Why are you seeking this office?: Following the murder of Atatiana Jefferson, I felt compelled to stand up and seek answers for this senseless act. I decided to go to City Hall and attend a City Council meeting for the first time. To my dismay, I along with numerous other distressed community members, was locked out and silenced. At a time when worried residents should have been comforted and reassured, we were met with arbitrary rules and loaded down with procedure. As Covid spread, the absence in leadership from our elected officials was never more apparent. Something as simple as creating an online forum to get information out to the district was just too much work. I decided to step up and run for City Council. Today, the same issues that motivated me to run in the first place are still the reality that residents of District 11 deal with everyday. As a mom, frontline worker, and Latina from humble roots, Im as ready as ever to amplify the voices of those so often ignored in this city. What are the biggest challenges facing the city of Fort Worth?: District 11 is a predominantly low-income residential area with limited access to public transportation, healthy food options, and community resources. Our community faces significant challenges related to poverty, unemployment, and health disparities. It also experiences difficulties accessing quality education, affordable housing, and funding. As a result, zip codes in District 11 have lower life expectancies and face significant barriers to economic mobility. To address these issues, we need to focus on improving public transportation infrastructure, expanding access to fresh and healthy food options, and promoting economic development and workforce training programs. I will also advocate to increase access to affordable housing and address systemic inequities that contribute to poverty and inequality. Through community engagement and collaboration, we can work towards creating a more equitable, inclusive, and thriving community for all residents. If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?: Community Inclusion Affordable Housing Equitable Environmental Sustainability How will you measure your success as council member?: I will measure my success as a council member by the positive impact I have on my district and the city as a whole. This includes improving access to city services, promoting equitable investment into all communities, and centering the voices of the residents at the neighborhood level. Additionally, I will track the progress of any initiatives or programs I champion and seek feedback from community members. Why should voters choose you over your opponents?: Im a nurse, a small business owner, and a mother of three. I was raised by my single mom and grandmother. I grew up in a household where putting food on the table, staying safe, and having clean clothes were a struggle my family and I had to face every day. Im the oldest daughter of three, and played a big role in raising my two siblings. My family responsibilities helped me develop a strong resiliency to hardships. I am a Frontline Hero. I served Fort Worth throughout the Covid pandemic, and answered the call to help fight Covid-19 in Chicago where they needed Spanish speaking nurses to assist hard hit Hispanic communities. I stepped up for my community by serving Fort Worth during the worst of times. When the electrical grid failed across Texas, I ensured my neighbors were safe by delivering food and water throughout the community. I am ready to bring the care that Fort Worth needs just like I do every day in the ER. How will you reduce the citys reliance on residential property taxes?: One approach to reducing the citys reliance on residential property taxes would be to cut tax abatements given to corporate developers. I believe that tax abatements should only be given to developers who meet strict standards for worker protections, affordable housing, and environmental sustainability. By increasing revenue from alternative sources and ensuring that corporate developers contribute their fair share, we can reduce the burden on residential property owners and create a more equitable and sustainable tax system. Whats your plan to lower property taxes and not just the tax rate?: I am against raising taxes. The tax levied on all of us is a very complicated system. Fort Worths tax rate is just one small piece of a homeowners overall tax rate. If somebody tells you that we as a municipality can alter your taxes so significantly that you can actually notice it, they are lying to you because it is a part of a bigger system that creates the tax bill that you see. How should Fort Worth manage its explosive growth?: Fort Worth should manage its explosive growth by implementing responsible and sustainable development practices. This includes investing in infrastructure such as transportation, water, and energy systems to support the growing population, as well as prioritizing affordable housing and mixed-use development to promote economic diversity and reduce sprawl. Additionally, the city should prioritize more green spaces and public transportation options to mitigate the negative impacts of growth on the environment and improve quality of life for residents. Finally, community engagement and input should be central to any growth plans to ensure that the needs and concerns of all residents are taken into account. How should the city engage with neighborhoods like those in the Hemphill Corridor to ensure growth doesnt displace existing residents?: The city should engage in meaningful and transparent community engagement with the neighborhoods in the Hemphill Corridor to ensure that their voices are heard and their concerns are addressed. This engagement should involve regular meetings with community leaders and residents, as well as surveys and other outreach efforts to gather input from the broader community. The city should work with community organizations and advocates to develop a comprehensive plan that prioritizes affordable housing, protects tenants from displacement, and ensures that new development benefits existing residents. Additionally, the city should explore options for community land trusts, cooperative housing, and other models of community-led development that prioritize long-term affordability and community control. How can east Fort Worth develop economically while respecting resident concerns about density?: One way to approach economic development in East Fort Worth while respecting resident concerns about density is to focus on promoting mixed-use development that includes both commercial and residential spaces. This approach can help to attract businesses and jobs to the area while also providing housing options for residents. Additionally, the city can work with developers to ensure that new construction projects are designed with the existing character of the neighborhood in mind, and that they include adequate green space and pedestrian-friendly features. Community engagement is also key, as it allows residents to voice their concerns and provide input on development plans. Ultimately, a balance must be struck between economic development and preserving the character of the neighborhood, and this can be achieved through thoughtful planning and community involvement. What (if anything) should the city do to make it easier for locally-owned small businesses to flourish in Fort Worth?: The city should take several steps to make it easier for locally-owned small businesses to flourish in Fort Worth. For example, improving the business incubators that provide affordable workspace, access to mentors and resources, and networking opportunities for small businesses. Streamlining the licensing and permitting process along with providing financial assistance to small businesses would help support their success. Alliance Texas has seen huge economic growth in its 30+ year existence. How can Fort Worth replicate that success in other parts of the city?: This question is why Fort Worth is not changing. Alliance Texas is successful because it is a no brainer for businesses to go there. Who wouldnt want to do business with the Perot family? Despite the economic success, these are the corporations who get tax abatements when they are more than capable to cover their tax bill. This is an example of why Fort Worth leans so hard on residential property tax. A realistic approach for other parts of Fort Worth to replicate the economic success of Alliance Texas includes the city actually investing in infrastructure and amenities that attract businesses and residents, such as public transportation, parks, and cultural institutions. What is the point of developing an area if people cannot even get there for work? It is imperative that the city works with community members and organizations to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are shared equitably among all residents, especially those historically marginalized or disadvantaged. Whats the appropriate balance between Fort Worths rapid growth and its culture as the largest small town in America?: In line with the sentiments of Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens, I think that we need to consider a moratorium on growth. The reality is that we are unable to provide sufficient city services such as fire and police to the new outlying housing developments. This is primarily due to the fact that these areas lack adequate tax revenue to cover their impact on the economic infrastructure of Fort Worth. Without sufficient funding, fire and police departments cannot even get out to these areas, which puts the safety of residents at risk. What should Fort Worth do to prevent a repeat of the infrastructure problems north of Loop 820 as the city continues to add residents in areas west and southwest of the loop?: Instead of continuing to grow and develop, we should focus on properly funding and maintaining our citys roads and infrastructure, as well as providing quality services to residents. We cannot simply keep expanding without addressing the issue of inadequate street development to accommodate the growing population. Its time to invest in a mass transit system in Fort Worth and address the root problem. Before approving any new development, we must ensure that we have the necessary infrastructure and resources to support it. What needs to be done in the wake of the Aaron Dean trial to improve community-police relations?: We need to start a community oversight board that has teeth. Officers must be held accountable for misconduct, and the only way to do that is through the community oversight board. No public facing entity has the ability to perform oversight on themselves. The Fort Worth Police Department underwent an independent audit. That audit showed a lot of issues within the Department. Despite the city having a Police Monitor, they were not given the ability to do proper investigations despite working hand in hand with the City Managers office. These examples demonstrate the city and police departments incapacity to hold themselves responsible. How would you assess the performance of city manager David Cooke?: I firmly believe that the success of a city should not be measured solely on its financial performance. While some may argue that the current City Manager has been successful in this regard, it cannot be ignored that his leadership has neglected the needs of Fort Worths residents. For the past five years, city management has failed to address the issues faced by the people of this city, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Therefore, I do not give David Cooke a high grade for his performance as City Manager. As a leader, it is imperative that we prioritize the well-being and prosperity of all members of our community, not just the wealthy and powerful. Jeanette Martinez Age: 40 Campaign website: www.jeanetteforfw.com Best way for voters to reach you: jeanette@jeanetteforfw.com Occupation: Administrator Education: Bachelor of Science, Texas Wesleyan University; Master of Public Administration, University of Texas at Arlington Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years): No Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in the city of Fort Worth: Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains Vice-Chair Rosemont Neighborhood Association Treasurer Pathfinders Board Member Survive and Thrive Education Board Member Leadership Fort Worth - Member Resource Connection Advisory Committee - Chair Fort Worth Community Action Partners Council - Member Tarrant Special Events Foundation - Past President Hispanic Womens Network of Texas - Past State Treasurer/Member/Volunteer/LIP Mentor Fort Worth/Tarrant County Minority Leaders & Citizens Council - Volunteer SteerFW - Volunteer FWISD - Volunteer Junior Achievement - Volunteer Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: . Leadership Fort Worth, LeadershipClass Program (22-23 Cohort) Leadership Fort Worth, LeadingEdge Program Tarrant County Bridge Program SteerFW Key Holders Program Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain: No Who are your top three campaign contributors?: My campaign finance will be available in the public records when the 30 day report is submitted Why are you seeking this office?: Born and raised in Fort Worth, I love serving my community and am a dedicated public servant, and advocate for families. District 11 is a brand new council district, and Im ready to hit the ground running to deliver on safe neighborhoods, revitalizing communities, tax relief, and bringing in smart development. Making sure underserved communities are getting their fair share to fix potholes, improve local parks, and improve city services. What are the biggest challenges facing the city of Fort Worth?: For District 11 its safe neighborhoods and smart development. If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?: Safe neighborhoods, revitalize communities, fiscal responsibility How will you measure your success as council member?: Making sure every family feels safe in their homes and every neighborhood has a voice on projects that impact their quality of life. Why should voters choose you over your opponents?: I have local government experience, community and stakeholder relationships to deliver for the people. I get the job done. How will you reduce the citys reliance on residential property taxes?: To lower the tax burden on homeowners, we need to expand the commercial tax base and sales tax revenue. Whats your plan to lower property taxes and not just the tax rate?: When setting the tax rate, every council must weigh needs and wants. Just like we approach our home budget. I do know homeowners are feeling the financial burden of tax increases each year so we must work to minimize this burden by being fiscally responsible while delivering on core city services. This might mean we dont fund as many as the wants while we work to expand the commercial tax base. How should Fort Worth manage its explosive growth?: This is a good problem to have and presents opportunities. Most of the headaches from our growth have been in traffic issues in the high growth areas of the north and west. But everyone is experiencing more traffic. For District 11, where there is limited undeveloped land, we must focus on infill development and seek smart projects that create live, work and play opportunities. How should the city engage with neighborhoods like those in the Hemphill Corridor to ensure growth doesnt displace existing residents?: There has been a major disconnect between citizens groups such as Hemphill No Se Vende, neighbors concerned with gentrification, and both developers and City staff. Bridging the gap is essential. This can be done by bridging together the community and all stakeholders to identify common ground regarding nonconforming uses and development projects. We must establish lines of communication with developers to ensure that the community feels heard and considered. Identification of possible incentives to vulnerable residents in the area is critical as well as working with existing businesses to address any concerns or needs. A bilingual Councilmember will best be able to establish trust with historically disenfranchised communities. How can east Fort Worth develop economically while respecting resident concerns about density?: I think the critical issue is the type of density. Residents are fearful, and rightly so, of poorly built apartments that will decay rapidly and be a blight on the neighborhoods. East Fort Worth experienced this with the massive apartment explosion next to a single family neighborhood that happened in the early eighties in Woodhaven. I think most residents are amenable to mixed use developments that offer retail and restaurants amenities while providing quality housing. What (if anything) should the city do to make it easier for locally-owned small businesses to flourish in Fort Worth?: The creation of a small business assistance center was a huge step in providing services and resources to help small businesses be successful and sustainable. I would love to see additional centers throughout the city to bring these services closer to business on the outskirts of the city. Connecting businesses to resources such as the Chambers of Commerce and Federal agencies can be helpful as well. Alliance Texas has seen huge economic growth in its 30+ year existence. How can Fort Worth replicate that success in other parts of the city?: When Alliance was developed, they had little worry about the impact of the surrounding neighborhoods, because there were few. It was a unique partnership between the city, the developers and the FAA. But the lessons learned is that public/private partnership can benefit the city. Whats the appropriate balance between Fort Worths rapid growth and its culture as the largest small town in America?: This may be one of our toughest challenges as a city. Fort Worth is a great city to live, work and raise a family and more and more people and businesses are moving here to enjoy what we have to offer. But with this growth, we cannot forget about our underserved and aging communities. We want prosperity to lift all boats and the growth provides opportunities to revitalize communities that help preserve our culture of the largest small town in America culture. What should Fort Worth do to prevent a repeat of the infrastructure problems north of Loop 820 as the city continues to add residents in areas west and southwest of the loop?: I believe that developers need to have a bigger part of the infrastructure improvements that are necessary prior to a projects start. Lets learn from our shortcomings and be ok with thinking outside the box. What needs to be done in the wake of the Aaron Dean trial to improve community-police relations?: In any conflict, both sides need to work to build trust and earn respect. Councilmembers can lead to build better community-police relations or play to anger and fears that solve nothing. Most police officers are doing good work, trying to protect our families. They were there for me when a man was trying to ram me off the road. They were there for me when my son was assaulted and resulted in a concussion from so much trauma to his head and neck even after losing consciousness. There were there for my mother, a retired FWISD employee on a limited income, when her catalytic converter was stolen. Point being, if we want to make positive changes in our community, we cannot label any one group as bad because of the actions of one or a few bad actors. If we want to build safe communities, we need to build positive relationships and work toward change that will prevent another terrible circumstance like Atatianas death from happening again. How would you assess the performance of city manager David Cooke?: Mr. Cooke has done an overall good job. Any city manager needs to give council unbiased advice and demonstrate to the public they operate without a conflict of interest. Quinton Q Phillips Website: QuintonPhillips.com Email: q4fwisd@gmail.com Age: 41 Occupation: Adjunct Professor Education: Dunbar High School Alum, Bachelors Degree from Prairie View A&M University, Masters Degree from Eastern University Have you run for elected office before? Yes. I currently serve on the Fort Worth ISD Board of Trustees District 3 Please list highlights of your civic involvement. I currently serve as District 3 Trustee and Board Vice President on the Fort Worth ISD Board of Education as well as on the Board of Directors for the Texas Association of School Boards. Who are your top three campaign contributors? United Educators Association, Sara Pereda, Barbara Clark What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent(s)? I would say the most important distinction between myself and the other candidates would be my level of experience and leadership. I have served a full term in this position and I have been fortunate to serve as a board officer since my inauguration. I have served in the capacity of Secretary as well as fulfilled both Vice President positions. I was also elected to the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Board of Directors by my peers as well as served in several local, state, and national educational organizations. I feel through this experience I have a better grasp of what Governance is and what governance should be and I am better prepared to implement this knowledge accordingly. I feel over this time that I have built trust with my colleagues, district personnel, and with my community. What are the biggest issues in this race? The three biggest issues we face are academics, community investment, and leadership. I am excited that we have improved by a letter grade as a district by state standards but we still have work to do to achieve the gains we hope to accomplish. With new goals, metrics, alongside support for our new leadership I believe we are on the verge of incredible academic improvement. We have undertaken some major infrastructural improvements in District 3. Continued beatification efforts and functionality upgrades to our High School campuses and brand new elementary and middle school campus coming soon. Overdue upgrades are happening and I want to ensure that District 3 gets all that is needed for our young peoples success. Consistency in leadership, culture, and resources can elevate our District to top in the state. I want to continue to add to the momentum that has been built and see our progress lead to achievement in which we all will be proud. Story continues MarTayshia James Email: mjamesccd5@gmail.com Age: 27 Occupation: Restorative Justice Specialist Education: BA & Masters Have you run for elected office before? Yes, City Council District 5 Please list highlights of your civic involvement. Echo Heights & Stop Six Environmental Coalition, Community Clean up, MAMA Who are your top three campaign contributors? Community members, random people donating to vision, family and friends who are in support. What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent(s)? The most important distinction between my opponents and myself is that I am an individual who is driven to work and know what it is that the district that I am running for is missing and in fact needing. I understand that education, communication, and curriculum is something that needs to be brought back to the forefront of our schools. Changing the dynamic for our community institution of learning and success for our students. What are the biggest issues in this race? Below average academic scores, educating the parents to know what is going on with their children and their education, restore and improve support and structure within the schools amongst the community, schools, parents and students. Valeria Nevarez ValeriaNevarez.com Email: valerianevareztx@gmail.com Age: 22 Occupation: Property Management Education: Studied for Bachelors of Science in Engineering. Have you run for elected office before? No Please list highlights of your civic involvement. I am a volunteer for FWISD where I do various activities such as book reading, city clean up events, and social media managing. I have also made efforts to involve the Hispanic community in broadening the knowledge and understanding of district issues such as finances, curriculum, and parental rights. Who are your top three campaign contributors? Family, community members, and small businesses What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent(s)? I truly have a passion for the next generation and I know the important role public education plays in the their present and future lives. I know what the younger generations need and the parents and I am willing to stand in the gap and be a voice for them. What are the biggest issues in this race? 1. Student achievement has been in decline the past years. Only a projected of 19% of 3rd graders are at standard reading level. Standards are being lowered to cover student failure due to bad leadership. 2. Lack of financial responsibility. Even though there is a continual decline in student enrollment, the FWISD continues to use tax paying dollars in building projects instead of within the classrooms. 3. Transparency is an issue in FWISD. There is much unclarity with agenda items, curriculum, and board decisions. This greatly impacts parental involvement in their childs education. Editors Note: Jack Becker is the editor of Caprock Chronicles and is a Librarian Emeritus from Texas Tech University. He can be reached at jack.becker@ttu.edu. Todays article is the first of a two-part series about Fort Elliott and Old Mobeetie by frequent contributor Chuck Lanehart, Lubbock attorney and award-winning history writer. Following Coronados exploration of the Texas Plains in 1540-41, centuries passed before Anglos occupied the Llano Estacado. In about 1874, buffalo hunters established a primitive camp called Hidetown in what is now Wheeler County in the Texas Panhandle, soon to be transformed into a measure of civilization. Fort Elliott cavalry, 1879. Four years later, a visiting Englishman found the Texas Panhandle prairie heather-looking, but not heathery. Thin, gold, curly buffalo grass lies amongst, and around, large tufts of red, coarse herbage, which, had it been cut in May, would have made some of the sweetest hay. He admired more than the Panhandle landscape. The ladies he met on the High Plains were unusually dashing equestrians, graceful dancers, good talkers, heart-breaking flirts, and as a rule enjoy the robust health which the semi wildness of their surroundings foster . . . Within a couple of years, women in the vicinity would be portrayed in less virtuous terms. The Englishman, Samuel Nugent Townsend, was one of the first to describe the earliest settlements of the Texas Plains, Fort Elliott and the adjacent village, known originally as Hidetown, then Sweetwater, Mobeetie and finally, Old Mobeetie. Fort Elliott officer's quarters, 1881. Ten years earlier, Col. George Armstrong Custer dispatched Major Joel Elliott with an advance force of soldiers to flank a Cheyenne village before Custers deadly assault of the Native Americans in the Washita Massacre, in what is now southwestern Oklahoma. After the battle, Elliott and 15 of his troops were missing. Custer found Elliott and his men frozen stiff, naked and face down in a 60-foot circle, feet toward the inside of the circle, their backs full of arrows. Story continues Elliotts posthumous reward was his name attached to the first military outpost in the Texas Panhandle, near the headwaters of Sweetwater Creek, about 50 miles west of the site of the majors death. Fort Elliott was established at the conclusion of the Texas Indian Wars, in 1875, when hostile Comanches, Kiowas and Cheyenne were forced onto reservations in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. Local materials cottonwood, adobe and thatch were used to construct the first guardhouse, storehouses and stables. Within three years, lumber hauled 200 miles from Dodge City, Kansas, was used to construct the post commander's residence, six sets of officers' quarters, five company barracks, a 12-bed hospital, the post headquarters, and a combined chapel and school, all one-story frame buildings on stone foundations. Inspection day at Fort Elliott, circa 1880. Townsend criticized Fort Elliott as not a fort but a barracks, incapable of being defended. Nevertheless, Townsend wrote, the fort was among the most charming possible oases in the desert . . . He regarded the US Cavalry as one of the hardest-working fighting units in the world. It had to be ready to quell civil disturbances, annex Canada or Cuba, furnish perpetual escorts to all distinguished persons who travel in the wilds, and uphold the honor of the stars and stripes, mentally, morally, and by display of hospitality as well. The troops of Fort Elliott were prepared to ride out on short notice to pursue Indians who slipped off their reservations and entered their old range in Texas, so the soldiers seldom appeared in proper military attire. The US soldier in his barrack looks rather slovenly, wrote Townsend, and the officers who seldom wear any uniform except trousers, present a rather motley appearance to an eye accustomed to the rigid dress of European armies. About 400 troops were originally stationed at Fort Elliott, but normal strength was fewer than 200 men. African-American units known as Buffalo Soldiers of the Tenth US Cavalry, Twenty-fourth US Infantry and Ninth US Cavalry served at the garrison. At times, Fort Elliots troops were all Black, commanded by Anglo commissioned officers. An exception was Lt. Henry O. Flipper, the first Black graduate of West Point. Buffalo Soldiers of the 1880s. The troops were tasked with keeping Native Americans on reservations and away from the Texas High Plains. Later, soldiers protected the growing Panhandle cattle industry, supervising Texas herds being driven north to market through hostile lands. Soon, Fort Elliott provided enough security for stockmen to dominate the region, and large cattle ranches were established. By 1880, nearly 300,000 cattle grazed the Panhandle. Thanks to its proximity to Fort Elliott, the buffalo hunters' camp called Hidetown was transformed into a village known as Sweetwater, named for the nearby creek of the same name. In addition to buffalo hunters, Sweetwater was soon populated by merchants, cattlemen and others eager to take advantage of the commerce and protection offered by Fort Elliott. Lanehart The town was patronized by outlaws, thieves, cut-throats and buffalo hunters, with a large percentage of prostitutes, said iconic Panhandle cattleman Charles Goodnight. In 1882, Temple Lea Houston Sam Houston's youngest son was appointed the first District Attorney of the 27-county judicial district. After his arrival in the remote village, he wrote his wife the place was "a baldheaded whiskey town with few virtuous women." Part Two of Chuck Laneharts series on Fort Elliott and Old Mobeetie will be published in next Sundays Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Caprock Chronicles: Fort Elliott and Old Mobeetie: The earliest settlements on the Texas Plains, part one Terrance Williams Poster A lawsuit seeking to hold a former Collier County sheriffs deputy accountable for the 2004 disappearance of a Naples man was denied on appeal Wednesday. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, whose firm is representing Terrance Williams family, said his team is pursuing other avenues for justice, including sharing information with the U.S. Department of Justice in hopes the agency will open a federal investigation. Terrance Williams was 27 when he disappeared on Jan. 12, 2004, after witnesses saw him get into Steven Calkins patrol car in North Naples. The Last Ride: True crime podcast investigates the suspicious vanishing of two Florida men Florida cold case marks 18th anniversary: 'There's always hope' for Terrance Williams More on the missing men: What to know about missing Collier men Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos Attorney Christopher O'Neal and Marcia Williams, mother of Terrance Williams, at the Collier County Courthouse. O'Neal is one of the attorneys representing Terrance Williams' estate in a lawsuit filed against former Collier deputy Steven Calkins. Marcia Williams, the mother of Terrance Williams, sued Calkins in a 2018 wrongful death action on behalf of her sons estate and four children. But the Collier County suit came to an abrupt close in 2021 after Crumps team missed a deadline to file for trial. Marcia Williams appealed to a Florida appellate court. Williams was the second man to vanish after an encounter with Calkins. Felipe Santos, a Mexican immigrant and Immokalee resident, disappeared at age 23 in October 2003 after his brothers saw him get into Calkins patrol car. Felipe Santos, left, and Terrance Williams There have been no verified sightings of the men since, according to the Collier sheriffs office. Both men are presumed dead. The disappearances have attracted national attention including from activist Al Sharpton and filmmaker Tyler Perry, who has offered a $200,000 reward for meaningful tips. The sheriff's office partnered with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI to investigate Calkins, the former sheriff has said, but law enforcement has been unable to solve the longstanding mystery. Story continues Calkins has never been arrested or charged in the disappearances. He was fired from the Collier County Sheriffs Office in late 2004 following an internal investigation that found he was deceptive in a polygraph and gave inconsistent statements about Williams disappearance. Calkins has said he gave the men rides to Circle-K gas stations. Missed deadline by Ben Crump's team Lawyers blamed the missed deadline in the 2018 suit on miscommunication and an extended office shutdown due to the pandemic, court records show. Previous coverage: Ex-deputy tied to Collier missing men Terrance Williams, Felipe Santos prevails in lawsuit Yet, circuit judge Lauren Brodie found the team failed to establish excusable neglect and issued a final judgment in 2021 that Marcia Williams and her sons children shall take nothing from Calkins. The Florida appeals court did not issue an opinion this week but simply affirmed Brodies decision. Calkins lawyer in Naples, John Hooley, declined to comment on the decision beyond writing in an email: Judge Brodie heard the evidence and reached a conclusion that was upheld on appeal as the proper disposition of the case. In an interview last year, Hooley said about his client: This is not a guy who took Terrance Williams on a one-way ride to the swamp. This is Andy Griffith. Crump, who has represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, said in the emailed statement that the civil lawsuit was more of a vehicle for discovery and truth since it was unknown if Calkins had collectible assets. Calkins had long been silent on the disappearances. After Williams disappeared, Calkins was asked to appear before a federal grand jury, but he refused to testify and later moved to Iowa. In December 2020, as part of the civil suit, Calkins was forced into questioning by Crump and his team. The lawsuit allowed the team to collect vital and previously undiscovered information, Crump said in the statement. We are confident that the information uncovered will allow the DOJ to keep the investigation of what happened to Terrance active and moving forward to earn justice for his memory and all those who loved him. Janine Zeitlin is an enterprise reporter in Southwest Florida. Connect with her at jzeitlin@gannett.com or on Twitter @JanineZeitlin. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Terrance Williams disappearance: case against ex-deputy denied appeal Marcelo shrugs off the risks he has to run to go to school but the walk across the border is fraught with danger Every morning, 13-year-old Marcelo Jesus Gouriyu and his nine-year-old brother leave their home in the small Venezuelan town of Calie at half past four in the morning to go to school in Colombia. The two children walk unaccompanied through the dark for around two hours to make it in time for the start of their lessons at half past six. As the sun rises, they slip into Colombia through informal border crossings known as trochas to reach their school in the town of Paraguachon. The trochas in this region on Colombia's northern tip are dangerous rural dirt tracks that weave across the arid border and are controlled by local armed groups, which often charge users a fee to pass through. In what may well be a sign of teenage bravado, Marcelo denies being scared of journeying through these informal crossings day in day out. "I like coming to school in Colombia," he says, adding that "they don't really have lessons there [where I live]". Venezuela's crumbling economy and ongoing socio-political crisis has pushed many institutions to the brink. Read more about Venezuela's crisis: Rural schools lie neglected and barely functioning, offering lessons only a few days a week and facing a dire shortage of teachers, forcing Venezuelan children like Marcelo to risk the dangerous border crossing. At the Centro Educativo Indigena Numero 6, the school Marcelo attends in Paraguachon, roughly 40% of the 1,270 students are Venezuelans who cross into neighbouring Colombia to access better schooling. More than one-third of these Venezuelan children use trochas to make the crossing. Classes start at 06:30 in the morning at the Centro Educativo Indigena Numero 6 And not all of them share Marcelo's bravado. One of his classmates admits they are "dangerous". "Sometimes I come to school and sometimes I don't," the boy, who is also 13, says. And he is right to worry. According to Bram Ebus, a consultant for the International Crisis Group, violent clashes to control these trochas are not uncommon. Story continues "In addition to extorting fees, criminal groups also use these trochas to transport drugs and illegal gold, or to charge smugglers for using their border crossings," Mr Ebus explains. Parents are only too aware of the risks, but sending their children to school via the dangerous trochas is usually the only way for many families living along Venezuela's border with Colombia to guarantee their children education. Those who can, accompany their children, but many parents have to stay behind to work in order to make ends meet in Venezuela's precarious economy. Alaska Sofia Palmar Epinayu is dropped off at the school by a relative, but some children make the trek on their own It is a dilemma the mother of Marcelo's classmate faces and sometimes she prefers to keep him at home. "These days I hardly come [to school] because my mother doesn't want to send me through the trochas by myself," the boy says. Following a recent thaw in diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Colombia the trochas are no longer the only way to get across the border. In January, the border reopened fully for the first time in seven years but, for many locals, the formalisation of diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela has so far failed to make much of an impact on their daily struggles. The informal trochas are often a more convenient alternative to taking long detours to the official border crossings, Mr Ebus explains. Official border crossings have reopened but not everyone has the necessary papers to use them Furthermore, many Venezuelans lack the necessary papers to cross at the official points. "Obtaining valid proof of identity has become increasingly challenging for many Venezuelans due to bureaucratic barriers, legal ambiguity and high costs," Mr Ebus says. Around 200 of the students at Marcelo's school still use the informal trochas to get to class, school officials estimate. "Those who come through the trochas, like our students, have no other choice," the school's headmistress, Georgina Deluquez, explains. Mr Ebus says the Colombian and Venezuelan governments raised unrealistic hopes for a sudden improvement in the security situation along the border. "Border communities have historically been abandoned by the state. While opening the border is a necessary step, both governments should also address the historical situation of underdevelopment in remote border areas," he argues. Some children get a lift across the border but many have to walk across informal crossings Headmistress Georgina Deluquez says the influx of Venezuelan students has been a challenge for her school. "Everything that happens in Venezuela has repercussions for us [in Colombia]. As long as Venezuela continues in crisis, children will continue to arrive and we do not have the capacity to care for them," she says. This month alone, the school has received 11 new students - the majority of whom are Venezuelans. But it is a challenge Ms Deluquez is determined to meet: "How could we leave them? How could I say no, if it is the only educational centre on the border? If we do not take them in, then what is left for the children?" Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File Chris Christie, who's mulling a 2024 presidential bid, said candidates must be willing to call out Trump. "Nobody knows Donald Trump better than I do," he told Politico as he sized up Trump's vulnerabilities. Christie ran for president in 2016, but left the race after disappointing finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is still mulling a 2024 presidential bid, but he believes that he can publicly call out former President Donald Trump's political liabilities better than anyone else, per a Politico interview. The two-term Republican governor told the outlet that Trump's vulnerabilities should be "called out and it needs to be called out by somebody who knows him." "Nobody knows Donald Trump better than I do," he continued. Christie said that he didn't believe his criticism of Trump would hurt him among likely GOP primary voters, arguing that they're looking for candidates who can make the case for why they should be in the race against a juggernaut like the former president. "I don't believe that Republican voters penalize people who criticize Trump," he told Politico. "If you think you're a better person to be president than Donald Trump, then you better make that case." Christie went on to say that Trump had a "bountiful buffet" of issues for candidates to bring up, including the former president's December statement where he suggested that the Constitution could be "terminated" over debunked claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Trump later denied that he made the statement. Read the original article on Business Insider A group takes in the view of Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes Estates. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Thanks to a remarkable new ruling from a California appeals court, it looks like the days of the infamous Lunada Bay Boys surf clique may be coming to an end. But first a little background: For decades, this group of Palos Verdes Estates surfers young and old has terrorized outsiders in a largely successful quest to privatize a public beach that is considered by many to offer the most epic winter waves in California. The tight-knit, multigenerational cabal has physically obstructed access to the steep trail leading down to the surf, thrown rocks, run surfers over in the water, cut leashes, stolen wallets and wetsuits, punctured or deflated tires, and waxed slurs onto car windows. Their obstruction is legendary; Lunada Bay is often described as the most localized surf break in the world. According to the city's annual budget document, the population is 71.9% white, 22.9% Asian, 7.8% Latino and 0.4% Black. Weve protected this beach for years, one of the locals told my former colleague Tony Perry in 1995. So we can have driftwood on the beach rather than Kentucky Fried Chicken boxes. If this place was ever opened up the rocks would be marked with graffiti, and the beach wouldnt be safe at night. There have been occasional organized forays by outsiders at Lunada Bay. In 2014, a Hawaiian-born surfer, Chris Taloa, invited surfers to join him for a peaceful paddle out on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He testified that he was kicked underwater and one local who paddled out in blackface and an Afro wig told him, You dont pay enough taxes to be here. He held a similar event three years later, but he is still angry about being denied access to such an epic break. Until recently, the Bay Boys seemed almost immune from repercussions, as local police and city officials gave little more than lip service to the sacred principle enshrined in the California Coastal Act: Our beaches and waves belong to everyone, not just the entitled white few. Story continues In 2016, two fed-up attorneys with a passion for surfing joined forces to use the Coastal Act to take on the well-orchestrated antics of the surf thugs and the city that, in their view, tacitly encouraged the intimidation because it keeps outsiders away from the isolated community. Attorneys Vic Otten and Kurt Franklin sued Palos Verdes Estates and the handful of locals they say have been responsible for the persecution of others who try to surf at Lunada Bay. (Robin Abcarian / Los Angeles Times) Attorneys Vic Otten and Kurt Franklin sued Palos Verdes Estates and the handful of locals they say have been responsible for the persecution. They represented two nonlocal surfers who had been exposed to hostility, threats and sexual harassment by the Bay Boys. I met with the attorneys a week ago, on the rim of Lunada Bay. The sun was out, the surf was flat and as we stood chatting, a few people with dogs played on the beach below us. The attorneys showered me with legal documents. One of their challenges, they said, was to prove that the Bay Boys were an organized group that had developed a systematic approach to keeping away outsiders, or kooks. Thanks to a stroke of luck, the evidence they needed was forthcoming. In 2017, alleged Bay Boy Michael Rae Papayans, then 28, was sentenced to jail for attacking and seriously injuring a 50-year-old man in a Dodger Stadium parking lot. Police had confiscated his phone, which found its way to Otten and Franklin, which led to other phones. We got the hard drives of their phones, Otten said. They didnt realize that just because you delete something doesnt mean its gone. Around the time in 2016 that Otten and Franklin had filed their first Lunada Bay lawsuit in federal court, the city removed a decades-old rock fort, complete with a fire pit and shaded cabana that the Bay Boys had built (illegally) as their personal perch and clubhouse on the north side of the horseshoe-shaped bay. But that, and some sporadic, increased police patrols, is about as much as the city seemed willing to do to counter the mayhem. By 2020, after many twists and turns, the lawsuit ended up in state court, where a judge dismissed the city as a defendant, declaring that the Coastal Act was not applicable to the situation. Meanwhile, the surfer defendants agreed to settle, either by paying (or having their insurance companies pay) thousands of dollars or agreeing to stay away from Lunada Bay for a year, or both. A surfer at Lunada Bay in 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) One of those defendants, Brant Blakeman, agreed to pay $90,000 and stay away for a year. Blakemans banishment ended March 31. I was curious about whether he planned to leave nonlocals alone from now on, but he did not return my phone call. In February, Californias 2nd District Court of Appeal overruled the lower court. It said that the harassment meted out by the Lunada Bay locals could constitute a violation of the Coastal Act, and that the city, which owns the landward portion of the beach, might be liable for failing to stop it. The plaintiffs, wrote appellate Justice Laurence Rubin as he reinstated the lawsuit against Palos Verdes Estates, sufficiently alleged an actionable conspiracy in which the city has participated. Otten and Franklin are elated. So are California Coastal Commission officials. You couldnt ask for a better ruling, Otten told me. Its monumental, added Franklin. What I find to be so important about this case is that it addresses behavior, not just physical development, Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge said Thursday. In other words, throwing rocks or cutting a surfer off in the water, just like a gate across a trail, could be considered an illegal impediment to public beach and ocean access. If the city, whose officials have in the past characterized the aggressive Lunada Bay localism as urban legend, is found to have violated the Coastal Act, it could face huge penalties, up to $15,000 a day. This would put a serious burden on the city of 13,200 people. Besides property taxes, Palos Verdes Estates generates little in the way of tax revenue, as there are few businesses within its borders. Thats the downside of not wanting anybody there, Franklin said. Palos Verdes Estates Mayor Jim Roos said by email, The city remains committed to protecting the publics access to our beautiful coastlines. We are hopeful for a resolution that recognizes that commitment. It's fair to ask, exactly what commitment is he talking about? Franklin and Otten told me they had offered to drop the lawsuit against the city years ago. The main thing they, and the Coastal Commission, wanted, they said, was for Palos Verdes Estates to put up signs indicating that Lunada Bay is public and open to all. Theyd also like the city to install a park bench at the top of the cliff, maybe a stationary telescope for whale watching, a permanent water bowl for dogs, and a safer approach down the cliff to the water, perhaps using railroad ties as steps. The city refused. Meanwhile, Taloa, who played a local surfer in the movie Blue Crush, told me hes looking forward to the day the lawsuit is put to rest. He cant wait to get back out to the break at Lunada Bay, and to invite once-excluded surfers to join him. As soon as its done, he told me, we are going to turn that place into Waikiki. @robinkabcarian This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Despite attacks on transgender people nationwide, the dancers at AsiaSF say the club and San Francisco remain a safe sanctuary. (Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times) The first time Kenshi Westover walked into AsiaSF, an iconic transgender cabaret in this city's gritty South of Market neighborhood, it was as a closeted gay Mormon visiting from Utah. That was 20 years ago, and Westover (who uses they/them pronouns) remembers being stunned by the performers strutting down an elevated runway behind the bar, heels impossibly high, dresses dangerously low cut, the mood ebullient. "These are my spirit animals," Westover thought. "And I am going to be part of that world." I met Westover on Sunday night as AsiaSF celebrated its 25-year anniversary, in a room packed sardine-tight with drag queens, politicos in suits and even a couple of Stanford students. Westover, who identifies as gender nonconforming, was turned out in a beaded Art Deco gown, with dangling earrings and slicked-back hair, very much a part of this vibrant community that reveals more about San Francisco than the alarmist tales of urban doom that have come to define its reputation nationwide. For years, the hard-right outrage machine has zeroed in on San Francisco as a "hellhole" that epitomizes everything wrong with Democratic leadership. They have been aided by a small but vocal cadre of local social media influencers who have made their brand pummeling San Francisco's public health and public safety policies. They focus almost entirely on drugs and crime, which dovetails perfectly into the right-wing propaganda that's stoking paranoia and panic in various parts of the country. If you're wondering why I'm not including the usually obligatory sample posts from these influencers, it's because I don't feel the need to give that false narrative more oxygen. But their new king seems to be Elon Musk, who recently tweeted out that "violent crime in SF is horrific," despite the reality that, with the exception of robberies, rates for violent crimes like homicide and rape are so far on par or declining from last year. Story continues Many of these proselytizers protest that they are not conservative, and most wouldn't dare to touch other issues that animate the right, such as the wars on transgender people and abortion. But they have a symbiotic relationship with hard-right media (think Fox News) on crime and drugs. In another California town, maybe Sacramento or even Los Angeles, their vitriol would be the stuff of Nextdoor posts. But because San Francisco is a target of the right wing, these local voices have amassed power by providing the so-called proof that this city, like other Democratic strongholds, is in perpetual chaos. They post countless videos online of what I consider exploitative moral-outrage porn clips of destitute people using drugs, splayed out on sidewalks, incoherent and lost. Few of these appear to be filmed with the person's consent, but all are meant to convey to the good folks in Iowa and Idaho just how bad life can be under "leftist" leadership. Of course, that narrative is not new. In 2015, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump called out San Francisco and its sanctuary city policies after the horrific killing of resident Kathryn Steinle, who was shot by an undocumented immigrant with an extensive criminal record and a history of deportations. The shooter, Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, was acquitted of murder after a jury decided he had found the gun under a bench and accidentally fired it. The weapon belonged to a Bureau of Land Management ranger and had been stolen from his vehicle a week earlier. But with the success of Trump's political attack on the hearts and minds of immigrant-averse Republicans, the pile-on of exploiting woe has continued, culminating recently in the aftermath of the killing of tech entrepreneur Bob Lee. Lee was stabbed in the early-morning hours of April 4 in an upscale area of downtown. By the next morning, right-wing social media were drowning in condemnations of the city that assumed Lee had been randomly attacked the unspoken implication that the assailant was likely a homeless drug user. Lee's death quickly became just the latest proof of how violent San Francisco has become despite its continuing low homicide rate. Police eventually arrested an acquaintance of Lee's for the killing, suggesting the attack may have been motivated by a dispute involving the suspect's sister. Not a random killing at all, but that hasn't stopped these vendors of grievance. After the arrest, one frequent social media poster suggested that it didn't matter who did it, because any type of killing proves just how dangerous San Francisco is. On Friday, when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a multiagency effort, including the California National Guard, to target large drug distributors in San Francisco, another one of those agitators declared "victory," wrongly claiming that soldiers would be on the streets because the situation was so dire. CalGuard will provide backroom intelligence-gathering aid. There will be no tanks. San Francisco has problems, of course. Not little ones. There's a tech bust emptying expensive office towers, much like the dot-com bubble did around the same time AsiaSF first opened. There is also a crisis of addiction, which has led to unacceptable levels of property crime as well as areas of the city where drugs are openly sold and used, and stolen goods hawked at sidewalk markets. As with so many other places urban, suburban and rural fentanyl has become the drug of choice, leading to skyrocketing numbers of overdoses. So far this year, 200 people have died of fentanyl overdoses in the city compared with 142 deaths in the same period last year. And anti-Asian hate crimes, largely unrelated to the addiction crisis, have rightfully galvanized anger having increased 167% nationwide between 2020 and 2021, according to FBI data, far outpacing rises for any other group. In San Francisco that has included, among other brazen attacks, an Asian man dying after being shoved into the street, a man throwing a brick at elderly Asian people in a park, and an elderly woman being robbed and beaten by four juveniles in her senior living center. Anti-Asian hate crimes seem to be declining this year, but Asian communities have become more vocal and political in their demands to better police the city appeals that at times have been conflated with the far-right talking points but which stem from very different perspectives. A recent city survey found all residents, regardless of ethnicity, feel less safe than before the pandemic. Only 36% of respondents said they felt safe or very safe walking alone in their neighborhood at night. In 2019, 53% said they felt safe at night. Despite that decline, the overall grade for residents' feelings about safety came in at a C+, which isn't great but isn't a hellhole failure, either. Which is to say, don't believe the hype you read about San Francisco on the internet. "The real San Francisco is AsiaSF. It's the cherry blossom parade. It's Easter with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in Dolores Park," state Sen. Scott Wiener told me, when we stepped outside the club to talk. For those who don't know, the sisters are a collective of activist queer and transgender nuns who have been around since Jimmy Carter was in the Oval Office. They like to roller skate. "This is a place with a soul that can't be stifled," said Bette McKenzie, a former public relations executive who helped conceive one of the largest AIDS fundraisers on the West Coast, as we screamed over the pounding beat back inside the club. "In spite of all the BS you hear from the right-wing media, San Francisco is a beacon of hope for so many people," Larry Hashbarger told me. He's one of the owners of AsiaSF. He came to San Francisco from Boulder, Colo., in 1977, a "young gay man who was not quite ready for the scene." At 71, he is the scene, working the room in a black bedazzled suit fashioned after a Keith Haring painting. When AsiaSF opened, "the word transgender was not even in our vocabulary yet," Hashbarger told me. But still, everyone wanted to come. "Pacific Heights matrons would bring their Dom Perignon." Since then, he estimates a million people have come through the doors. On Friday, Mayor London Breed stopped by, he said. Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco resident, sent a proclamation "in recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community." Even state Treasurer Fiona Ma was there with her brother on Sunday. "Everybody comes to be who they are and celebrate who they are. No matter who you are, you have to find your truth and live your truth," Hashbarger said. And that is the enduring strength of San Francisco. People go to New York and Los Angeles seeking fame and wealth. People come to San Francisco seeking themselves searching for freedom and authenticity. Those who find their own identity and their own tribes are the true powers in this city, building communities with clout and endurance. Just look at who gets elected, from Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to hold office in California, to Wiener, who has championed a progressive agenda that has made him reviled by the right. For a small minority, their truth is always going to be born of spite and privilege. And that minority will have its power, as democracy demands, especially in this perverse American timeline in which the push toward authoritarianism requires hate and fear to justify itself. That, said Wiener, is a "challenge," but one San Francisco always has and always will overcome. For the majority of San Francisco, the outrage peddlers are a sideshow, a pale whisper against the force of the real show in places like AsiaSF. Decades ago, Westover, the closeted Mormon, found themselves standing on a 20-foot ladder, contemplating suicide jumping to see if that could quiet the noise and the pain. They were 23. Their parents had rejected them, and being gay or transgender or something else entirely seemed terrifying. Seeing the performers of AsiaSF gave Westover the courage to define themselves on their own terms. On Sunday night, I saw Westover as a beautiful human wholly owning who they are, surrounded by found family. "This city is a safe sandbox that allows a person to play without fear," Westover told me. "I think it saved my life." They aren't the only one San Francisco has saved, and they won't be the last. That's the beauty of this city, and no amount of fear-mongering will change it. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A man disconnects his vehicle from an electric vehicle charging station at the Berkeley Public Library West Branch in Berkeley on Dec. 1, 2021. (Josh Edelson / For the Times) I love my electric car. I really do. I love how I never have to buy gas. I love how it glides quietly up the street. I love that it has so much pickup that I can easily blow past gas-powered muscle cars if I want to. I love having stickers that allow me to drive solo in the HOV lanes. I love that routine maintenance consists of little more than rotating the tires. But after three years, I am thinking seriously of trading it in for the gas-powered hybrid plug-in version. Why? Because as much as I love my car, I loathe that I can't travel around California, a state has led the electric car revolution, with confidence that I can get a charge when I need one. Yes, there are significantly more public charging stations than when I first got behind the wheel of my Kia Niro EV in January 2020. But there are also significantly more electric vehicles vying to use them and still vast areas of the state without a single fast charger. Chargers are more reliable now, but still not quite good enough. In 2020, it felt like half the public chargers I tried to use weren't working. These days, l find only about a quarter are out. This jibes with the experience of researchers who checked public fast chargers at 181 charging stations in the Bay Area last year and found that about 23% weren't functional. Even with more chargers, they still aren't easy to find. I have an app that helps, but it only gives me a general location. Public charging stations are often tucked away in remote corners of parking lots or behind buildings with no helpful signage. They may be accessible only during business hours or, if in a hotel, only for paying guests to use. Its not uncommon to locate a charging station and discover that all the chargers are in use or blocked by cars not charging. Or, most frustratingly, the chargers may be offline or nonfunctional which you may not discover until you park, plug in and try to start the charger. And even if the stars align and you find an available charger that works, it may shut off mid-charge with no warning or reason. Story continues When I chose an electrical vehicle, I knew that meant an extra 30 minutes in travel time for each charging stop during a road trip. But I did not count on the time wasted by having to, for example, backtrack to another station or one out of my way because the charging station on my route was not working. I did not count on having to wait 60 minutes to charge because the fast charger is not charging very fast today. Or having to spend the wait time baking in the sun because the charging station on the side of a hot freeway has no shade. Honestly, who thought that was a good idea? I didn't count on having to download a half-dozen apps because each charger company has its own. I could fill up a book recounting the many frustrating and absurd experiences I have had charging my car over the last three years and three months and I haven't even hit 23,000 miles on the car yet. Things are improving, but if the pace of change over the last three years is an indication of what's in store for the next three years, the policies to push increasing numbers of EVs by California and the Biden administration are in trouble. Its not enough to set sales targets and offer tax credits. If we want people to embrace fully electric cars, we have to make it easier to charge up away from home. That means mapping out charging stations in a comprehensive, thoughtful way that ensures a reliable and easy-to-use network not leaving it to the whims of the commercial sector, which will build stations where its most profitable or convenient. It will require cities to develop plans for how and where to locate public chargers and not just plop them down randomly and call it a day. As part of the bipartisan infrastructure law, the federal government is spending $7.5 billion to build 500,000 chargers across the nation, which is great. But authorities must take into account the experiences of early adopters like me as they invest. Because if it continues to be this much of a hassle to charge up, it's going to be tough to convince motorists to go green. I don't know if I will trade in my EV, because I really do love it, charging issues aside. But I'm taking a road trip next month, and if the state of public charging isn't much improved from my last road trip, well, it's going to be hard not to make the switch. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Never before has talent development been more crucial. Ensuring our community has the talent to fill existing industry needs and the needs of a diversifying economy requires us all to partner, engage and invest in efforts to create this strong workforce. The benefit of these collaborative efforts reaches beyond any single entity. A healthy, diverse workforce builds up communities and drives economic growth and individual prosperity. The pandemic created new challenges for workforce recruitment and retention for all industries, and especially health care. We are grateful to the Florida legislature and Governor DeSantis for the enhanced focus on and funding for education partners to provide programs that grow talent for the health care industry. And we are grateful to have such engaged local education and workforce development partners who provide pathways into health care careers. Partnering with education to grow our future workforce and enhance current team member skills goes all the way back to the beginning for Baptist. Within a few years after Baptist Hospital opened in 1951, Baptist began working with Pensacola Junior College (now Pensacola State College) to create the first Associate of Arts nursing program in the southern portion of the United States. To this day, we continue that legacy of investing and training health care professionals. New hospital: New Baptist hospital expected to open in 2023 We currently partner with 133 educational programs in northwest Florida and south Alabama, including those in area high schools, technical schools, state colleges and universities. Our community offers many opportunities for individuals seeking rewarding and meaningful careers. We are fortunate to collaborate with community partners to offer job seekers internships and employment. Some of these partners include CareerSource EscaRosa, Escambia and Santa Rosa county public schools, Pensacola State College, University of West Florida, and Pensacola Christian College. We are grateful for the vision and leadership of these collaborators. They are delivering education and training programs that encourage community members to enter health care careers that benefit their future as well as the future of our community. Story continues Through our partnership with CareerSource EscaRosa, we are growing our workforce for phlebotomy, pharmacy technician, medical assistant and surgical technician roles. We provide paid internships that include employee benefits while participants complete their training programs right here at Baptist. Upon completion, interns move into full-time positions from which they can build their health care careers. We are grateful to be able to partner with public school districts to provide real-world hands-on experience for students enrolled in health science academies. We are very pleased to have recently relaunched our VolunTEEN program to provide volunteer opportunities and a realistic look at health careers for teens. Many students from PSC, UWF and PCC who major in nursing, physical therapy assistant and other health care programs complete their required on-site training hours at our locations. We have also created our own nurse residency program to provide new graduates or those coming back into the field with additional support and training from experienced nurses. We offer many recruiting events throughout the year to talk with potential candidates about health care careers and the opportunity to serve our community through Baptist. We incentivize our team members to recruit the skilled and experienced individuals they know to join our organization. Our goal is to provide our community with the best care possible and to foster a workplace culture that allows our team members to thrive. For us, finding and hiring phenomenal talent is essential. And we simply could not do this without these collaborative community partnerships together we are better. This is an exciting time at Baptist Health Care. More than a vocation, job or career, many of us see health care as a calling. Whether at the bedside, in an office or through remote work, our team members support each other and serve those in need. Please visit ebaptisthealthcare.org to stay informed of happenings at Baptist, including training and employment opportunities. Mark Faulkner is president and CEO of Baptist Health Care. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia uniting to maintain strong health care workforce | Guestview Under a tent, Neil McQueen sat at a table and showed a mother and her children about plastics found at Coastal Bend beaches and in waters. The pollution products included plastic bottles, empty sand bags and jumbles of fishing lure. "These are found at our beaches all the time," McQueen, co-chair of Surfrider Foundation's Texas Coastal Bend Chapter, said to the family. He added, "Here's how you can help," before showing them pamphlets on what the nonprofit does for the Coastal Bend. Surfrider Foundation was one of many local organizations at the Earth Day-Bay Day event at Heritage Park on Saturday. A woman shows off a fish stuck in plastic rings during Earth Day-Bay Day at Heritage Park on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Corpus Christi, Texas. What does the nonprofit do? McQueen has been part of the nonprofit since 1990. He said the group focuses on clean water, clean beaches and public beach access. "We raise awareness about water pollution and plastic pollution," McQueen said. "We're encouraging people to change their habits, reduce plastic use and pick up any litter they see on our beaches." McQueen said the nonprofit also performs water quality testing at three local beaches, specifically testing for bacteria. The group takes samples and then sends them to a lab at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. From there, the foundation's website will show if it's safe for people to swim in the water or not. "We're a national nonprofit that started in 1984 because of polluted water," McQueen said. "Surfers were getting sick. Today, we're still trying to raise awareness about pollution and how it affects the quality of life." From left, Jaceyon Holmes, 8; Samarion Lindsey, 10; and Jayshawn Banks, 6, touch an urchin during Earth Day-Bay Day at Heritage Park on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Corpus Christi, Texas. What to know about coastal habitats At a nearby tent, Holly Grand, outreach coordinator for Texas Parks & Wildlife Coastal Fisheries department, was teaching attendees about similar issues. Grand and her team had tables set up explaining the importance of coastal habitats, creatures that live along the coast and how they can help with the state agency's studies. Story continues "Our mission is to conserve and protect our cultural and natural resources for current and future generations," Grand said. "We want to make sure that when people are fishing, they are not removing too many things from the ocean or taking things too small that haven't had the chance to reproduce." Grand said her division is trying to make sure the Coastal Bend's fish population and habitats remain healthy. She said she wants people to go out and fish, but to follow regulations meant to protect the habitats. "A lot of our habitats are preventing coastal erosion and filtering our water and keeping it nice and clean and free of toxins," Grand said. "That helps anglers go out and catch a lot of big fish. When the younger generation gets older, they'll be able to catch large fish, as well, as long as we all do our part." Two of the habitats the Coastal Fisheries division is focused on right now are seagrasses and oyster reefs, Grand said. Blake Lerma, 8, fishes in a catch-and-release pool during Earth Day-Bay Day at Heritage Park on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Seagrasses, home to fish, sharks, mollusks and other marine animals, help stabilize the sediment, oxygenate the water column, provide food and shelter for marine life and reduce harmful bacteria and greenhouse gasses. Oyster reefs have similar benefits but are one of the most imperiled habitats, with 85% global loss, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife. The habitat loss can be due to storm damage, sedimentation, water quality degradation or damage from harvest. "We're making sure those habitats are being utilized and protected in a way that will ensure fishermen are able to continue to use them in the future," Grand said. How can I help? Grand said a way fishermen can help the state agency is by logging their catches through its My Texas Hunt Harvest app. "It's voluntary, but it helps us gather more information and make better management decisions, like with our nighttime flounder fishery study," Grand said. "It'll walk you through all the things you need to report on. You just need to provide your fishing license number." Reggie Garza, 11, examines fish heads and learns about their anatomy during Earth Day-Bay Day at Heritage Park on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Corpus Christi, Texas. McQueen said people can help Surfrider Foundation by volunteering or donating. "We always need more people and more help," McQueen said. "I've been a volunteer since 1990, so I can tell you we don't fail at our goals." McQueen said he is pleased with the success the nonprofit has achieved, but said his goal is to continue to raise environmental awareness. He said he hopes the younger generation will want to take charge so he can "gladly hand the torch to them." "We all breathe air and drink water," McQueen said. "What happens in the environment affects us whether or not we understand that. The more pollution exists, the more it affects human beings. We all should be concerned. We all need to be concerned." RELATED COVERAGE Opinion: An easy legislative fix for plastic pollution: Spell it out for TCEQ Hillcrest: Corpus Christi presses ahead amid HUD civil rights probe into Northside desalination plans More: 'We need to do better': Beach Keepers strive to keep Corpus Christi community clean John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva. Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times. This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: What we learned about beach habitats from Coastal Bend, Texas groups The statue on the Notre Dame Cathedral inspired Victor Hugos the character Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, pictured on May 6, 2017. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News Baguettes and crepes, French architecture and the River Seine these are the things that bring the allure to France, which will become the worlds most visited country by 2025. According to GlobalData, France will overtake the top spot by 2025 by attracting an average of 93.7 million international tourists, Conde Nast reported. Spain is currently the favorite tourist stop, becoming the most popular country to visit by international travelers in 2021. The country is expected to see 89.5 million visitors by 2025, per City Magazine. Visitation to France and Spain will remain strong in the years to come, with festivals, culture and gastronomy being a big pull for tourists, Hannah Free, travel and tourism analyst at GlobalData, said in a release. Both countries have a lot to offer visitors, with their own unique cultures, cuisines and atmospheres. Both countries are also relatively large, with a diverse and varied landscape, and each country has its own unique coastline. The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 on the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution to be one of the main attractions for the Paris Worlds Fair. This was on a clear day on May 6, 2017. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News What makes France such a popular tourist destination? The country is picturesque and has one of the most renowned food cultures and cuisine in the world. It offers a host of unique art museums, ancient architecture, rich history and, of course, the iconic Eiffel Tower which looks much more staggering in person than in photos. Its easily accessible by train for travelers within Europe and shares borders with eight different countries, which likely contributes to why 80% of visitors to France are European tourists, according to The Telegraph. Transportation is one of the factors GlobalData cited for being such a highly trafficked destination, including a new rail line that is being constructed now. One key transportation project in Western Europe is the Ultra Rapid Train line, which is being planned by the European Commission to improve connectivity between Lisbon in Portugal and Helsinki in Finland, Free said in a release. The program involves the construction of an 8,000-kilometer doubletrack high-speed railway network between Lisbon and Helsinki with a loop around the Baltic Sea. The rail line will pass through, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland. If youre hoping to be one of those visitors, book your trip early and look into hotel and activity packages to get the best deals. In this week's "It's Debatable" segment, Rick Rosen and Charles Moster debate whether U.S. involvement in Ukraine has made America safer. Rosen is the Glenn D. West Endowed Research Professor of Law at the Texas Tech University School of Law and a retired U.S. Army colonel. Charles Moster is the Founder of the Moster Law Firm with 8 offices in Texas, author of 12 books, and an award winning playwright and composer. Moster 1 Tragically for America and the World, Bidens military support of Ukraine has senselessly raised the risk of nuclear war by exponential proportions. I certainly abhor the belligerent and barbarous attack by Putin on Ukraine but cannot condone a reactive foreign policy which presents no viable opportunity of settlement between the parties. Biden comprehends how close we are to nuclear Armageddon and has concluded that the risk of deliberate or accidental nuclear war is the highest since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 which brought the Soviet Union and us on the brink of nuclear war. Although Biden got his history correct, he either forgot the behind the scenes strategy employed by JFK or never learned it. JFK and his brother Bobby were firm with Khrushchev but exceedingly careful not to alienate him or disrupt the communications between the parties. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the famed hotline between the parties was in full swing and thank the Lord for that. Not so with Biden who has directly and personally attacked Putin, declared him a war criminal and barred him from the United States. The above characterizations are likely true but fatal to U.S. Russian relations which are essential to resolving the Ukrainian crisis and reducing the risks of nuclear war. In the accusatory environment created by Biden there is and cannot be any communication with Putin which is disasterous to both countries. The second and essential takeaway of the Cuban Missile Crisis is that JFK offered Khrushchev an exit ramp to get off the highway to hell nuclear war. Behind the scenes, JFK offered Khrushchev a concession by removing missiles in Europe. That was enough to break the blockade and end the crisis. Khrushchev needed cover to placate his internal critics and declare a nebulous victory. JFK smartly offered him such opportunity. Story continues Biden has offered no exit ramp to Putin. He must either admit defeat or escalate an attack which will lead to nuclear war and the death of hundreds of millions of innocent people on both sides. His statements continue to be cavalier and personal, which only exacerbates the crisis. My concern is that unlike JFK, Biden has let the crisis progress to such a point that no back door exit ramp is possible at this juncture. At the early stages of the crisis that may have been possible, but no more. Unless Biden rapidly changes course and gets appreciably smarter we may be on the precipice of the End of Days. Tragically for all of us, Biden lacks both the intelligence and foresight to steer all of us through the eye of the nuclear needle. Rosen 2 Charles comments are deeply frightening, but unfortunately accurate. Indeed, I believe the situation is even more dire than Charles cogent analysis suggests. Last year, President Biden said of Putin: For Gods sake, this man cannot remain in power. And while, as it often does, the Administration tried to clean up the Presidents statement by asserting Biden was not calling for regime change, many peopleespecially Putinunderstood the meaning of the Presidents clearly stated remark. Moreover, the United States and its allies have pushed Russia into the arms of China and Iran, who combined pose the most serious existential threat this nation has ever encountered. Nevertheless, I believe the nation must maintain the course in supporting Ukraine. Under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine surrendered the nuclear weapons left in the country after the breakup of the Soviet Union (Secretary of State Antony Blinkens father was then Ambassador to Hungary). Ukraine did so with security assurances from the United States and other nations. President Obama essentially ignored the assurances by refusing to send lethal aid to Ukraine in 2014 when Russia invaded the Crimea. To his credit, Biden honored the assurances when Russia invaded Ukraine last year. The United States should not breach its security assurance to Ukraine. The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan plainly undermined the nations credibility and reliability. A similar precipitous abandonment of Ukraine will likely shatter both. Not fearing any reaction from the United States, it will almost certainly lead to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan (if the Afghanistan debacle has not done so already). Moreover, Russia will see such a withdrawal as profound weakness, and it may be emboldened to recover other former Soviet-bloc states. By their war of aggression against a sovereign nation and their indiscriminate and perhaps intentional attacks on Ukraines civilian population, Putin and members of his military have unquestionably committed grave breaches of the law of armed conflict. But I hope the Biden Administration can lower tensions with Russia by giving it a face-saving means of ending the war while still abiding by the security assurances we gave to Ukraine nearly 30 years ago. Otherwise, the United States may be sleep-walking into a world-wide conflagration, which the American people neither want nor for which the nation is prepared. Moster 2 I must disagree with Ricks assessment that the nation must maintain the course in supporting Ukraine. If so, I would ask him to append his statement by adding and also make available potassium iodide to all Americans without charge. I am steadfast in my belief that continuation of the disasterous path reactively tread by Biden will likely lead to nuclear war. Our current course has gone way beyond mere defensive support of Ukraine as initially proposed. Although well intentioned, our strategy has morphed into supplying Ukraine with lethal offensive weapons and intelligence which represents a direct and existential threat to Russia. Putin has made clear that the use of nuclear weapons will be unleashed if and when Russia deems that is very existence is at stake. This is a very real possibility particularly given the current assessment for making F-16 fighter training available to Ukrainian pilots in the U.S. It appears that the only takeaway from Biden and Blinkens strategy is to humiliate, antagonize, and criminally threaten Putin and his decision makers at every turn. While I share in Ricks hope that Biden can lower tensions with Russia by giving it a face-saving means of ending the war constant antagonism coupled with the disintegration of one-on-one communications between the world leaders has not advanced this goal. With every humiliating defeat, infusion of more dollars and lethal arms, and drones crossing the borders into Russia itself, this conflict is on the verge of instigating a World War and nuclear conflagration. Yes we must provide military support to Ukraine but this effort must be carefully measured as was anticipated at inception. Instead the proverbial horse is out of the barn and it may be too late to forestall the ultimate disaster for humankind. Biden is over his head along with his Secretary of State who has done nothing but exacerbate the situation. They need to study carefully what JFK and RFK achieved contrary to the disasterous counsel of their military advisers at the time. The concession to Khrushchev by removing missiles from Europe was not tantamount to the dreaded appeasement which precipitated WW-II as it stopped the Soviet Union in its tracks from military expansion into Cuba and defused the immediate threat of nuclear war. It was highly intelligent, calibrated, and delivered with elegant timing. Such was the polar opposite of the toxic bantering which spews from the Biden Administration. Every day is a replay of the Cuban Missile Crisis standoff which has become our new normal. And that is frightening. I have written extensively on the effects of a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. The most conservative models demonstrate that our respective populations would be mostly wiped out in the time it takes to watch the Evening News. Anyone left would fall prey to radiation poisoning and a grisly death. In the now immortal words of Nikita Khrushchev The living will envy the dead. Think about that. Think about your children and grandchildren. This is not an esoteric topic. Right now, the only unacceptable risk is maintaining Bidens malignant strategy in Ukraine. I hope and pray that we will make it to the next election. Rosen 2 The bottom line is this: The United States guaranteed Ukraines territorial integrity. President Biden is fulfilling this commitment by furnishing military aid to enable Ukraine to resist Russias war of aggression. And what happens if Ukraine falls because we tailor support to appease Russia? Will Putin be satisfied with just Ukraine? He will perceive appeasement as weakness and, as he vowed, seek to restore Russias control over other former Soviet states. He already has eyes on the Balkans, which are NATO members. What happens when he uses military force to subdue Lithuania, Estonia, or Latvia? Under Article 5 of the NATO Charter, such an attack is the same as an attack on the United States. And unless we abandon our NATO allies because we fear a Russian nuclear response, we will face a full-scale war directly involving the nations armed forces. Ukraine is the 21st Centurys Sudetenland. Appeasement in Ukraine will lead to a much wider war. I agree with one issue in Charles response: the Biden Administrations foreign policy is inept. The same is true with respect to national defense. Only a robust U.S. military can deter future Russian imperialism, which is, unfortunately, not what we have. As Bret Stephens notes in a recent New York Times editorial, U.S. military spending as a share of gross domestic product around 3.5 percent, as compared with over 6.3 percent 40 years ago is near historical lows, even as we face simultaneous and growing military threats from Russia and China. For example, while China rapidly builds a navy to prepare for war in the Pacific, our Secretary of the Navy shrinks the size of our fleet, perceiving fighting climate change as the Navys top priority. I dont doubt the seriousness of climate change, but fighting climate change is not the Navys mission; it is to deploy naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas. Like it or not, we are in a new Cold War. Unless the parties come together to strengthen our countrys defense capabilities, we may lose a major armed conflict. As Mr. Stephens concludes: Too much of the world has become hostile to liberal values in the last few years, and no regimes have done more to promote the new illiberalism than Moscow and Beijing. They will not be shamed into better behavior by moralistic rebukes, much less thwarted from their ambitions by diplomatic condemnation. A liberalism that knows that it is both valuable and fragile should be willing to pay a premium for its own defense, and that of its most vulnerable friends. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: It's Debatable: Has military support of Ukraine endangered America? From Tennessee to Michigan, recent weeks have shown the peril and promise of Democrats comeback in the states. From Tennessee to Michigan, recent weeks have shown the peril and promise of Democrats comeback in the states. MILWAUKEE A few weeks before her victory, Janet Protasiewicz, the liberal and de facto Democratic nominee for Wisconsins Supreme Court, issued a warning about what could happen if her conservative opponent, Dan Kelly, managed to pull off a victory: It could flip the 2024 presidential election. Dont you think our elections should be fair and free? Protasiewicz asked HuffPost. Dont you think there should be a Supreme Court justice who wasnt going to vote to overturn the 2024 election results? If they dont come out the way that he wants, thats what I think will happen. The idea that an off-year April election could swing control of the presidency wouldve seemed ludicrous not long ago, before the GOPs lurch toward authoritarianism and whole-hearted embrace of former President Donald Trumps lies about the election. But for thousands of liberals and Democrats across the country who poured cash into Protasiewiczs campaign, the threat was a central motivator. Protasiewiczs eventual 11-point victory was the latest example of how Democrats have made major progress in clawing back power at the state level, with party leaders in key states effectively turning state-level elections into extensions of national political causes, tying them to the outcome of the next presidential election and hyping up the importance of state-by-state battles over abortion rights. The strategy has fired up college-educated voters, who are more likely to vote in off-year elections, and convinced liberals around the country to pour small-dollar donations into electoral contests once considered far too obscure to merit outside investment. The results of these tactics speak for themselves: 57% of Americans live in a state with a Democratic governor. The 17 states where Democrats have a trifecta meaning they control the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature equal 41.6% of the countrys population. The 22 Republican trifectas, mostly built in smaller states, amount to just 39.6% of the country. Story continues But as the party continues a long slog back from its 2010 wipeout when Republicans jumped from 9 trifectas to 22 in a single night and gained control of a redistricting process enabling them to lock Democrats out of power in states across the country the chances for further progress are shrinking. We have to be realistic, said Mallory McMorrow, the Michigan state senator whose viral speech defending gay and transgender rights helped raise millions to power Democrats eventual victory in the states legislative elections last fall. People asked me how it feels for everything to change overnight. But it wasnt overnight. There has been a persistence and a dedication to down-ballot races from Republicans that Democrats simply havent had. Recent weeks have shown the promise and peril of the comeback so far. Victories in Wisconsin, and Michigans moves to repeal an abortion ban and right-to-work legislation, have been offset by the Wisconsin GOPs pick up of a state Senate supermajority and the defection by a Democratic state legislator in North Carolina, both of which illustrated how stop-start the partys progress is, and how fragile its gains can be. And the expulsion of two Democrats from the Tennessee House of Representatives shows how helpless the party remains in some states more than a decade after the 2010 wipeout. Republicans now have supermajorities in 20 states, having picked up veto-proof majorities in three states with Democratic governors since the 2022 midterms: Wisconsin, where the GOP won a special election the same day as Protasiewiczs victory, and in North Carolina and Louisiana, where Democratic legislators switched parties. Many states where the party is at its weakest are in the South, with some of the largest Black populations in the country, giving the party little power to defend its most loyal voting bloc. Of the 10 states with the largest Black population share, seven have GOP governors, seven have GOP legislative supermajorities and six have both. We have to admit that we have a problem before we work to address a problem, said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist in South Carolina and political adviser to House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). National Democratic groups should continue to prioritize the South, the rural South and the constituencies that primarily make up the South and thats Black folks. A Badger State Revival Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler brought techniques and strategies he learned running the national progressive group MoveOn to his home state, helping revitalize the state party. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler brought techniques and strategies he learned running the national progressive group MoveOn to his home state, helping revitalize the state party. Wisconsin is both a case study for Democrats new appreciation of the stakes of state-level fights and a reminder of how the gerrymandering that emerged from the 2010 election continues to stand in the partys way. When Republican Scott Walker became Wisconsins governor in 2010, he set out to shift state politics rightward through gerrymandering and the evisceration of the states once-powerful labor unions. Trumps victory in the Badger State in 2016, just eight years after Barack Obama carried it by 14 percentage points, spoke to Walkers success in that endeavor. Amid public outrage over Trump that helped Democrats make inroads in the suburbs, the party ousted Walker in 2018. But in April 2019, conservatives narrowly triumphed in a statewide supreme court race that liberals had hoped to win. Witnessing that defeat was one of the reasons that Ben Wikler, a Madison native then serving as Washington director of MoveOn.org, decided to jump back into politics in his home state. He was elected chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in June 2019. Leveraging skills and contacts, he had acquired in the world of national grassroots organizing, Wikler turned the state party into a fighting force. Among other techniques, he used his growing social media following to raise funds for the party, which he plowed into a hiring spree, prioritizing field organizing as well as communications. The latter ignited a virtuous cycle in which the party got more press coverage and thus generated more fundraising that enabled it to continue hiring. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin now boasts 118 paid staffers, including some interns and part-time workers up from 24 employees when Wikler took over. The Republican infrastructure in the state of Wisconsin used to be far superior to the Democratic infrastructure, said a Milwaukee-area Republican strategist who requested anonymity to speak freely. [Wikler] has built a finely tuned, fast-moving, well-oiled machine. And so they are playing better on the field than they used to. The partys advances under Wikler, and a concurrent shift toward Democrats among highly educated voters who are more likely to show up in off-season elections, helped a liberal justice win a state supreme court race in April 2020 and subsequently flip the state for Biden that November. This year, presented with the chance to shift control of the state supreme court from conservatives to liberals, Wikler didnt hesitate to mobilize the partys resources to their fullest. Ironically, thanks to a set of campaign-finance reforms that Walker oversaw in 2015, there were no restrictions on how much the Democratic Party of Wisconsin was able to transfer to liberal Justice-elect Janet Protasiewicz. The party ended up giving Protasiewicz more than $9 million in her bid for the officially nonpartisan office. Democrats involvement in Protasiewiczs bid sparked allegations from conservatives that she would serve as a partisan activist rather than an impartial judge a charge she sought to defuse by promising to recuse herself from cases involving the state party. For Wikler, though, the net benefits of electing Protasiewicz, including the possibility of obtaining less Republican-leaning congressional and state legislative maps, made campaigning for Protasiewicz an easy decision. Republicans are not shy about doing everything in their power to elect far-right judges, he told HuffPost in late March. And Democrats have a choice: Either they can roll over and let the extreme right dominate the courts, or they can fight back with everything theyve got. That bet paid off. But Protasiewiczs coattails were not quite enough to carry Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin, an attorney, across the finish line in a special state Senate election in the same Milwaukee suburbs that have been trending more Democratic in recent years. Habush Sinykins narrow defeat gave Republicans a two-thirds majority in the state Senate, enabling them to impeach and expel Democratic elected officials on a party-line vote. That could theoretically endanger everyone from liberal judges and prosecutors to Protasiewicz and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D). Wikler isnt too worried, though. If Republicans target Protasiewicz or other liberal judges, Evers would have the power to name those officials replacements. Wikler also called Habush Sinykin, the unsuccessful Democratic contender for state Senate, a dynamite candidate who had suffered from the gerrymandered nature of her district. Whats happened in Wisconsin can be a playbook for Democrats across the country, Wikler said. Officials in other state parties are already trying to learn from the strides made in Wisconsin. Following the dramatic expulsion of two Black Democratic lawmakers in Tennessee, Wikler spoke to the Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Hendrell Remus about what the channels are to fight back. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin also sent out an email fundraiser for its Tennessee counterpart and matched the first $25,000 of the $38,000 the email raised. Republicans are abusing supermajority powers that they havent earned, Wikler said. Tennessee Democrats have a chance to make that backfire. Money And Media In Michigan Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrows speech defending herself against GOP attacks went viral a year ago this week, enabling her to tap into a national donor base that has become invested in previously obscure state legislative contests. Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrows speech defending herself against GOP attacks went viral a year ago this week, enabling her to tap into a national donor base that has become invested in previously obscure state legislative contests. McMorrows speech, delivered a year ago on Wednesday, came after a GOP colleague implied she was a groomer for supporting transgender rights and opposing Republican-led efforts to block discussion of gay rights and racism in public schools. The speech went viral, attracting millions of views and helping McMorrow soon raise $1.2 million, 85% of it from outside the state. Much of that money was sent to help state legislative candidates. She said the key was airing television ads turning those candidates into actual people rather than just ballot lines with a D or R next to their names, noting that surveys have shown that 80% of Americans cant identify their state legislator. We connect to stories of people, McMorrow said. Trying to sell the story that were just trying to flip a state legislature is not relatable. McMorrow said that keeping the money coming in relied on repeatedly connecting to national audiences by emphasizing national battles happening on the ground in Michigan. Something that we really tried to do intentionally was to continue to seek out national media opportunities, to tell the story of whats happening in Michigan, but making that connection to national politics because thats the only way to break through to people, McMorrow said. Helping McMorrow and others out was a liberal media ecosystem fully ready to talk about state-level contests. After her speech, McMorrow was twice a guest on Pod Save America, the liberal podcast founded by former staffers for President Barack Obama. The podcast also held a special episode in Madison to draw attention to Protasiewiczs campaign. The way Democrats have been able to tap into national small-dollar donors to fund state races was visible in Wisconsin. In providing Protasiewicz with $8 million of the $14 million she raised, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin counted on a surge in grassroots donations that complemented the big checks that came in. In the nearly four years since Wikler took over as chair, the state party took in more than 777,000 donations, compared with just under 65,000 over the same period preceding Wiklers arrival. It takes resources to run your own operation, but when you do, it means that every individual candidate will have a political network and a volunteer network that takes years to build, Wikler said. Protasiewicz also outperformed her conservative opponent, Dan Kelly, in direct fundraising from small-dollar donors, raising nearly 25,000 donations of $50 or less, compared with Kellys 3,800. The big picture gap is most evident from how the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) has been able to develop a small-dollar fundraising program the Republican Governors Association (RGA) has so not been able to match, enabling the former group to come close to matching the GOP dollar-for-dollar in key races for the first time in decades. (Both the DGA and RGA take extensive sums directly from corporations and wealthy donors, but the RGA has long had more success in that area.) Laura Carlson, the DGAs chief digital officer, said the committee was able to build its online donor base by drawing people in with e-mails touching on national issues and figures, then explaining how giving to governors can matter, even if it increased the digital difference between opening an initial email and making a donation. A lot of peoples goal is to just get someone onto that contribution page with as little friction as possible, Clawson said. Implementing that flow allowed us to do donor education about why this matters. And weve seen a huge, huge increase in our donations. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, the chair of the DGA in the 2022 cycle, said the committee was able to spend three times the amount it did in 2018. The party picked up governorships in Maryland and Massachusetts while losing Nevada, marking only the second time since 1934 the presidents party has increased its governorships during a midterm. Who your governor is matters more than ever, Cooper said, citing pandemic response and fights over abortion rights. Democratic governors demonstrated we will protect your pocketbook, your freedoms and the foundations of our democracy. Problems Money Cant Solve Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson, expelled from the state legislature and then reinstated, has shown Democrats do not always need electoral power to push for change. Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson, expelled from the state legislature and then reinstated, has shown Democrats do not always need electoral power to push for change. The expulsion and lighting-fast reappointment of Tennessee Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones was, like McMorrows speech, a singular moment for Tennessee Democrats to seize the advantage. Pearson and Jones became instant superstars, with national leaders like Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) raising money for them online. In a different state, the momentum could carry Democrats to a modicum of power. But after losing control of both legislative chambers in 2010, the party has only spiraled downward in the Volunteer States. Heavily gerrymandered maps mean Democrats only have one congressman left in the state, and Republicans hold more than three-quarters of the seats in the state House and the state Senate. And most of those seats are deep red: Only four of the 75 Republicans in the state House received less than 60% of the vote in their most recent election. While strategists in the state hope the party can use gun violence as an issue to potentially flip a handful of seats in the growing suburbs of Nashville, it shows how if the Democratic comeback is built on maps, money and media, the latter two cant matter much without the first. Republican extreme gerrymandering really locked Democrats out of power artificially for the last decade and created artificial barriers that you cant overcome with a standard campaign, said Kelly Burton, the former president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. The NDRC, chaired by former Attorney General Eric Holder, was founded in 2016 as a counterpoint to longstanding GOP efforts to shape legislative and congressional maps. It spent millions pushing for referenda to block partisan gerrymanders, challenging GOP-drawn maps and backing candidates in judicial, legislative and governors races. But gerrymandering does not explain away all of the Democrats struggles in Tennessee. Trumps margin of victory in 2020 was 23 percentage points, and the state is heavy on white working-class voters and evangelical Christians. While Democrats have progressed in many states, most deep red states remain firmly in control of the GOP. In places like the Dakotas and the deep South, Republicans dont need to gerrymander to maintain a firm grip on power. When Pearson talked to HuffPosts Phil Lewis earlier this month, he encouraged Tennesseans to do more than just vote to make a change in the state: We need people who are actively, consistently, consistently engaged in democracy. [People] who protest, who make phone calls, who show up to hearings, who stay engaged, all the time, all year round. Of course, Pearson and Jones have shown you do not necessarily need electoral power to create change. Their protest, and the subsequent GOP overreaction, shined a brighter light on a legislature riven with problems but largely ignored by the public. It also created momentum for Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, to push for a red flag law. Tennessees legislative session ended on Friday without any actions on guns and with many Republican legislators still deeply opposed. But Lee said he would soon call for a special session on gun reform, citing the broad agreement that dangerous, unstable individuals who intend to harm themselves or others should not have access to weapons. Its a reflection of the public pressure Pearson and Jones brought. Throughout history Southern history and Black history it has always taken some sort of shockwave event for folks to tune into our issues and our communities in a very intentional way, Seawright said. What happened in Tennessee was another of those shockwave events in history. Related... Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch a 2024 presidential campaign in the coming months, began an international trade mission on Monday that will take him to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. DeSantis is leading a Florida delegation to Israel, Japan, South Korea and the U.K. to meet with government and business leaders. The trip is seen by some allies as an effort to expand his foreign policy chops ahead of his likely presidential campaign launch by this summer. The governor's office said in a news release on Thursday that the trip would focus on building upon Florida's current economic relationships with each country. In Japan on Monday, DeSantis and his wife, Casey, met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, where they discussed Japan being a strong trade partner with Florida. Later in the day, the governor held a roundtable with Japanese business leaders. "We had the privilege of meeting with Prime Minister Kishida to build on discussions we had during the [Southeast U.S.] Japan Conference in Florida this past fall," DeSantis wrote on Twitter. "We look forward to strengthening the relationship between Japan and Florida." However, it was how he answered a question about potentially running against Donald Trump for the White House that quickly went viral online. According to the widely seen clip, DeSantis was asked about polling showing him behind the former president in a hypothetical 2024 primary race. DeSantis responded, "I'm not a candidate, so we'll see if and when that changes." He's privately indicated to allies that he'll run for president starting in May or possibly June, sources previously told ABC News. MORE: Gov. DeSantis signs controversial death penalty legislation His week will continue with other international stops. In South Korea, he will meet with the Gyeonggi Province governor, Kim Dong-yeon, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. While in Israel, DeSantis will deliver the keynote address at an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the country's founding, on Thursday. He'll also meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, Netanyahu said on CBS' "Face the Nation." Story continues And in the U.K., DeSantis will meet with Foreign Minister James Cleverly. Along with his wife, he's joined on his trip this week by Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Florida Secretary of Commerce Laura DiBella. PHOTO: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd at Adventure Outdoors gun store, Thursday, March 30, 2023, in Smyrna, Ga. (John Bazemore/AP, FILE) John Thomas, a GOP political strategist and the founder of the pro-DeSantis super PAC Ron to the Rescue, told ABC News that he believes the travel will burnish DeSantis' foreign policy bona fides. "[DeSantis] does have a biographical background in foreign policy as a naval officer, but there is no replacement for shaking hands, having the photo-op, being on the ground and being able to name drop that you have relationships with certain world leaders," Thomas said. "Any major candidate for the Oval Office needs to check that [foreign policy] box and improve their credentials so that they have credibility when they're delivering their eventual foreign policy message on the campaign trail and on the debate stage, and this is the first step for Gov. DeSantis to do just that," Thomas said. DeSantis, a very popular if controversial leader in the GOP, has drawn scrutiny for some of his recent remarks about international issues. His travel abroad will come just over a month after he initially called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "territorial dispute" and said the war was not of national interest for the United States. Those comments received backlash from other leading members of the GOP. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted a veiled rebuke: "To those who believe that Russia's unprovoked and barbaric invasion of Ukraine is not a priority for the United States you are missing a lot." MORE: Top Republican senators slam DeSantis for calling Ukraine war a 'territorial dispute' And Florida Sen. Marco Rubio also criticized the governor of his state, saying in a radio interview, "Obviously, he doesn't deal with foreign policy every day." DeSantis later said that his words were "mischaracterized" and that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "war criminal." Ron DeSantis heads abroad on trade mission and goes viral answering 2024 question originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Kootenai County Sheriff The last Facebook post that Kendy Howard ever made was one of those online quizzes that predict the future. Kendy, 2021 will bring you a single but happy life, it read. The 48-year-old Idaho mother of two commented with three letters: Lol. Later on the night of Feb. 2, 2021, Howard was dead. Her husband, a disgraced former state trooper Daniel Howard, called police and told them the medical clerk shot herself. Two long years later, Daniel Howard, 57, has been charged with murdering Kendy, and also with domestic assault. He surrendered to the Kootenai County Sheriffs Office on Friday night. Kendys adult daughter, Brooke Wilkins, posted about her relief on Facebook. The last two years have felt like a lifetime, shewrote. Full of doubts and unanswered questions. The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind. This is only the beginning but my heart hurts a little less today. I am so thankful and appreciative to everyone who has worked towards this and has kept my moms memory alive. It means more than I can ever put into words. It was not clear if Daniel Howard has an attorney. His Facebook page still bears a profile photo of himself and Kendy. News stories and public records show he has a long history of shady behavior. He was suspended from the Idaho State Police in 2014 after being accused of stealing ammunition, using a fake name in a motorcycle title application, and possession of an untagged deer, according to The Coeur d'Alene Press. In a separate case, according to the newspaper, he was charged with stalking, assault, and property damage for a campaign of intimidation he waged against a man he believed was having an affair with Kendy. Damaging Woods property with corn syrup, stealing his guns, stealing his mail, placing the anonymous letter in Woods mailbox, placing the graffiti on his lawn, following him in a patrol car, pointing a rifle at him and even shooting his roof with a shotgun were done in a way to cause the most emotional damage to Wood but limit any physical evidence the perpetrator was Daniel Howard, a detective wrote in an affidavit. Story continues The cases were wrapped up with a guilty plea to two of the charges, for which Howard got a suspended sentence of three years in prison, 120 days in jail and 600 hours of community service. Kendys daughter said on Facebook that at the time of her death, her mother was planning to file for divorceafter years of domestic violence. The marriage was always bad. But it became terrible the last couple years, Wilkins wrote. She was coming to work with bruises. She would do anything not to be home when he was. He would threaten to kill himself if she wanted to leave. Her mother started gathering her financial paperwork, speaking to attorneys, and looking for houses in her hometown, she wrote. A week before her death law enforcement was called to escort her out of the house. She woke up with him standing above her wearing all black and gloves. While talking to him she was able to get her phone and make a call. She didnt want to talk to law enforcement just wanted out, Wilkins said. She said the couple went their separate ways for the weekend, and friends begged Kendy not to return to the house. But she did not think he would do anything worse than hit her. He came home February 2nd and she didnt make it to February 3rd, her daughter wrote. My mom who never touched guns was found naked in her bathtub-killed with a gun. Kendys lengthy obituarywhich said she was was well known for her bright smile and outgoing personalitydidnt mention Daniel Howard. Its not known why it took two years for authorities to charge Howard. On the second anniversary of her death, her daughter said she was still waiting for justice. Most days I remember you and Im sad. Today I remember you and Im so angry. Im angry that someone decided that your life was disposable. Im angry that he has tried to erase you while pretending to grieve you, Wilkins wrote. Today equals two years of waiting. Waiting for a criminal to be held accountable for all the hurt he caused you. Before this I couldnt have imagined the pain and frustration people have to deal with when they are in these legal situations. She added, You deserved so much more out of life. Mommas shouldnt be scared to go home. Your light lives on. But there is a big hole here without you... You didnt get to live your life free without someone trying to kill your spirit. I love and miss you so much. It doesnt get easier. I have just learned to live life differently. Kendys own Facebook page, which is still up, was full of photos of friends and family, recipes, music videos, and memes. One chillingly prescient post three days before her death was a repost of a quote: If I'm ever murdered, feel comfort in the fact that I ran my mouth until the bitter end. She included a three-letter comment: Lol. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Google/Getty/Meredith Burns The last conversation Philip Burns had with his father started off completely normal. It was September 2020, and the then 15-year-old was telling his dada former youth pastor turned financial adviser and locally known Georgia radio hostabout his upcoming job search. But his father, Chris Burns, ended the conversation cryptically. He said, Just remember that I love you always, Philip told The Daily Beast, adding that his dad suddenly got emotional and sounded like he was crying. And I was like, Yeah, duh. That was the last Philip saw of his father. The next day Philip said he found his mother kneeling in the driveway of their Atlanta home in shock. His father was gone. Prosecutors allege that for years, Burns lived a double life, swindling approximately $10 million from dozens of investors in a years-long Ponzi scheme that spanned three states. Under the guise of a peer-to-peer lending program with high-interest promissory notes, Burns allegedly used the money to fund his lavish lifestyleincluded a beach house and numerous trips to Disney World But the day before Burns was scheduled to hand over documents related to his businesses as part of an ongoing civil investigation, the 40-year-old vanished without a trace. In his wake, Burns left behind a slew of angry investors out millions of dollars, unanswered questions, and a family left to pick up the pieces. I have [had] to rethink my entire life. He was my role model, Philip said. It hurts so much that he left that day. I believe he is still out there somewhere but [he] is not a part of our family and our lives anymore. Fugitive hunting is an exercise in patience For almost three years, authorities have been peeling back the layers on Burns alleged years-long scheme. In a federal indictment unsealed last week, prosecutors claim that Burns used several entitiesincluding his own financial and investment advising companiesto promote low-risk investment promissory notes. Burns allegedly told clients that their money would be loaned to businesses that needed financing with little to no riskeither falsely saying that the investments were protected by collateral or that he would pool everyones money together to lend to startups and charities. Story continues Burns is charged for allegedly stealing millions of dollars from clients in an illegal investment fraud scheme. Financial crimes of this nature can cause significant disruptions to the lives of those who are victimized, and the FBI is dedicated to holding these criminals accountable, Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a statement. The FBI is still seeking the publics help in locating Burns and will continue to pursue him no matter how long he tries to evade the law. According to the SEC complaint, Burns told his clients that these businesses would repay the principal, as well as interest that could be as high as 20 percent. Burns even went as far as signing a personal guarantee for each promissory note, in which he promised to repay 100% of any principal loss, the complaint states. The indictment also notes that Burns promised collateral that either did not exist at all or was worth substantially less than he represented. In all, the SEC complaint states, Burns sold at least 70 promissory notes to dozens of investors in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. Burns tried to jumpstart his brand in Atlantastarting his own radio show that aired on Sundays called The Chris Burns Show. Meredith Burns But the alleged scheme started to fall apart in August 2020, when Burns was contacted by the Securities and Exchange Commission to inform him of their investigation into his businesses. A month later, Burns vanished without a traceleaving his car in a parking garage. Inside, prosecutors say, Burns left copies of three cashiers checks totaling more than $78,000. Burns apparent decision to go on the lam, however, did not stop legal filings from piling up for the former radio host. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Burns on Oct. 23, 2020, after he was charged with mail fraud. He was also placed on the FBIs Most Wanted List, which details that he has a tattoo on his left forearm of three black triangles interlaced. In addition to a $12 million default judgment stemming from the SECs complaint, Burns is named in a class action lawsuit. Last week, Burns was federally indicted on 10 charges in connection with the alleged Ponzi scheme. The cat-and-mouse game of fugitive hunting is an exercise in patience, former veteran FBI special agent Terry Rankhorn told The Daily Beast. Anyone can evade law enforcement, but only for a time. The only thing he is accomplishing is depleting his funds and making things harder on his family. And while the SEC complaint spurred a devastating domino effect for Burns, Rankhorn added that the latest indictment could put more pressure on the hunt for Burns. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment and it is not immediately clear if Burns has a lawyer. Burns parents and brother declined to comment on this story. Once youve gotten yourself in the sights of the FBI, your days on the run are numbered, Rankhorn said. When I was younger, I was so enamored with him Its hard for Meredith Burns to remember life without her former husbandbecause the pair met when they were in the 8th grade on a mission trip to North Carolina. It was through our church, Meredith told The Daily Beast this week. Throughout high school, we went through the same church and we just became really good friends, almost best friends, and then, my freshman year of college, he wanted to start dating. By that time, Meredith said, she had moved from their Atlanta suburban home to Indiana to attend Taylor University. She noted that while she was initially hesitant to date Burns, who was still in high school at the time, she eventually gave in. Burns followed her to the evangelical Christian university and the pair married in 2002 when she was 20 years old. I got pregnant six months into being married and we were both in school, Meredith said, adding that they were each working several jobs. Eventually, she said, Burns got a job as a youth pastor in Indianapoliswhere the couple stayed for a few years before eventually going back to be with their family in Georgia. Before relocating, Meredith said, Burns got a job at Perimeter Churchwhere his father had been a longtime pastor. A spokesperson for the church confirmed that Burns worked at the megachurch from December 2007 to August 2011, where served as a leader of the junior high ministry. Philip said that during his childhood, his father was a completely different person. He got me into theater and he would sword fight with me and my brother with our little Nerf swords, the 19-year-old said. We would have tickle monster fights. He helped us sell lemonade sometimes. When I was younger, I was so enamored with him. I got pregnant six months into being married and we were both in school, Meredith said. Meredith Burns Around this time, Meredith said, Burns transitioned from his theology work to financefirstly as a life insurance salesman before eventually joining a financial firm. Soon, the family moved into their first rental home. I think that Chris really wanted to show that he could stand on his own two feet and be successful, and having his own place was a big step for him, Philip said. Meredith stressed that this new responsibility ignited something in her former spouse, who soon became hyper-focused on success. He eventually transitioned into another job, this time as a financial adviser and planner. But, Philip said, the first noticeable change in the man he now mostly refers to as Chris occurred during his parents first separation. The separation was short-lived, the family said, but it began a continuous pattern that would eventually cause Burns to become increasingly distant from his family, and instead turn his attention to his job. He wasnt being himself, Philip said, adding that his father never got fully back to how he was before. He was obsessed with Disney By 2017, Burns tried to jumpstart his brand in Atlantastarting his own radio show that aired on Sundays called The Chris Burns Show. Powered by his company, Dynamic Money, the shows description noted that Burns set out every episode to unpack how this weeks headlines practically impact your life, wallet, and future. Burns would also appear periodically on television, where he would discuss finances and politics. These public appearances by Burnson radio, television, and the internetallowed him to elevate his status as an investment adviser and to attract more clients, including some investors who purchased the notes at issue here, the SEC complaint states. Around this time, prosecutors allege, Burns scam flourished. And, according to this family, so did his spending. All of his clothes were handmade, Meredith said. Prosecutors and the SEC state that instead of putting his clients multi-millions into investment funds, Burns used the money to fund his lifestyle and continue to promote his business. The SEC complaint states that with the money, Burns bought a $1 million lake house, a boat, several cars, and thousands of dollars of airtime for his local radio show to elevate his status as an investment adviser. Burns worked as a pastor before reinventing himself as a financial adviser and Georgia radio host. Joseph Marshall Wood and Meredith Burns Around this time, the family also began to take more trips to Disney. Philip noted that while the family had previously visited the Orlando theme parks when he was about 10 years old, the trips ballooned in the years before his father vanished. In the end, the family visited at least twice a year, went on several Disney-themed cruises, and even had a timeshare. At one point, Meredith added, the Burns paid for their neighbors to join them on a trip. She said Chris was even paying for VIP tours that were upwards of $8,000 a day. He was obsessed with Disney, Philip added. He was a Disney adult. Now, Philip and Meredith added, the once joyous memories of Disney World are tainted by the idea that they were funded on someone elses dime. Originally when I learned that, whenever I would think about it for months, I would become physically sick. I just felt so guilty and awful, Philip said. Just me fucking around at Magic Kingdom was [funded] by other peoples funds. I still feel awful. Among the people who may have contributed to Burns newly elaborate lifestyle, according to a class action lawsuit filed in 2020 against Burns, was Susan Zimmerman. One Sunday morning in November 2017, her husband, Norman, was on his way to go hunting when he came across The Chris Burns Show and was immediately impressed by its investing expertise. The class action lawsuit states that at the time, Susan and her husband were in the market for a trustworthy financial professor to help him plan for retirement and were elated to find Burns. He was my role model, his son Philip said. It hurts so much that he left that day. Meredith Burns The couple met with Burns on Nov. 29, 2019, and were so impressed by his knowledge that they hired him. A few months later, the lawsuit states, Burns recommended that Susan Zimmerman invest $200,000 in a peer-to-peer lending investment opportunity that would supposedly pay 8 percent interest annually until January 2023. Over the years, the lawsuit states that Susan Zimmerman continued to invest with Burns, believing that he was always acting in her best interest. In September 2022, Burns encouraged Susan to use the proceeds from a recent real estate sale to invest in a third promissory note of $50,000. The lawsuit states that she agreed to the transaction on Sept. 21three days before he vanished. In a class-action lawsuit, several of Burns alleged victims describe how the safe and conservative investment opportunity swindled them out of millions. The Zimmermans were among several investors that Burns allegedly bilked in the last month of his fraudulent scheme. A lawyer for the class action lawsuit told The Daily Beast that none of his clients wished to comment for this story. Investors in the fraudulent investing program have not received any payments from Burns or any other defendants since September 2020, the SEC complaint states. Why would he leave us if he loves us There were warning signs in the days leading up to Burns disappearance. In the weeks prior, Burns had started to reveal to his wife that he was being investigated by authorities. At first, he simply stated he was being audited. Two weeks after that, he said its at the federal level because of COVID, the state level is too backed up so they are just moving things around, Meredith said. So I was like, that doesnt even make sense, but I didnt even know what the SEC was. Eventually, Burns admitted to his wife that it was an investigation by the SEC, but that it was no big deal. By that point, however, Meredith said she started getting suspicious because her husband was also simultaneously saying things about potentially losing his company and figuring out what to do with their house. Behind the scenes, Burns was taking even more drastic steps to separate himself from his family. The day before he went missing, on Sept. 24, Burns entered into a divorce agreement with Meredith. As part of the agreement, the SEC complaint states, many of their joint assets were transferred to herincluding their boat and home. I had a pretty bad headache but he took me up to UPS and said, you know, I think that we should follow through with this [divorce] if this is happening with me, you know, with my business, Meredith said. I thought at the time that he was a little paranoid but I sort of just did what he wanted me to do so that he wouldnt get angry. So that he wouldnt fight with me. Around the same time, Burns also announced that he was going to take an overnight trip to North Carolina to visit his parents and inform them about the investigation. The trip seemed so logical and quick that Meredith said she even scheduled family pictures for that Sunday when Burnswho had taken her car because the weather was supposed to be badwas set to return. That day, Burns also took to Twitter, posting one of his BizTV interviews where he recommended people take a holistic approach to savings during these uncertain financial times. Hours later, Meredith said she received a text from Burns saying he loved her and asking her to pray for him. The request shocked her because by this point Burns was saying he was an atheist. It wasnt until the next day when she had not heard from Burns that she finally began to think something was wrong. Around noon on Sept. 25, she said she called his parentswhere she learned that he never made it to North Carolina or even had plans to visit. Prosecutors and the SEC state that instead of putting his clients multi-millions into investment funds, Burns used the money to fund his lavish lifestyle and continue to promote his business. Fox News As the realization hit her, she fell to her knees in the driveway, where her teenage son found her and they decided to call the police. Honestly, I thought he had committed suicide, Meredith said, and Philip immediately agreed. I thought so too, the teenager added. According to a Gwinnett County Police report, Meredith called on the evening of September 25 to report Burns was missing. In the call, she stated that she was able to track the car Burns was using via OnStar. Meredith stated that his vehicle was found in the parking lot at 8 Perimeter Center, the report states. She said inside the vehicle was a FedEx envelope. Inside the envelope were 3 copies of cashier checks totaling $78,272.10. After filing the missing persons report, Meredith said, the investigation into the former financial adviser snowballed quickly. Soon the Georgia Bureau of Investigation became involved, and she was eventually interviewed by the FBI. I didnt understand this at first, but its better for me to not be involved in knowing whats going on because thats how they build their case. And that was hard to comprehend at first, Meredith said. After that, Meredith said, it was a scramble to get the divorce paperwork through and maintain their lifeeven though it had been thrown upside down. I think he was trying to take care of us and leave but he really made it worse, Meredith said. It really implicated us more and that was really hardto feel like why would he leave us if he loves us. Do what is best Both Meredith and Philip agreed that it took months before they were able to wrap their heads around what Burns had allegedly done and the new reality they had to live in. Philip described having panic attacks and hiding inside the house after sleeping for hours. His mother added that for about a year, the family didnt open the blinds and existed in a state of grief that seemed to echo the mass tragedy of the country at large as it was grappling with the ongoing pandemic. Eventually, Meredith and her children forged a new-found self-reliance and a deeper bond. And while Meredith stresses that it is a blessing how hard the family fought for each other, they are still grappling with the cloud of the investigation over their heads while Burns is still an apparent fugitive and the litigation is pending against him. Now, she said, she just hopes that her former spouse turns himself in and takes responsibility for his actions to try to make amends to his alleged victimssome of whom she said have reached out to her online and offered support. As for Philip, he only has one message for the father he says is no longer a part of their family: Do what is best, not for yourself, for once. Think about everyone else. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Giddy the fire dog is trained to sniff out dangerous flammables and accelerants in charred buildings. (SWNS) A hero dog has joined firefighters in tracking down arsonists - complete with her own special heat-resistant boots. Cocker spaniel Giddy is the latest addition to West Midlands Fire Service's dog investigators. The 11-month-old is trained to search for signs of accelerants in burnt-out buildings, helping the Fire Investigation and Prevention Section to find the cause of blazes and even track down the people behind them by picking up their trail near fires. Giddy, who replaces predecessor Kai after he died last month, is equipped with a special canine protective kit and heat-resistant boots to protect her paws from treading on hot ashes. Giddy has been trained to sniff out accelerants and track down arsonists. (SWNS) She spent six weeks training with handler, Watch Commander Alex Daw, and now lives with him full time. He said: "Giddy will identify evidence at fire scenes. She will help to bring to justice criminals who deliberately start fires. Read more: Couple create dream wedding using items from their scrapyard - saving 24,000 "She has an amazing temperament - so relaxed and docile. Although our children have now grown up, were all really excited to have her at home. "She started out as a working dog, so a priority will be teaching her how to be a pet when shes off duty. The 11-month-old has a special pair of heat-resistant boots so her paws don't get burned. (SWNS) Station Commander Matt Ling, who heads up the Fire Investigation and Prevention Section, said: "Kai served our communities amazingly and is very much missed, but Giddy is already showing that shell be a valuable member of the team. "Working alongside our expert human fire investigators, she will help to make sense of what can often be very challenging and complex scenes. Giddy now lives with handler Alex Daw. (SWNS) Regional fire investigation dog handler Dave Coss, from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, oversaw Giddy and her handler's training. He said: "It was a learning curve from start to finish for both Giddy and Alex. Theyve done a lot of work to get to this point. "Now, a bit like after passing your driving test, theyll continue to learn whilst theyre out in the field." Dominic Raab resigned from Rishi Sunak's cabinet following the conclusion of an inquiry into bullying allegations. (PA) Dominic Raab was refusing to rule out a return to the cabinet just hours after he resigned over bullying allegations. On Friday morning, Raab quit 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. By Friday night, in a newspaper interview at a pub in his Esher and Walton constituency, Raab was not ruling out a return to government. In the interview, published today in the Mail on Sunday, Raab was asked if he had been offered a way back to Rishi Sunaks cabinet, with him leaving open the prospect of a return by saying: Ill take each day as it comes. Raab is an ally of Sunak, having backed him through the entire party leadership campaign which he lost to Liz Truss in the summer, before Sunak eventually became PM in October after Truss's disastrous spell as leader. And fellow Sunak ally Oliver Dowden, Raab's replacement as deputy PM, hasnt rejected a potential return either. Watch: Dominic Raab in profile Speaking on Skys Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Dowden said: I think Dom has a huge amount that he has offered this country in the past. Clearly, decisions about who is in the cabinet or not are purely the preserve of the prime minister. Raab has made it known he feels hard done by following the probe into his conduct. Senior lawyer Adam Tolley led a five-month investigation into eight formal complaints about Raabs conduct as Brexit secretary and foreign secretary, as well as in his most recent tenure leading the Ministry of Justice. Tolley concluded Raab engaged in an abuse or misuse of power that undermines or humiliates while he was foreign secretary. 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. Story continues Dominic Raab campaigning for Rishi Sunak in last summer's Conservative Party leadership campaign. (Reuters) Though he stopped short of describing the conduct as bullying, Tolleys findings were consistent with what he said would amount to the offence under the Ministerial Code, which sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers and how they discharge their duties. Raab said he was sorry for any unintended stress or offence that any officials felt but also claimed the inquiry had set a low threshold for bullying, and that such a move would create a dangerous precedent for judging ministerial behaviour. He has suggested he was targeted by politically motivated civil servants and told the Mail: A vast majority were faithful, professional, loyal, excellent, behaved with all the professionalism that you'd expect. But I didn't take no for an answer. Adam Tolley found that I'd never once lost my temper with anyone, I'd never shouted at anyone, Id never sworn at anyone [but] I think it was my persistence and perseverance which ultimately precipitated these claims. Dowden suggested the system for dealing with bullying complaints against ministers needs to be made fairer following Raabs resignation. Read more: Dominic Raab: 3 times Tory ministers have been accused of bullying in the past 4 years In the end, senior civil servants and senior ministers are united in the goal of serving the British people, he told the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. I do think that out of the report there is a need to look at our processes around that. Opposition campaigners in Raab's constituency, meanwhile, are seeking to remove him as an MP. Raab has a majority of just 2,743 from the 2019 general election, and the Liberal Democrats, his closest rivals, are calling for a by-election. Leader Sir Ed Davey told Sophy Ridge on Sunday: If hes not prepared to [resign and face a by-election] to enable his constituents in Esher and Walton to have the MP they deserve, I think the government should withdraw the whip from him, otherwise theyre sending a message that bullying is somehow OK in the Conservative Party. Billionaire Elon Musk has responded to writer Stephen King, who asked him to donate money for Ukraine, by estimating his help at US$100 million. Source: Musk on Twitter "Ive donated $100M to Ukraine, how much have you donated? (We turned down the DoD money btw)." Details: At the same time, Musk reposted a tweet from Mykhailo Fedorov, Head of Ukraines Ministry of Digital Transformation, dated 24 October. In that tweet, the minister thanked the billionaire for Starlinks working in Ukraine. Background: On 22 April, American writer Stephen King proposed that Twitter owner Elon Musk transfer money spent on a blue check mark for verifying the writer's page on the social network to Serhii Prytula's Charity Fund [Prytula is a Ukrainian public and political figure, who since the beginning of the full-scale invasion focused on fundraising money for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ed.] Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), has urged politicians to avoid "pro-Russian peacekeeping" and give Ukraine more weapons. Source: Danilov on Facebook Quote: "As the Russian aggressor's goal remains unchanged, which is the destruction of Ukraine, the recent peaceful settlement initiatives are nothing more than pro-Russian peacekeeping. Stop bringing us to the negotiating table, just give us enough weapons. Weapons are the best mediator and the only argument for communication that Russia understands." Background: Guido Crosetto, Italian Minister of Defence, advocated bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, mediated by China. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A DoorDash delivery driver in New York City. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images A DoorDash driver was kidnapped while attempting to make a delivery at a Tampa hotel. The victim was on a call with her girlfriend at the time of the attack, and she alerted the family. The family tracked her phone and tracked her down. Police said they'd made an arrest. A DoorDash driver was saved by her family after she was kidnapped while making a delivery to a hotel in Tampa, Florida, police said. The delivery driver, a woman in her early 20s, was attempting to make a delivery on April 18 at a Residence Inn on W. Boy Scout Blvd., when a man armed with a gun approached her and forced her back into her car. At the time of the kidnapping, the Tampa Police Department said in a press release: "The victim had AirPods in her ears and an open line with her girlfriend, who quickly realized that a robbery was occurring. The family of the victim called the police and officers were dispatched to the hotel." The woman's family tracked her phone to the Belara Lakes Apartments on N. Waterford Avenue and rescued her from the car. The suspect fired multiple times, "with one shot striking a family member of the victim's girlfriend, a female in her 20s, before fleeing the scene," police said. Both the DoorDash driver and the wounded woman were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Julian Crowley, a DoorDash representative, said in a statement to Insider: "We are appalled by this heinous and abhorrent crime. No one should ever have to endure something as horrific as this and we're here to support the Dasher in any way we can." "We're grateful to Tampa Police for their work to hold the perpetrator accountable and we strongly hope justice is served," Crowley added. Tampa Police said Saturday it had arrested a 38-year-old man, Joseph Killins, in relation to the attack. He faces charges of armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, armed sexual battery, and aggravated battery with a weapon for the events of April 18, per the press release. Story continues Killins also faces an additional robbery charge for an incident on April 19, when he threw a woman in her early 40s to the ground before punching her and stealing her backpack. The police said the investigation into the robbery led officers to the Tampa Inn, where Killins was arrested Friday night. The suspect was being held at Orient Road Jail in Tampa. Read the original article on Business Insider The attack came from the sea: more than two dozen masked gunmen were on the speedboat which roared in from the Pacific Ocean towards a fishing port in the Ecuadorian coastal city of Esmeraldas. Related: Ecuadorian TV presenter wounded by bomb disguised as USB stick Fishermen and dock workers ran for their lives some diving into the water as the assailants sprayed the quay with about 200 bullets. Nine people aged between 28 and 79 were killed in the 11 April massacre. In the days that followed, six prisoners were found hanged in a prison cell in Guayaquil, then 12 more were slaughtered in the same jail the notorious El Litoral and three female prison guards were shot dead on the street outside. It was just the latest in a brutal wave of violence unleashed on Ecuadors people, driven by organised crime gangs vying for territorial control of lucrative cocaine-smuggling routes. We do not deny that we are in the worst moment of violence in the country, said Ecuadors defence minister, Juan Zapata, after the string of attacks exemplified just how routine gang violence has become in the small Andean nation. A process of urban terrorism has been unleashed, Col Mario Pazmino, a former director of military intelligence, told the Guardian. The government has lost control of this crisis. As the violence rages, Ecuadors political system is paralysed by infighting. In the face of a looming impeachment by a hostile congress, President Guillermo Lasso has pledged to dissolve the chamber and call early elections. The unpopular conservative, 67, has battled repeated attempts to remove him from office by the majority political opposition in congress. They accuse him of failing to stop alleged corruption in the state-run oil shipping business and allegation which he denies. Ecuadors biggest problem is that the political elite is engrossed in their conflicts and petty interests, said Felipe Burbano, a political scientist who heads the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Quito. The problem of violence is magnified by the weakness of the state and the government. Story continues On Tuesday, police briefly detained Lassos brother-in-law, Danilo Carrera, before he boarded a flight to New York over a separate case of alleged influence-peddling. Carrera denies the allegations. Ecuadorians appear to be divided. One poll in March showed 38.7% believe Lasso, who was elected in 2021, should complete his four-year term. Another 28.3% said Lasso should invoke a constitutional clause known as muerte cruzada, or mutual death, to force early elections for congress and his own job; while 14.5% polled that Lasso should step down, a move he has ruled out. Burbano said the least bad option would be for Lasso to finish his mandate after two years of political instability which, he believes, has worsened the violence. People react at a scene of crime in Guayaquil following the declaration of a state of emergency and a curfew by the Ecuadors government in Guayas and Esmeraldas provinces last November. Photograph: Santiago Arcos/Reuters The illusion is that a presidential changeover can be a way out. I believe the opposite is true, he said, comparing Ecuadors situation to that of neighbouring Peru which has had seven presidents in six years. The [prospect of] presidential changeover is deepening the crisis. Ecuador has to build a political horizon, whoever is in power. Meanwhile, the Lasso government wants criminal gangs to be classified as terrorists to allow the armed forces to be deployed against the unprecedented tide of drug gang killings. But while car bombs rip open neighbourhoods and drug-related killings surge in the Pacific-facing Guayas and Esmeraldas regions, the morale of Ecuadorians is running low when they see the political elite in the capital, Quito, bicker and plot against each other. More than 400 prison inmates have been killed many burned alive or beheaded since February 2021 and the countrys murder rate nearly doubled last year as Mexican and Albanian cartels fight for cocaine trafficking routes to the US and Europe. Until recently, Ecuador had largely escaped the drug wars and political violence which have racked its neighbours Peru and Colombia, the worlds top producers of cocaine. Edgar Neira, lawyer of President Guillermo Lasso, attends an impeachment hearing in Quito on Friday. Photograph: Karen Toro/Reuters Now, however, local criminal gangs are being schooled by former Colombian guerrillas and managed by the Mexican Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, said Fernando Garcia, a consultant with Security Expertise International, a firm that gives security training to companies in Ecuadors port cities of Guayaquil and Manta. Its an extremely dangerous formula with a great capacity to finance and execute criminal acts and to move at all levels, he said. Garciasays he has himself received death threats since appearing on national television earlier this month. We started getting messages to take care of ourselves, take care of our families, that they already know who we are, he told the Guardian. He claims sophisticated criminal mafias have penetrated the government and state institutions, as well as the police and armed forces. The criminal gangs have many links at different levels of the Ecuadorian state. The violence-plagued Guayas 1 prison in Guayaquil, where prison guards found six inmates hanged earlier this month. Photograph: Marcos Pin/AFP/Getty Images We are very exposed. We dont want our families to be the latest to be affected [by the violence]. Back-to-back states of emergency have failed to control the bloodletting, and with the police and judiciary infiltrated by corruption, President Lasso says he is counting on the military and special anti-terrorism powers which have yet to be granted to crack down on the drug gangs. But Lasso must first survive his political trial before he can fight the narco-fuelled crime wave which, according to Burbano, has thrived on the weakness of the state institutions, political order and government. KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) -Noor Jehan, an elephant in Pakistan's Karachi Zoo whose illness revived criticisms of the nation's zoos, died on Saturday despite frantic efforts to treat her, officials said. The critically ill 17-year-old elephant had fallen into a pond this month and been unable to get up without help. "After fighting for 9 days, she succumbed to her critical condition. She spent too long lying on the ground a life-threatening situation for elephants," Four Paws, an international animal welfare organisation that had been advising local and international veterinarians on her treatment, said in a statement. Four Paws veterinarian Amir Khalil said it was "heartbreaking that she had to die at only 17 years old, when she could have had many more years". Noor Jehan was an African elephant, whose average lifespan is 60 to 70 years. In recent years two lions died of asphyxiation in Pakistan after handlers tried to get them out of their den using smoke, and a number of white tiger cubs have died. The director of the Karachi Zoo was removed this month over complaints of negligence. A court in 2020 ordered the closure of the Islamabad Zoo, where the elephant Kaavan was kept. The American celebrity Cher, after years of seeking to free Kaavan, came to Pakistan to see him off on his move to a Cambodian sanctuary. Khalil said Karachi Zoo did not meet international standards and urged that Madhubala, the healthy elephant remaining at the zoo, be relocated to a more species-appropriate place to give her a chance at a better life. Four Paws said Madhubala was mourning the loss of her longtime companion. The widespread criticism faced by authorities in the wake of Noor Jehan's condition - with images of her helplessly lying on her side - has led to reports in the local media that Karachi Zoo may be shut down permanently. Four Paws said it welcomed this proposal, adding that it could be a turning point for the welfare of wild animals in captivity in Pakistan. (Reporting by Islamabad bureau; Writing by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Willaim Mallard) Elizabeth Olsen has said she finds it mostly ridiculous to do her own stunts in Marvel films. While some actors such as Tom Cruise are known to love performing their own stunts, Olsen is far less enthusiastic about the prospect. During a recent appearance on The Late Show, Olsen told host Stephen Colbert that she sometimes gets a little freaked out. Speaking about doing stunts attached to a wire, the actor explained: Your stomach leaves you. Its like, I guess, the joy people get on roller coasters, which I dont get, but people love that feeling. Olsen, 34, said that she has definitely recovered from the giddiness she felt when she first started doing stunts. Sometimes Im just like, Okay, how many more of these do you want? I can do this all day, kind of thing. But sometimes I get a little freaked out, she said. Recalling a stunt that she filmed for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which required her to be dropped from 30ft in the air, Olsen suggested they use a double. They wanted to drop me pretty quickly so that it looked like it had an impact, but I kept landing like Peter Pan, kind of like fencing, she said. (Marvel Studios) I was like, Just use the double. This is so ridiculous. There is a double for a reason. Like, face replace. They do it all the time. However, the studio ended up using her take of the stunt in the film. Weve had so much technology, growth through these movies, and they just chose to really use me, she said. Olsen divulged that she performed most of her own stunts but not all in Avengers: Endgame, which is a waste of everyones time because a stunt double does it so much better. 95th Academy Awards (Invision) Last year, fans praised Marvel after the studio launched an Oscars campaign for Olsen related to her role as Wanda Maxmioff / Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Olsen, however, did not secure a nomination. She did receive an Emmy nod for playing the same role in the Disney Plus series WandaVision, which was released in January 2021. Aly Song/Reuters After approximately two days of purging legacy checkmarks, Twitter CEO Elon Musk appears to be waving the white flag. Across Twitter on Saturday, some of the platforms biggest names, from Stephen King to Chrissy Teigen, expressed surprise when their fickle checkmarks suddenly reappeared. Friends told me my blue verified check was restored. Dont know why. I've paid nothing. I gave no number, tweeted Seinfeld star Jason Alexander. It appeared that Musk had only restored the blue checks to users with the highest follower counts, seemingly caving on an issue that has deviled the platform since he made the decision to introduce his $8-a-month Twitter Blue verification system. Musks decision on Thursday to finally make good on his promise to only verify those who paid the fee threw the platform into chaos, with the mass de-verification opening the door for a host of celebrity imposter accounts. Yet in classic Musk fashion, the Chief Twit initially attempted to cast his capitulation as an epic troll. I will pay for your blue check my gift to you, Musk tweeted in response to a thread in which former Labor Secretary Robert Reich rejected his blue check and denounced the oligarchs who have too much power over the Internet. A troll, me?? Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 22, 2023 Musk later tweeted check mate. However, the move appeared to be much more far-reaching than a mere prank on those who had criticized the verification system. From Pope Francis to former President Donald Trump, numerous notables who had not waded into the blue check debacle also saw their verifications restored after briefly losing them. As the checks flooded back in, many celebs who were vocal about their decision not to pay the $8 made sure to let their followers know that the restoration was not their doing. Good lord, Ive been LeBroned, Shatnered, Kinged without my consent. No means no, boys, tweeted tech journalist Kara Swisher. Story continues Elon, deciding that Im not me, Im a fake, & obliging ME, who has contributed mightily to your platform, (at least until you tweaked the algorithm & tanked my metrics) to pay monthly because you dont have enough money & youre humiliated b/c everyone thinks youre a pathetic bettemidler (@BetteMidler) April 21, 2023 Tiegen even offered her followers advice on how to rid themselves of the pesky badge, instructing Pod Save America host Jon Favreau, change your name and it triggers a checkmark removal. But then dont talk about it again or you will get another. Im serious lol. Yet many others from Malala Yousafazi to Charlie Sheen were just excited to see their verification come back. I dont know what happened but Im happy to have my blue tick back so everyone knows I am still Malala, the girls education activist tweeted. What will come next in the Elon-Twitter saga is anyones guess, but it seems abundantly clear that Musk is not even close to having a handle on all this. RIP to victims of the Blue Wedding: Steven King Hasan Piker Owen Jones Robert Reich Matt Binder Dril The New York Times LeBron James pic.twitter.com/jsWdDIv1Fc The Serfs (@theserfstv) April 22, 2023 Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. WASHINGTON A classified document leak that included evidence the U.S. has been spying on allies is complicating a high-profile visit by South Korea's president to Washington this week to meet with President Joe Biden. The state visit honoring South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was in the works well before Pentagon documents surfaced suggesting the U.S. had been surveilling the longstanding ally. Yoon's visit has taken on new importance, however, as the Biden administration seeks to reassure its military partners America is not sloppy with its secrets. Yoon is set to deliver a joint address to Congress while he is in Washington, in addition to meetings with Biden that will precede a formal state dinner. "He has to come back with some deliverables, I think, from the United States," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Mike McCaul. "The little-kept secret is we do surveil our allies, and sometimes they surveil us, but it's just not made public." Yoon appeared to downplay the kerfuffle, calling the U.S.-Korea alliance resilient. He also suggested for the first time that Seoul could arm Ukraine under certain conditions, the subject of the leaked documents. I think it's certainly an unfortunate and an embarrassing wrench to throw into the situation immediately prior to a major summit, Frank Aum, senior expert on Northeast Asia at the U.S. Institute of Peace, said of the leak. But I think both sides want to move on and put this issue behind them as quickly as possible. Pentagon document leak: Here are the biggest takeaways after U.S. military secrets leaked Leak suspect: Jack Teixeira, 21, appears in court over Pentagon leak. What charges is he facing? U.S. President Joe Biden, left, speaks as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol listens during a news conference at the People's House inside the Ministry of National Defense on May 21, 2022, in Seoul, South Korea. U.S. caught spying on South Korea Leaked intelligence indicates top advisers to Yoon were concerned ammunition South Korea agreed to sell the U.S. to refill its stockpiles would wind up in Ukraine. They also worried the state dinner, which was announced on March 7, would be perceived as a trade for lethal aid. Story continues South Korea does not send lethal weapons to countries at war, but the trove of documents which U.S. officials have neither verified nor disavowed suggested that Yoon's government was considering a policy shift. Opposition lawmakers in South Korea publicly chided the U.S. for the breach in trust. And the advisers to Yoon whom the intelligence identified as taking part in the discussion about lethal weapons recently stepped down. But Yoon told Reuters last week it would be difficult for South Korea to stay on the sidelines of Russias invasion of Ukraine if there is a situation the international community cannot condone, such as any large-scale attack on civilians, massacre or serious violation of the laws of war." Biden's coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, John Kirby, told reporters last week that the U.S. had reached out to allies affected by the leak. Without detailing who was contacted or how they responded, Kirby said broadly that allies are being reassured about the U.S. commitment to safeguarding intelligence and to its security partnerships. They have appreciated the seriousness with which we're taking this issue, Kirby said. Thus far, this regrettable exposure of classified material has not resulted in a breach of trust or confidence between us and our partners, or in our shared efforts to advance shared goals around the world. U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol arrive at the National Museum of Korea for the state dinner on May 21, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea. Leak not likely to be publicly discussed Before leaving for the U.S., Yoon was quoted by South Korean media as telling his cabinet that the two nations have a resilient value-based alliance that can fully readjust even when their interests are in conflict or when there is trouble. Based on that statement, Ellen Kim, an expert on U.S.-Korea relations at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Yoon probably wont raise the issue publicly when he meets with Biden. I expect that this issue will not be highlighted, even though the two leaders could discuss privately, she said. Opposition lawmakers in South Korea have expressed outrage over the leak, though, and said that U.S. surveillance of the nation would undermine the relationship. Thomas Cynkin, a former U.S. diplomat who advised two U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations on Asian affairs, said South Korean lawmakers decrying the spying are "crying crocodile tears," given that their nation also wields a powerful spying agency. "That isn't to say that some people wouldn't genuinely be offended, because in principle, they feel we're an ally," Cynkin said. "But they know how this game works." Threats from North Korea, China top concerns Cynkin said that much of the visit will be about demonstrating to Korean leadership that they are valued partners of the United States. The summit, only the second time Biden has rolled out the full trappings of a state visit, comes as the nations are celebrating the 70th anniversary of their alliance. "That's a big deal and shows that we're paying them a lot of attention," Cynkin said. "The first thing is getting recognition of the importance of the relationship it symbolizes." Experts expect the two leaders to highlight efforts to deter North Koreas aggression and announce cooperation on securing supply chains. Yoon could walk away with an agreement on how U.S. restrictions on technology exports to China will affect South Korean companies that make semiconductors in China. Those companies are being prevented by China from relocating their plants. But the U.S. could restrict their ability to get spare parts or become too technologically sophisticated. This is sort of a major issue in the U.S.-China relationship, said Gregory Allen, a technologies expert at CSIS, and, obviously, its now having major reverberations in the U.S.-South Korea relationship. South Korea would also like greater reassurance that the U.S. can keep in check an increasingly bellicose North Korea. That could include ramped up military exercises, more strategic asset deployments to the Korean peninsula, or greater consultations on military planning, said Aum of the U.S. Institute of Peace. But theres one problem. Its not clear, Aum said, that those measures actually deter North Korean provocations. Contributing: Michael Collins. Francesca Chambers is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. Follow her on Twitter @fran_chambers. Maureen Groppe is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. Follow her on Twitter @mgroppe. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden, South Korean president state visit complicated by Pentagon leak Smartphones which did not receive a nationwide emergency alert test will be part of a review into the trial of the alarm. While millions of people across the UK heard an alarm on their phones at 15:00 BST on Sunday, many others did not. The government was testing an alert that could be used to warn about dangerous situations including fires, flooding or terror attacks. The alarm lasted for around 10 seconds on 4G and 5G devices. Many people on social media reported the alert went off one minute earlier or later than planned, when a loud, buzzing alarm rang out and the words "severe alert" flashed up on their phones' screens. And some said they did not receive the alert at all. Twitter user Lucy wrote: "Kind of disappointed to not get one." Another tweeted: "15:30 and still waiting for my national alert to warn me of impending doom." While a third said: "I did not turn off alerts but I never got the text or the noise alert!" A Cabinet Office spokesperson acknowledged that the alert did not reach some mobile phones, adding it "will be looking at this as part of our review of the test". The department also said engineers had spotted a trend of phone functions failing to work afterwards, adding that officials were in the early stages of analysing the results of the trial run. Many users of the Three mobile network said they did not receive the alert. A spokesperson for the company later said it was"aware that a number of customers have not received the test alert. We're working closely with the government to understand why and ensure it doesn't happen when the system is in use". Andrew Hamilton, a member of the UK Youth Parliament for North Down, who is also blind, called the alert "inaccessible". He told BBC News: "I use a screen reader but because of the alert sound, the screen reader couldn't tell me what the alert was about." Story continues The government had previously advised that those with 2G or 3G devices would not get the alert, along with phones that were off or in aeroplane mode. People were further advised to ensure their phones had all the latest software updates, including iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later and Android phones and tablets running Android 11 or later. In Wales, the alert included a translation error as the words "others safe" appeared in the message as "eraill yn Vogel" rather than "eraill yn ddiogel" in Welsh. "Vogel" does not mean anything in Welsh, as there is no letter V in its alphabet - although Vogel is a ski resort in Slovenia. People who do not wish to receive future alerts can opt out using their device settings. Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden warned beforehand that the alarm would be "a bit inconvenient and annoying", as well as "irritating". However, he added it "could be the sound that saves your life" in the future. Mr Dowden also denied criticism the alert was an example of nanny statism as he appeared on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. He said: "If you look at countries around the world, whether it is the United States, Canada, Japan and elsewhere, they have emergency alerts on phones as another tool in the toolkit of keeping people alerted during an emergency." Drivers were warned not to pick up their mobile phones during the test as it would still be illegal. Drivers caught holding a phone behind the wheel face six penalty points and a 200 fine. Meanwhile, the National Centre for Domestic Violence warned people with hidden mobile phones to turn off the alerts to avoid revealing the location of any secret devices. While the alert is intended to be used in emergencies in the future, some took to social media to poke fun at people who were surprised to see the alert flash up and hear the siren sounding on their phone. Love Island star Jessie Wynter posted a video on TikTok of fellow contestant Will Young appearing perplexed and asking friends, "what does that mean?" Oliver Dowden on the 3pm test alert: 'I think most British people in these situations keep calm and carry on.' (Sky/UK government) Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden dismissed concerns that people would "panic" ahead of Sunday's public alert system test. The trial of the system, which is designed to warn people if there is a danger to life nearby, lasted for about 10 seconds at 3pm, with the test alert sent to every 4G and 5G device across the UK. The test alert carried a message making clear it was a trial, and it had been widely advertised by the government and reported by the media. However, devices emitted a loud alarm even if they were on silent and vibrated, with Dowden asked on Skys Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: "People are going to panic, aren't they?" Dowden, who became deputy PM on Friday following the resignation of Dominic Raab, played this down, saying: "I don't think that's the case. "We tested this, for example, in the Reading area. There were over 140,000 people involved. There was very positive feedback, there wasn't any panic at all." .@OliverDowden tells @SophyRidgeSky he doesn't believe the emergency alert test will create panic, adding "most British people in these situations keep calm and carry on".#Ridge https://t.co/ZoMhCmTrtv Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/VhSuLGOlx1 Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) April 23, 2023 He added: "It's very similar to what happens in other countries, whether that's the United States, Japan or Canada they regularly test these things as well. "I think it's another tool in the toolkit. I think most British people in these situations keep calm and carry on and I'm sure they'll do the same thing again." Story continues Dowden's comments came after one international expert in alarm systems said many people were likely to be "astonished" come 3pm. Professor Judy Edworthy, emerita professor of applied psychology at the University of Plymouth, said earlier this week: "Despite the publicity that has taken place around the system, many people will be unaware a test is coming and that it'll be so up close and personal. Read more: Emergency phone alert: How to turn off warning message to your mobile "It's a new sound that they will not immediately associate with their phone. I would describe it as a rather harsh computer-generated tone, suitably urgent and with attention-getting qualities. "The sound has been made available on social media already so one thing people can do is to make themselves familiar with this in advance. "Otherwise, and despite the message explaining it is a test, I expect some people may well be astonished." Aside from potentially giving people a brief scare, other concerns were raised about the alarm. Domestic violence campaigners warned the test could put people in danger by revealing the location of secret phones hidden away by those at risk. Motoring associations also warned drivers not to get distracted by the alarm if they were behind the wheel, with a 200 fine and six penalty points still applying for anyone caught using a phone while driving. However, it was possible to opt out of the test, and future tests, if people needed or wanted to avoid the alert. This can be done by either turning off emergency alerts in their phone settings or simply switching the phone off during the test. Read more: Emergency phone alert: Drivers warned they will still face fines if they pick up device When the alert sounds, phone users were prompted to acknowledge it by swiping or clicking the message before being able to continue. The test message read: "This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information. This is a test. You do not need to take any action." Dowden, during a later appearance on the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, denied the alert system test was an example of so-called nanny statism. "I think, in future, people will be grateful that we tested the system and what I would say is that at 3pm, when this siren which I should say is about the volume of a phone call going off goes off, you don't need to do anything. "It is just a test." Hawaiian monk seal Kaiwi nurses her newborn pup at Kaimana Beach in Honolulu on Apr. 14, 2023. George F. Lee/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP An endangered monk seal mother and her pup are getting 24/7 police protection on a Hawaiian beach. The beach will be closed to the public for up to seven weeks as the mother nurses her pup, officials said. Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered, with only about 1,500 left in the wild. An endangered monk seal mother and her pup are getting some serious security on Hawaii's Kaimana Beach, including 24/7 police protection and a fence to keep the public away. According to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, officials closed the beach after the seal and her pup made landfall for their nursing period. The department said "a temporary fence has been erected" to protect the seal and her newborn, and any beachgoers "are encouraged to use other areas." There will also be a 24-hour law enforcement presence at the beach to protect the seals, Jason Redulla, chief of the division of conservation and resources enforcement, said during a news conference. The protection will remain active for the seal's nursing period, which lasts between five and seven weeks, officials added. The department also shared some pictures on Facebook of the seals, including one of the pup nursing and cuddling on the sand. One picture shows a sign on the temporary fence that warns civilians from interacting with the seal or its pup. Monk seals, especially mothers, are considered to be "very protective of their pups" and have a history of aggressive behavior towards swimmers, officials said. Hawaiian monk seals are considered to be one of the most endangered seal species in the world, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with an estimated population of only 1,570 individuals. Habitat loss, predation, and human interference have all contributed to the seal's endangerment. Read the original article on Insider Photo: Contributed Canadas population grew by more than one million for the first time in its history in 2022. The population in Prince Edward Island grew the most, with a jump of 4.3 per cent in only one year, followed by Alberta at 3.7 per cent, and Nova Scotia in third place with a jump of 3.5 per cent. Canadas population could reach 40 million by June of this year. As of last fall, the worlds population has already reached eight billion. Demographic growth will help grocers and the rest of the food supply chain, with food expenditures increasing by $3.6 billion. This is because there are over one million more mouths to feed and the consumer needs to spend an average of $3,500 to eat this year. Good news for the industry, but the party wont last. For the longest time, demographic experts have been concerned about the planets overpopulation. Most of them are now more concerned about a declining population. Some are even talking about a demographic implosion, suggesting that the earth will never reach nine billion inhabitants. In fact, some experts predict that the earths population could start declining in less than 20 years. Canadas population could peak within that time frame as well. If your job is to feed people, this type of decline presents a challenge. In most areas of the world, including Canada, people are having fewer children. About 75 per cent of the world has a birth rate below replacement levels. Canada is relying heavily on immigration to support its demographic ambitions, but we will reach a point when that option is no longer there, either. Immigration rules are being tightened across the Western World. The recent closure of Roxham Road in Quebec is one of many examples. Despite generous social programs to support families, many expect birth or replacement rates to continue declining. There isnt any dominant factor to explain this trend. Citizens everywhere are just having fewer children for numerous reasons. Whats more, the demographic gap between the young and the not-so-young is growing. The number of people between the ages of 25 and 64 those who significantly contribute to our economy will continue to shrink. Therefore, the size of our population wont be the main challenge for our food industry. The age of the population, however, should be the focus. The food industry needs to embrace the massive social change that is about to hit the world. Not having children is not necessarily a problem, but not planning for it certainly is. In the Western world, childlessness is slowly becoming a social norm which few governments have considered or accepted, at least not publicly. We need to accept that fewer people will have children. To respond to this, policies will have to support a reversed demographic pyramid, with fewer working adults, while supporting more seniors. Pets are the new children. There are over 16 million pet cats and dogs in Canada. Since the start of the pandemic, the number of pet owners has increased by at least 15 per cent, according to some reports. Pets are less costly and are arguably less life-changing than children. The commitment is simply different in many ways. For the food industry, that is certainly an area of tremendous growth to consider. With fewer children will come a greater number of pets. The food industry will need to come to terms with a declining market and fewer physically abled workers. With fewer stomachs to fill, not having enough farmland should be less of a concern. Since 40 per cent of the Canadian population lives in the major cities of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary, we need to figure out a way to re-purpose our rural areas. In processing, distribution, and retail, we see the same challenges. With both a shrinking and aging market, health and convenience will likely drive sales even more in years to come. We have seen nothing yet. And as for shrinkflation, since older people tend to eat less, this annoying trend of seeing smaller quantities with higher prices is far from over. The food industry will continue its quest to increase sales with less volume. Pre-cut, pre-prepared, pre-cooked, pre-this, pre-that, will be the main way to maintain sales levels. So, if you think were not going to have enough food for everyone, think again. The world will continue to produce enough food with better precision agriculture, more sustainable practices, automation, the use of artificial intelligence, and sound distribution practices, which will improve over time. The food industry is only one problem. Real estate, pension funds, health care, social programs, government debt all of these aspects will need to be modified because there will soon be fewer people. And the planning needs to start now. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Erie County Executive Brenton Davis will have two options when he walks into a courtroom Monday to face two temporary restraining orders that a judge granted against him late last week. Davis can fight the orders. Latest: Erie County Executive Brenton Davis fights restraining orders in court Or he can consent to allowing the temporary orders to become final for a period of months or years. A judge issued both temporary orders commonly known as protection-from-abuse or intimidation orders, or PFAs against Davis on Thursday. More: Woman granted temporary restraining order against Brenton Davis Consenting to the final orders would let Davis end the cases quickly. And by consenting he would not have to acknowledge that the allegations in the petitions for the orders are accurate. Fighting the orders would give Davis a chance to get them dismissed. But such a strategy would also allow the plaintiff in the case, a woman who said she had a prior relationship with Davis, to testify in open court and further detail the allegations she made against him in court documents last week regarding his treatment of her and her two minor children. She filed on behalf of herself and her children in separate petitions against Davis. The plaintiff alleges that Davis, on the morning of April 9, which was Easter Sunday, physically assaulted her at his Millcreek Township home. She further alleges that Davis used fear and intimidation to monitor her behavior during their roughly 16-month relationship and physically hurt her two children on multiple occasions. Davis, 41, a Republican elected county executive in 2021, has denied the allegations. The plaintiff, 38, has declined to comment to the Erie Times-News about her petitions. A strategy of attempting to dismiss the orders could create legal complications for Davis. A challenge would force him to put up a defense. He would get subjected to cross-examination as the judge weighed the evidence and decided whether to grant the plaintiff's request for final restraining orders. Story continues If Davis challenges the restraining orders, the plaintiff would also have to testify and be subject to cross-examination. The plaintiff and Davis, the defendant in the case, would oppose each other in a proceeding that would be the equivalent of a nonjury trial. No detailed testimony would occur if Davis were to agree to final restraining orders. Why would someone want to consent to a final restraining order? With consent, a defendant who accepts a final restraining agrees not to have contact with the plaintiff, but "also does not admit that any of the facts alleged are true," said Erie lawyer Gregory Grasinger, a former managing attorney for SafeNet, the Erie-based agency that provides services related to domestic violence. He is not involved in the Davis case. Grasinger said consent also eliminates the possibility that a defendant will testify and say something that could be used against him or her in a criminal case related to the allegations in the restraining orders. Davis is facing no criminal charges over the allegations related to the restraining orders. A restraining order is litigated in civil court. The violation of a PFA is a crime and is prosecuted in criminal court. Consent "is the best way for a person to just follow the rules and stay away from the other person and not say they did anything wrong," Grasinger said. A judge decides whether to accept a defendant's consent in the case of a restraining order and then decides how long the final order will last. A PFA in Pennsylvania can be as long as three years. A judge would also decide the length of a final order if the judge issues the final order following a hearing. Can someone with a PFA possess firearms in Pa.? If a judge issues a final restraining order against a defendant following a hearing, the defendant is prohibited from possessing or buying firearms as long as the restraining order is in place. The same prohibition applies to a defendant who consents to a final restraining order. Federal and state law allow for firearms prohibitions in domestic violence cases, and federal law is clear that the restrictions apply even if a defendant consents to a final restraining order, according to the Pennsylvania Coalition on Domestic Violence. "A final PFA Order, whether entered by order or agreement, is a 'qualifying protective order'" under federal law, "prohibiting the defendant from possessing or acquiring a firearm while the order is in effect," according to the coalition. Due to federal law, the firearms restrictions in cases of restraining orders "cannot be negotiated," Grasinger said. Davis would be able to keep his firearms only if he had the final restraining orders dismissed. Davis already has been forced to turn over his firearms due to the issuance of the temporary restraining orders. The temporary orders required him to relinquish the weapons under the law. The Erie County Sheriff's Office serves PFAs, handles firearm relinquishments and stores the relinquished weapons. Erie County Sheriff Chris Campanelli told the Times-News he served the temporary restraining orders on Davis on Thursday afternoon at the Erie County Courthouse, where Davis's office is on the fifth, or top, floor. Campanelli said Davis, as arranged, turned over his personal firearms to the Sheriff's Office, also at the courthouse, on Friday. What are some of the allegations against Brenton Davis? The plaintiff alleges that Davis physically assaulted her shortly after she visited his home on April 9 to return an unloaded hunting rifle that she claimed belonged to him and that he had let her son use for hunting. In her petition, the plaintiff said, among other allegations, that she had gone to Davis' house to return the rifle in person "since he blocked me from getting a hold of him." "As I was sitting on the defendant's couch, he walked over to me, picked me up, threw me to the ground and dragged me by the hair approx 20 ft.," according to the petition. "He let go and I sat up. The rug was all out of place and I had a rug burn on my leg. "He threatened me by saying I could go to jail for coming to his house to return an unloaded rifle. He said I would lose my job and my children would be taken away from me." She alleges Davis instilled fear in her to prevent her from leaving the house and seeing friends and family. She also said in the petitions that he used his position as county executive to intimidate and threaten jail time, telling her that he's the "most powerful man in Erie and that he could get away with anything," according to her statement. The woman stated she felt too intimidated to report Davis to the police and instead sought help with SafeNet Erie. Davis is disputing the woman's account. "Mr. Davis was awakened at 7 a.m. Easter Sunday with a loud banging at the door. He observed (the plaintiff) at his front door," according to a statement provided to the Times-News on behalf of Davis by Dennis Roddy, a political consultant who formerly worked as an adviser to the Davis campaign. "She then forced her way into the house with a rifle that appeared to be loaded," according to the statement. "He immediately disarmed her." "At the time she appeared," also according to the statement, "he had no idea as to the origins or ownership of the weapon and was understandably concerned for his safety. The rifle could have been safely returned by a third party without disruption or implicit threats." The statement said Davis reviewed surveillance video from his house and "discovered that (the plaintiff) had come to his home, armed with the rifle, multiple times on the previous night." "Mr. Davis had previously advised her not to come to his home," according to the statement. "Mr. Davis unequivocally denies any wrongdoing." Roddy did not respond to inquiries about what Davis planned to do at Monday's hearing. How did the cases against Brenton Davis get started? The plaintiff made the allegations against Davis in two petitions she filed Thursday in Erie County Common Pleas Court. The petitions were made public when they were docketed Friday. A judge granted the temporary orders Thursday and scheduled the hearing for Monday on whether to make the orders final. One petition is for a protection-from-abuse order the woman filed on her behalf. The other petition is for a protection-from-intimidation order that she filed on behalf of her two children, 11 and 10 years old. Erie County Executive Brenton Davis, whose office is on the fifth floor of the Erie County Courthouse, is scheduled to appear in a courtroom on the second floor on Monday to respond to civil claims of domestic violence against him The woman is identified in court documents, but it is generally the Times-News' policy not to identify subjects in alleged abuse cases without the express consent of those persons. The PFA applies to the woman's case because she said she had an intimate relationship when she alleges Davis abused her. The PFI applies to the children because they did not have a familial relationship with Davis but are the children of the plaintiff, who alleges that Davis also mistreated them. A PFA and a PFI both are actions meant to address domestic violence. Once the woman filed her petitions, all nine judges on the Erie County Court of Common Pleas recused themselves from hearing the cases against Davis "in the interest of justice and to avoid any appearance of impropriety," according to a court order issued Thursday morning. Erie County President Judge Joseph M. Walsh III signed the order with Erie County Judge John J. Trucilla, the county's administrative judge for family court, which handles PFAs. The Erie County bench arranged for a retired judge from Venango County, Robert Boyer, to handle the cases against Davis. Boyer heard the petitioners' requests for the temporary restraining orders on Thursday. He granted the requests and set a hearing on the final orders for 10:30 a.m. Monday. The hearing will be at the Erie County Courthouse in Courtroom E on the second floor. The courtroom is three floors down from the county executive's office. Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella. A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNRao. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie County Executive Davis has 2 options as he faces PFAs in court Russian dictator Vladimir Putin The official suggested that the tribunal would combine Ukraine's jurisdiction with a process based on international law, and that this format is seen as the most realistic prospect for holding the Russian leadership accountable for their aggression against Ukraine. The European Commission proposed the creation of a special court for Russian war criminals in late 2022, with two options under consideration: a special independent international tribunal based on a multilateral agreement, or a hybrid court combining the national jurisdiction of a specific country, such as Ukraine, with a process based on international law and judges from different countries. Read also: Erdogan says Putin may come to Turkey in late April Ukraine, along with 14 other EU countries, is leading an investigation into international crimes committed by Russia. The European Commission has emphasized that powerful support from the United Nations is necessary for both possible options. This is due to the fact that the highest political and military leadership of the country is responsible for crimes of aggression, and they have international immunity. A UN Security Council resolution would be required to remove this immunity, but Russia could veto it. Read also: Russian court refuses to release WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich from custody If that does happen, then the resolution must be considered and approved by the UN General Assembly. Based on its decision, the prosecutor of the special court can issue a verdict on depriving Russias leadership of immunity. The official highlighted that a very solid case must be presented by the prosecution and emphasized the importance of opening the International Center for Investigating Crimes of Aggression against Ukraine in The Hague. According to Sweden, which currently heads the EU Council, this center should start operating at the end of June. Crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, and crimes of aggression fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, unlike EU countries. This means that it does not have a mandate to strip the international immunity of Russia's top leadership, and they cannot appear before the ICC, even in absentia. Story continues Despite this, on March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for suspicion of committing war crimes related to the forcible removal of Ukrainian children to Russia. Putin can now be arrested in 123 countries worldwide that have ratified the Rome Statute. 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 Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has said that the remarks made by Chinas ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, regarding the status of post-Soviet countries are unacceptable. Source: Josep Borrell on Twitter Unacceptable remarks of the Chinese Ambassador to France questioning the sovereignty of the countries which became independent with the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. The EU can only suppose these declarations do not represent Chinas official policy. Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) April 23, 2023 Quote: "Unacceptable remarks of the Chinese Ambassador to France questioning the sovereignty of the countries which became independent with the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. The EU can only suppose these declarations do not represent Chinas official policy." Background: Lu Shaye, Chinas ambassador to France, said in an interview that former Soviet republics lacked effective status in international law, arguing specifically that there is "no international agreement to give substance to their status". When asked whether he thought Crimea was Ukrainian, he said that depended on "how you see the problem", adding that it was "not that simple". Ukraines ambassador to France, Vadym Omelchenko, has responded to the statements that Chinas ambassador to France has made about Crimea and the status of Ukraine in international law. The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon the Chinese ambassador to Estonia to seek clarification regarding the comments made by the Chinese diplomat in France. Lithuanias Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said that it is because of statements like the one made by the Chinese ambassador to France that the Baltic states do not trust China as a "mediator" in the settlement of the war in Ukraine. France has expressed its concern about the Chinese ambassadors remarks. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Getty Images) BARCELONA Alarmed by the growing risks posed by generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms like ChatGPT, regulators and law enforcement agencies in Europe are looking for ways to slow humanitys headlong rush into the digital future. With few guardrails in place, ChatGPT, which responds to user queries in the form of essays, poems, spreadsheets and computer code, recorded over 1.6 billion visits since December. Europol, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, warned at the end of March that ChatGPT, just one of thousands of AI platforms currently in use, can assist criminals with phishing, malware creation and even terrorist acts. If a potential criminal knows nothing about a particular crime area, ChatGPT can speed up the research process significantly by offering key information that can then be further explored in subsequent steps, the Europol report stated. As such, ChatGPT can be used to learn about a vast number of potential crime areas with no prior knowledge, ranging from how to break into a home to terrorism, cybercrime and child sexual abuse. Last month, Italy slapped a temporary ban on ChatGPT after a glitch exposed user files. The Italian privacy rights board Garante threatened the programs creator, OpenAI, with millions of dollars in fines for privacy violations until it addresses questions of where users information goes and establishes age restrictions on the platform. Spain, France and Germany are looking into complaints of personal data violations and this month the EU's European Data Protection Board formed a task force to coordinate regulations across the 27-country European Union. Its a wake-up call in Europe, EU legislator Dragos Tudorache, co-sponsor of the Artificial Intelligence Act, which is being finalized in the European Parliament and would establish a central AI authority, told Yahoo News. We have to discern very clearly what is going on and how to frame the rules. Story continues Even though artificial intelligence has been a part of everyday life for several years Amazons Alexa and online chess games are just two of many examples nothing has brought home the potential of AI like ChatGPT, an interactive large language model where users can have questions answered, or tasks completed, in seconds. ChatGPT has knowledge that even very few humans have, said Mark Bunger, co-founder of Futurity Systems, a Barcelona-based consulting agency focused on science-based innovation. Among the things it knows better than most humans is how to program a computer. So, it will probably be very good and very quick to program the next, better version of itself. And that version will be even better and program something no humans even understand. The startlingly efficient technology also opens the door for all kinds of fraud, experts say, including identity theft and plagiarism in schools. For educators, the possibility that submitted coursework might have been assisted by, or even entirely written by, a generative AI system like OpenAIs ChatGPT or Googles Bard, is a cause for concern, Nick Taylor, deputy director of the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, told Yahoo News. OpenAI and Microsoft, which has financially backed OpenAI but has developed a rival chatbot, did not respond to a request for comment for this article. AI has been around for decades, but its booming now because its available for everyone to use, said Cecilia Tham, CEO of Futurity Systems. Since ChatGPT was introduced as a free trial to the public on Nov. 30, Tham said, programmers have been adapting it to develop thousands of new chatbots, from PlantGPT, which helps to monitor houseplants, to the hypothetical ChaosGPT that is designed to generate chaotic or unpredictable outputs, according to its website, and ultimately destroy humanity. Another variation, AutoGPT, short for Autonomous GPT, can perform more complicated goal-oriented tasks. For instance, said Tham, you can say I want to make 1,000 euros a day. How can I do that? and it will figure out all the intermediary steps to that goal. But what if someone says I want to kill 1,000 people. Give me every step to do that? Even though the ChatGPT model has restrictions on the information it can give, she notes that people have been able to hack around those. The potential hazards of chatbots, and AI in general, prompted the Future of Life Institute, a think tank focused on technology, to publish an open letter last month calling for a temporary halt to AI development. Signed by Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, it noted that AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity, and AI labs [are] locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one not even their creators can understand, predict, or reliably control. The signatories called for a six-month pause on the development of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 so that regulations could be hammered out, and they asked governments to institute a moratorium if the key players in the industry did not voluntarily do so. EU parliamentarian Brando Benifei, co-sponsor of the AI Act, scoffs at that idea. A moratorium is not realistic, he told Yahoo News. What we should do is to continue working on finding the correct rules for the development of AI, he said, We also need a global debate on how to address the challenges of this very powerful AI. This week, EU legislators working on AI published a call to action requesting that President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen convene a high-level global summit to nail down a preliminary set of governing principles for the development, control and deployment of AI. Tudorache told Yahoo News that the AI Act, which is expected to be enacted next year, brings new powers to regulators to deal with AI applications and gives EU regulators the authority to hand out hefty fines. The legislation also includes a risk-ordering of various AI activities and prohibits uses such as social scoring, a dystopian monitoring scheme that would rate virtually every social interaction on a merit scale. Consumers should know what data ChatGPT is using and storing and what it is being used for, Sebastien Pant, deputy head of communications at the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), told Yahoo News. It isnt clear to us yet what data is being used, or whether data collection respects data protection law. The U.S., meanwhile, continues to lag on taking concrete steps to regulate AI, despite concerns recently raised by FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya that AI is being used right now to decide who to hire, who to fire, who gets a loan, who stays in the hospital and who gets sent home. When Biden was recently asked whether AI could be dangerous, he replied, It remains to be seen could be. The differing attitudes about protecting consumers personal data go back decades, Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna, vice president for global privacy at the Future of Privacy Forum, a think tank focused on data protection, told Yahoo News. The EU has placed great importance on how the rights of people are affected by automating their personal data in this new computerized, digital age, to the point in which it included a provision in its Charter of Fundamental Rights, Zanfir-Fortuna said. European countries such as Germany, Sweden and France adopted data protection laws 50 years ago, she added. U.S. lawmakers seem to have been less concerned with this issue in previous decades, as the country still lacks a general data protection law at the federal level. In the meantime, Gerd Leonhard, author of Technology vs. Humanity, and others worry about what will happen when ChatGPT and more advanced forms of AI are used by the military, banking institutions and those working on environmental problems. The ongoing joke in the AI community, said Leonhard, is that if you ask AI to fix climate change, it would kill all humans. It's inconvenient for us, but it is the most logical answer. Big political decisions are made in the Town Hall chamber While most eyes will be on Liverpool for Eurovision next month, there's about to be another, equally fascinating, contest in the city. People across Liverpool will head to polling stations on Thursday 4 May to elect a new-look city council following a turbulent few years. While Labour has controlled the council since 2010, their opponents are trying to capitalise on a series of political shockwaves which have rocked the city in recent times. In 2020, following a police investigation into property deals in the city, four men including the city's then mayor Joe Anderson were arrested. He denied wrongdoing and was not charged with any crime. The other three were also told they were no longer being investigated. In March 2021 came a damning report by local government inspector Max Caller in which aspects of the council were branded as "dysfunctional". 'Improvement journey' Commissioners were brought in and have overseen several areas of decision-making at the council's Cunard Building headquarters since June 2021. A costly error over the council's energy bill, the departure of chief executive Tony Reeves. and revelations that several Labour councillors had parking fines cancelled without going through the official channels have all undermined the narrative that the council's "improvement journey" is heading in the right direction. As part of the changes Mr Caller proposed and the government implemented, the political map of Liverpool has also been completely redrawn for this election. The number of wards rises from 30 to 64 while the number of councillors is being cut from 90 to 85. Most of the wards will be represented by only one councillor rather than the current three, and all seats will be contested once every four years. Until now one third of seats have been up for grabs each year. The role of directly elected mayor, held since 2021 by Joe Anderson's successor Joanne Anderson (no relation), will no longer exist and there will instead be a council leader and cabinet structure. Story continues So that is the backdrop against which these elections will take place. Dean Roberts says he is more excited about voting in Eurovision On a sunny afternoon, the street outside the Town Hall is crowded with tables and chairs. The bars and restaurants are certainly taking full advantage. People here seem more animated about who will win Eurovision than exercising their democratic right. "I'm not as engaged as I have been in previous years," said Dean Roberts, an architect from Wavertree. "It doesn't feel like much changes, there are always the same problems." He said his suburb did not get the same attention as the city centre. "The roads are a mess, it feels like it hasn't been cleaned, it doesn't give you a lot of hope," he said. Despite that, he said he would still cast his vote. He added that he had paid attention to some of the controversies over planning which had contributed to government inspectors being sent in to oversee council departments. But he's a lot more excited about voting in Eurovision. "It's a once in a lifetime thing", he said "elections will come along every four years!" "Eurovision comes and goes, but decisions made by local councillors affect all our lives," says Kanyinsola Adeliyi Kanyinsola Adeliyi lives in the city centre and works for a law firm. She takes a different view. "Eurovision comes and goes, but decisions made by local councillors affect all our lives," she said. Her priorities are education and increasing opportunities to fill the skills gap. Like many voters, roads and clean streets are a priority for her. A relative newcomer to the city, she said she wasn't aware of any of the past political controversies. 'Bigger than Eurovision' Liverpool's Liberal Democrats are hoping to do better than they did in 2021. Former council leader Lord Mike Storey's surprised everyone by standing for election again after more than a decade away from local politics. In recent years the Lib Dems have suffered at the ballot box in Liverpool because of them being in coalition government with the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015. Professor Jon Tonge, from the University of Liverpool, said "one of the biggest myths in North West politics is that Liverpool is a rock-solid Labour city". "It's only 13 years ago that the Liberal Democrats were running the city and they have enjoyed a modest revival in recent years," he said. "We shouldn't take Labour control for granted - particularly given the party's internal problems. "Nevertheless they go into these elections as the favourites, despite the uncertainty." Prof Tonge added: "This is bigger than Eurovision, in terms of uncertainty of outcome, in terms of the salience of the contest. What's more important than Eurovision? Local elections!" Meanwhile The Green Party and the Liberals will hope to retain their support base, and smaller wards mean it could be easier for independent candidates to make gains. The Liverpool Community Independents are former Labour councillors who fell out with the party over the budget last year, and an organisation called Liberate Liverpool is backing 30 independent candidates. The Conservatives are standing in 39 of the 64 wards, but have not had a councillor in Liverpool since 1998. All the build-up, insights and analysis is explored each week on a BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast. Eurovisioncast is available on BBC Sounds, or search wherever you get your podcasts from. Eurovisioncast banner Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk For Sandra Tavares, her red Toyota Sienna is more than just a van, its specifically designed to meet the needs of her 8-year-old son who cant walk. That car is like my hands and my legs, it is my everything because we have a lot of doctors appointments, says Tavares. In 2016, Boston 25 News told you about Tavaress son who was 2 years old at the time when he was hit by a car leaving him with physical disabilities. Life changed big time, says Tavares. Through hard work, Tavares says she was able to buy the van, but on Saturday morning Tavares says someone stole it after she left it running in front of her home to go inside and grab something. Shes hoping her surveillance camera will help the police catch whoever did it. Its sad. I thought it was a dream when I saw the place empty with no car there. I didnt think people would steal the car early in the morning because the sun is already out, says Tavares. She wants whoever took her van to know, she doesnt mean any harm to them, she just needs it back for her son. I am hoping whoever took the car, please put it somewhere, say something so I can get that car back. I cant do anything without that car, says Tavares. Brockton Police are investigating the theft. In the meantime, the license plate number on Tavaress van is 1MNM47. Please call the police if you have any information. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, the civil rape trial of former President Donald Trump is scheduled to begin in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, in front of Judge Lewis Kaplan. E. Jean Carroll, a journalist and author, has accused Donald Trump of raping her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman Department Store in Manhattan sometime between the fall of 1995 and spring of 1996. Trump has denied those allegations, contending at various times that he did not know her and she was not his type. The case has been winding its way through the courts since 2019. The first complaint filed by Carroll contended that Trump had defamed her by falsely denying her accusation of rape. In 2022, Carroll filed a second complaint, which sought to hold him directly responsible for the rape. It is the rape case that is going to trial on Tuesday. Judge Wont Give Trump a Pass for Missing Rape Trial How Is A Case About An Alleged Rape in 1995-96 Getting To Trial Nearly 30 Years Later? Generally, the statute of limitations for civil claims by adult survivors of sexual assault in New York is three years. However, in 2021, New York passed the Adult Survivors Act, which created a one-year window (from Nov. 24, 2022-Nov. 24, 2023) where the statute of limitations for civil claims of sexual assault was lifted. On Nov. 24, 2022, Carroll filed her new case against Trump, alleging that he raped her (and defamed her when he denied that rape after leaving the White House). Trump moved to dismiss the case, contending that the Adult Survivors Act violated the Due Process Clause of the New York Constitution. Judge Lewis Kaplan denied the motion to dismiss, holding that the Adult Survivors Act was constitutional. What Are The Best Facts For Carrolls Case? When Carrolls legal team presents her case, the central part of the case will be her testimony that she was raped by Donald Trump in a dressing room in the lingerie section of Bergdorf Goodman. Story continues A long-time reporter and television host, Carroll is used to public speaking and has repeated her account of the rape in numerous interviews over the last four years, in addition to her deposition in this case. Many people (not on the jury) have been persuaded that she is telling the truth. But Carroll will be allowed to present more than her testimony that she was raped by Donald Trump. Two witnessesCarol Martin and Lisa Birnbachwill testify that Carroll told them of the rape shortly after it occurred, and that Carroll has had a consistent account of the rape for more than 25 years. Martin may be particularly persuasive to jurors over the age of 50. She was the first African-American female local news anchor in New York, hosting daily WCBS newscasts from the 1970s until 1994. Birnbach is the bestselling author of The Official Preppy Handbook and Lisa Birnbachs College Book, which was required reading for NY-area college applicants. Two other witnesses will testify that the former president sexually assaulted them: Jessica Leeds and Natasha Steynoff. Leeds will testify that in 1979, she was seated next to Trump on a flight when he sexually assaulted her: He was with his hands grabbing me, trying to kiss me, grabbing my breasts, pulling me towards him, pulling himself on me. It was kind of a struggle going on It was when he started putting his hand up my skirt that I realized that nobody was going to save me but me. Steynoff will testify that during an interview with Trump for People magazine in 2005, he grab[bed] my shoulders and pushe[d] me against this wall and start[ed] kissing me, and that Trump later groped her. Former President Trump moved to have this testimony excluded from the trial, but Judge Kaplan held that under Federal Rule of Evidence 415, evidence of prior sexual assaults by the defendant is admissible in a subsequent civil trial for sexual assault. In addition, Judge Kaplan held that Rule 415 permitted Carroll to introduce the infamous Access Hollywood interview against former President Trump. In that interview, Trump stated: You know, Im automatically attracted to beautiful I just start kissing them. Its like a magnet. Just kiss. I dont even wait. And when youre a star they let you do it. You can do anything Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything. Finally, Carroll will be able to present portions of Trumps deposition, which was a disaster for him. Prior to his his deposition, Trump repeatedly insisted he wouldnt have sex with Carroll because shes not my type. However, at his deposition, when Trump was shown a picture of Carroll from the mid-1990s and asked Do you recognize her?, he stated, Thats my wife. Trump literally confused Carroll with his second wife, Marla Maples, to whom he was married for almost 10 years. He left his wife and mother of his first three children because he was so taken with Maples appearance. It is hard to imagine better proof that Carroll was Trumps type than his deposition testimony confusing her with his wife. E. Jean Carroll Gets Her Day in Court. Women Will Be Watching What Are The Best Facts For Trump? There are gaps in Carrolls evidence. She does not remember the date, week, month, or year when the rape allegedly took place. She has not found any witnesses who corroborate seeing her with Trump at Bergdorf Goodman. There are no security photos or videos from the store showing the two of them together. In addition, if Trump takes the witness stand, he will deny that he ever had sexual contact of any kind with Carroll. For some jurors, this evidence may be enough to rule in his favor. Will There Be DNA Evidence? No. At the start of the case, Carrolls attorneys filed a portion of an expert report from a DNA expert, that analyzed stains on the dress that Carroll contends she was wearing when Trump allegedly raped her. Carrolls legal team demanded that Trump allow their experts to extract DNA to compare to the dress. Trumps attorneys refused, and Carrolls legal team decided not to press the issue. As trial approached, Trumps lawyers made a high-profile demand for access to the rest of the DNA experts report. They stated that after they received the report, they would allow Carrolls team to extract DNA from Trump. Carrolls legal team declined that offer. Judge Kaplan held that the Trump offer came far too late. Discovery had long been closed when Trump tried to get the DNA evidence into the case. Judge Kaplan held that Trumps team was not allowed to second-guess their prior strategic choice. As a result, there will be no physical evidence that would prove (or disprove) Carrolls claim that Trump ejaculated on her dress. Will Trump Testify? We still do not know whether Trump will testify (or even attend) trial. Carroll elected not to name Trump as witness, instead relying upon clips from the deposition. Trumps lawyers listed him as a potential witness, but have not taken a position on whether he will actually testify. If Trump testifies, he would face cross-examination, likely from Kaplana skilled questioner who elicited very damaging testimony from the former president during his deposition. Heres Why the Trump Indictment Charges Are Felonies Could Trump Be Charged Criminally With Rape? Yes, it is theoretically possible that former President Trump could be charged with rape, if the Manhattan DA concludes on the basis of the civil trial that there is a prosecutable criminal case. Under New York law, there is no statute of limitations for first degree rape. When Carroll published her book, she made a formal complaint to the NYPD. Since that time, there is no evidence that the NYPD or the Manhattan DAs office have taken steps to prosecute the case. It is unlikely that they would prosecute a criminal case unless something happens at the trial that drastically changes the situation. It likely would take the equivalent of Jack Nicholson admitting on the witness stand that he ordered the Code Red at the end of A Few Good Men for DA Alvin Bragg to conclude that a criminal case should be pursued. Will the Trial Be Televised, Photographed, or Livestreamed? No. But the transcripts will be made available to reporters daily. Conclusion Ordinarily, at a civil trial, the only thing at issue is money. Here, the stakes are much higher. Depending on how this trial progresses, it may have a huge impact on the 2024 presidential election, the pending criminal investigations of former President Trump by prosecutors in Georgia and by the DOJ, and even the indictment for the Stormy Daniels payments. And it is hard to imagine a settlement of this case short of a verdict, but I suppose we will see. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A man recently earned praise after he filmed himself confronting a fellow train passenger who was sitting in the seat hed purchased ahead of time. The positive response to the viral footage of the man insisting he be allowed to sit in the seat hed booked came after an influencer recently earned similar applause for refusing a request to swap seats on a plane so that a family could sit together. No Im not switching for a middle seat, book your flights earlier babes, influencer Audrey Peters captioned the equally viral video in March. The pair are not alone in their experiences, as social media has recently become inundated with stories of travellers who have been asked to swap seats with fellow passengers wishing to sit with a friend or a family member, or simply because theyd prefer a better seat. However, as the responses to the viral videos suggest, most travellers arent open to seat swap suggestions. And, according to travel etiquette, they dont have to be. To find out whether theres ever a time when its appropriate or acceptable to ask to swap seats with a fellow traveller on a plane or a train, or any form of transportation where seats are pre-booked, we sought the advice of Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas. Speaking to The Independent, Gottsman said that there is only one acceptable scenario where a traveller may ask a fellow passenger to switch seats, and that even then, it is only justifiable if the passenger has first tried other ways of remedying the situation. According to Gottsman, the acceptable scenario refers to a parent or guardian who found there is no possible way through pre-planning that they could have been seated next to their young child, at which point of course its understandable to ask a fellow passenger to swap. However, Gottsman noted that, even in a case involving a young child, its always best to ask a ticket agent or someone from the travel company if there is a possibility of changing or switching seats before you board the plane or train, as asking a fellow passenger puts the person you are asking in an awkward position and relies on their goodwill. Story continues If youre hoping to change your seat for any other reason, its typically not advisable to ask a fellow passenger if theyre open to switching, despite the numerous videos of travellers doing just that on social media. Wanting to sit next to a friend, or preferring a window seat rather than an aisle, is not a good enough reason to ask, Gottsman said, adding: If you and your spouse are separated, it simply means you booked late or did not plan in advance to book seats together. The requests go against travel etiquette even more when the proposed switch would take the passenger out of a seat thats preferable to the one they are being offered, according to Gottsman, who told us its really not the best form to ask a person to take a middle seat or a window seat when they have an aisle seat booked. Travel website The Points Guy agrees, with the blog noting that, generally speaking, the unspoken rule when it comes to seat swaps is that only better or equivalent exchanges should be offered; maybe you lose an aisle seat, but gain some leg room in a bulkhead seat, or you trade your window seat next to the toilet for a middle seat at the front of the main cabin. However, the travel experts suggest that a seat trade proposal where you are offering a comparable seat to your fellow passenger is generally viewed as acceptable, even if its for a reason such as wanting to be near your spouse or friends, or [because you] have a very tight layover. Its always worth the ask, the website states. While there may be times when a seat swap request is acceptable, one of the biggest travel etiquette misjudgements a traveller can make is to take a fellow passengers seat without asking, according to The Points Guy. A cardinal rule of seat swaps is that you should never take someone elses seat before they board, the blog states. As for how requests to swap seats should be handled by travellers, both Gottsman and The Points Guy say that passengers should feel comfortable declining if they dont want to give up their seat. It is perfectly fine to decline the request no excuses necessary, Gottsman told us, before giving the concise example response: Sorry, Im going to stay here in this seat. The Points Guy also notes that passengers are quite within their rights to decline any seat trading offer unless told to do so by a flight attendant. A pigeon flies past the flag of Ukraine in Chasovoy Yar near Bakhmut, April 11, 2023 Specific NATO countries are ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine to some extent, which are currently roughly defined between Kyiv and these specific countries, Romanyuk said, referring mainly to the United States and the UK, in an interview with Radio NV on April 23. Read also: Ukraines accession to EU, NATO guarantees Europes security for decades, says FM Kuleba For example, NATO countries (individually, not under the alliance) have guaranteed the security of Sweden and Finland until they join NATO, they guaranteed their security. The United States, UK, the Baltic countries, Poland, Norway, which were NATO members at that time, also guaranteed their security. But Romanyuk emphasized that the alliance itself cannot provide such guarantees. Read also: For Ukraine to join NATO sooner, we should start emphasizing its agency It (the North Atlantic Alliance) cannot guarantee the security of a country that is not a member of NATO and is not even in the process of being admitted to NATO, like Finland and Sweden are today, he said. Therefore, NATO as an institution will certainly not provide such a guarantee to Ukraine. This is 1000% certain, not even 100%. Romanyuk said security guarantees for Ukraine will be adopted by individual countries at the level of national legislation. We need a guarantee from at least two countries the United States and UK first and foremost, he said. The Poles, I also think, will eventually join in if this is considered on a real basis. I think the Baltic countries will do the same. They already, in essence, give us the largest share of their military budget. Latvia provides (Ukraine with) 52-53% of all funds (Latvia) has allocated to defense. He also noted that guarantees from countries that please Russia, such as Kazakhstan, Armenia, or Belarus, do not suit Ukraine because it is absurd and undermines the very essence of such guarantees. Romanyuk said that today the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine is currently at purely the discussion stage. Story continues None of the countries that, in my opinion, can provide a guarantee for Ukraine, have expressed such assurances today, he said. Read also: After victory, Ukraine can simply say Were ready, we can join NATO tomorrow German Ambassador The countries that do express them, conditionally speaking, are, for example, Cyprus although it is not a NATO country and Turkey, which has very doubtful guarantees due to its friendly relations with Russia. All the other countries that are not NATO members are not providing such guarantees either. Unfortunately, the key countries the United States, Britain, and Poland do not provide us with such guarantees, and there are no proposals from them. Therefore, the concept that came from (the Ukrainian presidential administration on) Bankova that we want to form such a concept so that we are provided with such a guarantee until the moment of accession this is still, excuse me, (just) our Ukrainian national wishes. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated on Feb. 19 that the NATO allies should complete work on security guarantees for Ukraine prior to the alliance leaders' summit in July this year. During his visit to Ukraine on April 20, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged that the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine would be an important topic at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July. 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 Cathy Swain lives across the street from Duncan Park, and she remembers the day in 2014 when 21-year-old Antonio Franklin died after being struck by gunfire not intended for him. When Franklins mother, the late Anita Franklin, began hosting the Antonio Franklin Jr. Violence Intervention Project Peace Walk soon afterward, Swain was always there to walk and support Franklins mission of restoring the community and encouraging people to speak up about violent crime. I know a lot of these babies that are coming up. I knew their families. Its personal, Swain said. I feel like if youre not a part of the solution, youre a part of the problem. Swain said shes always come to the walks. But it was never for my own, she said. That changed on Nov. 20, 2021, when her son, Pietro Swain, was killed by gunfire while sitting in his car in the same neighborhood. He was 28 years old. On Saturday, Cathy Swain was among those who spoke the names of their loved ones before this springs Peace Walk. She said being a part of events like the walk and especially the survivors support group that Anita Franklin started have been healing for her. I was so angry. I had so much hate in my heart, she said in an interview. If youve never lost a child, you have no idea. I had to change my way of thinking, and that was part of the process. Cathy Swain hung photos of victims of gun violence at the Antonio Franklin Jr. Violence Intervention Project Peace Walk Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Duncan Park. Before the walk, people visited the booths of dozens of community support organizations that lined Duncan Park while children had their faces painted, ate snow cones and bounced on inflatables. Seeing all the smiles, all the laughter. It doesnt get much better than this, said Ricardo Franklin, the son of Anita Franklin and brother of Antonio Franklin. Gerald Geo Gibson, founder and executive director of Operation Making a Change, said the Peace Walk lets parents of kids lost know that people care, and were not going to be defeated by the negativity that surrounds us. We need to do more of coming together, he said. Story continues Speakers before the walk included members of the local faith community, law enforcement and government leaders, alongside the families of those who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Several people called for reforms to gun laws and mentioned the recent mass shootings in Louisville. When the money of the NRA becomes the conscience of those who are elected to represent us, then we have to make a change, said Rev. C.B. Akins. The marches are nice, but weve got to vote. Weve got to get some folk who have a conscience to do whats right. Attendees marched at the Antonio Franklin Jr. Violence Intervention Project Peace Walk Saturday, April 22, 2023. The walk starts at Duncan Park, where Antonio Franklin, 21, was shot in 2014. He was an innocent bystander. Since Anita Franklins death in 2020, her children have continued her legacy, and on Saturday, they honored her as well as their brother Antonio and other gun violence victims. In November 2020, Ricardo Franklin took over the community outreach position she left vacant in the Fayette County Sheriffs Office. He is now the peace walk organizer. As long as theres shootings in Lexington, were still going to be working, he said. He said just a few community partners came out to that first peace walk his mother hosted nine years ago. This year, there were 38 groups represented. He said its encouraging to see such a diversity of people committed to spreading a positive message. This is exactly how a park is supposed to look, he said. Anita Franklins daughter, Laneshia Conner, runs the Lexington Stryders Club, a youth track program, and on Saturday her organization was among those set up around the park. The track club was recently awarded a grant through One Lexington, which is working with community partners to address gun violence. She said the Stryders program, which is registering new participants now, keeps kids active, boosting physical and mental health. Before the Peace Walk began, Ricardo Franklin called the members of the support group his mom founded, We Are Survivors, to the stage behind him, and he asked others in the crowd who had lost loved ones to gun violence to stand. This group behind me is here for you, he told them. Dont ever feel like youre alone. You always have a place with us. As the line of hundreds of walkers gathered at the corner of Duncan Park, he and Conner moved to the head of the crowd. Behind them was a larger-than-life mural of their mother, smiling serenely. They bumped fists and grinned. And then they began to walk. Photo: The Canadian Press Reporters surround attorneys for Dominion Voting Systems during a news conference outside the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del., after the defamation lawsuit by Dominion against Fox News was settled on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Fox Corp.'s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation charges is eye-popping, but the ultimate cost to the media company is likely to be much lower. On Tuesday, Fox settled with Dominion over charges that Fox News baselessly accused the company of rigging its voting machines against former President Donald Trump in 2020. It was the most-watched media libel case in decades. Fox had about $4 billion of cash on hand as of December 2022, and MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman expects the company to pay the settlement during the current quarter. How much the lawsuit will actually end up costing Fox is unclear because there are ways it can defray some of the expense, primarily through insurance and the use of tax deductions. Fox can deduct the Dominion settlement from its income taxes as an expense necessary for the cost of doing business. Fox Chief Communications Officer Brian Nick has confirmed the deductibility of the settlement. Big companies often deduct large settlements to help offset some of the cost, but since settlement amounts are usually confidential, it's difficult to pin down exactly how much they benefit. Payments that are seen as restitution or compensation can be deducted, while payments made to the government or at the direction of a government are usually not deductible. Robert Willens, a tax professor at the Columbia University School of Business, estimates that after the tax write-off, Fox will incur about three-fourths of the settlement amount, about $590 million. The key is that if the payments are being made to private parties and not at the behest of the government then you can pretty much conclude without any fear of contradiction that the payment will be deductible," he said. A study by the Government Accountability Office in 2005 found that of 34 settlements totaling over $1 billion, 20 companies reported deducting some portion or all of their settlement payments. Big banks such as Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase reportedly also deducted portions of their settlements of charges tied the financial crisis of 2008. Also, if Fox is insured, insurance is likely to cover some of the settlement. Chad Milton, a partner at Media Risk Consultants, said a large media company such as Fox could have anywhere between $100 million to $500 million in coverage, including media liability insurance and other types of insurance. Its not hard to stack up $100 million but as you go higher than that, it gets harder and harder, Milton said. Usually, theres a certain amount a media company has to pay, which could be in the millions, before insurance kicks in. However, the deductible incudes attorney fees, which in a high-profile case like Fox-Dominion could be tens of millions of dollars or higher, so the deductible could be swallowed up just by attorney fees. One wrinkle: even if an insurance company pays a substantial part of the settlement, there could be an annual aggregate limit of liability, which could mean that insurers wouldnt cover another big-money settlement. And media companies and insurers dont always agree on who should cover what, since there are caveats written into contracts that allow insurers to avoid paying under certain circumstances. In 2012, Disney settled a defamation suit after ABC aired a segment that questioned the safety of a meat producers products that critics dubbed pink slime. But one of its insurers, AIG, ended up suing Disney so they wouldnt have to pay part of the settlement, although AIG eventually lost. Fox has also said it doesnt expect the settlement to affect its operations. We dont expect significant operational effects or changes to our business given our cash flow, strong balance sheet and the health of our business, the company said in a statement after the settlement was announced. MoffettNathanson's Fishman said everything indicates the company will be able to run its business as usual. It isnt clear there has been much, if any, impact of these lawsuits on Fox News viewership and business, he said. Fishman said he doesnt expect the settlement to hamper Foxs ability to return money to shareholders, including a $1 billion accelerated share repurchase program announced in February. Fox has a similar lawsuit looming with another voting machine company, Smartmatic, but no date has been set and the case might not go to court for a couple of years. Rachel Kushner, center, and Ottessa Moshfegh, right, field questions from David Ulin at the L.A. Times Festival of Books on Saturday at USC. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) On the very hot, very exciting first day of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Rachel Kushner, author of the epic The Flamethrowers, and Ottessa Moshfegh, author of the punishing Lapvona, settled into the packed seats of USCs Norris Theatre, speaking to author David Ulin about what fiction has to offer and bringing their analogue sensibilities to a very online fan base. Its hard for me to talk about this without writing another novel to demonstrate, Moshfegh dead-panned, addressing the question posed by the panels title. In fact, both authors have a lot to offer at a time when its not so easy for literary novelists to capture public attention (the occasional Sally Rooney bucket hat , notwithstanding). Describing Kushner and Moshfegh as cult figures might seem like a way to blow off the impact of their work, but its truly the opposite. On this panel, as in their interview, they resemble a cool lit girl mafia. Bookstagrammers have tote bags that read, I survived Lapvona . One young audience member wanted to confirm that Moshfegh was aware of her cult status. Do you know you are all over TikTok? Shes all over Pinterest! I have a poster of My Year of Rest and Relaxation in my dorm room. If I see a girl with that book, I think, Youve got mental issues, too. I mean, are you aware that you have a cult following? Moshfegh demurred. I am ... aware. But not in the sense that you are. This prompted laughter from the audience, but Moshfegh was serious. Do you know what I mean? That would be impossible. Im aware of the popularity of the book, and Im glad that you liked it and that its leading you to reading. Ulin worked to flesh out the panels ostensible theme. I guess we can start with this broad prompt given the fact that we live in a culture that seems confused about fact and fiction, he offered. Who wants to go first? Neither Kushner nor Moshfegh raised their microphones. Well, Ottessa ventured, I never think of this culture as being confused! I think the zone of fiction, for me, is a zone that will last forever. Its a way for me to understand myself but also to understand others. Its very specific for me. Story continues Im trying to learn about classical music, Kushner said. And the thing with classical music is that its supposed to be a language for feelings that dont have any other outlet. Fiction does the same thing. The modalities and currents of our lives. When I was young I used to read everything, Moshfegh responded. But now I find that Im hypersensitive to fiction. It overwhelms me. Even books like Rachels, which I love, I have to excrete. The more I ingest, the more I excrete . Ulin remarked on the fact that Moshfeghs first books had all been written in the first person, and Lapvona is written in the third. I felt that I had finished with the first person, Moshfegh explained. I wanted to see how tightly I could grip my pen but how far my arms could stretch. Kushner revealed that she is working on a new novel much to the excitement of everyone present told entirely in the first person. Though Kushner and Moshfegh have collaborated on a screenplay, they balked at the idea of giving up control of their fiction. When an audience member asked if they would ever collaborate on fiction and how the table would be set, Moshfegh honestly replied, I would actually go crazy. The table would have to be set with someone who was mute. I agree, Kushner replied. Theres only room for one driver in fiction." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Courtesy of Brendan Hall In a crowd, it would be very easy to lose track of Brendan Hall. The 28-year-old Brooklyn filmmaker has a very unassuming presence, and he likes it that way. As someone who makes documentaries, he would rather play observer, and focus attention on the subject at hand. Earnest and soft-spoken, hes the one asking questions, for someone elses life story, open to hearing something new and unheard. But alas, on an extremely frigid February afternoon at the The Daily Beasts office in New York, the tables were turnedand Hall found himself as the interviewee, not the interviewer as he is often accustomed to being. And thats because some time in the next year or so, Hall is going into space. Hell be riding around in SpaceXs Starship for six days as he and eight others take a trip around the moon and come back to Earth in the first civilian lunar mission. As a member of the dearMoon mission conceived and financed by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, Hall will be part of a very small group of people who have had the privilege of going into spaceand an smaller group who have had a chance to swing into lunar orbit and take a look at Earths natural satellite as only Apollo astronauts have. Hall is in very eclectic company too. The crew includes celebrities DJ Steve Aoki and K-pop star Choi Seung Hyun (better known as TOP); Tim Dodd, a science communicator better known as Everyday Astronaut on YouTube; and backup crew member Kaitlyn Farrington, a snowboarder. SpaceXs Starship Explodes in Fireball Soon After Launch Most of his crewmates were with him at Brownsville, Texas this week to watch SpaceX try to send Starship into orbit for the first timewhich ended in a pretty wild explosion after the Starship failed to separate from the Super Heavy rocket (the launch marked the first time the two structures have ever been flown together). To be fair, SpaceX predicted a roughly 50 percent chance of success, and afterward Hall would tell me that seeing this test made me more confident than ever in SpaceX and the dearMoon mission. The energy has been really positive and exciting. Story continues Im still not completely sure why I was chosen, Hall told me. But hes adamant that he doesnt intend this opportunity to go to waste. Not Your Average Origin Story When it was announced in February 2017, dearMoon was a much different concept. Maezawa had bought a Crew Dragon mission (the capsule currently used to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station and back) to take him and one friend on a trip around the moon. The mission was originally supposed to launch in late 2018, using a Falcon Heavy rocket. Few people thought the timeline was realistic, though, partly since Crew Dragon wasnt even operational at the time (development delays meant the spacecraft would not even fly humans into space until 2020). In 2018, it was announced that the mission would forge ahead much later using Starship, the interplanetary spacecraft that SpaceX hopes will one day take humans to the moon and Marsand which has been under development in literally explosive fashion. All the while, Maezawa kept changing his mind for who would accompany him on dearMoon. He expanded the crew to eight. In 2019, he publicly invited director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, First Man, Babylon) to come with him (Chazelle said hed have to think about it, and eventually confirmed he wouldnt be going). Maezawa then flirted with plans to make the mission a search for a life partner, soliciting applications from over 27,000 women for a chance to go with him on the mission. A matchmaking documentary would be filmed. Everyone was thoroughly creeped out, and Maezawa cancelled those plans in 2020. The dearMoon mission crew, led by Yusaku Maezawa dearMoon All of that paved the path to the version of the mission that opened the doors for Hall. Maezawa decided to pivot the mission into something centered around arts and creativity: dearMoon would take Maezawa and eight working artists to the moon. Im very thrilled to have these amazing people join me on my journey to the moon and excited to see what inspiring creations they come up with in space, a quote from Maezawa reads on the dearMoon website. dearMoon has finally settled down and turned Maezawas quixotic ambitions into something more realistic. Yes, Starship still needs to be proven (and its explosive end on the April 20 flight test leaves much to be desired). But, at least Maezawa has his crew. Hall will be the first to tell you he may not be the most obvious candidate for this kind of mission, given that his experience with filmmaking is more terrestrial than extraterrestrial. His teenage years growing up in Marlborough, Connecticut were spent filming his buddies doing skateboard tricks and venturing out into the lakeside wilderness. Later, when he attended New York University to study film, Hall took on as many freelance jobs as he could. I was filming everything, from sweet 16 birthday parties to short films and clips for big foundations, he said. Hall grew up with his family in Marlborough, Connecticut, a town of just a few thousand people. Courtesy of Brendan Hall In the middle of college, Hall began to intern at a couple of production companies in LA. And thats where his love of nature documentary filmmaking really solidified. Like many in the area, he loved the proximity to nearby hiking trails, as well as the opportunity to trek to national parks like Yosemite and Sequoia. He once visited the Grand Canyon and sat to watch the long sunset turn into a clear night sky lit up by the Milky Way. There was lightning cracking through the Milky Way and shooting stars everywhere, he said. It was just like magic on Earth. And thats when I just realized that I love nature. I wanted to make films in nature and tell stories and try to travel. This is what makes me feel alive, he added. It makes me want to explore the world around me. One of the biggest projects of his career was his work on the 2017 documentary Bill Nye: Science Guy, directed by David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg. Hall was flown out to Siberia to shoot scientists looking for wooly mammoth bones with Stewart Brand, and lived on an ice sheet in Greenland with Bill Nye for 10 days. Another very formative experience was actually part of a branded film project for General Electric, which sent Hall to the Brazilian Amazon to film a mobile medical complex treating indigenous tribes and giving them medical care. Courtesy of Brendan Hall That trip included flying in a Blackhawk military helicopter with two doctors and visiting indigenous tribe members in the middle of extremely remote areas. As the helicopter picked up individuals and flew them into the air, Hall could see the absolute wonder and bewilderment these people felt seeing their homes from high up in the air for the first time ever. It was a moment Hall that stuck with him so much that he wrote about in his dearMoon application. That there was a really special experience that happens in that moment, as a filmmaker, getting to capture people seeing something like that for the first time, and something he anticipates getting to witness firsthand as he and his crewmates fly into space. These were experiences he never predicted hed ever have. I was just grateful, man. Its still how I feel about all this space stuff. Selection Sunday Hall recently directed Out There: A National Parks Story, a nature documentary about Americas public lands and the human stories that are immersed in these places. Hell be debuting the film around festivals throughout the country later this year. Out There stands in stark contrast to the project Hall intends to undertake when he jets off into space. But hes also no stranger to the cosmos, having done night-sky photography and timelapses since he was a teen. Night sky photography has always been my happy place, he said. I dont do it for money, I just do it out of pure love. In submitting his application (which was open to the public), Hall wrote about his desire to make films that conveyed beauty and wonder to audiences, and to demonstrate how stories with a human side exist even in the most remote and uncharted places imaginable. And there was no bigger or rarer challenge than to do that with a film about space, made in space. Still, Hall admits that he submitted his application to dearMoon in March 2021 mainly on a whim. I just never even considered going up there just because it felt so out of the realm of possibility, he said. I didnt in a million years think Id actually get selected. So he was pretty stunned when his application moved through the next stages, which were a series of Zoom videos with members of the dearMoon team, including a former JAXA astronaut, Naoko Yamazaki. Thats when I realized this was getting to be a big deal. Group interviews with other applicants followed, then medical and psychological interviews at the University of California, Los Angeles. A few more in-person interviews followed in Houston, and then Europe. I just felt very comfortable during the process of being me, being Brandon, he said. There wasnt anything that felt cheesy or superficial about it. Im not going to do it if this feels like a reality show for a game show, or if Im having to beg them to take me. That doesnt feel like a healthy dynamic to put essentially my life on the line. Finally, around the Thanksgiving holidays in 2021, Hall had a Zoom call with Maezawa himself, in which the billionaire let Hall know he was going to space. The whole world stopped for a moment, Hall recalled. Hall, 28, has been making movies since getting a camcorder at the age of 12. Courtesy of Brendan Hall He accepted the offer, of course. He really believes that good things can and will come out of the mission. For his own ambitions, hes hoping to pursue what he calls a longform film projecta feature-length documentary, or a series. Hes not yet certain what that will look like, but hes hoping to really capture what he said is the uniqueness of this group of people and their different backgrounds and experiences suddenly thrown into a tight-knit space. He hopes to make something that captures a sense of wonder and inspiration. We want to learn as much as we can, and then kind of open that door for other missions and other filmmakers, artists, whoever it is to get to have an experience like that to ensure their voice, he said. New Space, New Suspicions Though there is an immense amount of excitement for the mission from space obsessives and passersby alike, dearMoon isnt without its share of criticism. Some of it is a symptom of the times. Were seeing more and more people go into space like William Shatner, Michael Strahan, Richard Branson, and Jeff Bezos, to name a few. But its still the ultra-wealthy who hold the keys. Maezawa has already been to space once, after buying his way onto a 2021 Russian mission to the ISS. SpaceXs other tourist flights have all been financed by multi-millionaires and billionaires. And the lucky less wealthy ones have been plucked entirely by the key-holders. Its sort of interesting how these people are more less, like, selected for us, Britt Duffy Adkins, an urban planner and the CEO of space urban planning company Celestial Citizen, told me. While access to space is opened to people who wouldnt otherwise get the chance, its still the billionaire class that gets to decide. Even if there is a philanthropic arm, its still at their discretion. Earth is being told, This is representative of society, of humanity, but the public doesnt actually get to participate in that process, she said. We dont actually know what the decision-making process behind it is, or what the rationale is. I have a fundamental problem with that power dynamic. Adkins does have a point, even specific to dearMoon. While Maezawa has selected under-the-radar creatives like Hall to join him, hes also bringing with him some big names like Aokiand its hard to dispel the notion that such celebrity status wasnt a factor such picks. It also seems a bit strange to some that there arent any artists on the mission whose work is more closely tied with space, like a science fiction author might be. Many on dearMoon also hail from countries that already boast regular access to space. As a general observation of the current industry, very few people are going to space from countries that dont necessarily have that same wealth and privilege and power dynamic in the space industry, Adkins. She isnt sure exactly what kind of system could be implemented to make these processes more democratic, but she thinks it has to start with a bigger transparency over how these decisions are made over who goes up and who doesnt. Otherwise, trying to say that a mission is being taken for the good of humanity as a whole feels mealy-mouthed. Inside the Fight to Save Mars From Inheriting Earths Mess And that raises the question over what the real point of dearMoon is. While Maezawa and SpaceX are promoting it to be a conduit by which to inspire new kinds of art and creativity, its not totally clear how this is supposed to be achieved. That isnt to say dearMoon is not a momentous endeavor on its own for the future of space travel. They are going to orbit the moon after all. In one respect, it would be really a compelling shiftsuddenly we had a crew of civilians that went [to the moon] and did it even before NASA sent an Artemis crew to the moon. So I think that in some ways, that would be a very paradigm shifting event, said Adkins. The Most Incredible Honor The significance of what the first civilian mission to the moon might mean for space this century is not at all lost on Hall. Its just the most incredible honor filled with so much gratitude, and I cant even comprehend it. During our conversation, he said he often thinks back to his maternal grandfathers family immigrating to America as Russian Jews, and how in two generations his grandson is now getting the chance to go into space. And thats a privilege he doesnt take lightly. On a personal level, besides getting to experience microgravity, Hall is most looking forward to understanding and seeing what space does to him at a spiritual and emotional level. Ive thought a lot about like, why are we on this planet? What are we doing? And I just cant wait to feel that out there and ponder those things thousands and thousands of miles away, he said. A moment Im thinking of a lot is when the surface of the moon fills out the window of our spacecraft. I cant even imagine what thats going to feel like. Hes especially bullish about the opportunity to share that with a crew he has quickly gotten to know, and whom hes excited to take this venture with. As Hall tells it, the crew is aware of the kinds of critiques being lobbed at the current space industry these days. And they are trying to brainstorm ways to do something that can address those concerns. I know something were excited to do is represent great stewardship to the planet, he said. Were going to figure out some really cool ways we can try to represent that. Courtesy of Brendan Hall For now, however, the missions schedule is still in limbo. Officially, dearMoon is slated to launch before the years end, but almost nobody believes that timeline will hold. And the crew is still awaiting instructions for training. Hall has spent the last few months acclimating to a newfound mini-celebrity status and navigating the surreality of the experience. Im still finding that balance between being a crew member whos public facing, and being a filmmaker, which requires me to stay as low-key as I can, he said. Thursdays explosion hasnt deterred him one bit. And Adkins hopes that SpaceX proceeds cautiouslyfor the crews sake, as well as the stability of the space industry. SpaceXs Starship May Finally Be Ready to Fly to the Moonif It Doesnt Blow Up Anytime we send civilians to space, I get very, very nervous, she said. A disastrous outcome would really change the narrative about how we think about space opening up to the masses more broadly. So I just hope that whatever timeline SpaceX pursues, I hope that theyre making sure theyre really ready before they proceed. Risks and all, Hall seems resolute in his decision, and is embracing the experience in its entiretyemotions and all. I was crying when the rocket got off the pad, he said. We all really believe this is actually going to work. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. As rescuers worked to save an unconscious swimmer in significant medical distress, a hiker in the gorge ran up to them and said people were yelling for help farther down the trail, New York firefighters say. Officials originally responded to a report of a distressed swimmer just after 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, at the dam at Six Mile Creek Park, Ithaca Fire Department said in a news release. Firefighters found the unconscious swimmer, who was in need of evacuation. Rescuers began providing medical care to the person during the complex extraction from the gorge to an ambulance, the fire department said. As first responders worked to evacuate the swimmer, another hiker alerted them to the second group yelling for help, according to the department. Once the swimmer was secured, firefighters said they began to search for the second group and found a person trapped on a steep slope. Firefighters pulled the person from the slope and escorted the group from the trails natural area. As the weather becomes sunnier and warmer, IFD would like to remind people to enjoy the gorges and natural areas safely, the department said. Stay on trails, dont swim in unsafe areas, carry a cell phone, and know where you are in case you need to call for help. Ithaca is about 60 miles south of Syracuse. How to be prepared while hiking If youre planning to hike, the National Park Service says there are 10 essentials you should take: Navigation: Pack a map, compass and a GPS system. Make sure you study your route beforehand and understand how to use the tools. Sun protection: Sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat can help protect your skin and eyes from UV rays. Insulation: A jacket, hat, gloves, raincoat and thermal underwear can help you be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions. Illumination: A flashlight, lantern and headlamp can create light if you get stuck in the dark and dont forget to pack extra batteries. First-aid supplies: Its a good idea to have a first-aid kit on hand while hiking. Check the expiration date on items before you pack them. Fire: Matches and a lighter can help start fire to act as an emergency signal in times of need. Repair kit and tools: Duct tape, a knife, screwdriver and scissors can be helpful if items break during your hike or you need assistance. Nutrition: You should pack an extra days worth of food in case something goes wrong. Park officials recommend having salty and easy to digest snacks. Hydration: You should drink water often and before you feel thirsty if youre hiking in hot weather. Keeping your body hydrated is of utmost importance, park officials said. Emergency shelter: Packing a tent, space blanket, tarp and bivy can help you be prepared if severe weather breaks out or your plan takes a turn. Story continues Search for missing boaters leads to capsized vessel and three bodies, Coast Guard says Mountain biker plunges 30 feet off CA trail and gets stranded. See dramatic rescue Last-minute call on dying phone leads rescuers to woman trapped by rising tide in CA An American Airlines flight headed to Phoenix on Sunday morning was rerouted back to its departure airport in Columbus, Ohio, for an emergency landing after a bird strike reportedly caused the plane's engine to catch fire, officials said. No one was injured, and the plane landed safely at John Glenn Columbus International Airport after 8 a.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement to CBS News. The agency is investigating the incident. The plane, a Boeing 737 commercial jet, returned to the airport on Sunday about 30 minutes after its initial takeoff at around 7:45 a.m., according to the tracking site FlightAware. It was traveling to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and flying over Upper Arlington, another Ohio city roughly five miles outside of Columbus, when it started to turn back, CBS affiliate WBNS reported. John Glenn International Airport acknowledged the incident on Twitter. "Emergency crews responded to an aircraft incident at CMH this morning involving a reported engine fire," the airport wrote in a tweet. "The aircraft landed safely and the airport is open and operational." Emergency crews responded to an aircraft incident at CMH this morning involving a reported engine fire. The aircraft landed safely and the airport is open and operational. pic.twitter.com/EeCJzfbVjA John Glenn Intl Airport (@columbusairport) April 23, 2023 Ryan Brink, who was on the flight, recorded a video through one of the plane windows that seemed to show sparks coming from the right engine. He posted the video to Facebook along with several photos of the plane, which appeared to have blood spattered across one side. / Credit: Ryan Brink "Damn geese!" Brink captioned the post on Facebook. "First time seeing a fire and being involved in an emergency landing!" Story continues Marni Kallestad, who was on the flight, told CBS News she was "extremely concerned when I saw the flames. They were shooting out pretty large at a certain point, and I started to think, 'we might not make this.'" American Airlines did not provide details about what caused the emergency landing but attributed the incident to "a mechanical issue" in a statement to CBS News. "The flight landed normally and taxied safely to the gate under its own power," the airline said. "The aircraft was taken out of service for maintenance and our team is working to get customers back on their way to PHX. Safety is our top priority and we thank our customers for their understanding." Pilots reported more than 17,000 wildlife strikes in the U.S. last year, which is a fraction of the more than 36 million flights monitored by the FAA. Planes are designed to be able to fly with just one engine, CBS News aviation safety analyst Robert Sumwalt said. New skimmers can steal data from chip cards How banks investigate skimming EPA to propose new limits on power plant emissions James Gordon Meek is interviewed on the Reel Talker YouTube channel (Screenshot / YouTube / Reel Talker) A former ABC News producer who was arrested and charged with transporting child sexual abuse materials, knew the girl he was interacting with was a minor, new documents revealed. James Gordon Meek, who was arrested last year in Arlington, Virginia, is accused of sharing graphic child abuse fantasies and exchanging images and videos of child sexual abuse with users on the messaging app Kik. Now, newly unsealed letters between the FBI and Mr Meek's defence attorneys have revealed that a 16-year-old girl told investigators that he sexted with her despite her telling him she was underage, according to a report by The Daily Beast. Naked and partially naked photos of the teenager, which included her Snapchat username in the corner of the screenshots, were recovered from a phone during a raid at Mr Meek's home last year in Arlington, Virginia. The raid was conducted by the FBI after the agency received a tip that child abuse materials were allegedly found in a Dropbox linked to a username associated with Mr Meek. The agency at the time found devices containing hundreds of images of children engaged in sexual acts. The new documents do not reveal how Mr Meek and the teen first came into contact or what their level of contact was, according to The Daily Beast, but the investigators discovered saved Snapchat messages between the two. Those messages did not include photos and were not the entirety of their conversations. In the unsealed letter, the Department of Justice wrote to Mr Meeks defence attorneys that the girl referred to only as IDENTIFIED MINOR 2 told investigators in a recorded interview that she shared her age with Mr Meek when she was still 16. According to the FBI, the girl told investigators that she felt pressured by an account believed to have belonged to Mr Meek and from other men to send sexually explicit photos. If convicted on charges of transporting images of child sexual abuse, the 53-year-old former investigative producer for ABC News could be sent to prison for up to 20 years. Support local journalism. Unlock unlimited digital access to floridatoday.com Click here and subscribe today. A former Florida Institute of Technology department head faces charges of lewd and lascivious behavior and aggressive stalking of a minor after he was caught photographing girls at the Viera Walmart earlier this month, a probable cause affidavit said. David Andrew "Andy" Knight, 60, of Rockledge was placed on administrative leave and resigned after his arrest, Florida Tech spokesperson Wes Sumner said in an email. University officials barred Knight from campus and instructed him to have no contact with students, Sumner said. "His teaching and other academic responsibilities are being addressed by other faculty through the end of the semester," he said in the email. More: Inmate wearing green fluorescent clothing escapes from DOC work release camp in Sharpes More: Cocoa woman dies, 4 hurt after SUV crashes into water-filled ditch in Merritt Island NWR The Florida Institute of Technology logo. Knight was released from the Brevard County Jail Complex on $7,000 bond on Tuesday, and he will be arraigned May 16 at the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Justice Center in Viera. He also faces a disorderly conduct charge. Florida Tech officials declined further comment on Knight's arrest. He was a faculty member and head of the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and Sciences. About noon April 16, a Brevard County Sheriffs Office deputy responded to the Viera Walmart on North Wickham Road. The stores loss-prevention staffers had called 911 and requested Knight be removed from the property, the affidavit said. Knight had followed juvenile girls around the store and photographed them while pushing a shopping cart for about 1 hours, a loss-prevention employee told the deputy. During questioning, Knight admitted to taking photos of young girls and masturbating inside the store, the affidavit said. He was arrested and transported to jail without incident. Story continues Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1 Support local journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Former Florida Tech faculty member charged with lewd behavior at Walmart The ex-Louisville Metro Police Department officer who shot and killed Breonna Taylor during a botched raid is working for another Kentucky law enforcement agency, according to Louisville media outlets. Myles Cosgrove is now employed with the Carroll County Sheriffs Department in Carrollton, Kentucky, according to WHAS11. Cosgrove was fired from LMPD in January 2021 for failure to use body camera during the raid on Taylors apartment, and for violating use-of-force procedures. Former Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly and detectives Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison fired a total of 32 rounds into Taylors home. Six shots from Mattingly and Cosgrove struck Taylor, with the fatal shot coming from Cosgrove. Cosgrove appealed the decision, but it was upheld by the LMPD Merit Board. An appeal filed in Jefferson Circuit Court also ruled the Merit Board decision was justified, WAVE reported. According to WDRB, Cosgrove was not criminally charged for the Taylor raid. The Kentucky Law Enforcement Council did not revoke his police certification. Louisville news outlet WAVE reported that Cosgrove was hired in Carroll County on April 20. Armstrong Academy fourth grade students and their teacher David Pendleton kick off the student-led Spikes2Utah letter writing campaign during a press conference at the school in West Valley City on Friday, April 7, 2023. The Golden Spike, the ceremonial final spike driven to join the rails of the transcontinental railroad, is not in Utah but instead housed at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University in California. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Somewhere within the walls of Stanford Universitys Cantor Arts Center lies a very important piece of Utahs history. And the movement to bring that piece of history back to the Beehive State is being led by a fourth grade class at Neil Armstrong Academy. We believe that the golden spike, the silver spike and the hammer that was used in the ceremony at Promontory ... in 1869 belong here in Utah, said Jaden Chadwick, a fourth grader at the school. Despite Utah playing a historic role in the construction of the transcontinental railroad, the golden spike the ceremonial final spike driven to link the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads together and with the rest of the nation on May 10, 1869 is not in Utah but instead housed at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University in California. During a family trip to San Francisco that included visiting the center to view the golden spike, Neil Armstrong Academy fourth grade teacher David Pendleton was disappointed to find out that there wasnt much to the display or even an explanation of why it was historical associated with the golden spike, despite it being an important part of Utah and U.S. history. That really puzzled me because, to us, its a huge deal. Its like a big part of Utah history and we learn about it each year in fourth grade, Pendleton said. Through this, the Spikes2Utah campaign was born. Pendleton created a writing assignment for his students to write persuasive letters to the Cantor Arts Center to try and convince them that the golden spike deserves an honored place in Utah. Soon, this simple assignment grew into an all-out letter-writing campaign led by the students, requesting that the golden spike, silver spike, and silver maul (hammer) be returned to Utah. As people visit the museum at Stanford University, they might not know what the spike is when they see it, said Ari Thomas, a fourth grader. The spikes are really important (and) the history behind them is really important, too. It matters to us Utahns. We believe that history is calling the spikes home. Story continues Armstrong Academy fourth grade students wear railroad hats as they kick off the student-led Spikes2Utah letter writing campaign during a press conference at the school in West Valley City on Friday, April 7, 2023. The Golden Spike, the ceremonial final spike driven to join the rails of the transcontinental railroad, is not in Utah but instead housed at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University in California. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News The class has worked with media companies and utilized billboards, radio ads, TV ads and social media to spread the word and get as many people as possible to write letters. Pendleton said the initial goal was to get 5,000 letters from around the state something even Pendletons own son believed was a lofty task. When asked if he thought it was possible, Joseph Pendleton, another fourth grader at the school, said, No offense to my dad, but no. Now, the class thinks they can get even more than 5,000 letters. The class has shared its goal with all the schools across the state and has been working to get the general public on board with the campaign through ads, a student-designed website, a Twitter account and Facebook page dedicated to the cause, and a press conference on Friday. We believe that with that engagement, we can get well over 5,000 (letters), Pendleton said, adding that the deadline to write a letter is May 10 . Through the campaign, Pendleton said that the class has hit 21 language arts standards, along with standards in social studies, fine arts, visual technology, communication, marketing and civic engagement. Were not trying to disparage or criticize Stanford University or the Cantor Arts Center in any way, but we do believe that that part of history belongs here in Utah, Pendleton said. If the students are successful in their campaign, the hope is that the spikes and maul will be able to eventually reside in a new building meant to house Utahs history being constructed adjacent to the Utah State Capitol. Utah celebrated the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad with a ceremony attended by 38,000 people in 2019 at Golden Spike National Historical Park. I am so proud of these kids, Pendleton said. They have been working so hard over the last several weeks on this campaign, writing and brainstorming and filming and they have been awesome. He added, Whether were successful or not in the campaign, of course, we really hope that we are, the learning that has happened along the way is just incredible for these students. Theyre going to be able to draw on that hopefully for the rest of their lives. Anyone looking to join in on the movement can do so by submitting a letter of their own here. How can you bring the spikes home? You can write a letter, said Jacob McKenna, a fourth grader at Neil Armstrong Academy. You can write about how Utah became the crossroads of the West because of the transcontinental railroad being completed here. You can ask them to send the spikes back to Utah. For years now, American politics has been clouded by the Big Lie, former President Donald Trumps baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him. This lie was what led to the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6. It is also the reason most people in the Intermountain West said they were seriously concerned about further Jan. 6-style violence in the near future, when polled by the Frank Church Institute in 2021. This week, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems the makers of ballot machines that were at the center of conspiracy theories about how this vote-stealing was supposed to work nearly $790 million to settle a defamation lawsuit alleging that it had intentionally lied to the American public. Its not hard to see why Fox offered such an astoundingly large settlement: Its clear from text messages released in the discovery process that people at Fox News knew the Big Lie was a falsehood and decided to spread it anyway. Nearly $1 billion is a lot of money, but its worth it not to have to get on the stand and be questioned about those text and email messages. And its also clear why. Fox was scared that telling the truth would alienate its audience. Fox had been the first major news organization to call Arizona for Joe Biden (and, though this call was correct in the end, theres quite a good argument that both Fox and the Associated Press were premature, as New York Times analyst Nate Cohn laid out.) The decision to call the race in Arizona enraged significant sections of Foxs audience, which had top executives in distress. Getting creamed by CNN! Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch wrote in an email to Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Fox. Guess our viewers dont want to watch it. Hard enough for me! Theyll return. (Not for Chris Wallace!) The Big Lie has been central to Idaho politics for some time. Two of the three main Republican nominees for secretary of state embraced it. Luckily, Phil McGrane won the race, but not by so much that its certain he would have defeated the election deniers if they hadnt split the vote on the far right. Story continues Its also filtered down into legislative efforts, generally under the guise of eliminating some vague category of fraud that no one has ever seen take place. Only one terrible election bill succeeded this year: banning the use of student IDs for voting purposes. A lawsuit seeks to have it declared unconstitutional. Even worse proposals, supposedly aimed at tamping down fraud but effective only at tamping down legitimate voting, came close to being enacted. There was House Bill 205, which would have eliminated absentee voting for people in most situations, leaving it open to active duty military, people with second homes, people on religious missions and a few other favored categories. Thankfully, the House rejected the bill but 30 representatives supported it, including Speaker Mike Moyle. House Bill 137 would have eliminated the ability to cast a provisional ballot with an affidavit guaranteeing their identity, in the event they forgot their ID at home. That bill was also supported by Moyle and would have passed if only two representatives had switched their votes from no to yes. Enough. Its never been more apparent than it is today that the Big Lie deserves its name. Lets hope those who once espoused it will look at Fox News record-breaking settlement and finally get the message: There are 790 million reasons they should never have taken claims of widespread election fraud seriously in the first place. Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe and newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser. PARIS (Reuters) -France, Ukraine and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania expressed dismay after China's ambassador in Paris questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet countries like Ukraine. Asked about his position on whether Crimea is part of Ukraine or not, Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye said in an interview aired on French television on Friday that historically it was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. "These ex-USSR countries don't have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status," Shaye added. France responded on Sunday by stating its "full solidarity" with all the allied countries affected, which it said had acquired their independence "after decades of oppression". "On Ukraine specifically, it was internationally recognized within borders including Crimea in 1991 by the entire international community, including China," a foreign ministry spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that China will have to clarify whether these comments reflect its position or not. The three Baltic states and Ukraine, all formerly part of the Soviet Union, reacted along the same lines as France. "It is strange to hear an absurd version of the 'history of Crimea' from a representative of a country that is scrupulous about its thousand-year history," Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior Ukrainian presidential aide, wrote on Twitter. "If you want to be a major political player, do not parrot the propaganda of Russian outsiders." China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. (Reporting by John Irish and Ryan Woo, Writing by Juliette Jabkhiro, Editing by Hugh Lawson) Photo: . To better understand the effects of climate change in British Columbias remote, rural and Indigenous communities, a team from some of B.Cs notable universities has received $1 million in funding from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS). The team from SFU, the University of Victoria (UVic) and partner organizations will use the $1 million to study climate solutions for rural, remote and Indigenous communities in B.C. as part of the Serving Rural & Remote Communities: Co-developing Place-Based Climate Resilient Solutions project. At a time when the world is facing the adverse effects of climate change, this project will investigate how rural and Indigenous communities will be impacted and what they require to flourish. The $1 million, four-year project, undertaken by the interdisciplinary team of researchers from Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, the University of Waterloo and University of Washington. They will also work with representatives from the First Nations Housing and Infrastructure Council, BC Housing and Technical Safety BC. The focus of the project is on preparing communities, people and economies for the coming climate impacts, noted principal investigator Nancy Olewiler, professor of public policy at SFU, in a press release. Olewilers team includes Maya Gislason of SFUs faculty of health sciences, professors David Bristow and Andrew Pape Salmon of UVics department of civil engineering. Olewiler noted that while people living in urban areas feel the effects of climate change in heat waves and extreme rain, their remote and rural counterparts face a larger variety of risks including wildfires, floods and landslides. The project aims to empower these underserved communities and come up with ways to create better housing and improve safety measures in the face of climate change. Over the course of the next four years, the teams aim is to merge place-based traditional knowledge, or Indigenous science, with academic research, to design a framework for changes in housing policy and safety regulation for technical safety within buildings, which could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and risks associated with climate change for these communities. Bristow added it is critical to pair technical knowledge from partner organizations with local knowledge among rural, remote and Indigenous communities to attain project success. Michael Sadler, executive director of the First Nations Housing and Infrastructure Council, said,We know we need to assist our Nations to create housing thats resilient and responsive to climate change. This resilience is not new for Indigenous Peoples. We have been expert builders from time immemorial, constructing advanced technological solutions for our respective locations and climates. The team will host a workshop for rural and remote First Nations in May to introduce research goals to the community and explore shared interests and help develop community partners. Michael MacDowell The affirmation by President Biden that Social Security will not be touched during high level discussions regarding the debt ceiling was iterated by leading Republicans. However, economists seem to agree that taking Social Security reforms off the table ignores fiscal problems that are inevitable. The good news is that Social Security is not in as bad a shape as the government pensions in France, where raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 caused demonstrations and strikes. French retirees live a good life. In 2014 the disposable income of a French retiree was 106% of what an average French worker received. Like many developed countries, demographics is working against the French. The ratio of working people to retirees has diminished making what many would consider an opulent government pension system impossible to continue. Raising the retirement age is the first but will not be the last step the French government will need to make to stave off retirement system bankruptcy. How did the French end up in such a situation? The French pension system was established in the 1940s. At that time, the retirement age was set at 65. Various French unions (today there are 42 of them) initially ran their pension system on behalf of the state. These unions increased payouts without commensurate increases in payroll taxes. Like Social Security, the French system is partially based upon investment earnings, and increasingly dependent upon taxes from younger workers. Socialist President Francois Mitterrand worsened this fiscal situation. In the 1980s he lowered the retirement age from 65 to 60. He also created the Ministry of Free Time whose responsibility was to enhance leisure activities and vacations. Today French, fortunate enough to have retired, enjoy themselves, while successive French governments worry about how generous retirements can be supported over time. Many Americans shake their heads at both the early retirement age and the size of the monthly pension checks French receive. Some also ask, could it happen here? There are substantial differences between our Social Security system and the pension system in France, but there are lessons to be learned. Social Security allows individuals to retire and collect payments at 62. There are, however, proportional and substantial increases in monthly payments if one waits until 70 to retire. Overall payments are not as generous as they are in France. Story continues More importantly, in the U.S. there are more public and private retirement systems that exist as substitutes for, or supplements to Social Security. Municipal workers, teachers and local/state public employees enjoy their own retirement systems. They neither pay into, nor benefit from federal Social Security. This reduces the administrative and financial burden on Social Security. Further, there are a variety of IRS-sanctioned public and private retirement plans, i.e., 401(K)s. The investment returns for these plans have historically been higher than that paid by the U.S. Treasury bonds, the only investment option offered to the Social Security Administration It is no doubt a good thing to require that Americans save for their retirement. However, if we are going to do so, then we should give them the option of investing at least a portion of their savings in American firms via the stock market rather than a sinking Social Security system. Since 1950 the S&P index has earned about 10% per year, far outperforming the Social Security Trust Fund returns. Establishing required IRA style retirement savings, as part of our government-run Social Security system, would go a long way to assure adequate retirement income for Americans. Such a system would have the added benefit of helping Americans better understand how the market economy benefits them directly. For instance, there might be public outcries against proposed federal legislation banning stock buybacks by corporations. Buybacks enhance the value of a companys stock adding to current and prospective retirees retirement funds. While the American and French retirement systems are different, the French lesson to be learned is do not be complacent about the effect that inevitable demographic changes and poor government management is having on our Social Security system. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we should not only touch Social Security; we should also fix it. Michael A. MacDowell is president emeritus of Misericordia University and a director of the Calvin K. Kazanjian Economics Foundation. He lives in Estero. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: A French lesson to be learned about our Social Security More than 100 people have been evacuated from Sudan on the first French flight out of the war-hit country after a "complicated" rescue operation, French officials said on Sunday. According to a Djibouti airport source, 106 people landed in Djibouti by late afternoon, while a French official said another flight was on the way. "A plane has landed and another is in the air", each plane allowing the evacuation of "a hundred people", the French military said. The first rescue flight to Djibouti carried citizens from Britain, France, Germany, and Switzerland as well as African nations such as Ethiopia and Morocco, an official from the foreign ministry said on condition of anonymity. And the foreign ministry in Athens said France had helped it evacuated some of its citizens, including two wounded. "They're tired, tense, but very relieved to have arrived safe and sound," he said. The evacuees had to cross the frontline of fighting around the capital Khartoum to board the planes, with the French embassy helping negotiate a ceasefire with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that is battling the army. "I must stress the complicated nature of this operation," the official said. Some 150 troops were deployed including "elements of protection, others of reconnaissance, logistical support and medical personnel", in a "volatile situation", where the two sides "continue to wage war, even during the truces", the French general staff said. - Closed airspace - Reconnaissance operations were carried out to "secure" the routes taken by the civilians to get to an airport in the Khartoum region, said this source. Asked about unconfirmed reports that a French national had been injured on Sunday when the rescue convoy was fired upon, a defence ministry official declined to comment. "With the operation ongoing, we do not want to comment on this type of rumour," an official from the defence ministry said, speaking during the same briefing with reporters. Story continues They gave details of the long planning process and negotiations leading up to Sunday's operations. Locating French and other foreign nationals has been difficult because of the lack of phone network coverage and electricity. An evacuation mission by road was considered, but then discarded due to security concerns as well as the difficulties in supplying it with food and fuel. Once the airborne option was chosen, President Emmanuel Macron called his Ethiopian counterpart to request permission for the flights to use Ethiopian air space on their way to Djibouti. "We had difficulties with some countries which had closed their air space," the foreign ministry official said. A doctor was on board the French plane to assist evacuees, many of whom were "understandably psychologically affected" by their ordeal in Khartoum where food and fuel are in short supply, the official added. Other French rescue flights are expected on Monday morning. jf-adp/gw/jj British soldiers attend the Winter Camp 23 military drills near Tapa, Estonia, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. The Winter Camp exercises are regular drills conducted by NATO's multinational battle group in Estonia led by the United Kingdom. AP Photo/Sergei Grits Russia's war in Ukraine has NATO's Baltic states concerned that they might one day be next. To avoid being caught unprepared, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania want to increase their security. Officials say they need more troops, air-defense systems, and other weapons as protection. Russia's devastating invasion of Ukraine has sent shockwaves through NATO's Baltic members, who fear they could become future targets of Russian aggression. These countries along the military alliance's front line are now scrambling to make sure they're protected should the Russian military ever come knocking. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have all increased their defense spending, and NATO has boosted its presence in the region as a result of the Ukraine war. But in recent interviews with Insider, prime ministers and top government officials from these three countries said their militaries still need additional security guarantees and combat capabilities. "There is an imminent need of a stronger NATO presence in our region," Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said. Russia "is an existential threat particularly to our region countries, but in a broader sense to all Europe." The three Baltic states, nestled in the northeastern corner of the European continent, were part of the former Soviet Union before its collapse in 1991. Even before Russia launched its assault on Ukraine in February 2022, these three countries warned that Moscow posed a tremendous threat to Europe. Collectively, the Baltics share a border with Russia that spans over 500 miles and another border that is slightly longer with Belarus, which is seen by many Western observers as a Russian puppet state. Lithuania, the most southern of the Baltic states, also shares a small border with a tiny militarized Russian exclave called Kaliningrad. That proximity is disconcerting for these states. For nearly 14 months, the Russian military has been bogged down by its grinding war in Ukraine. Western intelligence estimates Russia has likely suffered well over 200,000 casualties, and a senior Pentagon official said in February that Moscow will likely emerge from the fight as a "shattered military power." Story continues But Russian struggles in Ukraine are little comfort to officials in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, who worry that if they don't act now, they could be caught unprepared if Russian President Vladimir Putin ever decides to wage war on NATO and pick the Baltics as his opening battleground. More boots on the ground Some leaders in the Baltic countries have said that they ultimately want to host more NATO troops, including permanent brigades, in the years to come. The idea is that a larger troop presence could serve as a critical first line of defense in the event of a Russian attack, holding off the Russian advance until other alliance forces arrive. According to a June 2022 NATO fact sheet, the three Baltic states each host a multinational battlegroup ranging in size from between 1,400 to 1,900 troops. In addition to the manpower provided by these units, they also have tanks, armored fighting vehicles, heavy artillery pieces, and other military hardware. "These battlegroups are multinational, and combat-ready, demonstrating the strength of the transatlantic bond," the NATO fact sheet reads. "Their presence makes clear that an attack on one Ally will be considered an attack on the whole Alliance." Soldiers of the German armed forces Bundeswehr are seen on a camouflaged Boxer armoured fighting vehicle during an exercise of the German contingent of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence on March 7, 2023 in Pabrade, Lithuania. Photo by TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images Last year's Madrid summit saw NATO members agree to allocate more troops to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, with a brigade-size unit which can be up to 5,000 troops assigned to protect each country. Most of these troops are not permanently stationed in the countries but are trained and ready to deploy there if needed, with the idea being that they could respond quickly if the Baltic nations were attacked. These measures are part of a larger effort from the military alliance to boost its force presence in member countries near Russia. A NATO official told Insider that its defense posture has been shifting constantly since 2014, when Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula after invading Ukraine. This aggressive action prompted the alliance to send battlegroups to Poland and the Baltics, marking the "first time" combat-ready troops were sent to the east. "NATO is committed to protect and defend every inch of Allied territory, and we are adjusting our presence in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine," the official told Insider. "As part of a major overhaul, we doubled the number of battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance, put 40,000 troops under NATO command, deployed more jets and warships, and we are increasing the number of our high readiness forces to several hundred thousand." Still, the Baltics want to see a more permanent troop presence. How exactly NATO's presence could best be boosted in the region is unclear, but the topic is likely to be one discussed at NATO's upcoming annual summit in July. Increasing NATO's boots on the ground is a "constant concern" for Lithuania to be able to deter Moscow, Vaidotas Urbelis, the country's defense policy director, told Insider. "In terms of presence, we have to increase our own forces. That's why we are investing so heavily in defense. But NATO defenses are a common task. It's a collective defense. And a light presence is critical here." Belgian troops participate in the NATO Iron Wolf military exercises on October 26, 2022 in Pabrade, Lithuania. Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images Lithuania has asked for the permanent deployment of a German brigade to the country, something its defense minister, Arvydas Anusauskas, said is necessary given the country's shared borders with Russian ally Belarus and the Kaliningrad exclave. Lithuania can't rely solely on reinforcements that will come in after the war starts it needs reliable forces already in place, he argued. And Reinsalu, Estonia's foreign minister, told Insider that he hopes the upcoming summit will "give us additional forces." Air-defense systems, ammunition, and anti-tank weapons More troops aren't the only things on the Baltic wish list. Reinsalu said NATO's eastern flank, which is made up of the Baltic states, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria, needs greater air defense capabilities. He explained that there needs to be a boost in regional air defense and missile defense systems and a rotation of "systematic and sustainable" capabilities. "We know where we need stronger protection," Lithuania's Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte told Insider. "Air defense systems are one of the most important elements that are still missing." Layered and integrated air-defense systems which can protect against aircraft and missiles are critical for the region, Jim Townsend, the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO Policy, told Insider. But beyond that, these countries will also need adequate stocks of ammunition and weapons to protect against tanks and armored personnel carriers, weapon systems like the American-made FGM-148 Javelin or FIM-92 Stinger. Two Reduced-Range Practice Rockets (RRPR), fired from an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), fly over the Baltic Sea during a Latvian-led combined military exercise in Liepaja, Latvia, Sept. 27, 2022. US Army photo by Spc. Ellison Schuman The likelihood of a Russian assault on the Baltics is unclear. Russian forces are struggling in Ukraine and appear unlikely, at least in the near term, to spread themselves even more thin or give NATO a reason to become directly involved in the conflict. Still, the Baltics feel a need to be prepared just in case, particularly given Russia's demonstrated pattern of aggression against its neighbors. And they say that if Russian forces win in Ukraine either through an outright military victory or by dragging the conflict out such that Western support is eroded and Russia gains control over chunks of territory then Moscow is likely to turn to another country next. "Russia is the most direct threat to European security right now," Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Insider. "No country in the world can then feel safe next to an aggressive neighbor." The Baltic states would likely be the most vulnerable to a Russian attack on the rest of Europe, so the aim is to "increase the pain" that would be inflicted on Moscow if it tried to wage war, Townsend said. He said the strategy has essentially been to turn these countries into "porcupines," a term that has sometimes been used to describe the defense of Taiwan against neighboring China. Soldiers from Royal Welsh Battlegroup take part in maneuvers during NATO exercise Hedgehog on the Estonian Latvian border on May 26, 2022 in Voru, Estonia. Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images While war is probably unlikely, the Russians are still unpredictable, Townsend said. "You have to hedge, you have to be ready for anything," he added. "And that will lead us to trying to strengthen the three Balts even stronger in order to make Putin understand that the pain would be unacceptable for him to absorb if he were to try something against the Balts." The Russian threat is worse now than it was before As the Baltic states seek a greater military presence on the ground, they're also keeping a close watch on defense spending in their own countries, and across NATO in general. NATO's guideline for defense expenditure as part of a member's GDP sat at 2 percent last year. Many countries fell short of this goal, but the Baltic states all exceeded it for the year a sign of just how serious they are about Russia's threatening actions. The Baltic government officials have said that they want to raise the target percentage across the military alliance to 2.5 percent in the future. And they are keen for allies to know how much their own spending has been increased. Flags of member nations flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert "We need to ensure that we do everything on our side so that our partners would not think that we are free riders on American guarantees," Simonyte told Insider of Lithuania's efforts to avoid seeming like it's piggybacking on other NATO members. And work is underway. As one example of efforts in these states to build-up their capabilities, the Baltics have all sought to purchase US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, which Ukrainian forces have found success in using to hit key Russian positions. Historically, these countries have been "under-defended" and "not spending as much on defense as they should have been," Townsend said. But after Russia first annexed Crimea, the Baltic defense spending and training went up, and while the war in Ukraine drags on, NATO has increased its forward presence forces there. So as the threat landscape continues to shift, the Baltic defense has adapted along with it, Townsend said. "The Balts had always been worried about their vulnerability. NATO had been worried about their vulnerability too," he said. "But the Russian threat hadn't appeared to the extent that it has now." Read the original article on Business Insider A Freeze Warning has been issued for Auglaize, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery Preble, Shelby, Warren, Union (IN), and Wayne (IN) Counties from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Monday, April 24. Photo from: McCall Vrydaghs/Staff QUICK-LOOK FORECAST: FREEZE WARNING Monday Morning Cooler than normal all week Few sprinkles & showers at times. >> TRACK THE CONDITIONS WITH LIVE DOPPLER 7 DETAILED FORECAST: TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a stray sprinkle possible. Storm Center 7 Chief Meteorologist McCall Vrydaghs says patchy frost to develop in spots by morning. Photo from: McCall Vrydaghs/Staff Photo from: McCall Vrydaghs/Staff MONDAY: A cold start with some patchy frost possible, then partly sunny and cool for the afternoon. Photo from: McCall Vrydaghs/Staff A stray sprinkle or flurry is possible. Highs in the middle 50s. Photo from: McCall Vrydaghs/Staff TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy and still cooler than normal on Tuesday. Slight chance of a passing shower across the north. Highs around 60 degrees. WEDNESDAY: A dry day with a bit more sunshine for Wednesday. Highs back to the upper 50s. THURSDAY: Chance of some showers late, otherwise partly cloudy with highs in the lower 60s. FRIDAY: Partly sunny and cool with a shower possible. Highs in the lower 60s. SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy with some showers. Highs in the lower 60s. SUNDAY: A few more showers expected, otherwise mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 50s. By Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi TOKYO (Reuters) - The Group of Seven (G7) economic powers called on Sunday for the "extension, full implementation and expansion" of a critical deal to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, the group's agriculture ministers said in a communique. Brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, the deal was signed in Istanbul last July, allowing Ukraine to export more than 27 million tonnes of grain from several of its Black Sea ports. Russia, which invaded its neighbour in February 2022, has strongly signalled that it will not allow the deal to continue beyond May 18 because a list of demands to facilitate its own grain and fertilizer exports has not been met. In the communique after a two-day meeting in Miyazaki, Japan, the G7 agriculture ministers "recognised the importance" of the deal, saying: "We strongly support the extension, full implementation and expansion of (the Black Sea Grain Initiative) BSGI." "We condemn Russia's attempts to use food as a means of destabilisation and as tool of geopolitical coercion and reiterate our commitment to acting in solidarity and supporting those most affected by Russia's weaponisation of food," the communique said. G7 members "stand ready" to support recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including by providing expertise in de-mining of agricultural land and reconstruction of agricultural infrastructure, the document said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to discuss the Ukraine Black Sea grain export deal with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York this week. (Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi; Editing by William Mallard) The G7 countries have called for the prolongation, full implementation and expansion of the crucial agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. Source: Reuters, citing a communique of the G7 agriculture ministers Quote: "We [the G7 agriculture ministers ed.] strongly support the extension, full implementation and expansion of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. We condemn Russia's attempts to use food as a means of destabilisation and as a tool of geopolitical coercion and reiterate our commitment to acting in solidarity and supporting those most affected by Russia's weaponisation of food." Details: The G7 agriculture ministers have agreed on a joint communique during a two-day meeting in Miyazaki, Japan. The document also stresses that the G7 members are ready to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction, in particular by providing expert assistance in clearing mines on agricultural land and renovating agricultural infrastructure. Background: On 17 April, the Russian side blocked ship inspections in Turkish territorial waters for the second time. During the meeting, representatives of Ukraine and Turkiye agreed to resume registration and inspection of vessels entering Ukrainian ports. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Melnyk He said the 6% figure equated to 18 of Germanys latest A6 version of these main battle tanks. Read also: Germany sends engineering vehicle, trucks, drones to Ukraine Germany has a total of 328 such tanks, Melnyk said. He added that Germany had also sent about 600 armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine, but Ukraine needs many more tanks and infantry fighting vehicles for its offensive. "... They (the Germans) have given to us only 6% of (the tanks) they have, Melnyk said. Read also: Germany delivers 18 Leopard 2s to Ukraine German Defense Minister So why not give us at least 18 more (tanks)? Or better yet, (give us) 50 or 100 tanks? I don't understand why. They could do it... The situation is the same with Wiesel (infantry fighting vehicles). Germany has 300 of these vehicles, but we haven't been given any of them. Yet these are what we need for the offensive. The Ukraine Defense Contact Group of 54 ally nations has supplied to Ukraine over 230 tanks and over 1,550 armoured vehicles, as well as enough other equipment and munitions to satisfy the needs of over nine new armoured brigades, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said following the 11th meeting of the group on April 21. Germany announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine on April 18. It includes Patriot missile launchers with missiles, 16 Zetros trucks and two border guard vehicles. Read also: Ukraine receives first Patriot air defense system from Germany what to know The list of weapons Berlin has already delivered to Ukraine includes 40 Marder armoured personnel carriers, two Bergepanzer 3 and 15 Bergepanzer 2 armoured recovery vehicles, four Dachs engineering vehicles, two Wisent 1 armoured demining vehicles, 34 Gepard self-propelled artillery systems, 50 Dingo armoured personnel carriers, and other weapons. The full public list of German military aid to Ukraine can be viewed here. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A herd of goats went on the lam through downtown San Francisco, stopping traffic and leaving a trail of green poop to Fishermans Wharf, California officials say. The goats, owned by a contractor, were clearing weeds from a hillside when someone cut through the fence on Thursday, April 20, Genevieve Church of City Grazing told SFGate. The man, described as having a mental health crisis, seemed interested in frolicking with them, Tamara Aparton, a spokesperson for the citys Recreation and Parks Department, told the San Francisco Chronicle. The herd escaped and went for a walk down city streets, heading toward Fishermans Wharf, Steven Hing said on NextDoor with a video of police helping round them up. They (the goats) did leave a trail of green poop all the way down to Beach St, Hing wrote. He said the herd caused quite a commotion. Maybe they just wanted to do a tour of the city, Caysee Klipperten wrote on NextDoor, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. City parks workers tried to corral the 40 wayward goats at about 8 a.m., the Los Angeles Times reported. They are not goat herders by trade, but they sort of ran around behind them and started clapping, and they were able to herd them about three blocks to where the park was, Aparton told the publication. A City Grazing worker showed up with a bale of hay to lure the goats back to their enclosure, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Hings video on NextDoor shows a city police cruiser following the goats as they return to their hillside. The goats were just confused and wanted to go back to where they should be, so as soon as they saw someone they knew they trusted, they were willing to follow him and go back, Church told SFGate. Goats are frequently used in San Francisco and other cities to reduce fire dangers by eating grass and weeds before they dry out in summer, CBS News reported. Creature as massive as it is rare seen splashing off UK coast in mesmerizing video Rare mythological creature likely an escaped pet spotted wandering around Wales Moose chases snowboarders down slope after tourists crowded it, Colorado video shows George Mitchell visited Belfast this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement It is not easy to annoy Senator George Mitchell but he was irked by a question about the political stalemate in Northern Ireland 25 years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. During an interview in Belfast this week, he stared at me and shook his head as I suggested more political progress could and should have been made since 1998. He took a breath, reached forward and then hit me... with numbers. "During the Troubles 3,500 were killed in sectarian violence and 50,000 were injured," he said. "In the 25 years since there have been, according to the Northern Ireland police service statistics' agency, about 164 security-related deaths. "Life has improved dramatically." He was making it clear the Good Friday Agreement was not all about good government. It is just as well. The stop-start Stormont assembly is hardly a model for good governance. However, for Senator Mitchell that was never the absolute priority. When he started chairing multi-party talks on a sunny day at the beginning of June 1996, the main issue was life-and-death rather than bread-and-butter politics. His aim was to find something, indeed anything, that the main parties in Belfast could agree on. 'What human enterprise is perfect?' A deal was eventually reached 22 months later on a snowy Friday in April 1998. Looking back on the 30-page document, he said: "Could it have been better? Of course. "What human activity or enterprise is perfect? None. And none will ever be." Pictured with Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern in 1998, George Mitchell has been lauded for his role in the peace talks Senator Mitchell has been lauded locally, nationally and internationally for his role in the negotiations. He was the glue that kept the politicians together amid arguments, walkouts and controversies. It is no exaggeration to say there was a row every week. As one of the few journalists who covered every day of the talks I went through a year's supply of notebooks in a month. There was plenty of news but nothing was really happening. No movement. No progress. Until the final few weeks. Story continues Much has been made about the 11th-hour involvement of three leaders - the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern and US President Bill Clinton. Let me throw in three other names, two of which will be unfamiliar to most readers - Kelly Currie, David Pozorski and Martha Pope. They were Senator Mitchell's team behind the scenes. All Americans, they all gave up two years of their lives to live in Belfast and work with the talks' chair. They stayed at the Europa Hotel in the city at a time when it was still subject to bomb scares. They eventually moved out into rented accommodation, not for security reasons but to try to lead a more normal life. 'Listening is hard when it goes on for years' Martha Pope, a former sergeant-at-arms at the US Senate, was the main adviser. During the final session of the talks when the deal was done and TV cameras were allowed into the conference room, she could be seen at the right-hand shoulder of Senator Mitchell. Where is she now? Back in America, enjoying life as a pastel artist. She now inhabits a much more colourful world than the drab surroundings of Castle Buildings at Stormont where the negotiations took place. A bust of George Mitchell was unveiled at Queen's University Belfast this week - he had been the university's chancellor for 10 years In his keynote speech at the Agreement 25 conference at Queen's University Belfast this week, Senator Mitchell paid tribute to all of his colleagues in the international team which oversaw the talks. He said: "I shared the role with two extraordinary men - the late Harri Holkeri, the former prime minister of Finland, and General John de Chastelain, the former head of the Canadian Defence Forces. "Each of us was well served by small but very able staffs. For me they included Martha Pope, David Pozorski, and Kelly Currie." Together they managed to overcome the language barriers at meetings with politicians from Northern Ireland. Senator Mitchell reflected: "I listened to the same people saying the same things, over and over and over again. "Many of them talked very fast, some in accents I wasn't familiar with. "To improve my understanding I held many, many informal meetings, in my office and theirs, where I said little and listened as much as possible. "Listening, really listening to someone else is hard, especially when it goes on for years. "But it's also a sign of respect. And I respected them for what they were trying to do." George Mitchell was one of the many senior political figures who gathered in Belfast to mark 25 years since the peace deal The respect is mutual. The politicians who negotiated the agreement hold Senator Mitchell in the highest esteem. A bust by the artist Colin Davidson outside Queen's University shows the regard in which the 89-year-old politician-turned-diplomat is held generally. "When you're looking at a statue of yourself you know the end is near," said Senator Mitchell with a smile as the tribute was unveiled. For the past three years he has been suffering from acute leukaemia and has been in and out of hospital. Until the very last moment it was doubtful whether he would make it to Northern Ireland for events marking the 25th anniversary of the agreement. When it looked like he might not be able to travel to Belfast there was a TV studio near his home in Miami put on stand-by for him to be able to contribute remotely. Against the odds, Senator Mitchell made it. Just like in 1998. DES MOINES, Iowa More than a half-dozen Republicans who are or may be running for president took their pitches to religious conservatives at an Iowa cattle call on Saturday thats long been one of the premier stops on the GOP primary calendar. Before a 1,000-person crowd at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalitions spring kickoff, a bevy of midtier candidates seeking to break out of the pack mingled with attendees, many of whom were influential activists across the state. They called for new restrictions on abortion rights and gender-affirming care, and for expanding school choice programs and shutting down the Department of Education. The battle against radical gender ideology is a battle for religious freedom, former Vice President Mike Pence told the crowd. And its a battle that we must fight. Former President Donald Trump at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023, in Clive, Iowa. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) The event was headlined by Donald Trump, who addressed the crowd via a prerecorded video. Absent were Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was addressing the Utah Republican Partys convention, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley two contenders who often poll second and among the top five, respectively, behind the former president among GOP primary voters. Their absence offered more space for candidates and prospective candidates like Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and multibillionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Attendees also heard from presidential candidates Larry Elder, a conservative media personality and failed California gubernatorial candidate, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Perry Johnson, a businessman who failed to win the GOPs gubernatorial nomination in Michigan last year. Former Reps. Will Hurd of Texas and Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who left the Democratic Party in October, gave the appearance they, too, may be interested in a presidential bid, merely by appearing at the Iowa showcase. The constituency at the Faith and Freedom event is key for Republicans. More than 9 in 10 Iowa Republicans identify as Christian, according to Pew Research Center data. In 2020, 3 in 4 white evangelicals backed Trump, a slight dip from 2016, exit polling shows. Story continues If theres a crowd receptive to an anti-abortion message, it would be the voters gathered here. Candidates at the Saturday forum expressed their anti-abortion bona fides but did not get into the weeds for what specific policies they would enact in office. Most important of all, we appointed three justices to the Supreme Court of the United States that sent Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history where it belongs, Pence said. You did that Iowa. And youve given America a new beginning for life. The person who spoke most extensively on abortion was Trump, who has in recent months sought to distance himself from the stringent restrictions being advanced at the state level, though the overturning of Roe v. Wade was only made possible by his three Supreme Court appointments. The anti-abortion rights group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America last week blasted Trump for saying abortion should be decided at the state level. Touting the justices he nominated to the high court, Trump also promoted his historic action to protect the unborn and called himself the most pro-life president in American history. I will stand proudly in defense of innocent life, just as I did for four very powerful, strong years, he said. Because every child born and unborn is a sacred gift from God. Speaking with reporters, Pence said there was room between the former president he served and himself over how abortion should be handled. Of Trump saying abortion rights should be determined at the state level, Pence said, I dont agree with the former president who says this is a states only issue and expressed support for a federal 15-week ban. Weve been given a new beginning for life in this country, he said. Much to the chagrin of some Republicans, abortion has been a hot topic in the party since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion last year, and the 2022 midterms that were in large part defined by the issue. The Republican Party is now seeking to balance the desires of its anti-abortion base with the electoral realities in the general voting pool, where abortion access remains much more popular. Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023, in Clive, Iowa. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) Voters and candidates at the event said they remained steadfast supporters of anti-abortion policies but acknowledged some of the challenges they face in broadly trying to enact the agenda. Iowan Ruth Neubert of Oskaloosa told NBC News she believes some of our Republican friends have gone too far. I am with three granddaughters and one daughter, she said. I definitely have an opinion that if something would happen, incest or rape, absolutely that avenue should be available. Ramaswamy, meanwhile, told NBC News that Republicans need to expand on an agenda that also promotes pro-adoption policies, boosts child care and has greater accountability for men. My view is that more Americans are pro life than will admit it even to themselves, he said. Ahead of the event, Democratic National Committee spokesperson Rhyan Lake condemned the gathering as a roundup of MAGA Republicans whove spent their entire careers pushing for an extreme agenda. Each and every 2024 Republican has doubled down on their exceedingly extreme positions that are out of step with hardworking Americans and can count on being held accountable by voters, Lake added. Some attendees and speakers made note of the high-profile contenders who passed on attending the spring kickoff, which in 2016 drew Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and a host of other Republican presidential aspirants. (Trump, who had yet to declare at that stage of the election cycle, was not present.) Johnson, a long-shot candidate who has not registered in polling, took a moment at the end of his allotted time to say he thought DeSantis is making a huge mistake by not coming here. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who served as a moderator on Saturday, told NBC News before the event that she did not think much of the absences, attributing them to scheduling issues. But she said the gathering offers candidates a chance to connect with many key activists across the state at once. There are some great leaders in that crowd, community activists, volunteers, people who put their blood sweat and tears behind a candidate, she said. And so winning the support of those key activists from around the state I think is very important to a successful caucus campaign. Voters and activists who attended said afterward they were particularly intrigued by Scott and Ramaswamy, who most said they had not heard from before. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks during the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Clive, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall / AP) Lynn Proudfoot, a GOP activist from Des Moines, said he was disappointed DeSantis was not at the event but said he is still undecided on whom to back in Februarys first-in-the-nation caucus. He said he was impressed by Ramaswamy and said the candidates broadly hit on every appealing note for religious voters. I cant say Im much closer to a decision than I ever was, he said. Going to have to just continue to let it play out. I dont think that anybody really was a downer. But while some remained undecided, others said it would be difficult to vote against Trump in a primary. I have so many people telling me that they dont like Trump and theyd never vote for him because they dont like him, Mike Vanderpool, a member of the Warren County Republican Central Committee, said. I was in business my whole life and probably my best employees I never did like. I get that. I mean, youve got to swallow hard sometimes to get what you want. When this guy was president, there was never a day of the week that I didnt feel like that guy got up in the morning and worked for me, he continued, adding, and if he runs, Im going to have trouble. I just think we need some younger blood going maybe a little different direction. Its a tough call. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Photo: The Canadian Press Two women bring flowers as people gather in Toronto's Mel Lastman Square on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 to commemorate a van attack which left 10 people dead. An event commemorating the anniversary of Toronto's attack will be held in the north-end community where the deadly attack took place five years ago today. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Toronto residents and public officials gathered in a north-end community Sunday to mark the fifth anniversary of the city's devastating van attack. Ten people were killed and 16 others were injured when a man deliberately drove a rental van down a busy sidewalk on a stretch of Toronto's Yonge Street on April 23, 2018. Another victim died of her injuries years later. The attack, which stunned the city, was one of Canada's worst mass murders. Dozens of people attended a memorial ceremony at a local theatre, followed by an outdoor commemoration at Mel Lastman Square. Betty Forsyth, Ji Hun Kim, Sohe Chung, Geraldine Brady, Chul Min Kang, Anne Marie D'Amico, Munir Najjar, Dorothy Sewell, Andrea Bradden and Renuka Amarasingha died in the attack. Amaresh Tesfamariam died from her injuries more than three years later. Alek Minassian was found guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder in the attack. He claimed at his trial to be angered by women who wouldn't sleep with him and to have been radicalized on the internet the presiding judge found he carried out the van attack to achieve notoriety. Minassian was sentenced to life in prison last year with no possibility of parole for 25 years. He's appealing his conviction. Toronto residents who live and work in the area where the attack took place five years ago say they still have vivid memories of the rampage and the devastation it brought. The City of Toronto says plans for a permanent memorial honouring the lives lost in the attack are still being finalized. CLIVE, Iowa Republicans are caught in a trap on abortion, and its only getting worse. They know extreme abortion policies are unpopular and will cost them at the ballot box, yet any step they might take to the center on the issue risks angering evangelical voters, a key GOP constituency that is bent on banning the procedure nationwide. The intraparty conflict in post-Roe America was on full display here in the Hawkeye State, where a crop of declared presidential candidates and some who are still exploring a run gathered on Saturday for the first major event of the 2024 presidential caucus cycle. The forum, hosted by the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, a leading organization of social conservatives, drew over a thousand like-minded attendees who came to the event in support of evangelical causes and to kick the tires on the expanding GOP presidential field. We need to protect life, Sara DeMeulenaere, a retired ministry worker, said as she wandered the cavernous arena where the event was held. Theres no giving up and saying death is an option. Its not an option for our elderly or our babies. The push to ban abortion nationwide was dealt a temporary blow after the Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday allowing a major abortion drug to remain on the market. But advocates on both sides of the issue expect the justices to address the matter again as conservatives try to do in court what they havent been able to accomplish in Congress. Theres ample evidence of a backlash to GOP abortion policies on the state level. In the past six months, Democrats outperformed in both the House and Senate during the 2022 midterm elections, won a referendum that kept abortion legal in bleeding-red Kansas and shifted the balance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court toward liberals for the first time in decades. Those losses can help explain why most Republicans try to steer clear of abortion politics on the national stage, keeping quiet even after the Supreme Court reversed a 50-year precedent that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, something theyve been working to make a reality for decades. Story continues Attendees at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition heard from a group of declared presidential candidates and some who are still exploring a run Saturday during the first major event of the 2024 presidential caucus cycle. Attendees at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition heard from a group of declared presidential candidates and some who are still exploring a run Saturday during the first major event of the 2024 presidential caucus cycle. In Congress, Republicans are divided over how best to approach the issue. Some lawmakers maintain the question should be left up to the individual states. But a faction of more conservative-minded Republicans have endorsed a national ban and have urged the Supreme Court to enact severe restrictions on abortion drugs, which have been proved safe by dozens of scientific studies. In a sign of the growing influence of the latter group, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), a member of GOP Senate leadership who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is responsible for electing more Republicans to the upper chamber, vowed on Saturday to keep trying to ban the abortion pill. But Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who is expected to jump into the 2024 race for president, declined to weigh in when asked about the ruling during a farm visit in the nearby town of Cumming, Iowa. I have confidence in the judiciary to let it play out, said Scott, who had some trouble detailing where he stood on the question of banning abortion earlier this month. Scott suggested that his party should tread carefully if it wants to win elections in the future. People want a fighter, thats good. But they also want to win, thats better. And so the real question is how do we do that? And the best way to do that is to make sure our message is in sync with what the voters want, and what the nation needs, he said. Former President Donald Trump, who leads in polls of the 2024 GOP race by a wide margin, has also approached the issue with some caution. Trump did not attend the Faith and Freedom event on Saturday and addressed the room with a recorded message instead, highlighting actions he took as president to try to restrict abortion rights. Top among them were his appointments of hundreds of conservative judges, including the three Supreme Court justices that helped overturn Roe v. Wade. Nobody thought it was going to happen, Trump said in the video, drawing applause from the crowd. They thought it would be another 50 years. Because Republicans had been trying to do it for exactly that period of time, 50 years. But Trump has not backed a national abortion ban, a stance that drew a sharp rebuke last week from a top anti-abortion group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which called it a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate. The group said it would oppose any Republican candidate who declines to support a national abortion ban beginning by 15 weeks into pregnancy. Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trumps top rival who hasnt formally announced a campaign yet, also didnt attend the event. He recently signed into law a deeply unpopular abortion ban starting at six weeks of pregnancy in Florida, doing so without fanfare or a signing ceremony. He has also avoided mentioning it on his travels across the country. Former President Donald Trump has not backed a national abortion ban, a position that drew a sharp rebuke from a top anti-abortion group. Former President Donald Trump has not backed a national abortion ban, a position that drew a sharp rebuke from a top anti-abortion group. One likely 2024 contender who hasnt been afraid to advocate for a nationwide abortion ban is Mike Pence, Trumps former vice president who is popular in the evangelical community. Pence appeared at the Saturday confab, mingling with fans and taking selfies. He lamented the Supreme Court order allowing the abortion pill on the market and appeared to take a dig at his former boss for not showing up in person. The enthusiasm in this room is palpable. The people of Iowa appreciate it when they see ya, Pence told reporters after his remarks to the crowd. But former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is set to announce his 2024 GOP bid this week, argued that his party needs to approach the issue of abortion with thoughtfulness and compassion even as it pushes for restrictions on the procedure. We have to handle it in the right way, Hutchinson, who also spoke at the event, told HuffPost. It starts with, These are our convictions, this is what we believe is good, but also with a lot of compassion. ... Its important that we recognize the vast number of Americans that support exceptions of life of the mother, rape and incest. I think we err when we reduce those exceptions because the public generally supports those. Among the Faith and Freedom attendees in Iowa on Saturday, the vast majority said theyd like to see abortion stamped out nationwide, but they doubted whether it would ever happen. A few also expressed reservations about abortion restrictions with zero exceptions. I have kind of mixed feelings on some of that, between rape and incest, said Deborah Nelson, a convenience store owner from western Iowa. My husband always said I was the most liberal Republican he knew on some of those issues. Mark Oltrogge, a retiree from Kelver, Iowa, meanwhile, said Republicans need to continue the fight even if, at the moment, abortion has been left up to the states to decide. I dont see returning an issue to the states necessarily as a win for pro-life, Oltrogge said. I would like to see no abortions. Im hoping that someday, I would like to see all life [protected]. I would like to see that come to fruition. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Growing Republican support for Donald Trump's re-election won't be enough, Chris Sununu said. On NBC, the New Hampshire governor said Trump is a "four-time loser" who has cost the GOP seats in Congress. Sununu is himself considering a 2024 bid, though he has yet to make any formal announcements. Despite rising support for former President Donald Trump in his race for re-election, the Republican governor of New Hampshire remains skeptical. "Donald Trump is a loser," Gov. Chris Sununu told NBC's Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press" on Sunday. While Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn't officially announced a bid for the presidency, he seemed like a potential rising star for Republicans in 2024. That star has dimmed of late, however, as several lawmakers in his own state have thrown their support behind Trump. Despite the momentum now behind Trump, Sununu said he doesn't think the former president has the nomination locked up, especially as Trump faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records in Manhattan. "There's definitely a shift, but I still don't think he's necessarily going to be the nominee," Sununu said on Sunday. "Republicans are rallying. They're supporting former President Trump over these indictments, right? And there's a lot of support there." Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 23, 2023 Sununu said those displays of support may not "actually translate into" votes in favor of Trump as the Republican nominee, adding that the party wants "a winner." "Republicans want someone who can win in November of '24. Donald Trump is a loser. He has not just lost once," Sununu said. "He lost us in our House seats in 2018. He lost everything in '20. We should have 54 US Senators right now, and we don't because of his message. So, Donald Trump is positioning himself to be a four-time loser in 2024." Sununu himself is considering a potential 2024 presidential candidate and has teased the possibility, though he has yet to make any formal announcements. Read the original article on Business Insider The U.S. military airlifted embassy officials out of Sudan on Sunday and international governments raced to evacuate their diplomatic staff and citizens trapped in the capital as rival generals battled for control of Africas third-largest country for a ninth day. Fighting raged in Omdurman, the city across the Nile from Sudans capital, Khartoum, residents reported. The violence came despite a declared truce that was to coincide with the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. We did not see such a truce, said Amin al-Tayed from his home near state television headquarters in Omdurman. He said heavy gunfire and thundering explosions rocked the city. Thick black smoke filled the sky over Khartoums airport. The paramilitary group battling the Sudanese armed forces claimed the military unleashed airstrikes on the upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, north of Khartoum. There was no immediate comment from the army. On Sunday, the country experienced a near-total collapse of internet connection and phone lines nationwide, according to NetBlocks, an internet monitoring service. Its possible that infrastructure has been damaged or sabotaged, Alp Toker, director of Netblocks, said in an interview. This will have a major effect on residents ability to stay safe and will impact the evacuation programs that are ongoing. After a week of bloody battles that hindered rescue efforts, U.S. special forces swiftly evacuated 70 U.S. embassy staffers from Khartoum to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia early Sunday. Although American officials said it was too dangerous to carry out a government-coordinated evacuation of private citizens, other countries scrambled to evacuate citizens and diplomats. France, Greece and other European nations were organizing a mass exodus Sunday. French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said France was undertaking the operation with the help of European allies. The Greek foreign minister said the country had dispatched aircraft and special forces to its ally, Egypt, in preparation for an evacuation of 120 Greek and Cypriot nationals from Khartoum. Most evacuees were sheltering at a Greek Orthodox cathedral in the capital, Nikos Dendias said. Story continues The Netherlands sent two air force Hercules C-130 planes and an Airbus A330 to Jordan to rescue 152 Dutch citizens in Sudan who made their way to an undisclosed evacuation point Sunday. We deeply sympathize with the Dutch in Sudan, said Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren. The evacuation and the transfer to the assembly point are not without risks. Italy dispatched military jets to the Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to extract 140 Italian nationals from Sudan, many of whom have taken refuge in the embassy, said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces, has targeted and paralyzed the countrys main international airport, reducing a number of civilian aircraft to ruins and gutting at least one runway. Other airports across the country have also been knocked out of operation. Overland travel across areas contested by the warring parties has proven dangerous. Khartoum is some some 840 kilometers (520 miles) from Port Sudan on the Red Sea. But some countries have pressed ahead with the journey. Saudi Arabia on Saturday said the kingdom successfully evacuated 157 people, including 91 Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries. Saudi state TV released footage of a large convoy of Saudis and other foreign nationals traveling by car and bus from Khartoum to Port Sudan, where a navy ship then ferried the evacuees across the Red Sea to the Saudi port of Jeddah. The power struggle between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has dealt a harsh blow to Sudans heady hopes for a democratic transition. More than 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed and more than 3,700 have been wounded in the fighting. Both Burhan and Dagalo, each craving international legitimacy, have accused each other of obstructing efforts to evacuate foreign diplomatic officials. The Sudanese military alleged Sunday that the rival Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, had opened fire on a French convoy during its evacuation, wounding a French national. In response, the RSF claimed it came under attack by military aircraft as French citizens and diplomats made their way to Omdurman after evacuating the embassy. It said the militarys strikes endangered the lives of French nationals, injuring one of them. The French Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the details of the rescue operation or the reported shooting for security reasons, but said the evacuation was continuing as planned. As violence rages, hospitals say they are struggling to cope. Many dead and wounded have been stranded by the fighting, according to the Sudan Doctors Syndicate that monitors casualties, suggesting the death toll is probably higher than what is publicly known. The conflict has left millions of Sudanese stranded at home hiding from explosions, gunfire and looting without adequate electricity, food or water. Thousands of Sudanese have fled the combat in Khartoum and other hotspots, according to U.N. agencies. Up to 20,000 people have abandoned their homes in the western region of Darfur for neighboring Chad. War is not new to Darfur, where ethnically motivated violence has killed as many as 300,000 people since 2003. But Sudan is not used to such heavy fighting in its capital. The capital has become a ghost city, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Doctors Syndicate. The fighting has also caught civilians including foreign diplomats in the crossfire. Fighters attacked a U.S. Embassy convoy last week, and stormed the home of the European Union ambassador to Sudan. The recent violence wounded an Egyptian diplomat in Sudan, the spokesman for Egypts Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zaid, said Sunday, without offering further details. From the Vatican, Pope Francis called for prayers and offered invocations for peace in the vast African nation. I am renewing my appeal so that violence ceases as soon as possible and that the path of dialogue resumes, Francis told those gathered in St. Peters Square. 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 and opened a troubled new chapter in the countrys history. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday he would support efforts to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on the Judiciary Committee if she were to resign from the chamber amid health concerns. If she resigned, I would make sure that whatever we did in the past when members resigned would be followed, Graham said on CNNs State of the Union. I hope she comes back. But if she does resign, I would be in the camp of following the president of the Senate replacing the person, consistent with what we have done in the past. Feinstein, 89, who has been at home recovering from a shingles diagnosis, has faced calls to resign from Democratic colleagues in the House. She is not running for reelection in 2024. Democrats have been unable to push a number of judicial nominees through the Judiciary Committee to a full floor vote with Feinsteins absence, which has been one of the Biden administrations priorities. Feinstein initially asked for a temporary replacement to be appointed to the committee, resisting calls for her resignation. But Republicans, whose support was needed to appoint a temporary replacement, balked at the proposal and blocked the move last week. But Graham said on Sunday that if she were to resign, he would support her being replaced on the committee instead of leaving the panel with a 10-10 partisan split, which would hamper Democrats abilities to push nominees through. Graham said, however, he hopes Feinstein, who he described as a wonderful person, returns to the Senate and does not resign. As to Senator Feinstein, she is a wonderful person, Graham said. Shes been a very effective senator. I hope she comes back. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Gunfire erupted at an after-prom party in East Texas, leaving nine people wounded, authorities say. Deputies with the Jasper County Sheriffs Office responded to reports of shots fired after midnight on Sunday, April 23, at a home north of the town of Jasper, the sheriffs office said in a news release. The victims are between 15-19 years old, a sheriffs office spokesperson told McClatchy News. All were struck by gunfire and taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Its not clear what triggered the violence, or who is responsible, but the sheriffs office is investigating. We are working leads and questioning people of interest, the spokesperson said. Jasper is roughly 135 miles northeast of Houston. Man shoots three after food order is delivered to wrong house, Michigan officials say Student found shot dead in wrecked car after phone call ends with bang, TX officials say Home Depot worker shot to death trying to stop accused shoplifter, California cops say Man shot parents and their friends dead before opening fire on highway, Maine cops say For the second year, Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District will host an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program at Hazel Willis Woods near Mifflin. Do you love spending time outdoors? Are long walks in the woods, hiking or bird watching some of your favorite activities? If so, youre not alone. But youre also not alone if you wish you knew more about the natural world around you and would enjoy spending time with others who share your passions. If that sounds like you, the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist (OCVN) program might be a perfect fit. As Ohios pulsation becomes more and more urban, people sometimes struggle making connections to nature. But those meaningful connections are important, because they instill an appreciation for the natural world and help spark a passion to manage and conserve those resources for future generations. An opportunity to get hands-on with the environment OCVN gives participants an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in a hands-on way when it comes to Ohios environment and natural history. Participants then apply what theyve learned through service to local parks, museums, nature centers and arboretums. For the second year, Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will host an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program at the districts Hazel Willis Woods property near Mifflin. The course will be taught by renowned naturalist Carrie Elvey of Darwins Dream. The Hazel Willis Woods is an outdoor learning laboratory owned and operated by Ashland SWCD since 1980. Walter Willis envisioned just this type of experience when he donated 40-acres of woodlands near Mifflin to Ashland SWCD in loving memory of his wife. In fact, he specified the land must be used as an outdoor educational laboratory for all ages. The OCVN program is designed to promote awareness and citizen stewardship of Ohios natural resources through science-based education and community service. The research-based scientific training program emphasized hands-on natural resource education combined with community based service. Certification include 40 hours of instruction and 40 hours of volunteer service. Story continues Program's leader is no stranger to nature This years program at the Hazel Willis Woods will be led by Elvey, who spent much of her career as a naturalist at The Wilderness Center before striking out on her own as a naturalist entrepreneur. Elvey will provide fun, hands-on training for participants in economical concepts, nature interpretation, stewardship, fundamental identification skills, natural history of Ohios flora and fauna and soils. The program will take place Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, June 19-30, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Hazel Willis Woods. The woods provides plenty of opportunities for education and exploration. The property contains a Loop Road then circles the perimeter of the 40 acres as well as a primitive cabin, garage, outhouses and pavilion. Children can try their hand at using a hand-pump water well or scout for wildlife as the woods spring tank. Cost for the program is $225. Spaces are limited. Registrations can be completed online at https://2023ocvn.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Ashland SWCD Outreach Specialist Ruth McCrea at 419-281-7645. McCrea is a graduate of the 2022 Hazel Willis Woods Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program. Jane Houin is program administrator for the Ashland Soil & Water Conservation District. Contact her at jane.houin@hey.com. This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Get hands-on with environment at Ashland's Hazel Willis Woods Photo illustration: Quinn Lemmers/Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images What does it take to be considered the worlds happiest country? For the sixth year in a row, Finland has earned that accolade, winning the top spot yet again in the annual World Happiness Report, which makes this determination by measuring things like healthy life expectancy, GDP per capita, social support, low corruption, generosity and freedom. The United States ranked 15th in happiness, while Afghanistan was found to be the least happy country. So does Finland understand something about happiness that other countries have yet to figure out? In general, I would say that we Finns are both surprised and proud of this achievement, Kristian Wahlbeck, a psychiatrist and lead adviser with Mieli Mental Health Finland, said in an email to Yahoo News. We dont perceive us as being especially happy, and wouldnt have thought about it without this international research. What makes people in Finland so happy? A couple watches the northern lights over Lake Kuusamo in Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland. Access to nature is considered sacred and "everyman's right" in Finland, the "world's happiest country." (Getty Images) Wahlbeck said Finns tend to find happiness in the small things, like family and good friendships, spending time outdoors or enjoying a good cup of coffee. Many Finns find happiness in their everyday life, he said. Nature plays a central role, despite the countrys long, dark winters and often frigid temperatures. A Finnish law known as Everymans Right, for example, dictates that all people whether residing in Finland or just visiting have the right to enjoy nature anywhere in the Finnish countryside regardless of land ownership. But is it really possible to quantify what, exactly, makes people in Finland and other top-ranking countries so happy? Meik Wiking CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Denmark and author of several wildly popular books on Danish lifestyle including The Little Book of Hygge, which helped popularize the Danish concept of cozy living and taking pleasure in small comforts spends his days attempting to do just that. All five Nordic countries consistently rank in the top 10 on the World Happiness Report; Denmark, where Wiking is from, was named the second happiest this year. In an email to Yahoo News, Wiking said there are three main reasons why Finland, Denmark and other Nordic countries tend to rank so highly in happiness: work-life balance, taxes and trust. Story continues The Nordic countries have some of the best balances between work and family life: short workdays, paid vacation, subsidized childcare, maternity and paternity leave, Wiking said. Of taxes, Wiking said Nordic countries convert their wealth into wellbeing by investing in programs that enable all citizens to thrive socially, physically and mentally. Health care and care for the elderly are free, college is free, child care is heavily subsidized and unemployment benefits are readily available for anyone who needs them. In the Nordic countries, we also pay some of the highest taxes in the world. However, people in the Nordics often say that [we] are happy not despite the high taxes but because of them, Wiking said. By paying our taxes, we are investing in quality of life which is of greater importance than individual wealth. 88% of people living in Denmark say they are happily paying their taxes. Trust in authorities, institutions and the state as well as in one's neighbors also plays an integral role. In addition to freedom of speech and low levels of corruption, Finns have a lot of trust in one another. A recent lost wallet experiment, for example, tested the honesty of citizens in different cities around the world primarily Europe by dropping wallets in parks, parking lots and malls and seeing how many wallets made it home. In Helsinki, 11 out of 12 wallets were returned to their owners. What is happiness? Finnish troops on the Russo-Finnish border in October 1939. Sisu," a Finnish term that's roughly synonymous with grit or resilience, is often credited with helping the Finns maintain independence from the superior Soviet forces during World War II. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The good news is that by these criteria, happiness doesnt need to be unique to native Finns. When immigrants took part in the World Happiness Report survey for the first time, in 2018, their results were virtually identical to that of the overall population refuting the notion that being happy is something intrinsically Finnish. In fact, John Helliwell, a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and co-editor of the World Happiness Report, told the BBC that the study isnt really about the emotion of happiness at all or at least not how we usually think of happiness. Its more tied to the contentment that comes from a high quality of life. Happiness is not just about the emotional part, i.e., feeling joyful and happy, Wahlbeck explained. There is also a deeper side to it, a feeling of living a meaningful life and having a good quality of life. Wiking said happiness is a broad concept. It can mean different things to different individuals, but among the happiest people there tend to be areas of overlap. We use happiness as an umbrella term in our research, which encompasses individuals life satisfaction, daily emotional experience and sense of purpose, he said. Happiness can be defined as the experience of joy, contentment or positive well-being, combined with a sense that ones life is good, meaningful and worthwhile. Many associate Finland not with overt gaiety but with sisu a quintessentially Finnish trait thats roughly synonymous with grit or resilience, or the ability to persevere with dignity even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Its been used to explain the small nations ability to stave off invading Soviet forces and maintain independence during World War II. In 1940 the New York Times ran the headline Sisu: A Word That Explains Finland. This quiet strength may be emblematic of Finland and help explain the countrys ability to survive and even thrive, but its a departure from what many people would think of as happiness. One immigrant from Zimbabwe who has lived in Finland for decades as a teacher and business owner recently told the New York Times that when she returns to her home country which was ranked the fourth most unhappy country in the World Happiness Report this year shes struck by the good energy that comes, the Times writes, not from the satisfaction of sisu but from exuberant joy. What I miss the most, I realize when I enter Zimbabwe, are the smiles, she said, among those people who dont have much, compared to Western standards, but who are rich in spirit. The dark side of happiness Houses in the Nyhavn area of Copenhagen, Denmark. Denmark ranked as the second-happiest country in the 2023 World Happiness Report. (Getty Images) Even within Finland and other countries ranking high in happiness surveys, theres also what Wiking refers to as the dark side of happiness. Not everyone in Finland is happy, Wahlbeck said. Suicide rates are going down among the well-off, but not among Finns in lower socioeconomic groups. Suicide rates are high among people with multiple simultaneous problems: loneliness, poverty, mental and other health issues, and alcohol or drug dependency. We need to become much better in preventing marginalization. Wiking calls it the suicide-happiness paradox: Happier countries tend to have slightly higher suicide rates. As he explained in a TedxCopenhagen talk in 2016, the same pattern also exists in the United States: Individual states ranking higher in happiness surveys also have slightly higher rates of suicide. Hawaii, for example, ranked as the second-happiest state in the U.S. but had the fifth-highest suicide rate. So why isnt the worlds happiest country at the bottom of the list for suicide rates? Wiking said it likely has a lot to do with the fact that it can be more painful to be unhappy in an otherwise happy society; if everyone around you seems happy and fulfilled, being the odd person out can feel even more isolating. Its similar to the reason, Wiking argues, that, surprisingly, theres a higher risk of suicide in an area with low unemployment than high unemployment. It might be easier to find a new job where there is low unemployment than high unemployment, but there is also a lot more social stigma. If you are the only one around who is unemployed, then youre not going to blame the economy you might start to question yourself, Wiking said. Social comparisons matter. How to be happier in your own life A crowded street in Helsinki. The capital of Finland ranked as "most honest" in a recent "lost wallet test" in major cities. (Getty Images) Happiness can be hard to maintain if its sought solely through quick jolts of euphoria, like getting a promotion or accomplishing a goal. Psychologists refer to it as the hedonic treadmill: Major life events can cause temporary spikes in extreme happiness or sadness, but eventually people tend to return to the baseline level of happiness they had before that life event took place. Instead, Wiking suggests recognizing that happiness is an ongoing process. Perhaps we need to consider how to turn the idea of the pursuit of happiness into the happiness of the pursuit, he said. People on a quest for something they find meaningful tend to be happier; they know that happiness is the by-product of the process and not a pot of gold at the finish line. For a happier life, Wiking said, leaning on community, friends and family is important, as well as staying mentally and physically healthy through little acts like going on a walk with a loved one. Learning to decouple wealth and well-being, Wiking added, is also something Danes and other people in Nordic countries are exceptionally good at that others can learn from. After our basic needs are met, we realize that more money doesnt lead to happiness, and instead we focus on what brings us a better quality of life. Look for happiness in the small things, Wahlbeck suggested. Being active, meeting friends, living a healthy life, being mindful about your environment and learning new things bring about happiness. A 29-year-old tow truck driver has lost his right eye after being hit in the face by flying metal while driving home, his Utah family says. The chunk of sheet metal crashed through his windshield in Layton at about 1 p.m. Thursday, April 20, the Utah Highway Patrol reported. One second, itll change your life, you know? Tristen Schofield told KSTU about the accident involving his brother, Tyler Schofield. Tyler lost his right eye and has other serious injuries, but doctors are hopeful they can save his left eye. Tristen told KUTV he was on the phone with his brother when the accident happened. It went silent for a minute. He was asking help me, help me, Tristen told the station. Then the phone disconnected. Tyler was able to steer the tow truck to the side of the road and stop without injuring anyone else, his brother told KSTU. A cousin and Tylers employer, Dewaal & Sons, have posted GoFundMe accounts to raise money for his medical care and recovery. Utah Highway Patrol investigators are trying to determine where the sheet metal came from, officers wrote. They ask anyone with information to call 801-451-4150. Driver killed after thrown rock smashes windshield, cops say. A friend found her dead Southwest flight to Texas delayed. The reason? A mess dubbed RiceGate, passenger says Giant poles crash through semi-truck cab when driver slams on brakes, Florida cops say The Ohio Statehouse Central Ohio school districts are closely following the Ohio General Assembly this year as legislators weigh budget proposals that would directly impact public school funding and requirements. Last week, state Representative Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, chair of the Ohio House Finance Committee, introduced HB 33, a 5,300-page document that includes a number of proposals related to K-12 education. Some of the initiatives include following the "Fair School Funding Plan" outlined in the most recent biennial budget, an expansion of the EdChoice school voucher program, and an elimination of a third-grade reading requirement. Here's where some local schools come down on some of the proposals: Fair school funding The proposed House budget would continue implementing the new school funding formula that lawmakers passed in the last two-year budget. An amendment introduced Wednesday updates the Fair Schools Funding Formula with fiscal year 2022 data compared to fiscal year 2018 data. Olentangy Local School District Treasurer Ryan Jenkins, who took over the post last year after leaving Pickerington Schools. Olentangy Local Schools treasurer Ryan Jenkins said the districts share of the calculated base cost will stay essentially the same under the updated data, while using 2018 data would result in a significant shift of the base cost per pupil from the state to the district. Angela Chapman, interim superintendent for Columbus City Schools, noted that Ohio legislators opted to phase-in the funding over several assemblies rather than all at once, and things could change as the process unfolds. "We are hopeful that funding for the plan will remain at the end of the budget process and will continue to monitor it as things progress." Columbus City Schools Interim Superintendent Angela Chapman EdChoice expansion While Gov. Mike DeWine initially asked for the EdChoice school voucher program to be expanded to include students whose families earn 400% of the poverty level, Republican legislators are proposing expanding the program to 450% of the federal poverty level. The current requirement is 200% of the federal poverty level. Story continues At 450% of the federal poverty level, a family of four making $165,000 or less in 2023 or most Ohioans would be eligible for the expanded EdChoice scholarship program. Eligibility for the program is determined either through financial eligibility or school building eligibility if the school is considered low-performing. EdChoice vouchers: Some central Ohio parents say voucher expansion will close financial "gap" Olentangy Treasurer Jenkins said that "as the state continues to prioritize vouchers," the district is hopeful the state will "continue to support public schools so that appropriations for public schools are not negatively impacted." While the district has never had a school with performance scores that would qualify its students for an EdChoice voucher, Jenkins said that he believed that the proposed major expansion income-wise will correlate to some students leaving the district for private schools. "Given the potential expansion of incomes to 450% of the federal poverty level, it is reasonable to conclude that some families may avail themselves of this option," Jenkins said. Megan Anthony, spokesperson for Canal Winchester Local Schools, said the expansion of vouchers allowing students to attend private schools will continue a trend of decreased allocations for public schools. "We believe our families and students will continue to choose the excellent public education we provide, and well continue to do everything we can to be a district where families want to live and learn," Anthony said. Hilliard City Schools Superintendent David Stewart said the district does not oppose school choice, but believes private schools receiving public tax dollars should be subject to performance and accountability measures. "If we are hoping to offer parents a true choice, then institutions accepting these dollars should be held to the same accountability measures, and parents should have access to the same data that is available regarding Ohio's public institutions," Stewart said. Schools support elimination of Third Grade Reading Guarantee State representatives also propose eliminating a requirement that students who fail the third-grade reading exam be retained. Implemented in 2012, the "Third Grade Reading Guarantee" is a program designed to identify students from kindergarten through third who are behind in reading. Some central Ohio districts, however, say they won't miss it if legislators strike the requirement from the books. Imani Fields, a spokesperson for Whitehall City schools, said the district wants the decision-making about who is held back. "We continue to make great strides and look forward to being able to make our own professional decisions about who should and should not be retained, and support the elimination of the third-grade retention expectation," Fields said. Beeman said Olentangy supports the removal of the requirement , saying it would be "a relief for parents and 8-year-olds everywhere who feel stress and anxiety about the high stakes assessment." Columbus City's Chapman, however, said the removal of the requirement may be a benefit to some students and a detriment to others. "There are positives and negatives to having a single data point determine how children progress throughout the school system," Chapman said. "However, we will have more holistic opportunities to support student success." @Colebehr_report Cbehrens@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio schools weigh in on state House budget, K-12 proposals As Idaho combats a surge in opioid deaths, a recent bill limiting who may receive free overdose reversal kits from the state could lead to more fatalities, according to state health officials and the governor. Last month, legislation pushed through by Republican lawmakers restricted eligible recipients of federal grant funds for naloxone commonly distributed under the brand name Narcan a drug that reverses the fatal effects of an opioid overdose. Starting in July, only first responders will be able to receive free naloxone kits from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which oversees the grant program. Records obtained by the Idaho Statesman show that state health officials said the move would dismantle Idahos existing distribution system, potentially leading to more overdose deaths and increasing administration costs. Had the limits been in place last year, the states overdose death rate could have been four times higher, Department of Health and Welfare officials wrote in an analysis of the legislation, House Bill 350. Groups representing first responders urged Idaho Gov. Brad Little to veto the bill. In a letter to the Republican governor, Jeff Lavey, executive director of the Idaho Sheriffs Association, said that local law enforcement offices are overworked and understaffed and have limited time to distribute naloxone kits. These live-saving devices need to be distributed to our important members of our communities such as teachers, nurses, restaurants, etc., Lavey wrote. Rep. Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, proposed the grant limits, and most Republicans in the House and Senate supported the bill. Tanner, a freshman lawmaker, sits on the Legislatures budget committee and is a commissioner for the Eagle Fire Protection District, an elected board that oversees portions of Ada, Gem and Boise counties. Tanner told the Statesman that the naloxone distribution limits will ensure that people administering the drug are trained by first responders, and he said he doesnt believe accessibility will be hindered. Story continues I just wanted to make sure that its actually going out to the right people, people that we can actually educate and give training, Tanner said by phone. The more we can educate the public, the better off we are. Most naloxone administrators arent first responders Little, who made combating illicit opioid sales a primary goal of his first term, criticized the new red tape imposed by the naloxone restrictions, but he signed the legislation anyway. House Bill 350 is an annual appropriation bill for the Division of Mental Health Services, Psychiatric Hospitalization, and Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention. The divisions $149.5 million budget was tied to the legislation. We know that most naloxone administrations in Idaho are by people other than first responders and thus distribution to community partners is critical, the governor wrote in a letter to lawmakers. This significant policy change may result in fewer naloxone doses available to administer in Idaho and, tragically, fewer lives saved. Between 2011 and 2021, the Idaho drug overdose death rate increased from 12.9 per 100,000 people to 19 per 100,000, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In 2021, 241 of the 353 known deaths related to drug overdoses involved opioids, according to the latest available data from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Naloxone, which can be injected through a needle or administered via a nasal spray, rapidly reverses an overdose by attaching to opioid receptors in the body and blocking the effects of the drugs, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Making the drug widely available has been a common policy at federal and state levels to combat rising opioid-related deaths. Idaho lawmakers in 2019 passed a law guaranteeing legal protection to anyone who administers naloxone to someone experiencing an overdose. Previously, obtaining the drug required a prescription or health care coverage, but federal drug regulators last month approved naloxone for over-the-counter retail sales. Last year, a citizens advisory group convened by Little to collect input on curbing illicit drug use recommended adequate supplies of naloxone for law enforcement, public health officials and social services as a minimum requirement. Since 2017, the Department of Health and Welfare has provided no-cost naloxone kits directly to first responders, but also to substance abuse treatment programs, shelters, and other groups and individuals that associate with opioid users. Since 2021, the state has distributed the kits through a contractor, the Idaho Harm Reduction Project, a nonprofit that assists drug users through programs like HIV testing and needle exchanges. During the 2022 federal fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2022, the nonprofit distributed 25,467 kits and storage cases, according to data from the Department of Health and Welfare. Four in five kits went to the general public, and 94% of overdose reversals were carried out by people other than first responders. First responders told the governor that they often unfortunately cant reach someone experiencing an overdose in time to effectively administer naloxone, particularly in rural areas. These important devices need to be placed on the ground level as there is limited time to treat those effected by the overdosing of opioids/fentanyl, Lavey said. Restrictions will lead to higher costs, health department said The limits on naloxone recipients will dismantle Idahos current centralized distribution system, Department of Health and Welfare officials wrote in an analysis of HB 350. The department works with a single contractor at a cost of $24,108 to pay program administrators. That cost will be significantly higher as a result of the new law, the analysis said. This action will force the department to subcontract with at least one first responder entity within each of Idahos 44 counties, unnecessarily increasing the administrative costs to distribute naloxone to organizations throughout Idaho, according to the analysis. Sen. Julie VanOrden, R-Pingree, a budget committee member who sponsored HB 350 in the Senate, pushed back on claims that the grant restrictions would limit naloxone availability. They would just take that extra step, she told the Statesman by phone. Instead of going straight to Health and Welfare to get it, they would go through their first responders, their police, their sheriffs or firefighters, whoever is closest to them or that theyre comfortable going to. Making first responders the only provider of naloxone might be achievable for some firefighting and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies, Lewiston Fire Chief Travis Myklebust told the governor in a letter. Myklebust is president of the Idaho Fire Chiefs Association. But rural agencies rely on partnerships with health clinics and other providers that wouldnt be eligible to distribute the medication, Myklebust said. The Idaho Office of Performance of Evaluations in 2021 found that only 18% of rural EMS agencies which rely on volunteers are able to maintain sufficient staff, and most are experiencing delayed response times as a result. These first responder agencies simply do not have the personnel or logistical support to add this program into their operations as a sole provider, Mykleburst said. The proper distribution of this program must involve everyone within the health care community, including Fire/EMS responders, to ultimately be effective. Is training for naloxone necessary? In a legal analysis, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador wrote that HB 350 blocks the state from giving naloxone directly to non-first responders, but law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency service providers can give the medication to others. This adds increased accountability on product use and increases the likelihood that information and training will accompany its distribution, Labrador wrote in an April 4 opinion, which he gave to co-chairs of the budget committee. Officials with the Food and Drug Administration said naloxone can be safely administered by untrained people. The FDA in March approved the over-the-counter sales, which required that Narcan manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions demonstrate that the drug is safe to use as directed on the label, an FDA news release said. The manufacturer also showed that consumers can understand how to use the drug safely and effectively without the supervision of a health care professional, according to the release. Administering naloxone for someone experiencing an overdose after first calling 911 requires inserting a device into their nostril and pushing a plunger, according to a 4-minute training video shared by the Idaho Harm Reduction Project. People with an opioid dependence may have withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, blood pressure changes and a rapid heart rate, after theyre given naloxone, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. But the drug has no effect on someone who doesnt have opioids in their system. The restrictions on naloxone recipients in Idaho take effect July 1. Sightseers view the holes where several of bodies were found on the Belle Gunness farm in 1908. (La Porte County Historical Society) In March 1908, Asle Helgelien, a South Dakota farmer worried about his missing brother, wrote to Belle Gunness, who had a farm near La Porte, Indiana. Andrew Helgelien hadnt returned after telling his brother that he would be back home in a week away surely, and correspondence was found suggesting a romantic relationship between him and Gunness. Advertisement Andrew Helgelien was the last known victim of serial killer Belle Gunness in the early 1900s. (AP ) You wish to know where your brother keeps himself? she wrote back to Asle Helgelien. Well this is just what I would like to know but it almost seems impossible for me to give a definite answer. Andrew had responded to an ad Gunness placed in the Minneapolis Tidende, a Norwegian-language newspaper: Advertisement WANTED a woman who owns a beautifully located and valuable farm in first class condition, wants a good and reliable man as partner in same. Some little cash is required and will be furnished first class security. In subsequent letters, shed offered Andrew not just a job but love and moving advice. I place you higher in my affections than anyone on this earth, she wrote. Take all your money out of the bank, and come as soon as possible. Andrew had joined her, Gunness told Asle, then taken off for parts unknown, adding that if Asle came there to search for his brother, shed do whatever she could. But on April 28, Gunness home burned down, and by the time Asle Helgelien got there it had become the site of a macabre carnival. A thousand curiosity-seekers were joined by the relatives of missing men, as word spread of evidence that Gunness was both a murder victim and a murderer. A Tribune headline reported that her corpse had been horribly mutilated: Fire Victims Head Missing. Alongside Gunness headless corpse were the bodies of three young children, apparently seeking refuge from the flames in their mothers embrace. Belle Gunness with her children Philip Gunness, on lap, Myrtle and Lucy Sorenson in the late 19th or early 20th century. (La Porte County Historical Society) Ray Lamphere, her former hired hand, was arrested on suspicion of setting the fire. He had been seen around town in February wearing a fur coat that belonged to Asle Hegelien. Under questioning, he admitted being jealous of his successor. We got along alright before that and she used to come to my room at night, Lamphere said in his cell at the La Porte County Jail. But after Helgelien came she had no use for me. Meanwhile the authorities were digging in Gunness farmyard searching for her missing head. It wasnt found, but other bodies were. Her neighbors had long looked at her suspiciously. Her husband had mysteriously died, five months after they were married six years earlier. Advertisement Authorities dig for bodies after a fire on the farm of Belle Gunness in La Porte, Indiana, in 1908. Bodies, alleged to be victims of Gunness, were found buried on the farm. (Chicago American) Peter Gunness was found in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor with a hole in the back of his head in 1902. She said a meat grinder had fallen off a shelf and hit him. An inquest was held and her explanation accepted, but her neighbors werent buying it. Peter Gunness was killed with a meat grinder dropping on his head? " one woman asked an Indianapolis Star reporter. A very likely story! Six years later, 10 bodies had been uncovered by the time Asle Helgelien arrived at the farm on May 3. None resembled his brother, and he was ready to move on when he noticed a soft spot, suggesting soil had been removed. Digging was resumed, and a sack was discovered. The sack was opened and the pieces of the body fell out, the Tribune reported. Helgelien almost fainted. It was his brother, Andrew. By then, the story had gone national, and Gunness was no longer its hero: A mother who died trying to protect her children. From coast to coast, newspapers recognized the circulation benefits of the grisly tale. Gunness was proclaimed the La Porte Ghoul, a Female Bluebeard and Hells Princess. Advertisement Local reporters matched their visiting colleagues hyperbole. The Chicago Evening American said that if Edgar Allan Poe were to come back to life he might write a new and more thrilling story of The Fall of the House of Usher, based on Gunness farmyard full of graves. Officials sift through the ashes of the Gunness family home that burned to the ground on April 28, 1908. Four bodies were found - Belle's two daughters, a son and a headless torso that was believed to be Belle Gunness. More bodies would be found buried on the farm. (La Porte County Historical Society) Reporters pressed by editors, and Indiana officials by public outrage, looked into the back story. They found that mysterious fires, unlikely deaths, and handsome insurance settlements predated Gunnesss arrival in La Porte. She was born in Norway in 1859 with the given name was Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth. She immigrated to Chicago, married Mads Sorenson, and when their two homes and a candy store burned, they collected on insurance. While Sorenson had life insurance, she persuaded him to buy another policy. On July 30, 1900, the older policy expired and the new one kicked in. So when Sorenson died that day, Gunness collected money from both insurance companies, and with that $8,500 bought the farm near La Porte, about 60 miles east of Chicago The mystery of her death in La Porte prompted the Chicago police to take another look at her husbands death. Considering the suspicious circumstances at the time with present developments, I am led to believe that M.D.A. Sorenson, the first husband of Belle Gunness, was poisoned, J.B. Miller, the Chicago doctor who conducted the inquest, said in May 1908. Advertisement By then, La Portes authorities realized that Andrew Helgelien was only one of the victims lured to Gunness farm. The editor of the Skandinaven newspaper reported the Gunness placed an ad with him identical to the one Helgelien read in Minneapolis Norwegian newspaper. There are many young Norwegian farmers in the northwest who after becoming well to do, want to marry, but who have not had time to become acquainted with women, the Skandinavens editor explained. Ray Lamphere, Belle Gunness' handyman, was convicted of arson for the burning of the Gunness home on April 28, 1908. (La Porte County Historical Society) Hoping to tie up the mysterys loose ends, La Portes district attorney put Ray Lamphere, the displaced hired hand, on trial for killing Gunness on May 12. The publics morbid obsession boiled over. The Lake Erie and Western Railroad ran excursion trains from Chicago and Indianapolis. The town of 3,000 had 10,000 visitors. Every hotel room in La Porte and Michigan City was booked. The jury, being sequestered, slept on cots set up in the courthouse. The strategy of Lampheres attorney was straightforward. He wasnt guilty because Gunness wasnt dead. That idea was given traction in the court of public opinion by reported sightings of her. Fearing her crimes would be discovered, she must have faked her death. The headless corpse was her last victim. The prosecutor countered by showing jurors Gunness teeth. The sheriff had hired a veteran gold prospector who ran ashes from the farmhouse through a sluice. Advertisement Vintage Chicago Tribune Weekly The Vintage Tribune newsletter is a deep dive into the Chicago Tribune's archives featuring photos and stories about the people, places and events that shape the city's past, present and future. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Theyre found! the sheriff shouted when Louis Schultz produced a pair of dental bridges that Gunness dentist verified were hers. Workers sluice for debris at the Gunness farm for teeth that would hopefully identify the headless body of woman found in the charred ruins in 1908, at the burned home of Belle Gunness in La Porte, Indiana. (Chicago Tribune archive) The teeth allegedly belonging to Belle Gunness. (Chicago Tribune archive) But at the trial, the defense said that Gunness might have removed them and tossed them into the cellar to sustain her ruse of perishing in the flames. Each side produced expert witnesses who debated the possibility of a layperson plucking an upper and lower bridge from her gums. The jurors began their deliberations on the eve of Thanksgiving and resumed them the next day. Ten thought him guilty. Two didnt. So they compromised and found Lamphere guilty of arson. Still, the townsfolk hoped he would fill in the blanks. Hed confessed to the Rev. Edwin Schell, who gave him spiritual guidance in the La Porte County Jail. But Schell said that whatever Lamphere told him was inviolable: If I should reveal this confidence, the ministry would be discredited and would lose some of their power to do good by hearing confessions. Sentenced to a minimum of two years in the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, Lamphere neither publicly confessed nor proclaimed his innocence. There he died on Dec. 29, 1909, as the Tribune noted: With the secrets of the Gunness murder farm buried forever in his breast. Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com. Books on shelf in library. Diyosa Carter/Getty Images An Idaho library removed six books it says are "harmful" to children, in accordance with state law. Among the books removed was "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe, and other books with LGBTQ+ themes. Idaho Gov. Brad Little recently vetoed a bill that would have made public libraries liable for carrying books deemed "harmful." A public library in Idaho removed six books from its collection that it deemed "harmful" to children. Several of the banned books were about LGBTQ+ issues. The Ada Community Library near Boise, Idaho said it removed the books last month after the library's board reviewed the current Idaho code, which bans "disseminating material harmful to minors," according to the Idaho Statesman. "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,'" the library said in a statement. "Where it seemed so, the board voted to remove the books from our collection." According to the Statesman, disseminating harmful materials to minors in Idaho is a misdemeanor that carries one year in jail or a $1,000 fine, but librarians are right now exempt from that law. The Idaho state legislature passed a law earlier this year that would allow parents to sue schools and public libraries that allow minors to obtain books deemed as "harmful." But Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, vetoed the bill on April 5. In a letter of explanation to lawmakers, Little said that the legislation made "sweeping, blanket assumptions" and would force "one interpretation" onto all patrons of the library, according to The Spokesman-Review, a local newspaper in nearby Spokane, Washington. Still, the Ada Community Library board decided to proactively remove the six books from its collection. The books included: Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe, "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison, "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M Johnson, "Out Of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Perez, "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, and "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson, according to the outlet. The Ada Community Library did not immediately return Insider's request for comment Sunday. Read the original article on Insider Federal health officials reported just two Illinois counties, Iroquois and Kankakee, were at medium COVID-19 levels as of Thursday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated zero Illinois counties at a high level, continuing a five-week trend. The CDC community levels are updated Thursdays and are based on metrics from the past seven days, including new hospital admissions per 100,000 people, average percent of staffed, inpatient beds occupied by COVID patients and new cases per 100,000 people. People in high community level areas are advised to wear a mask indoors and on public transportation, and the federal agency says people at a higher risk of severe illness should consider precautions in medium-level areas. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 5,278 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and nine deaths for the week ending April 16, down from 5,584 cases and 16 deaths in the previous week. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated two Illinois counties at medium COVID-19 levels, seen here in yellow, as of April 20, 2023. Vaccine guideline update The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated their guidelines this week to authorize a second bivalent booster shot for some individuals. Those aged 65 and older are eligible at least four months after their first bivalent vaccine, and people who are immunocompromised can get another shot two months after their first bivalent dose. The FDA and CDCs decision to approve a second COVID-19 booster this week demonstrates the real risk that this illness continues to pose for specific groups, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in an April 21 statement. Although Illinois overall continues to have low COVID-19 community levels, the virus is still circulating and causing hospitalizations. Vaccines remain the best tool to prevent serious illness. I encourage those individuals who are over 65 or immunocompromised to speak with their health care provider about the benefits of this additional COVID-19 booster. Only about 21% of Illinois residents have received a bivalent booster vaccine so far, according to CDC data through April 20. Story continues Note: This graphic will automatically update as new data become available. COVID-19 in St. Clair County, Illinois St. Clair Countys weekly case rate has dropped to 24.65 cases per 100,000 people, the CDC reports. In early January, that rate was 112.44. New hospital admissions increased from 2.5 to 3.6 per 100,000 people, and 1.6% of St. Clair Countys staffed inpatient beds were in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19. Intensive care unit availability was at 11% in southwestern Illinois Thursday, the state health department reported, and 12% of the regions ventilators were in use. Statewide, 532 ICU beds were available out of 2,870. Test positivity was at 1.03% in St. Clair County as of April 17, the CDC reported, and the rate of tests performed had increased by 5.44% as of April 13. As of Thursday night, Illinois Department of Public Health reported 558 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, including 65 ICU patients and 44 individuals on ventilators. Information about vaccination and testing is available online in St. Clair County. Note: Some CDC data, such as test positivity rates, the number of tests performed and weekly case rate, update on different days. IDPH data and CDC data may not update at the same time, so metrics may vary across agencies. NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has nothing to hide concerning a deadly attack on a military convoy in Kashmir in 2019, India's home minister said. Earlier this month, Satya Pal Malik, the then-Jammu and Kashmir governor, alleged that paramilitary personnel were denied air transport and were made to travel by road amid intelligence failures to detect a threat. Malik informed Modi that the attack was a failure on the government's part but was asked to stay silent, he told local news outlet the Wire. Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking in a roundtable discussion on the India Today TV programme, said the credibility of the comments needed to be questioned. "I would surely tell the people of the country that the Bharatiya Janata Party government has done nothing that needs to be hidden," he said. His comments are the government's first response to Malik's allegations. A suicide bomber rammed a car into a bus carrying Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir on February 14, 2019, killing 40 of them in the deadliest attack in decades on security forces in the disputed region and raising tensions with arch foe Pakistan. The Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack. Kashmir is a Muslim-majority region at the heart of decades of hostility between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. The neighbours both rule parts of the region while claiming the entire territory as theirs. (Reporting by Shivangi Acharya and Manoj Kumar; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) Support local journalism. Unlock unlimited digital access to floridatoday.com Click here and subscribe today. A Florida Department of Corrections inmate serving a methamphetamine-related sentence escaped from a work-release camp Friday night in Sharpes and he remained at large Sunday afternoon. Nathan Barker, 22, was being held at the Cocoa Bridge Community Release Center on Camp Road. Located just east of the Brevard County Jail Complex, this facility is an 84-bed residential substance-abuse treatment program. Barker escaped just after 6:20 p.m. Friday, corrections officials reported. He left the Camp Road area in an unknown direction and may be headed to Volusia County, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said in a Saturday afternoon Facebook post. More: 'Pure evil': Palm Bay police chief criticizes judicial system after 69-year-old man is slain More: Cocoa woman dies, 4 hurt after SUV crashes into water-filled ditch in Merritt Island NWR Nathan Barker's Florida Department of Corrections mug shot. In mid-July, Barker received a 2-year prison sentence in Volusia County for possession of methamphetamine, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, possession of concealed handcuff key, and sale, manufacture or delivery of methamphetamine, Corrections records show. Ivey said Barker was last seen wearing fluorescent green clothing, and he had an ankle monitor but investigators believe he removed the GPS tracker. Messages seeking updates were left Sunday with the DOC press office and Tod Goodyear, spokesperson for the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. Authorities ask anyone with information on Barker's whereabouts to call Agent Wynn at 321-264-5100 or Central Florida Crimeline, which accepts anonymous tips, at 800-423-TIPS. Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1 This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida DOC inmate escapes from Cocoa Bridge work release camp in Sharpes Xi Jinping These days the world has been actively discussing the new role of China and its prospects as a real center of power. The world has already realized that Russia has lost any chance of becoming a (as they believed) pole of gravity. Russia's perspective is clear: it is becoming (as one American president once said) a regional state, and its chances to play a more assertive role are decreasing. As are its chances of even keeping its current borders. Therefore, our Western partners have identified China as the nearest competitor, perhaps even in the medium-term. How will China behave, and what can we expect from it in the near future? Having asked this question, we understand that the answer is not unambiguous and instantaneous. But a key element of this answer is in Ukraine. It was probably pleasing to the Lord that he put Ukraine in the center of world intrigue and decided the world's future in our country. Read also: China cant decide Strategic partnership with Russia or working with international partners toward peace If it is assumed that Russia will be defeated (even the most staunch Putinverstehers and Russophiles are beginning to understand this), then it can be assumed it will turn into an economic vassal of China. On the other hand, China is not interested in Russia disappearing. A junior partner is still a partner. And here comes the biggest intrigue who will prevail? Therefore, China will do everything it can to save Russia, at least in some form. Although it will take advantage of its weakness to restore, as they say in China, historical justice, and return at least a few of its territories seized by Russia in the 19th century. Then the situation will develop quite interestingly. On the one hand, the civilized world is thinking about how to counter China's expansionist plans. But, on the other, China is thinking about how to assemble an anti-Western coalition around itself. And here comes the biggest intrigue who will prevail? Story continues In my opinion, when Russia is defeated, it will create a trend in global security. This will mean that Western countries will gradually but relentlessly dictate their terms on a global level. Read also: The red line was crossed. What signal did Biden send to Putin and what is Xi Jinping preparing? It is already clear that a coalition of countries is developing to contain China. It includes Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and, very importantly, India. Just the other day, new demographic information showed that India overtook China as the largest country in the world. So India will undoubtedly play an influential role in containing China. The question of Indias governance, its chosen path, and whose side it will be on will decide the geopolitical landscape in Asia for many years. We know it has contentious relations with China due to border disputes and other problems. Therefore, the calculation on the part of the West and, above all, the USA, that they will be able to build a coalition of states that will restrain China is quite understandable and justified. Naturally, this will be an uncomfortable situation in Beijing. On the other hand, China has its own machinations. It is trying to form an anti-Western coalition. It will pay the most attention to the countries of Asia (except those I have mentioned), Africa, and Latin America. We see countries forming around this BRICS idea, fueled by China and Russia's anti-Western position. Therefore, the situation will look quite dynamic as well. China, losing somewhere in Asia, will try to take revenge in Africa or Latin America. Moreover, it will begin actively using Western politicians, such as Macron, to undermine the transatlantic unity between Europe and America, fueling anti-Americanism even in Europe. There are also opportunities for it here, because anti-American sentiments in France or Germany are traditionally quite strong. Read also: Macron fails to change Xi Jinping's stance on war in Ukraine, Politico writes So we will have an interesting events forecast. On the one hand, the weakening or even the disappearance of Russia as a global player will significantly weaken China's position. But it can then take revenge on other continents, trying to increase its influence. But, I think the main factor will still be the economic one. The current Chinese emperor will most likely see that, even with their possible allies and partners, it will be challenging to compete with the collective West, even if the West is not always united and does not always speak with one voice. Therefore, I think that in the future, in 7-10 years, we will see a new equilibrium. There will be something like a model of peaceful coexistence of the civilized world with weakened totalitarianism. The totalitarians will be in a weekend position because the West's line to contain it after Russia's aggression becomes the top priority. Read also: Visiting Moscow, Xi likely to offering Putin help in evading Western sanctions The West, especially the United States, does not want Russia entirely in the Chinese orbit. Therefore, there is no answer to what the outcome of the war should be. There is now a dominant position in the West that it is necessary for Ukraine to win, but also for Russia not to lose. This means that the West thinks that Russia should be preserved in its current form, but liberalized and democratized. However, this is nonsense and a complete misunderstanding of the essence of Russia. It is not capable of democracy and liberalism. Therefore, it is certainly not in the interests of the West for post-Russia to turn entirely into an economic appendage of China. That is why they will attempt to preserve Russia if possible, but not in a pro-Western way rather than a pro-China one. Read also: Xi Jinping skips dinner with Putin, citing COVID-19 policy In order to compete, the West will look for anyone who can set the conditions for a new Russia. The uncontrolled disintegration of Russia carries with it the threat that its individual pieces, especially those close to China, may come under its direct influence. But even under such circumstances, if Russia breaks up into dozens of state entities, no one will interfere with the Americans, British, and French coming with investments. The choice will be up to the local leadership - to adhere to progressive Western technologies or those copied by the Chinese. That is why there will be such difficult decisions on whether to leave Russia whole or not. It is precisely from this that a new field of conflict will develop between China and the West. The division of the present Russian Federation territories will come with a great deal of tension. But, in this competition, the West has more power than China and its potential allies. 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 Guido Crosetto, The Italian Minister of Defence, advocated bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, mediated by China. Source: Libero Quotidiano citing Crosetto in an interview with La Stampa; Mykhailo Podolyak, the adviser to the head of Office of the President of Ukraine, on Twitter Quote from Crosetto: "[Regarding the war in Ukraine] Italy is moving in two main directions. The first is help; that is,we must guarantee Ukraine's right to self-defence. On the other hand though, we feel a constant and daily commitment to try [to bring both parties to the] peace table. For at present, the only thing we can try to do is not to end the war, but to halt the confrontation, and try to put two interlocutors at the same table, who do not communicate with each other and have nothing in common I would like Europe to play a bigger role in trying to douse water on the fire. Because you're great at pouring gas, but there's no one who's a firefighter. We need firefighters in a world where the UN, which should have been a firefighter, has lost its ability to be one; as the Security Council is blocked by permanent members like Russia, China, USA. Therefore, we need another interlocutor for peace." Details: The minister expressed the opinion that "China should be an interlocutor at the negotiating table." At the same time, Mykhailo Podolyak, the adviser to the head of Office of the President of Ukraine, emphasised that a "peaceful settlement" is impossible after 423 days of bloody war. Quote from Podolyak: "Back to the basics ... When someone talks about a "peaceful settlement", Ukraine only hears "surrender, capitulate, comply with the Russian ultimatum." After 423 days of the bloody war, that is impossible because it is a contrived war of extermination waged by the Russian Federation, not a mythical "conflict." There is no room for "settlement." Background: At the end of January, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto advocated maintaining dialogue channels "for the Russian people", stressing that not all Russians should be considered enemies. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas ruling party eked out wins in four of five Japanese by-elections held Sunday, public broadcaster NHK said, with the results seen as key to his decision on election timing. Most Read from Bloomberg The premiers Liberal Democratic Party kept the three seats it previously held of the five, including the constituency in the southwestern prefecture of Yamaguchi vacated when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated last year. It also picked up a fourth, an upper house seat in Oita Prefecture, NHK said, citing exit polling. The victories will further fuel speculation that Kishida may opt for a national election after hosting the Group of Seven summit May 19-21 in Hiroshima. Still, four of the races had been to close to call earlier and the LDP eventually won three of them with slim margins. An early general election would play into monetary policy, as the Bank of Japan would face pressure to avoid any changes during the campaign that could disrupt markets. While Japans lower house term doesnt end until 2025, renewing his mandate could help Kishida keep his party in line as he negotiates a series of difficult policy decisions. Among them are how the deeply indebted country will fund a pledged 60% increase in defense spending amid rising regional threats, as well as a planned doubling of outlays on children and families intended to stem a fall in the nations birthrate. Support for Kishidas cabinet has recovered in recent weeks, helped by his visit to Ukraine last month as well as progress toward a rapprochement with South Korea. His decision to carry on campaigning after an attempted pipe-bomb attack a week ago as he was about to speak in support of a candidate in Wakayama also nudged him higher in media polls. Story continues --With assistance from Akiko Nishimae. (Updates with latest results.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. TOKYO (Reuters) - Candidates of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling party won four of five parliamentary seats up for grabs on Sunday, domestic media said, in what is likely to be seen as a sign of growing support for the premier. Analysts said the focus would now turn to whether Kishida might take advantage of the momentum by dissolving the lower house of parliament and calling a snap election. Kishida, however, said on Monday morning he was not thinking about whether to call a snap election. "I am determined to advance important policies while listening to the voices of the people," he told reporters. The closely watched contests came eight days after Kishida escaped an apparent attack during an outdoor speech for one of the races, an incident that revived memories of the assassination of former premier Shinzo Abe at an election campaign event last July. Nobuchiyo Kishi, the eldest son of former defence minister Nobuo Kishi, clinched a seat for the lower house of Japan's parliament in southwestern Yamaguchi prefecture, public broadcaster NHK and other media outlets reported. Also in Yamaguchi, another candidate of Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured a lower house seat in the district that used to be held by Abe, the reports said. Kishida, who has seen his cabinet's support ratings stage a recovery recently, is hosting a Group of Seven (G7) leaders summit in his hometown of Hiroshima next month. "This is a boost for the early dissolution of the Diet after the Hiroshima summit," said Hiroshi Shiratori, a professor of political science at Hosei University in Tokyo. Ruling party candidates also won an upper house seat in Oita prefecture on the southwestern island of Kyushu and a lower house seat in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo, NHK said, in what analysts said should have been an easier race for the LDP candidate. "The fact that it was as close as it was is not an encouraging sign," said Tobias Harris, deputy director of the Indo-Pacific programme at the German Marshall Fund, a Washington-based think tank. Story continues In western Wakayama prefecture, where the apparent attack against Kishida took place, a candidate of the conservative Japan Innovation Party won the remaining lower house seat up for grabs, according to the broadcaster. (This story has been corrected to fix grammar to 'win', not 'wins', in the headline) (Reporting by Daniel Leussink, Yoshifumi Takemoto and Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Christina Fincher, David Holmes and Jamie Freed) GETTY IMAGES You're not the only one who would move mountains change their weekend plans to go to Taylor Swift's Eras tour. Turns out, Joanna Gaines scored a golden ticket to the buzzy concertand even ducked out of an event at High Point Furniture Market to attend. The Fixer Upper star attended the famous trade show in High Point, North Carolina, this weekend, speaking at a keynote panel series called "Designing a Business You Love" on Saturday, April 22. Per the event website, other guests included designers Amber Lewis, Jean Stoffer, Julia Marcum from Chris Loves Julia, and Carrier and Company's Mara Miller and Jesse Carrier. After the panel, the other panelists participated in post-keynote meet-and-greet at the Loloi showroomyou know, the rug brand with a collection by Gainesbut Gaines was escorted out of the building by security to make it to a Taylor Swift concert, says a source who was present at the event. (Apparently Gaines did a meet-and-greet with fans earlier in the day.) Fast forward a few hours, and Gaines was posting her favorite moments from the Eras Tour, which went down last night in Houston. Joanna Gaines via Instagram Gaines's panel ended at 3:00 p.m. ET and the concert started at 6:30 p.m. CT. Unless the Magnolia founder has unlocked the secret to time travel, she probably ducked out of High Point, hopped on a plane, and headed straight to the concert. While we're sure some fans were disappointed that Gaines was a no-show at the meet-and-greet, we honestly can't blame her for hightailing it to Houston. The Eras Tour is arguably one of the biggest pop culture moments of 2023 so fargrossing $591 million in ticket revenue and being everywhere on our social media feeds. (With more than 69,000 fans in attendance, her kick-off show is officially the most-attended U.S. concert by a female performer.) And, stats aside, we also love that Gaines is a Swiftie. But the question we're all asking is: What's Gaines's favorite T. Swift album? (Our money's on Fearless.) Did she get to meet Swift? (Fingers crossed!) Who knows, maybe we'll see the Midnights songstress taking a much-needed girl's trip to Waco once the tour is over... You Might Also Like A man walks past the News Corp. and Fox News headquarters on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in New York. Fox Corp.'s hefty $787.5 million settlement with Dominion over defamation charges is unlikely to make a dent in Fox's operations, analysts say. (Mary Altaffer/AP) Fox Corp.s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation charges is eye-popping, but the ultimate cost to the media company is likely to be much lower. On Tuesday, Fox settled with Dominion over charges that Fox News baselessly accused the company of rigging its voting machines against former President Donald Trump in 2020. It was the most-watched media libel case in decades. Advertisement Fox had about $4 billion of cash on hand as of December 2022, and MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman expects the company to pay the settlement during the current quarter. How much the lawsuit will actually end up costing Fox is unclear because there are ways it can defray some of the expense, primarily through insurance and the use of tax deductions. Advertisement Fox can deduct the Dominion settlement from its income taxes as an expense necessary for the cost of doing business. Fox Chief Communications Officer Brian Nick has confirmed the deductibility of the settlement. Big companies often deduct large settlements to help offset some of the cost, but since settlement amounts are usually confidential, its difficult to pin down exactly how much they benefit. Payments that are seen as restitution or compensation can be deducted, while payments made to the government or at the direction of a government are usually not deductible. Robert Willens, a tax professor at the Columbia University School of Business, estimates that after the tax write-off, Fox will incur about three-fourths of the settlement amount, about $590 million. The key is that if the payments are being made to private parties and not at the behest of the government then you can pretty much conclude without any fear of contradiction that the payment will be deductible, he said. A study by the Government Accountability Office in 2005 found that of 34 settlements totaling over $1 billion, 20 companies reported deducting some portion or all of their settlement payments. Big banks such as Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase reportedly also deducted portions of their settlements of charges tied the financial crisis of 2008. Also, if Fox is insured, insurance is likely to cover some of the settlement. Chad Milton, a partner at Media Risk Consultants, said a large media company such as Fox could have anywhere between $100 million to $500 million in coverage, including media liability insurance and other types of insurance. Its not hard to stack up $100 million but as you go higher than that, it gets harder and harder, Milton said. Usually, theres a certain amount a media company has to pay, which could be in the millions, before insurance kicks in. However, the deductible incudes attorney fees, which in a high-profile case like Fox-Dominion could be tens of millions of dollars or higher, so the deductible could be swallowed up just by attorney fees. Advertisement One wrinkle: even if an insurance company pays a substantial part of the settlement, there could be an annual aggregate limit of liability, which could mean that insurers wouldnt cover another big-money settlement. And media companies and insurers dont always agree on who should cover what, since there are caveats written into contracts that allow insurers to avoid paying under certain circumstances. In 2012, Disney settled a defamation suit after ABC aired a segment that questioned the safety of a meat producers products that critics dubbed pink slime. But one of its insurers, AIG, ended up suing Disney so they wouldnt have to pay part of the settlement, although AIG eventually lost. Fox has also said it doesnt expect the settlement to affect its operations. We dont expect significant operational effects or changes to our business given our cash flow, strong balance sheet and the health of our business, the company said in a statement after the settlement was announced. MoffettNathansons Fishman said everything indicates the company will be able to run its business as usual. It isnt clear there has been much, if any, impact of these lawsuits on Fox News viewership and business, he said. Advertisement Fishman said he doesnt expect the settlement to hamper Foxs ability to return money to shareholders, including a $1 billion accelerated share repurchase program announced in February. Fox has a similar lawsuit looming with another voting machine company, Smartmatic, but no date has been set and the case might not go to court for a couple of years. By Khalid Abdelaziz KHARTOUM (Reuters) - In the Sudanese capital, charred paramilitary pick-up trucks hit by air strikes litter main streets and weary residents queue for bread in neighbourhoods largely emptied of civilian life. On the outskirts, people lug suitcases long distances by foot towards bus stops as they try to flee the city. A Reuters reporter returning to his family home on Sunday got a glimpse of a city enveloped by war over the past eight days - a journey that would normally take little more than 30 minutes but took three hours amid the chaos of the conflict. The clashes pit Sudan's army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). They jointly staged a coup in 2021 but came to blows over plans for an internationally-backed transition to civilian rule. It is the first time fighting on this scale has affected the capital, which is composed of Khartoum and the adjoining cities of Bahri and Omdurman and has a total population of more than 10 million at a confluence of the Nile. Air strikes, shelling and gun battles have ripped across the city day and night, unabated through the final days of Ramadan when Muslims fast from dawn till dusk, and through the three-day holiday of Eid el-Fitr which ends on Sunday, despite repeated promises of ceasefires. The RSF has embedded itself in several neighbourhoods, taking over buildings, while the army has used air strikes and heavy artillery to try to force its rivals back, according to residents and witnesses contacted by Reuters. The army has said it is trying to clear "hotbeds of rebel groups" from the capital. The violence has cut water and power to much of the city, and damaged and closed hospitals. Many civilians are trapped in their homes or stranded, risking theft and looting if they venture out. The reporter crossed the Blue Nile to Bahri, scene of heavy clashes over the past two days, before circling west and crossing the river to Omdurman in order to reach his family home from Khartoum, where he had been staying with relatives. Story continues He navigated through a city transformed by the military power struggle. He saw heavy deployments of RSF fighters in the areas he drove through in the three sister cities, some manning checkpoints where they demanded identity documents from drivers. Army troops, who according to residents and witnesses began engaging in heavier ground fighting for the first time on Friday, could be seen at the entrance to Omdurman, where tanks, pickup trucks and soldiers with automatic rifles were deployed. After more than a week of warfare, the reporter found residential streets largely deserted. In addition, petrol has become hard to obtain, and there were few cars. Supplies of flour and other staples are dwindling, and vegetables are scarce and expensive. At the main market in Bahri, many buildings were badly damaged and burned by fighting and air strikes. In some areas further from central Khartoum, buses could be seen preparing to carry people north towards Egypt, part of an exodus that has gathered pace over the past week. People carrying small bags tried to hitch rides with passing cars or catch minibuses heading out of the city. Near the Halfiya bridge linking Bahri to Omdurman, a long diplomatic convoy with armed guards and flying British flags could be seen heading west, one of the evacuations of embassy staff and foreign citizens that began on Saturday and gathered pace on Sunday as the fighting abated slightly. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel) HOUSTON (AP) A Texas judge has stopped next week's scheduled execution of a death row inmate who has long said he's innocent so there can be more time to review his claims that he was convicted more than 20 years ago with false testimony and questionable evidence. Ivan Cantu had been condemned for the fatal shooting of his cousin, James Mosqueda, 27, and his cousins girlfriend, Amy Kitchen, 22, during a November 2000 robbery at their north Dallas home. Cantu has long claimed he is innocent. Cantu, 49, had been set for execution April 26. But state District Judge Benjamin Smith in Collin County, where Cantu was convicted, on Wednesday withdrew the execution date, saying more review is needed of the inmates new claims. Bill Wirskye, first assistant district attorney with the Collin County District Attorneys Office, declined to comment. Because Mr. Cantus case raises troubling questions that undermine the integrity of the conviction, the courts decision to withdraw the execution date to permit further review was the appropriate next step, Gena Bunn, Cantus attorney, said in a statement on Friday. Sylvia Cantu, Ivan Cantus mother, said she remains hopeful that all of this new evidence will finally be heard in court so that Ivan can come home. Two of the jurors who convicted Cantu have submitted declarations stating they now have doubts about the case. I do not want the execution of Mr. Cantu to be carried out unless a careful and thorough review of the evidence is conducted, Maurice Jacob, one the jurors, wrote in declaration from earlier this month. Prosecutors have claimed Cantu, who was convicted in 2001, killed Mosqueda, who dealt illegal drugs, and Kitchen as he tried to steal cocaine, marijuana and cash from his cousins home. Cantu has claimed a rival drug dealer killed his cousin. In Cantus apartment, police found bloody jeans with the victims DNA, a key to the victims home and a key to Kitchens car. Police found Cantus gun at his ex-girlfriends home. Mosquedas blood was found on the guns barrel while Cantus fingerprints were found on the guns magazine. Story continues In a 2005 affidavit, Matthew Goeller, one of Cantus trial attorneys, said Cantu admitted to him that he had indeed killed Mosqueda for ripping him off on a drug deal and that Kitchen was killed because she was a witness. Cantus then-girlfriend, Amy Boettcher, was the prosecutions main witness. She testified Cantu told her he was going to kill Mosqueda and Kitchen and later took her back to the crime scene after the killings. But in court documents, Bunn alleges Boettchers testimony is riddled with false statements. Boettcher, who died in 2021, testified Cantu stole and later got rid of Mosquedas Rolex watch. But the watch wasnt stolen and was later found by Mosquedas family, Bunn said. Boettcher told jurors Cantu proposed to her on the night of the killings with an engagement ring he stole from Kitchen. But witnesses have since said Cantu and Boettcher had announced their engagement and showed off the ring a week before the killings, according to Bunn. Boettcher testified Cantu placed his bloody jeans and socks in their kitchen trashcan on the night of the killings. But Cantus lawyers have questioned this because a police officer who was in his apartment the next day did not see the bloody clothes in the trashcan and they werent discovered until several days later, supporting the defenses theory that someone else put them in the trashcan. Jeff Boettcher, Amys brother, testified that prior to the killings, Cantu told him he planned to kill Mosqueda and Cantu had tried to recruit him to clean up afterward. However, Jeff Boettcher has since said he lied and was not a credible witness due to his history of drug abuse, according to court documents. Absent the largely unimpeached testimony of the Boettchers, it is unlikely that Mr. Cantu would have been convicted, Bunn said in court documents. Bunn has credited an independent probe by Matt Duff, a private investigator, with uncovering much of the new evidence in the case. Duff has chronicled his findings in a podcast called Cousins By Blood. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter at https://twitter.com/juanlozano70. In the evening of 23 April and the morning of 24 April, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down four kamikaze drones. Source: Air Command South Details: It is specified that during the evening of 22 April and the morning of 23 April 2023, the Russians attacked Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts with drones. Soldiers of mobile fire groups of the Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigade destroyed four Lancet kamikaze drones. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A house destroyed by Russian bombing in Izyum, Kharkiv Oblast Russia intensifies airstrikes The main military trend of the week is the further intensification of Russian air strikes both on the frontline and border areas, as well as deep into Ukrainian territory. According to statistics from Ukrainian militarys General Staff, the intensity of airstrikes continues to grow, with 20 to 60 such attacks registered each day this week (which includes drone kamikaze strikes) nearly a quarter more than the previous week. Read also: Russia transferring Soviet weapons to western Crimea The enemy received a new shipment of Shahed drones and is using them for strikes deep within Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian officials have said. On April 19, Russia launched 26 Shahed drones, 21 of which were destroyed. On the night of April 21, up to 12 tactical UAVs were launched, four of which were not successfully shot down, resulting in a large fire at an oil depot in Poltava Oblast. On April 16, Russians also launched a massive missile attack using S-300s on the cities of Zaporizhzhya and Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, as well as Snihurivka in Mykolaiv Oblast. However, the number of cruise missile strikes was minimal. Read also: Ukraine invites F-16 pilots to join its International Legion The most dangerous tactic used by the enemy remains launching missiles and guided bombs from fighter jets. Such heavy bombs caused severe damage and casualties in Orikhiv and Huliaypole of Zaporizhzhya Oblast and Vovchansk of Kharkiv Oblast on April 18-19. A similar bomb accidentally hit the Russian city of Belgorod on the evening of April 20, as acknowledged by the Russian command. As of last week, Ukrainian Air Force Command observed the use of up to 20 precision-guided bombs per day. Air Force representatives and experts regularly note that the enemys use of air bombs is the greatest challenge for the air defense of Ukraine and, in general, for the Armed Forces. This is the optimal type of weaponry in terms of availability, degree of risk, and destructive power. Story continues The Ukrainian air defense, with its current resources, cannot stretch between protecting important rear-based facilities and covering the frontline areas. The Air Force has repeatedly stressed that the only way to protect the sky is a combination of significant expansion of air defense (including the fleet of Ukrainian fighter jets) with regular air strikes far into the enemys territory. Supply of new Western weapons amid shortage The shortage of air defense systems and their ammunition remains a significant issue in discussions about the supply of new batches of Western weapons to Ukraine. On the eve of the most recent meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine in the Ramstein format, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov emphasized that Ukraines priority is the rapid construction of a multi-level air defense/anti-missile defense system. Read also: Ukraine testing new weapons may lead to blasts in Crimea, says top security official All 13 MiG-29 fighter jets donated by Slovakia and the first Patriot air defense missile systems have finally been delivered to Ukraine. Additionally, sources have confirmed for the first time that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are already using the Turkish Rocketsan multiple launch rocket systems and its guided missiles (an analog of HIMARS), as well as the innovative Swedish RBS-70 air defense system. However, the quantity of these new weapons remains small, which has led, among other things, to warnings by Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat about the politicization of the provision of MiG-29s and Patriots. Discussions in Europe continue regarding the supply of shells for Ukrainian artillery forces. EU countries have not yet agreed on how to spend the one billion euros already allocated to purchase these shells. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A protest swim was organised at Brown's Bay in Islandmagee, County Antrim Swimmers have taken to the water at Islandmagee to protest against the building of gas storage caverns nearby. Seven gas caverns are set to be constructed by carving out salt layers under Larne Lough to store half a billion cubic metres of natural gas. The firm behind the project say it will create jobs and improve energy security by giving a 14-day buffer during periods of peak demand. Protesters say the caverns would pose a threat to the local environment. A marine licence for their proposed construction was approved by the Department of Agriculture and Environment (Daera) in October 2021, but is subject to a judicial review brought by opposition groups the No Gas Caverns campaign and Friends of the Earth NI. The two groups coordinated Saturday's protest swim at Brown's Bay in Islandmagee, County Antrim. The judicial review is due to begin on 2 May. Lauryn Alexander helped organise the event and said the beaches of Islandmagee were a popular attraction for open-water swimmers The beach is an officially designated bathing site and generally popular with swimmers year-round, particularly during the summer months. About 30 swimmers took to the water under cloudy skies and heavy rain just after midday, with a further 20 or so supporters watching on from the shore. Most of the group stayed in the sea for about 15 minutes. Ahead of the swim, Lauryn Alexander, who lives locally and organised the event said she wanted to take part and show support for what she described as a "community-wide effort" to oppose the gas caverns. Analysis: Louise Cullen, BBC News NI Agriculture and Environment Correspondent Since it was first proposed, the gas caverns project has been controversial. Supporters say it would create jobs and give Northern Ireland security in the event of a disruption to energy supply. And they say the concentrated brine produced in making the caverns would disperse rapidly in the sea. Long-term, the caverns could be used to store hydrogen as a product of surplus renewable energy, maximising our wind power generation potential and making a contribution to reaching Net Zero. Story continues But campaigners say the hyper-saline water released in carving out the caverns threatens vulnerable species in several Areas of Special Scientific Interest along the coast, potentially creating a "dead zone". They fear building space for storing gas locks Northern Ireland into fossil fuel infrastructure that would damage Net Zero ambitions. The controversy shows just how difficult and delicate a balance it is to strike between human and environmental needs. She said that the beaches of Islandmagee have become a popular attraction for open-water swimmers from "far and wide", and that Saturday's swim was about protecting that natural environment which she says the caverns would "ruin completely". James Orr, director of Friends of the Earth NI, said that his organisation decided to get involved with the campaign because of the "fantastic community who love their place and have been mobilising for a number of years" and that it felt like a "natural match" for them to support the campaign. He added that the commitment to this campaign from its supporters was highlighted by the fact that they were willing to "jump in the sea". Mr Orr noted that the upcoming judicial review would be an "opportunity to raise a whole range of environmental arguments against this project". About 30 swimmers took to the water under cloudy skies on Saturday The groups say they have raised tens of thousands of pounds to fund legal costs for their judicial challenge to Daera's decision to grant the project a marine construction licence - 5,000 was donated by the non-profit organisation Wild Justice, part-owned by the broadcaster and naturalist Chris Packham. On 2 April, the protest groups organised a so-called Boots on the Beach event, in which some 200 people marched along Brown's Bay beach in opposition to the gas caverns. Opposition to the project is largely based on environmental grounds. Campaigners say the construction process will involve the pumping of "very salty water" into Larne Lough, creating what they call a "dead zone" in which no animal life can survive. They also say that drilling will ward off certain marine animals. The project would see caverns hollowed out under Larne Lough As the area is used by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group to measure marine mammal sightings, they say that the drilling could interrupt a decades-long data set important in tracking the number of these animals. The marine area in Larne Lough and around Islandmagee has several designated protected areas. 'Significant benefits' Islandmagee Energy says there will be no long-term damage to wildlife and that any impact created by the discharge of the brine (very salty water) will be localised to a small area at an approved distance offshore away from Larne Lough. It says the project will not affect any wildlife native to Islandmagee. The beach is an officially designated bathing site and generally popular with swimmers year-round, particularly during the summer months Harland and Wolff, Islandmagee Energy's parent company, said that storage of gas in Northern Ireland "is more important now than ever". It said this was "in order to ensure the long-term security of energy supply, which will protect consumers and businesses from volatile movements in the prices of energy, whilst ensuring businesses can continue operating and everyone is adequately supplied at all times of the year". In a statement to BBC News NI, it said that the project would create about 1,600 direct and indirect jobs and bring about 400m into the wider economy. It said it will have a "significant economic and social benefits to Northern Ireland". It added that it had "supplied the required documents to the relevant authorities who have issued approvals for the project to proceed, and we believe that we have satisfied or exceeded all of the requirements". Deara has previously told BBC News NI that it is not in a position to comment while the issue is an "on-going legal matter". Responding to Fridays Supreme Court ruling protecting access to a widely used abortion medication, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on Sunday used the case to reiterate many of the abortion arguments theyve been making since the landmark Dobbs decision last year. The Supreme Courts order on Friday prevents rulings from a Texas-based judge and a federal appeals court from taking effect while litigation continues. That has the effect of maintaining legal access to to the drug, mifepristone. With the status quo temporarily preserved, politicians on both sides of the aisle used discussion of Friday's ruling, and the cases that directly preceded it, to double down on past arguments about abortion, and their proposals for either making it illegal, keeping it legal or some combination of the two. On Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he will live with whatever decision eventually emerges from the court, while also attacking abortion as a practice and citing his previous support for national legislation limiting it. It's a human rights issue, Graham said on CNNs State of the Union. At 15 weeks you have a developed heart and lungs, and to dismember a child at 15 weeks is a painful experience. Its barbaric [its] out of line with the rest of the civilized world. Thats the stance that any Republican who hopes to have a shot at the GOP presidential nomination in 2024 will have as well, Graham said. Anybody running for president who has a snowball's chance in hell in the 2024 primary is going to be with me, the American people, and all of Europe, saying late-term abortions should be off the table, Graham said. But Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) cautioned against going too far on anti-abortion legislation ahead of 2024. I want us to find some middle ground, Mace said on ABCs This Week, after voicing support for the courts decision to protect mifepristone. There are in my home state of South Carolina, there was a very small group of state legislatures that filed a bill that would execute women who have abortions and gave more rights to rapists than women who have been raped. That is the wrong message heading into 24. Were going to were going to lose huge if we continue down this path of extremities. Story continues New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu voiced the same concerns Sunday. "If we stay in our traditional lanes, we're going to lose. There's no doubt about it," Sununu said on NBC's "Meet the Press." The Republican governor, a possible 2024 presidential candidate, referenced polls that he said show dwindling support for legislation banning abortion from younger generations of Republicans. "Look, the next generation of Republicans, right, if you look at the polls from about [ages] 45 and under, when you look at their priorities, you know, banning abortion is not one of their priorities. It's not," he said. Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson a 2024 presidential contender said that while he supports limits on abortions, Republicans have fought for decades to have states determine the rules, instead of the federal government. I would prefer that this is an issue that is resolved by the states, he said on Fox News Sunday. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers applauded Fridays ruling as being a legally and medically sound decision that lets women maintain control of their own health. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) voiced support for the Supreme Courts decision, and noted that the drug is used for medical conditions other than abortion. I'm certainly not in a position to know, I'm not a medical expert, nor are the Supreme Court justices, Dingell said on Fox News Sunday. We have agencies designed and set up to do the scientific process and that is where I think the responsibility belongs. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) also challenged the logic behind the initial decision that was built around a challenge to the FDA's processes. "I think it was crazy. The notion that you would take a drug that has been used safely for more than two decades and somehow then take that away from availability, Warner said of the lower court decision. "You know, I frankly think this is an issue that women's healthcare choices ought to be made by women, and the idea of this judge so radically intervening with a safe procedure ... undermines the very integrity of our FDA process," he said on "This Week." Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) also said the Supreme Courts decision Friday was the correct one. The people of this country believe that the women of this country should be able to make their own decisions about their health care and they don't want Ted Cruz in the waiting room," Klobuchar said on State of the Union, citing a Texas Republican senator who is an abortion foe. During his interview, Graham pointed to the Comstock Act, a sweeping anti-obscenity measure passed by Congress in 1873 that District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk cited in his initial decision to block abortion medication from being sent by mail. I think it's a law on the books and it was placed there for a reason, Graham said when asked about applying the 19th century law to the case. But sending the abortion drug through the mail is a big change in how it is provided. In 2000 when it was first approved, you had to have four visits to the doctor. In 2021, the Biden administration said you don't have to even consult a physician anymore and send it through the mail. Is that safe? ... That's what the court will decide, Graham said. But Klobuchar said that legislation is outdated. The Comstock Act that [was] literally passed, Dana, in 1873, Klobuchar told CNNs Dana Bash. That is 10 years before the Yellowstone prequel. that is at a time when healthcare when you were treated for pneumonia through bloodletting, she said. The American people do not want to go backward. And what I heard today is that Republican leaders in Washington aren't backing down on their opposition to reproductive freedom. They are doubling down," she said. 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 committees in-depth review of U.S. policies toward China as lawmakers, especially in the Republican-led House, focus on tensions with President Xi Jinpings 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. Taiwans and Chinas 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. Lawmakers in a new House select committee on China gather for a tabletop war game exercise in the House Ways and Means Committee room on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Washington. Center of New American Security think tank defense program director Stacie Pettyjohn, left, Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., third from left, Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., fourth from left, Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., committee Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., second from right, and Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla. (Ellen Knickmeyer/AP) The war game wasnt 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. Story continues In reality, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the committees 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 Taipeis 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 tanks defense program director Stacie Pettyjohn narrating, angry Chinese officials respond by heaping unacceptable demands on Taiwan. Meanwhile, Chinas 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 worlds 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. Whos 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, Chinas leaders have a history of shunning U.S. hotline calls, and thats a problem, the exercise leaders tell them. In think tanks Taiwan war game, US beats China at high cost 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. Its not clear to me weve 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, Chinas diplomats did their advance work to keep American allies on the sidelines. And anyway, it seems the all-out U.S. economic measures against Chinas economy have put allies off. Theyre 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. Its 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, theyre going to be trying to isolate us, Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said of Xis government. Holmes, in the role of Joint Chiefs chairman, reassured lawmakers, after the first three days of fighting. We survived, he said. The Miami Transplant Institute at Jackson Memorial Hospital is in the spotlight. Heres why: Its adult heart transplant program remains shut down while the nonprofit organization that oversees the countrys organ network investigates at least five patients deaths at the institute since 2021. The institute abruptly suspended the program in March. The Institutes former chief of heart transplant and ventricular assist devices is no longer treating patients. Federal and state agencies are looking into the hospitals heart-device implant program, known as LVAD, or Left Ventricular Assist Device, which is a mechanical pump implanted in a persons chest when their heart can no longer sufficiently pump blood throughout the body. University of Miami doctors staff the Miami Transplant Institute as part of a joint operating agreement between UMs Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Health System, the Miami-Dade County public health network. The Institute, founded in 1970 and one of the oldest and largest transplant centers in the country, is based at Jackson Memorial Hospitals main campus near downtown Miami. In addition to the heart, transplants are done there for kidneys, lungs, the liver, the pancreas and intestines. Heres a timeline of recent developments: Oct. 13, 2022 Dr. Rodrigo Vianna, director of the Miami Transplant Institute, notifies Dr. Matthias Loebe in a letter that he will no longer serve in the role of Chief of Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Devices, effective Feb. 13, 2023. As discussed, we believe it is in the best interest of the Miami Transplant Institute to search for a new leader for these programs, the letter states. Also in the letter: Loebe will lose $150,000 of his salary his administrative supplement as of Feb. 28, 2023. Loebe, 64, joined the Miami Transplant Institute in 2015, recruited from the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Texas. He will remain in his job until his successor is hired, Jackson officials say. Story continues Dr. Matthias Loebe, who until February was the Chief of Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Devices at the Miami Transplant Institute at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. The Transplant Institute is staffed with doctors from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. December 2022: A complaint about the heart pump program at the Miami Transplant Institute at Jackson is submitted through EthicsPoint, a portal for University of Miami employees to lodge anonymous complaints. February 2023: A second complaint about the heart pump program is filed through EthicsPoint. Mid-March 2023: An internal Jackson complaint is sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which regulates hospitals in the United States. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is the nations single-largest hospital payer of medical claims. The report, which the Herald has reviewed, details patients deaths within one year of having a left ventricular assist device implanted in their chest at Jackson. The complaint alleges the deaths were preventable and were caused by various factors, including poor heart pump candidate selection for risky procedures and poor surgical management. Jackson said it investigated the claims and determined them to be completely unfounded, after conducting exhaustive reviews of patients medical records. March 20, 2023: Luke Preczewski, vice president of the Miami Transplant Institute, announces the voluntary suspension of the adult heart transplant program in a staff Zoom meeting, noting this news will not be shared with the public. The program will remain suspended while it undergoes a review by the United Network for Organ Sharing, the nonprofit that operates the countrys organ transplant system for the federal government. March 21, 2023: The Herald learns of the suspension independently and publishes a story on its website, with the headline, Jackson/UMs renowned adult heart transplant program is abruptly suspended, pending review. March 28, 2023: Herald editors and reporters meet with doctors and administrators at the Miami Transplant Institute at Jackson. Disclosed in the meeting: The adult heart transplant programs suspension is the result of pressure from organ network; the hospital has received anonymous internal and external complaints about the program, which is not performing as well as its other organ transplant programs; major personnel changes are on the horizon, doctors and officials say. READ MORE: Complaints, pressure from organ clearinghouse led Jackson to halt adult heart transplants The week of April 3: The organ sharing network sends a peer-review panel made up of physicians from other transplant centers across the country, along with federal regulators and network administrators, to investigate Jacksons adult heart transplant program. One of the deaths being examined: Frank Ricigliano, the 56-year-old hairdresser who underwent heart transplant surgery at the Miami Transplant Institute in the spring of 2021 and died less than three months later, on July 4, 2021. Frank Ricigliano loved caring for animals. The Miami hairdresser died on July 4, 2021, after receiving a heart transplant at the Miami Transplant Institute at Jackson Memorial Hospital in the spring of 2021. April: UM responds to the EthicsPoint complaints, posting that its investigation has been completed and noting appropriate action has been taken. The week of April 10: Officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which regulates hospitals and other healthcare facilities in the state, make unannounced visits to the Miami Transplant Institute. They zero in on heart transplants, as well as the heart pump implant program, Jackson confirms. The week of April 17: A Jackson spokesperson confirms that Loebe, the longtime chief of Jacksons heart transplant and heart pump programs, is no longer treating patients, although he is still on staff. Whats next? The organ network is expected to issue an action plan by the end of April that will explain what the Miami Transplant Institutes adult heart transplant program needs to resolve to reopen. A left-wing U.K. lawmaker has been suspended after arguing in a public letter that Jewish people cannot be the victims of "racism." Diane Abbott, was suspended as a Labour Party whip on Sunday after widespread backlash. She released a statement on Twitter apologizing for her remarks on Sunday and expressing her wish to "disassociate myself from them." The U.K.'s progressive Labour Party has long faced accusations of antisemitism, and its leaders were quick to condemn Abbott's words and remove her from party leadership this weekend. Abbott sent a letter to The Guardian responding to an article that had questioned whether only people of color can experience racism. Her response argued that while Jewish and certain White people may experience "prejudice," they do not experience "racism." CHRISTIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT BLASTS 'TOLERANT LIBERALS' FOR HYPOCRISY AGAINST CHRISTIANS: 'THAT'S RUBBISH' Labour MP Diane Abbott was suspended from her party's whip position after stating in a public letter that Jewish people and White people cannot experience "racism." "They undoubtedly experience prejudice," she wrote of Jews and White people. "This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships," her letter finished. Abbott released a statement Sunday following swift backlash, saying she would like to apologize for "the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them." WOMEN, ACTIVISTS SKEWER U.K. POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR LISTING RAPE AS A NON-EMERGENCY CRIME Labor MP Diane Abbott disavowed her previous claims that Jewish people cannot experience racism. "I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my remarks and disassociate myself with them," Abbott wrote, going on to blame the issue on an early draft of the letter being published. "But there is no excuse, and I wish to apologize for any anguish I caused." "Racism takes many forms, and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travelers and many others," she wrote. Abbott's suspension will last until an investigation into the matter has been concluded, a Labour Party spokesman told the BBC. Tonight the final gavel will fall as this years session of the State Legislature adjourns. Barring an unforeseen and unlikely last-minute meltdown, this will mark a year of welcome comity and bipartisanship. On housing, policing, drug possession, mental health, and many other issues, votes have drawn yeses (and nos) from both Republicans and Democrats. Todays grand finale, starring final passage of the state budgets, may see a more traditional party line split because well, its traditional. But earlier Senate and House budget proposals have drawn votes from both majority Democrats and minority Republicans. In the Senate, even though there were features the Rs didnt like, they were pleased that the budget proposed no new taxes, slowed spending growth, and left a sizable reserve. In the Senate, the 40 yes votes (out of 49 Senators) were pleasantly startling. How did this happen? Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, who presides over the Senate, credits exceptional leadership, starting with Senators Andy Billig, the Democratic Majority Leader, and John Braun of the Centralia area, the Republican Minority Leader, and including Majority Floor Leader Jamie Pederson and his minority counterpart, Shelly Short. He describes all four as paragons of civic virtue who set a standard for treating all members with respect. In the House of Representatives, Minority Leader J. T. Wilcox of Yelm reveals his own leadership style by giving credit to others for bipartisan successes. One of the people he cites is Rep. Mike Chapman, the Democratic chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. At the beginning of session, Chapman announced that his committee would only hold hearings on bills that had both Republican and Democratic supporters. This committee is most important to rural areas that elect Republicans. Pressed to explain his own role, Wilcox invoked Mark Doumit, a former conservative Democratic legislator, as a mentor who advised him to always look for things to agree on. Another source of inspiration was the handshake between his father and Billy Frank Jr., which was key to unlocking watershed-wide cooperation for the protection of the Nisqually River watershed during a contentious time in 1985. (The Wilcox family has a longstanding farm operation close to the river.) He quotes Billy Franks bedrock belief, We can only be successful if we work together. Story continues When Wilcox considered running for the legislature, his father said, You gotta go talk to Billy. Another example of welcome bipartisan agreement was led by Representatives Andrew Barkis, a Thurston County Republican, and Jessica Bateman, an Olympia Democrat. Though watered down from its original form, it cracks open the door to more middle housing that is, duplexes and fourplexes in more cities and towns. That is one of many victories for more affordable housing coming from this session. Still, it would be an exaggeration to say that bipartisanship won the day entirely. Wilcox notes a handful of passionately non-bipartisan issues, including preserving the sanctity of the confessional in a bill to make clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse, and legislation that specifically notes that parents are not to be notified if their LGBTQ or trans kids leave home and seek state health care. Guns and abortion are also the partisan list. But partisan differences are the reason we have political parties. No one wants legislators to come to Olympia to sing kumbaya. The debates of competing ideas need to be vigorous, and every legislative proposal needs to stand up to close scrutiny of its potential effectiveness at achieving a worthy goal, and its cost. Thats why tonights budget votes will be closely watched, and closely analyzed in the coming weeks. But our legislature is showing that its best work can be done without mud-slinging, retreat into warring camps, and attempts to demonize the opposition. We are fortunate and grateful to have leaders and rank-and-file legislators whose civility and productivity provide us with such a sharp contrast to our current Congress. We wish the other Washington would be inspired by their example. Bronislawa Stekala speaks about preserving the closed St. Adalbert Church during a celebration of the feast of St. Adalbert, outside of the church on April 23, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune) Over 40 people, many of them former parishioners, gathered Sunday afternoon outside the closed St. Adalbert Catholic Church in Pilsen to honor their patron saint on his feast day. The celebration began with a Litany to St. Adalbert, the churchs and Polands shared patron saint. The group offered petitions first in Polish, then Spanish, then English. Advertisement St. Adalbert, faithful to God, pray for us, the prayer went. St. Adalbert, glory of the Holy Cross, pray for us. Following the prayers, a band from Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church and Mariachi La Barca Jalisco played in the street in front of the scaffolded church building as people danced along. Those gathered at the corner of West 17th and South Paulina streets ate paczkis and sernik, Polish doughnuts and cheesecake, as well as tacos and tamales. Advertisement St. Adalbert closed its doors in 2019. Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago attributed the decision to declining parish populations and the significant investment needed to make church building renovations. [ St. Adalbert Church in Pilsen to be sold: This is erasing our history, our legacy ] The church held its last Mass in July 2019. Since parishioners first heard in 2017 that the church would be closing, a group of them has been steadily fighting to keep St. Adalbert open. In November, after months of protests by former congregants, the archdiocese had the replica of Michelangelos La Pieta statue, which depicts Mary cradling Jesus body on her lap after the crucifixion, moved from the historic church to St. Paul Catholic Church, about a mile southwest. [ La Pieta statue at St. Adalbert Church is moved after months of protests ] Protesters of the move told the Tribune that the statues removal would bring the church closer to a point of no return. An archdiocese statement said the valued community treasure can be better safeguarded and preserved in an active parish church. And the archdioceses multiple unsuccessful attempts to sell the building have been met with opposition from the former parishioners and prayer. One group of former St. Adalbert congregants, the St. Adalbert Rosary Group, meets every Friday evening to pray the rosary outside the church with the intention of saving St. Adalbert. On Sundays, they pray the rosary outside Holy Name Cathedral. Anna Leja, a rosary group member, attended Polish-language services at St. Adalbert before it closed. She said her hope for the feast day event, and for all of the rosary groups prayers, is to catch the attention of the cardinal and stop the church from falling out of sacred use. Advertisement We are always praying here and in front of the cathedral for a change of heart of Cardinal Cupich so he allows this church to be reopened, and so we can gather in this church for Masses and prayers and to celebrate all our events, Leja said. She said one potential property buyer has turned a former synagogue in Miami into a private event venue that hosts sordid activities. If the same happened with the St. Adalbert building, Church law, know as canon law, would be broken, Leja said. She also mentioned her concerns about the crime reported in the neighborhoods surrounding the church. Leja said that young people today need safe places to come together, and vibrant parish communities can serve that purpose. Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez, 25th, dances with Felipa Arguello to a mariachi band during a celebration of the feast of St. Adalbert outside the closed church in the Pilsen neighborhood on April 23, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune) The St. Adalbert Church building, deconsecrated as an approved place of worship following its final Mass, sits at 1650 W. 17th St. The church was first constructed in 1874 to serve Polish immigrant families settling in the area. In 1912, the church was rebuilt following a fire. [ From sacred to secular: What happens when a Catholic church shuts down? ] The former congregation has maintained its Polish roots to this day, even though Polish immigrants have since dispersed from Pilsen, a neighborhood that is now home to a large Hispanic immigrant community. Advertisement Demetrio Reyes, a St. Adalbert parishioner for over 25 years, passed out tamales with his wife in front of the church Sunday afternoon. He said they were married at St. Adalbert and have fought to reopen their church. They pray with the rosary group and come to the church every Sunday to thank God, he said. 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 > Thats why we are here, to say to the cardinal, We are here celebrating. A lot of people want to reopen the St. Adalbert Church, Reyes said. Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, attended the event after being invited by former parishioners and residents. He said he supports the community members fighting against the sale of St. Adalbert and is glad see the Polish and Mexican communities working together to ask the city and archdiocese to work together to create a path forward for the church. The community has made it clear that they dont want more churches to become for-profit spaces, Sigcho-Lopez said. But to remain a community space, and a faith based space, and thats what we hope for. Former parishioner Julie Sawicki, Society of St. Adalbert president, said the Polish community in Pilsen built the church for the benefit of future generations. She said the congregation will continue gathering until there are plans in place to set the church up for another 150 years. Advertisement Were not giving up on this, Sawicki said. Well be here as long as it takes. oalexander@chicagotribune.com You and I will get a chance to vote in a presidential primary election next year. Thats good, and after 25 years in Kansas, Ive almost forgotten what its like. But, we may not get to vote before the nominations are decided, which would make our primaries a meaningless gesture and waste of state money. Let me explain. On Friday, Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Substitute for House Bill 2053. It sets the stage for Kansas voters, Republican or Democrat, to weigh in on their partys selection of nominees for president in an official election state-funded and run by state and county election officials. Its about time. Point of fact, a voter who cast a ballot in the last official Kansas presidential primary will be at least 50 years old by the time they get to do it again. The last presidential primary here was in 1992. Bill Clinton won the Democrats and George Bush (the first one) won the Republicans. Kansas has had a law on the books requiring a presidential primary since 1978. But my only memories are of sitting in the Legislature watching it get canceled every four years because of cost and because we were so late on the primary calendars that it really wouldnt have mattered who we voted for. Senate Substitute for House Bill 2053 solves one problem, allocating the funds for a primary, estimated at $4 million to $5 million. But the new law might still need some work if Kansas is to have a legitimate voice in the presidential nominating process. The bill establishes March 19, 2024, as our primary day. In all probability, the primary season will be over by then. Nationally, the primary process for 2024 is more front-loaded than it has ever been. California, the largest and traditionally last state to hold its primaries, has been moved up to Super Tuesday, March 5. As things stand now, at least 19 and as many as 23 states will have their primaries ahead of Kansas, including vote-rich behemoths like Texas, North Carolina, Georgia and Michigan. Story continues I discussed this with Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau of Wichita, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, which handled the bill. She told me that hearing testimony had indicated that the secretary of state could move the election in the interest of relevance if necessary. But then she called Bryan Caskey, the secretarys election director, and he told her thats not the case. In the final bill, the primary is set in stone for March 19 and cant be changed without further legislation. It might be a good idea for the Legislature to consider cleaning that up with a trailer bill when it comes back for the annual wrap-up session on Monday. The national parties can penalize a state and reduce its delegates if it jumps ahead of their calendar. But at least some voice in the nomination would be better than no voice at all. The one certainty here is that the current system, party-run caucuses, is badly broken. It excludes many voters who are elderly or disabled, along with anyone else who cant travel to a potentially distant meeting hall and invest half a day in a political meeting. Turnout for caucuses is dismal and heavily weighted toward the extremes. The last three Republican caucuses have been won by uber-conservatives whose campaigns were on their last legs by the time they got here: Kansas picked Mike Huckabee over John McCain in 2008, Rick Santorum over Mitt Romney in 2012 and Ted Cruz over Donald Trump in 2016. The GOP didnt caucus at all in 2020. Kansas Democrats picked Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008, Obama was uncontested in 2012 and Bernie Sanders beat Clinton here in 2016. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, the Democrats experimented with a private primary of sorts, a mail-in election using ranked-choice voting. Joe Biden prevailed over Sanders. An authentic and official primary is long overdue. The system we have now squelches too many voices too often. So by all means, lets have a primary in 2024. But lets do it right, so voting for president doesnt continue to be the epic waste of time that weve grown used to these past 30 years. Fox News lying shouldnt be shrugged off Fox News hosts and producers left a paper trail of messages, admitting that they were lying about the 2020 election being rigged. I hope independent voters, the people who can make a difference in election outcomes in almost every state, will start unwinding the braids of lies woven into the narrative that Fox has fabricated. Nancy Brown, Urbandale No justice for stalkers It must be nice to be rich, white, well-connected guys in Iowa. Owning a bar or two can't hurt. That's the message our justice system sent the rest of us when plea deals resulted in suspended sentences and minor fines for two men who stalked a woman with a GPS device just for breaking up with one of them. A woman no longer has the right to end a relationship on her own terms without fear. We have to live with the fact that some angry, resentful guy and his hulking friends can track our every move, get us alone outside our home and pay us back as he sees fit. Not to worry a good lawyer will get him off. The guy pays the fine and throws one back at his bar to celebrate. Being a thug, or a "real man" hell call it, is just who he is, after all. There's no law against that. Well, there is, but who cares? Iowa has declared women second class to zygotes. No surprise were now second class to grown men with a grudge. More: Des Moines bar owners Steve McFadden, Edwin Allen III plead guilty in GPS stalking case Suzan Erem, West Branch Troopers should have respected judiciary To put it simply and briefly, the Iowa State Patrol should not be stooges for the governor. The State Patrol was little more than that in aiding and abetting the governor in trashing policies and procedures of Iowa's judiciary (Kim Reynolds was in Iowa Supreme Courts secure office area before arguments on abortion ban, April 13). Herb Strentz, Urbandale USDA inaction is shameful I am disgusted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's unwillingness to shut down Stonehenge Kennels in West Point after finding countless instances of inhumane treatment of the dogs held there for breeding (Major Iowa dog breeder has license suspended, April 15). Story continues The owner, Steve Kruse, should be ashamed of himself for the pain he is inflicting on the dogs in his care with his ongoing negligence. Why is it that the USDA is unable or unwilling to shut his operation down after so much evidence of cruelty? A 21-day suspension of his operation is all the department seems to be willing to enforce. Our own Tom Vilsack is the head of the USDA. Mr. Vilsack, can't something be done? I implore people who are looking to buy a purebred puppy to do your research! Or, better yet, consider breed-specific rescue organizations. Gail Turner, Polk City Reynolds goes off track on LGBTQ issues I consider myself to be a progressive Democrat who appreciates our governor's accomplishments and her compassion for the many Iowans who have suffered because of multiple disasters during the past two years. She is quite obviously a loving mother and grandmother. I also admire her ambition. However, her "Trump in high heels politics" and draconian policies inflicted on the LGBTQ population will create not only more of a brain drain but possibly an exit of LGBTQ-friendly companies. Who does this to a state that is trying to find its identity? It may also slow down economic progress because companies won't consider locating to a state where LGBTQ people are afraid for their lives. Deborah Guthrie, Windsor Heights Bird adds to punishment for victims Shame on Attorney General Brenna Birds decision to stop payment on emergency contraception and abortion for survivors of sexual assault. This move will further harm survivors who already face impossible barriers. As someone who has directly worked with survivors of sexual violence, I have seen the challenges many face accessing reproductive health care after an assault, with cost being one of the main reasons for not accessing care. Iowas crime victim compensation program, which is funded entirely from the fines and penalties paid by convicted criminals, not tax dollars, is a glimmer of hope for those who have to make the decision between receiving life-saving health care after a traumatic event or being able to pay this months rent. Bird prides herself on protecting victims of crime in our state; however, her actions are not lining up with her words. I have listened to countless survivors share their stories with me, whether it was at a police station, courtroom, or hospital room. I can honestly say survivors of sexual violence are some of the bravest people I have ever met. They do not deserve any further harm, especially at the hands of an elected official. Instead of taking away crime victims rights, Bird should be working to better the services available to victims of this harrowing crime. Abby Michael, Robins Republicans want to ensure they arent held accountable Weve all heard the axion follow the money. In the case of Republicans recent legislation to restrict the state auditors information access (Senate File 478), its about bringing the only Democratic-controlled executive branch office to heel. More: Iowa House votes to restrict state auditor's access to information, ability to go to court Neutering the auditors office will put an end to pesky investigations that hold government officials accountable. Isnt it odd that Republicans waive all accountability for their estimated $350 million-dollar annual taxpayer subsidy to private schools but feel its necessary to rein in the auditors authority? Republican legislators continue their legacy of building false narratives to advance self-serving legislation designed to keep them in power. State employees should work for Iowas taxpayers, not any political party. Maybe Iowas voters will recognize its time to restore balance to our government. Frank McDowell, Spirit Lake Lawmakers shouldnt decide how caucuses are run Caucuses are the private businesses of each political party. The Iowa Legislature should not dictate if, when, or how the caucuses are conducted. If the Democrats want to allow mail in ballots, so be it. If Republicans only want to admit those who are registered 70 days in advance of the caucus, so be it. Neither party should try to dictate how the other party runs its caucuses. Kurt Johnson, Urbandale Were no safer with more guns "An armed citizenry makes us all safer." How many times have we heard that from our Republican legislators and others who are against any and all sensible gun safety regulations? Considering all the mass shootings in this country, I'd say that's not quite true. Now we are seeing more instances of armed citizens who are so trigger-happy they are shooting first and not even bothering to ask questions later. A 16-year-old in Missouri innocently rings the wrong doorbell and, before he can say "Im sorry", is shot multiple times and killed. Two girls get lost in upstate New York, pull into a driveway to turn around, and without warning, the homeowner just shoots them dead like they were rabid dogs. A cheerleader in Texas opens the wrong car door in a parking lot and a guy gets out and just starts shooting at the group of cheerleaders she is with. All these folks with guns, scared to death of their own shadows, looking for a reason to shoot. People are not invasive raccoons to be exterminated like vermin. Now tell me again how we are so much safer when everyone is armed. I'm waiting... John Moore, Newton Republicans smooth the way for cheaper labor At nearly 5 a.m., while most Iowans were asleep, the Republican majority in the Iowa Senate voted to advance a bill that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds, who cannot legally purchase or consume alcohol, to serve it in restaurants and bars. This vote came after Republicans took the possibly unprecedented step of refusing to answer Democrats questions about the content of the bill, which would also allow minors to work on manufacturing lines and in other questionably safe work environments during hours that may interfere with their educational pursuits. What is their rationale? Its good for kids to start working early in life and Gov. Kim Reynolds babysat at age 12. Peachy. What is really at play here is the fact that Republicans are trying to address Iowa's worker shortage but dont want to support living wages and benefits for adult workers. After all, its way more profitable for businesses to hire kids than adults who are trying to support THEIR kids. When I was 16, grocery store employees, for example, were full-time adult workers. Many food store workers are now part-time high school and college students. Meanwhile, Republicans want out-of-work adults to lose unemployment benefits by forcing them to take poverty-level jobs if they cant find positions comparable in pay to those theyve lost. Add this to other bills that have been introduced and even passed by Republicans that deprive LGBTQIA kids of compassionate treatment and equality in schools, eliminate protections for children against firearms in schools, churches, day care centers and other public locations, enact unpopular school choice vouchers, and limit or eliminate womens very personal health care choices. It should be clear that Iowa Republican elected officials dont really care about Iowa children or adult citizens especially vulnerable ones or what they think and want from the Legislature, all the while ignoring the need to advance meaningful legislation to, among other challenges, clean up our contaminated rivers and lakes or repair our crumbling roads and infrastructure. Gordon Miller, Waukee Bill gives corruption a free pass Senate File 478 is a bill that would supposedly protect personal information but actually protects government waste. Some confidential information possessed by government agencies may not be released to the public, for example, law enforcement records that are part of an ongoing investigation. Under current law the state auditor can obtain such information to pursue investigations of fraud or waste, and the auditor is prohibited from making that information public. The latest version of this bill mandates that an agency can refuse to supply the auditor with nine kinds of information unless needed to expose theft. If a government agency refuses to give the auditor the information requested, the dispute goes to a three-person panel, one from the agency refusing to release the information and one appointed by the governor. There is no appeal of the panels ruling and litigation is prohibited. So the governor may block the auditor from accessing any information she deems confidential and not required for an audit. Any scandal may be covered up by starting an investigation and not completing it, so it is an ongoing investigation. Any wasteful practice can be covered up by claiming that it does not involve theft. This bill should not become law. James Eliason, Storm Lake Answering questions should be a basic expectation I understand that Republicans have a super-majority in the Senate, but does that give them complete freedom to pass bills without questions being answered? According to Jack Whitver, the Senate majority leader, Iowa Republican lawmakers will no longer answer Democrats questions during floor debate, because of an Iowa Supreme Court decision that criticized Republican lawmakers and cited former Sen. Michael Breitbach for giving inaccurate and unhelpful responses about a bill. The court also indicated the proposal did not go through the normal legislative steps, and asserted lawmakers did not know what they were voting on because the bill was produced for the first time on the same day it was passed. There are so many red flags in all of that. 1) Why wouldnt legislative procedure be followed for all proposals? 2) A bill that is produced in a day is probably in need of discussion and possible revision. 3) If you are giving inaccurate answers regarding a bill, that indicates that either you dont have all the facts or that you are purposely giving out false information. Discussion, debate, and questions would seem to be a rational process for any legislative body. Sandra Smith, Underwood Senators raccoon story wasnt funny As a city dweller, I understand that raccoons and other wildlife might become nuisances, especially in rural areas. However, I was taken aback by the cruelty evidenced in the article on the new open season law on raccoons and opossums. Sen. Bill Dotzler, after leaving the window of his RAGBRAI bus open, was incensed that a raccoon broke in and ate his food, and worse, defecated in his hat. He went on to say that he set some mousetraps baited with peanut butter on the hood of the bus, found them scattered around, and crowed, "So I figured I at least got his fingers." Would Senator Dotzler enjoy getting his fingers caught, and possibly severed, in mousetraps and then spending the rest of his time in pain and possibly bleeding to death? "Nuisance" wildlife may need to be dealt with, but cruelty should not be an option. Deborah Kolb, Des Moines This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Letters: Fox News lying shouldnt be shrugged off Lindsey Graham lashes out at CNNs Dana Bash over abortion (CNN) Lindsey Graham lost his composure and snapped at CNN host Dana Bash after she sought to correct him on a misleading claim about abortions. The Republican senator for South Carolina appeared on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday to react to the Supreme Courts Friday ruling to preserve the Food and Drug Administrations approval of the widely-used abortion drug mifepristone. Mr Graham questioned whether the FDA had gone too far, citing changes to how mifepristone is provided in the 23 years since it was first approved. Sending the abortion drug through the mail is a big change in how it is provided, he said. In 2000, when it was first approved, you had to have four visits to the doctor. In 2021, the Biden administration said you dont have to even consult a physician anymore and send it through the mail. Is that safe? Has the FDA gone too far? Have they used the procedures in place to make such a dramatic change? Thats what the court will decide, he added in reference to the case being put before a lower appeals court next month. Tensions rose when Ms Bash questioned whether Mr Graham believes the mifepristone ban is a state or federal issue. He appeared to dodge the question, saying: Yeah, it is a human rights issue. Pressed further, Mr Graham leaned into a common GOP tactic in the debate over abortion: bringing up the very rare late-term abortion. He called it barbaric to allow abortions up to the moment of birth - prompting Ms Bash to push back. For the record, Roe [v Wade] went up to viability, but I just want to button this up, she said before being interrupted. A visibly upset Mr Graham snapped back: No, no, no! Quit covering for these guys! No, no, no! Youre media and you keep covering for these guys! He raged on: They [Democrats] introduced legislation that allowed abortion on demand with taxpayer funding up to the moment of birth. That was their position in Washington That is the law they want to pass, and nobody in your business will talk about it! Ms Bash replied calmly: Senator, Im not covering for anybody. You know that, and when I have Democrats on, and Ive asked many all of them about their position on where they believe this issue should be. Sen. Lindsey Graham. Carolyn Kaster/AP Sen. Lindsey Graham had a moment on CNN when discussing abortion on Sunday. Graham falsely claimed that Democrats support abortion up until the "moment of birth." Democrats in fact support legislation allowing abortion after viability only when the mother's life and health are at risk. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina made a grand display of righteous indignation on CNN during a discussion about abortion on Sunday. The senator repeated claims that Democrats support elective abortion at birth a claim that medical experts say is false. "What the Democratic Party proposes on abortion is barbaric. Abortion up to the moment of birth, taxpayer-funded," Graham, a Republican, told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union." But that's not true. Shortly before the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Democratic lawmakers proposed legislation that would allow abortion after fetal viability when and only when doctors believe continuing the pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patient's life. Such a scenario is exceedingly rare, and at no point have Democrats widely supported abortion "at the moment of birth." That proposed legislation followed the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, which allowed abortion up to the point of viability (or around 24 weeks of gestation when a fetus might survive outside the uterus) with few exceptions, CNN's Bash pointed out. That prompted an emotional outcry from Graham. "No, that's no no, no, quit covering for these guys. No, no, no. Media, you keep covering for these guys. They introduced legislation that allowed abortion demand with taxpayer-funded you paying for it, the taxpayer up to the moment of birth," Graham responded. Graham said on CNN that he opposes "late-term abortion," a non-medical term that politicians and anti-abortion advocates have used to describe abortions after 21 to 23 weeks of gestation. The term has "no clinical or medical significance," according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG. Story continues Graham's claims that abortions are taking place "at the moment of birth" are also false. Many Republicans have claimed that this is now the grisly reality of women's healthcare, despite pushback from medical professionals who say that's a "complete falsehood." "An abortion at term is a desired pregnancy in the context of an extremely dire emergency without sufficient time for a safe C-section, when a woman would otherwise die," retired gynecologist Debbie McNabb previously told Insider. "This is a rare medical situation that no amount of medical information could inform a lawmaking body sufficiently for them to draft a specific law." "Statements about 'abortion up until the point of birth' or 'elective abortion' are unscientific and crafted to polarize the conversation about abortion," according to ACOG. According to 2020 CDC data, less than 1% of abortions were performed past 21 weeks of gestation. A full-term pregnancy is 39 to 40 weeks. The vast majority of abortions more than 93% that were reported in 2020 were performed at or before 13 weeks of gestation, according to the CDC. Last year, Graham, who previously claimed abortion was a state's rights issue, proposed a nationwide abortion ban after 15 weeks of gestation. Read the original article on Business Insider Tulane University campus photo This article was originally published in Louisiana Illuminator. The Louisiana Republican State Central Committee unanimously passed a resolution Saturday asking the legislature to ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) departments and offices within all colleges and universities in the state, both public and private, at their quarterly meeting held in Baton Rouge. The resolution, sponsored by RSCC member Gerald Brouillette, refers to DEI departments as commissariats, a reference to the Soviet dictatorship, and accuses them of pushing a political orthodoxy. It also suggests, without evidence, such organizations bloat college budgets and increase student debt. A review of DEI initiatives in Florida universities by the Chronicle of Higher Education found that no institution devoted more than 1% of its budget on DEI undertakings, with some spending as little as $9,000. Louisianas schools fall far below Florida in spending in almost every area. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The RSCC, made up of 230 popularly elected members, is the governing body of the Louisiana Republican Party and includes multiple elected officials. State Sens. Beth Mizell of Franklinton and Mike Fesi from-Houma, and state Reps. Beryl Amedee, Gray, Charles Owen, Rosepine, Buddy Mincey, Denham Springs, and Mark Wright, Covington, were present at the meeting. The resolution passed with no discussion among the majority-white body. In an interview after the meeting, Amedee, who previously served as vice chair of the state party, claimed diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives damage higher education. I believe that a lot of the DEI programs in our universities are taking things in a direction the majority of our citizens here in Louisiana would not support, Amedee said. I would rather our universities just get back to educating the subject matter that the students have signed up for. The passage of the resolution comes amid a nationwide Republican movement to clamp down on curricula and perceived wokeness in education. Story continues In Louisiana, that has meant attempts to restrict certain library materials and crack down on tenure for college faculty. Still, Louisiana has resisted most attempts to push these controversial restrictions. In other southeastern states, which have Republican control of both the legislatures and the governors mansions, the crackdown has been more severe. Georgia and Florida have created controversial post-tenure review systems. In Georgia, higher education leaders described the measure as the death of tenure. Florida has served as the blueprint for defunding DEI programs. While the RSCC resolution means little beyond a signal of the direction Republican primary voters are taking, another anti-DEI resolution is working its way through the official channels of the state legislature. House Resolution 13, sponsored by Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Livingston, would request all public schools in the state, from elementary through high schools and colleges, submit reports on programs and activities related to DEI, critical race theory and social emotional learning. While the resolution is non-binding, campus leaders are likely to comply. In a statement to the Illuminator, University of Louisiana System President Jim Henderson confirmed its nine universities would submit the reports. As public institutions, we have a duty to be transparent in our operations, Henderson said. Complying with legislative requests for information is a given. Amedee, who sits on the House Education Committee that will hear the resolution, said she supports requesting universities report their DEI spending, like Florida did. Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and Twitter. (Bloomberg) -- French President Emmanuel Macrons diplomatic efforts to enlist Chinas help to intervene in Russias war in Ukraine suffered another blow. Most Read from Bloomberg The Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, told the French network LCI on Friday that the ex-Soviet states dont have sovereign status as independent nations, a statement that ignores the internationally recognized borders in Eastern and Central Europe. Lus comments triggered furious reactions, particularly in the former Soviet bloc countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which announced plans to summon Chinese diplomats in their capitals. The Biden administration had already expressed irritation with Macron on his outreach to China, according to people familiar with the matter. On Monday, a spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry backtracked, saying that China respects the independence of the former Soviet Union states and that its position is unchanged. Lus Friday remarks undercut Macrons push to use talks between his foreign policy adviser Emmanuel Bonne and Chinas top diplomat, Wang Yi, to establish a framework that could be used as a basis for future negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Russias war in Ukraine is at a crucial point, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy struggling to maintain the confidence of his allies as he prepares for an expected spring counteroffensive to try to regain territory occupied by Russian forces. Doubts about whether Kyiv can take back land have been fed by Macrons push for negotiations, putting allies united front at risk. Macrons bid to engage in such a sensitive diplomatic effort without first consulting all European Union members was criticized by allies as premature and as one that could jeopardize the blocs unity. The French leaders approach to Ukraine hasnt gone down well in Washington either, according to people familiar with the matter. Story continues Lu, when asked on Friday if he considered Crimea a peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 part of Ukraine, said that ex-Soviet Union countries dont have effective status under international law. The statement appears to be in conflict with Chinas own recognition of the independence of the Baltic states in 1991. Frances foreign ministry said it took note of the ambassadors comments with dismay, and Lu was to be summoned on Monday in Paris to explain the remarks, according to a report in Le Monde. The EUs top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said the remarks were unacceptable. The comments from Lu, who is known for making repeated hardline statements on TV, sounded like yet another cold shower on Macrons hopes to get Beijing to engage with Ukraine. While China casts itself as neutral, its stance has boosted Russian President Vladimir Putins war against Ukraine. Some eastern members of the EU have bristled at Macrons visions for the bloc, particularly when he speaks of European strategic autonomy and relying less on the US. He drew particular criticism following a state visit to China earlier this month when he called for Europe to avoid being dragged into a conflict between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan. US Reaction There was a call last week between Macron and President Joe Biden and from the readouts both gave the tone was icy, with lots to read between the lines. Macrons office published a statement on Thursday to defuse the idea that the French president is at odds with the US on China and Taiwan, according to a French official speaking on condition of anonymity. Earlier, Bidens office published a shorter statement saying the two had reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. By contrast, the French statement made no direct mention of Taiwan. When it comes to the war in Ukraine, people familiar with the Biden administrations thinking said that the White House was annoyed by what they see as Macron freelancing on a delicate diplomatic issue without consulting with allies. These people, speaking on condition of anonymity because the conversations were private, also pointed out that its not the first time Macron has suggested a blueprint for peace and then had to retreat. Their view is that its clear the Chinese arent willing to use their influence with Putin, so its unlikely Macron can do any better this time. Solo Diplomacy Macron has shown a willingness to conduct solo diplomatic efforts, many of which have failed. On his recent trip to China, the French president fell short of his goal to convince Xi to talk to Zelenskiy the two still havent spoken since the war broke out more than a year ago. Macron traveled to Moscow in February of 2022 to try to get assurances from Moscow that Ukraine wouldnt be attacked. French officials then said they had received a commitment from Putin not to escalate the situation, which the Kremlin later denied. Two weeks later, Russia invaded Ukraine. Macron has previously said that he sees a major role for China and that thanks to its relationship with Russia it could bring Moscow back to reason. Beijing so far hasnt shown signs that its willing to pressure Moscow to withdraw troops. Many countries have expressed skepticism that China can serve as a neutral intermediary given its no-limits friendship with Russia. Xi and Putin have repeatedly pledged to strengthen ties, including between their militaries. Weve been always saying that we do not trust China as a mediator, as a possible mediator, it has chosen a side, it has sided with Russia, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Monday in Brussels. --With assistance from Ania Nussbaum, Low De Wei and John Follain. (Updates with Chinese statement in the fourth paragraph, Lithuanian comment in final paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A 37-year-old woman was allegedly shot and left for dead by a man who propositioned her for sex. Her mother says it took hard work by Kent police to make an arrest a full year later. The suspect, a Tacoma man, allegedly shot and nearly killed two homeless women on the same night last April. Kent detectives had to wait for new technology to actually crack this case. They got some new software that allowed them to get through the password protection on his phone. Once they did they say they found a trove of evidence linking him to the crimes, with both of them happening near the parking lot of a 7-Eleven. As soon as one arrives at the 7-Eleven on Kents Central Avenue South, it is apparent the area is a hangout for those who have no place else to go, says KIRO 7s Deborah Horne. Prosecutors say the 7-Eleven is where 36-year-old James-David Algarin was stalking homeless women and looking for sex. It is unusual to see these kinds of allegations, said Casey McNerthney, King County Prosecutor spokesman. On April 14, 2022, surveillance video at the 7-Eleven captured Algarin talking to 37-year-old Kassandra Sieck Jackson. She told police she got into his car and they ended up near the Lincoln Street Park and Ride. But when he asked for sex, she refused. Kent police say that is when he shot her with his pistol and took off. According to court documents, he drove to his home, in Kent at the time, and then returned to the 7-Eleven with an AR-15 style rifle. Thats when he allegedly propositioned Molly Dimitriou. She, too, refused his offer of sex. He shot her at least three times, once in the head, nearly killing her. The police did a lot of work over the last year, said McNerthney. And new technology was a help for them. McNerthney says this case shows that investigators were determined to find and arrest the suspect in these troubling cases. Regardless of who the victim may be, he said, whether youre experiencing homelessness or whether you live on the shores of Lake Washington, you deserve equal justice under the law. Story continues Kassandra Jacksons mother says they worried they would lose her when she was shot. She is still suffering from the injury. But her mother hopes this will be the wake-up call she needs to get her life back on track. As for the suspect, he is being held on $1.5 million bail. He is to be arraigned on May 4 and KIRO 7 plans to be there. Waldes Thomas and Diamond Darville were shot at after going to the wrong home while delivering Instacart groceries in Florida (WTVJ) A man who shot at a Florida couple when they went to the wrong house to make an Instacart grocery delivery will not face charges. Authorities in Davie, north of Miami, said they will not recommend charges against the shooter, 43-year-old Antonio Caccavale, after determining that his actions were justified by fear. Mr Caccavale opened fire on Instacart driver Waldes Thomas and his girlfriend, Diamond Darville, outside his home on 15 April. Mr Thomas told WTVJ the couple were making a delivery in Broward County when they mistakenly pulled up at the wrong address and walked onto the property. He said that a male homeowner, now identified as Mr Caccavale, 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. A Florida couple was shot at after going to the wrong house to make an Instacart grocery delivery. (WTVJ) The couple said that their car was then struck by several gunshots and they pulled over to call Davie police. 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. (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. In an update on Friday, Davie Police suggested that charges had been considered not only for Mr Caccavale but also for Mr Thomas, who struck a boulder and the shooters foot while trying to drive away. Ultimately, they determined neither man should be charged. Story continues Each party appear justified in their actions based on the circumstances they perceived, Detective Patrick Di Cintio said in a supplement to the police report, according to NBC News. 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. Fans of Paul Rudd were shocked to see the Hollywood star in a Wrexham pub before the teams crunch match against Boreham Wood. On Saturday (22 April), Wrexham AFC eased past Boreham Wood to seal their return to League Two after a 15-year hiatus. The clubs owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney werent the only famous faces in town for the crucial match, however, with Rudd also making an appearance Before kick-off, the Marvel star was seen drinking beer and singing songs at The Turf pub over the road from the stadium. Fans shared photos and videos of the Ant-Man actor joining in the pre-match festivities with the football fans. Normal day in Wrexham please wrote one person alongside a picture of himself and the actor. Rudd, 54, stopped to take selfies with a number of fans. People have praised the actor for his down-to-earth appearance in the town. Absolutely nuts these Hollywood stars came in and changed a town and dreams in little wales. Even Paul Rudd singing in the bar this evening . They absolutely love football , the club the town and a massive WELL DONE TO WREXHAM CYMRU AM BYTH https://t.co/w3xTmqhe7g Buttered crumpet (@Chucklebubble) April 22, 2023 Loving the pictures of Paul Rudd having a pint with the Wrexham fans . Just because you are a so called superstar it doesnt make you too good to share the craic with the little people . Many could learn from this pic.twitter.com/lEWxekEs6F Carl (@carlmms7) April 22, 2023 Loving the pictures of Paul Rudd having a pint with the Wrexham fans, wrote one person. Just because you are a so-called superstar, it doesnt make you too good to share the craic with the little people. Many could learn from this. Story continues Another wrote: Im not joking when I say my brain cannot fully believe that Paul Rudd was in Wrexham last night. Just when I thought I couldnt like and admire Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds any more they go and invite Paul Rudd to share in their promotion celebrations said someone else. Paul Rudd in The Turf pub opposite the Racecourse Ground (PA) 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. Novielli told PA: (I) just said hi, can you take a picture he said yeah. I asked if hes having a good time and he said amazing. A number of local school board candidates are not participating in the League of Women Voters of Centre Countys Candidates Night for the upcoming primary election. The league hosts a forum for each primary and general election where candidates are asked six questions and have 60 seconds to respond to each question. Contested races that will be included in the upcoming Candidates Night on April 25 are Centre County Judge of Court of Common Pleas, Benner Township board of supervisors, State College Borough Council, and Bellefonte and State College Area school boards. A group of candidates running for the State College Area School District board, United for SCASD Nathan Bish, Barry Fenchak, John Krajcovic and Michelle Young announced they wont participate and will instead hold a panel event the next evening. We have great respect for the League of Women Voters and their efforts to inform the community. For this Primary period, we have elected to host a United for SCASD candidate panel in order for the community to hear directly and fully from them. We look forward to the LWV candidate night in the Fall, Young, chair of United for SCASD, wrote in an email. A group running for the Bellefonte Area School District Board, Win4Bellefonte Kimberly Weaver, Jennifer Barnhart, Darrell Sharp, Timothy Kessling and Patrick Buck are also not participating, Marcella Hoffman, treasurer for the group, said in an email. She would not comment further on the decision. The purpose of Candidates Night is to let voters ask questions and be informed about issues they want answers to before they vote, Susan Werner, Candidates Night chair, said during a phone interview. The steering committee of the LWVCC is disappointed the candidates wont be participating, she said. In both races, there are 11 candidates running for five open seats. Every candidate cross-filed, so the primary is an important election. Its important for people to understand who theyre voting for, and why they support those people. And the Candidates Night has been the best opportunity for people to get an unbiased look at the candidates and hear them, in their own words, answer questions that the voters have submitted, Werner said. Story continues The league has held this event for decades, Werner said, but the past few times its been held, fewer and fewer Republicans have participated. She stressed that the league is non-partisan and that people can submit their questions online or at the event. The questions are reviewed by non-partisan screeners. Many of these candidates participated in interviews with C-NET, which gives voters another chance to learn about the candidates. Candidates Night is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 25 at the State College Municipal Building, 243 S. Allen St., State College. It will also be broadcast live on C-NET. The United for SCASD panel event is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. April 26 at the Boalsburg Fire Hall, 113 E. Pine St., Boalsburg. The panel will be moderated by former SCASD board member David Hutchinson. Candidates will introduce themselves, share why theyre running for school board and then Hutchinson will moderate a discussion of questions that were submitted by the community, according to a press release. The event is open to the public. The primary election is May 16. The four defendants charged in the ComEd bribery scheme are, from left, consultant Jay Doherty, lobbyist and former ComEd executive John Hooker, retired lobbyist Michael McClain and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore. (Chicago Tribune photos) As lawyers on both sides of the ComEd Four case gear up for Mondays closing arguments, the difference between conviction and acquittal depends on the jury determining whether the utilitys efforts to woo then-House Speaker Michael Madigan were legitimate lobbying or illegal bribes. In the pantheon of Illinois public corruption cases, prosecutors have famously used the federal bribery statute to convict an ever-growing list of governors, aldermen and state legislators caught on the take. Advertisement The outcome in this trial, however, is far from certain. Madigan, who turned 81 last week, did not become the longest-serving speaker in American history by openly and recklessly breaking the law. Advertisement His acolytes spent decades swearing sometimes rather loudly on telephone calls, inside saloons and in Capitol hallways that the speaker, who also led the state Democratic Party, was extraordinarily careful to stay within ethical and legal boundaries. Even though Madigan is not on trial, lawyers for the ComEd Four defendants have tried fervently over the past six weeks to cast doubt in the minds of jurors by challenging the bedrock allegation built into the case that Madigan could be bought. The stark contradiction to Madigans carefully cultivated reputation as a political untouchable was seized upon by the defense as testimony came to a close last week, when attorney Patrick Cotter all but declared the governments allegations were preposterous. In all your years of experience, did you ever think for one minute that Mike Madigan would risk his speakership and his power to get a few more people some jobs at ComEd? Cotter asked defendant John Hooker, the longtime ComEd lobbyist who was testifying in his own defense. Its a crazy idea, isnt it? Its a bad idea, Hooker agreed. Prosecutors, however, have alleged its not crazy at all. In fact, the indictment alleged getting jobs for people was a key way Madigan managed to hold on to power for so long. When the old political machine that depended on blue collar patronage jobs such as meter readers broke down, Madigan simply evolved, prosecutors say, creating a new system that set up an ever-growing list of former political allies with lucrative lobbying and consulting gigs. That modern-day patronage system was laid bare in the six weeks of testimony, reflecting not only Madigans vaunted political operation but also the machinations of Illinois politics on a much larger scale, including the cozy relationships between lobbyists, politicians and clout-heavy public utilities that depend on action in Springfield, where Madigan controlled the fate of virtually every piece of legislation. Advertisement House Speaker Michael Madigan, right, at the Illinois State Capitol in 2012. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune) To prove their case, prosecutors have tried to show that the ComEd Four defendants corrupted that process by providing a stream of benefits to Madigan and his cronies in exchange for what they hoped would be the speakers favorable treatment of their ambitious legislative agenda in Springfield. Defense attorneys have argued repeatedly and will surely again Monday that none of the jobs and other benefits allegedly bestowed upon Madigan can be directly tied to anything the speaker did for ComEd in the General Assembly. In deliberating the case, jurors will have to sift through a mountain of evidence, including dozens of wiretapped phone calls and secretly recorded videos, hundreds of emails and internal documents, and the live testimony of some 50 witnesses, including current and former state legislators, ComEd executives, and Madigan insiders such as former political staffer Will Cousineau and legendary 13th Ward precinct captain Ed Moody. Also key to their decision will be the testimony of two of the four defendants, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and Hooker, who spent years as ComEds top internal lobbyist. One person, however, has been a sort of elephant in the courtroom: Madigan himself. While Madigan and McClain were indicted in March 2022 on separate racketeering charges related to the ComEd scheme and other alleged corrupt acts, the ComEd Four jury knows nothing about that case, which is scheduled for trial next April. Advertisement The indictment came a year after Madigan lost his speakership in 2021, when his own Democratic caucus refused to back him as the burgeoning ComEd scandal became a political albatross. He then gave up his House seat. Along with hearing the speakers voice on numerous wiretapped phone calls, Madigans image has also shown up in a variety of ways, including a less-than-flattering drivers license photo, a bizarre, ComEd-created cartoon of him with a crown on his head, and a decades-old photo of him with Moody and his twin brother, Fred. Whether Madigans physical absence at the defense table will play at all into the jurys deliberations remains to be seen, but it has meant that the jurors heard the speaker accused of a lengthy list of questionable acts without him being there to defend himself. Charged in the ComEd Four case are Michael McClain, 75, a Madigan confidant and longtime ComEd lobbyist; Pramaggiore, 64, a lawyer and onetime rising star in Chicagos corporate world; Jay Doherty, 69, a longtime ComEd contract lobbyist and ex-president of the City Club of Chicago; and Hooker, 74, who over a 44-year career worked his way from the utilitys mailroom to become its point man in Springfield. Former ComEd executive John Hooker leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago after more testimony in the ComEd Four bribery trial on March 20, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) The indictment alleged the four conspired to funnel $1.3 million in payments to ghost subcontractors, largely through Dohertys company, who were actually Madigans cronies as part of an elaborate scheme to get the speaker to look favorably at the companys legislative agenda. In addition to paying the subcontractors, the utility also hired a clouted law firm run by political operative Victor Reyes, distributed numerous college internships within Madigans 13th Ward fiefdom, and blatantly backed former McPier chief Juan Ochoa, the friend of a Madigan ally, for a seat on the utilitys board of directors, the indictment alleged. Advertisement In return, prosecutors say, Madigan used his influence over the General Assembly to help ComEd score a series of huge legislative victories that not only rescued the company from financial instability but led to record-breaking, billion-dollar profits. Among them was the 2011 smart grid bill that set a built-in formula for the rates ComEd could charge customers, avoiding battles with the Illinois Commerce Commission, according to the charges. ComEd also leaned on Madigans office to help pass the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which kept the formula rate in place and also rescued two nuclear plants run by an affiliated company, Exelon Generation. Closing arguments are set to begin around 9:30 a.m. Monday in U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenwebers 17th floor courtroom. At jury instruction conference Thursday, Leinenweber gave prosecutors three hours total to argue their case, including remarks in rebuttal that are the last arguments the jury hears before starting deliberations. Each of the four defendants will have an hour and a half, though they can trade time with each other, the judge said. Advertisement Under the governing case law, prosecutors do not have to show a specific quid pro quo existed between Madigan and the four defendants, only that there was a corrupt intent to provide the stream of benefits to Madigan in order to win his influence over legislative acts. After testimony wrapped last week, lawyers for the defendants argued strenuously for instructions to be provided to the jury that would require a more specific nexus between the ComEd legislation and Madigans actions. But Leinenweber stuck largely to his previous rulings that the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals requires only that the defendants passed gratuities or rewards to the speak in the hope they would influence Madigan in some official capacity. The difference between the regular lobbying and corrupt lobbying is not only the intent to influence, as focused on by defendants, but the action which intends to provide something of value, either given or offered, in order to influence the official, the judge wrote in a ruling last year. Advertisement Leinenweber on Thursday acknowledged that the issue of when a gratuity or reward for a public official becomes a bribe is in flux in the federal courts nationwide. But for this trial, the prevailing law is what the appellate court in Chicago has held, he said. I know there is substantial dispute among the circuits, but not the 7th Circuit, Leinenweber said. We are living in the 7th. ...Eventually its going to probably get to the Supreme Court, and either youre right or youre wrong. Well, except for at the same time, somebodys life is waiting for that, said attorney Gabrielle Sansonetti, who represents Doherty. So its important. Winning a public corruption trial at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse has long been an uphill battle for defense attorneys, and the ComEd Four case is no different. In cross examination and through testimony of their own witnesses, the defense has attempted to show that passing major utility legislation was never as simple as reaching out to Madigan and asking him to snap his fingers, no matter how powerful he may have been. Advertisement In fact, it often took years of wrangling to pass such landmark bills, with Madigans office pushing back on specifics that ultimately cost the utility millions of dollars and insisting on sunset provisions that forced ComEd to come back to the legislature every few years. While the jury heard hours and hours of testimony about ComEds efforts in the legislature, there were several key aspects of the bribery probe that were kept out of the courtroom. For one, Leinenweber barred any mention that ComEd already admitted in court that it showered Madigan with favors in hopes of winning his support for their legislative goals. As part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorneys office, the company agreed to pay a record $200 million fine and cooperate with the investigation in exchange for prosecutors dropping a bribery charge in three years. Advertisement Another win for the defense came when the judge disallowed specifics about Pramaggiores multimillion-dollar compensation package at ComEd, including the actual size of her bonus that came soon after her prominent legislative victory in 2016. Hookers defense team, led by attorney Michael Monico, kept out any mention that Hooker headed a group that went to court to halt attempts to diminish the power of Madigan and other political leaders over how legislative district boundaries are redrawn once a decade. The matter may have given prosecutors a chance to explore a closer relationship between Hooker and Madigan, but the judge ruled that redistricting litigation was too far afield of the ComEd Four charges and barred the issue from being brought up in the trial. Leinenweber also kept out one potentially damaging recording -- a wiretapped call where Madigan allegedly told McClain that their friends whod been showered with do-nothing ComEd contracts had made out like bandits. Advertisement The most crucial evidence presented by prosecutors came from the defendants own mouths, through some 100 recorded wiretapped conversations and secretly recorded meetings played for jurors, including many in which the defendants talk with startling candor about their mutual interest in keeping Madigan happy. Advertisement The testimony also featured an only-in-Illinois cast of characters who allegedly benefited from Madigans political machine. The jury heard from a sitting legislator, state Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, who testified memorably last month that Madigan ruled his fellow Democrats through fear and intimidation. Legendary 13th Ward precinct captain Edward Moody, meanwhile, testified for prosecutors that the speaker got him a $45,000-a-year contract with McClain but made it clear the deal would disappear if he stopped working on campaigns. Edward Moody, right, a longtime precinct captain for former House Speaker Michael Madigan, departs the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after testifying on April 11, 2023. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) And Ochoa, a onetime nemesis of Madigan, told the jury he used his clout with then-U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez to win the speakers recommendation for a coveted spot on ComEds board. Despite the speakers reputation as a careful tactician who rarely talked business over the phone, one recording of Madigan from May 2018 provided jurors with a behind-the-scenes conversation in which he gently flexed his political muscle to get what he wanted. Madigan told McClain to go forward with Ochoa despite substantial pushback from a top ComEd official, including concerns about Ochoas financial matters. Advertisement If the only complaint about him is that he suffers from bankruptcy twice, so did Harry Truman, Madigan quipped. Shortly after that conversation, McClain called Pramaggiore to tell her Madigan would appreciate it if you would keep pressing. OK, got it, Pramaggiore replied. I will keep pressing. ComEd executive Fidel Marquez, who secretly worked with federal authorities to wire up on defendants, testified about recorded meetings he had with the defendants where they discussed how to let incoming ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez know about the subcontractor arrangement with Doherty. In a video-recorded meeting from early 2019, Doherty gave Marquez a blunt explanation of what the Madigan-backed subcontractors actually did for the utility. Well, not much, to answer the question, Doherty said. They keep their mouth shut, and you know. But do they do anything for me on a day-to-day basis? No. Advertisement Consultant Jay Doherty, a defendant charged in the ComEd bribery scheme, leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on April 12, 2023. in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) In her testimony, Pramaggiore demonstrated that, no matter how practiced at public speaking or schooled in college theater classes, there is danger when a defendant takes the witness stand even when one hires former U.S. Attorney Scott Lassar. Pramaggiore tripped trying to put a positive spin on her responses to a barrage of pointed questions from Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker, who pressed Pramaggiore to explain whether she remembered a call in which she was recorded talking to Marquez about subcontracts. No, and I think I shared that with you when I came in for the interview, Pramaggiore said, a comment that gave prosecutors an opening to reveal more to the jury. Advertisement Defendant Anne Pramaggiore walks down Dearborn Street after exiting the U.S. Dirksen Courthouse in Chicago following the first day of the "ComEd Four" bribery conspiracy trial on March 14, 2023. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) In the end, jurors heard she had agreed to be interviewed by investigators with her attorneys present in September 2019 but the interview ended abruptly once the feds revealed they had recordings of her conversations. More than once, McClain was referred to on the witness stand as a double agent. And an FBI wiretap on McClains phone revealed his basic philosophy that loyalty to Madigan outranked his loyalty to ComEd and other companies that paid him. It was advice he gave to Cousineau, a former political director on Madigans House staff who later became a contract lobbyist for ComEd. As long as we remember who our real client is, McClain said, referring to Madigan, its not easy, but it mollifies it. Advertisement Defendant Michael McClain exits the U.S. Dirksen Courthouse in Chicago following the first day of the ComEd Four bribery conspiracy trial on March 14, 2023. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 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 > But it may be one of McClains calls with Hooker about ComEd money going to Madigan allies that will be reviewed closely as jurors search for their verdict. Advertisement We had to hire these guys because Mike Madigan came to us, McClain said. Thats how simple it is. So if you want to make a federal court suit over it, OK. But thats how simple it is. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com RLong@chicagotribune.com Twitter @jmetr22b Twitter @RayLong Aro Royston, who works for a U.S. defense contractor and has taken testosterone for eight years, in St. Louis, Mo. on April 21, 2023. (Michael B. Thomas/The New York Times) 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 UCLAs 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 younger than 21, and others for those younger than 26. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times 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. The onerous restrictions amount to a de facto ban, said Gillian Branstetter, a communications strategist at the American Civil Liberties Union, whose Missouri chapter announced its intent to file a legal challenge to the rule. The political situation regarding trans peoples health care was always headed here, Branstetter said. The rule excludes people who are currently receiving treatments, so long as they and their doctors promptly comply with the psychological assessments and other restrictions. Aro Royston, a 35-year-old transgender man in St. Louis, said he was shocked by the new policy. He said he had been taking testosterone for eight years, with monthly refills prescribed by his doctor. If he could no longer have access to the treatments, he would be devastated, he said, and would travel out of state to receive care. Story continues I think what upsets me most is, Im a functioning member of this society, said Royston, a program manager at a U.S. defense contractor. Ive worked on defense programs to protect my nation. And my nation cant protect me? Missouris new policy goes into effect April 27 and expires in February 2024, when the state Legislature will be back in session. (Two bills that would have banned care for minors and prohibited Medicaid from covering it for all ages have not advanced in this years session.) Although Baileys order applies to all ages, his public comments have focused on children, echoing the rhetoric of Republican politicians across the country and in Missouri. As Attorney General, I will always fight to protect children because gender transition interventions are experimental, Bailey said on Twitter. In February, his office launched an investigation of a youth gender clinic at Washington University in St. Louis after a former employee filed a whistleblower complaint claiming that patients there were rushed into treatment and not given adequate psychological screenings. (The clinic said that it followed the accepted standards of care.) When asked why his order includes adults, Madeline Sieren, a spokesperson for Bailey, said, We have serious concerns about how children are being treated throughout the state, but we believe everyone is entitled to evidence-based medicine and adequate mental health care. Fourteen other states Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and, as of Wednesday, North Dakota have passed laws restricting gender care for minors. Although there is some debate among medical professionals about which children will benefit from gender-affirming care and when they should begin treatments, several large medical groups in the United States, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have condemned the legislative bans. For transgender adults, many studies have shown that transition care can improve psychological well-being and quality of life. Terry Schilling, the president of the American Principles Project, a right-wing advocacy group pushing for restrictions on transgender rights, said in an interview earlier this year that focusing on minors had been a short-term political calculation. His organizations long-term goal, he said, was to eliminate transition care altogether. I view this whole issue the same as I view lobotomies or eugenics; its a bad medical fad, he said. Schilling said policies might include outright bans for people of all ages, or bills to make it easier for people to sue medical providers if they regret transitioning. He also raised the possibility of classifying transition care as consumer fraud the same approach put forward by Bailey because he contends that it is impossible to change genders. Over many years, seven states Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have enacted policies banning Medicaid from covering some type of gender-affirming care. (The federal insurance program for low-income people is partly funded by states, which also have wide latitude to determine eligibility.) The Medicaid bans are on shaky legal ground, said Christy Mallory, legal director of the Williams Institute. Courts in Wisconsin and West Virginia have ruled that such bans violate the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits sex discrimination, as well as other federal rules. But some legislators are introducing broader bills that would prohibit gender-related care at government-owned or operated health centers or at those that accept state funding. In Oklahoma, for example, a bill introduced this year by state Sen. Nathan Dahm would withhold Medicaid reimbursement for any procedure or treatment from any health center that offers gender care or works with a provider who offers it. In an interview in January, Dahm said that his only goal was to stop taxpayer money from covering transition procedures. If an adult wants to make that decision and pay for it themselves, then they can do so, he said. He also acknowledged, however, that the policy could spur some health care providers to stop offering care to adults. Over the past few decades, doctors have increasingly removed barriers, such as psychological evaluations, for adults to get hormone treatments, shifting decision-making to patients themselves. Theres very, very broad consensus that gender-affirming care for adults is appropriate and helpful, said Erica Anderson, a clinical psychologist and former president of the U.S. Professional Association for Transgender Health. Anderson, a transgender woman, has publicly voiced concerns about the rising number of adolescents, especially those with complex psychiatric issues, seeking gender-related care. She has also supported the policies of certain European countries, including Sweden and Britain, that have recently limited when children can undergo certain medical treatments. But last month, Anderson joined hundreds of clinicians in signing a letter that emphasized gender-affirming care is beneficial and important for many transgender children and denounced the legislative bans in the United States. The efforts to extend such restrictions to adults will add significant harm, she said. The blurring between youth and adult care is ominous, she said. Its an ominous sign of overreach by people who think that the state should decide peoples personal lives. The Missouri rule has also received pushback among some conservatives in the state. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican who recently announced he was running for governor, told St. Louis public radio that although he supported bans for children, he did not believe the state should restrict care for adults. I dont think people should do it, Ashcroft said, referring to gender treatments for adults. But theres a difference between what I think and where I think the government should be involved. c.2023 The New York Times Company Associated Press The executive behind Bud Light's partnership with a trans influencer has taken a leave of absence. Alissa Heinerscheid has been replaced and the Bud Light's marketing has shifted, according to reports. The move comes after Bud Light's partnership with Dylan Mulvaney sparked calls for a boycott among conservatives. The Bud Light marketing executive behind the brand's partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney has taken a leave of absence, according to reports. Bud Light said it would replace Alissa Heinerscheid, who had been the company's vice president of marketing, with Todd Allen, the global vice president of Budweiser. In a statement to Insider, an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson confirmed Allen's appointment and said the brand is streamlining its marketing team so that its most senior executives are more involved in all brand 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 spokesperson added. That shakeup comes about a month after the marketing partnership between Bud Light and Mulvaney became public. On April 1, Mulvaney posted a video to her Instagram announcing a March Madness partnership with Bud Light. She also shared a picture of a special beer can Bud Light had sent to celebrate the anniversary of her coming out as a woman. The video sparked controversy and calls for a boycott among anti-trans conservatives. The musician Kid Rock, and other prominent conservative celebrities, bought cases of the beer and filmed themselves destroying them in protest. Bud Light initially stood by its partnership with Mulvaney, saying the brand "works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points." Mulvaney herself responded to the anti-trans harassment and backlash, saying she was "an easy target" for criticism. Story continues "It's so sad because everything I try to put out is positive," she said. "It's trying to connect with others that maybe don't understand me. It's to make people laugh, or to make a kid feel seen." Read the original article on Insider Lottery cards at a supermarket kiosk in Surfside, Fla. Wilfredo Lee/AP A Maryland man. has used the same number to win the Maryland state lottery three separate times. The man, who calls himself "Big Winner," said he plans to use his winnings to take a vacation. The man claimed his latest $50,000 prize at the Maryland Lottery on April 13. A Maryland man, 52, has used his favorite five-number combination to win a $50,000 prize three different times over the course of just 11 months, according to a news release from the Maryland Lottery. The man claimed his latest $50,000 prize from the lottery on April 13. To win the money, the man placed a $1 bet on the number "48548." That's the same number he used to win a combined $100,000 on two different tickets he purchased on May 18 last year, according to the news release. The anonymous winner said that he did not realize he had won the money the first time he bought the winning tickets, and that he only found out after his wife called him to tell him the news. At the time, he said he planned to use lottery his winnings to buy a dirt bike for his wife's son. The man is a truck driver and said that he and his wife will also probably use their winnings to take a much-needed vacation, according to the news release. The man, who now calls himself "Big Winner," said he's been playing the same lottery numbers for the last year. He also said he wants to encourage others who play the lottery not to give up on their own lucky numbers. "I play the lottery all the time. You never know. You can't win if you are not in it," he said. Read the original article on Insider Matthew Perry says the comments about Keanu Reeves will be removed from future editions of his book, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. The Friends actor admitted hed done a stupid thing by slighting The Matrix star in his memoir, which was published in November 2022. During an appearance at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday, Variety reported Perry telling audiences, I said a stupid thing. It was a mean thing to do. Matthew Perry speaks during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday. Matthew Perry speaks during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday. Offering some explanation, he added, I pulled his name because I live on the same street. Any future versions of the book will not have his name in it. In the memoir, which chronicles Perrys struggles with stardom and substance abuse, the actor clumsily muses about stars who left the world too soon. Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us? it reads. Perry returns to the thought again while writing about Chris Farleys 1997 death in the book. Keanu Reeves arrives at the Oscars on Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Keanu Reeves arrives at the Oscars on Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. After publication, the sitcom star made a quick about face, telling the media, Im actually a big fan of Keanu. I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead. At the event, Perry revealed he has only publicly said sorry to the John Wick actor. If I run into the guy, Ill apologize. It was just stupid, he reasoned. The 17 Again actor said writing his story was a cathartic process. It came pouring out of me, the painful stuff, hospitals, rehabs, all of this stuff, it poured out of me, he said. It went really quickly. Related... Fans of McDonalds are expressing their disappointment with the fast-food chain after learning that the fries are cooked with beef flavouring, making them not suitable for vegans. The use of natural beef flavour as an ingredient in the fries was recently brought to the publics attention on TikTok by a man named Jordan, who goes by @jordan_the_stallion8 on the app. In a video posted last week, the TikToker joked about knowing so many fast-food secrets, before claiming that he knows why McDonalds fries taste different than everybody elses fries. Its because McDonalds cooks [its] fries with beef flavouring mixed within their vegetable oil, Jordan said. So thats why the fries taste so good, but also so different from everybody elses. The TikToker then noted that the revelation was probably bad news for vegetarians. In the comments of the video, which has since been viewed more than nine million times, some viewers were initially skeptical of Jordans claim. However, others noted that it is true, as the ingredient is listed on McDonalds website, where it states that its fries are made using potatoes, vegetable oil, natural beef flavour, which contains wheat and milk derivatives, dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and salt. The realisation was met with dismay from vegan and vegetarian customers, with one person writing: Wait.. whaaaat!? Im vegan and all I can eat from McDonalds are fries, while another said: WTF. Never again. Bro McDonalds is gonna be in TROUBLE with the vegans, someone else wrote. However, many others revealed that it is a well-known fact that McDonalds fries are not vegan in the US. I thought everyone knew this, one person wrote, while another said: This has been known for at least a decade. In the video, Jordan also noted that the ingredient is used primarily in the US, and that McDonalds locations in the UK, Canada and Australia do not use the ingredient in their fries, which makes the menu item vegan. Story continues McDonalds UK French Fries are made by McCains using Russet Burbank, Pentland Dell and Shepody potatoes, which are chosen for their quality, taste and long shape when cut. The fries are not coated in any fats or substances from an animal. Once at the restaurant, our fries are simply cooked in dedicated frying vats in a non-hydrogenated blend of sunflower and rapeseed oil which is 100 per cent suitable for vegans, McDonalds UK website reads. This was an emotional rollercoaster as a Canadian vegetarian, one person joked. As for whether McDonalds US fries are suitable for vegetarians, the fast-food chain does not specify whether there are meat derivatives in the beef flavouring. Gary Reineccius, a food chemist specialising in flavour research, previously told Eater that the flavouring may not actually be from beef, as food scientists have previously created beef flavour without using meat. The flavour in beef is created during the cooking process. Food scientists identified the amino acids found in beef, added some very common sugars - starch hydrolysate - put it in a pot, added some citric acid to drop the pH, controlled moisture content, and heated it to the same temperature as meat. Then...*poof* we have meat flavour, he explained. The Independent has contacted McDonalds for comment. Real-life emergency situations were put on display Saturday at Central Piedmont Community College. Healthcare and fire responder program students learned the step-by-step process MEDIC goes through as they held a response demonstration event. Scenarios such as an overturned bus and bomb squad operations were put into action. Liz Shinkle, a paramedic intern, is grateful for the opportunity to get real-world experience. ALSO READ: Atrium recognizes health care workers on 2-year mark of pandemic declaration Just being provided the opportunity, especially after COVID, which kind of shut down so many real-life scenarios, which were so important in emergency services, experience makes all the difference, Shinkle said. For Tyler Gentle, Saturday was a glimpse of the action he hopes to take part in one day. Before today, Ive never really seen it in action and how it all worked, so you can read about it and watch videos, but whenever you see it in person, thats when it really comes together, Gentle said. If you are interested in a career in law enforcement, click here. (WATCH BELOW: Buffalo Bills Hamlin attends CPR training with Panthers) Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, has threatened to end the grain agreement if the G7 bans exports to the Russian Federation. Source: Medvedev on Telegram Quote: "The idea from the G7 idiots about a total ban on the export of goods to our country by default is excellent, because it also implies a counter-stop to the import of goods from our country in the most sensitive categories for the G7. In this case, the grain deal and many other things they need will end for them." Background: The Group of Seven (G7) countries are considering banning almost all exports to Russia, in an extension of the sanctions regime against Moscow. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Meghan Markle has denied reports claiming that her decision not to attend Charless coronation was influenced by correspondence between herself and the then-Prince of Wales. On Friday (21 April), it was reported that the Duchess of Sussex had written to Charles about unconscious bias within the royal family. The letter was allegedly sent in the aftermath of Harry and Meghans appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2021, per a report by the Daily Telegraph. During the interview with Winfrey, Meghan claimed a senior member of the royal family had speculated about the skin colour of their son, Archie, while she was pregnant. A source reportedly told the publication that Meghan did not feel the concerns she highlighted to Charles, including the way in which bullying allegations against her were handled by the palace, received a satisfactory response. Responding to the reports, the Sussexes have issued a statement that was shared via royal commentator Omid Scobies Twitter account. 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, their statement read. Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. We encourage tabloid media and various royal commentators to stop the exhausting circus that they alone are creating. According to reports, Charles expressed his sadness over the rift between the royal family in a letter to Meghan at the time. He also said he was disappointed that Harry and Meghan had made such damning allegations during the interview with Winfrey. The letters reportedly identifed the senior member who made the comment about Archies skin colour. Story continues Both Meghan and Charles acknowledged that their comment wasnt made maliciously, it was reported, and that the duchess clarified she never intended to accuse them of racism. Instead, she said she was raising concerns about unconscious bias. Prince Harry also spoke about unconscious bias during an interview with ITVs Tom Bradby while promoting his memoir Spare, which was released in January this year. While speaking to Bradby, the duke denied accusing the royals of racism during the bombshell interview with Winfrey. Harry added that the British press said that and he wouldnt describe the comment about Archies skin colour as racist having lived in that family. Going back to the difference between what my understanding is because of my own experience, the difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different, Harry told Bradby. After months of speculation over whether Harry and Meghan would attend the Kings coronation next month, Buckingham Palace announced on 12 April that the Duke of Sussex would fly to the UK for the ceremony. Meghan and the couples children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will remain at their residence in California, the palace said. At the time, Harry and Meghans biographer Scobie tweeted that Archies fourth birthday, which coincides with the coronation on 6 May, played a factor in the couples decision. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has issued a statement amid rumors surrounding King Charles III's coronation. (Henry Nicholls / Associated Press) Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is shutting down rumors ahead of King Charles III's coronation. A spokesperson for the former Meghan Markle recently responded to a Telegraph report alleging that the duchess expressed concerns about unconscious bias within the royal family in a 2021 letter to the now-monarch. The report insinuated that Meghan opted out of the king's upcoming coronation possibly because she "feels she has not 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 rep for the duchess said Sunday in a statement provided to the Los Angeles Times. 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. According to the Telegraph report, Meghan wrote to Charles about unconscious bias shortly after telling Oprah Winfrey in a TV interview that the royal family had "concerns and conversations" about the skin color of her and Prince Harry's eldest child, Prince Archie, before he was born. Charles reportedly reached out to Meghan in the wake of the interview and said he was disappointed that the duke and duchess felt the need to publicly level such damaging allegations against the Crown. She reportedly replied and said that she wasn't trying to accuse anyone in the family of being a racist by raising awareness about unconscious bias. The letters reportedly identify the senior member of the family who remarked on Archie's skin color, while both Charles and Meghan reportedly agreed that the person did not act with malice. Following the Winfrey interview, Buckingham Palace said in a public statement that the "whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan." Story continues The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning," the statement continued. "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Earlier this month, the palace confirmed that Harry will attend the coronation of his father, Charles, without Meghan who will remain in California with the couples two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The date of the coronation coincides with Archie's fourth birthday. The coronation is set to take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a meeting on April 20, 2023 in Kyiv If Ukraine becomes a member tomorrow, it will not change anything special, because America and NATO allies are already helping Ukraine a lot, explained Motyl. Its hard to imagine that membership would suddenly change that and they would help even more. Motyl added that it is hard for him to imagine that American or other marines would be fighting in Ukraine under any circumstances. Read also: Ukraine has done everything it needs to join NATO, Zelenskyy says He stressed that for Ukraine, the most important thing is to have financial and military support from NATO member countries, especially the United States. If Ukraine can defend itself with this help, it is somewhat the same as being a NATO member, he said. And if Ukraine achieves this (and it will sooner or later, perhaps even now), then membership becomes much less controversial because de facto Ukraine would already be a member. From any point of view, it would already fulfill all the duties of a NATO member and would receive all the benefits of NATO membership. Read also: We have reached unprecedented levels of interoperability Reznikov on Ukraine joining NATO After that, according to the political scientist, de jury membership would become only a formality. Ukrainain Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Feb. 14 that Ukraine de facto joined NATO in 2022. Im doing everything to make it happen de jure, Reznikov wrote on Facebook. Reznikov made a similar statement in a January interview with the BBC. Ukraine still lacks a membership action plan (MAP) a document issued by NATO that lays out the formal steps a country needs to take in order to accede to the alliance. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Rev. James Meeks, from left, former U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush and Charlie Dates, senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church and Progressive Baptist Church, lead faith leaders and others in a march through downtown Chicago on April 22, 2023. The group was marching in response to youth violence that occurred last weekend. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) One week after violence erupted amid large teen gatherings in downtown Chicago, a coalition of pastors marched down Michigan Avenue Saturday night in an effort to show support and responsibility for young Chicagoans. Several hundred people, nearly all Black men, joined the 6 p.m. march organized by Charlie Dates, senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and Progressive Baptist Church. Advertisement Black men doing the work, they chanted as they paced from the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue to the Chicago River. The men filled two sidewalk blocks as they moved along Grant Park, stopping to pray as they weathered a cold, wintry mix. Advertisement This is our city. These are our children. We care about them, Dates said as he spoke at Grant Parks Ida B. Wells Drive entrance. The pastors have jobs and other resources to offer young people, he added. Speaking at the marchs conclusion on Upper Wacker Drive, Dates told the men they werent marching against Chicagos youth, but to show young people the faith community wants to support them. Were here tonight to say that we will walk in the rain for our kids, well push through the hail, he said. Interim Chicago police Superintendent Eric Carter and CPD community policing director Glen Brooks marched alongside the crowd. Several hecklers goaded the preachers as they walked, arguing they werent active in the community and didnt address structural inequalities harming Black Americans. Brace Clement, 44, said he joined the march to push back against stereotypes about Black men not caring about their communities and Chicago being irredeemably violent. We still believe in the power of the city, the power of the community, the power of being a Black man. I think thats important for our children to see, said the West Humboldt resident and father of a 5-year-old. Advertisement The march sought to show young people that the men are willing to show up for them, minister Thomas Stovall said. The continued effort of going outside of the church, outside of our homes, bringing resources and meeting our youth where they are, thats how we continue to do it, he said. There were no large groups of teens and no apparent disturbances in the area at 7 p.m. Dozens of police cruisers lined the road near the parks, and dozens of officers followed alongside the marchers on foot and bike. Their work will continue as they connect resources like jobs and summer programs to kids who want it, Dates told the Tribune after the Saturday event. Dates understands the fears of some after last weekends chaos, he said, but added that it was only a small fraction of the young people in Chicago, what he called the greatest city in the world. Advertisement That fear has to turn into action, Dates said. We got to believe. At around the same spot last Saturday, chaos broke out as hundreds of young people gathered together, one night after a similar unruly gathering at 31st Street Beach last Friday. During last weekends mayhem some young people 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. The disorder led to at least 16 arrests and sparked concern from local leaders and activists while garnering national attention. But police reported that no notable teen gatherings or associated crimes occurred downtown Friday night. Dozens of police cars were scattered throughout the Loop and hundreds of tourists milled around the busy shopping, dining and theater district. 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 > At Millennium Park, guards checked identification to make sure no one under 18 entered alone during the evening. Advertisement Families and friends stopped for reflective photos at Chicagos iconic Bean statue late in the evening. Robert Miller, 29, visiting from Puerto Rico, said he had seen a viral video from the mayhem last weekend of a young woman and man being apparently randomly attacked by a large group of teens. People had told him the city was dangerous, he said. Miller called the attack unacceptable, but didnt feel unsafe was as he walked alone through Millennium Park and peered at the citys skyline. It looks to be really safe, really beautiful, Miller said. Its the perfect night, to be honest. A Tribune reporter saw police apprehend a group of three apparently young teens who had moments before been running down a sidewalk shortly after 9 p.m. Friday. The officers brought the teens inside the lobby of a nearby TJ Maxx store near State Street and Madison Street and handcuffed them. jsheridan@chicagotribune.com Wagner soldiers returning to Russia following their brief service in Ukraine have terrorized their hometown communities, according to reports. "The state and personally Putin and Prigozhin are to blame for Yulias death and should answer for it," an unnamed close relative of Yulia Buiskich, a woman allegedly killed by a paroled Wagner troop, told The Observer. "They released a sick b------ into society." Buiskich, 85, was found dead in her home in the town of Novyj Burets, a community of some few hundred people. Ivan Rossomakhin, a 28-year-old Wagner soldier who received a pardon for his service in Ukraine, allegedly entered Buiskichs home and killed her with an axe. Russian President Vladimir Putin has relied heavily on the Wagner Group, founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, as the war in Ukraine continued and his forces started to feel their losses. Prigozhin, who made his money through food services and contracts to cater the Kremlin, claimed he founded Wagner to support the 2014 mission in Donbas. RUSSIAN MERCENARIES SYMPATHETIC TO PUTIN TARGET UK WITH CYBER THREATS OVER WAR IN UKRAINE: REPORT Wagner has increasingly recruited from prisons, which often include trained military veterans, to support the demand for high numbers of troops. U.S. intelligence previously indicated that the Russian Defense Ministry has "reservations" about Wagners recruiting methods, but the group continued to find fresh troops in prisons. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Upon completing their time in Ukraine, the prisoners earn a full pardon and return to their previous lives, such as in the case of Alexander Tyutin, a 66-year-old real estate agent who had hired hitmen to kill his business partner and his family as well as his own niece. Cadets of a military academy fire a salute during the funeral of Dmitry Menshikov, a mercenary for the private Russian military company Wagner Group, killed during the military conflict in Ukraine, in the Alley of Heroes at a cemetery in Saint Petersburg, Russia December 24, 2022. REUTERS/Igor Russak After serving in Ukraine for just six months, Tyutin left the army and flew to Turkey to reunite with his wife. Other paroled criminals have instead returned to Russia and have committed fresh crimes, according to The Observer. Many are believed to have died, but an estimated 5000 convicted criminals have returned with pardons. Story continues RUSSIAN WARPLANE ACCIDENTALLY DROPS MUNITIONS ON RUSSIAN BORDER CITY Shock ran through the community of Tskhinvali when news broke that Soslan Valiyev, a local man with disabilities beloved by the town, had allegedly died at the hands of Georgiy Siukayev, a convicted murderer who had returned following service in Ukraine for Wagner. Video surfaced on Telegram channels showing a man, alleged to be Siukayev, chasing down Valiyev and kicking him before reportedly stabbing him to death. Local authorities announced days later that they arrested Siukayev on suspicion of murder. Russian billionaire and businessman, Concord catering company owner Yevgeny Prigozhin attends a meeting with foreign investors at Konstantin Palace June 16, 2016 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Saint Petersburg to attend the International Economic Forum. Wagner founder Prigozhin claimed that Siukayev was defending bystanders who were being harassed. Alexey Savichev, a 49-year-old convicted murderer, joined Wagner in September and returned to his hometown of Voronezh after six months in Ukraine, where he fought in the battles for the towns of Soledar and Bakhmut. He recently claimed to The Guardian that he tortured and killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war. US EXPEDITES DEPLOYMENT OF ABRAMS TANKS AS IT READIES UKRAINIAN TROOPS FOR TRAINING He also told The Guardian that he splurged his full one million rubles prize (approximately $12,277) on alcohol and prostitutes. When he found himself in trouble with police, he would show them his medals for fighting in Ukraine and would immediately go free. "The cops treated me somewhat like a hero," Savichev said, revealing that officers would even invite him for tea to listen to stories from the frontline. "I felt like I could get away with anything." People in military uniform, claimed to be soldiers of Russian mercenary group Wagner and its head Yevgeny Prigozhin, pose for a picture believed to be in a salt mine in Soledar in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, in this handout picture released January 10, 2023. Prigozhin previously defended his use of convicted criminals, arguing it is better for the criminals to serve in Ukraine than the "dandelion boys" of Russia. "That inmate went to the war and was killed. Or, he survived by a miracle," Prigozhin continued. "He is a murderer, and in the war he is worth three or four or even more dandelion boys, whose milk on their lips is still wet." "Among those dandelion boys is your son, your father and your husband," he added. "So weigh it up. Would you rather have the murderer going to war, or your family members?" Heading into Saturdays doubleheader, Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker was asked if there were any positive on playing two games in a day this early in a season. Schumaker took a second to mull over his thoughts before coming up with his answer. Everybodys gonna play. Thats for sure, Schumaker said. You want to get guys, try to match up as best as you can, but on the flip side, you dont want to kill guys over 18 innings. ... There are guys on the bench that get to play. Schumaker used just about everyone at his disposal across two games at Progressive Field. In the end, it resulted in two wins over the Cleveland Guardians 6-1 in the early game, 3-2 in the nightcap. With that, the Marlins (12-9) have now won four consecutive series. They will look to get their first sweep when they wrap up their series against the Guardians (10-11) at 1:40 p.m. Sunday. Here were five Marlins standouts from Saturdays doubleheader: Bryan De La Cruz: The outfielder had five extra-base hits four doubles, one home run across the two games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first player in franchise history to have 5 extra-base hits in a single day. De La Cruz is also on a nine-game hitting streak, which ties the longest of his MLB career. In this nine-game stretch, he is hitting .432 (16 for 37) to bump his overall season average to .328. This is one of the things I wanted to show, De La Cruz said. I can play every day, be an everyday play and continue doing that to help the team. Garrett Hampson: Hampson only played the second game of the doubleheader, but he was active throughout. He had two run-producing hits an RBI double in the fourth and an RBI single in the sixth and also scored in the sixth inning on a Garrett Cooper sacrifice fly while playing solid defense at shortstop. Felt good out there, Hampson said. Got a lot of plays, which is nice to just get involved ... and then came up in big spots [at the plate]. Story continues Devin Smeltzer: The left-handed pitcher started the first game of the doubleheader in place of Sandy Alcantara, whose start was skipped as he deals with mild right biceps tendinitis. Smeltzer threw four innings of one-run ball before handing things over to his bullpen. This came after Smeltzer gave up a pair of two-run home runs on Wednesday. I want to pitch every day, especially after the bad ones, Smeltzer said. Wanted to get back out there and get a reset. It was nice to get a clean slate. Braxton Garrett: Garrett held the Guardians to just one run over 5 2/3 inning. After giving up a two-out RBI single to Oscar Gonzalez in the first, Garrett proceeded to retire 10 consecutive Cleveland hitters and 15 of the final 18 batters he faced overall. Through four outings (three starts) this season, Garrett has a 2.84 ERA. Just getting comfortable, Garrett said. Last year was a confidence builder, having a good year. This year, its just trying to do the same. The anxiety and nervousness maybe isnt so much before starts. The bullpen: The Marlins used all seven of their main relievers across both games. Andrew Nardi (1 1/3 innings), Huascar Brazoban (1 2/3 innings), Matt Barnes (one inning) and Steven Okert (one inning) combined for five scoreless innings in Game 1, while Tanner Scott (2/3 innings), Dylan Floro (1 2/3 innings) and A.J. Puk (one inning) held Cleveland to just one run over 3 1/3 innings. Thats one run over 8 1/3 innings from Miamis relievers on Saturday, for those keeping track. Dating back to April 11, the Marlins bullpen has held opponents to six earned runs over 41 innings good for a 1.32 ERA. Ejection explanation Both Schumaker and center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. were ejected in the fifth inning of the second game of the doubleheader. The Marlins were frustrated by the strike zone at various points in that game. During Garrett Coopers at-bat to lead off that inning, which ended in a flyout, there was a questionable called strike that the dugout did not disagree with. At one point, Chisholm pointed one of the teams iPads out to home plate umpire Dan Merzel, a decision the led Merzel to eject Chisholm. Schumaker went out to argue on Chisholms behalf and then was ejected himself. Heres Schumakers full explanation of what unfolded: Umpires are going to make questionable calls. Thats just part of the game. Theyre human. Once Jazz I dont think he said anything to get tossed; its once you show the iPad on a questionable call, thats going to get you tossed. The reality is a young umpire, hes not going to be perfect. We know that, but thats the reason. Hes got to stay in the game. I told him that. Hes got to stay in the game. Ill get tossed 100 more times. Hes going to impact the game. Im not. Weve discussed that. Its a learning process for him. Hell get it. Hell get it. The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival returns to Fernandina Beach on the first weekend in May. A bill currently making its way through the Florida House would overhaul funding of Visit Florida, the state's tourism marketing agency, which promotes everything from local festivals to the state itself. Florida is creating jobs and in recent years has seen both a record-breaking budget surplus and record-breaking growth. But now legislators are trying to take away a critical investment in our state by completely defunding Visit Florida, the states destination marketing organization. House Bill 7053 (HB 7053) is not only a direct attack on one of our states strongest and most foundational industries, but also a brilliantly bad piece of legislation. If signed into law, HB 7053 would effectively destroy tourism in our state and eliminate the local destination marketing organizations that help the many small and mid-sized businesses that rely on visitors and on tourism investments. Jacksonville isnt made up of world-renowned attractions and experiences its made up of locally owned businesses that dont have the budget to market themselves. Michael Corrigan: Tourism matters as it impacts the Jacksonville community, our economy and more Museum gets the green light: MOSH clears City Council hurdle for move to downtown Jacksonville location, expansion Letters: Pending legislation can help pets (and their humans) benefit from telemedicine The bill also strips away local control of generated tourist development taxes by taking $75 million in locally generated taxes away from counties to be spent in Tallahassee at the discretion of legislators. And whats worse, the bill would require a referendum vote every six years, ensuring that any local tourism promotion organization, arts and cultural organization, museum, zoo and sporting event would be in danger of losing their funding every six years. Our state and our communities rely on tourism. Every dollar Visit Florida spends marketing our state yields a return on investment of $3.27. There is an average of 22 million overnight and day trippers who visit the Jacksonville area during the year bringing a total economic impact of $3.8 billion. Thats an impact of $10.4 million every day. Visitors like this are the reason Florida doesnt have a state income tax. Story continues Visitors walk along Main Street at The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. On top of that, without visits to our state, Florida residents would have to pay an additional $1,500 annually in taxes. In addition to that, each household in Jacksonville would have to pay $700 more in county taxes. Visitors have hundreds of choices of where they can go and we need Visit Florida and our local tourism promotion organizations to help remind them that Florida remains one of the best places to live, work and play. Investing in our states tourism industry matters. If our legislators want to usher in a new recession for the state, and want job losses in hotels, restaurants and attractions, then they should vote yes on HB 7053. But if they want Florida to remain a beacon for visitors, and to continue to experience record-breaking economic health, job creation and tourism growth, I encourage them to vote no on HB 7053 and help us protect our states tourism-reliant economy. Corrigan Michael Corrigan is the president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville, former Jacksonville City Council president and a former state constitutional tax collector for Duval County. 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: HB 7053 will cut funding for tourism marketing, hurt economy By Lizbeth Diaz TAPACHULA (Reuters) - Thousands of migrants, detained for months in southern Mexico, formed a new caravan in protest on Sunday to head for the capital to speed up their applications for U.S. asylum. The migrants, mostly Venezuelans, started their march north early in Tapachula, the city bordering Guatemala whose detention centers have been overwhelmed by their vast numbers. Some said they expected to reach Mexico City in about 10 days. Fleeing violence and poverty in Central America, thousands of migrants walk together for safety to Mexico each year, crossing several states in hopes of finding a legal route into the United States. The new caravan has about 3,000 migrants, some from China and other Asian countries, Tapachula authorities estimated. "We joined the caravan to be safer and not be detained," said Yoani, a Venezuelan migrant, who only gave his first name, by phone. Out of money, he said his family was hoping to speed up the legal process needed for onward travel in Mexico City. Irineo Mujica, director of the non-profit Pueblos Sin Fronteras (People Without Borders), said the new caravan arose as a form of protest by migrants demanding the closure of detention centers. Last month, about 40 people died in a fire in one such center in Ciudad Juarez in northern Mexico. (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz and Jose Torres; Writing by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Richard Chang) At the entrance to the Majicavo slum on France's Indian Ocean territory Mayotte, which authorities are seeking to evacuate and demolish, a group gathered around a poster emblazoned with the French flag. "Every day it's this or that, they come from the town hall, or the police," said Fatima Youssuf, 55, who, like most of the migrants on the territory, comes from the neighbouring Comoros Islands. "It's to destroy our property, our houses and yet there are people who have been there for 35 years!", Youssouf said angrily, unable to read the placard. Authorities in Mayotte were expected to launch Operation Wuambushu ("Take Back") as early as this weekend to remove illegal migrants who have settled in slums on the island. The plan is for those without papers to be sent back to the Comoran island of Anjouan, 70 kilometres (45 miles) away, although the Comoran authorities said Friday that they had no intention of accepting them. In the settlement, the A4 size poster announced a ban on traffic between 5:30 am and 5:30 pm on Tuesday, leaving open the possibility that the slum, known locally as "bangas", will be cleared by the authorities during that time. Dubbed "Talus 2" the camp is a maze of blue-and-grey sheet metal on the side of a verdant hill, speckled with sewage, chickens and bright clothes drying outside. Each metal door bears an identification number, painted in pink by social services. Behind the door marked 126, the Soufou family live surrounded by wheeled suitcases and packed holdalls. "We prepared the bags to leave, clothes, sheets, all of our stuff, but we're not finished," said Zenabou Soufou, 48, whose seven children are French thanks to their father, born on Mayotte. On the bed were toy unicorns belonging to the Soufous' three girls, which had not yet been packed. The family said they have no idea where they would go, saying they had not been offered any alternative accommodation. Story continues "We didn't refuse to leave there (the slum), but we want a dignified house so that the children can live peacefully at home. But if they destroy our houses, where are we going to go with the children?" Zenabou asked. People in the neighbourhood often cite the lack of any alternative option for opposition to being rehoused. But an official involved in the resettlement told AFP: "This is false, there is a proposal made to each of these families, who accept it or not. It's pure bad faith." In the Soufous' case they may not be expelled from the island -- but their current home is a different matter. The family perfectly illustrates the social and the administrative headache that each case represents when it comes to a large-scale operation decided upon in faraway Paris. - 'Unliveable' - More than 2,000 police and administrative officials have been mobilised to set in train the expulsions of those illegally on the island and tear down the makeshift squats housing them. At "Talus 2", however, some residents have sought to get ahead of the clearance by leaving the site and heading out of immediate harm's way. Ouali Nedja Hamadi, 32, was born here and has grown up at the site -- hence his rising anger at being forced out. "I don't want to be there" when the officials arrive, he told AFP from behind his sunglasses. But those present when the operation started would not go quietly, he warned. "Let them use tear gas, let them push -- I shall be wanting to push back too," said the young construction worker. Molotov cocktails would greet the police and officials when they arrived, he added. He and other youths warn that the authorities will reap revenge and violence in the "civil war" he says will ensue. Below the slum, there are those who are glad to see the notice explaining in black and white that the illegals must leave. "We are forced to lock ourselves in all the time," said childcare worker Ismaila Faiza. "You can't walk around with valuables, like a watch, on you. "If you take the car out of the yard, you never know in what state you'll bring it back." The neighbourhood had become "unliveable" because of the neighbouring slum, she said. "I can't wait for (the clearance operation) to start so we can get our island back ... our perfumed island," she added. before ducking out of sight behind her own home's secure automated gate. dar/gw-cw/jj Mike Pence appears on CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday 23 April 2023 (CBS) Former US vice president Mike Pence has declined to condemn a spate of recent gun attacks on innocent bystanders, suggesting they were a consequence of rising crime rates. In an interview with CBS's Face the Nation programme on Sunday, Mr Pence said the shooting of unarmed civilians by legal firearm owners should not require Americans to forfeit their gun rights. The interviewer appeared to be referencing three recent incidents in which people who approached the wrong house or car were fired upon by the occupant, despite posing no threat. Kaylin Gillis, 20, was shot dead in rural New York after pulling into the wrong driveway, while Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager in Missouri, survived being shot by a white homeowner because he rang the wrong doorbell. Two cheerleaders in Texas were also shot when one of them mistakenly tried to enter the wrong car in a parking lot. Asked what could be done to stem the fear and violence, Mr Pence said: "Well, our- our hearts go out to the families of lost loved ones in the incidents in- in Kansas City, and in upstate New York. I just can't imagine the pain that they're enduring in that tragedy. "But," he continued, "tragedy should not require us to forfeit our liberty. And the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States. "I don't know the facts of those cases, I'm confident that local law enforcement will move forward and apply the law in a proper way. But I can't help but suspect that this recent spate of tragedies is evidence of the fear that so many Americans are feeling about the crime wave besetting this country." When the interviewer suggested there was "no excuse" for shooting at somebody who comes to your door, Mr Pence declined to agree or disagree, saying only that he [couldn't imagine] the circumstances" that would lead someone to do that and was sure local law enforcers would "hold people to a proper accounting". Story continues Republicans have made claims of a Democratic "crime wave" central to their campaigning since 2021, reportedly spending around $157m on crime-related adverts in advance of last year's midterm elections. The average US murder rate rose significantly between 2019 an 2021 before apparently falling in 2022, according to the FBI, with some cities seeing sharp spikes in homicides. The rate of violent crime seems to have dropped slightly, but the FBI's data for 2021 is patchy and does not include major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Democrats contend that loose Republican gun regulations are feeding the problem, pointing to broadly higher murder rates in red states such as Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Missouri, and Arkansas. Crystal Quade, leader of the Democratic minority in the Missouri House of Representatives, blamed the shooting of Ralph Yarl on extreme gun laws that have created a culture of fear... that turns neighbours against each other. Jill Biden hopes a temporary art exhibit at the White House helps educate visitors about the lives of military children. April is the Month of the Military Child and the first lady had the art installed as part of Joining Forces, her White House initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors. The display of 10 mini suitcases designed by military and veteran children reflects their lives of frequent moves. Some of the cases are adorned with depictions of the flags of the countries they have lived in as a result of their parents deployment. It was inspired by My Military Suitcase, a poem written by a fourth grader from a U.S. Marine Corps family that was featured in a similar exhibit last year. Biden is the daughter and mother of military service members and she often notes that military children also serve even though they arent in uniform. Its my hope that this beautiful art installation helps White House visitors better understand and appreciate the unique experiences of the children who serve alongside U.S. service members and veterans., the first lady said in a statement. There are more than 2 million military-connected children of active-duty service members, National Guard or reservists, or veterans, the White House said. They move an average of six to nine times during their K-12 education, and change schools three times more than their civilian peers. The exhibit will remain on display in the East Wing through the end of the month. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has set up a commission to check the use of the Pochaiv Lavra by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). Source: Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy, on air during the 24/7 national joint newscast Quote: "We have set up commissions to check the use of facilities both in the Pochaiv Lavra and in the Chernihiv Reserve, where agreements on the use of some of the reserve's facilities have already been suspended." Details: According to the minister, the work at the Pochaiv Lavra is just beginning. "There is a different situation there compared to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, because there is the Kremenets Reserve, there is the Pochaiv Lavra, and there are relations between them. One of the churches has a terminated use agreement in the Kremenets Reserve. We also have a case in the local court as to why we are not allowed to enter this church, but this is a [long-lasting] process," said Tkachenko. Tkachenko has added that the Ministry of Culture is in a "civilised dialogue" with representatives of the UOC-MP in Chernihiv. Background: In March 2023, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve terminated the agreement with the UOC-MP on the free use of the monastery in Kyiv. The monks had to leave the monastery and all buildings on 29 March. On 3 April, more than 30 MPs initiated an appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers on behalf of the Verkhovna Rada [the Ukrainian parliament ed.] with a proposal to terminate the lease agreement with the UOC-MP for the premises of the Pochaiv Lavra. Later, the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy recommended that the Verkhovna Rada adopt a resolution to verify compliance with the terms of the UOC-MP's contracts for the free use of religious buildings of the Pochaiv Lavra. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota By Sydney Kashiwagi and Camila Bernal (CNN) -- Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is expected to sign a series of bills that would further enshrine the right to abortion and gender-affirming care into state law while banning so-called conversion therapy. The Democratic-led state Senate passed three bills Friday after their Democratic colleagues in the House advanced the legislation earlier this year. The reproductive health care and gender-affirming care bills, HF366 and HF146, seek to shield people from any legal action that other states may levy over such care. The legislation banning conversion therapy, HF16, which garnered only two Republican votes, outlaws organized attempts to convert people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning into straight or cisgender people. "If anyone doubts that we can take meaningful action to protect our kids, I've got two words for you: Watch us," Walz said in a tweet Friday about legislation banning conversion therapy. A spokesperson for the governor, Claire Lancaster, told CNN that Walz would sign the bills next week. The measures follow a pattern set in Minnesota since it became the first state to codify abortion via legislative action since Roe v. Wade was reversed last year. It stands in stark contrast with the bills cracking down on gender-affirming care and abortion pushed by Republican-led states across the country and follows a trend of blue states enacting shield laws to become havens for those seeking abortions and gender-affirming treatment who may be traveling from states where the practices are banned. Some Republicans in Minnesota said that extending laws beyond the state's borders could be unconstitutional. "This legislation pushes Minnesota towards extensive litigation over constitutional issues with other states," Republican state Sen. Paul Utke said of HF366 on the Senate floor Friday. "We are getting into telling them what they can and cannot do in how we are going to protect people." Story continues Utke warned that the bill could make Minnesota taxpayers liable for legal challenges and expensive payouts. But the Democratic author of the abortion bill argued that Minnesota needed to act to protect abortion as more states seek to ban it. "Without our action they will reach within our borders following patients and preventing them from receiving lifesaving medical care or punishing them for receiving such care, and penalizing the Minnesota professionals that continue to legally provide it," state Sen. Kelly L. Morrison said during debate Friday. The Minnesota legislation comes at a time when the future of medication abortion remains unknown. The abortion rights community and its allies in the Biden administration secured a striking victory from the conservative-majority Supreme Court with an order Friday night that stopped restrictions on a medication abortion drug from taking effect. But there is much still to play out in the litigation and Friday's order is unlikely to be the justices' final word on the Food and Drug Administration's approach to regulating the drug. On the state level, Colorado's Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a trio of bills earlier this month that further protect the rights to abortion and gender-affirming services, setting Colorado up to be a haven for people from states with more restrictive laws. And last month, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Colorado's blue neighbor to the south, signed legislation that prohibits local municipalities and other public bodies from interfering with a person's ability to access reproductive or gender-affirming health care services in the state. The-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. 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. attorneys office. Salazar, who pleaded guilty in October 2022, 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. We have a drug problem: LSD now part of random drug screening in 2nd Marine Division 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 in 2022, 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. attorneys 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. Members of the group ROAR for AJ protest outside the McHenry County Government Center on July 16, 2019, in Woodstock. One step that can be taken to improve the child welfare system in Illinois is to assure that every child in the system has a lawyer. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) The headlines sadly are all too familiar. With disturbing frequency, news outlets report about the problems experienced by children under the care of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Children are left in psychiatric hospitals for long periods of time after they have finished with necessary care. Other children taken into care are forced to sleep in DCFS offices while awaiting placement. And dozens of children died last year after contact with the DCFS system. As policymakers, we want DCFS to serve each child under its care in a thoughtful and individualized way. And we know that addressing the full panoply of issues confronting the child welfare system in Illinois is the subject of a longtime federal consent decree, a process that will take time and cooperation from experts, the courts and those of us in the legislature. We are committed to working in Springfield to do all we can to identify and address problems. Advertisement But there are concrete, basic steps we can take in the interim. One step is to assure that every child in this complex system has their own lawyer, articulating the specific needs and desires of the child in court hearings and other settings. [ Andrea Lubelfeld: Children who are in juvenile jail because DCFS cant find them a home are being harmed ] This idea may seem obvious after all, we recognize the critical nature of having a lawyer vigorously advocating for someone facing a criminal charge. Given the stakes in juvenile court for young people in DCFS custody where they will live and whether it will be with the person they love this can be life-altering. Childrens attorneys are specially trained not just to explain and advise their clients about ongoing proceedings and possible outcomes, but they also can articulate the individual needs and hopes of their clients. In short, they make sure the voice of the child, who is at the center of the proceedings, is heard. Advertisement Most people might be surprised to learn that Illinois is just one of seven states that currently dont guarantee legal counsel for any children in abuse and neglect court proceedings. This is especially disappointing given the fact that at the tail end of the 19th century, Illinois recognized that youths needed to be treated separately in our legal system, creating the very first juvenile court system in the country. While Illinois lags in assuring lawyers in family decisions, every other state has copied the Illinois juvenile court, aimed at addressing the unique needs of children. It is time for Illinois to move forward with this idea already recognized as best practice by experts and legal organizations across the country. The fact is that getting lawyers for these children actually works. We know children who have their own lawyer experience better results in the system. These are not small improvements; they are meaningful. Children with their own lawyers spend far less time in foster care or group settings. They experience a shorter time to adoption or guardianship and more successful family reunifications which must always be our first goal. This not idle speculation. It is fact demonstrable by data children with legal counsel are 40% more likely to leave the foster care system in the first six months. A full 45% of these children are more likely to be reunited with their biological parents, and because these children experience fewer placements, 65% of such children are not compelled to change schools. All these measures are significant in the aggregate, but they have a profound, positive impact on an individual childs life. And we can begin to see these positive outcomes in our state if Illinois adopts a plan to provide legal counsel for children in these proceedings. [ Editorial: For the sake of TaNaja Barnes, Gov. Pritzker must take a hard look at DCFS leadership ] Last month, the Illinois Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 1478, which would create a right for all children to get access to counsel when they are placed in DCFS custody. These lawyers not only would speak directly for children in these complex settings but also would hold the state agencies accountable and help judges make the best possible decisions with accurate, relevant and complete information. As the House takes up this measure, some are suggesting that rather than moving forward, we should create a study group to further analyze this idea. But what is there left to study? With groups such as the American Bar Association, the Childrens Defense Fund, the Childrens Advocacy Institute and the National Center for Youth Law all endorsing legal representation for youths in care, the time for study is behind us. It is time to move forward with steps that will improve DCFS operations for children across Illinois. Advertisement State Rep. Lakesia Collins of Chicago represents Illinois 9th District, and state Sen. Ann Gillespie of Arlington Heights represents the 27th District. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Mobilization raids began in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Yakovina said After introducing "electronic military serfdom" in Russia a single database of recruits will be created, and people will be caught on the streets and taken into the army using any technical means (such as facial recognition software), Yakovyna said. Read also: Russia plans mobilization wave to focus on Moscow region, intelligence says In fact, it has already begun. Round-ups are already being conducted in the main Russian cities of Moscow and St Petersburg, the Moscow Times has reported. They're actually catching recruits using a face recognition system and delivering notice calls to students in dormitories. Although students should not be taken to the army, but, in fact, they are. They sometimes even break into people's apartments: drag them out and take them to recruitment centres. Read also: Putin may announce second mobilization wave in Russia, or declare war, says ISW At the beginning, the mobilisation was voluntary. Of course, there were people who wanted to earn some money or had other reasons. Then they started taking stupid, passive, wordless ones who were told to come to the collection point, and they did those who did not resist. And now they will grab the rest. And now some political troubles may come. Russians had an informal agreement with the government: You fight there, we support you. But if we have to go to war, we will no longer support you. And the sweet moment came when they began to recruit those who did not want to go to war. I don't know whether they will gather 300,000 people a month now, as they did in September last year. Most likely not. I think they will recruit 20-30,000 people a month to make up for the losses at the front. But the fact that they will recruit people is indisputable. The losses among conscripts in the battles for Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Vuhledar is tremendous. The Russian army is losing people at a very fast pace. And (the losses) need to be replenished. So they put in place these draconian measures of looking for people through video cameras, distributing electronic summonses, etc. Story continues Read also: Russia mobilizes 20,000 troops every month, Ukrainian intelligence says I want to reiterate: all military-service-liable Russians who might find themselves armed in Ukraine should leave Russia as soon as possible, flee before it's too late. Absolutely anything is better than killing and dying on the front line. That must be avoided, so it'd better to flee. Moreover, there is a terrible shortage of people to maintain the rather long frontline and to carry out the offensive near Bakhmut, which is still ongoing. The offensive has not halted. Russia is apparently trying to capture Bakhmut by May 9. Earlier, they really wanted to take Bakhmut before the New Year, but failed. Now they are trying to do it at least by May 9. One of the two roads leading to the city had fallen under Wagner mercenaries' control, according to some Western media outlets. I don't know if it is true. I haven't seen any video evidence yet. But if it is, it is certainly bad news. Not a catastrophe, but not good news. I'm not going to make any predictions about Bakhmut, because this city has surprised everyone many times. I think it can still surprise us. I just want to note that the Wagner mercenaries and the Russian Airborne Forces are suffering heavy losses in Bakhmut not so much because of street fighting, but recently because of the Ukrainian army remotely blowing up buildings. Meaning, after the Wagner mercenaries are crammed in a building left by the Ukrainian army, the building is being blown up, and everyone inside is killed. They can't stop cramming into these houses, because there is nowhere else to hide, firstly. And secondly, 15 people cannot get into a building, because they can easily be knocked out. Therefore, if they occupy a building, it means several hundred people at once. Therefore, several hundred are blown up. Wagner Group is complaining a lot about this Ukraine's Armed Forces tactic on their sites and Telegram-channels. They say it's not fair. Actually, they might not have attacked, and then they wouldn't have had such problems. Read also: Assaulting Bakhmut will exhaust Wagner Group PMC in two months, officer says There is other interesting news from other parts of the frontline. The Russians write that they are not supplied with artillery shells at all, saying they are being collected to repel a possible Ukrainian offensive. Only those units attacking in and around Bakhmut have ammunition. I don't know if it's true or not, but I heard this from Vuhledar, for example. They are not allowed to fire their guns at all there. I wonder how else Russia is preparing for this possible offensive. The Russian command is now preparing actively to repel an air raid on Moscow and the border towns on May 9. They are bringing all possible and impossible air defence systems to Moscow, because they are very afraid of strikes on the parade, on Putin, who will likely be on the stands. Or someone who will replace him in this case. Something like this could happen on or around May 9. This parade is not the only one, actually. There are several rehearsals for the parade before May 9. They are held somewhere outside the city and several days before at night in Moscow itself. They can probably be hit. I think that a trained person with a good drone or several drones can easily make a very serious mess. Either during a rehearsal or during a parade. Read also: Lukashenko may order mobilization any moment, says Belarus opposition member Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A 27-year-old mom drowned after she had an asthma attack in a North Carolina lake, officials say. Hannah Marie Walker was on a pontoon boat on Friday, April 21, on Lake James when she jumped off the boat into the water, according to a news release from the Burke County Sheriffs Office. Her fiance, her 5-year-old son, her 5-week-old daughter and her fiances friend were aboard the boat. After a few minutes in the water, Walker who had asthma began to not feel well, deputies said. Her fiance gave her an inhaler, but it made her condition worse and she fell unconscious. Deputies said there was a struggle to get Walker back onto the boat because of its height. A Lake James community officer helped Walkers fiance and his friend get the boat to shore where CPR was started. Officials did CPR for about 30 minutes before pronouncing Walker dead, the sheriffs office said. The investigation is ongoing and an autopsy is pending. Walker was visiting the lake from Asheville. Drowning At least 4,000 people die from drowning every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and drowning is a leading cause of death for children. Some factors can make drowning more likely, including not knowing how to swim, a lack of close supervision, not wearing a life jacket and drinking alcohol while recreating near or in water. The National Drowning Prevention Alliance said there are tips to help keep you safe in the water, including checking local weather conditions, never swimming alone and choosing the right equipment. Dont hesitate to get out of the water if something doesnt feel right, the group said on its website. Whether its that the current is getting rough, rain has started to fall, or your body is just not responding like you would like it to due to fatigue or muscle cramps, then just leave and return to the water another day. Its always a good thing to trust your instincts. Family fights to bring 12-year-old home to Georgia after he dies in Florida rip current 6-year-old dies after he falls into pond while playing hide-and-seek, Ohio cops say Fisherman dives into lake to save kayaker and never resurfaces, Washington cops say A woman is dead and four others are injured after multiple people opened fire at a party in North Carolina, police say. Winston-Salem police responded just before 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, to a pavilion at Happy Hill Park and found several gunshot victims and a large crowd fleeing the party. There were more than 200 people in attendance when the shooting began. Beatrice Maxine Knights, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a news release. A 34-year-old woman shot in the arm, leg and abdomen was taken to the hospital by EMS, police said. Her injuries are not considered life-threatening. Other injuries include a 20-year-old woman who was shot in the arm, a 24-year-old woman who was shot in the face and a 30-year-old man who was shot in the leg, police said. All three were taken to a hospital by friends, and their injuries also are not considered life-threatening. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700. Winston-Salem is about 80 miles north of Charlotte. Gunfire erupts at after-prom party, leaving nine injured, Texas officials say Man shot parents and their friends dead before opening fire on highway, Maine cops say Man shoots three after food order is delivered to wrong house, Michigan officials say The calendar soon will turn to May, but temperatures feel more in line with late fall and early winter as the National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for the metro-east. The warning starts at 1 a.m. Monday and concludes at 9 a.m. Monday. After reaching highs in the 70s and low 80s earlier this week, the area will see temperatures hovering around freezing or just below. According to the NWS, frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. The weather agency recommends taking steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. Its probably smart to cover the plants, Jared Maples, a meteorologist with the NWS of St. Louis said Sunday afternoon. Any tender outdoor vegetation, either bring them inside or try to find different types of protective materials to protect them. If you have potted stuff outdoors that is pretty tender like new flowers, just bring them inside until tomorrow afternoon. Once were past the mid-morning period, it should be safe to set them back out. Maples noted the temperatures will not be near cold enough to have to unhook hoses. Temperatures will rebound this week, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s. A slight chance of rain exists later in the week. WASHINGTON In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently. Rep. Sharice Davids Comments on US Supreme Court's to Keep Abortion Pill On Friday, Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), a tribal citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Mifepristone, which was originally approved for use more than 20 years ago, is a safe and effective medication used in over half of all abortions in the United States. I am glad that the Supreme Court recognized the total lack of science and legal standing in the case brought before them and ruled that the FDAs approval of mifepristone will standas it has for decadesand access to this vital and safe medication will continue. Though this is a victory for Kansans freedoms, reproductive rights are still under attack nationwide. Its a reminder that we are facing extremist actors who will not stop attempting to insert themselves into our most private health care decisionsbut while they try to strip us of our rights, together, well continue fighting to protect them. FEMA Extends Deadline for Summer 2023 Minority Internship Programs; Opens Program to Tribal Colleges FEMA is extending the application deadline for its 2023 Minority Internship Programs to April 28, 2023. The applicant pool will include students from tribal colleges and universities as well as Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions. This Internship program gives college students the opportunity to learn from emergency management officials as they help their communities become safer and better prepared for disasters and other hazards, FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks said. This internship opportunity is open in Atlanta, Denver and Washington, D.C. Story continues Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Those interested in participating should send their resume, current unofficial transcript(s) and any applicable and/or required supporting documentation to fema-hbcu-msi-internships@fema.dhs.gov by April 28 with a subject line of FEMA HBCU MSI Summer Program 2023. Additional information about the positions can be found on FEMA.gov. Homeland Security Announces $45 Million to Fund to Colleges & Universities to Lead Center for Excellence in the Arctic Accredited United States colleges and universities are invited to submit proposals to lead the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center of Excellence (COE) for Homeland Security in the Arctic (HSA). The DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced a funding opportunity to lead the new Center for up to 10 years and a total of $45 million through a cooperative agreement. By partnering with universities, S&T harnesses the intellectual power of academia to address the most complex issues facing the homeland while training the next generation of homeland security experts, said Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov, DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology. Once awarded, this COE will use cutting-edge approaches to conduct critical research needed to prepare for and implement an effective response to the challenges DHS faces in the Arctic domain. This funding opportunity is posted on grants.gov. The deadline for submitting proposals is by 11:59 PM ET on June 19, 2023. Academic-led innovation by the HSA COE will help develop a better understanding of how changing conditions in the Arctic directly impact the mission and operations of DHS components, and will enable enhancements in situational awareness, improvements in resilience, and expand collaboration across the homeland security mission space. Bipartisan Support for Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act that Has 10% Increase for Tribal Programs On April 13, 2023, Representatives Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Young Kim (R-CA) reintroduced the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2023 (H.R. 2604). FVPSA provides critical funding for shelter and supportive services for victims of domestic violence, including those in Indian Country. The FVPSA reauthorization bill provides critical support for shelters, coalitions, training, and technical assistance centers, childrens services, emergency response hotlines, and prevention initiatives. The FVPSA is also the only federal grant program solely dedicated to domestic violence shelter and supportive services and is the primary source of funding for these services for Indian tribes. The FVPSA would expand grant programs and make many needed improvements so that more survivors have access to support and safety, including: Adjustment of the funding distribution formula to increase the amount that Tribes receive from 10% to 12.5%; Dedicated funding for Tribal coalitions to provide culturally-appropriate technical assistance to Tribes; Permanent funding for the national Indian domestic violence hotline; Permanent funding for the Alaska Tribal Resource Center on Domestic Violence to reduce disparities facing Native victims; and Permanent funding for the Native Hawaiian Resource Center on Domestic Violence. 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 NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is leaving Comcast, effective immediately. The telecom giant made the surprise announcement in a terse press release it issued on Sunday. Following an investigation prompted by a complaint of inappropriate behavior, Comcast says it came to a mutual decision with Shell that he should resign his position. Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret, Shell said in a joint statement. I'm truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege. Comcast has not named a successor to Shell. In a memo obtained by Variety, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and President Mike Cavanagh told employees they were disappointed to share the news. We built this company on a culture of integrity. Nothing is more important than how we treat each other. You should count on your leaders to create a safe and respectful workplace, they wrote. When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here. Shell joined Comcast in 2004. He became the CEO of NBCUniversal in 2020. That same year, he oversaw the launch of Peacock. Shell leaves NBCUniversal without having made the streaming service profitable. At the start of the year, Comcast told investors that it had added five million paying subscribers during the final three months of 2022. However, over that same period, the company lost nearly $1 billion operating the service. Kevin Dietsch NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell will leave the company after it found he had an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer, it said in a statement. Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal, Shell said in a statement on Sunday. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret. Im truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege. Shells senior team will report to Comcast president Mike Cavanaugh, he and Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts said in a statement. We are disappointed to share this news with you, the two wrote in the statement, according to The New York Times. We built this company on a culture of integrity. Nothing is more important than how we treat each other. You should count on your leaders to create a safe and respectful workplace. When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here. Shell was ousted after the woman he maintained the relationship with filed an internal complaint, according to CNBC. The company then hired an attorney to investigate the matter before it agreed to part ways with Shell. Shell assumed the role in 2020, when he was thrust into managing the companys response to COVID-19. As CEO, he oversaw the companys broadcast network, news division, film studios, and the Universal Studios theme parks. It was unclear who would replace Shell, though the company has not begun searching for a candidate, according to CNBC. An NBCUniversal spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shell joined the company in 2004, leading various branches of the NBC brand, including NBCUniversal International, before ascending to the top spot. Jeff Shell is the ideal executive to take the helm at NBCUniversal, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said at the time. He has a stellar track record across both the film and TV side of the business, as well as a wealth of international experience. I have worked closely with Jeff for many years and he is an extraordinary leader who inspires loyalty, delivers strong results and cares deeply about our company, its employees and partners. I could not be more confident in his ability to lead NBCUniversal into the future. Story continues Shell was known for his granular approach to business, despite self-labeling himself as not a creative executive, according to a 2020 Wall Street Journal profile. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The University of North Carolina System drives the states economy and advances the states reputation as a leader in public higher education. But Republicans are prepared to trade all that for the satisfaction of intimidating professors and solving a problem that doesnt exist universities as liberal indoctrination centers. Thats the goal of House Bill 715, which would eliminate tenure for UNC System and community college faculty hired after July 1, 2024. It also sets minimum class sizes and calls for UNC campuses to submit to the UNC Board of Governors a list of all noninstructional faculty research. This is part of a trend in several red states to rein in public university faculty and give more power to politicians and their appointees. Irene Mulvey, national president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), recently testified against such legislation in Florida and Texas. She told me the North Carolina bill is the most sweeping move yet to undermine the independence of tenured faculty. There are attacks on tenure nationwide, but this is the most egregious Ive seen, she said. Its saying academic freedom would no longer be respected or protected in North Carolina. The AAUP issued a report last year criticizing political meddling in the UNC System, but Mulvey said this bill would go further, with legislation eliminating a fundamental protection that allows professors to speak, teach and research without fear of political interference or retribution. Eliminating tenure for new hires, Mulvey said, would have devastating effects on recruiting faculty and even graduate students. She added, I dont think these people have any idea of the damage this is going to do to higher education in North Carolina. The bill is sponsored by Rep. David Willis, a Union County Republican and chair of House committees overseeing education appropriations and community colleges. In a statement, he did not address the tenure issue directly, but said the bills proposed changes are aimed at streamlining the states higher ed systems and saving costs. Story continues Salaries are one of the biggest expenses for constituent institutions of the UNC System and the North Carolina Community College System, and they need to be better managed and regularly evaluated through rigorous study, he said. That reason is both backward and misleading. It calls for saving money by diminishing one of the states greatest assets. Beyond that, this bill isnt really about cost savings, its about score settling. Republican lawmakers are irritated that tenured professors on the public payroll can criticize the state legislature without fear of being fired. This bill would not remove such thorns as Gene Nichol, a tenured UNC-Chapel Hill law professor and a News & Observer contributing columnist who wrote a book blasting the legislature, Indecent Assembly, but it could muzzle future professors. Whether the bill gets traction depends on how it fares in committee. But its notable that the bill that began with only Willis as a sponsor has gained three more primary sponsors and 14 other lawmakers have signed on. Most who teach in the states universities and community colleges do not have the protection of tenure, a faculty appointment that can only be terminated for cause. Nationally, only one in five faculty members have that job protection, according to the AAUP. Still, ending tenure would have a chilling effect on academic freedom and would weaken the faculty at North Carolinas public colleges and universities. Jay Smith, a UNC-Chapel Hill history professor and head of the North Carolina AAUP, said of the bill: Im horrified by it. Mainly because its clearly written by someone who doesnt have the faintest idea why tenure is important, or why its elimination would be so devastating to UNC schools and, ultimately, harmful to the people of North Carolina. The states that do away with tenure will not simply will not attract top-flight scholars and teachers. Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-829-4512, or nbarnett@ newsobserver.com Stephen Stills, left, and Neil Young perform at the Autism Speaks Light Up the Blues 6 concert at the Greek Theatre on Saturday. (Harmony Gerber / Getty Images) Neil Young returned to the stage Saturday night for his first full concert in nearly four years, and not surprisingly, he had some misgivings to air about whats been happening in the world since he was last in front of a live crowd. Oh man, we got AI out there in the audience playing my lyrics to me before I write them, he said about halfway through his set as he spied a prompter displaying the words to his songs at the Greek Theatre. Out of my face, will ya? Stop thinking at me. With the exception of a brief appearance at an old-growth logging-protest rally in Canada in February, Young, 77, had kept off the road during the pandemic, though he made plenty of noise from home about what he views as the corporate evils of Ticketmaster and Spotify. (He also released something like a dozen LPs, including several live collections from his extensive archives.) What drew him back to the stage just a few months after the death of his former bandmate David Crosby was headlining Light Up the Blues, a semiannual fundraising event organized by Stephen Stills and Stills wife, Kristen, to benefit the nonprofit Autism Speaks. Also on the bill were Willie Nelson, in town ahead of next weekends all-star 90th birthday bash at the Hollywood Bowl; Nelsons son Lukas and his group, Promise of the Real; Joe Walsh; Sharon Van Etten; Stephen Stills son Chris and 78-year-old Stills himself, who joined Young for a handful of tunes by their old bands Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. This is complete bulls, I cant play the thing, Stills joked as he tuned a banjo before Everybodys Wrong, from Buffalo Springfields 1966 debut, and indeed the result was a little rough around the edges. But like the entire evening, the performance had a welcome and undeniable energy: raw, funny, soothing, cranky. The shows emotional climax was a long, searching rendition of CSNs Wooden Ships which Crosby and Stills wrote with Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane as the three sailed the Floridian seas imagining a nuclear holocaust that brought together Stephen Stills with his son and with Crosbys son James Raymond, both of whom were set to back Crosby on tour when he died in January. Story continues Earlier, Graham Nash, whod been booked for a gig Saturday near Pittsburgh, appeared on video to remember Crosby as his best friend for almost 50 years and to introduce an old clip of the two of them singing CSNs Guinnevere with Wynton Marsalis. Lukas, left, and Willie Nelson perform at the Autism Speaks Light Up the Blues 6 concert. (Harmony Gerber / Getty Images) Nelson, flanked by his sons Lukas and Micah, was as always a kind of musical spellbinder as he toyed with the deeply etched melodies of Funny How Time Slips Away, Crazy and Night Life in a nimble medley that had him picking out gloriously asymmetric guitar solos on his battered acoustic, Trigger. Walsh was as always a laugh riot as he introduced Lifes Been Good and Rocky Mountain Way think about this mans deftness with a riff if you havent for a minute by gently lampooning the do-gooder atmosphere: I dont really have a campaign yet, but Id appreciate your vote, he said. (Walsh had dressed the rock-star part in a leather jacket and leather trousers, which only emphasized Stills having turned up in the baggy khakis of a Deloitte consultant.) But Young, whose mutton chops crept out from under his train conductors cap, was clearly the nights main attraction, a prestige position he repaid by opening with a string of strummy-sensitive hits From Hank to Hendrix, Comes a Time, Heart of Gold and CSNYs Helpless, the last of which featured Stills on piano before Stills joined him to dig into Buffalo Springfields catalog. For What Its Worth rode an appealingly swampy groove and had a splintery solo by Young; Mr. Soul was a jagged blast of whammy-bar psychedelia. (In addition to Everybodys Wrong, they also did Bluebird and On the Way Home.) The nasal whine of Youngs one-of-a-kind voice sounded unchanged by whatever rest it got during COVID; he still came on like a guy who cant believe he has to deal with everything hes dealing with. Young and Stills closed the show with a tender acoustic reading of Long May You Run, recorded in the mid-70s amid the privileged acrimony of one of CSNYs many breakups. But with Crosbys memory so close to the surface, all that seemed like the stuff of ancient history. They were singing to each other, and about each other too. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A former WCPO investigative producer and photographer was arrested in Cincinnati and charged with distributing over 100 child pornography videos from 2020 to 2021. >> TRENDING: Springfield area high school to hold vigil for 2 students who died in US-68 crash Phil Drechsler, 60, was arrested and charged Thursday for distributing over 100 child pornography videos while a member of the Telegram online chat group, The Playground Lives, WCPO reported. A warrant for his arrest was issued after a federal criminal complaint was filed in Los Angeles on April 18. According to the complaint, Drechsler interacted with the online group 145 times from August 17, 2020, to June 28, 2021. Drechsler shared 117 videos, 9 images, 2 gifs, and 1 link to shared file(s), an FBI affidavit attached to the complaint wrote. In the videos, a prepubescent or early pubescent girl appeared to engage in explicit sexual acts with a man. The affidavit also reported that Drechsler commented about 16 times in the group chat, using an alias. As a result of his online activities, federal agents executed two search warrants on April 6: one for his Los Angeles home and the other for his person. An FBI agent examined Drechslers phone and discovered evidence of child pornography in the recently deleted folder, the affidavit said. Drechsler stated that he could not tell the age of the individuals and did not think it was child pornography, the FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. I asked him if the individuals looked like adults or children and Drechsler confirmed that they looked like children. On April 17, Drechslers wife informed the FBI that her husband drove to Ohio with a shotgun and two pistols. She stated that Drechsler felt he had nothing to live for and wanted to kill himself. But before he could commit suicide, he wanted to say, Goodbye, to his daughter, who lived in Ohio, as well as visit his parents Toledo gravesite, the affidavit informed. Story continues Drechsler was reportedly staying at Wingate Hotel in Cincinnati, according to what his wife told an FBI agent. Federal agents responded by surveilling the hotel. Drechsler was booked into Butler County Jail an hour after his arrest. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have filed a request to detain Drechsler, WCPO reported. Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, with state legislators behind him, talks to reporters on April 19, 2023, at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Brandon Johnsons election as Chicagos next mayor represented a further leftward movement of the states Democratic-led politics, fueled by generational and ideological changes that are stretching and sometimes straining the fabric of the partys big tent. In my view, the state of Illinois, led by Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker and this legislative body, has become the vanguard for progressive policy all over this country, Johnson told lawmakers Wednesday to resounding applause while making his first visit to Springfield as mayor-elect. Youve done it. Advertisement But Johnsons 52% to 48% victory over Paul Vallas to become the citys 57th mayor, laid bare some fundamental splits within the states Democratic Party that go deeper than just Chicagos most recent mayoral contest. Vallas billed himself as a lifelong Democrat despite ties to right-wing activists, the conservative Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, and his declaration in 2009 that he considered himself more of a Republican than a Democrat and was fundamentally opposed to abortion. Advertisement [ Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas insists hes a lifelong Democrat. But hes backed by conservative donors and the FOP. ] In the end, Johnson succeeded in raising questions in voters minds about Vallas Democratic bona fides. Still, several older Democrats in the party establishment who are considered more moderate endorsed Vallas. They included former Secretary of State Jesse White and Dick Durbin, the No. 2 ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate. Durbin served with Vallas in Springfield more than 40 years ago in the office of the late Democratic Senate President Philip J. Rock of Oak Park. Christopher Mooney, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said the Democratic leaders who backed Vallas look out of step with the way the party is headed. I think its not a good look for a lot of those folks, Mooney said. The progressives are in ascendancy in the state. Youve got the governor and now the new mayor two poles of political power in a state who are both proudly progressive. The Democratic Party has always been a pretty broad base. Republicans especially in Illinois today (are) very narrow. They have sort of an exclusionary interest if youre not for this, youre out, or youre a RINO (Republican in Name Only), youre not a real Republican, Mooney said. Who knows if the progressives go that way too. The potential for increased friction between moderates and progressives threatening the partys future has grown to the point that a special committee was formed by Cook County Democrats to determine what it means to be a Democrat in todays political climate. What I started to see was there are Democrats that are confused, said Northwest Side Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, a member of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee, who is chairing the committee. Your regular Democrats are confused as to what are the principles around being a Democrat, and how the Democratic Party is being influenced by some portions of the left. Villegas just won reelection to the City Council against a progressive challenger backed by the Chicago Teachers Union after last year losing a Democratic congressional primary to Delia Ramirez, a product of the progressive United Working Families organization whose candidacy was backed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Ald. Gilbert Villegas greets people during a campaign event at Playas Nayaritas in Belmont Cragin on Jan. 8, 2023. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) My task was to figure out, the Democratic Party is a big tent. What are core pillars that we can identify with that would allow people who want to be a part of the Democratic Party to say, You know what? Although I dont agree with everything within the new Democratic Party, what are those core pillars that make me a Democrat? Villegas said. Advertisement [ In 36th Ward, two-term Ald. Gilbert Villegas declares victory over CTU leader ] So whether its making sure that were providing for working families, paying livable wages, a womans right to choose, affordable housing, what are some of the core things that, as Democrats, when a candidate from the Democratic Party speaks, is going to touch on those core pillars to say Yeah, Im a Democrat. But obviously Im either more of a moderate Democrat or more of a left Democrat. So that way they get more of a sense of where theyre at within the big tent of the Democratic Party. he said. Pritzker, with the emergence of power of the legislatures Black Caucus, has set out the template for the partys progressive pillars organized labor rights, abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, criminal justice reforms, including cashless bail for nonviolent crimes, and banning so-called assault weapons. The governor is leading by example. I mean, the guy is advocating very, very strongly and very, very emphatically, very, very nationally. Especially on abortion and guns. Thats right down Main Street for progressives, Mooney said. Pritzker acknowledged that Johnson represents a new generation politician, despite his age of 47, by bringing both younger voters and voters of color to the polls important parts of what Pritzker calls the Democratic coalition. Dignitaries listen to Gov. J.B. Pritzker on a stage behind the Shedd Aquarium to celebrate the selection of Chicago as the host for the 2024 Democratic National Convention April 12, 2023. Behind Pritzker is Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, right, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison, left. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) The two-term governor said older voters show up in large numbers and theyre very important to party fortunes but things are evolving toward younger voters. The Democratic Party is much more resolute about the issues that we stand up and fight for, Pritzker said. That resoluteness certainly defines the younger generation and I admire that. Advertisement One veteran Democratic campaign strategist, who asked not to be identified due to his links with current politicians, said generational change is morphing with a progressive ideology, in part due to greater educational opportunity and social media and digital technology. The Black community, in particular, has a larger number of people who are college educated and moving into a gravitational pull of politics that makes them more progressive and more activist, the strategist said. Older voters, theyre not looking for revolutions. Theyre just looking for things to be improved. They dont believe the whole system needs to completely change over because when youre older, youre more of an incrementalist. As for moderate older Democrats, the strategist said, The center never holds. It just adapts and that new generation takes over. They start paying taxes and try to change things and run into failures and then they get more incremental in the amount of change that they think the system can handle. Then the cycle repeats itself. In Springfield, members of the Democratic supermajorities have created a moderate caucus along with its progressive caucus a recognition of the factional ideologies in the House and Senate. [ Arguments over controversial no-bail law aired before Illinois Supreme Court ] Those differences were readily apparent in the passage of the controversial Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, known as the SAFE-T Act, dealing with criminal justice and policing as well as cashless bail. Due to the overwhelming number of Democrats, some moderates representing a more conservative, less progressive ideology were able to vote against it without their votes needed for passage. Moderate caucus leaders said it is paramount to represent the ideology of their districts, which brings geography in play. Democrats have seen their numbers reduced downstate, while increasing in the once traditional Republican suburbs and exurbs. Advertisement They have their issues, we have our issues. Youve got to work together and get a consensus, state Rep. Marty Moylan of Des Plaines, a moderate House Democrat, said of his progressive colleagues. You know, sometimes their issues dont agree with ours and then well discuss it and try and come up with some kind of conclusion, Moylan said. (Were) not going to agree on everything. But that doesnt mean that were not Democrats. State Rep. Marty Moylan, left in vest, speaks at a campaign stop along with Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other Democratic politicians and candidates at the Sugar Bowl restaurant on Oct. 31, 2022, in Des Plaines. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) One major reason Democrats have not fractured so far is the political alternative Republicans. People, particularly in the suburbs, who might have once considered themselves moderate Republicans on social issues no longer fit into the narrow cast of what the GOP calls itself now, Mooney said. And Pritzker said Republicans have painted themselves into a terrible corner on social issues. We are the party of reproductive rights. Theres nowhere else to go, he said. If you are a believer that womens rights need to be protected, you are a Democrat and should vote for Democrats. If youre a believer in public safety and protecting our children from being victims of mass shootings at schools, then you are a Democrat and should vote for Democrats. Advertisement Chicago Tribunes Jeremy Gorner contributed from Springfield. rap30@aol.com jebyrne@chicagotribune.com Moscow will shut down the Black Sea Grain deal that allows Ukraine to feed much of the developing world if the Group of Seven nations decides to ban all exports to Russia, a top Russian official said Sunday. The G-7 countries the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Japan are considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia, media outlets in multiple countries reported last week. Russia has for months threatened to halt the grain deal now set to expire next month. This idea from the idiots at the G7 about a total ban of exports to our country by default is beautiful in that it implies a reciprocal ban on imports from our country, former Russian president and current deputy of its security council Dmitry Medvedev said in a post on his Telegram channel, adding In such a case, the grain deal and many other things that they need will end for them." Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the G-7 nations' sanctions have focused more on halting the import of Russian goods and less on exporting goods to Russia. The import sanctions have forced Russia to sell oil, natural gas, and other goods at a discount to India, China, and other nations willing to ignore the sanctions. The new plan would add to the list of goods that would no longer be sold to Russia. Shelling near power plan: Shelling reported near nuclear power plant in Ukraine; more trouble for Russian city accidentally bombed by Russia: Updates A Ukrainian artilleryman holds an artillery shell on a front line position near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on April 22, 2023. Other developments: The first American-made Patriot air defense system has been put on combat duty in Ukraine, the Ukraine Air Force said Sunday. Ukraine Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said the system will make it possible to shoot down Russia's Iskander-M ballistic missiles and repel Russian aircraft from Ukrainian borders. Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed that six German-made Leopard 2 tanks shipped from Spain are due to arrive in Ukraine this week. And Ukrainian tank crews have completed training on Challenger 2 tanks in the U.K., the British Defense Ministry said Sunday. Story continues Wagner leader says troops won't take POWs: 'Kill everyone on the battlefield' Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said Sunday he is instructing his mercenaries not to capture prisoners of the war, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing a translation from video Prigohzin posted on social media. Prigozhin made the comment in response to what Russian officials have described as an "intercepted conversation" posted to an unofficial Wagner-affiliated social media account. The post claims the conversation was between two Ukrainian soldiers deciding to shoot a prisoner of war. We will kill everyone on the battlefield," Prigozhin said Sunday in the audio recording. "Take no more prisoners of the war! By denying visas, US has 'chickened out and done something stupid,' Russia says Russian officials reacted angrily and with threats Sunday to what they said was a U.S. denial of visas to journalists who wanted to cover Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs appearance at the United Nations. A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, free and fair country has chickened out and done something stupid by showing what its sworn assurances about protecting freedom of speech and access to information are really worth, Lavrov said in Moscow. Be sure that we will not forget and will not forgive. Lavrov is traveling to New York to mark Russias chairmanship of the Security Council. I emphasize that we will find ways to respond to this, so that the Americans will remember for a long time not to do this, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said. The U.S. State Department did not comment on the claim of refused visas. Wagner and Russian forces in deadly shootout, Ukraine military says The longstanding friction between Wagner fighters and regular Russian forces came to a head in a deadly shootout in the eastern Luhansk province, Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a Facebook post Sunday. A fight escalated into a shootout recently in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska and resulted in soldiers on both sides being killed, the posting said. "With no significant achievements on the battlefield ... (the sides) are increasingly attempting to find someone to blame for the defeats,'' the General Staff said. "They shift the responsibility for their own tactical miscalculations and losses suffered onto each other.'' Russians trying to convince 'real men' to join war effort The Russian Ministry of Defense is trying to replenish soldier ranks depleted by the war without creating the kind of unrest caused by last falls partial mobilization, which prompted legions of young men to leave the country. The tool of choice? Advertising. The ministry has launched a large recruiting campaign on Russian social media, billboards, and television seeking volunteers, the British Defense Ministry said. The messages try to appeal to the masculine pride of real men while also pointing out the financial advantages of signing up, said the British ministry, which cast doubt on the campaigns chances of meeting the reported goal of 400,000 volunteers. The authorities are almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent, the British ministry said. Russia may ease offensive, consolidate gains Prigohzin said Western tanks, air defense systems and training up to 100,000 Ukraine troops meant Ukraine could pose "serious opposition" to Russian forces. Prigozhin, whose mercenaries have led the brutal, drawn-out assault on the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut, is urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to focus on holding the current frontlines rather than seeking more gains. Prigohzin has repeatedly blamed insufficient ammunition supplies for slowing Russia's offensive in the industrial Donbas region. The Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment that top Russian military leaders in Moscow also may be pushing for a consolidation of existing gains in Ukraine as Moscow struggles with a shortage of materiel and manpower. Ukraine offensive could begin soon Ukraine is poised to begin a counteroffensive to liberate more territories Russia has occupied in the months since the invasion began, Ukraine's president and NATO's secretary general say. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he is confident Kyiv is ready to take back some of its land. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his military is preparing new brigades and that issues such as training and integration into the general defense plan are being worked out with Commander-in-Chief Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhny. Ukrainian military forces have successfully established supply lines and positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, the latest sign of Kyivs long-awaited spring counteroffensive, the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment. "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," Zelenskyy said. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine war updates: Russian mercenaries to stop taking POWs On Earth Day, labor leader Dolores Huerta trimmed back the withered blossoms of a mugwort at Rancho Cordovas Soil Born Farms, breathing in the plants heady fragrance as she explained that you could use its leaves for a tea that helps digestion and relieves itching. Dutch Newsoms dad, better known as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, boasted that his 6-year-old son had shown incredible focus on his assignment as a volunteer, cutting 70 or 80 irrigation lines that the farm no longer used. The Newsoms, Huerta and others worked up an appetite with a little volunteerism on the nonprofit interpretive farm in honor of the statewide farm-to-school initiative that Jennifer Siebel Newsom has championed in her role as California First Partner. The Farm-to-School program brings together Soil Born and other small farmers with school districts to increase the amount of whole foods that kids are getting in their diets. Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, who recently celebrated her 93rd birthday, shows Gov. Gavin Newsom a plant she said can help when dealing with certain politicians during an Earth Day celebration at Soil Born Farms in Rancho Cordova. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, left, and Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday, right, stand nearby. In an interview with The Bee, Siebel Newsom said its a win for both the earth and people when produce is grown on organic, climate-smart, regenerative farms and when local districts connect directly to local farms. Since 2021, she said, farm-to-school funding has benefited close to 1.5 million students, 163 school districts and education entities, more than 50 farms and four food hubs. Children deserve to be fed whole food, fresh food, organic food, Siebel Newsom said. Theres this connection between what we put into our body, how we treat the environment, how we grow our food, our academic performance, the local economy, and real jobs. ... Im just excited about connecting the dots for everyone. After the volunteer work was over, attendees sat down to a lunch curated by Chef Alice Waters, whose Chez Panisse restaurant has won worldwide acclaim. There was carrot soup with ginger, crispy grilled chicken, beans and long-cooked collard greens with garlic, cornbread with butter and honey, and vanilla ice cream from the Straus Family Creamery. Story continues In a speech before lunch, the culinary legend quieted all whispers as she recounted the steps that had gotten her to build her menus and her success around seasonal, local and environmentally sustainable agriculture. Anna Knight, left, a family farmer with Old Grove Orange, talks with renowned chef Alice Waters, a longtime advocate for local sustainable agriculture and partner in the California Farm to School program, during the Earth Day Celebration hosted by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom at Soil Born Farms on Saturday. I went to France in 1965 when it was a slow food nation, and I had that experience of tasting food in season, buying food at the farmers market standing in line for half an hour to get a hot baguette, she said. I experienced the immediacy of that and the beauty of that but particularly the taste, and I came back and I wanted that experience. Waters now also teams up with the nonprofit Conscious Kitchen to bring that experience to schoolchildren living in food-insecure neighborhoods. Sixth-grader Joaquin DaGrace of El Sobrante elicited laughter, applause and finally a standing ovation from the crowd after sharing how Walters and Conscious Kitchen had inspired a culinary awakening in him that was much like the one she had experienced in France in 1965. I dont usually eat a lot of salads, but I was pleasantly surprised. It actually tasted delicious, Joaquin said. I told my mom all about the event and how I really wanted to eat more vegetables and (how it really got me) thinking about organics for the first time. Now as a Conscious Kitchen ambassador at his school, DaGrace samples meals prepared from recipes developed at the Alice Waters Institute and helps to determine whether they should be included on the school lunch menus. First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, right, speaks with regenerative food systems consultant Lillian Riesenfeld during the Earth Day celebration she hosted with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and California Volunteers at Soil Born Farms on Saturday in Rancho Cordova. A California-grown meal curated by renowned chef Alice Waters was served after the volunteer work was finished. Conscious Kitchen will be able to expand its work this year to more students in Marin, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties because it received some of the grant money that Siebel Newsom urged legislators to set aside. The California Department of Food and Agriculture awarded $482,967 to the nonprofit. Locally, Soil Born Farms is doing much the same work in partnership with Sacramento City Unified School District, and both received CDFA grants that they will implement this year. Soil Born will use the $148,484 its receiving to build temporary, greenhouse-like structures called caterpillar tunnels to extend the growing period and will supply salad greens to the district, said Shawn Harrison, Soil Borns founder and co-director. SCUSD received $466,570, state documents show, to manage cleaning, chopping and other tasks associated with making the produce edible. While these contracts seem small, farmers said, they actually receive a better rate of return on their labor by selling produce to schools than they do in selling them to middlemen. Family farmer Anna Knight participates in the Old Grove Orange farming collaborative, supplying fresh produce to Rialto Unified School District and 24 other districts in the Inland Empire. Farm-to-School has provided a lifeline to small farmers in her area, she said. We have few farmers left and those who are left have a really hard time in San Bernardino County, Knight said. Over 80% of farmers make less than $50,000 a year in sales. This is before labor, equipment seed. How do you continue? To give you a sense, if I sell 55 pounds of oranges to my commercial packing house, how much money do you think I see? Does anybody have a guess? 5%, shouted someone in the crowd. 5%? Knight repeated, looking around at the faces at the table. Less. She continued: I get $1 $1 from 55 pounds. But when I sell 40 pounds, to Rialto Unified, I keep $14 That is the power of Farm-to-School. Fausat Rahman-Davies, left, and Juanita Chan-Roden, both with Rialto Unified School District, volunteer during the Earth Day celebration hosted by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom at Soil Born Farms on Saturday. CDFA Secretary Karen Ross nodded as she listened to Knight. Most California residents would be surprised to learn that 70% of the states farms are less than 100 acres, Ross said, and about 89% of total farms are less than 500 acres. Farm-to-School can be an economic jumpstart for these businesses. In the first year of the program, they offered $9 million in grants; the second year. $25 million, Ross said, and now they have awarded $60 million in grants to prove the model and get growers engaged. They do plan to evaluate the impact of the investments, she added, and they recently hired regional navigators to begin working with district nutrition directors to identify partners. Soil Borns Harrison said he hopes to add Folsom Cordova Unified School District since his farm lies in the district boundaries. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said the Farm-to-School program also can help to curb the growing number of children suffering from Type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease. The message is that we can grow what our kids eat and that our kids can learn, he said. Today is a very important day both for being stewards of the environment, learning about climate, and even the things they can learn in science and math and history from being out here. A central part of the Rancho Cordova farms mission has been sharing approaches to crop science that eliminate the need to put more chemicals in the ground and causing problems for nearby waterways, plants and animals, Harrison said, and he and his team strive to stay on top of the latest developments in the field. Many farms continue to use techniques and products that contribute to climate change, soil erosion, water pollution and other problems, he said. Soil Born, for instance, uses a variety of cover crops to help manage erosion, water retention, soil quality, weeds and diseases: vetch, bell beans, winter peas, alfalfa, rye, sudangrass, buckwheat and more. Cover crops, as the name implies, cover the earth and keep an ecosystem of plant, soil and organisms under their shelter, Harrison said, and their fast, dense growth crowds out weeds. Often, the crops are left to sit on top of the land as they decompose, he said, forming a mat that prevents sunlight from germinating weeds. The trick is to terminate the cover crop before it starts drawing a lot of nutrients out of the soil, Harrison said. We have a whole system about how we manage the termination of the crops, he said. Were not just discing them in and turning them over. Were mowing or grazing them, and then we actually use this system called occultation, in which we use these tarps to basically cover the mowed or grazed cover crop. It decomposes under the tarp, Harrison said, so the nutrients dont get lost in the atmosphere. Then when we pull the tarps back, theres beautiful soil for planting, he said, and we didnt have to till it. We didnt have to pulverize the soil. Its all there. This beautiful soil biology is alive because weve been feeding it and protecting it. The Soil Born staff share these approaches with community residents and with school students as part of its regular programming, Harrison said, and they have enlisted state and local government agencies, community-based organizations and individual Sacramento residents in their work to restore 55 acres of the former American River Ranch. One critical project cleaned up and restored a creek on the property where steelhead and salmon now swim and beavers are building dams, Harrison said. To jumpstart that restoration program, Soil Born had set up irrigation lines to bring water to sustain the trees and plants they had put there, Harrison said, but now, there was no longer a need for those lines. A small gallery forest of willows has sprung up along the restored waterway. Thats why Dutch and other volunteers were charged with digging out the skinny black irrigation tubes, pruning mugwort and removing cages from plants that no longer needed the protection. Members of the California Climate Action Corps and Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday led them in their work. Gov. Gavin Newsom, alongside his son Dutch, pulls on an old irrigation line as part of the cleanup during the Earth Day celebration at Soil Born Farms on Saturday in Rancho Cordova. The event was hosted by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and California Volunteers. As the Newsoms and other volunteers lined up and headed out for duty, they had a fairly close encounter with a rattlesnake. Fortunately, Soil Born Farms had warned the group this could happen and had designated groundskeeper Gary Hare as snake wrangler for the day. There was too much commotion, Hare said, and he wanted to leave. I just coaxed him. Hare kept watch over the snake, which lay nestled in the shade of a mugwort, about 30 feet from the one Huerta was pruning. campus voter registration booth Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images When Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly in early April to flip Wisconsin's highest judicial body to its first liberal majority in a decade in a half, her path to victory wound conspicuously through the state's prized system of college campuses. Protasiewicz's double-digit margin was "unlike anything that's ever been seen in a spring election in terms of turnout on college campuses," campus voting access organizer Teddy Landis told Wisconsin Public Radio. Data provided to The Washington Post by Landis' "Project 72 WI" voting outreach group showed voting rates in University of Wisconsin campus precincts at levels "near November's midterms," with Democrats in particular "able to increase their vote share from the 2022 gubernatorial race." While the much-sought-after "youth" bloc has traditionally been a fickle one to motivate into the nearest voting booth, the Wisconsin Supreme Court race showed fairly decisively that, when motivated and given the resources to act, younger voters can indeed have a decisive impact on elections. Unsurprisingly, then, that capacity for decisive impact has not gone unnoticed by Democrats hoping to lock in a key demographic, nor by Republicans worried by the bloc's broadly leftward lean. To that end, conservatives have increasingly begun looking to college campuses like those that powered Protasiewicz's victory as their next target in a broader partisan fight over voting access. 'They just have to roll out of bed' At a recent Republican National Committee donor retreat in Nashville, Tennessee, longtime right-wing attorney and activist Cleta Mitchell had a problem. "What are these college campus locations?" Mitchell, an adviser to former President Donald Trump, asked attendees during a presentation dubbed "A Level Playing Field for 2024," audio from which was obtained by The Washington Post. "What is this young people effort that they do?" she continued in a speech that, according to the Post, focused in particular on several states with large public university systems. "They basically put the polling place next to the student dorm so they just have to roll out of bed and then just go back to bed." The presentation also allegedly lashed out against states that allow students to pre-register to vote ahead of their 18th birthday. Story continues After the Wisconsin State Supreme Court flipped, radio host Dan O'Donnell wrote a lengthy post-mortem for the conservative MacIver Institute think tank diagnosing the state GOP's condition. He noted that "Republican vote erosion might be survivable in statewide elections if it didn't coincide with an absolute explosion in Democrat turnout in Dane County," the site of the University of Wisconsin's main Madison campus. "The dramatic increase in the use of mail-in and absentee voting in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed for far greater numbers of college students to more easily cast their ballots," he continued. "With Democrats' and liberal special interest groups' huge cash haul, they were able to hire a veritable army of get-out-the-vote activists to canvass dorms and apartments scrounging up every last student they could find and bring them to early voting locations." While the conservative focus on campus voting isn't, in and of itself, a wholly new phenomenon, the sting of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election comes amid a renewed push to limit post-secondary specific election infrastructure around the country in Texas, a bill to close all campus polling places is currently working its way through the state legislature. In Idaho last month, Republican Gov. Brad Little signed into law a new measure that removed student IDs from the list of approved voter identification forms, prompting a lawsuit from the youth advocacy group March For Our Lives, which claimed, among other things, that "the number of 18- and 19-year-olds registered to vote in Idaho increased 81 percent between 2018 and 2022, the largest such increase nationwide by far." And in New Hampshire, Republicans this year tried and ultimately failed to bar out-of-state college students from voting in the state entirely. Although the broader Republican effort to tighten restrictions on college-age voters has so far been uneven from state to state, "there is a lot more energy on this issue than we've seen in the past," Voting Rights Lab researcher Liz Avore told Bloomberg earlier this month. Speaking recently with Fox News' Laura Ingraham, longtime GOP strategist and Trump administration official Kellyanne Conway framed the focus as part of a broader concern that younger voters "think differently on abortion, perhaps, or guns, or climate change" than the general Republican platform. "The left becomes a turnout machine with young people," she added, an acknowledgment that Democrats are poised to best capitalize on this progressive trend. In the wake of Protasiewicz's Supreme Court victory, former Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was even more explicit in linking college voting with GOP losses, tweeting that "years of radical indoctrination on campus, in school, with social media, and throughout culture" are the reason "younger voters are the issue" for conservatives, while specifically calling out Dane County and its University of Wisconsin at Madison campus as a major factor in the recent election. 'There is a subtle but real bigotry' Democrats seem well aware of the renewed focus on college-related voting restrictions, with Democratic election attorney and voting rights activist Mark Elias telling the Post to "imagine if in every place in [Cleta Mitchell's GOP donor] presentation where she references campuses, she talked about African Americans. Or every place she says students, she instead talked about Latinos." "There is a subtle but real bigotry that goes on when people target young voters because of their age," he added. In some states, lawmakers have begun strengthening campus-related voting regulations. Last year, New York's Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed a measure mandating at least one polling place at any campus with 300 or more registered voters, legislation aimed at stopping "practices designed to suppress student voting, including situating polling in locations that are difficult to access and dividing campuses into multiple districts," according to Bard College Executive Vice President Jonathan Becker. Both California and Maryland have similar rules on the books. New York's new law "lifted a massive barrier," Cornell University student and voting rights organizer Patrick Mehler told the Pew Charitable Trusts' Stateline. "We're setting them up to vote for the rest of their lives." In 2012, a Tufts University study determined that campus voting suppression often comes in the form of "non-statutory" barriers that is, ones indirectly related to a specific law or ordinance in which "officials can facilitate voting, for instance, by placing easy-to-use voting machines in many convenient locations." "Or," the study continued, "they can deliberately or inadvertently create obstacles to voting." As the past several election cycles have shown, when those barriers both statutory and otherwise are overcome, college students can and do play a significant role in determining their own political representation on both a state and national level. The more those electoral muscles are flexed on campuses nationwide, the more both Democrats and Republicans will focus on capturing and channeling that potent political energy for themselves. You may also like Texas Senate approves bills requiring 10 Commandments in K-12 classrooms, Bible time in school 5 costly cartoons about the Fox News settlement NFL indefinitely suspends three players over gambling Doug Brannon knows the blowback you can get for being a Southern Republican who doesnt embrace the Confederate flag. In the wake of the 2015 shooting at a historic Black church that killed nine people, including a state senator, Brannon, a state representative at the time, introduced the bill that would ultimately remove the Confederate flag from a monument at the South Carolina State House. The measure passed in both legislative chambers and was quickly signed into law by then-Gov. Nikki Haley. While the move launched talk that Haley might one day run for president, Republicans like Brannon from hardcore conservative areas who backed the bill took a hit. Brannon was the first legislative Republican to join Democrats in calling to remove the flag. A year later, Brannon was primaried out of office. In that same election, Wendy Nanney, a Republican from a less conservative neighboring district who voted against the measure, lost her seat a sign the flag would continue to divide South Carolinians. She lost because she voted to leave the flag. I got beat because I voted to take it down, said Brannon, an attorney from Spartanburg, South Carolina, the anchor city in a county where Trump won the 2016 primary and general election handily. If Brannons fate revealed how ultra-conservative white Southerners feel about the Confederate flag, then it makes sense why Haley, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, isnt making this aspect of her biography front and center to voters. The flag isnt mentioned anywhere under Haleys record of results on her campaign website. And its not included in the stump speech that Haley delivers to audiences of primary voters in early voting states. In recent speeches reviewed by HuffPost, Haley mostly sticks to touting stricter voter ID laws and the economic development she oversaw as governor that made South Carolina what she calls the beast of the Southeast. When she gets into race issues, its to argue the country isnt racist because voters elected her as the first woman of color to lead South Carolina. Story continues The one thing that bothers me the most is the national self-loathing thats taken over our country. The idea that Americas rotten or that its bad or that its racist, Haley, an Indian-American, told a crowd in Lexington, South Carolina, this month, standing in front of a gigantic American flag and neat line of hay bales. America is not racist. America is blessed. Her campaign did not answer questions about why the flag isnt included in her stump speech. Haley has, however, answered questions about it as a presidential candidate. She told conservative writer Bari Weiss just after her campaign launch that people in South Carolina were split on whether the flag raised at the capitol in 1962 to protest the civil rights movement was a symbol of racial hatred or Southern pride. My job as their governor was not to judge either side. My job was to show them that theres a better path forward, Haley said. My job as their governor was not to judge either side. My job was to show them that theres a better path forward.Nikki Haley, in 2023, on removing the Confederate flag Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump ally who has not endorsed yet in the 2024 primary, said Haley should be happy with how she handled that time. It showed political smarts and courage, he told HuffPost. But Haley clearly has a delicate balance to strike in a presidential primary against Trump and a GOP base that includes many white extremists. She feels pinched, obviously, by Trumps base, specifically the white nationalists and white supremacists, said a GOP consultant from South Carolina, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. Its really a tough intersection for her to talk about anything, and the notion of amazing grace or courage is not really a highly rewarded political feature these days in a GOP primary. In her 2019 book, Haley blames Dylann Roof, the gunman who killed nine Black parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, for hijacking the Confederate banner, giving cover to the weighty segment of white South Carolinians who still see it as a symbol of their heritage. The evil act he had committed had robbed the good-intentioned South Carolinians who support the flag of this symbol of the heritage of service, Haley wrote. He had encouraged everyones worst stereotype for our state. Clearly, something had to be done. But at the same time, I worried that allowing the killer to define what the flag represented for everyone was a surrender. Ross Ward, a Republican who ran for a South Carolina House seat in 2022, told HuffPost at Haleys February campaign launch in Charleston that he was upset with how the flag was talked about during its removal and didnt like how Haley handled it as governor. Youre saying that the Confederacy was racist, and that hurts me on a lot of levels, he said. Could we have changed it at some point? Perhaps. I know it offends some people, and I dont want to hurt people on that level. However, that is history, and we cant erase history. Greg Perry, the former chairman of the Charleston Democratic Party and only the second person of color to ever lead that group, told HuffPost he was worshipping at a nearby church when he learned of the shooting at Mother Emanuel. At another church service that Sunday, my eyes filled with water out of fear that someone with hatred in their heart, because of the color of my skin, could just come in and take my life, he said. That fear has never left me. Nikki Haley doesn't talk much now about signing the law that removed the Confederate banner from the South Carolina State House in 2015. Nikki Haley doesn't talk much now about signing the law that removed the Confederate banner from the South Carolina State House in 2015. Much of the flag saga had predated Haleys time in office. By the time Haley became governor in 2011, the Confederate flag had been flying at the capitol for 50 years. In 2000, lawmakers reached an agreement to move it from its prominent spot on the state house dome to a ground-level monument for Confederate soldiers. The flag had the backing of white religion, white business people and white women, and it lost the support of all of those people in the 1990s, said Thomas Brown, a professor at the University of South Carolina and the author of a book on Confederate monuments who cited the NCAAs prominent boycott of the state over the flag. Running for governor, Haley vowed not to reignite the flag issue, which lawmakers had agreed to stop discussing after the monument compromise. But the 2015 murder of state Sen. Clementa Pinckney and eight others in Charleston gave the debate new immediacy. Haley was getting squeezed to take action. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, called for the Confederate banner to come down. Not long after the shooting, Haley added her voice to those calls. Tyler Jones, a consultant who served as the political director for the House Democratic legislative caucus when the flag fell, described it as the bow on the top of [Haleys] career... A lot of us in South Carolina when that happened looked at each other and said she could be president now. This was a very historic move, and it could position her perfectly in a general election. But as were seeing now, she doesnt want to talk about it in this primary. That Haleys decision on the flag boosted her profile within her own party then speaks to how much the GOP later changed under Trump. Whereas in 2015, Haley was celebrated for working with Democrats and demonstrating a moderate backbone, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is currently second behind Trump in a hypothetical primary matchup because he steamrolled opponents to make Florida the epicenter of the nations culture wars. Haley, meanwhile, is polling in single digits very early in the race, and is tied with DeSantis in South Carolina. Things have gotten worse, and its the rhetoric used in politics now, said former South Carolina state Rep. Gary Clary, the first Republican to sign onto Brannons bill to remove the flag. Clary doubts whether Republican lawmakers would act as decisively on the flag today. Youve got plenty of angry people walking around, and some of them are serving in elected positions. Other Republicans told HuffPost that Haley doesnt deserve nearly as much credit as shes gotten for the flag coming down, and that the real courageous actors were Republicans from very conservative areas who ended their careers to get it done. Im thankful that she has kinda backed off, because there was a time when Nikki said, The flag came down. Look what I did. That flag is gone. Nikki didnt do that, said Brannon, who does not intend to back Haley in the presidential primary. I believe there are absolute truths. The sky is blue. You cant tell me that its any other color but blue, he said. There was a time when Nikki stood up and said never Trump and then became one of his biggest supporters. In my opinion ... Nikki might tell you the sky is not blue. Related... File image Nine teenagers were hurt in a shooting at an after-prom party in Texas. Authorities in Jasper County are currently searching for persons of interest in the shooting early Sunday morning. Police officers responded to reports of gunfire at a home north of Jasper just after midnight. They arrived to find nine victims with gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening, the Jasper County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 19 years old. Most of the wounded were rushed to Jasper Memorial Hospital by ambulance. Some were later transferred to Christus St Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont. Few details are known about the shooting, including who is responsible and what triggered the gunfire, as the investigation is still in its early stages. We are working leads and questioning people of interest, a spokesperson for the sheriffs office said. The party was reportedly attended by students of Jasper High School, which held its prom earlier in the night. Jasper Independent School District Superintendent John Seybold said there was no incident at the prom itself, and that most students had left by 9pm, according to KJAS. The shooting came a week after four people were killed and 32 others injured in a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama. Six suspects are facing charges for that attack. At some point in your spring-cleaning process, youll likely want to deep clean specific areas of the house, and youll need the proper cleaning supplies to do so. Scrubbing down all your appliances, counters and furniture is an important step in spring-cleaning. Sometimes it's tiresome choosing which cleaning products are safest and most efficient for each room in your home. There are many brands and chemicals to choose from, and it seems there are always new ones making their way onto shelves. Some contain toxic chemicals you dont want lingering in your home. SPRING CLEANING FOR FORGOTTEN SPACES: TIPS FOR TIDYING UP UNCONVENTIONAL SPOTS AT HOME A good starting point is to choose eco-friendly, safe products or to make cleaners from ingredients you have in your home. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP There are many different cleaning products on the market, some more toxic than others. Did you know that you can make your own all-purpose cleaner and disinfectant with just a few household ingredients? For a DIY all-purpose cleaner, mix cup of vinegar with cup of baking soda into gallon of water. For the disinfectant, youll need to combine two teaspoons of borax, four tablespoons of vinegar and three cups of hot water. You can also combine one part hydrogen peroxide with two parts water into a spray bottle for moldy areas, according to Fox News Digital. Leave it on for just one hour and rinse the spot. This is great for mold found in your bathroom. SPRING CLEANING: HOW TO ORGANIZE THE BACKYARD For hard to remove carpet stains, try combining equal parts of white vinegar and water into a spray bottle, according to Fox News Digital. Then, spray the mixture onto your stain and let it sit for a few minutes. Take a sponge with warm soapy water and scrub out the stain. If you don't want to purchase cleaning products, you can make your own at home. You can also make your own furniture polish with a few drops of lemon oil and cup of warm water, according to Fox News Digital. While numerous brands preach eco-friendly, sometimes they're not truly green products. When looking for non-toxic cleaning brands, look out for how transparent they are about their ingredients. Typically, green brands will be upfront about their ingredients. Story continues Also look for products that contain plant-based ingredients, making sure they avoid animal testing and animal ingredients and are cruelty-free. When looking for non-toxic supplies to use to clean your home, look at all the ingredients that are in the product. Brand Basics is a true green brand that sells plant and mineral-based products. It has a concentrate that can be mixed with water to be used for cleaning. Another commonly known green brand is Seventh Generation. This company was founded in 1988 in Burlington, Vermont. It sells a variety of cleaning products, including laundry detergent, dish soap, all-purpose cleaner, disinfecting wipes, glass cleaner and more. Better Life, a company started in 2008 by Tim Barklage and Kevin Tibbs, sells products that are cruelty-free and never tested on animals, according to its site. It offers plant and mineral-based products that are naturally scented and also contain biodegradable ingredients. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER The Austin-based company Puracy had a goal "to make effective, plant-based cleaning and personal care products that were gentle enough to use around their newborn daughters," according to the companys website. Some eco-friendly brands are Brand Basics, Seventh Generation and Better Life. All of these brands sell a large variety of different cleaning products. It offers a list of cleaning products, soap and pet products. Other popular eco-friendly brands include Mrs. Meyers, Method and Blueland. Whether churched, a non-believer, or somewhere in between, faith functions in all of our lives, all the time. TheGrios new series explores the power of faith across belief systems. Notes on Faith is theGrios inspirational, interdenominational series featuring Black thought leaders across faiths. Are you sure you want me there? Im a heathen! I giggled as a good friend invited me to an Easter gathering of Black theologians several years ago. As a Catholic schoolgirl turned spiritual but not religious adult, I was only half-joking. While heathen was a gross mischaracterization, the dogma of my early upbringing still hummed in my subconscious. I could practically hear the nuns of my youth warning me that when it comes to faith, religion was requisite and youre therefore either in, or youre out. Having decided in adolescence that the often absolutist teachings of the Roman Catholic religion no longer rang true for me, I had rejected it which, by some standards, definitely meant I was out. Unwilling to abandon my belief in God (and a spiritual rebel, if you will), I sought to develop a belief system that wasnt God-fearing but unconditionally loving, one in which I wasnt required or even expected to live in Gods image to receive Gods grace. Because heathens need love too. Dont they? Photo: AdobeStock As it turns out, we heathens also need faith. In fact, we already have it. As Christians know, Hebrews 11:1-6 (of the New King James Version) tells us, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. While I may never return to organized religion, my own spiritual journey which, to date, has included explorations of Hinduism, Buddhism, and beyond has taught me faith isnt just for believers. Every day, we step out on faith, whether its cultivating a belief in something larger than ourselves, the belief, amid difficulty, that things will somehow turn out alright, or simply the unconscious belief that we will take the next breath or make it to the next destination. Story continues Life is inherently uncertain; at its core, faith is having the confidence to move forward despite that uncertainty. In this way, it is both universal and infinite; the countless choices and gestures made daily in the belief that each of us belongs here, even if our purpose remains unclear. While some may find their faith supported by a book, a set of guidelines, or a like-minded community, as evidenced by each and every breath we take, the only demonstration faith requires is that we keep going. That essential and universal definition of faith is the genesis (pun intended) of theGrios new series, Notes on Faith. In an era where the more fundamentalist among us seem intent on drawing us further from common ground, this weekly series of essays, articles, and revelations from thought leaders across faith traditions is intended to remind us that faith is not proprietary. There is no prerequisite or qualification to deem us worthy of grace. Faith is accessible to all of us, all the time, should we need it. For those wondering, yes, this heathen did join that gathering of the righteous and churched on one of the high holy holidays, and several of those theologians will be joining us for this series. To date, it remains one of the most joyous holiday celebrations of my life; not because I emerged newly convinced of the power of religion but because I felt unconditionally held, accepted, and loved, even as I stood firm in my own version of God. Frankly, I cant think of a better demonstration of faith; to accept each other as we are, always seeking to see the good without seeking to indict or change what we dont agree with or understand. Because our faith is enough. Maiysha Kai is theGrios lifestyle editor, covering all things Black and beautiful. Her work is informed by two decades of experience in fashion and entertainment, great books, and the brilliance of Black culture. She is also the editor-author of Body: Words of Change series. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrios Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to Writing Black with Maiysha Kai. The post Notes on faith: What, to the heathen, is faith? appeared first on TheGrio. Oleksiy Danilov "When the goal of the Russian aggressor remains unchanged the destruction of Ukraine the initiatives for a peaceful settlement that have been voiced recently are nothing more than pro-Russian peacekeeping," Danilov wrote on Facebook on April 23. Read also: Ukraine to change strategy for liberation of Crimea, announces Danilov "Stop bringing us to the negotiating table all the time and give us enough weapons. Weapons are the best mediator and the only argument for communication that Russia understands. Read also: Will Putin dare put nukes in Belarus? Danilov explains U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, said on April 21 that any peace negotiations on the Russian invasion in Ukraine should be carried out only on Ukraines terms. In contrast, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto commented on April 22 that China could act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia. Commenting on Crosettos words, Ukrainain presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak stated that giving up any part of the Ukrainian territory to Russia would mean death for Ukrainians trapped in occupied territory. 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 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Sunday argued Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) not Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is calling the shots in the Republican caucus. Speaker McCarthy, in order to become Speaker, had to cut some deals we still dont know the details on. Do you think hes actually running his caucus? Or do you think someone else is? host Jen Psaki asked Ocasio-Cortez on MSNBCs Inside with Jen Psaki. Hes not, Ocasio-Cortez said. Pressed on who she does think is running the show, she added, I think youve got Marjorie Taylor Greene running the caucus. Greene makes very common public statements to that effect, Ocasio-Cortez said. Every time something irks her, she communicates that McCarthy is doing her bidding. And and I think that this is something that is quite clear. I think that Speaker McCarthy is stuck between having to please the most racist and heinous elements of his party with having to maintain a majority. And he is choosing to side with the extremists. McCarthy won the Speakership earlier this year after several days and 15 rounds of voting. He reportedly made concessions to conservative holdouts in order to get the votes he needed to take the top House slot. Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday also said shes not sure McCarthy will have the votes to pass his debt limit proposal. And I think that thats actually the political situation that were in right now, is that hes, kind of, brought up himself up a creek without a paddle, the New York congresswoman said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Oklahoma County jail in Oklahoma City., Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. An inmate at the Oklahoma County jail died Saturday, the second death at the facility in two days. About 8:40 p.m., a detention officer conducting sight checks on a pod was notified that the inmate, Frank Ramirez, 37, was in distress, the jail said in a news release. Jail officials said the detention officer opened the cell door, called for medical staff and immediately began life-saving measures. More: Undercover drug operations should be ongoing at Oklahoma County jail, District attorney says EMSA and Oklahoma City Fire Department personnel arrived and continued life-saving measures. EMSA transported Ramirez to a hospital, where he was declared dead at about 9:43 p.m. Ramirez was booked into the jail on Aug. 20, 2021. In March, he pleaded guilty in Oklahoma County District Court to charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The state medical examiners office will make a final determination as to the cause of death. More: After scathing grand jury report, interim OK County jail CEO says changes are being made Ramirezs death is the fifth at the jail this year, and the second in two days. On Friday, Courtenay Jean Doyle, 37, was taken to a hospital after being found unresponsive in her cell during sight checks about 6 a.m., the jail said in a news release. She was declared deceased at 7:16 a.m. Doyle was jailed March 13 after police reported finding methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Bethany. She was charged in Oklahoma County District Court with drug trafficking and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail was set at $25,000. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma County jail reports Saturday inmate death Alejandro Valle and Alicia Guerrero, parents of Briana Valle, arrive for the sentencing of Erick Maya on Monday at Will County Courthouse in Joliet. Maya was given 122 years in the murder of Briana and the attempted murder of Guerrero. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune) A Cicero man was sentenced to 122 years in prison Monday for the murder of his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend and the attempted murder of her mother with a handgun outside their Romeoville home in February. Will County Judge Robert Livas sentenced Erick Maya to 72 years for the murder, 39 years for the attempted murder and 11 years for unlawful use of a weapon, with the sentences to be served consecutively. Maya, 24, was convicted in September. Advertisement Maya shot Briana Valle and her mother, Alicia Guerrero, on Feb. 13 as they sat in a car outside their home on their way to Romeoville High School, where Briana was a student. In an emotional sentencing hearing, Livas who said the trial would be his last before retirement sounded off on Maya and the brutality of the crime before levying a sentence that will keep him incarcerated for the rest of his life. Advertisement Real justice, Livas said, "would be putting him and Briana's father in a room together." "If you show no mercy," he said, "expect none." Prosecutors said Maya acted out of anger because his relationship with the girl had ended and because Guerrero tried to keep him from Briana. A Tribune investigation conducted after Briana's killing revealed a series of clerical errors and faulty addresses that may have led to nearly a dozen failed attempts by Cook and Will County authorities to serve Maya with orders of protection that Guerrero had been granted. Briana met Maya through Facebook in 2012 when she was 13, and ran away from her family's Chicago home to be with him. When her daughter was found, Guerrero turned to police and sought orders of protection against Maya and eventually moved her family to Romeoville. Guerrero wept Monday as she recounted everything she tried to do to keep Maya from her daughter. Guerrero said she and Briana had become much closer since moving to Romeoville in late 2013, and that the teen was excited to spend Valentine's Day with her new boyfriend. Briana died from her wounds Feb. 17. Guerrero said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as lingering pain and nerve damage from getting shot in the shoulder. Advertisement "My life feels like it's stopped," Guerrero said. "I'm lost without her." A statement by Alejandro Valle, Briana's father, was read in court as Valle wept. "People tell me everything's going to be OK, but no one knows the pain I'm feeling," his statement said. Maya spoke during the hearing, saying he was targeted over other suspects because of his relationship with Briana. Prosecutors told jurors a "fictional story," he said. Maya said that his clothing that day did not match what witnesses said the gunman was wearing, and that his hands and clothing did not contain gunshot residue when he was apprehended shortly after the shooting. Livas called Maya's statement "rather amusing." Advertisement "Mr. Maya believes he's so good at conning teenage girls that he could do it here," the judge said. During Maya's trial, Guerrero testified that two months before the shooting Briana told her Maya had texted a friend of hers, threatening to harm Briana and her family. A friend of Maya's testified that a gun found near the crime scene was one he had given Maya days earlier. During closing arguments, Will County Assistant State's Attorney Chris Koch recalled other text messages in which Maya told Briana the two would be together forever. "We will never break up. Never," Koch read from one of the texts. "I can't leave you and you can't leave me." Livas acknowledged to Briana's family that it was no consolation "to sit up here and say, 'You did everything right and your daughter is dead.' Advertisement "You're not living, you're existing," he said. "You're walking through numb." Maya set out to destroy not just the target of his obsession but Briana's family as well, Livas said. He exhorted the girl's family to "live in her memory." "I think she deserves that," he said. geoffz@tribune.com Twitter @JournoGeoffZ President Joe Biden, right, is escorted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine as he visits Kyiv, Ukraineis embattled capital, on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (Daniel Berehulak /The New York Times) PLANTATION, Fla. Over the last three decades, Americans have chosen presidents who felt their pain and channeled their anger, who shattered historical barriers or seemed like enjoyable beer-drinking companions. But if voters often desire leaders who reflect themselves and their struggles, President Joe Bidens potential bid for a second term, which he would conclude at the age of 86, is prompting exceptionally complicated feelings among one highly engaged constituency: his generational peers. Three years after older voters helped propel Biden to the Democratic presidential nomination, embracing his deep experience and perceived general election appeal, his age is his biggest political liability as he moves toward another presidential run, which he could announce as soon as Tuesday. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times It is a source of mockery and sometimes misinformation on the right although the now-indicted Donald Trump, the Republican presidential poll leader who faces a morass of legal troubles, is just a few years younger and one of widespread anxiety among Democrats. The issue is particularly personal, however, for older voters who are inclined to like Biden, but often view his age through the prism of their own experiences. They are aging. He is aging. They are not the president of the United States. In interviews with about three dozen voters, political veterans and prominent Americans between 67 and 98 years old, broaching Bidens age prompted not only electoral analysis, but also wide-ranging discussions of their own abilities and adjustments to their lives. Some bluntly wrestled with questions of mortality, and others veered into grandparent mode, admonishing the president to take care of himself. Im 72 and Im a young whippersnapper here in The Villages, said Diane Foley, president of The Villages Democratic Club at the Republican-tilted mega-retirement community in Florida, who encouraged Biden to run again. There are incredibly energetic, active people well into their 80s, and some 90s. Story continues One has to know ones limitations, advised Dr. Ruth Westheimer, 94, the famed sex therapist. She keeps busy these days with a project on the grandparent-grandchild relationship but prefers to take meetings from home. I would say the president should run again, but he should also not run up to a podium, she added. I dont want him to fall. And former Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, who at 92 has a dark sense of humor about his future at my age, I dont buy green bananas signaled that he would support a Biden run. But he is eager for a new generation of leaders. Maybe Im feeling so strongly because Im leaving relatively soon and I want to see whats going to follow, Rangel said in an interview. I truly believe that we should have more candidates, more than two old white men. Party leaders overwhelmingly plan to support Biden if he runs. But recent polling has shown that while many Democratic voters rate him favorably, they also have reservations about another bid. An Associated Press/NORC poll released Friday found that poll respondents were concerned about his age. Other surveys found that older Democratic voters were more likely to favor another Biden run than younger Democrats, even as roughly 30% to 50% of Democrats over 60 preferred that he step aside. 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, a 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, Florida. 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 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 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. Nursing a canasta defeat nearby, Jacque Deuser, 67, said the way Biden sometimes walked reminded her of her late husband, who had dementia. It kind of looks like hes going to fall down, said Deuser, who voted for Trump in 2016, backed Biden in 2020 and is inclined to support him again if Trump or Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida wins the Republican nomination. Bidens doctor recently reported that he was a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old fit to serve, while acknowledging that Biden had a stiffened gait, citing factors including arthritis. But the doctor said there were no findings consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder. Biden works out at least five days a week and does not drink or smoke, and his recent travel, including a covert trip to Ukraine, impressed some of his peers. I dont know if I could have been on my feet going to Ukraine and taking a 10-hour train ride, said Peggy Grove, 80, vice chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. But his public appearances have been uneven. While Biden has long been gaffe-prone, he has made several striking misstatements as president, and he can sound halting. Moments like a stumble on a stairway or a fall off a bike have attracted attention. I enjoyed working with him. I watch him from a distance now and I get concerned, said former Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, a 76-year-old self-described not a Trumpian Republican. Hes lost a little of his sharpness. The White House did not directly respond to Gregg. Several voters said Bidens running mate would be important and many Democrats have privately expressed concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris. But while health is unpredictable, some aging experts have said there are signs Biden could be a superager. Dr. John W. Rowe, a former president of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics and a professor of health policy and aging at Columbia, said superagers tend to live more of their lives without functional impairment. Rowe also said age could bring unexpected benefits. Older people, he said, are often better at resolving disputes, and are less likely to do something imprudent. If you have, on the one hand, a superager, with no obvious evidence of something bad happening right now, and they bring along these other characteristics, I would feel pretty comfortable for the next four years, he said, adding that he did not know Biden. Rowe, 78, a former head of Aetna, said he, too, had encountered occasional questions about retirement. I do not feel that Im functioning any less well than I was a couple years ago, he said. He stressed that unlike 30-year-olds, older people vary greatly in their abilities. Some Democrats pointed to the differences in aging between Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Reagan, who announced in 1994 that he had Alzheimers disease and died a decade later at 93, long faced questions about his cognitive functioning. Carter now in hospice care at 98 remained active until recently. I just try to always look at the individual, factor in age as one of many considerations, said Gloria Steinem, 89, a womens rights activist. For myself, retrieval time is longer, but the choice of what to retrieve is richer. As for Biden, she said, I feel fine about reelecting President Biden, depending on both the alternatives and his health. Biden and his allies stress his legislative accomplishments, including on issues affecting older Americans. Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, said Biden had inherited and helped the country overcome the worst crises in decades, and was now bringing manufacturing back from overseas, rebuilding our infrastructure, empowering Medicare to lower drug prices and standing up for the rights and dignity of every American. He emphasized Bidens experience, judgment and values in office. At a recent gathering of the Broward Democratic Senior Caucus at a pub in Plantation, attendees dismissed concerns about Bidens age. If his head is working, hes fine, Muriel Kirschner, 94, pointedly told a reporter. My head is still working, honey. Patti Lynn, who will turn 80 this year, retired after having a heart attack, deciding it was time to have some fun. But Lynn, whose phone background was a picture of herself with Biden, did not think he should do the same just yet. Does he stumble and forget and have to get his words? I understand that perfectly, she laughed. Been there, done that. Oh well, Im having a senior moment. But hes respected worldwide, he is stable. How do you put him down because he is old? she added. He worked hard to get that old. Me too. I worked hard to get this old. c.2023 The New York Times Company One division of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system has already been deployed to Ukraine, while the rest are on their way. Source: Yurii Ihnat, the spokesperson for the Air Force of Ukraine, on air during the 24/7 national joint newscast Quote: "One of the divisions [working with the Patriot systems ed.] has been deployed a few days ago and is working... Others are already on their way to their future positions. Let's hope that there will be some results, against Ruscists aircraft, in particular." Details: Answering the question whether the Patriot system can shoot down the S-300 missiles that attacked Kharkiv on 22 April, Ihnat said that the Patriot can shoot down these missiles, but that the Russians have a lot of them. "It's not that it's expensive [to shoot down S-300 missiles with Patriots ed.], it's that there are a lot of them. There were 6,000-7,000 S-300 missiles a few months ago. It would be more rational to destroy them on the ground... We need to understand how many Patriot missiles we will have and how many S-300 missiles they will have. They will launch them like Shahed kamikaze drones, wearing out our air defence," Ihnat said. Background: On 21 April, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, inspected the combat positions of the Patriot system on one of the fronts. He noted that the Patriot launcher is already on combat duty in Ukraine's air defence system. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The innovative construction of one of the United Kingdom's most booked Airbnbs apparently took just 10 days to complete. Architect Roderick James, 75, and his interior designer wife, Amanda Markham, designed and built the AirShip 002 in 2018, the British news agency SWNS reported. The "remote, cozy, compact, aluminum-capsule structure" looks like a futuristic air ship. It features floor-to-ceiling breathtaking Scottish Highland views, according to the same source. 3-D PRINTED TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD IS GOING UP AS HOMES START IN MID-$400,000 RANGE: TREMENDOUS INTEREST The 165 per night accommodation about $205 U.S. dollars in Drimnin, Scotland, was the most wish-listed Airbnb rental in the U.K. in 2020, SWNS reported. It is booked over a year in advance. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The couple built the project part of their company Out of the Blue Ltd. at a cost of 100K (or about $124,000 in U.S. dollars). Yet reportedly it's already made its money back ever since its creation five years ago. The couple behind the Airbnb live nearby in another house that they designed themselves called Eagle Rock. Roderick told SWNS, "We designed the AirShip 002 just for fun at first. But then a perfect plot [of land] came up and we decided to build on it. At first, we weren't intending to [rent] it [out]. We just thought it would be an ideal location but then it became incredibly popular." FOR KING CHARLES' CORONATION, WORLD'S LONGEST SERVING BRASS BAND PLAYER, 95, CAN TOOT HIS OWN HORN He added, "It was a brand-new design [that] had never been done before. We wanted to build something that could be built anywhere and any part of the structure can be carried by two people." He also said, "It has over 3,000 components, which were computer-laser-cut in the factory, which took three to four months. But then the actual structure went up in 10 days on site. In future, all housing will become increasingly modular." Story continues Roderick also told SWNS, "The structure has everything you could need. It can even be off-grid with a compost toilet and rainwater can be collected from the roof and stored under the floor panels." He said that the dragonfly window "breaks up the view in such an extraordinary way. Everyone who stays here wishes they could stay for longer. It really is a special place." Following the success of the AirShip, the couple now have begun two other tiny house projects that people can rent on Airbnb. The Pilot House PH5, an aluminum structure with 360-degree views, was completed after just six months of building in September 2020, said SWNS. SMART HOME IMPROVEMENT TIPS CAN HELP YOU SPEND ALL FOUR SEASONS OUTDOORS This was followed by the creation of The Captain's Cabin in January 2021. This stay even comes with the gift of a novel, "The Captain's Cabin" by Alexander McCall Smith. All profits from the book, published by Roderick and Amanda's company Out of The Blue, go directly to the "transformational" charity Jamies Farm, which hosts disadvantaged children for residential farm stays. The PilotHouse and the Captain's Cabin each display unique, intriguing features. The PilotHouse PH5 is a one-bed, two-story aluminum structure with a spiral staircase. It has an unusual corrugated aluminum wall finish, and its sheet aluminum exterior walls have a resonance of a submarine, "Conning Tower." HEARD OF A TINY HOUSE? MEET THE MICRO RV The latest and smallest project, the Captain's Cabin, sits on the large balcony deck on the roof of an old chapel building; it's on the same site as the other projects and is also proving very popular, SWNS reported. While the exterior is similarly clad in corrugated aluminum, the interior is more textural and cozy with reused timber and a nautical theme featuring artifacts from the book. All of the couple's quirky builds feature stunning views and fresh spring water, but their unique shape is the reason for their success, said Roderick. "One of the key things we work on, even in our own house, is that they're all based on elliptical, oval shapes," he said. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER "We have discovered that people feel very comfortable in these plan shapes," he also told SWNS. "There are no sharp corners and as a result people feel very secure. The views add an enormous amount, too." He added, "If you have a very small space but a big view, it works very well." Bucha First published in the April 2023 edition of NV Magazine "How do Ukrainians withstand all of it?" foreign journalists always ask me in every interview. And every time, I try to explain what it means to start each day as if it is the last one. When you don't know whether the missiles will come, whether there will be light, what news from the front will come from loved ones. Will there be work and housing for those driven out of their homes because of the war? Read also: Number of victims in Izyum may be many times higher than in Bucha, says commissioner I am talking about the bombed-out houses in Kyiv and Dnipro, where only the contused dogs stayed behind in the ruins. About entire families mom, dad, kid who didn't wake up after another Russian attack. About children who are learning to walk with prostheses. About volunteers who convince old women to leave Bakhmut, who hear: "Leave us to die at home" in response. Trying to explain what it's like to live in a war. However, Im not sure that it can be explained. You can only feel it. In Ukraine, we ask and answer differently. It is much more concise. "How are you?" It used to be just a question to start a conversation a question that did not necessarily need an answer. A formality. For more than a year, this question has recovered its original meaning. We ask it to each other to care. And we want and need to hear the answer. Sometimes you want to ask, "How are you?" to the person you see in the mirror. Sometimes you don't want to look. Sometimes I want to hug them. This is a kind of "closet from Borodyanka" effect. Keeping up means Im alright "How are you?" This is the central question of the All-Ukrainian mental health program. Everything starts with it. The answers will follow -good and bad, complex and simple, scary and inspiring. "How are you?" is the starting point. It was difficult for me to answer myself. Ok, it wasn't difficult to answer it was difficult to answer honestly. Story continues "How are you?" "I'm ok" if everyone is alive and well. This is a kind of "closet from Borodyanka" effect. Keeping up means Im alright. Going too far into it feels wrong because everyone is in the same situation. It is a sin to complain. It is better to hold on. Trouble with sleep? Youll sleep after the war! No strength to work? Pull yourself together, lazybones. Think about those on the front. They don't whine!" Hands shaking, palms sweating, can't concentrate on simple tasks Take a sedative from the pharmacy. Well get through it somehow! We tell ourselves these things every day, right? Human recovery Endurance is our armor. But it is unreliable. Psychologists have more to say about this. Behind our courageous "I'm ok," many things are far from ok. According to survey results, over 90% of Ukrainians report feeling at least one symptom of an anxiety disorder during the Russian invasion. Just imagine: these are 9 out of 10 people on the metro, in the office, at the store, in the trenches. Read also: UOC-MP priests assault soldier, 1 year since Bucha freed, exclusive w/Zhytomyr Mayor Externally they are mature, balanced, brave people. But, inside, they are wounded and need help. At the same time, a third of Ukrainians tend to downplay their mental problems: saying, its not a priority during the war. This is "the sin of complaining." 66% would probably go somewhere for help, but don't know where to start. It is clear where to go with conventional medicine. However, in our country, psychological treatment (especially psychiatry) is still often associated with Soviet psychiatric dispensaries and the forced and often inhumane treatment of violent patients rather than with convenient medical services. It is imperative to realize: Yes, Ukraine is today a symbol of courage and determination. But, at the same time, Ukrainian heroism is the heroism of people who feel everything keenly, taking everything to heart. So, they are morally exhausted. Read also: Israeli foreign minister visits Bucha, Hostomel and Babi Yar Therefore, whenever we talk about the country's recovery, we should start not only with the economy and the buildings but, first and foremost, with the recovery of the people. There will be no economic breakthroughs without people or with extremely exhausted people. It is the same cliche, but a thousand times correct A country is its people." It is also necessary to start this recovery immediately. Mental health and the strength to live cannot be postponed until after victory. It is actually a part of the victory. The mission of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program is to make psychological care as accessible and available as general medical care. In fact, the goal is for everyone who works face-to-face with others no matter who they work for should learn psychosocial care skills. This knowledge is being acquired not only by doctors, police officers, or first responders, but also employees of call centers, banks, supermarkets, and railways. Large corporations are also joining in the effort. About 200 Business Without Barriers community recruits have completed their training and are now sharing their knowledge with 30,000 colleagues. The value of a word is very high, even in a surface-level business conversation. Depending on how those words are used, they can either provide support or worsen trauma. Read also: AP conducts detailed investigation of Russian war crimes in Bucha Another challenge is helping children. In the pilot camp Gen.Camp, psychologists try to treat children who have witnessed what nobody their age should have the death of their loved ones. There are already promising results the participants of the first two cohorts have already started to smile. One member of this group is quite well known, Vlad from Bucha, who brought food to his mother's grave in the yard. Clinicians are taking what they are learning from this program and hope to scale it upwards so that the whole country can benefit. Another example is the Masha Foundation and the Unbreakable Mother project, which help to stabilize the emotional state of women and children affected by war using a special program developed by specialists in psychotherapy and post-traumatic syndromes. In total, there are about 300 international and public organizations and charitable foundations working in Ukraine which provide services in the field of mental health through various means: hotlines, offline and online platforms, individual and group consulting, training for workers in areas with particular psychological stresses, etc. It is difficult to overestimate the role of international experts. Even one of the joint projects with the IsraAID mission team is a significant boost to Ukraines supply of crisis psychologists. And they are already providing help: during the terrible rocket attack on an apartment building in Dnipro on January 14, the specialists of this project were already working with the victims. In the future, Ukrainian mental health specialists may have the world's most extensive knowledge base how to react in war and emergencies. No one in the world has experienced quite what we are experiencing in this century. When you're not ok All Ukrainians must develop self-help skills and make mental health care a daily habit. A separate information campaign dedicated to this topic is also beginning to promote these skills. Read also: Kyiv may face total blackout, Russian forces destroying environment, AP investigates Bucha To understand what this means, we can start with the definition of mental health from the WHO. We can walk through it right now. Are you able to overcome everyday stresses? To realize your potential? To work productively? Do you still have the mental energy to take part in your community? If the answer is yes to all of the points, that's great. If there are no, then you most likely need support. It's okay not to be ok. Saying that it is difficult for you is not a weakness but a responsibility to yourself and your community. The government is gradually taking a leadership role in this topic by making psychosocial support services available and universal. If you feel mental discomfort, if it worsens the quality of your life, contact your family doctor first. Because they are also currently being taught to identify and manage the most common disorders: acute stress response, depression, anxiety, sleep or eating disorders, etc. The focus is on psychological support and psychological assistance to Ukraines defenders. Among other things, rehabilitation at medical institutions increasingly involves multidisciplinary teams. Emotional support for soldiers is essential because after returning from the front, they often feel like strangers, even among their own. Comprehensive psychological rehabilitation is provided at the Center for Mental Health and Rehabilitation of Lisova Polyana of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The solemn "invisible wounds" of war are healed, and the soul is treated along with the body. Experts from all over the world will go to Lisova Polyana to study a unique experience. Read also: Zelenskyy, leaders of four states visit Bucha on anniversary of its liberation A few more examples: The Ministry of Social Policy will create a network of Sustainability Centres in local communities, and the Ministry of Education will focus on developing resilience (stability) at all levels of education, rethinking the functions of school psychologists. There are many practical examples in the regions. The Kharkiv Regional Psychological Service, created by a team of psychologists from Bucha, began its work in March. Mobile brigades go to the communities of the region to the places where people need the so-called post-isolation recovery most. They are developing a training program for specialists and a pilot program for treating the populace better. This model will be scaled to other de-occupied territories. The Lviv region is home to an example of the successful integration of medico-psychosocial services. It focuses on unifying and coordinating all resources: community, partners, volunteers, experts, and businesses. At one location, someone can get help with documents, medical support, social adaptation, advice on work, or placement of a child in a school or kindergarten. Yes, there is still a lot of work ahead. But I am sure: We, Ukrainians, are capable of being stable and purposeful not only in resisting the aggressor, but also in helping each other. And we will walk this path with dignity, as only we can. 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 Gov. Gavin Newsom is advancing the state's agenda on a national stage. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) The first maps that European explorers drew of California showed it as an island. It was fully detached, separated by a wide gulf from the rest of the continental landmass, standing apart from the rest of the New World. This is both one of the most famous cartographic mistakes in history and one of the most telling. Later, ever since California became a state, residents have viewed their land and their politics as a world apart. This was never more true than during the Trump era. When national politics lurched right, the state moved to isolate itself to protect its progressive policies. The day after Donald Trumps election, Californias legislative leaders wrote, Today, we woke up feeling like strangers in a foreign land but called their state a refuge of justice and opportunity, vowing that California will defend its people and our progress. California declared itself a sanctuary state to protect immigrants and enacted a ban on government-funded travel to states with anti-LGBTQ policies. Three recent announcements signal a shift in the Island of Californias approach. First, legislative leader Toni Atkins called to end Californias travel ban , replacing it with an ad campaign promoting acceptance and inclusion in the 23 red-leaning states that had been off limits. Before she moved to California and rose to historic heights becoming the first person in over a century to serve as both speaker of the states Assembly and leader of its Senate Atkins grew up in rural Virginia. Reflecting on her roots, she said she has come to believe that the way to change peoples minds is to have impact and direct contact and to open hearts and minds. Polarization is not working. We need to adjust our strategy. Doubling down on this approach, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a political action committee, seeded with $10 million that he never needed to spend as he cruised to reelection in this blue bastion, that is designed to take the fight to the red states. The idea is to make the case for California values and the progressive policies that put them into action, holding his state up as a counterpoint to the conservative locales that have pushed the nation rightward on abortion, guns and voting restrictions. In the first week after his announcement, Newsom visited Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and the MSNBC studios. Its a counteroffensive in the culture wars, with California leading the charge. Story continues Third, Democratic leaders across the state are taking action since the bans on abortion put in place elsewhere after the Dobbs decision last summer. These officials have pushed a concrete set of policies to convey Californias freedoms to those from other states. In Sacramento, legislators have introduced 17 bills this session that would further the protections to people who may end up coming to our state for abortions. After a federal judge in Texas issued a ruling aimed at restricting abortion medication, the state moved to create a stockpile of 2 million pills, and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath affirmed that anyone who comes to Los Angeles County will be safe, you will be protected. Similarly, in response to red-state attacks on trans people, Californians are seeking to ensure that our states doctors can provide gender-affirming care to patients from across the nation. Rather than walling off the state as a sanctuary against Trump-era policies, Californias leaders are actively positioning it as a haven that red-state residents can visit to seek gender-affirming care or reproductive care. Is this a fight to change policies, or a battle to win the narrative? Its both. Atkins idea is that to change laws in rural areas, you must first change hearts and minds. The direct contact she prescribes could come through state employees traveling to other states again, or from those who travel to California to seek out its social freedoms. The hope is that each type of interaction will set off a chain reaction that shifts opinions, and eventually policies, across America. Will it work? There are reasons to believe in and to doubt this project. California absolutely possesses the policymaking expertise to craft laws and regulations that become models for other states to follow. Its long been a leader in areas such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting internet privacy, regulating autonomous cars, controlling gun and ammunition sales and safeguarding voting rights. More and more, our lawmakers strive to pass first-in-the-nation laws like those providing universal school meals and allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, then actively advocate for other states to follow along with them. In an era of ever-more-nationalized politics, shining a light on the policies that California is exporting is a necessary step in changing the national conversation. The next step is recognizing how the rest of America sees us at this moment. Here, humility is in order. Our states reputation is at a low point, at least among red voters who see only crime and homelessness here on cable news and social media. Just as we saw in the mid-1990s and during the Great Recession, we are losing population to other states. So before they tell other states that they should pass all of our policies, Californias leaders need to make a clear case for their benefits. Californias economy grew rapidly, outpacing many of our red-state rivals, at the same time that we passed many progressive policies over the past two decades. The economy rebounded strongly from the pandemic at the same time that we saw much lower disease and death rates than places like Florida and Texas. And from Silicon Valley to L.A. to San Diego, California businesses continue to attract the lions share of venture capital to build toward the future. Its certainly true that President Bidens agenda is limited by Republicans in Washington, but Sacramento has the Democratic supermajorities to get things done. Thats a serious responsibility and a valuable opportunity now that California is no longer positioning itself as an ideological island. Thad Kousser is a professor of political science and the co-director of the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research at UC San Diego. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Rachel McAdams co-stars in the new film "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," based on Judy Blume's 1970 book about puberty. (Chris Pizzello / Invision via Associated Press) The film Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret, an adaptation of Judy Blumes iconic 1970 book about preteen firsts, debuts on the big screen this month, and in anticipation, social media has been abuzz with fans spanning generations. Many credit the book with bringing important topics like puberty and menstruation into the open. And yet here we are 53 years later, watching lawmakers try to silence period talk and other facts of life including in Blumes home state of Florida, where on Wednesday the states Board of Education barred discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity at all grade levels and where first periods were recently the subject of a contentious legislative hearing . Republican state Rep. Stan McClain acknowledged that a broadly restrictive sex education bill he sponsored would prohibit students younger than sixth grade from learning about or talking about menstruation at school. If the bill passes the state Senate as drafted and is signed into law, fourth- and fifth-graders who start their period a common occurrence would have to be rebuffed if they approached a trusted teacher or the school nurse for guidance. Even without that restriction, children are quite likely to learn nothing about menstruation at school. Education about puberty and reproductive health is not federally required, and Florida is among the more than 30 states that do not require sexuality curricula to be medically accurate. The new bill preventing discussion of periods wouldn't just censor health teachers. It would have broad and probably unintended effects across many facets of education, such as literature, history and civics. Even Anne Franks The Diary of a Young Girl could be barred solely for its references to menstruation. Blume herself initially weighed in with a simple tweet: Sorry, Margaret. She later issued a full-throated rebuke of the politics behind the proposal, wishing Florida lawmakers good luck in their attempts to police girls in elementary school from discussing periods and puberty. Story continues However, state legislatures are now moving beyond policing information and are going after proposals that would ensure students have access to period products themselves. Republican lawmakers in Idaho recently killed a bill that would have provided free pads and tampons in public schools. One female state legislator who opposed the bill remarked that the topic of menstruation is itself embarrassing. Another said, I think its a stretch to say that we have to provide these products in order for women to be educated. The bill was mocked for being too liberal and woke. These are harmful statements. Among young teens, lack of support around menstruation, including accurate information and accessible products, can lead to compromised mental and physical health , lost classroom time and productivity, and even disciplinary action . The adverse impact of ignoring or marginalizing menstruation extends beyond school buildings. Those experiencing homelessness or extreme poverty describe infections from using tampons and pads for longer than recommended, or resorting to makeshift alternatives like wadded toilet paper or discarded newspapers. Lawmakers began to take this issue seriously starting in 2016, when New York City became the nations first jurisdiction to pass laws mandating free menstrual products in its public schools, shelters and jails. Since then, California has stepped up as a leader in passing menstrual access policies. It is among the now 21 states , as well as local school boards across the country, that mandate or freely provide pads and tampons in schools. Notably, these initiatives have successfully skirted partisan rancor , with both Republican- and Democrat-led legislatures and statehouses embracing and advancing menstrual access bills. Suddenly, though, the tide is shifting. Activists fighting to ensure menstruation does not pose a barrier to education and personal dignity may find themselves swept up in a culture war as their message is shouted down in the name of parental rights and anti-wokeness. After years of supporting policymakers as they shaped menstrual access laws, I have seen firsthand the positive impact these policies have across the nation not only toward improving access to basic necessities, but also in service of eliminating period shame and stigma by simply normalizing whats normal. Take it from Margaret. Periods are not partisan; we all bleed red. More books, more discussion, more visibility and more menstrual policy are the best way forward. Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, executive director of the Birnbaum Womens Leadership Network at New York University School of Law, is the author of "Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters/Getty Last month, flyers were posted on light poles throughout Glendale, California, calling for the completion of the Armenian Genocide. Earlier this year, similar flyers were found in Beverly Hills calling for the destruction of Armenia. Its been a brutal shock to the Armenian-American community in Los Angelesupwards of 200,000 peopleas tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to grow over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of historical Armenia. Its not hard to connect the dots. Armenians living in Los Angeles see these as hate crimes, meant to inflict pain as their families in both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are currently being terrorized by Azerbaijans petro-dictator, Ilham Aliyev. Biden Must Act to Stop the Next Armenian Genocide Before Its Too Late They feel that these acts are not mutually exclusive. And as victims of the first genocide of the 20th century, when more than 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed by the Ottoman Turks, they see this type of aggression as a reminder of that painful past. (It is a history that both Turkey and Azerbaijan deny to this day.) These latest attacks should be a warning sign that hate and violence in all its ugly forms dont stop at the border. In recent speeches and statements, Aliyev has unequivocally claimed that Armenia is Azerbaijans historical land, while calling Armenia Western Azerbaijan. He even said Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, belongs to his country. This is the same leader who plants the seeds of hate by enacting a state policy that hatred towards the Armenian people be taught in schools across Azerbaijan. Since early December, Azerbaijan has implemented a blockade to the only road connected Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, which has rapidly become a humanitarian crisis. By cutting off the only link to the outside world, Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh have been denied much needed supplies like food, medicine, and gas. This burgeoning catastrophe has led Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Pope Francis to voice their concern for the 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakhincluding 30,000 childrenwho are being deprived of basic human rights. And in February, the United Nations highest court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Azerbaijan to end its blockade. Story continues Put simply, Azerbaijans government is fostering a culture of hate and fear and is breeding a whole new generation of anti-Armenian sentimentand its finding its way to Los Angeles. Sadly, these types of hate crimes are not new to Armenians, but what is surprising is this type of bigotry is happening in Los Angeles, a region that prides itself on its progressivism, diversity, and acceptance of all culturesand home to the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia. Armenians Fear Turkey Is Back to Finish Off the Genocide That shock was only heightened when the Beverly Hills Police Department released a statement claiming that the anti-Armenian flyers were protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Since then, members of the Armenian community have been outraged by this type of selective policing and feel that their cries for help and justice are being ignored. The Armenian people have suffered much pain and loss throughout their long and rich history. That is why Los Angeles needs to make sure that these hateful attacks stop and are taken seriously by city officials. They can start by using the upcoming Armenian Genocide Day of Remembrance on April 24 as an opportunity to ask themselves if theyre doing enough. Holding Azerbaijan accountable for its role in perpetuating anti-Armenian hate in America is just one step in that direction. Stephan Pechdimaldji is a communications strategist who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hes a first-generation Armenian American and grandson to survivors of the Armenian genocide. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Former Vice President Mike Pence has said hell tell the truth and obey the law when he appears, as is expected, before a federal grand jury looking into efforts by former President Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Well well obey the law. Well tell the truth. And the story that Ive been telling the American people all across the country, the story that I wrote in the pages of my memoir, that will that will be what I tell in that setting as well, Pence told Robert Costa in an interview aired Sunday on CBSs Face the Nation. Pences team said earlier this month that the former vice president wouldnt appeal a judges order that he testify before the grand jury about Trumps actions surrounding the 2020 election results, without having to testify about his role in Congress. Hed previously argued that his role as then-president of the Senate effectively made him a member of the legislative branch on Jan. 6, 2021, which would mean he was shielded from subpoena by the Constitutions speech and debate clause. On the day of the riots at the U.S. Capitol, Pence was presiding over a joint session of Congress to certify then-candidate Joe Bidens 2020 win. Asked in the interview aired Sunday whether hes set a date with the special counsel for the appearance, Pence said his attorneys have worked that out with the Justice Department. Im grateful that the court recognized that there are specific constitutional protections unique to the vice president when youre serving in your role as president of the Senate, Pence said on Sunday, adding that theyve limited what theyll be requesting of me. Pressed on exactly how those constraints will impact what Pence is able to testify about, the former vice president said hes limited in what he can say about the proceedings. But people can be confident that well well obey the law. Well comply with the law, Pence said. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith is overseeing two separate federal investigations into Trump, one into efforts to overturn the 2020 election and another into Trumps handling of classified materials. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former Vice President Mike Pence said in an interview to air Sunday that individuals interested in being 2024 GOP contenders should announce their bids by June. I think that anyone that would be serious about seeking the Republican nomination would need to be in this contest by June, Pence told CBS Newss Face the Nation in an interview clip. That deadline would also apply to his own potential candidacy, he said. When we have an announcement to make, it will be well before late June, Pence noted. Probed for his intentions on entering the race, which is already heating up since former president Trump threw his hat in the ring for the third time, Pence remarked, Well, Im here in Iowa. Iowa has historically been an important state for the nomination process in presidential elections for both parties. In December 2022, the Democratic National Committee voted to deny Iowa its 50-year privilege of hosting the 2024 presidential primary and kicking off the nomination process. Instead, the organization promoted South Carolina to lead the contest. In recent years, Pence has spent a lot of time in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, all of which are significant states for the presidential nomination. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo updated recently that he would not be seeking office after teasing the possibility for a while. New Hampshire Republican governor Chris Sununu has not yet declared his bid for 2024. He said in March that Governor Ron DeSantis would win his home state if the presidential election were held today. Former ambassador and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and entrepreneur and conservative pundit Vivek Ramaswamy officially joined the 2024 pool in February. A national poll of the 2024 GOP primary from Marquette in March predicted a tight race between Trump and DeSantis, with the governor projected to have a single-digit advantage over the former president in a head-to-head matchup. More from National Review The world is constantly changing and so are the ways that we work. So it's not incredibly surprising that some jobs seem to be becoming less common, to the point where they barely exist at all. Kali9 / Getty Images U/ SilentJoe27 recently asked the people of Reddit, "Whats a profession youve seen phased out in your lifetime?" Jeez, this one's a bit eye-opening and you might be surprised about a few of these too: 1. "Paperboys. Having a paper route used to be a thing. Now there are very few people who get a daily physical paper. The route must cover a lot of miles now." u/cmoellering Patrik Giardino / Getty Images 2. "Back in the 20th century, there used to be small huts in parking lots where a person would develop your film in as soon as one hour." u/HoraceBenbow 3. "Radio disc jockeys. They're not gone yet but they are dwindling toward extinction. Local disc jockeys are fewer and fewer as radio stations consolidate under corporations." u/InfernalWedgie Marc Romanelli / Getty Images/Tetra images RF 4. "Judging by the advertising I see online these days, proofreader." u/LuckoftheAmish 5. "Executive assistant. When I started my career, even low-level managers had a person to write memos, answer their phone, and plan their travel. I worked in a company of 3,000 people and I bet there were 100 of them. Now, I'm guessing there are two." u/PriveCo 6. "I used to make a nice living as a photographer. I worked for Warner Bros., Atlantic Records, Virgin Records, etc. Theres really hardly any money in that anymore." u/suffaluffapussycat 7. "The entire industry that makes pricing guns. Everything in the store had a small white sticker with the price on it. The UPC code and scanner eliminated this and probably half of the jobs that stock shelves." u/PriveCo 8. "Door-to-door salespeople. You used to see them pretty frequently back in the '60s but you never see them now." u/javanator999 9. "Cobblers. There used to be people that fixed shoes and shined shoes. Every town had one and every man had his shoes shined often." u/PriveCo Story continues Geber86 / Getty Images 10. "Repairmen. When I was a kid and something broke, you would just take it to the local repairman and he would fix it. These guys could fix anything. They had a small shop where they had parts for everything, in some sort of comforting chaos. I've been looking for a couple of years now to find someone to fix my '60s toaster. Even the company doesn't have any ideas where I could send it." u/sonia72quebec 11. "Bike messengers. There used to be hundreds of them in San Francisco and NYC, racing around to deliver envelopes, advertising art, court filings, etc. Now everything can be done with high-speed internet." u/jmeesonly Azmanjaka / Getty Images 12. "I used to be a projectionist at a movie theater. Most theaters are all digital now, with the projectors on timers." u/72scott72 Iskov Sergey / Getty Images/iStockphoto 13. "Medical transcribers. Trained editors in medical language have resorted to spot-checking shitty dictation. Once an important profession, now replaced by technology." u/MYOB2023 14. "Blacksmiths rarely use old-school hammers and tongs these days. Smithing is now a cross between mechanical and software engineering." u/Automatic-Choice-794 15. "Typesetters, who would physically lay out all the fonts and arrange how a newspaper or magazine page would be printed." u/flipping_birds Ferran Traite / Getty Images 16. "High-risk obstetricians. There used to be at least one specialist at every large hospital. They were essentially sued out of existence." u/Original-Dot4853 17. Draftsman (as it was traditionally called). Required some amount of talent, a steady hand, training, and lots of practice. Replaced by CAD technician." u/eron6000ad 18. "Full-service gas station attendants the kind who would pump your gas and do your windows. They were still around when I first started driving 30 years ago but I can't recall the last time I saw a full-service gas station." u/aperson7780 Nastasic / Getty Images 19. "Professional film criticism. It's still out there but the industry has shrunk to a shell of its former self, thanks mainly to amateur critics and social media. People would usually rather trust their friends' quick summaries than read a full dissection by someone who might have very different tastes." u/Nihiliste 20. "I worked as a journalist for a local newspaper, which alone is an endangered species sadly. But so many jobs around the reporter are already extinct. I went to college from 2004 to 2008 with every intention of becoming a journalist the exact years when they had a major decline. Then, I graduated into the housing crisis. My career took a detour and by the time I got a job as a journalist for a local paper, the office was nearly empty. The whole thing is tragic. I've since moved on. It was a fun job but it's even more fun to earn enough money to pay for both rent and food." u/huggalump Agree? Disagree? Have your own additions? See you in the comments! Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. After U.S. Rep. Sean Casten sliced the red ribbon with some scissors Saturday, he said he is hoping it will represent a slicing of red tape for south suburban residents. The 6th District congressman raised his arms in triumph during a ceremony at 15350 Oak Park Ave., Oak Forest, the home of the Downers Grove Democrats second satellite office. Advertisement Casten said the office will be supplied with caseworkers who can help with issues related to federal agencies. You will be able to tell us what you need, and our staff will be able to help out, he told the crowd. Advertisement One of the four main areas of expertise provided by the staff will be issues from the Internal Revenue Service. Casten said if residents have not received their previous years return or are having other problems with the IRS, the staff will help. More than 100 people gathered for U.S. Rep. Sean Castens town hall meeting at the Bremen Township Senior Complex in Oak Forest. (Jeff Vorva / Daily Southtown) The office will also aid with visas and passports for those encountering long delays with the processing. The staff will attempt to hasten the delivery of a pending application or help arrange an in-person appointment at the Chicago Passport Office. This will also be the place to visit for veterans issues. The staff will attempt to help those who served and their families obtain the status of a VA claim for service-related disability, payment of education benefits plus other issues pertaining to the retrieval of service records and missing awards or medals. The staff will also work with residents on Social Security and Medicare issues. Some of their areas of expertise include helping release owed Social Security disability back pay, reinstating Medicare after it is wrongfully canceled, clarifying miscommunications or mistakes between the agency and residents and receiving updates regarding pending applications. Castens first satellite office is at 800 Roosevelt Road, Building C, Suite 204, Glen Ellyn. It opened under the previous district maps when the 6th District was made up primarily of western suburbs. But the last redistricting changed the landscape. The 6th District still has a large portion of western suburbs but now includes parts of several south suburbs. Since he was sworn back into office in January, Casten has been getting to know his new communities via meetings with mayors and town hall events. Advertisement In March, he held a town hall meeting in Orland Park and Saturday he met with people in Oak Forest. Casten said he has lost count as so how many physical and virtual town halls he has hosted since his first term began in 2019, but estimated its close to 60. While Casten is more of a big-picture guy at these meetings, he updated the residents on what is happening pertaining to them locally. U.S. Rep. Sean Casten starts to raise his arms after cutting the ribbon to his 6th Congressional District satellite office in Oak Forest. (Jeff Vorva / Daily Southtown) Since the new redistrict started this January, weve been able to get $300,000 back into the pockets of the people in the community, he said. These are veterans who werent getting checks, people who werent getting IRS refunds. Im really grateful to be able to do that. He also said he is working on bringing $30 million to the district for projects that would include technical assistance to the Alsip Police Department, electric vehicle charging in Bedford Park, water treatment in Elmhurst, flood control projects in La Grange and Western Springs plus playgrounds homeless shelters, traffic control improvements and wastewater improvements throughout the district. I dont want to guarantee that we will get that full $30 million, but this is the third year weve done this and were batting about 90%, Casten said. I feel confident well be able to get these done. Advertisement Residents concerns at the meeting were wide ranging. One resident quizzed Casten about the recent train derailments, including one in Blue Island Wednesday night in which 15 cars derailed. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > There were no injuries, deaths or hazardous materials spilled but it comes in the wake of dangerous Midwest accidents in East Palestine, Ohio and Richmond, Indiana. The latest info that I have on the East Palestine derailment is there were sensors that measured the heat of these wheels and there was a series of increases of temperature measures on those wheels, Casten said. It wasnt until the last sensor hit that it was above the point where it was a safety hazard that would compel the train to stop. He said data trends have not always been scrutinized. In talking with some of the folks in the rail yards, not all of the rail operators maintain trending data, Casten said. Its like in your car. Do you pay attention to your oil sensor trend or do you just notice it when its in the red zone? Advertisement There is a question of if we can do better trending and what are our responsibilities. Were still digging into it. An individual Commonwealth Edison complaint, the repurchase agreement market crisis in the fall, health care fraud, nuclear energy and Social Security were other issues on residents minds. Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. Eliza Anderson, Deseret News About 18 months ago I made my first trek through the Salt Lake City Airport B gate tunnel and wrote about the harrowing journey. I detailed the difficulties of making the walk with three children, and the response was ... passionate. According to the internet, I was lazy, out of shape and a terrible mother. Part of me began to wonder if the internet was right. Since that storys publication, Ive had the chance to make the .64 mile walk a few more times. And I can confidently declare that I was correct. The walk is long and miserable for toddlers and their adult handlers, lazy or not, in shape or not, good mom or bad mom. Its official! As a part of the airports Fly Healthy program, the 0.6 mile walk from SLCs Terminal to Concourse B is now available on the @AllTrails and SLC International apps. Get your steps in before or after your flight! pic.twitter.com/cUtIISECHa SaltLakeCityAirport (@slcairport) April 1, 2023 But Ive also had the chance to walk through other airports and gain some perspective. And that perspective is, all airports have some terrible obstacle that must be survived to fly into or out of them. The Denver International Airport is one of the most confusing and maybe haunted facilities Ive ever been in. Travelers are welcomed to the airport by Blue Mustang, more commonly known as Blucifer, a 32-foot horse sculpture with glowing red eyes that is best known for crushing its creator to death. Within the building, patrons are greeted with cheery murals depicting death, war and destruction. Theories abound that the New World Order built the airport and it contains the Illuminati headquarters. LAX is never not under construction, and makes it nearly impossible to exit its premises. On my last visit I had to wait 40 minutes for a shuttle to a pickup area where I waited another 40 minutes for an Uber. Story continues The last time I was in the Atlanta airport, every restaurant in the terminal was closed at 5:30 p.m., except for a TGI Fridays to-go which sold a nearly inedible chicken sandwich for $20. But no airport experience is quite as terrible as John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens. The drive to JFK from Manhattan can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours. The traffic patterns of New York City seem to sense when someone is in a hurry and respond by grinding to a halt. Or such was the case on my most recent trip. Getting from this bridge to the airport usually takes me two minutes but today its going to take 17, my driver joyfully told me while I was sweating bullets in the backseat, 45 minutes from my plane departing. By the power of CLEAR, a service I accidentally signed up for and forgot to cancel, I made it through the very long security line in no time at all. (But not without the humiliation of standing in my socks on a dirty linoleum floor and getting scolded for not removing an iPad from my backpack.) Once I got my shoes back on, I started (what I thought would be) a leisurely stroll to my gate. Id grab a drink, maybe a snack, charge my phone and wait for boarding. How far could gate B49 be? Pretty far. Forty-nine gates from security, to be precise. Or, 0.7 miles to be even more precise. Longer than the longest possible Salt Lake City airport trek. I made it just in time to board, having worked up a proper sweat during the 20-minute power walk, and immediately begged the flight attendants for water. Heres the thing about the Salt Lake City airport its actually great. Its beautiful. Its clean. The food options are vast and delicious (have you tried the Beechers grilled cheese?). The Lego store has sets not available anywhere else. The airport consistently ranks among the best for on-time departures and arrivals. Yes, the walk is long. But relief is on the way. By October 2024, airport officials plan to open the central tunnel, which will offer immediate access to the B gate walk, instead of having to walk halfway through the As to get to the Bs. Its still not a walk I look forward to making with small children. But I do appreciate that Ill have stories of hardship to lord over the next generation who will, eventually, have a train that transports them from one side of the airport to another. When my children visit from out of state 30 years from now, Ill tell them they dont know how good they have it. Back in my day, we had to walk half a mile to catch a flight! Ill say, and theyll have no choice but to respect all that I endured. And for now, Im glad to have some perspective. We may have a hike, but our art installations have never killed anyone or foretold doom, Ubers can make pickups at the arrival terminal, our restaurants stay open past mid-afternoon and the very longest well walk is still shorter than JFK. Mashed, a multi-platform publication dedicated to people who love to cook and eat, just released its list of "11 Best New US Restaurants To Try In 2023" and Phoenix's Chilte made it on the list. It did so alongside some excellent big city joints from Chicago's Atelier to New York's S&P Lunch and San Francisco's Copra, opened by James Beard semifinalists and "Top Chef" contestants. It's always nice to see Phoenix restaurants in the national spotlight. Local pride aside, I can tell you from experience that Chilte brings the vibe and food to back it up. The restaurant represents years of work from Chef Lawrence "L.T." Smith's culinary school degree to the pop-up stand he and his fiancee, Aseret Arroyo, opened before moving into their brick-and-mortar location in the restored Egyptian Motor Hotel earlier this year. Just try not licking the bowl after finishing their mole Amarillo or not devouring the pineapple pappardelle with chorizo Bolognese. Last chance to try barbecue: The couple behind 1 of Arizona's best barbecue restaurants is saying goodbye Love the accolades, but could do without some of the other sentiments While I take no issue with the Arizona pick on this list, I was taken aback by Ryan Unger's statement about so-called foodies: "The last thing we want you to do is find yourself sitting at a table in a restaurant that isn't up to par, regretting every decision you made that led you there." Mole flight at Chilte, a Mexican restaurant inside the Egyptian Motor Hotel in Phoenix's Grand Avenue Arts District. If you are a food lover, that mean's you are adventurous, open to trying new places and foods. Some places are hits and some are misses. I can't recall ever questioning my life choices while sitting at a restaurant, no matter how spotty the service or meal. That's because I believe that to love food, you need to also respect the folks making it. Opening a small business and maintaining it is not easy. Supply issues push back opening dates more frequently than not. Many put their life's savings into their dream restaurants. Others open with the hopes of sharing a taste of their home with their future customers. I've never met a restaurant owner who sets out to be subpar. And growing pains are part of the process. To reduce all the hard work that goes into opening a new restaurant to "regretting every decision you made" shows a disconnect between this writer, and diners like him, and the people who feed us. Story continues So, I encourage you to get out and try new restaurants with an open mind, seeing them for what they are delicious works in progress. And certainly put Chilte on your must-try list. First certified pizzeria: This pizzeria is putting Arizona on the map thanks to a world-class Italian dish Details: 765 Grand Ave., Phoenix. 602-807-5225, chiltephx.com. Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on Twitter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why Phoenix Mexican restaurant Chilte was named one of best new in U.S The flag of NATO and the member countries of the Alliance If Germany did not think as it does now, did not try to slow down Ukraines entry into the North Atlantic Alliance, if Ukraine had received an invitation to the Alliance in Munich many years ago, there would be no war in Ukraine today, Wawrzyk said. Read also: US, Germany oppose NATO Membership Action Plan for Ukraine He also criticized Pistorius statement that the question of Ukraines accession to NATO should be decided with a cool head, asking when this cool head time will come. Read also: Ukraine has done everything it needs to join NATO, Zelenskyy says Wawrzyk stressed that Poland supports Ukraines accession to both NATO and the EU. During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv on April 20, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that there is no objective barrier to inviting Ukraine to NATO, and security guarantees are needed now. Stoltenberg himself said that Ukraines place in NATO is rightfully deserved. An IRI poll from March showed that 82% of Ukrainians support Ukraines accession to NATO, which is close to a record level. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated during the meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Commission that Kyiv categorically rejects the open-door policy principle at the summit in Vilnius meaning that Kyiv expects eventual NATO membership to be guaranteed, and not a drawn-out bureaucratic process. 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 Update: Police said Calvin Norwood was found and is safe. Kansas City police are asking for help finding an elderly man with dementia last seen mid-day Sunday. Calvin Norwood, 83, was last seen at 2 p.m. Sunday as he walked north, away from his home near the 5800 block of State Line Road, the Kansas City Police Department said Sunday evening. Norwood at the time was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt, blue jeans, gray shoes and a two-tone blue United States Air Force hat. Calvin suffers from dementia and may be confused, KCPD wrote. His family is extremely worried about his wellbeing. Anyone who sees Norwood is asked to call 911 or KCPDs Missing Persons Unit at 816-234-5043. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has also issued an endangered silver alert for Norwood. Kenyan police said Sunday they had found the bodies of another 26 suspected cult members in the east of the country, bringing to 47 the number of corpses linked to the movement. Search teams wearing white overalls and equipped with masks were continuing to dig at the site in search of other bodies, an AFP photographer near the coastal town of Malindi saw. A number of bodies had already been wrapped in white plastic sheeting. "Today we have exhumed 26 more bodies and this brings the total number of bodies from that place to 47," said the head of criminal investigations in Malindi, eastern Kenya, Charles Kamau. He said the search was continuing not just for bodies but for survivors of the cult. Police launched their operation after the first bodies were discovered last week. An 800-acre (325-hectare) area of forest at Shakahola, near Malindi, has been sealed off for the search operation. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki announced he would be visiting the site on Tuesday. That prompted a full-scale investigation into the movement, the Good News International Church. Police have already arrested the church's leader, Makenzie Nthenge, who reportedly told followers to starve themselves in order to "meet Jesus". Nthenge 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 has since been released on bail of 100,000 Kenyan shillings ($700). Local media reports say police have arrested another six followers of Nthenge. - Members fasting to death - One member of the church found by the authorities had refused to eat despite clearly being in physical distress, said Hussein Khalid, a member of Haki Africa, the rights group that tipped off the police to the actions of the church. "The moment she was brought here, she absolutely refused to be administered with first aid and she closed her mouth firmly, basically refusing to be assisted, wanting to continue with her fasting until she dies," Khalid told AFP. Story continues He believed that some members of the church were still hiding from the authorities in the nearby forest. "This signifies the magnitude of this issue, that clearly shows that there are still many who are still out there... and possibly dying every second that passes by." He called on the government to send troops to help with the search so the believers could be found before they starved themselves to death. But Interior Minister Kindiki tweeted: "Enough security officers have been deployed and the entire 800-acre forest is sealed off and declared a scene of crime." In his tweet, he also called what he dubbed the "Shakahola Forest Massacre" as "the clearest abuse of the constitutionally enshrined human right to freedom of worship". "While the State remains respectful of religious freedom," those responsible should face "severe punishment", he added. There would have to be "tighter regulation (including self-regulation) of every church, mosque, temple or synagogue going forward", he said. str-dyg/jj/gw Social media posts claim that an image shows Russian President Vladimir Putin recently wishing South Africas former president Jacob Zuma a happy birthday on live television. But the claim is false: The image was created by layering elements typically seen in news broadcasts, including a "breaking news" label, over an old photo of Putin. There is no evidence that any media made such a report. HatersPresident Vladimir Putin of Russia wished President Jacob Zuma HAPPY BIRTHDAY, reads a tweet published on April 14, 2023. A screenshot of the false tweet, taken on April 14, 2023 The tweet includes a photo of Putin overlaid with "breaking news" and a "live" banners, giving the impression that the head of state was captured wishing Zuma a happy birthday during a live news broadcast. Zuma turned 81 on April 12, 2023. A Twitter account that has been associated with Zuma's daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla (archived here) amplified the same claim to more than 230,000 followers. Zuma-Sambudla has previously expressed (archived here) her allegiance to Putin, calling him the president of the world following Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. South African police investigated her as a potential instigator (archived here) of the July 2021 riots (archived here) sparked by her father's arrest on corruption charges. More than 350 people died during the unrest. Repurposed 2022 photo A reverse image search of the image shows that Russias state-owned news agency shared the same photograph of Putin with multiple news agencies, including AFP, on February 21, 2022 -- more than a year ago. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his address to the nation at the Kremlin in Moscow on February 21, 2022 (Alexey NIKOLSKY/Sputnik/AFP) It shows Putin making a national address during which he said he would make a decision about recognising the independence of east Ukraine's rebel republics after Russia's top officials made impassioned speeches in favour of the move. Putin made no references to Zuma nor did he share any birthday wishes in that speech. Some obvious mistakes can be seen in the fake news broadcast. For example, underneath "breaking news", it reads, VLADIMIR PUTIN WISHES JACOB ZUMA A 81TH BIRTHDAY, instead of an 81st. Story continues Several online photo editing tools can and have been used in the past to create similar superimposed TV graphics. BRICS alliance Russia and South Africa are part of the BRICS bloc, a group of emerging countries that includes Brazil, India and China. All eyes will be on South Africa as it hosts the 15th BRICS summit from August 22-24, 2023 to see if Putin attends. The ICC announced (archived here) an arrest warrant for Putin on March 17, 2023 for the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children amid Russias invasion. In 2015, South Africa did not comply (archived here) with the request by the ICC to arrest former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir when he attended an African Union summit in Johannesburg. AFP Fact Check debunked another Russia-South Africa claim in March 2023 that purported to show Putin arriving in South Africa for an official visit. April 26, 2023 Corrects typo in headline (missing "s" in "posts") There is a lot working against young people right now. Growing up is difficult and uncomfortable. That will never change. Add in pervasive screen addiction, growing cultural turmoil and diminished economic prospects, and it is reasonable to believe navigating the most formative season of life is as complex as ever. For many students, especially those facing lower socioeconomic conditions, school is the last line of support to aid in becoming a conscience-filled, contributing member of society. Home is the front line for developing the building blocks that predict successful life outcomes: basic fluency in reading, writing and math; emotional intelligence from in-person social interaction and highly supported extracurriculars; resilience of spirit through experiencing success and failure, joy and disappointment. The public schools were once great partners with parents, widely supporting these efforts and ideals. Today, not so much. Springfield Public Schools remains ground zero in the Ozarks for the devolving institution. Things that matter and work have long been replaced by meaningless catchphrases, administrative bloat, groupthink and nonsense. High classroom standards and expectations gave way to cooked statistics on grades and graduation rates; zero-tolerance discipline policies became "safe spaces" where frontline staff no longer have deterrence; and hard work, competency and merit have been replaced by therapeutic endeavors and victim culture. Are students to blame? Certainly not. Nearly every young person will aspire to the expectations they are held to. This is an enduring truism. How about parents? Nope. There is no parent of sound mind who hopes and dreams for a child to have or achieve less than they did. It has to be the teachers, right? Wrong again. I have never met a teacher who got into the trade for anything less than to inspire young hearts and minds. The teachers are simply tired of babysitting kids staring at cellphones and laptops. Story continues There are a few choices left pointing to where things went awry. How about the purveyors of victim culture? These are people who categorize everyone as an irredeemable victim or victimizer based on their immutable characteristics. This practice is abhorrent and amoral, period. Or there is the grifter. This is someone who gains great financial benefit from the taxpayer-funded budget of Missouri's largest public school district, adds little value for students and might not even live in Springfield. If they have kids, they certainly would never sniff letting them attend an SPS school north of Sunshine Street. Finally, there is the wannabe elite. These are individuals who have the means to live wherever they want and send their kids to the school of their choosing, but are compelled to atone for some misguided sense of guilt through virtue signaling. The key is, they never directly suffer the effects of their own dysfunctional ideologies. This secret has been out for years, as families have steadily fled the city to rediscover things that matter in more traditional neighboring communities and home, private and religious educational alternatives. Yet, the SPS administrative class and their beneficiaries continue tripling down, endlessly repeating trendy words of the day at the expense of the young people and community they supposedly serve. Call it inequity for equity's sake. A few courageous people remain in the mix. These individuals stepped up in recent years to replace parts of the old guard who during the last decade oversaw declining performance and widening gaps between the haves and have-nots in SPS. These much-needed leaders are easy to pick out, as they often run contrary to the group; ask lots of questions; are much maligned in the local media; and find themselves in the oddly unpopular position of attempting to refocus the district on things that matter: curriculum, character, discipline, balanced use of technology, higher classroom standards and expectations and cutting budgetary bloat to have more means to support teachers. At current trajectory, where this leads is crystal clear. If the go-along-to-get-along, soup du jour crowd continues getting its way, look out below. The steady decline of academic and extracurricular achievement in SPS accelerates, more families flee, repeat. Within a decade, buildings will close. Accreditation will be on the brink. But, it does not have to be this way. Where merit, academic rigor, traditional values, zero-tolerance discipline and all other things that matter thrive, not surprisingly, so do more of the students. If you live in one of Springfield's neighboring communities, where the schools are functioning at a high level, heed the warning SPS provides. Demand your school boards and district administrators continue promoting a winning vision and the traditional, proven values and practices that got your district to where it is today. I want nothing but the best for all SPS students. All they really need is for the adults in the district to return to things that work. A good first first step might be for more parents, teachers and leaders to simply start saying "no" to the victims, grifters and wannabe elites. Cameron Eoff lives in Nixa. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Preoccupation with nonsense destroying SPS, nearby districts beware Prince Louis may be used to pomp and circumstance, but it seems like he loves birthdays just like any other kid. The pint-sized royal looked adorable while marking his fifth birthday with an official portrait taken on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Prince William and Kate Middletons youngest child smiled wide in the first snap, which Kensington Palace shared on Sunday. Britain's Prince Louis smiles in a portrait marking his fifth birthday which was shared by Kensington Palace on Sunday. Britain's Prince Louis smiles in a portrait marking his fifth birthday which was shared by Kensington Palace on Sunday. The next showed Prince Louis sitting on a cushion of grass in a wheelbarrow while his mom, the Princess of Wales, pushed. Someones turning 5 tomorrow... A very happy birthday to Prince Louis, his parents wrote on Instagram. This years birthday photos took a slight pivot from family tradition. While Middleton typically snaps her kids yearly milestones, she enlisted photographer Millie Pilkington for this shoot. Its ramping up to be a busy season for the royal family. Britain's Prince Louis gets pushed by his mother in a photo taken in Windsor, Berkshire county, Britain. Britain's Prince Louis gets pushed by his mother in a photo taken in Windsor, Berkshire county, Britain. King Charles coronation will take place on May 6, seven months following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The event will be followed by Sunday festivities, including Coronation Big Lunch and Coronation Concert, which Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will headline. There has been some drama around who will be attending the coronation, as the Kings estranged son Prince Harry is set to appear without wife Meghan Markle. A statement from Buckingham Palace in mid-April revealed the Crown was pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Related... It calls itself one of the worlds premier transplant centers but the Miami Transplant Institute, a crown jewel of the Jackson Health System, has a heart problem. The institutes adult heart transplant program was suspended in mid-March at the urging of the network that controls the nations supply of organs for transplant. It was only the latest jolt for the heart program. In October, its chief, Dr. Matthias Loebe, was stripped of his administrative duties, although he was allowed to remain in the position through the end of February. That followed the exit of his heart transplant partner, whose departure Jackson declined to explain. And just this past week, Jackson confirmed a tip that Loebe, 64, faced a new restriction: He will no longer be allowed to treat patients. No explanation was given for that. Dr. Matthias Loebe, who until February was the Chief of Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Devices at Miami Heart Institute at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He can no longer treat patients, Jackson confirmed, but he remains on staff. None of these setbacks had been revealed to the public, including issues raised with regulators about a separate procedure, which involves implanting of LVADs short for Left Ventricular Assist Device. Its basically a mechanical heart pump implanted when a heart is too weak to circulate blood around the body. Requests by the Miami Herald for a key document detailing the precise concerns expressed by the United Network for Organ Sharing, the agency that urged suspension of the heart transplant program, have been denied by Jackson, saying it is not a public record. It is unclear whether Jacksons overall transplant staff, consisting of at least 65 University of Miami doctors handling a variety of organs under an operating agreement with Jackson, informed patients of the series of concerns. When asked to address that issue of disclosure, a Jackson spokesperson said: None of our patients had a lapse in their individualized care plan or treatment because of personnel changes. 2 weeks, 3 agencies Within two weeks, three agencies embarked on an investigation of the Miami Transplant Institutes heart program. In the first week of April, the organ sharing network had a peer group team on site. The following week, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the states Agency for Health Care Administration, which regulates hospitals, carried out inspections. Story continues In a complaint reviewed by the Herald and submitted to the Medicare and Medicaid agency, Jackson whistleblowers cited poor patient outcomes, including deaths that might have been prevented. Jacksons performance numbers for heart pump implants trail nationwide trends by a few percentage points. Example: Jackson reports that 79% of heart pump recipients in the time window 2020 to 2023 survived one year after the procedure. In their complaint to Medicare and Medicaid, the whistleblowers provided a slightly different number: 75%. Either figure would fall below the national number for 2017 through 2021, the latest data available, during which the one-year survival rate was 83%, according to a 2022 report by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The complaint sent to the federal agency asserted that Jackson deaths after the heart implant were caused by a variety of factors, including prolonged reliance on a ventilator post surgery, persistent organ failure, sepsis and poor surgical management. The widening probes come on top of the separate inquiry by the United Network for Organ Sharing, known as UNOS, which controls the distribution of donated organs in the United States. In March, the Jackson whistleblowers sent a list of complaints about the Miami Heart Transplant/Jackson heart transplant program to the private, nonprofit organ sharing network, highlighting concerns about multiple deaths and other troubling issues. That stirred the organ group to alert the Miami Transplant Institute by letter that it was opening an investigation. The suspension of the heart program that followed was a rare move among transplant centers. In April, the organ network sent the peer-review team, consisting of transplant experts, administrators and regulators, to question doctors and other personnel at Jacksons transplant institute. Now, the multiple probes by the organ network and the federal and state agencies raise the issue of when Jacksons program can reopen. When asked in late March about the temporary closure of the adult heart transplant program, Jackson officials and UM doctors initially said it was a voluntary decision, but later acknowledged that pressure from the organ network was the primary reason. When asked by public record request to share the letter from the organ network that triggered the programs abrupt shutdown, Jackson officials refused to do so. Jacksons response Jackson issued a statement this past week to the Herald about the complaints from an unknown number of medical professionals, as well as the investigations that have resulted. Jackson Health System takes any allegations and complaints extremely seriously. In this case, our Risk Department investigated these claims thoroughly, and determined them to be completely unfounded, after conducting exhaustive reviews of patients medical records. While the outcomes in these programs are generally aligned with other national programs, Miami Transplant Institute (MTI) holds itself to a high standard, and believes there is room to improve our heart transplant and [heart pump] programs. As we have mentioned before, MTI is currently in a transition that will elevate the leadership, processes, and other elements of the [heart] program, the statement said. Through the years, MTI has been one of the top centers in the nation to perform solid organ transplants in adults and children, and our mission remains the same to save lives and make lifesaving transplants available to the most critically ill patients, even if other hospitals have deemed their cases as hopeless. Hearts are just one of several organs transplanted at Jackson, along with lungs, livers, kidneys, the pancreas and intestines. But it is a marquee segment of the transplant facility. Its troubles went undisclosed until the Herald reported on a March 20 meeting in which Luke Preczewski, a vice president at the institute, told staffers about the suspension. In the Zoom call, he said the shutdown would not be announced; the Herald learned about it independently and wrote a story the next day. READ MORE: Jackson/UMs renowned adult heart transplant program is abruptly suspended, pending review The whistleblowers, while reaching out to various agencies to express their concerns, have chosen to remain anonymous, making it difficult to determine how many they represent and whether there could be multiple groups lodging complaints. In any event, government investigators are taking the matter seriously. In the case of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the complaint generated a response in minutes from a top physician with the federal agency. The current investigations and the news coverage have dealt a blow to the image of Jackson. Miami-Dade Countys taxpayer-subsidized hospital network spent about $2.7 billion last year. It is supported, in part, by a $386 million subsidy generated by a half-cent sales tax and an additional $238 million from Miami-Dade County funding. That accounts for a quarter of Jackson Health Systems spending plan. Marcos Lapciuc, a businessman who served on Jacksons governing board, the Public Health Trust, said Jackson executives and UMs doctors have a responsibility to inform the community about the heart transplant programs problems within certain limits. Jackson is a publicly owned hospital and healthcare system, so within parameters it needs to give an accounting to the Miami-Dade County Commission and the community about whats going on, said Lapciuc, who was a trust member from 2007 to 2015 and served as chair of its financial recovery board during a dire period. In a perfect world, they have to be transparent, but its important to know there can be valid considerations for taking a cautious approach, Lapciuc said, citing concerns about potential litigation and the privacy of patients. The personnel shake-up at Jacksons heart transplant program comes as the Richmond, Virginia-based organ network chartered by Congress in 1984 and funded by federal dollars to maintain a national registry for organ matching, is expected to issue an action plan at the end of April that will prescribe what Jacksons heart transplant program must resolve to reopen. Jackson officials wont comment on that process, including the team of peer-review medical and administrative experts who visited the Miami Transplant Institute nearly three weeks ago. The hairdressers ordeal According to Jackson whistleblowers, the organ networks peer-review team is focusing on patient outcomes, including at least five heart transplant patients who died in recent years when Loebe was at the helm of the program. Among them: Frank Ricigliano, 56, a Miami hairdresser who underwent heart transplant surgery at the Miami Transplant Institute in 2021 and died less than three months later at Jackson. Stylist and Frankiebaby owner Frank Ricigliano, who died on July 4, 2021, after getting a heart transplant at the Miami Transplant Institute in the spring of 2021. He died at Jackson Memorial Hospital. His feet turned black, just like you would see someone who had been dead for several years like a mummy, said Riciglianos partner, Chuck Ellis. So did his hands. Splotches of black covered his body. He got gangrene in his left foot, his right toes were going to have to be amputated, his fingers on both hands were going to have to be amputated. They had turned black and were literally falling off, said Michael Hamilton, Riciglianos roommate and healthcare surrogate. Riciglianos surgeon was Loebe. READ MORE: He died after getting a heart transplant at Jackson. His loved ones want answers No more patient contact Loebe was recruited to Miami from the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center to head the heart transplant program in 2015. The DeBakey Center declined to release Loebes personnel file to the Herald, saying it is a private facility and not subject to public records requests. In March, Jackson officials told the Herald that Loebe had been notified five months earlier by the transplant Institutes executive director, Dr. Rodrigo Vianna, that he would be replaced as chief of the heart transplant and heart pump programs, effective at the end of February. He was told he would remain in his job until his successor could be hired. As part of his change in duties, Loebes salary was to be cut by $150,000, effective Feb. 28, the Oct. 13, 2022, letter from Vianna to Loebe said. Loebe told the Herald that he did not see this personnel change as a demotion. Rather, he was simply trying to lighten his workload as Jacksons principal heart transplant surgeon. He also said the peer review, focusing on patients deaths, organ matches and infections, would lead to a better heart transplant program. That was before the hospital took the latest action last week. Dr. Matthias Loebe is no longer treating patients at Jackson Health System, a Jackson spokesperson told the Herald, declining to elaborate. Jackson has ample coverage with other heart transplant surgeons. Since that statement was issued, Loebe has not responded to inquiries from the Herald.. READ MORE: This heart pump can be a better option than a transplant. But its not for everyone A venerable institution The Miami Transplant Institute, founded in 1970, is one of the oldest in the country. In 2019, physicians there performed 747 transplants of all kinds, the most in the country, according to publicly available organ data. Most of those involved kidneys and livers. The institute started performing heart transplants in 1986 and has done 786 of the procedures since 1988, when the organ and transplantation network began tracking transplants, through March 2023. Of those, 697 were in adults. The institute has seen a decrease in heart transplants over the past several years, partly due to more patients receiving the mechanical heart pump. In the past, the pumps were mainly used to keep patients alive while they waited for a transplant. Now, rather than serve as a bridge to a transplant, the devices sometimes replace the need for a transplant, Dr. Chris Ghaemmaghami, executive vice president at Jackson Health, told the Herald. Hes also the chief physician executive and chief clinical officer at Jackson. According to medical experts, the average cost of a heart pump implant is $175,420. Jackson officials confirmed that regulators with the federal and state agencies made unannounced visits to the Miami Transplant Institute two weeks ago. The teams zeroed in on heart transplant services as well as the pump implant program, Jackson officials said. Jackson officials said that while the adult heart transplant program is now closed to 15 patients on a waiting list, it is still active for one already hospitalized patient who is awaiting a transplant. They also said the pump implant program, though under scrutiny at both the state and federal level, is still operating. Unlike the nations organ transplant programs, which are overseen by the United Network for Organ Sharing, there is no one outside body that monitors pump implants. Could have been prevented Since 2020, Jackson said, 89 patients have undergone the heart pump procedure at the institute, and 19 of those recipients died within one year. The complaint to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which was reviewed along with other documents by the Herald, offered slightly different numbers for that time period: 84 heart pump procedures and 21 deaths. The complaint by the whistleblowers claims that many of the deaths could have been prevented. They say in their detailed document to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid that the deaths were associated with faulty candidate selection for the risky heart pump procedure, prolonged patient hospital stays, improper practices for obtaining patient consent and poor surgical management. READ MORE: Heres what led to the investigation at Jacksons Miami Transplant Institute, and whats next Appropriate action has been taken The complaint to Medicare and Medicaid regulators cited Loebes critical role as the chief of the heart transplant and the heart pump programs. But it also mentioned another key player: Dr. Anita Phancao, a cardiologist who heads the heart-failure team that collaborates closely with the transplant surgeons before and after heart transplant and pump implant procedures. It accused Phancao of failing to provide standard of practice measures, including managing patients without actually seeing them. Dr. Anita Phancao, a Jackson Health System cardiologist who heads the heart-failure team and works closely with the transplant surgeons. A complaint filed by Jackson whistleblowers to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services accuses her of failing to provide standard of practice measures. It also alleged that Phancao had secured consent for procedures from patients who were in a poor mental state, were hindered by a language barrier or possessed limited understanding of medical terms. In short, the complaints alleged, patients were not being educated properly before consenting to the pump implant procedure. Jackson officials said Phancaos status at the heart transplant and pump implant programs is unchanged. Phancao, through Jacksons public information office, declined to be interviewed for this story. Phancao was the subject of two similar complaints through EthicsPoint a portal for University of Miami employees to lodge anonymous complaints. According to records examined by the Herald, one such complaint, lodged in December, elicited the following response two months later: Various offices and JMH [Jackson Memorial Hospital] Risk [management] are investigating these concerns. A subsequent similar complaint through the same portal its anonymous so its not clear if the submitter was the same person brought forth assurance that appropriate action has been taken. Details were not provided. Generally, heart transplant programs like heart-pump implants are judged on a variety of metrics, ranging from survival rates to length of time spent on waiting lists. For the most part, survival rates of Jackson heart recipients are in line with national numbers, according to data published by the Scientific Registry of Heart Recipients. But variations have occurred. Data published in January 2022, a limited snapshot, show Jackson lagging in one-year survival rates about 87% versus 93% nationally. Jackson officials asserted that their transplant program accepts the sickest patients, including those who might be turned away by private hospitals. However, they acknowledged that the heart division has not been performing as well as the kidney, liver and other organ transplant programs and that they plan to make major personnel changes a process that began last fall with the decision to search for a new leader to replace Loebe. We have to find out why there is a discrepancy between every other transplant program and heart, Vianna, the Miami Transplant Institute director and the chief of Liver, Intestinal and Multivisceral Transplants, told the Herald. Protect kids, not weapons Sixteen million Americans own one or more assault weapons. The latest data show that assault weapons were used in 10 of the last 17 most deadly mass murders in America. Our children, once thought safe in their schools, have been primary targets. Why is it necessary to own an assault rifle? There are already millions of side arms, rifles, and shotguns readily available to keep Second Amendment activists satisfied, happy, and well-armed. The long, ongoing misunderstanding, misuse and abuse of the Second Amendment has allowed 16 million Americans unlimited, unfettered, and unrestricted access to purchase assault weapons. Assault weapons sole purpose is to enable its user to quickly kill dozens of people. Democrats, without the help of the GOP, have been trying unsuccessfully to curb the manufacture and sale of assault rifles. The GOP steadfastly refuses to address this issue. By their own actions, the GOP has chosen to appease assault rifle manufacturers and assault weapon owners while keeping our children in harms way. Brooks Judd, Turlock Deadly mistakes Recent events have underscored the necessity for being well-armed. Protection against someone knocking on your door, turning around in your driveway, or approaching your car all call for having devastating weaponry close at hand. Also, essential for breaking up childrens parties, weddings or getting the right-of-way in traffic. Jack Heinsius, Modesto Lawmakers must do more In the US, mass shooting are averaging one per day. Mass shootings in schools are occurring about one per week. Gun violence is ranked as the leading cause of death among American youth. The United States far exceeds gun deaths in all similar countries. These statistics are becoming alarmingly worse, year by year. The do-nothing approach to curb gun violence is not working. No one is immune to gun violence in America. Politicians and activists who support the Second Amendment are not looking out for the best interests of the community they serve or reside in. These elected officials would rather pretend we do not have a problem. How many more deaths will be enough for supporters of the Second Amendment to say we have a gun problem? Story continues It is time we collectively vote out leaders who want to ease gun restrictions. We must have leaders who sponsor legislation that enhances background checks, keeps military assault-style weapons out of the hands of civilians, and eliminate laws that let average people carry guns in public. Joe Tornberg, Modesto Muckrakers no more Re Ignoring antisemitism doesnt mean it isnt there (Page 8A, April 12): I read Garth Stapleys column condemning the cowardly scum dispensing lies about our Jewish community. After breakfast I drove to the Beth Shalom synagogue for Tai Chi practice. I had to agree vehemently with Stapleys observations. His attack on the backwater idiots was justified and succinct. My dissatisfaction stems from a failure of editorial staff who insist on using soft-serving comments directed at the horrific, murderous politicians, like a shameless Kevin McCarthy needing more facts before supporting civilized gun control legislation. We are dealing with an epidemic of violence that is egregiously enabled by gentlemanly passivity that continues to condone prayers and sympathy as the solution for the escalating number of victims. A multitude of which are innocent children murdered in their classrooms supported by the cowardly inaction of mafioso politicians and NRA goons. How sad that a malicious minority continues to hold our country hostage while we treat their deplorable antics like we treat youngsters learning to play Tee-ball. Where are the proud muckrakers of the past who spearheaded American journalism, and delivered vehement attacks on deadly savagery? Tim Buchanan, Modesto The world as I see it This year is sure passing quickly but we have already determined that whatever feminism is, the best person for the job is a man. The culture of death has never had a finer year. Crime is allowed, drugs are good, and murder is blamed on the weapon instead of the hopelessness of the perpetrator. Abortion, euthanasia, and the exaltation of relationships that cannot give life are the desired activities. Science is now political science: our scientists can only report that which gladdens the hearts of multinational corporations and the necrotic ward healers we elect as our political leaders. The internet is the information superhighway but it has yielded the most smug, self-centered group of Marxists ever. And boy are they dumb. Many social media partakers are illiterate and glorious products of our governmental indoctrination gulags we used to call schools. The religion of global warming has taken a bare scientific observation and expanded it into ideas that are so good they must be made mandatory. Oddly enough, no one can tell us what happens once everyone converts and bows at the feet of our benevolent government, which impoverishes us for our own good. I cant wait to see whats next. Gary Nelson, Modesto Keeping an eye on AI As the newscaster came on the air he announced breaking news but, of course, it was not. It was sadly a report of the daily carnage from violence throughout the world. The second news story presented the lightning-fast development of AI with the remarkable ability to learn to think and behave like humans. There are so many possible benefits to this technology. However, a frightening thought is AI will learn to be as inhumane and violent as humans. While it sounds counterintuitive, do we need AI to teach us how to be more kind, considerate and compassionate toward one another? As the nightly news reports, we are not doing a good job on our own. Lee Ervin, Modesto Ty Warner, executive director of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, speaks on Friday, November 3, 2017, during the Business and Economic Outlook event at the Ivy Tech campus in Valparaiso. (Kyle Telechan/Post Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune) A proposed plan showing how Northwest Indianas transportation and land use could change over the next quarter-century, and how the region could adjust to climate change, is available now. The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission has been working on the update to its 40-year plan, called NWI 2050, for more than a year. Advertisement The federal government requires NIRPC to prepare long-range plans and to update them every four years, NIRPC Executive Director Ty Warner said at the commissions meeting Thursday. Visitors to the Lake, Porter and LaPorte county fairs and several bike stores last summer, and at a few other events since then, saw early versions of the update, called NWI 2050+. Advertisement The update is available at nirpc.org/nwi-2050, and is open for public comment through May 5. Its lengthy. Anyone who wants to print out the entire document will need a ream of paper, as it occupies 506 pages. NIRPCs full commission will be asked to approve the plan at its July 20 meeting. The update comes in six sections active transportation, climate, freight, land use, roads and transit. It includes new emphasis on changes in climate, and in moving freight around the region. Also Thursday, the commission approved a $600,000 contract with Butler, Fairman and Seufert, of Indianapolis, to survey four sections of the planned Marquette Greenway trail between Chicago and Michigan. Those include 3.9 miles in Gary, 1.6 miles in Portage, 3.4 miles in Michigan City and 0.4 miles along U.S. 12 in Michigan. NIRPC was awarded a nearly $18 million federal grant in 2021 to work on sections of the trail, first envisioned in 2003 by former U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky. Advertisement Construction companies could submit proposal next year to design and build the trail segments. At the meetings end, commission attorney David Hollenbeck commemorated the life of Dennis Rittenmeyer, the former president of Calumet College of St. Joseph, who died recently. He had been active in regional organizations, including the Regional Development Authority, the Quality of Life Council, the Lake Area United Way, and the Regional Bus Authority. Rittenmeyer was a leader in being attuned to regional projects, and a leader in how we solve projects together, Hollenbeck said. Tim Zorn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Anti-Kremlin protesters staged a rally in Paris on Sunday, urging the EU to slap sanctions on the socialite wife of the Russian deputy defence minister, who they accuse of bypassing sanctions. Timur Ivanov, the deputy defence minister, divorced his wife Svetlana Maniovich in the summer of 2022 in order to shield her from sanctions, according to associates of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Before the divorce Maniovich changed her surname to Ivanova, and the deputy defence minister remains her only source of financial support, the activists said. At a rally organised by Navalny's team on Sunday, several dozen activists gathered outside the presumed home of Maniovich in the French capital's chic seventh district, chanting "sanctions" and holding placards. Anti-Kremlin activists say that Ivanov's wife must be banned from living in Europe and her assets frozen. One placard at the rally said: "Robs in Russia. Kills in Ukraine. Wife in France". "This is a family of a war criminal," Maria Pevchikh, a top Navalny associate, told AFP at the rally. "They should face some sort of punishment and justice for what they are doing." Last December, Navalny's team released an investigation, saying that for years Ivanov's family enjoyed a life of luxury in Europe with vacations in Saint-Tropez, Rolls-Royces and exclusive jewellery. The probe is based on a trove of thousands of Maniovich's emails obtained by the activists. After President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, Ivanov began overseeing -- and profiting from -- construction projects in Ukraine's Mariupol which fell under Moscow's control after a months-long siege, the activists said. After the start of the war, Ivanov's wife went to France where she continues to enjoy a luxury lifestyle, they said. - 'New reality' - In June, 2022, the couple divorced, said Navalny's associates, calling the move a sham. Ivanov and Maniovich, who are raising a young daughter together, did not publicly announce they had called it quits. Story continues Last October, the EU introduced sanctions against Ivanov, 47, describing him as the defence ministry's top official in charge of construction of military facilities. "He is responsible for the Russian war effort at large," said the EU. The fact that Maniovich could bypass EU sanctions was "outrageous and unfair", said Pevchikh, pointing to "a crazy level of corruption which is now combined with war crimes." For weeks, Navalny's team has lobbied the French authorities but received no answer. "Now is not the time to ignore this," Pevchikh said. "We are in the middle of the war." As soon as Maniovich arrived in Paris last March, she went to the appointment-only boutique of world-famous jeweller Joel Arthur Rosenthal to buy a new piece of jewellery, Navalny's team said. She sent an email to Rosenthal's firm JAR, saying her plane was arriving later then scheduled after the EU banned flights to and from Russia. "(A) new reality", she wrote, according to the investigation. "What's the latest I can come today?" as/gw Putin wants to go on the offensive and refuses to go on the defensive According to the ISW, these efforts are being made by both Wagner mercenary company owner Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu, who have partially repaired their earlier strained relationship. Prigozhin said on April 21, that Russia should anchor itself in such a way that it is only possible to tear out (Russian forces from their positions) with the claws of the opponent. His comment came just after a Ramstein-format summit, where Ukrainian partner nations discussed training even more Ukrainian military personnel and providing continuous military support to Ukraine. Prigozhin also noted that Ukraine will try to break up Russian forces and that Russia needs to resist such attacks. Read also: Russia sending elite units to Bakhmut due to heavy PMC Wagner losses ISW analysts noted that recently, Prigozhin has been increasingly alarmist in his recent rhetoric and has made similar statements about the uncertain future of Russian offensive operations in Donbas. Read also: Former Wagner commanders confess to massive war crimes, including killing children Prigozhins calls for strengthening Russian defenses in occupied territories and frequent discussions of the prospects of Ukrainian counteroffensives are notable as they indicate that he is trying to amplify the discussion in the Russian domestic information space, the ISW said. Russia, however, continues to conduct offensive operations in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The Wagner mercenary head wants the Russian war effort switch to a focus on consolidation, building up defenses in currently occupied areas along the front line. Prigozhin is essentially arguing that Russia needs to meet the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive at full strength and try to hold the current frontlines without ending the war or entering into peace negotiations, ISW analysts wrote. Read also: Wagners Prigozhin earned $250 million by plundering African and Middle Eastern countries, FT reports Story continues Prigozhin is also attempting to redefine and undermine some of Putins key maximalist goals in Ukraine namely the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine likely to minimize the informational impact that might result from going over to the defensive and abandoning efforts to gain more ground now, the ISW added. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense has reportedly announced its intention to recruit 400,000 contract servicemen to ensure that Russia has enough personnel to defend existing front lines and effectively freeze current gains in Ukraine. There have also been reports that the Russian military command is transferring conscripts to maintain positions in Crimea and possibly planning to prepare other resources to hold certain lines during the potential Ukrainian counteroffensive. Read also: UK lawyers trying to block YouTube videos promoting Wagner PMC The ISW believes there has been an improvement in Prigozhins relations with the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Kremlin since the beginning of April. In particular, the Ministry of Defense began to directly acknowledge the presence of Wagners forces in their daily reports on the situation and provided the PMC with ammunition and so-called mobiks (recruits) for reinforcement in early April. Russian troops continue exhaustive attacks on Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka in Donetsk Oblast, as well as limited offensive operations in Luhansk and the western part of Donetsk oblasts, despite growing concerns about the potential threat of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka do not provide significant operational advantages to Russian forces, and any minor tactical advantages there are unlikely to enhance the ability of Russian troops to defend against a Ukrainian counteroffensive, the analysts 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 At a March 21 White House Conservation in Action Summit, President Joe Biden stated his support for healthy and abundant salmon runs in the Columbia River basin, with the support of Tribal leaders, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell of Washington, and Idahos Rep. Mike Simpson. This is a significant step that shows how important the plight of Northwest salmon and steelhead is at the highest levels of government. Engagement from Biden and other top officials is crucial not just for salmon, but for communities across the region who could be impacted by restoration efforts, including breaching of the four lower Snake River dams to restore a free-flowing river. As part of this effort, its crucial that the energy, transportation, and irrigation services provided by the dams are replaced to ensure no communities are left behind. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) is in prime position to ensure that his constituents needs are taken care of, or that theyre even better off than they are now. But instead of helping craft a prosperous future for the Northwest, Newhouse doubled down on his longtime, short-sighted resistance to the coming change. Rather than collaborate on historic change that would satisfy all interests, restore abundant salmon, and end continued litigation on this issue, Newhouse is putting his head in the sand and his constituents at risk. Newhouse does his constituents a disservice by lying to them about the current status of endangered salmon and steelhead. In a March 21 press release, Newhouse claimed that salmon returns are higher than theyve been in years. At best, this is misleading. At worst, it shows Newhouses failure to comprehend or care about the catastrophic loss of wild salmon in the region and what that could mean for his district. Of 2 million wild salmon and steelhead that once returned each year to the Snake River, less than 1% remain. The overall number of wild fish returning to the Snake each year has not significantly changed since they were listed under the Endangered Species Act thirty years ago, despite $18 billion spent on recovery programs in that time. This years Snake River steelhead run is expected to be the worst in history and other wild fish returns are forecast to decline, continuing a years-long downward trend. Make no mistake, these fish are on the verge of extinction, and the government is legally obligated to protect and restore them. This is the status quo that Newhouse is defending: salmon on the edge of extinction, dams aging and producing more and more expensive power, and the whole region on the hook for billions of dollars in ineffective recovery project funding. Thats not what leadership looks like. President Biden is standing by his Administrations commitments to restore salmon in the Pacific Northwest, to honor promises made long ago to indigenous Tribes, and to vitalize the regions enormous recreation economy. To do that, science says we need to breach the lower Snake River dams. We can do that while fully replacing their services and ensuring no one gets left behind. Seeing that future takes vision, a trait Rep. Newhouse hasnt shown. Hopefully, he starts to see that the status quo isnt tenable before he and his constituents find themselves run over by the change coming from leaders who recognize that for salmon, extinction isnt an option. Mitch Cutter is a Salmon & Steelhead Associate with the Idaho Conservation League. African Queens: Queen Cleopatra director Tina Gharavi is addressing the casting of biracial Black actress Adele James as the titular Greek-Egyptian ruler. The trailer for Netflix docuseries Queen Cleopatra caused a stir and led to allegations that the streamer was blackwashing the heritage of Queen Cleopatra VII. Egyptian scholars claim that Cleopatra, who was born in Egyptian city Alexandria in 69 BCE, was born of European descent and not Black. Historians have confirmed that Cleopatra was Macedonian-Greek on her father Ptolemy XIIs side but her mothers ethnic origin is unknown. More from IndieWire Egyptian lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a complaint with the nations public prosecutor to request that Netflix be blocked in Egypt due to the promotion of Afrocentric thinking including slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity. Two petitions to Cancel Netflixs Queen Cleopatra circulated with more than 88,000 signatures combined. Queen Cleopatra director Gharavi spoke out on the political backlash to the docuseries. Gharavi cited Elizabeth Taylors iconic portrayal of the ancient queen in 1963 epic Cleopatra, which made history as one of the most expensive films ever made at the time, as a direct influence to helming Queen Cleopatra. I remember as a kid seeing Elizabeth Taylor play Cleopatra. I was captivated, but even then, I felt the image was not right. Was her skin really that white? director Tina Gharavi wrote in an op-ed for Variety. With this new production, could I find the answers about Cleopatras heritage and release her from the stranglehold that Hollywood had placed on her image? The Persian-Iranian director continued, After 300 years, surely, we can safely say Cleopatra was Egyptian. She was no more Greek or Macedonian than Rita Wilson or Jennifer Aniston. Both are one generation from Greece. Why shouldnt Cleopatra be a melanated sister? And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white? Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians it seems to really matter. Story continues Gharavi speculated, Perhaps, its not just that Ive directed a series that portrays Cleopatra as Black, but that I have asked Egyptians to see themselves as Africans, and they are furious at me for that. I am OK with this. Gharavi confirmed that during production, she became the target of a huge online hate campaign with Egyptian citizens accusing her of stealing their history. Some threatened to ruin my career which I wanted to tell them was laughable. I was ruining it very well for myself, thank you very much! she said. No amount of reasoning or reminders that Arab invasions had not yet happened in Cleopatras age seemed to stem the tide of ridiculous comments. Amir in his bedroom in Cairo wrote to me to earnestly appeal that Cleopatra was Greek! Oh, Lawd! Why would that be a good thing to you, Amir? Youre Egyptian. Gharavi gave insight into casting biracial Black actress Adele James as Cleopatra. After much hang-wringing and countless auditions, we found in Adele James an actor who could convey not only Cleopatras beauty, but also her strength, Gharavi said. What the historians can confirm is that it is more likely that Cleopatra looked like Adele than Elizabeth Taylor ever did. She summed up, So, was Cleopatra Black? We dont know for sure, but we can be certain she wasnt white like Elizabeth Taylor. We need to have a conversation with ourselves about our colorism, and the internalized white supremacy that Hollywood has indoctrinated us with. Lead actress James took to Twitter on April 13 to respond to backlash at her casting, writing, Cleopatra was a queen, not a slave. If you dont like the casting dont watch the show. Or do & engage in (expert) opinion different to yours. Either way, IM GASSED and will continue to be! Queen Cleopatra is narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith, who told Netflixs Tudum that the project was to represent Black women. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A woman on Reddit after sharing her story came back to the social media platform and explained in an edit that the community opened her eyes to her inappropriate actions toward her own daughter. And now, she said she's made amends. A woman describing herself as 43 years old said she has two children, a daughter who's 21 and a son who's 17. She did not share her location. She said she and her daughter's father split up "shortly after [the daughter] was born, and I met my now-husband when she was about a year old." REDDIT USER SLAMMED FOR WANTING TO SELL A FAMILY HEIRLOOM IN ORDER TO PAY FOR A LAVISH DESTINATION WEDDING The woman on Reddit went on, "Due to work and life circumstances, [the daughter] primarily stayed with her father but visited us on the weekends when she was younger. Shes an incredibly bright girl, she [already] has her AA [associate's degree], shes about to graduate with her BA and shes been accepted into a master's program that starts in the fall." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Added the mother, "Im so proud of her. I cant say that enough." A woman on Reddit (not pictured) is trying to make up for her behavior toward her own daughter after the social media community chided her for her words and actions. However, the woman went on, her son "is graduating from high school this year, and I found out that his graduation is a few days after my daughters. We dont live very close by anymore, so it would be back-and-forth flights, which just doesnt feel practical." The mother added that since her daughter is "getting another degree, Ive told her that Ill attend her next graduation, but this time Im just going to attend her brothers, since graduating [from] high school is such a big step" for him. The woman said her daughter "seemed a little upset at first, but she told me it was fine and that she understood." REDDIT USERS SLAM MAN WHO TRICKED GIRLFRIEND INTO EATING FOOD SHE HATES: 'VIOLATION OF TRUST,' SAYS EXPERT Then, however, the woman's "ex called me later and told me that I wasnt considering [the daughter's] feelings in the slightest," she wrote. Story continues He told her that their daughter's high school graduation in 2020 was "canceled due to [the COVID] lockdown, then her ceremony for her AA was virtual for the same reason so now that shes finally having one, my not going has really hurt her." People on Reddit said they did not like the way a mother (not pictured) treated her own daughter with regard to the girl's college graduation. The woman shared that she told her ex "that Id go to her next one, and that its not fair that I just not show up for her brother." However, the ex wasn't taking that. He told the woman, she related, "that its more than possible for me to come see [the daughter] graduate and then fly back in time to see my son do the same. My thing is that yes, its possible but it isnt practical." REDDIT USER RECLINES HIS FIRST-CLASS AIRLINE SEAT, PASSENGER BEHIND HIM ORDERS HIM TO RAISE IT BACK UP Apparently the daughter again told her mom "that she is a little upset about it, which is why she vented to her dad but she apologized for making it an issue." Said the mother, "I dont know how to feel about this now. Am I being an [a--hole] here?" Wrote one person on Reddit about the behavior of the mother (not pictured) toward her daughter, "Sometimes part of being a parent is for your life to get extremely busy. It's only for a few days you can deal with it." Fox News Digital reached out a psychologist for professional insight into this family drama. Dr. Jayme Albin, PhD, a clinical psychologist in New York City, told Fox News Digital about the dilemma, "This mother is kidding her self if she thinks promising to attend her daughter's next major accomplishment is amply sufficient to make up for not honoring her accomplishment now." Albin continued, "No one said all decisions need to be based on whats the most practical, especially when it comes to raising your children. She clearly outlined the imbalance of time in her daughters life, yet is looking to focus on whats best and most practical to her." REDDIT POSTER SAYS RECENT STRUGGLES PROMPTED DAD TO SAY LOVE YOU MORE IT MEANS SO MUCH Said Dr. Albin, "Not only is she putting her own needs way before her daughter's emotional needs, but she is creating a bad dynamic between her children by making one [seem] more important than the other or maybe [the son is] just more convenient." On the Reddit "AITA" subreddit, people can reply to posts and indicate the poster is "NTA" ("Not the A--hole"), "YTA" ("You're the A--hole"), "NAH" ("No A--holes Here") or "ESH" ("Everyone Sucks Here"). Overwhelmingly, Redditors found this woman to be the "AH" for her behavior. More than 7,000 people reacted with nearly 4,000 people posting comments. Wrote one commenter someone with whom many others agreed "It isnt fair to pick between your son and daughter. If its possible to go to both [graduations], then you should. Even if it doesnt seem practical." More than 7,000 reactions poured in on Reddit to a woman's post about how she had chosen to attend her son's high school graduation and not her daughter's college graduation. "What a lousy parent," someone wrote on the site. This same commenter wrote, "My other question is why is it even relevant which parent she grew up with primarily? Both are your children." Wrote another person quite vehemently, "Sometimes part of being a parent is for your life to get extremely busy. It's only for a few days you can deal with it." This same individual added, "This is a milestone in [the daughter's] life and you're not going to bother because it's an inconvenience for you?" REDDIT USER ASKS HER ADULT DAUGHTER TO PAY HALF THE MONTHLY RENT AND UTILITIES - FAMILY DRAMA ENSUES This person went on, "Choosing between your children is just a sh---- thing to do, especially when you admit it's entirely possible to go to both." Wrote yet another commenter, "I suspect [the original poster] has a long history of playing favorites as well." This commenter went on, "Also, am I the only one who suspects due to life and work circumstances is just code for 'I didn't want her interfering with my new family?'" Said someone else quite bluntly, "What a lousy parent." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Later, after her original post and after the responses flooded in, the woman came back and added a new piece of the personal puzzle. "My daughter found this post, which wasn't my intention, but I did reach out to her to apologize for not being considerate of how this was going to make her feel." The mother added, "I'm going to fly out earlier to spend more time with her and to attend her graduation ceremony." KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv's long-awaited spring counteroffensive. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with stable supply lines to their positions. Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country's south. Responding to Ukrainian media reports proclaiming that the establishment of such positions indicated the counteroffensive had begun, Natalia Humeniuk, the spokeswoman for Ukraines Operational Command South, called for patience. While neither confirming nor denying the ISW report, she said only that details of military operations in the Dnieper delta couldn't be disclosed for operational and security reasons. Speaking on Ukrainian television, Humeniuk added that it was very difficult work when its necessary to overcome an obstacle such as the Dnieper, when the front line passes through a wide and powerful river. The Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region, one of four parts of Ukraine that Russia said it was illegally annexing in September, denied on Sunday that Ukrainian forces have established a foothold on the east bank of the Dnieper. In a Telegram update, Vladimir Saldo said that Russian forces are in full control of the area, and speculated that the images referenced by the ISW may have depicted Ukrainian sabotage units that managed to take a selfie across the Dnieper before being forced back. Story continues After more than a year since the Russian invasion, recent fighting has become a war of attrition, with neither side able to gain momentum. But Ukraine has recently received sophisticated weapons from its Western allies, and new troops freshly trained in the West, giving rise to growing anticipation of a counteroffensive. American-made Patriot missiles arrived in Ukraine last week and military spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said Sunday on Ukrainian television that some have already gone into battlefield service. The U.S. agreed in October to send the surface-to-air systems, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles such as those that Russia has used to bombard residential areas and the Ukrainian power grid. The fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense. On Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed Moscow's forces had captured two more neighborhoods in the western part of Bakhmut, without providing further details or clarifying what areas were still in Ukrainian hands. In the south, the Dnieper has for months marked the contact line in the Kherson region, where its namesake capital is regularly pummeled by shelling from Russian forces stationed across the river. In addition to having established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, across the Dnieper delta from Kherson, ISW said that Ukrainian troops were also approaching the nearby village of Dachi, citing data from Russian military bloggers. In Telegram posts on Thursday and Saturday, ISW said the bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had maintained these positions for weeks and established stable supply lines to them, indicating a lack of Russian control over the area. The Associated Press confirmed the posts from the bloggers, but it wasn't immediately possible to independently verify the data they shared. Russia is also expected to launch more intensive attacks in the spring, but ISW reported that top Russian defense figures are showing signs that they may be pushing for a consolidation of existing gains in Ukraine, rather than costly new operations, as Moscow struggles with both material and manpower. The think tank cited comments from financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut. On Saturday, Prigozhin's press service posted comments he made on its official Telegram channel in which he argued that Russian forces need to anchor (themselves) in such a way that it is only possible to tear them out with (the) opponent's claws. The interview was published shortly after Western leaders meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany pledged to train more Ukrainian personnel and keep up their military support for Kyiv. As Moscow seeks to bolster its troop numbers, the U.K. Ministry of Defense noted Sunday in an intelligence briefing that Russian authorities had mounted a large-scale military recruitment campaign using social media, billboards and state television. It said Russian officials are almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent, while assessing that this latest effort would likely fail to meet the defense ministry's stated goal of recruiting 400,000 new volunteers. In attacks overnight, local authorities in eastern Ukraine reported that Russian forces had launched at least five S-300 missiles at Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city and the surrounding region. The missiles damaged an industrial facility and private homes but caused no casualties, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the Kharkiv regional governor. In Kherson, one civilian was killed and two were wounded as Russian troops used artillery, drones and warplanes to launch a total of 54 strikes on the province, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram on Sunday morning. Russian forces on Saturday and overnight also dropped five guided aerial bombs over the Kherson region, Ukraines Operational Command South said in a Facebook post Sunday. According to the post, the bombs were launched from drones and aircraft and damaged multiple residential buildings, but caused no casualties. Also in the Kherson region, two women, ages 85 and 57, were hospitalized after being wounded in a Russian artillery attack that damaged a local school and about 25 residential buildings in the village of Kizomys, Prokudin said in a Telegram post. In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Russian shelling wounded a 56-year-old man in Stepnohirsk, a town on the banks of the Dnieper river, local Gov. Yurii Malashko wrote on Telegram. ___ Joanna Kozlowska reported from London. ___ A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the Kremlin-installed head of the Kherson region made the comments on Telegram, not to RIA. Battles raging in Sudan have sparked several evacuation operations to rescue foreign citizens or embassy staff by road, air and sea. The main airport in the capital Khartoum has been the site of heavy fighting and is under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that is battling the army. Some evacuations are taking place from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, an 850 kilometre (530 mile) drive from Khartoum. Here is an overview of what various nations were doing in efforts to take stranded citizens to safety. - Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia led the first reported successful evacuation with naval operations picking up more than 150 people including foreign diplomats and officials from Port Sudan on Saturday. Riyadh 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. - United States - On Sunday, the US military sent three Chinook helicopters to evacuate American embassy staff from Khartoum. More than 100 US forces took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw the choppers flying from Djibouti to Ethiopia to Sudan, where they stayed on the ground for less than an hour. Several thousand US citizens including dual nationals are thought to remain in the country. - France - Around 100 people of multiple nationalities have been evacuated from Sudan on a first French flight out of the country, a French foreign ministry official said on Sunday, with a second flight of another 100 people planned to leave Sunday evening. - Britain - The British army has evacuated UK embassy staff and their families in a "complex and rapid" operation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a tweet. - Turkey - Ankara began operations at dawn on Sunday, taking some of its estimated 600 nationals by road from two Khartoum districts and the southern city of Wad Madani. Story continues But plans were postponed from one site in Khartoum after "explosions" near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said. - EU, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Greece - The European Union said Sunday there were "efforts to coordinate" evacuations. Seven EU members have missions in Sudan. The Netherlands' Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said a "handful" of Dutch people had been evacuated on a French aircraft, with another group leaving Khartoum by road in a UN convoy. Germany began evacuating citizens, the defence and foreign ministries tweeted Sunday, following an aborted attempt to transfer 150 Germans on Wednesday. Sweden's defence minister told AFP on Sunday "140 to 150" soldiers were mobilised to evacuate diplomats and other Swedish nationals. Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome was planning to evacuate "about 200 people" including Italians, Swiss and representatives of the Vatican in a military operation on Sunday. The Greek foreign ministry said a first group of evacuees has "left Sudan with the assistance of France". The Irish government is deploying 12 defence personnel to Djibouti to help evacuate 150 citizens in Sudan, a foreign ministry statement said. - Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia - Egypt's foreign ministry said Sunday 436 citizens had been evacuated by land, having previously said over 10,000 Egyptians live in the neighbouring country. A member of Cairo's diplomatic mission was previously shot, the ministry said, without providing further details. Egypt's military on Wednesday evacuated 177 of its soldiers from Sudan. Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman Sinan Majali said Saturday that Amman had begun the evacuation of some 300 Jordanian citizens, adding there was "continuous cooperation with the UAE and Saudi Arabia". Iraqi embassy staff left Khartoum on Saturday, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahhaf said, while on Sunday, 14 citizens arrived in Port Sudan. An Iraqi was killed in Khartoum "due to current events", Sahhaf told AFP Sunday, without providing further details. Lebanon said 60 citizens had also left Khartoum by road, ahead of their evacuation by sea. The Libyan embassy in Khartoum on Friday said it had evacuated 83 Libyans from the capital, taking them to Port Sudan. The Tunisian embassy has announced an evacuation operation planned for Monday to extract citizens remaining in the country, after some had left aboard Saudi ships. - China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia - Other foreign countries preparing evacuations include South Korea and Japan, which have deployed forces to nearby countries. India said it had two air force planes "on standby" in Saudi Arabia and a navy ship had arrived in Port Sudan, but any evacuations "would depend on the security situation", according to a foreign ministry statement. The Sudanese army has said it is also coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from China. Indonesia said 43 citizens were sheltering inside the embassy compound in Khartoum. burs-pjm/ami/jsa Elon Musk says he donated $100 million to Ukraine King suggested donating money for his paid blue checkmark verification on Twitter to the fund of Serhiy Prytula, a Ukrainian actor and TV personality known for social activism and charitable causes in Ukraine. Read also: Famed author Stephen King praises Bidens surprise visit to Kyiv Musks response early on April 23 (Kyiv time) was: Ive donated $100M to Ukraine, how much have you donated? In his response to King, Musk also retweeted a message from Ukraines Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, dated Oct. 24, 2022, in which Fedorov thanked Musk for financing the operation of Starlink satellite internet terminals in Ukraine. Musks SpaceX company provided them to Kyiv at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Read also: Musk says he will continue to finance Starlink in Ukraine King earlier noted that he had retained his blue verified checkmark, despite not asking for it. Musk soon fired back that he had paid for Kings verification himself. A blue check now costs users $8 per month. Critics of the change to the system say it allows users to impersonate others and encourages the spread of disinformation on Twitter. Since scrapping the legacy blue check verification markings on April 20, verified accounts impersonating former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a New York government organization have appeared on the site. Read also: Elon Musks tweets on Russian invasion of Ukraine spark social media scandal Among those losing their verified status on April 20 was Pope Francis, the leader of the worlds 1 billion Roman Catholics. Meanwhile, famous UK actor Sir Ian McKellen, who has 4 million followers on the site, said he had also regained his blue check mark despite not paying for it. Despite the implication when you click the blue badge that has mysteriously re-appeared beside my name, I am not paying for the honour, McKellen tweeted on April 23. Last fall, after Musk acquired Twitter, the platform introduced the option to purchase a blue checkmark, which was previously used to verify an account, for eight dollars. Story continues Read also: Blinken says he had talks with Musk on use of Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine In other recent editorial developments on Twitter, tags that notified users that an account was linked to propaganda outlets have been removed. Also, the accounts of several propaganda outlets, such as Russias government-controlled TASS agency, have had tags that mark them as state-controlled media removed. 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 Georgia lawmakers say they were overwhelmed Saturday by multiple car crashes and a shooting on Highway 80 as thousands made their way to Orange Crush on Tybee Island. Orange Crush, the unofficial beach bash for HBCU students, returned to Tybee Island this weekend, bringing many visitors. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] City officials told WJCL that the event was unpermitted, however, they prepared law enforcement, firefighters, and more to keep everyone safe. While authorities prepared for the beachs chaos, the road to the party was a different story. According to authorities, at 1:30 p.m. on Highway 80 to Tybee Island, seven people were taken to the hospital after a sprinter van and muscle car collided, causing a traffic chain reaction. WJCL reported that children were possibly ejected in the crash. TRENDING STORIES: Following the collision, WJCL said one person who was stuck in the traffic began to do doughnuts in the road but lost control and hit another car, causing more delays on Highway 80. As the delays continued to grow, police said those stuck in traffic began to party by getting on top of their cars and dancing. At 8 p.m., authorities said while the traffic was still backed up on Highway 80 near Fort Pulaski, a woman was shot in the back while in a car with five other people. I have been overwhelmed with calls, texts and messages over the last two hours related to Orange Crush on Tybee Island, State Representative Jesse Petrea said on Facebook at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. There are numerous reports of lewd behavior, drugs, road rage, etc. To be clear, I have spoken with Georgia State Patrol leadership. GSP was not asked to assist Tybee in this event. Now, the island is inaccessible. However, our GSP crime unit was requested to help this weekend in Savannah and is doing so tonight. Story continues [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Petrea added that Governor Brian Kemp also personally ordered additional GSP troopers to Highway 80 to ensure traffic laws were obeyed. Police told WJCL they arrested 38-year-old Adam Bauer concerning the shooting on Highway 80 and charged him with six counts of aggravated assault. The identities of all victims involved have not been released. IN OTHER NEWS: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who last week launched his 2024 bid for the White House, is taking aim at an area that has been viewed as a weakness for President Joe Biden the economy. But Kennedy Jr. didn't focus his complaints on factors Biden is typically blamed for, such as inflation and the higher cost of living. He instead blamed the COVID-19 lockdowns that began during the Trump administration. "The strength of a nation comes from a strong economy and a vibrant middle class, and we have wiped out the middle class in the country systematically," Kennedy said on Fox News Saturday. Kennedy, 69, who opposed vaccine mandates during the pandemic, said the COVID-19 lockdowns hurt the middle class and boosted the wealthy. Exclusive: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launches unlikely presidential bid backed by 14% of Biden voters Attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the New York State Capitol, May 14, 2019, in Albany, N.Y. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and scion of one of the countrys most famous political families, is running for president. Kennedy, a Democrat, filed a statement of candidacy Wednesday, April 6, 2023, with the Federal Election Commission. Could Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defeat Donald Trump? "Im in a better position to run against Donald Trump than any of the Democrats because I can hold him accountable for the worst thing that he did, which was the lockdowns," Kennedy said. Biden, who defeated former President Donald Trump in 2020 by more than 7 million votes, could also make the argument that he's in a good position to run against Trump given that he won the last presidential election. Biden is expected to launch his bid Tuesday. Coming up: President Biden preparing to announce '24 reelection campaign in video next week Though Kennedy is considered a longshot challenger to Biden, the son of one of the most famous names in American politics said polling and principles show he has a message. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll last week shows 14 percent of Biden voters would support Kennedy Jr. That's not a big threat to Biden, but it's a high amount for an unlikely candidate and signals some restlessness among voters who may be looking for a change. Kennedy Jr., the son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, has built a political brand by leading debunked conspiracy theories that childhood vaccines cause autism. But he says he's running for the highest office in the country to spread the truth. Story continues "Like my dad ran on principle, he did not believe that he could win. And his objective was to tell the truth to the American people," he said on Fox News. "And thats what Im going to do. And if theres an appetite for that, Ill be in the White House in 2025." Biden v. Trump: Big challenges, but opposite ones, as 2024 rematch begins - Poll Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says middle class was 'wiped out' during COVID A Japanese civil group held a rally in Tokyo 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. Romanian lawmaker Sosoaca yells According to the outlet, the statement came after the senator experienced technical troubles and jibes from fellow lawmakers during a parliamentary meeting. Sosoaca, who had approached a microphone to speak to her colleagues, could not locate the agenda or documents on her laptop that was set to be discussed, prompting one senator to comment that her VPN must be broken, seeing as it must have been set "on the Moscow regime and therefore not working, likely poking fun of the senators known connections to the regime of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Read also: Romania requests Ukraine to revise ethnic minorities legislation This prompted Sosoaca to call back that she was logging into the parliamentary wi-fi network. A VPN set to Russia on her laptop, therefore, would mean that "this chamber is directly connected with Putin, and has Moscows VPN, the senator exclaimed. So, the Senate has betrayed us. It's Putin's Senate, this is Putin's laptop, with Putin's VPN, with Putin's Wi-Fi. Glory to Moscow, she fumed. Read also: Romania denies reports Russian missile entered its airspace during mass attack on Ukraine In March 2023, Sosoaca submitted a bill that proposed the annexation of part of Ukrainian territory, namely northern Bukovyna, Hertsa, Budjak (Kagul, Bolgrad, Izmail), historical Maramures and Zmiinyi (Snake) Island. In response, Ukraines Foreign Ministry called for the government to impose sanctions against the Romanian senator as a national security threat. Sosoaca has been voluminous criticism from both Romanian and foreign officials for her ties to the Kremlin. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she, together with another three parliamentarians, met with the Russian ambassador in Bucharest in order to discuss the "Romanian position of neutrality." 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 United Nations is accustomed to oddity, absurdity and a certain amount of hypocrisy. But the eye-rolling is hitting epic levels this month as Russia has taken over the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council and used it to defend its war on Ukraine. Already, the Kremlin has held sessions to cast its abductions of Ukrainian children as a protective measure and accuse Western countries of being irresponsible on arms control by sending weapons to Kyiv. Another shot looms Monday, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to chair a Security Council meeting on defending the principles of the U.N. Charter a pact designed in part to prevent wars. Theyre trying to troll us, an American official familiar with the U.S. operations at the United Nations said in describing the Russian tactics. Theyre picking topics where they know some of their most egregious actions in this war are centered, and theyre trying to flip the narrative on its head. Were not going to fall for it. Its a nasty moment of diplomacy, added Peter Yeo, senior vice president at the United Nations Foundation who watches the world bodys proceedings closely. In the long run, he predicted, I dont think its going to go over well. The Security Council is the United Nations most powerful organ. Its authorities include everything from ordering peacekeeping missions to imposing sanctions to referring war crimes cases to international courts. Russias turn at the presidency is the result of long-set rules: The Security Councils presidency rotates each month among the 15 members based on where their countries names fall on the English alphabet. The country that holds the presidency can heavily shape the months agenda by picking themes to emphasize. But, generally speaking, council presidents do convene meetings on subjects they dont like when other members request it. Still, the council presidency is an ideal platform for Russia as it tries to convince many countries to either support its war on Ukraine or avoid taking any meaningful action to undermine Moscow. Story continues U.S. officials and their allies are having to make choices about how or whether to respond to Russias bully pulpit. Its not an easy calculation: Ignoring Russia risks allowing its version of reality to spread unchallenged; debating it risks drawing more attention to the Russian view. The Russians brush off the criticisms, saying that if the United States and its allies are annoyed, its because their pro-Ukraine arguments are getting old and tired. There are some Western colleagues who make it a little bit personal, especially during the open meetings, Dmitry Polyanskiy, a senior Russian diplomat at the United Nations, said in an interview. But I think this trend is a little bit wearing off lately because of general fatigue of the Ukrainian crisis. Russia one of the five permanent, veto-wielding members of the Security Council last held the council presidency in February 2022, the month it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia was chairing a meeting of the council at the very moment the Kremlin began its assault Feb. 24. Russias U.N. diplomats acknowledged the fighting, but they kept the proceedings rolling, including letting Ukraines representative speak at length. According to a State Department official familiar with the planning, the U.S. strategy for Russias presidency this month has involved relying heavily on adjusting its level of participation as a way to signal Washingtons discontent. That has meant sending lower-ranking diplomats, rather than U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, to certain sessions. Those diplomats have then walked out at key points, said the official, who, like others quoted in this article, was granted anonymity to describe sensitive diplomatic conversations. In an early snub, Thomas-Greenfield skipped a traditional breakfast the Russians held to mark the start of their presidency April 3. On April 5, Russia held an informal session on the fate of thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia. Moscow insists it took the children for their own safety and will eventually return them to their families. To make its case, Russia asked one of the top people overseeing the transfers, Maria Lvova-Belova, to brief the meeting remotely. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Lvova-Belova as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin over the child transfers. The United States and Britain vociferously objected, and they sent lower-level delegates who walked out when Lvova-Belova spoke. Britain, later joined by the United States, refused to allow the U.N. to broadcast the event on its official website, a European diplomat familiar with the U.N. process said. Traditionally, such informal sessions are broadcast on U.N. sites unless a council member objects. Blocking one is rare. A few days later, Russia held a formal session on arms control, accusing Western adversaries of endangering the world by pumping Ukraine full of weapons. That drew bitter retorts from the U.S. and its allies, who noted that they were trying to help Ukraine defend itself against a Russian invasion. A Thomas-Greenfield deputy, Robert Wood, represented Washington at the gathering. He aired concerns about Russias own efforts to obtain weapons from Iran and North Korea. For Mondays session, Russias ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, has promised a discussion on the formation of a new multipolar world order based on sovereign equality, equal rights and self-determination, justice and security, friendly relations and cooperation between nations. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to brief those gathered. Its unclear whether Thomas-Greenfield will represent the United States at the sessions Lavrov will chair Monday or one Tuesday on the Middle East. She might send an underling or no one at all. But U.S. officials know that although Russia may use the moment to promote its vision of the world, they can use it to call out the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine as a violation of the very U.N. Charter that Russia claims to champion. Its all about finding the right balance in the response, said the American official familiar with the U.S. operations at the United Nations. We wont grind things to a halt, but we will respond proportionately, the U.S. official said. A non-American U.N.-based diplomat said that while Russia may be acting cynically with some of its agenda items, it would be unwise to put a blockade on all Security Council business. I mean, look at Sudan right now. Look at the situation in Afghanistan. There has been another missile test from [North Korea], the diplomat said. Boycotting the council is not going to do anything to the current tensions on every continent. Nebenzia pledged at the start of the monthlong presidency that Russia would act professionally. He also drew a comparison to the year the U.S. and its allies invaded Iraq a war Washington said was about preventing Iraq from using weapons of mass destruction it turned out not to have. I would like to remind that in 2003, both U.K. and U.S. were presidents of the Security Council in September and October consecutively. Nobody raised the question of their legitimacy to hold the presidency, the Russian envoy said. Ukrainian officials did not respond to a request for comment for this story, but they have in the past described the Russian Security Council presidency as a farce. The U.S. official said that, if anything, its more evidence of the need for a stated American goal: changing the structure of the United Nations. It is crazy that Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council after they grossly violated the U.N. Charter, the official said. This is really one of many manifestations of how the Security Council and the U.N. broadly need reform. Defenders of the United Nations note that, ultimately, it is a forum, and they argue that blaming it for the actions of its member states is like blaming a stadium for the performance of the teams that play there. But the U.N.s setup also means that human rights-abusing countries may serve on panels that promote human rights and that there are often disagreements over what certain texts and rules actually mean such as what qualifies as sovereignty or war. The Russians insist theyre not the real aggressor in Ukraine. They say thats the government in Kyiv, and that Moscow is defending itself in what it calls a special military operation, not a war. When major world powers are feuding, key U.N. bodies can become paralyzed. Russia, for instance, has used its veto to prevent the Security Council from taking meaningful action on Ukraine. Still, Moscow has found itself in many ways isolated at the United Nations over the past year. The United States and its allies have maneuvered around the Security Council, turning to the broader U.N. General Assembly to push through multiple resolutions condemning Russia with more than 140 votes. Russia has a long tradition of claiming legal justifications for its actions, an adherence to procedure evident in its U.N. moves. For instance, when it came to the contentious topic of Ukrainian children, the Russians raised the matter in an arria meeting. That is an informal session and sidesteps potential votes that could have blocked speakers such as Lvova-Belova. In a sense, the Russians are playing by the rules in formal meetings while using these informal meetings to create upsets, said Richard Gowan, a U.N. analyst with the International Crisis Group. He added, though, that Russia seems to want to maintain some level of comity. They are lucky that it is not a month with massively sensitive votes coming up, Gowan said. They left a lot of days empty. That looks to me like a deliberate effort to avoid excessive controversy. Yuriy Ihnat Russia will use any means for reinforcement, but missile manufacturing is a quite slow process, which is further complicated by sanctions pressure, Ihnat said. Read also: Russia plans more missile barrages this autumn military expert Russia launched a large number of missiles in autumn and winter, he said. It won't be able to amass even a third (of missiles it had) in time left until the fall. While Russia could also ask other countries for additional weapons, even this wouldn't help to restore its pre-war stocks, Ihnat said. Read also: Russia receives new batch of Shahed attack drones from Iran, Humeniuk says "They will manage to amass something, but it is unlikely they will have the same potential as before, which they had accumulated over decades," he said. Since the beginning of spring, Russian troops have been employing new tactics to carry attacks on Ukrainian territory, Ukraines Air Force has reported. Now the Russian military is mainly attacking with short-range S-300 surface-to-air missiles, which they have to launch not far behind the frontline or border. That's why the southern, eastern and northern regions of Ukraine suffer the most, from these missile attacks, Ukraines Air Force says. Read also: Russia revives mothballed X-50 missile in urgent need to replace depleted long-range missile stocks Air Force While the missiles from the S-300 air defense system are primarily intended to attack targets in the air, they can be configured to attack ground targets. As such, they are effectively used as short-range ballistic missiles. However, in this mode, the missiles are inaccurate. There have been numerous cases of such missiles hitting Ukrainian residential buildings, causing multiple civilian deaths. Ukraine says that such attacks are intended to terrorize the civilian population, and are not aimed at legitimate military targets. Read also: Russia stunned by extent U.S. intelligence has penetrated the Kremlin, says expert about intel leaks 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 journalists were not issued visas to cover Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs participation in UN events in New York. Russian government officials have promised to take retaliatory measures. Source: Interfax, citing Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; RIA Novosti, a Russian propaganda outlet, citing Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and a source in Russian diplomatic circles Quote from Ryabkov: "Americans resorted to another outrageous, absolutely unacceptable trick during the preparations for Russian Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrovs participation in events marking Russias presidency of the UN Security Council, which is coming to an end. A group of Russian journalists who were supposed to accompany Lavrov on this trip were denied visas at the very last moment. The Americans pretended that they were working and that a solution would soon be found." Details: Ryabkov said that this was a "taunt", a "mockery" and "another reflection of the fact that [our] colleagues in Washington should not be trusted, and moreover are not worth listening to". "I insist that we will find ways to respond to this so that the Americans learn once and for all that this is unacceptable. They will remember this," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said. Meanwhile, Lavrov said in response to the US decision that "We will not forget, we will not forgive". An anonymous Russian diplomat told RIA Novosti that following the visa incident, Russia will treat US journalists like the US treated Russian journalists. He said that American journalists will experience the full extent of discomfort and inconvenience for themselves, and will be "treated analogously". Background: On 29 March, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) detained Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, in Yekaterinburg, and a criminal case had been opened against him for espionage. The Moscow court ordered to detain Evan Gershkovich until 29 May. The US Department of State recognized Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained". According to the media, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally approved the arrest of US reporter Evan Gershkovich whom Russia accuses of espionage. On 15 April, the journalist wrote his first letter to his family from the Lefortovo detention centre, and on 17 April, US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited him in the detention centre for the first time. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Reuters) -Russia on Sunday said its forces had advanced in Bakhmut while a top Ukrainian commander said his troops were holding the frontline through the city, all but destroyed in some of the bloodiest combat of the 14-month war. The Russian defence ministry said its forces had secured two blocks in western districts and airborne units were providing reinforcements to the north and south. Russia sees Bakhmut as a stepping stone to more advances in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi shared images on the Telegram messaging app of him poring over a map with three other uniformed men, with the caption "Bakhmut frontline. Our defence continues." "We hit the enemy, often unexpectedly for him, and continue to hold strategic lines," he wrote. Reuters was unable to verify battlefield reports. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the private Wagner military force which is leading the Bakhmut assault, has claimed 80% control of the city. Kyiv has repeatedly denied claims its troops are poised to withdraw. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed to keep defending the city. "It is impossible for us to give up on Bakhmut because this will [help] expand the battle front and will give the Russian forces and Wagner chances to seize more of our lands," Zelenskiy said in an interview with Al Arabiya news channel published on Sunday. Also on Sunday, the Russian-installed head of Ukraine's southern Kherson region denied a report by a U.S. think tank that Ukrainian forces had taken up positions on the Dnipro river's eastern bank. "There is no enemy foothold on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river ... our military completely controls that territory," Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel. Citing Russian military bloggers embedded with Moscow's forces, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine had "established positions" on the eastern bank, though it was not clear "at what scale or with what intentions". Story continues Russia withdrew forces from the western bank last year as part of a series of withdrawals that signified a shift in momentum in Kyiv's favour. Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's southern command, neither confirmed nor denied the report, which she told Ukrainian television foreshadowed "very powerful shelling" in districts around the west bank cities of Kherson and Beryslav. "Reacting to such information, the enemy has significantly intensified its attacks on the opposite bank," she said. Civilians had been injured and about 30 buildings destroyed, including a school, she said. (Reporting by Jake Cordell, Dan Peleschuk, Nick Starkov, Elaine Monaghan and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Diane Craft and Stephen Coates) A Russian drone, considered by Ukrainian authorities to be an Iranian-made Shahed-136, over Kyiv on October 17, 2022. REUTERS/Roman Petushkov Russia used Iranian Shahed exploding drones to strike Ukraine, an ISW report said. It is aiming to "offset the degradation" of its precision munition supply, the think tank said. The Russian military used drones to target Kyiv for the first time in 25 days. Russian forces are using Iranian-made Shahed drones and "other lower-precision systems" to strike Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a recent assessment of the war in Ukraine. The Russian military, which recently targeted Ukraine's capital city Kyiv with the deadly drones for the first time in 25 days on Friday, is using the drones to "offset the degradation of Russia's precision munition supply," the ISW said in the report. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported no damage from the attacks. Ukraine's military shot down 21 drones out of the 26 launched by Russia's military on April 20, and shot down eight of the 12 drones launched the following day, the Ukrainian General Staff reported. Russia has also targeted Odesa, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv oblasts in the attacks, which took place from April 19 to 21, the ISW reported. The Shahed drone is also known as a "kamikaze" drone as it has a warhead packed with explosives on its nose, per the BBC, meaning it will detonate on impact. Iran is becoming a global leader in the production of deadly and effective drones, the Guardian reported in February, despite the country previously denying involvement in Ukraine. Iran's Shahed-136, and its smaller cousin, the Shahed-131, which Russia is also using, are loitering munitions that are a cross between a drone and a missile. According to Insider's Michael Peck the armaments have a camera in their nose and they orbit a target like a drone until an operator on the ground smashes them into tanks, howitzers, and bunkers just like a missile. The recent drone delivery comes as Russia has used almost all of its strategic missile stockpile since September of last year, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Colonel Yuri Ihnat said, according to an ISW update earlier this week. Story continues Ukrainian forces have shot down 750 of the 850 missiles that Russian forces have launched at Ukraine during this period, Ihnat said, adding that Russian troops have shifted to using less expensive and shorter-range systems, per the ISW. According to the ISW's latest control of terrain estimate, Russia has claimed territory amounting to about 87.9% of Bakhmut a city in eastern Ukraine that has seen some of the war's deadliest fighting but Ukraine has said its forces will not abandon the seige. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- Half a world away from the front line of Russias war in Ukraine theres a stockpile of probably more than a million artillery shells on the Korean peninsula a hoard thats drawing attention as South Koreas leader heads to Washington. Most Read from Bloomberg President Yoon Suk Yeol has indicated his government may be open to changing its policy about providing lethal aid to Ukraine under certain conditions. That would be welcome news for US President Joe Biden, who has been seeking help from partners to ease Kyivs perennial ammunition shortage. Yoons office said any decision to send lethal aid depends on how far Russia goes in stepping up attacks on civilians. Yoon is due to meet Biden for a state visit on Wednesday, with security and economic cooperation high on the agenda. One factor weighing on Yoon will be whether a decision by Seoul to move closer to Kyiv in the conflict would be met by Russian President Vladimir Putin increasing military cooperation with North Korea, said Soo Kim, a former Korea analyst at the US Central Intelligence Agency, who now works at US-based management consulting firm LMI. The Kremlin has said that if South Korea supplies arms to Ukraine it would make it a participant in the conflict, with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev suggesting Moscow could respond by selling advanced weaponry to North Korea, according to a Tass report. The question is whether Yoon takes Putins threat seriously, and whether he thinks a Russian retaliation would be as consequential as Putin makes it out to be, Kim said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has long sought weapons from South Korea and even made a personal appeal for the aid when he spoke to the South Korean parliament in April last year. Story continues The Koreas have two of the worlds largest artillery forces, with thousands of big guns pointing at each other across the demilitarized zone that separates them. They have stockpiled hundreds of thousands of shells that include North Korean artillery inter-operable with Soviet-era artillery in Russia, and South Korean 155 mm caliber shells, which are the standard used by the NATO countries supplying Ukraine. South Korean Defense Ministry officials would not comment on the number of munitions it has in stock for security reasons and North Korea does not release that sort of information to the outside world. You can bet the stocks of both North and South easily exceed a million shells of differing types, said Joost Oliemans, a weapons expert who co-authored the book The Armed Forces of North Korea. Both operate many thousands of artillery pieces, which, even without being restocked, would necessitate hundreds of thousands of shells, he said. The New York Times reported that leaked intelligence documents posted on social last month showed Seoul was also looking at selling 330,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery shells to Poland. The paper said the documents showed a debate within the Yoon government between bowing to US pressure to help supply Ukraine and the nations official policy of not providing weapons to countries at war. South Koreas DongA Ilbo newspaper reported earlier this month that the Yoon administration could lease about 500,000 155 mm shells to the US, which could be used to indirectly supply Ukraine. Yoons government downplayed the reports, suggesting the documents didnt reveal sensitive information and had parts that were fabricated. Oliemans said the notion of the US purchasing directly, loaning or acquiring the shells through Poland is probably the most direct way South Korea could influence Ukraines long-awaited spring offensive and the war in the near term, barring a sudden willingness to deliver armaments such as advanced air defenses. Meanwhile, North Koreas huge stockpile of artillery has apparently attracted the attention of Russia. The US has accused Kim Jong Uns regime of providing arms and ammunition to aid Putins war, including sending shells and rockets. While the Biden administration said the weapons wont do much to alter the battlefield situation, the sales would open a new stream of revenue to a country isolated from much of world trade. Some North Korean items on likely on Putins wish list would be 122 mm and 152 mm artillery rounds as well as 122 mm rockets. The government in Pyongyang has denounced the charges as groundless rumors. Growing Arms Sales While Seoul may not be officially sending arms to Ukraine, Russias war has opened a door for South Koreas defense exports, which were on track to more than double in 2022 as buyers including countries in Europe seek to replace Soviet-era weaponry with higher tech arms. In December, Poland received 10 K2 tanks and 24 self-propelled K9 howitzers, the first part of an almost $6 billion agreement reached in August with Hyundai Rotem Co. and Hanwha Defense Systems Corp. Washington seems to be giving the green light to South Korea to sell to states in places like eastern Europe as US defense contractors race to fill orders for weapons that will go to Kyiv and Taipei, which is facing threats from China. Yoon left for Washington Monday and is scheduled to meet with Biden on Wednesday. The two leaders are expected to discuss security cooperation on a global level, including potential aid for Ukraine. --With assistance from Jeong-Ho Lee and Shinhye Kang. (Updates with details of Yoon Suk Yeols departure for Washington) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Three residents of the city of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast were injured in a Russian attack. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote from Lysak: "Three civilians were injured in Nikopol! This once again proves that we are dealing with terrorists. They have once again deployed drones to attack the city. They dropped dangerous devices. At least four explosions occurred. A man aged 33 sustained shrapnel injuries. Another two sustained blast injuries and contusions." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Local authorities reported a Russian attack on the city of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast on the night of 23 April. Residents are asked to avoid visiting cemeteries (in the Orthodox tradition, the week that follows Easter is the time to commemorate close people who passed away, so many Ukrainians attend cemeteries during the week ed.) Source: Vadym Liakh, Head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Facebook Quote: "The city was hit once again at night. An S-300 [anti-aircraft missile system], Lisnyi district [of the city], quarry area. Several private houses have been damaged". Details: No casualties have been reported. The authorities are asking people to avoid visiting cemeteries and other crowded places during Easter holidays. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi, spokesman for the Tavriia Front Defence Forces Joint Press Centre, believes that Russia will soon begin assault operations near the city of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast. Source: Dmytrashkivskyi during the national joint 24/7 newscast Details: He said the invaders struck Vuhledar six times on Saturday, 22 April using aircraft. Quote from Dmytrashkivskyi: "The enemy is using the tactics of scorched earth. This is done to prevent our defenders from holding the line anywhere. Houses are being destroyed; in the military slang, they call it 'taking houses apart', floor by floor, and this is happening in both [cities of] Bakhmut and Vuhledar." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A Russian rendition of Frog, based on the work by contemporary Chinese writer and Nobel laureate Mo Yan, premiered at the Pskov Pushkin Drama Theatre on April 19 and 20, to a sold out audience. The two-day premiere was great success with a full house audience, strong on-site response and positive comments and praises from both social media users and experts in oriental studies. Pskov Pushkin Drama Theatre was the first Russian state theater to address contemporary Chinese literature in the 21st century. "I would draw attention to the grandiosity and epochal nature of the event," said Aleksei Rodionov, senior deputy dean of the Faculty of Asian and African Studies, St. Petersburg State University. "Chinese theater has not appeared on the Russian stage for more than 30 years. This is the first attempt, so it is significant for the development of Russian-Chinese cultural ties. Our neighbor China is a huge civilization with a long history and a rich culture, about which we know almost nothing. In addressing this problem, a great task was given to the theaters, so I believe that every Russian should see a performance of Frog," added Rodionov, who also served as the academic advisor of the play. "Magnificent production. A deep, dynamically developing plot that doesn't leave your attention for a single minute. Excellent acting, at some points it even felt like watching a well edited movie. This performance makes me want to watch it again," said user Irina Ivanova on social media after the premiere. The audience also noted the brilliant acting by the cast and admired the spectacular and detailed costumes, live instrumental accompaniment and, despite the seriousness of the theme, a dynamic, lighthearted presentation and a variety of emotional tone. The novel Frog, published in 2009, centers on the life of a talented midwife in rural China over the span of 50 years. Mo was awarded the Mao Dun prize, one of the most prestigious prizes for Chinese literature in 2011. One year later, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Russian language rights for Frog were provided by China Written Works Copyright Society and authorized by Mo himself. The play was performed under the authorization of China Written Works Copyright Society. Russian forces carried out an extensive shelling of the village of Kizomys in the Bilozerka hromada in Kherson Oblast, injuring two civilian residents of the village; overall, three people were injured in the oblast on Sunday. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, town or city and its adjacent territory ed.] Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine; Kherson Oblast Military Administration. Quote: "The Russian army carried out an extensive shelling of the village of Kizomys in the Bilozerka hromada. There are civilian casualties. In the afternoon, Russian artillery fired at the village. Enemy forces targeted the premises of a local school, a vehicle belonging to law enforcement officers, and around 25 residential buildings. An 85-year old woman sustained injuries to her head and chest. Another woman, aged 57, sustained an injury to her arm. Both were hospitalised in Kherson and are receiving medical treatment there." Details: Meanwhile, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reported that Russian forces attacked several settlements in the Bilozerka and Stanislav hromadas in Kherson Oblast on 23 April. At least three civilians sustained injuries of various degrees of severity. According to the available information, Russian forces deployed artillery and guided air-dropped bombs. Several residential buildings and outbuildings were damaged in the attack. The Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported that Russian artillery shelled a cemetery in the village of Havrylivka in the Novooleksandrivka hromada, in the Beryslav district, on the Second Sunday. [The Second Sunday of Easter is the day that occurs seven days after the Christian celebration of Easter; in Ukraine, the souls of the dead are remembered on this day, often by visiting their graves ed.] There were no civilian casualties. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, has said that a Russian missile exploded over the territory of a vegetable factory in Kharkiv on the night of 22-23 April. Source: Syniehubov on Telegram Quote from Syniehubov: "Last night, the enemy launched missile attacks on Kharkiv and Kharkiv district. In Kharkiv, one of the missiles hit the ground. Another missile probably exploded in the air over the territory of a vegetable factory. Greenhouses and workrooms were damaged." Details: According to the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, the village of Kotliary in Kharkiv district was also shelled at night. Two private houses were destroyed there, and ten houses, one garage and four cars were also damaged. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A parishioner of the Moscow Patriarchate damaged a banner on the church fence dedicated to children who died at the hands of the occupiers According to the post, an elderly woman approached the banner, began shouting anti-Ukrainian slogans, cutting out the word Russian from the banner, and taking away Easter eggs. She then said that there was no place for this near a Russian church. Reportedly, the woman was encouraged to do so by Russian Orthodox priest Father Petro Lysosa. Read also: Vast majority of Ukrainians support banning Russian Orthodox Church, survey shows Read also: Zelenskyy imposes sanctions on former MP, several other clergymen from Moscow-led Orthodox church He directed his Moscow priests to monitor this, Popilnyas territorial defense forces wrote. Now you see what kind of person has been living next to you all these years, hiding behind the mask of a priest. The banner was said to have been installed the day before by parishioners of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Toys and Easter eggs from the children of Popilnya were placed there, the territorial defense explained. In the morning, concerned residents of the community began bringing flowers and childrens toys to this wall, commemorating the memory of the innocent victims of the Russian occupiers. 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 Over the course of 22 April, Russian occupiers attacked 5 border hromadas in Sumy Oblast, using mortars and artillery; there were 64 strikes [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.]. Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration on Facebook Details: Russians deployed artillery to attack the outskirts of one of the settlements in the Esman hromada twice, there were 9 strikes. Invaders used mortars to attack the territory of Bilopillia hromada, there were 32 strikes, and an artillery strike. Using self-propelled artillery, occupiers attacked Yunakivka hromada; there were 4 strikes. Russian forces used mortar bombs to attack Myropillia hromada, there were 4 strikes. Occupiers opened artillery fire on the territory of Nova Sloboda hromada (10 strikes), and used mortar bombs to strike 4 times. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian invaders demand residents of the left bank of Kherson Oblast living along the Dnipro River to leave their homes, as well as the region. Source: National Resistance Center Quote: "In Nova Kakhovka and the settlement of Dnipriany, the occupiers ordered residents who live on the first coastline of the Dnipro to leave their homes immediately." Details: According to the National Resistance Center, Russian forces are deploying military equipment to residential areas of these settlements. Background: The Russian occupiers intensified inspections of residents in the occupied city of Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! As a result of the shelling of the city of Kherson on 23 April , an 80-year-old man was killed. Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, chairman of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote from Prokudin: "This afternoon, Russians fired on Kherson with mortars again. Unfortunately, as a result of this shelling, an 80-year-old man was killed." Background: Russian forces carried out an extensive shelling of the village of Kizomys in the Bilozerka hromada in Kherson Oblast, injuring two civilian residents of the village; overall, three people were injured in the oblast on Sunday. [Hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.] As a result of the Russian shelling of one of the parks in Kherson on Saturday, a man was injured. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Reuters) - Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday that if the G7 moved to ban exports to Russia, Moscow would respond by terminating the Black Sea Grain deal that enables vital exports of grain from Ukraine. The Group of Seven (G7) countries are considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported last week, citing Japanese government sources. Russia has repeatedly threatened to scrap its participation in the grain deal, which is due to expire on May 18. "This idea from the idiots at the G7 about a total ban of exports to our country by default is beautiful in that it implies a reciprocal ban on imports from our country, including categories of goods that are the most sensitive for the G7," Medvedev said in a post on his Telegram channel. "In such a case, the grain deal - and many other things that they need - will end for them," he added. The G7 is reportedly discussing reversing its sanctions approach so that exports to Russia are automatically banned unless they are included on a designated list of products allowed to be shipped to the country. Under the current framework, goods are allowed to be sold to Russia unless they are explicitly black-listed. Medvedev, a long-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is Putin's deputy chair at the influential Security Council and heads a government commission on arms production for the war in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly rallied against the terms of the Black Sea grain deal - the only significant diplomatic breakthrough of the 14-month conflict in Ukraine. It has said it will walk away from the initiative ahead of a May 18 deadline if the West does not lift restrictions on Russian agricultural and fertiliser exports. The G7 called on Sunday for the "extension, full implementation and expansion" of the deal to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, the group's agriculture ministers said in a communique. (Reporting by Jake Cordell; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Susan Fenton) A Sacramento man who believed for a long time that he graduated from high school, but then learned that he was actually short on credits, has now completed the requirements and landed his dream job. According to The Appeal Democrat, Wayne Osborne attended high school in Yuba City, California and spent nearly 30 years of his life believing that he was a high school graduate. Osborne entered the workforce without being required to present his diploma to employers. When Osborne began applying for his dream of working for PG&E, he learned that he never officially graduated from high school. I went back to Albert Powell to get a copy of my transcripts and diploma, and they said, Oh there was a mix-up. For some reason, we thought you graduated, but you still needed so many credits, Osborne told The Appeal Democrat. Needing 81 credits to earn his diploma, Osborne enrolled at Sutter County Adult Education in 2020 and took general education classes while also raising his daughter in the midst of the pandemic. At the same time, he was working as a truck driver and construction worker. After completing the courses, Osborne once again applied to work at PG&E and landed an interview. Now, he is working in traffic control with the electric company. When I say that I almost lost it, I had to pinch myself because it was like I was out of, like, an out of body experience. I was like, oh wow! This is really happening, Osborne told CBS Sacramento as he reflected on the feeling of landing his dream job. Still, Osborne has his eyes set on even bigger goals. Maybe one day, even be a CEO. You know, sky is the limit, he said. Four paintings by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) from the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, were unpacked on Friday at the Bund One Art Museum in Shanghai. Adoration of the Magi, Madonna and Child with Young Saint John the Baptist, Portrait of a Young Woman "Simonetta Vespucci" and Pallas and the Centaur, are among 10 original paintings by the Renaissance master that will be shown in Shanghai during the exhibition Botticelli and the Renaissance, which will run from April 28 to Aug 27. A total of 48 original paintings by Botticelli and his contemporaries from the Renaissance period will be presented at the exhibition, the second held after a 2021 agreement between Tix-Media and the Uffizi Galleries where the two agreed to jointly present 10 exhibitions at the museum in Shanghai over the subsequent five years. Curator Daniela Parenti from the Uffizi Galleries said the exhibition is unusual because these are old paintings created in the 15th century. Some of them were painted on panels that are very delicate. "We have checked the panels to choose which paintings can travel," she said. Lord William Bentinck outlawed sati in 1829, but the law was later diluted In December 1829, Lord William Bentinck, the first governor general of British-ruled India, banned sati, the ancient Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre. Bentinck, then the governor general of Bengal, sought the views of 49 senior army officers and five judges, and was convinced that the time had come to "wash out a foul stain upon British rule". His regulation said sati was "revolting to the feelings of human nature" and that it shocked many Hindus as well as "unlawful and wicked". The regulation said that those convicted of "aiding and abetting" in the burning of a Hindu widow, "whether the sacrifice be voluntary on her part or not" would be found guilty of culpable homicide. It empowered the courts to impose the death penalty for persons convicted of using force or assisting in burning alive a widow "who had been intoxicated and could not have exercised her free will". Bentinck's law was even more stringent than a more gradualist way of rooting out the practice recommended by leading Indian reformers who campaigned against sati. After the legislation, 300 eminent Hindus, led by Raja Rammohun Roy, thanked him for "rescuing us forever from the gross stigma hitherto attached to our character as wilful murderers of females". Orthodox Hindus pushed backed and petitioned Bentinck. Quoting scholars and scriptures, they challenged his case that sati was not an "imperative duty under the religion". Bentinck didn't budge. The petitioners went to the Privy Council, the court of last resort in British colonies. In 1832, the Council upheld the regulation, saying sati was a "flagrant offence against society". A painting by French explorer Pierre Sonnerat showing the custom of sati in India "The unapologetic combativeness of the 1829 regulation was perhaps the only instance throughout 190 years of colonial rule where a social legislation was enacted without offering any concession to orthodox sentiments," notes Manoj Mitta, author of Caste Pride, a new book examining the legal history of caste in India. Story continues Also, Mr Mitta writes, "long before Gandhi famously deployed moral pressure against the British empire, Bentinck had pitted the same force against the caste and gender prejudices intrinsic to sati". "By criminalising this one native custom that had so corroded the colonised, the coloniser had scored a moral point." But, in 1837, Bentinck's law was diluted by another Briton, Thomas Macaulay, author of the Indian Penal Code. In Macaulay's reading if someone could claim with evidence to have lit the pyre at the instigation of the widow, he could be let off lightly. He said in a draft note that women burning themselves could be motivated by a "strong sense of religious duty, sometimes of a strong sense of honour". Mr Mitta found that Macaulay's "sympathetic position" on sati had resonance with British rulers decades later. He writes his draft was dusted off after the 1857 mutiny when native Hindu and Muslim soldiers, also known as sepoys, rebelled against the British East India Company over fears that gun cartridges were greased with animal fat forbidden by their religions. Now, the diluted regulation made it to the statute book "fitting the colonial strategy of appeasing high-caste Hindus who had played a leading role" in the rebellion. Hands commemorating women who had committed sati on the walls of a fort in Rajasthan The 1862 regulation repealed both the penal provisions which said that sati would be punishable as culpable homicide and the other imposing that the death penalty in aggravated cases. It also meant that it allowed the accused to claim that the victim had consented to her life being terminated at her husband's funeral, so it was a case of suicide rather than a murder. Mr Mitta writes that the dilution of the sati rule was a "response to the simmering grievances against social legislation" - outlawing of sati, a 1850 law empowering outcaste and apostate Hindus to inherit family property and a 1856 law allowing remarriage of all widows. But the immediate trigger for pushing through a diluted law was the "outrage among upper-caste Hindu soldiers" who were incensed over reports that cartridges had been greased with cow fat. Between 1829 and 1862, the crime of sati had been diminished from murder to abetment of suicide. "Though less commonly practised since 1829, sati continued to be valorised and revered in certain parts of India, especially among higher castes," says Mr Mitta. In a curious twist, Motilal Nehru, a lawyer-politician who joined the Indian National Congress and played a key role in the campaign for independence from British rule, appeared in court defending six upper-caste men in a case of sati in 1913 in Uttar Pradesh. In 1913, Motilal Nehru, a lawyer and politician, defended a group of men accused of sati The men said the pyre had "ignited miraculously through the sheer piety of the widow". Judges rejected the theory of divine intervention, deplored the cover-up and held the men guilty of abetting suicide - two of them were sentenced to prison for four years. More than 70 years later, there was a final twist in the story of sati. In 1987, a government led by Motilal Nehru's great-grandson Rajiv Gandhi, enacted a law which criminalised for the first time, "glorification of the practice". People who supported, justified or propagated sati could be punished for seven years. The law also elevated the practice to murder and reintroduced the death penalty for those who abetted it. This move had followed widespread outrage over the last reported sati in India involving a teenage bride called Roop Kanwar in a small village in the northern state of Rajasthan. It was, Mr Mitta notes, the 41st case of sati officially recorded after Independence in 1947. The preamble to Rajiv Gandhi's law borrowed from Bentinck's regulation. "It was a tribute paid, even if unwittingly, by a decolonised country to its erstwhile coloniser," says Mr Mitta. BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features. Read more India stories from the BBC: A concept image of 'The Line,' a part of the Saudi Arabian megacity of NEOM developed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Nicolas Asfouri - Pool/Getty Images. NEOM By 2040 Saudi Arabia is aiming to build a futuristic city in the desert called NEOM. It's part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's modernizing vision of the country. But analysts believe that Chinese tech could be used to place residents under total surveillance. Plans for the trillion-dollar Saudi Arabian desert city of NEOM are taking shape, and prospective residents are being promised an experience like something from a sci-fi movie. The city is set to have a 100-mile-long "vertical sky scraper" running through its heart. Also known as 'The Strip," it will be carved through the desert in the arid northwest of the country. It will also feature glow-in-the-dark beaches, ski slopes, an artificial moon, robot butlers, and flying taxis, according to glossy brochures and public statements by its planners. But behind the outlandish plan, which was developed by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is a potentially much darker reality. A publicity image for 'The Line' showing part of the planned Saudi Arabian desert megacity in NEOM. NEOM The crown prince has been strengthening his ties with China's leader, Xi Jinping, who has agreed to provide powerful surveillance technology. Bulelani Jili, a Harvard University fellow who researches China's global ambitions, told Insider that Xi is seeking to "normalize and seek to legitimize its vision of a state-led cyberspace and surveilled public." China has already provided surveillance technology for the creation of so-called "safe cities", run on user data, in Egypt and Serbia, a report by the Washington Institute think tank found. Crown Prince Mohammed appears keen to replicate those projects on a grander scale. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman announces the zero-carbon city on January 10, 2021. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS What is NEOM? NEOM, the so-called zero-carbon city of the future, is the centerpiece of the crown prince's attempt to modernize the country and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. "It's a ticket for him to enshrine himself as the Saudi leader that modernized the country and usher it into a new technological era," said Marwa Fatafta, a policy manager at Access Now, a Berlin-based digital rights organization. Story continues NEOM's executive director, Giles Pendleton, told the UAE-based newspaper The National that construction for the project was proceeding rapidly, and the city would house nine million residents by 2045. According to Pendleton, NEOM will be made up of 10 regions. One region, known as The Line, is being marketed as a zero-carbon area, where residents' data will be used to adjust services to their needs. City planners say that current smart cities use around 10% of possible user data. Per their plans, NEOM will be enabled by AI and will use 90%. James Shires, a researcher at London's Chatham House think tank, told Insider that the crown prince had ambitions for a city where services including refuse collection, health, and train times are regulated by data from sources such as smartphones and surveillance technology. "NEOM is designed to leapfrog those [other smart cities], to begin from the ground up in sort of an entirely designed fashion to collect data and use that data for the purposes of the city," he said. But some voices, including Fatafta, are warning that the futuristic and luxurious vision in NEOM's brochures conceals a darker project in line with Crown Prince Mohammed's authoritarian instincts. The "smart city" capabilities aren't just a futuristic attraction, but could be deployed as a tool for invasive surveillance by state security services, Fatafta said. How is China involved? Last December, the crown prince welcomed Xi to Saudi Arabia for a lavish summit, where the leaders announced cooperation across a broad range of issues, including surveillance technology. It appeared to be the beginning of a fruitful partnership for Crown Prince Mohammed. In Xi, experts say, he found a leader who shares his conviction that technology can enable them to expand their economies while relinquishing none of their authoritarian control. "We're not yet seeing quite the same degree of sort of physical surveillance [in Saudi Arabia] as we've been seeing in China, for example, but China is working with the Saudis and other Gulf countries to start to implement that," Annelle Sheline, a researcher with the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC, told Insider. "That is something that Chinese are selling to the Saudis and other Gulf countries," she said. Chinese leader Xi Jinping holds talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on December 8, 2022. Yue Yuewei/Xinhua via Getty Images James, the Chatham House researcher, said that one form this technology took was surveillance cameras linked to facial-recognition technology that could be used to trace past and real-time movements. "It also represents a real risk to people's privacy, especially depending on how the data is collected and stored," he said. Chinese technology provides the capacity to link surveillance-camera footage to other datasets, including biometric information. Another potential concern is cloud technology, specifically the companies that store huge amounts of computer data. The Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has already signed contracts with Saudi Arabia, including in NEOM, and James said there were huge questions about how much privacy protection the firm would provide users in the city. Huawei did not immediately reply to a request to comment from Insider on its role in NEOM. A spokesperson for NEOM did not return a request for comment on concerns about surveillance in the city. Saudi Arabia has recently moved to strengthen its data-privacy laws, but organizations including Human Rights Watch have warned that the laws are too weak. How could NEOM use surveillance? While casting himself as a reformer, Crown Prince Mohammed has dealt brutally with critics and opponents of the Saudi government, with the US State Department accusing his government of the 2018 murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi. The US State Department accused the Saudi government of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Yasin Akgul/Getty Images As he has sought to consolidate his power, he has also worked to enhance his capacity to monitor critics through technology and thereby crush dissent. The Saudi government used the Israeli spyware Pegasus to monitor critics, and a Saudi agent infiltrated Twitter to steal the personal data of users who used the platform to criticize the Saudi government. The Saudi government has recently launched a brutal crackdown on people criticizing the government online that has been denounced by human rights groups. While he seeks to propel the country towards a high-tech future, and open it up to investment and innovation, the crown prince will be willing to relinquish none of his powers to surveil and crush dissent, said Fatafta. "They're being marketed as 'eco cities' or 'smart cities,' we call them surveillance cities," said Fatafta, referring to projects such as NEOM. "Because essentially they're built on an architecture that is fueled by people's personal data, and in a country like Saudi Arabia where there is no data protection or safeguards, no oversight, no accountability, no transparency, no separations of powers, and the fact that MBS is actually ruling the security agencies. It is a scary idea." So far, Crown Prince Mohammed's grandiose ambitions are far from being realized, and it remains to be seen whether a ruler known for impulsiveness will have the patience to see through a project of this magnitude. James said the plans for the city raised fundamental questions about how we want to live our lives. "Essentially what kind of life you want to lead in a smart city?" he asked. "If you want to live in a city where the real value to freedom of expression, to counterculture, to expressing and discussing independent thought, then this might not be the place you want to go." Read the original article on Business Insider State lawmakers are on the cusp of passing an education scholarship account bill, which, by 2026, would entitle nearly two-thirds of families to a $6,000 voucher they could use at private schools, public schools outside of their zoned districts and any number of other educational expenses. Passage of the bill would mark an educational sea change in South Carolina, which unlike many red states, has historically rejected expansive school voucher legislation. For the past two decades, private school choice advocates in South Carolina have asserted that vouchers would offer a lifeline for the states most vulnerable children who are trapped in failing public schools. Critics, meanwhile, have charged that vouchers would wreak havoc on those same schools, peeling away the brightest students and the resources attached to them. In reality, neither claim is supported by the data. With the South Carolina House expected to take up the Senate-passed ESA bill this week, The State Media Co. set out to answer some of the most pressing and hotly debated questions about vouchers and their impact on education access and achievement. S. 39, which cleared the Senate in January, would establish education scholarship accounts, or ESAs, to fund tuition and other educational expenses for parents who pull their children out of local public schools and enroll them in private or non-charter public schools outside of their zoned districts. The ESA program would start small, initially enrolling only the most economically disadvantaged children, before gradually expanding in both size and scope to cover nearly two-thirds of families in the state within three years. Because enrollment in the program would be capped at 15,000 students roughly 2% of the states public school student population only a fraction of eligible families could participate. Participating families would receive $6,000 per child the exact voucher amount would be subject to change annually at the discretion of state budget writers to use for tuition, tutoring, transportation, technology and any number of education supplies. Story continues If the bill passes, the state could end up sending $30 million to private schools next year and up to $90 million annually by 2026. What should South Carolinians expect to get for their money? To help answer that question, The State reviewed the academic literature, spoke to education researchers and parsed reports about voucher programs in other states. Do vouchers serve their intended targets? While most private school choice programs launch with the intention of helping poor or disabled children, they arent always successful in reaching those groups, research shows. Families facing the most challenging personal circumstances are often precluded from using vouchers, and those that do arent guaranteed admission to the schools of their choice, according to Josh Cowen, professor of Education Policy at Michigan State University and a prominent private school choice researcher. Excess tuition costs, transportation challenges and, for some rural students, a lack of private school options in their area all pose barriers to using vouchers. And because private schools are free to reject students for any reason besides race and national origin, they can and often do deny admission to children with disabilities and checkered academic or disciplinary histories whose needs they are unwilling or unable to accommodate, Cowen said. Some religious schools in South Carolina also exclude LGBTQ and gender non-conforming students, students who are pregnant or have children, and students with visible tattoos or piercings, according to a review of student policy handbooks and mission statements posted online. What we see with voucher programs, said Cowen, a vocal voucher critic, is that they avoid the bottom kids. Thats not to say, however, that voucher-accepting schools take the top students from struggling public schools. According to Patrick Wolf, a professor of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas and a leading voucher researcher, private school choice programs typically dont attract the best students from under-resourced public schools, either. When it comes to education, (parents) follow the maxim that if it aint broke dont fix it, Wolf said. If their child is doing well in a neighborhood public school, theres really little reason for them to take advantage of these programs. So who uses vouchers? Participants in income-limited statewide voucher programs typically fall into two general categories, according to Cowen: 1) lower income, but not poor students who attend public schools; and 2) lower-middle income students who attend private, often religious, schools. More typical is the child who has never attended public school, whose parents pinch every penny to send him to a private religious school, Cowen said. Those students are more often white and more likely to stay the course at the private school. Thats really the target group, he said. In fact, data from other states show vouchers often subsidize the education of students already enrolled or planning to enroll in private schools. In several states with voucher programs, the vast majority of participants had not attended public schools the year before, according to news reports. Some advocates argue such reports overestimate the portion of vouchers doled out to existing private school students, but nonetheless acknowledge that a significant number of some states voucher recipients already attended or would have attended private schools. In South Carolina, private school students wont be eligible for vouchers, at least not initially. The ESA bill limits new voucher recipients to students who attended public school during the previous year, unless theyre entering kindergarten. (Subsidizing the private education of families that can already afford it was) not the intention of the policy, Senate Education Chairman Greg Hembree said. Hopefully thatll hold because I think thats a very important part of it. Many states with voucher programs start this way, some with even more stringent eligibility requirements. Over time, however, they routinely relax them, welcoming an increasingly larger share of students on the way to universality. Six states have passed universal voucher programs since 2021, including both Arizona and Florida, which lawmakers cite as models for South Carolina. The voucher curious Black public school students also enroll in voucher programs at high rates, but are less likely to stick around, research shows. Cowen calls such kids voucher curious. They may use vouchers to attend private school for a year or two, but struggle socially and academically, and end up falling even further behind, he said. An NPR analysis of Indianas voucher program found the percentage of Black recipients shrunk dramatically after income restrictions were loosened to include some middle-class families. In the programs inaugural year, 90% of voucher recipients reported prior public school attendance and about a quarter were Black. Five years later, the majority of voucher users had never attended public school and only 12% were Black. Wolf, a voucher proponent, attributes the high attrition rate in such programs to a number of factors, including instability among participating families and a mismatch between what students need and what schools can deliver. He said a surprising number of those that ditch their vouchers still express gratitude for the opportunity. It didnt work out for their kid, but they valued the fact that they had a choice, Wolf said. Thats an often overlooked aspect of this whole thing. Parents do like options for their child. Cowen ties turnover among voucher recipients to socioeconomics, but also to the ill-prepared private schools they attend. When people hear private school, they often conjure an imposing Gothic cathedral with soaring towers and a sprawling manicured campus. In reality, Cowen said, many of the private schools that accept vouchers operate out of church basements and drab strip malls. They run on shoestring budgets and lack the academic rigor commonly associated with elite private schools. These schools are not designed to work with at-risk children, he said. Whether theyve had rough experiences in public school, are special needs kids or have disciplinary problems, they get thrown back out. Do voucher recipients show higher achievement? Whether vouchers work depends on whom you ask and how you define success. Early voucher studies conducted on small, carefully controlled programs showed modest gains in student achievement. Subsequent studies found no effect on test scores, but a slight boost in graduation rates and college enrollment for voucher students. In the last decade or so, however, as studies have tracked the ever-expanding voucher programs that many states are now adopting, achievement has cratered. We started to see some of the largest ever negative impacts on student outcomes that weve ever seen in public policy, Cowen said. Thats not an exaggeration. The harm to test scores in Ohio and Louisiana exceeded the damage done by COVID-19 school closures and Hurricane Katrina, he said. In Indiana and Washington, D.C., the results were only slightly less devastating. Wolf, who co-authored a study of Louisianas program, acknowledges that research on voucher student test scores is a mixed bag and much less impressive than other measurements of their impact. But rather than souring on vouchers, as Cowen has, Wolf and other pro-voucher researchers have doubled down on private school choice. They argue private schools are at a disadvantage to public schools on standardized tests and downplay their importance, focusing instead on research that finds vouchers boost graduation rates, foster character development and improve parental satisfaction. For a long time, we were in the era of No Child Left Behind and the big emphasis in public schools was increasing test scores, Wolf said. Private schools have more of a tradition of addressing the needs of the whole child. He attributes the large negative results he observed in Louisiana to excessive regulation. Most voucher programs take a hands-off approach to participating private schools, much to the chagrin of private school choice opponents. Voucher-accepting schools typically arent required to adjust their admissions and testing policies in exchange for state money because doing so, advocates argue, would hinder their operations. In Louisiana, however, lawmakers forced participating private schools to clear their curriculum with the state, take any voucher student who wanted to attend and administer the same standardized tests that public school students take, Wolf said. As a result, only a fraction of private schools in the state agreed to take part. The ones that did were generally of lower quality. You kind of get what you regulate for, Wolf said. If you have really strong regulations that are a real turn-off to the independent private schools in your area, then the quality schools wont participate. The greatest predictor of whether a school participated, he said, was declining enrollment. They were desperate for students and so they were willing to accept the deal that the higher-quality private schools were not willing to accept, Wolf said. Cowen also ties catastrophic test scores to low-quality private schools, but doesnt blame over-regulation. Rather, he sees it as the result of unchecked voucher growth. When you expand across the state, youre no longer talking about carefully controlled lab settings where youre deliberately offering kids a chance to transfer to certain types of schools that are willing to go along with the trial process, he said. Youre talking about providers cropping up all over the place who really dont have a lot of experience educating children. And if they do, its not toward an academic end. Could SC be in for a private school boom? The passage of large-scale voucher programs like the one South Carolina is contemplating often spurs the creation of new private schools that lack academic rigor and are heavily reliant on state money to operate, research shows. Unlike the elite prep schools with tuition in excess of some universities, these pop-up operators attract low-income voucher students with empty promises and prices that wont break the bank, Cowen said. Many cant deliver on their commitments and dont last. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank that advocates for school choice, found 41% of private schools that participated in Milwaukees long-running voucher program ultimately failed. Another 11% merged or converted to charter schools. Start-ups, which comprised about a third of all private schools in the citys program, had an average lifespan of just over four years. Its not a mystery why weve seen devastating academic harm in the last 10 years, Cowen said. Its because of schools popping up or just hanging on to get vouchers. Some of the newer voucher programs, including South Carolinas ESA proposal, require participating private schools to be accredited or belong to an association. Others insist schools demonstrate their viability by operating independently for a period of time before taking vouchers. Wolf favors the former option, which he said offers a modest quality check on the front end without making compliance too burdensome. He said he sees no way to prevent bad schools from opening altogether without hamstringing a program with oppressive red tape. Some of these schools arent very good, word gets out, enrollment goes down and they shut down, he said. Thats all part of the idea of using market mechanisms in education. Sometimes that leads to the closing of bad schools, and that can be disruptive at the time. But long term, thats a good thing. For Cowen, the situation is more akin to predatory lending. Youre offering false hope of a better education to a kid who, more often than not, suffers catastrophic learning loss, he said. These are precisely the kids who shouldnt be subjected to that. It remains to be seen whether a glut of fly-by-night schools open in South Carolina to cash in on a stream of voucher money. Hembree said hes counting on the state Department of Education, which would administer the ESA program, to vet prospective school vendors. (State Superintendent) Ellen Weaver supports this idea, but she supports a high-quality education for each child even more, he said. I think theyll be very careful. If youre in favor of the idea, it should motivate you more to want to root out the weak players. Oran Smith, senior fellow with the Palmetto Promise Institute, expressed skepticism that significant low-quality private options exist in South Carolina and said he thought the plethora of empty seats in private schools could limit the number of new ones that open. He supports the creation of new schools in parts of the state that currently lack any formidable private options, but is optimistic the Catholic Church, which has a track record of academic success, can fill gaps. The Catholic Church, which serves over 8,000 children in 32 S.C. schools, has committed to expanding into underserved communities across the state if school choice legislation passes, a spokeswoman for the Diocese of Charleston said. New Christian schools could also be on the horizon if a voucher bill becomes law. Edward Earwood, executive director of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools, said he expects a handful of new schools to open in the coming years, but hasnt heard of anyone whose operational plans are contingent on the passage of vouchers. Some of those started long before we even started talking about the school choice bill, said Earwood, whose association has about 75 member schools that serve roughly 12,000 students. I dont think it would hurt them, but I dont think thats the reason they went after opening the school. Earwood said he cant predict the quality of any new school, but trusts parents to make that assessment for themselves and vote with their wallets (or vouchers), if a school isnt cutting it. Sen. Shane Massey, the Senate Majority Leader, agrees. Hes confident low-performing schools wont survive long if parents are kept informed. Schools close because the parents realize they arent doing a good job and they take their kid out of there, he said. I think that will happen, as long as parents have information to make those decisions. Thats why I think the testing component is important. Massey, whose opposition to the accountability component of last years ESA bill doomed it to the dustbin, has softened his stance on testing this year. Hes no longer wedded to a provision that would require voucher-accepting schools to give students the same standardized assessments as public schools. Instead, hes content to have them administer nationally norm-referenced tests that align with state standards and include a linking study. The component that we have in there is going to be sufficient to allow parents to evaluate progress, Massey said. Choice is important, but its also important for parents to know whether that choice is paying off for the child. The compromise on testing wont enable a direct comparison between voucher students and public school students, but its not nothing and better than some states, Cowen said. Patrick Kelly, director of governmental affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association, was less generous in his assessment of the revised testing requirement. Thats not the kind of information that families need and its also just not psychometrically sound, he said. Some linking studies are psychometric voodoo magic. Will vouchers hurt public schools? During Senate debate on the ESA bill earlier this year, opponents cautioned that poor, rural schools would suffer if they lost the state and federal dollars attached to students who accepted vouchers. Fixed costs and personnel costs would remain constant even as revenues tied to student headcounts declined, they argued. While true that low-income districts most likely to lose students are also more dependent on state dollars to operate, research shows that private school choice programs do not typically devastate under-resourced public schools. In fact, they may actually improve them by lighting a fire under administrators. Public schools step up their game when theyre in danger of losing students through school choice and the resources attached to those students, Wolf said. They deliver more effective education in those circumstances. The positive effects are typically small, but theyve been consistent across many studies. So, what are public schools doing to produce test score gains? For one, Wolf said, they begin communicating more frequently and effectively with parents. This is beneficial, he said, because education is enhanced when parents are engaged and school leaders honor the preferences and needs of families. Public schools at risk of losing out to private providers also may launch new educational programs to serve the needs of select student subgroups. It could be advanced learning programs to hold onto their more successful students; it could be literacy programs to help hold onto their struggling readers, Wolf said. But you see new programs pop up in these schools when they face competition. Another common response is to target educator quality. Public schools under pressure are more likely to remove their least effective teachers from the classroom, he said. Cowen concedes that the introduction of voucher programs can have very small competitive effects on public schools, particularly in low-income areas with large minority student populations that stand the most to lose financially. What isnt small, he said, is the positive impact of simply investing directly in public schools. Those competitive effects are dwarfed by direct investment in public schools and blown away by the negative impact of vouchers on kids who use them, Cowen said. After two decades spent researching their efficacy, he said hes shocked that so many states continue ramming through vouchers at the expense of their most vulnerable young constituents. Ive said vouchers work like Trump won the 2020 election, Cowen quipped. You have to just suspend your belief in systems and processes and ordinary lines of democratic oversight to believe these things are working at this point. Wolfs support for private school choice, on the other hand, remains unflinching. For him, evidence that vouchers may harm academic achievement only raises more questions, including, is that really a problem? Are parents concerned about that? Or are parents concerned about other things, other benefits that they get from a private school, like safety and character development and things like that? he said. Those are some of the questions were exploring now in the wake of these mixed findings on the achievement effects of these large statewide programs. Democrats in South Carolina will soon decide their next leader, hoping to turn around election losses year after year amid an ever-evolving finger-pointing game of whos to blame. A big task is at hand for the eventual new leader, who will oversee the high-profile lead-off Democratic presidential primary early next year and work to ensure the South Carolina contest stays first in the nominating order. Trav Robertson, the current party chair since 2017, announced in February his plans to step down as chairman, sparking what has turned into a contentious leadership campaign that includes sniping on social media and an endorsement from South Carolinas most powerful Democrat, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. Vying for the job are three candidates: activist Catherine Fleming Bruce, former party executive director Christale Spain and chair of the partys Black caucus, Brandon Upson. The latter two are seen as the most likely to succeed Robertson, who is a candidate himself in the race for the partys first vice chair. Spain, carrying high-profile backers, is widely considered the frontrunner. All three say they want the party to evolve and avoid the losses theyve experienced in statewide and legislative elections, which includes losing five House and Senate seats in 2020 and eight House seats in 2022. However, they all differ on the strategy to solve the partys problems. Spain said the party needs to better reach out to young voters and people of color. Upson wants to work with labor unions to contribute to the party. Bruce, a longtime activist, wants to first protect current officeholders in elections. Clyburn, who represents a majority-minority district that covers part of the state capital and much of the rural center of the state, blamed Democrats losses not on leadership but on redistricting, a process controlled by the Republican-dominated Legislature. We have the same problem that Democrats have got in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana (and) Arkansas, Clyburn said in an interview with The State. Redistricting has killed us, and nobody who chairs the party can reverse that. Story continues Robertson, who declined to comment about seeking first vice chair, has instead taken the blame, while others question whether the Democratic lawmakers who lost in recent elections did the necessary voter outreach to win. Clyburn, who endorsed Spain for chair, said he had no role in influencing who jumped into the race. I dont ever tell anybody to run for anything. I dont tell them not to run, Clyburn said. Winning the chairs race will, like any election, come down to math. Whoever gets the majority of the 1,600 state delegates from all 46 South Carolina counties at the April 29 convention wins. Those delegates will participate in a standing vote, meaning every delegate will know how the others vote. And, as the whip count goes on, candidates are raising money and trotting out endorsements. But will the infighting that has plagued the party over the past few years stop after April 29? If we alienate large groups of folks in any of the camps, were not going to make it, said Bruce, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate last year and has promoted 14 endorsements in her bid, all from former county party chairs. We dont have enough people to be leaving folks on the side of the road. Catherine Fleming Bruce, a candidate for S.C. Democratic Party chair, speaks to the South Carolina College Democrats on Sunday April 16, 2023. Upson: Messaging, status quo a problem for Dems In an interview, Upson says two factors cause problems for Democrats statewide: Bad messaging with an unwillingness to talk about central Democratic issues, such as gun restrictions and organized labor, and running the same type of candidate. Weve been doing what Einstein calls insanity, the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, because the same people have handpicked our partys leadership for 20 years, Upson said. And weve been, if you noticed, on a 20-year decline year over year. Upson is running on a slate with Mary Geren of Anderson County, Melina Rodelo of Oconee County and Erica Sampson of Charleston County, all who are vying for vice chair positions. To court delegates before April 29, Upson has traveled the state hoping to sway them with a new vision for the party. He says hes helped candidates win in 22 out of 40 races in the past 13 years, including flipping 14 Republican-held offices. And he wants them to consider dedicating state party money to recruit Democrats in high school and college, find more Black female candidates to support and rebuild the grassroots infrastructure. Ultimately, rebuilding year-round outreach requires money, and Upson said he wants to reach out to labor unions in the state to push them contribute $1 million each to the party over 10 years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates less than 3% of South Carolina workers are represented by labor unions. Now we can be sustained, Upson said. We can have a full-time staff year round, and the money that we raise thereafter can be focused on strengthening our counting parties, programs and doing the blocking and tackling thats necessary. Upson said he has raised a lot of money for his campaign but plans to release fundraising numbers after the race. Meanwhile, critics have questioned Upson abilities to lead a party into the future and his loyalty after he worked to elect a Republican candidate running for a Charleston County Council seat. Upson worked for Charleston County Council member Joe Boykin in 2018 and 2021, according to the S.C. Ethics Commission. Boykin unsuccessfully ran as a Republican in 2018 for Charleston County Council, then defeated Anna Johnson, a Black Democrat, in 2022. Upson was paid $3,300 in 2018 as Boykins campaign consultant and $1,500 in 2021 to put together Boykins website. Because Anna Johnson had not been effective in her job for a number of years. Thats why they came and asked me to help in 2018, Upson said. Democrats asked me to do that. I didnt go there to say, Oh, Im going to help this Republican. That isnt sitting well with Clyburn. I dont think well of anybody that would hire themselves out to a Republican against a Black woman, Clyburn said. Johnson this week sent a letter to delegates about Upsons work, saying it led Democrats to lose a majority on Charleston County Council. It certainly should disqualify him from being our state party chair, Johnson said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The State. Upson said Democrats can trust him, saying its because of my 13 years of service and sacrifice to this party, and Ive been the one in the trenches. Brandon Upson State Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a Democrat representing Orangeburg County for more than 31 years, has endorsed Upson. Cobb-Hunter, who is not a delegate, said she wants the party to better reach out to rural, white and young voters. I dont think (Spain and Bruce) have the capacity to do what needs to be done. Im interested in somebody who has a vision and who has won and has organized, Cobb-Hunter said. Not somebody who has talked about it, but somebody who has actually done it. Cobb-Hunter defended Upsons past work, and questioned how Upsons critics can take issue with his part work but not with State House Democrats who didnt support Black female judicial candidates, and in one case supported a former Republican lawmaker. Its been the same group of people calling the shots for the last 20 to 30 years. At what point do we allow different voices to be decision makers? Cobb-Hunter asked. Bill Kimler, chair of the Greenwood County Democratic Party, also is backing Upson. Brandon has got an undeniable charisma, Kimler said. Hes a salesman, but I think thats what you need at the top level to sell on those who would donate to the party, to sell those on the messaging, to sell people to run for office in their local or statewide races. Spain: Party needs to strengthen ground game Spain heads into the April 29 race with the backing of some of the states most high-profile Democrats: Clyburn, past party chair and Democratic National Committee member Carol Fowler, current chair Robertson and Jim Hodges, the last Democrat to hold the governors office. But Spain, who in 2022 worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as the senior adviser of Black engagement, said the powerful backing from party Democrats doesnt simply mean the party should stay as is. Moving forward, the focus she said needs to be on the party growing its base with younger voters and people of color. She estimates it would cost $6 million to $7 million over two years to allow the party to staff up and allow county parties to operate and mobilize. She wants year-round voter engagement and for candidates and the party to be talking about issues that matter to voters. We need to do research to find out whats top of mind for our voters so we know what to talk about, like whats going to be the mobilizing issue in 2024, said Spain, who also notes in 2022 she led a communications and national organizing program that won 12 out of 13 competitive U.S. House races, three of which were in North Carolina. Spain said she wants to start a finance committee to reach out to large donors to contribute to the party, while also revitalizing a sustainable donor program for small monthly contributions. She also touted Georgias strong door-knocking program as a voter outreach strategy to mimic, and said the party must take advantage of its first primary position to leverage additional support. There are some other things that I want to try, since we do have this tremendous opportunity with being first in the nation, Spain said. And Im definitely going to leverage that, because that is about bringing folks into our state who are major players and who have goals of being here for the long haul if its not 2024, but 2028. With the backing of several county party chairs, and especially Clyburn, Spain rejects that she was somehow handpicked. My time in public service has been about serving this party and engaging voters, said Spain, who would be the partys first Black female chair if she wins. People get offended by that, because Im a top contender in this race and Ive worked my behind to be that, thats on them. I got off the sideline on my own to volunteer, not because somebody asked me to. Christale Spain, a candidate for S.C. Democratic Party chair speaks to the South Carolina College Democrats on Sunday, April 16, 2023. Clyburns campaign committee contributed $10,000 to Spain, who worked for Clyburn for two years, to run for party chair, according to Federal Elections Commission records. The best way to tell what a person will do is to look at what he or she has done, Clyburn said. I look at Christale, I see someone who worked in this party doing what you call the grunt work, who never tried to get out in front of anybody, who is as supportive of candidates as you would want them to be, supportive of staffers as you would want anybody to be, (and) who has worked at the state level and the national level. Richland County Democratic Party Chairwoman Deyaska Sweatman, whose endorsed Spain with chairs of Charleston, Greenville and Horry counties, said the race for party chair is deeper for Spain that what some have said. Its deeper than a party affiliation for her. Its about community, Sweatman said. Amanda McDougald Scott, Greenville Countys chairwoman, said Spain has the best ability to raise money, the ability to learn new skills and has integrity. Christale is the only one who has all of those qualifications, McDougald Scott said. Still, some party leaders have yet to decide who theyre backing with a week to go. Weve got three people bringing different experiences to the race, said Aiken County Democratic Party Chairman Harold Crawford, who will bring 60 delegates to the convention. And I think what we need across the board is a really good marriage between tried and true methods and new methods, signaling there needs to be a combination of grassroots efforts with advancing technology. Antjuan Seawright, a South Carolina-based Democratic strategist, said Democrats have the perfect opportunity to move the party forward and put it in a position to keep and leverage its No. 1 primary status in the years ahead. But it takes a reality check, he said. Republicans have a history of falling in line, and Democrats have a history of falling in love, said Seawright, who backs Spain. I think we have to restructure to their model of falling in line instead of falling in love. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported a fight and a shoot-out between the Russian military and mercenaries of the Wagner Group in occupied Stanytsia Luhanska. Source: summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Quote: "Having no significant achievements on the battlefield, the military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces and representatives of the Wagner Group are increasingly trying to find those responsible for this. Responsibility for their own tactical miscalculations and losses are shifted to each other. As a result, recently in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk Oblast, there was a fight between military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces and mercenaries of the Wagner Group, which turned into a shoot-out. As a result of the conflict, there are dead on both sides." Details: The General Staff also reports that in the settlement of Mistky, Luhansk Oblast, Russian invaders have set up a local school as a military hospital. "There are a large number of wounded Russians there. In addition, there is a large shortage of medicines and dressings in all medical institutions of the occupiers," the report says. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! SNP - Andrew Milligan/PA Police investigating the SNP's finances are searching for "burner" mobile phone sim cards and examining party purchases including a fridge freezer, it has been reported ahead of Humza Yousaf's first meeting with Rishi Sunak. Detectives were understood to be looking for information from the sim cards, including any text messages and voice recordings. So-called "burner" phones are cheap, prepaid devices that users can discard or destroy when no longer required if they want to maintain privacy. Their sim cards can be removed while still retaining the data. In addition, officers are said to be examining the SNP's purchase of luxury pens, designer pots and pans, jewellery and even a fridge freezer. Police Scotland has previously confiscated a luxury motorhome from outside the home of Nicola Sturgeon's 92-year-old mother-in-law in Dunfermline, Fife. The developments emerged ahead of Mr Yousaf's first visit to London as First Minister on Monday, during which he will meet the Prime Minister. The new SNP leader is also expected to hold talks with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and ambassadors to the UK, including those from Germany and Ukraine. However, his visit risks being overshadowed by the police investigation into his party. Since July 2021 the force has been examining the SNPs handling of more than 600,000 in donations raised in 2017 for a second independence referendum. Supporters made complaints when accounts lodged with Companies House in 2020 appeared to show the SNP only had 97,000 in the bank despite the referendum never having been held Peter Murrell, who is Ms Sturgeon's husband and was the SNP chief executive for more than two decades before he quit last month, was arrested on April 5 and the home he shares with her raided by police. Colin Beattie, who was party treasurer for most of Mr Murrell's tenure, was arrested last week and resigned from the post. Both men were released without charge pending further investigation. Story continues The three registered officers for the SNP listed on the front of its most recent accounts submitted to the Electoral Commission were Mr Murrell, Mr Beattie and Ms Sturgeon, prompting speculation she could be arrested next. However, it is understood she has not been interviewed. First Minister Humza Yousaf has previously admitted he had seen a list of items that police have either seized or wanted to trace in their investigation. A source with knowledge of the inquiry told the Sunday Mail: Something police are looking for is sim cards used in unregistered mobile phones. They want to know the numbers connected with these cards which could also contain numbers called and text messages. Its not uncommon for people to have unregistered mobile sim cards which can be bought from any shop, theres nothing wrong with having a so-called burner phone but police want a record of these phones in the SNP. Another insider said: There is an extensive list of items that the police are interested in which will probably be surprising some people. It is mostly high value items - expensive pens, pots and pans, jewellery, but also a fridge freezer. This is a very extensive inquiry and clearly absolutely no stone is being left unturned. Keith Brown, the SNP's deputy leader, refused to comment on the report about burner phone sim cards and purchases when challenged about them on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show. He said: "I don't know who the 'SNP cops' are or the 'SNP fraud cops'. I don't know who these people are talking about. "And I'm not going to refer to an ongoing live police inquiry and I'm very surprised at the extent to which it is discussed because it can prejudice the outcome of that inquiry." But Craig Hoy, the Scottish Tory chairman, said: "This latest bizarre twist only adds to the stench of secrecy surrounding the SNP finances scandal. It is crucial that the SNP cooperates fully with the police investigation and gives the public the answers they deserve to questions that remain unanswered." He repeated his call for Mr Yousaf to suspend SNP figures associated with the inquiry, including Ms Sturgeon. The First Minister has refused, saying they are innocent until proven guilty. Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's deputy leader, said: "These details raise deeply worrying questions about practices at the heart of the SNP." Police Scotland declined to comment, while an SNP spokesman said: "We have no comment on a live police investigation." Sofia Richie wore three custom Chanel dresses for her wedding to music executive Elliot Grainge this weekend. The daughter of music superstar Lionel Richie married Grainge on Saturday (22 April) at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes. Sister Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton were among those who attended the couples nuptials in the south of France. The news was confirmed by Vogue in a report that included details of her all-Chanel wedding wardrobe including a short dress inspired by the one worn by Claudia Schiffer during a runway show in 1993. Sofia told the magazine the structured dress adorned with the Chanel camillia is like my little girl dream. The 24-year-old model added: And the fact that it is inspired [by] Claudia Schiffers runway dress is iconic and dope. Sofia wore the Schiffer look for her after-party, telling Vogue that she chose it because she can dance and move in it. For their rehearsal dinner on Friday (21 April), Richie wore a long-sleeved, beaded dress, which she described as an art piece. For the wedding ceremony, the model picked an iridescent, white sequinned gown with a criss-cross neckline and train a twist on a look from Chanels fall 2023 collection. I honestly think Elliot is going to love it. He is my biggest cheerleader when it comes to anything I wear. If he doesnt cry, Ill be very sad, Richie said of the outfit. The wedding dress also included thoughtful details. Sofia and Grainges initials were sewn on the inside using blue thread for the brides something blue. The dress is representative of Sofia and Grainges connection, and features two separate heart embellishments facing each other. Sofia told Vogue that she wanted her clean and simple beauty looks for the wedding to be feel timeless and not like a glamazon. Ahead of her wedding weekend, the social media personality made her debut on TikTok on Thursday (20 April) with her new married name. She told her followers that she had arrived in Antibes and needed help picking a dinner outfit before modelling a blue halter-neck dress and jewellery. Story continues Sofia has since been sharing Instagram Stories and TikToks, documenting her marriage to Grainge. The couple were friends before they began dating in April 2021, and announced their engagement one year later. Sofia shared pictures of Grainges proposal on Instagram with the caption: Forever isnt long enough. Earlier this month, Sofia announced she had converted to Judaism ahead of the nuptials, describing the day as magical. The Armed Forces of Ukraine could move to the left bank of the Dnieper in Kherson Oblast (archive photo) Humeniuk didn't refute or confirm claims by U.S. think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) about a Ukrainian bridgehead on the left (eastern) bank of the river, but noted the Ukrainian army actions require informational silence until it is safe to openly talk about them. Read also: Another Russian goodwill gesture Signs Russia is preparing to retreat from Kherson Oblast I want everyone to realise that when the front line runs along such a wide, powerful river as the Dnipro, it is not a mean feat to overcome such an obstacle, said Humeniuk. That is why even the best 'students' of the Institute for the Study of War have to be patient. Sometimes, such speculation could be harmful, she added. "Everyone is really waiting for good news, and they will get it, but this news should be good for as many of our soldiers as possible," she said. Read also: Russia receives new batch of Shahed attack drones from Iran, Humeniuk says The ISW update on the situation in Ukraine as of April 22 says that Ukrainian troops had established positions on the Dnipro Rivers left (or eastern) bank in Kherson Oblast, referring to Russian milbloggers' geolocated photos and online reports. Ukrainian positions are located to the north of Oleshky and advanced up to the northern outskirts of the settlement on the E97 highway, as well as west of Dachi," the ISW wrote. 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 Manatee River Rotary Club recently awarded five scholarships to Southeast High School International Baccalaureate students. Back row, from left, Principal Ginger Collins, Alan Morphin, Aiden Argueta, Aiden Letourneau, Manatee River Rotary president Beth Clark, and IB coordinator Kathy Grimm. In front are Yuxuan Guo and Alexia Fuentes. Yuxuan Guo remembers her classroom in China and leaving at the end of the day with more confusion and unsolved questions. Today, the Southeast High School student is founder and president of the Sarasota Chinese Reading Club, vice president of the Math Club and creator of a press-on nail store on eBay. Guo, 17, is also one of two International Baccalaureate students at Southeast to be awarded $5,000 scholarships by the Manatee River Rotary Club. The club recently awarded five scholarships to Southeast IB students. It was extremely difficult deciding which student received which scholarship. The submissions were all extremely well done, said Beth Clark, Manatee River Rotary Club president. They are all winners. Three of the scholarships are named in honor of the families of two club members. Guo won the Matt Taylor scholarship, Alexia Fuentes the Mary Ritchey Nelson scholarship, both for $5,000, and Aiden Letourneau won the Nancy Hurley scholarship of $1,000. Alan Morfin and Aiden Argueta each won $500 scholarships. Manatee River Rotary has a program, Sister Schools, that pairs Southeast IB and Louise R. Johnson Middle School IB with three schools in the Central Highlands of Guatemala for educational experiences. Southeast IB students submitted essays explaining how Rotary International and the IB program complement one another and how Sister Schools exemplifies the mission and values of both. Sister Schools began in 2008 in the former Wakeland Elementary School in Bradenton when it was the first IB school in the area. Gua wrote in her submission that IB and Rotary International both provide service to others, promote integrity, and move the world forward through cross-cultural understanding and respect. She said Manatee River Rotarys program made it possible for IB students to broaden their experiences while helping students in Guatemala at the same time. Even today, students from Southeast High School who participated in the program still look forward to returning to Guatemala to help. It is an ongoing journey. Story continues Fuentes wrote that Sister Schools brings the two international programs together and that this makes a difference in the world, starting with the students and citizens of Manatee County. Letourneau, a musician who plays in the marching band and concert and jazz bands, achieved all As during the past semester. He also belongs to the Southeast Television Club. The IB program promotes a global perspective, Letourneau wrote, and through the Sister School program, IB can collaborate on service projects and other initiatives that align with the IBs focus on community service and making a positive impact on the world. Submitted by Manatee River Rotary This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee River Rotary awards five scholarships to Southeast IB students The reality star claimed earlier this week that a Southwest Airlines attendant "threw her off" a flight when she refused to check her carry-on bag Aaron Poole/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Southwest Airlines is hitting back at Savannah Chrisley's claims about how she was treated ahead of a recent flight with the company. Earlier this week, the Growing Up Chrisley star, 25, shared a series of videos on her Instagram Story documenting an incident that occurred while she was attempting to board a flight at New York's LaGuardia airport. Chrisley was heading home to Tennessee when she says an airline attendant "threw her off the flight" after she refused to check her carry-on bag despite being instructed to do so. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a representative for Southwest said the company is "aware" of Chrisley's video and is "looking into the situation." "Our initial reports indicate a different story than the one from the Customer's account, as she arrived at the gate late in the boarding process and repeatedly insulted our Employee after being asked to gate-check her bag," the rep noted. "As a result, the Customer was denied boarding on her original flight, and we booked her on a later flight the same day." A representative for Chrisley did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. 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. Getty Images Southwest Airlines plane Related:Southwest Flight Delayed Allegedly Over Spilled Rice in the Aisle In her initial videos detailing the mishap with Southwest, Chrisley began, "Alright guys, so I officially know why everyone hates Southwest so much. I mean absolutely hates it the worst thing in the entire world." After zooming in on an airline attendant at the gate, Chrisley continued, "This man right here um, awful. I went to board my flight and he told me that I had to check my bag. I was like, 'Okay, if you wouldn't mind, I'm gonna take my bag on the flight, see if I can't make it fit and if not, I'll check it.' " Story continues She then explained that the attendant told her that wasn't an option and that she had to check the bag. After insisting that she should check if there was any room for her luggage on the plane before complying, Chrisley then claimed that the attendant told her she was being "an unruly passenger." The situation caused such a commotion that the reality star then said a pilot stepped in and allegedly told the attendant that he needed to "calm down" and that he would find a space for Chrisley's bag. "The Southwest attendant literally looked at the pilot the man who was flying our plane and is responsible for our safety and said stay out of it," she noted. Rick Diamond/Getty for The 2018 Concert for Love & Acceptance Continuing her recap of the events, Chrisley said, "Now, I'm not gonna lie, when this Southwest attendant told the pilot to calm down, I told him that there was no need for him to be an a--hole today, and then he threw me off the flight." Chrisley said she then told the attendant that "I had a 10-year-old that I had to absolutely get home to tonight and well, the Southwest attendant said 'I don't care.' " She was seemingly referring to her niece, Chloe, who she became the primary guardian of after her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, were sent to prison for a combined 19 years for tax fraud. She also became the legal guardian of her 16-year-old brother, Grayson, following her parents' sentence. Chrisley then claimed that when the Southwest attendant told her he "didn't care if I got home to my 10-year-old," she admitted that she let her anger get the best of her. "I told him that I hope he finds a better purpose for his life. Maybe I shouldn't have said it, but the devil came over me and Jesus did not come out," she said. RELATED VIDEO: Savannah Chrisley Says She Was 'Thrown Off' Southwest Flight for Being an 'Unruly Passenger' Later, Savannah got back on Instagram to give a shout-out to the "good-looking" pilot who she said defended her. "Southwest you're awful, but to the pilot who stood up for me and was a real good-looking guy my hat goes off to you. You're great. Maybe switch airlines," she said, adding that the airline "sucks" but their pilot was "kinda hot." Her followers were intrigued by the attractive pilot, with one user writing, "I need you to find the hot pilot" in response to a Q&A she posted prompting viewers to share their "crappy airline stories" during her flight. Despite all the drama, Chrisley was put on a connecting flight through Baltimore, where she revealed she was pleasantly surprised to have an entire row to herself. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Inatural Biotech, a leading Chinese probiotic company, dedicated to probiotics research, biomedical technology innovation, and industrialization. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] China's probiotics industry is thriving due to the nation's focus on health and wellness and evolving consumer preferences. The "Healthy China 2030" plan underscores the importance of breakthroughs in key technologies for managing chronic illnesses and precision medicine. Probiotics have emerged as a new generation of health supplements, particularly effective at managing chronic diseases, maintaining digestive health, and enhancing the immune system. In the post-COVID-19 business landscape, the global probiotics market, valued at $59.3 billion in 2022, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6% between 2022 and 2030, reaching $91.7 billion by 2030, according to Reportlinker. China, the world's second-largest economy, is forecast to have a market size of $20.1 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 9.2% over the same period. "The probiotics industry has enormous potential in various fields, such as healthcare," said Zhao Linsen, chairman of Inatural Biotech, a leading Chinese probiotic company, dedicated to probiotics research, biomedical technology innovation, and industrialization. The Hebei province-based company, situated on over 300 acres, boasts an annual output of 100 tons of bacterial powder. Zhao stated that over a decade ago, China's domestic probiotics relied mainly on imports from the United States and Denmark. At that time, he was working in the dairy industry and saw an opportunity to provide strains to domestic yogurt brands, which could contribute to the growth and development of the domestic probiotics industry. For over a decade, Inatural Biotech has concentrated on China's probiotic research, pioneered the industrialization of probiotic freeze-drying technology in the country, and is among the first companies to help draft China's "Edible Lactic Acid Bacteria" industry standards. Inatural Biotech exemplifies the growth and advancement of China's probiotics industry. As China's development accelerates and the demand for healthcare among its population increases, along with the support of national policies, the research and development of microorganisms, especially probiotics, has rapidly advanced in both the academic and manufacturing fields in recent years, noted Zhao. Inatural Biotech's third-phase project, backed by 1 billion yuan ($145 million) in investment, focuses on the agricultural sector. According to Zhao, after commencing production, the company is expected to produce 500 tons of pure bacterial powder annually. "We are committed to supplying high-quality strains for the dairy industry, as well as for products in fields like medicine, and maternal and child care in the future. We aim to promote the continuous, high-quality development of China's probiotics industry," Zhao added. MH-47 Night Stalker Sudan The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan was evacuated Saturday by U.S. special operations forces (SOF) as nine days of ongoing fighting between two rival factions presented increasing danger to the people working there and their dependents. No one was injured in the rescue and the aircraft involved, including three Night Stalker MH-47 Chinook helicopters, took no fire either entering or leaving Khartoum, LTG D.A. Sims, director of operations, Joint Staff J3, told reporters, including from The War Zone, during a late night press briefing Saturday. The evacuation was ordered by U.S. President Joe Biden. Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract U.S. Government personnel from Khartoum in response to the situation in Sudan. I am grateful for the commitment of our Embassy staff and the skill of our service members who brought them to safety. President Biden (@POTUS) April 23, 2023 As a result of the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the United States has temporarily suspended operations - and I want to stress temporarily suspended - operations at our embassy in Khartoum, said Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass during a late Saturday night press conference. The widespread fighting has caused significant civilian deaths and injuries. Theres been substantial damage to essential infrastructure, including, importantly the civilian airport in the heart of the city. In this edition of the Downlink we examine fairly widespread destruction at Khartoum International Airport in Sudan, with multiple aircraft include two IL-76s, a 737, an A330 and a turboprop aircraft totally destroyed. pic.twitter.com/LCcEBXv1yG The War Zone (@thewarzonewire) April 16, 2023 As a result of the intensity of the conflict, and the challenges that our diplomatic personnel were experiencing in conducting basic operations, and the uncertainty about the availability of key supplies, like fuel and food going forward, we reluctantly decided it was time to suspend operations and with tremendous support from our professional military colleagues at DOD, said Bass. We evacuated all of the U.S. personnel and dependents assigned to Embassy Khartoum. Given that uncertain environment, the absence of any commercial air, the absence of any charter aircraft capabilities, and the absence of really feasible overland road routes to get out of the country, we concluded the only way we could do this safely for all of our diplomatic personnel was to rely on the capabilities of our military colleagues. We don't anticipate those security conditions are going to change in the near term, even though we're going to continue to do everything we can to bring this fighting to a conclusion. A view of the area as a fire broke out after a house was hit in the Lamab district during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan on April 20, 2023. (Photo by Omer Erdem/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) In all, more than 100 SOF troops took part in the rescue of fewer than 100 embassy personnel, Sims and Bass said. The Associated Press reported that about 70 people were evacuated in total. That included members of the Marine Corps Embassy Support Group Region 6, who had been guarding the embassy. I'd also like to take this opportunity to shine an especially appreciative light on the incredible duty carried out by the U.S. Marines who have been protecting and defending the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Chris Maier. The Marines who protect many of our embassies overseas do not often get the credit they deserve. Their courage under duress represents America at its best again in this instance. The rescue began at 9 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, when a contingent of U.S. forces lifted off from Djibouti and landed in Ethiopia, Sims said. The aircraft, including three MH-47 Chinooks, refueled in Ethiopia before flying approximately three hours to Khartoum. The evacuation was conducted in one movement via rotary wing. The operation was fast and clean, with service members spending less than an hour on the ground in Khartoum. As we speak, the evacuees are safe and secure. The flight was about 800 miles each way, Sims said. Though the rescue went smoothly, there was one problem, said Sims. We had a helicopter that was that had an issue trying to connect to fuel on the way back but they were able to remedy that and connected to the fuel with no issue and continued on, said Sims. We did not have one down. Neither Sims nor Maier said what other types of aircraft were involved in the rescue. Flight tracking sites showed that at least three U.S. Air Force MC-130s were flying over Khartoum. We reached out to the Pentagon and U.S. Air Forces in Europe-U.S. Air Forces Africa (USAFE) for more details. We will update this story with any information provided. At least 3 U.S. Air Force C-130s are Pinging from the Sudanese Capital City of Khartoum as reports come in that they may have landed at Khartoum International Airport. @air_intel pic.twitter.com/Xk65Z3OuVW OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 22, 2023 Aircraft had been pouring into the sprawling Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti for days now, with many transatlantic sorties of C-17s and special operations C-130s making their way to the outpost on the Horn of Africa where the U.S. stages many of its regional operations. With such a broad set of movements, an impending evacuation mission, or at least a major contingency force for such a mission being put into place, was abundantly clear. Any operation would have included a wide array of aerial assets beyond the MH-47s and MC-130s, including tactical platforms capable of kinetic strikes, such as fighter aircraft and AC-130 gunships, should things go awry. Many tankers and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft would have also been overhead or in the general vicinity. Though the embassy personnel were safely evacuated, many more U.S. citizens remain in Sudan as the paramilitary RSF clash with Sudanese SAF units loyal to Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudans transitional governing Sovereign Council. The RSF leader, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, is also the deputy head of the Sovereign Council. With these two leaders sharing power, it had been planned that the RSF would merge with the regular army. With those plans now in tatters, U.S. citizens remaining in the country are scrambling to leave. To help facilitate their evacuation, the Pentagon is considering actions that may include use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe and detect threats, said Maier. In addition, the Pentagon is also considering sending naval assets outside the Port of Sudan to potentially help Americans who arrived at the port, located about 415 miles northeast of Khartoum on the Red Sea. And the Pentagon is also establishing a deconfliction cell at the headquarters of U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, to focus primarily on the overland route, Maier said. The route from Khartoum to Port Sudan is about 415 miles. (Google Earth image) However, getting Americans out of Sudan will be difficult. As a result of that uncertain security picture as a result of the unavailability of the civilian airport, we don't foresee coordinating a US government evacuation for our fellow citizens in Sudan at this time, or in the coming days, said Bass. However, although we don't foresee coordinating that evacuation, we certainly continue to be in close touch with many American citizens resident in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan, to give them our best assessment of the security environment, and to encourage them to take appropriate precautions, to the best of their ability in and around that environment. In a tweet earlier Saturday night, RSF claimed that in coordination with the US forces mission consisting of 6 planes for the purpose of evacuating diplomats and their families, it supervised the necessary arrangements that preceded the evacuation process, confirming its full cooperation with all diplomatic missions, standing by them and providing the necessary means of protection to ensure their safe return to their countries. 23 2023 6 pic.twitter.com/llcgoHdVms Rapid Support Forces - (@RSFSudan) April 22, 2023 During the press conference, Bass denied that claim. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation, he said. I would submit that as much in their self interest as anything else. The fighting has already claimed more than 400 lives, according to The Associated Press. And, as we wrote about previously, RSF, recently claimed to have taken control of an airbase in the north of the country where Egypt has deployed MiG-29M/M2 Fulcrum multirole fighter jets. Satellite imagery obtained by The War Zone shows at least one of these aircraft destroyed and it is likely that others are badly damaged or destroyed, as well. Footage claiming to showing #Sudan Rapid Support Group at Merowe air base (18.44283, 31.84061) Of significance is the presence of a number of #Egypt Air Force Mig-29M/M2 Fulcrum pic.twitter.com/XqjPXVwLtl Joseph Dempsey (@JosephHDempsey) April 15, 2023 With no end in sight to this fighting, we will monitor the situation and update this story when more developments unfold. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends the annual Remembrance Sunday memorial at The Cenotaph on November 10, 2019 in London, England. Karwai Tang/WireImage On Friday, a report surfaced about a letter exchange between King Charles and Meghan Markle. A source told The Telegraph the letters played a role in Meghan's decision to skip the coronation. A statement from Meghan's reps shared by Omid Scobie called the claims "frankly ridiculous." Meghan Markle's representatives slammed a report in The Telegraph that claimed that she's not attending King Charles' coronation because of letters the two royals exchanged in 2021. On Friday, The Telegraph published an article based on an anonymous source alleging that the Duchess of Sussex, 41, was still not satisfied with the response from Charles in a letter he wrote her after she and Prince Harry's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. According to the publication's unnamed source, Charles wrote to her expressing his disappointment that the couple felt the need to discuss their claim that members of the royal family had questions and "concerns" over Prince Archie's skin color before his birth. But fast-forward two years, Meghan is making it clear that the reported communication with her father-in-law from 2021 was not part of the decision to attend his coronation, set to take place on May 6. Royal author Omid Scobie shared a statement he said was provided by the Duchess of Sussexes team on Twitter on Saturday that pushed back at the claim in the article. The tweet has nearly 8,000 likes and has been shared over 1,500 times as of Sunday. "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," it read. "Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous." "We encourage tabloid media and various royal correspondents to stop the exhausting circus they alone are creating," it concluded. Story continues Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. Max Mumby/Indigo / Contributor / Getty Images The statement comes just a week after Buckingham Palace confirmed that Harry would attend his father's coronation while Meghan remains in the US with their two children. The palace said it was "pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May," in a statement sent to Insider. "The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet," it added. King Charles' coronation falls on the same day as Archie's 4th birthday. According to Scobie, that "played a factor in the couple's decision" for Meghan to stay behind with him and 1-year-old Lilibet. Royal watcher Kristen Meinzer previously told Insider Meghan and Harry's decision to split royal and familial duties was a "brilliant" strategy. "The decision for Harry to go, and for Meghan to stay home with the children on Archie's birthday is a brilliant way to split the difference," Meinzer said. "As I've said in the past, the primary benefit of attending is the optics; of looking as though they're continuing to do their best on their end even if the royal family isn't always doing their best on their end." Read the original article on Insider CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) A judge on Saturday ordered the immigration director of Mexico's northern border state of Chihuahua to stand trial Saturday on charges of homicide, injuries and failure to perform his duties, for last month's deadly fire at a migrant detention center. The judge ordered the director, Salvador Gonzalez, held in prison pending trial. Judge Juan Jose Chavez said there was evidence that Gonzalez failed to do his duty to protect the migrants. Forty migrants died in the March 27 fire in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, after a migrant allegedly set fire to foam mattresses to protest a supposed transfer. In the end, everything depends on the head" official, Chavez said. Not complying with standards does have its results." Five other officials of the countrys National Immigration Institute, a guard at the center and the Venezuelan migrant accused of starting the blaze are already in custody facing homicide charges. The step is significant, in part because Gonzalez is a retired Mexican navy rear admiral. He is the highest ranking official to be held over for trial in the case, though prosecutors have said they will press charges against the immigration agencys top national official, Francisco Garduno, who is scheduled to make a court appearance April 21. Federal prosecutors have said Garduno was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agencys detention centers. Prosecutors said government audits had found a pattern of irresponsibility and repeated omissions in the immigration institute. The fire in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, quickly filled the facility with smoke. No one let the migrants out. 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. Story continues 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. Nationals from various countries arrived at Marka Military Airport in Amman early on Monday A growing list of countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan's capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum. The US and UK announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country. France, Germany, Italy and Spain have also been evacuating diplomats and other nationals. A vicious power struggle between the regular army and a powerful paramilitary force has led to violence across Sudan for more than a week. US authorities said they had airlifted fewer than 100 people with three Chinook helicopters on Sunday morning in a "fast and clean" operation. The US embassy in Khartoum is now closed, and a tweet on its official feed says it is not safe enough for the government to evacuate private US citizens. The UK government managed to airlift British diplomats and their families out of the country in what was described as a "complex and rapid" operation. Foreign Minister James Cleverly said options to evacuate the remaining British nationals in Sudan were "severely limited". More than 1,000 European Union citizens had been taken out of Sudan, according to an update from the EU's foreign policy chief on Monday morning. Individual countries have given updates on their evacuation operations: French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that a plane had arrived in Djibouti carrying French citizens and others on Sunday - and the government said another evacuation took place on Monday, taking the number of people evacuated to 388 A handful of Dutch citizens left Khartoum on a French plane, and another with people from the Netherlands on board left early on Monday morning Germany's foreign ministry said it had evacuated 311 people, including German nationals as well as those from other countries. It said more flights were planned "if the situation on the ground allows" Italy and Spain have also evacuated citizens - the Spanish mission included citizens from Argentina , Colombia , Ireland , Portugal , Poland , Mexico , Venezuela and Sudan itself Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had evacuated its diplomatic staff Turkey - a key player in Sudan - began evacuation efforts by road from the southern city of Wad Medani on Sunday, but plans from one site in Khartoum were postponed after a nearby "explosion" Story continues Earlier, more than 150 people - mostly citizens of Gulf countries, as well as Egypt, Pakistan and Canada - were evacuated by sea to the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah. Long lines of United Nations vehicles and buses were seen leaving Khartoum on Sunday, heading east towards Port Sudan on the Red Sea and carrying "citizens from all over the world", a Sierra Leonean evacuee told AFP news agency. South African diplomat Clayson Monyela said ongoing fighting meant that all routes out of Khartoum were "risky and dangerous". "The airport remains closed, the fighting continues," he told the BBC. "This is why we continue to call for a ceasefire to allow for a safe passage for those who want to get out and to allow for humanitarian aid." There have been desperate calls for help from many foreign students - from Africa, Asia and the Middle East - who are also stuck in Khartoum, a city of some six million people. A Nigerian student association in Sudan called on its government to conduct an "immediate rescue mission", saying many students had chosen to flee. Meanwhile, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said Sudan was in the midst of an "internet blackout", with connectivity at 2% of ordinary levels, which could seriously hinder the coordination of help for those trapped in Khartoum and other cities. The power struggle has seen heavy bombardment in the capital city, with hundreds killed and thousands more injured. The near-constant shooting and bombing in Khartoum and elsewhere has cut electricity and safe access to food and water for much of the population. Several ceasefires that had seemingly been agreed by both sides were ignored, including a three-day pause to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which started on Friday. On Sunday, the US announced a disaster response team would be sent to the area to "coordinate the humanitarian response for those in need both within and outside of Sudan." Samantha Power from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) said the team would work out of Kenya at first, and prioritise getting "life-saving humanitarian assistance to those who need it most." The World Health Organization says the fighting has killed more than 400 people and injured thousands. But the death toll is believed to be much higher as people are struggling to get healthcare, as most of the city's hospitals have been forced to close by the fighting. 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. Banner saying 'Get in touch' Are you are foreign citizen in Sudan? If it is safe to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. Heavy fighting in Sudan, which has plunged the nation into chaos and killed hundreds, has also raised fears about the fate of 25 lions and other animals in a wildlife reserve. The facility said it is without electricity to power safety fences around enclosures and running low on food for the felines, which each require five to 10 kilogrammes (11 to 22 pounds) of meat a day. Violence broke out in the capital and across Sudan on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The clashes have killed more than 400 people, wounded thousands and threatened a descent into wider turmoil in the northeast African country, already one of the world's poorest. "Firstly, may Allah protect Sudan and the people of Sudan," said a statement by the Sudan Animal Rescue Centre, which went on to warn that the situation at the sanctuary had also become "critical". It said it no longer had a permanent staff presence at the sanctuary, located an hour's drive southeast of Khartoum near a military base that had been rocked by "deadly clashes on a daily basis". The sanctuary houses 25 lions and various other animals including gazelles, camels, monkeys, hyenas and birds. "We are under tremendous pressure due to the current power outage, and our stocks of food and drink are beginning to run out," it said, adding that one of its vehicles had been stolen. The power outage had become "a real threat" because the facility relies on electricity to power equipment for the animal enclosures. "We therefore appeal to all officials and those with the ability to help with the need to intervene ... as soon as possible," it added in the statement. bur/fz/hkb New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said on Sunday that Republicans want someone who can win as their presidential candidate, addubg that former President Trump lost the past three elections for the GOP. Republicans want someone who can win in November of 24. Donald Trump is a loser. He has not just lost once. He lost us our House seats in 2018, Sununu said. He lost everything and 20. We should have 54 U.S. senators right now and we dont because of his message. So, Donald Trump is positioning himself to be a four-time loser in 2024. Sununu said that while Republicans have rallied behind the former president as he faces multiple investigations, that support may not translate into a vote. He noted that voters do not know who they are voting for three weeks before the election, saying that other candidates will enter the race and debates will need to be held to determine who will be the nominee. You know, you cant govern if you dont win, Sununu said. And again, so he drags that ticket down, he added, referring to Trump. I think that reality is going to really come to bear through the primary process. So I understand folks are supporting him. They think that a lot of the stuff with the DA is political, which I believe it is too, by the way. Sununu said that Trump plays the victim card, but Republicans want someone whos going to fight for them. And the governor said the former president did not follow through on his campaign promises, like building a border wall and reforming health care. Republicans want someone whos going to fight for them. But we also want a fighter that can win. He said he was going to go to Washington and drain the swamp. He didnt do it, Sununu said. He said he was going to build a wall and secure things. He didnt do it. He said he was going to give us health-care reform and be fiscally disciplined, not add $8 trillion to the debt. He didnt do any of those things. And so we want fighters that can actually win and take accountability. Story continues Sununu has previously said that Trump will not be the nominee, saying that it is not going to happen. When asked on Sunday when the governor is expected to make a decision on whether he will run for president, Sununu dodged the question, saying everybody will have to make a decision by Fourth of July. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The debris from the homes slid hundreds of feet down into the canyon below, and prompted trail closures for safety. Draper City Government/Facebook Draper, Utah, officials required two households overlooking a canyon to evacuate in October, KSTU reports. Residents watched their homes slide off the cliff and into the canyon below on Saturday morning. Eric Kamradt wrote that he and his wife were still paying the mortgage of the $900K home while they stayed in a rental awaiting repairs. A Utah couple watched their forever home slide off its foundation into a canyon during a collapse they were warned about months prior. On Saturday, Draper's Eric Kamradt and his wife saw their home and another uninhabited house slip into the canyon the structures once overlooked. According to KSTU, multiple residents in their neighborhood evacuated the surrounding homes at the urging of city officials. Kamradt documented the destruction of the $900,000 home he'd purchased with his wife in November 2021 and shared the clip to LinkedIn. "Everyone has problems. Here is ours, as this was supposed to be our forever home," the somber caption read. The couple was required to leave their would-be forever home in October 2022 when the city revoked its occupancy permit and the permit of a neighboring home that housed a family of seven, per a report from the outlet in December of that year. In the report, Kamradt pointed out that visible cracks in the home's foundation began to show as the area closest to the canyon began to sink in December. At the time, the couple lived in a rental while the structural issues were to be sorted out. Draper's government officials took to the city's Facebook account Saturday to issue a statement on the matter and close trails near the Hidden Canyon Estates subdivision where the homes were located. The town is situated about 19 miles outside of Salt Lake City. "Draper City has been following up with the developer, Edge Homes for months on engineering studies Edge Homes has conducted regarding the stability of the surrounding area," the statement read. Story continues It continued: "With the snow pack melting and creating changes in conditions, other homes in the neighborhood will be evaluated for safety concerns. At this time, only the two adjacent homes are being evacuated." City officials ended their statement by assuring that "everyone is safe" following the incident. Kamradt and Edge Homes did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Kamradt shared more about his experience with Edge Homes in the comment section of his LinkedIn post. "Edge Homes is playing hardball. We are paying for both the mortgage and a rental. they want us to make concessions before they pay for the rental," Kamradt wrote to another user Sunday morning. In the December report from KSTU, Kamradt told reporters that Edge Homes offered the options of selling the home back to the agency or "move someplace else while they fix the house." A spokesperson for the company told the station the shifts in the homes were due to "unique geographic features and the soils on which they were constructed." Read the original article on Business Insider A Blairsville man was arrested on drug charges after a traffic stop. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Towns County deputies noticed a vehicle with a suspended tag Tuesday evening and pulled the call over on Highway 76 West near Young Harris. Authorities said, while searching the car, K-9 Xena alerted deputies of drugs being in the car. TRENDING STORIES: The Towns County Sheriffs Office said the drugs tested positive for methamphetamine laced with fentanyl. When the driver, identified as 43-year-old Bobby Dewayne Cantrell was being searched at the Towns County Detention Center, deputies reportedly found more methamphetamine on him, resulting in additional charges. Cantrell was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, crossing guard lines with weapons/drugs/intoxicants, and possession and use of drug-related objects. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: When author and community college teacher Adam Bessie returned from a sabbatical to his community college in January 2020, hed just recovered from a bout of chemotherapy. Thats where Going Remote: a Teachers Journey begins. His graphic novel follows not only his journey with brain cancer, but also his passion for teaching community college. A lot of the cancer story, Bessie said, is part of who I am as a teacher. He had long enjoyed the infectious energy and electrical current, as he calls it in the book, that flows through an engaged classroom. He felt profound joy re-entering class, he said. But then he experienced the profound irony that as soon as he returned to campus, everyone left because of the Pandemic. Thats when he began writing his book. The novel really comes immediately from the experience of going online, he says. Read an excerpt from the book right here: While Zoom tethered his students together during the crisis, he writes in his book, it also came with its own strict demands: access to a computer, stable Wi-Fi and a quiet study space, all parameters set by the software requirements, not educators. He said giving in to these demands could threaten community colleges open access mission, squeezing out the neediest students the very students theyre designed to uplift. Bessie says he loves community college for its promise, where students of all socioeconomic backgrounds and all ethnicities come together to form a community. It gives me a lot of hope, he said, for the future of our democracy. So far the book is garnering praise: Publishers Weekly gave it a coveted starred review, calling it poignant and excerpting one of the chapters. It also named it one of Spring 2023s Top 10 graphic novels and adult comics. Watch our profile of Bessie, and see parts of the book, right here. Produced by James Fields President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chairman of the Central Military Commission and director of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, delivered an important speech while presiding over the first meeting of the commission under the 20th CPC Central Committee on Friday afternoon. Xi stressed that this year is the first year for the implementation of 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. To achieve the goals and targets on the new journey of the new era, we need to harness comprehensively deepening reform as the key source of momentum in our endeavor to advance Chinese modernization and the key focus of our efforts to secure overall stability, cope with changes, and open up new vistas. Steering toward the right direction, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and with solid efforts, we will write a new chapter in China's reform and opening up on the new journey. Li Qiang, Wang Huning and Cai Qi, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy directors of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, attended the meeting. Seven documents were examined and approved at the meeting. They were Opinions on Reinforcing the Principal Role of Enterprises in Innovation, Opinions on Strengthening and Improving the Management of the State-Owned Sector to Support Chinese Modernization, Opinions on Promoting the Development of Private Economy, Work Regulations for the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, Work Regulations for the Specialized Groups of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, Detailed Regulations for the Office of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, and Work Plan for the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform in 2023. It was pointed out at the meeting that strengthening the principal role of enterprises in innovation is a major move taken to deepen the reform of scientific and technological system, and to realize higher level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology. It is important to apply systems thinking, focus on "for whom we should innovate, who should innovate, what and how we should innovate." Institution building should be the pivot to make holistic arrangements for decision-making on technological innovation, R&D investment, organizing scientific research, and the industrial application of scientific and technological advances. Systematic arrangements should be made for the distribution of such key resources for innovation as policies, fund, projects, platforms and professional personnel. Innovations in terms of science and technology, industries, and institutions and mechanisms should be promoted in a coordinated way, so as to promote the establishment of an innovation system with enterprises playing a principal role and closer collaboration between industries, universities, and research institutes. Meeting the major needs of the country's strategic and industrial development should be the focus in order to beef up support for enterprises in innovation, actively encourage and effectively guide private enterprises to participate in major national innovations, and promote enterprises to play their role in making innovations in core technologies in key fields and achieving breakthroughs in major original technologies. It was stressed at the meeting that the missions the state-owned economy shoulders and its functions as well as its role on the new journey of the new era should be the pivot for strengthening and improving the management of this sector. Strategic importance must be attached to forging a new development pattern, advancing high-quality development, promoting common prosperity and safeguarding national security when efforts are made to optimize the sector's safety responsibilities, quality, structure, property and management of enterprises. Efforts should be made to deepen reform of state-owned enterprises, and focus on addressing inadequacies, strengthening weak areas, consolidating fundamentals and giving full play to strengths, so as to build a management system of the state-owned sector that has top-level coordination, clear rights and responsibilities, efficient operation and powerful supervision. It was noted at the meeting that supporting the development of the private sector is a long-term principle of the CPC Central Committee. To support the growth and expansion of the private sector, work must be done to improve the environment for its development, remove the institutional obstacles that prevent private enterprises from fairly participating in market competition, and guide them to accurately identify their role in the process of high-quality development, so that private enterprises will be able to constantly improve the quality of their development by reforming themselves, complying with law and regulations and upgrading themselves. We should fully consider the characteristics of the private economy, improve the way policies are implemented and coordinated to provide private enterprises with precise and direct access to preferential policies and thereby effectively solve the practical difficulties of enterprises. We should put into practice the building of a cordial and clean relationship between government and business to guide and promote the healthy growth of personages in the private sector. It was emphasized at the meeting that since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have deepened the reform in an all-round way with great political courage, adhered to our goals as guide, highlighted problem-oriented approach, dared to break into uncharted waters, tackle tough issues, wade through dangerous rapids and face new issues and challenges, resolutely eliminated the drawbacks of various institutional mechanisms, and opened up a new situation with unprecedented strength. In the first 10 years of the new era, the reform we have promoted is comprehensive, in-depth and fundamental, and the achievements we have made are historic, revolutionary and pioneering. There is no country or political party in the whole world that has the political courage and historical responsibility to carry out such a bold and inward-looking self-reform. There is either no country or political party that can promote reform in such a wide range of areas, at such a large scale, with such a powerful strength and in such a short period of time. This is a distinctive feature and significant advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. To continue comprehensively deepening reform on the new journey, we must uphold and strengthen Party leadership, find the right path, clarify goals and tasks, and implement to the letter each task with scientific planning and the courage to innovate. We must overcome difficulties in major reform tasks, coordinate the overall situation while grasping the key points, plan and promote reform with a focus on the major issues of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. We must also make good use of the favorable conditions created by institutional reform, and strive to break through some difficulties in removing institutional obstacles in all areas and adjusting the distribution of interests. We should strengthen investigation into and research on reform, make more visits to regions and departments where issues and problems accumulate, go down to the grassroots and keep close contact with the people, so as to learn about and analyze real problems. In-depth study should be conducted on specific problems, while taking into consideration all aspects of work. We should use our brain and make more efforts as far as the scheme of things and overall situation are concerned. It is necessary to intensify reform and focus on implementation, to foster a more targeted and effective mechanism, under which higher and lower level institutions are well coordinated, vertical and horizontal management soundly integrated. Greater efforts should be made in supervision over reform to make sure that reform measures are implemented to the letter. All departments must be motivated and the incentive mechanisms on reform and innovation must be perfected. Advanced experience on reform should be shared and promoted, public opinions should be well guided and timely responses should be made to concerns of all parties. Members of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform were present, and so were leading officials in charge of relevant central Party and government departments. When the United States became independent in 1776, Texas was far from the scene. However, one of the key figures of that era, Benjamin Franklin, still had an impact on Texas and its own independence decades later. Richard Bache, Jr., Franklins grandson, fought in the Texas Revolution, served in the Texas navy, and served in the first sessions of the Texas State Senate. Richard Bache, Jr., was born in Philadelphia in 1784. His father, Richard Bache, Sr., was the second postmaster general of the United States, following Benjamin Franklin in the position and serving in the midst of the American Revolution from 1776 to 1782. He had married Franklins only daughter, Sarah, several years earlier and had eight children with her. As a child, Bache had gotten to know his famous grandfather, who died in Philadelphia in 1790. His brothers and cousins achieved varying degrees of fame and success as engineers and publishers, following in their famous grandfathers footsteps in one way or another. In 1798, he watched his older brother, Benjamin Franklin Bache, run afoul of the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts when his newspaper, the Aurora, printed articles critical of President John Adams. Unfortunately, he died before the case went to trial. Bache attended Philadelphia schools and eventually enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1812 just before the War of 1812 erupted. Once this new war with Great Britain erupted, he organized a volunteer artillery unit. The Philadelphia-based Franklin Flying Artillery earned acclaim during the war, with Bache serving as captain. He also briefly served in the navy. Bridges After the war ended, he served as postmaster of Philadelphia, serving from 1815 to 1828. It was this same position that his grandfather occupied from 1737 to 1753, making Bache part of the third generation in his family to serve as a postal executive. Because of his familys reputation, Bache maintained close connections with politicians across Pennsylvania. In 1805, he married Sophia Dallas, the daughter of United States Attorney Alexander Dallas. Alexander Dallas rose to become Secretary of the Treasury under President James Madison in 1814, while his son George, the namesake for the present-day City of Dallas, became vice-president under President James K. Polk in 1845. The Baches marriage produced nine children. In 1832, Bache fled to Texas under a cloud of suspicion, leaving his family behind. The reasons were never clear. Some biographers suggested he fled debt collectors while others point to whispers of accusations that embezzlement had occurred at the Philadelphia post office during his tenure as postmaster. However, no charges of any illegal activity were ever filed. He settled in the Brazoria area near modern-day Houston. When the Texas Revolution reached Southeast Texas in spring 1836, Bache joined the Louisiana Independent Volunteers to continue the fight. He was part of the San Jacinto campaign in April 1836 when Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was captured in the aftermath. Gen. Sam Houston made him part of the group of soldiers guarding Santa Anna in the aftermath. Under the administration of Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar, the Texas navy was re-established. In 1838, Bache served as chief clerk for the new navy. With the purchase of the steamship Zavala, Bache dusted off his experience from the United States Navy and served Texas on the high seas on the new vessel. In 1842, he moved to Galveston to serve as commissioner of the navy yard and as customs collector. Shortly afterward, he was elected a justice of the peace, a small-claims court judge, for Galveston County. By 1845, the question of annexation to the United States again emerged. Many people in the United States and Texas alike were excited about the prospect of the merger. Bache was selected as a delegate to the Annexation Convention. However, Bache was in the minority and voted against annexation; but his reasons were more personal than political. As his grandfather had a falling out with his own parents and his own son throughout his life, Bache periodically would find himself at odds with members of his own family. After his brother-in-law, George Dallas, became vice-president, Bache soured on the idea of annexation because he did not want to give him a political victory. Nevertheless, Bache was a delegate at the state constitutional convention and helped craft the first state constitution in 1845. He was also elected to the first session of the new Texas State Senate, representing the Galveston area. He continued to serve in the senate until his sudden death three years later. His children went on to lead impressive lives of their own. His eldest son, Alexander Bache, was a noted scientist and led what later became known as the U. S. Geodetic Survey. Three of his daughters married men who had considerable achievements. One son-in-law became a congressman while another became Secretary of the Treasury while a third, Gen. William Emory was a noted surveyor along the border between Mexico and the United States. Bache died in Austin in 1848 at age 64. Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Bridges: Bache played key role in early days of Texas independence Anutin Charnvirakul stands in front of a cannabis oil shelf at the Asian Hemp Expo at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, on Nov. 30, 2022. Credit - Varuth PongsapipattSOPA Image/Shutterstock Until last summer, Thailand had some of the worlds harshest drug laws, with possession of cannabis then punishable by up to 15 years in prison. But on June 9, marijuana was decriminalized and a resurgent cannabis culture has seen dispensaries popping up across the Southeast Asian nation of 70 million. The move was the brainchild of Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailands Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister, whose Bhumjaithai Party is today the junior partner in a military-backed ruling coalition. Anutins pitch was that legalizing cannabis could reduce prison overcrowdingmore than 80% of inmates in Thai prisons were incarcerated on drug-related chargeswhile spurring a hemp industry to alleviate rural poverty. The Thai cannabis market is now projected to reach $9.6 billion by 2030. Read More: How Thailands Deputy PM Could Score the Top Joband Redefine the Countrys Politics Anutin was also in charge of Thailands response to the pandemic, which devastated a tourism industry vital to the self-styled Land of Smiles. In 2021, Bangkok was the worlds most visited city with 21 million arrivalsthough the spread of COVID-19 saw tourism ground to a halt. How to keep people safe but fed was a delicate balancing act and Anutin faced criticism for removing vaccine requirements for Chinese tourists amid Beijings chaotic dismantling of Zero-COVID and its worst spike of infections. Still, Anutin insists that all my decisions to improve the tourism industry in Thailand strictly came from health literacy. And taking his public health responsibility to impressive heights, Anutinwho studied engineering at New Yorks Hofstra Universityregularly fetches organs for transplant in his own private plane. In most cases, I would bring back a heart, lungs, kidneys, eyeballs, he says. So sometimes you can help six or seven people with one flight. Story continues Speaking to TIME in Bangkoks Health Ministry building, Anutin lays out his vision for how cannabis decriminalization will benefit ordinary Thais and his hope for taking the nations top job following next months general election. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Cannabis decriminalization has been very popular. Why did it take so many years for this policy to be implemented? Anutin: As we all know, cannabis has been criminalized for many years. During such a period, its been stigmatized and knowledge and research about the plant stopped. Its become a devil in social perception. To de-stigmatize something takes time and effort. What are the potential benefits of cannabis reform for Thailands economy and how can they be maximized? What happened is that weve got a new cash crop or industrial crop. And like other industrial crops, it comes with economic opportunity. In the near future, we can maximize the opportunity by positioning Thailand as the leader in the market and becoming the source for products and know-how. Do you think that Thailand could become an exporter of cannabis products to legal foreign markets like the U.S.? Definitely. The relevant government agencies are working on the groundwork for this to happen. Part of this is to align our criteria with whats required in the U.S. How can you ensure that cannabis decriminalization benefits ordinary Thai people and not big corporations? By creating reasonable legislation to govern the business, so that the opportunity is accessible to everyone. We have lessons from our laws regarding alcoholic beverages. There were criteria that enabled only the big investors to enter the market. We will not repeat that mistake. Some of Thailands neighbors have objected to cannabis decriminalization. How do you balance boosting the domestic economy with maintaining good foreign relations? I have not heard of any country objecting to this policy in Thailand. On the contrary, my counterpart in Malaysia came to Thailand a few months ago to study how we implemented the policy, because they have a plan to legalize the plant for pharmaceutical use as the first step. Your father was a prominent politician and former Interior Minister in Thailand. What values did he teach you about public service? All the good deeds he taught me may not have been different from other parents. But what Ive learnt most is from his life experience as a businessman and a politician. Both are tough professions. Ive learnt what to be careful of, what kind of risk to avoid, and what not to do. Over 40 members of parliaments from other parties have joined the Bhumjaithai party in recent weeks. Do you feel the party is ready to lead following Thailands May 14 general election? Definitely. We are like a complete jigsaw picture now. We have the people, the policy, and the position that best fits Thailands context. After years of conflict, Thailand needs a political party that is not part of the conflict and that is not a factor for conflict. We need a moderate approach and thats what the Bhumjaithai party has to offer. Cannabis decriminalization was the signature policy for the Bhumjaithai at the last election. Do you plan a similar bold reform agenda this time? This time, we are in the context of restoring our economy, post-Covid. So, my policy is all about increasing opportunities for people to make money. We have a Contract Farming policy for [agricultural workers.] Well launch a grace period of 3 years for loans of less than 1 million baht [$30,000] to enable people to recover from damages caused by the pandemic. We will improve public health welfare for cancer and kidney patients. We also have a sustainability policy, which encourages the use of solar panels and electric motorcycles. When weaved together, you may see that our policy serves both local and global development agenda. How do you plan to broaden Bhumjaithais appeal to more people? We let the people judge us by our work and performance. My policy has this motto, Walk the Talkwe did what we said. Keeping promises is important for politicians. Many young people in Thailand have been inspired by Bhumjaithais bold policy agenda. How can you help them to engage positively in politics? We lead by example. Politics is sometimes like a war zoneits very tempting to attack others unfairly. That is something my party never did. We hope this will be a good example. In recent years, young people have taken to the street to demand that Thailands royal palace stays out of politics. They especially want to reform the royal defamation law known as Article 112. Do you understand their perspective? Article 112 only affects people who think negatively about our monarchy. If you live a normal life of Thai people, we dont even feel that [Article] 112 exists. So the reformation of anything with regard to the monarchy is not on our agenda. You have said Chinese visitors are important to help Thailands tourism sector. How do you strike a balance between health and economic priorities? We based our decisions on scientific fact. Thats how weve been maintaining the balance. You are known for delivering organs for transplantation in your private plane. Do you have time for any other hobbies? In the past, when I had more time, my hobbies were music and sports. But I love flying also. I fly my plane to deliver organs to hospitals for emergency transplant. Apart from that, I love to spend some family time at the resort Ive built. Now that I have less and less time away from work, my passion is food. I love good street food and I sometimes write food reviews on my Facebook page, which seems to be more popular than my political talk! On March 26, Gov. Maura Healey tweeted: Free school meals mean full stomachs, more time in the morning and more money back in the pockets of parents Healeys 2023-24 budget includes funding for free school meals for all students, but the future of free school meals remains precarious. This is merely a Band-Aid fix; it extends the program for one year without any further commitment. And previous efforts to make this program permanent have been unsuccessful. We cant pretend that child hunger only occurred during COVID-19, and that the problem will now magically go away. In Massachusetts, 1 in 4 children are hungry. An Act Relative to Universal School Meals aims to make permanent a policy that began in the COVID-19 era providing free school meals to all Massachusetts children, no matter their family's income. The bill was proposed in the last legislative session and never passed; we cant allow partisan politics to let this happen again. Goldstein Providing food for children should not be controversial. From all perspectives, its a good thing. For administrators, it means less work processing paperwork to assess which students qualify for free or reduced-price meals and chasing down overdue charges. For teachers, healthy, well-fed students have better classroom behavior and make for a more productive learning environment. And for parents, free school meals help families save, on average, $1,200 a year. The benefits to children are critical. Universal free school lunches combat the stigma associated with receiving government-subsidized food and help hungry students feel comfortable eating in the cafeteria. Due to the short-term universal free school meals program, Massachusetts has about 56,000 more children eating lunch each day. Hungry students are impacted in many areas they have lower math and reading test scores, endure challenges to their emotional well-being, and develop concerning health outcomes. On its own, the need to feed hungry children should indicate the crucial importance of universal free school meals, but opponents still resist this bill on financial grounds. This pushback is simply not grounded. The positive financial benefits of free school meals vastly outweigh the price tag. The program cost, at $175 million, represents just 0.33% of Massachusetts' budget. Story continues It's natural to worry about an increase in taxes, but this program doesn't do that. Massachusetts has been funding this program since 2020, and we continue to run a surplus. And starting this year, the new millionaire's tax is estimated to provide $1 billion to $2 billion a year in extra tax revenue for transportation and education. That extra money will benefit all of Massachusetts, as it will function as an economic stimulus. Massachusetts can afford free school meals for all without a significant financial burden. The financial counter-argument is weak, at best. I have described the benefits to school administrators, parents, teachers and students, as well as how this program is proven to be successful and financially viable, so how could a legislator reasonably oppose this bill? Is stopping childhood hunger really that hard to support? What is holding legislators back is an outdated conservative fear of expanding any government program. While universal school meals, on the surface, might just seem to be expanding the current subsidized school meal system, it just simplifies and betters an already existing school meal distribution process. Viewing this bill as just another liberal attempt to expand services is ridiculous. Now lets enter a thought experiment: What if this program was a simple expansion of benefits? Lets remember what the benefits are: feeding hungry children and helping our school system. These are basic services for a vulnerable population. Come on. Politicians need to focus on improving the quality of life of their constituents and not simply oppose a bill because it sounds woke. Lets hope that child hunger, if anything, can make legislators forget their liberal-phobia and remember to care for their constituents. Reach out to your representatives to let them know that you support An Act Relative to Universal School Meals and that you count on them to vote yes on this bill. Sara Bengualid Goldstein, of Waltham, is a student at Brandeis University who is pursuing a degree in inequality and social policy, with a minor in economics. She has spent many years volunteering with school-aged children and has worked with two Waltham organizations that have given her insight into her community. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Opinion: Mass. must make free school meals permanent for all children Like many folks during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amy West took a good look at the world around her. What could she do to make it better? Then she realized few things match the comfort and security of a nice, warm place to sleep. Sadly, she also discovered that many youngsters do not have this. Every night children in Tarrant County and throughout America sleep in unfortunate conditions and without comfortable beds. So she decided to do something. She started the nonprofit organization Cots4Tots, which provides beds for young children, including Pack n Play and toddler beds. I have personal experience of a friend adopting two children and I saw how fast the need can come for foster care or resources for help. It can literally happen overnight, said West, 51, of Fort Worth. West noted that for a baby, the importance of having a good bed is critical for reducing the risk of sleep-related deaths from SIDS or accidental suffocation. For toddlers, after they reach a year old, it is important for their development to get enough sleep, which may not happen if they dont have a comfortable and safe place to sleep. But it is also important to reduce sleep-related injuries that could occur if they are sleeping in a crowded bed, on a sofa, in a drawer, or on the floor, she added. According to an organization called Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nationwide group that also provides beds for youngsters, up to 3% of children in America do not have a bed. They estimate that between 1.5 million and 2 million kids sleep on the floor every night. Making a connection West works full time for Abbvie pharmaceuticals and manages trade and distribution for an oncology drug. She and her husband also own Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spas in the area. She originally reached out to the Tarrant County Rainbow Room, which works with low-income children involved with Child Protective Services. West wanted to provide suitcases or duffel bags for kids moving into foster care. She said she was informed that CPS and Rainbow Room would not have a need for them as they did not run the foster care division of the agency any longer. Story continues When West asked what the children really needed she was told the biggest need was toddler beds/cots and Pack n Plays for safe sleep, and that no one was providing them. So she shifted her thoughts and decided she would do what she could to fulfill this need. By providing the basic items needed for the safety of the child while he or she remains at home or with kin, removal can often be prevented, said Elna Chester, Manager of the Tarrant County Rainbow Room. To aide in reducing the risk of infant/child death or harm, the Tarrant County Rainbow Room makes efforts to provide safe sleep items for children newborn to 5 years, including those with special needs. And thats where West and her organization came in to help. Chester said that many efforts have been made within the community to provide safe sleep for youngsters. However, due to conditions of the families served by CPS, the need often arises for additional support or assistance for the families or kin that may temporarily care for the children. As I have been in the position of coordinator since 2021, I can attest to an increasing need for safe sleep among the families that are served through the Tarrant County Rainbow Room. Cots4Tots has been a wonderful source and has helped more than 50 families since inception, Chester said. I have been greatly encouraged by Amy Glass, her beautiful spirit, and great desire to give back to the most vulnerable within our communities. I have been very encouraged. I look forward to a very sustaining partnership between Cots4Tots and Tarrant County Rainbow Room. Official nonprofit West filed to become a nonprofit organization in 2021, but due to government shutdowns because of COVID, the certification didnt come through until August of 2022. During the waiting, she donated cots and Pack n Plays personally. West said she has received financial support from a couple of businesses in Fort Worth and personal friends, which allows her to provide more cots than she was able to personally. Amy is amazing. She has a heart for serving and her efforts make a huge difference every day, CPS Board Liaison Supervisor Stacey Jourdain said. Having a safe, comfortable place for a child to sleep alone is imperative to child safety and healthy development. We are very fortunate to have this partnership with Cots4Tots, which provides a basic necessity often taken for granted that many families need and all children deserve. Glass only recently got the organizations website, Facebook and Instagram pages up, so the only fundraising she has done so far is through those channels. She said she is planning on holding some fundraisers throughout the year, so keep watch. In the meantime, anyone who wants to donate can go to the website to donate directly at cots4tots.com. I am grateful to have been connected to The Rainbow Room of Tarrant County and to provide this resource for them, Glass said. My goal is to ultimately broaden the reach of Cots4Tots outside of Tarrant County and provide this resource for all 11 Rainbow Rooms in the state of Texas. BANGKOK (AP) A top election official in Myanmar was fatally shot in his car in Yangon, the countrys commercial capital, in the latest attack attributed to militants opposed to military rule. Sai Kyaw Thu, deputy director-general of the military-appointed Union Election Commission, was shot multiple times on Saturday, according to the militarys information office, media reports and a statement of responsibility from an urban guerrilla group. The information office on Sunday said the attack was carried out by the Peoples Defense Force, the loosely organized armed wing of the pro-democracy National Unity Government, an underground group that opposes the military-installed government that was established when the army seized power two years ago. Many opposition forces including local Peoples Defense Force groups operate autonomously from the National Unity Government but the military labels them all as terrorists. A resistance group calling itself For The Yangon said it carried out the attack on Sai Kyaw Thu, a former lieutenant colonel. It declared Mission: Accomplished in a Facebook post on Saturday evening that was illustrated with three photos of their target. Sai Kyaw Thu is believed to be the most senior official of the Election Commission to be shot since the army seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Resistance groups earlier this year attempted to disrupt preparations for a new election the military had promised by attacking personnel conducting a population survey that could be used to assemble voter rolls and other low-level election workers. Plans for the polls, whose date was never set, were set back indefinitely in February when the military government announced it was extending a state of emergency due to security problems. Urban guerrillas have carried out many targeted killings, acts of arson and small bombings. Victims included officials and members of the military and their cronies, as well as people believed to be informers or military collaborators. Story continues In November 2021, a former navy officer who was the chief finance officer of Myanmars military-linked Mytel telecommunications company was fatally shot on a Yangon street. Than Than Swe, then a deputy governor of Myanmars Central Bank, was shot at her home in Yangon in April 2022. She survived and was promoted to the bank governor. Most recently, a veteran corporate lawyer accused of helping military leaders was shot dead in Yangon by self-proclaimed urban guerrillas in March. After its takeover, the army clamped down harshly on opponents in the cities, arresting thousands and using deadly force even against nonviolent demonstrators. The repression, which has now accounted for more than 3,400 civilian deaths, triggered widespread armed resistance. The military dismissed the members of the previous election commission which had ratified the victory of Suu Kyis party in a November 2020 general election and appointed new ones. It also detained several members of the old commission, and according to reports in independent Myanmar media, pressured them to say there had been election fraud. The new military-appointed commission declared the 2020 election results invalid and prosecuted Suu Kyi and 15 other senior political figures for alleged fraud. In the statement, For The Yangon claimed Sai Kyaw Thu had been a plaintiff in the election fraud case against Suu Kyi. She and ousted President Win Myint and the former minister of the presidents office, Min Thu, received three-year sentences in September last year in that case. A member of guerrilla group said in a text message on Sunday that Sai Kyaw Thu was assassinated for being the deputy director-general of the illegal election commission of the military council, which disrespected the votes of the people in 2020 general election and abused the people unjustly, and also for being the one who falsely prosecuted President Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi as an accessory of the military council." The one who insults the public will be punished by the people, said the member of group, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he fears arrest by the authorities. According to reports in Myanmars independent media, Sai Kyaw Thu was cross-examined as a prosecution witness in the trials against Suu Kyi last year. Law enforcement shot and killed a 25-year-old Austin resident Thursday after responding to an attempted carjacking off East U.S. 290 that resulted in the victim of the auto theft getting stabbed, according to a press release from the Travis County sheriff's office. Deputies with the Travis County sheriff's office and the Manor police initially responded to a 911 call at about 9 p.m. of a man walking in the middle of the road on the 10200 block of East U.S. 290. Minutes later, law enforcement received notification that the suspect, Dimitri Amarillas, attempted to steal a car and stabbed the victim in the process. Deputies and police found Dimitri Amarillas holding a knife at about 9:25 p.m. and said he remained "non-compliant" with instructions as more officers arrived. More: Body found near Temple identified as missing Austin woman Minutes later, a deputy with the sheriff's office reported that a taser was used, the release said. It's unclear what happened after this, but the release said a deputy and a Manor police officer fired their weapons. Officers attempted life-saving measures but were ultimately unsuccessful. Amarillas was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. No other information was available at this time, a public information officer with the sheriff's office told the American-Statesman. Both officers who shot Amarillas were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the shooting. The Texas Rangers are leading an investigation into the incident, along with parallel investigations by the Travis County sheriff's office Criminal Investigations Division and Internal Affairs. More: Austin's 23rd homicide of the year was out of self-defense, APD says This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Travis County deputies, Manor police fatally shoot Austin man Jessica Cooper hand-delivered a signed court order to the Lincoln Park Police Department in August 2022. The document would have allowed police to transport her cousin, Shane Cousins, 33, to a mental health facility involuntarily for an evaluation had the police department followed through. Instead, Cousins' mental health continued to spiral; his delusions and paranoia intensified, and on Jan. 24, Michigan State Police troopers killed him after he fired a gun at a police helicopter flying above his brother's Detroit home. Cynthia Cooper, mother of Shane Cousins, holds a family photo as she poses with, Stone Cousins, 23, Jessica Cooper, 34, and Shannon Cousins, 26, on Monday, April 3, 2023. Shane was shot and killed by Michigan State Police officers after he shot at a police helicopter. More: Police footage shows gunman firing at helicopter in Detroit In the months leading to his death, Cousins thought planes and helicopters were the government's way of spying on him or, on some days, a way of dropping cannabis seeds from the air as a means of confiscating his grandmother's land in Tennessee. He'd shoot at aircraft "to scare them off," his family told the Free Press. He also thought the government was trying to kill him. He walked around his house and yard firing guns. He threw screws in the middle of the street. He thought he was the leader of Ukraine. He thought TVs and radios were sending him subliminal messages. He thought family members were human traffickers, his grandmother part of a cult. Previous attempts by Cousins' family to help him get a formal diagnosis and treatment failed. And after Cousins barricaded himself in his home with guns and had a standoff with Lincoln Park police on Aug. 7, 2022, the Cooper-Cousins family desperately sought a court order to have him evaluated involuntarily. That's what Lincoln Park Police Lt. Patrick Culter told them to do, according to a police report of the incident. On Aug. 17, 2022, a Wayne County probate judge issued the order. But when Cooper hand-delivered the order to the police department, Cooper said, Culter told her she and her family were harassing Cousins. He wasn't convinced Cousins was mentally ill, she said. Story continues Still, Cooper said her family devised a plan with Lincoln Park police to get Cousins out of his house to a local McDonald's, away from his guns, so he could be apprehended. Officers never showed up, she said. Reached by phone for comment, Culter said he wasn't authorized to speak to the news media. Lincoln Park Police Chief Scott Lavis, who took leadership of the department this month following Chief Ray Watters' retirement, said he was looking into the matter. Maybe, if police had taken Cousins in to get help, "he'd still be here," said Shannon Cousins, one of Shane's younger brothers. Around his neck hung a skateboard pendant holding a small portion of his brother's ashes. "We tried everything," said Cynthia Cooper, Shane Cousins' mother. "We really tried, so hard." A disconnected system This frame capture from video taken by the MSP Trooper 2 helicopter, the suspect appears to be carrying a long gun after pointing and shooting at the helicopter. According to the court order, police had a window of 10 days to get Shane Cousins evaluated at a local mental health facility in this case, the Hegira Health psychiatric emergency center in Livonia. Its a court order. It should be executed as such," said Kristina Morgan, liaison manager for the Wayne County Probate Court's Behavioral Health Unit. To Morgan's knowledge, police departments usually follow through on such orders. But if the court is not made aware that a transport order wasn't executed by a police agency, then enforcement mechanisms are limited, Morgan said. If a transport order isn't executed, Michigan law requires police agencies to report to the court the reason it wasn't. Then a judge might schedule a review hearing to determine next steps. In Shane Cousins' case, he was never transported to the Hegira facility, and the Wayne County Probate Court confirmed with the Free Press that Lincoln Park police did not provide a non-execution report. Mental health advocates say Shane Cousins was a victim of the nation's broken system of addressing and treating mental illness amid an escalating national mental health crisis prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a disconnected or disjointed system," said Kevin Fischer, executive director of the National Alliance of Mental Illness in Michigan. More: After 2 killed by police, Detroiters grapple with mental health strategy Fischer noted a lack of psychiatric beds and treatment centers, as well as a lack of awareness about the support resources that are available. "We shouldnt have to wait until someone is in a crisis. Were reactive when we should be proactive," Fischer said. Ash Daniels, a mental health advocate and organizer with Michigan Liberation's "Care, Not Criminalization" initiative, called Cousins "another person who was failed by so many systems, who lost his life to the failure of these systems." "What does that say about our community? People are in crisis and we turn them away," Daniels said. We need to start talking about it more. Everybody knows somebody who lives with mental health considerations. Its OK to not be OK. Its OK to talk about these things. Fischer said police responding to mental health calls at the frequency they do "is not a good system." Bad days A house sits unoccupied on Terry Street in Detroit Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023 after the Michigan State Police fatally shot a male who allegedly targeted an aviation unit from the property Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. The Cooper-Cousins family is close-knit, Cynthia Cooper said. They've never been far apart from one another. Jessica Cooper calls Shane Cousins her "little big brother." She is only 11 months older than him. And although they weren't actually siblings, their parents used to dress them in matching outfits like they were. Shane Cousins was the oldest of Cynthia Cooper's three sons. Shane was like a father to his brothers, Shannon and Stone. He taught them how to skateboard. He was the glue of the family, Stone Cousins said. He was outgoing and loved to make others laugh. His family can pinpoint when Shane Cousins' mental health began to deteriorate. It started when his friend, Michael Cavanaugh, was killed in a downtown Detroit hit-and-run in 2018. Shane Cousins was there when it happened. He died in his arms, Stone Cousins said. Then, in 2021, when Shane Cousins and his siblings briefly moved to Tennessee to help their grandmother, his delusions became "full blown," so much so that their grandmother took him back to Michigan in July 2022. According to Shane Cousins' family, he briefly checked himself into a mental health facility in Tennessee, but checked himself out before he was formally diagnosed. By August 2022, Cousins had his standoff with Lincoln Park police. Then, on New Year's Day, another close friend of Cousins died. That was the tipping point, his family said. He had his good days, Jessica Cooper said, looking up at the ceiling. There were cookouts, skateboarding sessions, visits with family. And he had his bad days," she continued. "But at the end, even on his good days, he wasnt himself." Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at 313-264-0442, asahouri@freepress.com or on Twitter @andreamsahouri. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Man killed after shooting at helicopter was supposed to get treatment The National Rifle Association Holds Annual Convention in Indianapolis - Credit: Getty Images Donald Trump defended his anti-abortion position in a video address to an evangelical group a little more than a week after Rolling Stone reported that he has been telling allies on the religious right, We are getting killed on abortion. Those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life. Nobody thought it was going to happen, Trump told the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition in a video address Saturday night, subtly reminding the group that he appointed Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. More from Rolling Stone They thought it would be another 50 years. Because Republicans had been trying to do it for exactly that period of time, 50 years, he added. Trumps speech comes just two days after a conservative pro-life group criticized him for not endorsing a national ban. The ex-president has come under fire recently for saying that abortion is an issue that should be decided at the state level. According to Rolling Stone sources, Trump has privately told leaders on the religious right that taking a too conservative position on abortion could allow Democrats to portray him as an extremist. The group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America issued a statement Thursday blasting Trump for his stance, saying it was a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate. Every promise to you I made as a candidate, I fulfilled as president, Trump claimed in his video address (though he never did get Mexico to pay for the wall, did he?). He also bragged that his administration relocated the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, which drew applause from attendees. Trumps remarks appeared pre-recorded while other potential GOP presidential hopefuls, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former vice president Mike Pence, delivered their speeches to the group in person. The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition event is considered the unofficial kick-off for the 2024 presidential campaign in the state. Story continues During his remarks, Pence boasted that he was involved in efforts to overturn Roe v Wade, referring to the Trump administrations Supreme Court appointments as most important of all. We did that, Iowa, Pence said. I couldnt be more proud to have been a small part of an administration that did just that. While Trump did not endorse a national ban on abortion he has told advisors in off-the-record conversations that Republicans risk losing big if they go too far on the issue his former vice president did. Ill certainly support efforts to create a threshold of support for the unborn even at the national level, Pence said. He went on to say that he is in favor of the minimum of a 15-week ban. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did not make a speech to the evangelical group. As the rivalry between Trump and DeSantis builds, the former president has been hiring the governors former staff members onto his own campaign. In a stark contrast to Trumps slightly more moderate approach to abortion, DeSantis this month signed a restrictive six-week ban on the procedure in his state. Meanwhile, on the national level, a conservative effort to outlaw the abortion pill mifepristone is making its way through the courts. On Friday, the Supreme Court ordered a stay on a lower court victory by anti-abortion advocates attempting to force the FDA to rescind its approval of the drug. Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. A bevy of Republican presidential hopefuls courted Iowa's religious conservatives Saturday night, pledging their opposition to abortion and transgender medical care for minors. About 1,000 Iowa Republicans attended the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition spring kickoff event in Clive, Iowa, located outside of Des Moines. The smell of Chick-fil-A boxed dinners filled the crowded venue as attendees waited to hear speeches from declared and potential 2024 candidates, including former Vice President Mike Pence and, over a live video call, former President Donald Trump. Candidates called for a restoration of faith in America railing against abortion, medical care for transgender kids, schools and President Joe Biden. The event marked the first "cattle call" of the 2024 caucus cycle a term referring to events where all candidates are invited to speak. Speakers who have announced official or prospective bids for 2024 included Trump, Pence, conservative radio host Larry Elder, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and businessman Perry Johnson. Politics: Nancy Mace takes on Ron DeSantis over abortion, warns GOP will 'lose huge' in 2024 New poll: Nearly half of Republicans don't want Trump to run for reelection in 2024 Former Vice President Mike Pence poses for photos and shakes hands with people in the crowd before the start of Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual Spring Kick-Off, on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Clive, Iowa. In front of religious crowd, candidates diverge on abortion As the Republican Party struggles to find a consensus on abortion, candidates at Saturday's event were quick to praise the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade and jockey for support among evangelical voters in Iowa. But 2024 hopefuls continue to disagree on the next steps for abortion law. A Trump campaign spokesperson told The Washington Post last week that the former president supported abortion restrictions being made at the state level, with "exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother" a stance that drew ire from anti-abortion groups eager to see federal restrictions on the procedure. Story continues Trump on Saturday called himself the most pro-life president in American history," pledging to "stand strong against the extreme late-term abortionists in the Democratic party." Pence, who has been among the most vocal Republican opponents to abortion, said he would "certainly support any pro-life legislation that came before me" if elected. And he split with Trump on the issue, criticizing him for not being open to federal restrictions. "I do think it's more likely that this issue is resolved at the state level," Pence told reporters. "But I don't agree with the former president, who says this is a states-only issue. We've been given a new beginning for life in this country." Pence said federal abortion proposals, like a ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, "are all ideas that ought to be part of the debate." The former vice president also said he believed "mail-order abortions" involving medication "should be banned," a day after the Supreme Court ruled that the abortion drug mifepristone should remain widely available. Ramaswamy, a 37-year-old entrepreneur and author, said in an interview with the Register that he believed the issue should be left to the states. "Murder, I think abortion is murder," he said. "Murder is regulated at the state level. I think we've got to keep it there. I think there's danger where once you federalize the issue, the same shoe can fit the other foot, politically speaking, and that could put us right back in the same quagmire at the federal level." Multiple candidates urged Republicans to reject the current framing of the abortion debate. Pence argued that the overturning of Roe had returned the question of abortion "to the American people," and called on leaders to "advance pro-life legislation to win hearts and minds." In Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds has asked the courts to reinstate a 2018 law that would ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. She attended Supreme Court arguments in that case earlier this month. Democratic National Committee spokesperson Rhyan Lake derided the Faith and Freedom event as showcasing Republican extremism. This cattle call is just the latest gathering of MAGA Republicans whove spent their entire careers pushing for an extreme agenda from banning abortion to gutting Social Security to wanting to rip away affordable health care access from millions of Americans," Lake said. "Each and every 2024 Republican has doubled down on their exceedingly extreme positions that are out of step with hardworking Americans and can count on being held accountable by voters. Republicans denounce transgender care, accommodations Candidates also spoke extensively about transgender issues, criticizing gender-affirming medical care for minors and questioning the validity of transgender identities altogether. "The left-wing gender lunacy being pushed on our children is an act of child abuse and will stop immediately," Trump said, promising to sign an executive order to "cease the promotion" of gender-affirming medical care for people of all ages. Pence lambasted the Linn-Mar school district in eastern Iowa for a policy that allowed transgender students in seventh grade or older to request accommodations without parental consent. He decried the idea that students would be punished for misgendering a transgender peer or saying that God created males and females. Hutchinson recalled instructing schools in Arkansas not to allow transgender students to use restrooms that aligned with their gender identity. It is starting (in D.C.) with the Biden administration, where theyre pushing a leftist social policy in our businesses and our schools," Hutchinson said. Major American medical groups recommend providing gender-affirming care to transgender minors. Before Republicans passed a law banning gender-affirming care for Iowa minors, Iowa doctors told lawmakers that transgender kids received medical interventions only after extensive counseling and with parental consent. Brianne Pfannenstiel and USA Today contributed reporting. Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com. Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Abortion: Trump, Pence and other GOP hopefuls split on issue in Iowa The Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology on Saturday released three commercial liquid rocket engines in Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, in an effort to promote the development of China's commercial space industry and enhance the ability to enter space on a large scale and at a low cost. The three engines released feature high reliability, high cost-performance ratio and re-usability. Among them, the YF-102 is the country's first open-type liquid oxygen-kerosene engine, which made its maiden flight on April 2 as the engine of China's first commercial liquid-fueled carrier rocket Tianlong-2. "This is the YF-102 engine we have released. We can see that its construction is relatively simple, the number of components is small, a large number of mature material systems are used, and the new 3D printing technology is used. It is very suitable for the commercial aerospace field," said Liu Shang, chief designer of 85-ton thrust open-type liquid oxygen-kerosene engine under the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology. The other two rocket engines are the YF-102V and the YF-209, which are still in the development stage. "Because the rocket engine itself is a complex and very difficult project, it takes time to move from the stage of research and development to the stage of maturity. The transformation of aerospace products from the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology we use will provide a good support for the development of commercial rockets," said Yang Yiqiang, chairman of the CAS Space Industrial Base, China's first commercial aerospace industrial base. Former President Trump stressed his efforts to restrict abortion access during remarks to a group of evangelicals over the weekend in the early nominating state of Iowa. Last year, after decades of work by organizations like yours, those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life, Trump, bragging about the three Supreme Court seats he filled with conservative justices, said Saturday about the fall of Roe v. Wade. Nobody thought it was going to happen. They thought it would be another 50 years. Trumps victory lap on helping curb abortion access in front of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition comes as the issue, which was one of the most prominent in the 2020 midterms, still plays a role ahead of the 2024 primaries. Aside from confirming Supreme Court justices who ultimately helped overturn the Roe decision, Trump highlighted actions he took to restrict abortion access, including reinstating the Mexico City policy. That policy bars the federal government from funding organizations that provide abortion counseling or advocate for decriminalizing the practice. I was the first president to attend the March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. the first, Trump added. Trump remarks come amid a backdrop of Republican-led states that have moved to sharply curb access following the fall of Roe v. Wade. It also comes in the midst of a high-profile court battle about the future of mifepristone, one of two popular abortion drugs. Other declared and potential 2024 Republican candidates have started to highlight abortion on the campaign trail. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who recently launched a presidential exploratory committee, has bragged that he is 100 percent pro-life and said he would sign the most conservative, pro-life legislation as president. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is expected to announce a White House bid is seen as the main rival to Trump for the GOP nomination, recently signed a six-week abortion ban in his state. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Just over two-thirds of GOP voters in a new poll say they stand behind former President Trump in the aftermath of an indictment in New York City earlier this month and amid other investigations he is facing. The NBC News poll released Sunday found that 68 percent of Republican voters said the investigations are a politically motivated attempt to stop Trump, and that no other candidate is like him, we must support him. In contrast, 26 percent of Republicans said its more important to nominate a candidate who will not be distracted and can beat Joe Biden. Almost half of Republican voters, 46 percent, said they would support Trump If the GOP primary was held today, with 31 percent supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Only 6 percent said they would support former Vice President Mike Pence. Former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson each hold only 3 percent support. Among voters in general, 60 percent say Trump should not run for president while 35 percent say he should. Of those who said Trump should not run, 30 percent cite the business fraud charges Trump is facing in New York as a major reason for their choices, while 35 percent say it is a minor reason. Thirty-four percent said it is not a reason at all. As for President Biden, only one in four American voters support his reelection campaign, while 70 percent said he should not run again. Of those who said Biden should not run, 48 percent cited Bidens age, 80, as a major reason for their decision, while 21 percent cited it as a minor reason. Twenty-one said it was not a reason for their decision. The NBC News poll of 1,000 adults was conducted from April 14 through 18, 2023 and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points. The margin of error for 292 Republican primary voters is 6 percentage points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Smoke billows as fighting continues in Sudan. Omer Erdem/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images American staff at the U.S. embassy in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, have been evacuated amid large-scale warfare throughout the country, President Biden said Saturday. The staff was extracted from the embassy by American special forces on presidential orders, Biden said in a press release. The president added that he was "proud of the extraordinary commitment of our embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan." While details of the extraction were not released by the White House, The Associated Press reported that helicopters were on the ground for "less than an hour," and no injuries or casualties were reported among the 70 people rescued. American forces were assisted in the evacuation efforts by Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, Biden said. While the American embassy has been closed indefinitely, there are hundreds of private U.S. citizens remaining in Sudan. Officials told AP that a larger-scale evacuation mission was deemed too dangerous for the time being. The evacuation comes as Sudan continues to see nationwide violence between warring factions of the nation's military, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attempting to gain control of the country from the Sudanese Army. Hundreds of people have already been killed, and Biden said the two sides should "implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan," adding that he was "receiving regular reports from my team on their ongoing work to assist Americans in Sudan." Other countries have enacted similar operations to rescue foreign workers from Sudan. The French Foreign Ministry said it had begun an evacuation procedure, NBC News reported, saying they would also assist citizens from "allied partner countries." The U.K. Defense Ministry tweeted that they had also evacuated around 1,200 personnel. Story continues You may also like Texas Senate approves bills requiring 10 Commandments in K-12 classrooms, Bible time in school 5 costly cartoons about the Fox News settlement NFL indefinitely suspends three players over gambling By Daphne Psaledakis and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - All U.S. government personnel were evacuated from Washington's embassy in Khartoum, as well as a small number of diplomatic personnel from other countries, U.S. officials said on Saturday, as fighting rocks Sudan. The operation evacuated fewer than 100 people, the officials told reporters. "We evacuated all of the U.S. personnel and dependents assigned to Embassy Khartoum," said Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass. A substantial number of local staff remain in Khartoum supporting the embassy, where Washington decided to suspend operations on Saturday due to the security risks, Bass said. Forces commanded by two previously allied leaders of Sudan's ruling council began a violent power struggle last weekend. Washington on Saturday repeatedly called on the parties to extend and expand a ceasefire for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday to a sustainable cessation of hostilities. Each side has accused the other of not respecting the truce. The evacuation operation conducted on Saturday involved just over 100 U.S. special operations forces and began at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) when U.S. aircraft, including three MH-47 Chinook transport helicopters, took off from a U.S. base in Djibouti, stopped in Ethiopia to refuel, then flew the last three hours to Khartoum. U.S. forces spent just an hour on the ground in Sudan before taking off again, entering and exiting Sudan without being fired upon by the warring factions on the ground, the military said. "We did not take any small-arms fire on the way in and were able to get in and out without issue," said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of operations at the military's Joint Staff. The U.S. does not anticipate the security situation in the country changing in the near term, Bass said, adding that Washington does not foresee coordinating a U.S. government evacuation of American citizens in Sudan now or in coming days. Story continues The U.S. military is looking at options to offer Americans some assistance exiting Sudan, while stopping short of a U.S. government-led evacuation, like the one it carried out in Afghanistan in 2021. Chris Maier, an assistant secretary of defense, said the U.S. military might use drone or satellite imagery to detect threats to Americans traveling on overland routes out of Sudan, or position naval assets at the Port of Sudan to aid Americans arriving there. Bass said some Americans and other nationals had successfully traveled by land from Khartoum to Port Sudan, which he said appeared to be a challenging journey given the lack of fuel, food and predictably available water. While the State Department is not recommending or advising people to take that route, he said they would be looking for ways to help them make the journey. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee said Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed offered the full support of the country, which neighbors Sudan and Djibouti, for overflight and refueling capabilities in the evacuation operation. Washington has worked to repair relations with Addis Ababa that were strained by a two-year war in the northern region of Ethiopia. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Phil Stewart; Editing by William Mallard) U.S. personnel have been evacuated from the U.S. Embassy in Sudan's capital of Khartoum amid fierce fighting in the country, President Joe Biden said late Saturday. On my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract U.S. Government personnel from Khartoum, Biden said in a statement, adding that he was grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety. Biden said he was receiving regular reports from my team on their ongoing work to assist Americans in Sudan, to the extent possible. Smoke arises in Khartoum, Sudan, on Saturday, as the fighting in the capital between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces resumed after an internationally brokered cease-fire failed. (Marwan Ali / AP) Calling for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire, Biden said the tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop. He added that the embassy was temporarily suspending operations, but our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending. In a separate statement, the State Department said dependents of embassy staff members had also been evacuated. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the departments statement that the widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our Embassy personnel. Suspending operations was a difficult decision, but the safety of American personnel is my first responsibility, he said, adding that the risk of U.S. civilian casualties in Sudan was too great. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin declared the evacuation a success, saying in a statement that it was led by the U.S. Africa Command in close coordination with the State Department. He thanked Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia for their help, though he did not specify their roles. The State Department reaffirmed a do not travel advisory for Sudan on Saturday, saying Americans could be subjected to armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping. Story continues The situation is violent, volatile, and extremely unpredictable, particularly in the capital city Khartoum, the advisory said. 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. On Sunday, Frances Foreign Ministry also began an evacuation operation, saying in a statement that other European citizens and those from allied partner countries would also be assisted in leaving Sudan. No further details were provided. The U.K.'s Defense Ministry also tweeted Sunday that the British army had evacuated more than 1,200 personnel. The evacuations came as thick, black smoke filled the sky over Khartoums airport on Sunday, and gunfire could be heard in parts of the city, according to the Associated Press. The military and its partner turned rival, the Rapid Security Forces, began battling for control of the large African nations major institutions earlier this month. The countrys top commander and de facto ruler, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and his former deputy, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo a former camel dealer widely known as Hemedti who leads the Rapid Security Forces, had previously teamed up to co-orchestrate the coup that overthrew the government in October 2021. Hopes were raised among democracy campaigners in December when both generals signed a framework agreement with some 40 civil groups in which they promised to move away from military rule. But the alliance between the two military leaders has spectacularly broken down over how to manage the transition to a civilian government, a disagreement over how the Rapid Security Forces should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudans unsigned transition agreement with political groups. The bombardments, gun battles and sniper fire in densely populated areas have hit civilian infrastructure, including many hospitals. Several attempts at a cease-fire have so far failed. The clashes have killed more than 400 people so far, the World Health Organization said in a statement Friday, although it emphasized the death toll would likely be higher. The country at the crossroads of the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa borders six nations and is known for its history of military coups and civil conflicts since it gained independence in the 1950s. The U.S. placed Sudan under a trade embargo between 1993 and 2017, when the nation was designated a state sponsor of terrorism. Attempts to establish normalization since that point have been halting because of political instability, according to the State Department. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The UFC handed out four Performance of the Night bonuses after Saturdays card, rewarding fighters for their finishing efforts as no Fight of the Night was selected. After UFC Fight Night 222, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below. 'Performance of the Night': Montel Jackson LAS VEGAS, NEVADA APRIL 22: (R-L) Rani Yahya of Brazil punches Montel Jackson in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Montel Jackson def. Rani Yahya via knockout (punches) Round 1, 3:42 The third time was a charm for Jackson, who finally secured his first Performance of the Night bonus after another first-round finish. Through nine fights in his UFC career, Jackson has finished three opponents each of them in the opening round. At UFC Fight Night 222, a lighting-fast counter combination floored Rani Yahya, earning Quik his first extra $50,000 bonus. 'Performance of the Night': Christos Giagos LAS VEGAS, NEVADA APRIL 22: (R-L) Christos Giagos punches Ricky Glenn in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Christos Giagos def. Ricky Glenn via knockout (punches) Round 1, 1:35 It didnt take long for Giagos to close the show against Glenn on the prelims of UFC Fight Night 222. All Giagos needed was 95 seconds to send Glenn crashing to the canvas from a heavy left hook. Not only did the result get Giagos back into the win column, it was a finish that earned him an extra $50,000. The award was the second of Giagos 12-fight UFC career. 'Performance of the Night': Bruno Silva LAS VEGAS, NEVADA APRIL 22: (L-R) Bruno Silva of Brazil punches Brad Tavares in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Story continues Bruno Silva def. Brad Tavares via TKO (punches) Round 1, 3:35 With a few first-round finishes ahead of his co-main event bout vs. Brad Tavares at UFC Fight Night 222, Silva wanted to join the party. Aggressive early with powerful strikes, Silva rocked Tavares with big punches, leading to an opening-round stoppage. Tavares picked up his fourth UFC win, ending a two-fight skid, while also pocketing his third Performance of the Night bonus. 'Performance of the Night': Sergei Pavlovich LAS VEGAS, NEVADA APRIL 22: (L-R) Curtis Blaydes battles Sergei Pavlovich of Russia in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Sergei Pavlovich def. Curtis Blaydes via TKO (punches) Round 1, 3:08 The knockouts just keep coming for Sergei Pavlovich six in a row to be exact. Pavlovichs first-round finish of Curtis Blaydes in the UFC Fight Night 222 main event set a UFC record for consecutive knockout finishes. The Russian heavyweight has been on a tear, and is in prime position for a shot at the title. He walks away with his second-straight Performance of the Night bonus; the fourth of his UFC career. Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie The Duke met Olivia Henson, an account manager at a food company, through friends. They have been together for two years - Grosvenor 2023 Britains most eligible bachelor is officially off the market after the Duke of Westminster announced his engagement. Hugh Grosvenor, 32, proposed to Olivia Henson, 30, at his family seat in Cheshire this weekend. The Duke is one of the youngest billionaires in Britain, with an estimated net worth of almost 10 billion. At the heart of his inherited fortune is a property portfolio that includes 300 acres in two of Londons most expensive neighbourhoods, Mayfair and Belgravia. Known as Hughie, the Duke is a close friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales and a godfather to Prince George. He met Miss Henson, an account manager at a food company, through friends. They have been together for two years. The Duke of Westminster and Miss Olivia Henson are delighted to announce they are engaged to be married, a spokesman for the Grosvenor family said in a statement on Sunday. Members of both their families are absolutely delighted with the news. Cheshire proposal The proposal took place at Eaton Hall in Cheshire, an 11,000-acre estate that has been the Grosvenor family home since the 15th century. Miss Henson works for Belazu, a London-based business specialising in products from around the Mediterranean, such as Spanish olive oil stocked in Waitrose. Her early school years were spent at Dragon School, a preparatory school in Oxford. She was later educated at Marlborough College, a 43,000-a-year co-educational boarding school in Wiltshire, where Princess Eugenie was a contemporary. The schools alumni also include the Princess of Wales, who attended Marlborough College before meeting Prince William at St Andrews University. Miss Henson studied Hispanic studies and Italian at Trinity College, Dublin, where she earned a 2:1 degree. After graduating in 2016, she worked as head of business development for Daily Dose, a cold-pressed juice start-up company. She later worked briefly for No 1 Rosemary Water Still, a supplier of bottled water with fresh rosemary extract sold in supermarkets. Miss Henson joined Belazu as an account manager in 2019 and has been a senior account manager for the last year. Story continues Inherited family fortune The Duke inherited his familys fortune when his father, Gerald Grosvenor, died unexpectedly from a heart attack aged 64 in 2016. His parents are said to have tried to endow him with as normal a childhood as possible. He was educated at a state primary school on The Wirral, close to their family home, before attending a private day school, Mostyn House. He later attended the co-educational Ellesmere College, a private school in Shropshire, whose former pupils include rugby player Bill Beaumont and Michael Chapman, former archdeacon of Northampton. The Duke, whose previous title was Earl Grosvenor, went on to study countryside management at Newcastle University. After graduating, he worked in estate management for Grosvenor Group, before becoming an accounts manager at Bio-Bean, a green-energy firm. Donated to Covid relief effort Following the death of his father, the Duke became chairman of Grosvenor and took over leadership of the charitable interests of the Duke and Grosvenor businesses. During the pandemic, he donated 12.5 million of his personal fortune to the national Covid-19 relief effort. The Dukes inherited fortune places him as the 159th wealthiest person in the world, according to Bloombergs Billionaire Index. As well as property and land holdings in London, the Duke inherited huge tracts of land across the British Isles, including in Oxford, Cheshire and Scotland. The business develops, manages and invests in property in cities around the world, from Vancouver to Tokyo. It also invests in food and agricultural businesses, including dairy farms, woodlands and producers of meat alternatives. The Duke represents Team GB at Olympic skeet-shooting competitions overseas and in the UK. He was previously in a relationship with Harriet Tomlinson, whom he met when they were both pupils at Ellesmere College. Romantic holiday in 2017 Photographs emerged of the pair enjoying a romantic holiday in 2017, and a source told The Mirror that Miss Tomlinson, a consultant at recruitment firm Deverell Smith, was a really lovely girl and very much the love of his life. However, the couple later split. Despite having two older sisters, the Duke has inherited the family fortune by virtue of being male. His sisters benefit from substantial trust funds. It is understood that no immediate plans have been made for the Dukes wedding to Miss Henson. His eldest sister, Lady Tamara, 43, married Edward van Cutsem, a friend of Prince William, at Chester Cathedral in 2004, in a grand ceremony attended by 650 guests, including the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. However, Lady Edwina, his other elder sister, 41, opted for a small ceremony attended by only immediate family and close friends when she married television presenter Dan Snow at Bishops Lodge in Liverpool in 2010. Lady Viola, 30, the Dukes younger sister, also married in a secret family ceremony last year. Her husband is Angus Roberts, a Dragoon Guards officer, and their wedding was celebrated with a party in Kenya. Ukrainian artillery teams fire toward Russian positions in Bakhmut. Madeleine Kelly/Getty Images Ukraine's anticipated counter-offensive will be like a "big bang," a military expert told The Sun. A 'concentrated' attack is needed to disrupt the stalemated war, Ben Barry said. It is not clear exactly when the planned counter-offensive operation will occur. A retired British military brigadier believes Ukraine's anticipated counter-offensive will involve a "big bang" attack to disrupt the stalemated war that has been ongoing for more than a year. In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Ben Barry a former British military leader and a senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies told the news outlet he believes the country's military needs to make a big move to counter Russia's invasion. "We're looking at a 'big bang' concentrated attack, rather than dribbling it away in penny packets," he said of Ukraine's planned counter-offensive. "The longer they delay it, the more modern weapons and armor they will have in service and train people to operate it," Barry added. The Ukrainian military will begin training with American-made military equipment in the next few weeks, Politico recently reported. The country is also training 40,000 'storm brigade' troops to prepare for the counter-offensive against Russian troops. While it is not clear exactly when the counter-offensive operation will occur, it is considered to be a crucial move for the country. Barry believed that a dramatic attack would be made on the frontlines, particularly in Bakhmut. Russia has been making "very slow progress at the cost of enormous casualties" in the region, he told The Sun. The battle in Bakhmut has been marked by intense, deadly fighting on both sides of the conflict and has been described as "the meat grinder." The Sun also interviewed former US General Ben Hodges. The retired US Army officer, a former commander of the US Army Europe, was skeptical that a victory for Ukraine in Bakhmut was the only necessity for the country's troops. Story continues "Ukraine could kill every Russian soldier within 200 miles of Bakhmut, and it wouldn't change the strategic situation," Hodges told The Sun. He said a push to recapture Crimea was the "decisive terrain" in the conflict. Crimea was invaded and illegally annexed by Putin's regime in 2014. "Ukraine knows that it will never be safe without taking back Crimea," Hodges told the news outlet. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine will take inspiration from the experience of the Arlington National Cemetery in the United States to create a war memorial cemetery in Kyiv. Source: Yuliia Laputina, Minister of Veteran Affairs of Ukraine, in an interview with CNN during her visit to the USA Details: CNN noted that Laputina's visit to Arlington National Cemetery was a deeply moving experience for her. "I really appreciated this incredible memorialising and respect for the people who defended your country," Laputina said. Laputina said Ukraine is planning to draw inspiration from Arlington as it works to create its own version of the memorial and war cemetery in Kyiv. Quote: "It will be a memorial not only for those who will be buried there from the battles of the Russo-Ukrainian war, for the heroes, but also it will be a memorial for all of the defenders of our country when Ukraine was fighting for independence in various periods of history." More details: According to Laputina, Ukraine is expected to have about four million veterans and their families by the end of the war. The minister came to Washington, DC, to discuss best practices and to urge the US government to allocate specific funds to support her ministrys efforts. The United States has provided billions of US dollars in direct budgetary support to Ukraine, but has not allocated funds specifically for veterans' affairs, Laputina said. For reference: Arlington National Cemetery is a military cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, where war veterans, presidents, Supreme Court justices and astronauts are buried. Today, the cemetery has about 300,000 graves. Background: On 20 April, Vitali Klitschko stated that Kyiv City Council has allocated land and, in fact, started the procedure for establishing the National Military Memorial Cemetery in Bykivnia [an area in Kyiv where Ukraines largest burial-place of victims of mass political repressions is located ed.]. Its area will cover almost 100 hectares. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Dmitry and Nikolai Peskov The son of Vladimir Putins spokesman has been accused of lying about fighting in Ukraine, and instead driving around Moscow in his Tesla. An influential Russian military writer, followed by 500,000 people, published photos of a black electric Tesla in Moscow reportedly belonging to Nikolai Peskov. It was his favourite car, he always drove himself. From the beginning to the end of 2022, the car moved around Moscow. Data on fines was even kept, said a post on the channel, named after the Soviet Unions secret police. Earlier on Sunday, the Moscow-based newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda published an interview with Mr Peskov, in which he said he had served as an artilleryman with the Kremlins Wagner mercenary group for six months. Nikolai, the 33-year-old son of the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, told the privately-owned newspaper that he had served in Ukraine - a rare example of the son of a senior Russian official fighting in the war. It was on my initiative, Nikolai said in an interview. I considered it my duty. Nikolai He added that he had served out his contract for close to half a year under an assumed name to hide his true identity. He received a medal for bravery, the newspaper said. Asked about his father's views of his service, Nikolai said: He's proud of me, I think. My father told me that I made the right decision. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner, said Dmitry Peskov had approached him and asked him to take his son on as an artilleryman. Of all my acquaintances, just one person, Dmitry Sergeyvich Peskov, who at one time was reputed to be an absolute liberal, sent his son. He came to me and said: Take him on as a simple artilleryman, Prigozhin said in a video posted on Telegram. Nikolai was born in 1990 and lived in Britain in the decade following the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, according to the Kommersant newspaper. He then returned to Russia and served in the strategic rocket forces from 2010 to 2012. Story continues In 2022, an associate of the jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny phoned Nikolai pretending to be a Russian military official and demanded he report to a draft office. Nikolai told him that he would not be going anywhere and would solve the situation at a different level, according to a recording of the call posted online. Dmitry Peskov, who served in the foreign ministry in Moscow and abroad before rising through the Kremlin, was sanctioned by the United States shortly after the war, along with his wife and two adult children, Nikolai and Elizaveta. The Kremlin has at times had a fraught relationship with the Wagner Group, with tensions between the mercenaries and the Russian army occasionally running high during the bloody battle for Bakhmut. 05:00 PM Thats all for today Todays live coverage is ending. Here is a round-up of the days main events: The son of President Vladimir Putins spokesman has said in an interview with a Russian newspaper that he served as an artilleryman in the Wagner mercenary group. Nikolai Peskov, son of Dmitry Peskov who has served as Mr Putins spokesman since 2008, said that he considered it his duty to go to fight, in a rare public example of a son of a senior Russian official being deployed in the war. Nikolai Peskov has been accused of lying about fighting in Ukraine by military bloggers, who say he was instead driving around Moscow in his Tesla. An aide to Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised comments made by Chinas ambassador to France on French television in which he suggested former Soviet countries dont have effective status under international law. Mykhalo Podolyak called the comments absurd. Russias defence ministry has claimed that its forces have captured more territory in Bakhmut, securing two more blocks in the western part of the city. Ukrainian soldiers have crossed the Dnipro River for the first time since the early days of the invasion and built positions which could be used to launch attacks deeper into Russia-occupied territory, analysts have said. Spain has shipped six Leopard 2A4 tanks destined for Ukraine, on a vessel bound for Poland where the military hardware will be transferred to Ukraine. Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov thanked Spains defence minister Margarita Robles and German defence minister Boris Pistorius for your Leopard-hearts. And for their steel armour following the news. 04:26 PM Watch: Ukrainian farmer builds modified tractor to demine fields A farmer based in the Kharkiv region has built a radio-controlled tractor to demine his fields. In the village of Hrakove, which has been devastated by fighting, Oleksandr Kryvtsun explains how his tractor has been modified to protect it from mines and can be driven on autopilot, in a video uploaded on Twitter by the Ukraine defence ministry. The cost of Ukrainian bread. Sappers barely have time to demine populated areas and main communications routes after the russian occupation. Oleksandr Kryvtsun, a farmer from the Kharkiv region village of Hrakove, had to build his own tractor to demine his fields. pic.twitter.com/N6aZcXbUYV Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 23, 2023 "There is a lot of work for the State Emergency Service," Mr Kryvtsun said. "Right now, they have the task to clear power lines and gas pipelines for the population in the first place." He added: "So we decided to do something so that we could go out into the field." 04:10 PM Dmitry Medvedev: Grain deal will end if G7 implements total ban on exports to Russia Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned that should the G7 move to ban exports to Russia, Moscow would reciprocate by terminating the Black Sea grain deal which enables grain exports from Ukraine. The G7 nations met in Japan last week, and are considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia, the nations Kyodo news agency reported citing Japanese government sources. "This idea from the idiots at the G7 about a total ban of exports to our country by default is beautiful in that it implies a reciprocal ban on imports from our country, including categories of goods that are the most sensitive for the G7," Medvedev said in a post on his Telegram channel. "In such a case, the grain deal - and many other things that they need - will end for them," he added. Moscow had already signalled that it will not allow the Black Sea grain deal, which was brokered by the UN and Turkey last July, to continue beyond May 18, after they issued a list of demands to facilitate its own grain and fertiliser exports. 03:42 PM Ukraine hit by air strikes and missiles over weekend, says armed forces Russia launched 37 air strikes and eight missile strikes over the course of Saturday and overnight into Sunday, the Ukrainian militarys General Staff morning update said. There are dead and wounded among the civilian population, they wrote on their official Facebook page, and warned that the threat of missile and air strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine remains high, as of 6am on Sunday. The fiercest battles continue for Bakhmut and Maryinka, they said, adding that the main efforts of the enemy are focused on conducting offensive operations on the Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka axes. The Ukrainian reports could not be independently verified. 03:05 PM Son of Putin spokesman accused of lying about fighting in Ukraine Russian military bloggers have accused the son of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov of lying about fighting in Ukraine and said that he was instead driving around Moscow in his Tesla, James Kilner reports. The VChK-OGPU Telegram channel, which is followed by 500,000 people, published photos of a black electric Tesla in Moscow which it said belonged to Nikolai Peskov. It was his favourite car, he always drove himself. From the beginning to the end of 2022, the car moved around Moscow. Data on fines was even kept, said a post on the channel, named after the Soviet Unions secret police. The Telegram channel is a well-known critic of the Russian governments handling of its war in Ukraine and the behaviour of the Russian elite, which it considers to be craven and self-interested. Earlier on Sunday, the Moscow-based newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda published an interview with Nikolai Peskov in which he said he had served as an artilleryman with the Kremlins Wagner mercenary group for six months. 02:43 PM In pictures: War in Donetsk Oblast Volunteers of the Vostok SOS Charitable Foundation, that provides aid to people who have been exposed to violence in Ukraine, evacuate an elderly woman in the town of Druzhkivka, Donetsk region - ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP Ukrainian servicemen pull a damaged pick-up car by a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle in the town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region - STRINGER/REUTERS 02:19 PM Ukrainian forces 'cross Dnipro river' for first time ahead of counter attack Ukrainian soldiers have crossed the Dnipro River for the first time since the early days of the invasion and built positions which could be used to launch attacks deeper into Russia-occupied territory, analysts have said. The crossing of the Dnipro River, which has marked the frontline since Russian forces retreated from Kherson city in November, comes days after reports of a partial Russian retreat in the area, James Kilner reports. It comes as Ukraine is widely expected to launch a counteroffensive, which analysts have said may be aimed at pushing 100 miles south of the Dnipro River at least as far as Crimea. Read more here. 02:00 PM Watch: President Zelensky visits troops in Donetsk, Poltava and Volyn This week I visited Donetsk region, Poltava region and Volyn. I thanked our men and women who selflessly defend Ukraine. Each of them has their own story of bravery. Every such story is a brick forming our victory. pic.twitter.com/trlLNdlOnP (@ZelenskyyUa) April 23, 2023 01:24 PM Russia claims its forces have taken more territory in Bakhmut Russias defence ministry has said that its forces have captured more territory in Bakhmut. Spokesman for the ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said on Sunday that forces had secured two more blocks in the western part of the city, located in the east of Ukraine. Mr Konashenkov added that airborne units were providing reinforcements to the north and south. The city has been at the centre of a particularly bloody conflict for weeks, and is almost completely destroyed by shelling and urban combat. The head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has claimed that his forces control 80% of the city. Kyiv has on several occasions denied that its forces are poised to withdraw. Reuters has not been able to verify the claims. 12:53 PM Ukrainian forces have "established positions" on Dnipro's eastern bank Ukraine's forces have established positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river, the Institute for the Study of War has said, citing Russian military bloggers embedded with Moscows forces. In an assessment published on Saturday, the think tank said: Russian milbloggers have provided enough geolocated footage and textual reports to confirm that Ukrainian forces have established positions in east (left) bank Kherson Oblast as of April 22, though not at what scale or with what intentions. A spokeswoman for Ukraine's southern command called for "informational silence" to ensure operational security, refusing to either confirm or deny the report. "I want everyone to understand that it is very difficult work to cross an obstacle like the Dnipro, for example - when the front line runs along such a wide, powerful river," Natalia Humeniuk said on Ukrainian television. Reuters report that the Russian-installed head of the southern Kherson region has denied the findings, writing on Telegram: There is no enemy foothold on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river ...our military completely controls that territory." "There may be cases of enemy sabotage groups making landings to take a selfie, before being ...destroyed or pushed into the water by our fighters," he added. 12:37 PM Pictured: Ukrainian military unload ammunition towards Bakhmut Ukrainian soldiers of the 24th Separate Assault Battalion "Aidar" battalion unload ammunition from a military truck in the direction of Bakhmut - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu 12:10 PM Chinese ambassador's comments on post-Soviet nations 'absurd', says Ukraine's presidential aide An aide to Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised the comments by China's ambassador to France in which he suggested countries that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union ""don't have effective status under international law", calling them "absurd". Mykhalo Podolyak responded on Sunday to the comments Lu Shaye made on the LCI news channel on Friday, telling China: "If you want to be a major political player, do not parrot the propaganda of Russian outsiders..." The ambassador appeared to cast doubt not only on Ukraine, but all former Soviet republics, when he suggested that those countries "don't have effective status under international law because there is not an international agreement confirming their status as sovereign nations." Mr Podolyak hit back at the claim, saying that "all post-Soviet Union countries have clear sovereign status enshrined in international law". "It is strange to hear an absurd version of the 'history of Crimea' from a representative of a country that is scrupulous about its thousand-year history," he added, referring to China. All post-Soviet Union countries have a clear sovereign status enshrined in international law. Except for Russia, which fraudulently took a seat in the UN Security Council. It is strange to hear an absurd version of the "history of Crimea" from a representative of a country that (@Podolyak_M) April 23, 2023 11:42 AM Ukraine defence minister thanks Germany and Spain for 'Leopard-hearts' after tanks dispatched from Spain Following Spanish defence minister Margarita Robles's confirmation that six Leopard 2 tanks had departed from Santander destined for Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov thanked her and German defence minister Boris Pistorius. "Margarita Robles, Boris Pistorius Thank you for your Leopard-hearts. And for their steel armor," he wrote on Twitter on Saturday evening. Margarita Robles, Boris #Pistorius Thank you for your Leopard-hearts. And for their steel armor. pic.twitter.com/gVUu0PTogq Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) April 22, 2023 11:16 AM Son of Kremlin spokesman tells Russian media he served in Wagner Group The son of President Vladimir Putins spokesman has said in an interview with a Russian newspaper that he served as an artilleryman in the Wagner group under an assumed name. Nikolai Peskov, son of Dmitry Peskov who has served as Mr Putins spokesman since 2008, said in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda that he considered it his duty to go to fight. I considered it my duty. I just had to participate, I had to help everyone who was there. I couldn't sit on the sidelines and watch friends and other people go there. He said of his familys reaction: To be honest, they were of course worried. But they absolutely supported my decision. He told the newspaper that he had changed his surname so that nobody knew his real identity, and had served for just under half a year. Mr Peskov received a medal for bravery during his service in Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary force, said Dmitry Peskov had approached him and asked him to take his son on as an artilleryman. "Of all my acquaintances, just one person, Dmitry Sergeyvich Peskov, who at one time was reputed to be an absolute liberal, sent his son. He came to me and said: 'Take him on as a simple artilleryman'," Mr Prigozhin said in a video posted on Telegram. Mr Peskov is a rare public example of the son of a senior Russian official fighting in the war. 10:41 AM Consternation in France after Chinas ambassador questioned sovereignty of post-Soviet nations Chinas ambassador to France has sparked anger in eastern Europe and consternation in Paris after he appeared on a French news channel and suggested that countries which emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union "don't have effective status under international law because there is not an international agreement confirming their status as sovereign nations." Lu Shayes comments on the LCI news channel have implications not just for Ukraine, but all former Soviet republics which emerged as independent countries after 1991, including many EU member states. The French foreign ministry issued a statement on Saturday evening saying it had "learned with consternation about the statements from the ambassador". "It remains up to China to say whether these statements reflect its position which we hope not to be the case," the statement added. The comments from the ambassador come after the news earlier this week that French President Emmanuel Macron is said to be drawing up secret plans with China to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table "by this summer". 10:24 AM In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers training near Zaporizhzhia Members of Ukrainian Armed Forces are seen during their shooting training with heavy weapons at the areas close to the frontline in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency Members of Ukrainian Armed Forces are seen during their shooting training with heavy weapons at the areas close to the frontline in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency 10:07 AM G7 calls for 'extension, full implementation and expansion' of Black Sea grain deal The G7 have called for the extension, full implementation and expansion of a crucial deal to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. The Black Sea grain deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, and allowed Ukraine to export more than 27 million tons of grain from several of its ports on the Black Sea. However, Russia has strongly signalled that it will not allow the deal to continue after May 18, as a list of demands it has made to the West to facilitate its own grain and fertiliser exports has not been met. The groups agriculture ministers released a communique on Sunday following a two-day meeting in Japan, in which they said they "recognised the importance of the deal". "We strongly support the extension, full implementation and expansion of (the Black Sea Grain Initiative) BSGI." "We condemn Russia's attempts to use food as a means of destabilisation and as tool of geopolitical coercion and reiterate our commitment to acting in solidarity and supporting those most affected by Russia's weaponisation of food," they added. 09:57 AM Latest MoD update The latest intelligence update from the UK ministry of defence has been published, which addresses the latest recruitment campaign by the Russian defence ministry which appeals for "real men" to join up. Russia is calling on young men working in menial jobs such as driving taxis to sign up for war and prove they are real men in a slick new recruitment advert released by the ministry of defence, Nataliya Vasilyeva reports. The clip aired on Wednesday night and marked the first time the Kremlin has turned to television to boost the size of its battered army. Read more from The Telegraph's Russia correspondent here. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 23 April 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/EAO2VGwncm #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/S5hmwFoNdq Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) April 23, 2023 09:54 AM Spain ships six Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine Six Leopard 2A4 tanks headed to Ukraine left Spain by ship on Friday, according to a naval monitoring website. Witnesses for Reuters said that the tanks and armoured personnel carriers were driven onto a cargo vessel. The boat will travel to Poland, where the vehicles will be transferred to Ukraine ahead of an expected spring counteroffensive. Earlier this month, Spains defence minister Margarita Robles said that Spain would send 10 Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine. The Spanish military is repairing the remaining four. It was unclear when the equipment would arrive. 09:51 AM Good morning Good morning and welcome to today's Ukraine liveblog. We will be guiding you through all the latest updates on Ukraine. Jens Stoltenberg and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, April 20, 2023 "I said two years ago that Ukraine had long ago surpassed the status, state, and conditions of a potential Membership Action Plan (MAP)," said Romaniuk. "We had long ago fulfilled those requirements starting from 2008, when at the Bucharest Summit we were refused entry to NATO, but were told that the Alliances doors are open to Ukraine. Today, the MAP is no longer relevant." Read also: NATO head in Kyiv, Putin bodyguard defector, Ukrainians react to cosmic phenomenon According to the expert, "Ukraine itself is already a criterion for the selection and entry of any country into compliance with the Alliance's requirements." Read also: Membership in NATO will not change anything for Ukraine, says political scientist "As of today, Ukraine exceeds two-thirds of the Alliances total military posture in Europe our combat strength, level, and so on," he said, adding that Ukraines entry into NATO is restrained by the hot phase of the war. "We must understand that NATO () does not want to be dragged, so to speak, into the war between Russia and Ukraine," said Romaniuk. "It wants to maintain its autonomy and not give Russia a reason to take the lead, raise the stakes, and give the opportunity to say that it is actually at war with NATO." The expert suggested that conditions for offering Ukraine membership in NATO, particularly by the United States, may arise at the NATO Summit in Washington in 2024. After his first visit to Kyiv since the start of the war on April 20, 2023, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that all allies agreed that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said that there are no barriers to making political decisions regarding the country's membership in the Alliance. Additionally, according to Zelenskyy, security guarantees should already be in place for Ukraine, but should not be an alternative to joining the bloc. Story continues Meanwhile, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Ukraine's entry into NATO and the European Union is possible after the war is over. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Key developments on April 23: Military asks for 'patience' on reports of possible Ukrainian advance in Kherson Oblast UK Defense Ministry: Russia ramps up army recruitment campaign by appealing to 'masculine pride' Military says Russia could try to storm Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast General Staff reports shootout between Wagner and regular Russian soldiers in Luhansk Oblast Ukraine may have gained new positions on the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast after months of neither side making noticeable progress in the countrys south. A day after a Western think-tanks report of a possible Ukrainian advance appeared, Ukraine's Southern Command spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk on April 23 asked for patience. She said she could neither confirm nor reject the report since "the conditions of a military operation require silence until it is safe enough for our military." On April 22, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think-tank analyzing the war in Ukraine, confirmed that Ukraine had taken new positions on the east bank, citing Russian military bloggers reports and footage. The ISW said that Ukrainian forces had established positions north of Oleshky and west of Dachi, which are both settlements located within 10 kilometers from Kherson. It added that Russian forces might no longer control islands in the Kinka and Chaika Rivers just north of the geolocated Ukrainian positions close to the Antonivsky Bridge. Russian military bloggers, according to the think-tank, have also admitted that Ukrainian forces have for weeks established positions and stable supply lines for them on the east bank, adding that it could indicate "a lack of Russian control over the area." While the Ukrainian military is unlikely to disclose information until the situation of the mentioned areas in Kherson Oblast stabilizes, the ISWs April 22 report hints at rare recent progress seen on the southern battlefield. Story continues The front line in Kherson Oblast remained largely stalled since Ukraine liberated Kherson, the only regional capital that Russia captured since the beginning of the full-scale war, and areas on the west bank of the river. The retreating Russian troops fled to the east bank. Ukrainian artillerymen of Aidar battalion operate at a front line near Bakhmut, in the Donetsk Oblast, on April 22, 2023, amid the Russian invasion on Ukraine. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images) Russia intensifies army recruitment campaign More than a year into the full-scale war, major Russian cities that once tried to keep the conflict a background noise are now actively trying to recruit more soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Among the recruitment advertisements in Moscow, for example, is a poster that reads, our profession is to protect the motherland. In an article published by a pro-Kremlin Russian media outlet, a Moscow shop owner says that a woman came with a poster recruiting for the army and reportedly said there would be big questions if he refused to display it. A leaflet shown by Russian media promises up to 340,000 rubles (about $4,200) worth of monthly salary for fighting in Ukraine, as well as financial assistance for potential recruits' families. While Russian soldiers and their relatives have often complained about not receiving their salary on time or in the amount promised, the latest recruitment move appears to be targeting families that are facing financial hardships due to Russia's shrinking economy. The U.K. Defense Ministry said on April 23 that its part of Russias major campaign to recruit more soldiers by appealing to "potential recruits' masculine pride." In its daily intelligence bulletin, the U.K. Defense Ministry said the "pervasive campaign" that relies on advertisements looking for "real men" is carried out across Russian social media, billboards, and on television. They also highlight the financial benefits of joining the army, it added. The authorities are seeking to delay a new wave of mobilization of conscripts for the war against Ukraine for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent, the ministry said. The campaign comes more than half a year after the Kremlin announced what it claimed was a "partial mobilization" of 300,000 troops to fight in Ukraine. And with Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree on the mobilization still in force, Russia could launch a second wave of mobilization. Back in fall 2022, Forbes Russia reported that more than 700,000 Russians had rushed out of the country shortly after Putin announced the mobilization. Can Russia afford to commit to a years-long war? When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an all-out war against Ukraine, U.S. intelligence claimed that Russian forces planned to sweep Kyiv within days. More than 13 months on, Ukraines defenses still stand firm. But Ukrainians are now faced with a different threat the Kremlin appears to Kyiv IndependentKatie Marie Davies Donbas situation Meanwhile, tough battles continued in the Donbas even as signs of progress for Ukrainian forces appeared in the southern Kherson Oblast. Colonel Oleksii Dmytrashkovskyi, a spokesman for Ukrainian soldiers deployed in the southern Donetsk Oblast, said that Russian troops could start trying to storm the city of Vuhledar. He reported that the Russian forces attacked Vuhledar six times over the past day using aircraft. The enemy is pursuing a scorched earth tactic, Dmytrashkovskyi said on television. Meanwhile, the General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces on April 23 reported that tensions were rising between the regular Russian army and Russias Wagner mercenary group. According to the General Staff, a fight that broke out between Russian soldiers and the Wagner mercenaries recently escalated into a shootout in the occupied town of Stanytsia Luhanska in Luhansk Oblast, with both sides suffering fatal casualties. Neither the Russian Defense Ministry nor Wagner reacted to Ukraines claim of a fatal shootout in the occupied Luhansk Oblast. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that voices from across the world urging negotiations between Ukraine and Russia ignore the fact that Russia has failed to demonstrate it is prepared for true peace. Source: Dmytro Kuleba in a column for Die Welt, a German publication Details: Kuleba stressed that Russia is continuing to carry out brutal attacks on Ukrainian cities and villages so as to kill more people and capture more Ukrainian territory. This, he wrote, does not indicate a desire for negotiations, for putting an end to aggression, and restoring peace in Ukraine. "There is no country in the whole world that wants peace more than Ukraine. But we also know that true peace must be just and sustainable," Kuleba wrote. He explained that the Ukrainian side was studying the peace proposals that have been put forward and welcomes every initiative that respects Ukraines territorial integrity, the UN Charter, and resolutions approved by the UN General Assembly. "Neither Ukraine nor the rest of the world will see true peace unless Russia bears full responsibility for all its crimes, including the crime of aggression against Ukraine and all of the consequent war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide," Kuleba insisted. He said that the future of European and Atlantic security was being decided on the battlefields in Ukraine. "If we make a mistake now and decide to reward Putin for his aggression, whatever form this takes, instead of defeating him to teach a lesson to all other potential aggressors, then the future of Ukraine, Europe and the whole world will be jeopardised," Kuleba believes. "True peace is restoring the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine. True peace is a safe homeland for the Crimean Tatar people in Ukrainian Crimea. True peace is grain carriers, not war ships, in the Black Sea. True peace is the world united by the rule of international law. This is what we fight for not just for a victory in this war, but for true, sustainable peace," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister explained. Background: The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Guido Crosetto, said that Ukraine and Russia have to negotiate, with China as a mediator. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Nataliia Humeniuk, head of the press centre of the Operational Command Pivden (South), did not confirm or deny the information provided by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) regarding the Armed Forces units landing on the left bank of Dnipro river in Kherson Oblast. Source: Humeniuk on the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast Details: Humeniuk was asked to confirm or deny the information she did neither but asked everyone to be patient. Quote from Humeniuk: "Challenging work continues when it is necessary to overcome such an obstacle as the Dnipro [river], when the front line passes by a powerful wide river. Therefore, the conditions of the military operation require information silence until it is safe enough for our military. Therefore, even the best students of the ISW need to be patient here." Background: The ISW has stated that Ukrainian forces took positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Ukrainian defenders killed another 690 Russian occupiers on 22 April. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Details: Total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 23 April 2023 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses ed.]: approximately 186,420 (+690) military personnel, 3,675 (+3) tanks, 7,131 (+1) armoured combat vehicles, 2,837 (+5) artillery systems, 539 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems, 289 (+0) air defence systems, 308 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft, 294 (+1) helicopters, 2,402 (+4) operational-tactical UAVs, 911 (+0) cruise missiles, 18 (+0) ships/boats, 5,730 (+12) vehicles and tankers, 339 (+2) other vehicles and equipment. The information is being confirmed. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has stated that Ukrainian forces took up positions on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast. Source: ISW report Details: Analysts at the ISW have said that Russian "military journalists" provided enough geographically referenced video footage and text messages to confirm that Ukrainian forces had taken up positions on the eastern bank of Kherson Oblast. Quote: "Geolocated footage published by a Russian milblogger on April 22 shows that Ukrainian forces have established positions on the Dnipro River bank north of Oleshky (7km southwest of Kherson) and advanced up to the northern outskirts of the settlement on the E97 highway, as well as west of Dachi (10km south of Kherson). This footage also indicates that Russian forces may not control islands in the Kinka and Chaika rivers less than half a kilometer north of the geolocated Ukrainian positions near the Antonivka Bridge." More details: ISW has noted that on 20 and 22 April, Russian "military journalists" claimed that Ukrainian forces had been holding positions on the eastern bank of Kherson Oblast for several weeks, had established stable supply lines to these positions and were regularly carrying out combat tasks, indicating that there was no Russian control over the area. ISW has noted that a battle map by another Russian blogger claimed that Russian forces do not control some islands in the Dnipro Delta southwest of Kherson, suggesting that Ukrainian forces may be advancing to these islands. Analysts have also stressed that some Russian "military journalists" complained that low-intensity artillery fire allowed Ukrainian troops to land on the eastern bank due to the over-centralisation of the Russian military command. Quote: "Russian forces may be prioritizing maintaining defenses in urban areas such as Oleshky and Nova Kakhovka, leaving the islands in the Dnipro River delta unmanned. The extent and intent of these Ukrainian positions remain unclear, as does Ukraines ability and willingness to maintain sustained positions in this area." Details: ISW has highlighted that it was the first time that it recognised the territory on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast as controlled by Ukraine, as it had only just received reliable geolocation images of Ukrainian positions on the eastern bank, as well as Russian reports from various sources of a continued Ukrainian presence in the area. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Oleh Nivievsky says that grain prices are falling all over the world, not just in Poland While transit has since been unblocked, the European Union is preparing emergency measures to ban Ukrainian grain imports to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria, and allowing only transit and re-export to other EU countries. Read also: East European grain bans cause Ukrainian exports to fall by one-third Oleh Nivievsky, dean of the Master's program in economics and an associate member of the Center for Food and Land Use Studies, explained the consequences of the boycott and the reasons it has come about in an interview with NV Business. Poland has allowed the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products through its territory. Can we say that the problem is solved, and exports will not be affected? Read also: Polish agriculture minister resigns amid anger over Ukrainian grain imports No, the problem is only partially solved. There are several aspects to consider, and as always, economics and politics are intertwined. If we talk about the economic aspect, Poland is a consumer of our grain, and about half of the products that go through European countries are imports, and the rest is transit. Poland also has this ratio. So, it turns out that part of the Polish consumers will suffer from not receiving our products, which is a loss for both sides. I hope that transit exports will resume, but there will be no imports. However, from a political point of view, the situation is more complicated. The European Union is a bloc of countries, and each of them cannot unilaterally decide how to trade with other countries. This issue has to be resolved at the Brussels level. However, Ukraine, not Brussels, negotiates with Poland. This is a blow to the unity of the European Union and sets a bad precedent. Could this mean that the ban on grain imports will be lifted if Brussels does not support such a decision? I think these restrictions will eventually be lifted, but I dont know when. As an economist, I believe that the situation with the unity of the European Union, their trade policy, and their decisions is very important, even more so than the economic aspect. If there are already fluctuations in this area, what can be expected when it comes to making security decisions? When we are not united, it is a good signal for our enemies and a bad signal for both the European Union and Ukraine. Story continues In EU countries, they claim that supplies of Ukrainian grain lead to a fall in prices on the domestic market and losses for local farmers. Is this true? The data does not confirm this claim, including data from the European Union. If we look at the price dynamics on the domestic market in Poland, they do not differ significantly from those in Hamburg or Rotterdam. Read also: EU to take preventive steps against Ukrainian agricultural products However, what I saw in the Polish media was an incorrect representation of this trend. They showed the dynamics of domestic prices, which are currently decreasing. However, this is a global trend that is happening in Poland, Germany, Slovakia, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. If this was reported correctly in Poland, the situation would look different. Moreover, no one talks about it, but due to Ukraine's misfortune, European farmers were able to make a profit in the spring and summer of last year as prices doubled. Now, grains are sold at pre-war prices, but a month ago, they were higher, and local farmers earned more than before the start of the war. However, such narratives can be easily manipulated for political purposes, which suggests a political subtext underlying the issue. As for the losses suffered by Ukrainian farmers due to the ban on imports to certain EU countries, it is too early to determine the exact extent of the damage. Nevertheless, potential losses could be significant as approximately 40% of all Ukrainian exports are shipped to Western countries through the mainland. This loss of income will inevitably lead to a drop in prices for Ukrainian farmers. The Russian aggressors have mentioned the possibility of closing the grain corridor. If this were to occur, what would be the consequences, and would it be feasible to increase exports through EU countries to offset any losses? Based on our calculations, Ukrainian farmers suffered losses of approximately $15 billion due to port blockades, which resulted in higher logistics costs and lower prices. If the western border is closed and the Russian aggressors block the grain corridor, the only available export route will be through the Danube ports. This will essentially result in a similar situation as at the beginning of the war, and the losses will likely be comparable. However, it's worth noting that detailed calculations have not yet been made. Has the boycott had an impact on the price of grain in the global market? Not yet. Read also: Polish farmers threaten to blockade Ukraine border crossing How will such risks influence planting decisions? Which crops may farmers opt not to plant, and will they reduce planting areas? Farmers have already started adjusting their plans. They are planting less corn and paying more attention to more expensive crops such as oil, which can withstand higher logistics costs. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A year ago, during a meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Ukrainian government officials pleaded for their Western counterparts to provide any weapons or ammo they could after Russias failed siege of Kyiv caused their stocks to nearly run dry. Now in a better position, Ukraine officials said last week they wanted to discuss their pathway to victory as they convened with allies once again at Ramstein on Friday. Ukraines troops are preparing for another counteroffensive that will include a plethora of Western military equipment provided by the U.S. and other countries in attendance. The new hope from Kyiv is that, at some point, their attacks could include greater air and naval systems from the West as well. There is a very palpable conviction among the participants that Ukraine should win. That it will be a joint success, Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told NBC News regarding deliberations at the latest meeting at Ramstein. Partners make it clear that they will provide support as long as needed. The trajectory for us has changed from survival to victory. The group an initiative of more than 50 countries, including the U.S. and all 30 member states of NATO are meeting for the eleventh time at Ramstein Air Base. Almost a year ago, the group met for the first time following Russias withdrawal from Kyiv. Ukraine was preparing for a counteroffensive around the then-occupied city of Kharkiv, the eventual success of which liberated the region. At present, a months-long stalemate between the two sides near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine continues to drive up casualties and burn through munition stocks. Kyiv officials arrived at the meeting on Friday with fresh aims as they prepare for their latest counteroffensive that they hope will put the Kremlin on the backfoot. Three Ukrainian defense officials involved in the talks said in past meetings they successfully pressed for Western support and equipment, especially tanks. German Leopard 2s and British Challenger 2s are now in the country and U.S.-made M1 Abrams are expected to arrive in the coming months. Story continues That means, the officials said, that Ukraine is pushing to create coalitions focused on boosting security in the Black Sea, as well as fighter jets. This is the future of Ramstein, one of the officials said. Moving towards more sophisticated platforms. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Black Sea, bounded by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania, has been a security concern since Russias launched its bloody invasion of Ukraine. Both sides depend on the sea for trade, and a blockade by Moscow last year almost sparked a global food crisis. Ukraine will likely have to contend with Moscows naval power at some point. Russias Black Sea Fleet is currently headquartered in Crimea, territory occupied by Russia since 2014 and a top target of Ukraine. It is unclear what naval efforts Ukraine might pursue, as their sea capabilities are limited, but their coastal defenses have held Russia at bay. Britain's Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace told NBC News last week that Ukraines efforts in the Black Sea could force the Kremlins hand. Its a brave Russian captain thats going to put a ship anywhere near the Ukrainian coast at the moment, Wallace said. And depending on what happens, the counteroffensive, I think those are the sort of important measures that will make Russia maybe think its really time to negotiate. As for fighter jets, the Biden administration has resisted providing them thus far. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the importance of ground-based air defense weapons when reporters asked at Ramstein on Friday about Ukraines requests for American F-16s. Two Pentagon documents allegedly leaked by a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard appear to show that Ukraine is using up large amounts of its air defense munitions as it fends off relentless Russian drone and missile attacks. Without more munitions and air support, Russia could potentially secure air superiority and begin flying warplanes over areas held by Ukrainian troops, according to one of the two documents, dated Feb. 28. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley also said at the Ramstein press conference alongside Austin that the entire day had been dedicated to air defense discussions. He said decisions on providing F-16 fighter jets are policy questions thatll be made by political leaders. Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Reznikov, said Kyiv is realistic and knows that theyre not going to get fighter jets overnight. But, he added, the planes would be necessary to win the war and so Ukraine wont relent on the pressure campaign. This war is far from over. Russia is not going to disappear. Russia is not showing any signs they want to stop this war, either, Sak said. For us to be more efficient and successful on the battlefield, we will need fighter jets, we will need F-16s, because they will give us superiority in the air in the long-term. Still, the Ukrainian officials acknowledged they have come a long way. At the start of the war, Ukraine was a little more than six-to-eight weeks from running out of ammunition, the officials said. The dynamic has since changed vastly from last year when few countries were willing to send munitions to Ukraine and private sellers sold only on the terms of full prepayment, they said. In the period before Ramstein [2022], we tried every way to acquire weapons and ammunition, said one official, who noted that Ukraine had to learn how to buy vast quantities of weapons very quickly since the war. We received some in aid, but we also bought everything we could get our hands on. Buying whatever they can remains a tactic, but it has become increasingly difficult to procure weapons and ammunition as demand globally has surged. Weapons manufacturers are struggling to meet the need and countries aiding Ukraine are beginning to see their own supplies run thin. Pentagon officials said during a briefing last month that the U.S. will do whatever it takes to ramp up production and solve potential bottlenecks within the defense industry. Make no mistake, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said at the briefing, We are buying to the limits of the industrial base even as we are expanding those limits, and were continuing to cut through red tape and accelerate timelines. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Trench battle on the outskirts of Bakhmut A graphic video of trench warfare near Bakhmut published by 1+1 military correspondent Andriy Tsapliyenko on Twitter on April 23 shows a soldier from the 92nd Brigade engaging in a close-range shootout with a Wagner mercenary. Read also: Assaulting Bakhmut will exhaust Wagner Group PMC in two months, officer says In two separate videos of the same engagement, a Ukrainian solider is seen attacking a Russian mercenary who is crouched in a position cut into the wall of the trench. The body of another soldier (unclear if Ukrainian or Russian) is slumped nearby. After tossing a grenade at the Russian, which explodes some way from the invaders position, a Ukrainian soldier moves closer and hits the mercenary with shots from his assault rifle. Read also: Ukrainian border guards halt Russian invaders in Bakhmut video He withdraws, and his companion moves forward to toss a grenade directly on the Russians position. It explodes, likely killing the mercenary if he were not already dead. 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 Editors Note: This is issue 80 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from April 15-21, 2023. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission. Ukrainian SOE Weekly is an independent weekly digest based on a compilation of the most important news related to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and state-owned banks in Ukraine. This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union within the project Supporting Ukraine in rebuilding and recovery implemented by the KSE Institute. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the editorial team of the Ukrainian SOE Weekly and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. Corporate governance of SOEs High Anti-Corruption Court extends the measure of restraint for Kobolyev for another two months. On April 17, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) issued a two-month extension on a ruling that requires former Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev to: show up whenever summoned by a detective, prosecutor, investigating judge, or the court; remain in Kyiv Oblast unless given special permission by a detective or prosecutor assigned to this case; inform the detective and prosecutor of any change of residence; refrain from communicating with people specified in the court order; hand in all international passports and other travel documents; wear an electronic monitoring device. According to the law firm Miller, which represents Kobolyev, the ex-CEO was given back his citizenship documents and allowed to move around Kyiv Oblast. According to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO), Kobolyevs lawyers filed a motion with the HACC asking the court to change the measure of restraint from bail of Hr 230 million ($6.3 million) and procedural obligations to a personal obligation (suggesting neither bail nor an electronic monitoring device.) Only part of the bail has been posted for Kobolyev, although the court ruling on this matter dated back to March 1, SAPO added. SAPO said that its prosecutor did not agree with a more lenient measure of restraint for Kobolyev, and he/she would insist on this in court. Story continues Later, SAPO reported that the HACC dismissed the defenses motion. In SOE Weekly (Issue 83), we reported that the HACC dismissed the motion of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) detective to extend the pre-trial investigation against Kobolyev. Shortly after the ruling to dismiss the NABUs request, SAPO said that the pre-trial investigation was completed, and its materials were available to the suspect (Kobolyev)and his defence (see Issue 83). As we reported earlier, on Jan. 19, NABU and SAPO notified Kobolyev that he was suspected of misappropriating (illegally awarding himself) over Hr 229 million ($6.2 million) in 2018, which was part of the bonuses granted to Naftogazs team in May 2018 for the companys historic victory against Russias Gazprom in Stockholms court of arbitration. For an extended background of the Kobolyev case, see SOE Weeklys Issues 71, 72, 73, 77, 78, 79, and 83. For an analysis of this case from a corporate governance perspective, see a series of columns by SOE Weekly team members Andriy Boytsun, Oleksandr Lysenko, and Dmytro Yablonovskyy: Are Kobolyev's bonuses a threat to corporate governance reform? Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Cabinet appoints a new member to Ukrzaliznytsias executive board. On April 18, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed Anton Mishyn as a new member of Ukrzaliznytsias executive board for six months. According to Ukrzaliznytsias charter, the Cabinet appoints the CEO and executive board members on proposal of the companys supervisory board. That is, in the case of Ukrzaliznytsia, the Cabinet has the final say, not only on the CEO, but also all other executive board members. Mishyn has been the chief financial officer (CFO) of Ukrzaliznytsia since August 2022. From July 2019 to April 2022, he was the executive director and director of finance and risks at DTEK Renewables. From 2016 to 2019, Mishyn worked as the CFO at DTEK Energy. In 2015-2016, he worked as the CFO and a management board member at Ukrtransnafta. From 2014 to 2015, he was the director of the Economy and Planning Department at Naftogaz. From 2008 to 2013, Mishyn worked as the finance director at Yenakiieve Steel Group (part of Metinvest group). According to Ukrzaliznytsias CEO Yevhen Lyashchenko, the companys goal is to break even, so Mishyns task is to optimize financial processes and continue to reduce costs. As we reported in SOE Weeklys Issue 72, Ukrzaliznytsia suffered Hr 11 billion ($300 million) in losses in 2022 and is expected to lose twice as much Hr 20.2 billion ($552 million) in 2023. Another priority for Mishyn is to strengthen and develop relations with international financial partners, whose support is now critical for the development of Ukrzaliznytsia, Lyashchenko added. In SOE Weekly (Issue 80), we reported that on March 21, the Cabinet of Ministers dismissed Kamyshin as Ukrzaliznytsias CEO, and appointed Yevhen Lyashchenko as the new CEO for the next two years. Previously, Lyashchenko served as Ukrzaliznytsias executive board member. Explainer: What we know about Russias deportation of Ukrainian children In March, the International Criminal Court made a historic ruling: It issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia. The statement by ICC says that Putin is allegedly respo Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko Privatization Second attempt to privatize the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi trade seaport fails, the third auction is pending. On April 14, the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) announced that it would put the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi trade seaport up for privatization for the third time. According to the SPFU, the previous auction did not result in a sale as the auction winner failed to pay for the property. In SOE Weekly (Issue 74), we reported that the SPFU scheduled a privatization auction for the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi trade seaport on March 3. In Issue 78, we reported that the auction failed because nobody registered, according to Oleksandr Slavskyi, head of the regional office of the SPFU in Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts. A new auction was scheduled for March 13. The starting price was halved from Hr 187.6 million ($5 million) to Hr 93.8 million ($2.6 million). According to Slavskyi, since Russias full-scale invasion, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyis sea access has been blocked, and the port has thus been used for transshipment only. In Issue 79, we reported that the second auction was more successful, with a winning bid of Hr 220 million ($6 million). However, the winner missed the 20 business-day window to pay for the property. According to Prozzoro.Sale, the winner was Ukrdoninvest LLC, owned by Ukrainian businessman Vitaliy Kropachov. Kropachov is the owner of the Ukrdoninvest Group of companies with assets in the coal industry, machine-building, construction, transportation, and media. In 2018, Kropachovs Ukrdoninvest took part in the privatization auction for Centrenergo, but the SPFU later canceled the auction because the documentation submitted by the bidders did not meet the legal requirements. At that time, the SPFU intended to sell the state-owned stake in Centrenergo (78.3%) at an auction with a starting price of Hr 5.9 billion ($161 million). Kropachov did not say what stake he already had in Centrenergo, revealing only that it was more than 1%. In 2018, Ekonomichna Pravda (EP) wrote that Kropachov had monopolized the supply of coal to Centrenergo. According to EP, more than 80% of the coal supplied to Centrenergo was provided by entities directly or indirectly linked to the businessman. Izmail winery privatized for Hr 200 million. On April 19, the SPFU sold the Izmail winery for Hr 200 million ($5.5 million), an 11-fold increase from the starting price of Hr 17.9 million ($489,000). Four bidders competed for the property. According to Prozzoro.Sale, the winner is Fininvest Group P LLC. According to registers, it is owned by Roman Lobanov. Notably, the lowest bid was equal to the starting price of Hr 17.9 million ($489,000). This bidder did not raise its bids during the auction. Another bidder offered Hr 30 million ($820,000) as its final bid. A third bidder offered as much as the winning bidder, Hr 200 million ($5.5 million). As a result, Fininvest Group P won the auction because it was the first to offer Hr 200 million. As with all privatization auctions, the winner has 20 business days to pay the lot price for the purchase agreement to be signed. If the winner fails to pay up, they forfeit their deposit, equal to 20% of the starting price. The winerys assets include a wine storage facility, a grape processing shop, bottling shops, a sparkling wine production shop, a finished goods warehouse, an exhibition venue, administrative buildings, etc. The total area of the premises is 27,200 sq. m. The assets are located in Izmail, as well as in Suvorovo, Plavni, and Prymorske, all in Odesa Oblast. Note that the SPFU had initially announced a privatization auction for the Izmail winery for April 11 with a starting price of Hr 35.7 million ($976,000). According to Prozzoro.Sale, this auction did not take place (probably, due to the lack of bids from potential buyers). A new auction was scheduled for April 19. The starting price had been halved from Hr 35.7 million to Hr 17.9 million. It is remarkable that the winerys starting price at the first auction, on April 11, did not attract the two bidders that ultimately offered a sixfold of that price at the second auction on April 19, that is, in just a week after the first auction. This Week in Ukraine Ep. 4 Russias strategy of evil: 80,000 war crimes in Ukraine This Week in Ukraine is a video podcast hosted by the Kyiv Independents reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraines most pressing issues. Episode #4 is dedicated to Russian war crimes in Ukraine and beyond, the culture of viole Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina Confiscation of the aggressor states assets, nationalization, and asset seizure Shares in Ukrnaftoburinnya, one of Ukraines largest gas producers, transferred to ARMA. According to Censor.net, the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) received all shares of Ukrnaftoburinnya after the asset was seized on April 7. According to the registry, Ukrnaftoburinnya is owned by Ares Systems Ltd (22.49%), Deripon Commercial Ltd (22.49%), JKX Ukraine B.V. (10%), and Ariana Business Limited (22.49%). According to the media, the company is associated with businessmen Ihor Kolomoisky, Pavlo Fuks, and Vitaliy Khomutynnik. Ukrnaftoburinnya is one of the largest private gas producers in Ukraine, producing 725.4 million cubic meters in 2021. According to Ekonomichna Pravda (EP), its 2021 net profit was Hr 5.65 billion ($154 million). In 2022, this fell to Hr 3.77 billion ($103,000). The shares were seized in connection with a criminal investigation into the development of Ukraines largest explored gas field, the Sakhalin, in Kharkiv Oblast. According to EP, the accusations stated in the criminal proceedings relate to allegedly illegal actions of officials of Nadra Ukrainy, the State Service of Geology and Subsoil of Ukraine, and a number of businesses during 2003-2022, which caused the state to lose the right to develop the Sakhalin field this right eventually went to private companies, with Ukrnaftoburinnya being one of them. The EP also reported that the gas fields proven reserves were 15 billion cubic meters of gas, 1.7 million tonnes of condensate, and about the same amount of oil. Ukrnaftoburinnya stated that its shareholders and management learned about the court ruling to seize the companys corporate rights from public sources on April 17. None of the companys representatives received any official notification of the decision to seize corporate rights and transfer them to external management, Ukrnaftoburinnya added. According to its statement, shareholders and managers do not understand the grounds for the decision or why it was reached without the companys input. The management considers these actions to be unlawful and regards them as an attempt to seize the assets of a private business, Ukrnaftoburinnya said. The company has already filed an appeal. Andriy Pasishnyk, CEO of JKX Oil & Gas, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange, said on his Facebook page that JKX considers suing Ukraine over the seizure of its corporate rights in Ukrnaftoburinnya in both Ukrainian and international courts. Pasishnyk said that JKX acquired a 10% stake in Ukrnaftoburinnya in 2006. JKX will also inform the British Embassy in Ukraine and the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of which JKX is a member, about the violated rights and illegal expropriation of the groups assets in Ukraine, Pasishnyk wrote. Notably, the English part of Pasishnyks Facebook post is considerably different from its Ukrainian version. According to EP, there is a 99% probability that these assets will ultimately be given to Naftogaz or one of its subsidiaries. A damaged church is seen in still occupied Oleshky on the other side of the Dnipro on November 13, 2022 in Kherson, Ukraine Andrii Dubchak/Donbas Frontliner via Zaborona/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Ukrainian troops have established positions on the east bank of the Dnipro river, the ISW reported. Russia lost control of the city of Kherson in November but still occupies the southern region. The new reports, based on geolocated footage, suggest Russia's defensive positions are weakening. Ukrainian troops have established positions on the east bank of the Dnipro river, implying that Russia's defensive positions are weakening, The Institute for Study of War said. The Washington-based think tank said that it is now marking the territory as Ukrainian-held only after reviewing footage geolocated by Russian military bloggers and other reports about the Ukrainian presence. The Ukrainian positions have been established north of Oleshky, a town across the river from Kherson. Ukraine freed the city of Kherson from Russian control in November 2022, but large parts of Kherson Oblast on the other side of the river are still occupied. South of the Kherson region is Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014 The new reports suggest a lack of Russian control of the area, as Russian military bloggers claimed this week that Ukrainian forces had maintained positions on the east bank, have established stable supply lines, and are regularly conducting sorties in the area. The Ukrainian positions have been established north of Oleshky, a town across the river from Kherson. Google Maps Some of the military bloggers suggested that Ukrainian forces were able to land on the east bank because of the slow rate of Russian artillery fire, which they blamed on the over-centralization of the Russian military command. The institute could not confirm the extent or the intentions of the Ukrainian positions. Military bloggers also suggested that Russia might not have control over some islands in the Kinka and Chaika rivers and some Dnipro delta islands. Russian forces might be prioritizing maintaining defenses in urban areas such as Oleshky and Nova Kakhovka, and have left the islands unmanned, the ISW said. A video posted online appears to show Ukrainian amphibious vehicles landing on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river and establishing a bridgehead. Story continues These reports come amid expectations that Ukraine is soon to begin a counter-offensive to push back on Russian positions and reclaim as much territory as possible. Read the original article on Business Insider North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is a leading candidate to capture the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2024. AP Photo/Chris Seward North Carolina GOP Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson launched his 2024 gubernatorial campaign on Saturday. But some Republicans think he's too divisive, with Democrats likely to nominate state AG Josh Stein. The gubernatorial contest could highlight sharp ideological divides in an already polarized country. For years, both Democrats and Republicans have been in a political tug-of-war over the direction of North Carolina, a Southern state that had long been defined by its more moderate politics. Democrats have dominated in gubernatorial races for decades and have successfully held on to key down-ballot positions like secretary of state and state auditor. But the party has seen its legislative strength falter during recent election cycles and the last time it won a presidential or Senate race was in 2008 when Barack Obama and Kay Hagan won their respective contests. Democrats earlier this month faced a major setback when state Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Charlotte-area lawmaker, defected to the Republican Party, granting the GOP the power to override vetoes from two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. Republicans who were once perpetually in the minority in the legislature now have super majorities in both the state House of Representatives and state Senate. Now even the Democrats' control over the governorship could be under threat. The 2024 gubernatorial race could feature two major forces in North Carolina government Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in what could be the most consequential race in the state's modern political history. A political fight long in the making A victory by Stein, who won in 2016 and 2020 despite then-President Donald Trump carrying the state both years, would allow Democrats to maintain their foothold in the Governor's mansion. And depending on the outcome of the legislative races next year, Stein could offer a check on a slightly-reduced GOP majority if Democrats can pick up seats. Story continues But a win by Robinson, a conservative whom some Republicans feel could be too polarizing to win the gubernatorial race, could give the GOP their strongest grip over state politics in recent memory, especially if they're able to maintain their legislative supermajorities next year. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has defied the state's slight GOP lean in recent presidential years, winning his races in 2016 and 2020 by razor-thin margins. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File Cooper, a moderate who rose from the legislature and served as state attorney general for 16 years before winning the governorship in 2016, cannot run again due to term limits. Stein's political trajectory is similar to ones taken by many state Democrats before him Cooper included and he offers some ideological continuity. Republicans eager to consolidate their power with an ally as governor will be working feverishly to win next year. But they'll first have to sort out who'll be their nominee. 'He will nationalize the gubernatorial race' Robinson's controversial comments which have included him railing against LGBTQ people, calling homosexuality "filth," and stating that he had AR-15s "in case the government gets too big for its britches" have made some within the GOP worry that he'd be a major fundraising symbol for national Democrats. Paul Shumaker, a Republican consultant in North Carolina, echoed similar sentiments about Robinson to Politico. "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," he said. Cooper last year sharply criticized Robinson over his gun comments. Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) May 31, 2022 "This is dangerous and not who we are as patriotic North Carolinians. @MarkRobinsonNC's assault weapon threats are bad enough, but an elected official sworn to uphold the constitution advocating violent overthrow of our govt shames NC and puts our safety and our democracy at risk," Cooper tweeted. 'We don't need another politician' But as Robinson officially kicked off his gubernatorial campaign on Saturday, his strong appeal among grassroots conservatives was on full display. "I'm running for governor because we the people of North Carolina need someone who understands us," he told his supporters. "We don't need another politician who's spent their life climbing the political ladder." Robinson, a former factory worker, attracted a major following among Republicans for a 2018 gun rights speech to the Greensboro City Council that went viral. Gov. Roy Cooper has been an institution in North Carolina Democratic politics. AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum Just two years later, he won the GOP lieutenant governor's primary in a crowded field before winning the general election with nearly 52% of the vote against then-Democratic state Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley. But despite his meteoric rise within the GOP, Robinson isn't running unopposed in the gubernatorial primary. North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell is already in the race, and former Rep. Mark Walker is expected to enter the contest soon. The primary could devolve into a protracted fight over electability in a state where recent contests have been won and lost by the slimmest of margins. Since 2008, no presidential candidate has won North Carolina by more than four points, and Stein won both of his attorney general races by less than one percentage point in 2016 and 2020. If Stein and Robinson are both nominated by their respective parties, expect a Tar Heel dogfight. Read the original article on Business Insider American military officials have evacuated U.S. embassy personnel from violence-torn Sudan, Fox News can confirm. A source told Fox News that the evacuation was complete as of early Sunday morning. Diplomats and their families were successfully removed from Sudan and the capital city of Khartoum. The Sudanese military has been working with foreign governments to evacuate diplomats as their country descends into a massive conflict. The conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan's armed forces began on April 15. The World Health Organization reported that at least 413 people have died, while injury estimates are as high as 3,551. BLOODY SUDAN CONFLICT CONTINUES DESPITE TRUCE, INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE A source told Reuters that operation to remove Americans was coordinated with the RSF. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Other foreign nationals from different countries were evacuated via a Sudanese port on the Red Sea earlier on Saturday. The evacuations were carried out despite the onslaught of violence disabling Khartoum's airport, which has trapped large numbers of people in the city. Not only are many Sudanese citizens unable to leave, but thousands of foreigners are also trapped. 180 DEAD, ALMOST 2K INJURED AS SUDAN CONFLICT RAGES ON 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). Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Friday that American troops were 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." One U.S. citizen was killed during the conflict. The American, who was not identified, did not work for the U.S. Embassy. "We can confirm the death of one U.S. citizen in Sudan," a State Department spokesperson said to 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." Reuters and Fox News' Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. troops are carrying out a precarious evacuation of American embassy staffers in the African nation of Sudan, shuttering the U.S. embassy there as fighting rages for a ninth day, according to a senior Biden administration official. U.S. troops safely left Sudanese airspace after airlifting American embassy personnel out of the capital, Khartoum, a second U.S. official confirmed. 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. The State Department has suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might resume functioning. According to the World Health Organization, fighting has killed more than 400 people since erupting April 15 between two factions whose leaders are vying for control over the country. The violence has 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 has 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 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. 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. Story continues Fighting in Sudan between forces loyal to two top generals has put that nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its borders. The fighting, which began as Sudan attempted to transition to democracy, already has left millions trapped in urban areas, sheltering from gunfire, explosions and looters. Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said Saturday 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 rival Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, in a Twitter posting said it cooperated with U.S. forces. The U.S. evacuation planning got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that U.S. troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. 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. Embassy evacuations conducted by the U.S. military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transportation if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, staffers used commercial transport to leave. However, in several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. U.S. troops accompanied personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported. With the final embassy employee out of Khartoum, the United States shuttered its diplomatic mission indefinitely. Remaining behind in the East African nation are thousands of private American citizens. U.S. officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation operation. Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders had forced the closing of the main international airport and left roads out of the country in control of armed fighters. The skirmishes has killed more than 400 people. In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan to the extent possible. He also called for the end to unconscionable violence there. About 100 U.S. troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation. They airlifted all of roughly 70 remaining American employees from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. Ethiopia also provided overflight and refueling support, said Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Biden said Djibouti and Saudi Arabia provided assistance, too. 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. U.S. Africa Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, were in contact with the factions before and during the operation to ensure that U.S. forces would have safe passage to conduct the evacuation. John Bass, an undersecretary of state, denied claims by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Security Forces that it assisted in the U.S. evacuation. Story continues They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation," Bass said. Biden had ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation from his national security team, with no end in sight to the fighting. This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, Biden said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. Sudan's fighting broke out April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nations transition to democracy. The power struggle between the armed forces chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has millions of Sudanese cowering inside their homes. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted. An estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is rough because not all Americans register with embassy or say when they depart. 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 for American employees of the embassy got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that U.S. troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. Embassy evacuations conducted by the U.S. military are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions. When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transportation if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, staffers used commercial transport to leave. In several other recent cases, notably in Afghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. U.S. troops accompanied personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014. By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir KHARTOUM (Reuters) -The armed forces of the United States and the United Kingdom have evacuated embassy staff from Sudan, while other nations rushed to get their citizens to safety as rival military factions battled in the capital Khartoum on Sunday. The eruption of fighting eight days ago between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group has triggered a humanitarian crisis, killed 420 people and trapped millions of Sudanese without access to basic services. As people attempted to flee the chaos, countries began landing planes and organising convoys in Khartoum to pull out their nationals. Some foreign citizens were injured. Gunfire rang out across the city and dark smoke hung overhead, a Reuters reporter said. The warring sides accused each other of attacking a French convoy, both saying one French person was wounded. France's Foreign Ministry, which had earlier said it was evacuating diplomatic staff and citizens, did not comment. France said a French plane carrying around a hundred people including the European Union delegation in Khartoum along with other nationalities had left for Djibouti, and a second plane with a similar number aboard was due to take off shortly. The risks were also evident in army accusations that the RSF looted a Qatari convoy heading to Port Sudan. In separate incidents, an Iraqi citizen was killed during clashes and Egypt said one of its diplomats had been wounded. The efforts to extract foreign residents frustrated some Sudanese who felt the rival factions showed less concern for the safety of locals. "Seeing the foreigners leave made me upset because I see there's some groups that were helped by the army and RSF, meanwhile we keep getting hit," said Alsadig Alfatih, who on Sunday managed to leave his home for the first time since the fighting erupted and said he would head to Egypt. POPE APPEALS The Sudanese army said it worked with the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France on evacuation operations at Wadi Sedna, an air base north of Khartoum. Qatar and Jordan's operations were conducted overland to Port Sudan, the army said. Story continues Canada had also extracted its diplomats and was trying to support its local staff, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. Egypt, India, Nigeria and Libya were among the countries that said they were working to bring home their people. Pope Francis appealed for an end to the violence during his Sunday midday prayer in Rome. The fighting broke out in Khartoum and other parts of the country on April 15, four years after long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir was toppled. The army and RSF jointly staged a coup in 2021 but fell out during negotiations to integrate the two groups and form a civilian government. U.S. officials said its special forces evacuated fewer than 100 people on Saturday in an operation that took just one hour on the ground. "We did not take any small-arms fire on the way in and were able to get in and out without issue," said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims. CEASEFIRE BREACHED Sudan's sudden collapse into warfare has 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. Beyond Khartoum, reports of the worst violence have come from Darfur, a western region bordering Chad that suffered 300,000 people dead and 2.7 million displaced during an earlier conflict that started in 2003. The army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, have failed to observe ceasefires reached almost daily, including a three-day truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which began on Friday. For the first time since the start of the fighting, a video was posted that briefly showed Hemedti in battle dress in the passenger seat of a pick-up truck, surrounded by cheering troops, near Khartoum's presidential palace. Reuters was able to confirm the location, but was not able to independently verify the date the video was filmed. Burhan said on Monday he was based at the army headquarters in central Khartoum, about 2 km (1.2 miles) from the palace. Battles have continued around the army's headquarters and the airport, which has been closed by the clashes, and over the past two days in Bahri, where the army has used troops on the ground as well as air strikes to try to push back the RSF. The RSF said on Sunday its forces were targeted by air strikes in Bahri's Kafouri district and that dozens were killed and injured. RSF forces were heavily deployed on the streets and on bridges across the capital, with army troops visible in parts of Omdurman, a Reuters reporter said. Neighbourhoods were otherwise largely empty of civilians and ordinary life. In Bahri, a video verified by Reuters showed a major market burning. Residents reported looting in the district, which is home to industrial zones containing important flour mills. World Health Organisation head Tedros Ghebreyesus described multiple deadly attacks on health facilities. "Paramedics, frontline nurses and doctors are often unable to access the wounded and the injured cannot reach facilities," he tweeted. The WHO retweeted a post from Sudan's Health Ministry on Sunday saying at least 420 people had been killed and 3,700 injured in the fighting so far. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum, Nafisa Eltahir, Ahmed Elimam and Hatem Maher in Cairo, Daphne Psaledakis, Juliette Jabkhiro in Paris, Milan Pavicic in Gdansk, Francesca Landini in Rome and Phil Stewart and Moira Warburton in Washington; Writing by Andy Sullivan, Aidan Lewis and Angus McDowall; Editing by Alex Richardson, David Holmes and Diane Craft) Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 22, 2023. The fighting in the capital between the Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces resumed after an internationally brokered cease-fire failed. | Marwan Ali, Associated Press This story will be updated with developing information. The U.S. government evacuated all American diplomats and their family members from Sudan on Saturday. The evacuation comes after seven days of heavy fighting between rival military factions, CNN reported. There was confusion earlier on Saturday about whether or not the U.S. government would be evacuating officials from the warring country of Sudan resulting from conflicting messages from the Sudanese military leader and an alert from the U.S. Embassy. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is Sudans de facto leader, said his troops would begin to evacuate British, Chinese, French and American officials in the coming hours on Saturday morning, reported The New York Times. A security alert was issued shortly after by the U.S. Embassy stating that it was unsafe to evacuate leaders due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport. Two days ago, an attempted cease-fire failed, wreaking more havoc and violence in the capital city of Khartoum, per The Associated Press. With an estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, evacuating them all would prove challenging with the inoperable airport and the countrys closed airspace, per CNN. Related Like the United States, the British Broadcasting Company reported there are no evacuation plans from the United Kingdom yet, either. Spokespeople from the France Foreign Ministry and Britains Foreign Ministry could not confirm any evacuations of French or British citizens or diplomats, per NYT. Although evacuation by air is not the only option, as Saudi Arabia confirmed the evacuation by sea on Saturday of 150 people a variety of Saudi Arabian citizens, as well as other countries including Qatar, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Canada, reported BBC. For now, the U.S. Embassys alert tells those trapped in Sudan that traveling in convoys is risky and it is better to stay at the lower levels of your location, stay away from windows, and attempt to keep away from roadways, until more information can be given. Related (Bloomberg) -- Americans are souring on the prospect of a 2024 election rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, even as that looks like the most likely scenario at this stage, according to an NBC News poll. Most Read from Bloomberg Most of those surveyed, by a 70% to 26% margin, said that Biden should not seek reelection while 60% said Trump should bow out of the race, compared to 35% who want him to run. Biden is looking to formally announce as early as this week that hes running for a second term, according to people familiar with the matter. His approval ratings remain underwater, with 41% in the NBC poll approving of his job as president compared to 54% who disapproved. Trump, meanwhile, has emerged as the strong frontrunner for the GOP nomination. Hes the first choice of 46% of Republican primary voters in the survey, compared to 31% who favored Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and 6% who favored former Vice President Mike Pence. Bidens age was the top reason registered voters gave for wanting him to step aside in the 2024 race. The president is 80, while Trump is 76. Republican primary voters mostly dismissed recent criminal charges filed against Trump in New York State alleging he falsified business records over a hush-money payment related to an alleged affair with former porn star Stormy Daniels. In the survey, 68% said the charges were politically motivated. The April 14-18 poll of 1,000 adults by Hart Research and Public Opinion Strategies has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The margin of error for the polls 800 registered voters is 3.46 points, and the margin of error among the 292 Republican primary voters is 5.99 points. Story continues Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy Sunday, cementing a years-long decline that saw losses surpass a billion dollars annually as the US retailer struggled to adapt to an uncertain economy and the dominance of online shopping. The home goods chain filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, a court filing showed. The New Jersey-based retailer, seller of everything from shower curtains and soaps to vacuum cleaners and duvet covers, for years was a fixture on the Fortune 500 list of biggest American companies. It said in a statement it had sought bankruptcy protection "to implement an orderly wind down of its businesses while conducting a limited marketing process to solicit interest in one or more sales of some or all of its assets." Bed Bath & Beyond shares dove in January as it warned of "substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern," a sign that was widely interpreted to mean it could file for bankruptcy. The company said at the time that it expected a loss of $386 million in the just-finished quarter. Despite several efforts to restructure -- including the closure in 2022 of 150 of its underperforming stores -- Bed Bath & Beyond was unable to turn its slumping finances around. It says it has secured a commitment of $240 million in debtor-in-possession financing from a lender to support its operations during bankruptcy. The company has listed both its estimated assets and estimated liabilities at between $1 billion and $10 billion, according to a court filing. Closing sales at the stores will start on Wednesday. "Thank you to all of our loyal customers," a banner on the company's website read Sunday. "We have made the difficult decision to begin winding down our operations." Chief Executive Officer Sue Gove said the company "will continue working diligently to maximize value for the benefit of all stakeholders." Story continues "Millions of customers have trusted us through the most important milestones in their lives -- from going to college to getting married, settling into a new home to having a baby," she said in the company statement. "We deeply appreciate our associates, customers, partners and the communities we serve, and we remain steadfastly determined to serve them throughout this process." The company said its "360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 buybuy BABY stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers as the Company begins its efforts to effectuate the closure of its retail locations." Last September, its chief financial officer Gustavo Arnal fell to his death from a New York skyscraper in what was ruled a suicide. No date has been set for the company's first debtors' hearing, it said. Bed Bath & Beyond, founded in 1971, grew to operate stores in all 50 US states plus Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico. As sales plummeted last year, the company struggled to maintain supply in its stores, and share prices tumbled. While competitors like Amazon and Target invested heavily in improving the online shopping experience in recent years, Bed Bath & Beyond labored at "evolving" its business and adapting, Richard McMahon, a former executive at the company who departed in 2015, told the New York Times. "The internet started to become real and consumer behavior was changing through that process," he added. bur-dva/mlm/bbk Potter Payper has cracked the UK top 40 and collaborated with Ed Sheeran (Potter Payper) When Potter Payper was in prison, he watched from the sidelines as the other inmates would freestyle rap. Im just there in the corner like, I think I can do that but Im not sure, recalls the Barking-bred rapper, born Jamel Bousbaa to an Irish mother and Algerian father. I was doing all of this memenemenem sh**, he puts an air-microphone to his mouth, mimicking the fast adlibs of garage MCs popular in the early Noughties. But thats for guys that dont have anything to say. Bousbaa, it quickly transpires, is a guy with plenty to say. After spending his teens in young offenders centres, Bousbaa served half of a four-year sentence in what he calls the big man prison for running a county lines drug smuggling operation. Upon his release in 2020, he wrote a handwritten letter to his fans, apologising for letting them down. Months later, he dropped his mixtape Training Day 3. His music, at the time, was a gritty exploration of old struggles contrasted with newfound riches. He became known for his impressive freestyles and witty lyricism. Within a year, he was signed to the UK division of Def Jam Recordings; his music had appeared in hit Netflix series Top Boy, and his track Gangsteritus cracked the UK top 40. He has since collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Maverick Sabre, and Nines. Now, hes set to release his debut album Real Back In Style. It was somewhat inevitable that Bousbaa, 32, would adopt that MC-style cadence made popular by the likes of Dizzee Rascal and Wiley he grew up surrounded by garage and grime culture; his mum used to help install the aerials on popular pirate radio station Temptation FM but it was when he stopped imitating those musicians, at the suggestion of his prison mate, that he found his flow. I came back the next day, and I gave it my best shot in front of those guys, and they were feeling it, he says, perched on a sofa in a windowless room at a London radio station. He grins in the direction of the box-white Air Max 95s on his feet. From then, I never really looked back. Bousbaa has more to offer than erratic adlibs. He raps about county lines, social services, abuse, violence, politics, and what he calls the revolving door prison system. Hes seen it all first hand. It was in prison that he became Potter Payper. I had long hair and big glasses, he laughs from behind his Harry Potter-style frames. His hair is now cropped short, covered by his hood. His debut album is a staggering outpouring of emotion, such that his earlier releases now lack maturity in comparison. In a standout song All My Life, Bousbaas gravelly vocals are laid over an epic instrumental as he purges his life story. Its angry, cathartic, and moving. As we speak now, his voice is punctuated with that same divisiveness. Each sentence executed like hes delivering it to the mic. I rap about pain because thats been my life, he says, describing the hopelessness of his upbringing. Growing up, he would spend the days hanging out with friends on an estate in Barking. When it was time to go home, Bousbaa would beg them to come back with him. Because if I bring friends home, then my mums boyfriend aint gonna beat her up, he explains. Because theyre older guys from my estate and he wouldnt hurt her [then]. Were speaking on the day the Baroness Casey Review is published, which found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic. As someone who has come up against police officers since his youth, Bousbaa is unphased by the findings. Theyre just bullies, man, he says. Ive been on the inside of it, Ive been in the jails, in the interview rooms, the police stations, Ive eaten the meals, had the strip searches, been beaten the s**** out of by them. I know first hand that theyre bullies. Theyre the ultimate hater. He seems deflated when recalling these tougher moments of his life. Im definitely anti-Tory but Im also anti-government Potter Payper Where rap and policing meet is a contentious intersection. Rappers have long had their music unfairly weaponised against them in court. In the US, the problem has persisted since the early Noughties. Last year, the California State Senate passed a bill that would limit the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal proceedings, as had been done by prosecutors in the indictments of Atlanta rappers Young Thug and Gunna. Rappers in the UK have been subjected to similar practices including Bousbaa. Thats why I went guilty, he says, explaining how an old song of his was the nail in his trial coffin. For 10 months I refused to plead guilty because it was a bulls*** charge and then they came to court and found a video of mine from YouTube [Bobby Valentino]. The prosecutors threatened to show the video to the jury, arguing that the songs lyrics suggested Bousbaa was bragging about selling the best heroin. They said if you dont plead [guilty], theyve got other stuff to show the jury. (Bousbaa says the prosecutor was planning to suggest another of his songs implied that he was boasting that his drugs were so good that they killed a user.) I was chatting the most s*** on that song. Honestly, f***ing worst song youve ever heard in your life. Worst song I ever made, and it got me convicted, he cackles at the irony. [But] obviously I was in conspiracy to supply these same drugs Im rapping about on camera like a d***head. On a more serious note, he worries about rappers having their work used against them in this way. Youve got to be careful [with your lyrics] because they are listening, and they will try and use it against you in court and they will try and paint a picture of your character. Its a long dark road of destruction thats basically a revolving door that I found myself in, in terms of going in and out of prison (Potter Payper) While his subject matter is often solemn, Bousbaa wants his music to help fans who feel, as he once did, disenfranchised; those who can see no way out of a toxic cycle of poverty and incarceration. Its a long dark road of destruction thats basically a revolving door that I found myself in, in terms of going in and out of prison, he says. Theres so many people still in that cycle. He recalls one fan interaction that stuck with him. This kid came up to me and he just started crying. He just broke down straight away, The fan, about 17 or 18 years old, told Bousbaa he had been struggling with mental health issues. He said, You dont understand, there was a time I was so close to taking my own life. I felt so low. And I listened to you, and you gave me the hope Bousbaa trails off. I hope to use my story or my journey to help people not have to walk this path that I walked. Youve got to be careful with lyrics because theyll use them against you in court Potter Payper Frustration is front and centre in his music frustration with the system, frustration with social and financial inequality, and frustration on behalf of those who cant publicly vent their grievances the way he can. When we discuss these topics his rap-like flow becomes even harsher. Im definitely anti-Tory but Im anti-government in my whole approach, he says, describing his outlook as anarchistic. As someone who has gone out of my way to reform myself, I can see from the other side of the fence that theres not a lot to reform yourself for, he says as he leans towards me, almost pleading his point. Even law-abiding citizens, he says, those who break their backs every single day get treated like s***. They have to go on strike every other year to get paid like, people cant afford bread, mate. Even as he takes me on a whistle-stop tour of the UKs prison industrial complex, social deprivation and the effects of the cost of living crisis, Bousbaa is not all doom and gloom. At one point in our conversation, he pulls up his hoodie to show me his T-shirt, on which his name is emblazoned in the style of the Harry Potter logo. Im a huge Harry Potter fan, he says, warmly. Theres that grin again. I rap about pain because thats been my life thus far, so I havent really had much else to write about but as my life steadily progresses, and you know, Im staying free and Im being happy, hopefully that reflects in my music. Real Back in Style will be released by Def Jam Recordings on 19 May An expert put eight viral cleaning products to the test. (Getty) Yahoo Canada asked cheaning expert Kim Dunn to review some of the most popular viral cleaning products. Here's what you need to know at a glance: Read the full details below: When it comes to the latest and greatest in cleaning essentials, not everything lives up to the hype especially when it comes to viral TikTok products. While it would be great to be able to test everything that comes across your For You Page, it's not always feasible, let alone financially responsible. Instead, we reached out to Kim Dunn, a cleaning expert and brand ambassador for Molly Maid, who put a selection of viral cleaning products to the test for us. Curious to know which ones are worth the purchase, and which ones you may want to skip? Keep reading for all of her insider tips, tricks and favourite products. Bissell Little Green Proheat Portable Deep Cleaner. Image via Amazon. $150 at Amazon Best for: Removing stains and odours from carpet, furniture and upholstery. How does it work? The Little Green works with stain and spot cleaner to provide a deep clean and suction out dirt and deep stains from food, liquids and pets. To use, you fill the removable water tank with warm water and add two regular size capfuls of cleaning solution and get to work. Is it worth it? Definitely: As a pet owner herself, Dunn has long been a big fan of the Little Green cleaner: It's lightweight, portable and has "fantastic suction." Because it's portable, you can use the machine both indoors and outdoors ideal for showing your car upholstery some extra love. Insider tip: The Little Green cleaner an ideal product for pet owners as well as parents, but be sure that you're replacing the tank's water as you clean. Dunn cautions that because it's a small unit, it also has a small tank that will need to be emptied frequently if you're hoping to tackle a large job. Vileda EasyWring Microfibre Spin Mop & Bucket. Image via Amazon. $49 at Amazon Best for: Cleaning hard floors such as tile, laminate and wood. How does it work? This microfibre mop comes with a unique bucket that uses a built-in wringer. A foot pedal powers the spinning motion that allows for hands-free wringing, saving time in your cleaning routine. Is it worth it? No: Of all the viral products that Dunn put to the test, this was her least favourite. While a good idea in theory, Dunn was unimpressed by the spinner pedal, which she says feels "cheap" and unlikely to stand the test of time. She also wasn't a fan of the mop head, as she felt that the plastic could potentially cause scratches to floors as you clean. Insider tip: If you do plan on giving this mop and bucket a try, Dunn recommends using "super hot water" and a well wrung-out mop to clean your floors. This method helps the water evaporate quickly, leaving less streaking and water spots behind. Scrub Daddy Damp Duster. Image via Amazon. $27 at Amazon Best for: Collecting and trapping dust from surfaces around the home. How does it work? This reusable sponge is activated when wet, and removes dust, pet fur and hair from all kinds of surfaces without the need for cleaning chemicals. Is it worth it? Yes: Dunn is a strong supporter of the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster, noting that "it lives up to all claims made, plus more." The grooves on this duster are what sets it apart, as they trap the dust and are able to clean between blinds, along rough wood edges and more. Dunn admits that she was "crazy impressed" by how much this sponge was able to pick up, even from recently dusted surfaces. Insider tip: Be sure to clean this duster under running water, as the motion of the water is what helps to wash away hair and dust. OXO Good Grips Wiper Blade Squeegee. Image via Amazon. $38 at Amazon Best for: Cleaning bathroom surfaces, including glass, tiles and porcelain, as well as windows and mirrors. How does it work? This bathroom squeegee uses wiper blade technology, with a silicone blade for a clean, streak-free finish. Is it worth it? Yes: Dunn calls this squeegee "wonderful" to use on shower doors, bathroom mirrors and windows. Its silicone blade easily gets into corners, and its "well-made" construction should stand the test of time. According to Dunn, the only con about this squeegee is is hefty price tag. Insider tip: Thanks to the hooked handle, Dunn suggests hanging this squeegee from your shampoo rack, shower head, or shower door handles for quick access. "It's a silly feature, but it was fantastic," she says. 3 Pack Snake Drain Clog Remover Tool. Image via Amazon. $8 at Amazon Best for: Unclogging sinks and bathtub drains. How does it work? These 20" drain snakes are made from flexible plastic, with spiked teeth that grab onto and remove buildup from your sink or tub. This tool is easy to use and also rinses off for re-use, potentially saving hundreds of dollars on a plumber's visit. Is it worth it? Yes: Just don't expect them to last forever. Dunn admits that these drain snakes "worked really well" on her shower drain and sink, but the teeth aren't the most durable. "After using [it] a couple times, the teeth started to bend a little bit, so you'll have to buy more over time," she says. Insider tip: Dunn suggests using this clog remover once a month as a preventative measure, while taking care not to twist it as you pull it back out. This will help prevent any clogs from snagging, making it easier to remove in one piece. Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner. Image via Amazon. $14 at Amazon Best for: Removing dried-on stains from the inside of your microwave. How does it work? The Angry Mama is a plastic figurine that you fill with a mixture of water and vinegar and place inside the microwave to deodorize and remove caked-on food splatters. Once the microwave turns on, the liquid heats up and the resulting steam helps break down tough food stains. Is it worth it? Yes, but with a caveat. "If you like kitschy, cutesy things, then this product is for you," says Dunn. However, she notes that this microwave cleaner works best on small to medium-sized microwaves. For larger appliances, the Angry Mama may not produce enough steam to effectively loosen stains. Insider tip: If you're looking to achieve the same results with products that you already have around the house, Dunn suggests a 2L glass measuring cup filled with a cup of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar, but water with lemon slices will also do the trick. Multi-Functional Magic Broom. Image via Amazon. $20 at Amazon Best for: Removing dirt, dust and pet hair from a variety of surfaces. How does it work? This unique broom uses a silicone panel rather than natural or synthetic bristles for easy cleaning once you're done sweeping. It also claims to work well when cleaning windows. Is it worth it? Not quite. According to Dunn, the silicone head of the broom makes it more "hygienic" and extremely lightweight. She claims that it also works well to remove dust and pet hair from flat surfaces, and the included hanging clip that lets you attach the broom to the wall is an added bonus. However, Dunn cautions that this broom doesn't work as well as some of its viral videos might claim especially on uneven surfaces like stone tiles or textured wood planks. She also found the broom handle to be "way too short" to use around the house. For that reason and the fact that it didn't live up to its viral video claims, she gives this one a "thumbs down." Insider tip: Dunn has tried using this broom on a range of surfaces, and said it works best on smooth, flat surfaces. While you can use it to clean floors, she also suggests using it to clean cobwebs from the ceiling. ASOBEAGE Toilet Brush. Image via Amazon. $23 at Amazon Best for: What else? Cleaning toilets. How does it work? Unlike traditional toilet brushes that can trap bacteria, this one from uses a silicone head with flexible and easy to clean bristles. With its ventilates base, this toilet brush also dries out quickly after use so say goodbye to dirty pooling water. Is it worth it? Yes: According to Dunn, the clean from this toilet cleaner is "on par with a regular toilet brush." However, the ventilated holder makes this a worthwhile buy, as the brush dries quickly, and isn't left sitting in bacteria-filled water like other brushes. Insider tip: Because of its uniquely-shaped brush head and silicone bristles, Dunn shares that there can be some getting used to when you start using this toilet cleaner. According to her, "practice makes perfect" to get the hang of the cleaning motion with this brush. WD-40 Multi-Use Product. Image via Amazon. $18 at Amazon While it hasn't caught on as a TikTok approved cleaning product (yet!), Dunn revealed that WD40 is one of her best-kept cleaning hacks in the kitchen. "I use WD40 to clean all of my stainless steel in the kitchen. WD40 is like a miracle cleaner," she says. "All you're going to do is take your microfiber cloth [with] a spritz or two of WD40, and you're going to rub it with the grain of the stainless steel." The WD40 helps to prevent fingerprints from showing, removes water marks and keeps stainless steel looking clean and shiny. Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Sen. Louise Lucas Virginia residents were livid after a photo went viral featuring some evidently subpar barbecue and underdeveloped mac and cheese, which claimed to be from somewhere in the state. The president pro tempore of Virginias state senate, Sen. Louise Lucas could not afford to allow such a bizarre transgression go unchecked on her watch. The 79-year-old longtime legislator for southeastern Virginias 18th district unveiled the infamous source of the questionable barbecue plate in a concise, yet incisive tweet, which has now amassed over 10,000 likes: I am aware of this fake photo circulating on the internet of Virginia BBQ. Nothing like this has ever been served in our Commonwealth. After some investigation we learned this picture was actually taken in Texas so I refer all questions to them. pic.twitter.com/5MuTnfSuY9 L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) March 13, 2023 Im aware of this fake photo circulating around the internet of Virginia BBQ, she wrote. Nothing like this has ever served in our Commonwealth. After some research, we learned that this picture was actually taken in Texas, so I refer any questions to her. As Eater reports, apparently, the picture was taken from the Yelp page of Ritzy Bs Smokehouse & Grill, which is a small roadside restaurant located in the North Texas town of Decatur. The post, which is seemingly a year old, highlights measly slices of white meat, white bread and perhaps the absolute worst offense: a styrofoam cup of DIY mac and cheese with a side of shredded cheddar and jalapenos. The photo spawned a national melee between myriad states, which led to many showing off the best of their respective gourmet meats. Sen. Lucas has since moved past the viral ordeal by taking a photo of a pair of barbecue sandwiches in her kitchen. Vogue staff have revealed that an employee was once tasked with digging through a garbage dump in the hopes of recovering invites to the Met Gala while reflecting on some of the major mishaps that have occurred during the planning for the annual party. Vogues editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has helmed the Met Gala since 1995, with the magazine tasked with ensuring every moment of the biggest night in fashion goes off without a hitch. However, despite the months of planning and preparation that go into the gala, everything isnt always as perfect as it looks, according to Vogue staff, who revealed some of the problems theyve encountered behind the scenes during the latest episode of the podcast The Run-Through with Vogue. I remember there was a very dramatic call, I cant remember what year, regarding the invitations, Vogue contributing editor Chloe Malle recalled, with one of her Vogue colleagues noting that it must have been 2015 or 2016. The invitation send-out is a very lengthy, involved process and takes the span of a few days. And over the course of a few days, we had not labelled them properly while we were storing them overnight. And they got thrown away, Malle continued of the invitations, which are extremely expensive and take weeks to produce. Beautiful, printed letterpress, theyre all in cardboard boxes that were mistaken for trash by housekeeping, Vogue special projects and events consultant Eaddy Kiernan Bunzel recalled. Malle then revealed that, in an effort to remedy the situation, theyd sent a team member to the garbage dump in the hopes of finding the invites. And, to be fair, we had not labelled them properly. And we ended up having to send someone to the New York City town dump to try and, you know, dig through, she said. According to Bunzel, the employee had been a very good sport about the task, which required her to take the ferry to Staten Island. However, the attempt at recovering the invitations was ultimately unsuccessful. Story continues It was a young woman named Lindsay and she was a very good sport She took the ferry to Staten Island to the dump and had to stand with a hard hat looking into the dump saying, where are my invitations? she remembered, adding: And guess what, we were not successful. The Vogue employees said the dilemma has stuck with them and that they are reminded of the story each year when it comes time to mail out the highly coveted invites for the Met Gala. During the podcast, they also reflected on the call theyd received about Katy Perrys dress shortly before the 2019 Met Gala, as there had been concern the bejeweled chandelier Moschino dress would not fit through the doors of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. To ensure Perry could wear the outfit for the theme: Camp: Notes on Fashion, staff had to make a last-minute trip to the museum to measure the doors. Fortunately, the outlet said that it has yet to receive a panicked call ahead of this years event. The 2023 Met Gala will take place on 1 May and celebrate the opening of the Costume Institute exhibition, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. Washington state lawmakers on Saturday passed a $13.4 billion transportation budget for the 2023-25 biennium, with major investments in the ferry system, transportation workforce, traffic safety and keeping projects on track that are already in the works. This is the first year the state can use funding from the federal Climate Commitment Act that passed in 2021. Nearly $1 billion of that will be used for projects such as electrifying a broad range of transportation equipment as well as investments in public transit and pedestrian infrastructure. Conference committees were appointed in the House and Senate to iron out the final details of the budget after the House refused to concur on Senate amendments during the passage of House Bill 1125, the transportation budget bill. On Saturday, the Senate passed the bill with a 46-3 vote while the House voted unanimously on final passage of the budget. In March, Senate lawmakers proposed $12.9 in transportation funding, just slightly under the House transportation proposal of $13.6 billion. Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, chair of the House Transportation Committee, said in a press statement that the budget honors lawmakers commitment to the people of Washington, a commitment to keeping key projects on schedule, investing in our vital ferry system, improving traffic safety, promises to combat climate change, and focuses on equity and overburdened communities. Republicans were in agreement, too. In a press statement released after the passage, Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, a ranking member on the House Transportation Committee, said that he thought the budget was a good one for the state. This is an intricate and unique budget, as it is both an operating and capital budget for our states transportation system, Barkis said. I am proud we worked in a bipartisan way to craft this budget, to ask the tough questions, to listen to one another to find solutions to prioritize and fund current projects and keep Washington states transportation system moving forward. Story continues A major carve out in the budget is $5.4 billion that will be directed toward major highway projects such as the I-5 bridge that connects Washington and Oregon, the North Spokane Corridor, and the Puget Sound Gateway program between Puyallup and the Port of Tacoma. The states ferry system will receive a $1.3 billion investment, with budgeting to address workforce shortages, the construction of five new hybrid-electric ferries, and the maintenance of the existing fleet. Workforce shortages and retention also will be addressed for the Washington State Patrol with $2.6 billion in funding from the state. Public safety investments include the installment of traffic safety cameras in work zones and bicycle and pedestrian area improvements. Budget writers also penciled in $1 billion in funding for fish culvert removal and repair throughout the state. The Legislature will adjourn today. It still must pass a two-year operating budget before heading home. Like all budgets, the new operating budget for state government is a reflection of priorities primarily those of the majority. As senators representing districts along or close to the Snake River, we are unable to get past one familiar Democrat priority in particular: as we write this, the budget contains yet another appropriation related to breaching the Snake River dams. This time its for $2.5 million, over two years, to study how to replace the capacity to generate power and supply irrigation water that would be lost if the Democrats, who despise the dams, ever get their way. The Army Corps of Engineers environmental impact report from 2020 rejected the idea of dam breaching based on a comprehensive assessment of both the ecological science and the power needs of the Pacific Northwest. The research concluded that there is no way to replace the clean, renewable energy the dams provide. They provide 5% of our regions electricity, enough to power the city of Seattle. Washington can only afford to lose that much power if we want to see California-style rolling blackouts. Removing the dams could disrupt power-grid stability in the Northwest, similar to when Texas experienced widespread power outages during a 2021 cold snap. The Snake River dams are a significant source of carbon-free power, equal to the output from two coal-fired power plants, each with a peak capacity of approximately 3 megawatts. Losing that power would dramatically increase electricity costs by approximately $1-2 billion. This would put a strain on Washington employers, consumers, and taxpayers and slow our economy in an uncertain post-pandemic period. Breaching the dams would also impose enormous costs on agriculture from an irrigation standpoint and the transport of commodities. Hauling AG products by truck also means more carbon emissions than moving them via the Snake-Columbia system. The Snake River dams have been extensively studied. We see no reason for another round of expensive studies $7.5 million in all, when you include the funding in the proposed transportation budget when there is already ample evidence of how breaching the dams would be so costly to our state. We will work until the last vote to eliminate this spending from the final budget agreement. Its time to move forward! Story continues State officials lack any control over the future of Washingtons four Snake River dams; those decisions lay in the hands of the federal government. Therefore, its a waste of taxpayer dollars to have the state Department of Ecology study how irrigation and energy needs could be met in our region should the dams be removed. To safeguard the four lower Snake River dams, the members of our Congressional delegation serving this part of Washington U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers recently introduced the Northwest Energy Security Act. Senators Jim Risch of Idaho and Steve Daines of Montana introduced an identical bill in the Senate. Both pieces of legislation would support the Federal Columbia River Power System by improving hydropower assets, adhering to scientific reviews of operations across the systems entirety, and continuing to allow native salmon recovery at unprecedented rates. The four Lower Snake River Dams are vital to flood control, navigation, irrigation, agriculture, and recreation in Central Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest; therefore, we simply cant afford to lose them, stated Rep. Newhouse. President Biden, Governor Inslee, Senator Murray, and Representative Simpson have misinformed Americans by providing unscientific data in order to breach dams that protect our communities. Rep. McMorris Rodgers expressed alarm about Bidens inclination towards breaching the dams, which she noted comes without scientific proof to back up his recommendations and appears to be the result of working with anti-dam activists. She argues that her legislation is designed to preserve the dams by focusing on facts and results rather than anti-dam groups rhetoric. As the Congresswoman points out, salmon runs are already improving at record rates thanks to mitigation efforts and favorable ocean conditions, while dams provide clean, reliable energy to power our homes and businesses. Both are worth protecting. Regrettably, advocates for dam breaching have often disregarded and even opposed more promising ideas that might interfere with their narrative. For example, Puget Sound needs increased hatchery production. We all know this. Senate Republicans have advocated for a Port of Bellingham proposal that would quickly bring Alaskas self-sustaining hatchery model here, feeding hungry orcas while simultaneously expanding commercial, sports, and tribal fishing opportunities. Unfortunately, Democrats rejected this concept in 2020 apparently due to opposition from tribes that support the idea of breaching the dams. How many studies are enough? The Democrats keep pushing for more because they never get the desired results. Instead of continuing to try to force science to conform to a politically pre-determined outcome, they should be following science and innovation wherever it leads. This is the only way to ensure our communities have access to the carbon-free baseload energy we need, which only these dams provide. We cannot afford to lose this essential infrastructure that offers clean, renewable, safe, and affordable energy solutions for our homes and businesses and is so critical to Washingtons agricultural industry. Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, represents the 8th Legislative District and serves on the Senates energy committee. Sen. Perry Dozier, R-Waitsburg, represents the 16th District and is the lead Republican on the Senate business and trade committee. Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, is a first-term senator representing the 15th District. She serves as Senate Republican Deputy Floor Leader. Wagner commanders in Sudan Russia's Wagner mercenary force is accused of having various commercial and military ties to Sudan, but the group denies any involvement in the current conflict in the country. Its founder, Yevgeny Prighozin - who has close links to President Vladimir Putin - has said that "not a single Wagner PMC [private military company] fighter has been present in Sudan" for over two years. We've found no evidence that Russian mercenaries are currently inside the country. But there is evidence of Wagner's previous activities in Sudan, and Mr Prighozin's operations in the country have been targeted by both US and EU sanctions. Gold-mining deals In 2017, Sudan's then President Omar al-Bashir signed a series of deals with the Russian government during a visit to Moscow. These included an agreement for Russia to set up a naval base at Port Sudan on the Red Sea, as well as "concession agreements on gold mining between Russian company M Invest and the Sudanese Ministry of Minerals". The US Treasury alleges that M Invest and a subsidiary group, Meroe Gold, are fronts for the activities of the Wagner Group in Sudan, Africa's third-biggest gold producer. "Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his network are exploiting Sudan's natural resources for personal gain and spreading malign influence around the globe," said then Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in 2020. Both M Invest and Meroe have been specifically targeted by US sanctions. According to an investigation by CNN, gold has been transported overland to the Central African Republic (CAR), where Wagner is known to operate - exports not recorded in Sudanese official trade data. Map of Sudan and neighbouring countries Significant amounts of gold have also been smuggled out via a network of military airports, according to a report last year in the Daily Telegraph. What else has Wagner been doing in Sudan? Since 2017, Russian and international sources have published images that appear to locate Russian mercenaries inside Sudan. Story continues These are said to show them acting in various roles, including training Sudanese soldiers or allegedly helping the security forces crack down on protests. The BBC has not independently verified these images. In 2021, a Wagner-linked Telegram channel published images featuring an unnamed top Wagner commander awarding Sudanese soldiers memorabilia at a ceremony held two years earlier. Top Wagner commander reportedly with Sudanese soldiers in 2019 And in July 2022, this channel distributed a video allegedly showing Wagner mercenaries conducting parachute-landing exercises for Sudanese forces. The same source linked to the Instagram profile of an anonymous Russian mercenary, calling himself a "freelancer" and sharing stories of his exploits in Sudan in posts from August and October 2021. In a 2020 Wagner propaganda action film, Sudan was featured as one of the countries where the mercenaries operate. How influential has Wagner been? The US Treasury says the Wagner Group has conducted "paramilitary operations, support for preserving authoritarian regimes, and exploitation of natural resources". "Initially, in 2018, they had about 100 men actively training Sudanese military forces, and the relationship has grown from there," says Dr Joana de Deus Pereira of the UK-based Royal United Services Institute. Sudanese media reports says that figure grew to about 500, and they were mainly stationed in the south-west near Um Dafuq, close to Sudan's border with the Central African Republic (CAR). The Sudan Tribune reported that when President Bashir faced popular protests in 2019, "Russian fighters" were deployed to observe anti-government protests alongside Sudanese intelligence and security services, although this was denied by the Sudanese authorities. Shifting allegiances The Wagner Group devised its own media campaigns to help President Bashir stay in power, says Dr Samuel Ramani, author of a book about Russia's activities in Africa. "Prigozhin was calling for the protestors to be accused of being pro-Israel and anti-Islamic," he says. Protesters in 2019 demanding the removal of President Omar al-Bashir This caused friction with the president's own security forces, and so Wagner switched its support to the man who ousted him - General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. "While the Foreign Ministry in Moscow was against the coup, Prigozhin and the Wagner Group actually welcomed al-Burhan's takeover," says Dr Ramani. According to Dr Ramani, it was in 2021 and 2022 that the Wagner Group increased its connections with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is currently fighting Sudan's regular army, led by Gen Burhan. Mr Prigozhin was interested in sourcing more gold through mines recently acquired by the RSF's leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti. Last year, Hemedti visited Moscow, saying he hoped to bolster ties between Sudan and Russia. However, Kholood Khair of Confluence Advisory, a think-tank on Sudanese affairs, believes the Wagner Group is not choosing sides in the current conflict. "Wagner has had links to both General al-Burhan's enterprises and to Mr Hemedti's enterprises to different extents and in different ways," she says. Wagner's presence elsewhere in Africa Wagner fighters have widely reported to have been in the Central African Republic (CAR) for several years, guarding the country's diamond mines, as well as in Libya and Mali. A BBC investigation in 2021 found evidence of their involvement in Libya's civil war from a digital device left behind by a Wagner fighter and from speaking to Libyan soldiers and civilians. In Mali, the government has turned to Wagner to help battle Islamist militants, although it has never officially acknowledged the group's presence. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Russian mercenaries of serious abuses, both in CAR and Mali, including torture and killings. Additional reporting by Beverly Ochieng, Thomas Spencer and Daniele Palumbo It has been nearly three years since water regulators told the Noll family that they were guilty of polluting the water beneath their San Luis Obispo neighborhood with a cancer-causing chemical. The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department issued a notice on Christmas Eve 2015 that trichloroethylene, or TCE, had been discharged into the groundwater in the small rural neighborhood south of San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport far above safe levels. Those who had been drinking and showering in the contaminated water were at higher risk of liver or kidney damage and cancer, the notice said. In January 2020, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued the Nolls who rent out a few buildings at 4665 Thread Lane a cleanup and abatement order to remediate the chemical pollution. The board believed TCE had been dumped on the Nolls property decades ago and made its way into the drinking water wells of 13 properties near the intersection of Noll and Buckley roads. Since then, Janice Noll and her brother, John, have been paying more than $50,000 every year to maintain water filters on the wells to keep their neighbors from being exposed to TCE. But now theres a new suspected culprit. Greg Mortka, left and Mark Nishibayashi install a passive soil gas probe near the airport fire station. Areas of the SLO airport were tested July 26, 2016 for TCE in an effort to determine a source of contamination, hundreds of soil probes collected data. Who is responsible for chemical pollution in SLO? On April 13, the regional water board issued a draft cleanup and abatement order to the owners of a property at 795 Buckley Road, saying that they had been a likely source of the TCE pollution all along. The owners of that property include John Coakley of Coakley Vineyards, James Michael Sims of Pacific GeoScience, Janine Garfinkel and Annette Terry. According to newer 2022 investigation data for 795 Buckley Road, the distribution of TCE in soil gas and groundwater indicate that the septic system (possibly the septic tank) at 795 Buckley Road is a source of solvent and petroleum chemical discharge to groundwater in the Buckley Road area, the water boards draft cleanup and abatement order says. Story continues As much as 560 micrograms per liter of TCE were found in the soil and 2,000 micrograms per liter in the groundwater under the property, according to water board reports. The maximum amount of TCE allowed in drinking water in California is 5 micrograms per liter, with a goal of 1.7 micrograms per liter for tap water to avoid health impacts, according to the states Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Once the final cleanup and abatement order is issued, the owners of 795 Buckley Road must submit a plan to clean and replace the contaminated water for the neighborhood. They must also figure out how to remediate the site so the TCE pollution at the property does not continue to pollute the soil and groundwater. The order will not be officially issued until after May 15, however, giving the property owners and the public time to submit any written comments about the draft. The owners of the property at 795 Buckley Road did not respond to requests for comment from The Tribune. Contamination found more than 2 decades ago TCE pollution was first detected in the Buckley Road area in the late 1990s when county environmental health officials sampled local residents wells and found unsafe levels of the chemical in the water. In 1998, the water board sent a letter to John Noll and others alerting him that a neighbor at 795 Buckley Road had found his groundwater well was contaminated with the chemical. The news came as a shock to Noll, who operated a company on the property at the time that made medical devices from stainless steel. The problem with the TCE contamination is of great concern and confusion, Noll wrote in a February 1998 letter to the water board. Until I received your letter, I have never even heard of TCE. Noll told water board officials that he had conducted an internet search and found that TCE is not something that is used in this business or in this industry. In the same letter, Noll told water board officials his concern that his neighbor at 795 Buckley Road had a fire on his property in the late 1970s. Noll suspected that chemicals likely stored on the property had gotten released into the ground, he wrote in the letter. Noll was correct about the fire but not the date. In 1981, a fire burned down an entire structure at 795 Buckley Road. Firefighters dumped enough water on the flames to wet a good portion of the property, news reports said at the time. Areas of the SLO airport were tested July 26, 2016 for TCE in an effort to determine a source of contamination, hundreds of soil probes will collect data. Public health notice kicks off hunt for TCE source Over the following years, wells in the neighborhood were regularly monitored to keep an eye on the TCE contamination. However, it wasnt until Public Health sent out its notice on Christmas Eve in 2015 that efforts to clean up the pollution began in earnest. By then, it was apparent the TCE contamination wasnt just under the property at 795 Buckley Road, but under the entire neighborhood. In total, 14 water wells were contaminated with unhealthy levels of the carcinogen. Thirteen of those wells fed directly into homes and businesses, with water used for drinking, showering and washing hands. Another well was used in industrial operations. Affected well owners whose water well exceeds (5 micrograms per liter) for TCE are advised to use bottled water for drinking and cooking and to install an activated carbon shower head filter, until they install a water treatment system to reduce the TCE concentration, the public health departments 2015 notice said. Studies indicate that TCE causes kidney and liver damage and increased the risk of cancer. It may also cause developmental effects such as spontaneous abortion, congenital heart defects, central nervous system defects and low birth weight. The Public Health Departments notice kicked off a thorough investigation by the water board to track down the source of the TCE contamination. Buckley Road area sites tested to find source The water regulators began with three sites where the highest levels of TCE contamination had been found in the past: two Buckley Road properties and the Nolls property on Thread Lane. Investigations there werent fruitful, so the water board decided to look at the airport, where TCE could have been used to clean airport equipment. No clear source of TCE was found there, so the water board retraced its steps and decided to conduct more thorough investigations of the Buckley Road and Thread Lane properties. The Nolls protested and hired an attorney to send the water board a strongly worded letter asserting that their property was not the culprit because they had no strong evidence that TCE was ever used there. Instead, the Nolls pointed the finger at 795 Buckley Road. From at least the early 1970s until approximately 1982, (795 Buckley Road) was occupied by a firm called Central Coast Labs, attorney David Ossentjuk wrote in his January 2017 letter to the water board. Central Coast Labs conducted asphalt testing at that facility from the 1970s (and possibly earlier) to early 1980s. It used TCE in those testing processes, and large quantities of TCE were stored and on the ... property during that time frame. However, documents submitted to the water regulators in 1998 show a solvent, trichloroethane, or TCA, was used on the Nolls property. TCA was commonly used as a replacement for TCE because it was less toxic, indicating that TCE might have been used before the record-keeping of chemicals used on the property began. Cleanup order issued to suspected TCE source in 2020 By 2019, results from the investigations of the three properties suggested the groundwater under the Nolls property contained the highest levels of TCE at the time. Results from the soil and soil vapor investigation did not indicate a clear source of TCE, the water board said in a public notice issued in January 2019. However, TCE was detected at elevated concentrations in deep groundwater beneath the 4665 Thread Lane property at a concentration of 783 micrograms per liter. That level of TCE is about 157 times greater than the drinking water standard, 13 times higher than the highest domestic supply well concentration, and over two times higher than the highest historical concentration of TCE reported for an industrial supply well located at 795 Buckley Road, according to the water board. The water board issued a draft cleanup and abatement order later that year to the Nolls and other owners of the property at 4665 Thread Lane. The Nolls again protested, asserting they were not the source of the pollution but the water board insisted there was no clear evidence the pollution was coming from elsewhere. The final cleanup and abatement order was issued to the Nolls in January 2020. Since then, they have spent tens of thousands of dollars installing water filters on their neighbors wells to ensure the water going into the homes and businesses wasnt contaminated with TCE. You just feel like youre a criminal, Janice Noll said. Weve been looked at as if we were the ones who put the TCE in the soil and we arent. New airport investigation reveals TCE source could be elsewhere Rewind to late 2019, the water board requested that San Luis Obispo County take another look at the airport to see if any TCE contamination sources could be found at an old aircraft hangar that was on the site for a limited amount of time. The investigations results, released in December 2020, found that the highest levels of TCE didnt come from the airport property, but from a spot on the edge of 795 Buckley Road. That led to the water board requesting a further investigation of 795 Buckley Road. That investigation, which concluded in November 2022 and tested new areas of the property, revealed high levels of TCE in the soil and groundwater under 795 Buckley Road. In its draft cleanup and abatement order issued to the owner of 795 Buckley Road in April, the water board notes the confusion, saying it originally held an interpretation that the well serving the 795 Buckley Road property was capturing TCE in groundwater from beneath the 4665 Thread Lane property. However, the 2022 investigation revealed that interpretation could be wrong and the source of the TCE pollution was likely at 795 Buckley Road, where the old asphalt testing laboratory had used TCE. A recent test in late 2022, after the investigation was released, found up to 2,000 micrograms per liter of TCE in the groundwater at 795 Buckley Road, far above the 783 micrograms per liter of TCE found in the Nolls property groundwater. Site investigation data collected from the 795 Buckley Road property in 2021 and 2022, show that TCE and related chemicals appear to have migrated to 4665 Thread Lane from a source area at 795 Buckley Road, the water boards April 13 draft cleanup and abatement order said. The water board is accepting comments on the draft order through May 15. The Nolls, in the meantime, have requested the water board rescind the cleanup and abatement order issued to them in 2020. The Central Coast Water Board ... has solicited public comment on this potential rescission during a public comment period for 795 Buckley Road, Greg Bishop, senior engineering geologist and site cleanup manager for the local water board, wrote in an email to The Tribune. A decision about rescinding that order will be made after public comments are considered. The Central Coast Water Board has not yet concluded that 4665 Thread Lane is not a source of the TCE contamination, Bishop added. From a near-saint to pioneer serial killers, the stories of several Kansans are among those told in the recently released Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. More than 80 people and places are included in the book, which was written by travel blogger and author Roxie Yonkey, who moved to Kansas from Nebraska more than 30 years ago to take a sports reporting job in Goodland, Kansas. She now runs a travel website and social media page called Roxie on the Road. The guide part in the title refers to pull-out information included with each of the stories about a physical site connected to the story. The places range from the obscure field marker like the one recognizing a failed vegetarian utopian community near Humboldt to recognized county museums and other attractions, like the Cottonwood Ranch State Historic Site near Studley to the newly opened Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison. Some of the people in the book may not necessarily be obscure to readers, but to omit them would have likely brought more attention. Thats why the book includes well-known Kansans such as aviator Earhart; Father Emil Kapaun, who is being considered for sainthood; and the photojournalist, film director and poet Gordon Parks. The book also gives some ink to infamous Kansans like the murderous Bender family, who allegedly killed more than 20 people who had the misfortune of visiting their farm near Cherryvale, and the Dalton Gang. Coffeyville has a Dalton museum that honors those who helped bring down the Old West outlaws. The book helps lift some Kansas-related stories out of obscurity, like how forensics of a fingerprint lifted from a car window on display in the Finney County Historical Society Museum led to the FBIs first conviction based on a single latent fingerprint. Other lesser-known stories include those of Lyda Conley, the first woman admitted to the Kansas bar and the nations first Native American lawyer, who argued before the Supreme Court to save her ancestors cemetery, the Huron Cemetery in Kansas City, from developers; Cherryvale schoolboy Frank E. Bellamy, whose likely authorship of the Pledge of Allegiance has been historically misattributed; and the all-Black, all-female 6888th Central Postal Battalion that worked 24/7 for months at an overseas mail depot to deliver a backlog of mail intended for soldiers serving in Europe during World War II. While the 6888th was based outside of Kansas, a statue to commemorate the unit was added in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth. Story continues Roxie Yonkey runs a travel website and social media page called Roxie on the Road. As a travel writer, Yonkey has built up a network of connections across the state that she culled for ideas of what to include in the book. She also picked up several tips during a book signing tour around the state for her book 100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die, released in October 2021. As she pursued stories for her current book, sources often shared other locations, too. For example, she found out about Dexters place in history for the discovery of helium and its Henrys Candies Store after asking a Visit Ark City staffer for a tour of Etzanoa, a lost city of the Wichita people discovered by a Wichita State archaeologist in present-day Arkansas City. As part of her Secret Kansas book tour, Yonkey will visit three area locations: the Warkentin House Museum in Newton on Friday evening, April 28, and the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum and Barnes and Noble bookstore on Saturday, April 29. The Warkentin House is included in the book since its namesake is credited with helping Kansas become known as the Wheat State; the Wichita museum is cited in the book because its exhibitions include the telling of how Mentholatum was created in Wichita. Both of Yonkeys books have been published by Reedy Press, a St. Louis publisher that looks for local writers willing to write and market books on local history, sports, food, nostalgia, travel and more. Shes also working on two other books for the publisher, one a coffee-table book that will fall under the publishers historic roadsides series and another that falls under its amazing series that chronicles even more unusual things to see and do. The Wichita troll is among the local sites included in Yonkeys Secret Kansas book. As part of its Secret series, this fall Reedy Press will release a more Wichita-centric book written by local travel blogger Vanessa Whiteside, who also wrote 100 Things to Do in Wichita Before You Die. Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure retails for $27 and is available at area bookstores as well as Amazon. Yonkey will also be selling the book at her book signings. Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure book signings What: Three area book signings for a recently released book of more than 80 people and places When & Where: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, Warkentin House Museum, 211 E. First, Newton; 2-4 p.m. Saturday, April 29, Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main; 6-8 p.m. Saturday, April 29, Barnes & Noble, 1920 N. Rock Road. Cost: Free admission; books available to purchase for $27 More info: roxieontheroad.com A file photo shows a cow on April 19, 2023, in Oklahoma City. Authorities are baffled by a recent mystery that has occurred among cattle herds along the same southeast Central Texas highway: Several dead cows, with select body parts missing. After the unexpected death of a cow in Madison County - near College Station - the local sheriff's office has confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine what's behind a series of similar cow deaths along Texas State Highway OSR. According to a release from the sheriff's office, the 6-year-old cow was found dead, lying on its side and missing its tongue. "A straight, clean cut, with apparent precision, had been made to remove the hide around the cows mouth on one side, leaving the meat under the removed hide untouched," the news release stated. "The tongue was also completely removed from the body with no blood spill." Law enforcement further stated that there were no signs of struggle or tracks, adding that the grass surrounding the deceased animal was "undisturbed." Ranchers had also reported to officials that the cow was left to decay, for several weeks, with no interest from predators or birds to scavenge its remains. During their investigation of the local cow's death, Madison County authorities discovered five similar incidents in the bordering Brazos and Robertson counties, each from different herds and pastures. "The other cows were found in the same condition, lying on one side with the exposed side of their face cut along the jaw line and the tongue, once again, completely removed," the release from Madison County Sheriff's Office states. Two of the cows had their genitalia and anuses removed, though they had the same "circular cut" with the "same precision" as the cuts noted around the jaw lines of the others. Akin to the first, there were no signs of struggle or disturbance in nearby grass, and the cause of their deaths remain unknown. Similar incidents have occurred across the country, authorities stated, and they are "actively coordinating with other agencies to find answers." Story continues Listen: Weird West Texas: The Podcast talks Chiltons, underground tunnels & bootleggers A visit to the past A similar string of events took place in the 1970s: thousands of cattle were found dead with their bodies mutilated and parts cleanly removed from their carcasses without any trace of struggle or disturbance. "Since April in Colorado alone, 196 cows" were found in such a state, The New York Times reported in October 1975. A buffalo, a horse and a goat had also found their demise in the same disturbing scenario, archives show. While a number of investigations took place, evidence never turned up and it seems an answer wasn't found. In 1980, the FBI had closed its investigation and attributed the unexpected deaths to "common predators." Still, that didn't stop the various discussions that included theories of UFOs, satanic cults or Black Ops involvement through the use of helicopters. Similarly, Alaska Public Media reported last year that state troopers were looking into a cow mutilation and the disappearance of two others. Also, in 2019, a bull in Oregon was discovered with its sex organs and tongue removed, with "all the blood gone," according to the Associated Press. There was no evidence that it had been shot, attacked by predators, or eaten anything toxic, and within the next few days, four additional Hereford bulls were found in the same condition within 1.5 miles of one another. As with the incidents that took place nearly 50 years ago, many have come up with their own theories of the deaths. Some speculated scavengers like carrion bugs; others speculated it was people attacking the animals to cause financial harm to ranchers. One source suggested that the sheriff's office looks for craters beneath the animals as evidence that the bulls had been levitated into spaceships and dropped onto the ground. At the time, Colby Marshall vice president of the Silvies Valley Ranch that had owned the five bulls in Seneca, Oregon told AP that they believed the crimes were "perpetuated by some sort of cult" and theorized that they darted bulls with a tranquilizer before inserting a large-gauge needle to bleed them out and removing their body parts once the heart stopped. "To lose a completely healthy animal would be an oddity," Marshall told AP in 2019. "To lose five young, very healthy, in great shape bulls that are all basically the same age ... that is so outside the bounds of normal activity." This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Officials don't know what's killing and mutilating Texas cows Fines were issued on a Tesla car belonging to Nikolai Choles, son of Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidents press secretary, at a time when he was allegedly fighting in Ukraine. Source: Meduza with reference to Russian Telegram channels Details: Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group, claimed that Peskov's son had fought in Ukraine. Prigozhin did not name the person, but specified that he had spent part of his life in the United States or England. Dmitry Peskov's eldest son, 33-year-old Nikolai Choles, who lived in the UK for 10 years and returned to Russia in 2011-2012, fits this description, Meduza writes. Prigozhin said he had admitted Peskov's son to the private military company "using forged documents, changing his last name, first name and patronymic". He was trained, served six months under a contract, and went on leave. In an interview he gave to Komsomolskaya Pravda, Nikolai Choles said that his father had helped him join the Wagner Group at the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. According to him, he joined the Wagner Group under a false name (which he did not reveal, saying that it might "still be needed"). Peskov's son claims that he received a medal "for valour" for "a certain combat feat" in Ukraine. Several media outlets doubted that Peskov's son went to war, due to the fact that fines continued to be issued on his Tesla in Moscow. According to the anonymous Telegram channel VChK-OGPU [the name comes from the political punitive body of Soviet Russia], the Tesla Model X owned by Nikolai Choles until the end of March 2023 violated traffic laws on 24 July and 6 November 2022, at the same time as he was supposedly in Ukraine. The Telegram channel posted screenshots from surveillance cameras that recorded the Tesla exceeding the speed limit. As the media outlet Sota notes, the car was known to have also been used by Dmitry Peskov in addition to Nikolai Choles. Despite having sold the car, Choles continues to hold one of two compulsory civil liability insurance policies issued for the electric car, Sota claims. Story continues Current and former gunners from the Wagner Group have commented on the VCHK-OGPU Telegram channel that Choles had not been seen "either on the Soledar or Bakhmut fronts". Friends of Peskov's son told VCHK-OGPU that he had not disappeared for a prolonged period of time. Other sources did not confirm this information. Another Telegram channel, Agentstvo, notes that Peskov's son may have committed a crime, since according to Prigozhin he got into the Wagner Group "using forged documents". According to Yevgeny Smirnov, a lawyer in the "First Department" [a unit in the special services of post-Soviet countries that exercises control over secret office work and ensures the secrecy and security of classified documents ed.], the very existence of the Wagner Group is not regulated, so it is unclear what documents could be needed. But if Peskov's son used a fake passport to join the Group, then he should be looking at up to a year in prison. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Flash A total of 21 "terrorists" were killed by Turkish troops over the past four days in northern Syria and Iraq, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday. Three of the "terrorists" were killed in Iraq's Zap region, semi-official Anadolu Agency quoted Akar as saying during an event in the Turkish central province of Kayseri. Calling the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) a "tool in the hands of imperialists" to hinder Turkiye's development, Akar said that the Turkish government is determined to eliminate the PKK. The fight against "terrorists" will not end until the security of Turkiye's borders and the nation is ensured, he said. The PKK has been involved in armed clashes with Turkish forces for more than three decades and is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union. Jimmy Akingbola says he can now sympathize with why his mother gave him to child services when he was 2 years old. "My mom left me," he recalls to TODAY.com. "But actually, if you break it down, it comes from a place of protection." Akingbola says his mom, Eunice, lived with schizophrenia and was no longer able to take care of him, but she didn't want him to go without certain necessities in life. "She was on medication (and) she was trying to get better," he says. "I was supposed to go back to my mom, but the illness just kept fluctuating and got worse. So the decision was to allow me to be fostered." His personal experience in the foster care system helped to inspire some of his Bel-Air character Geoffrey's storyline specifically the part about Geoffrey's son who was adopted by another family and later comes back into his life an aspect that Akingbola wanted included. Now, the Bel-Air star is sharing his journey through the foster care system in London for the first time in his documentary, Handle With Care, which is currently streaming on Peacock. In an interview with TODAY.com, Akingbola opens up about his parents' arguments that led to him being fostered, how he learned to forgive them and why he's now proud to have went through the foster care system. 'An excuse to break away' Jimmy Akingbola's biological parents and two siblings. (Peacock) How Akingbola ended up in foster care is more layered than just his mother's mental health journey. He and his three biological siblings originally lived with their parents. At the time, his father, Akeen, was unaware of his mother's mental health diagnosis and how she would travel to help cope, Akingbola says. Her travel prompted his dad to question his paternity. "There was times that my mom spent away ... from him (and) went to Nigeria," he says. "Around that time was the time that I arrived. For him, I think he wanted to get out. I feel like he used my birth and the question mark on it as an excuse to break away." Story continues His father disowned him, divorced his mother and kicked them both out while keeping the other three children. His mother later dropped Akingbola off at child services. He was then placed with the Crowe family, whom he lived with until he was 16. "I can never blame my mom," he says. "Even being abandoned at the social services office, I remember when I first got told that (at age 7). I was in tears, and yet, I still couldn't find the anger for it because I knew that wasn't her. That was her struggling with something financial, but also her mental state not being in a best place." He says he's asked his mother about his father's claims and her response was: "Don't listen to him. You are his son." Akingbola says his mother visited his foster home every two weeks. His siblings also regularly visited, and so did his dad, eventually. Jimmy Akingbola with his biological siblings. (Peacock) Akingbola and his father reconciled when he was a teenager to the point that he finally "felt accepted" and they "really got close," he tells TODAY.com. But on a later visit to Nigeria, his dad said, "I've been a father figure to you, but I'm not your father," Akingbola recalled in the documentary. "OK, dad," Akingbola responded. "Let's do the test." But after his father agreed to a DNA test, Akingbola says his father never returned his calls to confirm it. "As a Nigerian man, if he broke up his family (because) he believed something had happened and then the blood test says that he's wrong?" Akingbola says. "He's (from) a certain generation. He can never be wrong. So rather than do it, he just refused to. That's what I believe." Even so, Akingbola extends empathy to his father. "There's something in me that goes, OK: You're heartbroken, you have three sisters, you're the eldest, you lost your dad young, you moved to London with a young family, you were struggling, you're a Black family in a white country and then your wife's got schizophrenia," he says. "I have to give him grace.'" 'A Black son or brother' Jimmy Akingbola with his adoptive family. (Peacock) Akingbola lived with one family, the Crowes, until he was 16 years old. The Crowes are a white family, and Akingbola says they are loving, accepting and feel like family. But as a kid, he felt othered as the only Black person in the house, in the neighborhood and in the school he attended. Still, Akingbola credits his positive foster care experience to the Crowes' loving and understanding of Black culture before they got him. They would be called a woke family, Akingbola says, noting that his foster mother listened to reggae music while his foster brothers listened to Luther Vandross and rappers NWA, Run DMC and the Fresh Prince, also known as Will Smith who later starred in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," the series that Bel-Air is based on. It wasnt just because they bad a Black son or brother, he says. Those things were in their lives anyway. Sleepovers with friends also helped Akingbola connect with his identity, as did spending time at Community Links, a youth house with programming for kids. The house has since been renamed in honor of Akingbola, who supports cultural awareness when parenting. Its a fine line because youre showing the kid that theyre different, but theres a way of showing that youre different and showing it with love and education and elevation, he says. Jimmy Akingbola with his adoptive family. (Peacock) He says he grappled with how to love his foster family while still holding so much love for his biological family. "I am here because of both families, so I cant dismiss anybody," he says. "I used to yearn to be with my biological family. I remember in my teens to early 20s, I got to the point where, if Im yearning for that, what does this look like, this loving foster family, my family (with) unconditional love that's been there for me?" "Its like Im dismissing that and then when I looked at it, Ive got this great hybrid of two families that know each other, that love me that got along and loved each other as well," he continues. "And thats perfect. It didnt need to be one or the other." The two families have blended together seamlessly while also establishing some boundaries. For example, Akingbola says the Crowes never adopted him because his mother was still in his life. They hoped she'd one day get better and be able to take him back. Akingbola's mother died during the pandemic, as did his biological and foster fathers and one of his biological brothers. In the documentary, his two remaining biological siblings say Akingbola "had it better" because he grew up with a "loving family" in a "safe space," because their space at home "was dangerous." "That was the first time I heard that from my my older siblings," he says. "It was hard to hear. It made me realize I had a vision of how the family was from the foster home, but they were going through something. It was a really tough time. Their environment wasnt as loving as mine or as safe as mine.... Hearing them say that I just realized, in the middle of making the doc, they had their journey as well." Jimmy Akingbola with his adoptive parents. (Peacock) 'Healed' These days, Akingbola says he's on a journey toward peace. "Where I am now, I feel like I'm in a healed place," he says. He likens his current goal as opening and looking "at the bottom drawer." "We've all got some drawers in our lives, and it's a bottom drawer that I never really opened because there was a lot of sadness and pain," he says. "There's abandonment, there's mental health with my mom, there's a divorce of the family, there's identity." Jimmy Akingbola with his biological siblings. (Peacock) Akingbola says while he previously buried this part of his personal story, it was always present in his acting. "I worked through my trauma through my roles," he says. "I think each role I had, there was something in it that I could connect to, and it was my version of opening a drawer. But an added safety net because it's a character." That personal connection can be seen in his "Bel-Air" character Geoffrey's storyline about the adoption of his biological son by another family a storyline that Akingbola says was already under consideration, but officially added after showrunners caught wind of his documentary. "We had a conversation and I just gave them everything that I've been through," he says. "Then they wrote the brilliant episode that we did." That was just a bonus, though. The real triumph, he says, was getting real with himself and not running from his trauma. "This is real life," he says. "I've got nothing to hide. I'm proud of who I am. (The film) was also me working through my grief as well doing this is a love letter to my families." This article was originally published on TODAY.com The time may finally come this week for President Joe Biden. Or, maybe it wont. Bidens notorious dithering has again been put on vivid display around the exhaustive questions about the timing of his reelection announcement. But its not just the president who sees the pluses and minuses of launching a full campaign roughly 18 months out from the November presidential election. Inside the White House, and even among his tight-knit circle, theres been disagreement over when to formally commence. One camp argues, essentially, why push? Nobody of note in the party is going to challenge Biden and he can appear above the fray if he just keeps being president. They point to the images of his daring voyage into Kyiv, Ukraine. More recently, Biden was greeted like a hero in his motherland of Ireland. Some around the president say little he does as a candidate over the next couple months is likely to top the priceless, even emotional, optics. Donors are getting restless but really, when are they not? "What matters is this: Biden is going to run and he's going to win. The exact date he 'officially' announces is utterly meaningless, said Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.). Amid all the breathlessness, several Democrats outside the White House told POLITICO they are fine with him waiting until late summer or even the fall. They point to the chaotic Republican primary and cable TV chyron-dominating legal morass swirling around former President Donald Trump as reasons for Biden to keep his powder dry. Some noted the awkwardness of his possible relaunch video Tuesday, the first day of a Manhattan trial over allegations Trump raped a woman decades ago. Which one, they ask facetiously, is the story that will get more eyeballs? Meanwhile, other potential Republican candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence may not make their own announcements for weeks or months yet. Bidens schedule next week, which includes a state dinner for the president of South Korea and the White House Correspondents Dinner, also doesnt lend itself to an obvious run of political momentum. And a potentially messy fight over the debt ceiling this summer could further drag down Bidens poll numbers. Story continues Now, as he spends the weekend at Camp David, the political world is again waiting on whether the announcement indeed comes Tuesday, the four-year anniversary of his 2020 announcement. Few outside Washington are clamoring for it. Poll after poll shows Democrats mixed appetite for another run, even as a large majority of the party approves of the job hes doing. On a macro level, little will change if Biden puts out the video announcing his bid next week and then begins bombarding supporters with digital overtures for contributions. Indeed, much of the impetus for doing so amounts to housekeeping. Along with raising money, Bidens aides will begin the process in earnest to build out a formal operation. There will be one-off events. Hell continue to travel for fundraisers. His aides dont anticipate hell mount any kind of sustained political campaign so early in the process. What the launch could do is provide some in Biden world and the broader party comfort just to get the vacillation over with. It's just good for the party to finally be definitive about it, said Democratic strategist Mark Longabaugh. It just brings clarity to your mission. Now we know were running. Now we can hire a campaign manager. Now we can get the office in Wilmington. Now we can start to move. And I just think that will be very good for Biden and the party. Some in Bidens inner circle have been amused by the frantic speculation about the date. Yes, Tuesday is the anniversary of his 2019 campaign launch, which turned out rather well. And, yes, Biden is a little superstitious. But Biden is also often tardy in making big decisions and few would be stunned if the timeline slipped again. For months, those in Bidens orbit and many other Democrats have begun to build a campaign apparatus including a likely headquarters in the presidents beloved hometown of Wilmington, Del. while waiting for the commander in chief to get to yes. Some longtime friends have privately wondered if he might not. They see his age, the toll the job takes on any president, and see Biden grow more easily tired and prone to verbal stumbles. But most have always believed he would sign off. Biden has spent more of his life seeking the presidency than just about any politician in history. His record is strong, they argue. And the specter of Trump looms, as does the strongly held belief that Biden is the only Democrat who can beat him. Those who favor jumping in now make two primary arguments. First, announcing a campaign would finally silence the questions from reporters and Democrats alike as to whether Biden will run, muzzling a storyline with the potential to become a distraction if it dragged on for many more months. You folks in the media have been following him and speculating, Is he, isnt he? Longabaugh said. And that puts all of those stories to bed. Now hes in, hes announced, hes filed his paperwork, hes running. Its my own personal view that a lot of those stories were just a distraction. And now those distractions are gone. But mostly, it is about money. Several senior White House aides have noted any month lost for fundraising cant simply be made up at the end. Even if Biden is a fundraising juggernaut, delays in starting will lose him dollars at the end, they argue. And even if a full-on campaign doesnt begin for months, the buck-raking can begin soon. And it will be useful. The more time you have, the less rushed you feel, said Patrick Martin, an Obama administration alum and aide to former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.). They have hit the point where it makes sense to get the formal campaign started. Shia Kapos contributed to this report. Convicted and imprisoned for 32 years, a federal judge ruled Crosley Green had been wrongfully convicted of a 1989 murder in Florida. But now, two years after his release, the Florida grandfather was ordered back to prison. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty sits down with Green on what could be his last day outside prison walls and takes a look back at his fight for freedom and what's next. "48 Hours" has been covering the questionable conviction of Crosley Green for 24 years. Green's attorneys say that race was a factor from the beginning. Keith Harrison | Defense attorney: The evidence that Crosley Green is innocent is literally overwhelming. Crosley's ordeal began in April of 1989, when Charles Flynn, better known as Chip, was found shot in a Florida citrus grove. He had been with his ex-girlfriend Kim Hallock that night. She told investigators that they had been robbed and hijacked by a black man in Holder Park as they sat in Chip's truck a little after 11 p.m. KIM HALLOCK TO DETECTIVES [audio]: I told Chip "there's a Black guy on your side" and he rolled up the window real quick. Twenty minutes later, Hallock says, Chip stepped out of the truck, and she heard him say "Hold on, man." DETECTIVE: Did you see that the the Black male was armed at that time? KIM HALLOCK: Yes, I did. KIM HALLOCK: Chip had a gun in his glove box. I took the gun out of the glove box and stuck it under some jeans that were next to me. She first told police the man had her tie Chip's hands with a shoelace. She later told police the man ordered her to hand over money from Chip's wallet, and then with everyone in the truck, she says the assailant drove them to the orange grove steering, shifting gears, and somehow holding a gun on them all at the same time. Kim Hallock told police that when they got to the grove, the man yanked her out of the truck and then Chip his hands still tied behind his backsomehow managed to get a hold of his gun that Kim had hidden on the truck seat. Story continues KIM HALLOCK [audio]: He leaned out of the truck and somehow shot at the guy and the guy stepped back, Chip dove out of the truck, I jumped in the truck and I heard about five or six gun shots. She said she then drove to a friend's home for help. Sheriff's Deputy Mark Rixey and Sgt. Diane Clarke were the first two officers on the scene. Erin Moriarty: Kim Hallock says that this assailant took both Chip and Kim to this citrus grove at 12:10. And yet, you're not dispatched til 1:13. Diane Clarke | Retired Brevard County sergeant: It's over an hour. Keith Harrison: There is approximately an hour that is missing and unexplained. Erin Moriarty: How crucial was that time that night? Mark Rixey | Former Brevard County deputy: Matter of life and death. Diane Clarke: Why is she not stopping some place and making that phone call? Erin Moriarty: Where could she have called? Diane Clarke [points to map]: Right here. Mark Rixey [points to map]: From a payphone I think there was three along the way. A convenience store, convenience store. And the hospital is right there. The directions Hallock gave were so vague that even after Clarke and Rixey were dispatched, it took another 30 minutes to find Chip. Mark Rixey [points to map]: I get the call at 1:13. I respond to this area. There's nothing there. Had to notify my dispatch get better directions. I drive to this new area here, where they informed me to go. Again, there's nothing there. Erin Moriarty: Why then were you first sent to the wrong location? Mark Rixey: That's a good question. Diane Clarke: 'Cause she didn't tell us where to go. She gave the wrong direction. Sgt. Clarke ended up sending another deputy to pick up Hallock so she could better guide them. Diane Clarke: She wouldn't get out the car. Mark Rixey: We say, "Can you show us where?" "Nope. Not going down there" Erin Moriarty: What did that say to you, what did you think? Diane Clarke: There's something wrong something is not ringing true I would want to know, "Is he OK?" They found Chip laying on his stomach with his hands tied behind his back, bleeding from a single gunshot wound to his chest. Diane Clarke: He was in pain, but I seriously thought he'd be OK. Mark Rixey: First words out of his mouth were "Get me outta here. I wanna go home." Erin Moriarty: Did he mention anything about an assailant? Mark Rixey: Nope. Diane Clarke: No. Erin Moriarty: Did he mention anything about being robbed. Mark Rixey and Diane Clarke: No. Erin Moriarty: Did he mention anything about being kidnapped? Mark Rixey and Diane Clark: No. Mark Rixey: I'm thinking, "what's going on here?" Diane Clarke: My feeling about it at the time and still is that he was protecting her. Chip Flynn stopped breathing twice as they waited for an ambulance. Sgt. Clarke tried to save his life. Diane Clarke: He didn't have to die. Charles Flynn: There wasn't anything he didn't like to do. Chip's parents Charles and Peggy Flynn, now both deceased, rushed to the orange grove when they got the word Chip had been hurt. But police wouldn't let them near the scene. Peggy Flynn: I should have been able to go back to see him. Chip's parents Charles and Peggy Flynn, now both deceased, rushed to the orange grove when they got the word Chip had been hurt. But police wouldn't let them near the scene. Peggy Flynn: I should have been able to go back to see him. The Flynns, who spoke with "48 Hours" in 1999, were shocked to learn that Chip had been with Kim Hallock that night. Chip had a new girlfriend. Charles Flynn: That was all he talked about. He didn't mention Kim anymore or anything. Chip's parents said Kim had become too possessive and overbearing. Charles Flynn: Chip liked his freedom. And she wanted him to be with her all the time. Hallock was upset about the breakup, according to Chip's friend David Stroup, who also spoke with "48 Hours" in 1999. David Stroup: I do remember that he just that she didn't want to let go. And it was Stroup's home where Kim Hallock went for help. David Stroup: I wondered why she came to my place, as opposed to just stopping at the first potential telephone you know, even a home with a light on or anything if it, you know So, it's always bothered me. Kim Hallock was not and has never been a suspect. Homicide detectives from Brevard County Sheriff's Office seemed to take her at her word, despite her delay in calling for help and her inability to describe the assailant very well. KIM HALLOCK [audio]: I really didn't even get a real good look at him. I was really scared. Investigators claimed that almost immediately, they got a tip that a small-time drug dealer, Crosley Green, was involved. He had recently been released from jail. Diane Clarke: The description that she had given for the sketch didn't match him. They showed Hallock a photo lineup, and Kim chose #2, Crosley Green. Kim Hallock picked Crosley Green [#2] as the assailant from this photo lineup. Green's picture is smaller and darker than any of the other pictures making it stand out. Investigators also told Hallock that the man that they suspected was in the lineup. This is no longer allowed under Florida's current laws. / Credit: BCSO Keith Harrison: His picture is smaller and darker than any of the other pictures. And it's right in, you know, what is often referred to as the bullseye point of a photo array. Crosley Green admits he was no angel, but he had no history of violent crime. Diane Clarke: I think he was just an easy pick. "We're gonna put somebody in jail for this." Green was arrested and charged with kidnapping, robbery and murder despite no direct evidence linking him to Chip's shooting. Keith Harrison: There were no fingerprints of Crosley Green or any third person on the the truck Not one single fingerprint. WHERE'S THE EVIDENCE? Keith Harrison: There was no case against Crosley Green There was no case. It was a one witness ID case. In August 1990, Crosley Green went on trial for the murder of Chip Flynn. The case hinged on the testimony of Kim Hallock, the state's star witness who identified Green as the "Black" man who attacked the couple. Keith Harrison | Defense attorney: That's the weakest kind of case where the only evidence you have is somebody said, "that guy did it." The state claimed there were also shoeprints found at Holder Park. Prosecutor Christopher White, now retired, said a dog followed the scent of those prints to the vicinity of a house where one of Green's sisters lived. White spoke with "48 Hours" in 2015. Christopher White: The shoe impressions were followed from the site where the truck was parked supporting what Kim said about there being a third person there, a Black male, who abducted them and did these things. Those shoeprints, however, were never linked to Crosley Green. But the prosecution also had three witnesses all with criminal problems of their own who claimed Crosley confessed. One was Crosley's own sister, Sheila. The defense argued that Crosley couldn't have killed Flynn because he had an alibi. Crosley says he was seen at the time of the murder by multiple witnesses at a party two miles away. But his former attorney only called one to testify. And on September 5, 1990, an all-White jury convicted Crosley Green of kidnapping, robbery and murder. He was sentenced to die in Florida's electric chair. Erin Moriarty [1999]: Hi Crosley, I'm Erin Moriarty with CBS. [they shake hands] Moriarty first met Crosley Green in 1999. Erin Moriarty: What's it like being here on death row? Crosley Green: It's hell to me, because I'm here for a crime I didn't commit. A team of lawyers from Crowell & Moring led by Keith Harrison and Jeane Thomas took Crosley's case pro bono. They say jurors never heard the real story. Jeane Thomas | Defense attorney: When you look at the all the facts you see that the state wanted to achieve a certain result. And they manufactured evidence. They coerced witnesses to lie. Even before the trial, Kim Hallock's account had serious inconsistencies. She told police that the assailant had managed to steer Chip's truck, shift gears, all while holding a gun on them. And, yet, she told Chip's parents a very different story. Charles Flynn: She was having to shift the gears for him. He would just mash the clutch and she would shift the gears. He was making her do that. Kim changed other parts of her story as well. According to a police report from the night of the shooting, she told a deputy the assailant told her to tie Chip's hands. But just hours later, in her taped interview: "The Black male was tying Chip's hands." Erin Moriarty: those inconsistencies, would that have concerned you? Christopher White: We're talkin' about who tied him? Erin Moriarty: Yes, and who shifted the truck. Christopher White: Of course, it would if she was inconsistent, any inconsistencies. And yet, another serious inconsistency: Kim's description of the assailant's gun matched a semi-automatic. She said that when she drove away, leaving Chip at that grove, she heard five to six gunshots. But no shell casings were recovered at the scene, and the only bullet found was the one that killed Chip. The only bullet found was the one that killed Chip Flynn. / Credit: BCSO Erin Moriarty: Your own expert said that, in fact, the bullet found in Chip Flynn could have come from his own gun. Did you find another weapon? Christopher White: Well, no. Erin Moriarty: Did you ever find another shell casing to match that weapon? Christopher White No, and we wouldn't if, in fact, he was shooting a revolver. You understand Erin Moriarty: But in fact, did you find any other bullet holes? Christopher White: Bullet holes? Not that I'm aware of. KIM HALLOCK [audio]: Just about then, Chip his hands were behind his back, he leaned out of the truck and somehow shot at the guy. But that statement was contradicted by the evidence. Investigators found no gunshot residue on Chip Flynn's hands. Mark Rixey: The fact that his did not show any gunshot residue contradicts her story. And I totally don't believe someone could actually jump outta that truck and shoot a gun behind their back with their hands tied anyway. Christopher White: when you look at this case, it is all circumstantial. I would love to have had a stronger case. But it is what it is. As for those shoeprints at the park, criminalist Lisa DiMeo, who helped Crosley's defense team, told "48 Hours" that diagram shown at trial contradicts the actual crime scene video. CRIME SCENE VIDEO: These shoeprints after proceeding west will then continue on around just to the outside of this fence ... If these were the tracks of the assailant, they should end where the truck was parked. But, in fact, DiMeo says they continue past the truck, along the fence, and appear to leave the park. Erin Moriarty: How can they belong to the assailant if in fact he got in the truck back here? They couldn't. Lisa DiMeo: No, no they couldn't. The trail of prints leaving Holder Park is missing from the diagram. This diagram shows a trail of footprints at Holden Park. The trail is missing from the diagram shown in court. Erin Moriarty: This diagram supports Kim Hallock's story. But this diagram doesn't match the evidence at the scene? Lisa DiMeo: Correct. This was necessary to make her story fit. What's more, every one of the three witnesses who testified that Crosley Green confessed recanted after trial. Keith Harrison: There's a pattern that supports the fact that these folks were coerced. Erin Moriarty: When a sister testifies against her own brother and says he confessed it's hard to believe that could be coerced. Keith Harrison: Absolutely. She recanted almost immediately. "48 Hours" tracked down Sheila Green in 1999. Erin Moriarty: What did they say would happen if you didn't testify against your brother? Sheila Green: I would never see my kids again. She told us she had no choice but to lie on the stand. Erin Moriarty: Did Crosley ever tell you that he killed Chip? Sheila Green: I never even talked to Crosley. He never told me that. Basically, they told me that this was my last chance to help myself because I was already convicted. Erin Moriarty: But this is your own brother, Sheila. Sheila Green: He will understand. Erin Moriarty: You think he will? Sheila Green: Yes, he will, he knew I [cries]. FIRST RESPONDERS SPEAK OUT Kenneth Nunn: Florida had a long history of being engaged in slavery, in the plantation economy that has passed itself on to the criminal justice system here in the state. Kenneth Nunn, a now-retired professor at the law school at the University of Florida says the odds were stacked against Crosley Green in that Florida courtroom. Kenneth Nunn: I would say that Crosley Green's case is a miscarriage of justice. Keith Harrison | Defense attorney: If you read the the trial transcript the prosecutor was using race to fill the gaps in the evidence. During trial, the defendant's race was referred to 140 times. KIM HALLOCK [audio]: I told Chip "there's a Black guy on your side." Kenneth Nunn: and she accuses a Black person of committing this crime. Who are they gonna believe? And what has defined this case from the very beginning is that Kim Hallock was treated as a victim, never as a possible shooter. Mark Rixey | Former Brevard County deputy: Everybody on the scene is a suspect until they're not. Every single person is tested for gunshot residue that's not what happened here. To this day, first responders Diane Clarke and Mark Rixey question why Brevard County detectives failed to do even a basic investigation of Kim Hallock. Kim Hallock was not and has never been a suspect. First responders Diane Clarke and Mark Rixey question why Brevard County detectives failed to do even a basic investigation of Hallock. Erin Moriarty: Kim Hallock was taken in and questioned at 4:30, but not recorded until 8:20 What does that say to you? Diane Clarke | Retired Brevard County sergeant: Well, she had time to get her story the way she wanted it. She was not a suspect. Erin Moriarty: Did it ever occur to you or anyone else that maybe Kim Hallock wasn't telling the truth? Christopher White | Former prosecutor: Well, of course it did. Erin Moriarty: Then why wasn't she ever investigated? Why was she never a suspect? Christopher White: What was, what was supposed to be What do you mean? Erin Moriarty: No G.S.R. taken of her hands? Why not? Christopher White: I don't know if there was or wasn't at this point Erin Moriarty: There wasn't. Why weren't pictures taken of her hands, her arms, to see if she had any injuries? Christopher White: I guess they could've done more examination. I'll give you that, OK? Crosley Green's lawyer Keith Harrison finds it mind-boggling. Keith Harrison: Chip Flynn had broken up with Kim Hallock. He was seeing another woman. Kim Hallock was very upset about that. That's the oldest motive in the book. Erin Moriarty: Jealousy? Keith Harrison: Jealousy. Still, White took Kim Hallock at her word. Christopher White: You've gotta understand. It's kind of a small community here in Titusville. Kim Hallock lived at the, in the area where I lived. Christopher White: I don't see how there's anything here concrete to tell anybody that Kim Hallock lied. But there were those obvious red flags with her story. There was no moon on the night Chip Flynn was shot; it was completely dark in that orange grove. Keith Harrison: Based on her testimony, she said she didn't get a really good look at him. Yet Kim Hallock chose Green out of a photo lineup a flawed lineup. Professor Nunn says that is no longer allowed under Florida's current laws. Kenneth Nunn: You can't tell the witness that the suspect is in the batch and that happened in this case you have to make sure that the photograph matches all the other photographs his head is smaller than the other ones so he stands out. Erin Moriarty: Would you do this today? Christopher White: Well, no, no. Ideally, I would not. Erin Moriarty: Could she have picked the wrong person? Christopher White: I don't think she did, you know? Was she guessing more than she was sure? I couldn't tell you for sure. Christopher White: That still leaves you with the issue of whether or not it's Crosley. And you have arguments pro and con about that. But the one thing I'm sure of, based on the evidence in this case, it wasn't Kim Hallock. Mark Rixey: She was the only other one there. Who else woulda done it? the only way all the facts are reconciled is if she shot him. Four months after the shooting, first responders Mark Rixey and Diane Clarke met with prosecutor Christopher White. They wanted to make sure he knew of their suspicions of Kim Hallock. / Credit: CBS News Mark Rixey: I told everybody I ran into who had any interest in it I thought she did it. I told the homicide sergeant. I told the homicide investigator. And four months after the shooting, both Rixey and Clarke met with prosecutor Christopher White. They wanted to make sure he knew of their suspicions of Kim Hallock. Erin Moriarty: And how did Chris White take that information? Mark Rixey: He was dismissed dismissive. Diane Clarke: I said to him "She is involved and I don't believe it's the person you arrested." I never heard anything else about it afterwards. Mark Rixey: I think that they got into an argument, she pulled the gun out of the glove box, and either intentionally or unintentionally shot him They freak out "I don't want to get into trouble. We gotta come up with a story. Let's make up this story." Erin Moriarty: Why didn't you then take their word seriously? Christopher White: I reviewed all the evidence that we had with that hypothesis in mind. do they give me cause to believe that Kim Hallock may have committed this murder? my answer is no. Erin Moriarty: You're that sure that Crosley Green is innocent? Mark Rixey: I would bet my life on it, yes. But in 2000, 11 years after Chip Flynn's murder, the state claimed it had more evidence against Green: two tiny body hairs allegedly found in Flynn's truck. They tested them for DNA. Crosley Green [2000]: Matter of fact, I wanted 'em to test it I hadn't been in that truck, I never been in that truck. Christopher White: There was sufficient DNA there to obtain a result using MTA DNA. In 2000, 11 years after Chip Flynn's murder, the state claimed it had more evidence against Green: two tiny body hairs allegedly found in Flynn's truck. / Credit: BCSO That DNA mitochondrial cannot be used to identify a specific person it can only identify broad family relations. And Crosley Green could not be excluded from that group. Jeane Thomas | Defense attorney: It's not a match. the mitochondrial DNA test cannot definitively say, "This DNA is this individual's DNA." Crosley's maternal relatives, for example, would be in this group that is not excluded. In fact, Crosley's brother O'Connor believes the hairs could be his. He happened to be a friend of the original owner of the truck. O'Connor Green: It's possible. 'Cause I drove the truck kinda regular. I'm not tellin' I drove the truck one or two time. I done drove the truck several time. Erin Moriarty: Are you at all troubled by the fact that Crosley Green could not be eliminated? Mark Rixey: That's nothing. That's not evidence, that is not evidence it does not tie him specifically to that truck. Erin Moriarty: You have that one hair that could've come from someone else, his brother. Christopher White: Uh-huh. Erin Moriarty: Is there any other physical evidence, anything, that connects Crosley Green to this case? Christopher White: Well I I guess the simple answer to that is no. Of being taken off death row, Crosley Green said, In 2009, after 19 years facing execution on death row, Crosley Green's attorneys won a major victory: because of an error in sentencing, Green was taken off death row. Crosley Green: I felt real good at that time But I know I have another hundred yards to go. But Crosley Green's request for a new trial was denied. Even though some of the evidence was now in question and all those witnesses who testified against him said they lied on the stand. Erin Moriarty: Have you ever had a case where three witnesses have recanted and lied? Have you ever had a case? Three? Christopher White: You know, I never have. Erin Moriarty: That doesn't trouble you? Christopher White: Not coming from those people with those ties to the Green family and the Green family being what it is, no. It doesn't trouble me a great deal. But in an odd twist of fate, Christopher White provided just what Crosley Green's defense team had been waiting for. Keith Harrison: I was shocked I knew immediately that this was a game changer. CRUCIAL EVIDENCE UNCOVERED Crosley Green [2020]: I'm ready to go home. And hopefully I get that chance to go home. Crosley Green [2020]: I've been without my family for quite some time now. Crosley Green was just 19 when his parents died and he assumed the role of "Papa" to his large family. It is why Crosley's murder conviction was so deeply felt by his oldest child, Shuma, his brother O'Connor, and sisters Shirley and Degrah. O'Connor Green: I worry about him a lot And it's breakin' the family; it's breakin' the family down. Shuma was 16 and his brother Gaston was 6 when Crosley was sentenced to death. Shuma Green: It damaged us. I got rebellious. I just went to gettin' in trouble. No sense of direction 'Cause my dad was gone. Crosley Green: I never was with my sons when they grew up, you know And I got grandkids now I don't know how much time I got left on earth myself. But the little time I will have left, if I'm out there, it would be with them. But Crosley Green will never be able to make up lost time with two of his sisters; they died while he's been in prison. Crosley Green: Brenda and Tina.That's been tough. That's been tough. they have been with me all up till the time they died. Erin Moriarty: You miss them? Crosley Green: Yeah [his eyes well with tears]. As for Sheila, the sister who helped put him on death row? He forgave her years ago. Erin Moriarty: Does she feel a lot of guilt? Crosley Green: Of course, she do. But that's my sister and I want her to know that I love her and no matter what. I'm not angry at her. OK? With the witness recantations, the only person who still connects Crosley to the crime is Kim Hallock. Erin Moriarty: As you sit here today, do you believe Crosley Green is the man who shot Chip Flynn? Christopher White: Yes, I do. Yes, I do. But, as it turns out, Christopher White made a decision in 1989 that would ultimately turn the tide for Crosley Green. KEITH HARRISON [reading White's notes]: "Mark and Diane suspect the girl did it. She changed her story a couple of times." In July 2018, a federal judge ruled that prosecutors violated Crosley Green's right to a fair trial because they withheld these notes. The notes said first responders on the scene were suspicious of Kim Hallock and her changing story. Green's conviction was overturned and the judge ordered a new trial. The state of Florida appealed that decision. / Credit: BCSO White took these notes after his meeting with Mark Rixey and Diane Clarke when they told him their suspicions about Kim Hallock. KEITH HARRISON [reading White's notes]: One thing was, "she tied his hands behind his back. She never asked how the victim was while at the homicide. She wouldn't go down there to the scene. Why wouldn't the guy say who shot him?" White never turned those notes over to Crosley's original lawyer. Keith Harrison: This is the evidence of innocence that was hidden by the prosecutor. Erin Moriarty: What was your reaction when you first read those notes? Keith Harrison: I was shocked. I really couldn't believe it. Keith Harrison: They can't just hide that evidence They can't cover it up. They have to disclose it to the defense. Crosley Green's defense attorneys Keith Harrison and Jeane Thomas. Defense attorney Jeane Thomas says those notes which included inconsistencies in Kim Hallock's story would have been crucial at trial. Jeane Thomas: It goes to the heart of the defense theory of the case. That there was no Black man at the scene of this crime That it was these two teenagers, that there was an accident And then there was a story that was made up after the fact. Keith Harrison: those notes would have had a tremendous impact on the case. And for that reason, in July 2018, a federal judge ruled that, by withholding those notes, prosecutors violated Crosley Green's right to a fair trial. His conviction was overturned. Jeane Thomas: It was a miracle that finally there was a court that said, "Yes, his constitutional rights were violated." Erin Moriarty: When his conviction was overturned, what did you think would happen? O'Connor Green: Man, I thought my brother'd be home. But Crosley didn't come home because the state appealed, arguing that the notes that prosecutor White withheld wouldn't have changed the outcome of the original trial. Crosley was held in prison waiting for the U.S. Court of Appeals to decide. Keith Harrison: Honestly, I did not think it would take this long. Crosley Green spent more than 30 years behind bars for a crime he says he didn't commit. Though there was no physical evidence linking him to the murder, he was convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to death. This is the moment he was finally released. pic.twitter.com/lpT8uTnjtP 48 Hours (@48hours) April 8, 2021 But then the coronavirus invaded the prison where Crosley Green was held. His situation became even more precarious after he was diagnosed with latent tuberculosis. In March 2021, Crosley's attorneys filed a motion for his immediate release. Crosley Green (2021): I can't tell you what I was thinking or what I saw or how I felt. I was just looking around wondering, is this real? You know, at one point now I really wondered, is this real? ORDERED BACK TO PRISON Now that Crosley Green is home, his very large and loving family has descended upon him. Everybody wants a piece of the man they know as "Papa Green." Crosley Green [2021]: I thought maybe it would be the kids that really wanna be with me or wanna talk with me. The grownups be making them kids get out the way. They pushed the kids to the side. They wanna be first. Erin Moriarty with Crosley Green and his grandchildren at a family celebration following his release from prison. Crosley has a lot of catching up to do. So many relatives weren't even born when he went to prison. Crosley Green: If it wasn't for my family, I I wouldn't be here. My sister, Celestine she always told me, "Don't give up. Your day'll come." I used to always say, "All right, girl, when I get out, we're gonna do things," you know, but that day never came. She died Crosley's sister, Celestine, is buried in a cemetery just down the road from where he's now staying, but he can't visit her grave or most anywhere else without special permission from his probation officer. Crosley Green: I was told I couldn't go to the mailbox. He's free, but right now, can't venture beyond his brother-in-law's property line. Crosley calls it his "12 yards of freedom" and showed Moriarty his new jailer. Crosley Green: Here it is right here. This ankle bracelet right here. Jeane Thomas: It's challenging for him. Crosley has many, many grandchildren, most of whom he's he's never met. He wants to take them to a park and go fishing, and teach them how to fish and you know, sit under a tree and tell stories. And he can't, he can't do that. At least not until the U.S. Court of Appeals hands down its decision.There is a chance the court will side with the state, reinstate Crosley's conviction and send him back to prison But less than a year later, in March 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals came back with a decision that caught everyone off guard. The court ruled that those notes Christopher White failed to turn over to Crosley's defense wouldn't have changed the outcome of his trial. His conviction was reinstated. Keith Harrison: That was pretty crushing. we think They got it wrong. 2023 Crosley's last hope: to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take his case. But in February 2023, the attorneys gathered the Green family together to break the bad news. Keith Harrison (at the family meeting): The Supreme Court is not going to hear our case. Crosley has run out of legal options, which means he has to go back to prison. His sister, Shirley, took the news hard. Shirley Green:(at the family meeting) Y'all going to send him to prison for a crime he didn't commit? Y'all going to take him away from his family again? You took him 33 years. Keith Harrison: There was a fair amount of anger. Shirley Green: We do. My brother continues to have to go through this. Keith Harrison: It was very emotional. It was raw. Shirley Green: It's not right. Keith Harrison: And there was a lot of deep, deep sadness. You could almost feel like the family was kinda coming apart right right there in front of you. Shirley Green: It failed us. The system failed us. He shouldn't have even go back to jail. [breaks down crying]. Shuma Green: We just got dropped in the last round. Crosley Green, center, embraces his son, Shuma, as his sister, Shirley, looks on at an emotional family meeting in February 2023. / Credit: Crowell and Moring For Crosley's son, Shuma, the thought of losing his father again was inconceivable. Shuma Green (at meeting, very emotional): You ain't the only one doing time, we are doing time right with you. it's a family thing and it's now torn apart again. Jeane Thomas: They just miss him terribly. He just is such an important patriarch among that family a role model. But he keeps that family together. Crosley Green (at the family meeting): Because I can feel what they feel. And in that difficult moment, Crosley assumed the role of patriarch again. Crosley Green (at the family meeting, cries): You have showed me a lot since I've been home. But we going to get this together. We're going to be all right if we stay together. I can't be hurt because I I still got faith. I got the Lord on my side. I'm happy. I am happy. [To Shuma] Love you baby. On his last weekend as a free man, Crosley seemed almost hopeful. Crosley Green: I'm a religious person. And I have a lot of faith and trust. And most importantly I still believe in the system. I don't have no hatred. I don't have no sadness. I can't dwell on that. Couldn't sleep, I would start getting angry And that's not me. Crosley has made the most of the time he spent at home. Crosley Green: The last year has been a remarkable year. I got a job I never missed a day on. He made high-tech metal parts and left a big impression. Crosley says his coworkers called him "PPE." Erin Moriarty: And what does "PPE" stand for? Crosley Green: Pure, Positive, Energy. That's what it stand for. Crosley also fell in love and got engaged. His fiance, Katherine Spikes. Kathy Spikes with Crosley Green. / Credit: Crowell & Moring and Nerissa Johnson Kathy Spikes: When we did meet, it was butterflies but at the same time it was excitement. Erin Moriarty: How soon did you know that this was the guy you wanted to be with? Kathy Spikes: After our first phone call. What man these days sit on the phone for six hours? I think just the compassion that he showed me, that it was just the simple the sound and tone of his voice that made everything like, "Oh, my God, you could make everything all right for me." Erin Moriarty: Does it make it tough to go back? Crosley Green: Yes and no. No, because I've always tried to prepare her for the worst, like myself let's just say that I do not get that miracle tomorrow, but it's coming, you know? I'm not gonna have to tell her goodbye for infinity. I'm gonna always love her On his last Sunday, just like every other Sunday since he's been out, Crosley went to church. This time, he said goodbye: Crosley Green: Do not worry. And this is what I've been trying to tell my sisters, my family. Do not worry. I see tears fall from there, it bothers me I'm OK, I can do this. Let me do this. Let me show you all. Be strong with me. I'm in God's hands. I am in God's hands! Crosley Green saying goodbye to loved ones and friends during his final hours of freedom. / Credit: CBS News On Monday, April 17, 2023 two years after Crosley's conditional release, he said a goodbye to his family. He left each one of them with a few words of wisdom Crosley Green: I love you. I want you to continue doing what you been doing. We have to take one day at a time. Everything going to be OK. on what could be his last day outside the prison walls. Crosley Green: I love you all man listen, listen you all be strong. Then he joined his fiance Kathy and attorneys for the drive to the corrections center. Crosley Green: Everything going to be OK. Crosley Green with Kathy Spikes on the car ride to a Florida Department of Corrections office. / Credit: Crowell & Moring Crosley Green: She's been right there by my side. More family members arrived. Crosley Green: Last two years been some of the greatest time I ever had All these memories I got those are my memories. When I go back, they'll still be my memories. Crosley Green, second from left, walks into to Department of Corrections office in Orlando, Florida, holding the hand of his fiance, Katherine Spikes. They are flanked by his attorneys Jeane Thomas and Keith Harrison. Green turned himself into federal authorities on Monday after a 2018 court order granting him a new trial was overturned by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. / Credit: Malcolm Denemark/Pool photo Crosley Green: I think I'm gonna be free soon. And it ain't about the case. It's about me. It's about a human being that wants his freedom, wanna be able to be around his grandkids, his little nieces, nephews, his brothers and sisters, family and friends, you know? This is what this is about. Crosley Green: They need me. I need them too. But they need me more. Crosley Green's only remaining options for freedom are to seek parole or clemency. Produced by Asena Basak. Michael Loftus and Shaheen Tohki are the associate producers. Charlotte A. Fuller is the development producer. Grayce Arlotta-Berner and Gregory F. McLaughlin are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Disney sues Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over "government retaliation" Stocks fall as First Republic Bank shares plummet British antitrust regulators block Microsoft purchase of Activision Blizzard There are phrases spoken in times of crisis that ring throughout history. Winston Churchill uttered the phrase "We will never surrender," during a speech that rallied the English people in a dark time during World War II. But the phrase "Never again" must be a rallying cry that is raised with every voice of the human race in perpetuity. It is a rallying cry the Jews loudly voiced after the Holocaust was ended by the defeat of Nazi Germany and it must remain at the forefront of our minds. A Holocaust Remembrance Day candle burns to honor the memory of nine-year-old Eugenie Friedmann who was murdered by Nazis in the Treblinka death camp on Oct. 8, 1942, in Poland. I received an invitation to the observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, last Sunday at the Temple Emanu-El in Tuscaloosa. Their service centered on a Holocaust Torah, a Torah that was stolen by Nazis from a ransacked synagogue or temple during World War II and was later restored. The Torahis on permanent loan to the Tuscaloosa temple. The Torah is a linchpin to which the Jewish people have tied themselves throughout history and the Torah has aided in maintaining a national identity for the 1,900 years the Jews were without a nation to call their home. The Torah helped Jews maintain their faith, their national identity, and their language, three crucial elements that prevented them from disappearing as a people during their long exile. Gary Cosby Jr. Many millions of Jews found a home in eastern Europe. Poland in particular drew a large Jewish population, being the most friendly, or, at least the least-unfriendly nation to Jews who found themselves the frequent targets of persecution and repression. Adolf Hitler and the Nazis took the hatred of Jews to an unprecedented level. I do not have the words to describe the horrors that befell the Jews under the Nazi regime. Such unrestrained evil was unleashed upon the Jews one can hardly fathom the depths of suffering they endured. I write historical fiction novels, and I have been researching the Warsaw ghetto for an upcoming book. The Nazis forced very nearly 500,000 Jews into an area of about 1.5 square miles in Warsaw before liquidating the ghetto by sending the Jews to the death camps. Most in Warsaw were sent to Treblinka where they were murdered on an industrial scale never before seen in human history. I recently found the story of the last survivor of Treblinka, a man named Samuel Willenberg. Of the nearly 1 million murdered there, he was one of only 67 survivors of Treblinka. Story continues More: War in Ukraine exposes weaknesses in Russian military | GARY COSBY JR. Willenberg's story was featured in a PBS documentary. He has since passed away, but his life was saved at Treblinka because he had defended a boy years before in Warsaw who was being beaten up by some other kids. When the boy grew up he joined the SS. When Willenberg's train came into Treblinka, the SS guard recognized him, pulled him aside, and placed him on a work detail, ensuring he would not be immediately murdered. Among the many heinous duties Willenberg had to perform, he shaved the heads of the Jews coming into the death camp. They were stripped naked, shorn of their hair, then marched to the gas chambers. Willenberg told of a teenage girl he was shaving. She sat there naked, shivering from the winter cold and fear. The girl had just received her high school diploma. She asked him if the gas took long. She knew what was coming. Then the girl was led away on what the Nazis called the Pathway to Heaven, the path to the gas chambers. The girl's name, preserved in Willenberg's memory for the rest of his life, was Ruth Dorfman. His memory was her only legacy. I saw another documentary where a warehouse in Auschwitz held 7 tons of human hair that had been cut from victims in that death camp. The Nazis used it, among other purposes, to make cloth and to insulate their U-boats. For some reason, of all the numbers I had ever heard related to the Holocaust , that one hit me the hardest. I stopped watching and just wept. As I write this, I am looking at a candle I picked up at the Holocaust Remembrance. It bears the name of Eugenie Friedmann. She was born Aug. 21, 1933, in Moravska Ostrava, which would have been in Czechoslovakia during World War II . She died in Treblinka on Oct. 8, 1942, one of at least 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. She was 9 years old, just a little girl. Rabbi Steven Jacobs told us during the remembrance ceremony that about 1.5 million of the victims were children under the age of 18, murdered for no reason other than unbounded hatred. Do not ever wonder why I so often write about the dangers of extremism. This is why. Don't ever permit yourself to think that it could not happen here, or it could not happen again. Hate is prevalent in our culture as it is in many, and another genocide will occur if we permit it. Do not hate. Do not permit hate to rule our world. Do not permit hate to rule your mind. Gary Cosby Jr. is the photo editor of The Tuscaloosa News. Readers can email him at gary.cosby@tuscaloosanews.com. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why the Holocaust is a time we must never forget | GARY COSBY JR. Grace Fewell before and after getting veneers, a cosmetic procedure that places custom-made porcelain teeth over real ones. Grace Fewell Grace Fewell is a marketing manager whose veneers fell off the night after she got them placed. Veneers are glued on top of real teeth, and should last 15 to 20 years before needing replacement. Fewell said her dentist improperly placed her veneers, resulting in bacteria growth and a bad smell. Veneers, the fake, picture-perfect teeth that influencers can't get enough of, are supposed to last 15 to 20 years. Grace Fewell's began falling off the night she got them. Fewell, a marketing manager based in Tampa, Florida, told Insider she decided to get veneers last year for a whiter and brighter smile. But Fewell's dentist incorrectly placed the veneers, which resulted in them popping out of place as she ate and while she slept. Veneers are a cosmetic dental procedure where dentists shave down a patient's natural teeth and glue on a custom-made set of porcelain fakes. Once a person commits to veneers, there's no reversing the procedure the fake teeth last about 15 to 20 years before needing replacement. Social media might be behind the high demand for the perfect photo-ready smile, and many are flying overseas to get cheap veneers. Though they're especially popular among celebrities and influencers, musicians like Bad Bunny and Kehlani publicly stated that they regretted the procedure because of discomfort. One of Grace Fewell's veneers fell off the night she got them in. Grace Fewell Fewell, too, still has some regret over her pricey veneers. Along with falling off, Fewell said her initial set of veneers were more yellow than she wanted, and they began to smell bad after bacteria grew in the gaps between her real teeth and fake teeth. She stopped seeing friends for months until she got her veneers replaced altogether. "If you're trying to chase the new TikTok trend, you should really be thankful for what you are given because your body has so many functions that you don't even realize are important," she said. Veneers fell off one after another following a botched procedure After she got her braces off as a teenager, Fewell discovered she had peg lateral incisors, a condition where the teeth on either side of the top two front teeth are smaller than average. Though she couldn't afford a permanent fix at the time, Fewell decided to look into veneers when she turned 25 and moved to Tampa for work. Story continues The dentist, who she chose after days of research due to his high Yelp rating, recommended she get veneers placed on her six top teeth for a natural-looking smile. "I was ambitious, I just started a new job," Fewell said. "I was ready to achieve this look that I was going for, so I went ahead and gave him the thumbs up to start." But Fewell said things felt off right from the start. For one, the doctor didn't take any dental impressions or photos to determine the precise shape of her veneers. And during the 3-hour-long appointment to shave down, or "prepare," her teeth, Fewell said the doctor frequently left the room to see other patients. Fewell said she was disappointed with her final look, which she said was yellower and less uniform than she expected. "I left the office and was not super happy," she said. Then, that evening Fewell's fake teeth began falling off. First, the veneer on her right canine fell off while she was eating tofu. The next day, she woke up to another veneer having fallen off into her mouth overnight. And the day after that, another broke loose. Fewell's said she rushed to her dentist, but he did not offer any explanation as to why her teeth were falling off. Though the dentist glued her veneers back on, they continued to come loose and needed to be readhered repeatedly. "I thought to myself, 'What have I done? I'm 25 years old, this should not be happening,'" Fewell said. "I felt like I had no control because I had no idea how to fix this." Fewell stopped socializing after her botched-veneer job For months after she got veneers, Fewell became anxious before every meal, worried that taking the wrong bite would result in another fake tooth falling off. She avoided talking to coworkers at her new job, and turned down company holiday parties and social gatherings, in fear a veneer would come loose. "I basically just sat inside on the couch," she said. "It really made me sad and depressed, and nasty and reclusive since I didn't want to see anyone at all." Fewell eventually sought another doctor's help, who told her that her teeth had not been prepared properly the first time. The new doctor said too much of her natural tooth was removed, which is why her veneers kept falling off. The new dentist also noted gaps between her real teeth and veneers, which allowed for bacteria growth that caused her veneers to taste and smell bad, Fewell said. Grace Fewell's first dentist improperly shaved down her teeth, which led to her veneers coming out of place. Grace Fewell The new dentist suggested Fewell start over again. He took measurements and photographs of Fewell's teeth, consulted with her on the size and color she wanted, and meticulously re-prepared her teeth for 4 hours before giving her the smile she wanted. "I was basically able to go home that day and eat chips for the first time in like five months," Fewell said. "I was in awe that I was just able to do that." Fewell said she still has some regret over her lifelong dental decision Fewell ended up spending $9,403 for her final set of veneers. Her failed veneers cost $8,950, but she got that reimbursed in full after sending her original dentist a letter with the guidance of legal counsel. Though Fewell is happy with her second set of veneers, the experience took a toll on her mental health. She said she wishes she appreciated her real teeth more, or at least listened to her gut when she felt uncomfortable with the first dentist. Grace Fewell had to get her initial veneers replaced by another dentist. Grace Fewell Fewell also said she wishes she took the lifelong financial commitment to veneers more seriously since she'll likely need to replace them several times throughout her life. Fewell advises people interested in veneers to get several quotes and consultations before settling on a doctor. But, if teeth aren't a big insecurity for you, Fewell said you're probably better off without veneers. "If you have pretty teeth or if you have standard teeth that don't have any issues that are healthy, you don't need this procedure," she said. Read the original article on Insider A woman was hit by a car while trying to get away from a pack of aggressive dogs, Texas police told news outlets. The woman was walking along a sidewalk on San Antonios northwest side around 8:30 p.m., April 22, when she encountered the pack of dogs, police told the San Antonio Express-News. The dogs were barking and lunging at the 38-year-old and she backed away from them, stepping into the road and the path of an oncoming car, KENS reported. The driver of the vehicle didnt stop after hitting her. She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, police told WOAI. If found, the driver will be charged with failure to stop and render aid, the outlet reported. Man killed by relatives dogs had most of his clothing ripped off, Minnesota cops say Man on first date dies when speeding driver barrels into him, Texas police say Dog attacking young girl is shot and killed by police, Minnesota cops say Doug Damron, a resident at an Independence of Portage County group home, shows his birthday gifts to direct support professional Corey Austin. Advocates are lobbying for increased pay for direct support professionals statewide. Advocates, including some in Portage County, are asking Ohio's legislators for pay raises for people who care for some of the state's most vulnerable citizens. Michelle Madden, CEO of Independence of Portage County, testified before two committees in the Ohio House of Representatives for House Bill 33. The bill would provide an increase in state funding to boost the average salary of direct support professionals from $16.50 per hour to $20.64. More: Full Testimony, House Finance Committee The Ohio General Assembly is hosting budget hearings in preparation for the two-year state budget, which will be approved in July. Madden, along with Cora Denning, an human resources generalist at Independence, offered testimony before the House Finance Subcommittee in March. Madden then returned to testify before the House Finance Committee. Madden told legislators that low pay has left many positions unfilled at her agency. A total of 157 people were offered jobs last year, but only 48 have accepted jobs and 27 of them are still employed. Short staffing has forced supervisors, office staff, management and the executive team all to fill in to provide basic coverage, in addition to other duties. Independence provides residential and support services to more than 100 individuals with developmental disabilities. "Our workforce is weary, and I am concerned for their wellbeing and mental health," Madden said. More: House Finance Subcommittee 'I couldn't imagine doing anything else' Jameca England, Direct Support Professional, with residents Doug Damron and Kenny Postletait. Jameca England and Corey Austin work at a group home in Ravenna, where they care for nine adults ranging in age from 48 to 84 with developmental disabilities. Many of the adults who live in the home also have physical disabilities and some are non-verbal. Direct support professional Jameca England helps Carol Carter, 84, at an Independence of Portage County facility. England, Austin and other staff members are responsible for helping the residents with various daily tasks, such as meals, laundry, bathing and going to the bathroom. The direct support staff also are responsible for things like laundry, cooking, administering medication and keeping track of medical appointments. Story continues The residents leave daily to go to a day program that Independence operates. Although both work longer hours than they'd like, England and Austin say they like their jobs. "I love my job," England said. "I couldn't imagine doing anything else." England started out as a state-tested nursing assistant and was a pre-med student but dropped out to start a family. She's now raising seven children in addition to her "other family" of residents that she thinks of as grandparents. She recently accepted a promotion and will be stepping into a supervisory position. The new job will mean a higher salary but also more hours that she won't be able to turn down. She already frequently works double shifts, coming in early in the morning and returning in the afternoon to work through the evening. Direct support professional Jameca England helps Carol Carter, 84, and other residents at an Independence of Portage County group home. "You have to love it to do this kind of work," she said. "It's very rewarding to be able to help someone else." Austin said his girlfriend encouraged him to become a direct support professinal, and he enjoys the job because he connects with people. He cut his hours because of life commitments, but is still frequently asked to pick up extra shifts. Brenda Lanhan, a resident at an Independence of Portage County group home, hugs direct support professional Corey Austin. He said he encourages his friends to apply for vacancies in the field. "If I can get people into this field, that's what I'm going to do," he said. Daniel Buchert, a resident of an Independence of Portage County group home, hugs direct support professional Corey Austin. Direct support professional role is 'an underappreciated lifestyle' Denning has worked for Independence for 13 years, half of them as a direct support professional. She testified that Ohio has more than 2.3 million adults with disabilities, and an increasing number of people are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome and Down Syndrome. "A direct support professional is an underappreciated lifestyle," she said. "This profession asks that young adults, mothers, fathers and grandparents put their lives on the line to ensure that someone else's child, brother, sister is being taken care of." They are exposed to daily hazards, including bloodborne pathogens and physical aggression, and the vacancy rate in the field increases annually. As a result, Madden told the finance committee that many staff at Independence, including herself, work extra hours to ensure basic coverage. There is a 40% vacancy rate in direct support professional and frontline supervisor roles, and at least 35% of them are on some form of public assistance, she said. "We call them direct support professionals, but how many professionals do you know that make under the poverty level?" she asked. Direct support professionals Jameca England and Corey Austin, (center lr) work with residents Doug Damron and Brenda Lanhan in the kitchen of the Independence of Portage County group home. State Rep. Gail Pavliga thanked Madden for her testimony, saying she has seen her work a full shift as executive director, then work a shift providing care when somebody called off. "I am truly amazed by the work that you do, and that you've never asked anybody to do anything that you won't do yourself," she said. She asked if salary alone kept people away from the jobs she is offering. Madden said when she first came to Independence in 2005, she worried that she wouldn't be able to get people to accept jobs for the wages she was offering, which now average $14 per hour. The agency offers other benefits, including a career path, but "at $14 an hour, we cannot compete with the Amazons, the fast foods of the world," she said. "There are people who are called to this field, but they cannot support their families," she said. There are opportunities to bring workers into the field, but some have been shelved because of the pandemic, and executives don't have the time to invest in others The agency doesn't qualify for a program through Job and Family Services to recruit workers because the starting salary is too low. State Rep. Dontavius Jarrells of Columbus asked if executives get paid time and a half for overtime, and Madden said they don't. "Don't feel sorry for us," she said. "We get to do great work every day." What happens next? Direct support professional Corey Austin helps Kathy Gainer with her drink. Now that testimony has taken place before the house finance committee, there are a variety of steps that will need to be taken between now and July, when the budget bill becomes law. Once the bill is voted out of committee, it will go to the house floor for a vote, and then head to the state senate, which has its own committee process. Once the senate votes on its version of the bill, the budget heads to conference committee, which meets to resolve any difference and send the bill to Gov. Mike DeWine for his signature. Madden said Independence operates six integrated care facilities in Portage County. One home had to be "taken off line" because of insufficient staffing, with two residents moved to other homes. Because the agency relies heavily on state funding, Madden said she and heads of other agencies have been testifying in Columbus and have been in touch with their legislators. "We've been really trying to pound the pavement in support of House Bill 33," she said. Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Advocates push Ohio to boost pay for direct support workers (Getty Images) Former world champions Tony Bellew and Andy Ruiz Jr accused Ryan Garcia of giving up in his loss to Gervonta Davis on Saturday. Garcia suffered a stoppage defeat by Davis in the seventh round in Las Vegas, when he was unable to beat the referees count after a left hook to the body. Davis, 28, had also dropped Garcia in Round 2 with a left hook to the head, but the 24-year-old came under criticism for his reaction to the second knockdown which ultimately settled the 136lbs catchweight bout. Bellew took to Twitter to write, Spewed it! after Garcia suffered the first loss of his professional career, while Davis stayed unbeaten. Yes they really hurt, the former WBC cruiserweight champion continued, but youve gotta rise! Do it once and youll do it again! The attributes Garcia has are amazing! Hes the quickest and one of the biggest fighters in the [lightweight] division yet he lets people get to him! If he uses them gifts he has properly then I swear hed be almost impossible to beat! Amir [Khan] had similar attributes! Stay away [and] box! Meanwhile, former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz said in an Instagram story: I was going for Ryan, but he gave up, man. I feel like he gave up. I feel like he shouldve did what he had to do to win the fight. When we get down, weve got to get back up, man. Weve got to ask God for that victory. I feel like thats what he shouldve done, I still feel Ryan shouldve did more, man. He shouldve risked his life more. Spewed it! Yes they really hurt but youve gotta rise! Do it once and youll do it again! Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) April 23, 2023 After losing to fellow American Davis, Garcia said: He just caught me with a good shot, I dont wanna make no excuses in here. I couldnt recover, and thats all I gotta say. He caught me good. I couldnt breathe. I was gonna get back up, but I just couldnt. I think I gave him too much respect in the ring, I think that was my downfall. Davis holds the WBA lightweight title, while Garcia is a former WBC interim champion in the division. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling on Ukrainians who live far from the frontlines to honour and respect the work of the soldiers fighting on the front, and to help them. Source: President Zelenskyys video address Quote from Zelenskyy: "It is important to understand that in each of our cities, in each village, wherever it is now more or less quiet. Everywhere where today was just a calm spring sunny day... Every day of such calmness in the rear areas is gained by our warriors in brutal battles on the frontline. In daily battles! Please, respect this. And always help our soldiers when needed, always support the state and defense as much as possible." Details: Zelenskyy thanked the 80th Air Assault Brigade for "exemplary" work eliminating Russian forces near Bakhmut. He also thanked the 35th Rear Admiral Ostrohradskyi Marine Brigade, 55th Zaporizhzhian Sich Artillery Brigade, paratroopers from the 79th Air Assault Brigade, and the 54th Hetman Mazepa Mechanised Brigade. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! 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 Flash This file photo shows a photo taken on Nov. 19, 2013 shows the sunrise seen from Stella Point of Mount Kilimanjaro, northern Tanzania. [Photo/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. The News & Advance reporter Rodney Robinson Jr., I must say, did a good job reporting on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recent speech at Liberty University. (We must wage a war on woke, Apr. 15). I know. I was there. But I wonder why he didnt mention the serious injury DeSantis sustained on that occasion? He broke his arm patting himself on the back. Its the nature of the beast, I realize. Politicians tout their accomplishments on any and all occasions, especially if they have their sights set on higher office. Most of the accomplishments DeSantis boasts about, however, impress me as wrongheaded, demagogic, and divisive. For instance, as Robinson reported, DeSantis boasted no Florida teacher will be telling second-graders they may have been born in the wrong body or that their gender is a choice. Personally, I find it difficult to believe teachers ever encourage students to question their gender, especially in the lower grades. If it does happen, it happens in isolated cases and needs to be dealt with as such. I rather suspect efforts at promoting tolerance of trans-students have been misinterpreted and even misrepresented. Either way, DeSantis has seized on the issue as if public schools in general are advocating gender fluidity. Send your son to a public school and he just may come back your daughter, or vice versa! Its demagoguery, pure and simple. DeSantis likewise bragged that Florida has chosen education over indoctrination. He gave no examples of how or in what sense public school students in other states are being indoctrinated. I would remind readers this is the governor who banned the College Boards Advanced Placement Course in African-American Studies. This was even after the Board bowed to political pressure and removed controversial issues such as Critical Race Theory and the Black Lives Matter movement. Instead, the course now encourages students to research Black conservatism. (New York Times, Feb. 1, 2023). Thats telling. What its telling me is the College Board is bowing to reactionary conservatives like DeSantis, who last year banned Critical Race Theory. He would probably prefer that students learn only about the blacks who have succeeded in America. What the Board is telling the majority of African-Americans is that their problems and concerns are of no account. Thats a recipe for further racial strife. More to the point, Florida under DeSantis would seem to be practicing its own brand of indoctrination. In white nationalism perhaps? Be that as it may, DeSantis can certainly gauge his audience. He knows that pro-choice people are few and far between among Libertys champions for Christ. Alluding to the six-week abortion-ban bill he recently signed, DeSantis said Florida has embraced the culture of life. As I understand it, six weeks is too soon for many women to be sure theyre pregnant, much less decide what to do about it. The irony is DeSantis himself is distinctly un-Christian in his attitudes and actions. At LU, he made no mention of how he had asylum seekers in Texas tricked into being transported to Marthas Vineyard. Are Florida taxpayers happy about his spending $12 million to appear tough on illegal immigration? Still, judging from the enthusiastic response I witnessed at LU, DeSantis could very well receive the Republican nomination for president. He is narrow-minded, and he is not above pandering to the lowest common denominator in our society. Those qualities alone are likely to make him a contender in 2024. Our governor, like him or loathe him, is a liberal compared to DeSantis. There is that. Public school districts in the area are increasingly becoming aware of the need for additional preschool and child care providers. Efforts to help meet those needs are in various stages of development in different districts. Council Bluffs In Council Bluffs Community School District, which has long had a goal of increasing preschool enrollment and capacity, the vision of an early childhood center offering both preschool and child care will soon be realized. In fall 2017, Superintendent Vickie Murillo in her first year in the district and the school board set a goal of expanding early childhood learning opportunities. Specifically, they aimed to increasing preschool enrollment for 4-year-olds to 560 by 2020. Preschool enrollment did increase from 350 in 2016-17 to 407 in 2017-18 and 468 in 2018-19. By spring 2021, the total had decreased to 466 because of an increase in kindergarten students. In fall 2018, the district applied for a Head Start grant that would have provided $2 million per year for the classes operated through the federal program. Unfortunately, the district was not awarded the grant. School officials acknowledged that reaching the goal would require more space, more staff and more funding. The district has worked with various partners in the community, including the Charles E. Lakin YMCA, Childrens Square USA and St. Albert Catholic Schools Sheryl K. Johnson Child Care Center to increase its Head Start classrooms. In June 2021, the state awarded Council Bluffs Community Schools a $7 million grant to help the district launch a Childcare and Early Learning Exploratory Project. It also awarded grants to Waterloo Community Schools and several other school districts. To help fund construction of an early learning center and establish an endowment for it, the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation conducted a fundraising campaign that yielded millions of dollars in local grants and donations. We are fortunate to have the confidence of Gov. Reynolds as we prepare to implement universal preschool and demonstrate the effectiveness of high-quality early childhood programming on the kindergarten readiness of students, Murillo said. We look forward to being a model program that can be replicated in other Iowa school districts. The school districts Anne E. Nelson Early Learning Center is nearing completion and will open in August. It will provide preschool programming to 170 to 175 students and child care to 25 to 30 infants and toddlers ranging from 6 weeks to 3 years of age. Lewis Central Lewis Central Community School District also has identified an early childhood addition or facility as one of its top three priorities in its new master facilities plan. If Lewis Central had the opportunity to build a new elementary school, it would expand preschool services and child care wrap-around services, Superintendent Brent Hoesing said Friday. The new primary elementary school would be built in a way that allows for future expansion in both our intermediate school (Titan Hill) and our primary school, he said in an email. The building would be large enough to recapture second grade in our primary school (where it belongs academically and developmentally), creating space in Titan Hill for future classroom expansion. Second grade currently occupies nine classrooms at Titan Hill, Hoesing said. The primary school would be built large enough to allow for classroom expansion in kindergarten through second grade and expand preschool services, he said. The goal would be to expand the five preschool classrooms to at least 10 and potentially up to 15. That expansion would allow us to increase our preschool capacity from 85 (currently serving) to up to 350 preschool students. The new elementary would also house a large daycare facility, which would allow us to serve many more students in our wrap-around program, Hoesing continued. We currently are restricted by (the Department of Health and Human Services) to serve 150 students and have waiting lists with 300 more students in need. The additional building would also allow the district to convert Kreft Primary School into a therapeutic or alternative school, he said. Hoesing said a local real estate agent told him he expects hundreds of new homes to be built in the Lewis Central district over the next 10 years, as well as apartment complexes and other housing, presumably bringing hundreds of students to Lewis Central Community School District. At this point, every single classroom in all four of our buildings are full, he said. Even if not all of the homes have students, hundreds of new students would create a significant impact on our classroom sizes and how we serve students in our current facilities. Lewis Centrals first priority is shoring up its infrastructure, followed by renovating Lewis Central Middle School. Building a new elementary school is a medium- to long-term goal that would only be possible with additional funding. Treynor Treynor Community School District officials are also thinking about preschool. The district will open its first preschool classroom this fall, Superintendent Joel Beyenhof said. While this is not a unique offering, the discussion around having a preschool program at our school has happened for over 20 years and it is going to happen next year, starting with one classroom, he said. As I came on board, thats something the school board wanted me to explore. Beyenhof said he had received input on the pros and cons of adding preschool from teachers and staff. We identified a lot of benefits that would happen for students and families from starting up a preschool, he said. The district will devote its one preschool to all-day preschool for 4-year-olds, Beyenhof said. Were looking at only resident students to start with, he said. Those who need early access and have financial need would get priority, Beyenhof said. The class would be capped at 20 students, with the size initially limited to 17 students to allow for a few to start during the school year. The district received 36 applications and had a committee review them, he said. Seventeen students were selected and parents were notified April 1. Depending on how the first year goes, the district might stay with one classroom or expand by one classroom each year up to a yet-to-be-determined limit, Beyenhof said. Were planning on having additional discussions on what our preschool looks like in the future, but we dont have a specific plan for what that preschool looks like in the future, he said. School officials have started interviewing pre-K teaching candidates and plan to begin construction of a playground in mid-May, with the help of a $40,000 grant from the Iowa West Foundation, Beyenhof said. The district will hire one teacher and one paraeducator to cover the preschool program, as long as its just one classroom. The Comoros government vowed not to accept illegal migrants expelled from the neighboring French island of Mayotte and urged France to step back from a planned operation that could see their forced return. In an escalating diplomatic spat, the Comoros government already asked France last Monday April 17 to abandon the planned Operation Wuambushu (Take Back) that was to involve evictions, destruction of illegal housing and arrests in Mayotte, a French department in the Indian Ocean facing a galloping crime rate, against the backdrop of a migration crisis. As part of the operation, which was approved by French President Emmanuel Macron in February, those without papers were to be sent back to the Comoran island of Anjouan, 70 kilometers away. The Comoros do not intend to welcome people expelled as part of the operation planned by the French government in Mayotte, Comoros government spokesman said, adding that the planned action went against the spirit and the letter of agreements between the two countries. Mayotte and the three islands of the present-day Comoros were French territories until 1975. Following a referendum, Grande Comore, Moheli and Anjouan islands declared themselves to be a separate country, the Union of the Comoros. But Mayotte voted to remain a French overseas territory and later became a French department a status rejected by the Comoros, which continues to claim the island. While Mayotte is Frances poorest department with around 80% of the population living beneath the poverty line and high levels of social delinquency, it also benefits from French infrastructure support and welfare, and this has caused an influx from the nearby Comoros. Chinese firms operating in Africa are often accused of underpaying local workers, but a new study conducted by British experts in Angola and Ethiopia suggests that this reputation is undeserved. As Chinese companies have become active in sub-Saharan Africa, theyve earned a reputation for paying their local workers less than their Chinese colleagues. But based on interviews conducted with more than 1,400 workers in Angola and Ethiopia, this reputation is not deserved. The study by Carlos Oya from Londons School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Florian Schaefer from Kings College London aimed to discover whether it was true that Chinese firms consistently underpaid local workersand what that even meant. They surveyed workers in manufacturing and construction at Chinese-owned and other foreign-owned firms in both countries, as well as at locally owned businesses in both countries. They asked not only what workers were paid, but also about their skills, education, role, and other personal details that might affect pay. The research found that pay across the two countries displayed substantial variation. They did find slightly lower wages in Chinese companies in some segments, for example, among semi-skilled construction workers in Angola and semi-skilled manufacturing workers in Ethiopia, they wrote. But the study concluded that much of that difference could be accounted for by specific differences in factors like workers education or skills. There is no clear evidence that Chinese firms consistently pay less than comparator firms within same sectors and countries, they wrote in the study, published in the journal World Development. The study certainly doesnt absolve Chinese firms of any wrongdoing in sub-Saharan Africa, and only deals with pay in two countries. But its an indication that the narrative about Chinese firms exploiting locals might be more complicated than many assume. BEATRICE Two trailblazing journalists, one in broadcast journalism and the other in journalism education, were inducted into the Marian Andersen Women Journalists Hall of Fame Saturday. Mary Hepburn, who had a long career in journalism and journalism education before moving home to North Platte, joined Linda Beermann in being honored. Hepburn currently writes a weekly column for The North Platte Telegraph. Ceremonies were conducted during the Nebraska Press Womens spring conference awards banquet, the association said in a press release. Hepburn was recognized for her work as a reporter and writer for numerous U.S. and Canadian newspapers, publications and government agencies, as well as her years as a journalism educator. Following graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1972 she taught at Lincoln Southeast High School, then moved to Canada where she taught high school journalism in Montreal and Toronto and then college level journalism in Ottawa. In Montreal she started a high school journalism program, writing her own curriculum. In 1995 she returned to North Platte where she began working for The North Platte Telegraph, first doing a weekly roundup of church news, then later a more general weekly column. Twenty-eight years later she is still writing that column. Among her honors are the Woman of Achievement Award presented in 2019 in the area of Cultural Arts, the North Platte High School Distinguished Alumni Award and she has been featured in a video produced by UNL for her support of the College of Journalism. Beermann, a long-time reporter, photographer, news assignment editor and weather newscaster for KOLN/KGIN-TV, was a posthumous induction. When the station named her its full-time evening weather newscaster in 1979 the move broke numerous glass ceilings as she is believed to have been the first woman nationally to be promoted to that role at a local station. She continued in that role until 1986 when she resigned to be able to spend more time with her two young sons and join her husband, Allen Beermann, in his political and civic roles while Nebraskas Secretary of State. Her community activities included serving as co-chair of the Arbor Day Centennial celebration and co-emceeing two gubernatorial inaugural balls. She was also involved with the Nebraska Mothers Associations Mother of the Year program. The Marian Andersen Nebraska Women Journalists Hall of Fame was formed in 2011 by Nebraska Press Women with the exclusive sponsorship and financial support from the late Marian Andersen, a graduate of the College of Journalism and Mass communications at UNL. The purpose of this hall of fame is to recognize working women journalists, who through talent, initiative, intelligence, persistence and stamina, have made a difference for the profession, for their communities and for those who follow in their footsteps. On Wednesday, my priority bill (LB 77) passed final reading with exactly 33 votes. It will be signed by the governor Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Warner Chamber of the Capitol. I have been working on this bill for the entire seven years Ive spent in the Legislature. When I first was elected to office, I read the Nebraska Constitution. The very first text in the Constitution reads as follows: Article I, Section 1. Statement of rights. All persons are by nature free and independent, and have certain inherent and inalienable rights; among these are life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the right to keep and bear arms for security or defense of self, family, home, and others, and for lawful common defense, hunting, recreational use, and all other lawful purposes, and such rights shall not be denied or infringed by the state or any subdivision thereof. To secure these rights, and the protection of property, governments are instituted among people, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source: Neb. Const. art. I, sec. 1 (1875); Amended 1988, Initiative Measure No. 403 After reading this, I researched where this language came from. In 1988 the people of Nebraska collected enough signatures and put Initiative 403 on the ballot. The measure passed with nearly 65% of the vote. The way I see it, this bill keeps a 35-year-old promise. The essence of LB 77 is very simple. It is a small transfer of power from the government back to the people. People have a God-given right to keep and bear arms, and we protect that right with our constitution and laws. Upon reading our constitution it became immediately clear to me that Nebraska should be one of the 27 states that allow law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed weapon without being forced to pay a fee to the government for a permit to exercise their God-given right. The Second Amendment is the only constitutionally protected individual right that one must first get permission from the government before it can be used. This is wrong. No other right protected by the constitution is treated this way. The framers of our constitution understood the difference between a privilege the government can regulate (like driving) and a right protected by our constitution. They made sure a right was something I can do whether somebody else likes it or not. Protecting our individual rights is the No. 1 responsibility of our constitutional republic. LB 77 does that. I want to sincerely thank the many thousands of people from my district and from across the state who have reached out to me to offer their congratulations. I am humbled and honored by all the support I have received over the many years it took to finally get this done. It was great, by the way, to hear Gov. Jim Pillen speak at last weekends Nebraska Press Association convention in Lincoln to help it celebrate its 150th anniversary. Governor, when are you coming out to meet with and talk to us western Nebraskans as governor? He hasnt been here for anyone from The Telegraph to interview him since just before last Mays primary election and then for only a few minutes after a North Platte campaign event. Governors for at least 40 years, from Bob Kerrey to Pete Ricketts, made a point of getting into a plane after their January State of the State address to the Legislature and literally making flying visits to North Platte, Scottsbluff and other major cities in greater Nebraska. Pillen didnt do that after his first State of the State speech on Jan. 25. (We got only a trace of snow in North Platte that day. We doublechecked. Couldnt have been the weather.) Governor, we know an awful lot of western Nebraskans voted for you. We know its still just three months into your term. But we really hope you wont be a stranger. How about anchoring our Nebraskaland Days parade in June? North Platte would welcome you with open arms. So would we. Newspapers cant count on winning such prestigious statewide honors as the Nebraska Press Associations annual Omaha World-Herald Community Service Award and Service to Agriculture Award. They cant deliberately set out to win them, either. Not if theyre serving their readers the right way. The NPA, which announced the awards 2023 weekly and daily winners at its Lincoln convention last weekend, first presented its Community Service Award in 1923. It added the Service to Agriculture Award at its 1954 convention. For the third consecutive year, The Telegraph has been named the daily Community Service Award winner (and in the awards centennial year besides). And for the second straight year, our paper swept both daily awards. Please forgive us for sharing here our deepest gratitude to the NPA, the World-Herald and especially you, the readers we serve and who support our work through your subscriptions. Omahas Aksarben Foundation, previously called the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, sponsored these awards from 1950 to 1998. The World-Herald became sponsor the next year. As a Nebraska newspaper, to win one of these awards means weve excelled in what we call community journalism. Its our mission to tell our readers stories and give them the information they need to survive, thrive and carry out their duties as citizens. Its why were here. To sweep both awards in a given year is immensely humbling. To sweep two years in a row? Beyond belief, really. Now weve won five of these awards over three years. Theyre not the first Ak-Sar-Ben/World-Herald awards in our papers history. But it had been awhile prior to 2021. Telegraph again sweeps NPA World-Herald awards, wins 2nd in sweepstakes The Telegraph captured its third consecutive Community Service Award and second straight Service to Agriculture award during Saturday's closing day of the Nebraska Press Association's 150th anniversary convention in Lincoln. It helps to have great material, as we wrote here after last years sweep. And North Platte has been on fire as a community these past three years in renewing itself economically. Weve had great stories to tell: voters resounding Quality Growth Fund renewal in 2020; the Sustainable Beef and District 177 projects in 2021; and the North Platte Recreation Complex sales-tax vote and the states Perkins County Canal revival in 2022. Those are the subjects behind our five awards. As a news team, we did nothing to start those stories. You, our neighbors, did. We covered them as thoroughly and informatively as we could. That was especially true with then-Gov. Pete Ricketts Perkins canal proposal, which dusted off an abandoned 129-year-old project almost everyone had forgotten. Including us. When Ricketts announced it in January 2022, our newsrooms first reaction was: What canal? Once we answered that and told you, then we asked: Wheres the water coming from? We found out and told you that, too. Thats community journalism. Its harder to do these days. We dont have the number of bodies we used to. Maybe thats why winning five of a possible six top NPA awards in three years means so much to us. As long as you tell us your stories and enable us to tell them, well keep telling them back. Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: CINDY SCHULTZ/The New York Times/Redux After months of debate, denunciations, and threats and a first-ever rejection of a governors nominee, the State Senate happily agreed, 40 to 19, to make Rowan Wilson New Yorks chief judge after a speedy, courteous, and uneventful hearing. A lot of contentious issues are sure to come before the states highest court including bail reform, civil-rights questions, environmental mandates, and eviction procedures so why did Wilson get ushered in so quickly, unlike Governor Hochuls previous nominee, Hector LaSalle? The issue that got Wilson over the finish line is his stated belief that the Democratic-controlled legislature should have been allowed to create gerrymandered political districts. That made him especially attractive to the state senates Democratic supermajority, which seems determined to flex its progressive muscles and clearly would like an ally leading the high court. The Court of Appeals is so important for so many reasons, not least because of the makeup of our current U.S. Supreme Court and how it is either chipping away or in some instances completely eliminating rights that we need to be protected. We depend on our state courts to do that, Alice Fontier, the managing director of the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, told me. He will be the first Black chief judge, and also he will be able to set culture and direction on the court. Wilsons elevation is not free from controversy including a version of the same one that doomed LaSalles nomination. Last month, he penned a Court of Appeals decision, People v. Regan, that dismissed charges against an upstate man whod been convicted of first-degree rape. The case had to be thrown out, said Wilson, writing for the 4-2 majority, because prosecutors in St. Lawrence County despite the victims prompt report to the police the day after being raped did not indict the accused man until four years late and failed to take even basic investigative steps like a DNA test until more than two and a half years after the crime. Our constitution allows for modest unexcused delays; it allows for lengthy justifiable delays. But it does not allow for lengthy unexplained or, as here, inexplicable delays caused by lethargy or ignorance of basic prosecutorial procedures, Wilson wrote in his opinion, concluding that the long delays by police and prosecutors violated provisions of the state constitution that require prompt prosecution of cases. With the majority decision, the scales, once again, weigh against womens voices, Judge Madeline Singas wrote in a blistering dissent. The result is a stunning nullification of a jurys first-degree rape conviction and the reinforcement of the bleak history of the treatment of sexual assault victims. Singass concerns were echoed by the National Organization for Womens NYC chapter. I have to point out just the fundamental unfairness and misogyny thats built into this reasoning, that the way to serve rape victims is to throw out their convictions as a way to spank prosecutors. That is unacceptable. It fully disqualifies him to lead this court, NOW-NYCs president, Sonia Ossorio, told me, predicting that Wilsons elevation is going to go down in history as one of the worst decisions that has come out of this administration and this legislature. Ossorio also pointed out that many of the same progressive senators supporting Wilsons appointment had earlier this year attacked Judge Hector LaSalle and voted down his nomination based, in part, on his 2017 vote in Evergreen v. Schneiderman, a case involving the privacy rights of an anti-abortion organization. In the last nomination, they were outraged that the nominee made a call on a procedural case about subpoena power for an anti-choice group. Wheres the outrage here? Ossorio said. Were talking about a person whos back in the small town where she lives, where the rapist lives. And hes going to say, My case was overturned. One reason Wilson got such a friendly reception from the State Senate is his dissent in last years case Harkenrider v. Hochul, in which the Court of Appeals threw out the legislatures proposed redrawing of political district lines and turned the matter over to a court-appointed outside special master. The resulting new maps disrupted Democratic political dominance and contributed to Republicans flipping four congressional seats. Wilson opposed appointing the special master. It is important to pay close attention to the wording of the Constitution. It does not prohibit the creation (or maintenance) of districts that are highly partisan in one direction or the other, he wrote in what was surely music to the ears of Democratic leaders. I do not mean to say that I know the Legislature did not draw some districts in a way that violated our State Constitution; rather, the evidence here does not prove that to be the case at the level of certainty required to invalidate the 2022 redistricting as unconstitutional. Wilsons opposition to the redistricting process matters because Dems are still quietly fighting to get last years lines thrown out. Earlier this month, Governor Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James submitted a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that last years hastily redrawn lines should not last for the rest of the decade; they are calling on the court to allow the state legislature to take another crack at redistricting. That tees up what could be an important legal and political showdown. If Hochul, James, and other leading Democrats get their way, redistricting will end up in the Court of Appeals again. And should that happen, Democrats will get a sympathetic hearing and, perhaps, a favorable outcome under Chief Judge Wilson. Stay tuned. JW Insights: Chinese and Japanese display panel manufacturers team up to challenge South Koreas long domination in the large-size OLED market By Greg Gao (JW Insights) Apr 23 -- Chinas display panel makers are cooperating with Japanese manufacturers JDI and JOLED in accelerating the mass production of lower-cost eLEAP OLEDs and printed OLEDs in a challenge to South Koreas long-time monopoly in the large-size OLED market, said a recent JW Inisghts report. Despite China"s base in low-cost OLEDs, the country has the potential to change the global large-size OLED panel market and increase its market share of OLED TVs. China has become the worlds largest LCD panel production base. Meanwhile, South Korea still dominates the large-size OLEDs. Currently, large-size OLED panels around the world are exclusively supplied by South Korean manufacturers. LG Display (LGD) produces W-OLED, while Samsung Display focuses on QD-OLED. However, the production costs of these two technical directions are relatively high, and they have only found success in the high-end television market. LGD has enjoyed dominant position in the global large-size OLED panel market for a long time. In 2013 since OLED television became an industry buzzword. Both Samsung Display and LGD began mass-producing large-size OLEDs. However, Samsung Display chose the wrong technology path, and its large-size OLED yields were too low, forcing the company to temporarily abandon the technology and focus on QLED instead. Meanwhile, LGD focused on W-OLED technology, continuously improving its production process and increasing yields and production capacity. As a result, W-OLED began to penetrate the high-end television market. In 2022, global OLED TV shipments were about 6.29 million units, and in 2023 it is expected to reach 7.41 million units. While South Korea continues to strengthen its dominance in the large-size OLED market, Chinas panel makers also began to make forays into this area. The countrys display giant BOE has set up a trial line in Hefei, central Chinas Anhui Province, for W-OLED and printed OLED. It has developed the worlds first 55-inch 8K printed OLED, 95-inch 8K W-OLED, and 55-inch 8K printed AMQLED. TCL Technology, another display titan in China, established the National Printing and Flexible Display Innovation Center and invested in a 4.5-generation printed OLED trial line in Guangzhou, southeastern Chinas Guangdong Province, through its subsidiary. The company has also developed a 31-inch QD-OLED, 31-inch electroluminescent diode (QLED), 31-inch printed foldable OLED, and 65-inch 8K printed OLED. Other Chinese display panel manufacturers such as HKC(), Visionox() are also making trying to enter the large-size OLED market. If Chinese manufacturers follow the W-OLED or QD-OLED technology route, not only will it be difficult to avoid the relevant patents of South Korean companies, but they will also face the high costs of the technology. Large-size OLED panels require differentiated process solutions with lower costs, so printing OLEDs, eLEAP OLEDs, etc., have become important directions for Chinese panel makers. They cooperated with Japanese manufacturers, with long-term technology accumulation in printed OLED and eLEAP OLED. In 2020, TCL CSOT(TCL) signed an investment agreement with JOLED, a Japanese display technology company incorporated in 2015 as the result of a consolidation of the OLED business units of Panasonic and Sony, to invest 30 billion($223.6 million) in JOLED and obtain a 10.76% stake in the company. In the past two years, TCL CSOT has acquired product development and process technology accumulation on the JOLED production line, obtained patent authorization related to printed OLED, and developed the worlds first 65-inch 8K printed OLED sample. On April 7, HKC and JDI(Japan Display Inc) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a strategic alliance. The two parties will work together to carry out long-term and comprehensive cooperation in next-generation eLEAP OLED, joint R&D center, and high-end automotive panel business. They jointly built the worlds most advanced eLEAP OLED panel factory, aiming to start mass production in 2025. The total investment for the joint project could amount to hundreds of billions of yen, the Japanese firm said. HKC will cover the costs of factory construction while JDI will provide the expertise for manufacturing the product. If TCL CSOTs printed OLEDs and HKCs eLEAP OLEDs can be successfully mass-produced, it will not only break South Koreas domination in large-size OLEDs, but also may even further lead the way, an industry analyst pointed out. However, Chinese panel makers are also facing daunting technology challenges. The mass production of printed OLEDs is not progressing smoothly, eLEAP OLED is still in the testing stage. Chinese makers, including TCL CSOT and HKC, still have a long way to go. You are here: World Flash 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. I relinked all the images through Imgur so that should do it. I have no idea what LJ was banging on about making the images locked when the album is Public. :/As long as art has existed, there have been women creating it. Unfortunately their achievements have either been overlooked in Art History or attributed to their partners or mentors. Fortunately, there has been a push in recent years by art researchers, museum boards, art teachers, and others to finally give women artists their due. From Sofonisba Anguissola (one of the first female artists in Western History) to Simone Leigh (A Black artist whose critically acclaimed work took over the U.S. pavilion in Venice last year) women are beginning to establish themselves firmly into Art History.In honor of Womens History Month (I know it was last month but I was lazy, okay?) I would like to present women artists who have personally inspired me, and they represent a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. Some were forgotten for a long time before finally receiving their flowers from art historians, while others have exploded rather recently, and range from traditionalists to activists to New Media adherents. All of them prove that women creating art is in itself a political act. Once again, you can either read about these fabulous women or just enjoy the pretty pictures of their work. Enjoy!Once a footnote in Art History, Artemisia Gentileschi has emerged as one of the most important painters of the 17th century. In recent years theres been a newfound appreciation of her technical skill, especially her command of chiaroscuro (a heightened juxtaposition of light and shadow). Gentileschi is especially known for producing an array of paintings of strong female women in literature and often have biblical themes of women killing men as evidenced in the Jael and Sisera and Judith Slaying Holofernes paintings.She was also the queen of making lemonade out of some really bitter lemons, as unfortunately she became just as well known for the horrible things that happened to her as well as her talent. In 1611, the year after she painted Susanna and the Elders, Artemisia was raped by Agostino Tassi (who was a friend of her father Orazio) and unfortunately that incident (as well as the trial that followed where he was actually found guilty) was the lens in which people viewed her work in the past. However, as scholars unearth more of her personal history a new picture is emergingand thats of the ways that she made use of all the areas of her life in her work; not just sexual violation but also motherhood, erotic passion, and professional ambition. She used this incident (as well as her engagement to a man her father picked out for her) as an opportunity to establish herself as an artist independent of her father, and her status as a married woman offered her something she had never truly experienced: liberty. She swiftly became recognized as one of the most accomplished artists of her day, and retained that prominence for decades.While her work is highly sought and in museums around the world thein Naples, Italy is hosting a major exhibition of her work that documents her years in Naples.When I think who is the number one artist I think of when I hear the phrase Afrofuturism Wangechi immediately comes to mind. Her world is a wondrous place full of color, hybrid animals, aliens, and more. Hybrid creatures populate both the artists extravagant collages and startling sculptures, variously merging human and animal (or plant), alien and earthling, and female and male into assertive female-leaning beings. Her collages, sculptures and videos examine the exploitation, resilience and grandeur of Black women as social, spiritual and mythic beings.Born in Kenya in 1972, Mutu attended boarding school in Wales and came to New York in the early 1990s, earning a B.F.A. from the Cooper Union and an M.F.A. from Yale. In 2015 she moved to Nairobi, but still maintains a studio in Brooklyn. Primarily a multimedia artist (she often stars in and directs her video installations) she is best known for her beautiful, rich collages, and has a knack for combining materials in her sculptures, collages, and paintings to imagine a world free of divisions between species, race, and gender. She is currently having a retrospective of her work at the New Museum in NY, sealing her reputation as one of the best artists of her generation, and using her innate versatility to demonstrate diversity as essential to life, real or imagined.Besides the current retrospective (that Im pissed I cant see) at the New Museum she also has work on display at the San Francisco Museum of Art and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C.Hoch is mostly known for her politically motivated collages and photomontage works. She often appropriated text and images from magazines and newspapers to create works that criticized the German government during the Weimer Era as well as gender issues and the place of women in modern society. She was the rare female artist who was actively practicing her craft in the early 20th century as well as being an integral part of the Dada movement (which was primarily a sausage fest). Her work was exhibited at the First International Dada Fair in Berlin, but before the show opened fellow Dadaists George Grosz and John Heart tried to stop her work from being shown. It took her then lover Raoul Hausmann threatening to pull his own work from the show for them to include her, and even then she was constantly being disrespected; Hans Richter (a prominent member of the movement) only memory of her was the food she provided at openings.Although Hoch's aesthetic of borrowing from popular culture, dismemberment and collage fitted well with that of the Dadaists, the union was an uneasy one, not least because of the inherent sexism of the movement. She also felt uncomfortable with the exhibitionist element of the Dada circle, and was embarrassed by the behavior of some of her peers. Around the late 20s she had moved away from the movement and made connections with other artists; most notably Moholy Nagy and Piet Mondrian. During the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany Hoch found herself under attack from the regime because they had her art listed as degenerate. Unlike a lot of artists at that time who chose to leave Berlin, Hoch chose to stay; she bought a house near Berlin and stayed there as a form of exile. After the war, Hochs work veered off into abstraction, but her output during this period was less known and less well-received. Regardless of this, her pioneering work in photomontage was still influential for many later artists, including Greta Stern, Cindy Sherman, and countless others.The Met, MoMa, and the Berlinische Galerie all have some of her pieces in their permanent collections.The Guerrilla Girls is an activist group formed in 1985 whose members are female artists, curators, and writers. Their work is a combination of performance art and a combination of demonstrations and public service messages and the members often disguise themselves by wearing gorilla masks. They do interventions and exhibitions at art museums, blasting them on their own walls for their bad behavior and discriminatory practices, including a stealth projection on the facade of the Whitney Museum about income inequality and the super rich hijacking art. Their art tends to be text based messages that nonetheless are extremely effective in showing the racial and gender discrimination that often runs rampant in the art world. I first learned about their work through an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, and respect what they do.They currently are a part of the Put It This Way exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC.Wendy Red Star is an Apsaalooke contemporary multimedia artist born in Billings, Montana. Once again, The Brooklyn Museum was Ground Zero for me finding out about another great female artist because I instantly fell in love with her work. Red Star uses a wide array of self-portraitureoften featuring theatrical poses and backgrounds in addition to archival imagery, large-scale installations, performance art, sculptures composed of found objects, and stunning mixed-media collages showing photographed figures set against backgrounds of vivid textiles and beadwork. At the heart of all of her work is an appreciation and love of Crow culture, and she often uses the Internet and online research sessions on related topics to motivate and inspire her in her work.Her work can currently be seen at the Native American: In Translation exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum.The designer in me loves Barbara Krugers text based creations. She is most known for her collage style that consists of black-and-white photographs, overlaid with declarative captions, stated in white-on-red Futura Bold Oblique or Helvetica Ultra Condensed text. It doesnt surprise me one bit that Barbara initially started her career as a graphic designer for Mademoiselle magazine. She later described this period in her life as the biggest influence in her work. Like a lot of creative she went through a period where she felt her work lacked meaning, and went on a hiatus for a year. When she began working again, her style had evolved into her signature style of large format images overlaid with text. In addition to creating text and photographic works, Kruger has produced video and audio works, written criticism, taught classes, curated exhibitions, designed products, such as T-shirts and mugs, and developed public projects, such as billboards, bus wraps, and architectural interventions.Kruger likes to address her audience through the usage of personal pronouns like you and I, drawing the viewer into each piece. Krugers work prompts us to interrogate our own positions; in the artists words, to question and change the systems that contain us. She demands that we consider how our identities are formed within culture, through representation in language and image.While shes had recent retrospective exhibitions in Chicago, New York, and L.A. you can see a permanent exhibit of her work at the Tate Modern in London.Better known as "Amuki" (inner silence), Vanessa Zuniga Tinizaray is an designer from Ecuador whose passions has led her to investigate the visual signs of the ancestral cultures of Latin America. Specializing in experimental typography, visual communication, and New Media, Amuki often uses generative software programs like Processing to create her works, and combines Swiss design practices with ancient art forms from the Latin diaspora to create something unique and special. Her goal is to share with and teach people to value and celebrate Latin Americas cultural heritage.Eighteen years of experimentation culminated into the award winning research project "Visual Chronicles of the Abya Yala" which led her to be a finalist and two mentions in the Ibero-American Design Biennial. Amukis work with kinetic typography with the foundry Sudtipos of Argentina to promote the typographic family Fixture in 2018 has been featured in magazines such as Computer Arts, as well as online mentions in Graffica and Eye magazine. I first became acquainted with Amuki and her work after seeing her lecture at the Typographics Festival (which is a yearly gathering for people who, you know, love letterforms and typography). Its a really good talk, so if you love type and have 20 minutes Ive included it here. Amuki is currently giving a talk at the University of Illinois at Urbana entitled Tinkuy: Meeting in Diversity. In addition, she is also currently doing Processing Workshops in Latin America.Once again, I encourage everyone to check out the sources because in many cases Ive linked directly to the artists website where you can learn more about them and their work. ONTD, who are some of your fave Women in Art? It can be any genre; let me know in the comments, and post images if you can!~Die Quellen~ On April 10, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid a one-day official visit to Kazakhstan (President.az, April 10). This visit took place about six months after the first official visit of Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as the head of state to Azerbaijan in August 2022 (The Astana Times, August 24, 2022). Projects related to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or Middle Corridor, and energy transit from Kazakhstan to Europe via Azerbaijan topped the agenda, though a number of documents were signed in other areas as well, including in the fields of telecommunications and science (President.az, April 10; Dailysabah.com, April 10). During a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Tokayev emphasized the significance of fully leveraging the potential of the Middle Corridor. According to the Kazakhstani president, for this purpose, Astana underlines the need for the enhancement of logistical services, the creation of unified transport operators, the modernization of technical and tariff conditions, the elimination of administrative barriers and the emergence of a closed logistical cycle (President.az, April 10). The two countries are motivated by the growing demand for further development of this passageway, which emerged in recent months as European companies have pivoted away from the Russian-dominated transit routes due to Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. According to ADY Express, a subsidiary of Azerbaijan Railways, container cargo transported through the TITR increased by 45 percent in the first ten months of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021 (Adycontainer.com, November 18, 2022). The increase in cargo transport between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan was even higher. ADY Express reports that the total weight of rail freight transported between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan increased by eightfold, reaching 950,000 tons between January and October 2022. Notably, 96 percent of this freight was categorized as transit traffic (Trend, November 30, 2022). Additionally, cargo transport between Azerbaijan and Georgia has increased dramatically (75 percent) in the past year (Trend, October 24, 2022). Yet, despite these figures, the Middle Corridor still lags behind the capacity of the Russian-controlled routes to the north, though the former is 2,000 kilometers shorter. While the Middle Corridor is estimated to have carried up to 80,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2022, the northern routes carried 1.5 million TEUs in 2021, which accounted for approximately 4 percent of all cargo transported between China and Europe (the rest was carried via maritime routes) (Ebrd.com, November 7, 2022). Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, in coordination with other participating countries, including the other Central Asian states and Turkey, have taken a wide range of measures to optimize the Middle Corridor (see EDM, August 4, 2022). These measures aim not only to attract a larger segment of shipments transiting between Asia and Europe but also, perhaps more importantly, to improve connectivity among the countries along this route, which is of great geopolitical importance in offsetting Chinese and Russian influence in the region. The efforts in this direction include projects to upgrade ports along the Caspian Sea and to improve highways and railways that would be utilized along this route. The process was coordinated within the Roadmap for 20222027 for the Development and Operation of the Middle Corridor, which was adopted at the second trilateral meeting of foreign and transportation ministers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkey in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on November 25, 2022 (Mincom.gov.az, November 25, 2022). To this end, Azerbaijan has also launched the technical work to expand the capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway. According to Aliyev, $120 million will be invested for this purpose and the work is envisioned to be completed sometime next year (Trend, March 14). This expansion will increase the capacity of the BTK line from 1 million tons per year to 5 millionwhich is a significant and ambitious development considering that only around 1.5 million tons of cargo in total has so far been transported via BTK since its launch in 2017 (Caspiannews.com, January 16). Meanwhile, Azerbaijan also plans to increase the capacity of the Baku International Sea Trade Port, the largest maritime port on the Caspian Sea, from 15 million to 25 million tons. Similarly, Kazakhstan has embarked on a campaign to upgrade its Caspian ports. In July 2022, Tokayev instructed the government to turn Kazakhstani seaports into a major hub in the Caspian Sea region (Interfax, July 7, 2022). The Kazakhstani president declared, Kazakhstan has never been a sea power and has never used the opportunity of marine transportation to the fullest extent. We will need to strengthen the fleet and establish a container hub in the Port of Aktau. Additionally, as a result of optimization efforts, Astana has been able to reduce the time for the transit of goods through Kazakhstani territory via the Middle Corridor from 12 days to six (Azernews, March 3). In the course of the Azerbaijani presidents visit to Kazakhstan on April 10, Aliyev and Tokayev reached additional agreements regarding the shipment of Kazakhstani oil via Azerbaijani pipelines, which adds a new dimension to the Middle Corridor. The need for this appeared due to the complications Kazakhstan faced with transiting its oil via the trans-Russia Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which carries two-thirds of Kazakhstani oil to global markets, in 2022 (Kazinform, November 10, 2022). In March 2023, the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) announced the initiation of transporting Kazakhstani oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. The first and second shipments via this route arrived on March 23 and 27, respectively, and were transported under a master agreement between SOCAR and Kazakhstani national energy company KazMunayGas (Caspianpolicy.org, March 23). This agreement envisions the annual transit of 1.5 million tons of oil, with 12 to 14 tanker voyages scheduled between Baku and Aktau until the end of 2023. Aliyev and Tokayev also agreed to increase the amount of oil transported to Europe via Azerbaijani territories (President.az, April 10). Although trans-Azerbaijan transport of Kazakhstani oil is not likely to reach the amount transited via the CPC in the foreseeable future, Tokayev is hopeful that it will eventually increase to 20 million tons per year (Vlast.kz, November 7, 2022). Thus, the Middle Corridor, connecting the two shores of the Caspian Sea, has a special role in the Kazakhstani-Azerbaijani bilateral relationship. The significance both states place on the development of this route, improvement of logistical services, upgrade of infrastructure and other related factors indicate that the positive trend in increased transportation along this route over the past year has the potential to persist, and even increase, in the future. And this further underlines the shifting geopolitical sands in the region as the states of the South Caucasus and Central Asia seek to become more independent in their transit and trade needs. ADVERTISEMENT By the Jamestown Foundation More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Three transgender children and their parents sued Tennessee on Thursday over a new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors. The law, scheduled to go into effect on July 1, prohibits health care providers from providing hormone treatments or surgeries for transgender youth where the purpose is to allow the child to express a gender identity inconsistent with the immutable characteristics of the reproductive system that define the minor as male or female. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and other groups in federal court in Nashville. It claims the Tennessee law violates the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause because it allows the banned medical treatments when they are used to treat conditions other than gender dysphoria. It claims the ban is based on generalized fears, negative attitudes, stereotypes, and moral disapproval of transgender people, rather than the well-being of the state's adolescents and children. All of the treatments prohibited by the Health Care Ban are permitted when undertaken for any reason other than to affirm a gender identity that differs from a patients sex designated at birth, the lawsuit reads. The lawsuit also claims the ban violates parental autonomy protected under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. One of the plaintiffs is a 15-year-old transgender girl who sued under the initials L.W. Growing up, L.W. had constant anxiety about her gender, the lawsuit states. Her discomfort with using the boys' restroom at school was so great that she would avoid it altogether and develop urinary tract infections. After she told her parents that she was transgender, L.W. began taking hormone blockers and later estrogen. Her parents say they have noticed a huge change in L.W., who is now outgoing and thriving, according to the lawsuit. The parents say the new law will force them to either leave Tennessee entirely or makes costly trips out of state for L.W.'s medical care. The law includes a nine-month phase out period for medical treatments begun before it goes into effect, but no new treatments could be started during that time and all treatment must be completed by March 31, 2024. Health care providers who violate the ban would be subject to regulatory discipline and could be sued by the attorney general or private parties. Violations carry a $25,000 penalty. The Tennessee Attorney General's Office did not immediately return a message requesting comment on Thursday. At least 12 other states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of the laws in Alabama and Arkansas. Dvorak Law Group Welcomes Michael J. King Dvorak Law Group, LLC is pleased to welcome Michael J. King to the firm's Corporate and M&A practice groups. King brings over 30 years of experience, having most recently served as the Chief Legal Officer - North America, for Corporate Travel Management (CTM), the world's fifth largest corporate travel management company. Prior to his tenure at CTM, King was the Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Travel and Transport, Inc. In his 14 years with Travel and Transport, King not only led the organization's M&A activities, including several acquisitions in the U.S. as well as one in the U.K., but he managed all legal matters in the organization's sale to CTM in 2020. "Mike brings tremendous judgment and experience to our Corporate and M&A practice groups. His previous role as Chief Legal Officer for a multinational travel group gives him a unique perspective regarding a myriad of legal considerations commonly encountered by our sophisticated business clients, whether large or small," said David M. Dvorak, President of Dvorak Law Group. While King's practice will include corporate work, he will be primarily focused on the firm's growing M&A practice. "The extensive transactional experience Mike has as a private practice attorney makes him the ideal hire to enhance our award-winning M&A practice group," said David R. Mayer, Executive Vice President. "Additionally, Mike is a great guy and will be the perfect interface for our clients and the Firm." About Dvorak Law Group, LLC Dvorak Law Group, LLC is a full-service business, estate planning, and litigation law firm with offices in Omaha, Hastings, Sutton, Columbus, and North Platte, Nebraska. It serves individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, and government entities in Nebraska and throughout the country. To learn more about Dvorak Law Group, visit www.dvoraklawgroup.com. OneWorld Community Health Centers is dedicated to providing access to quality care for all people. With the guidance of our board of directors, we build healthier communities and empower our patients every day. We are thankful for the voluntary service of past, present and incoming members, including the three new members joining us in 2023: Kathleen Neary Admitted to American College of Trial Lawyers Kathleen Neary of Powers Law, a former President of the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys has a becom a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. Ms. Neary is known throughout Nebraska as a trailblazing female attorney who has happily kicked in numerous glass ceilings since her graduation frm the Nebraska College of Law. The induction ceremony at which Ms. Neary became a Fellow took place recently during the recent Spring Meeting of the College in Key Biscayne, Florida. Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship. Ms. Neary focuses her practice on representing individual who have been victims of employment discrimination as well as helping those who have been seriously injured and families who have lost loved ones because of someone else's carelessness. About Powers Law Powers Law is based in Lincoln, NE and has been named numerous times by US News to their "Best Lawyers in Personal Injury Litigation" list. Vince Powers, Elizabeth Govaerts and Kathleen Neary are Trial Attorneys who practice personal injury law throughout Nebraska. www.Vincepowerslaw.com LINCOLN With time ticking toward the end of the session, Nebraska lawmakers continue to talk about possible changes that might determine the fate of a controversial bill that would ban gender-affirming care for individuals under 19. Some of the proposed ideas could ease the bills restrictions on transgender youths who are already undergoing such care, or add mental health protections. But its also possible that there will be no changes before the bill reaches a final vote. A group of eight lawmakers was formed after Legislative Bill 574 advanced through its second round of floor debate, representing both supporters and opponents of the legislation. The bills introducer, State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, referred to the group as the A Team tasked with discussing an amendment in the hopes of repairing some of the fractures the bill has created within the Legislature. The team is made up of Kauth, Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, and Sens. John Cavanaugh, John Fredrickson, Lynne Walz, Ben Hansen, Tom Briese and Teresa Ibach. So far, they have met three times last week, and plan to meet at least once more this week. Both supporters and opponents said the meetings have produced the healthiest conversations surrounding LB 574 since the legislation was introduced in January. The discussions also played a role in lowering the temperature of last weeks floor debate, even as a session-long filibuster in protest of the bill carries on. Though not part of the official team, Omaha Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and Megan Hunt have adjusted their filibuster strategies over the last week to allow the meetings to progress. Theyre still slowing down floor debate, but they allowed friendly amendments to bills to go through, and they shifted their talking points from LB 574 to other policy issues. Its walking on eggshells for real, Hunt said. While several lawmakers on the floor have referred to the meetings as negotiations, Kauth said Friday that she and other team members considered it more as a listening exercise. We went into it with the expectation that it was a listening exercise, not a negotiation, Kauth said. They have been good discussions, and next week Ill make a decision about how to proceed. Lawmakers within the team have thrown out several suggestions on how to change the bill, although its too soon to tell which ideas might make it into an amendment. Kauth said theyve considered adding mental health protections, while fellow supporter Hansen said theyve discussed provisions on parental consent and a grandfather clause to exempt trans youths who are currently undergoing gender-affirming care. Fredrickson, a LB 574 opponent, has suggested that Nebraska lawmakers should conduct an interim study to examine the impacts of similar legislation elsewhere. I think theres a lot that we still need to learn, Fredrickson said. Kauth said she intends to maintain the bills restrictions on puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries. She previously proposed an amendment that would have just banned surgeries, but when lawmakers were given the opportunity to vote on it during the second round of debate, Kauth asked them to vote it down. With just a few weeks left before the session ends in early June, lawmakers are in a precarious position that several team members have described as a balancing act. No amendment is likely to sway opponents to support LB 574, and its proponents are wary about changes that might lose some votes for the bill. Both Kauth and Hansen express confidence that the bill has the votes needed to pass as it stands, but several lawmakers who have voted yes on the bill in earlier rounds have expressed interest in an amendment. If even one of those lawmakers doesnt support LB 574 in the final round, the bill would fail. Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, who was present but not voting on LB 574 in the first round, said several team members have reached out to him to gauge his position. He said he expects they have reached out to other lawmakers as well. Said John Cavanaugh: I imagine everyone is talking to everyone. Although Brandt declined to share how he plans to vote, he wants to see what changes might be offered. He said he is hoping for an amendment that addresses more complex circumstances that arent covered by the original bill, such as what would happen if a trans person under 19 moves to Nebraska from another state and has already received treatment. Photos: 2023 Nebraska legislative session SIDNEY, Neb. The forest green roof and pair of bronze stags frozen in combat are impossible to miss as you drive down Interstate 80. So are the two corporate buildings 550,000 square feet of nearly empty office space, long offered for a $1 a year lease. The water tower looms overhead, painted in the same green, heralding what once was: Cabelas World Headquarters, City of Sidney. For 54 years, Cabelas made its home here, a juggernaut that kept the town humming. But in 2017, the sporting goods store sold for $5 billion to Bass Pro Shops a takeover that eventually made 2,000 jobs vanish in a town of roughly 6,600 residents. Sidneys outlook turned grim. Without Cabelas, leaders feared that the fourth-largest city in the Panhandle would empty out. A full-page ad in the local paper declared, Last one out, turn off the lights. But six years later, the lights are still on. The reality in this Panhandle town: Complicated. Sidneys population did shrink in the years after the sale then started growing again in 2020. The town has lost an estimated 436 residents since 2016, a 6% dip that mirrors population declines in similar Nebraska cities. The numbers dont signal a full recovery Sidneys median income, for example, has plummeted with the loss of Cabelas high-paying corporate jobs. But Sidneys staying power still surprises experts, who say its driven by two factors. One: Former Cabelas employees opening their small businesses, diversifying the economy in a formerly one-company town. Two: A recent influx of new residents, both retirees and remote workers. I would have predicted at least a 20% (population) decline, said Don Macke, a rural community development consultant who has worked in Sidney. When you lose an employer of this size, and a few years later, weve got a population thats comparable to what it was before, thats pretty unprecedented. *** Each spring, high schoolers from Nebraska and neighboring states flock to Sidney searching for the perfect prom dress. Their destination: Charlotte & Emerson, a downtown boutique and one example of Sidneys rebirth from the ashes of Cabelas. Co-owner Sarah Kaiser and husband Kurt Kaiser both worked at Cabelas. When the company was swallowed by Missouri-based Bass Pro, the family relocated there as Sarah Kaiser ran the combined companys human resources. But in 2020, they decided to return to Sidney, her hometown. Sarah Kaiser opened Charlotte & Emerson with her sister. Her husband launched an online fitness store, Frost Giant Fitness. Theyre two of many Sidney-based companies run by ex-Cabelas employees who decided to stick around and start something new. The corporate experience of these young folks really was key to this particular recovery, said David Iaquinta, a Nebraska Wesleyan University sociology professor who has researched Sidneys economic development. ... they combined that talent with a strong desire for the lifestyle that they had. They said, Were here. Were rooted here. Budding companies are being boosted by E3, a Nebraska Community Foundation program meant to aid entrepreneurship in rural Nebraska. Already, new businesses have remodeled once-dilapidated buildings, said Sarah Sinnett, the programs community lead. This year, E3 partnered with Sidney Public Schools to hire an entrepreneurial navigator, who is helping small-business owners grow their companies. Economic development in Nebraska used to be about cheap land, cheap labor and cheap incentives to nab big companies, Stinnett said. Now: If you want small towns to start thriving really it needs to be focused on entrepreneurship, she said. Economic success and failure often exist on the same block in Sidney. Next door to Charlotte & Emerson, the e-commerce company G.L. Huyett opened its expanded offices in downtown Sidney, with a shining new sign and the promise to grow their staff to 25. Just across the street, theres an empty storefront with a tattered awning, and a Greek restaurant with a boarded door and permanent closed sign. Two blocks away, a closed vintage stores windows are papered over. Across the street, Dawson Sharman, a promising young entrepreneur, runs Petals Florals, the flower shop she bought last year. Losing Cabelas did mean fewer clients, several business owners said. Some fear that acknowledging the decline will hurt business all over again. The first time around was bad enough, said one business owner, declining an interview. Sharman, owner of Petals Florals, was in high school when Cabelas vanished. Her grandmother worked at the company. Sharman doesnt remember much of the impact. But she sees it when looking at the flower shops old monthly receipts. It was so much busier back then, Sharman said. It made so many people move out. When Bass Pro bought Cabelas, the number of homes for sale more than doubled, to an unheard-of 150. So many that Realtor Stephen Wolff ran out of the For Sale signs he handmakes himself. The exodus caused a demographic shake-up that can be seen in census data. From 2017 to 2021, the median household income in Sidney dropped from $61,667 to $49,812 as white-collar corporate positions disappeared, replaced by manufacturing jobs. The number of people making more than six figures nose-dived from 335 to 111. The young adults and young families Cabelas recruited are being replaced by retirees, residents say mostly Coloradans who realized they could buy a similar home for half the price in Sidney. From 2017 to 2021, the share of people 65 and older jumped to nearly a fifth of the population. I think were still trying to figure out what that looks like in a community, said Melissa Norgard, the citys former economic development director. Because its completely changed. Remote workers also took advantage of Sidneys cheap housing market, driven largely by the pandemic, Iaquinta said. The rise in remote work helped people already living in Sidney, too, said Cory Keen, a former Cabelas employee, as former workers who stayed in town started finding good jobs based elsewhere. Keen was one of the few Cabelas employees still employed at the post-merger Sidney corporate office. But in 2020, he left the company to join Nelnet. The Lincoln-based company hired employees in Sidney entirely remote. It didnt open an in-person office until 2021, growing to a staff of 81. I worked out of my home, said Keen, who now leads Nelnets Sidney office. Which wasnt necessarily something you could just easily find and do until the pandemic hit. *** The story of Sidney is a history of booms and busts. The construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s. The Army ammunition depot that spiked during World War II then closed after Vietnam. For large stretches, its been a town driven by a lone major employer. In 1963, Cabelas sparked the latest boom, quickly becoming the backbone of Sidneys economy. One example: Sidney Mayor Brad Sherman, also an operations manager at UPS, said the shipping company would move as many as 2,000 packages a day for the outdoor outfitter. Three UPS employees exclusively focused on Cabelas. The flagship store drove tourism into Sidney, too. Visitors would disembark from a bus in the parking lot, gawk at the array of taxidermied wildlife inside and spend serious money. Many families had their entire incomes coming from Cabelas, making the merger that much more terrifying, several former employees said. Bass Pro promised it would keep a few hundred employees in Sidney, sparing the call center and distribution center. By 2019, it had broken that promise. What city of 6,400 people loses 2,000 high-paying jobs? How do you come back from that? said David Scott, Sidney city manager. There was not a lot of hope for us. Sidney leaders poured money into replacing those lost jobs. In five years, the city has awarded $3.74 million in economic development funds to 14 companies, each pledging to bring in anywhere from 10 to 150 jobs. The vacant corporate offices are still the elephant in the room, Scott said. Weve tried everything we can to market those. But even if a company relocated and brought dozens of families into town, thered be nowhere for them to live, said Wolff, the local Realtor. In mid-March, there were only about 30 homes on the market in Cheyenne County. Filling the building with one big company would be a mistake, Macke said. Then: Sidney simply becomes dependent on one more big thing, Macke said. And at some point, they may not have the resiliency to reinvent themselves. Sinnett hopes the new entrepreneurship program will make it easier for small-business owners to get funded, create a business plan and open in Sidney. There are plans to start a local investment club, where entrepreneurs who dont qualify for a bank loan could seek funds from local investors. Its all part of the ongoing effort to diversify Sidneys economy. It may work, experts say. It may not. But Sidneys story is still being written. Theyre just in their first act post-Cabelas, Macke said. The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of April 2023 Authorities in Cameroons capital, Yaounde, have arrested prostitutes who have been visiting coronavirus isolation centres in some hotels and offering their services. The prostitutes, who earn at east $30 a night, have been approaching travellers from Europe despite the risk of contracting the disease and spreading it. Mr Jean Claude Tsila, the capitals administrative officer, reported the arrests to state broadcaster Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) on Friday. Mr Tsila did not give the number of those arrested Friday but reliable sources close to his office said they were at least 50. We were reliably informed that some persons confined in some hotels in Yaounde due to the coronavirus pandemic were receiving prostitutes inside their rooms, the administrative officer said. He described the smuggling of prostitutes into hotel rooms as a legendary act of indiscipline. SECURITY TIGHTENED Tsila has reinforced security around the Yaounde hotels hosting persons suspected of the coronavirus. He has also given firm instructions for the arrest of prostitutes parading Yaounde streets famous for the trade. Those arrested will be charged with spreading the deadly disease, a crime punishable with a prison term of up to three years and a fine. REACTIONS In response to the administrative officers decision, some prostitutes who did not want to be named spoke of a nosedive in their business. With hunger and poverty in the country, many wonder how will put food on the table and pay for roofs over their heads. Coronavirus cases in the central African country reached 94 after two new cases were confirmed in the capital on Saturday morning. Public Health Minister, Dr Manaouda Malachie, said the two new cases were among 32 people tested in different towns. Cameroon earlier had 92 cases including two deaths and two recoveries 24 hours earlier. ALERT: Coronavirus pandemic emergency kit facts, myths and how to protect yourself Post Views: 6 You are here: World Flash The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Saturday successfully launched the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C55 mission, carrying two Singaporean satellites weighing around 757 kg. The primary payload is an Earth Observation Satellite (EOS). The two satellites are intended to be launched into an eastward low-inclination orbit. The launch was carried out at the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) in Sriharikota, a rocket launch center in southern India. "PSLV-C55 is a dedicated commercial PSLV mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for the international satellite customer from Singapore. In this mission TeLEOS-2, a synthetic aperture radar satellite will be the primary satellite, and LUMELITE-4, a technology demonstration nano-satellite, will be the co-passenger satellite," said the ISRO in a statement. The TeLEOS-2 satellite will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies of the government of Singapore, while the LUMELITE-4 aims to augment Singapore's e-navigation on maritime safety and benefit the global shipping community. The mission was conducted under a contract with the New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the ISRO. Mrs Funke Phillips The head of media committee for Babajide Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation, Olusesan Daini has said Funke Phillips was on the committee during the campaign. Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State governor-elect, was the governorship candidate All Progressives Congress in 2019 elections. Daini initially denied knowing any Mrs Funke Phillips,. But he later said he met her in September 2018 and they worked together on the Sanwo-Olu campaigns media committee when her Twitter profile was shared with him. Meyer said Phillips was her business partner between 2015 and 2016. But the relationship they had was severed after Meyer discovered that her business partner is facing cocaine smuggling charges. Meyer said she originated The Beverage Space, a blog and event portal on the business of drinking from a female perspective in 2015 and that she brought Phillips in to work with her. Living in Germany, Meyer noted that she needed Phillips to be the face of the business in Nigeria. Meyer insisted that Phillips only contributed her time and energy but never made any financial or intellectual inputs. I set up all email, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook accounts, paid a designer to make a logo (seen here for August 2015), everything. All @FunkePhillips had to do was go to events/bars, send in little notes, writings, Meyer said in a Twitter post on Friday morning. I handled the blog, edited written copy, tapped my contacts in Corporate Communications, PR & media in general, to boost our networks. @FunkePhillips had no money at the time, so I handled practically all costs. She insisted all forms of relationships ceased in 2016 after a background check revealed that Phillips has pending drug charges against her. Over subsequent communications, particularly through mutual friends, I asked her to make sure she never referred to me as someone she worked with, never referred to or made similarities to TBS. But a short bio on thebeverageroom.co claimed Phillips launched The Beverage Room, which Meyer said was founded based on her original ideas, in 2015 to chronicle her love for Coffee, Wine and Spirits. She started an Instagram, Facebook page and a blog sharing tips, tricks, findings and other things. Phillips (listed in court documents shared by Meyer as Philips Esther Olufunke) was charged by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with illegal possession of 3.14 kilogrammes of cocaine in 2007 before Justice P.I Ajoku of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court in 2007. She was later granted bail. Meyer said Phillips told her she went through a lot to settle the case. Daini, who headed Babajide Sanwo-Olus media team during the campaign said, Phillips was diligent when she worked with him and that he was surprised to hear about Meyers allegations. When asked if he recruited her for the campaign, Daini said she was contracted to consult for the purpose of election. He absolved the campaign team of any blame concerning Phillips. He insisted that the campaign team expected its consultants to hire people with credible backgrounds to work with them. An anonymous source in All Progressives Congresss media circle said Meyers allegations were meant to paint Phillips black. When you are progressing some people will want to be looking for your downfall at all cost, the source said. We all have a past. The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) with funding from the European Union and DFID has organized a two-day media workshop on water and sanitation. The dialogue which was held at Tahir guest palace Hotel Kano is aimed at tackling open defecation in Nigeria and ways to curb it. UNICEF Nigeria is launching the Clean Nigeria Campaign which aims to get 47 million Nigerians to use toilets and stop the practice of defecating in open spaces. It further aims to increase access to improved sanitation, especially in rural areas Nigeria ranks second among countries practicing open defecation globally. Nigeria will become the No. 1 open defecation practicing country when India becomes open defecation free in October. In his opening remark, Mr Olumide Osanyipeju, Head, Child Rights Information Bureau, Abuja commended UNICEF, European Union, DFID and other groups for advancing the course to keep Nigeria safe and clean. He said: Sanitation is essential to the survival and development of children. It can reduce the severity and impact of malnutrition. Sanitation standards are intended to ensure that people do not suffer adverse health effects that can result if toilets are not available when needed. Proper sanitation facilities promotes good health because it allows people to dispose off their waste appropriately. Open defecation perpetuates a vicious cycle of disease and poverty. Inadequate waste disposal promotes the infection cycle of many agents that can spread through contaminated soil, food, water and insects. Open defecation is dangerous as contact with human waste can cause diseases such as cholera, typhoid and hepatitis, polio, diarrhea, worm infestation and under-nutrition. We must double our current efforts in order to end open defecation by 2030. Finding from 2018 WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASH NORM) survey shows that 24% of the population (47 million people) practice open defecation. The UNICEF WASH Specialist Bioye Ogunjobi highlighted the organizations approach to set Nigeria on the path to keeping the country clean and open defecation free. This is through Community LED Total Sanitation (CLTS), sanitation marketing and financing, implementing WASH in schools and institutions and Private and Public Partnerships for public spaces. Out of the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria, 10 are Open Defecation free while the South East is the highest practicing Open Defecation region in Nigeria. Statistics from UNICEF shows that Nigeria loses half a trillion annually due to poor sanitation. ALSO READ: Traditional Ruler, Pastor, Seven Others Sentenced To Prison For Defecating Openly In Ekiti Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has explained how he acquired his property in the United States and others without corruption. The Minister spoke up amid the viral images of some US property documents paraded on the social media platform Twitter which has been traced to the Minister. Keyamo, in a long tweet, said two days ago, he decided to bait the horde of sore losers at the last elections with a video of his vacation in one of his properties abroad as he did a light workout. He said expectedly, they fell so terribly for the bait, lashing out that being folks of low moral standards, they seemed to view everyone from their own depraved universe. Given the same position of public trust and authority, I bet they would easily compromise. So, they assume everyone will wallow in the same moral squalor like them. For some of us who have built a huge reputation of honour, integrity and accountability and championed the fight against corruption long before public office- probity and openness remain our guiding principles, he said. According to Keyamo, by letters dated March 6, 2019, long before he was appointed a Minister and immediately he was appointed a Board member of the NDIC, and in line with the constitution, he wrote to the relevant government agencies, informing them of the closure of his foreign account(s) and the repatriation of his funds to the country, being some savings he had made as a private legal practitioner and a property investor over decades. The numbers of those accounts, both abroad and in Nigeria were clearly stated in those letters. Those foreign funds were lying in my accounts until my appointment as a Minister later in 2019 and formed part of my assets declaration. In 2021, I again wrote to the relevant agencies (by letters dated January 22, 2021), informing them of the movement of those funds out of the country to purchase a property as a better investment decision, instead of the funds lying idly in the account whilst I am in public office. The letters were duly acknowledged. I followed up again with Whatsapp chats the same day to the heads of those agencies, informing them of the delivery of those letters and the contents of the letters and they acknowledged receipt. I have the acknowledged copies of those letters and those chats and replies are still on my phone, showing the dates of those chats. So, I had a good laugh when I saw the trending issues regarding just one of my properties in the US. It is even very laughable to think that after an active, high-profile practice of law culminating in my privilege as a member of the Inner Bar (together with being an International Arbitrator) and thoughtful investments in real estate spanning over 30 years, I cannot afford such a relatively modest property, he explained. Understandably, some people seem to underrate us because we live a simple, modest life and we are not given to ostentatious display of wealth and the vanities of life like some people do. Lol. Well, for these haters, I have another bad news for them: let me now disclose that of my entire real estate portfolio (both home and abroad), this is about the CHEAPEST of my several properties. Those who are VERY CLOSE to me over the years know exactly what I am talking about. My flourishing and manned law Chambers (whilst I am away on national assignment) and my real estate investments are still far more financially profitable than serving my country. Ours is a labour of love to my country. My Assets Declaration is there for all to see. (Again, this is verifiable.) Some of us dont need Government funds or patronage to get by. Whatever we do and whoever we support is out of our deep convictions. And yes, we have worked our socks off in the last 30 years! Please, expect more videos, he added. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase; and Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Aliyu Betara, have mourned the death of Ismaila Maihancil, a member-elect of the House from Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency in Taraba state. Recall that Maihanci, according to reports, died on Saturday after a brief illness. His death comes about two months after winning the Taraba Reps seat, and less than two months to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly. Gbajabiamila, in a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, said he was shocked that Maihanci died at the young age of 37. Related News The statement was titled, Gbajabiamila Sad Over Death of Taraba House of Representatives Member-Elect, Maihanci. The Speaker describing the news of the demise of the member-elect as devastating and disheartening. He 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, the statement partly read. Similarly, Wase, in a separate statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Umar Puma, expressed grief over the passing on of Maihanchi, while extending his heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Taraba State over his death. Titled, Wase Mourns Taraba Member-Elect, the Deputy Speaker, while praying that God will comfort his immediate family over the painful loss, he prayed that the Almighty Allah will grant him eternal rest. Also, Betara commiserated with the people and Government of Taraba State over the loss of one of the member-elect. Betara, in a statement issued by his media campaign team, titled Hon. Betara Mourns Taraba Member-Elect, Maihanchi, expressed grief over the ugly incident. The lawmaker described the late member-elect as a brother and friend. The statement partly reads, 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. Hon Ismail Maihanshi, member-Elect from Taraba 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. Hon. Ismail Maihanchi will sorely be missed by all of us. My condolences to the Government and people of Taraba State, as well as his immediate family. May Almighty Allah forgive his sins and grant the departed soul Jannatul-Firdaus. Amin. The late Maihanci contested the National Assembly election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and defeated his opponents from the All Progressives Congress, APC the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP and the Social Democratic Party, SDP respectively. Governor inspects Banana island collapsed building site Orders demolition of buildings without appropriate approvals Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has condemned the illegal activities of developers hiding under agencies of the Federal Government to build illegal structures at Banana Island in Ikoyi area of the State. Governor Sanwo-Olu blamed the collapse of the recent seven-storey building on First Avenue, Banana Island on reckless operations of some developers hiding under the pretense that Federal Government agencies had issued approvals to hoodwink unsuspecting property owners. He said his administration will no longer tolerate the activities of greedy developers who reclaim land from water illegally in connivance with some government agencies. Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke on Saturday during an on-the-spot assessment of the collapsed seven-storey building and other property in Banana Island. The Governor who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Engr. Tayo Bamigbose-Martins; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso; Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye; General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Arc. Gbolahan Oki and heads of departments and agencies, described building illegal infrastructure in Banana Island as irresponsible and unacceptable. Sanwo-Olu, who expressed his displeasure against illegal structures in Banana Island ordered the immediate demolition and sealing of many completed and uncompleted buildings with various building infractions and those that were not granted appropriate approvals for construction by agencies of government. The Governors order was carried out immediately by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, who immediately marked the affected buildings for demolition. Speaking to journalists at the site of the collapsed building, Governor Sanwo-Olu restated his administrations commitment to the safety of the lives and properties of people in Lagos State. He said: A lot of investigation is going on right now and you can see that they are still clearing the rubbles at the site. We have given the order to stop work, not only at this site but also at all of the construction sites in Banana Island. You have all seen the extent of what I will call an unapproved extension into the water. You can see that the original line for Banana Island is even not where we are. It is way in front there and you can see that several extensions have been granted by both the Federal Ministry of Work and Housing and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA). 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 from what I have been told, all of the four buildings around the collapsed building never applied for approval. This is total recklessness of the developers and we will make a strong point out of this place and all around Banana Island. Any officers found culpable will also be sanctioned. Governor Sanwo-Olu stressed further that It is heartbreaking each time we have to go through this and it shows sometimes how irresponsible those developers and some of our citizens that just want to make quick money are. And of course, our officers who are also not alive to their responsibilities. We have had to change staff here and there so that we can bring forward robust and very strong monitoring officers. We will continue to do what we need to do to ensure that we keep the lives of our residents safe at all times. Governor Sanwo-Olu disclosed that an external seven-man committee has been set up by Lagos State Government to independently ascertain the remote cause of the incident, saying that the committee will come up with a robust work plan that can be enforced going forward. We have set up an external seven-man committee. We are giving the people two weeks to independently ascertain what has gone wrong there. They should finish their work maybe towards the end of next week or thereafter. This will also further strengthen us to also come up with a robust work plan that we can enforce going forward, he said. Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has told President Muhammadu Buhari-led government not to allow Nigerians in Sudan to die as a result of negligence. The NLC pleaded with the government to explore any avenue that could help to bring back to the country Nigerian citizens in Sudan and even make plans to accommodate the business class among them that their businesses have been affected by the ongoing war in that country. The labours advice was contained in a statement issued yesterday by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero. The NLC boss noted with great concern that Nigerians in Sudan have cried out for help to escape the horrors which the war has continued to mete out to the trapped citizens in the country. The statement read: Nigerians must not be allowed to die in Sudan because of negligence. No effort should be spared in ensuring their safety and ultimately evacuation to Nigeria if the war persists and escalates into a full-blown war. It remains the duty of the government and we urge the federal government to make this happen unless they want to tell us that these lives are not as important as the lives of the children of those in authority and do not deserve to be protected? We have watched with increasing alarm and despair the unfolding tragedy in Sudan as a result of the ongoing War in that country between two major factions of the Military; the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo and the Sudanese Army commanded by General Abdul Fattah al-Burhan which has led to untold human carnage and destruction of properties of citizens of that nation. At this point, we are not especially concerned about the history and immediate causes of the war but are worried because many Nigerians have become unwitting victims of the war and are stranded in that country and unable to get out. They have cried out for help to escape the horrors which the war has continued to mete out to persons still trapped in Sudan. Ajaero said that NLC is worried that since the war broke out towards the end of last week, reports reaching it on the number of human casualties are horrendous and frightening thus leaving every patriot anxious about the safety of our nationals in that country especially that of our students. He further said, We believe that it remains the responsibility of any government to ensure the safety of their nationals which includes making sure that in the event of a war in foreign countries, their citizens are protected in whatever way possible. This is one of the central reasons of governance: the safety of lives and property. While we commiserate with the people and workers of Sudan and call for an immediate ceasefire to allow for a peaceful resolution of the issues in dispute that led to the war, we are at a loss as to why the federal government of Nigeria finds it difficult to guarantee the safety of the lives of our citizens in that country beyond the tokenism effort at protection through an advisory to all Nigerians in that country to either seek refuge in our embassy in Khartoum or stay indoors which they believe is safer. The excuse that attempting to evacuate our nationals through the Airport is risky begs the question and is unacceptable. We do not understand whether other possible options at evacuating our citizens have been explored before relapsing to this seeming helplessness and apparent abandonment of our citizens who are obviously in great distress and are afraid for their lives on a daily basis? It is trite diplomacy that in such a situation, serious governments will reach an understanding with the warring parties for the removal of their nationals from the theatre of war which drastically reduces the risk of loss of lives and that of the equipment used in such operations. While advising the government to aplore ways of bringing Nigerians back home, he said: If the Airports are not as safe as suggested by the government, can we not work out a safe corridor to neighbouring countries to allow our citizens safe passage and evacuation through the various land borders? We also suggest that the government work out an arrangement with the international community to create a safe haven for all foreign nationals in the country to serve as a buffer to all foreign nationals against the vagaries of the war while peace efforts are being made or other safer methods of evacuation are developed. Our concern is that while our government resorts to the usual lethargy and excuses, the lives of our nationals in Sudan already exposed to serious danger may begin to experience losses or injuries. We urge the federal government through the concerned agencies and Ministries to take urgent steps to avoid death and injuries to our citizens in that country. Nigerians must not be allowed to die in Sudan because of negligence. No effort should be spared in ensuring their safety and ultimately evacuation to Nigeria if the War persists and escalates into a full-blown war. It remains the duty of the government and we urge the federal government to make this happen unless they want to tell us that these lives are not as important as the lives of the children of those in authority and do not deserve to be protected? As we await a quick and positive action towards evacuating our citizens, we would want measures to be put in place to make their lives comfortable on arrival especially for those who own businesses in the Sudan and have suffered loss of businesses as a result. It does not make sense bringing them home without putting in place proper platforms to take care of their needs here. Spread the love U.S. special operations forces carried out an evacuation of the American embassy in violence-torn Sudan, late Saturday. The forces swept in and out of the capital, Khartoum, with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported. With the last U.S. employee of the embassy out, Washington shut down the U.S. mission in Khartoum indefinitely. Left behind are thousands of Americans remaining in Sudan, with officials saying it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation mission. In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist those remaining Americans in Sudan to the extent possible. He also called for the end to unconscionable violence there as two rival commanders battled for power in the African country. READ ALSO: Sudan allows evacuations of foreign nationals as fighting resumes between rival forces The mission was conducted by about 100 U.S. soldiers in three MH-47 helicopters as conflict between two armed Sudanese commanders entered its second week and claimed more than 400 lives, threatened the countrys survival, and had potential repercussions well beyond its boundaries. The American embassy staff were evacuated from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia. 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. 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. Advertisement This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Its unconscionable and it must stop, Biden said. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan. Leke Adeboye, the son of the senior pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has disclosed how he made his first million. According to him, he made his first million naira from selling wristbands, popularly known as rubber bands in local parlance. He disclosed this in a recent interview with Tribune where he said: I made my first million [from] selling wristbands, rubber to be precise, promotional gift items for those that are doing branding. Wristbands are just rubber; but if I sell enough of those rubbers with a very tiny margin profit of N50 or N100 at a big Christian event, it adds up. He berated some Nigerians who blame the government for the harsh economy while neglecting menial jobs and businesses. Sen Magnus Ngei Abe, the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State has disclosed that he supported the relocation of the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal from Port Harcourt to Abuja, because of the volatile atmosphere in the state. This is as Abe alleged that members of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers were forced to adopt the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Siminalaye Fubara, as the candidate of the state. Abe, who spoke on a live television programme monitored in Port Harcourt, said it would have been difficult for opposition political parties and their candidates to appear before the tribunal if it had sat in the State Capital. He said: I think that anybody who has been watching developments in Rivers State will see that there was really no way the tribunal could sit in Port Harcourt. Even the opportunity for members of the opposition parties to access INEC Office in Port Harcourt and be able to get materials or information from INEC to enable them present their petitions before the tribunal was physically and violently resisted. People were beaten up; nobody could go near the INEC Office. The place was kept under siege and the police allowed this to go for days. Nothing was done to bring it under control. So, clearly, the option of the tribunal actually sitting in Port Harcourt to do any meaningful work; anybody who has been watching events in the State knows that it was not even an option. There is no way anybody could have been able to go before the tribunal in Port Harcourt and be able to make a case. Even the tribunal is also made up of human beings, who also fear for their lives. The volatile political atmosphere in the State affected everybody and affected everything. I think that at the end of the day, the tribunal had no option than to relocate to Abuja, where we believe that everybody will get a better opportunity to be able to present their cases. Popular Nigerian activist, Aisha Yesufu, has accused microblogging platform, Twitter of engaging in fraudulent misrepresentation. Yesufu asked the blue app to take off the blue tick or give a proper explanation of why it was restored to her Twitter handle, insisting she did not subscribe to it. Her statement is contained in a post via her verified Twitter handle on Sunday. Recall that Twitter had restored blue tick verification of so many public personalities and celebrities after withdrawing same last week. However, Yesufu claimed that the action by Twitter in restoring her blue tick verification is affecting her, leading to people questioning her integrity. She wrote, Hello @twitter @verified What you are doing here is fraudulent misrepresentation. I did not subscribe to Twitter blue. Kindly take off the blue tick or give it, its proper explanation of why you gave it. Your action is affecting me as it leads to people questioning my integrity. As well as coercing some of my followers into action or inaction based on the misrepresentation. Flash 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. [Photo/Xinhua] Sri Lanka Ports Authority, a local civil engineering enterprise and China Merchants Port Holdings signed an agreement in Colombo 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. Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity has said that the Nigerian govt has been having sleepless nights over the ongoing crisis in Sudan. He stated that the government is working towards ensuring the safety of Nigerians in the East African country. Tweeting, Shehu wrote: Nigerian government has been having sleepless nights following the ongoing crisis in Sudan. Our officials are doing a lot, coordinating with the Embassy in Khartoum, the Sudanese and Ethiopian governments trying to ensure the safety of the large number of our citizens there. Minister Geoffrey Onyeama who is coordinating these efforts is optimistic that they will start moving people to safety as soon as possible. Watch the Minister explain what they are doing on Channels TV this evening. Article Summary Festus Keyamo said that relevant agencies in Nigeria were informed and carried along when he was acquiring the US property in question when he was already a minister. He said that he informed the relevant agencies of the movement of the funds which were proceeds of his closed foreign accounts, out of the country to acquire the US property as a better investment decision. He also disclosed that of his entire real estate portfolio (both home and abroad), this is about the cheapest of my several properties. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has said that he acquired his US property that has recently been in the news legally, noting that the relevant agencies were carried along in the purchase. Keyamo said that he has nothing to hide, and as such his detractors will have nothing to hold on to even as they continue to pry into his private and public affairs. This was made known by Festus Keyamo in a tweet post on his official Twitter account, where he was reacting to claims in some media reports that he acquired a US home for over $300,000 shortly after he was appointed minister in 2019. Keyamo had revealed that long before he was appointed a minister and immediately after he was appointed to the Board of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), he wrote to the relevant agencies and informed them of the closure of his foreign accounts and repatriation of his funds to Nigeria. How he bought the US property Keyamo in his tweet said, By letters dated March 6, 2019 (long before I was appointed a Minister and immediately I was appointed a Board member of the NDIC), and in line with our Constitution, I wrote to the relevant government agencies, informing them of the closure of my foreign account(s) and the repatriation of my funds to the country, being some savings I had made as a private legal practitioner and a property investor over decades. The numbers of those accounts, both abroad and in Nigeria were clearly stated in those letters. Those foreign funds were lying in my accounts until my appointment as a Minister later in 2019 and formed part of my assets declaration. In 2021, I again wrote to the relevant agencies (by letters dated January 22, 2021), informing them of the movement of those funds out of the country to purchase a property as a better investment decision, instead of the funds lying idly in the account whilst I am in public office. The letters were duly acknowledged. I followed up again with Whatsapp chats the same day to the heads of those agencies, informing them of the delivery of those letters and the contents of the letters and they acknowledged receipt. I have the acknowledged copies of those letters and those chats and replies are still on my phone, showing the dates of those chats. Keyamo says the US property is about his cheapest acquisition The minister added, So, I had a good laugh when I saw the trending issues regarding just one of my properties in the US. It is even very laughable to think that after being active, the high-profile practice of law culminating in my privilege as a member of the Inner Bar (together with being an International Arbitrator) and thoughtful investments in real estate spanning over 30 years, I cannot afford such a relatively modest property. Understandably, some people seem to underrate us because we live a simple, modest life and we are not given to the ostentatious display of wealth and the vanities of life as some people do. Lol. Well, for these haters, I have another bad news for them: let me now disclose that of my entire real estate portfolio (both home and abroad), this is about the CHEAPEST of my several properties. Those who are VERY CLOSE to me over the years know exactly what I am talking about. My flourishing and manned law Chambers (whilst I am away on national assignment) and my real estate investments are still far more financially profitable than serving my country. Ours is a labor of love to my country. My Assets Declaration is there for all to see. For the record Recall that on Saturday, April 22, 2023, a document shown in some media reports, claimed that Keyamo bought a property in Texas, the United States worth over $359,000 while still serving as a minister. The document showed that Keyamo got the property at 5509 Silver Canyon LN TX 77583 in Savannah Trace. Related Advertisement BY SULE TAHIR National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received 152 Nigerian returnees from Libya through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.Zonal Coordinator for South-West, Ibrahim Farinloye, disclosed this in a statement. Farinloye said the returnees departed Libya aboard a chartered Al Buraq Air Boeing 737-800 with registration number 5A-DMG Buraq Aircraft. The victims who arrived at the Cargo Wing of the Lagos airport consist of 54 adult females, 73 adult males and children. On ground to receive them were NEMA Director General, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, alongside officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Refugee Commission, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Force. The profiles of the returnees indicate that 54 adult females, 7 children and 3 infant females were brought back, the statement read. Also 73 adult males with medical cases, 8 male children and 7 infants male were among the batch. International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Nigeria Embassy in Libya collaborated to assist the stranded Nigerians back home after their failed attempts to cross over the Mediterranean Sea into Europe. Related Advertisement Says video in circulation is fake The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has refuted reports demonstrated on a video by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) on the capture of the Naval Base in Lake Chad basin in the north east by the terrorists. The Defence Headquarters described the video being circulated in the social media as fake, telling Nigerians to ignore the fake mews. The military in a statement acknowledged the news alert on another mischievous video footage being circulated online by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), claiming the capture of a Naval Base in north east Nigeria. In its usual mannerism, after suffering major defeats in encounters with Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency troops, the terrorists group has cloned another video, in an unwitting attempt to disseminate and propagate false information in order to gain accolades and present a public image of a virile force. It is crucial to recall that the terrorists group had earlier circulated a similar video, following an encounter with troops in Baga area of the Lake Chad region, where they claimed to have taken over the Naval Base, Lake Chad. Apparently, this video, shows ISWAP occupation of a disused boat yard, which is still being mischievously circulated, after careful doctoring, to portray a phantom capture of Naval Base, Baga, as if it were a recent victory in its insurgency campaign. The video footage is undoubtedly an unclever and amateurish attempt to save face, having suffered enormous losses in several encounters with troops in the last seven months. It is also another failed ISWAP propaganda effort to project itself as a potent force with maritime capabilities. It is worthwhile to recall here, that both ISWAP and BHT have severally suffered defeat during fierce offensive operations and Air interdictions conducted by troops of the Multi National Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) and Operation Lafiya Dole in Doron Naira, Ngouma in Cameroun, Arege, Malkonory and Tumbun Rego, where several insurgents were neutralised, including an ISWAP Commander, the military declared. The Defence Headquarters also stated that the insurgents were equally, recently defeated in the battles of Goniri, Nbaga and Gero by the gallant troops of Operation Lafiya Dole. Suffice to mention that huge cache of arms, ammunition and other weapon systems were recovered from the insurgents during the offensive operations, the statement added. The Defence Headquarters appealed: Members of the public are, therefore, please urged not fall for the propaganda antics of ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists and to discountenance the false video. Contrary to the stand of the federal government that the nation only has revenue challenge and not debt problem, economists and experts have said that the country has a huge debt burden. The minister of finance, budget and national planning, Zainab Ahmed had at a meeting with the members of staff of the ministry recently said that Nigeria did not have any debt challenge but a challenge with generating sufficient revenue. The minister decried what she described as insensitivity concerning the debt situation in the country, preferring that attention should rather be focused on revenue generation rather than debt. However, professor of economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Prof Sheriffdeen Tella and Bismarck Rewane, the managing director and chief executive officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, said that there was the need to be concerned about the nations debt situation. He insisted that the country had a debt problem, said with the federal government spending about 20 per cent of its budget size to service debt, it was practically impossible for Nigeria not to be having a debt problem. He further called on the government to discontinue borrowing in order to avoid a situation where a huge chunk of the countrys annual budget was spent on debt servicing. Tella said, We have a debt problem because when you have problem with debt servicing, then you have a serious debt problem. Currently, what we are still doing is debt servicing using a huge proportion of the annual budget to pay debt. That is serious because the money that you would have used for other things is now being used to pay debt. So, we have problem with debt really. The debt is still mounting and the servicing that we are doing is quite huge. We are using over 20 percent of our budget to service debt. I dont know what they meant by saying we have no problem with our debt. We have a very serious problem with debt. We should not even accumulate further debt beyond what we currently owe. Also speaking, a former director general, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chijiok Ekechukwu, said the rising debt portended danger for the economy. He said, It is expected that the debt profile of the country would rise considering the fact that we have a deficit budget and even the deficit side of the budget was not met in the last budget year. The government would need to continue to borrow to meet the increased size of the deficit. Of course, the borrowing portends danger for the economy because our debt profile is rising and we do not know when we are going to scale it down. He said rather than continue to rely on borrowing to finance its activities, the Federal Government should adopt other sources of funding the infrastructure needs of the country such as concessioning, privatisation, and Public Private Partnership arrangement. Rewane, on the other hand, said what the debts were used for would determine whether they would help or hurt the nations economy. He said, If the debts are there, and you have roads, rail tracks and power stations; then there is no problem because the power generated, for example, will give you output that you will use to service the debt. The question we need to ask is: what were the debts used to do and are the debts increasing productivity in the country? [unable to retrieve full-text content] Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has supported recent concerns raised by the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, on insecurity and other challenges facing the country. Obasanjo, however, advised her to engage her husband in pillow talk on the state of the nation. The former President, according to a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, said this while playing host to the members of the Editorial Board of a Social media platform, Penpushing Media at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Boardroom. Some groups including the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, have however said Obasanjo was right to call on Aisha to tell her husband the truth. The Presidents wife, Aisha, had last week renewed her criticisms of the Federal Governments programmes. She had also faulted the social investment programmes of her husbands administration, saying there was no evidence to show that the funds allocated were judiciously utilised. Mrs Buhari had said, I am sure that my husband decided to put somebody from Kano because of the population and political impact it made. She said she discovered that key aspects of the programme were not properly implemented in Adamawa and Kano states. Mrs Buhari, So, I dont know where the social investment was successful, maybe it worked out in some states. In my own state, only a local government benefitted out of the 22. I did not ask what happened and I do not want to know but for it to fail woefully in Kano, it is not a good sign and it is not a good thing. Also on Saturday, she challenged security agencies to quickly end banditry and other insecurity challenges in the country. The security agents should either assist to take action or allow the situation continues until bandits finish killing our people, she had said. But on Monday Obasanjo said it was good that the wife of the President raised the concerns. He urged Aisha to engage her spouse in a pillow talk to inform him about the true position of the state of the nation. The former President commended Mrs Buhari for her courage to speak out on the state of the nation. Obasanjo advised the wife of President to adopt the bedroom approach to get her husbands attention on the challenges in the country. He said, We have to put all things on the table to address these problems. Mind you, we have to be sincere and genuine with ourselves. It is nice that the Presidents wife is talking; I think she did well, and maybe she should also have a pillow talk with the President. I believe every Nigerian family, individual, group is entitled to livelihood. It is the responsibility of all to make sure we have a dignified life. That should be our aim collectively. The statement added that the former President advocated increased sensitization to get the desired change Nigerians were yearning for. Earlier in her speech, the Chairman, Editorial Board of the organisation, Mrs Funke Fadugba, was reported to have said that the visit was to brief the former President about the 3rd anniversary lecture of the organisation scheduled to hold on July 19. Obasanjo is right Ohanaeze Meanwhile, the Deputy Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Chuks Ibegbu, who spoke with The Punch, described Aisha Buhari as a patriot and a kind-hearted first lady. He added, She should force or cajole Buhari, her husband to the other room with pillow so they can have useful talks to address our challenges. Obasanjo is right. We live in a stone age here, even Rwanda and Chad are better than us now. Also Chief Emeka Attama, the Media Advisor to the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, said President Buhari appeared not to be in charge of his government, adding had he been in control he would have known that the government intervention programmes were not reaching the right people. Recently, the President commented that the level of poverty in the country was too high, that Nigerians were suffering. Mr President seems not to be in charge as to know what is happening in different parts of this country because if he knew he would have known that the intervention programmes of the Federal Government was not really reaching the right people. However, Obasanjo is very correct, if it only requires the wife to engage Buhari in a bedroom chat to be able to address this, so be it. Aisha expressing frustration, says Afenifere On its part, Afenifere said the Presidents wife was right to express her frustrations on the situations in the country, despite being told by the President that her place was in the bedroom and the kitchen. The Afenifere Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said, One of the times Aisha spoke, the President said that her place was in the other room, and not in the political arena. So, I think, like every Nigerian, she goes to the social media to vent her frustrations and give her views. The former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, was throwing a funny one. If Aisha was told to remain in the other room and the kitchen, then the option is a pillow talk. But there is no doubt that the situation in the country is raising concerns for every rational Nigerian. This is why the First Lady too is venting her frustrations. We wont take issue with Obasanjo ACF But the Arewa Consultative Forum said it would not take issue with Obasanjo over his advice to the Presidents wife. When contacted on the telephone on the northern bodys take on Obasanjos advice to Aisha, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim-Biu, said, We do not want to take issue with Chief Obasanjo over his counsel to Mrs Aisha Buhari on the PMBs administration. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); There was tension in Isiama Afaraukwu community in Umuahia North local government area of Abia State when over 100 fierce-looking soldiers invaded the the country home of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu on Sunday afternoon. This is coming barely two weeks to the burial of parents of Nnamdi Kanu; HRH Eze Israel Okwu Kanu and Ugoeze Sally Kanu, scheduled to hold on the 14th of February. According to residents, nine military vans were spotted with soldiers blocking all the roads leading to the home of the IPOB Leader. Shops that were opened for minor businesses on Sunday were forced to shutdown, as every nearby streets and major roads became deserted as fear gripped residents. The soldiers numbering over 100 in nine military veterans and 2 Armored personnel carriers have been patrolling Bank road to Flo FM. The Soldiers have blocked the entrance street to Eze Kanus Palace, Afaraukwa, Umuahia with their van, walking round the community on foot. Everyone was scared, we ran away, a resident said. Another resident who simply gave his name as Abarikwu said he was on his way back from church when he got a call that soldiers had invaded the community. The younger brother to the IPOB leader, Prince Emmanuel Kanu in a telephone interview confirmed the presence of the soldiers in the community and roads leading to the palace. Younger Kanu also told reporters that residents, road users and visitors who tried to make use of the road leading to the palace on sighting the heavy military presence turned back. The 14Brigade Public Relations Officer, Capt Iliya Daudu couldnt be reached, but a military source in Umuahia dismissed report of the invasion. Meanwhile, KanyiDaily had reported that Afaraukwu kinsmen of Nnamdi Kanu are divided over his return from the United Kingdom (UK) to pay his last respects to his parents. While some chiefs said they would have loved Nnamdi Kanu to return as is customary so that he could take part in the burial rites for his parents. Others warned that his return may trigger another crisis that could lead to another invasion of the community by security agencies. By Richard Adeniyi Worried by the growing level on non-compliance among freight forwarders, the Founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has enjoined freight forwarders to ensure compliance to all port regulations. Aniebonam stated this while speaking at the inauguration of 100 per cent presidential compliance team at the NAGAFF headquarters on Friday 21st February, 2020. Freight forwarders from all the various branches across the entire freight forwarding industry were invited and members from these various branches announced their presence and pledged their support to Dr. Aniebonam submission stressing that the issue of compliance is very critical in the logistics and supply chain sector. For about 85 minutes, Dr. Aniebonam enjoined freight forwarders to adhere strictly to the level of compliance which he described as critical in the logistics chain sector. His words: Right now, there is a problem at the ports which has to do with the level of compliance to port regulations and stressed that compliance is very critical and freight forwarders need to ensure that they comply with all regulations. The general believe is that most Nigerian importers break customs laws. Comptroller Musa Baba Abdullahi who is the controller Tin Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria customs Service once declared this level of allegation on the nations importers. Expatiating further Abdullahi said that if we are to rate it generally, we can say we have about 30 per cent compliant level and advised that Nigeria importers need to dwell in educating importers and agents on the advantage of compliant stressing that there are rewards for compliance. Part of the reward for compliance is fast track. The World Customs Organisation and World Trade Organisation have created this standard and the standards are clear. What is most important is that the importer or trader has to be compliant. Ease of doing business policy of the government is for compliant traders to facilitate trade and not to facilitate fraud. The law provides that certain containers should be sanned and some should go for physical examination. If your own happens to fall within those ones which are supposed to be examined pohysically, do we then push them to scanning because we want to facilitate trade? I have gone to these extent to state the tremendous advantages for traders who practice compliance as now being preached by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam to his NAGAFF followers. National Daily correspondent gathered that we have compliant operators. We have the blue chips companies and we have the manufacturers. But if we are to rate it generally, we can say we have about 30 per cent compliant level. It is therefore, gratifying that the NAGAFF founder, has now resolved at educating his members and agents on the advantages of compliant, stressing that there are rewards for compliance. Part of the reward for compliance is fast track. That you are seen to be compliant, you are granted an opportunity to take your consignment to your premises for physical examination process. So as soon as you pay and it assesses automatically, you are free to take your consignment as soon as the terminal operators releases it and you go. In his determined bid to facilitate honest trade facilitation, Dr. Aniebonam assembled some of his members about fifty or more with the mandate to promote compliance and facilitate trade in our ports and to further reinforce chapter efforts in stamping out corrupt practices militating against trade facilitation. The team is also designed to abolish the use of camp boys and to stop excessive sampling by agencies in the ports, traffic gridlock and other excesses that may require team interventions. It is therefore, expected that with the present steps initiated by the founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Aniebonam who have made a passionate plea to all the members of the Freight Forwarders in the country, it is expected that there may be an appreciable increase in the number of compliant members who will now resolve to adhere to honest practices in their trade facilitation in the country PV: 0 The ministry of power has said it hasnt reached the decision yet on whether Nigerians will get two months of free electricity. This follows the announcement of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) that the federal government would bear the financial responsibility of the exercise. Today, in a tweet, the ministry of power said the government would officially communicate its decision when it has arrived at one. The ministry further asked Nigerians to be rest assured that the government would soon come up with ways to quell the hardship caused by the disease outbreak. No decision has been taken by the federal government to provide Nigerians with free electricity for two months, the tweet read. If and when that becomes a reality, it shall be announced officially. Be rest assured that FG is exploring ways to ameliorate any hardship on Nigerians. Please Note: NO DECISION has been taken by the Federal Government to provide Nigerians with FREE ELECTRICITY for 2 months. If and when that becomes a reality, it shall be announced officially. Be rest assured that FG is exploring ways to ameliorate any hardship on Nigerians. Office of the Minister of Power (@PowerMinNigeria) April 10, 2020 The proposed initiative was first announced by Femi Gbajabiamila, the speaker of the house of representatives, who had said the lower chamber was considering a second stimulus bill that would allow Nigerians to enjoy electricity for two months without paying charges. The electricity distribution companies (DisCos) had also said they are working on the modalities to provide free electricity to all Nigerians for two months. Share this post with your Friends on The Bloomington City Councils recent approval of a site plan for a Starbucks at 1609 W. Market St. generated considerable online discussion. Most comments were positive and welcoming that a coffee shop was coming to the west side of Bloomington. Other comments, however, expressed concern that the ingress and egress to the Starbucks might cause additional congestion in that busy stretch of West Market Street. With restaurants generating a lot of traffic in that area, my wife Kay and I decided to count restaurants, and both of us were surprised when we counted 14 in the extended four blocks from Market Square Shopping Center to the Interstate 74/55 interchange. We did include McDonalds and Cracker Barrel on Brock Drive and the TA Travel Center on Truckers Lane in the count. I remember when the parade of fast food restaurants in that area started in 1979, with the first being Kentucky Fried Chicken (now KFC) opening maybe two or three months ahead of the McDonalds. Arbys was next, opening in 1983. The two most recent to open were Panda Express, which opened a couple of months ago, and Dominos Pizza, which opened last year. Now, when interstate travelers exit to buy gas, use the restroom or look for something to eat, they have a variety of 11 fast-food/fast-casual restaurants awaiting them, with nine having a drive-thru, plus three restaurants offering tableside service: Lupitas Restaurant, Cracker Barrel and TA Travel Center. A nice grocery store also is available, with Lupitas Hispanic & American Grocery offering a wide selection of produce and an extensive fresh meat case. Other restaurants in the four blocks of West Market Street are Super JJs Fish & Chicken, Taco Bell, Subway, Popeyes, Wendys and Culvers. Over the years, however, restaurants have come and gone in that area, including Smittys, Hardees, Burger King, The Masters Place, Yen Ching Express, Wimpys Burgers, Burger Express and Bennys Restaurant. From Larrys notebook Grand Cafe Owner Jimmy Mapugay recently added a dining room with a full bar. The room seats 100 and is adjacent to the south in the former Hanson Cleaners. Jimmy says the Grand Cafe is the only fine dining Chinese restaurant in Central Illinois with a fusion Filipino menu. The small dining area in front will continue to be used for delivery and carryout. Original Pancake House 9,000 to 10,000 eggs are used each week at the Normal restaurant, according to operations manager Clay Baxter. An enclosed patio addition was recently added on the south side of the restaurant that opened five years ago last month. Pour Bros Craft Taproom Owners of the apparently very successful taproom with locations in Peoria, Champaign and Moline have applied to the City of Bloomington for a liquor license at the former The Stable location at 236 E. Front St. in downtown Bloomington. Under Wraps The locally-owned downtown restaurant that specializes in wraps recently opened in the former location of Kellys Bakery and Shannons-Downtown. Diggers Again A changing of the guard! Owner Peg Bateman sold the downtown tavern after 26 years to Betty Hendricks. Betty is no stranger to the place, having worked there for 24 years, the last six as general manager. The Love Shack Owner Aaron Francis recently closed The Love Shack on East Empire Street because of apparent plumbing problems, but he has added The Love Shack menu to the expanded menu at his very successful Pop-Up Chicken Shop on North Hersey Road. Balanced Brews A locally-owned coffee shop with drive-up and walk-up windows plus inside seating recently opened in LeRoy. Handcrafted coffees and teas are offered. A Larry favorite menu item The crab rangoon appetizer at Hot Wok Express. You are here: World Flash The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it decided to "mirror" Germany's "hostile" actions and expel German diplomats from Russia. "The German authorities have decided 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. The maximum number of employees in German diplomatic missions in Russia will also be "significantly" limited, it said, adding that on April 5, 2023, the Russian Foreign Ministry officially notified German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr of this decision. The German Foreign Ministry has not made official announcements on this matter. In April last year, Germany announced the expulsion of 40 Russian diplomats, and Russia declared a tit-for-tat move. WOODFORD COUNTY A 28-year-old woman has died after a two-vehicle crash early Saturday evening in Woodford County. At approximately 5:55 p.m. Saturday, a 2008 blue Hyundai Accent was traveling south on Illinois Route 26, just north of North Riverview Drive, while a 2017 gray Chevrolet Malibu was traveling north at the same location, according to a news release from Illinois State Police. For unknown reasons, the Accent crossed the center line and struck the front of the Malibu. The driver of the Accent, identified as Erica M. Johnson, 28, of Lacon, was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Woodford County coroner, ISP said. The driver of the Malibu, a 67-year-old man from Sobieski, Wisconsin, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries, as was his front-seat passenger, a 64-year-old woman, also of Sobieski. Two rear passengers, a 12-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, were transported with minor injuries, ISP said. All lanes of traffic reopened at approximately 12:24 a.m. Sunday, according to ISP. Much to do, see at Eureka Lake 050321-blm-loc-2explore 050321-blm-loc-1explore 050321-blm-loc-3explore 050321-blm-loc-4explore 050321-blm-loc-5explore 050321-blm-loc-7explore 050321-blm-loc-6explore 050321-blm-loc-9explore 050321-blm-loc-8explore 050321-blm-loc-10explore Some may assume that children only look forward to seeing their teachers when they return to school in the fall (whether in-person or online in this day and age). However, many students may be most excited to see their schools librarian again. One local librarian who was held in such high regard by children and adults alike was Clara Louise Kessler, the longtime childrens librarian at Withers Public Library (predecessor of today's Bloomington Public Library). Louise (as she was known to most) Kessler had a lifelong interest in books, songs and children. She was born in Warren, Illinois, in 1893. Her father moved the family to Normal in 1898 after a business trip to the area, which must have left an impression on him. Kessler recalled later in life that her parents thought that by moving the family to Normal, they would obtain better educational facilities for their children (Normal was the home to both Illinois State Normal University and the Model Training School). After graduating from ISNU with her teaching degree in 1915, Kessler began working with children as a kindergarten teacher that fall at the Day Nursery and Settlement Association. Founded in 1908, this private day care and kindergarten provided a safe place for working mothers to leave their children during the day. In 1919, after four years of teaching, Kessler embarked on a 33-year career as the head childrens librarian at Withers. Her mission was not only to present the very best childrens literature and encourage its enjoyment, but also to create an environment that would stimulate childrens imaginations, inspire children to freely express themselves, and help children grow into adults who would help build a better Bloomington. During the first 18 months of Kessler leading the childrens department, it began to earn a reputation as a mecca for little folk that offered a wide variety of programs for children of all ages. Throughout her career, she wrote and directed plays for children, offered lectures for boys on Saturday evenings, held birdhouse contests in the spring, hosted a club in the winter for junior high girls, and offered instructive games. Special exhibits for children were frequently created and displayed throughout the library, which stood at the corner of Washington and East streets in downtown Bloomington. Game and story hours were held during the summer months. Picture shows (using an opaque projector) accompanied by the reading of a story were also presented for children in first through fourth grades. The diversity of the activities she created for children was a credit to the originality that she brought to her work as childrens librarian. Kessler is pictured with some of her young library patrons, Ruth and Robert McNabb, during the annual Spring Book Festival. Held in May, the Spring Book Festival annually attracted hundreds of children to Withers between 1940 and 1952. In 1944, Kessler anticipated a long line of children eager to check out the 100 new books that were to be released on the first day of the festival. Titles included "Timothy has Ideas," "Three Gay Tales from Grimm," "Giants and Witches and a Dragon or Two," and "Uncle Sams Army and How It Fights." Kessler was always happy to help her young readers select titles to help nurture their minds and imaginations. When Kessler came to Withers in 1919, 34,367 books were checked out by students in the community. By 1940, that number had increased exponentially to 126,859 books. Kessler credits some of this growth to the work of publishers re-editing the classics in beautifully illustrated volumes and giving more attention to the publication of worthwhile new books. She also stated that when children were given the freedom to choose their own books from the shelves, they seemed to instinctively find the volumes that best appeal to them and that made them want to read more. According to The Pantagraph, a concerted effort had been made during those 20 years to bring children and good literature together, and with the results shown, staff members now say that this 20-year dream has come true. By 1944, nearly 3,000 children had library cards and of those children, Kessler stated that the majority of them were in the fifth and sixth grades. To her credit and despite her modesty, Kessler had much to do with this milestone achievement. The McLean County Museum of History collects and preserves countless photos. Thanks to a second $250,000 grant received from the Institute of Museum and Library Science (IMLS) last fall, the museum is in the process of digitizing another 50,000 negatives from the Pantagraph Negative Collection, which consists of well over 1 million negatives. The latest batch of digitized images are primarily from the 1940s. This grant has allowed the museum to continue the labor-intensive project of digitizing, organizing and researching this treasure trove of local history. If not for this project, we may have never discovered images of Clara Louise Kessler doing what she did best fostering a love of reading in the hearts and minds of the children in her community. BLOOMINGTON Should state lawmakers fully restore the percentage of Illinois income taxes given to local governments, the city of Bloomington could receive millions in new revenue each year. That's why Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe was one of many municipal leaders who traveled to Springfield last week to advocate for increasing what is known as the Local Government Distributive Fund, or LGDF. The fund includes the share of residents' income taxes that are returned to communities to be spent on expenses like roads, sewers or salaries. Mwilambwe and other mayors addressed the House Cities and Villages Committee. Without the allocation of these state funds, some said, municipalities could be forced to increase local fees or taxes. But because of the financial strain it could have on the state, many local leaders accepted that funding increases would have be implemented gradually. "I understand if it has to be done incrementally but this is definitely something that's very important to us, because it really helps us for our communities to deliver essential services for our residents," Mwilambwe said. Illinois established the state income tax in 1969. But to ensure its passage, a revenue-sharing agreement was reached that would grant local governments a percentage of the total income tax collections, courtesy of the LGDF. Prior to 2011, 10% of income tax collections were dedicated to LGDF to support municipalities and counties. But when the temporary income tax was enacted in 2011, the LGDF's share of tax revenue dropped to 6%. In 2017, when the General Assembly passed a permanent income tax increase, the LGDF percentage share fell to 5.45% of individual tax collections and 6.16% of corporate tax collections. As of fiscal 2023, local governments receive 6.16% of the net collections of all income taxes received from individuals, trusts and estates and about 6.85% of the net collections of all income taxes received from corporations. Bloomington Finance Director Scott Rathbun said the city budgeted $10 million in state income taxes distributed via the LGDF for the 2024 fiscal year. For every percentage point by which the LGDF contributions were increased, he said, Bloomington could receive an additional $1.5 million in tax revenue. Municipal leaders from communities of all sizes have expressed support for expanding the fund. Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson also included a request to increase it in remarks he delivered to a special joint session of the General Assembly last week. He said it would benefit communities statewide, adding that "when we build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, we are building a better, stronger, safer Illinois." Erin Henkel contributed reporting. States that collect the most property tax revenue States That Collect the Most Property Tax Revenue Property taxes are the second largest source of US state and local tax revenue Over a third of general tax revenue in New Hampshire comes from property taxes 15. Montana 14. Virginia 13. Florida 12. South Dakota 11. New York 10. Nebraska 9. Massachusetts 8. Rhode Island 7. Illinois 6. Vermont 5. Texas 4. Connecticut 3. Maine 2. New Jersey 1. New Hampshire BLOOMINGTON Poetry is a powerful tool that people can use to express themselves. It is a way of speaking your mind, a way to be heard, and can give you courage to say all the words you never thought you could say. It can also bring comfort during times of trouble like the death of a loved one or a global pandemic. For Clara Louise Kessler, longtime childrens librarian and Withers Public Library (predecessor of Bloomington Public Library), it was a tool to help lift people up during a time of war. Louise (as she was known to most) Kessler had a lifelong interest in books, writing, music and children. Her father moved the family to Normal in 1898 after a business trip to the area, which must have left an impression on him. After graduating from Illinois State Normal University with her teaching degree in 1915, Kessler began working with children as a kindergarten teacher that fall at the Day Nursery and Settlement Association, a private day care and kindergarten that provided a safe place for working mothers to leave their children during the day. After four years of teaching, Kessler embarked on a 33-year-long career as the head childrens librarian at Withers Public Library in 1919. Kessler did much for the community, especially the children, during her long tenure as a librarian. Through a wide variety of programs (plays that she wrote and directed for children, lectures, special exhibits, instructive games, art guilds, story hours, poetry contests, book festivals, and more), she increased the number of books checked out by students exponentially! When she started at Withers, only 34,367 books were checked out by children in the community. By 1940, that number had increased to a whopping 126,859! Kessler used her passion for writing, reading, and creativity in everything she did at the library, and she worked hard to pass that passion on to others. Kessler was a prolific writer throughout most of her life, with many of her stories and poems appearing in the pages of Bloomingtons Pantagraph newspaper. Naturally, most of the stories she wrote were written for children, usually appearing in the newspapers juvenile section (of which she was editor from 1923 to 1926). One of her earliest published works was a small booklet titled War Poems for Children in 1918. This booklet, consisting of 11 poems, was printed to be sold to help raise funds for the war effort during the First World War. Several of the poems included in this booklet were reprinted in The Pantagraph on Nov. 29, 1918. A few of Kesslers works were even published in national magazines, including St. Nicholas Magazine, a popular American youth magazine designed for children ages 5 to 18. Her short story, Being Still, was published there in February 1924. But Kessler was not looking for fame through her writing. She was more interested in helping better the lives of her patrons. One way that her writing did that came on Dec. 7, 1941, the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States officially joined World War II. That inspired her to create a poetry corner at the library. In one of her reminiscences published in her book Home Town in the Corn Belt: A Source History of Bloomington, Illinois 1900-1950, Kessler recalled wondering what could she do to help. She wanted to do something special, something to lift people up when everything was being torn down. If this library could only create a little beauty in the lives of its patrons to offset the horrors of war, it would help, perhaps, a little bit, she wrote. She decided that original poetry, which brought her so much joy, could be the avenue that would lift the spirits and bring happiness to others in her community. On May 1, 1942, she timidly started her first poetry contest in her poetry corner. She hung 10 original poems on a bulletin board in the corner of the main room of the library. Beneath them she placed a ballot box and ballots for patrons to vote for their three favorite poems. Kessler remembered being astonished at the number of ballots she received for this first contest. The winning poems were displayed in the poetry corner, and the local radio station, WJBC, and The Pantagraph announced the names of the winners. Because of the success of the first few contests, Kessler decided to offer a new contest on the first and 15th of each month. And she received 10 new poems each time from Bloomington-Normal residents and out-of-town folks too. In 1943, the winning poems were broadcast each week on WJBC, which resulted in more out-of-town poems being submitted to the contest. Kessler recalled several authors who left a lasting impression on her. One woman submitted a letter with her poem which touched Kesslers heart. The author wished to express her gratitude for the joy you have given me and mine is indeed deeply felt. The woman told Kessler that her poetry program and her poetic insight were like a lantern during these troubled times. Another submitter was a young Jewish soldier who was stationed in Bloomington for several months to attend the Midwest Trades Institute. He became a regular submitter, and even continued submitting poems wherever he was stationed after he left Bloomington. She received poems from him from places like Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas and Georgia. The young soldier told Kessler that he thought it was very noble of her to crusade for poetry and make such a successful attempt to stamp it in the hearts of the public at large. Kessler recalled that the oldest person to submit a poem to the contest was 87 years old and the youngest was just 16. For almost four years, Kessler kept the poetry corner going, twice a month, 10 new poems each time. When World War II had ended, Kessler decided it was time to close the poetry corner and the library presented its final contest on Jan. 1, 1946. All total, 850 poems were submitted to the contest. All that remains of the contests are a few poems and the letters from the contributors that were gathered together into three great scrapbooks which are now in the McLean County Museum of Historys archival collection. In honor of National Library Week and National Poetry Month, the museum, in partnership with Normal Public Library and Illinois Humanities, will host Angela Jackson, the fifth Illinois Poet Laureate, at 2 p.m. April 29 at Normal Public Library. Jackson will be sharing during this free, public program portions of her work and insights on writing poetry as a process and life work. Close Etta Kerr, grade 3, Bent Kai Leggin, grade 2, Bent Anitsi M. Ortega, grade 3, Bent Annie Jackett, grade 5, Calvary Liam Boyle, grade 1, Epiphany Abby Destanick, grade 1, Epiphany Leo Easley, grade 1, Epiphany Josie Hughs, grade 1, Epiphany Alexis Nagel, grade 1, Epiphany Caleb Neuhaus, grade 1, Epiphany Emery Petersen, grade 1, Epiphany Addison Segobiano, grade 1, Epiphany John Sendelbach, grade 1, Epiphany Addie Sikora, grade 1, Epiphany Bryson Washington, grade 1, Epiphany Micah Dalton, grade 2, Glenn Joey, grade 2, Glenn Ross, grade 2, Glenn Raven Wells, grade 2, Glenn Demarshawun White, grade 2, Glenn Henry Babbit, grade 2, Parkside Brynnleigh Best, grade 2, Parkside George Dicken, grade 2, Parkside Logan Fincham, grade 2, Parkside Ethan Gibb, grade 2, Parkside Liam Glenn, grade 2, Parkside Noelia Gonzalez, grade 2, Parkside Aleah Hepburn, grade 2, Parkside Johnathan Huey, grade 2, Parkside Oliver Hunt, grade 2, Parkside Annabelle Lin, grade 2, Parkside Ivory Ohanson, grade 2, Parkside Ivory Ohanson, grade 2, Parkside Decklyn Olson, grade 2, Parkside Nina Razny, grade 2, Parkside Ashlyn Smith, grade 2, Parkside Blake Williams, grade 2, Parkside Iyana Anderson, grade 4, Sheridan Arrion Hayes, grade 4, Sheridan Xander Jackson, grade 4, Sheridan Max Myers, grade 4, Sheridan Alexandria Peterson, grade 4, Sheridan Jordyn Young, grade 4, Sheridan Juan Antonio, grade 2, Stevenson Juan Antonio, grade 2, Stevenson Samantha Bucio, grade 2, Stevenson Giovani Casas, grade 2, Stevenson Masiyah Childress, grade 2, Stevenson Max Corning, grade 2, Stevenson Destiyni Hudson, grade 2, Stevenson Francezz Marine, grade 2, Stevenson Cooper McNamara, grade 2, Stevenson Nova Modlin, grade 2, Stevenson Elijah Pablo, grade 2, Stevenson Sarah Peavler, grade 2, Stevenson Alex, grade 3, Sugar Creek Willa Lee Brockmeyer, grade 3, Sugar Creek Nas Cannon-Thomas, grade 3, Sugar Creek Kayden, grade 3, Sugar Creek Brynn Kuhlman, grade 3, Sugar Creek Bella Miranda, grade 3, Sugar Creek Skylar Plath, grade 3, Sugar Creek Anne Tader, grade 3, Sugar Creek Waylon Conlin, grade 1, Washington Saanvika Alagiri, grade 2, Washington Flying Horse: Things I'd make or invent Etta Kerr, grade 3, Bent Kai Leggin, grade 2, Bent Anitsi M. Ortega, grade 3, Bent Annie Jackett, grade 5, Calvary Liam Boyle, grade 1, Epiphany Abby Destanick, grade 1, Epiphany Leo Easley, grade 1, Epiphany Josie Hughs, grade 1, Epiphany Alexis Nagel, grade 1, Epiphany Caleb Neuhaus, grade 1, Epiphany Emery Petersen, grade 1, Epiphany Addison Segobiano, grade 1, Epiphany John Sendelbach, grade 1, Epiphany Addie Sikora, grade 1, Epiphany Bryson Washington, grade 1, Epiphany Micah Dalton, grade 2, Glenn Joey, grade 2, Glenn Ross, grade 2, Glenn Raven Wells, grade 2, Glenn Demarshawun White, grade 2, Glenn Henry Babbit, grade 2, Parkside Brynnleigh Best, grade 2, Parkside George Dicken, grade 2, Parkside Logan Fincham, grade 2, Parkside Ethan Gibb, grade 2, Parkside Liam Glenn, grade 2, Parkside Noelia Gonzalez, grade 2, Parkside Aleah Hepburn, grade 2, Parkside Johnathan Huey, grade 2, Parkside Oliver Hunt, grade 2, Parkside Annabelle Lin, grade 2, Parkside Ivory Ohanson, grade 2, Parkside Ivory Ohanson, grade 2, Parkside Decklyn Olson, grade 2, Parkside Nina Razny, grade 2, Parkside Ashlyn Smith, grade 2, Parkside Blake Williams, grade 2, Parkside Iyana Anderson, grade 4, Sheridan Arrion Hayes, grade 4, Sheridan Xander Jackson, grade 4, Sheridan Max Myers, grade 4, Sheridan Alexandria Peterson, grade 4, Sheridan Jordyn Young, grade 4, Sheridan Juan Antonio, grade 2, Stevenson Juan Antonio, grade 2, Stevenson Samantha Bucio, grade 2, Stevenson Giovani Casas, grade 2, Stevenson Masiyah Childress, grade 2, Stevenson Max Corning, grade 2, Stevenson Destiyni Hudson, grade 2, Stevenson Francezz Marine, grade 2, Stevenson Cooper McNamara, grade 2, Stevenson Nova Modlin, grade 2, Stevenson Elijah Pablo, grade 2, Stevenson Sarah Peavler, grade 2, Stevenson Alex, grade 3, Sugar Creek Willa Lee Brockmeyer, grade 3, Sugar Creek Nas Cannon-Thomas, grade 3, Sugar Creek Kayden, grade 3, Sugar Creek Brynn Kuhlman, grade 3, Sugar Creek Bella Miranda, grade 3, Sugar Creek Skylar Plath, grade 3, Sugar Creek Anne Tader, grade 3, Sugar Creek Waylon Conlin, grade 1, Washington Saanvika Alagiri, grade 2, Washington LEXINGTON Planting trees just feels good in your soul, said Krista Kirkham. The 44-year-old Bloomington woman was one of around 30 volunteers who planted trees Sunday in Lexingtons ParkLands Preserve, as part of a series of Earth Day events this month with the Ecology Action Center. Kirkham is a member of the EAC and the ParkLands Foundation, and said she knows planting trees is important to both organizations, to the world and to addressing climate change. She also helped put trees in the ground last year for EAC, which is tasked with planting 10,000 each year for 10 years. I think if you can help, you should, and this is a great opportunity to volunteer for two good organizations, Kirkham said. Its good exercise and I love giving back to nature and the environment. She also said the nature preserves are precious to her. Remembering Mike Hall Sundays tree planting project was named in memory of Mike Hall, who died Jan. 7 from cancer at age 67. EAC Executive Director Michael Brown said Hall was a retired public works director for the Town of Normal, where he worked for several decades. In addition to serving the town, Brown said Hall also had strong history with the EAC and the ParkLands Foundation. Brown said he hired Hall to do administrative work after he retired from the Town. He also noted it was fitting that they planted trees near Interstate 55, as Hall was a city engineer who worked on roads. Trees by the thousands Sunday's project was also part of EACs Tree Corps initiative to plant 10,000 trees to lower air pollution, sequester carbon, add wildlife habitats and aid watershed protection. Jake Mehalic, tree coordinator for EAC, said they had planted more than 3,000 trees in the last three weeks in Lexington and other locations. He expected that number to approach close to 4,000 by Sundays shift end. Other weekend activities EAC was involved in were a Constitution Trail and Sugar Creek cleanup, a rain barrel workshop and a composting workshop, said Brown. He added that Rivian hosted a 5k and 1-mile walk Sunday at Heartland Community College that benefited the EAC. Brown said they have to plant the trees as soon as possible because: There is no way to water 10,000 trees. Tree Corps efforts are dependent on spring rains, he continued, with work beginning at the start of April. The goal is to get them in while the rain is still coming get them in before it gets hot and dry. Mehalic said they plant 12 all-native species, including pecan, oak, white oak, burr oak, black oak, hazelnut, sycamore and Kentucky coffee tree. From 2021 through the end of last year, Brown said they planted at least 24,000 trees. He encouraged the public to volunteer with them. Grinding away Mehalic said their volunteers have gone above and beyond. They had groups join from Moses Montefiore Temple in Bloomington and a local FFA program. Two Illinois State University juniors put roots in the ground Sunday: Sarah Deneve, studying actuarial sciences, and Kathleen Tierney, studying animal sciences. Deneve said they were looking for ways to get involved and help out nature, and signed up for the Tree Corps opportunity when they saw it. Tierney said it was their first time out at the Lexington preserve. Deneve said they didnt know there was a preserve in Lexington. Ian and Kaylee Brugman joined hands, too, to get 70 trees planted. Although the weather was cold, the Normal married couple agreed it was a nice day to get out into nature. Mrs. Brugman said she wanted to volunteer for an Earth Day project and meet new people. Also there were Jaxon DeLand and Morgan Barlow, both Bloomington High School seniors. Barlow said she enjoys meeting new people while volunteering, and that its really fun. DeLand said they need to finish 60 community service hours before graduation for enrollment with the National Honor Society. He said they were grinding away at that Sunday. Those looking for tree-planting volunteer opportunities with EAC should visit tree-corps.org Notable events in the history of Earth Day Notable events in the history of Earth Day September 1962: Silent Spring is published January 1969: Santa Barbara oil spill January 1970: Santa Barbara Environmental Rights Day April 1970: First Earth Day December 1970: Congress authorizes creation of the EPA February 1971: Earth Day recognized by the United Nations October 1972: Congress passes the Clean Water Act April 1980: First Canadian Earth Day April 1990: 20th Earth Day recognized by 141 countries September 1995: Sen. Gaylord Nelson awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom April 2000: Leonardo DiCaprio hosts 30th Earth Day April 2007: Earth Day crowds set records in Chicago April 2010: Earth Day 2010 coincides with International Year of Biodiversity April 2016: Earth Day Network launches 7.8 billion trees campaign April 2016: Paris Agreement opens for signatures April 2017: Earth Day Network co-organizes March for Science August 2018: Greta Thunberg begins School Strike for Climate April 2019: Great Global Clean-up for Earth Day 2019 September 2019: Global climate strike draws more than 4 million April 2021: Earth Day, with a focus on climate change Notable events in the history of Earth Day September 1962: Silent Spring is published January 1969: Santa Barbara oil spill January 1970: Santa Barbara Environmental Rights Day April 1970: First Earth Day December 1970: Congress authorizes creation of the EPA February 1971: Earth Day recognized by the United Nations October 1972: Congress passes the Clean Water Act April 1980: First Canadian Earth Day April 1990: 20th Earth Day recognized by 141 countries September 1995: Sen. Gaylord Nelson awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom April 2000: Leonardo DiCaprio hosts 30th Earth Day April 2007: Earth Day crowds set records in Chicago April 2010: Earth Day 2010 coincides with International Year of Biodiversity April 2016: Earth Day Network launches 7.8 billion trees campaign April 2016: Paris Agreement opens for signatures April 2017: Earth Day Network co-organizes March for Science August 2018: Greta Thunberg begins School Strike for Climate April 2019: Great Global Clean-up for Earth Day 2019 September 2019: Global climate strike draws more than 4 million April 2021: Earth Day, with a focus on climate change CHICAGO - 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. 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. 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. 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 SPRINGFIELD The state estimates an expansion of state-sponsored health care to individuals who are ineligible for Medicaid based on their citizenship status is expected to cost $990 million in the upcoming fiscal year, far outpacing the original price tag cited when the measures became law. In 2020, Illinois made noncitizens aged 65 and older eligible for Medicaid-type coverage, becoming the first state to do so. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program is open to individuals whose income is below the federal poverty level. Its a cost borne entirely by the state because the individuals are not eligible for the Medicaid program that is split roughly 50-50 between the state and the federal government. The expansion was inserted into a late draft of whats known as the budget implementation bill in the pandemic-shortened 2020 session. It was an initiative of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus and sponsored in the House by Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, who has since moved on to the U.S. Congress. She and other advocates said providing health care, especially preventative care, to immigrant populations would be cheaper than making them dependent on emergency room visits. You can pay taxes, you can do this, you can do that, you can be in this country for 25 years attempting to legalize, but you cant get this basic health care, basic ability to stay alive, covered. If ever before, this pandemic has shown us how critical that is, Ramirez was quoted in the Springfield State Journal-Register at the time. Ramirez pegged the programs Fiscal Year 2021 cost at $2 million, according to the newspaper. The source of the initial estimate is unclear, although Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration said it had not prepared its own estimate before the program became law because it was a lawmaker-driven initiative. Republicans noted at a Thursday news conference that it was not thoroughly vetted in committee before being added to the budget. The actual cost of the program far exceeded that estimate, and the program exceeded its FY 2021 appropriation within the first month of implementation, according to a closed-door presentation by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to lawmakers last month. The cost of care for the 65 and over age group was nearly $188 million between March 2022 and February 2023, per that presentation. Since the programs initial passage, lawmakers have expanded it twice, lowering the age limit to 55 in 2021 and 42 a year later. The expanded program is known as Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults. Outpacing estimates As the expansion was to be implemented in 2021, IDHFS brought in its own consultant to try to get a clearer picture of what it would cost. For the current fiscal year that concludes June 30, the actuarial firm Milliman estimated the total program costs would be about $222 million. But the actual cost for all three age groups was $410 million from March 2022 through February 2023, according to the department. Millimans estimates used American Community Survey data and assumedenrollees would not cost more than Medicaid enrollees, the department noted in its presentation. But IDHFS noted actual program spending reflects higher enrollee costs than the traditional Medicaid population due to more untreated chronic conditions and higher hospital costs. While the presentation laid out higher-than-expected costs for the program, it also noted per-enrollee costs for those age 65 and older are stabilizing because enrolled individuals are getting chronic conditions under control. For all groups, initial costs were higher due to the number of long-untreated conditions now receiving care. Milliman also underestimated the number of enrollees in the immigrant community, a notoriously difficult population to track. Its estimate of 33,500 total enrollees was exceeded by more than 18,000 with four months to go in Fiscal Year 2023. The number is expected to grow to nearly 99,000 next fiscal year as enrollees in the 42-54 range continue to grow by about 10% each month. When the programs expansion to the population aged 42-54 passed one year ago, Republicans noted in Senate floor debate that it was tacked onto a bill that had otherwise been agreed to by working group members of both parties. Millimans cost estimate of $68 million for the age 42-54 group was cited in floor debate, but thus far over $104 million in claims has been paid out. That number is expected to grow to $460 million in the upcoming fiscal year for that age group. All told, the estimated $990 million price tag for the upcoming year represents a $768 million increase over the faulty initial current-year estimate. The Pritzker administration said IDHFS could cover about $300 million of the cost difference within its budget as proposed by the governor, while the rest would be subject to ongoing budget negotiations. Another Democrat-sponsored bill that remains in committee would add 19-41-year-olds to those covered under the Medicaid-style program. Millimans estimate projected that expansion would cost $280 million, but whether it ends up in the final budget remains to be negotiated. Republicans call for pause House Republicans called for a pause and audit on the existing program at a Statehouse news conference Thursday. We haven't seen the full magnitude of what the liability could be for this program, Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, said at the news conference. And you know, this is a large country where people are moving to different areas based on what benefits may be available to them. So we're just scratching the surface of what could be our future unfunded liability in this area. While Republicans have long criticized spending state funds on noncitizens, Democratic backers of the proposals note that individuals pay sales, income and other taxes as Illinois residents, even if theyre not U.S. citizens. The House GOP on Thursday said the programs funding could be reallocated to other drastically underfunded programs and agencies, such as the Department of Children and Family Services and to cut down on wait lists for people most in need of substantial state care. The $990 million could be used to support services to the developmentally disabledto address the substantial workforce shortages within our nursing homes across the state, Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, said. Sen. Omar Aquino, a Latino Caucus member and Democratic Caucus Chair in the Senate, responded to the GOP criticism saying the larger-than-expected enrollment in the program only reflects a great need for health care options in underserved communities. As usual, some lawmakers on the other side of the aisle treated the needs of large communities as cold-hearted unfinished statistics to score political points, Aquino said in a statement. The Pritzker administration noted the higher-than-expected costs represent just another variable in budget negotiations, and it asserted its fiscal track record of credit upgrades, long-term savings and debt retirement. To be clear, the only lawmakers with a proven record of balancing the budget and improving state finances are Gov. Pritzker and the Democratic supermajority in the General Assembly, Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement. The governor just proposed another balanced budget that invests in education, health care, and communities. Other spending pressures Along with the spending pressures outlined by Hammond Thursday, providers at community facilities serving developmentally disabled individuals are seeking a funding increase beyond what Pritzker has proposed, municipalities are seeking a roughly $250 million increase in state aid for the upcoming fiscal year, and some lawmakers are advocating for a permanent child tax credit. Various Republicans have called for decreasing or eliminating the estate tax, creating a child care tax credit, making permanent a sales tax exemption for groceries, exempting prescription drugs and medical devices from the state sales tax, doubling a senior income tax exemption and paying energy rebates to downstate utility customers. The long list of funding requests comes amid a backdrop of surging state revenues. The nonpartisan legislative Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability in early March increased its revenue projection for the upcoming fiscal year to about $465 beyond what the governor had projected. But March saw the first year-over-year revenue decline of any month in the current fiscal year, and a recent report from the commission projects slow revenue growth over the next three years among increased spending pressures. April, however, is the most important month for revenue projections, as Illinoisans file their taxes and the scope of available funding becomes more clear. The April revenue update is due in early May. Pritzkers office didnt rule out any new spending measures or further expansion of health care to noncitizens but said the governor and lawmakers will continue on the proven track of working together to ensure state spending does not exceed revenues. Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term WEST CHICAGO, Ill. A collar county of Chicago may not be the first place one would consider visiting to get a historic picture of agriculture in the Midwest. But at the Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago, spring brings the birth of more than a dozen lambs. Cows and horses are on pasture while planting begins in the neighboring fields. Volunteers and employees, in period costumes, demonstrate rural life in the 1890s to visitors. It shows how people lived 130 years ago, says Keith McClow, heritage experience manager, as a volunteer bakes bread in the 1890s kitchen and land is readied for planting nearby. He says most of the visitors have little connection to agriculture today. The Kline Farm is part of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, which includes an 1850s mill museum, nature centers, a historic equestrian farm, and the former retreat of the McCormick family of farm equipment fame. The St. James Farm in Warrenville, Illinois, was originally homesteaded by Erasmus Gary in 1831. Gary planted his first crops the next year. It has been farmed every year since. In nine years it will celebrate its 200th anniversary, says Wayne Zaininger, director of community engagement services for the preserve, which owns the land today. Its most famous owners were the McCormick family. In 1834, Cyrus Hall McCormick patented a horse-drawn reaper. By 1947, he and his brother, Leander J. McCormick, formed the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company which grew rapidly in the Chicago area near prime, grain-growing acres. Their company merged with the Deering Harvester Company and other small manufacturers in 1902 to become the International Harvester Company, affectionately known as IH. The Farmall and Cub Cadet tractors gained fame with a heyday in the 1950s, an era that is celebrated with a big fall festival in the area every year. St. James Farm also features architectural artifacts from at least four IH-related factories. When these factories were torn down over the years, members of the McCormick family saved these relics. They constructed a wall at the farm, just outside the brick stable, to showcase the memorabilia, Zaininger says. Later, when Brooks McCormick sold his estate to the forest preserve, it became a public property that is visited by more than 100,000 people annually, all of whom can now appreciate the rich agricultural heritage that this area is so well known for, says Zaininger, also the equestrian education manager for the preserve. Another property of interest to visitors is Danada Estate, founded by Dan and Ada Rice in nearby Wheaton. He was a commodity trader and she had a passion for thoroughbred horses. Four of their horses placed in the Kentucky Derby, and one, Lucky Debonair won the race in 1965. A topiary horse on the property celebrates that achievement. In this area, big estates owned by wealthy people, sometimes with an agricultural connection, are ideal for the forest preserve to buy, Zaininger says. They continue to be farmed with the ultimate goal of returning them to prairie, savanna or wetlands. In the meantime, the hundreds of acres are part of the cropland conservation program and managed efficiently, growing corn, soybeans and alfalfa, he says. The Friends of Danada grow 35 to 40 acres of corn and soybeans using 1950s equipment at the Danada Model Farm. Their efforts culminate annually with the Danada Fall Festival, when close to 10,000 people celebrate the harvest and see the tractors, combines and other equipment in action, Zaininger says. Last year, the Danada Fall Festival expanded from one to two days, a tradition that will continue this year from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 8 to accommodate the thousands who want to participate. Tampico has been adjudged ultimate winner at the 7th edition of the Ghana Beverage Awards (GBA) held at the Kempinski Gold Coast City Accra over the weekend. The star-studded event organised by Global Media Alliance lived to its theme of inspiring excellence in the beverage industry and left patrons wanting more. Tampico in a fierce competition, beat Vitamilk Soymilk, Adonko 2 Fingers, Coca Cola, Verna Natural Purified Water and Voltic Natural Mineral Water in the most coveted Product of the Year Category to carry the night away. Other beverage brands awarded on the night included Adonko Bitters, Smirnoff Ice, Mensdo Bissap, among others. Receiving the award, Marketing manager of Acadia Industries Limited, Bernard Offei expressed gratitude to the organizers and the GBA Committee for recognizing their hard work for the year under review. He lauded consumers for their loyalty and their confidence in the product while dedicating the award to the staff of Acadia Industries Limited for their tireless efforts in the promotion of the product. It is truly a great honour to receive this award. We are excited about this achievement. On behalf of the management of Acadia Industries Limited, I say thank you to all whose contribution have made this possible including the organisers and the esteemed awards committee. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team at Acadia Industries Limited as well as our commitment to producing high-quality and innovative beverages. Our success would not be possible without the support of our customers, who have shown us time and again that they appreciate the quality and flavour of our beverages and have gone further to show solidarity by casting votes in our favour during the voting phase. We are proud to have been able to serve the people of Ghana with our products, and we will continue to strive to meet their ever-evolving tastes and preferences. He added that, At Acadia Industries Limited we understand that the beverage industry is constantly evolving, and we are committed to staying at the forefront of these changes. We assure our patrons that we will continuously working to improve our products, to ensure that they are not only delicious but also healthy and environmentally friendly. On his part, Chief Executive Officer for Global Media Alliance, Ernest Boateng congratulated Acadia Industries Limitedfor grabbing the topmost award while lauding all stakeholders for supporting the awards scheme. Permit me to congratulate Acadia Industries Limited for emerging winners of the Product of the Year Award. As organisers, we would always be grateful to our stakeholders whose support makes it possible for us to reward excellence in our beverage industry. GBA has come a long way and has grown in terms of the number of categories, patronage among others which are as a result of feedback from our stakeholders. The successes chalked over the years could not have been possible without the support of our stakeholders and industry players whose participation and interest in seeing that GBA grows to the level where it will be widely known locally, in the sub-region and internationally knows no boundaries. Since inception, GBA has been crucial in highlighting the local beverage industry, promoting both domestic and foreign products, and encouraging small-scale beverage businesses in Ghana to participate. It has remained a force to reckon with through its contribution to ensuring that beverage-manufacturing companies are compliant with the highest standards of practice in the production and delivery of their products. Below is the full list of winners Energy Drink of the Year: Adonko Next Level Bitters of the Year: Adonko Bitters Carbonated Soft Drink of the Year: Coca-Cola Dairy Product of the Year: Hollandia Yoghurt Fruit Drink of the Year: Tampico International Liquer of the Year: Baileys Irish Cream International Beer of the Year: Heineken International Spirit of the Year: Johnnie Walker New Beverage of the Year: Hollandia Choco Malt RTD of the Year: Smirnoff Ice Cocoa/Chocolate Product of the Year: Vitamilk Double Choco Liquer of the Year: Sahara Solace Spirit of the Year: Darling Lemon CSR Company of the Year: Coca Cola Bottling Company Manufacturing Company of the Year: Kasapreko Company Limited Water of the Year: Bel Aqua Mineral Water Beer of the Year: Freedom Beer Beverage Campaign of the Year: Vitamilk Fills Good, Anywhere Anytime Indigenous Beverage Brand of the Year: Product of the Year: Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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. The prime suspect in the viral video abusing police officers at a galamsey site at Axim in the Western Region, Kwame Ato Asare Ani, aged 21, has been arrested together with two other suspects; Williams Kwofie aged 17, and Emmanuel Kojo Bronie aged 17. The three suspects were arrested at Boinso, a community near Enchi in the Western North Region. Kwame Ato Asare Ani was declared wanted after a video of him, together with some illegal miners, molesting a police officer at a galamsey site to the point where the police officer knelt down to apologise went viral. The police declared him wanted after he went into hiding. A member of the Boinso community identified the suspects at a drinking spot in the community on Friday morning, April 21, 2023, and quickly informed the police who went to the spot to arrest them. The three suspects were interrogated by the Enchi Divisional commander about the video which was circulating on the social platforms indicating their involvement in molesting the officers on-site at Axim and they confirmed that they were the people who attacked the policemen in the video over some monetary issues. A search conducted on them revealed the following items; two talisman, one task bar, twenty pieces of rings, two store keys, one power bank, one Alcatel mobile phone, one Samsung mobile phone,a sponge, toilet soap, one phone battery, one phone charger and cash sum of one thousand two hundred and eleven Ghana cedis (GHC1,211.00). The suspects have been placed in custody awaiting the arrival of the Axim Police for collection and necessary action as they have been informed accordingly through the WNR Commander. Meanwhile, one of the suspects absconded and he is being pursued by the police. An ex-convict who was harbouring them has also been arrested. The three suspects were arrested at Boinso, a community near Enchi in the Western North Region. Kwame Ato Asare Ani was declared wanted after a video of him, together with some illegal miners, molesting a police officer at a galamsey site to the point where the police officer knelt down to apologise went viral. The police declared him wanted after he went into hiding. A member of the Boinso community identified the suspects at a drinking spot in the community on Friday morning, April 21, 2023, and quickly informed the police who went to the spot to arrest them. The three suspects were interrogated by the Enchi Divisional commander about the video which was circulating on the social platforms indicating their involvement in molesting the officers on-site at Axim and they confirmed that they were the people who attacked the policemen in the video over some monetary issues. A search conducted on them revealed the following items; two talisman, one task bar, twenty pieces of rings, two store keys, one power bank, one Alcatel mobile phone, one Samsung mobile phone,a sponge, toilet soap, one phone battery, one phone charger and cash sum of one thousand two hundred and eleven Ghana cedis (GHC1,211.00). The suspects have been placed in custody awaiting the arrival of the Axim Police for collection and necessary action as they have been informed accordingly through the WNR Commander. Meanwhile, one of the suspects absconded and he is being pursued by the police. An ex-convict who was harbouring them has also been arrested. Source: Ghanaweb Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The 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. Featured Video A Russian warplane dropped a bomb on a Russian city of more than 400,000 people late Thursday, April 20 leaving a crater 40 meters (130 feet) across, blowing a car onto a roof and damaging buildings in what Russian state media called an emergency release of an air ordnance. A Russian Su-34 aircraft, a twin-engine fighter-bomber, released the bomb over the city of Belgorod, 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) north of the border with Ukraine, according to reports from state news agencies RIA Novosti and TASS. 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, TASS quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying. It happened at the intersection of one of the central streets, leaving a huge impact crater with a radius of 20 meters, Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said in a Telegram post. An overturned car landed on the roof of a store, according to RIA Novosti. Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov wrote on his Telegram channel that several apartment buildings were damaged in the blast. Two people were reported injured in the explosion, Gladkov addrd. Russian state media boasted about the countrys Su-34 warplanes last December, when it said a new batch of frontline bombers had been delivered to Russian forces to use against Ukraine. It did not give a specific number of planes delivered. The Su-34 bomber will constitute the basic strike power of Russian frontline aircraft. The upgraded Su-34 warplane features extended combat capabilities enabling it to employ advanced air-launched munitions, increase the range of striking ground and naval targets and expand the conditions and accuracy of bombing runs, a TASS report at the time said. The planes can carry a variety of munitions, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles as well as guided and unguided bombs. The Belgorod region has been the scene of several explosions and bombings since Russias invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. Watch the video below Crazy video showing what happened last night in Belgorod, Russia. A Su-34 "accidentally"dropped an aerial bomb. At 00:09 the projectile enters the ground, and at 00:27 it explodes pic.twitter.com/66rubPhbjR Mr. Parrot (@parrot_soldier) April 21, 2023 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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. Featured Video H.E. Bishop John Adonteng Boateng, founder of Divine Word International Ministries, has commissioned an ultramodern orphanage home for widows, orphans and other underprivileged people in society. The "Divine Privileged Home," located in Kasoa, is expected to house over 200 underprivileged people as they kick-start a life of hope and offer them respite from their plights. At a well-attended ceremony at the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday, the project was officially commissioned with a fund-raiser held to support the underprivileged who would move into the facility. Speaking at the ceremony, Bishop Adonteng, who is a recipient of the U.S. President Volunteer Service Award, stated that the insurgence of the coronavirus has worsened the plight of orphans and widows in the past few years and that he was poised to do something for them in these difficult moments. "The coronavirus pandemic caused economic difficulties around the globe, and Ghana was not spared either. Even children who still have their parents alive struggle to get something to eat. "But the question is, how do those who have lost their parents get something to eat? This is something I have always had on my mind, and I decided to build this orphanage to help the needy in society," he said. According to the U.S.-based Preacher, he has always had a vision of investing in children who are underprivileged so that they will become good future leaders. "As a preacher, my work does not end by making prophetic declarations but by going out there and helping people who are underprivileged and giving them hope by giving the best of care," he stated. Otumfuo Twafohene, Baffour Opoku Agyemang II, and the Life Patron of Divine Privileged Home, in his address, lauded Bishop Adonteng for being thoughtful about the underprivileged. Opoku Agyemang II described Bishop Adonteng as a compassionate person and a person with a golden heart, considering the venture he had decided to undertake by helping these people. He stated that the idea of giving a new life to the less fortunate in society demonstrated that Bishop Adonteng was a good person and asked God's blessing on his life. Opoku Agyemang II urged Bishop Adonteng to extend his philanthropic tentacles across the country and urged corporate Ghana and astute individuals to support him in his endeavours. Some dignitaries who attended the commissioning of the Divine Privileged Home Ho included former Black Stars; Captain Asamoah Gyan, Group Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited; Dr. Samuel Amo Tobbin, Chief Executive of EIB Network; Bolay Ray and Accra Major; Elizabeth Sackey, among others. The ceremony also witnessed enthralling musical performances from some of Ghana's finest gospel musicians including Obaapa Christy, Great Ampong and Empress Gifty. About Bishop Adonteng He is a highly respected spiritual leader in the United States of America. Bishop Adonteng Boateng is an International Police Chaplain in the United States who has been recognized for his important role in positively impacting the lives of people. The renowned Ghanaian Preacher has over the years embarked on social responsibilities to feed and clothe the homeless in the United States. He has over the years changed the lives of numerous young individuals by offering them scholarships to study in top Universities in America. In his home country, Ghana, Bishop Adonteng has helped change the lives of thousands of people in society that include widows, orphans and many others. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video " " Refugees from Ukraine arrive in Medyka, Poland, April 4, 2022. Wojtek Radwanski/ AFP/Getty Images Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused more than 4.2 million people to flee to the neighboring countries of Poland, Romania, Moldova and elsewhere. Russia's violence against civilians and attacks on cities caused an additional 6.5 million or more people to become internally displaced. They left their homes but moved within Ukraine to other areas where they hope to be safer. Advertisement Russia and Ukraine have been holding sporadic peace talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said April 4, 2022, that talks will continue despite Russian soldiers' committing mass murders of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine. But there is no guarantee that the millions of displaced Ukrainians will want to go back to their homes even once the war eventually ends. Lessons learned from the experiences of people displaced in other conflicts, like Bosnia and Afghanistan, provide insight into what might happen with Ukrainians at the end of the fighting. A wave of new social science research, including my own as a political scientist studying post-conflict settings, shows that once violence ends, people do not always choose to return home. 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: 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. Credit: Australian War Memorial via 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 Australia's 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 4000 meter (13,120 feet)deeper than the Titanicoff 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 Australia's Defense Department. "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," 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." 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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: In this photo provided by researchers, Cornell University graduate student Brayan Vilanova Cuevas collects a swab sample from the surface of corals in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands in September 2022. A tiny single-celled organism is to blame for a massive die-off of sea urchins in the Caribbean in 2022, researchers reported Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in the journalScience Advances. Credit: Ian Hewson/Cornell University via AP Last year, sea urchins in the Caribbean started getting sickshedding their spines, dying off and throwing reef ecosystems into chaos. Now, scientists think they've caught the killer in this marine murder mystery. A tiny single-celled parasite is to blame for the massive die-off, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. "The case is closed," said study author Mya Breitbart, a marine microbiologist at the University of South Florida. These long-spined sea urchins, or Diadema antillarum, are prickly black creatures that hide out in reefs across the Caribbean. They play a key role as "lawnmowers" of the reef, Breitbart said, eating up the algae that grows on corals. But in January 2022, these animals started showing strange symptomstheir sharp spines drooping and falling off, their suction-cup feet losing their gripbefore dying off in droves, from the Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico to Florida. For marine scientists, it was deja vu: Another die-off swept through the region in the 1980s and slashed sea urchin populations by around 98%. Footage of research conducted in St. John US Virgin Islands in April 2022 and August 2022. Credit: Ian Hewson, Cornell University That case was never solved. But this time, an international team of researchers jumped into action, taking samples from sick urchins and healthy ones across the Caribbean to look for genetic clues. They didn't see signs of viruses or bacteria, said study author Ian Hewson, who researches marine diseases at Cornell University. But they did spot traces of tiny single-celled organisms called ciliates, which only showed up in the sick urchins. Though most ciliates don't cause disease, this kind has been linked with other aquatic outbreaks, making it a prime suspect, Hewson said. This photo provided by researchers shows a ciliate parasite-affected sea urchin, center, and a normal-looking one, left, in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, in April 2022. A tiny single-celled organism is to blame for a massive die-off of sea urchins in the Caribbean in 2022, researchers reported Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in the journalScience Advances. Credit: Ian Hewson/Cornell University via AP To confirm they'd caught the killer, scientists placed the parasites in tanks with healthy urchins grown in captivity to see how they'd react. Out of 10 urchins who were pitted against the tiny creatures, 60% of them diedafter showing the same symptoms researchers were seeing in the wild. It's possible that this same parasite also caused the die-off in the 1980s, but scientists can't be sure, Breitbart said. And they haven't figured out a way to treat the diseased urchins. But they're hopeful that knowing the source of the die-offs will help conserve the reefs, especially once they learn more about how the parasites spread, Breitbart said. In this photo provided by researchers, University of South Florida researchers Mya Breitbart and Isabella Ritchie work with a sea urchin during a ciliate exposure experiment in the University of South Florida aquarium research facility in St. Petersburg, Fla., on July 7, 2022. A tiny single-celled organism is to blame for a massive die-off of sea urchins in the Caribbean in 2022, researchers reported Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in the journalScience Advances. Credit: Makenzie Kerr/University of South Florida College of Marine Science via AP This photo provided by researchers shows a Philaster apodigitiformis ciliate microorganism viewed under the microscope at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg, Fla. The measurement scale of 1000 micrometers is equal to 1 millimeter. The tiny single-celled organism is to blame for a massive die-off of sea urchins in the Caribbean in 2022, researchers reported Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in the journal Science Advances. Credit: Mya Breitbart/University of South Florida College of Marine Science via AP This combination of photos provided by researchers showing the same sea urchin before and after infection with ciliate microorganisms in the University of South Florida aquarium research facility in St. Petersburg, Fla. A tiny single-celled organism is to blame for a massive die-off of sea urchins in the Caribbean in 2022, researchers reported Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in the journal Science Advances. Credit: Makenzie Kerr/University of South Florida College of Marine Science via AP This photo provided by researchers shows spines falling off a ciliate parasite-affected sea urchin in Aruba in August 2022. A tiny single-celled organism is to blame for a massive die-off of sea urchins in the Caribbean in 2022, researchers reported Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in the journal Science Advances. Credit: Ian Hewson/Cornell University via AP These urchin deaths and other stresses have already transformed the reefs, added Don Levitan, a marine scientist at Florida State University who was not involved with the study. Back before the first sea urchin die-off, Levitan recalled seeing reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands blanketed in the spiny creatures. Now, those reefs look much differentchoked by algae, struck by coral disease and stressed out from rising temperatures. "Coral reefs in the Caribbean are in trouble," Levitan said. "We're at a different place than we were 30, 40 years ago." More information: Ian Hewson et al, A scuticociliate causes mass mortality of Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean Sea, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3200 Journal information: Science Advances 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. MOREAU Plans continue to move forward for the much-debated Saratoga Biochar Solutions facility in the Moreau Industrial Park, but the Clean Air Action Network of Glens Falls is still hoping to bring the project to a halt, or at least slow it down, through the court system. The company behind the carbon-fertilizer factory that hopes to turn biosolids into a product safe for land application, is currently closing in on submitting all the necessary components for their air and solid waste permits from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The DEC is expected to release draft permits this spring and open a public comment period before any applications are approved. The project, first introduced in May 2021, was approved by the Moreau Planning Board, despite public outrage, in August 2022. However, the Clean Air Action Network, or CAAN, quickly filed an Article 78 with the Saratoga County Supreme Court of New York in September. An Article 78 proceeding is used to appeal the decision of a New York state or local agency to the New York courts. However, CAAN also named Saratoga Biochar Solutions and CEO Raymond Apy in the lawsuit as well. After hearing oral arguments from both sides on March 27, Judge Richard A. Kupferman granted a motion dismissing Apy from the lawsuit, which CAAN consented to in February, as they agreed there was no basis to sue Apy. His lawyer Robert Lippman, who also represents the company, requested Apys legal fees to be paid by CAAN, but the judge denied that request. CAAN, represented by Todd Ommen of the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic in White Plains, filed the Article 78 petition hoping a judge would overturn the Planning Boards negative declaration on the State Environmental Quality Review, or SEQR. According to the DEC, SEQR requires all local, regional, and state government agencies to equally examine the environmental impacts along with the social and economic considerations for a certain project during their discretionary review. CAANs lawsuit claims that despite initially resolving to obtain one or more experts to examine potential environmental impacts, this action was never taken. Clean Air group sues Moreau Planning Board, Biochar Solutions over proposed fertilizer plant The Clean Air Action Network of Glens Falls has filed an Article 78 lawsuit against the Moreau Planning Board and Saratoga Biochar Solutions and its CEO, Ray Apy, seeking to block the company from establishing in the Moreau Industrial Park. Without any education on these issues outside of the applicants one-sided reports and communications with the Planning Board, the Planning Board failed to make an educated determination on the potential significant impacts, the court document states. The neighbors Neighbors to the proposed facility site on Farnan Road off of Bluebird Road in the town of Moreau, Mary Clear and Rojana Padron, both submitted sworn affidavits, along with the meeting minutes and other evidence CAAN handed over for the judge to review. Clear stated the Biochar factory would be located 700 feet from her property line and less than 1,600 feet from her home of almost 40 years. I am extremely concerned about potentially toxic substances and pollutants that may be emitted from the Saratoga Biochar facility. Through my involvement with CAAN, I have done considerable research on biosolids and their potential to contain PFAS and heavy metals, Clears statement reads. She said she is not only concerned for the health of her husband and herself, but also lowering the value of their property purchased as a forever home in 1985. It is frustrating that the town is not taking a closer look at the potential harmful environmental and health effects this facility may create. Our little town is no stranger to contamination, Clear also expressed in her statement. Padrons residence on 13 acres would be the closest home to the proposed factory, which would receive waste from Casella Organics at a rate of up to 50 trucks a day. Her biggest concern centers around the facility being the first of its kind in New York, after being rejected in multiple other counties before coming to Moreau. It deeply concerns me to know that this facility would be the first of its kind in New York and in our town, close enough to homes, schools, apartments and businesses. It will affect not only the residents of Moreau, but Hudson Falls, Fort Edward and other towns, Padrons statement read. Padrons husband spoke at the March 29 informational meeting Saratoga Biochar Solutions held in Hudson Falls to voice his concerns again, but also to thank the company for providing more information and answering questions. Planning Board response In October 2022, Karla Williams Buettner, Moreaus attorney, requested an extension until January 2023 on behalf of Biochars lawyer Lippman. On Jan. 31, Buettner filed a 14-page motion with the court, which begins by denying most of the allegations in the petition paragraph by paragraph. She goes on to state reasons for dismissal of the Article 78. The Planning Board had no legal obligation to address each and every objection the petitioner raised so long as its decision is based on substantial evidence in the record, is not arbitrary and capricious or an abuse of discretion and is not otherwise illegal. As such, the Verified Petition should be dismissed, the response states. The towns attorney listed the lengths the board went to review the proposal and subsequently approve it. (They) reviewed the project for over a year, discussing it at no less than 12 meetings, including two public hearings and a special meeting with experts from the NYDEC, reviewing thousands of pages of submissions, plans, drawings, engineering reports, opinions from the Town Water and Highway Superintendents, the Town Designated Stormwater Engineer and public comment, as well as oral presentations made by the parties and their representatives, the document reads. Buettner went on to defend the board stating the decisions, both the negative declaration and the site plan approval with conditions, were supported by substantial evidence. The attorney also addressed the lack of an external expert being hired during the projects review, claiming that after learning the what it would entail to enlist a private expert, the Planning Board instead chose to hold a meeting with DEC experts. According to the documents, the Planning Board met for four hours on March 7, 2022 to review the SEQR before reaching the negative declaration, meaning it would not have a significant impact on the people or surrounding environment. Town Zoning Administrator Jim Martin also submitted a sworn affidavit stating he assisted the board members with their review and attended every meeting. SBS responds Among the documents submitted to the court by Moreaus attorney on Jan. 31 was a response from Lippman representing Saratoga Biochar Solutions. In the 17 pages, the lawyer lays out the reasons for dismissing the lawsuit, including discrediting the neighbors statements, the location of CAAN and the timeliness of the petition. The Court of Appeals has held that challenges under SEQRA are required to be brought within four months of the end of the SEQRA process, not when a permit or license or approval is granted, the document states regarding the timing. Since the petition was filed two and a half months after the statute ran, it is untimely and should be dismissed in its entirety. Lastly, Lippman argues that the Planning Board did comply with the SEQR process and gave the project thorough review before granting approval. The petition is currently still under review. He was riding up and down the road on his bicycle. He went to a few houses to ask for assistance. He spoke with an accent, was tall, blond, lanky, and just a young man. He walked into one garage. Was asked what he was doing. Then he was pointed toward town. He left and turned the opposite way. I heard later that the neighbors were getting concerned. I happened to be out trying to get the baby goats into their hutches so that I could start milking their mothers outside in the sun of a wonderful breezy spring day. I started preparing early, so I could finish before the evening chill. Suddenly, the stranger stopped at the end of my driveway and asked if I had 20 or 40 minutes time to help him out getting to town. His car had broken down, so he was riding into town to get something to eat. He offered me money. I said no. He said he was lost and had taken a wrong turn, even though he had taken this trip before. Thats easy to do up here. People are always ending up on the South Shore when they mean to be on the North. In the summer people often stop by for directions, and they are often going opposite of where they mean to. The Congklingville and Stewarts dams seem to be designed as a kind of lobster trap for human travelers. I said, Wait a minute. Of course. I settled the animals, cleared most of the tools out of the front seat of the car, put a few towels on the front seat thats Mia Dogs seat and we took off on the 6-mile journey, crossing the Hudson River into Lake Luzerne. On the way I learned he was Lithuanian, was working for an Albany area company in 5G cellular communications, and had been laid off for four months. He and a few fellow workers found the cheapest rent they could in the area, ending up in temporary residence in a house on the other side of the dam. We talked about a lot of things. He talked to me about what his dream house would be. He said he wanted a glass house connected to it, filled with plants. I told him that I used to direct the installation of plants into atriums and office buildings in the New York metro area. I explained that an atrium is surrounded by the house, and could be covered with glass for the tropical plants. He told me his name. He said he would be moving back down toward Albany with his housemates to resume work in the next couple of days. I told him he had it made in America. Youre tall and blond. Just act like your smart, and shake your head knowingly if youre not sure about something. Next thing you know youll be an executive. Come back and visit when you are. We can all have dinner, I said. We talked about other things Europe, Lithuania, Russia, the North Sea, and concerns of our time. It was a pleasant visit. I hope he does come back some day. After we picked up his food from town, we stopped back home to get his bike. I gave him a chunk of goat cheese and some strawberries to go with his supper. Then I drove him to the house he was renting, one I knew well. The experience reminded me of one of those Bible verses that became part of my operating instructions when I was young. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrew 13:2) Even though our culture is now filled with the philosophy of stranger danger, Im pretty sure Ill keep paying attention to my instructions. That way any stranger that comes my way is not likely to be a stranger anymore. EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP Prescription drug abuse and addiction are an epidemic plaguing many communities throughout the country, including locally, which is why area police joined departments across the state for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday. The national prescription take-back is a semi-annual initiative one in April, one in October launched by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2010. It lets people anonymously, discreetly and safely dispose of any unwanted, unused or expired medications, no questions asked. "We have a prescription drop box at headquarters, and a lot of people know they can still get rid of their meds if they don't come out today, so this is more of a push," said Egg Harbor Township police Chief Fred Spano, whose department was one of many that hosted drug take-back events Saturday. Spano said not cleaning out medicine cabinets is a potential "recipe for disaster." Every year, 16 million Americans over the age of 12 abuse prescription drugs, and 12% of prescription drug users have a problem with addiction, according to data from National Today. Spano and the department set up two take-back locations in the township on the Black Horse Pike from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., one at Walmart, one at Walgreens. Jennifer DeLanzo named to lead Middle Township police MIDDLE TOWNSHIP Township officials have tapped police Capt. Jennifer DeLanzo as the next c Spano said having the Police Department hold the event at those central locations made it easier for people to drop off medications. It was the third year Walmart was a drop-off site. Other area police departments participating in National Drug Take Back Day also chose popular locations to host drop-offs. Lower Township police held its drug events at Acme and the Cape May County Airport. Ocean City police held its drop-off at the local library. Last year's National Prescription Drug Take Back day collected 720,000 pounds of unneeded medicines at 5,144 collection sites across the country, according to the DEA. In New Jersey, 241 police departments collected more than 341,000 pounds of prescription drugs last April. "It's good for the community, gets awareness out and lets people know they can drop their prescription off," said Egg Harbor Township resident Tara Irwin, who checked out the drug take-back outside Walmart after she shopped for some beach stuff with her four kids. "I've only ever seen them in the police building, so unless you're a frequent flyer there, you might not have known about it." The prescription drop-off at the Egg Harbor Township Police Department is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as are other area police departments' drop-off boxes. About 63% of people surveyed at multiple take-back events around the country said throwing their meds in the trash was the standard way of disposal, according to National Today. Weed sales to adults to kick off in Atlantic City on 4/20 ATLANTIC CITY The citys first legal cannabis shop looks set to also be the first to leave "A lot of people don't know they shouldn't dispose their meds down the toilet," Spano said of another common way people empty their medicine cabinets. The Egg Harbor Township take-backs had a certified pharmacist technician from Walmart and Walgreens giving out free seven-day pill organizers while answering any questions about prescription meds. Township police also offered people free identification cards for kids that had their information on them in case of an emergency. Irwin didn't have any prescription medications to drop off, but she did get all four of her kids an ID from police. By participating in the drug take-back, police also get to inform people of other existing programs and initiatives, like those to prevent or treat addiction. Besides the semi-annual drug take-back, the Egg Harbor Township Police Department teaches fifth graders about Drug Abuse Resistance Education, also known as D.A.R.E., and its Not Even Once drug education program for high schoolers. Man convicted in April Kauffman killing denied new hearing MAYS LANDING A former Pagans motorcycle club leader convicted in the 2012 murder of April Police place all the unwanted prescriptions they collect in a bag, weigh them and then incinerate them after the event. Last year, the drug take-back at Walmart collected the most prescription drugs in Atlantic County, said Anissa White, a pharmacy technician who volunteered to participate in her first national drug take-back event last year. "It's a great way to get any type of addictive drugs out of your household, away from kids, teens ... even your four-legged friend," Spano said. For more information about the county's prescription drug drop-off boxes and their locations, visit jtacnj.org. The pilot and passenger of a single-engine airplane escaped injury early Saturday after the plane crashed onto West Front Street in Buffalo, Buffalo Police Sgt. Josh Bujalski said in a news release. Bujalski said Buffalo Police were sent to the 300 block of West Front Street, also known as Iowa Highway 22, to investigate a report of a vehicle accident. Upon arrival officers saw that the vehicle was a single-engine airplane. During the investigation, officers learned that an engine malfunction forced the pilot to attempt an emergency landing on West Front Street. The planes wings clipped a telephone pole, and the plane then crashed into the railroad tracks. The pilot and passenger were checked for injuries at the scene by Medic EMS and released. Buffalo Police were assisted by the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department, Scott County Sheriffs Department and Medic EMS. A freeze warning is in effect for the Quad-City region as cold air continued to push through Saturday. There is a 30% chance of rain or snow Sunday with a high temperature of 48 degrees and an overnight low into Monday of 28 degrees. Temperatures are expected to stay below normal at least through May 6, Meteorologist Brian Pierce of the National Weather Service, Davenport, said Saturday. We got a little taste of summertime, and then it was taken away, Pierce said. This is all that cold air that got pulled into the area behind that storm system that came through Thursday. Normal high temperatures range from 65 degrees on Saturday to 68 degrees by the time April 30 rolls around. The high temperature Monday is expected to reach 53 degrees while Tuesday and Wednesday the highs are expected to reach the middle to upper 50s. Thursday and Friday will see daytime highs in the lower 60s before the high temperature falls to the upper 50s for Saturday. The Climate Prediction Center has the region trending toward cooler-than-normal temperatures through May 6. The Mississippi River at Lock and Dam 15, Rock Island, stood at 16.46 feet at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Flood stage there is 15 feet. The river is forecast to continue rising to reach 20.1 feet by next Saturday. However, Pierce said that forecast does not include snow that needs to melt in western Wisconsin. On April 16 and 17 there was a small area in western Wisconsin that got 18-24 inches of snow, he said. La Crosse had 15 inches. In contrast, Dubuque had just short of 2.4 inches. The river is expected to crest at about 22 feet by early May. Pierce said precipitation for the Quad-City region was trending below normal through May 6. Silvis City Administrator Nevada Lemke will leave her position at the end of the month to run Eldridge City Hall. Lemke takes over May 1 from current City Administrator Tony Rupe, who asked the Eldridge City Council in February to return to managing the city's sewer plant, according to the North Scott Press. Lemke leaves Silvis as a contentious rift divides the mayor and City Council. In February, four of seven voting aldermen cast no-confidence votes in Silvis Mayor Matt Carter, accusing him of violating Illinois whistleblower laws by retaliating against employees and contributing to a hostile work environment, which Carter says is unsubstantiated. All eight aldermen sought the mayor's resignation. Carter and the city clerk have also filed a lawsuit against the former city attorney, arguing she should have turned over a recording and documents from a closed City Council meeting. Asked if the turmoil contributed to Lemke seeking employment elsewhere, she declined to comment, noting, "... every city has challenges is the easiest way to say that." Carter, meanwhile, said the city thanked Lemke, "for her efforts and dedication as city administrator for the past two years," adding he soon would appoint an interim replacement as a search was underway for a permanent one. In Eldridge, Rupe cited his workload running the sewer operations and city administration in asking to return to sewer work, according to the NSP. Rupe's predecessor, Lisa Kotter, had recruited him to replace an outgoing assistant city administrator. Then, when the council voted to fire Kotter, the council asked Rupe to stay on at first as an interim, then permanent, city administrator. For the past two years, Rupe has continued to manage sewer plant and administration duties. Lemke has been Silvis' city administrator since May 2021. Before that, she worked as a community development analyst and mayoral assistant for the city of Davenport. A family friend forwarded her the job posting, and Eldridge had always been a place she had on her radar. So, she applied. During her two years in Silvis, she said, the city accomplished several significant projects, and she wants to help Eldridge realize its goals, too. She cited Silvis' work on connecting a water main to Moline to supply water to neighborhoods that relied on over-drawn well water as well as lead service line replacement, which won an environmental award for its partnership with Western Illinois University. Silvis also built a pump track, which is a circular track with a series of berms and rollers that is designed for bicycle riders to move forward, using their momentum instead of pedaling or pushing. Despite some controversies in both cities, Lemke said, she's ready to start anew. "I am really excited and looking forward to this new opportunity and all the great things to come," she said. "And I will be keeping my eye on Silvis. They have a lot of really great things happening right now, and they've got a strong team here. I have no doubt that they are going to succeed in those projects. I'm really proud of what I was able to contribute to Silvis and what I'm hoping to contribute to Eldridge." Today is William Shakespeares birthday - sorta. The truth is, we dont know for certain. All we have is the record of his baptism on April 26, 1564. Obviously he was born sometime earlier, but no record of that event exists. However, inquiring minds wanted to know and scholars were happy to supply an answer. That it was in April seems clear enough. Infants were baptized shortly after birth, the length of time between birth and baptism depending on a variety of unknown circumstances, but three days seemed reasonable. What made the 23rd appealing is that Shakespeare, arguably the greatest poet in the Western World, died on that date in 1616. It seemed appropriate that this unique individual should have the unique distinction of birth and death on the same day. The fact that April 23rd is also the feast day of Englands patron Saint George, the Dragon-Slayer, was an added inducement. As scholars continued tracking down historical records, they discovered that St. George never existed. Englands patron may have been a fiction, but Shakespeare was not only a real person, but an exceptional one who had a decisive impact on the utility and spread of the English language. It is for this reason that the United Nations declared April 23rd to be English Language Day. Of the more than 7,000 languages spoken around the globe, English is used by one in every four people. It is the common language of commerce and politics. There are five other languages accorded their own dates: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. Each serves a significant portion of the worlds population. English replaced French some years ago as the accepted language of diplomacy, something the French resent to this day. They take some consolation in that both remain in official use at UN sessions. While each of the six major languages has its own date, April 23rd is shared by both English and Spanish. I think thats appropriate. Spanish is to English in this country, as French is to English in Canada: a well established second language. It has long been a national practice of stating official and business information in both languages. Today also has the light-hearted tag as Speak Like Shakespeare Day. One is advised to address men as sirrah, women as mistress, and friends as cousin. This is also considered a good time to compare a woman to a summer day, or to attach eth to all verbs. I doubt that it will make four-letter verbs more respectable. You probably already speak like Shakespeare. Our everyday language is loaded with phrases from his plays. Examples: long and short of it . . cold comfort . . hoodwinked . . play fast and loose . . budge an inch . . without rhyme or reason. . early days . . high time . . own flesh and blood . . .a wild goose chase . . for goodness sake . . mum's the word . . Knock knock! Who's there? . . with bated breath . . break the ice . . lie low . . dead as a doornail . . foregone conclusion . . bag and baggage . . . good riddance. Well, you get the idea. Its impressive to think that plays written over 700 years ago remain the most popular in circulation. A Shakespearean play is being performed at every minute of the day somewhere in the world. They continue to be the acid test of ability for any actor who takes the profession seriously. They endure because, not only are the plots compelling and well-crafted, but also because the characters are fully drawn and believable. Each one speaks as a fully-realized individual. Freud said that Shakespeare never makes a mistake in creating credible human beings. But, above all, its the language. The lines of iambic pentameter are natural speech but the way ideas are expressed is poetry at its peak. A few words and expressions are out of currency, but it doesnt take a scholar to comprehend what is being said. Some ideas are so simple and eloquently stated that you can write a book on their implications. Over five years ago, David Hitz, a Silicone Valley entrepreneur, decided that the language in the plays ought to be updated, He said it would be fascinating, fun, and educational to translate Shakespeare into English! He invested some 3.7 million in the project which was undertaken by Lue Douthit, head of the Oregon Shakespeare Festivals literary department. Translators were hired, one for each play. In 2019, readings of the translated plays were staged which, I feel sure, brought on the COVID pandemic as divine retribution. The arrogance and presumption of the whole thing proved that having too much money can warp a persons judgment. Also, that organizations dedicated to Shakespeare ought to be careful whom they hire. Everyone who directs a Shakespearean play does some light editing. In a play like Troilus and Cressida, which Shakespeare wrote for Latin legal scholars, the editing gets fairly heavy, but does not require translation. Ive been in that position, and sweated every slight adjustment. I dont think I did violence to Shakespeares creations, but was careful to visit his tomb in Stratford to apologize in person, just in case. And, every April 23rd, I remember and honor the genius whos given me - and the world - a treasure beyond a wealthy Silicone Valley entrepreneurs comprehension. ATR held its 8th annual art competition for high school students with the theme of Montana in the Style of a Famous Artist last week, providing prize money for students and schools. Contest Coordinator Jenn Turner said the contest with the unusual theme was well received by valley art educators. This may be why we had almost twice as many entries as weve ever had, Turner said. Students had to pick a well-known artist then create a work depicting their vision of Montana using inspiration from that particular artists work. The ATR art contest began in 2015 with 85 entries. This year there were 210 entries from participating schools of Hamilton (nine entries), Corvallis (78 entries), Florence (95 entries) and Darby (18 entries), plus there were eight entries from homeschool students. The awards ceremony was held at ATR in Hamilton on April 14. We couldnt do this contest without the teachers helping to inspire and guide students to create artwork for this contest, Turner said. We also couldnt do it without our judges. Artists from Artists Along the Bitterroot volunteer to rank each entry on theme, originality, composition and craftsmanship. Judges this year were Patty Franklin (mosaic artist), Linda Ham (watercolor artist), Terri Johanson (kiln formed glass artist), Barbara Liss (concrete sculptor), Steve Wilson (oil painter) and Roberta Burruss (watercolor artist). The ATR contest awards were on display during the April Culture Crawl offering the greater artist community an opportunity to vote for their favorite submission and a Peoples Choice Award was given. This was a fun event and a great opportunity for folks to interact with the contest and be exposed to the incredible talent of our local students, Turner said. The winner for the Peoples Choice was Emily Rau for her watercolor painting of The Glorious Mountains the lookout tower. The ATR categories included drawing, sculpture, painting and special awards best of show, presidents award, founders award, peoples choice and honorable mentions. Prizes were awarded in each category with $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd, $150 for 3rd and $100 for 4th. Schools also received monetary awards based on the number of top placers in each category. In the drawing category, the top artists were 1st Riley Allen a senior at Florence-Carlton High School for Prairie Falcon; 2nd Allen for Falcon on a Barbed Wire Fence; 3rd Jayde Venema a junior at Corvallis High School for The Wild Bear; and 4th Megan Jessop a junior at CHS for Meadowlarks. In the sculpture category, the top artists were 1st place Megan Jessop for Mountains Starry Night; 2nd Conner McBride a junior at FCHS for Industry of Chores; 3rd Phinehas R. Luhmann a junior at FCHS for Pine Cone Vessel; and 4th Brooklyn Oliveria a sophomore at FCHS for Bison Tea Pot. In the painting category, the top artists were 1st Emily Rau a junior at Hamilton High School for The Glorious Mountains; 2nd Riley Dahlstrom a sophomore at CHS for Deer with Montana Flora; 3rd Janessa Chaplin a senior at HHS for Untitled; and 4th Sophia Jarrett a senior at CHS for Montanas Mansion. Megan Jessop received best of show and $150 for Mountains Starry Night; Nate Smith a senior at FCHS won the presidents award for Pop Chief Joseph; Caleb Katen a sophomore at FCHS won the Founders Award and $200 for The Fish Flow. ATR presented ten honorable mention awards and school art program awards to schools with the most winning entries 1st place $500, 2nd place $350, 3rd place $250 and 4th place $100 to the school art programs. First place was awarded to Florence-Carlton High School, 2nd Corvallis High School, 3rd Hamilton High School and 4th Darby High School. Lee McBride, Florence-Carlton High School Art Teacher, said the ATR contest inspires and challenges students. The ATR contest has been a cornerstone of the growth and development of our art program at Florence-Carlton High School, McBride said. We are truly grateful for the recognition through monetary awards and the opportunity to showcase our students artwork. ATR, owned by Elliott and Grace Lander, has a branch office in Hamilton. Elliott Lander said the ATR art contest will continue. We are honored to sponsor this annual contest sparking creative ingenuity among Bitterroot Valleys high school art students, unleashing a kaleidoscope of colors and expressions that capture the essence of the students imagination and talent, he said. We were blown away by the over 200 entries and cant say enough about the hard work by the students and the inspiration of the art teachers. The 2024 ATR art contest theme will be Montana Before It Became a State and high school artists are encouraged to create a work depicting Montana during any time period before 1889. Weve all heard about the Knights Templars, but there was also another organization composed of knights that existed at the same time as the Templars. The Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Hospitallers, Order of Hospitallers, or the Order of St. John, was a medieval Christian military order that emerged in the 12th century during the Crusades. Unlike the more famous Knights Templar, the Hospitallers focused on providing medical care to pilgrims and crusaders, as well as engaging in military and diplomatic activities. The origins of the Knights Hospitaller can be traced back to a hospital established in Jerusalem in the 11th century by a group of monks from the Benedictine Order. The hospital was intended to provide care and assistance to sick and injured pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Over time, the hospital grew in size and scope, and began to provide not only medical care but also shelter, food, and clothing to those in need. In the early 12th century, a group of knights led by Gerard Thom, a French nobleman, joined the hospital and pledged to protect it and its patients. This marked the beginning of the military branch of the Hospitallers, which would go on to play a significant role in the Crusades and in European politics and culture. As the Hospitallers grew in number and influence, they expanded their activities beyond medical care and military defense. They became involved in diplomatic and political affairs, acting as mediators between Christian and Muslim rulers and playing a role in the governance of the Holy Land. The Hospitallers also established a network of hospitals and hospices across Europe, providing care and assistance to the sick and needy. They received donations and gifts from wealthy patrons, including monarchs and nobles, which allowed them to expand their operations and acquire vast amounts of land and property. One of the key innovations of the Hospitallers was their system of organization and administration. They developed a hierarchy of ranks and offices, with a Grand Master at the top who oversaw the orders military, medical, and administrative affairs. The Hospitallers also had a strict code of conduct, which emphasized the virtues of charity, humility, and obedience. In addition to their medical and military activities, the Hospitallers were known for their cultural and artistic contributions. They commissioned beautiful works of art and architecture, including the famous Hospital Church of St. John in Valetta, Malta, which is considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Europe. The Hospitallers role in European history was not without controversy. They were sometimes accused of corruption and greed, and their rivalry with the Knights Templar led to conflicts and power struggles. However, their legacy as pioneers in healthcare and providers of assistance to the poor and needy is widely recognized. Today, the Hospitallers continue to exist as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Catholic lay religious order that operates hospitals, clinics, and other charitable organizations in more than 120 countries around the world. The order is recognized as a sovereign entity and maintains diplomatic relations with over 100 countries. The orders motto is Pro Fide Pro Utilitate Hominum, which means For Faith and for Service to Humankind. Their emblem is the Amalfi Cross, also known as the Maltese Cross, whose eight points symbolize the Beatitudes (from eight verses in Matthew 5:312 in the New Testament). NEW DELHI (AP) Indian police on Sunday arrested a separatist leader who has revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland and the secession of Indias northern Punjab state, which has a history of violent insurgency. Amritpal Singh had been on the run since last month after capturing national attention in February, when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, a town in Punjab state, with wooden batons, swords and guns to demand the release of a jailed aide. Punjab state police tweeted Sunday that Singh was arrested in Moga, a town in the state. It gave no details but appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony. A Sikh religious leader, Jasbir Singh Rodde, said Singh surrendered to police after offering morning prayers at a Sikh shrine in Moga. Police then arrested him and took him away, he said. Punjab suffered a bloody insurgency in the 1980s that led to the killing of India's then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards at her official residence in New Delhi. Her killing triggered bloody rioting by her Hindu supporters against Sikhs in northern India. Police declared Singh, a 30-year-old preacher, a fugitive and accused him and his aides of creating discord in the state. Police accused him and his associates of spreading disharmony among people, attempted murder, attacking police personnel and obstructing public servants lawful discharge of duty. Authorities have deployed thousands of paramilitary soldiers in the state and arrested nearly 100 of his supporters. Singh's wife was prevented from leaving India last week. Very little was known about Singh until he arrived in Punjab state in 2022 and began leading marches calling for the protection of rights for Sikhs, who account for about 1.7% of Indias population. Singh claims to draw inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh militant leader accused by the Indian government of leading an armed insurgency for Khalistan in the 1980s. Bhindranwale and his supporters were killed in 1984 when the Indian army stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. Singh has styled himself after Bhindranwale, with a long, flowing beard. He also dresses like Bhindranwale. Singh also heads Waris Punjab De, or Punjabs Heirs, an organization that was part of a massive campaign to mobilize farmers against controversial agriculture reforms being pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. The legislation triggered a year of protests that began in 2020, as farmers most of them Sikhs from Punjab state camped on the outskirts of New Delhi through a harsh winter and devastating coronavirus surge. The protests ended after Modis government withdrew the legislation in November 2021. Waris Punjab De was founded by Deep Sidhu, an Indian actor who died in 2022 in a traffic accident. Singh's speeches have become increasingly popular among supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. Officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. Even though the movement has waned over the years, it still has some support in Punjab and beyond including in countries like Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, which are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora. The history of coffee dates back centuries. In the mid-20th century, American consumers developed an interest in specialty coffee and the industry grew. The first Starbucks opened in Seattle in 1971 as a result of coffee's rising popularity, and as we know, they became a huge success. In Richmond, C.W. Antrim & Sons was one local coffee producer that had been in business since 1877--it was first known as Antrim & Bowie. For many years the company was located on E. Cary Street, but the building was destroyed by a fire in July 1940. They later reopened at 330 South Tenth Street. Antrim & Sons imported beans from Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and parts of Africa. One of the company's main blends was made using Brazilian coffee. Other flavors were achieved by blending together beans from all the different countries. Chicory became a popular additive and in the 1950s, Antrim imported their chicory from Holland. Once a desired blend was achieved, the coffee was placed into a roaster where it was submitted to very high temperatures--around 900 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 18 minutes. From the roaster, the coffee was quickly cooled to retain flavor. Interested in a copy of any of these photos? Click here. In March 1972, Richmond hosted the first ever indoor Russian-American track meet. There had been 10 previous meets between the two countries in the past, but all were outdoors. Sponsored by Richmond Newspapers and the Richmond Coliseum, the meet consisted of 23 events with more than 100 athletes participating. The competition was also held just five months before the Olympics. Richmonders had mixed emotions about the meet, some even protested outside the Coliseum during the opening ceremonies. Relays and races were all televised by CBS which reportedly paid $20,000 for the rights to broadcast. Dick Hollander, the director of the meet explained how organizing everything was rather expensive and in the neighborhood of $70,000. It cost almost $30,000 just to bring the Russian athletes to Richmond and then send them back after. In the end, the U.S. won, 131-112. A police officer shot and wounded a man who was holding a knife Saturday night, the Richmond Police Department said in a statement Sunday morning. Officers were called at around 11:34 p.m. for a two-vehicle crash in the 3100 block of Third Avenue. A man with a knife approached an officer at the scene, police said. During the interaction the officer fired his service weapon, striking the male who was holding the knife, the statement said. The man suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition Sunday, police said. Two adults in the crash also were hospitalized with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The officer has been placed on administrative leave. NEW YORK 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. A new wave of GOP White House hopefuls will begin entering the 2024 race as soon as this week after a monthslong lull. They include former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who will formally launch his campaign Wednesday. Former Vice President Mike Pence 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 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 met with former aides and 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, struggled to live up to sky-high expectations among some early backers. He has been losing support to Trump among elected Republicans in his own state. Trump in recent weeks 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. The rivalry between Trump and DeSantis has turned uglier by the day, with political groups supporting both men already spending millions on attack ads. Some strategists hope the two will attack each other so viciously, 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. Candidates may need to cement their planning soon, even if they would prefer to wait longer. The Republican National Committee 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 in an interview with the media outlet Semafor. Candidates-in-waiting 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 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 Trump upended the race. 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. 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 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. Mexicos presidential plane sold to government of Tajikistan Mexico City, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reported that Mexicos presidential plane has been sold. The official announcement was made Thursday. In a video on his social networks, Lopez Obrador announced that the buyer is the Government of Tajikistan. The plane was purchased through its state investment and property management committee. The Government of Tajikistan deposited 1.6 billion pesos to the Government of Mexico into the account of the Institute to Return the Stolen to the People, reported Lopez Obrador. The transaction is closed. We have already received the resources which are in the account of the Institute to Return the Stolen to the People. This sale will generate, in addition to the resources we receive, it will generate savings of 232 million pesos in interest that the federal government had to pay to Banobras (Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Publicos), AMLO explained. He said that the resources will be used for the countrys health sector, specifically for the construction of two IMSS hospitals. One will be built in Tlapa, Guerrero and Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, each with 80 beds, which will be built and operational before the end of his term in 2024. If prosecutors get their way, a Botetourt County man who pepper-sprayed police during the riots at the U.S. Capitol will receive the toughest punishment delivered so far in the wide-reaching case. An assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., is asking a judge to impose a prison term of 15 years and eight months for Markus Maly. Maly, 49, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday. Of the approximately 450 defendants sentenced to date out of more than 1,000 people from across the country charged with participating in the insurrection the longest sentence has been 10 years, according to Patty Hartman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorneys Office. In court documents filed last week, the government wrote that a 188-month sentence reflects the severe gravity of Malys conduct, his complete lack of acceptance of responsibility, his fraudulent attempts to profit off his notoriety, his obstruction of justice at trial, and a significant criminal history spanning his entire adult life. Malys attorney, assistant federal public defender Benjamin Schiffelbein of Roanoke, countered that U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta should consider his clients humanity in setting a three-year sentence. Early on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Maly caught a bus to the nations capital, where he joined thousands who gathered at a rally to hear a speech by then-President Donald Trump. Falsely claiming that the 2020 election was stolen from him, Trump urged his supporters to march to the nearly Capitol and fight like hell. Maly wound up at the buildings Lower West Terrace, where a line of police officers was trying to fend off the surging mob. Amid the chaos, Maly picked up a canister of pepper spray and directed a stream of the toxic irritant into the face of a Metropolitan Police Department officer, a jury was told last December. Evidence included surveillance video of Maly, wearing a white cowboy hat with an American flag on the brim, and comments he made on social media. This is what happens when you steal elections, he said in a selfie video taken from scaffolding he had climbed for a better view of the unruly crowd. You get a p- off f America. And America knows how to fight back. Following a weeklong trial, the jury convicted Maly of eight felonies. January 6th P.O.W. When the former flooring installer with a checkered past returns to court this Friday, the government will likely argue that Maly should get 188 months in prison not just for what he did on Jan. 6. That alone was a criminal offense unparalleled in American history, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt wrote in a sentencing memorandum. The 29-page document also recounts Malys long criminal history before the uprising and what he did afterward. From behind bars, Maly gave a statement to The Gateway Pundit, a far-right online publication, in which he called himself a January 6th P.O.W. who was unfairly convicted. The jury was going to find my codefendants and myself guilty regardless of the facts that were presented to them in trial, he was quoted as saying in an article headlined: Jan. 6 Dad Speaks for First Time Since Jury Slaughter in DC Kangaroo Court. There was never one victim named or identified in the case the DOJ brought against Maly, the kind of blue-collar man from middle America that the establishment so despises, the article stated. In his sentencing memorandum, Rancourt named Christopher Boyle as the police officer who was pepper-sprayed by Maly, quoting his testimony at trial. Prosecutors have also argued that the entire country was victimized by the rioters attempt to hijack democracy. The Gateway Pundit article included a link to a fundraising website that sought contributions for Malys wife and an extended family who share a home in rural Botetourt County. Im asking for help for my family, Maly wrote in a message addressed to my fellow Americans & Patriots. Donations had totaled $16,011 through April 17, according to court records. Prosecutors are now asking that Maly be fined $16,011, in addition to serving prison time and paying another $2,000 as his part in making restitution for the damage the mob caused to the Capitol. He should not be able to use his own notoriety gained in the commission of his crimes to capitalize on his participation in the Capitol breach in this way, Rancourt wrote. A lifelong criminal If Maly were to receive the longest prison sentence to date in the Jan. 6 prosecutions, it would likely be a short-lived record. Members of two far-right extremist groups, the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, are accused of plotting to forcefully oppose the peaceful transfer of presidential power with a mob that swarmed the Capitol as Congress met to certify an election won by President Joe Biden. They face more serious charges than Maly, including seditious conspiracy, obstruction of Congress, and destruction of evidence. Each one of those charges carries a sentence of up to 20 years. Maly was convicted of interfering with and assaulting police, entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct. Sentencing guidelines call for a range of 155 to 188 months in prison. In seeking the maximum, prosecutors call Maly a lifelong criminal, with a felonious history dating back three decades. His 33 past convictions include two counts of assault on a police officer, burglary, possession of drugs, aggravated battery and traffic offenses. Yet Malys acts of violence in the Capitol riots which his attorney describes as lasting less than a second and are barely visible in surveillance footage fall short of what others are accused of. The government is seeking a 24-year and six-month sentence for Peter Schwartz, a Pennsylvania man who was tried along with Maly and a third codefendant in last Decembers trial. Prosecutors describe Schwartz as one of the most violent and aggressive participants in the insurrection. His sentencing is set for May 5. The longest sentence to date is a 10-year prison term imposed last September for Thomas Webster, a former New York police officer who used a flagpole to assault a police officer outside the Capitol. Webster was sentenced by Mehta, who will also decide the fate of Maly and Schwartz. Of the 453 defendants sentenced through the beginning of April, 237 have received prison terms. About 100 more were placed on home detention, and the remainder got probation, community service or other non-custodial forms of punishment, according to a tally by the U.S. Attorneys Office. Seven of the approximately 1,020 people charged so far are from Western Virginia. Thomas T.J. Robertson, a former sergeant for the Rocky Mount Police Department who was off duty when he joined the riots, was convicted by a jury and is serving a sentence of seven years and three months. His co-defendant and fellow police officer, Jacob Fracker, was placed in probation after pleading guilty and agreeing to testify against Robertson. Joshua Dillon Haynes of Covington, who previously served on that citys planning commission, pleaded guilty to charges that included destroying the cameras and other equipment of news media crews covering the insurrection. He was sentenced to two years and eight months. Jamie Ferguson, a Henry County woman whose role in the riots was not violent, was sentenced to probation. Trials are pending for two other defendants, Jeremy Daniel Groseclose of Elliston and Casey Jane Tryon-Castro of Roanoke. A patriotic response? In his statement to The Gateway Pundit, Maly described himself as a loving husband and father, a hard worker, and a patriot. I am spiritual and have a thirst for knowledge, he wrote. Those traits not a desire to be violent are what took him to Washington, D.C., his attorney argues. Mr. Maly fervently believed that the 2020 election was being stolen. He fervently believed that he was protesting in the name of liberty and freedom, Schiffelbein wrote in a sentencing memorandum. His motives, however (factually) wrong they may have been, were based in values this country celebrates, the public defender wrote. Maly was called to Washington by our president, and believed he was acting in the traditions of America. We celebrate those who have died in the name of liberty, and we ask nearly every child to pledge allegiance to this country, Schiffelbein wrote. What do we expect our citizens to do when the leader of the country (and someone often referred to as the leader of the free world) asks them to fight like hell in support of his cause? Prosecutors say that Malys testimony was perjury, listing nine assertions he made from the witness stand that were proven false by evidence the jury accepted. His lies amount to obstruction of justice, they say, in a case of domestic terrorism, which the breach of the Capitol certainly was. However, Maly should not be punished more harshly than many others involved in the riots simply for exercising his constitutional right to testify, Schiffelbein argues. The only meaningful distinction between Mr. Maly and others is that he was convicted after a trial at which he testified, his sentencing memorandum states. But in the face of what led to the events of January 6, should those factors account for the bulk of his sentence? Currently being held in a Pennsylvania prison, Maly will soon return to Washington this time to a federal courthouse within sight of where the riots happened to learn the answer to that question. EMORY Emory & Henry College announced its decision in late March to follow in the footsteps of neighboring higher education institutions by completing a status change, which will see it become Emory & Henry University. Emory & Henry President John Wells explained that the decision to make the switch from college to university, which will go into effect by the fall of 2024, is an easy one because, in many ways, the school has already been functioning as a university. The decision was really made to confirm really kind of the direction that Emory and Henry has been going in for a while, Wells said. Its really just sending that message that we do have a very broad curriculum that we have multiple campuses, and weve added a number of things like, weve moved to [NCAA] Division 2, weve added things like career services and things that really are outward facing that help to prepare students for the world of work. By fall 2024 Emory & Henry anticipates being in full Division II status with the NCAA and the South Atlantic Conference, with greater regional and national exposure, according to the school. Of the 13 institutions in the South Atlantic Conference, Emory & Henry is one of only three colleges; the others are universities. Among the various additions that Emory & Henry has planned as it continues to grow is the construction of the Bill Gatton Equestrian Center and the Sportsplex both beside Interstate 81 which Wells believes will raise awareness about the school and its continued evolution. Were national champions in equestrian, and so we want to have a facility thats as impressive as the skills of our team, Wells said. By building out at the interstate, we want to make sure that people know that there is a great institution here in Emory & Henry. What were doing is following a tradition that weve had for 187 years, which is making sure that we offer what students need, he said. The name change is part of Emory & Henrys 2023-2026 strategic plan, through which the schools Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff aim to turn E&H into the premier private university in the region. Joey DeFilippo, the director of academic affairs for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, explained that even though Emory & Henry is exempt from state regulation, there is no set of rules or requirements for an institution in the state to make the switch. We dont have any rules that say in order to be a university, you have to have at least 10,000 students and a dozen doctoral programs or anything like that, DeFilippo said. We have state law that says college and university can only be used for degree-granting higher education institutions. They have a very simple form that they have to fill out and a small fee that they pay, just to record the fact their official name is now university, but they dont have to justify it to us, give us dates or anything like that because theyre free from state regulation, He said. E&H is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Over the past decade, Emory & Henry has added new masters and doctoral programs in health sciences, education and, now, business, to its liberal arts bachelors degree offerings, according to a written statement. Comprehensive universities are defined by Carnegie Classification as those offering degrees at the masters level and a few at the doctoral level. Just this year, Emory & Henry was categorized in the U.S. News & World Report rankings in Best Regional Universities (South) and ranked No. 20 with peers like Rollins, The Citadel, Berry, Stetson, Christopher Newport, Appalachian State, Tuskegee, Florida Southern, Charleston, Queens, Savannah College of Art & Design and Milligan, according to the statement. DeFilippo emphasized that the only college in Virginia that would have to go through a complex process if they were to seek to make the switch from college to university would be the University of Virginias College at Wise. In order for their name to change, a bill would have to be passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor, DeFilippo said. Over the past decade, various higher education institutions across Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee have made the switch, including King University, Bluefield University and Tusculum University. In this context, DeFilippo believes that the decision by Emory & Henry is about both branding and competition. Theyre competing with one another, De Filippo said. It gives their name visibility. It encourages people, both their own students, and faculty, maybe to think about the place in a different way. Wells emphasized that in no way will the switch from college to university change the student-focused culture and experience that has shaped Emory & Henry for the past 187 years. We dont have any intention of becoming a place that has high-rise buildings, that has overcrowded classrooms. Were not going to do any of that, Wells said. The heart of what makes Emory & Henry, Emory & Henry has not and will not change. This column was produced in partnership with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. See the spotlight video, and learn more about the work of the Chamber advocating for businesses and economic growth in the Santa Maria Valley on their website, https://www.santamaria.com. " " LED lights come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Pierre Longnus/Getty Images The light bulb that has lit up our homes since the 1800s was officially on its way out after former President George W. Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Although the act didn't ban the use, purchase, sale or manufacture of incandescent bulbs, it did require household light bulbs to have 25 percent greater efficiency (which means 25 percent less energy use) than the traditional bulbs that used between 40 and 100 watts of electricity. The inefficient incandescent, where 90 percent of its energy is given off as heat, had fallen out of favor with the financially and ecologically concerned. When the new lighting standards began in 2012, prime replacements for the incandescent light bulb were the higher-efficiency compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and the light emitting diodes (LEDs). The CFL, though, has its own problems, primarily the inclusion of toxic mercury in the design and a strange, sometimes unpleasant color that even gives some people headaches. Advertisement Enter the LED lights. LEDs have been around for many years they light up digital clocks, Christmas lights, flashlights, traffic signals, etc. But as far as household lighting goes, LEDs weren't taking off. Certain drawbacks had kept companies from manufacturing them in standard, replacement-size light bulb form. But in the last decade or so, these LED replacement bulbs, the kind you just screw into a lamp like you do an incandescent bulb, have become much more common which is to say a large number of businesses and households are using them. A 2017 survey showed that 70 percent of Americans had bought at least one LED light bulb and 38 percent had switched over from incandescent bulbs to LEDs. This percentage has likely increased since 2017. In this article, we'll look into how LED light bulbs work, why they're a desirable lighting choice, and some of the pros and cons surrounding them. Let's begin with the basics: How does an LED produce light? As law enforcement sources told CNN and NBC News, Luther's rifle was a "ghost gun." Such weapons are assembled by individuals from parts or kits or that include one unfinished piece typically the frame or receiver that requires the purchaser to do some drilling to make the gun fully functional. Because of a loophole in federal gun regulations, these DIY weapons don't need to have serial numbers, and the kit or individual pieces can be sold without the background check that someone who purchased a gun from a federally licensed dealer would have to undergo. Ghost guns in the hands of criminals are a growing problem for law enforcement. Research conducted in 2020 by Everytown for Gun Safety, a grassroots organization that pushes for more regulations of firearms, found that 68 percent of online gun sellers today began selling ghost gun parts after 2014. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) says law enforcement around the U.S. reported they had recovered approximately 20,000 suspected ghost guns in criminal investigations in 2021 an increase of 10 times since 2016. Advertisement It's easy to find both individual parts for guns and complete kits for sale on the internet that provide everything needed for assembly, David Chipman explained when we interviewed him in 2020. He served for 25 years in the federal ATF and is now a senior policy adviser for Giffords, the gun control organization co-founded by former Democrat Arizona Congress member and shooting survivor Gabrielle Giffords. "Building a gun in your home has always been lawful, but it wasn't a big issue, because being a gunsmith requires some serious skills and equipment," Chipman said. "The people who did it were mostly hobbyists, who had a lot of time on their hands." Such homemade weapons seldom showed up in crimes, he said. But now, according to Chipman, it's easy for just about anybody to build an untraceable firearm. "This is literally now happening every day it's becoming routine for criminals and gun traffickers," Chipman said. "They used to have to use straw purchasers and then obliterate the serial number or alter. Now, smart traffickers would just build the guns." In February 2020, for example, a North Carolina man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for simultaneously trafficking in guns, methamphetamine and cocaine. Five of the seven weapons that he was transporting from his state to Virginia were ghost guns, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release. In addition to street criminals, Chipman said that domestic abusers, terrorists and extremist groups also could take advantage of the ghost gun loophole "people who can't go into a store and pass a background check or people who want to amass guns and not have the government know about it." FLORENCE, S.C. -- Florence Five-Points restaurant Starfire Grill was damaged by a kitchen fire Thursday night after closing. Florence Fire Marshal Chris Johnson said firefighters were alerted to the blaze by the business' alarm system at 1:15 a.m. and arrived to find smoke and flames visible inside the restaurant. Firefighters had the blaze controlled in about 45 minutes. Florence Fire Department responded three engine companies, a ladder company and command staff and were assisted at the scene by Florence Police and medics with Florence County EMS. "Starfire had a severe kitchen fier last night," the company posted to its Facebook page. We will not be open until further notice. Details will be posted as we find out from authorities. Thanks for your support. We will be back!!" "The Illusion of Heightened Standards in Capital Cases" | Main | "Abolition Then and Now: The Role of Furman's Failure in Today's Abolition Success" April 22, 2023 Another weekend round-up of various (mostly prison) stories Last weekend, I used this round-up to catch up on a number of capital punishment stories. After another busy week, I am catching up again with a round-up of stories; this week are mostly various prison-related pieces: From the AP, "Inmate stuck on US death row despite vacated death sentence" From The Brennan Center for Justice, "Americas Dystopian Incarceration System of Pay to Stay Behind Bars" From CNN, "He was released after decades in prison, now a court says he must go back" From Government Executive, "Management of the Federal Prisons System Is Added to GAOs High-Risk List" From the Los Angeles Times, "California Politics: The prison reform that divides California Democrats" From the Los Angeles Times, "A California lawyer cashed in on criminal justice reform by fanning the hopes of inmates families" From Michigan Advance, "Convictions cleared for nearly 850K Michiganders as Clean Slate program takes effect" From Penn Live, "Despite 5 years of mail scanning to keep drugs from Pa. prisons, problems remain" From Reuters, "U.S. Supreme Court turns away suit by Texas inmate held 27 years in solitary confinement" From the Spokesman-Review, "Inslee signs bill officially repealing death penalty in Washington" From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Missouri becomes first state to join national reentry program for people leaving prison" April 22, 2023 at 09:32 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment Disney writer/director Ron Clements got a heros welcome Saturday night when the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra presented his Oscar-winning film, Aladdin, with a live score. In addition to rounds of applause during the film, he got a camera just like the one he used when he was beginning his career at KCAU and a chance to talk about his own journey. In a brief interview with Music Director Ryan Haskins, Clements said he saw Pinocchio at the Orpheum Theatre when he was a child and that inspired his desire to go into animation. In one of those full-circle moments, Saturdays performance was the first time he got to see Aladdin with a full orchestra. The experience was magical for the audience and, likely, for him. The fast-paced 1992 film was just as enjoyable as it was three decades ago. Robin Williams performance as the Genie towered, even though some of the people he morphed into may have gone over the heads of younger audience members (William F. Buckley Jr., anyone?). Like a one-man tour through Hollywood, Williams added to the humor and found the storys heart. Bonding with his accidental master, Aladdin, he had his back when the evil Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) tried to keep him from marrying the beautiful Jasmine. Abetted by his loyal monkey Abu and a flying carpet, Aladdin made the right moves, didnt waste his wishes and got a chance to show just how reliable he could be. The story was fairly straightforward but the flights of fancy lifted it onto another plain. Williams jokes landed, Freemans evil resonated, and the music (by Alan Menken, Tim Rice and Howard Ashman) soared. Several times during the concert applause broke out. The excitement was deserved the musicians sounded like they had recorded the soundtrack. Clements got ovations, too, when his name came on the screen and when he and fellow director John Musker made cameos early in the film. Williams big number, Friend Like Me, drew applause, as well, and A Whole New World gave the expansive orchestra its due. Hearing the music live demonstrated how lush Menkens score is. A Whole New World moved to a whole new level. Because the film (so crisp on the big screen) was accompanied by subtitles, it was possible for fans to sing along with the music. Some of those songs (particularly Williams) had such fast-paced lyrics it was possible to enjoy the complex rhyming schemes. Clements touch was evident. The film moved like a high-speed carpet; the storyline twisted and turned better than a elephants trunk. For younger members of the audience, Aladdin was a great prod. It showed how accomplished musicians could seize the spotlight and great artists could find an ideal outlet for their talent. Disneys Aladdin in Concert was a highlight in Sioux City history, too. It showed how the community could salute one of their own and enjoy the spoils of his work. SIOUX CITY Inside Bay 6 at the Sioux City Railroad Museum sits a replica of a boxcar similar to the ones used to transport victims of the Holocaust during World War II. Soon, the railcar -- part of a soon-to-be-opened exhibit, "Holocaust Rails: Desperate Passage" -- will vibrate electronically to give visitors a sense of prisoners felt being transported in Nazi Germany. "Imagine if this railcar was filled with up to 80 men, women and children," Lou Ann Lindblade explained. "Some were being taken to work camps. Others, especially the women and children, were taken to be killed in concentration camps." Holocaust Rails Desperate Documentarian George Lindblade talks about the moving footprints projected on the floor of the train car showing how many people were crammed BEHIND HITLER'S REIGN OF TERROR An estimated 6 million European Jews and at least 5 million prisoners-of-war, homosexuals, gypsies and other people regarded as undesirable were murdered during Adolf Hitler's reign of terror. "There's a common misconception that only Jewish people were put to death during the Holocaust," Lindblade said. "The Holocaust was much bigger than that." An invitation-only grand opening for the "Holocaust Rails" exhibit will occur at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Sioux City Railroad Museum, 3400 Sioux River Road. It will be open to the general public when the 05:20 AM the Railroad Museum begins its 2023 season at 10 a.m. May 3. The permanent railcar exhibit will give visitors a chance to the experience the horrors of the Holocaust in the most tactile way possible, Lindblade said. It will also serve as the cornerstone for many of Sioux City's Tolerance Week activities. Holocaust Rails Desperate Images inside the train car depict the terrible conditions people faced during the Holocaust shown here at the Holocaust Rails Desperate Passa WWII HISTORY TAUGHT IN A MODERN WAY Longtime Sioux Cityans Jerry and Kathy Weiner established Tolerance Week in 2005 as a way to introduce area eighth-grade students to the Holocaust. In past years, the late Philip Gans, a survivor of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, and Inge Auerbach, a German-born author and Terezin Concentration Camp survivor, would offer their personal reflections of the Holocaust during widely attended events at the Orpheum Theatre. "Phil died in 2019 and Inge is currently recovering from back surgery," Lindblade said. "With Holocaust survivors getting older, we needed Tolerance Week to evolve. In order to ensure the continuation of Holocaust education we needed to move away from personal observations to something more timeless." Holocaust Rails Desperate A replica railroad car allows guests to envision what prisoners experienced as they were transported by the hundreds to concentration camps du EXHIBIT MORE THAN TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING Planning for "Holocaust Rails: Desperate Passage" began more than two years ago. The project gained speed last year when the railcar arrived from California, according to Lindblade, who like her husband George Lindblade, had been involved with Tolerance Week from the very beginning. "Over the past year, I've sat in bed many times, thinking, did we really get a railcar car in order to start a Holocaust museum?" George Lindblade said with a weary sigh. "Then I'd look over at Lou Ann, who would be thinking the same thing." As a volunteer work crew put the finishing touches on the completely interactive exhibit, Lindblade is pleased by the progress. Holocaust Rails Desperate A cast of children's shoes represents the 1.5 million children and babies who were murdered in the Holocaust at the "Holocaust Rails Desperate A TIMELINE TO A DARK TIME When visitors first enter "Holocaust Rails," they will see the many propaganda pieces that Hitler used as a form of manipulation. Venturing further, you'll see images of Holocaust victims while entering a railcar where you can actually step in a person's footsteps. "Out of personal modesty, men would be on one side while women would be on the other," Lou Ann Lindblade explained. "There would be no food and no bathroom while people were transported from cramped railcars to even worse conditions at concentration camps." A grouping of children's shoes is placed few feet from the railcars. The shoes represent the 1.5 million children and babies who were murdered during the Holocaust. Going beyond that, visitors will see kiosks that feature memorabilia belonging to people who survived, along with archival photos and video. Holocaust Rails Desperate Lou Ann Lindblade stands inside the nearly complete "Holocaust Rails: Desperate Passage" exhibit at the Sioux City Railroad Museum. Lindblade, REMEMBERING THE PAST: A SURVIVOR'S STORY Some may feature the memories of Gans and Auerbach, who would travel the world in order to share stories of concentration camps. Others may be from people who made Siouxland their home. "Sioux City once had at least a half-dozen Holocaust survivors," Lou Ann Lindblade explained. "To them, Germany was nothing but a cemetery. The United States represented a new beginning." Holocaust Rails Desperate Tolerance Week board member Lou Ann Lindblade talks about the historical timeline shown at the "Holocaust Rails: Desperate Passage" exhibit, w PICKING UP THE PIECES After experiencing such a harrowing experience, you'd think a person would become embittered. Instead, they lived lives not too differently than that of their neighbors. Lindblade said the local history kiosks are still "a work in progress." "Now, we're hoping the children and grandchildren of survivors will share family stories of older relatives," she said. Holocaust Rails Desperate Lou Ann Lindblade talks about the process of creating the "Holocaust Rails: Desperate Passage" exhibit. The interactive exhibit gives visitors WITH KNOWLEDGE COMES UNDERSTANDING For 18 years, tens of thousands of Siouxland eighth-graders learned about the Holocaust as part of their curriculum. Such studies would be limited in terms of time and scope. "Tolerance Week shouldn't be limited to one week out of the year," Lindblade said. "Now, with 'Holocaust Rails: Desperate Passage,' young people can learn about the Holocaust all year round." Starting May 3, they can share this knowledge with the entire family. "We couldn't have done this without the help of the Sioux City Railroad Museum," Lou Ann Lindblade said. "It has been a wonderful partnership." More important, this collaboration will bring renewed interest to a very dark time in history. "With fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors around, we can't let their stories be forgotten," Lindblade said. "Exhibits like 'Holocaust Rails' tell that story in a very modern way." 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 Last summer, Imperial farmer Dirk Haarberg made the hard decision to let some of his milo crop die. The heat and the wind had proven too much, Haarberg said, and he needed to save water for his other cornfields. Haarbergs water pumps also ran nonstop, he said during an interview, drawing more water than usual from the Ogallala Aquifer to feed the thirsty crops he was keeping alive. We don't overwater, but when it was as dry as it was last summer, there's not much you can do but just water 24 hours a day, said Haarberg. Decades of irrigating in a relatively dry area has taken a toll on the groundwater in southwest Nebraska. In Chase County, where Haarberg lives, water levels have fallen as much as 100 feet since the 1950s, before the advent of high-density irrigation, according to a newly released University of Nebraska-Lincoln groundwater monitoring report. The Ogallala Aquifer is healthy and even thriving in many parts of Nebraska. The state is maintaining much higher groundwater volume than many states to the south, according to UNL water experts and decades-long mapping from the U.S. Geological Survey. Between 1950 and 2017, available water in storage in Nebraskas part of the aquifer overall decreased by merely 0.34%, markedly better than the aquifers 36% decline in Texas, according to a Flatwater Free Press analysis of USGS reports. Over the long term, we're not in bad shape, said Aaron Young, a survey geologist at UNL and chief author of the report. But some small pockets of the aquifer in Nebraska have been losing water at far greater rates than the rest of the state a slow-but-steady disappearance of water that more closely resembles the troubling situation in much larger swaths of western Kansas and Texas. The decline, mostly located in four counties Dundy, Chase and Perkins counties in southwest Nebraska and Box Butte County in northwest Nebraska has prompted natural resources districts in those areas to closely monitor and regulate water usage for years. Despite this work, experts say that consistently falling water levels may transform irrigation farming in these areas in the future. In those areas, whether its wet or dry, we kind of see a decline of about a foot per year, sustained over the long term, said Young. Nebraska isnt grappling with wholesale water shortages like other states for a crucial reason: The Ogallala Aquifer is much thicker here. In fact, the state is home to 70% of the total water contained in the aquifer. Nebraskas groundwater levels tend to fluctuate with precipitation. The amount of rainfall affects how much water can replenish the aquifer, and how much water farmers need to pump for irrigation. In southwest Nebraska, where precipitation is much less than in the eastern part of the state, producers have tapped into groundwater to feed their crops. Had we had six more inches of rain, wed have pumped six less inches of water, said Haarberg. A big part of Upper Republican NRD in southwest Nebraska is at a net deficit in terms of groundwater reserve because of high-density irrigation and slow natural charge, said Virginia McGuire, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. This decrease in aquifer thickness, sometimes with more than 50% of water storage in an area disappearing, McGuire said, is less than in western Kansas and Texas, but still significant. Once you pump it out, you just have very little coming back in, said McGuire. Even though you slow on your pumping because you got a lot of rain, that doesn't really help you that much in the grand scheme of things. Leaders in the Upper Republican NRD decided to cap water usage at 20 inches per year in the late 1970s making it among the first entities in the country to set annual water allocations. Before that, area farmers used to pump up to three feet of water from the aquifer per acre. Folks in our district saw the writing on the wall that we were going to struggle with decline issues unless we have the ability to regulate water, said the NRDs assistant manager Nate Jenkins. The NRD has since reduced the allocation several times. With these restrictions, the district has suffered about 60% less water decline than expected, Jenkins said. Other NRD leaders also said local regulations have helped stabilize water levels in their parts of Nebraska. If you look at other states, they haven't even started doing anything like Texas and western Kansas they didn't have any regulatory system set up, said Dean Edson, executive director of the association of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts. Last year, Haarberg was blowing past his allocation on all his irrigation wells -- about 13 inches on average per year. He had to take advantage of past years leftover amounts or dip into his carry-forward account. Farmers may not always be able to achieve maximum potential yield on their cornfields even while using their entire annual allocation, Jenkins said. Still, responding to dipping groundwater levels, the Upper Republican NRD board recently voted to again reduce irrigation water allocations, this time to 62.5 inches in a five-year time frame. With the current groundwater reserve and how fast water is consumed, the water in the district will last for a few hundred years, so its not an immediate concern, Jenkins said. The concern is long term, slowing and eventually stopping groundwater declines so that there's always water to irrigate with, Jenkins said. About 20% of irrigated acres in the state are subject to restrictions on the amount of water pumped. At different points in time, many NRDs in northern, southern and western Nebraska have also used their authority to pause certain kinds of new well drilling. In the Panhandle, areas near Box Butte County and Hay Springs also experienced faster groundwater storage decline. These two areas are scattered with irrigation wells, said Lynn Webster, assistant manager at the Upper Niobrara White NRD, as opposed to large swaths of northwest Nebraska that are primarily used for ranchland. This steady decline in water storage has consequences. In Box Butte County, a handful of residents have had to drill their wells deeper because of the water level drop, Webster said. He also said that area farmers will probably have to make due with stricter water restrictions in the future. Over the long term, rainfall in his district seems cyclic, with wet years and dry years alternating, Webster said. A prolonged drought would have a more significant impact on groundwater levels, he said. Even in parts of Nebraska where there arent water restrictions, some farmers have reduced water voluntarily, Edson said. There are programs aimed at preserving water, such as retiring irrigated acres and other aquifer augmentation projects. Haarberg, the Imperial farmer, leaves his non-irrigated land fallow every three years to preserve moisture in the soil and uses equipment to prevent runoff. We have done things for 30 years to try and protect our water and protect our ground so that we have more available water, he said. The farmer would prefer that the local NRD not lower his water allocation, but he said he also understands the need to preserve the areas groundwater. This seems to be the direction in which his local NRD board and NRDs across the state are heading. We're taking actions. If you look at their allocation over time, it has dramatically decreased, Edson said. If we need to continue doing that, we'll continue to do that. The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter. EDITOR'S NOTE: This week we welcome David Halaas to The Regulars lineup. This is his first column. My first memory of visiting a museum was in the small Montana town of Browning, just to the east of Glacier National Park. As a young child I lived in neighboring Cut Bank, Montana, and whenever my family had visitors we would take them to the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning. The museum was fascinating! (And it still is today.) Browning is the home of the Blackfeet Nation. The Museum of the Plains Indian displays richly varied arts of Northern Plains Tribal peoples including the Blackfeet, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Sioux, Assiniboine, Arapaho, Shoshone, Nez Perce, Flathead, Chippewa and Cree. Im grateful that the Indian Arts and Crafts Board of the U.S. Department of the Interior, continues to tell the stories of my neighbors. Museums, to me as a child, were places of wonder and discovery. Around every corner, in every glass case, during the brief movies, and gazing at the art, artifacts, statues and sculptures, there was so much to learn. Museums have always expanded my world in wonderful ways. There are thousands of museums in the world including about 35,000 in the United States alone according to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (yes, there is such an organization). The important and traditional work and focus of museums is collecting, preserving, and interpreting stories and history. The American Alliance of Museums (yes, again, there is such an organization) adds this: At their best, museums are vital infrastructure, sustaining healthy, inclusive and resilient communities by enriching education systems, bolstering economies, strengthening societal cohesion, improving peoples well-being and beyond. It is this social and community impact - the changes in the lives of people - that truly exemplifies the power of museums and the people who work within them to change the world They are stewards of our culture, hold deep public trust, and strive to promote understanding and education. There are many excellent museums are here in Siouxland: Sioux City Railroad Museum and the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District, MidAmerican Museum of Aviation and Transportation, Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and the Betty Strong Encounter Center and the LaunchPAD Childrens Museum. In Vermillion, South Dakota, there is the treasured National Music Museum. On the campus of the University of South Dakota, the NMM has a renowned collection of over 15,000 (!) fine and historic musical instruments from many cultures and historical periods. The Sioux City Public Museum is a genuine treasure. The City of Sioux City established the museum in 1938, incorporating the collections of the earlier Academy of Science and Letters in its displays in the Carnegie Library at the corner of Sixth and Jackson. In 1960 the museum moved into the Peirce Mansion on 29th and Jackson streets, and then in 2011 to the current location downtown. Other sites include the Sgt. Floyd River Museum and Welcome Center, the Loren D. Callendar Gallery (in City Hall), the Peirce Mansion, and the museums amazing Research Center. Visiting the Sioux City Public Museum sites often is recommended because one will always discover something very old and something very new! Some years ago the Museums Association, based in London, introduced an awareness campaign called Museums Change Lives. This purpose statement is both a reminder and a challenge: Museums can increase our sense of well-being, help us feel proud of where we have come from, can inspire, challenge and stimulate us, and make us feel healthier. With society facing issues such as poverty, inequality, intolerance and discrimination, museums can help us understand, debate and challenge these concerns. They can also enhance everyones life chances by breaking down barriers to access and inclusion. Museums are doing this through active public participation, engaging with diverse communities, and sharing collections and knowledge in ways that are transforming lives. My life was changed recently with the opportunity to travel to Tennessee and Alabama on a trip to learn more about the history of the struggle for human rights, civil rights and voting rights in our country. My travel companions and I visited 11 museums over the course of seven days. These places are highly recommended and worthy of visiting. All tell stories that need to be told, understood, and shared. These museums will certainly change your life: Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum and the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Birmingham Civil Rights Institute/Museum, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, and the Temple Beth-El in Birmingham Civil Rights Memorial Center, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (Lynching Museum) and the Freedom Riders Museum at the old Greyhound Bus Station in Montgomery Selma to Montgomery Trail Lowndes Interpretive Center National Voting Rights Museum and the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma National Museum of African American Music in Nashville Museums change lives. Go! See! Discover! Important questions to ask when visiting all variety of museums near and far are these: Did you see yourself or your story reflected here? and Did you learn of other peoples stories and gain new understandings? Its not that easy to get a hold of LeBron James people. Few celebrities are accessible, but James occupies a rarefied stratum of fame in which even getting his representatives to acknowledge you on some matter or another isnt a given for most reporters. There are thousands of journalists and millions of other people who would like to ask LeBron something at any given time. Many reporters with serious questions might not even be able to obtain a no comment. Advertisement So consider what it must have taken for a reporter from the Verge, a technology website that has essentially nothing to do with the NBA, to quickly get a concise, newsmaking response from James people on Thursday. LeBron had previously tweeted that he would not pay for Twitter Blue, the subscription product that Elon Musk is now hawking in order to make a tiny dent in Twitters financial woes while alienating large numbers of the platforms users. But when legacy verification check marks started to disappear on April 20, as the emoji purportedly became exclusive to paying subscribers, LeBrons check did not disappear. He or his retinue apparently wanted to be rapidly clear with a Verge reporter about this fact: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NEW: Have confirmed that LeBron, who has 52 million followers and has said he wont pay for verification, was emailed by a Twitter employee with the offer to have his sub comped on behalf of Elon Musk. James did not accept but his account is showing that he paid anyway. Alex Heath (@alexeheath) April 20, 2023 LeBrons media adviser then went on the record that James did not pay, and Musk confirmed thereafter that he was paying for some Blue subscriptions himself, upsetting some of his new fans, who are incensed that their populist champion has decided celebrities should get for free a product for which the plebs pay $8 a month. But the celebs look even less happy. On Saturday night, many accounts with more than 1 million followersmaybe all of themwere slapped with Twitter Blue subscription badges. Dead people got them too, with Musk or someone on his team deciding that Anthony Bourdain, Kobe Bryant, and Jamal Khashoggi should be branded as having paid for Twitter. Living famous people worked furiously to let people know that they had not paid for checks. Chrissy Teigen figured out that by changing her Twitter handle, she could make it go away. Lil Nas X swears on [his] soul that he did not buy Twitter Blue. Jason Alexander is exasperated. Sorta-famous media and political figures offered similar clarifications. CNNs Daniel Dale noted the restored check mark on his account (which has since been unrestored) and said: Obviously did not do this. And Stephen King could not have been more emphatic: Advertisement Advertisement My Twitter account says Ive subscribed to Twitter Blue. I havent. My Twitter account says Ive given a phone number. I havent. Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 20, 2023 Its an astonishing business story. Famous people from every walk of life you could think of have, in the span of a few days, grabbed their megaphones to tell the world they did not pay for a specific product. Imagine if they felt the need to tell you the same thing every time they passed a restaurant they didnt want to eat at. Most people seem to agree with the celebrities. Available data indicate that Twitter has made very little money from Blue in its opening months. Blue has a constituencyMusk fans and some Twitter power users who dont mind being branded as dorksbut not, it appears, a big one. Both the eye test and one software developers query of Twitters application programming interface suggest that almost literally nobody who had an unpaid check mark before decided to pay for one under threat of losing it this past week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some people have decided to pay for Blue and its check mark, which used to signify some cursory level of trustworthiness or authenticity on Twitter but now confirms that the user has $8 and a cellphone. Many current Blue subscribers have been bewildered or angry that the former blue-check brigade, whom they saw as an entitled elite, no longer want the check mark. For instance, there is this guy, who believes that weed costs $50 a day and Starbucks writes a customers name on a coffee cup not so that theyd know the cup belonged to them, but because having your name on a paper cup makes you feel special? Advertisement People will pay $8 for a coffee every morning to have their name on it, $10 a month for a streaming service to watch repeats of an old show, $50 a day on weed, but wont pay for verification of their own identity on Twitter without acting like its costing them their life. Ian Schwartzman (@Ian_Schwartzman) April 21, 2023 Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, the real reason most people, and especially those of us who used to be verified, do not want the new check mark is not that exciting. We do not want it because having the check mark circa late April 2023 is embarrassing. Musk has successfully made it a humiliating thing for someone in most social circles to pay for Twitter. It wasnt always this way. As recently as 2022, I myself paid for a different version of Twitter Blue, thinking its features justified a few bucks a month. How did the Twitter check mark become toxic? It took multiple strokes of business failure: first, by Musk making Twitter worse; second, by charging more for Twitter Blue at the same time that he was making the site worse; and third, by making himself an unappealing person for people to associate themselves with in public. The masses are not balking at paying for Twitter Blue because theyre trying to shelter themselves within a crumbling elitist internet order but because they think Musk is offering an unworthy product and is also a dickhead. Advertisement Consider the moves Musk has made in the six months hes owned Twitter. Musks ambition is to make Twitter an everything app that users get lost in, like Instagram or TikTok. For now, though, Musk assesses that the company he bought at a $44 billion valuation is now worth $20 billion. He has fired or chased off the vast majority of Twitters staff and slashed infrastructure costs, including those for data centers the company once relied on. The platform still works in its core functionality of publishing tweets (a win for him!), but things break a lot, outages are more frequent, many users see lots of tweets they dont want to see, theres porn spam in the replies to countless tweets and crypto spam in my direct messages all the time, and the conversion of check marks to a pay product with no relation to authenticity or notoriety has made it harder to identify and curate good information on Twitter. And thats before we get to Musks (transparently self-serving and half-baked) crowing about free speech, his unbanning of racist trolls, his concurrent games of footsie with COVID denalists and anti-trans losers, and everything else. The median user experience, ideological repulsion aside, is degraded. Twitter is a less addicting and more annoying social media site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simultaneously, Twitters pay product is getting more expensive. It used to be worth $3 or $5 a month, and by the end, it included the tweet edit button, an actual useful feature that has carried over to the new version. The new Blue also offers other features that seem fine. They include fewer ads (a good perk, as the ad experience on Twitter these days is third-rate), longer video uploads, longer tweets, and more visibility in places like the replies to tweets. Perhaps that justifies a price hike to $8. But then the subscription runs into other problems Musk created: The blue check mark isnt now just uncool, but to scores of people, its a mark of shame. If Twitter had spent the past half a year getting better, its subscription offering would be more enticing. Now the value proposition is that it will make a declining place less unpleasant. Advertisement Arguably, though, none of that is even Twitter Blues greatest problem. Blue could be $1 a month, and Twitter could figure out spam tomorrow, and tons of people would still have zero interest in the subscription, because they dont like Musk or the people who follow him around. Musk has made a hard-right turn in his political presentation of himself, and he has been incredibly unfunny about it. He has taken away peoples jobs and reportedly stiffed much smaller businesses on payments. He has publicly mocked and thus sent his sycophantic fans after a disabled Twitter employee he laid off. (That episode became one of the few things for which Musk has apologized.) He has surrounded himself with unappealing yes men who now scold people for not wanting to buy what theyre selling. Theres not great data on how the general public feels about Musk, but he lost when he put his Twitter popularity to a vote. Lately, Musk has said voting in future polls will be limited to paying subscribers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If any of the above factors were different, Twitter Blue would be doing better (not enough to make up for Twitters advertising implosion, but better). A lower cost would help. A better product, one that did not humiliate a lot of people by attaching themselves to it, would really help. And that would be possible if the guy hawking the product had not done everything possible to make himself a divisive figure that lots of people strongly dislike. Instead, Musk took the red pill, caught himself in a horrendous deal to buy a company for way too much money while alienating much of the public, and then worsened his investment while trying to get you to give him more money for it. Musk carries the reputation of a futuristic innovator, but here he is flailing in the most old-school way capitalism could imagine: He has poorly marketed a product people do not want. What a master class. The youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Louis, is celebrating his fifth birthday. On this happy occasion, Kate Middleton and Prince William shared two photos of the birthday boy on the social network, who is being driven by mom Kate in a wheelchair. Kate Middleton and Prince William are on their official profile at Instagram shared two photos of her youngest son. Someone turns five tomorrow. Happy birthday to Prince Louis, they wrote under the post they shared on Saturday, the day before the princes birthday. A smiling birthday boy Prince Louis was captured by a renowned photographer Millie Pilkington. In the first photo, the Princess of Wales keeps her son company, driving him in a wheelchair. To view content from social networks, enable social network cookies. Enable cookies On VOYO you can watch many documentaries about the royal family. Louis older sister will also celebrate her birthday soon Charlottewho will turn eight years old on May 2nd, and two months later, on July 22nd, he will be a prince George celebrated his tenth birthday. The royal family paid their respects to the deceased a few days ago to Queen Elizabeth II., who would have celebrated her 97th birthday on April 21. On this occasion, Kate and William shared a photo on the social network, which was taken last summer at Balmoral Castle, in which the monarch is surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. READ MORE Kate and William published a photo of the late Queen with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren The royal family is currently preparing for the coronation King Charles III., which will take place on May 6. At the same time, the palace is said to be wondering whether five-year-old Prince Louis should also attend. At last years celebration of the Queens platinum jubilee, he stole the spotlight with amusing grimaces such as sticking out his tongue and covering his ears. An official representative of Kensington Palace explained last week that William and Kate will make a decision about the princes presence at the coronation before the event itself. The bodies were taken for DNA analysis to determine if they had actually starved to death. Photo: Reuters The bodies were discovered in shallow graves in the forest Shakahola near the coastal town of Malindi. According to eyewitnesses, a high cross was also erected in the area. The graves were near the site where police last week rescued 15 people who were about to starve themselves to death. Four of them died on the way to the hospital, Reuters reported. The police said Yes children were among the 21 excavated bodies, and the number of victims will most likely be much higher. Kenyan radio and television KBC reported, Yes the police have so far identified 58 graves. Kenyan newspaper The Standard states, Yes pathologists will take DNA samples and perform tests, Yes would determine whether the victims actually died of starvation. The preacher allegedly told the dead to starve, Yes they will meet Jesus The deceased were allegedly followers of a Christian cult allegedly led by preacher Paul Mackenzie Nthengeotherwise the leader of the Good News International Church. Kenyan police believe there are many more graves. Photo: Reuters The preacher is said to have named the three districts of the village Nazareth, Bethlehem and Judea and baptized the followers in the ponds, and then ordered them to fast, Yes they will meet Jesusreports The Standard. The police accuse this church of Yes is to people brainwashed and led them to death. Paul Mackenzie Nthenge arrested for the second time Police arrested Mackenzie back in March after the deaths of two children because he allegedly encouraged their parents to suffocate and starve them. He was released shortly after on $700 bail. He was arrested again on April 15 when the bodies of four of his followers were discovered. This time, he has no chance of being released on bail. The preacher denies wrongdoing and claims Yes is a victim hate propaganda former colleagues, and the church Yes closed in 2019. The court will hear the case on May 2, reports the French news agency AFP. Lu Saje made the statements during an interview on French television. Photo: EPA Ukraine immediately condemned Shays absurd statements, as did France and the Baltic states. The ambassador made the controversial statements when asked in an interview about his position on whether Crimea is part of Ukraine, to which he replied, Yes the peninsula was historically part of Russia, and was donated to Ukraine by a former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev which is otherwise an accurate statement. He then went on to reflect on the countries created after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991: These former Soviet states have no real status in international law because there is no international agreement that would give effect to their independent status, said Shaje. The adviser of the Ukrainian president responded Michael Podolak and said Yes the status of post-Soviet states is determined by international law. It is strange to hear an absurd version of the history of Crimea from a representative of a country that is so accurate when it comes to its own thousand-year history, he said Halfling. A meeting between Russian President Putin and Chinese Defense Minister Li in Moscow this week. Photo: EPA France expressed full solidarity with all allied countries affected by the statement and which Yes have won their independence after decades of oppression. When it comes to Ukraine specifically, the entire international community, including China, recognized it internationally in 1991 according to the delineated borders, which also included Crimea, pointed out the representative of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He added, Yes Beijing will have to clarify whether Shays statements reflect the Chinese governments position. Lithuania: Therefore, China cannot be a mediator in the war Similar to France, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also responded. Statements of the Chinese Ambassador Regarding International Law and Independence post-Soviet countries are completely unacceptable, Latvian Foreign Minister wrote on Twitter Edgars Rinkevics. We expect an explanation from the Chinese side and a complete withdrawal of this statement. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabriel Landsbergis so: If anyone is still wondering why we dont trust the Baltic states to China, Yes would intervene peacefully in Ukraine, here is the Chinese ambassador who claims Yes Crimea is Russian, but the borders of our countries Yes they have no legal basis. Moscow and Beijing have greatly increased cooperation in recent years, and Washington accuses Beijing of Yes is considering sending weapons to Russia. China denies the allegations and describes itself as neutral when it comes to the conflict in Ukraine, but also offers Yes would mediate in the peace negotiations, which Kiev rejects. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/germany-expels-russian-diplomats-to-reduce-presence-of-intelligence-officers-1109769248.html Berlin Claims Germany Expels Russian Diplomats to Reduce Presence of Intelligence Officers Berlin Claims Germany Expels Russian Diplomats to Reduce Presence of Intelligence Officers On Saturday the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Berlin decided to initiate a new massive expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in the country. Moscow said that it would respond with corresponding measures. 2023-04-22T22:03+0000 2023-04-22T22:03+0000 2023-04-23T05:43+0000 russia germany berlin moscow world /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/02/11/1107527927_0:218:3097:1960_1920x0_80_0_0_d0a14588387031bee537ec32827b0b10.jpg Earlier in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Berlin decided to initiate a new massive expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in the country. Moscow said that it would respond with corresponding measures. "Today's departure of the Russian embassy staff is connected precisely with this," a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said, as quoted by the broadcaster. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik that more than 20 German diplomats were expelled from Russia. According to Sputnik data, the number of Russian diplomats expelled from Berlin is also over 20 people. russia germany berlin moscow Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International germany, russia, russian foreign ministry, russian diplomats, moscow, german-russian relations https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/sweden-considering-sending-troops-to-sudan-to-evacuate-citizens-1109769491.html Sweden Considering Sending Troops to Sudan to Evacuate Citizens Sweden Considering Sending Troops to Sudan to Evacuate Citizens The Swedish government plans to send a military detachment to Sudan to evacuate its citizens, including employees of the Swedish embassy, due to violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the RSF. 2023-04-22T22:20+0000 2023-04-22T22:20+0000 2023-04-22T22:20+0000 world sweden sudan /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104022/27/1040222729_0:110:2049:1262_1920x0_80_0_0_d42fa3c03a7a16d4f6537462e6289bfb.jpg Swedish media reported that a corresponding decision of the Swedish parliament was required to send the country's military to Sudan. Parliament is expected to consider this issue on Sunday. There are currently about a hundred Swedes in Sudan, the Aftonbladet newspaper reported. Last Saturday, violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group broke out, with the epicenter located in Sudan's 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, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday in connection with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. On Thursday, the Sudanese Health Ministry said that the death toll in the armed clashes in Sudan exceeded 600. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people were killed and 3,551 others injured. sweden sudan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International sweden, sudan, rsf, evacuation https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/turkiye-to-evacuate-citizens-from-sudan-on-sunday-1109769622.html Turkiye to Evacuate Citizens From Sudan on Sunday Turkiye to Evacuate Citizens From Sudan on Sunday Turkiye intends to evacuate its citizens from Sudan on Sunday, the Turkish embassy in Khartoum said on Saturday due to violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). 2023-04-22T22:30+0000 2023-04-22T22:30+0000 2023-04-22T22:30+0000 world rapid support forces (rsf) sudan turkiye /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/19/1106698529_0:0:3279:1845_1920x0_80_0_0_95c13e8b35a4e9fd53d102932f02607a.jpg "A decision was made to evacuate our citizens from the conflict zone by land via a third country on Sunday," the embassy said on Twitter. In addition, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held a telephone conversation with his Sudanese counterpart, during which he discussed the evacuation issue. Last Saturday, violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group broke out, with the epicenter located in Sudan's 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, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday in connection with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. On Thursday, the Sudanese Health Ministry said that the death toll in the armed clashes in Sudan exceeded 600. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people were killed and 3,551 others injured. sudan turkiye Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International turkiye, sudan, rapid support forces, rsf, armed forces, violent clash https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/argentine-business-interested-in-cooperation-with-russia-despite-sanctions-1109773220.html Argentine Business Interested in Cooperation With Russia Despite Sanctions Argentine Business Interested in Cooperation With Russia Despite Sanctions Argentine business is interested in further cooperation with Russia, despite sanctions imposed by the West against Moscow, Russian Ambassador to Buenos Aires Dmitry Feoktistov said. 2023-04-23T07:58+0000 2023-04-23T07:58+0000 2023-04-23T07:58+0000 economy russian economy under sanctions russia argentina latin america /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/17/1109773062_384:0:4025:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_f3fde2c695bc3a33193b2709da862702.jpg "Russian and Argentine companies are still interested in further cooperation especially since there are strong foundations for that. But there is now a transition period, I would say, which is due to the sanctions against Russia, concerns about secondary sanctions from the US ... a period when the Argentine business is in limbo, not understanding how to build relations [with Russian colleagues]," the ambassador told reporters. Feoktistov also said that the work of the Russian-Argentine business council had resumed, uniting businessmen from Argentina seeking to continue working with Russia under new circumstances. Russia, in turn, could also be interested in various projects in Argentina, including tenders in nuclear energy announced by Buenos Aires, the head of the Russian diplomatic mission added. These projects could be interesting for Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, considering its big international experience, according to the ambassador. Russia and Argentina have an intergovernmental agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation, particularly in such areas as fundamental and applied research, design, construction, operation, and the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. russia argentina Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, argentina, bilateral relations, economic cooperation, anti-russian sanctions https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/countries-evacuating-nationals-diplomats-from-sudan-1109780588.html Countries Evacuating Nationals, Diplomats From Sudan Countries Evacuating Nationals, Diplomats From Sudan A number of countries launched operations to evacuate their citizens and diplomatic corps from Sudan on Sunday as the local parties to conflict committed to a three-day religious ceasefire. 2023-04-23T17:04+0000 2023-04-23T17:04+0000 2023-04-24T03:11+0000 africa sudan rapid support forces (rsf) sudanese army evacuations /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/16/1109768673_0:214:2881:1834_1920x0_80_0_0_3eca628e36fda2c7a109b393650f9b33.jpg All Italian nationals who had wished to leave Sudan amid the hostilities have been evacuated, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said."After a day of anxious waiting, all our compatriots in Sudan who have asked to leave have been evacuated. There are also foreign nationals with them. Italy leaves no one behind," Meloni said in a statement on Sunday night.The prime minister thanked all the government officials and ministers, as well as the security services, who made the operation possible.Earlier, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told the Sky TG24 broadcaster that around 19 Italian tourists had been evacuated from the northeastern African nation, while around 140 Italian citizens remain in Sudan's capital of Khartoum. Italian air force jets are on standby in Djibouti, but the evacuation's timeframe depends on the course of the conflict, he added. On the same day, Italian broadcaster RaiNews24 reported that 107 Italian citizens left Sudan on the Italian C-130 aircraft en route from Khartoum to Djibouti. Later, the second C-130 is also expected to evacuate the rest of the Italians, as well as Swiss citizens, employees of the Apostolic Nunciature and, possibly, some citizens of other EU countries, the report added.Spain followed suit and decided to evacuate around 50 people, including its own citizens and nationals of other European and Latin American countries, from Sudan amid the ongoing fighting, the Efe news agency reported, citing sources. Spain's military transport planes have been stationed in Djibouti for two days, the report said. In Sweden, the parliament gave the go-ahead on Sunday morning to the government's plan to send a military detachment to Sudan to help Swedish citizens and diplomats flee the country, the Sweden Posts outlet reported. The mandate allows for a contingent of up to 400 servicemen, although in practice it will be much smaller, possibly consisting of under 150 people, the report said. The United Kingdom has already completed its evacuation operation, which it carried out together with the United States, France and other allies, the UK defense ministry said, adding that 1,200 UK troops participated. Czech Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Wernerova said that Prague was looking for opportunities to evacuate four of its citizens from Sudan. "Several international evacuation convoys are being formed in Sudan. Our colleagues in Cairo and Brussels, as well as us in Prague, are now working to ensure that four Czech citizens join these convoys," Wernerova said. Canada's foreign minister also said it had evacuated its diplomatic staff and suspended the embassy's work until the security situation in Sudan improves. Lebanon said it had evacuated about 60 of its citizens from Sudan.Egypt also started evacuating its nationals from safe districts of Khartoum in coordination with the Sudanese authorities, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said. The country's embassies in Khartoum and Port Sudan, as well as the consulate in Wadi Halfa, are in touch with the Egyptians who are being evacuated, the ministry added.Later in the day, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that 436 of its citizens were evacuated from Sudan."Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said that as part of the country's efforts to implement the evacuation plan for Egyptian citizens in Sudan, 436 citizens were evacuated from Sudan by land today, April 23, in coordination with the Sudanese authorities," the ministry said.France has evacuated almost 100 people from Sudan, the BFMTV broadcaster reported, citing the country's foreign and defense ministries.The report noted that the first French aircraft took off from Khartoum and was due to land in Djibouti at 16:00 GMT. Another 100 people will be evacuated soon on the second plane, the report added.Serbia also began the evacuation of more than 20 of its citizens from Sudan in cooperation with the United Nations, the UAE, and Turkey, the Serbian Foreign Ministry said."The Serbian Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with the UN, UAE, and Turkey, today, April 23, began the evacuation of citizens of Serbia from Sudan ... Four of our citizens went with a UN convoy. Six of our citizens were evacuated by the UAE convoy and one more of our citizens joined the convoy organized by Turkey," the ministry said, adding that the government will continue to make efforts to evacuate the remaining Serbian citizens from Sudan.Belarusian Ambassador to Sudan Sergei Terentiev said that the timing of the evacuation of 20 Belarusian citizens from Sudan would depend on the security guarantees provided by the Sudanese side.A number of countries have been evacuating their nationals and diplomats from Sudan in cooperation with other African and Middle Eastern countries for land and air transit. The United States has evacuated its embassy staff from Khartoum but not regular US nationals. Russia has evacuated its nationals in Sudan's conflict areas to its embassy in Khartoum. On April 15, violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese regular army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, with the epicenter in Khartoum. Government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The sides have agreed to a three-day truce starting Friday for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/biden-confirms-us-forces-evacuated-embassy-personnel-from-sudanese-capital-1109771035.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/nearly-all-russians-evacuated-from-khartoum-conflict-zone-to-russian-embassy-1109770629.html africa sudan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International sudan. sudanese army, rapid support forces (rsf), crisis in sudan, unrest in sudan, sudan uprising https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/eu-foreign-policy-chief-urges-european-navies-to-patrol-taiwan-strait-amid-tensions-1109771355.html EU Foreign Policy Chief Urges European Navies to Patrol Taiwan Strait Amid Tensions EU Foreign Policy Chief Urges European Navies to Patrol Taiwan Strait Amid Tensions Borrell earlier dubbed Taiwan part of the EUs geostrategic belt to maintain peace, adding that the island is also of importance to the bloc in economic terms. 2023-04-23T05:51+0000 2023-04-23T05:51+0000 2023-04-23T05:53+0000 world us china taiwan patrols taiwan strait tensions /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/0f/1096338158_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_9bfe330fecb4519b012665e7b9acc646.jpg The EUs High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has urged the navies of the blocs member states to patrol the Taiwan Strait.Thats why I call on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait to show Europes commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely crucial area, the EU foreign policy chief pointed out.His opinion piece comes a few days after Borrell described Taiwan as clearly part of our [the EUs] geostrategic belt to ensure peace.The comments followed French President Emmanuel Macron last week calling on the EU not to allow itself to be involved into the confrontation between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan, and wondering what interest Brussels would have in adapting the confrontation-minded American rhythm on the issue.In a separate development last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Beijing had slapped sanctions on US Congressman Michael McCaul, Chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, for violating the one-China principle while visiting Taiwan.McCaul has repeatedly "interfered in China's internal affairs" and "impaired the countrys interests" with his words and deeds, the statement read.In particular, the ministry noted that on April 6, McCaul led a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers to Taiwan, seriously violating the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, thus "sending a wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces."The statement came after China conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan earlier this month in response to a previous meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Simi Valley, California. The Chinese embassy in Washington voiced deep concern and firm opposition to the meeting, pledging retaliation.The China-Taiwan tensions are also exacerbated by the US repeatedly sending warships and surveillance planes to the Taiwan Strait, with Beijing slamming such missions as provocations and portraying Washington as "a security risk creator in the region." Although the US does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Washington has a representative office in Taipei and remains the island's biggest supplier of military hardware.Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949, when Taipei severed all ties with Beijing following the Chinese Civil War, in which the communist forces of Mao Zedong's People's Republic of China (PRC) defeated the Kuomintang nationalists and forced them to flee to the island. Beijing views the island as its breakaway province, while Taiwan a territory with its own elected government maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230417/report-us-to-sell-taiwan-400-anti-ship-harpoon-missiles-to-repel-chinese-invasion-1109607447.html china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg china-us tensions over taiwan, borrells call for eu navy patrols in taiwan strait, chinese military drills near taiwan, meeting between taiwanese president tsai ing-wen and us house speaker kevin mccarthy in simi valley, california https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/fire-at-madrid-restaurant-results-in-two-dead-ten-injured-1109770353.html Fire at Madrid Restaurant Results in Two Dead, Ten Injured Fire at Madrid Restaurant Results in Two Dead, Ten Injured A fire at a restaurant in Madrid, Spain killed two people and injured others after a waiter flambeed a pizza which set the restaurant's plastic decor ablaze. 2023-04-23T02:37+0000 2023-04-23T02:37+0000 2023-04-23T02:37+0000 beyond politics madrid madrid spain fire /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/1a/1106710071_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_f06a88773f632d749b6d634c84fc3b0b.jpg The fire broke out on Saturday at the entrance to a restaurant in Plaza de Manuel Becerra in Madrids Salamanca district. "Fire in a restaurant in Plaza Manuel Becerra. SAMUR-Proteccion Civil [specialized emergency system of Madrid] attends to 10 [injured] people and confirms the death of two people," the emergency services said on Twitter. El Mundo newspaper reported that the blaze occurred when a waiter flambeed a pizza by pouring alcohol over the pizza and lighting it with a blowtorch, the flames then caught plastic flowers decorating the ceiling and columns of the restaurant. El Mundo said, citing the citys emergency services, that the dead include a 25-year-old waiter and a 40-year-old customer. An investigation is underway. madrid madrid spain Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International madrid, spain, restaurant, fire, accident https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/former-italian-foreign-minister-to-become-eu-special-envoy-to-persian-gulf---reports-1109778015.html Former Italian Foreign Minister to Become EU Special Envoy to Persian Gulf - Reports Former Italian Foreign Minister to Become EU Special Envoy to Persian Gulf - Reports According to media, Former Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio will be appointed as EU special envoy to oil-rich Gulf states as Brussels seeks to limit its dependence on Russian hydrocarbons. 2023-04-23T13:54+0000 2023-04-23T13:54+0000 2023-04-23T13:54+0000 world european union (eu) persian gulf josep borrell middle east luigi di maio /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107563/55/1075635566_0:0:5000:2813_1920x0_80_0_0_ffbc2a86f6653e62202912e782e76cb2.jpg EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell took the initiative to create the post of the Special European Union Envoy for the Gulf region in July 2022. He called on member states to nominate their candidates for the new post, stressing the need for the bloc to maintain close contacts with the Gulf countries after the EU decided to limit its dependence on Russian energy supplies. Di Maio will be appointed to the new post for "an initial period of 21 months, starting from June 1, 2023, to February 28, 2025," the report said, citing a letter that Borrell sent to the members of the EU Political and Security Committee on Friday. Borrell said in his letter that Di Maio "has the necessary political profile at the international level for this role" and that "his extensive contacts with the countries of the Persian Gulf will allow him to interact with interested parties at the appropriate level," the newspaper added. Di Maio served as Italian foreign minister from 2019-2022. In June 2022, Di Maio announced that he had decided to leave the Five Star Movement party due to disagreements with the party's leadership over the Ukraine crisis. https://sputnikglobe.com/20211006/europe-gulf-partnership-may-help-resolve-gas-price-crisis-european-commission-says-1089718172.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230420/mideast-restores-regional-relations-as-us-bumped-out-1109693279.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International persian gulf, european union, middle east,luigi di maio, eu special envoy https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/g7-farm-ministers-recognize-importance-of-grain-deal-support-extension-1109772060.html G7 Farm Ministers Recognize Importance of Grain Deal, Support Extension G7 Farm Ministers Recognize Importance of Grain Deal, Support Extension Agriculture ministers of the G7 countries have recognized the importance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and expressed strong support for its expansion, implementation and extension in a joint communique issued following a two-day meeting in the Japanese city of Miyazaki. 2023-04-23T05:55+0000 2023-04-23T05:55+0000 2023-04-23T05:55+0000 istanbul grain deal g7 russia ukraine grain grain exports grain crops grain supply /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/07/18/1097752019_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_0c64f97722ccafb4f50921b540380232.jpg "We recognize the importance of the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyys Grain from Ukraine Initiative and the UN and Turkiye-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI). In this context, we strongly support the extension, full implementation and expansion of BSGI," the communique read. At the same time, G7 ministers accused Russia of allegedly using food "as a means of destabilization and as tool of geopolitical coercion." "We will continue to design our restrictive measures against Russia to shield population in need from unintended consequences by ensuring food and fertilizers are carved out," the document added.The Black Sea Grain Initiative, also known as the Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, signed between Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations in July 2022, provides for the exports of Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizers over the Black Sea from three ports, including Odessa. The package agreement also includes a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN to unblock Russian grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea, which, according to Moscow, has not been implemented amid Western sanctions.In March, Russia extended the deal for 60 of possible 120 days. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that most of the ships carrying Ukrainian grain did not reach the world's poorest countries and ended up in Europe. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230412/high-levels-of-pesticides-found-in-ukrainian-grain---slovak-agriculture-minister-1109394117.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International istanbul grain deal, russia-ukraine grain deal, grain supplies, russian grain, ukrainian graine, black sea grain initiative, g7 https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/g7-ministers-agree-to-expand-cooperation-in-agro-industrial-production-1109771563.html G7 Ministers Agree to Expand Cooperation in Agro-Industrial Production G7 Ministers Agree to Expand Cooperation in Agro-Industrial Production The G7 agriculture ministers have agreed to cooperate on food safety and environmental sustainability during a meeting in the Japanese city of Miyazaki, a Japanese news agency reports. 2023-04-23T04:53+0000 2023-04-23T04:53+0000 2023-04-23T05:31+0000 economy g7 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105032/35/1050323577_0:100:1921:1180_1920x0_80_0_0_b76ace0c404a8459de9244fe683d0f0f.jpg The agriculture ministers issued a joint statement after their summit held on April 22-23, agreeing to support Kiev in the restoration of Ukraines agricultural infrastructure, facilitating projects in developing countries through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and also agreed to expand cooperation on food safety, environmental sustainability, and other food industry and agro-industrial production issues, Kyodo said. A senior EU official said on Friday that the issue of a complete ban on exports to Russia has not yet been discussed by the G7 but should not be ruled out in the future. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that a potential ban on the export of almost all goods to Russia would hit the global economy and could lead to an increase in crisis trends around the world. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International g7, g7 agriculture ministers, food safety https://sputnikglobe.com/20230423/nearly-all-russians-evacuated-from-khartoum-conflict-zone-to-russian-embassy-1109770629.html Nearly All Russians Evacuated From Khartoum Conflict Zone to Russian Embassy Nearly All Russians Evacuated From Khartoum Conflict Zone to Russian Embassy Almost all Russians who had been in the conflict areas in Sudans capital of Khartoum have now been evacuated to the Russian Embassy. Earlier, 140 people had confirmed to the embassy their desire to evacuate from Sudan. 2023-04-23T03:22+0000 2023-04-23T03:22+0000 2023-04-23T03:22+0000 world sudan russia evacuation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/17089/29/170892928_0:97:1024:673_1920x0_80_0_0_1850a6e1d0b2ced35d219f2a00cde8c6.jpg "The fact is that the hostilities started at the same time everywhere and quite actively, and such serious hostilities. We had people in about six or seven hot spots, fortunately, we managed to get people out of there, except for the Russian woman with a child in the Nubian Metropolis building," Chernovol said. "This is the last location where, apart from the embassy, our citizens remain, in a dangerous situation. Everyone who was in the conflict zone was taken to the embassy," Chernovol added. He specified that the Russian embassy maintains contact with Russian citizens who remain at locations far from the line of contact. The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group announced on Twitter on Friday its readiness to partially open airports in order to allow for the evacuation of foreign citizens from Sudan. Earlier, Chernovol told Sputnik that a total of 140 people have confirmed to the Russian Embassy their desire to evacuate from Sudan, and the list is growing due to a rising number of requests from citizens of foreign countries.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. sudan russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International sudan, russia, khartoum, violent conflict, sudanese rapid support forces (rsf)